cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LCK connects NTB-A and SAP signaling in T cells to restimulation-induced cell death

Signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM)-associated protein (SAP) is an adaptor protein required for SLAM family receptor signaling. In T cells, signaling from different SLAM receptors (SLAM-Rs) governs differentiation, effector function, and apoptosis specifically through the self-regulatory program of T cell receptor restimulation-induced cell death (RICD). Indeed, SLAM-R signaling and RICD are impaired in X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP) patients that are deficient for SAP, as well as in SAP-deficient mice. Importantly, defective RICD likely contributes to excessive CD8 + T cell accumulation and severe immunopathology noted in XLP patients upon infection with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). It is well established that SAP signaling through different SLAM-Rs is associated with the recruitment of the Src-family kinase FYN. Surprisingly, we recently discovered that FYN has no role in RICD. Instead, our data suggests that SAP enhances the recruitment and activation of LCK to the SLAM family receptor NK, T, and B cell Antigen (NTB-A), and thus amplifies TCR signaling for optimal RICD. In this research highlight we review the role of SAP in T cells and describe our recent findings placing LCK as an important player in SAP-mediated NTB-A signaling for T cell apoptosis.
Neural Signatures of Conscious Face Perception in an Inattentional Blindness Paradigm

Previous studies suggest that early stages of face-specific processing are performed preattentively and unconsciously, whereas conscious perception emerges with late-stage (>300 ms) neuronal activity. A conflicting view, however, posits that attention is necessary for face-specific processing and that early-to-mid latency neural responses (∼ 100-300 ms) correspond more closely with perceptual awareness. The current study capitalized on a recently developed method for manipulating attention and conscious perception during EEG recording (modified inattentional blindness paradigm) and used face stimuli that elicit a well known marker of early face processing, the N170 event-related potential (ERP). In Phase 1 of the experiment, subjects performed a demanding distracter task while line drawings of faces and matched control stimuli were presented in the center of their view. When queried, half of the subjects reported no awareness of the faces and were deemed inattentionally blind. In Phase 2, subjects performed the same distracter task, but now consciously perceived the face stimuli due to the intervening questioning. In Phase 3, subjects performed a discrimination task on the faces. Two primary contrasts were made: aware versus unaware (equally task irrelevant) and task-relevant versus task-irrelevant (equally aware). The N170 and a subsequent ERP component, the visual awareness negativity (∼ 260-300 ms), were absent during inattentional blindness and present in the aware conditions. The P3b (> 300 ms) was absent for task-irrelevant faces, even when consciously perceived, and present only when the faces were task relevant. These results inform contemporary theories of conscious face perception in particular and visual attention and perceptual awareness in general.
Short‐term effects of an anti‐marijuana media campaign targeting high sensation seeking adolescents

Abstract Sensation seeking, a biologically‐based personality variable, is strongly related to both drug use and preferences for highly novel, arousing, and/or unconventional messages and TV programs. This connection is the basis of a targeting strategy in an anti‐marijuana public service announcement campaign in a medium‐sized market aimed at high sensation seeking adolescents. Data from the first half of the media campaign suggest that the anti‐marijuana PSAs are reaching the target audience's marijuana‐related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors in the experimental city when compared to the control city. Implications for future campaigns are discussed.
PCB pharmacodynamics in the ring dove and early gas chromatographic peak diminution

Abstract Ring Doves ( Streptopelia risoria ) were maintained on a daily dietary dose of 10 ppm of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), Aroclor 1254. Sequential sampling and residue analysis of eggs indicated a linear increase in PCB levels until approximately 105 days, after which an asymptote was reached at 80 ppm, oven dried weight (OD). At equilibrium PCB residues (ppm, OD) were as follows: fat 797, liver 51·8, muscle 28·1, brain 25·4, faeces 2·27. At death, following starvation stress, residue levels increased by the following factors: liver 78, muscle 25, brain 56, faeces 5·5. No differential toxicity attributable to PCB mobilisation was observed in experimentals compared with controls. Experimental birds tended to lose relatively more weight than the controls. The high levels in the livers of our starvation-stressed birds compared with those found in the livers of seabirds involved in the Irish Sea kill suggests that PCB was not the primary factor in their death. Early gas-liquid chromatography peaks showed considerable diminution in all samples compared with Aroclor 1254 standard and this was particularly marked in muscle and fat samples.
Transcript counting in single cells reveals dynamics of rDNA transcription.

