cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discrete-time robust controller design for a class of nonlinear systems with uncertainties

A discrete-time robust state feedback scheme is proposed to control a large class of uncertain nonlinear systems with locally conic type nonlinearities and driven by finite energy disturbances using linear matrix inequalities. In order to allow the robust control of systems whose models contain a higher degree of uncertainty, perturbations regarding the center and the boundaries of the cone in which the nonlinearity resides are considered in this work. Results are presented for various performance criteria in a unified design framework. Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
Potential artifacts in the use of caffeine to determine acetylation phenotype.

Acetylator phenotype can be determined by measuring the ratio of the caffein metabolites 5-acetylamino-6-formylamino-3-methyluracil (AFMU) to 1-methylxanthine (1x) in urine from people after they have consumed a caffeine-containing beverage. Studies have shown AFMU to be unstable in vitro. We evaluated the stability of 1x and AFMU at the temperature and variety of physiological pHs present in the bladder
Flavonoid aglycones from Eriodictyon californicum resin and their implications for herbivory and UV screening

Abstract The flavones luteolin and chrysoeriol and five methylated derivatives of the flavonone eriodictyol were identified in the external leaf resin of Eriodictyon californicum . These flavonoids comprise approx. 80% of the mass of the resin. The flavonones can be classified into 7-hydroxy- or 7-methoxy-compounds, and these two groups of compounds can be separately quantified in a crude resin extract using UV spectroscopy in the presence of sodium methoxide. The different properties of these flavonoids as herbivore deterrents and UV screens may explain the complexity of the leaf resin mixture.
Blast Resistance of Steel Plate Shear Walls Designed for Seismic Loading

Steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) have become an increasingly popular lateral force resisting system in buildings. Although originally conceived to resist earthquake forces, recent developments raised questions as to the ability of SPSWs to resist blast loading, whereby the plate would resist out-of-plane impulsive pressures. To investigate this, two 0.4-scale single story SPSW specimens, representing the first story of a four story prototype SPSW, were fabricated and subjected to explosive charges. The out-of-plane resistance of the infill plate was analyzed using nonlinear finite-element analysis (FEA) and yield line theory. Results of these analyses showed the out-of-plane resistance is governed by the large deformations and inelastic material behavior and that yield line theory significantly underestimated the out-of-plane resistance in comparison with the finite-element analysis for infill plates typical of SPSW construction. Based on these results a simplified plastic analysis procedure is proposed to estimate the out-of-plane resistance of SPSW infill plates that is shown to agree well with the results of the FEA. Results of the experimental investigation showed the SPSW had a limited capacity to resist out-of-plane blast loading and that the typical seismic detail for connecting the infill plate to the boundary frame might not be appropriate for blast applications.
On Material Optimization in Continuum Dynamics

Special features of the general statements of material optimization problems in space---time are discussed in the paper. The main focus is put on the extension of problems that are ill-posed.
Degradation of pyrimidine ribonucleosides by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pyrimidine ribonucleoside degradation in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15692 was investigated. Either uracil, cytosine, 5-methylcytosine, thymine, uridine or cytidine supported P. aeruginosa growth as a nitrogen source when glucose served as the carbon source. Using thin-layer chromatographic analysis, the enzymes nucleoside hydrolase and cytosine deaninase were shown to be active in ATCC 15692. Compared to (NH4)2SO4-grown cells, nucleoside hydrolase activity in ATCC 15692 approximately doubled after growth on 5-methylcytosine as a nitrogen source while its cytosine deaminase activity increased several-fold after growth on the pyrimidine bases and ribonucleosides examined as nitrogen sources. Regulation at the level of protein synthesis by 5-methylcytosine was indicated for nucleoside hydrolase and cytosine deaminase in P. aeruginosa.
The effects of gender grouping and learning style on student curiosity in modular technology education laboratories

