cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seismic Recording on Drifting Icebergs: Catching Seismic Waves, Tsunamis and Storms from Sumatra and Elsewhere

Under the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Program for Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (PASSCAL) project SOUTHBERG, we have operated for the past three years a number of seismic stations on giant Antarctic icebergs parked or drifting slowly along the margins of the Ross Sea. The purpose of this deployment was to investigate in situ the characteristics and origin of high-frequency tremors emanating from inside the icebergs, tremors that previously had been detected in the far field as hydroacoustic T phases recorded in French Polynesia (Talandier et al. 2002, 2006). Similar observations were made later in the Indian Ocean by Chapp et al. (2005). In this general context, the purpose of this paper is to report on the ancillary functioning of iceberg-sited seismometers as teleseismic observatories, and in particular their recording of the two Sumatra mega-earthquakes of 26 December 2004 and 28 March 2005. These data are available upon request from the authors. We are in the third and final year of the SOUTHBERG deployment. In November–December 2003, we installed four seismic stations on iceberg C16 (including an STS-2 broadband instrument at the central station C16A) and left one of them to winter over during 2004. Because all stations work on solar power, the station shut down on 28 May 2004 after the arrival of permanent winter darkness at that latitude, but it woke up and started recording uneventfully on 25 September 2004 around the austral spring equinox, thus providing a total of 141 days of seismic recording, which went beyond our expectations. Bolstered by this performance, we left four stations to winter over in 2005: one at C16A (hereafter referred to as C16 for short), one on iceberg B15A, one on iceberg B15K (a fragment of B15A that detached in 2004), and one on …
Guided-resonance in photonic crystal slabs for biosensing applications

We introduce a novel design of an all-dielectric near-field biosensor based on guided resonances in photonic crystal slabs. We demonstrate biosensor fabrication using all-optical and e-beam lithography techniques, compatible with large scale replication.
International Tourism and Political Science Research

Abstract This paper points out that political scientists have been more negligent than other social researchers in investigating the phenomena of international mass tourism. They have not yet isolated tourism as a cluster of human activity from larger concerns such as general international relations, development, or foreign policy. There are three obvious levels of political activity related to tourism: politics of tourism in the marketplace, that is, in the metropolitan countries; politics and tourism in developing host nations; and ideological perception of international mass tourism. While there are other kinds or levels of politics involved in world tourism, these three deserve immediate political research.
Localization of acoustic vibrations in aerogels

In materials that are homogeneous at length scales larger than a correlation length xi , acoustic phonons of wavelength lambda smaller than approximately 2 pi xi do not exist. The acoustic vibrations at these high frequencies are highly localized and have been called fractons. The usual ultrasonic measurements cannot be used at frequencies beyond the phonon-fracton crossover. However, Brillouin-scattering measurements allow the determination of the fracton-structure factor S(q, omega ) in the crossover regime. Such measurements have been performed on silica aerogels, which are excellent model fractals, and they have been complemented by Raman scattering over the entire fracton frequency range, and by inelastic neutron-scattering measurements of the density of fracton states. The results allow the determination of both the fractal and spectral dimensions. The former characterizes the scaling of mass, and the latter that of the vibrational density of states. >
Prior-free cost sharing design: group strategyproofness and the worst absolute loss

A service is produced for a set of agents at some cost. The service is bi- nary, each agent either receives service or not. A mechanism elicits the willingness to pay of the agents for getting service, serves a group of agents and covers the cost by charging those agents. We consider the problem in which the designer of the mechanism has little infor- mation about the participants to be able to form a prior-belief about the distribution of their possible types. This paper investigates mechanisms that meet two robust properties that are meaningful in this setting. On one hand, we look at mechanisms that prevent coordination between any group of agents (henceforth called group strategyproof). On the other hand, we look at mechanisms that are optimal using the worst absolute surplus loss measure. The mechanisms that are optimal and group strategyproof are characterized for different shapes of cost functions.
Are people healthier if their partners are more optimistic? The dyadic effect of optimism on health among older adults

Objective Optimism has been linked with an array of positive health outcomes at the individual level. However, researchers have not examined how a spouse's optimism might impact an individual's health. We hypothesized that being optimistic (and having an optimistic spouse) would both be associated with better health.
Phylogenetic Split of Malagasy and African Taxa of Protorhus and Rhus (Anacardiaceae) Based on cpDNA trnL-trnF and nrDNA ETS and ITS Sequence Data

Abstract The African-Malagasy genus Protorhus and the African-Malagasy species of Rhus s.l. have been suggested to be polyphyletic, but definitive evidence has been lacking. We investigated a clade of Anacardiaceae subfamily Anacardioideae in order to clarify evolutionary relationships of the African-Malagasy members of these two genera. Phylogenetic analysis of sequence data from cpDNA trnL–trnF, and nrDNA ETS and ITS provide strong statistical support for the 1) polyphyly of Protorhus; 2) monophyly of Malagasy Protorhus species; 3) polyphyly of Rhus section Baronia (Malagasy Rhus). These results support the need for new circumscriptions of these groups. Two new combinations are proposed, Searsia erosa and Searsia pendulina.
Synthesis and evaluation of 7-substituted-3-cyclobutylamino-4H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine-1,1-dioxide derivatives as KATP channel agonists

