cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amino acid transport and intracellular Na+ and K+ content of chicken erythrocytes genetically selected for high and low leucine transport activity

Abstract 1. 1. Amino acid transport and intracellular Na + and K + content have been studied in two lines of chickens, one high and the other low uptake, selected for their ability to transport leucine into erythrocytes. 2. 2. Low line birds were less effective in absorbing glycine into erythrocytes than were high line birds, the difference in transport being due to a difference in maximal flux ( V max ), but not in apparent affinity for transport sites ( k t ). 3. 3. In contrast to glycine uptake, the greater ability of the high line to absorb lysine was found to be due to a difference in both V max and K t . 4. 4. High line erythrocytes were also observed to contain slightly more K + (about 5%) and about 20% less Na + than low line erythrocytes. 5. 5. These results are discussed in terms of the ion dependency of amino acid transport.
The annealing of vacancy defects in β-NiAl II. The role of surface oxidation in vacancy loop growth in slowly cooled crystals

Abstract Specimens of nominally stoichiometric β-NiAl have been annealed under Ar at 900°C for 24 hours, and subsequently cooled to room temperature at 5 K per hour. Annealing studies of thinned discs were performed, and observations of the change in size of vacancy dislocation loops made. In general, it was found that at temperatures above 650°C loops would shrink initially, and then grow in size with further annealing, both in a partial pressure of 10−5 Torr of O2 and under ultra-high vacuum (< 10−8 Torr). Essentially similar results were obtained from identical studies made on specimens taken from two off-stoichiometric alloys (Ni-48·0 at.% Al and Ni-53·0 at.% Al). These results are consistent with surface oxidation acting as a source of vacancies.
Dopamine modifies the balance of rod and cone inputs to horizontal cells of the Xenopus retina.

Abstract Dopamine (⩾2 μM) increased the cone input and suppressed the rod input to axon-bearing horizontal cells of the Xenopus retina. Dopamine (10 μM) also depolarized the horizontal cell by about 9 mV. The D2-dopamine antagonists spiperone and metoclopramide had the opposite action to dopamine, whereas the D1-dopamine antagonist SCH 23390 was without effect. None of the agents tested modified the light-evoked responses of rods.
Placement of SVC stents over pacemaker wires for the treatment of SVC syndrome.

Abbreviation: SVC 5 superior vena cava PERCUTANEOUS stent placement in the superior vena cava (SVC) has evolved as an attractive alternative to traditional therapies for benign and malignant SVC syndrome (1– 6). Symptomatic stenosis or occlusion of the SVC is a rare but wellrecognized complication of transvenous permanent pacemaker implantation (7,8). Several factors may increase the occurrence of venous thrombosis related to a pacemaker. The presence of more than one lead has been associated with a higher likelihood of SVC obstruction (9,10). Retention of a severed lead or previous lead infection have also been implicated as potential etiologic factors (11). Little information is available about the effect of stent placement over pacemaker wires in the SVC (12,13). We report our experience with placement of SVC stents over pacemaker wires to treat SVC syndrome.
The Riccati Equation: Pinching of Forcing and Solutions

A problem at the interface of differential geometry and dynamical systems gives rise to the question of what control of solutions of the Riccati equation ˙ x + x 2 = k(t) with positive right-hand side can be obtained from control of the forcing term k .W e show that a known result about “relative” pinching is optimal and refine two known theorems. This gives improved regularity of horospheric foliations and may be of interest in control or filtering theory.
Effects of x-rays on size of yeast cells.

SummaryWhen yeast cells were exposed to 20,000 r of x-rays and cultured in liquid medium, they and their descendants attained a mean cell volume more than twice that of cells derived from nonirradiated controls. On the other hand, there were no corresponding differences in specific gravity and nitrogen content per unit of cell volume. It is accordingly concluded that enlargement of yeast cells after irradiation is largely a nonselective increase in cell constituents rather than a swelling due mostly to uptake of water.
Does Conflict Beget Conflict? Explaining Recurring Civil War

This article attempts to explain why some countries experience civil wars while others do not. It argues that renewed war is likely to have less to do with the attributes of a previous war, as many...
Automatic package and board decoupling capacitor placement using genetic algorithms and M-FDM

In the design of complex power distribution networks (PDN) with multiple power islands, it is required that the PDN represents a low impedance as seen by the digital modules. This is to reduce the simultaneous switching noise (SSN), generated due to the switching activity of digital drivers. Typically this reduction in impedance is accomplished by placing decoupling capacitors between the power and ground planes of a package or board. However, the performance of the decoupling solution is a function of capacitor selection and its placement. In this paper, an automatic capacitor placement optimization method has been proposed. This method relies on a genetic algorithm to provide a stochastic search of the design space, while employing an efficient core PDN simulator based on the multi-layer finite difference method (M-FDM). The technique has been employed to show optimized placements for split planes as well as for a realistic multi-layer server board.
SybilDefender: Defend against sybil attacks in large social networks