This study investigated whether in a modular technology education (MTE) classroom, gender groupings and learning styles predicted degree of curiosity. Based on the assumption that gender grouping and learning style are factors that influence the degree of curiosity of both individuals and teams, it was hypothesized that a student’s learning style (i.e., Accommodating, Converging, Diverging, and Assimilating) and gender grouping (girl/girl, boy/boy, and girl/boy) at the module would be essential elements to consider when measuring the degree of curiosity of learners in MTE classrooms. During a meeting with the deputy superintendent and the technology education supervisor in a mid-sized, suburban public school district in Virginia, three MTE teachers from different schools were identified to participate in this study in the spring of 2004. The sample for this study consisted of middle school students (n = 116; 22 girls and 94 boys, grades 6–8) enrolled in technology education classes using Synergistic Systems modules. Students completed three consecutive MTE activities. This study was conducted in the technology education classroom in three different middle schools. Schools were classified as School A, B or C. Students selected technology education as an elective subject. Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory (LSI), Version 3 was used to identify students’ preferred learning style. The My Point of View (MyPOV) instrument adapted by Brusic and based on Leherissey’s instrument, the State Epistemic Curiosity Scale (SECS), was used to measure individual degree of curiosity. The MyPOV instrument was administered three times; once after each module. Data was analyzed using a multiple linear regression analysis. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed that boys (81%; n = 94) continue to outnumber girls (19%; n = 22) in technology education classrooms. Participants (n = 101) preferred the following learning styles as identified by the LSI: Accommodating (35%), learning from “hands-on” experience, followed by Diverging (25%), preferring to brainstorm ideas, Assimilating (24%), interested in abstract ideas and concepts, and Converging (17%), rather deal with technical tasks and problems. Mean curiosity scores for students were analyzed by school. Results revealed scores from School B were lower than students at Schools A and C as measured by the MyPOV instrument. Mean curiosity scores for students were also analyzed by gender, learning style, and gender grouping. Statistics revealed that scores for girls were higher than boys. An independent-samples t-test was done to evaluate the difference between the means of the genders. According to the
Apple aroma : alcohol acyltransferase, a rate limiting step for ester biosynthesis, is regulated by ethylene

Abstract The role of ethylene in aroma biosynthesis of apple fruits was investigated using transgenic ‘Greensleeves’ apple trees suppressed for ACC-oxidase or ACC-synthase enzyme activity, and an ethylene action inhibitor (1-methycyclopropene, 1-MCP). In the transgenic lines and 1-MCP treated fruit, reductions higher than 90% in ethylene biosynthesis and respiration rates were observed in apples held at 20 °C for 14 days. We observed a major reduction in ester production in the ethylene-suppressed lines and in the 1-MCP treated fruit, with only slight differences in the levels of alcohol and aldehyde volatiles under these conditions. The activity of alcohol acyl-CoA transferase (AAT), a key enzyme in ester biosynthesis, showed an ethylene dependent pattern of regulation. Additionally, gene expression levels of specifically an AAT clone were highly regulated by ethylene. In contrast, activity and expression levels of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) were not affected by changes in the levels of endogenous ethylene. These results suggest that ethylene is involved in ester biosynthesis in apple via regulation of AAT.
The Impact of Dental Implants on Maxillofacial Patient's Quality of Life

“Avulsive injuries and ablative surgery for both aggressive benign and malignant disease, even when wellreconstructed, leave anatomy that provides no effective
Defining languages by forbidding-enforcing systems

Motivated by biomolecular computing, forbidding-enforcing systems (fe-systems) were first used to define classes of languages (fefamilies) based on boundary conditions. This paper presents a new model of fe-systems in which fe-systems define single languages (fe-languages) based on forbidden and enforced subwords. The paper characterizes well-known languages by fe-systems, investigates the relationship between fefamilies and fe-languages, and describes how an fe-system can generate the solution to the k-colorability problem and model splicing.
Toward the design of bio-solar cells: high efficiency cascade energy transfer among four donor─acceptor dyes self-assembled in a highly ordered protein─DNA matrix

Artificial antenna complexes built via self-assembly are reported here, which indicated excellent energy transfer efficiency, macroscopic organization, unprecedented thermal stability, and ease of formation. Our system consists of four fluorescent donor–acceptor dyes, double-helical DNA and cationized bovine serum albumin, all self-assembled on cover glass slips to form functional materials. These captured radiation in the range of 330–590 nm, and excitation of any of the donor dyes resulted in efficient emission from the terminal acceptor. Excitation spectra provided unequivocal proof of energy transfer via jumper dyes, and transfer was interrupted when one of the jumper dyes was omitted, another direct evidence for cascade energy transfer. The entire assembly indicated unusually high thermal stability and continued to function efficiently even after exposure to 80 °C for >169 days, an important consideration for field applications. These unusually stable, high efficiency, multi-chromophoric, artificial antennas are the first of their kind to demonstrate self-assembled 4-dye energy cascade, converting blue photons to red photons.
The Multiple Shark Ig H Chain Genes Rearrange and Hypermutate Autonomously

Sharks and skates are representatives of the earliest vertebrates with an immune system based on V(D)J rearrangement. They possess a unique Ig gene organization consisting of 15 to >50 individual IgM loci, each with one VH, two DH, one JH, and one set of constant region exons. The present study attempts to understand how multiple Ig genes are regulated with respect to rearrangement initiation and to targeting during somatic hypermutation. The linkage of three single-copy IgH genes was determined, and single-cell genomic PCR studies in a neonatal animal were used to examine any relationship between relative gene position and likelihood of rearrangement. Our results show that one to three IgH genes are activated independently of linkage or allelic position and the data best fit with a probability model based on the hypothesis that V(D)J rearrangement occurs as a sequence of trials within the B cell. In the neonatal cell set, two closely related IgH, G2A, and G2B, rearranged at similar frequencies, and their membrane forms were expressed at similar levels, like in other young animals. However, older animals displayed a bias in favor of the G2A isotype, which suggests that although rearrangement at G2A and G2B was randomly initiated during primary repertoire generation, the two very similar IgM sequences appear to be differentially expressed with age and exposure to Ag. We performed genomic single-cell PCR on B cells from an immunized individual to study activation-induced cytidine deaminase targeting and found that hypermutation, like V(D)J rearrangement, occurred independently among the many shark IgH.
Panayiotopoulos Syndrome: Benign Autonomic Epilepsy

