cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of solution heat treatment on the microstructure, oxidation, and mechanical properties of a cast Ni3Al-based intermetallic alloy

Solution heat treatment is employed in an attempt to improve oxidation and mechanical properties of an as-cast Ni3Al alloy (IC221M) at operation temperature, 900 °C. Solution heat treatment was hypothesized to have beneficial effects through dissolving γ Ni5Zr eutectic into the matrix. The microstructures, oxidation behavior in air at 900 °C, and mechanical properties with aging times at 900 °C were examined after solution heat treatment of as-cast Ni3Al alloy in Ar for up to 100 h at 1100 °C. The oxide penetration depth into the matrix was dramatically decreased and more homogeneous surface oxides were obtained relative to the no solution, treatment case. Hardness was improved by solution heat treatment due to a solid solution strengthening effect by Zr, but the tensile properties after solution heat treatment were not significantly different from those prior to treatment.
Analysis of Short Term Memories for Neural Networks

Short term memory is indispensable for the processing of time varying information with artificial neural networks. In this paper a model for linear memories is presented, and ways to include memories in connectionist topologies are discussed. A comparison is drawn among different memory types, with indication of what is the salient characteristic of each memory model.
Phylogenetic Relationships in the North American Genus Pseudemys (Emydidae) Inferred from Two Mitochondrial Genes

Abstract Pseudemys turtles are an important component of southeastern North American aquatic ecosystems, but the relationships within the genus are poorly understood. Convergent morphology and apparent hybridization have complicated the identification of species boundaries and have resulted in numerous conflicting taxonomic treatments. We used mitochondrial DNA sequence data from the control region and cytochrome-b gene to address 1 ) the monophyly of currently recognized subgeneric clades (the cooters and the red-bellies), and 2) relationships within these two groups. A total of 91 specimens representing 8 Pseudemys and 3 outgroup taxa were sampled, and 36 distinct haplotypes were recovered. Pseudemys forms a well-supported monophyletic group, but relationships among species were not well resolved, such that support for the two subgeneric groupings was lacking. Furthermore, most taxa do not appear to be monophyletic, with the exception of P. gorzugi (Rio Grande Cooter) and P. texana (Texas Cooter), sugge...
Dysregulation of Cholesterol Homeostasis in Human Prostate Cancer through Loss of ABCA1

Recent epidemiologic data show that low serum cholesterol level as well as statin use is associated with a decreased risk of developing aggressive or advanced prostate cancer, suggesting a role for cholesterol in aggressive prostate cancer development. Intracellular cholesterol promotes prostate cancer progression as a substrate for de novo androgen synthesis and through regulation of AKT signaling. By conducting next-generation sequencing-based DNA methylome analysis, we have discovered marked hypermethylation at the promoter of the major cellular cholesterol efflux transporter, ABCA1, in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. ABCA1 promoter hypermethylation renders the promoter unresponsive to transactivation and leads to elevated cholesterol levels in LNCaP. ABCA1 promoter hypermethylation is enriched in intermediate- to high-grade prostate cancers and not detectable in benign prostate. Remarkably, ABCA1 downregulation is evident in all prostate cancers examined, and expression levels are inversely correlated with Gleason grade. Our results suggest that cancer-specific ABCA1 hypermethylation and loss of protein expression direct high intracellular cholesterol levels and hence contribute to an environment conducive to tumor progression.
Abstract #4602: Resveratrol attenuates the anticancer efficacy of paclitaxel in MDA-MB-435s human breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO Background: Recent studies reported that resveratrol can induce apoptosis in cancer cells and also sensitize them to anticancer drugs. Paclitaxel is an effective chemotherapeutic agent for various cancers by disrupting the formation of normal spindles at metaphase and resulting in G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In addition, combination of paclitaxel with resveratrol was shown to have a synergistic apoptotic activity in some cancer cell lines in vitro . In the present study, we studied the modulating effect of resveratrol on paclitaxel-induced cell death in the estrogen receptor-negative MDA-MB-435s human breast cancer cells in vitro and also in vivo . Methods: Cell viability and cell cycle were analyzed. The levels of MAPKs and apoptosis-related proteins were also determined by Western blotting. To evaluate the effect in vivo , experiments using cancer cell xenografts were performed in female athymic BALB/c nu/nu mice, and the animals were treated with paclitaxel (10 mg/kg, i.p., once a week), resveratrol (16.5 mg/kg, i.p., three times a week), or combination of both for 4 weeks. Results: Resveratrol diminished the susceptibility of MDA-MB-435s human breast cancer cells to paclitaxel-induced cell death in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis revealed that while paclitaxel alone predominantly induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and resveratrol alone induced S-phase arrest, combination of paclitaxel and resveratrol mainly induced S-phase arrest. Mechanistically, the observed suppression of paclitaxel-induced cell death by resveratrol was largely not attributable to its antioxidant activity. Paclitaxel inactivated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein Bcl-xL, but combination of paclitaxel and resveratrol failed to inactivate Bcl-xL. In vivo experiments using athymic nude mice showed that after 2 or 4 weeks of treatment with paclitaxel alone, the tumor growth was significantly suppressed by 64.8-72.4% compared to the control. However, combination of resveratrol with paclitaxel strongly diminished the anticancer activity of paclitaxel (based on tumor volume). TUNEL analysis of the tumor tissue collected at the end of the experiments showed that animals receiving combination treatment had significantly fewer TUNEL-positive cells compared with animals treated with paclitaxel alone. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that co-administration of resveratrol with paclitaxel significantly diminished the anticancer efficacy of paclitaxel in athymic nude mice grafted with MDA-MB-435s cells, suggesting that the strategy of combined use of resveratrol with paclitaxel may not be suitable for certain types of cancer. (Grant support - NIH CA92391 and CA97019). Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 4602.
Landing on the mobile web: from browsing to long–term modeling

