cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of UH-60A Rotor Performance and Loads at High Advance Ratios

Wind tunnel measurements of the performance, airloads, and structural loads of a full-scale UH-60A Black Hawk main rotor operating at high advance ratios (up to 1.0) are compared with calculations obtained using the comprehensive rotorcraft analysis Comprehensive Analytical Model of Rotorcraft Aerodynamics and Dynamics II to understand physics and quantify this comprehensive code’s accuracy and reliability in the prediction of rotor performance and loads at high advance ratios. Detailed comparisons are made on rotor thrust, control angles, power, and section loads to illustrate and understand unique aeromechanics phenomena in this regime. The analysis correctly predicts the thrust reversal with collective at high advance ratios. Rotor induced plus profile power is also reasonably well predicted with proper modeling of the shank. Airloads and structural loads correlation is fair. A significant underprediction of 2-per-revolution structural loads is observed.
Intimacy Goals and Strategies of Conflict Resolution in Dating Relationships: A Mediational Analysis

This research examined the associations among intimacy goals in dating, strategies for managing romantic conflict, and relationship satisfaction. One hundred and eighty-nine students completed a questionnaire assessing their intimacy goals and conflict resolution strategies in three distinct ways, namely responses to a general romantic conflict resolution scale, responses to specific hypothetical dating conflicts, and reactions to conflicts experienced in their own relationships. Individuals with a stronger focus on intimacy goals were more likely to engage in open discussion and compromise, show concern for their partner, and seek social support, whereas they were less likely to deny or ignore the conflict. They were also more likely to successfully resolve the conflict (e.g., maintain the relationship). Moreover, the use of open discussion and concern for one's partner mediated the association between intimacy goals and relationship satisfaction. The discussion focuses on the theoretical and applied imp...
Lower Blood Pressure in Floxed Angiotensinogen Mice After Adenoviral Delivery of Cre-Recombinase

Recent experimental evidence suggests a role for tissue renin-angiotensin systems in the development of hypertension. To test the importance of tissue renin-angiotensin systems in the development and maintenance of angiotensin II-dependent hypertension, we generated a transgenic model in which exon 2 of the human angiotensinogen gene is flanked by loxP sites (hAGT flox ) so that this region of the gene can be deleted by the cre-recombinase. Double transgenic human renin and hAGT flox (R + /A +flox ) mice of two independent lines exhibited elevated blood pressure. Acute administration of an adenovirus containing cre-recombinase (Adcre) lowered blood pressure by 30 mm Hg over a 4-day period as measured with fluid filled catheters. The chronic effect of Adcre administration on blood pressure was determined by radiotelemetry in a separate group of R + /A +flox mice. Blood pressure decreased by 25 mm Hg from baseline by day 8 post-Adcre, but increased on each day thereafter until it was 90% of baseline by day 21 post-Adcre. Expression analysis indicated the absence of detectable hAGT mRNA in the liver at day 5 post-Adcre, but reappeared at normal levels at days 14 to 21 post-Adcre. These studies suggest that Adcre is effective for acute, but not chronic, elimination of hepatic hAGT. Chronic elimination of hepatic hAGT will likely require the use of transgenic mice endogenously expressing cre-recombinase in the liver.
Stratigraphic filter theory: Combined effects of parallel bedding and random inhomogeneities

Mean field renormalization techniques determine the phase distortion (time delay) and effective attenuation as functions of frequency for a plane acoustic wave, normally incident on a layered medium, when the medium also contains a distribution of scattering centers at random sites. The power spectra of impedance fluctuations of both the bedding layers and the random centers contribute to the time delay and mean field effective attenuation. At low frequencies (long wavelengths), the power spectrum of the bedding planes dominates the mean wave response, producing most of the time delay and the effective attenuation. At high frequencies (short wavelengths), the random scattering centers dominate the mean wave behavior. The wave no longer propagates exactly perpendicularly to bedding planes since the random scattering centers cast energy into directions transverse to the normal to the bedding planes. The precise frequency dependence of both the time delay and the effective attenuation of the mean wave are sensitive to the power spectrum of impedance fluctuations of the bedding planes relative to the power spectrum of the random scattering centers.
Socioeconomic, demographic and smoking-related correlates of the use of potentially reduced exposure to tobacco products in a national sample

Background and aim In recent years, new nontraditional, potentially reduced exposure products (PREPs), claiming to contain fewer harmful chemicals than the traditional products, have been introduced in the market. Little is known about socioeconomic, demographic and smoking-related determinants of the likelihood of using these products among smokers. The aim of this study was to examine these determinants. Methods Data from the 2006–2007 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey was used. We limited the analysis to current smokers (n=40 724). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the association between covariates and the probability of the use of PREPs. Results We found that younger age, lower education, higher nicotine addiction and having an intention to quit are associated with higher likelihood of the use of PREPs. The likelihood of using these products was found to be higher among respondents who are unemployed or have a service, production, sales or farming occupation than those with a professional occupation. Smokers living in the midwest, south or west, were found to have a greater likelihood of the use of PREPs than those living in the northeast. Conclusions Because there is little evidence to suggest that PREPs are less harmful that other tobacco products, their marketing as harm-minimising products should be regulated. Smokers, in particular those who are younger, have a lower socioeconomic status, and are more nicotine-dependent, should be the target of educational programmes that reveal the actual harm of PREPs.
Adaptive bi-level programming for optimal gene knockouts for targeted overproduction under phenotypic constraints

