cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Learning Effects of Monitoring

This paper investigates the relationship between monitoring, decision-making, and learning among lower level employees. We exploit a field-research setting in which business units vary in the ”tightness” with which they monitor employee decisions. We find that tighter monitoring gives rise to implicit incentives in the form of sharp increases in employee termination linked to ”excessive” use of decision-rights. Consistent with these implicit incentives, we find that employees in tightly monitored business units are less likely than their loosely monitored counterparts to: (1) use decision-rights; and (2) adjust for local information, including historical performance data, in their decisions. These decision-making patterns are associated with large and systematic differences in learning rates across business units. Learning is concentrated in business units with ”loose monitoring” and entirely absent in those with ”tight monitoring.” The results are consistent with an experimentation hypothesis in which tight monitoring of decisions leads to more control but less learning.
Towards realistic connectivity restoration in partitioned mobile sensor networks

The connectivity of a disjoint mobile sensor network can be restored by moving a set of nodes to certain destinations. However, all of the existing works have assumed that the selected destinations can be reached via direct path movement, which may not be the case in real-world applications because of obstacles or terrain elevation. In addition, even if direct path movement is successful, optimal energy efficiency cannot be attained by neglecting the elevation or friction of the terrain when determining the movement path of the nodes. Thus, in the recovery efforts, terrain type, elevation, obstacles, and possible localization errors should be considered in order to guarantee the connectivity restoration while minimizing the recovery cost in terms of energy. In this paper, we pick two sample distributed and centralized connectivity restoration approaches from the literature to show that these approaches fail to restore connectivity in many cases due to the lack of considering realistic issues. These approaches are re-designed in order to determine movement trajectory based on a path planning algorithm, which considers the risk and elevation of the terrain sections. Experiment results reveal several issues regarding the performance in terms of energy consumption and recovery delay. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nuclear Power Plants

Currently, about half of all nuclear power plants are located in the United States. There are many different kinds of nuclear power plants, and we will discuss a few important designs in this text. A nuclear power plant harnesses the energy inside atoms themselves and converts this to electricity. All of us use this electricity. In Sect. 18.1 of this chapter, we show you the idea of the fission process and how it works. A nuclear power plant uses controlled nuclear fission. In this chapter, we will explore how a nuclear power plant operates and the manner in which nuclear reactions are controlled. There are several different designs for nuclear reactors. Most of them have the same basic function, but one’s implementation of this function separates it from another. There are several classification systems used to distinguish between reactor types. Below is a list of common reactor types and classification systems found throughout the world, and they are briefly explained down below according to three types of classification either (1) classified by moderator material, (2) classified by coolant material, or (3) classified by reaction type.
Regulated spatial organization and sensitivity of cytosolic protein oxidation in Caenorhabditis elegans

Cells respond to redox changes by shifting their protein thiol–disulfide balance. Here, the authors show that this balance is spatially regulated and varies widely across individuals, challenging the concept that glutathione acts as the main cellular redox buffer.
Application of matrix pencil technique to analysis of microstrip

We solve for surface current distribution on microstrip patches of arbitrary shape by the method of moments in conjunction with triangular basis functions and Sommerfeld integrals. The matrix pencil method is used to decompose current along the feed and terminating lines into forward and backward traveling waves, yielding scattering parameters of the device. This approach is tested on various examples and its results are compared to both previously published data and measurements performed in the Microwave Laboratory of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Syracuse University.
Baruch spinoza: heretic, lens grinder.

On July 27, 1656, the following text was read in Hebrew in front of the ark of the Portuguese-Jewish synagogue on the Houtgracht in the Vlooienburg quarter of Amsterdam where the Sephardic Jews (as well as their poorer Ashkenazic neighbors) tended to reside.
Modeling of transport phenomena in hybrid laser-MIG keyhole welding

Mathematical models and associated numerical techniques have been developed to investigate the complicated transport phenomena in spot hybrid laser-MIG keyhole welding. A continuum formulation is used to handle solid phase, liquid phase, and the mushy zone during the melting and solidification processes. The volume of fluid (VOF) method is employed to handle free surfaces, and the enthalpy method is used for latent heat. Dynamics of weld pool fluid flow, energy transfer in keyhole plasma and weld pool, and interactions between droplets and weld pool are calculated as a function of time. The effect of droplet size on mixing and solidification is investigated. It is found that weld pool dynamics, cooling rate, and final weld bead geometry are strongly affected by the impingement process of the droplets in hybrid laser-MIG welding. Also, compositional homogeneity of the weld pool is determined by the competition between the rate of mixing and the rate of solidification.
Characterizing Long Term Usage of a Mass Storage System At a Super Computer Site

