cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
R2 retrotransposons encode a self-cleaving ribozyme for processing from an rRNA cotranscript.

The non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposon R2 is inserted into the 28S rRNA genes of many animals. Expression of the element appears to be by cotranscription with the rRNA gene unit. We show here that processing of the rRNA cotranscript at the 5′ end of the R2 element in Drosophila simulans is rapid and utilizes an unexpected mechanism. Using RNA synthesized in vitro, the 5′ untranslated region of R2 was shown capable of rapid and efficient self-cleavage of the 28S-R2 cotranscript. The 5′ end generated in vitro by the R2 ribozyme was at the position identical to that found for in vivo R2 transcripts. The RNA segment corresponding to the R2 ribozyme could be folded into a double pseudoknot structure similar to that of the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) ribozyme. Remarkably, 21 of the nucleotide positions in and around the active site of the HDV ribozyme were identical in R2. R2 elements from other Drosophila species were also shown to encode HDV-like ribozymes capable of self-cleavage. Tracing their sequence evolution in the Drosophila lineage suggests that the extensive similarity of the R2 ribozyme from D. simulans to that of HDV was a result of convergent evolution, not common descent.
QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF RENAL VS. HEPATIC ULTRASONOGRAPHIC INTENSITY IN HEALTHY DOGS

A prospective, cross-sectional study was performed to qualitatively and quantitatively compare the echogenicity of the renal cortex relative to the liver in healthy dogs. Twenty-five normal adult dogs were examined ultrasonographically. Three standard B-mode images (8.0 MHz) and three tissue harmonic images of the cranial pole of the right kidney adjacent to the caudate lobe of the liver were obtained. Renal and hepatic echogenicities were qualitatively compared by two observers. Subsequently, regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn in the renal cortex and the adjacent liver parenchyma at equal depths on each image, using two different ROI geometries: deep adjacent half-annular ROIs centered at the focal zone and small superficial adjacent squares placed in the near field. Renal and hepatic mean pixel intensities were quantified and averaged for individual subjects. Qualitatively, the right renal cortex was more commonly hyperechoic to liver. Quantitatively, the renal cortical mean pixel intensity was significantly higher than that of liver using deep half-annular ROIs, but not superficial square ROIs, for both standard (P = 0.0007) and harmonic (P = 0.0107) tissue imaging. These findings suggest that the renal cortex can be slightly hyperechoic to adjacent liver. The framework within which the canine renal cortical parenchyma is routinely evaluated in abdominal ultrasonography should be reconsidered, and mild hyperechogenicity relative to the liver (at 8.0 MHz) interpreted as a normal finding.
Rate control using antenna selection for closed-loop spatial multiplexing

We propose a closed-loop spatial multiplexing system with limited feedback and rate control over MIMO fading channels. The transmitter adaptation is designed to maximize spectral efficiency subject to an average bit error rate (BER) constraint by adapting the number of substreams based on a given threshold, and a fixed constellation, which determines the instantaneous rate. The proposed system chooses the substream selection threshold as a function of the slowly changing average SNR. We analyze the performance of the proposed system by deriving closed-form expressions for spectral efficiency, average transmit power, and BER. Compared with the rate adaptive orthogonal STBC requiring highly complex constellation adaptation, the proposed rate control method achieves 5 dB power gain for a spectral efficiency of 7 bits/s/Hz at average BER of 10-4, with 2 transmit antennas
Regulation of CYP4F2 Leukotriene B4 ω-Hydroxylase by Retinoic Acids in HepG2 Cells☆

Abstract The human CYP4F2 gene encodes a LTB4 ω-hydroxylase P450 prominently expressed in liver and kidney that functions to metabolize and inactivate the pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, LTB4 and arachidonic acid. HepG2 cells transfected with CYP4F2 −506/-6 or −1727/-6 promoter reporter constructs and treated with either all-trans (AT) or 9-cis-retinoic (9cRA) showed a 2.5-fold increase in reporter activity. The P4504F2 protein content in HepG2 cells treated with 9cRA increased 2.5-fold, but not with ATRA. Dose response and time course studies revealed that 10 μM 9cRA stimulated promoter activity 10-fold at 12 h while 20 μM ATRA increased activity 2.5-fold after 48 h. Cotransfection with RXRα can enhance reporter activity 2.5-fold, while RXRα/RARα increased activity 1.5-fold. In contrast, cotransfection with RARα decreased reporter activity by retinoic acid 30%. Three regions in the CYP4F2 gene are responsive to retinoic acid with the DR1 RARE element (CCTCCT G TGACCT) at −708 able to bind RXRα/RARα heterodimers and mediate the repressive response of ATRA. These results indicate that retinoic acid can regulate CYP4F2 gene activity with RXRα heterodimers stimulating while RARα functioning to repress CYP4F2 gene expression.
Improvements to the NCAR CSM-1 for Transient Climate Simulations

