cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrin-mediated reduction in vascular smooth muscle [Ca2+]i induced by RGD-containing peptide

It has previously been shown that synthetic peptides containing the sequence arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) cause vasodilation by activation of alpha(v)beta3-integrin present on vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this dilatory effect is mediated by a reduction in VSM cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). First-order arterioles from the rat cremaster were isolated, cannulated, and pressurized. [Ca2+]i was quantitated from the ratio of emitted fluorescence intensity during alternate excitation of fura 2-loaded vessels at 340 and 380 nm. Cyclo(-Arg-Gly-Asp-D-Phe-Val) (cycloRGD; 0.21-210 microM) produced a concentration-dependent dilation of arterioles that had developed basal myogenic tone. Over the entire concentration range tested, [Ca2+]i decreased from 91 +/- 6 to 27 +/- 4 nM (69.7 +/- 5.0% reduction). In association with the decrease in [Ca2+]i, arteriolar lumen diameter increased from 89 +/- 8 to 184 +/- 8 pm (89.8 +/- 1.8% dilation). At intermediate concentrations, cycloRGD induced rhythmic spiking of Ca2+ superimposed on the concentration-dependent lowering of basal [Ca2+]i. These data directly link integrin activation with alterations in Ca2+ regulation, the net effect of which is a reduction in [Ca2+]i. These data further suggest that integrins, through their role in mediating cellular attachment to the extracellular matrix and in cellular signaling involving Ca2+, could provide a logical link to mechanotransduction and myogenic phenomena.
Verb–object compounds with Spanish dar ‘give’: an emergent gustar ‘like’-type construction

The purpose of this paper is to provide a usage-based approach to psychological constructions with dar ‘give’ in Spanish (e.g. me daba verguenza pedir dinero en casa ‘I was embarrassed to ask for money at home’). Previous studies [Cuervo, Cristina. 2010. Two types of (apparently) ditransitive light verb constructions. In Karlos Arregi, Zsuzsanna Fagyal, Silvina Montrul & Annie Tremblay (eds.), Romance linguistics 2008: Interactions in romance. Selected papers from the 38th Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages, Urbana-Champaign, April 2008, 139–56. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins] analyze these constructions as intransitive gustar ‘like’-type constructions. However, this analysis can only account for 40% of the examples we find in our corpus. Using natural occurring data taken from the oral section of Corpus del espanol [Davies, Mark. 2002. Corpus del espanol (100 million words, 1200s–1900s) (http://www.corpusdelespanol.org)] we provide an ‘emic’ or bottom-up approach [Hopper, Paul. 1998. Emerg...
DESCRIBING VERTEBRAL MOTION USING ANALYTICAL RULED SURFACES AND THEIR MECHANICAL ANALOGS

ABSTRACT The locus of instantaneous screw axes due to motion of a vertebra in a finite range can be represented by a mathematical ruled surface. This paper presents an analytical formulation of a second degree ruled surface. The equation of the ruled surface is used to interpolate on the properties of the vertebral motion. The method is extended to formulate mechanical analogs which are capable of reproducing the vertebral motion in a finite range.
Effect of ferric ammonium citrate in feedlot diets with varying dried distillers’ grains inclusion on ruminal hydrogen sulfide concentrations and steer growth

Angus-cross steers ( = 128) were used to examine the effects of supplementing ferric ammonium citrate (FAC; 300 mg ferric Fe/kg DM) to diets of 20, 40, or 60% dried distillers' grains plus solubles (DDGS) on growth performance, liver mineral and ruminal hydrogen sulfide (HS) concentrations, and carcass traits of finishing steers. Steers were blocked by initial BW (436 ± 10.6 kg) into pens of 4 and randomly assigned to 1 of 6 treatments ( = 5 or 6 pens per treatment) including a 20, 40, or 60% DDGS inclusion diet with (+) or without (-) 300 mg Fe/kg DM from FAC. Liver biopsies (d -9/-10 and 96) and HS measures (d 0, 7, 14, 21, and 95) were determined from 1 steer/pen. Steers were harvested on d 102 and carcass data were collected. A treatment × month effect ( ≤ 0.006) was noted for ADG and G:F, in which the 20-FAC ADG and feed efficiency were greater ( ≤ 0.02) between d 0 to 28 but lesser ( ≤ 0.04) from d 29 to 56 than that of the 20+FAC steers. Final BW linearly decreased ( < 0.01) as DDGS inclusion increased. Final BW tended to be greater ( = 0.10) in the 60+FAC steers than in the 60-FAC steers, whereas final BW was not different ( ≥ 0.32) due to FAC supplementation in the 20 or 40% DDGS diets. A quadratic effect was noted for DMI ( = 0.02), where 60% DDGS decreased DMI. Within the 20% DDGS diet FAC+ improved DMI ( = 0.03) but had no effect within 40 or 60% DDGS inclusion. Ruminal HS concentrations were not affected ( ≥ 0.25) by FAC, but increasing DDGS linearly increased ( < 0.01) ruminal HS values. Liver Cu was decreased ( < 0.01) by FAC across all DDGS inclusions and tended to linearly decrease ( = 0.06) with increasing DDGS inclusion, whereas liver Fe, Mn, and Zn were not altered ( ≥ 0.11) by DDGS inclusion. Liver Zn concentrations tended to be ( = 0.08) or were ( = 0.03) decreased by FAC supplementation within 20 and 40% DDGS, respectively. Increasing the inclusion of DDGS linearly decreased ( = 0.04) HCW and quadratically affected marbling score where the 40% DDGS had the greatest ( = 0.02) marbling scores. Supplementation of FAC within 60% DDGS improved ( ≤ 0.03) HCW and LM area. Marbling scores were greater ( ≤ 0.04) in 20+FAC and 40+FAC compared with 20-FAC and 40-FAC, respectively. In conclusion, although ruminal HS concentrations were not affected by FAC under the conditions of this study, supplementing FAC to diets containing 60% DDGS improved HCW and LM area, suggesting that FAC may be beneficial when dietary S concentrations exceed 0.5%.
Fair Use and the Future of Art

