cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geologist at sea: aspects of ocean history.

Ocean history is largely read from deep-sea sediments, using microscopic fossils, notably foraminifers. Ice age fluctuations in the ocean's sediments provided for a new geologic understanding of climate change. The discovery of rapid decay of ice masses at the end of glacial periods was especially important, yielding rates of sea level rise reaching values of 1 to 2 m per century for millennia. Thanks to deep-ocean drilling, the overall planetary cooling trend in the Cenozoic was recognized as occurring in three large steps. The first step is at the Eocene–Oligocene boundary and is marked by a great change in sedimentation patterns; the second is in the middle Miocene, associated with a major pulse in the buildup of Antarctic ice masses and the intensification of upwelling regimes; and the third is within the late Pliocene and led into the northern ice ages. Evolution in the sea is linked to these various steps.
Ehlers–Danlos type VIII, periodontitis-type: Further delineation of the syndrome in a four-generation pedigree

The periodontitis type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS type VIII) is distinguished from other subtypes of EDS by severe periodontitis leading to premature loss of permanent teeth. A limited number of patients and pedigrees with this condition have been described. We report a four-generation EDS VIII kindred with a phenotype of joint hypermobility, normal scar formation but eventual scar atrophy, and severe periodontal disease. Similar to other subtypes of EDS, the age of onset and severity of symptoms were variable amongst affected individuals, confirming the presence of intra-familial variability in this subtype. This pedigree is not linked to the previously reported region, confirming genetic locus heterogeneity in EDS type VIII.
Progress Dissecting the Oral Microbiome in Caries and Health

Recent rapid advances in "-omics" technologies have yielded new insights into the interaction of the oral microbiome with its host. Associations of species that are usually considered to be acid-tolerant with caries have been confirmed, while some recognized as health-associated are often present in greater proportions in the absence of caries. In addition, some newly identified bacteria have been suggested as potential contributors to the caries process. In spite of this progress, two major challenges remain. The first is that there is a great deal of heterogeneity in the phenotypic capabilities of individual species of oral bacteria. The second is that the most abundant taxa in oral biofilms display remarkable phenotypic plasticity, i.e., the bacteria associated most strongly with health or with caries can morph rapidly in response to alterations in environmental pH, carbohydrate availability and source, and oxygen tension and redox environment. However, new technologic advances coupled with "old-fashioned microbiology" are starting to erode the barriers to a more complete understanding of oral biofilm physiology and ecology, and in doing so are beginning to provide insights for the creation of novel cost-effective caries control therapies.
Invited: Comparative microbial genomics

As microbial sequencing data starts to pour in at an increasing rate, comparative genomics holds the keys to decipher and mine this wealth of information. We discuss the diverse ways in which the availability of comparative genomics data allows us to answer more questions with greater ease and greater confidence.
Mathematical Design Tools for Integrated Production Systems

Long before the operating policies of a manufacturing system are considered, many design decisions are made which affect the ultimate ability of production managers to control the performance of the system. Although some of the more advanced companies employ simulation methods to “fine tune” their system designs, few make use of any formal methodology at all in the critical early stages. Fundamental design issues, such as how large the system will be or the selection of processing and material handling equipment, are usually dealt with by arbitrary choice or back-of-the-envelope calculations. It is ironic that the most important design decisions -- those having the greatest long-term impact on system productivity -- are handled in the least careful manner.
Backcasting: adaptive sampling for sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks provide an attractive approach to spatially monitoring environments. Wireless technology makes these systems relatively flexible, but also places heavy demands on energy consumption for communications. This raises a fundamental trade-off: using higher densities of sensors provides more measurements, higher resolution and better accuracy, but requires more communications and processing. This paper proposes a new approach, called "back-casting," which can significantly reduce communications and energy consumption while maintaining high accuracy. Back-casting operates by first having a small subset of the wireless sensors communicate their information to a fusion center. This provides an initial estimate of the environment being sensed, and guides the allocation of additional network resources. Specifically, the fusion center backcasts information based on the initial estimate to the network at large, selectively activating additional sensor nodes in order to achieve a target error level. The key idea is that the initial estimate can detect correlations in the environment, indicating that many sensors may not need to be activated by the fusion center. Thus, adaptive sampling can save energy compared to dense, non-adaptive sampling. This method is theoretically analyzed in the context of field estimation and it is shown that the energy savings can be quite significant compared to conventional approaches. For example, when sensing a piecewise smooth field with an array of 100 /spl times/ 100 sensors, adaptive sampling can reduce the energy consumption by roughly a factor of 10 while providing the same accuracy achievable if all sensors were activated.
Aurora: a new model and architecture for data stream management