Distributed systems without trusted identities are particularly vulnerable to sybil attacks, where an adversary creates multiple bogus identities to compromise the running of the system. This paper presents SybilDefender, a sybil defense mechanism that leverages the network topologies to defend against sybil attacks in social networks. Based on performing a limited number of random walks within the social graphs, SybilDefender is efficient and scalable to large social networks. Our experiments on two 3,000,000 node real-world social topologies show that SybilDefender outperforms the state of the art by one to two orders of magnitude in both accuracy and running time. SybilDefender can effectively identify the sybil nodes and detect the sybil community around a sybil node, even when the number of sybil nodes introduced by each attack edge is close to the theoretically detectable lower bound. Besides, we propose two approaches to limiting the number of attack edges in online social networks. The survey results of our Facebook application show that the assumption made by previous work that all the relationships in social networks are trusted does not apply to online social networks, and it is feasible to limit the number of attack edges in online social networks by relationship rating.
Glucuronidation of OTS167 in Humans Is Catalyzed by UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A8, and UGT1A10

OTS167 is a potent maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase inhibitor undergoing clinical testing as antineoplastic agent. We aimed to identify the UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) involved in OTS167 metabolism, study the relationship between UGT genetic polymorphisms and hepatic OTS167 glucuronidation, and investigate the inhibitory potential of OTS167 on UGTs. Formation of a single OTS167-glucuronide (OTS167-G) was observed in pooled human liver (HLM) (Km = 3.4 ± 0.2 µM), intestinal microsomes (HIM) (Km = 1.7 ± 0.1 µM), and UGTs. UGT1A1 (64 µl/min/mg) and UGT1A8 (72 µl/min/mg) exhibited the highest intrinsic clearances (CLint) for OTS167, followed by UGT1A3 (51 µl/min/mg) and UGT1A10 (47 µl/min/mg); UGT1A9 was a minor contributor. OTS167 glucuronidation in HLM was highly correlated with thyroxine glucuronidation (r = 0.91, P < 0.0001), SN-38 glucuronidation (r = 0.79, P < 0.0001), and UGT1A1 mRNA (r = 0.72, P < 0.0001). Nilotinib (UGT1A1 inhibitor) and emodin (UGT1A8 and UGT1A10 inhibitor) exhibited the highest inhibitory effects on OTS167-G formation in HLM (68%) and HIM (47%). We hypothesize that OTS167-G is an N-glucuronide according to mass spectrometry. A significant association was found between rs6706232 and reduced OTS167-G formation (P = 0.03). No or weak UGT inhibition (range: 0-21%) was observed using clinically relevant OTS167 concentrations (0.4-2 µM). We conclude that UGT1A1 and UGT1A3 are the main UGTs responsible for hepatic formation of OTS167-G. Intestinal UGT1A1, UGT1A8, and UGT1A10 may contribute to first-pass OTS167 metabolism after oral administration.
Hrs regulates early endosome fusion by inhibiting formation of an endosomal SNARE complex

Movement through the endocytic pathway occurs principally via a series of membrane fusion and fission reactions that allow sorting of molecules to be recycled from those to be degraded. Endosome fusion is dependent on SNARE proteins, although the nature of the proteins involved and their regulation has not been fully elucidated. We found that the endosome-associated hepatocyte responsive serum phosphoprotein (Hrs) inhibited the homotypic fusion of early endosomes. A region of Hrs predicted to form a coiled coil required for binding the Q-SNARE, SNAP-25, mimicked the inhibition of endosome fusion produced by full-length Hrs, and was sufficient for endosome binding. SNAP-25, syntaxin 13, and VAMP2 were bound from rat brain membranes to the Hrs coiled-coil domain. Syntaxin 13 inhibited early endosomal fusion and botulinum toxin/E inhibition of early endosomal fusion was reversed by addition of SNAP-25(150–206), confirming a role for syntaxin 13, and establishing a role for SNAP-25 in endosomal fusion. Hrs inhibited formation of the syntaxin 13–SNAP-25–VAMP2 complex by displacing VAMP2 from the complex. These data suggest that SNAP-25 is a receptor for Hrs on early endosomal membranes and that the binding of Hrs to SNAP-25 on endosomal membranes inhibits formation of a SNARE complex required for homotypic endosome fusion.
Four Proofs of the Ballot Theorem

(2007). Four Proofs of the Ballot Theorem. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 80, No. 5, pp. 345-352.
Why Don't Anthropologists Like Children?

