cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel Staged Z-Pinch Concept as Super Radiant X-Ray Source for ICF

We propose a Super-Radiant X-Ray Source (SRX),which has potential as an ICF target driver. This approach involves an imploding Z-pinch liner, which flux compresses an axial magnetic field. An ion beam with Z >10 and E= 105 -106 eV is injected through the magnetic cusp, and trapped inside the imploding liner, with a magnetic flux inside the liner and canonical-angular momentum of the ion beam being conserved. As a result of this conservation the ions receive azimuthal energy from the imploding conducting liner, being accelerated to a final energy hundreds times greater, than their initial energy, as Efm =E in*(rin/rfm)2, depending on initial rin to final rfm radii ratio. In the final collision with the plasma column, placed co-axial with the liner and rotating ion beam, the former is ionized by the ion beam, and produces radiation with anomalously high input of characteristic M-, L- and K- radiation. It takes place due to the processes of quasi-molecular shell formation in the collisions of multi charged ions, with following promotion of the inner shells electrons to higher energy or the continuum at the expense of the quasi-molecules excess kinetic energy (Garcia, 1973). The approach differs from conventional mechanism of ionization in the Z-pinch via electron-ohmic heating of the plasma, resulting in the radiation of mainly thermal character.
S06.1 Treating Contacts to Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia Without a Clinic Visit; The Efficacy and Effectiveness of Different Models

The sex partners of persons with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) infection must be treated to prevent repeat infection of the index patient and to interrupt forward transmission of disease. Asking patients to refer sex partner(s) for evaluation and treatment (‘patient referral’) is an inadequate strategy, as many sex partners will not seek care, and the large burden of CT and GC infections makes it impractical and cost prohibitive to rely upon health care providers or public health field investigators to assure partner treatment. Although no single sex partner treatment approach will be a panacea, innovative strategies are clearly needed. This session will focus on strategies that do not require sex partners to attend a clinic to obtain treatment for CT or GC. The presenter will describe two models: (1) Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT), used in many parts of the US, includes patient delivered partner therapy, wherein a patient is asked to deliver medication or a prescription to their sex partner; (2) Accelerated Partner Therapy (APT), studied in the UK, uses clinician-staffed hotlines or pharmacists to assess the health status of sex partners before arranging for treatment. APT is being evaluated in a community-based randomised controlled trial, and efficacy data are not yet available, however, EPT has been shown to reduce risk for repeat GC infection by 68% and repeat CT by 20%. In practise, uptake and effectiveness of EPT has been limited by a variety of implementation challenges. The session will describe and - where possible - quantify obstacles to EPT, including: legal issues (perceived and real), lack of provider and pharmacist knowledge, patient preference and acceptability (for example, as few as 50% of eligible patients accept EPT for CT), medication costs, use of prescriptions rather than dispensing medication, and the emergence of cephalosporin resistance among GC.
The Government of Iraq

Those who set up a new government usually have to compromise between the ideas current at the time, their own traditions, and the conditions of the territory and people to be governed. Ideas are likely to have more influence on the form than the substance, and imported traditions soon disappear unless control remains external. For a time, a system of government may be affected by such ideas and traditions, but if it lasts it is because it has become adapted to the physical, social, and psychological conditions of the region where it operates. These conditions, it is true, may be gradually modified by a government guided by philosophical ideas or foreign traditions. Such influences are, indeed, the cause of progress, but a government can safely follow them only if it makes large concessions to local conditions. The government of Iraq well illustrates the interplay of these three influences. It is a compromise of Wilsonian ideas, British traditions, and Iraq conditions. The theoretical basis of the Peace Conference of 1919 was expressed in President Wilson's fourteen points and subsequent addresses. This basis had been formally accepted by the Allies and Germany in the agreement of November 5, 1918, before the armistice, and so legally superseded all conflicting agreements, secret or otherwise, with respect to Germany.' The Turkish and
The origin of unequal bond lengths in the C1B2 state of SO2: Signatures of high-lying potential energy surface crossings in the low-lying vibrational structure

The C (1)B2 state of SO2 has a double-minimum potential in the antisymmetric stretch coordinate, such that the minimum energy geometry has nonequivalent SO bond lengths. The asymmetry in the potential energy surface is expressed as a staggering in the energy levels of the ν3(') progression. We have recently made the first observation of low-lying levels with odd quanta of v3('), which allows us-in the current work-to characterize the origins of the level staggering. Our work demonstrates the usefulness of low-lying vibrational level structure, where the character of the wavefunctions can be relatively easily understood, to extract information about dynamically important potential energy surface crossings that occur at much higher energy. The measured staggering pattern is consistent with a vibronic coupling model for the double-minimum, which involves direct coupling to the bound 2 (1)A1 state and indirect coupling with the repulsive 3 (1)A1 state. The degree of staggering in the ν3(') levels increases with quanta of bending excitation, which is consistent with the approach along the C state potential energy surface to a conical intersection with the 2 (1)A1 surface at a bond angle of ∼145°.
Seven Scales to Measure the Seven Beatitudes in Leaders

