cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Derivation of Consistent Fields of Wind and Geopotential Height from Mesoscale Rawinsonde Data.

Abstract With an attainable height resolution of no better than ±10 m from individual soundings, direct analysis of geopotential height gradient from mesoscale rawinsonde ascents could not be expected to produce reliable results. A method is presented for deriving a height field which incorporates the carefully analyzed horizontal winds measured by an upper air network specifically designed to study severe thunderstorms. Three-dimensional distributions of wind, temperature and moisture content are obtained as a function of time using a combination of subjective and objective analysis techniques, which take account of departure from scheduled release time, differing ascent rates, and the horizontal drift of balloons during ascent. The vertical component of air motion is computed from the kinematic approach. Adjustments are applied to divergence estimates to achieve physically realistic results for vertical motion in the upper troposphere. Errors in the horizontal wind components are likewise altered for co...
Depression in mothers of children presenting for emergency and primary care: impact on mothers' perceptions of caring for their children.

Context.—Maternal mental health conditions may influence how mothers utilize emergency health care for their children. However, little is known about the prevalence of depression among mothers of children presenting for emergency health care and how maternal depression affects a mother's perception of how difficult it is to care for her children. Objectives.—To screen for maternal depression and to examine whether mothers with depressive symptoms perceive that these symptoms interfere with their roles in caring for their children. Design.—Cross-sectional survey. Setting.—An urban, tertiary-care, children's hospital. Participants.—Mothers bringing their children, aged 6 months to 18 years, to an emergency department for low-acuity illness (n = 243) or to a pediatric primary care clinic (n = 249) for well-child care. Main Outcome Measure.—Positive screening tests for depression using the Prime MD Patient Health Questionnaire. Results.—The prevalence of positive screening tests for depression was similar in both emergency and primary care settings, with 18% of mothers having either major (9%) or subthreshold (9%) depression and 5% percent having suicidal ideation. Seventy-six percent of mothers with a positive screen for major depression and 17% of those with a negative screen for depression reported that their mental health symptoms made it difficult to care for their children. Mothers with a positive screen for depression reported poorer health status for themselves (P = .014) but not for their children (P = .37). Conclusions.—Screening questionnaires in both primary care and emergency care settings with sociodemographically similar groups of mothers produced similar rates of depression. The high rates of depressive symptoms and of mothers' reports that these symptoms cause them difficulty in caring for their children indicate that resources to screen for and address depressive symptoms in mothers should receive higher priority in pediatric health care settings.
The first shipping constructed in New Spain.

Amid the mixed emotions with which Cortes prepared A% to enter the Mexican capital in early November, 1519, was the gnawing fear that his military position therein would be an untenable one. Even the most courageous and least professional military man among the invaders must have realized that a Spanish force of fewer than five hundred men, far within the interior of a hostile and strange land, literally had entered a lion’s den as it marched into the populous island-city of Tenochtitlan via the narrow and ever so vulnerable causeway that stretched some seven miles between it and the mainland. So it was that even as his courage and curiosity took him into Tenochtitlan, his military mind and his sense of responsibility for the welfare of his men led Cortes to seek a means whereby the Spaniards could dominate the waters of Lake Texcoco and the lacustrine communities, including Tenochtitlan itself. Only after the Spaniards had become masters of the adjacent countryside—in this instance the waters and shores of a lake—could they know that inner satisfaction and quiet confidence that comes from a sincere sense of physical security. Only when the Spaniards had established their mastery over the lake area could it be said that the initiative so important to continuance of the conquest rested in their hands. With his infantry, his cavalry and his artillery momentarily stalled in the insular setting in which they found themselves, Cortes needed to create a new military force which, when thrown into the balance, would tip the scales once again in favor of the Spaniards.
Computation of traveltime covariances based on stochastic models of velocity heterogeneity

SUMMARY We formulate the error covariance for calculated seismic traveltimes (traveltime covariance) along any two propagation paths as a double integral of a covariance function describing velocity-model error (velocity covariance) with sensitivity distributions for the paths. Two numerical techniques are presented for evaluating the traveltime covariance matrix for multiple paths. The first technique evaluates the covariance matrix directly. The second evaluates the inverse of the covariance matrix summed with a covariance matrix for observational errors, as is utilized in event locators. Our approach takes the velocity covariance to be the Green’s function of a differential operator, which can be specified in terms of physically meaningful parameters, such as spatially variable velocity variance and correlation lengths. Our numerical algorithms reduce to solving finite-difference equations based on the differential operator. As a demonstration, we compute traveltime covariance using ray-based sensitivity distributions and a suite of depth-dependent models of velocity covariance. We compare our theoretical calculationstoempiricalestimatesoftraveltimevarianceversusevent-stationdistance,derived from observed residuals relative to the ‘ak135’ velocity model. Our calculations predict and explain some key features of the distance dependence of observed residual statistics, such as abrupt changes in variance at crossover points separating branches of the first-arrival traveltime curve. We find that the observed traveltime variances in the distance range 2 ◦ ‐33 ◦ are well matched by assuming a velocity standard deviation (relative to ‘ak135’) of >10 percent in the crust and decaying from ∼2 percent in the uppermost mantle to near 0 percent below the 410-km discontinuity. These variance estimates hold over a wide range of assumed correlation lengths of velocity error, which are not well constrained by traveltime variance observations. By providing a physical understanding of traveltime covariance, our approach may help in the development of improved methods for locating seismic events, for estimating path-specific corrections to baseline traveltime models, and for constraining the statistics of velocity variations in the Earth.
Evaluation of stereo confidence indoors and outdoors

