cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuregulin1/ErbB4 Signaling Induces Cardiomyocyte Proliferation and Repair of Heart Injury

Many organs rely on undifferentiated stem and progenitor cells for tissue regeneration. Whether differentiated cells themselves can contribute to cell replacement and tissue regeneration is a controversial question. Here, we show that differentiated heart muscle cells, cardiomyocytes, can be induced to proliferate and regenerate. We identify an underlying molecular mechanism for controlling this process that involves the growth factor neuregulin1 (NRG1) and its tyrosine kinase receptor, ErbB4. NRG1 induces mononucleated, but not binucleated, cardiomyocytes to divide. In vivo, genetic inactivation of ErbB4 reduces cardiomyocyte proliferation, whereas increasing ErbB4 expression enhances it. Injecting NRG1 in adult mice induces cardiomyocyte cell-cycle activity and promotes myocardial regeneration, leading to improved function after myocardial infarction. Undifferentiated progenitor cells did not contribute to NRG1-induced cardiomyocyte proliferation. Thus, increasing the activity of the NRG1/ErbB4 signaling pathway may provide a molecular strategy to promote myocardial regeneration.
Measurement of Residual Dipolar Couplings and Applications in Protein NMR

Residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) provide important constraints for the determination and refinement of protein NMR structures. Based on echo-anti-echo manipulation or IPAP principle, a suite of sensitivity enhanced experiments are described for measuring backbone 1HN−15N, 15N−13C′, 1HN−13C′, 13C′−13Cα, 13Cα−1Hα, 15N(i)−13Cα(i), 1HN(i)−13α(i), 15N(i)−13Cα(i −1), and 1HN(i)−13Cα(i − 1) dipolar couplings in proteins. The accuracy of the measured couplings can be assessed by comparing the experimentally obtained values with those predicted based on high resolution structures. Even forverysmall RDCs, such as the 15N(i)−13Cα(i − 1) couplings that are smaller than 0.3 Hz, a correlation coefficient of 0.83 is obtained, attesting to the accuracy of couplings obtained with these sensitivity-enhanced IPAP experiments. We also present a novel application for the use of RDCs. Under certain conditions, the folded state of aprotein comprises detectable, conformational sub-states. Such sub-states at local sites, so-called melting hot spots, are characterized by re-orienting bond vectors. Determination of RDCs allows for efficient and easy detection of such hot spots.
Perioperative outcomes of severely obese children undergoing tonsillectomy.

Background Sleep-disordered breathing, a common condition in obese children, is a frequent indication for tonsillectomy.
Copper Deficiency Does Not Lead to Taurine Deficiency in Rats

Copper deficiency has been reported to cause a decrease in urinary taurine excretion in rats. We determined whether Cu deficiency would decrease taurine status and the hepatic activities of cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) and/or cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase (CSAD) in rats. Ten weanling male rats were assigned to either a Cu-adequate (+Cu) or Cu-deficient (-Cu) group. All rats consumed a Cu-deficient purified diet and water ad-libitum for 16 wk. The water for the (+Cu) group contained 20 mg Cu/L as CuSO(4). At wk 16, the groups differed (P < 0.05) in the following variables (means +/- SEM, -Cu vs. +Cu): body weight (BW), 375 +/- 19 vs. 418 +/- 2.9 g; food intake, 16.2 +/- 0.7 vs. 18.5 +/- 0.4 g/d; hematocrit, 0.294 +/- 0.027 vs. 0.436 +/- 0.027; hemoglobin, 95.2 +/- 9 vs 134 +/- 10 g/L; liver Cu, 8.7 +/- 2.0 vs. 65.9 +/- 2.5 nmol/g; plasma Cu, 0.38 +/- 0.09 vs. 13.4 +/- 0.61 micromol/L; plasma ceruloplasmin activity, 1.75 +/- 1.0 vs. 67.9 +/- 8.4 IU; relative heart weight, 0.56 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.35 +/- 0.02% BW; relative liver weight, 4.06 +/- 0.23 vs. 3.37 +/- 0.06% BW; and liver CSAD activity, 18.8 +/- 1.37 vs. 13.5 +/- 1.11 nmol x min(-1) x mg protein(-1). The groups did not differ at wk 16 in: plasma taurine, 249 +/- 14 vs. 298 +/- 63 micromol/L; whole blood taurine, 386 +/- 32 vs. 390 +/- 25 micromol/L; urinary taurine excretion, 82.5 +/- 15 vs. 52.0 +/- 8.3 micromol/d; liver taurine, 2.6 +/- 0.7 vs. 2.8 +/- 0.4 micromol/g; liver total glutathione, 6.9 +/- 0.48 vs. 6.3 +/- 0.40 micromol/g; liver cyst(e)ine, 96 +/- 7.1 vs. 99 +/- 5.3 nmol/g and liver CDO activity, 2.19 +/- 0.33 vs. 2.74 +/- 0.21 nmol x min(-1) x mg protein(-1). These findings support the conclusion that Cu deficiency does not affect body taurine status.
Physiologic-state-adaptive recovery of aortic blood pressure and flow using blind 2-channel IIR cardiovascular system identification