Abstract Improvements to the NCAR Climate System Model, CSM-1, primarily for transient climate forcing simulations, are discussed. The impact of the individual changes is assessed through atmosphere–land or ocean–ice experiments, and through short coupled simulations. A 270-yr control simulation has been performed using the model with all of the changes, defined as CSM-1.3. Trace gas concentrations appropriate for 1870 were used and the model produced a stable surface climate with less deep ocean drift than CSM-1. Changing the aerodynamic roughness length of sea ice to a value appropriate for first year ice reduced the deep ocean salinity trend by a factor of 100 and error in the transport by the Antarctic circumpolar current by 50% (60 × 106 m3 s−1). Three new features were added to the Community Climate Model, version 3 (CCM3), which is the atmospheric component of CSM-1. These additions were N2O, CH4, CFC11, and CFC12 as prognostic tracers and the oxidation of CH4 to form water vapor; a prognostic clou...
Singular perturbation techniques in control theory

This paper discusses typical applications of singular perturbation techniques to control problems in the last fifteen years. The first three sections are devoted to the standard model and its convergence, stability and controllability properties. The next two sections deal with linear-quadratic optimal control and one with cheap (near-singular) control. Then the composite control and trajectory optimization are considered in two sections, and stochastic control in one section. The last section returns to the problem of modeling, this time in the context of large scale systems. The bibliography contains more than 250 titles.
Arterial Smooth Muscle Mechanics

Studies of the mechanics of arterial smooth muscle have been guided both conceptually and methodologically by past work on striated muscle mechanics. Studies using striated muscle are usually performed on small muscle fibers. The contractile cells in such preparations are oriented in the direction of the long axis of the fiber. Such a configuration greater simplifies the methods required for mechanical testing and analysis, i.e., unidirectional.
Minding the Gaps in Pornography Law

This article discusses regulation of pornography. It notes that pornography causes certain harms to women, men, and children, but it nevertheless concludes that the current amount of regulation is about right. More regulation would likely result in some important information being withheld from the public. This could have the unintended effect of harming women, who would have less access to needed information about, for example, certain women's health issues. Instead of passing more laws, we should encourage individuals concerned about pornography to effect change by publicizing their opinions.
The role of axillofemoral bypass in current vascular surgery practice

Abstract Background In the era of increasing endovascular approaches for aortoiliac disease, we sought to determine the role of axillofemoral bypass in contemporary practice. Methods All axillofemoral bypasses performed at our institution from 2006 to 2013 were reviewed for indication, patency, and survival and compared with our prior published series before the widespread use of endovascular techniques (1996 to 2001). Results During the study period, 90 bypasses (29 axillofemoral and 61 axillobifemoral) bypasses were performed. The number of procedures performed decreased from an average of 24 to 12 procedures per year in historical and contemporary groups, respectively. Indications have changed significantly with more urgent or emergent procedures. Overall patency at 1 and 2 years was 74.6% and 67.8%, respectively. Median survival was 40.3 months, with overall survival 67.0% and 54.2% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Conclusions Axillofemoral bypass is an increasingly uncommon procedure and more likely performed for limb salvage in urgent or emergent settings.
A computational theory of early mathematical cognition

The primary focus of this dissertation is a computational characterization of developmentally early mathematical cognition. Mathematical cognition research involves an interdisciplinary investigation into the representations and mechanisms underlying mathematical ability. Significant contributions in this emerging field have come from research in psychology, education, linguistics, neuroscience, anthropology, and philosophy. Artificial intelligence techniques have also been applied to the subject, but often in the service of modeling a very restricted set of phenomena. This work attempts to provide a broader computational theory from the perspective of symbolic artificial intelligence. Such a theory should serve two purposes: (1) It should provide cognitively plausible mechanisms of the human activities associated with mathematical understanding, and (2) it should serve as a suitable model on which to base the computational implementation of math-capable cognitive agents. In this work, a theory is developed by synthesizing those ideas from the cognitive sciences that are applicable to a formal computational model. Significant attention is given to the developmentally early mechanisms (e.g., counting, quantity representation, and numeracy). The resulting model is validated by a cognitive-agent implementation using the SNePS knowledge representation, reasoning, and acting system, and the GLAIR architecture. The implementation addresses two aspects of early arithmetic reasoning: abstract internal arithmetic, which is characterized by mental acts performed over abstract representations, and embodied external arithmetic, which is characterized by the perception and manipulation of physical objects. Questions of whether or not a computer can "understand" something in general, and can "understand mathematics" in particular, rely on the vague and ambiguous term "understanding". The theory provides a precise characterization of mathematical understanding, along with an empirical method for probing an agent's mathematical understanding called 'exhaustive explanation'. This method can be applied to either a human or computational agent. As a case study, the agent is given the task of providing an exhaustive explanation in the task of finding the greatest common divisor of two natural numbers. This task is intended to show the depth of the theory. To illustrate the breadth of the theory, the same agent is given a series of embodied tasks, several of which involve integrating quantitative reasoning with commonsense non-quantitative reasoning.
HYDRODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF SLUDGE DUMPED IN COASTAL WATERS

