cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maternal Micronutrient Supplementation Suppresses T Cell Chemokine Receptor Expression and Function in F1 Mice

Prenatal environmental exposures play a critical role in determining late-life chronic disease susceptibility. However, the mechanisms linking the in utero environment and disease development in the offspring are poorly understood. Recent investigations have confirmed a central pathogenic role of T cell chemokine receptors, particularly C-C chemokine receptor (CCR) 2 and CCR5, in chronic inflammatory conditions. This study was designed to determine the effect of a synthetic prenatal micronutrient supplementation (MS) diet rich in methionine pathway metabolites on the T cell chemokine system in F1 C57Bl/6 mice. Female mice were fed either an MS or control diet 3 wk prior to mating, during pregnancy, and lactation. At 4 wk of age, F1 mice were killed for experiments or were fed the standard NIH-31 diet and allowed to age. Food consumption, maternal weight gain, and litter size were similar in dams fed the control and MS diets. However, the F1 offspring of dams fed the MS diet were smaller in size (P < 0.001). T cells from the MS F1 offspring had global hypermethylation compared with control F1 offspring (P < 0.005), corresponding to lower T cell chemokine receptor expression [CCR2 (P < 0.001), CCR5 (P < 0.001), and C-x-C chemokine receptor 3 (P < 0.01)] and cytokine expression [TNFα (P < 0.05), IL-2 (P < 0.001), and IL-4 (P < 0.01)]. Reduced T cell chemokine receptor gene expression in MS F1 mice was associated with decreased chemotaxis in vitro to C-C chemokine ligand (CCL) 2 and C-X-C chemokine ligand 10 (P < 0.01) and in vivo to CCL2 (P < 0.01). Taken together, the results suggest that epigenetic alteration through prenatal diet manipulation reduces the response to proinflammatory signals in mice.
Rationale and challenges for optical interconnects to electronic chips

The various arguments for introducing optical interconnections to silicon CMOS chips are summarized, and the challenges for optical, optoelectronic, and integration technologies are discussed. Optics could solve many physical problems of interconnects, including precise clock distribution, system synchronization (allowing larger synchronous zones, both on-chip and between chips), bandwidth and density of long interconnections, and reduction of power dissipation. Optics may relieve a broad range of design problems, such as crosstalk, voltage isolation, wave reflection, impedence matching, and pin inductance. It may allow continued scaling of existing architectures and enable novel highly interconnected or high-bandwidth architectures. No physical breakthrough is required to implement dense optical interconnects to silicon chips, though substantial technological work remains. Cost is a significant barrier to practical introduction, though revolutionary approaches exist that might achieve economies of scale. An Appendix analyzes scaling of on-chop global electrical interconnects, including line inductance and the skin effect, both of which impose significant additional constraints on future interconnects.
Using Person‐Perception Vignette Methodologies to Uncover the Symbolic Meanings of Teacher Behaviors in the Milgram Paradigm

Behavior in the Milgram paradigm is rich with meanings for the identities of all three interactants—experimenter, teacher, and learner. The desire to construct desirable self-images and social impressions is among the causal forces driving behavior in the Milgram paradigm. American college students valued disobedient teachers over obedient teachers, but they also valued polite disobedience over defiant disobedience. It is not only necessary to find the will to disobey the experimenter, it is also necessary to find a socially appropriate way to disobey. Russian participants' perceptions of teachers who were politely obedient, politely disobedient, and defiantly disobedient differed only in an interaction with the participants' SES. Russian participants looked to the hierarchical structure of the social situation (experimenter, teacher, learner) and not the behavior of individual teachers when they assigned responsibility for the learner's shocks. The person-perception vignette methodologies used in the present study can tap the conclusions of the automatic inferences that create the symbolic meanings of behaviors in the Milgram paradigm. The range of mediating mechanisms necessary to explain the shock-delivering lever presses in the Milgram paradigm includes some that fall outside the “obedience” metaphor in general and Milgram's “Agentic State” in particular. Behaviors observed in the context of the Milgram “Obedience” Paradigm are, at once, the most visible, puzzling, and unimaginable acts quantified in experimental social psychology.
Theoretical and experimental study of the analysis and modeling of integrated optical components

Using a mode-matching technique, a modular microwave equivalent circuit incorporating both guided and continuum spectra has been developed to model open guided-wave integrated optical components accurately with limited computational effort. The accuracy of the analysis is verified by comparison with other methods of analysis, and by experiments performed on GaAs homojunction rib waveguides, directional couplers, and three-guide couplers. The limitations of approximate theories for the analysis of coupled structures are also identified. >
‘What’s the Score’ with School Psychology

The science of psychology has many varied divisions and strands under which the noble profession is viewed through diverse lenses. Generally, people seem to have an interest in psychology and seek opinions from the psychologist on various topics from philatelism to pilates.
Helping Contacts between Nonprofessional Child-Aides and Young Children Experiencing School Adjustment Problems

