cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurocognitive functioning and genetic variation in patients with primary brain tumours

Impairment of neurocognitive functioning is a common result of cerebral neoplasms and treatment, although there is substantial heterogeneity in the pattern and severity of neurocognitive dysfunction across individuals and tumour types. The effects of many clinical and patient characteristics on neurocognitive functioning have been documented, but little research has been devoted to understanding the effect of genetic variation on neurocognitive outcomes in patients with brain tumours. This Review highlights preliminary evidence that suggests an association between various genes and risk of adverse neurocognitive outcomes in patients with brain tumours. Studies include genes specific to neuronal function, and those associated with more systemic cellular regulation. Related scientific literature in other disease populations is briefly discussed to indicate additional candidate genes. We consider methodological issues central to the study of neurocognitive functioning and genetic associations for patients with brain tumours, and emphasise the need for future research integrating novel investigative techniques.
Role of the vagus nerve in the development and treatment of diet‐induced obesity

This review highlights evidence for a role of the vagus nerve in the development of obesity and how targeting the vagus nerve with neuromodulation or pharmacology can be used as a therapeutic treatment of obesity. The vagus nerve innervating the gut plays an important role in controlling metabolism. It communicates peripheral information about the volume and type of nutrients between the gut and the brain. Depending on the nutritional status, vagal afferent neurons express two different neurochemical phenotypes that can inhibit or stimulate food intake. Chronic ingestion of calorie-rich diets reduces sensitivity of vagal afferent neurons to peripheral signals and their constitutive expression of orexigenic receptors and neuropeptides. This disruption of vagal afferent signalling is sufficient to drive hyperphagia and obesity. Furthermore neuromodulation of the vagus nerve can be used in the treatment of obesity. Although the mechanisms are poorly understood, vagal nerve stimulation prevents weight gain in response to a high-fat diet. In small clinical studies, in patients with depression or epilepsy, vagal nerve stimulation has been demonstrated to promote weight loss. Vagal blockade, which inhibits the vagus nerve, results in significant weight loss. Vagal blockade is proposed to inhibit aberrant orexigenic signals arising in obesity as a putative mechanism of vagal blockade-induced weight loss. Approaches and molecular targets to develop future pharmacotherapy targeted to the vagus nerve for the treatment of obesity are proposed. In conclusion there is strong evidence that the vagus nerve is involved in the development of obesity and it is proving to be an attractive target for the treatment of obesity.
Comprehensive Physical Model of Dynamic Resistive Switching in an Oxide Memristor

Memristors have been proposed for a number of applications from nonvolatile memory to neuromorphic systems. Unlike conventional devices based solely on electron transport, memristors operate on the principle of resistive switching (RS) based on redistribution of ions. To date, a number of experimental and modeling studies have been reported to probe the RS mechanism; however, a complete physical picture that can quantitatively describe the dynamic RS behavior is still missing. Here, we present a quantitative and accurate dynamic switching model that not only fully accounts for the rich RS behaviors in memristors in a unified framework but also provides critical insight for continued device design, optimization, and applications. The proposed model reveals the roles of electric field, temperature, oxygen vacancy concentration gradient, and different material and device parameters on RS and allows accurate predictions of diverse set/reset, analog switching, and complementary RS behaviors using only material...
Roll Stability Regimes at Low Reynolds Numbers

A model is developed to predict roll stall in which the wing is represented by a single horseshoe vortex; the pressure distribution on the surface of the wing is calculated and is shown to be responsible for the generation of roll moment during sideslip perturbations. An expression for the roll stability derivative is derived analytically and is found to be Cl,β = − ( α ) / (2AR sinα) for an equilibrium sideslip angle of β = 0◦. Results are favorably compared with previously published experimental data for rectangular flat plate wings at a Reynolds number of 7.5×10. A nondimensional parameter referred to as the damp time is derived to identify aspect ratios for which the damping derivative, Cl,p, is relevant. A simplified 3×3 linear system for the lateral dynamics of LAR wings is presented which only requires the Cl,β and Cl,p derivatives, and is evaluated for a range of aspect ratios. Fundamentally different stability regimes are discussed. For aspect ratios below 3.3, roll damping is not significant and an unstable Dutch roll-type mode is dominant. As the aspect ratio is increased above 4.6, the roll subsidence mode remains dominant and the Dutch roll mode becomes stable as the wing behaves in a more conventional manner. The disparity in lateral stability regimes between high and low aspect ratios suggests a potential cause for Micro Aerial Vehicle instabilities.
Comparison between the Observed Density of Crystalline Rubber and the Density Calculated from X-Ray Data

