cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Fair Defense of a False Start: A Reply to Kenneth Himma

above, Kenneth Himma argues for a limited permission to prefer candidates for admission to educational opportunities and for employment on the basis of color or gender. With this argument, he steps into the middle of a controversy by now 30 years in the festering, to which at a much earlier date we have contributed. We argued that all such preferences were unjustified, and that seems to disagree with Himma’s thesis, hence the invitation to take him on. We do so with great gusto. Our first task will be to get very clear on just what Himma does say and does not say, so that we do not end up boxing with straw men in our defense. His claim, as we take it, is that the Fair Start Defense (FSD) of Affirmative Action (racial and sexual preference) Programs, as applied to hiring and admissions decisions, can be grounded in the data available for the academic (especially) accomplishments of women and AfricanAmericans. The data show no particular correlation between academic achievement and “self-esteem,” but do show a correlation between academic achievement and the importance attached to that achievement by the student. For the first reason, the defense of racial integration (and therefore of certain kinds of preferences) in education presented by the Court in Brown vs. School Board in 1954, must fail. The Court took judicial notice of the fact that “separate” is inherently unequal since the fact of segregation damages the self-esteem of the black child and therefore makes it impossible for him to compete on equal terms from that point on. That turns out to be false; there is no correlation between academic achievement and measures of selfesteem. But there is evidence that African Americans and women at least attribute less importance to academic achievement than their peers of a different racial heritage or gender configuration, as Himma points out. Therefore it can be argued that the institutionalized racism and sexism that figures so largely in our nation’s recent history has had an adverse effect on the goals and aspirations of blacks and women. From that it can be surmised that they may be expected (if no action is taken) to continue to be underrepresented in the advantageous schools and jobs. In the competition for such favored positions, they must start behind the line from which their lighter and more advantaged brothers begin, and therefore it cannot appear to be unjust to allow those preferences which amount to constructing a fair start to the race. Even as, in a footrace in which one runner starts ahead of the gun, it will seem proper to penalize that runner in calculating A Fair Defense of a False Start: A Reply to Kenneth Himma Lisa Newton
Shoulder Arthroplasty Outcomes in Patients With Multiple Reported Drug Allergies: Does Number of Drug Allergies Have an Effect on Outcome?

Background:The presence of multiple allergies has been correlated with worse outcomes for patients undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty, but the effect of allergies has not yet been elucidated with respect to shoulder arthroplasty.Purpose/Hypothesis:The purpose of this study is to identify any discrepancies in shoulder arthroplasty outcomes with respect to reported drug allergies. We hypothesized that patients with multiple drug allergies would have inferior outcomes.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:Included in the analysis were a single surgeon’s cases between 2009 and 2014 of primary total shoulder arthroplasty with a minimum of 180 days of follow-up. Cases with fracture as the indication were excluded. Preoperative and postoperative metrics included visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, forward flexion range of motion, and Simple Shoulder Test (SST) results, and postoperative patient satisfaction scores were also collected. Chi-square and 1-way analysis of variance with Tukey post ...
Folding Mechanisms: Distinguishing Signatures and Functional Advantages

How is it that cells and organisms have the flexibility to adapt to external perturbation when their constituent biomolecules appear to possess finely-tuned characteristics? While such adaptability is known to emerge in molecular networks, we show how these seemingly conflicting properties can already be reconciled at the level of single molecules through the multi-pathway nature of their conformational transitions. We establish model-free, experimentally observable signatures that unambiguously identify multi-pathway conformational dynamics and distinguish them from other mechanisms. The unified analytical description reveals that the interplay between thermal activation and external perturbation generates a remarkable degree of adaptability even in minimal multi-pathway systems.
Phase I clinical trial of external hyperthermia and intravesical mitomycin C to treat BCG-refractory bladder cancer.

e15560 Background: Patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) that fail intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) are at high risk for progression. Radical cystectomy is an effective but morbid treatment option. We tested the safety and efficacy of combined intravesical mitomycin C (MMC) and external deep regional hyperthermia (HT) as a bladder-sparing approach for BCG-refractory NMIBC. Methods: Patients with BCG-refractory NMIBC were eligible for this phase I clinical trial. Treatment consisted of intravesical MMC (40 mg in 40 mL) with concurrent HT with target temperature of 42°C. MMC dwell time was 60-120 min and heating time was 40-60 min. HT was delivered using a BSD2000 device and temperatures monitored with skin, bladder and rectal probes. Treatment was given weekly for 6 weeks (induction) then monthly for 4 months (maintenance). The primary endpoint was toxicity which was assessed using CTCAE 3.0. Secondary endpoints included recurrence-free survival (RFS), progression-free surviva...
Medicine in colonial Moquegua, Peru: plants, wine and Belén de Locumbilla

