cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluidic Composite Tuned Vibration Absorbers

This paper presents a novel Tuned Vibration Absorber (TVA) using Fluidic Flexible Matrix Composites (F2 MC). Fiber reinforcement of the F2 MC tube kinematically links the internal volume with axial strain. Coupling of a fluid-filled F2 MC tube through a fluid port to a pressurized air accumulator can suppress primary mass forced vibration at the tuned absorber frequency. 3-D elasticity model for the tube and a lumped fluid mass develops a 4th -order model of an F2 MC-mass system. The model provides a closed form isolation frequency that depends mainly on the port inertance, orifice flow coefficient, and the tube parameters. A small amount of viscous damping in the orifice increases the isolation bandwidth. With a fully closed orifice, the zero disappears and the system has a single resonant peak. Variations in the primary mass do not change the isolation frequency, making the F2 MC TVA robust to mass variations. Experimental results validate the theoretical predictions in showing a tunable isolation frequency that is insensitive to primary mass variations, and a 94% reduction in forced vibration response relative to the closed-valve case.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Seasonal use distributions and migrations of blue sucker in the Middle Missouri River

– Blue suckers, Cycleptus elongatus, are a highly mobile species speculated to have spring spawning migrations. However, previous studies have not quantified seasonal migrations of blue suckers. Use distributions were calculated at 90% and 50% for three seasons to identify geographic space-use requirements of blue suckers. Mean 90% use distributions (±SE) varied from 8.1 km (±5.3 km) in summer to 78.6 km (±9.9 km) in fall to 174.9 km (±13.1 km) in spring. The great space-use requirements of blue suckers in fall and spring indicate that the species makes substantial upstream migrations in fall and also preceding spawning in spring, then return to a core area postspawning. The broad geographical range occupied by blue suckers throughout their life-history cycle emphasises the need for interjurisdictional management of the species and highlights potential detrimental effects of blocking fish passage.
Violence and Historical Learning: Thinking with Robert Pippin's Hegel

Abstract Pippin offers his reconstruction of Hegel's account of practical reason as a point of departure for contemporary social theory, yet he does not address the implications for us of Hegel's claim that social reflection can achieve its knowledge only on the basis of a world that has already become rational. After arguing that the unreasonableness of our world can be seen from the suffering it generates, I argue that an account of violence may be a way to retrieve the promise of Hegelian insights so long as it draws in turn on existing challenges to violence and the suffering it causes. The argument discusses four kinds of violence (direct, formative, structural, and symbolic) and confronts these with a neo-Hegelian conception of social learning.
Simulating the mechanical response of amorphous solids using atomistic methods

The study of elasticity, plasticity and failure in non-crystalline solids has greatly benefitted from the application of atomic scale simulation. This “colloquium paper" reviews the ways in which a variety of computational approaches have been used to elucidate the atomic scale phenomena that control the mechanics of amorphous solids. The constitutive theories that have been developed for describing mechanical response are briefly reviewed, as well as the prospects for testing the assumptions of these theories using simulation. We list what we believe to be the most pressing open questions for substantiating these theoretical approaches, and ultimately for understanding and predicting the mechanical responses of amorphous solids.
Estimation of reliability in a bivariate normal distribution with equal coefficients of variation

In this article, we consider the problem of estimating R = P(X < Y), when X and Y have a bivariate normal distribution with common coefficients of variation. Parameters are estimated using the method of maximum likelihood, and an asymptotic confidence interval for R is derived. An example is provided to illustrate the procedure. Extensive simulation studies are carried out to examine the empirical coverage probability (ECP) and estimated mean length (EML) of the confidence interval for R.
Synthesis of renewable plasticizer alcohols by formal anti-Markovnikov hydration of terminal branched chain alkenes via a borane-free oxidation/reduction sequence

An efficient method for the formal anti-Markovnikov hydration of 1,1-disubstituted alkenes has been developed. The utility of the process has been demonstrated by conversion of bio-derived butene oligomers into primary alcohols through initial oxidation to vicinal acetoxy-alcohols, diols, or diacetates, followed by selective dehydration/tautomerization of the diols, and hydrogenation of the intermediary aldehydes. This approach allows for the isolation of important industrial plasticizer alcohols from a renewable source. In a broader context, this pathway, which can be conducted with sustainable, conventional reagents under mild conditions, represents a unique alternative to hydroboration for a challenging subset of hindered olefins.
Electrocardiographic and Hemodynamic Effects of Coenzyme Q10 in Healthy Individuals: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

Background:Coenzyme Q10 (C0Q10) is an endogenous cofactor required for mitochondrial energy production and touted to treat heart failure and prevent statin-induced myopathy. In guinea pig ventricular myocytes, C0Q10 prolongs action potential duration, an effect that might prolong the QTc interval in humans. Additionally, C0Q10 reduced blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.Objective:To determine the electrocardiographic (ECG) and hemodynamic impact of C0Q10 in healthy individuals.Methods:Healthy volunteers (N = 26; 62% male, age 24 ± 3 y) were randomized to receive a single dose of C0Q10 50 mg and matching placebo in a crossover fashion with a 7 day washout period between treatments. Twelve-lead ECGs, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and other hemodynamic parameters (cardiac index and systemic vascular resistance index) were evaluated immediately before (baseline) and 1, 3, 5, and 8 hours after ingestion of the study drug. ECG parameters (P wave and QRS complex duration; PR, QT, QTc,...
Decentralized detection of stochastic signals in power-constrained sensor networks

