cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Messianic language in trans public speech

This essay examines how two trans public figures, Lou Sullivan and Jennifer Finney Boylan, try to realize the need for transgender legibility through messianic rhetoric. Messianism is a site of con...
Exploring Nontraditional Participation as an Approach to Make Water Quality Trading Markets More Effective

Water quality trading (WQT) has potential to be a low-cost means for achieving water quality goals. WQT allows regulated wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) facing discharge limits the flexibility to either reduce their own discharge or purchase pollution control from other WWTPs or nonpoint sources (NPSs) such as agricultural producers. Under this limited scope, programs with NPSs have been largely unsuccessful at meeting water quality goals. The decision to participate in trading depends on many factors including the pollution control costs, uncertainty in pollution control, and discharge limits. Current research that focuses on making WQT work tends to identify how to increase participation by traditional traders such as WWTPs and agricultural producers. As an alternative, but complementary approach, we consider whether augmenting WQT markets with non-traditional participants would help increase the number of trades. Determining the economic incentives for these potential participants requires the development of novel benefit functions requiring not only economic considerations, but also accounting for ecological and engineering processes. Existing literature on non-traditional participants in environmental markets tends to center on air quality and only increasing citizen participation as buyers. Here, we consider the issues for broadening participation (both buyers and sellers) in WQT and outline a multidisciplinary approach to begin evaluating feasibility.
Fire-Related Pulmonary Damage

“Victims of conflagrations frequently sustain pulmonary injuries that are of equal or greater importance to survival than are the burns received on the surface of the body. In some instances the changes are confined to the upper air passages with little or no damage to the lungs. In some the larynx and trachea show little or no evidence of injury and profound pulmonary damage is sustained. In still others the entire tract is affected” [211].
Monitoring the Use of Extra Images on Chest Radiography Examinations.

Abstract Background A large number of chest radiography studies in our department include extra images due to incompletely imaged anatomy (eg, extra frontal view to include a truncated costophrenic angle). Negative impacts include: increased radiologist review time due to disruption of search pattern and the need to review additional films in slightly different obliquities, additional radiation exposure, and increased technologist time expenditure. Purpose To determine the chest radiograph repeat rate, collaborate with technologists on a process to decrease the frequency, and incorporate the process into our quality control program. Methods Data collection was performed by using coded dictation macros to indicate the type of extra view (frontal, lateral) and whether the extra image was necessary due to patient habitus. Twelve weeks after the macro was instituted, baseline data were collected by querying the macro codes with a search engine (MONTAGE Search and Analytics). Intervention consisted of in-person tutorials of basic radiographic positioning principles with x-ray technologists and posting of checklists in all diagnostic radiology exam rooms. Twelve weeks of postintervention data were collected. Results Baseline data included 5645 examinations, of which 335 (5.9%) included extra images. Postintervention, 5943 examinations were performed and 295 (5.0%) included extra images. A significant decrease in the frontal view repeat rate was noted, decreasing from 4.6%-3.3% (P = 0.001). The repeat rate of lateral images did not change significantly (3.1%-3.2%). Conclusions and Implications Data monitoring and interprofessional collaboration led to a significant decrease in unnecessary extra radiographs. Ongoing monitoring may lead to sustained improvement and further reductions.
Validation and Calibration of Freeway Reliability Methodology in the Highway Capacity Manual: Method and Case Studies:

Traffic congestion costs drivers an average of $1,200 a year in wasted fuel and time, with most travelers becoming less tolerant of unexpected delays. Substantial efforts have been made to account ...
DIII-D research towards establishing the scientific basis for future fusion reactors

DIII-D research is addressing critical challenges in preparation for ITER and future fusion devices through focusing on plasma physics fundamentals that underpin key fusion goals, understanding the interaction of disparate core and boundary plasma physics, and developing integrated scenarios for achieving high performance fusion regimes. Fundamental investigations into fusion energy science find that dissipation of runaway electrons (RE) that arise following disruptions is likely due to interactions with RE-driven kinetic instabilities, some of which have been directly observed, opening a new avenue for RE energy dissipation using naturally excited waves. Dimensionless parameter scaling of intrinsic rotation and gyrokinetic simulations give a predicted ITER rotation profile with significant turbulence stabilization. Coherence imaging spectroscopy confirms near sonic flow throughout the divertor towards the target, which may account for the convection-dominated parallel heat flux. Core-boundary integration studies show that the small angle slot divertor achieves detachment at lower density and extends plasma cooling across the divertor target plate, which is essential for controlling heat flux and erosion. The Super H-mode regime has been extended to high plasma current and density to achieve high pedestal pressures (~30 kPa) and stored energy (3.2 MJ) with Hlsubg98y2l/subg≈1.6-2.4. In scenario work, the ITER baseline Q=10 scenario with zero injected torque is found to have a fusion gain metric independent of current between qlsubg95l/subg=2.8–3.7, and a lower limit of pedestal rotation for RMP ELM suppression has been found. In the wide pedestal QH-mode regime that exhibits improved performance and no ELMs, the start-up counter torque has been eliminated so that the entire discharge uses ≈0 injected torque and the operating space is more ITER-relevant. Finally, the high-βlsubgNl/subg (≤3.8) hybrid scenario has been extended to high-density levels necessary for radiating divertor operation, achieving ~40% divertor heat flux reduction using either argon or neon with Plsubgtotl/subg up to 15 MW.
Learning from the Fly Photoreceptor on How Synapses Integrate Gene Expression to Sustain Retina and Brain Function.

