cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2685: Regulation of melanoma metastasis by malignant melanoma-initiating cell marker ABCB5.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Cancer stem cells drive tumor growth, including metastatic disease progression. ATP-binding cassette member B5 (ABCB5) expression identifies malignant melanoma initiating cells (MMICs), which are distinguishable from cancer bulk populations by their self-renewal and differentiation capacities, and pro-oncogenic interactions with the microenvironment. ABCB5 confers drug resistance in multiple human malignancies through its actions as a drug efflux transporter. Here, we demonstrate that ABCB5 also regulates melanoma metastasis. ABCB5 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment significantly inhibited metastasis development in highly immune-compromised NOD-scid IL2Rγnull mice carrying fully established human melanoma xenografts, independent of previously reported antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) effects. ABCB5 mAb treatment was well tolerated, as indicated by equal body weights of treated mice and untreated controls. Moreover, ABCB5 mAb also inhibited melanoma cell invasive capacity, suggesting that ABCB5 regulates intravasation and/or extravasation of metastatic tumor cells. Furthermore, the average size of metastatic nodules in ABCB5 mAb-treated mice was significantly smaller than those in isotype control mAb-treated or untreated mice, indicating that ABCB5 also regulates proliferation of disseminated tumor cells. Expression profile analysis revealed that multiple known metastasis-associated genes are regulated by ABCB5. Rescue of their expression could reverse the anti-metastatic effects induced by ABCB5 inhibition. Thus, ABCB5 is not only a marker for MMICs, but functionally drives metastatic melanoma progression. Citation Format: Jie Ma, Allireza Alloo, Brian J. Wilson, Markus H. Frank. Regulation of melanoma metastasis by malignant melanoma-initiating cell marker ABCB5. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2685. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2685 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.
Sulfanilylguanidine and Sulfanilamide in the Treatment of Lymphogranuloma Venereum Infections of Mice

Lymphogranuloma venereum is of especial interest as the only virus disease in which successful therapeusis with the sulfonamide compounds has been almost consistently reported. The first report on this subject, made by Levaditi and Vaisman1 in 1935, noted the failure of rubiazol to protect a monkey intracerebrally injected with lymphogranuloma virus. Three years later, however, the successful treatment of experimental meningoencephalitis in mice and the inguinal buboes of guinea pigs and monkeys with various sulfonamide compounds was reported by Bar,2 Mac Callum and Findlay,3 and Levaditi and co-workers.4 The compounds chiefly used in the earlier studies were prontosil, sulfanilamide, uleron, and a few others which have since fallen into disuse. Suc-
Changes in Sleep Duration and Sleep Timing Associated with Retirement Transitions.

Study objectives Investigate whether retirement transitions are associated with changes in sleep duration and sleep timing, and whether these associations are modified by age, sex, mental health, or circadian preference. Methods The Retirement and Sleep Trajectories (REST) study is a longitudinal study consisting of four annual mailed surveys that collected information about employment, sleep, and health. Differences in reported sleep duration, bedtime and wake time between successive surveys were calculated to estimate change over 1, 2, and 3 y. Linear regression models were used to estimate changes in these sleep parameters associated with retirement 1, 2, and 3 y posttransition. Results Retiring from full-time work was associated with bedtimes that were 30, 31, and 36 min later 1, 2, and 3 y postretirement; wake times that were 63, 69, and 78 min later; and sleep durations that were 15, 16, and 22 min longer 1, 2, and 3 y postretirement. These associations did not differ by sex or mental health status. Age and circadian preference modified the associations between retirement and change in sleep parameters; the increase in sleep duration was shorter and the wake time extension was lesser with advancing retirement age; those with evening preference had longer wake time extensions than those with morning preference. Conclusion Transitioning to retirement is associated with longer sleep duration, later bedtimes, and later wake times. These changes were detectable about 1 y postwork transition and were persistent up to 3 y later.
Middle latency auditory evoked potentials in sleep apneics during waking and as a function of arterial oxygen saturation during apneas.

In adults with obstructive sleep apnea middle latency auditory evoked responses were recorded as a function of apnea-related arterial oxygen desaturation both before sleep onset and during nocturnal sleep. In waking, wave Pa latency was normal in five of six subjects, and Pa amplitude was normal in all. During sleep apneas, wave Pa remained stable even during intervals of severe oxygen desaturation (e.g., 45-90% and 50-84% saturation in two subjects). Furthermore, wave Pa recorded immediately on awakening in the morning was unaltered compared with the response recorded just prior to sleep onset, despite a high frequency of nocturnal apneas in all subjects. These data indicate that repetitive nocturnal oxygen desaturation associated with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome has neither immediate nor cumulative measureable effects on the functioning of neurons that subserve the middle latency evoked response. These findings are discussed in relation to a possible cortical contribution to the middle latency response.
The association of clinical indication for exercise stress testing with all-cause mortality: the FIT Project

