cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of a biologically realistic tissue-mimicking material for photoacoustics and other bimodal optical-acoustic modalities

Recent years have seen rapid development of hybrid optical-acoustic imaging modalities with broad applications in research and clinical imaging, including photoacoustic tomography (PAT), photoacoustic microscopy, and ultrasound-modulated optical tomography. Tissue-mimicking phantoms are an important tool for objectively and quantitatively simulating in vivo imaging system performance. However, no standard tissue phantoms exist for such systems. One major challenge is the development of tissue-mimicking materials (TMMs) that are both highly stable and possess biologically realistic properties. To address this need, we have explored the use of various formulations of PVC plastisol (PVCP) based on varying mixtures of several liquid plasticizers. We developed a custom PVCP formulation with optical absorption and scattering coefficients, speed of sound, and acoustic attenuation that are tunable and tissue-relevant. This TMM can simulate different tissue compositions and offers greater mechanical strength than hydrogels. Optical properties of PVCP samples with varying composition were characterized using integrating sphere spectrophotometry and the inverse adding-doubling method. Acoustic properties were determined using a broadband pulse-transmission technique. To demonstrate the utility of this bimodal TMM, we constructed an image quality phantom designed to enable quantitative evaluation of PAT spatial resolution. The phantom was imaged using a custom combined PAT-ultrasound imaging system. Results indicated that this more biologically realistic TMM produced performance trends not captured in simpler liquid phantoms. In the future, this TMM may be broadly utilized for performance evaluation of optical, acoustic, and hybrid optical-acoustic imaging systems.
Modal analysis of a loaded tire with non-contact measurements and piezoelectric excitation

The complex nature of tires requires very precise test data to model the structure accurately. The highly damped characteristics, geometric features and operational conditions of tires cause various testing difficulties that affect the reliability of the modal testing. One of the biggest challenges of tire testing is exciting the whole tire at once. Conventionally, impact hammers, shakers, and cleats are used as an excitation input. The shortcomings of these excitation methods are the directional and force inconsistency of hammer impacts, coupled dynamics of shakers and speed limitations of cleat excitation. Other challenges of modal testing of tires are the effect of added mass due to sensor placements and difficulty of vibration measurement of a rotating tire with accelerometers. In order to remedy these problems, we conduct experimental modal analysis (EMA) using a non-contact measurement technique and piezoelectric excitation. For non-contact measurement, a 3-D scanning laser doppler vibrometer (SLDV) is used. For the piezoelectric excitation, Micro Fiber Composite (MFC) patches are used due to their flexible nature and power capacity. This excitation method can also be crucial to the excitation of rotating tires since the cleat excitation is not adequate for low-speed measurements. Furthermore, the piezoelectric actuation could be used as sensors as well as noise controllers in operating conditions. For this work, we run experiments for a loaded tire in non-rotating condition. Experiments are carried out for the frequency bandwidth up to 500Hz to capture the structural behavior under high-frequency excitations and its potential coupled behavior to airborne noise.
Mexican Working-Class Literature, or The Work of Literature in Mexico

Working-class literature has never had a wide audience in Mexico, always overshadowed by other types of literature, such as the novel of the Mexican Revolution, the regionalist novel, and the indigenous novel. Nevertheless, there is no better place, as this essay will suggest, to consider the status of literature and its relationship to history and ideology than from the genre of work and the worker. Approaching working-class literature as an evolving genre in relation to different modernization projects, this chapter maps out similarities and point to differences between various labor literatures—including proletarian literature in the 1930s, the testimonio (a new type first-person documentary genre) in the 1960s, and the literatures of the early 2000s—in order to argue ultimately that the genre provides a privileged space to think about labor and exploitation in Mexico.
Clinical Use of a New Intra-Arterial Catheter Electrode System

Until the recent development of continuously recording oxygen electrodes, the clinical monitoring of blood oxygen tensions depended on the findings from isolated blood specimens. The acquisition of such data was limited, expensive and often unreliable because of the unavoidable delay between sampling and reading.
Instrumentation Design for Study of Metabolic Control in Living Cells

For the study of living cells in culture using the fluorescence microscope it is important to make provision for the widest possible instrumental armamentarium, including real-time parameter interactive experimental control (RIPEC). In an ideal apparatus (Kohen et al 1991) one might include, for example, (Figure 1) provision for excitation and emission fluorescence spectra, video-optical phase visualization with a long working-distance phase condenser (Hirschberg 1990), scanning near-field microscopy (SNOM), total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM), confocal fluorescence optics, and modulated laser excitation for fluorescent lifetime measurements. The living cells must be contained in a special chamber with regulated temperature and humidity and with sufficient working distance to facilitate micromanipulation and micro-injection. The resulting data are to be displayed in real time, used for computer controlled interactive experimentation, and stored, all by a dedicated computer
The future of aliasing in parallel programming

