cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MES-4: an autosome-associated histone methyltransferase that participates in silencing the X chromosomes in the C. elegans germ line

Germ cell development in C. elegans requires that the X chromosomes be globally silenced during mitosis and early meiosis. We previously found that the nuclear proteins MES-2, MES-3, MES-4 and MES-6 regulate the different chromatin states of autosomes versus X chromosomes and are required for germline viability. Strikingly, the SET-domain protein MES-4 is concentrated on autosomes and excluded from the X chromosomes. Here, we show that MES-4 has histone H3 methyltransferase (HMT) activity in vitro, and is required for histone H3K36 dimethylation in mitotic and early meiotic germline nuclei and early embryos. MES-4 appears unlinked to transcription elongation, thus distinguishing it from other known H3K36 HMTs. Based on microarray analysis, loss of MES-4 leads to derepression of X-linked genes in the germ line. We discuss how an autosomally associated HMT may participate in silencing genes on the X chromosome, in coordination with the direct silencing effects of the other MES proteins.
Seven habits of highly successful input modelers

Discrete-event simulation models typically have stochastic components that mimic the probabilistic nature of the system under consideration. Successful input modeling requires a close match between the input model and the true underlying probabilistic mechanism associated with the system. The general question considered here is how to model an element (e.g., arrival process, service times) in a discrete-event simulation given a data set collected on the element of interest. For brevity, it is assumed that data is available on the aspect of the simulation of interest. It is also assumed that raw data is available, as opposed to censored data, grouped data, or summary statistics. Seven factors to consider for selecting probabilistic input models for a discrete-event simulation study are presented:
Effects of Participation in a Sexual Assault Risk Reduction Program on Psychological Distress Following Revictimization

The current study followed women who participated in a sexual assault risk reduction program and a wait-list control group for 4 months. Those women in both groups who reported being revictimized (N = 147) were assessed to determine the effect of program participation on psychological distress. Intervention group participants reported a significant reduction in both psychological distress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms at follow-up relative to wait-list control participants, even after controlling for frequency of revictimization. Significantly fewer intervention participants met criteria for PTSD from Time 1 to Time 2. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated frequency and severity of victimization and behavioral and characterological self-blame, and use of avoidance coping explained a significant amount of the variance in distress following revictimization. Implications for future research and risk reduction programs are discussed.
Carbon/ceramic microcomposites, preparation and properties

Abstract Carbon–carbon and carbon–ceramic microcomposites were molded by using thermoplastic polyimide coated carbon and ceramic powders. The effect of particle size powders and different processes of hot pressing were examined. A 53 MPa flexural strength and a 10 GPa flexural modulus were obtained for 2.15 g/cc density microcomposites. Thermo-oxidative stability of carbon microcomposites with three combinations of B 4 C/SiC additives were compared with original carbon–carbon microcomposites. The oxidative stability of the carbon/B 4 C/SiC composites was extended up to 1000°C. After exposure to flowing air at 700°C for 100 h, the weight lost of the carbon–ceramic composites was only 4%, attributed to boron oxide evaporation. There is a degradation of the mechanical and physical properties of carbon–carbon and carbon–ceramic composites after carbonization and graphitization. This degradation is slowed down by B 4 C/SiC additives.
Faculty Issues Related to Adult Degree Programs.

This chapter examines the forces within the environment of colleges and universities that determine the preparation of and incentives for instructors to embrace and flourish in the role of adult educators, as well as the obstacles that can impede this process.
T and B‐RFC inhibiting factor in plasma from patients with active Hodgkin's disease

We report the presence of a rosette inhibiting factor (RIF) in the plasma of patients with active Hodgkin's disease. This factor suppresses the rosette forming ability of autologous Active T, Total T, and B lymphocytes with sheep red blood cells, and tends to disappear when clinical remission is achieved. To a lesser extent, the RIF also lowers the Active T, Total T and B-RFC percentages of lymphocytes obtained from normal donors. Although carcinoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, as a group, did not exhibit rosette inhibitive properties, certain individuals with these diagnoses did show isolated RIF activity. The RIF could be adsorbed out of plasma using peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from normal controls and appears to be a large heat stable molecule which does not affect PBL viability.
Changes in How Students Use and Are Called Homophobic Epithets over Time: Patterns Predicted by Gender, Bullying, and Victimization Status.