This study presents the development of seven five-item scales to measure leadership traits in the seven Beatitudes found in Matthew 5: 3-10. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients for these scales are .86, .95, .89, .92, .93, .93, and .92. Convergence validity was demonstrated by significant positive correlations for all seven scales with the Essential Servant Leadership Behavior scale and significant negative correlation with the Despotic Leadership scale. The value of the seven scales lies in their ability to assist researchers to compare leadership effectiveness with the seven representative virtues and, in time after normative data are developed, to offer a leadership tool for leadership selection and development.
Functional Medical Imagery Database Development

A medical imagery database should be complete, accurate, secure, and functionally robust. Database completeness depends on availability of medical imagery in digital format. A PACS should incorporate all medical imagery, including not only standard x-ray, CT, ultrasound, MR, and nuclear medicine, but also anatomic pathology, endoscopy, and retinal and other photography. Imagery should be equivalent to that available on a dedicated modality workstation. For maximum utility, the user (or central controlling system such as the HIS/RIS) must be able to locate groups of imagery by demographic identifiers, image type, or by content. Content information is available from imagery interpretations or potentially from the imagery itself. In our prototype content database, imagery interpretations are sent from the HIS/RIS to a Sun workstation. Our database allows the user to construct easily either simple or Boolean searches using any combination of of demographic, imagery type, or content descriptors. We describe our initial efforts at searching the imagery itself.
Stand firm on hormone disruptors

Ahead of a key meeting on endocrine-disrupting chemicals, Leonardo Trasande argues that policy must follow the science.
Promoting LGBTQ equality in engineering via online Safe Zone workshops

This Work in Progress paper describes an initiative to promote (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) LGBTQ equality in engineering via online Safe Zone workshops as a means to create a visible network of LGBTQ-affirming faculty who contribute to creating a positive and inclusive climate in engineering departments. The online Safe Zone workshop series is part of a larger project that aims to (1) identify aspects of engineering culture that present barriers to LGBTQ equality, (2) build knowledge and skills to disrupt discrimination and promote LGBTQ equality in engineering departments on college campuses and (3) to identify best practices for promoting LGBTQ equality in engineering. More than 270 engineering educators have attended the 20 on-site Safe Zone Workshops offered at the ASEE Annual Conference in 2014 and 2015; online workshops were launched in 2016 to reach a broader audience. Evaluation results indicate that the content of the Safe Zone Workshops has been appropriately tailored to an audience of engineering educators, and that there is a clear call to expand the workshops and nurture the conversation about LGBTQ inclusion in engineering. Online technology is being used to create a scalable model for sharing knowledge, tools and resources to promote LGBTQ inclusion in environments that are traditionally difficult to penetrate. The online workshops were launched in early 2016 and will continue through mid-2017. In this paper we share preliminary evaluation results from a single workshop and discuss lessons learned from initial implementation.
Analysis of signals recorded from human cerebral cortex using micro-scale electrode arrays during articulate movements

The cortex is composed of cortical columns which act as functional compute units in the brain. Epicortical micro-scale electrodes allow experimenters to study these cortical columns and how their activity relates to behavior. Here, we present mesoscale analysis between primary language areas during simple language production. We observed meso-scale spatial and temporal patterns of coupling that correlated with spoken words.
Glioma Biology and Molecular Markers

The tumors classified as gliomas include a wide variety of histologies including the more common (astrocytoma, glioblastoma), as well as the less common histologies (oligodendroglioma, mixed oligoastrocytoma, pilocytic astrocytoma). Recent efforts at comprehensive genetic characterization of various primary brain tumor types have identified a number of common alterations and pathways common to multiple tumor types. Common pathways in glioma biology include growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases and their downstream signaling via the MAP kinase cascade or PI3K signaling, loss of apoptosis through p53, cell cycle regulation, angiogenesis via VEGF signaling, and invasion. However, in addition to these common general pathway alterations, a number of specific alterations have been identified in particular tumor types, and a number of these have direct therapeutic implications. These include mutations or fusions in the BRAF gene seen in pilocytic astrocytomas (and gangliogliomas). In oligodendrogliomas, mutations in IDH1 and codeletion of chromosomes 1p and 19q are associated with improved survival with upfront use of combined chemotherapy and radiation, and these tumors also have unique mutations of CIC and FUBP1 genes. Low grade gliomas are increasingly seen to be divided into two groups based on IDH mutation status, with astrocytomas developing through IDH mutation followed by p53 mutation, while poor prognosis low grade gliomas and primary glioblastomas (GBMs) are characterized by EGFR amplification, loss of PTEN, and loss of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. GBMs can be further characterized based on gene expression and gene methylation patterns into three or four distinct subgroups. Prognostic markers in diffuse gliomas include IDH mutation, 1p/19q codeletion, and MGMT methylation, and MGMT is also a predictive marker in elderly patients with glioblastoma treated with temozolomide monotherapy.
Association Between Reward Reactivity and Drug Use Severity is Substance Dependent: Preliminary Evidence From the Human Connectome Project.