One of the primary mass storage systems in use at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is the Common File System, or CFS. CFS went into production in 1979, servicing supercomputer environments, and later was expanded for use with a broader networked workstation environment. It is now used by a very large user population at LANL. It can be used by any employee for storage purposes, and is used by all of the large supercomputers at LANL. CFS is being phased out for the supercomputing environment due to the need for a more scalable mass storage system design. To our benefit, records have been kept for the last seven years of all activity on CFS. A statistical analysis of these records has been performed, to understand how the mass storage system was used over a long period of time. Example usage statistics include maximum and average file sizes, data rates, and bytes moved for each month. Trends and observations about these usage statistics will be presented. The paper will also present some study in the effects of environmental changes and their implications for CFS. An example of an environmental change question is: how does new media technology affect the usage or management of the system? Study of the performance of the storage system over this long period of time will also be presented. Characterization of performance and how migration, environmental factors, and usage-affected data rate performance as well as time-to-first-byte performance is examined. Some conclusions about usage and its effect on planning, design, and operation of mass storage systems will be discussed. It is hoped that the analysis of actual long run usage data of a mass storage system in a demanding supercomputing environment will provide interesting lessons that can be applied to the planning, design, and operation of future mass storage systems.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma of the Hand

ASSH Disclaimer: The material presented in this CME activity is mad ASSH for educational purposes only. This material is not intended to methods or the best procedures appropriate for the medical situation rather it is intended to present an approach, view, statement, or opinion may be helpful, or of interest, to other practitioners. Examinees agree to medical education activity, sponsored by the ASSH, with full knowledge a they waive any claim they may have against the ASSH for reliance o presented. The approval of the US Food and Drug Administration is requ and drugs that are considered experimental. Instrumentation systems dis
Financial Development and Financial Liberalization in Asia: Thresholds, Institutions and the Sequence of Liberalization

Abstract This paper investigates whether financial openness leads to financial development after controlling for the level of legal/institutional development, and whether trade opening is a precondition for financial opening. The focus is on Asia. In a panel encompassing 87 less developed countries over the period 1980 to 2000, a higher level of financial openness is found to spur equity market development only if a threshold level of legal development has been attained, a condition which tends to prevail particularly among emerging market Asian countries. On the issue of sequencing, trade openness is found to be a prerequisite for successful inducement of financial development via capital account liberalization.
Synthesis of robust control systems for a hypersonic aircraft

Stochastic robustness analysis is a flexible probabilistic framework for defining the robustness of control systems. Here, robust linear-quadratic-regulators are synthesized to control the nonlinear longitudinal dynamics of a hypersonic aircraft with uncertainties in 28 parameters. The compensators are designed using a genetic algorithm to search a design parameter space and Monte Carlo evaluation to define the robustness cost surface. The method is shown to produce control structures that satisfy nominal stability and performance goals, while minimizing robustness cost functions. >
Mechanism of immunomodulatory drugs' action in the treatment of multiple myeloma

Although immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), such as thalidomide, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide, are widely used in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), the molecular mechanism of IMiDs' action is largely unknown. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in the application of IMiDs in MM cancer treatment as well as their effects on immunomodulatory activities, anti-angiogenic activities, intervention of cell surface adhesion molecules between myeloma cells and bone marrow stromal cells, anti-inflammatory activities, anti-proliferation, pro-apoptotic effects, cell cycle arrest, and inhibition of cell migration and metastasis. In addition, the potential IMiDs' target protein, IMiDs' target protein's functional role, and the potential molecular mechanisms of IMiDs resistance will be discussed. We wish, by presentation of our naive discussion, that this review article will facilitate further investigation in these fields.
Single Wire Versus Double Wire Loops for Median Sternotomy Closure: Experimental Biomechanical Study Using a Human Cadaveric Model

Background Healing of median sternotomy requires reliable sternal fixation. Although both single and double wire kits are commercially available, no experimental study has compared the two closures in a human cadaveric model. We used a recently described human experimental cadaveric model to compare the stability of the closures. Methods Sixteen fresh adult human cadaveric sternal plates with adjacent ribs were fixed with custom designed spiked stainless steel clamps and attached to a biomechanical testing device. Single No. 5 peristernal and double peristernal closures were tested. The stability of the unions was tested using perpendicular, repetitive force loads increasing from 0 to 800 Newtons at a rate of 0.5 mm/second. Results The two study groups did not differ in age or sex. No clamp failures or damage to the specimens occurred. The double peristernal closure exhibited a significantly lower permanent displacement than the single wire group, suggesting a superior strength and stability of that closure. Conclusions To the extent to which this human cadaveric model resembles in vivo median sternotomy, these data suggest that the biomechanical stability of the peristernal double wire closure may exceed that of single wires.
Pulmonary nocardiosis in the Rhesus monkey. Importance of differentiation from tuberculosis.

