cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance of Low-Conductivity Ceramic Wicks in Capillary Evaporators

In this study a hybrid loop having characteristics of a Capillary Pumped Loop (CPL) and a Loop Heat Pipe (LHP) has been created using a unique iron oxide wick selected for its fine pores and low thermal conductivity. This loop exhibits temperature control, typical of a CPL, but unlike most CPL evaporators, operates stably at heat loads less than 0.5% of maximum heat load. A movable borescope was used to investigate vapor formation within the liquid core of the evaporator, confirming that the addition of a LHP-style compensation chamber to the CPL plays a significant role in storing and condensing vapor that might otherwise deprime the evaporator.
NONLINEAR TIME-AVERAGED MODEL IN SURF AND SWASH ZONES

A time-averaged model is developed to predict the cross-shore variations of the mean and standard deviation of the free surface elevation from outside the surf zone to the lower swash zone on beaches. This new model includes nonlinear correction terms in the cross-shore radiation stress and energy flux that become important in very shallow water. Empirical formulas are proposed for the skewness and kurtosis as well as the ratio of the root-mean-square wave height to the mean water depth which increases rapidly near the still water shoreline. The developed model is shown to be in agreement with three irregular wave tests on a 1:16 smooth impermeable slope and two tests of quasi-equilibrium terraced and barred beaches. The model can predict the observed large increase of wave setup near the still water shoreline. The developed model and empirical formulas will need to be verified using additional experiments.
Investigation of myocardial enzymes reference intervals in pediatric population based on dry chemical system

Objective To establish the reference intervals of lactate dehydrogenase( LDH),creatine kinase( CK),creatine kinase MB( CK-MB) and aspartate aminotransferase( AST) based on dry chemical system in healthy pediatric population aged from 3 months to 18 years in Shenzhen. M ethods Healthy pediatric population aged from 3 months to 18 years were divided into four groups by age according to the rule of growth and development: 3 months to 3 years,- 6 years,- 12 years and- 18 years age groups. The serum samples were from the remaining specimens of routine physical examination after routine testing. Serum LDH,CK,CK-MB and AST were detected by the VITROS 350 system,and the differences between different age groups and different genders were compared and the reference intervals of 4 items among healthy children and adolescents aged from 3 months to 18 years were established. Results A total of 2 345 qualified specimens from children and adolescents were recruited,including 1346 males and 999 females,with 187,918,916 and 324 subjects for 3 months to 3 years,- 6 years,- 12 years and- 18 years age groups.1 The reference intervals of LDH showed no significant difference between boys and girls( P 0. 05),but the CK of- 6 years boys,CK,AST of- 12 years boys,CK,AST,CK-MB of- 18 years old boys were significantly higher than those in girls( P 0. 05). 2 The 4 items showed significant differences in different age groups( P 0. 05),but the CK showed no significant difference between 3 months to 3 years group and- 18 years group,the CK-MB showed no significant difference between 3 months to 3 years group and- 6 years group,the AST showed no significant difference between- 6 years group and- 12 years group( P 0. 05). The reference intervals of serum LDH( U·L- 1) : 3 months to 3 years 504- 896,3- 12 years 491- 790,12- 18 years 342- 716; reference intervals of CK( U·L- 1) : 3 months to 12 years 50- 226,12- 18 years 47- 256( male),34- 235( female); reference intervals of CK-MB( U·L- 1) : 3 months to 6 years 18- 44,6- 12 years 7- 35,12- 18 years 7- 35;reference intervals of AST( U·L- 1) : 3 months to 3 years 23- 60,3- 12 years 24- 27,12- 18 years 17- 47 U·L- 1. 3The reference intervals of 4 items overall decrease with age. Conclusion Dry chemical system of minor myocardial enzymes reference intervals are unique and significantly associated with the change of age.
13 EFFECTS OF DIESEL EXHAUST EXPOSURE ON C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND SERUM AMYLOID A

Background Increases in fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5) have been linked to rises in cardiovascular hospital admissions and deaths. Yet, the mechanism behind this effect remains unknown. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Serum Amyloid A (SAA) are inflammatory markers produced by the liver in response to IL-6 that are thought to be of value for predicting cardiovascular events. Studies have linked PM2.5 exposure to a rise in inflammatory markers including SAA and CRP in the blood, but have always relied on estimating incidental PM2.5 exposure. We hypothesized that exposure to 200 μg/m3 diesel exhaust particles (DEP) for two hours would result in a rise in inflammatory markers at a sampling time 22 hours after the beginning of the exposure in young healthy adults Study Design and Methods We proposed a randomized crossover experiment in nine healthy individuals to four exposure conditions (filtered air or diesel exhaust at 50, 100, or 200 μg DEP PM2.5 /m3). Subjects were exposed in a 100 cubic meter exposure chamber. Exposure was characterized using continuous reading instruments (TEOM, PSAP, 2 CPCs, CO monitor, and NOx monitor). Blood samples were collected before exposure, as well as 6 hours and 22 hours after the onset of the exposure session. High-sensitivity CRP and SAA assays were run on each of the samples. Results Changes were seen in CRP levels following exposure to diesel exhaust when compared with the control exposure, but because of the small sample size, the results cannot be considered significant. For the eight subjects with complete data, six had an increase in CRP at 22 hours following the 200 μg/m3 exposure that ranged from 0.2 to 2.0 mg/L, with one subject remaining unchanged and another showing a decrease in CRP concentration. For the four subjects with complete SAA data, no consistent relationship was appreciated. Data from this pilot study helped us to see that changes, especially in CRP, do appear to occur at the chosen sampling times and the protocol is encouraging for a larger study. Conclusion A continuation of this study with a larger sample size would be valuable in determining whether a rise in the studied inflammatory markers occurs in response to controlled exposure to diesel exhaust.
Drosophila melanogaster Models of Galactosemia

