cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The evolution of herbal medicine: behavioural perspectives

The current popularity of traditional herbal supplements, coupled with recent findings that add scientific legitimacy to the use of some medicinal herbs, prompts a question about the origins of herbal medicine in animals and ancestral humans. Medicinal herbs are used by animals and humans with the apparent prophylactic effects of reducing the likelihood or severity of illness from pathogens or parasites in the future. Medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory and/or analgesic properties are used in a therapeutic way to treat acute infections and inflammatory conditions, particularly in humans, and could have proven lifesaving to individuals living in nature. Was the origin of such types of herbal medicine the result of animals and humans learning that specific plant parts are effective for preventing or treating certain maladies, or was the origin a result of natural selection for a behavioural predisposition to seek out and use plant parts with particular physical or chemosensory markers of efficacy? Examining the predictions and requirements of both the learned and evolutionary explanations points primarily to an evolutionary model for the origin of herbal medicine that was expanded and enhanced by learning and social transmission. The evolutionary explanation accounts for the continued use of ineffective, as well as effective, medicinal herbs and the use of medicinal herbs with toxic effects. In animals one can point to origins of the practice of herbal medicine, as well as other behavioural defences against pathogens and parasites, as analogues of many aspects of modern human medicine and health care.
Classification of Clear-Cell Sarcoma as a Subtype of Melanoma by Genomic Profiling

Purpose: To develop a genome-based classification scheme for clear-cell sarcoma (CCS), also known as melanoma of soft parts (MSP), which would have implications for diagnosis and treatment. This tumor displays characteristic features of soft tissue sarcoma (STS), including deep soft tissue primary location and a characteristic translocation, t(12;22)(q13;q12), involving EWS and ATF1 genes. CCS/MSP also has typical melanoma features, including immunoreactivity for S100 and HMB45, pigmentation, MITF-M expression, and a propensity for regional lymph node metastases. Materials and Methods: RNA samples from 21 cell lines and 60 pathologically confirmed cases of STS, melanoma, and CCS/MSP were examined using the U95A GeneChip (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). Hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and support vector machine (SVM) analysis exploited genomic correlations within the data to classify CCS/MSP. Results: Unsupervised analyses demonstrated a clear distinction between STS and melanoma...
Urban Bicycle Route Safety Rating Model Application in Jersey City, New Jersey

Bicyclists consistently identify safety as one of their highest priorities in selecting bicycle routes. If transportation officials want to succeed in achieving the goal of increasing nonvehicular modes of travel, bicycle routes must be provided that are convenient and safe. In this study, a pilot study was undertaken to develop a tool to compare the relative safety of alternate bicycle routes. A multivariate logistic model was developed for urban bicycle routes based on four years of bicycle crash data from Jersey City, N.J. The resulting model meets a 90% confidence level by using various operational and physical factors (traffic volume, lane width, population density, highway classification, the presence of vertical grades, one-way streets, and truck routes) to predict the severity of an injury sustained by a bicyclist that would result from a motor vehicle crash occurring at a specific location. The model was used to rate proposed bicycle routes in Jersey City, N.J., assuming that a bicycle crash on the safest route would be the least likely to produce severe injuries. Both existing conditions and mitigated scenarios were rated and compared with field observations.
The Fall of Silver in Mexico, 1870–1910, and Its Effect on American Investments*

Since the end of World War II Americans interested in international economic affairs have faced a painful dilemma. Almost every set of international policies advanced during this period has called for the widespread use of American capital to assist in the development of underdeveloped areas in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The United States government has furnished much of this capital during the last decade, but private capital has borne a share of the effort in the past and may well be called upon for a larger share in the future. Unfortunately, in a period of frequent small wars, revolutions, and expropriations, American investors naturally hesitate to send their capital abroad if they can invest it profitably at home. One of the most vexing problems in modern international economic relations is that of predicting or assuring regular returns from American investments abroad.
T-Offenses and Metapragmatic Attacks: Strategies of Interactional Dominance

Drifting along the imaginary boundary between communication and society, this article deals with communicative practices during criminal trials taking place in Naples, Italy. It describes in detail...
Oncologist Burnout: Causes, Consequences, and Responses

Although the practice of oncology can be extremely rewarding, it is also one of the most demanding and stressful areas of medicine. Oncologists are faced with life and death decisions on a daily basis, administer incredibly toxic therapies with narrow therapeutic windows, must keep up with the rapid pace of scientific and treatment advances, and continually walk a fine line between providing palliation and administering treatments that lead to excess toxicity. Personal distress precipitated by such work-related stress may manifest in a variety of ways including depression, anxiety, fatigue, and low mental quality of life. Burnout also seems to be one of the most common manifestations of distress among physicians, with studies suggesting a prevalence of 35% among medical oncologists, 38% among radiation oncologists, and 28% to 36% among surgical oncologists. Substantial evidence suggests that burnout can impact quality of care in a variety of ways and has potentially profound personal implications for physicians including suicidal ideation. In this review, we examine the causes, consequences, and personal ramifications of oncologist burnout and explore the steps oncologists can take to promote personal well-being and professional satisfaction.
The interaction between mGluR1 and the calcium channel CaV2.1 preserves coupling in the presence of long Homer proteins