Abstract When unvulcanized rubber is stretched quickly, an orientation of structure occurs parallel to the direction of extension. This orientation is usually regarded as a form of crystallization, because of the optical and other phenomena which accompany it. It is also accompanied by a change of volume. When unstretched rubber is subjected to suitable temperatures below about 10° C, it too becomes crystalline. The crystallization of rubber is accompanied by an increase of density, and the simultaneous production of an x-ray diffraction pattern is usually interpreted as evidence that crystallization has occurred. A diffraction pattern of this kind results from regular repetition, within the crystal structure, of groups of atoms or molecules in a definite spatial arrangement. The smallest group from which the structure can be built up in this way is called the unit cell; and the dimensions can be computed from measurements of the pattern, provided it is possible to determine the crystal form. The pattern ...
Infrared Matrix Isolation and Theoretical Study of the Reactions of MoCl4O and MoCl2O2 with CH3OH: Characterization of Cl3Mo(O)OCH3

The matrix isolation technique has been employed to investigate the reactions of Cl4MoO and MoCl2O2 with CH3OH and C2H5OH. Using twin jet deposition, the initial intermediate in the mechanism was identified as a weakly bound molecular complex, characterized by perturbations to the MoO and O−H stretching modes. The complex between Cl4MoO and CH3OH was destroyed by near-UV irradiation, producing the novel Cl3Mo(O)OCH3 species and cage-paired HCl. The complex between CH3OH and MoCl2O2 was not photosensitive. Merged jet deposition of CH3OH and Cl4MoO, with a 70 °C reaction zone, led to complete conversion to Cl3Mo(O)OCH3, the same product observed in after irradiation of the 1:1 complex. This species was identified by use of extensive isotopic labeling, by the observation of HCl (or DCl) as an additional reaction product, and by comparison to density functional calculations. Most of the fundamental vibrational modes of this species that lie above 400 cm-1 were observed, some with very high intensities. C2H5OH...
Boralsilite (Al 16 B 6 Si 2 O 37 ); a new mineral related to sillimanite from pegmatites in granulite-facies rocks

Boralsilite, the first natural anhydrous Al-B-silicate, is a high-temperature phase in pegmatites cutting granulite-facies metapelitic rocks at Larsemann Hills, Prydz Bay, east Antarctica (type locality) and Almgjotheii in the contact aureole of the Rogaland Intrusive Complex, southwestern Norway. Stable assemblages include: (1) quartz-potassium feldspar-boralsilite-schorl/dravite (Larsemann Hills); (2) potassium feldspar-plagioclase (An 22 )-boralsilite-werdingite-dumortierite -grandidierite (Almgjotheii); (3) quartz-potassium feldspar-boralsilite-dumortierite-andalusite+ or -sillimanite (Almgjotheii). Boralsilite is estimated to have formed between 600 and 750 degrees C and 3-5 kbar at conditions where P H2O nu extremely weak, and gamma b. It is monoclinic, space group C2/m with lattice parameters for Larsemann Hills of a = 14.767(1), b= 5.574(1), c = 15.079 (1) Aa, beta = 91.96(1) degrees , V = 1240.4 (2) Aa 3 , Z = 2, and D calc = 3.07 g/cm 3 .
Workshop Report on Liquids

The center of gravity of interaction-induced spectroscopic studies in liquids has shifted over the last decade. Investigations in relatively complex molecular liquids have supplanted studies in monatomic liquids as the principal focus. The measured spectra in these systems are influenced by a variety of interactions and molecular motions that are absent in simple liquids. Perhaps the dominant theme of the liquid state research presented at this workshop was the attempt to understand how coupled molecular translations, rotations and vibrations are manifest in the spectra.
Practical Considerations in Securing a Husband

The marriages of aristocratic British women were in many ways supremely non- romantic, often resembling business deals far more than loving lifelong unions. It was in the settling of the practical considerations surrounding these unions that women’s roles as cogs in the larger machines that were their families and rank become most clear. Families managed this aspect of noble matches with a clear eye on the preservation of rank identity.
Targeting ApoC-III to Reduce Coronary Disease Risk

Triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) are causal contributors to the risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD). Apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) is a component of TRLs that elevates plasma triglycerides (TGs) through delaying the lipolysis of TGs and the catabolism of TRL remnants. Recent human genetics approaches have shown that heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in APOC3, the gene encoding apoC-III, lower plasma TGs and protect from CAD. This observation has spawned new interest in therapeutic efforts to target apoC-III. Here, we briefly review both currently available as well as developing therapies for reducing apoC-III levels and function to lower TGs and cardiovascular risk. These therapies include existing options including statins, fibrates, thiazolidinediones, omega-3-fatty acids, and niacin, as well as an antisense oligonucleotide targeting APOC3 currently in clinical development. We review the mechanisms of action by which these drugs reduce apoC-III and the current understanding of how reduction in apoC-III may impact CAD risk.
Risks and Risk Management in Agri-food Chains