Introduction We hypothesized that the indication for stress testing provided by the referring physician would be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality. Material and methods We studied 48,914 patients from The Henry Ford Exercise Testing Project (The FIT Project) without known congestive heart failure who were referred for a clinical treadmill stress test and followed for 11 ±4.7 years. The reason for stress test referral was abstracted from the clinical test order, and should be considered the primary concerning symptom or indication as stated by the ordering clinician. Hierarchical multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was performed, after controlling for potential confounders including demographics, risk factors, and medication use as well as additional adjustment for exercise capacity in the final model. Results A total of 67% of the patients were referred for chest pain, 12% for shortness of breath (SOB), 4% for palpitations, 3% for pre-operative evaluation, 6% for abnormal prior testing, and 7% for risk factors only. There were 6,211 total deaths during follow-up. Compared to chest pain, those referred for palpitations (HR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.60-0.86) and risk factors only (HR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.63-0.82) had a lower risk of all-cause mortality, whereas those referred for SOB (HR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.07-1.23) and pre-operative evaluation (HR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.94-2.30) had an increased risk. In subgroup analysis, referral for palpitations was protective only in those without coronary artery disease (CAD) (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62-0.90), while SOB increased mortality risk only in those with established CAD (HR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.10-1.44). Conclusions The indication for stress testing is an independent predictor of mortality, showing an interaction with CAD status. Importantly, SOB may be associated with higher mortality risk than chest pain, particularly in patients with CAD.
Who’s Citing Whom?: Source Selection and Elite Indexing in Electoral Debates

In a news environment that falls short in covering public priorities, debates play an important role in bringing electoral politics closer to constituents. Given that political elites routinely inf...
Structured covariance estimation and radar imaging with sparse linear models

The problem of the computational complexity of the structure covariance EM algorithm is considered. Ordinarily this algorithm requires O(N/sup 3/) floating point operations, per iteration, for the estimation of an N-point power spectrum. However, if the linear model relating the observations to the underlying variables is sparse, the computational burden can be reduced to O(N) operations. This sparsity can be achieved approximately by a data preprocessing step that causes the effect of each underlying variable to be seen in only one component of the preprocessed observation vectors. An illustrative example involving a rotating linear array as the sensor and a Chebyshev filter bank as the preprocessor is given.
A role for affect in the link between episodic simulation and prosociality

Prospection and prosociality are hallmarks of our species. Little is known, however, about how our ability to imagine or simulate specific future events contributes to our capacity for prosociality. Here, we investigated this relationship, revealing how the affective response that arises from a simulated prosocial event motivates a willingness to help a person in need. Across two experiments, people reported being more willing to help in specific situations after simulating future helping events that elicited positive (versus negative or neutral) affect. Positive affect increased engagement of theory of mind for the person in need, which in turn informed prosocial responses. Moreover, the subjective experience of scene imagery and theory of mind systematically couple together depending on the affective valence of future simulations, providing new insight into how affective valence guides a prosocial function of episodic simulation.
Invariance concepts in spectral analysis

Methods are developed for insuring robust discrimination performance in detection problems with epistemic unknowns. The problem is first solved for the class of problems exhibiting some symmetry, as expressed by invariances to some group of feature space transformations. The determination of whether a problem admits a uniformly most powerful invariant (UMPI) solution (and how to derive it) is solved with a new and simple procedure. This motivates an approach for solving problems where a symmetry is gracefully broken, which leads in turn to a general approach for producing robust detectors. This introduces a new category of detector, the UMPIC (UMPI constrained). Finally, principles of UMPIC construction are shown to apply to problems exhibiting no invariances.
Narrating a Massacre: The Writing of History and Emotions as Response to the Battle of Nicopolis (1396)

The massacre of French crusaders at Nicopolis (1396) was a traumatic experience for the battered kingdom of France. In this paper, I will study the emotional representation of the battle in three texts: the anonymous Chronique du Religieux de Saint-Denis (15th century), the anonymous Livre des faits du bon messier Jehan le Maingre, dit Boucicaut (1407–1409), and finally Johannes Schiltberger’s Reisebuch (first printed around 1460). I argue that the representation of history in these three works depends on their genres, which highly influences the emotionology of their narration. Because they were intended for different audiences, their very different approaches to the same event underline how genre influences the narration of history, and how emotions are a crucial component in this narratology of history.
Rethinking the History of African Philosophy

