cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Apathetic Hyperthyroidism Presenting as Tricuspid Regurgitation

Apathetic hyperthyroidism, as its name implies, presents itself in an insidious manner so that the diagnosis may be obscure until a near-terminal situation. Such was the situation in two elderly women manifesting lethargy, muscular weakness, and anasarca associated with severe tricuspid regurgitation. Both had been unresponsive to the usual medical regimen consisting of digitalis and diuretics for congestive failure until they were discovered to be thyrotoxic. Appropriate treatment and a return to a euthyroid state resulted in remarkable subjective improvement as well as disappearance of signs of congestive failure and tricuspid regurgitation. The possible mechanisms whereby thyrotoxicosis could lead to predominantly right-sided failure are discussed.
Bipolar localization of the group II intron Ll.LtrB is maintained in Escherichia coli deficient in nucleoid condensation, chromosome partitioning and DNA replication

Group II introns are mobile genetic elements that invade their cognate intron-minus alleles via an RNA intermediate, in a process known as retrohoming. They can also retrotranspose to ectopic sites at low frequency. In Escherichia coli, retrotransposition of the lactococcal group II intron, Ll.LtrB, occurs preferentially within the Ori and Ter macrodomains of the E. coli chromosome. These macrodomains migrate towards the poles of the cell, where the intron-encoded protein, LtrA, localizes. Here we investigate whether alteration of nucleoid condensation, chromosome partitioning and replication affect retrotransposition frequencies, as well as bipolar localization of the Ll.LtrB intron integration and LtrA distribution in E. coli. We thus examined these properties in the absence of the nucleoid-associated proteins H-NS, StpA and MukB, in variants of partitioning functions including the centromere-like sequence migS and the actin homologue MreB, as well as in the replication mutants DeltaoriC, seqA, tus and topoIV (ts). Although there were some dramatic fluctuations in retrotransposition levels in these hosts, bipolar localization of integration events was maintained. LtrA was consistently found in nucleoid-free regions, with its localization to the cellular poles being largely preserved in these hosts. Together, these results suggest that bipolar localization of group II intron retrotransposition results from the residence of the intron-encoded protein at the poles of the cell.
Vocabulary Acquisition: Practical Strategies for ESLStudents

The English language is considered to have the largest vocabulary in the world (Crystal, 2002). Educated native speakers of English are expected to know approximately 20,000 word families or 70,000 words (Nation, 2001); however, educated non-native speakers of English know less than one quarter of the native speakers’ vocabulary (Laufer & Yano, 2001). Nonnative speakers of English must increase their vocabulary knowledge in order to become successful in their academic endeavors in English-medium educational environments. A solid foundation of vocabulary knowledge is essential at every stage of the learner’s second language (L2) development. Regardless of the degree of the learner’s competency in grammar and pronunciation; one cannot have effective communication without sufficient vocabulary knowledge.
Relations Between Photobehavior and Ionically Stimulated Swimming Behavior in Paramecium bursaria1

. Cells of Paramecium bursaria, which harbor a symbiotic alga of the genus Chlorella, reverse the effective beat of their cilia and swim backward when stimulated in either of two ways. Ionic stimulation is introduction of cells into a solution high in K+ while step-down photostimulation is a sharp reduction in the intensity of light falling on the culture. Much is known about the mechanisms of ionic stimulation of ciliary reversal, but little is known about step-down photobehavior. Inhibitors of ionically stimulated ciliary reversal were applied to cells undergoing step-down photobehavior; Ca-channel inhibitors, neomycin and W-7, inhibit both behaviors. Activation of Ca-channels in the ciliary membrane is involved in step-down photobehavior, suggesting that the algae may alter the Paramecium membrane to make it more excitable.
An Ecological Systems Approach To Evaluation Cruising in Topeka

The use of systems terms and ecological concepts is increasingly common in psychology, and particularly in community psychology Researchers engaged in evaluation studies within community psychology are encouraged to consider four consequences of the eco logical-systems orientation: (1) reformulation and reconceptualization of the evaluation question; (2) shift of research design in the direction of complexity and flexibility; (3) shift of measurement toward multiple, qualitative, and quantitative measures; and (4) relativis tic, perspectival interpretation of results. Each of these consequences is illustrated with reference to the evaluation of a mobile counseling project
GSS to support classroom discussion: opportunities and pitfalls

One type of information technology which has the potential to support learning is group support system (GSS) technology. This study investigates the opportunities and pitfalls associated with using GSS to support discussion in the college classroom. As the prior research in this area is not extensive, this study is exploratory in nature. The primary contribution of the paper is that it identifies important issues which should be considered by educators who wish to use GSS to support classroom discussions. In this study, the use of GSS improved participation and had favorable impacts on selected perceptions of the discussion experience (e.g., process losses, structure, and classroom climate). However, the use of GSS did not significantly increase the subjects' perceptions of synergy, quality of contributions, or learning. The implications of the findings for future research are discussed.
An Investigation of Two Approximation Methods for Improving the Speed of 3-D Iterative Reconstruction-Based Scatter Compensation

