cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Gαq-Ca2+ Signaling Pathway Promotes Actin-Mediated Epidermal Wound Closure in C. elegans

Summary Background Repair of skin wounds is essential for animals to survive in a harsh environment, yet the signaling pathways initiating wound repair in vivo remain little understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans , a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade promotes innate immune responses to wounding but is not required for other aspects of wound healing. We therefore set out to identify additional wound response pathways in C. elegans epidermis. Results We show here that wounding the adult C. elegans skin triggers a rapid and sustained rise in epidermal Ca 2+ that is critical for survival after wounding. The wound-triggered rise in Ca 2+ requires the epidermal transient receptor potential channel, melastatin family (TRPM) channel GTL-2 and IP 3 R-stimulated release from internal stores. We identify an epidermal signal transduction pathway that includes the Gα q EGL-30 and its effector PLCβ EGL-8. Loss of function in this pathway impairs survival after wounding. The Gα q -Ca 2+ pathway is not required for known innate immune responses to wounding but instead promotes actin-dependent wound closure. Wound closure requires the Cdc42 small GTPase and Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization and is negatively regulated by Rho and nonmuscle myosin. Finally, we show that the death-associated protein kinase DAPK-1 acts as a negative regulator of wound closure. Conclusions Skin wounding in C. elegans triggers a Ca 2+ -dependent signaling cascade that promotes wound closure, in parallel to the innate immune response to damage. Wound closure requires actin polymerization and is negatively regulated by nonmuscle myosin.
John Saltmarsh: New Model Army Chaplain

When Richard Baxter arrived in the camp of the victorious New Model Army shortly after the battle of Naseby in June 1645, he was greatly distressed by the religious and political heterodoxies that found expression through the ‘few proud, self-conceited, hotheaded Sectaries’ who had become Cromwell's ‘Favourites’. He observed that these men held ‘vehement Disputes’ in behalf of ‘Liberty of Conscience’, the doctrine that the civil magistrate should have nothing to do with matters of religion. Furthermore, he noticed that they also talked of ‘State Democracy’ and ‘Church Democracy’ as well as ‘about Free-grace and Free-will, and all the Points of Antinomianism and Arminianism’. In other words, in Baxter's mind those men who were attacking the orthodox Calvinistic doctrines of predestination and election were the very same men who were demanding additional political liberties. A single test case may be framed of the compatibility and nurturing effect (each upon the other) of these two tendencies by an examination of the writings of the New Model Army chaplain, John Saltmarsh.
Equilibrium theory of an intense elliptic beam for high-power ribbon-beam klystron applications

Realization of the concept for a high-power ribbon- beam klystron (RBK) requires a novel large-aspect ratio elliptic electron beam instead of a conventional circular electron beam. In this paper, a cold-fluid equilibrium theory of a nearly non-twisting intense elliptic charged- particle beam is presented. The equilibrium theory is applied in designs of elliptic electron beams for high- power RBKs. Results of the design and simulation of a 20:1 elliptic electron beam for a 10 MW, 1.3 GHz International Linear Collider (ILC) RBK are discussed.
The annual cycles of CO2 and H2O exchange over a northern mixed forest as observed from a very tall tower

We present the annual patterns of net ecosystem-atmosphere exchange (NEE) of CO2 and H2O observed from a 447m tall tower sited within a mixed forest in northern Wisconsin, USA. The methodology for determining NEE from eddy-covariance flux measurements at 30, 122 and 396m above the ground, and from CO2 mixing ratio measurements at 11, 30, 76, 122, 244 and 396m is described. The annual cycle of CO2 mixing ratio in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is also discussed, and the influences of local NEE and large-scale advection are estimated. During 1997 gross ecosystem productivity (947 � 18g Cm � 2 yr � 1 ), approximately balanced total ecosystem respiration (963719g Cm � 2 yr � 1 ), and NEE of CO2 was close to zero (16719g Cm � 2 yr � 1 emitted into the atmosphere). The error bars represent the standard error of the cumulative daily NEE values. Systematic errors are also assessed. The identified systematic uncertainties in NEE of CO2 are less than 60g Cm � 2 yr � 1 . The seasonal pattern of NEE of CO2 was highly correlated with leaf-out and leaf-fall, and soil thaw and freeze, and was similar to purely deciduous forest sites. The mean daily NEE of CO2 during the growing season (June through August) was � 1.3g Cm � 2 day � 1 , smaller than has been reported for other deciduous forest sites. NEE of water vapor largely followed the seasonal pattern of NEE of CO2, with a lag in the spring when water vapor fluxes increased before CO2 uptake. In general, the Bowen ratios were high during the dormant seasons and low during the growing season. Evapotranspiration normalized by potential evapotranspiration showed the opposite pattern. The seasonal course of the CO2 mixing ratio in the ABL at the tower led the seasonal pattern of NEE of CO2 in time: in spring, CO2 mixing ratios began to decrease prior to the onset of daily net uptake of CO2 by the forest, and in fall mixing ratios began to increase before the forest became a net source for CO2 to the atmosphere. Transport as well as local NEE of CO2 are shown to be important components of the ABL CO2 budget at all times of the year.
Spectral resolution requirements for mapping urban areas

