cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design flexibility in cis-regulatory control of gene expression: synthetic and comparative evidence.

In early Drosophila embryos, the transcription factor Dorsal regulates patterns of gene expression and cell fate specification along the dorsal–ventral axis. How gene expression is produced within the broad lateral domain of the presumptive neurogenic ectoderm is not understood. To investigate transcriptional control during neurogenic ectoderm specification, we examined divergence and function of an embryonic cis-regulatory element controlling the gene short gastrulation (sog). While transcription factor binding sites are not completely conserved, we demonstrate that these sequences are bona fide regulatory elements, despite variable regulatory architecture. Mutation of conserved sequences revealed that putative transcription factor binding sites for Dorsal and Zelda, a ubiquitous maternal transcription factor, are required for proper sog expression. When Zelda and Dorsal sites are paired in a synthetic regulatory element, broad lateral expression results. However, synthetic regulatory elements that contain Dorsal and an additional activator also drive expression throughout the neurogenic ectoderm. Our results suggest that interaction between Dorsal and Zelda drives expression within the presumptive neurogenic ectoderm, but they also demonstrate that regulatory architecture directing expression in this domain is flexible. We propose a model for neurogenic ectoderm specification in which gene regulation occurs at the intersection of temporal and spatial transcription factor inputs.
A Methodology for The Image of the City

In The Image of the City Lynch defined a concept of imageability or legibility of the physical form by the pattern or structure of the interrelations among five elements. The well-known elements are: paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks. When considered in pairs (for example, paths — nodes, paths — districts) Lynch noted the elements could strengthen or weaken, ‘reinforce’, or ‘destroy’ each other. The seminal study method, however, deemphasized the interrelations of the elements, critical to the observation of how a ‘complex visual whole’ is organized. To surmount this limitation a method is presented which aids in the measurement of the interrelations of Lynch's elements. Formally, the pairwise comparisons of the (five) elements are performed by means of Saaty's square, a reciprocal matrix with unit rank whose eigenvector solution gives the priority or the relative importance, or dominance, of the elements on a ratio scale. The inputs to such a matrix are provided by means of a questionnaire wh...
Recognition and Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Heart Failure

Chronic illnesses, especially illnesses that severely affect functional abilities, such as heart failure (HF), are associated with significant physical, psychological, and lifestyle changes that often lead to increased mental health difficulties.1,2 The prevalence of depression and anxiety is far greater among chronically ill persons than among the general primary care population,3 with prevalence ranging from 30% to 50% in persons with HF.4–8 The impact of anxiety and depression is pervasive and can reduce patients’ ability to cope with physical symptoms and adhere to medical treatment.4,8,9 The combination of depression and/or anxiety with a chronic medical illness also leads to increased risk of mortality, worsening of quality of life, functional disability, and increased health care utilization and cost.3,5,10–13 Unfortunately, the rates for detecting and treating depression and anxiety among those with medical illnesses are quite low.14–17 Poor recognition and treatment of depression and anxiety may complicate and exacerbate HF symptoms, precipitate functional decline, disrupt social and occupational functioning, and lead to an increased risk of mortality.8,12,18–20 For Clinical Use ♦ Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent in heart failure patients. Unfortunately, a large percentage of heart failure patients with significant depression or anxiety symptoms go unrecognized and undertreated for mental health difficulties. ♦ Once recognized as having depression and/or anxiety, patients are more likely to receive mental health treatments. ♦ Clinicians are encouraged to routinely screen for depression and anxiety in patients with heart failure and other chronic illness. A host of barriers, including patient, provider, and systems factors, likely affect poor recognition and limited treatment for depression and anxiety, especially in medical care settings.21 As examples, barriers include negative patient expectations about mental health conditions and/or treatment, physician competing demands and/or limited mental health knowledge, and restricted availability of mental health resources.21–23 Although there is increasing information on the prevalence and impact of depression (and, to a lesser extent, anxiety) in the medically ill, few studies have examined rates of identified and treated mental health conditions, and no known studies have examined mental health recognition and treatment for outpatients with HF. The current study focused on ambulatory HF patients to (1) examine patient self-reported prevalence for depression and anxiety, (2) review electronic medical records (EMRs) to examine rates of system-level recognition and treatment of depression and anxiety over an 18-month extraction period, and (3) predict system-level recognition and treatment using patient demographic and clinical factors.
First principles study of the surfaces of Zirconia

We have studied the surfaces of zirconia $({\mathrm{ZrO}}_{2})$ by first-principles calculations using density functional theory. We predict surface energies and relaxations for the principal surfaces of different bulk phases of zirconia. We find that the stoichiometric tetragonal(111) and monoclinic(1\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}11) are the most stable surfaces. We find a strong linear correlation between surface energies before and after relaxing the surface ions. Our predicted surface energies also provide insight into the tetragonal-monoclinic phase transition in small ${\mathrm{ZrO}}_{2}$ particles.
The Real Challenge to Photography (as Communicative Representational Art)