In recent years, the research community has made great strides in alias annotations that support parallel programming [1]. Using these techniques, programmers no longer have to guess where aliased mutable state may cause unintended data races or nondeterminism; instead, such problems can simply be eliminated, either at compile time or at runtime. This represents a major advance in the safety and reliability of parallel code.
Pseudo-holomorphic curves in nearly Kähler CP3

Abstract We study pseudo-holomorphic curves in the nearly Kahler 6-manifold CP 3 . First, we introduce two classes of pseudo-holomorphic curves, called horizontal and null-torsion, respectively. We show that both classes are in one to one correspondence with contact holomorphic curves studied by Bryant in the Kahler manifold CP 3 . The correspondence between horizontal curves and contact curves can be seen from their definitions. The correspondence between null-torsion and contact curves needs a double fibration to describe. Borrowing Bryant's results, we show that both classes allow Weierstrass representations. Second, we completely characterize pseudo-holomorphic 2-spheres. It is shown that if they are neither vertical nor horizontal, they must have null torsion.
Assessing Mountains as Natural Reservoirs With a Multimetric Framework

Author(s): Rhoades, AM; Jones, AD; Ullrich, PA | Abstract: Anthropogenic climate change will continue to diminish the unique role that mountains perform as natural reservoirs and alter long-held assumptions of water management. Climate models are important tools to help constrain uncertainty and understand processes that shape this decline. To ensure that climate model estimates provide stakeholder relevant information, the formulation of multimetric model evaluation frameworks informed by stakeholder interactions are critical. In this study, we present one such multimetric framework to evaluate snowpack data sets in the California Sierra Nevada: the snow water equivalent (SWE) triangle. SWE triangle metrics help to describe snowpack characteristics associated with total water volume buildup, peak water availability, and the rate of water release. This approach highlights compensating errors that would not be reflected in conventional large-scale spatiotemporal analysis. To test our multimetric evaluation framework, we evaluate several publicly available snow products including the Sierra Nevada Snow Reanalysis, Livneh (L15), and the North American Land Data Assimilation System version 2 data sets. We then evaluate regional climate model skill within the North American Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment. All data sets analyzed show variation across the various SWE triangle metrics, even within observationally constrained snow products. This spread was especially shown in spring season melt rates. Melt rate biases were prevalent throughout most regional climate model simulations, regardless of snow accumulation dynamics, and will need to be addressed to improve their utility for water stakeholders.
Biomarkers of pembrolizumab (P) activity in mesothelioma (MM): Results from a phase II trial.

8557Background: PD-L1 expression and the Interferon-Gamma gene expression profile (IFN-G GEP) are predictive of response to checkpoint blockade in several solid tumors. Relevant biomarkers in mm pt...
Abnormal cervicocranial retropharyngeal soft-tissue contour in the detection of subtle acute cervicocranial injuries

We have established a statistically significant difference in the measurements and contour of the normal cervicocranial prevertebral soft-tissue shadow compared with the same measurements and contours found in that of patients with an acute posttraumatic nasopharyngeal hematoma secondary to subtle cervicocranial injuries. The width of the cervicocranial prevertebral soft-tissue shadow may be altered by many factors, making actual measurements of this thickness at any specific point clinically unreliable. In contrast, changes in the contour of the shadow following acute upper cervical spine trauma is sufficiently sensitive of a hematoma to require further radiologic evaluation in a patient with acute post-traumatic upper cervical spine symptoms and no obvious radiologic sign of a cervicocranial injury.
Combined Collagen-Induced Arthritis and Organic Dust-Induced Airway Inflammation to Model Inflammatory Lung Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by extra-articular involvement including lung disease, yet the mechanisms linking the two conditions are poorly understood. The collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model was combined with the organic dust extract (ODE) airway inflammatory model to assess bone/joint-lung inflammatory outcomes. DBA/1J mice were intranasally treated with saline or ODE daily for 5 weeks. CIA was induced on days 1 and 21. Treatment groups included sham (saline injection/saline inhalation), CIA (CIA/saline), ODE (saline/ODE), and CIA + ODE (CIA/ODE). Arthritis inflammatory scores, bones, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lung tissues, and serum were assessed. In DBA/1J male mice, arthritis was increased in CIA + ODE > CIA > ODE versus sham. Micro-computed tomography (µCT) demonstrated that loss of BMD and volume and deterioration of bone microarchitecture was greatest in CIA + ODE. However, ODE-induced airway neutrophil influx and inflammatory cytokine/chemokine levels in lavage fluids were increased in ODE > CIA + ODE versus sham. Activated lung CD11c+ CD11b+ macrophages were increased in ODE > CIA + ODE > CIA pattern, whereas lung hyaluronan, fibronectin, and amphiregulin levels were greatest in CIA + ODE. Serum autoantibody and inflammatory marker concentrations varied among experimental groups. Compared with male mice, female mice showed less articular and pulmonary disease. The interaction of inhalation-induced airway inflammation and arthritis induction resulted in compartmentalized responses with the greatest degree of arthritis and bone loss in male mice with combined exposures. Data also support suppression of the lung inflammatory response, but increases in extracellular matrix protein deposition/interstitial disease in the setting of arthritis. This coexposure model could be exploited to better understand and treat RA-lung disease. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Regional Planning Model for Cancer Screening with Imperfect Patient Adherence

