cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remotely sensed reflectance and its dependence on vertical structure: a theoretical derivation

An exact expression for the remotely sensed reflectance (RSR, upwelling radiance divided by downwelling scalar irradiance) just beneath the surface of the ocean is derived from the equation of radiative transfer. It is shown that the RSR at a given depth in the ocean depends only on the inherent optical properties, the attenuation coefficient for upwelling radiance, and two shape factors that depend on the radiance distribution and volume scattering function. The shape factors are shown to be close to unity. An exact expression for the RSR just beneath the surface as a function of the vertical structure of inherent and apparent optical properties is derived. This expression is solved for an N-layered system, which presents the possibility of inverting remotely sensed reflectance data to obtain the vertical structure of chlorophyll in the ocean.
Dynamic inversion by the method of generalized projections.

A new approach to the inversion problem of dynamical transmission electron diffraction is described, based on the method of generalized projections in set theory. An algorithm is described that projects between two sets of constrained scattering matrices. This iterative process can be shown to converge, giving the required structure factors (for some choice of origin) if the sets are convex. For the dynamical inversion problem, the set topology is that of an N 2 torus, the sets are not convex, and traps are therefore sometimes encountered. These can be distinguished from solutions, allowing the algorithm to be restarted until a solution is found. Examples of successful inversion from simulated multiple-scattering data are given, which therefore solve the phase problem of electron diffraction for centrosymmetric or noncentrosymmetric crystal structures. The method may also be useful for the three-beam X-ray diffraction problem.
A practical comparison of two object-oriented languages

The author compares two very different object-oriented programming languages, Flavors and C++, with respect to their merits and how design decisions in each language influence various aspects of programming. The fundamental difference between the two languages is that C++ is strongly typed while Flavors is weakly typed. The comparison follows the completion of two very similar programming projects, one using Flavors and the other C++, allowing direct comparison of software implementation methods in these languages. The projects involved the design of two systems for describing and generating electronic hardware. Differences in implementing all three object-oriented language mechanisms-data abstraction, inheritance, and runtime method determination-are discussed. Typing, memory management, syntax aids and the programming environment are examined. It is concluded that the choice of a language can have a profound influence on program design. >
SAMHD1 knockout mice: modeling retrovirus restriction in vivo

The host dNTP hydrolase SAMHD1 acts as a viral restriction factor to inhibit the replication of several retroviruses and DNA viruses in non-cycling human immune cells. However, understanding the physiological role of mammalian SAMHD1 has been elusive due to the lack of an animal model. Two recent studies reported the generation of samhd1 knockout mouse models for investigating the restriction of HIV-1 vectors and endogenous retroviruses in vivo. Both studies suggest that SAMHD1 is important for regulating the intracellular dNTP pool and the intrinsic immunity against retroviral infection, despite different outcomes of HIV-1 vector transduction in these mouse models. Here I discuss the significance of these new findings and the future directions in studying SAMHD1-mediated retroviral restriction.
Vegetation Maps at the Passage of the Taylor Grazing Act (1934): A Baseline to Evaluate Rangeland Change After a Regime Shift

Vegetation Maps at the Passage of the Taylor Grazing Act (1934): A Baseline to Evaluate Rangeland Change After a Regime Shift DOI:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v33i1_skaggs
Airway obstruction during exercise and isocapnic hyperventilation in asthmatic subjects.

We compared pulmonary mechanics measured during long-term exercise (LTX = 20 min) with long-term isocapnic hyperventilation (LTIH = 20 min) in the same asthmatic individuals (n = 6). Peak expirator...
Functional distribution of synapsin I in human sperm

Proteins known to function during cell–cell communication and exocytosis in neurons and other secretory cells have recently been reported in human sperm. Synapsins are a group of proteins that have been very well characterized in neurons, but little is known about synapsin function in other cell types. Based upon previous findings and the known function of synapsin, we tested the hypothesis that synapsin I was present in human sperm. Washed, capacitated, and acrosome induced sperm preparations were used to evaluate the functional distribution of synapsin I using immunocytochemistry. Protein extracts from mouse brain, mouse testis/epididymis, and human semen were used for protein blotting techniques. Immunolocalization revealed synapsin I was enriched in the sperm equatorial segment. Protein extracts from mouse brain, mouse testis/epididymis, and human semen were positive for synapsin I using several different antibodies, and dot blot results were confirmed by Western blot analyses. Finally, treatment of capacitated and acrosome reaction induced samples with anti-synapsin antibodies significantly reduced sperm motility. Localization of synapsin I in human sperm is a novel finding. The association of synapsin I with the sperm equatorial segment and effects on motility are suggestive of a role associated with capacitation and/or acrosome reaction, processes that render sperm capable of fertilizing an oocyte.
Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Major Depression in Patients With Upper Extremity Conditions.

