cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ground Motion Attenuation during M 7.1 Darfield and M 6.2 Christchurch, New Zealand, Earthquakes and Performance of Global Predictive Models

The M 7.1 Darfield earthquake occurred 40 km west of Christchurch (New Zealand) on 4 September 2010. Six months after, the city was struck again with an M 6.2 event on 22 February local time (21 February UTC). These events resulted in significant damage to infrastructure in the city and its suburbs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of global predictive models (GMPEs) using the strong motion data obtained from these two events to improve future seismic hazard assessment and building code provisions for the Canterbury region. The Canterbury region is located on the boundary between the Pacific and Australian plates; its surface expression is the active right lateral Alpine fault (Berryman et al. 1993). Beneath the North Island and the north South Island, the Pacific plate subducts obliquely under the Australian plate, while at the southwestern part of the South Island, a reverse process takes place. Although New Zealand has experienced several major earthquakes in the past as a result of its complex seismotectonic environment ( e.g. , M 7.1 1888 North Canterbury, M 7.0 1929 Arthur's Pass, and M 6.2 1995 Cass), there was no evidence of prior seismic activity in Christchurch and its surroundings before the September event. The Darfield and Christchurch earthquakes occurred along the previously unmapped Greendale fault in the Canterbury basin, which is covered by Quaternary alluvial deposits (Forsyth et al. 2008). In Figure 1, site conditions of the Canterbury epicentral area are depicted on a VS 30 map. This map was determined on the basis of topographic slope calculated from a 1-km grid using the method of Allen and Wald (2007). Also shown are the locations of strong motion stations. The Darfield event was generated as a result of a complex rupture mechanism; the recordings and geodetic data …
A standard test protocol for evaluation of radio frequency identification systems for supply chain applications

In this research, a test protocol was developed and validated with eight different radio frequency identification (RFID) systems. These systems were evaluated with respect to basic performance parameters in their abilities to carry out shipping and receiving operations in the warehouse receiving process. Two major categories of tests were administered: laboratory baseline performance tests and warehouse passive interference tests. The protocol evaluated RFID systems on such performance characteristics as the effective capture zone, tag orientation requirements, tag separation requirements, performance on conveyors and forklifts, performance when covered by stretch wrap or shrink wrap, performance when attached to different types of containers containing different types of solid materials or liquids, and so forth. Results of this research showed that one of the systems was able to meet several of the requirements for shipping and receiving in a warehouse environment, but none of the systems was able to meet all of the requirements for performance in this application. Additionally, the test protocol and results led to the adoption of a UHF frequency (915 MHz) as the American National Standard for passive RFID systems.
How to check a computer program

The usual ways of checking computer programs have important flaws. A better way to check a program you have written is to have someone else write a program that does the same thing and then compare the output of the two programs over a wide range of input. Two examples are described.
Theoretical models of photoionized intergalactic hydrogen.

The effects of ionizing radiation emitted by quasi-stellar objects on intergalactic hydrogen are studied. The hydrogen is assumed to expand with the Universe, and the amount of ionizing radiation is estimated from observations of the QSO luminosity function. The discreteness of the radiation sources is taken into account in computing the thermal history of the medium. The amount of ionizing radiation is shown to be sufficient to allow the existence of a universal medium with a temperature less than 10,000 K and a density several times the smeared-out density of luminous matter in galaxies. Such a medium would escape detection with presently available techniques.
Nonlinear processing of a shift-invariant discrete wavelet transform (DWT) for noise reduction

ABSTRACT A novel approach for noise reduction is presented. Similar to Donoho, we employ thresholding in somewavelet transform domain but use a nondecimated and consequently redundant wavelet transform instead of theusual orthogonal one. Another difference is the shift invariance as opposed to the traditional orthogonal wavelettransform. We show that this new approach can be interpreted as a repeated application of Donoho's original method. The main feature is, however, a dramatically improved noise reduction compared to Donoho's approach,both in terms of the 12 error and visually, for a large class of signals. This is shown by theoretical and experimental results, including synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images.Keywords: noise reduction, shift invariance, redundancy, wavelet transform, SAR 1 INTRODUCTION Recently a novel approach for noise reduction due to Donoho and Johnstone'2"3 has been established. It employs thresholding in the wavelet domain and can be shown to be asymptotically near optimal for a wide class
Resolution of lutein and zeaxanthin using a non-endcapped, lightly carbon-loaded C18 high-performance liquid chromatographic column

Abstract A new rapid and reproducible high-performance liquid chromtographic method using Spherisorb ODS-1, a non-endcapped, lightly carbon-loaded column material, for the separation of higher-plant chloroplast pigments is described. The method resolves lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as all other major and most minor pigments at or near baseline by either of two solvent programs. Program I is faster and more sensitive than program I while the latter resolves pheophytin a and β,e-carotene slightly better than program I. Both programs use an inital buffered aqueous mixture that apperas critical for this application of ODS-1. The method is well suited for analysis of xanthophyll-cycle pigment changes.
Non-word identification or spell checking without a dictionary