Decentralized detection of a stochastic signal in a total average power constrained wireless sensor network is considered. Assuming amplify-and-relay local processing, the fusion performance is derived in closed-form under both Bayesian and Neyman-Pearson optimality, in the case of conditionally independent signal samples. An important observation is that the average fusion probability of error does not improve monotonically with the number of sensors unlike in the case of deterministic signal detection reported in Chamberland, J et al., (2004). In particular, there is an optimal number of sensors that minimizes the probability of error, which depends on both observation signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as well channel SNR.
Diversity, Drug Resistance, and the Epidemic of Subtype C HIV‐1 in Africa

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic has grown from a handful of sentinel observations in New York and California, nearly 25 years ago, to an epidemic that has claimed 500,000 lives in the United States and >20 million worldwide. Tom Merigan's scientific career led him to focus on viral pathogenesis as translational "bench-to-bedside" research, aimed squarely at the development of antiretroviral treatment. As a founder and leader of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, Tom played a pivotal role in the national response to HIV. He led the development of a succession of antiretroviral drugs, their combined use, and the introduction of new methods for monitoring HIV infection. The current response to the global epidemic and the tools now coming to bear on diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring owe much to Tom's relentless pursuit of excellence in research and the training he offered generations of clinical virologists and infectious disease physicians.
On the Theoretical Unification and Nature of Fallacies

I argue in a non-reductive sense for a plausible epistemic principle, which can (1) theoretically and instrumentally unify or systematize all fallacies, and (2) provide a justification for using such a principle for characterizing an erroneous argument as a fallacy. This plausible epistemic principle involves the idea of an error in the method of justification, which results in a failure to provide relevant evidence to satisfy certain standards of adequate proof. Thus, all fallacies are systematically disguised failures to provide substantive proof: a failure in the attempt to persuade rationally, as opposed to emotionally or rhetorically. I argue that the epistemic idea of begging the question is essential to this idea of a fallacy as an inadequate proof.
The 6-Min Walk Test: Clinical and Research Role, Technique, Coding, and Reimbursement

FEV(1) is recommended for rating the severity of obstructive and restrictive pulmonary diseases, but it only moderately correlates with quality of life, mortality, and functional status. The 6-min walk test (6MWT) has been increasingly used in clinical practice and research studies as an objective measurement of functional status in patients with moderate-to-severe impairment. This low complexity test measures the distance a patient can quickly walk back and forth in a 30-m (100-foot) corridor in a period of 6 min, referred to as the 6-min walk distance (6MWD). The 6MWD, and in some circumstances oxygen desaturation during the 6MWT, are useful to assess response to medical interventions, to assess prognosis in various conditions, and as a single measurement of functional status. Strictly scripted test instructions and encouragement at baseline and at each minute of exercise is vital to obtain reproducible results. The 6MWT is reported using Current Procedural Terminology code 94620 (simple pulmonary stress test). This code is also appropriate for other simple exercise tests, including oxygen titration (if additional parameters are measured), exercise-induced bronchospasm evaluation using pre- and postexercise spirometry, and exercise prescription for pulmonary rehabilitation. Use of code 94620 to bill for services must be supported by significant documentation.
Scheduling algorithms for burst reservations on wide area high speed networks

An examination is made of a new high speed wide area network architecture that reserves access to the network for bursts of data. The network is being designed for high speed bursty applications. Sources make reservation requests for each burst of information. Scheduling of network access and switching is accomplished by a distributed reservation algorithm. A detailed examination is made of two reservation algorithms that provide this type of demand assignment of network resources. >
Pharmacodynamic Separation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Chemotherapy in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) given concurrently with chemotherapy do not improve patient outcomes compared with chemotherapy alone in advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One potential explanation for this lack of benefit is a negative interaction or antagonism between chemotherapy and EGFR TKIs when delivered concomitantly. Support for this line of reasoning is provided by preclinical data demonstrating that EGFR TKIs induce primarily a cytostatic effect resulting from a G1 cell cycle arrest in cell lines with wild-type EGFR, reducing cell cycle phase-dependent activity of chemotherapy, whereas they induce apoptotic cell death in tumors with EGFR-activating mutations. Because the great majority of NSCLC tumors consist of wild-type EGFR, sequence-specific interactions of EGFR TKI/chemotherapy combinations might negatively influence the efficacy of these regimens in patients with NSCLC. Further evidence is provided by EGFR mutational analysis in patient tumor specimens from the TRIBUTE study. Herein we provide the preclinical and clinical rationale for studies examining the concept of pharmacodynamic separation as a means for overcoming hypothesized antagonism of EGFR TKIs and chemotherapy.
Self-organized criticality occurs in non-conservative neuronal networks during /`up/' states