Background Optimization procedures to identify gene knockouts for targeted biochemical overproduction have been widely in use in modern metabolic engineering. Flux balance analysis (FBA) framework has provided conceptual simplifications for genome-scale dynamic analysis at steady states. Based on FBA, many current optimization methods for targeted bio-productions have been developed under the maximum cell growth assumption. The optimization problem to derive gene knockout strategies recently has been formulated as a bi-level programming problem in OptKnock for maximum targeted bio-productions with maximum growth rates. However, it has been shown that knockout mutants in fact reach the steady states with the minimization of metabolic adjustment (MOMA) from the corresponding wild-type strains instead of having maximal growth rates after genetic or metabolic intervention. In this work, we propose a new bi-level computational framework--MOMAKnock--which can derive robust knockout strategies under the MOMA flux distribution approximation.
Velocity differences between L- and P-selectin-dependent neutrophil rolling in venules of mouse cremaster muscle in vivo

After surgical trauma, leukocyte rolling is initially normal in L-selectin-deficient mice and reduced at later times, whereas leukocyte rolling is initially absent in P-selectin-deficient mice but induced later. Here, we examined the possibility that P- and L-selectin support rolling at different characteristic velocities using intravital microscopy of venules of the exteriorized cremaster muscle venules of wild type (WT) and P- and L-selectin-deficient mice. At > 50 min after exteriorization, rolling in P-selectin-deficient mice occurred at significantly higher velocities (129 +/- 89 microns/s) than in WT mice (49 +/- 23 microns/s). Rolling velocity distribution in L-selectin-deficient mice was similar to WT mice immediately after exteriorization. Histological examination of Giemsa-stained whole-mount preparations in cremaster muscle venules revealed that the majority of rolling cells (approximately 90% in all genotypes) were granulocytes. We conclude that P-selectin mediates leukocyte rolling at velocities < 50 microns/s, whereas L-selectin sustains more rapid rolling. Under physiological conditions, P- and L-selectin synergize to support rolling at velocities between 20 and 70 microns/s as seen in WT mice.
Modeling the Transient Nature of Dynamic Pricing with Demand Learning in a Competitive Environment

This paper focuses on joint dynamic pricing and demand learning in an oligopolistic market. Each firm seeks to learn the price-demand relationship for itself and its competitors, and to set optimal prices, taking into account its competitors’ likely moves. We follow a closed-loop approach to capture the transient aspect of the problem, that is, pricing decisions are updated dynamically over time, using the data acquired thus far.
The Tools of the Trade: Mathematical Concepts

No human investigation can be called real science if it cannot be demonstrated mathematically
Failure to rehire: why coaches get fired.

The purpose of this work was to identify reasons coaches were not rehired in public school coaching positions. The intent was to use this information for content modification of courses in coach education. At the entry level, coaches are too often concerned only with their particular sport and how to develop successful athletes or winning teams. To fully prepare beginners in the stressful profession of coaching, novices must understand and accept that their success and longevity in coaching will be impacted by expectations other than winning. Athletic directors and principals from a northwest Rocky Mountain state were surveyed as part of a periodic evaluation of the state association's online coach education program. Two of the questions asked were as follows: If you did not rehire (fire) a coach in the last 3 years, what were the reasons? What are the primary weaknesses you experience with beginning coaches? Approximately 50% of sport administrators responded. Their answers were analyzed and implications for the education of future coaches were found.
Testing for Granger Causality in the Frequency Domain: A Phase Resampling Method

This article introduces phase resampling, an existing but rarely used surrogate data method for making statistical inferences of Granger causality in frequency domain time series analysis. Granger causality testing is essential for establishing causal relations among variables in multivariate dynamic processes. However, testing for Granger causality in the frequency domain is challenging due to the nonlinear relation between frequency domain measures (e.g., partial directed coherence, generalized partial directed coherence) and time domain data. Through a simulation study, we demonstrate that phase resampling is a general and robust method for making statistical inferences even with short time series. With Gaussian data, phase resampling yields satisfactory type I and type II error rates in all but one condition we examine: when a small effect size is combined with an insufficient number of data points. Violations of normality lead to slightly higher error rates but are mostly within acceptable ranges. We illustrate the utility of phase resampling with two empirical examples involving multivariate electroencephalography (EEG) and skin conductance data.
Comparative Studies of Furnace and Rapid Thermal Passivation for Accumulation and Inversion Mode Polysilicon-On-Oxide Mosfets