Most eukaryotes contain many tandem repeats of ribosomal RNA genes of which only a subset is transcribed at any given time. Current biochemical methods allow for the determination of the fraction of transcribing repeats (ON) versus non-transcribing repeats (OFF) but do not provide any dynamical information and obscure any transcription activity at the single-cell level. Here, we use a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique that allows the detection of single-RNA molecules in individual yeast cells. We use this method complemented with theoretical modeling to determine the rate of switching from OFF to ON (activation rate) and the average number of RNA molecules produced during each transcriptional burst (burst size). We explore how these two variables change in mutants and different growth conditions, and show that this method resolves changes in these two variables even when the average rDNA expression is unaltered. These phenotypic changes could not have been detected by traditional biochemical assays. Molecular Systems Biology 6: 358; published online 13 April 2010; doi:10.1038/msb.2010.14 Subject Categories: chromatin and transcription; RNA
Magnetic probing of dispersion quality of cobalt modified iron oxide particle inks

The dispersion quality of magnetic inks made from cobalt modified iron oxide particles using a wetting binder based on vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride copolymer has been investigated using a magnetic probing technique known as DIMAG. The dispersion quality was found to improve with milling time as well as the binder concentration. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, (XPS) analysis of the bare and binder treated particles indicated that some sort of a chemical interaction takes place between the binder and the cobalt ions. >
A single-perspective novel panoramic view from radially distorted non-central images

In this paper, we propose an image-based technique for panoramic novelview generation using three uncalibrated wide-angle images as its input. State of the art in novel view generation presumes the calibration and removal of radial distortion or any other deformation resulting from t he geometry of a non-central camera. We propose a method which replaces this calibration with the assumption that the epipole corresponding to the novel viewpoint is at the center of radial distortion and that it is known. 1 Introduction In novel view synthesis, given an image pair, the intensity of each ray in the novel view is determined by finding corresponding point matches betwee n those images, using the epipolar geometries between the two views and with respect to the novel view. This process requires that the given images obey the standard perspective model, with a single viewpoint and no radial distortion. Such assumptions make the creation of novel panoramas a process of acquiring tens of images, each with relatively narrow field-of-view, with special apparatus, and applying calibration and estimatio n of circular motion [9]. In this paper, we propose an approach where a novel view can be synthesized from multiple views which might be highly radially distorted, and even non-central, without compensating explicitly for the resulting image deformations. We shed new light on the problem (Fig. 1) of “how a scene looks from a scene point?”[8] by eliminating the need for a reference plane and facilitating synthesis of omnidre ctional novel views. We assume that, for n ≥ 3 views, the location of the epipole of the novel view in each image is known, and, in the case of radially distorted views, that it is coincident with the centre of radial distortion in the image. This assumption is either enforced (for example by choosing a visible scene point as the centre of projection of the view to be synthesized, and actually fixating on this point in the case of radially dis torted views), or else it may naturally be satisfied for certain wide-angle imaging syste ms (for example multiple views of a spherical mirror). Given such a configuration, the 2D sta r of virtual rays at the novel viewpoint are mapped to a 1D star of lines in each image, which we model as a projection from P 2 (the domain of the novel view) to P 1 (the angles of the line pencil in image plane). We make use of the well known fact that three projections of a line in space (a virtual line in our case) yield a trifocal constraint, from w hich we extract the projection matrices required for the view synthesis. The main contributions of this paper are:
Life history and the competitive environment: trajectories of growth, maturation, and reproductive output among chacma baboons.

The social environment is a key feature influencing primate life histories. Chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) are a female-bonded species with a strict linear dominance hierarchy. In this species, the allocation of energy to competing demands of growth and reproduction is hypothesized to vary as a function of competitive ability, which in turn increases with social rank. Since growth rate is a major component of life history models, measures of age-specific growth were used to analyze variation in life history traits across social ranks. Weights of 42 immature baboons were obtained without sedation or baiting from a troop of well-habituated chacma baboons in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Using demographic and weight data from this wild population, five main findings emerged: 1) Weight for age and growth rate of infant and juvenile females are positively associated with maternal rank. 2) Male growth is not influenced by maternal rank. 3) Female growth shows smaller variation across feeding conditions than male growth. 4) Low-ranking adult females continue investment in offspring through prolonged lactation until they reach a weight comparable to that of high-ranking infants. 5) The benefit of rank to reproductive success shown in this study is 0.83 additional offspring. Reproductive span determined predominantly by age at maturation contributes 27-38% to the difference in expected number of offspring by rank, vs. 62-73% due to reproductive rate. These findings have major implications for understanding the role of social environment in phenotypic plasticity of life history traits, and in the evolution of primate life histories.
Multiple autonomous discrete event controllers for constellations

The Multiple Autonomous Discrete Event Controllers for Constellations (MADECC) project is an effort within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center's (NASA/GSFC) Information Systems Division to develop autonomous positioning and attitude control for constellation satellites. It will be accomplished using traditional control theory and advanced coordination algorithms developed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). This capability will be demonstrated in the discrete event control test-bed located at JHU/APL. This project will be modeled for the Leonardo constellation mission, but is intended to be adaptable to any constellation mission. To develop a common software architecture. the controllers will only model very high-level responses. For instance, after determining that a maneuver must be made. the MADECC system will output B (Delta)V (velocity change) value. Lower level systems must then decide which thrusters to fire and for how long to achieve that (Delta)V.
Too Much Food and Too Little Sidewalk? Problematizing the Obesogenic Environment Thesis