Browsing the web has become a common task performed using personal mobile devices, resulting in significant access network and battery limitation challenges. Efforts to alleviate these challenges are commonly based around approaches incorporating elements of on-device and network optimizations. Energy-efficient mobile web content delivery has, in turn, attracted a significant body of research and practical developments. However, the efforts put forth today might not result in long-term applicable results should the underlying characteristics of the mobile content change drastically over time. As caching frequently used data locally is a common initial approach employed to limit network traffic and energy expenditures while “on the go,” we evaluate the long-term suitability of approximating a basic set of parameters for a cache and request behavior model using a popular large data set. We present a convenient approach that can employ a general approximation of parameters over time. Our long-term modeling of the underlying factors results in an acceptable level of peak inaccuracies in simulations for more than a year’s time horizon. In turn, practitioners and researchers are enabled to readily employ modeling and simulation approaches over a significant period of time with only slight impacts on their approaches and results.
Refiled Claims: It's Notice, Not Service

A voluntary dismissal by a plaintiff of a claim in a pending civil action can often lead to a refiling of the very same claim by the same plaintiff in a second case long after the running of the statute of limitations on the claim. The limitations period is avoided because a procedural law permits such a refiling within a certain period of time after the voluntary dismissal. Such a late filing can harm a defendant who was unaware of the first civil action. Thus, such a refiling should only be permitted when the defendant had notice of the first case. Unfortunately, in Case v. Galesburg Cottage Hospital, in December, 2007 the Illinois Supreme Court permitted such a late filing as long as there was no lack of diligent service of process in the first action and there was diligent service of process in the second action. The court should have considered the lack of notice to the defendant of the first action and any harm this caused that defendant in responding in the second action. It should have focused on notice, not service.
Lactate Dehydrogenase in Megaloblastic Bone Marrow

Fleming 7 found that a homogenate of meg­ aloblastic bone marrow cells had a 2- to 3-fold greater LD activity per milligram of protein than a similarly prepared homoge­ nate from normoblastic marrow. These findings suggest that not only the increased intramedullary turnover of megaloblastic cells but also a higher LD content of these cells is responsible for the high LD plasma levels.
Life History and Laboratory Rearing of Sehirus cinctus cinctus (Hemiptera: Cydnidae), with Descriptions of Immature Stages

