cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ellipse rotation studies in laser host materials

Using a TEM 00q near Gaussian mode ruby laser system we report the first experimental measurements of intensity induced changes of optical polarization (ellipse rotation) in a cubic crystalline medium, YAG, for which we obtain the nonlinear susceptibilities \chi_{3}^{1221} (- \omega, \omega, \omega, -\omega) = 6.34 \times 10^{-15} ESU and \frac{1}{2} (\chi_{3}^{1111} + \chi_{3}^{1221} - 2\chi_{3}^{1212}) = 7.18 \times 10^{-15} ESU, accurate to better than ±7 percent relative to \chi_{3}^{1221} (- \omega,\omega,\omega, -\omega) for liquid CS 2 . These values are compared with further results obtained for fused quartz and two laser glasses. Moreover, by time resolving the ellipse rotation data we demonstrate the capability to plot ellipse rotation versus input power on a single laser shot, thus increasing the practical feasibility of the technique and introducing the possibility of resolving transient contributions to the measurement.
Arousability and stress-related physical symptoms: a validation study of Coren's arousal predisposition scale.

Summary.-Coren's Arousal Predisposition Scale was vahdated against 249 college students' self-ratings of stress-related physical symptoms and an item that assessed general level of health. As we predicted, the 126 high-arousability subjects were substantidy higher in mean stress-related symptoms score and lower in general health than the 123 peers low in arousability. These data suggest that the Arousal Predisposition Scale may be a useful instrument in the study of human stress. Recently, Coren (1988, 1990) described the development and standardization of a 12-item self-report scale designed to measure individual differences in arousability, i.e., the Arousal Predisposition Scale. In developing this scale, item selection was based on the ability of an item to predict insomnia, and, as Coren states, "The resultant scale was then cross-validated with a sample of 693 subjects, whereupon it was shown to be a valid and reliable predictor of insomnia" (p. 551). While Coren's effort was focused on validating his scale as a predictor of insomnia, he suggested that it might prove useful in a variety of research applications in personality or behavioral medicine. Following this suggestion, the purpose of our study was to extend the validity of the Arousal Predisposition Scale by measuring the relationships between scores on this scale and the self-reports of university students of stress-related physical symptoms and the quality of their general health. Since arousability seems implicated in the consequences of exposure to stressful experience (e.g., Matthews, Weiss, Detre, Dembroski, Falkner, Manuck, & Williams, 1986), we predicted that relative to their low-scoring peers, a group of students who scored high in arousability on the Arousal Predisposition Scale would be more likely to report experiencing stress-related physical symptoms and less likely to rate themselves as in good general health.
Real-time data fusion in the intensive care unit

A description is given of the process trellis, a domain- and hardware-independent software architecture. Its usefulness in building the Intelligent Cardiovascular Monitor, a real-time clinical decision-support system whose 'paving-stone' interface gives a clinician an instantaneous overview of a patient's status, is demonstrated. Issues of parallelism, real-time operation, and visualization are discussed. >
Calcium-Induced Folding of a Beta Roll Motif Requires C-Terminal Entropic Stabilization

Beta roll motifs are associated with several proteins secreted by the type 1 secretion system (T1SS). Located just upstream of the C-terminal T1SS secretion signal, they are believed to act as calcium-induced switches that prevent folding before secretion. Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase (CyaA) toxin has five blocks of beta roll motifs (or repeats-in-toxin motifs) separated by linkers. The block V motif on its own has been reported to be non-responsive to calcium. Only when the N- and C-terminal linkers, or flanking groups, were fused did the motif bind calcium and fold. In an effort to understand the requirements for beta roll folding, we have truncated the N- and C-terminal flanks at several locations to determine the minimal essential sequences. Calcium-responsive beta roll folding occurred even in the absence of the natural N-terminal flank. The natural C-terminal flank could not be truncated without decreased calcium affinity and only partially truncated before losing calcium-responsiveness. Globular protein fusion at the C-terminus likewise enabled calcium-induced folding but fusions solely at the N-terminus failed. This demonstrates that calcium-induced folding is an inherent property of the beta roll motif rather than the flanking groups. Given the disparate nature of the observed functional flanking groups, C-terminal fusions appear to confer calcium-responsiveness to the beta roll motif via a non-specific mechanism, suggesting that entropic stabilization of the unstructured C-terminus can enable beta roll folding. Increased calcium affinity was observed when the natural C-terminal flank was used to enable calcium-induced folding, pointing to its cooperative participation in beta roll formation. This work indicates that a general principle of C-terminal entropic stabilization can enable stimulus-responsive repeat protein folding, while the C-terminal flank has a specific role in tuning calcium-responsive beta roll formation. These observations are in stark contrast to what has been reported for other repeat proteins.
Formation of a Quasicrystalline Phase from the Glassy State in Pd-U-Si

Metallic glasses of composition Pd58.8U20.6Si20.6 can be transformed to a metastable single phase with quasicrystall ne order by thermal annealing. The icosahedral symmetry of this phase was verified by both electron and x-ray diffraction. Although the metallic glass can be formed over a broad compositional range the homogeneity range of this icosahedral phase is less than 1%. This indicates strong chemical ordering in the quasicrystalline state.
Blocks to thyroid cancer cell apoptosis can be overcome by inhibition of the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways.

