cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lithospheric rheology constrained from twenty-five years of postseismic deformation following the 1989 Mw 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake

Abstract The October 17, 1989 M w 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake provides the first opportunity of probing the crustal and upper mantle rheology in the San Francisco Bay Area since the 1906 M w 7.9 San Francisco earthquake. Here we use geodetic observations including GPS and InSAR to characterize the Loma Prieta earthquake postseismic displacements from 1989 to 2013. Pre-earthquake deformation rates are constrained by nearly 20 yr of USGS trilateration measurements and removed from the postseismic measurements prior to the analysis. We observe GPS horizontal displacements at mean rates of 1–4 mm/yr toward Loma Prieta Mountain until 2000, and ∼2 mm/yr surface subsidence of the northern Santa Cruz Mountains between 1992 and 2002 shown by InSAR, which is not associated with the seasonal and longer-term hydrological deformation in the adjoining Santa Clara Valley. Previous work indicates afterslip dominated in the early (1989–1994) postseismic period, so we focus on modeling the postseismic viscoelastic relaxation constrained by the geodetic observations after 1994. The best fitting model shows an elastic 19-km-thick upper crust above an 11-km-thick viscoelastic lower crust with viscosity of ∼ 6 × 10 18 Pa s , underlain by a viscous upper mantle with viscosity between 3 × 10 18 and 2 × 10 19 Pa s . The millimeter-scale postseismic deformation does not resolve the viscosity in the different layers very well, and the lower-crustal relaxation may be localized in a narrow shear zone. However, the inferred lithospheric rheology is consistent with previous estimates based on post-1906 San Francisco earthquake measurements along the San Andreas fault system. The viscoelastic relaxation may also contribute to the enduring increase of aseismic slip and repeating earthquake activity on the San Andreas fault near San Juan Bautista, which continued for at least a decade after the Loma Prieta event.
Ruling on Partnership Deferred Like-Kind Exchanges: The Glass Half-Empty or Overflowing?

For a long time, Kalinka explains, there has been uncertainty as to the tax consequences to the partners when a partnership engages in a deferred exchange of encumbered properties in a transaction spanning two tax years that qualifies as a like-kind exchange within the meaning of section 1031. In Revenue Ruling 2003-56, the IRS addressed this issue by allowing the partnership to net the liabilities encumbering each of the properties. In a case where the liabilities encumbering the relinquished property exceed the liabilities encumbering the property received in the exchange (the replacement property), the revenue ruling provides that the partnership is treated as having been relieved of liabilities in an amount equal to the difference between the liability encumbering the relinquished property (the relinquished liability) and the liability encumbering the replacement property (the replacement liability) in the year that the partnership transfers the relinquished property. This rule requires the partnership to recognize gain to the extent of the netted liabilities in the year in which partnership transfers the relinquished property. On the other hand, where the replacement liability exceeds the relinquished liability, the partnership is treated under Rev. Rul. 2003-56 as incurring a liability in an amount equal to the difference between the replacement liability and the relinquished liability in the year in which the partnership receives the replacement property. In such a case, no gain is recognized by the partnership under section 1031 as a result of liability relief. Rev. Rul. 2003-56, Kalinka notes, provides the best possible tax consequences to the partners in cases where a partnership engages in a deferred like-kind exchange of encumbered properties that spans more than one tax year. Several commentators, however, have argued that the IRS could have provided an even more taxpayer-friendly rule in such cases. This article discusses Rev. Rul. 2003-56 and addresses the concerns raised by other commentators.
The Uniform Acts' Loophole in Fraudulent Conveyance Law

This article illuminates a glitch in the Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interests Act of 1999 (UDPIA) which allows persons to disclaim not only inheritances but, in one special circumstance, part of their own, preexisting ownership interest in property. The article suggests a strategy whereby an insolvent debtor can exploit this glitch to put property out of the reach of creditors and thereby to employ disclaimer law to effect what would otherwise constitute a per se fraudulent conveyance. In the process, the article analyzes the legislative history of UDPIA to show how the glitch found its way into this Uniform Act and also offers a novel analysis of the legality of insolvent disclaimer generally under the text of UDPIA. Further sections of the article weigh the advantages and shortcomings of the proposed asset protection strategy in comparison to alternative ones already in use, including analysis of the availability of the strategy to debtors who do not themselves reside in a UDPIA jurisdiction and the viability of the strategy for debtors who enter a bankruptcy proceeding.
New Approaches to MRF

The discussed advancements in MRF technology offer greater flexibility and productivity in fabrication of modern optics. This is achieved with new efficient structural components, novel system configuration, high performance polishing fluids and improved control algorithms.
Golgi apparatus isolation and use in cell-free systems: A perspective

Recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of membrane traffic to and through the Golgi apparatus have been predicated in large measure on the use of permeabilized animal cells, and on completely cell-free systems. These systems have included those addressing inter-Golgi apparatus membrane traffic, endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi apparatus traffic, and endocytotic events. Development of cell-free systems depends on the use of isolated fractions. Specificity is often achieved by using a compartment-specific assay so that the fractions employed can be very crude. More recently cell-free systems also have evolved which employ highly purified and well-characterized cell fractions. The latter may be utilized in the absence of a compartment-specific assay but may require employment of compartment-specific assays for validation. Central to development of cell-free systems for membrane analysis has been the availability of isolated Golgi apparatus, first from plants and later from animal tissues and cells. A major advantage of cell-free systems is that they are most clearly amenable to the investigation of molecular mechanisms of membrane trafficking.
Driving Force for Water Permeation Across Lipid Membranes

The permeation of water across lipid membranes is of paramount importance in biological and technological processes. The driving force for such energetically unfavorable processes is explored here....
The characterization of HG10MNN and an evaluation of suitability for use in naval applications

Abstract An initial mechanical evaluation and standard material characterization were conducted for the stainless steel alloy HG10MNN in order to evaluate its use in naval and marine applications. HG10MNN is a newly developed stainless steel designed for improved resistance to mechanical and thermal fatigue. This material could eventually replace the Nickel–Aluminum–Bronze (NAB) currently used in many naval propulsion systems, however, additional testing is required to validate the alloy's performance characteristics. Although stainless steels are commonly used in marine applications, there is insufficient HG10MNN documentation to permit its use in naval ship design. This investigation also involved an evaluation of castability and machinability to determine whether the material could be formed into the complex shapes required in a modern naval construction. Initial results showed that the alloy exhibits a fully austenitic microstructure in the as-cast condition, while maintaining acceptable mechanical properties and superior castability as compared to NAB.
A Novel Neural Network Vector Control for Single-Phase Grid-Connected Converters with L, LC and LCL Filters

This paper investigates a novel recurrent neural network (NN)-based vector control approach for single-phase grid-connected converters (GCCs) with L (inductor), LC (inductor-capacitor) and LCL (inductor-capacitor-inductor) filters and provides their comparison study with the conventional standard vector control method. A single neural network controller replaces two current-loop PI controllers, and the NN training approximates the optimal control for the single-phase GCC system. The Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) algorithm was used to train the NN controller based on the complete system equations without any decoupling policies. The proposed NN approach can solve the decoupling problem associated with the conventional vector control methods for L, LC and LCL-filter-based single-phase GCCs. Both simulation study and hardware experiments demonstrate that the neural network vector controller shows much more improved performance than that of conventional vector controllers, including faster response speed and lower overshoot. Especially, NN vector control could achieve very good performance using low switch frequency. More importantly, the neural network vector controller is a damping free controller, which is generally required by a conventional vector controller for an LCL-filter-based single-phase grid-connected converter and, therefore, can overcome the inefficiency problem caused by damping policies.
Exploration on modern experiment teaching mode of petroleum engineering

In this paper,the problems faced by traditional mode of petroleum engineering experiment teaching are analyzed.The applicability of multimedia software in experiment teaching is discussed.The construction and application of petroleum engineering multimedia software are introduced briefly and it is pointed out that the multimedia software should be used appropriately in experiment teaching.
Experimental ischemia induces cell mitosis in the adult rat retina.

Experimental occlusion of the central retinal vessels in albino rats followed by reperfusion for 2 or 4 days resulted in a highly active proliferative response. Mitotic figures were produced in retinal vascular cells, presumed Muller cells, retinal pigment epithelial cells, and possibly other cell populations in the retina. A large number of mitoses were observed in 60-100% of 50 experimental eyes with 2, 4 or 6 hr of experimental ischemia and 2 or 4 days of reperfusion and in none of the 37 control eyes. Autoradiography demonstrated 3H-thymidine uptake in the retina and in vascular cells on a trypsin digest preparation of the retina. Retinal ischemia followed by reperfusion leads to mitosis of retinal cells. This suggests a causal relationship in proliferative retinopathies where ischemia and cell proliferation coincide.
Monopoly and the Problem of Economic Stability

THERE are those who think that monopoly has one thing in common with the weather: you may complain but you cannot do anything about it. A few do not even complain about monopoly, but find many good things to say about it. On the other side are those who are in a constant state of agitation about the evils of monopoly and call for a mobilization of all political forces against it. In the middle are the judicious ones, together with the meek, the placid, and the indolent.
Abstract 831: c-Myc is a novel target of prostate cancer cell growth inhibition by honokiol

Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA Honokiol (HNK) has been shown to inhibit human prostate cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The present study demonstrates that c-Myc, a key mediator of prostate cancer growth, is a novel target of HNK. Exposure of prostate cancer cells to plasma achievable concentrations of HNK resulted in a marked decrease in levels of total and/or phosphorylated c-Myc. HNK-mediated suppression of c-Myc protein level was due in part to repression of its transcription or protein degradation. We also observed down-regulation of c-Myc in tumors from PC-3 xenografted mice upon oral administration of HNK when compared with control; although the difference was not significant. Stable overexpression of c-Myc conferred protection against HNK-mediated inhibition of colony formation and G-G1 cell cycle arrest in PC-3 cells. Moreover, HNK suppressed the expression of c-Myc downstream target genes (Cyclin D1 and EZH2) and these effects were restored in Myc-overexpressing PC-3 cells. Consistent with these results, cells with stable knockdown of EZH2 were more sensitive to growth inhibition by HNK compared with control cells. Because androgen receptor (AR) is implicated in regulation of c-Myc expression, we explored the possibility whether AR could affect the expression of c-Myc and its target genes. Indeed, AR overexpression in PC-3 cells enhanced the expression of both c-Myc and its target genes. In conclusion, it is reasonable to postulate that HNK may be effective in retarding growth of c-Myc-driven prostate cancer. This study was supported by the grants CA101753 and CA115498 awarded by the National Cancer Institute. Citation Format: Krishna B. Singh, Eun-Ryeong Hahm, Shivendra V. Singh. c-Myc is a novel target of prostate cancer cell growth inhibition by honokiol. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 831.
Anti-Jam Performance of Fast Frequency Hopped MFSK with Coding against Worst-Case Multitone Jamming

Fast frequency hopped (FFH) MFSK with coding can significantly improve anti-jam (AJ) performance against partial band jamming. Multitone (MT) jamming has been shown to be the most effective partial band jamming technique, particularly against higher order M-ary FSK modulation. The results of many jamming analyses performed on FFH MFSK against worst-case MT jamming differ due to simplifying assumptions and to the use of different analytical techniques. To resolve discrepancies in the analytic results, a digital simulation of a demodulator and a Viterbi decoder was developed, yielding a more accurate characterization of the nonlinearities in the demodulator, the soft decision decoding metrics, and the jammer tone configuration. Results for a specific 8-ary FSK with a rate ? and k = 7 convolutional code implementation are presented.
Superior Quality of Life Scores in Patients Over 60 Years of Age in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant.

Abstract 3068 Advanced age is becoming less of a barrier to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and transplantation has become an established standard of care for many older patients (pts) with hematologic malignancies. We previously reported superior quality of life (QOL) scores in pts age 60 and over undergoing high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant compared with pts less than 60 (Dabney J et al, Blood 2008 112: Abstract 2381). These data prompted us to evaluate QOL assessments in pts≥60 undergoing allogeneic HCT compared to pts 435 adult pts underwent allogeneic HCT from June 2003 to December 2010. Prospective psychometric instruments were administered to 304 pts 1 compared to 74% in pts≥60), preparative regimen, (84% myeloablative in pts 6 /kg in pts≥60) compared with pts 6 /kg). Psychosocial functioning and QOL differences were compared between age groups over time by repeated measures analysis of variance, using intensity of transplant as a variable given the imbalance. On FACT, pts≥60 reported better social (p=0.006) and functional well being (p=0.05), and had better total FACT scores, (p=0.043) across all time points. On POMS, pts≥60 reported less fatigue than patients This study provides further evidence that advanced age should not be a barrier in the decision to pursue allogeneic HCT. Older pts achieved better total scores in QOL assessments when compared to younger pts. One can hypothesize that older pts are more likely to have experienced adversity or family and personal health related problems, making them better able to endure symptoms than younger pts. In addition, younger pts may be more affected due to non-health related concerns including the adverse effect of transplantation on their careers, family, and finances. While our older population has proven to have similar medical outcomes and improved QOL, younger pts may benefit from social work interventions that focus on adapting to changes in functioning and social well-being. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Thirst-associated preoptic neurons encode an aversive motivational drive

Water deprivation produces a drive to seek and consume water. How neural activity creates this motivation remains poorly understood. We used activity-dependent genetic labeling to characterize neurons activated by water deprivation in the hypothalamic median preoptic nucleus (MnPO). Single-cell transcriptional profiling revealed that dehydration-activated MnPO neurons consist of a single excitatory cell type. After optogenetic activation of these neurons, mice drank water and performed an operant lever-pressing task for water reward with rates that scaled with stimulation frequency. This stimulation was aversive, and instrumentally pausing stimulation could reinforce lever-pressing. Activity of these neurons gradually decreased over the course of an operant session. Thus, the activity of dehydration-activated MnPO neurons establishes a scalable, persistent, and aversive internal state that dynamically controls thirst-motivated behavior.
Economic opportunities for industrial systems from frequency regulation markets