Locumbilla, a rural colonial bodega or wine estate (heredad) in Moquegua, southern Peru, was briefly a hospital for ailing native Andean vineyard workers before its owner endowed a hospital, built by the Bethlehemite hospitaller order. Botanical remains recovered in excavations at the bodega included three items of indigenous healing, Datura, molle berries and soapberry, and an introduced item: castor beans. Their presence suggests that the workers may have availed themselves of traditional healers, and that the heredad might have cultivated castor bean, in addition to growing grapes for wine and brandy.
Self-control as measured by delay discounting is greater among successful weight losers than controls

Long-term weight loss maintenance is likely to require strong self-control in order to sustain changes in behavior patterns. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that those who have successfully maintained weight loss may have superior self-control compared to control participants. Self-control was assessed using a delay discounting task through a webbased assessment of members of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR: N = 757; non-obese = 605; obese = 152) and control participants (Control N = 443; nonobese = 236; obese = 207) from Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Both NWCR members that were currently obese (t = 5.42, p < 0.001) and nonobese (t = 5.28, p < 0.001) discounted the future less than control participants with comparable weight statuses. These results are indicative of higher levels of self-control behaviors in individuals that have lost and successfully maintained weight loss. Thus, successful weight losers may exhibit stronger self-control, as measured through discounting of future rewards, However, further research is needed to determine whether strong selfcontrol enables individuals to succeed at weight loss maintenance or develops as a consequence.
Evolution of Levels of Evolution

Within each field of science evolutionary processes are observed. Their elucidation in such diverse disciplines as cosmology, biology, and sociology suggests that an overall evolutionary process continues through atoms, through cells, and beyond the confines of the human brain. But while most scientific attention has dealt singly with individual levels of evolution--observable by each corresponding scientific discipline--we can also recognize principles that describe the overall evolutionary process and, particularly, the emergence of each level of evolution.
Polymerization of Oriented Monolayers of Octadecyl Acrylate: 1. Characterization of the Reaction Products

Abstract Octadecyl acrylate monolayers were polymerized at the nitrogen–water interface. The reaction was initiated by UV radiation and followed by measurement of surface potentials, relative surface viscosities and infrared spectra. Product behavior suggested a high molecular weight and cross-linked polymer. There were some indications that the interfacially polymerized material was stereoregular. The reaction was complicated by UV induced degradation of poly(octadecyl acrylate) monolayers to a product which showed many of the characteristics of poly(acrylic acid).
Control of Hepatocyte Growth by Positive and Negative Growth Regulators and Mitogenic Triggers: Implications for Hepatic Neoplasia

Liver carcinogenesis has been used a model system to analyze the biology of neoplasia for several reasons. Liver tumors occur commonly with a variety of carcinogenic regimens. They constituite the most frequently occurring tumors in whole animal carcinogenesis bioassay. Liver tissue and its biochemistry have been extensively analyzed and a large data bank exists as a background for further studies. Several initiation — promotion protocols for liver carcinogenesis have been well characterized. Converging evidence from studies of cell lineage has identified potential origin of hepatocellular carcinomas from either parenchymal hepatocytes progressing through intermediate stages of defined morphology or through facultative stem cells of the river that acquire a hepatoma phenotype during the evolution of the neoplastic process. Most importantly, however, liver allows easy comparison of neoplastic growth to regenerative growth. Liver regeneration after 2/3 partial hepatectomy (2/3 P.H.) is perhaps the best studied model for tissue regeneration. In recent years there have been major insights in the biochemical changes and changes in gene expression which occur during liver regeneration. Significant advances have also been made in defining the growth regulatory signals associated with this phenomenon. It has been clearly shown that during regeneration there is enhanced expression of cellular proto-oncogeesl as well as increase in production of TGFα 2 and HBGF-13 by hepatocytes.
Sworn Volunteers in American Policing, 1999 to 2013:

This study describes changes in the use of sworn volunteers among the nation’s local law enforcement agencies and identifies those state-level certification, community, and agency characteristics a...
Effect of flow‐encoding strength on intravoxel incoherent motion in the liver