Self-organized criticality has been observed in a number of complex systems, including neuronal networks. Another property of cortical networks is that a high proportion of neurons collectively alternate between high activity (so-called up states), and quiescence (down states). Theoretical work now shows these two phenomena are intimately related.
Decomposition of self-similar stable mixed moving averages

Let fi 2 (1;2) and Xfi be a symmetric fi-stable (SfiS) process with stationary increments given by the mixed moving average where (X;X;") is a standard Lebesgue space, G : X £ R 7! R is some measurable function and Mfi is a SfiS random measure on X £ R with the control measure mfi(dx;du )= "(dx)du. We show that if Xfi is self-similar, then it is determined by a nonsingular ∞ow, a related cocycle and a semi-additive functional. By using the Hopf decomposition of the ∞ow into its dissipative and conservative components, we establish a unique decomposition in distribution of Xfi into two independent processes Xfi d
Statistical Modeling of User Perceptions of Infrastructure Condition: Application to the Case of Highway Roughness

In determining certain infrastructure rehabilitation needs, it is sometimes important to consider user perceptions along with physical measures of infrastructure condition. Pavement roughness is one such case. A critical determinant of public satisfaction, user perception of pavement roughness can potentially play a critical role in the allocation of resources to competing highway resurfacing projects. In this paper, to gain a better understanding of user perceptions of pavement roughness, users were placed in real-world driving conditions and asked to rank the roughness of specific roadway segments. Coupled with individual-specific, pavement-specific, and vehicle-specific data, users' roughness rankings were modeled using a random effects ordered probit specification. The model identified a number of key factors influencing user roughness rankings. The results indicate that, while physical roadway-roughness measurements, such as the measured International Roughness Index, provided a strong indication of user roughness rankings (as one might expect), other factors such as the type of vehicle used, vehicle speed, individual's age, individual's gender, and interior vehicle noise levels were also significant. This study fills an important gap in the literature by linking physical infrastructure measurements with individual perceptions of infrastructure condition.
Stability of Psychopathic Characteristics in Childhood - The Influence of Social Relationships

The current study is a preliminary longitudinal investigation of the stability of psychopathic characteristics, including social relationships as a moderator, within a group of aggressive children (N = 80). Data were collected from the children, their parents, teachers, and peers. Results indicated that the psychopathic characteristics (callous—unemotional traits, impulsive conduct problems, and narcissism) were relatively stable across three time points. Social relationship variables (child self-report of social competence, teacher-rated social competence, and peer-rated social preference) were generally correlated with psychopathic characteristics. Self-report of social competence moderated change from Time 1 to Time 2 narcissism based on parent report. Both peer-rated social preference and teacher-rated social competence moderated change from Time 1 to Time 3 impulsive conduct problems. These results provide preliminary support that psychopathic characteristics are generally stable in aggressive childr...
Characterization of Nef-CXCR4 Interactions Important for Apoptosis Induction

The HIV-1 Nef protein was analyzed for apoptotic structural motifs that interact with the CXCR4 receptor and induce apoptosis in CD4(+) lymphocytes. Two apoptotic motifs were identified. One centered on Nef amino acids (aa) 50 to 60, with the overlapping 20-mer peptides retaining about 82% of the activity of the full Nef protein. The second centered on aa 170 to 180, with the overlapping 20-mer peptides retaining about 30% of the activity of the full protein. Significant apoptotic abilities were observed for 11-mer motif peptides spanning aa 50 to 60 and aa 170 to 180, with a scrambled version of the 11-mer motif peptide corresponding to aa 50 to 60 showing no apoptotic ability. Hallmarks of apoptosis, such as the formation of DNA ladders and caspase activation, that were observed with the full-length protein were equally evident upon exposure of cells to these motif peptides. A CXCR4 antibody and the endogenous ligand SDF-1alpha were effective in blocking Nef peptide-induced apoptosis as well as the physical binding of a fluorescently tagged Nef protein, while CCR5 antibodies were ineffective. The CXCR4-negative cell line MDA-MB-468 was resistant to the apoptotic peptides and became sensitive to the apoptotic peptides upon transfection with a CXCR4-expressing vector. A fluorescently tagged motif peptide and Nef protein displayed physical binding to CXCR4-transfected MDA-MB-468 cells, but not to CCR5-transfected cells. The removal of the apoptotic motif sequences from the full-length protein completely eliminated the ability of Nef to induce apoptosis. However, these modified Nef proteins still retained the ability to enhance viral infectivity. Thus, specific sequences in the Nef protein appear to be necessary for Nef protein-induced apoptosis as well as for physical interaction with CXCR4 receptors.
Decomposition of Greenfall vs. Senescent Foliage in a Tropical Forest Ecosystem in Puerto Rico

