cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is there really a “border effect”?

The observed excess price variability in cross-border city pairs compared to that in within- country city pairs has been defined as the "border effect." We used a unique data set from cities that were in the same country at one time and were in two separate countries later on to examine the effects of the presence of a national border on price variability. Interestingly a border -like effect was detected even during the period when all the cities were in the same country. We also found a large border effect when cities were in two separate countries. However, we found no change in the price variability at cross - border city pairs during the periods both before and after the cities separated into two different countries. This finding suggests that the observed systematic higher variability of consumer prices in cross-border city pairs might not be due to the presence of a border as suggested in the literature.
Aircraft and engine economic evaluation for fleet renewal decision-making and maintenance contract valuation:

The fleet acquisition process represents a major gamble for airlines and aircraft leasing companies due to the fixed assumptions made when business plans are laid out and the abundance of uncertain...
Prediction of Solder Geometry for an Axisymmetric Through-Hole Joint

Solutions for axisymmetric profiles of solder joints formed between a cylindrical pin and a printed circuit board (PCB) are presented. The dimensionless differential equation governing the formation of the solder joints is developed and then solved numerically for the cases of single upright joints, single inverted joints, and through-hole joints. Results are presented in terms of the following dimensionless parameters: bond number, solder volume, board thickness, and tinning radius. The dimensionless approach makes the results from this study suitable for use in a broader range of applications.
Fleet performance under selective maintenance

Many organizations rely on the effective use of fleets of repairable equipment that must perform sets of sequential missions. Such fleets include production equipment used in manufacturing systems, material handling equipment used in warehousing, and transportation vehicles used in distribution. Unfortunately, most organizations do not possess sufficient maintenance resources to keep the fleet in top condition at all times. Therefore, maintenance managers must make decisions regarding the allocation of the available maintenance resources. This task falls within the domain of selective maintenance, the process of identifying the subset of maintenance actions to perform from a set of desirable maintenance actions. In this paper, we consider a selective maintenance model that is used to maximize fleet reliability, the probability that all systems within a fleet successfully complete their next mission. We evaluate fleet reliability over sequential sets of missions where system maintenance is performed only during the breaks between mission's sets. A combined simulation-optimization model is used to simulate the performance of the fleet over each set of missions and identify the optimal maintenance activities to perform during each break. We use this model to analyze the behavior of the stochastic process corresponding to the number of successful missions in each set.
In Situ Vaccination with CD204 Gene-Silenced Dendritic Cell, not Unmodified Dendritic Cell, Enhances Radiation Therapy of Prostate Cancer

Given the complexity of prostate cancer progression and metastasis, multimodalities that target different aspects of tumor biology, e.g., radiotherapy (RT) in conjunction with immunotherapy, may provide the best opportunities for promoting clinical benefits in patients with high risk localized prostate cancer. Here we show that intratumoral administration of unmodified dendritic cells (DCs) failed to synergize with fractionated RT. However, ionizing radiation combined with in situ vaccination with DCs, in which the immunosuppressive scavenger receptor A (SRA/CD204) has been downregulated by lentivirus-mediated gene silencing, profoundly suppressed the growth of two mouse prostate cancers (e.g., RM1 and TRAMP-C2), and prolonged the lifespan of tumor-bearing animals. Treatment of subcutaneous tumors with this novel combinatorial radio-immunotherapeutic regimen resulted in a significant reduction in distant experimental metastases. SRA/CD204-silenced DCs were highly efficient in generating antigen or tumor-specific T cells with increased effector functions (e.g., cytokine production and tumoricidal activity). SRA/CD204 silencing-enhanced tumor cell death was associated with elevated IFN-γ levels in tumor tissue and increased tumor-infiltrating CD8+ cells. IFN-γ neutralization or depletion of CD8+ cells abrogated the SRA/CD204 downregulation-promoted antitumor efficacy, indicating a critical role of IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cells. Therefore, blocking SRA/CD204 activity significantly enhances the therapeutic potency of local RT combined with in situ DC vaccination by promoting a robust systemic antitumor immunity. Further studies are warranted to test this novel combinatorial approach for translating into improved clinical outcomes in prostate cancer patients.
Three-dimensional mapping of smooth muscle in the distal conducting airways of mouse, rabbit, and monkey.

