cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The endocrinology of taste receptors

Levels of obesity have reached epidemic proportions on a global scale, which has led to considerable increases in health problems and increased risk of several diseases, including cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, cancer and diabetes mellitus. People with obesity consume more food than is needed to maintain an ideal body weight, despite the discrimination that accompanies being overweight and the wealth of available information that overconsumption is detrimental to health. The relationship between energy expenditure and energy intake throughout an individual's lifetime is far more complicated than previously thought. An improved comprehension of the relationships between taste, palatability, taste receptors and hedonic responses to food might lead to increased understanding of the biological underpinnings of energy acquisition, as well as why humans sometimes eat more than is needed and more than we know is healthy. This Review discusses the role of taste receptors in the tongue, gut, pancreas and brain and their hormonal involvement in taste perception, as well as the relationship between taste perception, overeating and the development of obesity.
A History of the Span of Management

This historical essay provides new insight into the span of management concept through an integration of the diverse literature on the topic. Early and ancient approaches are expanded upon; an encyclopedic bibliography is provided; and current conceptual models are identified.
Archean to Middle Proterozoic evolution of Baltica subcontinental lithosphere: evidence from combined Sm–Nd and Lu–Hf isotope analyses of the Sandvik ultramafic body, Norway

Combined Sm–Nd and Lu–Hf age and isotope data indicate that Mg- and Cr-rich ultramafic rocks at Sandvik, Western Gneiss Region (WGR), Norway, originated from depleted Archean lithospheric mantle that was chemically and physically modified in Middle Proterozoic time. The Sandvik outcrop consists of garnet peridotite and garnet-olivine pyroxenite and thin garnet pyroxenite layers. These contain two principal mineral assemblages: an earlier porphyroclastic assemblage of grt + opx + cpx ± ol (1,200–1,000°C, 40–50 kbar) and a later kelyphitic assemblage of grt + spl + am ± opx ± ol (700–750°C; 12–18 kbar). A CHUR Hf model age indicates a period of melt extraction at ca. 3.3 Ga for garnet peridotite, reflecting extremely high Lu/Hf ratios and very radiogenic present-day 176Hf/177Hf (eHf=+2,165). Lu–Hf garnet-cpx-whole rock ages of two olivine-bearing samples (garnet peridotite and garnet-olivine pyroxenite) from the outcrop are ca. 1,255 Ma, whereas two olivine-free garnet pyroxenites yield Lu–Hf ages of ca. 1,185 Ma. All Sm–Nd garnet-cpx-whole rock ages of these samples are significantly younger (ca. 1,150 Ma for garnet peridotite and ca. 1,120 Ma for garnet pyroxenite). The isotope systematics indicate that the Lu–Hf ages represent cooling from an earlier period of formation/recrystallization for garnet peridotite whereas they probably reflect formation/recrystallization ages of the garnet pyroxenite. The Sm–Nd ages and isotope systematics of the garnet peridotite samples are consistent with an episode of LREE metasomatism, perhaps facilitated by a fluid of carbonatitic composition that strongly decoupled Sm–Nd and Lu–Hf. The Sm–Nd ages of the garnet pyroxenite may represent either LREE metasomatism or cooling, and, like the peridotites, Lu–Hf ages are older than Sm–Nd ages. The age data, as well as the inferred Nd isotope composition of the fluid that affected the olivine-bearing samples, suggest that these rocks were not in contact during the LREE metasomatic event. Moreover, the pyroxenite layers cannot have been emplaced as magmas into the host peridotite. The pyroxenite layers are interpreted to be tectonically juxtaposed with the host olivine-bearing samples sometime after 1,150 Ma but before development of kelyphite.
Mediation of apoptosis by and antitumor activity of lumiliximab in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells and CD23+ lymphoma cell lines.

Lumiliximab is a chimeric macaque-human monoclonal antibody to CD23, a protein expressed on virtually all chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. We examined the ability of lumiliximab to mediate apoptosis, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and complement-dependent cytotoxicity against primary CLL cells and CD23-expressing B-cell lines. Our data suggest that lumiliximab kills CLL cells and CD23-expressing B cells predominantly by apoptosis, which occurs through the intrinsic pathway. Lumiliximab-induced apoptosis was accompanied by the down-regulation of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-X L , and XIAP, activation of Bax, and release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. We also found that the addition of lumiliximab to rituximab or fludarabine results in synergistic cytotoxicity of primary CLL cells and CD23-expressing B-cell lines. We investigated the in vivo activity of lumiliximab in a human disseminated CD23 + B-cell lymphoma SCID mouse model and found greater antitumor activity with it than with control antibody. We also found that paralysis-free survival was greater with lumiliximab plus rituximab or fludarabine than with any of those agents alone. These results suggest that lumiliximab may be an effective treatment alone or in combination with rituximab or chemotherapy agents in CLL or other CD23-overexpressing B-cell malignancies.
Why Ineffective Psychotherapies Appear to Work: A Taxonomy of Causes of Spurious Therapeutic Effectiveness