Carrier transport in the channel region of polysilicon thin film MOSFETs is affected by the presence of grain boundary potential barriers and is further complicated by the modulation of the grain boundary barrier height with gate voltage. Passivation of the trap sites with atomic hydrogen reduces the barrier height and thereby improves the performance of polysilicon transistors. In this paper, we demonstrate the effectiveness of Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) using Si3N4 as a solid source of H as a passivation technique for both inversion and accumulation mode polysilicon MOSFETs. ON/OFF ratios of 107 can be obtained by RTA passivation for inversion mode polysilicon MOSFETs compared to 106 after furnace passivation permitting the potential application of these MOSFETs both as load transistors in SRAMs as well as pass transistors in DRAMs. In contrast, the ON/OFF ratio of accumulation mode polysilicon MOSFETs does not show any improvement even though ID and VT improve with passivation. This is because of excessive back channel leakage in accumulation mode MOSFETs which increases with passivation.
Performance Characteristics of a Slab RF-Excited CO2 Laser

The performance characteristics of a 100MHz-RF-excited slab CO2 laser are shown in terms of resonator setup conditions and discharge gap spacings. On varying the gap spacings from 2.25 down to 1.5mm, the optimum gas pressure shifted in such a way that the product of pressure and gap spacing remains constant in our experimental conditions. The optimum gas pressure for each gap spacing increased with RF input power. A laser output power of 210W was obtained with a corresponding conversion efficiency of 10.5 % and with a near-diffraction limited beam quality showing beam divergence angles of 5.1 and 1.7 mrad for stable and unstable directions, respectively. The experimental results obtained are discussed in details from the viewpoints of the E/P (electric field/pressure) value, sheath width in discharge plasma, and average gas temperature of the RF discharge region.
The first confirmed field case of myiasis produced by Chrysomya sp. (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in the continental United States.

This report details the first confirmed field occurrence of myiasis in the U.S. caused by Chrysomya sp. Secondand 3rd-instar larvae were collected from a domestic dog in south Texas.
A role for PKC-δ and PI 3-kinase in TNF-α-mediated antiapoptotic signaling in the human neutrophil

The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α has been implicated in the attenuation of neutrophil spontaneous apoptosis during sepsis. Antiapoptotic signaling is principally mediated ...
Cation–π Bonding: A New Perspective on the Sorption of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons to Mineral Surfaces

Recent molecular modeling and spectroscopic studies have suggested that relatively strong interactions can occur between aromatic pi donors and metal cations in aqueous solutions. The objective of this study was to characterize potential cation-pi interactions between pi donors and exchangeable cations accumulated at mineral surfaces via both spectroscopic and batch sorption methods. Quadrupolar splitting in deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance ((2)H NMR) spectroscopy for d(2)-dichloromethane, d(6)-benzene, and d(8)-toluene (C(6)D(5)- moiety) in aqueous suspensions of a Na-saturated reference montmorillonite unambiguously indicated the ordering of solute molecules with respect to the clay surface. The half line broadening (Delta nu(1/2)) of (2)H NMR of d(6)-benzene in montmorillonite suspensions showed that soft exchangeable cations generally resulted in more benzene sorption compared with harder cations (e.g., Ag(+) > Cs(+) > Na(+) > Mg(2+), Ba(2+)). In batch sorption experiments, saturating minerals (e.g., porous silica gels, kaolinite, vermiculite, montmorillonite) with a soft transition metal or softer base cations generally increased the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) sorption relative to harder cations (e.g., Ag(+) >> Cs(+) > K(+) > Na(+); Ba(2+) > Mg(2+)). Sorption of phenanthrene to Ag(+)-saturated montmorillonite was much stronger compared with 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene, a coplanar non-pi donor having slightly higher hydrophobicity. In addition, a strong positive correlation was found between the cation-dependent sorption and surface charge density of the minerals (e.g., vermiculite, montmorillonite >> silica gels, kaolinite). These results, coupled with the observations in (2)H NMR experiments with montmorillonite, strongly suggest that cation-pi bonding forms between PAHs and exchangeable cations at mineral surfaces and affects PAH sorption to hydrated mineral surfaces.
Identification of MicroRNAs Associated with Erythropoiesis Through Deep Sequencing of Red Blood Cells