Iterative reconstruction-based scatter compensation is able to accurately compensate for scattered photons in SPECT without the increase in image noise observed with subtraction-based methods. However, since photon scatter occurs in 3-D, and the extent of the scatter response function is very large, these methods are very time consuming. In this work we investigate several approximations that can significantly reduce the reconstruction time. These include an approximation based on truncating the scatter point source response and a hybrid method which involves truncating the point source response axially and estimating the scatter from sources in the truncated region. We have found that both of these methods can significantly reduce reconstruction time but the hybrid method gives greater acceleration for a given error level.
Self-Selection Effects in Service-Learning

This study models the registration process in order to directly examine the possibility of pre-existing differences between undergraduate students who choose to take service-learning classes compared to those who do not. Foremost among the findings, on most measures there was no significant effect of self- selection. However, students who chose a hypothetical course with a service- learning component reported higher civic responsibility and civic action scores, and reported lower socioeconomic status and greater enjoyment of past service learning than those who chose the hypothetical course without the service- learning component. Challenges and opportunities related to random assignment within service-learning research are discussed.
Synthesis and crystal structure of guanidinium tetrafluoro(trans-)dipyridinechromate(III), [CrF4(C5H5N)2]−·CN3H6+

Abstract A new chromium coordination compound, guanidinium tetrafluoro(trans-)dipyridinechromate(III), has been synthesized in one step under mild solvothermal conditions. [CrF4(C5H5N)2]−·[CN3H6]+crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n, with a=8.6054(8) A, b=13.3529(12) A, c=13.2952(12) A, and β=100.62(2)°. The structure consists of discrete guanidinium cations, CN3H6+, and tetrafluorodipyridinechromate anions, CrF4(C5H5N)2−.
Multisubunit Allosteric Proteins

Allosteric properties of yeast chorismate mutase, bacterial lactate dehydrogenase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, bacterial phosphofructokinase, glycogen phosphorylase, aspartate transcarbamylase, from E. coli and hemoglobin are compared, and some general principles are noted. All show modulation of substrate affinity in the largely rotational movement of subunits. However, the allosteric tetrameric D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase controls Vmax rather than KM.
High-count and high-density optical subscriber cable using helically single-grooved small units

In order to construct fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, very- high-count and very-high-density optical-fiber cables are needed, and several studies of such cables have been published.1,2 In such optical cables, reducing the coating diameter of the optical fiber3 is indispensable, but this inevitably causes deterioration in lateral-pressure characteristics. Therefore the cable structure must be designed so that the fiber is low enough to ensure the long-term stability of transmission characteristics.
Superfluous Workers: The Labor Market's Invisible Discards

It may be time to consider that the United States [US] has fewer jobs than workers and that some will therefore become superfluous. The author says we should categorize and count them and invent new jobs or income sources. Understanding that workers can become superfluous must alter our thinking about the US economy.
Feature-Based Grid Adaption for the Study of Dynamic Stall

In this paper we study dynamic stall phenomenon of a pitching NACA0015 airfoil using feature based grid adaption technique. The uid solver is based on FUN3D which solves the three-dimensional, compressible, unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Naiver-Stokes equations. The one equation Spalart-Allmaras is used a the turbulence closure. The governing equations are discretized spatially using second-order nite volume methods and temporally using an optimized second order backward dierence scheme. The grid adaption is based the anisotropic tetrahedral adaptation approach in which grid is adapted to match a desired quality via an anisotropic metric calculated throughout the simulation. Particularly we track vorticity throughout the pitching cycle and adapt the grid in areas where vorticity is damped. Comparisons are also made with results using uniformly rened grids. Results suggest feature-based adaptation has potential in rening the mesh in the wake of the airfoil, allowing vorticity to be carried out several chords behind the airfoil without excessive dissipation. Our study also shows that great care must be placed in allowing the grid to be adapted in the vicinity of the airfoil as grid resolution can be lost.
Actin depolymerization via the β-adrenoceptor in airway smooth muscle cells : a novel PKA-independent pathway

Actin is a major functional and structural cytoskeletal protein that mediates such diverse processes as motility, cytokinesis, contraction, and control of cell shape and polarity. While many extrac...
Multiplication theorems and square theorems; Bourlet operators

A “constructive theory of linear operators” should deal with approximation and expansion of linear operators in terms of “simple” linear operators, in an analogy to the constructive theory of functions. We know that polynomials are simple in a fundamental sense, trigonometric, Bessel, etc. functions simple at least in a historic sense. But when is a linear operator on an abstract space “simple”? We shall seek the answer in demanding that beside linearity, Ω should have some simple multiplicative property, i.e. we must be able to say something about Ω(uv); this indicates that we cannot formulate our criterion in terms of a space; we must have an algebra.
HARP: predictive transfer optimization based on historical analysis and real-time probing

