cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of terpenoid and leaf fossil vegetation proxies in Paleocene and Eocene Bighorn Basin sediments

Abstract Plant-derived terpenoids, long recognized as biomarkers, can help reveal the major taxonomic groups of land plants present in ancient environments, even if rocks and sediments do not preserve plant macro- or microfossils. Previous studies have used simple di- to triterpenoid ratios to reconstruct floral changes in the geologic past, but few have compared terpenoid ratios with estimates of floral composition from fossils. Further, reconstructions have not taken into account differences in biomarker production (i.e. concentration relative to leaf biomass) between different types of plants. Here, we have examined terpenoids from early Cenozoic fluvial rocks from the Bighorn Basin (Wyoming, USA), where fossil flora has been studied in detail. We analyzed the distributions of diterpenoids, triterpenoids and n-alkanes from leaf wax in a total of 43 samples from 15 stratigraphic horizons of late Paleocene (63 Ma) to early Eocene (53 Ma) in age. In nearly all samples, triterpenoids, derived from angiosperms, were significantly lower in abundance than conifer-specific diterpenoids, a finding that contrasted with plant fossil evidence for the same rocks. This suggests that di- to triterpenoid ratios severely underestimate the abundance of angiosperms in paleovegetation. Angiosperms dominated n-alkane production among modern plants, and we propose a new paleovegetation proxy based on the ratio of diterpenoids (conifers) to n-alkanes (angiosperms), corrected for lipid production estimated from extant vegetation. Using diterpenoids and alkanes, we infer the composition of paleovegetation to be similar to that inferred from plant fossils. Although the approach works well for the Bighorn Basin, we stress the new paleovegetation proxy will need to be evaluated for other time periods, communities, paleogeography and depositional environments with pollen or megafossil data available.
Decreased placental protein expression of PHOSPHO-AKT correlates with a decrease in expression of eNOS protein at mid-gestion in an ovine model of intrauterine growth restricition (IUGR)

WITH A DECREASE IN EXPRESSION OF ENOS PROTEIN AT MID-GESTION IN AN OVINE MODEL OF INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICITION (IUGR) JUAN A. ARROYO, RUSSELL V. ANTHONY, THOMAS A. PARKER, GATES ROE, HENRY L. GALAN, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Denver, Colorado, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Dept. of Pediatrics, Aurora, Colorado, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Dept. of Pediatrics, Denver, Colorado OBJECTIVE: Endothelial nitric oxidase synthase (eNOS) and NO are important regulators of blood flow in the fetal-placental circulation and are modulated by shear stress. eNOS activity is regulated by the phosphorylation (p) of ERK and AKT proteins in various tissues. In an established hyperthermic (HT) ovine model of placental and fetal growth restriction (FGR), we hypothesize that eNOS, pERK and pAKT protein levels would be decreased in the placental tissues in 95 day gestational age (dGA; term=147dGA) animals. STUDY DESIGN: 4 ewes were exposed to HT conditions for 55 days to induce FGR and 4 were used as controls. Placentomes were separated into caruncle and cotyledon components, and frozen for Western blot analysis with an antibody against eNOS, pERK, ERK, pAKT and AKT . Actin westerns on the same blots were used to account for inter-lane loading variations. RESULTS: HT animals showed, 1) smaller placentae (440G50 v. 186G18; p!0.004) while fetus weights were similar, 2) decreased O2 saturation (5.5G.06% v. 3.8G0.5% p!0.04) and pO2 levels (48.6G15.8 mmHg v. 23.2G2.34 mmHg; p!0.02), 3) a 2.5-fold decrease in caruncle eNOS protein and a 1.9-fold decrease in cotyledon eNOS protein (p!0.03), 4) a 1.5-fold increase in caruncle pERK with a 1.4-fold decrease in pAKT, 5) no differences in cotyledon pERK with a 2-fold decrease in pAKT protein (p!0.02).
Air-Water Gas Exchange of Organochlorine Compounds in Lake Baikal, Russia