The past 40 years have generated numerous insights regarding errors in human reasoning. Arguably, clinical practice is the domain of applied psychology in which acknowledging and mitigating these errors is most crucial. We address one such set of errors here, namely, the tendency of some psychologists and other mental health professionals to assume that they can rely on informal clinical observations to infer whether treatments are effective. We delineate four broad, underlying cognitive impediments to accurately evaluating improvement in psychotherapy-naive realism, confirmation bias, illusory causation, and the illusion of control. We then describe 26 causes of spurious therapeutic effectiveness (CSTEs), organized into a taxonomy of three overarching categories: (a) the perception of client change in its actual absence, (b) misinterpretations of actual client change stemming from extratherapeutic factors, and (c) misinterpretations of actual client change stemming from nonspecific treatment factors. These inferential errors can lead clinicians, clients, and researchers to misperceive useless or even harmful psychotherapies as effective. We (a) examine how methodological safeguards help to control for different CSTEs, (b) delineate fruitful directions for research on CSTEs, and (c) consider the implications of CSTEs for everyday clinical practice. An enhanced appreciation of the inferential problems posed by CSTEs may narrow the science-practice gap and foster a heightened appreciation of the need for the methodological safeguards afforded by evidence-based practice.
Effects of sublethal concentrations of atrazine and nitrate on metamorphosis of the African clawed frog

Tadpoles of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) were exposed to sublethal concentrations of atrazine (0, 40, and 320 microg/L) and nitrate (0, 37, and 292 mg/L) from feeding stage to metamorphosis. A 3 x 3 factorial design was used to identify both single and interactive effects. At metamorphosis, tadpole weight, snout-vent length (SVL), and hematocrit were determined. Mean mortality was greater in tanks receiving 320 microg/L atrazine; nitrate had no effect on mortality. Significant differences for all mean traits at metamorphosis occurred among atrazine treatments; higher atrazine exposure increased time to metamorphosis and decreased weight, SVL, and hematocrit. Nitrate treatments were not significantly different. Significant interaction tests between atrazine and nitrate occurred for weight and SVL at metamorphosis; the specific type of interaction varied among treatments. Assuming an additive mixture model, at low atrazine (40 microg/L), the addition of 37 mg/L nitrate produced SVL values less than expected (a synergistic effect) while the addition of 292 mg/L nitrate yielded SVL values greater than expected (an antagonistic effect). A similar response was noted for tadpoles in the 320-microg/L atrazine treatments. These results indicate that environmentally realistic concentrations of atrazine exert a negative impact on amphibian metamorphosis. Also, this study suggests that mixtures of agricultural chemicals, even if sublethal, may exert negative and not necessarily consistent mixture effects.
Global movements and local historical events: Itelmens of Kamchatka appeal to the United Nations

In this article, I examine the institutional, cultural, and discursive foundations of a historical event. I explicate global, transnational, national, intercultural, ethnic, regional, local, and personal realms of understanding as well as a range of discursive and pragmatic strategies as they came into play in a schoolroom meeting that led to the writing of a letter to the United Nations for help. The case presented is that of a group of people in a small, majority-indigenous village in Kamchatka in the Russian Far East, who, in 1993, after the collapse of the Soviet government and its support network, decided to turn to the United Nations for help.
Analysis and correction of VLSI delay measurement errors due to transmission-line effects

In the testing of VLSI chips that have more than 128 pins, it is necessary to measure the signals from the devices under test (DUT) at the far end of transmission lines 50 cm or more away from the contact pads. The measurement suffers form waveform distortions and errors that are caused by the intrinsic delay of the transmission lines and the loading conditions at both ends of the transmission lines. This problem is analyzed using mathematical models, and the results are applied to correct the measurement errors with computer aid. A technique is presented to evaluate the true output delay time of the DUT under specified loading conditions, using the measured data from an imperfect measurement setup. Computer simulation results indicate that this technique is accurate and can be applied to practical VLSI measurements. >
Socioeconomic Behavior of Cattle Ranchers, with Implications for Rural Community Development in the West

This paper extends the argument that cattle ranching and ranchers can be better understood by viewing the ranch resource as generating both production and consumption outputs. It was found that nonmonetary outputs of ranch ownership are the most significant factors in explaining high sale prices of Arizona ranches. Land fundamentalism, rural fundamentalism, and conspicuous consumption/speculative attitudes are the most important of these consumption outputs. The analysis suggests that small town viability and growth in the arid Southwest, and possibly in the West as a whole, may be more likely to occur if rural development policies are not predicated on the economic impact of surrounding ranches.
Improving Teachers' Teaching with Communication Technology

With the growing needs to address the challenges that new teachers face and the popularity of social networking technology, this study explores how to increase the effectives of teaching through the use of such technology, and how the technology may serve to promote collaboration and open new resources of support in public education. In this article, a definition of social networking technology will be provided. A review of literature will also be presented. Significance of this study will be addressed. Research questions, methodology, and discussion will also be provided. Finally, suggestions and a conclusion will be made.
Continuous Monitoring of Crosswell Seismic Travel Time