Purpose To study the impact of variable flow-encoding strength on intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) liver imaging of diffusion and perfusion. Theory Signal attenuation in DWI arises from (1) intravoxel microvascular blood flow, which depends on the flow-encoding strength α (first gradient moment) of the diffusion-encoding waveform, and (2) intravoxel spin diffusion, which depends on the b-value of the diffusion-encoding gradient waveforms α and b-value. Both are linked to the diffusion-encoding gradient waveform and conventionally are not independently controlled. Methods In this work a convex optimization framework was used to generate gradient waveforms with independent α and b-value. Thirty-six unique α and b-value sample points from 5 different gradient waveforms were used to reconstruct perfusion fraction (f), coefficient of diffusion (D), and blood velocity standard deviation (Vb ) maps using a recently proposed IVIM model. Faster acquisition strategies were evaluated with 1000 random subsampling strategies of 16, 8, and 4 α and b-value. Among the subsampled reconstructions, the sampling schemes that minimized the difference with the fully sampled reconstruction were reported. Results Healthy volunteers (N = 9) were imaged on a 3T scanner. Liver perfusion and diffusion estimates using the fully sampled IVIM method were f = 0.19 ± 0.06, D = 1.15 ± 0.15 × 10-3 mm2 /s, and Vb = 5.22 ± 3.86 mm/s. No statistical differences were found between the fully sampled and 2-times undersampled reconstruction (f = 0.2 ± 0.07, D = 1.19 ± 0.15 × 10-3 mm2 /s, Vb = 5.79 ± 3.43 mm/s); 4-times undersampled (f = 0.2 ± 0.06, D = 1.15 ± 0.17 × 10-3 mm2 /s, Vb = 4.66 ± 3.61 mm/s), or 8-times undersampled ( f = 0.2 ± 0.06, D = 1.23 ± 0.22 × 10-3 mm2 /s, Vb = 4.99 ± 3.82 mm/s) approaches. Conclusion We demonstrate the IVIM signal's dependence on the b-value, the diffusion-encoding time and the flow-encoding strength and observe in vivo the ballistic regime signature of microperfusion in the liver. This work also demonstrates that using an IVIM model and sampling scheme matched to the ballistic regime, pixel-wise IVIM parameter maps are possible when sampling as few as 4 IVIM signals.
Clinical Impact of Rapid Point-of-Care PCR Influenza Testing in an Urgent Care Setting: a Single-Center Study

Seasonal influenza virus causes significant morbidity and mortality each year. Point-of-care (POC) testing using rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs), immunoassays that detect viral antigens, are often used for diagnosis by physician offices and urgent care centers. These tests are rapid but lack sensitivity, which is estimated to be 50 to 70%. Testing by PCR is highly sensitive and specific, but historically these assays have been performed in centralized clinical laboratories necessitating specimen transport and increasing the time to result. Recently, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-waived, POC PCR influenza assays have been developed with >95% sensitivity and specificity compared to centralized PCR assays. To determine the clinical impact of a POC PCR test for influenza, we compared antimicrobial prescribing patterns of one urgent care location using the Cobas LIAT Influenza A/B assay (LIAT assay; Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN) to other urgent care centers in our health system using traditional RIDT, with negative specimens being reflexed to PCR. Antiviral prescribing was lower in patients with a negative LIAT PCR result (2.3%) than in patients with a negative RIDT result (25.3%; P < 0.005). Antivirals were prescribed more often in patients that tested positive by LIAT PCR (82.4%) than in those testing positive by either RIDT or reflex PCR (69.9%; P < 0.05). Antibacterial prescriptions for patients testing negative by LIAT PCR were higher (44.5%) than for those testing negative by RIDT (37.7%), although the difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, having results from a PCR POC test during the clinic visit improved antiviral prescribing practices compared to having rapid results from an RIDT.
Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES:Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal condition with a heterogeneous pathophysiology. An altered gut microbiome has been identified in some IBS patients, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been suggested to treat IBS. We performed meta-analyses and system
Neural Temporality Adaptation for Document Classification: Diachronic Word Embeddings and Domain Adaptation Models

Language usage can change across periods of time, but document classifiers models are usually trained and tested on corpora spanning multiple years without considering temporal variations. This paper describes two complementary ways to adapt classifiers to shifts across time. First, we show that diachronic word embeddings, which were originally developed to study language change, can also improve document classification, and we show a simple method for constructing this type of embedding. Second, we propose a time-driven neural classification model inspired by methods for domain adaptation. Experiments on six corpora show how these methods can make classifiers more robust over time.
Papillary thyroid cancer with extrathyroidal extension of desmoid-type fibromatosis. A case report of an aggressive presentation of an uncommon pathologic entity.

Abstract Introduction Papillary thyroid cancer with desmoid-type fibromatosis (PTC-DTF) is an uncommon tumor characterized by extensive stromal proliferation of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts with a small component of PTC. We report a case of PTC-DTF with infiltration of the mesenchymal component of tumor into perithyroidal muscle and early recurrence of desmoid after thyroidectomy, an outcome previously not reported. Presentation of case A 20-year-old man underwent left hemithyroidectomy for a thyroid nodule. Pathology demonstrated a 4.2 cm tumor with PTC-DTF with the PTC comprising Discussion In patients with PTC-DTF there is a risk of recurrence of the benign component of the tumor. In recent reports, the role of less aggressive surgery, or even non-surgical management, of patients with recurrent DTF has been emphasized, in particular when extensive surgery may be associated with high risk of functional loss. The management of our patient adheres to modern recommendations for the treatment of DTF. Conclusion Patients with PTC-DTF should be carefully monitored after thyroidectomy for both recurrent PTC and local recurrence of the fibrous component of the tumor.
A Large Dynamic Range Current Sensor Using Magnetic Tunnel Junction on 8” Si process line

