cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Common genetic variation in and near the melanocortin 4 receptor gene ( MC4R ) is associated with body mass index in American Indian adults and children

Six rare functional coding mutations were previously identified in melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) in 6,760 American Indians. Individuals heterozygous for one of these mutations become obese while young. We now investigate whether common non-coding variation near MC4R also contributes to obesity. Fifty-six tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in 3,229 full-heritage Pima Indians, and nine of these SNPs which showed evidence for association were genotyped in additional 3,852 mixed-heritage American Indians. Associations of SNPs with maximum body mass index (BMI) in adulthood (n = 5,918), BMI z score in childhood (n = 5,350), percent body fat (n = 864), energy expenditure (n = 358) and ad libitum food intake (n = 178) were assessed. Conditional analyses demonstrated that SNPs, rs74861148 and rs483125, were independently associated with BMI in adulthood (β = 0.68 kg/m2 per risk allele, p = 5 × 10−5; β = 0.58 kg/m2, p = 0.002, respectively) and BMI z score in childhood (β = 0.05, p = 0.02; β = 0.07, p = 0.01, respectively). One haplotype (frequency = 0.35) of the G allele at rs74861148 and the A allele at rs483125 provided the strongest evidence for association with adult BMI (β = 0.89 kg/m2, p = 5.5 × 10−7), and was also associated with childhood BMI z score (β = 0.08, p = 0.001). In addition, a promoter SNP rs11872992 was nominally associated with adult BMI (β = 0.61 kg/m2, p = 0.05) and childhood BMI z score (β = 0.11, p = 0.01), where the risk allele also modestly decreased transcription in vitro by 12 % (p = 0.005). This risk allele was further associated with increased percent body fat (β = 2.2 %, p = 0.002), increased food intake (β = 676 kcal/day, p = 0.007) and decreased energy expenditure (β = −53.4 kcal/day, p = 0.054). Common and rare variation in MC4R contributes to obesity in American Indians. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00439-014-1477-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Biofilm Antimicrobial Resistance

This chapter describes the phenomenon of biofilm-reduced susceptibility to antimicrobial agents, discusses factors that influence biofilm tolerance, and outlines possible protective mechanisms. Microorganisms that band together in biofilms are protected from killing by biocides, disinfectants, and antibiotics. The phenomenon of biofilm resistance to drugs and antimicrobials is easily reproduced in the laboratory. The antimicrobial agents range from brute-force oxidants, such as chlorine, to antibiotics with exquisitely specific cellular targets. The microorganisms range from bacteria to yeast and from obligate aerobes to sulfate reducing bacteria and other finicky anaerobes. When microorganisms are dispersed from a biofilm, their antimicrobial susceptibility is usually rapidly restored. Fungal biofilms are commonly encountered in cases of invasive catheter-related infections as well as superficial infections like denture stomatitis. Biofilm susceptibility is influenced significantly by such factors as biofilm thickness, biofilm age, biofilm areal cell density, antimicrobial dose concentration, biofilm species composition, and genotype. In bacterial biofilms, it has been suggested that the thick extracellular matrix (ECM) may contribute to antimicrobial resistance by preventing the diffusion of drugs to target cells. The cellular target of fluconazole in Candida albicans is a cytochrome P-450 hemoprotein involved in the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway. Microorganisms are equipped with numerous genetic and biochemical systems for responding to environmental stresses. Reduced antimicrobial susceptibility of microorganisms in biofilms is thought to be due to a combination of antimicrobial depletion through reactions with biofilm constituents, poor antimicrobial penetration, slow growth or stationary-phase existence in the biofilm, adaptive stress responses, and the formation of protected persister cells.
Effects of Variable Phase Volume Fractions on the Effective Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Metal-Ceramic Composites With Graded Microstructures

The present paper is specifically concerned with the evaluation of the effective temperature-dependent elastic, thermal and thermo-elastic material properties of artificially graded Ti-TiB2 microstructures (through thickness only). Effective properties of Ti-TiB2 composite are obtained using micromechanics models and finite element analysis of representative volume elements (RVEs). Two approaches have been adopted and compared to determine the proper RVE. In a fashion similar to previous studies [1], RVEs are generated by considering regions that have a uniform to slow variation in material composition (i.e., constant volume fraction), resulting in statistically homogenous piece-wise RVEs of the graded microstructure neglecting interaction from neighboring cells. In the second approach, continuous RVEs are generated by considering the entire FGM. As pointed out by Anthoine [2], modeling of the complete variation in a microstructure may influence the surrounding layers due to the interactions of varying material composition, particularly when there is a steep variation in material composition along the grading direction. To determine these effects of interlayer interactions, FGM microstructures were generated using three different types of material grading functions, linear, quadratic and square root, providing uniform, gradual and steep variations, respectively. Finite element analysis was performed to determine effective properties of the composite over a wide temperature range.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Candy crush: a confounding presentation of blood per rectum in a child.