The obesogenic environment thesis is that increased prevalence of obesity is because people are surrounded by cheap, fast, nutritionally inferior food and a built environment that discourages physical activity. This thesis has animated various planning, advocacy, and educational interventions to address these obesogenic qualities. However, studies designed to test the thesis have generated inconclusive or marginal results, and the more robust findings may be based on spurious correlations. Part of the problem is methodological: researchers embed many assumptions in their models and derive causality from unexamined correlation. As such, they neglect the possibility that features of the built environment may be as much an effect of sociospatial patterning as a cause. In addition, in embedding taken-for-granted assumptions about the causes of obesity—namely, the energy-balance model—these studies foreclose alternative explanations, including the possible role of environmental toxins. This approach to studyin...
Omniguide traveling-wave tube structure testing with a 120 KEV electron beam

Compact, efficient, high-bandwidth and high-power mm-wave sources are essential for many applications in secure communications, environmental monitoring, imaging, spectroscopy for remote sensing in nonproliferation, and basic research such as radio astronomy. Commercial microwave tube amplifiers are available at frequencies up to only 100 GHz (W-band) and have to trade off maximum output power against bandwidth. A wide-band mm-wave traveling-wave tube (TWT) amplifier development is underway at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Information and informatics literacy: skills, timing, and estimates of competence.

Background: Computing and biomedical informatics technologies are providing almost instantaneous access to vast amounts of possibly relevant information. Although students are entering medical school with increasingly sophisticated basic technological skills, medical educators must determine what curricular enhancements are needed to prepare learners for the world of electronic information. Purpose: The purpose was to examine opinions of academic affairs and informatics administrators, curriculum deans and recently matriculated medical students about prematriculation competence and medical education learning expectations. Methods: Two surveys were administered: an Information Literacy Survey for curriculum/informatics deans and a Computing Skills Survey for entering medical students. Results: Results highlight differences of opinion about entering competencies. They also indicate that medical school administrators believe that most basic information skills fall within the domain of undergraduate medical e...
Old-New Problems of Silicotic Fibrosis

The author discusses briefly four aspects of the pathogenesis of lung silicosis: 1) Formation of lipid peroxides was demonstrated in macrophages or lung tissue exposed to silica particles. This phenomenon does not seem, however, to be responsible for damage of bio-membranes, such as lysosomal vacuole. 2) Macrophages exposed to silica form a substance stimulating the mitosis and function of fibroblast. Similar substance(s) was identified in the extract of silicotic lung in early phases of the inflammatory process. 3) Zinc ions are inhibiting various functions of macrophages. Supplementation of zinc to silica dusted rats decreased the magnitude of fibrotic lesion in the lung. 4) With the exception of polyvinyl pyridine N-oxide, there are no drugs available which would specifically interfere with the silicotic lung fibrosis.
Abstract 610: A Pepstatin-Sensitive Aspartyl Peptidase as an Early Urinary Marker of Renal Injury in the Diabetic Hypertensive mRen2.Lewis Female Rat

We previously reported that induction of diabetes in estrogen-depleted, hypertensive mRen2.Lewis (mRen2) female rats leads to significant albuminuria, proteinuria and tubulointerstial oxidative stress at 28 days. The current study assessed the time course for the development of proteinuria and peptidase activities in the urine of the diabetic hypertensive mRen2 to begin to establish potential biomarkers of renal injury in this model. Heterozygous mRen2 underwent ovariectomy and diabetes was induced by a single administration of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg; STZ) at 15 weeks of age. Urinary samples were taken prior to (day 0) and 5 and 28 days following STZ. Aspartyl peptidases were assayed with the quenched fluorescent substrate Mca-GWPILFFRLW(Dnp)R in the presence or absence of the inhibitor pepstatin. Enzyme activities were expressed as nmols Mca per 30 min per mg creatinine. Pepstatin-sensitive activity [IC50 ∼ 0.4 nM] was detectable in the pre-diabetic urines [26 ± 9; n=8]; however, the diabetic rats exhibited a significant increase in urinary activity at days 5 and 28 [184 ± 25 and 204 ± 53, respectively; p
Web-Based Intervention for Nutritional Management in Cystic Fibrosis: Development, Usability, and Pilot Trial

OBJECTIVES Usability and pilot testing of a web intervention (BeInCharge.org [BIC]) of behavior plus nutrition intervention for children with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 4-9 years. METHODS Think Aloud methodology was used with five mothers to assess usability and refine the intervention. A pilot trial was then conducted with 10 mothers of children with CF ages 4-9 years randomized to the web-based BIC or a Standard Care Control (STC). Change in weight gain for each group was compared in a pre-to-post design. RESULTS Mothers rated the usability and clarity of BIC highly. The pilot trial showed children of mothers who received BIC had a significant change in weight pre-to-post-treatment (0.67 kg, p = .04). Change for the STC was not significant (0.41 kg, p = .10). CONCLUSIONS A web-based behavior plus nutrition intervention appears promising in increasing weight gain in children with CF.
Nonlinear myocardial perfusion imaging with motion corrected reconstruction: validation via quantitative flow mapping

