cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biomarkers Predictive of Short-Interval Breast Cancer Development in High-Risk Women

: Biomarkers highly predictive of short-term risk of breast cancer are needed to identify women most likely to benefit from prophylactic measures or chemopreventive agents. We have utilized random fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of breast ductal tissue because FNA is minimally traumatic, allowing aspiration to easily be repeated at follow-up intervals of months to years. We performed breast FNA on 213 women at high risk and 30 women at low risk for breast cancer. High-risk women were those with a first-degree relative with breast cancer, prior breast biopsy indicating atypical hyperplasia or carcinoma in situ, a history of prior breast cancer, or some multiple of these factors. Aspirates were analyzed for cytologic changes and biomarker abnormalities of DNA aneu-ploidy and overexpression of estrogen receptor (ER), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), p53, and HER-2Ineu. Cytologic evidence of hyperplasia with or without atypia as well as individual or multiple biomarker abnormalities were more frequent in the high-risk than the low-risk group. At a median follow-up of 32 months, five women have been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (2) or invasive cancer (3). By multivariate analysis, development of cancer, detection of cancer, or both was primarily predicted by atypical hyperplasia and secondarily by Gail risk at 10 years, menopausal status, and p53 overexpression. The combination of atypical hyperplasia and multiple biomarker abnormalities (restricted to the three-marker set of ploidy, p53, and EGFR) was observed in four of the five cases of cancer. Cytology and biomarker expression in cells obtained from random FNA sampling of breast tissue are being explored as risk predictors as well as surrogate response biomarkers for phase II cancer chemoprevention trials.
Evidence for the Role of Colloidal Palladium in the Catalytic Formation of H2O2 from H2 and O2

Abstract The direct production of H2O2 from H2 and O2 (O2/H2=2) at 25°C and 760 Torr occurs in an aqueous phase over colloidal palladium that may be introduced either via PdCl2 or via Pd supported on silica gel (Pd/SiO2). In the latter case, aqueous HCl facilitates the dissolution of the supported Pd. The presence of colloidal palladium was confirmed by electron microscopy. When the solution was either 0.1 M or 1.0 M in HCl, removal of the silica, along with any remaining supported Pd, did not affect the rate of H2O2 formation because the amount of active colloidal Pd remained unchanged. The specific activity of the supported Pd is only 3% of that for colloidal Pd, probably because of transport limitations within the pores of the silica.
A linear time algorithm for optimal routing around a rectangle

The problem of connecting a set of terminals that lie on the sides of a rectangle to minimize the total area is discussed. An O(n) algorithm is presented to solve this problem when the set of n terminals is initially sorted. The strategy in this paper is to reduce the problem to several problems such that no matter what instance is started with, at least one of these problems can be solved optimally by a greedy method.
Interferon treatment inhibits early events in vaccinia virus gene expression in infected mice

Abstract We have analyzed the role of exogenous administration of mouse interferon (IFNα + β) on the replication of vaccinia virus in peritoneal cells and in the spleen of Balb/c mice. Mice were pretreated for 16 hr with IFN and then infected with a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing luciferase under an early or late virus promoter, and the enzyme activity was measured in the course of virus infection. A dose of IFN as low as 103 units/mouse abolished the appearance of luciferase activity in cells of the peritoneal cavity and in spleen cells. The IFN-mediated inhibition of luciferase activity was observed even when mice were infected 4 days after the administration of IFN. The IFN-treated animals were considered free of virus since neither luciferase nor viral proteins were detected in target cells several days after virus infection. Despite a severe IFN-mediated inhibition of luciferase activity, the appearance of luciferase on mRNA levels was not inhibited 6 hr after virus infection. Our finding revealed that replication of vaccinia virus in Balb/c mice is exquisitively sensitive to inhibition by IFN and that this effect occurs at early times postinfection, most likely as a result of a translational block.
Computational design of antibody-affinity improvement beyond in vivo maturation

Antibodies are used extensively in diagnostics and as therapeutic agents. Achieving high-affinity binding is important for expanding detection limits, extending dissociation half-times, decreasing drug dosages and increasing drug efficacy. However, antibody-affinity maturation in vivo often fails to produce antibody drugs of the targeted potency, making further affinity maturation in vitro by directed evolution or computational design necessary. Here we present an iterative computational design procedure that focuses on electrostatic binding contributions and single mutants. By combining multiple designed mutations, a tenfold affinity improvement to 52 pM was engineered into the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor drug cetuximab (Erbitux), and a 140-fold improvement in affinity to 30 pM was obtained for the anti-lysozyme model antibody D44.1. The generality of the methods was further demonstrated through identification of known affinity-enhancing mutations in the therapeutic antibody bevacizumab (Avastin) and the model anti-fluorescein antibody 4-4-20. These results demonstrate computational capabilities for enhancing and accelerating the development of protein reagents and therapeutics.
The blame game: cervical cancer, knowledge of its link to human papillomavirus and stigma.