In two separate shallow field experiments, at two distancescales, we have used continuous monitoring to estimate the effect ofbarometric pressure on crosswell travel time and thereby calibrated thestress sensitivity of the rock volume between the wells. In a 3 mexperiment we found a stress sensitivity of 10-6/Pa while in a 30 mexperiment the sensitivity was 5 x 10-8 /Pa. Results from a deeper (1km), 2 month experiment at the San Andreas fault observation boreholeswill be presented if analysis is completed.
Assembly of CdSe nanoparticles into microspheres by a liquid droplet emulsion process

Semiconductor CdSe nanoparticles assemble into micrometer-sized spheres ranging from <1 to 50 μm when precipitated from hexane by methanol under conditions of stirring. Both solid and hollow spheres may be formed and the type of sphere can be controlled by the solvent concentration. In addition, stir rate and nanoparticle concentration influence sphere size. Redissolving the spheres back into a nonpolar solvent gives nanoparticles with their original absorption and photoluminescence properties. Precipitating nanoparticles from other nonpolar solvents such as toluene and chloroform does not result in sphere formation.
Secondary pulsed field gel electrophoresis: a new method for faster separation of larger DNA molecules

Abstract A novel technique, which we call secondary pulsed field gel electrophoresis (SPFG) has been developed. In SPFG, short pulses are applied in the direction of net migration of the DNA in addition to the reorienting pulses used in conventional pulsed field electrophoresis (PFG). Experimental results show that SPFG extends and improves the electrophoretic resolution of DNA for molecules from 0.5 megabase pairs to over 10 megabase pairs in size. This improved resolution is obtained with dramatically shorter run times. Thus SPFG appears to circumvent a number of the key limitations in previous PFG protocols.
Mechanisms Regulating the Ductus Arteriosus

A patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) results in increased pulmonary blood flow and redistribution of flow to other organs. Several co-morbidities (i.e., necrotizing enterocolitis, intracranial hemorrhage, pulmonary edema/hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and retinopathy) are associated with the presence of a PDA, but whether or not a PDA is responsible for their development is still unclear. In this review, comparative physiology between the full term and preterm newborn and the barriers preventing the necessary cascade of events leading to permanent constriction of the PDA are reviewed.
An update on epilepsy

The understanding of seizures and epilepsy as a disease has accelerated to reflect advances in the understanding of the interplay of seizures and epilepsy on neurophysiology, neuroplasticity, sleep, neuropsychology, behavior and social functioning of the individual, which interact with and can be affected by an individual’s quality of life, educational development and occupational success. Updates in the treatment of status epilepticus, epilepsy in children and adults (particularly women), and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures/attacks have been announced. There is increasing emphasis on untangling the interactive forces of new antiepileptic medications from epilepsy/seizures on the neurophysiological, neuropsychologic and psychiatric/behavioral functioning of individuals with epilepsy. The role of GABA in the pathophysiology of seizures and status epilepticus has led to novel therapy proposals. Neurostimulation technologies and neurosurgical procedures have improved the clinical outcomes of patients with ...
CTH09-4: A Lattice-Reduction-Aided Soft Detector for Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Channels

Lattice basis reduction is a powerful technique that enables a hard-output detector for a multiple-input multiple-output channel to approach maximum-likelihood performance with low complexity. In this work we propose a soft-output detector that combines lattice- reduction-aided detection and list decoding. The proposed algorithm performs nearly as well as the list-sphere detector but with much lower complexity. Numerical results reveal that the complexity per bit for the proposed algorithm decreases as the size of the QAM alphabet increases.
VASCULAR CELL ADHESION MOLECULE-1 EXPRESSION AND HEMATOPOIETIC SUPPORTIVE CAPACITY OF IMMORTALIZED MURINE STROMAL CELL LINES DERIVED FROM FETAL LIVER AND ADULT BONE MARROW

Ontogeny-specific differences in hematopoietic behavior may be influenced by unique adhesive interactions between hematopoietic cells and the microenvironment, such as that mediated by vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1, CD 106). Although VCAM-1 is variably expressed during vertebrate development, we hypothesized that VCAM-1 expression might be linked to the enhanced capacity of the fetal liver microenvironment to support hematopoiesis. To test this we used immortalized murine stromal cell lines derived from midgestation fetal liver and adult bone marrow to compare the functional expression of VCAM-1. Molecular analysis of VCAM-1 expression was performed on stromal cell lines using Northern blot analysis, immunoprecipitation studies, and solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hematopoietic studies were performed by coculturing fetal liver cells with stromal cell lines, and the functional readout was determined by high-proliferative potential colony-forming cell (HPP-CFC) adherence assays. In contrast to our initial hypothesis, we observed greater expression of VCAM-1 messenger ribonucleic acid and protein on an adult marrow stromal cell line. In functional studies, anti-VCAM-1 antibody inhibited the binding of nearly half of the HPP-CFCs to adult marrow stroma but had a minimal effect on their binding to fetal liver stroma, despite the greater adherence of HPP-CFCs to fetal stroma. We conclude that VCAM-1 influences the hematopoietic supportive capacity of immortalized murine stroma derived from adult bone marrow. Our studies suggest that cellular interactions other than those mediated by VCAM-1 are involved in the increased adhesive capacity of immortalized murine stroma derived from fetal liver.
Assessing Hypocentral Accuracy and Lower Magnitude Completeness in the Pacific Northwest Using Seismic Refraction Detonations and Cumulative Frequency-magnitude Relationships

