cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hotspot evolution and Venusian tectonic style

Because hotspots represent an important manifestation of heat loss on Venus, their geological evolution is of fundamental importance for any attempt to understand Venusian tectonics. Eistla Regio is an approximately 7500-km-long, moderately elevated region inferred to overlie one or more large mantle upwellings or hotspots. It also contains many shield volcanoes and coronae believed due to the rise of thermal plumes in the mantle. Central Eistla Regio includes two large volcanoes, Sappho and Anala, and several coronae in close proximity. Detailed mapping in this region results in two conclusions of tectonic significance: (1) Sappho and Anala occur near the intersection of two major extensional deformation zones, and (2) the coronae are older than the large volcanoes. Several of the coronae occur as a chain along Guor Linea, one of the major extensional deformation zones. Stratigraphic relationships indicate that the coronae began forming very soon after the emplacement of the widespread regional plains materials. Thus Central Eistla Regio was the site of a swarm of plumes that first formed coronae and then later formed shield volcanoes. The expected result of such a swarm would be thermal thinning of the elastic lithosphere with time. However, model results, geological observations, and gravity data suggest that the change from coronae to shield volcanoes was accompanied by a thickening of the lithosphere with time. This thickening is interpreted to be the result of global cooling of the lithosphere following the most recent episode of near-global resurfacing. The global cooling must have occurred faster than local heating of the lithosphere due to the impingement of thermal plumes.
Potential role of pulsed-high intensity focused ultrasound in gene therapy.

As the understanding of human cancer biology increases, new potential strategies for gene therapy are being proposed and evaluated. However, safe and efficient gene transfer continues to be the major hurdle for its implementation in the clinic. Preclinical studies have shown how pulsed-high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) exposures can be combined with different modes of administration (local, intravascular and systemic) to improve local delivery of genes and other therapeutic agents. Using image guidance, exposures are given, where short pulses of energy create predominantly mechanical/structural effects in the tissues as opposed to thermal ones. The result is an increase in both extravasation and interstitial diffusion of macromolecules, which occur nondestructively and reversibly. Ultrasound contrast agents can also be added, which enhance acoustic cavitation activity and consequently sonoporation. By being able to locally increase the uptake and expression of DNA, pulsed-HIFU holds much promise to...
Stabilization of plasma-filled microwave tubes

ABSTRACT A plasma filling of a microwave tube cancels space-charge effects and has other benefits. Unfortunately, ion plasma oscillations can generate noise,frequency shifts, and even terminate beam current. A possible solution is tohave a transverse ion flow, which convects the ion instability away before itcan grow to disruptive levels. Keywords, stabilization, plasma-filled tubes, instability control.1. TEXT The use of a plasma filling to improve the operation of vacuum tubes hasbeen tried many times. One proposed use is the cancellation of electron space inthe beam of a traveling-wave tube. As an example, the voltage generated by a beam of 108 elecon/3 in a beam 1 cm in radius generates a potential of about10 kV. An ion filling would neutralize this voltage. Unfortunately, for long pulses of electron current, this ion filling can be disruptive. As an example ofan ion disruption, consider the plasma-filled Betatron' ,2,3,4• The Betatron, as developed by Don Kerst, is an AC transformer. The secondary is a toroidalvacuum tube in which electrons are accelerated to relativistic energies by a
Modeling and Methodology for Incorporating Existing Technologies to Produce Higher Probabilities of Detecting Suicide Bombers

Among the many weapons currently used by terrorist organizations against public welfare and coalition forces, human-born Improvised Explosive Devices IEDs present a significant threat. Commonly referred to as suicide bombers, these individuals enter crowded public areas in order to detonate their IED, inflicting lethal damage to the surrounding individuals. Constructed of non-standard parts and hidden under layers of clothing, these human-born IEDs go undetected until detonated. Currently, there are no detection systems that can identify suicide bombers at adequate standoff distances. The authors developed models and a methodology that examine current technologies to increase the probability of identifying a suicide bomber at a checkpoint or marketplace with an adequate standoff distance. The proposed methodology employs sensor technology incorporating unique detection threshold values. The authors analyze our proposed methodology utilizing a simulation model that provides both the probability of detecting a bomber and the probability of a false detection. These simulations will allow us to determine the threshold values for each sensor that result in the best probability of detection of a suicide bomber and allows for a small probability of false detections. Using experimentally "good" threshold values, the authors were able to drastically increase the probability of detection with a combination of radar and thermal imagery. In this paper, the main sensor is the hand-held radar.
Determinants of Salivary Cotinine Concentrations Among Smokeless Tobacco Users