A series of 7-substituted-3-cyclobutylamino-4H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine-1,1-dioxide derivatives has been synthesized and evaluated as K(ATP) channel agonists using the inside-out excised patch clamp technique. The most active compounds were approximately 20-fold more potent than diazoxide in opening K(ATP) channels. A linear relationship exists between the potency of the compound and the sigma value of the 7-substituent with electron-withdrawing groups exhibiting higher activity. These compounds may be useful in modulating insulin release from pancreatic beta-cells and in diseases associated with hyperinsulinemia.
Peak calf blood flow estimates are higher with Dohn than with Whitney plethysmograph

Estimates of calf blood flow with venous occlusion plethysmography vary widely between studies, perhaps due to the use of different plethysmographs. Consequently, we compared calf blood flow estimates at rest and during reactive hyperemia in eight healthy subjects (four men and four women) with two commonly used plethysmographs: the mercury-in-silastic (Whitney) strain gauge and Dohn air-filled cuff. To minimize technical variability, flow estimates were compared with a Whitney gauge and a Dohn cuff on opposite calves before and after 10 min of bilateral femoral arterial occlusion. To account for any differences between limbs, a second trial was conducted in which the plethysmographs were switched. Resting flows did not differ between the plethysmographs (P = 0.096), but a trend toward lower values with the Whitney was apparent. Peak flows averaged 37% lower with the Whitney (27.8 +/- 2.8 ml.dl-1.min-1) than with the Dohn plethysmograph (44.4 +/- 2.8 ml.dl-1.min-1; P < 0.05). Peak flow expressed as a multiple above baseline was also lower with the Whitney (10-fold) than with the Dohn plethysmograph (14.5-fold; P = 0.02). Across all flows at rest and during reactive hyperemia, estimates were highly correlated between the plethysmographs in all subjects (r2 = 0.96-0.99). However, the mean slope for the Whitney-Dohn relationship was only 60 +/- 2%, indicating that over a wide range of flows the Whitney gauge estimate was 40% lower than that for the Dohn cuff. These results demonstrate that the same qualitative results can be obtained with either plethysmograph but that absolute flow values will generally be lower with Whitney gauges.
Demonstration of an optoelectronic dual-diode optically controlled optical gate with a 20 picosecond repetition period

Using surface-normal pulses, a low-power, optically controlled optical gate incorporating two stacked AlGaAs diodes opens and closes within 20 picoseconds with a 30% reflectivity change. Repeated gating with 20 picosecond periods is demonstrated, matching simulations.
An algorithm for part families identification in cellular manufacturing

The formation of machine–part families is an important task in the design of cellular and flexible manufacturing systems. The formation results in the creation of many benefits for manufacturing systems. Among the many methods utilised in machine–cells formation, the similarity coefficient method (SCM) is most widely used. When SCM is used, the rearrangement of machine and part components is required to form machine–part families. This process of rearrangement has been considered as being subjective and difficult, may result in improper assignments to parts families, resulting in a negation of benefits promised. This paper presents an effective algorithm to identify part–families and bottleneck parts, given machine groupings, rather than addressing the machine grouping problem in general.
Early non-marine life: Evaluating the biogenicity of Mesoproterozoic fluvial-lacustrine stromatolites

Abstract The record of life on land or in non-marine environments during the Precambrian is sparse, limiting our ability to understand life outside of marine settings before the advent of animals. Stromatolites from such environments are known, but demonstrating stromatolite biogenicity remains difficult, as stromatolite growth can be controlled by a spectrum of biologic, chemical, and biologically-mediated processes. Stromatolites from the Mesoproterozoic (1.09 Ga) Copper Harbor Conglomerate, an alluvial fan, fluvial, and lacustrine deposit, offer an interesting test for the presence and nature of microbial life in shallow, Mesoproterozoic non-marine settings. Stromatolites from a siltstone facies are interpreted as biogenic, as they contain detrital-rich laminae, likely indicative of trapping and binding by microbes and fenestral fabrics suggestive of desiccation or lift-off structures in mats via the presence of gas (perhaps O2 from photosynthesis or other gases from mat decay). The stromatolites formed as microbial mats grew over a mudflat or sandflat with carbonate filled desiccation cracks on an erosive topography, and thus provide evidence for life in a very shallow, predominantly desiccated environment. Stromatolites from a conglomerate facies are microdigitate and record both isopachous laminae with radial-fibrous calcite fans and botryoids, typically considered abiogenic in origin, as well as wavy, conical laminations likely indicative of the former presence of microbial mats. The conglomerate-facies stromatolites are interpreted to have formed in a flooded braidplain setting with restricted circulation. This study supports the suggestion that microbial communities were abundant in non-marine environments in the Midcontinent Rift during the Mesoproterozoic. It also highlights how variable environmental factors can influence stromatolite growth, even in similar depositional settings and with a consistent microbial presence.
Peritransplant Serum Albumin Decline Predicts Subsequent Severe Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease after Mucotoxic Myeloablative Conditioning