Abstract. Risks management studies in the agri-food sector predominately focus on the technical methods and the capability to perceive, prevent, mitigate, and recover from diverse risks. In most economic publications the risks are usually studied as another commodity regulated by the market supply and demand, and the farmers “willingness to pay” for an insurance contract modeled. At the same time, the risk management analysis largely ignore a significant “human nature” based (bounded rationality, opportunism) risk, critical factors for the managerial choice such as the institutional environment and the transaction costs, and diversity of alternative (market, private, collective, public, hybrid) modes of risk management. This paper incorporates the interdisciplinary New Institutional Economics and presents a comprehensive framework for analyzing the risk management in the agri-food sector. First, it specifies the diverse (natural, technical, behavioral, economic, policy etc.) type of agri-food risks, and the market, private, public and hybrid modes of their management. Second, it defines the efficiency of risk management and identifies (personal, institutional, dimensional, technological, natural) factors of governance choice. Third, it presents stages in the analysis of risk management and for the improvement of public intervention in the risk governance. Forth, it identifies the contemporary opportunities and challenges for the risk governance in the agri-food chain. Finally, it identifies challenges, assesses efficiency, and present responses of the agri-food risk management after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in March 2011. Keywords. Agri-food chain and risk management, Market, Private and public governance, Fukushima nuclear disaster. JEL. Q10, Q56, R33.
The Othering of Muslims: Discourses of Radicalization in the New York Times, 1969–2014

In this article, I engage with Edward Said's Orientalism and various perspectives within the othering paradigm to analyze the emergence and transformation of radicalization discourses in the news media. Employing discourse analysis of 607 New York Times articles from 1969 to 2014, this article demonstrates that radicalization discourses are not new but are the result of complex sociolinguistic and historical developments that cannot be reduced to dominant contemporary understandings of the concept or to singular events or crises. The news articles were then compared to 850 government documents, speeches, and other official communications. The analysis of the data indicates that media conceptualizations of radicalization, which once denoted political and economic differences, have now shifted to overwhelmingly focus on Islam. As such, radicalization discourse now evokes the construct radicalization as symbolic marker of conflict between the West and the East. I also advanced the established notion that the news media employ strategic discursive strategies that contribute to conceptual distinctions that are used to construct Muslims as an “alien other” to the West.
The Blood-Ocular Barrier

No treatise on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is complete without a discussion of the barriers between the blood and the most specialized portion of the central nervous system (CNS), the eye. The eye is a complex organ with distinct anatomic structures and blood supplies that form several nonuniform blood–ocular barriers (Fig. 1). Analysis of the passage of substances into the anterior and posterior chambers, the vitreous, the optic nerve, the choroid, and the retina reveals different levels of penetration into each. The vitreous has no direct vascular input and lies between the aqueous and retinal barriers. The breakdown of the barrier between the blood and the retina plays a significant role in the onset of numerous retinal diseases. A barrier similar to the BBB occurs at the level of the optic nerve.
Lessons from Transgenic Mice Expressing Supra-Physiological Levels of Activated Murine Factor VII.

A gene transfer approach using an engineered activated murine FVII (mVIIa) has previously shown efficacy in correcting the bleeding diathesis of hemophilia B mice. To assess the effects of long-term expression, we generated transgenic mice expressing supra-physiological concentrations of mVIIa (TgVIIa), and divided the mice into high and low expressors (3.1±0.8 and 1.4±0.6 microg/ml), respectively. Both high and low mVIIa levels shortened the aPTT in TgVIIa-HB mice when compared to their HB littermates (18.1±1.6 and 32.4±5.2 vs. 56.6±11.2 sec, P 0.3) and PT (10.1±0.6 vs. 9.8±0.9 sec, P>0.6) respectively, thrombin-anti thrombin (TAT) levels were significantly lower in TgVIIa mice with low than with normal FX activity (5.7±4.1 vs. 71.8±32.2 ng/ml, P 0.4, respectively). The TgVIIa mice were also crossed to low tissue factor mice, kindly provided by Nigel Mackman, and demonstrated a trend of decreased TAT levels in the F1 generation of TgVIIa with ~50% of tissue factor (TF) activity compared to their TgVIIa-normal TF littermates (21.4±19.9 vs. 51.0±44.3 ng/ml, P>0.2, respectively). Interestingly, TAT levels were not less in TgVIIa-HB or TgVIIa-Hemophilia A mice than in hemostatically normal TgVIIa (41.8±17.1 and 52.4±19.9 vs. 51.1± 20.4, P>0.4 and P>0.9, respectively). This suggests an efficient thrombin generation with high VIIa levels in spite of the defective intrinsic system in hemophilic A and B mice, whereas LoFX and LoTF hindered the effect of VIIa on thrombin generation. Correspondingly, the litter sizes were increased when breeding the TgVIIa males with LoFX but not with HB females, both compared to breeding with wt females (9.3±1.3 and 4.3±1.3 vs. 4.5±0.7 pups/litter, with P 0.9, respectively). This observation is relevant to human disease, as a recent report documented elevated VIIa levels in women with recurrent fetal loss. In conclusion, this mouse model demonstrates pathological consequences, including fetal loss and intimal thickening in the pulmonary vasculature as a consequence of overexpressing VIIa, and provides a valuable tool to determine both safe and effective levels of VIIa in hemophilic mice.
The role of multiple coactivators in human matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene expression

