cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Individual differences in anterior EEG asymmetry between high and low defensive individuals during a rumination/distraction task

The current study examined how reactions to a negative mood manipulation and a rumination/distraction task differed between high defensive (HD) and low defensive (LD) individuals. At baseline, high defensive participants exhibited significantly greater relative left frontal EEG activity than low defensive participants. HD also exhibited greater relative left anterior activity during both the negative mood induction and during the rumination/distraction task, regardless of group assignment. Contrary to predictions, there were no differences in self-reported mood between HD and LD in either the rumination or distraction group. A significant interaction was found between gender and group, indicating that anterior alpha asymmetry patterns differed for men and women during the rumination/distraction task.
Efficient wireless image transmission under a total power constraint

Due to high data rates and limited bandwidth as well as limited battery power, wireless multimedia communications systems must be optimized in every possible way. We develop a generic matching scheme for wireless image and video communication in which the three most significant components: the source coder, the channel coder, and hardware power consumption, are jointly optimized. That is, we maximize the end-to-end image quality subject to a total power constraint on both the RF transmission power and the power consumption of the digital implementation of the channel coder, which represents a major portion of the total hardware power in short-range applications.
The Escherichia coli F1-ATPase mutant βTyr-297 → Cys: functional studies and asymmetry of the enzyme under various nucleotide conditions based on reaction of the introduced Cys with N-ethylmaleimide and 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzofurazan

Abstract Conversion of residue βTyr-297 of the Escherichia coli F1-ATPase (ECF1) to a Cys in the mutant βY297C led to impaired oxidative phosphorylation based on growth curves. The ATPase activity of ECF1 isolated from the mutant βY297C was only 1% of wild-type activity, but the residual activity involves cooperative multi-site enzyme turnover based on inhibition by DCCD and azide. ATPase activity could be increased to 8%, and 13% of wild-type by reaction of the introduced Cys with N-ethyl maleimide (NEM), and 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzofurazan (NbfCl), respectively, suggesting that enzymatic function is improved by an increased hydrophobicity of residue βCys-297. The mutation βTyr-297 → Cys had no effect on nucleotide binding in studies with the fluorescent analog lin-benzo-ADP. The asymmetry of ECF1 was investigated in the mutants βY297C and β Y 297 C : E 381 C ϵ S 108 C by examining the relative reactivity of Cys-297 in the three copies of the β subunit under different nucleotide binding conditions. In agreement with a previous study (Haughton, M.A. and Capaldi, R.A. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 20568–20574), the asymmetry was maintained under all nucleotide conditions. The NbfCl reaction site was found to be βfree, which is also the site most reactive to NEM, βϵ is the second site which reacts with NbfCl or NEM, while the third site, βγ, is poorly reactive to either reagent.
On the study of passive and active slotline ring antennas

The design and measurement of the passive and active slotline ring antennas are discussed. A simple transmission line method is used to predict the resonant frequency of the slotline ring antenna. Two feed methods for the passive slotline ring antenna are described. A new type of FET active slotline ring antenna is also presented. The measured H-field radiation patterns of the passive and active slotline ring antennas showed that the active antenna had improved copolar pattern and crosspolar level. This active radiating element offers a simple, lightweight, low-cost, small, reproducible, and truly planar active source for quasi-optical power combiners and mixers. The circuit is also amenable to monolithic circuit integration for mass production. >
Service Spectrum for Service Engineering

This paper presents a service spectrum, which defines the prominent characteristics of services in the context of SOA paradigm. The service spectrum comprises service identification, aspects, attributes, metadata, messaging, and repository/management, serving as a foundation to a systematic service engineering discipline, in which the major stages of the service lifecycle are addressed - portfolio assessment, service analysis, service modeling, service realization, service assembly, and service management. This holistic disciplined approach covers the contents, categories, models, activities, artifacts, standards/policies, patterns, and tools to comprehensively incorporate the industry best practices and our past experience in the real-world SOA solution designs.
Phase Behavior of N-Alkyl-2-pyrrolidones in Aqueous and Nonaqueous Systems and the Effect of Additives

The phase behavior of N-cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidone and a homologous series of N-alkyl-2-pyrrolidones mixed with water or with paraffins has been studied, and the effect of additives investigated. Depending upon the alkyl chain length, concentration, and temperature, the compounds can be either partially or completely miscible with water or paraffins. Several mixtures of the pyrrolidones and water show a lower consolute temperature (LCT). The LCTs can be changed to higher or lower temperatures by addition of salts, acids, and other compounds. Mixtures of the pyrrolidone compounds with paraffins, on the other hand, show an upper consolute temperature (UCT) behavior. The UCT decreases with the alkyl chain length of the pyrrolidones, but increases with the paraffin chain length. The miscibility of a given paraffin/pyrrolidone mixture can be improved by adding a longer chain pyrrolidone as third component.
Structure function interface with sequential shortening of basal and apical components of the myocardial band

