cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mechanism of queen elimination in two-queen honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies

SUMMARYObservation hives were used to study queen and worker interactions in two-queen honey bee colonies after removal of queen excluders. Aggression between queens involving stinging attacks was the principal mechanism of queen elimination. Workers were not aggressive towards queens. Queens appeared to recognize other queens only at short distances (< 3.5 cm), or upon direct contact. Characteristic fighting postures and general fighting patterns were identified. Younger queens survived most aggressive encounters (86%). Aggressive encounters between queens did not always result in the death of a rival queen.
Gamma-tocotrienol induced apoptosis is associated with unfolded protein response in human breast cancer cells

Gamma-tocotrienol (γ-T3) is a member of the vitamin E family. Tocotrienols (T3s) are powerful antioxidants and possess anticancer, neuroprotective and cholesterol-lowering properties. Tocotrienols inhibit the growth of various cancer cell lines without affecting normal cells. Less is known about the exact mechanisms of action of T3s on cell death and other growth inhibitory pathways. In the present study, we demonstrate that γ-T3 induces apoptosis in MDA-MB 231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells as evident by PARP cleavage and caspase-7 activation. Gene expression analysis of MCF-7 cells treated with γ-T3 revealed alterations in the expression of multiple genes involved in cell growth and proliferation, cell death, cell cycle, cellular development, cellular movement and gene expression. Further analysis of differentially modulated genes using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software suggested modulation of canonical signal transduction or metabolic pathways such as NRF-2-mediated oxidative stress response, TGF-β signaling and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. Analysis of ER-stress-related proteins in MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 cells treated with γ-T3 demonstrated activation of PERK and pIRE1α pathway to induce ER stress. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) was identified as the most up-regulated gene (16.8-fold) in response to γ-T3. Activating transcription factor 3 knockdown using siRNA suggested an essential role of ATF3 in γ-T3-induced apoptosis. In summary, we demonstrate that γ-T3 modulates ER stress signaling and have identified ATF3 as a molecular target for γ-T3 in breast cancer cells.
Drosophila eye disc margin is a center for organizing long-range planar polarity.

Planar polarity patterning involves long-range signaling and signal transduction. In Drosophila eye, Dishevelled (Dsh) is not only crucial for cell-autonomous transduction of a polarity signal(s) but is also involved in nonautonomous signaling function. To identify the sites for long-range polarity signaling in eye disc, we examined spatial and temporal conditions for nonautonomous Dsh function. Here we show that Dsh and its downstream factor Armadillo (Arm) are required in the border region of eye disc between the peripodial membrane (PM) and the disc proper (DP) for nonautonomous signaling. Conditional misexpression of Dsh or Arm at the posterior margin of the disc was sufficient to induce nonautonomous polarity reversals. A critical time window for the induction of such changes was approximately coincident with the timing of morphogenetic furrow initiation. Our data suggest that the disc margin is an essential site for organizing planar polarity during the initial stage of retinal morphogenesis. genesis 39:26–37, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Improved detection of metastatic hepatic hemangiosarcoma nodules with contrast ultrasound in three dogs.

Three dogs with a splenic hemangiosarcoma were imaged with conventional gray-scale ultrasound and no lesions were identified in the liver. After administration of intravenous ultrasound contrast medium (Definity®) small, poorly enhanced, hypoechoic nodules were identified in the liver in each dog. The spleen and liver lesions were identified at surgery and the dogs underwent splenectomy and nodule biopsy. All lesions were identified histologically as hemangiosarcoma. These preliminary results suggest that contrast ultrasound may result in improved detectability of metastatic hepatic hemangiosarcoma.
The effect of mutation of F87 on the properties of CYP102A1-CYP4C7 chimeras: altered regiospecificity and substrate selectivity

CYP102A1 is a highly active water-soluble bacterial monooxygenase that contains both substrate-binding heme and diflavin reductase subunits, all in a single polypeptide that has been called a "self-sufficient enzyme." Several years ago we developed a procedure called "scanning chimeragenesis," where we focused on residues 73-82 of CYP102A1, which contact approximately 40% of the substrates palmitoleic acid and N-palmitoylglycine [Murataliev et al. (2004) Biochemistry 43:1771-1780]. These residues were replaced with the homologous residues of CYP4C7. In the current work, that study has been expanded to include residue 87. Phenylalanine 87 of wild-type CYP102A1 was replaced with the homologous residue of CYP4C7, leucine, as well as with alanine. The full-sized chimeric proteins C(73-78, F87L), C(73-78, F87A), C(75-80, F87L), C(75-80, F87A), C(78-82, F87L) and C(78-82, F87A) have been purified and characterized. Wild-type CYP102A1 is most active toward fatty acids (both lauric and palmitic acids produce omega-1, omega-2, and omega-3 hydroxylated fatty acids), but it also catalyzes the oxidation of farnesol to three products (2, 3- and 10,11-epoxyfarnesols and 9-hydroxyfarnesol). All of the F87-mutant chimeric proteins show dramatic decreases in activities with the natural CYP102A1 substrates. In contrast, C(78-82, F87A) and C(78-82, F87L) have markedly increased activities with farnesol, with the latter showing a 5.7-fold increase in catalytic activity as compared to wild-type CYP102A1. C(78-82, F87L) produces 10,11-epoxyfarnesol as the single primary metabolite. The results show that chimeragenesis involving only the second half of SRS-1 plus F87 is sufficient to change the substrate selectivity of CYP102A1 from fatty acids to farnesol and to produce a single primary product.
A STUDY OF CARBON STEEL CORROSION INHIBITION BY PHOSPHATE IONS AND BY AN ORGANIC BUFFER USING A SCANNING VIBRATING ELECTRODE