B43 Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a zinc-dependent endopeptidase with broad substrates from extracellular matrix proteins to bioactive molecules. It regulates physiological processes such as tissue remodeling and immune responses. However, MMP-9 exacerbates the development of cancers and inflammatory diseases due to its aberrant upregulation. Therefore, MMP-9 has been under intensive study as a cancer therapeutic target. In order to control MMP-9 expression in cancers, understanding the regulatory mechanisms of MMP-9 expression is required. MMP-9 gene expression is regulated mainly at the transcriptional level. In this study, we determined the involvement of multiple transcriptional coactivators in MMP-9 transcription. Our data indicate that coactivators from different groups including CBP/p300, PCAF, CARM1 and GRIP1 are able to activate MMP-9 promoter activity. This enhancement requires the histone acetyltransferase activity of PCAF but not that of CBP/p300, and the methyltransferase activity of CARM1. Furthermore, MMP-9 promoter transcription is synergistically activated by coexpression of p300, CARM1 and GRIP1. This substantial synergy depends on the interaction of p300 and CARM1 with the AD1 and AD2 domains of GRIP1, respectively. These results support the model that these three coactivators form a ternary complex on the MMP-9 promoter. More importantly, these coactivators are associated with the endogenous MMP-9 promoter as shown by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. SiRNA knockdown of p300, CARM1 and GRIP1 greatly reduced endogenous MMP-9 expression. Collectively, our study illustrates the importance of coactivators for MMP-9 expression, and suggest that knockdown of coactivators is an effective way to decrease MMP-9 expression, which may be particularly useful in breast and prostate cancers, where coactivators are overexpressed.
Nodular Fasciitis of the Posterior Chest Wall With Bone Invasion Mimicking a Malignant Neoplasm.

Nodular fasciitis is a self-limiting benign fibroblastic/myofibroblastic proliferation, which typically presents as a rapidly growing mass resembling an aggressive lesion clinically. It can also mimic a sarcoma histologically, hence the frequent characterization as "pseudosarcoma." We describe a case of a 53-year-old man who presented with a posterior chest wall mass that on imaging showed erosion into the adjacent ribs. After resection, the diagnosis of nodular fasciitis was rendered. Bone erosion by nodular fasciitis is extremely rare and can resemble a malignant neoplasm radiologically.
Effects of Random Sample Periods on Depth Control Performance and Stability Robustness

Abstract This paper presents results from an investigation into the effects that a randomly varying controller sample period have on submarine depth control at near-zero forward speeds. Both depth control performance issues and stability robustness issues are discussed. In terms of performance, the principal effect which is seen is on the value of the control signal when the controller incorrectly assumes a constant sample period. For stability robustness, both the over-bounding and under-bounding obtained with certain robustness tests when applied to this problem are illustrated.
Quantifying and Modeling the Cumulative Impact of Change Orders

AbstractThe modern construction industry in the United States generated 5% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016. In an industry this large, it is inevitable that changes will detri...
Robust Maneuverability of a Miniature, Low-Cost Underwater Robot Using Multiple Fin Actuation

In this letter, we present the design of a miniature (100 mm) autonomous underwater robot that is low-cost ($ 100), easy to manufacture, and highly maneuverable. A key aspect of the robot design that makes this possible is the use of low-cost magnet-in-coil actuators, which have a small profile and minimal sealing requirements. This allows us to create a robot with multiple flapping fin propulsors that independently control robot motions in surge, heave, and yaw. We present several results on the robot, including 1) quantified open-loop swimming characteristics; 2) autonomous behaviors using a pressure sensor and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to achieve controlled swimming of prescribed trajectories; 3) feedback from an optic sensor to enable homing to a light source. The robot is designed to form the basis for underwater swarm robotics testbeds, where low cost and ease of manufacture are critical, and three-dimensional (3-D) maneuverability allows testing complex coordination inspired by natural fish schools. Individually, miniature and low-cost underwater robots can also provide a platform for the study of 3-D autonomy and marine vehicle dynamics in educational and resource-constrained settings.
Ecology: 'Devil's gardens' bedevilled by ants

An ant species uses herbicidal weaponry to secure its own niche in the Amazonian rainforest.
Housing a Heretic: Johannes Oecolampadius (1482–1531) and the ‘Pre-History’ of the Servetus Affair

ABSTRACTAlthough many scholars have written about Calvin's treatment of Michael Servetus, very few have explored Servetus's earliest encounters with other Protestant Reformers. By utilizing letters, prefaces and other writings in the sixteenth century, this study aims to develop a portrait of the multiple ways in which the Basel Reformer, Johannes Oecolampadius, influenced Servetus and ultimately, the outcome of his trial. Perhaps most notably in the background of the Servetus affair, Oecolampadius allowed Servetus to live in his house for 10 months prior to the publication of his first antitrinitarian book. The correspondence between the two of them, and the correspondence between Oecolampadius and other Reformers in 1530–1531, enables us to fill out the picture of Servetus's early ideas and reactions to them. The descriptions of events more than 20 years later in Geneva likewise aid our understanding of Servetus's trial and the ways Oecolampadius's legacy and reputation affected it.
Selected case studies in hematopathology: application of current ancillary techniques in diagnosis.