Purpose To determine the prevalence of an estimated diagnosis of major depression in patients with upper extremity conditions and factors that help identify patients who might benefit from psychological treatment. Methods In this observational cross-sectional study, 190 patients completed questionnaires measuring symptoms of depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire, upper extremity disability with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Upper Extremity, pain interference with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Pain Interference, and health anxiety with the Short Health Anxiety Inventory. Results The estimated prevalence of an estimated diagnosis of major depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9 ≥ 10) among this group of patients was 12%. Having multiple pain conditions, a history of depression, and greater limitation from pain for daily activities were independently associated with an estimated diagnosis of major depression. Conclusions The finding that 1 in 8 patients presenting to a hand surgeon have untreated or undertreated symptoms of depression sufficient to qualify for an estimated diagnosis of major depression emphasizes the importance of assessing for depression at all levels of care. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic II.
Hysteresis, Period Doubling, and Intermittency at High Prandtl Number in the Lorenz Equations

On analyse une equation aux differences etablie pour les equations de Lorenz et permettant de prevoir des phenomenes tels que le doublement de periode et les transitions intermittentes. On prevoit egalement un effet d'hysteresis dans de telles transitions. Bon accord avec des resultats de simulation numeriques directes
Macroeconomic Implications of Exchange Rate Regime: The Case of Macedonia

The aim of this paper is to acknowledge macroeconomic performance effects of different exchange rate regimes. Principally, regime's effects on inflation and growth are comprehensively discussed and examined. Literature acknowledged that regime's pegging contributes to lowering inflation and stabilizing the economy. On the other hand, regime's effect on growth is vague and usually draws upon other circumstances in particular country/ies. Using monthly data for the macro-variables in FYR Macedonia in the period April 1992 - June 2006, this paper employs VAR methodology to test the causal relationships between exchange rate regime on one hand, and inflation and growth on the other. Key findings from the research as to the inflation conform to already conceded linkage regime - inflation. That is, FYR Macedonia exhibited 18% lower inflation per year under a fixed peg than it would have experienced under some more flexible alternative. Yet, findings for growth showed that peg harmed FYR Macedonian economy and it exhibited 2.17% lower growth per year than it would have achieved under some more flexible option of the exchange rate.
A General Strategy for the Discovery of Metabolic Pathways: d-Threitol, l-Threitol, and Erythritol Utilization in Mycobacterium smegmatis

We describe a general integrated bioinformatic and experimental strategy to discover the in vitro enzymatic activities and in vivo functions (metabolic pathways) of uncharacterized enzymes discovered in microbial genome projects using the ligand specificities of the solute binding proteins (SBPs) for ABC transporters. Using differential scanning fluorimetry, we determined that the SBP for an ABC transporter encoded by the genome of Mycobacterium smegmatis is stabilized by d-threitol. Using sequence similarity networks and genome neighborhood networks to guide selection of target proteins for pathway enzymes, we applied both in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches to discover novel pathways for catabolism of d-threitol, l-threitol, and erythritol.
Quality Assessment of Four Commercially Available Species of Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichograinmatidae)

Four commercially available species of Trichogramma, T. pretiosum Riley, T. platneri Nagarkatti, T. minutum Riley, and Trichogramma sp. (an undescribed species collected in Georgia), were monitored over time to assess the number of emerging adults. The number of females yielded per unit stock was substantially lower for all species tested than the number listed by the producer. The number of viable females per unit stock varied significantly across dates and species. A new method of monitoring the number of parasitoids per unit stock is described. The 4 commercially available Trichogmmma species were evaluated in the laboratory to determine their efficacy in parasitizing Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) eggs. The efficacy of these species was compared with that of Trichograrnma nubilale Ertle & Davis, which is known to be an effective parasitoid of O. nuhilalis but which is not commercially available. Only 5 and 10% of T. pretiosum and T. sp. (Georgia) females, respectively, oviposited in O. nubilalis eggs, and T. minutum and T. platneri females did not parasitize any O. nubilalis eggs. In contrast, 58% of the T. nubilale females tested parasitized at least a portion of the exposed egg mass. T. nubilalc females also parasitized a higher proportion (66%) of eggs in each mass.
Surprising Dynamics From a Simple Model

(2006). Surprising Dynamics From a Simple Model. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 79, No. 5, pp. 327-339.
A generalized fault-detection software reliability model subject to random operating environments

Many software reliability growth models (SRGMs) have been developed in the past three decades to estimate software reliability measures such as the number of remaining faults and software reliability. The underlying common assumption of many existing models is that the operating environment and the developing environment are the same. This is often not the case in practice because the operating environments are usually unknown due to the uncertainty of environments in the field. In this paper, we develop a generalized software reliability model incorporating the uncertainty of fault-detection rate per unit of time in the operating environments. A logistic fault-detection software reliability model is derived. Examples are included to illustrate the goodness of fit of the proposed model and existing nonhomogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) models based on a set of failure data. Three goodness-of-fit criteria, such as mean square error, predictive power, and predictive ratio risk are used as an example to illustrate model comparisons. The results show that the proposed logistic fault-detection model fit significantly better than other existing NHPP models based on all three goodness-of-fit criteria.
MARTIN-LÖF RANDOMNESS IN SPACES OF CLOSED SETS