Airway smooth muscle remodeling is implicated in a number of constrictive pulmonary diseases such as asthma and may include changes in smooth muscle orientation and abundance. Both factors were com...
Mandated Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis: Possible Adverse Outcomes

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and seriousness of adverse outcomes owing to mandatory venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis. A retrospective study of administrative claims data was conducted to look at the rate of VTEs and other complications in patients undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty. Additional analysis was done to determine whether patient characteristics could explain findings. Although rates of VTE remain unchanged from 2003 to 2007, the rate of immediate postprocedure hematoma, seroma, and hemorrhage went from 1.4% in 2003 to 9.6% in 2006. Return to a more conservative prophylaxis approach resulted in a marked decrease in rates of significant bleeding events. Although preventing VTEs is an important quality concern, mandating prophylaxis for all patients could have unintended adverse outcomes. These guidelines might need to be reevaluated for hip and knee arthroplasty patients.
Evaluation of a Weight-based Rabbit Anti-thymocyte Globulin Induction Dosing Regimen for Kidney Transplant Recipients

Study Objective Although rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) is commonly used as induction therapy for kidney transplantation, dosing is not standardized. Recently available findings suggest that even subtle differences in the cumulative dose of rATG induction may have an impact on acute rejection rates for patients receiving steroid-minimization maintenance immunosuppression. This investigation evaluated the potential consequences of rounding and capping rATG doses in patients receiving steroid-containing maintenance immunosuppression when calculating the dose based on actual body weight. Design Single-center retrospective cohort study. Setting A large academic medical center. Patients A total of 261 adult kidney transplant recipients between July 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012, who received rATG induction and were maintained on tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and prednisone. Methods and Measurements Incidences of biopsy-confirmed acute rejection, opportunistic infections and hematologic effects within 12 months posttransplant were assessed for patients receiving a cumulative rATG dose of 5 mg/kg or higher (5.2 ± 0.2 mg/kg, n=138) compared with those who received a cumulative rATG dose lower than 5 mg/kg (4.5 ± 0.6 mg/kg, n=123). The groups had similar baseline characteristics, immunologic risk, and indications for rATG induction. The incidence of clinically relevant biopsy-confirmed acute rejection was low and similar between the groups (8.7% for rATG of 5 mg/kg or higher vs 8.9% for rATG lower than 5 mg/kg, p=0.944). Patient survival, all-cause graft survival, and graft function did not differ between the groups. Incidences of cytomegalovirus and BK virus infection as well as the extent and duration of lymphopenia were also similar between the groups. Conclusions In combination with triple maintenance immunosuppression consisting of tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and prednisone, modest differences in the cumulative rATG dose were not associated with increased risk of acute rejection. Measures to optimize rATG utilization present opportunities for cost-saving without sacrificing efficacy in this patient population.
Neuroethology of decision-making

A neuroethological approach to decision-making considers the effect of evolutionary pressures on neural circuits mediating choice. In this view, decision systems are expected to enhance fitness with respect to the local environment, and particularly efficient solutions to specific problems should be conserved, expanded, and repurposed to solve other problems. Here, we discuss basic prerequisites for a variety of decision systems from this viewpoint. We focus on two of the best-studied and most widely represented decision problems. First, we examine patch leaving, a prototype of environmentally based switching between action patterns. Second, we consider social information seeking, a process resembling foraging with search costs. We argue that while the specific neural solutions to these problems sometimes differ across species, both the problems themselves and the algorithms instantiated by biological hardware are repeated widely throughout nature. The behavioral and mathematical study of ubiquitous decision processes like patch leaving and social information seeking thus provides a powerful new approach to uncovering the fundamental design structure of nervous systems.
Inferring population histories using cultural data

The question as to whether cultures evolve in a manner analogous to that of genetic evolution can be addressed by attempting to reconstruct population histories using cultural data. As others have argued, this can only succeed if cultures are isolated enough to maintain and pass on a central core of traditions that can be modified over time. In this study we used a set of cultural data (canoe design traits from Polynesia) to look for the kinds of patterns and relationships normally found in population genetic studies. After developing new techniques to accommodate the peculiarities of cultural data, we were able to infer an ancestral region (Fiji) and a sequence of cultural origins for these Polynesian societies. In addition, we found evidence of cultural exchange, migration and a serial founder effect. Results were stronger when analyses were based on functional traits (presumably subject to natural selection and convergence) rather than symbolic or stylistic traits (probably subject to cultural selection for rapid divergence). These patterns strongly suggest that cultural evolution, while clearly affected by cultural exchange, is also subject to some of the same processes and constraints as genetic evolution.
Age and seasonal variation in serum testosterone concentration among men.

Serum testosterone concentrations from 4.462 military veterans, ages 32-44, were examined for age and seasonal variation. Testosterone concentrations were assayed from a single serum sample from each subject. All samples were drawn before breakfast, at about 8:00 a.m., from subjects recruited over a 16-month study period. Mean levels declined with age (P less than .001), from 864 ng/dl at age 32 to 602 ng/dl at age 44. Mean levels also varied with month of testing (P less than .01), with a seasonal peak in December (the seasonal peak was in November for men in their early 30s). The age effect was greater than the seasonal effect. Both effects may bear upon behaviour and should be treated as possible sources of error in studies of testosterone.
Correlation between bioassay and radioimmunoassay for erythropoietin in human serum and urine concentrates