Few major works in anthropology focus specifically on children, a curious state of affairs given that virtually all contem- porary anthropology is based on the premise that culture is learned, not inherited. Although children have a remarkable and undis- puted capacity for learning generally, and learning culture in particular, in significant measure anthropology has shown little interest in them and their lives. This article examines the reasons for this lamentable lacunae and offers theoretical and empirical reasons for re- pudiating it. Resistance to child-focused scholarship, it is argued, is a byproduct of (1) an impoverished view of cultural learning that overestimates the role adults play and underestimates the contribution that children make to cultural reproduction, and (2) a lack of appreciation of the scope and force of children's culture, particularly in shaping adult culture. The marginalization of children and child- hood, it is proposed, has obscured our understanding of how cultural forms emerge and why they are sustained. Two case studies, ex- ploring North American children's beliefs about social contamination, illustrate these points. (Keywords: anthropology of childhood, children's culture, acquisition of cultural knowledge, race)
Recognition of complex events in open-source web-scale videos: a bottom up approach

Recognition of complex events in unconstrained Internet videos is a challenging research problem. In this symposium proposal, we present a systematic decomposition of complex events into hierarchical components and make an in-depth analysis of how existing research are being used to cater to various levels of this hierarchy. We also identify three key stages where we make novel contributions which are necessary to not only improve the overall recognition performance, but also develop richer understanding of these events. At the lowest level, our contributions include (a) compact covariance descriptors of appearance and motion features used in sparse coding framework to recognize realistic actions and gestures, and (b) a Lie-algebra based representation of dominant camera motion present in video shots which can be used as a complementary feature for video analysis. In the next level, we propose an (c) efficient maximum likelihood estimate based representation from low-level features computed from videos which demonstrates state of the art performance in large scale visual concept detection, and finally, we propose to (d) model temporal interactions between concepts detected in video shots through two new discriminative feature spaces derived from Linear dynamical systems which eventually boosts event recognition performance. In all cases, we conduct thorough experiments to demonstrate promising performance gains over some of the prominent approaches.
Stimulus generation for constrained random simulation

Constrained random simulation is the main workhorse in today 's hardware verification flows. It requires the random generation of input stimuli that obey a set of declaratively specified input constraints, which are then applied to validate given design properties by simulation. The efficiency of the overall flow depends critically on (1) the performance of the constraint solver and (2) the distribution of the generated solutions. In this paper we discuss the overall problem of efficient constraint solving for stimulus generation for mixed Boolean/integer variable domains and propose a new hybrid solver based on Markov-chain Monte Carlo methods with good performance and distribution.
Two-way secure communication using quantum illumination

A two-way entanglement-based communication protocol resilient to high loss and noise is implemented. Even though the entanglement is lost during transmission, efficient communication that is secure against passive eavesdropping is possible.
Light scattering by hexagonal ice crystals: solutions by a ray-by-ray integration algorithm

A ray-by-ray integration (RBRI) method has been developed for the solution of light scattering by nonspherical dielectric particles. The principles of geometric optics are applied to solve the internal electric field within the scattering particles (near field) with the inclusion of complete phase and polarization configurations. The scattered field at the radiation zone (far field) and the extinction and absorption cross sections are obtained by integrating the near field along the propagation paths of geometric rays inside the scatterers by using a number of rigorous electromagnetic integral equations. In the computations of extinction cross section and single-scattering albedo, we demonstrate that the well-known anomalous diffraction approximation is a special case of the RBRI method when the scatterers are optically tenuous. The RBRI method is employed to compute the single-scattering properties of hexagonal ice crystals at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Based on the reference results computed by the finite-difference time domain (FDTD) technique, we show that the RBRI method is more accurate than the conventional geometric ray-tracing technique and the anomalous diffraction approximation. The extinction efficiency and the single-scattering albedo computed by the RBRI method converge to the reference results when the size parameters along the ice crystal maximum dimension are larger than approximately 15. Substantial differences in terms of relative errors, in comparison with the FDTD solutions, are still noted in the phase function and polarization patterns computed by the RBRI method for size parameters of the order of 10.
Teaching the Iraq War

The last time members of the graduating class of 2008 lived in a nation at peace, they were in the first month of their high school sophomore year. Because they are not subject to conscription; because the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are being fought by a professional army that has separated itself in many respects from civil society; and because the government has asked little of society in the way of sacrifice for the wars, today's undergraduates have little direct experience of conflict, the armed forces, or those people most affected by it. What do we teach students about the war? Political scientists are often reluctant to teach current events—aside from the fact emotions can run high and classroom discussion can be hijacked by unproductive ideological debates, in real-time we lack the kinds of patterned data that lend themselves to systematic analysis and prediction.
Pathology of prostate

As with all specialty areas in medicine, our knowledge of the prostate gland and of diseases of the prostate continues to advance. Furthermore, a number of detailed books and monographs that focus on the prostate gland have been published within the past ten years. Accordingly, rather than provide readily available and potentially redundant information for the reader, we shall assume readers have a basic knowledge of prostate anatomy and histopathology and shall focus our discussion on pathologic findings of both current and potential clinical relevance that have been made in recent years.
Liquid chromatographic determination of benzoic acid in orange juice : interlaboratory study