Abstract The present studies examine several within-session measures of helping interactions involving nonprofessional child aides and young maladapting school children referred to a preventively oriented school mental health program. The studies' three main criterion measures were: (1) estimates of children's predominant mood state at the beginning, during, and end of a session; (2) judgments about a child's predominant within-session moded of expression; and (3) aides' ratings of session satisfaction. Both predominant mood and mode of expression differed for children with different initial referral problems. Both also related to differential aide judgements about session satisfaction. Aide satisfaction related to structural aspects of the session, including its length and whether it was thought to deal with significant problems.
Routing strategies in photonic networks for multiprocessor systems

The interaction of an electronic routing fabric on two optical networks, Wavelength Division Multiple Access Channel Hypercube (WMCH) and shuffle net, is studied. Electronic routing fabrics are used as an alternative to the more costly all-optical routing fabrics. Significant routing delays are introduced during multihop communication because of the speed mismatch between the optics and the electronics. Three possible routing mechanisms are described and analyzed: store-and-forward, wormhole routing, and partial wormhole routing. >
Soil bacteria augment Arabidopsis photosynthesis by decreasing glucose sensing and abscisic acid levels in planta

Photosynthesis is regulated by environmental factors as well as endogenous sugar signals. Whereas light-driven sugar biosynthesis is essential for terrestrial organisms, as well as belowground microflora, whether and how soil symbionts regulate photosynthesis has yet to be reported. Here, we show that the plant growth-promoting soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis GB03 augments photosynthetic capacity by increasing photosynthetic efficiency and chlorophyll content in Arabidopsis. Mechanistic studies reveal an elevation of sugar accumulation as well as the suppression of classic glucose signaling responses, including hypocotyl elongation and seed germination, with exposure to GB03. Compared with wild-type plants, two Arabidopsis mutants defective in hexokinase-dependent sugar signaling exhibit increased photosynthetic capacity, which is not further enhanced with GB03 exposure. Overlap in sugar/ABA sensing is observed in GB03-exposed plants, with a reduction of ABA-biosynthetic transcripts as well as downstream metabolite levels in leaves. Moreover, exogenous ABA abrogates GB03-triggered increases in photosynthetic efficiency and chlorophyll content. These results demonstrate that certain rhizobacteria elevate photosynthesis through the modulation of endogenous sugar/ABA signaling, and establish a regulatory role for soil symbionts in plant acquisition of energy.
An advanced simulation and testing environment for design, application and performance assessment of protection equipment

This paper gives an overview of the requirements for the performance assessment of power system protection equipment, taking into account advances in simulation technology and related tools. The basic features of the computer simulation and testing environments needed to meet the requirements are also discussed. Examples of different hardware and software developments of new simulation environments undertaken by the author and his research team are outlined. Some most relevant experiences are pointed out in conclusion.
Rituximab-Induced Changes in Hematolymphoid Tissues Found at Autopsy

The effect of rituximab on malignant B cells and normal circulating B cells has been previously studied. In contrast, data on the degree of depletion of nonneoplastic B cells induced by rituximab in lymph nodes and spleen is limited. For this purpose, clinical charts, autopsy records, lymph node and spleen sections, and immunoperoxidase stains were reviewed from 10 patients who had received 1 to 40 doses of rituximab before death. The percentage of nonneoplastic B cells was lower in the lymph node and spleen in rituximab-treated patients when compared with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone–treated patients and patients without lymphoma. The effect of rituximab on nonneoplastic B cells was observed as soon as 1 month after administration and with as few as 3 doses. Reappearance of normal numbers of B cells was not observed 1 to 12 months after the last dose of rituximab was administered. We conclude that rituximab induces prompt, consistent, profound, and prolonged depletion of B lymphocyte populations in human lymphoid tissue.
A connective massive open online course for K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers in New Mexico Pueblo schools

This note describes preliminary work directed toward developing a teacher-training project that is intended to increase Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) proficiency among elementary and high school teachers in Northern New Mexico Pueblo schools. This project builds upon prior work that trained K-8 teachers to use investigative teaching, which in turn had a significant positive impact on the math and science proficiency of Native-American and Hispanic students. The current project seeks to use Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) technology to capture and scale this professional development through the use of video, imagery, and community building in order to integrate Native-American learning processes. The overall objective is to enable Pueblo teachers to more effectively teach STEM subject matter, as measured by an increase in both teacher and student content knowledge scores. If successful, the use of MOOC technology should facilitate rapid expansion of the program across New Mexico and elsewhere.
An object-oriented implementation of an adaptive classification of job openings

Automating job classification is challenging because it involves a large number of dynamic classes and features, concept drift uncertainty, and noisy data. We present a software solution to this problem that consists of an incremental learning subsystem and a job classifier. We also describe our design and implementation using object-oriented systems modeling, a complete object-oriented approach that supports analysis, specification and design, and has a smooth mapping to most oriented-object programming languages. Some experimental results and comparisons to other learning/classification algorithms are given. A production version of the software written in C/sup ++/ is performing with superior accuracy. >
Old Pulsators: White Dwarfs and Their Immediate Precursors