Abstract We analyze economic opportunities for industrial facilities provided by frequency regulation (FR) markets. We use classical frequency domain analysis techniques to characterize the harmonic content of FR signals and to analyze the impact of such harmonics on the response of dynamical systems. The analysis reveals that systems with slow dynamics, as those found in large industrial facilities, are suitable to provide FR capacity because they can naturally damp the dominant high-frequency harmonic content of FR signals. We also propose optimization formulations to quantify the maximum amount of FR capacity that can be provided by a system given its dynamic characteristics, its control architecture. A distillation case study demonstrates that significant economic potential exists for large industrial facilities.
Improving Experiential Quality in Complex Service Environments: A Multi-level Analysis

Hospitals today are posed with many requirements arising from government regulations and financial incentives to improve patient experiential quality. This study examines effects of two types of ho...
Extracting retinal vascular networks using deep learning architecture

Segmenting curvilinear structures in retinal images is important in early diagnosing of some diseases and monitoring their progress. In this work, we proposed an automatic segmentation method to extract vascular network in CHASE data set. We utilized deep learning framework to build our layers that accept image patches as input and produce the segmented image as output. Our work characterized by its robust detection for the vascular tree in spite of challenged conditions in these images such as illumination and contrast variations, tiny and close vessels, crossing area and optic disk thick boundary. We achieved the highest sensitivity among all the state of the art methods in the literature with comparable specificity and better results in terms of accuracy. Our experimental results outperformed the best algorithm in sensitivity by 5%, as well as, we achieved an accuracy equal to 0.9630. In addition, we obtained better performance in terms of all evaluation methods after applying simple morphological operations to our final segmentation results.
Development of the CARING Model to Impact Sexual Assault Reporting on College Campuses

Sexual assault on college campuses has become an epidemic requiring institutions to respond. Through Title IX, all educational institutions receiving federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education must have a Title IX coordinator and must respond to allegations of sexual assault. Little specific guidance for how to appropriately conduct an investigation of alleged sexual assault and harassment can be found in the mandates of Title IX. The authors offer a pilot model that can be used by interviewers conducting an investigation in which the victim is not re-traumatized or provided with negative reactions and that takes into account the emotional needs of the investigator. The CARING model focuses on skills necessary for interviewing individuals involved in sexual assault cases and on helping the helper.
High inflations and the Financial System

The economic prospects of Latin America are seen with increasing optimism by the international business community following the economic reforms carried through in a number of countries in recent years. Privatizations and the lowering of trade barriers, including the formation of MercoSur and NAFTA, have received much favorable attention. But most important have been the monetary stabilizations and the fiscal reforms that have made them possible.
Mechanical and physical properties of protein-starch based plastics produced by extrusion and injection molding

Processing conditions, ingredient ratio, and moisture content were optimized for making soy protein/starch based plastics using a twin-screw extruder and an injection molding machine. A metering pump and a high speed mixer were used for ingredient mixing. The optimal processing temperature for injection molding was 130°C, and the moisture content of extruded pellets was 10–14%. Processing effects were investigated by measuring the tensile properties and water resistance of specimens. Reduction of water and glycerol in mixtures increased the barrel pressure of the extruder. Mold release was improved by incorporating 0.25 parts tallow per 100 parts of solid material (soy protein and starch). The water absorption of the specimens was reduced by adding acids to adjust the pH to the isoelectric point of soy proteins (pH 4.5). Effects of storage at different relative humidities were studied. The processibility of pellets was stable after a 4-wk-storage period, despite some moisture loss. Injection-molded specimens, after being stored for up to 6 mon at dry conditions [50 and 11% relative humidity (RH)] at room temperature and for 4 wk in a 50°C oven, showed no surface crack. However, humid (93% RH) storage at room temperature promoted fungal growth after storage for 3 mon, indicating that preservatives such as potassium sorbate and propionic acid were needed.
Diversity, Community/Regional Level

An ecological community is a collection of species living contemporaneously in the same place and comprising populations of individuals that are spatially interspersed and among which direct and indirect interactions can potentially take place. Communities are nested within larger biogeographical regions that comprise many different habitats and that have unique evolutionary histories. Species can disperse among suitable habitats in the region and thus define the species pool for communities occupying those habitats. Species interactions, habitat differences, history, and dispersal have all been hypothesized to influence species diversity in communities, and thus community and regional species diversity are inextricably linked. This article presents two perspectives on the control of community and regional diversity, the nature of the linkage between community and regional diversity, and methods for examining this linkage. Guidelines for synthesizing community and regional perspectives are also considered.
Lesson Study: A Case of the Investigations Mathematics Curriculum with Practicing Teachers at Fifth Grade