Algorithmic randomness was originally defined for Cantor space with the fair-coin measure. Recent work has examined algorithmic randomness in new contexts, in particular closed subsets of 2ɷ ([2] and [8]). In this paper we use the probability theory of closed set-valued random variables (RACS) to extend the definition of Martin-Lof randomness to spaces of closed subsets of locally compact, Hausdorff, second countable topological spaces. This allows for the study of Martin-Lof randomness in many new spaces, but also gives a new perspective on Martin-Lof randomness for 2ɷ and on the algorithmically random closed sets of [2] and [8]. The first half of this paper is devoted to developing the machinery of Martin-Lof randomness for general spaces of closed sets. We then prove some general results and move on to show how the algorithmically random closed sets of [2] and [8] fit into this new framework.
A Robust Method for Multiple Face Tracking Using Kalman Filter

A robust method for tracking faces of multiple people moving in a scene using Kalman filter is proposed in this paper. To distinguish faces of people during partial occlusion the proposed method uses the non-parametric cloth distribution. To overcome the problem of total occlusion, faces are tracked using the values generated by Kalman prediction algorithm. The size, top-left coordinate and velocity of motion of the detected face being the parameters of the Kalman vector; the predicted values are used to locate faces in the next frame. The faces are redetected and the templates are updated at discrete time intervals when the similarity measures, between the faces detected and respective face templates, are less than a preset threshold. Skin segmentation based face detection makes the algorithm computationally simple, and updating the face template makes it invariant to pose changes. The proposed method is experimented to be invariant to lightning conditions, change of pose, and works well in the case of partial and total occlusion for a short period.
Surface mount technology in communications products

Summary form only given. Motorola development efforts in the area of communications-product surface-mount assembly are discussed. Attention is given to the development of a single-layer metallized chip carrier technology which has resulted in high-density packaging of integrated circuits with no compromise of field reliability or environmental performance. Techniques for the attachment or surface mount of these and other components directly to printed circuit boards are also examined. >
CONTRIBUTIONS OF PUBLIC PURCHASING DEPARTMENTS TO COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION PROCESSES FOR CONSULTING SERVICES

The extant literature provides very little insight into the way in which public purchasing departments are contributing to competitive acquisition processes for consulting services. This research attempts to address this shortcoming by describing the way that public purchasing departments have been able to contribute to these decisions throughout the various stages of the acquisition process. Study informants included 1782 public purchasers from federal, state, provincial, and local government agencies throughout the United States and Canada. While the purchasing department is involved in these important purchase decisions, it would seem that their respective agencies might benefit from increased involvement and consequently the value that can result.
Book Review: Emblem of Faith Untouched: A Short Life of Thomas Cranmer:

Emblem of Faith Untouched: A Short Life of Thomas Cranmer. By Leslie Williams. Library of Religious Biography. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Publishing, 2016.192 pp. $18.00 (paper).Hero or villain? Saint or sinner? Predictably, Cranmer's biographers have polarized on the issue, with only Diarmaid MacCulloch succeeding in portraying the archbishop in his full humanity, weaknesses and all. In Emblem of Faith Untouched, Leslie Williams follows MacCulloch s lead; however, in the end she too succumbs. Her Cranmer is a heroic figure, despite some questionable actions and his initial recantations when faced with death. Ultimately, all his sins and shortcomings are fully redeemed as he withdraws his recantations and plunges his hand into the fire of a glorious martyrdom. Cranmer is "a man who lost his life but not his legacy" (p. 153)-or, presumably his unblemished faith.Emblem of Faith Untouched is the latest in editor Mark Nolls Library of Religious Biography series. This series is intended for a wide audience, for seminarians, priests, and interested lay students of the Reformation and Anglicanism. Williams says her approach is primarily anecdotal in nature (p. 1), but this is to sell the biography short. She provides a clear and concise account of the tangled events of the only partially successful Reformation in England. She also provides enough of an account of the doctrinal and political issues driving events during this period to allow readers to follow what was at stake. As Williams demonstrates, the doctrinal and political were intertwined, making it exceedingly difficult for a public servant such as Cranmer to walk the fine line between serving and trying to slowly "educate" his stubborn, headstrong king, while maintaining his own integrity.Williams's account covers Cranmer's life, beginning with his education at Cambridge where he first was exposed to the humanistic "New Learning," through his service as one of Henry's theological advisors, his time in Europe as the king's ambassador to the imperial court of Charles V, his many years as archbishop, and his final demise. She portrays a man whose "lifelong behavior reveals a chameleon-like personality" (p. 30). Cranmer's gentle, cautious nature shrank from conflict and confrontation in an age that excelled at-and demanded-both. He is said to have lamented, "There never was a man more unwillingly to the bishopric than I did to that" (p. 34). Still, Cranmer was a "quick study in the art of survival" (p. 24). Williams credits his ability to evade the plots of his numerous enemies to his natural diplomacy, his reputation for personal kindness and forgiveness, and, most importantly, the protection Henry invariably afforded. …
Randomized controlled trial comparing submucosal endoscopy with mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection in the esophagus and stomach: Animal study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM In Western countries, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has not prevailed as a result of training problems and a target patient population. We have previously reported a hybrid ESD technique, submucosal endoscopy with mucosal resection (SEMR), in which the submucosal dissection is carried out chiefly by blunt balloon dissection. We have also reported successful application in the porcine colon. In the present study, we compared the safety and efficacy of SEMR with ESD in the porcine esophagus and stomach. METHODS SEMR and ESD were carried out in eight domestic pigs under general anesthesia. Resection sites were marked by circumferential coagulation. After circumferential ESD knife mucosal incision, submucosal fluid cushion (SFC) was created. In the SEMR group, the balloon catheter was inserted deep into the SFC. The balloon was then inflated and pulled back toward the endoscope tip repeatedly, altering the direction, to disrupt the submucosa. Residual strands were cut with an IT-knife. En bloc resection rates, procedure times, complications and dissection difficulty scales (DDS) were recorded prospectively. DDS were rated using a visual analog scale. RESULTS Thirty-two resections (8 SEMR/8 ESD in the esophagus; 8 SEMR/8 ESD in the stomach) were done with no major adverse events. There was no statistical difference between the two techniques in either location in the above categories measured. CONCLUSIONS SEMR and traditional ESD are comparable techniques in safety and effectiveness when carried out in the esophagus and stomach. SEMR may serve as a more appealing technical option for endoscopists who are unable to sustain a traditional ESD practice volume.
Reply to Further Defenses of Incentivization

In a previous article, we challenged the “incentivization view” held by J. P. Smit, Filip Buekens, and Stan du Plessis as failing to cover social phenomena involving strict joint actions. The authors’ response to our criticism seriously misstates our main point. We have therefore, as briefly and sharply as we can, restated the problem in this note.
Characteristics-Based Schemes for the Hyperbolic Heat Conduction Equations

In [1], we derived and studied three fourth-order accurate characteristicsbased schemes with unit Courant number for the hyperbolic heat conduction equations. Herein, we extend these schemes to Courant number less than unity although they are then only second-order accurate. The dissipative and dispersive properties of these extended schemes are compared to those of their continuum counterpart. These three schemes then are exercised on a smooth numerical example for which the exact solution is known. Mathematics Subject Classification: 35L45, 65M06, 65M25
Easiness of Legal Access to Concealed Firearm Permits and Homicide Rates in the United States

Objectives. To examine the relation of “shall-issue” laws, in which permits must be issued if requisite criteria are met; “may-issue” laws, which give law enforcement officials wide discretion over whether to issue concealed firearm carry permits or not; and homicide rates.Methods. We compared homicide rates in shall-issue and may-issue states and total, firearm, nonfirearm, handgun, and long-gun homicide rates in all 50 states during the 25-year period of 1991 to 2015. We included year and state fixed effects and numerous state-level factors in the analysis.Results. Shall-issue laws were significantly associated with 6.5% higher total homicide rates, 8.6% higher firearm homicide rates, and 10.6% higher handgun homicide rates, but were not significantly associated with long-gun or nonfirearm homicide.Conclusions. Shall-issue laws are associated with significantly higher rates of total, firearm-related, and handgun-related homicide.
Intraoperative OCT-assisted Surgery for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy in the DISCOVER Study

Purpose To delineate the feasibility and role of intraoperative OCT (iOCT) in surgical decision-making during vitreoretinal surgical interventions for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Design Prospective, single-site, multisurgeon consecutive case series. Participants Patients enrolled in the DISCOVER study (Determination of Feasibility of Intraoperative Spectral Domain Microscope Combined/Integrated OCT Visualization during En Face Retinal and Ophthalmic Surgery) who underwent vitreoretinal surgery for sequelae of PDR. Methods Subjects were identified from participants in the first 2 years of the DISCOVER study who underwent vitreoretinal surgery for complications of PDR. Intraoperative imaging with a microscope-integrated iOCT system was performed at surgical milestones as determined by the surgeon. Data collected included clinical characteristics, image features, and survey-based surgeon feedback. Main Outcome Measures Main outcomes were (1) the percentage of cases with successful acquisition of iOCT (feasibility) and (2) the percentage of cases in which iOCT altered surgical decision making (usefulness). Results Eighty-one eyes with PDR underwent vitreoretinal surgery in the DISCOVER study. Successful iOCT imaging was obtained for 80 of 81 eyes (98.8%). Of these, 36 (44.4%) were female and 44 (54.3%) were male. The surgeon preferred real-time feedback in 47 cases (58.6%) and static review in 29 cases (36.3%); it was indeterminate in 4 cases (5%). Surgeons reported that in 2 cases (2.5%) the iOCT interfered with the surgery (e.g., microscope malfunction). In 41 of the 81 cases (50.6%), surgeons reported that iOCT provided valuable information (e.g., identification of dissection planes, identification of retinal hole). In addition, the iOCT data provided information that specifically altered the surgeon's decision making (e.g., determination of peel completion, choice of tamponade) in 21 of 81 cases (26%). No adverse events were attributed to the iOCT system. Conclusions The results suggest that iOCT is feasible during complex vitreoretinal surgeries in patients with PDR using a microscope-integrated OCT platform. Using iOCT seems to frequently offer key information that may impact surgical decision making and, potentially, patient outcomes.
A New Perspective on Fluoride Therapy