Two cases of pulmonary nocardiosis occurred in the primate colony of the Yale University School of Medicine from 1961–1965. During this same period 22 monkeys were necropsied with tuberculosis.Pulmonary nocardiosis may be mistaken grossly and microscopically for tuberculosis. Although the gross appearance of the lungs in both diseases may be indistinguishable, there are important differential points. Pulmonary nocardiosis has the following features which tend to differentiate it from pulmonary tuberculosis: No tracheobronchial lymph node involvement,No extra-thoracic lesions, andDemonstration of typical organisms on direct smear.
Content-based downloading for digital video

In this paper we examine a content-based method to download/record digital video from networks to client stations and home VCR's. The method examined is an alternative to the conventional time-based method used for recording analogue video. Various approaches to probing the video content and to triggering the VCR operations are considered, including frame signature matching, program barcode matching, preloaded pattern searching, and annotation signal searching in a hypermedia environment. Preliminary performance studies are conducted to provide some insights into this approach.
Certain Immune Markers Are Not Good Indicators of Mild to Moderate Biotin Deficiency in Rats

To assess the effects of marginal biotin deficiency on immune function and thereby evaluate immune function as a potential marker for impaired biotin status, we investigated immune function in a rat model during progression from sufficiency to moderate biotin deficiency. As immune function indicators, we assessed the IgG response to a vaccine and the cytokine responses and relative proportions of lymphocyte subpopulations in the immunocytes in blood, spleen and thymus. Neither phenotype nor organ redistribution of lymphocytes differed between biotin-deficient and biotin-sufficient rats. Assessment of immune function by mitogen T cell proliferation, mitogen-induced interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 levels, IgG antibody responses and natural killer cell activity were not significantly different in mild to moderately biotin-deficient rats compared with biotin-sufficient controls. The absence of effects on immune function was not attributable to failure to induce biotin deficiency; the rats exhibited unequivocal evidence of biotin deficiency, including reduced hepatic biotin and impaired leucine metabolism resulting from deficiency of the biotin-dependent enzyme methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase. We conclude that the immune markers examined are not promising candidates as indicators of mild to moderate deficiency in humans.
Structure of Fusarium poae virus 1 shows conserved and variable elements of partitivirus capsids and evolutionary relationships to picobirnavirus

Filamentous fungus Fusarium poae is a worldwide cause of the economically important disease Fusarium head blight of cereal grains. The fungus is itself commonly infected with a bisegmented dsRNA virus from the family Partitiviridae. For this study, we determined the structure of partitivirus Fusarium poae virus 1 (FpV1) to a resolution of 5.6A or better by electron cryomicroscopy and three-dimensional image reconstruction. The main structural features of FpV1 are consistent with those of two other fungal partitiviruses for which high-resolution structures have been recently reported. These shared features include a 120-subunit T=1 capsid comprising 60 quasisymmetrical capsid protein dimers with both shell and protruding domains. Distinguishing features are evident throughout the FpV1 capsid, however, consistent with its more massive subunits and its greater phylogenetic divergence relative to the other two structurally characterized partitiviruses. These results broaden our understanding of conserved and variable elements of fungal partitivirus structure, as well as that of vertebrate picobirnavirus, and support the suggestion that a phylogenetic subcluster of partitiviruses closely related to FpV1 should constitute a separate taxonomic genus.
A Lexical-Functional Account of Spanish Dative Usage

This paper explores the interaction between Dative Clitic Doubling (DClD) in Spanish ditransitives and some semantic and syntactic factors. Usage data give statistically significant evidence that a goal is more likely to be doubled when definite or when it precedes the theme. These facts are accounted for under the hypothesis that goals alternate between an oblique function and an object function, and that dative clitics double goals only in the latter case. DClD, then, is seen as the Spanish equivalent of the English dative alternation. Ditransitives like dar ‘give’ and its English translation are analyzed as cloaked causatives, casting the dative alternation is a special case of the alternation between direct and indirect causatives. Some non-trivial differences between English and Spanish in the realization of the goal are pointed out, and are made to follow from a more general typological contrast between accusative languages and primary object languages in their treatment of causatives. The analysis is framed in the formalism of Lexical-Functional Grammar.
Effect of Green Tea on Interaction of Lipid Oxidation Products With Sarcoplasmic and Myofibrillar Protein Homogenates Extracted from Bovine Top Round Muscle

