cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reproductive Seasonality, Courtship and Nesting in Guadalupe Bass (Micropterus treculii)

Abstract The Guadalupe Bass, Micropterus treculii is endemic to the Hill Country region of central Texas, US, and its entire native distribution is within Texas, including portions of the Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, and San Antonio River basins. Currently, the genetic integrity of Guadalupe Bass populations are threatened by hybridization with introduced, nonnative Smallmouth Bass, M. dolomieu. Species-isolating mechanisms (or lack thereof) are not well understood for these two species. To identify potential mechanisms influencing hybridization in Guadalupe Bass populations, our objectives were to characterize: (1) spawning season and duration, (2) nesting habitat, (3) courtship behaviors (including color pattern changes), and (4) parental care pattern. The reproductive ecology (spawning season, nest sites) and behavior (courtship, parental care) of Guadalupe Bass were found to be similar to what has been reported in Smallmouth Bass, possibly contributing to continued potential for hybridization. Guadalu...
Comparison of optical nonlinearities of some structurally similar organic molecules

The current interest in finding materials having very large optical nonlinearities is a result of the very promising prospect of utilizing such materials in a wide variety of optoelectronic devices.1 Finding optimal materials for such applications requires a fundamental understanding of the connection between molecular structure and optical nonlinearity. In addition, it is necessary to have a convenient and reliable method for determining the nonlinearity of a molecule or material.
PUF-Based Fuzzy Authentication Without Error Correcting Codes

Counterfeit integrated circuits (IC) can be very harmful to the security and reliability of critical applications. Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) have been proposed as a mechanism for uniquely identifying ICs and thus reducing the prevalence of counterfeits. However, maintaining large databases of PUF challenge response pairs (CRPs) and dealing with PUF errors make it difficult to use PUFs reliably. This paper presents an innovative approach to authenticate CRPs on PUF-based ICs. The proposed method can tolerate considerable bit errors from responses of PUFs without the use of error correcting codes. Different types of optimization methods are applied to improve the overall performance. The simulation shows that it is successful in authenticating 99.96% authorized chips and filtering out 99.92% cloned chips by tolerating 12 errors in 128 bits. The results are verified with ring oscillator PUF and arbiter PUF implementations on Kintex-7 FPGA. The approach saves hardware and software resources significantly, compared to those of other authentication solutions.
Enhance®Fitness Dissemination and Implementation,: 2010-2015: A Scoping Review.

Introduction Physical activity has many benefits for older adult physical and mental health. Enhance®Fitness (EF) is an evidence-based group exercise program delivered by community-based organizations. The purpose of this study was to review recent evidence on the dissemination and implementation of EF. Methods A scoping review of qualitative and quantitative studies with EF as main focus was conducted. CINAHL, PubMed, PubMed Central, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar were searched between October and November 2015 for data-based studies on EF published in 2010–2015. Two team members abstracted each paper independently using a data abstraction tool. Results were summarized using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Results Seventeen publications met inclusion criteria. EF has reached and is effective across a broad population base, including individuals with low SES and diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds. EF participation may be associated with reduced risk for falls requiring medical care, and is associated with fewer hospital admissions. Analyses of medical cost savings from EF participation and program implementation costs suggest economic benefits of EF implementation for communities. Organization-level maintenance is facilitated by program-specific and organizational factors, such as instructor training and funding. Individual-level maintenance is facilitated by program structure, absence of pain, and increased quality of life. Conclusions More-rigorous evidence is needed about the association between participation in EF and conditions such as falls. Evaluation of program fidelity, adaptations, and sustainability is limited; more-systematic examination across population groups and types of organizations would help ensure older adults continue to benefit from EF participation.
Analysis of light-off during oxidation of reactant mixtures on Pt/Al2O3 using micro-kinetic models

An elementary step mechanism, which accounts for adsorption, desorption and surface reaction steps is proposed for co-oxidation of CO, propylene, hydrogen and ethane on Pt/Al2O3. Parameter estimation is used to determine the kinetic parameters for these steps, which depend on platinum loading and dispersion. A micro-kinetic model is proposed for water-gas shift reaction that captures the experimental trend observed during co-oxidation of CO/H2. This mechanism is used to predict hysteresis features during oxidation and co-oxidation reactions. The oxidation of all the individual reactants exhibits regular hysteresis and the model predicts the experimentally observed inverse hysteresis during co-oxidation of CO and C3H6. The inverse hysteresis is caused by surface intermediates formed during C3H6 oxidation. These surface intermediates block the active sites, decreasing the light-off activity of CO during ramp down. The developed micro-kinetic model can also explain steam reforming of propylene and ethane on Pt/Al2O3. Finally, we compare the predicted hysteresis during CO oxidation by global and micro-kinetic models. The predicted ignition temperature by both global and micro-kinetic models is almost same. However, the predicted extinction temperature by the global and micro-kinetic models is rather different. This behavior is due to different rate determining step during ramp down period.
Strong influences of a dominant, ground-nesting ant on recruitment, and establishment of ant colonies and communities