Synapse dysfunction is thought to contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. In this issue of Neuron, Tsai et al. (2019) uncover how membrane phospholipid biosynthesis regulates Drosophila photoreceptor (PR) degeneration and the synaptic vesicle pool through a transcriptional-translational feedback loop from the synaptic terminal to the nucleus.
Potential for limited reinforcing and abuse-related subjective effects of intranasal oxytocin.

Background:There has been growing interest in using oxytocin as a pharmacotherapy for psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorder. Limited data exist regarding oxytocin’s reinforcing ef...
Development of a Novel Deep-Sea in situ Bubble Sampling Instrument: SeaBAT

Methane (CH 4 ) is a greenhouse gas that is often found in a solid hydrate clathrate form in marine sediments along continental margins. Under certain conditions, CH 4 can escape from the seafloor as free gas bubbles and rise in the water column. Traditional methods of determining CH4 flux from the seafloor into the shallow ocean often rely on determining the rise height of the bubble plume, but cannot identify how much CH4 is left in the bubbles at the terminus of their rise. Here we describe the development of the Deep-Sea Bubble Acquisition Tool (SeaBAT), a novel bubble capture system for determining the composition of these bubbles in situ. The SeaBAT was deployed at the Cascadia Margin - an area well known for its active CH 4 bubble seeps - where over 90 bubble samples were collected and analyzed for composition. Most bubbles contained over 90% CH 4 with trace amounts of Nitrogen (N 2 ), Oxygen (O 2 ), and Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ).
DeepChunk: Deep Q-Learning for Chunk-Based Caching in Wireless Data Processing Networks

A Data Processing Network (DPN) streams massive volumes of data collected and stored by the network to multiple processing units to compute desired results in a timely fashion. Due to ever-increasing traffic, distributed cache nodes can be deployed to store hot data and rapidly deliver them for consumption. However, prior work on caching policies has primarily focused on the potential gains in network performance, e.g., cache hit ratio and download latency, while neglecting the impact of cache on data processing and consumption. In this paper, we propose a novel framework, DeepChunk, which leverages deep Q-learning for chunk-based caching in wireless DPN. We show that cache policies must be optimized for both network performance during data delivery and processing efficiency during data consumption. Specifically, DeepChunk utilizes a model-free approach by jointly learning limited network, data streaming, and processing statistics at runtime and making cache update decisions under the guidance of deep Q-learning. It enables a joint optimization of multiple objectives including chunk hit ratio, processing stall time, and object download time while being self-adaptive under the time-varying workload and network conditions. We build a prototype implementation of DeepChunk with Ceph, a popular distributed object storage system. Based on real-world Wifi and 4G traces, our extensive experiments and evaluation demonstrate significant improvement, i.e., 52% increase in total reward and 68% decrease in processing stall time, over a number of baseline caching policies.
New Generation Oxyntomodulin Peptides with Improved Pharmacokinetic Profiles Exhibit Weight Reducing and Anti-Steatotic Properties in Mice

Oxyntomodulin (OXM) is an intestinal peptide hormone that activates both glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon (GCG) receptors. The natural peptide reduces body weight in obese subjects and exhibits direct acute glucoregulatory effects in patients with type II diabetes. However, the clinical utility of OXM is limited due to its lower in vitro potency and short in vivo half-life. To overcome these issues, we developed stapled, long-acting, and highly potent OXM analogs with balanced activities at both GLP-1 and GCG receptors. The lead molecule O14 exhibits potent and long-lasting effects on glucose control, body weight loss, and reduction of hepatic fat reduction in DIO mice. Importantly, O14 significantly reversed hepatic steatosis; reduced liver weight, total cholesterol, and hepatic triglycerides; and improved markers of liver function in a nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mouse model. A symmetrical version of the peptide was also shown to be more efficacious and long-lasting in controlling glucose than semaglutide and the clinical candidate cotadutide in wild-type mice, highlighting the utility of our designs of the dual agonist as a potential new therapy for diabetes and liver diseases.
The Microstructure of Oxidized Consolidated Nanocrystalline NiAl

