cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Slowly rotating relativistic stars: IX: Moments of Inertia of Rotationally Distorted Stars

Equations are given which determine the moment of inertia of a rotating relativistic fluid star to second order in the angular velocity with no other approximation being made. The equations also determine the moment of inertia of matter located between surfaces of constant density in a rotationally distorted star; for example, the moments of inertia of the crust and core of a rotationally distorted neutron star can be calculated in this way. The method is applied ton=3/2 relativistic polytropes and to neutron star models constructed from the Baym-Bethe-Pethick-Sutherland-Pandharipande equation of state.
Chinese Scholars on Renaissance Studies in the People’s Republic of China*

AbstractThis essay explores the teaching of Western art, with a special focus on Renaissance Italy, in the People’s Republic of China. All observations were made by the participants in two summer seminars organized by Villa I Tatti: The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies (Florence, Italy). Held in Florence, “The Unity of the Arts in Renaissance Italy” (2013) and “Understanding Space in Renaissance Italy” (2014, 2015) offered Chinese scholars the opportunity to study Renaissance works at first hand, and to exchange ideas and approaches with one another as well as with Western scholars. They commented on the limitations and opportunities in their own country, the star status of selected art historians, the lasting impact of the Cultural Revolution, and the role of art academies.
Uteroplacental secretion of progesterone and estradiol-17β in an ovine model of intrauterine growth restriction.

Abstract Using a mid to late gestation model of intrauterine growth restriction, uteroplacental secretion of progesterone and estradiol-17β were examined. From day 50 to 130 of gestation, 31 ewe lambs were allocated to receive 100% (ADQ) or 60% (RES) of nutrient requirements. At day 130, umbilical and uterine artery blood flows were determined and blood samples were collected from maternal saphenous artery, gravid uterine vein, umbilical vein, and umbilical artery. Uteroplacental secretion of progesterone was increased in RES compared to ADQ fed dams. There was a net secretion and net metabolism of estradiol-17β in RES, and ADQ fed dams, respectively. In relation to steroid synthesis, cotyledonary abundance of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein was greater in RES compared with ADQ fed dams, while abundance of aromatase was not different between dietary treatments. Caruncular aldo-keto reductase 1C abundance was less in RES compared to ADQ fed dams. The increase in progesterone secretion, therefore, is due in part to an increase in synthesis and a decrease in placental catabolism. Caruncular cytochrome P450 3A, which catalyzes the conversion of estrogens to catechol-estrogens, was in lesser abundance in RES compared to ADQ fed dams. Opposite responses in estradiol-17β uteroplacental secretion compared with metabolism may be mediated through placental estrogen metabolism via cytochrome P450 enzymes.
Neutron study of local environment effects and magnetic clustering in Fe 0.7 Al 0.3

Ordered ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{0.7}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{0.3}$ is ferromagnetic below 400 K but becomes paramagnetic on cooling below 170 K and then is mictomagnetic below 92 K. We have used neutron-scattering methods to probe the microscopic magnetic-moment distribution of this alloy. Diffuse scattering data show the presence of large ferromagnetic clusters throughout all of these ordered regions and that the bulk behavior results from intercluster coupling. The Bragg scattering data yield Fe moments for the different lattice sites that are consistent with, and provide refined moment values for, a previously suggested local environment model. The results are interpreted in terms of clustered regions of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-site Fe atoms with $n\ensuremath{\ge}4$ and $nl4$ Fe nearest neighbors.
High-throughput publish/subscribe on top of LSM-based storage

State-of-the-art publish/subscribe systems are efficient when the subscriptions are relatively static—for instance, the set of followers in Twitter—or can fit in memory. However, now-a-days, many big data and IoT based applications follow a highly dynamic query paradigm, where both continuous queries and data entries are in the millions and can arrive and expire rapidly. In this paper we propose and compare several publish/subscribe storage architectures, based on the popular NoSQL log-structured merge tree (LSM) storage paradigm, to support high-throughput and highly dynamic publish/subscribe systems. Our framework naturally supports subscriptions on both historic and future streaming data, and generates instant notifications. We also extend our framework to efficiently support self-joining subscriptions, where streaming pub/sub records join with past pub/sub entries. Further, we show how hierarchical attributes, such as concept ontologies, can be efficiently supported; for example, a publication’s topic is “politics” whereas a subscription’s topic is “US politics.” We implemented and experimentally evaluated our methods on the popular LSM-based LevelDB system, using real datasets, for simple match and self-joining subscriptions on both flat and hierarchical attributes. Our results show that our approaches achieve significantly higher throughput compared to state-of-the-art baselines.
Digital soil mapping for fire prediction and management in rangelands