Practicing mathematics teachers are often at the heart of reform initiatives with little support. Teachers are wrestling with shedding old pedagogical beliefs, understanding mathematical content and using new curricula materials such as Investigations in Number, Data, and Space [Investigations]. The discrepancy between the implementers’ prior experiences, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics principles and standards, and Investigations’ objectives presented an important problem for study. This case study research found that teachers that collaborated with each other in lesson-study type meetings were more able to establish new classroom instructional approaches as they implemented Investigations. The resulting in-depth competency in content, improved pedagogical skills, and more positive beliefs about student learning generated by these lesson-study type meetings enabled these mathematics teachers to be versatile in using the Investigations curriculum.
Natural Killer Cells Subsets

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on natural killer (NK) cells subsets. It summarizes results of investigations into NK cell subsets, which make use of a number of approaches in addition to the use of specific anti-NK alloantibodies. In these studies, neonatal, aged, irradiated, and cyclophosphamide (CY)-treated and beige mutant mice were used. In addition, mice were infected with LCM virus and treated with interferon inducers. Spleen cells from normal mice were activated in vitro by short-term culture with interferon or interferon inducers. NK cell subsets in fresh murine spleen were investigated. The chapter summarizes findings of when spleen cells from various types of mice were assayed in short (4–6 h) and long (12–24 h) assays on these four target cells. It also presents results of treating spleen cells from appropriate strains of mice with CE anti-CBA (anti-NK-1.2) serum and monoclonal anti-Thy-1.2 antibodies and complement (C). From the findings, it can be deduced that four subsets of cells in murine spleen capable of spontaneous NK-like activity against one or more of these tumor target cells can be discerned.
Indefinite Integration Formulas Based on the Sinc Expansion

The “Tanh rule” of C. Schwartz approximates \(\smallint^{1}_{-1}g(u)\) by $$I_{N}=h\,\underset{j=-N}{\overset{N}{\sum}}\frac{g(tanh\frac{jh}{2})}{2cosh^{2}\frac{jh}{2}}$$ , where h = h(N) is given by a certain formula; \(h\!\sim\!cN^{-\frac{1}{2}}\). This integration rule has been shown to be remarkably accurate. Its error is \(O(e^{-c\sqrt{N}})\) for some c > 0 even when the integrand is infinite at an endpoint of the integration interval.
An Arrow’s Theorem Perspective on Networks

It was obvious already in the early 1980s when I first met Ake Andersson in Vienna, as he was hurrying off to another meeting to establish new connections, that his deep commitment to the importance of networks and network dynamics extends far beyond theory. I admire and applaud his success in his pragmatic applications of networks, and I agree with his theoretical perspective. Yet, in some sense, these ideas of networks and worrying about the various connections and interactions run counter to a persistent theme of twentieth century economics.
Invariant Differential Operators

All varieties we consider will be irreducible, algebraic, and defined over our base field ℂ.
ERBBal Remedies: Combination Therapy for EGFR-mutant Lung Cancers

Multiple members of the ERBB/HER family of the receptor tyrosine kinases have been implicated in mediating acquired resistance to EGFR inhibitors that are used to treat EGFR-mutant lung cancers. New single agents and combination therapies targeting the ERBB/HER family members are being investigated to either prevent or overcome the emergence of acquired resistance. Clin Cancer Res; 24(22); 5499–501. ©2018 AACR. See related article by Romaniello et al., p. 5610
A general equilibrium impact study of the Emissions Reduction Fund in Australia by using a national environmental and economic model

Abstract Several climate change policies, such as emissions trading schemes and carbon taxes, have been implemented in many countries and regions around the world. However, the current Coalition Government in Australia does not prefer such methods and has argued that these policies would substantially increase the electricity price, and weaken the Australian competitiveness and the whole economy. Subsequently, the Government replaced the carbon tax policy in July 2014 with its Emissions Reduction Fund, which fundamentally uses the government budget of A$2.55 billion to buy emission abatements from polluters. There are major arguments among the Australian public about the efficiency and the effects of this approach, but the economic effects are still unidentified. This study aims to examine the economy-wide effects of this policy on the Australian economy by employing a national environmental and economic general equilibrium model so that Australians and international audience would be aware of the impacts and how the reverse auction and carbon subsidy work as a policy to reduce emissions at large scales across all sectors in a country. Results show that Australia only experiences relatively small impact on its economy. Real GDP only declines by 0.3%–0.4% over all scenarios. Industrial and private sectors also experience relatively small unfavourable impacts, but the output and export level of the agricultural commodity will decline substantially. The renewable sectors are expanded to compensate output reductions in fossil fuel electricity generation sectors, though the expansion is insufficient to compensate for the losses.
Quantum States of a Time-Asymmetric Universe: Wave Function, Density Matrix, and Empirical Equivalence