Many factors drive the organization of communities including environmental factors, dispersal abilities, and competition. In particular, ant communities have high levels of interspecific competition and dominance that may affect community assembly processes. We used a combination of surveys and nest supplementation experiments to examine effects of a dominant ground-nesting ant (Pheidole synanthropica) on (1) arboreal twig-nesting, (2) ground-foraging, and (3) coffee-foraging ant communities in coffee agroecosystems. We surveyed these communities in high- and low-density areas of P. synanthropica over 2 years. To test for effects on twig ant recruitment, we placed artificial nesting resources on coffee plants in areas with and without P. synanthropica. The first sampling period revealed differences in ant species composition on the ground, in coffee plants, and artificial nests between high- and low-density sites of P. synanthropica. High-density sites also had significantly lower recruitment of twig ants and had species-specific effects on twig ant species. Prior to the second survey period, abundance of P. synanthropica declined in the high-density sites, such that P. synanthropica densities no longer differed. Subsequent sampling revealed no difference in total recruitment of twig ants to artificial nests between treatments. Likewise, surveys of ground and coffee ants no longer showed significant differences in community composition. The results from the first experimental period, followed by survey results after the decline in P. synanthropica densities suggest that dominant ants can drive community assembly via both recruitment and establishment of colonies within the community.
Nitrate removal potential of restored wetlands loaded with agricultural drainage water: A mesocosm scale experimental approach

Abstract Wetland restoration is often conducted in Eastern U.S. coastal plain watersheds alongside agricultural lands that frequently export significant amounts of nitrogen in drainage water. Restoration plans that incorporate the addition of agricultural drainage water can simultaneously increase the success of achieving a target hydroperiod and reduce discharge of nitrogen to nearby surface water. The potential nitrogen removal effectiveness of two wetland restoration sites with such a restoration plan was evaluated in a two-year mesocosm study. Six large wetland mesocosms (3.5 m long × 0.9 m wide × 0.75 m deep) along with unplanted controls were used in this experiment. Three replicates of two soils that differed in organic matter and pH were planted with soft-stem bulrush (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani) and allowed to develop in the two growing seasons prior to the study. Simulated drainage water was loaded into the mesocosms over eighteen batch studies across seasons with target nitrate-N levels between 2.5 to 10 mg L−1. Grab samples were collected from the water column and analyzed for nitrate-N, dissolved organic carbon, and chloride, along with other environmental parameters such as pH, water temperature, and soil redox. Seasonally, nitrogen and carbon within the wetland plants and soil were also measured. Multivariate statistical analyses were utilized to determine differences in nitrate-N reductions between treatments. Variables included carbon availability, temperature, antecedent moisture condition, nitrogen loading, and water pH. Contrary to the hypothesis that higher nitrate-N removal rates would be observed in the wetlands with higher organic matter, overall removal rates were higher in the wetland mesocosms containing Deloss soils (WET-Min) (maximum of 726 mg m−2 d−1) than those containing Scuppernong soil (WET-Org) (maximum of 496 mg m−2 d−1) and were dependent on daily NO3-N concentrations and season. Significant differences in NO3-N removal were found between seasons and soil types (α = 0.05), which helped to provide insight to the expected magnitude of nitrogen removal within these systems throughout the year, and potential mechanisms (i.e. denitrification vs. plant uptake) that will govern these removals.
Treatment satisfaction across injectable, infusion, and oral disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Background The recent approval of oral disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) has provided patients with a new route of therapy administration. Little research has compared patients' experiences with and perceptions of injectable, infusion and oral MS therapies. Methods Three hundred fifty-seven treated MS patients enrolled in the CLIMB study completed the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM). The TSQM provides information regarding perceived effectiveness, side effects, convenience and overall satisfaction. The patients were treated with either interferon beta-1a intramuscular (IFNβ−1a IM) (n = 40), interferon beta-1a subcutaneous (IFNβ−1a SC) (n = 45), glatiramer acetate (GA) (n = 118), natalizumab (NTZ) (n = 44), fingolimod (n = 66), or dimethyl fumarate (BG-12) (n = 44). Multivariable linear regression models were used to compare treatment satisfaction across all DMTs and between patients treated with injectable (n = 203), infusion (n = 44), and oral (n = 110) DMTs. All models were adjusted for sex, age, EDSS, and time on treatment. Results Patients taking oral DMTs reported significantly higher convenience scores compared to patients taking either injectable or infusion DMTs. The adjusted difference in the mean overall convenience score was 26.87 (95% CI: 21.4, 32.34) for the comparison of orals and injectables and 17.53 (95% CI: 11.15, 23.9) for the comparison of orals and infusion. In addition, the proportion of patients reporting a side effect was significantly lower for orals compared to injectables (adjusted OR=0.35; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.68) and infusion compared to injectables (adjusted OR=0.14; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.35). Conclusion Patients reported treatment with the oral medications as more convenient than the injectable and infusion DMTs.
Bias in patient satisfaction surveys: a threat to measuring healthcare quality