This study evaluated how spectral resolution of high-spatial resolution optical remote sensing data influences detailed mapping of urban land cover. A comprehensive regional spectral library and low altitude data from the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) were used to characterize the spectral properties of urban land cover. The Bhattacharyya distance was applied as a measure of spectral separability to determine a most suitable subset of 14 AVIRIS bands for urban mapping. We evaluated the performance of this spectral setting versus common multispectral sensors such as Ikonos by assessing classification accuracy for 26 urban land cover classes. Significant limitations for current multispectral sensors were identified, where the location and broadband character of the spectral bands only marginally resolved the complex spectral characteristics of the urban environment, especially for built surface types. However, the AVIRIS classification accuracy did not exceed 66.6% for 22 urban cover types, primarily due to spectral similarities of specific urban materials and high within-class variability.
SALL4 is expressed in pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, malignant epithelial neoplasm. SALL4 is a zinc-finger transcription factor and a member of the SALL gene family that has been previously expressed in numerous malignancies including breast, lung, colorectal, and hepatocellular carcinomas but not in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The expression of SALL4 is related to early clinical stage in breast and lung carcinomas but with early metastasis and an unfavorable prognosis in liver and colorectal carcinomas. In this study, we report two ACC cases with SALL4 expression. Interestingly, one of these two cases also had elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) while both cases showed neuroendocrine features. Clinically, these two patients responded very well to chemotherapy, and the second patient is alive without recurrence and metastasis for more than four years. To our knowledge, these are the first reported cases of SALL4 expression in pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma, indicating a role of SALL4 in this tumor.
W-band millimeter wave exposure system for studying non-thermal effects on skeletal muscle contraction

A novel W-band (75–110 GHz) exposure system was designed, characterized and tested to be used for identifying millimeter wave (MMW) exposure parameters (frequency, modulation schemes and electric field magnitude) that could accelerate recovery from fatigue in skeletal muscle. The system designed allows electrical stimulation of muscle and measurement of contractile force during MMW exposure within an organ bath under conditions where the temperature of the muscle is maintained at 35 ± 0.2° C. Design and characterization of the exposure system were performed using the Finite-Difference Time-Domain numerical method and experimental measurements. Exposure experiments verified the penetration of the electric field into the muscle.
Stereospecific cyclopropane ring-opening of petrosterol. A possible biomimetic process.

Abstract Acid-catalyzed isomerization of the petrosterol side chain ( 1 ) proceeds stereospecifically to yield the naturally occurring 26-dehydro-25-epiaplysterol side chain ( 2 ); in addition, a 1.5-hydride shift leading to 22-dehydro-25-epiaplysteryl acetate ( 3 ) has also been observed.
Dilute mixtures and solutions near critical points

At given pressure and temperature, impurities have very large effects on the density and enthalpy of near-critical fluids because the derivative (∂V/∂x)PT diverges. Thermodynamic relations permit to calculate impurity effects from the initial slope of the critical line or from the dew-bubble curve. Examples are given for both nonaqueous and aqueous mixtures.
Reduction of structural iron in ferruginous smectite by free radicals

The oxidation state of structural iron greatly influences the physical-chemical properties of clay minerals, a phenomenon that may have significant implications for pollutant fate in the environment, for agricultural productivity, and for industrial uses of clays. Knowledge of redox mechanisms is fun- damental to understanding the underlying basis for iron's effects on clays. Past studies revealed that the extent of Fe reduction varied depending on the reducing agent used, but this variation may not have been a simple function of the reduction potential of the reducing agent. The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between the Fe reduction mechanism and free radical activity in the reducing agent. Several reducing agents and their mixtures with the Na-saturated, 0.5 to 2 #m size fraction of ferruginous smectite (SWa-1) were analyzed by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy to determine the presence of unpaired electrons or free radicals. Only NazS204 exhibited paramagnetic free-radical behavior with a signal at about g = 2.011, which was attributed to the sulphoxylate (SO2-.) free radical. The free radical was labile in aqueous solution, and the ability of NazSzO4 solution to reduce structural Fe in the smectite decreased with age of the solution and paralleled the disappearance of the free radical signal in the ESR spectrum. The paramagnetic species was preserved and enhanced ifNa2SzO4 was added to the clay suspension, indicating that either the clay surface stabilized the SO2 �9 radical or the additional unpaired electrons were produced in the clay structure.
Can we predict the need for clean intermittent catheterization after orthotopic neobladder construction