Abstract.This paper describes the basic processing model and architecture of Aurora, a new system to manage data streams for monitoring applications. Monitoring applications differ substantially from conventional business data processing. The fact that a software system must process and react to continual inputs from many sources (e.g., sensors) rather than from human operators requires one to rethink the fundamental architecture of a DBMS for this application area. In this paper, we present Aurora, a new DBMS currently under construction at Brandeis University, Brown University, and M.I.T. We first provide an overview of the basic Aurora model and architecture and then describe in detail a stream-oriented set of operators.
Surface reflectance mapping using interferometric spectral imagery from a remotely piloted aircraft

During October 1997, a prototype sensor was flown on an experimental remotely piloted aircraft over the island of Kauai as part of a terrestrial remote sensing technology feasibility study. The authors describe the deployment, testing, and evaluation of the compact lightweight sensor design based on two-beam interferometry for acquiring visible and near-infrared spectral images. The resulting images of agricultural fields and an air base facility are presented and evaluated. Surface albedo measurements obtained from a ground based spectrometer and an atmospheric profile measured from a radiosonde were used to establish ground-truth and to evaluate the spectral imager's performance. Quantitative intercomparisons between ground-based and airborne-based measurements were made using an atmospheric model based on MODTRAN together with algorithms to account for the sensors' differences in instrumental line shape and spectral sampling grids. The future potential of this alternative sensor technology is discussed in the light of current and predicted sensor performance.
Finding function: evaluation methods for functional genomic data

Background Accurate evaluation of the quality of genomic or proteomic data and computational methods is vital to our ability to use them for formulating novel biological hypotheses and directing further experiments. There is currently no standard approach to evaluation in functional genomics. Our analysis of existing approaches shows that they are inconsistent and contain substantial functional biases that render the resulting evaluations misleading both quantitatively and qualitatively. These problems make it essentially impossible to compare computational methods or large-scale experimental datasets and also result in conclusions that generalize poorly in most biological applications.
Functional comparisons of three glutamate transporter subtypes cloned from human motor cortex

Reuptake plays an important role in regulating synaptic and extracellular concentrations of glutamate. Three glutamate transporters expressed in human motor cortex, termed EAAT1, EAAT2, and EAAT3 (for excitatory amino acid transporter), have been characterized by their molecular cloning and functional expression. Each EAAT subtype mRNA was found in all human brain regions analyzed. The most prominent regional variation in message content was in cerebellum where EAAT1 expression predominated. EAAT1 and EAAT3 mRNAs were also expressed in various non- nervous tissues, whereas expression of EAAT2 was largely restricted to brain. The kinetic parameters and pharmacological characteristics of transport mediated by each EAAT subtype were determined in transfected mammalian cells by radio-label uptake and in microinjected oocytes by voltage-clamp measurements. The affinities of the EAAT subtypes for L- glutamate were similar, with Km determinations varying from 48 to 97 microM in the mammalian cell assay and from 18 to 28 microM in oocytes. Glutamate uptake inhibitors were used to compare the pharmacologies of the EAAT subtypes. The EAAT2 subtype was distinguishable from the EAAT1/EAAT3 subtypes by the potency of several inhibitors, but most notably by sensitivity to kainic acid (KA) and dihydrokainic acid (DHK). KA and DHK potently inhibited EAAT2 transport, but did not significantly affect transport by EAAT1/EAAT3. Using voltage-clamp measurements, most inhibitors were found to be substrates that elicited transport currents. In contrast, KA and DHK did not evoke currents and they were found to block EAAT2-mediated transport competitively. This selective interaction with the EAAT2 subtype could be a significant factor in KA neurotoxicity. These studies provide a foundation for understanding the role of glutamate transporters in human excitatory neurotransmission and in neuropathology.
On Simulating Flows with Multiple Time Scales Using a Method of Averages

We present a new method, based on averaging, to simulate certain systems with multiple time scales efficiently and demonstrate its utility in the context of the shallow-water equations. We first develop the method in a simple linear setting and analytically prove its stability. This is followed by an extension to the full equations and a presentation of a computational model for it. In this preliminary study, we find that the new method produces results that are very close to a fully explicit (spatially and temporally) second-order accurate scheme and much better than a fully explicit (spatially and temporally) first-order accurate scheme, while costing less than the first-order accurate scheme.
Landholding in Late Roman Egypt: The Distribution of Wealth