Patient satisfaction surveys are an increasingly common element of efforts to evaluate the quality of healthcare. Many patient satisfaction surveys in low/middle-income countries frame statements positively and invite patients to agree or disagree, so that positive responses may reflect either true satisfaction or bias induced by the positive framing. In an experiment with more than 2200 patients in Nigeria, we distinguish between actual satisfaction and survey biases. Patients randomly assigned to receive negatively framed statements expressed significantly lower levels of satisfaction (87%) than patients receiving the standard positively framed statements (95%-p<0.001). Depending on the question, the effect is as high as a 19 percentage point drop (p<0.001). Thus, high reported patient satisfaction likely overstates the quality of health services. Providers and policymakers wishing to gauge the quality of care will need to avoid framing that induces bias and to complement patient satisfaction measures with more objective measures of quality.
Ghost Writing and Filming Biography in Twelve/12 Years a Slave

Based on an analytical study of the screen adaptation of Solomon Northup’s slave narrative Twelve Years a Slave (1853) by British filmmaker Steve McQueen (2013), this article examines the various filters between Northup’s voice and the readers or the viewers. A close study of the written words and the visuals shows that the enslaved free man’s story can only be recovered through the narratives crafted by others—David Wilson, Dr. Sue Eakin, and Steve McQueen. These documents raise questions of authorship.
H8 Posterior Sagittal Anorectoplasty (PSARP) for Males with Recto-urethral Bulbar Fistula and Prostatic Fistula

A Foley catheter is inserted. The patient is placed prone on the operating table with the pelvis elevated (Fig. 1). A posterior sagittal incision is made, staying precisely in the midline, dividing the skin, subcutaneous tissue, parasagittal fibres, muscle complex, and levator mechanism (Figs. 2 and 3). A white fascia covering the posterior rectal wall is identified (Fig. 4). 5-0 Silk stitches are placed in the posterior rectal wall, that is opened in the midline (Fig. 5).
DiI as a marker for cellular transplantation into solid organs

Research in cellular transplantation is frequently compromised by an inability to identify transplanted cells engrafting into orthotopic sites if they exhibit normal morphology and no unique antigenic markers. A method is described for using the fluorescent dye DiI as a marker for cell transplantation studies. This dye is not metabolized or exchanged between cells in vitro or in vivo and enables identification of engrafted cells by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry or fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Applications are described in autologous hepatocellular and thyroid follicular cell transplantation.
Enzyme Catalysis at the Single-Molecule Level

In this chapter, we present a description of some of the current single-molecule methodologies for studying enzyme catalysis. Single-molecule techniques have become commonly used to examine biochemical processes. These techniques, in combination with standard biochemical tools and computational methods, have provided new information about enzyme catalysis unattainable only a decade ago. Nevertheless, our understanding of enzymes’ mechanisms of action is still far from being complete. Single-molecule techniques represent a promising path to fully uncover the chemistry and function of enzymes.
High Temperature Equilibrium and Growth Shape of Small Particles: The Case of Thallium

The temperature dependence of the equilibrium shape and growth shape of small thallium particles is studied in situ by ultrahigh vacuum scanning electron microscopy. Pronounced anisotropic surface roughening and surface melting is observed and compared with earlier studies of four metals with different crystal structures illustrating significant differences in disordering behavior. A comparison with theoretical 0 K equilibrium shapes shows that these do not allow in general prediction of the equilibrium and growth shapes at high temperatures.
Gender differences in risk behavior: An analysis of asset allocation decisions in Ghana

Abstract Within a developing country context, little is known about gender differences in risk preferences as reflected in asset allocation decisions. Much of the empirical literature within development studies on risk and investment in assets centers on risk coping and risk management strategies of households. With some exceptions, this literature primarily focuses on household and household-level outcomes. Previous experimental studies have explored gender differences in risk preferences in developing countries with inconclusive results. Using unique national-representative sex-disaggregated data with self-reported asset ownership and wealth information of individuals within households in Ghana from a multi-country project, The Gender Asset Gap Project, this paper explores men and women's risk preferences as reflected in asset allocation decisions through a decomposition method typically used to explore gender differences in wage employment. The study finds that although women hold significantly fewer risky assets than men in absolute terms and as a proportion of their wealth in the sample, men and women do not have systematically different risk preferences. The results in this paper differ from the results in many empirical studies in developed countries, where women are often found to be more risk averse than men. As the first study to look at gender differences in risk aversion in terms of asset allocation with in the developing country context, the results from this study provide evidence that gender differences in risk attitudes may vary by cultural context as the growing experimental literature in developing countries suggests.
Perspectives on gender parity in bioanalysis: an interview with Stephanie Cape.

