cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rhizomatic data assemblages: mapping new possibilities for urban housing data

ABSTRACTData, how we conceptualize them, who uses them, and how they are used, are central to current questions about smart cities and critical data studies. This article develops a conceptual fram...
Development of a thermal-oxide patterning method for mitigating coating stress-induced distortion in silicon mirrors for the Lynx X-Ray Telescope mission concept (Conference Presentation)

The thermal oxide patterning method has been proven effective for compensating coating stress on flat silicon wafers. In this paper we report progress of applying this method on thin X-ray telescope silicon mirrors, produced by GSFC, which are 100 mm long, 0.5 mm thick, 30 degree in azimuthal span and 312 mm in radius of curvature (Wolter-I geometry). The mirrors’ front sides are sputter coated by 20 nm iridium layers which have ~-70 N/m compressive stress. Due to the difference in geometries, we developed a new FEA model to calculate the duty cycle in thermal oxide hexagon patterns to compensate the coating stress. In addition, a new fabrication process with customized photo lithographic tools has been developed to achieve optimum patterning-precision on curved surfaces. Measurement results show that the developed method can mitigate coating-induced distortion by a factor of ~4, corresponding to ~0.5 arc-second in RMS slope error. The residual surface error is dominated by mid-frequency ripples produced by the annealing process, which will be resolved in the future. The developed thermal oxide patterning method could be inexpensive and precise, which could be a candidate to resolve coating stress issues for the Lynx telescope in the future.
Heidegger’s Nietzsche

ABSTRACTHeidegger maintained that Nietzsche was a metaphysical thinker. What did he mean by that? Not that Nietzsche advanced purely theoretical doctrines that might be perfected or refuted by rati...
Transfection of NK Cells with mRNA or Lentivirus Expressing Chimeric Antigen Receptors Results in Highly Efficient Killing of Lymphoid Malignancies and Compares Favorably with Monoclonal Antibody-Directed ADCC.

Abstract 1696 Poster Board I-722 NK cells frequently do not kill malignant lymphoid target cells except through antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) when combined with monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Here we compared the ability of the human NK cell line NK-92 to lyse lymphoid cell lines and primary chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) cells after transfection with either mRNA or lentivirus coding for Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CAR) against CD19 or CD20. Electroporation (Genepulser, Biorad) of 10 μg mRNA (coding for GFP, CD19-CAR or CD20-CAR) into NK-92 cells was performed at 300V and 150 μF (Leuk. Res 2009;33:1255). For lentivirus transduction, CD19-CAR and CD20-CAR were cloned into a pCL20c IRES-GFP vector and lentivirus stocks for GFP, CD19-CAR and CD20-CAR were obtained from 293T packaging cells. NK-92 cells were transduced by two successive rounds of spinfection in the presence of 8 μg/ml protamine sulfate. Mean transfection efficiencies were 57.2% ± 6.6 for electroporation with mRNA, and 32.6% ± 4.1 for lentivirus transduction. The cytotoxity of the transfected/transduced NK-92 cells against the reference Raji cell line was not affected. The NK-92 resistant cell lines SUP-B15 (CD19+/CD20-) and TMD5 (CD19+/CD20+) became highly sensitive to lysis by transfected NK-92 expressing CD19-CAR, while only TMD5 became sensitive to transfected NK-92 expressing CD20-CAR. Importantly, mRNA-transfected NK-92 showed two-fold higher killing compared to lentivirus-transduced NK-92 despite similar receptor expression. As expected, expression of CAR following mRNA transfection was temporary (48 hours), whereas lentivirus transduced NK-92 maintained CAR expression and cytolytic function for indefinite periods in culture. In order to obtain higher target cell killing by lentivirus transduced cells, NK-92 cells could be highly enriched by cell sorting. Subsequently, we compared CAR-directed killing with ADCC on primary B-CLL patient samples, using NK-92 cells genetically modified by lentivirus expressing anti-CD20 CAR versus high affinity Fc receptor-expressing (FcRγIIIA) NK-92 cells combined with the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody Rituximab. Initially all CLL cells were resistant to killing by NK-92. Anti-CD20 CAR transfected NK-92 cells showed significantly higher cytotoxicity than ADCC against patients9 cells, with less patient-to-patient variability. In conclusions, transfection of NK cells with mRNA coding for CAR against lymphoid surface antigens is a highly efficient method that can easily be scaled up to produce clinical grade material. Lentivirus transduced NK-92 cells show stable expression of CAR, but efficient killing requires sorting or selection for transfected cells. CAR-directed killing by NK-92 compares favorably with anti-CD20 mAb mediated ADCC against primary CLL targets and either approach, alone or in combination, could have clinical relevance. Disclosures Klingemann:ZelleRx Corp.: Co-founder and shareholder.
Convolutional neural network-automated hepatobiliary phase adequacy evaluation may optimize examination time