This two-study paper examined stigma toward women with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection (STI). For Study 1, participants (N = 352) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in which they read a brief description of a patient with either cervical or ovarian cancer in which the cause of the patient’s cancer was either specified (cervical: HPV, a STI vs. ovarian: family history) or unspecified. Participants in the cervical cancer/cause-specified condition rated the patient as more dirty, dishonest and unwise, and reported feeling more moral disgust and ‘grossed out’ than participants in the cervical cancer/cause-unspecified condition. For Study 2, participants (N = 126) were randomly assigned to read a vignette about a patient with cervical cancer in which the cause of cancer was either specified or unspecified. Consistent with Study 1, participants in the cause-specified condition rated the patient as more unwise, and reported ...
Correction: The role of tumor-associated macrophages in tumor vascularization.

© 2014 Guo et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
The Fermilab external muon identifier and internal picket fence

Abstract The development and use of electronic detectors, external to the liquid volume of the Fermilab 15-foot cryogenic bubble chamber, are described. This hybrid system greatly improved the analysis of neutrino-produced bubble chamber events, especially those involving final state muons.
An NHPP Software Reliability Model and Its Comparison

In this paper, software reliability models based on a nonhomogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) are summarized. A new model based on NHPP is presented. All models are applied to two widely used data sets. It can be shown that for the failure data used here, the new model fits and predicts much better than the existing models. A software program is written, using Excel & Visual Basic, which can be used to facilitate the task of obtaining the estimators of model parameters.
A kinetic study of the hydrolysis of the hexafluorogermanate ion

Abstract The rate of hydrolysis of the hexafluorogermanate(IV) ion has been determined over the pH range 4–10 at 15, 25 and 35°C. The rate law has the form: - d[GeF 6 2− ]/d t=(k 1 +k 2 [ H + ])[GeF 6 2− ]. The hydrolysis in basic solution has an activation energy of 21·5 ± 0·3 kcal/mole and a ΔS‡ value of −3·2 e.u. No evidence was found which would indicate that the partially hydrolyzed derivatives of the hexafluorogermanate(IV) ion had a catalytic effect on the rate.
Exploiting instruction level parallelism in processors by caching scheduled groups

Modern processors employ a large amount of hardware to dynamically detect parallelism in single-threaded programs and maintain the sequential semantics implied by these programs. The complexity of some of this hardware diminishes the gains due to parallelism because of longer clock period or increased pipeline latency of the machine.In this paper we propose a processor implementation which dynamically schedules groups of instructions while executing them on a fast simple engine and caches them for repeated execution on a fast VLIW-type engine. Our experiments show that scheduling groups spanning several basic blocks and caching these scheduled groups results in significant performance gain over fill buffer approaches for a standard VLIW cache.This concept, which we call DIF (Dynamic Instruction Formatting), unifies and extends principles underlying several schemes being proposed today to reduce superscalar processor complexity. This paper examines various issues in designing such a processor and presents results of experiments using trace-driven simulation of SPECint95 benchmark programs.
Demonstration of large complete phononic band gaps and waveguiding in high-frequency silicon phononic crystal slabs

Phononic crystals (PCs) are structures with periodic variations in their mechanical properties. PCs are especially of interest due to possibility of possessing frequency ranges in which propagation of elastic waves is completely prohibited; i.e., complete phononic band gaps (CPBGs). In this paper we first propose a PC slab structure created by a embedding a two dimensional array of void (air) inclusions in a solid slab with a finite thickness in the third dimension; using a plane wave expansion and a finite element code we show that wide CPBGs can be achieved by proper choice of geometrical parameters for the structure with void cylinders embedded in a thin silicon slab. Secondly, we report a CMOS-compatible fabrication procedure developed for fabrication and characterization of the proposed PC slabs operating at high frequencies (hundreds of megahertz to a few gigahertz). Using this fabrication procedure we fabricate and experimentally characterize the designed PC structures and show that strong attenuation (more than 30 dB) is observed in the transmission spectrum of elastic waves through eight layers of PC structure. The very good agreement between the frequency range of attenuation (119 MHz to 150 MHz) and the calculated CPBG provides an evidence of the validity and accuracy of our predictions of the existence of large CPBGs in the proposed structures. Using a PC structure with wide CPBG, a waveguide is fabricated by introducing a line defect in the PC structure. Characterization of the waveguide shows that high frequency (around 130 MHz) signals can be guided efficiently within the CPBG of the PC structure. These results show that the great capabilities of PCs can be utilized for realizing integrated micro/nano-mechanical devices with new and improved functionalities to be used in wireless communication and sensing applications.
Mirror Writing: The Literary Traces of the Zertsalo