Increasingly data-intensive scientific and commercial applications require frequent movement of large datasets from one site to the other. Despite the growing capacity of the networking capacity, these data movements rarely achieve the promised data transfer rates of the underlying physical network due to the poorly tuned data transfer protocols. Accurately and efficiently tuning the data transfer protocol parameters in a dynamically changing network environment is a big challenge and still an open research problem. In this paper, we present predictive end-to-end data transfer optimization algorithms based on historical data analysis and real-time background traffic probing, dubbed HARP. Most of the existing work in this area is solely based on real time network probing, which either cause too much sampling overhead or fail to accurately predict the correct transfer parameters. Combining historical data analysis with real time sampling enables our algorithms to tune the application level data transfer parameters accurately and efficiently to achieve close-to-optimal end-to-end data transfer throughput with very low overhead. Our experimental analysis over a variety of network settings shows that HARP outperforms existing solutions by up to 50% in terms of the achieved throughput.
Cover cropping frequency is the main driver of soil microbial changes during six years of organic vegetable production

Abstract Soil microbes play a key role in soil health, and understanding the functional role of this living component of soil organic matter is critical to developing sustainable systems in major vegetable production regions like Salinas, California. Soil microbial community size and composition was evaluated after six years of commercial-scale production in five organic vegetable systems in a long-term systems experiment. All systems produced lettuce, and spinach or broccoli annually, and differed in yard-waste compost inputs (none or 15.2 Mg ha −1 year −1 ), winter cover crop frequency (annually or every 4th year), and cover crop type (legume-rye, mustard, or rye). The same levels of irrigation, and supplemental fertilizer were applied to all systems. Cumulative organic matter inputs from compost and cover crop shoots over the six years ranged from 7.4 to 136.8 Mg ha −1 and caused differences in microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), and soil organic C (SOC). MBC increased by 40 mg C kg −1 soil with compost and infrequent cover cropping, and to levels that were relatively high (200–250 mg C kg −1 soil) for a loamy sand soil in systems with annual cover cropping. Changes in SOC between systems were caused primarily by compost while changes in MBC and MBN were more related to cover cropping frequency. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis revealed differences in microbial community structure that were consistent with differences between systems in MBC and MBN. Across systems, the ratio of fungal: bacterial FAME indicators decreased over time while indicators of invertebrates, and gram positive bacteria increased. High-throughput sequencing revealed relatively few differences in bacterial phyla between systems, but the increase in cropping intensity across all systems changed the relative abundance of some bacterial phyla ( Bacteroidetes, Deinococcus-Thermus ) and genera ( Flavobacterium , Nocardioidetes ). Cover crop type and frequency also influenced the abundance of two bacterial genera ( Pseudomonas, Agromyces ). These results provide evidence that carbon (C) inputs from frequent cover cropping are the primary driver of changes in the soil food web and soil health in high-input, tillage-intensive organic vegetable production systems.
Microfluidics for genome-wide studies involving next generation sequencing

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized how molecular biology studies are conducted. Its decreasing cost and increasing throughput permit profiling of genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic features for a wide range of applications. Microfluidics has been proven to be highly complementary to NGS technology with its unique capabilities for handling small volumes of samples and providing platforms for automation, integration, and multiplexing. In this article, we review recent progress on applying microfluidics to facilitate genome-wide studies. We emphasize on several technical aspects of NGS and how they benefit from coupling with microfluidic technology. We also summarize recent efforts on developing microfluidic technology for genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic studies, with emphasis on single cell analysis. We envision rapid growth in these directions, driven by the needs for testing scarce primary cell samples from patients in the context of precision medicine.
Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria: Systemic Complaints and Their Relationship with Disease and Immune Measures.

Background Patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU)/chronic spontaneous urticaria sometimes report systemic complaints (SCs). Objective We sought to determine the frequency and characteristics of SCs among patients with CIU, as well as the association of SCs with disease measures, basophil histamine release, and serum tryptase. Methods Adult patients with CIU were recruited from a university allergy clinic. Patients completed a disease symptom survey and underwent blood sampling for subsequent basophil histamine release and serum tryptase measurement. Results A total of 155 patients with CIU were surveyed, with 103 reporting SCs with concomitant hives as follows: joint pain or swelling (55.3%), headache/fatigue (47.6%), flushing (42.7%), wheezing (30.1%), gastrointestinal complaints (26.2%), and palpitations (9.7%). Patients with SCs (CIU-SC) were compared with those with no SCs (CIU-NSC). Both groups had similar demographic characteristics (average age in 40s, majority female and white) and basophil histamine release profiles. CIU-SC had significantly greater disease duration (51.5% CIU-SC vs 30.8% CIU-NSC had >4 years duration), emergency department visits (41.7% vs 23.1% had >1 visit in the last year), CIU-related work absences (65% vs 27.5% had >1 day), oral corticosteroid use (84.5% vs 59.6%), quality-of-life impairment (76.1 vs 59.2 SkinDex score), and serum tryptase levels (5.1 ng/mL vs 3.9 ng/mL). Conclusions Despite similar demographic characteristics and basophil profiles as patients with CIU-NSC, patients with CIU-SC have features of greater disease burden (work absences, emergency department visits, and corticosteroid use), quality-of-life impairment, and baseline serum tryptase levels.
Sensing Heroes and Villains: Character-Schema and the Disposition Formation Process:

Character morality is an integral variable within disposition theories. Zillmann proposed that moral judgments of characters result from a viewer monitoring and approving/disapproving of a character’s behaviors. Raney proposed a schema-based theoretical expansion of this model, wherein moral judgments of characters and disposition formation—facilitated by the activation of character-schema (e.g., hero/villain)—might occur prior to the observation of behavior. Three experimental studies were conducted to test Raney’s hypotheses and to integrate them into Zillmann’s original models. Study 1 indicates that visual cues associated with heroes and villains evoke character-consistent moral judgments absent character behaviors. Study 2 demonstrates that character-schema activation is magnified by the presence of an opposing character. Finally, Study 3 demonstrates that schema-based moral judgments can bias approbation of behaviors and subsequent moral judgments of characters. Theoretical implications and directio...
Toys that squeak: Toy type impacts quality and quantity of parent–child interactions:

Given the dependent nature of parent–infant interactions necessary for language development, it is important to understand how context may influence these interactions. This study examines how cont...
Distributed DCOPF with flexible transmission

Abstract Power system operation models are becoming increasingly more complex, as their capabilities improve. One particular area that has received significant attention over the last decade is inclusion of flexible transmission in power system operation software. Co-optimization of generation dispatch and flexible transmission can provide unprecedented levels of economic efficiency and reliability. However, modeling the additional flexibility comes at the expense of further computational complexity. Distributed optimization is one effective way of handling such complexities. This paper develops a fully-distributed DC optimal power flow method that incorporates flexible transmission, including reactance and phase controllers. The model employs linear update rules at each bus, which can be calculated efficiently, and requires communication of information only to the neighboring buses. Convergence to the optimal power flow solution is achieved through iterating between the bus-level sub-problems. Simulation studies, carried out on an RTS 96 and IEEE 118-bus systems, confirm the effectiveness of the method. The developed model is able to find the optimal solution even under a cold-start scenario. However, the convergence properties are significantly improved if an initial close-to-optimal guess is available, similar to real-time operations, where the last run’s solution can be used as the initial point.
Photochemical reactions of rhodium(III) diimine complexes in solid glycerol matrices: Ligand-field influences on activation parameters

Abstract At temperatures below 150 K in rigid glycerol glasses [Rh(CN) 2 (s-NN) 2 ]PF 6 complexes display a 3 ππ * → gs phosphorescence characteristic of the s-NN ligand [s-NN = 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 4-Mephen, 4,7-Me 2 phen, and 3,4,7,8-Me 4 phen]. Above 150 K but below the melting point of glycerol a temperature-dependent first-order reaction occurs upon irradiation with UV light. The temperature dependences of these photochemical reactions conform to the Arrhenius equation with an activation energy range of 2000–2500 cm −1 , which is a range averaging 725 cm −1 lower than that previously reported for [Rh(s-NN) 3 ](PF 6 ) 3 complexes. These results are interpreted in terms of the thermal redistribution of energy from an unreactive 3 ππ * excited term to a close-lying chemically reactive 3 dd level that has been lowered in energy with respect to that of the corresponding [Rh(s-NN) 3 ](PF 6 ) 3 complex. The relationships of the Arrhenius activation energies to the electronic structures of the parent complexes and to the natures of the products are discussed.
An External Cognition Framework for Visualizing Uncertainty in Support of Situation Awareness

This paper discusses an approach for the development of visualizations intended to support cognitive processes deemed fundamental in the maintenance of Situation Awareness under conditions of uncer...
A Study of the Impact of Screening for Poly-Victimization in Juvenile Justice: The Rocky Road to a Successful Investigation in the Real World.