Abstract Purpose To develop and evaluate the performance of a fully-automated convolutional neural network (CNN)-based algorithm to evaluate hepatobiliary phase (HBP) adequacy of gadoxetate disodium (EOB)-enhanced MRI. Secondarily, we explored the potential of the proposed CNN algorithm to reduce examination length by applying it to EOB-MRI examinations. Methods We retrospectively identified EOB-enhanced MRI-HBP series from examinations performed 2011–2018 (internal and external datasets). Our algorithm, comprising a liver segmentation and classification CNN, produces an adequacy score. Two abdominal radiologists independently classified series as adequate or suboptimal. The consensus determination of HBP adequacy was used as ground truth for CNN model training and validation. Reader agreement was evaluated with Cohen’s kappa. Performance of the algorithm was assessed by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis and computation of the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Potential examination duration reduction was evaluated descriptively. Results 1408 HBP series from 484 patients were included. Reader kappa agreement was 0.67 (internal dataset) and 0.80 (external dataset). AUCs were 0.97 (0.96-0.99) for internal and 0.95 (0.92–96) for external and were not significantly different from each other (p = 0.24). 48 % (50/105) examinations could have been shorter by applying the algorithm. Conclusion A proposed CNN-based algorithm achieves higher than 95 % AUC for classifying HBP images as adequate versus suboptimal. The application of this algorithm could potentially shorten examination time and aid radiologists in recognizing technically suboptimal images, avoiding diagnostic pitfalls.
Patient motion tracking for non-isocentric and non-coplanar treatments via fixed frame-of-reference 3D camera

Purpose As C-arm linac radiation therapy evolves toward faster, more efficient delivery, and more conformal dosimetry, treatments with increasingly complex couch motions are emerging. Monitoring the patient motion independently of the couch motion during non-coplanar, non-isocentric, or dynamic couch treatments is a key bottleneck to their clinical implementation. The goal of this study is to develop a prototype real-time monitoring system for unconventional beam trajectories to ensure a safe and accurate treatment delivery. Methods An in-house algorithm was developed for tracking using a couch-mounted three-dimensional (3D) depth camera. The accuracy of patient motion detection on the couch was tested on a 3D printed phantom created from the body surface contour exported from the treatment planning system. The technique was evaluated against a commercial optical surface monitoring system with known phantom displacements of 3, 5, and 7 mm in lateral, longitudinal, and vertical directions by placing a head phantom on a dynamic platform on the treatment couch. The stability of the monitoring system was evaluated during dynamic couch trajectories, at speeds between 10.6 and 65 cm/min. Results The proposed monitoring system agreed with the ceiling mounted optical surface monitoring system in longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions within 0.5 mm. The uncertainty caused by couch vibration increased with couch speed but remained sub-millimeter for speeds up to 32 cm/min. For couch speeds of 10.6, 32.2, and 65 cm/min, the uncertainty ranges were 0.27- 0.73 mm, 0.15-0.87 mm, and 0.28-1.29 mm, respectively. Conclusion By mounting a 3D camera in the same frame-of-reference as the patient and eliminating dead spots, this proof of concept demonstrates real-time patient monitoring during couch motion. For treatments with non-coplanar beams, multiple isocenters, or dynamic couch motion, this provides additional safety without additional radiation dose and avoids some of the complexity and limitations of room mounted systems.
Constitutional Norm Entrepreneuring

Everyone is obsessed today with constitutional norms. They have powerfully penetrated our vocabulary and are mentioned with dizzying frequency. We now know that any account of our valuable constitutional practices cannot end with just politics or law and must also include norms. What is further unique about the current moment in our political era is that an important subset of these norms appears to be exceedingly fragile and is under persistent attack. Some even suggest that the erosion of constitutional norms is at the heart of a global trend of democratic recession. But how precisely do constitutional norms change and ultimately collapse? And is there something actors can do to influence these processes? This Article’s goal is to explore these questions, both in general and in the context of the alleged trend of democratic recession in particular. It argues that although norms can be understood, following H.L.A Hart, as a “primitive” component in our political systems (given the way they differ from formal law), constitutional norms can in fact attain some of the credentials Hart believed could be attributed exclusively to law. More specifically, the Article claims that we can fashion something akin to “rules of change” and “rules of adjudication” in relation to constitutional norms and accordingly gain a firmer grasp of how they develop, change, and ultimately break down and of how conflicts about constitutional norms are “adjudicated” within our politics. As for “rules of change” for norms, the Article argues that constitutional norms tend to change in predictable ways and as a result of the working of several distinctive mechanisms. As for “rules of adjudication” for norms, the Article identifies a set of concrete strategies that constitutional norm entrepreneurs (who wish to change present norms including bringing forth their demise) and constitutional norm anti-preneurs (who wish to safeguard present norms) can use to try to manipulate constitutional norms to achieve their desired, and oppositional, ends. The Article concludes by implementing that framework to our present moment of democratic recession. It asks, in other words, what constitutional norm anti-preneurs can do to halt further encroachment upon valuable constitutional norms that appear crucial to the resilience of democratic systems, both in general and in the United States.
Learning from the Machine: Uncovering Sustainable Nanoparticle Design Rules