One of the most revealing aspects of any society is the distribution of wealth. In the ancient world, the stratification of landholdings essentially determined the stratification of wealth. There were, to be sure, many other kinds of wealth: funds and commodities for lending, urban rental property, productive enterprises, slaves, ships, and so on. To some extent these were no doubt owned by the same people who owned agricultural land, but the almost total absence of quantifiable data makes generalization difficult. Land, moreover, occupied a unique position in the economy and government of the Roman Empire, both practically and ideologically. The great bulk of taxation fell on the land, and almost all of the burdens of public service both in the cities and in the villages were attached to its ownership. That these disadvantages of land as a form of wealth were insufficient to deter the elite from desiring land is in some measure the result of the enormous ideological preference that all of classical antiquity attached to land as a form of wealth, an ideology connected in part to the relative stability of returns from landed property compared to those from other, more volatile, forms of wealth.
Role of the Mitochondrial Membrane Permeability Transition (MPT) in Rotenone-Induced Apoptosis in Liver Cells

Rotenone inhibits spontaneously and chemically induced hepatic tumorigenesis in rodents through the induction of apoptosis. However, the mechanism for the induction of apoptosis by rotenone has not been defined. Mitochondrial dysfunction, in particular the induction of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition (MPT), has been implicated in the cascade of events involved in the induction of apoptosis. Inhibition of the mitochondrial electron-transport chain reduces the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (delta(psi)m), which may induce the formation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and the subsequent MPT. Fluorescent microscopy of Hoechst 33258-stained WB-F344 cells, a rat-liver cell line, was utilized to examine the effect of the mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitor, rotenone (0.5-5 microM), atractyloside (5-10 microM), and cyclosporin A (2.5-10 microM) on apoptosis. A time- and concentration-dependent increase in liver cell apoptosis was observed following treatment with rotenone and atractyloside (11.7- and 7.7-fold, respectively, over solvent control). Cotreatment with 7.5- and 10 microM-cyclosporin A for 12 h inhibited the apoptogenicity of 5-microM rotenone treatment. A similar effect was observed following cyclosporin A cotreatment with atractyloside. Rotenone induced a rapid increase in apoptosis (within 20 min of treatment). By 2 h of treatment, the morphological appearance of apoptosis was similar to that observed in cultures treated continuously with rotenone for 12 h. Inhibition studies demonstrated that cyclosporin A prevented apoptosis if the exposure to it occurred prior to the 20-min threshold necessary to induce apoptosis by rotenone. Mitochondrial function was examined by staining with the mitochondrial membrane potential (delta(psi)m)-sensitive fluorochrome, MitoTracker Red (CMXRos) and confirmed utilizing cytofluorometric analysis of DiOC6(3)-stained cells. Rotenone (5.0-microM) and atractyloside (5.0-microM) reduced the percent of CMXRos or DiOC6(3)-positive (delta(psi)m-positive) liver cells within 15 min and throughout the duration of the study (6 h) to approximately 65-80% and 50-80% of control. However, cotreatment with concentrations of cyclosporin A that inhibited the apoptogenicity of rotenone and atractyloside prevented the rotenone- and atractyloside-induced reduction of the delta(psi)m. Therefore, the apoptogenic effect of rotenone and atractyloside appears to occur rapidly (within 20 min) and is irreversible once mitochondrial damage occurs. The inhibition of the rotenone- and atractyloside-induced apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction by cyclosporin A suggests the MPT may be involved in the induction of apoptosis by rotenone.
Collateral Circulation in Patients with Unstable Angina

Coronary collaterals were evaluated in 218 consecutive catheterized patients with unstable angina (defined as ischemic cardiac pain at rest associated with transient electrocardiographic changes). Collaterals were present in 106 patients (49 percent). The presence of collaterals correlated with the extent and severity of the coronary artery disease but not with age, sex, or risk factors. Among patients with comparable severity of narrowings, the presence of collaterals did not appear to protect against abnormal wall motion or pathologic Q waves on the EGG. In patients with single vessel disease, collaterals also did not appear to protect against transient ST segment elevation during ischemia.
The insulin receptor: structure, function, and signaling

The insulin receptor is a member of the ligand-activated receptor and tyrosine kinase family of transmembrane signaling proteins that collectively are fundamentally important regulators of cell differentiation, growth, and metabolism. The insulin receptor has a number of unique physiological and biochemical properties that distinguish it from other members of this large well-studied receptor family. The main physiological role of the insulin receptor appears to be metabolic regulation, whereas all other receptor tyrosine kinases are engaged in regulating cell growth and/or differentiation. Receptor tyrosine kinases are allosterically regulated by their cognate ligands and function as dimers. In all cases but the insulin receptor (and 2 closely related receptors), these dimers are noncovalent, but insulin receptors are covalently maintained as functional dimers by disulfide bonds. The initial response to the ligand is receptor autophosphorylation for all receptor tyrosine kinases. In most cases, this results in receptor association of effector molecules that have unique recognition domains for phosphotyrosine residues and whose binding to these results in a biological response. For the insulin receptor, this does not occur; rather, it phosphorylates a large substrate protein that, in turn, engages effector molecules. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed in this review. The chemistry of insulin is very well characterized because of possible therapeutic interventions in diabetes using insulin derivatives. This has allowed the synthesis of many insulin derivatives, and we review our recent exploitation of one such derivative to understand the biochemistry of the interaction of this ligand with the receptor and to dissect the complicated steps of ligand-induced insulin receptor autophosphorylation. We note possible future directions in the study of the insulin receptor and its intracellular signaling pathway(s).
Asymmetric Contests with Interdependent Valuations

