cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tectonic setting of the Wooded Island earthquake swarm, eastern Washington

Magnetic anomalies provide insights into the tectonic implications of a swarm of ∼1500 shallow (∼1 km deep) earthquakes that occurred in 2009 on the Hanford site,Washington. Epicenters were concentrated in a 2 km2 area nearWooded Island in the Columbia River. The largest earthquake (M 3.0) had first motions consistent with slip on a northwest-striking reverse fault. The swarm was accompanied by 35 mm of vertical surface deformation, seen in satellite interferometry (InSAR), interpreted to be caused by ∼50 mm of slip on a northwest-striking reverse fault and associated bedding-plane fault in the underlying Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). A magnetic anomaly over exposed CRBG at Yakima Ridge 40 km northwest of Wooded Island extends southeastward beyond the ridge to the Columbia River, suggesting that the Yakima Ridge anticline and its associated thrust fault extend southeastward in the subsurface. In map view, the concealed anticline passes through the earthquake swarm and lies parallel to reverse faults determined from first motions and InSAR data. A forward model of the magnetic anomaly near Wooded Island is consistent with uplift of concealed CRBG, with the top surface <200 m below the surface. The earthquake swarm and the thrust and bedding-plane faults modeled from interferometrymore » all fall within the northeastern limb of the faulted anticline. Although fluids may be responsible for triggering the Wooded Island earthquake swarm, the seismic and aseismic deformation are consistent with regional-scale tectonic compression across the concealed Yakima Ridge anticline.« less
Urea Decreases Nitrous Oxide Emissions Compared with Anhydrous Ammonia in a Minnesota Corn Cropping System

Quantifying N 2 O emissions from corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] fields under different fertilizer regimes is essential to developing national inventories of greenhouse gas emissions. The objective of this study was to compare N 2 O emissions in plots managed for more than 15 yr under continuous corn (C/C) vs. a corn-soybean (C/S) rotation that were fertilized during the corn phase with either anhydrous NH 3 (AA) or urea (U). During three growing seasons, N 2 O emissions from corn following corn were nearly identical to corn following soybean. In both systems, however, N 2 O emissions with AA were twice the emissions with U. After accounting for N 2 O emissions during the soybean phase, it was estimated that a shift from C/S to C/C would result in an increase in annual emissions of 0.78 kg N ha -1 (equivalent to 0.11 Mg CO 2 -C ha -1 ) when AA was used, compared with only 0.21 kg N ha -1 (0.03 Mg CO 2 -C ha -1 ) with U. In light of trends toward increased use of U, these results suggest that fertilizer-induced soil N 2 O emissions may decline in the future, at least per unit of applied N, although further study is needed in different soils and cropping systems. While soil CO 2 emissions were 20% higher under C/C, crop residue from the prior year did not affect soil inorganic N or dissolved organic C during the subsequent season. We also compared different flux-calculation schemes, including a new method for correcting chamber-induced errors, and found that selection of a calculation method altered N 2 O emissions estimates by as much as 35%.
Some physiological considerations on sulfur dioxide sensitivity in drought-stressed seedlings of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.)

Two-year-old containerized seedlings of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) were subjected to sulfur dioxide (SO2) fumigation (0.25 ml l−1, 6 h daily for 5 consecutive days) and drought stress (2, 4, 7 or 13 days without water) prior to measuring net photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), xylem pressure potential (ψx) and foliar abscisic acid (ABA) content. Seedlings exposed to drought alone exhibited significant reductions in Pn (30%), Gs (43%) and ψx (25%), but ABA content remained unchanged. For seedlings fumigated with SO2 only, ABA content was reduced 46%, but Pn, Gs and ψx were not significantly affected. Pn, Gs and ψx decreased over time (2–13 days) regardless of the stress treatment. Interactions involving drought × time and SO2 fumigation × time were found to affect both Pn and Gs, but the combination of drought and SO2 had no appreciable influence on any of the physiological parameters measured.
The incidence of child abuse in serial killers

Fifty serial killers who murdered for the primary goal of attaining sexual gratification, termed lust killers, were studied to determine the prevalence of childhood abuse. Information regarding the childhood abuse sustained by each killer was obtained primarily from biographical books, newspaper articles, and online sites. Abuse was categorized into physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect and was then compared to societal norms from 2001. Abuse of all types excluding neglect was significantly higher in the serial killer population. For serial killers, the prevalence of physical abuse was 36%; sexual abuse was 26%; and psychological abuse was 50%. Neglect was equally prevalent in the serial killer (18%) and societal norm populations.
A transgenic self-incompatible Arabidopsis thaliana model for evolutionary and mechanistic studies of crucifer self-incompatibility

