cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dispersion and attenuation of mantle waves through waveform inversion

Summary. We propose a new approach to the determination of elastic and anelastic parameters of the Earth’s structure from seismic data. Instead of measuring such functionals of the medium response as the phase delay or spectral ratios, we perturb parameters of the model to satisfy the observed waveforms. The advantage of our waveform inversion technique (WIT) is that it uses the properties of the Earth as a smoothing filter. Also, because the Earth’s structure is the common denominator, the method allows simultaneous interpretation of different functionals of this structure; for example, the waveforms of Rayleigh and Love waves for the same source-receiver pair. Following extensive testing of the method on synthetic and actual data, we subject results of our analysis of 37 recordings for various sources and stations to ‘pure path’ decomposition. The period range of analysis extends from 160 to 630s. We distinguish four types of regions: stable continents, areas tectonically active within the last 400Myr, ocean floors younger than 38 Myr, and old ocean floors older than 38 Myr. The results indicate significantly different responses of the oceanic and continental areas at long periods. Stable continental and tectonic regions have nearly the same dispersion for periods greater than 300-35Os, and then diverge rapidly, with stable continents showing higher velocities. The young and old oceans, on the other hand, become distinct at periods as long as 500 s; the old oceans are faster. In terms of shear velocity models, the data are consistent with a difference of about 4 per cent between the young and old oceans in a depth range from 400 to 670 km, while the continental regions are similar and close to the global average. At shallower depths our structures are conceptually similar to those inferred from previous ‘pure path’ analyses and short-period surface wave studies. While we cannot, yet, establish statistically significant differences in Q for the four regions, such differences are obtained if one distinguishes only between continents and oceans: the Q for the latter is 10-20 per cent lower in the period range of the analysis.
Characterization of a new myxozoan species (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae: Myxosporea) in largescale stonerollers (Campostoma oligolepis) from the Mobile River Basin (Alabama).

Abstract : Myxobolus stanlii sp. n. was described from largescale stonerollers (Campostoma oligolepis) from the Mobile River Basin in Alabama. The parasite was described using critical identifying morphological features, and the 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequence. The spore body was ovoid, 10.03 ± 0.7 (7.5–11.0) μm long and 8.8 ± 1.5 (6.3–11.3) μm wide in frontal view. Spore thickness was 6.3 ± 2.7 (6.2–8.6) μm in sutural view. Polar capsules were pyriform, of equal size, and oriented in plane with the sutural ridge. Polar capsules were 2.45 ± 1.5 (range 2.1–4.3) μm in width and 4.6 ± 2.7 (range 4.5–6.9) μm in length. Based on the SSU rRNA gene sequence of Myxobolus stanlii sp. n. is most closely related to M. pseudodispar.
CHANGES IN BLOOD IODINE FRACTIONS AND RADIOACTIVITY UNDER THERAPY

SEVERAL reports (1,2) indicate that thyroid function can be distorted by therapy with I131. In fact, one of the present authors reported with Dr. F. Homburger that both qualitative and quantitative changes in the blood iodine fractions occurred. This tradition has led to a disregard of the orderliness of thyroid physiology, even under conservative therapy. Nevertheless, if preliminary test doses could afford an accurate preview of thyroxine turnover under therapeutic conditions, a more accurate control of therapeutic dosage would be possible. It is the purpose of this communication to demonstrate the orderliness of thyroxine metabolic turnover even under dosage as high as 50 millicuries of radioiodide, I131. The data concern the function of the thyroid during the first week after a single dose of radioiodide. They do not involve the stage of marked inflammation and autolysis which follows. Within this interval a striking result emerges, namely, that the daily production of radioactive hormone is essential...
Message passing for GPGPU clusters: CudaMPI

We present and analyze two new communication libraries, cudaMPI and glMPI, that provide an MPI-like message passing interface to communicate data stored on the graphics cards of a distributed-memory parallel computer. These libraries can help applications that perform general purpose computations on these networked GPU clusters. We explore how to efficiently support both point-to-point and collective communication for either contiguous or noncontiguous data on modern graphics cards. Our software design is informed by a detailed analysis of the actual performance of modern graphics hardware, for which we develop and test a simple but useful performance model.
Strategic planning for multinationals—The views of governments and scientists

Abstract The purpose of the project described in this paper was to study the environmental changes that influence the strategic planning of multinational firms. The environment of any business or government consists of all things external to an organization which influence it, such as political climate, social situation, international economics, etc. The changes in the strategic planning procedures of firms have been reported elsewhere. This article concentrates on the role that three governments in north-western Europe play in multinational business planning and the views of a number of scientists concerning the interaction of environmental conditions and the strategic planning of multinational firms.
Excitation of dielectric resonator antennas by a waveguide probe: modeling technique and wide-band design

