cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Future delivery of health care: Cybercare

Health-care system reforms can change the structure of the current U.S. health-care system, from centralized large hospitals to a distributed, networked healthcare system. In our model, medical care is delivered locally in neighborhoods and individual homes, using computer technologies like telemedicine, to link patients and primary care providers to tertiary medical providers. This decentralization could reduce costs enough to provide all citizens with medical insurance coverage; it would benefit patients and providers; and as a dual-use system, it would better protect the country's resources and citizens in an event of biological terror or natural disasters.
A Comparison of Field Methods to Assess Cardiorespiratory Fitness Among Neophyte Exercisers

There is evidence to suggest that aerobic fitness levels among adults have declined markedly over the past 2 to 3 decades. Submaximal field measures of aerobic fitness, such as step tests, may now be seen as aversive by contemporary neophyte exercisers. In this study, a single-factor within-subjects (repeated measures) factorial design was used to compare three field measures of cardiorespiratory fitness among sedentary women: (a) the Queen's College step test (QCST), (b) the Rockport 1-mile walk (RW), and (c) a nonexercise estimation of VO(2) max (NE). The sample consisted of 31 racially and ethnically diverse female college students (mean age of 24.8 years). No significant within-subjects differences were found in the three measures of V0(2) max (F = 1.89, p = .17) among Black, Hispanic, White non-Hispanic, or Asian women, but relative perceived exertion scores were significantly higher for the QCST than for the RW (t = 9.79, p < .001) for all groups. The mean calculated VO(2) max for the QCST was 35.90 ml/kg/min for the subset of women ages 18 to 25 and 31.85 for those ages 26 to 46. These values represent a "poor" to "below average" score for aerobic capacity among women in both age groups. Data from this preliminary study suggest that both the RW test and the NE test are comparable to the QCST as valid and reliable field measures of aerobic fitness and appear to be good alternatives to step testing among sedentary individuals.
Pin-to-hole spark discharge (PHD) plasma for biological and medical applications

The number of potential applications of atmospheric pressure discharges in biology and medicine has grown significantly in recent years, causing formation of a new field of plasma physics and plasma chemistry, "Plasma Medicine". Recent studies (see, for example, [1, 2]) show that specific applications, e.g. sterilization of various surfaces including tissue sterilization, wound and burns healing, cancer treatment, etc., require careful choice of the plasma system in order to achieve desired effect. One of the advantages of thermal plasma systems is that a controllable production of nitric oxide (NO), a biologically important molecule which is responsible for anti-inflammatory and other effects, is possible. However, thermal nature of these types of plasmas prevents direct application to living tissues in order to avoid burns and other undesired effects. In the presented work, a special electrode configuration is used to deliver active species to the treated substrate (e.g. neutral reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), charged particles and UV radiation).
How RNA Unfolds and Refolds

Understanding how RNA folds and what causes it to unfold has become more important as knowledge of the diverse functions of RNA has increased. Here we review the contributions of single-molecule experiments to providing answers to questions such as: How much energy is required to unfold a secondary or tertiary structure? How fast is the process? How do helicases unwind double helices? Are the unwinding activities of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases and of ribosomes different from other helicases? We discuss the use of optical tweezers to monitor the unfolding activities of helicases, polymerases, and ribosomes, and to apply force to unfold RNAs directly. We also review the applications of fluorescence and fluorescence resonance energy transfer to measure RNA dynamics.
A global distribution of biodiversity inferred from climatic constraints: results from a process‐based modelling study

Summary We investigated the connection between plant species diversity and climate by using a process-based, generic plant model. Different ‘species' were simulated by different values for certain growth-related model parameters. Subsequently, a wide range of values were tested in the framework of a ‘Monte Carlo' simulation for success; that is, the capability of each plant with these parameter combinations to reproduce itself during its lifetime. The range of successful parameter combinations approximated species diversity. This method was applied to a global grid, using daily atmospheric forcing from a climate model simulation. The computed distribution of plant ‘species' diversity compares very well with the observed, global-scale distribution of species diversity, reproducing the majority of ‘hot spot' areas of biodiversity. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the predicted pattern is very robust against changes of fixed model parameters. Analysis of the climatic forcing and of two additional sensitivity simulations demonstrated that the crucial factor leading to this distribution of diversity is the early stage of a plant's life when water availability is highly coupled to the variability in precipitation because in this stage root-zone storage of water is small. We used cluster analysis in order to extract common sets of species parameters, mean plant properties and biogeographic regions (biomes) from the model output. The successful ‘species' cannot be grouped into typical parameter combinations, which define the plant's functioning. However, the mean simulated plant properties, such as lifetime and growth, can be grouped into a few characteristic plant ‘prototypes', ranging from short-lived, fast growing plants, similar to grasses, to long-lived, slow growing plants, similar to trees. The classification of regions with respect to similar combinations of successful ‘species' yields a distribution of biomes similar to the observed distribution. Each biome has typical levels of climatic constraints, expressed for instance by the number of ‘rainy days' and ‘warm days'. The less the number of days favourable for growth, the greater the level of constraints and the less the ‘species' diversity. These results suggest that climate as a fundamental constraint can explain much of the global scale, observed distribution of plant species diversity.
Shared Reading to Build Vocabulary and Comprehension