Absolute hypocentral location errors are traditionally estimated from the errors in the locations of quarry blasts. Catalog completeness has been evaluated by examining cumulative frequency-magnitude relationships ( e.g., Rydelek and Sacks, 1989). In the Pacific Northwest, however, the number of quarries with well defined blasting schedules is relatively sparse ( e.g., Benson et al., 1992). Seismic refraction detonations provide an independent assessment of actual location errors of surface events in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. Because the detonation yields are also known, their reported magnitudes can be used to investigate the detection and location thresholds for low-magnitude earthquakes. As the number and distribution of seismic stations in the Pacific Northwest has expanded (Figure 1), the location accuracy of the networks and the completeness of their catalogs has improved with time. Because the station coverage is not uniform geographically, these network properties vary with location. In this note we use 72 refraction detonations listed in the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) and Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) catalogs for the Pacific Northwest to investigate the hypocentral accuracy and completeness of the earthquake catalog as a function of time and location since 1984. These reported detonations had an average charge size of 939 kg and yielded an average coda magnitude of 1.65. Applying magnitude-versus-charge-size relationships to 64 detonations not listed in the ANSS and PNSN catalogs permits us to extend our analysis back to 1965. Brocher (2003b) noted several reasons why the location errors for surface detonations may not be fully representative of location errors for tectonic earthquakes. Nonetheless, quarry blasts and refraction detonations represent seismic sources whose origin times and locations are precisely known, and they provide an independent measure of the quality of location solutions by the network. Furthermore, the regional variation in the ability of a seismic network to locate surficial …
A COMPACT INTEGRATED-OPTICAL SWITCH BASED ON DYNAMIC FREE CARRIER GRATINGS IN GAAS

Future optical communication and computer interconnect systems will require complex switching networks. Computer applications, in particular, may require monolithic, non-blocking switching networks of at least 100 × 100 elements. Numerous integrated-optical switch designs have been described and demonstrated with low insertion losses and high switching speeds.1 To . date, however, the highest level of integration achieved is a 16 × 16 LiNbO3 switch array on a 60 mm long substrate.2 One reason why these switch designs can’t be integrated to higher levels is the geometry of the basic device which consists of waveguides running in parallel or crossing at very small angles. This results in a device cell which is very long and thin and thus does not efficiently use substrate area. In addition, the near parallel waveguide geometry usually mandates the use of bends for waveguide separation which further increase overall switch area.
Effects of Androsterone and Testosterone on Oestrous Cycle of Rats

ConclusionsThe observed results demonstrate that daily injections of 0.5 to 3 mg. of testosterone in sesame oil and of 3.0 to 5.0 mg. of androsterone in sesame oil into normal mature female rats leads to a suppression of the oestrous cycles, as expressed by the vaginal smear, during the 16-day period of injection.These observations agree with the findings of Robson that testo-sterone causes total suppression of the oestrous cycle in mice. It seems quite adequate to the writer to assume that the pure crystalline androgenic substances, testosterone and androsterone, have an action upon the pituitary gland of the female rat in a manner con-sistent with the interpretation offered by Moore and Price. Nothing presented by these experiments, however, would rule out the possibility of a direct effect upon the ovary by crystalline androsterone or a possible neutralization of the action of estrogenic sub-stances upon the female tract by androsterone.
Collaboration without Representation: Labor Issues in Motion and Performance Capture:

Classical film theory topics, such as the divide between live action and animation, the definition of cinematic performance, and the configuration and impact of the star system continue to shape – ...
Visualizing signal transduction: receptors, G-proteins, and adenylate cyclases

