cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Komplexität und Komplexitätsmanagement in Innovationsprozessen

Innovations- und Veranderungsvorhaben weisen weit mehr als Routineablaufe in Unternehmen typische Merkmale „komplexer Probleme“ auf. Am Beispiel einer ERP-Einfuhrung in einem Dienstleistungsunternehmen werden diese Merkmale im vorliegenden Kapitel veranschaulicht und beschrieben. Standardisierte Tools und strikte Umsetzungsrichtlinien alleine reichen als Strategien des Komplexitatsmanagements nicht aus, um Innovationen erfolgreich durchzufuhren. Unternehmen konnen Komplexitat stattdessen durch erweiterte Koordinations- sowie Wissens- und Informationsmechanismen adressieren. Vor allem aber konnen sie durch eine veranderungsorientierte Unternehmenskultur dafur sorgen, dass Komplexitat als ein elementarer Aspekt von sich wandelnden Unternehmensbedingungen grundsatzlich angenommen und adaquat gehandhabt werden kann. Hierzu werden konkrete Masnahmen und Strategien vorgestellt, die in Unternehmen und von entscheidungsverantwortlichen Akteuren eingesetzt werden, um den Umgang mit Komplexitat in Innovations- und Veranderungsprozessen zu verbessern.
Cloud Monitoring: An Innovative Approach for the Prevention of Landslide Risks

Early warning systems (EWS) applied to geohazards and landslides should rely increasingly on cutting edge multi-parameter monitoring systems. These aim to provide both the best insight in the physics and then reach the best time delay required by decision makers. In addition, monitoring geohazard on the long term is becoming an increasingly multi-stakeholder process, involving various interacting actors with different roles. Seamless access to dataset, easy-to-read advanced results and technical information of interest to be shared between numerous actors is becoming all the more important. Then, in the same manner as in the computing field, cloud monitoring technologies and solutions may pace rapidly the next generation of monitoring services. The paper intends to give a brief overview of this prospect, focusing on recent information technology breakthroughs and considerations on the cost benefit of such a network centric approach. The e.cenaris cloud monitoring data center developed by INERIS, France, is evocated along with further linked prospects related to the research undertaken by the authors.
Alcohol Intake and Esophageal Cancer: Epidemiologic Evidence

Alcohol has long been established as a risk factor for cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, and liver [1, 2]. According to Kamangar et al. [3], two papers published in 1932 and 1939 reported an association between excessive use of alcohol (among other risk factors) and esophageal cancer on the basis of clinical observations alone. Subsequent studies conducted in the 1950s noted a similar relation between alcohol use and head and neck cancers but with an observation of a linear trend with both duration and amount of alcohol consumption [3]. Since tobacco smoking also has been consistently associated with esophageal and other head and neck cancers, studies performed among nonsmokers in the 1960s were important in establishing alcohol as a risk factor independent of smoking [3]. Furthermore, studies carried out in the 1970s helped demonstrate the role of the synergism between smoking and alcohol in human carcinogenesis [1, 4]. Finally, in 1988, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published a report that summarized the epidemiologic data concerning alcohol use and cancer and offered convincing evidence on the causal effect of alcohol intake on some cancers, including esophageal cancer [4]. With respect to esophageal cancer, they evaluated data from eight cohort studies in which seven showed a significantly increased risk for esophageal cancer among heavy alcohol drinkers. They also evaluated 13 case-control studies in which 11 showed a statistically significant association between alcohol intake and esophageal cancer risk [2, 4]. For this chapter, studies published after the 1988 IARC report also were reviewed to reflect the current and comprehensive epidemiologic evidence on this topic.
The spirit of public administration

The Spirit of Public Administration by H. George Frederickson is a classic book on administrative ethics, which has become part of the public administration cannon and whose arguments retained thei...
Inferior Vena Cava Tumor Thrombus Dynamics and Perioperative Pulmonary Embolism: A Single-Center Experience

