cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Size and Power of Tests of Hypotheses on Parameters Based on Two Generalized Lindley Distributions

This study compares two generalized Lindley distributions and assesses consistency between theoretical and analytical results. Data (complete and censored) assumed to follow the Lindley distribution are generated and analyzed using two generalized Lindley distributions, and maximum likelihood estimates of parameters from the generalized distributions are obtained. Size and power of tests of hypotheses on the parameters are assessed drawing on asymptotic properties of the maximum likelihood estimates. Results suggest that whereas size of some of the tests of hypotheses based on the considered generalized distributions are essentially α-level, some are possibly not; power of tests of hypotheses on the Lindley distribution parameter from the two distributions differs.
Powertrain development of the 1996 Ford flexible fuel Taurus

Two flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) using dielectric alcohol sensors have been designed and developed for mass production. One FFV will operate on gasoline or methanol up to 85% (M85). The second FFV will operate on gasoline or ethanol up to 85% (E85). Significant modification of a conventional dedicated gasoline engine was necessary in order to avoid major problems in the areas of preignition, engine wear and material compatibility. Operation on alcohol fuels provides for improved torque and horsepower over gasoline. Feedgas emission levels with alcohol fuels are lower than those with gasoline. However, this advantage is diminished at the tailpipe due to the long catalytic converter light-off times that result from the lower combustion temperatures which characterize alcohol fuels. Meeting evaporative emission regulations provided a challenge due to the high levels of vapor generated by low alcohol percentage fuel blends. Cold starting and hot starting characteristics are presented, which are also more difficult with the FFVs, as compared with dedicated gasoline vehicles.
Response of Growing Turkeys to Dietary Energy Levels

Abstract Two consecutive trials were conducted with male Large White turkeys grown from day-old to 20 weeks of age on diets formulated to contain 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% fat with constant amino acid:energy ratios. The addition of 2 and 4% fat significantly improved body weight gain; higher levels gave no further improvement. Feed conversion efficiency was improved by the addition of fat to the diet, but caloric efficiency remained relatively constant over the range of energy levels, indicating that there was no “extracaloric” effect of fat observed in this study. Possible contributions of methods of feed formulation toward the possibility of the occurence of this phenomenom are discussed.
Microfluidics: Device Science and Technology

This paper presents the basic concepts related to the newly emerging field of microfluidics. Following a brief introduction of the general conservation and particular laws, three size effects are introduced. The velocity slip boundary condition for gas flows as well as the electrokinetic and polar-mechanics effects for liquid flow in microdomains are introduced. Pressure-driven gas flows and electrokinetically-driven liquid flows in microchannels are analyzed in details. Finally, several flow diagnostic techniques and fabrication of microfluidic systems are described.
Remembering David B. Knaff (1941–2016)

David Knaff began his scientific career in the Department of Cell Physiology at the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley, he worked on chloroplast electron carriers such as the cytochromes and plastocyanin and applied redox potentiometry to characterize these carriers in situ. He moved to Texas Tech University where he made major contributions in the study of ferredoxin-mediated reactions with chloroplast enzymes, most notably nitrite reductase.
A new era for data sharing

In a world of data silos, secure multiparty computation could provide the missing links, says Brett Hemenway
Institution of a standard procedure to prevent hepatic artery thrombosis.

Introduction: The incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) after liver transplantation (LTx) is up to 9% in adult recipients. Material and Methods: To minimize HAT, we developed an algorithm that we have routinely applied since 2001. The algorithm is a cascade of potentially necessary procedures to improve hepatic artery blood flow before proceeding with LTx when arterial blood flow is impaired. Incidence, outcome, and possible therapeutic approaches of HAT were analyzed in prospectively non-controlled collected data during a 5-year period. There were 335 LTx in 299 adults (199 male, 100 female) with a median age of 49.7 years. Results: HAT was defined as early and late HAT (diagnosis within or after 30 days following LTx). After a mean follow-up of 17 months, nine HAT were documented (2.7%; five early and four late HAT). Treatment consisted of thrombolysis (n=1), surgical thrombectomy (n=4), and re-transplantation (n=4). Five HAT patients died during follow-up. Discussion: Complex arterial reconstruction was associated with HAT compared to branch-patch anastomoses (P=0.0193). Median arterial intraoperative blood flow was no risk factor for HAT. One-year patient survival after HAT was 31%. Once HAT occurs, complication rates are high and long-term results are devastating. Conclusion: Therefore, we have implemented the presented algorithm, which showed an acceptable HAT rate.
Vitamin D: Historical Overview