MEDLINE® is a collection of more than 12 million references and abstracts covering recent life science literature. With its continued growth and cutting-edge terminology, spell-checking with a traditional lexicon based approach requires significant additional manual followup. In this work, an internal corpus based context quality rating α, frequency, and simple misspelling transformations are used to rank words from most likely to be misspellings to least likely. Eleven-point average precisions of 0.891 have been achieved within a class of 42,340 all alphabetic words having an α score less than 10. Our models predict that 16,274 or 38% of these words are misspellings. Based on test data, this result has a recall of 79% and a precision of 86%. In other words, spell checking can be done by statistics instead of with a dictionary. As an application we examine the time history of low α words in MEDLINE® titles and abstracts.
Lateral visual masking: Supraretinal effects when viewing linear arrays with unlimited viewing time

The perception of closely placed visual materials has received considerable attention and has been found to be influenced by a variety of conditions of viewing. Of particular interest to us is the fact that the recognition of symbols in an array is often described as a U-shaped function of distance from a fixation point. In view of increased interest in immediate memory processes, most recent multisymbol recognition work has utilized tachistoscopic (brief display) conditions of viewing (e.g., Estes & Wolford, 1971; Shaw, 1969). In an earlier study in this series (Townsend, Taylor, & Brown, 1971), we were interested in showing that the U-shaped function was not dependent upon time-constrained encoding or processing mechanisms. Accordingly, Ss viewed linear arrays of letters with unlimited viewing time. Recognition of letters was found to be a U'-shaped function of distance from a fixation point. Since the data could not be accounted for in terms of retinal locus effects or memory variables, we concluded that some form of lateral masking effect, the disruption of encoding processes due to adjacent contours, was involved. Since these effects could arise from either retinal or central processes, the studies reported herein were designed to provide locus information concerning this phenomenon.
The Orwellian threat to emerging neurodiagnostic technologies.

In the wake of the Congressional Act legislating judicial review in the Terry Schiavo case, it becomes increasingly important to be accurate when writing about neuropsychiatric disorders and the ca...
Generalization of the Levinson-Jauch theorem to an arbitrary number of channels

For a system having a finite number of channels the bound states of the free and complete Hamiltonian are shown to be simply related to the determinant and trace of theS-matrix.
Comment: Academic Research in Management Organizations Is it Dead or Alive?

There has been significant criticism of academic research in management/organizations. Although some is valid, other criticism is unfair and sometimes inaccurate. Academic research in management is better than at any time in the past. Furthermore, teaching and research in management are not atomistic; rather, they can be highly complementary. Still, management research can be improved, perhaps, partially through research advisory boards (RABs) recommended by Ramon J. Aldag and Sally Riggs Fuller. However, RABs only provide part of the answer to the criticisms advanced. Current research in management/organizations has significant implications for practicing managers, but much of it is not easily accessible to them. Thus researchers must find ways to make their research more accessible to important constituencies. The author concludes that management research is alive, not dead. However, researchers must continue to improve it and respond to the criticisms from important constituencies.
Displacement reactions between metal and liquid sulfides

Abstract Displacement reactions between liquid sulfides and metals are studied and compared with the resultant morphologies previously observed in solid-state sulfide-metal and oxide-metal displacement reactions. In all cases the aggregate morphology was observed indicating that the rate controlling step in a tentatively assumed layered arrangement would be diffusion of atomic sulfur through the product metal. The experimentally observed morphologies for NbNi 3 S 2 (1), NbFeS (1) and CuNi 3 S 2 reaction couples are reported and rationalized. Detailed analysis of the liquid sulfide displacement reactions considered are not possible because of the lack of available thermodynamic and diffusivity data for the sulfide systems.
Orality and Literacy in Transatlantic Perspective

This article considers Walter Ong’s contribution on the thirtieth anniversary of Orality and Literacy and revises some of his conclusions about the role of rhetoric in literary culture. It then considers the transatlantic rise of political oratory as an influential genre and analyses its representation in Anthony Trollope’s Phineas Finn (1869) and Henry Adams’s Democracy (1880).
Lattice relaxation of InAs heteroepitaxy on GaAs

Abstract Single layers of InAs are grown on GaAs at different orientations by molecular beam epitaxy. They are evaluated by electron diffraction, supplemented by X-ray absorption and reflection measurements. The threshold in layer thickness for lattice relaxation is similar for both (100) and (100). The former, however, generally exhibits an extended transition region with details depending on the growth conditions, while such a transition is invariably abrupt in the latter situation. The (100) growth, in addition, retains the narrowly streaked diffraction patterns throughout the deposition in contrast to the (100) growth. These observations are attributed to different microscopic local atomic environments.
WEHRMACHT PERCEPTIONS OF MASS VIOLENCE IN CROATIA, 1941–1942