Analysis of a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) fed by a waveguide probe is presented. The probe is excited by the dominant mode of a waveguide and extends into the DRA through an aperture in the waveguide wall. The DRA has, in general, an arbitrary shape and resides on an infinite ground plane, which coincides with the exterior of the waveguide broad wall. A simple and efficient analysis procedure is implemented where the problem is divided into two parts. In the upper part, the input impedance of the DRA excited by a coaxial probe is obtained with respect to the feeding position on the ground plane independent of the waveguide part. Then the input impedance is transformed to the waveguide part as a concentrated load at the end of the probe connected to the waveguide wall. The effect of the wall thickness is taken into account by modeling the section of the probe passing through the waveguide wall as a coaxial cable transmission line supporting the transverse electromagnetic mode. Thus the DRA input impedance is transferred from the ground plane reference to the waveguide inner wall reference. Results obtained using the method of moments are compared with those obtained using the finite-difference time-domain method and exhibit very good agreement. The procedure is used to achieve a bandwidth of 50% for a stacked DRA excited by a waveguide probe.
Factors Limiting Dental Diagnosis: A Conceptual Overview

Recent technological advances, particularly those dealing with information acquisition and management, have created opportunities in dental diagnosis and therapy which can be realized fully only through a systematic analysis of all relevant factors. For diagnostic systems, these include: (1) delineation of the task to be accomplished; (2) determination of a rational strategy for sampling pertinent data; and (3) assessment of performance obtainable from real components relative to that produced theoretically by an ideal system operating under the same constraints. The sequence of consideration of these factors is also important, because each is unilaterally constrained by those preceding. The perspective so obtained suggests that future development is likely to be determined more by the conceptualization of problems for which new tools can be designed than by the application of new technology in old ways.
ApoE4 upregulates the activity of mitochondria‐associated ER membranes

In addition to the appearance of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by aberrant lipid metabolism and early mitochondrial dysfunction. We recently showed that there was increased functionality of mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAM), a subdomain of the ER involved in lipid and cholesterol homeostasis, in presenilin-deficient cells and in fibroblasts from familial and sporadic AD patients. Individuals carrying the e4 allele of apolipoprotein E (ApoE4) are at increased risk for developing AD compared to those carrying ApoE3. While the reason for this increased risk is unknown, we hypothesized that it might be associated with elevated MAM function. Using an astrocyte-conditioned media (ACM) model, we now show that ER-mitochondrial communication and MAM function-as measured by the synthesis of phospholipids and of cholesteryl esters, respectively-are increased significantly in cells treated with ApoE4-containing ACM as compared to those treated with ApoE3-containing ACM. Notably, this effect was seen with lipoprotein-enriched preparations, but not with lipid-free ApoE protein. These data are consistent with a role of upregulated MAM function in the pathogenesis of AD and may help explain, in part, the contribution of ApoE4 as a risk factor in the disease.
Cellular and in vivo properties of 64Cu-labeled irreversible and reversible peptide ligands against VEGF

167 Objectives Covalent binding peptide ligands offer enhanced affinity for their target proteins and are relatively unexplored as molecular imaging agents. For this purpose, we evaluated a 64Cu-labeled affinity peptide tag, [64Cu]L19K-FDNB, which binds covalently and irreversibly to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agent. We compared the in vivo properties of [64Cu]L19K-FDNB in VEGF-expressing tumor xenografts to its noncovalent binding analogs, the lipophilic [64Cu]L19K-DNP and native [64Cu]L19K. Methods The L19K peptide (NO2A-PEG4-GGNECDIARMWEWECFERK-CONH2) was conjugated to 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene at the C-terminal lysine for cross-linking to VEGF, resulting in L19K-FDNB, and radiolabeled with 64Cu. As a control for the lipophilicity contributed by this cross-linker, L19K was conjugated to 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, resulting in L19K-DNP. In vitro binding studies with VEGF and cell internalization studies in VEGF-expressing HCT-116 colon cancer cells were performed. PET imaging and biodistribution studies of [64Cu]L19K-FDNB, [64Cu]L19K-DNP, and the native [64Cu]L19K were compared in HCT-116 xenografts. Results In vitro binding studies confirmed the covalent and irreversible binding of [64Cu]L19K-FDNB to VEGF, while [64Cu]L19K-DNP and [64Cu]L19K did not bind covalently. Cellular binding studies indicate these peptides rapidly internalize. PET imaging showed highest tumor uptake with [64Cu]L19K-FDNB than [64Cu]L19K-DNP or [64Cu]L19K with mean SUV of 0.62 ± 0.05, 0.18 ± 0.06, and 0.34 ± 0.14, respectively at 24 h p.i. (P Conclusions In this proof-of-concept study, the use of a covalent binding peptide ligand against VEGF is a promising tool to enhance the potency of peptide probes as imaging agents. Research Support Supported by the Department of Energy under grant DESC0002032 and SNMMI postdoctoral molecular imaging scholar program
Discovery and Characterization of 2-Acylaminoimidazole Microsomal Prostaglandin E Synthase-1 Inhibitors.