Acute per rectal bleeding in a young child is a fairly common clinical presentation that warrants immediate attention and appropriate management.1 Aetiology differs with age and differential diagnosis in a young child includes: intussusception, bleeding Meckel's diverticulum, dysentery, juvenile polyps, inflammatory bowel disease and vascular lesions.2 A 3-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with a 1-day history of painless rectal bleeding not associated with fever or diarrhoea. Physical examination revealed …
Discovering Theorems with a Computer: The case of y' = sin(xy)

(1979). Discovering Theorems with a Computer: The case of y' = sin(xy) The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 86, No. 9, pp. 733-739.
A Conceptual Scheme for the Sociological Analysis of Election Campaigns

separated from that part of his writings that is more metaphysical and evaluative than sociological in the usual sense. Similarly, his normative and hortatory writings could be collected and freed from the encumbrance of any more purely sociological analysis than is necessary to make their meaning clear. If this were done his sociology might win a fairer hearing than it has been accorded among sociologists, and his call to action still not be sacrificed.
Medical professionalism: a Parsonian view.

This paper argues for a normative conception of medical professionalism based on the work of sociologist Talcott Parsons. Such a conception grounds medical professionalism on the expert authority of the physician; the concept of authority is therefore discussed at length. Parsons view also lays much stress on the fact that the proper exercise of medical authority nearly always involves aligning the interests of individual patients with those of society at large. Parsonian professionalism looks to professional institutions such as medical schools, societies and journals to secure the competence and ethical behavior of professionals, and to help ensure that professionals exercise of authority is never biased by private financial interests or by public political power. Professional institutions should encourage professionals to develop a set of preferences and desires (e.g., for respect of their peers, and not for power or financial gain) that will tend to make them trustworthy authorities.
The Asphyxiated Bladder as a Cause of Delayed Micturition in the Newborn

Abstract: Although delayed micturition in the immediate newborn period is often a normal physiologic variation it may be associated with pathological states leading to a decrease in urine formation or reduction of urine flow. Recently, 5 newborns subjected to severe perinatal stress were seen, who exhibited delayed micturition despite adequate urine formation and no evidence of gross anatomic abnormalities. These patients presented with distended bladders that could be maneuvered easily by Crede’s method. We believe that these cases represent a heretofore undescribed asphyxiated bladder syndrome and suggest consideration of such a diagnosis when bladder distension occurs subsequentto an asphyxiai event. In male newborns it is important to differentiate this syndrome from posterior urethral valves and if urine is not expressed easily one should consider early intervention with diagnostic studies and, perhaps, suprapubic drainage.
Childhood and Nineteenth-Century American Theatre: The Work of the Marsh Troupe of Juvenile Actors

Shauna Vey's Childhood and Nineteenth-Century American Theatre deftly combines two distinct research fields: theatre history and the history of child labour. By focusing on the dramatic and persona...
Scenes of Birth and Founding Myths: Dada 1916/17

A striking number of performances by the early Dada group—in 1916 at the Cabaret Voltaire and in 1917 at the Galerie Dada in Zurich—stage various scenes of birth: The first act of Hugo Ball's and Emmy Hennings's play-reading of Leonid Andreyev's The Life of Man contains a brutal and painful birth scene. Ball's Nativity Play relates the story of Jesus Christ from his birth to his crucifixion. Similarly, Marcel Janco's adaptation of Oskar Kokoschka's grotesque Sphinx and Straw Man features a Mr. Fetus, who symbolizes the impotence of the unproductive male protagonist, and the most spectacular chapter of Ball's Dadaist novel, Tenderenda, titled “Grand Hotel Metaphysics,” tells of the birth of another monstrous misfit: “Dada.” All these unsettling and mournful birth fantasies—particularly when read together—challenge and contradict the established narrative that the early twentieth-century Dada movement was born of chance, when Ball and Richard Huelsenbeck found the word in a French dictionary. Moreover, they...
Abstract 12802: Basal Septal Hypertrophy is an Early Imaging Biomarker of Hypertrophy in Physiologic and Pathologic Stress

Ventricular hypertrophy is an adaptive response to physiologic and pathologic stress. It remains unclear whether hypertrophy is more regional in early stages. The aim was to evaluate the evolution of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and myocardial function during prolonged physiologic (exercise) and pathologic (transverse aorta constriction) stress. Methods/Results: Weight matched CF-1 male mice were separated into 3 groups: group 1: controls (n=10), group 2: exercise on treadmill for 1 hour daily x 5 days a week (n=7) and group 3: transverse aortic construction via thoractomy (TAC, n=7). All mice underwent B-mode and tissue Doppler echocardiography at baseline and weekly thereafter for 8 weeks. No mice died during the study. Significant hypertrophy was noted first in the LV septal base compared to other segments in group 2 (0.84 vs. 0.79 mm, p=0.03) and group 3 (0.86 vs. 0.77 mm, p=0.02) at 4 and 3 weeks, respectively. Relative wall thickness (RWT) was 0.31, 0.39 and 0.50 in the 3 groups, respectively, at 8 weeks. LV area increased in group 2 (13.5 vs. 19.7 mm2, p=0.0001); there were no significant changes in LV area in group 1 (13.8 vs. 13.9 mm2, p>0.05) or group 3 (14.4 vs. 13.9 mm2, p>0.05). At 8 weeks, eccentric LVH was noted in group 2 and concentric LVH in group 3 (Figure). Septal E/E’ ratio increased in group 3 (32.6 vs. 49, p=0.02)compared with the groups 1 and 2 (32.3 vs. 32.8 and 31.2 vs. 28.2, respectively, p>0.05 for both). Septal s’ decreased in group 3 (21 vs. 17 cm/s, p=0.04); it increased in group 2 (19.6 vs. 29.2 cm/s, p=0.02) and was unchanged in group 1 (20.1 vs. 20.9 cm/s, p>0.05). Conclusion: In both physiologic and pathologic stress, ventricular hypertrophy is noted earliest in the LV septal base. The remodeling becomes global with eccentric hypertrophy and preserved LV function noted with physiologic stress and concentric hypertrophy and reduced LV function noted with pathologic stress.
The Energy-Transduction Domain of the SERCA Calcium Pump is a Prime Therapeutic Target in Heart Failure and Obesity