Introduction Blunted nucleus accumbens (NAc) reactivity to reward is common across drug users. One theory is that individuals abuse substances due to this reward deficit. However, whether there is a relationship between the amount an individual uses and the severity of NAc dysfunction is unclear. It also is possible that such a relationship is substance specific, as nicotine transiently increases reward system sensitivity while alcohol, another commonly used substance, does not. As smokers may use nicotine to bolster NAc reward function, we hypothesize that NAc reactivity to reward will be related to volume of cigarette use, but not volume of alcohol use. Methods A functional magnetic resonance imaging incentive-processing task collected by the Human Connectome Project was assessed in a cohort of tobacco smokers who reported smoking between 5-20 cigarettes/day and a cohort of alcohol users who reported drinking 7-25 drinks/wk. Number of cigarettes/day and drinks/wk were correlated with right and left NAc reactivity to the receipt of a monetary reward relative to baseline. Results Individuals who smoke greater numbers of cigarettes/day showed lower right NAc reactivity to reward (r = 0.853, p ≤ .001). Left NAc reactivity was not correlated with cigarettes/day. No association was found with drinks/wk. Conclusions A negative association was found between NAc reactivity to reward and cigarettes/day, but not alcohol drinks/wk. Given nicotine's unique ability to increase sensitivity to rewards, these findings suggest that individuals who smoke more cigarettes/day may be compensating for more dysfunctional NAc reward reactivity. Implications The present study demonstrates that a relationship between NAc reactivity to nondrug reward and volume of substance use is present in nicotine but not alcohol use. While prior work has implicated dysfunctional reward processing in addictions, these findings clarify a substance-specific role that blunted reward function has in determining patterns of use among chronic users.
Lubricating ability of two phosphonium-based ionic liquids as additives of a bio-oil for use in wind turbines gearboxes

Abstract This study investigates the tribological behavior of two different phosphonium-based ionic liquids as additives to a bio-oil in steel-steel contact. One of the ionic liquids is halogen-free and will be compared to an ionic liquid that contains halogens. Bio-oil and ionic liquid mixtures containing 0.5, 1 and 2.5 wt. % of both ionic liquids are studied utilizing a combination of tribology and surface measurement techniques. These experiment include pin-on-disk tribometer, hydrology, corrosion, and surface spectroscopy measurements for the ionic liquid mixtures, as well as pure bio-oil for comparison. It is found that the presence of the ionic liquid additives significantly reduces the volume loss in the wear track, particularly under the higher speed studied, indicating a potentially significant improvement in function.
Aerobic exercise elevates markers of angiogenesis and macrophage IL-6 gene expression in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of overweight-to-obese adults

Acute exercise in overweight/obese adults increased subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) mRNA expression of VEGFA, an important regulator of angiogenesis and capillary growth. In addition, subjects th...
Geology of the Coastal Plain of North Carolina

The Atlantic Coastal Plain is both a well marked geological and physiographic province extending from Cape Cod on the northeast to the point of Florida on the southwest. The North Carolina portion of the Atlantic Coastal Plain occupies a strong eastwardly directed salient about midway between the two ends. The plain has here an average width of about one hundred miles and occupies about two-fifths the area of the State.
Fluctuations uncover a distinct class of traveling waves.

Epidemics, flame propagation, and cardiac rhythms are classic examples of reaction–diffusion waves that describe a switch from one alternative state to another. Only two types of waves are known: pulled, driven by the leading edge, and pushed, driven by the bulk of the wave. Here, we report a distinct class of semipushed waves for which both the bulk and the leading edge contribute to the dynamics. These hybrid waves have the kinetics of pushed waves, but exhibit giant fluctuations similar to pulled waves. The transitions between pulled, semipushed, and fully pushed waves occur at universal ratios of the wave velocity to the Fisher velocity. We derive these results in the context of a species invading a new habitat by examining front diffusion, rate of diversity loss, and fluctuation-induced corrections to the expansion velocity. All three quantities decrease as a power law of the population density with the same exponent. We analytically calculate this exponent, taking into account the fluctuations in the shape of the wave front. For fully pushed waves, the exponent is −1, consistent with the central limit theorem. In semipushed waves, however, the fluctuations average out much more slowly, and the exponent approaches 0 toward the transition to pulled waves. As a result, a rapid loss of genetic diversity and large fluctuations in the position of the front occur, even for populations with cooperative growth and other forms of an Allee effect. The evolutionary outcome of spatial spreading in such populations could therefore be less predictable than previously thought.
On the Use of Mobile Apps in Education: The Impact of Digital Magazines on Student Learning:

As the use of technology evolves in education, an extensive range of new smart devices and digital applications is becoming available to academics. Digital magazines are an example of such technolo...
Training hidden Markov Models using population-based learning

Hidden Markov Models are commonly trained using algorithms derived from gradient-based methods such as the Baum-Welch procedure. We describe a representation of discrete observation HMMs that permits them to be trained using Population-Based Incremental Learning (PBIL), a variant of genetic learning. In this paper we examine the training speed and recognition performance of PBIL on a spoken digit recognition task. We demonstrate maximum likelihood training of HMMs can be achieved using PBIL, although the Baum-Welch procedure is significantly faster. However, unlike the Baum-Welch procedure, PBIL is easily extended to perform discriminative training. Furthermore, PBIL training extends to applications like speech intelligibility assessment that lack a differentiable or analytical optimization function.
The Munificence of High Dimensionality

Many methods of mathematical analysis that are of practical value in low-dimensional Euclidean spaces have computational requirements that grow exponentially as the dimensionality of the space increases to tens, hundreds, or thousands. Mathematician Richard Bellman termed this explosion of difficulty “the curse of dimensionality.” The point of this talk is that this curse is not universal. In fact, there are some wonderfully beneficial properties of Euclidean spaces that improve with increasing dimension. These recently discovered and/or appreciated properties bear directly on studies of neural networks and related subjects.
Exosomes from HNSCC Promote Angiogenesis through Reprogramming of Endothelial Cells

For solid tumors, such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), an adequate blood supply is of critical importance for tumor development and metastasis. Tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) accumulate in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and serve as a communication system between tumor and normal stromal cells. This study evaluates in vitro and in vivo effects mediated by TEX that result in promotion of angiogenesis. TEX produced by PCI-13 (HPV-) and UMSCC47 (HPV+) cell lines or from plasma of HNSCC patients were isolated by mini size exclusion chromatography (mini-SEC). TEX morphology, size, numbers, and molecular profile were characterized, and the angiogenesis-inducing potential was measured in arrays and real-time PCR with human endothelial cells (HUVEC). Uptake of labeled TEX by HUVECs was demonstrated by confocal microscopy. Tube formation, proliferation, migration, and adherence by HUVECs in response to TEX were investigated. The 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO) oral carcinogenesis mouse model was used to confirm that TEX induce the same results in vivo TEX were found to be potent inducers of angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo through functional reprogramming and phenotypic modulation of endothelial cells. TEX carried angiogenic proteins and were internalized by HUVECs within 4 hours. TEX stimulated proliferation (P < 0.001), migration (P < 0.05), and tube formation (P < 0.001) by HUVECs and promoted formation of defined vascular structures in vivo The data suggest that TEX promote angiogenesis and drive HNSCC progression. Future efforts should focus on eliminating or silencing TEX and thereby adding new options for improving existing antiangiogenic therapies.Implications: TEX appear to play an important role in tumor angiogenesis and thus may contribute to tumor growth and metastasis of HNSCC in this context. Mol Cancer Res; 16(11); 1798-808. ©2018 AACR.
Teaching Performance in Public Affairs Education

A task force of the National Academy of Public Administration released a report in January 2000 that questioned whether public affairs programs were in a position to cope with the transformation of...
Open Path MIR DCS for Chemical Detection

We demonstrate MIR-DCS across a 1-km open-air path probing the C-H stretch region around 3.2 μm. We show sensitivity to VOC’s such as acetone even in the presence of water vapor interference.
CnC: A Dependence Programming Model

Application tuning is the one of the major hurdles on the road to exascale computing. Tuning is often directed at a specific architecture or towards some specific tuning goal. As currently practiced, the tuning activity requires serious expertise in the application domain, target architecture and tuning goals. Keeping all these (sometimes conflicting) concerns in mind at the same time while developing a program is very difficult and error prone.Dependence programming is a class of dataflow programming in which both data and control flow are explicit, are distinguished and are given equal weight. This paper gives an overview of CnC, a dataflow dependence programming model, from the perspective of the needs of exascale computing and shows how CnC addresses those needs through a separation of concerns. The goal of CnC is to enable a process that is easier, less error-prone and more effective, by separating these concerns into independent activities. Rather than proposing yet another approach to tuning, CnC provides a way to specify the application in a way that a) hides details not relevant to tuning, b) includes as much detail as possible to support the analysis and tuning process, and c) does not assume any specific architecture, style of tuning or tuning goals.This results in a specification of the application that can be applied to any existing or future architectures and can use any existing or future tuning approach. At the same time it can be more efficient in human time spent on creating the application and more effective in finding the best tuning.
Total Synthesis of the Rubrolone Aglycon