I argue that authentic photography is not able to develop to the full as a communicative representational art. Photography is authentic when it is true to its self-image as the imprinting of images. For an image to be imprinted is for its content to be linked to the scene in which it originates by a chain of sufficient, mind-independent causes. Communicative representational art (in any medium: photography, painting, literature, music, etc.) is art that exploits the resources of representation to achieve artistically interesting communication of thought. The central resources of representation are content, vehicle properties, and the interplay between these two. Whereas painting and other representational arts are able to exploit all three to communicate thought, authentic photography can exploit interplay only to a very limited degree. However, the exploitation of interplay is the culmination of communicative representational art: the natural endpoint in its development.
MgO-Supported Platinum–Tungsten Catalysts Prepared from Organometallic Precursors: Platinum Clusters Isolated on Dispersed Tungsten

Abstract MgO-supported Pt and Pt–W catalysts were prepared from organometallic precursors and characterized to determine how the nature of the precursors and the treatment conditions affected the Pt–W interactions and the catalytic activity for toluene hydrogenation. Samples were prepared from {Pt[W(CO)3(C5H5)]2(PhCN)2} (Ph = phenyl) and from [PtCl2(PhCN)2] + [W(CO)6] and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and chemisorption of H2, CO, and O2. The samples were treated in H2at 400°C prior to most of the characterizations. Incorporation of W reduced the chemisorption of CO and of H2, with the reduction in chemisorption being greater for the catalyst prepared from {Pt[W(CO)3(C5H5)]2(PhCN)2} than for the catalyst prepared from the combination of monometallic precursors. EXAFS spectra measured at both the PtLIIedge and the WLIIIedge showed substantial Pt–W contributions for the former catalyst (but not the latter), with a Pt–W coordination number of about 2 and an average Pt–W distance of 2.71 A. TEM and EXAFS results indicate that interactions between Pt and W cations in the sample made from {Pt[W(CO)3(C5H5)]2(PhCN)2} maintained the Pt in a highly dispersed form, with supported Pt clusters being smaller than about 10 A. The catalyst prepared from the bimetallic cluster was more than an order of magnitude less active for toluene hydrogenation at 1 atm and 60°C than the catalyst prepared from the two monometallic precursors; the comparison indicates that the W acted like an isolated dispersed support, with its influence on the catalysis maximized by its proximity to the Pt.
Minimal primal ideals in Banach algebras

An ideal / in a ring R is primal if whenever Jx,.,. ,Jn is a finite set of ideals of R with J1...Jn = {0} then Jt £ / for at least one i e {1,... , n}. If the ring is commutative then is is easily shown that each primal ideal contains a prime ideal. In this paper it is shown that in a separable semi-simple Banach algebra each primal ideal contains a prime ideal, and that the space of minimal prime ideals is compact and extremally disconnected in the hull-kernel topology. An example is given of an inseparable C*algebra with a primal ideal which does not contain a prime ideal.
Four-wave mixing and optical modulation in a semiconductor laser

There is a direct connection between nearly degenerate four-wave mixing in a semiconductor laser and optical modulation in the laser field. It can be understood using a model of an unlocked, optically injected laser, which emphasizes the effect of the laser resonator on the optical interactions. This model correctly describes the observed spectral characteristics and their dependence on the intrinsic parameters of the semiconductor laser. This is used to develop a simple and accurate technique using a single experimental setup for the parasitic-free characterization of the intrinsic laser parameters, including the relaxation resonance frequency, the total relaxation rate, the nonlinear relaxation rate, and the linewidth enhancement factor. Other parameters, such as the spontaneous carrier lifetime, the photon lifetime, the differential and nonlinear gain parameters, and the K factor, are determined from the power dependencies of these parameters. This technique requires only two CW lasers closely matched in wavelength and is applicable to semiconductor lasers of any wavelength and any dynamic bandwidth. >
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Adequacy of Information and Support for Women With Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND. Providing breast cancer patients with needed information and support is an essential component of quality care. This study investigated racial/ethnic variations in the information received and in the availability of peer support. METHODS. In total, 1766 women who were diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast cancer and reported to the Los Angeles County Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry from June 2005 to May 2006 were mailed a survey after initial treatment. Among accrued cases, 96.2% met eligibility criteria (n = 1698), and 72% completed the survey. Race/ethnicity categories were white, African American, and Latinas (2 categories indicating low or high acculturation, which was determined by using the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics). Outcomes included receipt and need for treatment-related and survivorship-related information, difficulty understanding information, and support from women with breast cancer. RESULTS. More women reported receiving treatment-related information than survivorship-related information. After adjusting for sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment factors, a higher percentage of low acculturated Latina women desired more information on treatment-related and survivorship-related issues (P < .001). Significantly more Latina low acculturated women than white women reported difficulty understanding written materials, with 74.5% requiring help from others. A higher percentage of all minority groups compared with whites reported no contact with other women with breast cancer (P < .05) and reported less contact through family/friends (P < .05). Women rated the benefit of talking to other women high, particularly with emotional issues. CONCLUSIONS. Continued efforts to provide culturally appropriate information and support needs to women with breast cancer are necessary to achieve quality care. Latinas with low acculturation reported more unmet information and care support needs than women in other racial/ethnic groups. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
The effect of facilitator utterances on participant responses in a brief acme-type marriage enrichment group