What is the quantum state of the universe? Although there have been several interesting suggestions, the question remains open. In this paper, I consider a natural choice for the universal quantum state arising from the Past Hypothesis, a boundary condition that accounts for the time-asymmetry of the universe. The natural choice is given not by a wave function (representing a pure state) but by a density matrix (representing a mixed state). I begin by classifying quantum theories into two types: theories with a fundamental wave function and theories with a fundamental density matrix. The Past Hypothesis is compatible with infinitely many initial wave functions, none of which seems to be particularly natural. However, once we turn to density matrices, the Past Hypothesis provides a natural choice---the normalized projection onto the Past Hypothesis subspace in the Hilbert space. Nevertheless, the two types of theories can be empirically equivalent. To provide a concrete understanding of the empirical equivalence, I provide a novel subsystem analysis in the context of Bohmian theories. Given the empirical equivalence, it seems empirically underdetermined whether the universe is in a pure state or a mixed state. Finally, I discuss some theoretical payoffs of the density-matrix theories and present some open problems for future research.
Quality improvement project to reduce pediatric clear liquid fasting times prior to anesthesia.

Background Unnecessarily long preprocedural fasting can cause suffering and distress for children and their families. Institutional fasting policies are designed to consistently achieve minimum fasting times, often without regard to the extent to which actual fasting times exceed these minimums. Children at our hospital frequently experienced clear liquid fasting times far in excess of required minimums. Aims The aim of this study was to utilize quality improvement methodology to reduce excess fasting times, with a goal of achieving experienced clear liquid fasting times ≤4 hours for 60% of our patients. Methods This quality improvement project was conducted between July 2017 and August 2018. A multidisciplinary team performed a series of Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles focused on children undergoing elective procedures at a large children's hospital. Key drivers for clear liquid fasting times and relevant balancing measures were identified. Data were analyzed using control charts and statistical process control methods. Results Approximately 16 000 children were involved in this project. Over the course of the project, the percentage of children with goal clear liquid fasting times improved from the baseline of 20%-63%, with a change in the mean fasting time from 9 hours to 6 hours. There were no significant effects on balancing measures (case delays/cancellations and clinically significant aspiration events). Conclusion Using quality improvement methodology, we safely improved the duration of preoperative fasting experienced by our patients. Our results provide additional data supporting the safety of more permissive 1-hour clear liquid fasting minimums. We suggest other institutions pursue similar efforts to improve patient and family experience.
Evidence for idiothetic and allothetic control of thermo-orientation in feather-feeding lice

Thermal cues are widely used by ectoparasites to find and exploit hosts. Recently, the wing louse Columbicola columbae (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) was shown to use thermo-orientation when migrating between host microhabitats. Here, we study the control systems governing thermo-orientation by motion tracking wing lice on spatial and temporal heat gradients. As previously demonstrated, lice placed on spatial heat gradients successfully located nearby heat targets. Unilateral antennectomies were then used to remove spatial aspects of the thermal cue. These lice were still capable of locating heat targets, suggesting their response relied on tracking changes in the cue over time (idiothetic control). Course control was accomplished via angular corrections after louse body-angles deviated from the heat target. Louse behavior on temporal heat gradients provided additional evidence for idiothetic control- lice altered turn size and velocity after temperatures uniformly shifted without any spatial reference. We also show that lice are likely capable of responding to spatial aspects of the cue, consistent with allothetic control. On the spatial heat gradient, lice with two antennae were more efficient at locating heat targets as compared to those with unilateral antennectomies. Additionally, when traveling along temperature isoclines (where lice can detect spatial but not temporal aspects of the cue), lice with two antennae consistently turned towards the heat target, while those with unilateral antennectomies showed no preference. In all, we find evidence that lice can use both idiothetic and allothetic control during thermo-orientation, and likely integrate information from these two systems to guide movements on hosts.
Pastoral care and counseling – an introduction: care for stories, systems, and selves: by Philip Browning Helsel, New York, Paulist Press, 2019, 162 pp., $39.95 (PB), ISBN: 978-0809153909

In Pastoral Care and Counseling – An Introduction, Philip Browning Helsel orients readers to the purpose and practice of pastoral care, which the author defines as ‘a determined, supportive ministr...
Subcutaneous apomorphine in advanced Parkinson’s disease and its use in Indian population