Publisher Summary This chapter provides the careful reviews of pharmacokinetic studies and randomized clinical trials of new flouride therapies. Reviews of pharmacokinetic studies and randomized clinical trials with fluoride disclosed a biphasic action of fluoride. From 19 single-dose bioavailability studies, fluoride absorption and peak-to-basal variation in serum fluoride were calculated. From these pharmacokinetic parameters, it was possible to estimate the peak fluoride concentration in serum after multiple dosing and skeletal fluoride content after 4 years of treatment. For sustained-release sodium fluoride (NaF), for which normally mineralized bone formation has been reported, the estimated peak fluoride concentration in serum was kept within the therapeutic window and the skeletal fluoride was below the toxic threshold. However, for more bioavailable fluoride preparations (such as plain NaF for which abnormal bone formation has been reported), both peak serum fluoride and bone fluoride exceeded the toxic threshold. A review of 12 randomized clinical trials with fluoride showed a clear dependence of skeletal fracture outcome on fluoride exposure. In trials with fluoride preparations that conferred toxic fluoride exposure, spinal fracture rate was similar between fluoride and placebo groups, and the hip and total appendicular fracture rates were generally numerically higher in the fluoride group. A moderate fluoride exposure yielded a modest decline or no change in spinal fracture rate, and no change in hip or appendicular fracture rates. A low fluoride exposure caused a marked reduction in spinal fracture rate, with lower hip and total appendicular fracture rates. The relative risk of spinal and total appendicular fracture rates was directly and significantly correlated with relative fluoride absorption.
Cardiac-triggered pseudo-continuous arterial-spin-labeling: A cost-effective scheme to further enhance the reliability of arterial-spin-labeling MRI.

Purpose Arterial-Spin-Labeling (ASL) MRI is intrinsically a low SNR technique. This study aims to enhance its sensitivity by quantifying physiological noise attributed to cardiac pulsation and devising an improved sequence, cardiac-triggered ASL, to minimize this noise. Methods A total of 16 healthy subjects were studied on a 3T MRI system. The influence of cardiac pulsation on pseudo-continuous ASL (pCASL) signal was first investigated by performing a regular pCASL sequence while the cardiac phase of the image acquisition was recorded by a pulse oximeter. We then designed a new sequence, cardiac-triggered pCASL, to align the cardiac phases of the control and labeled scans. The performance of the new sequence was evaluated in the context of single-shot 3D GraSE acquisition, multi-shot 3D spiral acquisition, and hypercapnia-induced CBF changes. Results In regular pCASL, the signal intensities of both control and labeled images were strongly modulated by the cardiac phase. In single-shot acquisitions, this results in signal instability in regions near large vessels. In segmented acquisitions, it results in ghosting artifacts in the image and, furthermore, the signal fluctuation is smeared along the segmentation direction to affect more brain regions. Cardiac-triggered pCASL enhanced the temporal SNR by 94% and 28% in single-shot and segmented 3D acquisition, respectively. When applied to detect CBF changes, the triggered sequence revealed a greater statistical power in terms of both the number of significant voxels and t-score histograms. Conclusion Cardiac-triggered pCASL represents a potential scheme to enhance the reliability of ASL signal.
Optimized Pair Natural Orbitals for the Coupled Cluster Methods.