1. The first glimpses of heterotrimeric G-proteins came with the discoveries of the ubiquitous adenylate cyclase activator, Gs, and the specialized retinal cGMP phosphodiesterase activator, Gi or transducin. The model that evolved for regulation of adenylate cyclase activity by G-proteins soon proved to be a general paradigm for a large number of signalling pathways. Although many different G-proteins interact with a diverse array of receptors and effectors, each is composed of a guaninenucleotide-binding alpha-subunit and a tightly associated complex of a beta- and a gamma-subunit. 2. Receptors catalyse the activation of G-proteins by promoting exchange of GDP for GTP, while G-proteins catalyse their own deactivation as a result of their intrinsic GTPase activity. Crystallographic analysis has described several of the various conformational states that G-proteins undergo as they are activated and deactivated and has provided great insight into the kinetic models of G-protein-mediated signal transduction. 3. The regulation of adenylate cyclase has proven to be intriguing and complex. Gsx activates all forms of mammalian adenylate cyclase; other G-proteins (Gi, Go and Gz) inhibit certain isoforms of the enzyme. The discovery of new isoforms of adenylate cyclase has revealed synergistic and conditional mechanisms of regulation. These include activation or inhibition by the G-protein beta gamma-subunit complex, activation by Ca(2+)-calmodulin, and phosphorylation by protein kinases. The large number of receptors, G-proteins and adenylate cyclases provides a complex signalling network that integrates and interprets a multitude of convergent inputs.
Dynamic fluorescent imaging with the activatable probe, γ-glutamyl hydroxymethyl rhodamine green in the detection of peritoneal cancer metastases: Overcoming the problem of dilution when using a sprayable optical probe

// Yuko Nakamura 1 , Toshiko Harada 1 , Tadanobu Nagaya 1 , Kazuhide Sato 1 , Shuhei Okuyama 1 , Peter L. Choyke 1 , Hisataka Kobayashi 1 1 Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA Correspondence to: Hisataka Kobayashi, email: kobayash@mail.nih.gov Keywords: kinetic map, green emitting probe, autofluorescence, γ-glutamyltranspeptidase, peritoneal cancer metastases Received: April 25, 2016 Accepted: May 22, 2016 Published: June 07, 2016 ABSTRACT Optical fluorescence-guided imaging is increasingly used to guide surgery and endoscopic procedures. Activatable probes are particularly useful because of high target-to-background ratios that increase sensitivity for tiny cancer foci. However, green fluorescent activatable probes suffer from interference from autofluorescence found in biological tissue. The purpose of this study was to determine if dynamic imaging can be used to differentiate specific fluorescence arising from an activated probe in a tumor from autofluorescence in background tissues especially when low concentrations of the dye are applied. Serial fluorescence imaging was performed using various concentrations of γ-glutamyl hydroxymethyl rhodamine green (gGlu-HMRG) which was sprayed on the peritoneal surface with tiny implants of SHIN3-DsRed ovarian cancer tumors. Temporal differences in signal between specific green fluorescence in cancer foci and non-specific autofluorescence in background tissue were measured at 5, 10, 20 and 30 min after application of gGlu-HMRG and were processed into three kinetic maps reflecting maximum fluorescence signal (MF), wash-in rate (WIR), and area under the curve (AUC), respectively. Using concentrations up to 10 μM of gGlu-HMRG, the fluorescence intensity of cancer foci was significantly higher than that of small intestine but only at 30 min. However, on kinetic maps derived from dynamic fluorescence imaging, the signal of cancer foci was significantly higher than that of small intestine after only 5 min even at concentrations as low as 2.5 μM of gGlu-HMRG ( p < 0.01). At lower concentrations, kinetic maps derived from dynamic fluorescence imaging were superior to unprocessed images for cancer detection.
How should older adults with cancer be evaluated for frailty

Traditionally used as a descriptive term, frailty is now a recognized medical syndrome identifying individuals with decreased physiologic reserve. Frailty is characterized by diminished strength, endurance, and reduced physiologic function. Several valid frailty screening tools exist in the literature, and these measures have been used to relate frailty to outcomes important to the older patient with cancer. Frail adults are at increased risk of adverse surgical outcomes and early findings suggest that frailty predicts poor chemotherapy tolerance. While much research is needed to explore the biologic relationships between frailty and cancer, there is an urgent need to implement frailty screening and management into the care of the older patient with cancer in order to improve outcomes in this vulnerable subset. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction of frailty to oncologists including a review of the definition, frailty screening tools, its clinical relevance to older patients with cancer, and a brief guide to frailty management.
Education and Outreach of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) 2004–2015: History and Accomplishments of Undergraduate Programs

The National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) was an NSF-funded facilities program (2004–2015) which had a large and diverse education and outreach (EO international Research Experience for Undergraduates, and international Research Experience for Graduate Students. The chapter provides details on program implementation as well as assessment results.
Last Plays: ‘The Apple Cart’ and After

After Shaw completed Saint Joan in 1923, he did not return to the theatre with a new play for five years. This extraordinary hiatus in his otherwise steady dramatic productivity is in part accounted for by his work on the grand summary of his economic views, The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism. Moreover, during this period several significant events occurred in swift succession. In 1925 Shaw received the Nobel Prize (he usually declined honours, but he accepted this one, though not the money, which was used to support the translation of Swedish literature into English), and the next year he passed his seventieth birthday. Hardly in a position to know that he had almost a quarter of a century of good health and intellectual vigour still before him, Shaw must have felt, having already codified his ideas on religion in Back to Methuselah, that The Intelligent Woman’s Guide was a culminating point in his career. And even more significant than the Nobel Prize in testifying to the status he had achieved in his art was the founding of the Malvern Festival Theatre in 1929, largely to produce Shaw’s plays.
A new hybrid LFT control method for missile autopilot design

