cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tongue-out versus tongue-in position during intensity-modulated radiotherapy for base of tongue cancer: Clinical implications for minimizing post-radiotherapy swallowing dysfunction.

Background The purpose of this study was to assess whether different tongue positions change the radiation doses to swallowing organs at risks: the pharyngeal constrictor, oral cavity, and larynx during intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for base of tongue (BOT) cancer. Methods IMRT plans with Tongue-out (IMRT-TO) and tongue-in position (IMRT-TI) was compared in 3 cases. Results Distance from BOT to pharyngeal constrictor was increased to 1.8 ± 0.8 cm with IMRT-TO from 0.9 ± 0.6 cm with IMRT-TI (P < .01). Compared to IMRT-TI, IMRT-TO significantly decreased the radiation dose to the anterior oral cavity, oral tongue, superior pharyngeal constrictor, middle pharyngeal constrictor, and supraglottic larynx (all P ≤ .04). IMRT-TO also had a smaller volume irradiated than IMRT-TI to the anterior oral cavity and the oral tongue receiving ≥30 Gy (V30) and V35, and superior pharyngeal constrictor and middle pharyngeal constrictor for V55 and V65 (all P ≤ .04). Conclusion Dosimetric advantage with IMRT-TO over IMRT-TI may potentially reduce post-IMRT swallowing dysfunction in selected patients with BOT cancer.
Teaching Who You Are: Connecting Teachers' Civic Education Ideology to Instructional Strategies.

This quantitative study uses survey data to test connections between 735 teachers’ civic education ideology (CivID) and their self-reported instructional practices. Analysis demonstrates teachers’ ...
Autonomic Nervous System Responses to Hearing-Related Demand and Evaluative Threat

Purpose This paper consists of 2 parts. The purpose of Part 1 was to review the potential influence of internal (person-related) factors on listening effort. The purpose of Part 2 was to present, i...
A path analytic model linking foundational skills to Grade 3 state reading achievement

Considerable evidence supports that close to two thirds of all fourth-grade students read at less than adequate levels on reading achievement tests and that the problem has persisted for decades. T...
Looking at Digital Art: Towards a Visual Methodology for Digital Sociology

Over the last decade there has been a call for a new kind of sociological gaze, a digital sociology for a digital age. Has there been fundamental change in the key principles, the nature, and functions of social life in a digital age? In social and cultural theory, there is a long history of looking at how technology transforms art. In this article, I will use the medium of digital art to consider the unique nature of the digital age, the demand for a digital sociology, and the interrelated speculative imagination of such claims. Broadly situated within the sociology of art the methodological contribution of this article is to offer an analysis of artworks themselves, via the construction of a digital visual methodology. What digital culture, politics, and revealed in digital art? How can looking at digital art expand the tools for understanding digitally mediated lives?
Regulation of mRNA production by the adenoviral E1B 55-kDa and E4 Orf6 proteins.

The E1B 55-kDa and E4 Orf6 proteins of human subgroup C adenoviruses both counter host cell defenses mediated by the cellular p53 protein and regulate viral late gene expression. A complex containing the two proteins has been implicated in induction of selective export of viral late mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, with concomitant inhibition of export of the majority of newly synthesized cellular mRNAs. The molecular mechanisms by which these viral proteins subvert cellular pathways of nuclear export are not yet clear. Here, we review recent efforts to identify molecular and biochemical functions of the E1B 55-kDa and E4 Orf6 proteins required for regulation of mRNA export, the several difficulties and discrepancies that have been encountered in studies of these viral proteins, and evidence indicating that the reorganization of the infected cell nucleus and production of viral late mRNA at specific intra-nuclear sites are important determinants of selective mRNA export in infected cells. In our view, it is not yet possible to propose a coherent molecular model for regulation of mRNA export by the ElB 55-kDa and E4 Orf6 proteins. However, it should now be possible to address specific questions about the roles of potentially relevant properties of these viral proteins.
Teaching Techniques for Interactive Online Learning: Reflecting on my first technology class

