cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LATE CENOZOIC EXTENSION OF THE ALPINE COLLISIONAL OROGEN, NORTHEASTERN GREECE : ORIGIN OF THE NORTH AEGEAN BASIN

The Rhodope metamorphic core complex, exposed beneath the Strymon Valley detachment in northeastern Greece, comprises a platform carbonate sequence >5000 m thick intruded by Tertiary calc-alkaline plutons. The final thickening of the north Aegean Alpine collisional orogen in Paleogene time and its Neogene-Quaternary extensional dismemberment in the backarc of the Hellenic subduction zone produced structures within and above the Rhodope core complex that are related here to four successive deformations. In early–middle Eocene time (D1), the Falakron marble series was subducted northeastward beneath the Serbo-Macedonian–West Thracian gneiss complex, a heterogeneous ophiolite-bearing high-grade metamorphic terrane that was accreted to southeastern Europe in Cretaceous time. The orogen began to extend on a northeast-southwest axis in earliest Miocene time, evidenced in the Rhodope core complex by the emplacement of the Symvolon granodiorite ca. 21 Ma within a northwest-trending midcrustal coaxial rupture of the Falakron slab (D2). The Strymon Valley detachment system succeeded the D2 Symvolon rupture and related structures, facilitating unroofing of the core complex and a transition from ductile to brittle deformation ca. 16–3.5 Ma (D3). The Serbo-Macedonian gneiss complex, the island of Thasos, and a supradetachment basin were translated relatively southwestward as much as 80 km in the D3 hanging wall. Balanced reconstructions of D2 and D3 displacements predicate two new hypotheses concerning the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of northeastern Greece. First, the southwest-vergent Thasos detachment and northeast-vergent low-angle normal faults in the Olympos region may both have rooted in the coaxial Symvolon rupture zone to form a bivergent early Miocene extensional system. Second, the Olympos and Falakron carbonate platforms may be correlative remnants of the subducted eastern margin of the Apulian microcontinent, implying that the “Vardar zone,” the putative Alpine suture, is a rootless ophiolite belt, and that segments of the Alpine suture are actually exposed over a zone as wide as 200 km, including the Rhodope province. Cumulative D2 and D3 stretching of greater than or equal to 100% created the north Aegean basin. The North Anatolian fault, which accommodates the westward escape of Anatolia from the Pontide suture, propagated into the north Aegean region in late Pliocene time. Its offshore continuation, the North Aegean Trough, transfers dextral strike-slip displacement into extension to the north, principally expressed in northern Greece by the Thermaikos, Strymon, and Drama half grabens (D4).
Proinflammatory Actions of Thromboxane Receptors to Enhance Cellular Immune Responses

Metabolism of arachidonic acid by the cyclo-oxygenase (COX) pathway generates a family of prostanoid mediators. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) act by inhibiting COX, thereby reducing prostanoid synthesis. The efficacy of these agents in reducing inflammation suggests a dominant proinflammatory role for the COX pathway. However, the actions of COX metabolites are complex, and certain prostanoids, such as PGE(2), in some circumstances actually inhibit immune and inflammatory responses. In these studies, we examine the hypothesis that anti-inflammatory actions of NSAIDs may be due, in part, to inhibition of thromboxane A(2) synthesis. To study the immunoregulatory actions of thromboxane A(2), we used mice with a targeted disruption of the gene encoding the thromboxane-prostanoid (TP) receptor. Both mitogen-induced responses and cellular responses to alloantigen were substantially reduced in TP(-/-) spleen cells. Similar attenuation was observed with pharmacological inhibition of TP signaling in wild-type splenocytes, suggesting that reduced responsiveness was not due to subtle developmental abnormalities in the TP-deficient mice. The absence of TP receptors reduced immune-mediated tissue injury following cardiac transplant rejection, an in vivo model of intense inflammation. Taken together, these findings show that thromboxane augments cellular immune responses and inflammatory tissue injury. Specific inhibition of the TP receptor may provide a more precise approach to limit inflammation without some of the untoward effects associated with NSAIDs.
Poincaré sections for the horocycle flow in covers of \mathrm {SL}(2,\mathbb {R})/\mathrm {SL}(2,\mathbb {Z}) and applications to Farey fraction statistics

For a given finite index subgroup $$H\subseteq \mathrm {SL}(2,\mathbb {Z})$$ , we use a process developed by Fisher and Schmidt to lift a Poincare section of the horocycle flow on $$\mathrm {SL}(2,\mathbb {R})/\mathrm {SL}(2,\mathbb {Z})$$ found by Athreya and Cheung to the finite cover $$\mathrm {SL}(2,\mathbb {R})/H$$ of $$\mathrm {SL}(2,\mathbb {R})/\mathrm {SL}(2,\mathbb {Z})$$ . We then use the properties of this section to prove the existence of the limiting gap distribution of various subsets of Farey fractions. Additionally, to each of these subsets of fractions, we extend solutions by Xiong and Zaharescu, and independently Boca, to a Diophantine approximation problem of Erdős, Szusz, and Turan.
Characterization of gum isolated from Camelina seed