An interlaboratory study was carried out for the determination of benzoic acid in orange juice by liquid chromatography. The orange juice was fortified with 0.5-10 ppm benzoic acid. Statistical analysis of the results showed that relative reproducibility (RSDR) between laboratories ranged from 6.92 to 15.97% for juice fortified with 1-10 ppm benzoic acid; RSDR was 27.90% for juice fortified with 0.5 ppm benzoic acid. Mean recoveries ranged from 94.5% for 4 ppm benzoic acid to 114% for 0.5 ppm benzoic acid. Total variability increased with increasing fortification level as measured by standard deviation for reproducibility (SR).
Abstract 3747: Elevated Lymphocyte Count Prior to Coronary Stenting is the Best Predictor of Long-Term Outcome Among White Blood Cell Subtypes

Background The total white blood cell (WBC) count has been shown to be associated with long-term mortality in patients with CAD, but controversy exists on which WBC subtype is the best predictor of mortality. The aim of this study was to compare the prognostic value of a pre-procedural lymphocyte count to the neutrophil and monocyte count in patients receiving PCI. Methods Retrospective analysis of the Mayo PCI registry was performed on patients who underwent successful coronary stenting from 1995–2005 and survived to hospital discharge. Results A total of 9015 patients were grouped based on their lymphocyte count into quartiles (Q); Q1 ( 9 ; n=2323), Q2 (1.2 – 1.6 x 10 9 ; n=2126), Q3 (1.6 – 2.1 x 10 9 ; n=2178) and Q4 (> 2.1 x 10 9 ; n=2388). Compared with the lowest quartile, the highest quartile was significantly associated (all p Conclusions Elevated lymphocyte count prior to PCI correlates with decreased CK-MB and troponin, angiographically less severe lesions and is a strong independent predictor of favorable long-term outcome.
Population dynamics of endangered blanding's turtles in a restored area

Habitat protection and restoration are used to promote recovery in endangered reptile species, yet the long-term consequences of these efforts can be difficult to assess. Measuring the effects of habitat restoration on turtles can be especially difficult because of long generation times and consequent time lags between restoration activities and population-level responses to these activities. We collected 24 years of mark-recapture, size structure, and nest survival data on a population of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)-Endangered Blanding's turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) inhabiting a large restored wetland-upland complex in Wisconsin, USA. We used these data to examine survival and recruitment in the population and the response of individual aggregations of nesting females to recent restoration of an extensive upland prairie-oak barrens nesting habitat. The population exhibited positive growth over the 24-year period (λ = 1.03) based on temporal asymmetry mark-recapture models. Population growth rates were greatest in a recently restored prairie-barrens nesting area because of relatively high recruitment of nesting females. Females nesting in the recently restored prairie-barrens habitat were smaller and decreased in size over time compared to females using 2 older nesting areas, suggesting that recruitment was relatively high because of an influx of young breeding females. Nest depredation probability decreased with increasing distance from forest edges, suggesting that the recent clearing of woody vegetation in recently restored habitat increased reproductive success. Collectively, our results highlight the potential benefits of habitat restoration to turtles and identify upland habitats as a key to promoting population growth in turtles with complex habitat requirements. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.
Deferred Forward and Reverse Exchanges of Real Estate

The real estate boom of recent years has again brought into investor focus the benefits of like-kind exchanges. The major advantage of Section 1031 to investors is deferral of income tax upon disposition of property. If the property that is being acquired is like-kind to the property being transferred, it is viewed for tax purposes as a continuation of the investment in the relinquished property. Taxability of any gain realized is postponed until the replacement property is sold. There is no limit to the number of times a property can be exchanged. It is possible that gain with respect to real property can completely escape federal income tax. Corporations and other entities with continuity of life can repeatedly use Section 1031 to avoid recognizing gain on a property. If an individual taxpayer holds the property until death, any income tax liability is eliminated and the real property is transferred to the heirs at a stepped-up basis. A deferred or non-simultaneous exchange is one in which the replacement property and the relinquished property are not transferred concurrently. Deferred exchanges of real estate first received legal recognition by the Ninth Circuit in the case Starker v. United States. The case recognized that a like-kind exchange was still possible even though the sale of the taxpayer's relinquished property closed before taxpayer's acquisition of the replacement property. In 1984, Congress passed legislation providing time limits for the identification of the replacement property and completing a Starker exchange (commonly referred to as a forward exchange). In 1990, final regulations were issued providing guidance as to how to safely formulate a forward exchange. The deferred exchange regulations, by definition, were not applicable to a reverse exchange, where the taxpayer acquires the replacement property before the transfer of the relinquished property to the buyer. Revenue Procedure 2000-37 uses many of the concepts applicable to forward exchanges to create a safe harbor for some reverse exchanges. This article analyzes forward exchanges of real estate under the protection of the safe harbors of the deferred exchange regulations. It also examines reverse exchanges of real estate under the safe harbor of Revenue Procedure 2000-37, as modified by Revenue Procedure 2004-51. The authors encourage taxpayers to structure such exchanges within the guidelines of these safe harbors.
Dual institution experience of extranodal marginal zone lymphoma reveals excellent long-term outcomes.

Extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (EMZL) is a B-cell lymphoma arising from mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). The disease characteristics, clinical course and treatment vary considerably based on site of involvement. Because long-term outcome data for EMZL are limited, we sought to describe the clinical details of a large number of patients with EMZL evaluated at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center over a 12-year period to identify prognostic markers including the impact of site of involvement. We identified 211 cases of EMZL involving the stomach (30%), ocular adnexa (19%), lungs (16%) and intestines (9%). Initial treatment included antibiotics (18%), radiation (21%), rituximab (20%), chemotherapy (3%), rituximab + chemotherapy (7%), surgery (17%) or observation (8%). After a median follow-up of 44·3 months (range 2·2-214·9), median progression-free survival (PFS) was 68·2 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 54·5-111·3) and median overall survival (OS) has not been reached. Age >60 years, elevated lactate dehydrogenase level (LDH), ≥4 lymph node groups involvement, and high follicular lymphoma international prognostic index (FLIPI) were associated with inferior PFS/OS. In summary, patients with EMZL have excellent prognosis with median OS in excess of 10 years. Age, elevated LDH, advanced disease, and high FLIPI score are associated with worse outcomes.
Hilar and peripheral cholangiocarcinomas

Cholangiocarcinoma is the most frequent malignant neoplasm of the bile ducts. It continues to be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge because of its form of growth and intimate relation with hepatic hilus structures. While cholangiocarcinomas situated distal to the biliary confluence have well-defined characteristics and treatment, cholangiocarcinomas situated in or proximal to the biliary confluence are problematic. A study was made of the so-called intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas by establishing two types, peripheral and hilar. Their features and therapeutic options are analyzed and published results are reviewed.
Effects of binocular fusion and binocular rivalry on cortically evoked potentials

Abstract The purpose of the experiment was to determine the effects of conditions of binocular fusion and binocular rivalry on the cortically evoked potentials of human subjects. Two stimulus patterns were employed to obtain pattern-characteristic responses to monocular stimulation. Various combinations of the stimuli in monocular and binocular presentation, together with the subject's perceptual judgement of dominance in conditions of rivalry, yielded 12 different experimental conditions. Correlations and t -statistics were computed for the evoked potentials obtained under several combinations of experimental conditions. The results of the study indicate that the physiological record obtained under conditions of binocular stimulation is not composed of equal contributions from each monocular source. There was no apparent definite relation between the pattern which was perceived under conditions of rivalry and the resulting wave form of the evoked potential. The utilization of cortically evoked potentials as a physiological indicator of subjective phenomena under conditions of binocular rivalry does not appear to be substantiated. A form of electrophysiological dominance appears to exist which seems to be unrelated to either momentary or general perceptual dominance, but may be related to an interaction of the eye-of-origin with the physical characteristics of the stimulus.
Cultures Around the World: A Unique Approach to Youth Cultural Diversity Education

Increasingly diverse cultural trends have significant implications for the educational needs of American youth. Learning about and valuing diverse cultures will help prepare youth to become better citizens in an ever-changing society. Cultures Around the World was developed to meet the educational needs of youth in the area of cultural diversity. The Cultures Around the World program brings to life exciting cultures and customs from countries all over the world. Countries are presented in a unique format by teaching youth (ages 10 to 18) a specific country’s history, culture, food, music, dance, language, religion, and current issues. The Cultures Around the World program can be used by any youth educator. The program comes in a ready to use CD containing presentations, handicraft instructions, language guides, and resource guides for nine different countries (Armenia, Australia, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Ghana, Slovakia and Mexico).
Treatment of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tears of the Elbow: Is Repair a Viable Option?