The effectiveness of cancer screening and adherence to cancer screening guidelines can be inhibited by long wait times for screening appointments. In this article, the authors develop a queueing ne...
Context matters: plasticity in response to pheromones regulating reproduction and collective behavior in social Hymenoptera

Pheromones mediating social behavior are critical components in the cohesion and function of the colony and are instrumental in the evolution of eusocial insect species. However, different aspects of colony function, such as reproductive division of labor and colony maintenance (e.g. foraging, brood care, and defense), pose different challenges for the optimal function of pheromones. While reproductive communication is shaped by forces of conflict and competition, colony maintenance calls for enhanced cooperation and self-organization. Mechanisms that ensure efficacy, adaptivity and evolutionary stability of signals such as structure-to-function suitability, honesty and context are important to all chemical signals but vary to different degrees between pheromones regulating reproductive division of labor and colony maintenance. In this review, we will discuss these differences along with the mechanisms that have evolved to ensure pheromone adaptivity in reproductive and non-reproductive context.
Divine Fortitude: A Reflection on the Incarnation of the Black Female Child Soldier

Using anthropological research and firsthand accounts of the experiences of female child soldiers in Africa this chapter focuses on the themes of fortitude and hope that enable survival of the child soldier. Fortitude is defined as the intellectual and spiritual strength to persevere even in the midst of seemingly insurmountable odds. The author considers the imago dei, or the image of God in the female child soldier as the foundation of the argument for the notion of divine fortitude as a means of resistance. She draws upon Womanist theology to examine the doctrine of the incarnation as God, en sark, in the flesh. African religion informs her claim for the necessity for courage, sassiness, and smartness in girls to dismantle injustice, patriarchy, and social devaluation. Parker advocates for an intersectional approach for ecclesial leaders, policy makers and human rights organizations, particularly engaging interreligious dialogue, for the flourishing of women and girls.
Elastic modulus scaling in graphene-metal composite nanoribbons

This study addresses the synthesis and mechanical behavior of graphene-metal composites comprising palladium (Pd) nanoribbons wrapped with graphene. Coating Pd nanoribbons with graphene by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) considerably increases their elastic modulus. These measurements are made by suspended microbridge indentation. A refined indentation measurement approach carefully takes into consideration the uncertainty resulting from the non-ideal bridge geometry. The measured composite moduli depend on the ribbon thickness in the range of 36 - 250 nm, with the maximum modulus of 147 GPa measured for 36 nm thick nanoribbons, representing an increase of 41.6 % over uncoated Pd nanoribbons. The results clearly demonstrate that graphene, owing to its high modulus and strong interaction with Pd, can effectively reinforce Pd nanoribbons up to thickness of 250 nm, which corresponds to a volume fraction of 0.54 %. We study the modulus scaling by deriving a mathematical rule of mixture model considering 3D "bulk" metal nanoribbons reinforced by the 2D graphene "surface". This modeling approach is inspired by the framework of surface modulus, which is typically employed to explain the deviations in the moduli of nanowires and nanoribbons observed in the sub-10 nm regime. Here, the nanoribbons are much thicker, yet graphene's extremely high modulus leads to the observed increase in the measured composite moduli. Further, in these calculations, we consider the critical role of the nonlinear modulus component of graphene -its quadratic dependence on strain- which results from the lattice mismatch-induced interfacial strains between graphene and Pd. Graphene-Pd composite nanoribbons and thin films can be very useful for a wide range of application ranging from strain-engineered catalysis to damage tolerant flexible electronic devices. Beyond nanoribbons, the proposed 3D/2D rule of mixture model may be used to explain the modulus scaling in 3D/2D heterostructures and in bulk graphene-metal nanocomposites made by powder mixing routes.
Decoupled-Cell Monte-Carlo Calculations of Critical Properties of the Spin-1/2 Heisenberg Model