The life history of the burrower bug Sehirus cinctus cinctus (Palisot de Beauvois) was studied in Illinois, and the immature stages were described. The bug was also reared from egg to adult under laboratory conditions, and precopulatory behavior, and maternal care of eggs and young instars, were observed. The female occasionally provided her 1st instars with the seeds. Adults of this univoltine subspecies overwinter in soil associated with their mint host plant, Lamium purpureum Linn. They become active in early April and reproduce shortly thereafter. The female lays her eggs in a loose cluster in a chamber in the soil and guards them during incubation. The 1st instars are highly gregarious and often cluster around and on the female. Older nymphs are also gregarious but decreasingly so as they mature, and usually leave the chamber during the second stadium. Nymphs and adults fed on seeds of L. purpureum. On seeds of L. purpureum, and at 23.9 ± 1.1°C and 16L:8D, total developmental time averaged 53.21 days. The incubation period averaged 10.21 days. Durations of the five nymphal stadia averaged 5.29, 6.26, 6.53, 9.70, and 15.22 days, respectively.
Nutrition for Pancreatic Sufficient Individuals with Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is typically associated with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (PI) and nutritional care of the CF patient with exocrine pancreatic sufficiency (PS) is less well described. Although patients with CF and PS typically have milder CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene mutations, they are still at risk of malnutrition without careful monitoring. Tests for pancreatic exocrine status should be used to determine exocrine status as well as to monitor for progression to a PI status. Such tests include the fecal elastase-1 (FE-1) immunosorbent assay which is associated with excellent sensitivity and specificity. Clinicians also should be aware that CF patients with PS are at risk of pancreatitis and testing for this scenario should be considered if clinically warranted.
Effects of Piezo-Actuator Delamination on the Performance of Active Noise and Vibration Control Systems

An analytical and experimental investigation is conducted to identify the effects of delaminations on the performance of surface-mounted piezo-actuators on a cantilever beam. Two types of delaminations are considered: an edge delamination and an inner delamination. Results indicate that an edge delamination will reduce the structural coupling performance of the piezo-actuator whereas an inner delamination has little detrimental effect on the coupling performance. Furthermore, the edge delamination will cause significant variations in the dynamic characteristics of the composite beam whereas the effect of the inner delamination is substantially less.
A review: Reduced reoperation rate for multilevel lumbar laminectomies with noninstrumented versus instrumented fusions

Background: The reoperation rate, including for adjacent segment disease (ASD), is lower following multilevel lumbar laminectomy with noninstrumented versus instrumented fusions.
Insect Protein as a Partial Replacement for Fishmeal in the Diets of Juvenile Fish and Crustaceans

This chapter reviews the published literature that addresses the potential for insect protein to be an important supplement to—or even a replacement for—fishmeal in diets for juvenile fish and crustaceans. Fishmeal is becoming a finite resource. This chapter highlights areas of opportunity for producing insects to help meet the future demand for high-quality animal protein in feed for cultured fish. The research on four key species—the black soldier fly, common house fly, silkworm moth, and yellow mealworm—serve as model insects to highlight advances. This research reveals that insects in the form of meal or pellets can provide adequate protein to replace, in part, standard fishmeal in feed for fish that are omnivorous (catfish, carp) rather than carnivorous (trout, salmon). Supplementing traditional feeds with insect meal could enhance the overall nutrition of omnivorous fish for commercial use. Cost-effective, large-scale rearing will require using artificial diets for insects. Manipulating the rearing environment and automation to reduce human labor could maximize production. The establishment of factories that are carefully designed and equipped to generate large quantities of insects to support the increasing demands for farm-reared fish is necessary.
512 $\times$ 512, 100 Hz Mid-Wave Infrared LED Microdisplay System

The demand for high-speed and/or high-temperature infrared (IR) scene projectors has led to the development of systems based on IR light-emitting-diode (LED) arrays. Using mid-wave (3--5 ${\mu {\text{m}}}$ ) superlattice LED arrays, a 512 $\times$ 512 pixel scene projection system operating at 100 Hz has been fully developed. These LEDs, flip-chip bonded to a read-in integrated circuit, display temperatures of up to 1350 K when cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). Using custom drive electronics and packaging, the array has been nonuniformity corrected (NUCed) and has survived hundreds of hours of operation at multiple facilities. This system is fully configurable by the user and has a digital visual interface to display content.
Physics and chemistry of oxidation of two-dimensional nanomaterials by molecular oxygen