This longitudinal study tested for changes in how students used and were called homophobic epithets as they progressed through high school. Boys used and were called these epithets with increased frequency over time, whereas girls reported decreases on both. Distinct gender socialization processes may contribute to these different patterns for boys and girls. Also, variability in students' own bullying and victimization across assessments corresponded with variability in their use of homophobic epithets and being called these epithets. These findings capture the dynamic yet significantly covarying nature of these behaviors, adding support for the link between bullying, victimization, and homophobic language. Further, students who reported overall higher tendencies to bully or to be victimized than others also reported more often using and being called homophobic epithets during their first semester of high school. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for research on the dynamics of this behavior, psychological and academic implications, and implications for educational policies and intervention programs.
Factor analysis of the psychopathologic and social behavior chart

Summary In a series of 370 inpatients, ratings of behavior were obtained by the psychiatric nursing staff at the end of the first week of hospitalization, using 2 instruments, the Psychopathologic Behavior Chart and the Social Behavior Chart. These data were then factor analysed and it was possible to identify 8 significant factors on the former chart and 9 on the latter. Correlations among these factors were then done. The nature, usefulness and dynamic interrelationships of these factors are described and discussed.
Jungian archetypes and the discourse of history

This paper argues that Jung's notion of archetypes can be useful to the theory and practice of history, particularly cultural and intellectual history. It claims that a coherent model of depth psychology is needed to explain how collective states such as identity and memory are internalized by individuals and that Freud's theories, by placing so much emphasis on childhood and the Oedipus complex, do not fill that need. Jung's approach, by focusing on developmental changes that take place during adulthood, is more easily testable in terms of evidence that historians normally use. The distinctiveness of Jung's notion of archetypes and its limitations are presented by comparing his ideas to those of Freud, Levi-Strauss, Chomsky, and Lakoff. Jung sometimes speaks of a fixed repertoire of archetypal figures that reside in the collective unconscious; this notion cannot be sustained. At other times he speaks of archetypes as a more plastic set of dispositions whose specific manifestations are shaped by culture a...
Evaluation of a brief computer-mediated intervention to reduce HIV risk among early adolescent females.

Purpose To evaluate the efficacy of a brief computer-mediated intervention, relative to no intervention, in altering HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, protective attitudes, and self-efficacy for risk reduction among early adolescent females aged 11 through 14 years.
Variability of Atmospheric Ammonia In High-Rise, Caged Layer Composting

High concentrations of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) can impact poultry and human health. During composting inside high-rise, caged layer facilities, high concentrations of NH3 are produced due to low carbon to nitrogen ratios of composting materials and the confined building environment. This study characterized the spatial and temporal variability of NH3 during in-house composting as a preliminary step to identifying control measures. Boric acid solutions and gas sensors were used to measure NH3 in 2 m × 7.5 m grid patterns for three high-rise laying hen structures during composting. Spatial variability was evident in all buildings, with areas of higher NH3 concentration near the center of buildings away from ventilation fans. Ammonia concentrations in the composting area frequently exceeded human health standards for 8-hour and 10-minute exposure periods of 25 and 35 μL L−1, respectively. Ammonia concentrations were lower in cage areas of high-rise structures due to the negative pressure ventilation system...
Complexation of metal ions with natural polyelectrolytes (removal and recovery of metal ions from polluted waters)

A NOVEL technique for metal ion removal and recovery from polluted waters by complexation with polyelectrolytes was briefly described in a previous publication by JELLINEK and LUH (1969). Polyelectrolytes considered were synthetic polyacids and polybases such as polymethacrylic acid and polyethylene-immine. Metal ions form water soluble complexes with the respective polyacid; on addition of a polybase an insoluble "sandwich" complex precipitates out of the solution. The metal ion "sandwiched" between the respective polyelectrolytes can be dissolved out by mineral acid and the remaining polymeric system can be dispersed in additional aqueous metal ion solutions causing further complexation. This process is suitable for metal ion removal and recovery from rinse waters of electroplating and similar industries. The work has been pursued by using natural polyelectrolytes for complex formation of metal ions. Especially polygalacturonic acid has been investigated in detail. This natural polyacid, obtained from pectins, has the advantage of forming sparingly soluble metal complexes. Thus a polybase is not required as long as the metal is present in the form of cations; however if the metal is complexed in an anion, a polybase has to be added first and a metal-polymer "sandwich" is precipitated on addition of polygaiacturonic acid. Alginic acid behaves similarly but was not investigated in detail. Only simple equipment is needed for carrying out the requisite processes.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL WAVE SCATTERING BY ELLIPTICAL BREAKWATERS

The diffraction of small-amplitude surface waves by floating and submerged stationary elliptical breakwaters in water of arbitrary uniform depth is investigated analytically. The theoretical formulation leads to solutions for the fluid velocity potential in terms of series of Mathieu and modified Mathieu functions of real argument. Numerical results are presented for the wave-induced forces and moments on the structures, the total and differential scattering cross-sections and the variation of water surface elevation around the breakwater perimeter for a range of wave and structural parameters.
A note on inverses of Hessenberg-like matrices☆