Machines consisting of bags of artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been constructed to connect nanoparticle features to the viability of a broad class of organisms upon exposure. The optimizatio...
Evaluation of Free-Floating Droplet Acceleration in ISS Droplet Combustion Experiments

Trajectories of free-floating droplets burned in experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) are evaluated from digital images. n-Heptane droplets are observed to move in irregular paths after cool flame extinction with acceleration levels of tens or hundreds of μg and frequencies of 0.2 - 0.3 Hz. Flame oscillations for burning methanol and n-heptane droplets can affect droplet acceleration components. During flame oscillation, droplets exhibit oscillatory acceleration patterns with characteristic frequencies of 0.2 - 0.3 Hz and accelerations of the order of 50 μg. The droplet acceleration magnitudes are significantly larger than measured ISS acceleration levels (g-jitter). It is concluded that motions of free droplets are initially a result of the deployment and ignition processes, while motions later in droplet lifetimes are a result of interactions between the droplets and the gas phase including influences of thermal and solutal Marangoni stresses at the liquid-gas interface.
Tensile fracture characteristics of Green Ultra-High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (G-UHP-FRC) with longitudinal steel reinforcement

Abstract Over the last ten years, developing Ultra-High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (UHP-FRC) composites has mostly focused on achieving tensile strain capacities far exceeding the yield strain of steel reinforcing bars (rebars) while the need for such high strain levels has not yet been validated in reinforced UHP-FRC. Furthermore, the interaction between UHP-FRC composites and rebars remains still relatively unknown, specifically at large deformations up to fracture of the rebar. This paper focuses specifically on green UHP-FRC/rebar interactions for various rebar types and reinforcing ratios. In these green UHP-FRC (G-UHP-FRC) composites, cement has been partially replaced by 50% waste materials to enhance their sustainability. G-UHP-FRC dogbone-shaped specimens reinforced with a single deformed steel reinforcing rebar in their center were tested under uniaxial tension up to fracture of the steel reinforcing bar. Some of the embedded rebars were instrumented with post-yield strain gauges to identify initial yielding, strain-hardening, and strain distribution of the steel rebar along the gauge length during load application. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique was utilized to investigate the strain fields and crack patterns on the surface of the concrete during loading. The results reveal that after yielding of the steel rebar a dominant macrocrack forms which leads to strain localization and early strain-hardening of the rebar, eventually resulting in brittle failure at reinforcing ratios that have been known to ensure ductile behavior in reinforced conventional concrete specimens. Therefore, a minimum longitudinal reinforcing ratio is being recommended for such UHP-FRC composites to guarantee a ductile performance under tension.
What Directs Search? Multi-Site Experimental Evidence on the Triggers of Exploration

Search is a cornerstone of the behavioral theory of the firm. It is theorized as a process, a chain of events: a choice leading to an experience, such as performance feedback, followed by reaction ...
Next-generation tools to control biting midge populations and reduce pathogen transmission

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides transmit disease-causing agents resulting in a significant economic impact on livestock industries in many parts of the world. Localized control efforts, such as removal of larval habitat or pesticide application, can be logistically difficult, expensive and ineffective if not instituted and maintained properly. With these limitations, a population-level approach to the management of Culicoides midges should be investigated as a means to replace or supplement existing control strategies. Next-generation control methods such as Wolbachia- and genetic-based population suppression and replacement are being investigated in several vector species. Here we assess the feasibility and applicability of these approaches for use against biting midges. We also discuss the technical and logistical hurdles needing to be addressed for each method to be successful, as well as emphasize the importance of addressing community engagement and involving stakeholders in the investigation and development of these approaches.
The Economic Effects of Girls’ and Young Women’s Education in Development

This paper analyzes the effects of female enrollment rates in primary, secondary and higher education on economic growth of GDP per capita. Alternatively, male enrollment rates in each of these three levels of education are analyzed. Moreover, the gender parity index, with girls to boys enrolled, is regressed for each level, as well as primary and secondary education combined. Global panel-data regressions over time are used. These measures are all highly statistically significant throughout the regressions, generally at the 1-percent level. The effects of female enrollment rates on other economic variables are also found, such as reducing fertility rates, infant mortality rates, poverty and income inequality. Female enrollment rates augment openness to trade, domestic investment, foreign direct investment inflows, R&D expenditures, savings, and political rights.
TAICHI: A Tiled Architecture for In-memory Computing and Heterogeneous Integration

We present TAICHI, a general in-memory computing deep neural network accelerator design based on RRAM crossbar arrays heterogeneously integrated with local arithmetic units and global co-processors to allow the system to efficiently map different models while maintaining high energy efficiency and throughput. A hierarchical mesh network-onchip is implemented to facilitate communication among clusters in TAICHI to balance reconfigurability and efficiency. Detailed deployment of the different circuit components is discussed, and the system performance is estimated at several technology nodes. The heterogeneous design also allows the system to accommodate models larger than the on-chip storage capability.
HDL and the Amphipathic Helix