Abstract 3164 We have recently found that human mature red blood cells (RBCs), though lacking large RNAs, possess a diverse and abundant set of microRNAs (miRNAs). MiRNAs are a class of small RNAs that inhibit translation and/or promote degradation of target mRNAs. Red blood cells are an ideal model for small RNA identification due to the relatively low amount of contaminating mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA fragments. We performed deep sequencing of small RNAs in human RBCs to provide an unbiased set of both known and novel microRNAs, and to gain insight into the process of erythropoiesis. Small RNA libraries were applied to the Illumina GAII deep sequencing platform from both HbAA and HbSS individuals, as microRNAs have also been shown to be genetic determinants of sickle cell phenotypes (Sangokoya 2010). A modified version of the probabilistic modeling algorithm, miRDeep (Friedlander 2008), was used to identify several novel and known microRNAs. Genomic loci that overlapped with miRNAs described in miRBase were identified as known miRNAs. The remaining genomic loci were identified as encoding candidate novel miRNAs. Collectively, we identified 253 predicted miRNA precursor loci from the two samples. 226 miRNA precursor loci annotated in miRBase were identified as known miRNAs, whereas the remaining 27 precursor loci were identified as candidate novel miRNAs. In addition to miRNAs, we identified other small RNAs that did not pass miRDeep criteria. One of the most abundant sequences consisted of a distinct fragment of Ro-associated Y4 RNA (hY4). Y RNAs are involved in chromosomal DNA replication and cell proliferation, and specifically, RNAs hY1 and hY4 have been shown to be present in mature human erythrocytes (O'Brien 1990). In addition, we also identified the relative expression of both novel and known microRNAs during erythropoiesis using both human and mouse erythroid differentiation models. We are currently investigating the relevant targets and regulatory functions of these microRNAs during erythropoiesis, as well as experimental validation of authentic microRNA fuction of novel microRNAs. This global analysis will enhance our understanding of events dictating red cell maintenance and development. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Phase II Study of Dasatinib In Patients with Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Abstract Abstract 4488 Src-family kinases (SFK) are described to be over expressed in CLL resulting in increased BCR signaling. Aberrant activation of the SFK, Lyn, leads to defective apoptosis of CLL cells in-vitro. C-Abl kinase is also overexpressed in CLL cells compared to normal B-lymphocytes. Since dasatinib is a dual Src and c-abl kinase inhibitor with in-vitro pro-apoptotic properties in CLL cells, we investigated the activity of dasatinib in patients (pts) with CLL. We designed a phase II study of dasatinib in pts with relapsed CLL/SLL and T-PLL. Pts were eligible if they were previously treated and had indication for therapy according to NCI-working group criteria. All pts had adequate performance status, renal and liver function prior to therapy. Treatment consisted of dasatinib 50mg given orally twice daily. In case of suboptimal response the dose of dasatinib could be increased up to a maximum dose of 70mg twice daily. Dose reductions to 20mg twice daily were permitted for toxicity. Pts were assessed for treatment response according to 1996 NCI-WG criteria. Seventeen pts have been enrolled in this study. The median age was 67 years (42-83 years), 9 (52%) had Rai stage III-IV, median beta-2 microglobulin levels was 5.9 (3.0 – 11.8) mg/L. The median number of prior treatments was 4 (1 – 8). An objective response (PR) was observed in 1 patient, 13 pts had no objective response and 3 pts were not evaluable for response due to early discontinuation of therapy (0-3 days). Fourteen pts remained on therapy for a median of 2 (0-19) months with 4 pts discontinuing due to disease progression and 9 pts discontinuing due to adverse events and lack of response. Hematological toxicities consisted of grade 3–4 neutropenia in 76% of the pts, grade 3–4 thrombocytopenia in 44% of pts and grade 1–2 anemia in 80%. Non-hematological toxicity consisted of grade 3–4 fatigue in 1 patient and grade 3 pleural effusions in another patient. Grade 1 and 2, toxicities included flushing 38%, headache 38%, fatigue 46% anorexia and nausea 46%, and diarrhea 23%. Several pts showed evidence of biological activity. Treatment with dasatinib lacks efficacy in pts with heavily pretreated CLL. Responses occurred in only 6% of pts and dasatinib administration was associated with a high incidence of neutropenia. Disclosures: O'Brien: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding.
Tailoring structure and properties of silica glass aided by computer simulation

By using a combination of experiments and molecular dynamics simulations, our studies show that the elastic response of silica glass to initial compression gradually changes from abnormal to normal with increasing quench pressure, helium content or alkali modifier added in the glass matrix. We uncovered the structural origin of the elastic anomaly in silica glass as localized structural transitions between motifs of different stiffness that are similar to those found in its crystalline counterparts. Pressure-quenching, helium-stuffing, or alkali-modifying plays a different role in changing the structure of silica glass, but all of the resulting structures reduce the propensity for such local structural transitions to take place, thus the degree of elastic anomaly. Our studies demonstrate that by processing in ways that gradually eliminates the elastic anomaly, the degree of silica glass to undergo irreversible densification can be eventually eradicated. This provides a solid foundation for the bottom-up design of new glasses with tunable structure and properties.
Mitochondrial Physiology in Health and Disease: Changes with Aging.