We present an extensive evaluation of 13 confidence metrics for stereo matching that compares the most widely used metrics as well as four novel techniques proposed here. We begin by categorizing the methods according to which aspects of stereo computation they take into account and, then, assess their strengths and weaknesses. The evaluation is conducted on indoor and outdoor datasets with ground truth and measures the capability of each confidence metric to rank depth estimates according to their likelihood for being correct, to detect occluded pixels and to generate low-error depth maps by selecting among multiple hypotheses for each pixel. We believe that such an evaluation is missing from the rapidly maturing stereo literature and that our findings will be helpful to researchers in binocular and multi-view stereo.
An Ecological Approach to the Study of International Relations

As living organisms, individual human beings can be viewed as dependent upon the continuing operation of two subsystems, one involving resource processing functions (food, water, air, and so forth) and the other concerned with information or signal processing (cognitions, affects, decision-making, and the like). Something similar can be said of interpersonal systems such as the family, the community, or whole societies, which must be capable of acquiring, transforming or transmitting, processing, and allocating resources and information among their human components. The way a social system performs these functions will affect power relations and condition the behaviors of its human components, but it is also true that people — both as individuals and through their organizations — affect their encompassing social, economic, and political environments. In responding to events and maintaining themselves, people alter their surroundings in ways that then push their lives in directions that often were not anticipated. Thus, we all tend to influence our futures in ways that may be indirect, complex, and difficult to perceive or understand.
Streaks, multiplets, and holes: High-resolution spatio-temporal behavior of Parkfield seismicity

[1] Double-difference locations of ∼8000 earthquakes from 1969–2002 on the Parkfield section of the San Andreas Fault reveal detailed fault structures and seismicity that is, although complex, highly organized in both space and time. Distinctive features of the seismicity include: 1) multiple recurrence of earthquakes of the same size at precisely the same location on the fault (multiplets), implying frictional or geometric controls on their location and size; 2) sub-horizontal alignments of hypocenters along the fault plane (streaks), suggestive of rheological transitions within the fault zone and/or stress concentrations between locked and creeping areas; 3) regions devoid of microearthquakes with typical dimensions of 1–5 km (holes), one of which contains the M6 1966 Parkfield earthquake hypocenter. These features represent long lived structures that persist through many cycles of individual events.
Clearance of Funguria with Short-Course Antifungal Regimens: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Study

The effects of short-course antifungal regimens on funguria were studied in 180 hospitalized adults who did not have ascending urinary or deep fungal infections but did have > 1,000 cfu of yeast/mL in two consecutive urine cultures. Before treatment, efforts were made to eliminate factors conducive to funguria. No additional interventions were implemented in the management of the control group (group A), whereas five experimental groups received short-course therapy as follows: oral administration of fluconazole (group B); single-dose intravenous administration of amphotericin B (group C); and intermittent bladder irrigation with amphotericin B at low, medium, and high concentrations (groups D, E, and F, respectively). Urine was cultured on days 1 and 7 after antifungal treatment. The rate of spontaneous clearance of funguria in the control group was 40.0%. Rates of clearance in experimental groups B through F were 58.6%, 55.2%, 82.1% (P < .01), 86.7% (P < .001), and 83.3% (P < .001), respectively, on day 1 and 77.3% (P < .01), 72.0% (P < .05), 42.9%, 68.4%, and 68.2% (P < .05), respectively, on day 7. The decrement in yeast count was 60.8% for the control group. Decrements for experimental groups B through F were 80.5%, 74.2%, 94.2% (P < .01), 86.7% (P < .05), and 95.3% (P < .001), respectively, on day 1 and 85.5% (P < .05), 80.7%, 75.7%, 87.9% (P < .05), and 76.4%, respectively, on day 7.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Hydrodynamic stability of the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta): effects of four-limbed rowing versus forelimb flapping in rigid-bodied tetrapods

