cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EROSION MODELING OF VENTED COMBUSTOR CANNON BORE MATERIALS

Vented combustor experiments are often successful at providing relative erosion results but these results are typically inconclusive when compared to other vented combustor experiments. As a result of this deficiency, a new method for successfully modeling erosion of vented combustor cannon bores materials has been developed. This modeling method, in conjunction with limited scale firings, provides a cost effective means of comprehensively studying erosion of coated cannon bore materials. The method is derived from our very successful similar method for modeling coated cannon bore erosion of medium and large caliber gun systems. These system models are based on years of eroded cannon characterizations and erosion theory development. We have fired and modeled gun steel, chromium, tantalum, molybdenum, rhenium, and niobium cannon bore protection materials. Each of these material types has a different set of erosive degradation thresholds that are governed by the presence of a less reducing (more oxidizing), more reducing (more carburizing), or intermediate reducing solid propellant combustion environment. Erosion modeling predictions are computed for these six materials at the various reducing combustion environment degrees. Our modeling results show that all of these materials, with the exception of chromium, have significant differences in their erosive thresholds/performance for our typical solid propellant combustion environment spectrum. The degree of these differences explains why these materials erode so differently at the more carburizing and more oxidizing solid propellants combustion environment extremes.
Family a GPCR heteromers in animal models

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) were assumed to exist and function in the plasma membrane as monomeric proteins that became activated by binding of one agonist ligand to one receptor molecule (Bourne et al., 1990). However, although previous findings based on rather indirect measures such as radioligand binding had suggested a direct interaction of two receptors with each other (Limbird et al., 1975; Ferre et al., 1991), it was the application of a protein-protein interaction assay by bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) that revealed the phenomenon of molecular proximity between beta2-adrenergic receptors in living cells (Angers et al., 2000). Since then, this topic has been a major subject of research and numerous in silico and in vitro studies have suggested expression of family A GPCRs as homodimers and higher-order homomers in heterologous expression systems. However, the demonstration that reconstitution of a single beta2-adrenergic receptor molecule into lipoprotein particles leads to efficient activation of G proteins raised concerns about the functional significance of family A GPCR homomers (Whorton et al., 2007), and this is currently a controversial topic (for an extensive review on GPCR homodimers/homomers, see Milligan, 2013; see also Bouvier and Hebert, 2014; Lambert and Javitch, 2014). Another fundamental yet relatively independent question is that related to expression of different GPCR subtypes as heteromers. It is well accepted that the family C GABAB receptor needs two protomers (GABAB-R1 and GABAB-R2) to reach the plasma membrane as a functional dimeric receptor (Jones et al., 1998; Kaupmann et al., 1998; White et al., 1998). On the other hand, although multiple lines of evidence indicate that family A GPCR heteromers may exist, particularly in tissue cultures (Gonzalez-Maeso, 2011; Ferre et al., 2014), only relatively recent studies started to test this formulation in whole animal models.
High-Power Tunable Terahertz Sources Based on Parametric Processes and Applications

We summarize our progress made on developing widely tunable monochromatic terahertz sources. They have been implemented based on difference-frequency generation (DFG) in GaSe, ZnGeP, and GaP crystals. Using a GaSe crystal, the output wavelength was tuned continuously in the range of 66.5 to 5664 m (from 150 to 1.77 cm with the peak power reaching 389 W. Such a high peak power corresponds to a conversion efficiency of 0.1% (a photon conversion efficiency of 19%). A further optimization on the terahertz beam parameter may result in higher output powers and conversion efficiencies. Our experimental results indicate that within the range of 100-250 mum, the output peak powers were higher than 100 W. On the other hand, based on DFG in a ZnGeP crystal, the output wavelength was generated to be tunable in the ranges of 83.1-1642 mum and 80.2-1416 mum for two phase-matching configurations. The output power reached 134 W. Using a GaP crystal, the output wavelength was tuned in the range of 71.1-2830 m, whereas the highest peak power reached 15.6 W. GaP offers an advantage for tuning the output wavelength compared with GaSe and ZnGeP since crystal rotation is no longer required. Instead, one just needs to tune the wavelength of one mixing beam within a narrow bandwidth of 15.3 nm. Based on power scaling, a shoe box-sized tunable terahertz source is feasible. We also review our recent results obtained following the investigation of backward DFG and feasibility studies on backward parametric oscillation. The terahertz radiations produced by DFG have pulse durations of about 5 ns, wide tuning ranges, and narrow linewidths, which are quite different from the broadband terahertz pulses. We also describe a few important applications that were realized by taking advantage of the wide tuning range and narrow linewidths of terahertz pulses such as chemical sensing and differentiation of isotopic variants by measuring the rotational spectra of gases and terahertz imaging.
Truncation effects in Viterbi decoding