Stephanie Cape, is the Director of Bioanalytical Science at Covance, Madison, WI, USA. She received her BS in Chemistry from University of IL- Urbana/Champaign in 2003 and her PhD in Analytical Che...
Development and Assessment of a Novel Composite Pathologic Risk Stratification for Surgically Resected Human Papillomavirus-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer.

Importance Human papillomavirus–associated (HPV+) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is a distinct form of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with its own American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system. However, pathologic risk stratification for HPV+ OPSCC largely remains based on the experience with HPV-unassociated HNSCC. Objective To compare the survival discrimination of traditional pathologic risk stratification for both HPV+ OPSCC and HPV-unassociated HNSCC and derive a novel pathologic risk stratification system for HPV+ OPSCC with improved survival discrimination. Design, Setting, and Participants In this retrospective cohort study, we used the National Cancer Database to identify 15 324 patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic HNSCC between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2013, who were treated with upfront surgery and neck dissection. We compared traditional pathologic risk stratification for HPV+ OPSCC and HPV-unassociated HNSCC and then derived a novel pathologic risk stratification system. Analyses were performed from July 1, 2018, to January 31, 2019. Exposures Definitive primary surgical resection and neck dissection. Main Outcomes and Measures Survival discrimination of pathologic risk stratification systems measured with concordance indices. Results This retrospective cohort study included 15 324 patients (10 779 men and 4545 women; mean [SD] age, 59.9 [11.8] years) with surgically treated nonmetastatic HNSCC. Separation of survival curves for HPV-unassociated HNSCC using traditional pathologic risk stratification (5-year overall survival for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups) were 76.2%, 54.5%, and 40.9%, respectively. Separation curves for HPV+ OPSCC were 93.2%, 88.9%, and 83.7%, respectively. Human papillomavirus–unassociated HNSCC had a concordance index of 0.68, whereas HPV+ OPSCC had a concordance index of 0.58. A novel risk stratification system for HPV+ OPSCC that more closely fits actual survival rates for HPV+ OPSCC was derived. The system incorporated the composite number of pathologic adverse features. This composite risk stratification system was associated with an improved concordance index of 0.67 for HPV+ OPSCC. Adjuvant treatment with radiation was not associated with improved survival for patients categorized as low risk according to the new risk stratification system, but this treatment was associated with improved survival for patients in the intermediate- and high-risk groups. Conclusions and Relevance Traditional pathologic risk stratification shows poor survival discrimination for HPV+ OPSCC and classifies many patients with an excellent prognosis as high risk. We derived a novel composite pathologic risk stratification system for HPV+ OPSCC that may be associated with improved survival discrimination.
Complications of Bioabsorbable Tibial Interference Screws After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Pediatric and Adolescent Athletes.

Background:Interference screw fixation using bioabsorbable implants has become the most common form of tibial-sided graft fixation in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Complications...
Examining the development of teacher self-efficacy beliefs to teach reading and to attend to issues of diversity in elementary schools

With an increasingly diverse student population in the US and worldwide, it is imperative that teachers feel efficacious about their ability to teach children to read who are culturally and linguis...
Fast calculation of the nonlinear redshift-space galaxy power spectrum including selection bias

This paper presents a fast implementation of the one loop calculation of the galaxy power spectrum in redshift-space, which leads to a speed up over more traditional multi-dimensional integration techniques by a few orders of magnitude.
The Factor Structure of the Attitudes and Beliefs Scale 2: Implications for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

This study tested the factor structure of the Attitudes and Beliefs Scale-2, a measure of Ellis’ irrational and rational beliefs. The scale includes items that assess both irrationality and rationality. Within this framework, items reflect one of four irrational cognitive processes and their rational alternatives, including demandingness versus preferences, frustration intolerance versus tolerance, awfulizing versus realistic negative evaluations, and self-condemnation versus self-acceptance, and one of three content domains including affiliation, achievement, and comfort. The sample of 1500 consisted of college students, psychotherapy outpatients, and patients from a residential substance abuse program. We used the lavaan program with Diagonally Weighted Least Squares estimation procedures to test 11 different models. An 8-factor bifactor model had an excellent fit and appeared better than the other models using. This model had items load on one of the four irrational cognitive process factors of demandingness, awfulizing, frustration intolerance, or self-condemnation, or one of the rational cognitive process factors of non-demanding preferences, realistic negative evaluations, frustration tolerance, or self-acceptance. The second or bifactor solution had all items load on to one general factor. This model has eight factors that are designed to assess factors for the cognitive processes split into the irrational and rationality dimensions, and these results support the factor structure of the test and the theoretical structure of irrational and rational beliefs currently adopted in REBT. The implications for REBT practice were discussed as well as the future of assessment research in REBT.
Spaceborne imaging radar research in the 1990s - An overview