The author presents four approaches to shared reading that he used with first through third graders in a high-needs, urban elementary school with a large population of students from immigrant homes. Using sociocultural and cognitive constructivist principles, the author shows how these approaches built students' academic vocabulary and comprehension of the decontextualized language of books.
Bush Climate Change Plan criticized as “business as usual”

The new U.S. climate change strategy, announced by President George W. Bush on 14 February, relies heavily on voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies. According to the administration, the strategy begins to address the factors that contribute to climate change “in a serious and sensible way” but critics charge that it will actually result in increased U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Bush's strategy, announced during a speech at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Silver Spring, Maryland, presents an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol, which includes an initial target of requiring a group of 38 industrialized nations to reduce emissions of 6 major greenhouse gases by a total of 5.2% below 1990 levels by 2012.
Effect of ionic strength on the pKa of ligands bound to DNA

The pKa of 3,8-diamino-6-phenyl-phenanthridine (DAPP), a nonquaternary analog of ethidium bromide, has been determined spectrophotometrically as a function of sodium ion concentration both free in solution and complexed to DNA. Unwinding angle determinations with this compound were determined with Col El DNA using ethidium bromide as a standard. The unwinding angle for DAPP was 24 ± 2° relative to 26° for ethidium, and this suggests that DAPP binds in a manner quite similar to ethidium and with no significant outside bound DAPP under these experimental conditions. Isobestic behavior was obtained on spectrophotometric pH titration above pH 5 as long as the ratio of DNA-phosphate to ligand was between 100 and 300 and the DNA phosphate concentration was approximately 0.01M or greater. The loss of isosbestic behavior which occurred below pH 5 is probably due to titration of the 8 amino group of the ligand complexed to DNA. To circumvent this problem, pKa values and the extinction coefficient of the acidic species were both determined by a computer program using experimental data obtained above pH 5. The pKa of the free compound has only a minor dependence on ionic strength, while the pKa of the ligand bound to DNA in an intercalated complex depends strongly on the sodium ion concentration. The pKa of the DAPP-DNA complex is a linear function of –log[Na+] as predicted by the ion-condensation theory of polyelectrolytes. It was determined that DAPP is essentially completely bound to DNA under the conditions of these experiments by (1) determination of apparent pKa values as a function of total DNA concentration, (2) calculation of binding constants for the neutral species of DAPP, and (3) spectral analysis of the protonated and neutral species of DAPP bound to DNA relative to DAPP free in solution. These results support the ion-condensation theory; provide an independent method for measuring ψ*, the average number of counterions associated per phosphate of DNA in the intercalated conformation; and illustrate that there are no specific pH effects or absolute pKa values for ligands bound to DNA, but only ionic-strength-dependent results.
The quantitative relationship between weed emergence and the physical properties of mulches

Abstract Mulches on the soil surface are known to suppress weed emergence, but the quantitative relationships between emergence and mulch properties have not been clearly defined. A theoretical framework for describing the relationships among mulch mass, area index, height, cover, light extinction, and weed emergence is introduced. This theory is applied to data from experiments on emergence of four annual weed species through mulches of selected materials applied at six rates. Mulch materials, in order from lowest to highest surface-area-to-mass ratio, were bark chips, Zea mays stalks, Secale cereale, Trifolium incarnatum, Vicia villosa, Quercus leaves, and landscape fabric strips. The order of weed species' sensitivity to mulches was Amaranthus retroflexus > Chenopodium album > Setaria faberi > Abutilon theophrasti, regardless of mulch material. The success of emergence through mulches was related to the capacity of seedlings to grow around obstructing mulch elements under limiting light conditions. Mul...
Inheritance Of Methylation In The Qatari Population