Both immunoreactive erythropoietin (Ep) and biologically active Ep were measured in 23 samples of human serum and 21 concentrates of human urine. Immunoreactive Ep was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Biological activity was determined in the plethoric mouse bioassay in which /sup 59/Fe incorporation was converted to units of Ep from standard reference curves. Low values for Ep were determined from standard curves plotted as probits to improve sensitivity for levels of Ep as low as 30 mU/ml. Ep levels in 35 samples ranged between 30 and 1000 mU/ml by both assays; in 9 samples Ep was 15.2-37.5 mU/ml by RIA but was not detectable by bioassay. Analysis of the data for the 35 samples in which Ep could be measured by both assays showed a strong correlation between the values obtained by the two assays. These results indicate that the RIA used in these experiments detects biologically active Ep in human serum and urine when it is present in amounts only moderately higher than normal. The ultrafiltration method used for preparation of urine samples was effective in concentrating Ep in some urines, but the results were too erratic and nonquantitative to permit its use as a method for quantifying human more » urinary Ep excretion. « less
Patella Resurfacing in Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Admonition of Common Sense: in Opposition

Radiographs and clinical data on symptomatic total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients who had anterior knee pain were collected from a single referral clinic in a community where patella resurfacing and nonresurfacing were performed with a comparable incidence. A total of 36 patients with symptomatic resurfaced patellae after TKA were treated, 8 of which required surgical intervention. During the same period, only 2 patients with unresurfaced patellae underwent surgical intervention. In this cross-sectional survey, reoperations related to TKA with a resurfaced patella were more common than those related to a nonresurfaced patella.
Macromolecular Change and the Synapse

An organism capable of learning must be able to change some internal state whenever it lays down a memory. To learn one habit or to lay down one memory the organism must change at least one state. To learn another habit or to lay down another memory the organism must be able to change at least one different state in addition to the preceding one. For it is difficult to see how an identical change could form the substrate of two different memories. Given this necessity of a different state for each memory, we must suppose that there must be at least as many different changes of state inside the organism as there are memories.
Effects of tetraethylammonium analogs on apoptosis and membrane currents in cultured cortical neurons.

Tetraethylammonium (TEA), the quaternary ammonium ion and nonselective K+ channel blocker, is protective against neuronal apoptosis. We now tested two TEA analogs, tetrapentylammonium (TPeA) and tetrahexylammonium (THA), for their effects on apoptotic neuronal death and for their pharmacological profiles on membrane currents in cultured mouse cortical neurons. TPeA and THA (0.1–1.0 μM) attenuated staurosporine-induced caspase-3 activation and neuronal apoptosis. TPeA and THA blocked the outward delayed rectifier K+ ( I K) current in concentration-dependent manners with IC50 values of 2.7 and 1.9 μM, respectively. I K was blocked by TPeA in a use-dependent manner, whereas THA blocked I K regardless of activation state of the channel. TPeA at 1 μM inhibited the high voltage-activated (HVA) Ca2+ current and the A-type K+ current ( I A). TPeA (1–10 μM) also blocked the fast inactivating Na+ current. The ligand-gated N -methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor current was not affected by up to 20 μM TPeA. THA at 1 μM showed inhibitory effects on I A, HVA Ca2+, and Na+ currents. THA (10 μM) suppressed NMDA currents. The data suggest that, as K+ channel blockers and apoptosis antagonists, TPeA and THA are much more potent than TEA; however, they have nonspecific actions on several voltage-gated or ligand-gated channels.
Use of Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR FT-IR) Spectroscopy in Direct, Nondestructive, and Rapid Assessment of Developmental Cotton Fibers Grown In Planta and in Culture.

Cotton fibers are routinely harvested from cotton plants (in planta), and their end-use qualities depend on their development stages. Cotton fibers are also cultured in controlled laboratory environments, so that cotton researchers can investigate many aspects of experimental protocols in cotton breeding programs at reduced expenses. In this work, attenuated total refection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectra of cotton fibers grown in planta and in culture were collected to explore the potential of FT-IR technique as a simple, rapid, and direct method for characterizing the fiber development. Complementary to visual inspection of spectral variations, principal component analysis (PCA) of ATR FT-IR spectra revealed the occurrence of phase transition from primary to secondary cell wall synthesis and also the difference of starting the phase transition between two types of fibers. Like PCA observation, three simple algorithms were capable of monitoring the secondary cell wall formation effectively...
Loss of IκB kinase β promotes myofibroblast transformation and senescence through activation of the ROS-TGFβ autocrine loop