Abstract Camelina gum (CG) was characterized on the physicochemical properties including rheological properties, chemical compositions, morphological property, and thermal properties. The results showed that dried CG has porous structure and polysaccharides and protein content of 75.1% and 12.3%, separately. CG solution showed high apparent viscosity, strong temperature and pH tolerance. CG also showed higher viscosities, storage (G’), and viscous modulus (G”) than commercial gums such as κ-carrageenan and hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) gums. At concentration of 1.0%, the viscosity of CG was more than 2 times and 4 times higher than that of κ-carrageenan and HEC gums (0.01 1/s), respectively, and G’ was more than 3 times and 30 times higher than that of κ-carrageenan and HEC gums (0.01 Hz), respectively. CG showed modulus reversibility, 100% of G’ could be recovered in 180 s. Those properties indicate camelina gum is an excellent candidate for food and industrial uses as thickener or stabilizer.
A novel nano-immunoassay system capable of absolute protein measurements from 400 tumor-derived stem cells

C92 The traditional western blot has been a core technique of protein research for over 25 years. Although popular due to its combination of separation and antibody specificity, the technique is slow, labor intensive, semi-quantitative, and poorly suited for scarce samples. Capillary electrophoresis has conquered similar limitations with genomic analysis. A novel technique has been developed which allows rapid (60 sec) immobilization of isoelectrically focused proteins to a capillary wall. Tagged antibodies are then flowed through the capillary allowing chemiluminescent detection of captured proteins. Experiments show that the useful linear range of concentration of protein capture exceeds six orders of magnitude. A series of experiments were designed to measure tumor stem cell proteins from a transitional cell carcinoma (TCC+). Cells were sorted from a patient tumor and lysed for analysis. From as few as 400 cells we were able to detect a variety of proteins. Here we report b-catenin protein concentrations of 192 ng/mg of total protein in the tumor stem cells, which was undetectable in ‘non-stem’ tumor cells. Comparisons of protein levels and the degree of phosphorylation are made between these samples, other tumor cell lines and hematopoetic stem cells for a variety of proteins including AKT, ERK, BCL2, MYC and JNK.
Strategic Leverage Through Learning

We describe our model, Strategic Leverage Through Learning © , and its development. Our model uses the system-level factors in the Burke-Litwin Model of Organizational Performance and Change to define the key dimensions of an organizational system. Following Burke and Litwin (Journal of Management 18:532–545, 1992), Strategic Leverage Through Learning © distinguishes between transformational and transactional dynamics. We have defined and added a set of interim learning and performance outcomes to the Burke-Litwin framework. We have also redefined the constructs for each of the transformational and transactional factors in their model to jointly optimize learning and performance. We describe how we developed and validated measures of the constructs in our model. Definitions of constructs are included. We demonstrate the use of the model to diagnose challenges and leverage change in a Federal Judicial Agency. We contrast our learning approach to change with planned change models.
Dynamic scan control in STEM: spiral scans

Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has emerged as one of the foremost techniques to analyze materials at atomic resolution. However, two practical difficulties inherent to STEM imaging are: radiation damage imparted by the electron beam, which can potentially damage or otherwise modify the specimen and slow-scan image acquisition, which limits the ability to capture dynamic changes at high temporal resolution. Furthermore, due in part to scan flyback corrections, typical raster scan methods result in an uneven distribution of dose across the scanned area. A method to allow extremely fast scanning with a uniform residence time would enable imaging at low electron doses, ameliorating radiation damage and at the same time permitting image acquisition at higher frame-rates while maintaining atomic resolution. The practical complication is that rastering the STEM probe at higher speeds causes significant image distortions. Non-square scan patterns provide a solution to this dilemma and can be tailored for low dose imaging conditions. Here, we develop a method for imaging with alternative scan patterns and investigate their performance at very high scan speeds. A general analysis for spiral scanning is presented here for the following spiral scan functions: Archimedean, Fermat, and constant linear velocity spirals, which were tested for STEM imaging. The quality of spiral scan STEM images is generally comparable with STEM images from conventional raster scans, and the dose uniformity can be improved.
Beyond Resilience: How to Better Prepare for the Profound Disruption of the Anthropocene

Human activity is dramatically shaping all of Earth's natural systems, producing unprecedented challenges for people and nature. Climate disruption, altered hydrology, and ecosystem degradation reflect both threats to human wellbeing and changes in the ‘rules of the game’ that make management difficult. While ecologists, conservationists and environmental scientists clamor for radical action to reverse these threats, their own management actions in response to climate are too often business as usual. I hypothesize that restrictive and often unspoken mental models of ecological and environmental science are robbing these managers and their institutions of the flexibility required to respond to the Anthropocene's uncertain changes. The three most profound mental traps are: (1) an undue emphasis on historical reference points; (2) an ecological concept of resilience that fails to reckon with the Anthropocene's dynamism; and (3) a precautionary bias against new technologies and dramatic interventions. Caught in these mental traps, environmentalists too often reject entrepreneurial experimental approaches that could make them more relevant to policymakers, corporations and other institutions that seek to respond more proactively to impending disruption.
The San Jon points and Paleoindian typology