Decoupled Cell Monte Carlo calculations using 8 site cubic cells on lattices of up to 243 spins are presented for both the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic Heisenberg models. Finite size scaling analysis of the magnetic susceptibility is used to determine the critical exponents v and γ/v, and the critical temperature T c . DCM values of v and T c agree with other calculations, but we find that γ/v is slightly greater than 2.0, in contradiction to the results of the high-temperature and e-expansions. Overall, our results are consistent with the universality of the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic models.
Race, weapons, and the perception of threat

Abstract Two decades of research have documented a robust racial bias in the perceptual identification of weapons and the decision to shoot in laboratory simulations. In this chapter, we review the advances that have been made in understanding the causes, correlates, and psychological processes contributing to race biases in threat perception across different experimental paradigms. We begin by offering a psychological definition of bias, and considering how it may differ from folk concepts of bias. We discuss the contributions of this work to the broader field of implicit attitudes research. Most implicit bias research uses experimental tasks as measures of underlying attitudes. In contrast, research on racial bias in threat perception has focused on biased behaviors rather than attitudes. As a result, progress has been made in understanding not only automatic threat reactions but also the cognitive control processes that moderate the expression of automatic reactions in overt behavior. This literature has helped integrate research on implicit bias with research on executive control in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Moreover, this research has served as a test bed for developing quantitative models of social biases, including the use of signal detection theory, multinomial models, and diffusion models. We discuss the relationships among these different classes of models, and what each can contribute to understanding biased threat detection. We consider the complexities in linking findings from well-controlled laboratory experiments to field studies on actual police use of force. We end by considering questions about the rationality of racial biases, and argue that the rationality of a behavior cannot be understood as an empirical question apart from normative judgments of the behavior.
Freeze-out purifier for helium refrigeration system applications

Purification systems are necessary to support commissioning and operation of helium refrigeration and associated experimental systems. These systems are typically designed for a low level of impurity (i.e., in parts per million), since a 4.5 K or 2 K helium system will solidify, or freeze out every other substance. The trace impurities can block and/or change the flow distribution in heat exchangers and potentially damage turbines or cryogenic compressors operating at high speed. Experimental systems, such as superconducting magnets, require helium purification due to inherent characteristics in their construction. These are also used for the commissioning of sub-systems, like the compressors, and cold boxes. As known from experience, molecular sieves do not remove low-level moisture impurity sufficiently. Typical commercial freeze-out purifiers using molecular sieves have very short operating times between regeneration and are inefficient requiring substantial utilities like liquid nitrogen and high-pressure operation. Based upon proven experience from a freeze-out purifier design for Brookhaven National Lab (BNL) in 1983, a liquid nitrogen assisted freeze-out purifier has been designed. This design includes a multi-pass and multi-stream heat exchanger and an activated carbon bed. The heat exchanger design is expected to minimize the liquid nitrogen usage and extend the capacity and the operating pressure range, thereby the time interval between regeneration. The goal is to provide a simple design procedure to develop and operate an efficient purifier system.
Entangled histories in Eastern Europe: complementary occlusions and interlocking extremes in Baltic-Russian memory conflicts

Eastern Europe is the scene of multiple memory conflicts, especially between the Russian Federation and other regional states. Typically, analyses of these conflicts examine contradictions between ...
Abstract 14890: Diagnosing Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy-Associated Cardiomyopathy: Echocardiogram Shoots, Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scores

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. The leading cause of death is complications from the developmen...
Depression and substance use: The CES-D's utility in predicting treatment outcomes in a longitudinal multi-site study of residential treatment centers

This investigation utilized a large sample of individuals undergoing substance use treatment to examine the CES-D's structural validity and establish its predictive utility relative to treatment discharge. The sample included 5750 individuals who were receiving substance abuse treatment at 19 different residential treatment facilities. The CES-D was administered to participants over the course of their time in a residential inpatient substance use treatment program. The present study used a split sample method to conduct both exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses. Results of both the EFA and CFA indicated that the CES-D contains three first order factors measuring negative mood, positive affect, and interpersonal interactions as well as a second-order high score factor which can be used to guide interpretation and symptom monitoring. Individuals receiving residential treatment fell into one of three distinct groups based on their CES-D scores, and that their scores (and subsequent trajectories of scores over time) were differentially related to discharge status. Implications for practice and the utility of the CES-D within substance use populations are discussed.
Shared Immunogenic Poly-Epitope Frameshift Mutations in Microsatellite Unstable Tumors.