Abstract Conditioning-related gut toxicity can result in a protein-losing enteropathy manifesting as a decline in serum albumin in the peritransplant period. Inspired by the pathogenesis of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), we hypothesized that the magnitude of decline in serum albumin from the day of conditioning initiation until its nadir in the first 2 weeks after hematopoietic cell transplantation HCT (DeltaAlb) predicts the risk for subsequent severe aGVHD. We reviewed the medical records of all 88 patients with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome who underwent highly mucotoxic myeloablative (busulfan/cyclophosphamide or cyclophosphamide/total body irradiation) allogeneic HCT from a matched related donor (MRD) or matched unrelated donor (MUD) at our institution between January 1, 2012 and January 1, 2015. Severe aGVHD was associated with MUD (47% versus 14% with MRD; P = .001) and DeltaAlb, which was significantly greater among patients who developed versus did not develop severe aGVHD (1.2 ± .5 versus .8 ± .4 g/dL, respectively; P
Abstract 3218: Interrogating the role of NOX4 in colon cancer metastasis.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Colon cancer is a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Adjuvant chemotherapy significantly reduces mortality in stage III colon cancer; however, it is only marginally effective in stage II patients. Molecular biomarkers are used to partition tumors into a poor prognosis group that is likely to metastasize and a good prognosis group that has a higher probability to be relapse-free. These biomarkers for relapse risk are of clinical interest, and lead to insight into how a tumor progresses to metastasis. There is increasing evidence that cancer of the ascending (right-side) colon is different from the descending (left-side) colon. There are site-specific differences in histological and molecular characteristics and different signaling pathways have been shown to dominate progression to relapse in right and left-side colon cancer. We have observed that the genes altered in expression between the poor prognosis and good prognosis tumors vary significantly depending on whether the malignancy originates on the right or left side of the colon. We have identified NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) to be highly predictive of relapse in stage II and stage III left-side colon cancer where elevated expression of NOX4 is correlated with relapse. Furthermore, NOX4 expression is greatly elevated in the human colon cancer derived metastatic cell line SW620 compared to human cell lines derived from primary adenoma or carcinoma colon tumors. NOX4 silencing using RNA interference results in decreased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The NOX family of genes has been implicated in cancer development in several types of cancer while overproduction of ROS has been implicated in tumor metastasis. We are exploring the newly identified role of NOX4-mediated ROS generation in metastatic colon cancer. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanism we are analyzing the effect of NOX4 silencing via RNA interference and NOX4 inhibition using pharmacological NOX inhibitors on global protein expression patterns in metastatic-derived SW620 cells. Proteomic changes are being assessed by iTRAQ labeling and mass spectrometry. Bioinformatics and cluster analysis will be used to identify the functional role of redox responsive and ROS regulative proteins in colon cancer metastasis. The role of NOX4 as a prognostic biomarker in colon cancer makes it an important target for research in cancer biology and therapeutics. Citation Format: Kerry M. Bauer, Steven Buechler, Amanda B. Hummon. Interrogating the role of NOX4 in colon cancer metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3218. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3218
Transient thermal response near dynamically-loaded cracks during dislocation generation

As a step in considering thermal effects prior to dynamic fracture or the development of fully-plastic crack edge zones, a transient 2-D study of edge dislocation generation near cracks in a fully-coupled thermoelastic solid is considered. Dynamic loading is provided either by SV-wave diffraction or tension, and no heat sources are imposed upon the solid. Despite the existence of characteristic lengths in the governing equations, exact solutions to the required mixed boundary/initial value problems are obtained in the multiple transform space, and time transforms extracted by an inversion process similar to the used in classical wave propagation. From them, the temperature changes at the dislocation edges for short times after generation are developed. These show that dislocation motion and dislocation-crack interaction produce constant temperature changes that are small. However, the results for mirror pairs separating at low speeds suggest that, as dislocation arrays form in the process of plastic zone development near the crack edge, the temperature increases could well become important.
The Increasing Importance of Gene-Based Analyses

In recent years, genome and exome sequencing studies have implicated a plethora of new disease genes with rare causal variants. Here, I review 150 exome sequencing studies that claim to have discovered that a disease can be caused by different rare variants in the same gene, and I determine whether their methods followed the current best-practice guidelines in the interpretation of their data. Specifically, I assess whether studies appropriately assess controls for rare variants throughout the entire gene or implicated region as opposed to only investigating the specific rare variants identified in the cases, and I assess whether studies present sufficient co-segregation data for statistically significant linkage. I find that the proportion of studies performing gene-based analyses has increased with time, but that even in 2015 fewer than 40% of the reviewed studies used this method, and only 10% presented statistically significant co-segregation data. Furthermore, I find that the genes reported in these papers are explaining a decreasing proportion of cases as the field moves past most of the low-hanging fruit, with 50% of the genes from studies in 2014 and 2015 having variants in fewer than 5% of cases. As more studies focus on genes explaining relatively few cases, the importance of performing appropriate gene-based analyses is increasing. It is becoming increasingly important for journal editors and reviewers to require stringent gene-based evidence to avoid an avalanche of misleading disease gene discovery papers.
Trans-beta-farnesene as a feeding stimulant for the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae).