ABSTRACT In many forest ecosystems, green leaf deposition (greenfall) constitutes an enrichment over background levels of litterfall nutrients and may therefore influence key ecosystem processes. This study examined the litter quality and decomposition rates of green leaves compared to senescent litterfall for four dominant tree species (Dacryodes excelsa, Manilkara bidentata, Guarea guidonia, and Cecropia schreberiana) in a lower montane rain forest at El Verde Field Station, Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. Green leaves from the canopy and freshly senesced leaves from the forest floor were analyzed for carbon, nitrogen, and fiber and placed in litterbags in the field for up to 16 weeks. Green leaves displayed significantly higher rates of decomposition than did senescent litter among all four species. Green leaves also had significantly higher nitrogen concentrations and lower lignin to nitrogen ratios compared to senescent leaves. These results suggest that greenfall may have a major influenc...
SERS Tags: The Next Promising Tool for Personalized Cancer Detection?

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been historically considered a tool for physical scientists. Recently, however, a new avenue has opened for the application of SERS in the medical field, mainly spurred by the implementation of SERS tags. SERS tags are employed for the indirect identification of target molecules, similarly to what fluorescent dyes do, but with several intrinsic advantages. They have proven very useful in in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro identification of cancerous cells and tissues, with targeting selectivity that can be tuned to recognize individual markers. It has also been demonstrated for the first time that surgical outcomes may be improved via the use of SERS tags, leading to complete tumor resection. Herein, I will explain how SERS tags can aid in the identification of cancerous tissues at the single cell level and how they promise to render SERS a powerful tool for personalized cancer detection.
KLF/SP Transcription Factor Family Evolution: Expansion, Diversification, and Innovation in Eukaryotes.

The Kruppel-like factor and specificity protein (KLF/SP) genes play key roles in critical biological processes including stem cell maintenance, cell proliferation, embryonic development, tissue differentiation, and metabolism and their dysregulation has been implicated in a number of human diseases and cancers. Although many KLF/SP genes have been characterized in a handful of bilaterian lineages, little is known about the KLF/SP gene family in nonbilaterians and virtually nothing is known outside the metazoans. Here, we analyze and discuss the origins and evolutionary history of the KLF/SP transcription factor family and associated transactivation/repression domains. We have identified and characterized the complete KLF/SP gene complement from the genomes of 48 species spanning the Eukarya. We have also examined the phylogenetic distribution of transactivation/repression domains associated with this gene family. We report that the origin of the KLF/SP gene family predates the divergence of the Metazoa. Furthermore, the expansion of the KLF/SP gene family is paralleled by diversification of transactivation domains via both acquisitions of pre-existing ancient domains as well as by the appearance of novel domains exclusive to this gene family and is strongly associated with the expansion of cell type complexity.
Transfer and expression of the human multidrug resistance gene in mouse erythroleukemia cells

Gene therapy in humans requires the transplantation of genetically modified cells, and it is important to select only those cells capable of expressing high levels of protein from the transferred gene. Expression of the human multiple drug resistance (MDR) gene confers resistance to a variety of compounds in vitro and in vivo. To determine the feasibility of conferring recipient erythroid cells with the MDR phenotype, we have transduced mouse erythroleukemia cells (MELC) with the MDR gene in a retroviral vector. We show here that MELC clones resistant to exposure to colchicine (an MDR-responsive agent) can be isolated, and demonstrate high levels of MDR RNA and protein expression. Increasing doses of colchicine increase the level of MDR RNA and protein expression significantly. These results indicate that it is possible to transfer and express the human MDR phenotype in mouse erythroid cells by retrovirally mediated gene transfer, and that drug selection can be used to enrich or purify populations of cells containing and expressing this gene.
Growth of Diamond Film By CVD on Near Net Shape Fabricated β-SiC/TiC Composites Synthesized Using SHS

β-SiC/TiC composites were synthesized using the process of self propagating-high temperature combustion synthesis (SHS). The heat released during the exothermic reaction between Si and C powders (with a δH of -14kcal/mole) and that Ti and C powders (with a δH of -44.1 kcal/mole) is sufficient to cause the melting of the powders into which the carbon diffuses and from which β-SiC and TiC precipitate out of the supersaturated solution. The composite was characterized using X-ray diffraction techniques, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. An attempt was made to understand the mechanism of formation of the composite. We have proposed a mechanism to understand the formation of the SHS compounds based on dissolution, diffusion and precipitation from the supersaturated solution. There is no evidence for the presence of TiSi2 and an attempt was made to explain this observation based on free energy considerations. Diamond film was then grown on the pellet by hot filament CVD technique using methane and hydrogen gas as the reactants. The deposition was conducted for a period of four hours. A continuous film of diamond was found to grow on β-SiC/TiC composite using this technique. The diamond film was characterized by using Raman spectroscopy and SEM. The diamond film showed both (001) and (11) facets with average grain size of 5 μm.
CLV: The Databased Approach

