cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance of sorption- and photocatalytic oxidation-based indoor passive panel technologies

Abstract Little information is available on the performance of commercially available indoor passive panel technologies (IPPT) based on sorptive and photocatalytic processes. In this paper, we studied 8 sorptive- and 3 photocatalytic oxidation (PCO)-based materials using controlled test chamber experiments. Four reference samples were used as controls. Sorptive-based samples were challenged with toluene and formaldehyde at 100 μg/m3 to determine their removal rates. PCO-based samples were challenged with only toluene at 100 μg/m3 to determine its removal rate and ozone and carbonyl by-product formations. Removal performance variations were wide across all IPPT samples although for every IPPT sample, its removal rate was better than its conventional counterpart. Most sorptive-based IPPT samples were not equally effective in removing toluene and formaldehyde. Painting on IPPT gypsum boards reduced their removal performance down to levels comparable to those of conventional gypsum boards. Toluene removal using PCO-based IPPTs were dependent on light used: only two PCO IPPTs are capable of performing under visible light. All PCO-based IPPTs generate ozone and carbonyls as by-products releasing up to 1.0 mg/h and 3.2 mg/h of ozone and formaldehyde respectively. This is a concern as exposures to ozone and formaldehyde have been known to be associated with negative health outcomes.
An Alternative Sociological Perspective on Economic Value: Price Formation as a Social Process

This paper identifies some deficiencies in the theory of value as found in traditional economics, specifically the fallacy of absolute value and its spurious resolution that treats prices as a priori parameters rather than as variables to be explained. One is a fallacy of omission, the other of commission, which together comprise the epistemological paradox of the modern neoclassical theory of value. This paper advances a different, sociological approach to economic value or market prices as a possible corrective to this paradox. Such an approach has origins in sociological economics or economic sociology, the main premise of which is that social influences in the economy affect the formation of value or price. This paper therefore explores the seldom examined social underpinnings of price formation and of market processes generally.
Reflection positivity, duality, and spectral theory

We consider reflection-positivity (Osterwalder–Schrader positivity, OS-p.) as it is used in the study of renormalization questions in physics. In concrete cases, this refers to specific Hilbert spaces that arise before and after the reflection. Our focus is a comparative study of the associated spectral theory, now referring to the canonical operators in these two Hilbert spaces. Indeed, the inner product which produces the respective Hilbert spaces of quantum states changes, and comparisons are subtle. We analyze in detail a number of geometric and spectral theoretic properties connected with axiomatic reflection positivity, as well as their probabilistic counterparts; especially the role of the Markov property. This view also suggests two new theorems, which we prove. In rough outline: It is possible to express OS-positivity purely in terms of a triple of projections in a fixed Hilbert space, and a reflection operator. For such three projections, there is a related property, often referred to as the Markov property; and it is well known that the latter implies the former; i.e., when the reflection is given, then the Markov property implies OS-p., but not conversely. In this paper we shall prove two theorems which flesh out a more precise relationship between the two. We show that for every OS positive system $$\left( E_{+},\theta \right) $$ , the operator $$E_{+}\theta E_{+}$$ has a canonical and universal factorization. Our second focus is a structure theory for all admissible reflections. Our theorems here are motivated by Phillips’ theory of dissipative extensions of unbounded operators. The word “Markov” traditionally makes reference to a random walk process where the Markov property in turn refers to past and future: expectation of the future, conditioned by the past. By contrast, our present initial definitions only make reference to three prescribed projection operators, and associated reflections. Initially, there is not even mention of an underlying probability space. This in fact only comes later.
3-D Drone-Base-Station Placement With In-Band Full-Duplex Communications

Drone base stations (DBSs) can potentially provision low-cost and flexible networking with high mobility while in-band full-duplex (IBFD) can conceivably improve spectrum efficiency. Therefore, it is logical to employ DBSs with IBFD in a cellular network to improve the network throughput. We decompose this problem into the DBS placement problem and the joint bandwidth and power allocation problem, and propose two heuristic algorithms to solve the whole problem. Simulation results have demonstrated that the total throughput of the dynamic DBS placement algorithm achieves up to 45% improvement as compared with that of the strategy without DBSs.
Nuclear Physics computer networking: Report of the Nuclear Physics Panel on Computer Networking

This paper discusses: the state of computer networking within nuclear physics program; network requirements for nuclear physics; management structure; and issues of special interest to the nuclear physics program office.
Automatic determination of image-to-database correspondences

New techniques are described for some of the important computations in the automatic determination of image-to-database correspondences. In particular, a technique to predict a region in the image within which a feature is expected to appear, a set of techniques to verify feature matches, and a technique to extend the refinement process to include a new type of match based on linear features, such as roads, are discussed. These techniques are demonstrated in an example in which the system reduces the uncertainties from approximately plus or minus 200 feet on the ground to approximately plus or minus two feet.
Future Directions: Dynamic Graphs