Twenty-five years ago, in a seminal article in the Harvard Law Review, Judge Leval changed the course of copyright jurisprudence by introducing the concept of “transformativeness” into fair use law. Soon thereafter, the Supreme Court embraced Judge Leval’s new creation, calling the transformative inquiry the “heart of the fair use” doctrine. As Judge Leval conceived it, the purpose of the transformative inquiry was to protect the free speech and creativity interests that fair use should promote by offering greater leeway for creators to build on preexisting works. In short, the transformative standard would ensure that copyright law did not “stifle the very creativity which that law [was] designed to foster.” This Article shows that the transformative test has not only failed to accomplish this goal; the test itself has begun to “stifle the very creativity which that law was designed to foster.” In the realm of the arts, one of the very areas whose progress copyright law is designed to promote, the transformative standard has become an obstacle to creativity. Artistic expression has emerged as a central fair use battleground in the courts. At the same time that art depends on copying, the transformative test has made the legality of copying in art more uncertain, leaving artists vulnerable to lawsuits under a doctrine that is incoherent and that fundamentally misunderstands the very creative work it governs. The transformative test has failed art. This Article shows why and what to do about it, turning to the art market itself as a possible solution to the failure of the transformative use test.
Somatosensory encoding with cuneate nucleus microstimulation: Detection of artificial stimuli

The sense of touch and proprioception are critical to movement control. After spinal cord injury, these senses may be restored with direct, electrical microstimulation of the brain as part of a complete sensorimotor neuroprosthesis. The present study was designed to test, in part, the hypothesis that the cuneate nucleus (CN) of the brainstem is a suitable site to encode somatosensory information. Two rhesus macaques were implanted with microelectrode arrays providing chronic access to the CN. The monkeys were trained on an active touch oddity task to detect vibrotactile stimuli. When the vibrotactile stimuli were replaced with electrical stimuli delivered to the CN, initial detection probabilities were near chance. Detection performance improved over time, reaching a plateau after about 10 daily sessions. At plateau performance, the monkeys exhibited detection probabilities that were 68–80% higher than the chance probability. Finally, detection probability was quantified as a function of stimulus amplitude. The resulting psychometric curve showed a detection threshold of 45 μΑ for 100-Hz stimulus trains. These behavioral data are the first to show that artificial CN activation is sufficient for perception. The results are consistent with our hypothesis and motivate future tests of the CN as a somatosensory encoding site.
The Theoretical Relationship of Government Organizational Structure, Leadership, and Financing in Terms of Fiscal Budgeting and Their Applications

The corporatization of the government has resulted in the change of the government structure and leadership, and this change has a negative impact on the fiscal budgeting – from the sources of funds to expenditures, and the government financial management and accounting presentation. This change brings about the generalization and equalization of the government organizational structure, leadership, the fiscal budget, and financial presentation across sector, despite they are different in every aspect. However, the impact of the equalization or generalization of the government organizational structure and leadership has been an organizational and managerial dysfunctionality, leadership and democratic deficits, and a failing government worldwide. In terms of public finance, it causes the disappearance of sources of funds and an increase in government expenditures. The disappearing of sources of funds makes it difficult for the government to provide the goods and services to the citizens equally with high standard and quality and to meet the corporate government marketing message, a “professional government.” How can these conditions be remedied through the use theory in the application? Using the qualitative methodology, through a holistic perspective and phenomenological approach, this paper, first, discusses the theoretical relationship of government organizational structure, leadership and public finance, the causal effects of the change in the government and its negative impact, and the application of the theories to practice. Second, this paper discusses or proposes ways to remedy the negative impact of the change in the government by applying theory to practice and how the sources of funds can be recaptured to enable the government to survive as a legitimate institution to provide to its citizens what the market cannot provide. Chairman Mao once said, “Applying theory to practice is good for all works.” It raises the standard and quality of the goods and services, raises the quality and professionalism of the organization and its leadership, reduces social and economic exclusion, it is a good practice, produces more sustainable result, makes the tasks meaningful, and will result in a more democratic government.
Quantum cascade laser on silicon at 4.8 μm