In this chapter, Kwame critically reengages the subtle but fundamental issues involved in outlining the history of African philosophy. Kwame argues that the claim that Africans have no philosophy is no more true than the claim that they have no history. Its assertion and denial are both a function of a conception of philosophy or, else, a misconception. The chapter contends that the history of African philosophy, as a modern or post-colonial enterprise, is a short one if one insists on a Western characterization of philosophy; but the tradition of African philosophy is almost as old as human civilization, if ancient civilization with its associated mode of thinking is traced to Egypt. In rethinking the history of African philosophy, Kwame argues that one may not after all be able to escape fundamental questions about the definition of African philosophy. In the chapter, he critically interrogates two views and four questions about African philosophy.
Milestones-based direct observation tools in internal medicine resident continuity clinic

With milestones-based assessment, there is an increased need for tools to facilitate direct observation of clinical trainees. This study was designed to compare a Mini-CEX tool to new direct observation tools (DOTs) linked to internal medicine milestones. A web based survey was used to examine satisfaction and usefulness of DOTs compared to the Mini-CEX. Residents and preceptors were surveyed three times over 6 months with half serving as control (using mini-CEX) compared to those using the DOTs. Likert scale quantitative answers and qualitative comments were analyzed using generalized estimating equations. Out of 94 residents and 32 faculty 81 and 90% completed the survey for at least one time point. In adjusted models, there was no significant change in resident evaluation comparing the tools on a number of questions including overall satisfaction and resident perception of receiving high quality feedback. By contrast, faculty preceptors reported increased ratings on many of the questions evaluating their use of the new tools including ability to provide higher quality feedback and overall satisfaction. A number of challenges and benefits of the new tools were identified in qualitative feedback by both residents and preceptors. All parties recognized the value and limitations of direct observation. Overall these new office based DOTs were perceived similarly to the mini-CEX by residents while faculty reported higher satisfaction. The DOTs are a useful addition to the tool box available for the assessment of clinical skills of medical trainees, especially from the viewpoint of faculty preceptors.
Privacy Characterization and Quantification in Data Publishing

The increasing interest in collecting and publishing large amounts of individuals’ data as public for purposes such as medical research, market analysis, and economical measures has created major privacy concerns about individual's sensitive information. To deal with these concerns, many Privacy-Preserving Data Publishing (PPDP) techniques have been proposed in literature. However, they lack a proper privacy characterization and measurement. In this paper, we first present a novel multi-variable privacy characterization and quantification model. Based on this model, we are able to analyze the prior and posterior adversarial belief about attribute values of individuals. We can also analyze the sensitivity of any identifier in privacy characterization. Then, we show that privacy should not be measured based on one metric. We demonstrate how this could result in privacy misjudgment. We propose two different metrics for quantification of privacy leakage, distribution leakage, and entropy leakage. Using these metrics, we analyzed some of the most well-known PPDP techniques such as $k$ -anonymity, $l$ -diversity, and $t$ -closeness. Based on our framework and the proposed metrics, we can determine that all the existing PPDP schemes have limitations in privacy characterization. Our proposed privacy characterization and measurement framework contributes to better understanding and evaluation of these techniques. Thus, this paper provides a foundation for design and analysis of PPDP schemes.
Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis for Acute Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and Purpose: Acute central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a serious ophthalmologic emergency that may result in monocular blindness. To date, studies evaluating intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT) have not shown a definitive clinical benefit. We have conducted a systematic review with a meta-analysis to effectively evaluate this treatment option. Methods: A systematic literature search was focused on studies containing five or more patients undergoing intra-arterial thrombolysis that included a control group treated with standard therapy. Pooled meta-analysis was performed. Results: Five retrospective controlled studies and one randomized clinical trial were identified satisfying all inclusion criteria resulting in the analysis of 236 patients treated with intra-arterial thrombolysis and 255 patients treated with standard therapy. A pooled fixed effects analysis resulted in an estimated odds ratio of 2.52, 95% CI [1.69, 3.77], (P<0.0001) favoring intra-arterial thrombolysis. Conclusion: IAT is a promising therapeutic option for CRAO with great potential. Further randomized trials are needed to establish a significant benefit and ensure the safety of the intervention.
One Path to Cell Death in the Nervous System

Both acute and chronic insults to the nervous system can result in changes in homeostasis that result in cell death or recovery processes that alter function. The signaling mechanisms for this broad spectrum of events that impair neurological function span the gamut from abrupt injury to the slow onset of neurodegenerative diseases in extreme aging. A common element in all of these events is the triggering of signal cascades that determine cellular commitment to apoptosis as a ameliorative alternative to inflammatory necrosis. Key in these cascades is the activation of the caspase and Bcl-family of proteins by the NF-κB transcription factor. Here we consider aspects of specificity of activation as a result of the differential expression of NF-κB proteins and their regulation of selective genes as a result of binding to select DNA consensus sequences out of the 64 different combinations that constitute the NF-κB DNA binding consensus sequence.
Net-Centric Logistics: Complex Systems Science Aims at Moving Targets

