cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of RFID on the Retail Value Chain: An Exploratory Study Using a Mixed Method Approach

While several large retailers have mandated RFID deployment across their value chains, the case for RFID adoption in retail still remains uncertain. This paper aims at providing a realistic perspective of the immense potential of RFID, taking adoption drivers, potential benefits, and implementation challenges into account. In this paper, a mixed methodological approach is used that caters to the exploratory nature of the work to quantitatively analyze RFID adoption drivers, benefits, and implementation challenges. First content analysis is applied to analyze academic and trade articles to come up with key issues and concepts. The results from the content analysis acted as input for a Delphi study which is the second methodology. The combined results from the two methods provide deep insights and enhance understanding of important implementation issues related to RFID adoption in the retail sector and also aid in drawing meaningful managerial conclusions.
A Low Voltage Source of Ultraviolet Continuum

A low voltage hydrogen discharge tube giving an intense continuous spectrum in the ultraviolet is described. The variation of the intensity of the continuum with pressure, current and discharge voltage has been determined. For a given power consumption 220 volts was found to be more efficient in exciting the continuum than 1200 volts. The hot cathode made it possible to maintain discharges at much higher pressures with 1200 volts than was possible with a cold cathode.The manner in which the relative intensities of the continuum, secondary and series spectra of hydrogen vary with pressure and discharge voltage, indicates that they are largely excited by electron impact rather than by recombination.
When are fish sources vs. sinks of nutrients in lake ecosystems

Animals can be important in nutrient cycling through a variety of direct and indirect pathways. A high biomass of animals often represents a large pool of nutrients, leading some ecologists to argue that animal assemblages can represent nutrient sinks within ecosystems. The role of animals as sources vs. sinks of nutrients has been debated particularly extensively for freshwater fishes. We argue that a large pool size does not equate to a nutrient sink; rather, animals can be nutrient sinks when their biomass increases, when emigration rates are high, and/or when nutrients in animal carcasses are not remineralized. To further explore these ideas, we use a simple model to evaluate the conditions under which fish are phosphorus (P) sources or sinks at the ecosystem (lake) level, and at the habitat level (benthic and water column habitats). Our simulations suggest that, under most conditions, fish are sinks for benthic P but are net P sources to the water column. However, P source and sink strengths depend on fish feeding habits (proportion of P consumed from the benthos and water column), migration patterns, and especially the fate of carcass P. Of particular importance is the rate at which carcasses are mineralized and the relative importance of benthic vs. pelagic primary producers in taking up mineralized P (and excreted P). Higher proportional uptake of P by benthic primary producers increases the likelihood that fish are sinks for water column P. Carcass bones and scales are relatively recalcitrant and can represent a P sink even if fish biomass does not change over time. Thus, there is a need for better documentation of the fraction of carcass P that is remineralized, and the fate of this P, under natural conditions. We urge a more holistic perspective regarding the role of animals in nutrient cycling, with a focus on quantifying the rates at which animals consume, store, release, and transport nutrients under various conditions.
Thinking outside the cortex: social motivation in the evolution and development of language

Alteration of the organization of social and motivational neuroanatomical circuitry must have been an essential step in the evolution of human language. Development of vocal communication across species, particularly birdsong, and new research on the neural organization and evolution of social and motivational circuitry, together suggest that human language is the result of an obligatory link of a powerful cortico-striatal learning system, and subcortical socio-motivational circuitry.
Foraging success of granivorous rodents : Effects of variation in seed and soil water on olfaction

The ability of yellow pine chipmunks (Tamias amoenus), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), and other rodents to detect buried Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) and antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) seeds using olfaction was investigated during dry and moist conditions at the Whittell Forest and Wildlife Area in Little Valley, Washoe County, Nevada, USA. Removal of cached seeds was monitored on two Jeffrey pine foraging grids (each with 100 caches of five seeds buried 5 mm deep) and on two bitterbrush foraging grids (each with 100 caches of 15 seeds buried at the same depth). Under dry conditions, soil typically contained <0.5% water, whereas Jeffrey pine and bitterbrush seeds contained 4.37 ± 1.46% water (mean ± 1 sd) and 7.45 ± 1.83% water, respectively. Under these conditions, rodents found a mean of 0.33% of available Jeffrey pine seed caches each day and 0.14% of available bitterbrush seed caches each day. After rains, soil moisture increased to as much as 8.5%, and Jeffrey pine and bitterbrush se...
The “Ogee” of the Midface: Aesthetic and Technical Considerations