There are now fully six classes of pulsators among white dwarfs and their immediate precursors among central stars of planetary nebulae and on the extended horizontal branch. In this review, we outline those observational and theoretical considerations that link them together and set them apart from other kinds of pulsating stars. We summarize some select astrophysical puzzles to which studies of such pulsators might speak, and we discuss current applications in the fields of atomic, nuclear, and neutrino physics. Finally, we suggest how future observing programs might solve some general problems common not only to the white dwarf and pre-white dwarf pulsators but to many types of variable stars.
Learning state space trajectories in recurrent neural networks

Many neural network learning procedures compute gradients of the errors on the output layer of units after they have settled to their final values. We describe a procedure for finding E/wij, where E is an error functional of the temporal trajectory of the states of a continuous recurrent network and wij are the weights of that network. Computing these quantities allows one to perform gradient descent in the weights to minimize E. Simulations in which networks are taught to move through limit cycles are shown. This type of recurrent network seems particularly suited for temporally continuous domains, such as signal processing, control, and speech.
Open inferior vena cava filter removal after migration.

A 47-year-old woman with an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placed 3 years earlier presented with filter migration. Past attempts at endovascular filter removal were unsuccessful because the filter hook was protruding through the IVC wall and not accessible to recovery devices. A computed tomography scan revealed that filter tilting and rotation had caused the limbs of the filter to protrude into the adjacent aorta, vertebral bodies, and possibly, the duodenum (A; Cover). The patient was asymptomatic but feared complications in the future and demanded its removal. She did not have an indication for continued filter placement. The filter was removed through a midline laparotomy. The infrarenal IVC was exposed by mobilizing the colon and duodenum. Lumbar branches of the IVC were ligated with silk ties, and vascular control was obtained proximal and distal to the filter. The duodenum was uninvolved. The filter legs protruding into the aorta and vertebral bodies were removed with pliers, and the aorta was repaired primarily. The remaining legs were dissected free of the surrounding tissue (B). The filter was extracted through a longitudinal incision in the IVC. We found it necessary to cut off the barbed ends to avoid tearing the IVC wall as each leg was pulled back into the lumen. The recovery hook was removed with a 2-mm margin of surrounding wall (C). Once the filter was removed, the IVC was repaired primarily without narrowing. The patient’s recovery was uneventful.
A self-similar axisymmetric pulson in rotating stratified fluid

Self-similar analytical nonlinear solutions to the hydrostatic Boussinesq equations are derived which describe unbalanced inertial pulsations of anticyclonic lens-like circular vortices in stably stratified rotating fluid. Any steady axisymmetric solution for a finite-volume anticyclonic vortex in the reduced-gravity approximation is shown to correspond to a set of time-periodic solutions with the amplitude of pulsations being within a range limited by the intensity of the stationary vortex. These solutions represent an extension of previous reduced-gravity analytical pulson solutions of particular forms with spatially uniform divergence of horizontal velocity oscillating in time within the vortex volume. In the self-similar form the pulson solution describes the expansion and contraction of a vortex which maintains the same spatial structure in the Lagrangian coordinates.
HIGH-MAINTENANCE STUDENTS: A CONCEPTUAL EXPLORATION AND IMPLICATIONS

This article explores high-maintenance students in the university setting: those students who complain and whine, beyond reasonable limits, thereby exhausting their instructor’s energy. By drawing heavily on the personality literature, I advance a conceptual foundation, research propositions, and suggestions for future research regarding high-maintenance students. Specifically, the abridged big five dimensional circumplex (AB5DC) model is applied to examine the multivariate influence of dispositional profiles on high-maintenance student behaviors. Finally, implications for instructors are explored, as drawn from the education and management literature base.
Esterification of fatty acids byAspergillus flavus

Aspergillus flavus, grown on soybean oil fatty acids as the sole carbon source, produced triglycerides. While most of the triglycerides were intracellular, considerable amounts also were found extracellularly. The latter originated most likely from esterification of fatty acids by a cell-bound lipase. Although the fatty acids of these fungal triglycerides were the same as those of soybean oil fatty acids, polyunsaturated acid content was greater than expected from the added substrate.
Phylogenetic analysis and taxonomy of the poecilioid fishes (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes)