SUMMARY It is becoming increasingly clear from the literature that there is a need for a metric that can objectively measure future profitability of the customer to the firm. This paper traces the emergence of such a metric—the customer lifetime value (CLV) and discusses the two measures of computing CLV—the aggregate approach and the individual level approach. Subsequently, eight strategies that are available to firms for maximizing CLV are discussed. These strategies assist firms in deciding how to: select the best customer, make loyal customers profitable, optimally allocate the resources, pitch the right product to the right customer at the right time, link acquisition and retention to profitability, prevent customer attrition, encourage multi-channel shopping behavior, and maximize brand value. Each of these strategies was successfully implemented by different firms across various industries, resulting in significant increases in the bottom-line. Further, the challenges in implementing a CLV-based fr...
Abstract 4142: Surface engineering of quantum dots with multidentate polymer ligands: surface charge density affect on interactions at the nano-bio interfacein vitro.

Nanomedicine is an emerging field with increasing applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy. However, these applications strongly depend on the nature of cellular and tissue interactions in vitro and in vivo, which in turn is strongly influenced by properties of nanomaterials. The effect of surface modification of nanoparticles on their interaction with biological compartments is not yet well understood. Here, a series of multidentate zwitterionic polymeric ligands were synthesized and applied to functionalize the surface of quantum dots (QDs), which have been extensively used for fluorescent imaging in vitro and in vivo. The structure of polymeric ligands was tuned by changing their composition, and QDs with different surface charge density were obtained using these polymers as coating ligands. Highly stable, compact and biocompatible hydrophilic QDs were obtained after ligand exchange and QDs were tuned to have zeta potentials from -25 mV to -55 mV. Compared with small zwitterionic ligand coated QDs, cell viability of multidentate zwitterionic polymer ligand coated QDs were improved due to their better bio-stability originating from the multiple chelation of polymer ligand with surface of nanoparticles. The interaction of QDs, having different surface charge density, with various tumor/normal cell lines (KB 3-1, KB 8-5, COLO 205, A-549, FaDu, SK-OV-3, and HEK-293) was investigated. The surface charge densities of the nanoparticles profoundly influence their interactions with most cells. High surface charge (-55 mV and -40 mV) density increased interaction of nanoparticles with some cell membranes of tumor cells such as COLO 205 and KB 3-1. However, other tumor cells showed less sensitivity to the surface charge density of nanoparticles and displayed reduced nonspecific binding (FaDu, A-549, and SK-OV-3). The normal prostate cell line HEK-293 showed lowest interaction with these zwitterionic QDs. The surface bioconjugation of QDs with folic acid increased the intracellular internalization of QDs in KB 3-1 cell lines (with high folate receptor expression) compared with COLO 205 cell lines (low folate receptor expression), most likely due to the folate receptor mediated endocytosis. From our initial investigations, the surface properties of nanoparticles influence the nature of their interactions at the cellular level. Such information could guide in vivo studies of these nanomaterials within an intact in vivo environment. Citation Format: Minghao Sun, Purnima Jose, Likun Yang, Gobalakrishnan Sundaresan, Li Wang, Jamal Zweit. Surface engineering of quantum dots with multidentate polymer ligands: surface charge density affect on interactions at the nano-bio interface in vitro . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4142. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4142
Reflexive reaction to feelings predicts failed smoking cessation better than does lack of general self-control.

OBJECTIVE Many treatment-seeking smokers have difficulty quitting and maintaining abstinence. Trait impulsivity versus self-control is relevant to this problem. However, impulsivity is a multifaceted construct, and different measures emphasize different parts of it. This study compared 2 self-report measures of self-control versus impulsiveness as predictors of smoking cessation. One measure taps a very specific tendency to respond impulsively when experiencing emotions. The other taps overall self-control without reference to emotional states. METHOD Adult smokers (N = 116) recruited from the community participated in a group-based smoking cessation intervention. The sample was racially/ethnically diverse, mostly male, middle aged, single, low income, and moderately nicotine dependent. Self-reports on scales titled Reflexive reaction to feelings and Self-control were completed at entry. Seven-day point prevalence abstinence (ppa) was assessed at end-of-therapy (EOT) and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) tested overall relationships of the self-report scales with 7-day ppa across the assessments. RESULTS Bivariate analyses revealed inverse associations between Reflexive reaction to feelings and 7-day ppa; a positive association emerged between Self-control and 7-day ppa only at EOT. A GEE found that elevated scores on Reflexive reaction to feelings predicted failure in smoking cessation across the study period (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.69 [0.49-0.96], p = .03) and that Self-control scores did not do so significantly (AOR = 1.26 [0.80-1.99], p = .32). CONCLUSIONS Results add to a literature suggesting the importance of emotion-related impulsivity to behavioral problems by showing its relevance to smoking cessation in treatment-seekers. (PsycINFO Database Record
Perceptions of Character Development at a Trade College: Triangulating Student, Alumni, Administrator, and Teacher Perspectives