Objectives To analyze preoperative tumor thrombus progression and occurrence of perioperative pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus resection. Design Retrospective analysis. Settings University of Washington Medical Center. Participants Patients who had undergone inferior vena cava tumor resection with thrombectomy from 2014 to 2017. Interventions Analysis of demographic, perioperative, and outcome data. Variables were compared between groups according to the level of tumor thrombus, the timing of the preoperative imaging, and the occurrence of perioperative PE. Measurements and Main Results Incidence, outcomes, and variables associated with perioperative PE and sensitivity/specificity analyses for optimized preoperative imaging timing, broken into 7-day increments, were assessed. Fifty-six patients were included in this analysis. Perioperative PE was observed in 6 (11%) patients, intraoperatively in 5 patients and in the early postoperative period in 1 patient. Of the 5 patients with intraoperative PE, 2 died intraoperatively. Perioperative PE occurred in 1 patient with tumor thrombus level I, in 2 patients with level II, in 2 patients with level III, and in 1 patient with level IV. Risks of preoperative tumor thrombus progression were minimized if the imaging study was performed within 3 weeks for level I and II tumor thrombi and within 1 week for level III tumor thrombus. Conclusions Perioperative PE was observed in patients with all levels of tumor thrombus. Fifty percent of perioperative PE were observed in patients with infrahepatic tumor thrombus. Post-imaging progression of tumor thrombus was unlikely if the surgery was performed within 3 weeks in patients with levels I or II tumor thrombus or within 1 week in patients with level III tumor thrombus.
Effect of phosphonated triazine monomer additive in disulfonated poly (arylene ether sulfone) composite membranes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract Polyfunctional acid materials possess proton conduction at high temperatures and low relative humidity (RH) making them suitable solutions to the poor performance exhibited by conventional polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) under these conditions. The current study explores the synthesis and characterization of 2,4,6-triphosphonic acid-1,3,5-triazine (TPAT) as an additive in poly (arylene ether sulfone) (PAES) copolymers for PEMFC applications. Reaction of 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine and triethylphosphite followed by acid hydrolysis yielded TPAT, confirmed via 31P, 1H and 13C NMR. TPAT in various wt.% amounts was added to acidified disulfonated biphenol-based PAES copolymers to obtain BPSH-35/TPAT membranes exhibiting non-linear proton conductivity properties. The 1% TPAT membrane showed highest conductivity under 90% RH and hydrated state (100% RH) at 0.015 S/cm and 0.032 S/cm respectively; the 3 and 5 wt% membranes showed the lowest proton conductivity. Our findings emphasize the value of BSPH-35/1% TPAT membrane for further exploration in PEMFCs.
The Effect of CO2 and H2O on the Kinetics of NO Reduction by CH4 Over Sr-Promoted La2O3

The influence of CO2 and H2O on the activity of 4% Sr-La2O3 mimics that observed with pure La2O3, and a reversible inhibition of the rate is observed. CO2 causes a greater effect, with decreases in rate of about 65% with O2 present and 90% in its absence, while with H2O in the feed, the rate decreased around 35-40% with O2 present or absent. The influence of these two reaction products on kinetic behavior can be described by assuming competitive adsorption on the surface, incorporating adsorbed CO2 and H2O in the site balance, and using rate expressions previously proposed for this reaction over Sr-promoted La2O3. In the absence of O2, the rate expression is $$r_{N_2 } = \frac{{k'P_{{\text{NO}}} P_{{\text{CH}}_{\text{4}} } }}{{{\text{(1 + }}K_{{\text{NO}}} P_{{\text{NO}}} {\text{ + }}K_{{\text{CH}}_{\text{4}} } P_{{\text{CH}}_{\text{4}} } {\text{ + }}K_{{\text{CO}}_{\text{2}} } P_{{\text{CO}}_{\text{2}} } {\text{ + }}K_{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O}}} P_{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O}}} {\text{)}}^{\text{2}} }},$$ which yields a good fit to the experimental data and gives optimized equilibrium adsorption constants that demonstrate thermodynamic consistency. With O2 in the feed, nondifferential changes in reactant concentrations through the reactor bed were accounted for by assuming integral reactor behavior and simultaneously considering both CH4 combustion and CH4 reduction of NO, which provided the following rate law for total CH4 disappearance: $$(r_{{\text{CH}}_{\text{4}} } )_{\text{T}} = \frac{{k'_{{\text{com}}} P_{{\text{CH}}_{\text{4}} } P_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} }^{{\text{0}}{\text{.5}}} + k'_{{\text{NO}}} P_{{\text{NO}}} P_{{\text{CH}}_{\text{4}} } P_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} }^{{\text{0}}{\text{.5}}} }}{{{\text{(1 + }}K_{{\text{NO}}} P_{{\text{NO}}} {\text{ + }}K_{{\text{CH}}_{\text{4}} } P_{{\text{CH}}_{\text{4}} } {\text{ + }}K_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} }^{{\text{0}}{\text{.5}}} P_{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}} }^{{\text{0}}{\text{.5}}} {\text{ + }}K_{{\text{CO}}_{\text{2}} } P_{{\text{CO}}_{\text{2}} } {\text{ + }}K_{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O}}} P_{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O}}} {\text{)}}^{\text{2}} }}.$$ The second term of this expression represents N2 formation, and it again fit the experimental data well. The fitting constants in the denominator, which correspond to equilibrium adsorption constants, were not only thermodynamically consistent but also provided entropies and enthalpies of adsorption that were similar to values obtained with other La2O3-based catalysts. Apparent activation energies typically ranged from 23 to 28 kcal/mol with O2 absent and 31-36 kcal/mol with O2 in the feed. With CO2 in the feed, but no O2, the activation energy for the formation of a methyl group via interaction of CH4 with adsorbed NO was determined to be 35 kcal/mol.
Communicating Hurricane Risks: Multi-Method Examination of Risk Imagery Diffusion