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are a population of apolipoprotein A-I-containing particles inversely correlated with the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) (Linsel-Nitschke and Tall 2005), but lower HDL cholesterol levels are not uniformly associated with excess cardiovascular risk, nor do they always confer a protective benefit (Mahdy Ali et al. 2012). Further, HDL has biological functions that transcend its antiatherogenic role; to paraphrase Einstein, “God” did not create HDL to prevent atherosclerosis. In this chapter, I will present a brief history of HDL, focusing on the discovery of the amphipathic helix, a concept that led to the development of HDL peptide mimetics.
Room-temperature mid-infrared Cr2+:ZnSe and Cr2+:ZnS random powder lasers

We report a simple method for fabricating transition metal (TM) doped II-VI powders with average size of about 10- 20μm as well as room temperature mid-infrared (2-3 μm) random lasing based on Cr2+-doped ZnSe and ZnS powders prepared without crystal growth stage under optical intra-shell excitation of chromium. Fabrication of Cr2+-doped ZnSe and ZnS powders involved two simple stages. At the first stage, pure ZnSe, (ZnS) and CrSe, (CrS) (with a concentration of Cr2+ ion 2×10-19 cm-3 and 5 × 10-19 cm-3 for ZnSe and ZnS respectively) chemicals with an average grain size of 10μm were uniformly mixed by means of a mechanical shaker. At the second stage the obtained ZnSe/CrSe mixture was sealed into evacuated (~10-4 Torr) quartz ampoule and annealed either at 1200°C for 15 minute, or 1000°C for 3 days. In the case of ZnS/CrS mixtures the annealing was performed in evacuated quartz ampoule at 1000 °C for 14 days. After annealing, under 1560 nm excitation, the powders demonstrated room temperature middle-infrared luminescence of Cr2+ similar to Cr2+ emission in bulk ZnSe and ZnS. Moreover, the output-input characteristic clearly demonstrated the threshold-like behavior of the output signal with the threshold pump energy density of ~44.5 mJ/cm2 ~7.46 mJ/cm2, and 63.6 mJ/cm2 for Cr:ZnSe annealed for 15 min, 3 days, and Cr:ZnS respectively.© (2008) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comparison of Routine Glove Use and Contact-Isolation Precautions to Prevent Transmission of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in a Long-Term Care Facility

Objectives: To compare routine glove use by healthcare workers for all residents, without use of contact-isolation precautions, with contact-isolation precautions for the care of residents who had vancomycin-resistant enterococci or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a clinical culture Design: Random allocation of two similar sections of the skilled-care unit to one of the infection-control strategies during an 18-month study period. Setting: Skilled-care unit of a 667-bed acute- and long-term care facility. Participants: All residents present or admitted to the skilled-care unit from June 1, 1998, through December 7, 1999. Measurements: Resident acquisition of four antimicrobial-resistant organisms (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, or extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae or Escherichia coli). All isolates were strain typed. The facility level costs associated with each strategy were estimated. Results: Resident acquisition of antimicrobial-resistant organisms was no different in the glove-use and isolation-precautions sections (31 episodes (1.5 per 1,000 resident-days) vs 38 episodes (1.6 per 1,000 resident-days)). Acquisition of either of two prevalent K. pneumoniae strains was more likely (P=.06) in residents in the isolation-precautions section. The estimated costs of contact-isolation precautions were 40% greater than those of routine glove use. Conclusion: There was a similar frequency of transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in the two study sections; there was evidence for resident-to-resident K. pneumoniae transmission in the isolation-precautions section. Routine glove use for healthcare workers, which decreases resident social isolation and healthcare facility costs, may be preferable in many long-term care facilities.
Applications research in instructional systems development

The Interservice Procedures for Instructional Systems Development project (IPISD, 1973–1976), which the author directed, brought instructional systems development (ISD) to the training schools of the U.S. armed forces. This article recounts the history of that project, emphasizing the problems faced, the choices made, the focus chosen, the difficulties encountered, the product that resulted, and the outcomes of the project. The author draws conclusions from this large-scale military ISD project that are applicable to applications research projects in other organizations.
Reconstruction of a tracheobronchial tree disruption with bovine pericardium

Iatrogenic tracheobronchial disruption is a rare, life-threatening condition. Depending upon the extent of the injury, its location, and the condition of the patient, repair/reconstruction options may be limited. The natural history of bovine pericardium used to repair one such tracheal injury has been documented.
Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM): outcomes of delivery at 32(°/7)-33(6/7) weeks after confirmed fetal lung maturity (FLM) versus expectant management until 34(°/7) weeks.