Poly-victimization during formative developmental periods represents an important focus for screening and assessment in settings and populations in which interpersonal violence is pervasive. This a...
MR-TP-QFPSO: map reduce two phases quantum fuzzy PSO for feature selection

Feature selection is the utmost requirement to deal with high dimensional datasets. Fuzzy logic and particle swarm optimization are the two very popular soft computing methods which have used for feature selection. In this paper different variants of PSO are summarized to explore the latest development in PSO. The survey has been grouped in three categories; structures based PSO variants, fuzzy logic-PSO hybrids and parallel PSO variants. On the basis of findings of survey, map reduce two phases quantum behaved fuzzy rule PSO (MR-TP-QFPSO) method has been proposed. Quantum is the smallest possible state of any matter. Therefore, in proposed method smallest state of any particle is trit, which is having three values 0, 1 and #. # is included to bring a state of uncertainty where, feature is considered neither accepted nor rejected. In first phase search, feature space is exhaustively explored. During exhaustive initial search (first phase), multiple subsets of features are selected using quantum behaved fuzzy rule PSO (QFPSO). From these multiple subsets, minimum most important features (lower bound features) and maximum range of selected features are selected (upper bound feature subset). In second phase, selected feature subspace (selected in first phase) has been exploited and finally merged with lower bound features. The entire two phases search is highly iterative and it is well known that map reduce frame work can accelerate any iterative task by parallel processing. Therefore, proposed two phases QFPSO (TP-QFPSO) is applied using map reduce (MR-TP-QFPSO). The analysis of proposed algorithm clearly shows that map reduce has decreased the processing time of serial TP-QFPSO algorithm. The MR-TP-QFPSO is compared with other feature selection methods. The results on bench marking datasets show that MR-TP-QFRPSO outperformed the other methods. The reduction in execution time is directly propositional to the number of cluster nodes used. Therefore, as number of nodes is increased execution time will decrease without affecting the performance.
“Keep the faith”: Spirituality as a contributor to resiliency in five elderly people

Spirituality is an important component of spiritual well-being (SWB) and quality of life in the elderly. The Hear My Voice study explores the impact of spiritual life review and spiritual legacy do...
Gene Therapy and Virotherapy of Gliomas

Despite many recent advances in the management of gliomas, such as aggressive surgical resection, chemoradiotherapy, antiangiogenic therapy, and molecular targeted therapy, the survival of patients with high-grade neoplasms remains dismal. Gene therapy and oncolytic virotherapy have emerged as highly promising strategies for treatment of malignant brain tumors due to recent progress in understanding of the underlying cancer biology as well as improved techniques for genetic modification of potential therapeutics.
Responses of Epilithic Algae to Regulation of Rocky Mountain Streams

Throughout Colorado many streams have already been impounded, and new reservoirs are currently in the planning stage. Previous research has shown that main stream reservoirs do change the composition and quality of the aquatic flora (Holmes & Whitton 1981; Lowe 1979; Marcus 1980; Lawson & Rushforth 1975; Ward 1982) which in turn affects the communities of aquatic fauna in regulated streams. However, detailed investigation of the influence of reservoirs on downstream algal communities in Colorado has only been accomplished for a site in the South Platte drainage system (Ward 1974). The present study of epilithic algae is part of a long-term effort to determine the effects of regulation on Colorado mountain streams. Zoobenthos data have been reported elsewhere (Zimmermann & Ward 1984).
Quantification of Optimal Choices of Parameters in Lognormal Variational Data Assimilation and Their Chaotic Behavior

An important property of variational-based data assimilation is the ability to define a functional formulation such that the minimum of that functional can be any state that is desired. Thus, it is possible to define cost functions such that the minimum of the background error component is the mean, median or the mode of a multivariate lognormal distribution, where, unlike the multivariate Gaussian distributions, these statistics are not equivalent. Therefore, for lognormal distributions it is shown here that there are regions where each one of these three statistics are optimal at minimizing the errors, given estimates of an a priori state. Also, as part of this work, a chaotic signal was detected with respect to the first guess to the Newton–Raphson solver that affect the accuracy of the solution to several decimal places.
Outcomes of Surgically Managed Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose:The purpose of this article is to conduct a retrospective chart review of the results of vitrectomy for diabetic vitreous hemorrhage (VH) and diabetic traction retinal detachment (TRD) usin...
Correction to: In the Shadow of the Thucydides Trap: International Relations Theory and the Prospects for Peace in U.S.-China Relations

The original version of the article unfortunately contained a mistake. The right-side header of the “Theoretical Framework” table on page four is mislabeled. “Lower Likelihood of War” should be written as “Higher Likelihood of War.” The correct information is given below.
Fitness-Related Cardiac Arrhythmias.

How many clinicians are aware that high levels of physical fitness predispose patients to cardiac rhythm abnormalities? Find out more.
Radical imagination and “otherwise possibilities” in qualitative research

AbstractThis humanscript is an attempt to extend the limits of our qualitative research, theorizing and praxis alongside youth engaged in social justice projects. Research must bend, shift, and tra...
Self-intersection of the fallback stream in tidal disruption events