Background & Objectives: The environment surrounding an organism can have a direct impact on methylation and trans-generational effects in both mammals [1] and plants [2, 3]. Some epigenetic changes are heritable or somehow passed on to future generations without altering the organism's underlying DNA sequence[4]. The concept of DNA methylation heritability in mammals is emerging, although the mechanism through which environmental impact is epigenetically transmitted is still not clearly understood. We search for methylation sites that exist in three states (trimodal) on a population level in a Qatari population for the first time. Using this subset of sites, we can test for a pattern of Mendelian inheritance of methylation, specifically by looking at trios. These patterns are then compared to randomized individuals where the trio structure was disrupted to conclude on the effect of family structure towards DNA methylation heritability. Methods: We used a Qatari cohort consisting of families. Some of the families contained trios (father, mother, and offspring). We obtained both methylation data (Illumina 450K array) [5] and whole genome sequencing data (Illumina Hiseq2500 platform) for the samples. We tested the 450K methylation sites for trimodality and filtered those satisfying the definition. The trimodal sites were then tested for Mendelian agreements and violations only in the trios. This was compared to randomized samples having no parent-offspring relationship as an enrichment study. Finally, we checked the trimodal sites for the likely possibility of being explained by an underlying genetic association. Results: We found less than 1% of the methylation sites across the dataset to meet the predefined trimodal criterion. We report that non-related individuals have a higher average of trimodal sites showing Mendelian violation in comparison with actual trios. Moreover, the average of trimodal sites exhibiting Mendelian agreement in trios is significantly higher in comparison with randomized samples. We also studied the effect of cis-acting SNPs on explaining the observed patterns of methylation heritability. Although in the majority of the sites, the pattern is elucidated by SNPs, there still a minute number of sites where the methylation is not explained by SNPs. These findings are replicated and validated in a bigger cohort. Conclusions: The great majority of methylation sites that follow a Mendelian inheritance pattern in trios are driven by an underlying SNP association. However, a minor percent of the trimodal sites we studied did not have a cis-acting SNP association although this does not rule out the effect of trans-acting SNP associations. We can speculate on other factors that could be causative of the trimodal pattern such as correlations between neighboring CpGs, SNPs otherwise in the genome, or even genome-wide probe-SNP eQTL associations.
A QUAINT Tool: Quantitative Uniform Analysis of Instructor Talent

In todays educational landscape, subject areas that involve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are receiving renewed attention in part due to the rapid proliferation of technology in our daily lives and in the marketplace. One of the most important factors affecting the quality of a STEM education is the quality of the instructor delivering the material. Despite the recognized importance of the instructor in the educational process, there exists no common, quantitative method to determine how effective or valuable the instructor actually is. We present the QUAINT methodology for determining the value of a college level instructor using an analytical and quantitative process. This methodology employs a systems analysis approach in understanding the primary functions and value measures that define an instructors worth. The model incorporates information from a set of stakeholder interviews, focus groups and surveys from all levels of the academic spectrum ranging from Dean of Academics to everyday students. Using value modeling, we are able to create a quantitative assessment based on the input of stakeholders for use in assessing individual instructors or comparing a group of instructors with diverse strengths.
Preparing for the next Zika.

Lessons from the US Biodefense program should inform international efforts to build a medical countermeasure enterprise for emerging infectious diseases.
Quartz Crystal Microbalance Studies of the Plasma-Assisted Etching of Polyimide and Tungsten Thin Films

The etching of polyimide thin films and tungsten thin films has been studied as a function of bias voltage using two quartz crystal microbalances (QCM) installed in a low pressure 13.56 MHz rf plasma system. One of the QCM’s is biased (rf bias was used for the polyimide films; de bias was used for the tungsten films) and the other QCM is unbiased. In this way, the influence of energetic positive ion bombardment on etching can be studied. The etching of polyimide is studied in CF4-O2 glow discharges whereas CF4-H2 gas mixtures were used in the etching of tungsten. In the tungsten etching studies, the surfaces were vacuum-transferred to an Auger electron spectrometer for surface analysis.
Fabrication of PZT Based Capacitor with SrRuO3 Electrode for Memory Device Applications

Strontium ruthenium oxide (SrRuO3) was deposited on Pt/(100)Si substrates at varying temperatures and 300 mTorr oxygen pressure using the pulsed laser deposition method and was found to be highly crystalline and textured when deposited over 450°C. After achieving highly crystalline SrRuO3 films, capacitors using the ferroelectric material - PZT (PbZr0.5Ti0.48O3) were successfully fabricated on Pt/(100)Si substrates. The ferroelectric properties of the films were determined by the RT66A Standardized Ferroelectric Test System. The structural properties of the films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. Transmission electron microscopy was used to determine the crystallinity and quality of interfaces among different layers.
Case Study: Designing the ERBS Control Room:

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is the site of command, control, and communication support for NASA near-earth satellites. Recently, human factors has been incorporated into the control room design process. The first project was the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS). This paper summarizes the results of the ERBS human factors analysis, discusses the problems of human factors involvement in the Goddard design process, and identifies and discusses issues likely to determine the effectiveness of future Goddard human factors analyses.
A natural photoelectrochemical cell for water splitting: Implications for early Earth and Mars

The surface oxidation of pyrite can create a (hydr)oxide layer. This configuration constitutes a natural two-semiconductor (tandem) photoelectrochemical cell. Here, we show that an illuminated hematite-pyrite cell produces photocurrent, H2, and O2 by water splitting. Photocurrent is also observed with illumination of hematite alone. The observed current densities are in the same order of magnitude as estimates of banded iron formation deposition rates, and are 400 to 1000 times higher than needed to oxidize, over geologic time, all of the surface water thought to have existed on Mars. Mineral-based water splitting constitutes a potential source of O2 prior to the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis on Earth. Semiconducting minerals deserve study as photochemical sources of oxidizing power in low-oxygen environments.
Sound absorption enhancement using solid–solid interfaces in a non-porous cement-based structural material