As part of a program aimed at the discovery of antinociceptive therapy for inflammatory conditions, a screening hit was found to inhibit microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) with an IC50 of 17.4 μM. Structural information was used to improve enzyme potency by over 1000-fold. Addition of an appropriate substituent alleviated time-dependent cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibition. Further structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies led to 8, which had desirable potency (IC50 = 12 nM in an ex vivo human whole blood (HWB) assay) and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties. Studies on the formulation of 8 identified 8·H3PO4 as suitable for clinical development. Omission of a lipophilic portion of the compound led to 26, a readily orally bioavailable inhibitor with potency in HWB comparable to celecoxib. Furthermore, 26 was selective for mPGES-1 inhibition versus other mechanisms in the prostanoid pathway. These factors led to the selection of 26 as a second clinical c...
Hypertension and Its Role in Cognitive Function: Current Evidence and Challenges for the Future

This review summarizes evidence from studies of blood pressure and dementia-related biomarkers into our understanding of cognitive health and highlights the challenges facing studies, particularly randomized trials, of hypertension and cognition. Several lines of research suggest that elevated blood pressure, especially at midlife, is associated with cognitive decline and dementia and that treatment of hypertension could prevent these conditions. Further, studies of hypertension and brain structure show that blood pressure is associated with several forms of small vessel disease that can result in vascular dementia or interact with Alzheimer's pathology to lower the pathologic threshold at which Alzheimer's signs and symptoms manifest. In addition, recent studies of hypertension and Alzheimer's biomarkers show that elevated blood pressure and pulse pressure are associated with the extent of brain beta amyloid (Aβ) deposition and altered cerebral spinal fluid profiles of Aβ and tau indicative of Alzheimer's pathology. However, in spite of strong evidence of biological mechanisms, results from randomized trials of antihypertensive therapy for the prevention of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease that include cognitive endpoints do not strongly support the observational evidence that treatment of hypertension should be better for cognition. We propose that future clinical trials should consider including dementia biomarkers and assess genetic and cardiometabolic risk factors that have been associated with progression of the underlying disease pathology to help bridge these gaps.
139La spectrum and spin-lattice relaxation measurements of La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 in the paramagnetic state

^{139}La NMR measurements of La_{2/3}Ca_{1/3}MnO_3 performed in the paramagnetic state and high magnetic fields are reported. Analysis of the high temperature spectrum measured establishes that the spectrum it is a standard powder pattern broadened by a variation in lattice distortions. At lower temperatures, the spectrum shifts and broadens. Both the shift and broadening exhibit Curie-Weiss behavior, indicating that the shift measures the polarization of the electron spin system, and the broadening reflects a distribution of magnetic susceptibilities. This distribution may result from variations of local susceptibility in the bulk of the sample or from differences in demagnetizing factors among powder grains. The spectrum also indicates that the lattice distortions do not change as the temperature lowers. Spectral diffusion measurements suggest that the temperature dependence of the spectrum shape does not result from freezing out of motion of magnetic polarons. Variation of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation across the spectrum indicate that magnetic fluctuations, not lattice vibrations, dominate nuclear relaxation. Nuclear spin-lattice relaxation therefore measures electron spin dynamics in this system. The magnetic field dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation indicates that the electron spin-spin correlation function adopts simple single exponential behavior with a slow field-independent correlation time of 10^{-8} seconds near Tc. The spin-spin correlation function changes form at higher temperatures, but remains slow. The spin-lattice relaxation therefore indicates the presence of extremely slow dynamics above Tc.
From Consonants to downstep in Podoko

This paper examines the relationship between consonants and tone in yet another Chadic language. By positing various underlying tone patterns and a floating high tone in the associative construction, most of the tone changes become explainable. The data consist of 309 disyllabic nouns divided into nine subclasses on the basis of the tonal perturbations which occur in three different grammatical environments. In the process of describing these changes, several generalizations about consonants and tone receive added confirmation, including: voiced implosives acting like voiceless consonants, prenasalized voiced stops patterning with voiced stops instead of with nasals, the lack of influence of syllable-final consonants, and downstep influenced only by voiced non-implosive obstruents. On the other hand, Podoko emerges as one of the rare languages where downstep always precedes a low tone and never a high.
Optimization of analysis methods for Space Shuttle Orbiter RCC hardware