L'industrie lithique paleoindienne du site de San Jon (Nouveau Mexique) a plus de valeur comme illustration des problemes rencontres en systematique paleoindienne, qu'en tant que cle pour la comprehension des culture de l'Hololocene ancien des Plaines Meridionales. Le present article est consacre a la typologie des pointse paleoindiennes de San Jon
Merkel disc is a serotonergic synapse in the epidermis for transmitting tactile signals in mammals

The evolution of sensory systems has let mammals develop complicated tactile end organs to enable sophisticated sensory tasks, including social interaction, environmental exploration, and tactile discrimination. The Merkel disc, a main type of tactile end organ consisting of Merkel cells (MCs) and Aβ-afferent endings, are highly abundant in fingertips, touch domes, and whisker hair follicles of mammals. The Merkel disc has high tactile acuity for an object’s physical features, such as texture, shape, and edges. Mechanisms underlying the tactile function of Merkel discs are obscured as to how MCs transmit tactile signals to Aβ-afferent endings leading to tactile sensations. Using mouse whisker hair follicles, we show herein that tactile stimuli are transduced by MCs into excitatory signals that trigger vesicular serotonin release from MCs. We identify that both ionotropic and metabotropic 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptors are expressed on whisker Aβ-afferent endings and that their activation by serotonin released from MCs initiates Aβ-afferent impulses. Moreover, we demonstrate that these ionotropic and metabotropic 5-HT receptors have a synergistic effect that is critical to both electrophysiological and behavioral tactile responses. These findings elucidate that the Merkel disc is a unique serotonergic synapse located in the epidermis and plays a key role in tactile transmission. The epidermal serotonergic synapse may have important clinical implications in sensory dysfunctions, such as the loss of tactile sensitivity and tactile allodynia seen in patients who have diabetes, inflammatory diseases, and undergo chemotherapy. It may also have implications in the exaggerated tactile sensations induced by recreational drugs that act on serotoninergic synapses.
Sanitation indicators as a tool to evaluate a food safety and sanitation training program for farmstead cheese processors

Abstract This project evaluated the impact of a food safety and sanitation training program, developed for farmstead cheesemakers, by investigating its effects on the cleanliness of cheesemaking rooms of dairy farms in Pennsylvania. Participating farms (n = 16) were divided randomly into control (n = 6; no training) and two treatments, consisting of a food safety and sanitation training program without a video vignette (treatment 1; n = 5) and a training program supplemented with a video vignette (treatment 2; n = 5). Before the training and again 3–4 months after the training, environmental samplings were conducted on select surfaces in cheesemaking rooms. Surfaces were swabbed and evaluated for aerobic bacterial counts (AC), Enterobacteriaceae (EB), yeast and molds (YM), Listeria spp., and for levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The results demonstrate that the training program, with or without the video vignette, significantly reduced (p
Microvascular pressure profile of serosal vessels of rat trachea

The distribution of intravascular pressures within the pulmonary airway microcirculation is an important determinant of transvascular liquid balance. Intravascular pressures were measured in the serosal vessels of the trachea in anesthetized, ventilated rats. The ventral portion of the trachea was surgically exposed and suffused with warm (37 degrees C) Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate. The serosal microvasculature was observed with a video microscope, and microvessel pressures and diameters were measured using the servo-null technique and video calipers, respectively. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was monitored from the left femoral artery and averaged 106.1 +/- 5.2 mmHg (n = 14). The highest pressure (77% of MAP) was measured in a large (95-microns diam) transverse arteriole. As arteriolar diameter decreased from 39 to 11 microns, pressures fell from 62 to 18% of MAP. Capillaries drained into venular networks that formed extensive arcades. Pressures in these postcapillary venules (20-75 microns diam) were 7.7 +/- 5.5% of MAP (n = 9). These vessels in turn drained into large venous sinuses (120-425 microns diam) where pressures averaged 5.7 +/- 2.3% of MAP (n = 7). A four-parameter logistical model of these data predicts that capillary pressures range from 27 to 15% of MAP. We conclude that 1) a substantial resistance exists across precapillary arterioles less than 40 microns diam and 2) a small pressure drop occurs between systemic arteries and primary feed arterioles in this tissue.
Co-scheduling of datacenter and HVAC loads in mixed-use buildings