Higher education may be a setting wherein character is revealed or developed. The purpose of this study was to investigate stakeholders’ perspectives about the processes involved in character development at a postsecondary institution with a trade and character education focus: Williamson College. The authors analyzed qualitative data from administrators, teachers, students, and alumni regarding their perceptions of the character development process at Williamson College and to ascertain which features of the context each group viewed as essential for character development. The authors then triangulated across sources to examine alignment in stakeholders’ perceptions. Each stakeholder group identified two essential facets of Williamson College: (1) structure and discipline and (2) interpersonal relationships. The groups varied, however, on which aspects of these themes they highlighted. We discuss the implications of these findings for the Williamson College context as well as for the development, impleme...
Comparative respiratory depression of tilidine and morphine

Respiratory depression induced by tilidine was compared with that of morphine in a crossover study in 6 healthy subjects. Increments of tilidine, 150 mg/70 kg, and morphine, 10 mg/70 kg, were given intravenously and displacement of each subject's CO2 response curve was measured after each dose increment. Both tilidine and morphine caused dose-related displacement of the CO2 response curves to the right. Approximately 80 to 120 mg of tilidine can be expected to induce the respiratory depression of morphine, 10 mg, when given intravenously. Subjective effects after tilidine were qualitatively similar to those of morphine but were of longer duration with nausea and vomiting more frequent. The respiratory depression of both drugs was effectively antagonized by naloxone.
Irrational Factor of Order k and ITS Connections With k-Free Integers

We introduce an irrational factor of order k defined by \({I_{k}(n) ={\prod_{i=1}^{l}} p_{i}^{\beta_{i}}}\), where \({n = \prod_{i=1}^{l} p_{i}^{\alpha_{i}}}\) is the factorization of n and \({\beta_{i} = \left\{\begin{array}{ll}\alpha_i, \quad \quad {\rm if} \quad \alpha_i < k \\ \frac{1}{\alpha_i},\quad \quad {\rm if} \quad \alpha_i \geqq k \end{array}\right.}\). It turns out that the function \({\frac{I_{k} (n)}{n}}\) well approximates the characteristic function of k-free integers. We also derive asymptotic formulas for \({\prod_{v=1}^{n} I_{k}(v)^{\frac{1}{n}}, \sum_{n \leqq x} I_{k}(n)}\) and \({\sum_{n \leqq x} (1 - \frac{n}{x}) I_{k}(n)}\).
Traveling on Stormy Seas: Childe Harold III and the Difficulties of Development

Written only four months after Byron’s (as he saw it) desertion by his wife, and undertaken on the very day that he left the country that had (as he saw it) turned its back on him, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto III is the production of a man both literally and metaphorically at sea. Emerging from four months of trauma, the Byron who writes Childe Harold III does not seek to extend the philosophical questing that marks the other works I have discussed.1 Rather, he seeks to answer the concrete questions that might face any shattered exile: in the face of great loss, how does one reformulate one’s self? How does one construct, or reconstruct, one’s world? Can one do so?2 Yet these questions, emotionally vital to Byron in April of 1816, do connect to queries about how and whether one accesses knowledge or creates knowledge-claims. Therefore, although Childe Harold’s third canto is neither overtly nor intentionally concerned with a philosophy of knowledge, it does engage with such a philosophy, albeit almost certainly unintentionally. Ultimately, however, that engagement proves both inconclusive and unsatisfactory.
Mechanistic Investigation of a Non-Heme Iron Enzyme Catalyzed Epoxidation in (-)-4'-Methoxycyclopenin Biosynthesis.

Mechanisms have been proposed for α-KG-dependent non-heme iron enzyme catalyzed oxygen atom insertion into an olefinic moiety in various natural products, but they have not been examined in detail. Using a combination of methods including transient kinetics, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that AsqJ-catalyzed (−)-4′-methoxycyclopenin formation uses a high-spin Fe(IV)-oxo intermediate to carry out epoxidation. Furthermore, product analysis on 16O/18O isotope incorporation from the reactions using the native substrate, 4′-methoxydehydrocyclopeptin, and a mechanistic probe, dehydrocyclopeptin, reveals evidence supporting oxo↔hydroxo tautomerism of the Fe(IV)-oxo species in the non-heme iron enzyme catalysis.
Finding Metaphorical Triggers Through Source (Not Target) Domain Lexicalization Patterns

Some metaphorical mappings between source and target are obvious and appear in collocation patterns in natural language data. However, other metaphors that structure abstract processes or complex topics are trickier to investigate because the target domain is lexically divorced from the source. Using metaphors for the economy as a case study, this paper introduces new techniques to find metaphorical tokens when target and source relationships are nonobvious. Through novel methods, constellations of source-domain triggers are identified in the data and evaluated for metaphoricity and keyness and then grouped according to trigger potency.
Case Report: Atypical Presentation of PML in a Patient with Alcoholic Cirrhosis (P2.095)