Abstract Participants volunteered for either an ACME-type marital enrichment discussion group or an assessment-only control group. Participants in the enrichment group increased their level of marital adjustment and improved their communication more than those in the assessment group. Both groups maintained their posttreatment level at a one-month follow-up. Marriage enrichment sessions were videotaped and coded. Facilitator statement-participant response pairs of utterances were analyzed using two coding systems, the Heckel Classification System (HCS) and the Hill Interaction Matrix (HIM). The hypothesis that therapists' statements and participants' responses would be significantly related across time was supported. On the HCS, participants tended to follow the focus, action, intent, and function of the previous facilitator statement. On the HIM, participants tended to follow both the style and content of therapists' statements. Across time, participants decreased the depth of their responses to therapis...
Whose American Revolution Was It? Historians Interpret the Founding. By Alfred F. Young and Gregory H. Nobles. (New York, NY: New York University Press, 2011. Pp. vi, 287. $26.00.)

This book purports to analyze how historians have expanded on J. Franklin Jameson's thesis that the American Revolution was a social movement. Instead of historiography, it really reads like a comp...
Total folate and folic acid intakes from foods and dietary supplements of US children aged 1–13 y

Background: Total folate intake includes naturally occurring food folate and folic acid from fortified foods and dietary supplements. Recent reports have focused on total folate intakes of persons aged � 14 y. Information on total folate intakes of young children, however, is limited. Objective: The objective was to compute total folate and total folic acid intakes of US children aged 1‐13 y by using a statistical method that adjusts for within-person variability and to compare these intakes with the Dietary Reference Intake guidelines for adequacy and excess. Design: Data from the 2003‐2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, were analyzed. Total folate intakes were derived by combining intakes of food folate (naturally occurring and folic acid from fortified foods) on the basis of 24-h dietary recall results and folic acid intakes from dietary supplements on the basis of a 30-d questionnaire. Results: More than 95% of US children consumed at least the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for folate from foods alone. More than one-third (35%) of US children aged 1‐13 y used dietary supplements, and 28% used dietary supplements containing folic acid. Supplement users had significantly higher total folate and folic acid intakes than did nonusers. More than half (53%) of dietary supplement users exceeded the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for total folic acid (fortified food + supplements) as compared with 5% of nonusers. Conclusions: Total folate intakes of most US children aged 1‐13 y meet the EAR. Children who used dietary supplements had significantly higher total folate intakes and exceeded the UL by .50%. Am J Clin Nutr 2010;92:353‐8.
A virtual phytosaur endocast and its implications for sensory system evolution in archosaurs

ABSTRACT Many recent studies have detailed the morphology of archosaurian endocrania. However, the outgroup to Archosauria, Phytosauria, has yet to be studied with modern techniques that would allow reconstruction of their internal anatomy. Pseudopalatus mccauleyi is a derived phytosaur from the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation, Arizona. A skull of P. mccauleyi, USNM 15839, was imaged using computed tomography in order to create the first high-quality, digitally reconstructed phytosaur endocast. Pseudopalatus mccauleyi exhibits overall endocast morphology that is similar to that of an extant crocodylian. These clades, phytosaurs and extant crocodylians, exhibit convergent Bauplane and similar inferred ecologies. A notable difference between the endocasts of the two clades is a considerable dural expansion in P. mccauleyi that denotes a large pineal body. This expansion, and the overall morphology of the endocast, is consistent with the historic endocranial reconstructions of the phytosaurs Pseudopalatus bu...
Two Centuries of Observing R Coronæ Borealis