The galactosemias are a family of autosomal recessive genetic disorders resulting from impaired function of the Leloir pathway of galactose metabolism. Type I, or classic galactosemia, results from profound deficiency of galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, the second enzyme in the Leloir pathway. Type II galactosemia results from profound deficiency of galactokinase, the first enzyme in the Leloir pathway. Type III galactosemia results from partial deficiency of UDP galactose 4'-epimerase, the third enzyme in the Leloir pathway. Although at least classic galactosemia has been recognized clinically for more than 100 years, and detectable by newborn screening for more than 50 years, all three galactosemias remain poorly understood. Early detection and dietary restriction of galactose prevent neonatal lethality, but many affected infants grow to experience a broad range of developmental and other disabilities. To date, there is no intervention known that prevents or reverses these long-term complications. Drosophila melanogaster provides a genetically and biochemically facile model for these conditions, enabling studies that address mechanism and open the door for novel approaches to intervention.
Why Adoption is Not Like Marriage: An Amateur’s Reply to Professor Woodhouse to Keep Waiting for Loving

I appreciate the opportunity to comment on Professor Woodhouse’s interesting and somewhat provocative thesis on recognizing a fundamental right to be adopted, as a corollary of which all categorical exclusions of potential parents would be presumptively unconstitutional. Of course, I am not a family law scholar; my real field is constitutional law. But law is not like stained glass, which can only be viewed with appreciation from the inside. Sometimes outsiders can see things that insiders miss, and it is that hope that I dare comment at all.
Why Ethnogeriatrics Is Important

The population of adults aged 65 years and older is one of the fastest growing segments of the United States (U.S.) population and will more than double between the years of 2010 and 2050 from 40.2 million to 88.5 million [1]. In parallel to the aging of the population, the U.S. is also becoming increasingly more racially and ethnically diverse. In 2010, ethnoracial minorities made up 20 % of the older adult population; this number is projected to reach 42 % by 2050 [2]. This shift in the demographics of the U.S. population has broad implications for the health of diverse elders and geriatric health care delivery. Minority elders experience greater disparities in morbidity, mortality, and disability, which are related to several factors including ethnoracial differences in socioeconomic factors, cultural factors, and health care access and delivery. Given the growing racial and ethnic diversity of the older population and the recognized impact of culture on health, the topic of ethnogeriatrics is both timely and important. In this chapter, we define and explore key terms and concepts relevant to the study of ethnogeriatrics, discuss factors implicated in disparities in health outcomes among older adults, and highlight some challenges to providing health care to an aging and diverse population.
Loss of RasGAP Tumor Suppressors Underlies the Aggressive Nature of Luminal B Breast Cancers.

Luminal breast cancers are typically estrogen receptor positive and generally have the best prognosis. However, a subset of luminal tumors, namely luminal B cancers, frequently metastasize and recur. Unfortunately, the causal events that drive their progression are unknown and therefore it is difficult to identify individuals who are likely to relapse and should receive escalated treatment. Here we identify a bi-functional RasGAP tumor suppressor that is lost in almost 50% of luminal B tumors. Moreover, we show that two RasGAP genes are concomitantly inactivated in the most aggressive luminal malignancies. Importantly, these genes cooperatively regulate two major oncogenic pathways, Ras and NF-kappa B through distinct domains, and when inactivated drive the metastasis of luminal tumors in vivo. Finally, while the cooperative effects on Ras drive invasion, NF-κB activation triggers EMT and is required for metastasis. Collectively, these studies reveal important mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of luminal B tumors and provide functionally relevant prognostic biomarkers that may guide treatment decisions.
Direct evidence that an extended hydrogen-bonding network influences activation of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate in aspartate aminotransferase

Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) is a fundamental, multifunctional enzyme cofactor used to catalyze a wide variety of chemical reactions involved in amino acid metabolism. PLP-dependent enzymes optimize specific chemical reactions by modulating the electronic states of PLP through distinct active site environments. In aspartate aminotransferase (AAT), an extended hydrogen bond network is coupled to the pyridinyl nitrogen of the PLP, influencing the electrophilicity of the cofactor. This network, which involves residues Asp-222, His-143, Thr-139, His-189, and structural waters, is located at the edge of PLP opposite the reactive Schiff base. We demonstrate that this hydrogen bond network directly influences the protonation state of the pyridine nitrogen of PLP, which affects the rates of catalysis. We analyzed perturbations caused by single- and double-mutant variants using steady-state kinetics, high resolution X-ray crystallography, and quantum chemical calculations. Protonation of the pyridinyl nitrogen to form a pyridinium cation induces electronic delocalization in the PLP, which correlates with the enhancement in catalytic rate in AAT. Thus, PLP activation is controlled by the proximity of the pyridinyl nitrogen to the hydrogen bond microenvironment. Quantum chemical calculations indicate that Asp-222, which is directly coupled to the pyridinyl nitrogen, increases the pKa of the pyridine nitrogen and stabilizes the pyridinium cation. His-143 and His-189 also increase the pKa of the pyridine nitrogen but, more significantly, influence the position of the proton that resides between Asp-222 and the pyridinyl nitrogen. These findings indicate that the second shell residues directly enhance the rate of catalysis in AAT.
Ethics and managed care

This article addresses the ethical issues faced by clinicians dealing with managed care. Current concerns include confidentiality, informed consent, alternative treatments, medical necessity, chronicity, and finances. The growth of capitated payment systems will present clinicians with the problem of being “double agents” concerned both with individual patients and with the enrolled population as a whole. New regulatory approaches will be needed to ensure ethical conduct by managed care organizations as well as by clinicians.
A new model of the mechanism underlying lead poisoning: SNPs in miRNA target region influence the δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase expression level.

AIM To determine if SNPs located within the 3'-UTR of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) can alter the risk of lead poisoning and the ALAD gene expression. MATERIALS & METHODS A case-control study was carried out to find the SNPs in miRNA target region. Luciferase reporter gene assay, qRT-PCR and Western blot was used to determine the relationship between miRNA and SNPs. RESULTS We found a significant association between rs818708 and the risk of lead poisoning. miR-545-5p was influenced by rs818708 variant and might result in a significant change in ALAD expression. CONCLUSION rs818708 T > C can weaken the binding capability between miR-545-5p and 3'-UTR of ALAD and thus may alter the risk of lead poisoning.
Attributes of turnaround rural hospitals: Case study findings and research opportunities

Background: Rural and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) have a history of operating challenges and closure-conversion threats. The history is reviewed including the supportive public policy provisions and administrative tactics designed to maintain a community’s hospital as the hub and access point for health services. Limited research indicates that rural facilities are not strategic in their responses to challenges. A question emerges regarding the enduring nature of operating difficulties for these facilities, i.e., no understanding with explanatory value. Objective: The author, as the CEO in six rural hospitals designated as turnaround facilities, used inductive participant-observer involvement to identify operating attributes characteristic of these organizations. An objective description of each facility is provided. While implementing a turnaround intervention, fifteen behaviors or outcomes were found to be consistent across all six entities. This information is used to posit factors associated with or accounting for identified performance weaknesses. Conclusions: It is conceptualization that observed organizational behaviors can be explained as remnants of an agrarian ideology. Such a mindset is focused on preserving the status quo despite challenges that would require strategic positioning of the organization. In addition, emerging studies on community types indicates that follow-up research is needed that assesses the impact of community attributes on rural hospital performance. Also, this study shows that a theory of the rural hospital firm based on neo-classical economics has no explanatory value. Thus, a theory of the firm can be developed that includes behavioral economic principles.
Four-wing Saltbush (Atriplex canescens) Seed and Seedling Consumption by Granivorous Rodents

On the Ground Four-wing saltbush is an important browse species for wildlife and domestic livestock and has been reported to provide as much as 11.4% to 13.6% crude protein. Granivorous rodents are important in the ecology of plant communities as well as the management practices that occur in those communities. In any land management practice that involves seeding in restoration or rehabilitation efforts, land managers must be cognizant of the role that biotic and abiotic factors ultimately have on the success and failures of these efforts. Abiotic factors such as poor seed germination or lack of proper amount and periodicity of precipitation are more well understood than biotic factors such as seed and seedling predation by granivorous rodents. Granivorous rodents in this study consumed as much as 55% and 99% of the four-wing saltbush seed and seedlings, respectively. Understanding the possible effects of rodent behavior with four-wing saltbush seed and seedlings should help resource managers in their pl...
Scorched Earth: Suillus colonization of Pinus albicaulis seedlings planted in wildfire-impacted soil affects seedling biomass, foliar nutrient content, and isotope signatures

