cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electro-optic testbed utilizing a dynamic range gated Rayleigh beacon for atmospheric turbulence profiling

The Photometry Analysis and Optical Tracking and Evaluation System (PANOPTES) Quad Axis Telescope is a unique four axis mount Ritchey-Chretien 24 inch telescope capable of tracking objects through the zenith without axes rotation delay (no Dead Zone). This paper describes enhancement components added to the quad axis mount telescope that will enable measurements supporting novel research and field testing focused on ‘three-dimensional’ characterization of turbulent atmospheres, mitigation techniques, and new sensing modalities. These all support research and operational techniques relating to astronomical imaging and electro-optical propagation though the atmosphere, relative to sub-meter class telescopes in humid, continental environments. This effort will use custom designed and commercial off the shelf hardware; sub-system components discussed will include a wavefront sensor system, a co-aligned beam launch system, and a fiber coupled research laser. The wavefront sensing system has the ability to take measurements from a dynamic altitude adjustable laser beacon scattering spot, a key concept that enables rapid turbulence structure parameter measurements over an altitude varied integrated atmospheric volume. The sub-components are integrated with the overall goal of measuring a height-resolved volumetric profile for the atmospheric turbulence structure parameter at the site, and developing mobile techniques for such measurements. The design concept, part selection optimization, baseline component lab testing, and initial field measurements, will be discussed in the main sections of this paper. This project is a collaborative effort between the Air Force Research Labs Sensors Directorate and the Air Force Institute of Technology Center for Directed Energy.
Inactivation of Listeria Monocytogenes by Chlorine

Cells of Listeria monocytogenes strain Scott-A were harvested from cultures, washed, and then treated with a solution of sodium hypochlorite at 25°C and pH 7. The cells were more resistant to chlorine when they were (a) harvested from a 24-rather than 48-h-old culture, (b) grown in tryptose broth rather than on a slant of tryptose agar, and (c) washed and suspended using a 20 rather than 0.312 mM phosphate buffer solution. Cells of L. monocytogenes were exposed for 30 s-4 h to sodium hypochlorite solutions that contained 0.5-10 ppm available chlorine. Generally, the number of survivors decreased rapidly during the first 30 s followed by a slower decrease during the rest of the exposure time. The initial count of L. monocytogenes in the suspension (1 × 108-3.2 × 108/ml) decreased 0.49 to 6.4 orders of magnitude during the first 30 s of exposure to the chlorine solutions. The effect of the presence of organic substances on the strength of hypochlorite solutions was studied. Presence of 0.05 or 0.1% peptone caused a large and rapid loss of available chlorine. Glucose or lactose (up to 1%) had almost no effect on the concentration of available chlorine.
Abstract 2438: Identification of the mitochondrial binding site on the amino-terminal end of hexokinase II

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Hexokinase II is responsible for the first step in the glycolysis pathway. Hexokinase II adds a phosphate onto the glucose molecule so it can proceed down the pathway to give the cancer cell energy for its continuous growth. Tumor cells overexpress the hexokinase II enzyme. In fact, it is the overexpression of the hexokinase II enzyme that makes the diagnosis of cancer possible when imaged by positron emission tomography (PET). Hexokinase II binds to the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) on the mitochondrial membrane and when it is attached to the mitochondrial membrane it is blocking a major pathway for cell death. Thus, hexokinase II is responsible for two characteristics of cancer cells, rapid tumor growth and difficulty to kill. Therefore the overall goal of our laboratory is to identify novel compounds with the ability to displace or translocate hexokinase II from the mitochondrial membrane to the cytoplasm. To attain our goal, we propose to use the crystal structure of hexokinase II to create a molecular model of the enzyme. However the amino acids responsible for binding to VDAC are not known. Therefore, we made a series of truncations and point mutations to identify the binding site to VDAC. Truncations of the first 10 and 20 amino acids indicated that important amino acids for binding were located within the first 10 amino acids. We made a series of single, double and triple point mutations within the first 10 amino acids. Immunofluorescence and immunoblot data has confirmed that mutating the fifth amino acid from histidine to proline completely abolished binding to the mitochondrial membrane. To prepare hexokinase II for crystallization, we have cloned the enzyme downstream of a thrombin cleavage site and His-tag. We were able to purify hexokinase II using a cobalt column, then eluting hexokinase II using thrombin to cleave at the thrombin cleavage site. Purified hexokinase II is isolated after removal of the thrombin using Protein A beads. After the crystal structure of hexokinase II is obtained, we will use the University of Florida Structure-based Molecular Docking Core facility to identify compounds predicted to fit into the VDAC binding site. The compounds will be characterized to validate a mechanism-of-action of translocating hexokinase II from the mitochondrial membrane to the cytoplasm, blocking glycolysis and decreasing ATP synthesis. The positive compounds will be analyzed to determine the best strategy for moving our studies closer to clinical application in cancer patients. Citation Format: Nadezda Bryan, Michelle M. Hwang, Kevin P. Raisch. Identification of the mitochondrial binding site on the amino-terminal end of hexokinase II. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2438. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2438
Coping with interdependencies related to patient choice: Boundary-spanning at four accountable care organizations.