Abstract We generalize some results of Yasuhiko Ikebe concerning the inverse of an upper Hessenberg matrix. Specifically we prove a theorem to show that if A is a nonsingular block lower s -diagonal matrix (i.e. the blocks A ij of A satisfy A ij = 0 if i > j + s ) and the blocks A j + s , j are nonsingular, then the inverse of A may be written as A −1 = XY + Z . The procedure for the computation of X , Y , and Z as developed in the proof of this theorem lays the basis for an efficient implementation of the method on a parallel computer.
Numerical methods for discontinuous linear boundary value problems with deviation arguments

Abstract Numerical methods for the solution of discontinuous linear boundary value problems with deviation arguments are developed.
Mechanism of light modulation: identification of potential redox-sensitive cysteines distal to catalytic site in light-activated chloroplast enzymes

Light-dependent reduction of target disulfides on certain chloroplast enzymes results in a change in activity. We have modeled the tertiary structure of four of these enzymes, namely NADP-linked glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase, NADP-linked malate dehydrogenase, sedoheptulose bisphosphatase, and fructose bisphosphatase. Models are based on x-ray crystal structures from non-plant species. Each of these enzymes consists of two domains connected by a hinge. Modeling suggests that oxidation of two crucial cysteines to cystine would restrict motion around the hinge in the two dehydrogenases and influence the conformation of the active site. The cysteine residues in the two phosphatases are located in a region known to be sensitive to allosteric modifiers and to be involved in mediating structural changes in mammalian and microbial fructose bisphosphatases. Apparently, the same region is involved in covalent modification of phosphatase activity in the chloroplast.
Functional evidence for a novel human breast carcinoma metastasis suppressor, BRMS1, encoded at chromosome 11q13.

We previously showed that introduction of a normal, neomycin-tagged human chromosome 11 reduces the metastatic capacity of MDA-MB-435 (435) human breast carcinoma cells by 70–90% without affecting tumorigenicity, suggesting the presence of one or more metastasis suppressor genes encoded on human chromosome 11. To identify the gene(s) responsible, differential display comparing chromosome 11-containing (neo11/435) and parental, metastatic cells was done. We describe the isolation and functional characterization of a full-length cDNA for one of the novel genes, designated breast-cancer metastasis suppressor 1 ( BRMS1 ), which maps to human chromosome 11q13.1-q13.2. Stably transfected MDA-MB-435 and MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells still form progressively growing, locally invasive tumors when injected into mammary fat pads but are significantly less metastatic to lungs and regional lymph nodes. These data provide compelling functional evidence that breast-cancer metastasis suppressor 1 is a novel mediator of metastasis suppression in human breast carcinoma.
Displacement estimation in ultrasound images using pseudo-phase

This paper describes a method for estimating small displacements in ultrasound images. The method is based on the addition of a “pseudo-phase” to the intensity ultrasound images and subsequent calculation of the cross-correlation. The peak of the cross-correlation function is interpolated to add precision to the estimates.
Remote Sensing of Riparian and Wetland Buffers: An Overview

Klemas, V., 2014. Remote sensing of riparian and wetland buffers: an overview. Journal of Coastal Research, 30(5), 869– 880. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Forested riparian and wetland buffers can help protect stream water quality, provide wildlife habitat, preserve floodplains and wetlands, protect against erosion, and provide recreational value. Many waterways have no buffers or buffers that have been degraded by human activities, including agriculture and urban development. To plan, evaluate, and restore riparian buffers, wetland managers need to monitor the conditions of constantly changing buffers over time. Remote sensing offers a cost-effective monitoring approach. Because riparian and wetland buffer zones exhibit extreme variations in width, length, spatial complexity, soil, and vegetation cover, mapping their hydrology and land cover requires high-spatial- and high-spectral-resolution data. The recent availability of high-spatial-resolution satellite and high-spectral-resolution aircraft imagery has significantly improved the capacity for mapping riparian buffers, wetlands, and other ecosystems. However, satellite sensors still do not have the combined spatial and spectral resolution to reliably identify buffer vegetation types and conditions. New interpretation strategies need to be developed to maximize the information obtained from high-resolution satellite sensors while minimizing the problems specific to high-resolution imagery, such as high variability within scene elements and within scene objects. The objective of this article is to review applications of remotely sensed data for modeling, designing, and evaluating riparian and wetland buffers.
FEELING THE BURN...MALES DO IT BETTER

![Figure][1] Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a metabolically active tissue in mammals that burns calories and releases the energy as heat. For this reason, BAT is very important for the energy homeostasis and temperature regulation of small or hibernating mammals and human infants. Recent
Algebraic Signal Processing Theory: Sampling for Infinite and Finite 1-D Space

We derive a signal processing framework, called space signal processing, that parallels time signal processing. As such, it comes in four versions (continuous/discrete, infinite/finite), each with its own notion of convolution and Fourier transform. As in time, these versions are connected by sampling theorems that we derive. In contrast to time, however, space signal processing is based on a different notion of shift, called space shift, which operates symmetrically. Our work rigorously connects known and novel concepts into a coherent framework; most importantly, it shows that the sixteen discrete cosine and sine transforms are the space equivalent of the discrete Fourier transform, and hence can be derived by sampling. The platform for our work is the algebraic signal processing theory, an axiomatic approach and generalization of linear signal processing that we recently introduced.
Paresthesia-Free High-Density Spinal Cord Stimulation for Postlaminectomy Syndrome in a Prescreened Population: A Prospective Case Series.