A total synthesis of the rubrolone aglycon is detailed and is based on two key Diels−Alder reactions. The AB ring system incorporating a tetrasubstituted pyridine was assembled, enlisting the rare 4π participation of an O-alkyl α,β-unsaturated oxime in an intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction (70%). The C-ring oxygenated tropolone was introduced through a room-temperature, exo selective [4 + 2] cycloaddition of a cyclopropenone ketal (97%) followed by in situ generation of a norcaradiene and room-temperature electrocyclic rearrangement to a cycloheptatrienone ketal appropriately substituted for hydrolysis directly to a 2,4-dihydroxycycloheptatrienone.
Management of Oil Wealth Under the Permanent Income Hypothesis : The Case of São Tomé and Príncipe

This paper documents the protracted process of shaping the rules governing oil operations in Sao Tome and Principe. It analyzes the institutional framework for oil sector development, which applies Milton Friedman's permanent income hypothesis to the management of oil resources. Sao Tome and Principe is the first country in Africa to adopt this rule. Finally, the paper offers a preliminary quantitative analysis of the impact of oil sector development on government consumption and savings. It shows that the country's oil wealth could be significant, which would enable sustainable government consumption and intergenerational equity through a gradual buildup of the Permanent Fund for Future Generations.
A Conceptual Framework for Cyber-physical System in Connected RSW Weldability Certification

Abstract The advancement of communication technologies and the change of the global economic landscape has paved the way for connected, smart manufacturing industries. Cyber-physical systems sit at the core of the development endeavor of the modern manufacturing industries. However, a cyber-physical system integrated weldability certification is still an unmet need. This paper presents a conceptual cyber-physical system framework for Resistance Spot Welding (RSW) weldability certification that integrates the physical welding machine and sensor data with analytics and prediction modules. We develop a system level design of the CPS framework and determine the requirements for developing a CPS for RSW. In this framework, machine learning algorithms and modern distributed computation frameworks are used to predict RSW weld quality.
Sex differences in the proliferation of pulmonary artery endothelial cells: implications for plexiform arteriopathy.

The sex-biased disease pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by the proliferation and overgrowth of dysfunctional pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs). During inflammation associated with PAH, granzyme B cleaves intersectin-1 to produce N-terminal (EHITSN) and C-terminal (SH3A-EITSN) protein fragments. In a murine model of PAH, EHITSN triggers plexiform arteriopathy via p38-ELK1-c-Fos signaling. The SH3A-EITSN fragment also influences signaling, having dominant-negative effects on ERK1 and ERK2 (also known as MAPK3 and MAPK1, respectively). Using PAECs engineered to express tagged versions of EHITSN and SH3A-EITSN, we demonstrate that the two ITSN fragments increase both p38-ELK1 activation and the ratio of p38 to ERK1 and ERK2 activity, leading to PAEC proliferation, with female cells being more responsive than male cells. Furthermore, expression of EHITSN substantially upregulates the expression and activity of the long non-coding RNA Xist in female PAECs, which in turn upregulates the X-linked gene ELK1 and represses expression of kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2). These events are recapitulated by the PAECs of female idiopathic PAH patients, and may account for their proliferative phenotype. Thus, upregulation of Xist could be an important factor in explaining sexual dimorphism in the proliferative response of PAECs and the imbalanced sex ratio of PAH.
Efficiency of Small Volume Nebulizer Infection Control Protocol in Reducing Bacterial Contamination

Background: The recommended infection control procedure in medicated aerosol therapy is to rinse the small volume nebulizer (SVN) reservoir with sterile distilled water after each treatment and allowing it to air dry, to prevent bacterial growth. Studies involving this topic have yielded conflicting results regarding which reagent and rinsing method is effective. If infection control guidelines are not being followed during the patient’s length of stay, (e.g. 3-5 days), there is the potential for bacterial growth inside the nebulizer, which may be inhaled by the patient, leading to nosocomial infection. The research question is: does rinsing the SVN reservoir with sterile distilled water and air drying reduce bacterial contamination in SVN reservoirs? Methods: Following IRB approval, swab samples were collected from SVN reservoirs in clinical use, before and after the recommended sterile distilled water rinsing protocol was performed. Equipment belonging to patients in isolation was excluded. Nebulizers were chosen based on ordered frequency of bronchodilator therapy. A control group consisted of samples from reservoirs that had not been rinsed. The experimental samples came from the same reservoirs that had been rinsed with sterile distilled water and allowed to air-dry (the recommended protocol). All samples were plated on 5% sheep blood agar using serial dilution, incubated at 37°C for 18-24 hours, and evaluated for bacterial colony growth. Colony forming units (CFUs) were counted and compared between the two groups to determine if there was a difference in CFUs between the control and experimental groups. The data were analyzed using a paired T test (Excel, Microsoft Corp, Redmond, WA) to compare pre and post sample colony forming units (CFUs). Results: Ten nebulizers in clinical use were chosen to be evaluated for this research. Each SVN had been used to nebulize bronchodilators at a frequency of every four hours for two days or more. There was a significantly lower number of CFUs in those nebulizers that had been rinsed (P= 0.01, 95% CI -11.69 to -0.3). Conclusions: This study concludes that rinsing the SVN reservoir with sterile distilled water and allowing to air dry, reduces bacterial contamination in SVN reservoirs.
Comparison of Excitation Methods for Frequency Conversion in Rubidium