We propose a semi-analytical model for the self-intersection of the fallback stream in tidal disruption events (TDEs). When the initial periapsis is less than about 15 gravitational radii, a large fraction of the shocked gas is unbound in the form of a collision-induced outflow (CIO). This is because large apsidal precession causes the stream to self-intersect near the local escape speed at radius much below the apocenter. The rest of the fallback gas is left in more tightly bound orbits and quickly joins the accretion flow. We propose that the CIO is responsible for reprocessing the hard emission from the accretion flow into the optical band. This picture naturally explains the large photospheric radius (or low blackbody temperature) and typical widths of the H and/or He emission lines seen in optical TDEs. We predict the CIO-reprocessed spectrum in the infrared to be L_\nu ~ \nu^{~0.5}, shallower than a blackbody. The partial sky coverage of the CIO also provides a unification of the diverse X-ray behaviors of optical TDEs. According to this picture, optical surveys filter out a large fraction of TDEs with low-mass blackholes due to lack of a reprocessing layer, and the volumetric rate of optical TDEs is nearly flat wrt. the blackhole mass for M < 10^7 solar masses. This filtering causes the optical TDE rate to be lower than the total rate by a factor of ~10 or more. When the CIO is decelerated by the ambient medium, radio emission at the level of that in ASASSN-14li may be produced, but the timescales and peak luminosities can be highly diverse. Finally, our method paves the way for global simulations of the disk formation process by injecting gas at the intersection point according to the prescribed velocity and density profiles.
Calcified splenic lesions: Pattern recognition approach on CT with pathologic correlation

OBJECTIVE. Incidental splenic lesions, often found on CT images of the abdomen, may often be ignored or mischaracterized. Calcified splenic lesions are often presumed to be granulomas; however, understanding the broader differential diagnostic considerations can be useful. CONCLUSION. Determining the cause of splenic lesions is essential to guide appropriate management; the pattern of calcification together with other imaging and clinical findings can aid with differentiation.
Disorders that impact reproduction

Abstract An estimated 10%–15% of couples suffer from infertility, with a female factor identified in 70% and a male factor in 50% (20% have both male and female factors). While female age is the greatest barrier to female fertility, men continue to make sperm throughout adulthood and potentially can father children at any age. At least 3000 genes are known to play a role in fertility. Thus, a genetic factor may contribute to many—if not most—cases. Nonetheless, genetics are only one component to fertility, with hormonal, environmental, social, and other factors also playing a significant role. Infertility is typically evaluated and diagnosed by specialists; however, as our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of infertility continue to grow, the number of men and women referred for genetic counseling will continue to grow. Indeed, guidelines recommend that all men with fewer than 5 million sperm per milliliter undergo genetic evaluation. The genetic testing of men and women with infertility remains rudimentary as only the most common causes are tested. Nonetheless, next-generation sequencing is rapidly expanding testing options. This will likely identify additional genetic variations that contribute to infertility and, thus, increase the role of geneticists and genetic counselors in the field. In this chapter, we will discuss the most common genetic disorders that are associated with male and female infertility. While many of these conditions are syndromic, infertility may be the only manifestation in some.
The Impact of Individual Factors, Job Characteristics, and Organizational Variables on Job Stress and Job Satisfaction Among Community Corrections Staff:

Community corrections (e.g., probation, parole, halfway houses) is the largest correctional placement in the United States, yet little research assesses community corrections staff experiences with...
Composition and Structure of a Montane Longleaf Pine Stand on the Alabama Piedmont

Montane Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) forests of the southeastern United States are understudied compared to Longleaf Pine forests of the Coastal Plain. In this study, we quantified composition and structure of a montane Longleaf Pine stand in Weogufka State Forest in Coosa County, AL. We compared contemporary stand conditions to historical records to describe stand dynamics over time. Results indicated that the stand was dominated by Longleaf Pine, followed by Blackjack Oak, Chestnut Oak, and Mockernut Hickory. Longleaf Pine establishment began in the 1750s with continuous, minimal recruitment until a large establishment pulse, along with that of oak and hickory species, in the 1930s. Establishment trends over time corresponded to changes in land use and altered disturbance regimes, which included fire exclusion in the 1920s, intensive harvesting in the early 1930s, and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) occupation during 1933–1942. Compared to other published data on montane Longleaf Pine, the stand studied here had a higher density and basal area, as well as fewer Longleaf Pine stems in small size classes. It is important to understand how changes in land use and disturbance regimes alter montane Longleaf Pine successional and developmental pathways to inform restoration efforts in these understudied systems.
Dietary strawberry improves cognition in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in older adults - ERRATUM.