Objective Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) traditionally is thought to require paresthesia, but there is evidence that paresthesia-free stimulation using high-density (HD) parameters might also be effective. The purpose of this study is to evaluate relative effectiveness of conventional, subthreshold HD, and sham stimulation on pain intensity and quality of life. Methods Fifteen patients with response to conventional stimulation (60 Hz/350 μsec) were screened with a one-week trial of subthreshold HD (1200 Hz/200 μsec/amplitude 90% paresthesia threshold) and enrolled if there was at least 50% reduction on visual analog scale (VAS) for pain. Subjects were randomized into two groups and treated with four two-week periods of conventional, subthreshold HD, and sham stimulation in a randomized crossover design. Results Four of 15 patients responded to subthreshold HD stimulation. Mean VAS during conventional, subthreshold HD, and sham stimulation was 5.32 ± 0.63, 2.29 ± 0.41, and 6.31 ± 1.22, respectively. There was a significant difference in pain scores during the blinded crossover study of subthreshold HD vs. sham stimulation (p < 0.05, Student's t-test). Post hoc analysis revealed that subjects reported significantly greater attention to pain during conventional stimulation compared with subthreshold HD stimulation (p < 0.05, Student's t-test). All subjects reported a positive impression of change for subthreshold HD stimulation compared with conventional stimulation, and there was a trend toward greater likelihood for response to subthreshold HD stimulation in comparison with sham stimulation (p = 0.07, Fisher's exact test). At the end of the trial, all subjects elected to continue to receive subthreshold HD stimulation rather than conventional stimulation. Conclusions Paresthesia are not necessary for pain relief using commercially available SCS devices, and may actually increase attention to pain. Subthreshold HD SCS represents a viable alternative to conventional stimulation among patients who are confirmed to have a clinical response to it.
Improving Breastfeeding Outcomes Using Appropriate Interventions to Champion a Successful Breastfeeding Relationship for a Mother With Flat Nipples

Newborn Care Poster Presentation Background Breastfeeding is the undisputed optimal feeding method for infants. In response, Healthy People 2020 called for an increase in the number of infants who are breastfed at 1 year to 34.1%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the breastfeeding rate for 2012 as only 25.5%. To accomplish the breastfeeding goal of Healthy People, mothers need excellent breastfeeding support throughout the entire first year, especially when faced with difficulties. Studies have shown an overwhelming number of infant health benefits associated with breastfeeding, including protection of the infant from bacteremia, diarrhea, respiratory tract infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, otitis media, urinary tract infection, late‐onset sepsis in preterm infants, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, and childhood obesity. The more breastfeeding support a mother receives, the more likely she will be able to offer these benefits to her child. This support is even more important when a mother faces challenges, such as flat nipples, that put her at risk for breastfeeding failure. Case In a typical case, a first time mother with flat nipples had difficulty with her infant successfully latching on to the breast. Initially, skin‐to‐skin contact and frequent breastfeeding attempts were made. The lactation consultant (LC) or postpartum nurse taught her how to hand express so that her infant could receive colostrum. If latch on is not achieved within 24 hours of life, the patient is educated on breast pump initiation. During this same time, the patient is taught how to spoon and finger feed her newborn. After discharge, the patient follows up with outpatient lactation services. If the newborn is still unable to latch on and lactogenesis II has not yet occurred, the mother was taught how to use nipple shields and a supplemental nursing system (SNS). The mother was followed by her pediatrician and outpatient LC. Once this mother achieved full milk supply, the SNS was discontinued. Soon after, attempts were made to wean from the nipple shield. At 5 weeks postpartum, the infant was exclusively breastfeeding without any interventions. Conclusion All mothers with flat nipples who are experiencing breastfeeding difficulties should be given the same opportunity to use every evidence‐based resource available to them.
A model based on software quality factors which predicts maintainability

Software quality metric were developed to measure the complexity of software systems. The authors relate the complexity of the system as measured by software metrics to the amount of maintenance necessary to that system. The authors have developed a model which uses several software quality metrics as parameters to predict maintenance activity. A description is given of three classifications of metrics that are used to measure the quality of source code: code metrics, which measure physical characteristics of the software, such as length or number of tokens; structure metrics, which measure the connectivity of the software, such as the flow of information through the program and flow of control; and hybrid metrics, which are a combination of code and structure metrics. >
Representation of basin scale in flood peak distributions

