cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Pilot Mobile-based Mindfulness Intervention for Cancer Patients and their Informal Caregivers.

This 8-week single-arm pilot trial within Kaiser Permanente Northern California tested the feasibility of conducting a mobile app/online-based mindfulness intervention for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and their caregivers. Participants were cancer patients with ≥8 weeks of remaining chemotherapy and their informal caregivers, where neither had a regular meditation practice. Participants were given access to a commercially available mindfulness program, Headspace™, via smartphone or computer and were asked to practice meditation using the program for 10–20 min daily. Data were collected on depression, anxiety, sleep, fatigue, quality of life at baseline and post-intervention using validated instruments. Qualitative telephone interviews gathered data regarding participants’ experience with the intervention. Nineteen patients (68%) and 9 caregivers (60%) completed the study. Approximately 40% of the patients had stage 3 or 4 cancer, and 30% were males and non-whites. Among them, 20 (71%) practiced meditation using the app > 50% of the days during the 8-week study period, and 60% of those individuals practiced > 70% of the days. Preliminary before-after comparison data suggested reduction in levels of distress and improvement in quality of life. In qualitative interviews, participants reported ease in use of the mindfulness program and appreciation for the convenience of accessing the program any time. Our results suggest that an app/online-based mindfulness intervention is feasible and well-accepted by cancer patients and their caregivers within an integrated healthcare system.
Preventing Mitochondrial Diseases: Embryo-Sparing Donor-Independent Options

Mutant mitochondrial DNA gives rise to a broad range of incurable inborn maladies. Prevention may now be possible by replacing the mutation-carrying mitochondria of zygotes or oocytes at risk with donated unaffected counterparts. However, mitochondrial replacement therapy is being held back by theological, ethical, and safety concerns over the loss of human zygotes and the involvement of a donor. These concerns make it plain that the identification, validation, and regulatory adjudication of novel embryo-sparing donor-independent technologies remains a pressing imperative. This Opinion highlights three emerging embryo-sparing donor-independent options that stand to markedly allay theological, ethical, and safety concerns raised by mitochondrial replacement therapy.
Electron scattering at interfaces in nano-scale vertical interconnects: A combined experimental and ab initio study

We present a combined theoretical and experimental study on the electron transport characteristics across several representative interface structures found in back-end-of-line interconnect stacks for advanced semiconductor manufacturing: Cu/Ta(N)/Co/Cu and Cu/Ta(N)/Ru/Cu. In particular, we evaluate the impact of replacing a thin TaN barrier with Ta while considering both Co and Ru as wetting layers. Both theory and experiment indicate a pronounced reduction in vertical resistance when replacing TaN with Ta, regardless of whether a Co or Ru wetting layer is used. This indicates that a significant portion of the total vertical resistance is determined by electron scattering at the Cu/Ta(N) interface. The electronic structure of these nano-sized interconnects is analyzed in terms of the atom-resolved projected density of states and k-resolved transmission spectra at the Fermi level. This work further develops a fundamental understanding of electron transport and material characteristics in nano-sized interconnects.
Convective mass and heat transfer enhancement of nanofluid streams in bifurcating microchannels

Abstract Significantly improved mixing and heat transfer between two nanofluid streams in a Y-shaped sinusoidal microchannel have been achieved via geometric modifications and changes in pulsatile flow conditions. As a result a new mass-and-heat transfer correlation has been obtained as well. The geometry modification was done in two distinct parts. First, the phase shift ( ϕ ) between the wavy walls of the Y-channel was varied for three different shift values 0 ° , 90 ° , 180 ° . Once the shift that yielded the highest degree of mixing was determined, the included angle ( α ) between the input streams was varied 30 ° , 45 ° , 60 ° . The numerical results show that α = 60 ° and ϕ = 90 ° yield best results. The inlet streams are pulsatile with a velocity of the form V + δ Vsin ω t + Φ where V , δ V , ω , Φ are the average velocity, pulse amplitude, pulse frequency and phase shift respectively. Flow variations have been implemented via different phase shifts 45 ° , 90 ° , 135 ° , 180 ° , different phase amplitudes and different phase frequencies. For the sake of comparison and ease of plotting, non-dimensional parameters have been used. The frequency has been captured by the non-dimensional Strouhal number (St) and the amplitude by the amplitude ratio ( δ V / V ). The average degree of mixing ( ζ ) , which is observed to undergo spatial variations along the exit channel as well as temporal fluctuations over one pulsation cycle is shown to be most sensitive to the amplitude and frequency of pulsations. For a fixed amplitude, the average degree of mixing increases with elevated Strouhal numbers. It reaches a peak at a particular St value and then decreases with further increase in St. The St where the degree of mixing peaks depends on the amplitude of pulsations. For δ V / V ⩾ 5 , the degree of mixing peaks at St ≈ 0.5 . For δ V / V ⩽ 5 , the degree of mixing peaks at St ≈ 2 . Unlike mixing, the heat transfer rate, characterized by the non-dimensional Nusselt number ( Nu ) peaks at higher frequency values for all δ V / V ratios. To generate higher amplitudes in the pulsating flow, a larger pumping power would be required. Hence, to minimize energy cost, low amplitude and high frequency pulsations are most suitable for optimal mixing and heat transfer. Finally, a microchannel with optimized geometry and inlet flow conditions is proposed, which takes advantage of the flow instabilities created by the modified geometry and pulsating flow to yield the highest degree of mixing and heat transfer within the listed constraints. Functional dependencies have been established, based on computer experiments, between non-dimensional parameters such as St , δ V / V , ζ , Nu . As a result, a correlation between mixing and heat transfer was developed which allows studying one quantity, say, the Nusset number Nu, to readily obtain the average degree of mixing ζ .
Personality Traits and Parent-Adolescent Interactions: An Observational Study of Mexican Origin Families