Research and proposed experiments for improving the capabilities of spaceborne imaging radars are discussed. The development of multiparameter research sensors, long-term and global monitoring sensors, planetary mapping sensors, and topographic three-dimensional imagers is examined. The properties and functions of these proposed sensors are described; examples of these various types of sensors are provided.
Trends of per-patient healthcare cost and resource utilization of opioid use disorder among privately insured individuals in the United States from 2005-2014

Abstract Background Little are known about how per-patient healthcare cost and resource utilization of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) have changed over time when governments continue to reduce availability and utilization barrier of OUD treatment. Objectives Investigate trends of per-patient healthcare cost and utilization of outpatient, inpatient and emergency department services among privately insured individuals with OUD from 2005 to 2014. Methods The MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters database was used to analyze healthcare cost and resource utilization of opioid used disorder from 2005 to 2014. A matched case-control design was employed to estimate the impact of OUD on healthcare cost and service utilization over this period. Main findings Excess annual per-patient healthcare cost of OUD stayed relatively stable with an average of $14,586 between 2005 and 2014. However, excess outpatient cost increased while excess inpatient cost decreased over time. Among OUD patients, the increase of OUD related outpatient care utilization rate and average number of visits coincided with the decrease of inpatient and ED service utilization rates and average number of ED visits. Conclusions Among OUD patients, the increasing per-patient utilization of OUD related outpatient care, together with the decline in per-patient utilization of more urgent care including inpatient and emergency department care might indicate increased awareness and diagnosis of OUD and a better control of the disease among existing patients with private insurance.
Visual input to the left versus right eye yields differences in face preferences in 3-month-old infants.

From birth, infants prefer looking at faces over scrambled faces. This face input is important for the development of face processing: individuals who experienced early visual deprivation due to congenital cataracts have long-lasting face processing deficits. Interestingly, the deficits are eye-specific such that left eye cataracts disrupt the development of face processing, whereas right eye cataracts do not. This raises the question of whether infant face preferences are driven primarily by faces observed through the left eye. To investigate this, we presented 3-month-old infants with intact faces paired with scrambled faces. Infants viewed the moving stimuli binocularly, only with their left eye, or only with their right eye. Infants viewing stimuli binocularly or with only the left eye spent significantly more time looking at intact faces than scrambled faces, but this effect was equivocal in infants viewing stimuli through only their right eye. Infants in the binocular group had the greatest preference for faces, and this preference was greater than the right eye group's preference for faces. The left eye group's preference for faces was not statistically different from the other two groups' preference for faces, but additional analyses revealed a correlation between preference for faces and age for the right eye group only, indicating that preference for faces seen with the right eye increase from 3 to 4 months of age. These results indicate that the left eye plays a special role in face processing at, or before 3 months of age, but a preference for faces through the right eye emerges soon after.
Plasma Donor-derived Cell-free DNA Levels Are Increased During Acute Cellular Rejection After Lung Transplant: Pilot Data.

Telehealth platforms with remote phlebotomy and biomarker implementation represent a novel paradigm for surveillance after lung transplantation (LT). In a pilot study, we investigated donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) in plasma using a clinical-grade "next-generation sequencing" assay. Methods dd-cfDNA levels determined in biorepository venous plasma samples obtained during the lung allograft rejection gene expression observation study, implementing a clinical-grade next-generation sequencing assay. Sixty-nine unique LT patients encompassing 9 LT centers, with associated clinical-histopathologic diagnoses, were examined-allograft infection (n = 26), normal histopathology without infection (n = 30), and acute cellular rejection (ACR; n = 13). Results dd-cfDNA in ACR patients were significantly elevated (1.52%; interquartile range [IQR], 0.520-2.2550) compared with the normal stable patients (0.485%; IQR, 0.220-0.790) (P = 0.026). During allograft infection, dd-cfDNA values were not different (0.595; IQR, 0.270-1.170) from normal (P = 0.282) and ACR (P = 0.100). AUC-receiver operator characteristics curve analysis for allograft ACR was 0.717 (95% confidence interval, 0.547-0.887; P = 0.025). At a 0.87% threshold dd-cfDNA-sensitivity = 73.1%, specificity = 52.9%, positive predictive value = 34.1%, and negative predictive value = 85.5%. Conclusions dd-cfDNA assessment holds promise as a noninvasive biomarker of "allograft injury" with acute rejection following LT while prospective, multicenter studies should further refine utility across the spectrum of allograft rejection and infection.
Cardinal Sine Series: Convergence and Uniqueness