We compare the effectiveness of frequency conversion using four-wave mixing in rubidium. Two-photon excitation in a ring cavity results in more output power than two-step excitation, with similar linewidth and tuneability.
Daily and tidal Rhythms in Intertidal Marine Invertebrates

Intertidal animals are faced with strong rhythmic environmental signals on both daily and tidal frequencies, and their behavioral output is often complex because these two competing influences affect the endogenous clocks that drive their behaviors. This chapter reviews the nature of the clocks that govern the behaviors in intertidal organisms as well as the inputs and outputs from these clocks. The relative importance of the environmental factors that synchronize these rhythms is discussed, as well as the different types of physiological and behavioral outputs that have been observed. The molecular underpinnings of the circadian clocks are presented as well as the hypothesis that the clocks that drive circatidal rhythms are composed of the same molecular “machinery” used by circadian clocks.
Printed RGW 3-dB Backward Coupler for Millimeter Wave Applications

This work introduces a flat coupling backward-wave directional coupler based on a printed ridge gap waveguide (PRGW) technology for mm-wave applications. The construction of the proposed coupler is based on a coupled PRGW lines connected by a central rectangular junction. The coupler is demonstrated to have 8% relative bandwidth at 30 GHz. The prototype of the proposed coupler is fabricated and measured, where the measured and simulated results show good agreement.
Interferon lambda in inflammation and autoimmune rheumatic diseases

Interferons are potent antiviral cytokines that modulate immunity in response to infection or other danger signals. In addition to their antiviral functions, type I interferons (IFNα and IFNβ) are important in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Type III interferons (IFNλs) were initially described as a specialized system that inhibits viral replication at epithelial barrier surfaces while limiting inflammatory damage. However, evidence now suggests that type III interferons have complex effects on both innate and adaptive immune responses and might also be pathogenic in systemic autoimmune diseases. Concentrations of IFNλs are increased in blood and tissues in a number of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, and are further associated with specific clinical and laboratory parameters. This Review is aimed at providing a critical evaluation of the current literature on IFNλ biology and how type III interferons might contribute to immune dysregulation and tissue damage in autoimmunity. The potential effects of type III interferons on treatment strategies for autoimmune rheumatic diseases, such as interferon blockade, are also considered.
Possible additional MRI markers for critical brain swelling with increased intracranial pressure in children

A retrospective study was performed evaluating the volume and T2/T1 signal intensity of orbital fat in five children diagnosed with severe global brain swelling and confirmed cessation of cerebral perfusion. Imaging showed a volume increase (five of five) and a heterogeneous T2-hypointensity of orbital fat (four of five). This preliminary study suggests that swelling and T2-hypointensity of orbital fat may be a marker of global brain swelling and/or increased intracranial pressure.
Thrombomodulin is associated with increased mortality and organ failure in mechanically ventilated children with acute respiratory failure: biomarker analysis from a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Acute respiratory failure (ARF) can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome and death. Biomarkers may allow for risk stratification and prognostic enrichment in ARF. Thrombomodulin (TM) is a transmembrane antithrombotic mediator expressed in endothelial cells. It is cleaved into its soluble form (sTM) during inflammation and vascular injury. Levels of sTM correlate with inflammation and end organ dysfunction. This was a prospective observational study of 432 patients aged 2 weeks—17 years requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. It was ancillary to the multicenter clinical trial, Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure (RESTORE). After consent, patients had up to 3 plasma samples collected at 24-h intervals within 5 days after intubation. sTM was assayed by ELISA. The Hazard ratio (HR) for 90-day mortality was determined by Cox regression. Mixed effect models (MEM) were used to test for association with extrapulmonary multiorgan failure (MOF) and oxygenation index (OI). Age, race, sex and PRISM-III scores were used as confounding variables for multivariable analyses. sTM values ranged from 16.6 to 670.9 ng/ml within 5 days after intubation. Higher sTM was associated with increased 90-day mortality (n = 432, adjusted HR = 1.003, p = 0.02) and worse OI in the first 5 days after intubation (n = 252, Estimate = 0.02, p < 0.01). Both initial and slope of sTM were associated with increased extrapulmonary MOF in unadjusted and adjusted analyses (Intercept, Estimate = 0.003, p < 0.0001; and slope, Estimate = 0.01, p = 0.0009, n = 386). Plasma sTM is associated with mortality, severity of hypoxic respiratory failure and worsening extrapulmonary MOF in children with ARF. This suggests a role of vascular injury in the pathogenesis of ARF and provides potential applicability towards targeted therapies. Trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00814099 . In healthy lung endothelium, thrombomodulin (TM) recruits thrombin to activate Protein-C (PC/APC), that inhibits plasminogen activator-1 (PAI-1) and thrombosis. In inflamed and damaged endothelium, TM is cleaved into its soluble form (sTM), precluding its usual regulation of thrombosis. In this study, we measured plasma sTM levels in pediatric patients with respiratory failure and found that sTM correlated with mortality and other clinical markers of poor outcomes.
How to Write a Constitutional 'Revenge Porn' Law