Molecular genetic studies of self-incompatibility (SI) can be difficult to perform in non-model self-incompatible species. Recently, an Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic model was developed for analysis of the SI system that operates in the Brassicaceae by inter-species transfer of genes encoding the S-locus receptor kinase (SRK) and its ligand, the S-locus cysteine-rich (SCR) protein, which are the determinants of SI specificity in the stigma and pollen, respectively. This article reviews the various ways in which the many advantages of A. thaliana and the extensive tools and resources available in this model species have allowed the use of transgenic self-incompatible SRK-SCR plants to address long-standing issues related to the mechanism and evolution of SI in the Brassicaceae. It also presents the unexpected results of a candidate gene approach aimed at determining if genes related to genes previously reported to be involved in the SI response of Brassica and genes required for disease resistance, which exhibits many similarities to the SI response, are required for SI in A. thaliana. These various studies have provided a novel insight into the basis of specificity in the SRK-SCR interaction, the nature of the signalling cascade that culminates in the inhibition of 'self' pollen, and the physiological and morphological changes that are associated with transitions between the outbreeding and inbreeding modes of mating in the Brassicaceae.
A Kinetic Analysis of the Auxin Transcriptome Reveals Cell Wall Remodeling Proteins That Modulate Lateral Root Development in Arabidopsis

To identify gene products that participate in auxin-dependent lateral root formation, a high temporal resolution, genome-wide transcript abundance analysis was performed with auxin-treated Arabidopsis thaliana roots. Data analysis identified 1246 transcripts that were consistently regulated by indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), partitioning into 60 clusters with distinct response kinetics. We identified rapidly induced clusters containing auxin-response functional annotations and clusters exhibiting delayed induction linked to cell division temporally correlated with lateral root induction. Several clusters were enriched with genes encoding proteins involved in cell wall modification, opening the possibility for understanding mechanistic details of cell structural changes that result in root formation following auxin treatment. Mutants with insertions in 72 genes annotated with a cell wall remodeling function were examined for alterations in IAA-regulated root growth and development. This reverse-genetic screen yielded eight mutants with root phenotypes. Detailed characterization of seedlings with mutations in CELLULASE3/GLYCOSYLHYDROLASE9B3 and LEUCINE RICH EXTENSIN2, genes not normally linked to auxin response, revealed defects in the early and late stages of lateral root development, respectively. The genes identified here using kinetic insight into expression changes lay the foundation for mechanistic understanding of auxin-mediated cell wall remodeling as an essential feature of lateral root development.
Cimetidine partially blocks gastrin's activation of gastric mucosal guanylate cyclase.

The objective of the present investigation was to determine if gastrin at physiological concentrations has part of its mechanism(s) of action through stimulation of guanylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.2). Human gastrin (I), pentagastrin, tetragastrin, and gastrin-related tetrapeptide all increased cyclic GMP levels and guanylate cyclase activity in rat gastric mucosa, whole stomach, and duodenum. Maximal stimulation was seen at 1 μM with all of the above. There was no further enhancement of guanylate cyclase with increasing the concentration to the millimolar range. The ED50 for human gastrin and pentagastrin was 0.01 μM, whereas the ED50 was 0.1 μM for tetragastrin and the tetrapeptide. No enhancement of guanylate cyclase activity was seen with decreasing the concentration to 1 μM of the respective gastrins. Cimetidine utilized at 1 μM or 1 mM concentrations partially blocked the augmentation by gastrin suggesting that part of this enhancement was through the histamine 2 receptor which has been shown to be impor...
Synergistic induction of apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cells by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and flavopiridol proceeds via activation of both the intrinsic and tumor necrosis factor-mediated extrinsic cell death pathways.

Previous studies have shown that coexposure to marginally toxic concentrations of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 10 nM) and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor flavopiridol (FP; 100 –200 nM) synergistically induces apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cells U937 and HL-60 (i.e., 50% apoptotic at 24 h). Attempts have now been made to characterize the cell death pathway(s) involved in this phenomenon. In contrast to cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation, which occur within 2.5 h of PMA/FP coexposure, caspase-8 activation and Bid cleavage appeared as later events. Such findings implicate the mitochondria-dependent pathway in the initial induction of apoptosis by PMA/FP. However, U937 cells ectopically expressing CrmA, dominant-negative caspase-8, or dominantnegative Fas-associated death domain that were highly resistant to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)/cycloheximide-induced lethality displayed significant, albeit incomplete, resistance to PMA/FP-induced apoptosis after 24 h. Furthermore, coadministration of TNF soluble receptor significantly attenuated PMA/ FP-induced apoptosis in U937 (p 0.02) and HL-60 (p 0.03) cells at 24 h. PMA/FP coadministration also triggered substantial increases in TNF mRNA and protein secretion compared with the effects of PMA administered alone. The protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide (1 M) completely blocked PMA/FP-induced TNF secretion in U937 cells and attenuated apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggest that coadministration of PMA with FP in myeloid leukemia cells initially triggers mitochondrial damage, an event followed by the PKC-dependent induction and release of TNF, supporting a model in which the synergistic induction of leukemic cell apoptosis by this drug combination proceeds via both mitochondrial- and TNF receptor-related apoptotic pathways.
Do Circumstances of the Death Matter? Identifying Socioenvironmental Risks for Grief‐Related Psychopathology in Bereaved Youth