We present the coupled-cluster singles and doubles method formulated in terms of truncated pair-natural orbitals (PNO) that are optimized to minimize the effect of truncation. Compared to the standard ground-state PNO coupled-cluster approaches, in which truncated PNOs derived from first-order Moller-Plesset (MP1) amplitudes are used to compress the CC wave operator, the iteratively-optimized PNOs ("iPNOs") offer moderate improvement for small PNO ranks but rapidly increase their effectiveness for large PNO ranks. The error introduced by PNO truncation in the CCSD energy is reduced by orders of magnitude in the asymptotic regime, with an insignificant increase in PNO ranks. The effect of PNO optimization is particularly effective when combined with Neese's perturbative correction for the PNO incompleteness of the CCSD energy. The use of the perturbative correction in combination with the PNO optimization procedure seems to produce the most precise approximation to the canonical CCSD energies for small and...
Prenatal Drug and Related Exposures in Infant Patients of a Northeast Tennessee Pediatric Primary Care Clinic

Introduction: The prevalence of opioid abuse has increased throughout Northeast Tennessee. Subsequently, more infants are born drug-exposed or with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). According to the Tennessee Department of Health, hospitalizations for deliveries with maternal substance abuse tripled in Tennessee between 1999 and 2011. During this period, the inpatient hospitalization rate for NAS increased 11-fold. In 2017, there were 163 NAS cases reported in Northeast Tennessee. The purpose of this research was to describe the prevalence of drug exposure (study 1) and compare opiate vs. non drug-exposed infants to explore for differences in demographics, …
The Use of Graphs in the Study of Electrochemical Reaction Networks

The purpose of this chapter is to review and discuss the uses of graphs in the study of chemical and particularly electrochemical reaction networks. Such reaction networks are defined by (often elementary) reaction steps, and in turn the total chemical process associated with a given set of reaction steps is its reaction network. Such a network should normally determine at least one overall reaction. Certain steps in a given reaction network may occur at specified locations, and the overall process may involve transport between these locations. Graphs have long been used in various ways to clarify all of these concepts. In what follows, any graph used to study a reaction network will be termed a reaction graph. Although there have been many such uses over the years, there are three general categories which largely cover all uses of graphs:
Chromosome structure in four wild-type polytene tissues of Drosophila melanogaster. The 87A and 87C heat shock loci are induced unequally in the midgut in a manner dependent on growth temperature.

A systematic screen of wild-type Drosophila melanogaster larval organs has revealed three tissues besides the salivary gland with suitable polyteny for detailed cytogenetic analysis: the prothoracic gland, hindgut, and middle midgut. Chromosome banding patterns are very similar between tissues, but puffing patterns show considerable differences. In intact nuclei, oblique substructural elements can sometimes be detected in bands from some of the tissues. As a way of exploiting these newly characterized chromosomes, the heat shock puff response in midgut cells has been studied in detail. The puffing pattern is very similar to that in salivary glands, but an unexpected difference is found in the relative activity of the 87A7 and 87C1 loci, which contain the hsp70 genes. When larvae are raised at 16° C, heat shocks ranging from 10 to 60 min induce only a weak midgut puff at 87A7 that is much smaller than that at 87C1, in contrast to other tissues where both are strongly induced. In pulse-labeled nuclei, an approximately five fold difference in transcriptional activity at the two loci is observed. However, when larvae are raised at 25° C, the converse is found: the 87A7 puff is large, and little or no puffing is detectable at 87C1. Thus, in the midgut, heat shock induced puffing at these two loci is inversely modulated by a mechanism dependent on growth temperature.
Abstract PR10: Development and characterization of novel/genetically defined mouse models of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor for preclinical therapeutics testing

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) represents 5-10% of soft-tissue sarcomas, and can develop either sporadically, in patients with neurofibromatosis Type I (NF1), or in association with radiotherapy. Limited genetic information regarding their pathogenesis in humans has posed a challenge to developing authentic mouse models more reflective of the human disease. Recently, we discovered that these clinically distinct MPNST subtypes commonly share inactivating mutations in tumor suppressors NF1, CDKN2A, and PRC2 (Polycomb Repressive Complex 2). Using a combination of Cre-loxP-based genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) and stem/progenitor transplantation models, we show that inactivation of these tumor suppressors is sufficient to promote development of bona fide MPNSTs. We envision that further characterization of these models will provide a solid foundation for investigating MPNST biology and developing therapies in a genetically defined context more closely resembling the human disease. This abstract is also being presented as Poster B18. Citation Format: Amish J. Patel, Jessica J. Sher, Yu Chen, Ping Chi. Development and characterization of novel/genetically defined mouse models of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor for preclinical therapeutics testing [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Conference on Advances in Sarcomas: From Basic Science to Clinical Translation; May 16-19, 2017; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(2_Suppl):Abstract nr PR10.
Correction: Self-adaptive multiscaling algorithm for efficient simulations of many-protein systems in crowded conditions

A method is described for the efficient simulation of multiprotein systems in crowded environments. It is based on an adaptive, reversible structural coarsening algorithm that preserves relevant physical features of the proteins across scales. Water is treated implicitly whereas all the other components of the aqueous solution, such as ions, cosolutes, or osmolytes, are treated in atomic detail. The focus is on the analytical adaptation of the solvent model to different levels of molecular resolutions, which allows continuous, on-the-fly transitions between scales. This permits the analytical calculation of forces during dynamics and preserves detailed balance in Monte Carlo simulations. A major computational speedup can be achieved in systems containing hundreds of proteins without cutting off the long-range interactions. The method can be combined with a self-adaptive configurational-bias sampling technique described previously, designed to detect strong, weak, or ultra-weak protein associations and shown to improve sampling efficiency and convergence. The implementation aims to simulate early stages of multimeric complexation, aggregation, or self-assembly. The method can be adopted as the basis for a more general algorithm to identify vertices, edges, and hubs in protein interaction networks or to predict critical steps in signal transduction pathways.
The Vacuolar Ca2+ ATPase Pump Pmc1p Is Required for Candida albicans Pathogenesis