Using forward and reverse genetics and global gene expression analyses, we explored the crosstalk between the IκB kinase β (IKKβ) and the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathways. We show that in vitro ablation of Ikkβ in fibroblasts led to progressive ROS accumulation and TGFβ activation, and ultimately accelerated cell migration, fibroblast-myofibroblast transformation and senescence. Mechanistically, the basal IKKβ activity was required for anti-oxidant gene expression and redox homeostasis. Lacking this activity, IKKβ-null cells showed ROS accumulation and activation of stress-sensitive transcription factor AP-1/c-Jun. AP-1/c-Jun activation led to up-regulation of the Tgfβ2 promoter, which in turn further potentiated intracellular ROS through the induction of NADPH oxidase (NOX). These data suggest that by blocking the autocrine amplification of a ROS-TGFβ loop IKKβ plays a crucial role in the prevention of fibroblast-myofibroblast transformation and senescence.
Laboratory Biology and Behavior of Litodactylus leucogaster, a Ceutorhynchine Weevil that Feeds on Watermilfoils

Litodactylus leucogaster (Marsham), a holarctic weevil species, fed upon emersed flower spikes of Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum L.). Adults readily entered the water when disturbed and survived forced submersion for 8 to 24 h. Fecundity ranged from 405 to 684 eggs per female, and females oviposited mostly in ovaries, buds, or stem excavations of emersed flower spikes. Neonatant larvae fed within the ovaries or buds, but older larvae fed externally on the flowers or stems. The three instars were differentiated by head capsule width. The cocoon was formed in an excavation in a submersed stem. Developmental times were: eggs, 3 to 4 days; larvae, 7 to 8 days; prepupae, 3 days; pupae, 2 to 4 days; and teneral adults, 1 to 3 days. The North American distribution and the adult and immature stages of L. leucogaster are illustrated.
Mencius' Prescriptions for Ancient Chinese Environmental Problems

Environmental historians who have investigated the ancient Orient have understandably given much attention to the naturalistic and pantheistic Taoists. They have said less about the anthropocentric Confucianists, and have almost ignored Mencius. Since Mencius commented substantially on nature and land management, it is surprising to note that Yi-Fu Tuan, in his provocative short history of the Chinese and their landscape, mentions Mencius only twice and in an incidental manner.1 Similarly, recent papers on Asian traditions and environmental ethics in the journals Philosophy East and West and Environmental Ethics, and in Callicott and Ames' Nature in Asian Traditions of Thought, give no consideration to him.2 Mencius is a Chinese philosopher of the 4th century B.C. who wrote one of the four classics of Confucianism that were memorized by every Chinese schoolboy for much of the Middle Kingdom's history. He represents the mainstream of Chinese thought to a greater extent than the Taoists, and it will be maintained here that he played a major role in forming the typical Chinese view of the environment and in influencing its treatment.3 His parents gave him the name Meng K'o, and he is known in Chinese literature by the honorific Meng Tzu. He has been called Mencius in the West ever since his writings became known there, and it seems wisest to continue that usage in this essay, since there are half a dozen competing ways of spelling his Chinese name (Meng-tse, Meng Zi, etc.), and virtually all bibliographical references to him in English call him Mencius. Mencius' description of Ox Mountain is an outstanding demonstration of the sage's acuteness in observing environmental change and its causes.
Fracture mechanics of orthotropic laminated plates—III. The surface crack problem

Abstract In this paper a laminated plate which consists of an arbitrary number of dissimilar orthotropic layers under membrane and bending loads is considered. The plate is assumed to have a through crack. The problem is formulated by using Mindlin's first order shear deformation theory and a higher order theory due to Reddy. The sample solutions obtained from these two theories, from the classical theory, and from Reissner's stress-based first order theory show that the stress intensity factors given by the classical theory are highly inaccurate and the three transverse shear deformation theories give roughly the same results. Because of the nonhomogeneous nature of the medium under consideration, the simpler of the two displacement-based shear deformation theories was adopted to carry out the solution of the crack problem in the laminated plates. The main objective of the study is to investigate the influence of the material orthotropy, various stiffness ratios, and relative dimensions concerning the crack size and laminae thicknesses on the stress intensity factors. Only the mode I crack problem is considered. It is shown that if the laminate has a material symmetry with respect to the midplane of the plate, then the membrane and bending solutions of the problem are fully uncoupled. Also, in laminates which consist of bonded dissimilar isotropic layers having the same Poisson's ratio, the membrane component of the crack problem can again be separated and can be treated as a generalized plane stress problem. Otherwise the problem is coupled. Examples are given for both symmetric and nonsymmetric laminates.
Interpersonal Violence Among College Students: Does Sexual Orientation Impact Risk of Victimization?