Abstract The scanning vibrating reference electrode technique (SVET) has been used to map anodic and cathodic currents in solutions over freely corroding type C1020 carbon steel. All solutions contained millimolar concentrations of chloride and were sterilized. The effect of phosphate and an organic buffer on the corrosion of carbon steel in liquid media were studied because they were added to promote bacterial growth. Phosphate acted as an anodic inhibitor in the media, causing initiated pits to repassivate. If initiated pits did not repassivate, for example in a stagnant medium or when crevice corrosion initiated adjacent to the sample coating, the corrosion rates increased and the corrosion remained localized. Increased anodic current resulted in a drop in the open circuit potential and a decrease in the polarization resistance. The results show that phosphate can lead to lower average corrosion rates, than uninhibited steel, but as an anodic inhibitor can also lead to rapid penetration at localized sites.
FROM OBEDIENCE TO AUTONOMY CHANGES IN TRAITS DESIRED IN CHILDREN, 1924–1978

This paper presents results from a comparison of data on the traits desired in children from the Lynds' studies of Muncie (Middletown), Indiana, in the 1920s with similar data collected in a 1978 replication of the Lynds' work by Caplow et al. (1982). These results indicate that major changes have occurred in the most preferred qualities of children over this century, providing relatively strong evidence of changes in parent-child relations over this period. These patterns suggest that adult preferences for child qualities in contemporary society give more emphasis to qualities linked to the autonomy of children, whereas earlier desiderata stressed greater obedience to institutional and adult authority. These trends are interpreted in terms of changing relationships in the family and in the context of the response of the family to social, economic, and demographic changes during the twentieth century. This paper focuses upon changes in parent-child relationships in U.S. society over the twentieth century. The principle vehicle for this analysis consists of data from the Middletown studies of the 1920s carried out by Helen and Robert Lynd in Muncie, Indiana, and data from a DUANE F. ALWIN iS Professor of Sociology and Research Scientist at the Institute for Social Research, the University of Michigan. An earlier version of this paper was prepared for the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, held in New York, August 1986. The paper was also presented in December 1986 at the Center for Middletown Studies' lecture series, cosponsored by the Friends of Bracken Library, Ball State University. The research was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH-37289). An important debt is owed Theodore Caplow, Howard Bahr, and Bruce Chadwick for the use of data from their 1978 survey of Muncie, Indiana, and special thanks are due Bruce Chadwick for providing tabulations upon which this report is in part based. Thanks are due Alan Kerckhoff and Arland Thornton for commenting on an earlier version of this paper. The author also acknowledges the assistance of John Hewitt and Dwight Hoover for access to the resources of the Center for Middletown Studies at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Lynn Dielman, Mark Glaza, and Frank Mierzma provided expert research assistance. Public Opinion Quarterly Volume 52:33-52 ? 1988 by the American Association for Public Opinion Research Published by The University of Chicago Press / 0033-362X/88/0052-01/$2.50 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.161 on Mon, 23 May 2016 05:42:14 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Major depression and coronary flow reserve detected by positron emission tomography.

Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD), but the mechanisms are unclear. The presence of MDD may increase CHD risk by affecting microvascular circulation. It is also plausible that genetic factors influencing MDD may overlap with those for CHD. We sought to examine the relationship between MDD and coronary flow reserve (CFR), the ratio of maximum flow during stress to flow at rest measured in milliliters per minute per gram of tissue. Methods We examined 289 male middle-aged twins, including 106 twins (53 twin pairs) discordant for a lifetime history of MDD and 183 control twins (unrelated to any twins in the experimental group) without MDD. To calculate CFR, we used positron emission tomography with nitrogen 13 ( 13 N) ammonia to evaluate myocardial blood flow at rest and after adenosine stress. A standard perfusion defect score was also used to assess myocardial ischemia. Results There was no difference in myocardial ischemia between twins with and without MDD. Among the dizygotic twin pairs discordant for MDD, the CFR was 14% lower in the twins with MDD than in their brothers without MDD (2.36 vs 2.74) ( P = .03). This association was not present in the monozygotic discordant pairs who were genetically matched (2.86 vs 2.64) ( P = .19). The zygosity-MDD interaction after adjustment was significant ( P = .006). The CFR in the dizygotic twins with MDD was also lower than in the control twins. Conclusions Our results provide evidence for a shared genetic pathway between MDD and microvascular dysfunction. Common pathophysiologic processes may link MDD and early atherosclerosis.
Monitoring stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in mid-Atlantic apple and peach orchards.