This paper presents the development and analysis of a method to identify a two-channel cardiovascular system using two distinct peripheral blood pressure signals. The method is able to characterize the upper- and lower-limb arterial path dynamics as well as the aortic root impedance, and recover the aortic blood pressure and flow signals fed to it. The blind system identification and input de-convolution algorithms for a class of two-channel infinite impulse response systems are developed and applied to a gray-box model of a two-channel cardiovascular system. Persistent excitation condition, model identifiability and asymptotic variance are analyzed to quantify the method's validity and reliability. Experimental results based on 83 data segments obtained from a swine subject show that the cardiovascular dynamics can be identified very accurately and reliably, and the aortic blood pressure and flow signals are stably recovered from two distinct peripheral blood pressure signals under diverse physiologic conditions. The benefit of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparing it to a predetermined transfer function describing the cardiovascular dynamics at nominal physiologic conditions.
Photonics at Sandia National Laboratories: applying device technology to communication systems

Photonic device activities at Sandia National Laboratories are founded on an extensive materials research program that has expanded to include device development, and an applications focus that heavily emphasizes communications and interconnects. The resulting program spans a full range of photonics research, development, and applications projects, from materials synthesis and device fabrication to packaging, test, and subsystem development. The heart of this effort is the Compound Semiconductor Research Laboratory which was established in 1988 to bring together device and materials research and development to support Sandia's role in weapons technologies. This paper presents an overview of Sandia's photonics program and its directions, using three communications-based applications as examples.
Optical Characterization of Large Caliber Muzzle Blast Waves

High-speed, 1,600 Hz, visible imagery of the blast wave from 147 firings of a 152 mm howitzer were observed for three different propellant charges. Blast wave trajectories were determined at 0.5–13 m from the muzzle exit, yielding initial velocities of Mach 3–4 that decayed to near acoustic within the imager field of view. A piecewise treatment of the Taylor-Sedov point blast model was sufficient to describe the trajectories with an average error of 0.1 m. The trajectories were consistent with a three-dimensional expansion and constant rate of energy release. A Constant Breech Pressure gun model was used to estimate total energy of the muzzle flow, and the efficiency of depositing energy into the blast wave was 18–24 %. Plume temperatures of approximately 980–1,210 K were estimated by partitioning energy and were correlated with likelihood of plume combustion. Classification of charge type based on energy deposition rate was modest, characterized by a ratio of between-class to within-class variance of 1.3, for the very similar events.
A homokaryotic derivative of a Phanerochaete chrysosporium strain and its use in genomic analysis of repetitive elements

Analysis of complex gene families in the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been hampered by the dikaryotic nuclear condition. To facilitate genetic investigations in P. chrysosporium strain BKM-F-1767, we isolated a homokaryon from regenerated protoplasts. The nuclear condition was established by PCR amplification of five unlinked genes followed by probing with allele-specific oligonucleotides. Under standard nitrogen-limited culture conditions, lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and glyoxal oxidase activities of the homokaryon were equivalent to those of the parental dikaryon. We used the homokaryon to determine the genomic organization and to assess transcriptional effects of a family of repetitive elements. Previous studies had identified an insertional mutation, Pce1, within lignin peroxidase allele lipI2. The element resembled nonautonomous class II transposons and was present in multiple copies in strain BKM-F-1767. In the present study, three additional copies of the Pce1-like element were cloned and sequenced. The distribution of elements was nonrandom; all localized to the same 3.7-Mb chromosome, as assessed by segregation analysis and Southern blot analysis of the homokaryon. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) showed that Pce1 was not spliced from the lipI2 transcript in either the homokaryon or the parental dikaryon. However, both strains had equivalent lignin peroxidase activity, suggesting that some lip genes may be redundant.
Subspace identification with eigenvalue constraints

Standard subspace methods for the identification of discrete-time, linear, time-invariant systems are transformed into generalized convex optimization problems in which the poles of the system estimate are constrained to lie within user-defined convex regions of the complex plane. The transformation is done by restating subspace methods such as the minimization of a Frobenius norm affine in the estimate parameters, allowing the minimization to be augmented with convex constraints. The constraints are created using linear-matrix-inequality regions, which generalize standard Lyapunov stability to arbitrary convex regions of the complex plane. The algorithm is developed for subspace methods based on estimates of the extended observability matrix and methods based on estimates of state sequences, but it is extendable to all subspace methods. Simulation examples demonstrate the utility of the proposed method.
Parallel design for parallel decision feedback decoders for 10GBASE-T

10GBASE-T (10 Gigabit Ethernet over unshielded twisted pairs) will probably use a 10-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM10) as well as a 4D trellis code as in 1000BASE-T (1000 Megabit Ethernet over copper medium). One of most powerful approaches to decode the code is called parallel decision-feedback decoding. However, VLSI implementation of a PDFD (parallel decision-feedback decoder) operating at 833 MHz is extremely challenging due to its long critical path. This paper extends the word-level parallel processing technique for Viterbi decoders to design high speed parallel PDFDs. Compared with the straight-forward implementation of PDFDs, a 2-level parallel PDFD can achieve a speedup of 1.5 while the speedup for a 3-level parallel PDFD is around 2. More speedup is achievable if we combine some other techniques, such as pre-computation technique.
Soggy, a spermatocyte-specific gene, lies 3.8 kb upstream of and antipodal to TEAD-2, a transcription factor expressed at the beginning of mouse development