The majority of datacenters are within mixed-use facilities, where they often share some common infrastructures and energy supplies with other operations (e.g., non-IT offices and labs). In such mixed-use buildings, two major energy loads are datacenter IT equipment and HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) system. The HVAC demand comes from both datacenter rooms and other non-IT rooms. To effectively lower peak demand and reduce energy cost for mixed-use buildings, it is important to leverage the scheduling flexibility from both the HVAC system and the delay-tolerant datacenter workload in a collaborative fashion. In this work, we model the major physical and cyber components of mixed-use buildings, and propose a model predictive control (MPC) formulation to co-schedule datacenter and HVAC loads, with consideration of solar energy and battery storage. The MPC formulation minimizes building energy cost while satisfying various requirements on room temperature, ventilation, and datacenter workload deadlines. Compared with separate scheduling strategy, our approach significantly reduces peak demand and overall energy cost, and provides better leverage of renewable energy supply. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our formulation is also effective in reducing carbon footprint, and balancing its trade-off with energy cost.
Otitis Media in Fully Vaccinated Preschool Children in the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Era.

Objectives. To evaluate the effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) on the burden of acute otitis media (AOM) and to evaluate the characteristics of AOM versus otitis media with effusion (...
Membrane Structure: The Unit Membrane Model, Unit Membrane Structure, Cell Surfaces of Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes, Cell Junctions, New Techniques

Publisher Summary The unit membrane concept that says that all membranes have an underlying bilayer composed of phospholipids was originally proposed by Danielli and Davson in 1935. This concept extends to a wide variety of membranes from different organisms, each of which has a specific function. Although each of these membranes may subserve different functions, they all share two common properties: they exhibit both a selective permeability to lipid solvents as well as a high electrical resistance. These two properties suggest the presence of an underlying unit consisting of a lipid bilayer. The bilayer concept of membrane structure is consistent with the trilamellar image of membranes that arose from electron microscopic observations as well as X-ray diffraction analysis of myelin. The unit membrane concept has proven useful for describing the underlying phospholipid bilayer of membranes; however, when it became necessary to determine the localization of different proteins within membranes, a better representation of membrane ultrastructure was needed. The techniques such as freeze-fracture electron microscopy, thin-section electron microscopy with improved fixation, nuclear magnetic resonance, and immunological labeling of membranes with specific probes made it clear that integral as well as peripheral proteins can be localized within membranes.
The Sexuality of Gender

This chapter presents theory and research on gender and sexuality as well as on knowledge production in this area. Study in this area begins with the idea that gender and sexuality are interactional, socially constructed through micro and macro institutions ranging from family and individual couples to the nation, with effects varying by different social markers like race, class, cohort, age, and relationship status. What we know of the history of sexuality plus what we recognize as challenges for contemporary work are contingent on our epistemologies. This is because knowledge, too, about gender and sexuality is socially constructed, hampered by the legacy of constrained categories combined with limitations of imagination—our habits of mind. This chapter will help students and scholars of gender recognize transformations in the expression of gender and sexuality, even as it highlights the persistence of normative linkages between the two through heteronormativity. Do we think gender and sexuality will ever be disconnected from one another? It matters less to us whether they are connected or disconnected than that heteronormativity ceases to be a source of social control, racism, and structured inequalities by regulating gender and sexuality.
Parents' Views on the Best and Worst Reasons for Guideline-Consistent HPV Vaccination

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination could prevent most HPV-associated cancers, but few U.S. adolescents are vaccinated according to guidelines. To inform efforts to counsel parents more effectively, we sought to quantify their views on the best and worst reasons for guideline-consistent HPV vaccination. We hypothesized that parents' views would differ according to their vaccination confidence.Methods: We developed a best-worst scaling experiment to evaluate 11 reasons healthcare providers commonly give for HPV vaccination. The instrument was administered in 2016 via a national online survey to 1,177 parents of adolescents. Parents completed 11 choice tasks of 5 reasons each, indicating the best and worst reason in each task. We used conditional logistic regression to rank reasons for the sample overall and by vaccination confidence (low/high).Results: Parents viewed cancer prevention as the best reason for HPV vaccination (P < 0.001). Other commonly endorsed reasons were preventing a common infection, having lasting benefits, or being a safe vaccine (all P < 0.001). Reasons viewed as worst were: It is a scientific breakthrough; I got it for my own child; and your child is due (all P < 0.001). Stratified analyses indicated small differences in how often parents with low versus high vaccination confidence endorsed messages (P < 0.001), but the two groups ranked reasons similarly overall.Conclusions: Parents prioritized cancer prevention as the best reason for guideline-consistent HPV vaccination. Several other common reasons, including having vaccinated one's own child, may warrant additional testing.Impact: Providers should emphasize cancer prevention when discussing HPV vaccination, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the President's Cancer Panel, and others. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(7); 762-7. ©2018 AACR.
Aortic stenosis and severe mitral regurgitation in the fetus resulting in giant left atrium and hydrops: Pathophysiology, outcomes, and preliminary experience with pre-natal cardiac intervention