Prior to the start of the Space Shuttle Program, the industry had no experience with RCC as a reusable thermal protection material. Experience to that point in time was limited to single use reentry vehicles with ablative types of materials. To compensate for any unknowns that might surface, the shuttle program took a conservative approach to determining expected part life and the number of replacement parts required for the 100 mission life of the orbiter. Now after more than 70 missions of shuttle flight experience and also in the absence of any new unknowns, the program is taking a more realistic approach to determining mission life and spares requirements for all RCC components. This paper discusses the optimizational approaches and techniques used in the structural and mission life analysis of various RCC structures and components. One of the approaches is to use consistent internal and external air pressures in determining the critical loads or stresses. Another is to develop a mission mix consisting of entry trajectories more representative of the way the Orbiter is flown today. The recent advances in microcomputer software has also provided the efficiency tools to streamline the analyses. Digitization of the intricate and nonlinear RCC material properties helped reduce the computing time by several orders of magnitude.
Accuracy of portable blood glucose monitoring. Effect of glucose level and prandial state.

Glucose was determined on capillary and venous blood samples from 274 adult diabetics by three different methodologies: the Glucoscan 2000® and Accu-Check II® portable glucose meters (capillary) and the Kodak Ektachem 700® analyzer (venous). Both glucose meters correlated significantly with the Ektachem results. A significant positive bias was found for the Glucoscan compared with Ektachem, not found with the Accu-Check II. The Accu-Check performed better than the Glucoscan at venous plasma glucose levels < 1 g/L. The mean error of Glucoscan determinations was significantly greater and biased positive when the measurement was performed within 4 hours of eating, whereas no such effect was seen with Accu-Check error. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the Glucoscan measurement was independently influenced by both venous plasma glucose and prandial state, whereas the Accu-Check II measurement was not dependent on either variable. The within-run precision for both glucose meters were comparable.
Preoperative Diagnosis of Pancreatic Malignancy by the Cytologic Examination of Duodenal Secretions

Cytologic examination of pancreatic drainage fluid by suction adjacent to the ampulla of Vater is a neglected test for the diagnosis of carcinoma arising in the head of the pancreas or periampullary region. In an examination of 239 such specimens, abnormal cells were identified in 31 of 40 patients with malignancy. There was no false-positive in the 199 patients with benign lesions. The examination, although time-consuming, is valuable, particularly in view of the paucity of alternative useful preoperative diagnostic tests for pancreatic carcinoma. The interpretation of these recovered cells is similar to that of specimens cannulated directly from the pancreatic ducts with the technics of endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography.
Are canopy cover and walkability associated with depression in low income adults

v Background 1 Canopy cover 3 Walkability 5 Potential inter-­‐relationships 6 Summary and study goals 7 Materials & Methods 7 Data sources 7 Human subjects protection 11 Variables 11 Statistical Analyses 18 Descriptive statistics 18 Logistic regression models 19 Post-­‐hoc analyses 21 Results 23 Post-­‐hoc analyses results 28 Discussion 30
Mid-infrared laser absorption spectroscopy of NO2 at elevated temperatures

Abstract A mid-infrared quantum cascade laser absorption sensor was developed for in-situ detection of NO2 in high-temperature gas environments. A cluster of spin-split transitions near 1599.9 cm−1 from the ν3 absorption band of NO2 was selected due to the strength of these transitions and the low spectral interference from water vapor within this region. Temperature- and species-dependent collisional broadening parameters of ten neighboring NO2 transitions with Ar, O2, N2, CO2 and H2O were measured and reported. The spectral model was validated through comparisons with direct absorption spectroscopy measurements of NO2 seeded in various bath gases. The performance of the scanned wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS)-based sensor was demonstrated in a combustion exhaust stream seeded with varying flow rates of NO2, achieving reliable detection of 1.45 and 1.6 ppm NO2 by mole at 600 K and 800 K, respectively, with a measurement uncertainty of ±11%. 2σ noise levels of 360 ppb and 760 ppb were observed at 600 K and 800 K, respectively, in an absorption path length of 1.79 m.
Reducing the effect of parasitic capacitance on implantable passive resonant sensors

Passive, LC resonators have the potential to serve as small, robust, low cost, implantable sensors to wirelessly monitor implants following orthopedic surgery. One significant barrier to using LC sensors is the influence on the sensor's resonance of the surrounding conductive high permittivity media in vivo. The surrounding media can detune the resonant frequency of the LC sensor resulting in a bias. To mitigate the effects of the surrounding media, we added a “capping layer” to LC sensors to isolate them from the surrounding media. Several capping materials and thicknesses were tested to determine effectiveness at reducing the sensor's interaction with the surrounding media. Results show that a 1 mm glass capping layer on the outer surfaces of the sensor was sufficient to reduce the effects of the media on sensor signal to less than 1%.
Gentrification gone too far? affordable 2nd-class values for fun and (co-)effect