In western North America ectomycorrhizal fungi are critical to establishment of conifers in low nitrogen soils. Fire can affect both ectomycorrhizal fungi and soil properties, and inoculation with ectomycorrhizal fungi is recommended when planting on burns for restoration. The aim of this study was to examine how Suillus species used in inoculation affect whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis L.) seedlings planted in fire-impacted soil. In a greenhouse experiment, Suillus-colonized and uncolonized whitebark pine seedlings were planted in unsterilized and sterilized (control) soil from a recent burn. After 6 months, foliar nitrogen and carbon content, concentration, and stable isotope values were assessed, along with growth parameters. When seedlings were colonized, biomass was 61% greater, foliar nitrogen content 25% higher, foliar nitrogen concentration 30–63% lower; needles had lower δ15N and higher δ13C. Differences were more pronounced in sterilized soil where colonization was higher. Foliar N content was negatively correlated with δ15N values. Colonization by host-specific fungi produced larger seedlings with higher foliar nitrogen content in both burn soils. The hypothesis that ectomycorrhizal fungi on roots fractionate nitrogen isotopes leading to lower δ15N in needles is supported. This helps explain restoration outcomes, and bridges the gap between field and in vitro investigations.
Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity

Atrophy of neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a key role in the pathophysiology of depression and related disorders. The ability to promote both structural and functional plasticity in the PFC has been hypothesized to underlie the fast-acting antidepressant properties of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine. Here, we report that, like ketamine, serotonergic psychedelics are capable of robustly increasing neuritogenesis and/or spinogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. These changes in neuronal structure are accompanied by increased synapse number and function, as measured by fluorescence microscopy and electrophysiology. The structural changes induced by psychedelics appear to result from stimulation of the TrkB, mTOR, and 5-HT2A signaling pathways and could possibly explain the clinical effectiveness of these compounds. Our results underscore the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and, importantly, identify several lead scaffolds for medicinal chemistry efforts focused on developing plasticity-promoting compounds as safe, effective, and fast-acting treatments for depression and related disorders.
Surface Antigens Present on T Lymphocytes and Also on B Lymphocytes

This chapter reviews surface antigens present on T lymphocytes and also on B lymphocytes. There are basically three major surface markers that are present on T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes in common, although not necessarily in equal proportions or expressed in the same functional manner, and also may not necessarily be restricted in their expression to lymphocytes. The quantity of H-2 on the surface of thymocytes starts out at relatively low levels and progressively increases as thymocyte maturation stages ensue. Early observations by Gorer and Boyse studying the cytotoxic effect of H-2 isoantibodies in the presence of complement demonstrated that the sensitivity of thymocytes to such cytotoxic effects was considerably less than those of lymph node cells from the same mouse. More direct analyses were conducted by Winn, who demonstrated that thymocytes in contrast to spleen and lymph node lymphocytes were highly resistant to H-2 isoantisera in the presence of complement.
A numerical study of the transient behavior of an interfacial crack in a bimaterial plate

In this paper we developed a numerical method to determine the transient stress intensity factor and crack opening displacement of an interfacial stationary crack in a bimaterial plate subjected to time dependent anti-plane shear stress on the surfaces of the plate. A bimaterial plate of finite length of dissimilar elastic, isotropic laminae with Griffith type of crack at the interface is analyzed. For the numerical method the finite element equations are derived in the frequency domain from a variational principle. The stress intensity factors in the frequency domain are evaluated from the displacements, which are obtained upon solving the finite element equations. The transient stress intensity factor is then obtained by numerical Fourier inversion technique using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) routine. Quarter point elements and transition elements are used to model the crack tip singularity.
Feasibility of photon beam profile deconvolution using a neural network.

Purpose Ionization chambers are the detectors of choice for photon beam profile scanning. However, they introduce significant volume averaging effect (VAE) that can artificially broaden the penumbra width by 2-3 mm. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of photon beam profile deconvolution (the elimination of VAE from ionization chamber-measured beam profiles) using a three-layer feedforward neural network. Methods Transverse beam profiles of photon fields between 2 × 2 and 10 × 10 cm2 were collected with both a CC13 ionization chamber and an EDGE diode detector on an Elekta Versa HD accelerator. These profiles were divided into three datasets (training, validation and test) to train and test a three-layer feedforward neural network. A sliding window was used to extract input data from the CC13-measured profiles. The neural network produced the deconvolved value at the center of the sliding window. The full deconvolved profile was obtained after the sliding window was moved over the measured profile from end to end. The EDGE-measured beam profiles were used as reference for the training, validation, and test. The number of input neurons, which equals the sliding window width, and the number of hidden neurons were optimized with a parametric sweeping method. A total of 135 neural networks were fully trained with the Levenberg-Marquardt backpropagation algorithm. The one with the best overall performance on the training and validation dataset was selected to test its generalization ability on the test dataset. The agreement between the neural network-deconvolved profiles and the EDGE-measured profiles was evaluated with two metrics: mean squared error (MSE) and penumbra width difference (PWD). Results Based on the two-dimensional MSE plots, the optimal combination of sliding window width of 15 and 5 hidden neurons was selected for the final neural network. Excellent agreement was achieved between the neural network-deconvolved profiles and the reference profiles in all three datasets. After deconvolution, the mean PWD reduced from 2.43 ± 0.26, 2.44 ± 0.36, and 2.46 ± 0.29 mm to 0.15 ± 0.15, 0.04 ± 0.03, and 0.14 ± 0.09 mm for the training, validation, and test dataset, respectively. Conclusions We demonstrated the feasibility of photon beam profile deconvolution with a feedforward neural network in this work. The beam profiles deconvolved with a three-layer neural network had excellent agreement with diode-measured profiles.
Assessing Change-Points in Surface Air Temperature Over Alaska