Introduction: We aimed to identify peri-operative and pathologic characteristics that may predict the need for clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) following radical cystectomy (RC) with orthotopic neobladder (ONB) in order to improve patient counseling on choice of urinary diversion. Materials and Methods: Between July 2004 and February 2013, all patients who underwent RC with ONB were identified. Peri-operative clinical and pathological features were evaluated and correlated with patients reported need for CIC. The independent T-test was performed for continuous variables and Chi-square test was performed for categorical variables. Multivariate forward stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables that correlated with need for CIC after ONB. Results: During the study period, 114 patients underwent RC with ONB creation. On univariate analysis, patients with higher body mass index, younger age, and non-vaginal or non-nerve-sparing procedures were more likely to require catheterization for complete emptying. Multivariate analysis demonstrates that conservative surgery (nerve sparing in males or vaginal sparing in females) was associated with a significantly lower rate of requiring CIC (Odds Ratio [OR] 0.20, P Conclusions: When counseling patients regarding the different types of diversions after RC, the potential need for long-term CIC after ONB must be discussed. The clinical factors that appear to increase the need for CIC include non-conservative RC (non-nerve sparing in males and non-vaginal sparing in females) and, to a certain degree, younger age.
Pressure-equalization (PE) tubes in treatment of otitis media: national survey of otolaryngologists.

This study was designed to describe those indicators for the insertion of pressure-equalization (PE) tubes given highest priority by board-certified otolaryngologists. An original questionnaire was mailed to 1000 board-certified otolaryngologists practicing in the United States. The respondents rated the relative importance of 22 indicators on a 6-point scale. These indicators were grouped into four categories: Medical History, Physical Examination, Audiologic Evaluation, and Related Indicators. With a return rate of 52.7%, approximately 1 of every 9 board-certified, practicing otolaryngologists in the United States was represented in the study. The five indicators with the highest ratings were: “persistence of fluid for 3 or more months per episode,” “presence of speech-language delay,” “presence of bilateral conductive hearing loss of 20 dB or more,” “total number of episodes of otitis media,” and “lack of response to suppressive antibiotic therapy.” Additional analyses of the data yielded information r...
Concluding Remarks: Developing Spatial Demography

The goal of this book is to advance thinking in the specialty of spatial demography through enhancing middle range theory. This concluding chapter revisits each of the preceding chapters with a focus on their contribution to our overall goal of drawing attention to the application of middle range theory in the area of spatial demography. Following that review, we attempt to focus our attention of where we go as a disciplinary field moving forward by asking questions related to what we currently know about spatial context, what we need to know about spatial context, and why is spatial context even important beyond our ability to empirically link relationships to “closeness”. Finally, we end the chapter with a discussion of the need to develop central concepts in the field of spatial demography that move beyond a single discipline's contribution. To that point, the future of spatial demography should be one that draws heavily on the disciplines that have contributed to this volume (and others), including sociology, economics, political science, geography, and public health.
Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response: Implications for the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Oxidative stress appears to play a major role in ethanol-induced apoptosis and subsequent teratogenesis. A promising strategy for protecting against ethanol-induced oxidative damage to early embryos entails chemically mediated up-regulation of endogenous antioxidants. Nrf2 is a transcription factor that regulates the induction of genes encoding antioxidant proteins. Using an in vivo Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) model, we have found that maternal ethanol treatment increased Nrf2 protein levels and Nrf2-antioxidant response element binding in mouse embryos. Up-regulation of Nrf2 by Nrf2 inducer, 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione (D3T), significantly decreased ethanol-induced ROS generation and apoptosis in mouse embryos. We also found that Nrf2-dependent antioxidant response can be induced by Nrf2 inducer tBHQ in neural crest cells (NCCs) and that tBHQ-mediated antioxidant response can prevent ethanol-induced oxidative stress and NCC apoptosis. In addition, sulforaphane (SFN) can also induce Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response and prevent ethanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. The potency of tBHQ and SFN in inducing Nrf2 activation and preventing ethanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in NCCs, along with the fact that tBHQ is a metabolite of a widely used food antioxidant and SFN is a bioactive compound naturally present in vegetables, makes tBHQ and SFN promising therapeutic agents for the prevention of human FASD.
State Insurance Tax Issues in 2001

Tom Moran and Rick Carlson of Deloitte & Touche LLP, Chicago and Hartford, Conn., review state insurance tax developments in 2001. The Michigan Supreme Court's decision in TIG Insurance Co. affected how retaliatory taxes are computed. The recent economic downturn, together with the September 11 terrorist attacks, could cause some states to alter their retaliatory tax schemes, the authors suggest.
Enforcing resource sharing agreements among distributed server clusters

Future scalable, high throughput, and high performance applications are. likely to execute on platforms constructed by clustering multiple autonomous distributed servers, with resource access governed by agreements between the owners and users of these servers. Such systems raise several new resource management challenges, chief amongst which is the enforcement of agreements to ensure that, despite the distributed nature of both requests and resources, user requests only receive a predetermined share of the aggregate resource. Current solutions only enforce such agreements at a coarse granularity and in a centralized fashion, limiting their applicability. This paper presents an architecture for the distributed enforcement of resource sharing agreements. Our approach exploits a uniform application-independent representation of agreements, and combines it with efficient tune-window based coordinated queuing algorithms running on multiple nodes. We have successfully implemented this general strategy in two different network layers: a Layer-7 HTTP redirector and a Layer-4 IP packet redirector; which redirect connection requests from distributed clients to a cluster of distributed servers. Our measurements of both implementations verify that our approach is general and effective.
Theoretical Study of Shocked Formic Acid: Born-Oppenheimer MD Calculations of the Shock Hugoniot and Early-Stage Chemistry.