We examined bereaved children's and surviving caregivers' psychological responses following the death of the other caregiver as a function of the stated cause of death. Participants included 63 parentally bereaved children and 38 surviving caregivers who were assessed using self-report instruments and in-person interviews. Surviving caregivers reported the causes of death as resulting from sudden natural death (34.9%), illness (33.3%), accident (17.5%), and suicide (14.3%). Results revealed differences between caregiver-reported versus child-reported cause of death, particularly in cases of suicide. Children who lost a caregiver due to a prolonged illness exhibited higher levels of both maladaptive grief (d = 3.13) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS; d = 3.33) when compared to children who lost a caregiver due to sudden natural death (e.g., heart attack). In contrast, surviving caregivers did not differ in their levels of maladaptive grief and PTSS as a function of the cause of death; however, caregivers bereaved by sudden natural death reported higher levels of depression than those bereaved by prolonged illness (d = 1.36). Limited sample size prevented analysis of outcomes among those bereaved by suicide or accident. These findings suggest that anticipated deaths may contain etiologic risk factors for maladaptive grief and PTSS in children.
Determinants of bone density in healthy older men with low testosterone levels.

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis is a significant problem in older men, 30% of all hip fractures occur in men and the mortality rate following hip fracture exceeds that of women. Testosterone is thought to be important in the development of peak bone mass hut its role in age-related bone loss is not established. The purpose of this study was to define the predictors of bone mass ill healthy older men with low testosterone levels but without symptomatic osteoporosis. METHODS Eighty-three community-dwelling white men, aged more than 65 years old, selected for low bioavailable testosterone levels (< or = 4.44 nmol/l) participated in a cross-sectional study located at a university general clinical research center. Sex hormone concentrations and markers of bone turnover were assayed in serum and urine. Risk factors for osteoporosis and physical activity were ascertained by physical examination and questionnaire, including the Physical Activity Scale in the Elderly (PASE) questionnaire. Bone mineral densities of the femoral neck (FN BMD), spine, and whole body were measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry. Lower extremity muscle strength (1 repetition maximum) was measured using a leg press machine. RESULTS Mean bone mineral density values were 0.93 +/- 0.14 g/cm2 for femoral neck, 1.31 +/- 0.23 g/cm2 for spine, and 1.22 +/- 0.12 g/cm2 for whole body. Thirty-one of the 82 subjects (37%) had t scores < -1 and 12 of 82 subjects (15%) had t scores < -2.5 at the femoral neck. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that bioavailable testosterone, body mass index (BMI), and PASE scores were positively correlated with, and significant predictors of, femoral neck BMD, accounting for 34.4% of the variance in FN BMD (F = 10.10, p = .001). Examining each variable independently, bioavailable testosterone accounted for 20.7%, physical activity score for 9.0%, and BMI for 6.5% of FN BMD. Using analysis of variance, mean values for FN BMD were significantly different between men grouped by tertile of bioavailable testosterone (F = 6.192, p = .003). FN BMD mean values were 0.86 +/- 0.14 g/cm2 for the lowest tertile, 0.94 +/- 0.16 for the middle tertile, and 0.99 +/- 0.14 for the highest tertile. Markers of bone turnover were inversely correlated, and strength directly correlated with BMD, but did not contribute to the multiple regression model. CONCLUSIONS Fifty-two percent of older men with low bioavailable testosterone levels had BMD levels below the young adult normal range and are likely at an increased risk of fracture. Bioavailable testosterone, BMI, and physical activity scores were significant determinants of FN BMD in these men. These variables are potentially modifiable and, therefore, amenable to intervention. Hence, our results suggest the need for testosterone replacement and physical activity intervention trials in men at risk for osteoporotic fractures.
The Impact of Leadership Turnover on Trading Relations Between States

