cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Summertime ENSO–North African–Asian Jet teleconnection and implications for the Indian monsoons

(1) Recent findings indicate that ENSO may modulate the strength of the Indian monsoons by altering the meridional tropospheric temperature gradient between Asia and the equatorial Indian Ocean. Here we show that during northern hemisphere summertime El Nino events both colder upper tropospheric temperatures and increased vorticity anomalies are observed within the North African-Asian (NAA) jet. The temperature response within the NAA jet is the dominant ENSO-related change to the meridional tropospheric temperature gradient between Asia and the equatorial Indian Ocean. Forced solutions of the linearized barotropic vorticity equation indicate that these anomalies within the NAA jet are a response to northern hemisphere summertime El Nino-related convective activity over the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Additional experiments indicate that westward propagating anomalies in both the tropics and middle latitudes produce the anomaly response within the NAA jet. These findings suggest that the teleconnection linking ENSO and the monsoons is mediated by the response of the NAA jet to westward propagating Rossby waves. Citation: Shaman, J., and E. Tziperman (2007), Summertime ENSO - North African - Asian Jet teleconnection and implications for the Indian monsoons, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L11702, doi:10.1029/2006GL029143.
A Monte Carlo Experiment to Evaluate the Efficiency of the Mandelbrot-Levy Characteristic Exponent as a Test Statistic for Cauchy Distributed Random Variables

A refinement of Mandelbrot's technique for estimating the Mandelbrot-Levy characteristic exponent is applied to Cauchy distributed pseudorandom samples. Tables of percentage points of the test statistic are calculated under the null of a Cauchy-distributed population for various sample sizes. An iterative least squares procedure is used to determine how much of the sample is needed to characterize the linear part of the upper tail. For various sample sizes, the characteristic exponent is estimated for 10,000 sets of Cauchy distributed samples, providing the distribution under the null hypothesis. With the distribution under the Cauchy null now established, the characteristic exponent can be used as a test statistic for the Cauchy distribution, and evaluated using the tables of probability values calculated here.
Consistent flamelet modeling of differential molecular diffusion for turbulent non-premixed flames

Treating differential molecular diffusion correctly and accurately remains as a great challenge to the modeling of turbulent non-premixed combustion. The aim of this paper is to develop consistent modeling strategies for differential molecular diffusion in flamelet models. Two types of differential molecular diffusion models are introduced, linear differential diffusion models and nonlinear differential diffusion models. A multi-component turbulent mixing layer problem is analyzed in detail to gain insights into differential molecular diffusion and its characteristics, particularly the dependence of differential molecular diffusion on the Reynolds number and the Lewis number. These characteristics are then used to validate the differential molecular diffusion models. Finally, the new models are applied to the modeling of a series of laboratory-scale turbulent non-premixed jet flames with different Reynolds number (Sandia Flames B, C, and D) to further assess the models’ performance.
Genetic Determinants of Nipple Aspiration Fluid Yield.

Nipple aspiration fluid (NAF) is a non-invasively-acquired biosample that can provide a window into the breast environment, but NAF yield is highly variable. Its determinants must be better understood for studies of breast cancer risk. The wet earwax phenotype was identified as one determinant of NAF yield in the 1970s, and is linked to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ATP-binding cassette transporter gene ABCC11. We have investigated this, as well as SNPs in the prolactin (PRL) and prolactin receptor (PRLR) genes, in relation to NAF yield. DNA was extracted from white blood cells of 557 NAF yielders and 359 non-yielders, and was used to genotype ABCC11 (rs17822931), PRL (rs849870, rs849872, rs849886, rs2244502, rs1341239), and PRLR (rs37364, rs34024951, rs1610218, rs9292575, rs7718468) using Taqman genotyping assay. The association between NAF yield and each single SNP was analyzed using logistic regression adjusting for age, race, and menopausal status. ABCC11 rs17822931 showed a negative association with NAF yield [odds ratio (OR) 0.66, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.49–0.88; p = 0.004]. The PRL rs849870 and the haplotype combination with other SNPs showed a marginal association with NAF yield. In addition, the years since last birth also showed negative association with NAF yielding (OR 0.98, 95 % CI 0.96–0.99; p = 0.001). The combination of the years since last birth with ABCC11 SNP revealed significant interaction between reproductive factor and genetic factor. Our results confirmed the association between NAF yield and earwax phenotype through ABCC11 genotype. Combined with the recency of last birth, ABCC11 genotype should be considered in the design of studies utilizing NAF as a biosample.
A Social Work Internship Program for Undergraduate Students