Soil properties have important effects on fire occurrence and spread, but soils are often overlooked in fire prediction models. Quantifying soil−fire linkages is limited by information in conventional soil maps, but digital soil mapping products (e.g., detailed soil property maps) could improve both wildfire prediction models and post-fire management decisions. Of our estimated 3.7 Mkm2 of rangeland in the continental US and Alaska, an average of 38 000 km2 burned per year between 2008 and 2017. To highlight the role of soils in fire ecology, we present 1) a conceptual framework explaining why soil information can be useful for fire models, 2) a comprehensive suite of literature examples that used soil property information in traditional soil survey for predicting wildfire, and 3) specific examples of how more detailed soil information can be applied for pre- and post-fire decisions. Digital soil mapping can improve fire prediction models and inform post-fire management decisions.
“You Can never tell what people will fancy, can you?”: queer narrative in Dorothy Sayers’s detective fiction

Dorothy Sayers’s detective fiction is often divided into two classes: the first, experimental and original novels with explicitly literary and feminist aims and the second describing more c...
Development of a modular mixed-radiation directional rotating scatter mask detection system

Abstract The ability to simultaneously identify the direction of both fast neutrons, above 1 MeV, and gamma rays using a light-weight system consisting of a single 1” EJ-309 organic liquid scintillator and a plastic Spartan rotating scatter mask (RSM) is demonstrated computationally through Monte Carlo simulations and validated with experimental measurements. Two sets of directional measurements were performed with an americium–beryllium source, emitting both neutrons and gamma rays. The RSM identified the direction of the source within one 10° rotational increment in the azimuthal and polar directions based on both the neutron and gamma-ray induced signals discriminated by charge integration pulse-shape discrimination. These results indicate the RSM system is a compact, light-weight, and modular directional detection system useful for rapid identification of the type and direction of radioactive sources, a desirable feature for many nuclear security and safety applications.
Tierno Monénembo : un engagement de biais. Une lecture de L’aîné des orphelins

L’article explore les sentiers sinueux qu’emprunte Tierno Monenembo pour dire le genocide des Tutsis au Rwanda dans son roman L’aine des orphelins. Certaines lectures anterieures sur ce roman questionnent sa pertinence comme temoignage sur une page aussi sombre de l’histoire rwandaise contemporaine du fait du manque de realisme qui le caracteriserait. Loin de se livrer a une description realiste, le texte de Monenembo plonge le lectorat dans des versions fictives et parfois contradictoires dudit genocide. Monenembo joue ou donne a son personnage principal de jouer avec les plaies du genocide sans pour autant monter dans sa tour d’ivoire. De plus, son emploi particulier de la langue offre un aspect plaisant a la lecture de ce texte inspire d’un evenement si dramatique tout en suscitant moult interrogations chez le lecteur capable de lire entre les lignes. En effet, Le caractere desinvolte avec lequel Faustin Nsenghimana donne ses versions dudit genocide, son desir de parader qui l’eloigne de la description percutante de la souffrance des victimes, n’exclut pourtant pas la possibilite d’une lecture politique de cet evenement. C’est de facon detournee ou de biais que Monenembo s’engage dans l’ecriture de ce roman de commande pour la commission « Ecrire par devoir de memoire » sur ce genocide. Il passe de l’engagement classique a langagement, qui consiste a mettre en avant son talent d’ecrivain, d’artisan de la langue avant celui de temoin ou d’historien. Ainsi, l’ecrivain bien que s’inspirant de l’histoire ou ecrivant sur des evenements historiques est loin de remplir la fonction d’historien.
Strategies to Deploy and Scale Deep Learning on the Summit Supercomputer

The rapid growth and wide applicability of Deep Learning (DL) frameworks poses challenges to computing centers which need to deploy and support the software, and also to domain scientists who have to keep up with the system environment and scale up scientific exploration through DL. We offer recommendations for deploying and scaling DL frameworks on the Summit supercomputer, currently atop the Top500 list, at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF). We discuss DL software deployment in the form of containers, and compare performance of native-built frameworks and containerized deployment. Software containers show no noticeable negative performance impact and exhibit faster Python loading times and promise easier maintenance. To explore strategies for scaling up DL model training campaigns, we assess DL compute kernel performance, discuss and recommend I/O data formats and staging, and identify communication needs for scalable message exchange for DL runs at scale. We recommend that users take a step-wise tuning approach beginning with algorithmic kernel choice, node I/O configuration, and communications tuning as best-practice. We present baseline examples of scaling efficiency 87% for a DL run of ResNet50 running on 1024 nodes (6144 V100 GPUs).
ZEB1 is Required for NHEJ-Mediated DSB Repair in Euchromatin

Abstract Ionizing radiation-induced DSBs are repaired primarily by the Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) pathway, but the details of how this is regulated in different chromatin contexts are far from understood. We have discovered a novel response to DSBs that promotes NHEJ selectively in euchromatin, based on a novel interaction between the EMT-inducing transcriptional repressor ZEB1, and the well-studied NHEJ-promoting DNA repair factor 53BP1. Using a number of approaches, we have discovered that the ZEB1-53BP1 association is amplified following exposure of cells to IR and that they co-localize at IR-induced foci (IRIF). Depletion of ZEB1 enhances radio-sensitivity and increases IR-induced chromosomal aberrations in an ATM-independent manner. The very rapid recruitment–within 2 seconds–of ZEB1 to euchromatic DSBs is like-wise ATM-independent, but DNA-PK-dependent and is required for subsequent recruitment of 53BP1. ZEB1 promotes NHEJ and inhibits HR through its homeodomain by inducing 53BP1-permissive, pro-NHEJ/anti-HR chromatin modifications. Lastly, depletion of ZEB1 increases hyper-resection at DSBs and inhibits physiological DSB repair. These results support the argument that ZEB1 plays an essential role in DSB repair in euchromatin by establishing a 53BP1-permissive/pro-NHEJ chromatin environment.
Angiotensin (1-7) delivered orally via probiotic, but not subcutaneously, benefits the gut-brain axis in older rats.