Investigation of the regulatory region of mTEAD-2, a gene expressed at the beginning of mouse pre-implantation development, led to the surprising discovery of another gene only 3.8 kb upstream of mTEAD-2. Here we show that this new gene is a single copy, testis-specific gene called SOGGY: (mSgy) that produces a single, dominant mRNA approximately 1.3 kb in length. It is transcribed in the direction opposite to mTEAD-2, thus placing the regulatory elements of these two genes in close proximity. mSgy contains three methionine codons that could potentially act as translation start sites, but most mSGY protein synthesis in vitro was initiated from the first Met codon to produce a full-length protein, suggesting that mSGY normally consists of 230 amino acids (26.7 kDa). Transcription began at a cluster of nucleotides approximately 150 bp upstream of the first Met codon using a TATA-less promoter contained within the first 0.9 kb upstream. The activity of this promoter was repressed by upstream sequences between -0.9 and -2.5 kb in cells that did not express mSgy, but this repression was relieved in cells that did express mSgy. mSgy mRNA was detected in embryos only after day 15 and in adult tissues only in the developing spermatocytes of seminiferous tubules, suggesting that mSgy is a spermatocyte-specific gene. Since mTEAD-2 and mSgy were not expressed in the same cells, the mSgy/mTEAD-2 locus provides a unique paradigm for differential regulation of gene expression during mammalian development.
Self-assembly of non-linear polymers at the air/water interface: the effect of molecular architecture

In comparison with conventional linear polymers, due to the presence of joints, branches, end groups, etc, non-linear polymers possess more variables that allow for the tailoring of steric constraints, stacking interactions, and hydrogen bonding of these polymers at the air/water interface to precisely control the self-assembly process to yield functional Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films for various applications. This Review summarizes recent developments in the field of self-assembly of non-linear polymers at the air/water interface, focusing on the influence of molecular architecture. Four classes of non-linear systems (polymer brushes, star-like polymers, dendritic polymers, and linear–dendritic polymers) with representative examples are highlighted to elaborate their interfacial behaviors originating from different molecular architectures.
Ordered Vacancy Compounds and Nanotube Formation in CuInSe2-CdS Core-Shell Nanowires

CuInSe2 related materials-based heterojunction diodes have received much attention, owing to their highest power conversion efficiency (19.5%) among all the thin-film solar cell technologies. Important issues on the microstructure and formation mechanism of CuInSe2−CdS p-n heterojunction persist due to the complexity of polycrystalline films and invasive sample preparation for characterization. Here, we investigated the microstructure, chemical composition, and formation mechanism of the junction with CuInSe2−CdS core−shell nanowires, where nanowire geometry affords single-crystalline nanograins for direct characterization. A coherent CdS shell can be epitaxially deposited onto the CuInSe2 nanowire with chemical bath deposition even at 60 °C. For the first time, ordered vacancy compound nanodomains induced by fast outward diffusion of Cu ions were directly observed near the interface of epitaxial CIS−CdS heterostructure. The core−shell nanowires can be transformed into nanotubes with chemical bath deposit...
INTERSEX IDENTITIES Locating New Intersections of Sex and Gender

This article analyzes the sex and gender identity rhetoric of members of the Intersex Society of North America, which is a self-help and advocacy group whose main goals are to stop unnecessary genital surgery in ambiguously sexed infants and make medical histories available to adult intersexuals. By examining the organization's indebtedness to feminist and gay/lesbian/transperson theory and practice, the article shows how these political movements have progressively challenged the equation of sex with gender and how intersexuality exemplifies the theoretical and practical problems of identity politics.
Hot spots conjecture for a class of acute triangles

We show that the hot spots conjecture of J. Rauch holds for acute triangles if one of the angles is not larger than $$\pi /6$$ . More precisely, we show that the second Neumann eigenfunction on those acute triangles has no maximum or minimum inside the domain. We first simplify the problem by showing that absence of critical points on two sides implies no critical points inside a triangle. This result applies to any acute triangle and might help prove the conjecture for arbitrary acute triangles. Then we show that there are no critical points on two sides assuming one small angle. We also establish simplicity for the smallest positive Neumann eigenvalue for all non-equilateral acute triangles. This result was already known for obtuse triangles, and it fails for the equilateral case.
Do You Hear What I Hear?: Fingerprinting Smart Devices Through Embedded Acoustic Components

The widespread use of smart devices gives rise to privacy concerns. Fingerprinting smart devices can jeopardize privacy by allowing remote identification without user awareness. We study the feasibility of using microphones and speakers embedded in smartphones to uniquely fingerprint individual devices. During fabrication, subtle imperfections arise in device microphones and speakers, which induce anomalies in produced and received sounds. We exploit this observation to fingerprint smartphones through playback and recording of audio samples. We explore different acoustic features and analyze their ability to successfully fingerprint smartphones. Our experiments show that not only is it possible to fingerprint devices manufactured by different vendors but also devices that have the same maker and model; on average we were able to accurately attribute 98% of all recorded audio clips from 50 different Android smartphones. Our study also identifies the prominent acoustic features capable of fingerprinting smart devices with a high success rate, and examines the effect of background noise and other variables on fingerprinting accuracy.
Legal and economic perspectives concerning US government investigations of alleged off-label promotion by drug manufacturers.