Due to increased environmental pressures, there is a rapidly growing tendency to shift from traditional land disposal of dredged material to offshore or ocean disposal. The quantities of such materials are quite large, resulting in a very serious disposal problem. For example, maintenance dredging alone produces approximately six million cubic yards of material annually in Charleston Harbor. Existing techniques are reasonably adequate to describe the transport and settling characteristics of coarse, sandy dredge materials discharged from barges or hopper dredges at sea. However, such approaches need to be modified to describe the transport of fine-grained clay and silt materials. This material constitutes a significant portion of the dredged material resulting from both new harbor and channel construction and maintenance dredging along the coast of the Carolinas and Georgia. These fine-grained materials are subject to many additional physical forces as well as chemical phenomena, e.g., flocculation, salinity and temperature variations, etc. A hydrodynamic model for fine-grained dredged material has been developed which considers many of these forces. It is also applicable for describing the transport mechanisms associated with barge disposal of wastewater sludges from municipal and industrial sources. The results of the model indicate what discharge strategies are necessary for placing the sludge at a desired location or depth with a predetermined concentration.
1987–1988 medical oncology training programs

A continuing survey of Medical Oncology training programs was conducted. In 148 programs, there were 841 trainees. This was an increase in the number of trainees recorded in a 1984 survey (767), wi...
Effects of plain package branding and graphic health warnings on adolescent smokers in the USA, Spain and France

Objective The purpose of this study is to provide an experimental test of the effects of plain pack branding and graphic health warnings (GHWs) in three different countries for an important and vulnerable population, that is, adolescents who are experimenting with smoking. Methods The effects of plain pack branding (logo present, logo absent), and graphic visual warning level (absent, low, medium, high) are studied experimentally for their impact on adolescent cigarette craving, evoked fear, pack feelings and thoughts of quitting in the USA, Spain and France. A total of 1066 adolescents who were experimenting with smoking served as participants in the study. A quota sample produced 375 respondents in the USA, 337 in Spain and 354 in France. Results Overall findings indicate that the GHWs were effective in impacting adolescent cigarette craving, evoked fear, pack feelings and thoughts of quitting. The plain pack effects were not as strong, yet reduced craving, increased fear, and decreased pack feelings for all three samples combined, and for US adolescent smokers individually, irrespective of the GHWs. For French adolescent smokers, plain pack effects for craving were limited to low/moderate GHW levels. For Spanish adolescent smokers, plain pack feeling effects were limited to the absence of the GHWs. Conclusions The results show that plain packs can independently strengthen the more instantaneous, direct effects (short of quitting thoughts) found with the GHWs. Yet, the plain pack results were attenuated for Spanish and French adolescent smokers, who are currently exposed to GHWs.
Research for Parachute Airdrop Based on Runge-Kutta Algorithm

Focused on the parachute deployment and inflation,and the trajectory of cargo parachute system in the parachute airdrop system,the trajectory model of cargo parachute system was built with the dynamics method.The analytic method of the multi-sling system and angle between the cargo and parachute system is proposed.The process of the parachute airdrop was simulated with Runge-Kutta algorithm on the basis of parachute performance model and carge parachute system trajectory model.With the analysis of the effect of everal factors concerned with the airdrop such as height of airdrop and parachute resistance coefficient on the parachute airdrop system.The improvement direction of the available actual systems is pointed out which provides a theoretic base for the design of cargo parachute airdrop system.
Model-set adaptive algorithm of variable structure multiple-model based on K-L criterion

The traditional multiple-model algorithm of maneuvering target tracking always causes combinatorial explosion and model competition with the growth in the number of model,which greatly deteriorates the performance of the tracking system.To solve this problem,a kind of model-set adaptive algorithm of variable structure multiple-model algorithm is proposed.Based on the Kullback-Liber(K-L)criterion,the matching situation of each model-set is analyzed,and then the model-set adaptive regulation is carried out.The model probability and transition probability matrix between models at each moment are derived,which provides the support for the realization of the variable structure multiple-model algorithm.Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this proposed algorithm.
Stability in protein and amylose contents of rice cultivars and relationships between genotype-environment interaction and climate factors