Quantum and classical molecular dynamics simulations are used to explore whether chemical reactivity of shocked formic acid occurs at pressures greater than 15 GPa, a question arising from results of different shock compression experiments. The classical molecular dynamics simulations were performed using a quantum-based nonreactive pair additive interaction potential whereas the full resolution quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulations allow chemical reactions. Although the shock Hugoniot curve calculated using nonreactive classical MD for formic acid is in reasonable agreement with one set of experimental results, shock Hugoniot points calculated using Born–Oppenheimer MD at 30 GPa are in agreement with the set of experimental data that suggests chemical reactivity at these elevated temperatures and pressures. Examination of atomic positions throughout the Born–Oppenheimer MD trajectories clearly indicates extensive and complex chemical reaction, chiefly involving hydrogen-atom transfer and inte...
Optimal congestion pricing toll design under multiclass transportation network schemes: Genetic algorithm approaches

The purpose of this paper is to explore bi-level genetic algorithm (GA) based approach to solving the optimal toll locations and toll levels simultaneously in a multiclass network. The upper-level subprogram intends to minimize the system total travel time and the lower-level subprogram is a traditional user equilibrium problem. It is assumed that the demand matrix is fixed and given a priori. First, two different versions of GA based solution procedures are developed and applied to Sioux Falls, SD network, assuming homogeneous users. Then, their performances are compared; the preferred GA option is identified and further applied to the network consisting of multiclass users with different value of times. The optimal toll locations and levels are thus determined. A commonly used heuristic approach in practice is also considered to determine toll levels based only on the most congested links in the network. Such heuristic toll levels are compared with the combined solution of optimal locations and toll levels. Numerical results demonstrate that the most congested links in a network may not be taken as intuitive candidates of optimal toll locations.
Plant Extracts for Control of the Parasitic Mite Varroa jacobsoni (Acari: Varroidae) in Colonies of the Western Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Two natural product treatments were evaluated in field trials as control agents for the parasitic mite, Varroa jacobsoni (Oudemans), in colonies of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. Eight colonies were treated with a blend of thymol, eucalyptus oil, menthol, and camphor. Eight colonies were treated with linalool. Each treatment was delivered using 4 pieces of florist block material, each 25 by 25 by 5 mm, saturated with test material and placed on the top bars of the upper hive body of each colony. Control colonies received the carrier without test material. Two applications of test materials were made to each colony during a treatement period that ran from 1 November 1993 through 19 November 1993. The 1st application was made on 1 November 1993. The 2nd application was made on 12 November and removed on 19 November. Each application consisted of a total of 17 g of test material. Mites killed during the treatment period were collected and counted. Mites remaining in each colony after the treatment period were killed with fluvalinate strips placed in each colony from 19 November through 17 December 1993 (the treatment-evaluation period), collected, and counted. Mite mortality during the treatment period was calculated by dividing the number of mites collected during the treatment period by the total number of mites collected during both the treatment and treatment-evaluation periods. Average mite mortality, expressed as a percent, was 96.7% in the colonies receiving the thymol-based blend, 27.5% in the colonies receiving linalool, and 4.4% in the control colonies.
Effects of High Temperature during Flowering Period on Seed Setting Rate and Its Relationship with Sink to Source Ratios and Flowering Habit of Mid-season Hybrid Rice

From 2011 to 2013, under the condition of high temperature injury during heading stage designed by applying different sowing dates in the field and controlling the temperature in intelligent artificial climate chamber, the relationship high temperature resistance index(HTRI) with sink to source ratio and flowering habit in mid-season hybrid rice was studied with 50 hybrid combinations as tested materials. By using variance, correlation and regression analyses, the results showed that there were significant differences in HTRI among hybrid combinations. Ten of the combinations were tested to show a higher levels of seed setting rate and HIRI during flowering stage, including Mianxiangyou 576, Rongdaoyou 415, Xiangluyou 727, Mianyou 5240, Chuanguyou 202, Chuanyou 6203, Gangyou 169, Neixiangyou 5828, Chuanguyou 7329, and Jiangyou 126. There existed a significant relation between HTRI and carbohydrate supply level during flowering stage. The smaller the number of effective panicles of hybrid combinations was, the higher the spikelets per panicle and grain-leaf ratio would be, namely, the less the occupancy of photosynthetic source per spikelets would be. As a consequence, significantly negative correlation were observed between HTRI and grain-leaf ratio during flowering stage. The flowering ratio from 9:30 to 11:00 and chlorophyll content of leaf had a significantly positive correlation with HTRI respectively. Choosing the hybrid combinations with a larger number of effective panicles and early intensive anthesis and raising the level of chlorophyll content of leaf are the vital ways to enhance HTRI during heading stage.
Variation in relative dust impact charge recollection with antenna to spacecraft potential on STEREO