Air and surface water samples were collected at Lake Baikal, Russia, during June 1991 to determine concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. These data were combined with Henry's law constants to estimate the gas flux rate across the air−water interface of each compound class. Air samples were collected at Lake Baikal and from nearby Irkutsk. Water samples were collected from three mid-lake stations and at the mouth of two major tributaries. Average air concentrations of chlorinated bornanes (14 pg m-3), chlordanes (4.9 pg m-3), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (194 pg m-3) were similar to global background or Arctic levels. However, air concentrations of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), DDTs, and PCBs were closer to those observed in the Great Lakes region. Significantly higher levels of these three compound classes in air over Irkutsk suggests that regional atmospheric transport and deposition may be an important source of these persistent compounds to Lake Baika...
Changes in pulmonary vascular resistance in response to partial liquid ventilation.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Partial liquid ventilation (PLV) with perfluorocarbons decreases pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in injured piglet lungs without supplemental oxygen. These PVR changes may result either from direct mechanical effects or improved arterial oxygenation. In an uninjured hypoxic model of elevated PVR the authors asked the following questions: (1) Does prophylactic or therapeutic PLV ameliorate the PVR response to hypoxia? (2) Do prophylactic and therapeutic PLV have different PVR effects? (3) Does supplemental oxygen modify PVR response to PLV? Methods: Piglet (3 to 4 kg) lungs were isolated in situ without ischemia, hypoxia, or reperfusion injury. Pulmonary artery (PA) and left atrial (LA) cannulae were attached to a bloodprimed extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) perfusion circuit with a flow (Q PA ) of 80 mL/kg/min. Pressure-limited, volume-cycled ventilation (PIP v = 15 mL/kg) was initiated. PLV with perfluorodecalin (15 mL/kg) was administered endotracheally. Continuously monitored blood gas parameters allowed airway and extracorporeal adjustment of Fio 2 to produce a Po 2 appropriate to the experimental phase. PVR was calculated as (PPA−PLAQPA). After a stable 30-minute normoxic baseline, animals were assigned randomly to three groups. In group I , control (n = 7), PVR was measured for 150 minutes in hypoxic lungs (Fio 2 = 0.07, P PA o 2 = 40 mm Hg, S PA o 2 = 70%). In group II , prophylactic (n = 8), PLV was administered, followed by 90 minutes of hypoxia, and 60 minutes of oxygen recovery (Fio 2 = 0.21 – 0.30, P PA o 2 > 100 mm Hg, S PA o 2 = 100%). In group III , therapeutic (n = 8), after 30 hypoxic minutes, PLV was administered and maintained for 90 minutes, followed by a 60-minute oxygen recovery phase. Results were expressed as mean ± SEM. Statistical analysis of groups was performed by repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey correction. Results: In group I normoxic gas-ventilated PVR was 174 ± 12 mm Hg/L/kg/min. After 90 hypoxic minutes PVR was 318 ± 37 ( P v baseline). In group II baseline PVR was 183 ± 14. PVR after 30 normoxic minutes of PLV was 199 ± 14 ( P = ns v baseline). After 90 hypoxic minutes, PVR was 350 ± 31 ( P v baseline, and PLV alone) followed by a decrease to 192 ± 19 after 60 minutes of oxygen recovery ( P = ns v baseline or PLV alone). In group III baseline PVR was 160 ± 17 and 325 ± 29 after 30 hypoxic minutes. After 90 hypoxic minutes of PLV, PVR was 366 ± 22 ( P = ns v hypoxia control, P v normoxic baseline). PVR recovered to 189 ± 19 after 60 minutes of oxygen recovery ( P = ns v baseline). Conclusions: Prophylactic/therapeutic PLV had no effect on hypoxia-induced increases in PVR and did not differ from each other. Although PLV alone decreases PVR in the injured lung without supplemental oxygen, elevated PVR associated with hypoxia was ameliorated only by supplemental oxygen in the liquid ventilated lung.
Laser-induced acoustic waves and index of refraction changes in Ti3+- doped sapphire

Abstract Acoustic waves in Ti 3+ -doped sapphire have been observed after optical pumping with a pulsed 532 nm Nd:YAG laser. Photothermal beam-deflection spectroscopy has been used to measure the resulting change in the index of refraction. The effect of the acoustic wave on the index of refraction is discussed. It is shown that the energy of the acoustic wave is negligible compared with the increase of internal energy produced by the optical pumping. The resulting sound velocity of the acoustic wave was calculated to be c s =9500±500 m/s.
Barriers and supports for female coaches: an ecological model

A vast amount of literature exists pertaining to female coaches at all levels of competition from around the globe. Within this article, using Brofenbrenner's ecological systems theory, the complex and multidimensional barriers that affect, impede or prevent females from seeking or remaining in coaching positions, in addition to factors that support and facilitate career advancement and retention, are summarized. Barriers and supports represented in the literature are organized from most proximal (individual) to most distal (socio-cultural) to the coach. We conclude by identifying gaps in the research. The model can be used as a reflective heuristic to educate about the numerous dynamic organizational and societal barriers and supports engaged with by female coaches. In doing so, productive coping strategies can be learned and solutions and policy changes generated in order to increase opportunities for female coaches and make the environment within which they work increasingly inclusive, positive and sup...
A computer program to aid assignment of student project groups

Group projects are a valuable part of the computer science curriculum. Group work can be enhanced if formation of groups is not via self-selection by the students themselves. Students who are assigned to groups are more likely to be exposed to other students with different backgrounds and abilities from which they can learn new things. However in a university with students having a wide mix of schedules, a crucial aspect of successful group formation is compatible time-schedules within a group. This paper describes a computer program designed to aid assignment to groups while helping to ensure that groups have suitable outside-of-class meeting times.
The Binarity of η Carinae Revealed from Photoionization Modeling of the Spectral Variability of the Weigelt Blobs B and D