SUMMARY Hydrodynamic stability is the ability to resist recoil motions of the body produced by destabilizing forces. Previous studies have suggested that recoil motions can decrease locomotor performance, efficiency and sensory perception and that swimming animals might utilize kinematic strategies or possess morphological adaptations that reduce recoil motions and produce more stable trajectories. We used high-speed video to assess hydrodynamic stability during rectilinear swimming in the freshwater painted turtle ( Chrysemys picta ). Parameters of vertical stability (heave and pitch) were non-cyclic and variable, whereas measures of lateral stability (sideslip and yaw) showed repeatable cyclic patterns. In addition, because freshwater and marine turtles use different swimming styles, we tested the effects of propulsive mode on hydrodynamic stability during rectilinear swimming, by comparing our data from painted turtles with previously collected data from two species of marine turtle ( Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas ). Painted turtles had higher levels of stability than both species of marine turtle for six of the eight parameters tested, highlighting potential disadvantages associated with ‘aquatic flight’. Finally, available data on hydrodynamic stability of other rigid-bodied vertebrates indicate that turtles are less stable than boxfish and pufferfish.
Partisan Politics and Congressional Election Prospects: Evidence from the Iowa Electronic Markets

Using the Iowa Electronic Markets (IEM), this article assesses the political impact of several important events during the fall of 2013: the US government shutdown, the Senate elimination of filibusters for presidential nominations (i.e., the “nuclear option”), and the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., ObamaCare). Did these events have meaningful effects on congressional control prospects in the 2014 election? According to IEM price changes, Republican chances fell dramatically when the government shut down, and they did not recover on resolution. Eliminating filibusters had a negative impact on Democratic chances. Various aspects of the ObamaCare rollout and reporting, as well as new announcements that incumbents would not run for reelection, had little effect. In contrast, the budget resolution reinforced the status quo. Overall, political rhetoric does not appear to affect congressional control prospects. Instead, actions matter: deliberate partisan actions of Congress adversely affect the initiating party’s prospects, whereas bipartisan initiatives help the party that initiates the bipartisan effort.
Mitochondrial ATP-binding cassette proteins.

The family of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins is among the largest and most diverse in biology. Members of this family are transmembrane proteins found in all organisms and all biologic membranes from the plasma membrane to intracellular organelles such as the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, peroxisomes, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria. These proteins are very abundant in bacteria, and given the generally accepted origin of mitochondria from an α-proteobacterium, it is logical to assume the mitochondria would also contain these proteins. Mitochondria, however, have surprisingly few ABC proteins and they are dissimilar from those of bacteria. Despite their relative paucity, mitochondrial ABC proteins are believed to play a very important role in cellular homeostasis across very diverse species, including yeast, higher plants, mice, and humans. The yeast protein Atm1p plays a critical role in the transport of Fe/S clusters to the cytosol, and a similar function has been attributed to the homologous human proteins MTABC3 and ABC7. Another yeast protein Mdl1p is a high copy suppressor of ATM1, and regulates cellular resistance to oxidative stress and may be involved in peptide transport across the mitochondrial membrane. The human protein mABC1 has recently been identified to be involved in protection of myocardial cells against oxidative stress. Despite their low numbers, mitochondrial ABC proteins are intricately involved in mitochondrial and cellular homeostasis and may be important mediators of cell survival. In this review, we will discuss the structure, function, physiology, and pathophysiology of these mitochondrial ABC proteins.
Radiofrequency ablation of frequent, idiopathic premature ventricular complexes: comparison with a control group without intervention.

Background Idiopathic premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) usually are considered benign, even when frequent. However, case reports have demonstrated a possible link between frequent PVCs and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. In addition, frequent PVCs recently were demonstrated to be associated with increased LV dimensions and cardiomyopathy. Methods Among 60 consecutive patients with idiopathic, frequent PVCs (>10/hour), a reduced LV ejection fraction (EF; mean 34% ± 13%) was present in 22 (37%) patients. Patients with decreased LV function had a greater PVC burden on a 24-hour Holter monitor than patients with normal EF (37% ± 13% vs. 11% ± 10% of all QRS complexes; P r = 0.73, P Results The PVCs originated in the right ventricular outflow tract in 31 (52%) of 60 patients, the LV outflow tract in 9 (15%) of 60 patients, and in other sites in 13 (22%) of 60 patients. The site of PVC origin could not be determined in seven patients. Ablation was completely successful in 48 (80%) patients. In patients with an abnormal EF before ablation, LV function normalized in 18 (82%) of 22 patients from a baseline of 34% to 59% ± 7% ( P P = .06) during follow-up. In a control group of 11 patients with a similar PVC burden (30% ± 8%) and a reduced EF (28% ± 13%) who did not undergo ablation, the EF remained unchanged in 10/11 patients over 19 ± 17 months of follow-up and one patient underwent heart transplantation. Conclusion LV dysfunction in the setting of frequent, idiopathic PVCs may represent a form of cardiomyopathy that can be reversed by catheter ablation of the PVCs.
Science education for a life curriculum