Objectives The objective of this article is to review anatomic, physiologic, and clinical features of fetuses and neonates with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) in conjunction with aortic stenosis (AS) and left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) dilation and to present preliminary results of pre-natal intervention for this condition. Background Severe fetal valvar AS with an abnormal mitral valve (MV) and MR can lead to left heart dilation, with consequent compression of the right ventricle (RV); hydrops and low cardiac output are often associated. Methods This is a retrospective review of fetuses diagnosed with AS, severe MR, and LA dilation (2002 to 2009) and neonates with the same combination of abnormalities (1988 to 2009). Results Fourteen fetuses and 7 neonates were investigated. Eleven fetuses had severe hydrops; all had polyhydramnios and a structurally abnormal MV, abnormal MV inflow pattern, restrictive/intact atrial septum, retrograde flow in the transverse aortic arch, and compression of the right heart. The mean indexed RV output was 326 ± 160 ml/kg/min, lower than the normal average fetal combined ventricular output of 550 ± 150 ml/kg/min. Ten fetuses underwent pre-natal cardiac intervention: aortic valvuloplasty (n = 8) and/or atrial septal dilation/stenting (n = 5). Seven of these, and 11 overall, were live born. Nine patients died (median age 6 days), and 2 patients are currently alive. All 7 patients diagnosed in the neonatal period died (median age 1 day). Conclusions Aortic stenosis associated with significant MR in the fetus can cause severe LA and LV enlargement, leading to low cardiac output and hydrops. Despite the potential advantages of early pre-natal diagnosis and both fetal and neonatal interventions, this rare complex of anomalies carries a poor prognosis.
DAbR: Dynamic Attribute-based Reputation scoring for Malicious IP Address Detection

To effectively identify and filter out attacks from known sources like botnets, spammers, virus infected systems etc., organizations increasingly procure services that determine the reputation of IP addresses. Adoption of encryption techniques like TLS 1.2 and 1.3 aggravate this cause, owing to the higher cost of decryption needed for examining traffic contents. Currently, most IP reputation services provide blacklists by analyzing malware and spam records. However, newer but similar IP addresses used by the same attackers need not be present in such lists and attacks from them will get bypassed. In this paper, we present Dynamic Attribute based Reputation (DAbR), a euclidean distance based technique, to generate reputation scores for IP addresses by assimilating meta-data from known bad IP addresses. This approach is based on our observation that many bad IP's share similar attributes and the requirement for a lightweight technique for reputation scoring. DAbR generates reputation scores for IP addresses on a 0–10 scale which represents its trustworthiness based on known bad IP address attributes. The reputation scores when used in conjunction with a policy enforcement module, can provide high performance and non privacy-invasive malicious traffic filtering. To evaluate DAbR, we calculated reputation scores on a dataset of 87k IP addresses and used them to classify IP addresses as good/bad based on a threshold. An F-1 score of 78% in this classification task demonstrates our technique's performance.
Effect of temperature change on synaptic transmission at crayfish neuromuscular junctions

ABSTRACT Ectothermic animals in areas characterised by seasonal changes are susceptible to extreme fluctuations in temperature. To survive through varied temperatures, ectotherms have developed unique strategies. This study focuses on synaptic transmission function at cold temperatures, as it is a vital component of ectothermic animals9 survival. For determining how synaptic transmission is influenced by an acute change in temperature (20°C to 10°C within a minute) and chronic cold (10°C), the crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) neuromuscular junction (NMJ) was used as a model. To simulate chronic cold conditions, crayfish were acclimated to 15°C for 1 week and then to 10°C for 1 week. They were then used to examine the synaptic properties associated with the low output nerve terminals on the opener muscle in the walking legs and high output innervation on the abdominal deep extensor muscle. The excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) of the opener NMJs increased in amplitude with acute warming (20°C) after being acclimated to cold; however, the deep extensor muscles showed varied changes in EPSP amplitude. Synaptic transmission at both NMJs was enhanced with exposure to the modulators serotonin or octopamine. The membrane resistance of the muscles decreased 33% and the resting membrane potential hyperpolarised upon warm exposure. Analysis of haemolymph indicated that octopamine increases during cold exposure. These results suggest bioamine modulation as a possible mechanism for ensuring that synaptic transmission remains functional at low temperatures.
Impact of anticoagulation strategy and agents on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy

Introduction:Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation mandates balancing the risk of thromboembolic complications with bleeding. We aimed to evaluate pragmatic anticoagulation regimens during extracorpo...
Influences of zirconium tungstate additives on characteristics of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) components fabricated via material extrusion additive manufacturing process