Conveying uncertainty in information artifacts is difficult; the challenge only grows as the demand for mass communication through multiple channels expands. In particular, as natural hazards increase with changing global conditions, including hurricanes which threaten coastal areas, we need better means of communicating uncertainty around risks that empower people to make good decisions. We examine how people share and respond to a range of visual representations of risk from authoritative sources during hurricane events. Because these images are now shared widely on social media platforms, Twitter provides the means to study them on a large scale as close to in vivo as possible. Using mixed methods, this study analyzes diffusion of and reactions to forecast and other risk imagery during the highly damaging 2017 Atlantic hurricane season to describe the collective response to visual representations of risk.
A coupled crystal plasticity FEM and phase-field model for crack evolution in microstructures of 7000 series aluminum alloys

Abstract A coupled crystal plasticity-phase field (CP-PF) model is developed in this paper for analyzing crack nucleation and propagation in polyphase-polycrystalline microstructures of Aluminum 7000 alloys. The model explicitly represents elastic and plastic anisotropies, tension-compression asymmetry, and the crack surface topology in the material. The phase field model incorporates a regularization length-scale l c that controls the sharpness of the phase-field approximation to the discrete crack. A novel adaptive wavelet-enriched hierarchical FE augmentation is developed for the coupled CP-PF model. It has the unique capability of optimally resolving high gradients in the phase field order parameter s near the crack surface. Parametric studies are conducted with one and two precipitate RVEs in an Al matrix to understand the effect of microstructure and loading on crack evolution. Finally, an image-based microstructural model is developed and simulated to predict crack initiation, growth, and propagation in microstructures of the Al alloy Al7075-T651.
Development of Multi-Layered Cellulosic Nanostructure to be Used in Chemical Protective Clothing for Agricultural Applications

Chemical protective clothing (CPC) is the last line of defense in chemical handling operations to safeguard the wearer from hazardous environments. However, due to the discomfort associated with the recommended CPC ensembles, agricultural pesticide handlers risk themselves to pesticide exposure by choosing typical woven work clothing over the recommended clothing. Therefore, this research aims at development of lightweight multi-layered nano-structured cellulosic fabrics suitable to provide comfort and maintain safety via hydrophilic/hydrophobic interaction. Cellulose acetate (CA) and Polylactic acid (PLA) nano-fibers were prepared via electrospinning on two different types of copper collector (foil and 30 mesh). Deacetylation of CA into regenerated cellulose (RC) was done with 0.1M NaOH in a 4:1 NaOH: EtOH solution. Multi-layer sandwich structures were created by sewing together the fabrics with PLA filament fibers. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and dynamic contact angle tester was used for characterization. RC and PLA fibers exhibited different surface morphology (size and roughness) under SEM depending on polymer and collector. Fibers collected on mesh collector exhibited higher contact angle due to increased roughness. In multilayer sandwiched structure (RC-PLA-RC), the assembly exhibited a very different wettability behavior. The wetting envelope, a graphical presentation of polar component against dispersive component of surface energy, exhibited a complete shift of the nature of wettability that might be attributed to the change in topography and microclimate within the assembly. Therefore, this study provides an important insight into the tunability of wetting behavior by creating multilayer structure.
Evolution and scaling of the peak flame surface density in spherical turbulent premixed flames subjected to decaying isotropic turbulence

Abstract The peak flame surface density within the turbulent flame brush is central to turbulent premixed combustion models in the flamelet regime. This work investigates the evolution of the peak surface density in spherically expanding turbulent premixed flames with the help of direct numerical simulations at various values of the Reynolds and Karlovitz number. The flames propagate in decaying isotropic turbulence inside a closed vessel. The effects of turbulent transport, transport due to mean velocity gradient, and flame stretch on the peak surface density are identified and characterized with an analysis based on the transport equation for the flame surface density function. The three mechanisms are governed by distinct flow time scales; turbulent transport by the eddy turnover time, mean transport by a time scale related to the pressure rise in the closed chamber, and flame stretch by the Kolmogorov time scale. Appropriate scaling of the terms is proposed and shown to collapse the data despite variations in the dimensionless groups. Overall, the transport terms lead to a reduction in the peak value of the surface density, while flame stretch has the opposite effect. In the present configuration, a small imbalance between the two leads to an exponential decay of the peak surface density in time. The dimensionless decay rate is found to be consistent with the evolution of the wrinkling scale as defined in the Bray-Moss-Libby model.
The nonlinear probability distribution function in models with local primordial non-Gaussianity

We use the spherical evolution approximation to investigate nonlinear evolution from the non-Gaussian initial conditions characteristic of the local f_nl model. We provide an analytic formula for the nonlinearly evolved probability distribution function of the dark matter which shows that the under-dense tail of the nonlinear PDF in the f_nl model should differ significantly from that for Gaussian initial conditions. Measurements of the under-dense tail in numerical simulations may be affected by discreteness effects, and we use a Poisson counting model to describe this effect. Once this has been accounted for, our model is in good quantitative agreement with the simulations.
Myelin‐specific T cells in animals with Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis

Objective To determine whether animals with Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis (JME), a spontaneous demyelinating disease similar to multiple sclerosis (MS), harbor myelin-specific T cells in their central nervous system (CNS) and periphery. Methods Mononuclear cells (MNCs) from CNS lesions, cervical lymph nodes (LNs) and peripheral blood of Japanese macaques (JMs) with JME, and cervical LN and blood MNCs from healthy controls or animals with non-JME conditions were analyzed for the presence of myelin-specific T cells and changes in interleukin 17 (IL-17) and interferon gamma (IFNγ) expression. Results Demyelinating JME lesions contained CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells specific to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), myelin basic protein (MBP), and/or proteolipid protein (PLP). CD8+ T-cell responses were absent in JME peripheral blood, and in age- and sex-matched controls. However, CD4+ Th1 and Th17 responses were detected in JME peripheral blood versus controls. Cervical LN MNCs from eight of nine JME animals had CD3+ T cells specific for MOG, MBP, and PLP that were not detected in controls. Mapping myelin epitopes revealed a heterogeneity in responses among JME animals. Comparison of myelin antigen sequences with those of JM rhadinovirus (JMRV), which is found in JME lesions, identified six viral open reading frames (ORFs) with similarities to myelin antigen sequences. Overlapping peptides to these JMRV ORFs did not induce IFNγ responses. Interpretations JME possesses an immune-mediated component that involves both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells specific for myelin antigens. JME may shed new light on inflammatory demyelinating disease pathogenesis linked to gamma-herpesvirus infection.
Comparative Effects of Event Detection Methods on the Analysis and Interpretation of Ca 2+ Imaging Data

Calcium imaging has gained substantial popularity as a tool to profile the activity of multiple simultaneously active cells at high spatiotemporal resolution. Among the diverse approaches to processing of Ca2+ imaging data is an often subjective decision of how to quantify baseline fluorescence or F 0. We examine the effect of popular F 0 determination methods on the interpretation of neuronal and astrocyte activity in a single dataset of rats trained to self-administer intravenous infusions of cocaine and compare them with an F 0-independent wavelet ridgewalking event detection approach. We find that the choice of the processing method has a profound impact on the interpretation of widefield imaging results. All of the dF/F 0 thresholding methods tended to introduce spurious events and fragment individual transients, leading to smaller calculated event durations and larger event frequencies. Analysis of simulated datasets confirmed these observations and indicated substantial intermethod variability as to the events classified as significant. Additionally, most dF/F 0 methods on their own were unable to adequately account for bleaching of fluorescence, although the F 0 smooth approach and the wavelet ridgewalking algorithm both did so. In general, the choice of the processing method led to dramatically different quantitative and sometimes opposing qualitative interpretations of the effects of cocaine self-administration both at the level of individual cells and at the level of cell networks. Significantly different distributions of event duration, amplitude, frequency, and network measures were found across the majority of dF/F 0 approaches. The wavelet ridgewalking algorithm broadly outperformed dF/F 0-based methods for both neuron and astrocyte recordings. These results indicate the need for heightened awareness of the limitations and tendencies associated with decisions to use particular Ca2+ image processing pipelines. Both quantification and interpretation of the effects of experimental manipulations are strongly sensitive to such decisions.
Scale vs Quality of Service: The Impact of Market Growth on Delivery Times

Supply chains typically benefit from economies of scale due to market growth. However, are there any tradeoffs due to rapid market growth? In particular, what is the impact on customer experience? While it is well-established that there are diminishing returns for scale in supply chains in terms of marginal costs, our empirical results suggest that there is also a tradeoff between scale and quality of service for new customers. We use data from the e-commerce platform JD that describe customer transactions and deliveries for a single product category for March 2018. We analyze 184,085 shipments and regress various metrics related to delivery speed and supply chain operational complexity while controlling for district-, SKU-, customer-, warehouse-, and order-related effects. We find that newer customers suffer from slower shipping compared to customers who have been using JD's platform longer. For example, customers who started using JD's platform within the last 6 months are about 4% less likely to get single-day shipping than customers who signed up around 4 years ago. As the historical centers of demand exhaust their growth, new customers come from progressively more distant areas with smaller warehouses, and the existing supply chain cannot keep up such geographically dispersed market growth. Hence, rapidly growing firms that are keen on acquiring and retaining their new customers may want to carefully manage this tradeoff since slow shipping can lead to a high customer churn.
Thick Fibrous Septa on Liver Biopsy Specimens Predict the Development of Decompensation in Patients With Compensated Cirrhosis.

Objectives In compensated cirrhosis, thick fibrous septa and small nodules on liver biopsy specimens correlate with the presence of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). In turn, CSPH is the strongest predictor of cirrhosis decompensation. The aim of the study was to correlate liver biopsy specimen characteristics with the development of decompensation in patients with compensated cirrhosis. Methods Patients with compensated cirrhosis and a concurrent liver biopsy specimen were reviewed. Semiquantitative grading of septal thickness and nodule size was performed. Primary end point was development of clinical decompensation. In total, 168 patients (median age, 49 years; 76% men) were included in the study; the most common etiology was viral. Results In a median follow-up of 50 months, 43 (26%) patients developed clinical decompensation (60% ascites, 16% encephalopathy, 12% variceal hemorrhage, 7% jaundice, and 5% mixed). On univariate analysis, septal width was significantly associated with decompensation, but nodule size was not. On multivariate analysis including model for end-stage liver disease score, serum albumin and septal width, albumin and septal width were independent predictors of decompensation. Conclusions Histologic cirrhosis in compensated patients can be subclassified by severity based on septal thickness, with thick septa denoting worse prognosis.
Naught Beyond: A Phenomenology of Ahab’s “Madness Maddened”