INTRODUCTION: Factors associated with cotinine concentrations have been studied in smokers. Based on these studies, cotinine is recommended as a biomarker to assess severity of tobacco dependence. Evidence of association between cotinine concentrations and various factors among smokeless tobacco (ST) users is limited and mostly comes from tobacco cessation studies. The present study describes the relationship of salivary cotinine concentrations to sociodemographic factors, tobacco use characteristics, and ST products among ST users. METHODS: Data are from a community-based sample of 95 current adult ST users. Study participants provided a saliva sample for cotinine analysis and completed a mail survey that included questionnaires regarding sociodemographic information, tobacco use characteristics, and tobacco dependence measures. Crude and adjusted associations between cotinine and other variables were calculated. RESULTS: Age, years of ST use, cans per week, and swallowing of tobacco juices were significantly associated with salivary cotinine concentrations in the multiple regression model. Fine-cut ST products resulted in higher cotinine concentrations as compared with long-cut ST products when adjusted for age and tobacco use characteristics (p = .029). The Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence for ST users (r = .58, p < .0001) and the modified Tobacco Dependence Screener (r = .24, p < .0001) were both correlated with cotinine concentration. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest some similarities in the determinants of cotinine concentrations in ST users and smokers. Swallowing of tobacco juices and type of ST product are unique to ST users and are associated with higher cotinine concentrations.
Measuring the gains from trade under monopolistic competition: Measuring the gains from trade under monopolistic competition

Three sources of gains from trade under monopolistic competition are (i) new import varieties available to consumers; (ii) enhanced efficiency as more productive firms begin exporting and less productive firms exit; (iii) reduced markups charged by firms due to import competition. The first source of gains can be measured as new goods in a CES utility function for consumers. We argue that the second source is formally analogous to the producer gain from new goods, with a constant-elasticity transformation curve for the economy. We suggest that the third source of gain can be measured using a translog expenditure function for consumers, which, in contrast to the CES case, allows for finite reservation prices for new goods and endogenous markups. On identifie trois sources de gains en provenance du commerce international dans un regime de concurrence monopolistique: (1) nouvelles varietes d'importations disponibles pour les consommateurs; (2) efficacite accrue a proportion que les entreprises plus productives commencent a exporter et que les moins productives disparaissent; (3) reduction des marges beneficiaires dans les prix des entreprises a cause de la concurrence des importations. La premiere source de gains peut etre mesuree comme nouveaux produits dans une fonction d'utilite des consommateurs de type CES (i.e. ou l'elasticite de substitution est constante). On suggere que la seconde source est analogue aux gains des producteurs en provenance des nouveaux biens avec une courbe de transformation de l'economie aelasticite constante. Quant a la troisieme source, on suggere que les gains peuvent etre mesures en utilisant une fonction translog des depenses des consommateurs, laquelle, contrairement au cas de la CES, permet de prendre en compte les prix minima qu'on est pret a payer pour les nouveaux biens et les marges beneficiaires dans les prix endogenes.
Parton Momentum Distribution at the Moment of Jet-Parton Collisions

The early parton momentum distribution is extracted by using the STAR collaboration data of ridge particles associated with a near-side jet in central A uAu collisions at . The ridge particles are identified as medium partons kicked by the jet near the surface and they carry direct information on the parton momentum distribution at the moment of jet-parton collisions. The extracted parton momentum distribution has a thermal-like transverse momentum distribution but a rapidity plateau structure with a relatively flat rapidity distribution at mid-rapidities with sharp kinematic boundaries at large rapidities that depend on the transverse momentum.
A reexamination of fractional integrating dynamics in foreign currency markets

Abstract This paper reexamines foreign currency markets for evidence of fractional integration, and extends the extant literature in several important dimensions. First, we utilize a new semiparametric wavelet-based estimator, which is far superior to the more prevalent GPH estimator on the basis of mean squared error. Second, we utilize a broader and longer sample, which better facilitates the detection of long memory dynamics. Our analysis yields interesting empirical results that contrast with other recent studies. In particular, we find new evidence that a large proportion (14 out of 19) of exchange rate series display evidence of long memory, with little variation over alternative sample periods and alternative frequencies.
ECOLOGY OF INCREASING DISEASE : POPULATION GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

The World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations report that the prevalence of human diseases during the past decade is rapidly increasing. Population growth and the pollution of water, air, and soil are contributing to the increasing number of human diseases worldwide. Currently an estimated 40% of world deaths are due to environmental degradation. The ecology of increasing diseases has complex factors of environmental degradation, population growth, and the current malnutri- tion of about 3.7 billion people in the world.
In situ Raman characterization of nanoparticle aerosols during flame synthesis