We focus on two Hubble Space Telescope Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST STIS) spectra of the Weigelt blobs B and D, extending from 1640 to 10400 A, one recorded during the 1998 minimum (1998 March) and the other recorded in 1999 February, early in the following broad maximum. The spatially resolved spectra suggest two distinct ionization regions. One structure is the permanently low-ionization cores of the Weigelt blobs B and D, located several hundred AU from the ionizing source. Their spectra are dominated by emission from H I, [N II], Fe II, [Fe II], Ni II, [Ni II], Cr II, and Ti II. The second region, relatively diffuse in character and located between the ionizing source and the Weigelt blobs, is more highly ionized with emission from [Fe III], [Fe IV], N III], [Ne III], [Ar III], [Si III], [S III], and He I. Through photoionization modeling, we find that the radiation field from the more massive B-star companion supports the low-ionization structure throughout the 5.54 yr period. The radiation field of an evolved O star is required to produce the higher ionization emission seen across the broad maximum. This emission region is identified with slow-moving condensations photoionized by the O star and located in the extended mass flow emanating from the B-star primary. Comparison between the models and observations reveals that the high-ionization region is physically distinct (nH ≈ 107 cm-3 and Te ~ 104 K) from the B and D blobs (nH ≈ 106 cm-3 and Te ~ 7000 K).
Solubility of drugs in aqueous solutions. Part 3: multicomponent mixed solvent.

Abstract The results obtained previously by Ruckenstein and Shulgin [Int. J. Pharm. 258 (2003a) 193; Int. J. Pharm. 260 (2003b) 283] via the fluctuation theory of solutions regarding the solubility of drugs in binary aqueous mixed solvents were extended in the present paper to multicomponent aqueous solvents. The multicomponent mixed solvent was considered to behave as an ideal solution and the solubility of the drug was assumed small enough to satisfy the infinite dilution approximation. An expression derived for the activity coefficient of a solid solute in a multicomponent solvent was used to obtain an equation for the solubility of a drug in terms of its solubilities in two subsystems of the multicomponent solvent and their molar volumes. Ultimately the solubility can be expressed in terms of those in binary or even in individual solvents and their molar volumes. The method was applied to the solubility of tioconazole and 19-Nor-1α,25-dihydrovitamin D2 in several ternary and in a quaternary aqueous mixed solvents. The predicted solubilities were compared with experimental data and good agreement was found.
Prasugrel versus clopidogrel: new management strategies for acute coronary syndrome.

Background Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a proven treatment option for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Treatment of this patient population with antiplatelet therapy before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is ever-changing. Combining clopidogrel, a thienopyridine, with aspirin has become the gold standard dual antiplatelet therapy. However, new research reveals several limitations with clopidogrel, including potential drug-drug interactions, slow onset of action, irreversibility of platelet inhibition, and a wide array of patient responses. A new thienopyridine, prasugrel, has been approved and supported by the current guidelines for its faster onset of action, lack of significant drug-drug interaction, and consistent patient response. Purpose This article will present a background of ACS and the 2 thienopyridines (prasugrel and clopidogrel), provide a comprehensive analysis of 4 recent trials comparing the 2 drugs in patients with ACS undergoing PCI, and pose 2 further research questions involving the genetic variability and the optimum duration of antiplatelet therapy after PCI. Conclusions The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines support prasugrel in patients specifically with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, previous or current stent restenosis or occlusion, and diabetes. Relative contraindications in patients using prasugrel include bleeding tendencies, age greater than 75 years, and body weight less than 60 kg. Absolute contraindications of prasugrel use include history or current stroke and active bleeding. With further research looking at duration of treatment and cardiovascular events with prasugrel and clopidogrel, clinicians will be able to make more evidence-based decisions. Clinical implications Prasugrel has been shown to be an effective alternative to clopidogrel in treating patients with dual antiplatelet therapy for ACS requiring PCI. Awareness of the risks and benefits when deciding to prescribe clopidogrel or prasugrel for patients with ACS during and after PCI will promote patient safety, improve patient outcomes, and support evidence-based practice.
Short- and Long-Term Effects of Cumulative Finals on Student Learning

In two experiments, we examined the benefits of cumulative and noncumulative finals on students’ short- and long-term course material retention. In Experiment 1, we examined results from course con...
The polymath project: lessons from a successful online collaboration in mathematics

Although science is becoming increasingly collaborative, there are remarkably few success stories of online collaborations between professional scientists that actually result in real discoveries. A notable exception is the Polymath Project, a group of mathematicians who collaborate online to solve open mathematics problems. We provide an in-depth descriptive history of Polymath, using data analysis and visualization to elucidate the principles that led to its success, and the difficulties that must be addressed before the project can be scaled up. We find that although a small percentage of users created most of the content, almost all users nevertheless contributed some content that was highly influential to the task at hand. We also find that leadership played an important role in the success of the project. Based on our analysis, we present a set of design suggestions for how future collaborative mathematics sites can encourage and foster newcomer participation.
Problems and Issues in Linking Assessments Across Languages