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a thermoplastic material with excellent resilience and piezoelectric potential, is a natural candidate for use in filament-based additive manufacturing technologies. However, due to the high thermal expansion and low surface energy of homopolymer PVDF, fabrication of this polymer via extrusion deposition processes is challenging, often resulting in substantial stress accumulation and unwanted distortion in printed parts. To address these challenges, this work investigates the effects of adding microscale zirconium tungstate particulate to improve the printability of PVDF materials. Zirconium tungstate was specifically selected because for its demonstrated negative coefficient of thermal expansion over the range of standard filament extrusion deposition method processing temperatures. Composite filament specimens were characterized with respect to mechanical, thermal, and microstructural properties. Compared with pure homopolymer printed specimens, results show that the particulate additives effectively lowered the net coefficient of thermal expansion at the expense of yield strength and total elongation to failure, while the semi-crystalline structure showed a mild reduction in β-phase formation associated with increasing particulate content.
Applications of Floquet-Magnus and Fer expansion approaches on rotary-resonance recoupling sequence in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance

In this work, we used the Floquet–Magnus expansion (FME) and the Fer expansion (FE) approaches to investigate the spin dynamics during the rotary-resonance recoupling (R3) radiation experiment in s...
Pasteurella multocida infections in cancer patients

Background: Pasteurella multocida is a small, gram-negative coccobacillus, which most commonly causes soft tissue infections due to animal bites or scratches, mainly from cats and dogs. Immunocompromised hosts, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop systemic complications as a result of P. multocida infections. Objective: Retrospectively analyze the medical records of four afflicted patients being managed at Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, USA between 1999 and 2009, and careful study for additional 32 cases of P. multocida infection among cancer patients with variegated histology found in the current medical literature. Methods: Of 36 subjects, 67% of the patients had been diagnosed with a solid organ cancer, whereas 33% had a hematologic malignancy. Clinical scenarios described fever as the most frequent initial presentation and bacteremia as the most prevalent mode of infection. Results: Forty-seven percent of the patients had experienced some sort of animal contact and 41% showed evidence of skin or soft tissue infection. The status of the white blood cell count, was available in 22 patients (of 36 patients), and 27% demonstrated neutropenia. The survival percentage of the patients with known clinical outcome was 77%. Conclusion: Medical management mostly involved antibiosis with beta-lactams. Atypical scenario of Pasteurella multocida infection may involve bites or scratches (specifically from cats or dogs) in a cancer patient presenting with sepsis and accompanied by skin or soft tissue or respiratory tract infection. A high level of suspicion for P. multocida as a possible pathogen in cancer patients would facilitate an amelioration in morbidity ameliorating, and timely initiation of specific antibiotics. Keywords: Beta-lactams, infections, malignancy, Pasteurella multocida
How do pregnant women’s perceptions of obstetric forceps change according to their demographic background: a cross sectional study

Women’s attitudes towards obstetric forceps likely contribute to declining use and opportunities for residency training, but formal documentation of women’s attitudes towards obstetric forceps is currently limited. A clearer understanding should help guide our attempts to preserve its use in modern obstetrics and to improve residency training. Our objective is to document women’s attitudes towards obstetric forceps and the influence basic demographic variables have on those attitudes. A cross sectional study was performed. We developed a one-time anonymous structured 5-question survey that was given to all women with low-risk pregnancies presenting to our medical center for prenatal care between October 2018–December 2018. The questionnaire asked for the woman’s self-reported age, race, education level and insurance type. The five questions were as follows: (1) Do you think forceps should be used to deliver babies, (2) Is forceps safe for the baby, (3) Is forceps safe for the mother, (4) Do you think forceps can help to lower the cesarean section rate, (5) Do you think physicians in training should learn to place forceps on a real patient. We calculated means and proportions for the responses according to the overall group and various subgroups. Statistical analysis included Kruskall-Wallis or Mann-Whitney tests as appropriate. Results were also adjusted by regression using a Generalized Linear Model. Power calculation showed sample size of 384 was required. A total of 499 women returned the questionnaire. Response rate was 56.8% (499/878). The findings suggest that women’s perceptions towards forceps are generally negative. Women with white ethnicity, college education or higher and private insurance did have more favorable views than their counterparts, but the majority still had unfavorable views. Age was not shown to have a significant effect on maternal attitude. Women’s views towards forceps use in the University of Kansas Medical Center are negative and may be contributing to the decline of its use. Improving women’s perceptions of forceps would require multiple different strategies rather than a single focused easily-implemented message. If forceps training continues, such training will rely on a minority of women who will accept forceps use in childbirth.
Cascaded Raman lasing with single molecular monolayers

On-chip integrated photonics has been dominated by silicon devices for nearly two decades. Due to high optical absorption in the visible as well as carrier losses, pursuing applications in UV and visible wavelength ranges as well as mid-IR have been challenges. However, with the recent emergence of 2D materials (eg graphene and MoS 2 ) as well as highly nonlinear, CMOS fabrication compatible materials (eg lithium niobate and silicon carbide), the potential application set has broadened considerably [1] , [2] . These materials also pave the way for broadband and wide-spanning frequency converters, a key component to realizing an optical quantum computer.
Remotely-sensed water budgets for agriculture in the upper midwestern United States