Although subcutaneously administered apomorphine is widely used as an effective adjunct therapy for Parkinson’s disease (PD), it was approved for use in India only in 2019. This review summarizes the history, pharmacology, clinical spectrum, indications, efficacy, and side effects of subcutaneous apomorphine use in patients with PD along with clinical recommendations for its use in Indian context. Intermittent subcutaneous apomorphine injection or continuous subcutaneous apomorphine infusion is effective adjunctive treatments for patients with advanced PD with levodopa-related refractory motor complications and some specific nonmotor symptoms (NMS) as growing evidence shows apomorphine also improves aspects of NMS of PD. Common side effects of subcutaneous apomorphine are skin nodules, nausea, and somnolence with incidence being higher with infusion than that with injection. Impulse control disorders and neuropsychiatric complications common to most dopamine agonists can also occur. As per National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), United Kingdom, apomorphine, as intermittent injection or continuous subcutaneous infusion, is one of the best medical therapies and may be considered before using deep brain stimulation (DBS) or levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG). Head-to-head open-label comparative multicenter data suggest that apomorphine is at least as effective as DBS or LCIG in relation to nonmotor and motor benefit. More studies are needed to reduce the paucity of apomorphine data in Indian population. We also discuss criteria to select one device therapy over another and newer apomorphine delivery strategies in the pipeline.
Are social work students academically entitled: implications for social work education

Educators have observed that university and college students have been exhibiting behaviors that are consistent with academic entitlement. There is however a dearth of research surrounding social w...
Associations of Age, Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Education With 13 Epigenetic Clocks in a Nationally Representative U.S. Sample: The Health and Retirement Study.

Background Many DNA methylation-based indicators have been developed as summary measures of epigenetic aging. We examine the associations between 13 epigenetic clocks, including 4 second generation clocks, as well as the links of the clocks to social, demographic, and behavioral factors known to be related to health outcomes: sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, obesity, and lifetime smoking pack-years. Methods The Health and Retirement Study is the data source which is a nationally representative sample of Americans over age 50. Assessment of DNA methylation was based on the EPIC chip and epigenetic clocks were developed based on existing literature. Results The clocks vary in the strength of their relationships with age, with each other and with independent variables. Second generation clocks trained on health-related characteristics tend to relate more strongly to the sociodemographic and health behaviors known to be associated with health outcomes in this age group. Conclusions Users of this publicly available data set should be aware that epigenetic clocks vary in their relationships to age and to variables known to be related to the process of health change with age.
External Dose to Recovery Teams Following a Wide-area Nuclear or Radiological Release Event.

ABSTRACT The common radionuclide 137Cs is a gamma-ray source term for nuclear reactor accidents, nuclear detonations, and potential radionuclide dispersal devices. For wide-area contamination events, one remediation option integrates water washing activities with on-site treatment of water for its immediate reuse. This remediation option includes washing building and roadways via firehose, collecting the wash water, and passing the contaminated water through chemical filtration beds. The primary objective of this study was to quantify the dose incurred to workers performing a remediation recovery effort for roadways and buildings following a wide-area release event. MicroShield® was employed to calculate the dose to workers at the roadway level and to calculate total dose rates while performing washing activities. This study finds that for a realistic contamination scenario for a wide area of a large urban environment, decontamination crews would be subjected to <220 μSv per person, much less than the 50,000 μSv limit for occupational dose. By extrapolation, one decontamination team of 48 people could continue washing operations on a total of 2.8 km2 before reaching their incurred annual dose limits. Though it is unrealistic to assign one team that entire area, we can conclude external dose will not limit worker deployment given the range of contamination levels adopted in this study.
Comparison of protein capture from a human cancer cell line by genomic G-quadruplex DNA sequences toward aptamer discovery

A genome-inspired route to aptamer discovery that expands the sequence space beyond that available in traditional, combinatorial selection approaches is investigated for discovery of DNA-protein interactions in cancer. These interactions could then serve as the basis for new DNA aptamers to cancer-related proteins. The genome-inspired approach uses specific DNA sequences from the human genome to capture proteins from biological protein pools. The use of naturally occurring DNA sequences takes advantage of biological evolution of DNA sequences that bind to specific proteins to perform biological functions. Linking aptamer discovery to nature increa`ses the chances of uncovering protein-DNA affinity binding interactions that have biological significance as well as analytical utility. Here, the focus is on genomic, G-rich sequences that can form G-quadruplex (G4) structures. These structures are underrepresented in combinatorial libraries used for conventional aptamer selection. Additionally, G4-forming sequences are prone to inefficient PCR amplification, further biasing aptamer selection away from these structures. Nature provides a large diversity of G4-forming sequences throughout the human genome. They are prevalent in gene promoter regions, especially in oncogene promoters, and are therefore promising candidates for aptamers to regulatory proteins in cancer. The present work investigates protein capture from nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts of the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468 by G4-forming sequences from the CMYC, RB, and VEGF gene promoters. The studies included the effects of modifications of the VEGF sequence on the selectivity of protein capture, from which we identified promising aptamer candidates, subject to further refinement, to the proteins nucleolin and RPL19, both of which play important regulatory functions related to cancer.
Neuroanatomy of Bladder Pain