During the Second World War, the Independent State of Croatia was the scene of intense guerrilla warfare as well as a programme of ethnic cleansing undertaken primarily, though not exclusively, by the Croatian state under the control of the Ustasa fascist party. This article investigates the Wehrmacht’s contrasting perceptions of its own violence in the anti-partisan war and its views of the Ustasa’s assault on Croatia’s Serb minority. The author argues that these different views emanated from the Wehrmacht’s conviction that its strategic concepts offered the only correct strategy for the prosecution of modern warfare. As the key to victory, Wehrmacht staff officers emphasized the maximization of force on the operational level. By contrast, the Ustasa state pursued a strategy of nationalizing war that moved away from Wehrmacht strategic concepts and infuriated Wehrmacht staff officers. Moreover, the Wehrmacht employed a starkly different vocabulary in describing its own violence and Ustasa violence. These descriptions more deeply entrenched the Wehrmacht’s sense of difference regarding the two types of violence. By examining the Wehrmacht’s views of violence, this article suggests that factors other than anti-Slavic racism more strongly determined the way in which the Wehrmacht both perceived and acted out violence in Eastern Europe.
Structural characterization of the major DNA-DNA cross-link of 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane.

1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane (DEB) is a bifunctional alkylating agent that exhibits both cytotoxic and promutagenic properties. DEB is the ultimate carcinogenic species of the major industrial chemical 1,3-butadiene (BD), as well as the active form of the antitumor prodrug treosulfan. DEB is tumorigenic in laboratory animals and is capable of inducing a variety of genotoxic outcomes, including point mutations, large deletions, and chromosomal aberrations. These potent biological effects are thought to result from the ability of DEB to form DNA−DNA cross-links by consecutive alkylation of two nucleobases within a DNA duplex. Earlier studies have provided evidence for the formation of interstrand DNA−DEB lesions involving guanine nucleobases, but the covalent structure of DEB-induced DNA cross-link has not been previously elucidated. In the present work, the major DNA−DNA cross-link of DEB has been identified as 1,4-bis-(guan-7-yl)-2,3-butanediol (bis-N7G-BD). The DNA-derived N7−N7 guanine DEB cross-link was chara...
Identifying and Aligning Expectations in a Mentoring Relationship

The mentoring relationship between a scholar and their primary mentor is a core feature of research training. Anecdotal evidence suggests this relationship is adversely affected when scholar and mentor expectations are not aligned. We examined three questions: (1) What is the value in assuring that the expectations of scholars and mentors are mutually identifi ed and aligned? (2) What types of programmatic interventions facilitate this process? (3) What types of expectations are important to identify and align? We addressed these questions through a systematic literature review, focus group interviews of mentors and scholars, a survey of Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) KL2 program directors, and review of formal programmatic mechanisms used by KL2 programs. We found broad support for the importance of identifying and aligning the expectations of scholars and mentors and evidence that mentoring contracts, agreements, and training programs facilitate this process. These tools focus on aligning expectations with respect to the scholar’s research, education, professional development and career advancement as well as support, communication, and personal conduct and interpersonal relations. Research is needed to assess test the effi cacy of formal alignment activities. Clin Trans Sci 2011; Volume 4: 439‐447
A compensated vector control scheme of a synchronous reluctance motor including saturation and iron losses

A compensated vector control algorithm for a synchronous reluctance motor including saturation and iron losses is presented. It is shown that the current components which directly govern the torque production are well regulated by the proposed control scheme. The comparison made by computer simulation indicates a substantial improvement of torque performance for the vector controlled synchronous reluctance motor. >
Active-control trials: How would a new agent compare with placebo? A method illustrated with clopidogrel, aspirin, and placebo

Background In an active-control trial with a new treatment and a comparator that has placebo-controlled trials, how might the effect of the new therapy versus placebo be estimated? For many diseases it is not ethically justified to use a placebo-control trial, yet in the United States regulatory efficacy is conceptually defined in comparison with placebo. Methods By use of the logarithm of the odds ratio for the active-control trial and for the placebo-controlled trials of the active-control, we estimated the effect of the new agent versus placebo. This “putative placebo” estimate assumes that the odds ratio in the active-control versus placebo trials is the same as would have been obtained had a placebo arm been possible in the trial with the new agent. A formula is given for sample size calculation in such a setting. Results Clopidogrel, an adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor antagonist, and aspirin were compared in the Clopidogrel Versus Aspirin in Patients at Risk of Ischemic Events (CAPRIE) Study of patients with recent myocardial infarction, recent ischemic stroke, or symptomatic peripheral arterial disease. The 40 trials comparing aspirin with placebo are summarized by the Antiplatelet Trialists’ Collaboration. For the outcome cluster of stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular mortality, the estimated odds ratio for clopidogrel versus placebo is 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.64–0.78, P < .000001). The relative risk reduction of approximately 30% represents a clinically meaningful benefit. Conclusions For active-control trials use of prior trials of the active-control versus placebo may be usefully used to estimate the effect of the new therapy versus a putative placebo. (Am Heart J 2001;141:26-32.)
Soybean oil based polyisocyanurate cast resins