Here we demonstrate a room-temperature, 4.8 μm quantum cascade laser (QCL) heterogeneously integrated with silicon-on-nitride-on-insulator waveguides. QCL mesas are defined above silicon waveguides to form lasers.
Special Relations, Special Obligations, and Speciesism

This paper develops a general account of special relations and special obligations, and uses it as a framework to argue for a modest form of speciesism – mitigated speciesism – based on an understanding of species co-membership as a thick concept. Mitigated speciesism steers a middle ground between anti-speciesism and crude speciesism. Unlike anti-speciesists, I maintain that species co-membership is a morally relevant special relation, which indeed grounds special obligations among the members of the same species. But unlike crude speciesists, I argue that our special obligations to our fellow human beings do not warrant that we should always count their interests more than comparable interests of non-human animals. Instead, special obligations based on species co-membership are subject to three constraints.
The impact of marital conflict on adolescent adjustment

The present study examines the impact of marital conflict on adolescent adjustment problems. Based on this general interest, the study further explores several related research questions, such as what specific aspects of marital conflict lead to adolescent adjustment problems, whether changes in marital conflict predict changes in adolescent problems, what kinds of adolescent problems are exhibited, and by what processes the relation between marital conflict and adolescent adjustment problems operates. While focusing on these research issues, this study also tries to overcome some of the methodological limitations in previous studies. The study used data from the Iowa Youth and Families Project. The results from structural equation modeling and latent growth curve analyses demonstrated that (1) two specific aspects of marital conflict, overt marital conflict and conflict over child-rearing, as well as general marital distress, had negative influences on adolescent adjustment; (2) increases in general marital distress and overt marital conflict predicted increases in adolescent problems over time; (3) poor parenting behavior mediated the relation between marital problems and adolescent poor well-being, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems; whereas adolescent feelings of insecurity mediated the relation between marital problems and adolescent poor emotional well-being and internalizing problems; (4) no moderating effect by poor parenting behavior or adolescent feelings of insecurity was found; and (5) the findings did not differ by adolescent gender.
Reoperative repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aneurysms.

Objectives To evaluate the results of reoperation on descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aneurysms. Methods Sixty-nine consecutive patients undergoing reoperative aneurysm repair (20 descending thoracic and 49 thoracoabdominal) were compared to 602 contemporary primary repairs. Propensity matching was used to reduce observable differences in preoperative characteristics. Results The reoperation group was younger (60.2 vs 65.3 years, P = 0.005) and less were extent I or II (28.6% vs 76%, P 0.05 for all variables), with the exception of myocardial infarction (2.9% vs 0.5%, P = 0.028). Five-year survival was 57.6% in reoperations and 58% in the primary surgery group (P = 0.878). No differences in the in-hospital and follow-up outcomes were found in the propensity matched comparison. Conclusions Reoperative repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aneurysms can be safely performed with reasonable in-hospital and follow-up outcomes compared to primary aneurysm repair.
OTC Derivatives and the ‘Competitive Payments System’ Debate: The Lessons from History and Implications for a Supervisory Framework

The numbers are staggering. According to the Bank for International Settlements (1996), the notional value of global transactions involving derivative contracts are immense: total turnover in 1995 for exchange-traded instruments amounted to 327.6 trillion US dollars, with a year-end amount outstanding of 9.2 trillion dollars; for overthe-counter (OTC) derivatives, the total notional value outstanding at the end of March, 1995 is estimated to have been 40.6 trillion dollars, with figures on turnover unknown.1 With numbers so huge, one is driven to ask: what do these numbers mean? While much of the discussion of derivatives has sought to deflate the significance of these notional quantities—often for virtuous reasons—we are convinced that they do have both economic, monetary, and policy significance. This conviction arises in part from a general predisposition to take seriously the terms in which market participants frame decisions, but also from theoretical reflection on the economic nature of these contracts. It is this latter reflection which is ultimately the subject of this paper, and which guides us through the thickets, plains and grassy knolls of monetary theory.
Correlation bounds for poly-size AC 0 circuits with n 1-o(1) symmetric gates

Average-case circuit lower bounds are one of the hardest problems tackled by computational complexity, and are essentially only known for bounded-depth circits with AND,OR,NOT gates (i.e. AC0). Faced with this adversity, one line of research has been to gradually augment AC0 circuits with a small number of more general gates. Most results to date give lower bounds for quasi-polynomial size AC0 circuits augmented by a poly-logarithmic number of gates, and the correlation bounds obtained are inverse quasi-polynomial. We continue this line of research, but restrict our attention to polynomial size AC0 circuits. Surprisingly, we show that this restriction allows us to prove much stronger results: we can augment the AC0 circuit with n1-o(1) many gates, and still obtain inverse exponential correlation bounds. Explicitly, 1. Poly-size AC0 circuits with n1-o(1) arbitrary symmetric gates have exponentially small correlation with an explicitly given function. 2. Poly-size AC0 circuits with n1/2-o(1) threshold gates have exponentially small correlation with the same explicit function. 3. Poly-size AC0 circuits with n1-o(1) counting gates modulo s have exponentially small correlation with the sum of the bits modulo q, where s, q are co-prime. Our proof techniques combine the meet-in-the-middle approach for circuit lower bounds with restrictions (due to Ajtai) that are tailored to polynomial-size circuits.
The effect of recombinant erythropoietin on intracellular free calcium in erythropoietin-responsive cells