Background Myocardial perfusion imaging typically uses saturation recovery to generate T1 contrast during the Gd passage. Imaging protocols lead to a tradeoff between spatial/ temporal resolution, myocardial coverage, and SNR. To improve resolution while maintaining the image quality we propose a nonlinear iterative reconstruction. This method explicitly integrates respiratory motion correction into the reconstruction to permit spatio-temporal regularization in the presence of motion. Unlike most k-t methods, the motion corrected images are directly output. In this way, complete free-breathing acquisition is achieved. Nonlinear iterative reconstruction is difficult to characterize since implicit filtering resulting from regularization is signal dependent. We propose to validate the proposed method by comparing quantitative myocardial blood flow (MBF) against linear reconstruction. Methods
New Monocentric Eucarpic Operculate Chytrids from Maryland

Six new species of Karlingia were isolated from soil and water from various parts of Maryland in 1948. Four of these species, K. chitinophila, K. asterocysta, K. curvispinosa, and K. dubia, were is...
BUBBLY LIQUID TWO-PHASE NOZZLE FLOW THEORY AND EXPERIMENT

Based on the flexible tube flow theory, the bubbly liquid flow sound velocity fomula and one-dimensional flow governing equation system are presented. An universal governing equation system and the universal function table are given. The sound nozzle flow and super sound nozzle flow experiments are conducted with air and water. The test results is in consistent with the therotical calculation.
The practice of chiropractic in South Dakota: a survey of chiropractors.

Objective To identify the professional and demographic characteristics of the chiropractors in South Dakota. Design Mail survey that covered four major areas: 1) demographics of the chiropractors, 2) population served, 3) factors influencing the economic aspects of the practice, and 4) practice characteristics. A reminder was sent 1 month following the first mailing. Setting The state of South Dakota. Subjects The questionnaire was mailed to all licensed chiropractors in South Dakota (n = 157). Results The response rate was 68%. Chiropractors responding to the survey were mostly (96%) males and the average age was 41.4 yr with an estimated average of 15 yr of experience. The chiropractors surveyed spent just less than 40 hr/wk at work averaging 128 patient visits with the majority (47%) complaining of low back pain. Data regarding income, the sources of payment, type of community of practice, and the diagnostic as well as treatment techniques were also analyzed. Further analysis was also done to compare rural to urban areas. Conclusion Rural communities have fewer chiropractors than nonrural areas. Future research needs to be directed toward rural area chiropractic care delivery, with special emphasis on factors influencing recruitment and retention of chiropractors in rural areas. The study also showed a need for more involvement with the younger patient groups (18 yr and under). Health services researchers and chiropractic colleges each has an important role in the advancement of pediatric and adolescent health care.
Assessment of Clinical Renal Preservation by Phosphorus-31 Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Abstract To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and to develop surface coils for assessing cadaveric renal viability during hypothermic storage, we used the monophosphate/inorganic phosphate ratio (MP/P i ) to monitor phosphorous metabolites in intact kidneys during various renal preservation maneuvers. Eighteen canine kidneys and 16 cadaveric kidneys were studied as follows: Group 1 (N = 4) in situ kidneys were monitored by implanted MRS coils; Group 2 (N = 4) ex vivo kidneys were immediately attached to vascular cannulas and monitored by MRS surface coils during normothermic perfusion; Group 3 (N = 4) kidneys were removed, cold-flushed and, after 24 hours of 4C storage, monitored by MRS surface coils before and during four hours of reperfusion via vascular cannulas; Group 4 (N = 6) kidneys were removed, cold-flushed and monitored by surface coils during cold storage up to 72 hours. In addition, 16 cadaveric kidneys were studied while in sterile cold-storage containers. Postoperative renal function was followed in recipient patients. The MP/P i ratios in Group 1 kidneys correlated with the ability to regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Groups 2 and 3 showed similar regeneration of ATP and MP/P i after postischemic reperftision, and the signal-to-noise ratios of the surface coils were better than those in the implanted coils in Group 1. Surface-coil monitoring in Group 4 kidneys showed predictable decay rates of MP/P i during one to 72 hours of cold storage; in contrast, simultaneous cortical medullary microcirculation studies with 99m Tc-macroaggregated albumin were inconclusive. Human cadaveric kidneys with high MP levels were associated with excellent renal function after transplantation, while those with low MP (≤0.50) were associated with nonviability. We conclude that MRS is a practical and safe diagnostic modality for clinical transplantation.
Language and the Law: Linguistic Inequality in America