High-velocity dust that impacts spacecraft releases charged plasma clouds that can create voltage perturbations that are measured by electric field instrumentation. These voltage perturbations are characterized by a relative maximum and minimum, which correspond to body and antenna charge recollection, respectively. The charge recollected by the antenna relative to the total recollected charge is found to correlate with the potential difference between the spacecraft and the antenna. From data analysis that spanned 2007–2013 on the STEREO-A spacecraft, a positive correlation is found. This relationship will support future dust analysis with electric field instrumentation because it defines one spacecraft property that affects relative charge recollection.
Treatment of intractable hiccup with baclofen : results of a double-blind randomized, controlled, cross-over study

Four patients with intractable hiccup were treated in a double-blind, randomized, placebo, cross-over study with an analogue of gamma-aminobutyric acid, Baclofen. There was a consistent and statistically significant (p = 0.03) improvement in hiccup severity with Baclofen, both subjectively (p = 0.03) and by hiccup-free periods (p = 0.003). The actual frequency of hiccup was not significantly altered by the medication. We propose that the mechanical aspects of hiccup are reduced by Baclofen, leading to a perceptual blockage and a decrease in the reflex severity induced by the gamma-aminobutyric acid analogue. We conclude that this medication may be useful for the treatment of intractable hiccup.
User-assisted segmentation of tomographic images

Because automated methods that segment tomographic (medical) images often involve errors, editing tools that can rapidly correct the errors are needed. The editing tools presented in this paper may be considered a part of a postprocessing operation that evaluates the accuracy of an automated segmentation and refines the errors.
Fluctuations and Ordering in Nematic Liquid Crystals

The paper discusses the odd-even fluctuation of the various thermodynamic properties of two homologous series of nematic liquid crystals near the nematic/isotropic transition temperature. A new alignment phenomenon not previously discussed in the literature (associated with horizontally aligned films between glass substrates) is reported. The degree of alignment near the nematic/isotropic transition temperature increases, while the order parameter decreases, reversibly with increasing temperature. Development of a rigorous theory of anisotropic intermolecular interactions to interpret quantitatively these experimental observations is suggested.
Can a virtual reality assessment of fine motor skill predict successful central line insertion

Abstract Background Due to the increased use of peripherally inserted central catheter lines, central lines are not performed as frequently. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a virtual reality (VR)–based assessment of fine motor skills can be used as a valid and objective assessment of central line skills. Methods Surgical residents (N = 43) from 7 general surgery programs performed a subclavian central line in a simulated setting. Then, they participated in a force discrimination task in a VR environment. Hand movements from the subclavian central line simulation were tracked by electromagnetic sensors. Gross movements as monitored by the electromagnetic sensors were compared with the fine motor metrics calculated from the force discrimination tasks in the VR environment. Results Long periods of inactivity (idle time) during needle insertion and lack of smooth movements, as detected by the electromagnetic sensors, showed a significant correlation with poor force discrimination in the VR environment. Also, long periods of needle insertion time correlated to the poor performance in force discrimination in the VR environment. Conclusions This study shows that force discrimination in a defined VR environment correlates to needle insertion time, idle time, and hand smoothness when performing subclavian central line placement. Fine motor force discrimination may serve as a valid and objective assessment of the skills required for successful needle insertion when placing central lines.
Evaluation of an alternative seismic design approach for rigid wall flexible wood roof diaphragm buildings through probabilistic loss estimation and disaggregation

Abstract Rigid Wall Flexible roof Diaphragm (RWFD) buildings, commonly referred to as “big-box” buildings are the most prevalent type of construction for low-rise industrial and warehouse facilities in the United States (US). These buildings usually incorporate rigid-in plane concrete tilt-up walls and flexible wood roof diaphragms, which is a commonly seen construction technique in the Western United States. Due to their vulnerability in high seismic areas (e.g. California) observed in past earthquakes, an alternative design methodology was introduced in the FEMA P1026 document to account for the response of the flexible roof diaphragm. The FEMA P1026 design approach has been validated through numerical collapse assessment studies. In this study, the Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering framework, introduced by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) center, is combined with Monte Carlo Simulation to evaluate, in a probabilistic sense, the earthquake-induced economic losses for these structures. The results are presented in terms of expected losses for two hazard intensities: Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCE) and Design Earthquake (DE), while loss disaggregation plots for collapse and no-collapse losses are also presented. The results demonstrate the ability of the FEMA P1026 design approach to reduce earthquake losses compared to current code-conforming RWFD buildings. Additionally, the results can provide damage and loss information for modeling of these types of buildings within a resilient community and other spatially focused analyses.
Orientation of thiol collectors on chalcocite