A large dynamic range magnetic field sensor for the current sensing application was designed and successfully fabricated. In this paper, we had tuned the MTJ film structure, cap layer and devices shape to achieve the good linearity and sensitivity. After choice the suitable magnetic free layer and large aspect ratio MTJ cell design, the linear dynamic range and sensitivity of our TMR sensor are over 300 Oe and 0.07%/Oe respectively.
Breaking the Unequal Cycle: Parental Involvement in Hispanic Non-Native English Speakers’ Postsecondary Enrollment

This study examines the extent to which parental involvement factors predict the likelihood of Hispanic non-native English speakers’ (NNESs) postsecondary education (PES) enrollment after controlli...
An iron ketimide single-molecule magnet [Fe4(NCPh2)6] with suppressed through-barrier relaxation

Reaction of FeBr2 with 1.5 equiv. of LiNCPh2 and 2 equiv. of Zn, in THF, results in the formation of the tetrametallic iron ketimide cluster [Fe4(NCPh2)6] (1) in moderate yield. Formally, two Fe centers in 1 are Fe(I) and two are Fe(II); however, Mossbauer spectroscopy and SQUID magnetometry suggests that the [Fe4]6+ core of 1 exhibits complete valence electron delocalization, with a thermally-persistent spin ground state of S = 7. AC and DC SQUID magnetometry reveals the presence of slow magnetic relaxation in 1, indicative of single-molecule magnetic (SMM) behaviour with a relaxation barrier of Ueff = 29 cm−1. Remarkably, very little quantum tunnelling or Raman relaxation is observed down to 1.8 K, which leads to an open hysteresis loop and long relaxation times (up to 34 s at 1.8 K and zero field and 440 s at 1.67 kOe). These results suggest that transition metal ketimide clusters represent a promising avenue to create long-lifetime single molecule magnets.
Sex bias in educational measurement: Fact or fiction?

A study of content sex bias and sex role stereotypes in educational achievement tests and interest inventories was conducted. A word count of male nouns and pronouns and female nouns and pronouns w...
Tidal Marsh Restoration at Poplar Island I: Transformation of Estuarine Sediments into Marsh Soils

Dredged materials from navigation channel maintenance represent a potentially valuable resource for wetland creation and restoration. In the northern Chesapeake Bay, fine-grained sediments from Baltimore Harbor approach channels are transported by barge southward for creation of wetlands on the site of an eroded island. High concentrations of ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus, dissolved iron, and iron sulfide minerals in channel deposits are altered by the transport and drying of these materials prior to wetland development. The oxidation of iron sulfide minerals results in low pH, with the initiation of tidal inundation removing sulfuric acid from near-surface soil horizons and moderating the soil pH. Despite the loss of ammonium during dewatering and soil processing, the resultant soils retained high concentrations of dissolved and adsorbed ammonium. Iron-associated inorganic phosphorus represented a large pool of potentially labile phosphorus and along with the high ammonium, resulted in high nutrient concentrations for plant growth. Combined with results on plant growth presented elsewhere, these data suggest that fine-grained dredged materials from non-contaminated environments are well suited for the creation of tidal wetlands after placement and seasoning 1–2 years.
Expression of ALK protein in extra-pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor and its clinical significance

Objective To explore the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) expression in extrapulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) and analyze its relationship with clinical local recurrence.Methods Retrospective clinical data reviews were performed for 14 cases of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor at Tianjin Children's Hospital from January 1,2008 to December 31,2012.Irnmunohistochemical technology Envision staining and dual-color fluorescencein in situ hybridization (FISH) were employed to determine the ALK expression in whole specimens and analyze the relationship between clinical expression of ALK positive cells and local tumor recurrence.Results There were 10 males and 4 females with an age range of 2 months to 13 years.The largest diameter of retroperitoneal tumor was 30 cm× 25 cm× 15 cm and a minimal diameter of knew at 0.8 cm× 0.8 cm× 0.5 cm.The results of immunohistochemistry staining showed 11 cases of ALK (+).A further detection of FISH revealed 2 cases of ALK gene rearrangement as local recurrence.After resection of recurrent lesion,immunohistochemical staining ALK expression was still positive.Postoperative chemotherapy was administered.There was no recurrence during a follow-up of 2 years.Conclusions The incidence rate of IMT is low and its operation is reliable.And the expression of ALK protein may confirm its diagnosis and local tumor recurrence is probably related with ALK gene rearrangement. Key words: Gene rearrangement; Recurrence; Neoplasms
Computer-Based PTSD Assessment in VR Exposure Therapy