Two series of polyisocyanurates were prepared from polymeric 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and soy-based or polypropylene oxide polyols by varying isocyanate indexes from 105 to 350. Increasing isocyanate index gave polyisocyanurates with increased thermal stability, flame resistance, tensile strength, modulus, and glass transition. Impact was lower. Soy-based polyisocyanurates displayed better thermal stability, higher rigidity (modulus), and higher strength than those based on the propylene oxide polyols of the same molecular weight and functionality. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 3333–3337, 2003
Infliximab may reverse the toxic effects induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha in human spermatozoa: an in vitro model

Objective To examine the toxic effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) on ejaculated spermatozoa and evaluate the ability of infliximab to reverse these effects. Design Prospective controlled study. Setting Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio. Patient(s) Thirty-one healthy sperm donors. Intervention(s) Exposure of human spermatozoa to varying concentrations of TNF-α (100, 300, 400, 500 pg/mL, and 2.5 μg/mL) and infliximab (400 μg/mL). Main Outcome Measure(s) Sperm motility, functional integrity of plasma membrane, and DNA fragmentation. Result(s) Spermatozoa quality declined following incubation with TNF-α in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Sperm motility and membrane integrity were higher in the samples incubated with TNF-α plus infliximab than in the samples treated with TNF-α only. These parameters improved significantly and were comparable with both controls and sperm incubated with infliximab alone. Similarly, the percentage of spermatozoa with DNA fragmentation improved significantly following incubation with TNF-α plus infliximab and again was comparable with both controls and sperm incubated with infliximab alone. Conclusion(s) Spermatozoa may be exposed to abnormal levels of TNF-α in the male reproductive tract or during their passage into the female reproductive tract (in cases of endometriosis). Exposing spermatozoa to pathological concentrations of TNF-α can result in significant loss of their functional and genomic integrity. Infliximab could potentially be used to help treat female infertility caused by endometriosis in those with elevated levels of TNF-α in their peritoneal fluid.
The Buddha as a fully functioning person: toward a person-centered perspective on mindfulness

The paper explores links between the person-centered approach (PCA) and meditation. It is divided into two parts. The first part begins with a description of the author's own experience of meditation. It is followed by a brief discussion of other approaches which similarly attempt the integration of meditation and psychotherapy: mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, transpersonal and psychodynamic models, and by what might constitute an alternative paradigm, one based on phenomenological principles which are central to the PCA. The second part outlines interviews and findings of a small-scale heuristic and phenomenological research (originally part of a dissertation) conducted among person-centered therapists who regularly practice meditation. Meditation is tentatively realized as a way of increasing organismic and phenomenological awareness, of cultivating and refining a way of being, of fostering a re-sacralization of the everyday and a greater appreciation of the existential dilemma of being human.
Variations in normal color vision. IV. Binary hues and hue scaling.

We used hue cancellation and focal naming to compare individual differences in stimuli selected for unique hues (e.g., pure blue or green) and binary hues (e.g., blue-green). Standard models assume that binary hues depend on the component responses of red–green and blue–yellow processes. However, variance was comparable for unique and binary hues, and settings across categories showed little correlation. Thus, the choices for the binary mixtures are poorly predicted by the unique hue settings. Hue scaling was used to compare individual differences both within and between categories. Ratings for distant stimuli were again independent, while neighboring stimuli covaried and revealed clusters near the poles of the LvsM and SvsLM cardinal axes. While individual differences were large, mean focal choices for red, blue-green, yellow-green, and (to a lesser extent) purple fall near the cardinal axes, such that the cardinal axes roughly delineate the boundaries for blue vs. green and yellow vs. green categories. This suggests a weak tie between the cone-opponent axes and the structure of color appearance.
Supine head tremor: A clinical comparison of essential tremor and spasmodic torticollis patients