ABSTRACTResearchers have shown that college students are at an increased risk of experiencing interpersonal violence (IV). One factor that appears to play a role in shaping their likelihood of IV is sexual orientation. However, little is known about this relationship and how IV risk varies across categories of sexual orientation. Utilizing a sample of approximately 43,000 college students from the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II, this study examined the prevalence of IV across five categories of self-identified sexual orientation and examined whether sexual orientation was a predictor of IV. Results indicated that, on average, students who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning were significantly more likely to experience IV than their heterosexual counterparts. Implications for prevention and future research are discussed.
Delayed radiation-induced inflammation accompanying a marked carbohydrate antigen 19-9 elevation in a patient with resected pancreatic cancer

Although carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 is a useful tumor marker for pancreatic cancer, it can also become elevated from a variety of benign and malignant conditions. Herein we describe an unusual presentation of elevated CA 19-9 in an asymptomatic patient who had previously undergone adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy for resected early stage pancreatic cancer. The rise in CA 19-9 might be due to delayed radiation-induced inflammation related to previous intra-abdominal radiation therapy with or without radiation recall induced by gemcitabine. After treatment with corticosteroids the CA 19-9 level decreased to normal, and the patient has not developed any evidence of recurrent cancer to date.
Probabilistic Game Models and Game Values

In this chapter we introduce a formal definition of a probabilistic game model for further theoretical study. The P2- and G1-games introduced in Chap. 2 are two probabilistic game models. A probabilistic game model is a space of zero-sum two-person perfect information games such that all of the games in the space have the same fixed game graph (or tree) and the values on leaves are assigned according to a fixed distribution. Because of this probabilistic assignment of the values at leaves, a game in a probabilistic game model can be treated as a random event in a probabilistic space.
The Role of Insulin-Like Growth Factors in Granulosa Cell Steroidogenesis: Studies with a Neutralizing Antibody to IGF-I

Evidence that granulosa cells secrete and respond to insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) suggests, but does not prove, the importance of IGFs as intraovarian regulators. To further assess the role of these peptides in ovarian function, we have employed a neutralizing monoclonal antibody to IGF-I to block the actions of IGFs in porcine follicular fluid and in granulosa cell-conditioned medium. Granulosa cells from immature porcine follicles were cultured in medium containing follicular fluid from large (6–10 mm) porcine follicles which had been charcoal stripped to remove steroids. Granulosa cells cultured with follicular fluid produced five- to twentyfold more progesterone than did those cultured with charcoal-treated porcine serum. However, for granulosa cells treated with the blocking antibody, follicular fluid-stimulated progesterone production was inhibited 67%. Granulosa cells were also cultured without exogenous growth factors; the effects of FSH, estradiol, GH, and combinations thereof on progesterone production were inhibited by 45–76% by the antibody. The stimulatory effect of follicular fluid on -thymidine incorporation in granulosa cell cultures was reduced by only 12% by the antibody. These results suggest that the stimulatory effects of follicular fluid and hormones on progesterone production are mediated, at least in part, by IGFs. Under these culture conditions, ovarian IGFs appear to be more important to cytodifferentiation than to replication.
The vulnerability of elderly consumers

Research interest in the vulnerability of the elderly to consumer fraud has increased in recent years. Consumer surveys and studies of complaint data permit the examination of hypothesized indicators of vulnerability for samples of older and younger consumers. A review of the research shows that patterns of consumption, situational characteristics, education and product knowledge, awareness of deception, psychological losses, social isolation, and psychosocial transitions influence the elderly's vulnerability and ability to cope with consumer abuse. Higher educational attainment and a greater skepticism toward business practices should improve the coping ability of future cohorts of elderly, yet the potential for fraud will remain for many transactions vitally important to their well-being. Implications of the research findings for intervention strategies are presented.
Polymerized ionic liquid diblock copolymer as solid-state electrolyte and separator in lithium-ion battery

Abstract A polymerized ionic liquid diblock copolymer (PILBCP-TFSI), poly(MMA-b-MUBIm-TFSI), consisting of an ionic liquid monomer, (1-[(2-methacryloyloxy)undecyl]-3-butylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide) (MUBIm-TFSI), and a non-ionic monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA), was synthesized via reverse addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization followed by anion exchange metathesis. Free standing, mechanically stable transparent solid polymer films were produced with PILBCP-TFSI containing 1 M lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (Li-TFSI/EMIm-TFSI). The resulting PILBCP-TFSI + Li-TFSI/EMIm-TFSI films possessed ion conductivities from 1 to 10 mS cm−1 from 25 °C to 105 °C. Solid-state lithium-ion coin cell batteries were assembled and tested at room temperature with PILBCP-TFSI + Li-TFSI/EMIm-TFSI films as the solid-state electrolyte and separator and resulted in a maximum discharge capacity of 112 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C with a Coulombic efficiency greater than 94% over 100 cycles. For the first time, these results demonstrate the feasibility of PIL block copolymers as solid-state electrolytes and separators in lithium-ion batteries.
Multi-year atmospheric forcing datasets for hydrologic modeling in regions of complex terrain – Methodology and evaluation over the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment 2014 domain