A history of vitamin D has been provided, dating from the earliest description of rickets, the disease resulting from vitamin D deficiency, to a current understanding of vitamin D metabolism and the mechanism of action of its hormonal form in regulating gene expression in target organs. Vitamin D is produced in skin by impact of 280-310 nm light on 7-dehydrocholesterol. The vitamin D is then converted in the liver to a circulating form, 25-hydroxyvitamin D that is converted largely, if not exclusively, in the kidney to the final hormone, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. This hormone functions through a nuclear receptor that regulates expression of key genes in target organs. Among its many resulting functions are increased intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption, bone calcium mobilization, and renal reabsorption of calcium. The resultant increase in serum calcium and phosphate supports bone mineralization, curing rickets, and osteomalacia. There are many other functions of vitamin D that remain to be described that contribute to its health supporting role.
Confucianism, Buddhism, and Virtue Ethics

Are Confucian and Buddhist ethical views closer to Kantian, Consequentialist, or Virtue Ethical ones? How can such comparisons shed light on the unique aspects of Confucian and Buddhist views? Oriented by these questions, this essay tackles three tasks: provides a historically grounded framework for distinguishing western ethical theories, identifies a series of questions that we can ask in order to clarify the philosophic accounts of ethical motivation embedded in the Buddhist and Confucian traditions, and critiques Lee Ming-huei’s claim that Confucianism is closer to Kantianism than virtue ethics and Charles Goodman’s claim that Buddhism is closer to Consequentialism than Virtue Ethics.
Uranium and Plutonium Production

Uranium at less than 1 wt% is leached from uranium bearing ores by either acidic or basic processes to produce a pure uranium oxide product. For use in nuclear applications, the radioactive 235 U isotope, which comprises 0.7 wt% of natural uranium, is separated from 238 U by diffusion or centrifuging after conversion to the hexafluoride. The hexafluoride is reduced to metal by reduction with Mg. Plutonium is made by irradiation in nuclear reactors. It and its oxide are dissolved in nitric acid aluminum and nitrate solution and recovered by solvent extraction using tributylphosphate in kerosene followed by stripping using an oxalic acid solution. The oxalate product is heated to form the oxide, which may be reduced to metallic plutonium by calcium reduction of the fluoride.
Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline Modeling

This chapter demonstrates multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) for modeling of means of continuous outcomes treated as independent and normally distributed with constant variances as in linear regression and of logits (log odds) of means of dichotomous discrete outcomes with unit dispersions as in logistic regression. MARS models provide an alternative to fractional polynomial models for modeling nonlinear relationships between univariate outcomes and predictors, and so MARS models for these two cases are compared to adaptive fractional polynomial models. Poisson regression is not considered for brevity. MARS models can be also adjusted by adaptively power transforming their splines. Example analyses are provided of the univariate continuous outcome death rate per 100,000 in terms of available predictors as also addressed in Chaps. 2, 3, 16 and 17 and the univariate dichotomous outcome a high mercury level in fish over 1.0 ppm versus a lower level in terms of available predictors as also addressed in Chaps. 8, 9, 16 and 17.
Utilizing the Mixed Reality Cube Taxonomy for Interactive Documentary Research

In this paper, a framework describing the potential affordances of mixed reality (MR) for interactive documentary (ID) is presented. While progress has been made in defining and understanding the methodologies of the ID, the main objective of this work is to explore the potential affordances of MR for the genre. The history of IDs is presented, with a focus on audience interaction, from its origins in traditional documentary to existing situated augmented reality documentaries (SARD). Outlining MR as a new interaction paradigm for ID aligns the platform's affordances with established practices. MR is presented as a logical progression in the integration of increasingly more immersive interactions that marks the evolution of the ID genre. A framework is then put forward to guide and inform future research for the development of mixed reality interactive documentaries (MRID). Each aspect of the framework is described and used to evaluate a short survey of existing AR and MR examples.
New dimensions and new tools to realize the potential of RDoC: digital phenotyping via smartphones and connected devices

Mobile and connected devices like smartphones and wearable sensors can facilitate the collection of novel naturalistic and longitudinal data relevant to psychiatry at both the personal and population level. The National Institute of Mental Health’s Research Domain Criteria framework offers a useful roadmap to organize, guide and lead new digital phenotyping data towards research discoveries and clinical advances.
Reception Configurations: The Case of European Epic in India

The Indian epic of the modern era, Michael Madhusudan Datta’s (1824–1873) Bengali epic, The Slaying of Meghanada, and Aurobindo Ghose’s (1872–1950) English Savitri are vivid examples of how literary networks in the colonial context can operate. Although the relationship between the author and his or her reservoir of models may be both politically and culturally asymmetrical, this essay argues that in the process of reception the author sets out to position himself or herself in a symmetrical cultural relationship to his or her repository of literary precursors.
Nonlinear Dynamic Properties of the Pancreas and Liver