BACKGROUND Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are responsible for outcomes that are only partially under their control because patients may choose to self-refer outside the ACO, overuse resource-intensive services, or underuse evidence-based care. ACOs must devise boundary-spanning practices to manage these interdependencies related to patient choice. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to identify, conceptualize, and categorize ACO efforts to cope with interdependencies related to patient choice. APPROACH We conducted qualitative organizational case studies of four ACOs. We interviewed 89 executives, mid-level managers, and physicians and analyzed the data through multiple rounds of inductive coding. RESULTS We identified 15 boundary-spanning practices, in which two or more ACOs engaged in efforts to understand, cope with, or alter interdependencies related to patient choice. Analysis of these practices revealed five categories of factors that appeared to shape patient choices in ways that may impact ACO performance: the availability of services, interactions with patients, system complexities, care provided to ACO patients by non-ACO providers, and uncertainties related to the environment. Our findings provide a process theory of ACO boundary-spanning: Each individual boundary-spanning practice contributes to a broader strategic goal, through which it may impact a particular aspect of interdependence and thereby reduce underuse, overuse, or leakage (i.e., provision of services outside the ACO). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS In identifying ACO boundary-spanning practices and proposing how they may impact interdependence, our theory highlights conceptual relationships that researchers can study and test. Similarly, in identifying key aspects of interdependencies related to patient choice and a broad assortment of ACO boundary-spanning practices, our findings provide managers with a tool for evaluating and developing their own boundary-spanning efforts.
Feeling No Ways Tired: A Resurgence of Activism in the African American Community

A considerable amount of the literature on African American activism has been focused on the mainstream political participation and the civil rights and Black Power movements. Subsequent research i...
Sampling-based Approximate Optimal Control Under Temporal Logic Constraints

We investigate a sampling-based method for optimal control of continuous-time and continuous-state (possibly nonlinear) systems under co-safe linear temporal logic specifications. We express the temporal logic specification as a deterministic, finite automaton (the specification automaton), and link the automaton's discrete transitions to the continuous system state as it passes through specified regions. The optimal hybrid controller is characterized by a set of coupled partial differential equations. Because these equations are difficult to solve exactly in practice in all cases, we propose instead a sampling based technique to solve for an approximate controller through approximate value iteration. We adopt model reference adaptive search---an importance sampling optimization algorithm---to determine the mixing weights of the approximate value function expressed in a finite basis. Under mild technical assumptions, the algorithm converges, with probability one, to an optimal weight that ensures the satisfaction of temporal logic constraints, while minimizing an upper bound for the optimal cost. We demonstrate the correctness and efficiency of the method through numerical experiments, including temporal logic planning for a linear system, and a nonlinear mobile robot.
Evaluation of environmentally driven models for early warning of malaria: an exploratory study

Abstract Background Remotely-sensed earth observation data have the potential to inform early warning systems for malaria and other environmentally mediated diseases due to the lagged relation between environmental conditions at present and disease transmission potential in the near future. A common approach is to use total rainfall and mean temperature at a specific time lag to forecast malaria incidence, without justification for the choice of predictor variables or the length of the time lag. Here we explore a number of commonly used formulations of models to forecast malaria incidences across multiple districts using a variety of environmental indices derived from near-real-time satellite remote-sensing data and summarized using polynomial distributed lags. Methods We used weekly malaria incidence data from 2012 to 2017 in 47 districts in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, a region of unstable malaria transmission where epidemics are driven by environmental conditions, combined with district-level rainfall, land surface temperature, and vegetation greenness, and vegetation water content summarised at lags of 1–16 weeks. We fit models containing various combinations of parameters related to trend, seasonality, and transformations of the environmental indices. We assessed model accuracy using time series cross validation. Findings Models containing a linear effect of trend, Fourier components for seasonality, and climatological anomalies of rainfall, daytime land surface temperature, and normalised difference water index (NDWI) produced the most useful forecasts. Optimal distributed lag functions varied geographically, but generally showed the most positive correlations with malaria incidence at lags of 4–6 weeks. Interpretation Time series models used for early warning of malaria outbreaks are improved by incorporating other environmental indices in addition to rainfall and temperature, by using distributed lags for summarising environmental effects, and by using Fourier components for seasonality combined with environmental anomalies rather than raw environmental indices. Funding National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (grant number R01AI079411).
Growth and biofilm formation by Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe flesh and peel extracts on four food-contact surfaces at 22 °C and 10 °C