The aphid alarm pheromone, trans-beta-farnesene (TBF), was found to stimulate feeding in both male and female Lutzomyia longipalpis Lutz & Neiva. Four other structurally related compounds (farnesol; 808 farnesene; trans, trans-farnesyl acetate; farnesyl methyl ether) were slightly less stimulating to these insects. The effect of TBF varied with sand fly age and the concentration of the chemical used. In contrast, TBF did not stimulate feeding in either sex of four other sand fly species ( L. shannoni Dyar, Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli), P. argentipes Annandale & Brunetti, P. perniciosus Newstead). TBF might be useful in enhancing L. longipalpis field collections or in developing a poison bait for the control of this species.
Magnesium Mama and the Mad Dad

This case discusses pharmacodynamic drug–drug interactions between magnesium sulfate and intravenous anesthetics and between magnesium sulfate and vecuronium. Additional information regarding the use of magnesium for perioperative patients is presented.
Behind the curtain: Fetishism and the production of virtual reality treatment for PTSD

Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan, a virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy designed for the treatment of combat-related PTSD, has generated wide public interest in the wake of growing concerns over mental health problems among service members. Enlisting concepts from the fields of cultural studies and psychoanalytic film criticism, the paper interprets the VR therapy program as a form of technology fetishism within the expanding apparatus of military mental health operations. Even as the program seeks to expose the “invisible wounds of war,” the stories produced through this use of visual culture conform closely to hegemonic military accounts of the psychological effects of combat.
Expression regulation of major late promoter tripartite leader sequence in adenovirus late infection

Objective To investigate the influence of adenovirus major late tripartite leader sequence on specific exportation of virus mRNA in the late phase of adenovirus infection. Methods We constructed a marked, human beta-actin minigene under the control of the glucocorticoid-inducible enhancer and promoter of mouse mammary tumor virus, and inserted it into the left end of the adenovirus type V genome. The promoter gene, designated MA, as well as of a sibling, which differed only in inclusion of a cDNA copy of the adenovirus major late tripartite leader sequence upstream of beta-actin sequences termed MtplA, in recombinant virus-infected cells was strictly dependent on addition of deoxymethesone to the medium. Nuclear and cytoplasmic reporter RNA species were compared by Northern blotting, primer extension and pulse-chase assay. Results The high concentrations of newly-synthesized RNA were accumulated in cytoplasm when tripartite leader sequence was present in reporter RNA, despite the equal rates of transcription of the two reporter genes. Nuclear and cytoplasmic reporter RNA species compared by Northern blotting, primer extension, and pulse-chase provided no evidence for altered processing induced by tripartite leader sequence. Conclusion The tripartite leader sequence, known to facilitate translation of mRNA during the late phase of adenovirus infection, can also modulate mRNA export from the nucleus.
Fathers absent and present

Hindering and obfuscating psychiatric scholarship about the father's role, whether he is present or absent, are several widespread notions and practices--including conceptual, assumptive, attitudinal, methodologic and technical matters. Discussed are eleven barriers to research: patriarchal ideology, preference for studying individual and dyad instead of family systems, preference for considering adults not children, overly rigid definition of parental roles, choosing not longitudinal but one-time cross-sectional study, reasoning about linear cause and effect, focus on attitudes not overt behavior, failure to control for adequate number of variables, neglect of adequate sampling procedures, confusing correlation with causation and an overemphasis on obvious pathology. The father, present or absent, may be salient or insignificant in the life of a child. If salient, the father's role may promote health and growth or may be largely pathogenic. The conclusion holds that an irreducible family unit may consist of only one pair: caretaker/child.
Intracerebral Imaging and Carotid Artery Stenosis

Cerebrovascular disease is the third cause of death in industrialized countries. Carotid stenosis is associated with an increased risk of acute and chronic infarction. Patients with 80–99% lesions had a 20.6% annual event rate. The main factor that appears to predict increased risk for future stroke is progression of stenosis. A significant carotid stenosis can be found in approximatively one third of patients with cerebral ischemia. Overall carotid atherosclerosis is responsible for approximately 20% of all cerebral ischemic strokes. At 2 years of follow-up, the risk of a repeat stroke is 28 and 13% for symptomatic stenoses of 70–99% and 50–69%. Carotid endarterectomy is now well established as a way to prevent infarction in the presence of carotid stenosis either symptomatic and of a higher grade than 50%, or symptomatic or asymptomatic of a higher grade than 70%. This was proven by two randomized clinical trials, the European Carotid Surgery Trial [3] and the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial [1].
Does a Self-Affirmation Intervention Reduce Stereotype Threat in Black and Hispanic High Schools?