A teacher can know and be comfortable with teaching using all the modern technologies involved in interactive online learning, however, without knowledge of proper techniques in online interactive learning, the teacher’s knowledge of content, instruction and technology becomes useless. This paper examines the experiences I had during the first technology class and presents to online teachers the techniques that can make online class not only viable, but successful. Coming from Zimbabwe, I had very little knowledge about the use of technology in the classroom. Of course, I took basic computer literacy classes before coming to the U.S. to pursue my studies but that was not enough to teach a class using the modern technologies. Use of technology in classroom has been one of the aims of 21st century educational system across the globe (Dockstader). As a teacher, I have come to understand that a 21st century educator should learn some of the modern technologies in order to be able to move with the flow of 21st century students. Technology helps students to remain engaged in the classroom and this leads to low levels of classroom misbehavior (Evertson and Weinstein). However, talking about technology and having computers in classrooms does not automatically lead to a successful learning environment, nor does it lead to engagement. As I was taking my first class in educational technology, I realized many things that teachers, who intend to teach online or use technology in their classroom, should know. This essay seeks to discuss the most important things teachers should know before they design their lesson plans or their class syllabus. Effective Questioning For online discussions to work well, teachers should clarify the topic and outline the type of 6/26/2014 Teaching Techniques for Interactive Online Learning: Reflecting on my first technology class | Interface http://bcis.pacificu.edu/interface/?p=3426 2/6 questions that will allow discussion to continue, not to reach a dead end before the discussion is over. In my first week of class, my professor made us read an article “Does Your Dog Bite?: Creating Good Questions For Online Discussion” (Toledo). This article opened my mind to the kind of questions that I would ask my classmates during asynchronous or synchronous discussions. All teachers who use technology or who intend to use technology should learn questioning techniques and teach their students how to question effectively so that online discussions are more exciting. Toledo argues, “...if we want our students engaged in the critical thinking process we must motivate them with well-written questions that guide them into asking more” (150). Below is the table with questions used by Toledo to explain good questioning techniques that make online learning effective:
Follow-Up on the Story Goodness Index for Characterizing Discourse Deficits Following Traumatic Brain Injury.

Purpose The Story Goodness Index (SGI) is a hybrid analysis of narrative discourse combining 2 macrostructural measures: story grammar and story completeness. Initially proposed by Le and colleagues ( Le, Coelho, Mozeiko, & Grafman, 2011 ), the SGI is intended to characterize the discourse performance of individuals with cognitive-communication disorders. In this study, the SGI was utilized to examine the discourse of 2 groups, one with closed head injuries and another with non-brain injured (NBI) peers. The intent of this study was to ascertain whether the SGI could differentiate the discourse performance of the 2 groups, as was previously reported for individuals with penetrating traumatic brain injury and an NBI comparison group ( Le, Coelho, Mozeiko, Krueger, & Grafman, 2012 ). Because of the retrospective nature of this study, the wordless visual narrative used to elicit discourse was different from the narrative used by Le and colleagues (2012) . Method A retrospective analysis of discourse was performed on 55 individuals with a history of closed head injury and 47 NBI socioeconomically matched peers. During the initial assessment, participants were engaged in a narrative retell task. Each participant was shown a wordless picture story and then asked to retell the story to the examiner. Story narratives were reanalyzed for story grammar (organization) and completeness (critical content). Results A significant group difference was noted for the story grammar measure, but not for story completeness. Although the SGI plots depicted the heterogeneity in discourse performance of the 2 groups, a chi-square test of independence revealed no significant association between group membership and SGI quadrant. Conclusions Findings from this study were inconsistent with those of Le and colleagues. The studies did not use identical SGI protocols; specifically, different picture stimuli were used to elicit the story retells. Therefore, this study cannot be considered a replication. The story used by Le and colleagues was judged to be more complex, requiring more inference for story interpretation. Future studies should interpret findings within the context of the story stimuli presented.
An exploratory look at comorbidities, utilization, and quality of care among obese and nonobese children in academic family medicine practice.

Abstract Background Obesity is one of the least addressed comorbidities among children who attend family medicine clinics. The aim of this study was to apply a population health framework to understand the differences between obese and nonobese pediatric patients in academic family medicine practice with regard to general demographics, comorbidities, and quality measures. Methods Exploratory retrospective chart reviews were conducted among obese children aged 2–17 years and a random sample of age-matched nonobese children in 2015. Data were gathered through the institute's electronic medical record system and included demographics, ICD-10 diagnosis codes, outpatient primary care and specialty care visits, in-network emergency department visits, and in-network hospital admissions. Results This exploratory study suggested that the obese pediatric population (n = 213) had a high prevalence of hypertension ( P = .006) and sleep apnea ( P = .05) and a larger number of diagnosed comorbidities ( P = .008), whereas nonobese children had a high prevalence of environmental allergies ( P = .001). There were no significant differences among quality measures between obese (n = 213) and age-matched nonobese pediatric patients (n = 219). Conclusion This study used readily available electronic health record data to highlight comorbidities that are more common among obese pediatric patients in academic family medicine practice, thus providing information that could potentially facilitate more timely screening and intervention.
Letter from the Editor (September 2018)

This September 2018 issue of ITAL continues our celebration of the journal’s 50 th anniversary with a column by former Editorial Board member Mark Dehmlow, who highlights the technological changes beginning to stir the library world in the 1980s. The seeds of change planted in the 1970s are germinating, but the explosive growth of the 1990s is still a few years away.
Neuroimaging modality fusion in Alzheimer's classification using convolutional neural networks.