Abstract This work shows that solid–solid interfaces in a non-porous stiff material can enhance the sound absorption and provides an analytical model for describing the effects of constituents and interfaces on the sound absorption. The sound absorption coefficient α, the propagation constant Γ and the reflectivity R were determined for cement-based materials. At 125–500 Hz, α ranges from 0.039 to 0.160; Γ ranges from 2.6 × 10−4/mm to 3.5 × 10−4/mm; R > 0.9. Silica fume (∼0.1 μm) provides interfaces, thereby enhancing α and Γ by 40% and 20% respectively for cement paste (125 Hz), but it does not affect R.
Photoactive roadways: Determination of CO, NO and VOC uptake coefficients and photolabile side product yields on TiO2 treated asphalt and concrete

Abstract This work reports uptake coefficients and by-product yields of ozone precursors onto two photocatalytic paving materials (asphalt and concrete) treated with a commercial TiO2 surface application product. The experimental approach used a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and allowed for testing large samples with the same surface morphology encountered with real urban surfaces. The measured uptake coefficient (γgeo) and surface resistances are useful for parametrizing dry deposition velocities in air quality model evaluation of the impact of photoactive surfaces on urban air chemistry. At 46% relative humidity, the surface resistance to NO uptake was ∼1 s cm−1 for concrete and ∼2 s cm−1 for a freshly coated older roadway asphalt sample. HONO and NO2 were detected as side products from NO uptake to asphalt, with NO2 molar yields on the order of 20% and HONO molar yields ranging between 14 and 33%. For concrete samples, the NO2 molar yields increased with the increase of water vapor, ranging from 1% to 35% and HONO was not detected as a by-product. Uptake of monoaromatic VOCs to the asphalt sample set displayed a dependence on the compound vapor pressure, and was influenced by competitive adsorption from less volatile VOCs. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were detected as byproducts, with molar yields ranging from 5 to 32%.
Occupational and Organizational Effects on Wages among College-educated Workers in 2003 and 2010:

We investigate the 2003 and 2010 National Survey of College Graduates to study the effects of education, job matching, employer characteristics, and occupation on wage inequality among college-educ...
Abstract 3684: Proteome-wide triple negative breast cancer mutant p53 association index identifies chromatin unwinding for precision therapeutics

Over 80% of TNBCs express mutant p53 (mtp53) proteins. We coupled cell fractionation with stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) and inducible knockdown of endogenous mtp53 to determine the mtp53 driven proteome in the cytoplasm and chromatin of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Using SILAC coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) we identified that R273H mtp53 expression in MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells both up and down-regulated multiple proteins and metabolic pathways. We sequenced 73,154 peptide pairs that corresponded to 3010 proteins detected under reciprocal labeling conditions in the cytoplasm and 48,825 peptide pairs that corresponded to 5195 proteins in the chromatin fraction. Pathway enrichment analysis ranked the DNA unwinding pathway as the highest chromatin associated pathway regulated by mtp53. Moreover, to summarize and quantify the degree of under- or over-expression of a protein from two reciprocal experiments, a mutant p53 association index (mPAI) was defined as the log (of base 2) ratio of two readings from the two reciprocal experiments. Values of mPAI were normally distributed with a mean close to zero, consistent with the fact that levels of the majority of proteins were not affected by mtp53 knockdown. Standard deviation of mPAI is close to one and mtp53 itself shows mPAI values of greater than 2.0 (z-score > 2.0) in both cytosol and chromatin fractions, consistent with the expectation that its levels are significantly reduced by knockdown experiments. We thereby identified proteins and pathways significantly affected by mtp53 knockdowns as those with mPAI > 1.0 (indicating positive association) or mPAI Citation Format: Wei-Gang Qiu, Alla Polotskaia, Gu Xiao, Lia Di, John Philip, Ronald C. Hendrikson, Jill Bargonetti. Proteome-wide triple negative breast cancer mutant p53 association index identifies chromatin unwinding for precision therapeutics. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3684.
The Most Stubborn Opposition: Mind and World