The building is divided into two parts: in one there is the court, in the other, the jail. In the first part, there are two clean, whitewashed rooms: one is the outer room for petitioners; in the other is a desk adorned with ink stains. On the desk stands a zertsalo. There are four oak chairs with high backs; along the walls, ironbound chests in which the slanderous lawsuits of the district are piled up. On one of these chests, a polished boot was standing at the moment. 1
The Roles of the Bacteriophage T4 r Genes in Lysis Inhibition and Fine-Structure Genetics: A New Perspective

Seldom has the study of a set of genes contributed more to our understanding of molecular genetics than has the characterization of the rapid-lysis genes of bacteriophage T4. For example, T4 rII mutants were used to define gene structure and mutagen effects at the molecular level and to help unravel the genetic code. The large-plaque morphology of these mutants reflects a block in expressing lysis inhibition (LIN), the ability to delay lysis for several hours in response to sensing external related phages attacking the cell, which is a unique and highly adaptive attribute of the T4 family of phages. However, surprisingly little is known about the mechanism of LIN, or how the various r genes affect its expression. Here, we review the extensive old literature about the r genes and the lysis process and try to sort out the major players affecting lysis inhibition. We confirm that superinfection can induce lysis inhibition even while infected cells are lysing, suggesting that the signal response is virtually instantaneous and thus probably the result of post-translational regulation. We identify the rI gene as ORF tk. – 2 , based on sequence analysis of canonical rI mutants. The rI gene encodes a peptide of 97 amino acids ( Mr = 11.1 kD; pI = 4.8) that probably is secreted into the periplasmic space. This gene is widely conserved among T-even phage. We then present a model for LIN, postulating that rI is largely responsible for regulating the gp t holin protein in response to superinfection. The evidence suggests that the rIIA and B genes are not directly involved in lysis inhibition; rather, when they are absent, an alternate pathway for lysis develops which depends on the presence of genes from any of several possible prophages and is not sensitive to lysis inhibition.
And the Cuts Just Keep on Coming: Idaho State Budgeting in 2009 and 2010

THE CALIFORNIA Journal of Politics & Policy Volume 3, Issue 2 And the Cuts Just Keep on Coming: Idaho State Budgeting in 2009 and 2010 Dick Kinney Boise State University Abstract This report examines Idaho state budgeting during 2009 and 2010. After first de- scribing Idaho’s people, politics, and budgeting process, it discusses the economic and General Fund revenue situations facing the state. The paper considers adjust- ments for FY 2010 proposed by Governor Otter and approved by the legislature, and budget recommendations and legislative actions for FY 2011 and their impacts on state spending. The report concludes with developments since the legislative session ended last spring. Keywords: Idaho state budget, taxes, state government, fiscal policy www.bepress.com/cjpp
A linearized heat-conducting fluid and its quasi-static approximation

A linearized flow of a compressible inviscid heat-conducting fluid is considered and a comparison is made with its coupled/quasi-static approximation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential Ability of Surface and Endosomal TLRs To Induce CD8 T Cell Responses In Vivo

TLR activation on dendritic cells (DCs) induces DC maturation and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, both of which are important for activation and differentiation of CD4 T cells. The importance of TLR activation on DCs for CD8 T cell responses is less clear. In this study, we tested the ability of different TLRs to regulate CD8 T cell responses to pathogens. We found that although all TLRs are able to induce CD8 T cell activation in vitro, there are profound differences in their ability to activate CD8 T cells in vivo. The nucleic acid recognizing endosomal TLRs, TLR3 and TLR9, had a potent ability to induce CD8 T cell activation. However, the surface TLRs, TLR2 and TLR4, that recognize bacterial ligands were not only incapable of inducing CD8 T cell priming, but they had a dominant effect of inhibiting CD8 T cell expansion induced by activation of endosomal TLRs. We found that TLR2 and TLR4, acting in a MyD88-dependent manner, influenced CD8 T cell priming by altering the composition of DCs in the draining lymph nodes. Our results have important implications for combined bacterial and viral infections and suggest that bacterial infections could constrain the ability of the host to mount effective antiviral CD8 T cell immunity.
Learning and using models of kicking motions for legged robots

Legged robots, such as the Sony AIBO, create opportunity to design rich motions to be executed in specific situations. In particular, teams involved in robot soccer RoboCup competitions have developed many different motions for kicking the ball. Designing effective motions and determining their effects is a challenging problem that is traditionally approached through a generate and test methodology. In this paper, we present a method we developed for learning the effects of kicking motions. Our procedure acquires models of the kicks in terms of key values that describe their effects on the ball's trajectory, namely the angle and the distance reached. The successful automated acquisition of the models of different kicks is then followed by the incorporation of these models into the behaviors to select the most promising kick in a given state of the world. Using the robot soccer domain, we demonstrate that a robot that takes into account the learned predicted effects of its actions performs significantly better than its counterpart.
Contribution of mobile genetic elements to Desulfovibrio vulgaris genome plasticity