Numerous techniques have been described for elevating the midface, including standard-open and semi-open methods of treatment. However, the endoscopic small incision midface lift technique approaches the deep layers of the midface in the safest plane of dissection and allows better soft tissue remodeling than other techniques in my experience. Earlier in my experience, I des­cribed multiple access points and several planes of dissection to approach the midface. With each described technique, I have consistently done the procedure in the subperiosteal plane.
Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students and Accountability Reform: Issues for the Future.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has had a monumental impact over the past decade on how educational reform is viewed in the United States. As a result of how the law is structured, schools for students who are deaf or hard of hearing have been the focus of attention for educational reform under NCLB. While there have been some shifts in policy, reauthorization of NCLB will need to respond to some of the larger calls for changes to the law. The author discusses some key issues related to assessment and accountability that are central to how the reauthorization of NCLB affects the education of deaf and hard of hearing students.
Tollmien-Schlichting Wave Suppression and Transition Delay using Stationary Transient Disturbances

Numerical simulations show that stationary, spanwise-periodic transient disturbances are capable of suppressing the growth of unstable Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves in boundary layers. Experimental studies have verified this prediction. A natural implication is that the deliberate introduction of transient disturbances may delay TS-dominated transition. This study investigates this possibility by introducing controlled TS waves and stationary transient disturbances into a Blasius boundary layer and measuring the resulting amplitudes of the TS waves and transient disturbances as well as the distribution of turbulent intermittencies associated with the TS-dominated breakdown. TS waves are created using a combination of acoustic forcing and a 2D roughness strip while transient disturbances are created using a spanwise array of cylindrical roughness elements. In the presence of the transient disturbances, the growth rate of the TS-like disturbances is reduced and the disturbances develop a strong spanwise-periodic modulation. It is found that the receptivity of these disturbances to acoustic forcing is reduced by the presence of the transient disturbances. Despite the fact that the initial disturbances are well-controlled, breakdown to turbulence does not occur with a clear pattern that can be tied to specific spanwise locations. The introduction of largeamplitude transient disturbances does move the breakdownlocationdownstream. However, this delay may be more stronglyassociatedwith the reduced receptivitythanwith the reducedgrowthrate. It is found that the amplitudes of the unsteady disturbances at breakdown are also reduced when transient disturbances are present but this may simply be a consequence of the more-downstream breakdown location. Therefore, it is not clear if the reduction of the unsteady disturbances’ growth by transient disturbances does indeed delay transition.
Effect of Protein Level of the Diet on Free Gossypol Tolerance in Chicks

Abstract RESEARCH on the nutritional value of cottonseed meal when used in poultry feed formulas, as well as the gossypol theory of the toxic effects of cottonseed meal have been adequately summarized by Heywang and Bird (1955), Altschul (1954) and Couch, Chang and Lyman (1955). The last group of workers reported that lysine when added to diets containing free gossypol increased the growth rate of chicks fed such diets. However, the level of tolerance to free gossypol was not changed. It seemed from these data that increasing the level of protein in the diet might prove effective in overcoming free gossypol toxicity. With this objective in mind, two experiments were designed and carried out to test the tolerance of chicks to different levels of free gossypol at three different protein levels in a purified type of diet. Cabell and Earle (1956) have reported a similar study using rats as experimental animals …
Performance of multicode DS/CDMA with noncoherent M-ary orthogonal modulation and successive interference cancellation

An accurate approximation is derived for the bit error rate of uplink multicode direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS/CDMA) with noncoherent M-ary modulation in wideband fading channels, when successive interference cancellation is used at the receiver. The receiver noncoherently combines the multipaths via equal-gain combining. The analysis takes into account the effect of error propagation due to incorrect decisions and the fact that all codes of a multicode user fade along the same propagation path. The obtained analytical expression is shown to closely match the Monte Carlo system simulations, especially for a larger number of users.
The role of horticulture in plant invasions: how grafting in cultivars of Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) can facilitate spread into natural areas

Although few plant species escape from cultivation, some horticultural practices used with woody ornamentals may enhance their invasion potential into natural areas. One such procedure is grafting, in which individuals are propagated for commercial sale by joining a clone of a desired cultivar (the scion) with rootstock obtained from a different individual. If the rootstock can sprout and flower, it can potentially cross-pollinate the scion, leading to fruit production in a self-incompatible species. The effect of grafting on invasion success was examined in the Callery pear, Pyrus calleryana, one of the most popular landscaping trees in the United States. Using nine microsatellite markers, scion and rootstock were genotyped for 57 cultivated trees to characterize rootstock genotypes and the rootstock gene pool. Invasive populations were then sampled to determine if rootstock genotypes have contributed to their formation. In no case were scion and rootstock genotypes identical for any given cultivated tree and rootstock genotypes were genetically variable, although some cloned rootstock genotypes were detected. Rootstock genotypes were also observed in invasive populations, with up to 17% of wild individuals having at least one rootstock parent. These results indicate that rootstock can contribute to the formation of invasive populations of the Callery pear through cross-pollination with other available genotypes. Future investigations of woody ornamentals propagated by grafting should consider this horticultural practice as a potential contributor to invasiveness. Furthermore, plant breeders are encouraged to assess the ability of rootstock to sprout as well as its cross-compatibility with the scion or other cultivar genotypes growing nearby.
Measurements of Starspot Parameters on Active Stars using Molecular Bands in Echelle Spectra