The discovery of graphene has inspired extensive interest in two-dimensional (2D) materials, and has led to synthesis/growth of additional 2D materials, generally referred to as ‘Beyond Graphene’. Notable among the recently discovered exotic 2D materials are group IV elemental monolayers silicene and germanene, group V elemental monolayer phosphorene, and binary monolayers, such as hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ). Environmental effect on the physical and chemical properties of these 2D materials is a fundamental issue for their practical applications in devices operating under ambient conditions, especially, exposure to air often leads to oxidation of nanomaterials with significant impact on the functional properties and performances of devices built with them. In view of its importance, we present here a review of the recent experimental and theoretical studies on the oxidation of 2D materials focusing on the relationship between the oxidation process and the energy values which can be calculated by first principles methods. The complement of experiments and theory facilitates the understanding of the underlying oxidation process in terms of cohesive energy, energy barrier to oxidation and dissociation energy of oxygen molecule for 2D materials including graphene, silicene, germanene, phosphorene, h-BN, and MoS2 . For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Consumer Evaluation of Reference Price Advertisements: Effects of Other Brands’ Prices and Semantic Cues:

Although consumer behavior and policy researchers have contributed to legislation and legal decisions for reference price advertising, there is hardly any research on how “other” external price inf...
A Multivariate Generalized Linear Model Approach to Mediation Analysis and Application of Confidence Ellipses

Mediation analysis evaluates the significance of an intermediate variable on the causal pathway between an exposure and an outcome. One commonly utilized test for mediation involves evaluation of counterfactual effects, estimated from separate regression models, corresponding to a composite null hypothesis. However, the “compositeness” of this null hypothesis is not commonly acknowledged and accounted for in mediation analyses. We describe a generalized multivariate approach in which these separate regression models are fit simultaneously in a single parsimonious model. This multivariate modeling approach can reproduce standard mediation analysis and has notable advantages over separate regression models, including the ability to combine distributions in the exponential family with any link functions and perform likelihood-based tests of some relevant hypotheses using existing software. We propose the use of a novel visual representation of confidence intervals of the two estimates for the indirect path with the use of a confidence ellipse. The calculation of the confidence ellipse is facilitated by the multivariate approach, can test the components of the composite null hypothesis under a single experiment-wise type I error rate, and does not require estimation of the standard error of the product of coefficients from two separate regressions. This method is illustrated using three examples. The first compares results between the multivariate method and separate regression models. The second example illustrates the proposed methods in the presence of an exposure–mediator interaction, missing data and confounding, and the third example utilizes these proposed methods for an outcome and mediator with negative binomial distributions.
Margin of safety: Life history strategies and the effects of socioeconomic status on self-selection into accounting

Abstract We use experimental and archival evidence to show that people who had low socioeconomic status (SES) as children participate in the U.S. accounting labor market in distinctive and consequential ways. Drawing on life history theory, we predict and show that low SES individuals select into accounting at disproportionately high rates relative to other fields, an effect driven by accounting's relatively high job security. Supplemental tests are consistent with these low SES individuals being a source of high quality human capital for the accounting profession, as low SES individuals selecting into accounting possess desirable attributes at relatively high rates. From a social perspective, we provide theory and evidence consistent with accounting being an important and secure source of upward social mobility in comparison to other fields. However, recessions cause selection into accounting by low SES individuals to decrease at a higher rate than in other fields, compromising these professional and social benefits. For example, our evidence is consistent with the “low SES effect” improving gender diversity among entrants into the accounting labor market during good economic times. However, lower self-selection rates during recessions are particularly pronounced among low SES females, who may thus bear the brunt of lost professional and social benefits.
Survival Mediated Capture and Fusion Cross Sections for Heavy Element Synthesis

The cross section for producing a heavy evaporation residue ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{EVR}}$ in a fusion reaction can be written as a product of three nonseparable factors, i.e., the capture cross section, the fusion probability ${P}_{\mathrm{CN}}$, and the survival probability ${W}_{\text{sur}}$. Each of these factors is dependent on the spin. However, one must remember that the ${W}_{\text{sur}}$ term is zero or very small for higher spin values, thus effectively limiting the capture and fusion terms. For a series of $\ensuremath{\sim}287$ reactions leading to heavy evaporation residues with ${Z}_{\text{CN}}\ensuremath{\le}110$, we point out the implications of this fact for capture cross sections for heavy element formation reactions. From a comparison of calculated and measured evaporation residue cross sections we deduce values of the fusion probability ${P}_{\text{CN}}$ for some of these reactions.
Responsible for the Leadership, Vision, and Growth of the Publishing Program at AIP