Abstract A framework to derive high-resolution long-term meteorological forcing for hydrologic models from mesoscale atmospheric reanalysis products is presented, including topographic and cloud corrections, and a new physical parameterization of near-surface wind fields. The methodology is applied to downscale 3-hourly North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) fields originally at 32 km spacing to 1 km and hourly resolution for a seven-year period (2007–2013) over the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment 2014 (IPHEx2014) domain with the focus on the Southern Appalachian Mountains (SAM) in the SE US. Evaluation of the adjusted downscaled products was conducted against flux tower observations in the IPHEx domain. At high elevations, the Root Mean Squared Errors (RMSEs) of atmospheric pressure decreased from 44.71 to 2.78 hPa, and the RMSEs of near-surface temperature improved by 1 K (up to 5 K in winter). In addition, RMSEs decreased by as much as 100% for near-surface winds (10 m above ground) at all tower locations and by 25–30 W/m2 for shortwave radiation at low elevations. Using the uncalibrated D uke C oupled surface-groundwater H ydrology M odel (DCHM), the value and utility of the downscaled products for hydrologic offline simulations are demonstrated through comparative analysis of the sensitivity of water and energy budgets in mountain watersheds for four water-years (2007/10–2011/09) including a severe drought and several flood events. Cloud and topographic corrections applied to incoming solar radiation result in hourly net radiation changes ranging from 200 to 500 Wm−2 at mid-day for clear-sky and cloudy conditions, respectively. Improvements in shortwave radiation and near-surface wind speed estimates have the highest impact on evapotranspiration and soil surface temperature. Wind speed differences of 2–10 m/s translate into basin-averaged differences mid-day surface fluxes up to 300 Wm−2 and 100 Wm−2 in the inner SAM, for sensible and latent heat respectively.
Velocity map ion imaging study of Ar2+ photodissociation

Abstract The argon dimer cation is produced in a plasma generated by a laser spark in a supersonic expansion. The cold ions are mass selected and investigated by photodissociation at 355 nm, with velocity map imaging of the Ar+ photofragment. Using the radius of the image, we determine the kinetic energy release and derive the ground state dissociation energy of Ar2+ as D0″ = 1.32 +0.03/−0.02 eV. Additionally, the angular distribution is described with β = 1.71–1.95, consistent with excitation of the parallel-type 2Σg+ ← 2Σu+ transition.
Large eddy simulation of propeller wake instabilities

The wake of a five-bladed marine propeller at design operating condition is studied using large eddy simulation (LES). The mean loads and phase-averaged flow field show good agreement with experiments. Phase-averaged and azimuthal-averaged flow fields are analysed in detail to examine the mechanisms of wake instability. The propeller wake consisting of tip and hub vortices undergoes streamtube contraction, which is followed by the onset of instabilities as evident from the oscillations of the tip vortices. Simulation results reveal a mutual-induction mechanism of instability where, instead of the tip vortices interacting among themselves, they interact with the smaller vortices generated by the roll-up of the blade trailing edge wake in the near wake. It is argued that although the mutual-inductance mode is the dominant mode of instability in propellers, the actual mechanism depends on the propeller geometry and the operating conditions. The axial evolution of the propeller wake from near to far field is discussed. Once the propeller wake becomes unstable, the coherent vortical structures break up and evolve into the far wake, composed of a fluid mass swirling around an oscillating hub vortex. The hub vortex remains coherent over the length of the computational domain.
Implications of neurovascular uncoupling in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of brain tumors

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) serves as a critical tool for presurgical mapping of eloquent cortex and changes in neurological function in patients diagnosed with brain tumors. However, the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) contrast mechanism underlying fMRI assumes that neurovascular coupling remains intact during brain tumor progression, and that measured changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) are correlated with neuronal function. Recent preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that even low-grade brain tumors can exhibit neurovascular uncoupling (NVU), which can confound interpretation of fMRI data. Therefore, to avoid neurosurgical complications, it is crucial to understand the biophysical basis of NVU and its impact on fMRI. Here we review the physiology of the neurovascular unit, how it is remodeled, and functionally altered by brain cancer cells. We first discuss the latest findings about the components of the neurovascular unit. Next, we synthesize results from preclinical and clinical studies to illustrate how brain tumor induced NVU affects fMRI data interpretation. We examine advances in functional imaging methods that permit the clinical evaluation of brain tumors with NVU. Finally, we discuss how the suppression of anomalous tumor blood vessel formation with antiangiogenic therapies can "normalize" the brain tumor vasculature, and potentially restore neurovascular coupling.
The Impact of Teach-Back Method on Retention of Key Domains of Emergency Department Discharge Instructions.