We have used a comprehensive array of techniques to characterize the energy-transduction domain of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium transport ATPase (SERCA), including x-ray crystallography, solution biochemistry, fluorescence spectroscopy, molecular dynamics simulation, and small-molecule activation. The energy-transduction domain of SERCA mediates long-range allosteric coupling of ATP hydrolysis in the cytosolic headpiece to Ca2+ transport in the transmembrane domain. In heart failure, decreased SERCA activity correlates with disease progression in patients; increasing SERCA activity by drug or gene therapy reverses heart failure in animal models. Here we solved the x-ray crystal structure of SERCA in complex with a novel small-molecule activator, thus identifying a unique binding site on the energy-transduction domain. Conformation-specific proteolytic cleavage and intramolecular glutaraldehyde cross-linking was used to determine activator effect on SERCA headpiece structure. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to identify kinetic transitions accelerated by the activator. We propose a structural and biochemical mechanism for small-molecule activation of SERCA. Interestingly, the activator site is located vicinal to the binding site of sarcolipin (SLN), a muscle phosphoprotein that regulates SERCA energy expenditure and muscle metabolism to provide resistance against diet-induced obesity and extreme cold through non-shivering thermogenesis. SLN uncoupling of ATP hydrolysis from Ca2+ transport by SERCA was examined using microsecond MD simulation, finding that the cytosolic domain of SLN induces a salt bridge-mediated structural rearrangement of the energy-transduction domain, which allosterically uncouples SERCA by disrupting Ca2+ occlusion at residue E309 in transport site II, and thereby facilitating futile Ca2+ backflux in muscle. Our results demonstrate that the energy-transduction domain is a key control element that provides a structural motif for activation of Ca2+ transport by cardiac SERCA2a in heart failure and for uncoupling ATP hydrolysis by muscle SERCA1a in obesity.
Accelerated testbed for studying the wear, optical and electrical characteristics of dry cleaned PV solar panels

Abstract A testbed was designed and built for studying the impact of brush-based dry cleaning on glass samples and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. A sand deposition shaking system was integrated into the testbed to continuously deposit dust on the brushed surfaces simulating the real environmental dust conditions for a 20-year equivalent time of cleaning. The cleaning efficiency was evaluated for different types of brush materials of nylon, cloth and silicon rubber foam. In this piece of work, the focus was mainly on brushing real solar panels, which already have anti-reflective coating applied to measure the output short circuit current, which is the IV characteristics dominant factor. While some materials had a notable impact on the solar panels, no permanent or significant negative impact was found to affect the solar panels as a result of the brush-based dry cleaning with the other materials. In fact, an enhancement in the maximum power output of solar panels cleaned with silicone rubber was around 1% from the unbrushed initial power output, which could be attributed to the created surface geometry. The silicon rubber foam — a novel brush material, with no previous research literature describing its use as a brush material — provides a low cost material and allows for a simple brush design, which could reduce the cost of the brush used in robotic cleaning systems, while providing highly effective, nonabrasive cleaning.
Direct Thrombin Inhibitors in Acute Coronary Syndromes

The acute coronary syndromes (ACS) represent a continuum of athereothrombotic diseases that result from near instantaneous platelet activation and the initiation of the coagulation cascade most often following plaque erosion/rupture. Due to the central role of thrombin in clot formation, many therapies have aimed at inhibiting the action of thrombin to slow or reverse the coagulation cascade and to minimize the morbidity of ACS. While unfractionated heparin has been the stalwart agent for the management of ACS, several unfavorable characteristics such as the inability to inhibit clot-bound thrombin and a vulnerability to circulating inhibitors have prompted the search for alternative agents. Direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) were developed in an effort to effectively block the prothrombotic effects of thrombin without the associated increase in hemorrhagic events seen with the use of heparin. Early trials evaluating the DTI hirudin for management of unstable angina (UA) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) were largely disappointing. More recent data has demonstrated significantly lower bleeding rates with a similar effect on ischemic endpoints with the use of the DTI, bivalirudin, across the spectrum of ACS. As a result, the use of bivalirudin for most patients presenting with UA, NSTEMI, or STEMI is increasing. In this chapter, the data regarding the use of DTI in ACS will be presented and suggestions for their use in specific clinical scenarios will be given.
Clear-Cell Atypical Fibroxanthoma: an unusual case in an unusual place