If the history of Western philosophy were to be reduced to one overarching narrative, a potentially fruitful path would be the connection between thought or language and the world. Hegel, as a critic of all type of dualisms—Platonic, Cartesian, Kantian—would be seen as offering a monistic system in which such dualisms are overcome, and the problem of how to connect two very dissimilar entities dissolved. His concept of the absolute would be the unitary ground from which any opposition might spring. In this sense, the identity of the absolute is prior to and makes possible all dualities. If the absolute by definition includes everything, then there is no remainder, no absolutely other that can resist its gravitational pull and not be absorbed by it. In the absolute the opposition between seeming and being, appearance and reality, would be overcome since both belong within it and do not transcend it. The same would apply to the opposition between the is and the ought. The ought is fulfilled insofar as it is immanent to reality. Given this reading of the absolute, Hegelian philosophy is criticized from an epistemological point of view for spinning in a void and losing all friction with an external world; and from a moral point of view for not allowing the otherness of the other to confront us, for not encountering the face of the other in its otherness.
Intraurban Temperature Variability in Baltimore

AbstractHow much does minimum daily air temperature vary within neighborhoods exhibiting high land surface temperature (LST), and does this variability affect agreement with the nearest weather station? To answer these questions, a low-cost sensor network of 135 “iButton” thermometers was deployed for summer 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland (a midsized American city with a temperate climate), focusing on an underserved area that exhibits high LST from satellite imagery. The sensors were evaluated against commercial and NOAA/NWS stations and showed good agreement for daily minimum temperatures. Variability within the study site was small: mean minimum daily temperatures have a spatial standard deviation of 0.9°C, much smaller than the same measure for satellite-derived LST. The sensor-measured temperatures agree well with the NWS weather station in downtown Baltimore, with a mean difference for all measurements in time and space of 0.00°C; this agreement with the station is not found to be correlated with any m...
Lattice calculations of the spectroscopy of baryons with broken flavor SU(3) symmetry and 3, 5, or 7 colors

Lattice Monte Carlo calculations of baryon spectroscopy in gauge groups $SU(N)$, $N=3$, 5, 7, are presented. The quenched valence fermions come in three flavors, two degenerate mass ones and a third heavier flavor. The data show striking regularities reminiscent of the real-world case of $N=3$: higher angular momentum states lie higher in mass, and Sigma-like states lie higher than Lambda-like ones. These simple regularities are reasonably well described by $1/N$ expansions.
Renormalization of the quasiparticle band gap in doped two-dimensional materials from many-body calculations

Doped free carriers can substantially renormalize electronic self-energy and quasiparticle band gaps of two-dimensional (2D) materials. However, it is still challenging to quantitatively calculate this many-electron effect, particularly at the low doping density that is most relevant to realistic experiments and devices. Here we develop a first-principles-based effective-mass model within the $GW$ approximation and show a dramatic band-gap renormalization of a few hundred meV for typical 2D semiconductors. Moreover, we reveal the roles of different many-electron interactions: The Coulomb-hole contribution is dominant for low doping densities while the screened-exchange contribution is dominant for high doping densities. Three prototypical 2D materials are studied by this method: $h\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{BN}$, $\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$, and black phosphorus, covering insulators to semiconductors. Especially, anisotropic black phosphorus exhibits a surprisingly large band-gap renormalization because of its smaller density-of-state that enhances the screened-exchange interactions. Our work demonstrates an efficient way to accurately calculate band-gap renormalization and provides quantitative understanding of doping-dependent many-electron physics of general 2D semiconductors.
Adaptive path tracking control design for a wheeled mobile robot

A predefined path tracking with the help of Wheeled mobile robots (WMR) is very popular in various modern applications including agriculture, medicine and many more. The application of tracking a certain path can be achieved by using either Trajectory Tracking or Path following method. This paper makes an attempt to design a novel control law which combines the two techniques together in order to maximize the benefits provided by the two methods individually. However, the successful implementation of this task is vulnerable because of parametric uncertainties in the robot model. The solution to this problem is presented with the design of an adaptive control scheme called direct model reference adaptive control (DMRAC) which makes use of an adaptive law and continuously updates its control parameters
Importins α and β signaling mediates endothelial cell inflammation and barrier disruption

Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling via importins is central to the function of eukaryotic cells and an integral part of the processes that lead to many human diseases. In this study, we addressed the role of α and β importins in the mechanism of endothelial cell (EC) inflammation and permeability, important pathogenic features of many inflammatory diseases such as acute lung injury and atherosclerosis. RNAi-mediated knockdown of importin α4 or α3 each inhibited NF-κB activation, proinflammatory gene (ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and IL-6) expression, and thereby endothelial adhesivity towards HL-60 cells, upon thrombin challenge. The inhibitory effect of α4 and α3 knockdown was associated with impaired nuclear import and consequently, DNA binding of RelA/p65 subunit of NF-κB and occurred independently of IκBα degradation. Intriguingly, knockdown of importins α4 and α3 also inhibited thrombin-induced RelA/p65 phosphorylation at Ser536, showing a novel role of α importins in regulating transcriptional activity of RelA/p65. Similarly, knockdown of importin β1, but not β2, blocked thrombin-induced activation of RelA/p65 and its target genes. In parallel studies, TNFα-mediated inflammatory responses in EC were refractory to knockdown of importins α4, α3 or β1, indicating a stimulus-specific regulation of RelA/p65 and EC inflammation by these importins. Importantly, α4, α3, or β1 knockdown also protected against thrombin-induced EC barrier disruption by inhibiting the loss of VE-cadherin at adherens junctions and by regulating actin cytoskeletal rearrangement. These results identify α4, α3 and β1 as critical mediators of EC inflammation and permeability associated with intravascular coagulation.
Topical Ketamine in the Treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and adverse effects of topical ketamine in the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome. Retrospective charts were reviewed of patients 18 years or older diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome and treated with topical ketamine during the study period of May 2006 to April 2013 in an academic medical center specialty pain clinic. Exclusion criteria consisted of subjects who 1) were treated with topical ketamine for pain syndromes other than complex regional pain syndrome, 2) initiated other pain therapies concurrently with topical ketamine, 3) had less than two documented visits, 4) began use of topical ketamine prior to the start of the study period, 5) were under 18 years of age. Subjects with ICD-9 diagnoses codes complex regional pain syndrome-1 or complex regional pain syndrome-2 were identified from encounter-based data and billing records. Data collected for each subject included demographics, description of complex regional pain syndrome, concurrent medications and medical conditions, type of ketamine compound prescribed, duration of therapy, side effects, reasons for discontinuation (if any), and pain scores (numerical pain rating scale; 0 to 10). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained prior to initiating the study. Sixteen subjects met the inclusion/exclusion criteria for the study, 69% of which were female with an average age of 46 years (range: 24 to 60). Subjects took an average of 3.7 other pain medications (range: 2 to 8), had an average of 2.7 other co-morbid pain conditions (range: 1 to 5), and 1.6 other co-morbid non-pain conditions (range: 0 to 4). Eight (50%) reported that their pain had improved, while 7 (44%) reported a worsening of pain. One reported no change in pain score. No subjects reported adverse effects. Based on the findings in this study, the use of topical ketamine in the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome shows promise due to the overall limited options available to treat this condition, as well as the favorable safety profile of topical agents. Future prospective controlled studies are needed to demonstrate a clear benefit.
Nina Starr Braunwald's Career, Legacy, and Awards: Results of a Survey of The Thoracic Surgery Foundation Award Recipients.

The legacy of Nina Starr Braunwald lives on in her innovations, clearing a path for women in cardiothoracic surgery, and in the lives of those she has trained or supported. As one of the early pioneers in cardiac surgery, she represents what is excellent in our profession. The Braunwald family has donated to The Thoracic Surgery Foundation in the form of Research Awards, and a survey was conducted to determine the career paths of recipients since the first award in 1993.
Friday Night Is Pizza Night: A Comparison of Children's Dietary Intake and Maternal Perceptions and Feeding Goals on Weekdays and Weekends.

Childhood obesity is a serious issue in the U.S. While obesity is the result of a multitude of factors, a great deal of research has focused on children’s dietary intake. While children’s eating patterns vary throughout the week, not much else is known about weekday-weekend differences. Therefore, the current study examined differences in the frequency and portion size of school-age children’s consumption of common foods and beverages, as well as mothers’ perceptions of those items and their child feeding goals, on weekdays and weekends. A total of 192 mothers of children aged 7 to 11 were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Results showed a consistent pattern of more frequent consumption and larger portions of unhealthy foods and beverages on weekends. This aligned with mothers’ perceptions of those foods and beverages as weekend items, as well as their feeding goals of health and price being less important on weekends. It is quite possible that weekends are viewed as having less structure and facilitate schedules that allow children to consume more meals away from home. These findings shed light on additional risk factors in children’s eating patterns and highlight the serious implications that day of the week can have on childhood obesity.
Thin Layer Chromatography

Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a quick, sensitive, and inexpensive technique used to determine the number of components in a mixture, verify the identity and purity of a compound, monitor the progress of a reaction, determine the solvent composition for preparative separations, and analyze the fractions obtained from column chromatography. This unit is mainly aimed at novice experimenters, describing in detail the strategies and principal steps for performing a TLC experiment, with illustrations of the relevant instruments, as well as approaches for obtaining and understanding results. Valuable practical tips and troubleshooting solutions are also provided throughout the unit. Curr. Protoc. Essential Lab. Tech. 8:6.3.1-6.3.18. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: chromatography; TLC; separation; silica gel; organic solvents; staining
ÉLABORATION EXPÉRIMENTALE DES REPRÉSENTIONS MENTALES DES ÉLÈVES DE 16 ANS SUR LES CONCEPTS THERMIQUES / EXPERIMENTAL ELABORATION OF MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS OF 16-YEAR OLD STUDENTS ON THERMAL CONCEPTS