Many aspects of the cardinal sine series, particularly those associated with the mathematical theory of sampling in signal processing, are very well known due to its role in the classical sampling theorems. The objective of this article is to highlight several extensions of these classical theorems and to provide corresponding examples. Among the matter presented here are (i) necessary and sufficient conditions for convergence of the series and (ii) several new classes of entire functions that can be represented via such series. Some of these classes contain members that may be unbounded on the real axis.
A FLYWHEEL ENERGY STORAGE AND CONVERSION SYSTEM FOR PHOTO-VOLTAIC APPLICATIONS*

A flywheel energy storage and conversion system has been designed and is now being built at Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Lincoln Laboratory for the United States Department of Energy. It is intended to serve as an interface between a solar photovoltaic array and an AC load, providing output waveform regulation as well as energy storage. Important characteristics include magnetic bearings, an ironless armature motor-generator, and a low-cost flywheel rotor. This paper describes the system design tradeoffs and includes a preliminary economic analysis.
Regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis and lipid metabolism: A microRNA management perspective.

Abstract Cellular disruption of lipid and cholesterol metabolism results in pathological processes linked to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Classically, at the transcription stages, the Cholesterol levels are controlled by two cellular pathways. First, the SREBP transcription factor family controls Cholesterol biosynthesis via transcriptional regulation of critical rate-limiting cholesterogenic and lipogenic proteins. Secondly, The LXR/RXR transcription factor family controls cholesterol shuttling via transcriptional regulation of cholesterol transport proteins. In addition, the posttranscriptional control of gene expression of various enzymes and proteins of cholesterol biosynthesis pathways is mediated by small non-coding microRNAs. Regulatory noncoding miRNAs are critical regulators of biological processes, including developmental and metabolic functions. miRNAs function to fine-tune lipid and cholesterol metabolism pathways by controlling the mRNA levels and translation of critical molecules in each pathway. This review discusses the regulatory roles of miRNAs in cholesterol and lipid metabolism via direct and indirect effects on their target genes, including SREBP, LXR, HDL, LDL, and ABCA transporters. We also discuss the therapeutic implications of miRNA functions and their purported role in the potentiation of small molecule therapies.
Differential control of uterine artery endothelial monolayer integrity by TNF and VEGF is achieved through multiple mechanisms operating inside and outside the cell - Relevance to preeclampsia.

Abstract Uterine artery endothelium undergoes a form of functional adaptation during pregnancy because of an increase in Cx43 communication, resulting in increased Ca2+/IP3 exchange and more synchronous and sustained vasodilator production. We have shown previously that acute exposure to growth factors and TNF can block this adaptation through ERK and/or Src-mediated Cx43 phosphorylation. In preeclampsia such adapted function is already missing, but while elevated TNF is associated with this condition, particularly after 28 weeks (late PE), elevated circulating VEGF165 is not. Given PE is a long term condition emerging in the second half of pregnancy, and is often associated with added edema, we now compare the chronic effects of these two factors on the cell monolayer in order to establish if the breakdown of junctional adherens and tight junctional assemblies in which Cx43 resides could also explain loss of vasodilatory function. We report that while TNF can degrade monolayer integrity even in the 0.1–1 ng/ml physiologic range, VEGF up to 10 ng/ml does not. In addition, the progressive action of TNF is mediated through Src and ERK signaling to promote internalization and destruction of VE-Cadherin (VE-Cad) and ZO-1, as well as the expression and secretion of a variety of proteases. At least one protein degraded from the extracellular space is VE-Cad, resulting in release of a shed VE-Cad protein product, and consistent with monolayer breakdown being sensitive to both Src and MEK/ERK kinase inhibitors and the general protease inhibitor GM6001. We conclude that the greater association of TNF with ‘late’ PE is as much due to its longer term destabilizing effects on junctional assemblies as it is to acute closure of Cx43 channels themselves. New therapies aimed at stabilizing these junctional assemblies may help treat this hypertensive condition.
Environmental Practice and Early American Literature

Introduction: more-than-human literary history Part I. Leaves and Roots: 1. Sovereign remedies 2. Staple-colony circumspection Part II. Fruits and Flowers: 3. The pomology of Eden 4. Beeing in the world Conclusion: 5. Walled in and farmed out: pastoral isolation and georgic collectivities Notes.
Number of Reinforcements and Memory Trace for Kinesthetically Monitored Force Reproduction

Abstract The effect of the number of reinforcements on the memory trace for a kinesthetically monitored force reproduction task was studied. Sixty college women were divided by a balanced order into three groups of 20 each. One group had one reinforcement, one had five reinforcements, and the third had nine reinforcements. The reproduction attempt was either immediate or after a 30-sec. delay. Analysis of variance for constant error indicated that multiple reinforcements improved the accuracy of performance for immediate reproduction but that the improvement was not retained over a retention interval of 30 sec. The tendency to overshoot the standard occurred for both the immediate and delayed reproduction conditions.
Geometry and field dependence of the formation of magnetic antivortices in pound-key-like structures