Raman spectroscopy is applied to diagnose nanoparticle presence and characteristics in a gaseous flow field. Specifically, in situ monitoring of the Raman-active modes of TiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticles in aerosol form is demonstrated in high-temperature flame environments. This technique serves as a sensitive and reliable way to characterize particle composition and crystallinity (e.g. anatase versus rutile) and delineate the phase conversion of nanoparticles as they evolve in the flow field. The effect of temperature on the solid-particle Raman spectra is investigated by seeding nanoparticles into a co-flow jet diffusion flame, where local gas-phase temperatures are correlated by shape-fitting the N2 vibrational Stokes Q-branch Raman spectra. Applying the technique to a flame synthesis environment, the results demonstrate that in situ Raman of as-formed nanoparticles can be readily applied to other gas-phase synthesis systems, especially as an on-line diagnostic.
Why does firm reputation in human resource policies influence college students? The mechanisms underlying job pursuit intentions

Business periodicals, such as Fortune magazine, rank organizations in lists such as the “Best Companies to Work For,” providing applicants with information about fi rms’ human resource practices, including pay, benefi ts, worklife, and diversity practices. It is not clear what infl uence this reputational information about HR practices has on applicant interest in pursuing employment or, more important, why it does so. Given that fi rms invest substantial resources in HR practices to vie for positions on these lists, the current study sought to fi ll these gaps in the literature. In the 2 (compensation) � 2 (work-family) � 2 (diversity) factorial design, 232 college students read about magazine rankings in which a fi rm’s reputation in each HR practice was manipulated as ranking either high or low relative to competitors. We examined perceptions of organizational prestige, anticipated organizational support, and anticipated role performance as mechanisms that explain the infl uence of HR practice reputation on job pursuit intentions. Our results indicate that a fi rm’s reputation in compensation, work-family, and diversity efforts increase college students’ intentions to pursue employment with a fi rm. They do so because college students perceive that the organization is prestigious, will be supportive, and will foster their job performance. Our results suggest that a strong employer brand derived from employee-centered HR practices is important for recruiting college students. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sperm Transport in the Reproductive Tract of the Female Rabbit: I. The Rapid Transit Phase of Transport

Rabbit spermatozoa were recovered from the upper ampulla and the fimbrial and ovarian surfaces of all females examined at 1 mm post coitum (p.c.). As many as 1,000 spermatozoa could be recovered, on occasion, from the upper ampulla, fimbria and ovary of individual animals within the first 15 mm p.c. After artificial intravaginal insemination, the incidence of rapid transport and distribution of sperm in the female tract were the same as in mated females. The rapid transit phase of sperm transport is an asymmetric phenomenon, occurring predominantly in the left side of the female tract of both mated and artificially inseminated does. Most spermatozoa were not motile after rapid transport and in more than 90% of these, the membranes overlying the acrosome were disrupted. After rapid transport, spermatozoa were located almost exlcusively in the uppermost regions of the oviduct. Most of the spermatozoa were cleared to the peritoneal cavity between 15 mm and 4 h p.c. and none appeared to reenter the lower levels of the female tract. The sustained migration of motile spermatozoa from the uterus into the oviduct was first detected at 90 mm p.c., when small populations of motile sperm were recovered from the lower isthmus of all animals examined. These observations show clearly that rapid passive transfer of rabbit spermatozoa to the upper oviduct and peritoneal cavity is a regular sequel to mating. Most sperm in this vanguard are dead and are cleared to the peritoneal cavity before ovulation and thus can have no direct role in fertilization.
Cubic graphs on twelve vertices and the line graph of a finite affine plane

It is shown by Rao and Rao that certain geometric properties characterize the line graph of a BIB design with parameters b, v, r, k, 1, provided r - 2k + 1 < 0. If r = k + 1, and k #&62; 2, a characterization of the line graph of a finite affine plane is obtained. If r - 2k + 1 = 0, the only possible value for k is 2 and consequently r = k + 1 resulting in the case of the line graph of a finite affine plane. It is shown here that if r = k + 1 and k = 2, there are exactly seven other non-isomorphic graphs with those properties which are not the line graph of a finite affine plane and these are the only cubic graphs on twelve vertices with no quadrilaterals.
Cutting Edge: TCR Revision Occurs in Germinal Centers

Mouse CD4+Vβ5+ T cells recognize a peripherally expressed superantigen encoded by an endogenous retrovirus. Ag encounter tolerizes the mature CD4 T cell compartment, either by deletion of autoreactive cells or by TCR revision. This latter process is driven by TCRβ rearrangement through RAG activity and results in the rescue of cells expressing novel TCRs that no longer recognize the tolerogen. Consistent with the notion that revising T cells represent a distinct peripheral T cell population, we now show that these lymphocyte blasts express a hybrid effector/memory phenotype and are not undergoing cell division. A population of revising T cells is CD40+, expresses the germinal center (GC) marker CXCR5, and is Vβ5lowThy-1low. Histology reveals that, consistent with their surface Ag phenotype, T cells undergoing TCR revision are enriched in splenic GCs. These data demonstrate that TCR revision is a multistep tolerance pathway supported by the unique microenvironment provided by GCs.
Therapeutic approaches to asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndromes.

