cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting circuit board reliability for motor drives under varying application and environmental conditions

Operating and non-operating temperatures as well as power and duty cycles affect electronic component reliability. The ability to predict the reliability of a printed circuit board (PCB) is important during the early part of the design process. This paper explores the effects of using both single-value assumptions and probability distributions for environmental and operating stresses in a standards-based reliability model of a PCB by comparing the predictions with the measured field data. First, failure and shipping data for a power interface circuit board from a motor drive that has been in production for over two years was obtained. An adjustment factor for the data was developed to account for non-operational storage time. A Weibull analysis was performed on the adjusted data set and L1, L10, and MTBF reliability metrics were computed. Next, a reliability model was constructed using the bill of materials, circuit schematic, and RIAC 217Plus reliability prediction standard. The environmental and operating profiles were then defined using 217Plus defaults, worst-case, and probability distributions. Deterministic predictions were made using the 217Plus default and worst-case profiles and predicted values were compared with the field data. Stochastic predictions were made using Monte Carlo simulation techniques and also compared to field data. Predictions using the Monte Carlo technique were found to have a lowest maximum error of 22%. The discrepancy between the predictions and field for L1 and L10 reliability were reduced by using a Weibull shape parameter that matched the field data instead of the default value of one. Finally, a correction factor was developed to further improve the predictions.
Characterization of multi-angular hyperspectral polarized reflectance from coastal waters

Since scattering by molecules, particles, aerosols, hydrosols and reflection at the sea surface introduce and modify the polarization state of light, the polarized underwater light field contains embedded information about the intrinsic nature of various water constituents (biogenic, nonalgal and inorganic particles, dissolved matter), and can be used in retrieval algorithms for the separation of organic and inorganic particulates, in improving underwater visibility and in other active techniques and applications. To study underwater polarization characteristics a new instrument has been developed by the Optical Remote Sensing Laboratory at CCNY. The instrument consists of three Satlantic Hyperspectral radiance sensors mounted on a scanning system controlled by an underwater electric stepper motor. The motor rotates the sensors in a vertical plane in a specific angular range. This can be adjusted according to the solar altitude angle in order to cover the full 0-180° scattering angle range. Linear polarizers are attached in front of the sensors; the polarizers are oriented at 0° (vertical), 90 °(horizontal) and 45°. By rotating the sensors relative to the nadir direction, the instrument scans the angular features of the underwater polarized light field in a vertical plane defined by its azimuth angle relative to the sun. Angular variations of the degree of polarization are found to be consistent with theory. Maximum values of the degree of polarization do not exceed 0.5 while the position of the maximum is shifted from 90° towards higher scattering angles. The results presented here will need to be corroborated with additional measurements in varying water conditions.
What makes a happy face? Determinants of colour pattern in the Hawaiian happy face spider Theridion grallator (Araneae, Theridiidae)

Theridion grallator, a small ( 100 days after hatching. Time required for completion of pattern development was roughly proportional to the amount of red in the final pattern. Mature males and females had similar morph frequencies overall, yet three rare morphs were seen only in females. Phenotypic frequencies of families were consistent with Mendelian inheritance at one locus, with the allele dictating absence of pattern recessive to alleles for patterned morphs.
Internationalization of the Internet by design: The first decade

The successes and failures of Internet Internationalization reveal struggles between two systems: the network political (oriented around the machinic) and the geopolitical (oriented around the soci...
Heterogeneous changes in K currents in rat ventricles three days after myocardial infarction.

Objective: After coronary artery occlusion, surviving myocardium in and around the infarct zone plays an important role in arrhythmogenesis. Understanding the mechanisms for derangements in cardiac electrical activity at the cellular and molecular levels is important for the design of effective therapeutic strategies. Methods: To provide part of that understanding, we studied changes in K channel function and expression in rat ventricular myocardium three days after occluding the left major coronary artery. The epicardium and endocardium of infarcted region in the left ventricle and the free wall of right ventricle were separated for myocyte isolation, followed by whole-cell voltage clamp studies. Myocytes were also isolated from corresponding regions of control and sham-operated hearts and studied under the same conditions. Results: We found that the transient outward ( I to), delayed rectifier ( I K) and inward rectifier ( I K1) currents have different distribution patterns in normal rat ventricular myocardium. Sham-operation did not affect any of these K currents in left ventricular myocytes, but coronary artery occlusion caused a reduction of all three. For I to and I K1 the reduction was greater in epicardial than in endocardial myocytes, but I K was reduced equally in these two cell groups. Unexpectedly, I to and I K as well as cell capacitance were increased in right ventricular myocytes from infarcted as well as sham-operated hearts. Western blot analysis indicated that the level of Kv4 channel proteins (Kv4.2+Kv4.3) was reduced in infarcted left ventricular myocardium, consistent with the reduction in I to. Conclusion: Our data suggest that the distribution of K channels and changes in them induced by coronary artery occlusion are heterogeneous in ventricular myocardium. Understanding the molecular mechanisms for this heterogeneity and its implications in arrhythmogenesis poses a challenge in designing effective antiarrhythmic therapy for myocardial infarction patients.
Biosynthesis of a 9-phenylperinaphthenone by Lachnanthes tinctoria