The risk of confirming negative stereotypes about one’s social group, known as stereotype threat, depresses academic achievement among students of color and contributes to racial gaps in achievement. Some work finds that stereotype threat may be alleviated through self-affirmation exercises, translating into improved performance among students vulnerable to threat. However, this work has been conducted primarily in settings where students of color represent a relatively small segment of the student population. The current study explores whether this intervention is efficacious in schools where students of color are the majority. Through a randomized controlled trial of 886 students in three high schools (one predominantly black, one predominantly Hispanic, and one mixed race school), we administered self-affirmation exercises over the course of an academic year. We find no clear evidence that self-affirmation promoted higher standardized test scores or higher grades within the sample. The null findings highlight the complex nature of academic challenges in segregated contexts and raise important questions about the nature of stereotype thereat in such contexts. Importantly, this suggests that solely enhancing self-integrity may not be sufficient to close academic race-based gaps.
Design and analysis of a storm surge protection system for Reagan National Airport

According to leading climate studies, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, like many other coastal airports with low elevation, is at an increasing risk of storm surge events. Within the next two decades (by 2037), the chance of a single 3-foot flood occurring in one year surpasses 50%. A 3-foot flood event would result in water encroaching on runway safety areas as well as flooded parking lots at the Southern end of airport grounds. Issues such as these will lead to property damage, flight delays, and flight cancellations if a protective design is not in place. This paper examines the airport under storm conditions to compare different protection alternatives. The three alternatives are: permanent sea walls, temporary flood barriers, and an improved drainage design, namely increased out flow pump capacities. This paper, in part, presents a stochastic simulation of aircraft departures and arrivals using a queuing model. The constraints and general structure of aircraft arrival rates and amounts, departure rates and amounts, taxi times, and their applicable delays are estimated using historical data. The simulation receives arrival and departure schedules as an input. The simulation also receives data regarding future storm surge events which may cancel or hinder airport operations, namely arrivals and departures. The output of the simulation is the time an airport stays flooded once a storm surge event is initialized as well as the time it takes for an airport, specifically it's drainage system, to drain enough of the flood to resume operations at normal rates. With these results, the total cost of each alternative is calculated by summing up the cost of implementation and costs of delayed or cancelled operations. Each alternative's performance in minimizing these costs are compared using the utility vs. cost analysis to determine the optimal alternative.
Global Connections

UNESCO proved unequal to the computing era's forces. The web extra at https://youtu.be/F6ycuTJzZxo is an audio recording of author David Alan Grier reading his Global Code column, in which he in which he discusses UNESCO's role in connecting global academic researchers and commercial data processors.
Evaluation of Safety Performance Functions Based on Experimental Design Using a Cross-Validation Method:

The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) Part C provides a series of safety performance functions (SPFs) for different roadway conditions. The SPFs suggested in the HSM are formulated on the basis of exposure variables: the logarithms of the annual average daily traffic (AADT) on the major road and on the minor road under the base condition. In this research, data from 7,802 intersections in Florida were collected and processed. These intersections were categorized into seven types based on area type (rural or urban), number of legs (three or four), and number of approaches controlled by stop signs. Twenty-two SPF formulations, including the one suggested by the HSM, were developed for each intersection type for examination of the goodness-of-fit measures of the SPFs. In addition, the goodness of fit of each model of the 22 SPFs in each category was examined with 10-fold leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV). With a comparison of the delta values generated with the LOOCV method, it is suggested that the SPF with ...
Organic dispersion of polyaniline and single-walled carbon nanotubes and polyblends with poly(methyl methacrylate)

Abstract Traditionally, in situ polymerization has been used to make polymer-carbon nanotube composites. Here, we report a simple method of mixing polyaniline with single-walled carbon nanotubes in a variety of organic solvents via ultrasonication. The maximum loading fraction of SWCNTs in the composites is determined by the conformation of the polyaniline chains. The type of solvent used has the greatest influence on the conformation of the polyaniline chains. Furthermore, the composites can be easily blended with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), to form polyblends. The electrical conductivities and transparencies of the polyblend films are reported.
Suboptimal infant and young child feeding practices among internally displaced persons during conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Objective To determine current status, areas for improvement and effect of conflict on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices among internally displaced persons (IDP) in eastern Ukraine. Design Cross-sectional household survey, June 2015. Setting Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia oblasts (Ukrainian administrative divisions) bordering conflict area in Ukraine. Subjects Randomly selected IDP households with children aged <2 years registered with local non-governmental organizations. Questions based on the WHO IYCF assessment questionnaire were asked for 477 children. Mid-upper arm circumference was measured in 411 children aged 6–23 months. Results Exclusive breast-feeding prevalence for infants aged <6 months was 25·8 (95 % CI 15·8, 38·0) %. Percentage of mothers continuing breast-feeding when their child was aged 1 and 2 years was 53·5 (95 % CI 43·2, 63·6) % and 20·6 (95 % CI 11·5, 32·7) %, respectively. Bottle-feeding was common for children aged <2 years (68·1 %; 95 % CI 63·7, 72·3 %). Almost all infants aged 6–8 months received solid foods (98·6 %; 95 % CI 88·5, 99·9 %). Mothers who discontinued breast-feeding before their infant was 6 months old more often listed stress related to conflict as their primary reason for discontinuation (45·7 %) compared with mothers who discontinued breast-feeding when their child was aged 6–23 months (14·3 %; P<0·0001). Conclusions To mitigate the effects of conflict and improve child health, humanitarian action is needed focused on helping mothers cope with stress related to conflict and displacement while supporting women to adhere to recommended IYCF practices if possible and providing appropriate support to women when adherence is not feasible.
Parasite susceptibility in an amphibian host is modified by salinization and predators.