Objective: To mechanically test the intact cardiac structure to determine the sequence of contraction within the myocardial mass to try to explain ejection and suction. Methods: In 24 pigs (30–85kg), segment shortening at the site of sonomicrometer crystals was continuously recorded. The ECG evaluated rhythm, and Millar pressure transducers measured intraventricular pressure and dP/dt. Results: Study of segment shortening defined a sequence of contraction within the myocardial mass, starting at the free wall of the right ventricle and on the endocardial side of the antero-septal wall of the left. Crystal location defined underlying contractile trajectory; transverse in right ventricle followed by basal posterior left ventricle, and from the endocardial anterior wall to the posterior apical segment and finally to the epicardial side of the anterior wall. Mean shortening fraction averaged 18±3%, with endocardial exceeding epicardial shortening by 5±1%. Epicardial segment crystal displacement followed endocardial shortening by 82±23ms in the anterior wall, and finished 92±33ms after endocardial shortening stopped, time frame that matches the interval of fast drop of ventricular pressure and the start of suction. Conclusions: Crystal shortening fraction sequence followed the rope-like myocardial band model to contradict traditional thinking, with two starting points of excitation–contraction, the right anterior free wall of the right ventricle, and the endocardial side of the anterior wall. Active suction may be due to active shortening of the epicardial fibers of the anterior wall, because relaxation was not detected when both mitral and aortic valves were closed during the interval previously termed ‘isovolumetric relaxation’.
The genetics of acute lung injury: looking back and pointing the way forward

Individual genetic factors have long been suspected of playing a major role in susceptibility to acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Flores and colleagues evaluate the quality of published studies testing the relationships between variation in candidate genes and susceptibility to lung injury syndromes or worsened outcome in patients with these conditions. Their results demonstrate that while important advances have been made in this area, attention should be paid to improving the methodology of future studies in order to minimize the chances of publishing false-positive results.
Insect-Control Possibilities Using Microwaves and Lower Frequency RF Energy

Principles applicable to controlling stored-product insects with radiofrequency (RF) energy and general findings of research on this topic are reviewed. Data are presented on the frequency dependence of the dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor of insects and grain, and use of such information is discussed in relation to RF treatment for insect control. Some aspects of practical application are also considered.
Does Reliability Pay? How Reputation Can Affect Transaction Governance Investments

The role of trust in economic exchange is ill-defined. Trust between alliance partners is argued to sometimes be an alternative to costly governance mechanisms and can therefore lead to superior performance. On the other hand, relying on anything but investments to secure credible commitment to deterrence is described as myopic. This paper explores a middle ground where, in the context of a reputation network, governance costs can decline without the strict necessity of intentional trust. Using an experimental approach, we show that reputation effects lead to significant advantages for reliable players in terms of offers to ally and the quality of those offers. These advantages resulted in lower governance costs and better performance.
Systems Biology Approaches in Breast Cancer Studies

Breast cancer is the second most common malignancy for women. Currently, only several prognostic and predictive factors are used clinically for managing breast cancer patients. Recently, systems biology approaches based on high-throughput technologies such as DNA microarrays, mass spectrometry-based proteomics and metabolomics have began to be used to investigate the expression of a wide range of genes and proteins in the dissected breast tumors. Moreover, these expression signatures have been found to provide potential and independent prognostic information in patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Furthermore, these molecular signatures could not only help to identify new therapeutic targets, but also allow physicians to design more effective and targeted therapeutic strategies for achieving better treatment outcomes of breast cancer patients.
Frequency and Severity of Neutropenia Associated with Food and Drug Administration Approved and Compounded Formulations of Lomustine in Dogs with Cancer

Author(s): Burton, JH; Stanley, SD; Knych, HK; Rodriguez, CO; Skorupski, KA; Rebhun, RB | Abstract: BackgroundCompounded lomustine is used commonly in veterinary patients. However, the potential variability in these formulations is unknown and concern exists that compounded formulations of drugs may differ in potency from Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved products.Hypothesis/objectivesThe initial objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency and severity of neutropenia in dogs treated with compounded or FDA-approved formulations of lomustine. Subsequent analyses aimed to determine the potency of lomustine obtained from several compounding pharmacies.AnimalsThirty-seven dogs treated with FDA-approved or compounded lomustine.MethodsDogs that received compounded or FDA-approved lomustine and had pretreatment and nadir CBCs performed were eligible for inclusion. Variables assessed included lomustine dose, neutrophil counts, and severity of neutropenia. Lomustine 5 mg capsules from 5 compounding sources were tested for potency using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection.ResultsTwenty-one dogs received FDA-approved lomustine and 16 dogs were treated with lomustine prescribed from a single compounding pharmacy. All dogs treated with FDA-approved lomustine were neutropenic after treatment; 15 dogs (71%) developed grade 3 or higher neutropenia. Four dogs (25%) given compounded lomustine became neutropenic, with 2 dogs (12.5%) developing grade 3 neutropenia. The potency of lomustine from 5 compounding pharmacies ranged from 50 to 115% of the labeled concentration, with 1 sample within ±10% of the labeled concentration.Conclusions and clinical importanceThese data support broader investigation into the potency and consistency of compounded chemotherapy drugs and highlight the potential need for greater oversight of these products.
American Diaspora: The Deportation of Lawful Residents from the United States and the Destruction of Their Families