Abstract The interaction between lipid oxidation products and bovine sarcoplasmic (SP) and myofibrillar protein (MP) homogenates in the presence of green tea was investigated. To monitor the effect of green tea on lipid oxidation, aldehydes were measured while effect on protein was monitored via changes in myoglobin, thiols, and tryptophan fluorescence over nine days of refrigerated storage. The presence of SP and MP decreased free aldehydes in the buffers. Sarcoplasmic homogenates bound aldehydes to a greater degree than MP. The tea compounds exhibited more favorable binding energies than aldehydes near histidine 64 close to the heme moiety of myoglobin. Addition of tea lowered tryptophan fluorescence and thiol content. The results suggested that green tea enhances the binding of bovine SP and MP to lipid oxidation products. The results also suggested that green tea can decrease rancidity by directly binding lipid oxidation products.
Strongly coupled electronic, magnetic, and lattice degrees of freedom in LaC o 5 under pressure

We have performed high-pressure magnetotransport and x-ray diffraction measurements on ferromagnetic $\mathrm{LaC}{\mathrm{o}}_{5}$, confirming the theoretically predicted electronic topological transition driving the magnetoelastic collapse seen in the related compound $\mathrm{YC}{\mathrm{o}}_{5}$. Our x-ray diffraction results show an anisotropic lattice collapse of the $c$ axis near 10 GPa that is also commensurate with a change in the majority charge carriers evident from high-pressure Hall effect measurements. The coupling of the electronic, magnetic, and lattice degrees of freedom is further substantiated by the evolution of the anomalous Hall effect, which couples to the magnetization of the ordered state of $\mathrm{LaC}{\mathrm{o}}_{5}$.
Routing and Data Dissemination

Routing and data dissemination are an important issue in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The essential function of a WSN is to monitor a phenomenon in a physical environment and report sensed data to a central node called a sink , where additional operations can be applied to the gathered data. This chapter focuses on routing and data dissemination in WSNs, and introduces the fundamental concepts related to routing and data dissemination, discusses the major issues and challenges in accomplishing this vital function, and surveys a variety of protocols for routing and data dissemination in WSNs. In particular, we present a taxonomy of routing and data dissemination protocols for WSNs based on different classifi cation criteria, for example, location information, network layering and in network processing, data centricity, multipath, network dynamics, quality of service requirements, and heterogeneity. The taxonomy is developed through an extensive analysis of a variety of routing and data dissemination protocols for WSNs. The objective of the taxonomy is threefold: (1) to provide a framework
Family violence: clinical indicators among military and post-military personnel.

Child and spouse abuse continues to be a critically important problem for the medical and mental health professions. Examined are recent clinical data and research addressing this most serious concern among military and post-military personnel. Criteria useful in the identification of risk persons and diagnosis and treatment of family violence are discussed. Specific attention is given to the diagnostic indicators, the abusing family profile, the traumatic process of abuse, and strategies relevant to psychiatric intervention. Guidelines for military mental health and medical professionals are explored. Language: en
Democratic Athens as an Experimental System: History and the Project of Political Theory

Athens as a case study can be useful as an “exemplary narrative” for political science and normative political, on the analogy of the biologicial use of as certain animals (e.g. mice or zebrafish) as “model systems” subject to intensive study by many researchers.
Lactate Dehydrogenase and Ferritin Levels: A Clinical Clue for Early Diagnosis of Disseminated Histoplasmosis in HIV Patients

Histoplasmosis is the most common endemic mycosis in AIDS and often mimics other opportunistic infections. Previous studies have indicated a correlation between early biomarkers and histoplasmosis. In our case, we present an AIDS patient presenting with fever and pulmonary symptoms, found to have histoplasmosis along with markedly elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and ferritin. J Med Cases. 2016;7(3):81-83 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2173w
Tumor DNA in cerebral spinal fluid reflects clinical course in a patient with melanoma leptomeningeal brain metastases

Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) from brain tumor patients contains tumor cellular and cell-free DNA (cfDNA), which provides a less-invasive and routinely accessible method to obtain tumor genomic information. In this report, we used droplet digital PCR to test mutant tumor DNA in CSF of a patient to monitor the treatment response of metastatic melanoma leptomeningeal disease (LMD). The primary melanoma was known to have a BRAF (V600E) mutation, and the patient was treated with whole brain radiotherapy and BRAF inhibitors. We collected 9 CSF samples over 6 months. The mutant cfDNA fraction gradually decreased from 53 % (time of diagnosis) to 0 (time of symptom alleviation) over the first 6 time points. Three months after clinical improvement, the patient returned with severe symptoms and the mutant cfDNA was again detected in CSF at high levels. The mutant DNA fraction corresponded well with the patient's clinical response. We used whole exome sequencing to examine the mutation profiles of the LMD tumor DNA in CSF before therapeutic response and after disease relapse, and discovered a canonical cancer mutation PTEN (R130*) at both time points. The cellular and cfDNA revealed similar mutation profiles, suggesting cfDNA is representative of LMD cells. This study demonstrates the potential of using cellular or cfDNA in CSF to monitor treatment response for LMD.
A Precaution for Minimizing Radiation Exposure from Iodine Vaporization