Graph theory provides a natural framework for studying relationships between the components of a physical system. In most cases, these relationships are described by assigning directions and constant numerical values (or weights) to each edge in the graph (e.g., Harary, 1969; Ford and Fulkerson, 1962). There are, however, a number of important applications where such a model fails to capture all the relevant characteristics of the system. This potential deficiency was recognized as early as the 1940s, in the context of social interactions within groups and organizations (Radcliffe-Brown, 1940). Since that time, there have been several systematic attempts to analyze graphs whose edges are subject to change. In the late 1950s, for example, Erdos and Renyi (1959) introduced the notion of random graphs, whose edges and vertices are assigned weights that reflect their existence probabilities. A generic problem in this context has been to determine the probability that a graph will remain connected when some of its vertices and edges are randomly eliminated.
Representing inequities in the distribution of socio-economic benefits and environmental risk.

There is currently no standard methodfor analyzing claims of environmental inequity. Neitheris there a database of statistics on the extent ofrelationship between regional indicators ofenvironmental quality, likely sources of pollution, andthe demographic characteristics of affectedpopulations. The resolution of environmental disputesis often hampered by inadequate communication betweenstakeholder groups about their perceptions andprioritization of the issues in dispute and bydifferential access to information about the issues byeach stakeholder group. This paper describes a web-based tool, ICEP, that uses multi-layered GIS maps toestablish a standard method for analyzing claims ofenvironmental inequity and establish a database ofcorrelation coefficients between environmentalindicators, industry type by SIC code, and demographiccharacteristics of the population in proximity tonoxious facilities. The maps are generated fromstakeholder reports of environmental quality and aredesigned to be accessible via the Internet. Thisprovides stakeholders with direct access to graphicaldisplays of the perceptions of their co-stakeholdersand provides all groups with links to relevantinformation sources about the issues in dispute. ICEPenhances existing community environmental websites likeScorecard and Envirofacts by providingdisplays of median household income as a measure of thedistribution of benefits accrued within an area.
Tree foliar chemistry in an African savanna and its relation to life history strategies and environmental filters.

Understanding the relative importance of environment and life history strategies in determining leaf chemical traits remains a key objective of plant ecology. We assessed 20 foliar chemical properties among 12 African savanna woody plant species and their relation to environmental variables (hillslope position, precipitation, geology) and two functional traits (thorn type and seed dispersal mechanism). We found that combinations of six leaf chemical traits (lignin, hemi-cellulose, zinc, boron, magnesium, and manganese) predicted the species with 91% accuracy. Hillslope position, precipitation, and geology accounted for only 12% of the total variance in these six chemical traits. However, thorn type and seed dispersal mechanism accounted for 46% of variance in these chemical traits. The physically defended species had the highest concentrations of hemi-cellulose and boron. Species without physical defense had the highest lignin content if dispersed by vertebrates, but threefold lower lignin content if dispersed by wind. One of the most abundant woody species in southern Africa, Colophospermum mopane, was found to have the highest foliar concentrations of zinc, phosphorus, and δ13C, suggesting that zinc chelation may be used by this species to bind metallic toxins and increase uptake of soil phosphorus. Across all studied species, taxonomy and physical traits accounted for the majority of variability in leaf chemistry.
Wave–current dynamics and interactions near the two inlets of a shallow lagoon–inlet–coastal ocean system under hurricane conditions

Abstract Inlet wave–current dynamics and interactions are vital to the physical exchanges in a lagoon–inlet–coastal ocean system. A wave–current coupled model was calibrated and validated against observational data, and then applied to investigate the complex dynamics in the Maryland Coastal Bays during Hurricane Irene (2011). With the inclusion of wave–current interactions, skill in simulating the maximum total water surface elevation was improved under hurricane conditions. Major processes of wave–current interactions include the radiation stress-induced setup and current, and water depth variation-induced wave breaking. Wave-induced bottom friction and sea surface roughness are of secondary importance to nearshore dynamics. Further investigations reveal that tidal currents and ocean swells dominate inlet circulation and wave dynamics, respectively. Physical dynamics within the paired inlets are regulated by local winds, wave–current interactions, and unique inlet characteristics. However, wave dynamics in the lagoon and behind inlets are dominated by local winds and modulated by the shallow bathymetry. With the hypothetical closure of any inlet, wave–current dynamics and interactions behind the corresponding inlet are strongly altered, whereas they are weakly influenced from a remote one. Occasionally, the circulation near the narrow Ocean City Inlet area is influenced moderately by artificially shutting down the relatively wider Chincoteague Inlet. The finding from this work on the Maryland Coastal Bays can be beneficial to understanding similar lagoon–inlet–coastal ocean systems elsewhere.
Polymer Nanocomposite Ablative Technologies for Solid Rocket Motors