Language policy is a topic of growing importance around the world, as issues such as the recognition of linguistic diversity, the establishment of official languages, the status of languages in educational systems, the status of heritage and minority languages, and speakers' legal rights have come increasingly to the forefront. One fifth of the American population do not speak English as their first language. While race, gender and religious discrimination are recognized as illegal, the US does not currently accord the same protections regarding language; discrimination on the basis of language is accepted, and even promoted, in the name of unity and efficiency. Setting language within the context of America's history, this book explores the diverse range of linguistic inequalities, covering voting, criminal and civil justice, education, government and public services, and the workplace, and considers how linguistic differences challenge our fundamental ideals of democracy, justice and fairness.
A comparative study of island, seafloor, and subseafloor ambient noise levels

Abstract A study of seafloor and island stations shows that for the frequency band 0.1 to 10 Hz the seismic noise levels on islands are comparable to the levels on the seafloor. The microseism peak at the seafloor appears to be comparable to the highest levels observed on small islands. For this band, seafloor stations are realistic alternatives when island sites are not available. Seven year averages of the ambient noise levels recorded by Seismic Research Observatory (SRO) stations on three islands (Guam [GUMO], Taiwan [TATO], and New Zealand9s north island [SNZO]) are compared with those recorded by the International Deployment of Accelerometers (IDA) station on Easter Island and on and beneath the ocean floor by Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBSs) and the Marine Seismic System (MSS) deployed in a south Pacific DSDP drill hole at 23.8°S., 165.5°W (Adair et al. , 1986). From 0.3 to 2 Hz the SRO displacement power levels fall in the range historically observed by the Scripps9 OBSs (decreasing at 70 dB/decade from 1 by 10 6 nm 2 /Hz at 0.3 Hz to 1 nm 2 /Hz at 2 Hz) and are 10 to 15 dB above MSS levels. Above 2 Hz it appears that the same ratios hold (the SRO power levels decrease at 70 dB/decade to 1 by 10 −3 nm 2 /Hz at a frequency of 10 Hz), although this correlation is based on very limited, high gain, short-period data. At frequencies below 0.3 Hz the SRO noise levels peak and decrease to approximately 2 by 10 3 nm 2 /Hz at 40 mHz. The noise levels recorded at Easter Island are somewhat higher (decreasing at 70 dB/decade from 1 by 10 7 nm 2 /Hz at 0.2 Hz to 1 nm 2 /Hz at 10 Hz and to 1 by 10 5 nm 2 /Hz at 50 mHz). At the microseism peak near 0.2 Hz the MSS levels are from 15 to 20 dB higher than observed by the SRO stations and equivalent to those recorded at Easter Island. There appears to be little dependence of the variance in noise level estimates on frequency. The upper 95 per cent confidence limit generally lies 10 dB above the average noise levels for all island stations. All island noise level curves are dominated by the broad double-frequency microseism peak centered between 0.15 to 0.2 Hz. The single-frequency peak ranges from absent (Easter Island) to discernable (Guam and New Zealand) to obvious (at Taiwan). The center frequency of this peak ranges from 0.07 Hz at Guam and New Zealand to 0.1 Hz at Taiwan. We speculate that the increased amplitude and frequency of the single-frequency microseism peak is due to the interaction between the shallow continental shelf and surface gravity waves and/or the presence of Taiwan in a region of limited fetch.
When Extrinsic Rewards Become “Sour Grapes”: An Experimental Study of Adjustments in Intrinsic and Prosocial Motivation

This article challenges conventional wisdom put forward by the motivational crowding literature by examining whether hypothetical changes to incentive structures can cause variation in employee motivation. It links such motivational adjustments to theories of cognitive dissonance and self-rationalization, and thereby offers a more nuanced perspective on government reforms in the area of human resource management. The article puts forward the idea that expectations of few extrinsic rewards can raise employees’ levels of intrinsic and prosocial motivation; this response is seen as a cognitive coping mechanism to self-justify the value of one’s work. A randomized experiment with 129 public administration students provides partial evidence for the hypothesized effect. Students who were confronted with media information suggesting that few extrinsic rewards can be expected in a public-sector career reported higher scores of intrinsic motivation than the group whose vignette suggested the opposite. No effect wa...
High power, low divergent, substrate emitting quantum cascade ring laser in continuous wave operation

We demonstrate a surface grating coupled substrate emitting quantum cascade ring laser with high power room temperature continuous wave operation at 4.64 μm. A second order surface metal/semiconductor distributed-feedback grating is used for in-plane feedback and vertical out-coupling. A device with 400 μm radius ring cavity exhibits an output power of 202 mW in room temperature continuous wave operation. Single mode operation with a side mode suppression ratio of 25 dB is obtained along with a good linear tuning with temperature. The far field measurement exhibits a low divergent concentric ring beam pattern with a lobe separation of ∼0.34°, which indicates that the device operates in fundamental mode (n = 1).
Evidence for distributed clockwise rotation of the crust in the northwestern United States from fault geometries and focal mechanisms