Automated methods for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) classification have the potential for great clinical benefits and may provide insight for combating the disease. Machine learning, and more specifically deep neural networks, have been shown to have great efficacy in this domain. These algorithms often use neurological imaging data such as MRI and FDG PET, but a comprehensive and balanced comparison of the MRI and amyloid PET modalities has not been performed. In order to accurately determine the relative strength of each imaging variant, this work performs a comparison study in the context of Alzheimer’s dementia classification using the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset with identical neural network architectures. Furthermore, this work analyzes the benefits of using both modalities in a fusion setting and discusses how these data types may be leveraged in future AD studies using deep learning.
Home Disposal Kits for Leftover Opioid Medications After Surgery: Do They Work?

Abstract Background Postoperative overprescribing is common, and many patients will have excess medications. An effective method to encourage disposal is lacking. We hypothesized that a convenient home disposal kit will result in more appropriate disposal of excess opioids. Materials and methods We conducted a single-center prospective observational pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of a postoperative opioid disposal kit. Patients in the intervention group received an opioid disposal kit and educational handout before discharge from the hospital. At the first follow-up visit, patients completed a survey in which they reported the remaining amount of pain medications from their original prescription and their plan for the excess medication. Patients were asked about risk factors for chronic opioid use. We used multivariable Poisson regression to identify independent factors associated with an increased likelihood of appropriate opioid disposal. Results The survey was offered to 904 patients with a response rate of 91.7%. After excluding those with missing data, 571 patients were included in the study. Overall, 83 (14.5%) patients never filled an opioid prescription, and 286 (60.0%) patients had tablets remaining at the time of the follow-up visit. Among those with tablets remaining, 52 received a home disposal kit, whereas 234 patients with tablets remaining did not. Patients who received the kit were more likely to dispose of opioid medications (54.9% versus 34.8%, relative risk = 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.5). No confounders were identified during multivariable analysis that increased a patient's likelihood of disposing excess medications. Conclusions The provision of a convenient home disposal kit postoperatively increased patient-reported opioid disposal.
Management of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome: current insights

Since the description of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) by Ganz in 2003, our understanding of the pathophysiology, management options, and outcomes has evolved and literature continues to be generated on this condition at a rapid rate. FAI has been identified as a primary source of hip pain as well as a generator of secondary osteoarthritis. Improvements in the radiographic detection of cam and pincer morphologies as well as a better understanding of the structural impact of these morphologies have led to improved preoperative planning. Advancements in hip arthroscopy techniques have also led to a higher rate of arthroscopic management of this condition over the initially described open surgical dislocation technique. While arthroscopic management of this condition has become the most common form of surgical management for FAI, inadequate bony resection has been shown to be a frequent source of revision surgery. Therefore, roles for open surgical dislocation and combined mini-open approaches remain, particularly in cases where concern for the inability to fully access the morphology arthroscopically exists.
Remote Leptomeningeal Dissemination in Olfactory Neuroblastoma Mimicking Multiple Parasagittal Meningiomas: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenge.

Background Olfactory neuroblastoma (ON) is a highly aggressive and locally recurrent neoplasm. Distant systemic metastases are not uncommon, but remote leptomeningeal dissemination is extremely rare. Case Description We report 2 cases of ON previously treated with endoscopic endonasal radical surgical resection and radiotherapy. After a relatively long period of disease-free survival, multiple leptomeningeal lesions were seen around the sagittal sinus giving a radiologic appearance of parasagittal meningiomas. Both patients underwent surgery and multimodal treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy for the disseminated disease. Pathologic examination confirmed the parasagittal lesions as metastatic ON. Conclusions A high suspicion of secondary disease should be maintained in patients with previous history of ON and parasagittal leptomeningeal enhancing lesion, particularly when multiple lesions are detected around the sagittal sinus. Radical resection and multimodal treatment are warranted to improve long-term outcome. Understanding the venous drainage route as a potential pathway for remote seeding from the primary site of disease has therapeutic implications. We postulate that en-bloc tumor resection and proximal sagittal sinus ligation might reduce potential for leptomeningeal metastasis.
Association of epileptiform abnormalities and seizures in Alzheimer disease.

Objective To examine the relationship between scalp EEG biomarkers of hyperexcitability in Alzheimer disease (AD) and to determine how these electric biomarkers relate to the clinical expression of seizures in AD. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we performed 24-hour ambulatory scalp EEGs on 43 cognitively normal elderly healthy controls (HC), 41 participants with early-stage AD with no history or risk factors for epilepsy (AD-NoEp), and 15 participants with early-stage AD with late-onset epilepsy related to AD (AD-Ep). Two epileptologists blinded to diagnosis visually reviewed all EEGs and annotated all potential epileptiform abnormalities. A panel of 9 epileptologists blinded to diagnosis was then surveyed to generate a consensus interpretation of epileptiform abnormalities in each EEG. Results Epileptiform abnormalities were seen in 53% of AD-Ep, 22% of AD-NoEp, and 4.7% of HC. Specific features of epileptiform discharges, including high frequency, robust morphology, right temporal location, and occurrence during wakefulness and REM, were associated with clinical seizures in AD. Multiple EEG biomarkers concordantly demonstrated a pattern of left temporal lobe hyperexcitability in early stages of AD, whereas clinical seizures in AD were often associated with bitemporal hyperexcitability. Frequent small sharp spikes were specifically associated with epileptiform EEGs and thus identified as a potential biomarker of hyperexcitability in AD. Conclusion Epileptiform abnormalities are common in AD but not all equivalent. Specific features of epileptiform discharges are associated with clinical seizures in AD. Given the difficulty recognizing clinical seizures in AD, these EEG features could provide guidance on which patients with AD are at high risk for clinical seizures.
Development of On-orbit Assembly Demonstrator in 3U CubeSat Form Factor