Abstract The nationwide listeriosis outbreak that occurred in the United States during 2011 highlighted the importance of preventing cantaloupe contamination with Listeria monocytogenes ( Lm ) within farm and processing environments. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of strain and temperature on growth and biofilm formation of Lm in cantaloupe flesh and peel extracts on different food-contact surfaces. Growth of Lm strains was markedly greater at high concentration of cantaloupe extracts and temperature in comparison to low concentration and temperature. For 50 mg/ml of cantaloupe extract inoculated with 3 log CFU/ml, the growth of Lm was 8.5 log CFU/ml in 32 h at 22 °C and 6–7 log CFU/ml in 72 h at 10 °C. For 2 mg/ml of cantaloupe extract that was inoculated with Lm, the growth was 7–7.5 log CFU/ml in 72 h at 22 °C and 3.5 log CFU/ml in 72 h at 10 °C. There were no differences ( P > 0.05) among Lm strains for biofilm formation in cantaloupe extracts, but biofilm formation was greater at high temperature and high concentration. For 50 mg/ml cantaloupe extracts inoculated with 3 log CFU/ml, the biofilm formation of Lm on stainless steel surface was approximately 7 log CFU/coupon at 22 °C in 4–7 days and 5–6 log CFU/coupon at 10 °C in 7 days. For 2 mg/ml cantaloupe extracts, the biofilm formation of Lm on the stainless-steel surface was approximately 5–6 log CFU/coupon at 22 °C and 4–4.5 log CFU/coupon at 10 °C in 7 days. The biofilm formation by cantaloupe outbreak strain Lm 2011L-2625 in cantaloupe extracts was least on buna-n rubber when compared to stainless steel, polyethylene and polyurethane surfaces ( P Lm growth and subsequent biofilm formation on different food-contact processing surfaces.
Influences of individual phenotypic traits on the habitat preferences of the sand fiddler crab, Uca pugilator

Recognizing which phenotypic traits are predictors for habitat choice can have important implications for understanding population dynamics. This study determined whether body size, sex, activity level, or origin habitat affected the preference of the fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, in selecting either a marsh or open mudflat, two habitats differing in risk level and food availability. Combining field and laboratory experiments, this study indicated a significant difference in body size and activity level of crabs between habitats. Further investigation of phenotypic dependency on habitat preference resulted in interactions between origin habitat and carapace width and activity level. When split by origin habitat, habitat preference for the open mudflat was predicted by body size for crabs originating from the open mudflat and by activity level for the crabs originating from the Spartina marsh. These results suggest that, for U. pugilator, body size plays a large role in the preference for exposed habitat.
The Role of Kant's "Schematism of the Pure Concepts of Understanding" in Hannah Arendt's Theory of Judgment

Never finished, Hannah Arendt's project "The Life of the Mind" was to include a third section, "Judging." Indications of what she would have written can be culled from her lecture course: "Lectures on Kant's Political Philosophy." This essay examines the centrality of Kant's Schematism of the Pure Concepts of Understanding in Arendt's conception of judgment. Through this analysis, the central roles of imagination and communicability as they relate to judgment are examined. Further, the essay clarifies and emphasizes the importance of Arendt's insistence on distinction and specificity as they relate to conceptual analysis and thus to judgment.
APPLICATION OF ELECTRIC CAPACITY MEASUREMENTS TO DETECTING DELAMINATION IN BLADES OF HELICOPTER’S LIFTING AND AUXILIARY ROTORS

This paper represents a series of the authors’ publications concerning effects of atmospheric conditions on aircraft [5-6, 11]. Hazards connected with separation ( delamination) of heating elements from blade’s spar , namely: increased susceptibility to ice formation as a result of change in aerodynamic profile, decreased deicing effectiveness, shortened life of heating elements , weakened strength of blade’s structure, are described. In order to monitor the above mentioned delamination process during its early phase, these authors proposed to measure systematically electric capacity between the heating element and blade’s spar by means of a technical method. The electric capacity measurements performed by these authors on blades both in laboratory and service conditions demonstrated their practical usefulness for assessing delamination extent as well as for identifying areas where heating element separation from spar occurred. The method in question is simple , cheap , fast and non-interferring (non-destructive) as well as it does not require dismounting the blades off the helicopter. As proved in practice , it is especially useful in sea-rescue or military operational conditions. Special attention was paid to application of the method to composite blades where coming-off the heating element tape causes local overheating the blade structure , that impairs flexibility of composite’s layers and may lead even to local cracks which may trigger helicopter crash. These authors desire to apply the method as a standard unit of on-board diagnostic system in the future.
Uncertainty and Production Planning