Current treatment for recurrent and aggressive/anaplastic thyroid cancers is ineffective. Novel targeted therapies aimed at the inhibition of the mutated oncoprotein BRAFV600E have shown promise in vivo and in vitro but do not result in cellular apoptosis. TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis in a tumor-selective manner by activating the extrinsic apoptotic pathway. Here, we show that a TRAIL-R2 agonist antibody, lexatumumab, induces apoptosis effectively in some thyroid cancer cell lines (HTh-7, TPC-1 and BCPAP), while more aggressive anaplastic cell lines (8505c and SW1736) show resistance. Treatment of the most resistant cell line, 8505c, using lexatumumab in combination with the BRAFV600E inhibitor, PLX4720, and the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, (triple-drug combination) sensitizes the cells by triggering both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways in vitro as well as 8505c orthotopic thyroid tumors in vivo. A decrease in anti-apoptotic proteins, pAkt, Bcl-xL, Mcl-1 and c-FLIP, coupled with an increase in the activator proteins, Bax and Bim, results in an increase in the Bax to Bcl-xL ratio that appears to be critical for sensitization and subsequent apoptosis of these resistant cells. Our results suggest that targeting the death receptor pathway in thyroid cancer can be a promising strategy for inducing apoptosis in thyroid cancer cells, although combination with other kinase inhibitors may be needed in some of the more aggressive tumors initially resistant to apoptosis.
What Is Continuity

This article examines and expands the concept of continuity and asserts that family businesses and consultants retain a unidimensional definition of continuity in which success is attained only when family and business remain together. It suggests that this thinking is stale—muddied by an idealized version of the family business—and argues that continuity should be defined as the preservation of one or more essential, unique core elements that in turn implicate a set of tradeoffs or elements that may be sacrificed. Continuity approached in this way, where the pursuit of any dimension will have both gains and losses, will inevitably enrich both the client and consultant.
Presynaptic Ca2+ channels and neurotransmitter release at the terminal of a mouse cortical neuron.

Regional variation in synaptic efficacy is an important determinant of associative processing as information flows through major circuits of the brain. The perforant path is the principal route of entry from cortex to the hippocampus and contains the first synapse in the cortical–hippocampal projection pathway. We used optical imaging techniques to analyze presynaptic Ca2+ entry and neurotransmitter release at synapses in the medial perforant path linking stellate neurons located in layer II of the entorhinal cortex to granule cells in the dentate gyrus. Similar to other excitatory central synapses, the relationship between neurotransmitter release and the amount of Ca2+ influx can be best described by a Hill equation with a Hill coefficient of 3.5. Our Ca2+ channel toxin studies indicate that P/Q-type channels are the predominant Ca2+ source triggering neurotransmitter release in this pathway, as shown by a potent inhibition of Ca2+ entry and synaptic transmission by the P/Q-type channel blocker ω-agatoxin IVA. However, compared with the downstream hippocampal pyramidal neuron CA3–CA1 synapse, neurotransmitter release was less sensitive to the N-type Ca2+ channel blocker ω-conotoxin GVIA, although the amount of N-type Ca2+ current is comparable. The contribution of N-type channels to neurotransmitter release approximates that found at the CA3–CA1 synapse when tested under lower [Ca2+]o, which effectively reduces the size of the Ca2+ microdomain surrounding each channel. These results suggest that P/Q-type channels are more closely associated with release machinery then N-type channels at this synapse and that cooperativity differences for each channel subtype may characterize variations in signaling at central synapses.
Covariance matrices for ENDF/B-VII 235,238U and 239Pu evaluated files in the fast energy range

Covariance matrices for evaluated ENDF/B-VII files of 235,238 Ua nd 239 Pu are obtained in the fast energy region. Both differential experimental data and theoretical model calculations are used to estimate the uncertainties and correlations associated with the evaluated cross sections. The results are compiled in the ENDF format for covariance matrices, and processed into multi-group files for applications. 1 Motivation The vast majority of evaluated nuclear data files present in state-of-the-art libraries, including the most recent ENDF/B-VII library (1), still lack information on the uncertainties associated with the evaluated physical quantities. This situation stems from the intrinsic difficulty in assessing those uncertainties (e.g., model errors), and from the lack of a strong incentive to provide them in the first place. Those two obstacles were lifted in recent years: the tremendous power of modern computers alleviated the first obstacle by providing means to sample the space around the evaluated data central values; and the recent surge in interest in innovative nuclear designs is pushing for the use of the evaluated libraries as predictive tools, beyond the traditional applications where numerous integral data were able to guide the evaluators work. In this paper, we present our recent efforts to evaluate the covariance matrices for three major actinides, namely 235,238 U and 239 Pu, in the fast energy region. Next section is devoted to the presentation of the methodology used to assess uncertainties. A subset of all results is then discussed, along with the processing of the evaluated covariance matrices into multi-groups for use in applications. Finally, we discuss the present status of uncertainty evaluation for ENDF/B-VII, and some possible extensions and improvements upon this work.
Effects of composition, temperature, and magnetism on phonons in bcc Fe-V alloys