OBJECTIF: To describe an atypical presentation of PML in a patient with an occult immunosuppresseded state secondary to liver disease. BACKGROUND: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare but lethal demyelinating disease of the CNS caused by reactivation of the JC polyomavirus (JCV). PML is classically described in individuals with profound cellular immunosuppression such as patients with AIDS, hematological malignancies, organ transplant recipients or those treated with immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory medications. DESIGN/METHODS: Case report and literature review. RESULTS: We report a 55 year-old male with alcoholic cirrhosis who presented with acute onset left sided weakness. His examination was significant for right gaze preference, left hemiparesis, hyperreflexia in right patella and extensor response to plantar stimulation bilaterally. MRI of the brain showed multiple patchy areas of non-enhancing hyperintense T2 and FLAIR signals in bilateral occipital lobes, splenium, subcortical white matter and frontal gray-white matter junction. A few of these foci demonstrated diffusion restriction. No mass effect was seen. Cerebrospinal fluid was acellular, with normal glucose and protein. PCR analysis showed the presence of JCV DNA in CSF. Blood sample analysis demonstrated lymphopenia with only 180 CD4 and high CD4/CD8 ratio of 7.16. Antibodies against HIV, Hepatitis B and C were negative. An extensive investigation to look for other underlying immune-compromising disorders was negative. Based on MRI abnormalities and CSF JC virus PCR, the patient was diagnosed with PML. CONCLUSION: This is one of the few cases of confirmed PML with occult immunosuppression related to cirrhosis. This case highlights the unrecognized immunosuppressive state of cirrhosis and reiterates that PML should be considered as part of the differential diagnostic in any patient with cirrhosis who present with new-onset neurological symptoms. Timing in these cases is classically sub-acute but can be acute mimicking classic cerebrovascular etiologies. Disclosure: Dr. Baba-Ahmed has nothing to disclose. Dr. Neel has nothing to disclose.
A Conceptual Framework for Reforms Versus Debt in the Context of a Fiscal Union Within the European Monetary Union

This paper emphasizes the importance of differences in population sizes in a model of a monetary union under alternative scenaria of monetary and fiscal policy coordination. It goes beyond Casella (The American Economic Review 82(4):847–863, 1992) by allowing for coexistence of fiscal policy, national as well as union-wide, along with monetary policy. The paper also allows for inefficiencies in tax collection that serve as another difference across countries and for the possibility that tax and spending policy in the union are decided by means of different procedures. This is intended to explore the contrast between monetary policy outcomes determined by deliberations and voting in the ECB, given the fiscal policy stance, and national fiscal policy stance, given monetary policy. It examines what options this logic confers on smaller versus larger members of a currency union. It goes beyond both Casella (The American Economic Review 82(4):847–863, 1992) and Ioannides (The Cyprus Bail-in: Policy Lessons from the Cyprus Economic Crisis. World Scientific Imperial College Press, 2016) in examining the impact of market reforms and of various types of technological progress and explores their consequences for the sustainability of national public debt.
Ground motion at the San Francisco international airport from the Loma Prieta earthquake sequence, 1989

Abstract Following the Loma Prieta earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey installed four portable digital seismic recorders at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for one week to study aftershock ground motion at this important Bay area “lifeline.” This study was motivated largely by the need to anticipate strong ground motion from future major earthquakes affecting the Bay area and, to a lesser extent, by the fact that SFO was shut down for 13 hours owing to damage from the Loma Prieta shock. Accordingly, the recording sites were chosen so as to elucidate the effects of varying thicknesses of low-velocity surficial alluvium on the ground motion. Three large aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 4.2 to 4.5 each produced ground motion that was recorded at all four SFO stations. One of our stations was collocated with a permanent ground motion recorder that indicated a peak horizontal velocity of 29 cm / sec and a peak horizontal acceleration of 0.33 g during the 18 October mainshock. From the aftershock data and one mainshock record, it is possible to extrapolate approximately the mainshock ground motion to other locations at SFO and, more generally, to assess the effects of low-velocity sedimentary cover, including artificial fill material, on the character of the ground motion. The main-shock ground motion recorded at the permanent station was apparently typical for most of SFO where the near-surface alluvium resulted in peak horizontal ground velocity, in the frequency band 0.1 to 3 Hz, amplified by a factor of about 2.5 relative to that recorded at bedrock sites. Observations, in the epicentral distance range 59 to 95 km, including SFO, of the moho-reflected phases PmP and SmS from the aftershocks support the hypothesis, presented elsewhere, that the phase SmS accounted for much of the peak ground motion throughout most of the San Francisco Bay area.
STEM Teaching and Learning Strategies of High School Parents With Homeschool Students

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the teaching and learning strategies used by homeschool parents with high school students. A qualitative case study was used which began with t...
Emerging Therapeutic Strategies in Breast Cancer.

Abstract The field of medical oncology is experiencing a period of rapid evolution owing to advances in the fields of genomics, tumor biology, and immunology. These disciplines have provided valuable insights into the heterogeneity between breast tumors, key oncogenic drivers, and the role of the immune system in the natural history of breast cancer. This knowledge is translating into many novel therapeutic strategies using personalized medicines, targeted drug delivery systems, and immunomodulatory agents in the treatment of both the early and metastatic stages of the disease. This review article attempts to cover the major developments in experimental therapeutics and how they relate to our understanding of breast cancer and its various biologic subtypes.
A Novel Imaging Method for the Cartilaginous Eustachian Tube Lumen: Computerized Tomography During the Forced Response Test.