Atypical fibroxanthoma represents a low-grade sarcoma that usually presents in the elderly population on sun-damaged areas of the head and neck regions. This neoplasm is characterized on histology by atypical pleomorphic, epithelioid to spindled cells, arranged in a haphazard pattern, set within a background of solar elastosis. In this case report, we present a unique case of the rare variant of clear-cell atypical fibroxanthoma arising in an unusual place, specifically the lower extremities.
Placement of Intracoelomic Radiotransmitters and Silicone Passive Sampling Devices in Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens)

Abstract Historically, wetland toxin exposure studies have relied on single time point samples from stationary sampling devices. Development of passive sampling devices (PSDs) that can be attached to individual animals within wetland habitats has greatly improved in recent years, presenting an innovative sampling technology that can potentially yield individual-specific, quantifiable data about chemical exposure. In this study, silicone based PSDs were attached to the ventral skin of 20 northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens) with polypropylene sutures after radiotransmitters had been surgically implanted into the coleomic cavity. After a short recovery period, frogs were released back into the wetland habitat where they were acquired. The animals were located daily using radiotelemetry to assess how long PSDs would remain attached in the frogs' natural habitat. After one week, PSDs remained on 18 of the original 20 frogs. At two weeks, 17 frogs were recovered and no PSDs remained attached. Although v...
'More Than What It Seems': How Critical Theory, Popular Engagement and Apps Like Tinder Can Help Us Reframe Metadata and Its Consequences

Metadata is a term no longer only of interest to information professionals; recently, it has also compelled a wider global population. How might the metadata community guide popular understandings around metadata’s relationship to privacy, surveillance, and identity building, while also taking cues from the outside to complement current professional practice? Rather than taking at face value the definitions, presentations, skills, practices and situations that we are told constitute the concept of metadata, we can consider alternative and complementary thinking, broadening what we consider to be metadata at all; this process of rethinking is known as problematization and has its roots in critical theory. We use problematization, as well as critical theory constructs like Derrida’s differance and digital trace, to examine the popular dating site Tinder, which we consider to be metadata in its own right. In doing so, we make new assumptions about metadata and its implications in digitally-mediated identity construction. We hope that our effort—a contribution to Science and Technology Studies (STS) and also to metadata studies—has professional implications, such as providing companion methods for reading metadata-dependent systems as ‘material metadata discourse.’ We likewise hope to show that popular, wider-world discourse can cast back onto our profession in a meaningful way.
$\gamma$-Cascade: A Simple Program to Compute Cosmological Gamma-Ray Propagation

Modeling electromagnetic cascades during gamma-ray transport is important in many applications within astrophysics. This document introduces $\gamma$-Cascade, a publicly available Mathematica package which allows users to calculate observed gamma-ray fluxes from point sources as well as from a distribution of sources. $\gamma$-Cascade semi-analytically computes the effects of electromagnetic interactions during gamma-ray transport.
Psychological Factors Affecting Ambulatory Blood Pressure in a High-Stress Occupation

Since the first recording of indirect and direct ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in human subjects (Bevan, Honour, & Stott, 1969; Hinman, Engel, & Bickford, 1962), the advantages of recording BP in natural settings have become firmly established. Compared to BP values obtained in a doctor’s office or clinic, 24-hr ambulatory BP measurements are less likely to give inflated estimates of an individual’s BP (Burstyn, O’Donovan, & Charlton, 1981; Floras, Jones, Hassan, Osikowska, Sever, & Sleight, 1981; Mancia, 1990); they also offer a more precise means of evaluating the efficacy of antihypertensive medications (Des Combes, Porchet, Waeber, & Brunner, 1984; Rion, Waeber, Graf, Jaussi, Porchet, & Brunner, 1985) and provide a better predictor of the development of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality (Cheung & Weber, 1988; Harshfield, Pickering, Kleinert, Blank, & Laragh, 1982; Pessina, Palatini, Di Marco, Mormino, Fazio, Libardoni, Mos, Casiglia, & Dal, 1986). These advantages derive from the fact that the 50–100 readings typically obtained in a single 24-hr ambulatory recording yield a considerably more stable mean level of BP compared to the two or three readings obtained in an office examination. The multiple readings also offer a good means of estimating BP variability in the individual, another significant correlate of target-organ damage (Parati, Pomidossi, Albini, Malaspina, & Manda, 1987).
Mathematical Models of Influenza: The Role of Cross-Immunity, Quarantine and Age-Structure

This chapter compiles some of the results on influenza dynamics that involve a single strain, as well as two competing strains. The emphasis is on the role of cross-immunity, quarantine and age-structure as mechanisms capable of supporting recurrent influenza epidemic outbreaks. Quarantine or age-structure alone can support oscillations while cross-immunity enhances the likelihood of strain coexistence and impacts the length of the period. It is the hope that the perspective provided here will instigate others to use mathematical models in the study of disease transmission and its evolution, particularly in a setting that involves highly variable pathogens.
Example-based restoration of high-resolution magnetic resonance image acquisitions.