ABSTRACT In spite of the experimental difficulties, it is now possible to derive structural information on the adsorption layer of surfactants on sulfide minerals by using infrared reflection spectroscopy. The adsorption of xanthate, thionocarbamate and dithiophosphate on chalcocite has been studied in the present work. The results obtained provide information on the nature of bonding and the orientation of the adsorbed species at a wide range of surface coverages. It was found that the orientation of the adsorbed molecules changes with the coverage. At submonolayer coverages, the adsorbed molecules are inclined to the surface. As the surface coverage increases, the position of the adsorbed molecules changes from inclined to vertical, forming a well-oriented monolayer. With further increases in coverage, multilayers of metal-collector complexes are formed, and the structure of the multilayer gradually becomes randomly oriented. The spectroscopic method has an enormous potential for determining both the chemical nature and the orientation of the individual molecular groups of adsorbed species on various minerals.
Descriptive analysis and comparison of strategic incremental rehearsal to “Business as Usual” sight-word instruction for an adult nonreader with intellectual disability

ABSTRACTObjective: Strategic Incremental Rehearsal (SIR) is an effective method for teaching sight-word acquisition, but has neither been evaluated for use in adults with an intellectual disability, nor directly compared to the ongoing instruction in the natural environment. Methods: Experimental analysis of sight word acquisition via an alternating treatment design was conducted with a 23-year-old woman with Down syndrome. SIR was compared to the current reading instruction (CRI) in a classroom for young adults with intellectual disabilities. CRI procedures included non-contingent praise, receptive touch prompts (“touch the word bat”), echoic prompts (“say bat”), textual prompts (“read the word”), and pre-determined introduction of new words. SIR procedures included textual prompts on flash cards, contingent praise, corrective feedback, and mastery-based introduction of new words. Results: The results indicated that SIR was associated with more rapid acquisition of sight words than CRI. Conclusion: Direc...
Advances in food allergy in 2015

This review highlights research advances in food allergy that were published in the Journal in 2015. The world of food allergy research continues to rapidly accelerate, with increasing numbers of outstanding submissions to the Journal. In 2015, important studies on the epidemiology of food allergy were published, suggesting differential rates of food allergy in specific racial and ethnic groups. Even more importantly, studies were published identifying specific risk factors for the development of peanut allergy, as well as specific prevention strategies. We also saw new studies on the diagnosis of food allergy and potential approaches to the treatment of food allergy, as well as novel mechanistic studies helping to explain the immunologic correlates of food allergy and food desensitization.
Synovial Sarcoma: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment Identification of New Biologic Targets to Improve Multimodal Therapy

Synovial sarcoma is a translocation-associated soft-tissue malignancy that frequently affects adolescents and young adults. It is driven by one of the fusion oncoproteins SS18-SSX1, SS18-SSX2, or rarely, SS18-SSX4. Prognosis of patients with recurrent or metastatic disease is generally poor, and newer therapeutic strategies are needed. In this review, we present recent discoveries in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of synovial sarcoma. We discuss potential therapeutic strategies to improve clinical outcomes in this disease.
Asset Pricing Under Prior-Induced Beta Uncertainty

We show theoretically that differences in priors, which are key inputs for Bayesian investors who face time-series uncertainty about parameters, have implications for the differential pricing of risk in the cross-section. Specifically, different priors for the same asset can generate differences in perceived (vs. actual) risk exposures, and consequently, generate differences in required rates of return. The main testable implication is that the Security Market Line is steeper when the prior is low risk exposure than when the prior is high risk exposure. Using novel proxies for investors' priors about firms' exposure to risk factors, we find strong empirical support for our main prediction. Our results have important implications for understanding how parameter uncertainty affects asset returns.
The Infrared Emission Features and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The infrared evidence which supports the PAH hypothesis is briefly summarized. Rather than presenting a general discussion of these assignments, this paper focuses on the spectroscopic issues raised by recent observational and experimental developments. These issues include: the position and profile of the “1310” cm−1 (“7.7” µm) feature, the position and intensities of the bands in the 910–710 cm−1 (11–14 µm) region, the newly detected 1900 cm−1 (5.3 µm) band, and the spatial and spectral variations in the 3000 cm−1 (3 µm) region as well as in the 12 and 25 µm. IRAS bands. It is concluded that the infrared evidence for interstellar PAHs and PAH-related species is compelling.
TRENDS IN UTILIZATION OF MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT IN CARDIAC TRANSPLANTATION

Hemodynamic instability in orthotropic heart transplant (OHT) recipients in the peri-transplant period is deleterious and not infrequent. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices have been used to provide temporary hemodynamic support. We aim to study the trends in utilization of MCS use in OHT
The Arithmetic of Number Fields