AbstractObjective: Our objective was to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) delivered prior to 34°/7 weeks upon confirmation of fetal lung maturity (FLM) to those managed expectantly until 34°/7 weeks.Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of non-anomalous singleton gestations with PPROM occurring after 24 weeks delivered between 32°/7 and 34°/7 weeks from 2004 to 2012. Patients delivered upon documented FLM (+FLM) – defined as the presence of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) at 32°/7–336/7 weeks if amniotic fluid was obtainable vaginally – were compared with patients delivered without documented FLM between 32°/7 and 34°/7 weeks (expectant). Primary outcomes included maternal infection (clinically diagnosed endometritis or chorioamnionitis), placental abruption and a composite of neonatal morbidities (including but not limited to mechanical ventilation, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis and respiratory di...
Secret liens and the financial crisis of 2008

This article explains the roots of financial crises in one of the oldest and most fundamental problems of commercial law: hidden leverage. Common law courts wrestled with this problem for centuries and developed a time - tested solution: the doctrine of secret liens. If the debtor becomes insolvent, the doctrine of secret liens punishes secret lien holders by subordinating their claims to those of other creditors. In other words, by overriding privately negotiated payment priorities, the doctrine of secret liens creates incentives for transparency. This article argues that legal changes over the last 80 years eroded the doctrine of secret liens, and thereby led to the financial crisis. Due to these legal changes, complex and opaque financial products received the highest priority in bankruptcy, and creditors' incentives were therefore to structure transactions using these favored financial products. The opaque credit environment that resulted permitted debtors - particularly investment banks - to hide the extent of their leverage, to the detriment of all creditors. This article argues that Congress can prevent future financial crises by restoring the doctrine of secret liens, or by adopting a modernized regulatory regime built on the doctrine of secret liens' fundamental insight - that creditors should be compelled to disclose their claims in exchange for payment priority.
A case of paradoxical embolism “in situ” associated with massive pulmonary embolism: Role of echocardiography

A 49-year-old man was admitted in transfer for further management of a pulmonary embolism (PE) and possible mitral valve vegetation. Transthoracic echocardiography performed at our institution showed evidence of right ventricular (RV) enlargement and dysfunction. Within the right atrium was a serpentine mobile thrombus which traversed the interatrial septum at the level of the fossa ovalis and extended into the left atrium to the level of the anterior mitral valve leaflet. Because of the patient's dyspnea, RV dysfunction, and large clot burden, thrombolytic therapy was considered and would have been administered had the thrombus in situ not been identified. In light of the thrombus in situ and the concern about possible systemic embolization with thrombolytic therapy, the patient underwent successful surgical thrombectomy. This case highlights the importance of echocardiography in the management of patients with PE. We believe that all patients should undergo echocardiography prior to receiving thrombolytic therapy for pulmonary emboli. Careful interrogation of the interatrial septum for the presence of a thrombus in situ is warranted. Thrombectomy should be considered in individuals with PE who have a thrombus in situ.
Photochemical production of CO and CO2 in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Estimates and challenges for quantifying the impact of photochemistry on carbon cycles

The photochemical production of carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), derived from marine colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), is considered a significant oceanic loss process for the large and variable fluxes of terrigenous dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in river dominated coastal systems. Using samples collected over 4 seasons (2009–2010) in a grid centered on the Mississippi–Atchafalaya River system in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, we attempt to improve constraints for these direct photochemical impacts on DOC cycles by contributing the largest coherent set of photochemical apparent quantum yield (AQY) spectra for CO to date (n = 99), 18 of which had CO2 AQY spectra determined in the same sample for use in calculating CO2:CO photoproduction ratios. Simple correlations, previously reported from much smaller data sets, between CO photoproduction and CDOM optical properties showed weak or no correlations within our much larger spatio-temporal study. However, grouping samples with an optical transition point (ag(320) = 1.3 m− 1) allowed definition of two distinct inshore and offshore CO AQY spectra. Inputting these in regional photochemical models that use remotely sensed ocean color data and modeled water optical properties dramatically improves results over using a single CO AQY spectrum (modeled vs. measured r2 = 0.73 vs. 0.18 for single AQY), as has been done previously. Monthly average CO photoproduction rates ranged from 6.0 to 17.7 μmol m− 2 d− 1, amounting to a conservative estimate of 3.35 Gg C yr− 1 for our study region. Our data also shows that the efficiency for CO2 photoproduction decreases over prolonged irradiations up to 48 h. Consequently, no assessable method exists for direct determination of initial rates in clear waters with low CO2 photoproduction. Therefore CO2 photoefficiency in the Gulf of Mexico was inferred using CO photoproduction estimates and CO2:CO ratios. In agreement with previous studies, CO2:CO ratios determined here were also poorly constrained, ranging from ~ 6 to 66 providing a median value of 24.4. This approach estimates that direct photochemical production of CO2 plus CO can remineralize DOC on the order of 85 Gg C each year. This estimate provides an improvement over the use of a single inshore CO2 AQY spectrum for a largely blue water system but caution should be used when interpreting CO2 photochemical flux estimates that rely heavily on the selection of CO AQY spectra and/or poorly constrained relationships between CO2 and CO photoproduction. Our results stress that the continued expansion of the CO2:CO ratio database to new oceanic regimes is likely of very limited value and that assessable direct methods or better proxies to quantify CO2 photochemistry in clear marine waters are needed.
Effective Internships: Building Bridges Between Theory and Practice