Oral administration of therapeutic doses of iodine-131 has been described as one of the most hazardous procedures facing the hospital health physicist (1). Airborne I-131 activity in excess of the maximum permissible concentration has been reported in nuclear medicine laboratories (2) after handling of therapeutic amounts of I-131 or in patients' room after administration of doses (1,3). Loss of as much as 4 mCi of iodine as vapor from a 200mCi dose has been observed, as well as iodine accumulation in the thyroid gland of a technologist handling doses ( 4,5). This vaporization problem is obviously a matter of concern in radiation protection. As originally noted by Howard (6), dissolved oxygen can in an acid solution oxidize iodide to the more volatile iodine. Vapor accumulation in a vial containing an I-131 solution will be released when the vial is opened. Oxygen generated by the radiolysis of water, because of the intense radiation flux within the small volume of liquid in a vial, no doubt also contributes to this effect. In response to this problem, one manufacturer(Mallinckrodt Inc.) has issued a bulletin on safety precautions to be observed when vials are opened (7). This company has also reformulated its therapeutic solutions to contain sodium bisulfite as an antioxidizing agent and sodium diphosphate buffer, pH 7.5-9 (8). These measures reportedly cause a significant reduction in the release of iodine vapor from opened vials. On one occasion our nuclear medicine department found an accumulation of approximately 50 nCi in a technologist's thyroid the day after he had prepared a therapeutic dose. Tap water was used to dilute this particular dose. We switched to the use of distilled deionized water for dose preparation and have not had a recurrence of this incident; subsequent thyroid monitoring has revealed only background counts. Much attention has been focused on vapor emanating from opened vials. We have
Sex Differences in Self-Monitoring:

The self-monitoring styles of 252 undergraduate students were assessed. Statistically significant differences were observed between the sexes. 124 males reported greater self-monitoring than 128 females. Implications are discussed and suggestions for future research offered.
A System for Production and Dissemination of Modular Instructional Materials

The textbook is greatly limited as a means of meeting the educational requirements of new syncretic disciplines like materials science and engineering. Print modules may be the direction of the future in these cases. Accessed by key words in a computerized system, custom made courses of such modules could be quickly prepared. An experimental system is being developed to do this with a special emphasis on cost efficient dissemination through a Journal with free reproduction rights.
Label Free Screening of Enzyme Inhibitors at Femtomole Scale Using Segmented Flow Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Droplet-based microfluidics is an attractive platform for screening and optimizing chemical reactions. Using this approach, it is possible to reliably manipulate nanoliter volume samples and perform operations such as reagent addition with high precision, automation, and throughput. Most studies using droplet microfluidics have relied on optical techniques to detect the reaction; however, this requires engineering color or fluorescence change into the reaction being studied. In this work, we couple electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) to nanoliter scale segmented flow reactions to enable direct (label-free) analysis of reaction products. The system is applied to a screen of inhibitors for cathepsin B. In this approach, solutions of test compounds (including three known inhibitors) are arranged as an array of nanoliter droplets in a tube segmented by perfluorodecalin. The samples are pumped through a series of tees to add enzyme, substrate (peptides), and quenchant. The resulting reaction mix...
One Million Quantum States of Benzene.

In this study, we compute all of the dynamically relevant vibrational quantum states of benzene, using an “exact” quantum dynamics (EQD) methodology. Benzene (C6H6), in addition to being a very large molecule for EQD (12 atoms, 30 vibrational modes), also has a very large number of vibrational states—around 106 in all, lying within 6500 cm–1 of the ground state. The EQD methodology developed here uses a phase space picture to optimize the truncation of a harmonic oscillator basis—not only with respect to the molecular system of interest but also with respect to the targeted spectral range. By employing several such EQD calculations, targeted to different spectral ranges, a “hybridized” data set is constructed that provides the most accurate results everywhere. In particular, more than 500 000 states are converged to 15 cm–1 or better.
Operational benefits of parallel offset routes

A lateral offset from a jet airway, enabled by performance-based navigation (PBN), permits a faster aircraft to fly at its preferred speed instead of matching the speed of a slower aircraft in front. This paper presents the results of an analysis of pairs of aircraft with mismatched speeds obtained from the Traffic Flow Management System in 2014. Flights that could reduce their time to destination were identified geometrically. The ability of the current human-centered system to accommodate speed preferences is derived. Once the current system's performance is subtracted, the result is an estimate of the total annual benefit of PBN offset routes in reduced flight time.
Postfire Drill-Seeding of Great Basin Plants: Effects of Contrasting Drills on Seeded and Nonseeded Species