Increasing scan resolution in magnetic resonance imaging is possible with advances in acquisition technology. The increase in resolution, however, comes at the expense of severe image noise. The current approach is to acquire multiple images and average them to restore the lost quality. This approach is expensive as it requires a large number of acquisitions to achieve quality comparable to lower resolution images. We propose an image restoration method for reducing the number of required acquisitions. The method leverages a high-quality lower-resolution image of the same subject and a database of pairs of high-quality low/high-resolution images acquired from different individuals. Experimental results show that the proposed method decreases noise levels and improves contrast differences between fine-scale structures, yielding high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Comparisons with the current standard method of averaging approach and state-of-the-art non-local means denoising demonstrate the method’s advantages.
Contracting, Ethics, and Policy Adoption: The Case of Florida Municipalities

Local government policy makers continue to pursue governance reforms that introduce business-like practices including the privatization or contracting-out of essential government services. It is un...
Incidence and predictors of reinfection with trichomoniasis based on nucleic acid amplification testing results in HIV-infected patients.

Trichomonas vaginalis infection contributes to HIV transmission. The study objective was to determine the incidence and predictors of T. vaginalis reinfection among HIV-infected women in Birmingham...
Investigation of white matter PiB uptake as a marker of white matter integrity.

Objective To investigate the associations of Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB) uptake in white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and normal appearing white matter (NAWM) with white matter (WM) integrity measured with DTI and cognitive function in cognitively unimpaired older adults. Methods Cognitively unimpaired older adults from the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (n = 537, age 65-95) who underwent both PiB PET and DTI were included. The associations of WM PiB standard uptake value ratio (SUVr) with fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in the WMH and NAWM were tested after adjusting for age. The associations of PiB SUVr with cognitive function z-scores were tested after adjusting for age and global cortical PiB SUVr. Results The WMH PiB SUVr was lower than NAWM PiB SUVr (P < 0.001). In the WMH, lower PiB SUVr correlated with lower FA (r = 0.21, P < 0.001), and higher MD (r = -0.31, P < 0.001). In the NAWM, lower PiB SUVr only correlated with higher MD (r = -0.10, P = 0.02). Both in the WMH and NAWM, lower PiB SUVr was associated with lower memory, language, and global cognitive function z-scores after adjusting for age and global cortical PiB SUVr. Interpretation Reduced PiB uptake in the WMH is associated with a loss of WM integrity and cognitive function after accounting for the global cortical PiB uptake, suggesting that WM PiB uptake may be an early biomarker of WM integrity that precedes cognitive impairment in older adults. When using WM as a reference region in cross-sectional analysis of PiB SUVr, individual variability in WMH volume as well as age should be considered.
A Practical Price Optimization Approach for Omnichannel Retailing

Consumers are increasingly navigating across sales channels to maximize the value of their purchase. The existing retail practices of pricing channels either independently or matching competitor pr...
Sails Versus Anchors: Spousal Personality Configurations and Career Success

Prior research has focused almost exclusively on intrapersonal factors (e.g., gender, education, and personality traits) and at- work behaviors to explain why some employees earn more than others. ...
Technical, economic, and environmental assessment of liquid fuel production on aircraft carriers

Abstract The supply chain to deliver fuels to aircraft carriers is complex, dangerous, and expensive, and one option to mitigate these risks is to produce fuel at sea. This work quantifies the costs, climate impacts, and physical characteristics of three technology pathways for fuel production onboard aircraft carriers: alkaline electrolysis and reverse water gas shift (AE + RWGS); solid oxide electrolysis and RWGS (SOEC + RWGS); and co-electrolysis of steam and CO2. Two design scenarios are evaluated: a small, infrequently operating plant using excess nuclear power (Scenario A); and a large, frequently operating plant with dedicated nuclear capacity (Scenario B). Fuel production costs are quantified using a Monte Carlo techno-economic analysis, ranging from 1.91 to 4.49 and 3.25–4.23 $/L in Scenarios A and B, respectively. The lowest cost technology pathway is AE + RWGS. All technology pathways are shown to offer reductions in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of 82–86% relative to petroleum JP-5. In Scenario B, the plant volume and weight are estimated at 50–67% and 432% of current aircraft carrier designs, respectively, highlighting challenges for technical feasibility. Furthermore, increasing plant production capacity and capacity factor is shown to reduce the unit cost of fuel production, but that this is largely offset by the additional costs of dedicated nuclear capacity required at larger scales. The results indicate that fuel production on an aircraft carrier may be technically feasible, cost competitive, and environmentally beneficial relative to the petroleum fuels currently in use. However, research to further reduce system cost, weight, and volume, including experimental validation, are still required.
Enabling Named Data Networking Forwarder to Work Out-of-the-Box at Edge Networks

Named Data Networking (NDN) changes the network communication paradigm from address-centric in TCP/IP to data-centric. This architectural change extends capabilities of the network's forwarding plane, enabling more efficient and adaptive data retrieval. However, it is unclear how to utilize forwarding behaviors, and reduce the deployment complexity of NDN at edge networks. In fact, to run NDN applications between just two nodes involves decent knowledge of the software forwarder (NFD) and non-trivial network configuration. This paper designs self-configured adaptive forwarding plane for NDN at edge networks, to improve data retrieval efficiency and minimize deployment complexity. The designed functionalities are implemented in NFD and tested on real devices. Results show that NFD is able to run out-of-the-box with different applications. More specifically, the new forwarding strategy is able to learn and utilize multiple faces and routes, and to better handle NACK and link failure, achieving good performance.
Where are US outpatient mental health facilities that serve children with autism spectrum disorder? A national snapshot of geographic disparities.