Abstract Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1 and 5) are G protein coupled receptors that regulate neuronal activity in a number of ways. Some of the most well studied functions of group I mGluRs, such as initiation of multiple forms of mGluR-dependent long-term depression, require receptor localization near the post-synaptic density (PSD). This localization is in turn dependent on the Homer family of scaffolding proteins which bind to a small motif on the distal C-termini of mGluR1 and 5, localize the receptors near the PSD, strengthen coupling to post-synaptic effectors and simultaneously uncouple the mGluRs from extra-synaptic effectors such as voltage dependent ion channels. Here the selectivity of this uncoupling process was examined by testing the ability of Homer-2b to uncouple mGluR1 from multiple voltage dependent calcium channels including CaV2.2 (N-type), CaV3.2 (T-type), and CaV2.1 (P/Q-type) expressed in rat sympathetic neurons from the superior cervical ganglion (SCG). Of these, only the mGluR1–CaV2.1 modulatory pathway was insensitive to Homer-2b expression. Uncoupling from this channel was achieved by co-expression of an mGluR1 C-terminal protein designed to disrupt a previously described direct interaction between these two proteins, suggesting that this interaction allows incorporation of CaV2.1 into the mGluR1/Homer signaling complex, thereby preserving modulation in the presence of scaffolding Homer proteins. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ‘Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors’.
Spectrum mobility demonstration of SMSE based overlay cognitive radio via software defined radio

In our previous work, we have demonstrated an interference avoidance overlay cognitive radio using software defined radio [1][2]. By employing spectrally modulated spectrally encoded (SMSE) framework based multi-carrier transmission waveforms, the cognitive radio is capable of turning off certain subcarriers to avoid interference to the primary users in the band. Hence, the cognitive radio operates over multiple noncontiguous spectrum holes. Here, we extend our previous work to implement and demonstrate spectrum mobility in cognitive radio. Specifically, while the cognitive radio operates over a 2MHz band, the cognitive radio will continuously sense the spectrum wider than the 2MHz band. When the total available spectrum, which is determined by stitching all spectrum holes together in the 2MHz band, is insufficient to support the required cognitive radio transmission, the cognitive radio dynamically moves to a different frequency band where enough spectrum holes exist. We demonstrate real time video transmission between two cognitive radio nodes and seamless transition when the spectrum handoff occurs.
Research Opportunities in Economics: Suggestions for the Coming Decade

The remarkable events in the global economy in the last two years have drawn new attention to the central role that economic institutions and economic policies play in determining the well-being of virtually all participants in modern industrial societies, even those who livelihoods are far removed from the financial sector that was the epicenter of the global economic crisis. The global financial crisis suggests a number of critical research opportunities for the next decade.While they have attracted less media attention, recent developments in energy markets, in environmental policy, in information technology, and in the availability of data on the economic activity of households are also opening new research vistas for economics. This short research prospectus begins by summarizing key research issues that have been raised by the global financial crisis, and then moves on to issues that are associated with energy and environmental policy and to the wealth of new data being created by the rise of electronic commerce and internet search.
Using Electronic Dental Record Data for Research A Data-mapping Study

Anecdotal evidence suggests that, during the clinical care process, many dental practices record some data that are also collected in dental practice based research network (PBRN) studies. Since the use of existing, electronically stored data for research has multiple benefits, we investigated the overlap between research data fields used in dental PBRN studies and clinical data fields typically found in general dental records. We mapped 734 unique data elements from the Dental Information Model (DIM) to 2,487 Common Data Elements (CDE) curated by the NIDCR's PBRNs in the Cancer Data Standards Registry and Repository (caDSR). Thirty-three percent of the DIM data elements matched at least one CDE completely and 9% partially, translating to about 9% and 2%, respectively, of all data elements used in PBRN studies. The most frequently used CDEs found in the DIM included data about dental anatomy, medications, and items such as oral biopsy and caries. Our study shows that a non-trivial number of data elements in general dental records can be mapped either completely or partially to data fields in research studies. Further studies should investigate the feasibility of electronic clinical data for research purposes.
Longitudinal Control for Vehicle Platoons