The clinical features, EEG, misdiagnoses, and management of children with Panayiotopoulos syndrome (PS) are reviewed from Sophia Children’s Hospital, Goudi-Athens, Greece.
RNA Interference: Mechanisms and Proteins Involved

RNA interference (RNAi) and microRNA (miRNA) pathways participate in posttranscriptional gene expression regulation. RNAi and miRNA biochemistry involve short (∼22 nucleotide) regulatory RNAs: small interfering RNA (siRNA) and miRNA. Both siRNAs and miRNAs guide RNA–protein complexes to “target” complementary messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for cleavage or translational repression. Many proteins involved in these pathways have been elucidated. The biochemical mechanisms of miRNA/siRNA processing have been dissected in detail in plants and in animals using biochemical and genetic approaches. Here we review the current literature on RNAi and miRNA mechanisms with a special focus on the protein components.
Kinetics of Drug-Drug Interactions in Sheep: Tolbutarnide and Sulfadimethoxine

The interaction between sulfadimethoxine and tolbutamide in sheep involving displacement from protein binding sites was investigated quantitatively. A 52% increase in the unbound plasma concentration of tolbutamide was observed in vitro at 37 degrees after the addition of sulfadimethoxine (100 microgram/ml) to sheep plasma containing tolbutamide (50 microgram/ml). Transient changes in tolbutamide's unbound and total plasma concentrations were noted after acute intravenous administration of sulfadimethoxine to sheep receiving a constant intravenous infusion of tolbutamide. These observations were consistent with displacement of tolbutamide from plasma and tissue binding sites and redistribution of the displaced tolbutamide into body water spaces. The steady state of both agents featured little change in the total plasma tolbutamide concentration, a 150% increase in the unbound plasma tolbutamide concentration, and an inhibition of tolbutamide oxidation by sulfadimethoxine. A model is presented and mathematical relationships are derived that permit a quantitation of the interaction and that indicate the sulfadimethoxine's constant of metabolic inhibition (K1) for tolbutamide metabolism is 65 microgram/ml.
ONTOGENETIC DEVELOPMENT OF ADENYL CYCLASE AND PHOSPHODIESTERASE IN RAT BRAIN

— The activities of adenyl cyclase and phosphodiesterase were determined in homogenates of cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem of rats of 1 day to 9 weeks of postnatal age. The activity of cerebral and brain stem adenyl cyclase measured either in the absence or presence of sodium fluoride increased rapidly for 2 weeks, reached at 20 days a maximum about three times (brain stem) or six times (cerebrum) that seen on day 1 and then declined slightly during the next several weeks. In contrast, activity of cerebrellar adenyl cyclase increased more slowly and reached a maximum at about 32 days. Activity of phosphodiesterase in cerebrum and brain stem increased several-fold during brain maturation; however, enzymic activity in the cerebellum decreased during the entire 9 week period. In the pineal gland, adenyl cyclase activity measured in the absence of norepinephrine or sodium fluoride did not change significantly with age. However, enzymic activity measured in the presence of these agents increased with the age of the rat. Bilateral removal of the superior cervical ganglia at 1 day of age is known to arrest the sympathetic innervation of the pineal gland but did not prevent the development of this adenyl cyclase system activated by catecholamines or fluoride.
Routing with a scanning window-8Ma unified approach

A general approach to routing by a scanning window is presented, and an experimental switch-box router based on this approach is described. This router first grades conductor segments that are candidates to enter the window according to their estimated contributions to routing success, and then uses a quasi-maximal set of segments. A grade function that imitates human intuition is also described.
Combination therapy with adapalene gel 0.1% and doxycycline for severe acne vulgaris: a multicenter, investigator-blind, randomized, controlled study.