The intent of this chapter is to review and discuss how uncertainty is handled in production planning. We describe and critique current practices and then prescribe possible improvements to these practices. In particular, we argue that there are a set of tactical decisions that are critical to the proper handling of uncertainty in production planning. We observe that current planning systems do not provide adequate decision support for these tactical decisions; we regard this shortcoming as an opportunity for new research and development, which could significantly improve the practice of production planning.
Respiratory Fungal Infections in Solid Organ and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Respiratory fungal infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality in hematopoietic stem cell (HSCT) and solid organ (SOT) transplant recipients, and are caused primarily by molds. Aspergillus is the most common pathogen. The net state of immunosuppression plays a major role in the risk of respiratory fungal infections after transplantation. Clinical presentation can be atypical and diagnosis can be delayed due to low sensitivity of diagnostic methods or inability to obtain adequate specimens. Fungal infections in HSCT and SOT carry a higher risk of dissemination. New prophylaxis strategies have changed the epidemiology of fungal infections in this patient population.
Binder jetting of a complex-shaped metal partial denture framework

Abstract Additive manufacturing provides new chances in the manufacturing of highly complex, mass-customized structures with negligible wastes. Binder jetting holds distinctive promise among additive manufacturing technologies due to its fast, low-cost manufacturing; stress-free structures with complex internal and external geometries; and the isotropic properties of the final printed parts. An ExOne binder jet 3D printer is used to produce frameworks for removable partial dentures from metallic powder. Initially, an existing framework is scanned using micro-computed tomography and then the obtained model is printed. Consolidation of the printed parts is achieved with the relative density higher than 99% density with controlled shrinkage. Presented results demonstrate that binder jetting may be used to produce mechanically sound complex-shaped structures as shown here on a denture metal framework model.
Synthetic aperture radar imaging of embedded objects in dielectric slabs

This Ph.D. dissertation is composed of three parts. In Part I, simple, fast and practi­ cal algorithms for solving one-dimensional nonlinear inverse problems are proposed. The thickness and permittivity of a dielectric slab can be determined from frequency-domain data. Prior knowledge of the exact distance between the antenna and the slab surface is not required for the inversion, thus making the method applicable under practical condi­ tions. Furthermore, the method is extended to low-loss situations in which the dielectric permittivity is a complex number. Noise effect has been studied, indicating the robust­ ness of the algorithms with respect to noise. Both computer simulations and laboratory experiments show that the proposed algorithms turn out accurate and reliable results. In Part II, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging of embedded objects inside dielectric slabs is studied. First, basic issues regarding S.A.R imaging especially for our setting are addressed. Then, three diiFerent approaches for reconstructing images are analyzed, and their advantages and disadvantages discussed and compared. .Although the Doppler shift frequency does not exist in the setting of our study, the concept of antenna's physical looking angles is introduced instead and their relationship to spatial spectra provided. Based on this new outlook, the technique of short-time Fourier transform (STFT) is em­ ployed to provide a three-dimensional data set linking together the looking angle, time, and antenna location. Consequently, an effective and powerful method for estimating the relative permittivity of the host dielectric material is developed. This greatly facilitates SAR imaging of embedded objects in reality. Case studies based on experimental data are provided using algorithms developed in both Part I and Part II. It is shown that
Exploring the Social, Moral, and Temporal Qualities of Pre-Service Teachers' Narratives of Evolution

Elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers may experience considerable unease when teaching evolution in the context of the Earth or life sciences (Griffith and Brem, in press). Many factors may contribute to their discomfort, including personal conceptualizations of the evolutionary process - especially human evolution, the most controversial aspect of evolutionary theory. Knowing more about the mental representations of an evolutionary process could help researchers to understand the challenges educators face in addressing scientific principles. These insights could inform educators of alternative methods in providing support and assistance. In this study, we examined pre-service teachers' conceptual representations of an evolutionary process through their personal narratives of evolution for an imaginary humanoid species on a far-off planet. The imaginary creature participants described tended to resemble humans in both form and evolutionary history. The narratives had a tendency to link evoluti...
Calcium ionophore-induced degradation of neurofilament and cell death in MSN neuroblastoma cells.

Extensive necrotic death of MSN neuroblastoma cells could be induced after incubation with the calcium ionophore, A23187. The reaction was concentration-dependent and time course-dependent. Levels of the 66 kd/α-internexin neurofilament protein (NF-66) and the cognate heat shock protein 70 (Hsc 70) decreased during the Ca2+-activated cell death. Addition of the calcium chelator, ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) restored the normal level of NF-66 and partially that of the Hsc 70. Use of either calpain I or calpain II inhibitor could alleviate the reduction of 66 kd protein during the ionophore treatment whereas only calpain I inhibitor treatment was effective in restoring the normal level of the Hsc 70. Neither of these calpain inhibitors could block the ionophore triggered cell death. EQTA was toxic to cells in a wide range of concentration suggesting a calcium-independent activation of cell death mechanism.
Problems Associated with Assessment of the Contribution of Individual Forms of Cytochrome P450 to the Metabolism of Xenobiotics