The patient was a 59-year-old male with 1.5 months of diarrhea, cramping, and 5-lb weight loss. On physical examination he was found to have a mobile 4 x 6 cm RUQ mass. He underwent a colonoscopy and biopsy. Later, a right colectomy with attached segment of small bowel was done. On opening the specimen a circumferential mass was seen in the small bowel extending into the proximal cecum. The mass itself occupied approximately 20 cm segment of the bowel and on sectioning it displayed a homogenous solid, white-tan, fleshy appearance. Few peri-colonic lymph nodes were found (0.8–2.0 cm).
Carving Depression at Its Joints: Cognitive/ Personality Subtypes of Depression

Plato long ago suggested that to understand the world, one needed to "carve nature at its joints," that is, one needed to classify the objects and phenomena of the world into deep and meaningful categories that accurately reflect valid distinctions in nature. Since the early 20th century, clinicians and researchers interested in the phenomena of depression have suggested that depression is probably a heterogeneous category, waiting to be "carved at its joints" (e.g., Craighead, 1980; Gillespie, 1929; Kraepelin, 1913). Historically, a wide variety of nosological distinctions have been proposed to classify the depressive disorders into subtypes, such as bipolar-unipolar, endogenous-reactive, psychotic-neurotic, and so on. Most of these subtyping schemes have grouped people together on the basis of similar symptoms (either through clinical observation or quantitative statistical approaches), with the expectation that the resulting subtypes would be associated with distinct causes, courses, or treatments. More recently, investigators from a cognitive perspective have used a theory-based approach to the subdivision of the depressive disorders and have proposed that one or more distinct cognitive or personality subtypes of depression may exist in nature. For example, in the hopelessness theory of depression, Abramson, Metalsky, and Alloy (1989) hypothesized the existence of a hopelessness depression subtype with a particular cognitive vulnerability-stress etiology and distinct symptoms, course, treatment, and prevention. Similarly, Beck (1983; 1987) and Blatt (1974; Blatt & Zuroff, 1992) have hypothesized distinct sociotropic and autonomous or dependent and self-critical subtypes of depression, respectively, each with a unique constellation of associated symptoms and a cognitive or developmental diathesis-stress matching etiology. Each of these proposed cognitive/personality subtypes of depression has generated considerable theoretical interest and a growing body of empirical research over the last 5-10 years.
On Valuing Acid Deposition-Induced Materials Damages: A Methodological Inquiry

Those who study the physical features of pollution impacts upon materials have been granted little guidance about which of these impacts have economic significance. In this paper, an analytical framework is proposed that is appropriate for assessing the economic benefits of reducing the materials damages caused by acid deposition. The structure is intended to provide guidance about the kinds of physical science information that contribute to empirical economic analyses of these damages. Moreover, it supplies a framework that can be used to evaluate the completeness of these efforts. The paper concludes with practical suggestions about means to improve assessments of the economic consequences of materials damages from acid deposition.
Family Violence—Child

Aggressive and destructive behaviors are daily realities in our global community and on our city streets. We spend massive amounts of revenue on national defense, local law enforcement, and personal security to cope with these threats. Nevertheless, the most ruinous outbreak of violence is violence in the home. Outbreaks of violence in families weaken the very structure of our society by disrupting the stability of the family and undermining the well-being of our children.
Corrigan’s Pulse and Quincke’s Pulse

Corrigan’s Pulse and Quincke’s Pulse A 58-year-old man with a bioprosthetic aortic valve presented with exertional dyspnea. Videos show rapidly declining pulsation of the right carotid artery and capillary pulsation of the index finger, thumb, and nail bed, findings suggestive of severe aortic regurgitation.
Genetic and antigenic characterization of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in Yantai, China, during the 2009-2017 influenza season.

Objective This study was performed to determine the antigenic and genetic characteristics and evaluate potential vaccine efficacy of influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 in Yantai from August 2009 to August 2017. Materials and methods A total of 10 236 swabs were collected among patients with an influenza-like illness who were admitted to two sentinel surveillance hospitals in Yantai, East China, from August 2009 to August 2017. All specimens were cultured in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells and identified by haemagglutination-inhibition assay. Complete sequences of haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase of 51 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 strains circulating in Yantai were amplified, sequenced and analysed using molecular and phylogenetic methods. The potential vaccine efficacy was calculated using the p epitope model which measured the antigenic variation based on the changes in the dominant epitope of HA. Results The results showed that most Yantai strains were grouped into genetic clades 1.7, 6C, 6B.1 and 6B.2. The amino acid substitutions accumulated gradually in HA proteins and considerable genetic variation were observed in circulating A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses during the seven influenza seasons. The V241I, N369K, N386K and K432E mutations which may change the binding pattern and affinity of oseltamivir for neuraminidase were detected in the strains circulating in 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 seasons and the recommended vaccine strains could afford optimal protection against the influenza A/H1N1pdm09. Conclusions Although influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses acquired significant genetic variation over the course of seven influenza seasons, the recommended vaccine strains still afforded protection against main circulating strains. Continuous epidemiological and virological surveillance are necessary.
When data don’t drive: teacher agency in data use efforts in low-performing schools