Summary Microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumors are characterized by high tumor mutation burden and responsiveness to checkpoint blockade. We identified tumor-specific frameshifts encoding multiple epitopes that originated from indel mutations shared among patients with MSI-H endometrial, colorectal, and stomach cancers. Epitopes derived from these shared frameshifts have high population occurrence rates, wide presence in many tumor subclones, and are predicted to bind to the most frequent MHC alleles in MSI-H patient cohorts. Neoantigens arising from these mutations are distinctly unlike self and viral antigens, signifying novel groups of potentially highly immunogenic tumor antigens. We further confirmed the immunogenicity of frameshift peptides in T cell stimulation experiments using blood mononuclear cells isolated from both healthy donors and MSI-H cancer patients. Our study uncovers the widespread occurrence and strong immunogenicity of tumor-specific antigens derived from shared frameshift mutations in MSI-H cancer and Lynch syndrome patients, suitable for the design of common “off-the-shelf” cancer vaccines.
Computational Approaches to the Network Science of Teams

Business operations in large organizations today involve massive, interactive, and layered networks of teams and personnel collaborating across hierarchies and countries on complex tasks. To optimize productivity, businesses need to know: what communication patterns do high-performing teams have in common? Is it possible to predict a team's performance before it starts work on a project? How can productive team behavior be fostered? This comprehensive review for researchers and practitioners in data mining and social networks surveys recent progress in the emerging field of network science of teams. Focusing on the underlying social network structure, the authors present models and algorithms characterizing, predicting, optimizing, and explaining team performance, along with key applications, open challenges, and future trends.
Evaluation of Combined Financial Incentives and Deposit Contract Intervention for Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction We evaluate whether a combination of financial incentives and deposit contracts improves cessation rates among low- to moderate-income smokers. Methods We randomly assigned 311 smokers covered by Medicaid at 12 health clinics in Connecticut to usual care or one of the three treatment arms. Each treatment arm received financial incentives for two months and either (i) nothing further ("incentives only"), (ii) the option to start a deposit contract with incentive earnings after the incentives ended ("commitment"), or (iii) the option to precommit any earned incentives into a deposit contract starting after the incentives ended ("precommitment"). Smoking cessation was confirmed biochemically at two, six, and twelve months. Results At two, six, and twelve months after baseline, our estimated treatment effects on cessation are positive but imprecise, with confidence intervals containing effect sizes estimated by prior studies of financial incentives alone and deposit contracts alone. At two months, the odds ratio for quitting was 1.4 in the incentive-only condition (95% CI: 0.5 to 3.5), 2.0 for incentives followed by commitment (95% CI: 0.6 to 6.1), and 1.9 for incentives and precommitment (95% CI: 0.7 to 5.3). Conclusions A combined incentive and deposit contract program for Medicaid enrollees, with incentives offering up to $300 for smoking cessation and use of support services, produced a positive but imprecisely estimated effect on biochemically verified cessation relative to usual care and with no detectable difference in cessation rates between the different treatment arms.
Estimation of fracture network properties from FMI and conventional well logs data using artificial neural network

Abstract This study presents a robust artificial neural network technique to estimate the fracture network properties including fracture density and fractal dimension to create the reservoir subsurface fracture map. Overcoming the limitations of the used data in characterizing the fracture properties is deeply investigated in this study by employing the neural network technique to establish a relationship between available data by developing a new correlation using conventional well logs and borehole images. Subsequently characterize fracture properties in terms of fracture density and fractal dimension. The neural network system in this study is developed based on FORTRAN language to establish in house code with the back-propagation algorithm as a learning procedure. The sigmoid function is used as well for output prediction. Two new correlations are generated, one for fractal dimension and other one for fracture density as function of conventional well logs. The developed correlations are used to generate a continuous 3D subsurface fracture map for the studied reservoir. The data are collected from five wells drilled in the reservoir include conventional well logs and Full bore micro-resistivity image data. The used data are distributed 80% for the training and 20% for the testing only from 4 wells. The results show that, the developed correlations able to predict the fracture properties precisely with mean square error = 0.05 and R square = 0.997 for the training process and with R square = 0.97 for testing. A validation is performed using a data from well#5 which are not used in the training process. The results of validation show that fracture properties are predicted with R square = 0.99. The subsurface fracture map for the studied reservoir is successfully generated using the obtained 3D fractal dimension and fracture density. In addition, the created subsurface fracture map is validated by using the available reservoir production data.
Ion Beam Transport Simulations for the 1.7 MV Tandem Accelerator at the Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory

Abstract The Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory houses a 1.7 MV tandem accelerator. For many years this accelerator was configured to run with three ion sources: a TORoidal Volume Ion Source (TORVIS), a Duoplasmatron source and a Sputter source. In this article we describe an application we have created using the SIMION ® code to simulate the trajectories of ion beams produced with these sources through the accelerator. The goal of this work is to have an analytical tool to understand the effect of each electromagnetic component on the ion trajectories. This effect is shown in detailed drawings. Each ion trajectory simulation starts at the aperture of the ion source and ends at the position of the target. Using these simulations, new accelerator operators or users quickly understand how the accelerator system works. Furthermore, these simulations allow analysis of modifications in the ion beam optics of the accelerator by adding, removing or replacing components or changing their relative positions.
The complex multimeric composition of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor

We have analyzed the multimeric structure of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor in plasma by sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis using gels of varying porosity and a discontinuous buffer system. Factor VIII/von Willebrand factor bands were identified by reaction with 125I-labeled affinity-purified antibody and subsequent autoradiography. In 1% agarose gels, normal plasma displayed a series of sharply defined oligomers. However, increasing the agarose concentration to 2.0% or utilizing mixtures of 0.8% agarose--1.75% acrylamide revealed two bands of lesser intensity interposed between the major bands. When the acrylamide concentration in the gels was increased to 2.5%, bands with a faster mobility than IgM and fibronectin were now evident. Type IIA von Willebrand's disease showed not only an absence of the larger multimers but also a relative increase in several of the newly identified bands as compared to type IIB, type I, and normal. These studies suggest that factor VII/von Willebrand factor in IIA von Willebrand's disease is structurally different from that in other forms of the disorder. They also indicate that the multimeric composition of factor VII/von Willebrand factor is more complex than can be explained by simple linear polymerization of a single protomer.
Spodoptera exigua Oviposition and Larval Feeding Preferences for Pigweed, Amaranthus hybridus, over Squaring Cotton, Gossypium hirsutum, and a Comparison of Free Amino Acids in Each Host Plant

The beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), can utilize a number of different host plants for oviposition and larval development, but some host plants are preferred over others. This study, using cage choice tests and olfactometer assays, demonstrates the beet armyworm's preference for pigweed, Amaranthus hybridus L., over cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. Cage and olfactometer choice assays indicated that olfaction plays an important role in host selection by ovipositing females. First instars exhibited no feeding preference, but the more mobile third instars showed a significant feeding preference for excised pigweed leaves. The higher quantities and more diverse accumulations of free amino acids in pigweed might, in conjunction with other physiochemical and mechanical attractant and deterrent factors in the two-plant species system, play roles in the tendency of the beet armyworm to select pigweed over cotton and in providing a superior array of easily absorbed amino acids as compared to cotton.
Complications Within 30 Days of Hand Surgery: An Analysis of 10,646 Patients

Purpose The American College of Surgeons Surgical Quality Improvement Program database collects detailed and validated data on demographics, comorbidities, and 30-day postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing operations in most subspecialties. This dataset has been previously used to quantify complications and identify risk factors in other surgical subspecialties. We sought to determine the incidence of postoperative complications following hand surgery and to identify factors associated with increased risk of complications in order to focus preventive strategies. Methods National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data from 2006 to 2011 were queried using 302 hand-specific Current Procedural Technology codes. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the population, and potential risk factors and patient characteristics were analyzed for their association with complications in the 30-day postoperative period using both univariate and multivariate analyses. Results There were 208 hand-specific Current Procedural Technology codes represented in the data, and of these, 84 were associated with at least 1 complication. The overall incidence of complications within 30 days of hand surgery was 2.5% (95% confidence interval, 2.2%–2.8%). In univariate analysis, older age, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, steroids, bleeding disorder, increasing American Society of Anesthesiologists class, increasing wound class, emergency procedure, longer operative time, and preoperative transfusion were associated with significantly higher risk of complications, and local anesthesia and outpatient surgery were associated with lower risk. In the multivariate model, male sex, increasing American Society of Anesthesiologists class, wound class 4, and preoperative transfusion were associated with significantly higher risk, and outpatient surgery was associated with significantly lower risk. The most common complication was surgical-site infection (1.2%). Conclusions The incidence of complications was low, with overall health status being more important than specific comorbidities in predicting complication risk. This information may be valuable in counseling patients before surgery and in identifying patients at higher risk for complications following hand surgery. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic III.
Beyond Nature and Nurture

The debate still rages over the influence of nature versus nurture on animal and human behavior. In his Perspective, Robinson describes how to finally move past this dichotomy. Increasing knowledge about gene expression and behavior reveals that DNA is both inherited and environmentally responsive.
Creative writing pedagogy for world Englishes students

Noting the contradiction between the goals in English language teaching and creative writing pedagogy in teaching ESL/EFL/world Englishes students, the paper argues for a greater emphasis on parole instead of langue to generate increased innovative writing. It begins with a critique of a major creative writing dogma, ‘Show, don't tell,' and discusses a range of models, prompts and strategies in which ‘show and tell' assignments that also encourage and incorporate students' world Englishes registers in their crafting of poems.
The cause of the blood coagulation defect following abruptio placentae.