Background. Combination therapy with a topical retinoid and an antibiotic is recognized as a rational and effective approach for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Adapalene, a naphthoic acid derivative with anti-inflammatory and receptor-selective retinoid properties, is safe and well tolerated. While the combination of adapalene with oral or topical antibiotics has been shown to deliver a superior and faster response than an antibiotic alone, the clinical benefits of a combination of adapalene and doxycycline, the most frequently prescribed oral antibiotic for acne in the United States, have yet to be evaluated. Objective and Methods. In a 12-week study, the efficacy and safety of the combination of adapalene gel 0.1% with doxycycline was compared with doxycycline alone for the treatment of severe acne. Subjects were randomized to receive doxycycline once daily in the morning and either adapalene or vehicle once daily in the evening. Results. At Week 12, the combination adapalene– doxycycline was significantly superior to doxycycline alone for change from baseline in total (p<0.001), inflammatory (p=0.02), and noninflammatory (p<0.001) lesions. Significant differences in total lesions were observed as early as Week 4 (p=0.04). Both treatments were well tolerated, and no serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions. The study demonstrates that the combination of adapalene and an oral antibiotic provides a superior and faster benefit than antibiotic therapy alone and should be considered at the initiation of treatment. (SKINmed.
Coleochaete and the origin of sporophytes

UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF THE STUDY Zygotes of Coleochaete are provisioned by the maternal thallus before undergoing 3-5 rounds of division to produce 8-32 zoospores. An understanding of the selective forces favoring postzygotic divisions would be relevant not only to the interpretation of Coleochaete life history but also to the origin of a multicellular diploid phase in embryophytes.• METHODS Simple optimization models are developed of the number of zygotes per maternal thallus and number of zoospores per zygote.• KEY RESULTS Zygotic mitosis is favored once zygotic size exceeds a threshold, but natural selection usually promotes investment in additional zygotes before zygotes reach this threshold. Factors that favor production of fewer, larger zygotes include multiple paternity, low fecundity, and accessory costs of zygote production. Such factors can result in zygotes exceeding the size at which zygotic mitosis becomes profitable.• CONCLUSIONS Coleochaete may possess large zygotes that undergo multiple fission because of accessory costs associated with matrotrophy, including costs of cortical cells and unfertilized oogonia. The unpredictability of fertilization on land is proposed to have increased accessory costs from unfertilized ova and, as a consequence, to have favored the production of larger zygotes that underwent postzygotic division to produce diploid sporophytes.
Operator scheduling in a data stream manager

Many stream-based applications have sophisticated data processing requirements and real-time performance expectations that need to be met under high-volume, time-varying data streams. In order to address these challenges, we propose novel operator scheduling approaches that specify (1) which operators to schedule (2) in which order to schedule the operators, and (3) how many tuples to process at each execution step. We study our approaches in the context of the Aurora data stream manager. We argue that a fine-grained scheduling approach in combination with various scheduling techniques (such as batching of operators and tuples) can significantly improve system efficiency by reducing various system overheads. We also discuss application-aware extensions that make scheduling decisions according to per-application Quality of Service (QoS) specifications. Finally, we present prototype-based experimental results that characterize the efficiency and effectiveness of our approaches under various stream workloads and processing scenarios.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF DRUG DISPOSITION DATA

Pharmacokinetics has become a rigorous science that attempts to relate the interaction of a drug with the biological environment into which it is introduced. Such a relationship is often described by proposing a mathematical model of the system and then using the data to define values for the unknown model parameters. Aris1 points out that “being derived from ‘modus’ (a measure) the word ‘model’ implies a change in representation.” That is, a model attempts to organize observations or measurements of the system under investigation into a form useful for hypothesis testing. The model parameters, which frequently must be determined from the observed data, function as measures for comparison of results within and between experiments. Based on this criterion, at least three tasks confront the analysts when faced with a data set: (1) to define a parametric model that best describes the system under investigation, (2) to estimate values for unknown model parameters, and (3) to determine whether the proposed model is a good or bad prototype of the system under investigation.
Preinvasion Events in Legume/Rhizobium Symbiosis

The symbiotic association between bacteria of the genus Rhizobium and leguminous hosts is intimate, intricate and well regulated. The process begins on the root surface and follows a specific sequence of interdependent steps which culminate in the formation of nitrogen fixing nodules (Dart 1977; Robertson, Farnden 1980; Vincent 1980; Bauer 1981). A wide variety of extracellular products synthesized by rhizobia in culture have been tested for their role in this course of events; for their ability to induce root hair deformation and enhance infection and nodulation in particular (Sahlman, Fahraeus 1963; Fahraeus, Ljunggren 1967; Ljunggren 1969; Higashi, Abe 1980a; Bauer 1982). In this paper I intend to evaluate the available information on the substances that cause root hair deformation and describe our recent experiments designed to understand the significance of root hair branching in the nodulation of white clover. The importance of R. japonicum capsular polysaccharide in the nodulation of soybean will be discussed briefly.
The role of upper gastrointestinal contrast in diagnosing asymptomatic malrotation in children