What problems arise in translating a test to other languages? How can performance be compared for students who take different language versions of a test? What designs can be used for linking studies?
A nonmonotone approximate sequence algorithm for unconstrained nonlinear optimization

A new nonmonotone algorithm is proposed and analyzed for unconstrained nonlinear optimization. The nonmonotone techniques applied in this algorithm are based on the estimate sequence proposed by Nesterov (Introductory Lectures on Convex Optimization: A Basic Course, 2004) for convex optimization. Under proper assumptions, global convergence of this algorithm is established for minimizing general nonlinear objective function with Lipschitz continuous derivatives. For convex objective function, this algorithm maintains the optimal convergence rate of convex optimization. In numerical experiments, this algorithm is specified by employing safe-guarded nonlinear conjugate gradient search directions. Numerical results show the nonmonotone algorithm performs significantly better than the corresponding monotone algorithm for solving the unconstrained optimization problems in the CUTEr (Bongartz et al. in ACM Trans. Math. Softw. 21:123---160, 1995) library.
Fractal images of generalized Julia sets

The iteration function , where both α and β are positive real numbers, is used to generate families of the generalized Julia sets, . The calculations are restricted to the principal value of zα + iβ and the obtained results demonstrate that classical Julia sets, are significantly deformed when non-zero values of β are considered. As a result of this deformation, the area of stable regions in the complex plane changes and a process of splitting and shifting takes place along the real axis. It is shown that this process is responsible for the formation of new fractal images of generalized Julia sets.
Determining the stability of steady two-dimensional flows through imperfect velocity-impulse diagrams

In 1875, Lord Kelvin stated an energy-based argument for equilibrium and stability in conservative flows. The possibility of building an implementation of Kelvin’s argument, based on the construction of a simple bifurcation diagram, has been the subject of debate in the past. In this paper, we build on work from dynamical systems theory, and show that an essential requirement for constructing a meaningful bifurcation diagram is that families of solutions must be accessed through isovortical (i.e. vorticity-preserving), incompressible rearrangements. We show that, when this is the case, turning points in fluid impulse are linked to changes in the number of the positive-energy modes associated with the equilibria (and therefore in the number of modes likely to be linearly unstable). In addition, the shape of a velocity-impulse diagram, for a family of solutions, determines whether a positive-energy mode is lost or gained at the turning point. Further to this, we detect bifurcations to new solution families by calculating steady flows that have been made ‘imperfect’ through the introduction of asymmetries in the vorticity field. The resulting stability approach, which employs ‘imperfect velocity-impulse’ (IVI) diagrams, can be used to determine the number of positive-energy (likely unstable) modes for each equilibrium flow belonging to a family of steady states. As an illustration of our approach, we construct IVI diagrams for several two-dimensional flows, including elliptical vortices, opposite-signed vortex pairs (of both rotating and translating type), single and double vortex rows, as well as gravity waves. By also considering an example involving the Chaplygin–Lamb dipole, we illustrate how the stability of a specific flow may be determined, by embedding it within a properly constructed solution family. The stability data from our IVI diagrams agree precisely with results in the literature. To the best of our knowledge, for a few of the flows considered here, our work yields the first available stability boundaries. Further to this, for several of the flows that we examine, the IVI diagram methodology leads us to the discovery of new families of steady flows, which exhibit lower symmetry.
Enhancing the bioavailability of organic compounds sequestered in soil and aquifer solids

A study was conducted to find ways to increase the biodegradability of compounds that have aged in soil or aquifer material and become less bioavailable. Slurrying enhanced the rate and extent of biodegradation by individual bacterial strains of aged and unaged phenanthrene and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in soils and aquifer solids. After bacterial degradation of aged phenanthrene in unslurried soil had largely ceased, the residual compound was metabolized if the soil was slurried and reinoculated with a phenanthrene-degrading bacterium. The rate and extent of biodegradation of aged phenanthrene by Pseudomonas sp. were enhanced when anthracene or pyrene was added to the soil at the same time as the bacterium, although the organism could not metabolize anthracene or pyrene. Moreover, anthracene or pyrene increased the amount of aged phenanthrene removed from soil by a mild extractant. The data show that the bioavailability of organic compounds that become sequestered by aging can be altered by appropriate soil treatments.
“English for the global”: discourses in/of English-language voluntourism

Drawing upon the notion of hyperglobalism and critical perspectives on English as an international language, this study examines the ways in which English language teaching via volunteer tourism (i.e. English-language voluntourism) is represented and legitimated as an altruistic practice among organizational sponsors and in the talk of current and former volunteers. Data were collected as a part of a larger, multi-sited ethnography that included interviews with program participants, fieldwork in the office of a sponsoring non-governmental organization, and a content analysis of organizational sponsors’ promotional materials. Data analysis illustrates that English-language voluntourism relies on and recreates a discourse of hyperglobalism in order to construct short-term, volunteer English language teaching as a benevolent and appropriate development intervention. However, English-language voluntourism program participants often come to a new, critical awareness of hyperglobalism and its attendant ideologi...
Energy levels of light nuclei A = 13-15

Abstract Compilation of energy levels of A = 13, 14 and 15 nuclei, with emphasis on material leading to information about the structure of the A = 13, 14 and 15 systems.
Deletion of the sphingosine kinase-1 gene influences cell fate during hypoxia and glucose deprivation in adult mouse cardiomyocytes.