We test how domestic political institutions moderate the effect of lead- ership turnover on relations between states+ Deriving hypotheses from recent theo- retical work, Bueno de Mesquita et al+ and McGillivray and Smith, we examine how leader change affects trading relations between states using dyadic trade data+ Con- sistent with hypotheses, we find that large winning coalition systems, such as democ- racies, are relatively immune from the vagaries of leadership change+ In such systems, trade remains relatively constant whether leader change occurs or not+ In contrast, when winning coalition size is small, as in autocratic states, leadership change pro- foundly alters relations, causing a decline in trade+ Finally, we examine instances of poor relations, measured by a significant decline in trade compared to historical lev- els+ As predicted, instances of poor relations are less common between pairs of democ- racies than other dyadic pairings+ Further, leadership turnover in autocratic systems restores trading relations between states+ The effect of leadership change in democ- racies is much less pronounced+ Since first drafting this article, the United States has invaded Iraq and deposed its leader Saddam Hussein+ For more than a decade Iraq experienced harsh economic sanctions+ With Hussein's removal, these sanctions have been lifted and Iraq is in the processes of being reinstated into the international community+ Although it was the Iraqi people who bore the costs of the sanctions, the sanctions were aimed at Hussein's regime+ With Hussein removed, the prospects for improved relations between Iraq and Western states look strong+ While Iraq offers an extreme example, this article assesses how the turnover of leaders affects relations between states, as measured by trade flows+ In partic- ular, drawing on recent theoretical developments, we examine how domestic insti- tutions and leadership turnover affect dyadic trade flows + Consistent with the theoretical arguments, we find that trade flows between states depend on the inter- action of institutions and leader turnover+
Shock overshoots revisited

The ISEE 1 and 2 magnetometer and solar wind data for about 65 quasi-perpendicular bow shocks were used to investigate the role played by low-frequency turbulence in the determination of magnetic field overshoots in collisionless shock waves. Overshoots calculated from both high-resolution data and data averaged to eliminate the effects of turbulence exhibited similar behavior, but the overshoots calculated from the averaged data were generally lower by a factor of 2. Moreover, the size of overshoots calculated from the high-resolution data increased much more strongly with Mach number than that of overshoots calculated from averaged data. The difference between overshoots measured by the two sets of data was generally consistent with the presence of a component of overshoot magnitude due to low-frequecy turbulence.
Conducting Research With LGB People of Color: Methodological Challenges and Strategies

Methodological barriers have been highlighted as a primary reason for the limited research with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people of color. Thus, strategies for anticipating and addressing potential methodological barriers are needed. To address this need, this article discusses potential challenges associated with conducting research with LGB people of color and describes specific strategies for addressing these challenges. Each step of the research process—from development of research questions to interpretation and dissemination of results—is discussed. This discussion concludes with a summary of recommended strategies for advancing the quality and quantity of future scholarship with LGB people of color.
An Examination of the Impact of Sponsorship on Attendees' Recognition of Sponsors

ABSTRACT Sponsorship is a critical component of the convention and exhibition industry. There are diverse forms of sponsorships in this industry and many sponsors expect more benefits derived from their contributions than those from typical marketing activities, such as advertising and public relations. However, there have been few attempts to examine the impact of sponsorships in the convention and exhibition area. This study evaluated the impact of sponsorship by assessing attendees' recognition of sponsors in relation to different types of sponsorships and number of days attending a show. Results indicated that attendees' recognition level of the sponsors varied depending on the type of sponsorships and the number of days attending a show. In addition, sponsoring companies achieved a much higher recognition level than non-sponsoring companies. Based on the findings of this study, business and marketing implications are also discussed.
Reliability Bounds for Fault-Tolerant Systems with Competing Responses to Component Failures

Bounds are established for the probability of failure of fault-tolerant systems. The underlying failure and recovery process is assumed to follow a semi-Markov model in which the potential sojourn times of component failures have exponential distributions and those of system responses have general distributions. A product form of the bounds is derived from a model which provides for competing responses to component failures. Bounds are calculated in terms of integral factors which depend on component failure rates and the actual distributions of response times. Bounds are also calculated in terms of percentiles, conditional mean response times, and certain transition probabilities. Besides providing a computationally efficient method of estimating reliability from a flexible model, the bounds seem reasonably tight for a fairly wide range of cases. An example is given to illustrate calculating the bounds for a model with competing system responses.
Earnings Quality of Foreign vs. U.S. Reverse Mergers: Geographical Location or Firm-Level Incentives?

We test whether geographical location, audit quality and equity offering play a role in the earnings quality of Reverse Merger (RM) firms. We provide evidence that, contrary to the popular focus by the business press, earnings management happens in both U.S. and international RM companies. We find that firm-characteristics are more indicative of the likelihood to manage earnings than geographical location. The presence of a Big 4 auditor is associated with higher earnings quality and survival rate almost twice as much than for RM audited by a non-Big 4 auditor. Moreover, we find that, though earnings management is common practice at all RM firms, it is especially pervasive for RM firms that are issuing new equity after the reverse merger. Results of tests on these firm-level factors indicate that the differences in earnings quality are both statistically and economically significant and are robust to several sensitivity tests, including the use of different calculations of abnormal accruals.
Typifications of the names of some Latin American species of Fossombronia (Fossombroniaceae)