The intermetallic, stoichiometric compound NiAl is a candidate for aggressive environments such as those encountered in aircraft engines due to its excellent oxidation resistance and high melting point. However, NiAl is limited in application by its insufficient ambient temperature ductility. This may potentially be overcome via synthesis of NiAl with a nanocrystalline microstructure. Since microstructure can also affect oxidation resistance [1], the focus of this investigation is to examine the oxidation characteristics of nanocrystalline NiAl.Nanophased NiAl specimens were prepared by mechanical alloying followed by shock wave consolidation, which yielded consolidated material with an average grain size of 11 ±8 nm [2]. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of nanosized NiAl was used to characterize the material's oxidation resistance, and performed for three different times (0.5 h, 5 h, 48 h) in compressed air at 1373 K. It was found that the thickness of the scale increased with increasing oxidation time, in accordance with parabolic oxidation kinetics.
All the Difference in the World: In Search of a Critical Cosmopolitan Pedagogy for Global Citizenry

As the idea of citizenship has become a token for increasingly exclusionary manifestations of national identity, this article is a call for higher education institutions to honor their commitment to cultivating global citizens, yet with significant caveats. We argue that the proliferation of global learning initiatives in an increasingly neoliberalized university promotes a particular type of global citizen: a well-trained employee with intercultural skills which facilitate access to the global economy, and a global consumer of world cultures with no true commitment to global social justice. By offering a critique of pedagogical principles upon which global citizenship education is currently built, this article aims to demonstrate that the obligation to produce critical and civically engaged global citizens is not only urgent but also possible through novel pedagogical practices. Drawing on a semester-long partnership between two linked courses, we conclude that the interdisciplinary linked-course experience not only helps students delve into a conversation with what it means to be a global citizen in ways not possible through conventional pedagogical practices, but also allows instructors to explore new spaces that humanize abstract formulations of global citizenship for an ethical imperative towards the world and all its inhabitants.
Pathway Mapping for an Educational Program

A method for modeling an educational program as a flow chart is given. An example model is created for the Master of Science in Cybersecurity program at Utah Valley University.
Firearm-related Abuse and Protective Order Requests Among Intimate Partner Violence Victims

Firearms play a critical role in the murder of intimate partner violence (IPV) victims and there is evidence that laws prohibiting protective order (PO) respondents from possessing a firearm reduce...
Quarterly Earnings Announcements and Intra-Industry Information Transfer from the Pacific to the Atlantic

In this study, we explore intra-industry information transfer of quarterly earnings announcements for six major developed markets including the United States. Using an event study methodology, we find that the average cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) of peer firms exhibit a positive and significant relationship with the CARs of announcing firms in the same country and industry over the three-day window surrounding quarterly earnings announcements. During periods of high past market volatility, earnings announcements demonstrate magnified information spillover effects on peer firms. Also, our results suggest that announcing firms with larger market capitalization generate greater intra-industry information transfer.
The Exact Spectral Derivative Discretization Finite Difference (ESDDFD) Method for Wave Models: A Universal Wave View Through Natural Fractional / Fractal Derivative Representations (or View Lens Shops for The Exponential Wave Universe).

A wave view of the universe is proposed in which each natural phenomenon is equipped with its own unique natural viewing lens. A self-sameness modeling principle and its systematic application in Fourier-Laplace transform space is proposed as a novel, universal discrete modeling paradigm for advection-diffusion-reaction equations (ADREs) across non-integer derivatives, time scales, and wave spectral signatures. Its implementation is a novel exact spectral derivative discretization finite difference method (ESDDFD), a way for crafting wave viewing lenses by obtaining discrete wave models from ADRE models. The template for building these lenses come in the form of natural derivative representations obtained from the wave signature probability distribution function and its harmonic oscillation in FL transform space; use of the ESDDFD method in the discrete numerical modeling of wave equations requires no a-priori theory of any mathematical derivative. A major mathematical consequence of this viewpoint is that all notions of the mathematical integer or non-integer derivatives have representation as limits of such natural derivative representations; this and other consequences are discussed and a discretization of a simple integer derivative diffusion-reaction equation is presented to illustrate the method. The resulting view lenses, in the form of ESDDFD models, work well in detecting both local and non-local Debye or Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts exponential patterns; only Brownian motion and sub-diffusion are discussed in the present article.
Open Source Visualization for Radar Altimetry Waveforms

Radar altimetry is a valuable tool for monitoring topographic changes in Earth’s polar regions. An important part of these altimetry data sets is the waveforms that are received and recorded by the radar. These waveforms are processed to create surface-height data products, but also contain information about the scattering surface and near-subsurface. However, there is currently not open-source software available for visualizing these radar altimetry waveforms in an efficient and reproducible workflow. This paper presents OpenWaveforms, a software application that is in development that will make lower-level radar altimetry data products more accessible and user-friendly for researchers. The current state of the software is shown, along with the next steps planned for the software and the goals for the finished application.
Ambulatory Care Sensitive Hospitalizations Through the Emergency Department by Payer: Comparing 2003 and 2009.