Abstract The biosynthesis of the 9-phenylperinaphthenone (II) from Lachnanthes tinctoria , like that of (I) the aglycone of haemocorin from a related plant, involves condensation of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and acetic acid; the acetate carboxyl carbon atom is eliminated in the process.
Controversies About Hypersexual Disorder and the DSM-5

Criteria for hypersexual disorder were proposed for consideration for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), but ultimately rejected by the American Psychiatric Association despite a field trial suggesting the criteria were valid and reliable. This article highlights the vast array of controversial issues surrounding the proposal for hypersexual disorder. While some criticisms covered a broader scope of general concerns about the field of psychiatric mental illness, many of these often extended to the proposal for hypersexual disorder. It is important to discuss both general concerns about psychiatric disorders and those specifically focused on hypersexuality in order to understand the challenges encountered in advancing the criteria for hypersexual disorder. This article attempts to place the controversies, criticisms, and issues about hypersexuality in context from leading experts in the field.
Allelic Frequency at the Rf3 and Rf4 Loci and the Genetics of A3 Cytoplasmic Fertility Restoration in Converted Sorghum Lines

Cytoplasmic-nuclear male sterility (CMS) in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is integral to hybrid seed production. One such CMS, A3, is controlled by a two gene gametophytic fertility restoration system involving two restoration alleles, Rf3 and Rf4, which are required for individual male gamete viability. A survey of the allelic frequencies of Rf3 and Rf4 in the sorghum germplasm collection was undertaken using 140 lines from the Sorghum Conversion Program. These lines were hybridized to two testers, A3FL3 (Rf3Rf3rf4rf4) and A3FL4 (rf3rf3Rf4Rf4). The resulting hybrids were evaluated for I 2 -KI pollen stainability and seed set to determine their fertility restoration reaction. Transcript analyses were performed on lines that contained restoration alleles to determine whether they fit the expected genetic model of fertility restoration. Three lines (SC306, SC512, and SC215) were found to restore fertility with both testers and thus contain both restoration alleles. The surveyed allelic frequency of Rf3 and Rf4 was 5.1 and 4.8%, respectively. Using transcript analyses, two exceptional lines were identified (SC306 and SC215) that carried Rf3 but did not confer enhanced transcript processing activity (TPA) of mitochondrial orf107. Enhanced TPA was thought to be tightly linked to or represent gene action of Rf3, but identification of these lines demonstrates that enhanced TPA is not required for fertility restoration and does not represent gene action of Rf3.
Adult sigmoidorectal intussusception related to colonic lipoma: A rare case report with an atypical presentation

Introduction Adult intussusception is rare. Lipoma is the second most common benign tumor of the colon and most common to cause colonic intussusception in adults, but rare.
Query biased snippet generation in XML search

Snippets are used by almost every text search engine to complement ranking scheme in order to effectively handle user searches, which are inherently ambiguous and whose relevance semantics are difficult to assess. Despite the fact that XML is a standard representation format of web data, research on generating result snippets for XML search remains untouched.In this paper we present a system, eXtract, which addresses this important yet open problem. We identify that a good XML result snippet should be a self-contained meaningful information unit of a small size that effectively summarizes this query result and differentiates it from others, according to which users can quickly assess the relevance of the query result. We have designed and implemented a novel algorithm to satisfy these requirements and verified its efficiency and effectiveness through experiments.
Inhibition of Lacrimal Function by Selective Opiate Agonists

The purpose of the work presented here is two-fold: 1) to define the role of opioid neuropeptides in the control of lacrimal secretory function and 2) to identify the cellular mechanisms involved in this regulatory process. The opioid peptides met-enkephalin and leu-enkephalin are two of several neuropeptides that have been identified in fibers that terminate near the basal surface of the acini in lacrimal glands of humans (Frey et al., 1986), guinea pigs (Lehtosalo et al., 1989) and rats (Walcott, 1990). In some cases these neuropeptides have been demonstrated in parasympathetic fibers innervating the gland, thus they are colocalized with acetylcholine and VIP. This colocalizalion and the close association of the peptidergic fibers with the secretory structures of the gland suggested that the enkephalins might be important neuromodulators of lacrimal secretion
Use of Boron as a Tracer for Recycled Water in Brackish Aquifers

An investigation was conducted to develop a simple method for tracking the fate and transport of recycled water following recharge into a shallow brackish aquifer (caprock aquifer) in a coastal area on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. Several naturally present chemical constituents including the boron isotopic signature (δ B11 ) were used to characterize each of the caprock aquifer source waters and the recycled water. Because of the influence of seawater, only δ B11 could be used to clearly distinguish the recycled water from the source waters and the caprock aquifer water. Estimates of the mixing ratios of source waters in the aquifer were made and a method was developed to determine the fraction of wastewater present in a brackish water sample recovered from a monitoring well during recharge operations without addition of a tracer. This method can be adapted to monitor any other brackish aquifer subjected to wastewater recharge.
Endohedral complexes of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) cages with transition metal dihydrides