This article discusses deportation of lawful permanent residents and the effects these deportations have on families. The focus of this article is on lawful permanent residents faced with deportation because of criminal convictions, and the effect of deportation on their families. It emphasizes the utter lack of rationality, compassion, and flexibility in the administration of immigration law and the need for reassessment of the current deportation regime. Part I reviews the legal and historical foundation for deportation, specifically the effects of the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA) and the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRAIRA). Part II outlines the process of deportation. Part III chronicles the disruption of the lives of the U.S. citizen spouses, children, and parents of deportees and the misery of permanent exile the deportee faces. Part IV calls upon Congress to carefully reevaluate IIRAIRA and argues that increased attention must be paid to the social costs of deportation. While the deportation of so-called criminal aliens may often be an appropriate sanction and legitimate public policy, IIRAIRA requires automatic use of mandatory detention and deportation for people like Hemnauth Mohabir, at the price of destroying their families. This policy is beyond reason and contrary to our traditional notions of justice and the national interest.
Development of macrociliary cells in Beroe. I. Actin bundles and centriole migration

Differentiation of macrociliary cells on regenerating lips of the ctenophore Beroe was studied by transmission electron microscopy. In this study of early development, we found that basal bodies for macrocilia arise by an acentriolar pathway near the nucleus and Golgi apparatus, in close association with plaques of dense fibrogranular bodies. Procentrioles are often aligned side-by-side in double layers with the cartwheel ends facing outward toward the surrounding plaques of dense granules. Newly formed basal bodies then disband from groups and develop a long striated rootlet at one end. At the same time, an array of microfilaments arises in the basal cytoplasm. The microfilaments are arranged in parallel strands oriented toward the cell surface. The basal body-rootlet units are transported to the apical surface in close association with the assembling actin filament bundle. Microfilaments run parallel to and alongside the striated rootlets, to which they often appear attached. Basal body-rootlet units migrate at the heads of trails of microfilaments, as if they are pushed upwards by elongation of their attached actin filaments. Near the apical surface the actin bundle curves and runs below the cell membrane. Newly arrived basal body-rootlets tilt upwards out of the microfilament bundle to contact the cell membrane and initiate ciliogenesis. The basal bodies tilt parallel to the flat sides of the rootlets, and away from the direction in which the basal feet point. The actin bundle continues to enlarge during ciliogenesis. These results suggest that basal body migration may be driven by the directed assembly of attached actin filaments.
Activating clinical trials: a process improvement approach

The administrative process associated with clinical trial activation has been criticized as costly, complex, and time-consuming. Prior research has concentrated on identifying administrative barriers and proposing various solutions to reduce activation time, and consequently associated costs. Here, we expand on previous research by incorporating social network analysis and discrete-event simulation to support process improvement decision-making. We searched for all operational data associated with the administrative process of activating industry-sponsored clinical trials at the Office of Clinical Research of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. We limited the search to those trials initiated and activated between July 2011 and June 2012. We described the process using value stream mapping, studied the interactions of the various process participants using social network analysis, and modeled potential process modifications using discrete-event simulation. The administrative process comprised 5 sub-processes, 30 activities, 11 decision points, 5 loops, and 8 participants. The mean activation time was 76.6 days. Rate-limiting sub-processes were those of contract and budget development. Key participants during contract and budget development were the Office of Clinical Research, sponsors, and the principal investigator. Simulation results indicate that slight increments on the number of trials, arriving to the Office of Clinical Research, would increase activation time by 11 %. Also, incrementing the efficiency of contract and budget development would reduce the activation time by 28 %. Finally, better synchronization between contract and budget development would reduce time spent on batching documentation; however, no improvements would be attained in total activation time. The presented process improvement analytic framework not only identifies administrative barriers, but also helps to devise and evaluate potential improvement scenarios. The strength of our framework lies in its system analysis approach that recognizes the stochastic duration of the activation process and the interdependence between process activities and entities.
The Bases of Professional Responsibility: Pluralism, Community, and the Legal Profession in Early America