We present results from a study of starspot areas (fS) and temperatures (TS), primarily on active, single-lined spectroscopic binaries, determined using molecular absorption bands. Expanding upon our previous studies, we have analyzed multiorder echelle spectra of eight systems to simultaneously measure several different molecular bands and chromospheric emission lines. We determined starspot parameters by fitting the molecular bands of interest, using spectra of inactive G and K stars as proxies for the nonspotted photosphere of the active stars, and using spectra of M stars as proxies for the spots. At least two bands with different Teff sensitivities are required. We found that fitting bands other than the TiO 7055 and 8860 A features does not greatly extend the temperature range or sensitivity of our technique. The 8860 A band is particularly important because of its sharply different temperature sensitivity. We did not find any substantial departures from fS or TS that we have measured previously based on single-order spectra. We refined our derived spot parameters using contemporaneous photometry where available. We found that using M giants as spot proxies for subgiant active stars often underestimates fS needed to fit the photometry; this is presumably due to the increase in strength of the TiO bands with decreasing gravity. We also investigated correlations between fS and chromospheric emission, and we developed a simple method to measure nonspot temperature (TQ) solely from our echelle spectra.
A Brief Survey of Distributed Computational Toys

Distributed computational toys are physical artifacts that function based on the coordination of more than one computing device. Often, these toys take the form of a microcontroller network embedded in a children's construction kit. We present a survey of distributed computational toys. Although most of the toys we surveyed were built in the last five years and exist only as research projects, they build on the rich history of constructivism, constructionism and kinesthetic learning. Projects are tagged according to their structure, status, and intended functionality: construction kits, physical programming, and cellular automata.
Effect of power source regulation on the response of a control system amplifier

Many feedback control systems employ amplifiers that incidently convert energy from one physical form to another. Amplification is accomplished by variation of a parameter that changes such conversion properties. Among a number of examples are variable-displacement hydraulic pumps and "Ward-Leonard" systems of motor control. Conventional linear response analyses usually are based upon the assumption of an "ideal" input energy source. Actual practice displays many instances when such an assumption is not valid. The load imposed on the controlled output may have a significant effect on the input power source. The method presented here takes such non-ideal characteristics into account. This paper is to be published in the Proceedings of the First IFAC Moscow Congress by Butterworth Scientific Publications in 1960.
Rab5-stimulated Up-regulation of the Endocytic Pathway Increases Intracellular β-Cleaved Amyloid Precursor Protein Carboxyl-terminal Fragment Levels and Aβ Production *

We previously identified abnormalities of the endocytic pathway in neurons as the earliest known pathology in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down's syndrome brain. In this study, we modeled aspects of these AD-related endocytic changes in murine L cells by overexpressing Rab5, a positive regulator of endocytosis. Rab5-transfected cells exhibited abnormally large endosomes immunoreactive for Rab5 and early endosomal antigen 1, resembling the endosome morphology seen in affected neurons from AD brain. The levels of both Aβ40 and Aβ42 in conditioned medium were increased more than 2.5-fold following Rab5 overexpression. In Rab5 overexpressing cells, the levels of β-cleaved amyloid precursor protein (APP) carboxyl-terminal fragments (βCTF), the rate-limiting proteolytic intermediate in Aβ generation, were increased up to 2-fold relative to APP holoprotein levels. An increase in β-cleaved soluble APP relative to α-cleaved soluble APP was also observed following Rab5 overexpression. βCTFs were co-localized by immunolabeling to vesicular compartments, including the early endosome and the trans-Golgi network. These results demonstrate a relationship between endosomal pathway activity, βCTF generation, and Aβ production. Our findings in this model system suggest that the endosomal pathology seen at the earliest stage of sporadic AD may contribute to APP proteolysis along a β-amyloidogenic pathway.
Power dissipation and interconnect noise challenges in nanometer CMOS technologies

As CMOS technology continues to scale down, leakage currents and interconnection noise will become increasingly large due to the effects of electron tunnelling, short channel effects, coupling capacitance and other factors. Managing these factors by developing better circuits and processes is vital to the continuous success of CMOS technologies in the semiconductor industry. This would require innovative control techniques and architectures in all aspects of CMOS design. Architectural innovation has already lead to renewed industrial interests in asynchronous ICs, which using clockless structure, mitigate the effects of interconnect noise delays and other parasitics in circuits.
On stochastic stability of regional ocean models with uncertainty in wind forcing