Abstract Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) cages are investigated in terms of their potential to enclose small metal hydrides, with the objective of defining conditions that maximize the number of encapsulated hydrogen atoms. Systems of the form MH 2 n @T m , where n = 1–3, m = 8, 10, and M comprises metal atom species of the groups IV, VI, VIII, X, and XII, are studied by methods of ab initio and density functional theory (DFT). The resulting composites are categorized with respect to their structural and energetic features. For MH 2 @T 8 , it is found in all cases considered that including MH 2 into the POSS cage is an endothermic process. For MH 2 @T 10 and M = Ti, Ru, Os, Pt, inclusion of the MH 2 guest into the cage turns out to be exothermic, and also leaves the cage intact. For MH 4 @T m , this behavior is only observed for one system, OsH 4 @T 10 .
Gastrointestinal Helminths of 14 Species of Lizards from Panama with Descriptions of Five New Species

One hundred ninety-one specimens representing 14 species of lizards, Ameiva ameiva, Basiliscus basiliscus, Corytophanes cristatus, Diploglossus monotropis, Echinosaura horrida, Gonatodes albogularis, Gymnophthalmus speciosus, Iguana iguana, Lepidoblepharis sanctaemartae, Lepidophyma flavimaculatum, Leposoma rugiceps, Mabuya mabouya, Polychrus gutturosus, and Thecadactylus rapicauda, from Panama were examined for helminths. Two species of Digenea, Mesocoelium monas and Parallopharynx arctus, 1 species of Cestoda, Oochoristica gymnophthalmicola n. sp., 21 species of Nematoda, 19 species capable of completing their life cycle in lizards, Africana telfordi, Aplectana herediaensis, Cosmocercoides variabilis, Cruzia mexicana, Cyrtosomum longicaudatum, Macdonaldius grassi, Oswaldocruzia panamaensis n. sp., Oswaldofilaria brevicaudata, Ozolaimus cirratus, Parapharyngodon colonensis n. sp., Physaloptera retusa, Piratuba digiticauda, Skrjabinelazia galliardi, Skrjabinodon caudolumarius n. sp., Skrjabinodon crassicauda n. sp., Skrjabinodon scelopori, Spauligodon oxkutzcabiensis, Spinicauda spinicauda, and Strongyluris panamaensis, and 2 species utilizing lizards as paratenic hosts, Ophidascaris sp. (larvae) and Acuariidae gen. sp. (larvae in cysts), and 1 species of Acanthocephala (cystacanths), were found. Thirty-seven new host records and 13 new locality records are reported.
Static allocation of periodic tasks with precedence constraints in distributed real-time systems

Using two branch-and-bound (B&B) algorithms, an optimal solution is proposed to the problem of allocating (or assigning with the subsequent scheduling considered) periodic tasks to a set of heterogeneous processing nodes (PNs) of a distributed real-time system. The allocation objective is to minimize the maximum normalized task response time, called the system hazard, subject to precedence constraints among the tasks to be allocated. First, the task system is modeled with a task graph, which describes computation and communication modules as well as the precedence constraints among them. Second, the exact system hazard of a complete assignment is determined so that an optimal assignment can be derived. This exact cost is obtained by optimally scheduling the modules assigned to each PN with a B&B algorithm guided by the dominance relationship between simultaneously schedulable modules. Third, to reduce the amount of computation needed for an optimal assignment, a lower-bound system hazard that is obtainable with a polynomial time algorithm is derived. >
Reliable and Efficient Concurrent Synchronization for Embedded Real-Time Software

The high degree of autonomy and increased complexity of future robotic spacecraft pose significant challenges in assuring their reliability and efficiency. To achieve fast and safe concurrent interactions in mission critical code, we survey the practical state-of-the-art nonblocking programming techniques. We study in detail two nonblocking approaches: (1) CAS-based algorithms and (2) Software Transactional Memory. We evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each approach by applying each methodology for engineering the design and implementation of a nonblocking shared vector. Our study investigates how the application of nonblocking synchronization can help eliminate the problems of deadlock, livelock, and priority inversion and at the same time deliver a performance improvement in embedded real-time software.
A Nitric Oxide Synthesis Inhibitor in the Medial Preoptic Area Inhibits Copulation and Stimulus Sensitization in Male Rats

Dopamine in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) facilitates copulation in male rats, and nitric oxide (NO) regulates basal and female-stimulated MPOA dopamine release. Microinjection of L-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, an NO synthesis inhibitor) into the MPOA blocked copulation in naive rats and impaired copulation in sexually experienced males. In other naive rats, L-NAME or saline was microinjected into the MPOA before each of 7 daily exposures to a receptive female placed over their cage. In a drug-free test on Day 8, copulation by L-NAME-treated rats was similar to that of unexposed controls and was impaired relative to saline-treated males. Therefore, NO in the MPOA is important for copulation and stimulus sensitization in male rats.
The relationship between reductive dehalogenation and other aryl substituent removal reactions catalyzed by anaerobes