Parent-child interactions are likely influenced by the personality characteristics of both the parent and the child. However, questions remain concerning the bidirectional nature of these effects (e.g., does a child's personality evoke changes in his or her parent's behavior?). Furthermore, the existing literature is based primarily on European American children and generally relies on questionnaire measures of parent-child interactions rather than assessing behavior during observed interactions. To address these gaps in the literature, the authors evaluated reciprocal associations between personality traits and observed interactions between Mexican origin adolescents (N = 674) and their parents in 5th- and 7th-grade using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006). Adolescent effortful control and aggressiveness were associated with adolescent warmth and hostility (i.e., actor effects) and parent warmth and hostility (i.e., partner effects). Thus, adolescents with poor self-control seem to evoke more negative behaviors from their parents than adolescents with better self-control. Parental extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism predicted parent warmth (actor effects), but there was little evidence that parent personality was associated with specific adolescent behaviors (partner effects). These results help to clarify how personality attributes are associated with adolescent relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record
Human factor evaluation of in-vehicle signal assistance system

This paper assesses the effectiveness of In-Vehicle Signal Assistance (ISA) that can be deployed to intersections in Smart City. Using Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) data through wireless connectivity under Smart City environment, ISA assists drivers to perform safe and smooth crossings at the next intersection. Employing a Driving Simulator, ten subject drivers are recruited to examine the impact of ISA from the perspective of human drivers. Based on Likert Scale, a questionnaire is designed to conduct experiments to accurately capture the diverse driving behaviors of the subject drivers. Experiment results showed that between 70% and 90% of subject drivers agree that the ISA application is a useful tool for improving the safety and mobility of their driving conditions. It is also discovered that the ISA application enables the drivers to move vehicles faster, by producing travel time savings of as much as 5 seconds per driver, on average. With the observations discovered from the acceleration profile and trajectory data, the ISA application assisted drivers with conducting smooth driving maneuvers and, in turn, improved the safety, mobility, and comfort of drivers when crossing an intersection.
[INVITED] Raman microscopy based sensing of leukemia cells: A review

Abstract Leukemia diagnosis and classification requires the use and combination of several technologies usually involving staining and morphology examining of cells in a blood sample, or selective detection of specific cell membrane antigens. Standard morphological protocols often lack the specificity and sensitivity required for an accurate and early diagnosis. Fluorescence based analyses of the cell surface receptors, although providing specific information, are limited by photobleaching and number of surface proteins that can be imaged simultaneously. In this review, we consider our recent efforts towards the development of a Raman spectroscopy-based protocol for a complete biochemical and morphological analysis of leukemia cells. Indeed, Raman spectroscopy is an optical technique based on inelastic scattering of light by vibrating molecules and can provide high specific biochemical information with minimal or no sample pretreatment. We discuss single-point Raman analysis for the identification, classification and follow-up of acute lymphoblastic leukemia type B (B-ALL). Normal B cells and three B-ALL cell lines (RS4;11, REH and MN60) were analyzed, and several intrinsic Raman markers associated with proteins, nucleic acids and lipids were used for cells sensing and follow-up after the low-dose chemotherapy treatment. Multivariate statistical analyses allowed us confirming the significance of the Raman data for identifying and classifying the leukemia cells in their maturation/differentiation stages. False color Raman imaging was additionally used to visualize the leukemia cell morphology, as the standard May Grunwald-Giemsa histochemical staining protocol, but without the use of any label. Finally, the selective probing of leukemia cell membrane by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is reported. The SERS substrate was a 3D diatom frustule covered with a gold layer (40 nm in thickness). These observations are promising for the development of a Raman-based protocol for the diagnosis and the complete morpho-functional assessment of leukemias.
Open Sets and Continuity