Abstract Pyramid traps coated with “industrial safety yellow” exterior latex gloss enamel paint and baited with Euschistus spp. aggregation pheromone, methyl (2E,4Z)-decadienoate captured more stink bugs than all other baited and unbaited trap types in both apple and peach orchards in 2002 and 2003. Commercial sources of dispensers of methyl (2E,4Z)-decadienoate deployed in association with pyramid traps had a significant impact on trap captures. Captures in pyramid traps were four-fold greater when baited with lures from IPM Technologies, Inc. (Portland, OR) than with lures from Suterra (Bend, OR). Variation in yellow pyramid trap color (“industrial safety yellow” and “standard coroplast yellow”) and material (plywood, plastic, and masonite) did not affect trap captures. Brown stink bug was the predominant species captured (58%), followed by dusky stink bug, Euschistus tristigmus (Say) (20%); green stink bug, Acrosternum hilare (Say) (14%); and other stink bugs (Brochymena spp. and unidentified nymphs) (...
Genetic Coding in Biomineralization of Microlaminate Composites

Biomineralization is precisely controlled by complex templating relationships ultimately encoded in the genes. In the formation of the molluscan shell, polyanionic pleated sheet proteins serve as templates for the nucleation and epitaxial growth of calcium carbonate crystalline domains to yield microlaminate composites of exceptional strength and crystal ordering. The strength and fracture-resistance of these composites far exceed those of the minerals themselves, as a result of both the capacity for flexible deformation of the organic matrix layers and the retardation of crack propagation at each mineral-organic interface. The basic principles controlling low temperature biosynthesis of these materials thus are of both fundamental and applied importance. The abalone shell consists of microlaminates with a remarkable regularity of lamina thickness (ca. 0.5 micron), the formation of which defies present understanding. We have found that shells of abalone larvae formed prior to metamorphosis contain only aragonite, whereas the adult shell made after metamorphosis contains both aragonite and calcite. This transition is accompanied by a switch in genetic expression of the template proteins, suggesting that the premetamorphic protein may serve as a template for aragonite nucleation and growth, while template proteins synthesized after metamorphosis may direct crystallization of calcite. These analyses are based on improvements we recently reported for the detection and purification of proteins from the demineralized shell matrix. Genetic cloning experiments now in progress are aimed at discovering additional protein sequences responsible for the programmed control of crystal phase termination, since it is the termination and reinitiation of mineralization that is responsible for the regularity of highly ordered microlaminates produced in nature.
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Encoded LANA Can Interact with the Nuclear Mitotic Apparatus Protein To Regulate Genome Maintenance and Segregation

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) genomes are tethered to the host chromosomes and partitioned faithfully into daughter cells with the host chromosomes. The latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) is important for segregation of the newly synthesized viral genomes to the daughter nuclei. Here, we report that the nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) and LANA can associate in KSHV-infected cells. In synchronized cells, NuMA and LANA are colocalized in interphase cells and separate during mitosis at the beginning of prophase, reassociating again at the end of telophase and cytokinesis. Silencing of NuMA expression by small interfering RNA and expression of LGN and a dominant-negative of dynactin (P150-CC1), which disrupts the association of NuMA with microtubules, resulted in the loss of KSHV terminal-repeat plasmids containing the major latent origin. Thus, NuMA is required for persistence of the KSHV episomes in daughter cells. This interaction between NuMA and LANA is critical for segregation and maintenance of the KSHV episomes through a temporally controlled mechanism of binding and release during specific phases of mitosis. Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a gammaherpesvirus that is associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma, body cavity-based lymphomas (BCBL), and multicentric Castleman’s disease (48). During latent infection, in which no progeny virus is produced, KSHV genomes are maintained as multiple episomes in the host cells. In a lifelong latent state, KSHV genomic DNA exists as a closed circular episome, similar to the host chromosomal DNA, packaged onto the nucleosomes with cellular histones (11, 49, 54). KSHV genomes are replicated once per cell cycle and are partitioned faithfully into daughter cells, along with host chromosomes, during mitosis (29, 62, 63). The association of KSHV DNA with host chromosomes was shown to be mediated by the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA), which acts as a linker to tether viral DNA onto to the host chromosomes (4, 11, 64).
Real time reconstruction errors in digital telemetry