Anaerobic bacteria are known to catalyze the removal of a variety of aromatic substituents, including -COOH, -OH, -OCH3, -CH3, and halogens. We investigated whether reductive dehalogenation was related to other types of aryl substituent removal reactions. A dehalogenating bacterial consortium was tested for its ability to use benzoic acids substituted in the 3 position with the functional groups listed above. In addition to dehalogenation, the enrichment (as well as the dehalogenating pure culture) was able to transform 3-methoxybenzoic acid to 3-hydroxybenzoic acid without a lag. This reaction exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics with an apparent Km of 5 μM. To test the hypothesis that the two reactions were related, we developed a mathematical model incorporating a competitive inhibition term to account for the influence of one substrate on the degradation of the other. However, experimental evidence showed no significant difference in the rates of 3-chlorobenzoic acid or 3-methoxybenzoic acid degradation in either the presence or absence of the other substrate. In addition, an anaerobe known to degrade methoxylated aromatic substrates was not able to transform chlorinated analogues. Finally, the isolated dechlorinating organism, strain DCB-1 was able to transform 3-methoxybenzoic acid in the presence of 1 mM thiosulfate, but the dehalogenation of 3-chlorobenzoic acid under these conditions was completely inhibited. Therefore, it is unlikely that a relationship exists between dehalogenation and other anaerobic aromatic substituent removal mechanisms.
GROWTH KINETICS OF HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS ARE ALTERED IN MONOCYTE-DERIVED MACROPHAGES

Stimulation of monocytes/macrophages with activated nonadherent cells allows productive nonlytic growth of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), but the viral replication cycle is delayed relative to replication of HCMV in human fibroblasts. Analysis of infected monocyte-derived macrophage (MDM) mRNA for major immediate-early (MIE 86, 72, and 55) and late (pp65 and gB) gene expression by reverse transcription PCR indicates that transcription peaks at 3 and 7 days postinfection (dpi), respectively. In contrast, in human fibroblast controls, mRNA for MIE and late gene expression peaked at 5 and 48 h postinfection, respectively. Consistent with reverse transcription PCR experiments, double-label antibody experiments first detected MIE antigen expression at 12 h postinfection, peaking at 3 dpi, and late (pp65 or gB) antigen expression at 5 dpi, peaking at 7 dpi. MIE antigen was not detected between 3 and 7 dpi but reappeared and was coexpressed with pp65 in enlarged MDM nuclei at 7 dpi. After 7 dpi, macrophages with numerous vacuoles containing large amounts of pp65 and gB were observed in culture. These vacuoles were frequently seen at cellular contact points, suggesting that cell-to-cell transfer of virus was the major mode of viral transmission. Consistent with this observation, infectious virus was recovered from MDM cellular lysates but not culture supernatant. The delayed growth and compartmentalization of HCMV in macrophages may allow the cell to accommodate the viral replication cycle without cell lysis. In addition, the macrophage may function as a vehicle for cell-to-cell transmission of HCMV.
When a "wheeze" is not a wheeze: acoustic analysis of breath sounds in infants

Epidemiological studies indicate that the prevalence of "wheeze" is very high in early childhood. However, it is clear that parents and clinicians frequently use the term "wheeze" for a range of audible respiratory noises. The commonest audible sounds originating from the lower airways in infancy are ruttles, which differ from classical wheeze in that the sound is much lower in pitch, with a continuous rattling quality and lacking any musical features. The aim of this study was to clearly differentiate wheeze and ruttles objectively using acoustic analysis. Lung sounds were recorded in 15 infants, seven with wheeze and eight with ruttles, using a small sensitive piezoelectric accelerometer, and information relating to the respiratory cycle was obtained using inductive plethysmography. The acoustic signals were analysed using a fast fourier transformation technique (Respiratory Acoustics Laboratory Environment programme). The acoustic properties of the two noises were shown to be quite distinct, the classical wheeze being characterized by a sinusoidal waveform with one or more distinct peaks in the power spectrum display; the ruttle is represented by an irregular nonsinusoidal waveform with diffuse peaks in the power spectrum and with increased sound intensity at a frequency of <600 Hz. It is important for clinicians and epidemiologists to recognize that there are distinct types of audible respiratory noise in early life with characteristic acoustic properties.
Use of HASTE MRI in the evaluation of acute injury to left atrial wall caused by RF ablation

Introduction Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac rhythm disturbance affecting more than 2 million people in the United States. Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedure using RF ablation has emerged as a new promising treatment of AF. Reported procedure success rates vary significantly with recurrences ranging from 40-86%. With introduction of EP-MRI suites, patients may be re-ablated immediately after assessment of the extent of LA wall injury, if necessary. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) [1,2] and double inversion recovery (DIR) prepared T2weighted (T2w) fast/turbo spin echo (FSE/TSE) [3-5] were proposed to evaluate acute LA wall injury. The main disadvantages of these sequences are a long scan time and a strong dependence of image quality on heart rate regularity.
Attention deficit disorders persisting in adulthood: A review