Background:Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tears have become common, and UCL reconstruction (UCLR) is currently the preferred surgical treatment method for treating UCL tears.Purpose/Hypothesis:The...
The Synergistic Role of Light-Feeding Phase Relations on Entraining Robust Circadian Rhythms in the Periphery:

The feeding and fasting cycles are strong behavioral signals that entrain biological rhythms of the periphery. The feeding rhythms synchronize the activities of the metabolic organs, such as liver, synergistically with the light/dark cycle primarily entraining the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The likely phase misalignment between the feeding rhythms and the light/dark cycles appears to induce circadian disruptions leading to multiple physiological abnormalities motivating the need to investigate the mechanisms behind joint light-feeding circadian entrainment of peripheral tissues. To address this question, we propose a semimechanistic mathematical model describing the circadian dynamics of peripheral clock genes in human hepatocyte under the control of metabolic and light rhythmic signals. The model takes the synergistically acting light/dark cycles and feeding rhythms as inputs and incorporates the activity of sirtuin 1, a cellular energy sensor and a metabolic enzyme activated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. The clock gene dynamics was simulated under various light-feeding phase relations and intensities, to explore the feeding entrainment mechanism as well as the convolution of light and feeding signals in the periphery. Our model predicts that the peripheral clock genes in hepatocyte can be completely entrained to the feeding rhythms, independent of the light/dark cycle. Furthermore, it predicts that light-feeding phase relationship is a critical factor in robust circadian oscillations.
A Statewide Survey of Simulation Practices Using NCSBN Simulation Guidelines

Abstract Background The need to identify critical areas for faculty and program development in simulation-based education (SBE) is evident as nursing programs move toward clinical redesign. Method The design was a descriptive mixed method study using a structured interview process with a survey based on the NCSBN Simulation Guidelines for Prelicensure Nursing Programs. Simulation coordinators were interviewed at 25 prelicensure nursing programs in one mid-Atlantic state. Results The findings revealed key areas for faculty and program development: theory, standards, methods, curriculum integration, debriefing and evaluation. Conclusions The NCSBN guidelines were effective in assessing simulation programs identifying important elements in the development of a statewide curriculum for SBE.
Exploring Uncertainties of Transmission, Reception Delays for Underwater Acoustic Networks

In this letter, we study delay uncertainties of a real underwater system on sending and receiving acoustic signals. Based on experimental data, the delay is first decomposed into seven components, then the features of each component are studied carefully. According to the analysis, it is exciting to conclude that the temporal pattern of some delay components are predictable to a certain extent, which can be utilized to reduce the delay uncertainties. Finally, the time synchronization is provided as an example to show how the delay uncertainties affect the performance of an underwater application.
Radon transform on halfplanes via group theory

Consider the halfplane \(X = \left\{ {\left( {a,b} \right) \in {R^2}\left| {a > 0} \right.} \right\}\) as a subset of \(\left\{ {\left( {a,b,1} \right) \in {R^3}} \right\}\) and the group $$G = \left\{ {\left( {\alpha ,\beta ,\gamma } \right): = \left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} \alpha &0&0 \\ \beta &1&\gamma \\ 0&0&1 \end{array}} \right) \in GL\left( {3,R} \right)\left| {\alpha > 0} \right.} \right\}$$ which acts transitively on X via $$(\alpha ,\beta ,\gamma ) \odot (a,b) = (\alpha a,a\beta + b + \gamma )$$ .
Real-time positioning in logging: Effects of forest stand characteristics, topography, and line-of-sight obstructions on GNSS-RF transponder accuracy and radio signal propagation

Real-time positioning on mobile devices using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology paired with radio frequency (RF) transmission (GNSS-RF) may help to improve safety on logging operations by increasing situational awareness. However, GNSS positional accuracy for ground workers in motion may be reduced by multipath error, satellite signal obstruction, or other factors. Radio propagation of GNSS locations may also be impacted due to line-of-sight (LOS) obstruction in remote, forested areas. The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of forest stand characteristics, topography, and other LOS obstructions on the GNSS accuracy and radio signal propagation quality of multiple Raveon Atlas PT GNSS-RF transponders functioning as a network in a range of forest conditions. Because most previous research with GNSS in forestry has focused on stationary units, we chose to analyze units in motion by evaluating the time-to-signal accuracy of geofence crossings in 21 randomly-selected stands on the University of Idaho Experimental Forest. Specifically, we studied the effects of forest stand characteristics, topography, and LOS obstructions on (1) the odds of missed GNSS-RF signals, (2) the root mean squared error (RMSE) of Atlas PTs, and (3) the time-to-signal accuracy of safety geofence crossings in forested environments. Mixed-effects models used to analyze the data showed that stand characteristics, topography, and obstructions in the LOS affected the odds of missed radio signals while stand variables alone affected RMSE. Both stand characteristics and topography affected the accuracy of geofence alerts.
Effects of a Contingency for Quiz Accuracy on Exam Scores