We explore how a shift in logistics management philosophy from centralized supply to many small and redundant systems linked in a robust global network may help blunt terrorist primary goals of disrupting orderly government and commerce. In effect, logistics can be weaponized.
The Pragmatist’s View: A Conversation with Bryan Norton

In a wide-ranging interview conducted in July 2016, Bryan Norton reviewed his career path and contributions to environmental ethics and policy over more than four decades. Norton discusses the origins of his interest in environmental philosophy; the emergence and evolution of environmental ethics; his engagement with the ideas of Aldo Leopold and Baird Callicott; his work as an applied ethicist in the policy arena; his exploration of the core concepts of sustainability, convergence, and ecosystem service in his thinking; and future directions in environmental ethics and policy.
Direct-to-indirect electronic state transition in dynamically compressed GaAs quantum wells

Dynamic compression of GaAs quantum wells was achieved to examine the direct-to-indirect transition in a reduced dimension semiconductor structure under uniaxial strain conditions. Our results show that the transformation deviates significantly from the electronic structure predictions using bulk deformation potentials. This finding is attributed to the suppression of real-space type-II transitions by quantum state interactions due to the presence of large anisotropic strains.
Multi-Layer Perceptron Classifier and Paillier Encryption Scheme for Friend Recommendation System

Now a days, due to the world connectivity aspect social networking sites becomes very popular. Using this sites peoples can interact with each other; also can share the information. But on social networking sites problems of privacy as well as security arises. However, users want to connect with new friends to develop their social associations and also to get data from particular gathering of individuals. In recent days old friend recommendation technique becomes very popular so some of the online social networks (OSNs)can refer this technique. These kinds of methods may compromise the privacy. For resolving this kind of issues it require privacy-preserving friend recommendation methods for social networks. This work is motivated by requirement of friend proposition without appearing seclusion and security when using social networks. The main goal of proposed schema is to help the OSN user by safely makes trust with a more abnormal that is accomplishing by multi-hop recommendation process. For increase the online social contacts of users securely this will used. The present system makes use of secure kNN plan to achieve the secured social directed coordinating. But, due to the KNN, distance based learning is not clear and cost of calculation is very greater. To tackle this issues as well as increased the precision, designed system makes use of Multi-Layer Perceptron classifier for secure social coordinate matching. At the last, from analysis on the security as well as trial outcomes, It will show that the security, feasibility as well as precision of the designed method is higher than previous system.
Organs-on-chips take baby steps

Two organ-on-chip devices enable investigation of cellular interactions in human fetal membranes in vitro.
Hen housing system information effects on U.S. egg demand

Abstract The U.S. egg industry has been moving rapidly towards “cage-free” aviary housing as an alternative to conventional cages for hens. A choice experiment was used to evaluate the U.S. public’s willingness to pay (WTP) for egg attributes including housing system, color, size, and certifying agency. A significant difference in WTP for hen housing systems was found using video information treatments describing hen housing systems. When respondents were shown videos of egg production systems, they were indifferent between cage-free aviary and the alternative enriched colony hen housing system whereas with no video information the respondents clearly preferred the cage-free system. Results point towards potential public misunderstanding of the costs and benefits associated with the “cage-free” egg label designation and highlight potential discrepancies between industry commitments and informed consumer preferences.
La mujer moderna en los escritos de Federica Montseny

Este libro explora la representacion de la mujer moderna en los ensayos y la ficcion de Federica Montseny (1905-1994), lider anarquista espanola de gran prominencia en las decadas de 1920 y 1930. Se examinan en profundidad sus escritos sobre la cuestion de la mujer a la luz de las premisas filosoficas que sustentan el ideario del anarquismo. Ademas, su ficcion mantiene un complejo dialogo con los discursos cientificos y culturales de genero que proliferaron durante las primeras decadas del siglo XX. La mujer moderna de Montseny no consiste en una figura unica, finalizada y estatica, sino que se desplaza entre una diversidad de articulaciones a veces contradictorias, pero que reflejan por igual sus creencias anarquistas. Montseny, quien gozo; de enorme popularidad en su epoca como escritoray politica, elaboro y disemino; algunas de las propuestas sobre la emancipacion de las mujeres mas originales de su tiempo, y este volumen es el primero en situar su pensamiento como una de las piezas fundamentales en la evolucion del feminismo espanol. Nuria Cruz-Camara es Profesora Titular en la Universidad de Tennesse. This book explores the figure of the modern woman in the essays and fiction of Federica Montseny (1905-1994), a prominent Spanish anarchist leader during the 1920s and 1930s. It examines in depth the author's theories of gender in light of the basic principles of anarchist political thought and philosophy. In addition, Montseny's novels are shown to engage in an elaborate and critical dialogue with scientific and cultural discourses on women that proliferated during the first four decades of the 20th century. Montseny's ideal modern woman is not a static and definite figure; rather, she shifts across different and at times contradictory articulations that, nonetheless, all fall within her anarchist beliefs. Montseny, a popular politician and writer during her time, developed and disseminated some of the most original concepts dealing with women's emancipation and gender theory, and the present volume is the first to situate her thought as a key component within the evolution of Spanish feminism.. Nuria Cruz-Camara is Professor of Spanish at the University of Tennessee.
P45 Simulation following theory to embed learning on a critical care course