The genome of Desulfovibrio vulgaris strain DePue, a sulfate-reducing Deltaproteobacterium isolated from heavy metal-impacted lake sediment, was completely sequenced and compared with the type strain D. vulgaris Hildenborough. The two genomes share a high degree of relatedness and synteny, but harbour distinct prophage and signatures of past phage encounters. In addition to a highly variable phage contribution, the genome of strain DePue contains a cluster of open-reading frames not found in strain Hildenborough coding for the production and export of a capsule exopolysaccharide, possibly of relevance to heavy metal resistance. Comparative whole-genome microarray analysis on four additional D. vulgaris strains established greater interstrain variation within regions associated with phage insertion and exopolysaccharide biosynthesis.
Success and failure at Parkfield

I knew that I could never meet Keats's standard, even as I knew that all my “ansioers” might eventually be proven wrong. I took solace, once again, in Francis Bacon, who praised error, because only from wrong answers can the Truth emerge. —Robert Kaplan, 1996 Our whole problem is to make the mistakes as fast as possible. —John Wheeler, 1956 Now that the long-awaited M6 Parkfield earthquake (28 September 2004, 17:15:24 GMT) has occurred, a summary of what hypotheses the “Parkfield Prediction Experiment” (PPE) was designed to test is in order. This is particularly true since many years have passed since the first proposals and papers were written (Lindh, USGS Project Report 8-9930-02098, 1978; Bakun and McEvilly, Science , 1979), and because not all the hypotheses were stated with perfect clarity in the original publications. As I understood the problem at the time, the main questions posed concerning the next Parkfield earthquake had to do with: 1. Extent of rupture, 2. Magnitude, 3. Direction of rupture, 4. Time of earthquake, and 5. Short-term precursors, including foreshocks and premonitory slip. The first two refer to what is called the Characteristic Earthquake hypothesis, the fourth the Elastic Rebound (or time-predictable) hypothesis, and the fifth addressed the question of short-term predictability. The details of the recent event appear to validate our assumptions about the first two and falsify the next two, and while there were no obvious foreshocks or large-scale premonitory slip preceding the recent event, the jury is out on the fifth question until there is time to examine all the high-resolution data sets carefully. Some of the downhole strainmeters may show something in the hours prior to the main event, but it is very small, and very careful analysis will be required before even tentative conclusions can be reached. In addition to these aspects of the …
The Association of Stigma with Self-Reported Access to Medical Care and Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence in Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

Background The stigma of HIV-infection may profoundly affect the lives of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA). However few studies have examined the association of HIV stigma with multiple components of HIV treatment and care.
Laminin-332 alters connexin profile, dye coupling and intercellular Ca2+ waves in ciliated tracheal epithelial cells

Tracheal epithelial cells are anchored to a dynamic basement membrane that contains a variety of extracellular matrix proteins including collagens and laminins. During development, wound repair and disease of the airway epithelium, significant changes in extracellular matrix proteins may directly affect cell migration, differentiation and events mediated by intercellular communication. We hypothesized that alterations in cell matrix, specifically type I collagen and laminin α3β3γ2 (LM-332) proteins within the matrix, directly affect intercellular communication in ciliated rabbit tracheal epithelial cells (RTEC). Functional coupling of RTEC was monitored by microinjection of the negatively charged fluorescent dyes, Lucifer Yellow and Alexa 350, into ciliated RTEC grown on either a LM-332/collagen or collagen matrix. Coupling of physiologically significant molecules was evaluated by the mechanism and extent of propagated intercellular Ca2+ waves. Expression of connexin (Cx) mRNA and proteins were assayed by reverse transcriptase – polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry, respectively. When compared to RTEC grown on collagen alone, RTEC grown on LM-332/collagen displayed a significant increase in dye transfer. Although mechanical stimulation of RTEC grown on either LM-332/collagen or collagen alone resulted in intercellular Ca2+ waves, the mechanism of transfer was dependent on matrix: RTEC grown on LM-332/collagen propagated Ca2+waves via extracellular purinergic signaling whereas RTEC grown on collagen used gap junctions. Comparison of RTEC grown on collagen or LM-332/collagen matrices revealed a reorganization of Cx26, Cx43 and Cx46 proteins. Alterations in airway basement membrane proteins such as LM-332 can induce connexin reorganizations and result in altered cellular communication mechanisms that could contribute to airway tissue function.
Phase measurement, traceability, and verification theory and practice

Presently available technology allows the construction of phase calibration equipment with phase resolutions of at least one part in 2/sup 18/, that is, a phase resolution of 0.00137 degrees . The users and the manufacturers of such equipment are faced with the practical problem of verifying their phase accuracy-both relative and absolute-and their traceability to some more accurate source. The authors present measurement methods that allow both relative and absolute high-resolution phase determinations in the vicinity of 0 degrees , 60 degrees , 90 degrees , and 180 degrees angles. They also present practical methods of implementing all of these methods together with comparative experimental data for all of them. >
An Essay on Sabotage and Obstruction