In this chapter we shift our attention from functions back to sets. The shift is prompted by the fact that continuous functions have a natural description in terms of sets: the so-called open sets. Just as continuous functions may be viewed as the simplest functions, open sets may be viewed as the simplest sets. And just as complicated functions arise from continuous functions by the limit process, complicated sets arise from open sets by certain operations, namely, complementation and countable union.
Compliance with Asthma Therapy

Asthma is a common disease. World-wide experience has shown an increase in prevalence and severity, although whether the natural history of the disease is changing is unknown. International practice guidelines are presented for a stepwise treatment approach, emphasising the chronic nature of the inflammatory component of the disease.
Line-of-Sight Discovery in 3D Using Highly Directional Transceivers

Directional Radio Frequency (RF) / Free-Space-Optical (FSO) transceivers have the potential to play a significant role in future generation wireless networks. They are advantageous in terms of improved spectrum utilization, higher data transfer rate, and lower probability of interception from unwanted sources. Despite these advantages, communications using directional transceivers require establishment and maintenance of line-of-sight (LOS). Thus, establishment of the communication link or neighbor discovery plays an important role in mobile ad hoc networks with RF/FSO directional transceivers. We consider two nodes (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or quadcopters) hovering in 3D space, each with one directional transceiver mounted on a mechanically steerable spherical structure/head, with which they can scan 360 degrees in the horizontal plane and 360 degrees in the vertical plane. We propose a novel scheme that deals with the problem of automatic discovery and establishment of LOS alignment between these nodes. We performed extensive simulations to show the effectiveness of the proposed neighbor discovery method. We also developed a proof-of-concept prototype and conducted experiments with it. The results obtained from both simulations and experiments show that, using such mechanically steerable directional transceivers, it is possible to establish communication links to similar neighboring nodes within several seconds without using GPS support.
Pricing of Media and Information

The chapter deals with how firms organize and manage the pricing of media and information products. Pricing strategies vary and include those based on cost, those that are market-based and may vary by peak-load, and those based on value. To determine the willingness to pay, one may use techniques of econometric estimation, conjoint analysis and hedonic prices. Key strategies are keeping pricing above cost to reduce consumer surplus. Protection from price variations takes place through hedging. Legal constraints exist for price fixing, resale price maintenance, price discrimination and predatory pricing. Technology enables an individualization of pricing, and rapid variations are possible. But it also leads to the spread of “free” alternatives. A major theme of the case discussion centers on the struggles of Encyclopedia Britannica to deal with the free online models.
Quantitative model-data comparison of mid-Holocene lake-level change in the central Rocky Mountains

Recently-developed Holocene lake-level reconstructions from the Rocky Mountains offer a quantitative target for testing the skill of state-of-the-art climate system models in simulating hydroclimate change. Here, we use a combination of hydrologic models of catchment streamflow, lake energy balance, and lake water balance to simulate lake level at Little Windy Hill Pond (LWH) in the Medicine Bow Range of Wyoming for a period of severe drought during the mid-Holocene (MH; approximately 6000 years ago). Using Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) output to drive our hydrologic models, we find that none of our simulations reproduce the significantly lowered lake levels at LWH during the MH. Rather, simulated hydroclimate changes for the MH are modest (< 10% reductions in precipitation and streamflow and generally 10–30% increases in lake evaporation), and LWH lake-level changes are buffered by the large volume of snowmelt runoff that the lake receives. Only when winter precipitation is approximately halved in sensitivity experiments do water inputs to the lake become small enough that lake level can be significantly drawn down by year-over-year negative water balances. Possible explanations for the model-data mismatch could lie in the realism of our hydrological modeling framework or in the accuracy of the CMIP5 output, the latter having important implications for projections of future drying in western North America.
Golden Ages and Silver Screens: The Construction of the Physician Hero in 1930-1940 American Cinema

During the 1940s in America, as medicine became more research-focused, medical researcher heroes were described as devotedly pursuing miraculous medicine. At the same time, Hollywood thrived, and films were an effective means to help build the myth of the physician hero. Cinematic techniques, rather than only the narrative, of four films, Dr. Arrowsmith, The Story of Louis Pasteur, Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, are discussed to understand how they helped construct the image of the physician hero, both in terms of what they were and what they were not.
Abdominal cocoon syndrome: an obstructive adhesiolytic metamorphosis.