R Coronae Borealis was found to be variable in the year 1783, and was one of the first variable stars to be so identified. Its class, the R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars, are rare hydrogen-deficient carbon-rich supergiants. RCB stars undergo massive declines of up to 8 mag due to the formation of carbon dust at irregular intervals. The mechanism of dust formation around RCB stars is not well understood, but the dust is thought to form in or near the atmosphere of the star. Their rarity may stem from the fact that they are in an extremely rapid phase of the evolution, or are in an evolutionary phase that most stars do not undergo. Several evolutionary models have been suggested to account for the RCB stars, including a merger of two white dwarfs (WDs) or a final helium-shell flash (FF) in a PN central star. The large overabundance of 18 O found in most of the RCB stars favours the WD merger model, while the presence of Li in the atmospheres of five RCB stars favours the FF one. In particular, the measured isotopic abundances imply that many, if not most, RCB stars are produced by WD mergers, which may be the low-mass counterparts of the more massive mergers thought to produce type Ia supernovae. Understanding these enigmatic stars depends to a large extent on continuous monitoring to catch their irregular but rapid variations caused by dust formation, their variations due to stellar pulsations, and long-term changes that may occur over centuries. I will use observations of R Coronae Borealis obtained over 200 years to demonstrate what kinds of monitoring are necessary for these and similar classes of variables.
Creating video podcasts for CS1: lessons learned

This paper describes the incorporation of video podcasts into a Java CS1 course. The motivation and theoretical basis for the podcasts, which are grounded in multimedia learning theory and worked example research, are outlined. Implementation and dissemination challenges are discussed. Preliminary survey results suggest initial integration and promotion of the podcasts were insufficient. Current improvements are outlined and supported by a mid-course questionnaire. A set of "lessons learned" aimed at faculty considering producing video podcasts for their courses is presented.
First-row transition metal complexes of ENENES ligands: the ability of the thioether donor to impact the coordination chemistry

The reactions of two variants of ENENES ligands, E(CH2)2NH(CH)2SR, where E = 4-morpholinyl, R = Ph (a), Bn (b) with MCl2 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu) in coordinating solvents (MeCN, EtOH) affords isolable complexes, whose magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest paramagnetism and a high-spin formulation. X-Ray diffraction studies of available crystals show that the ligand coordinates to the metal in either a bidentate κ2[N,N′] or tridentate κ3[N,N′,S] fashion, depending on the nature of ligand and/or identity of the metal atom. In the case of a less basic SPh moiety, a bidentate coordination mode was identified for harder metals (Mn, Fe), whereas a tridentate coordination mode was identified in the case of a more basic SBn moiety with softer metals (Ni, Cu). In the intermediate case of Co, ligands a and b coordinate via κ2[N,N′] and κ3[N,N′,S] coordination modes, which can be conveniently predicted by DFT calculations. For the softest metal (Cu), ligand a coordinates in a κ3[N,N′,S] fashion.
Coping with the Creativity – Efficiency Paradox: Lessons for Classic Project Management from the Making of Independent Films

The film industry is predicated on successfully overcoming the “creativity-efficiency paradox.” The making of an independent film encounters these two conflicting challenges which must be managed with the least restriction to creativity and with the least impact to efficiency. This management challenge is also present with many industry projects. However many managers fail to recognize this paradox and classic project management does not provide the tools and techniques to cope with it. In this study we explore the making of independent films and demonstrate that classic project management could adopt some of the general best practices. Several in depth interviews with filmmakers of independent films were conducted. Our results clearly demonstrate that tools and techniques exist to maximize creativity without forfeiting efficiency. In particular the role differentiation between the director who is responsible for creativity and the producer who is responsible for the efficiency supports the decision transparency. Also the specificity of task definition and planning far exceeds the classic standards eliminating ambiguity for all involved resources and allowing for higher flexibility. The insights also lead to further advancing of the theoretical discourse in project management.
Aging implications on fresh muscle traits of Certified Angus Beef steaks

Vacuum-packaged Certified Angus Beef (CAB) subprimals ( = 72) that included the longissimus thoracis (LT), longissimus lumborum (LL), gluteus medius (GM), and infraspinatus (IF) muscles were purchased from a major beef packing facility. Subprimals were allocated to 1 of 3 aging periods (14, 28, or 42 d) and aged at 2°C. After aging, 5 steaks were cut from each subprimal and assigned to pH, water-holding capacity, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), cooked color, cooking yield, cooking loss, and sensory panel analysis. Infraspinatus steaks were more tender ( < 0.05) than all other steaks, and subprimals aged 14 d had greater ( < 0.05) WBSF values than the other 2 aging periods, regardless of muscle. Water-holding capacity and cook yield were greater ( < 0.05) for LL and LT than IF and GM steaks, whereas purge loss was greater ( < 0.05) for IF and GM than LL and LT steaks. Throughout the aging periods, pH declined for all muscle groups, with IF steaks having the greatest ( < 0.05) pH values among all muscles. Among IF steaks, sensory evaluations of all attributes did not ( ≥ 0.26) differ across aging periods; yet among LT steaks, consumers rated those aged 14 d greater ( < 0.05) in overall impression than LT steaks aged 28 and 42 d. Among LT steaks, those aged 14 d received greater ( < 0.05) flavor ratings than LT steaks subjected to longer aging periods, and LT steaks aged 14 d received the greatest ( < 0.05) overall impression, with consumers giving greater ( < 0.05) overall impression scores to LT steaks aged 42 d over those aged 28 d. Aging period had no effect ( ≥ 0.017) on consumer ratings for flavor, tenderness, juiciness, or overall impression of LL steaks. Among GM steaks, consumers rated steaks aged 14 and 28 d more ( < 0.05) flavorful than those aged 42 d, and consumer ratings for overall impression were greater ( < 0.05) for GM steaks aged 28 d than for GM steaks aged 42 d; however, consumers failed ( = 0.035) to note differences in tenderness scores of GM steaks in response to aging period. Furthermore, consumers indicated a greater ( < 0.05) likelihood to purchase LT steaks aged 14 d over LT steaks aged 28 d, LL steaks aged 42 d over LL steaks aged 14 d, and GM steaks aged 14 and 28 d over GM steaks aged 42 d. These results indicate that consumers struggled to identify steak flavor attributes and suggest that the benefit of aging for premium beef products does not offer a tremendous sensory advantage to the consumer.
Recovery of strength is dependent on mTORC1 signaling after eccentric muscle injury.