Automated highway systems are the subject of intense research and development by several research groups, most notably by the California PATH program at the University of California, Berkeley. In an automated highway system (AHS), the objective is to dramatically improve the traffic flow capacity on a highway by enabling vehicles to travel together in tightly spaced platoons. The system requires that only adequately instrumented fully automated vehicles be allowed on this special highway. Manually driven vehicles cannot be allowed to operate on such a highway. Figure 5-2 in chapter 5 shows a photograph of eight fully automated cars traveling together in a tightly spaced platoon during a demonstration conducted by California PATH in August 1997. More details on this experimental demonstration are described in section 7.9 of this chapter.
Legalizing Recreational Marijuana: Comparing Ballot Outcomes in Four States

Medical marijuana is now available in 23 states, and its growing acceptance has paved the way for the legalization of recreational marijuana. This article examines four recent campaigns to legalize recreational marijuana – two failures and two successes. Using data from newspaper sources, interviews with key players, and other sources, we examine the factors that influence whether a ballot initiative succeeds or fails. We identify similarities and differences between the four measures, the social forces shaping the debate, their claims and counterclaims, and a set of factors that appear to increase the odds that a recreational marijuana ballot measure will be successful.
Some Problems of Identification of the State for the Purpose of Steering the Reliability of the Object

Systems are described with some specific features C{Ci, i=1, 2,...,n} (system parameters). These features usually include: reliability, safety, availability, repairability, life, survivability, etc. Requirements W{Wi, i=1, 2,...,n} are determined with reference to individual features. It is said that the system is in the state of ability, when a set of features is embodied in a set of requirements C⊂W. From the above statement it appears that the state of ability is the initial state for the system, i.e. C⊂W.
Investigation of Trapped Vorticity Concentrations Effected by Hybrid Actuation in an Offset Diffuser

Trapped vorticity concentration engendered by deliberate modification of the internal surface of an offset diffuser is coupled with a spanwise array of surface-integrated fluidic-oscillating jets for hybrid flow control of the secondary flow that gives rise to flow distortions. The trapped vorticity mimics the effects of local separation within aggressive diffusers and is used as a testbed for investigations of the effectiveness of such hybrid flow control for alleviation the flow distortions at the engine inlet (AIP). The local and global characteristics of the diffuser flow in the absence and presence of the actuation are investigated at Mach numbers up to M = 0.7, using a forty-probe AIP total pressure rake, surface oil-flow visualization, hot-wire anemometry, and particle image velocimetry. The present investigations demonstrate that the actuation affects the strength and scale of the trapped vorticity and its interaction with the cross flow, and consequently alters the flow evolution within the diffuser and leads to significant suppression of pressure distortion at the AIP (by about 80%). These findings indicate that hybrid actuation based on trapped vorticity concentrations can be utilized for mitigation of flow distortion in diffuser flows by strong coupling to the natural formation of vorticity concentrations due to the local flow separation.
Ba2+ uptake and the inhibition by Ba2+ of K+ flux into rat liver mitochondria.

Rapid uptake of Ba2+ by respiring rat liver mitochondria is accompanied by a transient stimulation of respiration. Following accumulation of Ba2+, e.g. at a concentration of 120 nmol per mg protein, the mitochondria exhibit reduced rates of state 3 and uncoupler-stimulated respiration. ADP-stimulated respiration is inhibited at a lower concentration of Ba2+ than is required to affect uncoupler-stimulated respiration, suggesting a distinct effect of Ba2+ on mechanisms involved in synthesis of ATP. Ba2+, which has an ionic radius similar to that of K+, inhibits unidirectional K+ flux into respiring rat liver mitochondria. This effect on K+ influx is observable at concentrations of Ba2+, e.g. 23 to 37 nmol per mg protein, which cause no significant change in state 4 or uncoupler-stimulated respiration. The accumulated Ba2+ decreases the measuredVmax of K+ influx, while having little effect on the apparentKm for K+. The inhibition of K+ influx by Ba2+ is seen in the presence and absence of mersalyl, an activator of K+ influx. In contrast, under the conditions studied, Ba2+ has no apparent effet on the rate of unidirectional K+ efflux. These data are consistent with the idea that K+ may enter and leave mitochondria via spearate mechanisms.
Long term instability and molecular mechanism of 5-azacytidine-induced DNA hypomethylation in normal and neoplastic tissues in vivo