Abdominal cocoon syndrome (ACS), also known as idiopathic sclerosing peritonitis and primary sclerosing peritonitis, is a rare condition causing small bowel obstruction first described in 1978 by Foo et al. It is characterised by total or partial encasement of the small bowel in a fibrocollagenous cocoon-like sac accompanied by extensive intrinsic small bowel adhesions. While the aetiology of this condition remains largely unknown, ACS can be divided into two subtypes: primary or idiopathic, which is often accompanied by cryptorchidism, and secondary to another cause such as congenital dysplasia or medications. Definitive diagnosis can only be achieved following laparotomy with extensive lysis of adhesions to alleviate the obstruction. However, preoperative diagnosis is possible if clinicians are aware of the condition and its radiologic signs.
Designing for Ballet Classes: Identifying and Mitigating Communication Challenges Between Dancers and Teachers

Dancer-teacher communication in a ballet class can be challenging: ballet is one of the most complex forms of movements, and learning happens through multi-faceted interactions with studio tools (mirror, barre, and floor) and the teacher. We conducted an interview-based qualitative study with seven ballet teachers and six dancers followed by an open-coded analysis to explore the communication challenges that arise while teaching and learning in the ballet studio. We identified key communication issues, including adapting to multi-level dancer expertise, transmitting and realigning development goals, providing personalized corrections and feedback, maintaining the state of flow, and communicating how to properly use tools in the environment. We discuss design implications for crafting technological interventions aimed at mitigating these communication challenges.
Structural investigation of the “tripled-tetragonal-tungsten-bronze” phases Sr2M10−xO27−y (M = Nb, Ta)

Abstract Sr2Nb10O27 and Sr2Ta10−xO27−y exhibit the tripled tetragonal-tungsten-bronze (TTTB)-related superstructures. In contrast to Sr2Ta10−xO27−y, where an extended solid solution was found, Sr2Nb10O27 only forms a narrow range of solid solution, Sr1−xNb10O27−z (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.04). Serial X-ray and neutron diffraction studies show that both compounds can be modelled in the orthorhombic Pba2 space group. Lattice parameters obtained from powder X-ray refinements are a = 12.3887(14) A, b = 37.103(4) A, c = 3.866(2) A, for Sr2Ta10−xO27−y, and a = 12.3888(2) A, b = 36.9839(5) A, and c = 3.94027(3) A for Sr2Nb10O27. Neutron Rietveld refinements of both structures revealed the possible reason for the differing solid solution behavior. For Sr2Nb10O27, all Nb sites are fully occupied, whereas in Sr2Ta10−xO27−y, three out of the nine crystallographically unique Ta sites were shown to be partially occupied. Charge adjustment is therefore possible by increasing the Sr concentration, leading to a solid solution series and smaller Ta/Sr ratio as compared to Sr2Nb10O27. In the TTTB-related structures, Nb and Ta ions both occupy octahedral and pentagonal bipyramidal coordination sites. Layers of interconnected corner-shared octahedra were found parallel to the ab plane, with 3-, 4- and 5-fold tunnels found in the structure running parallel to the c-axis. Sr ions partially fill the 4- and 5-fold tunnels.
Identification of Proteins Using Four Methods of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

An upper-division undergraduate- or graduate-level laboratory experiment, challenging students to identify bovine serum albumin, equine myoglobin, bovine calmodulin, and bovine cytochrome c, uses four methods of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS): linear positive, in-source decay, peptide mass fingerprint, and postsource decay. Individual hands-on experience with each method is provided in a three week experiment. The importance of sequencing proteins/peptides when identifying proteomic targets using MALDI-TOF MS is emphasized.
How do hearing voices peer-support groups work? A three-phase model of transformation

Despite decades of research and the development of many psychiatric medications, widespread suffering remains among people who hear voices. Hearing voices groups (HVGs) encourage an in-depth explor...
Optimizing climate model selection for hydrological modeling: A case study in the Maumee River basin using the SWAT

Abstract This study develops a new method for selecting the most representative climate model for use in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and evaluates this method in the Maumee River Basin. Downscaled temperature and precipitation data from 32 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models were used to drive the SWAT. Our model selection approach uses a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the impacts of temperature and precipitation on streamflow and to determine the optimal weights for both variables. This weighting scheme is then used to rank the performance of all climate models and identify which ones are most representative of climate forcing required by the hydrological model. The results of our sensitivity analysis indicate that the response of streamflow to precipitation is consistent throughout the year, while the response to temperature is more complex. During the warm season, higher temperatures cause evapotranspiration to increase and streamflow to decrease; during the cool season, higher temperatures cause more snowmelt and this causes streamflow to increase. Based on our weighting scheme, the GISS-E2-R was identified as the most representative climate model in the Maumee River Basin. We then compared the performance of SWAT-simulated streamflow using all CMIP5 models. The most representative climate model ranked first based on correlation and mean absolute error, and second based on Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, while the model selected using a simple average method was ranked fifth, fourth and twelfth, respectively. Based on the evaluation of other key variables, such as sediment transport, nitrogen and phosphorus, the optimal climate model also has a higher correlation and a more representative standard deviation than the other CMIP5 models. The selected model also performs better than the 32-model ensemble mean based on correlation and Taylor’s skill score. When applying this method at different time scales, the responding time of streamflow to climate factors needs to be considered. The model selection method that was developed in this paper can be applied by hydrological modelers to select the most representative climate models for evaluating the impacts of climate change in other watersheds around the world.
Do State Boards of Education Offer an Avenue for Public Voice