I show that a unique equilibrium exists in an asymmetric two-player all-pay auction with a discrete signal structure that satisfies a monotonicity condition in each player’s signal. The proof is constructive, and the construction can be implemented as a computer program and be used to derive comparative statics. I also characterize the set of equilibria when a reserve price is introduced.
Abstract 3805: Single cell evolution of AKT pathway activation drives T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia relapse.

The aggressive and unpredictable behavior of relapsed T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) presents a major clinical challenge, with >70% of children and >90% of adults unable to survive relapsed disease. Relapsed T-ALL often acquires mutations that are not found in the primary malignancy. It is these new mutations that allow clones to survive treatment and drive relapse growth. In order to identify the genes and pathways responsible for T-ALL relapse, we have developed a transgenic zebrafish model of relapsed T-ALL where single fluorescently-labeled leukemic cells are transplanted into genetically identical recipient fish and functionally assessed for differences in relapse growth. Using serial transplantation of single T-ALL cells and >6,000 recipient animals, we have followed single-cell evolution of T-ALL and identified critical drivers of relapse. These experiments showed that 6 of 49 individual T-ALL cells significantly increased their ability to form relapse over time. Analysis of T-ALL clones pre- and post-evolution showed that AKT pathway activation was correlated with increased relapse potential. Subsequent studies utilizing transgenic zebrafish that over-expressed activated AKT in developing T-ALL demonstrated that AKT signaling increased relapse potential 10-fold. Transgenic epistatic experiments revealed that AKT signaling plays two distinct roles in T-ALL relapse: the AKT/mTORC1 pathway directly enhanced relapse potential, while AKT mediated stabilization of the Myc protein increased T-ALL aggressiveness. Moreover, small molecule inhibition of AKT signaling reduced T-ALL relapse potential in vivo by 25-fold and synergized with Dexamethasone, a common cytotoxic chemotherapy, to significantly enhance cell killing in both zebrafish and human T-ALL. Activation of AKT signaling is associated with poor prognosis and drug resistance in human T-ALL, which, together with our work, suggests that AKT will be a useful molecular target in the treatment of T-ALL. Our experiments have documented the functional heterogeneity of single leukemic cells and identified AKT as a critical driver of T-ALL aggression, relapse formation, and insensitivity to therapy. These are first studies performed in any model to follow single cell evolution as it relates to relapse, opening new and exciting avenues of study to uncover genetic pathways that drive cancer malignancy. Citation Format: Jessica S. Blackburn, Sali Liu, Kimberly Dobrinski, Jayme Ranalli, Sarah Martinez, Charles Lee, David Langenau. Single cell evolution of AKT pathway activation drives T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia relapse. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3805. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3805
Some Aspects of Galactic Structure Derived from the Berkeley Low Latitude Survey of Neutral Hydrogen

The principal problem in the study of spiral structure is to reduce the data to a small enough number of pictures or numbers that can be easily comprehended. A new map has been produced, based on circular rotation, but the high probability of large radial motions makes it likely than any picture of spiral structure derived on current theories will be in error. New computer pictures have made it possible to see the structure of the outer arm, which has many cloud-like structures lying above it on one side, some reaching heights of more than 1 kpc. Some very weak extended features in the outer regions are described, and examples of holes and jets are discussed.
The Baller biface cache: A possible Clovis site in Hitchcock county, Nebraska

Twenty-six Clovis implement caches are known from western North America. In cases where time-sensitive artifacts (e.g., Clovis projectile points or mammoth ivory rods) or adequate information about their provenience and geological context are absent, assigning temporal and cultural affiliation has been challenging. Such is the case with a cache of eight large bifaces, four of which were donated by Albert E. Baller in the early 1900s to the University of Nebraska State Museum. The cache was discovered along with debitage within a small tributary of the Republican River in south-central Nebraska. The four donated Baller bifaces have been curated since the early 1900s. This study compared the physical properties, metrical attributes, and lithic reduction strategies exhibited by the bifaces with 119 similar large bifaces recovered from 10 Clovis caches. These comparisons suggest that the Baller bifaces may represent yet unreported Clovis cache from western North America.
Patient and provider concordance on symptoms during the oncology outpatient clinic visit.