The social opportunity for the collaborating leader is still available, and his devices remain identical with those perfected by Washington.28 The reason, evidently, why such a leader cannot again rise to Washington's stature is that the relatively feeble reaction of the Negro people, which Washington greatly feared but which he was able to overawe, has now grown to such formidable proportions that he is effectively localized. Recently one of Washington's institutional successors publicly voiced the opinion that "the South is capable of solving its problems without outside assistance." He was given immediate and wide publicity in the dominant press of the South as "a recognized leader of his race,"29 but the tactic also readily aroused the indignation of the Negroes of the community. Negroes apparently will no longer permit such views among responsible persons to go unrebuked even though they be manifest material expedients. Probably a collaborator of Washington's magnitude could never again be imposed upon the race because even the rural Negroes of the South are conditioned to respond negatively to him.
Pulse Splitting of Temporal Super-Gaussian Pulses in the Anomalous Dispersion Regime

We experimentally observe splitting of temporal super-Gaussian pulses undergoing collapse in the anomalous group-velocity-dispersion regime, which is in contrast to the behavior of temporal Gaussian pulses. These results are in good agreement with numerical simulations.
The Impact of the Green Revolution on Plant Protection in Tropical and Subtropical Areas

The earliest use of the term “integrated control,” at least in its pest control sense, dates from June of 1954 (Smith and Allen, 1954). Thus, the history of integrated control would appear to have spanned little more than 17 years. Until now, most discussions of the origins of integrated control have emphasized the over-dependence on and the over-use of chemical pesticides subsequent to World War II and the unfortunate and unfavorable consequences which resulted from the use of these chemicals. These unfavorable consequences involved particularly the development of insect populations resistant to pesticides, undesirable residue levels on food crops, impact on wildlife, the rapid resurgence of target pest populations following treatment, and outbreaks of unleashed secondary pests (Smith and Reynolds, 1971). All of these repercussions and the steps taken to adjust for them cumulated in excessively high costs for plant protection. Then as the story goes, this series of unsavory events was coupled with the wisdom of a few omniscient soothsayers; and integrated control came into the world. Another somewhat different account of the historical development of integrated control as related by one of our British friends describes it as a mixture of “idealism, evangelism, pursuit of fashion, fund-raising and even empire-building. The movement has indeed acquired the impetus and character of a religious revival … ” (Price-Jones, 1970).
Effect of Water-Deprivation and Subsequent Exposure to Water on the Response of Eucelatoria Sp. to Okra Volatiles and to Water Vapor

In olfactometer tests, adult males and females of Eucelatoria sp. deprived of water were strongly attracted to the odor of okra leaves. Okra leaves from plants subjected to short natural photoperiods (late Oct.–early Nov.) and collected at 0800 h were highly attractive to water-deprived flies. The addition of water to olfactometer cages containing water-deprived flies produced an immediate and striking decrease of 99.4 and 99.9% in the attraction of males and females, respectively, to okra volatiles. Water-deprived Eucelatoria responded to the airflow from water-saturated paper, but the response was weaker than the attraction to volatile chemicals from okra.
Compositional Effects on Grain Boundary Dislocation Stability in Pure Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

The dissociation of extrinsic grain boundary dislocations in Al, Al-Mg and Al-Mg-Sn alloys was studied at various temperatures to examine the compositional effect on the dissociation process. It was found that both alloying elements (Mg and Sn) hinder the dissociation, however the effect of Sn is more significant even at a very low concentration due in part to grain boundary segregation.
A study on the externality of government behavior in the protection of cultural heritages

The externality of government behavior is from the defect in process public-decision,and is connected with behavior bodies.The system must be improved,market ruIes and the third partner be introduced,the technological evaluated system must be established to ruduce negative externalities of government behavior.
Platelet activating factor and pentoxifylline as human sperm cryoprotectants.

Objective To explore whether the addition of platelet-activating factor (PAF) or pentoxifylline before cryopreservation improves the recovery of motile viable sperm and what role cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) plays in this recovery. Design Washed sperm was cryopreserved in the absence of and in the presence of PAF and pentoxifylline. After 2 weeks these samples were quick-thawed and evaluated before and after washing for sperm motility and other motion characteristics. Sperm viability and cAMP concentration were determined to compare the effects of these cryoprotectants. Results When sperm samples were cryopreserved in the presence of PAF or pentoxifylline, an improvement in the recovery of motile sperm in unwashed and washed post-thaw samples was observed. There were 38% more motile sperm recovered with PAF and 15% more with pentoxifylline when compared with untreated samples. In comparison with the unwashed samples, sperm motility in post-thaw samples was lowered by the washing procedure. When PAF was used as a cryoprotectant, a significant improvement in the linearity and straight line velocity of the postthaw sperm was observed. When pentoxifylline was used as a cryoprotectant, lateral head displacement was significantly improved in the post-thaw samples than in the control group. Both PAF-and pentoxifylline-treated samples contained a greater number of viable sperm than the control. The cAMP concentrations in post-thaw samples were 12-fold higher in pentoxifylline-treated samples and 4-fold higher in PAF-treated samples when compared with the untreated control. A 4-fold decrease in cAMP concentration was observed in post-thaw control samples compared with fresh-washed sperm. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that both PAF and pentoxifylline are useful cryoprotectants for the increased recovery of motile, viable sperm. Although increased recovery of motile sperm in pentoxifylline-treated samples is related to higher cAMP levels, the cryoprotective effect of PAF does not appear to be due to increased cAMP.
Progress on the Determination of Intermolecular Potential Energy Surfaces From High Resolution Spectroscopy