We have investigated whether recombinant erythropoietin (r-Epo) elicits a change in intracellular free calcium (IFC) in purified Epo-responsive cells in spleens of mice treated with phenylhydrazine. Colony-forming units (CFU-E) were prepared by negative selection through immunologic panning. Anti-Forssman, Mac-1, Ia, and HSA antibodies were used to eliminate nonhematopoietic progenitors. After two pannings, 29 +/- 1.5% (mean +/- 1 SD) of the recovered cells were CFU-E. IFC was measured by labeling cells with the fluorescent dye Indo-1 and analyzing them on a flow cytometer from 15 seconds to 30 minutes after the addition of agonist. At each step of the panning procedure, there was no effect of r-Epo (0 to 10 U/mL) on IFC even in the larger cells that are predominantly CFU-E. As a positive control, calcium ionophore (A23187) significantly increased IFC in greater than 90% of the spleen cells enriched in CFU-E. During growth of CFU-E in methylcellulose, the calcium ionophore did not affect the r-Epo-dependent formation of erythroid colonies. EGTA inhibited the formation of erythroid colonies. This inhibition appeared to be the result of a toxic effect of the chelator because the colony growth could not be restored when Ca2+ was added to the cultures in the presence of the EGTA. We conclude that the biologic action of Epo on responsive erythroid cells does not depend on acute changes in IFC.
Closed captioning in distance education

Distance Education is a major part of the mission of Rogers State University (RSU). One of the major objectives of many programs offered at RSU is that most or all of the courses of a program can be obtained by attending classes that are offered exclusively online. Each department is responsible for the creation of the online courses that support programs offered in the department. The author decided to conduct an experiment where an online course is designed so that it consists of online materials supplemented with topic focused video lecture-ettes. After the course was prepared and all of the videos were in place, RSU announced its' intention to establish policies to guarantee reasonable accommodation of disabled students. Under these policies, a transcript of the audio for the various videos has to be created and made available. The author/course designer carefully studied the concept of closed captioning of videos and determined that closed captioning was the best option for making the transcript of the various videos available. The process of closed captioning the videos has begun. This paper contains an analysis of the various issues that were considered and a discussion of the implementation of the process to place closed captions on all of the videos used for instruction.
China’s rise, asymmetric trade shocks and exchange rate regimes

China’s rapid growth provides a natural experiment to study the effects of asymmetric trade shocks on the competitiveness of OECD countries. The different levels of exposure to Chinese trade competition, as measured using an index of export similarity, triggered asymmetric shocks as China’s trade surged. Motivated by a Ricardian framework, this paper finds that countries with exports similar to those of China experience a loss in competitiveness compared with countries with a different trade structure. Once an additional layer of distinction is introduced between fixed and flexible exchange rate regimes, I find that countries with a fixed exchange rate and with relatively high similarity to China experience a real appreciation.
Phenomenological Theory of Rubber Elasticity

There are two different approaches to the study of rubber elasticity. First, the statistical or kinetic theory attempts to derive stress-strain properties of rubber from some idealized model of its structure. This theory is one of the cornerstones of our understanding of the macromolecular nature of rubber. The molecular approach is the subject of other reviews1,2 in Comprehensive Polymer Science. Second, the phenomenological theory treats the problem from the viewpoint of continuum mechanics. The phenomenological approach, which is reviewed here, merely attempts to construct a mathematical framework to describe rubbery behavior so that stress analysis and strain analysis problems may be solved without reference to microscopic structure or molecular concepts.
A Distributed Level Curve Tracking Control Law for Multi-Agent Systems

Control laws for a multi-agent system to follow level curves of a spatially distributed scalar field generally require sharing field measurements among the agents for gradient estimation. This paper presents a distributed control law that does not rely on the communication of the field measurements nor the estimation of the gradient. Each agent only modulates its speed according to local measurements of the field and relative positions of its neighbors. The distributed control law scales to large swarms with connected undirected visibility graph. Stability is justified in a singular perturbation framework. The efficiency of the control law is validated through simulations demonstrating level curve tracking behaviors of 2-dimensional scalar fields.
Force Field Development and Nanoreactor Chemistry

The application of theory and computation to understand reactivity at high pressures is beset by several challenges: (1) the nontrivial changes in electronic structure that take place during the reaction, (2) the many possible initial configurations of reacting species, and (3) the simulation timescales needed for reaction events to occur. In this chapter, we will discuss two methods for meeting these challenges. The development of accurate molecular mechanics force fields is needed to sample initial configurations of reactants. This chapter provides a perspective on the functional forms and parameterization strategies of modern force fields. In particular, we highlight the ForceBalance parameterization method for optimizing force fields systematically and reproducibly using a free and open-source code. The ab initio nanoreactor is a new simulation method for rapidly discovering new reaction pathways from first-principles molecular dynamics. The main components of the nanoreactor approach include an external time-dependent potential that induces high-velocity molecular collisions, a trajectory analysis and visualization tool for identifying and extracting individual reaction events, and a reaction path optimization workflow for estimating the reaction energies and barrier heights from a reaction event.
The Neurological Exercise Training (NExT) program: A pilot study of a community exercise program for survivors of stroke.