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition affecting people who experienced a traumatic event. In addition to the clinical diagnostic criteria for PTSD, behavioral changes in voice, language, facial expression and head movement may occur. In this paper, we demonstrate how a machine learning model trained on a general population with self-reported PTSD scores can be used to provide behavioral metrics that could enhance the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis with patients. Both datasets were collected from a clinical interview conducted by a virtual agent (SimSensei) [10]. The clinical data was recorded from PTSD patients, who were victims of sexual assault, undergoing a VR exposure therapy. A recurrent neural network was trained on verbal, visual and vocal features to recognize PTSD, according to self-reported PCL-C scores [4]. We then performed decision fusion to fuse three modalities to recognize PTSD in patients with a clinical diagnosis, achieving an F1-score of 0.85. Our analysis demonstrates that machine-based PTSD assessment with self-reported PTSD scores can generalize across different groups and be deployed to assist diagnosis of PTSD.
Outcomes of Red Cell Exchange in Pregnant Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: A Case Series

Background: Pregnant patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) have higher morbidity compared to patients without SCD. SCD during pregnancy can increase the risk of fetal and obstetrical complications including preterm birth, preeclampsia, and others. Moreover, during pregnancy SCD can become more severe resulting in more sickle cell vasoocclusive crisis. Prophylactic transfusion during pregnancy has been used in practice to reduce sickle cell pain crisis since hydroxyurea is contraindicated during pregnancy. However, using prophylactic red blood cell exchange (RBCX) has been a controversial topic. In this study, we aim to evaluate the outcomes of red blood cell exchange in pregnant patients with SCD Methods: This is a retrospective study. We evaluated the charts of three pregnant patients who were enrolled in the chronic RBCX program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center at the time of their pregnancy. Data was collected to assess the sickle cell disease related complications during pregnancy, outcomes of pregnancy, and safety of the red blood cell exchange. Results: A total of 19 exchange procedures were performed for three pregnant patients while being enrolled in the chronic red blood cell exchange program. Patients demographic is summarized in table 1. The indication for enrollment in the red cell exchange program were recurrent vasooclussive crisis in patient 1 and 3, avascular necrosis in patient 2. The pregnancies were uncomplicated except for preeclampsia in the third patient resulting on early delivery. Overall, the three patients had less frequent visits to the emergency room for sickle cell related complications after starting apheresis and during pregnancy (Figure 1). We believe that the modest improvement that was noticed for the third patient was due to late enrollment in the exchange transfusion program and her older age compared to the two other patients Conclusion: Our study shows that red blood cell exchange for SCD patients during pregnancy can be safe, feasible, and can reduce the visits to the emergency room due to SCD related complication. Further larger studies are warranted to confirm this. Download : Download high-res image (394KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures Gundabolu:BioMarin:Consultancy;Bristol Myers Squibb pharmaceuticals:Consultancy.
Economic Consequences of Auditor Reputation Loss: Evidence from the Auditor Inspection Scandal

This paper examines the 2017 audit inspection scandal involving KPMG — one of the few breaches of “tone at the top” at a Big 4 audit firm — to study whether and how the scandal affects KPMG and its clients. From the federal court trial related to the scandal, we construct a novel data set of KPMG client firms whose identities were revealed (i.e., transcript firms). Consistent with a pecking order response, the transcript firms are associated with a reduction in non-audit fees beginning in 2017 and an increased likelihood of turnover in 2018 and 2019. We find no evidence of a change in audit fees for KPMG clients. Additional analyses show an increased incidence of restatements for non-transcript clients and a decline in the quality of loan loss provisions for transcript clients. Overall, our results suggest the audit inspection scandal imposed costs on KPMG and its PCAOB-inspected clients.
Epiphytic Strains of Pseudomonas syringae Kill Diverse Aphid Species.

ABSTRACT Interactions between epiphytic bacteria and herbivorous insects are ubiquitous on plants, but little is known about their ecological implications. Aphids are devastating crop pests worldwide, so understanding how epiphytic bacteria impact aphid populations is critically important. Recent evidence demonstrates that plant-associated bacteria, such as Pseudomonas syringae, can be highly virulent to one species of aphid, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). Currently, we have no knowledge on how broad this phenomenon is across diverse aphid species that are of high agricultural concern. In controlled experiments using oral exposure in an artificial diet, we challenged five aphid species of agricultural importance with three strains of P. syringae that vary in virulence to the pea aphid. These strains also vary in epiphytic ability and comprise two phytopathogens and one non-plant-pathogenic strain. In general, differences in virulence to aphids remained relatively constant across strains regardless of the aphid species, except for the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi), which is significantly less susceptible to two P. syringae strains. We demonstrate that lower infection incidence likely plays a role in the reduced susceptibility. Importantly, these data support previous results showing that interactions with epiphytic bacteria are important for aphids and may play a large, but underappreciated, role in insect population dynamics. Our study illustrates a potential role of epiphytic bacteria in the biological control of aphid pests broadly but suggests the need for more research encompassing a greater diversity of pest species. IMPORTANCE Sap-sucking aphids are insects of huge agricultural concern, not only because of direct damage caused by feeding but also because of their ability to transmit various plant pathogens. Some bacteria that grow on leaf surfaces, such as Pseudomonas syringae, can infect and kill aphids, making them potentially useful in the biological control of pest aphids. However, only one aphid species, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), has been tested for infection by P. syringae. Here, we challenged five aphid species of agricultural importance with three strains of P. syringae that vary in virulence to the pea aphid. We found that four of these aphid species were susceptible to infection and death, suggesting that these bacteria are broadly useful for biological control. However, one aphid species was much more resistant to infection, indicating that more testing on diverse aphid species is needed.
TRITON: A Multi-GPU open source 2D hydrodynamic flood model