Abstract Evidence from morphology is used to infer the phylogeny of the superfamily Poecilioidea using other cyprinodontoid fishes as outgroups. The three equally most parsimonious trees resulting from the phylogenetic analysis support the monophyly of the families Anablepidae and Poeciliidae with respect to each other, but the previous taxonomy within the Poeciliinae is not consistent with the resultant phylogenetic trees. The Poeciliidae is recognized with three subfamilies: the Aplocheilichthyinae containing solely Aplocheilichthys spilauchen, the Procatopodinae containing Fluviphylax (Fluviphylacini) and the African lamp-eyed killifishes (Procatopodini), and the Poeciliinae. The inferred hierarchical relationships of included suprageneric taxa are: ((Oxyzygonectinae, Anablepinae) (Aplocheilichthyinae ((Fluviphylacini, Procatopodini) (Alfarini (Priapellini (Gambusini (Heterandrini (Cnesterodontini (Girardini, Poeciliini))))))))). The tribe Alfarini is resurrected and a new tribe, the Priapellini, is described. Tomeurus gracilis is not the most basal poeciliine, and facultative viviparity in Tomeurus is not a plesiomorphic intermediate condition of viviparity retained from the common ancestor of poeciliines. Facultative viviparity in Tomeurus is the result of an evolutionary loss of obligate viviparity.Tomeurus gracilis is recognized as a member of the tribe Cnesterodontini. Lamprichthys tanganicus andMicropanchax pelagicus are not sister taxa, and the pelagic lacustrine habits of these two species are inferred to have evolved independently. Based on the principles of vicariance biogeography, the origin of the Poecilioidea is inferred to have occurred before the separation of Africa and South America.
An inversion scheme to model subsurface fracture systems using shear wave splitting polarization and delay time observations simultaneously

SUMMARY Shear wave splitting polarization (p) and delay time (Δt) observations are used to invert for fracture orientation and intensity of fracturing, simultaneously. By addressing the different levels of uncertainty involved in measurements of these two parameters, as well as their dissimilar relationships to fracture configuration, we have developed an inversion algorithm which reduces the primary double-response inversion to two connected single-response ones. We show that its inherent non-linearity complicates this problem, which therefore requires a more sophisticated attack than conventional inversion schemes. It will be shown that the construction of residue function contours in the model plane and the generation of surrogate data by simulation process are essential to this approach. We illustrate the capabilities of this technique by inverting shear wave splitting data from The Geysers geothermal reservoir in California. In principle the method should be useful for characterizing fractured reservoirs, whether geothermal or hydrocarbon.
Characteristics of managerial coaching

Coaching has become ubiquitous in organizations. Despite its growth in popularity, the concept remains largely untested through empirical inquiry. This study examined the skills and behaviors associated with managerial coaching. Results indicate a link between specific managerial skills, behaviors, and coaching.
Pulmonary Endothelial Surface Redox Activity: Roles in Propagation of and Protection from Injury

Endothelial cells, like other cells, have endogenous enzymatic sources of reactive oxygen (ROS) species (e.g., superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical) and nitrogen species (e.g., nitric oxide, peroxynitrite) generated from the mitochondrial electron transport chain, nitric oxide synthases, xanthine dehydrogenase/xanthine oxidase, NAD(P)H oxidases, cytochrome P450 enzymes, and the enzymes of arachadonic acid metabolism, lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase (1). The ROS generated in these reactions can be important in host defense and in signal transduction, but their generation can also be self-destructive (2, 3). Their respective roles in propagation of pulmonary endothelial and lung injury have been evaluated extensively (4, 5, 6, 7). Similarly, roles for antioxidant enzyme systems such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and heme oxygenase, and for low molecular weight oxidant scavengers, such as glutathione, urate, and ascorbate, in protecting the endothelium and lung from injury are well established (8, 9, 10, 11).
Clocking in to the brain’s activity

Most physiological functions display a circadian rhythm. Whereas the suprachiasmatic nucleus supervises the 24-hour circadian clock, molecular mini-clocks control gene expression at the cellular level, thereby achieving activity in individual tissues at the appropriate time of day. In a recent study, Chen et al. assessed gene expression in the human brain to determine whether there is a circadian pattern of gene expression and, if so, how it is affected by aging. Using microarray analysis, they assessed gene expression in two orbital prefrontal cortical regions (BA11 and BA47) in postmortem brain samples from 146 individuals. Time and location of death were used to determine the zeitgeber time of death, such that gene expression could be analyzed in terms of zeitgeber time (that is, time relative to circadian rhythms). With this method, the investigators identified 235 genes with a significant circadian expression pattern, including core clock-related genes such as BMAL1 and PER genes, as well as genes that previously had not been known to have circadian rhythmicity or function . They then compared data from 31 younger individuals ( 60 years). They found that PER1 and PER2 circadian rhythm expression was reduced in amplitude and shifted earlier in the older group. This finding echoes the reduced amplitude and phase advances of sleep-activity patterns with aging. Additionally, they identified 1186 genes in BA11 and 1591 genes in BA47 that differed in rhythmicity in the older group compared with the younger group. Differences in rhythmicity of gene expression included a shift in the baseline level, changes in amplitude, phase shift, loss of rhythmicity, and—quite remarkably—a gain in rhythmicity. Approximately 45% of genes in BA11 and 27% of genes in BA47 showed no rhythmicity in the younger group but showed a significant circadian rhythm in the older group, suggesting that these genes gained circadian rhythmicity with aging. There are limitations to the study, such as lack of information about sleep-activity patterns prior to death, potential effects of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases more prevalent in the older group, and effects of death-to-autopsy time (mean 17 hours) on brain tissue. Despite these limitations, this study demonstrates circadian rhythmicity of gene expression in the brain, including a subset of genes that gain circadian rhythmicity with aging, indicating redundant and resilient mechanisms that in the future may be able to be harnessed for potential therapeutic applications. C.-Y. Chen et al ., Effects of aging on circadian patterns of gene expression in the human prefrontal cortex. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 113 , 206–211 (2016). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/12/17/1508249112.abstract
New Nodule-Newer Etiology.