One of the broad aims of research in “drug metabolism” is to understand individual drug-metabolizing enzymes well enough to be able to account for the totality of the in vivo biotransformation of xenobiotics. If that were possible, differences in metabolism could be related directly to variations in enzyme profiles and, more important, enzyme profiles could be used to predict metabolism. The implications of this knowledge with respect to drug disposition, drug interactions, and formation of reactive products are manifest. A multitude of so-called “phase I” and “phase II” enzymes participate in this process of drug metabolism, the most important arguably being the many isozymes of cytochrome P450.
Population Reductions of Gram-Negative Pathogens Following Treatments with Nisin and Chelators under Various Conditions.

When used in combination with chelating agents (EDTA, EGTA, citrate, phosphate), the bacteriocin nisin is effective for reducing populations of gram-negative bacteria in vitro. This study examined parameters (buffers, temperature presence of divalent cations) that affect nisin inhibition of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium . Approximately 7 log10 colony-forming units (CFU) per ml of E. coli and S. typhimurium were treated in PBS or MOPS buffers containing 50 μg/ml of purified nisin, alone or in combination with 500 mM lactate, 100 mM citrate, 50 mM EDTA, and 1% (wt/vol) sodium hexametaphosphate (pH 7.0) at 37°C for 60 min or 5°C for 30 min. Surviving bacterial populations were compared to untreated controls (buffers without nisin). Data indicated that treatments with nisin in buffers resulted in reductions of 4.30 and 2.30 log10 CFU/ml of E. coli and S. typhimurium , respectively, as compared to untreated controls. Population reductions ranging from 2.29 to 5.49 log10 CFU/ml were observed when cells were treated with nisin and chelator combinations at either 37°C for 60 min or 5°C for 30 min. The addition of magnesium and calcium to buffers with nisin decreased inhibition. Data obtained from spectrophotometric experiments indicated that treatments were causing the release of cellular constituents. However, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses were inconclusive, since cellular membranes did not appear to be disrupted.
Providing a Healthier Start to Life: The Impact of Conditional Cash Transfers on Infant Mortality

In this paper, I evaluate the impact of Mexico's conditional cash transfer program, Progresa, on infant mortality. While studies on other aspects of Progresa make use of a randomized treatment and control evaluation database performed in 506 communities, this database lacks sufficient sample size to measure the effect on infant mortality. Instead, I use vital statistics data to determine municipality-level, rural infant mortality rates and create a panel dataset covering the period 1992-2001. I take advantage of the phasing-in of the program over time both between and within municipalities to identify the impact of the program. I find that Progresa led to an 11 percent decline in rural infant mortality among households treated in Progresa municipalities. Reductions are as high as 36 percent in those communities where, prior to program interventions, the population all spoke some Spanish and had better access to piped water.
Hybrid lyot coronagraph for WFIRST: high contrast testbed demonstration in flight-like low flux environment

In order to validate required operation of the proposed Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST) coronagraph instrument, we have built a testbed in Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is analogous to the baseline WFIRST coronagraph instrument architecture. Since its birth in 2016, this testbed, named as Occulting Mask Coronagraph (OMC) testbed, has demonstrated several crucial technological milestones: Broadband high contrast demonstration in both Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph (HLC) and Shape Pupil Coronagraph (SPC) modes while the Low Order Wavefront Sensing and Control (LOWFS/C) subsystem senses and corrects the dynamic flight-like wavefront disturbances. In this paper, we present up-to-date progress of HLC mode demonstration in the OMC testbed. While injecting the flight-like low photon flux starlight with expected Line of Sight (LoS) and Wavefront Error (WFE) perturbation to the OMC testbed, we demonstrate generating high contrast dark hole images. We first study the expected photon flux in actual flight environment, and estimate detection noise and estimation accuracy of the complex electric field if the wavefront sensing algorithm is used based on the pair-wise difference imaging. Then, we introduce our improved scheme to mitigate this photon-starved flight-like low flux environment. As a result, we generate a dark hole that meets the WFIRST raw contrast requirements using the 2nd magnitude star light. We establish the key ideas, describe test setups, and demonstrate test results with data analysis.
Synthesis of Doubly Annulated m‐Terphenyl‐Based Molecular Tweezers and Their Charge‐Transfer Complexes with DDQ as a Guest

The synthesis of a doubly-annulated m-terphenyl-based tweezer platform has been developed, which affords ready incorporation of various pincer units from monobenzenoid to polybenzenoid electron donors. The complexation study with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) as guest has been carried out, and the crystal structure of T-Py∩DDQ reveals the sandwich-type binding mode in the solid state.
The Measure Aspect of Quantum Uncertainty, of Entanglement, and Respective Entropies