Background Nurses working in Critical Care areas must obtain a certain skillset, this is a requirement from the RCPCH (2014) and PICS (2015). Traditionally theory is delivered within a classroom environment and skills acquired through clinical practice. It is important that skills can be learnt and practiced in a safe environment through simulation. Our aim was to introduce simulation into our critical care course as part of a flipped classroom to build on the theory learnt in a practical way. Summary of work In September 2018 we designed our Critical Care Course cardiovascular session around a flipped class model to allow more time for practical scenarios. Nurses utilise online education resources prior to entering a two-hour theory session. During this session knowledge is built on the pre-session work and nurses are prepared with the theory required for cardiac scenarios such as SVT, Sinus bradycardia and cardiac arrest. Specific learning outcomes are set for each scenario for example administration of adenosine or safe cardioversion with the defibrillator. Further learning is consolidated during a supportive teaching debrief. Summary of results We have delivered 3 courses so far in this way. 55 nurses from 8 hospitals attended the session, from 21 different ward areas Feedback was obtained using post session questionnaire to establish the usefulness of the session to their practice. 80% (n=44) of nurses completed the feedback. 91% (n=40) found the scenarios useful in embedding the theory taught. 9% (n=4) found the group size to be too large which impacted on their experience. Changes were made following this result in September, and since then the results have improved. Nurses attending the session said they found the session interesting and enjoyable, they liked putting the theory into practice and found the scenarios really helpful. Following the course nurses have reported that they now feel more confident in dealing with similar situations in practice. Conclusion A learning environment that uses Simulation following theory allows nurses to safely develop the skills required work in a Critical Care environment. This has shown to be an enjoyable and effective method of adult learning. Reference RCPCH: Back to Facing the Future 2014 http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/system/files/protected/news/Back%20to%20Facing%20the%20 Future%20FINAL_1.pdf The Paediatric Intensive Care Society. Standards for the care of critically ill children. [4th Edition]. 2015. http://www.ukpics.org.uk/documents/PICS_standards.pdf
Bridging and Bonding: Disentangling Two Mechanisms Underlying the Diversity–Performance Relationship:

Although extensive research has examined whether diversity hinders or improves organizational performance, the aggregate results remain inconclusive. Social bridging theories argue that diverse org...
Small molecule FGF23 inhibitors increase serum phosphate and improve skeletal abnormalities in Hyp mice

ABSTRACT Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a bone-derived hormone that binds to binary FGFR/α-Klotho receptor complexes in the kidney tubules to inhibit phosphate reabsorption and 1,25(OH)2D production. Excess FGF23 causes X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) and tumor induced osteomalacia (TIO). Recently, Burosumab, an FGF23 blocking antibody, was approved for treating these hypophosphatemic disorders. A small molecule inhibitor that specifically binds to FGF23 to prevent activation of FGFR/α-Klotho complexes has potential advantages over a systemically administered FGF23 blocking antibody. We previously identified the small molecule ZINC13407541 (N-[[2-(2-phenylethenyl)cyclopenten-1-yl]methylidene]hydroxylamine) as a therapeutic lead FGF23 antagonist. Additional structure-activity studies developed a series of ZINC13407541 analogues with enhanced drug-like properties. In this study, we tested in a pre-clinical Hyp mouse homologue of XLH a direct connect analogue (8n) [(E)-2-(4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)cyclopent-1-ene-1-carbaldehyde oxime] that exhibited the greatest stability in microsomal assays, and 13a [(E)-2-((E)-4-methylstyryl)benzaldehyde oxime] that exhibited increased in vitro potency. We found that pharmacological inhibition of FGF23 with either of these compounds blocked FGF23 signaling and significantly increased serum phosphate and 1,25(OH)2D concentrations in Hyp mice. Long-term parenteral treatment with 8n or 13a also enhanced linear bone growth, increased mineralization of bone, and narrowed the growth plate in Hyp mice. The more potent 13a compound showed greater therapeutic efficacy in Hyp mice. Further optimization of these FGF23 inhibitors may lead to versatile drugs to treat FGF23-mediated disorders.
Effects of Ni incorporation on the reactivity and stability of hausmannite (Mn3O4): Environmental implications for Mn, Ni, and As solubility and cycling