Over the past few years, many pharmaceuticalmanufacturers have settled claims brought bythe US Department of Justice (USDOJ) allegingthat the drug companies engaged in illegal,off-label product promotion. Between 2003 and2007, 11 investigations involving off-label pro-motion in the US were settled. Six of those in-vestigations settled in 2007 alone.
Estimation of aerosol columnar size distribution and optical thickness from the angular distribution of radiance exiting the atmosphere: simulations.

We report the results of simulations in which an algorithm developed for estimation of aerosol optical properties from the angular distribution of radiance exiting the top of the atmosphere over the oceans [Appl. Opt. 33, 4042 (1994)] is combined with a technique for carrying out radiative transfer computations by synthesis of the radiance produced by individual components of the aerosol-size distribution [Appl. Opt. 33, 7088 (1994)], to estimate the aerosol-size distribution by retrieval of the total aerosol optical thickness and the mixing ratios for a set of candidate component aerosol-size distributions. The simulations suggest that in situations in which the true size–refractive-index distribution can actually be synthesized from a combination of the candidate components, excellent retrievals of the aerosol optical thickness and the component mixing ratios are possible. An exception is the presence of strongly absorbing aerosols. The angular distribution of radiance in a single spectral band does not appear to contain sufficient information to separate weakly from strongly absorbing aerosols. However, when two spectral bands are used in the algorithm, retrievals in the case of strongly absorbing aerosols are improved. When pseudodata were simulated with an aerosol-size distribution that differed in functional form from the candidate components, excellent retrievals were still obtained as long as the refractive indices of the actual aerosol model and the candidate components were similar. This underscores the importance of component candidates having realistic indices of refraction in the various size ranges for application of the method. The examples presented all focus on the multiangle imaging spectroradiometer; however, the results should be as valid for data obtained by the use of high-altitude airborne sensors.
Compositions and taxonomy of 15 unusual carbonaceous chondrites

Abstract– We used instrumental neutron activation analysis and petrography to determine bulk and phase compositions and textural characteristics of 15 carbonaceous chondrites of uncertain classification: Acfer 094 (type 3.0, ungrouped CM-related); Belgica-7904 (mildly metamorphosed, anomalous, CM-like chondrite, possibly a member of a new grouplet that includes Wisconsin Range (WIS) 91600, Dhofar 225, and Yamato-86720); Dar al Gani (DaG) 055 and its paired specimen DaG 056 (anomalous, reduced CV3-like); DaG 978 (type 3 ungrouped); Dominion Range 03238 (anomalous, magnetite-rich CO3.1); Elephant Moraine 90043 (anomalous, magnetite-bearing CO3); Graves Nunataks 98025 (type 2 or type 3 ungrouped); Grosvenor Mountains (GRO) 95566 (anomalous CM2 with a low degree of aqueous alteration); Hammadah al Hamra (HaH) 073 (type 4 ungrouped, possibly related to the Coolidge-Loongana [C-L] 001 grouplet); Lewis Cliff (LEW) 85311 (anomalous CM2 with a low degree of aqueous alteration); Northwest Africa 1152 (anomalous CV3); Pecora Escarpment (PCA) 91008 (anomalous, metamorphosed CM); Queen Alexandra Range 99038 (type 2 ungrouped); Sahara 00182 (type 3 ungrouped, possibly related to HaH 073 and/or to C-L 001); and WIS 91600 (mildly metamorphosed, anomalous, CM-like chondrite, possibly a member of a new grouplet that includes Belgica-7904, Dhofar 225, and Y-86720). Many of these meteorites show fractionated abundance patterns, especially among the volatile elements. Impact volatilization and dehydration as well as elemental transport caused by terrestrial weathering are probably responsible for most of these compositional anomalies. The metamorphosed CM chondrites comprise two distinct clusters on the basis of their Δ17O values: approximately −4‰ for PCA 91008, GRO 95566, DaG 978, and LEW 85311, and approximately 0‰ for Belgica-7904 and WIS 91600. These six meteorites must have been derived from different asteroidal regions.
Extrahippocampal Contributions to Age Differences in Human Spatial Navigation