Grounded in the belief that data will drive instructional change, data-driven decision making continues to be a prevalent reform strategy in schools. However, the use of data does not always prompt...
Holocene and Last Interglacial climate of the Faroe Islands from sedimentary plant wax hydrogen and carbon isotopes

Abstract The Last Interglacial period (LIG) is Earth's most recent globally warm period and is analogous in some ways to projected future global warming. However, questions remain regarding the state of the climate during the LIG in the North Atlantic, a region that is extremely sensitive to changes in oceanic and atmospheric circulation. Here, we present hydrogen and carbon isotope (δD and δ13C) records from a suite of plant wax biomarkers preserved in Holocene and LIG lacustrine sediments from the North Atlantic Faroe Islands and interpret them as qualitative proxies for temperature and hydroclimate variability. These data are used to directly compare LIG and Holocene climate using the same proxy approaches from the same terrestrial location. Measuring multiple isotopes on multiple types of waxes elucidates the sources of homologous plant waxes. We deduce that the δD values of long-chain n-alkanes (C27–C33) and mid-chain n-alkanes (C23–C25) in these sedimentary archives reflect leaf water and lake water δD values, respectively, while the δD values for both long-chain (C28–C30) and mid-chain n-alkanoic acids (C24–C26) primarily represent lake water δD values. Plant wax-inferred δD values of precipitation during the early Holocene (10,100 to 8,200 cal yr BP) are ∼35‰ more positive than late Holocene values, and decline over the Holocene. δD-inferred hydrologic change and δ13C -inferred plant water use efficiency both indicate that the Faroe Islands became drier throughout the Holocene. Comparison with measurements from LIG plant waxes indicates that late LIG in the Faroe Islands was hydrologically similar to the early-to mid-Holocene (8,200 to 4,000 cal yr BP), with enriched precipitation isotopes and reduced evapotranspiration indicating a warmer, wetter environment.
Moss communities of xeric calcareous habitats in the southeastern United States: An assessment of compositional variation and distance decay

Moss floras of xeric calcareous habitats were studied at field sites in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. At each site, one study area was established, including open glade and wooded margin. A species inventory and a community composition investigation were conducted at each study area. Community composition was analyzed for ground-dwelling (soil and rock) and corticolous communities. Ground-dwelling communities were sampled with quadrats, and corticolous communities were sampled by examining trees along the margins. Presence/absence data from the complete species lists from the five sites were used to calculate Jaccard similarity indices among pairs of sites. The frequencies of species occurring in community samples were used to calculate Bray-Curtis similarity indices for ground-dwelling margin and corticolous communities. Jaccard and Bray-Curtis similarities were used in regression analyses to explore their relationship with geographic distance and climatic factors. The total number of species found at each 1 ha study area ranged from 32 to 35. Part of the flora at each site consisted of species common elsewhere in the region, but there were also species commonly associated with calcareous substrates, such as Pleurochaete luteola, Weissia jamaicensis, Orthotrichum strangulatum, Schistidium rivulare and Hyophila involuta. Regression analyses of pairwise similarities and geographic distances showed a strong non-linear correlation between distance and the Jaccard similarities, a somewhat lower correlation between distance and the Bray-Curtis similarities from ground-dwelling margin communities, and little correlation between distance and corticolous community compositions. Multiple regression analyses suggested significant correlations between community variation and temperature and in most cases weaker correlations with precipitation. Our results were notable in that the ground-dwelling community subset exhibited a pronounced distance decay but the corticolous subset did not. This finding suggests that in bryophytes characteristics associated with habitat fragmentation and substrate type have important effects on beta diversity.
Direct measurement of ascending aortic diameter by intraoperative caliper assessment

Abstract Background We wished to determine whether imaging measurements of the ascending aorta corresponded with direct caliper measurements done at the time of surgery. Methods Measurements were taken in the operating room by caliper and compared statistically (Student’s test). Results The aortic dimensions assessed varied between 4.0-6.0cm with a mean of 4.83cm ± 0.47 when measured intraoperatively via the caliper, 4.93 (3.90-6.50 ± 0.42) by surgeon generated diameter using preoperative CT or TTE, 4.77cm (3.3-5.5 ± 0.44) by preoperative TTE, 4.8cm (3.9-6.4 ± 0.49) by preoperative CT scan, and 4.61cm (3.5-6.2 ± 0.51) by intraoperative TEE. All the different imaging modalities were comparable to the caliper measurements (p>0.05) except the TEE intraoperative measurements, which were unable to “see” high enough on the ascending aorta to capture the maximum diameter. Conclusion We have confirmed accuracy and concurrence between pre-operative CT with intra-operative caliper measurements of the ascending aorta.
Postpartum reproductive performance in crude protein-restricted beef cows: return to estrus and conception.