As John Dewey frequently noted, one of the more interesting paradoxes of our scientific-technological milieu is the conspicuous fact that its defining methods and outlooks, despite their remarkable successes and widespread use, have been the subject of popular misunderstanding and even disparagement. This complex situation has been manifested both by negative appraisals of science as a body of knowledge and by flights from scientific methods of thinking.
Thermal Conductivity of a Material Containing a Layer of Thin Strips or a Staggered Array of Thin Strips

The effective conductivity of a composite containing layers of thin strips is found by conformal mapping and the method of eigenfunction expansions and matching
Trapping and manipulating aerosols with optical bottle beams generated by Moiré technique

We demonstrate optical trapping and manipulation of C 60 nano-aerosols with optical bottle beams. This method based on the Moire technique can be used for trapping a variety of absorbing nano-particles suspended in air.
Preclinical Safety Assessments of UC781 Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Topical Microbicide Formulations

The nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor UC781 is under development as a potential microbicide to prevent sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Two gel formulations of UC781 (0.1% and 1.0%) were evaluated in a range of preclinical safety assessments, including systemic absorption analysis following topical application in the pig-tailed macaque models for vaginally and rectally applied topical microbicides. High-sensitivity high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of serum samples showed that no systemic absorption of UC781 was detected after repeated vaginal or rectal application of either product. However, high levels of UC781 were detectable in the cervicovaginal lavage samples up to 6 h after product exposure. Both formulations were safe to the vaginal microenvironment, even with repeated daily use, as evidenced by colposcopy, cytokine analysis, and lack of impact on vaginal microflora. By contrast, rectal application of the 1.0% UC781 formulation caused an increased expression of numerous cytokines not observed after rectal application of the 0.1% UC781 formulation. These results provide additional support for the continued development of UC781 formulations as anti-HIV microbicides.
Cloud in cloud: approaches and implementations

Facilitated by the development of virtual machine (VM) technology, distributed computing and high-speed internet, cloud computing has been gradually adopted in industry and in education to deliver on-demand services and applications remotely. In this paper, a cloud-in-cloud model, useful for technical training and research, is discussed.We describe cloud-in-cloud infrastructures in three primary configurations. The Type A configuration refers to traditional virtualized compute elements that reside on a hypervisor, or on an operating system (OS) supporting container-based virtualization, forming a single virtualized datacenter. The Type B configuration defines a model that begins with a native hypervisor and expands to support multiple virtualized datacenters comprised of additional native hypervisors with a datacenter manager, and/or s container-capable OSs with a cluster manager. Our Type C cloud infrastructure model is the focus of this paper. In this approach, an unmodified host OS executes a hosted hypervisor such as VMware Server or Workstation. The hosted hypervisor supports multiple virtualized datacenters within the virtual cloud environment.Virtual Computing Lab (VCL), a cloud infrastructure, is used to implement these approaches, provisioning custom virtual cloud environments to end users.Cloud hardware and software are expensive, and normally available only in production environments. Virtual cloud environment presents a unique opportunity for learning cloud management techniques, storage protocol configuration, and virtualization infrastructure configuration for both academic and industry settings.
Distinct functions of the closely related tandem RNA-recognition motifs of hnRNP A1

hnRNP A1 regulates alternative splicing by antagonizing SR proteins. It consists of two closely related, tandem RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs), followed by a glycine-rich domain. Analysis of variant proteins with duplications, deletions, or swaps of the RRMs showed that although both RRMs are required for alternative splicing function, each RRM plays distinct roles, and their relative position is important. Surprisingly, RRM2 but not RRM1 could support this function when duplicated, despite their very similar structure. Specific RNA binding and annealing are not sufficient for hnRNP A1 alternative splicing function. These observations, together with phylogenetic and structural data, suggest that the two RRMs are quasi-symmetric but functionally nonequivalent modules that evolved as components of a single bipartite domain.
Trait compensation between boldness and the propensity for tail autotomy under different food availabilities in similarly aged brown anole lizards

Summary 1. Trait compensation denotes the situation in which individuals offset the costs of one trait with the benefits of another trait. The phenomenon of trait compensation is best exemplified by a negative correlation between the degree of predator avoidance and the strength of morphological defence. 2. In this study, we used the relationship between risk-taking tendency (boldness) and the propensity for tail autotomy in the brown anole lizards Anolis sagrei to address two important questions regarding trait compensation. First, we investigated whether trait compensation existed among individuals of similar age. Second, we examined how the relationship between boldness and the propensity for tail autotomy responded to changes in food availability. 3. Overall, bolder individuals autotomized their tails more readily. Although mean values of boldness and the propensity for tail autotomy did not differ under high and low food availability, the compensatory effect between the two traits was only obvious when food was abundant. 4. The existence of trait compensation among similarly aged individuals will serve as the first step to understanding the evolution of compensatory effects among traits observed at higher level. In addition, food availability affected the dynamics of trait compensation by influencing the amount of variation of traits involved, rather than altering the mean values of traits per se.
Oxidation and dechlorination of chlorophenols in dilute aqueous suspensions of manganese oxides: Reaction products