The hippocampus (HC) and associated neural structures are hypothesized to contribute to individual differences in human spatial navigation. However, functional imaging studies and theoretical models underscore the importance of extrahippocampal regions as well. The purpose of the present study was to examine age differences in virtual environment navigation and to assess possible relationships between navigation and structural integrity of hippocampal and extrahippocampal brain regions. Healthy adult volunteers completed a virtual navigation task and underwent magnetic resonance imaging to assess volumes of the caudate nucleus (CN), cerebellum, HC, prefrontal, and primary visual cortices. Results demonstrated robust age-related differences in place learning. Moreover, individual differences in regional brain volumes as well as performance on the tests of memory and executive functions contributed to age differences in human place learning. High performance in a virtual navigation task was associated with larger volume of the CN and prefrontal gray and white matter. Larger hippocampal volume was associated with improved performance in the young but not old participants. We conclude that human navigation requires both hippocampal and extrahippocampal brain systems and draws on executive resources for successful performance.
Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia: Overview and Methodology for Characterizing Hair Changes and Regrowth

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia is very common, but the amount and type of hair loss and regrowth are dependent on the drug, combination of agents, and/or dose. These differences are discussed along with new methods for tracking and quantifying the hair loss.
Substance abuse education liaisons: a collaborative continuing education program for nurses in acute care settings.

BACKGROUND Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse undermine physical and psychological well-being, contributing to the array of illnesses that necessitate admission to acute care settings. Addictive disorders often are undetected, underreported, or overshadowed by the primary illness. Nurses need continuing education to enhance competence in meeting this challenging problem. METHOD Through a unique collaboration between university faculty and acute care nurses from seven hospitals, the nurses attended 18 monthly workshops designed to meet their learning needs related to substance abuse. RESULTS The nurses acquired essential knowledge and skills regarding substance abusing clients. The publication of a substance abuse resource manual and the establishment of a continuing network of professionals committed to improving practice are additional positive outcomes of this endeavor. CONCLUSION Project SAEL (Substance Abuse Education Liaisons) is a model that can be emulated by others.
Physics Envy: Psychologists’ Perceptions of Psychology and Agreement About Core Concepts

This study assessed the nature of psychology and its consensus regarding core content. We hypothesized that psychology possesses little agreement regarding its core content areas and thus may “envy...
Elliptic Equations: Relaxation

This chapter discusses relaxation applicable to elliptic equations, most often Laplace's equations. A numerical approximation to the solution is obtained. The finite difference scheme for an elliptic equation can be interpreted as a local condition on the value of the solution. This local condition leads naturally to an iterative numerical procedure. Given an elliptic equation, choose a finite difference formula to approximate the equation on a grid in the domain of interest. This formula can be manipulated into a relation between the value of the unknown at a point and the values of the unknown at neighboring points. Once values have been assigned to every point in the grid, this formula can be used iteratively to update the value at every point. When the values stops changing (to some specified precision), an approximate solution has been found.
Design of efficient matching networks for capacitive wireless power transfer systems

High-power large air-gap capacitive wireless power transfer (WPT) systems require matching networks that provide large voltage or current gain and reactive compensation. This paper introduces an analytical optimization approach for the design of L-section multistage matching networks for capacitive WPT systems. The proposed approach maximizes the matching network efficiency and identifies the optimal distribution of gains and compensations among the L-section stages. The results of the proposed approach are validated using an exhaustive-search based numerical optimization for a 12-cm air-gap, 6.78-MHz, 125-W capacitive WPT system. A 6.78-MHz, 15-W prototype comprising a two-stage matching network is also designed using the proposed analytical approach and the theoretical predictions are validated experimentally.
Temperature measurements using uv-induced vibrational hydrogen raman bandshape spectroscopy

Non-intrusive optical techniques have the potential to provide highly accurate quantitative spatial and temporal information in high-pressure, rocket engine-like test articles. Single laser-pulse UV Raman spectroscopic methods can be used in these devices for combustion analysis to aid in the development of advanced rocket engine propellant injectors. Traditional Raman techniques assume an ideal gas law analysis with an independent mechanical pressure measurement to relate measured species number densities to species concentrations and temperature. Alternatively since a molecule's spectral signature is a function of temperature, temperatures can be determined directly by best-fit matching experimental Raman spectra with theoretical spectra. Development of this UV Raman bandshape spectroscopy technique can allow direct temperature measurements without the need for an independent calibration of the Raman system or pressure measurement, which is advantageous in non-uniform flows where the local pressure may vary spatially or not be accurately known. Thus, the impetus of this work is to apply the UV Raman bandshape technique to the H2 Stokes vibrational Q -branch Raman spectrum to use as a thermometer for H2-fueled combustion in rocket engine-like test articles. A detailed simulation program, including molecular kinetic phenomena, has been developed for the H2 Stokes vibrational Q -branch Raman spectrum. Raman derived temperatures are determined from parameter estimation methods based on signal-to-noise (S/N) weighted non-linear least-squares fitting of the experimental Raman spectra with theoretical spectra. Uncertainties in the Raman-derived measurements are then estimated from the parameter error estimates (goodness-of-fit criteria) and Monte-Carlo simulations based on the experimentally determined data error structure with variances estimated from S/N levels for the measured signal intensities. To demonstrate the technique, Raman temperature measurements are performed in heated dilute-H2/N2 mixtures and steady laminar rich H2-air flames at atmospheric pressure. The Raman temperatures are compared to thermocouple measured temperatures and calculated adiabatic flame temperatures based on measured mass-flow rates. Time-averaged and single-pulse Raman measured temperatures are obtained with uncertainties of ∼5, 2, and 8% for the corresponding temperatures of 295, 1050, and 2190K. Finally, an attempt is made to apply the Raman bandshape technique during hot-fire testing of a high-pressure (∼1800psi) rocket engine-like test article consisting of a multi-element liquid-H2/liquid-O2 injector operating at a low oxidizer/fuel mixture ratio (∼0.66) to simulate an advanced rocket engine preburner.
Applications of LA–ICP–MS to Forensic Science