Completing frequent quizzes can improve exam scores; however, there is a lack of research on variables that influence quiz accuracy and whether there is an effect on exam scores. This study evaluated the effects of a contingency for quiz accuracy on quiz accuracy and exam performance. Eighty-one students enrolled in an introductory Learning course participated. For each class meeting and its related readings, the instructor assigned an online quiz due just before each class. During the no-contingency condition, the instructor assigned quizzes, but quiz accuracy did not result in points toward the final grade. During the accuracy-contingency condition, students earned points based on quiz accuracy. In a reversal design, the accuracy-contingency increased quiz accuracy and exam scores relative to no-contingency. Although many students benefited from the contingency, low-performing students were least likely to show a meaningful improvement in exam scores.
Epidemic-Like Stochastic Processes with Time-Varying Behavior: Structural Properties and Asymptotic Limits

The mathematical analysis of epidemic-like behavior has a rich history, going all the way back to the seminal work of Bernoulli in 1766 [5]. More recently, mathematical models of epidemic-like behavior have received considerable attention in the research literature based on additional motivation from areas such as communication and social networks, cybersecurity systems, and financial markets; see, e.g., [6]. The types of viral behaviors exhibited in many of these applications tend to be characterized by epidemic-like stochastic processes with time-varying parameters [12, 13]. In this paper we consider variants of the classical mathematical model of epidemic-like behavior analyzed by Kurtz [8],[7, Chapter 11], extending the analysis and results to first incorporate time-varying behavior for the infection and cure rates of the model and to then investigate structural properties of the interactions between local (micro) and global (macro) behaviors within the process. Specifically, we start by formally presenting an epidemic-like continuous-time, discretestate stochastic process in which each individual comprising the population can be either in a non-infected state or in an infected state, and where the rate at which the noninfected population is infected and the rate at which the infected population is cured are both functions of time. We established that, under general assumptions on the timevarying processes and under a mean-field scaling with respect to population size n, the stochastic processes converge to a continuous-time, continuous-state time-varying dynamical system. Then we study the stationary behavior of both the original stochastic process and the mean-field limiting dynamical system, and verify that they, in fact, have similar asymptotic behavior with respect to time. In other words, we establish that the following diagram is commutative.
Assessing the hydrologic response to wildfires in mountainous regions

Abstract. This study aims to understand the hydrologic responses to wildfires in mountainous regions at various spatial scales. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to evaluate the hydrologic responses of the upper Cache la Poudre Watershed in Colorado to the 2012 High Park and Hewlett wildfire events. A baseline SWAT model was established to simulate the hydrology of the study area between the years 2000 and 2014. A procedure involving land use and curve number updating was implemented to assess the effects of wildfires. Application of the proposed procedure provides the ability to simulate the hydrologic response to wildfires seamlessly through mimicking the dynamic of the changes due to wildfires. The wildfire effects on curve numbers were determined comparing the probability distribution of curve numbers after calibrating the model for pre- and post-wildfire conditions. Daily calibration and testing of the model produced “very good” results. No-wildfire and wildfire scenarios were created and compared to quantify changes in average annual total runoff volume, water budgets, and full streamflow statistics at different spatial scales. At the watershed scale, wildfire conditions showed little impact on the hydrologic responses. However, a runoff increase up to 75 % was observed between the scenarios in sub-watersheds with high burn intensity. Generally, higher surface runoff and decreased subsurface flow were observed under post-wildfire conditions. Flow duration curves developed for burned sub-watersheds using full streamflow statistics showed that less frequent streamflows become greater in magnitude. A linear regression model was developed to assess the relationship between percent burned area and runoff increase in Cache la Poudre Watershed. A strong ( R2 > 0.8) and significant ( p 0.001) positive correlation was determined between runoff increase and percentage of burned area upstream. This study showed that the effects of wildfires on hydrology of a watershed are scale-dependent. Also, using full streamflow statistics through application of flow duration curves revealed that the wildfires had a higher effect on peak flows, which may increase the risk of flash floods in post-wildfire conditions.
Cytokines and the Blood–Brain Barrier

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) mediates interactions between the immune and central nervous systems in several ways and is central to many mechanisms that form communication pathways within the neuroimmune axis. Here, we briefly review the chief types of interactions. Cytokines and immune cells cross the BBB by regulated mechanisms. Cytokines alter BBB characteristics, including the integrity of the BBB, its transport systems, and its ability to control immune cell trafficking. The cells that comprise the BBB secrete cytokines, prostaglandins, nitric oxide, and other immuneactive factors. Such secretion is both constituitive and inducible, depending on the substance secreted. Secretion is also polarized; that is, secretion can be from either the luminal or abluminal membrane. This raises the possibility that the BBB may recieve signal at one membrane and secrete cytokine from the other as a mechanism of communication within the neuroimmune axis. In brief, the BBB is a central player in a number of mechanisms and pathways that comprise the neuroimmune axis.
Hyperglucagonemia in cirrhosis: Altered secretion and sensitivity to glucagon