Based on AMMI model,the stability in protein and amylose contents of 25 rice cultivars in Liaoning Province was analyzed,with the relationships between genotype-environment(G×E)interaction and climate factors as well as the eco-climatic adaptability of the rice cultivars discussed.The results showed that the cultivars V3(Liaojing 294),V15(Shennong 9810)and V11(0157)had higher stability in protein content,while V2(Liaonong 49),V13(Shennong 693)and V1(Xian S38)had higher stability in amylose content.Temperature and sunlight were the main climatic factors affecting G×E interaction.For protein content,V12(Huajing 49)and V9(Shennong 9819)performed significant adaptability to relatively low temperature and scant sunlight;while for amylose content,V20(Xing 3),V21(Dongya 03-51)and V6(Maoyang 1)had specific adaptability to low temperature and scant sunlight,low temperature and more sunlight,and high temperature and more sunlight,respectively.
Adiabatic Generation of Stable Field-Supported Rydberg Wavepackets

We have shown1 that the spectrum of the Hamiltonian for the Hydrogen atom in a circularly polarized field can be locally harmonic. Therefore the simplest eigenfunction has Gaussian-like shape and the probability density associated with it represents a nonspreading wave packet moving around a circular orbit. The lifetime of this state is infinite within the harmonic approximation and further numerical experiments2 have confirmed it to be extremely long. Because of the beautiful connection with Trojan asteroids we have called those states Trojan wavepackets1,2.
“It just took the pressure off”: The voices of Veterans’ family caregivers in a participant-directed program

The Veteran-Directed Home and Community Based Services Program (VD-HCBS) operates using a participant-direction approach, allowing Veterans to self-direct services. Only a small body of literature has explored the impact of these programs on caregivers. This study aimed to explore the experiences of caregivers in VD-HCBS. Telephone focus groups and interviews were conducted with caregivers (n = 23; 52.2% spouses; 8.7% male). Conventional content analysis revealed five categories: Coming home and staying home; Taking the pressure off; Providing security; Giving us time as a couple; and Importance of choice. Stories highlighted sources of stress and mechanisms behind stress relief and support.
Posttraumatic stress disorder and body mass index in military veterans. Preliminary findings.

Abstract Introduction : Current management of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) focuses on the psychiatric parameters of this condition. Little has been written about co-morbid overweight and obesity in PTSD. Methods : We used the database of the recently constituted PTSD program at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia to assess and better understand the prevalence and severity of overweight and obesity among military veterans with PTSD. Variables assessed included age, decade of life, height, weight, sex, race, and severity and chronicity of PTSD. We used PTSD CheckList-Military Version (PCL-M) to assess current complaints and service-connected disability (SCD) to estimate the long-term severity of PTSD. Results : Of the 221 male veterans extracted from our PTSD database for purposes of this study, 144 (65.2%) were in the age range of 50 to 59 years consistent with Vietnam veterans dominating our study population. Their mean body mass index (BMI) was 30.2 ± 5.8 kg/m 2 placing the typical veteran in the obese range. Far exceeding the current US population rate of 64.5%, 82.8% of our study population was either overweight or obese. Our sample had BMI measurements greater than those reported for non-PTSD veterans and also BMI measurements reported in the literature for veterans with PTSD. Current (PCL-M) and long-term (SCD) markers of PTSD did not relate to obesity. Conclusions : The prevalence of overweight and obesity among our veterans with PTSD far exceeded current US population findings and those of other veteran groups with and without PTSD. PTSD symptoms, whether assessed acutely or chronically, did not explain our findings. Prospective studies of PTSD and comorbidity are needed using larger study populations to better understand the relationships among PTSD, stress, and obesity.
Combination Varenicline and Lorcaserin for Tobacco Dependence Treatment and Weight Gain Prevention in Overweight and Obese Smokers: A Pilot Study.

Introduction Post-cessation weight gain (PCWG) is a major barrier to maintaining abstinence, especially in weight-concerned smokers. Varenicline is the most effective medication for smoking cessation but has minimal impact on PCWG. Lorcaserin is an FDA-approved medication for weight management in overweight or obese patients which also provides a noticeable benefit in treating drug dependence. We hypothesized that combining varenicline with lorcaserin may help prevent PCWG. We conducted an open-label, single arm, Phase II clinical pilot study to obtain preliminary data on the safety and effectiveness of combination varenicline and lorcaserin in preventing PCWG in overweight and obese smokers. Methods Twenty overweight or obese (body mass index 27-40 kg/m2) cigarette smokers were enrolled. The primary outcomes were weight and waist circumference (WC) changes at 12 and 26 weeks in smokers meeting criteria for prolonged smoking abstinence. All participants received open-label varenicline (1 mg twice a day) and lorcaserin (10 mg twice a day) for 12 weeks with follow-up at 26 weeks. Results Ten subjects met criteria for prolonged smoking abstinence at 12 weeks (50%) and 6 at 26 weeks (30%). Among those achieving prolonged smoking abstinence at 12 weeks, WC was +0.2 ± 6.0 cm (90% CI; -2.9, +3.4) and weight gain was +1.1 ± 3.9 kg (90% CI; -0.9, +3.1). Conclusions Weight gain and WC increases following prolonged smoking abstinence may be reduced among overweight and obese smokers using combination varenicline and lorcaserin. This combinatory treatment warrants further research in the obese and weight-concerned smoking population. Implications This is the first published prospective pilot study to evaluate lorcaserin for use in reducing PCWG in overweight and obese smokers. When combined with varenicline, lorcaserin minimized PCWG and increases in WC. In addition to the benefit on PCWG reduction, lorcaserin may be a potential new pharmacological treatment for smoking cessation and warrants further larger studies.
191. Development of an Effective Cancer Vaccine Platform Using Attenuated Salmonella to Deliver Recombinant Tumor-Associated Antigens