This article attempts to investigate the discursive manifestations of evil in Melville’s Moby Dick. It argues that throughout the novel, Ahab speaks—and in speaking performs—the whale. He brings into presence a whale of his own making. This chapter will draw principally on Sartre’s qualifications of being (en soi, pour soi, pour autrui), on Heidegger’s work on language and poetry, and other recent critical texts on poetic theory and the phenomenology of language in order to show how, in the twenty-first century, we might, in the act of reading, understand Ahab’s purpose and the emptiness of the existential crisis Melville defines.
Cooperative Phenomena in Resonant Propagation

The cooperative emission of two atoms constrained to radiate along the line joining them can be calculated exactly. [1] One finds that for an atomic separation smaller than ∿ c/2γ the atoms radiate cooperatively, whereas for a greater separation they essentially radiate as if they were alone. This rather academic example can serve to introduce the notion of cooperation in resonant emission. The solution also emphasizes that a multi-mode quantum mechanical treatment is required to arrive at the proper answer. The notions of maximum cooperation time and maximum cooperation number, valid for a large assembly of radiating atoms, can however be arrived at on the basis of perturbation theory, provided a self-consistent argument is used. [1] The cooperation time fixes an upper limit to the duration of superradiant emission. It is the emission time when the superradiant system is essentially emitting in the absence of an applied field, as is the case for a “long” 2π-pulse, i.e., one for which the velocity of propagation v is much smaller than c/n. The maximum cooperation number is the maximum number of atoms that can possibly contribute to a coherent superradiant pulse.
Effects of the marine macrolides swinholide A and jasplakinolide on outflow facility in monkeys.

PURPOSE To determine effects of the marine macrolides swinholide A (Swin A) and jasplakinolide (Jas), alone or in conjunction with latrunculin B (Lat B) on outflow facility in monkeys. METHODS Total outflow facility was measured by two-level constant-pressure perfusion of the anterior chamber before and after exchange with Swin A, Jas, or vehicles followed by continuous anterior chamber infusion of drug or vehicle, in opposite eyes of cynomolgus monkeys. The effect of a facility-ineffective dose of Jas plus a threshold or submaximal facility-effective dose of the actin depolymerizer Lat B on outflow facility was also determined. RESULTS Ten or 100 nM Swin A or 20, 100, or 500 nM Jas had no significant effect on outflow facility. However, 500 nM Swin A and 2.5 microM Jas significantly increased facility by 80% +/- 21% and 157% +/- 57% (mean +/- SEM) respectively, adjusted for corresponding baselines and resistance washout in contralateral control eyes. The facility increase in the eye treated with 500 nM Jas with 60 or 200 nM Lat B was similar to that in the eye treated with 60 or 200 nM Lat B only. CONCLUSIONS Swin A (which severs actin filaments and sequesters actin dimers) and Lat B (which sequesters actin monomers) similarly increase outflow facility. The potent inducer of actin polymerization Jas (500 nM) neither inhibits nor potentiates the facility increase induced by Lat B (60 or 200 nM). A higher dose of Jas increases rather than decreases outflow facility.
Working in the Virtual Stacks: The New Library & Information Science. Kane, Laura Townsend: Chicago: American Library Association, 2011. 167p. ISBN 978-0-8389-1103-7. $47.00.

Many of us who work within the field of library and information science love what we do, and we often wonder why more individuals do not choose our line of work. After being in the field for 10 yea...
Tissue-specific alterations of methyl group metabolism with DNA hypermethylation in the Zucker (type 2) diabetic fatty rat.

BackgroundAltered methyl group and homocysteine metabolism were tissue-specific, persistent, and preceded hepatic DNA hypomethylation in type 1 diabetic rats. Similar metabolic perturbations have been shown in the Zucker (type 2) diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat in the pre-diabetic and early diabetic stages, but tissue specificity and potential impact on epigenetic marks are unknown, particularly during pathogenesis. Methods ZDF (fa/fa) and lean (+/?) control rats were killed at 12 and 21 weeks of age, representing early and advanced diabetic conditions. Blood and tissues were analysed with respect to methyl group and homocysteine metabolism, including DNA methylation. Results At 12 weeks, hepatic glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT), methionine synthase, and cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) activity and/or abundance were increased in ZDF rats. At 21 weeks, GNMT activity was increased in liver and kidney; however, only hepatic CBS protein abundance (12 weeks) and betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase mRNA expression (21 weeks) were significantly elevated (78 and 100%, respectively). Hepatic phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase expression was also elevated in the ZDF rat. Homocysteine concentrations were decreased in plasma and kidney, but not in liver, at 12 and 21 weeks. In contrast to hepatic DNA hypomethylation in the type 1 diabetic rat, genomic DNA was hypermethylated at 12 and 21 weeks in the liver of ZDF rats, concomitant with an increase in DNA methyltransferase 1 expression at 21 weeks. ConclusionsThe pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes in the ZDF rat was associated with tissue and disease stage-specific aberrations of methyl group and homocysteine metabolism, with persistent hepatic global DNA hypermethylation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel Real-Time Tremor Transduction Technique for Microsurgery