Digital technologies provide new opportunities for increased participation by the general public in state and federal governance. In this article, we examine opportunities for public engagement in ...
Complement as prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in renal cell carcinoma

Preclinical studies demonstrated that complement promotes tumor growth. Therefore, we sought to determine the best target for complement-based therapy among common human malignancies. High expression of 11 complement genes was linked to unfavorable prognosis in renal cell carcinoma. Complement protein expression or deposition was observed mainly in stroma, leukocytes, and tumor vasculature, corresponding to a role of complement in regulating the tumor microenvironment. Complement abundance in tumors correlated with a high nuclear grade. Complement genes clustered within an aggressive inflammatory subtype of renal cancer characterized by poor prognosis, markers of T cell dysfunction, and alternatively activated macrophages. Plasma levels of complement proteins correlated with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Corroborating human data, complement deficiencies and blockade reduced tumor growth by enhancing antitumor immunity and seemingly reducing angiogenesis in a mouse model of kidney cancer resistant to PD-1 blockade. Overall, this study implicates complement in the immune landscape of renal cell carcinoma, and notwithstanding cohort size and preclinical model limitations, the data suggest that tumors resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors might be suitable targets for complement-based therapy.
Building tolerance through human rights education: The missing link:

Human rights education (HRE) is an emerging practice across formal and informal educational sectors worldwide. However, most literature and theory on HRE emphasize the importance of imparting knowl...
Mitochondrial DNA in extracellular vesicles declines with age

The mitochondrial free radical theory of aging suggests that accumulating oxidative damage to mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) plays a central role in aging. Circulating cell-free mtDNA (ccf-mtDNA) isolated from blood may be a biomarker of disease. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small (30-400 nm), lipid-bound vesicles capable of shuttling proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids as part of intercellular communication systems. Here, we report that a portion of ccf-mtDNA in plasma is encapsulated in EVs. To address whether EV mtDNA levels change with human age, we analyzed mtDNA in EVs from individuals aged 30-64 years cross-sectionally and longitudinally. EV mtDNA levels decreased with age. Furthermore, the maximal mitochondrial respiration of cultured cells was differentially affected by EVs from old and young donors. Our results suggest that plasma mtDNA is present in EVs, that the level of EV-derived mtDNA is associated with age, and that EVs affect mitochondrial energetics in an EV age-dependent manner.
Structure and function of negative-strand RNA virus polymerase complexes

Abstract Viruses with negative-strand RNA genomes (NSVs) include many highly pathogenic and economically devastating disease-causing agents of humans, livestock, and plants—highlighted by recent Ebola and measles virus epidemics, and continuously circulating influenza virus. Because of their protein-coding orientation, NSVs face unique challenges for efficient gene expression and genome replication. To overcome these barriers, NSVs deliver a large and multifunctional RNA-dependent RNA polymerase into infected host cells. NSV-encoded polymerases contain all the enzymatic activities required for transcription and replication of their genome—including RNA synthesis and mRNA capping. Here, we review the structures and functions of NSV polymerases with a focus on key domains responsible for viral replication and gene expression. We highlight shared and unique features among polymerases of NSVs from the Mononegavirales, Bunyavirales, and Articulavirales orders.
White Parents' Attitudes Towards Their Adopted Chinese Daughters' Ethnic Identity

ABSTRACT This qualitative study of 11 white families with adopted Chinese daughters found that 8 of the 11 white adoptive parents used “Chinese American” to describe their daughters' ethnic identity. Jewish adoptive parents additionally attached “Jewish” to their children's ethnic identity descriptions. Overall, parents reported that their perceptions of their adopted Chinese daughters were influenced by the dominant culture, the adoptive parents' own ethnicity, and their awareness of the difference between Chinese and American culture. In order to help themselves learn the Chinese culture and their daughters learn about their Chinese heritage, parents utilized a series of strategies, including communicating about adoption within the family, seeking surrogate agencies to fill the cultural gap, using support networks, learning about China on their own, and advocating for culturally sensitive schools. Being an outsider to the Chinese culture and feeling a lack of control regarding issues surrounding their c...
A novel parameter estimation algorithm for the multivariate t-distribution and its application to computer vision

We present a novel algorithm for approximating the parameters of a multivariate t-distribution. At the expense of a slightly decreased accuracy in the estimates, the proposed algorithm is significantly faster and easier to implement compared to the maximum likelihood estimates computed using the expectation-maximization algorithm. The formulation of the proposed algorithm also provides theoretical guidance for solving problems that are intractable with the maximum likelihood equations. In particular, we show how the proposed algorithm can be modified to give an incremental solution for fast online parameter estimation. Finally, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm by using the approximated t-distribution as a drop in replacement for the conventional Gaussian distribution in two computer vision applications: object recognition and tracking. In both cases the t-distribution gives better performance with no increase in computation.
Suppression of moving interference with SIS-based projections, in shallow water environments