Some monomeric and dimeric oxidation products of para- and/or ortho-chlorinated phenols in dilute (1 mmol/L phenol), acidified, aqueous suspensions of manganese oxide (Na-buserite) were identified by MS, Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy and UV/visible spectroscopy. The para-chlorinated phenols (4-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 4-chloro-2-methylphenol) gave corresponding p-benzoquionones (benzoquinone, 2-chlorobenzoquinone, 2,6-dichlorobenzoquinone, 2-methylbenzoquinone) as the detectable water-soluble oxidation products. Dimeric products were present in the extracts obtained by washing the oxide with methylene chloride. Michael addition of phenolate to quinone seems to be the predominant mode of coupling. Chlorinated phenols without chlorine in the para-position (2-chlorophenol, 2,6-dichlorophenol) were more difficult to oxidize and afforded diphenoquinones as the only detectable water-soluble products. For all studied phenols, with the exception of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, the amount of water-soluble products accounts only for a small fraction of oxidized phenol. The quinone and diphenoquinone products readily couple with phenols into humus like materials.
Risk Factors for Hemorrhoids on Screening Colonoscopy

Background Constipation, a low fiber diet, sedentary lifestyle and gravidity are commonly assumed to increase the risk of hemorrhoids. However, evidence regarding these factors is limited. We examined the association between commonly cited risk factors and the prevalence of hemorrhoids.
Technische Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Großintegration

Integrierte Schaltungen, basierend auf der Silizium-Chip-Technologie, haben in den letzten 20 Jahren in einer fast beispiellos stiirmischen technischen Entwicklung in unzahligen Anwendungen Fus gefast und verbreiten sich unaufhorlich mit wachsender Geschwindigkeit in alle Winkel unserer Erde. Der Hauptmotor hierfur ist die standig zunehmende Miniaturisierung der Bauelementefunktionen, die es gestattet, immer mehr Elemente auf immer weniger Siliziumflache unterzubringen. Diese Steigerung der Integrationsdichte (Elemente/cm2), gekoppelt mit einer gleichlaufenden Steigerung des Integrationsgrades (Elemente/Chip), fuhrte zu immer billi- geren Funktionseinheiten und damit zu einer immer weiter um sich greifenden technisch-wirtschaftlichen Verwendung.
Distal radial fractures in older men. A missed opportunity

Background: Fractures of the distal aspect of the radius are common, yet little is known about this type of fracture among older men. The purpose of this study was to compare fracture characteristics, treatment, and osteoporosis evaluation among men and women who had sustained a distal radial fracture. We hypothesized that the men would have similar patterns of injury and lower rates of evaluation for osteoporosis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of ninety-five men and 344 women over the age of fifty years who were treated for a distal radial fracture at a single institution over a five-year period. We assessed whether the patients had received a dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan and osteoporosis treatment within six months following the injury. Multivariate analysis identified independent predictors of bone mineral density (BMD) testing and osteoporosis treatment. Results: Men had less severe fractures than women (a Type-C fracture rate of 20% for men compared with 40% for women; p = 0.014). While 184 (53%) of the women had a DXA scan after injury, only seventeen (18%) of the men were evaluated (p < 0.001). Among the patients who underwent DXA scan, nine men (9% of men overall) and sixty-five women (19% of women overall) had a diagnosis of osteoporosis (p = 0.01). Male sex was an independent predictor of failure to undergo BMD testing as well as receive subsequent treatment with calcium and vitamin D or bisphosphonates (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Significantly fewer men received evaluation for osteoporosis following a distal radial fracture, with rates of evaluation unacceptably low according to published guidelines. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Cultural Ambassadorship and the Pan-American Games of the 1950s

AbstractThis paper examines the history of the early Pan-American Games, held in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Chicago. The history of the Pan-American Games demonstrates the decline of goodwill between the US and Latin American sports organizations, audiences, and journalists during the Cold War. Despite the diplomatic failures of the Pan-American Games from a US-centred perspective, they are vital to understand the history of women’s participation in sport and solidarity among Latin American delegations.
Remote sensing of tropical forests : an overview of research and applications using non-photographic sensors

A comprehensive overview is presented on how remote sensing technology has been applied to tropical forest monitoring over the past 20 years. Research needs for monitoring the condition and extent of tropical forests are suggested. The discussion focuses on nonphotographic sensors, especially those on orbiting satellites. Several remote sensing approaches to tropical forest monitoring are outlined, including NOAA AVHRR, Landsat MSS, the Landsat Thematic Mapper, SPOT-1, and Synthetic Aperture Radar. Suggested research needs are addressed, along with discussions on the use of Geographic Information Systems, and multistage and multisensor approaches in data analysis and acquisition. It is concluded that additional research and technique development is urgently needed to advance the utility of remotely sensed data for tropical forest monitoring. However, there is sufficient information available now to prototype a global tropical forest monitoring system that would utilize current satellite sensors complemented with airborne sensors for detailed measurements on sample locations.
Toward a Nuclear Optical Clock