For more than 80 years, AIP Publishing has championed the needs of the global research community as a wholly owned, notfor- profit, subsidiary of the American Institute of Physics (AIP). Our mission is to support the charitable, scientific and educational purposes of AIP through scholarly publishing activities across the physical sciences.
IS Relevance: Myth or Reality

The question of relevance of the IS discipline is critically important. The issues at hand are: Has the IS discipline fundamentally changed the way we perceive the world? Have the contribution to scholarly research in IS in any way shaped the way we evolved and continue to evolve as individuals and organizations? Who leads whom between academic research and industrial innovations? Are there symbiotic synergies between the two or are they traveling on separate tracks oblivious of the existence of on another? The IS field is unique compared to other disciplines when viewed in the light of these questions. First, the time gap between research and practice is very narrow (unlike other, comparable disciplines such as computer science and management science where research is mostly way ahead of practice) and the two alternate in leading one another. The relevance question arises only when this gap widens either laterally or linearly, and is unique to IS. Second, because the IS field grew out of the efforts of individuals from several other disciplines, its foundations rest on its interdisciplinary thrusts. Third, given the revolutionary impact of IT in contemporary times, these thrusts have to be tempered with the realism borne out of practice. In this regard, IS is faced with tremendous opportunities, leverages, and challenges. Our thesis is that IS research is not a myth, includes several seminal contributions that basically altered our views of the world, and has a rich and promising road ahead.
The Future Impact of a Long Period of Limited Cyberwarfare on the Ethics of Warfare

In this essay, I will first summarize some of the main and most controversial published claims in my recent work on ethical considerations in cyberwarfare (The Ethics of Cyberwarfare, Journal of Military Ethics). I will then expand and critique some of these claims. Finally, I will turn to discuss some of the ways in which information systems, the internet, and even international relations may change because of a coming era of cyberwarfare.
Functional Somatic Symptoms in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

Functional somatic symptoms (FSS) in pediatric hematology and oncology significantly limit health-related quality of life and functional abilities, thus requiring regular assessment and treatment. This chapter focuses on FSS in pediatric sickle cell disease and pediatric cancer, diseases for which there is an established literature describing and explaining functional abilities, health-related quality of life, and other adaptive outcomes. Pain and fatigue in pediatric sickle cell disease and pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue in pediatric cancer are among the most common and distressing disease and treatment complications. Although physical in etiology, psychosocial risks and resources across multiple levels of pediatric patients’ social ecology influence the frequency, intensity, and course of these FSS. The literature regarding common approaches to assessment of pain, anticipatory nausea and vomiting, and fatigue as well as associated risk factors is summarized. Use of self- and parent proxy report measures of FSS, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and psychosocial risk screening are recommended. Case studies demonstrate differential diagnosis and application of medical- and evidence-based psychological interventions for FSS. Importantly, multidisciplinary care models for pediatric sickle cell disease and pediatric cancer are consistent with the recommended approach to FSS.
Predicting Human Oral Bioavailability Using in Silico Models

Finding a safe and effective compound amongst the hoards of available chemical moieties is challenging and costly, and involves the alliance of chemistry, biology, pharmacology, clinical sciences, and other disciplines (Drews, 2000). To bring a single drug to market may take years, cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and generally require testing in thousands of human subjects. Most drug candidates never make it as far as human testing and even many that do are rejected for various reasons. In fact, recent reports suggest that the success rate in developing drugs from the lead candidate stage to market is only 10-20% (Prentis et al., 1988; Kennedy, 1997). While many factors contribute to a high failure rate, it is somewhat surprising that poor pharmacokinetic properties, such as poor oral bioavailability, account for almost half of the failures in clinical development.
The Archaeology of the Portuguese Colony