An understanding of low frequency climatic variations is important for climatologists and planning by broader populations. This study applies recent advances in statistical change-point methodology to the variability of temperatures from seven stations in Alaska and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) climate index. We allow for the presence of multiple change-points in any given data series and provide confidence intervals for the identified change-points. We analyze the multiple station data based on season and temperature means and extremes. Physical processes that correlate with specific identified temperature changes have been explored through geopotential height field maps and sea level pressure (SLP) maps. Predominantly, temperature and PDO shifts were observed during winter and spring in the 1940s and 1970s. However, as an anomaly, this study also identifies that changes in summer have occurred either in 60s or in the 80s, deviating substantively from the 40s and 70s changes that were observed during winter and spring. We also note that there is lack of clear low frequency cyclic variability in the northern North Pacific region.
Correlation gating quantifies the optical properties of dynamic media in transmission

Quantifying light transport in turbid media is a long-standing challenge. This challenge arises from the difficulty in experimentally separating unscattered, ballistic light from forward scattered light. Correlation gating is a new approach that numerically separates light paths based on statistical dynamics of the optical field. Here we apply correlation gating with interferometric near-infrared spectroscopy (iNIRS) to separate and independently quantify ballistic and scattered light transmitted through thick samples. First, we present evidence that correlation gating improves the isolation of ballistic light in a thick, intrinsically dynamic medium with Brownian motion. Then, from a single set of iNIRS transmission measurements, we determine the ballistic attenuation coefficient and group refractive index from the time-of-flight (TOF) resolved static intensity, and we determine the reduced scattering and absorption coefficients from the diffusive part of the TOF resolved dynamic intensity. Finally, we show that correlation gating is applicable in intrinsically static media in which motion is induced externally. Thus, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the key optical properties of a turbid medium can be derived from a single set of transmission measurements.
Outcomes of Revisions for Failed Trapeziometacarpal Joint Arthritis Surgery.

Purpose We compare outcomes of revision surgery for trapeziometacarpal (TM) arthritis with outcomes for both primary and revision surgery for TM arthritis reported in the literature. We hypothesized that patients undergoing revision surgery for TM arthritis would demonstrate pain and functional outcome scores that were worse than those of patients undergoing primary TM surgery. Methods A retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing revision TM surgery at a single institution from 1995 to 2015 was performed. Eighty-three patients (86 hands) met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 25 patients (27 hands) were available for follow-up via phone survey or clinical examination; 58 patients (59 hands) were available for chart review only. Patients available for phone survey or clinical examination were evaluated with the visual analog scale , Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score, and the Conolly-Rath evaluation method. Patients available for clinical examination were also evaluated with grip strength, pinch strength, and radiographs. Results Median follow-up was 8.5 years (range, 2.0–21.2 years). Twenty percent of patients experienced postoperative complications , most commonly pin problems (7%). Of the 27 hands available for interview or clinical examination, 15 were dominant and 12 were nondominant. The average visual analog scale was 28.2 (SD, 29.7). Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores averaged 32.0 (SD, 20.8). According to the Conolly and Rath criteria, 10 patients had a good outcome, 7 were fair, and 10 were poor. For the group of 13 patients who underwent physical examination, average adduction was 42° in the affected side versus 51° in the nonaffected side. Radial abduction was 58° in the affected side versus 65° in the nonaffected side. Palmar abduction was 53° versus 85° in each group, respectively. Tip finger pinch was 3.4 kg for the affected hand versus 4.0 kg for the nonaffected side. Key pinch was 4.7 and 5.5 kg, respectively. Grip strength was measured as 22.1 kg in the affected side versus 27.6 kg in the contralateral side when adjusted for dominance. Conclusions In our study group, revision surgery for unsuccessful primary TM surgery demonstrated results inferior to those previously reported for primary surgery for TM arthritis but similar to prior studies of revision TM surgery. Revision surgery, however, can result in satisfactory long-term outcomes particularly when metacarpophalangeal joint pathology is addressed and complications are avoided. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Collegiate Binge Drinking and Social Media Use Among Hispanics and Non-Hispanics.