We have previously shown that treatment of normal and neoplastic cells with the antileukemic drug, 5-azacytidine, led to the rapid synthesis of a low molecular weight RNA containing 5-azacytosine. This fraudulent RNA inhibited tRNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase early after drug administration. The absence of tRNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase activity resulted in the synthesis of tRNA specifically deficient in 5-methylcytosine. Here, we show that treatment of L1210 cells, grown intraperitoneally in mice, with 5-azacytidine led to a rapid and prolonged inactivation of DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase activity and to the synthesis of undermethylated DNA. DNA isolated from the treated tissue was found to inactivate the DNA methylase (decreased Vmax) in in vitro DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase assays. Kinetic analysis showed noncompetitive inhibition of the substrate by the inhibitor. The persistence of DNA undermethylation after treatment with 5-azadeoxycytidine or 5-azacytidine in animals has not been measured directly; therefore, we have investigated this phenomenon in the intact animal. Prolonged treatment with 5-azacytidine was required to maintain a a fraction of undermethylated sites in DNA of L1210 cells in vivo for up to 4 months or longer after drug withdrawal. Such treatment led to instability of DNA methylation levels in L1210 cells in vivo. At least a partial restoration of DNA 5-methylcytosine levels was observed after acute and chronic 5-azacytidine treatment, respectively. 5-Azacytidine was also found to induce DNA hypomethylation in regenerating, but not in normal adult mouse liver cells. Our results show that: 1) it was extremely difficult to decrease the DNA methylation level to less than 50% of control; and 2) it was also difficult to maintain stable DNA methylation levels in vivo after exposure to the drug.
New developments in 'any willing provider' laws.

As the debate over healthcare reform continues, the controversy concerning "any willing provider" laws also continues. "Any willing provider" laws require a healthcare insurer (or managed care organization) to establish criteria that a provider must meet in order to participate as a network provider. Such laws prohibit an insurer from denying any provider willing to meet those criteria from participating as a network provider. Proponents of any willing provider laws cite the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court not to review a lower court ruling finding in favor of a hospital as validation of such laws.
Period of Conquest, Expansion and Colonization a.d. 632–61

As long as Muhammad lived he performed the functions of prophet, lawgiver, religious leader, chief judge, commander of the army and civil head of the state—all in one. But now Muhammad was dead. Who was to be his successor, his khalīfah (caliph), in all except the spiritual function? In his role as the last and greatest prophet, who had delivered the final dispensation to mankind, Muhammad evidently could have no one to succeed him.
Risk Statins or Risk "Zero" on Atherosclerosis Imaging for Risk Stratification?

Recent American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk [(1)][1] seek a significant shift in clinical practice for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), primarily by making more
Impédances that hinder women

When Tova Rafailovich-Sokolov considered majoring in physics, she had – at high school – good grades and excellent support. She had role models, both of her parents being physicists. At her all-girl high school she met none of the discrimination in which teachers have lower expectations of girls. She attended all-girl science summer camps that made the subject exciting. Tova, in short, never knew the obstacles that once hindered women from pursuing physics careers.
Implementation for the Real World

Jodi Sandfort and Stephanie Moulton. 2015. Effective Implementation in Practice: Integrating Public Policy and Management. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 388 pp.
Cartilage to bone transformation during fracture healing is coordinated by the invading vasculature and induction of the core pluripotency genes

Fractures heal predominantly through the process of endochondral ossification. The classic model of endochondral ossification holds that chondrocytes mature to hypertrophy, undergo apoptosis and new bone forms by invading osteoprogenitors. However, recent data demonstrate that chondrocytes transdifferentiate to osteoblasts in the growth plate and during regeneration, yet the mechanism(s) regulating this process remain unknown. Here, we show a spatially-dependent phenotypic overlap between hypertrophic chondrocytes and osteoblasts at the chondro-osseous border in the fracture callus, in a region we define as the transition zone (TZ). Hypertrophic chondrocytes in the TZ activate expression of the pluripotency factors [Sox2, Oct4 (Pou5f1), Nanog], and conditional knock-out of Sox2 during fracture healing results in reduction of the fracture callus and a delay in conversion of cartilage to bone. The signal(s) triggering expression of the pluripotency genes are unknown, but we demonstrate that endothelial cell conditioned medium upregulates these genes in ex vivo fracture cultures, supporting histological evidence that transdifferentiation occurs adjacent to the vasculature. Elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying fracture repair is important for understanding why some fractures fail to heal and for developing novel therapeutic interventions.
Statistical Security Incident Forensics against Data Falsification in Smart Grid Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Compromised smart meters reporting false power consumption data in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) may have drastic consequences on a smart grid's operations. Most existing works only deal with electricity theft from customers. However, several other types of data falsification attacks are possible, when meters are compromised by organized rivals. In this paper, we first propose a taxonomy of possible data falsification strategies such as additive, deductive, camouflage and conflict, in AMI micro-grids. Then, we devise a statistical anomaly detection technique to identify the incidence of proposed attack types, by studying their impact on the observed data. Subsequently, a trust model based on Kullback-Leibler divergence is proposed to identify compromised smart meters for additive and deductive attacks. The resultant detection rates and false alarms are minimized through a robust aggregate measure that is calculated based on the detected attack type and successfully discriminating legitimate changes from malicious ones. For conflict and camouflage attacks, a generalized linear model and Weibull function based kernel trick is used over the trust score to facilitate more accurate classification. Using real data sets collected from AMI, we investigate several trade-offs that occur between attacker's revenue and costs, as well as the margin of false data and fraction of compromised nodes. Experimental results show that our model has a high true positive detection rate, while the average false alarm rate is just 8%, for most practical attack strategies, without depending on the expensive hardware based monitoring.
Regulation of Eosinophil Recruitment and Activation by Galectins in Allergic Asthma.