Abstract Background Ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations (ACSHs) are hospitalizations that may have been preventable with timely and effective outpatient care. Approximately 75% of all ACSHs occur through the emergency department (ED). ACSHs through the ED (ED ACSHs) have significant implications for costs and ED crowding. Objective This study compares rates of ED ACSHs for 2003 and 2009 among patients 18 to 64 years of age with private insurance, Medicaid, or no insurance. Methods Nationally representative estimates of ED ACSHs, defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) prevention quality indicators (PQIs), were generated from the 2003 and 2009 Nationwide Inpatient Samples. Census data were used to calculate direct age- and sex-standardized ACSH rates by non-Medicare payers for both years. Results Between 2003 and 2009, the overall rate of ED ACSHs decreased from 7.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.57–7.75) to 7.3 (95% CI 7.2–7.4) per 1000 18- to 64-year-old non-Medicare patients. ED ASCH rates declined significantly from 42.4 (95% CI 42.0–42.8) to 25.3 (95% CI 25.0–25.6) per 1000 patients with Medicaid, and declined modestly from 3.8 (95% CI 3.8–3.9) to 3.3 (95% CI 3.2–3.4) per 1000 patients with private insurance. However, the ED ACSH rate increased for the uninsured population from 5.4 (95% CI 5.2–5.7) to 6.2 (95% CI 5.9–6.4) per 1000 patients. Conclusion Expansion of Medicaid over the study period was not associated with an increase in ED ACSHs for Medicaid patients. However, an increase in the uninsured population was associated with an increase in the rate of ED ACSH for uninsured patients.
In-vivo Strain and Stress Estimation of the Left Ventricle from MRI Images

Little information is known about in-vivo heart strain and stress distribution. In this paper, we present a novel statistical model to estimate the invivo material properties and strain and stress distribution in the left ventricle. The displacements of the heart wall are reconstructed in previous work of our group by using MRI-SPAMM tagging technique and deformable model. Based on the reconstructed displacements, we developed the statistical model to estimate strain and stress by using EM algorithm. Two normal hearts and two hearts with right-ventricular hypertrophy are studied. We find noticeable differences in the strain and stress estimated for normal and abnormal hearts.
Effect of HDAC Inhibitors on Corneal Keratocyte Mechanical Phenotypes in 3-D Collagen Matrices.

Purpose Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDAC) have been shown to inhibit the TGFβ-induced myofibroblast transformation of corneal fibroblasts in 2-D culture. However, the effect of HDAC inhibitors on keratocyte spreading, contraction, and matrix remodeling in 3-D culture has not been directly assessed. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of the HDAC inhibitors Trichostatin A (TSA) and Vorinostat (SAHA) on corneal keratocyte mechanical phenotypes in 3-D culture using defined serum-free culture conditions. Methods Rabbit corneal keratocytes were plated within standard rat tail type I collagen matrices (2.5 mg/ml) or compressed collagen matrices (~100 mg/ml) and cultured for up to 4 days in serum-free media, PDGF BB, TGFβ1, and either 50 nM TSA, 10 μM SAHA, or vehicle (DMSO). F-actin, α-SM-actin, and collagen fibrils were imaged using confocal microscopy. Cell morphology and global matrix contraction were quantified digitally. The expression of α-SM-actin was assessed using western blotting. Results Corneal keratocytes in 3-D matrices had a quiescent mechanical phenotype, as indicated by a dendritic morphology, a lack of stress fibers, and minimal cell-induced matrix remodeling. This phenotype was generally maintained following the addition of TSA or SAHA. TGFβ1 induced a contractile phenotype, as indicated by a loss of dendritic cell processes, the development of stress fibers, and significant matrix compaction. In contrast, cells cultured in TGFβ1 plus TSA or SAHA remained dendritic and did not form stress fibers or induce ECM compaction. Western blotting showed that the expression of α-SM actin after treatment with TGFβ1 was inhibited by TSA and SAHA. PDGF BB stimulated the elongation of keratocytes and the extension of dendritic processes within 3-D matrices without inducing stress fiber formation or collagen reorganization. This spreading response was maintained in the presence of TSA or SAHA. Conclusions Overall, HDAC inhibitors appear to mitigate the effects of TGFβ1 on the transformation of corneal keratocytes to a contractile, myofibroblast phenotype in both compliant and rigid 3-D matrices while preserving normal cell spreading and their ability to respond to the pro-migratory growth factor PDGF.
Narcolepsy: Neuropharmacological Aspects

Narcolepsy (affects 1/2000 of the general population) is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, and other dissociated manifestations of rapid eye movement sleep (hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis). The disease is currently treated with amphetamine-like compounds and modafinil for EDS and anticataplectics (antidepressants) for cataplexy. The major pathophysiology of human narcolepsy has recently been revealed by the extension of discoveries of narcolepsy genes in animal models: about 90% of human narcolepsy-cataplexy has been found to be hypocretin/orexin ligand deficient. This directly led to the development of new diagnostic tests (i.e., CSF hypocretin measures). Hypocretin replacement is also likely to be a new therapeutic option for hypocretin deficient narcolepsy, but this is still not available in humans. Clinical and pharmacological aspects of narcolepsy as well as future directions are discussed. Keywords: narcolepsy; cataplexy; REM sleep; animal model; hypocertin; orexin; amphetamine; antidepressant; dopamine; noradrenaline; serotonin; acetylcholine; histamine; thyrotropin-releasing hormone
Bounded Parameter Markov Decision Processes