In this work, we assess the effects of field history and structure shape on the formation of magnetic antivortices. The magnetic reversal process was investigated for a series of patterned micron-sized permalloy pound-key structures with varying degrees of asymmetry using magneto-optical Kerr effect hysteresis measurements combined with magnetic force microscopy. The largest number of antivortices was observed in the structures with the highest level of structure asymmetry, which also show an intermediate state in the hysteresis loop. A significant enhancement of the antivortex formation rate—from 5% to almost 80%—was achieved by adjusting the structure dimensions. Images of the magnetic states obtained at various points in the hysteresis loop show that the highest rate of antivortex formation occurs near the coercive field, also the nucleation field, and that the antivortex formation is also sensitive to the angle of the applied field, where the highest antivortex formation rate is observed when the fiel...
Performance of the gold-tin connector interface in a flight environment

Field and laboratory studies were conducted over a 2-year period to confirm a suspected failure mechanism in a flight critical electrical connector. The connector involved the combination of gold-plated sockets mated to solder-plated pins in a 6 pin, circular military connector. The suspected failure mechanism was fretting corrosion. A second objective was to evaluate the effects of a MIL-L-87177A lubricant on this combination. This lubricant was being considered as a potential field "fix" on systems already deployed (and potentially in a degraded state) in the field. Flight tests confirmed the rapid degradation of an unlubricated population of samples. This occurred in all environments studied including two that were considered noncorrosive. The mechanism was confirmed to be fretting corrosion. Parallel flight tests on lubricated hardware demonstrated the ability of a lubricant to delay the onset of fretting corrosion for at least 1 but less than 2 years. Laboratory tests confirmed that vibration was the major stress, which was responsible for the degradation of this system. Lubrication effectiveness was confirmed to delay but not totally prevent fretting corrosion. Finally, it was demonstrated that lubrication was effective in restoring a degraded system.
Surgical management and clinical outcomes of multiple-level symptomatic herniated thoracic discs.

Object Symptomatic herniated thoracic discs (HTDs) are rare, and patients infrequently require treatment of 2 or more disc levels. The authors assess the surgical management and outcomes of patients with multiple-level symptomatic HTDs. Methods A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was performed of 220 consecutive patients treated surgically for symptomatic HTDs. Clinical and surgical results were compared between patients with single-level disease and patients with multiple-level disease and also among the different approaches used for surgical decompression. Results Between 1992 and 2012, 56 patients (mean age 48 years; 26 male, 30 female) underwent 62 procedures for 130 HTDs. Forty-six patients (82%) had myelopathy, and 36 (64%) had thoracic radiculopathy; 24 patients had both conditions in varying degree. Symptom duration averaged 28 months. The surgical approach was dictated by disc size, consistency, and location. Twenty-three thoracotomy, 26 thoracoscopy, and 13 posterolater...
Identification of Airborne Fungi

Classification of Fungi Terminology and Definitions Fungal Habitats Nutrients Culture Media and Incubation Conditions Spore Dispersal Methods of Identification Identification Criteria Processing and Identification of Samples Safety Precautions Tools of Identification Common Environmental Fungi Keywords: airborne fungi; fungi; fungi, identification of; identification of fungi; methodology
Ritz method for slip flow in curved micro-ducts and application to the elliptic duct

Slip flow is essential for micro-fluidics. Due to its difficulty, there are few reports on the slip flow in a curved duct. This paper introduces a new, highly efficient, semi-analytic Ritz method to treat slip flow in a general curved duct. The method is then applied to the curved elliptic duct which includes the important curved circular duct. Surface slip of a curved duct not only promotes the flow rate, but also shifts the maximum velocity towards the outer boundary and the minimum velocity towards the inner boundary.
Eye development in Drosophila: formation of the eye field and control of differentiation.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the early stages of eye development in Drosophila, focusing on the mechanisms that determine the global pattern rather than those involved in the establishment of specific cell fates. It discusses the specification of the eye disk to form an eye, the control of morphogenetic furrow initiation and propagation, and the coordination of growth with differentiation. Most adult Drosophila structures, including the eye, develop from imaginal disks. These are groups of cells set aside in the embryo that grow and differentiate inside the larva and evert to become functional during metamorphosis. Differentiation in the eye disk is progressive, moving across the disk in a wavelike manner from posterior to anterior. The front of the wave is marked by an indentation in the disk known as the morphogenetic furrow. Most cell division occurs in the unpatterned cells anterior to the furrow, while on the posterior side of the furrow the cells are organized into clusters that develop into the ommatidia. The Drosophila eye disk develops in a remarkably coordinated manner. Its differentiation begins at a precisely defined point and expands at a steady rate, laying down rows of evenly spaced ommatidial founder cells.
Navigating the job search after incarceration: the experiences of work-release participants

When prisoners return to the community they often strive to obtain immediate employment. However, finding work after being released from prison is one of the major challenges returning prisoners face. With few employment prospects due to legal restrictions, discrimination from prospective employers, and multiple individual and community barriers offenders often end up accepting low-skilled work with little opportunity for growth. This qualitative study examines the job searching process for women residing in a community correction work-release facility. The researcher identified several barriers to securing employment, as well as many factors that facilitated the process. Sources of help, types of jobs secured, and experiences with stigma and discrimination are discussed. Implications for improving the job searching process for this population are discussed.
Here’s looking at you: Visual similarity exacerbates the Moses illusion for semantically similar celebrities.