Abstract A new open source multi-GPU 2D flood model called TRITON is presented in this work. The model solves the 2D shallow water equations with source terms using a time-explicit first order upwind scheme based on an Augmented Roe's solver that incorporates a careful estimation of bed strengths and a local implicit formulation of friction terms. The scheme is demonstrated to be first order accurate, robust and able to solve for flows under various conditions. TRITON is implemented such that the model effectively utilizes heterogeneous architectures, from single to multiple CPUs and GPUs. Different test cases are shown to illustrate the capabilities and performance of the model, showing promising runtimes for large spatial and temporal scales when leveraging the computer power of GPUs. Under this hardware configuration, communication and input/output subroutines may impact the scalability. The code is developed under an open source license and can be freely downloaded in https://code.ornl.gov/hydro/triton .
Food Fighters: A Food Recovery-Meal Delivery Program Benefits Meal Recipients, Volunteers and Agencies

Food waste and food insecurity are important issues impacting the health of the planet and its people. Food Fighters, housed at a regional university in the southeast, utilizes student volunteers t...
Impact of wildfires on size-resolved aerosol composition at a coastal California site

Size-resolved aerosol composition measurements were conducted at a coastal site in central California during the Nucleation in California Experiment (NiCE) between July and August of 2013. The site is just east of ship and marine emission sources and is also influenced by continental pollution and wildfires, such as those near the California–Oregon border which occurred near the end of NiCE. Two micro-orifice uniform deposit impactors (MOUDIs) were used, and water-soluble and elemental compositions were measured. The five most abundant water-soluble species (in decreasing order) were chloride, sodium, non-sea salt (nss) sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate. During wildfire periods, nss K mass concentrations were not enhanced as strongly as other species in the sub-micrometer stages and even decreased in the super-micrometer stages; species other than nss K are more reliable tracers for biomass burning in this region. Chloride levels were reduced in the fire sets likely due to chloride depletion by inorganic and organic acids that exhibited elevated levels in transported plumes. During wildfire periods, the mass size distribution of most dicarboxylic acids changed from unimodal to bimodal with peaks in the 0.32 μm and 1.0–1.8 μm stages. Furthermore, sulfate's peak concentration shifted from the 0.32 μm to 0.56 μm stage, and nitrate also shifted to larger sizes (1.0 μm to 1.8–3.2 μm stages). Mass concentrations of numerous soil tracer species (e.g., Si, Fe) were strongly enhanced in samples influenced by wildfires, especially in the sub-micrometer range. Airborne cloud water data confirm that soil species were associated with fire plumes transported south along the coast. In the absence of biomass burning, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) composition is dominated by nss sulfate and ammonium, and the water-soluble organic fraction is dominated by methanesulfonate, whereas for the samples influenced by wildfires, ammonium becomes the dominant overall species, and oxalate is the most abundant organic species.
Robust Nonlinear Control of Positioning Systems with Stiction

A robust, point to point, nonlinear controller for positioning systems is proposed. In the continuous domain the robustness is achieved through the use of a switching controller. To avoid chattering the switching had to be reduced as the controller was transformed into the discrete domain. The controller is designed to minimise the effect of stiction near the reference point. This is achieved by forcing the states to follow a parabolic trajectory as they approach the set point. Such a surface can be followed exactly in the continuous domain. In discrete time however the extent to which the states can be forced to follow a parabolic surface depends on the sampling time and the severity of the parameter uncertainties. The relationship between these variables is provided. Both the continuous and the discrete time controllers are simulated on a second order positioning system with stiction. A second order filter is also added to the simulation model in order to approximate the dynamics of the driver. Due to robustness, changes in inertia by as much as 200% result in minimal performance degradation. The controller in its discrete form is also applied to a single axis robot arm driven by NSK direct drive motor.
How to do things with cryptographic protocols

When a distributed system may need to operate in the presence of an adversary, when it must support the activities of parties that do not trust one another fully, then cryptographic protocols will play a fundamental role in its design. One example of their importance is their ability to allow principals to agree on keys that will be shared for a session with an authenticated peer. But more fundamentally, a cryptographic protocol is a mechanism to achieve agreement among specific sets of peers, whether on keys or other values. Thus, they can play a fundamental role in organizing transactions in distributed systems, and coordinating interactions among principals.
The Physiology of Proinsulin C-Peptide: Unanswered Questions and a Proposed Model