First-class functions dramatically increase expressiveness, at the expense of static guarantees. In ALGOL or PASCAL, functions could be passed as arguments but never escape their defining scope. Therefore, function arguments could serve as temporary access tokens or capabilities, enabling callees to perform some action, but only for the duration of the call. In modern languages, such programming patterns are no longer available. The central thrust of this paper is to re-introduce second-class functions and other values alongside first-class entities in modern languages. We formalize second-class values with stack-bounded lifetimes as an extension to simply-typed λ calculus, and for richer type systems such as F
MicroRNAs: New Players in AML Pathogenesis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute a class of regulatory non-coding RNAs involved in gene silencing pathways. They are single-stranded RNA molecules ranging from 19 to 25 nucleotides and may be considered the natural counterparts of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Because of their fine regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, miRNAs are crucial players in several regulatory pathways, including developmental timing, organogenesis, differentiation, hematopoiesis, apoptosis, cell proliferation, and tumorigenesis [2]. The regulatory network of miRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) is combinatorial and unique to each cell type; in fact, a single miRNA molecule can bind and repress several different mRNAs and multiple miRNAs cooperate to control a single mRNA target, in a cell-customized manner [33]. Because of their pleiotropic gene expression regulation potential, miRNAs are also considered cellular micromanagers [2, 33]
The Structure, Function and Roles of the Archaeal ESCRT Apparatus

Although morphologically resembling bacteria, archaea constitute a distinct domain of life with a closer affiliation to eukaryotes than to bacteria. This similarity is seen in the machineries for a number of essential cellular processes, including DNA replication and gene transcription. Perhaps surprisingly, given their prokaryotic morphology, some archaea also possess a core cell division apparatus that is related to that involved in the final stages of membrane abscission in vertebrate cells, the ESCRT machinery.
Confidence metric for signal classification in Non Destructive Evaluation

Abstract Quantitative assessment of the reliability of defect classification is critical in non-destructive evaluation (NDE) applications. Particularly in automated data analysis systems, such a measure enables the system to monitor its own performance and automatically flag indications where operator intervention is required. Apart from inherent ambiguity of non-discriminative features and inadequate training samples, noisy measurement is a primary reason underlying the classifier's unreliable decisions. In this paper, we have developed a framework to incorporate the major sources of classification errors into a single quantitative measure. By bootstrapping and weighting Bayes posterior probability with estimated noise distribution, effect of noise in NDE measurements is embedded in the resultant confidence measure. The effectiveness of the proposed method is first demonstrated on synthetic dataset from an eddy current simulation model. It is then used to analyze confidence of classifying experimental data from eddy current inspection of defects in steam generator tubes.
Aerobic Oxidation of Diverse Primary Alcohols to Carboxylic Acids with a Heterogeneous Pd–Bi–Te/C (PBT/C) Catalyst

Heterogeneous catalytic aerobic oxidation methods represent a near-ideal approach for the conversion of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids. Here, we report that a heterogeneous catalyst composed of Pd, Bi, and Te supported on activated carbon is highly effective for the oxidation of diverse benzylic and aliphatic primary alcohols, including 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) and substrates bearing heterocycles and other important functional groups. In many cases, the desired carboxylic acid product is obtained in >90% yield. Additionally, the catalyst has been demonstrated in a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol, achieving near-quantitative yield while undergoing over 30 000 turnovers.
Psychological Dispositions, Political Orientations, and a Theoretical Framework of Ideological Differences in Attitudinal Hypocrisy

I first define the strongest, most robust psychological factors, personality traits, and cognitive variables that compose the bottom-up substructure of political attitudes and ideologies. I then track and profile their interconnections and many multidirectional relationships, and compare them with the top-down “discursive superstructure” [Jost, Federico, & Napier, The Oxford handbook of political ideologies (pp. 232–250), 2013]. After I reject the notion of any role being played by unidimensional “intelligence” as it has been often defined—and nefariously misappropriated—I formulate the central model for the book: the External–Philosophy Dispositions–Attitudes Model. The core assumptions behind and expectations of the EPDAM are the comparatively, and somewhat ideologically, dependent associations and relationships within political orientations: (1) philosophy of government is more related to external (i.e., top-down) factors like demographics and more controllable traits like education, and (2) individual attitudes and attitude structures are more related to dispositional (i.e., bottom-up) factors like personality and non-conscious traits.
Germline deletion of Krüppel-like factor 14 does not increase risk of diet induced metabolic syndrome in male C57BL/6 mice.