INTRODUCTION Eccentric contractions may cause immediate and long-term reductions in muscle strength that can be recovered through increased protein synthesis rates. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the mechanistic target-of-rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), a vital controller of protein synthesis rates, is required for return of muscle strength after injury. METHODS Isometric muscle strength was assessed before, immediately after, and then 3, 7, and 14 days after a single bout of 150 eccentric contractions in mice that received daily injections of saline or rapamycin. RESULTS The bout of eccentric contractions increased the phosphorylation of mTORC1 (1.8-fold) and p70s6k1 (13.8-fold), mTORC1's downstream effector, 3 days post-injury. Rapamycin blocked mTORC1 and p70s6k1 phosphorylation and attenuated recovery of muscle strength (∼20%) at 7 and 14 days. CONCLUSION mTORC1 signaling is instrumental in the return of muscle strength after a single bout of eccentric contractions in mice. Muscle Nerve 54: 914-924, 2016.
Similarities and Differences in the Implicit Causal Models of Faculty and Students

Do faculty members and students share the same underlying cognitive models? A specially-developed causal matrix was completed by 15 faculty members of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and 32 students enrolled in Introductory Psychology. Analyses of results suggest marked differences in the implicit models of these two groups. Compared to faculty, students do not differentiate causes from effects, generally overrate the number and strength of causal relationships, and include recursive relationships in their modal model. Several pedagogical implications of these findings are discussed.
Mechanical Properties Measurement and Statistical Analysis of Paddy Stem Based on Image Analysis Method

Accurate description of paddy stem's mechanical properties is a key factor for paddy's lodging resistance analysis.It's hard to accurately measure the mechanical properties of paddy's stems by traditional measurement due to its heterogeneous living biomaterial component with soft irregular cross section structure.In author's investigation,tensile tests were carried for paddy stem of a kind of rice growing in South China.Firstly,tensile strains were measured by using traditional strain gauges;then,image analysis method was adopted to accomplish non-contact measurement of stem's cross section dimension and tensile deformation with high accuracy.Specimen's surface digital images under different loading levels during tensile process were recorded by a digital camera,and were analyzed by using Digital Image Correlation(DIC) method.Stem's axial strain was calculated by above two different methods.The cross section's digital images were collected for tested specimen's slice to obtain their geometric properties by digital image analysis.Statistical analysis was carried out for a large quantity of experimental data.Finally,the reasonable description for paddy stem's elastic modules and flexural rigidity was achieved.Experimental results show that elastic modulus dispersion by means of strain gauge measurement presents large discreteness beyond the scope of the sample differences;although the distribution of elastic modulus and flexural rigidity obtained by method of DIC also presents certain discreteness,but has a reasonable distribution.Comparatively,the latter correctly describe the mechanical properties of paddy stem.
MicroRNA-mediated maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes: Towards a better model for cardiotoxicity?

Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (PSC-CMs) are a promising human cardiac model system for drug development and toxicity screening, along with cell therapy and mechanistic research. The scalable differentiation of human PSCs into CMs provides a renewable cell source that overcomes species differences present in rodent primary CMs. In addition, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology allows for development of patient-specific CMs, representing a valuable tool that may lead to better prediction, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in this new era of precision medicine. However, the utility of PSC-CMs as an in vitro model is currently limited by their immature phenotype when compared to adult CMs. Recent work has identified microRNAs (miRNAs) as critical regulators of heart development and function. These studies have shown that miRNAs are essential to key processes that span the life cycle of a cardiomyocyte, including proliferation, hypertrophy, beating rhythm, and apoptosis. Importantly, emerging evidence strongly suggests that modulation of select miRNAs can enhance the maturation of PSC-CMs. Here, we review key miRNAs associated with heart development and function, and discuss strategies to promote PSC-CM maturation, focusing on current knowledge surrounding miRNA-based approaches and the application of PSC-CMs with respect to drug screening and disease models. Ultimately, it is likely that combinations of both miRNA and non-miRNA maturation strategies may collectively provide the best path forward for producing mature cardiomyocytes in vitro.
Dynamics and Orbit Determination of Tethered Satellite Systems