To (1) investigate the efficacy of multiple doses of an orally delivered probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus paracasei (LP) modified to express angiotensin (1–7) (LP-A) in altering physiologic parameters relevant to the gut-brain axis in older rats and to (2) compare this strategy with subcutaneous delivery of synthetic Ang(1–7) peptide on circulating Ang(1–7) concentrations and these gut-brain axis parameters. Male 24-month-old F344BN rats received oral gavage of LP-A, or subcutaneous injection of Ang(1–7) for 0×, 1×, 3×, or 7×/week over 4 weeks. Circulating RAS analytes, inflammatory cytokines, and tryptophan and its downstream metabolites were measured by ELISA, electrochemiluminescence, and LC-MS respectively. Microbiome taxonomic analysis of fecal samples was performed via 16S-based PCR. Inflammatory and tryptophan-related mRNA expression was measured in colon and pre-frontal cortex. All dosing regimens of LP-A induced beneficial changes in fecal microbiome including overall microbiota community structure and α-diversity, while the 3×/week also significantly increased expression of the anti-inflammatory species Akkermansia muciniphila. The 3×/week also increased serum serotonin and the neuroprotective analyte 2-picolinic acid. In the colon, LP-A increased quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase expression (1×/week) and increased kynurenine aminotransferase II (1× and 3×/week) mRNA expression. LP-A also significantly reduced neuro-inflammatory gene expression in the pre-frontal cortex (3×/week: COX2, IL-1β, and TNFα; 7×/week: COX2 and IL-1β). Subcutaneous delivery of Ang(1–7) increased circulating Ang(1–7) and reduced angiotensin II, but most gut-brain parameters were unchanged in response. Oral—but not subcutaneous—Ang(1–7) altered physiologic parameters related to gut-brain axis, with the most effects observed in 3×/week oral dosing regimen in older rats.
Structure of the polymerase ε holoenzyme and atomic model of the leading strand replisome.

The eukaryotic leading strand DNA polymerase (Pol) e contains 4 subunits, Pol2, Dpb2, Dpb3 and Dpb4. Pol2 is a fusion of two B-family Pols; the N-terminal Pol module is catalytic and the C-terminal Pol module is non-catalytic. Despite extensive efforts, there is no atomic structure for Pol e holoenzyme, critical to understanding how DNA synthesis is coordinated with unwinding and the DNA path through the CMG helicase-Pol e-PCNA clamp. We show here a 3.5-A cryo-EM structure of yeast Pol e revealing that the Dpb3-Dpb4 subunits bridge the two DNA Pol modules of Pol2, holding them rigid. This information enabled an atomic model of the leading strand replisome. Interestingly, the model suggests that an OB fold in Dbp2 directs leading ssDNA from CMG to the Pol e active site. These results complete the DNA path from entry of parental DNA into CMG to exit of daughter DNA from PCNA.
The Impact of Surgical Team Familiarity on Length of Procedure and Length of Stay: Inconsistent Relationships Across Procedures, Team Members, and Sites

Team familiarity has been shown to be important for operative efficiency and number of complications, but it is unclear for which types of operations and for which team members familiarity matters the most. The objective of this study is to further our understanding of familiarity in the OR by quantifying the relative importance of familiarity among all possible core team dyads, and defining the impact of team level familiarity on outcomes. Using a retrospective chart and administrative data review, five years of data from two health systems (14 hospitals) and across two procedures, (knee arthroplasty and lumbar laminectomy) were included. Multilevel modeling approach and a dominance analysis were conducted. For each previous surgery that any two members of the core surgical team had participated in together, the length of surgery decreased significantly. The familiarity of the scrub and the surgeon was the most significant relationship for knee arthroplasty across the two hospitals, and laminectomies at one hospital. The relationship between familiarity of the surgical team and surgical efficiency may be more complex than previously articulated. Familiarity may be more important for certain types of procedures. The familiarity of certain dyads may be more important for certain types of procedures.
Fiducial confidence intervals for proportions in finite populations: One- and two-sample problems

The problems of constructing confidence intervals (CIs) for the proportions and functions of proportions in finite populations are considered. For estimating the proportion in a finite population, ...
Extracting a History of Global Fire Emissions for the Past Millennium From Ice Core Records of Acetylene, Ethane, and Methane