This paper presents a new hybrid gain-scheduling control method for missile autopilot design. The nonlinear missile dynamics is first converted to a switched linear fractional transformation (LFT) model for controller design and synthesis purpose. Then, by using multiple Lyapunov functions and average dwell time (ADT) techniques, a new hybrid gain-scheduling autopilot is designed, which consists of a switching dynamic output-feedback LFT controller and a controller state jump dynamics. The associated control synthesis conditions guaranteeing weighted ℒ 2 stability are formulated in terms of a finite number of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), which can be solved effectively via convex optimization without parameter-space gridding. Nonlinear simulation studies show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Semilattice transversals of regular bands I

ABSTRACTEvery regular band can be isomorphically embedded into a regular band which has a semilattice transversal. The latter constitute the variety of regular split bands, whose subvariety lattice is isomorphic to the lattice of regular band varieties.
Prospective Disability in Different Combinations of Somatic and Mental Multimorbidity.

Background Multimorbidity (multiple co-occurring chronic conditions) may be an important contributor to disability and poor health-related quality of life. The functional consequences of specific combinations of somatic and mental health conditions are unclear. Methods Nationally representative prospective cohort study using the National Health and Aging Trends Study data of Medicare beneficiaries. We included 4,017 participants aged 65 years or older interviewed in 2013 and 2014. The primary outcome was prospective activities of daily living (ADL)-instrumental ADL (IADL) index (range = 0-11) assessed in 2014. All other measures were assessed in 2013. Chronic conditions included heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, lung disease, osteoporosis, cancer, depression, and cognitive impairment. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and baseline ADL-IADL. Results Thirty-four percent of multimorbidity combinations included depression, cognitive impairment, or both. Relative to multimorbidity combinations of exclusively somatic conditions, combinations that included both depression and cognitive impairment were associated with 1.34 times greater ADL-IADL in adjusted models (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09, 1.64). Relative to combinations of both depression and cognitive impairment, combinations of cognitive impairment and somatic conditions were associated with 0.84 times lower ADL-IADL in adjusted models (95% CI: 0.74, 0.96); combinations of depression and somatic conditions were associated with 0.72 times lower ADL-IADL in adjusted models (95% CI: 0.62, 0.85). Conclusions Depression and/or cognitive impairment was identified in one-third of older adults with multimorbidity, and these combinations were associated with substantially greater prospective disability than combinations comprised exclusively of somatic conditions. This argues for identifying and managing mental health conditions that co-occur with somatic conditions.
An Extraction Method for Long-Term Tropical Cyclone Precipitation from Daily Rain Gauges

AbstractTropical cyclone precipitation (TCP) can cause significant flooding in coastal areas around the world. This study compares multiple options of a new technique for developing a gridded daily TCP product at a spatial resolution of 0.25°. These options were evaluated using NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) 3B42 product to determine the optimal approach. Results indicate that the technique is very sensitive to changes in wind corrections, interpolation method, and gauge density. The optimal method accounts for wind-induced gauge undercatch and uses a customized interpolation approach. It significantly reduces precipitation biases associated with gauge undercatch during windy conditions. The new TCP extraction approach can be used to examine variability and long-term trends in TCP, even in regions with relatively few gauges.
Developing an A Priori Database for Passive Microwave Snow Water Retrievals Over Ocean

A physically optimized a priori database is developed for Global Precipitation Measurement Microwave Imager (GMI) snow water retrievals over ocean. The initial snow water content profiles are derived from CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) measurements. A radiative transfer model in which the single scattering properties of nonspherical snowflakes are based on the discrete dipole approximate (DDA) results is employed to simulate brightness temperatures and their gradients. Snow water content profiles are then optimized through a one–dimensional variational (1D–Var) method. The standard deviations of the difference between observed and simulated brightness temperatures are in a similar magnitude to the observation errors defined for observation error covariance matrix after the 1D–Var optimization, indicating that this variational method is successful. This optimized database is applied in a Bayesian retrieval snow water algorithm. The retrieval results indicated that the 1D–Var approach has a positive impact on the GMI retrieved snow water content profiles by improving the physical consistency between snow water content profiles and observed brightness temperatures. Global distribution of snow water contents retrieved from the a priori database is compared with CloudSat CPR estimates. Results showed that the two estimates have a similar pattern of global distribution, and the difference of their global means is small. In addition, we investigate the impact of using physical parameters to subset the database on snow water retrievals. It is shown that using total precipitable water to subset the database with 1D–Var optimization is beneficial for snow water retrievals.
Understanding Individual and Collaborative Problem-Solving with Patient-Generated Data: Challenges and Opportunities