It is known that excellent polynomial approximations can be constructed for any given continuous function, f. If f is not known the author examines what can be said of a low order polynomial approximation based on samples of f. This question is of practical significance in digital telemetry applications where bandwidth constraints require minimizing signal sampling rates. The author answers the question under the assumption, consistent with normal engineering practice for telemetry signals, that f is bandwidth limited. Worst case error bounds as a function of sampling rate are developed for three classes of digital-to-analog converters. Results are compared with some spline errors given by C. de Boor (1978). For a fixed design goal on worst case errors, it is clear that significant reductions in sample rate are possible by using higher order interpolation. The required circuitry for a real-time reconstruction is of straightforward design. >
An alternative synthesis of 4,4-Dimethyl-5α-cholesta-8,14,24-trien-3β-ol, an intermediate in sterol biosynthesis and a reported activator of meiosis and of nuclear orphan receptor LXRα

4,4-Dimethyl-5α-cholesta-8,14,24-trien-3β-ol, a sterol of current biological interest, has been synthesized in six steps from 3β-acetoxy-4,4-dimethyl-5α-cholest-8(14)-en-15-one.
US Climate Change Policy Efforts

This Policy Brief summarizes the emerging regulations at the national level in the US, and offers an assessment of potential emissions reductions under the Clean Air Act. It also describes the efforts at the sub-national level, and the interaction of these policies with the Clean Air Act under the particular structure of so-called ‘environmental federalism’. This structure places central responsibility for implementation of regulations at the state level, making the architecture of existing state-level policies increasingly relevant and influential. Finally, it compares the Act with comprehensive cap and trade legislation that was proposed in the previous Congress, and argues that comparable emissions mitigation may be achieved in the domestic economy by 2020. The author finds that the big difference likely to emerge in the short run is the ability of the US to meet its financing obligations under the Copenhagen agreement. And, in the long run, he finds that mitigation with a regulatory approach is likely to become increasingly expensive.
Copyright and the Supposed Efficiency of First-Degree Price Discrimination

The article focuses on the economic conclusion that first-degree price discrimination is Pareto optimal and hence socially desirable. This economic conclusion tends to support congressional or judicial modifications to copyright law that would enhance the ability of copyright owners to engage in price discrimination, including, for example, limitations on copyright's first sale doctrine. Such limitations on the first sale doctrine may arise either through direct congressional action, such as the Computer Software Rental Amendments Act of 1990, through congressional inaction, such as the refusal to extend expressly the first sale doctrine to the interactive digital environment, or through judicial acceptance of copyright owners' attempts to characterize certain transactions as licenses, rather than sales. The article demonstrates that the supposed desirability of first-degree price discrimination relies on certain assumptions inherent in partial equilibrium analysis that are unlikely to hold in the real world. Through the use of a second-best, general equilibrium model, the article demonstrates that a switch to first-degree price discrimination in a particular market can reduce social welfare and derives principles that suggest when such a switch is likely to reduce social welfare. Applying these principles to the types of price discrimination schemes commonly employed in the distribution of copyrighted works, the article concludes that most of these schemes seem likely to reduce social welfare.
MARKET-BASED MANAGEMENT OF GOVERNMENT LABORATORIES :The Evolution of the U.S. National Laboratories' Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated Management System

The purpose of our paper is to assess the evolution of the government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) system as a market-based management form, focusing specifically on recent changes in contract reform. What is the institutional context in which the GOCO system is embedded, and how does it affect success of the GOCO system? What are the lessons of the GOCO system for designing and adopting market-based structures for managing government institutions? Our paper (and the two companion papers published in this volume) is based in part on a much larger study (Bozeman, Kingsley, Rainey, Youtie, & Wilson, 2001) that included interviews and intensive case studies of three national laboratories. The ensuing sections of this paper provide a descriptive backdrop for understanding the problems of contracting and contractor competition at the national laboratories. The conclusions, analysis, and recommendations provided are based on the extensive case studies provided in the larger study (Bozeman et al., 2001), bu...
Influence of Puberal Development on Responses to Motivated Exercise

Abstract Junior high school boys, classified into stages of pre-pubescent, pubescent, and post-pubescent development, performed two exercise trials on a bicycle ergometer, one trial motivated by personal urging and encouragement and the other trial non-motivated. Response to exercise and motivation was observed in terms of work output and cardiovascular adjustment. Significant differences in work output were found between the puberal groups, but the differences between the motivated and non-motivated trials were not significant. Cardiovascular recovery from exercise was hindered by motivation; also nausea was a frequent occurence following the motivated trial but not following the non-motivated trial.
A review of the efficacy of systemically administered decongestants in the prevention and treatment of otitis media.