The determination of accurate intermolecular potentials has been a key focus in the understanding of collision and half-collision dynamics, but has been exceedingly difficult to obtain in quantitative detail for even the simplest molecular systems. Traditional methods of obtaining empirical intermolecular potential information have been from analysis of nonideal gas behavior, second virial coefficients, viscosity data and other transport phenomena.1–3 However, these data sample highly averaged collisional interactions over relative orientations, velocities, impact parameters, initial and final state energies, etc. As a result intermolecular potential information from such methods is limited to estimates of the molecular size and stickiness, i.e., essentially the depth and position of the energy minimum for an isotropic well.
Integrative weighted group lasso and generalized local quadratic approximation

Longitudinal clinical outcomes are often collected in genomic studies, where selection methods accounting for dynamic effects of biomarkers are desirable. Biomarker effects can be modeled by nonparametric B-splines and selected by group lasso. A novel weight function is proposed based on the extremum of the biomarker effects over time for the penalty. In addition to the common practice treating weights as adaptive functions depending on some first-stage estimates, an integrative group lasso which treats the loss, penalty and weight functions as an integrative whole is proposed, where parameters in all three are jointly estimated in one step. Generalized local quadratic approximations are developed to optimize the integrative group lasso whose guidelines are applicable in a wide range of non-convex optimization problems. The integrative version has theoretical advantages as it requires weaker assumptions in achieving consistency and sparsistency. Both adaptive and integrative procedures show larger areas under the ROC curves as well as smaller biases and mean square prediction errors over unweighted group lasso in simulation studies. Finally, the proposed method is illustrated on the GWAS from the Epidemiology and Intervention of Diabetes Complication trial. To accommodate more candidate markers, 23 chromosomes are analyzed separately with common tuning parameters. Weighted group lasso emphasizing extremum selects dynamic biomarker effects.Parameters in the loss, penalty and weight functions are estimated simultaneously.Local quadratic approximation is generalized to non-convex optimization problems.
Disciplinary surveillance and simulation in Ahmet Midhat Efendi’sEsrar-ı Cinayat, the first detective novel in Turkish literature

ABSTRACTThis article investigates how Ahmet Midhat Efendi’s Esrar-i Cinayat, the first detective novel in Turkish literature, represents and actively participates in Abdulhamid II’s disciplining of Ottoman bureaucracy. The article explores how in Midhat’s novel—set strategically at a time before the Hamidian legal reforms to underline their importance—law-defying elites are brought to justice with the help of the newspaper, which exposes their secrets to the public gaze, and the effective use of strategies such as cross-dressing and textual forgery. Through Judith Butler’s writing on parodic repetition, the article then closely analyzes the destabilizing textual effects of these simulative performances. It argues that the acts of simulation suspend the disciplinary regime and undermine the gaze of surveillance by inscribing the epistemic depth-structures necessary for their operation on surface. The article thus responds to the existent criticism that tends to interpret the politics of Midhat’s fiction ex...
Integration of Linkage Analysis and Next-Generation Sequencing Data

Genetic mapping by linkage analysis has been for many years the first step in the identification of genes responsible for rare Mendelian disorders. When the focus of genetic research shifted toward the study of the more complex common disorders, alternative approaches such as association studies were shown to be more successful in identifying common variants of small effect that are in part responsible for susceptibility to such conditions. Recent advances in technologies that make feasible the sequencing of whole exomes or genomes have renewed interest in the identification of rare variants, which are in principle amenable to being detected by linkage analysis. As a result, linkage analysis and family-based studies in general are being reexamined as an aid to filter and validate results of whole exome and whole genome sequencing experiments. This chapter will describe a few representative papers that have incorporated linkage analysis and its results in the design, execution, and interpretation of whole genome or whole exome sequencing studies.
Masculinities, Class, and Power

School is a battlefield. All too often, Mexicaness operates within a discursive set of performances where students are classed and racialized as being at a “low level” in comparison to Whites (Betttie, 2003). Yet, the discursive, classed, racialized, and gendered performances of Mexican-origin scholarship boys contest this claim.
Tax Avoidance, Revenue Starvation and the Age of the Multinational Corporation