We present an approach for suppressing moving interference in shallow water environments. Adaptive beamforming techniques are based upon applying a covariance matrix inverse or projection operator to the data, in order to suppress noise and interference. Their performance typically degrades in the presence of moving interference, since more adaptive degrees of freedom are needed to suppress it. In this work we propose a method for obtaining a projection operator that dynamically evolves with time. The method uses sequential importance sampling (SIS) to obtain sequences of wavefronts based on hypothesized velocities and depths. The sequences are associated with weights whose magnitude indicates how well they represent the data. We base the projection operator on the dominant sequences at surface, reducing the rank required for nulling of the surface interferer.
Patterns of Movement in Foster Care: An Optimal Matching Analysis

Placement instability remains a vexing problem for child welfare agencies across the country. This study uses child welfare administrative data to retrospectively follow the entire placement histories (birth to age 17.5) of 474 foster youth who reached the age of majority in the state of Illinois and to search for patterns in their movement through the child welfare system. Patterns are identified through optimal matching and hierarchical cluster analyses. Multiple logistic regression is used to analyze administrative and survey data in order to examine covariates related to patterns. Five distinct patterns of movement are differentiated: Late Movers, Settled with Kin, Community Care, Institutionalized, and Early Entry. These patterns suggest high but variable rates of movement. Implications for child welfare policy and service provision are discussed.
The resource reallocation costs of fixed and flexible exchange rates: A multi-country extension

Abstract For a sample of nineteen countries for 1972–79 we test the hypothesis that reallocation costs associated with temporary disturbances to the export sector of an economy are equal under fixed and flexible exchange rates. This test is an extension of earlier work indicating that in the special case of Canada, reallocation costs do not differ significantly under fixed and flexible rates. The degree of industrialization and openness of the countries included in the sample varies greatly; so it is interesting that the Canadian result generalizes to all but two cases. These results suggest that even during periods of considerable exchange rate variability, unnecessary resource reallocation costs may not be a significant disadvantage of a flexible exchange-rate system.
Five capacities that impact attitudes toward knowledge sharing via SNS

Knowledge loss remains an omnipresent concern for organizations despite persistent investments in collaborative technologies. While research indicates that collaborative knowledge sharing attitudes are impacted by many factors, there is a dearth of social media research that investigates what social networking service (SNS) capacities impact individual attitudes toward knowledge sharing. To narrow the research gap, this study explores five common SNS technology capacities (ubiquity, brevity, communication/collaboration, subscription, and source identity) and proposes a model to explain the influence of these factors on users' attitudes to engage in collaborative knowledge sharing via SNS platforms.
Enhancement of Hydrophilic Characteristics of Non-Wetting Porous Substrates by Kaolinite Treatment

The use of porous media has enormous potential for thermal management and phase separation in terrestrial, micro, Lunar and Marian gravity environments. Recently, a porous media based gravity insensitive condensing heat exchanger for humidity control has been proposed and successfully demonstrated by the authors. A strongly hydrophilic porous substrate is essential for condensing and trapping water vapor from the airstreams. However, most porous media which have good thermal characteristics are poorly wetting to water. This poses a significant obstacle in the development of the porous media based condensing heat exchanger. In response to this problem, a clay based process was developed for improving the wettability of non-wetting and partially wetting porous media. It was demonstrated that poorly wetting porous graphite as well as porous stainless steel could be converted to a completely wetting porous substrate by kaolinite treatment. The process enhances the wettability of both the surface and the interior pores. The paper presents experimental results of enhanced wettability of the treated substrate in terms of imbibition rate and capillary pressure as a function of saturation. The long term stability of the treated surface is also investigated and discussed.
Early warning of disastrous population movement.

This article undertakes to analyze existing and potential early warning facilities in man-made disasters which induce forced movement of people. It sets out some possible forms of early warning and the organizational options connected with them. It concludes that a mixed form of organization combining some existing facilities and some modest new organization could provide early warning although this function would operate in a difficult and delicate political atmosphere that cannot be avoided. (EXCERPT)
Minimally invasive dynamic imaging of ions and metabolites in living cells.