Functional changes in the brain during ageing can alter learning and memory, gait and balance - in some cases leading to early cognitive decline, disability or injurious falls among older adults. Dietary interventions with strawberry (SB) have been associated with improvements in neuronal, psychomotor and cognitive functions in rodent models of ageing. We hypothesised that dietary supplementation with SB would improve mobility and cognition among older adults. In this study, twenty-two men and fifteen women, between the ages of 60 and 75 years, were recruited into a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which they consumed either freeze-dried SB (24 g/d, equivalent to two cups of fresh SB) or a SB placebo for 90 d. Participants completed a battery of balance, gait and cognitive tests at baseline and again at 45 and 90 d of intervention. Significant supplement group by study visit interactions were observed on tests of learning and memory. Participants in the SB group showed significantly shorter latencies in a virtual spatial navigation task (P = 0·020, ηp2 = 0·106) and increased word recognition in the California Verbal Learning test (P = 0·014, ηp2 = 0·159) across study visits relative to controls. However, no improvement in gait or balance was observed. These findings show that the addition of SB to the diets of healthy, older adults can improve some aspects of cognition, but not gait or balance, although more studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up are needed to confirm this finding.
Freedom of Navigation in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea:A Case Study of Japan's Maritime Jurisdictional Claims

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) formalizes many rules about the extent and type of jurisdiction that states are entitled to claim over the navigation of vessels at sea. Disagreement over the interpretations of those rules have been a growing source of contention, particularly among Asian states embroiled in disputes over “freedom of navigation.” Despite the significance of maritime legal claims in contemporary naval competition, however, international relations scholars have not sought to explain patterns in the maritime jurisdictional claims and enforcement behaviors of states. This paper proposes a theory for predicting states’ approach to freedom of navigation (FON). I hypothesize that states with military power projection capability and/or economic dependence on trade and imported energy will be more likely to advocate maximal freedom of navigation, while states with a historical memory of naval assault or invasion and/or a perception of threat from naval powers will be more likely to impose restrictions on FON near their coasts. Based upon combinations of these variables, I develop sixteen ideal state types that can be used to categorize states and predict the positions they will adopt on FON. After developing this theory, I conduct an initial case study of Japan, which my theory predicts would espouse a mixed position on FON. Drawing upon both primary and secondary research, including interviews conducted in fall 2017 with six American and 25 Japanese maritime legal experts and officials, I find that Japan’s positions toward FON are indeed mixed. Although the motivations for Japan’s positions largely accord with the predictions of my theory, my findings also highlight the singular importance of Japan’s alliance relationship with the United States in shaping the contours of its maritime jurisdictional claims.
Campaign Finance in the Age of Super PACs

The United States Supreme Court 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission led to a major de-regulation of election campaign finance law. A new political action committee emerged from this case, known as the Super PAC, with a relatively unfettered ability to raise and spend money in elections. How were campaign spending and electoral outcomes affected? I characterize the influence of Super PACs on U.S. Congressional general and primary elections by estimating an election contest model. I exploit variation in donor finances, background information on candidates, and the dynamic model structure to deal with candidate unobservables. Results indicate that Super PACs do not have significant influence on voting outcomes but did increase election spending between 2010-2016. They affect behavior of other committees, with differences across political party and incumbency status. Finally, Super PACs have modest effects on candidate platforms and entry.
Changes in Subcellular Localization of GSK3β As a Novel Driver of AML

Abstract Novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Currently only 20% of patients over age 56 survive 2 years leading to an enormous unmet need for novel approaches. Unfortunately, there has not been a change in standard AML agents in over 40 years. We and others previously identified that targeting GSK3 in AML is a promising therapeutic strategy as it has high activity on leukemic cells, but does not impair the growth of normal hematopoietic progenitor cells. One major reason for the selective responsiveness of AML and normal hematopoietic cells may be due to the fact that GSK3β protein is markedly different between these two conditions. In AML, GSK3β is highly overexpressed, activated, and can be found at high levels in the nucleus. Our cell, animal and patient biomarker studies suggest that this nuclear pool of GSK3β that is not found in normal hematopoietic cells can drive AML progression and drug resistance. GSK3β protein is markedly elevated universally and aberrantly localized to the nucleus in all AML samples tested (>100 samples) by flow cytometry as well as western blot. Nuclear GSK3β has unique access to specific target proteins such as nuclear transcription factors leading to different effects of nuclear and cytoplasmic GSK3β on cellular processes. In order to simultaneously quantify the nuclear localization and expression of GSK3β in AML (n=86) as compared to normal hematopoietic cells (n=10), imaging cytometry was utilized. This cytometric analysis along with traditional fluorescent microscopy identified a large pool of nuclear GSK3β that does not exist in normal hematopoietic cells. To characterize the function of nuclear GSK3β, we developed AML cell lines that expressed inducible and targeted (nuclear or cytoplasmic) forms of GSK3b. Interestingly, the expression of nuclear, but not cytoplasmic targeted GSK3β increased colony formation of AML cells (ex. 38% more colonies formed in HL-60 cells with nuclear as opposed to cytoplasmic GSK3β induction, p Download : Download high-res image (96KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure . Disclosures de Lima: Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene Corporation: Research Funding.
7Be/210Pbxs Ratio-Derived Age and Residence Time of Suspended Sediments in Galveston Bay