A shallow-water model was used to understand model error induced by non-Gaussian wind uncertainty. Al- though the model was simple, it described a generic sys- tem with many degrees of freedom randomized by external noise. The study focused on the nontrivial collective behav- ior of finite-amplitude perturbations on different scales and their influence on model predictability. The error growth strongly depended on the intensity and degree of spatial in- homogeneity of wind perturbations. For moderate but highly inhomogeneous winds, the error grew as a power law. This behavior was a consequence of varying local characteris- tic exponents and nonlinear interactions between different scales. Coherent growth of perturbations was obtained for different scales at various stages of error evolution. For the nonlinear stage, statistics of prediction error could be ap- proximated by a Weibull distribution. An approach based on the Kullback-Leibler distance (the relative entropy) and probability-weighted moments was developed for identifi- cation of Weibull statistics. Bifurcations of the variance, skewness and kurtosis of the irreversible predictability time (a measure of model prediction skill) were detected when the accepted prediction accuracy (tolerance) exceeded some threshold.
The Shrines of Sport: Sacred Space and the World’s Athletic Venues

At the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, the “Sacred Ground” exhibit celebrates the game’s most noteworthy parks. “This exhibit,” remarked the Hall of Fame’s president, “captures that magical connection that forms between fans and their ballpark.” Similar examples of sacred themes intermingling with athletic places appear elsewhere in the world, from the soccer field at Aztec Stadium in Mexico City, to the fairways of the Old Course at Saint Andrews in Scotland. This essay uses sacred space as an interpretive category to investigate the religious dimensions of sports. Channeling insights from cultural geographers, religion theorists, historians, and cultural theorists, it examines major sporting venues in different sections of the world and identifies the tactics used by fans, players, and curators to enshrine their favored people, teams, and events.
RNA–Intercalating Agent Interactions: in vitro Antiviral Activity Studies:

Twenty intercalating agents were tested to examine the effects of intercalating dye-induced perturbations upon the antiviral activity of poly (adenylate–uridylate) [poly (A-U)]. Neither poly (A-U) ...
Characterizing Quantitative Variation in the Glossopodia of Three Western North American Isoëtes Species

Abstract One of the challenges when working with the genus Isoetes is the scarcity of in-depth comparative analyses of its morphological characters. This paucity of analyses relates in part to the long-held conclusion that most of the characteristics associated with the traits of the genus aside from spore morphology, are too variable to be informative. As a result, our understanding of morphological variability among species of Isoetes is underdeveloped. Recent workers have attempted to address this deficiency by examining the glossopodia of the ligule, a structure unique among living taxa to Isoetes and its sister genus, Selaginella. The glossopodium is embedded in the adaxial surface of the microphyll, and has shown evidence of interspecific variability in the few studies in which it has been examined. However, these prior works were limited to qualitative comparisons. The present study compares 3D reconstructions of the glossopodia of three species, Isoetes howellii, I. bolanderi and I. nuttallii, usi...
Experimental and Theortical Results on the Performance of Elementary Amorphous Silicon thin film Integrated Circuits

Elementary amorphous silicon logic integrated circuits have been manufactured on glass substrates by rf glow discharge. Circuits presented include two different inverters, a 6-transistor addressable static memory cell, a 3-transistor addressable dynamic memory cell, and a 9-stage ring oscillator. All of the circuits use n-channel enhancement type load TFTs instead of ohmic resistors. The channel length of the driver transistors is 10 μn and 15 μm, experimental geometry ratios range from β=5 to β=33 The influence of the geometry ratio on static and dynamic characteristics is examined. Circuits operating at supply voltages of less than 5 V have been demonstrated.
Quail—Biological Indicators in the Differentiation of Ulcerative and Necrotic Enteritis of Chickens

Abstract INTRODUCTION DURING the last several years an increased incidence of a clinical syndrome in broilers, manifesting as an enteritis, has been evident. Although documentary evidence is lacking, this condition apparently appeared first in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama. It is now seen throughout the broiler raising areas of the Southeastern United States. For a time, this syndrome was described as ulcerative enteritis. Recently, the term “necrotic enteritis” has been used to describe this enteric syndrome. Unfortunately, the etiologic agent(s) of ulcerative enteritis have not been identified. Additionally, both of these clinical conditions produce similar but not identical lesions. For these reasons, a reasonable doubt can be raised as to the existence of two separate diseases. Peckham (1965) has reviewed extensively the literature concerning ulcerative enteritis (“quail disease”). This disease has been reported in wild birds and domestic poultry. This disease apparently is caused by a gram-positive, anaerobic, spore forming bacillus of…
The Histaminase Activity of Ceruloplasmin

SummaryThe plasmas of man and rhesus monkey contain a protein which oxidatively deaminates histamine, but not putrescine, at near physiological pH. Purified ceruloplasmin also gives this histaminase reaction. It migrates as a distinct zone in acrylamide disc electrophoresis except when complexed with anti-ceruloplasmin, indicating its identity with that copper-bearing protein. It is not yet established whether or not the histaminase activity of ceruloplasmin represents all or only part of the histaminase activity of plasma.
Early-Season Activity and Habitat Characteristics of Terricolous Spider Families (Araneae) in an Appalachian Oak-Mixed Hardwood Forest