Abstract Abstract SCI-1 The incidence and cost of the age-related metabolic and degenerative diseases is rising in the face of ever increasing investment. Therefore, something must be missing in our current hypotheses about these diseases. Until now, the prevailing paradigms in Western medicine have been the anatomical paradigm of disease which posits that tissue-specific symptoms are due to tissue-specific structural defects and the Mendelian paradigm of genetics which posits that if a disease is inherited according to the Laws of Mendel it is genetic and if not it is environmental. The epigenome is invoked to explain the environmental modulation of the nuclear gene expression. However, life requires both structure and energy and the over 1500 mitochondrial energy genes are dispersed across the chromosomes plus the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA. Moreover, the cells and tissues most affected by aging and the age-related disease are those most reliant on mitochondrial energy and the mitochondrial lies at the interface between environmental calories and human physiology, diabetes and obesity. The epigenome and the signal transduction pathways are regulated by protein phosphorylation by ATP, acetylation via acetyl-CoA, and methylation by S-adenosylmethionine, all driven by mitochondrial high energy substrates modulated by available calories. Furthermore, mitochondrial redox chemistry regulates reactive oxygen production and thiol/disulfide chemistry and these also regulate cellular signaling and function. Therefore, bioenergetics and mitochondrial genetics are the missing factors which have inhibited our capacity of address the biology and genetics of the age-related metabolic and degenerative diseases, cancer and aging. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Upregulation of Myeloperoxidase in End Stage Renal Disease and Its Modulation by Hemodialysis. A Paradoxical Paradigm.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO), a heme protein released from activated leucocytes mediates the generation of reactive intermediates promoting lipid peroxidation. MPO is secreted by activated neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages. MPO has been reported to be a marker of hemodialysis procedure biocompatibility and oxidative stress with discordant results. Different dialyzer membranes and the type of anticoagulation used contribute to the regulation of MPO in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. To validate the hypothesis that MPO is upregulated in ESRD and hemodialysis differentially modulates the MPO in patients with this syndrome, blood plasma samples from 70 patients on maintenance hemodialysis prior to and after hemodialysis session. The pre-dialysis levels of MPO antigen as measured by an ELISA method (Assay Design, ) ranged from 0.5–125 ng/ml (31.1±28.6 ng/ml), in contrast to the aged match normal controls where the range was 0.21–7.5 ng/ml, (2.8±1.3 ng/ml). After dialysis, 10/70 patients did not show any changes in the MPO level, whereas, 4 patients showed a decrease, the remaining 56 patients exhibited marked increase in the circulating MPO level ranging from 9.5–201 ng/ml (74.4±48.2 ng/ml). Progressive atherosclerotic changes are associated with the severity of ESRD where oxidative stress is known to play a major role. While MPO may mediated oxidative stress the beneficial consequences include its depletion from the vascular site. Hemodialysis in ESRD generally results in a downregulation of inflammatory mediators. The increased MPO level in ESRD represents a paradoxical and complex process which may contribute to the pathogenesis of ESRD. The role of different anticoagulants and dialyzer membrane and other factors in regulating circulating MPO level may be important in elucidating the pathogenesis and outcome of this syndrome.
Projection, inference, and consistency

Projection can be seem as a unifying concept that underlies inference in logic and consistency maintenance in constraint programming. This perspective allows one to import projection methods into both areas, resulting in deeper insight as well as faster solution methods. We show that inference in propositional logic can be achieved by Benders decomposition, an optimization method based on projection. In constraint programming, viewing consistency maintenance as projection suggests a new but natural concept of consistency that is achieved by projection onto a subset of variables. We show how to solve this combinatorial projection problem for some global constraints frequently used in constraint programming. The resulting projections are useful when propagated through decision diagrams rather than the traditional domain store.
The Effect of the Dental Operating Microscope on the Outcome of Nonsurgical Root Canal Treatment: A Retrospective Case-control Study

Abstract Introduction The aim of the current investigation was to assess the effect of the use of a dental operating microscope on the outcome of nonsurgical root canal treatment (NS RCT) while treating the mesiobuccal (MB) root of the maxillary first molar. Methods This retrospective investigation included endodontically treated maxillary first molars (ETMs) with apparent adequate previous NS RCT and restorations referred for endodontic retreatment at the endodontic graduate clinic. Inclusion criteria were ETMs that were diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis and normal periapical tissues before the initial NS RCT and ETMs that presented with a minimum of 1 identifiable periapical lesion (PAR) at 1 of the roots at the time of retreatment. One hundred ninety-five ETMs were included and divided into 2 groups: (1) the initial NS RCT had been performed using a microscope ( n = 83) and (2) NS RCT had been performed without the use of a microscope ( n = 112). Data extracted were whether the second MB (MB2) canal was located initially and the presence of an MB PAR at the time of retreatment. Data were statistically analyzed using binary logistic regression (α = 0.05). Results The MB root was 3 times more likely to present with a PAR at the time of retreatment if the initial NS RCT was performed without the use of a microscope ( P P Conclusions With proper education, dentists can gain further insight into recognizing limitations in treating cases that require advanced training and advanced optics such as a microscope. Based on this strategy, it would appear that the outcome of NS RCT can be improved.
Characterization of the Isothermal Compression Behavior of LLM-172.