The phonon densities of states of body-centered-cubic Fe-V alloys across the full composition range were studied by inelastic neutron scattering, nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering, and ab initio calculations. The average phonon energy followed the inverse of the electronic heat capacity and the inverse of the electronic density of states at the Fermi level, showing how the interatomic forces depend on electronic screening. These quantities, including phonon energy, changed rapidly near the composition of the paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition. For Fe- and V-rich alloys, the thermal phonon softening deviated from quasiharmonic behavior but better agreement was found for intermediate compositions. The Fe partial phonon density of states has a distinctly different shape than V for alloys with less than 50 at. % Fe.
The Influence of Strata on the Nutrient Recycling within a Tropical Certified Organic Coffee Production System

In tropical Bolivia coffee plantations, the plant community can be separated into high (trees), middle (coffee), and low (weed) strata. Understanding the importance of each stratum is critical for improving the sustainability of the system. The objective of this study was to determine the importance of strata on nutrient recycling. Litter falls from the upper and middle strata were collected monthly using cone-shaped traps and divided by species into leaves, branches, flowers, and fruits. Dry biomass additions to the soil from high and middle strata totaled 12,655 kg (ha yr)−1 annually. About 76% of the biomass was provided by plants of the genus Inga (I. adenophylla and I. oerstediana). The middle stratum (Coffea arabica L.) provided 24% litterfall biomass. This stratum also produced 1,800 kg coffee bean per ha (12% moisture) which sold for $2.94 kg−1. In the lower stratum, Oxalis mollissima returned 36 kg N ha−1, while Solanum nodiflorum returned 49 kg K ha−1, and Urtica sp. returned 18 kg Ca ha−1. The nutrients recycled through plants in three strata exceeded the amount of nutrients removed in green coffee beans.
A fast impulsive contact suite for rigid body simulation

A suite of algorithms is presented for contact resolution in rigid body simulation under the Coulomb friction model: Given a set of rigid bodies with many contacts among them, resolve dynamic contacts (collisions) and static (persistent) contacts. The suite consists of four algorithms: 1) partial sequential collision resolution, 2) final resolution of collisions through the solution of a single convex QP (positive semidefinite quadratic program), 3) resolution of static contacts through the solution of a single convex QP, 4) freezing of "stationary" bodies. This suite can generate realistic-looking results for simple examples yet, for the first time, can also tractably resolve contacts for a simulation as large as 1,000 cubes in an "hourglass". Freezing speeds up this simulation by more than 25 times. Thanks to excellent commercial QP technology, the contact resolution suite is simple to implement and can be "plugged into" any simulation algorithm to provide fast and realistic-looking animations of rigid bodies.
Artificial neural network with complex weight and its training

Artificial neural networks that use complex weights for the synaptic connections are presented. It is shown that the use of complex weights overcomes linear nonseparability for functions such as exclusive-OR and hence can be implemented using a single-layer network. The authors also present a modification to the backpropagation method to train the neural network presented. Several examples including symmetry problems, summation, and negation are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the use of complex weights. It is expected that this approach can implement functions of greater complexity using simpler networks (with fewer layers) than would be required with conventional approaches. >
An Experimental Ignition Delay Study of Alkane Mixtures in Turbulent Flows at Elevated Pressures and Intermediate Temperatures

Autoignition delay times of mixtures of alkanes and natural gas were studied experimentally in a high pressure and intermediate temperature turbulent flow reactor. Measurements were made at pressures between 7 and 15 atm and temperatures from 785 to 935K. The blends include binary and ternary mixtures of methane, ethane and propane; along with various natural gas blends. Based on these data, the effect of higher hydrocarbons on the ignition delay time of natural gas type fuels at actual gas turbine engine conditions has been quantified. While the addition of higher hydrocarbons in quantities of up to 30% were found to reduce the ignition delay by up to a factor of four, the delay times were still found to be greater than 60 milliseconds in all cases which is well above the residence times of most engine premixers. The data were used to develop simple Arrhenius type correlations as a function of temperature, pressure and fuel composition for design use.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Rediscovering learning: a survey of factors that affect student learning in engineering education