Abstract Early models of mammalian metabolism were relatively simple, and frequently linear (1, 2). In many cases simplification required the lumping of two or more morphologically distinct organ level unit processes as a single, quasi-linear process, thus making physiological interpretation of simulation results difficult. With the introduction of versatile digital simulation tools during the last decade, models appeared which were increasingly isomorphic with in vivo system (3,4), and which included some of the simpler nonlinearities (e.g., thresholds, saturations) which govern the dynamic range of the system components. Several groups have reported that the stable, relaxation character that has been ascribed to the behavior of the metabolic system (i.e., the homeostatic concept) may not apply. Court et al., reported that the concentration of free fatty acids in the plasma of resting children oscillates powerfully (5), and this phenomenon has been confirmed by us in dogs (unpublished observations). Also, although the fasting blood sugar level has been reported by some to oscillate (6,7), but not others (8), large amplitude oscillations have definitely been provoked by moderate, constant infusions of glucose (9), and by large oral doses of glucose (9). The oscillatory behavior of the metabolic system which has been observed in vivo has not been predicted by even the most complex models available (A. Foster, A. Camfield, personal communications). One possible reason is that the representations chosen for the most significant system components do not reflect many of the important nonlinearities of those components. Sustained oscillations would not occur except for the existence of nonlinearities within the system (10). Therefore, it is necessary to define more precisely the dynamic characteristics of the most relevant unit processes of the metabolic system. Functionally lumped, these include those tissues which store or process energetic compounds: liver, muscle and adipose tissue, and the elements which control the production, utilization and storage of energy: α and β-cells of the pancreas, possibly anterior pituitary, and the autonomic nervous system including the hypothalamus. I have chosen two of the components of the metabolic system most responsible for the determination of system behavior, the pancreas and the liver, and performed dynamic tests on the whole organs which will hopefully reveal their most significant nonlinearities.
Detecting Attribute-Based Homogeneous Patches Using Spatial Clustering: A Comparison Test

In spatial and urban sciences, it is customary to partition study areas into sub-areas—so-called regions, zones, neighborhoods, or communities—to carry out analyses of the spatial patterns and processes of socio-spatial phenomena. The purposeful delineation of these sub-areas is critical because of the potential biases associated with MAUP and UGCoP. If one agrees to characterize these sub-areas based on their homogeneity on a certain attribute, these homogeneous areas (patches) can be detected by data-driven algorithms. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and performance of five popular spatial clustering and regionalization algorithms (AZP, ARISeL, max-p-regions, AMOEBA, and SOM) for detecting attribute-based homogeneous patches of different sizes, shapes, and those with homogeneous values. The evaluation follows a quasi-experimental approach: It is based on 68 simulated data sets where the true distribution of patches is known and focuses purely on the capability of algorithms to successfully detect patches rather than computational costs. It is the most comprehensive assessment to-date thanks to a systematic control of various conditions so that a true baseline is available for comparison purposes. Among the tested algorithms, SOM and AMOEBA were found to perform very well in detecting patches of different sizes, different shapes, including those with holes, and different homogeneous values.
Photoproduction and Radiative Decay of ηt Meson in CLAS at JLAB

In this work the η/ meson photoproduction cross sections as well as the distribution of the di-pion invariant mass, m(π+π−), in the radiative decay mode η/ → π+π−γ have been measured using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility using tagged incident photons in the center-of-mass energy range 1.96 GeV - 2.72 GeV. The measurements are performed on a liquid hydrogen target in the reaction γp → pη/(η/ → π+π−γ). The analysis is based on the highest statistics collected in this decay channel in comparison to other experiments reported so far. The η/ photoproduction cross sections measured with radiative decay are in a good agreement with results of previous publication from the same data set in CLAS obtained through η/ → π+π−η decay mode. Two free parameters, α and β, are extracted from a model-independent fit to the m(π+π−) distribution and their values are found to agree well with recent theoretical expectations. The results of both parameters confirm the existence of the box anomaly, ρ-ω mixing and effects of the a2(1320) tensor meson in the radiative decay of η/.
Social Implications of Recent Technological Innovations

Science and technology are social phenomena. like all social phenomena, they arise, develop, change — flourish or languish — even come to an end; and they do so in all continents, throughout all human civilizations at varying times of origin and with differing paces of development. But only tentatively and rarely did technology, with its deep roots in the craftsmanship of the earliest recorded times, or perhaps in the even earlier known techniques of the paleolithic hunters and artists, reach across barriers of social class occupations to join with science, and then only in periods of particular social requirements: we may think of Chinese pure mathematics and the practical calendars of military and political astrology; of Greek chemistry and the invention of liquid fire for naval defense (a science-technology link but very brief); of European stellar astronomy and practical sailor-navigators of the Renaissance. But the historically unique fusion-of craft technology, raised to literacy and a new thoughtfulness in the Italian Renaissance — with its secularized philosophical effort to understand the order of nature, especially in the Galilean adaptation of Platonic mathematical idealism — was the achievement only of post-feudal Western Europe. Despite the immense sophistication of other civilizations and peoples — of the men and women of China, of India, of the high Arab and Persian culture of classical Islam, of Mayan and Aztec and Inca and others of the developed American societies — despite maturity of administration, maturity of the arts, literature, architecture, myths and religion, despite all this, technology and science were mainly apart in social function, and incapable of any thorough mutual fertilization.
Understanding the Diffusion Process for Technology-Intensive Products