The use of robotics in space has become common in the last half century of space exploration. However, robotic arms are rarely entrusted to perform large assembly tasks without a human in the loop because of the high cost of the hardware involved. As our presence in space grows, developing advanced autonomous robotic systems may be the way forward as time lags associated with teleoperation can easily cripple future space missions operating beyond earth orbit. This research focuses on the derivation of an autonomous control system for spacecraft assembly applications that blends Jacobian path following and visual servoing. Jacobian path following assumes the environment is well known and plans end effector trajectories whose performance for assembly may suffer in dynamic or uncertain environments. Visual servoing approaches use feedback from an effector attached camera and can avoid dynamic obstacles, but provides no guarantee of success if the sensor cannot keep the goal location in its field of view and often traverses inefficient manipulator trajectories. This work proposes a hybrid approach that combines both approaches to improve the performance of a robotic manipulator in both known and unknown environments. The robotic systems are simulated using the proposed hybrid controller. The hybrid controller is developed in MATLAB using a kinematic simulation of a two degree of freedom robotic arm operating in a single plane with a simplified camera model. Following successful implementation of the simulation, a more complex robotic arm is simulated in 3D space. The controller is integrated into an existing robotic arm platform (UR5 Industrial Manipulator) for a proof of concept. The results of the testing highlights the path and final position of each controller to demonstrate the advantages of each controller individually and the advantages of the hybrid approach. The paper describes the algorithm development and results of analysis and testing.
Near-Surface Applied Geophysics

Just a few meters below the Earth's surface lie features of great importance, from geological faults which can produce devastating earthquakes, to lost archaeological treasures. This refreshing, up-to-date book explores the foundations of interpretation theory and the latest developments in near-surface techniques, used to complement traditional geophysical methods for deep-exploration targets. Clear but rigorous, the book explains theory and practice in simple physical terms, supported by intermediate-level mathematics. Techniques covered include magnetics, resistivity, seismic reflection and refraction, surface waves, induced polarization, self-potential, electromagnetic induction, ground-penetrating radar, magnetic resonance, interferometry, seismoelectric and more. Sections on data analysis and inverse theory are provided and chapters are illustrated by case studies, giving students and professionals the tools to plan, conduct and analyze a near-surface geophysical survey. This is an important textbook for advanced-undergraduate and graduate students in geophysics and a valuable reference for practising geophysicists, geologists, hydrologists, archaeologists, and civil and geotechnical engineers.
Slavery, Economic Freedom, and Income Levels in the Former Slave-exporting States of Africa:

This article investigates the relationships among slavery, economic freedom, and economic development across former slave-exporting states in Africa, using country-level slave export data from Nunn, the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World index, and per capita real gross domestic product (GDP) from the Maddison Project database. Recent studies document a negative link between slavery and present-day income. This study takes an additional step, aiming to connect slavery, institutions, and economic performance by testing whether the early institutions of slavery work through current institutions to affect modern incomes. I attempt to support this relationship using slave exports as an instrument for institutions in two-stage least squares income regressions. Results demonstrate a strong, positive relationship between economic freedom and present-day income. Further, based on tests of overidentifying restrictions, I cannot safely reject instrument validity. These findings, taken together, sugges...
Contributions of higher-order proximal distribution functions to solvent structure around proteins.

The proximal distribution function (pDF) quantifies the probability of finding a solvent molecule in the vicinity of solutes. The approach constitutes a hierarchically organized theory for constructing approximate solvation structures around solutes. Given the assumption of universality of atom cluster-specific solvation, reconstruction of the solvent distribution around arbitrary molecules provides a computationally convenient route to solvation thermodynamics. Previously, such solvent reconstructions usually considered the contribution of the nearest-neighbor distribution only. We extend the pDF reconstruction algorithm to terms including next-nearest-neighbor contribution. As a test, small molecules (alanine and butane) are examined. The analysis is then extended to include the protein myoglobin in the P6 crystal unit cell. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed, and solvent density distributions around the solute molecules are compared with the results from different pDF reconstruction models. It is shown that the next-nearest-neighbor modification significantly improves the reconstruction of the solvent number density distribution in concave regions and between solute molecules. The probability densities are then used to calculate the solute–solvent non-bonded interaction energies including van der Waals and electrostatic, which are found to be in good agreement with the simulated values.
Ancient Banking, Modern Crimes: How Hawala Secretly Transfers the Finances of Criminals and Thwarts Existing Laws