Indeterminacy associated with the probing of quantum state is commonly expressed via spectral distances (metric) featured in the outcomes of repeated experiments. Here we treat it as an effective abundance (measure) of the distinct outcomes instead. The resulting $\mu$-uncertainties are described by the effective number theory [1] whose central result, the existence of a minimal count, leads to a well-defined notion of intrinsic (irremovable) uncertainty. We derive $\mu$-uncertainty formulas for arbitrary set of commuting operators, including the cases with continuous spectra. The associated entropy-like characteristics ($\mu$-entropies) convey how many degrees of freedom are effectively involved in a given measurement process. In order to construct quantum $\mu$-entropies, we are led to quantum effective numbers designed to count independent (mutually orthogonal) states effectively comprising a density matrix. This concept is basis-independent and provides for a measure-based characterization of entanglement.
Customer centric innovation: adoption of 3D printing in the Italian jewellery sector

Three-dimensional printing (3D printing) is one of the customer centric innovations that characterizes the new industrial revolution. This innovation has significant implications for many companies in any sector, even the most traditional ones. The present study aims to lay the foundations for increasing and extending the knowledge on customer centric innovation and to identify the key determinants that allow the adoption of a “customer centric innovation”, in particular 3D printing, by business customers from the point of view of a technology provider through a conceptual framework. To achieve this purpose, a theoretical model from the literature review on customer centric innovation is identified, and then a qualitative research composed of two main steps is carried out. The first step is formed by the study of the Italian jewellery sector through an extensive desk research and meeting with experts. This allows shedding light on the role of 3D printing and dynamics of the sector, where numerous Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) emerged. The second step is constituted by the analysis of a case study in order to identify the determinants that allow the adoption of 3D printing by business customers from the point of view of a SME which is technology provider. The results underline that in this context the technology provider has to be able to align strategy, supply chain network, and technology under the influence of some external forces. Only this process can lead to the adoption of customer centric innovation by creating a potential and real value for business customers that does not extinguish itself with the technological potential that 3D printing already incorporates.
Anthropogenic strath terrace formation caused by reduced sediment retention

Across North America, human activities have been shown to cause river incision into unconsolidated alluvium. Human-caused erosion through bedrock, however, has only been observed in local and isolated outcrops. Here, we test whether splash-dam logging, which decreased in-stream alluvial cover by removing much of the alluvium-trapping wood, caused basin-wide bedrock river incision in a forested mountain catchment in Washington State. We date incision of the youngest of four strath terraces, using dendrochronology and radiocarbon, to between 1893 CE and 1937 CE in the Middle Fork Teanaway River and 1900 CE and 1970 CE in the West Fork Teanaway River, coincident with timber harvesting and splash damming in the basins. Other potential drivers of river incision lack a recognized mechanism to cause T1 incision or are not synchronous with T1 incision. Hence, the close temporal correspondence suggests that reduced sediment retention triggered by splash damming led to the observed 1.1 mm⋅y −1 to 23 mm⋅y −1 of bedrock river incision and reduction of the active floodplain to 20% and 53% of its preincision extent on the Middle and West Forks, respectively. The development of such anthropogenic bedrock terraces may be an emerging, globally widespread physiographic signature of the Anthropocene.
Implementing ♢P with Bounded Messages on a Network of ADD Channels

We present an implementation of the eventually perfect failure detector (♢P) from the original hierarchy of the Chandra-Toueg [3] oracles on an arbitrary partitionable network composed of unreliabl...
Activity and stability of mesoporous CeO2 and ZrO2 catalysts for the self-condensation of cyclopentanone

Abstract Metal oxides containing acid-base pairs are widely used as catalysts for aldol condensation reactions, but they are often prone to secondary condensation and fast deactivation. In this contribution, high-surface area mesoporous CeO2 and ZrO2 have been synthesized and tested as catalysts for the self-condensation of cyclopentanone, an attractive molecular building block for several biomass upgrading strategies. The catalytic activity, stability, and overall kinetics behavior of these two catalysts have been compared in the liquid phase. A detailed kinetics analysis shows that on both oxides, the reaction is controlled by the initial unimolecular α-H abstraction step, in which cyclopentanone forms the crucial enolate intermediate. Subsequently, the enolate couples with another cyclopentanone molecule in a bimolecular C-C coupling step. CO2-TPD analysis and site titration with probe molecules indicate that initially the most active catalyst is the mesoporous ZrO2 sample with strong base character. However, this catalyst exhibits a very rapid deactivation. By contrast, the mesoporous CeO2 prepared in this study has lower basicity strength, which results in lower initial activity, but enhanced stability.
Malfunction Analysis of Generator Third Harmonic Stator Grounding Protection