Eosinophils are differentiated granulocytes that are recruited from the bone marrow to sites of inflammation via the vascular system. Allergic asthma is characterized by the presence of large numbers of eosinophils in the lungs and airways. Due to their capacity to rapidly release inflammatory mediators such as cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and cytotoxic granule proteins upon stimulation, eosinophils play a critical role in pro-inflammatory processes in allergen-exposed lungs. Identifying key players and understanding the molecular mechanisms directing eosinophil trafficking and recruitment to inflamed airways is a key to developing therapeutic strategies to limit their influx. Recent studies have brought to light the important role of glycans and glycan binding proteins in regulating recruitment of eosinophils. In addition to the role of previously identified eosinophil- and endothelial-expressed adhesion molecules in mediating eosinophil trafficking and recruitment to the inflamed airways, studies have also indicated a role for galectins (galectin-3) in this process. Galectins are mammalian lectins expressed by various cell types including eosinophils. Intracellularly, they can regulate biological processes such as cell motility. Extracellularly, galectins interact with β-galactosides in cell surface-expressed glycans to regulate cellular responses like production of inflammatory mediators, cell adhesion, migration and apoptosis. Eosinophils express galectins intracellularly or on the cell surface where they interact with cell surface glycoconjugate receptors. Depending on the type (galectin-1, -3, etc.) and location (extracellular or intracellular, endogenous or exogenously delivered), galectins differentially regulate eosinophil recruitment, activation and apoptosis and thus exert a pro- or anti-inflammatory outcome. Here we have reviewed information pertaining to galectins (galectin-1, -3 -9 and -10) that are expressed by eosinophils themselves and/or other cells that play a role in eosinophil recruitment and function in the context of allergic asthma and their potential use as disease bio-markers or therapeutic targets for immunomodulation.
Challenges in Preventing Electrical, Thermal, and Radiation Injuries

Energy—its use in various forms during surgery has tremendously advanced our practice of surgery since the 1920s with the introduction of the first electrosurgical units by William Bovie, MD. Each type of energy—electricity, heat, and radiation (including intense MRI magnetic fields)—presents variable risks of injury to patients if the risks are not recognized and care not taken to prevent harm. Intraoperative injuries that are suspected of being caused by a medical device/implement and its related energy may not be related to a technology. In many cases, the injury may be an abnormal or idiosyncratic physiologic response to otherwise normal conditions of device use and performance. Alternatively, the injury may be due to pressure necrosis, tissue chemical sensitivity, an adverse drug reaction, or a disease process that happens to develop in the area where a device was applied. Such alternative etiologies, beyond those from energy emitting technologies, are briefly discussed. This chapter addresses the etiology of intraoperative skin and tissue injuries from medical technologies that are the source of electrical, thermal, and radiation energy. A format for investigating such injuries is presented along with guidance on their prevention. The hazards of surgical fire on the patient are also addressed.
MODIS Aqua Optical Throughput Degradation Impact on Relative Spectral Response and Calibration of Ocean Color Products

Since Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Aqua’s launch in 2002, the radiometric system gains of the reflective solar bands have been degrading, indicating changes in the system’s optical throughput. To estimate the optical throughput degradation, the electronic gain changes were estimated and removed from the measured system gain. The derived optical throughput degradation shows a rate that is much faster in the shorter wavelengths than the longer wavelengths. The wavelength-dependent optical throughput degradation modulated the relative spectral response (RSR) of the bands. In addition, the optical degradation is also scan angle-dependent due to large changes in response versus the scan angle over time. We estimated the modulated RSR as a function of time and scan angles and its impacts on sensor radiometric calibration for the ocean science. Our results show that the calibration bias could be up to 1.8% for band 8 (412 nm) due to its larger out-of-band response. For the other ocean bands, the calibration biases are much smaller with magnitudes at least one order smaller.
Toxicologic Significance of the Physicochemical Properties of Metals