Abstract Eleven lectotypes and one neotype are designated for the names of the 12 Latin American species in the genus Fossombronia Raddi that have not been previously typified. The entries for each are given in alphabetical order with author citation, place and date of publication, herbarium of deposit and supporting information. The original protologue and images of the herbarium label for each type specimen can be viewed at the URL .
Discussion of Analyzing the German Accounting Triad with an Enhanced Multifactor Model - 'Accounting Premium' for IAS/IFRS and U.S. GAAP Vis-À-Vis German GAAP

Ernstberger and Vogler (2007) employ the concurrent use of three distinct accounting standard regimes (German GAAP; U.S. GAAP; and IAS/IFRS GAAP) in Germany as a foundation for evaluating the relation between accounting standard regime and equity return attributes. They find that firms using U.S. or IAS/IFRS GAAP have higher Betas but yield lower returns (cost of capital) relative to firms employing German GAAP. They also find that portfolios designed to isolate the return impacts of U.S. and IAS/IFRS GAAP relative to German GAAP are priced in a risk-factor like fashion. In this discussion I suggest that a good bit of this empirical evidence is problematic. I also discuss the implausibility of information quality being priced in a Fama and French (1992) factor-like fashion. Finally, I introduce the importance of conditioning analyses of the relation between firm-level information quality and equity market return (cost of capital) on the degree to which the shareholder bases of firms hold diversified portfolios.
Interactions of Intact Unfractionated Heparin with Its Client Proteins Can Be Probed Directly Using Native Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

Heparin and related members of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) family are highly polyanionic linear saccharides that play important roles in a variety of physiological processes ranging from blood coagulation to embryo- and oncogenesis, tissue regeneration, and immune response regulation. These diverse functions are executed via a variety of mechanisms, including protein sequestration, activation, and facilitation of their interactions with cell-surface receptors, but deciphering the specific molecular mechanisms is frequently impossible due to the extremely high degree of GAG heterogeneity. As a result, the vast majority of studies of heparin (or related GAGs) interactions with its client proteins use synthetically produced heparin mimetics with defined structure or short heparin fragments. In this work we use native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) in combination with limited charge reduction in the gas phase to obtain meaningful information on noncovalent complexes formed by intact unfrac...
Overcoming Cognitive Challenges in Bioinspired Design and Analogy

Bioinspired design and analogy are powerful tools for innovation. Engineers face many cognitive challenges when seeking to employ design by analogy and bioinspired design. This chapter presents known difficulties engineers must overcome for bioinspired design and summarizes the cognitive psychology, multi-media learning and design evidence for the cognitive challenges. A number of cognitive challenges block a designer from being effective when using design by analogy. The challenges range from retrieving appropriate analogues based on deep similarities to the challenge of seeing multiple solutions based on a single analogue, to becoming fixated on initial solutions. Like any other idea generation process, design fixation limits the solution space explored during design by analogy and bioinspired design. There are empirically proven strategies for mitigating design fixation ranging from presenting uncommon examples to abstractions and categories of solutions. From research on multimedia learning and design, additional heuristics applicable to the design of new bioinspired tools have also been identified. These include annotations directly next to ambiguous or unfamiliar representations to enhance communication and make learning easier. Design heuristics and principles are presented after each section of the relevant research. The chapter ends with the summary of the cognitive design heuristics for bioinspired design methods and tools. This set of heuristics can be used as guidelines for researchers developing new methods and support tools for bioinspired design.
Growth characteristics of microorganisms occurring in penicillin-treated Brucella abortus cultures.

Summary and ConclusionsMicroorganisms capable of producing L-colonies were detected in penicillin-treated broth cultures of B. abortus, 3183, throughout a 7-day incubation period by subcultures made to agar plates containing penicillin. Isolation of comparable numbers of bacterial colonies from the same cultures when subcultures were made to antibiotic-free agar plates, and absence of L-colonies on the latter plates, indicates that most cell wall-defective forms capable of producing L-colonies were also capable of reverting to bacteria. Bacteria with increased resistance to penicillin were isolated from some treated broth cultures and after reversion of B. abortus L-phase variants. Failure to show an increase in the number of colony-forming organisms during 7 days of incubation in penicillin-treated broth cultures suggests that a steady state existed in these cultures. Persistence of B. abortus on the surface of agar plates containing penicillin points up the fact that survival of bacteria under inhibitor...
Honey Bees: the Effect of Group Size on Longevity and Hoarding in Laboratory Cages

Groups of 10 caged worker honey bees, Apis mellifera L., had a shorter longevity and hoarded less than groups of 20, 30, 40, 50, or 100 bees. Results indicated that a group size of 30 bees will yield acceptable data for such experiments.
Set up and Evaluation of Cancer Network Direct Reporting System in Guangzhou

The number of reported cases increased from 21 846(2009) to 36 396(2012) with 66.6%increasing. The reported units increased from 78 to 172. Compared with the method of copying from home page of medical records,the quality of records with Cancer Network Direct Reporting System improved. Cancer Network Direct Reporting System is adequate to cancer registration in Guangzhou.
Blue camera of the Keck cosmic web imager, fabrication and testing

The Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) is a new facility instrument being developed for the W. M. Keck Observatory and funded for construction by the Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP) of the National Science Foundation (NSF). KCWI is a bench-mounted spectrograph for the Keck II right Nasmyth focal station, providing integral field spectroscopy over a seeing-limited field up to 20" x 33" in extent. Selectable Volume Phase Holographic (VPH) gratings provide high efficiency and spectral resolution in the range of 1000 to 20000. The dual-beam design of KCWI passed a Preliminary Design Review in summer 2011. The detailed design of the KCWI blue channel (350 to 700 nm) is now nearly complete, with the red channel (530 to 1050 nm) planned for a phased implementation contingent upon additional funding. KCWI builds on the experience of the Caltech team in implementing the Cosmic Web Imager (CWI), in operation since 2009 at Palomar Observatory. KCWI adds considerable flexibility to the CWI design, and will take full advantage of the excellent seeing and dark sky above Mauna Kea with a selectable nod-and-shuffle observing mode. In this paper, models of the expected KCWI sensitivity and background subtraction capability are presented, along with a detailed description of the instrument design. The KCWI team is lead by Caltech (project management, design and implementation) in partnership with the University of California at Santa Cruz (camera optical and mechanical design) and the W. M. Keck Observatory (program oversight and observatory interfaces). The optical design of the blue camera for the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) by Harland Epps of the University of California, Santa Cruz is a lens assembly consisting of eight spherical optical elements. Half the elements are calcium fluoride and all elements are air spaced. The design of the camera barrel is unique in that all the optics are secured in their respective cells with an RTV annulus without additional hardware such as retaining rings. The optical design and the robust lens mounting concept has allowed UCO/Lick to design a straightforward lens camera assembly. However, alignment sensitivity is a strict 15 μm for most elements. This drives the fabrication, assembly, and performance of the camera barrel.
A physicists guide to The Los Alamos Primer

In April 1943, a group of scientists at the newly established Los Alamos Laboratory were given a series of lectures by Robert Serber on what was then known of the physics and engineering issues involved in developing fission bombs. Serber's lectures were recorded in a 24 page report titled The Los Alamos Primer, which was subsequently declassified and published in book form. This paper describes the background to the Primer and analyzes the physics contained in its 22 sections. The motivation for this paper is to provide a firm foundation of the background and contents of the Primer for physicists interested in the Manhattan Project and nuclear weapons.
Reliability considerations in the application of plastic semiconductors

Extensive reliability evaluation of plastic encapsulated transistors and microcircuits at Fort Monmouth and by vendors and commercial users of these devices, has revealed at least three major problem areas: 1. Bond Integrity 2. Moisture Resistance 3. Salt Atmosphere Sensitivity
Chapter 2 – From Philosophers to Knowledge Machines

Chapter Summary This chapter deals with the fuzzy space between the concepts and hypotheses of monks, philosophers, and preachers of the pre-computers era and that of equations and the exactitude of the physicists, mathematicians, and knowledge workers. The pathways are not always clear due to the infantile nature of knowledge sciences calling for considerable mental latitude to traverse both the conceptual and the mathematical spaces. The entrenched methodology and ordered discipline of Ancient Greek philosophers seem to have lost its identity in the very real pragmatism of the mid-period scientists. Over the ages, order and discipline of the philosophers toward a cohesive society have been lost. The social bondage underlying the philosophic teachings have become shrouded to the extent that the current knowledge-worker can choose to ignore it completely. The embrace of greed can and does in some cases ruin the morality of social values. Social decay becomes imminent and self-preservation is prioritized over morals and ethics. Though philosophic, the individual and the collective minds are aware of the unrest in the individuals, in the communities, in the society, and in the nations. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the conflict between the two fundamentally opposite tendencies in all species: one favoring self-love, aggression, and exploitation, and the other pure love, restraint, and respect. The role of knowledge sciences and machines is to be aware of both sides but to suggest and justify the boundary between both with a dynamic balance that permits limited excursion of either side without being disruptive or overbearing in either direction. Such a balance is feasible by an analysis of the present tendencies and using (linear or adaptive) predictive corrections. Most of the long-term stable systems use such mathematical tools to achieve a (reasonable) peace between conflicting scientific (as in engineering systems, such as in the flight of an aircraft) and social (as in corporations such as in conflictive labor-management) systems. The artificially intelligent agents (IAs in AI sciences) lie dormant and are nonintrusive until awakened by any undesirable excursion of one or more parameters that threaten the stability of the system. Ecosystems and social systems that monitor themselves stand to benefit by comparing the levels of information and knowledge in the current (or local) system with those of the more stable and self-corrective systems.
The Effect of Chronic Ethanol Consumption on Pathways of Ethanol Metabolism