The recognition that there are some patients with features of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has highlighted the need to develop more specific treatments for these clinical phenotypes. Some patients with COPD have predominantly eosinophilic inflammation and might respond to high doses of inhaled corticosteroids and newly developed specific antieosinophil therapies, including blocking antibodies against IL-5, IL-13, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin, as well as oral chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on TH2 cells antagonists. Other patients have severe asthma or are asthmatic patients who smoke with features of COPD-induced inflammation and might benefit from treatments targeting neutrophils, including macrolides, CXCR2 antagonists, phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors, p38 mitogen-activating protein kinase inhibitors, and antibodies against IL-1 and IL-17. Other patients appear to have largely fixed obstruction with little inflammation and might respond to long-acting bronchodilators, including long-acting muscarinic antagonists, to reduce hyperinflation. Highly selected patients with severe asthma might benefit from bronchial thermoplasty. Some patients with overlap syndromes can be conveniently treated with triple fixed-dose combination inhaler therapy with an inhaled corticosteroid, long-acting β2-agonist, and long-acting muscarinic antagonist, several of which are now in development. Corticosteroid resistance is a feature of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome, and understanding the various molecular mechanisms of this resistance has identified novel therapeutic targets and presented the prospect of therapies that can restore corticosteroid responsiveness.
Improved Regression Estimation of A Multivariate Relationship with Population Data on the Bivariate Relationship

Regression coefficients specify the partial effect of a regressor on the dependent variable. Sometimes the bivariate or limited multivariate relationship of that regressor variable with the dependent variable is known from population-level data. We show here that such population-level data can be used to reduce variance and bias about estimates of those regression coefficients from sample survey data. The method of constrained MLE is used to achieve these improvements. Its statistical properties are first described. The method constrains the weighted sum of all the covariate-specific associations (partial effects) of the regressors on the dependent variable to equal the overall association of one or more regressors, where the latter is known exactly from the population data. We refer to those regressors whose bivariate or limited multivariate relationships with the dependent variable are constrained by population data as being “directly constrained.” Our study investigates the improvements in the estimation of directly constrained variables as well as the improvements in the estimation of other regressor variables that may be correlated with the directly constrained variables, and thus “indirectly constrained” by the population data. The example application is to the marital fertility of black versus white women. The difference between white and black women's rates of marital fertility, available from population-level data, gives the overall association of race with fertility. We show that the constrained MLE technique both provides a far more powerful statistical test of the partial effect of being black and purges the test of a bias that would otherwise distort the estimated magnitude of this effect. We find only trivial reductions, however, in the standard errors of the parameters for indirectly constrained regressors.
Effects of Calcium Addition on Stability and Sensory Properties of Soy Beverage

Pasteurized or thermally processed soy beverages (6% soy solids) were fortified to a comparable level of cow's milk with 25 mM (or 30 mM) calcium using mixtures of calcium citrate and tricalcium phosphate. These fortified pasteurized products had acceptable sensory properties. Addition of these calcium salts did not adversely affect protein stability of the beverage. Calcium citrate addition caused a decrease in beverage pH and viscosity. Thermally processed (still retort and agitort) canned beverages containing calcium salts were stable for 6 months when stored at 1°C or at room temperature.
Simulating a Tailless Re-Entry Vehicle

Virtual Flight - RITE (Rapid Integration Test Environment) is a NASA program devoted to the development of rapid prototyping technology for the design of aerospace vehicles. In the fourth simulation entry in this series of projects, a Crew Transfer Vehicle concept design developed at NASA-Ames Research Center was simulated. This concept vehicle, known as CTV8, is a delta-wing design with sharp leading edges to improve the hypersonic lift-to-drag ratio (L/D). Control surfaces included ailerons and elevators on the trailing edge of the wing, a rudder on the trailing edge of the vertical tail, and upper and lower body flaps (on the aft upper and lower edges of the fuselage) for speed control.
Evaluating the energy consumed for water use in the United States

This letter consists of a first-order analysis of the primary energy embedded in water in the United States. Using a combination of top-down sectoral assessments of energy use together with a bottom-up allocation of energy-for-water on a component-wise and service-specific level, our analysis concludes that energy use in the residential, commercial, industrial and power sectors for direct water and steam services was approximately 12:3 0:3 quadrillion BTUs or 12.6% of the 2010 annual primary energy consumption in the United States. Additional energy was used to generate steam for indirect process heating, space heating and electricity generation.
Study of the Josephson Current of ${\rm MgB}_{2}/{\rm Insulator/Pb}$ Tunnel Junctions