Abstract This chapter deals with the use of thermal protection materials for two key components of a solid rocket motor (SRM): the exhaust nozzle and internal motor insulation. The role of the materials utilized for SRM thermal protection depends on the engineers involved, who would ideally be using data obtained from full-scale ground or in-flight testing to help guide their choices. Three important research areas are discussed in this chapter: (1) advanced polymer nanocomposite (PNC) ablatives: PNCs for SRM nozzles and PNCs for SRM internal insulation, (2) new sensing technology: in situ ablation recession and thermal sensor, and char strength sensor, and (3) technologies needed to advance PNC ablative research: thermophysical properties characterization and ablation modeling.
Identification of the Toxicity Pathways Associated With Thioacetamide-Induced Injuries in Rat Liver and Kidney

Ingestion or exposure to chemicals poses a serious health risk. Early detection of cellular changes induced by such events is vital to identify appropriate countermeasures to prevent organ damage. We hypothesize that chemically induced organ injuries are uniquely associated with a set (module) of genes exhibiting significant changes in expression. We have previously identified gene modules specifically associated with organ injuries by analyzing gene expression levels in liver and kidney tissue from rats exposed to diverse chemical insults. Here, we assess and validate our injury-associated gene modules by analyzing gene expression data in liver, kidney, and heart tissues obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to thioacetamide, a known liver toxicant that promotes fibrosis. The rats were injected intraperitoneally with a low (25 mg/kg) or high (100 mg/kg) dose of thioacetamide for 8 or 24 h, and definite organ injury was diagnosed by histopathology. Injury-associated gene modules indicated organ injury specificity, with the liver being most affected by thioacetamide. The most activated liver gene modules were those associated with inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis. Previous studies on thioacetamide toxicity and our histological analyses supported these results, signifying the potential of gene expression data to identify organ injuries.
Long-term effects of various cleaning methods on polypropylene/ethylene copolymer retainer material

ABSTRACT Objectives: To evaluate long-term light transmittance, surface roughness, and flexural modulus of polypropylene/ethylene copolymer retainer material after exposure to different cleaning me...
Interlaboratory study of trace elements in keratinized matrices: characterization of four caprine horn reference materials and an investigation of current analytical methodologies

Keratinized tissues comprise a diverse family of materials that includes hair, nails, horns, and hooves. Because of their convenience for collection, affinity for binding some trace elements, and the potential to provide information about historical exposure, hair and nails have been used to assess population exposure to toxic metals and metalloids. Previous studies, however, report a lack of harmonization and poor reliability among commercial laboratories performing trace element analysis of hair. In this interlaboratory study, four keratinized reference materials (RMs) were produced from caprine horns obtained post-mortem from Pb-dosed goats. The homogenized RMs were circulated to laboratories that conduct trace element analysis of keratinized tissues to assess interlaboratory harmonization. Sources of variability in the analytical methods used by participants were investigated. Results were obtained from 21 participant laboratories for a total of 44 elements. Good interlaboratory agreement was found for the majority of elements typically measured using ICP-MS following acid digestion. However, for Al, Cr, Hg, Mo, Ni and V, there was a poor consensus, caused in part by differences in correcting for spectral interferences. Measurements for Hg were inconsistent, which suggests a need for increased efforts to achieve better harmonization. Sample mass for acid digestion was negatively correlated (p = 0.02) with reported Pb content. Higher digestion temperatures were correlated with increased Mn recovery. A limited quantity of four well-characterized caprine horn RMs were produced as a result of this study and serve as a resource for future harmonization efforts.
Common Factors: What Are They and What Do They Mean for Humanistic Psychology?:

Although common factors have been widely discussed in the clinical literature, the two questions addressed in this article remain relevant: (a) What are the common factors? (b) What do they mean fo...
Stay on path: PCA along graph paths

We introduce a variant of (sparse) PCA in which the set of feasible support sets is determined by a graph. In particular, we consider the following setting: given a directed acyclic graph G on p vertices corresponding to variables, the non-zero entries of the extracted principal component must coincide with vertices lying along a path in G. From a statistical perspective, information on the underlying network may potentially reduce the number of observations required to recover the population principal component. We consider the canonical estimator which optimally exploits the prior knowledge by solving a nonconvex quadratic maximization on the empirical covariance. We introduce a simple network and analyze the estimator under the spiked covariance model. We show that side information potentially improves the statistical complexity. We propose two algorithms to approximate the solution of the constrained quadratic maximization, and recover a component with the desired properties. We empirically evaluate our schemes on synthetic and real datasets.
A Metatheatrical Reading of Baroque and Neobaroque Texts: Entremés del retablo de las maravillas (1615) and De donde son los cantantes (1967)

AbstractThis article examines the diachronic use of metatheater in Cervantes’s Entremes del retablo de las maravillas (1615) and “La Dolores Rondon,” the second tale in Severo Sarduy’s novel, De do...
The DSM-5 proposal for attenuated psychosis syndrome: a history