Spiders of 24 families were collected by pitfall traps in an oak-mixed hardwood forest in northcentral West Virginia during an 11-wk period in early summer of 1989-1992. All trapped individuals were identified at least to the family level. Quantitative vegetation data allowed assessment of spider habitat associations on a finer spatial scale than previously reported. The Lycosidae dominated each year despite great annual variation in abundance for each family. Percentage of fern coverage on a plot basis was related inversely to abundance of Thomisidae and Gnaphosidae, but related positively to abundance of Linyphiidae, a reflection of the strategies of the families. There was a strong positive correspondence between abundance of the Thomisidae and percentage of oak basal area in the overstory. Pitfall-trap catches were biased slightly toward capture of male spiders; average sex ratio (male:female) for hunting-spider families over the 4 yrs was 8.1:1, and for web-spinners was 2.5:1. Abundance of juvenile spiders (over all families) varied temporally and was related inversely to total abundance.
Review and Prospect for the Research on Harvest Index in Rice

The authors reviewed the concept of rice harvest index(HI) and the research advances in its inheritance and influencing factors.The roles of HI were discussed in the breeding of rice.It is concluded that HI would still be an important indicator to be used in future rice breeding.
A prospective controlled evaluation of TEST-yolk buffer in the preparation of sperm for human in vitro fertilization in suspected cases of male infertility.

Objective To evaluate sperm preincubation in tes and tris (TEST)-yolk buffer as a potential enhancing agent of fertilizing capacity of sperm during human in vitro fertilization (IVF). Design Oocytes obtained during IVF were divided into two groups: one group fertilized with TEST-yolk buffer-treated sperm and the other group with standard-prepared sperm. Setting The University of Southern California IVF Program. Patients Thirty-nine couples with suspected male factor infertility undergoing IVF. Interventions Preinsemination incubation of sperm in TEST-yolk buffer for 24hours. Main Outcome Measures Fertilization rates in vitro. Results TEST-yolk buffer-treated sperm fertilized 140 of 241 oocytes (58%), whereas control sperm fertilized 108 of 251 oocytes (43%). Of four couples who had previously failed to fertilize during IVF, one fertilized with both specimens and three fertilized with TEST-yolk buffer-treated sperm only. Conclusions TEST-yolk buffer pretreatment of sperm for 24hours results in higher fertilization rates during IVF among suspected male factor patients.
Exploring cognitive bias in destination therapy left ventricular assist device decision making: A retrospective qualitative framework analysis

Background Cognitive biases are psychological influences, which cause humans to make decisions, which do not seemingly maximize utility. For people with heart failure, the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a surgically implantable device with complex tradeoffs. As such, it represents an excellent model within which to explore cognitive bias in a real-world decision. We conducted a framework analysis to examine for evidence of cognitive bias among people deciding whether or not to get an LVAD. Objectives The aim of this study was to explore the influence of cognitive bias on the LVAD decision-making process. Methods We analyzed previously conducted interviews of patients who had either accepted or declined an LVAD using a deductive, predetermined framework of cognitive biases. We coded and analyzed the interviews using an inductive-deductive framework approach, which also allowed for other themes to emerge. Results We interviewed a total of 22 heart failure patients who had gone through destination therapy LVAD decision making (15 who had accepted the LVAD and 7 who had declined). All patients appeared influenced by state dependence, where both groups described high current state of suffering, but the groups differed in whether they believed LVAD would relieve suffering or not. We found evidence of cognitive bias that appeared to influence decision making in both patient groups, but groups differed in terms of which cognitive biases were present. Among accepters, we found evidence of anchoring bias, availability bias, optimism bias, and affective forecasting. Among decliners, we found evidence of errors in affective forecasting. Conclusions Medical decision making is often a complicated and multifaceted process that includes cognitive bias as well as other influences. It is important for clinicians to recognize that patients can be affected by cognitive bias, so they can better understand and improve the decision-making process to ensure that patients are fully informed.
Human Solutions for Locomotion III. the Initiation of Gait

The control of human locomotion was examined from the perspective of the transition from quiet upright stance to steady-state locomotion. Ten healthy subjects were studied as they achieved normal walking speeds and speeds faster and slower than their normal rates.
Fatigue behavior of FRP composites and CNT‐Embedded FRP composites: A review

Composite materials have emerged as an effective substitute for conventional materials in various fields of engineering and structural science. For replacement of regular metals, composites, especially fiber-reinforced polymer composites, have proved to be a suitable alternative. One of the important tests that conventional and composite materials have to undergo is fatigue test. It refers to the testing of materials for their cyclic behavior. In fatigue testing, depending on the choice of the researchers, materials are loaded till reaching their failure or till reaching a fraction of the total stiffness loss. Composite materials are different from metals and they show a distinct behavior under fatigue loading. In metals, failure occurs from the commencement of a single crack and then its propagation. In composite materials, conversely, it is a complex process as these materials possess crack-arresting properties. This review paper highlights various aspects of the cyclic or fatigue behavior in composite materials. Factors triggering such behavior in composite materials include reinforcing substance, matrix material, fiber orientation or stacking sequence, fiber content, testing environment and so on, together with the damage development process at the microscopic level. Loading condition parameters pertain to stress ratio, mean stress, loading condition, multiaxial stress, and testing frequency. This article also includes the effect of carbon nanotubes on the fatigue life of the polymer composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Multiyear study of the dependence of sea salt aerosol on wind speed and sea ice conditions in the coastal Arctic