The high-pressure behavior of 3,4-bis(4-nitro-1,2,5-oxadiazol-3-yl)-1,2,5-oxadiazole (LLM-172) has been studied to 36 GPa by Raman spectroscopy and 50 GPa by X-ray diffraction. The Raman spectra and calculated unit-cell volumes at select pressures show reasonable qualitative agreement with first-principles density functional theory calculations. Raman peaks exhibit a gradual broadening and loss of intensity upon compression to near 20 GPa. Above 20 GPa, most Raman features disappear with the exception of modes associated with the skeletal ring modes. These modes were found to persist (although with low intensity) to 36 GPa. Because these modes exhibit very low compressibility over the pressure range studied, it is speculated that the ring structure is very stable. The X-ray diffraction suggests that while the crystal maintains an orthorhombic structure to near 40 GPa, it gradually undergoes a decomposition/amorphization beginning near 10 GPa. Analysis of the Raman results suggests that decomposition proce...
Kriging-based inverse uncertainty quantification of nuclear fuel performance code BISON fission gas release model using time series measurement data

Abstract In nuclear reactor fuel performance simulation, fission gas release (FGR) and swelling involve treatment of several complicated and interrelated physical processes, which inevitably depend on uncertain input parameters. However, the uncertainties associated with these input parameters are only known by “expert judgment”. In this paper, inverse Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) under the Bayesian framework is applied to BISON code FGR model based on Riso-AN3 time series experimental data. Inverse UQ seeks statistical descriptions of the uncertain input parameters that are consistent with the available measurement data. It always captures the uncertainties in its estimates rather than merely determining the best-fit values. Kriging metamodel is applied to greatly reduce the computational cost during Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling. We performed a dimension reduction for the FGR time series data using Principal Component Analysis. We also projected the original FGR time series measurement data onto the PC subspace as “transformed experiment data”. A forward uncertainty propagation based on the posterior distributions shows that the agreement between BISON simulation and Riso-AN3 time series measurement data is greatly improved. The posterior distributions for the uncertain input factors can be used to replace the expert specifications for future uncertainty/sensitivity analysis.
For Low-Income Americans, Living ≤1 Mile (≤1.6 km) from the Nearest Supermarket Is Not Associated with Self-Reported Household Food Security.

Background: Motivated by concern over lack of access to nutritious food in low-income neighborhoods, healthy food financing initiatives have encouraged the introduction of new supermarkets. Extensive research regarding the association between the food retail environment and nutrition outcomes has shown mixed results. There has been less research specifically on food security outcomes. Objective: We assessed the association between multiple food environment measures and food security for low-income U.S. households. Methods: Using USDA9s nationally representative 2012-2013 Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) (n=4,826 households), which provides unique information about neighborhood- and household-level food retailer access, we quantified cross-sectional associations between food environment characteristics and household-level outcomes, with and without regression controls. Logistic regression analysis was used for binary household food security outcomes. Results: Most households bypassed the nearest retailer to select a primary retailer farther from home. For low-income households, distance to the nearest supermarket and to the primary retailer was not associated with food security. In comparison to shopping with households9 own automobile, the odds of being food secure were lower for households using another automobile [OR=0.59; 95% CI: 0.38, 0.90] or other transportation [OR=0.32; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.61] to reach the primary retailer. Conclusions: Having a closest supermarket within 1 mile or less from home was not associated with household food security. In contrast, the mode of transportation used to access the primary retailer was associated with household food security. In future research, it may be valuable not just to focus on the distance to the nearest supermarket. Instead, it will be useful to investigate the qualities of the food retail environment at distances greater than 1 mile that are most strongly associated with food security outcomes.
Debt-related derivative usage by u.s. state and municipal governments and evolving financial reporting standards

We reviewed the fiscal 2003 financial statement footnote disclosures of the fifty states and the 100 largest cities in the United States (US) to ascertain the nature and extent of derivative activities among US state and municipal governments. There were 23 state governments and 23 municipal governments that have engaged in such transactions with an aggregate notional value approaching $32 billion. These governments enter into these transactions primarily to hedge the interest rate and cash flow risks associated with their long term variable rate demand obligations and auction rate debt. Our findings also indicate that the widespread implementation of GASB TB 2003 - 1 has improved the quality of state and municipal disclosures with respect to their derivative activities. In June 2008, the GASB issued its Statement 53 which mandates the accounting measurement of these derivative financial instruments at their fair value on the statement of net assets and promises to further improve their footnote disclosure.
Effects of treatment, choice, and preference on health-related quality-of-life outcomes in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Health outcomes may depend on which treatment is received, whether choice of treatment is given, and whether a received treatment is the preferred therapy. We examined the effects of these key factors on the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D-3L) in patients with PTSD. Two hundred patients aged 18–65 years with PTSD diagnosis enrolled in a doubly randomized preference trial (DRPT) examining treatment, choice of treatment, and treatment-preference effects of prolonged exposure therapy (PE) and pharmacotherapy with sertraline (SER) (clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00127673). We performed difference-in-difference analysis to estimate the treatment effects of prolonged exposure therapy (PE) as compared to pharmacotherapy with sertraline (SER), receipt of choice versus no-choice of treatment, and receipt of preferred versus non-preferred treatment on health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) outcome using the EQ-5D-3L completed at baseline and 10-week post-treatment. The treatment effects of PE on the EQ-5D scores in overall patients and subgroup of patients who preferred PE were 0.150 (p = 0.025) and 0.223 (p < 0.001), respectively. The effects of treatment choice were 0.088 (p = 0.050) and 0.156 (p = 0.043) in overall patients and subgroup of patients received SER, respectively. The effects of treatment preference were 0.101 (p = 0.038) and 0.249 (p = 0.004) in overall patients and subgroup of patients SER, respectively. Overall, PE is associated with better improved HRQOL, especially in patients who prefer it. Independently, allowing patients to choose their preferred treatment resulted in better HRQOL than either assigning them a treatment or giving them a treatment that is not preferred.
The African Stories of Margery Lawrence