Background Essential tremor (ET) is among the most misdiagnosed neurological diseases, and overdiagnosis is especially common. As many as 30–50% of supposed ‘ET’ cases have other diagnoses, with dystonia prominent among these. Therefore, the recognition of differences in tremor phenomenology has potential diagnostic value for practising clinicians. There is an anecdotal sense that head tremor in ET is positional rather than resting, a feature which could aid in the diagnosis, yet no published data exist. Methods In this cross-sectional study of ET and spasmodic torticollis (ST) patients (3:1 matching) who had head tremor while upright, the prevalence of supine (ie, resting) head tremor was compared. Results There were 60 ET cases and 19 ST cases with head tremor while seated. When supine, head tremor persisted in only 5/60 (8.3%) ET versus 13/19 (68.4%) ST cases (p 0.05). Conclusions These results indicate that there is some validity to the anecdotal sense that head tremor in ET is a postural tremor that dissipates when a patient lies down; by contrast, in ST, head tremor more often persists. In a clinical context, these results have potential implications in diagnostically ambiguous patients with head tremor. Physicians should consider asking their tremor patients to lie down to assess whether head tremor resolves.
Thermally Responsive Hydrogel Blends: A General Drug Carrier Model for Controlled Drug Release

Thermally responsive hydrogels have drawn significant research attention recently because of their simple use as drug carrier at human body temperature. Here we design a hybrid hydrogel that incorporates a hydrophilic polymer, polyethyleneimine (PEI), into the thermally responsive hydrogel poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), as a general drug carrier model for controlled drug release. In this work, on one hand, PEI modifies the structure and the size of the pores in the PNIPAm hydrogel. On the other hand, PEI plays an important role in tuning the water content in the hydrogel and controls the water release rate of the hydrogel below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), resulting in a tunable release rate of the drugs at human body temperature (37 °C). Different release rates are shown as different amounts of PEI are incorporated. PEI controls the release rate, dependent on the charge characteristics of the drugs. The hydrogel blends described in this work extend the concept of a general drug carrier for loading both positively and negatively charged drugs, as well as the controlled release effect.
Sustained Resilience via Live Process Cloning

More flexible fault tolerance approaches with lower overhead are a must for the next generation of supercomputers that rely on massive numbers of computational elements. This work proposes a reactive method for fault resilience in high-performance computing (HPC) systems based on forward execution instead of rollback to checkpoints. We study the feasibility of combining redundancy with live process cloning to create highly reliable HPC systems. The main motivation is to avoid costly checkpoint restart approaches. We present live process cloning as a mechanism to create a copy of a running process on-the-fly. We show that the reliability of a dual redundant system with live process cloning is as good as a triple redundant system even for very large systems. We also investigate the effect of node failure and the changes in Mean time to Interrupt (MTTI) of the application. This provides a better understanding of the available time to recover from a failure by cloning a healthy replica.
The Multicultural Military: Military Service and the Acculturation of Latinos and Anglos

Using the Latino National Political Survey, this article examines whether military service helps explain the responses given by Latinos to questions on acculturation. The data show that Latino vete...
Human visual object categorization can be described by models with low memory capacity.

Studies of high-level models of visual object categorization have left unresolved issues of neurobiological relevance, including how features are extracted from the image and the role played by memory capacity in categorization performance. We compared the ability of a comprehensive set of models to match the categorization performance of human observers while explicitly accounting for the models’ numbers of free parameters. The most successful models did not require a large memory capacity, suggesting that a sparse, abstracted representation of category properties may underlie categorization performance. This type of representation––different from classical prototype abstraction––could also be extracted directly from two-dimensional images via a biologically plausible early-vision model, rather than relying on experimenter-imposed features.
Déjà Vu All Over Again: Prague Spring, Romanian Summer and Soviet Autumn on the Soviet Western Frontier

This article explores the complex dynamics that informed Soviet policies on the western frontier – the territories stretching between the Baltic and Black Seas annexed by the Soviets in 1939–40 – and involves several interlocking aspects: the permeability of borders prone to irredentist pressures by socialist satellites, mass tourism from the West and the Soviet bloc, and the increasing flow of information from foreign media sources; the conflicting sentiments that led locals to embrace or reject reforms based on different pre-Soviet memories, the experiences of the Second World War, postwar sovietisation policies and the suppression of the Hungarian uprising in 1956; the impact of Romanian and Czechoslovak policies on the authorities and populations of the western republics and the Kremlin's concerns over the region as key factors in the decision to invade Czechoslovakia; and, finally, the domestic and international consequences for an aging, self-styled revolutionary regime choosing between youthful reform and stagnant stability.
Both Intracellular and Extracellular Vitamin C Inhibit Atherogenic Modification of LDL by Human Vascular Endothelial Cells