Thinning of Arctic sea ice gives rise to ice fracturing and leads (areas of open water surrounded by sea ice) that are a potential source of sea salt aerosol. Atmospheric particle inorganic ion concentrations, local sea ice conditions, and meteorology at Barrow, AK, from 2006 to 2009, were combined to investigate the dependence of submicron (aerodynamic diameter < 1 µm) and supermicron (aerodynamic diameter 1–10 µm) sea salt mass concentrations on sea ice coverage and wind speed. Consistent with a wind-dependent source, supermicron sea salt mass concentrations increased in the presence of nearby leads and wind speeds greater than 4 m s−1. Increased supermicron and submicron sea salt chloride depletion was observed for periods of low winds or a lack of nearby open water, consistent with transported sea salt influence. Sea salt aerosol produced from leads has the potential to alter cloud formation, as well as the chemical composition of the Arctic atmosphere and snowpack.
Long-Term Course of Borderline Personality Disorder.

Information concerning the longitudinal course of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) derives mainly from (a) long-term (10 to 25 year) retrospective follow-up studies, primarily those conducted during the 1980s/1990s, (b) brief (1 to 3 year) follow-up studies of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of several different treatment approaches, and (c) prospective follow-up studies. The patients contacted in the retrospective studies had been treated mostly by psychoanalytically informed approaches or supportive. Though there was a significant suicide rate of 3 to 9%, about two-thirds of the BPD patients eventually achieved a global assessment score in the 60s or beyond. BPD represents a heterogeneous group of patients, whose outcome is a function of many variables, including personality traits (paranoid and narcissistic conducing to less favorable outcomes), cultural differences, socio-economic level, intelligence level, gender, and age of onset. The RCT studies focused on amelioration of the sympto...
Sjogren's syndrome in a celiac patient: searching for environmental triggers.

In the last few years many studies have shown the potential role of different triggers in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases. In particular, in Sjogren's syndrome the presence of a gen...
Bone Marrow Stroma-Mediated Paracrine Inhibition of Ruxolitinib (INCB018424) Induced Apoptosis of JAK2V617F-Mutated Cells

Abstract 1976 Janus kinases (JAK) comprise a small family of cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases, which play an important role in the initiation of cytokine-triggered signaling events via signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins. The activating somatic mutation JAK2 V617F is highly prevalent among patients with myeloproliferative neoplasias (MPNs), which prompted the development of JAK2 inhibitors for patients with these malignancies. We have reported ruxolitinib (INCB018424) to be a potent orally bioavailable inhibitor of JAK1 and JAK2. Ruxolitinib inhibits IL-6 signaling and the proliferation of JAK2 V617F Ba/F3 cells (IC50 127nM). We have streamlined a co-culture experimental platform designed to interrogate the interplay between JAK2 V617F –positive cells and the stromal cells. Ruxolitinib caused marked apoptosis of human JAK2 V617F mutant SET2 (IC50 56nM) and human UKE-1 (IC50 329nM) cells without any effect on the proliferation of the wild-type JAK2 human mast cell lines MHC1.1 or MHC1.2 which carry mutant KIT. The proapoptotic effect was markedly attenuated when JAK2 V617F mutant cells were co-cultured on either immortalized or primary human marrow stromal cells (MSC: HS5, NK.tert or TM-R1). Co-culturing with each human-MSCs monolayer also hampered the ability of the JAK1/2 inhibitor to dephosphorylate STAT3 and STAT5, and prevented cytochrome c release and the cleavage of PARP protein. This protective effect was maintained in non-contact co-culture assays (cell lines separated by 0.4 μm micropore membranes), suggesting a paracrine effect. Cytokine profiling of supernatants from co-cultures of JAK2 V617F –positive cells and human MSC monolayers are being analyzed to determine paracrine signals evoked upon ruxolitinib treatment. Neutralizing antibodies against over-secreted cytokines and downregulation of mRNAs encoding such cytokines with shRNAs will further validate the putative protective effects of such cytokines. Our preliminary results suggest that marrow stroma secreted cytokines play a critical role in protecting JAK2 V617F –positive clones from JAK2 inhibitor therapy, thus highlighting the possible significant role of the microenvironment not only in the pathogenesis of MPNs but also in the resistance to JAK2–directed therapies of bone marrow JAK2V617 F-positive cells. Complete results on experiments using the clinically relevant JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib will be presented. Disclosures: Estrov: Celgene Corporation: Consultancy. Verstovsek: Incyte Corporation: Research Funding.
Drug-Induced QTc Prolongation