Hawala, an ancient banking system that originated in the Middle East and South Asia, has spread around the world. Secretive by nature, hawala remains a mystery to most people outside of the ethnic communities that use it. It is fast, inexpensive, reliable, convenient, and, most notably, discreet. These qualities have earned hawala many legitimate customers, not to mention money launderers and terrorist financiers. Since its transactions leave little or no trace, hawala bedevils financial auditors and law enforcement officials. It also poses considerable challenges to existing legal and regulatory regimes on money laundering and terrorist financing. These regimes rely upon factors that hawala usually lacks, namely detailed records, registration with the government, and connections to mainstream banking. Accordingly, some law enforcement efforts against hawala will fall short. Even so, there are opportunities for governments to exploit hawala's minimal connections with mainstream financial institutions and to promote alternative remittance systems that are subject to oversight. Section 2 of this paper examines the hawala system, particularly how it operates and the reasons for its enduring popularity. Section 3 analyzes the role of hawala in money laundering and terrorist financing crimes. Section 4 outlines and criticizes the legal and regulatory regimes of the United States and elsewhere that target hawala and its related criminal activity. Section 5 presents strategies for curtailing the illegal use of hawala. Section 6 summarizes the article, and concludes with remarks about the challenges posed to law enforcement authorities by hawala.
Evaluation of a Multigrid Barotropic Tropical Cyclone Track Model

The performance of a multigrid barotropic tropical cyclone track model (MUDBAR) is compared to that of a current operational barotropic model (LBAR). Analysis of track forecast errors for the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season shows that MUDBAR gives accuracy similar to LBAR with substantially lower computational cost. Despite the use of a barotropic model, the MUDBAR forecasts show skill relative to climatology and persistence (CLIPER) out to 5 days.
Is Attribution Training a Worthwhile Classroom Intervention For K–12 Students with Learning Difficulties?

The author reviewed 20 attribution training studies of school-aged students who had learning difficulties in achievement contexts. These studies were examined to identify which variables were related to success of attribution training. The scripts of what was verbalized to promote attributions were provided so that attribution training could be replicated in the classroom. Finally, several recommendations were made to qualify when attribution training may be most successful in classroom settings. These included incorporating attributions of ability and strategy with effort, combining attribution training with strategy training, using direct approaches, and using caution in large groups.
RNA binding protein hnRNP-U coordinates repair of radiation-induced damage clusters in human genome via its Ser59 phosphorylation (736.8)

Ionizing radiation (IR), widely used in diagnostic procedures and cancer therapy, induces complex clusters of damage in the genome that include DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and much higher levels...
Sulfate Emissions from Catalyst Cars -A Review

A review of the available data on sulfate emissions methods and emissions rates from both catalyst-equipped and non-catalyst cars has been made. Air-dilution methods of various sorts appear to give similar sulfates emissions results, comparable with those obtained by controlled condensation procedures. Mobile source SO2 measurements technology requires much more attention. At present, only the hydrogen peroxide oxidation to sulfate has been demonstrated to give reliable results. Summaries of several hundred catalyst and non-catalyst emission rates are treated to estimate California and 49-state emissions. A cruise-mode emission rate of about 0.03 9/mile appears appropriate for both monolithic and pelleted catalysts in 49-state cars. /GMRL/
The measurement of KNN,KLLINpd →nX and p9Be→nX at 800 MeV☆

Abstract The polarization transfer parameters,KNN and KLL, have been measured in p d→ n X and p 9Be→ n X at 0° and 800 MeV. The quasifree p d→ n X values for KNN and KLL are close to the free n-p measured values. The rather large values of KLL demonstrate that this transfer mechanism will provide a useful source of polarized neutrons at medium energies.
FOUNDATION PERFORMANCE OF TOWER OF PISA

A number of readily available bearing capacity and settlement analysis techniques, in conjunction with the results of recent comprehensive soil studies, have been used to study the performance of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. There is little likelihood that the bearing capacity of any of the foundation soils was exceeded at any state during the life of the Tower. The total settlement of the Tower results from: (1)Immediate compression of the sands in a 7-m thick zone underlying the base of the Tower; (2)immediate compression of a 30-m thick clay layer underlying the sands; (3)consolidation of the clay layer; and (4)secondary compression of the layer. Calculated magnitudes and rates of settlements agree well with measured values. The underlying compressible layers have uniform thicknesses; therefore, geometric factors did not likely cause the Tower lean. Available soil data do indicate, however, that the sand layer is more compressible on the south side of the Tower than on the north. This variation in compressibility is, therefore, a possible cause of the lean.
Impact of black bullhead ( Ameiurus melas ) on turbidity in a diked wetland