Abstract Background Many survivors of stroke face chronic disability and increased risk for recurrent stroke. Regular physical activity can reduce these risk factors and improve cardiovascular fitness. Most survivors of stroke face barriers to exercise, including lack of access to programs; as a result, most are sedentary. Objective Pilot the Neurological Exercise Training (NExT) program or survivors of stroke for attendance, safety, and effectiveness. Methods The NExT program was designed to promote self-directed exercise in a safe, accessible environment. Six participants attended as desired during open gym hours over two exercise periods per week totalling 19 weeks. After, participants were encouraged to continue exercise away from the gym for 20 weeks. Practicability of the program was assessed through safety, attendance, exercise intensity, and perception of the program. Pilot effectiveness measures were performed at five time points and effect sizes were generated. Results Attendance averaged 76% (SD12%) of possible sessions with an average duration of 62 (SD 11.3) minutes. Effectiveness measures had positive effect sizes after 19 weeks of the NExT program, but these benefits were lost after 20-weeks (cohen's d, mobility = 0.67 to −0.22, balance = 0.57 to −1.22, strength = 0.41 to −0.30, endurance = 0.09 to −0.19 and fatigue = 1.02 to −0.57). Conclusion Results demonstrate that a community-based gym that is accessible for survivors of stroke will be well attended and perceived as beneficial. Pilot data suggests positive changes in multiple health domains regardless of the type of exercise self-selected by participants. Offering the gym on a continual basis may maintain gains.
Effective drag of a rod in fluid-saturated granular beds.

We measure the drag encountered by a vertically oriented rod moving across a sedimented granular bed immersed in a fluid under steady-state conditions. At low rod speeds, the presence of the fluid leads to a lower drag because of buoyancy, whereas a significantly higher drag is observed with increasing speeds. The drag as a function of the depth is observed to decrease from being quadratic at low speeds to appearing more linear at higher speeds. By scaling the drag with the average weight of the grains acting on the rod, we obtain the effective friction ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{e}$ encountered over six orders of magnitude of speeds. While a constant ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{e}$ is found when the grain size, rod depth, and fluid viscosity are varied at low speeds, a systematic increase is observed as the speed is increased. We analyze ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{e}$ in terms of the inertial number $I$ and viscous number $J$ to understand the relative importance of inertia and viscous forces, respectively. For sufficiently high fluid viscosities, we find that the effect of varying the speed, depth, and viscosity can be described by the empirical function ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{e}={\ensuremath{\mu}}_{o}+k{J}^{n}$, where ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{o}$ is the effective friction measured in the quasistatic limit, and $k$ and $n$ are material constants. The drag is then analyzed in terms of the effective viscosity ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{e}$ and found to decrease systematically as a function of $J$. We further show that ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{e}$ as a function of $J$ is directly proportional to the fluid viscosity and the ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{e}$ encountered by the rod.
DYNAMICAL METEOROLOGY | Laboratory Geophysical Fluid Dynamics

This article is reproduced from the previous edition, volume 3, pp 1081–1090, © 2003, Elsevier Ltd.
Co-occurring genomic alterations in non-small-cell lung cancer biology and therapy

The impressive clinical activity of small-molecule receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors for oncogene-addicted subgroups of non-small-cell lung cancer (for example, those driven by activating mutations in the gene encoding epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or rearrangements in the genes encoding the receptor tyrosine kinases anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1) and rearranged during transfection (RET)) has established an oncogene-centric molecular classification paradigm in this disease. However, recent studies have revealed considerable phenotypic diversity downstream of tumour-initiating oncogenes. Co-occurring genomic alterations, particularly in tumour suppressor genes such as TP53 and LKB1 (also known as STK11), have emerged as core determinants of the molecular and clinical heterogeneity of oncogene-driven lung cancer subgroups through their effects on both tumour cell-intrinsic and non-cell-autonomous cancer hallmarks. In this Review, we discuss the impact of co-mutations on the pathogenesis, biology, microenvironmental interactions and therapeutic vulnerabilities of non-small-cell lung cancer and assess the challenges and opportunities that co-mutations present for personalized anticancer therapy, as well as the expanding field of precision immunotherapy.
Chapter 14 – Decisions and Actions for Life Patterns and Health Practices as We Age: A Bottom-up Approach