We have fabricated MgB2/Insulator/Pb Josephson tunnel junctions on MgB2 films deposited by hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition using native oxide as the tunnel barrier. For the critical current of the junction on MgB2 (0001) film, its temperature dependence follows the Ambegaokar-Baratoff relation and its magnetic field dependence exhibits a Fraunhofer pattern. From analysing the magnetic field dependence of the critical current of the junction on c-axis tilted MgB2 film, we find small contribution of the Josephson current from the ab-plane tunneling, which may suggest a pi phase difference between the order parameters of MgB2pi and sigma bands.
Oscillatory behavior of the squid axon membrane potential.

Squid axons impaled with a microelectrode have been treated with concentrations of xylene and benzene such that there is no change in threshold or resting potential at 20°C., while the spike height declines about 10 mv. A decrease in ambient temperature results in large, reversible, increases in threshold. While neither low temperature nor the added blocking agent induces repetitive firing from a single stimulus, the two treatments when combined do yield repetitive responses which commence at a sharply defined temperature. The alteration in the membrane responsible for the effects observed can be described by saying that there has been a large increase in the inductance of the equivalent electric circuit, and the temperature coefficient of the apparent membrane inductance has a Q10 = 5.
Identification of nonminimum phase systems using higher order statistics

A method is presented for identification of linear, time-variant, nonminimum phase systems when only output data are available. The input sequence need not be independent, but it must be non-Gaussian, with some special properties described in the test. The authors model a finite-dimensional system as an ARMA (autoregressive moving-average) rational function of known orders, but the special cases of AR, MA, and all-pass models are also considered. To estimate the parameters of their model, the authors utilize both second- and higher-order statistics of the output, which may be contaminated by additive, zero-mean, Gaussian white noise of unknown variance. The parameter estimators obtained are proved, under mild conditions, to be consistent. Simulations verify the performance of the proposed method in the case of relatively low signal-to-noise ratios, and when there is a model-order mismatch. >
Heat thermal structure in the interfacial boundary layer measured in an open tank of water in turbulent free convection

The thermal structure in the boundary layer and its relation to the heat flux from the cooling and evaporating surface of a deep tank of water are investigated. When a deep layer of water in contact with still air above loses heat to the air, the cooled water in a region just under the surface converges along lines and then plunges down in sheets. These sheets of falling water dissipate as they move into the body of the water, which is in turbulent motion. The vertical profiles of the horizontally averaged temperature and its standard deviation agree fairly closely with theoretical profiles based on time averages of the solution to the heat diffusion equation. The differences between observed and thus predicted profile shapes are consistent with the expected effects of the falling cold thermals and the warm return flow, which are neglected in the theories. The profiles of the standard deviation have large values up to the interface and lie between predictions based on boundary conditions of constant surface temperature and constant heat flux, in keeping with the experimental conditions.The relation between the net heat flux and the temperature difference across the boundary layer is given in non-dimensional form by N = 0[sdot ]156R0[sdot ]33, which is in good agreement with the asymptotic similarity prediction N [vprop ] R1/3 but lower than theoretical calculations of the upper bound of N vs. R.
Information consensus of asynchronous discrete-time multi-agent systems

This paper studies the consensus problem of multi-agent systems in an asynchronous framework. Under certain assumptions, the consensus protocol leads to stable behaviors even if the updating instants and sets of the agents are asynchronously determined. The model of asynchronous multi-agent systems encompasses those synchronous ones with various communication patterns, i.e., issues of directional, delayed, or failed communication can be addressed in the same framework. The asynchronous results in this paper thus shed new light on the synchronous results reported in the literature. In particular, synchronous protocols under dynamically changing interaction topologies can be seen as a special case of the asynchronous protocol where all communication delays are zero.
VOLUMETRIC ASSESSMENT OF CORONARY CALCIFICATION USING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY

Calcified plaques (CP) present unique challenges for percutaneous coronary intervention. We sought to quantify calcium volume in coronary atherosclerotic plaques by means of intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT). Thirty cadaveric coronary arteries were imaged using Frequency-Domain OCT.
Advanced Methods and Algorithms for Biological Networks Analysis

Modeling and analysis of complex biological networks presents a number of mathematical challenges. For the models to be useful from a biological standpoint, they must be systematically compared with data. Robustness is a key to biological understanding and proper feedback to guide experiments,including both the deterministic stability and performance properties of models in the presence of parametric uncertainties and their stochastic behavior in the presence of noise. In this paper, we present mathematical and algorithmic tools to address such questions for models that may be nonlinear, hybrid,and stochastic. These tools are rooted in solid mathematical theories, primarily from robust control and dynamical systems, but with important recent developments. They also have the potential for great practical relevance, which we explore through a series of biologically motivated examples.
The Role of Ad Hoc Regional Alliances in Managing Growth