This article narrates a consensus history of the proposal to include diagnostic criteria for a psychosis risk syndrome in the DSM-5, in part, to document what happened, but also to potentially help focus future efforts at clinically useful early detection. The purpose of diagnosing a risk state would be to slow and ideally prevent the development of the full disorder. Concerns about diagnosing a psychosis risk state included a high false positive rate, potentially harmful use of anti-psychotic medication with people who would not transition to psychosis, and stigmatization. Others argued that educating professionals about what 'risk' entails could reduce inappropriate treatments. During the revision, the proposal shifted from diagnosing risk to emphasizing current clinical need associated with attenuated psychotic symptoms. Within the community of researchers who studied psychosis risk, people disagreed about whether risk and/or attenuated symptoms should be an official DSM-5 diagnosis. Once it became clear that the DSM-5 field trials did not include enough cases to establish the reliability of the proposed criteria, everyone agreed that the criteria should be put in a section on conditions for further study rather the main section of the DSM-5. We close with recommendations about some practical benchmarks that should be met for including criteria for early detection in the classification system.
A look back, part II: The drilling campaign of the Curiosity rover during the Mars Science Laboratory's second and third martian years

Abstract The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity, completed its second Martian year, 1337 sols (1374 Earth days), of operation on May 11, 2016, and its third Martian year, 2006 sols (2061 Earth days), of operation on March 28, 2018. During this time the rover successfully drilled twelve full depth drill holes into the Martian surface and analyzed the recovered material using onboard instruments, giving us new insights into the potential habitability and geologic diversity of ancient Mars. During the second Martian year, four holes were drilled into the mudstones of the Murray formation: ‘Confidence Hills’ (Sol 759), ‘Mojave 2’ (Sol 882), ‘Telegraph Peak’ (908) & ‘Buckskin’ (Sol 1060); while four more holes were drilled into the sandstones of the Stimson formation: ‘Big Sky’ (Sol 1119), ‘Greenhorn’ (Sol 1137), ‘Lubango’ (Sol 1320) & ‘Okoruso’ (Sol 1332). During the third Martian year, four additional holes were drilled into the Murray formation: ‘Oudam’ (Sol 1361), ‘Marimba’ (Sol 1422), ‘Quela’ (Sol 1464) & ‘Sebina’ (Sol 1495). In this paper, we will give a brief overview of the rover sampling hardware and nominal drilling protocols, followed by a discussion of how these protocols were refined and altered early during the course of Curiosity's second year on Mars. In addition, we will describe the ‘Bonanza King’ (Sol 724) drill campaign, the mission's first ‘successful failure’, and how it influenced these changes. We will also briefly discuss the events leading up to the drill feed fault on Sol 1536, which resulted in suspension of all drill activities for the remainder of the third Martian year. Finally, we will present scientific highlights obtained from each drill site utilizing MSL's onboard instrumentation (SAM & CheMin), results enabled by the drill's ability to excavate sample at depth and transfer it to these instruments.
Health Care Utilization in Patients Undergoing Repeat Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Vestibular Schwannoma with 5-Year Follow-up: A National Database Analysis

Background Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been used as an alternative to microsurgery in patients with small vestibular schwannoma (VS). We compare health care utilization metrics in patients undergoing repeat-SRS (re-SRS) and no repeat SRS (nr-SRS) at long-term follow-up. Materials and Methods We queried the MarketScan database using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Current Procedural Terminology 4, from 2000 to 2016. We included adult patients who had diagnosis of VS and treatment with SRS with at least 5 years of continuous enrollment after the procedure. Outcomes were hospital admissions, outpatient services, and medication refills. Results Of 1,047 patients, 5.1% (n = 53) had repeat SRS. Majority of re-SRS (74%, n = 39) were done within 2 years of index procedure and 51% were within 1-year of initial procedure. Patients who required re-SRS incurred higher hospital readmission rate, outpatient services, and had higher payments compared with those who did not require re-SRS at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years following the initial procedures. Re-SRS received 3.0- and 3.1-times higher payments at 1 and 2 years compared with nr-SRS cohort. At 5 years following SRS, median combined payments for re-SRS cohort was $105286 (interquartile range [IQR] $70999, $156569) compared with $44172 (IQR $22956, $84840) for nr-SRS cohort. Conclusion More than half of the re-SRS procedures were noted within first year of initial SRS for VS. Overall payments at 5 years for repeat SRS was more than double that for nr-SRS. Repeat SRS was also associated with more re-admissions and outpatient services at annual follow-up time points.
A Unique Case of Extra-articular Extravasation of Metal Into the Lower Leg Resulting From Oxidized Zirconium Wear Particles From Total Knee Arthroplasty