Benthivorous fish in shallow, aquatic systems have been correlated with increased turbidity and declines in macrophyte production and wildlife use. Bullheads have been credited with increasing turbidity, but this has been seldom tested and has not been studied in a diked marsh. To assess the relationships of black bullhead (Ameiurus melas) and turbidity, we assembled mesocosmsin the Show Pool Management Unit of The Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, OH, U.S.A. We stocked treatment enclosures with different biomasses of black bullhead at weekly intervals. Mean turbidity within treatment enclosures was significantly higher than within controls but remained lower than that of the open marsh. Both surface and bottom turbidity increased with adult and juvenile black bullhead biomass. Turbidity increased with fine sand concentration only in the presence of juvenile fish. Wind speed and direction were significant influences on the turbidity of the open marsh, but not within control enclosures. That treatment turbidity – even at extreme biomasses – remained significantly lower than the turbidity of the open marsh implicates fetch in having a greater influence on a marsh's turbidity than the presence of black bullhead. The greater impact of benthivorous fish on turbidity within shallow systems may be an indirect one through the destruction of macrophytes and subsequent destabilization of unconsolidated substrates.
Risk of incident atrial fibrillation in gout: a cohort study

Objective Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia associated with cardiovascular disease and mortality. Recent studies suggest an association between inflammation, hyperuricaemia and AF, but little is known whether gout is associated with AF risk. Methods Using data from a US commercial insurance plan (2004–2013), we conducted a cohort study to evaluate the risk of incident AF in patients with gout versus osteoarthritis. Patients with gout or osteoarthritis were identified with ≥2 diagnoses and ≥1 dispensing for gout or osteoarthritis medications. Incident AF was defined as a new AF diagnosis and a new dispensing for anticoagulants or antiarrhythmics. The risk of incident AF in gout was also compared with the non-gout group. Results We identified 70 015 patients with gout and 210 045 with osteoarthritis, matched on age, sex and index date. The mean age was 57 years, and 81% were men. Over the mean 2-year follow-up, the incidence rate of AF per 1000 person-years was 7.19 in gout and 5.87 in osteoarthritis. The age, sex and index date-matched HR of AF was 1.23 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.32) in gout versus osteoarthritis. In a multivariable Cox regression, adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, medications and healthcare usage, the HR of AF in gout was 1.13 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.23). When compared with non-gout, the multivariable HR of AF in gout was also increased (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.33). Conclusions In this large population-based cohort study, gout was associated with a modestly increased risk of incident AF compared with osteoarthritis and non-gout after adjusting for other risk factors.
IIR filter model for the generalized Michelson interferometer

Michelson interferometer is widely used to implement wavelength interleaver, and its different variants have been investigated from physicist's point of view. From signal processing prospect, the Michelson interferometer can be viewed as a special kind of infinite impulse response (IIR) filter. In this article, the IIR filter model of the generalized Michelson interferometer is developed. With this model, researchers would gain more insights regarding Michelson interferometer performance evaluation and increase their degree of freedom in Michelson interferometer design.
Airline safety improvement through experience with near-misses: a cautionary tale

In recent years, the U.S. commercial airline industry has achieved unprecedented levels of safety, with the statistical risk associated with U.S. commercial aviation falling to 0.003 fatalities per 100 million passengers. But decades of research on organizational learning show that success often breeds complacency and failure inspires improvement. With accidents as rare events, can the airline industry continue safety advancements? This question is complicated by the complex system in which the industry operates where chance combinations of multiple factors contribute to what are largely probabilistic (rather than deterministic) outcomes. Thus, some apparent successes are realized because of good fortune rather than good processes, and this research intends to bring attention to these events, the near-misses. The processes that create these near-misses could pose a threat if multiple contributing factors combine in adverse ways without the intervention of good fortune. Yet, near-misses (if recognized as such) can, theoretically, offer a mechanism for continuing safety improvements, above and beyond learning gleaned from observable failure. We test whether or not this learning is apparent in the airline industry. Using data from 1990 to 2007, fixed effects Poisson regressions show that airlines learn from accidents (their own and others), and from one category of near-misses-those where the possible dangers are salient. Unfortunately, airlines do not improve following near-miss incidents when the focal event has no clear warnings of significant danger. Therefore, while airlines need to and can learn from certain near-misses, we conclude with recommendations for improving airline learning from all near-misses.
Atomistic simulations of nanotube fracture

The fracture of carbon nanotubes is studied by molecular mechanics simulations. The fracture behavior is found to be almost independent of the separation energy and to depend primarily on the inflection point in the interatomic potential. The fracture strain of a zigzag nanotube is predicted to be between 10% and 15%, which compares reasonably well with experimental results. The predicted range of fracture stresses is 65--93 GPa and is markedly higher than observed. The computed fracture strengths of chiral and armchair nanotubes are above these values. Various plausible small-scale defects do not suffice to bring the failure stresses into agreement with available experimental results. As in the experiments, the fracture of carbon nanotubes is predicted to be brittle.
Olefin versus sulfur coordination of benzo[b]thiophene (BT) in Cp(CO)2Re(η2:η6-μ2-BT)Cr(CO)3☆