Abstract Process based hydrological models are often the most accurate and comprehensive tools available for answering hydrological questions. However, the resources needed to parameterize and calibrate them can be problematic for small organizations with limited resources or for management questions where emerging problems require rapid investigation. To address this need, this study calculates a simplified monthly water balance using gridded remote sensing actual evapotranspiration (ETa) data and PRISM precipitation data for 223,355 agricultural parcels in Wisconsin totaling 2,966,250 ha of agricultural land. Agricultural management features such as crop rotation and irrigation as well as physical features such as soil drainage and hillslope gradient were compared to identify differences in monthly water budgets. Results showed that Wisconsin was energy limited in most years such that additional precipitation was more likely to suppress ETa. Significant differences were identified with dairy and pasture rotations having the highest annual ETa and the potato/vegetable rotation having the lowest annual ETa rates. Growing season length was identified as a likely predictor of annual ETa. Surprisingly, results also showed that there were no appreciable differences in ETa between rainfed cropland and irrigated cropland. Lastly, results indicated that across all rotations, the months most susceptible to infiltration and runoff were April, May, October, and December. This research demonstrates that cropland management plays a significant role in mitigating or accentuating potential infiltration and runoff relative to variability in precipitation in mesic areas. Without accommodating hydrological variability in mesic, energy-limited areas, water or nutrient conservation policy strategies designed to target average weather conditions may be regularly under-protective or over-restrictive.
On the Interpretation of Scattering Parameters

This short paper is in response to one that appeared in this journal a few years ago [2]. The article was a comment on a previous paper [1], which presented the transformation equations between the standard two-port parameters. The equations were stated to be valid for complex terminations; which are useful when S-parameters are treated. The authors in [2] made some incorrect conclusions concerning the concept of "generalized scattering parameters", and this paper seeks to clarify the somewhat confusing area of generalized scattering parameters.
OIII‐A‐2

BACKGROUND/AIMS The probability of incorrectly concluding QT/QTc prolongation was evaluated using an intersection-union test (IUT - ICH E-14 guidance for “thorough QT” (TQT) studies). Bias in the estimated true mean was also evaluated. METHODS Placebo data from 4 TQT trials (2 parallel with N=30, 24/group and 2 crossover each with N=60) were used. Nonparametric bootstrapping (resampling subjects with replacement) was used to simulate 300 TQT trials under the original study designs. Each simulated trial consisted of placebo data only but with a treatment group designated arbitrarily. A study was considered positive if the maximum confidence bound was greater than 10 ms. Additionally the analysis considered true effects of 0–5 ms and various sample sizes. RESULTS The largest mean difference estimates ranged from 0.5 to 4.0 ms depending on study designs despite the true drug effect of zero. The false positive probabilities ranged from 0–62%. The false positive rate for crossover trials was = 40 and true effects up to 4 msec. For small parallel trials, the false positive rate was up to 62%. Smaller sample sizes and larger true effects increased the false positive rate. CONCLUSIONS The false positive rate and bias for TQT based on the IUT vary with study design, sample size, and the true drug effect. Large sample sizes (N>150/group) may be necessary for parallel trials to avoid incorrect conclusions about QT/QTc prolongation liability for new drugs. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 79, P29–P29; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2005.12.107
Evaluation of the kinase domain of c-KIT in canine cutaneous mast cell tumors.

Mutations in the c-KIT proto-oncogene have been implicated in the progression of several neoplastic diseases, including gastrointestinal stromal tumors and mastocytosis in humans, and cutaneous mast cell tumors (MCTs) in canines. Mutations in human mastocytosis patients primarily occur in c-KIT exon 17, which encodes a portion of its kinase domain. In contrast, deletions and internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations are found in the juxtamembrane domain of c-KIT in approximately 15% of canine MCTs. In addition, ITD c-KIT mutations are significantly associated with aberrant KIT protein localization in canine MCTs. However, some canine MCTs have aberrant KIT localization but lack ITD c-KIT mutations, suggesting that other mutations or other factors may be responsible for aberrant KIT localization in these tumors. In order to characterize the prevalence of mutations in the phospho-transferase portion of c-KIT's kinase domain in canine MCTs exons 16–20 of 33 canine MCTs from 33 dogs were amplified and sequenced. Additionally, in order to determine if mutations in c-KIT exon 17 are responsible for aberrant KIT localization in MCTs that lack juxtamembrane domain c-KIT mutations, c-KIT exon 17 was amplified and sequenced from 18 canine MCTs that showed an aberrant KIT localization pattern but did not have ITD c-KIT mutations. No mutations or polymorphisms were identified in exons 16–20 of any of the MCTs examined. In conclusion, mutations in the phospho-transferase portion of c-KIT's kinase domain do not play an important role in the progression of canine cutaneous MCTs, or in the aberrant localization of KIT in canine MCTs.
Mapping of parallel algorithms on symmetric hypernets