(1985). Understanding the Diffusion Process for Technology-Intensive Products. Research Management: Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 22-26.
Predictive routing for autonomous mobility-on-demand systems with ride-sharing

Ride-sharing, or carpooling, systems with autonomous vehicles will provide efficient and reliable urban mobility on demand. In this work we present a method for dynamic vehicle routing that leverages historical data to improve the performance of a network of self-driving taxis. In particular, we describe a constrained optimization method capable of assigning requests to autonomous vehicles in an informed way, to minimize the expected cost of serving both current and future travel requests. We allow several passengers with independent trips to share a vehicle and allow vehicles to pick additional passengers as they progress through their route. Based on historical data, we compute a probability distribution over future demand. Then, samples from the learned probability distribution are incorporated into a decoupled vehicle routing and passenger assignment method to take into account the predicted future demand. This method consists of three steps, namely pruning of feasible trips, assignment of trips to vehicles and rebalancing of idle vehicles. We show the benefits and trade-offs of this predictive approach in an experimental evaluation with over three million rides extracted from a dataset of taxi trips in New York City. Our method produces routes and assignments that, in expectation, reduce the travel and waiting times for passengers, with respect to a purely reactive approach. Besides the mobility on demand application, the method we present is general and could also be applied to other multi-task multi-vehicle assignment and routing problems.
Fostering foreign language skills through an extracurricular drama project

Drama activities can have a variety of benefits for foreign language learners of all ages. Staging an entire play, however, is not often possible as part of traditional foreign language education d...
Cerebrovascular Reactivity and Vascular Activation in Postmenopausal Women With Histories of Preeclampsia

Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) is reduced in patients with cognitive decline. Women with a history of preeclampsia are at increased risk for cognitive decline. This study examined an association between pregnancy history and CVR using a subgroup of 40 age- and parity-matched pairs of women having histories of preeclampsia (n=27) or normotensive pregnancy (n=29) and the association of activated blood elements with CVR. Middle cerebral artery velocity was measured by Doppler ultrasound before and during hypercapnia to assess CVR. Thirty-eight parameters of blood cellular elements, microvesicles, and cell–cell interactions measured in venous blood were assessed for association with CVR using principal component analysis. Middle cerebral artery velocity was lower in the preeclampsia compared with the normotensive group at baseline (63±4 versus 73±3 cm/s; P =0.047) and during hypercapnia ( P =0.013–0.056). CVR was significantly lower in the preeclampsia compared with the normotensive group (2.1±1.3 versus 2.9±1.1 cm·s·mm Hg; P =0.009). Globally, the association of the 7 identified principal components with preeclampsia ( P =0.107) and with baseline middle cerebral artery velocity ( P =0.067) did not reach statistical significance. The interaction between pregnancy history and principal components with respect to CVR ( P =0.084) was driven by a nominally significant interaction between preeclampsia and the individual principal component defined by blood elements, platelet aggregation, and interactions of platelets with monocytes and granulocytes ( P =0.008). These results suggest that having a history of preeclampsia negatively affects the cerebral circulation years beyond the pregnancy and that this effect was associated with activated blood elements.
Self-excited electrostatic pendulum showing electrohydrodynamic-force-induced oscillation

The electrohydrodynamic (EHD) effect (“ion wind”) associated with corona discharges in air has been extensively investigated and modeled. We present a simple experiment that shows how both the magnitude and direction of EHD forces can change in such a way as to impart energy continuously to an oscillating electrostatic pendulum. The amplitude of oscillations of an electrostatic pendulum subject to EHD forces can grow approximately exponentially over a period of minutes, and we describe a qualitative theory to account for this effect, along with implications of these experiments for theories of ball lightning.
Battery Energy Storage State-of-Charge Forecasting: Models, Optimization, and Accuracy

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are a critical technology for integrating high penetration renewable power on an intelligent electrical grid. As limited energy restricts the steady-state operational state-of-charge (SoC) of storage systems, SoC forecasting models are used to determine feasible charge and discharge schedules that supply grid services. Smart grid controllers use SoC forecasts to optimize BESS schedules to make grid operation more efficient and resilient. This paper presents three advances in BESS SoC forecasting. First, two forecasting models are reformulated to be conducive to parameter optimization. Second, a new method for selecting optimal parameter values based on operational data is presented. Last, a new framework for quantifying model accuracy is developed that enables a comparison between models, systems, and parameter selection methods. The accuracies achieved by both models, on two example battery systems, with each method of parameter selection are then compared in detail. The results of this analysis suggest variation in the suitability of these models for different battery types and applications. The proposed model formulations, optimization methods, and accuracy assessment framework can be used to improve the accuracy of SoC forecasts enabling better control over BESS charge/discharge schedules.
Student Response Systems for Formative Assessment: Literature-Based Strategies and Findings from a Middle School Implementation.