The extension of coherent state manipulation and precision laser spectroscopy and metrology from atomic to nuclear states would be a tremendous advance in fundamental physics research. The 7.6 eV isomeric transition in the 229Th nucleus is currently the sole candidate for such an extension. Article not available.
Response of Kale to Single-Dose Application of K Humate, Dry Vermicasts, and Volcanic Minerals

ABSTRACTWorldwide consumers are concerned about potential residue and persistence of harmful chemicals in the environment and on foods, especially leafy vegetables like kale, Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala (DC.) Alef. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to determine whether kale, cv. Ripbor, responded to different natural sources of growing medium amendments: 47.5 g K humate/pot; 50 g dry vermicastst/pot; or 100 g volcanic minerals/pot. Each of the amendments were individually added to 1 kg Pro-mix BX/pot with the Pro-mix BX alone as the control. Plant growth rate grown in dry vermicasts was highest. The fresh weight was higher due to volcanic minerals than for the control and values for K humate and dry vermicasts were similar to the control and volcanic minerals. The dry vermicasts reduced leaf and stem mass densities compared to other treatments. Leaf dry matter content was increased by approximately 29% in the K humate, the volcanic minerals, and the control compared to the dry vermicasts. S...
PPII Helical Peptidomimetics Templated by Cation-π Interactions.

Poly-proline type II (PPII) helical PXXP motifs are the recognition elements for a variety of protein–protein interactions that are critical for cellular signaling. Despite development of protocols for locking peptides into α-helical and β-strand conformations, there remains a lack of analogous methods for generating mimics of PPII helical structures. We describe herein a strategy to enforce PPII helical secondary structure in the 19-residue TrpPlexus miniature protein. Through sequence variation, we showed that a network of cation–π interactions could drive the formation of PPII helical conformations for both peptide and N-substituted glycine peptoid residues. The achievement of chemically diverse PPII helical scaffolds provides a new route towards discovering peptidomimetic inhibitors of protein–protein interactions mediated by PXXP motifs.
Regulation of the Expressed Idiotypic Repertoire in the Normal Immune Response of the Aged

Aging is accompanied by a gradual decline of certain physiological functions. Not the least of these are the effector functions of the immune system. Most aging animals demonstrate a progressive decline in their capacity to mount primary immune responses when compared in magnitude and heterogeneity of antibody affinity with that seen in the immune response of young adult animals.
Minimal-rank HSS-representation with diagonal coupling matrices and sparse transfer matrices for solving electrically-large integral equations

We develop a method to generate an efficient HSS (Hierarchically Semiseparable) representation of the dense integral operators. In this representation, we ensure the rank of each admissible block to be the minimal one required by accuracy. More important, we successfully diagonalize the coupling matrices, and also make the transfer matrices sparse. As compared to H2- or HSS-representations whose coupling and transfer matrices are dense, this new representation is much more efficient. Our theoretical analysis shows a strict O(N) complexity for storage and matrix-vector multiplication in both surface and volume integral equation (IE) solvers. Numerical experiments have been carried out on 3-D volume IEs for scattering analysis, which have validated the proposed new representation.
Leakage current characteristics of XLPE

Because the leakage current in XLPE changes in proportion to the quantity of the crosslinking agent by-products, leakage current might be controlled by the amount of ion conduction carriers which are supplied with the by-products. And because the leakage current in impregnated PE sheets changes in proportion to the conductivity of each by-product in liquid, the leakage current in XLPE might also be controlled by the conductivity of each by-product contained in XLPE. The mobility of ion conduction carriers is greatly changed by temperature, but is changed only slightly by stress. This change becomes especially remarkable below the solidification temperature of the crosslinking agent by-products. This might be caused by the change of by-products from the liquid to solid state in XLPE.
Negotiating Family “Value”: Caregiving and Conflict Among Chinese-Born Senior Migrants and Their Families in the U.S.

Drawing on ethnographic research conducted since 2009 with Cantonese-speaking Chinese senior migrants in Boston’s downtown Chinatown and its satellite community in Quincy, MA, this paper contributes to a growing scholarly literature on the problem of senior support within the changing dynamics of contemporary Chinese family life by highlighting how the paid and unpaid caregiving work performed by Chinese-born senior migrants in the U.S. provides a means for them to act strategically to secure their own support in older age. The paper describes how these senior migrants work to negotiate their value within the family through caregiving while dealing with the familial conflicts that also arise in the process.
A Self-Stabilizing Algorithm for the Foraging Problem in Swarm Robotic Systems