QTc prolongation has a high prevalence of and is associated with increased all-cause mortality. Nonetheless, QTc prolonging medications are often used during patient hospitalizations despite baseline prolongation and QTc changes. Data regarding the real-world relative risk of QTc prolongation in the hospital setting are lacking. In this study, we sought to quantify the degree and relative risk of QTc prolongation in patients receiving Arizona Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (AzCERT) "known risk" medications. Electronic medical records of patients receiving an electrocardiogram at the University of Chicago, admitted in 2011 were analyzed. The longest QTc interval and medications administered within the preceding 24 hours were evaluated. Medications were classified into 4 categories according to the AzCERT classification. Of a total of 14,804 patients, mean QTc intervals were 485 versus 454 ms for men and 469 versus 453 ms for women receiving known risk medications compared with those receiving no risk medications (p
Relations Among Cultural Learning Beliefs, Self‐Regulated Learning, and Academic Achievement for Low‐Income Chinese American Adolescents

This mixed-methods study of urban low-income, English-proficient Chinese American, second-generation 15-year-olds (conducted in 2004; N = 32) examined the relation among the virtue model of learning communicated by parents and adolescents' learning beliefs, self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviors, and academic achievement. Analysis of in-depth individual interviews revealed that for these adolescents, perceptions of family educational socialization predicted students' endorsement of their culture's virtue-oriented learning beliefs and that adolescents' endorsement of these learning beliefs predicted their academic achievement. Importantly, adolescents' reported that use of SRL strategies mediated the relationship between their endorsement of virtue-oriented learning beliefs and their academic achievement. Findings are discussed in the context of further research linking cultural learning beliefs, SRL, and children's academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Releasing the Brakes on the Fibrinolytic System in Pulmonary Emboli: Unique Effects of Plasminogen Activation and α2-Antiplasmin Inactivation.

Background:In patients with hemodynamically significant pulmonary embolism, physiological fibrinolysis fails to dissolve thrombi acutely and r-tPA (recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator) th...
Low-Frequency Oscillations and Control of the Motor Output

A less precise force output impairs our ability to perform movements, learn new motor tasks, and use tools. Here we show that low-frequency oscillations in force are detrimental to force precision. We summarize the recent evidence that low-frequency oscillations in force output represent oscillations of the spinal motor neuron pool from the voluntary drive, and can be modulated by shifting power to higher frequencies. Further, force oscillations below 0.5 Hz impair force precision with increased voluntary drive, aging, and neurological disease. We argue that the low-frequency oscillations are (1) embedded in the descending drive as shown by the activation of multiple spinal motor neurons, (2) are altered with force intensity and brain pathology, and (3) can be modulated by visual feedback and motor training to enhance force precision. Thus, low-frequency oscillations in force provide insight into how the human brain regulates force precision.
High-speed imaging using compressed sensing and wavelength-dependent scattering (Conference Presentation)

The process of multiple scattering has inherent characteristics that are attractive for high-speed imaging with high spatial resolution and a wide field-of-view. A coherent source passing through a multiple-scattering medium naturally generates speckle patterns with diffraction-limited features over an arbitrarily large field-of-view. In addition, the process of multiple scattering is deterministic allowing a given speckle pattern to be reliably reproduced with identical illumination conditions. Here, by exploiting wavelength dependent multiple scattering and compressed sensing, we develop a high-speed 2D time-stretch microscope. Highly chirped pulses from a 90-MHz mode-locked laser are sent through a 2D grating and a ground-glass diffuser to produce 2D speckle patterns that rapidly evolve with the instantaneous frequency of the chirped pulse. To image a scene, we first characterize the high-speed evolution of the generated speckle patterns. Subsequently we project the patterns onto the microscopic region of interest and collect the total light from the scene using a single high-speed photodetector. Thus the wavelength dependent speckle patterns serve as high-speed pseudorandom structured illumination of the scene. An image sequence is then recovered using the time-dependent signal received by the photodetector, the known speckle pattern evolution, and compressed sensing algorithms. Notably, the use of compressed sensing allows for reconstruction of a time-dependent scene using a highly sub-Nyquist number of measurements, which both increases the speed of the imager and reduces the amount of data that must be collected and stored. We will discuss our experimental demonstration of this approach and the theoretical limits on imaging speed.
Efficacy of Mycophenolate Mofetil and Oral Cyclophosphamide on Skin Thickness: Post Hoc Analyses From Two Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and cyclophosphamide (CYC) on the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) in participants enrolled in the Scleroderma Lung Study (SLS)-I and II. Methods: SLS-I participants received daily oral CYC or matching placebo for one year, whereas SLS-II participants received daily MMF for 2 years or daily oral CYC for 1 year followed by placebo for second year. We assessed the impact of MMF and CYC on the mRSS in SLS-II over 24-month period. We also compared the change in mRSS in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) assigned to CYC and MMF in SLS-II and SLS-I vs. placebo in SLS-I over a 24-month period using a linear mixed model. Results: In SLS-II, the baseline (mean±SD) mRSS was 14.0±10.6 units for CYC and 15.3±10.4 units for MMF; 58.5% were classified as dcSSc. CYC and MMF were associated with statistically significant improvements in mRSS from baseline over the period of 24 months in dcSSc (p< 0.05 at each time point) but there were no differences between the two groups. In the dcSSc subgroup, the change in mRSS from baseline to all 6 month visits was similar in SLS-II groups— MMF, CYC, pooled cohort (MMF+ CYC) and SLS-I CYC groups and showed statistically significant improvements compared to SLS-I placebo at 12-, 18-, and 24-month period (p< 0.05). Conclusions: In SLS-II, MMF and CYC resulted in improvements in mRSS in dcSSc over 24 months. In addition, MMF and CYC resulted in statistically significant improvements in mRSS in patients with dcSSc when compared with the SLS-I placebo group. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Studying What Happens in the OR