The winds associated with the passage of meteorological fronts cause waves that induce sediment remobilization/resuspension, especially within shallow estuaries such as Galveston Bay. The passage of cold fronts, collectively, on an annual to decadal basis, generate more sediment resuspension than most hurricanes and tropical storms. With a warming climate, the intensity of all meteorological events is shifting towards having greater impacts on these biologically productive environments. To better understand sediment resuspension within the bay, water samples were collected during frontal passages at two locations in Galveston Bay, including one location in the middle portion of the bay and another closer to the mouth of the bay. By collecting precipitation, water samples in both the middle and lower bay, and measuring the ratio of 7Be/210Pbxs in these samples; we quantified the residence times of total suspended sediment (TSS) in middle and lower Galveston Bay. Our results showed that suspended sediment age increased and percent of new suspended sediment decreased along the axis from the middle bay to the lower bay. This results from the initial introduction of newly labeled isotopes and suspended load coming from fluvial discharges which enter at the top of the bay and travel through the bay. The age of suspended sediment from the first sampling event was 70 ± 10 days, whereas the age in the second event was 16 ± 3 days greater. In the last sampling event, the age of suspended sediment event was 35 ± 7.4 days younger than the second, suggesting that the majority of suspended sediments was likely transported entirely out of the bay by the second cold front, prior to the final sampling event. This indicates that there are longer suspended sediment residence times when the water is trapped within the bay. Our estimated residence time of suspended sediments (51-105 days) suggest the particle-bound contaminants adsorb to suspended sediment may spend months suspended in the bay before exiting the bay or being accreted into the bay sediment column, increasing the exposure time of living organisms to various particle-bound contaminants.
Three-dimensional vortex characterization in small intracranial aneurysms based on four dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging at 7 Tesla

Effective vectors and approaches are proposed to identify the three-dimensional (3D) vortex motion in small intracranial aneurysms (≤7 mm) based on four dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging at 7 T. Six subjects with small intracranial aneurysms were scanned. The 3D vortex identification vector Γ2 and scalar Ω are computed with velocity vectors. The high Γ2,magnitude region is defined using region growing based on the threshold value determined by an empirical nonlinear relation between Γ2,magnitude and the scalar Ω inside the aneurysmal sac, while the threshold of Ω = 0.6 is used to define the high Ω region. The spatially averaged vector Γ2 and the vorticity vector ω over the defined high Γ2,magnitude and Ω regions are found to denote the corresponding vortex motion directions, respectively. With these two vectors, the 3D vector Γ1 is invoked to localize vortex motion centers. Threshold values of region growing for the high Γ2,magnitude region from the nonlinear relation for each subject are in the range of 0.51 and 0.59. The volume of the defined high Γ2,magnitude region is close to that of the defined high Ω region. The angle between the generated two averaged vectors Γ2 and ω is small for all subjects, with the maximum being 9.17°. The located vortex motion centers from Γ1 based on Γ2 and Ω(ω) are the same for each subject inside the aneurysm. The small angle between the two averaged vectors and the located same vortex center supports the effectiveness of the proposed method to characterize vortices in small unruptured intracranial aneurysms.
An implicit spin lattice dynamics integrator in LAMMPS

Abstract An iterative implicit solver is implemented in LAMMPS for spin lattice dynamics simulations. An approach to treat multibody interactions, specifically in metallic materials described by the embedded atom method , is presented for the first time in an implicit solver. Magnetization is extremely well preserved in this integrator , with fluctuations eight orders of magnitude smaller than those observed using a timestep of 0.1 fs in the explicit solver currently in LAMMPS. This is true even when larger timesteps than 0.1 fs are used in the implicit integrator, enabling the implicit integrator in some cases to have smaller magnetization error and shorter runtime than the explicit solver for the same overall simulation time. The integrator also conserves energy well. Energy error comparable to or lower than that of the explicit solver is achieved for implicit timesteps up to five times larger than the explicit timestep, with minimal increase in runtime. Errors in energy grow as timestep cubed, while errors in magnetization remain unchanged as timestep increases.
Endothelial progenitor cells for neovascularization.

Available evidence suggests that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs)(Risau et al. 1988; Pardanaud et al. 1989) are derived from a common precursor, the hemangioblast (Flamme and Risau 1992; His 1900; Weiss and Orkin 1996). The identification of putative adult HSCs in peripheral blood and bone marrow (BM) and the demonstration of sustained hematopoietic reconstitution with these HSC transplants have constituted inferential evidence for the recognition of HSC (Brugger et al. 1995; Kessinger and Armitage 1991; Sheridan et al. 1992; Shpall et al. 1994). The related descendants of HSCs, EPCs, have been isolated along with HSCs in hematopoietic organs. Flk-1 and a second antigen, CD 34, shared by embryonic EPCs and HSCs were used to detect putative EPCs from a mononuclear cell fraction of peripheral blood (Asahara et al. 1997) (Fig. 1). In vitro, these cells differentiated into endothelial lineage cells, and in animal models of ischemia, heterologous, homologous, and autologous EPCs were shown to incorporate into sites of active neovascularization (Fig. 2).