Most analyses of tethered satellite systems have been focused on the relative motion of the satellites either with respect to each other, or with respect to their center of mass. In this paper, we consider how the motion of one of the satellites in a two-body tethered system is perturbed by the presence of the other. This point of view is necessary if the orbits of the satellites in such a system are to be determined correctly when the fact that they are tethered is not known a priori. Rather general equations of motion for the satellites are derived. These equations are simplified by assuming planar motion. From the simplified equations, an expression for an “apparent” gravitational constant is derived. Then, the identification and state determination problem is addressed. Examples obtained using a conventional least-squares batch processor are discussed. It appears that a two-stage method, using both two-body and tethered satellite dynamic models, is a good way to identify and determine the states of some tethered satellite systems.
40 Years of Climate Modeling: The Causes of Late-20th Century Drought in the Sahel

This chapter reviews the evolution of our understanding of the causes of the late 20th century Sahel drought in the context of global climate model development. In describing, in coherent and holistic fashion, physical arguments for local and global influences on regional rainfall variability and change, it aims to make sense of current trends and future projections in the context of the recent past.
Searching for lakes on Mars: Four decades of exploration

This chapter discusses the morphological, geological, and mineralogical features of lakes on Mars. The existence of lakes on ancient Mars is now widely accepted, but that was not always the case. The history of science shows that knowledge on any scientific question is shaped by the means of exploration and those means are molded by what we think the world is. Prior to MGS of the late 1990s, the relatively low resolution of orbital imagery made it difficult to confirm Martian paleolakes by direct observations, though their existence was inferred because valley networks had already been identified on Viking and Mariner 9 images. Whether the early climate of Mars was much warmer and wetter in the Noachian compared to the later geological epochs is still the subject of ongoing debate. The existence of standing bodies of water on Mars required that at some point in its history, possibly repeatedly, physicochemical and environmental conditions allowing water to circulate and to pond were met. In addition to mineralogy and morphology, another clue about the conditions at the time of lake formation can be revealed by numbers. At Viking resolution, 179 putative impact crater lakes were identified and 210 open lake systems were cataloged from a global survey using the most recent datasets. Combined, the results from morphology, mineralogy, and estimation of lake production support the idea that favorable conditions did exist on Mars to produce a few large bodies of water, and many more, smaller lakes that formed by processes analogous to those occurring on Earth.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant in adult patients with myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) overlap syndromes

MDS/MPN (myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm) overlap syndromes are myeloid malignancies for which allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) is potentially curative. We describe transplant outcomes of 43 patients - 35 with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, CMML (of which 17 had blast transformation, BT) and eight with MDS/MPN-unclassifiable (MDS/MPN,U). At median follow-up of 21 months, overall survival (OS), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) were 55%, 29%, and 25% respectively in CMML without BT and 47%, 40%, and 34% respectively in CMML with BT. Higher HSCT-comorbidity index (HSCT-CI >3 versus ≤3; p = 0.015) and splenomegaly (p = 0.006) predicted worse OS in CMML without BT. In CMML with BT, engraftment failure (p = 0.006) and higher HSCT-CI (p = 0.03) were associated with inferior OS, while HSCT within 1-year of diagnosis was associated with improved OS (p = 0.045). In MDS/MPN,U, at median follow-up of 15 months, OS, CIR, and NRM were 62%, 30%, and 14%, respectively.
Cognitive Deficits in Brain Tumor Survivors

The results of studies of cognitive deficits in long-term survivors of childhood brain tumors are summarized from 31 published reports between 1968-1989 in a review paper from the Division of Child Neurology, The Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia and the Department of Neurology, Children’s National Medical Center, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Dysregulated Nox4 ubiquitination contributes to redox imbalance and age-related severity of acute lung injury

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a devastating critical illness disproportionately affecting the elderly population, with both higher incidence and mortality. The integrity of the lung...
Sensitive absorption-line characterization and Fabry-Perot fringing reduction in modulation spectroscopy

Theoretical and experimental results are presented to show that the etaloning problem in wavelength modulation experiments can be overcome by using harmonic detection that is greater than the commonly used second. The conditions under which such an advantage is obtained are discussed. Since the fringes due to parasitic Fabry-Perot etalons often place a limit to the ultimate sensitivity of such experiments, the method discussed has applications wherever sensitivity has to be increased. The method of higher harmonic detection is an alternative to synchronous mechanical jittering of an offending optical element that has been used in the past to average out the fringes.
Epidemiology and Etiology of Cushing’s Disease