[Objective]To investigate the effect of upper gastrointestinal imaging(UGI)in examination of the orientation of duodenojejunal flexure(DJF)without clinical suspicion for malrotation.[Methods]In retrospective materials,56 patients with clinical suspicion for malrotation were identified,and remaining children were grouped based on whether DJF was examined(Group A:n=198)or not(Group B:n=96).Age,gender,screening time and the DJF position of patients are documented.[Results]Abnormality of DJF was identified in 24patients(42.8%),but only 1patient in Group A(0.5%).Meanwhile,there without gender and age difference(P0.05).Significant difference between Groups A and B in screening time was found(P 0.01).[Conclusion]The routine examination for DJF position is not necessary for examination of the orientation of duodenojejunal flexure(DJF)without clinical suspicion for malrotation.
Combined screening laparoscopy and timed follicle aspiration for human in vitro fertilization

Twenty-seven patients underwent ultrasonographic and clinical monitoring of a spontaneous cycle so that human chorionic gonadotropin administration could be timed in an attempt to schedule the screening laparoscopy at the optimal time for oocyte aspiration. Inadequate ovarian access was encountered in only 2 of 26 laparoscopies. Seven patients had ovulated by the time of scheduled laparoscopy. Nine mature, seven immature, and three postovulatory oocytes were obtained, and seven embryo transfers were accomplished. The number of eggs obtained per laparoscopy was 0.73. The attempt to control the time of ovulation was unpredictable, few mature oocytes were obtained, and the procedure offered little ultimate benefit to the patient.
Speech outcomes in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome following surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to identify prognostic factors associated with improved speech outcomes following surgical correction for velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) in pediatric patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). Methods Eighteen patients were identified via retrospective chart review of patients with 22q11DS between 2005 and 2014. Patient characteristics, medical histories, associated comorbidities, surgical procedures, and pre- and postoperative perceptual hypernasality (subjectively rated 1–5 with 5 being the most severe) were gathered for each patient. Results 12 patients (67%) experienced improvement in hypernasality following corrective surgery for VPI. Higher severity of hypernasality preoperatively was found to be indicative of a lower chance of improvement with VPI surgery. Of 8 patients with a preoperative hypernasality score of 5, 3 (38%) showed improvement in hypernasality postoperatively, while 9 out of 10 (90%) of patients with a preoperative hypernasality score less than 5 showed postoperative improvement. Females were also found to have worse speech outcomes compared to males. Conclusion 22q11DS patients presenting with severely hypernasal speech preoperatively are less likely to show improvement in hypernasality following corrective surgery for VPI. Those patients with moderate hypernasality are most likely to benefit from surgery.
The popularity contest

Criteria for the choice of main recipient countries must be taken seriously! – Headline, Norkontakt , 1983 No aspect of aid policy attracts more attention, in political debates and in academic circles, than does the distribution of aid funds across recipient countries. Studies of the determinants of aid allocation date back to the early 1960s and continue to account for the bulk of the literature today. Such studies have posited causal effects for a wide range of explanatory variables, but definitive conclusions have been elusive. On the one hand, theoretical as well as methodological problems frustrate the quantitative analysis of aid allocation. On the other hand, virtually all qualitative analyses, whose findings might offer a richer understanding of the factors driving the geographical distribution of aid, are single-country studies. This chapter addresses each of these problems. An analysis of aid distribution decisions in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway demonstrates that this aspect of official aid programmes is shaped by aid frames just as much as are the other aspects we considered in the preceding chapters. In Belgium, economic self-interest has been pre-eminent in the selection of new countries, whereas the obligation frame has kept the share of aid allocated to the former colonies high. In Italy, the wealth frame has been so dominant that the country long avoided even setting criteria for the selection of aid recipients, preferring to let private industry find projects wherever it might. In the Netherlands, the power frame increased the emphasis on taking the lead in initiatives suggested by the humanitarian frame, with the result that aid became increasingly dispersed in response to a succession of different priorities. In Norway, finally, the reputation and enlightened self-interest frames generated a preference for larger LDCs, whereas the humanitarian frame inspired an emphasis on the poorest recipient states from the beginning.
In-field yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) volatile composition under elevated temperature and CO2 and implications for future control

Abiotic stressors may affect biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) involved in plant communication. We examined how certain environmental conditions affect plant signaling via BVOC emission. Specifically, we investigated the effects of elevated CO2 and temperature in situ on BVOCs produced by mechanically damaged leaves of Centaurea solstitialis L. (yellow starthistle), a major invasive weed in western North America, grown in grassland plots in the foothills of northern California. The headspace BVOCs of C. solstitialis were collected in situ by a customized Teflon® bag and solid-phase microextraction and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. Damaging leaves led to the release of 14 volatile compounds, predominantly sesquiterpenes. The co-occurrence of five compound pairs was highly significant across all treatments, which may be explained through synthesis by the same enzyme. We found no significant effect of treatment on the levels of individual or total volatiles. The stability of volatile profile for this invasive under future conditions should therefore (1) not alter indirect defense signaling and (2) support the selection of biological controls on the basis of their specificity to the identified in-field host plant BVOCs.
Finnish botanists and mycologists in the Arctic1