Practical Viterbi decoders often fall significantly short of full maximum likelihood decoding performance because of survivor truncation effects. In the present work the authors study the tradeoff between truncation length and performance loss for the two most common variations of Viterbi's algorithm: best-state decoding (BSD) and fixed-state decoding (FSD). It is found that FSD survivors should be about twice as long as BSD survivors for comparable performance. >
Valuing water quality in urban watersheds: A comparative analysis of Johnson Creek, Oregon, and Burnt Bridge Creek, Washington

This study uses the hedonic price method to investigate the effect of five water quality parameters on the sale price of single-family residential properties in two urbanized watersheds in the Portland, Oregon-Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area. Water quality parameters include E. coli or fecal coliform, which can affect human health, decrease water clarity and generate foul odors; pH, dissolved oxygen, and stream temperature, which can impact fish and wildlife populations; and total suspended solids, which can affect water clarity, aquatic life, and aesthetics. Properties within ¼ mile, ½, mile, one mile, or more than one mile from Johnson Creek are estimated to experience an increase in sale price of 13.71%, 7.05%, 8.18%, and 3.12%, respectively, from a one mg/L increase in dissolved oxygen levels during the dry season (May–October). Estimates for a 100 count per 100 mL increase in E. coli during the dry season are −2.81% for properties within ¼ mile of Johnson Creek, −0.86% (½ mile), −1.19% (one mile), and −0.71% (greater than one mile). Results for properties in Burnt Bridge Creek include a significantly positive effect for a one mg/L increase in dissolved oxygen levels during the dry season for properties within ½ mile (4.49%), one mile (2.95%), or greater than one mile from the creek (3.17%). Results for other water quality parameters in Burnt Bridge Creek are generally consistent with a priori expectations. Restoration efforts underway in both study areas might be cost justified based on their estimated effect on property sale prices.
Generation of 10-cycle pulses from a Yb fiber laser using cubic phase compensation

We demonstrate the use of a prism-grating sequence to reduce third-order dispersion inside a Yb fiber oscillator. Pulses as short as 33-fs, the shortest from a fiber laser, can be generated with extremely clean profiles.
Long-Term Effects of Aeration and Fire on Invasion of Exotic Grasses in Mixed-Brush Plant Communities

Abstract Invasion of exotic grasses into grasslands dominated by native plants changes fire cycles and reduces biodiversity. Brush management practices that create soil disturbance, such as aeration, may potentially result in invasion of exotic grasses and replacement of native vegetation. We tested the hypothesis that a long-term effect of aeration and prescribed burning is an increase in exotic grasses. The study was conducted at the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area in the western south Texas plains where four treatments were evaluated: aeration, warm-season burn, aeration followed by a warm-season burn, and no treatment (control). The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replicates. We estimated percentage canopy cover of exotic grasses, native grasses, forbs, litter, bare ground, and woody and succulent plants in 2007. There was a multivariate main effect among treatments for the dependent variables absolute canopy cover of exotic grasses, native grasses, forbs, litter, and ...
Fixing the intestinal mucosa in the bone marrow transplant patient: Lessons from other intestinal immunodeficiencies and inflammatory disorders

: Gastrointestinal inflammation is common following bone marrow transplantation. Key pathogenetic events, such as major histocompatibility complex (MHC) expression on intestinal epithelial cells and local production of cytokines in the gastrointestinal mucosa, are common features of many gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders. Drawing from clinical experience of the treatment of other disorders associated with gastrointestinal inflammation, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, a number of therapeutic alternatives may be relevant for the bone marrow transplant patient with significant graft-vs.-host disease (GvHD). Options to consider include therapeutics that alter inflammatory cell migration, anti-inflammatory cytokines, direct neutralization of proinflammatory cytokines, and cytokines that promote epithelial restitution in the gastrointestinal mucosa. In addition, a variety of nutritional and other novel treatments are available, which may improve epithelial function or which have anti-inflammatory actions. Prospective studies of combined nutrient and cytokine-modulating treatments for the bone marrow transplant patient are warranted.
Silicon carbide FETs for high temperature nuclear environments

SiC transistors can operate at very high temperatures and survive very high radiation doses. These characteristics make SiC potentially the ideal technology for nuclear power applications. In this paper we report, for the first time, on the active in-core irradiation of 6H-SiC depletion-mode junction field-effect transistors (IFETs) at 25/spl deg/ and 300/spl deg/C in a nuclear reactor operated at 200 kW. No significant degradation in the device characteristics was observed until the total neutron fluence exceeded 10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/ for irradiation at 25/spl deg/C, and no significant changes were observed even at 5/spl times/10/sup 15/ n/cm/sup 2/ at 300/spl deg/C. The results of this experiment may also indicate exciting evidence for the anneal of neutron displacement damage for devices irradiated at 300/spl deg/C.
Metabolic plasticity of nitrogen assimilation by Porphyra umbilicalis (Linnaeus) Kützing