Author(s): Nicewonger, MR; Aydin, M; Prather, MJ; Saltzman, ES | Abstract: Biomass burning is an important component of the Earth system in terms of global biogeochemistry, atmospheric composition, climate, terrestrial ecology, and land use. This study examines published ice core trace gas measurements of acetylene, ethane, and methane, which have been used as proxies for paleofire emissions. We investigate the consistency of these records for the past 1,000nyears in terms of (1) temporal trends in global fire emissions and (2) quantitative estimates for changes in global burning (dry matter burned per year). Three-dimensional transport and box models were used to construct emissions scenarios for the trace gases consistent with each ice core record. Burning histories were inferred from trace gas emissions by accounting for biome-specific emission factors for each trace gas. The temporal trends in fire inferred from the trace gases are in reasonable agreement, with a large decline in biomass burning emissions from the Medieval Period (MP: 1000–1500nCE) to the Little Ice Age (LIA: 1650–1750nCE). However, the three trace gas ice core records do not yield a consistent fire history, even assuming dramatic (and unrealistic) changes in the spatial distribution of fire and biomes. Substantial changes in other factors such as meteorological transport or atmospheric photochemical lifetimes appear to be required to reconcile the trace gas records.
Depression in multiple sclerosis across the adult lifespan.

Objectives:The objective of this study is to examine the burden of depressive symptoms across the adult age span in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and test if the relationship between depressi...
Concurrent terbinafine-induced acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis and hepatitis.

Terbinafine is a commonly used antifungal medication. Its side effects, while widely known, are rarely described and can be missed by the medical community. We present a 55-year-old woman who visited her primary care physician with onychomycosis. She started treatment with terbinafine, and 1 week later developed a rash in the left flank that extended to the chest, back, and upper part of lower extremities. Laboratory results showed elevated liver enzymes. A treatment with steroids did not improve the rash and she was admitted to our institution. She was started with intravenous dexamethasone, topical hydrocortisone and triamcinolone. Seven days later the liver enzymes normalised, and the rash resolved on the chest and back. Our patient had concurrent acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis and hepatitis that together has been very rarely associated with terbinafine.
Biologically Controlled Gelatin Actuators

Gelatin is a natural and environment-friendly polymer that can be cross-linked to various degrees with glutaraldehyde (GTA) and swollen with water to form a hydrogel. As the gelatin cross-link dens...
Fostering Student-Student Interactions in a First-Year Experience Course Taught Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Online college courses can lack much-needed student interactions without live synchronous sessions. The need for socialization is particularly important for first-year students and has been of particular concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, when isolation is the new norm outside the classroom. Here we provide a perspective on the use of online synchronous sessions in a first-year biology course that encouraged student-student interactions and employed the culturally responsive teaching approach. We used group assignments, modeled on the jigsaw method, during our meetings and provided extra time outside of the dedicated class period to foster student collaboration, conversation, and social presence. We noted high attendance and participation in the synchronous sessions, suggesting effectiveness of the methods we used in student engagement and satisfaction.
When Your Boss Says, “You Need to Sound More Professional”: Writing Style and Writer Attributions:

One line of prior research has focused on the effect of style on readers’ ability to comprehend or willingness to engage with a message. A separate line has illuminated the effect of errors on the ...
Efficient Use of Vestibular Testing

While the majority of vestibular disorders may be diagnosed solely on clinical grounds, a variety of clinical scenarios exist in which objective functional assessment of the vestibular system provides data that facilitate diagnosis and treatment decisions. There exists a veritable armamentarium of sophisticated vestibular test modalities, including videonystagmography, rotary chair testing, video head impulse testing, and vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials. This article aims to help clinicians apply an accessible decision-making rubric to identify the clinical scenarios that may and may not benefit from data derived from specific vestibular function tests.
Investigations of the stability of GaAs for photoelectrochemical H2 evolution in acidic or alkaline aqueous electrolytes

The long-term stability of p-GaAs photocathodes has been investigated for the hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) in contact with either 1.0 M H2SO4(aq) or 1.0 M KOH(aq). Stability for the HER was evaluated using p-GaAs electrodes that were either etched or coated with active HER catalysts (Pt and CoP). Changes in surface characteristics of GaAs after exposure to electrochemical conditions were monitored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrode dissolution processes were evaluated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Consistent with thermodynamic predictions, after operation of the HER at pH 0 or pH 14, illuminated etched p-GaAs electrodes exhibited minimal dissolution while preserving a nearly stoichiometric surface. Electrodeposition or sputtering of Pt on the p-GaAs surface promoted the formation of excess As0via an interfacial reaction during the HER. The resulting non-stoichiometric As0-rich surface of p-GaAs/Pt electrodes caused a loss in photoactivity as well as substantial cathodic dark current. In contrast, p-GaAs electrodes coated with thin-film CoP catalysts did not display an increase in surficial As0 after operation of the HER in acidic electrolytes. Minimization of deleterious interfacial reactions is thus critical to obtain extended stability in conjunction with high performance from p-GaAs photocathodes.
Reanimation des Frühgeborenen

kunden beatmet werden. Liegt dabei die Herzfrequenz uber 100 Schlage/min, sollte der Reanimierende auf Spontanatmung achten. Bei einer Herzfrequenz von 60 bis 100 Schlagen/min und steigender Tendenz sollte die Beatmung fortgesetzt werden. Liegt sie niedriger als 60 Schlage/min oder nach 15 bis 30 Sekunden unter positiver Druckbeatmung mit 100% Sauerstoff bei 60 bis 80 Schlagen/min sowie bei einer Herzfrequenz unter 60 Schlagen/min sollte mit Thoraxkompressionen begonnen werden.
Faculty and Student Perceptions of Post-Exam Attendance