Dans cet article est discutee la possibilite de transformer les representations mentales des eleves sur certains concepts thermiques. En posant comme question de recherche « comment operer cette transformation ? », on a propose de situations experimentales pendant lesquelles les eleves confrontent les faits affirmes avec ceux qui les contredisent. A cette recherche qualitative ont participe 24 eleves (12 garcons et 12 filles) de 16 ans. L’analyse des donnees de la recherche montre que les representations naives provoquent des obstacles dans la comprehension des phenomenes mais dans certains cas, il est possible de les surmonter. In this article is discussed the possibility of transforming mental representations of students on some thermal concepts. By asking as research question “how to operate this transformation?", it was suggested that experimental situations during which students confront the facts asserted with those that contradict them. This qualitative research involved 24 students (12 boys and 12 girls) aged 16. The analysis of the research data show that naive representations cause obstacles in understanding the phenomena but in some cases it is possible to overcome them. Article visualizations:
Ionprobe Investigation of Rare Earth Element Distributions and Partial Melting of Metasedimentary Granulites

The rare earth element (REE) characteristics of feldspars and garnet in two metasedimentary xenoliths from Kilbourne Hole, New Mexico, have been determined by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Mass balance considerations show that the majority of the REE reside in the major mineral phases of these xenoliths, in contrast to silicic granitoids and rhyolites where most of the REE reside in accessory phases. The granulites are also distinct from silicic igneous rocks in having high concentrations of light (L)-REE in the feldspars. Based on these observations, the activity of REE-rich accessory phases in the Kilbourne Hole metasediments is inferred to be low, attributable to: 1) the lack of partial melting; 2) solid-state mineral reactions in which a LREE-bearing mineral(s) is decomposed; and/or 3) enhanced solubility of accessory phases during partial melting. Melts in equilibrium with the observed major mineral assemblage and inferred accessory phase assemblage are strongly LREE-enriched, and a good fit to the REE characteristics of the Kilbourne Hole metapelites is attained by extraction of <25% of this melt from a protolith whose REE concentrations are elevated with respect to average shales. Partial extraction of a melt in equilibrium with a refractory mineral assemblage is also permitted, equivalent to ~33% melt extraction. These inferences are broadly consistent with estimates of <20% partial melting based on the shale-like geochemical character of the rocks. In both scenarios, the model melts contain high concentrations of the LREE and would be expected to precipitate more monazite than that permitted by the REE characteristics of the granulites themselves.
Energy and Energy Internet

Energy is the foundation of the development of the world economy. The human society cannot live without energy. Throughout human history, the advancement of the human society is closely related to the exploitation and utilization of energy. The reformation of the energy construction cannot live without the development of science, while the connection between development of the economy and the support of energy cannot be separated. Energy, science and economy are mutually reinforcing and restriction. From the view of the sustainable development of society, the exploitation and utilization of the renewable energy and taking place of the traditional fossil fuel are important direction for the human to reform the construction of the energy. However, the existing grid construction is impossible to meet the demand of promoting energy conversion between different kinds of energy and improving the efficiency of the energy utilization. In order to solve this imminent problem, people begin to do research on a novel energy network construction which is known as Energy Internet. Constructed with the concept of the Internet, Energy Internet is a wide area network which combines economics, information and energy. Through building a large power grid as the backbone network and forming an open, equal economic, information and energy integrated framework, Energy Internet realizes the bidirectional energy transmission and dynamic balance utilization to maximize the adaptation to the access of the new energy. Moreover, in Energy Internet, energy is able to be conversed among electric energy, chemical energy and heat energy, meanwhile, as the hub of the energy conversion, power system should undertake the core energy conversion. This chapter introduces a novel energy network construction and makes a detailed discussion on the concept, characteristics, construction and the contained energy types of Energy Internet.
Parameterizing behavior trees

This paper introduces and motivates the application of parameterization to behavior trees. As a framework, behavior trees are becoming more commonly used for agent controllers in interactive game environments. We describe a way by which behavior trees can be authored for acting upon functions with arguments, as opposed to being limited to nonparametric tasks. We expand upon this idea to provide a method by which a subtree itself can be encapsulated with an exposed parameter interface through a lookup node, which enables code reuse in a manner already exploited by object oriented programming languages. Parameterization also allows us to recast Smart Events (a mechanism for co-opting agents to perform a desired activity) as behavior trees that can act generically upon groups of typed agents. Finally, we introduce a tool called Topiary, which enables the graphically-oriented authoring of behavior trees with this functionality as part of a broader testbed for agent simulation.
Noninvasive molecular profiling of high-risk relapsed neuroblastoma by plasma cell-free DNA analysis.