This is a light ‘divertissement’ about the problems of modern transportation, and the beckoning pleasures of meeting with Jorg.
Chlamydomonas: a sexually active, light‐harvesting, carbon‐reducing, hydrogen‐belching ‘planimal’: Conference on the Cell & Molecular Biology of Chlamydomonas

The first EMBO workshop and the 13th international conference on the Cell & Molecular Biology of Chlamydomonas was held between 27 May and 1 June 2008, in Hyeres‐les‐Palmiers, France, and was organized by M. Goldschmidt‐Clermont, C. Silflow & F.‐A. Wollman. ![][1] Imagine walking along a beautiful beach of sand and rock on the Cote d'Azur enjoying the magnificent scenery—and anticipating an excellent meal afterwards—when suddenly, from the waters arises a tiny monstrosity: part plant, part animal and even part bacterium. It is green and gets its energy from the sun; it also swims (doing the breast stroke) in search of quality light, nutrients and mates, and yet it can ferment and emit hydrogen in a manner similar to an anaerobic bacterium. Furthermore, despite its bizarre chimeric nature, this beast seems to be perfectly adapted to its life. Although this description might seem fantastic, it is none the less accurate and is essentially what 242 Chlamydomonas researchers from 19 countries were confronted with during the first European Molecular Biology Organization workshop and the 13th international conference on the Cell & Molecular Biology of Chlamydomonas (Fig 1). This conference forced many researchers working on various aspects of the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas , or ‘Chlamy’ as it is affectionately called, to face the fact that all this time they have been working on a ‘planimal’—an organism with traits that do not fit easily into nice, neat categories. Although this has long been appreciated by the Chlamy community, the bulk of which has been traditionally divided between those working on photosynthesis and chloroplasts, and those working on flagella and motility, new insights coming primarily from the genomes of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the related multicellular alga Volvox carteri have shown us that the chimeric nature of Chlamy runs deep. After all, how many organisms can, at … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
A technique for solving the extended discrete Lyapunov matrix equation

A previously presented technique for solving the extended Lyapunov matrix equation is applied to the extended discrete Lyapunov matrix equation. The system matrix is first transformed to its Jordan canonical form. Then an explicit solution is obtained for the equivalent equation which results.
Interactions of Cellular Polypeptides with the Cytoplasmic Domain of the Mouse Fas Antigen

Abstract The mouse Fas/APO-1 antigen represents a 45-kilodalton transmembrane receptor that initiates apoptosis by a poorly defined signaling mechanism. The cytoplasmic domain of Fas does not display any known enzymatic activities but is capable of interacting with a number of proteins that were identified recently using the yeast interactive cloning method. To investigate direct biochemical interactions from cellular lysates prepared from Fas-responsive cells, a series of recombinant glutathione S-transferase-mouse Fas fusion proteins representing different regions of the mouse Fas cytoplasmic domain was used. Polypeptides of 25, 50, and 70 kilodaltons were found to associate with the Fas intracellular domain, and this binding was stable in the presence of 1 M NaCl. These interactions were also detected using a mouse Fas fusion protein containing an Ile to Asn mutation, which is responsible for a lymphoproliferative disorder in certain strains of mice (lpr). Furthermore, the binding of cellular proteins to Fas could be blocked upon incubation with a polyclonal antibody directed against the cytoplasmic domain of Fas. The strong association of cellular proteins with the cytoplasmic region implies that constitutive interactions may exist to regulate apoptotic signaling through the Fas antigen.
Steady-state preparation for spoiled gradient echo imaging

While spoiled gradient echo sequences provide a rapid means of acquiring T1-weighted images, it is often desirable that the magnetization be in the steady state to avoid artifacts. For some applications, this requires many “dummy” repetitions of the pulse sequence prior to data collection, delaying image acquisition. A method is presented in which a saturation pulse, followed by a prescribed recovery period, places longitudinal magnetization levels of all materials near steady state, ready for data acquisition much sooner than when employing only dummy repetitions to achieve steady state. Effects of transverse coherences are studied using configuration theory. The method is shown to be effective in both phantom studies and in vivo applications, including real-time imaging, multiphase cardiac imaging, and triggered contrast-enhanced angiography. Magn Reson Med 45:653–661, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Fourier and electrophysiological analyses of acoustic communication in Acheta domesticus.