Abstract Growing criticism of existing educational leadership preparation programs seems to focus on a lack of contextual relevancy and instructional leadership. Universities and school districts need to develop more formal, collaborative, long-term relationships focused on the nature of principal preparation, moving beyond acculturation to district norms and irrelevancy to building future leaders' capacity for continuous educational improvement. Educational administration as an applied field demands that we answer key questions regarding the development of effective practitioners.
Relational dialectics and management strategies in marital couples

This study explores dialectical contradictions in marriage and identifies the communication strategies used to manage the dialectical tensions. Qualitative analysis of transcripts from separate semi‐structured interviews with husbands and wives focused on two dialectical contradictions: autonomy‐connection and openness‐closedness. Themes of the autonomy‐connection dialectic included contradiction, togetherness, independence, and comfort. Themes of the openness‐closedness dialectic included were perception of shared intimacy, fear of vulnerability, and desire for increased interaction. Communication strategies used to manage the autonomy‐connection dialectic were activities segmentation, time segmentation, reframing, interaction climate, compromise, and exclusive selection. Communication strategies used to manage the openness‐closedness dialectic were topic alternation, time alternation, withdrawal, probing, anti‐social behaviors, and deception. The essay discusses how these findings both support and exten...
Geometric Concepts and Models in Power Spectral Analysis

Abstract We present and contrast certain natural metrics between power spectral density functions of discrete-time random processes. We discuss two alternative viewpoints for quantifying uncertainty and distances between statistical models. We draw analogies with the paradigm of information geometry and the Fisher information metric, and make contact with the classical literature of linear prediction, the Kullback-Leibler distance, the Itakura-Saito distance, logarithmic L 2 -distances, and the total variation, which have been extensively used in applications of speech processing and pattern recognition.
Development of quantitative structure-binding affinity relationship models based on novel geometrical chemical descriptors of the protein-ligand interfaces

Novel geometrical chemical descriptors have been derived on the basis of the computational geometry of protein-ligand interfaces and Pauling atomic electronegativities (EN). Delaunay tessellation has been applied to a diverse set of 517 X-ray characterized protein-ligand complexes yielding a unique collection of interfacial nearest neighbor atomic quadruplets for each complex. Each quadruplet composition was characterized by a single descriptor calculated as the sum of the EN values for the four participating atom types. We termed these simple descriptors generated from atomic EN values and derived with the Delaunay Tessellation the ENTess descriptors and used them in the variable selection k-nearest neighbor quantitative structure-binding affinity relationship (QSBR) studies of 264 diverse protein-ligand complexes with known binding constants. Twenty-four complexes with chemically dissimilar ligands were set aside as an independent validation set, and the remaining dataset of 240 complexes was divided into multiple training and test sets. The best models were characterized by the leave-one-out cross-validated correlation coefficient q(2) as high as 0.66 for the training set and the correlation coefficient R(2) as high as 0.83 for the test set. The high predictive power of these models was confirmed independently by applying them to the validation set of 24 complexes yielding R(2) as high as 0.85. We conclude that QSBR models built with the ENTess descriptors can be instrumental for predicting the binding affinity of receptor-ligand complexes.
Mobilities of Aromatic Ions Drifting in Helium

Aromatic ions are produced in an electron impact ion source and injected into the flow tube section of a selected-ion flow-drift tube (SIFDT) apparatus. The reduced mobilities of C6H5+, C6H6+, C6H7+, C12H12+, C12H11+, naphthalene (C10H8+) cation, and biphenyl (C12H10+) cation drifting in helium are measured as a function of the characteristic parameter E/N (the ratio of the electric field to the number density of the helium buffer gas atoms in the drift tube). The reduced mobilities of the benzene dimer ions (C12H12+ and C12H11+) are compared with the measured mobilities of naphthalene and biphenyl cations to correlate the mobilities with ionic structures. An angle-averaged collision cross section of the ions drifting in helium is obtained from the geometric structure of these ions and is used to compute the zero-field mobility. The predicted zero-field mobilities are found to compare well with the experimentally measured mobilities.
The functions of the nuclear envelope in mediating the molecular crosstalk between the nucleus and the cytoplasm

Recent studies of the nuclear envelope (NE) have emphasized its role in linking the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments of mammalian cells. The inner face of the NE is bound to chromatin and this interaction is involved in regulating DNA replication and transcription. The outer face of the NE binds to different components of the cytoskeleton, and these interactions are involved in nuclear positioning. Many disease causing mutations in genes encoding NE proteins cause significant changes in nuclear architecture and cytoskeletal interactions with the NE. These mutations are also providing important new insights into nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions.
Randomized trial of a behavioral weight loss intervention for low-income women: the Weight Wise Program.