Despite a rise in the observed prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children, few estimates exist of the share of US outpatient mental health treatment facilities that provide services for ...
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Control of Cortical Development

Recent advances in the study of cerebral cortical early development are described in this chapter. The role of the anterior neural ridge in regulating telencephalon induction in the neural plate is discussed, followed by a review of the evidence for the roles of ventral, rostral and dorsal patterning centres in regulating regionalization of the telencephalon. The patterning centres produce secreted molecules (SHH, FGF, BMP, WNT) that regulate the expression of transcription factors which control regional identity, cell type specification, proliferation and differentiation. These intrinsic patterning mechanisms appear to be sufficient to generate much of the regional organization of the cerebral cortex present in newborn mice. While intrinsic mechanisms have a major role in cortical regionalization and in the production of cortical projection neurons, many cortical interneurons are derived from the basal ganglia and then migrate into the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, thalamic afferents appear to have an important role in maturation of the postnatal rodent cortex. Thus, both intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms control development of the cerebral cortex.
A method for picosecond lifetime measurements for neutron-rich nuclei (2) Timing study with scintillation counters

Abstract A delayed coincidence timing system consisting of a thin NE111A plastic scintillator and a BaF2 crystal coupled to XP2020 and XP2020Q photomultipliers, respectively, and operated in a fast dynode mode was developed. Its performance was optimized over a dynamic range from 0.3 to 1.6 MeV for γ-rays. For this range a walk of ±22 ps and a time resolution of 96 ps (FWHM) were measured for β-rays with a mean energy of about 600 keV coincident with 1.37 MeV γ-rays from a 24Na source. The high sensitivity of this detector system has been demonstrated by using a β-γ delayed coincidence mode to measure known picosecond lifetimes of nuclear states in neutron-rich nuclei at the TRISTAN fission product mass separator. Mean-lives as short as 51±3 ps have been measured by the slope method and 10±7 ps by the centroid shift method. Lifetimes of several nuclear states in 142Ba, 142,144Ce and 146Nd measured by the slope and by the centroid shift method are reported.
Duty to Warn

Social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals have an ethical and legal responsibility to maintain client disclosures in confidence. As an example, the Code of Ethics formulated by the National Association of Social Workers states:
Investigation of Error in 2D Vibrotactile Position Cues with Respect to Visual and Haptic Display Properties: A Radial Expansion Model for Improved Cuing

We present a human factors experiment aimed at investigating certain systematic errors in locating position cues on a rectangular array of vibrating motors. Such a task is representative of haptic signals providing supplementary information in a collaborative or guided exploration of some dataset. In this context, both the visual size and presence of correct answer reinforcement may be subject to change. Consequently, we considered the effects of these variables on position identification. We also investigated five types of stimulus points based on the stimulus’ position relative to adjacent motors. As visual size increases, it initially demonstrates the dominant effect on error magnitude, then correct answer feedback plays a role in larger sizes. Radial error, roughly the radial difference in the stimulus and response position, modeled the systematic error. We applied a quadratic fit and estimated a calibration procedure within a 2-fold cross validation.
Nonlinear Layered Analysis of RC Plates and Shells

A layered nonlinear finite element analysis including the elastoplastic behavior of steel, bilinear elastoplastic behavior of concrete, and limiting tension of concrete is presented. The incremental-variable elasticity analysis technique is used to obtain the load deflection curve for any general plate or shell. The need for a shear retention factor to provide the torsional and shear stiffness for cracked concrete is examined. The failure of the constitutive relations for a layered material to uncouple and the resulting importance of the inplane degrees-of-freedom is also considered. Finally, some numerical examples, both plates and shells, are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the incremental analysis.
Metabolism of glucose in the islets of Langerhans.