This article examines the standards and enforcement mechanisms of professional responsibility among lawyers in early America. Focusing on the examples of two seemingly disparate figures, Puritan leader Cotton Mather and founding era and enlightenment thinker James Wilson, it places early beliefs and practices in the context of “classical republican” or “communitarian” ideas and the informal institutions and practices of legal practice. Mather and Wilson shared a view of lawyers as learned guardians of the common good, combining technical skills with prudence and commitment to the community. Rather than mere platitudes, these standards were upheld, both formally and informally, well into the nineteenth century as norms of conduct and mutual respect necessitated by the small number of lawyers practicing in given areas and the close quarters at which they practiced, particularly on and near the western frontier
Between Poet and (Self-)Critic: Scholarly Interventionism in Rachel Blau DuPlessis’s Drafts

In its engagement with lyric poetic modes, Rachel Blau DuPlessis’s long poem, Drafts, calls attention to the limiting gendered structures of the academic discourses that she negotiates as both a language-oriented poet and a feminist critic. The poem’s serial form promotes ongoing inquiry, and its use of citation gestures toward collaborative authorship. In this sense, Drafts may be considered as an alternative poetic-critical model of scholarship that promotes more inclusive ways of seeking knowledge. Importantly, Drafts’ scholarly interventionism hinges on the destabilization of DuPlessis’s authorial stance, with her highly reflexive poetics ultimately serving to engage the standard discursive practices that have mediated the critical interpretation of experimental women’s writing.
A UNIFIED FULL POTENTIAL SCHEME FOR SUBSONIC, TRANSONIC, AND SUPERSONIC FLOWS

A unified scheme that can treat flows across the Mach number range (subsonic, transonic, and supersonic) is presented for the time-dependent full potential equation. The method is based on a proper cell-interlace flux representation dictated by the characteristic theory of signal propagation. The method is termed 'unified" because it can handle both steady and unsteady flows across the Mach number range (limitations of the full potential theory hold) using logic built into one algorithm. For example, the concept of a supersonic marching code is a special case of this unified scheme.
Composition and Manufacturing Effects on Electrical Properties of Li/FeS2 Thermal Battery Cathodes

The electrical conductivity is key to the performance of thermal battery cathodes. In this work we present the effects of manufacturing and processing conditions on the electrical conductivity of Li/FeS2 thermal battery cathodes. Finite element simulations were used to compute the conductivity of three-dimensional microcomputed tomography cathode microstructures and compare results to experimental impedance spectroscopy measurements. A regression analysis reveals a predictive relationship between composition, processing conditions, and electrical conductivity; a trend which is largely erased after thermally-induced deformation. Moreover, the trend applies to both experimental and simulation results, although is not as apparent in simulations. This research is a step toward a more fundamental understanding of the effects of processing and composition on thermal battery component microstructure, properties, and performance.
Biological Effects of Calcium-Containing Crystals on Synoviocytes

Recently, we described a clinical condition affecting the shoulder joints termed “Milwaukee shoulder syndrome.” Bilateral rotator cuff defects, glenohumeral osteoarthritis, and joint stiffness or instability were accompanied in each case by the finding of hydroxyapatite (HA) crystal clumps (microspheroids), activated collagenase, neutral protease, and particulate collagen types I, II, and III in a nearly acellular synovial fluid [1–3]. Some crystals were detected within synoviocytes and others were observed shedding into the joint space through areas denuded of synovial cells [3]. These observations focused our interest on the role of synovial cells in the pathogenesis of the devolutionary joint changes induced by calcium-containing crystals.
Distribution of transporters along the mouse distal nephron: something old, something borrowed, something new.

this issue of the American Journal of Physiology : Renal Physiology contains two important papers describing the immunolocalization of transporters in the distal tubules of the mouse ([3][1], [6][2]). There are many reasons for the special interest in the organization of this region of the mouse
Behavioral Cybersecurity: A needed aspect of the security curriculum

As more concentrations in cybersecurity in the computer science undergraduate curriculum are being offered to meet a high demand, these offerings have not reflected a major concern of cybersecurity researchers, namely that there is little emphasis on the behavioral questions involved in the study and analysis of cybersecurity events. To this end, Howard University has introduced an upper division undergraduate course to complement its cybersecurity course offerings, called “Behavioral Cybersecurity.” This paper reviews the course development, pedagogical choices made, and outcomes of its initial offering.
A Cell-Free Assay To Screen for Compounds That Modulate the Fanconi/BRCA Pathway.