In this review, we summarize the most recent literature on neurobiology of bladder pain in a systematic fashion starting with end organ, peripheral nervous system, the spinal cord, and ending with the brain. Special attention is dedicated to pain processing in patients with spinal cord injury. Chronic bladder pain is not an isolated entity and is in fact a result of a complex interaction between the end organ, surrounding structures, and peripheral and central nervous system. The afferent fibers collecting the information from the bladder urothelium and mucosa are a very diverse population and respond not only to stretch but also to noxious and chemical signaling. Neuroinflammation appears to be central to the process of sensitization. Imaging and molecular evidence is emerging noting actual alterations in signaling pathways and neuroanatomy in patients with chronic pelvic pain beyond the end organ. Tremendous progress has been made to better understand the complex pathophysiology of bladder pain on a molecular and neuroanatomic level. Ideally, this information can be utilized to better identify specific and individualized intervention targets for patients with chronic bladder pain.
Ecophysiological studies of sonoran Desert plants : V. Photosynthetic adaptations of Machaeranthera gracilis, a Winter annual.

Photosynthetic responses to light and temperature are compared for two genetically related chromosomal races of Machaeranthera gracilis. The ancestral foothills race occurs in cooler, more mesic environments, while the derived desert race occurs in more arid environments. The desert race exhibited greater rates of net photosynthesis at all levels of irradiance than did plants of the foothills race. This enhancement is due primarily to a greater quantum yield and leaf density. High light pretreatment significantly increased the photosynthetic capacity of the desert race, with little or no effect on the foothills race. Furthermore, the leaf density of the desert race was affected proportionately more than the foothills race by light pretreatment. The desert race also possessed higher stomatal and mesophyll conductances to CO2. Both races exhibited enhanced photosynthetic capacities when grown in a warm thermoperiod (35/25 C), relative to a cool thermoperiod (25/15 C), concomitant with slight increases in leaf density. There was a lack of thermal acclimation for both photosynthesis and respiration of the two races. The greater photosynthetic capactity of the desert race is suggested as an evolutionary modification which could account for invasion into and survival in the sonoran Desert.
Mass of Li 11 from the C 14 ( B 11 , Li 11 ) O 14 Reaction

The mass of the nucleus $^{11}\mathrm{Li}$ has been determined from a measurement of the $Q$ value of the reaction $^{14}\mathrm{C}$($^{11}\mathrm{B}$,$^{11}\mathrm{Li}$)$^{14}\mathrm{O}$ at $\frac{E}{A}\ensuremath{\approx}32$ MeV. The results, which indicate a two-neutron separation energy of ${S}_{2n}(^{11}\mathrm{Li})=295\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}35$ keV, put this basic quantity on a firm basis for use in theoretical models of the halo nucleus $^{11}\mathrm{Li}$.
Iron Regulation in the Brain at the Cell and Molecular Level

Abnormal iron accumulation in brain tissue is reportedly associated with a number of common neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s1, Parkinson’s2 and Multiple Sclerosis3. A role for iron in the induction of oxidative damage is clearly established as is the relatively high susceptibility of the brain to oxidative damage. This relationship between iron and oxidative damage has highlighted the importance of understanding both intracellular regulation of iron in the nervous system as well as elucidating the cells in the brain which are responsible for maintaining iron homeostasis within the brain. The heterogeneity of cell types within the brain presents a special challenge to decipher the role of each of these cells in brain iron regulation.
Morphologic and chemical characterization of products from hydrolysis of UF6

Abstract Characterization of the chemical speciation and morphologies of products formed from hydrolysis of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) is important for predicting dispersion and contamination of released material, or health consequences from inhalation of air-borne particles. We report products of hydrolysis of UF6 in which the quantity of water was insufficient for complete formation of UO2F2. Material was deposited onto carbon tape and aluminum. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to characterize textures and particle sizes, and powder X-ray diffraction analysis and μ-Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy were used to characterize chemical speciation. These results revealed that the ratio of H2O to UF6, depository substrate composition, and storage conditions must be considered when evaluating chemical speciation, morphologic texture and particles size of UF6 hydrolysis products. LA-UR-15-23846.
In Conclusion, Shouldn't Everybody Evaluate Outcomes? (and Other Loose Ends)

This chapter discusses the importance and development of outcome evaluation methods which are to be worth the effort, hassle free and cost effective, and not yielding to misleading results. If outcome evaluation findings have considerable effects on the mental health treatment and the care that consumers receive, people higher in the “power hierarchy” are destined to be involved in the priority-setting and decision-making processes. A strong governance and commitment management are the essential requisites of outcome assessment and for using the findings. A passive participation and half-hearted endeavors towards planning and implementation of outcome evaluation leads to incomplete data. The chapter also stresses on the importance of funding sources which lend support to local evaluation activities with the adequate assistance of public sanctioning, endorsements, and adequate funds. The required mechanisms for transforming different concerns and opportunities into improvements will be the outcome assessment, and leads to seeking answers to why they do not respond, serve, modify, and increase the use of outcome management and continuous quality improvement mechanisms.