Oxidative modification of LDL by vascular cells has been proposed as a mechanism by which LDL becomes atherogenic. Antioxidants that can prevent LDL oxidation may therefore act as antiatherogens. We used endothelial cells (ECs) from human aortas (HAECs), human saphenous veins (HSECs), and bovine aortas (BAECs) to investigate the role of intracellular and extracellular vitamin C (ascorbate) in EC-mediated LDL modification. Incubation of LDL (0.1 mg protein per milliliter) with confluent HAECs in Ham's F-10 medium led to time-dependent modification of the lipoprotein. In contrast, incubation of LDL with HAECs in medium 199, which does not contain redox-active transition metal ions, did not lead to LDL modification. Both HAEC-mediated and cell-free LDL modifications in Ham's F-10 medium were strongly inhibited in a time- and dose-dependent manner by physiological concentrations of ascorbate. Confluent HAECs cultured under conventional conditions contained very little intracellular ascorbate (< 0.5 nmol/mg protein) but could be loaded with up to 20 nmol ascorbate per milligram protein in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Ascorbate-loaded HAECs exhibited a lower capacity to modify LDL than did non-ascorbate-loaded control cells. When LDL was incubated with HSECs instead of HAECs, similar time- and concentration-dependent inhibitory effects on LDL modification of intracellular and extracellular ascorbate were observed. In contrast to human ECs, BAECs did not take up vitamin C and therefore only coincubation but not preincubation with ascorbate inhibited BAEC-mediated LDL modification. Our data show that enrichment of human vascular ECs with vitamin C lowers their capacity to modify LDL. In addition, extracellular vitamin C strongly inhibits EC-mediated, metal ion-dependent atherogenic modification of LDL.
Oncogenic BRAF and the tumor suppressor IGFBP7 in the genesis of atypical spitzoid nevomelanocytic proliferations.

Rare reports indicate that the frequency of BRAFV600E mutations is high in atypical Spitz nevi. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the utility of the RAF/RAS mutational status as a diagnostic adjunct in lesions with histologic features that deviate from a typical Spitz nevus and, to examine expression of Insulin growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), a tumor suppressor acting through autocrine/paracrine pathways to inhibit BRAF-MEK-ERK signaling, in the same. Genomic DNA for genotyping was isolated from 6 regular Spitz nevi and 14 atypical spitzoid nevomelanocytic proliferations (including 1 melanoma with spitzoid histomorphology). NRAS1, NRAS2 and KRAS were analyzed, in addition to BRAFV600E. A mutation in BRAFV600E was noted in only one case–that of a regular Spitz nevus. IGFBP7 expression appeared to be maintained in this case, but was absent in 7/17 cases, which included 5 atypical spitzoid nevomelanocytic proliferations. Lack of expression of IGFBP7 in atypical spitzoid nevomelanocytic proliferations with histologically concerning features but BRAF-WT indicates that the evolutionary path in atypical spitzoid nevomelanocytic proliferations is genetically distinct from that of IGFBP7-negative BRAF-positive melanoma. From an oncogenic BRAF perspective, our findings suggest that the majority of ‘atypical’ spitzoid nevomelanocytic proliferations are probably no different from conventional Spitz nevi. Emley A, Yang S, Wajapeyee N, Green MR, Mahalingam M. Oncogenic BRAF and the tumor suppressor IGFBP7 in the genesis of atypical spitzoid nevomelanocytic proliferations.
Hydrogen on venus: Exospheric distribution and escape

The spatial distribution of suprathermal H in the Venus atmosphere is calculated using an approximate numerical solution of the time-independent Boltzmann equation. Sources of suprathermal H are specified on the basis of Pioneer Venus measurements. Reactions involving H2 are neglected. The computed densities of suprathermal H are in satisfactory agreement with profiles derived from analysis of Lyman-alpha airglow by Mariners 5 and 10 and Veneras 11 and 12. The dayside emission at radial distances larger than 18,000 km is attributed to scattering of solar photons by fast H atoms produced primarily on the nightside near midnight. The nightside ionosphere, and consequently the source of suprathermal H, are both expected to vary in response to changes in the solar wind.
Probabilistic Foundations of the MRMC Method

Current approaches to ROC analysis use the MRMC (multiple-reader, multiple-case) paradigm in which several readers read each case and their ratings are used to construct an estimate of the area under the ROC curve or some other ROC-related parameter. Standard practice is to decompose the parameter of interest according to a linear model into terms that depend in various ways on the readers, cases and modalities. It is assumed that the terms are statistically independent (or at least uncorrelated). Bootstrap methods are then used to estimate the variance of the estimate and the contributions from the individual terms in the assumed expansion. Though the methodological aspects of MRMC analysis have been studied in detail, the literature on the probabilistic basis of the individual terms is sparse. In particular, few papers state what probability law applies to each term and what underlying assumptions are needed for the assumed independence. This paper approaches the MRMC problem from a mechanistic perspective. For a single modality, three sources of randomness are included: the images, the reader skill and the reader uncertainty. The probability law on the parameter estimate is written in terms of three nested conditional probabilities, and random variables associated with this probability are referred to as triply stochastic. The triply stochastic probability is used to define the overall average of any ROC parameter as well as certain partial averages of utility in MRMC analysis. When this theory is applied to estimates of an ROC parameter for a single modality, it is shown that the variance of the estimate can be written as a sum of three terms, rather than the four that would be expected in MRMC analysis. The usual terms in MRMC expansions do not appear naturally in multiply-stochastic theory. A rigorous MRMC expansion can be constructed by adding and subtracting partial averages to the parameter of interest in a tautological manner. In this approach the parameter is decomposed into a sum of four random uncorrelated, zero-mean random variables, with each term clearly defined in terms of conditional probabilities. When the variance of the expansion is computed, however, numerous subtractions occur, and there is no apparent advantage to computing the variance term by term; the final result is the same as one gets from the triply stochastic decomposition, at least for the Wilcoxon estimator. No other nontrivial MRMC expansion appears to be possible.
Using Drawings to Elicit Nonverbal Constructs in Experiential Personal Construct Psychotherapy