Abstract Fanconi anemia is a multi-gene cancer susceptibility and bone marrow failure syndrome. In the current model, at least eight proteins (FANCA, -B-C,-E, -F, -G, -L, -M) are part of a nuclear complex that is required for the S phase and DNA-damage dependent monoubiquitination of FANCD2. This event is thought to functionally link the FA complex proteins to major breast cancer susceptibility proteins BRCA1, BRCA2 (FANCD1), and the BRCA1-associated helicase Brip1(FANCJ). An understanding of the function of the FA protein network is incomplete not only because some FA proteins are still unidentified, but also because the functions of individual proteins may be interdependent and are difficult to assess out of context with the entire FA network. We recently developed a cell-free system to evaluate the function of the Fanconi/BRCA pathway proteins in an S phase context in Xenopus egg extracts (Sobeck, et al. 2006). Egg extracts are naturally cell-cycle synchronized and mimic the complex interplay of proteins that support cellular DNA replication and regulated DNA damage checkpoint activation. Intricate protein interactions can be assayed in egg extracts, even without knowing each of the components if there is a measurable endpoint. We tested the hypothesis that the mobility shift of FANCD2 could be used as an endpoint in cell-free assays to determine FA pathway function. We found that an antibody specific for the Xenopus FANCD2 protein detected a single band of the expected size in western blots of proteins separated by SDS-PAGE from unstimulated egg extracts. Addition of DNA substrates to extracts resulted in the appearance of a slower mobility form of FANCD2, consistent with the monoubiquitinated FANCD2-L isoform observed in human cells following DNA damage. We measured inhibition or stimulation of xFANCD2-L in the presence of a series of candidate compounds. We found compounds that inhibit FANCD2-L, including curcumin, which was also identified in a cell-based assay as an inhibitor of FANCD2-L (Chirnomas, et al., 2006). Thus, this cell-free assay successfully mirrors the outcome obtained with a small molecule inhibitor of the FA/BRCA pathway in cell-based assays. This new approach is an improvement relative to cell-based screens because the extracts are fully synchronized, which maximizes the sensitivity of detection of S-phase events. Moreover, cell-free screens are rapid, inexpensive and well suited for semi- or high-throughput methods to identify small molecules that modulate the FA/BRCA DNA-damage response pathway.
Technical Services for Changing Times: Adjusting our Image, Our Skills, and Our Mission

The future of technical services presents a dizzying array of challenges and opportunities. From shared print initiatives and inter-institutional cooperative cataloging to rapidly evolving technologies and the changing face of technical services professionals and staff, leadership in technical services increasingly requires an ability to perform a multitude of balancing acts. Successful management must involve an in-depth understanding of the needs of patrons, the flexibility to recognize when traditional technical services functions have outlived their usefulness, and a willingness to try new things that may fail. This article draws on experiences, both successful and not, from a large academic research library to provide useful insight for leaders at other institutions.
ParFit: A Python-Based Object-Oriented Program for Fitting Molecular Mechanics Parameters to ab Initio Data

A newly created object-oriented program for automating the process of fitting molecular-mechanics parameters to ab initio data, termed ParFit, is presented. ParFit uses a hybrid of deterministic and stochastic genetic algorithms. ParFit can simultaneously handle several molecular-mechanics parameters in multiple molecules and can also apply symmetric and antisymmetric constraints on the optimized parameters. The simultaneous handling of several molecules enhances the transferability of the fitted parameters. ParFit is written in Python, uses a rich set of standard and nonstandard Python libraries, and can be run in parallel on multicore computer systems. As an example, a series of phosphine oxides, important for metal extraction chemistry, are parametrized using ParFit. ParFit is in an open source program available for free on GitHub (https://github.com/fzahari/ParFit).
Exchange-coupled hard magnetic Fe-Co/CoPt nanocomposite films fabricated by electro-infiltration

This paper introduces a potentially scalable electro-infiltration process to produce exchange-coupled hard magnetic nanocomposite thin films. Fe-Co/CoPt nanocomposite films are fabricated by deposition of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles onto Si substrate, followed by electroplating of CoPt. Samples are subsequently annealed under H2 to reduce the CoFe2O4 to magnetically soft Fe-Co and also induce L10 ordering in the CoPt. Resultant films exhibit 0.97 T saturation magnetization, 0.70 T remanent magnetization, 127 kA/m coercivity and 21.8 kJ/m3 maximum energy density. First order reversal curve (FORC) analysis and δM plot are used to prove the exchange coupling between soft and hard magnetic phases.
Functional Evolution of Influenza Virus NS1 Protein in Currently Circulating Human 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Viruses