Abstract Objective The transcription factor Kruppel-like factor 14 (KLF14) has been associated with type 2 diabetes and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) through genome-wide association studies. The mechanistic underpinnings of KLF14's control of metabolic processes remain largely unknown. We studied the physiological roles of KLF14 in a knockout (KO) mouse model. Methods Male whole body Klf14 KO mice were fed a chow or high fat diet (HFD) and diet induced phenotypes were analyzed. Additionally, tissue-specific expression of Klf14 was determined using RT-PCR, RNA sequencing, immunoblotting and whole mount lacZ staining. Finally, the consequences of KLF14 loss-of-function were studied using RNA sequencing in tissues with relatively high Klf14 expression levels. Results KLF14 loss-of-function did not affect HFD-induced weight gain or insulin resistance. Fasting plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, cholesterol, HDL-C and ApoA-I were also comparable between Klf14 +/+ and Klf14 −/− mice on chow and HFD. We found that in mice expression of Klf14 was the highest in the anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis), lower but detectable in white adipose tissue and undetectable in liver. Loss of KLF14 function impacted on the pituitary transcriptome with extracellular matrix organization as the primary affected pathway and a predicted link to glucocorticoid receptor signaling. Conclusions Whole body loss of KLF14 function in male mice does not result in metabolic abnormalities as assessed under chow and HFD conditions. Mostly likely there is redundancy for the role of KLF14 in the mouse and a diverging function in humans.
Case 11 An Acute Medical Condition in a Patient with Opiate Dependence

Buprenorphine is a partial opiate agonist, which is commonly used for the long-term management of opiate dependence. The timing of when to start buprenorphine, as well as how to treat acute pain crises in individuals on buprenorphine can be difficult. This case highlights some of the challenges in treating patients with acute painful conditions, who are chronically on buprenorphine. In addition, a discussion on other outpatient management strategies and opiate withdrawal ensues.
Water Eddy Forces on Oscillating Cylinders

Neighboring cylinders may increase drag force on vertical cylinders by 75% or decrease it to mins 20%, and may triple lift forces, for spacing to 3 diameters and cause significant deviations to 10 diameters. Neighboring cylinder eddies cause large force fluctuations.
Excavating African American Heritage: Towards a More Nuanced Understanding of the African Diaspora

In responding to Paul Mullins's essay, "Exca vating America's Metaphor: Race, Diaspora, and Vindicationist Archaeologies," I am confronted by a case in which I agree with critical elements but not with all of the lines or implications of his argument. Mullins's article presents a strong case highlighting the problems that archaeolo gists have had in translating their findings in analyses that are meaningful to contemporary descendant communities or that make strong statements regarding the underlying conditions of slavery and subjugation. Mullins stresses the importance of using archaeological contexts to illuminate racist conditions and counter racial ized ideologies. I am sympathetic to Mullins's objective and much of his assessment regarding problems encountered and contributions made. In my response, however, I will focus on what I see as flaws in Mullins's formulation. These
Strain engineering in two-dimensional nanomaterials beyond graphene

Abstract Strain engineering is the process of tuning a material's properties by altering its mechanical or structural attributes. Atomically thin two-dimensional nanomaterials (2DNMs), which have been extensively studied in recent years, are particularly well-suited for strain engineering because they can withstand large strain. Thermal vibration, surface adhesion, substrate deformation, pre-stretched substrate, epitaxial grown, thermal expansion mismatch, substrate topography modification, pressurized blisters and tip indentation can lead to strain in 2DNMs. Strain in 2DNMs can modify their atomic structure, lattice vibration, thermal conductivity, electronic and optical, electrical and device performance, and chemical activities. This review focuses on the structural and mechanical properties of various 2DNMs, different experimental strategies to induce strain and modify properties, and applications of strained 2DNMs. Also, the review proposes prospective research areas for future strain engineering studies in 2DNMs.
Explaining the Actions and Positions of the Sri Lankan and Philippine States in Defense of 'Their' Female Migrant Domestic Workers

What measures have homeland states taken to protect their nationals serving as domestic workers abroad? Specifically, what have been the positions and actions of the Sri Lankan and Philippine states with respect to their female citizens who (along with some men) carry out household duties in the Middle East, Asia, and Southern Europe? What explains the states’ varying roles? There is general consensus among scholars and other observers that the Philippine state has been more forceful and effective than its Sri Lankan counterpart in defending overseas workers, including female domestics. Internal factors that have been mentioned as possible causes include the Philippines’ longer emigration history, the larger share of Filipinos living outside their homeland and their ability to vote in homeland elections, and the greater importance of migrant workers’ remittances to that country’s gross domestic product. As for external factors, analysts note that more female migrant domestic workers (FMDWs) from the Philippines have labored in European countries with stronger migrant labor laws; more Sri Lankan women have migrated to the less benevolent Middle East. A most-similar case comparison has been constructed between the Sri Lankan and Philippine states’ responses to “their” FMDWs, with archival research; data from expert interviews; and content analysis of policies, speeches, and official statements employed to understand what measures officials have taken and why. It turns out that the most persuasive explanations for why the Philippine state has been more active and successful in defending the rights of FMDWs overseas do not involve the factors most commonly cited in the literature. Instead, aspects of migrants’ human capital (their stock of competencies, knowledge, and social and personality attributes) valued in the international market for domestic labor seem to make the biggest difference. Sending-country states are engaged in an ongoing struggle to channel migratory flows driven by global market forces so as best to reconcile what can loom as contradictory goals: protecting both their citizens and their share of the lucrative, competitive market for FMDWs and their remittances — increasingly needed to acquire vital imports and pay off foreign debts.
A brief fall prevention intervention for manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries: a pilot study