BACKGROUND Cancer patients experience multiple symptoms, with specific symptoms varying by cancer type. Problems in communication between patients and health care providers (HCPs) can interfere with effective symptom assessment and management. OBJECTIVE To address gaps in previous research by prospectively examining concordance between HCPs and patients on identifying patients' symptoms by using an identical tool for patients and HCPs at the time of the oncology clinic visit. METHODS 94 patients completed measures of symptom experience and medical comorbidities before seeing their oncology medical team. HCPs were informed of a patient's participation in the study before seeing the patient in clinic. Immediately after the clinic visit, HCPs completed a symptom survey in which they noted the patient's symptoms. RESULTS Patients reported more symptoms than the HCPs endorsed. The highest level of concordance for any symptom fell in the moderate agreement range. Kappa values reflecting concordance between patients and HCPs were not significantly different between the various patient-HCP pairs. No demographic or clinical variables for patients were found to be statistically related to the level of agreement on patients' symptoms. LIMITATIONS The use of a small convenience sample size drawn from 3 specialty oncology outpatient clinics may limit the generalizability of the results to other types of cancer. The distribution of cancer stage was weighted toward stages III and IV, likely contributing to the number of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The level of agreement between HCPs and oncology patients on patient symptoms is weak. Concordance levels were similar, regardless of the type of HCP.
Sequential Interpolated Paramedian Forehead Flaps

The patient was a 44-year-old woman who had Mohs surgery for treatment of a basal cell carcinoma of the right ala. Examination of her nasal defect following surgery revealed a 2 × 2.5 cm skin defect of the ala and tip (Fig. 20.1). A portion of the right alar margin was missing. An interpolated paramedian forehead flap was used for repair of the nose. This flap was selected because of the patient’s youthful face and lack of cheek skin laxity. The lining defect of the nostril margin was supplied by advancement of vestibular skin. The vestibular skin was dissected from the entire lateral crus of the alar cartilage and mobilized inferiorly to the level of the alar margin. The remaining skin of the alar aesthetic unit was removed, and an auricular cartilage alar framework graft described in Chaps. 7 and 13 was secured along the nostril margin. The height of the graft extended from the nostril margin to the caudal border of the lateral crus of the alar cartilage. It was secured to the advanced vestibular skin with two 5-0 polyglactin mattress sutures. The graft was also sutured to the lateral crus, with similar sutures placed in a figure-of-eight fashion to prevent overlapping of the graft with the crus (Fig. 20.2).
Regulation of epithelial ion transport in exocrine glands by store-operated Ca 2+ entry.

Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is a conserved mechanism of Ca2+ influx that regulates Ca2+ signaling in many cell types. SOCE is activated by depletion of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ stores in response to physiological agonist stimulation. After it was first postulated by J.W. Putney Jr. in 1986, SOCE has been described in a large number of non-excitable cell types including secretory cells of different exocrine glands. Here we discuss the mechanisms by which SOCE controls salt and fluid secretion in exocrine glands, with a special focus on eccrine sweat glands. In sweat glands, SOCE plays an important, non-redundant role in regulating the function of Ca2+-activated Cl- channels (CaCC), Cl- secretion and sweat production. In the absence of key regulators of SOCE such as the CRAC channel pore subunit ORAI1 and its activator STIM1, the Ca2+-activated chloride channel TMEM16A is inactive and fails to secrete Cl-, resulting in anhidrosis in mice and human patients.
Scaling laws in elastic polycrystals with individual grains belonging to any crystal class

In this paper, we develop unifying scaling laws describing the response of elastic polycrystals at finite mesoscales. These polycrystals are made up of individual grains belonging to any crystal class (from cubic to triclinic) and are generated by Voronoi tessellations with varying grain sizes. Rigorous scale-dependent bounds are then obtained by setting up and solving Dirichlet and Neumann boundary value problems consistent with the Hill–Mandel homogenization condition. The results generated are benchmarked with existing numerical results in special cases and the effect of grain shape on the scaling behavior is investigated. The convergence to the effective elastic properties with increasing number of grains is established by analyzing 5180 boundary value problems. This leads to the notion of an elastic scaling function which takes a power law form in terms of the universal anisotropy index and the mesoscale. Based on the scaling function, a material scaling diagram is constructed using which the convergence to the effective properties can be analyzed for any elastic microstructure.
Using stroboscopic flow imaging to validate large-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations

The utility and accuracy of computational modeling often requires direct validation against experimental measurements. The work presented here is motivated by taking a combined experimental and computational approach to determine the ability of large-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to understand and predict the dynamics of circulating tumor cells in clinically relevant environments. We use stroboscopic light sheet fluorescence imaging to track the paths and measure the velocities of fluorescent microspheres throughout a human aorta model. Performed over complex physiologicallyrealistic 3D geometries, large data sets are acquired with microscopic resolution over macroscopic distances.
Experiment to demonstrate separation of Cherenkov and scintillation signals

The ability to separately identify the Cherenkov and scintillation light components produced in scintillating mediums holds the potential for a major breakthrough in neutrino detection technology, allowing development of a large, low-threshold, directional detector with a broad physics program. The CHESS (CHErenkov/Scintillation Separation) experiment employs an innovative detector design with an array of small, fast photomultiplier tubes and state-of-the-art electronics to demonstrate the reconstruction of a Cherenkov ring in a scintillating medium based on photon hit time and detected photoelectron density. This paper describes the physical properties and calibration of CHESS along with first results. The ability to reconstruct Cherenkov rings is demonstrated in a water target, and a time precision of $338\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}12\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ps}$ FWHM is achieved. Monte Carlo--based predictions for the ring imaging sensitivity with a liquid scintillator target predict an efficiency for identifying Cherenkov hits of $94\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1%$ and $81\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1%$ in pure linear alkyl benzene (LAB) and LAB loaded with 2 g/L of a fluor, PPO, respectively, with a scintillation contamination of $12\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1%$ and $26\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1%$.
The Principle of Discrimination in Twenty First Century Warfare

This chapter examines the international humanitarian law principle of discrimination in the context of likely twenty first century warfare. The principle requires that those engaged in hostilities distinguish between civilians (and their property) and military objectives. The continued viability of the norm in light of future methods and means of warfare, which arguably constitute a “revolution in military affairs”, is an open question. In some cases, future warfare will encumber compliance. In others, new methods and means of warfare will make greater discrimination possible. The chapter concludes with tentative suggestions on how to soften the impact of any potentially negative trends.
Using Registered Dental Hygienists to Promote a School-Based Approach to Dental Public Health

We examine a strategy for improving oral health in the United States by focusing on low-income children in school-based settings. Vulnerable children often experience cultural, social, economic, structural, and geographic barriers when trying to access dental services in traditional dental office settings. These disparities have been discussed for more than a decade in multiple US Department of Health and Human Services publications. One solution is to revise dental practice acts to allow registered dental hygienists increased scope of services, expanded public health delivery opportunities, and decreased dentist supervision.We provide examples of how federally qualified health centers have implemented successful school-based dental models within the parameters of two state policies that allow registered dental hygienists varying levels of dentist supervision.Changes to dental practice acts at the state level allowing registered dental hygienists to practice with limited supervision in community settings,...
Oral Health Disparities: A Perspective From the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

The author discusses improvements in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of oral diseases in the U.S. despite significant oral health disparities. Topics include the tendency for dental caries and periodontal disease to be the most common health problems afflicting disadvantaged and underserved communities, research on oral health disparities by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), and the need for interdisciplinary efforts to address oral health disparities.
Can nuclear physics explain the anomaly observed in the internal pair production in the Beryllium-8 nucleus?

Abstract Recently the experimentalists in Krasznahorkay (2016) [1] announced observing an unexpected enhancement of the e + – e − pair production signal in one of the 8Be nuclear transitions. The subsequent studies have been focused on possible explanations based on introducing new types of particle. In this work, we improve the nuclear physics modeling of the reaction by studying the pair emission anisotropy and the interferences between different multipoles in an effective field theory inspired framework, and examine their possible relevance to the anomaly. The connection between the previously measured on-shell photon production and the pair production in the same nuclear transitions is established. These improvements, absent in the original experimental analysis, should be included in extracting new particle's properties from the experiment of this type. However, the improvements can not explain the anomaly. We then explore the nuclear transition form factor as a possible origin of the anomaly, and find the required form factor to be unrealistic for the 8Be nucleus. The reduction of the anomaly's significance by simply rescaling our predicted event count is also investigated.
The isolation of cellulose nanocrystals from pistachio shells via acid hydrolysis

Abstract The pistachio nut (pistacia vera) is a common food source. The shell of the nut has few known applications and is considered a waste product of the agriculture industry (agro waste). In this paper, we show a method for isolating cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from the pistachio shell. CNCs are well known for having very good mechanical properties which have shown themselves to be effective in many different polymer based nano-composites. We show that common methods of purifying and hydrolyzing cellulose will result in useable CNCs. We found a yield of 50 ± 14 wt%, which is rather high for an agro waste product. We found an aspect ratio of 17 ± 3 , a crystallinity of 66%, and a surface charge density of 90 ± 12 mmol/kg. These numbers compare well with other common commercial sources of CNCs.
An Enhanced PIRATA Dataset for Tropical Atlantic Ocean-Atmosphere Research