Abstract Secondary salinization represents a global threat to freshwater ecosystems. Salts, such as NaCl, can be toxic to freshwater organisms and may also modify the outcome of species interactions (e.g. host-parasite interactions). In nature, hosts and their parasites are embedded in complex communities where they face anthropogenic and biotic (i.e. predators) stressors that influence host-parasite interactions. As human populations grow, considering how anthropogenic and natural stressors interact to shape host-parasite interactions will become increasingly important. We conducted two experiments investigating: (1) the effects of NaCl on tadpole susceptibility to trematodes and (2) whether density- and trait-mediated effects of a parasite-predator (i.e. damselfly) and a host-predator (i.e. dragonfly), respectively, modify the effects of NaCl on susceptibility to trematode infection. In the first experiment, we exposed tadpoles to three concentrations of NaCl and measured parasite infection in tadpoles. In the second experiment, we conducted a 2 (tadpoles exposed to 0 g L−1 NaCl vs. 1 g L−1 NaCl) x 4 (no predator, free-ranging parasite-predator (damselfly), non-lethal host-predator (dragonfly kairomone), and free-ranging parasite-predator + dragonfly kairomone) factorial experiment. In the absence of predators, exposure to NaCl increased parasite infection. Of the predator treatments, NaCl only caused an increase in parasite infection in the presence of the parasite-predator. However, direct consumption of trematodes caused a reduction in overall infection in the parasite-predator treatment. In the dragonfly kairomone treatment, a reduction in tadpole movement (i.e. trematode avoidance behavior) led to an increase in overall infection. In the parasite-predator + dragonfly kairomone treatment, antagonistic effects of the parasite-predator (reduction in trematode abundance) and dragonfly kairomone (reduction in parasite avoidance behavior) resulted in intermediate parasite infection. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that NaCl can increase amphibian susceptibility to parasites, and underscores the importance of considering predator-mediated interactions in understanding how contaminants influence host-parasite interactions.
Freeze-thaw crack determination in cementitious materials using 3D X-ray computed tomography and acoustic emission

Abstract As concrete freezes and thaws cracks may develop. These cracks can provide a path for water and ionic species to penetrate the concrete. This may reduce the service-life of the concrete element. In this study, X-ray computed tomography (CT) was used as a non-destructive technique to characterize the microstructure of mortar samples that were exposed to different levels of freeze-thaw damage by varying degree of saturation in the samples (75, 90, 95, and 100% degrees of saturation). Acoustic emission (AE) experiments were performed during freezing and thawing to investigate sample cracking behavior. The volume of cracks present within the mortar samples after freezing and thawing were determined using X-ray CT and compared to passive acoustic emission data. The location/source of cracks was also determined using X-ray CT. The crack sources (i.e., void, aggregate, interfacial transition zone, or paste) were determined using X-ray CT and were related to AE activities during cracking. Crack volumes were found to increase with increased levels of saturation, and visual observations of cracking were found to correlate with AE signatures of various crack sources.
Drug–Drug Interactions as a Complication of Maxillofacial Surgery

All too often clinicians resort to a fixed regimen during the care of surgical patients in the perioperative period. The patient population is becoming increasingly ill, and it is commonplace for patients to be on several medications, which can potentially interact with those utilized in the perioperative period. Each drug that is used when managing these patients must be carefully evaluated for its potential interactions with anesthetic medications in the perioperative period. The goal for this chapter is to provide a framework to assist the clinician in understanding drug-drug interactions, which will be illustrated by examples of fatal to near-fatal reactions that have been documented in the literature.
A Refined Sample of Lyman Excess H II Regions