The contribution of the known hepatic pathways for the disposal of ethanol was studied utilizing two different experimental designs. In vitro studies were carried out in hepatocytes isolated from rats fed Purina chow. Rates of ethanol oxidation in these preparations increased with increasing levels of ethanol (10–50 mM). After inhibition of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) by pyrazole (2 mM) and the catalase by azide (1 mM) approximately 25% of the ethanol oxidizing activity remained. The residual activity was also dependent upon ethanol concentration and the apparent Km was 13 mM. Hepatocytes from ethanol-fed rats exhibited rates of ethanol oxidation which were also dependent upon the concentration of ethanol. The rates were higher in the hepatocytes from the ethanol-fed rats than in the controls. The addition of inhibitors of ADH and catalase lowered the rates, but abolished neither the differences nor the concentration dependency. In the in vivo studies, ethanol elimination rates were measured in alcohol-fed and control baboons by using a constant ethanol infusion to maintain blood ethanol at three different levels: 5, 10 or 50 mM. Ethanol elimination rate was accelerated with increasing concentration, particularly in alcohol-fed baboons. These observations indicate that a pathway other than the low Km alcohol dehydrogenase participates in alcohol oxidation and is responsible in part for the adaptive increase in ethanol metabolism associated with chronic ethanol consumption.
Under the Sway of a Mobile Device during an In-Store Shopping Experience

Mobile device technology is transforming the retail shopping experience. Today's consumers are mobile dependent, preferring to consult with their phone, instead of using the salesperson, while shopping at the retail store. In the absence of literature investigating how the salesperson might sell to this omni-channel, mobile-connected consumer, this paper proposes a conceptual model and tests its proposed linkages. The empirically tested model presents a dyadic view of the omni-channel consumer and the salesperson. Uniquely contributing to the omni-channel and marketing literature, samples from an emerging economy (India) and developed (United States) economy represent the contexts. Specifically, the research examines the salesperson's role in selling to a mobile-dependent consumer who uses mobile technology to search for information during the sales meeting. Findings show that adaptive selling can affect purchase intention and customer predisposition to comply with salesperson input. Results also reveal how perceived control, mobile dependence, and customer predisposition to comply with mobile device input affect purchase intention. Managerial and research implications specifically appropriate for the omni-consumer retail setting are offered.
Research on security distance of live working on distribution line at high altitudes

Live-working is an important method in ensuring safety operation of distribution network. Although live-working has been successfully applied in many low-altitude distribution lines, there is some technology problems of live line maintenance in high-altitude areas, such as the lack of essential parameters on safety working distance. Along with the increasing altitude, the air gap discharge voltage will decrease, which is the key factor on researching safety working distance of live working. In this paper, experimental study on safety distance of live working was carried out in high-altitude areas for distribution line. Frequency and Switching impulse discharge characteristics tests of live working in different shot gap positions for distribution line were performed in Yangbajing, Tibet (4300m), Lhasa, Tibet (3600m), Nyingchi, Tibet (2900m), Wuhan, Hubei (28m) respectively. The discharge characteristic curves under different work conditions were given. According to the above test results and the existing research in low altitude areas for distribution line live working, the required live working minimum safety distance within the range of altitude 3000m∼4500m for distribution line are calculated and analyzed by combining with the common altitude correction methods.
Flexible and stretchable microbial fuel cells with modified conductive and hydrophilic textile.

Abstract We built a flexible, stretchable microbial fuel cell (MFC) by laminating two functional components: a bioanode textile with a conductive and hydrophilic polymer coating and a solid-state cathode textile loaded with silver oxide. The textile MFC used Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 as a biocatalyst to generate the maximum power and current density of 1.0 µW/cm2 and 6.3 µA/cm2, respectively, which are comparable with or even higher than other flexible MFCs such as paper-based devices (~ a few µW/cm2). Additionally, the textile MFC generated consistent power even with repeated 70 cycles of 50% stretching. A simple batch fabrication method simultaneously produced 20 individual 2 cm × 2 cm devices by using brushing, spraying, ironing, and computerized sewing, a process that will revolutionize the mass production of textile MFCs. This achievement is scientifically meaningful because developing textile MFCs requires integration of both electronic and fluidic components into the textile three-dimensionally. This flexible and stretchable energy harvesting device is expected to be easily integrated with the next generation stretchable electronics for realizing low-power, stand-alone, self-sustainable systems.
Tower of Babel Problem in Telehealth: Addressing the Health Information Exchange Needs of the North Carolina Statewide Telepsychiatry Program (NC-STeP)