This article is a response to the current crisis in global tax avoidance, particularly by multinational corporations. Recent revelations, including “Luxleaks” and Panama Papers, have made clear that tax avoidance is occurring on a massive scale all around the world. Both wealthy individuals and large corporations have pursued increasingly audacious ways to avoid paying tax in any jurisdiction. In the quest for tax avoidance, large corporations in particular have been assisted by both “creative” tax accountants in the big firms, and also by friendly legal environments fostered by national governments. Globally, both developed and developing countries lose billions of dollars in revenue to corporate tax avoidance every year. There is nothing secret about this fact any longer. Indeed, all of these legal and accounting devices have been well documented in many publications, and most boil down to the fact that corporations have found ways of attributing profits to low or no-tax jurisdictions in which the profits were not really earned. Prominent works like Gabriel Zucman’s The Hidden Wealth of Nations: The Scourge of Tax Havens explains in detail how governments everywhere are hemorrhaging revenue that remains tied up in tax havens. However, the real news, and the unexplained aspect of this problem, is why it has taken so long for governments to alter the legal regime governing the taxation of corporate profits. As has been made clear by Joseph Stigliz and other economists, the legal solution to the tax avoidance dilemma is simply not that complicated: With sufficient political will, governments could, collectively or individually, find a formula to attribute profits to the jurisdiction in which the profit was derived, and tax it accordingly. The reason this has not occurred is not a technical one, but rather a political one. This article explores initiatives to date, emanating from the OECD, the EU and the US, and argues that the slow pace of reform indicates that corporations exert far overwhelming influence in the field of international tax law and policy -- far more than ordinary citizens. The article concludes with an examination of the recommendations made by the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation, of which Joseph Stiglitz is a key member, calling on governments to insist that taxes are paid by corporations in the jurisdictions where the profits are actually made. The article argues that enough is already known about the technical devices used by corporations to avoid tax. The time is ripe for legislative action and for serious international cooperation to realign corporate profits with reasonable levels of taxation.
Does Temporal Aggregation Explain the Persistence of the S&P/Case-Shiller Indices? Evidence from a Longitudinal Specification

Temporal aggregation is a repeat sale index construction methodology that consists of aggregating paired-transactions in a moving-average window. In particular, the methodology is used to calculate the popular S&P/Case-Shiller home price indices. In this article, I focus the insights of the literature on measurement error to demonstrate that temporal aggregation produces idiosyncratic biases in predictive regression slopes. I further estimate a dynamic instrumental variable (IV) panel for the 20 S&P/Case-Shiller metro areas. The main empirical finding is that temporal aggregation is a short-lived statistical disturbance that does not explain the homogenous robust persistence of the indices.
Site preference of Ge4+ in magnetic spinels

Abstract The compositional system Zn x Ge 1− x Ni 2−2 x Fe 2 x O 4 was prepared and found to be ferri-magnetic with large magnetic moments and high Curie temperatures. These observations are inconsistent with the assumption that Zn 2+ and Ge 4+ occupy the A sites exclusively (spinels with Zn 2+ and Ge 4+ on the A sites would be expected to be antiferromagnetic). A combined magnetic and crystallographic investigation showed that Fe 3+ displaced Ge 4+ from the A sites causing the observed ferrimagnetism. On the basis of this investigation, and on work reported by other investigators, the Ge 4+ ion was found to have a larger tetrahedral site preference than Co 2+ but smaller than Fe 3+ and could be located between these two in a table of site preferences in spinels. Anomalous magnetic moments reported for other systems containing Zn 2+ and Ge 4+ are explained using the newly acquired information on the tetrahedral site preference of Ge 4+ .
Five-year relative survival for human papillomavirus-associated cancer sites.

BACKGROUND Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines can potentially prevent greater than 90% of cervical and anal cancers as well as a substantial proportion of vulvar, vaginal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers caused by certain HPV types. Because more than 38,000 HPV-associated cancers are diagnosed annually in the United States, current studies are needed to understand how relative survival varies for each of these cancers by certain demographic characteristics, such as race and age. METHODS The authors examined high-quality data from 27 population-based cancer registries covering approximately 59% of the US population. The analyses were limited to invasive cancers that were diagnosed during 2001 through 2011 and followed through 2011 and met specified histologic criteria for HPV-associated cancers. Five-year relative survival was calculated from diagnosis until death for these cancers by age, race, and sex. RESULTS The 5-year age-standardized relative survival rate was 64.2% for cervical carcinomas, 52.8% for vaginal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), 66% for vulvar SCCs, 47.4% for penile SCCs, 65.9% for anal SCCs, 56.2% for rectal SCCs, and 51.2% for oropharyngeal SCCs. Five-year relative survival was consistently higher among white patients compared with black patients for all HPV-associated cancers across all age groups; the greatest differences by race were observed for oropharyngeal SCCs among those aged <60 years and for penile SCCs among those ages 40 to 49 years compared with other age groups. CONCLUSIONS There are large disparities in relative survival among patients with HPV-associated cancers by sex, race, and age. HPV vaccination and improved access to screening (of cancers for which screening tests are available) and treatment, especially among groups that experience higher incidence and lower survival, may reduce disparities in survival from HPV-associated cancers. Cancer 2018;124:203-211. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
The carpometacarpus of the Pliocene turkey Meleagris leopoldi (Galliformes: Phasianidae) and the problem of morphological variability in turkeys