This project investigated differences between faculty and student perceptions of student attendance in courses for the class period after an exam, including factors thought to influence student attendance. Participants from a single university completed a mixed-methods on-line questionnaire. Quantitative analyses revealed significant differences between faculty and student perceptions on all but one project variable. Qualitative analyses reinforced those findings and suggested that faculty misunderstand what factors actually influence student attendance. Taken together, the results suggest a substantial disconnect between faculty and student perceptions of the importance of class attendance and highlight areas for faculty to influence student attendance.
Antibiotic susceptibility of anaerobic ruminal bacteria.

Abstract This study demonstrated that 15 species of ruminal bacteria with no previous history of contact with antibiotics are susceptible to bacitracin, chloramphenicol, chlortetracycline, erythromycin, novobiocin, oleandomycin, oxytetracycline, penicillin, tetracycline, tylosin, and vancomycin. A number of the species were not inhibited by kanamycin, neomycin, polymyxin, and streptomycin. The data suggest that antibiotic-resistant cells occur within susceptible cultures of these species. Streptococcus bovis FD-10 and a nonruminal anaerobe, Bacteroides melaninogenicus BE-1, showed similar antibiotic susceptibilities.
Baptism of Fire: A Comparative Analysis of Media Coverage of the LDS Church's Practice of Proxy Baptisms

In February 2012, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) watchdog Helen Radkey revealed that members of the church had submitted names of Holocaust victims for LDS temple ordinances, including posthumous baptisms. These actions were in violation of an agreement between LDS and the Jewish community and led to increased media coverage of the controversial ordinance. Through a textual analysis, the authors of this study compared and contrasted coverage of baptisms for the dead by several entities, including LDS-owned media, national media, and Jewish-owned media. The authors also examined whether the candidacy of Mitt Romney, a member of the LDS, influenced the coverage of this topic.
The Thread of Life: Toraja Reflections on the Life Cycle

The Thread of Life: Toraja Reflections on the Life Cycle. Douglas W. Hollan and Jane C. Wellenkamp. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1996. 239 pp.
Older patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis and dialysis dependent renal failure: a retrospective study

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) with renal involvement is not uncommon in older individuals. Unfortunately, this can be catastrophic requiring hemodialysis (HD) and may lead to end stage renal disease (ESRD). However, more than 50 % of patients with AAV who require HD initially have renal recovery and discontinue HD. The aim of this study was to describe a retrospective cohort of older patients with AAV and severe renal involvement which required hemodialysis. Between 1995 and 2013 a total of 30 patients with histologic evidence of pauci-immune glomerulonephritis who required HD were evaluated at a single university center. The association of demographic and clinical parameters with age was assessed. Older age of disease onset was defined as age ≥60 years. The risk of developing ESRD at 3 months was examined using univariate logistic regression analysis. Among 30 patients with AAV who required HD, the mean age of disease onset was 59 ± 17 years (range 22-88 years). Twelve patients were in the older age group, and 18 were in the younger group. Three months after diagnosis, 43 % of the cohort had ESRD with a statistically similar proportion of older (n = 9, 50 %) versus younger (n = 4, 33 %) patients (p = 0.367). Most patients (93 %) received immunosuppressive therapy. There was not a statistically significant association between age and ESRD. These data suggest that age alone does not predict renal recovery among individuals on HD due to AAV. Renal recovery is a realistic expectation and outcome, if patients are treated, even among older patients with AAV who require HD initially.
Search for Higher Dimensions through their Gravitational Effects in High Energy Collisions

We consider the use of a microwave parametric converter for the direct detection of gravitational effects at the LHC. Because of the extra dimensions the strength of the gravitational interaction in the bulk grows at high energies. This leads to possibly detectable signals.
Authentic Happiness, Self-Knowledge and Legal Policy

This Article analyzes three questions: can, how, and should legal policy help people in their individual quests for authentic happiness. This Article adopts psychologist Martin Seligman's definition of the phrase authentic happiness. This Article provides an introduction to examples of legal policies based upon empirical and experimental research in positive psychology, measures of subjective well-being, and quality of life studies.
Experimental Transmission of Karshi (Mammalian Tick-Borne Flavivirus Group) Virus by Ornithodoros Ticks >2,900 Days after Initial Virus Exposure Supports the Role of Soft Ticks as a Long-Term Maintenance Mechanism for Certain Flaviviruses.