Studies designed to determine the efficacy of alpha-adrenergic agents and antihistamines in the prevention and treatment of otitis media are reviewed. Although some studies demonstrate a pharmacologic rationale for use of decongestants, results of clinical trials fail to demonstrate conclusively that decongestant medication is effective as primary or adjunctive therapy for otitis media. The clinician is advised to await results of future studies before accepting the notion that the systemic administration of sympathomimetic agents and antihistamines is effective in the treatment of otitis media.
Development and a Practical Synthesis of the JAK2 Inhibitor LY2784544

The route selection and process research and development of a practical synthesis for JAK2 inhibitor LY2784544 is described. The first-generation synthesis route, similar to that used in discovery for derivatization of a benzylic amine moiety, was 14 overall steps and possessed several steps that required extensive development for large-scale production. Route selection considerations led to a modified synthesis that utilized a novel vanadium-catalyzed carbon–carbon bond-forming arylation reaction for incorporation of the key benzylic morpholine moiety. A protecting group used to mask an amino pyrazole unit was modified from PMB to tert-butyl, resulting in a dramatic reduction in the overall length of the route. These two major changes resulted in an eight-step synthesis, which was six steps shorter than the first-generation synthesis. In the pilot plant, the new synthesis was scaled to produce >100 kg of LY2784544 in high yield and purity under GMP conditions. The overall development including the vanadi...
Juvenile recruitment in loggerhead sea turtles linked to decadal changes in ocean circulation

Given the threats of climate change, understanding the relationship of climate with long-term population dynamics is critical for wildlife conservation. Previous studies have linked decadal climate oscillations to indices of juvenile recruitment in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), but without a clear understanding of mechanisms. Here, we explore the underlying processes that may explain these relationships. Using the eddy-resolving Ocean General Circulation Model for the Earth Simulator, we generate hatch-year trajectories for loggerhead turtles emanating from Japan over six decades (1950-2010). We find that the proximity of the high-velocity Kuroshio Current to the primary nesting areas in southern Japan is remarkably stable and that hatchling dispersal to oceanic habitats itself does not vary on decadal timescales. However, we observe a shift in latitudes of trajectories, consistent with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). In a negative PDO phase, the Kuroshio Extension Current (KEC) is strong and acts as a physical barrier to the northward transport of neonates. As a result, hatch-year trajectories remain mostly below 35°N in the warm, unproductive region south of the Transition Zone Chlorophyll Front (TZCF). During a positive PDO phase, however, the KEC weakens facilitating the neonates to swim north of the TZCF into cooler and more productive waters. As a result, annual cohorts from negative PDO years may face a lack of resources, whereas cohorts from positive PDO years may find sufficient resources during their pivotal first year. These model outputs indicate that the ocean circulation dynamics, combined with navigational swimming behavior, may be a key factor in the observed decadal variability of sea turtle populations.
Comprehensive Intervention on Internet Addiction of Middle School Students:an Analysis of 142 Cases

Objective To explore the efficacy of comprehensive intervention on Internet addiction in middle school students.Methods Two hundred and eighty-four cases of Internet addiction disorder were randomly divided into comprehensive treatment group (drug intervention + psychological intervention + environment intervention) and control group (traditional psychological intervention) (each n=142).The therapeutic efficacies of the two groups were assessed by Zung Depression Self-rating Scale (SDS) and the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90),and the differences between the two groups were analyzed.Results The two methods were both effective in treatment of Internet addiction,but the therapeutic efficacy of comprehensive treatment was significantly superior to that of traditional psychotherapy,and the difference was statistically significant (P0.01).Conclusions The comprehensive treatment of Internet addiction is reliable and feasible.It is worthy to be popularized and applied in middle schools.
Contraceptive safety among women with cystic fibrosis: a systematic review

Abstract Background With dramatic improvements in life expectancy for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, contraception for women with CF has become an important issue. There are theoretical concerns that hormonal contraceptive use among women with CF may impact disease severity or risk for other adverse health outcomes, including thrombosis and poor bone health, as well as concerns that malabsorption or altered drug metabolism might impact contraceptive effectiveness. Objective To evaluate evidence on the safety and effectiveness of contraceptive methods among women with CF. Search Strategy We searched the PubMed database for all articles published from database inception through October 2015. Selection Criteria We included studies that examined measures of disease severity, other health outcomes or indicators of contraceptive effectiveness among women with CF initiating or continuing a contraceptive method. Results Seven studies met our inclusion criteria. Three observational studies of fair to poor quality suggest that use of oral contraceptives (OCs) does not negatively impact CF disease severity, defined as changes in pulmonary function, number of exacerbations or need for intravenous antibiotics. Three small studies of poor quality reported on contraceptive failure among women with CF using combined hormonal contraceptives (combined OCs, patch or ring). One pregnancy was reported in a patch user out of 43 hormonal contraceptive users across all studies. One pharmacokinetic study reported that women with CF achieve steroid hormone plasma concentrations similar to healthy women after ingestion of combined OCs. Conclusions Limited evidence suggests that hormonal contraceptive use does not negatively impact disease severity among women with CF and that hormonal contraceptive effectiveness is not impaired by CF. Studies were limited by small sample sizes and short duration of follow-up. No studies examined the effect of hormonal contraception on thrombosis or bone health among women with CF.
Surface Integrity Analysis of Laser Peen Micro-bending without Protective Coating☆