With an increasing number of joint replacements and the evolution of orthopaedic implants and hardware, there is increased occurrence and awareness of metal-related sensitivity. This has resulted in the development of devices using a variety of different materials to coat the implant. One popular option is to cover the metallic surface with a ceramic. One commercially available ceramic-coated prosthesis is coated with oxidized zirconium, with the trade name Oxinium. Although pseudotumor and metallosis resulting from ceramic joint arthroplasty implants have been documented, there is limited information on the occurrence of metallosis resulting from ceramic-coated knee implants. The purpose of this case report is to discuss a potential differential diagnosis for lower leg mass after total knee arthroplasty and to present a novel case of catastrophic failure of an Oxinium-coated total knee prosthesis (Smith and Nephew) that resulted in metallosis with extra-articular extravasation along the extensor digitorum longus tendon.
The First Observations of Low-redshift Damped Lyα Systems with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph: Chemical Abundances and Affiliated Galaxies

We present Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) measurements of metal abundances in eight 0.083 < zabs < 0.321 damped Lyman-α (DLA) and sub-damped Lyα absorption systems serendipitously discovered in the COS-Halos survey. We find that these systems show a large range in metallicities, with 1.10 < [Z/H] < 0.31, similar to the spread found at higher redshifts. These low-redshift systems on average have subsolar metallicities, but do show a rise in metallicity over cosmic time when compared to higher-redshift systems. We find the average sub-DLA metallicity is higher than the average DLA metallicity at all redshifts. Nitrogen is underabundant with respect to α-group elements in all but perhaps one of the absorbers. In some cases, [N/α] is significantly below the lowest nitrogen measurements in nearby galaxies. Systems for which depletion patterns can be studied show little, if any, depletion, which is characteristic of Milky Way halo-type gas. We also identify affiliated galaxies for 3 of the sub-DLAs using spectra obtained from Keck/LRIS. None of these sub-DLAs arise in the stellar disks of luminous galaxies; instead, these absorbers may exist in galaxy halos at impact parameters ranging from 38 to 92 kpc. Multiple galaxies are present near two of the sub-DLAs, and galaxy interactions may play a role in the dispersal of the gas. Many of these low-redshift absorbers exhibit simple kinematics, but one sub-DLA has a complicated mix of at least 13 components spread over 150 km s −1 . We find three galaxies near this sub-DLA, which also suggests that galaxy interactions roil the gas. This study reinforces the view that DLAs have a variety of origins, and low-redshift studies are crucial for understanding absorber-galaxy connections. Subject headings: galaxies: abundances — galaxies: ISM — quasars : absorption lines.
1, 4-bis (4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl-phenyl)) piperazine (BIPP) induces apoptosis in leukemia cells

1912 The agent, 1, 4-bis (4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl-phenyl)) piperazine (BIPP) is a newly synthesized piperazine derivative. Piperazines are normally used as anti-helmintic or antibiotic agents for treatment of parasitic worm or microbial infections. The increased solubility, stability, and potency of delivery that the piperazine base provides have led us to believe that it may also be a novel anticancer agent. We have compared the effect of BIPP on two leukemia cell lines (U937, monocytic leukemia and K562, erythroleukemia) against the HDAC inhibitor sodium butyrate. We provide evidence that BIPP induces an apoptotic response by inducing Annexin V binding, caspase activation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and decrease in ATP levels. In addition, we investigated whether like butyrate; BIPP causes leukemia cell death via intrinsic or extrinsic apoptotic pathways. Using several techniques, we have shown that BIPP induces dose-responsive cell death in U937 and K562 leukemia cell lines by intrinsic apoptosis mechanisms. Maximum apoptotic effect of BIPP on cell viability was observed between 3.2 and12.8 uM while butyrate elicited its maximum effect at 10 to 25 mM. We performed caspase enzymatic assays in cells treated with varying doses of BIPP using untreated cells as negative control. We noted that BIPP induces differential dose-response activation of caspases 3, 8 and 9. Again, the optimum activation of these caspases was attained at 3.2 to 12.8 uM of BIPP. Caspase activation profiles induced by BIPP were similar to those caused by butyrate in that both differentially activate caspases 3, 8 ad 9 in these cells. However, BIPP failed to activate caspase 2 and had an inhibitory effect on caspase 10. The differential response seen in initiator caspase activity (caspases-2, -8, -10) combined with the increased activity of effector caspases (caspases-3 and -9) and the loss of MMP suggest and intrinsic mechanism in the initiation of apoptosis and that BIPP causes leukemia cell death by these intrinsic apoptotic mechanisms. Also, our data suggests that BIPP triggers induction of leukemia cell death and that this drug could be considered as a potential therapeutic agent for human monocytic and erythroblastic leukemia. NHLBI T32 and SCORE grants
Mesenchymal stem cells carry and transport clusters of cancer cells