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) provides qualitative and quantitative measurements of the elemental and isotopic composition of materials that are of interest to forensic scientists. The technique can chemically characterize physical evidence associated with a crime event, a location, contact between objects or contact between objects and a person(s). This review details the forensic application of this powerful technique for the analysis of glass, soils, ink, paper and adhesive tapes, all important evidence that benefits from trace element profiling. In addition, other applications of LA–ICP–MS for forensic purposes are referenced, including food authentication, and gold and diamond provenance.
Analysis of fragmentation in shock physics simulation

Analyzing shock physics, which can involve high energies, high velocity materials, and highly variable results, is challenging. Very little can be measured during a shock physics experiment. Most experimental data is collected in the aftermath. High-fidelity simulations using codes like CTH are possible, but require a significant amount of post processing to properly understand the results. Physical structures and their accompanying data must be derived from the volumetric properties computed by the simulation. And, of course, the simulations must be validated against experiments. To capture small fragmentation effects, the CTH simulations must be run on very large scales using adaptive meshes, which further complicates the post processing. By using the scalable visualization tool ParaView coupled with customized feature identification, we are able to provide both the analysis and verification of these large-scale CTH simulations.
Newly Discovered Pile Up Effects During Nanoindentation

This work focuses on clearly defining the effects of pile up during nanoindentation of thin films deposited on substrates. Thin film behavior is important to understand in order to prevent failure in nano- and microscale mechanical devices utilized in computers or cell phones. During nanoindentation tests, phenomena such as sink-in or pile-up can occur depending on the mismatch of elastic moduli and Poisson’s ratios. This, in turn, alters the projection of the indent on the sample. While others have tried to measure and account for the pile up through changes in contact area, we have found that the pile up area does not affect the extracted elastic mechanical properties of the film or substrate materials. By depositing different thicknesses of gold on various plastically deforming substrates, pile up trends are visualized. Accounting for pile up is not necessary, as demonstrated through experimental data matched with models and images from scanning electron microscopy. These findings will help future experiments to correctly calculate elastic mechanical properties that have pile up issues.
Rapid Recovery of Gross Production and Respiration in a Mesic Mountain Big Sagebrush Ecosystem Following Prescribed Fire

The impact of land management actions such as prescribed fire remains a key uncertainty in understanding the spatiotemporal patterns of carbon cycling in the Western USA. We therefore quantified carbon exchange and aboveground carbon stocks following a prescribed fire in a mountain big sagebrush ecosystem located in the northern Great Basin, USA. Specifically, we examined the changes in plant functional type, leaf area index, standing aboveground carbon stocks, net ecosystem production (NEP), gross ecosystem production (GEP), and ecosystem-level respiration (Reco) for 2 years before and 7 of 9 years after a prescribed fire. Post-burn GEP and Reco exceeded pre-burn GEP and Reco within 2 years and remained elevated. The variation in GEP and Reco provided no evidence of a large and prolonged net efflux of carbon in the 9 years after the fire. Rather, NEP indicated the site was a sink before and after the fire, with little change in sink strength associated with the burn. Re-sprouting and recruitment of grasses and forbs drove the post-burn increase in GEP. Woody shrub growth was the dominant control on aboveground biomass accumulation after fire, with shrub aboveground biomass reaching ~ 11% of pre-burn biomass after 5 years. The rapid recovery of GEP and the growth of mid-successional shrubs suggest ecosystem-level carbon fluxes and stocks can recover rapidly after fire in mesic mountain big sagebrush ecosystems.
Self-reported Hearing Difficulty and Risk of Accidental Injury in US Adults, 2007 to 2015.