Reactions of Cr(CO)3(η6-BT), in which the Cr is π-coordinated to the benzene ring of benzo[b]thiophene (BT), with Cp′(CO)2Re(THF), where Cp′ = η5-C5H5 or η5-C5Me5, give the products Cp′(CO)2Re(η2:η6-μ2-BT)Cr(CO)3 in which the Cr remains coordinated to the benzene ring and Re is bound to the C(2)C(3) double bond. An X-ray diffraction study of Cp(CO)2Re(η2:η6-μ2-BT)Cr(CO)3 (3) provides details of the geometry. This structure contrasts with that of the Cp′(CO)2Re(BT) complexes that exist as mixtures of isomers in which the BT is coordinated to the Re through either the double bond (2,3-η2) or the sulfur (η1(S)). Thus, the electron-withdrawing Cr(CO)3 group in 3 stabilizes the 2,3-η2 mode of BT coordination to the Cp′(CO)2Re fragment. Implications of these results for catalytic hydrodesulfurization of BT are discussed. Crystal data for 3: triclinic, space group P1, a = 6.716(2), b = 11.651(2), c = 11.956(2) A, α = 70.20(2), β = 74.84(2), γ = 89.90(2)°, Z = 2.
Modeling the Dynamics of Acute Phase Protein Expression in Human Hepatoma Cells Stimulated by IL-6

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a systemic inflammatory mediator that triggers the human body’s acute phase response to trauma or inflammation. Although mathematical models for IL-6 signaling pathways have previously been developed, reactions that describe the expression of acute phase proteins were not included. To address this deficiency, a recent model of IL-6 signaling was extended to predict the dynamics of acute phase protein expression in IL-6-stimulated HepG2 cells (a human hepatoma cell line). This included reactions that describe the regulation of haptoglobin, fibrinogen, and albumin secretion by nuclear transcription factors STAT3 dimer and C/EBPβ. This new extended model was validated against two different sets of experimental data. Using the validated model, a sensitivity analysis was performed to identify seven potential drug targets to regulate the secretion of haptoglobin, fibrinogen, and albumin. The drug-target binding kinetics for these seven targets was then integrated with the IL-6 kinetic model to rank them based upon the influence of their pairing with drugs on acute phase protein dynamics. It was found that gp80, JAK, and gp130 were the three most promising drug targets and that it was possible to reduce the therapeutic dosage by combining drugs aimed at the top three targets in a cocktail. These findings suggest hypotheses for further experimental investigation.
Permissiveness of human hepatoma cell lines for HCV infection

Although primary and established human hepatoma cell lines have been evaluated for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in vitro, thus far only Huh7 cells have been found to be highly permissive for infectious HCV. Since our understanding of the HCV lifecycle would benefit from the identification of additional permissive cell lines, we assembled a panel of hepatic and non-hepatic cell lines and assessed their ability to support HCV infection. Here we show infection of the human hepatoma cell lines PLC/PRF/5 and Hep3B with cell culture-derived HCV (HCVcc), albeit to lower levels than that achieved in Huh7 cells. To better understand the reduced permissiveness of PLC and Hep3B cells for HCVcc infection, we performed studies to evaluate the ability of each cell line to support specific steps of the viral lifecycle (i.e. entry, replication, egress and spread). We found that while the early events in HCV infection (i.e. entry plus replication initiation) are cumulatively equivalent or only marginally reduced in PLC and Hep3B cells, later steps of the viral life cycle such as steady-state replication, de novo virus production and/or spread are impaired to different degrees in PLC and Hep3B cultures compared to Huh7 cell cultures. Interestingly, we also observed that interferon stimulated gene (i.e. ISG56) expression was significantly and differentially up-regulated in PLC and Hep3B cells following viral infection. We conclude that the restrictions observed later during HCV infection in these cell lines could in part be attributed to HCV-induced innate signaling. Nevertheless, the identification of two new cell lines capable of supporting authentic HCVcc infection, even at reduced levels, expands the current repertoire of cell lines amendable for the study of HCV in vitro and should aid in further elucidating HCV biology and the cellular determinants that modulate HCV infection.
Cryoelectron tomography reveals the sequential assembly of bacterial flagella in Borrelia burgdorferi

Periplasmic flagella are essential for the distinctive morphology, motility, and infectious life cycle of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. In this study, we genetically trapped intermediates in flagellar assembly and determined the 3D structures of the intermediates to 4-nm resolution by cryoelectron tomography. We provide structural evidence that secretion of rod substrates triggers remodeling of the central channel in the flagellar secretion apparatus from a closed to an open conformation. This open channel then serves as both a gateway and a template for flagellar rod assembly. The individual proteins assemble sequentially to form a modular rod. The hook cap initiates hook assembly on completion of the rod, and the filament cap facilitates filament assembly after formation of the mature hook. Cryoelectron tomography and mutational analysis thus combine synergistically to provide a unique structural blueprint of the assembly process of this intricate molecular machine in intact cells.
Interventional magnetic resonance imaging in the head and neck