Physiological tremor is one of the limiting factors to the scale on which a microsurgeon can operate. The ability to correctly determine the amount of tremor a surgeon has is an invaluable tool both for tremor cancellation and for surgical training. For this reason we have developed a novel tremor transducer using a custom built VLSI motion detection chip connected to the surgical microscope. The chip detects and measures the magnified motion of a microsurgical tool tip under the microscope. This innovative design offers several advantages over conventional methods. It is nomntrusive to the surgeon - not interfering with current microsurgical set-ups; it outputs real-time tremor data, and is small and inexpensive. The system has been implemented in an experimental set-up for analysis of the factors that aggravate tremor. Results presented, include the use of the system as a audio feedback mechanism for tremor reduction - eliciting up to a 16% reduction in tremor.
Dating--Vive la Différence

Radiocarbon ages are widely used in archaeology and the geological sciences to date events from the modern to beyond the Last Glacial Maximum. But atmospheric radiocarbon concentrations vary widely at many time scales. In his Perspective, Adkins explains how Siani et al. circumvent this problem, enabling them to determine absolute ages for ocean surface water temperature records. The results help understand how variations in surface radiocarbon reservoir ages relate to climatic changes during the last deglaciation.
TLR2 Signaling and Th2 Responses Drive Tannerella forsythia-Induced Periodontal Bone Loss

Periodontal disease (PD) is a chronic inflammation of the tooth-supporting soft tissue and alveolar bone due to infection by a select group of gram-negative microbes, which leads to tooth loss if untreated. Because mice deficient in CD4(+) cells are resistant to infection-induced alveolar bone loss, Th cells have been implicated in bone-destructive processes during PD. However, the extent to which different Th cell subtypes play roles in pathogenesis or host protection remains to be defined and is likely to vary depending on the dominant microorganism involved. By far, Porphyromonas gingivalis is the best-studied periodontal microbe in PD. Although the gram-negative anaerobe Tannerella forsythia is also a vital contributor to periodontal bone loss, almost nothing is known about immune responses to this organism. Previous studies from our laboratory revealed that T. forsythia induces periodontal bone loss in mice and that this bone loss depends on the bacterially expressed BspA protein. In this study, we showed that T. forsythia activates murine APCs primarily through TLR2-dependent signaling via BspA. Furthermore, T. forsythia infection causes a pronounced Th2 bias, evidenced by T cell expression of IL-5, but not IFN-γ or IL-17, in draining lymph nodes. Consistently, deficiencies in TLR2 or STAT6 result in resistance to T. forsythia-induced alveolar bone loss. Thus, TLR2 signaling and Th2 cells play pathogenic roles in T. forsythia-induced alveolar bone destruction.
Whole-Exome Enrichment with the Agilent SureSelect Human All Exon Platform

There are multiple platforms available for whole-exome enrichment and sequencing (WES). This protocol is based on the Agilent SureSelect Human All Exon platform, which targets ∼50 Mb of the human exonic regions. The SureSelect system uses ∼120-base RNA probes to capture known coding DNA sequences (CDS) from the NCBI Consensus CDS Database as well as other major RNA coding sequence databases, such as Sanger miRBase. The protocol can be performed at the benchside without the need for automation, and the resulting library can be used for targeted next-generation sequencing on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencer.
Politics, Gender, and the Mexican Novel, 1968-1988: Beyond the Pyramid

Acknowledgments 1. Of Pyramids and Fleas: Mexican Narrative and the Crisis, 1968-1985 2. Gender, Genre, and Authority: Hasta no verte Jesus mio (1969), by Elena Poniatowska 3. The Novel as Pyramid: Palinuro de Mexico (1977), by Fernando del Paso 4. Commodification and Desire in the Wasteland: Las batallas en el desierto (1981), by Jose Emilio Pacheco 5. Apocalypse and Patricide: Cerca del fuego (1986), by Jose Agustin 6. Out of the Rubble: Mexican Narrative and Social Movements of the Late 1980s Notes Bibliography Index
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: Time-resolved spectrochemical applications

We have added time resolution to laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in two forms, by gating an optical multichannel analyzer (OMA) and by time-resolving the output of a photomultiplier with a boxcar amplifier. Spectra were obtained for temporal segments of 25 to 100 ns, from 25 ns to 50 µs after initiation of the breakdown. OMA spectra of oxygen illustrate the power of this technique for survey purposes. The photomultiplier-boxcar arrangement was used to detect phosphorus atoms from diisopropylmethyl phosphonate in air, and also to detect chlorine in air, both in real time. In the former experiments we detected 690 ppm (w/w) of phosphorus and project a limit of detection with our current apparatus of 15 ppm (w/w). For chlorine, we observed signal from 120 ppm (w/w) and project a limit of detection of 60 ppm (w/w).
American and European transportation responses to the 1973–74 oil embargo

A survey of U.S. and European responses to the energy crises engendered by the Arab boycott of October 1973-April 1974 is presented. U.S. Government policy actions with respect to allocation, rationing, price, and conservation measures are reviewed and contrasted with those of affected European governments. The results of those policies and their effects on transportation energy supply and demand behavior with respect to both commodity and passenger movement are described. Based on short- and long-term impact assessments of the policies considered, the authors identify significant research requirements. (A) /TRRL/
Rapid development of migratory, linear, and serpiginous lesions in association with immunosuppression.