The foraging problem, which evolved from ants finding food and delivering them to the nest, is for a swarm of robots to transport objects from a source to a destination. To avoid collision of robots or congestions, object transportation is generally conducted in a pipelining manner. Existing solutions towards the foraging problem either have performance problems or cannot tolerate failures. We present a self-stabilizing solution for the swarm robotic system to form a pipeline structure to transport objects and achieve the foraging task. In this paper, we first define the stable state for the swarm, which includes two requirements: (1) the robots operate in non-overlapping regions, i.e., transport objects in a pipeline structure and (2) the transportation rate of the system is optimal. Then, we introduce our self-stabilizing algorithm for the foraging problem and prove its convergence and the correctness of its convergence properties. Due to the self-stabilization nature, our solution is decentralized and fault tolerant. The swarm can achieve the foraging task as long as there is at least one working robot. Due to the definition of the stable state, our swarm system, when converged, can achieve optimal performance. We conduct simulations to evaluate the effectiveness of our algorithm, and the experimental results show that from any state, our algorithm can converge very quickly to reach the stable state and provide optimal performance for object transportation.
Further Studies on the Synthesis of VPI-5

New synthetic procedures used to crystallize VPI-5 are described. Mixtures of amines and quaternary ions are utilized to crystalize pure VPI-5. A low cost, high yield preparation involves the use of triisopropanolamine and tetramethylammonium hydroxide. Some samples of VPI-5 can be transformed into AlPO 4 -8 upon certain calcination conditions. Extensive washings of the aforementioned, as-synthesized VPI-5 yields a product which does not transform into AlPO 4 -8.
Population-Based Assessment of Complications Following Surgery for Thyroid Cancer.

Context As thyroid cancer incidence rises, more patients undergo thyroid surgery. Although postoperative complication rates have been reported in single institution studies, population-based data are limited. Objective To determine thyroid cancer surgery complication rates and identify at-risk populations. Design/setting/patients Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database, we evaluated general complications within 30 days and thyroid surgery-specific complications within 1 year in 27,912 patients who underwent surgery for differentiated or medullary thyroid cancer between 1998 and 2011. Multivariable analyses of patient characteristics associated with postoperative complications were performed. Main outcome measures General and thyroid surgery-specific complications. Results Overall, 1820 (6.5%) patients developed general postoperative complications and 3427 (12.3%) developed thyroid surgery-specific complications. In multivariable analyses, general and thyroid surgery-specific complications were significantly higher in patients >65 years [odds ratio (OR), 2.61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.31 to 2.95; OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 2.85 to 3.42], those with a Charlson/Deyo comorbidity score of 1 (OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.66 to 3.49; OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.53 to 2.31) and ≥2 (OR, 7.05; 95% CI, 5.33 to 9.56; OR, 3.62; 95% CI, 3.11 to 4.25), and those with regional (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.35; OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.45) or distant disease (OR, 2.83; 95% CI, 2.30 to 3.47; OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.54 to 2.21), respectively. Conclusions The rates of thyroid cancer surgery complications are higher than predicted, and patients with older age, more comorbidities, and advanced disease are at greatest risk. Efforts to reduce complications are needed.
Making Machine-Learning Applications for Time-Series Sensor Data Graphical and Interactive

The recent profusion of sensors has given consumers and researchers the ability to collect significant amounts of data. However, understanding sensor data can be a challenge, because it is voluminous, multi-sourced, and unintelligible. Nonetheless, intelligent systems, such as activity recognition, require pattern analysis of sensor data streams to produce compelling results; machine learning (ML) applications enable this type of analysis. However, the number of ML experts able to proficiently classify sensor data is limited, and there remains a lack of interactive, usable tools to help intermediate users perform this type of analysis. To learn which features these tools must support, we conducted interviews with intermediate users of ML and conducted two probe-based studies with a prototype ML and visual analytics system, Gimlets. Our system implements ML applications for sensor-based time-series data as a novel domain-specific prototype that integrates interactive visual analytic features into the ML pipeline. We identify future directions for usable ML systems based on sensor data that will enable intermediate users to build systems that have been prohibitively difficult.
A multiple view stereo benchmark for satellite imagery

The availability of public multiple view stereo benchmark datasets has been instrumental in enabling research to advance the state of the art in the field and to apply and customize methods to real-world problems. Until now, no public multiple view stereo benchmark dataset has been available for satellite imaging applications. In this work, we describe a public benchmark dataset for multiple view stereo applied to three-dimensional outdoor scene mapping using commercial satellite imagery. This dataset includes fifty Digital Globe WorldView-3 panchromatic and multispectral images of a 100 square kilometer area near San Fernando, Argentina. We also provide high-resolution airborne lidar ground truth data for a 20 square kilometer subset of this area and performance analysis software to assess accuracy and completeness metrics. We report initial results from available solutions using this benchmark data and encourage continued research by making this benchmark dataset publicly available to the research community.
Risks and Benefits of Salpingectomy at the Time of Sterilization.