Abstract The diagnostic term “minimal brain dysfunction” (MBD) has in the past been applied in child psychiatry to encompass a number of behavioral and learning problems with which children may present. Clements 1 cited, in order of frequency, an extended array of symptoms subsumed under this syndrome: (1) hyperactivity; (2) perceptual motor impairment; (3) emotional lability; (4) incoordination; (5) short attention span; (6) impulsivity; (7) disorders of memory and cognition; (8) specific learning disabilities; (9) deficits of speech and hearing; and (10) equivocal neurological findings. The construct validity of MBD and its congeners (Hyperactivity, Hyperkinetic Syndrome) has, however, come under general disrepute. Controversy has arisen over imprecise definitions, etiological speculations, pharmacological manipulations, and the moral and political implications of applying the term indiscriminately. Yet interest in such a distinct entity remains unabated, as may be surmised by the establishment of the Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD) in the recently revised psychiatric nomenclature. 2 The course of an MBD-like syndrome past childhood and adolescence seems to be extremely variable, probably a reflection of its etiological heterogeneity. While some children may adapt satisfactorily to the demands of adulthood, the literature suggests that residua such as learning difficulties and antisocial behavior tendencies may linger. These symptoms may provide clues to suspect the persistence of ADD in adults who might otherwise carry other psychiatric diagnoses. Therapeutic modalities are discussed, cautious conclusions are drawn, and suggestions are made for elaboration of further research.
Characterization of human spermatogonial stem cell markers in fetal, pediatric, and adult testicular tissues

Autologous spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) transplantation is a potential therapeutic modality for patients with azoospermia following cancer treatment. For this promise to be realized, definitive membrane markers of prepubertal and adult human SSCs must be characterized in order to permit SSC isolation and subsequent expansion. This study further characterizes the markers of male gonocytes, prespermatogonia, and SSCs in humans. Human fetal, prepubertal, and adult testicular tissues were analyzed by confocal microscopy, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and qRT-PCR for the expression of unique germ cell membrane markers. During male fetal development, THY1 and KIT (C-Kit) are transient markers of gonocytes but not in prespermatogonia and post-natal SSCs. Although KIT expression is detected in gonocytes, THY1 expression is also detected in the somatic component of the fetal testes in addition to gonocytes. In the third trimester of gestation, THY1 expression shifts exclusively to the somatic cells of the testes where it continues to be detected only in the somatic cells postnatally. In contrast, SSEA4 expression was only detected in the gonocytes, prespermatogonia, SSCs, and Sertoli cells of the fetal and prepubertal testes. After puberty, SSEA4 expression can only be detected in primitive spermatogonia. Thus, although THY1 and KIT are transient markers of gonocytes, SSEA4 is the only common membrane marker of gonocytes, prespermatogonia, and SSCs from fetal through adult human development. This finding is essential for the isolation of prepubertal and adult SSCs, which may someday permit fertility preservation and reversal of azoospermia following cancer treatment.
Continued speculations on the evolution of learning

Albus (1991) offers without proof the theorem that natural intelligence, like the brain, is a result of the process of natural selection. He offers four system elements of intelligence: sensory processing, behavior generation, world model database, and value judgement. The author has previously suggested (1991) that the latter two might have evolved from organisms with only the former two; and has raised (1994) the question how learning or memory might have evolved. All artificial neural nets (ANN) learning schemes assume the existence of an untrained pool of neurons whose weights are modified, but biologically, this untrained pool of neurons seems a contradiction, as these neurons serve no survival purpose prior to their training. It seems highly unlikely that a single mutation simultaneously produced this untrained pool and the training rule. How did both untrained pool and the training rule evolve? However, organisms possessing neurons serving control functions might, by mutation, beneficially combine the afferent signals of neurons and thereby improve their survival probability. The increased connectivity might allow the emergence of memory. This paper determines and models minimal control functions. Also, the effect of several control functions operating in parallel is studied. >
A previously unidentified σ factor and two accessory proteins regulate oxalate decarboxylase expression in Bacillus subtilis

We have investigated the function of a cell envelope stress inducible gene, yvrI, which encodes a 22.5 kDa protein that includes a predicted σ70 region 4 domain, but lacks an apparent region 2 domain. YvrI interacts with RNA polymerase and overexpression of YvrI results in induction of OxdC, an oxalate decarboxylase maximally expressed under low pH conditions. We have used microarray-based analyses to define the YvrI regulon. YvrI is required for the transcription of three operons (oxdC-yvrL, yvrJ, and yvrI-yvrHa) each of which is preceded by a highly similar promoter sequence. Activation of these promoters requires both YvrI and the product of the second gene in the yvrI-yvrHa operon, YvrHa. YvrI and YvrHa together allow recognition of the oxdC promoter, stimulate DNA melting, and activate transcription by core RNA polymerase. Together, these results suggest that YvrI is a previously unrecognized σ factor in B. subtilis and that the 9.5 kDa YvrHa protein acts as a required co-activator of transcription. A yvrL deletion results in the upregulation of YvrI activity suggesting that YvrL is a negative regulator of YvrI-dependent transcription, possibly functioning as an anti-σ factor.
Spiking Patterns of Neocortical L5 Pyramidal Neurons in Vitro Change with Temperature