The toxicity of a metal or its compounds in a biologic system is influenced by a number of factors: (1) the dose of the toxic metal, (2) the intrinsic toxicity of the metal, (3) the combining capacity of the metal, (4) the action of the biologic system to absorb and transport the metal to the target organ most susceptible to the metal intoxication, (5) the capacity of the metal to undergo biotransformation to a less toxic or a more toxic form at the target organ or during transfer, (6) the ability of the metal to bind to essential macromolecules, and (7) the homeostatic mechanisms of the organism to either excrete or sequester the metal or both. Large doses of some nontoxic metal compounds may interfere with normal cellular or physiologic processes by nonspecific activity such as changing the osmotic pressure and pH or physically changing the gastrointestinal tract.
Behavior of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Terrestrial Systems—Evaluation Trough Batch and Leaching Column Tests

Nanotechnology, a rapid evolving field of matter manipulation to develop and produce extremely small tools/materials, is having exponential increase in a number and diversity of materials. Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) have, among other important intrinsic properties, active surfaces and are subject to transformations, adsorption, precipitation and accumulation on solid matrixes, contaminants or living organisms.
Life Testing and Reliability Estimation

(1981). Life Testing and Reliability Estimation. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 219-220.
Chapter 20 Fault Stress States, Pore Pressure Distributions, and the Weakness of the San Andreas Fault

Abstract The San Andreas Fault (SAF) is weak in an absolute sense, in that it moves under shear stresses far smaller than implied by the most obvious reading of laboratory friction results (Byerlee law with hydrostatic pore pressure and friction coefficient F = 0.6-0.9). It is also weak in a relative sense, in that the adjoining crust seems to be mechanically stronger; this is implied by the stress state there having a horizontal maximum principal direction that makes a steep angle to the trace of the SAF, much larger than the 25-30° angle (i.e., 45° - 0.5 arctan F ) expected from standard frictional failure considerations, and in the range of 60° to nearly 90°. It is shown that a maturely deformed fault zone which is weak relative to its surroundings, owing to inherent material strength and/or pore pressure differences, develops stresses within it which are distinct from those of its surroundings. Because of those stress differences, it is found that pore pressure distributions which are high, and near to the fault-normal compressive stress, within the fault zone, but which decrease with distance into the adjacent crust, are consistent with both the absolute and relative weakness of the SAF; the pore pressure in such distributions is less than the least principal stress at every point, so there is no hydraulic fracturing, even though the pressure in the fault zone may be greater than the least principal stress in the nearby crust. Such pore pressure distributions are shown to result from the following assumptions: (1) there is a supply of fluids near the ductile roots of crustal fault zones, where pore pressure must be nearly lithostatic; (2) active fault zones are far more permeable than the adjoining rock of the middle crust; and (3) fault permeability is a rapidly diminishing function of effective normal stress. Evidence in support of these assumptions is discussed. The resulting pore pressure distributions adjust significantly from hydrostatic, such that the effective normal stress, and hence also the brittle frictional strength, becomes approximately independent of depth along the fault zone. These assumptions also predict the possibility of diffusive surges of pore pressure that propagate upward along a fault in a slow wavelike manner.
Nonspecific motor disorder of the esophagus: A real disorder or a manometric curiosity?

Abstract Background: Nonspecific esophageal motility disorder (NEMD) has become a catchall term to describe abnormal esophageal manometric findings that do not meet strict criteria for established esophageal motility disorders. The aim of this study was to determine whether NEMD is a real esophageal motility disorder characterized by impairment of its motor function or simply a manometric disturbance with no clinical consequences. Methods: Esophageal transit of liquid and semisolids was studied using radioscintigraphic techniques in 10 symptomatic patients with manometrically diagnosed NEMD, 26 healthy control subjects, and 40 disease control subjects. The disease controls included 24 patients with achalasia, 9 with scleroderma, and 7 with diffuse esophageal spasm. Results: Patients with NEMD had no impairment of liquid emptying compared with healthy controls. Liquid emptying was markedly delayed in patients with achalasia and scleroderma. However, semisolid emptying was markedly delayed in patients with NEMD compared with healthy controls ( P Conclusions: NEMD is not a manometric curiosity but a disorder characterized by selective impairment of semisolid emptying.
Introduction to the Electronic Structure of Extended Systems

The concepts of a band structure, Bloch functions, the wave vector, and densities of states are introduced, making as strong connections as possible to quantum chemical ideas. The number of orbitals in a unit cell determines the number of bonds, orbital overlap is responsible for the dispersion of the bands and the topology of orbital interactions for the way the bands run. A measure of bond strength in the solid, the Crystal Orbital Overlap Population, is introduced.
El desarrollo de la sociedad urbana en el Altiplano Central mexicano durante el Formativo y la transición al Clásico

During the two millennia designated the Formative period (1500 BC – AD 100) and the Classic period (AD 100–650), societies of the central Mexican highlands undertook many of the key transformations typically associated with premodern social complexity. These include the transition to agricultural and sedentary lifeways; the creation of urban centers with monumental architecture; the diversification of economic production, intensification of exchange networks, differentiation of status, and heightened social inequality; and the formalization of depictions of gods, symbols, and sacred spaces of a religious system that was widely shared and long lasting. This summary of the period focuses on such transitions, especially during the interval of ca. 600 BC – AD 250, covering the periods designated in central Mexico as the end of the Middle Formative, the Late Formative, the Terminal Formative, and the beginning of the Early Classic.
New genus and two new species of Hyaliodini from the Philippines (Miridae, Deraeocorinae).