The physical stresses associated with emersion have long been considered major factors determining the vertical zonation of intertidal seaweeds. We examined Porphyra umbilicalis (Linnaeus) Kutzing thalli from the vertical extremes in elevation of an intertidal population (i.e. upper and lower intertidal zones) to determine whether Porphyra thalli acclimate to different vertical elevations on the shore with different patterns of nitrate uptake and nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthetase (GS) activities in response to different degrees of emersion stress. We found that the nitrate uptake and NR recovery in the emersed tissues took longer in lower intertidal sub-population than in upper intertidal sub-population; and GS activity was also significantly affected by emersion and, interestingly, such an activity was enhanced by emersion of thalli from both upper and lower intertidal zones. These results suggested that intra-population variability in post-emersion recovery of physiological functions such as nutrient uptake and NR activity enables local adaptation and contributes to the wide vertical distribution of P. umbilicalis. The high GS activity during periodic emersion stress may be a protective mechanism enabling P. umbilicalis to assimilate nitrogen quickly when it again becomes available, and may also be an evidence of photorespiration during emersion.
Monoamine neuron innervation of the hippocampal formation: Alteration by neonatal irradiation

Abstract Previous studies showed that postnatal irradiation of the hippocampal formation in the rat results in a marked reduction in the granule cell population of the area dentata with an attendant disruption of its normal cytoarchitecture. The present study was carried out to determine the effect of postnatal hippocampal irradiation on the pattern of hippocampal innervation by locus ceruleus norepinephrine neuron axons and midbrain raphe serotonin neuron axons. Irradiated animals exhibit a normal innervation of Ammon's horn by both norepinephrine and serotonin neuron axons. In the area dentata, however, the normal pattern of innervation is markedly altered, with both an apparent decrease in total innervation and a redistribution of the innervation occurring. These effects are interpreted as representing a failure of development of the growth-promoting factors that determine the normal innervation pattern.
Regional Variation in Critical Care Evacuation Needs for Children After a Mass Casualty Incident

Objectives: To determine the ability of five New York statewide regions to accommodate 30 children needing critical care after a hypothetical mass casualty incident (MCI) and the duration to complete an evacuation to facilities in other regions if the surge exceeded local capacity. Methods: A quantitative model evaluated pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) vacancies for MCI patients, based on data on existing resources, historical average occupancy, and evidence on early discharges and transfers in a public health emergency. Evacuation of patients exceeding local capacity to the nearest PICU center with vacancies was modeled in discrete event chronological simulations for three scenarios in each region: pediatric critical care transport teams were considered to originate from other PICU hospitals statewide, using (1) ground ambulances or (2) helicopters, and (3) noncritical care teams were considered to originate from the local MCI region using ground ambulances. Chronology of key events was modeled. Results: Across five regions, the number of children needing evacuation would vary from 0 to 23. The New York City (NYC) metropolitan area could accommodate all patients. The region closest to NYC could evacuate all excesspatientstoPICUhospitalsinNYCwithin12hoursusingstatewidecriticalcareteamstravelingbyground ambulance. Helicopters and local noncritical care teams would not shorten the evacuation. For other statewide regions, evacuation of excess patients by statewide critical care teams traveling by ground ambulance would require up to nearly 26 hours. Helicopter transport would reduce evacuation time by 40%-44%, while local noncritical care teams traveling by ground would reduce evacuation time by 16%-34%. Conclusions:Thepresentstudyprovidesaquantitative,evidence-basedapproachtoestimateregionalpediatriccritical care evacuation needs after an MCI. Large metropolitan areas with many PICU beds would be better able to accommodate patients in a local MCI, and would serve as a crucial resource if an MCI occurred in a smaller community. Regions near a metropolitan area could be rapidly served by critical care transport teams traveling by ground ambulance. Regions distant from a metropolitan area might benefit from helicopter transport. Using local noncritical care transport teams would involve shorter delays and less expert care during evacuation. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2012;6:146-149)
Maternal Working Memory and Reactive Negativity in Parenting

We examined the role of working memory in observed reactive parenting in a sample of 216 mothers and their same-sex twin children. The mothers and their children were observed completing two frustrating cooperation tasks during a visit to the home. The mothers worked one-on-one with each child separately. Mothers completed the Vocabulary (verbal), Block Design (spatial), and Digit Span (working memory) subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition. We used a within-family quasi-experimental design to estimate the magnitude of the association between sibling differences in observed challenging behaviors (i.e., opposition and distractibility) and the difference in the mother's negativity toward each child. As hypothesized, reactive negativity was evident only among mothers with poorer working memory. Verbal and spatial ability did not show this moderating effect. The effect was replicated in a post hoc secondary data analysis of a sample of adoptive mothers and sibling children. Results implicate working memory in the etiology of harsh reactive parenting.
High-Normal Albuminuria and Risk of Heart Failure in the Community