A large number (67) of the compact/ultra-compact H II regions identified in the Coordinated Radio and Infrared Survey for High-Mass Star Formation catalogue were determined to be powered by a Lyman continuum flux in excess of what was expected given their corresponding luminosity. In this study we attempt to reasonably explain the Lyman excess phenomenon in as many of the 67 H II regions as possible through a variety of observational and astrophysical means including new luminosity estimates, new Herschel photometry, new distance determinations, the use of different models for dust and ionized gas covering factors, and the use of different stellar calibrations. This phenomenon has been observed before; however, the objects shown to exhibit this behaviour in the literature have decidedly different physical properties than the regions in our sample, and thus the origin of the excess is not the same. We find that the excess can be reproduced using OB stellar atmosphere models that have been slightly modified in the extreme ultraviolet. Though the exact mechanism producing the excess is still uncertain, we do find that a scaled up magnetospheric accretion model, often used to explain similar emission from T Tauri stars, is unable to match our observations. Our results suggest that the Lyman excess may be associated with younger H II regions, and that it is more commonly found in early B-type stars. Our refined sample of 24 Lyman excess H II regions provides an ideal sample for comparative studies with regular H II regions, and can act as the basis for the further detailed study of individual regions.
Mouse Dioxin-Inducible Ahd4 Gene

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs; EC 1.2.1.3) oxidize various aliphatic and aromatic aldehyde substrates to the corresponding carboxylic acids (Lindahl, 1992; Yoshida, 1992). Substrates for ALDHs are diverse and include acetaldehyde (Harrington et al., 1987), biogenic amines (Mackerell et al., 1986) and other neurotransmitters (Tipton et al., 1987), retinoic acid (Lee et al., 1991), corticosteroids (Monder et al., 1982), and aldehyde products of lipid peroxidation (Lindahl and Petersen 1992). A superfamily for the mammalian ALDHs has been proposed on the basis of divergent evolution (Vasiliou et al., 1995c). Within this superfamily, at least three genes are inducible by foreign chemicals. The cytosolic ALDH1 and ALDH3 genes are inducible by phenobarbital and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin; TCDD), respectively (reviewed in Vasiliou et al., 1995c). The microsomal ALDH3 is inducible by TCDD and peroxisome proliferators like Clofibrate (Vasiliou et al., 1996). Among these three genes, the dioxin-inducible ALDH3 is the most thoroughly studied. The gene encoding ALDH3 has been cloned in rat (Asman et al., 1993), human (Hsu et al., 1992), and mouse (termed as Ahd4; Vasiliou et al., 1994). The mouse Ahd4 gene has been mapped to Chr 11 (Vasiliou et al., 1993b), and the human ALDH3 gene to chromosome 17 (Santisteban et al., 1985).
The Physiology and Pathobiology of the Lens

The lens is a transparent tissue constructed entirely of epithelial cells and their thickened basement membrane, the lens capsule. A layer of cuboidal cells, the lens epithelium, covers the surface closest to the cornea. Epithelial cells near the lens equator proliferate and form terminally differentiated fiber cells, which make up the bulk of the lens, a process that drives the linear increase in lens mass throughout life. The transparency of the lens is due to the high concentration of crystallins, the proteins that fill the lens cell cytoplasm, and the precise organization of the fiber cells. After they mature, fiber cells degrade all membrane-bound organelles and ribosomes, meaning their component proteins cannot be replaced or repaired. Ions and essential antioxidant compounds, like glutathione, diffuse through gap junctions between the lateral membranes of metabolically active superficial fiber cells to protect the metabolically quiescent mature fiber cells of the deeper cortex and nucleus against oxidative damage. Cataracts, which are any opacification of the lens, can occur in central fiber cells, in cells nearer the periphery of the lens, or at the posterior surface of the lens just beneath the capsule. Each type of cataract has a distinct pathogenic mechanism and risk factors. Cataracts may occur at birth or early in life, but most are age-related and increase exponentially after middle age. Increased risk for age-related cataracts is associated with poorer nutrition, female sex, smoking or chronic smoke exposure, high lifetime sunlight exposure, diabetes, family history, and other environmental and anatomical factors.
EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF A NOVEL Ca2+-BINDING PROTEIN (Ca2+ RECEPTOR) ON THE SURFACE OF PARATHYROID CELLS

This chapter discusses the early events of stimulus–secretion coupling in parathyroid cells and that center on the mechanisms by which changes in extracellular Ca 2+ are transformed into corresponding changes in [Ca 2+ ]. In dissociated bovine parathyroid cells loaded with fura-2, small increases in the concentration of extracellular Ca 2+ evoke rapid and transient increases that are followed by lower yet sustained (steady-state) increases in [Ca 2+ ] i . Receptor-dependent mobilization of cellular Ca 2+ by extracellular stimuli generally results from the increased formation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ), which then acts upon nonmitochondrial pools to release sequestered Ca 2+ . Fluoride, in the presence of trace amounts of aluminum contaminating most solutions, appears to act by mimicking the terminal phosphate of GTP, thus permanently activating target G-proteins and rendering them insensitive to regulation by receptors. Mobilization of cellular Ca 2+ in the parathyroid cell shows many of the features characteristic of receptor-dependent processes in other cells and thus provides evidence for the presence of Ca 2+ receptors on the surface of this cell. This putative receptor is presumably a protein that binds Ca 2+ , although it must certainly differ from intracellular Ca 2+ -binding proteins such as calmodulin.
The Problem of (with) Environmental Ethics