Importance Accidental injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Hearing problems may be associated with an increased risk for such injuries. Objective To investigate associations between hearing difficulty and risk of accidental injuries among US adults. Design, Setting, and Participants Cross-sectional analysis of responses of a nationally representative sample of 232.2 million individuals 18 years or older who participated in the National Health Interview Survey from 2007 to 2015 and responded to the questions related to the hearing and injury modules. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome variable was accidental injury in the preceding 3 months. Hearing status was self-reported as “excellent,” “good,” “a little trouble,” “moderate trouble,” “a lot of trouble,” and “deaf.” Prevalence of accidental injuries was analyzed based on demographic characteristics and hearing status. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for injuries adjusted for demographics were calculated for degrees of hearing difficulty. A secondary outcome was association of hearing status with type of injury and was classified as driving related, work related, or leisure/sport related. Results Of 232.2 million US adults, 120.2 million (51.7%) were female, and 116.3 million (50.1%) considered their hearing to be less than excellent. Accidental injuries occurred in 2.8% of survey respondents. In comparison with normal-hearing adults (those with self-rated excellent or good hearing), the odds of accidental injury were higher in those with a little trouble hearing (4.1%; OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.5-1.8), moderate trouble hearing (4.2%; OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.4-1.9), and a lot of trouble hearing (4.8%; OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.6-2.3). Work- and leisure-related injuries were more prevalent among those with self-perceived hearing difficulty. Multivariate analysis, adjusted for age and sex, revealed leisure-related injuries was most consistently associated with various degrees of hearing difficulty. Odds ratios were 1.2 (95% CI, 1.0-1.4) in those with a little trouble hearing, 1.4 (95% CI, 1.1-1.9) in those with moderate trouble hearing, and 1.5 (95% CI, 1.1-2.2) in those with a lot of trouble hearing. Conclusions and Relevance Hearing difficulty is significantly associated with accidental injury, especially injury related to work or leisure. Increased awareness about hearing difficulty and its proper screening and management may assist in decreasing accidental injury.
Genome-wide association study of Stayability and Heifer Pregnancy in Red Angus cattle.

Reproductive performance is the most important component of cattle production from the standpoint of economic sustainability of commercial beef enterprises. Heifer Pregnancy (HPG) and Stayability (STAY) genetic predictions are 2 selection tools published by the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) to assist with improvements in reproductive performance. Given the importance of HPG and STAY to the profitability of commercial beef enterprises, the objective of this study was to identify QTL associated with both HPG and STAY in Red Angus cattle. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using deregressed HPG and STAY EBV, calculated using a single-trait animal model and a 3-generation pedigree with data from the Spring 2015 RAAA National Cattle Evaluation. Each individual animal possessed 74,659 SNP genotypes. Individual animals with a deregressed EBV reliability > 0.05 were merged with the genotype file and marker quality control was performed. Criteria for sifting genotypes consisted of removing those markers where any of the following were found: average call rate less than 0.85, minor allele frequency 0.99). These criteria resulted in 2,664 animals with 62,807 SNP available for GWAS. Association studies were performed using a Bayes Cπ model in the BOLT software package. Marker significance was calculated as the posterior probability of inclusion (PPI), or the number of instances a specific marker was sampled divided by the total number of samples retained from the Markov chain Monte Carlo chains. Nine markers, with a PPI ≥ 3% were identified as QTL associated with HPG on BTA 1, 11, 13, 23, and 29. Twelve markers, with a PPI ≥ 75% were identified as QTL associated with STAY on BTA 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 18, 22, and 23.
Pharmacotherapy in Acutely Anemic Jehovah's Witnesses: An Evidence-Based Review

Objective: To determine the pharmacological treatment methods available to anemic Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW). Data Sources: MEDLINE and PubMed were searched from inception through February 2018 using the search terms Jehovah’s Witnesses, treatment, erythropoietin, hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier, Sanguinate, Hemopure, bleeding, and anemia. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and observational trials involving pharmacotherapy in anemic JW patients were evaluated. Case reports and bibliographies were also analyzed for inclusion. Data Synthesis: Two studies involving the use of erythropoietin (EPO) and one study involving recombinant factor VIIa were included. Information was also included from other pharmacotherapeutic modalities that had case report data only. Current published evidence is limited with regard to evidence-based management of JW patients. High-dose EPO, intravenous iron supplementation, and hemostatic agents have demonstrated good cli...
Making worlds with symbols

I modify and generalize Carnap’s notion of frameworks as a way of unpacking Goodman’s metaphor of “making worlds with symbols”. My frameworks provide, metaphorically, a way of making worlds out of symbols in as much as all our framework-bound access to the world is through frameworks that always stand to be improved in accuracy, precision, and usually both. Such improvement is characterized in pragmatist terms.
Phosphatidylserine expressing platelet microparticle levels at hospital presentation are decreased in sepsis non-survivors and correlate with thrombocytopenia.