Making effective use of patient-generated data (PGD) is challenging for both patients and providers. Designing systems to support collaborative and individual use of PGD is a topic of importance in CSCW, considering the limitations of informatics tools. To inform better system design, we conducted a study including focus groups, observations and interviews with patients and providers to understand how PGD is interpreted and used. We found that while PGD is useful for identifying and solving disease-related problems, the following differences in patient-provider perceptions challenge its effective use - different perceptions about what is a problem, selecting what kinds of problems to focus on, and using different data representations. Drawing on these insights, we reflect on two specific conceptualizations of disease management behavior (sensemaking and problem-solving) as they relate to data specific activities of patients and providers and provide design suggestions for tools to support collaborative and individual use of PGD.
Carbon storage potential increases with increasing ratio of C 4 to C 3 grass cover and soil productivity in restored tallgrass prairies

Long-term soil carbon (C) storage is essential for reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. Converting unproductive and environmentally sensitive agricultural lands to grasslands for bioenergy production may enhance C storage. However, a better understanding of the interacting effects of grass functional composition (i.e., relative abundance of C4 and C3 grass cover) and soil productivity on C storage will help guide sustainable grassland management. Our objective was to examine the relationship between grass functional composition and potential C storage and how it varies with potential soil productivity. We estimated C inputs from above- and belowground net primary productivity (ANPP and BNPP), and heterotrophic respiration (R H) to calculate net ecosystem production (NEP), a measure of potential soil C storage, in grassland plots of relatively high- and low-productivity soils spanning a gradient in the ratio of C4 to C3 grass cover (C4:C3). NEP increased with increasing C4:C3, but only in potentially productive soils. The positive relationship likely stemmed from increased ANPP, rather than BNPP, which was possibly related to efficient resource-use and physiological/anatomical advantages of C4 plants. R H was negatively correlated with C4:C3, possibly because of changes in microclimate or plant-microbe interactions. It is possible that in potentially productive soils, C storage can be enhanced by favoring C4 over C3 grasses through increased ANPP and BNPP and reduced R H. Results also suggest that potential C storage gains from C4 productivity would not be undermined by a corresponding increase in R H.
Neonatal and Pediatric Candidemia: Results From Population-Based Active Laboratory Surveillance in Four US Locations, 2009-2015.

Introduction Candida is a leading cause of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections in the United States. Infants and children have unique risk factors for candidemia, and the Candida species distribution in this group is different that among adults; however, candidemia epidemiology in this population has not been described recently. Methods We conducted active population-based candidemia surveillance in 4 US metropolitan areas between 2009 and 2015. We calculated incidences among neonates (0-30 days old), infants (0-364 days old), and noninfant children (1-19 years old), documented their clinical features and antifungal drug resistance. Results We identified 307 pediatric candidemia cases. Incidence trends varied according to site, but overall, the incidence in neonates decreased from 31.5 cases/100000 births in 2009 to 10.7 to 11.8 cases/100000 births between 2012 and 2015, the incidence in infants decreased from 52.1 cases/100000 in 2009 to 15.7 to 17.5 between 2012 and 2015, and the incidence in noninfant children decreased steadily from 1.8 cases/100000 in 2009 to 0.8 in 2014. Common underlying conditions were prematurity in neonates (78%), surgery in nonneonate infants (38%), and malignancy in noninfant children (28%). Most neonate cases were caused by C albicans (67%), whereas non-C. albicans species accounted for 60% of cases in nonneonate infants and noninfant children. Fluconazole and echinocandin resistance rates were low overall. Thirty-day crude mortality was 13%. Conclusions The incidence of candidemia among neonates and infants declined after 2009 but remained stable from 2012 to 2015. Antifungal drug resistance is uncommon. Reasons for the lack of recent declines in neonatal and infant candidemia deserve further exploration. In this article, we describe the epidemiology of candidemia in children in the United States and on the basis of data collected as part of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention active population-based surveillance. Trends in incidence, clinical characteristics, species distribution, and resistance rates are presented.
Low doses of DNA damaging agents extend Saccharomyces cerevisiae chronological lifespan by promoting entry into quiescence

A variety of mild stresses have been shown to extend lifespan in diverse species through hormesis, which is a beneficial response to a stress or toxin that would cause a negative response at a higher exposure. Whether particular stresses induce hormesis can vary with genotype for a given species, and the underlying mechanisms of lifespan extension are only partly understood in most cases. We show that low doses of the DNA damaging or replication stress agents hydroxyurea, methyl methanesulfonate, 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide, or Zeocin (a phleomycin derivative) lengthened chronological lifespan in Saccharomyces cerevisiae if cells were exposed during growth, but not if they were exposed during stationary phase. Treatment with these agents did not change mitochondrial activity, increase resistance to acetic acid, ethanol, or heat stress, and three of four treatments did not increase resistance to hydrogen peroxide. Stationary phase yeast populations consist of both quiescent and nonquiescent cells, and all four treatments increased the proportion of quiescent cells. Several mutant strains with deletions in genes that influence quiescence prevented Zeocin treatment from extending lifespan and from increasing the proportion of quiescent stationary phase cells. These data indicate that mild DNA damage stress can extend lifespan by promoting quiescence in the absence of mitohormesis or improved general stress responses that have been frequently associated with improved longevity in other cases of hormesis. Further study of the underlying mechanism may yield new insights into quiescence regulation that will be relevant to healthy aging.
Utilitarian and Hedonic Motivations for Live Streaming Shopping