Innovations in technology, curricula and programs in engineering education are all directed toward the improvement of learning for engineering and technology students. In pursuit of these beneficial tools as a support to learning, the basics of learning, as the student sees them and as proven by experience and research, must not be forgotten. Extensive surveying has been done in the College of Engineering and Technology at Brigham Young University to identify factors that promote learning. Over 1000 students and alumni in the college were surveyed to identify the key facilitators of learning. Results show an interesting shift of some factors which are important to active students but not as important to alumni, while other factors maintain a strong position regardless of the student's level of or the alumnus's time in the field. Some of these factors include faculty knowledge and interest in teaching, grades and grading methods, hands-on experience and type of homework. A report is also given of a survey of students who had participated in classes that use a teaching method in which students are given full control over their grade. The intent of this method is to oblige students to accept responsibility for learning and to be more interested in understanding and applying the course material than in competing for a grade.
C : N : P stoichiometry of dominant riparian trees and arthropods along the Middle Rio Grande

Summary 1. We examined the role of flooding on the leaf nutrient content of riparian trees by comparing the carbon : nitrogen : phosphorus (C : N : P) ratio of leaves and litter of Rio Grande cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. wislizenii) in flood and non-flood sites along the Middle Rio Grande, NM, U.S.A. The leaf C : N : P ratio was also examined for two non-native trees, saltcedar (Tamarix chinensis) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), and six species of dominant riparian arthropods. 2. Living leaves and leaf litter of cottonwoods at flood sites had a significantly lower leaf N : P ratio and higher %P compared with leaves and litter at non-flood sites. A non-flood site downstream from wastewater effluent had a significantly lower litter C : N ratio than all other sites, suggesting N fertilisation through ground water. The non-native trees, saltcedar and Russian olive, had higher mean leaf N content, N : P ratio, and lower C : N ratio compared with cottonwoods across study sites. 3. Riparian arthropods ranged from 5.2 to 7.1 for C : N ratio, 56–216 for C : P ratio, and 8.9–34 for N : P ratio. C content ranged from 25 to 52% of dry mass, N content from 4.7 to 10.8%, and P content from 0.59 to 1.2%. Differences in stoichiometry between high C : nutrient leaf litter and low C : nutrient invertebrates suggests possible food-quality constraints for detritivores. 4. These results suggest that spatial and temporal variation in the C : N : P ratio of cottonwood leaves and leaf litter is influenced by surface and subsurface hydrologic connection within the floodplain. Reach-scale variation in the elemental composition of riparian organic matter inputs may have important implications for decomposition, nutrient cycling, and food webs in river floodplain systems.
DNA Arrays for Genetic Analyses and Medical Diagnosis

During the past decade we have witnessed remarkable advances in molecular biology, the scientific discipline that studies the molecular basis of heredity, genetic variations, and the expression patterns of genes. While genetic engineering may appear to be a new science, the techniques that are in use today are the result of a series of discoveries made over a period spanning more than 125 years. In the “Genome Era” we are able to sequence whole genomes effectively and relatively quickly. Magazines and television routinely report advances in “gene therapy” and transgenics procedures, which would have been unimaginable even a few years ago. In 2001, Human Genome Project leaders announced the completion of a “working draft” DNA sequence of the entire human genome: the postgenomic era begins. The availability of DNA sequences from genomes of the several organisms, and in particular from the human genome, has prompted the development of new techniques for tracing the links between genes and phenotypes, based on the variation in expression rather than in sequence. Alterations in gene expression patterns can have profound effects on biological functions of the organisms, and in fact are at the core of altered physiologic and pathologic processes. Biologists have long recognized the importance of gene regulation for a complete understanding of its functional role. DNA sequencing has permitted the initial genomic surveys counting the occurrences of sequences representing each tran-
Morphological antialiasing

We present a new algorithm that creates plausibly antialiased images by looking for certain patterns in an original image and then blending colors in the neighborhood of these patterns according to a set of simple rules. We construct these rules to work as a post-processing step in ray tracing applications, allowing approximate, yet fast and robust antialiasing. The algorithm works for any rendering technique and scene complexity. It does not require casting any additional rays and handles all possible effects, including reflections and refractions.
Character Displacement in Tachysphex tertninatus and T. similis (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae, Larrinae)

Evidence for character displacement between Tachysphex terminatus (Smith) and T. similis Rohwer is demonstrated for several size-related characters. Comparisons of weights of prey taken by each species in allopatry and in sympatry indicate that the condition is probably not related to competition for prey.
Statistical properties of a procedure for analyzing pulse voltametric data

O'Dea et al. (1983, J. Phys. Chem.97, 3911-3918) proposed an empirical procedure for obtaining estimates and confidence intervals for kinetic parameters in a model for pulse voltammetric data. Their goal was to find a procedure that would run in real time, not necessarily one that would have well-defined statistical properties. In this paper we investigate some of the statistical properties of their procedure. We show that their estimation method is equivalent to maximum likelihood estimation, and their confidence intervals, while related to likelihood ratio confidence regions, have a coverage probability that is not fixed and that is potentially quite large. We suggest modifications of their procedure that lead to more traditional confidence intervals. We examine the effect on their procedure of the presence of nuisance paramters. Finally we discuss the possibility of serially correlated errors.
STEAM by Design.