Cell clusters that collectively migrate from primary tumors appear to be far more potent in forming distant metastases than single cancer cells. A better understanding of collective cell migration phenomenon and the involvement of different cell types during this process is needed. Here, we utilize a micropatterned surface composed of a thousand of low-adhesive microwells to screen motility of spheroids containing different cell types by analyzing their ability to move from the bottom to the top of the microwells. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) spheroid migration was efficient in contrast to cancer cell only spheroids. In spheroids with both cell types mixed together, MSCs were able to carry the low-motile cancer cells during migration. As the percentage of MSCs increased in the spheroids, more migrating spheroids were detected. Extracellular vesicles secreted by MSCs also contributed to the pro-migratory effect exerted by MSCs. However, the transport of cancer cells was more efficient when MSCs were physically present in the cluster. Similar results were obtained when cell clusters were encapsulated within a micropatterned hydrogel, where collective migration was guided by micropatterned matrix stiffness. These results suggest that stromal cells facilitate the migration of cancer cell clusters, which is contrary to the general belief that malignant cells metastasize independently. SignificanceDuring metastasis, tumor cells may migrate as a cluster, which exhibit higher metastatic capacity compared to single cells. However, whether and how non-cancer cells contained in tumor cluster regulate its migration is not clear. Here, we utilize two unique approaches to study collective tumor cell migration in vitro: first, in low-adhesive microwells and second, in micropatterned hydrogels to analyze migration in 3D microenvironment. Our results indicate that MSCs in tumor cell clusters could play an important role in the dissemination of cancer cells by actively transporting low-motile cancer cells. In addition, MSC-released paracrine factors also increase the motility of tumor cells. These findings reveal a new mechanism of cancer cell migration and may lead to new approaches to suppress metastases.
Isolated tibial insert exchange in revision total knee arthroplasty : reliable and durable for wear; less so for instability, insert fracture/dissociation, or stiffness.

Aims This study aimed to determine outcomes of isolated tibial insert exchange (ITIE) during revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods From 1985 to 2016, 270 ITIEs were performed at one insti...
Practical Considerations Regarding the Probability of Liquefaction in Engineering Design

AbstractEngineering practitioners have widely adopted probabilistic methods for estimating liquefaction triggering hazards. Unfortunately, incorrect application of these methods has become commonly...
The Endocannabinoid System

The biological effects of marijuana, particularly Δ-9-THC, have led to the discovery of the endogenous endocannabinoid system in all vertebrate and invertebrate creatures. Ancient Chinese text, dated almost 5000 years, described the medicinal uses of cannabis. Hemp sails, ropes, and seeds aided Columbus and his crew on their voyage to the New World. This chapter will provide an overview of the components of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), agonist, AEA, 2-AG, their receptors, and inactivating enzymes.
Association between falls in Alzheimer disease and scores on the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) and MiniBESTest.

Background and purpose Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Falls are associated with AD and can lead to injury. The Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) is a balance measure used in other neurological conditions to predict fall risk. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between MiniBestest, BESTest, and BESTest subsection scores and fall incidence among individuals with a diagnosis of mild AD. Methods The study was a single centre, prospective, observational cohort study. Participants completed baseline questionnaires including a demographic form, a fall history questionnaire and the Barthel Index of Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Balance and gait were assessed using the MiniBESTest and BESTest. After completing baseline assessment, participants were given monthly fall calendars to track falls for the next 12 months. Results MiniBESTest total raw score for fallers was 13.4 out of 28 (SD = 3.6) and for non-fallers was 18.4 of out 28 (SD = 3.7). MiniBESTest total percentage score for fallers was 47.8% (SD = 12.8%) and for non-fallers was 65.5% (SD = 13.1%). BESTest total percentage scores for fallers was 58.2% (SD = 3.9%) and for non-fallers was 73.9% (SD = 7.9%). Subsections II-IV of the BESTest correlated with faller status. Discussion and conclusions Among individuals with mild AD, fall status was associated with certain balance deficits on the BESTest including moving body outside base of support (subsection II), changing centre of mass (subsection III), and reacting to external perturbations (subsection IV). Future studies could explore differences between AD and other neurological conditions and how physical therapy could improve these areas to reduce fall risk.
Deconstructing Gastrulation at the Single Cell Level

Summary Gastrulation movements in all animal embryos start with regulated deformations of patterned epithelial sheets. Current studies of gastrulation use a wide range of model organisms and emphasize either large-scale tissue processes or dynamics of individual cells and cell groups 1,2,11–13,3–10. Here we take a step towards bridging these complementary strategies and deconstruct early stages of gastrulation in the entire Drosophila embryo, where transcriptional patterns in the blastoderm give rise to region-specific cell behaviors. Our approach relies on an integrated computational framework for cell segmentation and tracking and on efficient algorithms for event detection. Our results reveal how thousands of cell shape changes, divisions, and intercalations drive large-scale deformations of the patterned blastoderm, setting the stage for systems-level dissection of a pivotal step in animal development.
Secessionist conflict as diversion from inequality: The missing link between grievance and repression:

Why do some secessionist claims turn violent and others stay peaceful? This study elucidates the role of inequality and diversionary tactics of states in secessionist violence. Horizontal inequalit...
Specific HR Practices and Employee Commitment: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding of the influence mechanisms of specific HR practices variables – salary, job stability and job enrichment – upon employee commitment, through the mediating role of job satisfaction, in a developing country context. Crucially, these indicate employee commitment. Design/methodology/approach: The study analyzed three specific HR practices with a sample of 263 employees in the banking industry of Pakistan. A structural equation modeling methodology is adopted. Findings: The findings indicate that remuneration strategies were positively related to job satisfaction and employee commitment. Regarding the intervening impact of job satisfaction, this study found that it mediates only for non-monetary strategies between job satisfaction and employee commitment. Research limitations/implications: A key limitation is that this is a cross-sectional study, perhaps not generalizable over longitudinal approaches. Another limit is posed by the developing country context of this study, perhaps not applicable to some developed countries. Practical implications: From an HR perspective, managing salary structure is an ongoing issue. The proposed model suggests the use of specific practices about satisfaction and commitment as intermediate steps to manage employee commitment. Originality/value: The research offers a unique understanding from the developing country context of Pakistan. This provides a novel study conducted to examine employee commitment using the high-performance work practices model.
Fatigue of Materials: Fatigue crack initiation in ductile solids

The initiation of fatigue cracks is an event whose very definition is strongly linked to the size scale of observation. For example, materials scientists are likely to consider the nucleation of flaws along persistent slip bands as the initiation stage of fatigue failure, whilst a mechanical engineer may associate the resolution of crack detection with the threshold for crack nucleation. Between this wide range of view-points lies a variety of failure mechanisms that are affiliated with the inception of microscopic flaws at grain boundaries, twin boundaries, inclusions, micro structural and compositional inhomogeneities, as well as microscopic and macroscopic stress concentrations. The differences in the approaches to fatigue crack initiation constitute the fundamental distinction between the fatigue design philosophies currently practiced in industry. From a scientific standpoint, developing a quantitative understanding of crack initiation processes must be regarded as one of the most important tasks. In this chapter, attention is first directed at the mechanisms of fatigue crack initiation in nominally defect-free (unnotched) pure metals and alloys, and commercial materials. Models for fatigue crack initiation are described and their significance and limitations are pinpointed. Also addressed are the mechanisms by which fatigue cracks initiate ahead of stress concentrations under fully compressive cyclic loads. Continuum aspects of crack initiation based on stress–life and strain–life approaches are addressed in Chapters 7 and 8, respectively, where the initiation of fatigue cracks at stress concentrations under tension and tension–compression fatigue are treated.
Community surveillance for coronary heart disease: The Framingham Cardiovascular Disease Survey. Comparisons with the Framingham Heart Study and previous short-term studies

It appears likely that intervention trials on a community scale against one or more coronary heart disease risk factors will begin in the near future. Prerequisite to the evaluation of the effectiveness of these trials is the accurate determination of coronary heart disease incidence rates. The Framingham Cardiovascular Disease Survey was undertaken to test the hypothesis that a short-term surveillance study of a defined population can generate accurate incidence rates for at least some categories of cardiovascular disease and that these rates are comparable with those obtained by longitudinal survey of the same population. In conjunction with the 1970 U.S. census, a 1 year survey was made of all new coronary heart disease events occurring in the town of Framingham, Mass. Surveillance was performed by several methods that were intentionally overlapping. During the study period, 244 coronary heart disease events occurred. Despite the relatively small size of the population, many of the well established epidemiologic characteristics of this disease were evident. The rates obtained by the cardiovascular disease survey were comparable with those obtained by the Framingham Heart Study, for the harder end points of myocardial infarction and death from coronary heart disease, but much smaller for the softer end point of angina pectoris, especially in women. These data and those from similar studies indicate that periodic short-term surveillance studies of target populations of major intervention programs can provide an economic method of generating incidence data for the evaluation of the impact of such programs on myocardial infarction and death from coronary heart disease.
Disease and bodily change

The impact of a disease on the body and sexuality is influenced by a number of factors, including: when the disease is contracted and how it progresses; what part(s) of the body it affects; how the disease was contracted; iatrogenic concerns; and the social stigma associated with the disease. Bodily change can make a positive sexual self-image difficult to attain; however, many people are able to adapt and have fulfilling sexual experiences and relationships. Keywords: body; chronic illness; disability; disease
Trial Somaliland voting register de-duplication using iris recognition