C-peptide is produced, processed, and secreted with insulin, and appears to exert separate but intimately related effects. In this review, we address the existence of the C-peptide receptor, the interaction between C-peptide and insulin, and the potential physiological significance of proinsulin C-peptide.
Educating Latino Immigrant Students in the Twenty-First Century: Principles for the Obama Administration

In this essay, Carola Suarez-Orozco and Marcelo Suarez-Orozco address one of the most critical challenges facing President Obama's administration: meeting the educational needs of Latino and other immigrant children in the United States. The authors first provide a brief overview of past policies and agendas that have created a situation in which the educational and economic needs of immigrant children and their families remain grossly unmet. They then present three overarching principles to guide the Obama administration toward a more humane and effective policy agenda for immigrant children, and outline specific policy recommendations that reflect these principles to better serve this rapidly growing population and secure the future well-being of our nation.
Usefulness of echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction and silent myocardial ischemia in predicting new coronary events in elderly patients with coronary artery disease or systemic hypertension

Abstract Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) remains normal in elderly persons with no evidence of heart disease. 1,2 We reported that an abnormal echocardiographic LVEF 3 and silent myocardial ischemia 4 significantly correlated with new coronary events in elderly patients with heart disease. In this report we give the results from our prospective study of 393 patients > 62 years old with coronary artery disease (CAD) or systemic hypertension correlating LVEF and silent ischemia with development of new cardiac events at 40-month mean follow-up.
A general first-order global sensitivity analysis method

Abstract Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST) is one of the most popular global sensitivity analysis techniques. The main mechanism of FAST is to assign each parameter with a characteristic frequency through a search function. Then, for a specific parameter, the variance contribution can be singled out of the model output by the characteristic frequency. Although FAST has been widely applied, there are two limitations: (1) the aliasing effect among parameters by using integer characteristic frequencies and (2) the suitability for only models with independent parameters. In this paper, we synthesize the improvement to overcome the aliasing effect limitation [Tarantola S, Gatelli D, Mara TA. Random balance designs for the estimation of first order global sensitivity indices. Reliab Eng Syst Safety 2006; 91(6):717–27] and the improvement to overcome the independence limitation [Xu C, Gertner G. Extending a global sensitivity analysis technique to models with correlated parameters. Comput Stat Data Anal 2007, accepted for publication]. In this way, FAST can be a general first-order global sensitivity analysis method for linear/nonlinear models with as many correlated/uncorrelated parameters as the user specifies. We apply the general FAST to four test cases with correlated parameters. The results show that the sensitivity indices derived by the general FAST are in good agreement with the sensitivity indices derived by the correlation ratio method, which is a non-parametric method for models with correlated parameters.
Confirmation of longevity in Sebastes diploproa (Pisces: Scorpaenidae) from 210Pb/226Ra measurements in otoliths

Fish ages are often estimated by assuming an annual frequency of the band-like, growth-zones recorded in the largest of their otoliths, the sagittae. The total number of growth-zones are normally determined either by counting external growth-zones (whole otolith technique) or by examining otolith cross-sections (otolith section technique). The two techniques do not always yield the same age, however, particularly in older specimens of certain fishes. To resolve this problem, otoliths of the splitnose rockfish Sebastes diploproa were examined morphologically and were assayed for their natural radionuclide concentrations. Four age groups of otoliths were identified based on growth-zone counting; in the first three, whole otolith and otolith section age estimates agreed, while in the fourth, the otolith section age substantially exceeded the whole otolith age. Radiometric analysis demonstrated that all otoliths were deficient in 210Pb activity relative to 226Ra activity with the deficiency decreasing with increasing number of growth-zones. The magnitude of the 210Pb/226Ra radioactive disequilibrium in each otolith group, when compared to the number of growth-zones and the otolith weight histories derived with the two techniques, identifies the growth-zones revealed by otolith sections as annual features. Thus when otolith section age exceeds whole otolith age (usually occurring after 20 to 25 yr of age for this species), the otolith section technique is the correct method of age determination. Estimates of longevity in the genus Sebastes near 80 yr are therefore confirmed.
Geological Notes from Kansu

(Abstract) The specimen is collected from a small outcrop near the Lolo village of Mao Mao Kou, some 30 km. N.N.W. of Hui Li district in S. Szechuan, on the N. slope of Lung Tsao Shan, a prominant mountain some 8,000 feet above the sea, entirely covered by a basaltic lava of Permian age. The latter weathers into a residual red clay which covers the lower slopes. The contact of the syenite with the Lung Tsao Shan lava was not observed owing to the thick cover. East of the occurrence a series of steep dipping red shales appears. The exact relation of this series with the syenite is not clear, but it is probable that they are in actual contact. Further east the red shale series is thrown into contact with a coal series containing Rhaetic plant fossils—probably by an overthrust as the whole coal series is highly folded.
Effects of Age and Psychomotor Ability on Kinematics of Mouse-Mediated Aiming Movement