We live in a designed world. STEAM by Design presents a transdisciplinary approach to learning that challenges young minds with the task of making a better world. Learning today, like life, is dynamic, connected and engaging. STEAM (Science, Technology, Environment, Engineering, Art, and Math) teaching and learning integrates information in place-based projects accessing everyday technology of virtual field trips, digital interactives, apps, and contemporary art, science and design practices. STEAM by Design develops designing minds. Designing minds work across STEAM fields developing social, cultural, technological, environmental and economical responses to existing and future conditions. Design adds Art and the environment to the STEM equation to contribute site specific, culturally connected, contributions to creative economies. Documented case studies at the elementary, middle and high school level demonstrate the ease of delivering STEAM by Design opportunities and reveal the inherent creativity of students if encouraged. Design cultivates new knowledge, skills and values derived from becoming aware, developing understanding, and testing ideas through making. Designing place-based projects, K- 16 students acquire STEAM aptitude and better understand the use of STEM fields in solving contemporary problems. Access to everyday technologies cultivate ways to create, communicate and collaborate. STEAM by Design is supported by the ELearning Designopedia, NEXT.cc, aligned with newly released NEXT Generation Science Standards, North American Association for Environmental Education Standards and Art and Design Standards. STEAM by Design positions designing as world pedagogy that connects students as citizen activists in the communities in which they live and learn.
Fractional calculus and fractional order operators

Fractional order differential equations are an efficient tool to model various processes arising in science and engineering. Fractional models adequately reflect subtle internal properties, such as memory or hereditary properties, of complex processes that the classical integer order models neglect. In this chapter we will discuss the theoretical background of fractional modeling, that is the fractional calculus, including recent developments - distributed and variable fractional order differential operators.
The Association between Changes in Behavioral Risk Factors for Stroke and Changes in Blood Pressure

Background High blood pressure (BP) is the leading risk factor for stroke. Data on the association of physical activity (PA), fruit and vegetable (FV all other variables were not associated ( P > .10). Conclusions PA and F&V consumption are potential stroke prevention targets in predominantly MA populations.
Making Visible Invisible Suffering: Non-deliberative Agency and the Bodily Rhetoric of Tamms Supermax Prisoners

Brian Nelson speaks fast, and his Chicago ‘’dees’ and ‘dats’ promise to spare his audience some of the usual fluff; he evokes sympathy in his audience while handling his own outrage or recalling tough memories. In the spring of 2010, Brian was released from Tamms Closed Maximum Security prison (CMAX), the Illinois supermax, after spending 12 years in solitary confinement. Opened in 1998 and closed in 2013, Tamms was originally meant to function as temporary added punishment for prisoners already serving time in other state prisons. Yet many prisoners, including Brian, wound up being held in isolation at Tamms for many years—some for the duration of its operation. During Brian’s incarceration at Tamms, he suffered severe depression, became a central figure in litigation over the treatment of Tamms prisoners with mental illness, and organized a prisoner-written newsletter and hunger strike for improved conditions. Since his release, he has been a vocal activist, attempting to persuade members of the public that the conditions of extreme punishment in US supermax prisons inflict invisible but lasting psychological harm. Like the other former supermax prisoners who provide the impetus for this chapter Brian possesses considerable personal and political agency. Yet when he speaks about Tamms, he becomes visibly upset, often choking back tears and shrugging as though he has momentarily given up trying to explain his experience.
Validating resilience and vulnerability indices in the context of natural disasters

Due to persistent and serious threats from natural disasters around the globe, many have turned to resilience and vulnerability research to guide disaster preparation, recovery, and adaptation decisions. In response, scholars and practitioners have put forth a variety of disaster indices, based on quantifiable metrics, to gauge levels of resilience and vulnerability. However, few indices are empirically validated using observed disaster impacts and, as a result, it is often unclear which index should be preferred for each decision at hand. Thus, we compare and empirically validate five of the top U.S. disaster indices, including three resilience indices and two vulnerability indices. We use observed disaster losses, fatalities, and disaster declarations from the southeastern United States to empirically validate each index. We find that disaster indices, though thoughtfully substantiated by literature and theoretically persuasive, are not all created equal. While four of the five indices perform as predicted in explaining damages, only three explain fatalities and only two explain disaster declarations as expected by theory. These results highlight the need for disaster indices to clearly state index objectives and structure underlying metrics to support validation of the results based on these goals. Further, policymakers should use index results carefully when developing regional policy or investing in resilience and vulnerability improvement projects.
Patterns and predictors of engagement in peer support among homeless veterans with mental health conditions and substance use histories.