ABSTRACT Calcium is a critically important secondary messenger of intracellular signal transduction in eukaryotes but must be maintained at low levels in the cytoplasm of resting cells to avoid toxicity. This is achieved by several pumps that actively transport excess cytoplasmic Ca2+ out of the cell across the plasma membrane and into other intracellular compartments. In fungi, the vacuole serves as the major storage site for excess Ca2+, with two systems actively transporting cytoplasmic calcium ions into the vacuole. The H+/Ca2+ exchanger, Vcx1p, harnesses the proton-motive force across the vacuolar membrane (generated by the V-ATPase) to drive Ca2+ transport, while the P-type ATPase Pmc1p uses ATP hydrolysis to translocate Ca2+ into the vacuole. Ca2+-dependent signaling is required for the prevalent human fungal pathogen Candida albicans to endure exposure to the azole antifungals and to cause disease within the mammalian host. The purpose of this study was to determine if the Pmc1p or Vcx1p Ca2+ pumps are required for C. albicans pathogenicity and if these pumps impact antifungal resistance. Our results indicate that Pmc1p is required by C. albicans to transition from yeast to hyphal growth, to form biofilms in vitro, and to cause disease in a mouse model of disseminated infection. Moreover, loss of Pmc1p function appears to enhance C. albicans azole tolerance in a temperature-dependent manner. IMPORTANCE Maintenance of Ca2+ homeostasis is important for fungal cells to respond to a multitude of stresses, as well as antifungal treatment, and for virulence in animal models. Here, we demonstrate that a P-type ATPase, Pmc1p, is required for Candida albicans to respond to a variety of stresses, affects azole susceptibility, and is required to sustain tissue invasive hyphal growth and to cause disease in a mouse model of disseminated infection. Defining the mechanisms responsible for maintaining proper Ca2+ homeostasis in this important human pathogen can ultimately provide opportunities to devise new chemotherapeutic interventions that dysregulate intracellular signaling and induce Ca2+ toxicity.
The pulse hypothesis in the establishment of Artemisia seedlings at Pahute Mesa, Nevada

New Artemisia seedlings are not established each year. Many that are established fail to survive because of unfavorable rainfall in succeeding years. A total of 184 young plants was examined for the number of annual growth rings to ascertain the year of establishment after all vegetation had been killed near the time of a nuclear test event in 1965. The three most important recent years for establishment and survival of new seedlings (as of 1976 and based on a sample of 184 plants) were 1966 (9 percent), 1969 (29 percent), and 1973 (36 percent). A total of 2 percent was established in the other years from 1965 to 1976. These three years were also the years with high rainfall input during preceding winter and spring months. If old plants are killed, seeds germinate with mud, lower input of precipitation. Many seedlings germinated in 1968 at a site where old ones had been burned off even though the rainfall was not favorable. Plants of a given age varied greatly in size according to their competition. Seedlings germinating in old stands grew little in comparison with those germinating in areas where old plants had been killed. One exception was an area where intense competition occurred due to large numbers of new plants, resulting in growth restriction on all plants.
Reusing exterior wall framing systems: A cradle-to-cradle comparative life cycle assessment.

Abstract The construction industry consumes 40% of the global materials and produces one of the largest waste streams in the planet. In a circular economy, the reuse of building components in multiple life cycles aims at increasing resource efficiency and eliminating waste. But can reuse offset the environmental impacts of materials with high embodied energy (e.g. steel)? If so, in what conditions? In the study presented in this paper, the authors used two different life cycle assessment (LCA) methods to compare a single-use wood-framed wall against a reusable steel-framed wall in a tiny house in the U.S. The analyzed impact categories were global warming potential, embodied energy, and water use. One of the main goals of this study was to understand the benefits of reusing a material with high embodied energy when compared to a single-use alternative. Another equally important objective was to understand how different LCA methods can influence the results in a cradle-to-cradle (C2C) LCA. As results, reuse benefits depended on aggressive reuse rates (>70%) and multiple reuses of steel were needed to offset the embodied environmental impacts during steel production. Also, the analyses showed that process-based LCA and hybrid LCA can generate conflicting results in a C2C LCA.
Unlinking fate? Discrimination, group-consciousness, and political participation among Latinos and whites

ABSTRACTTwenty-five years after its publication, Michael Dawson’s Behind the Mule remains a monograph of great theoretical and empirical value. In the wake of the election of the first nonwhite pre...
Survey on Situation of Examinating Vaccination Certificates for new pupils in 2008 in Primary School in Hefei High-tech Development Zone