Author(s): Stidham, Thomas A. | Abstract: I describe the first known carpometacarpus attributable to the extinct late Pliocene (Blancan) turkey Meleagris leopoldi that was apparently collected with the type material at the type locality in Cita Canyon, Texas. Although known to previous workers, this specimen has never been discussed or described. The size and morphology of the carpometacarpus indicates that M. leopoldi may be distinct from the extant M. gallopavo and is similar to Meleagris progenes and Inglis 1A (Florida) material. However, this fossil does not clarify the relationship to and possible synonymy of M. leopoldi and M. anza, but it adds support to the idea that M. progenes is a junior synonym of M. leopoldi. The extreme morphological variation among fossil turkey specimens and recognized species obscures the phylogenetic relationships among Meleagris taxa. The presence of certain variable characters in geologically older Meleagris taxa may provide a clue to assess character polarity. Given these data, it appears that Meleagris leopoldi was a widely distributed late Pliocene species that was replaced in its geographic range by M. gallopavo during the Pleistocene.
A Vivisecting Dramatist: The Anatomy of Theater in Joanna Baillie’s “Introductory Discourse” and De Monfort

ABSTRACTThis article examines the aims, methods, and vocabularies of Joanna Baillie's “Introductory Discourse” and De Monfort alongside Matthew Baillie's anatomical tome, Morbid Anatomy, and a lect...
Intrathecal morphine administration reduces postoperative pain and peripheral endocannabinoid levels in total knee arthroplasty patients: a randomized clinical trial.

The primary goal of this study was to determine whether administration of intrathecal morphine reduces postoperative pain. The secondary goal was to determine the effect of intrathecal morphine upon circulating levels of the weakly analgesic endocannabinoids, anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and the related lipids palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and oleoylethanolamide (OEA). Forty two total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients were enrolled in a prospective, double-blinded, randomized study. The intervention consisted of intrathecal morphine (200 μg) or placebo administered at the time of the spinal anesthesia. Postoperative pain was measured during the first 4 h after surgery while serum levels of AEA, 2-AG, PEA, OEA, and cortisol were measured at baseline and 4 h after surgery. Administration of intrathecal morphine reduced postoperative pain 4 h after TKA surgery compared to placebo (p = 0.005) and reduced postoperative systemic opioid consumption (p = 0.001). At baseline, intrathecal morphine led to a significant reduction in AEA, 2-AG, and OEA levels but did not affect PEA or cortisol levels. In patients administered intrathecal placebo, 2-AG levels were elevated 4 h after surgery; whereas patients receiving intrathecal morphine showed reductions in AEA, PEA, and OEA when compared to placebo. At 4 h after TKA surgery cortisol levels were significantly elevated in the placebo group and reduced in those receiving morphine. These results indicate that intrathecal morphine reduces postoperative pain in TKA patients. Furthermore, activation of central opioid receptors negatively modulates the endocannabinoid tone, suggesting that potent analgesics may reduce the stimulus for production of peripheral endocannabinoids. This study is the first to document the existence of rapid communication between the central opioid and peripheral endocannabinoid systems in humans. This trial was registered retrospectively. Trial registry: NCT02620631 . Study to Examine Pain Relief With Supplemental Intrathecal Morphine in TKA Patients, NCT02620631 , 12/03/2015.
Endocrine System—Adrenal Cortex, Thyroid, and Pancreas

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the endocrine system of the adrenal cortex, thyroid, and pancreas. Organs or subpopulations of cells in the endocrine system, as well as the fetus and the neonate, can also be affected by drugs and chemicals. Teratogenesis is an important aspect of endocrine aberrations caused by some chemicals or drugs. Furthermore, various chemicals are toxic to the female reproductive system, to male accessory sex organs, and to specific subpopulations of cells within the male gonad. Organs like the thyroid gland, the adrenal gland, and the pancreas can also be affected by certain drugs and chemicals.Drugs and synthetic steroids can alter glandular internal secretions directly or by modifying trophic hormone secretion from the adenohypophysis. Unanticipated effects of drugs on endocrine function and on endocrine function tests can complicate the assessment of diagnostic procedures. The majority of all endocrine toxicities (about 90%) appear in the adrenal gland, the testes, and the thyroid gland.
Studies on the bioluminescence of Renilla reniformis: VI. Some chemical properties and the tentative partial structure of luciferin

Abstract 1. 1. Evidence is presented which indicates that luciferin is a tryptamine derivative. This is based on the ultraviolet absorption spectra of luciferin, its reaction with p -dimethylaminobenzldehyde to produce a reddish-violet color typical of 2- or 3-unsubstituted indoles, and on the fact that alkaline hydrolysis of luciferin results in the liberation of tryptamine. 2. 2. Luficerin contains sulfur, and preliminary evidence suggests that this exists in the form of sulfate. Activated, but not unactivated, luficerin is a reducing agent as judged by its reaction with triphenyltetrazolium chloride. 3. 3. A tentative partial structure of luciferin is presented.
Necrotizing Clostridial Soft Tissue Infections