Finnish botanists and mycologists have studied Arctic areas and timberline regions since the beginning of the 18th century. Most expeditions to the Kola Peninsula were made between 1800 and 1917 and until 1945 to Lapponia petsamoensis on the western rim of the Kola Peninsula. Since those years, these areas have been part of the Soviet Union or Russia. Svalbard and Newfoundland and Labrador have been studied repeatedly as well, Svalbard since the 1860s and Newfoundland and Labrador since the 1930s. This article focuses on Finnish collections. These are deposited in the herbaria of Helsinki, Turku, and Oulu universities, except materials from the Nordenskiold expeditions, which were mainly deposited in Stockholm. Concerning the Kola Peninsula, collections at Helsinki are the most extensive. The exact number of specimens is not known, but by rough estimation, the number is about 60 000, with an additional 110 000 observations included in the database. These expeditions have provided material to describe 305 ...
…And keep your enemies closer: Building reputations for facing electoral challenges

Rather than occupants of a position in an ideological policy space, we conceive of legislators as reputation builders – the reputation they think will best serve them in the next election. Our theory suggests that legislators will seek to undercut the efforts of the challenger they fear most – the one in the primary or the one in the general election. We test our reasoning by examining legislative cosponsorship patterns in the U.S. House of Representatives. We find evidence that legislators respond to information about their potential future electoral challenges by building reputations as loners, partisans, or dissidents. We also show that these choices have implications for an incumbent's prospects in the next election. Building the wrong reputation increases the strength of future challenges.
Experimental Mechanics for Prognosis of Material State Changes in Heterogeneous Materials for Energy Systems

The concept of prognosis is typically discussed in terms of mechanical characteristics such as structural integrity, durability, damage tolerance, fracture toughness, etc. These familiar concepts are usually addressed by considering balance equations, crack growth relationships, and constitutive equations with constant material properties, and constant or cyclically applied load conditions. Loading histories are represented by changing stress (or strain) states, only. But for many situations, especially associated with high performance engineering structures, the local state of the material may also change during service, so that the properties used in those equations are functions of time and history of applied conditions. But for many energy systems, a broader definition is required. For example, in fuel cells, properties such as conductivity and electrochemical character are altered by material degradation, so that “property fields” replace the global constants in multiphysics balance equations, and time and history enter into the governing equations. The present paper will examine a small set of such problems which involve novel experimental methods of following the accumulation of distributed damage and changes in material state. Specifically, the paper discusses this problem in the context of material state changes measured by impedance variations as a method of following and interpreting those changes in terms of functional performance. The application of these concepts is extended from mechanical structures to energy systems, wherein the material state changes result in variations in electrochemical properties that directly control functional performance of devices such as fuel cells.
Volcano geodesy in the Cascade arc, USA

Experience during historical time throughout the Cascade arc and the lack of deep-seated deformation prior to the two most recent eruptions of Mount St. Helens might lead one to infer that Cascade volcanoes are generally quiescent and, specifically, show no signs of geodetic change until they are about to erupt. Several decades of geodetic data, however, tell a different story. Ground- and space-based deformation studies have identified surface displacements at five of the 13 major Cascade arc volcanoes that lie in the USA (Mount Baker, Mount St. Helens, South Sister, Medicine Lake, and Lassen volcanic center). No deformation has been detected at five volcanoes (Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, Newberry Volcano, Crater Lake, and Mount Shasta), and there are not sufficient data at the remaining three (Glacier Peak, Mount Adams, and Mount Jefferson) for a rigorous assessment. In addition, gravity change has been measured at two of the three locations where surveys have been repeated (Mount St. Helens and Mount Baker show changes, while South Sister does not). Broad deformation patterns associated with heavily forested and ice-clad Cascade volcanoes are generally characterized by low displacement rates, in the range of millimeters to a few centimeters per year, and are overprinted by larger tectonic motions of several centimeters per year. Continuous GPS is therefore the best means of tracking temporal changes in deformation of Cascade volcanoes and also for characterizing tectonic signals so that they may be distinguished from volcanic sources. Better spatial resolution of volcano deformation can be obtained through the use of campaign GPS, semipermanent GPS, and interferometric synthetic aperture radar observations, which leverage the accumulation of displacements over time to improve signal to noise. Deformation source mechanisms in the Cascades are diverse and include magma accumulation and withdrawal, post-emplacement cooling of recent volcanic deposits, magmatic-tectonic interactions, and loss of volatiles plus densification of magma. The Cascade Range thus offers an outstanding opportunity for investigating a wide range of volcanic processes. Indeed, there may be areas of geodetic change that have yet to be discovered, and there is good potential for addressing a number of important questions about how arc volcanoes work before, during, and after eruptions by continuing geodetic research in the Cascade Range.
Challenges and opportunities in soft tribology

Despite the ubiquitous use of soft materials in everything from transportation to biomedicine, there remain tremendous opportunities for fundamental studies on the governing principles behind their...
Determining Hinge Abduction in Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease: Can We Reliably Make the Diagnosis?