Paleomagnetic and GPS data indicate that Washington and Oregon have rotated clockwise for the past 16 Myr. Late Cenozoic and Quaternary fault geometries, seismicity lineaments, and focal mechanisms provide evidence that this rotation is accommodated by north directed thrusting and right-lateral strike-slip faulting in Washington, and SW to W directed normal faulting and right-lateral strike-slip faulting to the east. Several curvilinear NW to NNW trending high-angle strike-slip faults and seismicity lineaments in Washington and NW Oregon define a geologic pole (117.7°W, 47.9°N) of rotation relative to North America. Many faults and focal mechanisms throughout northwestern U.S. and southwestern British Columbia have orientations consistent with this geologic pole as do GPS surface velocities corrected for elastic Cascadia subduction zone coupling. Large Quaternary normal faults radial to the geologic pole, which appear to accommodate crustal rotation via crustal extension, are widespread and can be found along the Lewis and Clark zone in Montana, within the Centennial fault system north of the Snake River Plain in Idaho and Montana, to the west of the Wasatch Front in Utah, and within the northern Basin and Range in Oregon and Nevada. Distributed strike-slip faults are most prominent in western Washington and Oregon and may serve to transfer slip between faults throughout the northwestern U.S.
Is the Common Core racing America to the top? Tracking changes in state standards, school practices, and student achievement

This study examines the trends of the U.S. states’ reading and math proficiency standards before and after the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and explores their impact on school practices and student achievement. Drawing on the 2003-15 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) grades 4 and 8 assessment and survey datasets, the study gives new insights into the CCSS policy challenges and outcomes. The states that adopted CCSS raised the rigor of proficiency standards for their student assessments, reversing ‘race to the bottom’ trend during the earlier period of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). However, the CCSS states failed to improve schools’ alignment of ELA and math programs with state/district assessments and also failed to improve students’ reading and math achievement more than the non-CCSS counterparts. The Common Core has helped America race to the top for performance standards, but not for performance outcomes yet.
Estimation of Regulation Reserve Requirement Based on Control Performance Standard

This paper proposes a method to estimate the real-time regulation reserve requirement based on the NERC Control Performance Standard (CPS). This method is constructed via three steps: first, a Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model is applied to abstract the relationship between CPS and regulation reserve and other system conditions using training observations generated from a load frequency control model; second, a stepwise method with cross validation is used to select the most relevant features of MLR; and third, the regulation reserve requirement is computed by the MLR model as a function of the predicted system conditions and target CPS score. The recursive least square (RLS) method is used to update the model parameters in an online environment. Testing on a single area automatic generation control model with load and wind data from CAISO 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard scenario indicates the method outperforms methods used in the industry today.
A novel iterative mixed model to remap three complex orthopedic traits in dogs.

Hip dysplasia (HD), elbow dysplasia (ED), and rupture of the cranial (anterior) cruciate ligament (RCCL) are the most common complex orthopedic traits of dogs and all result in debilitating osteoarthritis. We reanalyzed previously reported data: the Norberg angle (a quantitative measure of HD) in 921 dogs, ED in 113 cases and 633 controls, and RCCL in 271 cases and 399 controls and their genotypes at ~185,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms. A novel fixed and random model with a circulating probability unification (FarmCPU) function, with marker-based principal components and a kinship matrix to correct for population stratification, was used. A Bonferroni correction at p<0.01 resulted in a P< 6.96 ×10−8. Six loci were identified; three for HD and three for RCCL. An associated locus at CFA28:34,369,342 for HD was described previously in the same dogs using a conventional mixed model. No loci were identified for RCCL in the previous report but the two loci for ED in the previous report did not reach genome-wide significance using the FarmCPU model. These results were supported by simulation which demonstrated that the FarmCPU held no power advantage over the linear mixed model for the ED sample but provided additional power for the HD and RCCL samples. Candidate genes for HD and RCCL are discussed. When using FarmCPU software, we recommend a resampling test, that a positive control be used to determine the optimum pseudo quantitative trait nucleotide-based covariate structure of the model, and a negative control be used consisting of permutation testing and the identical resampling test as for the non-permuted phenotypes.
Rocky River Wetland Usage for Education and Recreation: Early Planning and Implementation in Anderson County, South Carolina