Hypercube topology has very nice mapping properties, but hypercube based systems are not easily expandable. To overcome this, Hwang and Ghosh (1987) proposed another topology called hypernets. However, these hypernets do not expand symmetrically and their processing and I/O nodes are not fixed at the time of chip design and have some problems as far as VLSI design is concerned. The symmetric hypernets proposed by the authors in this paper grow symmetrically in small ratios and are better suited for VLSI design. They also establish the suitability of symmetric hypernets vis-a-vis hypercubes and hypernets for mapping parallel algorithms for searching and sorting. >
MHF1-MHF2, a Histone-Fold-Containing Protein Complex, Participates in the Fanconi Anemia Pathway via FANCM

FANCM is a Fanconi anemia nuclear core complex protein required for the functional integrity of the FANC-BRCA pathway of DNA damage response and repair. Here we report the isolation and characterization of two histone-fold-containing FANCM-associated proteins, MHF1 and MHF2. We show that suppression of MHF1 expression results in (1) destabilization of FANCM and MHF2, (2) impairment of DNA damage-induced monoubiquitination and foci formation of FANCD2, (3) defective chromatin localization of FA nuclear core complex proteins, (4) elevated MMC-induced chromosome aberrations, and (5) sensitivity to MMC and camptothecin. We also provide biochemical evidence that MHF1 and MHF2 assemble into a heterodimer that binds DNA and enhances the DNA branch migration activity of FANCM. These findings reveal critical roles of the MHF1-MHF2 dimer in DNA damage repair and genome maintenance through FANCM.
Passage of serum albumin into the stomach. Its detection by paper electrophoresis of gastric juice in protein-losing gastropathies and gastric cancer.

The presence of serum albumin in the gastric lumen can be readily diagnosed by paper electrophoresis of the gastric juice. While small amounts of albumin are present in the gastric juice under normal conditions, a massive leakage of serum albumin into the stomach occurs often in gastric cancer, Menetrier's disease, and in some cases of gastric atrophy. Paper electrophoresis of the gastric juice has definite clinical significance for the detection of these conditions.
Dynamical symmetry breaking as the origin of the pomeranchuk singularity

Abstract We consider the viewpoint that Reggeons are built out of Reggeized quarks and that an O(2) symmetry between two kinds of quarks (“heavy” and “light”) is dynamically broken by their interaction. The Goldstone boson thus generated is associated with the Pomeron, and it is argued that it naturally has a smaller slope than the other Reggeons which are ordinary bound states of the quarks.
A comparison of quality satisfaction between transactional and relational customers in e-commerce

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine quality satisfaction between transactional and relational customers in e-commerce, and it also explores the moderating effect of perceived control and perceived enjoyment on quality satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – Multivariate analysis of variance and two-way ANOVA were conducted to test the study hypotheses. The samples include 470 university students in the northeastern USA to whom an online survey was administered. Findings – Results show that system quality satisfaction is more significant for transactional customers, but information quality and service quality satisfactions are more important for relational customers. Moreover, perceived control and perceived enjoyment partially moderate quality satisfaction between transactional and relational customers. Research limitations/implications – One limitation is that a student cohort is selected as the sample. This study verifies the understanding of quality satisfaction between transactional ...
Assimilation of carbon from dietary and nondietary macroalgae by a temperate-zone intertidal fish, Cebidichthys violaceus (Girard) (Teleostei: Stichaeidae)

Abstract Force-feeding experiments were performed to measure the assimilation of carbon by the herbivorous stichaeid fish Cebidichthys violaceus (Girard) from macroalgae either regularly consumed or avoided by the fish. Dietary species were the green alga Ulva lobata (Kutz.) S. & G. and the red algae Porphyra perforata J. Ag. and Iridaea flaccida (S. & G.) Silva while the nondietary species were the brown algae Macrocystis integrifolia Bory and Fucus distichus (de la Pyl.) Pow. 14 C was found in five body compartments (stomach, intestine, liver, carcass and skin) of fish fed labeled portions of Ulva lobata, Porphyra perforata and Macrocystis integrifolia . Approximately equal amounts of 14 C were assimilated from diatom-free thalli of Ulva lobata that were either untreated or treated with antibiotics to remove bacterial populations. Labeled carbon was also assimilated from bacteria- and diatom-free thalli of Iridaea flaccida, Macrocystis integrifolia and Fucus distichus . Assimilation efficiencies of unlabeled carbon (determined from CHN analyses of food and feces) varied widely among the dietary and nondietary algae. The markedly lower levels of carbon assimilation from the brown algae may be due to reduced digestibility of their carbohydrates and, for F. distichus, the presence of secondary compounds. The results of this study clearly show that a temperate marine fish can assimilate carbon from taxonomically diverse algae largely free of epibionts.
A FASTBUS Controller Module Using a MULTIBUS MPU

The architecture, adaptability and performance of SLAC's single board controller module will be detailed. Example uses with an 8086 MPU and with a 68000 MPU will be given. Details of circuit design and software interface will be provided.