CONCLUSION: FB in LTR is associated with development of new, transient PPN at the site of TBBx in 13% of procedures. We hypothesize that these nodules are related to local hematoma and impaired lymphatic drainage. Close observation is a reasonable management approach.
Rearing the Maize Weevil on Maize Genotypes When Aflatoxin-Producing Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus Isolates Were Present

Maize weevils, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, either untreated or exposed to spores of Asperigillus flavus (Link) or A. parasiticus Speare, were fed on several endosperm genotypes of maize, Zea mays L. The maize with high-amylose germplasm sustained significantly more weevil damage and less overall aflatoxin contamination. Exposure of weevils to an A. parasiticus isolate resulted in significantly higher weevil mortality and aflatoxin contamination than exposure to an A. flavus isolate or to no treatment. Levels of aflatoxin contamination were positively correlated with weevil mortality; however, high levels of toxin did not completely eliminate weevil infestation from the grain.
Sex Pheromones of Noctuid Moths. VIII. Orientation to Light by Pheromone-Stimulated Males of Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

A flight tunnel was designed in such a manner that males of Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), stimulated to orient toward the source of a current of air containing female sex pheromone, moved in a direction opposite from that of males stimulated to orient toward an incandescent light. When low-intensity light and pheromone odor were present in the tunnel at the same time, male orientation toward the pheromone source was completely abolished, and most of the males congregated adjacent to the light source.
Unitary spin-one Foldy-Wouthuysen operator

A unitary operator is constructed for spin one, which transforms the Foldy-Wouthuysen Hamiltonian βE into the laboratory system Hamiltonian found by Weaver, Hammer and Good. Some properties of the operator are given including the behavior in the massless limit.
PD-L1 and PD-L2 Genetic Alterations Define Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma and Predict Outcome

PurposeClassical Hodgkin lymphomas (cHLs) include small numbers of malignant Reed-Sternberg cells within an extensive but ineffective inflammatory/immune cell infiltrate. In cHL, chromosome 9p24.1/PD-L1/PD-L2 alterations increase the abundance of the PD-1 ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, and their further induction through Janus kinase 2–signal transducers and activators of transcription signaling. The unique composition of cHL limits its analysis with high-throughput genomic assays. Therefore, the precise incidence, nature, and prognostic significance of PD-L1/PD-L2 alterations in cHL remain undefined.MethodsWe used a fluorescent in situ hybridization assay to evaluate CD274/PD-L1 and PDCD1LG2/PD-L2 alterations in 108 biopsy specimens from patients with newly diagnosed cHL who were treated with the Stanford V regimen and had long-term follow-up. In each case, the frequency and magnitude of 9p24.1 alterations—polysomy, copy gain, and amplification—were determined, and the expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2 was evalua...
Application Research of Solid Mineral Reserve Estimating Based on Integration Mode of Spatial Models

Start with spatial models,the authors propose a solid mineral reserve estimating method based on integration mode of spatial data models.The method includes the following:(1) the series section model with traditional reserve estimating methods,(2) volume and block model with the geological statistic method of reserve estimating method,(3) Triangular grid model with random mineral mesial chart,(4) DEM with mineral area simulating,which integrate multi-solid mineral reserve estimating method as a whole,implementing the mineral configuration and estimated diggings 3D visualization.The method doesn't only satisfy internal traditional reserve estimating methods,but also combines international geological statistic method of reserve estimating.The prototype system has conducted in several mineral areas in country with 3D visualization,receiving satisfactory effect.
The Psychological Representation of Musical Intervals in a Twelve-Tone Context