Objective:College students’ reliance on social media is both a risk factor for alcohol-related problems and a possible avenue for intervention. Greater understanding of students’ social media habit...
Of Bombs and Bureaucrats: Internal Drivers of Nuclear Force Building in China and the United States

ABSTRACTThis article examines the domestic influences on US and Chinese nuclear forces. While strategic factors largely drive each side’s, underappreciated domestic and organizational factors also influence outcomes. Partisan politics shape US policies regarding arms control, missile defense, and the roles of nuclear forces. China has its own— more opaque—politics. Organizational factors have affected the status and role of the Chinese Rocket Forces. Constituencies for nuclear weapons have gained ground, and the military services appear to be competing for nuclear missions. The absence of organizational firewalls within the Rocket Forces suggests that assertive operational practices might bleed across different parts of the organization. These domestic influences on US and Chinese nuclear policymaking are likely to have interactive and accelerating effects. Both sides will assume measures taken by the other are driven by strategic intent, when the actual drivers may be mixed. To the extent that domestic f...
A Machine Learning Based Natural Language Question and Answering System for Healthcare Data Search using Complex Queries

Number of use cases in healthcare are well suited as Big Data applications. In healthcare, large volumes of data are coming in and stored as unstructured big data or as structured data in relational database. In any case, Big Data is coming to embrace SQL as a common tool for querying. Developing a question and answering tool for the users that are lack of specialized skillsets and use natural languages for complex queries is a challenge that need to identify significant details, draw inferences and evaluate hypothesis as how domain experts do those. Although NLIDB systems are developed to translate a natural language queries into a database language for non-technical end users, most of the questions addressed by the systems are factoid questions and answering complex queries remains as an open research problem. The proposed auxiliary system is machine learning based and extends existing NLIDB system to help it answer the complex queries. The auxiliary system mimics the way human experts reach the answers to the complex queries. Instead of building a set of simple conditional statements as rules and invoke them as a sequence of chained actions, the proposed system decomposes complex queries into multiple simple factoid sub-queries with the goal of generating answers to each sub-query with the existing NLIDB system from the data explicitly stored in the database. The underlying NLIDB system takes sub-queries as input queries in parallel and produces query results from the data stored in the relational database. The answers to the sub-queries and the desired output labels are used to train the model and the multiclass classifier produced from the training is used to predict and answer valid input queries.
Conjugal Power and Spousal Resources in Patriarchal Cultures

Current sociological theory regarding the antecedents of conjugal power suggests that resource theory can be successfully employed in the prediction and explanation of marital power distributions o...
Sub-nW Wake-Up Receivers With Gate-Biased Self-Mixers and Time-Encoded Signal Processing

A fully integrated wake-up receiver in 65-nm low-power (LP) CMOS technology is presented. The receiver’s RF front end consists of a 40-stage MOS self-mixer using gate biasing to optimize the sensitivity; the baseband circuits use time-encoded analog signals to efficiently implement a matched filter with a DC offset cancellation loop at minimal power consumption. When operating at 434 MHz, the receiver has a −79.1-dBm sensitivity with a 110-ms latency while consuming 420 pW from 0.4 V. When operating at 1.016 GHz with the same latency, the sensitivity is −74 dBm and power consumption is 470 pW.
An Integrated Review of Recent Research on the Relationships Between Religious Belief, Political Ideology, Authoritarianism, and Prejudice:

Religious ideology and extremism have had an increasing influence on political agendas in the United States and much of the developed world in the past 60 years, with right-wing ideology becoming m...
Flexible Liquid-Metal-Tuned Higher-Order Bandpass Frequency Selective Surfaces

This paper presents a new implementation of liquid-metal-tuned higher-order bandpass frequency selective surfaces (FSSs). The proposed multi-layer periodic structures are based upon a topology consisting of resonant FSS layers separated by thickness-controlling aperture coupling interlayers. These liquid metal layers are used in combination with an elastomeric substrate to realize a mechanically flexible and fluidically tunable device. Capacitive tuning slugs are integrated into the resonant FSS layers to enable real-time tuning of the bandpass filter’s operating frequency range. To demonstrate the proposed higher-order liquid-metal-tuned spatial filters, both second-order and third-order bandpass FSSs, operating in the Ku-band, are designed and validated using full-wave electromagnetic simulation.
Redemptive and Unredemptive Holocaust Memory