In 2009, a novel H1N1 influenza virus emerged in humans, causing a global pandemic. It was previously shown that the NS1 protein from this human 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) virus was an effective interferon (IFN) antagonist but could not inhibit general host gene expression, unlike other NS1 proteins from seasonal human H1N1 and H3N2 viruses. Here we show that the NS1 protein from currently circulating pH1N1 viruses has evolved to encode 6 amino acid changes (E55K, L90I, I123V, E125D, K131E, and N205S) with respect to the original protein. Notably, these 6 residue changes restore the ability of pH1N1 NS1 to inhibit general host gene expression, mainly by their ability to restore binding to the cellular factor CPSF30. This is the first report describing the ability of the pH1N1 NS1 protein to naturally acquire mutations that restore this function. Importantly, a recombinant pH1N1 virus containing these 6 amino acid changes in the NS1 protein (pH1N1/NSs-6mut) inhibited host IFN and proinflammatory responses to a greater extent than that with the parental virus (pH1N1/NS1-wt), yet virus titers were not significantly increased in cell cultures or in mouse lungs, and the disease was partially attenuated. The pH1N1/NSs-6mut virus grew similarly to pH1N1/NSs-wt in mouse lungs, but infection with pH1N1/NSs-6mut induced lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines, likely due to a general inhibition of gene expression mediated by the mutated NS1 protein. This lower level of inflammation induced by the pH1N1/NSs-6mut virus likely accounts for the attenuated disease phenotype and may represent a host-virus adaptation affecting influenza virus pathogenesis.IMPORTANCE Seasonal influenza A viruses (IAVs) are among the most common causes of respiratory infections in humans. In addition, occasional pandemics are caused when IAVs circulating in other species emerge in the human population. In 2009, a swine-origin H1N1 IAV (pH1N1) was transmitted to humans, infecting people then and up to the present. It was previously shown that the NS1 protein from the 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) virus is not able to inhibit general gene expression. However, currently circulating pH1N1 viruses have evolved to encode 6 amino acid changes (E55K, L90I, I123V, E125D, K131E, and N205S) that allow the NS1 protein of contemporary pH1N1 strains to inhibit host gene expression, which correlates with its ability to interact with CPSF30. Infection with a recombinant pH1N1 virus encoding these 6 amino acid changes (pH1N1/NSs-6mut) induced lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines, resulting in viral attenuation in vivo This might represent an adaptation of pH1N1 virus to humans.
Interaction between the mean summer monsoon flow and 45-day transient perturbations

The influence of the low-level mean summer monsoon flow on 45-day transient eddies through barotropic interaction is diagnosed by a scalar product between the horizontal shear vector and Eliassen-Palm (E-P) flux, while the dry (moist) baroclinic interaction is measured by a vector product between the vertical wind shear and the eddy sensible (latent) heat transport, which represents the vertical component of E-P fluxes. Activity of 45-day transient eddies was monitored by the evolution of kinetic energy during the 9-year period of 1985-1993. The 45-day wave activity is relatively weak over the SEAM (Southeast Asian monsoon) domain. Absence of geographically fixed forcing makes the WNPM (western North Pacific monsoon) more violent, with the peak 45-day wave activity occurring in late August, the time of frequent development of vigorous tropical cyclones. Near the WNPM updraft center (15°N, 140°-150°E), the E-P wave energy fluxes are oriented in a direction which causes weakening of the sheared mean zonal and meridional winds, implying barotropic amplification of 45-day waves. The weak mean temperature gradient relegates the dry baroclinic instability to that of secondary importance over the WNPM domain. This is contrasted with the significant moist baroclinic process due to an approximate perpendicular relationship between the eddy moisture transport and the strong vertical shear of the monsoon flow. Curiously, 45-day waves are quite active near Japan even during August's dry, hot climate. Neither barotropic nor dry (moist) baroclinic instability can account for late-summer disturbance activity. Evidence is presented that 45-day convective oscillations occuring over the WNPM domain induce a strong 45-day response near Japan and further eastward, possibly indicating an intraseasonal Rossby wave dispersion along the westerly jet stream. Near the Aleutian Islands, a pronounced poleward eddy sensible heat flux is directed down the mean temperature gradient, resulting in dry baroclinic amplification of mid-latitude 45-day waves via action of the Coriolis torque. An import of moisture from the WNPM source region brings about a moist baroclinic instability of extratropical 45-day waves poleward of the Pacific High.
Causes and Predictors of 30-Day Readmission in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiogenic Shock.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurs as a result of irreversible damage to cardiac myocytes secondary to lack of blood supply. Cardiogenic shock complicating AMI has significant associated morbidity and mortality, and data on postdischarge outcomes are limited. Methods and Results: We derived the study cohort of patients with AMI and cardiogenic shock from the 2013 to 2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Readmission Database. Incidence, predictors, and causes of 30-day readmissions were analyzed. From 43 212 index admissions for AMI with cardiogenic shock, 26 016 (60.2%) survived to discharge and 5277 (20.2% of survivors) patients were readmitted within 30 days. More than 50% of these readmissions occurred within first 10 days. Cardiac causes accounted for 42% of 30-day readmissions (heart failure 20.6%; acute coronary syndrome 11.6%). Among noncardiac causes, respiratory (11.4%), infectious (9.4%), medical or surgical care complications (6.3%), gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary (6.5%), and renal causes (4.8%) were most common. Length of stay ≥8 days (odds ratio [OR], 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70–2.44; P P P =0.02), systemic thromboembolism (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02–1.44; P =0.02), peripheral vascular disease (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.07–1.27; P P P P P P P =0.03) were among the independent predictors of 30-day readmission. Conclusions: In-hospital mortality and 30-day readmission in cardiogenic shock complicating AMI are significantly elevated. Patients are readmitted mainly for noncardiac causes. Identification of high-risk factors may guide interventions to improve outcomes within this population.
Catching “butterflies” in the morning: A new methodology for rapid detection of aerially deployed plastic land mines from UAVs