Waveform and spectral analysis were made on the call song of the cricket, Acheta domesticus.Sounds produced by unrestrained male crickets were led directly to a computer where discrete Fourier transforms were performed on selected segments of the call song. The findings revealed essentially pure tone carrier frequencies which result from the rate at which the individual teeth of the pars stridens are struck by the plectrum. An electrophysiologically determined audiogram showed good agreement with the dominant frequency of the call song, but was less sensitive and more broadly tuned than hearing curves of most field-crickets.
Tropical storm and environmental forcing on regional blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) settlement

Global climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and magnitude of hurricanes, typhoons and other extreme cyclonic disturbance events, with little known consequences for recruitment dynamics of marine species that rely on wind-driven larval transport to coastal settlement and nursery habitats. We conducted a large-scale settlement study of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the Croatan-AlbemarlePamlico Estuarine System (CAPES) in North Carolina, the second largest estuary in the US, during a 10-yr period that encompassed 35 tropical storms of varying magnitudes and tracks, to determine the effects of hurricane track, wind speed and direction as well as lunar-associated explanatory variables on spatiotemporal variation in settlement. The results suggest that much of the spatiotemporal variation in blue crab settlement within the CAPES is due to a combination of: (i) stochastic, meteorological events such as the number of tropical storm days during the fall recruitment season (28% of the monthly variation explained), (ii) the frequency and duration of wind events blowing toward the southwest and, to a lesser degree, (iii) periodic events such as hours of dark flood tide. Tropical storms and hurricanes expand the blue crab nursery capacity of the CAPES. The benefits of hurricane-forcing to megalopal settlement was dependent upon the storm track, with highest settlement events generally associated with ‘onshore’ storm tracks that made landfall from the ocean and moved inland along a southeasterly ⁄northwesterly path, or ‘coastal’ storms that followed a path roughly parallel to the coastline and were located <300 km offshore of the coast.
Performance estimates in seismically isolated bridge structures

An analytical study investigating the performance of seismically isolated bridge structures subjected to earthquake excitation is summarized. Here, performance is assessed using the following descriptors; maximum isolator displacement and energy demand imposed on individual seismic isolators. Nonlinear response-history analysis is employed considering 20 different isolation systems and three bins of earthquake ground motions. Results of these analyses are used to: (1) review the accuracy of the current AASHTO equation for the calculation of displacements in seismically isolated bridge structures, and (2) determine the increase in maximum horizontal displacement of a seismic isolator due to bidirectional seismic excitation, and (3) review the current AASHTO prototype testing requirements for seismic isolators under seismic loading conditions. The current AASHTO equation for calculating maximum isolator displacements is shown to underestimate median maximum horizontal displacements determined from bidirectional nonlinear response-history analysis. Maximum isolator displacements determined from bidirectional seismic excitation are shown to be significantly larger than those considering unidirectional seismic excitation. Two factors contributing to the increase in maximum isolator displacement are identified; additional displacement demand from a second (orthogonal) component, and the coupled response of seismic isolators. The current prototype testing requirements for seismic loading specified by the AASHTO are shown to result in energy demands that are inconsistent with those determined from numerical simulation of maximum earthquake excitation. An improved prototype testing protocol for seismic isolators subjected to seismic loading is proposed.
Risk-Taking Behavior Of Public Pension Plans Before And After The Financial Crisis Of 2008

This paper investigates whether public pension plans’ risk-taking behavior has changed after the recent financial crisis of 2008 by testing two contrasting hypotheses on pension funding: risk transfer and risk management hypotheses. In managing pension assets, public pension plan sponsors may have an incentive for risk transfer because underfunded pension obligations can be shifted to future taxpayers (risk transfer hypothesis). Facing a budget constraint, they may also have an incentive for risk management because they would prefer to stabilize their contributions (risk management hypothesis). Using a sample of 126 public pension plans for the period of 2001‒2011, this paper finds that public pension plans’ risk-taking behavior has changed after the financial crisis of 2008. Before the financial crisis, public pension plan sponsors invest more in equities when a large required contribution is expected, which is consistent with the risk transfer hypothesis. After the financial crisis, however, the plan sponsors invest less in equities when a large required contribution is expected, which is consistent with the risk management hypothesis. The findings suggest that public pension plans’ risk-taking behavior is not constant over time, but can be varied depending on market conditions.
Modification of Fronts and Precipitation by Coastal Blocking during an Intense Landfalling Winter Storm in Southern California: Observations during CALJET

Abstract The California Land-falling Jets Experiment (CALJET) was carried out along the California coast, and up to 1000-km offshore, during the winter of 1997/98 to study the underlying physical processes that cause flooding rains and high winds in the orographically complex coastal zone and to explore the impact of potential future observing systems on short-term (<24 h) quantitative precipitation and wind forecasts during the landfall of winter storms from the data-sparse eastern Pacific Ocean. Using the suite of experimental and operational observing systems that were available during CALJET, this study documented the mesoscale modification of an intense landfalling cyclone by the steep coastal orography on 3 February 1998. This storm heavily impacted the populous and highly vulnerable coastal zone of southern California with flooding rains, strong winds, and major beach erosion. A pair of landfalling cold-frontal zones produced most of the damaging weather, while the primary cyclone circulation remai...
Implications from Helast II for the Modeling of Land Combat Systems