Abstract The levels of glycogen, glucose, glucose-6-P, the sum of fructose diphosphate plus dihydroxyacetone-P, ATP, and the pyridine nucleotides were measured in endocrine and exocrine tissue of the pancreas of obese hyperglycemic mice. Sorbitol was determined in both types of tissue after a single intravenous injection of the compound. Quantitative histochemical techniques were employed. The necessary analytical sensitivity was achieved by working in small volumes under oil and by using enzymatic methods in combination with cycling assays for pyridine nucleotides. In islet tissue the levels of glycogen and glucose were much higher than in the acinar tissue. Concentrations of glucose in islets were equal to those in blood over a concentration range from 5 to 100 mm. Acinar tissue, on the contrary, contained much less glucose than the blood. When blood glucose levels were low, glucose-6-P levels were about the same in islet and acinar tissue, but with increasing blood glucose, glucose-6-P rose to very high levels in islets whereas acinar levels increased only to a moderate degree. In islets, fructose diphosphate plus dihydroxyacetone-P also increased greatly when blood glucose rose. The velocities of glucose penetration and of glucose-6-P accumulation in β-cells were as rapid as other authors have observed to be true for the onset of insulin release. It was found that sorbitol can enter islet cells, but the rate appeared to be much slower than in the case of glucose. The extracellular space of islets and acini, based on the rapid initial distribution of sorbitol between serum and tissue, was calculated to be 39 and 26%, respectively, of the tissue water. A study in vitro of glucose phosphorylation by islet tissue indicated the presence of two enzymes, one with high and one with low affinity for glucose. Islet but not acinar tissue hydrolyzed glucose 6-phosphate. A scheme for the early steps of glucose metabolism in the β-cells is presented, and the possible significance of the findings regarding the mechanism of insulin release is discussed.
Low-voltage swing clock distribution schemes

This paper proposes two schemes for the low-voltage swing clocks in global and local clock distributions. These schemes provide about 50% total clocking power reduction or about 25%, full-chip power reduction in a microprocessor case. The circuit structures and operation principles for low-and-high swing voltage conversions are presented. It also includes a latch with four clock lines in half-Vdd swings. A USA patent has been granted for the proposed schemes.
Continuous mappings in compact hyperconvex metric spaces

A constructive fixed point theorem which arises in interval analysis is extended to compact hyperconvex metric spaces. For a metric space (M d) we use B(x; r) to denote the closed ball centered at with radius thus .
Production of Hydrogen from Chemical Hydrides via Hydrolysis with Steam

The objective of this work is to develop a method of producing H2 for use in hand-portable fuel cells eliminating the bulkiness and high pressures associated with storage tanks. Water, either as liquid or vapor, will react with solid hydrides such as NaBH4 to produce pure hydrogen. However, a number of limitations are inherent in the liquid–solid reaction. The insoluble hydrolysis products are extremely basic and high pH inhibits the reaction. A large excess of acid must be added to the mixture in order to force the reaction to completion, but is detrimental to the equipment. Furthermore, the liquid–solid reaction is inefficient on a weight basis because a large excess of the water-acid mixture must be used to obtain acceptable yields of hydrogen. Exploiting the vapor–solid reaction overcomes some of these limitations. An isothermal semi-batch reactor was constructed to test the concept. In each experiment the reactor was loaded with one gram of hydride and ambient pressure steam was metered through the reactor. A GC analysis of the product gas detected only hydrogen and water. The yield of hydrogen was measured and compared to the theoretical yield. The pH of the condensed, unreacted steam was tested and the percentage of excess water used was measured. A statistical analysis was conducted on the results in order to determine interactions between the parameters of flow rate and temperature. For some hydrides, nearly 100% yield of hydrogen was obtained without addition of any acid. Hydrogen yield depended strongly on temperature and, to a lesser extent, on flow rate of steam. The results and thermodynamic analysis suggest a conceptual hydrogen generation system in which the exothermic hydrolysis reaction is linked to an endothermic dehydriding reaction for the purpose of producing additional hydrogen.
Complementation of integrase function in HIV-1 virions.

Proviral integration is essential for HIV‐1 replication and represents an important potential target for antiviral drug design. Although much is known about the integration process from studies of purified integrase (IN) protein and synthetic target DNA, provirus formation in virally infected cells remains incompletely understood since reconstituted in vitro assays do not fully reproduce in vivo integration events. We have developed a novel experimental system in which IN‐mutant HIV‐1 molecular clones are complemented in trans by Vpr–IN fusion proteins, thereby enabling the study of IN function in replicating viruses. Using this approach we found that (i) Vpr‐linked IN is efficiently packaged into virions independent of the Gag–Pol polyprotein, (ii) fusion proteins containing a natural RT/IN processing site are cleaved by the viral protease and (iii) only the cleaved IN protein complements IN‐defective HIV‐1 efficiently. Vpr‐mediated packaging restored IN function to a wide variety of IN‐deficient HIV‐1 strains including zinc finger, catalytic core and C‐terminal domain mutants as well as viruses from which IN was completely deleted. Furthermore, trans complemented IN protein mediated a bona fide integration reaction, as demonstrated by the precise processing of proviral ends (5′‐TG…CA‐3′) and the generation of an HIV‐1‐specific (5 bp) duplication of adjoining host sequences. Intragenic complementation between IN mutants defective in different protein domains was also observed, thereby providing the first evidence for IN multimerization in vivo .
Phase II Study of Trimetrexate, Fluorouracil, and Leucovorin for Advanced Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSEA phase II study to evaluate the response rate and toxicities of a trimetrexate, fluorouracil (5FU), and leucovorin regimen in patients with advanced incurable colorectal cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSThirty-six patients with unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer who had not been treated for advanced disease received the following chemotherapy regimen weekly for six courses every 8 weeks: trimetrexate 110 mg/m2 intravenously (I.V.) on day 1, leucovorin 200 mg/m2 I.V. on day 2 (24 hours later), 5FU 500 mg/m2 on day 2 immediately following leucovorin, and oral leucovorin 15 mg every 6 hours for seven doses starting 6 hours after 5FU. Patients were treated until progression or unacceptable toxicity.RESULTSThirty patients were assessable for response, and all 36 were assessable for toxicity. Two patients (7%) achieved a complete response (CR) and 13 (43%) a partial response (PR), for an overall response (OR) rate of 50% (95% confidence interval [CI], 32% to 68%). Analysis by intent to treat demonst...
“We will die and will be free”: a gnostic reading of 'The Double Life of Véronique'