Key teaching points •Strongyloides is a genus of obligate gastrointestinal nematodes (roundworms) of vertebrates. The species stercoralis, the usual cause of human infection, has the potential for autoinfection and multiplication in human beings. •Peripheral eosinophilia without a known cause may represent chronic, persistent infection with Strongyloides stercoralis. •Undiagnosed disease is prevalent, especially among immigrants and military veterans who served in highly endemic areas in the tropics and subtropics. •Immunosuppression of individuals with persistent Strongyloides stercoralis infection can lead to hyperinfection syndrome or disseminated infection, which can be fatal in up to 90% of cases. •First-line therapy for acute and chronic strongyloidiasis is ivermectin, 200 μg/kg orally in a single daily dose for 1 to 2 days. Treatment of hyperinfection syndrome includes reduction of immunosuppression, if possible, and administration of ivermectin (200 μg/kg daily) until larvae are no longer detected in stool for at least 2 weeks. 3,17 The spectrum of clinical disease is wide, however, and shorter courses of ivermectin may be sufficient. •Larva currens is a hypersensitivity reaction that refers to the cutaneous manifestation of Strongyloides and should be distinguished from cutaneous larva migrans, which is caused by abortive human infection with an animal hookworm.
Risk factors for falls during treatment of late-life depression.

Background Prior studies have found that antidepressant medications are associated with an increased risk of falling in elderly persons. However, little is known about the prevention of falls during treatment for depression in elderly persons. This study evaluated the time course and potential risk factors for falls in a treatment protocol for late-life depression to identify specific at-risk periods and risk factors for falls in this population. Method One hundred four subjects aged 69 years and over were treated in a protocolized manner using paroxetine and interpersonal psychotherapy. Those who did not respond received augmentation therapy with bupropion, nortriptyline, or lithium. Subjects were assessed at baseline and weekly during treatment; demographic and clinical characteristics of those who experienced a fall during treatment were compared with those who did not fall. Cox proportional hazards models were used to define risk factors for falls in univariate and multivariate models. Results During a mean of 21 weeks of treatment, 40 subjects (38%) fell. About half (53%) of the subjects fell during the first 6 weeks of treatment. In the multivariate model, memory impairment and orthostatic changes in blood pressure during treatment were risk factors for falling. Additionally, augmentation with bupropion appeared to be a risk factor for falls in univariate analysis, but this result is preliminary due to the small number of subjects who took bupropion. Conclusion Increased monitoring for falls is warranted during the acute treatment of late-life depression. When treating such patients, clinicians should be especially watchful of those with memory impairments or those who develop orthostatic blood pressure changes; orthostatic blood pressure should be measured throughout acute treatment. Additionally, augmenting paroxetine with bupropion may also increase the risk of falls, and this medication combination should be used with caution in elderly patients.
Effect of still and moving moisture-saturated air on sporulation of Drechslera and Peronospora

Drechslera turcica and Peronospora destructor sporulated in profusion on infected leaves incubated at constant temperature in moisture-saturated air that was still, but not when saturated air was in motion at velocities from 0.3 to 1.5 m/s.
Role of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor in mediating alcohol-induced activation of the rat hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Abstract Alcohol stimulates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis through brain-based mechanisms in which endogenous corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a major role. This review first discusses the evidence for this role, as well as the possible importance of intermediates such as vasopressin, nitric oxide and catecholamines. We then illustrate the long-term influence exerted by alcohol on the HPA axis, such as the ability of a first exposure to this drug during adolescence, to permanently blunt neuroendocrine responses to subsequent exposure of the drug. In view of the role played by CRF in addiction, it is likely that a better understanding of the mechanisms through which this drug stimulates the HPA axis may lead to the development of new therapies used in the treatment of alcohol abuse, including clinically relevant CRF antagonists.
The enthalpy of transfer of unfolded proteins into solutions of urea and guanidinium chloride