A subset of pyramidal neurons in layer 5 of the mammalian neocortex can fire action potentials in brief, high-frequency bursts while others fire spikes at regularly spaced intervals. Here we show that individual layer 5 pyramidal neurons in acute slices from mouse primary motor cortex can adopt both regular and burst spiking patterns. During constant current injection at the soma, neurons displayed a regular firing pattern at 36–37°C, but switched to burst spiking patterns upon cooling the slice to 24–26°C. This change in firing pattern was reversible and repeatable and was independent of the somatic resting membrane potential. Hence these spiking patterns are not inherent to discrete populations of pyramidal neurons and are more interchangeable than previously thought. Burst spiking in these neurons is the result of electrical interactions between the soma and distal apical dendritic tree. Presumably the interactions between soma and distal dendrite are temperature-sensitive, suggesting that the manner in which layer 5 pyramidal neurons translate synaptic input into an output spiking pattern is fundamentally altered at sub-physiological temperatures.
A bibliometric analysis on tobacco regulation investigators

Background To facilitate the implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, the Federal Drug Agency (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has identified research priorities under the umbrella of tobacco regulatory science (TRS). As a newly integrated field, the current boundaries and landscape of TRS research are in need of definition. In this work, we conducted a bibliometric study of TRS research by applying author topic modeling (ATM) on MEDLINE citations published by currently-funded TRS principle investigators (PIs).
Multi-function Based Modeling of 3D Heterogeneous Wound Scaffolds for Improved Wound Healing

This paper presents a new multi-function based modeling of 3D heterogeneous porous wound scaffolds to improve wound healing process for complex deep acute or chronic wounds. An imaging-based approach is developed to extract 3D wound geometry and recognize wound features. Linear healing fashion of the wound margin towards the wound center is mimicked. Blending process is thus applied to the extracted geometry to partition the scaffold into a number of uniformly gradient healing regions. Computer models of 3D engineered porous wound scaffolds are then developed for solid freeform modeling and fabrication. Spatial variation over biomaterial and loaded bio-molecule concentration is developed based on wound healing requirements. Release of bio-molecules over the uniform healing regions is controlled by varying their amount and entrapping biomaterial concentration. Thus, localized controlled release is developed to improve wound healing. A prototype multi-syringe single nozzle deposition system is used to fabricate a sample scaffold. Proposed methodology is implemented and illustrative examples are presented in this paper.
Philosophical and Psychological Accounts of Expertise and Experts

There are many philosophical problems surrounding experts, given the power and status accorded to them in society. We think that what makes someone an expert is having expertise in some skill domain. But what does expertise consist in, and how closely related is expertise to the notion of an expert? In this paper I inquire into the nature of expertise, by drawing on recent psychological research on skill acquisition and expert performance. In addition, I connect this research on expertise to the larger context of psychological research on human cognition, as it will illuminate some of the differing elements of expertise. This allows me to then critique philosophical accounts of expertise, by showing how they make unwarranted assumptions about skills and expertise. Finally, I note the ways in which being credited as an expert can diverge from the possession of expertise itself. This can help us resist some of the power dynamics involved with those deemed to be experts.
MEASURING SUPER-EFFICIENCY IN DEA IN THE PRESENCE OF INFEASIBILITY

Super-efficiency data envelopment analysis (DEA) model is obtained when a decision making unit (DMU) under evaluation is excluded from the reference set. Because of the possible infeasibility of super-efficiency DEA model, the use of super-efficiency DEA model has been restricted to the situations where constant returns to scale (CRS) are assumed. It is shown that one of the input-oriented and output-oriented super-efficiency DEA models must be feasible for a any efficient DMU under evaluation if the variable returns to scale (VRS) frontier consists of increasing, constant, and decreasing returns to scale DMUs. We use both input- and output-oriented super-efficiency models to fully characterize the super-efficiency. When super-efficiency is used as an efficiency stability measure, infeasibility means the highest super-efficiency (stability). If super-efficiency is interpreted as input saving or output surplus achieved by a specific efficient DMU, infeasibility does not necessary mean the highest super-efficiency.
Aldosterone and Risk for Insulin Resistance