Objective To study the status of the vaccination for nwe pupils in primary school,and provide evidence for further improvement of the vaccination rate and infectious disease control and prevention in school.Methods Through a method of randomized cluster sampling,incoming students in 2008 in 6 primary schools in Hefei high-tech development zone were randomly sampled,and a questionnaire survey about the Vaccination certificates was conducted among those students at the scene.The materials were analyzed,such as the holding rate of Vaccination certificates,the inoculation rate of whole range of the five vaccines,the reseeding of vaccines and the schedule of the inoculation.Results The holding rate of Vaccination certificates for incoming students,the handling rate of certificates for incoming students with no credentials were 96.89%,100% respectively.And the vaccination rate of whole range of the five vaccines,encephalitis B for students aged 6 years were 72.34% and 74.54% respectively.The vaccination rates of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis were 83.52% in group A and 78.94% in group A+C.Conclusion In Hefei high-tech development zone,the rusults of the examination for Vaccination certificates in some primary schools were not optimistic,the examination for Vaccination certificates of floating Children and supplemental vaccination should be enhanced.
Twitter Watch: Leveraging Social Media to Monitor and Predict Collective-Efficacy of Neighborhoods

The occurrence of criminal violence is uneven across urban communities. Sociologists often associate this variation, with the concept of collective efficacy. The collective efficacy of a neighborhood is defined as social cohesion among neighbors combined with their willingness to intervene on behalf of the common good. Sociologists measure collective efficacy by conducting survey studies designed to measure individuals’ perception of their community. In this work, we employ the curated data from a survey study (ground truth) and examine the effectiveness of substituting costly survey questionnaires with proxies derived from social media. We enrich a corpus of tweets mentioning a local venue with several linguistic and topological features. We then propose a pairwise learning to rank model with the goal of identifying a ranking of neighborhoods that is similar to the ranking obtained from the ground truth collective efficacy values. In our experiments, we find that our generated ranking of neighborhoods achieves 0.77 Kendall tau-x ranking agreement with the ground truth. Overall, our results are up to 37% better than the baselines.
Depletion, climate, and the incremental value of groundwater

Abstract Groundwater provides vital inputs to crop production and contributes to rural economies throughout the world. Research on the economic benefits associated with groundwater resources has typically focused on the impacts of groundwater availability on the profitability of agricultural production or on the non-market benefits associated with groundwater quality for human consumption. In this research, we use stated-preference methods to investigate the total economic value to agricultural producers of an increase in groundwater availability in the Ogallala Aquifer region. The contingent valuation method allows for estimation of values beyond agricultural profitability, including non-market values such as the ability to leave additional groundwater to future generations. We find a median willingness to pay (WTP) for an additional 100 gallons per minute of well capacity of $77 per well, and that this estimate depends strongly on current well capacity and climate conditions. For counties in hotter and drier regions of the aquifer with low well capacity, median WTP is significantly higher. These results are then used in conjunction with projections of future climate and groundwater availability to generate predicted changes in the WTP for additional groundwater across the aquifer. This research provides important feedback on how the benefits of additional groundwater availability are predicted to change as groundwater resources are diminished in a changing climate.
Mechanisms and Implications of Deep Earthquakes

Deep earthquakes behave like shallow earthquakes but must have fundamentally different physical processes. Their rupture behaviors, magnitude-frequency statistics, and aftershocks are diverse and i...
PSA Concentrations in Seminal Plasma

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is an important tumor marker for the detection and monitoring of prostate cancer. PSA is secreted by the prostatic epithelial cells into the lumen of the prostate duct during the formation of seminal plasma. PSA is a 30 kDa serine protease that cleaves biological substrates in seminal fluid, including seminogelin I, seminogelin II, and fibronectin, into small peptides, resulting in increased sperm motility (1)(2)(3)(4). PSA has also been shown to cleave other biological substrates, including insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 and laminin, indicating …
Mediating Islamic State| Islamic State War Documentaries

Amid the bloodshed of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Al-Qaeda affiliate known as the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) introduced into their repertoire a new tool of war: the handheld camera. Tracing the evolution of the ghazwa, or military expedition aesthetic, in ISI and later ISIS filmmaking, this article explores the way in which the organization’s primary organ of communication, Al-Furqan Media Foundation, expanded from its origins as a documentary film unit to become one of the world’s most potent vehicles of performative violence. Drawing on a comparative frame of reference with other active media units within the greater sphere of Al-Qaeda communications, including the Al-Andalus Establishment for Media Production of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Al-Furqan Media in the Egyptian Sinai, this article examines the manner in which aesthetic prerogatives, intertwined with religious mythology, served to transcend and unite disparate political factions around a common “narrative identity,” one that preceded and will outlast the reign of the Islamic State caliphate.