When people read questions like "How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the ark?", many mistakenly answer "2" despite knowing that Noah sailed the ark. This "Moses illusion" occurs when names share semantic features. Two experiments examined whether shared visual concepts (facial features) exacerbate Moses illusions for celebrity names. Questions contained an unrelated distractor name or a semantic distractor name that was visually similar or dissimilar to the correct target name. Both experiments revealed more Moses illusions occurred for questions containing a visually similar semantic distractor compared with either visually dissimilar or unrelated distractors. Furthermore, presenting a picture of the target (Experiment 1) or the visually similar distractor (Experiment 2) before the question increased accurate detection of the illusion, independent of distractor type. Results challenge theoretical explanations of the Moses illusion as resulting from purely shallow semantic processing and demonstrate the importance of visual information in processing proper names, even when presented in written form. (PsycINFO Database Record
Orthopedic Diseases: Non-Sports- Related Pathologies in Young Athletes

Young athletes are commonly afflicted by sports-related injuries. While evaluating these patients, it is important to consider non-sports-related pathologies so as not to overlook underlying orthopedic conditions that can also present in young athletes. Common orthopedic conditions to consider in young athletes include slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), Legg–Calve–Perthes disease (LCPD), benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). These conditions are often preexisting and may be discovered during evaluation of a minor sports-related injury or trauma. Unlike typical sports-related injuries, these conditions often produce symptoms independent of activity. In addition to maintaining a high index of suspicion, a careful history, physical examination, and appropriate imaging studies are necessary to diagnose these conditions. Once the young athlete is diagnosed, proper referral for additional treatment may be required and further participation in sports should be carefully determined.
Frequency of R factor-mediated multiple drug resistance in Klebsiella and Aerobacter.

A comparative study was done on the transfer frequency of R factors from 90 strains of multiple drug-resistant Aerobacter and 81 strains of Klebsiella to Escherichia coli CSH-2 (F-, met-, pro-, Nal-r). The most common resistance patterns for the Aerobacter isolants were ampicillin streptomycin chloramphenicol tetracycline and ampicillin streptomycin chloramphenicol tetracycline kanamycin neomycin; for the Klebsiella isolants, the most common resistance pattern was ampicillin kanamycin streptomycin tetracycline chloramphenicol neomycin. R factors were isolated from 14.1% of the Aerobacter strains; 61.5% of these R factors harbored R determinants for ampicillin streptomycin tetracycline. R factors were isolated from 79.1% of the Klebsiella strains; four R factors were isolated with significant frequency; streptomycin chloramphenicol kanamycin neomycin, 37.5%; ampicillin streptomycin tetracycline kanamycin neomycin, 14.1%; ampicillin streptomycin tetracycline, 12.5%; and streptomycin chloramphenicol tetracycline, 12.5%. Chloramphenicol, kanamycin, and neomycin resistance was rarely transferred from the Aerobacter strains, although over 50% of the clinical isolants possessed resistance to these antibiotics. In contrast, over 75% of the Klebsiella strains transferred resistance to chloramphenicol, kanamycin, neomycin. Highest frequency of transferred resistance to individual drugs in the Aerobacter strains was to streptomycin (14.8%), whereas in the Klebsiella group resistance to four drugs was transferred at a very high frequency: streptomycin (80.8%), chloramphenicol (78.5%), kanamycin (76.4%), and neomycin (75.9%).
Practical Method for the Cu-Mediated Trifluoromethylation of Arylboronic Acids with CF3 Radicals Derived from NaSO2CF3 and tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide (TBHP)

A mild and practical protocol for the copper-mediated trifluoromethylation of aryl and heteroaryl boronic acids using NaSO2CF3 (Langlois’ reagent) and TBHP is described. The reaction proceeds at room temperature under ambient conditions, and the products can be readily purified by extraction or column chromatography.
Surface waves induced by an impinging jet

The oblique impact of a thin or slender jet on the free surface of a semi‐infinite stream is studied. Based on the thickness or radius of the jet the Froude number is assumed to be large and the fluid is assumed to be viscous. By the method of matched asymptotics, the leading term of the solution behind the impact area is constructed. The perturbation solution for the stream away from the impact region and its wake is shown to be equivalent by the linear theory of surface waves with a concentrated load at the impact point and a distributed line load along the wake. These equivalent loads are consistent with considerations of mass and momentum balances and other judicial arguments.