The third-harmonic stator grounding protection is widely used in China to monitor the stator insulation of the generator. This protection would send wrong signal in engineering applications. This paper introduces the principle and implementation method of the third harmonic stator grounding protection. According to the generation mechanism of the third harmonic electric potential of the generator, this paper analysis the Various influencing factors of ratio calculation principle, and fixed value optimization advice of the third harmonic stator grounding protection is proposed. Fixed value optimization in engineering applications also recommended.
Stat3 activation in human endometrial and cervical cancers

5353 The activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) has been implicated in the oncogenesis of cancer and is regarded as a novel target for cancer therapy. Stat3 is classified as a proto-oncogene, because an activated form of Stat3 can mediate oncogenic transformation in cultured cells and tumor formation in nude mice. The constitutive activation of Stat3 has been frequently detected in various types of human cancers. However, the constitutive activation of Stat3 in endometrial and cervical cancers has not been studied. We examined tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat3 (activated form of Stat3) in multiple endometrial and cervical cancer tissues using tissue microarray slides as well as cancer cell lines to explore the possible activation of Stat3. Our results indicated that elevated phosphorylation of Stat3 was detected in cervical and endometrial cancer cell lines. Our results also showed that elevated levels of phosphorylation of Stat3 protein were detected in the endometrial and cervical cancer specimens. This is the first study to demonstrate that Stat3 is activated in human endometrial and cervical cancer tissues. Immunohistochemical staining showed that activated Stat3 is associated with increased expression of down stream antiapoptotic genes, Bcl-xL, survivin, and Mcl-1 in these tissues. Expression of a dominant-negative Stat3 mutant using adenovirus-mediated gene transfer inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in Hela and SiHa cervical cancer cell lines expressing elevated levels of Stat3 phosphorylation. Further, a JAK/Stat3 small molecular inhibitor, JSI-124, induced apoptosis more selectively in Hela and SiHa cancer cell lines than Ishikawa cell line without elevated levels of Stat3 phosphorylation. These results indicate that Stat3 is activated in human endometrial and cervical cancers and the inhibition of constitutive Stat3 signaling may be an effective target for cancer intervention in these two cancers.
High | t | diffractive vector meson production at the EIC

We investigate the prospects of the diffractive production of $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ mesons at a large momentum transfer $|t|$ at the future Electron Ion Collider (EIC) in electron-proton collisions. In particular, we focus on the measurements of the rapidity gap size. The model used for the calculations is based on the diffractive exchange of the Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov perturbative Pomeron. Calculations for the cross section and the estimates for the rates assuming integrated luminosity of $10\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ are provided. Two experimental strategies were considered. First, measuring the rapidity gap size directly, by observing the activity in the forward part of the central detector, and second by putting a lower limit on the rapidity gap size in the case when the detector cannot measure forward activity. We find that it is possible to measure at the EIC the dependence of the cross section on rapidity gap interval up to four units in rapidity. This should allow us to measure the change of the cross section by a factor of 1.6 expected due to the BFKL exchange. This is possible with the present setup of the detector which projects the coverage up to 3.5 units of rapidity. We conclude however, that the extension of the detector up to higher rapidity, for example to 4.5 would be desirable and provide even better lever arm for testing rapidity gap physics at the EIC.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae deficient in the early anaphase release of Cdc14 can traverse anaphase I without ribosomal DNA disjunction and successfully complete meiosis

Eukaryotic meiosis is a specialized cell cycle involving two successive nuclear divisions that lead to the formation of haploid gametes. The phosphatase Cdc14 plays an essential role in meiosis as revealed in studies of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Cdc14 is stored in the nucleolus, a sub-nuclear domain containing the ribosomal DNA, and its release is regulated by two distinct pathways, one acting in early anaphase I of meiosis and a second at the exit from meiosis II. The early anaphase release is thought to be important for disjunction of the ribosomal DNA, disassembly of the anaphase I spindle, spindle pole re-duplication and the counteraction of CDK, all of which are required for progression into meiosis II. The release of Cdc14 from its nucleolar binding partner Net1 is stimulated by phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase sites in Net1, but the importance of that phospho-regulation in meiosis is not well understood. We induced net1-6cdk mutant cells to enter meiosis and examined the localization of Cdc14 and various indicators of meiotic progression. The net1-6cdk mutations inhibit, but don’t fully prevent Cdc14 release, and they almost completely prevent disjunction of the ribosomal DNA during meiosis I. Failure to disjoin the ribosomal DNA is lethal in mitosis, and we expected the same to be true in meiosis. However, the cells were able to complete meiosis II, yielding the expected four meiotic products as viable spores. Therefore, all ribosomal DNA disjunction required for meiosis can occur in meiosis II. We discuss the implications of these findings for our understanding of meiotic chromosome segregation.
Bank Lending to Rural vs. Urban Firms in the U.S. Before, During, and After the Great Financial Crisis