Background Members of the mammalian tick-borne flavivirus group, including tick-borne encephalitis virus, are responsible for at least 10,000 clinical cases of tick-borne encephalitis each year. To attempt to explain the long-term maintenance of members of this group, we followed Ornithodoros parkeri, O. sonrai, and O. tartakovskyi for >2,900 days after they had been exposed to Karshi virus, a member of the mammalian tick-borne flavivirus group. Methodology/Principal Findings Ticks were exposed to Karshi virus either by allowing them to feed on viremic suckling mice or by intracoelomic inoculation. The ticks were then allowed to feed individually on suckling mice after various periods of extrinsic incubation to determine their ability to transmit virus by bite and to determine how long the ticks would remain infectious. The ticks remained efficient vectors of Karshi virus, even when tested >2,900 d after their initial exposure to virus, including those ticks exposed to Karshi virus either orally or by inoculation. Conclusions/Significance Ornithodoros spp. ticks were able to transmit Karshi virus for >2,900 days (nearly 8 years) after a single exposure to a viremic mouse. Therefore, these ticks may serve as a long-term maintenance mechanism for Karshi virus and potentially other members of the mammalian tick-borne flavivirus group.
Indentation testing of human articular cartilage : Effects of probe tip geometry and indentation depth on intra-tissue strain

Experimental determination of intra-tissue deformation during clinically applicable rapid indentation testing would be useful for understanding indentation biomechanics and for designing safe indentation probes and protocols. The objectives of this study were to perform two-dimensional (2-D) indentation tests, using indenters and protocols that are analogous to those in clinically oriented probes, of normal adult-human articular cartilage in order to determine: (1) intra-tissue strain maps and regions of high strain magnitude, and (2) the effects on strain of indenter geometry (rectangular prismatic and cylindrical) and indentation depth (40-190 microm). Epifluorescence microscopy of samples undergoing indentation and subsequent video image correlation analysis allowed determination of strain maps. Regions of peak strain were near the "edges" of indenter contact with the cartilage surface, and the strain magnitude in these regions ranged from approximately 0.05 to approximately 0.30 in compression and shear, a range with known biological consequences. With increasing indentation displacement, strain magnitudes generally increased in all regions of the tissue. Compared to indentation using a rectangular prismatic tip, indentation with a cylindrical tip resulted in slightly higher peak strain magnitudes while influencing a smaller region of cartilage. These results may be used to refine clinical indenters and indentation protocols.
Family, friend, and neighbour child care providers and maternal well-being in low-income systems : An ecological social perspective

Integrating theory from the family ecological systems and social support literatures with findings from child care research, in this study we develop and test a model relating family, friend, and neighbour (FFN) child care provider characteristics to perceived child care quality (provider reports of caregiving behaviours, mother-provider caregiving relationship) and maternal well-being (work-family conflict, depressive symptoms). Results from phone interviews with 187 FFN providers receiving public subsidies indicated that even after controlling for familial status or household income, caregiver perceptions of higher quality care were associated with higher education levels, greater attachment to child care as a job; and lower provider depressive symptoms. After controlling for familial status, data analysed from a subset of 51 mother-provider pairs, indicated that mothers using care from providers who reported higher quality parent-caregiver social relationships reported lower work-family conflict and depressive symptoms. This study suggests mothers who have providers with whom they have good caregiving interactions may experience positive social support and psychological crossover dynamics associated with mother well-being.
Circadian rhythmicity and capacity for enforced activity in the cockroach, Blaberus discoidalis, after cardiacectomy-allatectomy

Abstract The capacity for enforced activity in response to electrical stimulus and circadian locomotor activity were recorded for adult male Blaberus discoidalis after long-term cardiacectomy-allatectomy (CC − +CA − ). CC − +CA − cockroaches showed longer periods of exhaustion during shock stimulated activity than either normal or CA − animals. However, actograph studies revealed no differences between normal and CC − +CA − cockroaches in either circadian rhythmicity or the intensity of activities. These results suggest the cockroach corpora cardiaca do not influence normal activity patterns but maintain metabolic processes at levels sufficient to meet emergency demands.
Rention and excretion of polybrominated biphenyls by hens.

The retention and elimination of PBB by hens are qualitatively similar to those of PCBs and chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides. Steady-state level in eggs was about the same as the level in the diet, and after 63 days the level in body fat was about 4 times the level in diet.
Permeability Transects of Eolian Sands and Their Use in Generating Random Permeability Fields

This paper reports on observations derived from more than 10,000 permeability measurements taken from eolian sands and their use in generating permeability fields for reservoir simulation input. Results show that classification and statistical measures of variability and spatial correlation (but not mean permeability) are portable between the outcrop and the subsurface.
Design of a Neuronal Array