The Rocky River Conservancy, Anderson University, the City and County of Anderson, SC, and local environmental groups are working in partnership to rehabilitate, preserve, and develop ∼200 ha of forested and emergent wetland and contiguous upland located within the city limits of Anderson, SC. The goal of the project is to provide a natural resource usable by the local community for education, and passive and active recreation, while safeguarding this unique and dwindling natural habitat. The environmental advocacy organization, Upstate Forever (Greenville, SC), secured an EPA grant for a hydrology assessment and long-range planning for the site. The long-range vision includes plans for construction of boardwalks, observation platforms, and a discovery center. Anderson University faculty and students have been surveying the site's flora and fauna and collecting water-quality data. Vertebrates documented include 21 species of fishes, 18 species of amphibians and reptiles, 120 species of birds, and 11 species of mammals. A tree-frog mark—recapture program has begun. Clearing of overgrown trails, opening sites for access to wetland margins, removal of trash, addition of trail signage, and trail enhancement are underway. Community and civic groups such as local garden clubs are being made aware of the resources available to them. The Anderson University Life-long Learning program, and local teachers have visited and used the site. Fund-raising, stepwise development without harming or altering the flora and fauna, and continuing to raise community awareness and buy-in of the value of this resource represent ongoing challenges.
Sulfide Deposits on the Sea Floor: Geological Models and Resource Perspectives Based on Studies in Ophiolite Sequences

Fossil hydrothermal systems exposed in ophiolites include subsea-floor feeder-zone mineralization in volcanic rocks, diabase, and high-level gabbro, massive sulfide deposited by fluids discharging at the sea-floor/seawater interface, and peripheral Fe- and Mn-oxide facies deposited on the surrounding sea floor. The stratigraphic and structural position of Cyprus-type massive sulfide deposits in ophiolitic volcanic sequences indicate that hydrothermal activity was focused along ridge-parallel faults either in the axial graben or on the ridge flanks, and in seamounts on or near the paleoridge axis. Paleotransform faults were less favorable tectonic settings for sulfide mineralization. Recent geochemical and stratigraphic studies indicate that most Tethyan and Cordilleran ophiolites formed in marginal basins or in suprasubduction settings; relatively few well-studied ophiolites appear to represent oceanic crust generated at mid-ocean spreading axes. The size, composition, and distribution of ophiolite-hosted deposits suggest that pyritic sulfide masses of >1 million tons averaging >1% Cu should be present in contemporary ridge settings. By analogy with ophiolites, rift zones behind and between ensimatic arcs (e.g., Lau Basin, Mariana Trough) and above subduction zones (e.g., Andaman Sea) have considerable potential for additional discoveries of massive sulfide in the deep ocean.
Applications for Pricing Decisions

One significant application of conjoint analysis is in helping the manager with pricing decisions. Determination of optimal price for a new product (or brand) is a typical application. One way to determine the best price is to estimate the market obtainable from the new product at different feasible prices for the new product profile. We described the use of conjoint simulators in Chap. 3. Additional information on cost functions can be integrated into the estimates of market share to yield estimates of profit from the new product at various prices. The price at which the computed profit is highest can be deemed to be the best price for the new product. This approach can also yield a generic estimate of price elasticity for the product category as a whole.
A Different Technique for the Evaluation of ∫ Sec θdθ

(1969). A Different Technique for the Evaluation of ∫ Sec θdθ. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 113-113.
The Positive Effects of Trophic Interactions in Soil

The feedbacks between plants and their soil communities determine primary production and moderates the ecosystem services they both provide. Feedbacks can be perceived as positive or negative, but historically, the greatest attention has be given to the role of negative feedbacks in shaping plant production and community development. Although we understand the role of mycorrhizae and bacterial symbionts fairly well, fewer studies have addressed the role of positive feedbacks and facilitation associated with trophic interactions and food web activity. Due to the close spatial scale of rhizosphere food webs, they function more like a cycle than a linear food chain. This results in consumer mediated nutrient cycling that frequently feeds back positively on plant production even when considering herbivory as an isolated process. Herbivores enrich the environment by increasing organic matter and high quality mineral nutrients to the soil. A process mediated by the stoichiometric imbalance between consumers and resources. Likewise, the functional and taxonomic biodiversity of food webs in soils will understandably affect the degree of positive feedbacks to plant production. This is important to consider in an increasingly human dominated world. It is possible that community composition and functioning in disturbed environments is driven to a greater degree by positive rather than negative feedbacks. In this environment, soils will play an essential role in maintaining ecosystem health.
Modeling and Synthesizing Emotional Speech for Catalan Text-to-Speech Synthesis

This paper describes an initial approach to emotional speech synthesis in Catalan based on a diphone concatenation TTS system. The main goal of this work is to develop a simple prosodic model for expressive synthesis. This model is obtained from an emotional speech collection artificially generated by means of a copy-prosody experiment. After validating the emotional content of this collection, the model was automated and incorporated into our TTS system. Finally, the automatic speech synthesis system has been evaluated by means of a perceptual test, obtaining encouraging results.
Challenges Associated with Perioperative Monitoring During Neurosurgery

Invasive neuromonitoring in the perioperative period includes monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP) and brain oxygenation. In some circumstances, the patient will already have these monitors preoperatively. Alternatively, the monitors may be placed as a part of the operative procedure or postoperatively. Other types of neuromonitoring are performed in the perioperative period, including electroencephalography, near-infrared spectroscopy, and transcranial Doppler. These procedures are noninvasive and have minimal risk of complications.
Statement Regarding Nomenclature for the Protein Known as Prealbumin, Which is also (Recently) Called Transthyretin