In this paper, we introduce the notion of a bounded parameter Markov decision process (BMDP) as a generalization of the familiar exact MDP. A bounded parameter MDP is a set of exact MDPs specified by giving upper and lower bounds on transition probabilities and rewards (all the MDPs in the set share the same state and action space). BMDPs form an efficiently solvable special case of the already known class of MDPs with imprecise parameters (MDPIPs). Bounded parameter MDPs can be used to represent variation or uncertainty concerning the parameters of sequential decision problems in cases where no prior probabilities on the parameter values are available. Bounded parameter MDPs can also be used in aggregation schemes to represent the variation in the transition probabilities for different base states aggregated together in the same aggregate state.
Laparoscopic-Induced Pneumocephalus in a Patient with a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt

The authors report the case of laparoscopic-induced pneumocephalus in a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) patient undergoing a transperitoneal laparoscopic procedure. This case represents the first instance, to our knowledge, of forced retrograde air through a Holter valve placed 20 years ago. Abdominal laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure utilized for a wide spectrum of abdominal and pelvic disorders. VPS systems for cerebrospinal fluid diversion are used to treat hydrocephalus. We present a case of laparoscopic-induced pneumocephalus in a VPS patient undergoing a transperitoneal laparoscopic procedure.
Existence of Maximal Elements and Equilibria in Linear Topological Spaces

Abstract We present some mathematical theorems which are used to generalize previous results on the existence of maximal elements and of equilibrium. Our main theorem in this paper is a new existence proof for an equilibrium in an abstract economy, which is closely related to a previous result of Borglin–Keiding, and Shafer–Sonneschein, but allows for an infinite number of commodities and a countably infinite number of agents.
Victimization and Resistance Strategies Among Female Offenders

Research reveals that most women resist violence against them. We know less, however, about the situational processes and context that shape the nature and outcome of attacks. In addition, limited research has examined the use of resistance strategies among female offenders. This article draws from a qualitative study of violence in the lives of female offenders to examine the situational context of assault outcomes and its relationship to their resistance strategies. Specifically, this study investigates how women's accounts of resistance to both physical and sexual assaults by an intimate partner, acquaintance, or stranger unfold across time. Results highlight the importance of examining the situational context of violence and resistance to further enrich our understanding of these phenomena.
Splines with boundary conditions

This paper explores spaces of splines satisfying boundary conditions using the long exact sequence for relative homology. We relate them to the boundary complex of @D, where @D is a planar simplicial complex which triangulates a pseudomanifold. In this case, there is a natural relationship between the Hilbert polynomials (which measure the dimension of C"k^r(@D@^) for k@?0) of the spline modules.
Of Fallacies and Fetishes: A Rejoinder to Donham

Suite a l'article de Donald L. Donham - paru dans le meme numero de la revue - dans lequel il propose une analyse critique de l'approche methodologique et theorique des AA. en anthropologie historique a partir de leur travail sur le colonialisme et le christianisme en Afrique du Sud, ceux-ci contestent, point par point, son analyse. En conclusion, ils insistent notamment sur leur propre volonte de deconstruire l'opposition entre approche nomothetique et approche ideographique en anthropologie historique, position non comprise par Donham.
Atomic force microscopy reveals aggregation of gastric mucin at low pH.

Mammalian gastric mucin, at high concentration, is known to form a gel at low pH, behavior essential to the protection of the stomach from auto-digestion. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements...
Using Internet Data for Economic Research

The data used by economists can be broadly divided into two categories. First, structured datasets arise when a government agency, trade association, or company can justify the expense of assembling records. The Internet has transformed how economists interact with these datasets by lowering the cost of storing, updating, distributing, finding, and retrieving this information. Second, some economic researchers affirmatively collect data of interest. For researcher-collected data, the Internet opens exceptional possibilities both by increasing the amount of information available for researchers to gather and by lowering researchers' costs of collecting information. In this paper, I explore the Internet's new datasets, present methods for harnessing their wealth, and survey a sampling of the research questions these data help to answer. The first section of this paper discusses "scraping" the Internet for data—that is, collecting data on prices, quantities, and key characteristics that are already available on websites but not yet organized in a form useful for economic research. A second part of the paper considers online experiments, including experiments that the economic researcher observes but does not control (for example, when Amazon or eBay alters site design or bidding rules); and experiments in which a researcher participates in design, including those conducted in partnership with a company or website, and online versions of laboratory experiments. Finally, I discuss certain limits to this type of data collection, including both "terms of use" restrictions on websites and concerns about privacy and confidentiality.
Activation of the MAPK signal cascade by the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 requires L1 internalization.