This article discusses the establishment of the Cape Fear Regional Growth Team as an example of the emergence of ad hoc regional alliances nationwide. These alliances, characterized by the lack of ...
Strain Path Analysis of Setup Time Around Piles and Caissons

Installation of driven piles and suction caissons in clayey soils generates excess pore pressures that temporarily reduce load capacity due to side resistance. Time dependent dissipation of these excess pore pressures leads to recovery of side resistance, a process known as ‘setup’. Since many facilities cannot be put into operation until sufficient pile load capacity has been mobilized, realistic predictions of setup time can be important. This study consists on the analysis of setup time following open ended pile and caisson installation. Initial excess pore pressures due to installation disturbance are predicted based on a strain path analysis based on a ring source moving at constant velocity in an incompressible medium. It is assumed that the setup occurs primarily due to dissipation of excess pore pressures generated during the installation process; thixotropic effects are neglected. The analysis employs an elastic perfectly plastic model of soil behavior and an uncoupled analysis of consolidation to simulate conditions on the pile shaft outside of the influence of tip effects. A parametric study shows that wall thickness and soil rigidity index can exert order of magnitude differences on setup time. Strain path solutions show reasonable agreement to laboratory and field measurements of pore pressure dissipation around thin-walled piles typical of suction caissons. Strain path solutions tend to underestimate setup time for driven piles, likely due to partial plugging during pile driving.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
On the Mechanism of Volatilization of Large Biomolecules by Pulsed Laser Ablation of Frozen Aqueous Solutions

Previously we reported the volatilization of intact DNA molecules as large as ~ 410,000 Da by pulsed laser ablation of frozen aqueous solutions deposited on a copper substrate [1]. The laser wavelength was 581 nm and the pulse length was 20 ns (full width). More recently, we have reported volatilization of DNA molecules up to ~ 6 MDa molecular weight [2], and the detection of molecular ions of DNA up to ~ 18,500 Da using a time of flight mass spectrometer [2,3]. The efficiency of ionization was found to increase when the laser was tuned to either 589 or 578 nm. In this paper we assemble information from these two studies, together with additional observations, in order to develop some understanding of the ablation (and ionization) mechanisms.
Parental control and overconsumption of snack foods in overweight and obese children.

The associations between snack food consumption, parent feeding practices and general parenting in overweight in obese children are largely unknown. Therefore, we examined these relationships in 117 treatment-seeking overweight and obese children (10.40 ± 1.35 years; 53% female; 52% Caucasian; BMI-z: 2.06 ± .39). Children consumed a dinner meal, completed an Eating in the Absence of Hunger (EAH) free access paradigm (total EAH intake = EAH%-total; sweet food intake = EAH%-sweet), and completed the Child Report of Parent Behavior Inventory. Parents completed the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Child EAH%-total and EAH%-sweet were positively associated with dinner consumption (p's < .01). Girls had significantly higher EAH%-total compared to boys (p < .05). In separate models, higher EAH%-total was associated with greater use of maternal psychological control (p < .05) and EAH%-sweet was positively associated with parent monitoring (p < .05). In analyses examining factors associated with the consumption of specific foods, EAH snack food, parent restriction, pressure to eat, monitoring, and maternal psychological control were positively correlated with intake of Hershey's(®) chocolate bars (p's < .05). In summary, parental monitoring is associated with child sweet snack food intake and maternal psychological control is associated with child total snack food consumption. Future research should evaluate the complex relationship between child eating and parenting, especially with regard to subgroups of foods.
An Update on Gender Disparities in Coronary Heart Disease Care

Coronary heart disease (CHD), traditionally considered a male disease, causes far more deaths in women than cancer. The prevalence of CHD is lower in women at any age, but with advancing age, this differential decreases. The clinical outcomes including myocardial infarction mortality, all-cause mortality, and reinfarction rates are also worse in women with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) than in men. Yet, women appear to be underdiagnosed and undertreated for coronary heart disease. There is still a gap in the knowledge, understanding, and general awareness of CHD in women. This review provides updates in gender disparities in the management of risk factors, treatments, and outcomes of coronary heart disease.
CFD Modeling for Trajectory Predictions of a Generic Fighter Configuration