Low-income women in the United States have the highest rates of obesity, yet they are seldom included in weight loss trials. To address this research gap, components of two evidence-based weight loss interventions were adapted to create a 16-week intervention for low-income women (Weight Wise Program), which was evaluated in a randomized trial with the primary outcome of weight loss at 5-month follow-up. Participants were low-income women (40–64 years) with a BMI of 25–45. Of 143 participants, 72 were randomized to the Weight Wise Program (WWP) and 71 to the Control Group (CG). Five-month follow-up data were obtained from 64 (89%) WWP and 62 (87%) CG participants. With baseline values carried forward for missing data, WWP participants had a weight change of −3.7 kg compared to 0.7 kg in the CG (4.4 kg difference, 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.2–5.5, P < 0.001). For systolic blood pressure (SBP), change in the WWP was −6.5 mm Hg compared to −0.4 mm Hg among controls (6.2 mm Hg difference, 95% CI, 1.7–10.6, P = 0.007); for diastolic BP (DBP), changes were −4.1 mm Hg for WWP compared to −1.3 mm Hg for controls (2.8 mm Hg difference, 95% CI, 0.0–5.5, P = 0.05). Of the 72 WWP participants, 64, 47, and 19% lost at least 3, 5, and 7% of their initial body weight, respectively. In conclusion, the WWP was associated with statistically significant and clinically important short-term weight loss.
Effects of antidepressants and related drugs on the quantitatively analyzed EEGs of beagles

Power spectral analysis was applied to beagles' EEGs to determine if clinically effective antidepressants produce changes different from those produced by related drugs. Bipolar EEGs were recorded from screws chronically implanted in the skull 5 mm anterior and 10 mm posterior to bregma, 4 mm left of midline. The normalized spectral estimates obtained after intravenous drug injection (minus the temporally corresponding spectral estimates after saline) were averaged across dogs. Drug effects were related to dose and time. Reliable effects of imipramine, amitriptyline, desipramine, and mianserin were an increase in the percent of power in the 4.5–7.5 Hz (theta) band, an increased percent of power in the alpha band at low doses, a decreased percent of power above 22 Hz (beta-2), and an increased total spectral absolute power, at doses that produced no symptoms. Chlorpromazine's EEG effects were similar to the antidepressants'. Atropine increased percent theta and decreased percent beta-1 and beta-2, but was distinguished from the above drugs since it also increased percent delta and produced symptoms at the lowest effective dose. The other drugs either had no effect on percent theta (physostigmine) or decreased it (chlordiazepoxide, dextroamphetamine, and cocaine); cocaine increased only percent delta. Chlordiazepoxide, dextroamphetamine, and physostigmine increased percent beta-1 and/or beta-2, and they either decreased total power (dextroamphetamine) or produced no change in this parameter, and thus were distinguished from antidepressants. The results support the conclusion that antidepressants have distinct acute effects on brain electrical activity, and suggest that novel antidepressants can be detected by EEG spectral analysis in dogs.
Existence of multiple solutions for some nonlinear boundary value problems

Abstract By imposing one-sided conditions on the nonlinearity, where neither regularity nor uniformity is required, we prove the existence of either a nonnegative or a nonpositive solution for first and second order ordinary differential equations with periodic, Neumann, or Dirichlet boundary conditions. Positone and nonpositone problems are considered. Some nonexistence results are also obtained. When using generalized Ambrosetti-Prodi type conditions we get the existence of nonnegative and nonpositive solutions for first and second order periodic or Neumann boundary value problems. Our method of proof makes use of topological degree arguments in Cones.
Programming life histories: An experimental design and initial results

The life experiences of rats were experimentally programmed through the systematic manipulation of several social and stress variables. These were (1) infantile handling vs. no handling of the mothers of the subjects, (2) infantile handling vs. no handling of the subjects, (3)rearing of the subjects in either a maternity cage or a free environment between birth and weaning, (4) rearing of the subjects in either a laboratory cage or a free environment between weaning and 42 days of age, and (5) presence or absence of a stress experience (shuttlebox avoidance learning at 70 days of age, or food and water deprivation at 100 days) in adulthood. Test measures included open-field performance and shuttlebox learning at 70 and 190 days of age. Open-field activity was increased by handling pups in infancy and by rearing pups in a free environment between birth and weaning, whereas it was decreased by food and water deprivation at 100 days. Postweaning free-environment experience improved avoidance learning performance. A number of interactions were significant, most of which involved the three preweaning variables of Mother Handling, Offspring Handling, and Preweaning Housing.
Inhibition of caspase activity prevents anti-IgM induced apoptosis but not ceramide generation in WEHI 231 B cells.