In Chapters 8 and 9 the reader had ample opportunity to convince himself that tools like the theory of functions of a complex variable, or Tauberian theorems, can be very useful in handling seemingly unrelated problems like the number π(x) of primes up to x. These same theories, while hardly mentioned in Chapter 7, have been found to be needed in the treatment of certain partition problems.
Leaf Age Effects on the Carbon Gain of Individual Leaves in Relation to Microsite

The relationship between leaf age and photosynthesis has been studied in many plants. Aspects of the problem that have received particular attention include the levels of photosynthetic enzymes (Zima, Sestak, 1979; Patterson et al. 1980), the light response of photosynthesis (Richardson 1957; Ludlow, Wilson 1971), and the sensitivity of the aging process to several environmental variables. Leaf aging has been studied in relation to mineral nutrition (Egli et al. 1978), water stress (Ludlow 1975), light availability (Jurik et al. 1979; Yamaguchi, Friend 1979) and source-sink relationships within plants (Sweet, Wareing 1966; Patterson, Brun 1980). Though a few investigators have speculated on the ecological and physiological benefits a plant might gain from using old leaves for nutrient storage (Hopkinson 1966) or from shedding parts (Thomas, Stoddart 1980), no one has studied the possibility that the changes in photosynthetic characteristics observed after the age of maximum photosynthetic capacity yield benefits in carbon gain.
Thermal Computations for Electronics: Conductive, Radiative, and Convective Air Cooling

The first edition of Thermal Computations for Electronics: Conductive, Radiative, and Convective Air Cooling was based on the author's lecture notes that he developed over the course of nearly 40 years of thermal design and analysis activity, the last 15 years of which included teaching a university course at the senior undergraduate and graduate levels. The subject material was developed from publications of respected researchers and includes topics and methods original to this author. Numerous students have contributed to both the first and second editions, the latter corrected, sections rewritten (e.g., radiation spatial effects, Green's function properties for thermal spreading, 1-D FEA theory and application), and some new material added. The flavor and organization of the first edition have been retained, whereby the reader is guided through the analysis process for systems and then components. Important new material has been added regarding altitude effects on forced and buoyancy driven airflow and heat transfer. The first 20% of the book is devoted to the prediction of airflow and well-mixed air temperatures in systems, circuit board channels, and heat sinks, followed by convective (PCB-mounted components included), radiative, and conductive heat transfer and the resultant temperatures in electronic equipment. Detailed application examples illustrate a variety of problems. Downloads (from the CRC website) include: MathcadTM text examples, exercise solutions (adopting professors only) plus PDF lecture aids (professors only), and a tutorial (Chapter 14) using free FEA software to solve a thermal spreading problem. This book is a valuable professional resource for self-study and is ideal for use in a course on electronics cooling. It is well-suited for a first course in heat transfer where applications are as important as theory.
Electron–Phonon Scattering in AlAs and Its Response to Hydrostatic Pressure

We perform first principles calculations to predict the electron–phonon (e–ph) scattering rates in AlAs and their dependence on phonon modes at energies close to the conduction band minima (CBM), as well as high into the conduction band. We then study the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the e–ph scattering in AlAs for pressures up to $$\sim$$ 8.77 GPa. The effect of such pressures on the electronic structure and phonon dispersion is well documented. In AlAs, the bandgap becomes smaller, whereas the effect on phonon dispersion is to shift the optical phonon bands to higher frequencies and the acoustic branches to lower frequencies. In light of this, we explore the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the resulting scattering rates with increasing pressure along the high symmetry $$L\rightarrow \Gamma \rightarrow X$$ path. The results suggest that hydrostatic pressure does not significantly affect electron–phonon scattering rate.
Recommendations for Classes of Medications in Older Adults

While chronic pain is one of the most prevalent conditions found in elderly patients, few studies investigating the effects of analgesic drugs have been performed specifically in older people. In a recent literature review, eight studies were found which evaluated the prevalence of “current” pain in older people. This review found that 20–46% of older people living in the general community and 28–73% of those living in residential care had “current” pain [1]. Another study estimated that 45–85% of elderly patients experience moderate-to-severe chronic pain [2].
Clicking for change: the role of empathy and negative affect on engagement with a charitable social media campaign*

This study investigated the effects of a campaign video designed to promote prosocial behaviour by eliciting negative emotions on social network site (SNS) users’ willingness to engage with the con...
Third-order momentum correlation interferometry maps for entangled quantal states of three singly trapped massive ultracold fermions

Analytic higher-order momentum correlation functions associated with the time-of-flight spectroscopy of three ultracold fermionic atoms singly confined in a linear three-well optical trap are presented, corresponding to the $W$- and Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger--type states that belong to characteristic classes of tripartite entanglement and represent the strong-interaction regime captured by a three-site Heisenberg Hamiltonian. The methodology introduced here contrasts with and goes beyond that based on the standard Wick factorization scheme; it enables determination of both third-order and second-order spin resolved and spin unresolved momentum correlations, aiming at matter-wave interference investigations with trapped massive particles in analogy with, and having the potential for expanding the scope of, recent three-photon quantum-optics interferometry.
Toward Automated Classroom Observation: Predicting Positive and Negative Climate