Watching live streams as part of the online shopping experience is a relatively new phenomenon. In this paper, we examine live streaming shopping, conceptualizing it as a type of online shopping that incorporates real-time social interaction. Live streaming shopping can happen in two ways: live streaming embedded in e-commerce, or e-commerce integrated into live streaming. Based on prior research related to live streaming and consumer motivation theories, we examined the relationships between hedonic and utilitarian motivations and shopping intention. We found that hedonic motivation is positively related to celebrity-based intention and utilitarian motivation is positively related to product-based intention. A content analysis of open-ended questions identified eight reasons for why consumers prefer live streaming shopping over regular online shopping.
Reactive flow modeling of the polymer bonded explosive LX-17 double shock experiments

Overdriven double shock experiments provide a measurement of the properties of the reaction product states of the 1-3-5-triamino-2-4-6trinitrobenzene-based explosive LX-17. These experiments used two flyer materials mounted on the end of a projectile to send an initial shock through the LX-17, followed by a second shock of a higher magnitude into the detonation products. Here, the experimental results are compared to 2D reactive flow modeling. A reactive flow model that describes only the kinetics of the LX-17 decomposition fails to accurately reproduce the decay of the first shock or the curvature or strength of the second shock. A new model is proposed in which the carbon condensate produced in the reaction zone is controlled by a kinetic rate. This allows the carbon condensate to be initially out of chemical equilibrium with the product gas. This new model reproduces the initial detonation peak and decay and matches the curvature of the second shock; however, it still over-predicts the strength of the second shock.
The Consequences of Adolescent Delinquent Behavior for Adult Employment Outcomes.

Delinquent behavior is common during adolescence and may disrupt trajectories of labor market attainment. Estimates of the relationship between delinquency and employment are threatened by selection bias, as youth who engage in delinquency often differ substantially from youth who do not. The current study examined the association between adolescents’ engagement in serious delinquency and four measures of occupational attainment in young adulthood: unemployment, personal earnings, employer-provided benefits, and occupational earnings. It examined the effect of delinquency independent of between-person differences in a variety of attributes and tested whether the hypothesized relationship was mediated by educational attainment, work experience, disconnectedness from both education and work, or criminal justice sanctioning. This study analyzed data from the first four waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), yielding an analytic sample of 14,800 (51% female, mean age 16 years). The Wave 1 Add Health survey was administered in 1994–1995, and Wave 4 of the survey was administered in 2007–2008. The analytic strategy, propensity score weighting, produced estimates that were less biased by differences between youth who had and who had not engaged in delinquent behavior. The study found that delinquency was significantly associated with the likelihood of being unemployed: compared to non-delinquents, delinquents were more likely to be unemployed even after controlling for temporally prior traits and resources, human capital, and criminal justice contact. The results provided more qualified support for hypothesized relationships between delinquency and job quality. The study concluded that offending may result in less fruitful job searches, but once a search results in employment, employed delinquents are not readily discernible from employed non-delinquents in the quality of their jobs. These conclusions contribute to literature on the labor market outcomes of people with histories of adolescent delinquency as they enter young adulthood.
Constitutive IP3R1-mediated Ca2+ release reduces Ca2+ store content and stimulates mitochondrial metabolism in mouse GV oocytes

In mammals, fertilization initiates Ca2+ oscillations in metaphase II oocytes, which are required for the activation of embryo development. Germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes also display Ca2+ oscillations, although these unfold spontaneously in the absence of any known agonist(s) and their function remains unclear. We found that the main intracellular store of Ca2+ in GV oocytes, the endoplasmic reticulum ([Ca2+]ER), constitutively 'leaks' Ca2+ through the type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor. The [Ca2+]ER leak ceases around the resumption of meiosis, the GV breakdown (GVBD) stage, which coincides with the first noticeable accumulation of Ca2+ in the stores. It also concurs with downregulation of the Ca2+ influx and termination of the oscillations, which seemed underpinned by the inactivation of the putative plasma membrane Ca2+ channels. Lastly, we demonstrate that mitochondria take up Ca2+ during the Ca2+ oscillations, mounting their own oscillations that stimulate the mitochondrial redox state and increase the ATP levels of GV oocytes. These distinct features of Ca2+ homeostasis in GV oocytes are likely to underpin the acquisition of both maturation and developmental competence, as well as fulfill stage-specific cellular functions during oocyte maturation.