The quest for enhanced environmental outcomes underlies the entirety of Bryan Norton’s prodigious scholarship. Throughout his illustrious career, the constant thread is one of nudging ethicists to grasp the promising insights of pragmatism. I follow his lead here by arguing that the popular appeal to intrinsic value among environmental ethicists is a mistake. Much of the discussion has tended to focus on the “intrinsic” part. It is better to start by focusing on the “value” part. The idea of value requires a valuer. Every valuer will, since every valuer is unique, find different value in perceived objects, events, or phenomena. Following Peirce, it is the effects on a valuer that matter. Those who wish to attach the adjective “intrinsic” would deny the relevance of the pragmatic maxim by ascribing desirable yet unavoidable perceptual qualities to the objects of our senses. This project fails because doing so universalizes very specific and idiosyncratic sentiments. Pragmatism offers escape from this trap by insisting that all choice is informed by reasons, and sapient adults are in need of reasonable reasons. Being told that an observed object is intrinsically valuable is not a reason. Its only purpose is to render the listener an instrument of the speaker’s desires. Environmental policy is most successful when skeptics can be brought around. They demand—and deserve—reasons, not moral authoritarianism.
The Arizona Nexus: the first five years.

Arizona Nexus is a pioneer Nexus Innovations Network (NIN) member with the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (National Center) and a statewide collaborative with members ...
Characterization of prostate cancer with MR spectroscopic imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging at 3 Tesla.

Abstract Purpose To retrospectively measure metabolic ratios and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values from 3-Tesla MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in benign and malignant peripheral zone (PZ) prostate tissue, assess the parameters' associations with malignancy, and develop and test rules for classifying benign and malignant PZ tissue using whole-mount step-section pathology as the reference standard. Methods This HIPAA-compliant, IRB-approved study included 67 men (median age, 61 years; range, 41–74 years) with biopsy-proven prostate cancer who underwent preoperative 3 T endorectal multiparametric MRI and had ≥1 PZ lesion >0.1 cm3 at whole-mount histopathology. In benign and malignant PZ regions identified from pathology, voxel-based choline/citrate, polyamines/choline, polyamines/creatine, and (choline + polyamines + creatine)/citrate ratios were averaged, as were ADC values. Patients were randomly split into training and test sets; rules for separating benign from malignant regions were generated with classification and regression tree (CART) analysis and assessed on the test set for sensitivity and specificity. Odds ratios (OR) were evaluated using generalized estimating equations. Results CART analysis of all parameters identified only ADC and (choline + polyamines + creatine)/citrate as significant predictors of cancer. Sensitivity and specificity, respectively, were 0.81 and 0.82 with MRSI-derived, 0.98 and 0.51 with DWI-derived, and 0.79 and 0.90 with MRSI + DWI-derived classification rules. Areas under the curves (AUC) in the test set were 0.93 (0.87–0.97) with ADC, 0.82 (0.72–0.91) with MRSI, and 0.96 (0.92–0.99) with MRSI + ADC. Conclusion We developed statistically-based rules for identifying PZ cancer using 3-Tesla MRSI, DWI, and MRSI + DWI and demonstrated the potential value of MRSI + DWI.
TRPV1 mediates inflammation and hyperplasia in imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasiform dermatitis (PsD) in mice.

Abstract Background Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is known to mediate itch and neurogenic inflammation, but the role of TRPV1 in psoriasiform dermal inflammation is poorly understood. Objective To investigate the function of TRPV1 in imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasiform dermatitis (PsD) in mice. Methods Following daily treatment of topical IMQ cream for consecutive 5 days in C57BL/6 wide-type (WT) and TRPV1 gene knockout (KO) mice, we assessed the psoriasis severity index (PSI) scores, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), dermal inflammatory infiltrates, as well as gene expression levels for psoriasis related genes in mouse skin lesions. Results Compared with WT mice, the clinical and TEWL scores, the extent of skin hyperplasia, the area of Munro microabscesses (MM) and angiogenesis of psoriasis were all significantly decreased in TRPV1 KO mice triggered with IMQ, suggesting a reduction in skin inflammation and barrier defects. In addition, the infiltration of CD45+ leukocytes, mast cells as well as CD3+ T cells was all reduced in the IMQ-treated skin of TRPV1 KO mice. Quantitative Real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) revealed that expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-23, S100A8 were decreased while IL-10 was increased in TRPV1 KO mice. Conclusions In summary, key markers of psoriatic inflammation and epidermal hyperplasia are reduced in TRPV1 KO mice, indicating the involvement of TRPV1 in the psoriasiform inflammation and suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target.
Obstetricians' knowledge and practices regarding the management of preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia affects over 4% of pregnancies in the United States. Management of preeclampsia is dependent on the severity of the condition and can range from expectant management to ear...