We devised and evaluated a multi-modal machine learning-based system to analyze videos of school classrooms for "positive climate" and "negative climate", which are two dimensions of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) [1]. School classrooms are highly cluttered audiovisual scenes containing many overlapping faces and voices. Due to the difficulty of labeling them (reliable coding requires weeks of training) and their sensitive nature (students and teachers may be in stressful or potentially embarrassing situations), CLASS- labeled classroom video datasets are scarce, and their labels are sparse (just a few labels per 15-minute video dip). Thus, the overarching challenge was how to harness modem deep perceptual architectures despite the paucity of labeled data. Through training low-level CNN-based facial attribute detectors (facial expression & adult/child) as well as a direct audio-to- climate regressor, and by integrating low-level information over time using a Bi-LSTM, we constructed automated detectors of positive and negative classroom climate with accuracy (10- fold cross-validation Pearson correlation on 241 CLASS-labeled videos) of 0.40 and 0.51, respectively. These numbers are superior to what we obtained using shallower architectures. This work represents the first automated system designed to detect specific dimensions of the CLASS.
Issues in the High Resolution Acoustoelastic Measurement of Stress

The acoustoelastic measurement of stress is a topic with a rich history and the basic principles are well known [1]. In summary, one takes advantage of various nonlinearities which govern the elastic response of a solid, including but not limited to anharmonicities in interatomic forces, which lead to a stress dependence of the ultrasonic velocity. The basic idea, then is to precisely measure the velocity and to infer stress from a relation of the form $$V = Vo + K\sigma $$ (1) where V is the measured velocity in the presence of a stress σ, Vo is the value that would have been observed in the absence of that stress, and K is known as the acoustoelastic constant.
Malignant Insulinoma: A Rare Form of Neuroendocrine Tumor

Due to the rarity of malignant insulinoma, a lack of the literature describing factors affecting outcomes exists. Our aim was to review malignant insulinoma incidence, characteristics and survival trends. We identified all patients with malignant insulinoma in the SEER registries from 1973 to 2015. Incidence, neoplasm characteristics and factors affecting cancer-specific survival (CSS) were described. A total of 121 patients were identified. The crude annual overall incidence was low (range 0.0–0.27 cases per million person years). The largest proportion had localized disease (40%), while 16% had regional disease, 39% distant metastatic disease, and stage was unreported in 5%. Most neoplasms were in the body/tail of the pancreas, followed by the head of the pancreas. Grade was reported in 40% of patients; only a single patient reported as having grade IV with the remainder all grades I/II. Surgical resection was performed in 64% of patients. Within surgical patients, the median primary neoplasm size was 1.8 cm. Regional lymph nodes were examined in 57.1% of surgical patients, while 34% of examined nodes were positive. The median CSS was 183 months. On multivariable analysis, surgical resection, male sex and absence of metastatic disease were associated with superior survival. While the greatest proportion of patients with malignant insulinoma present with localized disease, regional lymph node involvement was found in 34% of whose nodes were tested. Further studies are needed to assess the role of lymph node dissection in improving survival and preventing recurrence given the observed frequency of lymph node involvement.
Chapter 128 – Hypermetamorphosis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses hypermetamorphosis, which is a form of complete insect metamorphosis or holometaboly in which at least one of the instars in the life cycle differ considerably from the others. Two broad categories of hypermetamorphosis can be recognized in insects. In the most widespread form, there is a decoupling of oviposition site and the larval food; in the other, the oviposition and larval feeding sites are identical, these can be referred to as type I and type II hypermetamorphosis, respectively. Type I adult females do not oviposit directly at the larval feeding site; instead, the first instars must find the food source. Such larvae are active, slender, and well sclerotized; they are further characterized by their ability to exist for a considerable time without nourishment and without becoming desiccated. In type II hypermetamorphosis, the oviposition and larval feeding sites do not differ. In these insects the first instar has a distinctive morphology compared with the relatively simple and often amorphous subsequent instars, but these modifications are associated with functions other than host finding. Only the Mantispidae have true hypermetamorphosis. Most of the species feed on spider eggs associated with a single egg sac. The first instar either enters a previously constructed egg sac or attaches onto a female spider and enters the sac as constructed. Other species feed on the larvae of various aculeate Hymenoptera. Several of these are phoretic and reach the food source by attaching to the adult bee or wasp.
Technical experience and postoperative complications with repeat transperitoneal approach to the lumbar spine in female Lewis rats.

Rat models of lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration are widely employed to characterize biologic-based therapeutics, but their anatomy and small size preclude consistent delivery of injecta...