Objectives Patterns and predictors of engagement in peer support services were examined among 50 previously homeless veterans with co-occurring mental health conditions and substance use histories receiving services from the Veterans Health Administration supported housing program. Method Veteran peer specialists were trained to deliver sessions focusing on mental health and substance use recovery to veterans for an intended 1-hr weekly contact over 9 months. Trajectories of peer engagement over the study's duration are summarized. A mixed-effects log-linear model of the rate of peer engagement is tested with three sets of covariates representing characteristics of the veterans. These sets were demographics, mental health and substance use status, and indicators of community participation and support. Results Data indicate that veterans engaged with peers about once per month rather than the intended once per week. However, frequency of contacts varied greatly. The best predictor of engagement was time, with most contacts occurring within the first 6 months. No other veteran characteristic was a statistically significant predictor of engagement. Older veterans tended to have higher rates of engagement with peer supporters. Conclusions and implications for practice Planners of peer support services could consider yardsticks of monthly services up to 6 months. Peer support services need a flexible strategy with varying levels of intensity according to need. Peer support services will need to be tailored to better engage younger veterans. Future research should consider other sources of variation in engagement with peer support such as characteristics of the peer supporters and service content and setting. (PsycINFO Database Record
Biophysical properties, thermal stability and functional impact of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine on oligonucleotides of RNA—a study of duplex, hairpins and the aptamer for preQ1 as models

8-10 A better understanding of the effects that oxidative lesions have on RNA is of importance to understand their role in the development/progression of disease. 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine was incorporated into RNA to understand its structural and functional impact on RNA:RNA and RNA:DNA duplexes, hairpins and pseudoknots. One to three modifications were incorporated into dodecamers of RNA [AAGA GGG AUGAC] resulting in thermal destabilization (Δ T m - 10°C per lesion). Hairpins with tetraloops c-UUCG*-g* ( ), a-ACCG-g* ( ), c-UUG*G*-g* ( ) and c-ACG*G*-g* ( ) were modified and used to determine thermal stabilities, concluding that: (i) modifying the stem leads to destabilization unless adenosine is the opposing basepair of 8-oxoGua; (ii) modification at the loop is position- and sequence-dependent and varies from slight stabilization to large destabilization, in some cases leading to formation of other secondary structures (hairpin→duplex). Functional effects were established using the aptamer for preQ 1 as model. Modification at G5 disrupted the stem P1 and inhibited recognition of the target molecule 7-methylamino-7-deazaguanine (preQ 1 ). Modifying G11 results in increased thermal stability, albeit with a K d 4-fold larger than its canonical analog. These studies show the capability of 8-oxoG to affect structure and function of RNA, resulting in distinct outcomes as a function of number and position of the lesion.
Energy Harvesting-Based D2D-Assisted Machine-Type Communications

Supporting massive numbers of machine-type communication (MTC) devices poses several challenges for future 5G networks, including network control, scheduling, and powering these devices. A potential solution is to offload MTC traffic onto device-to-device (D2D) communication links to better manage radio resources and reduce MTC devices’ energy consumption. However, this approach requires D2D users to use their own limited energy to relay MTC traffic, which may be undesirable. This motivates us to exploit recent advancements in RF energy harvesting for powering D2D relay transmissions. In this paper, we consider a D2D communication as an underlay to the cellular network, where D2D users access a fraction of the spectrum occupied by cellular users. This underlay model presents a fundamental trade-off: to protect cellular users, the spectrum available to D2D users needs to be reduced, which limits the number of D2D transmissions, but increases the amount of time that D2D users can spend harvesting energy to support MTC traffic. We study this trade-off by characterizing the spectral efficiency of MTC, D2D, and cellular users using stochastic geometry. The optimal spectrum partition factor is characterized to achieve fairness and balance in the network, while increasing the average MTC spectral efficiency.
“Inverted” zircon and apatite (U–Th)/He dates from the Front Range, Colorado: High-damage zircon as a low-temperature (<50 °C) thermochronometer

Abstract Zircon (U–Th)/He (ZHe) data were acquired for 23 Proterozoic basement samples from an E–W transect through the Colorado Front Range to evaluate whether metamict zircons yield sensible (U–Th)/He data patterns and useful thermal history information. The 112 ZHe dates vary from 147 to 7 Ma, define positive and negative date–eU correlations, and are younger than titanite (U–Th)/He dates that range from 976 to 614 Ma. At moderate to high alpha dose of 10 18 – 10 19 α / g , zircons from the range core yield Laramide ( 52.5 ± 9.6 Ma) dates, whereas those within ∼15 km of the range front yield Miocene ( 21.6 ± 7.7 Ma) results. The He dates for the high alpha dose zircons are reproducible within each sample suite despite their visibly metamict character. The ∼20 Ma range front ZHe dates are younger than apatite (U–Th)/He (AHe) dates ( 66.5 ± 9.6 Ma) and published apatite fission-track data (65–45 Ma) for the same and nearby samples. Thermal history simulations can reproduce the first-order range front date–eU patterns and ZHe–AHe date inversion, but the high-damage zircons are more He retentive than predicted by the zircon damage He kinetic model. The ∼20 Ma ZHe dates may be explained by reheating from hydrothermal fluids along range front faults. The results demonstrate the promise of using He data for high-damage zircons to detect low-temperature (
Performance on the Test of Memory Malingering is predicted by the number of errors on its first 10 items on an inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit

Objective: Performance validity testing is an increasingly vital component of neuropsychological evaluation, though administration of stand-alone performance validity tests (PVTs) can be time-consu...
Phylogenetic tests for evolutionary innovation: the problematic link between key innovations and exceptional diversification

Evolutionary innovation contributes to the spectacular diversity of species and phenotypes across the tree of life. 'Key innovations' are widely operationalized within evolutionary biology as traits that facilitate increased diversification rates, such that lineages bearing the traits ultimately contain more species than closely related lineages lacking the focal trait. In this article, I briefly review the inference, analysis and interpretation of evolutionary innovation on phylogenetic trees. I argue that differential rates of lineage diversification should not be used as the basis for key innovation tests, despite the statistical tractability of such approaches. Under traditional interpretations of the macroevolutionary 'adaptive zone', we should not necessarily expect key innovations to confer faster diversification rates upon lineages that possess them relative to their extant sister clades. I suggest that a key innovation is a trait that allows a lineage to interact with the environment in a fundamentally different way and which, as a result, increases the total diversification-but not necessarily the diversification rate-of the parent clade. Considered alone, branching patterns in phylogenetic trees are poorly suited to the inference of evolutionary innovation due to their inherently low information content with respect to the processes that produce them. However, phylogenies may be important for identifying transformational shifts in ecological and morphological space that are characteristic of innovation at the macroevolutionary scale.This article is part of the themed issue 'Process and pattern in innovations from cells to societies'.
Leaders, Tenure, and the Politics of Sovereign Credit

ABSTRACTSovereign creditworthiness is as much a function of politics as economic fundamentals. Previous research has focused on the relationship between creditworthiness and political factors such as regime type, regional effects, and international organization membership. These factors, while important, often change slowly and do not always capture the more dynamic political determinants of creditworthiness. As an alternative, this study focuses on the role of leaders. We argue that leaders’ tenure reduces uncertainty in the sovereign credit market. Time in power allows leaders to better manage expectations related to sovereign credit policy of both domestic supporters and market actors. As a result, we expect that creditworthiness improves as a leader’s tenure increases. We find supporting evidence for our argument using two distinct empirical approaches: panel data analysis and a natural experiment. Our findings provide a better understanding of the relationship between leaders, politics, and sovereign...
Texas through time—Lone Star geology, landscapes, and resources

Citation: Mace RE. 2017. Book review: Texas through time—Lone Star geology, landscapes, and resources. Texas Water Journal. 8(1):113-115. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v8i1.7072.
Older Adults' Experiences with Audiovisual Virtual Reality: Perceived Usefulness and Other Factors Influencing Technology Acceptance.

Objective: This study explores how older adults respond to audiovisual virtual reality (VR) and perceive its usefulness to their lives.Method: Focus groups were conducted with residents of a retire...
Molecular basis for the evolution of species-specific hemoglobin capture by pathogenic Staphylococcus

Metals are a limiting resource for pathogenic bacteria and must be scavenged from host proteins. Hemoglobin provides the most abundant source of iron in the human body and is required by several pathogens to cause invasive disease. However, the consequences of hemoglobin evolution for bacterial nutrient acquisition remain unclear. Here we show that the α- and β-globin genes exhibit strikingly parallel signatures of adaptive evolution across simian primates. Rapidly evolving sites in hemoglobin correspond to binding interfaces of IsdB, a bacterial hemoglobin receptor encoded by pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus. Using an evolution-guided experimental approach, we demonstrate that divergence between primates and staphylococcal isolates governs hemoglobin recognition and bacterial growth. Reintroducing putative adaptive mutations in α- or β-globin proteins is sufficient to impair S. aureus binding, providing a mechanism for the evolution of disease resistance. These findings suggest that bacterial hemoprotein capture has driven repeated evolutionary conflicts with hemoglobin during primate descent.
10.12 – Defibrillation

The goal of this chapter is to provide a description of the current understanding of the mechanisms of cardiac defibrillation. The chapter reviews the historical experiments that have gathered information regarding the interaction of the applied electric field with the myocardium as well as the state-of-the-art in computational modeling of the heart that has provided a comprehensive set of defibrillation mechanisms.
Defining California Civil Code Section 47 (3): The Resurgence of Self-Governance