Importance Bilateral salpingectomy reduces the risk ovarian cancer. The Society of Gynecologic Oncology has recommended surgeons discuss salpingectomy with patients desiring sterilization. Objective This review summarizes current literature on the benefits and risks of bilateral salpingectomy to reduce ovarian cancer risk. Areas of insufficient evidence and directions for further research are discussed. Evidence acquisition We examined the benefits and risks of bilateral salpingectomy for female surgical sterilization, using a PubMed and EMBASE literature review. Search parameters included articles in English language and keywords "salpingectomy" or "ovarian cancer" combined with "contraception," "sterilization," or "tubal ligation." Results We reviewed 4 high-quality studies that investigated the increased risk reduction of bilateral salpingectomy compared with traditional sterilization. Overall, evidence shows that salpingectomy moderately decreases the risk of ovarian cancer compared with traditional sterilization. An additional 4 studies, including a meta-analysis, showed salpingectomy likely does not have significant long-term impact on ovarian reserve. Additional benefits include improved contraceptive efficacy and elimination of subsequent ectopic pregnancies. Risks include need for in vitro fertilization for patients experiencing sterilization regret, increases in operative time, and potential increases in surgical risks. Conclusions Bilateral salpingectomy can reduce ovarian cancer risk compared with traditional sterilization; however, research regarding other outcomes is limited. Challenges to implementation include physician concern regarding surgical risks and patient education. Studies investigating patient-based outcomes are lacking. Relevance Bilateral salpingectomy for surgical sterilization is a reasonable option when patients are appropriately informed. Ovarian cancer risk reduction should be one of several factors considered when patients choose a surgical sterilization method.
Kurt Lewin: Intergroup Relations and Applications in Current Action Research

Lewin would say that the background is important for any perception and the “meaning of every event depends directly upon the nature of its background.” ...“the background itself is not often perceived, but only the ‘figure’ or ‘event’.” (Lewin, 1948; p. 145) Whatever a person does or wishes to do, he must have some ground to stand upon. This is probably the primary reason why he is extremely affected the moment this ground begins to give way.
Market Volatility and Financial Satisfaction: The Role of Financial Self-Efficacy

This study investigates the role of financial self-efficacy (FSE) in moderating the relationship between market volatility and financial satisfaction within a sample of 3,405 adults 50 years old an...
DeepCancer: Detecting Cancer via Deep Generative Learning Through Gene Expressions

Transcriptional profiling on microarrays to obtain gene expressions has frequently been a subject of medical analysis in an effort to facilitate cancer diagnosis. Motivated by the intention to further this analysis, we propose DeepCancer: a deep generative machine learning model that learns features from unlabeled microarray data. This model has been used in conjunction with traditional classifiers that perform classification of the tissue samples as either being cancerous or non-cancerous. The proposed model has been tested on two different clinical datasets. Furthermore, evaluation metrics report a high precision score, while significantly controlling the false positive and false negative scores, thus appropriately justifying the learning and detection ability of our model.
Pd-Alloy membranes for hydrogen separation

Abstract Dense Pd-based membranes have received significant attention for their ability to separate with near-perfect selectivity H2 from mixed gas streams, such as those generated in advanced fossil energy conversion processes. However, transport rates through Pd-based membranes can be compromised by exposure to a variety of compounds that are ubiquitous in fossil-derived streams, including those containing sulfur, mercury, and arsenic. Furthermore, stabilizing Pd-based functional layers that are thin enough to ensure high transport rates, while providing the required mechanical and chemical stability, presents a significant engineering challenge for maturing this technology from laboratory to production scale. In this chapter, we describe the physics and chemistry of H2 transport through dense Pd layers, the response of these materials to trace fossil energy contaminants, and the challenges associated with scaling the technology from research through deployment.
Mammalian liver alcohol dehydrogenases.

In mammals, ethanol metabolism takes place mainly in the liver where it is first converted to acetaldehyde and further to acetic acid (1,2,3). In experimental animals and in humans (4), liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is responsible for the metabolism of at least 80% of administered ethanol, at concentrations below 0.2% the contribution of any other ethanol metabolizing systems being relatively small (5).
ONLINE RETAIL KEYWORD CHARACTERISTICS AND SEARCH MARKETING PERFORMANCE

To make judicious budget and resource allocation decisions, it is essential to understand the characteristics and performance of keywords used by target shoppers. Taking the approach of understanding consumers’ information needs, we construct a goal-related keyword characterization framework. Most search keywords exhibit more than one of the following characteristics - retailer specific, brand specific, product specific, feature related, or shopping intention. We analyze search engine ranking, click-through, and revenue data associated with visitor-disclosed search keywords from a top Web-only retailer over one year. Our findings show the interesting impacts of both keyword characteristics and dual-appearance of paid and organic advertisements on search marketing performance. The contributions of the research include a comprehensive search keyword characterization framework, and the analysis of the relationships between keyword characteristics and search performance. These findings have strong implications for search marketing decisions.