Background Albuminuria has been associated with cardiovascular risk, but the relationship of high-normal albuminuria to subsequent heart failure has not been well established. Study Design Prospective observational study, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Setting & Participants 10,975 individuals free from heart failure were followed up from the fourth ARIC Study visit (1996-1998) through January 2006. Predictor Urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR), analyzed continuously and categorically as optimal ( Outcomes & Measurements Incident heart failure was defined as a heart failure–related hospitalization or death. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate the HR of heart failure after adjustment for age, race, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and other cardiovascular risk factors. Results Individuals were followed up for a median of 8.3 years and experienced 344 heart failure events. Compared with normal UACR, albuminuria was associated with a progressively increased risk of heart failure from intermediate-normal (adjusted HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.12-2.11) and high-normal UACR (adjusted HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.38-2.66) to microalbuminuria (adjusted HR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.77-3.50) and macroalbuminuria (adjusted HR, 3.47; 95% CI, 2.10-5.72). Results were similar in secondary analyses of participants censored at the time of coronary heart disease event and along a range of eGFRs. Limitations UACR was measured as a single random sample. Conclusions Albuminuria is associated with subsequent heart failure, even in individuals with few cardiovascular risk factors and UACR within the normal range. Our results suggest that the association between albuminuria and heart failure may not be mediated fully by ischemic heart disease or kidney disease, measured using eGFR.
A Hierarchical Approach to Internet Distance Prediction

Internet distance prediction gives pair-wise latency information with limited measurements. Recent studies have revealed that the quality of existing prediction mechanisms from the application perspective is short of satisfactory. In this paper, we explore the root causes and remedies for this problem. Our experience with different landmark selection schemes shows that although selecting nearby landmarks can increase the prediction accuracy for short distances, it can cause the prediction accuracy for longer distances to degrade. Such uneven prediction quality significantly impacts application performance. Instead of trying to select the landmark nodes in some "intelligent" fashion, we propose a hierarchical prediction approach with straightforward landmark selection. Hierarchical prediction utilizes multiple coordinate sets at multiple distance scales, with the "right" scale being chosen for prediction each time. Experiments with Internet measurement datasets show that this hierarchical approach is extremely promising for increasing the accuracy of network distance prediction.
Paclitaxel-loaded PEG-PE-based micellar nanopreparations targeted with tumor specific landscape phage fusion protein enhance apoptosis and efficiently reduce tumors

In an effort to improve the therapeutic index of cancer chemotherapy, we developed an advanced nanopreparation based on the combination of landscape phage display to obtain new targeting ligands with micellar nanoparticles for tumor targeting of water-insoluble neoplastic agents. With paclitaxel as a drug, this self-assembled nanopreparation composed of MCF-7-specific phage protein and polyethylene glycol-phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-PE) micelles showed selective toxicity to target cancer cells rather than nontarget, non cancer cells in vitro. In vivo, the targeted phage micelles triggered a dramatic tumor reduction and extensive necrosis as a result of improved tumor delivery of paclitaxel. The enhanced anticancer effect was also verified by an enhanced apoptosis and reduced tumor cell proliferation following the treatment with the targeted micellar paclitaxel both in vitro and in vivo. The absence of hepatotoxicity and pathologic changes in tissue sections of vital organs, together with maintenance of overall health of mice following the treatment, further support its translational potential as an effective and safe chemotherapy for improved breast cancer treatment.
Characterization of diamond films by Raman spectroscopy

As the technology for diamond film preparation by plasma-assisted CVD and related procedures has advanced, Raman spectroscopy has emerged as one of the principal characterization tools for diamond materials. Cubic diamond has a single Raman-active first order phonon mode at the center of the Brillouin zone. The presence of sharp Raman lines allows cubic diamond to be recognized against a background of graphitic carbon and also to characterize the graphitic carbon. Small shifts in the band wavenumber have been related to the stress state of deposited films. The effect is most noticeable in diamond films deposited on hard substrates such as alumina or carbides. The Raman line width varies with mode of preparation of the diamond and has been related to degree of structural order. The Raman spectrum of hexagonal diamond (lonsdaleite) is distinct from that of the cubic diamond and allows it to be recognized.
Against Free-Form Formalism