Abstract Laser peen micro-bending is a novel non-contact forming process for sheet metals using a nanosecond pulsed laser. In this study, laser peen micro-bending experiments are conducted for three engineering materials, Aluminum alloy 1060, OHFC Copper, and commercially pure Titanium, in both air and water without using a protective coating. Surface integrity is investigated in terms of surface texture, surface morphology, mechanical properties, and chemical composition change for these three engineering materials. Improved surface mechanical properties are achieved for all materials. The laser-material interaction for different material is discussed based on the significant experimental findings for different materials.
Determinants of Fertility: a Micro-economic Model of Choice

There are many explanations of why human fertility varies from one society to another and among different groups or individuals within the same society. Attempts to identify and measure the factors that affect fertility and hence to discriminate among current competing causal hypotheses have not been notably successful. This gap in our basic stock of knowledge is both a source of embarrassment to social scientists and an obstacle to the strategic formulation and tactical evaluation of population policies throughout the world.
On the Origins of Perceptions: Student Perceptions of Active Learning and Their Implications for Educational Reform

This Conversation Starters article presents a selected research abstract from the 2016 Association of American Medical Colleges Central Region Group on Educational Affairs annual spring meeting. The abstract is paired with the integrative commentary of three experts who shared their thoughts stimulated by the study. These thoughts highlight the value of exploring what drives student perceptions of active learning in order to reform medical education.
The effect of milk-feeding method and hay provision on the development of feeding behavior and non-nutritive oral behavior of dairy calves

We investigated the interactive effects of common feeding management factors on the development of feeding and non-nutritive oral behaviors in preweaned calves through the weaning transition. Calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments that differed by milk-feeding method (teat or bucket) and ad libitum access to chopped timothy hay: control, milk provided by bucket and no access to hay (CON; n = 10); milk provided by bucket and access to hay (H; n = 10); milk provided via a teat and access to hay (TH; n = 10). Calves had ad libitum access to concentrate and water, and were fed 6 L/d of pasteurized waste milk, divided into 2 meals. All calves were weaned by removing the second milk meal for 9 ± 2 d, beginning at 36 d of age. Daily concentrate and hay intake were recorded, and calves were weighed weekly to measure growth. We recorded the behavior of all calves using 2 s time-lapse video during time periods that encompassed milk meals, from 6000 h to 1000 h and 1600 h to 2000 h, on 2 consecutive focal days in wk 2 and 4. We continuously monitored lying time and activity using electronic data loggers. During the preweaning period, hay selection by H and TH calves was subject to a treatment × week interaction, with TH calves increasing hay intake to a greater extent over time. Similarly, we observed a tendency for a treatment × week interaction for hay dry matter intake. Before weaning, concentrate intake was subject to a treatment × week interaction, increasing to a greater extent over time for H and TH calves, but was greater overall for CON calves. As predicted, milk-feeding method and hay provision influenced the proportion of time devoted to feeding and non-nutritive behaviors. The CON calves spent the greatest amount of time performing non-nutritive sucking directed at the pen, TH calves the least, and H calves intermediate amounts. Considering the time TH calves sucked on their teat when milk was not present in addition to the time they spent sucking on pen fixtures, the total amount of time spent performing sucking behavior was similar between treatments. Although intake was similar across the weaning transition, CON calves had greater average daily gain than H calves, and TH calves were intermediate. Providing access to hay and milk via a teat during the milk-feeding stage decreased non-nutritive oral behaviors and influenced feeding behavior.
Neurobiological Aspects of Depression in Children and Adolescents

Research on neurobiological correlates of depression in children and adolescents is at an exciting stage but lags substantially behind work in adults. Most of the areas studied have been chosen because of positive findings in adults. The positive side of this selective process is that many unproductive avenues of research are avoided by child researchers. However, assessing biological correlates of depression requires substantial normative data that are not readily available in child and adolescent populations, controlling for age, gender, and developmental stage.
Adoption of innovative and evidence-based practices for children and adolescents in state-supported mental health clinics: a qualitative study