Most of the recently enacted revenge-porn laws are content-based regulations of speech. They are, as such, unconstitutional unless (as is unlikely) they can either (i) pass strict scrutiny or (ii) fit within one of the recognized categorical exceptions to First Amendment protection. However, by paying closer attention to the constitutional precedents, a legislature should be able to write a law that addresses the primary harms of revenge porn without being subject to strict scrutiny as content discrimination. One approach, suggested here, is to frame the law so that it establishes an otherwise valid non-speech crime and has a burden on speech that is only “incidental.” Such law should be able to avoid the content-discrimination trap and thus survive constitutional scrutiny for the same reasons that the harassment prohibitions of Title VII do. There are, however, no guarantees. Any such a law would still represent, in the final analysis, an initiative by government to suppress speech that it does not favor, and the basic meaning of the First Amendment is to prohibit exactly that sort of thing.
Cold/Heat Protection

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the nature of the injury inflicted by high and low temperatures and discusses the protective mechanisms used by insects to counter these forms of injury. Lethality at high temperature is a function of both temperature and time; the higher the temperature, the shorter the exposure time needed to kill the insect. But injury can manifest itself in more subtle forms at less extreme temperatures. For example, temperatures that prevent reproduction are lower than the temperatures that cause immediate mortality. At still less severe temperatures, adults are reproductively functional but emergence may be delayed or may occur at the wrong time of day. In addition to lethality, cold injury can be manifested in failure of reproduction and the appearance of developmental abnormalities. A cold shock can induce an extra molt in some species such as the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonell. Phenocopy defects, such as those noted in D. melanogaster at high temperature, can also be elicited by low temperature. Exploiting temperature for pest management is an attractive alternative to the use of pesticides. The manipulations can be safely administered and no harmful residues remain. Heat and cold treatments are emerging as the treatment of choice for quarantine treatment of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Restriction Point

The restriction point, originally described by Arthur Pardee in 1974, denotes the point during G1 when a normal cell becomes committed to entering S phase and is no longer dependent on growth factors. Many studies have revealed the contributions of cyclin D-CDK4 (cyclin-dependent kinases), cyclin E-CDK2, and PI3K signaling that enable the transition from quiescence (G0) to S phase. The restraining contributions of RB, p53, and the CDK inhibitors play major roles in establishing the restriction point and distinguish it from G0 as well as from the G1/S deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage checkpoint.
Abstract 043: Acute K+ Intake Does Not Reduce Renal Na-Cl Cotransporter Phosphorylation during Chronic AngII Hypertension

In Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, a single K+ rich meal provokes a 50% decrease in DCT Na-Cl cotransporter phosphorylation (NCCp) which shifts Na+ reabsorption downstream for reabsorption by CCD ENaC which drives a homeostatic increase in K+ secretion. During Ang II dependent hypertension, DCT NCCp increases 2-4 fold as does NCC mediated Na+ reabsorption. Motivated by these two recent findings, we tested the hypothesis that NCCp elevated by AngII hypertension (400 ng AngII/kg/min x 14 d in SD rats) could be reduced by a single K+ rich meal (3 hr 2% K meal). Three groups (n=5-6) of male SD rats were compared: 1) Untreated fed 0%K meal, 2) AngII infused fed 0%K meal, and 3) AngII infused fed 2%K meal. By immunoblot of renal cortical homogenates, AngII infusion increased the following 2-5 fold compared to the untreated group: NCC, NCCpS71, NCCpT53, NCCpS89, SPAK, SPAKpS373, and cleaved ENaC-gamma. A single 2%K meal did not reduce abundance or phosphorylation of NCC, SPAK or ENaC cleavage. Interestingly, the AngII infused rats exhibited signs of kaliuresis and K+ depletion compared to the untreated group: overnight urine K+ (UKV) was 4.3 +/- 0.1 vs. 2.3 +/- 0.3 mM, fasting plasma [K+] was 3.3 +/- 0.1 vs. 3.9 +/- 0.1 mEq in AngII vs. untreated, and while plasma [K+] climbed to 4.6 +/- 0.1 after the 2% K meal in AngII infused rats, UKV was not elevated compared to AngII rats fed a 0%K meal. The results indicate that a single K+ rich meal does not reduce NCCp in AngII infused rats, likely due to our finding that the AngII hypertension protocol provokes kaliuresis and K+ deficiency. Thus, the ingested K+ replenishes K+ stores and is not excreted. The results also suggest that the rise in NCCp during AngII hypertension may be, at least in part, a response aimed to reduce K+ excretion.
Equine infectious anaemia: the role of Heinz bodies in the pathogenesis of anaemia.