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on necrotizing clostridial soft tissue infection. Clostridium tetani and C. botulinum cause specific clinical diseases by elaborating single, but highly potent, toxins. Botulism results from ingestion of preformed toxin or multiplication of C. botulinum in the intestinal tract, while tetanus requires proliferation of C. tetani at the site of a penetrating injury. Other strains of clostridia, such as C. perfringens and C. septicum, cause aggressive necrotizing soft tissue infections, attributable in part to the elaboration of bacterial proteases, phospholipases, and other cytotoxins. Smith described three types of clostridial soft tissue infections. The initiating trauma introduces organisms into the deep tissues, and produces an anaerobic niche with a sufficiently low redox potential and acid pH for optimal clostridial growth. Clostridium septicum produces four toxins: α-toxin, β-toxin, γ-toxin, and δ-toxin, as well as a protease and a neuraminidase. Clostridium tertium causes bacteremia in compromised hosts who have received long courses of antibiotics, thus explaining the organism's relative resistance to penicillin, cephalosporins and clindamycin.
Drug Analysis using High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) Chiral Stationary Phases: Where to Begin and Which to Use

The most common approach to the resolution of enantiomeric compounds involves the conversion of the enantiomers into diastereomers. Unlike enantiomers, diastereomers have different physical properties and can often be easily separated. Using this approach, enantiomers can be resolved through the formation of diastereomeric salts, by the synthesis of diastereomeric derivatives or through the formation of transient diastereomeric complexes. The latter approach is the basic mechanism of HPLC chiral stationary phases (HPLC-CSPs) where transient diastereomeric complexes are formed between enantiomeric solute molecules and an optically pure molecule or polymer on the stationary phase.
C-band Dual-Polarization Radar Signatures of Wet Downbursts around Cape Canaveral, Florida

AbstractWind warnings are the second-most-frequent advisory issued by the U.S. Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron (45WS) at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Given the challenges associated with nowcasting c...
Nanoparticle orientation distribution analysis and design for polymeric piezoresistive sensors

Abstract Piezoresistive sensors, with polymer matrices and conductive nanoparticles, are a relatively new addition to the sensor class, with the potential to transform such fields as wearable sensors and the internet of things. The unusual inverse piezoresistive behavior of the sensors has been modeled using quantum tunneling and percolation theory. However, the impact of the distribution of conductive particles in the matrix, and specifically their relative orientation, has not been well studied. The initial and deformed distribution of orientations greatly influences the sensor behavior, since the quantum tunneling model is highly sensitive to the polymer gaps between nanoparticles; the evolution of these gaps under deformation is strongly dependent upon the relative orientation of neighboring particles, and determines electron transport properties, and overall sensor response. In this paper a simple analytical model for isotropic orientation distribution and subsequent Poisson-based gap evolution is compared with a more sophisticated finite element and random resistor network analysis. The new numerical model was able to explain previously unexplained physical behavior and is used to design sensors with specific desired characteristics. The appropriateness of the previously assumed percolation behavior is also examined via the model and generalized effective medium theory.
Spectrum Activity Estimation by Partition-blind Block Partitioned Tensor Decomposition

We consider a scenario where signals that can be modeled as finite sums of linearly modulated signals that are non-orthogonal in both time and frequency are observed by a sensor. Under this model, when an antidiagonal slice of the trispectum of the sum of these signals is computed for multiple segments in time and stacked into a frontal symmetric block partitioned tensor (FSBPT) whose factor matrices characterize the received power spectrum and transmission activities of the signals. We propose a new alternating soft thresholding decomposition strategy that is tailored to FSBPTs and, unlike existing BPT decomposition algorithms, simultaneously estimates the factor partitions which is necessary since in our signal model the partitioning is not known a priori. We demonstrate the algorithm’s performance via Monte Carlo simulations. We find that our proposed non-blind algorithm is able to estimate the tensor partitions and moderately accurately estimate the factor matrices under a range of factor matrix column collinearity values.
The First Law of Thermodynamics

The first law of thermodynamics is the law of conservation of energy; energy is neither created nor destroyed. It can occur in different forms such as thermal or electrical energy and can be converted between these forms. Since matter and energy are intra-convertible, matter itself might be considered an energy. For most situations, however, the energy converted from matter is negligible and is ignored.
Effects of Collateral Status on Infarct Distribution Following Endovascular Therapy in Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke

Background and Purpose: We aim to examine effects of collateral status and post-thrombectomy reperfusion on final infarct distribution and early functional outcome in patients with anterior circula...
Labor Analgesia in a Patient with Severe Dystrophic Calcinosis Cutis.