A culture of hope instinctively adapts its sense of the past to its vision of the future, and when the Holocaust is the subject of discussion, especially in America, it is natural for a redemptive rhetoric to emerge as an antidote to the darker narrative that beckons from the landscape of atrocity. Although occasions of resistance, uprisings, aiding and indeed saving the lives of Jews must be included when remembering the catastrophe, if the vocabulary of redemptive memory is allowed to override the language of the lived (and died) experience of Auschwitz and other sites of starvation, torture and murder, readers—and especially students—may be tempted to embrace encounters with the best as a convenient escape mechanism from confronting the worst.This essay argues that it is more important to examine the testimonies of individual survivors and witnesses than to rely on collective abstractions like resilience, endurance, courage and faith. The rhetoric of redemptive memory disregards the painful (and often futile) efforts of separate individuals to stay alive, or help each other stay alive, and instead bestows on them a collective identity, like “Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto” or “Righteous Gentiles.” In doing so, this rhetoric avoids the assaults on the self that gave birth to a complex inner life after the war for many of those who survived. Unredemptive memory examines that inner life, enshrined in a single line by one survivor who exclaims, “The war was over, but it was eating us up inside.” It takes moral courage and mental tenacity to follow the trajectory of unredemptive memory into areas of Holocaust atrocity that continue to afflict this woman. The best way to animate such memory is to accumulate details of Nazi crimes in such abundance that they become a permanent part of human consciousness.
Longitudinal Relationship between Idylla Plasma ctBRAF V600 Mutation Detection and Tumor Burden in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may complement radiography for interim assessment of patients with cancer. Our objective was to explore the relationship between changes in plasma ctDNA versus radiographic imaging among patients with metastatic melanoma. Using the Idylla system, we measured B-Raf proto-oncogene (BRAF) V600 ctDNA in plasma from 15 patients with BRAF V600E/K-positive primary tumors undergoing standard-of-care monitoring, including cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) imaging. BRAF V600 mutant allele frequency (%MAF) was calculated from the Idylla Cq values and directly measured using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR). The Idylla ctDNA assay demonstrated 91% sensitivity, 96% specificity, 91% positive predictive value, and 96% negative predictive value for the presence of > 93 mm metastatic disease. Qualitative ctDNA results corresponded to changes in RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) 1.1 status determined by CT imaging in 11 of 15 subjects (73%). Calculated %MAF results correlated with ddPCR (R2 = 0.94) and provided evidence of progressive disease 55 and 97 days in advance of CT imaging for two subjects with persistently positive qualitative results. Overall, interim ctDNA results provided evidence of partial response or progressive disease an average of 82 days before radiography. This pilot study supports the feasibility of using the Idylla plasma BRAF V600 ctDNA assay as a complement to CT scanning for routine monitoring of therapeutic response. Somatic mutation quantification based on Cq values shows promise for identifying disease progression and warrants further validation.
Application of machine learning algorithms to performance prediction of rocking shallow foundations during earthquake loading

Abstract The objective of this research is to develop preliminary predictive models for the performance of rocking shallow foundations using machine learning algorithms and supervised learning technique. Data from a rocking foundation database, consisting of dynamic base shaking experiments conducted on centrifuges and shaking tables, have been used for the development of multivariate linear regression (MLR) model using stochastic gradient descent optimization and distance-weighted k-nearest neighbors (k-NN) regression model. Seismic energy dissipation in soil, permanent settlement of foundation, and the maximum acceleration transmitted to the structure are considered as the performance parameters of rocking foundations, while the input features to machine learning algorithms include critical contact area ratio and rocking coefficient of soil-foundation system, and peak ground acceleration and Arias intensity of earthquake ground motion. It is found that both MLR and weighted k-NN models perform satisfactorily in capturing the complex relationships between the performance parameters and input features of rocking foundations, and that both models perform better than simple statistical models. Based on multiple k-fold cross validation tests across all performance parameters and the mean absolute percentage errors, it is found that the weighted k-NN model consistently outperforms the MLR model in terms of accuracy for the problem considered.
Der ideale Luft-Expansionsprozeß

Die in Frage kommenden Zustandsanderungen lassen sich besonders deutlich im Entropiediagramm verfolgen, wozu sich die Entropietafel fur Luft eignet1).
A short test evaluating larval attractiveness of honey bees to Varroa jacobsoni

SUMMARYA controlled experiment which utilized a larval transfer (grafting) technique was used to evaluate attractiveness of larvae from four different stocks of honey bees (Apis mellifera) to Varroa jacobsoni. The stocks of honey bees were: ARS-Y-C-1 (A. m. carnica, from Yugoslavia), Hastings (A. m. carnica, from Canada), an F1 hybrid between ARS-Y-C-1 and Hastings, and a Louisiana stock. Newly hatched larvae (target larvae) from each test stock were grafted into an area at the centre of a brood frame occupying 8 rows of 20 cells (160 cells). After larval transfer, each brood frame containing target larvae was introduced into a Varroa-infested colony. Inspection of the frames 2 weeks later showed that ARS-Y-C-1 pupae were less frequently infested than Hastings and Louisiana pupae (20% vs. 36% and 40%), while the infestation rate of the hybrids was intermediate (29%). The stocks did not differ in other parameters of Varroa infestation (mite load per infested pupa, number of females per infested pupa, numbe...
Convergence Rates of Digital Diffusion Network Algorithms for Global Optimization with Applications to Image Estimation

Motivated by the recent developments in digital diffusion networks, this work is devoted to the rates of convergence issue for a class of global optimization algorithms. By means of weak convergence methods, we show that a sequence of suitably scaled estimation errors converges weakly to a diffusion process (a solution of a stochastic differential equation). The scaling together with the stationary covariance of the limit diffusion process gives the desired rates of convergence. Application examples are also provided for some image estimation problems.
Cutting Edge: Eotaxin Elicits Rapid Vesicular Transport-Mediated Release of Preformed IL-4 from Human Eosinophils