The significance of Heinz bodies (HB) in the pathogenesis of haemolysis following infection with the virus of equine infectious anaemia (EIA) was investigated. In 8 EIA infected horses the maximum number of HB was 7 to 42 per 1,000 red blood cells (normal range, 0–4). Electron microscopic examination of the cells demonstrated that the HB were similar to those described in experimental animals and that the virus was not present in the structures. No increase in susceptibility to HB formation in vitro was demonstrated and there was no increase in circulating HB in infected splenectomized animals. It was concluded that the HB were not pathogenetically involved in the haemolytic process of EIA.
The Human Engineer as an Agent of Change in Industrializing Nations1

Social change is a learning process in which motivation, information and reinforcement are important variables. The human engineer can help design social action experiments both to induce change and to assess the effectiveness of alternative social change methods. A theory of social change is outlined and an action experiment is described to test the theory. The experiment uses communications media (e. g., television, radio, etc.) to reach remote communities, stimulate and reinforce change, and teach the behaviors necessary for change.
Predictors of Fatigue among Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Activity logs involve patients writing down their activities over one or more days. Several studies have found these data collection instruments to accurately describe activities of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The purpose of this study was to utilize the repeated measures available on the ACTRE to evaluate predictors of fatigue at a given timepoint. A random intercept model was tested with the following variables predicting current fatigue: past fatigue (30 mins. prior), current category of activity (e.g., resting, work, recreation, etc.), past category of activity (30 mins. prior), the interaction of past fatigue and past activity, and TH2/TH1 immune shift. These findings and others suggest that activity logs can provide investigators and clinicians with valuable sources of data for understanding patterns of behavior and activity among patients with CFS.
Neuroscience and multiple realization: a reply to Bechtel and Mundale

One trend in recent work on topic of the multiple realization of psychological properties has been an emphasis on greater sensitivity to actual science and greater clarity regarding the metaphysics of realization and multiple realization. One contribution to this trend is Bechtel and Mundale’s examination of the implications of brain mapping for multiple realization. Where Bechtel and Mundale argue that studies of brain mapping undermine claims about the multiple realization, this paper challenges that argument.
Rue britannia or rule britannia? British identities in Scotland and Wales

Abstract British identity is in flux, especially in Scotland and Wales, where devolution invites many Scots and Welsh to consider what it means to be British. This article employs Q-methodology to investigate the complexities of British identity in Scotland and Wales. Six separate types of British identity are uncovered, three each in Scotland and Wales. Analysis of the commonalties among these very different types of British identity outlines the ‘core’ of contemporary British identity. Furthermore, looking at the primary differences between positive and negative British attitudes suggests that the political parties in Scotland and Wales face significant, albeit very different, obstacles in getting voters to embrace their party's preferred vision of devolution, Britain, and British identity.
Learning genetic algorithm parameters using hidden Markov models

Abstract Genetic algorithms (GAs) are routinely used to search problem spaces of interest. A lesser known but growing group of applications of GAs is the modeling of so-called “evolutionary processes”, for example, organizational learning and group decision-making. Given such an application, we show it is possible to compute the likely GA parameter settings given observed populations of such an evolutionary process. We examine the parameter estimation process using estimation procedures for learning hidden Markov models, with mathematical models that exactly capture expected GA behavior. We then explore the sampling distributions relevant to this estimation problem using an experimental approach.
Synthesis of dimethylamine by zeolite Rho: A rational basis for selectivity

Abstract The sorption of trimethylamine by zeolite rho was studied to provide a rational basis of catalyst selectivity for the methylamines synthesis reaction from ammonia and methanol. Sorption kinetics, obtained for the range 150–250°C, yield an activation energy of 9 kcal/mole. Mass spec data indicate that trimethylamine is both physisorbed and chemisorbed with relative amounts of 10 and 90%, respectively. The physisorbed entity desorbs intactly while, above 300°C, the chemisorbed trimethylamine pyrolyzes forming mono- and dimethylamines plus some residue. For a given zeolite rho sample, the yield of trimethylamine in the methylamines synthesis reaction was found to correlate with the quantity of physisorbed trimethylamine. For zeolite rho catalysts, an activation energy of 42 kcal/mole was determined for the appearance of trimethylamine in the product stream.
Learning invariant features using inertial priors

We address the technical challenges involved in combining key features from several theories of the visual cortex in a single coherent model. The resulting model is a hierarchical Bayesian network factored into modular component networks embedding variable-order Markov models. Each component network has an associated receptive field corresponding to components residing in the level directly below it in the hierarchy. The variable-order Markov models account for features that are invariant to naturally occurring transformations in their inputs. These invariant features give rise to increasingly stable, persistent representations as we ascend the hierarchy. The receptive fields of proximate components on the same level overlap to restore selectivity that might otherwise be lost to invariance.