Background:Although hinge abduction is recognized as an important finding in children with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, variable diagnostic criteria exist. The purpose of this study was (1) to test the interobserver and intraobserver agreement of the current definition of hinge abduction and (2) to d
Retrotracheal Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery: Congenital Anomaly or Postsurgical Complication?:

The aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) was first described by Hunauld in 1735, with the clinical symptom of the so-called “dysphagia lusoria” or “difficulty in swallowing due to a quirk of nature,” as described by David Bayford in 1787.1 In Bayford’s words, the symptoms “may be called lusoria, from Lusus Naturae that gives rise to it.”2 It is also known as arteria lusoria as suggested by Arkin.3 ARSA is one of the most common intrathoracic vascular anomalies. The majority of ARSA involves the subclavian artery passing posterior to the esophagus and rarely, if ever, passing in front of the esophagus.4 To our knowledge, this is the first case of ARSA with imaging correlation of a course anterior to the esophagus, interposing between the trachea and esophagus in a living patient. We discuss the available literature on epidemiology, embryology, diagnosis, and possible management of this rare vascular anomaly, in addition to the vascular anomalies associated with repair of esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF).
‘A whole new world opened up’: the impact of place and space-based professional development on one rural South Africa primary school

Project Partnerships Achieve Literacy (PAL) South Africa was designed to transform teachers’ pedagogical practices in literacy instruction in an under-resourced school and, by doing so, improve the...
Recent Progress in the Chemistry and Toxicology of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning

There has been tremendous progress in research involving the chemistry, biochemistry and toxicology of paralytic shellfish poisons (PSP) in the past 15 years.11 A number of new toxins have been isolated from various biological sources (Fig. 1), and the list of alleged progenitors also expanded to many organisms including prokaryotes such as cyanobacteria and gram-negative bacteria. In this paper, we would like to report some of the most recent work conducted in our laboratory.
ORTHOMODULAR STRUCTURES AND PHYSICAL THEORY

Publisher Summary This chapter gives an overview of the simplest way yet found for physically motivating the consideration of orthomodular partially ordered sets as mathematical structures with which fundamental physical theory must deal. The discussion in this chapter leads more directly to the special case of a complete orthomodular lattice. It explains that an ideal mathematical language would be one that would allow the embedding of arbitrary orthoposets—or at least arbitrary complete ortholattices—in a measure-preserving and order-preserving way, and that would have enough additional structure to allow simple characterization and computation of all probability measures. The chapter explains that a simple set of axioms and definitions motivated by operational considerations leads to an underlying general mathematical structure for physical theory—the orthomodular or "orthological" structure of physical questions and probabilities. However, to be useful, that structure must be further realized or modeled in terms of a computationally convenient structure.
Intelligent Medical Networks and Machines

The overt Web technology has brought about a profound revolution in the minds of all Internet users, researchers, and medical service providers alike. Information and knowledge that constitute the foundations of most human activities are being constantly altered, updated, and manipulated. Both affect the applications of most disciplines and the practice of most professions. Knowledge coupled with automation and seamless connectivity with standardized procedures makes any discipline and profession amenable to computer-aided practice and perhaps to automation. When the desirable feature of total integrity in practice of professions is overlooked, the use of information technologies becomes a pursuit of wealth and vanities. Medical science and profession are exceptions because every patient is unique, and every doctor is an individual with a committed oath to deploy the profession to its best use.
Human Milk Carnitine

Carnitine is critically important in the energy metabolism of the neonate. It is well established that carnitine is required for the transport of long chain fatty acids into the matrix of the mitochondron which is the site for β-oxidation1. Since the newborn experiences a metabolic shift from carbohydrate to lipid as the major fuel source, an adequate concentration of tissue carnitine is needed during the newborn period. The tissue stores of carnitine in the newborn are limited2. Milk appears to be the major source of carnitine for the newborn3. The total carnitine concentrations of milk are reported for samples taken from a group of healthy women at different stages of lactation.
Classical Social Theory and Family Studies

The world of social theory, particularly as it is applied to family and gender issues, has become a tangle of claims and counterclaims regarding ideological predisposition and the sheer impossibility of understanding the world without the appropriate perspective. Therefore, it seems important to review the myriad threads of classical social theory that have the origins and impact of familial, blood, and marital ties as part of their concern.
Optimizing the end-to-end value chain through demand shaping and advanced customer analytics