Cushing’s disease is caused by a pituitary adenoma, or rarely carcinoma, secreting adrenocorticotropic hormone, or corticotropin, and accounts for approximately 70% of the cases of endogenous Cushing’s disease. Two studies in Europe have found that the incidence of Cushing’s disease is approximately two cases per million per year. The question has been raised as to whether Cushing’s disease may be more common in certain groups, including patients with incidentally found pituitary adenomas, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, and osteoporosis, than in the general population. Sensitive case finding aimed at detecting possible endogenous hypercortisolism is advisable in the evaluation of patients belonging to the aforementioned groups. In contrast, widespread screening for Cushing’s syndrome does not appear to be justifiable based on available data. The molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis in Cushing’s disease have been incompletely elucidated. Recent studies suggested that activating mutations in the deubiquitinase [ubiquitin-specific peptidase 8 (USP8)] gene might play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Cushing’s disease in 35–62% of patients. Less frequently, mutations in the multiple endocrine neoplasia 1 (MEN1) gene or the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) gene have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Cushing’s disease. Rarely, mutations in the genes encoding DICER1, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor subtype 1B (CDKN1B), the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), or the tumor suppressor p53 have been found in patients with Cushing’s disease and are proposed to be involved in tumorigenesis. Further advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of Cushing’s disease may lead to novel therapeutic strategies and improve the outcome of this potentially devastating condition.
Fractional quantum Hall theory survives experimental tests

Scientists at Princeton University and at AT&T Bell Labs in the US have made the first observations of fractional quantum Hall effects in double-layer two-dimensional electron systems at v = ½ Landau-level filling (Y W Suen et at. Phys. Rev. Lett. (1992) 68 1379 and J P Eisenstein et at. Phys. Rev. Lett. (1992) 68 1383). These experiments are an important confirmation of the theory developed to explain the fractional quantum Hall effect in isolated two-dimensional electron systems.
Changes in health-related quality of life over a 1-year follow-up period in children with inflammatory bowel disease.

Purpose Little is known about disease-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) changes over time in paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and about their associations with baseline medical characteristics.
Optimizing Open Iron Sites in Metal–Organic Frameworks for Ethane Oxidation: A First-Principles Study

Activation of the C–H bonds in ethane to form ethanol is a highly desirable, yet challenging, reaction. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with open Fe sites are promising candidates for catalyzing this reaction. One advantage of MOFs is their modular construction from inorganic nodes and organic linkers, allowing for flexible design and detailed control of properties. In this work, we studied a series of single-metal atom Fe model systems with ligands that are commonly used as MOF linkers and tried to understand how one can design an optimal Fe catalyst. We found linear relationships between the binding enthalpy of oxygen to the Fe sites and common descriptors for catalytic reactions, such as the Fe 3d energy levels in different reaction intermediates. We further analyzed the three highest-barrier steps in the ethane oxidation cycle (including desorption of the product) with the Fe 3d energy levels. Volcano relationships are revealed with peaks toward higher Fe 3d energy and stronger electron-donating group...
Retroperitoneal versus transperitoneal robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: a matched-pair, bicenter analysis with cost comparison using time-driven activity-based costing.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To perform a bicenter, retrospective study of perioperative outcomes of retroperitoneal versus transperitoneal robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RALPN) and assess costs using time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC). We identified 355 consecutive patients who underwent RALPN at University of California Los Angeles and the University of Michigan during 2009-2016. We matched according to RENAL nephrometry score, date, and institution for 78 retroperitoneal versus 78 transperitoneal RALPN. Unadjusted analyses were performed using McNemar's Chi-squared or paired t test, and adjusted analyses were performed using multivariable repeated measures regression analysis. From multivariable models, predicted probabilities were derived according to approach. Cost analysis was performed using TDABC. RECENT FINDINGS Patients treated with retroperitoneal versus transperitoneal RALPN were similar in age (P = 0.490), sex (P = 0.715), BMI (P = 0.273), and comorbidity (P = 0.393). Most tumors were posterior or lateral in both the retroperitoneal (92.3%) and transperitoneal (85.9%) groups. Retroperitoneal RALPN was associated with shorter operative times (167.0 versus 191.1 min, P = 0.001) and length of stay (LOS) (1.8 versus 2.7 days, P < 0.001). There were no differences in renal function preservation or cancer control. In adjusted analyses, retroperitoneal RALPN was 17.6-min shorter (P < 0.001) and had a 76% lower probability of LOS at least 2 days (P < 0.001). Utilizing TDABC, transperitoneal RALPN added $2337 in cost when factoring in disposable equipment, operative time, LOS, and personnel. SUMMARY In two high-volume, tertiary centers, retroperitoneal RALPN is associated with reduced operative times and shortened LOS in posterior and lateral tumors, whereas sharing similar clinicopathologic outcomes, which may translate into lower healthcare costs. Further investigation into anterior tumors is needed.
Gender differences in intercity commuting patterns in the Fox River Valley, Illinois, 1912 – 1936