L1-mediated axon growth involves intracellular signaling, but the precise mechanisms involved are not yet clear. We report a role for the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in L1 signaling. L1 physically associates with the MAPK cascade components Raf-1, ERK2, and the previously identified p90 rsk in brain. In vitro, ERK2 can phosphorylate L1 at Ser1204 and Ser1248 of the L1 cytoplasmic domain. These two serines are conserved in the L1 family of cell adhesion molecules, also being found in neurofascin and NrCAM. The ability of ERK2 to phosphorylate L1 suggests that L1 signaling could directly regulate L1 function by phosphorylation of the L1 cytoplasmic domain. In L1-expressing 3T3 cells, L1 cross-linking can activate ERK2. Remarkably, the activated ERK localizes with endocytosed vesicular L1 rather than cell surface L1, indicating that L1 internalization and signaling are coupled. Inhibition of L1 internalization with dominant-negative dynamin prevents activation of ERK. These results show that L1-generated signals activate the MAPK cascade in a manner most likely to be important in regulating L1 intracellular trafficking.
Two remarkable new trichomycterid catfishes from the Amazon basin in Brazil and Colombia

Two Amazonian freshwater trichomycterid catfishes, Sarcoglanis simplex and Malacoglanis gelatinosus, are described as new genera andspecies and placed in a new subfamily Sarcoglanidinae. The relationships of this new subfamily and those of the Trichomycterinae, Nematogenyinae, Phreatobiinae and Glanapteryginae are discussed.
The mouse homolog of the human amyloid β protein (AD-AP) gene is located on the distal end of mouse chromosome 16: Further extension of the homology between human chromosome 21 and mouse chromosome 16

Summary The human amyloid β protein is the major constituent of the brain amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer disease. The gene that encodes this protein is located on chromosome 21, and individuals with Down syndrome (trisomy 21) also exhibit an early onset form of Alzheimer disease. We have used the cloned human amyloid β protein gene and a panel of somatic cell hybrids to map the location of the mouse homolog of this gene. We report here that the mouse gene is located on chromosome 16 within the region 16C3ter, in common with three other genes which map within the Down syndrome region of human chromosome 21.
Short-term outcomes for open revascularization of chronic mesenteric ischemia.

Background Surgical bypass as treatment for chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) is performed to alleviate symptoms of weight loss and postprandial pain and to prevent catastrophic intestinal necrosis. Among the studies that report outcomes for mesenteric bypass, few focus on the type of conduit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate contemporary short-term outcomes of patients who underwent aortomesenteric bypass for CMI, with specific attention given to the conduit used—prosthetic versus vein. Methods Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Participant Use File were analyzed for demographic and clinical risk variables, mortality, and 22 defined complications (morbidity) between 2005 and 2009 from more than 200 participating hospitals. The database was queried for patients undergoing aortomesenteric bypass with vein (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] 35531) or nonvein (CPT 35631) whose preoperative diagnosis was CMI (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision code 557.1). Outcomes and risk variables were compared using univariate analysis and independent sample t tests for continuous variables. Results One hundred fifty-six patients underwent mesenteric revascularization—119 (76%) women and 37 (24%) men with an average age of 65 ± 13 years. The conduit used was vein in 44 (28%) and prosthetic graft in 112 (72%). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in mean age, smoking history, recent weight loss, obesity (body mass index: >25) rates, length of operation, reoperation frequency, and early graft failure. More patients undergoing bypass with vein had an associated bowel resection and preoperative sepsis or systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Additionally, patients with a vein graft had a higher percentage of a contaminated surgical site (30% vs. 7%, P = 0.001) and underwent emergent surgery more frequently (16% vs. 4%, P = 0.012). Mortality was higher in patients in whom a vein graft was used (16% vs. 5%, P = 0.039). There were no differences noted between the two groups in length of stay or postoperative complications, including infectious complications, renal insufficiency, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Conclusions Thirty-day mortality was higher in patients who underwent mesenteric bypass with vein. However, this group also had a higher incidence of emergent surgery, bowel resection, and contaminated operative field. This suggests that vein grafts were preferentially used when bowel infarction was suspected. The higher mortality is likely due to patient factors, such as the extent of bowel ischemia at the time of operation, rather than the type of conduit used. If expeditious revascularization is done before development of bowel infarction, vein or prosthetic conduit would be expected to function equally well.
The effect of different warming methods on sensory nerve conduction velocity in shipyard workers occupationally exposed to hand–arm vibration