Philicoris, a new genus of the mirid subfamily Deraeocorinae, tribe Hyaliodini, is described from the Philippines. New species Philicorismayonsp. n. and Philicorispalalisp. n. from the island of Luzon are documented with photographic images of the dorsal habitus and male genital structures.
Faster Than Real-time Prediction of Disruptions in Power Grids using PMU: Gated Recurrent Unit Approach

The disruptions, natural hazard and cyber-attacks are growing in frequency and severity in power systems. A machine learning technique based on deep neural networks is described that leverage the realtime operation of control center from historical data sources of synchrophasor measurements to predict abnormal conditions. Performance of our framework across synthetic data over control center real-time forecasting tasks shows that our methods yield a significant lift or increase of proposed evaluation metrics for the power system sustained oscillations on predicted disruptions. Our results suggest that, when deployed, our system will be able to provide an adequate prediction tool for various types of disturbances.
Mejoramiento de un programa informático para la selección de nuevas tecnologías de control de arena de tipo mecánico en campos operados por Ecopetrol S.A.

espanolEn los campos petroliferos de Colombia ocurre que, debido al arenamiento, se presenta corrosion, erosion y taponamiento de equipos y tuberias de superficie y de subsuelo, incrementando asi la frecuencia de trabajos de intervencion a los pozos productores de hidrocarburos. Dado lo anterior, surgio la necesidad de mejorar el modulo de control de arena, compuesto por dos herramientas del Manual General de Completamiento de Pozos ya existente (MGCP) para recomendar cuatro nuevas tecnologias de control de arena para su uso en yacimientos que presenten areniscas altamente no uniformes y rangos de tamano de grano fino. Las mejoras introducidas a dicho modulo permitieron que dentro de la primera herramienta (matriz teorica para los campos de estudio) se recomendaran estas cuatro nuevas tecnologias para su uso en 22 de los 24 campos estudiados por autores previos, pertenecientes a cinco cuencas de Colombia. Asi mismo, la segunda herramienta tambien fue actualizada mediante la introduccion de las cuatro nuevas tecnologias mecanicas, ademas de incluirse un segundo parametro de seleccion (tamano de grano promedio) para recomendar el uso de tecnologias mecanicas nuevas o convencionales de control de arena con base en el ultimo parametro ya mencionado y en el ya existente coeficiente de uniformidad. EnglishIn Colombian oil fields it occurs that, due to the sanding, there is a corrosion, erosion and plugging of the equipment and the surface and subsoil pipes, thus increasing the frequency of intervention work in the hydrocarbon producing wells. Given the above, the need to improve the sand control module arose. This one is composed by two tools from the already existing General Manual of Wells Completion (MGCP), in order to recommend four new sand control technologies for their usage in reservoirs with both highly non-uniform sandstones and fine grain size ranges. The improvements introduced to this module allowed that within the first tool (theoretical matrix for the studied oilfields) these four new technologies were recommended for their usage in 22 of the 24 fields studied by previous authors, belonging to five Colombian basins. In addition, the second tool was updated by introducing these four new mechanic technologies and including a second selection parameter (average grain size) for recommending the use of an either new or conventional mechanic tool of sand control based on both the previously mentioned parameter and the already existing coefficient of uniformity.
Variable effects of a changing climate on lay dates and productivity across the range of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Many temperate bird species are breeding earlier in response to warming temperatures. We examined the effects of climate on breeding phenology and productivity in 19 populations across the range of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobates borealis), an endangered species endemic to pine (Pinus spp.) forests in the southeastern United States. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers nested earlier in warmer springs and delayed nesting in wetter springs. Earlier nesting and larger group sizes resulted in higher productivity. Spring temperatures have warmed over time across the range, but this has not led to range-wide advances in nesting date over time. Coastal and northern populations have exhibited a trend of earlier nesting over time, but the response of inland populations has been variable, including some populations in which nesting has become later over time. Geographic patterns included high and increasing productivity at higher latitudes, and declining productivity in the southwestern portion of the range, suggesting a possible shift in acceptable climate conditions for the species. Earlier nesting over time was associated with increasing productivity at higher latitudes, while elsewhere earlier nesting over time was associated with declining or stable productivity, suggesting that populations differ in their ability to adjust to a changing climate. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a habitat specialist heavily reliant on habitat management and has little capacity to shift its range, so its long-term viability will depend on its ability to adjust in place to changing local conditions.
On the mechanisms of stress relaxation and intensification at the lithium/solid-state electrolyte interface