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a deficiency in dietary crude protein intake on postpartum reproductive performance of first-calf beef cows. Forty primigravid Hereford heifers were randomly assigned to two groups that were fed isocaloric (100% NRC requirements) diets containing .96 (adequate) or .32 (deficient) kg crude protein per head daily. Animals were individually fed from 150 d prepartum to 40 d postpartum and then were group-fed until the end of the experiment at 110 d postpartum. Total nutrient intake was increased by 33% at time of parturition to meet lactation requirements. Animals were artificially inseminated between 45 and 110 d postpartum when they showed estrus. Eighty-nine percent of those fed adequate protein showed estrus, whereas only 63% of protein-restricted heifers exhibited estrus (P less than .05). First-service conception (P less than .05; 71 vs 25%) and overall pregnancy rates (P less than .05; 74 vs 32%) were lower in protein-restricted heifers. Compared with those fed adequately, protein-restricted heifers had a tendency for longer intervals to first estrus (P less than .08; 75 vs 86 d), to first service (P less than .09; 76 vs 87 d) and to conception (P less than .09; 81 vs 92 d). Regardless of diet, weight at first estrus, weight at first service and average daily gain to 40 d postpartum were negatively correlated (P less than .01) with length of intervals from parturition to first estrus and first service.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A dictionary-based method for detecting machine-generated domains

Internet robots, also known as bots, have transformed the businesses and society with convenience. However, the dynamics of these interactions could be under adversarial circumstances with detrimen...
Assessing the Cyber Risk of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The growing market for commercial-off-the-shelf unmanned aerial vehicles has brought with it innate rewards and vulnerabilities. Aerial technology presents unique cyber risk characteristics that must be managed in new ways. A key stage of the risk management process is risk assessment – the earlier in the lifecycle the assessment is performed, the more the security that can be designed into the operational environment.
Hyperspectral Target Detection: Hypothesis Testing, Signal-to-Noise Ratio, and Spectral Angle Theories

Hyperspectral target detection (HTD) can be generally categorized by its targets to be detected, a priori targets with provided known target knowledge as a priori target detection and a posteriori targets with known target signatures (spectral shapes), but unknown abundance fractions needed to be estimated as a posteriori target detection. As a result, target detection can be performed in three scenarios, full pure-pixel target detection corresponding to a priori target detection, and subpixel and mixed-pixel target detection corresponding to a posteriori target detection. To develop theories for these three types of target detection, this article develops three approaches. One is to rederive hypothesis testing-based detection theory using very basic statistical detection theory. Another two are new theories, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)-based detection theory that uses SNR as a criterion to derive optimal detectors and spectral angle (SA)-based detection theory that calculates SA to perform HTD, both of which do not require prior probability distributions as hypothesis testing does. Specifically, it will be shown that many current hypothesis testing-derived likelihood ratio test (LRT)-based detectors can find their counterparts in the SNR-derived theory and the SA-derived detection theory. Finally, to evaluate the detection performance among the detectors developed from these three approaches, several effective detection measures resulting from 3-D receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis are used to conduct a comprehensive study and comparative analysis.
Thermal Transport Analysis of Injected Flow through Combined Rib and Metal Foam in Converging Channels with Application in Electronics Hotspot Removal

Abstract The development of miniaturized and more powerful electronic devices and microprocessors has resulted in high heat generation and temperature values in these components. That affects the performance, reliability and lifespan of the devices. In addition, more local hot spots are generated in the components that require even more attention to prevent stress failure and fatigue. As such, the employment of advanced electronics cooling systems is very essential to keep the temperature below the safe temperature. In this work, innovative cooling systems are developed and analyzed employing jet impingement technology, high conductive metal foam, rib structured target surfaces, confined non-uniform small-scale channel, and conductive heat spreader plate. The base of the foam-filled cooling channel is subject to a uniform high heat flux value resembling the electronics device to be cooled. For numerical modeling of thermal transport through foam filled region, the local thermal non-equilibrium model in porous media is utilized resulting in two energy equations for solid and fluid phases. For better understanding of flow and thermal characteristics of jet impingement through the combination of metal foam and rib structured surfaces in confined channels, several effective parameters are studied such as slot and circular jet impingements, the shape and orientation of the ribs, impinging jet velocity, applied heat flux and the thickness of conductive heat spreader plate for hotspot removal. The results show that the fully foam filled channel provides a more efficient cooling in comparison with partially foam filled channel. Furthermore, the results indicate the advantage of utilization of ribs at the stagnation region of the impinging jet, for local thermal treatment of hotspots. The perpendicular cuboid ribs placed at the stagnation zone of the coolant jet impingement provide 13% increase in maximum local Nusselt number while the increase in the pressure drop and required pumping power are as small as 4.2%. Doubling the velocity would result in 35.3% increase in the maximum local Nusselt number, 180% increase in the pressure drop and 460.7% increase in the required pumping power. An increase in the thickness of the conductive heat spreader plate increases the base local temperature but improves local temperature uniformity.
LI-Seq: A Cost-Effective, Low Input DNA method for Whole Genome Library Preparation