See related article, pp 1043–1048 There is increasing interest in exploring inappropriate activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system as a unifying mechanism between insulin resistance and other components of the metabolic syndrome.1,2 Recent data suggest that elevations in plasma aldosterone levels are associated with the insulin resistance independent of other components of angiotensin II. This relationship has been observed in studies exploring the association between primary aldosteronism, in which there are low levels of renin activity and angiotensin II, and insulin resistance.1 In this issue, Kumagai et al3 explored increases in aldosterone in the normal range at baseline as a predictor of development of insulin resistance in a prospective cohort of 10 years. Insulin resistance was ascertained by a homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. The authors used a Japanese cohort of 1088 individuals without diabetes mellitus to explore the strength of the association between baseline aldosterone levels and development of insulin resistance. They then further excluded individuals with demonstrable insulin resistance at baseline and tracked the remaining 564 persons prospectively for 10 years. On univariate regression analysis at baseline, aldosterone levels correlated with age, measures of insulin resistance (fasting glucose and insulin), obesity (body mass index [BMI]/waist circumference), and dyslipidemia but not with the presence of hypertension or potassium level. Using …
Motility of CoFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ nanoparticle-labelled microtubules in magnetic fields

Kinesin motor proteins transport intracellular cargo unidirectionally along microtubule tracks. This intracellular transport system is being explored as a novel method of assembly, separation, and transport in nano- and micro-scale systems; however, facile techniques for patterning and directing microtubules remain limited. Biotinylated 20 nm diameter CoFe2O4 magnetic particles and neutravidin bridging molecules are used to label microtubules containing varying amounts of biotin. The effect of magnetic nanoparticle labelling on the speed of microtubule gliding across kinesin-covered surfaces is investigated both with and without applied magnetic fields. Microtubule gliding speed decreased with an increasing amount of attached magnetic cargo, but very lightly decorated microtubules were only slightly affected. All magnetically tagged microtubules could be drawn from the solution by application of a magnetic field, however, the presence of a field did not significantly affect gliding speed or direction. These findings provide new insight for the ultimate use of external magnetic fields as a tool to control the kinesin/microtubule system in carrying out concerted nanobiological tasks.
Managing agricultural phosphorus to minimize water quality impacts

Eutrophication of surface waters remains a major use-impairment in many countries, which, in fresh waters, is accelerated by phosphorus (P) inputs from both point (e.g., municipal waste water treatment plants) and nonpoint sources (e.g., urban and agricultural runoff). As point sources tend to be easier to identify and control, greater attention has recently focused on reducing nonpoint sources of P. In Brazil, agricultural productivity has increased tremendously over the last decade as a consequence, to a large extent, of increases in the use of fertilizer and improved land management. For instance, adoption of the “4R” approach (i.e., right rate, right time, right source, and right placement of P) to fertilizer management can decrease P runoff. Additionally, practices that lessen the risk of runoff and erosion, such as reduced tillage and cover crops will also lessen P runoff. Despite these measures P can still be released from soil and fluvial sediment stores as a result of the prior 10 to 20 years’ management. These legacy sources can mask the water quality benefits of present-day conservation efforts. Future remedial efforts should focus on developing risk assessment indices and nonpoint source models to identify and target conservation measures and to estimate their relative effectiveness. New fertilizer formulations may more closely tailor the timing of nutrient release to plant needs and potentially decrease P runoff. Even so, it must be remembered that appropriate and timely inputs of fertilizers are needed to maintain agricultural productivity and in some cases, financial support might also be required to help offset the costs of expensive conservation measures.
Prospects for Population Control

A GRICULTURAL economists know that the world faces a critical shortage of food within the next three decades if recent rapid trends in population growth and recent rather slow trends in the rate of adoption of modern agricultural technology continue in the developing nations. Moreover, if the current population trends continue to the year 2000 and beyond, the population forecasts for the earth quickly become absurdly astronomical. A favorite parlor game of some food experts is to estimate the maximum number of people the earth could support, provided we exploit the resources of the sea and the presently uncultivated mountains, deserts, and other wastelands to the fullest extent which science fiction writers could imagine. Calculations of this sort do not lead the way to a solution. No matter how large any estimate of the earth's population is deemed to be, present growth trends would bring the earth's total to that size within a matter of a few generations. No matter how well we reconcile ourselves to eating algae, "hearts of oak" breakfast cereal, and beefsteak synthesized from soybeans, there is always a doomsday-year-plus-one facing us. For more than a century, the official demographic view has been one of deep pessimism: that mankind could look forward to only a few more seconds (as the earth's history is computed) before, like Raymond Pearl's fruitflies, he becomes extinct from senseless reproduction. Agricultural economists have tended to accept this view, at least superficially. However, the great heart with which they have set about trying to update the agricultural economies of the developing nations leads one to believe that secretly they hoped it was all just a bad statistical dream and that somehow humanity would be snatched from Malthus' jaws in the nick of time by some kind Providence. Not since John Foster Dulles cancelled the Aswan Dam project in the name of inevitable overpopulation has any major action of developed nations with respect to the underdeveloped nations been based on the presumption that population
Group Transfer Matrices and Their Relation to Basic Cross Section Data

The in-scattering sources in the group-Legendre expansion of the Boltzmann equation can be classified by four-index sources, four-index cross sections, or four-index kernels, depending on the type ...
Using realistic nitrogen deposition levels to test the impact of deposition relative to other interacting factors on the germination and establishment of grasses in the California oak savanna