Objectives:In vivo imaging of the open cartilaginous Eustachian tube (ET) lumen by computed tomography (CT) scan during ET function (ETF) testing to establish new methodology.Methods:Five adults un...
The phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 and its role in the regulation of translation during viral infection

With the increasing intensity of research into the processes of translation, it has become apparent that this phase of gene expression is often tightly regulated. Alteration of the phosphorylation state of an essential protein appears to be the predominant method that cells use to regulate biochemical activity, so it is no surprise that many of the steps in the translational pathway can be regulated by phosphorylation or dephosphorylation. Nevertheless, the linkage between such changes in covalent modification and modulation of enzymatic activity has been established in vivo for only three proteins (Hershey, 1990): eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF-2), eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (elF-4E), and eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (elF-2). In mitosis eEF-2 is phosphorylated, resulting in an inhibition of translation because of an inability of the phosphorylated form of eEF-2 to catalyze the translocation of the peptidyl-tRNA during polypeptide chain elongation. The protein elF-4E is an essential component of the cap binding complex, elF-4F, which is responsible for bringing the 40S ribosomal subunit to the methylated cap of mRNA during translation. If elF-4E is dephosphorylated, as occurs during heat shock and mitosis, the elF-4F complex fails to deliver the ribosomal subunit to the mRNA. The best understood mode of translation control, however, involves the phosphorylation of the α subunit of elF-2.
Double Up Food Bucks Participation is Associated with Increased Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Food Security Among Low-Income Adults.

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the effect of the Utah Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program on fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake and food security status among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. Methods Data were collected in 2015, using a before-and-after study design. At the farmers’ market, a convenience sample of SNAP recipients was recruited for a survey and a 4-week telephone follow-up survey. Differences between the 2 surveys in food security and F&V intake were tested using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results Follow-up surveys were completed with 138 (40%) of the 339 baseline participants. Median F&V consumption increased from 2.82 times per day to 3.29 times per day (median, interquartile range 1.48–3.99 and 3.28–5.02, respectively, P = .002). The percentage of DUFB participants who were food secure increased by 15% (P = .001). Conclusions and Implications The present results add to the growing literature indicating farmers’ market incentives are associated with increased F&V consumption and decreased food insecurity. Although more research is needed, farmers’ market incentives may be an effective area of policy intervention.
Immunogenicity of sequential 13-valent conjugated and 23-valent unconjugated pneumococcal vaccines in a population of children with lupus.

Pneumococcal vaccination is recommended as a quality indicator for management of children with systemic lupus erythematosus. Literature on the immunogenicity of pneumococcal vaccines (PCVs) in chil...
Catalytic Oxidation of Ethane to Carboxylic Acids in the Liquid Phase at Near Room Temperature at Ambient Pressure

Chemical transformation of shale gas components under mild conditions is ideal for utilizing the shale gas resource to produce high-value intermediates of chemical industries and fuel feedstocks of energy industries. Here we report that single Rh atom sites, Rh1O5 anchored in micropores of HZSM-5, can catalyze oxidation of ethane by hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution to form acetic acid and formic acid at a temperature ≤ 50 °C at a pressure of ethane at 1.5 bar. Conversion of 1.5 bar of ethane to carboxylic acids at 50 °C in a Parr rector reaches 37% within 2 h. Acetic acid and formic acid are formed through two parallel reaction pathways with apparent activation barriers of 32.5 and 35.5 kJ/mol in the temperature range of 50–72 °C, respectively. Turnover rates for forming carboxylic acids are 0.060 acetic acid molecules on each Rh1O5 site per second (216 mol of acetic acid per mol Rh per hour) and 0.127 formic acid molecules on each Rh1O5 site per second (457 mol of formic acid per mol of Rh per hour)...
Mechanisms of Drug Resistance in Screening

Resistance is a term which should only properly be applied to a single cell. It is the description of the sensitivity which a single cell exhibits towards a drug, applying particularly to the case where the sensitivity is lower than that of the parent cell with which the cell is connected by genetic descent or by comparison with a cell of similar phenotype.
Do democratic revolutions ‘activate’ participants? The case of Tunisia:

The democratic transition in Tunisia and free and fair elections that followed offer a unique opportunity to assess whether the experience of participating in successful political efforts translate...
When inspiration comes with baggage: how prior moral transgressions affect feelings of elevation and disgust

Informed by negativity bias and partisan motivated processing, an online experiment (N = 710) tested how past moral behaviors affect feelings of elevation and disgust across in-group and out-group ...
Patient Requests for Tests and Treatments Impact Physician Management of Hypothyroidism.

Background: Levothyroxine is one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. Although prior research focused on over- and undertreatment and patient dissatisfaction with thyro...