Previous studies of twelve-tone music suggest that participants can learn a twelve-tone row and identify it in a forced-choice test (Bigand, D’Adamo, & Poulin, 2003; Krumhansl, Sandell, & Sergeant, 1987). However, these findings invite speculation about the extent to which participants were attuning to intervals to complete the task. The present study builds upon these previous experiments by specifically investigating whether participants implicitly attune to repetitive interval patterns embedded in twelve-tone melodies. After passive exposure to a monophonic twelve-tone melody dominated by intervals 1 and 3 (in semitones), musician listeners with no formal training in nontonal music theory demonstrated learning of the frequent intervals (and directed interval pairs) in both forced-choice and ratings tasks. Experiment 2 tested a new group of participants with similar backgrounds, although this time the twelve-tone melody heard in familiarization was predominated with intervals 2 and 5. Participants showed learning of directed interval pairs, but not intervals (possibly due to the more tonal nature of interval successions within familiarization). These findings have pedagogical and analytical implications.
Dimensions of strategic intervention for risk reduction and mitigation: a case study of the MV Sewol incident

Organizations in disaster management system should learn from previous experience and strategically use their lesson for the refinement of a system’s competencies for risk management. However, the MV Sewol incident revealed the absence of the organizational learning in the Korean disaster management system. With mixed methods of content analysis, in-depth interview, and social network analysis, this study identified key failure factors in response to the incident and categorized them by managerial, structural, and institutional domains. While the Korean government took bold steps to rebuild its risk management system, those efforts were biased to structural reforms and lacked fundamental changes in human and informational resources management. Based on the findings, this study suggests the balanced efforts for system refinement for effective risk management.
The Gulf of Mexico Problem: Return Flow Analysis

In the late fall and winter, a rhythmic cycle of cold air penetrations into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) takes place.
Ethical imperatives of timely access to orphan drugs: is possible to reconcile economic incentives and patients’ health needs?

More than 6,800 rare diseases and conditions have been identified in the US, which affect 25–30 million Americans. In 1983, the US Congress enacted the Orphan Drug Act (ODA) to encourage the development and marketing of drugs to treat rare diseases and conditions. This study analyzed all orphan designations and FDA approvals since 1983 through 2015, discussed the effectiveness of incentives for the development of treatments for rare diseases, and reflected on the ethical imperatives for timely access to orphan drugs. Study data were derived from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Orange Book and the Office of Orphan Drugs Development. A search was conducted to assess literature on the ethical principles and economic incentives for the development of orphan drugs. In the period 1983–2015, the FDA granted 3,647 orphan drug designations and 554 orphan drug approvals. The orphan drug approvals corresponded to 438 different brand names. Cancer was the therapeutic area with the highest number of approvals. The increased number of patients with rare diseases and the growth in the cost of orphan drugs pose a significant economic burden for patients, public programs and private third party payers. Regulatory differences to qualify for orphan designation and various population thresholds employed by the FDA and the European Medicines Agency lead to further unmet health needs for patients with rare diseases and aggravate health inequities. There is no societal consensus on the population and economic thresholds, the drug effectiveness indicator(s), or the societal value to be placed for the approval and reimbursement of orphan drugs. Orphan drug development and marketing in the US concentrate in few therapeutic areas. Despite the increase in the number of FDA approved orphan drugs, the unmet needs of patients with rare diseases evidence that the current incentives are not efficiently stimulating orphan drug development. There is need to balance economic incentives to stimulate the development and marketing of orphan drugs without jeopardizing patients’ access to treatment. Thus, aligning pharmaceutical companies’ incentives with societal budgetary constraints is necessary and the ethical imperatives of timely access to orphan drugs need to be agreed upon.
Regulation of Cell Polarity by Exocyst-Mediated Trafficking

One requirement for establishing polarity within a cell is the asymmetric trafficking of intracellular vesicles to the plasma membrane. This tightly regulated process creates spatial and temporal differences in both plasma membrane composition and the membrane-associated proteome. Asymmetric membrane trafficking is also a critical mechanism to regulate cell differentiation, signaling, and physiology. Many eukaryotic cell types use the eight-protein exocyst complex to orchestrate polarized vesicle trafficking to certain membrane locales. Members of the exocyst were originally discovered in yeast while screening for proteins required for the delivery of secretory vesicles to the budding daughter cell. The same eight exocyst genes are conserved in mammals, in which the specifics of exocyst-mediated trafficking are highly cell-type-dependent. Some exocyst members bind to certain Rab GTPases on intracellular vesicles, whereas others localize to the plasma membrane at the site of exocytosis. Assembly of the exocyst holocomplex is responsible for tethering these vesicles to the plasma membrane before their soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE)-mediated exocytosis. In this review, we will focus on the role and regulation of the exocyst complex in targeted vesicular trafficking as related to the establishment and maintenance of cellular polarity. We will contrast exocyst function in apicobasal epithelial polarity versus front-back mesenchymal polarity, and the dynamic regulation of exocyst-mediated trafficking during cell phenotype transitions.
En-Bloc Stapling of the Renal Hilum during Laparoscopic Nephrectomy: A Double-Institutional Analysis of Safety and Efficacy