10552Background: Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. 5-year survival rates for high-risk NB are < 50% despite intense multimodality treatment. Recent studies...
Morphological Divergence among Populations of Xantusia riversiana, a Night Lizard Endemic to the Channel Islands of California

Morphological variation between closely related island endemics offers a unique system to study ecological and evolutionary processes. The Island Night Lizard, Xantusia riversiana (Cope, 1883), is endemic to three of the Southern Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California: Santa Barbara, San Clemente, and San Nicolas. Some authors treat the species as polytypic with the night lizards on San Nicolas (X. r. riversiana) distinct from those on Santa Barbara and San Clemente (X. r. reticulata). Previous studies failed to find strong morphological divergence, but it remains uncertain if those studies were hampered by a combination of small sample size, small number of characters, and/or the lack of modern morphometric techniques. Here we examined 172 Island Night Lizards from the three islands for nine morphometric and five meristic characters, increasing the number and types of morphological characters examined over previous studies and applying modern morphometric techniques to test for divergence a...
Effect of solvent for tailoring the nanomorphology of multinary CuCo2S4 for overall water splitting and energy storage

Abstract Tailoring the nanomorphology of electrochemically active materials could significantly affect their resultant catalytic and charge storage performance. In this study, the nanostructured morphology of multinary CuCo2O4 and CuCo2S4 was tuned using a different volume concentration of water and ethanol resulting in different nano-shapes maintaining similar crystal structure. The electrocatalytic performance was analyzed for all the synthesized samples as the hydrogen (HER) and oxygen evolution catalyst (OER). The HER and OER study for CuCo2S4 sample synthesized using ethanol required a low overpotential of 158 mV to reach 10 mA/cm2 and 290 mV to achieve 20 mA/cm2, respectively. Furthermore, the electrolyzer cell using symmetrical electrodes required a low overall cell potential of 1.66 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA/cm2 and maintained stable performance for over 24 h, suggesting a promising bifunctional catalytic behavior. Furthermore, the synthesized samples were studied as electrodes for high-performance energy storage systems. The CuCo2S4 electrode showed an areal capacitance of 6.3 F/cm2 (3190.8 F/g) at a current density of 2 mA/cm2. The Ragone plot for the areal energy versus power density resulted to be 265 mWh/cm2 (132 Wh/kg) and 11.9 W/cm2 (5973 W/kg), respectively. Thus, from the overall study, it can be confirmed that tailoring morphology of nanostructured material such as CuCo2S4 could be a promising way for the advancement of energy generation and storage devices.
Drude and Kukharskii mobility of doped semiconductors extracted from Fourier-transform infrared ellipsometry spectra

The factorized plasmon-phonon polariton description of the infrared dielectric function is generalized to include an additional factor to account for the effects of interband electronic transitions. This new formalism is superior to the usual Drude–Lorentz summation of independent oscillators, especially in materials with large transverse-longitudinal optical phonon splittings, multiple infrared-active phonon modes, or high concentrations of free carriers, if a broadband description of the dielectric function from the far-infrared to the vacuum-ultraviolet spectral region is desired. After a careful comparison of both approaches, the factorized description is applied to the dielectric function of undoped and doped semiconductors (GaAs, GaSb, and InAs) and metal oxides from 0.03 to 9.0 eV. Specifically, the authors find that both descriptions of the far-infrared dielectric function yield the same carrier density and mobility, at least for a single species of carriers. To achieve valid results for moderately high doping concentrations, measurements to lower energies would be helpful.The factorized plasmon-phonon polariton description of the infrared dielectric function is generalized to include an additional factor to account for the effects of interband electronic transitions. This new formalism is superior to the usual Drude–Lorentz summation of independent oscillators, especially in materials with large transverse-longitudinal optical phonon splittings, multiple infrared-active phonon modes, or high concentrations of free carriers, if a broadband description of the dielectric function from the far-infrared to the vacuum-ultraviolet spectral region is desired. After a careful comparison of both approaches, the factorized description is applied to the dielectric function of undoped and doped semiconductors (GaAs, GaSb, and InAs) and metal oxides from 0.03 to 9.0 eV. Specifically, the authors find that both descriptions of the far-infrared dielectric function yield the same carrier density and mobility, at least for a single species of carriers. To achieve valid results for moderatel...
Improving Oral Health Literacy in the Digital Age: Recommendations for a Collaboration Between the Dental Profession and Voice-Activated Virtual Assistants

Within the healthcare system, patients continue to take on a larger role in managing their health. However, due to the low prevalence of health literacy among the US adult population, many patients are unable to make appropriate medical decisions. The Internet is further contributing to the problem. Patients are looking to the Internet, which can include extremely complex or inaccurate text, when they have questions about their health more often than speaking with their providers. This presents the risk for patients to become confused, misled, or even believe false information about their health. In order for patients to manage their health successfully, they must develop health literacy. This will be possible through advancements in internet technology that will provide the patients with clear, credible health information.
“It Would ‘Mean Little’ Absent Governmental Recognition”: Theorizing State Power and the New Jurisprudence of Dignity1:

Dignity is increasingly central to the justificatory logic of US Supreme Court decisions. Yet the perils inherent in this jurisprudence of dignity, which we argue frames the right to dignity as a r...