A few years ago, Professor Bruce Ackerman and I wrote an article defending the constitutionality of the so-called congressional-executive agreement -- under which Congress approves international agreements, such as NAFTA and the WTO, by simple majority votes in both Houses. Under the procedure specified in Article II, Section 2, in contrast, treaties must be submitted to the Senate for two-thirds advice and consent. We argued that the decisive shift from traditional isolationism to internationalism during the World War II years provided the grounding in popular sovereignty for a transformation in the meaning of the Treaty Clause. Contrary to conventional wisdom, practice during the first 150 years supported only an exclusive reading of the text; the non-exclusive reading became accepted only after 1945. We also claimed that the text itself is indeterminate. In response, Professor Laurence Tribe sharply criticized this latter claim. According to Professor Tribe, our conclusion could only be reached by application of dangerous "free-form" methods of constitutional interpretation, which undermine the ability of the text to constrain government. In his view, constitutional interpretation, at least as to "architectural" provisions, should be based strictly on the original meaning of the text. To illustrate his own "topological" method of interpretation, he developed an elaborate set of textual arguments in support of the claim that there is only one plausible interpretation of the text -- the Treaty Clause is exclusive and rules out the congressional-executive agreement. I now respond to Professor Tribe's surprising turn toward textualism and seek to demonstrate that the text itself cannot render a singularly persuasive construction of the Treaty Clause. The text is, as Professor Ackerman and I contended, ultimately indeterminate. I analyze each of Professor Tribe's elaborate textual arguments to demonstrate by illustration that textualism is just as open to manipulation as the interpretive methodologies he criticizes and, given the pervasive ambiguities in the text, is generally incapable of yielding unique objective resolutions to constitutional disputes. Only by systematically ignoring equally plausible formalist counter-arguments was Professor Tribe able to reach his favored reading of the Treaty Clause. In my view, Professor Tribe's article reflects free-formism in its most paradoxical form: free-form formalism.
Inflammatory Processes in the Liver and Biliary Tract

The liver and bile ducts and gallbladder are common organs to be affected by inflammatory processes. This chapter summarizes the range of common benign disease processes that involve these organs. The most common of these diseases involve biliary stones, which may lodge in the gallbladder or intra- or extra-hepatic ducts. Bile duct and gallbladder obstruction lead to inflammation and infection. Ascending or idiopathic causes of biliary inflammation are also not uncommon and typically affect characteristic populations. Infection of the liver parenchyma is most commonly related to viral hepatitis, but can also be related to bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infection. Idiopathic causes, such as autoimmune hepatitis may also occur. Most of these benign entities predispose the patient to develop hepatobiliary malignancies, and so the evaluation of CT scans for these patients should include a search for possible tumor.
Mathematical Models of Juror and Jury Decision-Making

The jury is a remarkable example of the use of groups to make decisions. A jury is composed of untrained citizens, drawn randomly from the eligible population, convened briefly for a particular trial, entrusted with great official powers, permitted to deliberate in secret, to render a verdict without explanation, and without any accountability then or ever, to return to private life. In that such a firm institution is composed of such fluid members, and that these ordinary citizens judge criminal responsibility in place of professional agents of the state, the jury is a unique political institution. More than representative legislatures and popularly elected executives, it is the jury that characterizes democratic political systems. (Saks, 1977, p. 6)
Assessing the Food Safety Knowledge of University of Maine Students

Foodborne illness is a global public health issue. Young adults may work in foodservice while they are university students, and their habits may later shape the practices and well-being of their children. The objective of this study was to establish baseline data and assess the food safety knowledge of 18- to 26-year-old Univ. of Maine students. Demographic questions and the previously validated Food Safety Knowledge Questionnaire (FSKQ) were placed online. Of 123 people who responded to the email recruitment notice, 104 Univ. of Maine undergraduates aged 18 to 26 years completed the survey. The average score among all participants was 60% correct (53 points out of a possible 89 points). Survey questions that required participants to identify common sources of foodborne pathogens had the lowest average percent correct (31%). Less than 50% of participants were able to correctly identify several high-risk foods, including sliced melon, raw sprouts, and unpasteurized fruit juice. Our findings indicate a need for educational programs for 18- to 26-year-old Univ. of Maine students in regards to common sources of foodborne pathogens and proper handling of fresh produce and that food safety knowledge among university students has not improved since publication of a national survey using the FSKQ in 2006. Effective educational programs are needed to ensure that young adults understand food risks and appropriate food handling practices.
The Modified Right to Self-Determination1

Most individuals never choose the political communities they belong to. Their accidental endowment with membership at birth develops over years of social conditioning into a full-fledged national identity. That individuals are habituated into being a part of some group or collective agent does not diminish the importance of their membership to the individuals, however. As I discussed in Chapter 2, membership in national groups can be considered a matter of non-arbitrary individual preference. Such a preference ought to be considered regardless of whether changing membership from one political community to another is difficult enough to make it unreasonable to require it under normal circumstances. An individual preference for membership in a certain group would retain its importance even if individuals were perfectly capable of switching membership but perceived such a change to be undesirable. What if minority members want to retain their national identity, which they perceive as shaping their lives in meaningful ways, but do not want to be included in the larger political community of the host state? Under what circumstances is it justifiable to respect their preference? Can we limit their freedom by rejecting their choice not to associate with the larger community and demanding that they remain within its borders?
Krylov single-step implicit integration factor WENO methods for advection-diffusion-reaction equations