Objective To explore the safety and efficacy of en bloc stapling of the renal hilum (EBSH) during laparoscopic nephrectomy (LNx) in a large double-institution cohort with an extended follow-up period. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing LNx with EBSH between 2008 and 2014 at 2 academic medical centers. Data analyzed included tumor size, tumor pathology, operative time, estimated blood loss, and perioperative or postoperative complications. Evaluation of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) formation was assessed by postoperative imaging studies, physical examination, or new-onset diastolic hypertension. Results A total of 428 patients (mean age: 63 years) underwent LNx, of which there were a total of 433 renal units with EBSH (226 left renal units, 207 right renal units). Mean operative time was 169 minutes (range: 51-489 minutes). Mean estimated blood loss was 155 mL (range: 5 mL-2000 mL). Mean tumor size was 5.6 cm (range: 0.9-14.5 cm). EBSH was performed on 69 patients with chronic infectious and inflammatory benign conditions. Three hundred (70%) patients received post-procedural imaging. No patients developed clinical or radiographic evidence of AVF at a mean follow-up of 51 months. Conclusion EBSH during LNx is efficient, effective, and safe. This large series lends further support that EBSH during LNx may not be associated with any significant risk of AVF formation at extended follow-up. We advocate that this technique is a safe alternative to ligating the renal artery and vein during LNx.
Pesticides and pollinators, an automated platform to assess the effects of neonicotinoid exposure and other environmental stressors on bee colonies: a computational, ethological study

Abstract Background Animal pollinators provide vital ecosystem services that sustain biodiversity and support agricultural yields. Declining pollinator populations threaten to affect human health outcomes by decreasing crop yields and human nutrient intake, and there is a well-recognised need to understand how environmental stressors such as pesticides affect bees, the most important animal pollinators. Neonicotinoid pesticides in particular, the most widely used class of insecticide globally, pose a major threat to bees. While there is now strong evidence that neonicotinoids can affect bee behaviour and colony growth, major knowledge gaps remain in understanding how these pesticides affect pollinator health. First, the specific mechanisms by which neonicotinoid exposure affect bee colonies are not well understood, limiting the ability to predict their effects. Second, it is unclear how pesticide exposure interacts with other environmental stressors, which could either amplify or attenuate the effects of neonicotinoids. Methods We describe the development of an automated, robotic system aimed at helping to fill these gaps in knowledge. Specifically, this system harnesses advances in computer vision to track the behaviour of hundreds of individual bees across dozens of colonies simultaneously. Specifically, this system uses a computer-controlled, motorised camera array to collect video data from up to a dozen bumblebee colonies in parallel. We then use computer vision-based techniques to automatically measure key aspects of behaviour (eg, activity level, task performance, and social interactions) for individually tagged bees before and after exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides. Findings Using a preliminary version of this system, we have found that exposure to field-realistic levels of a common neonicotinoid pesticide (imidacloprid) affects key aspects of social behaviour in bumblebees ( Bombus impatiens ). These effects include reduced rates of nursing (27% reduction; p Interpretation This automated, parallel system is ideal for studying the effects of multiple environmental stressors, and we are currently extending it to investigate simultaneous exposure to neonicotinoids, thermal stress, and nutritional deficiency on the behaviour and health of bee colonies. This system can provide efficient screening of agrochemicals at low cost, and could provide an important instrument for policymakers and other shareholders to assess the risk of agrochemicals to the health of both bee and human populations. Funding Winslow Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation.
Cranial nerve clock. Part II: functional MR imaging of brain activation during a declarative memory task.

Abstract Rationale and Objectives The authors performed this study to assess brain activation during encoding and successful recall with a declarative memory paradigm that has previously been demonstrated to be effective for teaching students about the cranial nerves. Materials and Methods Twenty-four students underwent functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging during encoding and recall of the name, number, and function of the 12 cranial nerves. The students viewed mnemonic graphic and text slides related to individual nerves, as well as their respective control slides. For the recall paradigm, students were prompted with the numbers 1–12 (test condition) intermixed with the number 14 (control condition). Subjects were tested about their knowledge of cranial nerves outside the MR unit before and after functional MR imaging. Results Students learned about the cranial nerves while undergoing functional MR imaging (mean post- vs preparadigm score, 8.1 ± 3.4 [of a possible 12] vs 0.75 ± 0.94, bilateral prefrontal cortex, left greater than right; P −12 ) and maintained this knowledge at 1 week. The encoding and recall paradigms elicited distributed networks of brain activation. Encoding revealed statistically significant activation in the left more than right prefrontal cortex, bilateral occipital and parietal associative cortices, parahippocampus region, fusiform gyri, and cerebellum. Successful recall activated the left much more than the right prefrontal, parietal associative, and anterior cingulate cortices; bilateral precuneus and cerebellum; and right more than the left posterior cingulate. Conclusion A predictable pattern of brain activation at functional MR imaging accompanies the encoding and successful recall of the cranial nerves with this declarative memory paradigm.
Dynamic geo-fence assurance and recovery for nonholonomic autonomous aerial vehicles