IL-4 release is important in promoting Th2-mediated allergic and parasitic immune responses. Although human eosinophils are potential sources of IL-4, physiologic mechanisms to elicit its release have not been established. By flow cytometry and microscopy, eosinophils from normal donors uniformly contained preformed IL-4. In contrast to cytolytic IL-4 release from calcium ionophore-activated eosinophils, eotaxin and RANTES, but not IFN-γ, elicited IL-4 release by noncytotoxic mechanisms. With a dual Ab capture and detection immunofluorescent microscopic assay, IL-4 was released at discrete cell surface sites. IL-5 enhanced eotaxin-induced IL-4 release, which was mediated by G protein-coupled CCR3 receptors, detectable as early as 5 min and maximum within 1 h. IL-4 release was not diminished by transcription or protein synthesis inhibitors, but was suppressed by brefeldin A, an inhibitor of vesicle formation. Thus, CCR3-mediated signaling can rapidly mobilize IL-4 stored preformed in human eosinophils for release by vesicular transport to contribute to immune responses.
Nikias, Peace of

The Peace of Nikias concluded the first ten years of fighting in the Peloponnesian War (431–421 bce). Keywords: Greek history; legal history; political history
Temporal cloaking enhancements for optical communication

We demonstrate a temporal cloak with the capability to simultaneously hide and transmit optical data, as well as prevent corruption by an interfering event. Our results significantly expand the potential of time cloaking in telecommunications.
Native America Collected: The Culture of an Art World.

Native America Collected: The Culture of an Art World. Margaret Dubin. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2001. 224 pp.
Abstract P6-13-06: Tamoxifen acceptance by DCIS patients and effect on subsequent ipsilateral and contralateral breast events

Introduction: Existing data demonstrate that the use of endocrine therapy decreases the risk of in-breast recurrence and contralateral new primary cancers. However, the acceptance of tamoxifen is relatively low in women with DCIS, with reported acceptance rates ranging from 32% to 67%. We reported 67% tamoxifen acceptance in 2005 (Nakhlis F, JACS, p688); we now re-examine this question to assess the impact of patient and tumor characteristics, and the use of tamoxifen, on new breast events in women with DCIS undergoing breast conserving therapy (BCT) or mastectomy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review using a prospective database; 695 patients with DCIS were identified between 1998 and 2009. Patient and tumor characteristics included age, tumor grade, tumor size, margin status, re-excision status, use of BCT, adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) and tamoxifen therapy. Women undergoing bilateral mastectomy were excluded for analysis of in-breast events. The demographic data were examined for differences in continuous variables using the Wilcoxon rank sum test, and differences in categorical variables between groups were assessed using Fisher’s exact test. Multivariate odds ratios were obtained using logistic regression. Results: The mean age of the patient population was 61.5 ± 11.4 (median and range: 61 (30-99). 44.9% of patients were over the age of 50. The median follow up time was 60 months. Among the BCT group, 58.5% of 348 women with ER+ DCIS accepted tamoxifen therapy, compared to 50.7% of 71 mastectomy patients with ER+ DCIS. 188 women (27.1%) underwent mastectomy (122 unilateral and 66 bilateral); 507 (72.9%) received BCT. Among all women with complete radiation and tamoxifen data, the number of new events was 88 (16.9%). Of these, 8 (1.5%) were in the mastectomy group, and 80 (17.9%) in the BCT group (p=0.0007). Ipsilateral events occurred in 1/99 (1%) woman undergoing mastectomy. In the BCT group complete radiation and tamoxifen data were available on 448 women, of whom 54 (12%) experienced ipsilateral events (p Conclusions: The use of optimal DCIS therapy (complete excision, RT, tamoxifen) decreased the odds of ipsilateral breast events by 73%, whereas RT alone or tamoxifen alone in addition to surgery were less effective. Despite relatively high acceptance of tamoxifen, lack of compliance remains an issue and will be further examined. Citation Format: Anna M Higham, Irene B Helenowski, Shruti R Zaveri, Daniel H Schneider, Nora M Hansen, Kevin P Bethke, Seema A Khan. Tamoxifen acceptance by DCIS patients and effect on subsequent ipsilateral and contralateral breast events [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-13-06.
Fathers and daughters : A needed course in family studies

Abstract Father-daughter relationships should receive more attention in family studies courses. A review of the literature shows that fathers have a lifelong impact on their daughters, yet receive too little attention from educators, mental health and social service workers, and researchers. Especially in families where the parents are unhappily married or divorced, father-daughter relationships need more attention from professionals working with families. By offering a course on Fathers and Daughters similar to the one described in this article, faculty can help students recognize their own biases and misconceptions about fathers, become familiar with recent research and its practical applications in working with fathers and daughters, and often create more meaningful relationships with their own fathers. This college course incorporates a unique variety of teaching techniques: student interviews with their fathers, the completion of more than fifty self-assessment questionnaires, tests that require appl...