Clients who have experienced psychological wounds prior to the use of language frequently struggle to articulate and make sense of their core constructs around self and others. These early wounds can have a significant influence on future relational interactions, even though they may be experienced at a nonverbal level. While eliciting these preverbal constructs may be essential to the healing process, without verbal representation the therapeutic task can be difficult. In this article, we will discuss the use of symbolism within personal construct psychology as well as the use of drawings as representations of nonverbal constructs. We will then discuss experiential personal construct psychotherapy and its focus on the ways we both connect and disconnect from others. Finally, we will present Kristen, a therapy client who experienced early relational wounds and increasingly dissociated in response to relational stress as she matured. Kristen's work in therapy around her fragmented sense of self included dr...
Sharing Tissue Factor: A Winning Strategy in Tumorigenesis

Existence of a close relationship between increased clotting and malignancy has been clearly recognized for over a century. Many tumor cell types express tissue factor (TF), a procoagulant protein, on their cell surfaces. Tissue factor is a transmembrane cellular receptor for coagulation factor VII/VIIa. Binding of factor VIIa to TF triggers the activation of coagulation cascade leading ultimately to the generation of thrombin which in turn stimulates platelet activation and cleaves fibrinogen. Thus, there is no surprise that the activation of coagulation by tumor cell TF or by membrane fragments shed from tumor cells carrying TF contributes to cancer-associated thrombotic disorders.1,2 The close association between cancer and TF has also raised the possibility that TF may contribute to the pathogenesis of cancer beyond thrombosis. In fact, there are a number of reports in the literature showing that TF expressed by tumor cells plays an important role in both primary tumor growth and metastasis (see reviews3–5). The prometastatic effect of TF involves both activation of the coagulation pathway (eg, mechanisms linked to thrombin generated by TF) and effects mediated through the direct signaling activity of TF, probably via the cytoplasmic domain of TF.6 Recent studies have shown that direct TF-FVIIa protease-induced cell signaling is a major contributor to tumor growth in breast cancer.7 However, there are a couple of convincing reports in the literature that provide evidence that is contrary to the general belief that tumor-derived TF is crucial for primary tumor growth or metastasis. Toomey et al,8 using embryonic stem (ES) cells that do not express TF, showed that tumor-derived TF was not required for either tumor growth or metastasis. In a more recent study, Palumbo et al9 showed that tumor TF was neither required for primary tumor growth nor necessary for the initial …
Geomicrobiology in oceanography: microbe–mineral interactions at and below the seafloor

Oceanography is inherently interdisciplinary and, since its inception, has included the study of microbe–mineral interactions. From early studies of manganese nodules, to the discovery of hydrothermal vents, it has been recognized that microorganisms are involved at various levels in the transformation of rocks and minerals at and below the seafloor. Recent studies include mineral weathering at low temperatures and microbe–mineral interactions in the subseafloor ‘deep biosphere’. A common characteristic of seafloor and subseafloor geomicrobiological processes that distinguishes them from terrestrial or near-surface processes is that they occur in the dark, one or more steps removed from the sunlight that fuels the near-surface biosphere on Earth. This review focuses on geomicrobiological studies and energy flow in dark, deep-ocean and subseafloor rock habitats.
Exploring Contextual Factors of Youth Homelessness And Sexual Risk Behaviors: A Qualitative Study.