Abstract In apoptosis induced by Reaper in Drosophila, as well as in a number of other systems, it has been suggested that the increased synthesis of ceramide might be a consequence of the activation of the caspase\ICE (Interleukin-1 β converting enzyme) protease pathway involved in cell death, implying that ceramide generation might often be the result rather than the cause of apoptosis. WEHI 231 B cells have previously been shown to undergo apoptosis following exposure to exogenous ceramide and to produce increased amounts of ceramide in response to anti-IgM crosslinking. We show here that in WEHI 231 cells a peptide inhibitor of caspase activity blocks cell death in response to both anti-IgM and exogenous ceramide. However, the induction of ceramide synthesis by WEHI 231 cells in response to anti-IgM crosslinking is not blocked by this peptide. These results indicate that antigen receptor induced ceramide generation in WEHI 231 cells does not require caspase activation, and support the view that ceramide generation in immature B cells may be the cause rather than the consequence of activation of the caspase dependent death pathway.
Introduction: Spaces and Places: Geopolitics in an Era of Globalization†

The selection of our theme for the International Studies Association's 2014 convention, “Spaces and Places: Geopolitics in an Era of Globalization,” was motivated by the need to indicate, and help to remedy, an imbalance in the intellectual attention devoted to time versus space and to raise the consciousness of scholars across international studies to the relevance of spatiality in its many forms. International relations scholars are keenly aware of the role that temporal dynamics play in international politics, and the influence of temporality is acknowledged in works adhering to a range of methodological traditions. It is important, however, both in refining extant theories of global politics and in developing new theories from evolving realities, to be attentive to the contexts of those theories and the phenomena to which they pertain. Thus, world politics must be contextualized not only in time (across history) but also across space. The study of international relations (or international politics, or world politics) sits at the convergence of human inquiry that crosses both time and space. In terms of time, analysts fall back on the seeming simplicity of locating events and explanations in the past, the present, or the future. Without such apparently simple categories, spatial or geographic elements have not been as frequently used to locate analysis. Yet, as geographers are always willing to tell us: No matter where you go, there you are. (Starr 2013:1) Whatever the units of analysis being studied (world systems, regions, states, or other international actors), both external and internal contexts must include not only time but space and place as well. Broadly, space includes the spatial dimension of how things stand in relation to one another across physical space, the various ways in which the distance between and among them may be conceptualized and measured, and the meaning …
Electron microscope examination of two plaque variants from a nuclear polyhedrosis virus of the alfalfa looper, Autographa californica.

Abstract This investigation looks into the ultrastructural differences between plaque variants of the alfalfa looper nuclear polyhedrosis virus. The variants exhibit distinct differences in polyhedra morphology and enveloping of the nucleocapsids. Tissues from larvae infected per os or subcutaneously with virus from one type of plaque always contained virus representative of both plaques. This was not true of the in vitro cultured cells. In those cells, a culture infected with one plaque type always developed infections that were typical of that particular plaque.
Characterizing the protonation state of cytosine in transient G·C Hoogsteen base pairs in duplex DNA.

G·C Hoogsteen base pairs can form transiently in duplex DNA and play important roles in DNA recognition, replication, and repair. G·C Hoogsteen base pairs are thought to be stabilized by protonation of cytosine N3, which affords a second key hydrogen bond, but experimental evidence for this is sparse because the proton cannot be directly visualized by X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Here, we combine NMR and constant pH molecular dynamics simulations to directly investigate the pKa of cytosine N3 in a chemically trapped N1-methyl-G·C Hoogsteen base pair within duplex DNA. Analysis of NMR chemical shift perturbations and NOESY data as a function of pH revealed that cytosine deprotonation is coupled to a syn-to-anti transition in N1-methyl-G, which results in a distorted Watson–Crick geometry at pH >9. A four-state analysis of the pH titration profiles yields a lower bound pKa estimate of 7.2 ± 0.1 for the G·C Hoogsteen base pair, which is in good agreement with the pKa val...
ULTRASONIC-ASSISTED LIPOSUCTION: Internal and External

Ultrasonic-assisted liposuction (UAL)created a myriad of interest among American liposuction surgeons in 1996 to 1997. Much of the original information in the literature was generated by liposuction surgeons comparing UAL (with tumescent anesthesia) to traditional liposuction (dry technique). These reports did not account for the intrinsic advantages afforded by tumescent anesthesia. Because of this, the accounts were greatly biased in favor of UAL. It was not until liposuction surgeons experienced in tumescent liposuction compared UAL to tumescent liposuction that the place for ultrasonic liposuction could be better defined. Although UAL did not create the revolution in liposuction that was originally suggested, it does have a place in the liposuction armamentarium. In addition, it is important that liposuction surgeons continue to follow the developments in this emerging technology. Surgeons experienced in tumescent liposuction have been understandably skeptical in "improvements" to a procedure that is already safe and efficacious. From their viewpoint tumescent liposuction is an ideal procedure with minimal risk and high patient satisfaction. Although this observation is true, most patients would prefer a completely painless, noninvasive, high-technology treatment for fat removal. One only needs to look at the popularity of thigh creams, body wraps, and compression devices to understand the public's desire for fat loss without a surgical procedure. Such an advance in technology is not beyond reach. In the past 10 to 15 years we have seen a number of "surgical" diseases such as peptic ulcer disease, gallstones, and kidney stones now managed with medicine or minimally invasive procedures.