In this article we share how a district-level technology integration specialist used literature on implementing student response systems (SRS) for formative assessment, based on Desimone’s (2009) core features of professional development design, Guskey’s Levels of Professional Development Evaluation (1998, 2000, 2002), and Danielson’s Observation Cycle (2007), to support 12 middle school teachers in using SRS in their classrooms. The work reported here provides an example of incorporating literature-based best practices to support teachers in effectively using technology in the classroom. The findings of this study indicate that the teachers learned to use the SRS technology and associated strategies to collect formative data and appropriately adjust instruction to meet learners’ needs. This work has implications for SRS in K-12 classrooms, technology integration professional development, and for preservice teacher education.
Cell Phenotype Transitions in Cardiovascular Calcification

Cardiovascular calcification was originally considered a passive, degenerative process, however with the advance of cellular and molecular biology techniques it is now appreciated that ectopic calcification is an active biological process. Vascular calcification is the most common form of ectopic calcification, and aging as well as specific disease states such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and genetic mutations, exhibit this pathology. In the vessels and valves, endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblast-like cells contribute to the formation of extracellular calcified nodules. Research suggests that these vascular cells undergo a phenotypic switch whereby they acquire osteoblast-like characteristics, however the mechanisms driving the early aspects of these cell transitions are not fully understood. Osteoblasts are true bone-forming cells and differentiate from their pluripotent precursor, the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC); vascular cells that acquire the ability to calcify share aspects of the transcriptional programs exhibited by MSCs differentiating into osteoblasts. What is unknown is whether a fully-differentiated vascular cell directly acquires the ability to calcify by the upregulation of osteogenic genes or, whether these vascular cells first de-differentiate into an MSC-like state before obtaining a "second hit" that induces them to re-differentiate down an osteogenic lineage. Addressing these questions will enable progress in preventative and regenerative medicine strategies to combat vascular calcification pathologies. In this review, we will summarize what is known about the phenotypic switching of vascular endothelial, smooth muscle, and valvular cells.
Sporadic renal angiomyolipoma in a patient with Birt-Hogg-Dubé: chaperones in pathogenesis.

Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) is an autosomal dominant genetic syndrome caused by germline mutations in the FLCN gene that predisposes patients to develop renal tumors. Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is not a renal tumor sub-type associated with BHD. AML is, however, a common phenotypic manifestation of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) syndrome caused by mutations in either the TSC1 or TSC2 tumor suppressor genes. Previous case reports of renal AML in patients with BHD have speculated on the molecular and clinical overlap of these two syndromes as a result of described involvement of the gene products in the mTOR pathway. Our recent work provided a new molecular link between these two syndromes by identifying FLCN and Tsc2 as clients of the molecular chaperone Hsp90. Folliculin interacting proteins FNIP1/2 and Tsc1 are important for FLCN and Tsc2 stability as new Hsp90 co-chaperones. Here we present a case of sporadic AML as a result of somatic Tsc1/2 loss in a patient with BHD. We further demonstrate that FNIP1 and Tsc1 are capable of compensating for each other in the chaperoning of mutated FLCN tumor suppressor. Our findings demonstrate interconnectivity and compensatory mechanisms between the BHD and TSC pathways.
Session 5 Specialty Chemicals with Emphasis on Environmentally Benign Products and Processes

Most industrial chemicals in use today are manufactured by petrochemical processes. These processes are very energy-intensive since they normally are operated at high temperatures and pressures. In addition, the raw materials are petroleum-based. Their uses therefore exert a strong dependence on oil supply. The need for an alternative has resulted in the development of many biological processes for the production of industrial chemicals. These processes generally are very environmentally friendly. The starting materials are sugars which are biodegradable. Any of these which are not converted in the bioreactors can easily be removed in the wastewater treatment plants. The catalysts in most cases are microorganisms. At the end of the production cycle, they can be killed in waste deactivation systems. Biological processes therefore do not release harmful materials to the environment.
Economics of Mandatory Passive Restraints: Benefit-Cost Analysis, Rulemaking and Court Decisions

In contrast to overall, ex post evaluation of the entire set of vehicle safety standards, the subject of this chapter is ex ante evaluation of a single vehicle safety standard. Benefit cost analysis is a natural candidate for evaluating policy proposals. Mandatory passive restraints, the required installation of air bags or passive (automatic) safety belts, is a standard which has received a great deal of public and professional attention. The purpose of this chapter is twofold: to critically review recent benefit-cost analyses of mandatory passive restraints and to provide a general economic analysis of the passive restraints issue. The broader analysis encompasses two other parts of the regulatory process: administrative interpretation at the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration and legal interpretation inherent in court decisions.
The Archean/Proterozoic Transition: A Sedimentary and Paleobiologies Perspective