The results of HELAST II, “A Field Study of the Effects of Mobility/Agility on Target Presentation and Defender Reaction” 1), have significant implications for the modeling of land combat systems. Among these are:
Information Literacy in the Changing Landscape of Distance Learning The Collaborative Design of a Flexible, Digital, Asynchronous Course

This paper offers a case study of the collaborative development of an information literacy course for students enrolled in an online, proprietary college. This credit-bearing course was created in accordance with ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education as well as the newly adopted Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education . The course treats information literacy as a meta-competency that encourages students to explore a variety of research tools, from social media to scholarly journals, and to develop critical thinking and research skills. In order to incorporate current best practices in information literacy pedagogy into the course itself, institutional factors needed to be addressed; these factors are reviewed here. This paper also explores implications for the future of the course, including assessment, the need to constantly adapt to the changing needs of students, and the ever-changing digital environment.
A Review of “The Geography of Religion: Faith, Place, and Space”

In the past four or five decades, religion has tended to be marginalized as an area of study in human geography and within many of the social sciences. The importance of religion as a salient theme...
MEMORIAL for KEITH PRESTON YOUNG (1918–2004)

“With the death of Keith Young …, we have lost the leading worker of his generation on the Cretaceous of the Gulf Coast region.” J. Kennedy, Oxford University, United Kingdom, August 2004 Keith Young published over 100 papers and contributed to numerous symposia and field guides dealing with Mesozoic biostratigraphy. He supervised 50 graduate students, many of whom went on to work in geology-related industries or in academia. A significant number of the type specimens in our collection were described by him, and his contribution to these collections is enormous. In addition he found the time to teach numerous courses within …
Some effects of business environment on retail firms

ABSTRACTThis paper empirically tests how formal retail entrepreneurs’ perception about the business environment in Cameroon affects the performance of the retail sector. I use business owners’ responses from the 2009 Enterprise Survey to estimate an econometric model that corrects for heteroscedasticity. The results show that regulation costs, corruption, credit constraints, and lack of infrastructure negatively affect the gross margins of firms. In contrast, the competition of the informal sector – perceived by many formal entrepreneurs as a major constraint – is positively associated with the gross margins of formal firms. Policy implications are discussed.
Transmission-based contact precautions for multidrug-resistant organisms in trauma patients: fewer days in isolation with no increase in hospital-associated infections.

BACKGROUNDOur hospital transitioned from routine to selective contact isolation of patients based not on history or diagnosis of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) but rather on the likelihood the patient was soiling their environment. We hypothesized that the change to true transmission-based co
Delayed Presentation of Vaginal Cuff Dehiscence after Robotic Hysterectomy for Gynecologic Cancer: A Case Series and Review of the Literature

Background. Vaginal cuff dehiscence after hysterectomy has varying incidence according to surgical approach, with highest rates associated with laparoscopic surgery. Comparative data on timing of diagnosis describe a wide range of clinical presentation from weeks to years after hysterectomy. Limited reports have focused specifically on delayed presentation of vaginal cuff dehiscence. Cases. All cases of vaginal cuff dehiscence at our institution between 2005 and 2015 were collectively reviewed and three cases were identified of women who presented with cuff dehiscence greater than 180 days from index surgery. Diagnosis occurred at 342 to 461 days after operation. One patient presented with abdominal pain, a second case presented with vaginal discharge, and the third case lacked clinical symptoms altogether. Prior to diagnosis, one case received chemotherapy and external beam radiation for Stage IB1 cervical cancer and another case received external beam radiation alone for Stage II endometrioid adenocarcinoma. All cuffs were repaired vaginally with interrupted, early absorbable suture. Conclusion. Robotic total laparoscopic hysterectomy may be associated with increased risk of vaginal cuff dehiscence. Further studies are needed to determine risk factors and patient characteristics associated with delayed presentation of vaginal cuff dehiscence in robotic total hysterectomy as well as all surgical approaches.
Three-Dimensional Modeling Analysis of Visceral Arteries and Kidneys during Respiration