Abstract Background Studies have shown that patient understanding and recall of their emergency department (ED) discharge instructions is limited. The teach-back method involves patients repeating back what they understand, in their own words, so that discharge providers can confirm comprehension and correct misunderstandings. Objective The objective of this study was to determine if the teach-back method would increase retention of post ED discharge instructions. Methods A before-and-after study design (pre and post teach-back method) was used at an academic Midwestern institution. After discharge, patients were asked a set of standardized questions regarding their discharge instructions via telephone interview. Answers were compared with the participant's discharge instructions in the electronic medical record. A composite score measuring mean percent recall correct was calculated in four categories: diagnosis, medication reconciliation, follow-up instructions, and return precautions. Data were collected for 1 week prior to and 1 week post intervention. One additional week between the pre- and postintervention phases included training and practice behavior adoption. The primary outcome was mean percent recall correct between the two groups assessed by a Mann-Whitney U test, and adjusted for confounders with an analysis of covariance model. Results The mean percent recall correct in the teach-back phase was 79.4%, or 15 percentage points higher than the preintervention group. After adjusting for age and education, the adjusted model showed a recall rate of 70.0% pre vs. 82.1% ( p Conclusions The teach-back method had a positive association on retention of discharge instructions in the ED regardless of age and education.
Learning the Rules of the Game

Games have often been used in the classroom to teach physics ideas and concepts, but there has been less published on games that can be used to teach scientific thinking. D. Maloney and M. Masters describe an activity in which students attempt to infer rules to a game from a history of moves, but the students don’t actually play the game. Giving the list of moves allows the instructor to emphasize the important fact that nature usually gives us incomplete data sets, but it does make the activity less immersive. E. Kimmel suggested letting students attempt to figure out the rules to Reversi by playing it, but this game only has two players, which makes it difficult to apply in a classroom setting. Kimmel himself admits the choice of Reversi is somewhat arbitrary. There are games, however, that are designed to make the process of figuring out the rules an integral aspect of play. These games involve more people and require only a deck or two of cards. I present here an activity constructed around the card g...
HSCT-GAVE as a Manifestation of Chronic Graft versus Host Disease: A Case Report and Review of the Existing Literature.

Gastric antral vascular ectasia or “watermelon stomach” is a significant cause of nonvariceal upper GI bleeding and is characterized by red, tortuous ectatic vessels along longitudinal folds in the gastric antrum. The existing literature links GAVE to patients with cirrhosis, scleroderma, bone marrow transplantation, and chronic renal failure among other associations, but its pathophysiology remains ill-defined. Over 30 cases of hematopoietic stem cell transplant-related GAVE (HSCT-GAVE) have been reported in the literature to date and there are likely many more that go undiagnosed or are attributed to another cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Interestingly, a busulfan-containing conditioning regimen has been the primary factor implicated in the etiology of HSCT-GAVE because this was common to all cases in the literature to date. Here, we present the first case of HSCT-GAVE in a patient that was treated with a non-busulfan-containing conditioning regimen. We propose a link between chronic GVHD and the development of HSCT-GAVE that is supported by a similar development of GAVE in patients with systemic sclerosis.
2,2′,3,4,4′,5,5′‐Heptachloro­biphenyl (PCB 180)

In the title compound, C12H3Cl7, there are two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. The dihedral angles between the benzene rings are 69.63 (7) and 68.48 (6)°.
ICE CORES | History of Research, Greenland and Antarctica

Ice samples collected from the polar ice sheets have been used to study past climate changes during the last million years. The first ice-core projects in the 1960s identified the major climate periods. Subsequent projects have shown that abrupt climate changes have occurred many times in the past and that there is a close link between high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and warm climate conditions.
The Activity of the Glucuronic Acid Pathway in Human and Experimental Diabetes

The nature of the genetic defect in diabetes mellitus is unknown, and at present the data do not exclude its inheritance as a multifactorial trait. It is common knowledge that the experimental production of insulin deficiency in many mammalian species leads to gross abnormalities in glucose and lipid metabolism similar to those observed in patients with the juvenile form of diabetes. These patients characteristically have no detectable insulin on radio-immunoassay of their plasma, and require exogenous insulin for survival [1]. However, the relationship between gross insulin deficiency, or a more subtle abnormality in its normal regulatory role, and the development of the vascular complications of diabetes mellitus is obscure. Certainly no simple correlation has been established between the usual criteria of clinical “control” and the progression of disease of small or large blood vessels. Siperstein [2] has recently reported that if one biopsies the skeletal muscle of patients who have normal glucose tolerance but are presumed to be genetically constituted diabetics, because both of their parents are known to have the disease, one finds significant thickening of the capillary basement membrane in 50%. This observation has lead Siperstein [2] to suggest that thickening of the basement membrane reflects a primary inherited defect in the metabolism of small blood vessels which is followed only secondarily by the development of manifestations of insulin deficiency. This provocative conclusion rests upon two assumptions; first, that diabetes mellitus is inherited as an autosomal recessive; second, that a normal glucose tolerance excludes the presence of any derangement in metabolism resulting from an altered insulin regulatory mechanism.
Distinguishing non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) from classic and invasive follicular-variant papillary thyroid carcinomas based on cytologic features.