In addition to the impact that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has made in the diagnosis of head and neck pathology, one of the more exciting novel areas of investigation is its use to guide interventional procedures directly.
TGF‐β1 induces rearrangement of FLK‐1–VE‐cadherin–β‐catenin complex at the adherens junction through VEGF‐mediated signaling

VEGF and TGF-β1 induce angiogenesis but have opposing effects on vascular endothelial cells: VEGF promotes survival; TGF-β1 induces apoptosis. We have previously shown that TGF-β1 induces endothelial cell apoptosis via up-regulation of VEGF expression and activation of signaling through VEGF receptor-2 (flk-1). In context with TGF-β1, VEGF signaling is transiently converted from a survival into an apoptotic one. VEGF promotes cell survival in part via activation of PI3K/Akt by a mechanism dependent on the formation of a multi-protein complex that includes flk-1 and the adherens junction proteins VE-cadherin and β-catenin. Here we report that TGF-β1 induces rearrangement of the adherens junction complex by separating flk-1 from VE-cadherin and increasing β-catenin association with both flk-1 and VE-cadherin. This rearrangement is caused neither by changes in adherens junction mRNA or protein expression nor by post-translational modification, and requires VEGF signaling through flk-1. These results show that the adherens junction is an important regulatory component of TGF-β1–VEGF interaction in endothelial cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 105: 1367–1373, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Validation of Computer Models for Nuclear Material Shipping Packages

Computer models are abstractions of physical reality and are routinely used for solving practical engineering problems. These models are prepared using large complex computer codes that are widely used in the industry. Patran/Thermal is such a finite element computer code that is used for solving complex heat transfer problems in the industry. Finite element models of complex problems involve making assumptions and simplifications that depend upon the complexity of the problem and upon the judgment of the analysts. The assumptions involve mesh size, solution methods, convergence criteria, material properties, boundary conditions, etc. that could vary from analyst to analyst. All of these assumptions are, in fact, candidates for a purposeful and intended effort to systematically vary each in connection with the others to determine there relative importance or expected overall effect on the modeled outcome. These kinds of models derive from the methods of statistical science and are based on the principles of experimental designs. These, as all computer models, must be validated to make sure that the output from such an abstraction represents reality [1,2]. A new nuclear material packaging design, called 9977, which is undergoing a certification design review, is used to assess the capability of the Patran/Thermal computer model to simulate 9977 thermal response. The computer model for the 9977 package is validated by comparing its output with the test data collected from an actual thermal test performed on a full size 9977 package. Inferences are drawn by performing statistical analyses on the residuals (test data – model predictions).Copyright © 2007 by ASME and Washington Savannah River Company LLC
Heats of base pair formation with adenine and uracil analogs.

Abstract The association between 1-cyclohexyluracil (U) and 9-ethyladenine (A) in chloroform is found to be much stronger than the self association of either, which confirms the work of Kyogoku, Lord & Rich (1967). The equilibrium constants for association are 92 ± 10, 13 ± 2 and 19 ± 4 mole −1 l. at 25 °C for AU, A 2 and U 2 , respectively. Enthalpy changes for the association are −4.9 ± 0.3, −1.31 ± 0.10 and −1.99 ± 0.06 kcal, mole −1 , respectively. If the ethyl alcohol commonly used as a preservative in chloroform is removed, the association constant for AU is 98 ± 10 mole −1 l. and the change in enthalpy is −6.2 ± 0.3 kcal. mole −1 . The method used in these determinations is the measurement of heats of dilution of the associated species over a series of concentrations. Equilibrium constants are tabulated against heat ratios at different concentrations. A range of equilibrium constants which can be calculated practically is thereby established.
Effect of ethanol on proliferation and estrogen receptor-α expression in human breast cancer cells

There is substantial epidemiological evidence suggesting that alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk for breast cancer. However, possible biological mechanisms have not been clearly established. In the present studies, a direct effect of ethanol on the proliferation and intracellular content of cyclic AMP (cAMP) in two estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and two estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) human breast cancer cell lines was examined. Treatment of ER+ human breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and ZR75.1) with ethanol at concentrations between 10 and 100 mM was associated with increased cell numbers compared to controls. The ERalpha content and the amount of intracellular cAMP also increased in ER+ cells exposed to ethanol, compared to controls. On the other hand, ethanol treatment did not increase cell proliferation or cAMP levels in the ER- (BT-20 and MDA-MB-231) human breast cancer cells. Therefore, ethanol added at physiologically relevant concentrations to ER+ human breast cancer cell cultures can enhance cell proliferation and increase the content of ERalpha.