Objectives : Activation of sphingosine kinase (SphK), which has two known isoforms, is responsible for the synthesis of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a cell survival factor. We tested the following hypotheses: 1] cardiac myocytes null for the SphK1 gene are more vulnerable to the stress of hypoxia+glucose deprivation; 2] the monoganglioside GM-1, which activates SphK via protein kinase C e, is ineffective in SphK1 -null myocytes; 3] S1P generated by SphK activation requires cellular export to be cardioprotective. Methods : We cultured adult mouse cardiac myocytes from wildtype and SphK1 -null mice (deletion of exons 3–6) and measured cell viability by trypan blue exclusion. Results : In wildtype adult mouse cardiomyocytes subjected to 4 h of hypoxic stress+glucose deprivation, cell viability was significantly higher than in SphK1 -null cardiomyocytes. SphK1 -null cells also displayed more mitochondrial cytochrome C release. Cell death induced by hypoxia+glucose deprivation was substantially prevented by pretreatment with exogenous S1P in both wildtype and SphK1 -null myocytes, but S1P was effective at a lower concentration in wildtype cells. Hence, the absence of the Sphk1 gene did not affect receptor coupling or downstream signal transduction. Pretreatment for 1 h with 1 μM of the monoganglioside GM-1 increased survival in wildtype cells, but not in SphK1 -null myocytes. Thus, activation of SphK1 by GM-1 leads to cell survival. In wildtype cells, enhanced survival produced by GM-1 was abrogated by pretreatment either with 300 nM of the S1P1 receptor-selective antagonist VPC23019 or with 100 ng/ml of pertussis toxin for 16 h before exposure to hypoxia+glucose deprivation. Conclusion : As the effect of GM-1 is blocked both at the receptor and the G-protein (Gi) levels, we conclude that S1P generated by GM-1 treatment must be exported from the cell and acts in a paracrine or autocrine manner to couple with its cognate receptor.
Fuzzy PI control design for an industrial weigh belt feeder

An industrial weigh belt feeder is used to transport solid materials into a manufacturing process at a constant feedrate. It exhibits nonlinear behavior because of motor friction, saturation, and quantization noise in the sensors, which makes standard autotuning methods difficult to implement. The paper proposes and experimentally demonstrates two types of fuzzy logic controllers for an industrial weigh belt feeder. The first type is a PI-like fuzzy logic controller (FLC). A gain scheduled PI-like FLC and a self-tuning PI-like FLC are presented. For the gain scheduled PI-like FLC the output scaling factor of the controller is gain scheduled with the change of setpoint. For the self-tuning PI-like FLC, the output scaling factor of the controller is modified online by an updating factor whose value is determined by a rule base with the error and change of error of the controlled variable as the inputs. A fuzzy PI controller is also presented, where the proportional and integral gains are tuned online based on fuzzy inference rules. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed fuzzy logic controllers. A performance comparison of the three controllers is also given.
Predicting fracture through benign skeletal lesions with quantitative computed tomography.

Background: There are no proven radiographic guidelines for predicting fracture risk in children and young adults with a benign skeletal lesion. An in vivo diagnostic study was conducted to determine whether a reduction in the load-carrying capacity of a bone measured with quantitative computed tomography was more accurate than current radiographic guidelines for predicting pathologic fracture in patients with a benign skeletal lesion. Methods: Eighteen patients who presented with a fracture through a benign skeletal lesion were compared with eighteen patients who had a benign skeletal lesion that had been thought to be at increased risk for fracture on the basis of currently used radiographic criteria but had not fractured over a two-year period. Structural analysis was performed to calculate the resistance of the affected bones to compressive, bending, and torsional loads with use of serial transaxial quantitative computed tomography data obtained along the length of the bone containing the lesion and from homologous cross sections through the contralateral, normal bone. At each cross section, the ratio of the structural rigidity of the affected bone divided by that of the normal, contralateral bone was determined. The cross section with the greatest reduction in compressive, bending, and torsional rigidity was identified as that most likely to fracture. Results: The mean age (and standard deviation) of the thirty-six patients was 12.5 ± 3.6 years. Twenty lesions were located in the femur; eleven, in the tibia; three, in the humerus; one, in the ulna; and one, in the pelvis. A combination of the minimum bending and torsional rigidities calculated from the tomographic data provided optimal performance in differentiating between the fracture and non-fracture groups (100% sensitivity and 94% specificity). In contrast, plain radiographic criteria demonstrated 28% to 83% sensitivity and 6% to 78% specificity. Conclusions: The combination of bending and torsional rigidity measured noninvasively with quantitative computed tomography was more accurate (97%) for predicting pathologic fracture through benign bone lesions in children than were standard radiographic criteria (42% to 61% accuracy). We believe that this method can provide accurate objective criteria for planning treatment of benign bone lesions and monitoring treatment response. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Comparative Effectiveness and Practice Variation in Neonatal Care