Inadequate antigen delivery is one of the major limitations of modern cancer vaccine vectors. To overcome this challenge, we exploited Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 2 (SPI2) and its type III secretion system (T3SS) to deliver a tumor-associated antigen (TAA) of choice into the cytosol of antigen-presenting cells (APC) in situ. The goal of this study was to explore and exploit the potential of SPI2-encoded T3SS of clinically validated S. typhi strain CVD908 for construction of an effective cancer vaccine. We engineered the clinically validated S. typhi strain CVD908 to express SPI2-regulated dominant-negative oncoproteins survivin and MYCN. To adapt CVD908 to stably express recombinant antigens without antibiotic-dependent selection, we used a recently reported plasmid stabilization system that encodes the single-stranded binding protein (SSB), an essential protein in DNA metabolism, which was deleted from the bacterial chromosome. The SPI2-regulated expression cassette was then cloned into the SSB plasmid, so that the resultant construct maintained bacterial vector stability. We found that CVD908Δssb vector could effectively infects dendritic cells and induce antigen-specific CD8 T cell responses in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, therapeutic vaccination with CVD908Δssb vector expressing survivin or MYCN produced potent antitumor activity in murine models of neuroblastoma and lymphoma. Thus, oral antigen delivery via SPI2-encoded T3SS of Salmonella typhi may provide the foundation of an effective cancer vaccine platform.Supported by grants from CPRIT (RP121035) and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Inside the fences: Pedagogical practices and purposes of songwriting in an adult male U.S. state prison:

We examined pedagogical strategies for facilitating and developing songwriting skills with 17 males incarcerated at a U.S. medium security prison. We also investigated the participants’ sense of se...
Amygdalar expression of the microRNA miR-101a and its target Ezh2 contribute to rodent anxiety-like behaviour

A greater understanding of neural mechanisms contributing to anxiety is needed in order to develop better therapeutic interventions. This study interrogates a novel molecular mechanism that shapes anxiety-like behaviour, demonstrating that the microRNA miR-101a-3p and its target, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (Ezh2) in the amygdala, contribute to rodent anxiety-like behaviour. We utilized rats that were selectively bred for differences in emotionality and stress reactivity, showing that high-novelty-responding (HR) rats, which display low trait anxiety, have lower miR-101a-3p levels in the amygdala compared to low-novelty-responding (LR) rats that characteristically display high trait anxiety. To determine whether there is a causal relationship between amygdalar miR-101a-3p and anxiety behaviour, we used a viral approach to overexpress miR-101a-3p in the amygdala of HR rats and test whether it would increase their typically low levels of anxiety-like behaviour. We found that increasing miR-101a-3p in the amygdala increased HRs' anxiety-like behaviour in the open-field test and elevated plus maze. Viral-mediated miR-101a-3p overexpression also reduced expression of the histone methyltransferase Ezh2, which mediates gene silencing via trimethylation of histone 3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3). Knockdown of Ezh2 with short-interfering RNA (siRNA) also increased HRs' anxiety-like behaviour, but to a lesser degree than miR-101a-3p overexpression. Overall, our data demonstrate that increasing miR-101a-3p expression in the amygdala increases anxiety-like behaviour and that this effect is at least partially mediated via repression of Ezh2. This work adds to the growing body of evidence implicating miRNAs and epigenetic regulation as molecular mediators of anxiety behaviour.
Fluorescent sensor for fluoride anion based on a sulfonamido-chromone scaffold

Abstract New scaffolds of sulfonamido-chromone derivatives recently synthesized were found to be effective fluorescent sensors for fluoride anion. This new class of fluorophore showed a blue shift in the emission spectra upon addition of various equivalents of fluoride. These compounds also exhibit excellent selectivity for the fluoride anion via a deprotonation process. They were also shown to have a detection limit of F− down to 0.5 ppm.
ASYMMETRIES IN MOTILE RESPONSES OF OUTER HAIR CELLS IN SIMULATED IN VIVO CONDITIONS