Abstract Abruptio placentae is sometimes followed by a hemorrhagic syndrome which results from a sudden depletion of plasma fibrinogen. This defibrination is probably due to the escape of placental or decidual thromboplastin into the maternal circulation. This converts prothrombin to thrombin, which in turn converts fibrinogen to fibrin, and the latter is deposited spottily over a very large vascular surface, sometimes producing serious visceral lesions. The syndrome was reproduced in 18 dogs by the intravenous infusion of human placental thromboplastin. This resulted in fibrinolysin depletion, a variable reduction in prothrombin and accelerator globulin concentrations, an inability of the blood to clot, focal lesions in the liver and kidneys, and oliguria. All of these findings are sometimes encountered in severe cases of abruptio placentae. The administered thromboplastin disappeared almost immediately from the blood and was probably incorporated with the fibrin and fixed by the tissues. No fibrinolytic activity was demonstrated in the undiluted plasma samples from 10 of the dogs in which the syndrome was produced nor in 5 clinical cases of abruptio placentae. Reasons are given for rejecting the hypothesis that an activation of a plasma fibrinolytic enzyme could account for the observed reductions of fibrinogen.
Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy for Trace Level Detection of Actinides in Groundwater

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (Rockwell Hanford Operations- BWIP) is investigating the feasibility of building a repository in the Columbia River Basalts for the permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste. One aspect of this effort is to develop an understanding of the chemical behavior of radionuclides in the near-field environment of the waste container. Such information is needed to determine radionuclide release rates from the waste package and to make long-term projections of repository performance. To accomplish this task, ultrasensitive laser- based techniques, such as laser photoacoustic spectroscopy (LPAS) and laser induced fluorescence (LIF), are being developed as analytical methods for the trace-level detection and speciation of actinides in solutions typical of those encountered in groundwaters near the BWIP repository.
Enzymes: The Active Site

Enzymes are highly efficient and specific catalysts. They catalyse biochemical reactions with substantial rate enhancement compared to the uncatalysed reactions. The rate enhancement and specificity of enzymes are derived from a network of general acid/base catalysts, nucleophiles and noncovalent interactions in the active site, the part of the enzyme where cataylsis takes place. In catalysis, binding of the substrate and the transition state in the active site is of critical importance. Enzymes catalyse reactions by preferentially binding the transition state and, therefore, lowering the activation energy of the reaction. Enzymes bind their substrates via a network of weak, noncovalent intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Enzymes utilise several mechanisms to accelerate a reaction such as acid/base catalysis, covalent catalysis and metal ion catalysis. Owing to their integral role in all biochemical pathways, enzymes are an attractive target for drug design and development. Key Concepts: Enzymes are biocatalysts that are involved in all forms of biochemical transformations. Nearly all enzymes are proteins. Enzymes catalyse reactions with a remarkable rate enhancement due primarily to lowering the energy of the transition state. The active site is a cavity in the enzyme structure where catalysis occurs. Amino acid residues in the active site provide the required framework for catalysis. Keywords: enzymes; catalysis; specificity; noncovalent interactions; active sites
Symmetric nonblocking integrated acoustooptic space-division switch array modules on LiNbO/sub 3/

The realization of compact integrated optic 4*4 and 8*8 switch modules on LiNbO/sub 3/ using the proposed symmetric acoustooptic (AO) space-division switch architecture is reported. The working principle, the design, the fabrication and the experimental results of these AO space-switch modules at the optical wavelength of 0.6328 mu m are presented. The integrated AO space switch modules consist of a new hybrid beam-expanding/collimating lens, a large-aperture focusing lens, and a pair of multielement tilted surface acoustic wave transducer arrays in a titanium-indiffused channel-planar-channel composite waveguide. These switch modules can be easily reconfigured to perform strictly nonblocking point-to-point switching, multicast switching, and multipoint-to-point switching. Their applications to optical computing functions such as matrix-vector and matrix-matrix multiplications are also presented. >
Electron beam pumped broad-band diatomic and triatomic excimer lasers

The spontaneous and stimulated emission characteristics of three recently reported broad-band blue-green rare gas-halide excimers, XeF ( C \rightarrow A ) at 486 nm, Xe 2 Cl at 518 nm, and Kr 2 F centered at 436 nm, are reviewed. The influence of different halogen donors and buffer gases as well as optimization of both the gas mixture and optical resonator configuration for wavelength tuning were studied. The kinetic mechanisms which describe the formation and quenching of Xe 2 Cl* are discussed. Problems with achieving optimum gain as well as understanding both molecular and atomic absorptions in electron beam excited rare gas-halide mixtures are detailed.
A general model of relationship commitment: Evidence from same‐sex partners