Introduction An international panel recently recommended reclassification of non-invasive follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) to non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP). NIFTPs have little or no risk of recurrence and can be treated with lobectomy alone. Preoperative distinction of NIFTP from PTC will help avoid overtreatment. Materials and Methods All thyroid tumors with a histologic diagnosis of PTC and preceding diagnostic cytology (n = 299) over a 5-year period were identified. Cases meeting criteria for NIFTP were reclassified as such. All NIFTP cases with available cytology (n = 6) and a similar number of randomly selected invasive follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (IFVPTC; n = 9) and classic PTC (cPTC, n = 11) were evaluated for 18 cytologic features. Results A total of 35 (12%) lesions were reclassified as NIFTP, 194 (65%) were cPTC, and 70 (23%) were IFVPTC. The NIFTPs had a preceding cytologic interpretation of benign (31%), atypia of undetermined significance (34%), follicular neoplasm (9%), suspicious for malignancy (12%), or malignant (14%). Cytologically, NIFTP was distinguished from cPTC by absence of any architectural features in all 6 cases, and by absence of pseudoinclusions ( P P = 0.027) in nearly all. Nuclear pseudoinclusions ( P = 0.001), marginal micronucleoli ( P = 0.018), irregular branching sheets ( P = 0.025), and linear arrangement ( P = 0.025) favored IFVPTC over NIFTP. Conclusions NIFTPs were originally assigned to a variety of cytologic categories. There are several cytologic differences between NIFTP and cPTC or IFVPTC. Our findings support restricting the definitive diagnosis of PTC to cases with architectural features of PTC and/or intranuclear pseudoinclusions.
UTPlaceF 3.0: a parallelization framework for modern FPGA global placement

Global placement is a major runtime bottleneck of modern FPGA physical synthesis. As the FPGA capacity grows rapidly, new innovative global placement approaches are in great demand for more efficient circuit mapping and prototyping. In this paper, we propose a parallelization framework for modern FPGA global placement, UTPlaceF 3.0. Two major techniques are presented to boost the performance of a state-of-the-art quadratic placer with only small quality degradation: 1) placement-driven block-Jacobi preconditioning and 2) parallelized incremental placement correction. Experimental results show that UTPlaceF 3.0 can take full advantages of modern multi-core CPUs and achieves more than 5X speedup over sequential implementation with competitive placement quality.
A Game Theory Approach to Design and Optimization of Decentralized Supply Chains under Uncertainty

Abstract Supply chains are normally managed in a decentralized way by multiple stakeholders pursuing distinct objectives. However, most existing supply chain studies rely on centralized models and neglect the uncertain behaviors of stakeholders in the decision-making process. In this work, we propose a novel game theory based stochastic model that integrates two-stage stochastic programming with a single-leader-multiple-follower Stackelberg game scheme. The aim is to address the optimization problem of decentralized supply chains considering multiple stakeholders under uncertainty. The resulting model is formulated as a stochastic mixed-integer bilevel nonlinear program, which can be further reformulated into a tractable single-level stochastic mixed-integer linear program by applying KKT conditions and Glover’s linearization method. To illustrate the applicability of proposed modeling framework, a case study of a largescale shale gas supply chain is presented, which demonstrates the advantages of the proposed modeling framework and efficiency of the solution algorithm.
Microbial ecosystem dynamics drive fluctuating nitrogen loss in marine anoxic zones

The dynamics of nitrogen (N) loss in the ocean's oxygen-deficient zones (ODZs) are thought to be driven by climate impacts on ocean circulation and biological productivity. Here we analyze a data-constrained model of the microbial ecosystem in an ODZ and find that species interactions drive fluctuations in local- and regional-scale rates of N loss, even in the absence of climate variability. By consuming O2 to nanomolar levels, aerobic nitrifying microbes cede their competitive advantage for scarce forms of N to anaerobic denitrifying bacteria. Because anaerobes cannot sustain their own low-O2 niche, the physical O2 supply restores competitive advantage to aerobic populations, resetting the cycle. The resulting ecosystem oscillations induce a unique geochemical signature within the ODZ-short-lived spikes of ammonium that are found in measured profiles. The microbial ecosystem dynamics also give rise to variable ratios of anammox to heterotrophic denitrification, providing a mechanism for the unexplained variability of these pathways observed in the ocean.
Purification of human erythrocyte adenosine deaminase.

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) catalyzes the irreversible hydrolytic deamination of adenosine to produce inosine and ammonia (1). Extremely reduced or absent ADA activity in man is associated with one type of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) (2). Previous studies of normal ADA from a variety of species has provided evidence for substantial molecular heterogeneity. Multiple forms of ADA varying in molecular weight from 30,000 to 47,000 (designated small form) and 230,000 to 440,000 (designated large form) have been reported. (3–16).