Sedimentary rocks provide sensitive reflections of source terrains and tectonic settings; they thus constitute important sources of information about crustal processes on the early Earth. The preserved stratigraphic record, if read literally, suggests that Lower Proterozoic sediments as a group differ significantly from those characteristic of the Archean. Lower Proterozoic successions include widespread passive margin continental shelf and epicratonic sequences dominated by mature detrital rocks and carbonates. The composition, sedimentary structures, and geometry of these sedimentary packages indicate that large stable continents existed at the time of their deposition. In low-grade Archean terrains, the predominant supracrustal successions are those of greenstone belts. Sedimentary rocks intercalated among thick volcanic sequences in the lower parts of greenstone successions, particularly older ones, provide little evidence for sialic source terrains, but overlying detrital sequences reflect the unroofing of tonalitic/trondhjemitic intrusions and resemble sedimentary packages accumulating along modern, tectonically active continental margins. Extensive epicratonic or passive margin shelf sequences are notably limited in low-grade terrains, although their presence in several localities provides evidence that continental crustal stabilization occurred on at least a regional scale 3000 Ma ago or earlier. Some Archean high-grade terrains contain what appear to be severely metamorphosed greenstone belt packages, but others include probable remnants of ancient shelf deposits. The association of shelf sequences with high-grade terrains reflects deep burial of continental margins, perhaps beneath tectonically emplaced “low-grade” slabs. This highlights a significant problem of Archean geological interpretation, selective preservation. All in all, evident differences between Lower Proterozoic and Archean stratigraphy appear relatable to the presence of large stable continents during the younger era. This suggests that the late Archean was a period of rapid crustal growth and stabilization, an interpretation corroborated by geochemical evidence. Large-scale cratonization may have had a significant impact on the contemporary biota, especially as regards productivity, and this, in turn, may have influenced atmospheric evolution. This hypothesis highlights many unresolved issues in Precambrian geology.
Endocrine Regulation of Xenobiotic Conjugation Enzymes

The balance of events involved in the activation/deactivation of xenobiotics is enormously complex. The metabolic activation of non-toxic chemicals to compounds that are reactive intermediates has been implicated in a wide variety of toxic reactions including carcinogenesis, teratogenesis, and toxicity (1–3). Figure 1 illustrates the enzymatic transformation of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) to reactive intermediates, primarily BP-epoxides. These electrophilic compounds can bind to DNA or to other cellular macromolecules to initiate toxicity. Toxic metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can be enzymatically deactivated by a number of enzyme systems, such as the glutathione S-transferases, glucuronyltransferases, and sulfotransferases.
Range of Motion Improvement Following Surgical Management of Knee Arthrofibrosis in Children and Adolescents.

Background Arthrofibrosis of the knee is well-described in adults as a potentially debilitating postoperative complication following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, total knee arthroplasty, or fracture fixation. Knee arthrofibrosis in children and adolescents, however, has received little attention. The primary purpose of this study was to report improvements in range of motion (ROM) following lysis of adhesions and manipulation under anesthesia (LOA/MUA) in children and adolescents with knee arthrofibrosis, and, secondarily, to evaluate for any effect of preoperative dynamic splinting on ROM outcomes. Methods Ninety patients aged 18 years and below (mean, 14.4±3.5) and 31% male who underwent LOA/MUA at an urban tertiary care hospital following prior knee surgery were evaluated. Demographic, clinical, ROM, and revision data were compiled. Primary outcome was absolute ROM. Secondarily, ROM was analyzed as a categorical variable with "Full ROM" defined to be -5 to 130 degrees or better, "functional" ROM was defined as unable to obtain -5 to 130 degrees but not requiring revision, and "failure" defined as resulting in revision arthrofibrosis surgery. t tests and χ analyses were used to compare ROM and count variables between dynamic splinting subgroups. Results Mean time from index surgery to LOA/MUA was 6.0±4.4 months, and follow-up was 42±56 months. Index procedures included anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (N=33), tibial spine arthroscopic reduction and internal fixation (N=18), fracture fixation (N=17), soft tissue repair (N=17), and multiligament reconstruction (N=5). In total, 68 subjects (76%) had any flexion loss, 57 subjects (63%) had any extension loss, and 40 subjects (44%) had both flexion and extension loss.Fifty-six subjects (62%) had full ROM at final follow-up, 25 subjects (28%) had functional ROM, and 9 subjects (10%) required revision. No demographic, clinical, or surgical variable was predictive of treatment failure. Patients who underwent dynamic splinting preoperatively (N=46; 51%) had greater preoperative flexion (99±16 vs.77±34 degrees; P=0.001), but no difference in flexion at final follow-up (121±20 vs.128±11 degrees; P=0.08). Failure was not associated with time from index procedure to LOA/MUA, and the proportion who regained full ROM postoperatively was equivalent between those who had dynamic splinting and those who did not (65% vs. 59%; P=0.70). Conclusions LOA/MUA for children with arthrofibrotic knees results in significant improvements in ROM with 90% revision-free success. Preoperative dynamic or static progressive splinting improves preoperative flexion but does not affect postoperative range of motion or failure rate. Level of evidence Level II.
Rhodobacterales use a unique L-threonine kinase for the assembly of the nucleotide loop of coenzyme B12