Bank lending to small businesses plummeted during the financial crisis years of 2009 – 2010 (Cole, 2012) and remained at depressed levels through 2015, even as loans to big businesses spiked upwards (Cole, 2018). The current study analyzes data on small-business loan originations at the census-tract level collected by U.S. banking regulators to provide new univariate and multivariate evidence on whether banks made fewer loans to small businesses in rural as compared to urban areas; whether bank lending to small businesses located in rural areas was disproportionately affected by the financial crisis during 2008 – 2010; and, if so, whether such lending recovered during the post-crisis years 2011 - 2016. The analysis reveals that (1) banks did make fewer loans to small businesses in rural as compared to urban areas; (2) rural small businesses were, indeed, disproportionately hurt during the crisis years relative to urban small businesses, which also were hurt, but not as severely; and (3) rural small businesses have seen less of a recovery in lending during the post-crisis years than did their urban counterparts. These findings support efforts by policymakers and bank regulators to boost bank and non-bank small-business lending in rural areas.
Using Incident Reports to Advance Patient Safety and System Resilience in Radiation Oncology Treatment Planning

We used incident reports to improve treatment planning in radiation oncology to advance patient safety. First, a cluster of related reports enabled discovery of communication issues for setup instr...
Bronchial rupture following endobronchial blocker placement: a case report of a rare, unfortunate complication.

Background Lung separation may be achieved through the use of double lumen tubes or endobronchial blockers. The use of lung separation techniques carries the risk of airway injuries which range from minor complications like postoperative hoarseness and sore throat to rare and potentially devastating tracheobronchial mucosal injuries like bronchus perforation or rupture. With few case reports to date, bronchial rupture with the use of endobronchial blockers is indeed an overlooked complication. Case presentation A 78-year-old male patient with a left upper lobe lung adenocarcinoma underwent a left upper lobectomy with a Fuji Uniblocker® as the lung separation device. Despite an atraumatic insertion and endobronchial blocker balloon volume within manufacturer specifications, an intraoperative air leak developed, and the patient was found to have sustained a left mainstem bronchus rupture which was successfully repaired and the patient extubated uneventfully. Unfortunately, the patient passed on in-hospital from sepsis and other complications. Conclusion Bronchial rupture is a serious complication of endobronchial blocker use that can carry significant morbidity, and due care should be exercised in its use and placement. Bronchoscopy should be used during insertion, and the volume and pressure of the balloon kept to the minimum required to prevent air leak. Bronchial injury should be considered as a differential in the presence of an unexplained air leak.
Mastering the Match: Recruiting a Successful Surgery Resident.

The objective of general surgery residency is to produce competent surgeons. At a minimum this requires being procedurally and clinically capable and able to pass the board exams. Recruitment is designed to select those residents who can successfully do so. But there is more to being a successful resident than that. In this review, we attempt to define a “successful resident” and how to attract them to your program. Resident applicants are still most concerned with matching to a program that will prepare them for a surgery career. Though there is variation of importance for different applicants, resident life, comradery, and relationships with faculty or mentors do factor into residency ranking. The program website remains the most utilized resource for applicants. However, social media (SM) has an increasing role in applicants’ evaluation of a program. SM and the preinterview gathering seem to expose the subjective aspects of a program most effectively. Additional assessments evaluating personality, grit or career goals may assist in screening applicants for good “fit.” In order to recruit successful residents, it is necessary to determine which applicant attributes are important to the program. Additionally, a program must maintain an updated website with clearly delineated resident expectations and program strengths. The screening and interview process must be maximized to target residents with career goals complimentary to available program opportunities. If SM is utilized, post should be frequent with relevant information pertaining to both resident life and educational or clinical opportunities.
Diagnosis of Occlusion Myocardial Infarction in Patients with Left Bundle Branch Block and Paced Rhythms

A number of criteria have been developed to aid with the diagnosis of occlusion myocardial infarction (OMI) in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and ventricular paced rhythms (VPR). The current guidelines do not provide clear preference for any specific ECG criteria in LBBB and paced rhythm patients. This review delineates the difficulties of electrocardiographic diagnosis of OMI in both LBBB and VPR patients. We describe the original Sgarbossa and the newer criteria and their diagnostic performances. We highlight the expected changes of newer pacing modalities and how they may interfere with the electrocardiographic diagnosis of OMI. We recommend utilizing the Cai et al. algorithm, which combines clinical assessment with the Smith Modified Sgarbossa ECG criteria, for both LBBB and right ventricular pacing patients with suspected OMI. There is limited data concerning ECG changes of OMI in patients with the newer pacing modalities, such as biventricular, His-bundle, or left bundle branch pacing.