In 1964, the United States Supreme Court ruled in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan that a public official cannot recover damages for libel unless he proves that the alleged libel was published with knowledge of its falsity or with reckless disregard of its truth or falsity, a standard that the Court called "actual malice."2 In the 1971 case, Rosenbloom v. Metromedia, Inc. ,3 a plurality of the Court applied the New York Times standard of actual malice to a defamation action brought by a private individual where the allegedly defamatory story involved a matter of public interest. Only three years later, the Court overruled Rosenbloom in Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.4 The Court held that where the plaintiff is a private individual, the level of constitutional protection that extends to publications by the media may be less than New York Times actual malice. Gertz allowed states to establish their own standards of liability, provided that liability was not imposed without regard to fault and that punitive damages were not awarded without proof of New York Times actual malice.5
Reputation and Credit Based Incentive Mechanism for Data-Centric Message Delivery in DTNs

In Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs), to ensure successful message delivery, contribution of mobile nodes in relaying in an opportunistic fashion is essential. In our proposed data-centric dissemination protocol here, messages (images) are annotated with keywords by the source, and then intermediate nodes are presented with an option of adding keyword-based annotations to create higher content strength messages enroute toward the destination. Therefore, the message contents like images get enriched as the ground situation evolves and learned by these intermediate nodes, such as in a disaster situation, or in a battlefield. Due to limited battery and storage capacity in mobile devices, nodes might turn selfish and do not participate in relaying or improving the quality of messages. Thus, additionally, an incentive mechanism is proposed in this paper which considers factors like message quality, level of interests, battery usage, etc for the calculation of incentives. At the same time, in order to prevent the nodes from turning malicious by adding inappropriate message tags in pursuit of acquiring more incentive, a distributed reputation model (DRM) is developed and integrated with the proposed incentive scheme. DRM takes into account inputs from the intermediate users like ratings of the message quality, relevance of annotations in the message, etc. The proposed scheme thus ensures avoidance of congestion due to uncooperative or selfish nodes in the system. The performance evaluations show that our approach delivers more high priority and quality messages with reduced traffic with a slightly lower message delivery ratio compared to a more recent DTN routing like ChitChat, where a source forwards a message to intermediate nodes, which meet or exceed the matching strength of keyword-based interests.
Assessing Pharmacists' Knowledge of Halal Medications to Support the Health Beliefs of Patients.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge of pharmacists’ on Halal medications. In addition, it was a review of Halal medications in order to understand which resources need to be implemented to make this information readily available to support the health beliefs of patients and improve medication adherence. Methods: Self-administered, anonymous questionnaires were distributed to pharmacists via Qualtrics by email, text message, and social media. Questionnaires assessed pharmacists’ knowledge on Halal medications and resources. Inclusion criteria included registered pharmacists working in any healthcare setting. Results: A total of 121 voluntary pharmacists participated in the study. Over half (57.85%) of participants reported working in a retail setting. Only 14.05% had ever served a patient requesting Halal medications. When asked about awareness of Halal medications, only 4.13% were very aware. While 56.2% were familiar with dietary restrictions, only 1.65% were very aware of which medications to substitute if a patient cannot take a prescribed medication due to its ingredients and only 1.65% were aware of where to look to find alternative Halal medications. Over half of the participants were unaware of Halal pharmaceuticals, Haram ingredients, resources to utilize, or medications to use as an alternative. Conclusion: Pharmacists are familiar with dietary restrictions due to medications derived from animal products but the majority are unaware of where to search for Halal medication alternatives, ingredients, or products. Resources are needed to make this information readily available. The more informed pharmacists are, the more likely they are to ask the right questions to ensure that patients’ religious beliefs are taken into consideration. Type: Student Paper
Spatial Prediction Filtering for Medical Ultrasound in Aberration and Random Noise

While medical ultrasound imaging has become one of the most widely used imaging modalities in clinics, it often suffers from suboptimal image quality, especially in technically difficult patients with a large amount of fat content that induces severe phase aberration effects and decreases the signal-to-noise ratio. Several researchers have proposed various techniques, which can be broadly categorized as either a phase aberration correction (PAC) technique or a coherence-based imaging technique, to address the challenges in imaging technically difficult patients. Although both families of techniques have shown some success in improving the image quality in the presence of a mild level of phase aberration and/or random noise, they often fail to achieve meaningful improvements in the image quality and, in some cases, even create severe image artifacts. In this paper, we employ an adaptive filtering technique called frequency-space prediction filtering (FXPF), which we recently introduced in ultrasound imaging, to overcome the weaknesses of existing techniques and achieve image quality improvements more effectively under varying levels of phase aberration and random noise. Using simulated and experimental phantom data with varying levels of phase aberration and random noise, we evaluate and compare the performance of FXPF with the most representative technique for each category: nearest-neighbor cross correlation (NNCC)-based PAC and the generalized coherence factor (GCF). Our simulation, experimental phantom, and in vivo results demonstrate that FXPF is highly robust in varying levels of phase aberration and noise, and always outperforms both NNCC-based PAC and GCF in terms of the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and the contrast when both random noise and phase aberration are present.