A lognormal cascade model is developed for representing basin scale in flood peak distributions. The model is developed from the multiplicative cascade modeling framework developed by Gupta and Waymire (1990) for spatial hydrologic processes. The lognormal cascade model has a simple parameterization of basin scale that can represent either simple scaling or multiscaling processes. Likelihood-based statistical inference procedures are developed for parameter estimation and hypothesis testing for the lognormal cascade model. The lognormal cascade model is used to examine scale properties of annual flood peaks from 104 stations in the central Appalachian region of Maryland and Virginia. Drainage area for the basins ranges from 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) to nearly 10,000 square miles (26,100 km2). The empirical results suggest two hypotheses concerning scaling properties of central Appalachian flood peaks: (1) the multiscaling hypothesis holds over the entire range of scales (for this hypothesis, some anomalous properties of flood peaks in small basins must be dealt with), and (2) scaling properties of rainfall and the channel/floodplain system impose a peak in variability of flood magnitudes for basins with drainage area between 10 and 100 square miles (between 26 and 260 km2).
Wireless Data Links for Biomedical Implants: Current Research and Future Directions

This paper outlines the requirements for high-rate implantable data links as would be used in applications such as visual prostheses. Methods used in current research are categorized and recently reported implementations are discussed and compared. The most significant shortcoming of current implementations is in their data rates which are limited to several Mb/s, while rates of several tens of Mb/s are envisioned to be necessary for a functional visual prosthesis. Several promising methods for achieving increased data rates are discussed, including ultra-wide band signaling, infrared transmission, and body conduction techniques.
A More Precise Abstract Domain for Multi-level Caches for Tighter WCET Analysis

As demand for computational power of embedded applications has increased, their architectures have become more complex. One result of this increased complexity are real-time embedded systems with set-associative multi-level caches. Multi-level caches complicate the process of program analysis techniques such as worst case execution time (WCET). To address this need we have developed a sound cache behavior analysis that handles multi-level instruction and data caches. Our technique relies on a new abstraction, live caches, which models relationships between cache levels to improve accuracy. Our analysis improves upon previous multi-level cache analysis in three ways. First, it handles write-back, a common feature of cache models, soundly. Second, it handles both instruction and data cache hierarchies, and third, it improves precision of cache analysis. For standard WCET benchmarks and a multi-level cache configuration analyzed by previous work, we observed that live caches improve WCET precision resulting in an average of 6.3% reduction in computed WCET.
Reading Rembrandt: The influence of Cartesian dualism on Dutch art

In this essay, I aim to identify and analyze the influence of Cartesian dualism on Rembrandt's pictorial representations of the self. My thesis is that Descartes and Rembrandt share concerns about philosophy's exploration of human nature, concerns rooted in mind–body dualism. Descartes's corpus bears witness to a growing skepticism about the relation between matter and extension. Likewise, Rembrandt's anatomy lessons lead the viewer to question the value of treating humans as scientific objects. I suggest that by reexamining Rembrandt's work in light of the mind–body problem we generate a fuller understanding of Rembrandt's artistic critique and expression and Descartes's mature scientific thinking and abiding influence. My analysis centers on four Rembrandt paintings: The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolaes Tulp (1632); The Descent from the Cross (1632–1633); The Sacrifice of Abraham (1635); and The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Joan Deyman (1656).
Black-box understanding of COTS components

Developers have to identify properties of COTS components to properly integrate them with a system under development, but COTS components are typically "black boxes" because their source code is not available. We present an approach that can be used in black-box understanding of COTS components. The major objective is to reduce the effort required to reveal component properties by partially automating interface probing. A developer provides a full or partial description of a component property, together with a search scope where assertions are used to describe component properties. Based on this information, a search engine automatically searches for component inputs on which the component property is revealed using a combination of existing automated test generation methods for black-box testing and for white-box testing. Our initial experience has shown that this approach may be a cost-effective way of revealing properties of components.
Visualizing language use in team conversations: designing through theory, experiments, and iterations

One way to potentially help people develop effective teamwork skills is to visualize elements of their language use during team conversations. There are several challenges in designing such visualizations, such as how to balance attention between the conversation and the visualization and how much guidance to offer about appropriate behaviors. We discuss the design space around these questions in the context of GroupMeter, a chatroom augmented with visualizations of language use. We generate and critique potential answers to these questions using prior theoretical and empirical work, then describe how the interface evolved and how our answers changed over a series of prototypes we deployed in experimental studies. We conclude with the lessons from our experience that could be used by designers of collaboration-enhancing systems.
The Impact of Labor Demand on Time to the Doctorate.