Implicit integration factor (IIF) methods were developed in the literature for solving time-dependent stiff partial differential equations (PDEs). Recently, IIF methods were combined with weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes in Jiang and Zhang (2013) 19 to efficiently solve stiff nonlinear advection-diffusion-reaction equations. The methods can be designed for arbitrary order of accuracy. The stiffness of the system is resolved well and the methods are stable by using time step sizes which are just determined by the non-stiff hyperbolic part of the system. To efficiently calculate large matrix exponentials, Krylov subspace approximation is directly applied to the implicit integration factor (IIF) methods. So far, the IIF methods developed in the literature are multistep methods. In this paper, we develop Krylov single-step IIF-WENO methods for solving stiff advection-diffusion-reaction equations. The methods are designed carefully to avoid generating positive exponentials in the matrix exponentials, which is necessary for the stability of the schemes. We analyze the stability and truncation errors of the single-step IIF schemes. Numerical examples of both scalar equations and systems are shown to demonstrate the accuracy, efficiency and robustness of the new methods.
The Multi-Dimensional Nature of Stress in an Endoscopic Surgery Simulator

Endoscopic surgery offers substantial advantages over traditional open surgery, but endoscopic techniques require considerable practice and have been reported to induce high levels of stress in the surgeon. Some of that stress is believed to arise because of perceptual-motor distortions associated with the endoscopic interface. Prominent among those distortions is the disruption of normal eye-hand mapping in the endoscopic environment. The present study used the Dundee Stress State Questionnaire to determine the stress profile associated with performance in a simple endoscopic simulator under varying degrees of distortion of eye-hand mapping. The results indicated distinct stress profiles associated with different levels of hand-eye mapping distortion.
Non-contact Reference-Free Optical Measurement of In-Plane Ultrasonic Vibrations

Ultrasonic in-plane motion of a surface illuminated by laser light can be measured by monitoring the resulting dynamic speckle pattern with silicon-on-insulator photoconducting mesas without a reference beam. The statistical properties of the speckle pattern are exploited to calibrate the amplitude of velocity and displacement measurements.
The use of COSMO-SAC to predict relative adhesion between polymer matrices and silane-treated glass surfaces in filled particulate composites

Successful efforts have been made at predicting the adhesion between several polymer matrices and the surface of a glass filler, treated with various coupling agents using thermodynamic descriptors. A good thermodynamic criterion has been shown to be the (negative) Gibbs free energy of mixing (−ΔGmix)0.5, for a solution containing molecules representative of the repeat units of the polymer and the exposed functional groups of the silane coupling agents. Group contribution methods, such as UNIFAC allow for straightforward calculations of (−ΔGmix)0.5; however, the UNIFAC database remains incomplete, and furthermore requires a subscription to access the most current database. Recently, new predictive models based on the surface charge distribution of molecules and statistical thermodynamics have been developed to predict properties of solutions. In this work, one such method, COSMO-SAC, is used to calculate (−ΔGmix)0.5 and compare the results to a previously determined database of relative practical adhesion...
Using the internet to enhance the study of dilemma cases in professional education

This presentation reports ongoing research on the use of Internet technologies and dilemma cases in a professional education program for school leaders. Dilemma cases are narratives of school problems for which there is not a single consensual solution. Reflection based on tightly focused, contextualized situations is a strategy for examining the nature of educational leadership. The primary focus is on administrator leadership. Societal diversity is broadly defined as the interplay of ideas, values, and perspectives that may be attributed to group membership. It may manifest itself in linguistic, cultural, ideological, or experiential differences among groups.
Abstract 1252: TIMELESS is a KSR1-like effector of Ras-driven colon tumorigenesis

Multiple studies have revealed that Ras-driven tumors acquire unique vulnerabilities by adapting cellular mechanisms that promote uncontrolled proliferation and suppress apoptosis. Targeting these vulnerabilities provide opportunities to develop novel, efficacious cancer therapeutics that lack the harmful side effects accompanying current therapies. RNA interference (RNAi) of the molecular scaffold Kinase Suppressor of Ras 1 (KSR1), which modulates ERK activation downstream of oncogenic Ras, selectively kills malignant, Ras-driven cancer cells, but does not kill immortalized, non-transformed human colon epithelial cells (HCECs). With the exception of a minor hair follicle defect, KSR1-/- mice are fertile and phenotypically normal, suggesting that KSR1 is not required for normal cell survival and that Ras-driven and KSR1-dependent pathways may yield valuable new targets for therapeutic development. To identify targets, like KSR1, that are required for cancer cell survival but not normal cell survival, we used a gene expression-based signature screening approach termed Functional Signature Ontology (FUSION, Potts et al. Sci. Signaling 2013) to screen 15,172 genes in the K-RasD13-bearing human colorectal cancer cell line HCT116. We quantified the functional similarity between KSR1 and each individual gene screened using Euclidean Distance and Pearson Correlation similarity metrics. Additional metrics were added to identify the best targets for biological validation including off-target analysis (siRNA seed sequences), cell viability evaluation, expression analysis, and enrichment analysis. Initial biological validation is completed by assessing cell viability following transient depletion of a screen hit in anchorage-independent and normal culture conditions in HCECs and HCT116s. Due to the similarity between the gene expression signatures, Timeless Circadian Clock (TIMELESS) was identified as being KSR1-like and a potential target. We found that transient TIMELESS depletion decreases cell viability in HCT116 cells under anchorage-independent conditions (47% decrease, p 0.05; HCT116 49% decrease, p Our data indicate that the FUSION screen provides a platform for identifying novel therapeutic targets and demonstrates the potential to identify oncogene-specific vulnerabilities in an unbiased manner. TIMELESS overexpression represents a vulnerability in Ras-driven tumors that will reveal novel and selective targets found in Ras-driven cancers that can be used in the development of selective therapeutics. Citation Format: Beth K. Clymer, Kurt W. Fisher, David L. Kelly, Michael A. White, Robert E. Lewis. TIMELESS is a KSR1-like effector of Ras-driven colon tumorigenesis. [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 1252.
Evaluation of parkinsonism and striatal dopamine transporter loss in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6