It is now well known that electrical stimulation of isolated mammalian outer hair cells results in a motile response (Brownell, 1983;Ashmore,1987;Zenneret al.,1987). The fast response component is apparently capable of following a sinusoidal current stimulus in the audio frequency range (Ashmore, 1987; Zenner et al., 1987). Fast motility is a robust response that has been shown under conditions that are distinctly non-physiological. In all experiments reported thus far, all cell surfaces were bathed in a high-sodium medium. Of course, under in vivo conditions only the basolateral cell membrane is exposed to perilymph (high Na+) while the hair-bearing apical end is bathed in endolymph (high K+). We demonstrate here that isolated cells show two kinds of rectification in their motility with sinusoidal current stimuli, that there are quantitative differences in the responses as a function of cell length, and that these phenomena persist when the apical and basolateral cell surfaces are exposed to their proper biochemical environment.
Factor mobility, trade and welfare

Abstract The paper develops a North-South model which is driven by scale economies in the modern sector. The model predicts that skilled and unskilled labor migrate from South to North and capital migrates from North to South. Migration of skilled labor and capital exhibits complementarity with trade while migration of labor may exhibit complementarity or substitutability. If the terms of trade effects are ignored, small movements of all factors affect the welfare of the population in South negatively and of that in North positively. The effects of migration on the terms of trade are ambiguous in general.
Electromagnetic Regulation of Cell Activity

The ability to observe the effects of rapidly and reversibly regulating cell activity in targeted cell populations has provided numerous physiologic insights. Over the last decade, a wide range of technologies have emerged for regulating cellular activity using optical, chemical, and, more recently, electromagnetic modalities. Electromagnetic fields can freely penetrate cells and tissue and their energy can be absorbed by metal particles. When released, the absorbed energy can in turn gate endogenous or engineered receptors and ion channels to regulate cell activity. In this manner, electromagnetic fields acting on external nanoparticles have been used to exert mechanical forces on cell membranes and organelles to generate heat and interact with thermally activated proteins or to induce receptor aggregation and intracellular signaling. More recently, technologies using genetically encoded nanoparticles composed of the iron storage protein, ferritin, have been used for targeted, temporal control of cell activity in vitro and in vivo. These tools provide a means for noninvasively modulating gene expression, intracellular organelles, such as endosomes, and whole-cell activity both in vitro and in freely moving animals. The use of magnetic fields interacting with external or genetically encoded nanoparticles thus provides a rapid noninvasive means for regulating cell activity.
University chemistry students’ interpretations of multiple representations of the helium atom

Multiple chemistry education research studies at the secondary level have characterized students’ difficulties regarding a conceptual understanding of the quantum model of the atom. This research explores undergraduate students’ interpretations of multiple representations of the atom. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with first-year university chemistry students (n = 26) and second-semester physical chemistry students (n = 8) after they were taught and tested on the quantum model of the atom in their respective courses. During the interview, students were asked to interpret four representations of the atom (an electron cloud model, a probability representation, a boundary surface representation, and the Bohr model) and to rank each of the representations from most preferred to the least preferred. Nearly two-thirds of the students ranked the electron cloud and Bohr-model as their two most preferred representations. Students invoked ideas from classical mechanics to interpret the electron cloud model and used probabilistic language to describe the Bohr model of the atom.
Energy-Efficient Indirectly Heated Phase Change RF Switch

Linear radio-frequency (RF) switches are highly desired in wireless system front ends. Here, we report electro-thermal measurements and modeling of an indirectly heated phase change RF switch (IPCS). We study the energy-efficiency of the IPCS device by electro-thermal modeling and show that its layer design is crucial to reduce its switching power. Thermally optimized SbTe-based IPCS devices switch at a record-low power of ~8 mW/ $\mu \text{m}^{2}$ , approaching the efficiency limit of such indirectly heated devices.
Alpha Oscillations and Feedback Processing in Visual Cortex for Conscious Perception.

Variability in perception between individuals may be a consequence of different inherent neural processing speeds. To assess whether alpha oscillations systematically reflect a feedback pacing mech...
Are We Overlooking the Use of Oral Ribavirin for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of respiratory infection following HSCT. We describe our experience using oral ribavirin (RBV) for RSV infections in HSCT recipients. Retrospective cohort analysis of HSCT recipients diagnosed with RSV infection and treated with either oral RBV or supportive care between September 2014 and April 2015. Twenty-six HSCT recipients were identified as RSV-positive in this study. Oral RBV (mean daily dose 16.7 mg kg) was prescribed to 14 (54%) patients. A higher proportion of patients in the RBV group had lower respiratory tract infection (RTI) (p = 0.007) and were inpatient (p < 0.001) at diagnosis, with a higher proportion of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) among patients with GVHD (p = 0.06), and more frequent prednisone (p = 0.045) or methylprednisolone use (p = 0.008). There was a higher frequency of oxygen requirement (p = 0.035) and longer hospital stays (p < 0.001) in the RBV group, but RSV-related mortality and progression from upper to lower RTI were not more frequent. Leukopenia and hemolysis were also not more frequent in the RBV group. Oral RBV appears to be well tolerated, but its benefit in RSV infections remains unclear. Randomized controlled trials are needed to further evaluate its safety and efficacy at escalating doses in this patient population.
Activation of bradykinin-sensitive pericardial afferents increases systemic venous tone in conscious rats.