Abstract Background Sepsis induced platelet activation releases platelet microparticles (PMPs). PMPs express phosphatidylserine (PS) and can serve as a scaffold for the prothrombinase complex, thereby promoting coagulation. Studies of PMPs in intensive care unit sepsis patients demonstrate mixed results, while the earliest changes and potential effects of clinical interventions remain understudied. We hypothesized PMPs would be associated with patient outcome and dysfunctional coagulation shortly after emergency department presentation with sepsis. Methods Cohort study of patients from a single center enrolled in a previously published randomized control trial comparing two early resuscitation strategies. Adults presenting to the emergency department (ED) with suspected infection, ≥2 SIRS criteria, and either systolic blood pressure 4 mmol/L were eligible. Triple positive platelet microparticles (PMPs) expressing phosphatidylserine and integrin complexes alphaIIb (CD41) and beta3 (CD61) were quantitated using plasma from the time of enrollment. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included platelet count, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and prothrombin time (PT). Results 193 patients were enrolled and 184 had samples available. In-hospital mortality was 21%. 10 (5%) patients developed DIC. Median platelet count was 197 (IQR 135, 280) and PT was 13.2 (IQR 11.9, 16.8). Median triple positive PMP counts were 932 per μL (IQR 381, 1872). PMPs were significantly lower in non-survivors (575 vs 1128, p = 0.02) and non-significantly lower in DIC (387 vs 942, p = 0.17). PMPs demonstrated a positive linear association with platelet count (p Conclusion Similar to patients enrolled later in the intensive care unit, PS-expressing PMPs are lower in emergency department sepsis non-survivors. These changes primarily reflect the degree of thrombocytopenia, and an independent prognostic role was not observed. Future studies should control for platelet count in assessment of PMP prognosis in sepsis.
Assessing uncertainty in a stand growth model by Bayesian synthesis

The Bayesian synthesis method (BSYN) was used to bound the uncertainty in projections calculated with PIPESTEM, a mechanistic model of forest growth. The application furnished posterior distributions of (a) the values of the model's parameters, and (b) the values of three of the model's output variables--basal area per unit land area, average tree height, and tree density--at different points in time. Confidence or credible intervals for the output variables were obtained directly from the posterior distributions. The application also provides estimates of correlation among the parameters and output variables. BSYN, which originally was applied to a population dynamics model for bowhead whales, is generally applicable to deterministic models. Extension to two or more linked models is discussed. A simple worked example is included in an appendix.
My Life and Virus Research Journey

My long career in virology has been a continuous learning exercise with a very modest start. Virology and related pertinent fields have changed significantly during my lifetime. Sometimes I wish that my career had just started and I could apply all available and state of the art technology to solving problems and explaining intriguing observations. I was always convinced that visiting growers' fields is essential for researchers to get firsthand observations and knowledge of virus disease problems under field conditions. I never thought I would pursue so many avenues of research, yet it is true that research never ends. I enjoyed dissecting strain diversity in a very important plant pathogen like bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) and using BPMV-based vectors to address fundamental virology questions. Lastly, solving the enigma of the transmissible disease of Helminthosporium victoriae and attempting to gain an understanding of the molecular basis of disease in a plant pathogenic fungus were thrilling.
Sex Differences in Subjective and Behavioral Responses to Stressful and Smoking Cues Presented in the Natural Environment of Smokers.

Introduction Some evidence suggests that female smokers may show more context-dependent smoking and that males may show more stereotyped smoking (regardless of stress or cue exposure). The goal of this study was to characterize sex differences in response to stressful and smoking cues ecologically presented in daily life and variability in day-to-day smoking behavior. Methods Adult smokers (N = 177) provided ratings of mood and cigarette craving before and after stress and smoking cues were presented four times daily for 14 days via a mobile device. Linear mixed models tested whether (1) female smokers exhibited greater reactivity to stressful cues than male smokers; (2) pre-cue negative affect increased reactivity to smoking cues more in female smokers than male smokers; (3) across both sexes, greater reactivity to stressful and smoking cues correlated with greater quantity of smoking within a day; and (4) female smokers exhibited greater variability in cigarettes per day (CPD) relative to males. Results Relative to male smokers, female smokers reported greater negative affect, stress, and craving in response to stressful cues, but not smoking cues, after accounting for time since last cigarette and pre-cue responding. No sex differences in CPD or variability in CPD were detected. Days with higher subjective reactivity to cues were not associated with increased smoking, in either males or females. Conclusions Sex differences were observed in response to stress but not smoking cues in the natural environment of regular cigarette smokers. Further research is necessary to evaluate whether stress reactivity in female smokers is associated with reduced latency to smoke following stress exposure in daily life. Implications This study provides naturalistic evidence that female smokers may not be more reactive to smoking cues than males, but experience heightened stress and craving following stress exposure. There was no evidence to support the hypothesis that amount smoked per day varied more for females, relative to males, as a result of more context-driven smoking for females.
Accessing Ambiphilic Phosphine Boronates through C−H Borylation by an Unforeseen Cationic Iridium Complex

Ambiphilic molecules, which contain a Lewis base and Lewis acid, are of great interest based on their unique ability to activate small molecules. Phosphine boronates are one class of these substrates that have interesting catalytic activity. Direct access to these phosphine boronates is described through the iridium-catalyzed C-H borylation of phosphines. An unconventional cationic iridium catalyst was identified as optimal for a range of phosphines, providing good yields and selectivity across a diverse class of phosphine boronates (isolated as the borane-protected phosphine). A complimentary catalyst system (quinoline-based silane ligand with [(COD)IrOMe]2 ) was optimal for biphenyl-based phosphines. Selective polyborylation was also shown providing bis- and tris-borylated phosphines. Deprotection of the phosphine boronate provided free ambiphilic phosphine boronates, which do not have detectable interactions between the phosphorus and boron atoms in solution or the solid state.