Abstract It is estimated that there are at least 100 million military munitions and explosives of concern (MEC) devices in the world of various size, shape, and composition. Millions of these are s...
Space-Angle Signal Processing using a Modulated Scatter Array

A UHF signal processing technique is described in the Fourier Space-Angle domain that uses an array of scattering elements with reflection coefficients modulated at baseband. The illumination arrival angle distributes a UHF phase across the array, and the baseband modulator phase at each of the array elements determines the radiation angle of the desired scattered product. Undesired products are re-radiated in different directions. Example 1, 2 and 4 element arrays operate at 432 MHz array with 700 Hz modulation. 2 element arrays cancel one sideband, and the 4 element array cancels both the undesired sideband and 2nd order products. Reflection coefficient modulation uses slow electronics, and scattered signals are summed in space, so this technique is attractive at much higher frequencies.
The Labor Dimension of the Emerging Free Trade Area of the Americas

This study explores a potential labor dimension for the FTAA. The study is divided into four parts: Part 1 provides context by reviewing the history of Inter-American economic cooperation, especially on labor and trade. Part 2 examines how labor has been addressed in the major free trade agreements of the Americas. Part 3 looks at the normative basis for international labor cooperation. Part 4 makes specific recommendations for addressing labor issues in the FTAA. The ideas in Part 4 seek to stimulate practical, concerted action to address labor and employment problems of regional economic integration. My recommendations for the FTAA do not include an obligation to adhere to core ILO conventions. However one weighs the advantages and disadvantages of that course, such fusion is unlikely to be accepted by FTAA governments. As for the reciprocal obligation to enforce national law, it should be omitted unless governments are willing to replace the current window dressing with a private right of action. Contemporary FTAs seem designed to assist global corporations and devote little attention to those without power or wealth. If governments were to get serious about helping vulnerable workers, then such action could help to humanize trade agreements and lead to more widely shared prosperity.
Finding the Best Function: A Way to Explain Calculus of Variations to Engineering and Science Students

In many practical problems, we need to find the most appropriate function: e.g., we need to find a control strategy u(t) that leads to the best performance of a system, we need to find the shape of the car which leads to the smallest energy losses, etc. Optimization over an unknown function can be described by the known Euler-Lagrange equations. The traditional way of deriving Euler-Lagrange equations when explaining them to the engineering and science students is, however, somewhat over-complicated. We provide a new, simpler way to deriving these equations, a way in which we directly use the fact that when the optimum is attained, all partial derivatives are equal to 0.
A History of the American Board of Anesthesiology Certifying Examinations

The American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) incorporated as a sub-board of the American Board of Surgery, held its first written examination in 1938, and certified 9 diplomates by examination in 1939. In 1941, the ABA became a primary board. Its first written essay-style examination tested anatomy, pathology, pharmacology, physics and chemistry, and physiology. The unstructured oral examination aimed to test a candidate’s clinical proficiency. A practical examination, held at the candidate’s hospital, was used for 15 years’until growth in the candidate pool made it impractical. As a substitute, in 1975, the ABA required that a faculty clinical competence committee prepare an annual Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) for each resident in training.
Altruism and Market-Like Behavior: An Analysis of Willingness to Pay for Recycled Paper Products

The contrast between self-interested behavior guided by rational choice and altruistic behavior guided by normative considerations is a central theme in the social sciences. This study suggests that market and market-like behavior, the context where self-interest is expected to dominate, is in fact often motivated by altruism. This argument is tested by examining a willingness to pay measure, a surrogate for the market that is finding substantial use in analyses of public policy. In particular, the ability of the Schwartz model of altruism to explain willingness to pay for recycled products is examined. Findings indicate that even as the Schwartz model has explained many purely altruistic behaviors, it also can explain self-reported willingness to pay. While economists often have noted the importance of rational choice in even the most intimate of human decisions, this study notes the importance of normative altruism in even the most calculated.
Effects of Accent Strength Expectancy Violations on Language Attitudes

This study examined how violations of listeners’ expectancies of the strength of speakers’ foreign accents influence evaluations of foreign-accented speakers. Participants (N = 275) listened to a m...
A gender-focused analysis of structural and social precipitators to child institutionalization in Azerbaijan: A qualitative study.