It is unclear whether patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) have parkinsonism and striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) loss, based on previously small size studies without well-matched controls. A study with a larger number of patients and both age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) is needed for a better answer to this question. Twelve genetically confirmed ataxic SCA6 patients (six male six female, age 65.3 ± 11.2 years), and eight age- and gender-matched HCs (five male three female, age 71.3 ± 8.6 years) were enrolled during 2013–2015 from tertiary movement disorders and ataxia clinics. Clinical assessment for parkinsonism, and qualitative and quantitative assessment of DAT level on DaTscan™ imaging were conducted in SCA6 patients compared to HCs. We found no convincing parkinsonism in SCA6 patients, given generalized bradykinesia in the context of significant ataxia in all, with mild symmetric rigidity in five without resting tremor. Furthermore, we found no striatal DAT loss in anterior, posterior, and total putamen and caudate on imaging, assessed independently by qualitative visual inspection in a blinded manner by the nuclear medicine specialist and movement disorder specialist (kappa = 1). Additional quantitative analysis on these areas did not reveal significant DAT loss either in SCA6 patients compared to HCs. We conclude that there is no convincing parkinsonism or DAT loss in SCA6 patients in this unique study with a larger than previously reported number of patients compared to both age- and gender-matched HCs, suggesting that dopaminergic dysfunction is not usually involved in SCA6.
Status Epilepticus: Etiology and Outcome

Etiology, treatment efficacy, and outcome were studied retrospectively in 65 children treated for status epilepticus at Tampere University Hospital, Finland.
Enhancing Hatch Rate and Survival in Laboratory-Reared Hybrid Devils Hole Pupfish through Application of Antibiotics to Eggs and Larvae

AbstractWe evaluated the effectiveness of four antibiotics in enhancing the hatch rate, larval survival, and adult survival of hybrid Devils Hole Pupfish Cyprinodon diabolis (hybridized with Ash Meadows Amargosa Pupfish C. nevadensis mionectes). Cephalexin (CEX; concentration = 6.6 mg/L of water), chloramphenicol (CAM; 50 mg/L), erythromycin (ERY; 12.5 mg/L), and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX; 25 mg/L) were applied as a constant bath either to incubating eggs or to larvae that hatched from untreated eggs. Hatch rate was roughly doubled by incubation in the presence of CAM (68% hatch) and TMP-SMX (66%) relative to the control (28%). Cephalexin and ERY conferred no benefit upon the hatch rate. Among fry that hatched from treated eggs, there was no increase in 15-d larval survival. However, fish that hatched from eggs treated with CAM, ERY, and TMP-SMX demonstrated enhanced survival at 360 d (51.2, 38.4, and 43.6%, respectively) and at 540 d (22.6, 6.8, and 20.2%, respectively); the untreated contro...
Reflections on Turnbull’s reframing of foreign language education: bilingual epistemologies

In this article I reflect on Turnbull’s reframing of foreign language education through a bilingual framework. I argue that in order for this important shift to be generative, foreign language educ...
Discontinuous Patterns of Cigarette Smoking From Ages 18 to 50 in the United States: A Repeated-Measures Latent Class Analysis.

Introduction Effective cigarette smoking prevention and intervention programming is enhanced by accurate understanding of developmental smoking pathways across the life span. This study investigated within-person patterns of cigarette smoking from ages 18 to 50 among a US national sample of high school graduates, focusing on identifying ages of particular importance for smoking involvement change. Aims and Methods Using data from approximately 15,000 individuals participating in the longitudinal Monitoring the Future study, trichotomous measures of past 30-day smoking obtained at 11 time points were modeled using repeated-measures latent class analyses. Sex differences in latent class structure and membership were examined. Results Twelve latent classes were identified: three characterized by consistent smoking patterns across age (no smoking; smoking < pack per day; smoking pack + per day); three showing uptake to a higher category of smoking across age; four reflecting successful quit behavior by age 50; and two defined by discontinuous shifts between smoking categories. The same latent class structure was found for both males and females, but membership probabilities differed between sexes. Although evidence of increases or decreases in smoking behavior was observed at virtually all ages through 35, 21/22 and 29/30 appeared to be particularly key for smoking category change within class. Conclusions This examination of latent classes of cigarette smoking among a national US longitudinal sample of high school graduates from ages 18 to 50 identified unique patterns and critical ages of susceptibility to change in smoking category within class. Such information may be of particular use in developing effective smoking prevention and intervention programming. Implications This study examined cigarette smoking among a national longitudinal US sample of high school graduates from ages 18 to 50 and identified distinct latent classes characterized by patterns of movement between no cigarette use, light-to-moderate smoking, and the conventional definition of heavy smoking at 11 time points via repeated-measures latent class analysis. Membership probabilities for each smoking class were estimated, and critical ages of susceptibility to change in smoking behaviors were identified.
Quantifiers in Kenyah Uma Baha