This study examined how mental health clinic administrators decided whether or not to adopt evidence-based and other innovative practices by exploring their views of implementation barriers and facilitators and operation of these views in assessment of implementation costs and benefits. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 75 agency chief executive officers and program directors of 34 New York State-licensed mental health clinics serving children and adolescents. Three interconnected themes relating to barriers and facilitators were identified, namely costs and benefits associated with adoption, capacity for adoption, and acceptability of new practices. The highest percentage of participants (86.7%) mentioned costs as a barrier, followed by limited capacity (55.9%) and lack of acceptability (52.9%). The highest percentage (82.3%) of participants identified available capacity as a facilitator, followed by acceptability (41.2%) and benefits or limited costs (24.0%). Assessment of costs and benefits exhibited several principles of behavioural economics, including loss aversion, temporal discounting use of heuristics, sensitivity to monetary incentives, decision fatigue, framing, and environmental influences. The results point to opportunities for using agency leader models to develop strategies to facilitate implementation of evidence-based and innovative practices for children and adolescents.
A Predictive Model for Standardized Test Performance in Michigan Schools

Public school officials are charged with ensuring that students receive a strong fundamental education. One tool used to test school efficacy is the standardized test. In this paper, we build a predictive model as an early warning system for schools that may fall below the state average in building level average proficiency in the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP). We utilize data mining techniques to develop various decision tree models and logistic regression models, and found that the decision tree model with entropy impurity measure accurately predicts school performance.
Sensitivity analysis of seismic performance assessment and consequent impacts on loss analysis

The probabilistic framework for seismic performance evaluation developed by PEER has been widely used in the literature. This framework consists of four steps: hazard analysis, response analysis, damage analysis, and loss analysis. Typically the process involves ground motion selection for numerical analysis, probabilistic model development for engineering demand parameters (EDP), and an EDP hazard calculation approach. This study investigates the impact of three aspects (i.e., the ground motion suite selected, the EDP formulation chosen, and the hazard calculation formulation adopted) on the seismic performance of an office building located in downtown Los Angeles. The result of this study shows that these three aspects have significant impacts on the seismic performance in terms of dynamic responses, demand hazard, and expected annual loss. This study also suggests that more accurate and robust performance evaluation is obtained when: (1) using a ground motion suite that contains a rich intensity measure content, (2) using vector-valued demand models that provides more accurate predictions rather than scalar-valued demand models, and (3) using joint hazard formulations when two seismic intensity measures are involved.
Pulse contrast enhancement of high energy pulses using a gas-filled hollow waveguide

We demonstrate that the technique of nonlinear ellipse rotation in a gas-filled hollow waveguide satisfies all the requirements for greatly improving the pulse contrast of microjoule-to-millijoule femtosecond laser pulses. We believe that this technique will facilitate the development of the next generation of ultra-high-peak power laser systems.
N -acetylcysteine exposure is associated with improved survival in anti-nuclear antibody seropositive patients with usual interstitial pneumonia

Mortality is similarly high among individuals with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF). Circulating anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) are commonly found in this patient population, suggesting possible aberrant immune activation. Because an environment of oxidative stress can result from immunologic activation, we hypothesized that ANA positive patients with UIP would have improved outcome when exposed to the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) compared to ANA negative patients. A single center, retrospective cohort analysis was performed. Patients with UIP due to IPF and IPAF were stratified according to ANA status to and NAC exposure. Transplant-free survival (TFS) was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and multivariable Cox regression adjusted for diagnosis, gender/age/physiology score, immunosuppressant exposure and anti-fibrotic exposure. Of 293 individuals with UIP due to IPF (74%) or IPAF (26%), NAC exposure was documented in 58 (19.8%). Among NAC exposed individuals, 33 (56.9%) were ANA seropositive and 25 (43.1%) were seronegative. NAC exposure was associated with improved TFS survival among ANA seropositive individuals in unadjusted analysis (plogrank = 0.02) and after multi-variable adjustment (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.30–0.87; p = 0.01). There was no association between NAC exposure and TFS in ANA seronegative individuals (HR 1.26, 95% CI 0.69–2.32; p = 0.45). Formal interaction testing confirmed NAC*ANA interaction (p = 0.04) and sensitivity analysis demonstrated an increasing effect size associated with NAC therapy as ANA titer increased. Among patients with available genetic data, a marginally higher proportion of ANA positive patients (p = 0.08) carried the rs3750920 (TOLLIP) genotype previously shown to predict favorable outcome in NAC exposed patients. NAC exposure is associated with improved transplant-free survival ANA positive patients with UIP. These findings support the prospective collection of ANA data in in future NAC clinical trials performed in patients with UIP.
Interactive visualization of multi-data-set Rietveld analyses using Cinema:Debye-Scherrer