Segmental sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) was measured from the wrists to the hands and digits in a population of 134 (126 men and 8 women) vibration-exposed shipyard workers following systemic warming using a bicycle ergometer. Results were compared to earlier nerve conduction tests, identical in execution, except that the warming process was segmental and cutaneous. The study was designed to investigate whether SNCVs, which were selectively slow in the fingers after segmental cutaneous (skin surface) warming, would be affected differently by systemic warming. Wrist–palm, palm–proximal digit, and digital sensory nerve segments were assessed antidromically by stimulating at the wrist with recording electrodes placed distally. The same subjects were cutaneously warmed in 2001 to ≥31°C and were systemically warmed 28 months later in 2004 by ramped sustained exercise to 100 W for 12 min. Skin temperatures were measured by traditional thermistry and by infrared thermal images taken over the hand and wrist surfaces. When systemic warming was compared to segmental cutaneous warming, SNCVs were increased by 15.1% in the third digit and 20.4% in the fifth digit of the dominant hand. Respective increases in the non-dominant hand were 11.0% and 19.4%. A strong association between increased surface skin temperature and faster SNCV, which had been observed after segmental cutaneous warming, was largely eliminated for both digit and palmar anatomic segments after systemic warming. Significant differences in SNCV between vibration-exposed and non-exposed workers, which had been observed after segmental cutaneous warming, were eliminated after systemic warming. Systemic warming had only a small effect on the wrist–palm (transcarpal) segmental SNCVs. Reduced SNCV in the digits was observed in vibration-exposed and non-exposed workers. Substituting exercise-induced systemic warming for segmental cutaneous warming significantly increased SNCV in the digits and appeared to reduce differences in SNCV between vibration-exposed and non-exposed workers. These findings persisted despite a substantial time interval between tests, during which the subjects continued to work. There may be more general implications for diagnosing clinical conditions in industrial workers, such as the carpal tunnel syndrome and the hand–arm vibration syndrome.
Afrocentricity and history: Mediating the meaning of culture in western society

(2000). Afrocentricity and history: Mediating the meaning of culture in western society. Souls: Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 50-62.
Thermal Stratification in Spherical Tanks

Spherical tanks have the potential for cost reduction in sensible thermal energy storage (TES) systems, by using less tank building material and insulation.The current CFD study compares the Thermal Efficiency (TE) of a thermocline storage system in a spherical tank to a cylindrical tank of the same volume. A parametric study is then performed on a spherical tank during the discharge process to determine the flow parameters that govern the thermocline formation and entrainment. The following parameters are used: tank diameter to inlet diameter ratio D/d = 10, inlet velocity (0.02–0.1 m/s), and ΔT (10–70° C), leading to an inlet Froude number (0.4–3), inlet Reynolds number (500–7500), and tank Richardson number (2–100).The results show a significant correlation between the inlet Reynolds and inlet Froude numbers, and the tank TE, in addition to a weak correlation between the tank Richardson number, based on the tank diameter, and the tank TE. The parametric study also shows a maximum tank TE at a Froude number equal to 0.5, and a proportional decrease of TE as the Reynolds number increases.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
A necessary and sufficient condition for justifying non-parametric likelihood with censored data

The non-parametric likelihood L(F) for censored data, including univariate or multivariate right-censored, doubly-censored, interval-censored, or masked competing risks data, is proposed by Peto (Appl Stat 22:86–91, 1973). It does not involve censoring distributions. In the literature, several noninformative conditions are proposed to justify L(F) so that the GMLE can be consistent (see, for examples, Self and Grossman in Biometrics 42:521–530 1986, or Oller et al. in Can J Stat 32:315–326, 2004). We present the necessary and sufficient (N&S) condition so that $$L(F)$$ is equivalent to the full likelihood under the non-parametric set-up. The statement is false under the parametric set-up. Our condition is slightly different from the noninformative conditions in the literature. We present two applications to our cancer research data that satisfy the N&S condition but has dependent censoring.
Mafic pyroclastic flows at Tyrrhena Patera, Mars: Constraints from observations and models

Abstract Tyrrhena Patera (22°S, 104°E), Mars, is a low-relief (1800 m maximum relief), central-vent volcano whose flanks are dissected with broad (∼5 km wide), flat-floored channels. The easily eroded nature of the shield materials, combined with extremely low flank slopes (≤ 2.0°), suggest that Tyrrhena Patera is composed of pyroclastic materials. These shield deposits are observed to crop out ≥ 600 km from the volcano's summit with measured thicknesses of 100–150 m at these distances. Such dimensions strongly suggest emplacement via pyroclastic flows. Currently available data indicate that these deposits have a mafic composition. Application of models derived for terrestrial pyroclastic flow emplacement reveals that, aside from environmental parameters (atmospheric density, gravity), if all else is held equal, a pyroclastic flow should travel a factor of 3 to 4 times farther on Mars than on Earth. The observed Tyrrhena Patera deposits extend even farther, suggesting that some emplacement mechanism may be enhancing pyroclastic flow runout distances on Mars.
Clinical features of chronic daily headache.