Telepsychiatry is a viable option for providing psychiatric care to those who are currently underserved or who lack access to services. While the current technology is adequate for most uses, and continues to advance, there remain barriers to its widespread utilization. One such barrier when working with different healthcare systems is that they utilize different electronic medical record systems (EMRs). This paper describes the experience of the North Carolina Statewide Telepsychiatry Program (NC-STeP) with this problem and how the program successfully resolved it by establishing a web portal that connects participating hospital emergency departments and remote psychiatric providers to share secure electronic health information regarding patient encounters across different EMRs. The Portal also facilitates scheduling, status tracking, and reporting on each patient encounter, as well as delivers the necessary data for the billing to process charges for each consult and to administrators for the operation of the program. The portal effectively bridges the needs of the multiple actors in the telepsychiatry virtual encounter. It provides an efficient experience for the patient and the point-of-care provider, a reliable document exchange for the psychiatric provider, and effective record keeping for the billing and government entities.
Engineering the Surface Properties of Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Utilizing Aqueous RAFT Photografting of Acrylate/Methacrylate Monomers

Polymeric surface grafting offers a tunable way to control the interfacial interactions between a material’s surface and its environment. The ability to tailor the surface properties of poly(dimethylsiloxane) elastomer (PDMSe) substrates with functional chemistry, wettability, and roughness can enhance the fields of biofouling, microfluidics, and medical implants. We developed a reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique to synthesize a host of copolymers composed of acrylamide, acrylic acid, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and (3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride with targetable molecular weight from ∼5 to 80 kg/mol and low dispersity of Đ ≤ 1.13. This RAFT strategy was used in conjunction with photografting to chemically engineer the surface of PDMSe with hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and anionic groups. Varying grafting time and copolymer composition allowed for targetable molecular weight, chemical functionality, and water contact angles ranging from 112° to 14°....
What Do We Do At The End Of The World? A review of The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, by Meg Elison

Note: Unapologetically full of quotes, below, that could serve as spoilers, but don't let that stop you from enjoying this review. – LHThinking of whatever names we call ourselves, bi every other n...
Development of Consensus Based Best Practice Guidelines for Perioperative Management of Blood Loss in Patients Undergoing Posterior Spinal Fusion for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Abstract Study Design Delphi process with multiple iterative rounds using a nominal group technique. Objective The aim of this study was to use expert opinion to achieve consensus on various methods for minimizing blood loss in patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Background Data Perioperative blood loss management represents a critical component of safely performing PSF in children with AIS. Little consensus exists on ways to mitigate excessive blood loss after PSF. Methods An expert panel composed of 21 pediatric spine surgeons was selected. Using the Delphi process and iterative rounds using a nominal group technique, participants in this panel were presented with a detailed literature review and asked to voice opinion collectively during three rounds of voting. Agreement >80% was considered consensus. Interventions without consensus were discussed and revised, if feasible. Results Consensus was reached to support 21 best practice guideline measures for perioperative management of blood loss in patients undergoing PSF for AIS. Areas included preoperative assessment and preparation, intraoperative strategies to decrease blood loss, and postoperative transfusion indications. Conclusion We present a consensus-based best practice guideline consisting of 21 recommendations for strategies to minimize and manage blood loss during PSF. This can serve to reduce variability in practice in this area, help develop hospital specific protocols, and guide future research.
An Introduction to the Computational Challenges in Next Generation Sequencing

During the last decade next generation sequencing has become one of the research areas that poses the most significant challenges both in terms of big data handling and algorithmic problems.
A viable treatment alternative for hemifacial microsomia

Summary A case is presented of a fifteen year old Caucasian female with hemifacial microsomia manifested by lack of development of the right posterior mandibular body, angle, and condyle.
Rethinking the complexity of virtual work and knowledge sharing

Employees in distributed organizations often engage in virtual work arrangements to accomplish day‐to‐day tasks. In turn, a lack of physical cues, challenges in establishing common ground with others and reduced face‐to‐face interaction each has the potential to hinder communication within an organization. Large multinational organizations may rely on transactive memory systems as a means of sharing knowledge and helping employees to accomplish day‐to‐day tasks. Research demonstrates that new information communication technology facilitates the development of transactive memory systems, but the role of transactive memory in virtual work arrangements is less studied. This article explores how dimensions of virtual work impact transactive memory systems. Data were collected from a large multinational organization that provides technology consulting services. Findings from this study demonstrate a clear relationship between the formation of transactive memory systems and the degree of geographic dispersion of employees. Moreover, the formation of transactive memory systems is negatively impacted by the diversity of teams' job functions. The use of internal information communication technology plays a positive role in influencing organizational memory when teams are geographically and functionally diverse. The results provide insight into how organizations can better utilize transactive memory systems to improve communication in virtual settings.
Prospects for Third Party Electoral Success in a Polarized Era

The trend of increasing major party polarization in the United States has raised concerns about the quality of representation and governance. One potential corrective is third parties, as they can ...
Abstract 534: Aging is Associated with Peroxide Mediated Increased Thrombin Generation

Human aging is associated with increased incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but the mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Using experimental models of DVT, we and others have demonstrated that...