Objectives of postfire seeding in the Great Basin include reestablishment of perennial cover, suppression of exotic annual weeds, and restoration of diverse plant communities. Nonconventional seeding techniques may be required when seeding mixes of grasses, forbs, and shrubs containing seeds of different sizes. We conducted an operational-scale experiment to test the effectiveness of two rangeland drills (conventional and minimum-till) for seeding native plant mixes following wildfire in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young) communities. Both drills were configured to place small and large seeds in alternate rows. We hypothesized that the minimum-till drill's advanced featureswould improve establishment compared with the conventional drill. We also hypothesized that theminimum-till drill would cause less damage to residual perennials, whereas the conventional drill would have a greater impact on annual weeds. The experiment was replicated at three burned sites and monitored for 2 yr at each site. Seeded plant establishment was lowest at a low-precipitation site that became dominated by exotic annuals. Another site had high perennial grass establishment, which effectively suppressed exotic annuals, while a third site attained high diversity of seeded species and life forms but became invaded by exotic annuals in plant interspaces. Small-seeded species generally established better with the minimum-till drill equipped with imprinter wheels than the conventional drill with drag-chains. However, large-seeded species frequently established better with the conventional drill despite its lack of depth bands and press wheels. Soil disturbance associated with the conventional drill had a negative effect on residual perennials and exotic annuals at some sites. Results indicate that different drill features are advantageous in different ways, but that either of the tested drills, if properly used, can be effective for seeding native plant mixes provided site conditions are otherwise favorable for seedling establishment.
Biharmonic density estimate: a scale-space descriptor for 3-D deformable surfaces

The wide variability in deformable three-dimensional (3-D) shapes calls for the formulation of a multiscale surface signature for effective characterization and analysis of the underlying 3-D intrinsic geometry. To this end, a novel intrinsic geometric scale-space descriptor for 3-D deformable surfaces, termed as the biharmonic density estimate (BDE), is proposed. The BDE, derived from the biharmonic distance measure, is shown to provide an intrinsic geometric scale-space signature for multiscale surface feature-based representation of deformable 3-D shapes that is both effective and useful for practical applications. The proposed BDE signature provides a theoretical framework for the concept of intrinsic geometric scale space, resulting in a highly descriptive characterization of both the local surface structure and the global metric of the underlying 3-D shape. The compactness and robustness of the BDE are experimentally demonstrated on two standard benchmark datasets. The applications of the BDE in the detection of key components on a deformable 3-D surface and determination of sparse point correspondences between two deformable 3-D shapes are also demonstrated.
Integrating Ecological and Ethnobotanical Knowledge to Promote Collaborative Conservation Planning in the Nepal Himalaya

The Manaslu Conservation Area in north-central Nepal is considered a biodiversity hotspot, but very little is known about the ecology of its forests and its residents' ethnobotanical practices. This study integrated data from ecological sample plots in 19 forest patches and an ethnobotanical inventory conducted with village residents to explore spatial patterns of diversity in woody plant species and their local uses. The study identified a total of 155 woody plant species in 103 genera and 54 plant families. Local residents named 96% (149) of these species and cited 404 uses for them. The uses involving the greatest number of species were fuel (104) and fodder (54). Seven forest community types were identified: 2, blue pine and rhododendron, primarily below 2200 m, and 5 communities (mixed laurel, oak–laurel, mixed maple, oak–ash and kharsu oak) mostly above 2200 m. Among the forest community types, the oak–laurel forest, at 1–3 km from the study villages, had the highest number of species, species used ...
Retention of visible implant alphanumeric tags in adult Walleye

ABSTRACTIn 2010, Northwest Marine Technology introduced a more rigid visible implant alphanumeric (VIA) tag that substantially improved the tag loading and injecting process. To achieve these improvements, VIA tag size and composition was modified, thereby potentially influencing previously examined VIA tag retention rates on Walleye Sander vitreus. Effects of total length (TL), sex, and days post-tagging on retention of VIA tags injected underneath the lower mandible of adult Walleye were evaluated from 2012 to 2016. Walleye (n = 2455) collected from natural lakes in Iowa were measured, sexed, and injected with identical VIA tags on each side (left and right) of the lower mandible. Of 366 Walleye recaptured up to four years post-tagging, 241 had both tags; the remaining fish had retained only one tag. Overall, tag retention adjusted for fish that lost both tags (n = 14) was 80% (607 of 760). Retention of VIA tags was not influenced by sex, TL at time of marking, or number of days post-tagging and did not...
H2S and polysulfide metabolism: Conventional and unconventional pathways

Abstract It is now well established that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an effector of a wide variety of physiological processes. It is also clear that many of the effects of H2S are mediated through reactions with cysteine sulfur on regulatory proteins and most of these are not mediated directly by H2S but require prior oxidation of H2S and the formation of per- and polysulfides (H2Sn, n = 2–8). Attendant with understanding the regulatory functions of H2S and H2Sn is an appreciation of the mechanisms that control, i.e., both increase and decrease, their production and catabolism. Although a number of standard “conventional” pathways have been described and well characterized, novel “unconventional” pathways are continuously being identified. This review summarizes our current knowledge of both the conventional and unconventional.
Emotional Well-Being Following a Later Life Career Change: The Roles of Agency and Resources.