CONTEXT: HIV disproportionately affects homeless youth, and interventions to date have had minimal success in reducing sexual risk behaviors in this population. Few qualitative studies have been conducted to provide insight into the influence of homelessness-related factors on sexual risk behaviors. METHODS: A qualitative study with a quantitative component was conducted with a nonprobability sample of 64 homeless youth aged 14-24; participants were recruited from a variety of venues in Houston between October 2013 and March 2014. Thirteen focus group discussions were conducted; thematic analysis was used to identify themes related to HIV risk. RESULTS: Participants were predominantly black (75%), sheltered (67%) and aged 18 or older (77%). Youth discussed how the circumstances of their homelessness and the struggle to meet their immediate needs led to behaviors and experiences that put them at risk for HIV. Three themes emerged: Homeless youth frequently engage in risky sexual behavior, sometimes as a way to cope with stress; they often trade sex, either voluntarily or involuntarily, for such necessities as money or a place to sleep; and many experienced childhood sexual victimization or have been victimized since becoming homeless. Youth also described how stress, stigma and self-reliance contributed to their involvement in HIV risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: HIV prevention methods that target stress and stigma while respecting youths' self-reliance may help reduce sexual risk behaviors. Further research is needed to determine suitable behavioral change techniques to address these potentially modifiable factors. Language: en
Cytometry-based single-cell analysis of intact epithelial signaling reveals MAPK activation divergent from TNF-α-induced apoptosis in vivo

Understanding heterogeneous cellular behaviors in a complex tissue requires the evaluation of signaling networks at single-cell resolution. However, probing signaling in epithelial tissues using cytometry-based single-cell analysis has been confounded by the necessity of single-cell dissociation, where disrupting cell-to-cell connections inherently perturbs native cell signaling states. Here, we demonstrate a novel strategy (Disaggregation for Intracellular Signaling in Single Epithelial Cells from Tissue-DISSECT) that preserves native signaling for Cytometry Time-of-Flight (CyTOF) and fluorescent flow cytometry applications. A 21-plex CyTOF analysis encompassing core signaling and cell-identity markers was performed on the small intestinal epithelium after systemic tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) stimulation. Unsupervised and supervised analyses robustly selected signaling features that identify a unique subset of epithelial cells that are sensitized to TNF-α-induced apoptosis in the seemingly homogeneous enterocyte population. Specifically, p-ERK and apoptosis are divergently regulated in neighboring enterocytes within the epithelium, suggesting a mechanism of contact-dependent survival. Our novel single-cell approach can broadly be applied, using both CyTOF and multi-parameter flow cytometry, for investigating normal and diseased cell states in a wide range of epithelial tissues.
“How We Came to Love Books”: Not With Labels and Not With Emoticons

What is the impact of the closing down of the Wilderness on the development of children’s imaginations? This is what I worry about the most. I grew up with freedom, a liberty that now seems breathtaking and almost impossible . . . Art is a form of exploration, of sailing off into the unknown alone, heading for those unmarked places on the map. If children are not permitted—not taught—to be adventurers and explorers as children, what will become of the world of adventure, of stories, of literature itself? -Michael Chabon, “The Wilderness of Childhood,” in Manhood for Amateurs (2009)
Making lithography work for the 7-nm node and beyond in overlay accuracy, resolution, defect, and cost

Overlay accuracy, resolution, defect, and cost are identified as the major challenges to extend lithography to the 7-nm node and beyond. Overlay accuracy is of the highest concern because it is not scalable with a more powerful lens or a shorter wavelength. It is dictated by mechanical precision and the ability to measure overlay errors. It also depends on non-litho fabrication techniques. We propose five approaches in wafer processing and four approaches in mask making to improve overlay accuracy. We also point out other means to pursue instead of squeezing overlay accuracy by brute force. Resolution and the corresponding process window are compared among ArF water immersion lithography, EUV lithography, and multiple e-beam direct write lithography. The limitation by resists may become the ultimate showstopper in resolution. At the advance of each node, the threshold of defect size is automatically tightened for defects on masks and on wafers. Mask defects can be in the absorber and the blank. Defects can come from contamination or cleaning. Even with maskless e-beam lithography, the in situ programmable mask can be contaminated. Defects can also be generated during wafer exposure, wafer processing, and non-litho processing. Solutions are provided and their practicality discussed. Lithography cost to produce single-digit nanometer features can be the decisive showstopper. We show several cost scenarios using manufacturing considerations and discuss cost effectiveness.
A two-dimensional analysis of the evolution of coherent precipitates in elastic media

Abstract The morphological evolution of coherent inclusions in elastic media is studied in two-dimensions. The inclusions are simple dilations with isotropic surface energy in a system with homogeneous elastic constants of negative anisotropy. The equilibrium sizes at which a circular inclusion transforms to a rectangle or square, and at which a square splits into a doublet or quartet of separated inclusions are computed analytically. A finite-element model is then constructed to simulate the evolution of an arbitrary distribution of inclusions along the minimum-energy path. In the model, the circle evolves into a square, which splits into a doublet by hollowing from its center, or, if this is forbidden, by drawing in a perturbation on its surface. The sizes at which shapes spontaneously transform are compared to the equilibrium values. Finally, the simulation is used to study the evolution of a random distribution of inclusions. The first metastable state assumed by the distribution depends on the elastic interaction, surface energy and areal fraction of the inclusion phase through a single dimensionless parameter that groups these three effects. The results are compared to prior theoretical and experimental work on coarsening patterns in three dimensions.