Several of the enzymes involved in the conversion of adenosylcobyric acid (AdoCby) to adenosylcobamide (AdoCba) are yet to be identified and characterized in some cobamide (Cba)-producing prokaryotes. Using a bioinformatics approach, we identified the bluE gene (locus tag RSP_0788) of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 as a putative functional homolog of the L-threonine kinase enzyme (PduX, EC 2.7.1.177) of S. enterica. In AdoCba, (R)-1-aminopropan-2-ol O-phosphate (AP-P) links the nucleotide loop to the corrin ring; most known AdoCba producers derive AP-P from L-Thr-O-3-phosphate (L-Thr-P). Here, we show that RsBluE has L-Thr-independent ATPase activity in vivo and in vitro. We used 31 P-NMR spectroscopy to show that RsBluE generates L-Thr-P at the expense of ATP and is unable to use L-Ser as a substrate. BluE from R. sphaeroides or Rhodobacter capsulatus restored AdoCba biosynthesis in S. enterica EpduX and R. sphaeroides EbluE mutant strains. R. sphaeroides EbluE strains exhibited a decreased pigment phenotype that was restored by complementation with BluE. Finally, phylogenetic analyses revealed that bluE was restricted to the genomes of a few Rhodobacterales that appear to have a preference for a specific form of Cba, namely Coᴽ-(ᴽ-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolyl-Coᵦ-adenosylcobamide (a.k.a. adenosylcobalamin, AdoCbl; coenzyme B12 , CoB12 ).
Single-shot memory-effect video.

Imaging through opaque scattering media is critically important in applications ranging from biological and astronomical imaging to metrology and security. While the random process of scattering in turbid media produces scattered light that appears uninformative to the human eye, a wealth of information is contained in the signal and can be recovered using computational post-processing techniques. Recent studies have shown that statistical correlations present in the scattered light, known as ‘memory effects’, allow for diffraction-limited imaging through opaque media without detailed knowledge of (or access to) the source or scatterer. However, previous methods require that the object and/or scatterer be static during the measurement. We overcome this limitation by combining traditional memory effect imaging with coded-aperture-based computational imaging techniques, which enables us to realize for the first time single-shot video of arbitrary dynamic scenes through dynamic, opaque media. This has important implications for a wide range of real-world imaging scenarios.
The State of Medical Student Teaching of Interventional Radiology: Implications for the Future

Abstract Introduction The formation of integrated interventional radiology (IR) residency programs has changed the training paradigm. This change mandates the need to provide adequate exposure to allow students to explore IR as a career option and to allow programs to sufficiently evaluate students. This study aims to highlight the availability of medical student education in IR and proposes a basic framework for clinical rotations. Materials and Methods The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) website was utilized to generate a list of accredited medical schools in the United States. School websites and course listings were searched for availability of IR and diagnostic radiology rotations. The curricula of several well-established IR rotations were examined to identify and categorize course content. Results In all, 140 LCME-accredited medical schools had course information available. Of those schools, 70.5% offered an IR rotation; 84.6% were only available to senior medical students and only 2% were offered for preclinical students; and 8.1% of courses were listed as subinternships. Well-established IR clerkships included a variety of clinical settings, including preprocedure evaluation, experience performing procedures, postprocedure management, and discharge planning. Conclusion Medical student exposure to IR is crucial to the success of integrated IR residency programs. Current research shows few institutions with formal IR subinternship rotations. Although 70.5% of institutions have some form of nonstandardized IR course, 84.6% are available only to fourth-year students, and 2% are offered to preclinical students. This suggests there is a significant opportunity for additional formal exposure to IR through increasing availability of IR rotations and exposure during the clinical and preclinical years.
Relations of Collectivism Socialization Goals and Training Beliefs to Chinese Parenting

Parenting behaviors may be influenced by multiple factors, including parental values, beliefs, socialization goals, and children’s characteristics (e.g., personality, age). This study examined rela...
A Scale Invariant Flatness Measure for Deep Network Minima