Abstract A limited number of studies examine journey to work travel in the United States prior to 1940. These efforts, however, focus on commuting to central cities from their adjacent suburbs; the journey to work of residents living on the periphery of metropolitan areas remains unexamined. This paper analyzes commuting behavior of residents in three suburbs 35 miles west of Chicago between 1912, the year prior to Ford's introduction of the automobile assembly line, and 1936, the year after the Works Progress Administration was established. Although the majority of employed Tri-City (St. Charles, Geneva, and Batavia) residents worked in their home city, this research demonstrates that workers engaged in suburb-to-suburb commuting prior to World War II. Furthermore, it reveals that frequently more workers commuted to suburban locations than to central city. It also finds that commuting patterns varied by city of origin, year, and gender, with more men, but a greater percentage of women, commuting to work.
Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Chronic-Phase CML: Strategies for Frontline Decision-making.

Over the past two decades, the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has transformed the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). With four agents currently approved for frontline use in chronic-phase (CP) disease, it follows that treatment decision-making has been rendered more challenging. Here we will review recent advances that help inform the selection of a first-line TKI. Extended follow-up of the seminal CML trials has demonstrated the long-term efficacy of TKIs, while also highlighting significant differences in their respective toxicity profiles and potency. Dasatinib and nilotinib generate deeper molecular responses than imatinib, particularly among patients with higher risk disease, but this has not translated into a significant survival advantage. Similar results have been obtained at 1 year with bosutinib; its efficacy and toxicity were well balanced at a dose of 400 mg daily, prompting its recent approval for this indication. Lastly, multiple studies have demonstrated that TKIs can be safely discontinued in select individuals who have maintained deep responses for extended periods, establishing treatment-free remission as a novel goal in CP CML. The careful consideration of parameters such as disease risk, the potency, and toxicity profile of each TKI, as well as each patient’s unique comorbidities and preferences, enables truly individualized therapeutic decision-making in CP CML, with the goal of ensuring that a high quality of life accompanies the survival advantage conferred by these agents.
Perforant Path Kindling, NMDA Antagonism, and Late Paired Pulse Depression

The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of the glutamate receptor has been strongly implicated in the development of limbic kindling9,4,18.20,25,27,33 Antagonists of NMDA have been reported to increase afterdischarge (AD) thresholds and retard the development of motor seizures. In the amygdala, the development of electrographic as well as behavioral seizures is profoundly reduced by the noncompetitive NMDA antagonist, MK-801. Paradoxically, an augmentation rather than a retardation in AD duration is evident in animals kindled in the perforant path following treatment with MK-80115,16,18
Truss Topology Optimization with Stress and Displacement Constraints

Compliance minimization has been popular for obtaining optimum truss topologies because it is less computationally demanding than optimization for more general constraints. This advantage of compliance minimization led to the approach of optimizing the topology of the truss for minimum compliance, and then sizing the cross-sectional areas of that truss for the actual constraints. The present paper shows that the compliance minimization can occasionally lead to the wrong topology, and that the penalty associated with using the minimum-compliance topology can be substantial. To demonstrate this problem truss topology optimization subject to displacement and stress constraints is performed with a simultaneous analysis and design (SAND) procedure.
MDS overlap disorders and diagnostic boundaries

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal diseases defined by clinical, morphologic, and genetic features often shared by related myeloid disorders. The diagnostic boundaries between these diseases can be arbitrary and not necessarily reflective of underlying disease biology or outcomes. In practice, measures that distinguish MDS from related disorders may be difficult to quantify and can vary as disease progression occurs. Patients may harbor findings that are not consistent with a single diagnostic category. Several overlap disorders have been formally described, such as the myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPNs). These disorders are characterized by hematopoietic dysplasia with increased proliferation of monocytes, neutrophils, or platelets. They may have mutational profiles that distinguish them from the disorders they resemble and reflect important differences in pathophysiology. MDS also shares diagnostic borders with other diseases. For example, aplastic anemia and hypoplastic MDS can be difficult to distinguish in patients with pancytopenia and bone marrow hypocellularity. Genetic features may help in this regard, because they can identify differences in prognosis and risk of progression. The boundary between MDS and secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) is arbitrarily defined and has been redefined over the years. Genetic studies have demonstrated that sAML clones can precede clinical progression from MDS by many months, suggesting that MDS with excess blasts could be viewed as an overlap between a dysplastic bone marrow failure syndrome and an oligoblastic leukemia. This review will describe the diagnostic boundaries between MDS, MDS/MPNs, sAML, clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance, and aplastic anemia and how genetic approaches may help to better define them.