AbstractThe Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Tropical Atlantic (PIRATA) provides measurements of the upper ocean and near-surface atmosphere at 18 locations. Time series from many moorings are nearly 20 years in length. However, instrumental biases, data dropouts, and the coarse vertical resolutions of the oceanic measurements complicate their use for research. Here an enhanced PIRATA dataset (ePIRATA) is presented for the 17 PIRATA moorings with record lengths of at least seven years. Data in ePIRATA are corrected for instrumental biases, temporal gaps are filled using supplementary datasets, and the subsurface temperature and salinity time series are mapped to a uniform 5-m vertical grid. All original PIRATA data that pass quality control and that do not require bias correction are retained without modification, and detailed error estimates are provided. The terms in the mixed-layer heat and temperature budgets are calculated and included, with error bars. As an example of ePIRATA’s applicati...
Is past life regression therapy ethical

Past life regression therapy is used by some physicians in cases with some mental diseases. Anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and gender dysphoria have all been treated using life regression therapy by some doctors on the assumption that they reflect problems in past lives. Although it is not supported by psychiatric associations, few medical associations have actually condemned it as unethical. In this article, I argue that past life regression therapy is unethical for two basic reasons. First, it is not evidence-based. Past life regression is based on the reincarnation hypothesis, but this hypothesis is not supported by evidence, and in fact, it faces some insurmountable conceptual problems. If patients are not fully informed about these problems, they cannot provide an informed consent, and hence, the principle of autonomy is violated. Second, past life regression therapy has the great risk of implanting false memories in patients, and thus, causing significant harm. This is a violation of the principle of non-malfeasance, which is surely the most important principle in medical ethics.
Association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and diabetes mortality in the US.

Abstract Objective Recent mechanistic and epidemiological evidence implicates air pollution as a potential risk factor for diabetes; however, mortality risks have not been evaluated in a large US cohort assessing exposures to multiple pollutants with detailed consideration of personal risk factors for diabetes. Research design and methods We assessed the effects of long-term ambient air pollution exposures on diabetes mortality in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, a cohort of approximately a half million subjects across the contiguous U.S. The cohort, with a follow-up period between 1995 and 2011, was linked to residential census tract estimates for annual mean concentration levels of PM2.5, NO2, and O3. Associations between the air pollutants and the risk of diabetes mortality (N = 3598) were evaluated using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for both individual-level and census-level contextual covariates. Results Diabetes mortality was significantly associated with increasing levels of both PM2.5 (HR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.03–1.39 per 10 μg/m3) and NO2 (HR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.01–1.18 per 10 ppb). The strength of the relationship was robust to alternate exposure assessments and model specifications. We also observed significant effect modification, with elevated mortality risks observed among those with higher BMI and lower levels of fruit consumption. Conclusions We found that long-term exposure to PM2.5 and NO2, but not O3, is related to increased risk of diabetes mortality in the U.S, with attenuation of adverse effects by lower BMI and higher fruit consumption, suggesting that air pollution is involved in the etiology and/or control of diabetes.
Managing paediatric bleeding disorder patients undergoing surgical procedures: Leveraging the electronic medical record

Introduction Individuals with bleeding disorders have a high risk of bleeding complications with surgical procedures. Careful planning and management of peri-operative treatment is vital for their safety. Yet, inter-provider communication and communication between patients/families and providers is not reliable. Aim Our haemophilia treatment centre (HTC) created a care gap report that used the electronic medical record to inform our team when patients with bleeding disorders were scheduled for procedures. Methods An electronic medical record-based patient registry was linked to the hospital's surgical schedule and a report was run daily by HTC staff for the upcoming 14 days. We determined the number of surgeries scheduled for patients with a bleeding disorder without the knowledge of the HTC, identified by the care gap report during the 6 months prior to and 2 years after implementing the report. Results Had the report been in effect 6 months prior, the majority of surgery cases would have been detected and planned for an average of 10 days prior to the procedure. Following implementation, the report identified 62 of 225 surgeries on patients with known bleeding disorders where the HTC did not have prior communication from the patient/family or surgical team. Conclusion This surgery care gap report provides the date and time of procedures on bleeding disorder patients without relying on contact from patients/families or the surgical team. Its use has resulted in an improved peri-operative process for patients with bleeding disorders undergoing surgical procedures and potentially prevented surgery cancellations.
Daily Control Beliefs and Cognition: The Mediating Role of Physical Activity