More individuals are attempting career changes in later life, as an increasing number of people face precarious retirement prospects. Although many of these older job seekers eventually find new li...
Paramagnetic Proton NMR Methods Used in Studying the Hemeprotein Subunit of Escherichia coli Sulfite Reductase

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses paramagnetic proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods used in studying the hemeprotein subunit of Escherichia coli sulfite reductase. NMR spectroscopy of solutions containing paramagnetic metalloproteins is a rapidly developing, specialized area in the larger field of protein NMR. In the presence of a paramagnetic prosthetic group, hyperfine-shifted resonances may be observed outside the normal diamagnetic spectral envelope, and can often be used as a probe of the protein's electronic and molecular structure near the active site. The chapter presents some of the principles and techniques necessary to successfully utilize paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy. Structural information about the active site can be obtained from the NMR spectra of paramagnetic metalloproteins, particularly in the case of coupled metal systems. Resonance assignments can be achieved by a variety of techniques, including isotopic substitution, ID-NOE measurements, 2D NOESY/COSY maps, variable temperature intercepts, differential dipolar relaxation, and comparison with model compounds. The size and magnitude of hyperfine-shifted resonances along with their temperature dependence and relaxation properties are also valuable in understanding the electronic and magnetic properties of paramagnetic proteins.
Effects on the groundwater levels of the May-June 2012 Emilia seismic sequence

A variety of phenomena were observed in the groundwaters in concomitance with the May-June 2012 seismic sequence that occurred in the Emilia Romagna area. In particular, phreatic wells close to the epicentral area were affected by a sudden increase in water level of up to 4 m. In some cases, the sands of aquifers were ejected outside wells, and >700 liquefaction phenomena were recorded [Bertolini and Fioroni 2012, this volume]. Some automatic stations of the regional well network recorded variations in well levels. These data can be considered useful to understand the relationships between seismic events and the local groundwaters [see also Italiano et al. 2012, this volume]. […] In 1976, a regional network composed of 330 wells was set up with the purpose of monitoring the groundwater levels using manual techniques. These data have been used for environmental purposes and for water management. In recent years, the monitoring network managed by Agenzia Regionale Prevenzione e Ambiente (ARPA) has increased the number of wells (to about 600), and chemical analyses are also periodically carried out for environmental monitoring activities. In the past three years, an automatic monitoring network composed of 40 stations was set up and this has allowed the monitoring of the water levels and the temperatures, at a rate of one measure per hour, and to broadcast the data to the host center located in Bologna. […]
Assessing the comparative-effectiveness of antidepressants commonly prescribed for depression in the US Medicare population.

Background Depression is among the most common chronic illnesses in the US elderly Medicare population, affecting approximately 11.5% of beneficiaries with estimated costs of about US$65 billion annually. Patients with depression are typically treated with antidepressants - most commonly the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs vary substantially in their costs, side effect profiles and convenience of use. All these factors might affect medication adherence and subsequently down-stream medical costs.
Quantification of the Role of Acclimation Temperature in Temperature Tolerance of Fishes

The relative effect of acclimation temperature on temperature tolerance was estimated from a geometrical partitioning of the temperature tolerance polygon of a fish species into three distinct zones relative to four key tolerance temperatures. This approach yields a middle tolerance zone which is independent of acclimation temperature bounded by upper and lower acclimation dependent zones. Acclimation dependent and independent temperature tolerance zones can be quantified by either areal or linear methods. Both methods were applied to quantify the effect of acclimation temperature in 21 species of temperate fishes for which temperature tolerance polygons were available. Temperature tolerance polygon areas of these 21 species ranged from 468 to 1380°C2 and are linearly related (r2=0.93, p<0.001) to ultimate incipient upper lethal temperatures. Although areal and linear partitioning methods yielded similar acclimation independent and dependent tolerances, estimates from the areal method incorporates additional information concerning the shape of the temperature tolerance polygon, in particular lower and upper lethal temperature plateaus. Mean combined acclimation dependent and independent tolerance areas of these 21 species were not different, indicating that acclimation effectively doubles the temperature tolerance polygon. Mean lower acclimation dependent area was nearly three times greater than mean upper acclimation dependent area, suggesting that acclimation plays a larger role in tolerance of low rather than high temperatures. Among these 21 species, temperature tolerance of brook charr and sheepshead minnow were the least and most affected by acclimation temperature, respectively.
22 Career Dynamics