Currently, there exists a growing demand for increased levels of autonomy in many types of aerial vehicles. This is a direct consequence of the need for increased safety and efficiency as the proliferation of these vehicles increases and the airspace becomes more densely populated. In regard to vehicle autonomy, one need relates to constraining the vehicle to a planned flight path that has set tolerances based on safety and the dynamics of the aircraft. In practice, in order to satisfy this need, potential obstacles, restricted regions, and nondeterministic factors that could lead the aircraft to violate the tolerances of the planned flight path must be accounted for. This paper proposes a solution to this problem which extends the concept of a “dynamic geo-fence” in order to provide for a way to first assure that the path constraints are met and, if necessary, recover to the flight path when a violation occurs. Our solution consists of two parts: a static 2-D vector field map and a trajectory planner. The construction of the vector map takes into account the dynamics of the aircraft and the required path constraints and allows for the presence of obstacles whose shape can be either convex or concave. Additionally, the solution was formulated assuming nonholonomic constraints for the dynamics of the vehicle. Methods for construction of the vector map are provided in this work. Simulation results show recovery trajectories in the presence of complex obstacles, including concave and cluttered environments. Limitations and possible improvements of this approach are also discussed.
Small bowel obstruction after transoral robotic surgery.

Background Head and neck surgery is not often considered a risk factor for intestinal ileus and small bowel obstruction. However, many of these patients may have had prior abdominal surgery, a known risk factor for small bowel obstruction, and may be at risk for bowel obstruction after a surgical procedure of the head and neck. Methods We present a case describing a patient who, after undergoing transoral robotic surgery, experienced delayed postoperative ileus and eventual small bowel obstruction requiring exploratory laparotomy and bowel resection. Results Although the patient required total parenteral nutrition for several days, he eventually was able to resume tube feeds, and after several months was able to tolerate an oral diet. Conclusion Although uncommon complications of head and neck surgery, intestinal ileus and small bowel obstruction can develop as the result of stress/inflammation, postoperative narcotic pain medication, and prior abdominal surgery.
Geometries and Transformations

Euclidean and other geometries are distinguished by the transformations that preserve their essential properties. Using linear algebra and transformation groups, this book provides a readable exposition of how these classical geometries are both differentiated and connected. Following Cayley and Klein, the book builds on projective and inversive geometry to construct 'linear' and 'circular' geometries, including classical real metric spaces like Euclidean, hyperbolic, elliptic, and spherical, as well as their unitary counterparts. The first part of the book deals with the foundations and general properties of the various kinds of geometries. The latter part studies discrete-geometric structures and their symmetries in various spaces. Written for graduate students, the book includes numerous exercises and covers both classical results and new research in the field. An understanding of analytic geometry, linear algebra, and elementary group theory is assumed.
Home inspection: Mina Rees and national computing infrastructure

This essay seeks to undermine the primacy of Vannevar Bush as an architect of digital culture by reimagining the story of national computing infrastructure through the framework of feminized care work. It argues that early forms of networked computational media were situated in collaborative spaces in which labor oriented around utilization, maintenance, and other forms of labor associated with domesticity were understood to be essential duties. This essay also tries not to focus exclusively on programmers, engineers, or designers as potential “mothers of invention.” Using theoretical frameworks from global feminists working on contemporary information and communication technologies, this essay argues that those who engage with the messiness of networks of relationships that constitute infrastructure should be acknowledged as critical in the history of computing, particularly to question myths of disintermediation that are so dominant in technological discourses. In considering recovered histories of women in computing, this essay examines the career of Mina Rees, who headed the mathematics department of the U. S. Office of Naval Research, as a way to rethink the origin stories of computer history.
High resolution simulation of particle-driven lock-exchange flow for non-Boussinesq conditions

The structure and dynamics of particle-driven lock exchange flows are examined by means of simulations of the variable density, incompressible NavierStokes equations. A large starting contrast is taken in the bulk density or instead in the interstitial fluid density. We record the streamwise liftoff location for the dense current as a function of the chosen density contrast for settling velocities beyond the range of validity of present day models.
The effect of metal loading on bacterial Hg adsorption

Abstract The mechanism of metal adsorption onto bacteria can change as a function of metal loading of the binding sites, and therefore the mechanisms of adsorption and the thermodynamic stability constants for the important bacterial surface complexes must be determined in order to accurately model metal behavior in near-surface geologic systems. In this study, batch metal adsorption experiments were conducted as a function of pH from 4 to 8, and Hg loading from 10 to 200 μmol Hg/g (wet weight bacteria). The adsorption data are in poor agreement with predictions of the extent of Hg adsorption that used previously published Hg-bacteria stability constants generated from high metal loading experiments. The extent that the thermodynamic model underpredicts the measured Hg adsorption increases with decreasing Hg loading and pH, suggesting that the mechanism of adsorption changes as a function of Hg loading and that an additional Hg-bacterial surface complex becomes important under low,