AbstractThe goal of this paper is to estimate the impact of labor demand on time to the doctorate. Empirical investigation of this relationship in previous research was hampered by the difficulty of measuring labor demand. I construct a measure of labor demand in seven fields in the humanities and social sciences based on the annual number of job listings from 1975 to 2005. My empirical strategy relates variation over time in the number of job listings within a field to the timing of completion using student-level data on all doctorates awarded in these fields by U.S. universities. Estimates indicate that the number of job listings is not correlated with expected time to degree. This finding implies that cyclical variation in labor demand is not responsible for changes in time to degree within fields.
Phenotypic plasticity in the Caribbean sponge Callyspongia vaginalis (Porifera: Haplosclerida)

SUMMARY: Sponge morphological plasticity has been a long-standing source of taxonomic difficulty. In the Caribbean, several morphotypes of the sponge Callyspongia vaginalis have been observed. To determine the taxonomic status of three of these morphotypes and their relationship with the congeneric species C. plicifera and C. fallax, we compared the spicule composition, spongin fiber skeleton and sequenced fragments of the mitochondrial genes 16S and COI and nuclear genes 28S and 18S ribosomal RNA. Phylogenetic analyses with ribosomal markers 18S and 28S rRNA confirmed the position of our sequences within the Callyspongiidae. None of the genetic markers provided evidence for consistent differentiation among the three morphotypes of C. vaginalis and C. fallax, and only C. plicifera stood as a distinct species. The 16S mtDNA gene was the most variable molecular marker for this group, presenting a nucleotide variability (/ = 0.024) higher than that reported for COI. Unlike recent studies for other sponge genera, our results indicate that species in the genus Callyspongia maintain a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, and that morphological characteristics may not reflect reproductive boundaries in C. vaginalis.
Mechanism for Pulmonary Protection by Lipopolysaccharide Pseudomonas Vaccine

Recent studies in guinea pigs indicated that active vaccination with a cell wall-derived, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) pseudomonas vaccine confers specific protection against acute pneumonia. This study analyzed the immune mechanisms by which LPS pseudomonas vaccine offers local protection to the lung. Neither parenteral vaccination nor direct exposure of lung tissues to living Pseudomonas activated alveolar macrophages. However, serum opsonic activity that specifically enhanced phagocytosis of Pseudomonas by alveolar macrophages was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in vaccinated animals. Serum pseudomonas opsonins were heat-stable but were sensitive to reduction of macroglobulins by 2-mercaptoethanol. Within 3 hr after establishment of experimental pseudomonas pneumonia, a fourfold increase in local pseudomonas opsonins was found in bronchial fluids from vaccinated animals, presumably secondary to diffusion of serum proteins into local inflammatory fluids. Thus, Pseudomonas-specific opsonic antibody appears necessary to augment alveolar macrophage phagocytosis after LPS vaccination, and local vaccination of the respiratory tract is not required to provide adequate local pseudomonas opsonins during acute pneumonia. The unusually high mortality associated with pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa has prompted investigations of the feasibility of adding immunotherapeutic interventions to cur
Lifetime alcohol consumption and risk of breast cancer.

The relation of lifetime alcohol intake to risk of breast cancer in pre- and postmenopausal women was examined in a case-control study in western New York. Cases with incident primary histologically confirmed breast cancer diagnosed during the period 1986-1991 (n = 740) and controls, frequency age-matched women drawn from New York state driver's license records (age or = 65 yrs, n = 810), were interviewed regarding intake of wine, beer, and hard liquor 2, 10, and 20 years ago and at 16 years of age. Although women in this study had generally low intakes of alcohol, there was little evidence of increased risk of breast cancer with intake of alcohol at any of the time periods or with an index of total lifetime intake. There was a weak indication of an increase in risk with beer for intakes of at least one drink per day. This risk was evident for 2, 10, and 20 years ago but not at 16 years of age. In this group with relatively low intakes of alcohol, evidence was weak for an association of increased risk of breast cancer with intake of alcohol, with the possible exception of a weak association with beer intake.
DEXTOR: reduced effort authoring for template-based natural language generation

A growing issue in the development of realistic and entertaining interactive games is the need for mechanisms that support ongoing natural language conversation between human players and artificial non-player characters. Unfortunately, many methods for implementing natural language generation (NLG) induce a significant burden on the author, do not scale well, or require specialized linguistic knowledge. We formalize the notion of typed-templates, an extension of standard structures employed in template-based NLG. We further provide novel algorithms that, when applied to typed-templates, ameliorate the above issues by affording computational support for authoring and increased variation in utterance and scenario generation. We demonstrate the efficacy of typed-templates and the algorithms through a user study.
Chaos or ReOrder? The Future of Hegemony in a World-System in Upheaval