This chapter examines the Colonial Gothic supernatural stories of Margery Lawrence. Written at the height of British imperialism in the 1920s, Lawrence’s stories set in Rhodesia, Pemba, and Egypt subvert popular notions that Britain’s involvement with colonialism was beneficial for both colonists and colonizers alike. The chapter begins with a discussion of “Death Valley” (1924), a ghost story centered on a haunted cabin deep within the African jungle. The white ghost which haunts the dwelling symbolizes the continuing negative energy caused by the British presence in the region. Like “Death Valley,” “The Dogs of Pemba” (1926) represents a more progressive reimagining of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1902). The story concerns the brutish commissioner of Pemba who is literally turned into a beast by the Pembans in retaliation for his abusive treatment of the local people. The chapter concludes with an examination of how the “Egyptian Gothic” functions in Lawrence’s “The Curse of the Stillborn” (1925), a story which describes a narrow-minded British missionary who disregards Egyptian belief with detrimental consequences.
Trait inheritance, fertility, and genomic relationships of some n = 9 Brassica species.

Karyotypic differences among n = 9 Brassica species, as well as the inheritance of some morphological characteristics, are reported. Annual habit, anthocyanin pigmentation in leaf and stem, enlarged stem, glossy foliage, dark green foliage, white flower and leaf pubescence were all expressed as dominant characteristics and in most cases were determined by one or two genes. 172 intra- and interspecific hybrids of the species belonging to the Brassica oleracea cytodeme were analyzed for fertility and meiotic chromosome behavior. B. alboglabra, B. bourgeaui, B. cretica spp. cretica, B. montana and B. oleracea produced fertile interspecific hybrids, indicating that geographical isolation is the only barrier to gene exchange. Interspecific hybrids generated from crosses of B. incana, B. insularis and B. rupestris to other n = 9 species were semi-sterile. This was shown to be associated with abnormal meiotic behavior. The former two species, when crossed, produced fully fertile hybrids. Therefore, three different karyotypes are identified among the n = 9 Brassica species. Frequent changes in the genome of the species belonging to the Brassica oleracea cytodeme could have led to the formation of accessory chromosomes present in certain accessions.
Influenza surveillance using electronic health records in the American Indian and Alaska Native population

Objective Increasing use of electronic health records (EHRs) provides new opportunities for public health surveillance. During the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus pandemic, we developed a new EHR-based influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance system designed to be resource sparing, rapidly scalable, and flexible. 4 weeks after the first pandemic case, ILI data from Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities were being analyzed. Materials and methods The system defines ILI as a patient visit containing either an influenza-specific International Classification of Disease, V.9 (ICD-9) code or one or more of 24 ILI-related ICD-9 codes plus a documented temperature ≥100°F. EHR-based data are uploaded nightly. To validate results, ILI visits identified by the new system were compared to ILI visits found by medical record review, and the new system's results were compared with those of the traditional US ILI Surveillance Network. Results The system monitored ILI activity at an average of 60% of the 269 IHS electronic health databases. EHR-based surveillance detected ILI visits with a sensitivity of 96.4% and a specificity of 97.8% based on chart review (N=2375) of visits at two facilities in September 2009. At the peak of the pandemic (week 41, October 17, 2009), the median time from an ILI visit to data transmission was 6 days, with a mode of 1 day. Discussion EHR-based ILI surveillance was accurate, timely, occurred at the majority of IHS facilities nationwide, and provided useful information for decision makers. EHRs thus offer the opportunity to transform public health surveillance.
Proton Spin-Echo Spectra of the Isolated Beta Subunit of the CF0-CF1 ATP Synthase