By 2010, it is expected that biochemical functions will be assigned to many of the products of the approximately 30 000 Arabidopsis genes. Moreover, systematic analysis of mutants will provide insight into the biological function of the gene products. Metabolomic technologies complement these approaches by testing for changes in cellular ion and metabolite patterns, providing essential information for the construction of cellular and whole-plant models of metabolism. However, one important set of information that is especially relevant for multicellular organisms is still lacking, that is, knowledge of the cellular and subcellular variation in metabolite levels. The recent development of protein-based nanosensors for metabolites will help to close this gap by providing a set of tools that can be used to determine cytosolic and subcellular metabolite levels in real time using fluorescence-based microscopy. A major challenge for the future is the application of these nanosensors to quantify metabolite levels in plant cells and tissues.
Growth of cadmium iodide crystals

Abstract Fisher, Fullman and Sears1 have recently proposed mechanisms by which a spiral or closed-loop growth source may originate in a growing crystal. The present paper presents experimental evidence relating to the subject of crystal growth, as discussed by the above authors, and outlines the technique by which the evidence was acquired.
Growth and food consumption of labyrinthectomized hamsters during chronic centrifugation at 5g and 6g.

Growth and Food Consumption of Labyrinthectomized Hamsters During Chronic Centrifugation At 5g and 6g
A two-sex nuptiality-mortality life table

The "problem of the sexes" has been one of trying to reconcile inconsistent male and female demographic rates. The present paper deals with that question in the context of a two-sex nuptiality-mortality life table. A "rectangular" population, with equal numbers of persons in each age-sex group, is introduced as a standard, and a standardization relationship expressed in equation (9) relates changes in rectangular population rates to changes in age-sex composition. The standardization relationship is shown to satisfy a number of desirable properties and produce a realistic two-sex model. The standardization approach is then applied to data from Sweden for 1973, and the results and their implications are discussed. In particular, it is seen that the total number of marriages in a two-sex population neither is nor should be bounded by the total numbers of marriages in the associated male and female one-sex nuptiality-mortality tables.
National Practice Patterns of Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction with Penile Prosthesis Implantation

Purpose: The increase in medical options to manage erectile dysfunction has changed how urologists approach erectile dysfunction. We reviewed contemporary trends in penile prosthesis implantation in the United States with an emphasis on practice patterns, demographics and temporal changes.Materials and Methods: Annualized case log data of penile prosthesis surgeries from certifying and recertifying urologists from 2003 to 2012 were obtained from the American Board of Urology. CPT code 54400 was used to identify malleable prosthesis surgeries and CPT codes 54401 and 54405 were used to identify inflatable prosthesis surgeries. To evaluate the association between surgeon characteristics and practice patterns we used the chi-square test.Results: The surgical cohort included 6,615 urologists who placed a total of 9,558 penile prostheses during the study period. Only 23.9% of urologists reported performing a penile prosthesis operation. Of the prostheses 75% were placed by surgeons who completed 4 or fewer such...
Magnetic field generation in the lunar core: The role of inner core growth

Abstract The source of the magnetic field recorded in the lunar crust remains an unresolved problem. The field was most likely produced by a self-sustaining dynamo in the Moon’s electrically conducting metal core, but heat flux across the core–mantle boundary was probably insufficient to power a dynamo for the field’s currently known duration from 4.2 to 3.56 Ga. Since seismic measurements indicate the existence of a solid iron inner core in addition to a still-liquid iron alloy outer core, inner core solidification and its associated thermochemically driven convection in the outer core could have been responsible for extending the dynamo’s lifetime even in the absence of superadiabatic heat flux. Here we present a coupled mantle–core thermal evolution model of the Moon and show that core solidification could explain the onset and shutoff of the lunar dynamo consistent with the global magnetic field inferred from the paleomagnetic record.
A single gene for human TRAF-3 at chromosome 14q32.3 encodes a variety of mRNA species by alternative polyadenylation, mRNA splicing and transcription initiation.

Abstract Human TRAF-3 is a signaling molecule that interacts with the cytoplasmic tails of CD40 and other TNF-receptor family members. TRAF-3 mRNA is expressed as two major classes of approximately 2 and 8 kb and a number of TRAF-3 encoding cDNA clones differ in discrete gene segments. Because this variety of mRNA species could result from mRNA processing events and/or multiple genes, the structure and localization of TRAF-3 encoding gene elements were determined. FISH and radiation hybrid mapping demonstrated that TRAF-3 is located at chromosome 14q32.3, approximately 1 Mb centromeric to the Ig heavy chain gene complex. Physical mapping of four overlapping genomic PAC clones established that TRAF-3 transcripts are encoded by a single gene, comprised of 13 exons and spanning 130 kb. Alternative polyadenylation in the mRNA segment encoded by exon 12 accounts for the difference between the 2 kb and the 8 kb classes of transcripts. Alternative mRNA splicing in the coding region (encoded by exons 3–12) generates transcripts which delete exons 8 (75 nt), 7+8 (156 nt) or 8+9 (168 nt) and that encode distinct protein isoforms (Δ25, Δ52 and Δ56 aa, respectively). Alternative splicing of exon 2 (139 nt) and alternative transcriptional initiation result in mRNA species with distinct 5′UTRs. Together, these data indicate that a single TRAF-3 gene encodes a variety of mRNA species by a combination of alternative polyadenylation, alternative mRNA splicing and/or alternative initiation.
Hemodynamic basis for the limited renal injury in rats with angiotensin II-induced hypertension.