Retinal ganglion cells of a given type overlap their dendritic fields such that every point in space is covered by three to four cells. We investigated what function is served by such extensive overlap. Recording from pairs of ON or OFF brisk-transient ganglion cells at photopic intensities, we confirmed that this overlap causes the Gaussian receptive field centers to be spaced at ∼2 SDs (σ). This, together with response nonlinearities and variability, was just sufficient to provide an ideal observer with uniform contrast sensitivity across the retina for both threshold and suprathreshold stimuli. We hypothesized that overlap might maximize the information represented from natural images, thereby optimizing retinal performance for many tasks. Indeed, tested with natural images (which contain statistical correlations), a model ganglion cell array maximized information represented in its population responses with ∼2σ spacing, i.e., the overlap observed in the retina. Yet, tested with white noise (which lacks statistical correlations), an array maximized its information by minimizing overlap. In both cases, optimal overlap balanced greater signal-to-noise ratio (from larger receptive fields) against greater redundancy (because of larger receptive field overlap). Thus, dendritic overlap improves vision by taking optimal advantage of the statistical correlations of natural scenes.
Amlodipine prevents apoptotic cell death by correction of elevated intracellular calcium in a primary neuronal model of Batten disease (CLN3 disease)

CLN3 disease (Spielmeyer-Vogt-Sjogren-Batten disease) is a severe pediatric neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no effective treatment. The disease is characterized by progressive neuronal death, which may be triggered by abnormal intracellular calcium levels leading to neuronal apoptosis. Previously, we demonstrated reversal of the calcium effect in a neuroblastoma cell line using amlodipine and other calcium channel antagonists. In the present studies, we developed a CLN3 siRNA-inhibited primary rat neuron model to further study etoposide-induced calcium changes and apoptosis in CLN3 disease followed by recovery experiments with amlodipine. Our results show that intracellular calcium is significantly elevated in siRNA-inhibited cortical neurons after potassium chloride-induced depolarization. We were also able to show that amlodipine, a predominantly L-type dihydropyrimidine calcium channel antagonist can reverse the aberrant calcium elevations in this model of the disease. We performed an in situ TUNEL assay following etoposide-exposure to siRNA inhibited primary neurons, and apoptotic nuclei were detected providing additional evidence that increased neuronal apoptosis is associated with increased calcium levels. Amlodipine also reduced the absolute number of apoptotic cells in this experimental model.
Direct relation between etonitazene dose and response rate: responding under a single FI per session

Response-contingent injections of etonitazene (ETZ) have been shown to reinforce rats' lever pressing behavior. The objective of the present study was to determine the relation between response rate and ETZ dose when ETZ was administered subcutaneously once per session by the experimenter contingent upon completion of a 10-min fixed-interval (FI) schedule. When injections of the saline vehicle replaced drug injections, response rates dropped to low levels; rates subsequently increased above saline levels when drug injections were reintroduced, demonstrating that ETZ was serving as a reinforcer. A range of ETZ doses (0.01, 0.1, 1, 5.7, and 10 μg/kg) was administered subcutaneously to six rats, resulting in response rates that were directly related to drug dose. These findings are consistent with other studies that have found an increase in reinforcing effects with increases in drug dose. Thus, studies in which drug is administered once per session may be used to measure the reinforcing effects of drugs directly from rate measures, as the response rate in these studies is unaffected by satiation or direct drug effects.
The use of dithiothreitol in the assay of phenylalanine hydroxylase.

Abstract An assay for liver phenylalanine hydroxylase based on the nonenzymatic regeneration of 6,7-dimethyltetrahydropterin from 6,7-dimethyldihydropterin (quinonoid form) by dithiothreitol is described. Dithiothreitol not only regenerates the tetrahydropteridine from dyhydropteridine but it also effectively protects the system from peroxide formed during the aerobic oxidation of the tetrahydropteridine.
The activation energies for creep of zircaloy-2

Abstract The activation energies for creep of zircaloy-2 were determined by the temperature change method. Values were obtained for stresses of 20000, 25000 and 30000 psi at temperatures from 50 °C to 500 °C. Below about 285 °C the activation energy is stress, strain rate and temperature dependent indicating dislocation intersection or the Peierls process is controlling creep. Above about 285 °C the activation energy for creep is equal to that of self-diffusion, 58500 cal/mole, being typical of dislocation climb controlled creep. In addition an activation energy peak was observed.
The audibility of frog choruses to migrating birds

Abstract Breeding choruses of Hyla crucifer and H. versicolor are loud enough to be audible to migrating birds up to at least 1 km from their source, both vertically and horizontally, provided that no large obstacles intervene. During May in south-eastern New York State sound pressure levels (A weighting) at altitudes of 200 to 965 m and slant ranges from the frogs of 225 to 1020 m varied from 28 to 52 dB SPL.
Stress in dielectric contact layers on metals

Abstract Several sources of stress in dielectric contact layers (e.g. growing oxide films) are discussed and order-of-magnitude estimates are given for the accompanying strains. The strain distributions in isotropic layers are deduced for stresses produced by Coulomb forces, volume changes associated with diffusing defects, orienting molecular force (epitaxial) effects, and electrochemical potential gradients producing diffusion currents and growth of the layer.
Preparation and properties of fluorozirconate glasses containing divalent europium