Introduction Calcinosis cutis is a condition characterized by pathologic calcium deposition into superficial dermal skin layers. It is often associated with an autoimmune disease. However, it may also occur after minor localized trauma and infection. Description of problem We report a case of lumbar epidural placement of labor analgesia in a parturient with severe dystrophic calcinosis cutis without apparent complications. Clinical solution We recommend fastidious optimization of epidural placement conditions for all patients who may be at high risk for neuraxial anesthesia, including consideration of ultrasound use, use of an experienced anesthesia provider for neuraxial placement, and placement in early labor. Additionally, judicious discussion of risks, benefits, and alternatives when obtaining informed consent is critical, ideally with the patient identified for a comprehensive visit in a preoperative obstetric anesthesia clinic before delivery.
Abstract 12459: Is Ejection Fraction <50% the Optimal Threshold for Referral for Valve Replacement in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis? Impact of Ejection Fraction on Post-Operative Outcome

Introduction: In asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (SAS), left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) <50% is generally considered to be the threshold for referral for aortic valve replacement (AVR). Hypothesis: We investigated the importance of LVEF on long-term outcome after AVR in symptomatic and asymptomatic SAS patients and studied whether LVEF < 50% is the optimal threshold for referral for AVR. Methods and Results: We retrospectively identified 2017 patients with SAS (aortic valve area (AVA)<1cm2, mean aortic valve gradient ≥40 mm Hg, or indexed AVA <0.6 cm2/m2) who underwent surgical AVR from January 1995 to June 2009 at our institution. Patients were divided into 4 groups depending on preoperative LVEF (<50% in 300 (15%) patients, 50-59% in 331 (17%), 60-69% in 908 (45%), and ≥70% in 478 (24%)). The primary end-point was all-cause mortality. During follow-up of 5.3±4.4 years, 1056 (52%) died. Five-year mortality rate increased with decreasing LVEF (41% (n=106), LVEF<50%); 35% (n=98), LVEF 50-59%; 26% (n=192), LVEF 60-69%; 22% (n=90), LVEF≥70%, p<0.0001). Compared to patients with LVEF≥60%, patients with LVEF 50-59% had increased mortality (HR 1.58, p<0.001), with a similar risk increase in both symptomatic (HR=1.56, p<0.001) and asymptomatic patients (HR 1.58, p=0.006, Figure). In a Cox regression analysis corrected for standard risk factors, LV mass index, AVA, and stroke volume index, LVEF was predictive of all-cause mortality (HR=0.89 per 10%, p<0.001). When this multivariable analysis was repeated in the subset of 1333 patients with no history of coronary artery disease, LVEF was still associated with all-cause mortality (HR=0.90 per 10%, p=0.009). Conclusion: In patients with SAS undergoing AVR, patients with LVEF 50-59% have also increased mortality compared to patients with LVEF>60%, suggesting that a different LVEF threshold should be used when referring for AVR. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Trends in the use of biologic agents among rheumatoid arthritis patients enrolled in the US medicare program.

Objective Self-injectable biologic agents have been covered by Medicare Part D since 2006. We hypothesized that this coverage benefit and related financial considerations would lead to increased use of self-injectable biologic agents over time and would be influential in determining which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients received infusion versus self-injected biologic agents. Methods We used 100% of US Medicare data (2006–2009) to calculate the prevalence of use of different RA biologic agents and evaluated factors associated with receipt of infliximab versus etanercept or adalimumab among patients starting their first anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agent. Results Through 2009, the prevalence of biologic agent use overall (∼27%) and via infusion (16–17%) or self-injection (10–11%) remained unchanged among Medicare beneficiaries with RA. After adjusting for patient characteristics, stronger physician preference for infused biologic agents was related to physician reimbursement and associated with an increased likelihood of using infliximab as the first anti-TNF agent (odds ratio [OR] comparing the highest to lowest quartile of physician preference 7.3, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 6.4–8.3). Lower-income patients who received state assistance for Medicare coverage had lower out-of-pocket payments for injectable biologic agents ($4.10/prescription) and were less likely to use infliximab (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.37–0.45) compared with etanercept or adalimumab. Conclusion The prevalence of injection and infusion biologic agents in RA remained stable in the Medicare program through 2009. The choice between an intravenous infusion versus an injectable anti-TNF agent as first-line treatment appeared to be strongly influenced by financial considerations affecting both patients and physicians.
X-ray and debris emission from direct and indirect National Ignition Facility targets

The emission of x rays and debris ions by the National Ignition Facility direct and indirect targets are compared in this paper. In the indirect drive targets, the fuel capsule is surrounded by a gold case, which filters out all but the hardest x rays from the capsule and collides with the capsule debris, generating large amounts of colder x rays that leave the target through laser entrance holes. The direct drive targets have no such case, so the debris and x rays from the capsule are un-obscured. Computer simulations of both targets demonstrate these differences. 8 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.
Resilience and thriving in the Latino/a population: Intersections and discrepancies

A mixed methodological approach was used to explore the phenomena of resilience and thriving in 102 Latino/a community members in a west coast county in the United States. Thematic Analysis of open-ended question responses about resilience and thriving highlighted the relationship between these constructs and revealed themes of both internal and external strategies for resilience and thriving. Findings also revealed difficulty in participants’ differentiation between resilience and thriving. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses examined the predictive contributions of factors correlated with resilience for thriving. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Patterns of plant species richness in pasture lands of the northeast United States