Abstract As supply chains become increasingly outsourced, the end-to-end supply network is often spread across multiple enterprises. In addition, increasing focus on lean inventory can often create significant supply/demand imbalances over a multi-enterprise supply chain. This paper discusses a set of integrated analytics for supply/demand synchronization with a new emphasis on customer facing actions called demand shaping. Demand shaping is the ability to sense changing demand patterns, evaluate and optimize an enterprise supply plan to best support market demand and opportunity, and execute a number of demand shaping actions to “steer” demand to align with an optimized plan. First, we describe a multi-enterprise cloud-based data model called the Demand Signal Repository (DSR) that includes a tightly linked end-to-end product dependency structure as well as a trusted source of demand and supply levels across the extended supply chain. Secondly, we present a suite of mathematical optimization models that enable on demand up selling, alternative-selling and down-selling to better integrate the supply chain horizontally, connecting the interaction of customers, business partners and sales teams to procurement and manufacturing capabilities of a firm. And finally, we describe findings and managerial insights from real-life experiences with demand shaping in a server computer manufacturing environment.
Health literacy in pediatric otolaryngology: A scoping review.

Abstract Objective To review research on status and outcomes of health literacy in pediatric otolaryngology and identify opportunities for quality improvement. Methods We performed a scoping review, adhering to methodologic standards. A combination of MeSH terms and keywords related to health literacy in otolaryngology was used to conduct a search. Relevant studies were identified using PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases. Studies were selected for inclusion by two authors if they addressed the domains of pediatric otolaryngology as well as health literacy. Data were abstracted from each study on the number of participants, the setting, the study design, the outcome measure, the intervention used, and the overall theme. Authors identified prominent overarching themes and grouped studies accordingly. Results were then tabulated for further review and to discern implications for future practice and research. Results Of 1046 articles identified, 20 articles were included. Studies fell into three major themes: readability of patient materials, patient recall after informed consent, and optimal patient education. Prominent findings included the following: 1. Much of the printed and electronic educational material in otolaryngology is above the recommended reading level for public health information; 2. Parents do not easily recall information provided verbally or in written form; and 3. Adding visual and multimodal components improves the success of parental education. Conclusion Health literacy in pediatric otolaryngology may influence comprehension of educational materials and adequacy of informed consent. Future research may address whether patient health literacy affects clinical outcomes.
Duration of Tornadoes

Statistics on tornado path lengths have been examined, and estimates are made of average path lengths and durations of individual tornadoes.
Tracking sea surface salinity and dissolved oxygen on a river-influenced, seasonally stratified shelf, Mississippi Bight, northern Gulf of Mexico

Region of freshwater influence Hypoxia Dissolved oxygen Mississippi Bight Gulf of Mexico A B S T R A C T River discharge, and its resulting region of freshwater influence (ROFI) in the coastal ocean, has a critical influence on physical and biogeochemical processes in seasonally stratified shelf ecosystems. Multi-year (2010-2016) observations of satellite-derived sea surface salinity (SSS) and in situ water column hydrographic data during summer 2016 were used to investigate physical aspects of the ROFI east of the Mississippi River Delta to better assess regional susceptibility to hypoxia in the summer months. Time series of SSS data indicate that the shelf region impacted by the seasonal expansion of freshwater can be as extensive as the well-known "dead zone" region west of the Delta, and hydrographic observations from a shelf-wide survey indicate strong stratification associated with the ROFI. Peak buoyancy frequencies typically ranged between 0.15 and 0.25 s −1 and were concentrated in a 2-3 m layer around 4-10 m deep across much of the shelf. This ROFI is expected to be influenced by local freshwater sources which, while individually small, make a notable contribution in aggregate to the region (annually averaged daily discharge of approximately 2880 m 3 s −1). The dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions under this freshwater cap were spatially and temporally variable, with areas of hypoxia and near-hypoxic conditions over portions of the shelf, demonstrating the utility of satellite-derived SSS in identifying coastal areas potential vulnerability to hypoxia. These regions of low bottom dissolved oxygen persisted throughout the peak summer season at several sites on the shelf, with the northeastern corner of Mississippi Bight having the most intense and persistent hypoxia.
Acute Cholecystitis in the Elderly Patient: How Is It Different?

The diagnosis and management of elderly patients with acute cholecystitis can be challenging due to less specific complaints, concomitant diseases, and broader differential diagnoses. Geriatric patients with cholecystitis often present without specific or localizing abdominal complaints, and laboratory testing may be unremarkable due to a less robust inflammatory response. Imaging modalities should be used liberally, and computed tomography may initially be more helpful than ultrasound. Once the diagnosis is made, treatment options vary for the elderly because of their comorbidities. Conservative, noninvasive initial management may be better than immediate surgical intervention.