Abstract The glass forming region of the (ZrF4BaF2ThF4)EuF2 system has been studied. EuF2 was found to replace up to about 85% of the BaF2 in a glass with a composition .615 ZrF4, .32BaF2, .07ThF4. The glass transition temperature is seen to increase with the EuF2 concentration. The 4f7→ 4f65d1 transition of the Eu+2 ion in the glass matrix was studied by optical absorption and compared with data taken on crystalline compounds containing Eu+2 in different environments. It is concluded from these results that the Eu+2 ion - and also the Ba+2 ion - is coordinated by 12 fluorides in the glass.
Sudden unexpected early neonatal death due to undiagnosed Hirschsprung disease enterocolitis: a report of two cases and literature review

Hirschsprung enterocolitis (HEC) is an uncommon, albeit well known, complication of Hirschsprung disease (HD). It is multifactorial and can appear in different age groups, but is particularly important in the neonatal period where it is characteristically seen in full-term neonates. Two cases of HEC are reported that were diagnosed at post-mortem examination, which presented as early sudden neonatal death, with a review the literature on fatal Hirschsprung enterocolitis. Case 1 was a 4-day old male neonate who was found unwell, struggling to breath, and with green vomitus. He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. According to the parents meconium was passed on the first day. Post-mortem examination demonstrated necrotizing enterocolitis with isolated bowel perforation. Histology disclosed unsuspected HD. Case 2 was a 2-day old male neonate who was found wheezing with green vomitus. He arrived floppy, cyanosed, and in shock at the hospital and died a few hours later. Meconium was not passed, according to the parents. Post-mortem examination revealed necrotizing enterocolitis. There was also recto-sigmoidal aganglionosis and acetylcholinesterase staining confirmed HD. HEC is a multifactorial and sometimes recurrent complication of HD which characteristically develops in full-term neonates. Presentation with early sudden neonatal death is rare but should be considered in the diagnostic work-up of sudden deaths in this age group.
A limit theorem for symmetric statistics of Brownian particles

Abstract Asymptotic distributions for a family of time-varying symmetric statistics formed from an infinite particle system are derived and a representation for the limit is obtained in terms of multiple stochastic integrals. This family arises from a system of Brownian particles diffusing in R whose initial configuration is given via a Poisson point process on R. It is shown that a symmetric statistic of order p in this family can be considered as an element of C {[0,T], S ′(R p )} and as the rate of the Poisson process approaches infinity these symmetric statistics converge in distribution as random elements of the above mentioned function space. A stochastic partial differential equation satisfied by the limit is obtained. Finally, a representation for the limit as a mixed multiple stochastic integral with respect to a space-time white noise and a white noise on R, is derived.
In-line quarter-wave retarders for the infrared using total refraction and total internal reflection in a prism

IR reflection quarter-wave retarders (QWR5) are described that maintain the collinearity of the transmitted and incident beams. One QWR uses a symmetric prism of Ge (refractive index n = 4) with an apex angle of 119 deg. Light incident parallel to the base of the prism is totally refracted, without change of polarization, at the side faces of the prism that are coated with an appropriate transparent bilayer. Total internal reflection at the prism base produces the desired 90-deg retardance. The second QWR uses a right-angle Ge prism with its base coated with a PbTe layer ( n = 5.1) to introduce the required phase shift at a 55.18-deg angle of incidence. The entrance and exit faces are antireflection coated with a polarization-preserving bilayer. Both QWRs are reasonably insensitive to small (±8 deg) angle-of-incidence errors.
Improving Resiliency in Communications Systems in Public Transit After Severe Weather Events

Subway stations and tunnels typically contain many different communications systems used by a transit agency to support the safe movement of passenger trains. When these stations and tunnels are flooded with water from excessive rains or hurricane related storm surges the resulting damage to these systems, devices and associated cabling can render them ineffective or completely inoperable. This in turn leads to costly repairs and replacement programs entailing lengthy service disruptions.This paper will look at how the repair and replacement of communications systems damaged by the exposure to accumulated rain and salt water from a storm surge can be implemented so as to improve the overall system’s resiliency to future severe weather events.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Generalization of Levinson’s theorem for all composite particles in a multichannel scattering problem

On the basis of analyticity and unitarity, Levinson’s theorem is generalized for a multichannel scattering problem so that bound-state poles and resonance poles are put on the same footing. The sheet structure of the Riemann surface is analysed, and the condition for poles in the unphysical sheets is derived. The generalized formula relates the total number of composite-particle poles to the behavior of theS-matrix elements along their left-hand cuts.
Environmental Economics and Responsibility

We are optimistic about the ability of our social institutions to respond to the challenges of environmental degradation, but recognize that (a) restoring environmental quality to a world inclined towards rapidly-increasing consumption of resources and generation of wastes will require profound institutional changes, and (b) environmental challenges cannot be separated from the global-scale issue of achieving an equitable distribution of resources. Conventional economics practically ignores environmental consequences, and is inadequate to the challenge of environmental restoration. A new way of ‘doing business’ is called for.Three industries — energy, agriculture, and automobiles — have a responsibility to become the avant garde of global environmentalism, owing to the large toll which they exact in resource utilization and pollution, and for the almost universal role that each of these industries plays in the planet's diverse societies. In order to effect changes of an appropriate magnitude, these industries will need to reorient their priorities and goals — as will the institutions with which they routinely interact, including governments, research and development, and financial institutions.