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is a relatively new term for clinical research that directly assists patients, clinicians, and policymakers in making informed decisions to improve health care. In neonatology, there are similarities and differences between CER and existing clinical research and quality improvement literature. This article uses existing examples in neonatal literature to describe CER methodology and list some future directions and challenges in neonatal CER.
Identification of Quorum-Sensing Inhibitors Disrupting Signaling between Rgg and Short Hydrophobic Peptides in Streptococci

This is the copy of an article published in mBio © 2015 American Society for Microbiology Publications.
The archaeology and ethnohistory of the contact period in the northeastern united states

Bragdon, Kathleen J. Native People of Southern New England, 1500–1650. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1996. xxvi + 301 pp. including notes, references, and index. $28.95 cloth. Grumet, Robert S. Historic Contact: Indian People and Colonists in Today's Northeastern United States in the Sixteenth through Eighteenth Centuries. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995. xxx + 514 pp. including bibliography and index. $47.50 cloth.
Economic Development: Government's Cutting Edge in IT

This chapter explores the interface between information technology (IT) and economic development. The impacts of three IT innovations are assessed in terms of how they contributed to the development of economic development practice: database management systems (DBMS), geographic information systems (GIS), and the evolution of Web sites. With regard to the close relationship between IT and economic development, the chapter primarily focuses on current and future issues in this area. The chapter is organized into the following sections: it begins with an introductory section, a second section delves into the history of economic development and its relationship with IT; a third section introduces the three IT revolutions in economic development; the fourth, fifth and sixth sections each address a key development in economic development/IT relationship: DBMS, GIS, and Web site development, respectively. Section seven provides examples of IT in practice with descriptions of three excellent economic development Web sites. The chapter concludes by providing a glimpse of what might be expected in the future and some recommendations for future research on this topic.
Mechanistic significance of the si-o-pd bond in the palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of arylsilanolates.

Through the combination of reaction kinetics (both stoichiometric and catalytic), solution- and solid-state characterization of arylpalladium(II) arylsilanolates, and computational analysis, the intermediacy of covalent adducts containing Si–O–Pd linkages in the cross-coupling reactions of arylsilanolates has been unambiguously established. Two mechanistically distinct pathways have been demonstrated: (1) transmetalation via a neutral 8-Si-4 intermediate that dominates in the absence of free silanolate (i.e., stoichiometric reactions of arylpalladium(II) arylsilanolate complexes), and (2) transmetalation via an anionic 10-Si-5 intermediate that dominates in the cross-coupling under catalytic conditions (i.e., in the presence of free silanolate). Arylpalladium(II) arylsilanolate complexes bearing various phosphine ligands have been isolated, fully characterized, and evaluated for their kinetic competence under thermal (stoichiometric) and anionic (catalytic) conditions. Comparison of the rates for thermal ...
Measuring waves with a compact HF radar

Ocean wave conditions impact many ways in which humans interact with the ocean, from the safety of recreation at the beach to the viability of offshore operations. Wave conditions are also topical from a research perspective, controlling processes such as coastal erosion and ocean mixing. Therefore, being able to characterize wave conditions on broad spatiotemporal scales is extremely valuable. A network of High-Frequency (HF) radar systems can provide measurements of wave conditions in near-real time along the coast where better observations are needed. Measurement of wave parameters such as significant wave height, wave period and wave direction is a secondary function of the SeaSonde HF radar. Waves are measured with SeaSonde HF radars from the second-order portion of the echo spectrum. The Doppler shift of the radio transmission from the SeaSonde contains information about the orbital velocity of the primary Bragg waves and the larger waves that they ride on. Since the wave data is dependent upon the occurrence of both Bragg and larger surface gravity waves, there is a minimum threshold for sea states in which reliable wave parameters can be determined. There is also a limiting factor for the radar in large sea states as the first-order spectra merge with the second-order and interpretation of the spectra becomes impossible with existing methods. We have tested methods for wave extraction and will present the results here. Our analysis explores the frequency-dependent threshold wave conditions for reliable wave parameter measurements, and which systems provide the best measurements. We also tested different radio waveform parameters to see which performed best in different environmental conditions. The study focuses on in-situ wave measurements from National Data Buoy Center (NOAA) buoys within the domain of the HF radar network, deployed offshore of Long Island and Delaware Bay, as well as mooring deployments of opportunity closer to the coast. Measurements will also be evaluated within the context of larger scale wave models routinely run in the area by NOAA. The threshold conditions determined by this study will guide the application of HF radar-based wave estimates to surf zone conditions by local weather forecast offices.
Survey-Based Targeting Fine-Tunes Television Media Planning: A Case for Accuracy and Cost Efficiency