We outline five principles underlying the construction of representations of illness and treatments that create the framework for preferences, decisions, and actions to prevent and manage threats to health. Available prototypes of illnesses and dysfunction assign weights to the attributes of deviations from the normative self (e.g., symptom pattern, location), a computational process that generates illness representations (e.g., self-diagnostic hunches) and, often times, uncertainty. The variables defining representations are both abstract and perceptual, and specify identity (e.g., symptoms, illness labels), time-lines, causes, control, and consequences. Coherence of the attributes of illness and treatment form higher-order concepts or scripts such as those for acute conditions that define illness as symptomatic, treatable, of short duration, and with limited consequences. Studies describe how the system operates in everyday conditions, and management of health problems critical in the later years of life, management of multiple chronic conditions, and end-of-life planning.
Don’t stop believin’: the journey to entrepreneurial burnout and back again

Burnout is a well-studied phenomenon that can cause deleterious effects to any organization, especially if the organization is a recent startup. It has been suggested that burnout is often prevente...
Exploring the Domain of Information “Users”: Semantic Analysis of Wikipedia Articles

This study aims to explore the domain of information users based on the textual analysis of Wikipedia. The study collected 132 Wikipedia articles related to information users. Then, multiple textual analysis methods were applied to explore prevalent concepts and topics in relation to information users. The text analysis methods applied in this study include: term frequency analysis, the Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic models, hierarchical clustering, dimensional reduction, and term co-occurrence analysis. The findings reveal that Wikipedia covers various topics of the information users domain. The domain of information users involves the four fundamental concepts, including “users,” “behaviors,” “systems/technology,” and “information objects.” In addition, the study identifies different areas of the information users domain, ranging from information search behavior, information retrieval, human-computer interaction, user experience, human factors, and to others.Keywords: Information Users; Domain Analysis; Textual Analysis; Wikipedia; User Studies
Computational Study of Selected Amine and Lactam N-Oxides Including Comparisons of N-O Bond Dissociation Enthalpies with Those of Pyridine N-Oxides.

A computational study of the structures and energetics of amine N-oxides, including pyridine N-oxides, trimethylamine N-oxide, bridgehead bicyclic amine N-oxides, and lactam N-oxides, allowed comparisons with published experimental data. Most of the computations employed the B3LYP/6-31G* and M06/6-311G+(d,p) models and comparisons were also made between the results of the HF 6-31G*, B3LYP/6-31G**, B3PW91/6-31G*, B3PW91/6-31G**, and the B3PW91/6-311G+(d,p) models. The range of calculated N-O bond dissociation energies (BDE) (actually enthalpies) was about 40 kcal/mol. Of particular interest was the BDE difference between pyridine N-oxide (PNO) and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). Published thermochemical and computational (HF 6-31G*) data suggest that the BDE of PNO was only about 2 kcal/mol greater than that of TMAO. The higher IR frequency for N-O stretch in PNO and its shorter N-O bond length suggest a greater difference in BDE values, predicted at 10–14 kcal/mol in the present work. Determination of the enthalpy of sublimation of TMAO, or at least the enthalpy of fusion and estimation of the enthalpy of vaporization might solve this dichotomy. The “extra” resonance stabilization in pyridine N-oxide relative to pyridine was consistent with the 10–14 kcal/mol increase in BDE, relative to TMAO, and was about half the “extra” stabilization in phenoxide, relative to phenol or benzene. Comparison of pyridine N-oxide with its acyclic model nitrone (“Dewar-Breslow model”) indicated aromaticity slightly less than that of pyridine.
Overview of Galerkin Methods

Before we can understand the nuances of the various methods for discretizing nonlinear partial differential equations in space, we must first realize the choices that we have at our disposal. We can categorize the possible methods as follows: 1. methods that use the differential form of the equations and 2. methods that use the integral form of the equations.
Landscape-wide flight activity by wintering bats predictably follows pulses of warmth in the Midwestern United States

During winter hibernation, bats may become active for a variety of reasons. Such winter activity occurs at or near hibernacula, but the degree to which this activity represents long-distance travel across a wider landscape largely is unstudied. We documented patterns in landscape-wide winter activity across a west-central Indiana study site, providing some new insights into winter flight activity. We deployed acoustic recording devices in areas without any known hibernacula, each night from December through March over three consecutive winters. Twilight temperatures (1 h post-sunset) ranged from –23°C to 21°C across three winters. We recorded 4,392 call files and attributed 89% to a phonic group based on characteristic frequencies. Flight activity was recorded at all stations and during all winter months. Nightly activity mainly was a function of the temperature on that night. We recorded low-phonic bats (most likely big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus) down to –4°C, but most activity occurred when twilight temperatures were > 0°C. Mid-phonic bat activity (most likely eastern red bats, Lasiurus borealis) occurred when temperatures were > 0°C, with most activity occurring when temperatures were > 5°C. Wind speeds > 6 m/s tended to suppress activity. The duration of inactive periods during cold spells had no effect on activity during subsequent warm nights, indicating no increasing drive for activity following long periods of inactivity. Most activity occurred within a few hours of sunset, regardless of temperature. Little pre-sunset activity was recorded in low-phonic bats, but mid-phonic bats sometimes were active in the hour before sunset. Our results suggest widespread and potentially long-distance travel by bats across our study area during warm periods, but the impetus behind this activity remains unclear.
Women in place: the politics of gender segregation in Iran