Recent studies on the heredofamilial amyloidoses have demonstrated that the amyloid deposits in tissues in patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) are derived from a variant (mutant) form of the plasma protein previously known as prealbumin. This protein, prealbumin, has been extensively studied in several laboratories throughout the world during the past two decades. Its primary structure was reported in 1974, and its full three-dimensional structure has been determined by high resolution x-ray crystallography. Its biological/physiological roles include a role in retinol (vitamin A) transport, through forming a complex with retinol-binding protein, and a role in thyroid hormone transport.
Homicide in the South: Higher Rates Among Whites and Fewer Racial Disparities.

OBJECTIVE Describe southern US homicide rates in whites and blacks between 1999 and 2015. METHODS The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Multiple Cause of Death Files provided mortality rates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for non-Hispanic whites (NHW) as well as non-Hispanic blacks and African Americans (NHB). RESULTS Overall, age-adjusted (1 to ≥85 years) homicide was significantly higher in the South (7.6/100,000, 95% CI 7.6-7.7) than the rest of the United States (4.9/100,000, 95% CI 4.8-4.9) even though the southern rate among NHB (18.7/100,000, 95% CI 18.5-18.8) was lower than the rest of the United States (23.3/100,000, 95% CI 23.1-23.5). The overall southern NHB:NHW mortality rate ratio was 5.1 and 10.6 in the rest of the nation. Homicide rates among NHW men were higher in the South than in each of the other US Census areas, whereas corresponding rates among NHB men were lower. For both men and women the NHB:NHW mortality rate ratio was lower in the South than in any other region. In addition, homicide rates among NHB women in the South were equal to or lower than corresponding rates in the West and Midwest. Finally, higher rates for NHW in metropolitan areas led to overall higher NHW mortality rates and relatively low NHB:NHW rates. Southern NHW had a higher percentage of firearms-related homicides (58.4%) than the corresponding percentage in the rest of the United States (49.8%; P < 0.001). Southern NHB used firearms for 78.8% of homicides compared with 83.9% in the rest of the United States (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The overall high homicide rates in the southern United States were attributable to relatively higher NHW rates than those found in the rest of the country. Further research targeting the role of firearms as well as cultural and other issues could further the understanding of the interrelations of homicide with complex regional and cultural factors.
Ultrathin, ethylenediamine-functionalized graphene oxide membranes on hollow fibers for CO2 capture

Abstract In this work, we prepared ultrathin, ethylenediamine (EDA)-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) hollow fiber membranes, following our previously developed deposition method, for highly efficient CO2 capture from flue gas. Single-layered graphene oxide (SLGO) sheets were uniformly deposited on the inner surface of poly (ether sulfone) (PES) hollow fibers, and EDA, as an effective CO2-philic agent, was incorporated into the SLGO interlayer nanochannels by chemical grafting. To characterize the morphology and structure of GO and GO-EDA hollow fiber membranes, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) were performed. Permeation of mixed gas (15 vol% CO2/85 vol% N2) was conducted under wet condition. Excellent CO2 separation performance with CO2 permeance of 660 GPU and CO2/N2 selectivity of > 500 at 75 °C was obtained. This work, combined with our previous work, therefore, suggests amine-functionalization of GO-based membranes might serve as an effective strategy to enhance CO2 capture performance of ultrathin, GO-based membranes.
Cybersecurity Considerations for Image Pattern Recognition Applications

Pattern recognition and image analysis find application in numerous areas. They support law enforcement, transportation security and warfighting. They also have numerous commercial purposes, ranging from agriculture to manufacturing to facility security. This paper discusses the security needs of image recognition systems and the particular concerns that the algorithms and methods used for these activities pose. It also discusses how to secure these analysis systems and the future work required in these areas.
Derivation of the Variational Bayes Equations.

The derivation of key equations for the variational Bayes approach is well-known in certain circles. However, translating the fundamental derivations (e.g., as found in Beal (2003)) to the notation of Friston (2013, 2015) is somewhat delicate. Further, the notion of using variational Bayes in the context of a system with Markov blankets requires special attention. This Technical Report presents the derivation in detail. It further illustrates how the variational Bayes method provides a framework for a new computational engine, incorporating the 2-D cluster variation method (CVM), which provides a necessary free energy equation that can be minimized across both the external and representational systems' states, respectively.
The Effects of Advertising on Cognitive Performance

The market for beverages providing a cognitive boost is growing. Marketers often highlight the benefits of such drinks in their advertisements. Can such communications influence consumers’ actual cognitive performance? Our results of cognitive task battery in a controlled experiment show that consumers’ cognitive performance was negatively impacted in the presence of an advertisement communicating the benefits of a cognitive drink.