ABSTRACT This paper examines the use of single-source, survey-based targeting data to complement ratings data for television media planning. we argue that the essence of targeting rests in determining the relative concentration of product users in various media audiences. This product-media concentration reflects the motivation and lifestyles of product and media users and is unlikely to vary significantly over time or across markets. Using data from SMRB, we argue that the product-media selectivity captured in the selectivity-index can be combined with conventionally measured ratings data to accurately estimate target market ratings. These, in turn, can be used for more accurate, cost-efficient television media planning.
Resisting Idolatry and Instrumentalisation in Loving the Neighbour: The Significance of the Pilgrimage Motif for Augustine’s Usus–Fruitio Distinction:

This article addresses Augustine’s distinction between usus and fruitio—and O’Donovan’s critique of it—in order to consider the dangers of disordered love in the forms of idolatry and instrumentalisation in neighbourly relations on earth. Examining the christological heart of the pilgrimage image as articulated in De doctrina christiana addresses O’Donovan’s critique that the pilgrimage image instrumentalises one’s relationships to others in the progress of one’s own journey to God. In fact, this image presents a christological dialectic that establishes the continuity of earthly and eschatological neighbour-love and thus protects the neighbour from being made either idol or instrument by securing their right place in the order of love.
Neurobiology of Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and abnormal rapid eye movement sleep. It affects about 0.05% of the Caucasian population. Human narcolepsy involves the interaction of environmental factors with a specific immunogenetic background. It is tightly associated with a major histocompatibility complex allele, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQB1*0602. Genetic factors other than HLA are also involved. In contrast, narcolepsy in Dobermans is transmitted as a single autosomal recessive trait. This canine narcolepsy gene is unlinked to the major histocompatibility complex class II but co-segregates with a DNA segment with high homology to the human immunoglobulin μ-switch sequence, further suggesting immunopathology in narcolepsy. However, attempts to demonstrate that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease have been unsuccessful. Narcolepsy is treated with antidepressants for rapid eye movement sleep-related symptoms and with amphetamine-like stimulants for sleepiness. Pharmacological studies...
High School Students’ Self-Reported Use of School Clinics and Nurses:

Access to school health clinics and nurses has been linked with improved student achievement and health. Unfortunately, no studies have examined how many students report using school clinics or nurses and for which services. This study addressed this gap with data from a nationally representative sample of 15- to 25-year-olds. Respondents who reported being in high school were provided a list of services and asked whether they had gone to a school nurse or clinic for any of the listed services. Nearly 90% reported having access to a school clinic or nurse. Among students with access, 65.6% reported using at least one service. Non-White students and younger students were more likely to report having access to a clinic or nurse. These results show many students have access to clinics or nurses and are using these services, although not uniformly for all services.
Healthcare Burden, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Mucosal Barrier Injury Laboratory-Confirmed Bloodstream Infections after Stem Cell Transplantation.

Abstract Mucosal barrier injury laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections (MBI-LCBIs) lead to significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare resource utilization in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients. Determination of the healthcare burden of MBI-LCBIs and identification of patients at risk of MBI-LCBIs will allow researchers to identify strategies to reduce MBI-LCBI rates. The objective of our study was to describe the incidence, risk factors, timing, and outcomes of MBI-LCBIs in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of 374 patients who underwent HSCT at a large free-standing academic children's hospital to determine the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of patients that developed a bloodstream infection (BSI) including MBI-LCBI, central line–associated BSI (CLABSI), or secondary BSI in the first year after HSCT. Outcome measures included nonrelapse mortality (NRM), central venous catheter removal within 7 days of positive culture, shock, admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) within 48 hours of positive culture, and death within 10 days of positive culture. One hundred seventy BSIs were diagnosed in 100 patients (27%): 80 (47%) MBI-LCBIs, 68 (40%) CLABSIs, and 22 (13%) secondary infections. MBI-LCBIs were diagnosed at a significantly higher rate in allogeneic HSCT patients (18% versus 7%, P = .007). Reduced-intensity conditioning (OR, 1.96; P = .015) and transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (OR, 2.94; P = .0004) were associated with MBI-LCBI. Nearly 50% of all patients with a BSI developed septic shock, 10% died within 10 days of positive culture, and nearly 25% were transferred to the PICU. One-year NRM was significantly increased in patients with 1 (34%) and more than 1 (56%) BSIs in the first year post-HSCT compared with those who did not develop BSIs (14%) (P ≤ .0001). There was increased 1-year NRM in patients with at least 1 MBI-LCBI (OR, 1.94; P = .018) and at least 1 secondary BSI (OR, 2.87; P = .0023) but not CLABSIs (OR, 1.17; P = .68). Our data demonstrate that MBI-LCBIs lead to substantial use of healthcare resources and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Reduction in frequency of MBI-LCBI should be a major public health and scientific priority.
Robust stability and sensitivity of input-output systems over extended spaces