A tool named Cinema:Debye-Scherrer to visualize the results of a series of Rietveld analyses is presented. The multi-axis visualization of the high-dimensional data sets resulting from powder diffraction analyses allows identification of analysis problems, prediction of suitable starting values, identification of gaps in the experimental parameter space and acceleration of scientific insight from the experimental data. The tool is demonstrated with analysis results from 59 U–Nb alloy samples with different compositions, annealing times and annealing temperatures as well as with a high-temperature study of the crystal structure of CsPbBr3. A script to extract parameters from a series of Rietveld analyses employing the widely used GSAS Rietveld software is also described. Both software tools are available for download.
Curves and Singularities: A Geometrical Introduction to Singularity Theory. By J. W. Bruce and P. J. Giblin

(1987). Curves and Singularities: A Geometrical Introduction to Singularity Theory. By J. W. Bruce and P. J. Giblin. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 94, No. 2, pp. 205-210.
Van der Waals Energies in the Formation and Interaction of Nanoparticle Aggregates

Research on nanoparticles is motivated by (1) their intrinsic properties, (2) the properties of the structures created from them, and (3) the effects they and their structures have on materials or larger structures where they are deposited or embedded. For implementing a process-level description of the formation of these structures, a quantitative treatment of the physical factors involved in their assembly from isolated nanoparticulate elements is useful. In addition to transport, such a description must include interaction potential energies not only between individual, isolated spherical particles but it must also account for multiparticle interactions such as spheres with aggregates of nanoparticles, aggregates with aggregates, etc. Such a hierarchy of interactions involves multiple length scales and must account correctly for all levels of interactions on a basis that is internally consistent from one length scale to the next. This contribution reviews recent progress by the author and his colleagues in the formulation of the multiscale van der Waals interaction energy, including the onset of retardation, and its many-body generalizations for the purpose of accounting for the formation of aggregates of nanoparticles and applications elsewhere.
Identifying Syndemics for Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Adults in the United States: A Latent Class Analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose Syndemic theory suggests that the convergence of social, environmental, and ecological factors can interact to exacerbate behavioral health problems and are often intensified by social conditions and disparities. This study used latent class analysis (LCA) to determine gender and racial/ethnic specific classes for sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk. Methods LCA included 18 measured socioeconomic, depression, substance use, and sexual behavioral variables from 1,664 young adults ages 18–25 in the NHANES. Models were stratified by gender and then by race/ethnicity. Logistic regression determined associations between latent class membership and testing positive for one or more STIs (Chlamydia trachomatis, HIV or herpes simplex virus-II). For each stratified analysis, classes with the lowest probability of reported risk factors in the LCA were the reference groups. Results Class 3 in females (highest probability of reporting both socioeconomic and behavioral factors) and class 3 in males (majority behavioral factors) had increased odds of STI (females: OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.6–4.5; males: OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.3–4.6). By race for females, depression (highest in Hispanics), poverty, and less educated households (highest in blacks and Hispanics) were evident in classes associated with STI. Class 1 black males (majority behavioral factors) had a higher odds of STI compared with low risk white males (OR = 16.4 95% CI 3.7–72.0) However, no other associations were observed among males. Conclusions Risk patterns for STI differed by gender and race/ethnicity. Consistent with syndemic theory, effective STI interventions need to address socioeconomic factors and mental health rather than individual behaviors, particularly for minority women.
Exploration: A Dancer and a Writer Walk into a Classroom

Providing personal reflections on past playful experiences in the context of current practice in university instruction, this exploration examines how play can enhance teaching in game design and game writing courses. The authors make the case for reflective practice that calls on past experiences of play and personal identities as players, to optimize the implementation of play in pedagogy. Presenting narrative scenes from the classroom along with reflection, the exploration also highlights how disciplinary backgrounds—dance and writing, respectively—inform playful approaches in the classroom by fusing the personal and professional identities of the instructor.
Enhancing Reliability and Availability through Redundancy in Vehicular Clouds

The past eight years have seen the emergence of vehicular clouds as a topic of research in its own right. Vehicular clouds were inspired by the insight that present-day vehicles feature an impressive array of on-board compute, storage and sensing capabilities. These on-board capabilities are a vast untapped resource that, at the moment, is wasted. One of the defining ways in which vehicular clouds differ from conventional clouds is resource volatility. As vehicles enter and leave the cloud, new compute resources become available while others depart, creating a volatile environment where the tasks of enhancing reliability and availability become very challenging. It is intuitively clear that the longer and more predictable the vehicle residency times in the cloud are, the easier it is to ensure reliability and system availability. In this work we look at vehicular clouds with short and unpredictable vehicular residency times. We propose to enhance the reliability and availability of these types of vehicular clouds through a family of redundancy-based job assignment strategies that attempt to mitigate the effect of resource volatility. We offer a theoretical prediction of the Mean Time To Failure (MTTF) of these strategies. We also show how to fine-tune the granularity of the redundancy in order to meet QoS requirements specified in terms of a minimum MTTF for a given user job. Extensive simulations, using vehicle residency data derived from shopping mall statistics, have confirmed the accuracy of our analytical predictions.