Within the context of the post 1979 revolutionary era, Tehran and Iran’s policies are analysed in lieu of the global and political economy of the region. Shahrokni’s work provides a detailed ethnog...
Fusion-oncogenes are associated with increased metastatic capacity and persistent disease in pediatric thyroid cancers

Background: In 2014, data from a comprehensive multiplatform analysis of 496 adult papillary thyroid cancer samples reported by The Cancer Genome Atlas project suggested that reclassification of thyroid cancer into molecular subtypes, RAS-like and BRAF-like, better reflects clinical behavior than sole reliance on pathological classification. The aim of this study was to categorize the common oncogenic variants in pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer and investigate if mutation subtype classification correlated with the risk of metastasis and response to initial therapy in pediatric DTC. Methods: Somatic cancer gene panel analysis was completed on DTC from 131 pediatric patients. DTC were categorized into RAS-mutant (H-K-NRAS), BRAF-mutant (BRAF p.V600E) and RET/NTRK fusion (RET, NTRK1 and NTRK3 fusions) to determine differences between subtype classification in regard to pathological data (AJCC TNM) as well as response to therapy 1-year after initial treatment had been completed. Results: Mutation-based subtype categories were significant in most variables, including age at diagnosis, metastatic behavior, and the likelihood of remission at 1-year. Patients with RET/NTRK fusions were significantly more likely to have advanced lymph node and distant metastasis and less likely to achieve remission at one year than patients within RAS- or BRAF-mut subgroups. Conclusions: Our data supports that genetic subtyping of pediatric DTC more accurately reflects clinical behavior than sole reliance on pathological classification with patients with RET/NTRK fusions having worse outcomes than those with BRAF-mutant disease. Future trials should consider inclusion of molecular subtype into risk stratification.
The role of vitamin K in clotting factor synthesis: I. Evidence for the participation of vitamin K in the conversion of a polypetide precursor to factor VII

Abstract Vitamin K-dependent Factor VII synthesis in rat-liver slices was not affected by puromycin although protein synthesis was inhibited by 98 %. The results indicate that vitamin K is required for the formation of Factor VII from a polypeptide precursor.
Association of lack of uridine monophophosphate kinase expression in tumor samples from colorectal cancer patients with clinical resistance to 5-Fluorouracil

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 45, 2004 2962 Despite the fact that 5-fluorouracil (5FU) has been used to treat colorectal cancer for 4 decades, the mechanisms of acquired resistance to this drug in patients is fragmentary, due to lack of tumor samples from patients after relapse from treatment and lack of sensitive assays of relevant enzymes. Short term exposure of HCT-8 colon carcinoma cells to repeated fixed doses of 5FU in vitro resulted in resistance related to this drugs effect on RNA synthesis, while prolonged exposures to low doses of the drug produced resistance related to its effect on thymidylate synthase (Aschele et.al.Cancer Res. 52: 1855-1864.1992). An early study suggested that UMP Kinase, required for the conversion of 5FU to its diphosphate nucleotide, was associated with resistance to this drug in a mouse tumor (Reichard et.al.Cancer Res. 22: 235-243.1962). The recent cloning of the cDNA for this gene has allowed us to develop a sensitive real-time PCR assay to quantitate its expression in tumor cell lines and in patient samples. We show that the HCT-8 cell line resistant to short term exposure to 5FU, has decreased levels of UMP kinase mRNA as determined by Northern blotting, quantitative RT-PCR as well as decreased UMP kinase enzyme activity. There was no change in the Km for UMP between the resistant and the parental cell lines while the Vmax showed a 37% decrease. Restoration of UMP kinase protein by transfection restored 5FU sensitivity to the resistant cells. Importantly, we demonstrate that 7 of 19 tumor samples from hepatic metastasis from patients clinically resistant to “pulse” 5FU regimens, have decreased expression of this enzyme, as compared to 1 of 10 tumor samples of patients not previously treated. The implications are that these patients may still be sensitive to continuous exposure regimens of 5FU (or capecitabine) or 5-fluorodeoxyuridine.
Fatigue Life Prediction for Wind Turbines: A Case Study on Loading Spectra and Parameter Sensitivity

Wind turbines are fatigue-critical machines used to produce electrical energy from the wind. These rotating machines are subjected to environmental loadings that are highly irregular in nature. Historical examples of fatigue problems in both research and commercial wind turbine development are presented. Some example data on wind turbine environments, loadings and material properties are also shown. Before a description of how the authors have chosen to attack the cumulative damage assessment, questions are presented for the reader's reflection. The solution technique used by the authors is then presented, followed by a case study applying the procedures to an actual wind turbine blade joint. The wind turbine is the 34-meter diameter vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) erected by Sandia National Laboratories near Bushland, Texas. The case study examines parameter sensitivities for realistic uncertainties in inputs defining the turbine environment, stress response and material properties. The fatigue lifetimes are calculated using a fatigue analysis program, called LIFE2, which was developed at Sandia. The LIFE2 code, described in some detail in an appendix, is a PC-based, menu-driven package that leads the user through the steps required to characterize the loading and material properties, then uses Miner's rule or a linear crack propagation rulemore » to numerically calculate the time to failure. Only S-n based cumulative damage applications are illustrated here. The LIFE2 code is available to educational institutions for use as a case study in describing complicated loading histories and for use by students in examining, hands on, parameter sensitivity of fatigue life analysis.« less
Physician Compliance With Warfarin Prophylaxis for Central Venous Catheters in Patients With Solid Tumors