This paper is the second part of [6] which is concerned with the sensitivity of general input-output systems over extended spaces. It is assumed that such systems, which need not be of feedback type, are governed by nonlinear operator equations relating the input, the state, and the output. These equations depend on a parameterA that can vary in a neighborhood of a nominal valueA 0. Essentially, a system is called insensitive if any truncation of its output depends continuously onA provided the input is fixed. The theorems derived provide sufficient conditions for insensitivity. A control system of a feedback-feedforward type and a dynamical system described by a linear vector differential equation on [0, ?) are discussed as examples.
Electric Fields Generated by Solar Wind Interaction with the Magnetosphere

The supersonic solar wind compresses the magnetic field of the earth on the sunward side and elongates it in the opposite direction. In the rest frame of the planet, about 1 million volts are generated across the 20 Re cross section of the magnetosphere. The electrical interaction efficiency with the earth depends on the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) geometry. When the IMF is oppositely directed to the earth’s magnetic field at the subsolar point, about 10% of this voltage enters the magnetosphere and powers all known magnetospheric processes, including the aurora, energizing most of the radiation belts, magnetic storms, million-ampere currents in the auroral zone, atmospheric winds, etc. These phenomena cause several severe space weather processes that impact humanity, including satellite disruption and communication, navigation, and power grid outages. When the magnetic fields are parallel to each other, the energy input drops but, interestingly, new phenomena arise. In this chapter, we discuss these interactions and their associated electric fields.
Secularization, Dispossession, Forced Deprivatization: The Conditions of Public Religion and the Protection of First Nations’ Sacred Space

This article examines the effects of secularization and dispossession on the protection of First Nations sacred sites. The separation of religion from the state and the privatization of religion ar...
Just One Click Away: The Politics of E‐Commerce Sales Tax Policy

E-commerce has altered the relationship between consumers, businesses, and U.S. states. E-retailers are not required to collect sales tax from their customers, thus depriving fiscally insecure states of tax revenue, and providing a competitive advantage for e-retailers, like Amazon Inc., in their struggle for market share with brick-and-mortar stores, like Walmart. Attempts at e-commerce sales tax policy by state legislators and brick-and-mortar lobbyists failed until 2008 when New York successfully passed legislation. A subsequent wave of legislation ensued, and between 2008 and 2012, e-commerce sales tax legislation left committee in fourteen states, each experiencing various levels of success. Existing explanatory efforts have not fully accounted for the combinatorial effect of political–institutional structure and market contestation in U.S. state-level policy creation, as well as the likelihood of multiple pathways to passage. Embracing this framework, I use fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to uncover three sufficient pathways for successful passage of e-commerce sales tax policy. Two paths highlight the confluence of large retailer pressure and a conductive political–institutional structure facing fiscal stress, while the third path reflects political–institutional forces. These findings corroborate, as well as build upon, our knowledge of fiscal sociology, policy domains, and corporate power in American politics.
Disentangling Mechanisms from Causes: And the Effects on Science

Despite the miraculous progress of science—it’s practitioners continue to run into mistakes, either discrediting research unduly or making leaps of causal inference where none are warranted. In this we isolate two of the reasons for such behavior involving the misplaced understanding of the role of mechanisms and mechanistic knowledge in the establishment of cause-effect relationships. We differentiate causal knowledge into causes, effects, mechanisms, cause-effect relationships, and causal stories (narrative accounts of the whole process). Failing to understand the role of mechanisms in this picture, including their absence of knowledge or incorrect specification, leads to errors of wrongly excluding cause-effect relationships or wrongly inferring their existence. We highlight the primary of causality over mechanistic knowledge and causal stories in scientific reasoning.
Multi-Stage Tunable Approximate Search in Resistive Associative Memory

General-purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs), as programmable accelerators, improve energy efficiency by integrating a large number of relatively small cores. In this paper, we focus on improving energy efficiency of such processing core by integrating an associative memory where function responses are prestored. Associative memories can search and recall function responses for a subset of input values therefore avoiding the actual function execution on the processing core that leads to energy saving. We propose a novel low-energy Resistive Multi-stage Associative Memory (ReMAM) architecture to significantly reduce energy of a search operation by employing selective row activation and in-advance precharging techniques. ReMAM splits the search operations in a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) to a number of shorter searches in consecutive stages. Then, it selectively activates TCAM rows at each stage based on the hits of previous stages, thus enabling energy savings. The proposed in-advance precharging technique mitigates the delay of the sequential TCAM search and limits the number of precharges to two low-cost steps. ReMAM further implements approximation on the selective TCAM blocks to reduce the search energy that relaxes the function output in a fine-grained granularity with very low impact on accuracy of the results. Its multi-stage search operation makes ReMAM applicable to many applications such as search engines, sorting, image coding, pattern recognition, query processing, and machine learning. In this work, we show an application of proposed ReMAM on AMD Southern Island GPUs. Our experimental evaluation shows that ReMAM reduces on average GPGPU energy consumption by 35 percent in the exact mode, and 58 percent in approximate mode with average relative error lower than 10 percent. These energy savings are 1.8 $\times$ and 1.5 $\times$ higher than state-of-the-art associative memories used in GPGPUs in exact and approximate modes.