SYNOPSIS Patients with chronic daily headaches are commonly encountered in headache specialty centers but their clinical characteristics have rarely been documented. We studied 100 consecutive patients with chronic daily headache to determine their presenting characteristics and other associated features. Half of the patients described their headache as a steady ache but throbbing pain was reported in about one third. About half estimated the degree of pain as moderate but one third claimed the typical pain was severe. A consistently unilateral site was noted in only 2 percent. Associated features characteristic of migraine were often noted: including photophobia (37 percent), phonophobia (42 percent), and nausea (24 percent). Many also reported aggravating and ameliorating factors commonly associated with migraine. We conclude that the manifestations of chronic daily headache are extremely diverse, probably reflecting the heterogeneous mechanisms which underlie this condition.
The defect structure of MgO containing trivalent cation solutes: shell model calculations

We have used the HADES program to calculate the energies of various defect aggregates found in MgO containing Al3+ and Fe3+ solutes and compensating cation vacancies. Calculated energies of substitution are compared with heats of solution derived from phasediagram data; from the accuracy of these results, we deduce the validity of the models used for the lattice simulations. We find that our models provide a satisfactory description for Al3+ but are a less precise representation of crystals containing Fe3+; the models used, however, bracket a reasonable range of solute behaviour and important trends are unaffected by reasonable changes in the interionic potentials. The simplest vacancy-solute dimer can have either a 〈1 0 0〉 or 〈1 1 0〉 orientation; the two constituent defects are closest when the dimer has a 〈1 1 0〉 axis, but the 〈1 0 0〉 dimer is more stable because of the large displacement and polarization of the oxygen ion between the trivalent ion and vacancy. Trimers with either orientation are about twice as stable as the corresponding dimers. Complex aggregates of solutes and vacancies, which adopt configurations that form nuclei of the mixed-oxide spinel structure, are even more stable and the stability increases with cluster size. Thus we conclude that such clustering is an important phenomenon at low homologous temperatures. Calculated interstitial formation energies in MgO are large (>10eV) and our results for the activation energies for solute motion are of the order of 2 eV.
Computational multiscale modeling in protein--ligand docking

The term multiscale modeling usually refers to solving physical problems along multiple spatial or temporal scales. This definition can also be extended to include other nonorthogonal descriptive scales, to allow a hierarchical approach to accurate and efficient problem solving. Therefore, the scales proposed in this article are not the traditional scales currently used in life sciences. We deal with computational rather than experimental multi- scales, and we extend this language to describe the problem of protein-ligand docking.
Coding miscommunication: A method for capturing the vagaries of language

Indian Call Centers have of problem. Despite doing a better job repairing computers than their American counterparts, customers report lower satisfaction with their work. Part of the customer dissatisfaction may stem from communication problems that customers experience while communicating with Indian call center workers. This paper reports on one method for capturing and analyzing these communication errors. Using a quantitative content analysis, this researcher identifies miscommunication in 20 telephone calls between the American customers of a large computer manufacturer and the Indian call center workers who seek to repair their equipment. This paper describes the coding system the researcher used, how she developed it, and her findings. Not only should the findings serve to improve call center communication, but the method could also uncover miscommunication in other intercultural communication genres or genres in which experts communicate with lay people.
INVOLVEMENT OF THE GLU724-PRO760 REGION OF THE DIHYDROPYRIDINE RECEPTOR II-III LOOP IN SKELETAL MUSCLE-TYPE EXCITATION-CONTRACTION COUPLING

Abstract Our previous study (El-Hayek, R., Antoniu, B., Wang, J. P., Hamilton, S. L., and Ikemoto, N. (1995)J. Biol. Chem. 270, 22116–22118) suggested the hypothesis that skeletal muscle-type excitation-contraction coupling is regulated by two domains (activating and blocking) of the II-III loop of the dihydropyridine receptor α1 subunit. We investigated this hypothesis by examining conformational changes in the ryanodine receptor induced by synthetic peptides and by transverse tubular system (T-tubule) depolarization. Peptide A, corresponding to the Thr671–Leu690 region, rapidly changed the ryanodine receptor conformation from a blocked state (low fluorescence of the conformational probe, methyl coumarin acetamide, attached specifically to the ryanodine receptor) to an activated state (high methyl coumarin acetamide fluorescence) as T-tubule depolarization did. Peptide C, corresponding to the Glu724–Pro760region, blocked both conformational changes induced by peptide A and T-tubule depolarization. Its ability to block peptide A-induced and depolarization-induced activation was considerably impaired by replacing the portion of peptide C corresponding to the Phe725–Pro742 region of the loop with cardiac muscle-type sequence. These results are consistent with the model that depolarization-induced activation of excitation-contraction coupling and blocking/repriming are mediated by the peptide A region and the peptide C region (containing the critical Phe725–Pro742 sequence) of the II-III loop, respectively.
Similarities in the decomposition and dehydrogenation of cyclohexene on (4 × 4)-CMo(110) and Pt(111)

Abstract The decomposition and dehydrogenation of cyclohexene have been used as probing reactions to directly compare the surface reactivities of carbon-modified Mo(110) and Pt(111). By using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), we find that the dominant decomposition pathway of cyclohexene can be converted from complete decomposition to atomic carbon and hydrogen on clean Mo(110) to partial dehydrogenation to benzene and hydrogen on (4 × 4)-CMo(110). The latter reaction mechanism is very similar to that observed on Pt(111). Furthermore, in contrast to the near identical catalytic properties that are commonly observed for bulk molybdenum carbide and nitride powder materials, we find that the reactivities of carbon-modified and nitrogen-modified Mo(110) surfaces are qualitatively different.