Uma Baha (also known as Uma Baka) which is part of the Kenyah language family, is an Austronesian language spoken in Northern Sarawak and in East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. The number of speakers is not available, since no previous linguistic study has been done on this language; however, the overall number of speakers of all the languages that are part of the Kenyah language family (ISO: xkl) in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia is 52,000 (Ethnologue, Lewis et al. 2015). Our work focuses on the Kenyah Uma Baha spoken in Sarawak, in the Sungai Asap Bakun resettlement in the district of Belaga.
TRPM7 senses oxidative stress to release Zn2+ from unique intracellular vesicles

TRPM7 (transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 7) regulates gene expression and stress-induced cytotoxicity and is required in early embryogenesis through organ development. Here, we show that the majority of TRPM7 is localized in abundant intracellular vesicles. These vesicles (M7Vs) are distinct from endosomes, lysosomes, and other familiar vesicles or organelles. M7Vs accumulate Zn2+ in a glutathione-enriched, reduced lumen when cytosolic Zn2+ concentrations are elevated. Treatments that increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) trigger TRPM7-dependent Zn2+ release from the vesicles, whereas reduced glutathione prevents TRPM7-dependent cytosolic Zn2+ influx. These observations strongly support the notion that ROS-mediated TRPM7 activation releases Zn2+ from intracellular vesicles after Zn2+ overload. Like the endoplasmic reticulum, these vesicles are a distributed system for divalent cation uptake and release, but in this case the primary divalent ion is Zn2+ rather than Ca2+.
Maternal iAMP21 acute lymphoblastic leukemia detected on prenatal cell-free DNA genetic screening.

Key Points cfDNA sequencing for fetal aneuploidy may detect chromosomal abnormalities representative of maternal malignancy. Maternal malignancy must be considered when abnormal cfDNA sequencing for fetal aneuploidy is associated with normal fetal karyotype.
Integrated modeling and simulation framework expedite operational software testing, integration and verification for system of systems platform

Modeling and Simulation (M&S) has become an essential tool in the development, testing and verification of operational software in a complex multi-domain, multi-threaded heterogeneous system of systems environment. The complex systems of today encompass mix of hardware sub-systems (with varying degree of capabilities), software environments (comprising a plethora of development environments, operating systems and programming languages) and peripherals (sensors, effectors, actuators etc.), realization of which requires massive investments (human, capital, tools etc.) and carries a huge risk to cost, schedule and requirements compliance. These risks are alleviated to a large extent with a well formulated test architecture and integrated simulation environment with high fidelity systems modeling framework, where majority of system compliance metrics can be verified in a digital domain.
Sexual HIV risk behavior outcomes of brief interventions for drug use in an inner-city emergency department: Secondary outcomes from a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Background Drug use is an established risk factor for HIV. Brief Interventions (BIs) targeting reductions in both drug use and HIV risk behaviors may help curtail these related epidemics. The present study evaluates the impact of BIs for drug use and HIV risk reduction on sexual HIV risk behaviors among a primarily marijuana-using sample during a 12-month post-intervention follow-up period. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 780 adult patients in an Emergency Department (ED) with past 3-month drug use (primarily non-injecting). This study used a 3 × 2 factorial design (3 ED-based conditions: computer-delivered brief intervention [Computer BI], therapist-delivered, computer-guided BI [Therapist BI], or enhanced usual care (EUC-ED) for drug-using adults; 2 follow-up conditions at 3 months: booster or control). This analysis examines the outcomes of the BIs on sexual HIV risk behaviors at 3-, 6-, and 12-months. Results Compared to the enhanced usual care control, the combined Therapist BI with booster resulted in significant reductions in scores on the sexual risk subscale of the HIV Risk Taking Behaviour Scale over 12-months, when controlling for baseline sexual risk, gender, and drug dependency status. The baseline interventions alone, booster alone, and Computer BI plus booster did not differ from the comparison group (EUC plus control). Conclusions A therapist-delivered BI for drug use and HIV risk behaviors, combined with a follow-up therapist-delivered booster, shows promise for reducing sexual HIV risk behaviors among a primarily marijuana using, non-injecting sample.