Abstract G. Makhatadze and P. Privalov [J. Mol. Biol., 226 (1995) 491] have recently measured the enthalpy of transfer of three proteins into urea and guanidinium chloride solutions as a function of concentration and temperature. The present paper applies the solvent-exchange model [J.A. Schellman, Biopolymers, (1994)] to the data and compares it with the binding model utilized in the original publication. Both calculations assume identical binding sites. It is found that the data may be fit tolerably well using either procedure, but that the parameters describing the binding vary considerably. Consideration of the transfer properties of amino acid moieties and small peptides leads to the conclusion that solvation sites are heterogeneous and that the quantities determined by both methods are statistical averages. The parameters describe an identical-site system that has (approximately) the same properties as the real heterogeneous system. The results have mainly heuristic and mechanistic value. One quantity determined with these simplified isotherms, Σk j Δh j , is a property of the real system and can serve as a measure of a thermal binding capacity for a protein. The appendices contain a resume of the solution theory required for the exchange model of solvation as well as the development of a number of empirical equations for the thermodynamic properties of urea and guanidinium chloride solutions.
Osteomyelitis Pubis: A Rare and Elusive Diagnosis

Osteomyelitis pubis is an infectious inflammation of the symphysis pubis and accounts for 2% of hematogenous osteomyelitis. This differs from osteitis pubis, a non-infectious inflammation of the pubic symphysis, generally caused by shear forces in young athletes. Both conditions present with similar symptoms and are usually differentiated on the basis of biopsy and/or culture. A case of osteomyelitis pubis is presented with a discussion of symphisis pubis anatomy, clinical and laboratory presentation, etiology and risk factors, and optimal imaging studies. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(7):–0.]
Three Correlates of the Typological Frequency of Quantity-Insensitive Stress Systems

We examine the typology of quantity-insensitive (QI) stress systems and ask to what extent an existing optimality theoretic model of QI stress can predict the observed typological frequencies of stress patterns. We find three significant correlates of pattern attestation and frequency: the trigram entropy of a pattern, the degree to which it is "confusable" with other patterns predicted by the model, and the number of constraint rankings that specify the pattern.
Influence of salinity in irrigation water on forage sorghum and soil chemical properties

Abstract Soluble salts found in wastewater can be toxic when used for irrigation of forages. Thus, two greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate effects of saline [CaCl2NaCl (3:1, w:w)] treatments on soil chemical properties and ‘Dekalb FS‐5’ forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench]. Treatments for the first experiment consisted of a nonsaline control or 500 mL of a solution with an electrical conductivity (EC) of 10 dS m−1 applied once. In the second experiment, treatments were salinity levels of 1.7,3.5,5.2,8.5, and 12.2 dS m−1, applied in non‐nitrogenous Hoagland's solution as the sole source of irrigation. Both experiments were replicated four times. For both experiments forage sorghum was seeded in pots containing 7 kg of air‐dried Amarillo fine sandy loam soil. Sorghum survivability and plant height were measured. In the second experiment, water use by sorghum was also measured. Plants were harvested 7 wk after seeding, weighed, dried at 55°C, weighed, and ground for subsequent mineral...
Are Immigrants a Drain on the Public Fisc? State and Local Impacts in New Jersey

Objective. Accumulating research suggests that state expenditures on immigrant households modestly exceed revenues returned to state governments, while immigrants pose significant net fiscal burdens on local governments. This article examines the extent to which immigrant-native differences in household public service use and tax remittances are attributable to nativity status rather than to socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Methods. The analysis uses 1990 census data for New Jersey and OLS regression to identify the effect of nativity on household public benefit receipt and tax payments. Nativity status is parameterized along several dimensions. Results. Differences in households’ economic and demographic characteristics account for most of the differential fiscal impact of immigrant households on state and local governments. Immigrant households generally pay higher state and local taxes and receive fewer state government services than statistically equivalent native households. Conclusions. Little of the immigrant-native difference in net fiscal burdens is attributable to nativity status per se, but is primarily due to household characteristics that are closely correlated with government expenditures on households.
Observation and calculation of vibrational circular birefringence: a new form of vibrational optical activity.

We report the first mid-infrared observation of vibrational circular birefringence (VCB) arising from individual chiral molecules. VCB can also be called vibrational optical rotatory dispersion (VORD) and is the Kramers-Kronig transform of vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). The method of measurement involves a simple change in the optical set-up and electronic processing of a VCD spectrometer such that the VCB spectrum appears at twice the polarization modulation frequency as a pseudo vibrational linear dichroism (VLD) spectrum. VCB spectra are also calculated with density function theory (DFT) for the first time using a commercially available program for rotational strengths where the calculated intensities are convolved with the real, dispersive part of a normalized complex Lorentzian lineshape rather than the imaginary, absorptive part, normally used for IR and VCD intensity calculations. Comparison of themeasured and calculated VCB, VCD, and IR spectra of (+)-R-limonene and (−)-S-α-pinene show close agreement and confirm the validity of the new VCB measurements. Chirality 21:E277–E286, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Guest Editors' Introduction: Technical Communication and the Law

This special issue features articles that address legal issues as they relate to technical communication research, pedagogy, and practice. The articles will assist instructors who wish to engage classes in activities that allow students to understand, analyze, and respond to legal dilemmas related to workplace activities. The articles will also highlight contemporary subjects for research inquiry in technical communication, including the relationship between technical communication and civic engagement, which often depends on the study of legal processes. It is our hope that this special issue will generate interest in the intersection of technical communication and the law and that it will provide readers of TCQ with a valuable and unique foundation for teaching and research in this area.