Abstract:This article has a dual purpose. On the one hand, I propose a Gnostic reading of Krzysztof Kieślowski's The Double Life of Veronique (1991). In this interpretation, the figure of the puppeteer, who is eventually revealed to be the maker of the film's story, stands for the Gnostic demiurge. He creates puppet-people only to discard and sacrifice them when he is done performing. On the other hand, I use the film as a springboard for launching a broader philosophical conversation, existentialist in nature, on the notion of world as farce. Participants in this conversation are figures such as Schopenhauer, Dostoevsky and Cioran. Weronika's sacrifice is discussed from these two complementary standpoints.
A Non-Linear Fatigue Damage Model for Concrete in Tension

Although concrete is used primarily because of its properties under compressive loading, a knowledge of its tensile behavior is essential in situations in which cracking, and the resulting change i...
USE OF APPROXIMATE REASONING TECHNIQUES FOR LOCATING UNDERGROUND UTILITIES

Abstract Location of utilities for underground construction represents an inexact and uncertain process in which errors can be costly and even catastrophic. Compounding the location and identification problem, the materials for underground conduit range from steel, cast iron and ductile iron to clay, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and fiberglass. Cable may be copper or fiber optic, and the depth/conditions of buried services can vary significantly. Despite multiple means of detecting utility location, and until the utility is physically exposed, the process is one of appropriately managing uncertainty by applying engineering judgment. As a means of coping with this uncertainty, approximate reasoning techniques based on Mamdani style inference and simple sensor fusion are used. To outline the approximate reasoning methods, a brief literature survey is used to provide background, followed by description of a prototype process using approximate reasoning for underground utility location. This approximate reasoning process involves development of a series of techniques to handle uncertainties associated with three types of information that are available in the location of underground utilities, in addition to a ‘no information’ situation. The three sources of information include: explored location information, use of drawings, and ground penetrating radar (GPR). A simple sensor fusion method is used to combine data from all of these sources and a color graphic output is provided to the user. For illustration, example problems are worked and conclusions are drawn. The research described is not intended to be ready for application in the field but rather to be an initial step in developing techniques that help manage the uncertainty of position of underground utilities.
An O(log m ) parallel algorithm for the minimum spanning tree problem

Abstract A parallel algorithm for constructing a minimum spanning tree of a connected, weighted, undirected graph in O(log m ) time using O( m + n ) processors is presented for an SIMD machine where m and n denote the number of edges and vertices respectively.
American urbanism : a historiographical review

Introduction by Howard Gillette, Jr., and Zane L. Miller Back to the Present: Historians' Treatment of the City as a Social System During the Reign of the Idea of Community by Alan I. Marcus The City in American Culture by Howard Gillette, Jr. From Culture to Cuisine: Twentieth Century Views of Race and Ethnicity in the City by Andrea Tuttle Kornbluh Work and the Workplace in the City by Leonard Wallock New Life for an Old Subject: Investigating the Structure of Urban Rule by Jon C. Teaford From Waterfront to Metropolitan Region: The Geographical Development of American Cities by Edward K. Muller Design, Process, and Institutions: Planning in Urban History by Eugene Ladner Birch Architecture and the City by Richard Longstreth Patterns in the Development of the Urban Infrastructure by Joel A. Tarr and Josef W. Konvitz Re-Reading Suburban America: Urban Population Deconcentration, 1810-1980 by Michael H. Ebner The Suburban Mosiac: Patterns of Land Use, Class, and Culture by Carol A. O'Connor The Neighborhood-City Relationship by Patricia Mooney Melvin Frontiers and Sections: Cities and Regions in American Growth by Carl Abbott Doing Local History: Monographic Approaches to the Smaller Community by Robert R. Dykstra and William Silag Bibliography Index
Eye-tracking architecture for biometrics and remote monitoring.

Eye tracking is one of the latest technologies that has shown potential in several areas, including biometrics; human–computer interactions for people with and without disabilities; and noninvasive monitoring, detection, and even diagnosis of physiological and neurological problems in individuals. Current noninvasive eye-tracking methods achieve a 30-Hz rate with a low accuracy in gaze estimation, which is insufficient for many applications. We propose a new noninvasive optical eye-tracking system that is capable of operating at speeds as high as 6–12 kHz. A new CCD video camera and hardware architecture are used, and a novel fast algorithm leverages specific features of the input CCD camera to yield a real-time eye-tracking system. A field-programmable gate array is used to control the CCD camera and to execute the operations. Initial results show the excellent performance of our system under severe head-motion and low-contrast conditions.