The objective of this research is to understand the influence of age and age-related psychomotor ability on the process of mouse-mediated aiming movement. It is premised on the notions that (1) mouse-mediated aiming movements can be better understood via studying its kinematics and (2) age is a surrogate variable in kinematic differences, and that age-influenced fundamental factors such as psychomotor ability may have a more direct effect. As expected, age kinematic differences were detected. However, when comparing with age, age-influenced psychomotor ability (i.e. manual dexterity) contributed more substantially to the variances of kinematics in the ballistic phase. For homing phase, in addition to manual dexterity, age-influenced wrist–finger speed was also a significant contributor. In future studies, it is suggested that components of visual processing should be included for better understanding of its role as an age-influenced fundamental ability in aiming movements. Applications of this research ar...
Modeling piezoresponse force microscopy for low-dimensional material characterization: theory and experiment

Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) is an atomic force microscopy-based approach utilized for measuring local properties of piezoelectric materials. The objective of this study is to propose a practical framework for simultaneous estimation of the local stiffness and piezoelectric properties of materials. For this, the governing equation of motion of a vertical PFM is derived at a given point on the sample. Using the expansion theorem, the governing ordinary differential equations of the system and their state-space representation are derived under applied external voltage. For the proof of the concept, the results obtained from both frequency and step responses of a PFM experiment are utilized to simultaneously identify the microcantilever parameters along with local spring constant and piezoelectric coefficient of a periodically poled lithium niobate sample. In this regard, a new parameter estimation strategy is developed for modal identification of system parameters under general frequency response. Results indicate good agreements between the identified model and the experimental data using the proposed modeling and identification framework. This method can be particularly applied for accurate characterization of mechanical and piezoelectric properties of biological species and cells.
Recombination of electrons and ions in an atmospheric argon plasma

Abstract Spectroscopic studies were made of a plasma jet of argon at atmospheric pressure. Analysis of temperatures, velocities, and excitation populations allowed the determination of the recombination coefficient for electrons and ions and prediction of a dissociative-molecular-ion model to describe the mechanism of the recombination. Temperatures were in the region from 3000 to 11 000°K and electron densities in the range from 10 12 to 10 15 particles per cubic centimeter.
Nuclear dependence of structure functions : the EMC effect

A review is presented of data and theoretical interpretations of the nuclear dependence of quark and antiquark distributions as observed in the deep inelastic scattering of neutrinos and charged leptons from nuclei. After a summary of the experimental situation and a survey of proposed explanations, I concentrate on interpretations in terms of conventional nuclear physics and on the Q2-rescaling approach. The review concludes with a list of desirable future experiments.
Ca2+-activated nonselective cation, maxi K+ and Cl− channels in apical membrane of marginal cells of stria vascularis

Abstract Patch clamp recordings on the apical membrane of marginal cells of the stria vascularis of the gerbil were made in the cell-attached and excised configuration. Marginal cells are thought to secrete K+ into and absorb Na+ from endolymph. Four types of channel were identified; the most frequently observed channel was a small, nonselective cation channel which was highly similar to that found in the apical membrane of vestibular dark cells (Marcus et al., (1992) Am. J. Physiol. 262, C1423–C1429). The small nonselective cation channel was equally conductive (26.7±0.3pS; N = 49) for K+, Na+, Rb+, Li+ and Cs+, 1.6 times more permeable to NH4+, but not permeable to Cl−, Ca2+, Ba2+ or N-methyl- d -glucamine. This channel yielded linear current-voltage relations which passed nearly through the origin (intercept: -2.2±0.4 mV, N = 49) when conductive monovalent cations were present on both sides of the membrane in equal concentrations. Channel activity required the presence of Ca2+ at the cytosolic face but not the extracellular (endolymphatic) face; there was essentially no activity for cytosolic Ca2+ ⩽ 10−7M Ca2+ and full activity for ⩾ 10−5M. Cell-attached recordings had a conductance of 28.6±2.2 pS (N = 6) and a reversal voltage of -2.2±5.2 mV (N = 3) which was interpreted to reflect the intracellular potential of marginal cells under the present conditions. The three other types of channel were a Cl− channel (∼ 50 pS; N = 2), a maxi-K+ channel (∼ 260 pS; N = 1), and another large channel, probably cation nonselective (∼ 70 pS; N = 1). The 27 pS nonselective cation channel may be involved in K+ secretion and Na+ absorption under stimulated conditions which produce an elevated intracellular Ca2+; however, consideration of the apparent channel density in relation to the total transepithelial K+ flux suggests that these channels are not sufficient to account for K+ secretion.
Knocking out the PCFT.

Although hereditary folate malabsorption was first described 50 years ago, only recently has the molecular basis of this disease been determined. In this issue of Blood , Salojin et al describe the proton coupled folate transporter (PCFT) null mouse, whose phenotype resembles that of the human