PURPOSE: There is an established benefit of prophylactic warfarin in cancer patients with central venous catheters. This study assessed the compliance rate of prophylactic low-dose warfarin prescription in cancer patients with central venous catheters at a single institution. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Oncology patients with central venous catheters were identified by a retrospective chart review. Information retrieved included whether prophylactic warfarin had been prescribed and whether the patient had suffered a thrombotic or bleeding event. After the initial chart review, physicians were notified of the benefits of warfarin prophylaxis, and subsequently, a physician-independent mechanism of prescribing prophylactic warfarin was instituted. After each of these interventions, we retrospectively reviewed a further two cohorts of patients to assess compliance with warfarin prophylaxis. RESULTS: During the baseline study, only 10% of patients were prescribed prophylactic warfarin. After physician notification, ...
Three sensible paradigms for research on evolution and human behavior

Abstract Far from being involved in a fundamental division, the study of evolution and human behavior is fortunate to have three potentially productive paradigms which could usefully coexist. In so far as "Darwinian psychology" (DP) is the study of causal mechanisms, guided by thinking about the tasks the mechanisms must perform, it has a clear place alongside the study of adaptedness. Instead of arguing its right to exist by pointing out problems with "adaptationism," DP should present its audience with more examples of how DP research can be conducted. Meanwhile, adaptationists might move on from asking whether people behave as if they are maximizing fitness, and decide what to do with their finding that the answer is often "yes." They might also get actively involved with dual inheritance theory, developing ways to make it yield more predictions.
An ethical framework for evaluating construction materials

This paper provides a framework to evaluate the ethical implications of using different construction materials. Knowing information about the product lifecycle is crucial to identifying key environmental, social, economic, political, and practical concerns. Normative ethical theory can help assign priority to these issues so that consumers and developers can make an informed moral decision regarding their materials use.
Modeling of oxide dispersions in reactively processed al

The present article reports on the formulation of an analytical model to predict the size scale of oxide dispersoids in Al alloys processed by a reactive atomization and consolidation synthesis approach. The proposed model formulation is primarily based on the assumption that all of the strain energy in the oxides is used to create interfaces between the oxide dispersoids and the matrix. The following predictions are made, based on the preceding analytical model. First, the diameter or thickness of oxide discs (the oxide dispersoids are assumed to have a disc geometry) constantly decreases with increasing strain. However, when exposed to the range of strain levels that are present in conventional processes (e.g., less than 100:1, 90 pct, and 90 pct of area, thickness, and height reduction ratio in extrusion, rolling, and forging, respectively), the oxide discs will fracture into sizes that are on the order of tens of nanometers in both diameter and thickness. Ultra-high strain levels (e.g., more than 18.5 of total strain) are required to obtain ultra-fine oxide discs whose diameter and thickness are on the order of nanometers. Second, working temperature appears to exert only limited influence on the final diameter or thickness of the oxide discs. The size scale of oxide dispersoids predicted on the basis of the analytical model presented herein is in good agreement with the available experimental observations.
Submicron patterning of aluminum films by laser ablation

Microfabrication of sub-micron holes on 30 nm thick aluminum films on fused silica was investigated using pulse durations form 300 fs to 6 ns at 400 nm wavelength. Micromachined areas were investigate using atomic force microscopy for quality and size of features produced. Ablation diameters less than 400 nm was achieved with all pulse widths. Pulses less than 5 ps removed the films cleanly and left a flat- bottomed crater with no evidence of substrate melting over a wide fluence range.
Variational and diffusion Monte Carlo techniques for quantum clusters.

The H[sub 2]-[sup 4]He dimer and small [sup 4]He clusters are studied using Monte Carlo sampling techniques. We consider alternative wave-function forms in order to obtain high accuracy efficiently. For the smaller systems, both guided and unguided Metropolis walks are used and the effciencies are studied. Of particular concern is accurate sampling at small particle separations and the behavior of the local energy in this regime. As a final step, we compute exact energies by a diffusion Monte Carlo method. We obtain converged energies significantly below the Green's-function Monte Carlo values, which employed an earlier He-He potential with a slightly shallower well. For He[sub 3] and He[sub 20], the Green's-function Monte Carlo energies are reproduced when employing the same potential. However, for the 112-atom cluster, our converged energy lies below the Green's-function Monte Carlo value. Second-order estimates of the exact density profiles and particle separation distributions, [ital p], are also determined. For the 14- and 20-atom clusters, second-order estimates of [ital p] show enhanced structure in comparison to variational Monte Carlo results. Statistically meaningful oscillations in the second-order estimates of the exact density profiles are not observed.