Pasture lands are an important facet of land use in the northeast United States, yet little is known about their recent diversity. To answer some fundamental questions about the diversity of these pasture lands, we designed a broad survey to document plant species richness using an intensive, multi scale sampling method. We also wanted to learn whether environmental (soils or climate) or land management variables could help explain patterns of species richness. A total of 17 farms, encompassing 37 pastures, were sampled in New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maryland, Massachusetts and Connecticut during July and August 1998. We positively identified a total of 161 different plant species across the study region. Species richness averaged 31.7±1.1 on pastures. Infrequent, transient species that were mostly perennial and annual forbs accounted for ∼ 90% of the species richness. Except for a subjective rating of grazing intensity, land management methods were not good predictors of species richness. Over time, it appears that grazing neither reduces nor increases species richness in pastures. Of the environmental variables measured, only soil P explained a significant amount of the variation in species richness. Soil P was inversely related to species richness at the 1m2 scale. Percent SOM was positively associated with species richness at this scale, although weakly. At larger spatial scales, we suggest that patterns of species richness are best explained by the species diversity of soil seed banks, or seed rain, and stochastic recruitment of these species into existing vegetation.
Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of DNA Topoisomerase I in Prostate Cancer

Abstract : The purpose of this proposal was to investigate the response of prostate cancer to a series of camptothecin analogs, which are drugs that target DNA topoisomerase I. This final report summarizes the accomplishments toward the tasks outlined in the original proposal for this grant. The goal of the project was to try to understand why, despite the availability of topoisomerase I in prostate cancer, chemotherapeutic agents that target this enzyme are ineffective in treating prostate cancer. Members of the camptothecin family that specifically target topo I were studied in prostate cancer cell lines grown in vitro. The project was meant to attack this problem from three separate directions using three assays. The first assay was that of initial topo I distribution in normal and cancer cells and its response to camptothecin analog treatment. The second assay was for selection of camptothecin analogs that form slowly reversing topo I-DNA complexes. The third was measurement of the onset of apoptosis in prostate cells treated with the different analogs. This final report documents the work performed throughout the lifetime of the funded project. The authors note that while some experimental problems were encountered that limited the completion of all tasks, good progress was made overall on the proposed research.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Used As Bait, Disclose Tissue Binding Sites A Tool in the Search for the Niche?

We developed an ex vivo approach characterizing renal mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) adhesion to kidney sections. Specificity of MSC adhesion was confirmed by demonstrating a) 3T3 cells displayed 10-fold lower adhesion, and b) MSC adhesion was CXCR4/stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)-dependent. MSC adhesion was asymmetrical, with postischemic sections exhibiting more than twofold higher adhesion than controls, and showed preference to perivascular areas. Pretreating kidney sections with cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptide resulted in increased MSC adhesion (by displacing resident cells), whereas blockade of CXCR4 with AMD3100 and inhibition of alpha4beta1(VLA4) integrin or vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1, reduced adhesion. The difference between adhered cells under cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptide-treated and control conditions reflected prior occupancy of binding sites with endogenous cells. The AMD3100-inhibitable fraction of adhesion reflected CXCR4-dependent adhesion, whereas maximal adhesion was interpreted as kidney MSC-lodging capacity. MSC obtained from mice overexpressing caveolin-1 exhibited more robust adhesion than those obtained from knockout animals, consistent with CXCR4 dimerization in caveolae. These data demonstrate a) CXCR4/SDF-1-dependent adhesion increases in ischemia; b) CXCR4/SDF-1 activation is dependent on MSC surface caveolin-1; and c) occupancy of MSC binding sites is decreased, while d) capacity of MSC binding sites is expanded in postischemic kidneys. In conclusion, we developed a cell-bait strategy to unmask renal stem cell binding sites, which may potentially shed light on the MSC niche(s) and its characteristics.
Planar Image-Based Reconstruction of Pervious Concrete Pore Structure and Permeability Prediction

The permeability of pervious concrete is discussed in this paper. Transport properties of porous materials such as pervious concretes are inherently dependent on a variety of pore structure features. Empirical equations are typically used to relate the pore structure of a porous material to its permeability. In this study, a computational procedure is employed to predict the permeability of 12 different pervious concrete mixtures from three-dimensional (3D) material structures reconstructed from starting planar images of the original material. Two-point correlation (TPC) functions of the two-dimensional (2D) images from real pervious concrete specimens are employed along with the measured volumetric porosities in the reconstruction process. The pore structure features of the parent material and the reconstructed images are found to be similar. The permeabilities predicted using Darcy’s law applied to the reconstructed structures and the experimentally measured permeabilities of pervious concretes are found to be in reasonably good agreement. The 3D reconstruction process provides a relatively inexpensive method (instead of methods such as X-ray tomography) to explore the nature of the pore space in pervious concretes and predict permeability, thus facilitating its use in understanding the changes in pore structure as a result of changes in mixture proportions.