Abstract Trace metal structural impurities are common in Mn (II/III) oxides, yet their effects on the oxides' reactivity and stability have not been experimentally assessed. The present investigation quantifies such effects for the first time by measuring the extent of mineral dissolution of pristine and Ni-substituted hausmannite (MnIIMnIII2O4) (at 1 and 2 wt% Ni) in 8-h batch reactions at pH 5 with/without arsenite (As(III)). Ni substitution occurred at Mn(III) octahedral sites, causing noticeable structural modification in lattice parameters with a decrease in Jahn-Teller distortion, particularly at 2 wt%. In both acidic and reductive dissolution (with As(III)), the Ni-substituted hausmannite exhibited enhanced Mn release relative to the pristine mineral, with concurrent release of structural Ni increasing with substitution percentage. When As(V) release was normalized by surface area, Ni-substituted hausmannite showed a higher As(III) oxidation percentage than the pristine phase. Further, higher ratios of Mn(II):As(V) were observed in Ni-substituted hausmannite. As K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses indicated that As(III) oxidation lead to the formation of binuclear bidentate As(V) surface complexes. Enhanced reactivity of Ni-substituted hausmannite may be attributed to lowered mineral stability, which promotes accelerated mineral dissolution and increased structural Mn release, resulting in formation/exposure of highly reactive sites. Thus, structural impurities dictate the properties, reactivity, and stability of the Mn(II/III) oxides, affecting the level of dissolution and the extent of redox reactions, which together impact the fate and cycling of transition metals and metalloids in surface environments.
Review on landfill leachate treatment methods

In most countries, sanitary landfill is the most commonly used method to eliminate municipal and industrial solid waste, but landfill produces seriously polluted landfill leachate. Landfill leachate contains many kinds of pollutants: such as refractory organic compounds and heavy metals. In general, there are three methods to treat landfill leachate: leachate transfer, biological processes, chemical and physical methods and membrane processes. Membrane processes can be divided into four types: microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO). Membrane process has the advantages of stable effluent and high rejection rate for refractory organic matter. But high treatment cost and membrane fouling problem affect the applications of membrane in practice.
The Flight Spectral Response of the ACIS Instrument

We discuss the flight calibration of the spectral response of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) on-board the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO). The spectral resolution and sensitivity of the ACIS instrument have both been evolving over the course of the mission. The spectral resolution of the frontside-illuminated (FI) CCDs changed dramatically in the first month of the mission due to radiation damage. Since that time, the spectral resolution of the FI CCDs and the backside-illuminated (BI) CCDs have evolved gradually with time. We demonstrate the efficacy of charge-transfer inefficiency (CTI) correction algorithms which recover some of the lost performance. The detection efficiency of the ACIS instrument has been declining throughout the mission, presumably due to a layer of contamination building up on the filter and/or CCDs. We present a characterization of the energy dependence of the excess absorption and demonstrate software which models the time dependence of the absorption from energies of 0.4 keV and up. The spectral redistribution function and the detection efficiency are well-characterized at energies from 1.5 to 8.0 keV. The calibration at energies below 1.5 keV is challenging because of the lack of strong lines in the calibration source and also because of the inherent non-linear dependence with energy of the CTI and the absorption by the contamination layer. We have been using data from celestial sources with relatively simple spectra to determine the quality of the calibration below 1.5 keV. The analysis of these observations demonstrate that the CTI correction recovers a significant fraction of the spectral resolution of the FI CCDs and the models of the time-dependent absorption result in consistent measurements of the flux at low energies for data from a BI (S3) CCD.
Adam Smith’s Approach to Virtue Ethics Had Nothing Whatsoever to Do With the Invisible Hand of the Market

Adam Smith’s version of Virtue Ethics can be traced directly back to Plato (Socrates) and Aristotle. Smith basically skipped Aquinas and Augustine because they were also Catholic theologians, as well as philosophers. Referencing them would not have been looked upon kindly by the Scottish Presbyterian Church, of which Smith was a nominal member. Virtue Ethics, as a system of ethics, is completely independent of the issue of whether or not there is a personal God or of any religion. However, Virtue ethics is a system of ethics which is completely consistent and compatible with the writings of the ancient Israelite leaders, like David and Solomon, and Confucius, Buddha, Plato (Socrates), Jesus, Mohammed, Ramakrishna, and Gandhi, among others, who had applied some type of Virtue ethics approach. For Smith, the cement or glue that held any and all societies together was a commitment to implementing the virtue of Justice. At the personal level, the most important virtue for any individual was prudence. However, the virtue of prudence has absolutely nothing to do with self(ish) interest as exemplified in terms like “Laissez Faire”, “Invisible Hand”, or “Maximizing your Utility”. These terms are consistent with a form of ethics called utilitarianism, which Bentham and others put forth as a rival of, and replacement for, virtue ethics. There is no, and there can never be, any overlap between the two different systems.
PolychoricRM: A computationally efficient R function for estimating polychoric correlations and their asymptotic covariance matrix