Face and fingerprint were used in de-duplication of the voter registration list for the 2010 Somaliland presidential election. Iris recognition was evaluated as a possible more powerful means of de-duplication of the voting register for the planned 2015 elections. On a trial dataset of 1,062 registration records, all instances of duplicate registration were detected and zero non-duplicates were falsely classified as duplicates, indicating the power of iris recognition for voting register de-duplication. All but a tiny fraction of the cases were classified by automatic matching, and the remaining cases were classified by forensic iris matching. Images in this dataset reveal the existence of unusual eye conditions that consistently cause false-non-match results. Examples are shown and discussed.
Developmental factors in the pathogenesis of neonatal seizures

Neonatal seizures are inherently different from seizures in the child and the adult. The phenotype, often exhibiting electroclinical dissociation, is unique: neonatal seizures can be refractory to antiepileptic drugs otherwise effect for older patients. Recent experimental and human-based research reveals that the mechanism of neonatal seizures, as well as their long-term sequelae on later brain development, appears to involve a large number of age-specific factors. These observations help explain the resistance of neonatal seizures to conventional therapy as well as identify potential areas of risk for later neurocognitive development. Emerging targets from this research may suggest new therapies for this unique population of patients.
Manufacture of Blue Cheese by Direct Acidification Methods

The high labor requirements in manufac tur ing and curing Blue cheese have p rompted developments in mechanical hooping of curd (5-7) and shortened methods of manufac tur ing and curing (8). In these nmchanized procedures, t radi t ional methods were used to coagulate the milk and fo rm the curd. A unique method has been developed to form Cottage cheese curd by adjus t ing the p H of skimmilk to 4.6 by adding acids, then heating the skimmitk to induce coagulat ion (9). Direct addit ion of acids to milk has been used also to adjus t the p i t of milk 1 before rennet coagulation in the manufac tu re of 2 the soft, plastic Mozzarella cheese (3). This 3 study was undertaken to adapt the direct acidi~ 4 fication methods to the manufac ture of the 5 brittle, open-textured Blue cheese curd. 6
Capacitors with fast current switching require distributed models

A transmission line model for capacitors is proposed and developed. The model relates electrical parameters to geometrical parameters, leading to simple design rules for power applications. In contrast, design rules based on lumped RLC models are shown to lead to design errors. Experimental results match a simulation based on the distributed model whereas a lumped model gives erroneous predictions.
Hybrid Atlantics: Future Directions for the History of the Atlantic World

Fundamental features of the early modern Atlantic – like the slave trade, the rise of experimental science and long-distance commerce, and the proliferation of religious confessions – were transnational in character. This essay surveys recent work in the field, emphasizing emerging scholarship on the hybrid nature of the Atlantic world. Yet for hybridity to work as a useful analytical category, we need to do away with the narrative of “Northwestern Europeanization” as the normative model. We explore how ecology and place, science and medicine, and diasporic or extra-national groups like smugglers, Jews, and slaves helped create an Atlantic that was defined more by its cross-cultural encounters, local contexts, and mixed identities than by the power of European states.
Optimal timing of first posttreatment FDG PET/CT in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background The optimal timing for the initial posttreatment fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scan after definitive treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is unclear. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of 247 patients with definitively treated nonmetastatic HNSCC. First posttreatment PET/CT scans were grouped into: <7 weeks, 7 to 10 weeks, 11 to 14 weeks, and ≥15 weeks. Scans were categorized as positive or negative and accuracy of scans was calculated for each group using biopsy, subsequent imaging, or clinical follow-up for 1 year after treatment as a reference standard. Results Sixty-seven of the 247 patients (27.1%) had treatment failure. Scans performed at <7 weeks were less accurate than all other time intervals (p < .05). Scans performed at all other intervals were similar in accuracy. Conclusion First posttreatment PET/CT can be obtained as early as 2 months after therapy. Scans performed earlier than 2 months have lower accuracy. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E853–E858, 2016
Cardiac strong inward rectifier potassium channels

Cardiac I(K1) and I(KACh) are the major potassium currents displaying classical strong inward rectification, a unique property that is critical for their roles in cardiac excitability. In the last 15 years, research on I(K1) and I(KACh) has been propelled by the cloning of the underlying inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels, the discovery of the molecular mechanism of strong rectification and the linking of a number of disorders of cardiac excitability to defects in genes encoding Kir channels. Disease-causing mutations in Kir genes have been shown experimentally to affect one or more of the following channel properties: structure, assembly, trafficking, and regulation, with the ultimate effect of a gain- or a loss-of-function of the channel. It is now established that I(K1) and I(KACh) channels are heterotetramers of Kir2 and Kir3 subunits, respectively. Each homomeric Kir channel has distinct biophysical and regulatory properties, and individual Kir subunits often display different patterns of regional, cellular, and membrane distribution. These differences are thought to underlie important variations in the physiological properties of I(K1) and I(KACh). It has become increasingly clear that the contribution of I(K1) and I(KACh) channels to cardiac electrical activity goes beyond their long recognized role in the stabilization of resting membrane potential and shaping the late phase of action potential repolarization in individual myocytes but extends to being critical elements determining the overall electrical stability of the heart.