Abstract Deinstitutionalization reforms in the post-Soviet region—the region with the highest rate of institutional care worldwide—are aimed at reducing the number of children in institutions. To develop context-specific gatekeeping strategies and prevent new cohorts of children from entering institutions, it is crucial to understand the local factors that contribute to institutional placement. Using a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study explores the contexts of institutional placement of children in Azerbaijan from their caregivers' perspectives. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews of the parents and primary caregivers (N = 26) of children placed in the institutional care system in Azerbaijan. Using systematic thematic analysis with inductive coding, we identified caregivers' reasons for placing children in the system, and inferred the life circumstances that led parents—women in particular—to be more likely to place their children in institutions. Our findings reveal multiple, gendered pathways that contribute to such placement. The majority of caregivers were single mothers, many of whom had divorced their husbands in response to domestic violence (often attributed to the husband's substance addiction). The strong stigma against divorce led women to be ostracized by close family members, often leaving them without economic and social support. Because of the limitations of public benefits available in the region, publicly-funded child institutions are often the only remaining way to provide education and care for their children. This qualitative study shows the importance of addressing the social and economic needs of parents, single mothers in particular, to prevent child institutional placement in the post-Soviet Caucasus region.
Tip-Enhanced Raman Excitation Spectroscopy (TERES):Direct Spectral Characterization of the Gap-Mode Plasmon

The plasmonic properties of tip–substrate composite systems are of vital importance to near-field optical spectroscopy, in particular tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), which enables operando ...
Nonlinear dynamics of dewetting thin films

Fluid films spreading on hydrophobic solid surfaces exhibit complicated dynamics that describe transitions leading the films to break up into droplets. For viscous fluids coating hydrophobic solids this process is called "dewetting". These dynamics can be represented by a lubrication model consisting of a fourth-order nonlinear degenerate parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) for the evolution of the film height. Analysis of the PDE model and its regimes of dynamics have yielded rich and interesting research bringing together a wide array of different mathematical approaches. The early stages of dewetting involve stability analysis and pattern formation from small perturbations and self-similar dynamics for finite-time rupture from larger amplitude perturbations. The intermediate dynamics describes further instabilities yielding topological transitions in the solutions producing sets of slowly-evolving near-equilibrium droplets. The long-time behavior can be reduced to a finite-dimensional dynamical system for the evolution of the droplets as interacting quasi-steady localized structures. This system yields coarsening, the successive re-arrangement and merging of smaller drops into fewer larger drops. To describe macro-scale applications, mean-field models can be constructed for the evolution of the number of droplets and the distribution of droplet sizes. We present an overview of the mathematical challenges and open questions that arise from the stages of dewetting and how they relate to issues in multi-scale modeling and singularity formation that could be applied to other problems in PDEs and materials science.
Building vertex normals from an unstructured polygon list

Abstract Many polygonal models are used as piecewise-flat approximations of curved models, and are thus “smooth-shaded” when displayed. To apply Gouraud or Phong shading to a model one needs to compute a surface normal at every vertex; often this simply involves averaging the surface normal of each polygon sharing that vertex. This Gem provides a general-purpose procedure that computes vertex normals from any list of polygons. I assume that the polygons describe a simple manifold in 3D space, so that every local neighborhood is a flat sheet. I also assume that the structure is a mesh; that is, there are no “T” vertices, isolated vertices, or dangling edges. Except for the addition of normals at the vertices, the input model is unchanged. I infer the topology of the model by building a data structure that allows quick access to all the polygons that have a vertex in the same region of space. To find the normal for a selected vertex, one needs only search the region surrounding the vertex and then average the normals for all polygons that share that vertex.
Factors governing static properties and fatigue, fatigue crack growth, and fracture mechanisms in cold spray alloys and coatings/repairs: A review

Abstract Cold spray is a powder-based additive manufacturing process that leverages the high kinetic energy of particles accelerated at supersonic speeds to create bulk depositions and coatings, with effective metallurgical and mechanical bonding. As a solid-state process, cold spray offers many advantages over conventional thermal spray techniques, including low processing temperatures, the generation of beneficial compressive residual stresses, and desirable properties. Due to the increased utilization of this technology both for 3D manufacturing and repair of structurally critical components, a literature review that comprehensively discusses the state-of-the-art in cold spray materials and their properties is necessary for the adoption and implementation of the technology. Special emphasis is given to the effects of feedstock powder and processing conditions on the resulting microstructure, porosity, and residual stress, and how these affect hardness, static properties, and fatigue and fracture characteristics. The review also addresses important aspects related to the adhesion at the cold spray coating-substrate interface, which is a critical consideration for coating optimization and application of this process to the repair of fatigue-critical components. Future research directions in cold spray are also discussed in this context.