Many applications of structural equation modeling involve ordinal (e.g., Likert) variables. A popular way of dealing with ordinal variables is to estimate the model with polychoric correlations rat...
IL-22 Binding Protein (IL-22BP) in the Regulation of IL-22 Biology

Cytokines are powerful mediators of inflammation. Consequently, their potency is regulated in many ways to protect the host. Several cytokines, including IL-22, have coordinating binding proteins or soluble receptors that bind to the cytokine, block the interaction with the cellular receptor, and thus prevent cellular signaling. IL-22 is a critical cytokine in the modulation of tissue responses during inflammation and is highly upregulated in many chronic inflammatory disease patients, including those with psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In healthy individuals, low levels of IL-22 are secreted by immune cells, mainly in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, much of this IL-22 is likely not biologically active due to the high levels of IL-22 binding protein (IL-22BP) produced by intestinal dendritic cells (DCs). IL-22BP is a soluble receptor homolog that binds to IL-22 with greater affinity than the membrane spanning receptor. Much is known regarding the regulation and function of IL-22 in health and disease. However, less is known about IL-22BP. In this review, we will focus on IL-22BP, including its regulation, role in IL-22 biology and inflammation, and promise as a therapeutic. IL-22 can be protective or pathogenic, depending on the context of inflammation. IL-22BP also has divergent roles. Ongoing and forthcoming studies will expand our knowledge of IL-22BP and IL-22 biology, and suggest that IL-22BP holds promise as a way to regulate IL-22 biology in patients with chronic inflammatory disease.
Protecting provenance, abandoning agriculture? Heritage products, industrial ideals and the uprooting of a Spanish turrón

Abstract Protected geographical indications (PGIs) are an increasingly popular strategy for securing price premiums on food products in the interest of preserving associated rural livelihoods, however they often fail to show clear benefits for small or otherwise marginalized farmers. Their environmental record for supporting low-impact farming practices is also mixed. This case study of the PGI for Spanish almond-based desserts Turron de Jijona and Turron de Alicante details a yet unstudied form of such failures, where manufacturers seeking to scale production removed the requirement to source their primary ingredient (almonds) from the region's low-input farms and opted for intensively produced ingredients imported from abroad. This uprooting of turron from its agroecological origins highlights how the GI designation creates tension between the need to legitimate a product as rooted in traditional agrarian lifeways and the incentive to expand exports by industrial means. While previous studies show how such tension can result in agricultural intensification benefitting larger landholders within a given region, I argue this inequity and ecological risk operates at a global scale. Importantly, the turron case reveals that “quality” of a product is a moving target shaped not only by culinary legacies but also forged by a global political economy of agriculture suffering chronic overproduction. Finally, the role of the state in structuring PGI institutions more inclusively and adjudicating conflicts among actors along the value chain is fundamental to the capacity of these programs to achieve social and environmental goals.
Testlet Response Theory: An Analog for the 3PL Model Useful in Testlet-Based Adaptive Testing

The invention of short multiple choice test items provided an enormous technical and practical advantage for test developers; certainly the items could be scored easily, but that was just one of the reasons for their popular adoption in the early part of the 20th century. A more important reason was the increase in validity offered because of the speed with which such items could be answered. This meant that a broad range of content specifications could be addressed, and hence an examinee need no longer be penalized because of an unfortunate choice of constructed response (e.g., essay) question. These advantages, as well as many others (see Anastasi, 1976, 415-417) led the multiple choice format to become, by far, the dominant form used in large-scale standardized mental testing throughout this century. Nevertheless, this breakthrough in test construction, dominant at least since the days of Army is currently being reconsidered. Critics of tests that are made up of large numbers of short questions suggest that decontextualized items yield a task that is abstracted too far from the domain of inference for many potential uses. For several reasons, only one of them as a response to this criticism, variations in test theory were considered that would allow the retention of the shortanswer format while at the same time eliminating the shortcomings expressed by those critics. One of these variations was the development of item response theory (IRT), an analytic breakthrough in test scoring. A key feature of IRT is that examinee responses are conceived of as reflecting evidence of a particular location on a single underlying latent
NEUTRON REFLECTOMETRY STUDIES OF THIN FILMS AND MULTILAYERED MATERIALS

Neutron reflectometry is an important technique for studying the com-position and structure of thin films and layered media on a nanometer scale. Neutrons are particularly useful as probes of organic and magnetic materials since the information that can be obtained is often unique. Furthermore, the fact that neutrons traverse relatively large distances in single crystalline materials, such as silicon, permit investigations in diverse sample environments. The fundamental theoretical principles and experimental methodology of neutron reflectometry are presented, in addition to several illustrative examples of measurements relevant to polymer science, biology, electrochemistry, and magnetism. PACS numbers: 61.12.—q
Thermomechanical Treatment of 2124 PM Aluminum Alloys with Low and High Dispersoid Levels