A framework to simultaneously solve the coupled ∞uid ∞ow Navier-Stokes equations with the dynamic equations governing the aircraft motion is assessed. The predicted trajectories have been compared against a series of free-∞ight spark range experiments to validate the approach. The model was flred from a gun room with an initial transonic Mach number. Also, the conflguration, the Standard Dynamics Model (SDM), has highly swept slender wings resulting in complex vortical ∞ow under various conditions. CFD validation of unsteady loads subject to these conditions is very challenging. Wind tunnel measurements at low speed are flrst used to validate the vortical ∞ow predictions at both low and high angles of attack. The dynamic efiects from breakdown of slender vortices on the forces and moments of maneuvering aircraft are next discussed. Finally, the CFD model for trajectory predictions is validated by integrating the aircraft rigid-body dynamic equations through time-accurate CFD calculations and comparing the ∞ight path of aircraft against measured free-∞ight range data.
Inhibition of mouse bladder tumor proliferation by alpha difluoromethylornithine and interferon in vitro and in vivo.

Abstract Previous studies have reported that alpha difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an enzyme-activated, irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), has anti-tumor activity in several tumor systems. Recently, investigations have revealed that combinations of DFMO and Interferon (IFN) are synergistic in inhibiting tumor cell growth. We tested the effects of DFMO and IFN α,β alone and in combination on the growth of mouse bladder tumor (MBT-2) cells both in vitro and in vivo. MBT-2 cells were incubated for 72 hours in 96 well microtiter plates with DFMO, IFN α,β and combinations of both agents and percentage inhibition was calculated. In vivo studies utilized the intravesical implantation method as well as subcutaneous implantation. DFMO was administered as a 1% solution in the drinking water. IFN α,β was given bi-weekly by intravesical administration. DFMO effectively inhibited MBT-2 growth in vitro. The ID 50 was 0.08 mM and peak inhibitory activity was reached at concentrations of 0.16 mM and remained constant with concentrations of up to 10 mM. IFN α,β also inhibited the in vitro proliferation of MBT-2 with maximum inhibition (46%) at 2,000 U/ml. Combinations of DFMO and IFN α,β showed increased anti-proliferative activity. The degree of enhancement varied with synergism, additivity, or sub-additivity at varying drug concentrations. In vivo, DFMO significantly retarded the growth of tumors implanted subcu-taneously (p α,β alone was ineffective in vivo and produced no additive effect in vivo when used in combination with DFMO. Results of our investigation show that DFMO inhibits proliferation of MBT-2 cells in vitro and exhibits a similar effect in vivo against subcutaneous and intravesical tumor implants. IFN α,β alone demonstrated anti-proliferative activity in vitro but did not affect MBT-2 growth in vivo. Although the combination of DFMO and IFN α,β exhibited enhanced activity in vitro, no enhancement was observed with combination therapy in vivo.
WebGro: A Web‐Based Soybean Management Decision Support System

WebGro is a web-based soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] decision support system built on the CROPGRO-Soybean model. The purpose of WebGro is to help soybean producers in the midwestern United States understand how different stresses interact to limit soybean yield in their fields. Stresses include water, soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines), herbicide injury, Rhizoctonia root rot disease (Rhizoctonia solani), and hail damage. The user can set up a field scenario by selecting cultivar, planting date, plant population, soil type, and the nearest weather station using a web form. Different stress levels can then be entered, and the model can be run interactively by simulating the effects of one or more stresses at a time. A summary table of model simulations is generated and presented onscreen allowing users to examine individual and combined effects of plant stresses. The results are stored on the server, thus allowing the users to view these results in another session. WebGro also offers interactive graphical output that lets users view daily changes in soybean biomass weight for a specific field or scenario. WebGro is available at http:// webgro.ae.iastate.edu.
A Parallel Evolutionary Algorithm for Subset Selection in Causal Inference Models

Science is concerned with identifying causal inferences. To move beyond simple observed relationships and associational inferences, researchers may employ randomized experimental designs to isolate a treatment effect, which then permits causal inferences. When experiments are not practical, a researcher is relegated to analyzing observational data. To make causal inferences from observational data, one must adjust the data so that they resemble data that might have emerged from an experiment. Traditionally, this has occurred through statistical models identified as matching methods. We claim that matching methods are unnecessarily constraining and propose, instead, that the goal is better achieved via a subset selection procedure that is able to identify statistically indistinguishable treatment and control groups. This reformulation to identifying optimal subsets leads to a model that is computationally complex. We develop an evolutionary algorithm that is more efficient and identifies empirically more optimal solutions than any other causal inference method. To gain greater efficiency, we also develop a scalable algorithm for a parallel computing environment by enlisting additional processors to search a greater range of the solution space and to aid other processors at particularly difficult peaks.
Valproate-Induced Cytopenias

A 16 year old white boy with trisomy 21 and valproic-acid induced erythrocyte aplasia is reported from the Divisions of Hematology and Oncology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL.
Acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy due to severe hemolysis after mechanical thrombectomy