Objective: To conduct a pilot study of an intervention to decrease fall incidence and concerns about falling among individuals living with Spinal Cord Injury who use manual wheelchairs full-time. D...
Place attachment and learning outcomes among tourists who volunteer for a U.S. National Park science volunteer program

Volunteer science programs are designed to increase public understanding and appreciation of science by creating opportunities for the public to engage in science. This research assesses the impact...
Energy drink expectancies among college students.

Since the late ‘90 s, energy drink consumption has increased. The purpose of this investigation was to examine energy drink expectancies of college students. Participants: The university registrar ...
Comparisons of performance in pediatric bone conduction implant recipients using remote microphone technology.

Abstract Objectives For children with hearing loss, remote microphone (RM) technology can significantly improve access to speech in environments with poor signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), such as classrooms. Yet, this has never been studied in bone conduction device (BCD) users, a common treatment for children with irresolvable conductive hearing loss resulting from anatomical malformations of the outer ear. The objective of this study was to investigate the benefits of RM technology on speech perception in noise in pediatric BCD users with Microtia/Atresia. A secondary aim was to assess parent and child perceptions of RM technology before and after exposure to RM technology. Methods Participants included 10 pediatric bone conduction implant users with unilateral conductive hearing loss ages 7–17 years, and their guardians. Speech perception in noise for soft and moderate inputs was assessed with and without RM technology. Guardians actively observed the child's hearing performance with and without the RM and were asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their perceptions about their child's performance. Children were also administered the questionnaire prior to and immediately following exposure to the RM technology. Results Participants showed improved speech understanding in noise for both soft and moderate speech inputs when using the RM with their BCD compared to their BCD alone. Questionnaire results indicated good parent-child agreement. Further, significant improvements were reported for child understanding speech, parent hearing domains after exposure to the RM. No significant differences were noted for ease of use/likability. Conclusions Significant hearing in noise benefits were observed with RM technology for children using BCDs. Consistent with objective findings, children reported improved speech understanding with the RM. Improved parental perceptions of hearing benefit following exposure to the RM suggests that active participation may serve as an effective strategy to help improve parent understanding of the benefits of RM technology for their child.
Subjective Toxicity Profiles of Children in Treatment for Cancer: A New Guide to Supportive Care?

Abstract Context Children and adolescents with cancer experience treatment-related, subjective adverse events (AEs). Identifying distinct groups of patients who predictably experience higher prevalence of AEs could guide patient care. Objectives Study aims were to 1) identify groups of children and adolescents reporting AEs using the Pediatric Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (Ped-PRO-CTCAE); 2) determine whether demographic and clinical characteristics predict AE group membership; and 3) examine whether AE group membership was related to the distal outcome of psychological stress. Methods Four hundred seventy-seven patients self-reported AEs via the Ped-PRO-CTCAE at T1 (beginning of treatment) and the PROMIS Pediatric Psychological Stress measure at T2 (7–28 days later). Latent class analysis was conducted to identify groups of patients and the relationships of the groups with demographic and clinical characteristics, and with stress. Results Three distinct a priori unknown AE groups were identified (high AE prevalence, moderate AE prevalence, and low AE prevalence). Females, blacks, patients with high psychological stress, and patients more recently diagnosed were more likely to be in the high AE prevalence group. Gender, age, race, and time since diagnosis were associated with psychological stress. Conclusion Children with cancer are heterogeneous in experiencing subjective AEs. Gender, race, and time since diagnosis were significantly associated with higher subjective AE prevalence that may lead to psychological stress.
Aromatic Cope rearrangements

Reviewed herein is the aromatic Cope rearrangement, a Cope rearrangement where one (or both) of the alkenes of the 1,5-diene are part of a greater aromatic system. While the Cope rearrangement of 1,5-dienes has seen wide utility, variation, and application in chemical synthesis, the aromatic Cope rearrangement, comparatively, has not. This review summarizes the ∼40 papers dating back to 1956 on this topic and is divided into the following sections: (1) introduction, including kinetic and thermodynamic challenges of the aromatic Cope rearrangement, and (2) key substrate features, of which there are four general types: (i) α-allyl–α-aryl malonates (and related substrates), (ii) 1-aryl-2-vinylcyclopropanes, and (iii) anion-accelerated aromatic oxy-Cope substrates, and (iv) the concept of synchronized aromaticity. Ultimately, we hope this review will draw attention to a potentially valuable transformation for arene functionalization that warrants further studies and development.
Economic Origins of the Sicilian Mafia: A Simulation Feedback Model