The effects of thermomechanical treatment (TMT) on the mechanical properties and metallurgical structure of 2124 powder metallurgy aluminum alloys prepared from rapidly solidified powders were investigated. The alloys were prepared by using a standard canning/vacuum degassing/hot consolidation/extrusion sequence. Two compositions, with manganese contents of 0.5 and 1.5 percent, were investigated to examine the effects of low and high dispersoid levels. The results indicate that significant improvements in strength can be accomplished through TMT for this PM alloy system with little loss in toughness. The increase in strength observed is attributed to the presence of much finer, more homogeneous S-prime precipitation than that observed without TMT. Rolling deformation at room temperature resulted in some tendency for nonuniform (planar) deformation and resulted in slightly lower notch strength values. The lower notch strengths observed in the higher manganese composition were attributed to the coarser, more dense dispersoids observed in this material.
Transport phenomena in vertical reactors for metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy: I. Effects of heat transfer characteristics, reactor geometry, and operating conditions

Abstract Effects of operating conditions, reactor geometry, and heat transfer characteristics on flow patterns and growth rate uniformity in vertical, axisymmetric reactors for metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) are described. Finite element solutions of two- and three-dimensional models of transport phenomena in vertical MOVPE reactors identify regions of inlet flow rates, susceptor rotations, and pressures where flow recirculations due to natural convection are minimized and good deposition rate uniformity is achieved. Particular attention is placed on understanding the influence of reactor geometry and heat transfer characteristics on flow fields and film thickness variations. The numerical computations demonstrate that modifications in the orientation of the reactor, the inlet size and its distance from the susceptor as well as the shape of the reactor enclosure can be used effectively to optimize reactor performance. Baffles can also be used advantageously to improve uniformity in existing reactor enclosures but at the expense of more complex flow patterns. The simulations underscore the importance of including accurate heat transfer treatments in MOVPE models by illustrating that different flow fields result from the commonly used thermal boundary conditions and a detailed heat transfer model. The model predictions are shown to be in good agreement with experimentally observed flow fields, wall temperatures and growth rates for GaAs. Nonlinear transport phenomena lead to the existence of multiple steady flows for the same operating parameters as well as the breaking of axisymmetry and development of fully three-dimensional flow patterns. An example of a non-axisymmetric flow field is given and the assumption of axisymmetry in models of vertical reactors is discussed.
A Review of “Brand Immortality: How Brands Can Live Long and Prosper”

Two British veterans of the advertising industry pursue a quest for life everlasting—not for themselves but for the brand names that companies create. In their opinion no brand need die as long as ...
The Testicular Iron Shuttle: A “Nurse” Function of the Sertoli Cells

The techniques of cell culture and molecular biology first revealed that Sertoli cells synthesize transferrin. Accumulated biological information led to a plausible model for the role of testicular transferrin in an iron shuttle system designed to transport ferric ions around the cellular tight junctions to the germ cells inside the blood-testis barrier. Experiments done in culture and in vivo have supported many aspects of this model. A mutant mouse model that lacks the ability to synthesize transferrin is defective in spermatogenesis and may help to delineate the nature of the iron requirement by germ cells. The levels of seminal transferrin, possibly of Sertoli cell origin, are proportional to sperm production in humans and cattle and may be an effective indicator of Sertoli cell function. The testicular iron shuttle thus represents an important "nurse cell" function of the Sertoli cells.
Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of blood vessels has always been a special topic. In conventional MRI, the pulsatility of the blood usually causes artifacts. Not only can the signal intensity (SI) in the vessel be very variable, it can also spread along the phase-encoded direction and overlay important image details. More importantly, the signal intensities can appear as a ghost and mimic a lesion. The understanding of these phenomena and a few techniques to counter these artifacts led in the late 1980s to the development of the so-called MR angiography (MRA) sequences. With these sequences, the signal intensities in the blood vessels are hyperintense and most artifacts are overcome. Two groups of sequences were developed in parallel and are still extensively used today: time-of-flight and phase contrast imaging. The hyperintense signal intensities in the first group are derived from inflow effects, whereas for phase contrast imaging, flow-induced phase effects play a major role. In both methods, the basic sequence is a gradient recalled echo technique with short repetition time (TR)/echo time (TE), enabling the acquisition of 2D or 3D images in a reasonable time period. The artifacts along the phase-encoded direction are overcome by using dedicated gradient schemes (“gradient motion refocusing gradients” or “first-order flow-compensating gradients”). The use of these gradients does not enforce the signal intensity but rather avoids the signal voids or the spread of the signal along the phase-encoded direction.