ANG II is thought to increase the susceptibility to hypertension-induced renal disease (HIRD) via blood pressure (BP)-dependent and BP-independent pathways; however, the quantitative relationships ...
Threshold channels--a novel type of sodium channel in squid giant axon.

Sodium channels in nerve and muscle cells are functionally similar across wide phylogenetic boundaries1 and are usually thought to represent a single, homogeneous population that initiates the .action potential at threshold and unerringly transmits it along the surface membrane. In marked contrast, many cell types are known to have several distinct potassium permeability systems2,3. Distinguishable populations of Na channels have been reported in a few cell types, however, including denervated skeletal muscle4, embryonic cardiac muscle5, Purkinje cell somata6and non-myelinated axons at low temperature7. We report here that in squid giant axon, in standard experimental conditions, there are two functionally distinct populations of Na channels. The newly discovered population accounts for only a few per cent of the total Na permeability. The channels are selectively activated by small depolarizations and have very slow closing kinetics. Because these channels activate at voltages near the resting potential and tend to stay open for long times, they must dominate behaviour of the axon membrane in the threshold region for action potential initiation.
Production of reactive oxygen species by tubular epithelial cells in culture

Production of reactive oxygen species by tubular epithelial cells in culture. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of toxic, ischemic and immunologically-mediated renal injury. Although substantial evidence exists for the production of ROS by glomerular cells, little is known about production of these reactive oxygen metabolites by renal tubular cells. We examined the ability of cultured cells from different segments of the rabbit nephron to elaborate ROS. Under basal conditions, cells of the proximal tubule, cortical collecting duct, and papillary collecting duct produced superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide. Exposure to opsonized zymosan or heat-aggregated gamma globulin significantly increased ROS production by all three tubular cell types. The production of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide was time dependent and increased with increasing concentrations of the stimulating factors. These experiments indicate that renal tubular cells have the potential to participate in renal injury via elaboration of highly-reactive oxygen metabolites.
Exactly solvable problems of quantum mechanics and their spectrum generating algebras: A review

In this review, we summarize the progress that has been made in connecting supersymmetry and spectrum generating algebras through the property of shape invariance. This monograph is designed to be used by our fellow researchers, by other interested physicists, and by students at the graduate and even undergraduate levels who would like a brief introduction to the field.
A Critical Review of Effects of COPD Self-Management Education on Self-Efficacy

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes progressive airflow limitation which results in prolonged episodes of coughing and shortness of breath. COPD self-management education (COPDSME) programs attempt to enhance patient self-efficacy for managing symptoms. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a critical literature review that identified peer-reviewed articles assessing the effects of COPDSME on self-efficacy outcomes. Seven articles were located after an exhaustive search. Most studies (𝑛=6) reported statistically significant improvements in self-efficacy following intervention. Almost all of the studies tested interventions that drew upon at least 2 recommended sources of efficacy information. Two studies specifically noted increased self-efficacy for controlling physical exertion following COPDSME. Within the reviewed studies, the content within each educational treatment varied widely and showed a lack of standardization, and the types of instruments used to assess self-efficacy varied. This paper highlights the need for more controlled trials that investigate potential between-subjects effects of different types of COPDSME programs on self-efficacy outcomes. Incorporating practice models for patient-centered primary care in COPD requires the use of tailored efficacy building strategies for specific self-management behaviors.
Design of a scheduling system for flexible manufacturing cells

SUMMARY The objective of this paper is to describe an effective scheduling system for flexible manufacturing cells (FMC). Based on FMC characteristics, cell scheduling can be categorized for a dynamic, modified flow shop working in a real-time environment. A heuristic static cell scheduling methodology for minimizing mean flowtime is first proposed. This is then modified to allow dynamic cell scheduling to reflect the real-world situation of continuous job introduction to the cell. Computational results show that the proposed algorithms yield optimal or near optimal job sequences in a very short period of time, thus satisfying a real-time need of rapid computation.
Numerical analysis of infrared laser heating in thermoluminescent material layers

The response of thermoluminescent (TL) materials to infrared laser stimulation has been observed but cannot be fully characterized experimentally due to the inability of modern measuring techniques to accurately record the rapidly changing temperatures. A two‐dimensional, unsteady‐state model has been derived to determine radial and axial temperature profiles in a TL layer when a 4 W CO2 Gaussian laser beam is used to heat a single or multiple spots. The numerical model is solved using the alternating direction implicit scheme on a Convex XP2 mini‐supercomputer. The results for LiF plates (0.5–0.1 mm thick) demonstrate that detailed temperature profiles and heating rates may be determined for any number of thermally stimulated regions. As a result, the feasibility of a scanning laser heated TL radiographic imaging system may be evaluated and spatial resolution of such a system may be predicted.