Abstract Our understanding of reflex regulation of veins lags behind that of the arterial system. While the cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex (CSAR) exerts control over sympathetic outflow, its effect on venous tone is not known. We tested the hypothesis that activation of pericardial bradykinin sensitive afferents elicits systemic venoconstriction. Male and female Sprague Dawley rats were chronically instrumented for measurement of arterial pressure and mean circulatory filling pressure, an index of venous tone, and with an indwelling pericardial catheter. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate and mean circulatory filling pressure responses were assessed in conscious rats in response to graded pericardial injections of bradykinin (1.5–20 μg/kg) before and after ganglionic blockade, and to intravenous norepinephrine (0.05–0.8 μg/kg). Bradykinin B2 receptor was assessed by Western blot. Pericardial bradykinin injections caused graded increases in mean arterial pressure, heart rate and mean circulatory filling pressure. These responses were markedly attenuated after autonomic blockade. The increments in mean circulatory filling pressure were attenuated in female rats. There were no differences in the venoconstrictor responses to norepinephrine or ventricular bradykinin receptor expression between male and females. We interpret these findings to indicate that activation of bradykinin sensitive pericardial afferents elicits a sexually dimorphic, autonomically mediated systemic venoconstrictor response. Differences in venous smooth muscle responses to norepinephrine or ventricular bradykinin receptor expression do not account for the sexual dimorphism. We conclude that systemic venoconstriction contributes to the overall hemodynamic response to activation of the cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex and that this effect is sexually dimorphic.
Bullfights Redux: Business, Politics, and the Failure of Transnational Cultural Transfer in 1920s Budapest

Spanish bullfights have been organized twice in Hungary: in 1904 and 1924. Unlike in 1904, when the bullfights arrived in Budapest from Paris and were held with the city's urban tourism promotion interests in mind, the 1924 corrida was connected to the internationalization of Spanish bullfights through their support by fascist Italy, causing a domestic political imbroglio in Hungary due to competing political and business interests at home. At the same time, the bullfights represented another novelty in the field of transnational popular entertainment, whose different waves had continuously reached Budapest since the late nineteenth century. Focusing on the 1924 event, the article argues that the bullfights organized in Budapest that year need to be understood from the perspective of interactions between postwar European authoritarian cultural politics, the domestic political scene in Hungary, and Spanish attempts to turn the bullfights into a transnational spectacle rivaling the popularity of British football. Although the bullfights did not take root in Hungary, their organization in Budapest represents an important chapter in the global advance of twentieth-century popular culture, a historically informed understanding of the formation of which requires consideration not just of successful but also failed processes of cultural transfer.
Improving Knowledge and Increasing Use of a Screening Tool in an Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic.

Less than half of providers use screening tools to diagnose adult psychiatric patients. The bipolar population is specifically vulnerable to an inaccurate diagnosis. The goal of this project was to...
A Multi-Point Distance-Bounding Protocol for Securing Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Applications

The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) protocol is being adopted for use in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as the primary source of information for emerging multi-UAV collision avoidance algorithms. The lack of security features in ADS-B leaves any processes dependent upon the information vulnerable to a variety of threats from compromised and dishonest UAVs. This could result in substantial losses or damage to properties. This research proposes a new distance-bounding scheme for verifying the distance and flight trajectory in the ADS-B broadcast data from surrounding UAVs. The proposed scheme enables UAVs or ground stations to identify fraudulent UAVs and avoid collisions. The scheme was implemented and tested in the ArduPilot SITL (Software In The Loop) simulator to verify its ability to detect fraudulent UAVs. The experiments showed that the scheme achieved the desired accuracy in both flight trajectory measurement and attack detection.
Using noise to stochastically enhance the resolution of charge coupled device based thermoreflectance imaging