Deep vein thrombosis is a frequently encountered medical condition, and one that is associated with significant morbidity if not promptly diagnosed and treated. Anticoagulation alone is, at times, insufficient for recanalization, particularly in those patients with ileofemoral thromboses. Pharmacomechanical catheter-directed thrombolysis has been used for clot dissolution and removal in these cases. Although hemolysis could occur due to mechanical lysis of red blood cells during the procedure, acute kidney injury has seldom been reported. We now report a case of massive hemoglobinuria that occurred immediately after the use of a pharmacomechanical catheter-directed technique to dissolve large deep vein thrombi. Severe oliguric acute renal failure ensued, complicated by uremic pericarditis and requiring four sessions of hemodialysis therapy.
Using CollaboRATE, a brief patient-reported measure of shared decision making: Results from three clinical settings in the United States.

Author(s): Forcino, Rachel C; Barr, Paul J; O'Malley, A James; Arend, Roger; Castaldo, Molly G; Ozanne, Elissa M; Percac-Lima, Sanja; Stults, Cheryl D; Tai-Seale, Ming; Thompson, Rachel; Elwyn, Glyn | Abstract: IntroductionCollaboRATE is a brief patient survey focused on shared decision making. This paper aims to (i) provide insight on facilitators and challenges to implementing a real-time patient survey and (ii) evaluate CollaboRATE scores and response rates across multiple clinical settings with varied patient populations.MethodAll adult patients at three United States primary care practices were eligible to complete CollaboRATE post-visit. To inform key learnings, we aggregated all mentions of unanticipated decisions, problems and administration errors from field notes and email communications. Mixed-effects logistic regression evaluated the impact of site, clinician, patient age and patient gender on the CollaboRATE score.ResultsWhile CollaboRATE score increased only slightly with increasing patient age (OR 1.018, 95% CI 1.014-1.021), female patient gender was associated with significantly higher CollaboRATE scores (OR 1.224, 95% CI 1.073-1.397). Clinician also predicts CollaboRATE score (random effect variance 0.146). Site-specific factors such as clinical workflow and checkout procedures play a key role in successful in-clinic implementation and are significantly related to CollaboRATE scores, with Site 3 scoring significantly higher than Site 1 (OR 1.759, 95% CI 1.216 to 2.545) or Site 2 (z=-2.71, 95% CI -1.114 to -0.178).DiscussionThis study demonstrates that CollaboRATE can be used in diverse primary care settings. A clinic's workflow plays a crucial role in implementation. Patient experience measurement risks becoming a burden to both patients and administrators. Episodic use of short measurement tools could reduce this burden.
The Syndrome of Thrombosis, Thrombocytopenia, and Recurrent Spontaneous Abortions Associated with Antiphospholipid Antibodies: Hughes Syndrome:

aPL-associated thrombosis (Hughes syndrome) is widely recognized as a major cause of organ damage in autoimmune diseases. Beginning with the first symposium in 1984, international aPL symposia have facilitated research on aPL antibodies, and the clinical standardization of aPL tests. It is hoped that the present symposium will continue this tradition, because much remains to be learnt about the origin and pathogenicity of aPL antibodies. In addition, new insights are needed for more effective therapies to be developed.
Errors in Genetic Testing: Common Causes and Strategies for Prevention

Genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes is an integral component of oncology care. Various types of common errors that occur in the genetic testing process are presented in this article with actual clinical case examples and commentary. Genetic errors are expensive and may result in poor outcomes for the patient and his or her family. Oncology nurses need to be aware of potential sources of error and advocate for comprehensive genetic care. .
Getting Serious About the Limits to Growth: ELR and Economic Restructuring Under Decroissance

This chapter argues that Post Keynesians are, despite their recent tepid concern for the environment, actually well-positioned to deal with limits to growth because they are open to active macroeconomic policies that actually change the structure of our economy. Traditional monetary approaches and quantitative easing merely inject more reserves into the financial sector, but this does not adjust the economy to slow or zero gross domestic product (GDP) growth because the financial sector seeks high returns within the market sector of the economy, is prone to cronyism, and will favor financialization over real investment in alternative structures if growth stops. Active fiscal policies advocated by Post Keynesians, on the other hand, not only deal more effectively with unemployment, they are also much more effective for restructuring the economy for eliminating the growth of high-throughput output and directing human activity towards more environmentally friendly activities. For example, fiscal policy can directly shift expenditures from high- to low-throughput productive activities, and an employer of last resort (ELR) program can be especially effective in directly shifting employment towards low-throughput activities. In general, fiscal policy is needed because many collective public activities must be expanded in order to restructure human society and diminish the human environmental footprint.