The application of spin-echo methods (1) in NMR provides a means of selecting resonances on the basis of spin-spin relaxation, which in turn is related to the mobility of residues or molecules involved. Spin-echo spectroscopy has been applied previously in this laboratory to the selective observation of mobile amino acid sidechains on CF1, the proton translocating ATPase of the chloroplast thylakoid membrane (2, 3). These experiments have demonstrated the existence of a small subset of amino acid sidechains, approximately 25 in number, which extend into the aqueous phase and exhibit mobility much higher that that of the protein as a whole. Two of the sidechains, one aspartate and one glutamate, are immobilized in a highly selective manner by nucleotide binding to the active site. The immobilized groups lie at a distance of approximately 15Â from the metal cofactor bound at the active site.
On the verge of diagnosis: Detection, reporting, and investigation of de novo variants in novel genes identified by clinical sequencing

The variable evidence supporting gene-disease associations contributes to the difficulty of accurate variant reporting in a clinical setting. An evidence-based scoring system for evaluating the clinical validity of gene-disease associations, proposed by ClinGen, considers experimental as well as genetic evidence. De novo variants are heavily weighted, given the overall rarity in the genome and their contribution to human disease, however they are reported as "genes of unknown significance" in our center when there is insufficient evidence for the gene-disease assertion. We report a collection of 21 de novo variants in genes of unknown clinical significance ascertained via clinical testing, of which eight of 21 (38%) are predicted to cause loss of function. These genes were subjected to ClinGen scoring to assess the strength of gene-disease relationships. Using a cutoff for moderate high or strong, 10 of 21 genes now have sufficient evidence to qualify as likely pathogenic or pathogenic variants. Sharing such cases with phenotypic data is imperative to strengthen available genetic evidence to ultimately upgrade clinical validity classifications and facilitate accurate molecular diagnosis.
Body Surveillance on Instagram: Examining the Role of Selfie Feedback Investment in Young Adult Women’s Body Image Concerns

Selfies are self-taken self-portrait photographs captured with mobile phones, and they are among the most common forms of self-expression on the photo-based social network Instagram. Selfies display their subject’s face or body to social media followers and friends, making them particularly appearance-oriented images. As with other social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, Instagram posts garner feedback in the form of “likes” and comments from online audiences. When applied to selfies, such feedback can be interpreted as aggregated evaluations of their subject’s physical appearance. We employ objectification theory to explore how value placed on selfie feedback among young women relates to markers of body image disturbance, including body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimia action tendencies. We conducted an online survey of 177 English-speaking young adult (18–30 years-old) female Instagram users who were recruited through MTurk and who post selfies to examine the relationship between investment in selfie feedback and body image disturbance. We found that women who reported higher investment in selfie feedback were more likely to express body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness through the indirect influence of body surveillance, but this effect did not extend to bulimic tendencies. Our findings suggest that young adult female Instagram users who value audience responses to their selfies are more likely to exhibit disordered eating attitudes and intentions.
Deficiency of the Interleukin-36 Receptor Antagonist (DITRA) and Generalized Pustular Psoriasis

Deficiency of the interleukin-36 receptor antagonist, DITRA, and generalized pustular psoriasis are life-threatening diseases characterized by a disseminated dermatitis, pustular psoriasis, systemic inflammation with fever, joint pain with swelling, severe liver dysfunction with neutrophilic or sclerosing cholangitis, uveitis, iritis, conjunctivitis, renal dysfunction with oliguric and renal failure, neutrophilic pneumonitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, electrolyte imbalance, and death by sepsis. DITRA has been linked to loss-of-function recessive mutations in the interleukin-36 receptor antagonist IL23RN locus. The mutations encode for an unstable protein with poor interaction with its receptor allowing for an unopposed effect of IL-36 that results in enhanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and systemic inflammation.
Caring for Open Source Software Cinderella: Improving Corrective Maintenance Performance Through Accountability

We theorize how internal and external accountability impact OSS corrective maintenance performance.
Design of Video-Based Clinical Visits with Nurse Assistant for Chronic Diseases Management

A new type of clinical visits-video-conferencing (VC) meeting with nurse assistance is emerging. Such virtual care services provide convenience and reduce travel burden of patients; however, it is unclear whether both patients and the healthcare organization would benefit from this service, due to the cost incurred by coordinating nurses to assist patients at home. Motivated by the Veterans Affairs (VA) Telehealth program, in this paper, we consider a healthcare organization offering both in-person and VC visits to community patients within its catchment area. Communities are characterized by distance and population density. A revenue-maximizing problem is formulated to identify the best pricing and patient diversion strategy that is also incentive compatible for patients. Our results show that under certain cost structures, both patients and the healthcare organization will be strictly better off with VC visits. The insights obtained from this work would support the design and implementation of VC visits that maximize the potential of telehealth to improve patient access.
MACHINE LEARNING FOR IDENTIFICATION OF ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC MEASURES PREDICTING ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: THE MULTI-ETHNIC STUDY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS (MESA)

Electrocardiography (ECG) is a practical and cost-effective clinical tool. Machine learning may enable identification of novel ECG variables for predicting incident atrial fibrillation (AF). We included 3151 participants from MESA with 568 baseline ECG variables each in addition to demographic,