It has been empirically observed that the flatness of minima obtained from training deep networks seems to correlate with better generalization. However, for deep networks with positively homogeneous activations, most measures of sharpness/flatness are not invariant to rescaling of the network parameters, corresponding to the same function. This means that the measure of flatness/sharpness can be made as small or as large as possible through rescaling, rendering the quantitative measures meaningless. In this paper we show that for deep networks with positively homogenous activations, these rescalings constitute equivalence relations, and that these equivalence relations induce a quotient manifold structure in the parameter space. Using this manifold structure and an appropriate metric, we propose a Hessian-based measure for flatness that is invariant to rescaling. We use this new measure to confirm the proposition that Large-Batch SGD minima are indeed sharper than Small-Batch SGD minima.
Functional Disorders of Memory

Depression is often associated with two types of memory disturbances: short-term memory impairment and increased recall of unpleasant memories. The short-term memory impairment is frequently present in severe depression. Walton (1958) reported that the depressed patients achieved lower scores on the Wechsler Memory Test. Friedman (1964) found that psychotically depressed patients showed a deficit of short-term memory and the capacity for sustained concentration. Sternberg and Jarvik (1976) compared a group of 26 depressed patients with 26 controls (matched for age, sex, and level of education) on a battery of memory tests before and after 26 days of treatment with antidepressant drugs. The patients were hospitalized for the first time and the diagnosis of depression was made in each case on the basis of a personal interview, the case record, and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. The controls were evaluated by a psychiatric interview and were found to be free of current mental illness. The memory tests included parts of the Cronholm and Molander Test Battery: the 15 Word-Pair Test, the 15 Figure Test, and the 9 Personal Data Test. The results indicated that immediate recall (short-term memory) in all memory tests was significantly lower in depressed patients than the control group. There was, however, no significant difference in longterm memory. The short-term memory deficit was due to impaired registration, not impaired retention. Twenty of the improved patients after treatment showed a significant recovery of short-term memory. The authors suggested that deficits in attention and the alerting mechanism in depression may be responsible for impaired registration and learning.
Amiguismo: capitalism, sociality, and the sustainability of indie music in Santiago, Chile

This article discusses the notion of amiguismo within Chilean indie music circles. Amiguismo is the contention that indie music in Chile is produced through interpersonal favours, thus hamstringing...
Barriers and Facilitators to Be Baby Friendly Hospital (BFH): The Experience of Tuzla Hospital

The aim of this review is to discuss the local experience of Tuzla’s hospital staff and the knowledge needed to become a Baby-Friendly Hospital (BFH). We also discuss the risks of formula feeding. While breast milk is the natural modality of infant feeding, in Tuzla Canton, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life is only 12%. During the war of 1992-1995, which was the worst European atrocity since World War II and the worst set of events in the recent history of Bosnia-Herzegovina, we had the opportunity to learn more about the impact of breastfeeding on child health from Chloe Fisher, a renowned clinical specialist on infant feeding. The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) held several seminars, about recommended practices and procedures needed to become a BFH. As a result, the Maternity Hospital was certified as a BFH in 2004 and has been operating with this status since then. While our Maternity Hospital and other related departments provided services and care of infants, many infant formula companies donated milk and organized conferences and other paediatric events to promote infant formula. This and other obstacles resulted in the fact that currently only 3 out of 7 mothers in our neonatology department breastfeed, and only 1 baby out of 7 is exclusively breastfed. Conclusion – Transforming a hospital in Baby-Friendly means, amongst other things, all professionals must provide breastfeeding management to ensure a long-term breastfeeding policy. The current low breastfeeding rate in our hospitals is the result of inconsistent policies in achieving long-term goals in breastfeeding practices.
Dynamical Formulation of Transition State Theory: Variational Transition States and Semiclassical Tunneling

This paper is an introduction to recent research in generalized transition state theory. We derive the theory by considering the equilibrium flux through a surface dividing reactants from products, and we show its equivalence to the quasi-thermodynamic formulation of transition state theory. We show that conventional transition state theory is obtained from the generalized theory with a specific choice of dividing surface, but we stress that in many cases the variational identification of the transition state provides significant improvement. We discuss methods for including quantum effects, with special attention to the semiclassical treatment of tunneling. We briefly review tests of the theory and applications to gas-phase, condensed-phase, and interface reactions. Finally we discuss the importance of nonsubstantial contributions to quasi-thermodynamic quantities.
Collateral damage: necroptosis in the development of lung injury.

Cell death is increasingly recognized as a driving factor in the development of acute lung injury. Necroptosis, an immunogenic regulated cell death program important in innate immunity, has been im...
Reinventing tradition and indigenizing modernity: the Beijing New Women and their leisure in the early decades of the twentieth century

In early twentieth-century China, the term New Woman was introduced in intellectual discourses both as a solution to the perception of national weakness and as a gendered symbol of modern pursuit. ...