Objectives Recent work suggests that physical activity may underlie the positive relationship between control beliefs and cognition. Despite the well-known cognitive benefits, most adults do not engage in enough physical activity, perhaps due to low perceived control. The current study aimed to expand upon past work by investigating these constructs over the short-term by studying the intraindividual variability in daily control beliefs, physical activity, and cognition. We examined whether these constructs were related on a day-to-day basis and if daily physical activity mediated the relationship between control beliefs and cognition. Method Over 7 consecutive days, 145 participants (M = 50.54 years) completed daily diaries to measure domain-specific control beliefs, wore an ActiGraph to capture objective physical activity, and were administered 2 tasks each day via phone to measure cognition. Results Using multilevel structural equation modeling, our results indicated that on days with higher control beliefs cognition was also higher and this relationship was mediated by one's level of physical activity. Discussion These findings demonstrate the role of physical activity in linking control beliefs and cognition on a daily level using a within-person approach to investigate the dynamic processes in beliefs and cognition.
Some Reflections and Suggestions

As the preceding chapters have illustrated, contemporary Christian theology manifests a variety of perspectives and approaches in medical ethics. The four moralists surveyed here differ among themselves not only in how they address and answer medico-moral questions but also in how they pose them. Their theological and anthropological presuppositions frame their views on the appropriate scope of ethical judgements (that is, whose interests or good must be included in formulating moral judgements), their understandings of the theological significance of human life and the experience of death, their selection of a preferred ethical methodology for resolving moral conflicts, and so on.
Graduate students’ perceptions’ on a professional pathway for academic advisors

As academic advising took hold in higher education as a regular part of the student experience, the profession struggled to support professional development for academic advisors. In the last 20 years, research has shown how academic advising can positively impact student retention, satisfaction, and success in higher education. A need has arisen for the academic advising profession to create foundational experiences for new or emerging academic advisors through professional development such as training, coursework, and graduate programs. This qualitative case study examined attitudes and beliefs of eight graduate students enrolled in a course on academic advising. Data from this study is expected to contribute to the understanding of how advisors feel about becoming academic advisors, how they view academic advisors are created, and assist the profession in preparing individuals who want to become new academic advisors. The results of this study indicated a need to build foundational knowledge and practice for new and emerging advisors so they may serve as resources and guides for students while positively impacting student success in higher education.
Community of practice foundations in Scripture: a model of vocational preparation*

Communities of practice are used for fostering learning within a specific occupation or vocation. Participation within these communities uses an apprenticeship model to support its members from nov...
Concurrent Hernia Repair with Gynecologic or Urologic Surgery? Pros and Cons

The feasibility and safety of concurrent hernia repair with gynecologic and urologic surgery have been well-described in the literature over the past six decades using a variety of approaches including open, laparoscopic, and robotic. Simultaneous inguinal herniorrhaphy performed at the time of prostatectomy and Cesarean section are the two most commonly performed concurrent procedures in the United States today. In this chapter, the benefits of concurrent hernia repair at the time of gynecologic/urologic surgery as well as the potential complications including wound/mesh infection rates, hernia recurrence, and postoperative pain will be discussed in detail. Finally, our technique for concurrent herniorrhaphy at the time of gynecologic/urologic procedures will also be described.
Pre-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio is associated with overall mortality in localized non-small cell lung cancer treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Abstract Background Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been associated with mortality in several disease sites. We hypothesized that NLR is associated with inferior outcomes in localized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Methods We evaluated the association of pre-treatment NLR, obtained within 6 months of starting SBRT, with overall survival, as well as primary tumor, regional, and distant recurrence. Multivariate Cox regression was then used to assess pre-treatment NLR as a predictor of mortality. We validated our findings in an independent cohort of patients treated at two other institutions. In a secondary analysis, we also evaluated the association of post-treatment NLR with mortality in the training cohort. Results A total of 156 patients and 166 tumors were included in the training cohort with a median follow-up of 13.4 months. After dichotomization by median, NLR > 3.6 was associated with mortality on univariate (p = 0.010) and multivariate analysis (p = 0.023). In the validation cohort, NLR > 3.6 was similarly associated with mortality on univariate (p = 0.031) and multivariate (p = 0.007) analysis. In a secondary analysis in the training cohort, we found post-treatment NLR was significantly increased compared to pre-treatment NLR (p Conclusions Pre-treatment NLR > 3.6 is associated with mortality in patients treated with SBRT. This finding was validated in an independent cohort of patients treated at two other institutions. Additionally, post-treatment NLR was significantly increased from pre-treatment and associated with overall survival.
Probability Propagation Method for Reliability Assessment of Acyclic Directed Networks

AbstractMany civil infrastructure systems that deliver resources from source points to sinks, e.g., power distribution and gas pipeline networks, can be described as acyclic directed networks compr...