Organized crime satisfies the demand for protection and enforcement of property rights in the absence of effective government institutions. However, weak law enforcement alone cannot explain the cross-regional differences in mafia activity. This chapter develops a feedback model of economic causes for the rise of the Sicilian mafia. Grounded in earlier economic research, the model incorporates causal relationships between the mafia’s activities, predation, law enforcement, and the profitability of the local businesses. The model explains important historical observations such as the emergence of the mafia in wealthier regions and its absence in the poorer districts despite the greater levels of banditry. Using computational experiments with the model, we explore how different factors and feedback effects impact the mafia’s activities.
Characterization of scar tissue biomechanics during adult murine flexor tendon healing

Tendon injuries are very common and result in significant impairments in mobility and quality of life. During healing, tendons produce a scar at the injury site, characterized by abundant and disorganized extracellular matrix and by permanent deficits in mechanical integrity compared to healthy tendon. Although a significant amount of work has been done to understand the healing process of tendons and to develop potential therapeutics for tendon regeneration, there is still a significant gap in terms of assessing the direct effects of therapeutics on the functional and material quality specifically of the scar tissue, and thus, on the overall tendon healing process. In this study, we focused on characterizing the mechanical properties of only the scar tissue in flexor digitorum longus (FDL) tendons during the proliferative and remodeling healing phases and comparing these properties with the mechanical properties of the composite healing tissue. Our method was sensitive enough to identify significant differences in structural and material properties between the scar and tendon-scar composite tissues. To account for possible inaccuracies due to the small aspect ratio of scar tissue, we also applied inverse finite element analysis (iFEA) to compute mechanical properties based on simulated tests with accurate specimen geometries and boundary conditions. We found that the scar tissue linear tangent moduli calculated from iFEA were not significantly different from those calculated experimentally at all healing timepoints, validating our experimental findings, and suggesting the assumptions in our experimental calculations were accurate. Taken together, this study first demonstrates that due to the presence of uninjured stubs, testing composite healing tendons without isolating the scar tissue overestimates the material properties of the scar itself. Second, our scar isolation method promises to enable more direct assessment of how different treatment regimens (e.g., cellular ablation, biomechanical and/or biochemical stimuli, tissue engineered scaffolds) affect scar tissue function and material quality in multiple different types of tendons.
The relationship between cognitive ability, the big five, task and contextual performance: a meta-analysis

OF THE THESIS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COGNITIVE ABILITY, THE BIG FIVE, TASK AND CONTEXTUAL PERFORMANCE: A META-ANALYSIS by Alexander Alonso Florida International University, 2000 Miami, Florida Professor Chockalingam Viswesvaran, Major Professor For years, researchers and human resources specialists have been searching for predictors of performance as well as for relevant performance dimensions (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Borman & Motowidlo, 1993; Campbell, 1990; Viswesvaran et al., 1996). In 1993, Borman and Motowidlo provided a framework by which traditional predictors such as cognitive ability and the Big Five personality factors predicted two different facets of performance: 1) task performance and 2) contextual performance. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the validity of this model as well as that of other modified models. The relationships between predictors such as cognitive ability and personality variables and the two outcome variables were assessed. It was determined that even though the two facets of performance may be conceptually different, empirically they overlapped substantially (p= .75). Finally, results show that there is some evidence for cognitive ability as a predictor of both task and contextual performance and conscientiousness as a predictor of both task and contextual performance. The possible mediation of predictor-criterion relationships was also assessed. The relationship between cognitive ability and contextual performance vanished when task performance was controlled.
In Defense of Convention T

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the defense of convention T. Because T-sentences are so obviously true, some philosophers have thought that the concept of truth, at least as applied to sentences, is trivial. T-sentences shed what light they do on truth by exhausting the cases, but because for any interesting language the number of cases is infinite, it is instructive to ask what properties truth must have if it is to act as the T-sentences say it does. To spell out the properties in an instructive, i.e., finite, way is to provide a theory of truth. It is important to remember that T-sentences do not fall out as theorems of a relativized theory of truth, and therefore such a theory does not necessarily have the same sort of interest as a theory that satisfies Convention T. Theories of truth based on the substitutional interpretation of quantification do not in general yield the T-sentences demanded by Convention T.
Depression and Personality Disorders—Older Adults

Older adults represent the most rapidly growing age group in the United States, and in recent decades there has been increasing attention paid to mental health issues in this population. In the past, psychotherapeutic interventions have been discouraged for older adults or it had been assumed that older adults would derive sufficient benefits from unmodified interventions designed for their younger counterparts. In this article, we report the rates of depression and personality disorders among older adults and we describe how cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) has been utilized to address these significant late-life problems. We review some of the major empirical literature, suggest areas of special consideration in assessment and treatment, and identify future directions for practice and research.