Plasma glucagon concentration was elevated 2- to 6-fold in cirrhotic patients with spontaneous portal systemic shunting or surgically induced portacaval anastomosis but was comparable to controls in cirrhotics without portal-systemic shunting. The metabolic clearance rate of glucagon (mol wt 3500) was normal in all of the cirrhotic groups, but the estimated basal systemic delivery rate of glucagon was increased 2- to 6-fold in the hyperglucagonemic patients. The blood glucose response to infusion of glucagon (3 ng per kg per min) was reduced in the cirrhotics with portal-systemic shunting or portacaval anastomosis, and correlated inversely with the delivery rate of endogenous glucagon. Administration of ammonium chloride (3 g) failed to elevate plasma glucagon concentration. It is concluded that hyperglucagonemia in cirrhosis is a consequence of hypersecretion rather than decreased hormonal catabolism. A negative feedback signal may exist between hepatic sensitivity to glucagon and the secretion of this hormone.
Open Magnetic Fields and the Solar Cycle

Models of open magnetic structures on the Sun are presented for periods near solar minimum (CR 1626–1634) and near solar maximum (CR 1668–1678). Together with previous models of open magnetic structures during the declining phase (CR 1601–1611) these calculations provide clues to the relations between open structures, coronal holes, and active regions at different times of the solar cycle. Near solar minimum the close relation between active regions and open structures does not exist. It is suggested that near solar minimum the systematic emergence of new flux with the proper polarity imbalance to maintain open magnetic structures may occur primarily at very small spatial scales. Near solar maximum the role of active regions in maintaining open structures and coronal holes is strong, with large active regions emerging in the proper location and orientation to maintain open structures longer than typical active region lifetimes. Although the use of He I 10830 A spectroheliograms as a coronal hole indicator is shown to be subject to significant ambiguity, the agreement between calculated open structures and coronal holes determined from He I 10830 A spectroheliograms is very good. The rotation properties of calculated open structures near solar maximum strongly suggest two classes of features: one that rotates differentially similar to sunspots and active regions and a separate class that rotates more rigidly, as was the case for single large coronal holes during Skylab.
Decoupled Direct State Transition Matrix Calculation with Runge-Kutta Methods

A myriad of methods, including many optimization and estimation algorithms, require the sensitivities of a dynamic system governed by a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). In this paper, the decoupled direct method (DDM) is derived for the calculation of first- and second-order state transition matrices (STMs) using fixed-step-size Runge-Kutta (RK) ODE solvers. Implications for both explicit and implicit RK methods are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the implicit class because of recent interest in the astrodynamics community and because the decoupling of the state propagation and STM calculation eliminates the need to evaluate the Jacobian and Hessian iteratively at each propagation step. Thus, significant computational savings are achievable compared to the traditional propagation of the variational equations, particularly for systems with expensive dynamics. In the current work, two implementations of the DDM are extended both to second-order STMs and to the double-integrator form of the RK equations. One of the strategies presented in this paper, newly derived to include second-order sensitivities, takes advantage of the structure of the system, allowing for the STMs of nonlinear systems to be calculated using efficient linear-algebra techniques rather than iterative methods. This linear-algebra-based approach is shown to be more efficient than the second alternative, and is also more efficient than the propagation of the variational equations for computationally intensive dynamical systems. The effects of important implicit RK customizations, such as variable-fidelity dynamics models and parallelization, are also examined in two examples: a simple, proof-of-concept forced harmonic oscillator, and an Earth-orbiting space object subject to either a low- or high-computational-cost geopotential model.
Prevalence of multiple chronic conditions in New York State, 2011-2016.

Introduction To design effective policy and interventions, public health officials must have an accurate and granular picture of the state of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) in their region. The objective of this research is to describe the prevalence and distribution of MCC in New York State. Methods We performed a secondary data analysis of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from 2011 through 2016 for New York adults (n = 76,186). We analyzed the self-reported prevalence of individuals having 0, 1, 2, or ≥ 3 chronic conditions by sex, race/ethnicity, age, health insurance type, annual household income, and whether respondents lived in New York City. We also examined the most common condition dyads and triads. Finally, we assessed the prevalence of MCC (2 or more chronic conditions) by county across New York State, and neighborhood within New York City. Results During 2011–2016, 25.2% of adults in New York State had zero chronic conditions, 24.1% had 1 condition, 18.4% had 2 conditions, and 32.4% had 3 or more. The most prevalent dyad was hypertension and high cholesterol in 17.0% of individuals. The most prevalent triad was hypertension, high cholesterol, and arthritis in 4.5% of individuals. County prevalence of MCC ranged from 42.6% in Westchester County to 66.1% in Oneida County. The prevalence of MCC in New York City neighborhoods ranged from 33.5% in Gramercy Park—Murray Hill to 60.6% in High Bridge—Morrisania. Conclusion This research contributes to the field’s understanding of multiple chronic conditions and allows policy and public health leaders in New York to better understand the prevalence and distribution of MCC.