O_LISamples from species of high conservation concern are often low in total genomic DNA. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) can provide many insights that can be used to aid in species conservation, but current methods for working with low quality and low input samples can be cost prohibitive for population level genomic analyses. Thus, there is an urgent need for a cost-effective method of preparing WGS libraries from low input DNA samples. C_LIO_LITo bridge the gap between sampling techniques commonly used in conservation genetics that yield low quality and low input DNA and the powerful tool of WGS, we developed LI-Seq, a more efficient method that successfully produces libraries from low quality DNA with as low input as 0.48 ng of DNA, with an average final library size of 300-500 base pairs. C_LIO_LISequencing results suggest no difference in sequencing quality or coverage between low quality, low input and high quality, high input starting material using our protocol. We conclude that our new method will facilitate high-throughput WGS on low quality, low input samples, thus expanding the power of genomic tools beyond traditional high quality samples. C_LI
Tbcc Discipline Overview. Hypersonics Project

The "National Aeronautics Research and Development Policy" document, issued by the National Science and Technology Council in December 2006, stated that one (among several) of the guiding objectives of the federal aeronautics research and development endeavors shall be stable and long-term foundational research efforts. Nearly concurrently, the National Academies issued a more technically focused aeronautics blueprint, entitled: the "Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics - Foundations for the Future." Taken together these documents outline the principles of an aeronautics maturation plan. Thus, in response to these overarching inputs (and others), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) organized the Fundamental Aeronautics Program (FAP), a program within the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). The FAP initiated foundational research and technology development tasks to enable the capability of future vehicles that operate across a broad range of Mach numbers, inclusive of the subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic flight regimes. The FAP Hypersonics Project concentrates on two hypersonic missions: (1) Air-breathing Access to Space (AAS) and (2) the (Planetary Atmospheric) Entry, Decent, and Landing (EDL). The AAS mission focuses on Two-Stage-To-Orbit (TSTO) systems using air-breathing combined-cycle-engine propulsion; whereas, the EDL mission focuses on the challenges associated with delivering large payloads to (and from) Mars. So, the FAP Hypersonic Project investments are aligned to achieve mastery and intellectual stewardship of the core competencies in the hypersonic-flight regime, which ultimately will be required for practical systems with highly integrated aerodynamic/vehicle and propulsion/engine technologies. Within the FAP Hypersonics, the technology management is further divided into disciplines including one targeting Turbine-Based Combine-Cycle (TBCC) propulsion. Additionally, to obtain expertise and support from outside (including industry and academia) the hypersonic uses both NASA Research Announcements (NRAs) and a jointly sponsored, Air Force Office of Scientific Research and NASA, National Hypersonic Science Center that are focused on propulsion research. Finally, these two disciplines use selected external partnership agreements with both governmental agencies and industrial entities. The TBCC discipline is comprised of analytic and experimental tasks, and is structured into the following two research topic areas: (1) TBCC Integrated Flowpath Technologies, and (2) TBCC Component Technologies. These tasks will provide experimental data to support design and analysis tool development and validation that will enable advances in TBCC technology.
Caves and Karst of the Helderberg Plateau

The longest and largest caves of the northeastern region (Barrack Zourie Cave, Howe Caverns, McFails Cave, Skull Cave and Thunder Hole) are found in the Helderberg Plateau of central New York. Broad areal exposure of Helderberg Group limestones, gentle dip SSW at 1°–2°, and down-dip incision of those limestones by surface drainage has created a hydrological setting conducive to large cave formation. Interaction of strike and dip with groundwater release points has created parallel and unconnected down-dip caves above Fox Creek to the east, but integrated and subsequently partitioned strike-oriented caves above Cobleskill Creek to the west. Glaciation has deranged this landscape, particularly in the west where the Cobleskill Creek has been infilled with glacial sediment, backflooding the downstream portions of the McFails and Barrack Zourie cave systems; backflooding has also been severe to the east at Skull Cave, where joint activation due to isostatic rebound has allowed exploitation by floodwaters to create a large rectilinear maze superimposed upon a dendritic cave pattern. A south-flowing tributary valley of Cobleskill Creek has been subdivided by drumlins into a series of large closed depressions that drain to Barrack Zourie and McFails caves. Deranged surface drainage enters many pre-glacial caves by young, post-glacial input routes, and independent small post-glacial caves have developed. Pre-glacial age for the large systems has been demonstrated to be at least 350 ka by U/Th dating, and the perseverance of the pre-glacial drainage pattern through multiple glaciations suggests that the cave hydrology was established pre-Pleistocene.