Under electrochemical cycling, stress intensification and relaxation within small volumes at the lithium/solid-state electrolyte (SSE) interface are thought to be critical factors contributing to mechanical failure of the SSE and subsequent short-circuiting of the device. Nanoindentation has been used to examine the diffusion-limited pressure lithium can support in the absence of active dislocation sources at high homologous temperatures. Based on the underlying physics of this deformation mechanism, a simple perturbation model coupling local current density, elastic stress, and diffusional creep relaxation is introduced. Combining this analysis with the indentation results, it is possible to describe a defect length scale which is too large for effective diffusional creep relaxation, but too small for efficient dislocation multiplication. In this instance, the properties of the SSE may become critical, and relevant indentation results of the SSE are described. The final outcome of the proposed analysis is a newly developed deformation mechanism map.
Transition metal complexes with fractionally charged TCNQ radical anions as structural templates for multifunctional molecular conductors

Abstract Structures that combine transition metal complexes with fractionally charged organic cations or anions are of interest as potential multifunctional materials, in which conducting behavior of the organic substructure is supplemented by other properties, provided by the transition metal component. Here we review such hybrid structures prepared with ligand-capped transition metal cations and radical anions derived from the organic acceptor 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) or its analogs. Our analysis of the Cambridge Structural Database has revealed 520 structures of this type, among which only 35 contain fractionally charged organic anions. The requirement of fractional charge on the organic anion is paramount for achieving high electrical conductivity. After introducing a few basic concepts, we provide classification of such structures and a detailed summary of their properties.
Investigation of Material Properties for Load Rating of Historical Bridges

AbstractMore than 6,500 material test observations of historical reinforcing steel bars, structural steel, and concrete were compiled from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) database. S...
Hospital capital budgeting during a public health crisis

This paper seeks to understand the current financial landscape in the context of hospital capital budgeting, as well as provide some guidance on how to navigate the capital markets in times of crisis. The focus is on the general weighted average cost of capital formulation and the relationship of its components: the risk free rate and its relationship with the costs of equity and debt, the cost of debt, and the cost of equity. We provide some practical implications for managing during the current crisis, as well as potential avenues that merit future research. Keywords: COVID-19, Hospital, cost of capital
Cosolvent Effects When Blade-Coating a Low-Solubility Conjugated Polymer for Bulk Heterojunction Organic Photovoltaics.

The adoption of solution-processed active layers in the production of thin-film photovoltaics is hampered by the transition from research fabrication techniques to scalable processing. We report a ...
Progressive Parkinsonism and Cognitive Changes: A Rare Presentation of Chronic Lymphocytic Inflammation with Pontine Perivascular Enhancement Responsive to Steroids (CLIPPERS) (P1.7-007)

Objective: To describe a rare manifestation of a case of CLIPPERS with video-based documentation of treatment responsiveness. Background: CLIPPERS is a rare inflammatory disease of central nervous system (CNS) creating punctate gadolinium enhancing lesions on MRI that are pontine predominant and markedly responsive to corticosteroid therapy. Pathological findings can be characteristic however given the rarity of this disorder, inconsistent patterns in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), presence of mimics including malignancies and limitations on obtaining biopsy; obtaining a definitive diagnosis is challenging. Design/Methods: Case report and review of literature. Results: 64-year-old female initially presented with 2 years of slowly progressive postural tremors in bilateral upper extremities, 1.5 years of progressive cognitive impairment and 6 months of frequent falls. She had been previously diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and failed a levodopa trial. On neurological exam she was found to have bradykinesia, hypomimia, shuffling gait and postural instability. An extensive work up including CSF studies, paraneoplastic panel (including Ma-2 antibody), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis was unremarkable. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed T2 hyperintensities in the pons, left basal ganglia, and corona radiata with patchy contrast enhancement. Given the lack of active signs of malignancy as an underlying cause and all other testing negative, the patient was treated with high dose steroids for 3 days with subsequent symptomatic and MRI improvement and was sustained on maintenance immunosuppressive therapy with continued pursuit of tissue for a definitive diagnosis. Conclusions: CLIPPERS is a rare CNS disease, difficult to diagnose given its heterogeneous presentations and lack of distinct bio-markers. It remains a diagnosis of exclusion which highlights the importance of considering rare manifestations while performing extensive evaluation to rule out other causes of disease. Disclosure: Dr. Khayatkhoei has nothing to disclose. Dr. Randhawa has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chandra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Samudralwar has nothing to disclose.