Observing the latest trends of a rise in interest in the development of power distribution in a world-system created and dominated by states but increasingly challenged as such, this paper takes a deeper look at the historical evolution of this system, its current transformation, and likely future development. After a brief discussion of prevalent concepts of world(-)system development and its socio-political control, this work offers an evolutionary perspective to place current changes of power and its distribution in the dynamic long-term development of global system formation. It then presents alternative visions of the future development of political and economic hegemony. It concludes that a further rise in instability of global political power distribution accompanied by a likely challenge to existing distributional patterns has a high probability of occurrence.
Structure and electrochemistry of LixWO2

Abstract Using in situ X-ray diffraction and electrochemical techniques the structure and phase diagram of LixWO2 for 0
Why Strategy Matters Now

In a changing environment, health care organizations need to rethink the meaning of strategy and make the choices necessary to distinguish themselves in meeting customers' needs. Those choices revolve around six key questions, beginning with “What is our goal?”
PROGNOSTIC UTILITY OF AFTERLOAD ADJUSTED GLOBAL LONGITUDINAL STRAIN AND BASAL SYSTOLIC STRAIN

Assessment of global longitudinal systolic strain (GLS) and basal longitudinal systolic strain (BLS) has shown prognostic value in various cardiac disorders. However, strain has been shown to be inversely proportional to afterload. We assessed the prognostic value of GLS and BLS adjusted for
A Research on WCDMA Base-band Signal Processing Method

The multi-mode processing of wireless base-band signal is the development trend of broadband mobile communications at present.In the WCDMA systems,the typical base-band signal processing is the cross-correlation of finite sequences.A multi-path detection method in base-band signal processing,which uses the Fast Fourier Transformation(FFT),is proposed.It has the uniform framework of FFT operation in LTE base-band signal processing and can realize the multi-mode resource sharing of WCDMA and LTE base-band.The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can meet the performance and computation demands of practical application.
A national survey of outcomes assessment in dental hygiene programs.

The purpose of the study was to document methods of educational outcomes assessment currently utilized in U.S. dental hygiene programs. A survey was mailed in 1989 to 197 dental hygiene program directors. A closed- and open-ended questionnaire requested information on the extent of assessment and kinds of assessment measures in use. Responses were received from 152 directors (77%); frequency and percentage data were reported. Findings reveal that program directors are most often responsible for data collection and analysis. Assessment data are utilized most frequently for program improvement and future program planning; a majority of programs have already made changes due to outcomes assessment. A majority of directors perceive that their assessment measures demonstrate achievement of program goals and objectives. Programs are moving beyond use of licensure tests to assess educational outcomes. Assessment of knowledge and skills is commonly performed, assessment of values/beliefs is performed less frequently, and postgraduate surveys are generally used in the assessment of relationships/behaviors.
Abstract 3312: Transcriptional regulation of chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) by nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) controls estrogen-induced malignant transformation of breast epithelial cells to breast cancer stem cells

Chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is involved in the maintenance normal stem cells and metastasis of cancer stem cells. NRF1 is one of the major transcription factor that controls transcription of CXCR4. The functional regulation of transcription of NRF1 target genes has not been explored in breast cancer. In this study, we have investigated whether transcriptional regulation of CXCR4 by NRF1 regulates estrogen-induced malignant transformation of breast epithelial cells to breast cancer stem cells (CSCs). We have previously shown that NRF1 may be involved in 17 β-estradiol (E2) induced malignant transformation of breast epithelial cells, however, the mechanism of transcriptional regulation of the NRF1 target genes remains unknown. In this study we showed that NRF1 and E2 jointly contributed in reprogramming of breast epithelial cells to CSCs. Levels of breast cancer stem cell markers (CD44+CD24+ALDH1+CD133+) were significantly increased by E2 treatment in NRF1 overexpressing cells compared to cells transfected with vector receiving E2. E2-induced increases of spheroid formation, cell survival and growth of cancer stem cells were modulated by functional gain or loss of NRF1. For morphological details we used a holographic microscope (HoloMonitor M4), we observed that E2 generated breast cancer stem cells with CD44+CD24+ALDH1+CD133+ markers produced large live spheroids in NRF1 overexpressing cells compared to cells transfected with vector receiving E2. Overexpression of NRF1 promoted the transition of E2-treated breast epithelial MCF-10A cells to mesenchymal stem cell-like phenotype. The ChIP qPCR, RT-qPCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopic assays showed that NRF1 mediated transcriptional changes of its target genes CXCR4, BNIP3, and DJ-1 correlated with malignant phenotypic changes. The suppression of NRF-1 activity induced growth arrest and apoptosis, and reduced stemness, growth and tumorigenic property of cancer stem cells. In summary, our findings for the first time showed that transcriptional regulation of CXCR4 by NRF1 may contribute in the induction of a pre-malignant phenotype by estrogen presumably by promoting generation of breast cancer stem cells. These data suggest NRF1 as an emerging potential target for therapeutic intervention against breast cancer. Citation Format: Jayanta Kumar Das, Deodutta Roy. Transcriptional regulation of chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) by nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) controls estrogen-induced malignant transformation of breast epithelial cells to breast cancer stem cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3312.
Dexterous Manipulation: From High-Level Representation to Low-Level Coordination of Digit Forces and Positions