This chapter examines recent developments in theory and research regarding career dynamics. We first discuss changes in the world of work, focusing on the turbulence of the contemporary economy and the resultant movement toward a more market-driven approach to managing human resources that has produced changes in the construal and enactment of careers. We then examine theory and research in five specific areas that are critical to understanding contemporary careers—career success, mentoring, career development, international careers, and entrepreneurial careers—and provide suggestions for future research in each area. Keywords: career; career success; mentoring; international careers; entrepreneurial careers
Diagnostic Yield of Customized Exercise Provocation Following Routine Testing

Clinical guidelines advocate for customization of exercise testing to address patient-specific diagnostic goals, including reproduction of presenting exertional symptoms. However, the diagnostic yield of adding customized exercise testing to graded exercise in patients presenting with exertional complaints has not been rigorously examined and is the focus of this study. Using prospectively collected data, we analyzed the diagnostic yield of customized additional exercise provocation following inconclusive graded exercise test with measurement of gas exchange. Additional testing was defined as "positive" if it revealed a clinically-actionable diagnosis related to the chief complaint or reproduced symptoms in the absence of an explanatory diagnosis or pathology. Of 1,110 patients who completed a graded test, 122 (11%) symptomatic patients underwent additional customized exercise testing (e.g., sprint intervals and race simulations). Compared with those who did not undergo additional testing, this group was younger (29 [interquartile range 19 to 45] vs 46 [25 to 58] year old) and disproportionately female (43% vs 27%). Presenting symptoms included palpitations (46%), lightheadedness/syncope (25%), chest pain (14%), dyspnea (11%), and exertional intolerance (3%). Additional testing was "positive" in 48 of 122 (39%) of patients by revealing a clinically actionable diagnosis in 26 of 48 (54%) or reproducing symptoms without an explanatory diagnosis in 22 of 48 (46%). In conclusion, while patient-centered customization of exercise testing is suggested by clinical guidelines, these data are the first to demonstrate that the selective addition of customized exercise provocation following inconclusive graded exercise testing improves the diagnostic yield of exercise assessment.
A Changing of the Guard: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors With and Without Chemotherapy as First Line Treatment for Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Inhibitory antibodies targeting programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) have resulted in improved outcomes for many patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in (NSCLC) in the second-line setting due to their ability to lead to prolonged anti-tumor immune responses. Combining these immunotherapies with platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment has resulted in improved response rates and increased survival when compared to platinum-based chemotherapy alone. Certain patient populations may even benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors as monotherapy in the first-line setting. The PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab is approved as monotherapy or in combination with platinum + pemetrexed for most newly diagnosed patients with metastatic NSCLC, excluding those with a targetable oncogene such as ALK and EGFR. The PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab is also approved in combination with bevacizumab + carboplatin + paclitaxel for the same population, with some parts of the world also approving this regimen for patients with ALK rearrangements or EGFR activating mutations. However, there are many other chemo-immunotherapy regimens that have been evaluated as initial treatment in metastatic NSCLC. Additionally, combinations of PD-1 axis inhibitors with cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 inhibitors have been examined, although none are yet approved. Here we review the clinical data in support of the current first-line approaches across histologies and biomarker subtypes, as well as highlight future research directions revealed by the current data.
American origins: Political and religious divides in US collective memory:

Origin stories are particularly influential collective memories, establishing a society in the minds of its members. National collective memories are frequently conceived as being shared by all mem...
Variability in Opioid-Prescribing Patterns in Endocrine Surgery and Discordance With Patient Use.

This study examines the variations in opioid-prescribing habits in a single endocrine surgery practice.
AIM3S: Autonomous Inventory Monitoring through Multi-Modal Sensing for Cashier-Less Convenience Stores

A common pain point for physical retail stores is live inventory monitoring, i.e. knowing how many items of each product are left on the shelves. About 4% of sales are lost due to an average 5-10% out-of-shelf stockout rate, while additional supplies existed in the warehouse. Traditional techniques rely on manual inspection, per-item tagging using RFIDs, or human-in-the-loop systems such as Amazon Go. These approaches, while effective, either have poor accuracy, long delays between results or are cost prohibitive. In this paper, we present AIM3S (Autonomous Inventory Monitoring through Multi-Modal Sensing) for cashier-less stores. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fully autonomous system that fuses multiple sensing modalities. Utilizing weight difference on a shelf, visual item recognition in customers' hands and prior knowledge of item layout AIM3S monitors products picked up or returned without human-in-the-loop. We present results from a real-world setup with 85 items (33 unique products) replicating the layout of a local 7-Eleven store. Our results show that the fused approach provides up to 93.2% item identification accuracy, better than reported self-checkout stations (86%).