Nitrogen (N) deposition is a spatially and temporally heterogeneous process. Thus, the response to N deposition by plant communities can also be expected to vary in space and time. The total amount of deposition received by a plant community may vary regionally due to proximity to emission sources and locally due to vegetation structure. Temporal variation such as a seasonal peak in N deposition may coincide with specific life stages of the plant and drive community response to N deposition. Using the California oak savanna as a model ecosystem, a greenhouse experiment simulating realistic levels of N deposition received across the region was conducted to test the relative effects of N fertilization, soil type, light, and community mixture on the germination and seedling establishment of grasses. Seedling mixtures were composed of 3 common grass species—Stipa pulchra, Hordeum murinum, and Elymus caput-medusae—grown in monoculture and in 2- and 3-species combinations. Nitrogen fertilization alone had no effect on germination or seedling establishment, with one exception that high N increased seedling establishment of E. caput-medusae when that species was grown in monoculture. This limited effect of N deposition in a complex and realistic experimental setting indicated that deposition levels in oak savannas are not affecting most plants during early growth. Rather, early growth stages are species-specific and respond most strongly to neighbor identity.
Metaplastic Breast Cancer: A Clinicopathologic Correlation of Histologic Subtype on Disease Control

Purpose/Objective(s): Metaplastic breast cancer is a rare type of breast cancer, associated with poor prognosis, and exhibits heterogeneity in presentation and outcome. There are conflicting reports on the significance of specific histopathology on clinical outcome. The goal of this study was to analyze clinical outcomes in metaplastic breast carcinoma and any potential association with histologic subtypes. Materials/Methods: With IRB approval, single institution data were obtained for all patients diagnosed with non-metastatic, metaplastic breast cancer between 2002 and 2013. All cases were re-evaluated by dedicated breast pathologists and confirmed as metaplastic breast cancer. Histologic subtype was divided into four categories: spindle, squamous, matrix-producing, and other. Demographic information and clinical presentation were correlated with histologic subtype. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were performed to evaluate the impact of histologic variables on outcome. Kaplan Meier methods evaluated localrecurrence-free and distant-metastasis-free survival. Results: One hundred thirteen female patients with non-metastatic, metaplastic breast cancer were identified, all of whom underwent needle core or excisional biopsy followed by surgical resection. Median age was 60 and median follow up was 31 months. The majority of patients received chemotherapy and/or radiation (74% and 54%, respectively). Only 46/113 (41%) were identified to have metaplastic breast cancer at the time of initial biopsy. At resection, 94% were Bloom Richardson grade III and 67% were triple negative. Among the 113 patients, the following histologic subtypes were observed: 14 (12%) spindle, 51 (45%) squamous, 32 (27%) matrix-producing, and 18 (16%) other. There was no difference in the frequency of T and N stage observed at presentation among different histologic subtypes (pZ0.4 and 0.17, respectively). Univariate analysis demonstrated that histologic subtype did not significantly correlate with local (pZ0.54) or distant (pZ0.83) control. Two year local control rates per Kaplan Meier analysis are as follows: spindle 77%, squamous 90%, matrix-producing 97%, and other 97%, with no statistically significant difference among subtypes (pZ0.53). For the same histologic subtypes, 2 year distant-metastasis-free survival rates were 84%, 87%, 86%, and 81%, respectively (pZ0.83). Conclusion: This study represents one of the largest reported experiences of the role of histologic subtype on outcomes in metaplastic breast cancer. Metaplastic breast cancer is infrequently diagnosed at biopsy. The majority are high grade and triple negative. Histologic subtype does not significantly impact rates of local recurrence or distant metastasis. Author Disclosure: C.A. Berriochoa: None. C.M. Leyrer: None. S. Agrawal: None. A. Donaldson: None. R. Stewart: None. H. Moore: None. R.D. Tendulkar: None. B. Calhoun: None.
Phosphorylation of plastoglobular proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plastoglobules (PGs) are plastid lipid-protein particles with a small specialized proteome and metabolome. Among the 30 core PG proteins are six proteins of the ancient ABC1 atypical kinase (ABC1K) family and their locations in an Arabidopsis mRNA-based co-expression network suggested central regulatory roles. To identify candidate ABC1K targets and a possible ABC1K hierarchical phosphorylation network within the chloroplast PG proteome, we searched Arabidopsis phosphoproteomics data from publicly available sources. Evaluation of underlying spectra and/or associated information was challenging for a variety of reasons, but supported pSer sites and a few pThr sites in nine PG proteins, including five FIBRILLINS. PG phosphorylation motifs are discussed in the context of possible responsible kinases. The challenges of collection and evaluation of published Arabidopsis phosphorylation data are discussed, illustrating the importance of deposition of all mass spectrometry data in well-organized repositories such as PRIDE and ProteomeXchange. This study provides a starting point for experimental testing of phosho-sites in PG proteins and also suggests that phosphoproteomics studies specifically designed toward the PG proteome and its ABC1K are needed to understand phosphorylation networks in these specialized particles.