Despite significant attention from both the healthcare community and the population at large, limited improvements have been made in patient safety over the last decade. Given the frequency with which adverse events occur in surgery, and in the operating room in particular, this is a critical area to target for improvements. Traditional quantitative retrospective approaches to research are limited in their ability to advance this field. For this reason, we must expand our armamentarium to include research at the point of care. In this chapter, we will present an overview of the available approaches to data collection and analysis as well as the critical steps to performing this type of research. We will also discuss several representative research studies focusing on point-of-care research in the operating room.
A Comparative Study of Vector Control and Model Predictive Control Technique for Grid Connected Battery System

Advancements made to battery energy storage technologies have led to increasing integration of battery systems with the grid. This paper presents a comparative study of the well-established vector control technique and the model predictive current control technique as applied to the grid connected battery systems. An electrical equivalent model of the battery is modeled and integrated with the grid using a three- phase bidirectional converter. The comparative study is shown for bidirectional flow of power to charge/discharge the battery from the grid. Also, the effects of model predictive control versus vector control technique are analyzed at an event of grid fault. Asymmetrical and symmetrical grid fault is considered for the comparison. All the modeling and simulation is performed in PSCADTM/EMTDCTM. The results are plotted using MATLAB R2017a. The results show that the model predictive control technique performs as good as the vector control technique for a battery connected grid system.
Button battery lodged in Meckel's diverticulum

Abstract Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract. It is relatively uncommon, however, for patients to become symptomatic and rarer still for foreign bodies to become lodged within a Meckel's diverticulum. Here we present one such case in which a button battery was lodged in a Meckel's diverticulum, along with the patient's subsequent interdisciplinary management and review of the relevant literature.
Nuclear receptors and liver disease: Summary of the 2017 basic research symposium

The nuclear receptor superfamily contains important transcriptional regulators that play pleiotropic roles in cell differentiation, development, proliferation, and metabolic processes to govern liver physiology and pathology. Many nuclear receptors are ligand-activated transcription factors that regulate the expression of their target genes by modulating transcriptional activities and epigenetic changes. Additionally, the protein complex associated with nuclear receptors consists of a multitude of coregulators, corepressors, and noncoding RNAs. Therefore, acquiring new information on nuclear receptors may provide invaluable insight into novel therapies and shed light on new interventions to reduce the burden and incidence of liver diseases. (Hepatology Communications 2018;2:765-777).
Advanced Magnetic Force Microscopy Tips for Imaging Domains

Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) is a tool for Imaging domains and studying a variety of local magnetic phenomena. It has been widely used in magnetic recording technology, materials science and microelectronics. MFM is derived from atomic force microscopy, which was invented by Binnig, Gerber and Weibel in 1986 (Binnig et al., 1986). It was able to measure the forces between a sharp tip and a surface using a cantilever. Extending this idea, in 1987, Martin and Wickramasinghe developed MFM that placed a magnetic tip on the cantilever and used a heterodyne interferometer detector to study the stray fields of magnetic structures in magnetic materials (Martin and Wickramasinghe, 1987).
Studies on Dilute Solutions of Rodlike Macroions III. Integrated Intensity and Photon Correlation Light Scattering Investigation of Association

Integrated intensity and photon correlation experiments are combined to study the effects of intermolecular association in dilute solutions of the rodlike poly(l,4-phenylene-2-6-benzobisthiazole) in dilute solution. The autocorrelation function g(2)(τ), the dependence of the second factorial moment n(2)(Δτ) on the sampling interval duration Δτ, and the integrated polarized and depolarized intensities are analyzed in terms of a quasi—two component mixture comprising unassociated chains and intermolecular aggregates. The latter persist in dilute solutions, even though the polymer exists as a macroion in the strong proton sulfonic acid used as a solvent. The unassociated chains which are 20–25 nm long are found to be predominant in weight fraction, but the aggregates, about 3 nm in diameter and 210 nm in length are large enough to dominate the scattering at small scattering angle.