Charge coupled device (CCD) based, frequency-domain thermoreflectance imaging can be used to characterize the thermophysical properties of solid-state materials, as well as electronic and optoelectronic devices. A four-bucket algorithm is used to obtain the amplitude and phase of the thermoreflectance signal, i.e. the relative change in reflectance of a sample in response to an induced thermal modulation. Prior experiments have shown that thermoreflectance signals smaller than the bit depth of the camera can be accurately measured; this enhanced resolution is posited to be due to stochastic resonance, in which measurement noise dithers the signal over multiple bit levels. Here, we develop an experimentally validated analytical and computational model of the quantization error imposed on the thermoreflectance measurement by the analog-to-digital conversion at the CCD camera and of stochastic resonance in this imaging system, examining how measurement noise, combined with averaging required by the imaging algorithm, can be used to maximize the thermal resolution. We demonstrate analytically and experimentally that noise is required to obtain accurate thermoreflectance measurements; in the absence of noise, the analog-to-digital conversion can lead to large errors in the measured thermoreflectance signal for experimentally reasonable signal levels. Using the model, we derive a close upper bound for the optimal noise amplitude of the thermoreflectance measurement system. Furthermore, we show that, by tuning the experimental parameters, stochastic resonance enhancement can be achieved for any noise level, enabling an order of magnitude or greater improvement in the thermal resolution of this key technique for thermophysical characterization of materials and devices.
Evaluating the laboratory cracking performance of pavement preservation materials using the Texas overlay tester

Abstract This paper introduces a laboratory and fabrication procedure for evaluating the cracking performance of chip seal and microsurfacing under various distress conditions using the Texas Overlay Tester. Three damage severity levels were evaluated as part of this study: excellent condition with no cracks, low severity cracks, and medium severity cracks. The data was evaluated using OT cycles to failure, a pseudo-tensile work indicator, and ANOVA to capture the differences among the various samples. The results show the test is sensitive to treatment type and show a decrease in performance with increase in crack severity.
Body Parts: A Theological Anthropology , by Michelle Voss Roberts. Fortress Press, 2017

Body Parts: A Theological Anthropology, by Michelle Voss Roberts. Fortress Press, 2017. 228 pp. Pb., $29 USD. 978-1-5064-1856-8
The effects of restaurant green demarketing on green skepticism and dining intentions: Investigating the roles of benefit associations and green reputation

Abstract Food overconsumption is increasingly a concern even as consumers are growing skeptical of companies’ green marketing techniques. Accordingly, green demarketing strategies, which aim to lower consumer demand, have become more prevalent in recent years. Using an online experiment, the current research investigates how green demarketing strategies (vs. green marketing strategy) affect consumers’ level of skepticism toward restaurants’ green practices and influence their dining intentions toward restaurants. Moreover, this study examines how different benefits (health vs. environment) associated with green practices and restaurants’ green reputations (high vs. low) influence the effect of green demarketing (vs. marketing) strategies. The results reveal that although green demarketing may not independently outperform green marketing, when green demarketing was practiced by restaurants with low green reputations to promote environment-associated benefits, consumers exhibited a similar or even lower levels of skepticism and higher dining intentions. This study also provides implications for effective marketing communication in the context of green demarketing.
A quantitative comparison of the effects of modeling approaches on system verification using a controlled challenge problem

To reduce program risks, engineering methods capitalizing on modeling and machine assistance have been extensively investigated within systems engineering (and more specifically requirements engineering) literature over the past 20 years. However, there are few quantitative comparisons between model-based approaches and legacy document-centric approaches. Studies have shown that the lack of data regarding improvements of modeling has decelerated the adoption of model-based practices. To help address this gap, the authors conducted a screening experiment to compare the effects of modeling on an engineer’s ability to determine if a system has met its originating requirements. First, a notional acquisition program was created based on an unmanned aerial system, including originating requirements as well as both document and model-based design artifacts. Requirements were captured in both a traditional requirements document and a goal oriented requirements engineering model. System implementation data were capturing in both traditional document artifacts and a SysML model. Participants of varying experience levels used randomized combinations of document and model-based approaches to determine whether the notional system met its requirements. The experiment measured the review duration and accuracy, permitting analysis of the effects of model-based approaches for both requirements and system implementation data. The results of the experiment showed that use of a requirements model did not statistically effect the review. A system implementation model was shown to improve novice participants’ reviews, but did not statistically effect experienced participants. The results of this study should inform future research on the use of models, particularly the return on the modeling investment.
Behavioral-Modification Methods as Adjuncts to Psychotherapy

Methods that attempt to alter behavior directly without reference to assumed underlying dynamic factors have a long and respected history that predates the recent interest of modern psychologists. Various systems of yoga, for example, are now properly viewed as ancient practical psychologies—behavioral methods for achieving relaxation, discipline, and self-control. Systems of rewards and punishments as means of controlling behavior are probably as old as human civilization.
Chemoprevention in Ulcerative Colitis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a feared complication of chronic ulcerative colitis (UC). The cumulative probability of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) among persons with UC is significantly higher than in the general population. UC is the third highest-risk condition for colorectal cancer after two genetic syndromes, familial adenomatous polyposis syndrome (FAP) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Data from a comprehensive meta-analysis suggest that the probability of CRC in IBD is 2 % after 10 years of disease, 8 % after 20 years, and 18 % after 30 years (Eaden et al., 48:526–535, 2001; Canavan et al., 23:1097–1104, 2006). In comparison, the cumulative lifetime probability of developing CRC for the general population in the United States is approximately 5 %.