The ability to perform fine object and tool manipulation, a hallmark of human dexterity, is not well understood. We have been studying how humans learn anticipatory control of manipulation tasks to characterize the mechanisms underlying the transformation from multiple sources of sensory feedback to the coordination of multiple degrees of freedom of the hand. In our approach, we have removed constraints on digit placement to study how subjects explore and choose relations between digit forces and positions. It was found that the digit positions were characterized by high trial-to-trial variability, thus challenging the extent to which the Central Nervous System (CNS) could have relied on sensorimotor memories built through previous manipulations for anticipatory control of digit forces. Importantly, subjects could adjust digit forces prior to the onset of manipulation to compensate for digit placement variability, thus leading to consistent outcome at the task level. Furthermore, we found that manipulation learned with a set of digits can be transferred to grips involving a different number of digits, despite the significant change in digit placement distribution. These results have led us to propose a theoretical framework based on high-level representation of manipulation tasks can be learned in an effector-independent fashion and transferred to some, but not all that contexts. We discuss these findings in relation to the concept of motor equivalence and sensorimotor integration of grasp kinematics and kinetics.
Orthostatic Hypotension in Diabetics in the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) Blood Pressure Trial.

See related article, pp 888–895 Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a reduction of ≥20 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure (SBP) or a reduction of ≥10 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure within 3 minutes of standing. OH may be caused by an excessive decrease in blood volume when a person is standing or from inadequate compensation for the reduction in cardiac preload associated with standing because of deficient stimulation of cardiopulmonary, aortic, and carotid baroreceptors, which reflexly increase sympathetic activity and decrease parasympathetic activity. OH may be associated with advanced age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, neurological disorders, and medications such as antihypertensive drugs, antidepressants, anti-parkinsonian drugs, antipsychotics, nitrates, alcohol, cardiovascular disorders, endocrine disorders, dehydration, anemia, bedrest/deconditioning, and other disorders. All older individuals taking antihypertensive drugs should routinely have blood pressure (BP) measured in the sitting position and within 3 minutes of standing.1 BP should not be measured immediately after eating to avoid postprandial hypotension being confused with OH. Both of these disorders may coexist. Postprandial hypotension is also associated with falls, syncope, coronary events, stroke, and all-cause mortality at long-term follow-up.2 OH may cause postural instability, falls, and syncope.3 OH is also associated with an increased incidence of all-cause mortality, coronary events, heart failure, and stroke.4,5 The prevalence of OH in 12 433 individuals in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study was 4.9%.4 At 6-year mean follow-up, individuals with OH had a 3.49× increased risk of coronary heart disease. After controlling for age, ethnicity, sex, comorbid conditions, and cardiovascular risk factors, the hazard ratio for coronary heart disease was increased by 1.85×.4 A meta-analysis of 13 prospective studies included 121 913 individuals.5 At …
MiniApps derived from production HPC applications using multiple programing models

We have developed a set of reduced, proxy applications (“MiniApps”) based on large-scale application codes supported at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF). The MiniApps are designed to encapsulate the details of the most important (i.e. the most time-consuming and/or unique) facets of the applications that run in production mode on the OLCF. In each case, we have produced or plan to produce individual versions of the MiniApps using different specific programing models (e.g., OpenACC, CUDA, OpenMP). We describe some of our initial observations regarding these different implementations along with estimates of how closely the MiniApps track the actual performance characteristics (in particular, the overall scalability) of the large-scale applications from which they are derived.
A Review of "Practicing Compassion."

Like so many others around me on this airplane, I sit hunched over my laptop trying to make my travel time productive, worried that the person in front of me might suddenly move his seat back, forc...
Ions at interfaces in solid polymers

When one tries to decide whether a given electrical phenomenon in a solid polymer is due to ionic or to electronic effects it often appears that Nature has chosen to be evasive on the issue. Thus, whereas one well done scientific paper may claim ionic effects predominate in a given polymer, the conclusion of another equally competent research report may be that electronic effects are the most important in the same polymer. Sometimes these conclusions are based on solid state theories which have been developed for crystalline materials with relatively well understood defects and then carried over qualitatively to polymers which are structurally much more complicated and which always contain morphologically significant amounts of non-crystalline material. Thus, it is appropriate to investigate models which attempt to account for the inherent inhomogenities of crystalline polymers. This paper summarizes some simple considerations involving the use of electrostatic image theory in conjunction with the Clausius-Mossotti relation to approximate the interaction of ions with the interfaces between crystalline and amorphous regions in polymers.