A model of relationship commitment previously validated with data from both partners from dating heterosexual couples was tested with survey data obtained from both partners from 304 same-sex couples cohabiting in the United States. The model posits that commitment is influenced by factors that are ordered along a proximal–distal continuum. From most distal to most proximal, these factors are personality traits, support for the relationship from family members and friends, effective arguing, and dependence on the relationship. Of the 25 predicted effects, 23 were significant (p < .05). Findings support the use of the model for understanding commitment processes for diverse types of dyadic relationships.
Characterization of Lys-698 to met substitution in human plasminogen catalytic domain

Streptokinase (SK) is a human plasminogen (Pg) activator secreted by streptococci. The activation mechanism of SK differs from that of physiological Pg activators in that SK is not a protease and cannot proteolytically activate Pg. Instead, it forms a tight complex with Pg that proteolytically activates other Pg molecules. The residue Lys-698 of human Pg was hypothesized to participate in triggering activation in the SK-Pg complex. Here, we report a study of the Lys-698 to Met substitution in the catalytic domain of Pg (microPg) containing the proteolytic activation-resistant background (R561A). While it remains competent in forming a complex with SK, maintaining a comparable equilibration dissociation constant (K(D)), the recombinant protein shows a nearly 60-fold reduction in amidolytic activity relative to its R561A background when mixed with native SK. A 2.3 A crystal structure of this mutant microPg confirmed the correct folding of this recombinant protein. Combined with other biochemical data, these results support the premise that Lys-698 of human Pg plays a functional role in the so-called N-terminal insertion activation mechanism by SK.
Cuticular hydrocarbons of the eastern subterranean termite,Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Major cuticular hydrocarbon components in several castes ofReticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) have been identified and quantitated. Types of hydrocarbons present includen-alkanes, 2-methylalkanes, 3-methylalkanes, 5-methylalkanes, an alkene, and an alkadiene, with a range in carbon numbers from C21 to C26, This is the first report on insect cuticular hydrocarbons in which both 2- and 3-methylalkanes are present, as well as the first report of an insect with a conjugated alkadiene.
A new method for force-feeding larval fish

Abstract Knowledge of digestive function in fish larvae may provide insight into the problem of poor survival of first feeding larvae, but research approaches to investigate digestion in larvae are limited. To compare the functional development of the digestive system in altricial and precocious larvae, we developed a method for force-feeding radio-labeled nutrients to fish larvae. The method involves micro-injection of diets into the gut of anesthetized and immobilized larvae in a petri dish under a dissecting microscope. Three protocols are described illustrating the application of this method to studies of larval digestive function. To determine the development of acid digestion, pH indicator solution was injected and the gut of the transparent larvae was monitored for color change. To determine nutrient assimilation efficiency, radio-labeled nutrients were injected. After a period of time, counts of the recovery water and the larvae were made using liquid scintillation counting. Finally, to determine sites of nutrient uptake, radio-labeled nutrients were force fed to larvae that were subsequently examined by microscopic autoradiography. The utility of this method is illustrated with observations of protein, polypeptide and free amino acid assimilation in larval walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) and pH changes in larval striped bass (Morone saxatilis).
Thermocapillary actuation of binary drops on solid surfaces

On hydrophobic solid surfaces, aqueous drops are typically not conducive to thermocapillary actuation. This letter reports thermal mobilization of water drops by encapsulating them with a long-chain alcohol. On a parylene-coated silicon substrate, a water-heptanol binary drop can assume a unique shape: the dome-shaped water drop is capped by a layer of heptanol, and the heptanol cap protrudes through a “foot” to a precursor film. For intermediate drop diameters, the speed of the binary drop is linearly proportional to its diameter and the imposed temperature gradient, with an offset accounting for the hysteresis force.
Electron-Beam Computed Tomography for Coronary Calcium A Useful Test to Screen for Coronary Heart Disease?

ELECTRON-BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (EBCT) USES x-rays generated by electron-beam irradiation of a tungsten target to identify and quantify coronary artery calcium (CAC). Initial studies focused on the use of EBCT for risk stratification or diagnosis among individuals with clinical symptoms of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, more recent articles, as well as marketing by for-profit companies, have focused on using EBCT for screening; that is, for detection of CHD in asymptomatic individuals. When considering the potential value of EBCT for screening, it is critical to keep in mind generally accepted principles for what constitutes an effective screening test: Disease.—The disease should be common and of public health consequence, have an extended preclinical stage, and result in preventable morbidity or mortality. Diagnosis.—The screening test must accurately classify asymptomatic individuals in the population of interest as likely to have or not have the disease. Therapy.—Detection of subclinical disease must result in treatment that reduces morbidity or mortality in comparison with treatment that would have been received in the absence of the screening result. Practicality.—The test must be acceptable, safe, costeffective, and available for use in the population of interest. Ethics.—The screening program must be ethically justifiable after accounting for intended and unintended consequences of both positive and negative test results.