Background Visceral arteries are commonly involved in endovascular repair of complex abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). To improve repair techniques and reduce long-term complications involving visceral arteries, it is crucial to understand in vivo arterial geometry and the deformations due to visceral organ movement with respiration. This study quantifies deformation of the celiac, superior mesenteric (SMA), and renal arteries during respiration and correlates the deformations with diaphragmatic excursion. Methods Sixteen patients with small AAAs underwent magnetic resonance angiography during inspiratory and expiratory breathholds. From geometric models of the aorta and visceral arteries, vessel length, branch angle, curvature, and positions were computed, along with degree of diaphragmatic excursion as indicated by kidney translation. Results From inspiration to expiration, the celiac artery exhibited axial shortening of 4.8 ± 6.4% (P 0.50). Correlation of the LRA with the left kidney was greater than that of the RRA with the right kidney. Conclusions The celiac artery exhibited less branch angle change, and greater axial and curvature deformations than the other visceral arteries, due to the vicinity to the liver and influence of the median arcuate ligament. Correlation between visceral arteries and kidney translations revealed that diaphragmatic excursion affects vessel mobility. Weaker correlation of the RRA to the right kidney indicates mechanical shielding from the inferior vena cava.
Acquisition of the streptococcal tetMdeterminant by Neisseria gonorrhoeae

High-level resistance to tetracycline (MIC 16 to 64 µg/ml) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae was due to acquisition of the tetM determinant, a transposon-borne determinant intially described in the genus Streptococcus. In all strains of N. gonorrhoeae tested to date, the tetM determinant was located on a 25.2 Mdal plasmid which arose from the insertion of tetM into the 24.5 Mdal gonococcal conjugative plasmid. The tetM determinant was transferred to suitable recipient strains of N. gonorrhoeae by both genetic transformation and conjugation. The 25.2 Mdal plasmid represent the first description of a self-transmissible R-factor in N. gonorrhoeae.
Triflupromazine as a Potent Antiemetic Agent in Vomiting Due to Drug Toxicity

In 28 of 29 cases of nausea and vomiting, triflupromazine proved superior as an antiemetic agent to chlorpromazine or dimen-hydrinate. Vomiting was due to drug toxicity in 15 cases, nitrogen mustard being the principal causative agent; other immediate causes of vomiting included jaundice, cerebellar metastases, migraine, radiation sickness and gastritis. It appears that triflepromazine is a highly effective agent in the elimination and prevention of nausea and vomiting.
Effect of Fluosol-DA and hetastarch on local cerebral blood flow, cortical O2 availability and computerized EEG data during cerebral ischaemia.

This study was designed to assess the effects of volume expansion with Fluosol-DA and hetastarch on local cerebral blood flow (CBF), cortical O2 availability (O2a) and computerized EEG power data during cerebral ischaemia in a primate stroke model. Focal cerebral ischaemia was produced in 20 anaesthetized Macaca monkeys by right unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion by the transorbital technique. Following occlusion of the right MCA, monkeys were randomized into one of the following treatment groups: Group A--Fluosol-DA 15 ml kg-1 i.v. + 40% O2; Group B--Fluosol-DA 15 ml kg-1 i.v. + 100% O2; Group C--hetastarch 30 ml kg-1 i.v. + 40% O2; Group D--hetastarch 30 ml kg-1 i.v. + 100% O2. In Group A, local CBF increased and EEG power data improved while O2a showed no change in the right MCA territory. In Group B, local CBF increased from 84% (P less than 0.001), O2a improved significantly, and EEG power data showed significant improvement in the right hemisphere. Cardiac output did not change during the Fluosol-DA infusions. In Groups C and D, local CBF increased significantly, O2a did not change, and EEG power data improved significantly in the right hemisphere. Cardiac output also increased significantly during the hetastarch infusions. These results show that Fluosol-DA and hetastarch improve local CBF and EEG power data in ischaemic brain. Only the Fluosol-DA + 100% O2 increased the O2a in the ischaemic brain. We conclude that the benefits with Fluosol-DA are due to its ability to increase O2 delivery to ischaemic brain.
Scientific considerations for future spectroscopic measurements from space of activity on the Sun

High-resolution UV and X-ray spectroscopy are important to understanding the origin and evolution of magnetic energy release in the solar atmosphere, as well as the subsequent evolution of heated plasma and accelerated particles. Electromagnetic radiation is observed from plasma heated to temperatures ranging from about 10 k K to above 10 MK, from accelerated electrons emitting photons primarily at X-ray energies, and from ions emitting in gamma rays. These observations require space-based instruments sensitive to emissions at wavelengths shorter than the near UV. This article reviews some recent observations with emphasis on solar eruptive events, the models that describe them, and the measurements they indicate are needed for substantial progress in the future. Specific examples are discussed demonstrating that imaging spectroscopy with a cadence of seconds or better is needed to follow, understand, and predict the evolution of solar activity. Critical to substantial progress is the combination of a judicious choice of UV, EUV, and soft X-ray imaging spectroscopy sensitive to the evolution of this thermal plasma combined with hard X-ray imaging spectroscopy sensitive to suprathermal electrons. The major challenge will be to conceive instruments that, within the bounds of possible technologies and funding, have the flexibility and field of view to obtain spectroscopic observations where and when events occur while providing an optimum balance of dynamic range, spectral resolution and range, and spatial resolution.