This towne the king of Portugall tooke by a sudden surprise. And the Fessan king hath laboured by all meanes to recouer it, but euer with ill successe. These things were done in the yeere of the Hegeira 863.
Pit-Building Decisions of Larval Ant Lions: Effects of Larval Age, Temperature, Food, and Population Source

Foraging decisions are an integral component of growth and maintenance and may reflect both environmental and genetic effects. We used a common garden experiment to evaluate the effects of food, temperature, and population source on pit-building decisions of the larval ant lion Myrmeleon immaculatus. In a laboratory common garden experiment, first-instar larvae from two southern (Georgia, South Carolina) and two northern (Connecticut, Rhode Island) populations were reared for 14 months in incubators under high- and low-food and high- and low-temperature regimes. For all populations, there was no effect of larval age on pit-building behavior. All larvae built and maintained pits more frequently at high temperatures than at low temperatures, and larvae in the low-food treatments built and maintained pits more frequently than larvae in the high-food treatments. Larvae from the southern populations built and maintained pits more frequently than larvae from northern populations. These results suggest that regional differences in foraging behavior may contribute to latitudinal gradients in life history strategies seen in this insect.
Atypical presentation of cat scratch disease: Parinaud’s oculoglandular syndrome with facial nerve paresis

A 28-year-old man presented to our clinic over the course of 3 weeks with symptoms that progressed from mild headaches to fever, fatigue, myalgia and an enlarged right preauricular lymph node with ipsilateral conjunctivitis and upper eyelid weakness. Our differential included Epstein Barr Virus/Cytomegalovirus mononucleosis, bacterial conjunctivitis and lymphoma. We evaluated with CBC, EBV IgM Ab, lactate dehydrogenase level and a CMV IgG Ab which were all within normal limits. During his third visit, we discovered our patient had been scratched by two stray kittens he had adopted 2 months prior. We confirmed the diagnosis with a positive Bartonella henselae IgG level and diagnosed him with cat scratch disease presenting as Parinaud’s oculoglandular syndrome. He was treated with a 5-day course of Azithromycin 250 mg with definitive improvement.
Local inhibition of carbonic anhydrase does not decrease sweat rate.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to measure sweat rate during exercise in the heat after directly inhibiting carbonic anhydrase (CA) in eccrine sweat glands via transdermal iontophoresis of acetazolamide. It was hypothesized that if CA was important for sweat production, local administration of acetazolamide, without the confounding systemic effects of dehydration typically associated with past studies, would have a significant effect on sweat rate during exercise. METHODS Ten healthy subjects volunteered to exercise in the heat following acetazolamide or distilled water iontophoresis on the forearm. RESULTS The distilled water iontophoresis site had a mean sweat rate during exercise in the heat of 0.59±0.31 μL/cm2/min, while the acetazolamide iontophoresis site had a mean sweat rate of 0.63±0.36 μL/cm2/min (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The most important finding of the current study was that iontophoresis of acetazolamide did not significantly decrease sweat rate during exercise in the heat. Such results suggest that in past studies it was systemic dehydration, and not CA inhibition at the level of the sweat gland, that caused the reported decreased sweat rate.
Insemination or phosphatidic acid induces an outwardly spiraling disk of elevated Ca2+ to produce the Ca2+ wave during Xenopus laevis fertilization.

Abstract During Xenopus fertilization, the initial intracellular calcium ((Ca2+)i) release at the sperm-egg binding site (hot spot) has not been described without the use of inhibitors, nor related to underlying ER structure. Without inhibitors, we now report that sperm induce an initial hot spot after sperm addition to Xenopus eggs that was ~25 µm. This area is consistent with the size of ER patches and clusters of IP3 receptors that have enhanced activity. Furthermore, we find a new mechanism for the fertilization (Ca2+)i wave; instead of outward diffusion of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), we find that the wave was generated by an outward, clockwise rotation of a ~63 µm disk of elevated (Ca2+)i moving very rapidly at ~65 µm/s. We also suggest a new mechanism for the acceleration of the fertilization (Ca2+)i wave as the disk accelerated and was joined by other rotating disks (some rotating counterclockwise) at a time when the speed of the (Ca2+)i wave increases. To examine the role of phosphatidic acid (PA) in the release of (Ca2+)i during Xenopus fertilization, we find that two inhibitors of PA production delayed the appearance of fertilization hot spots by ~9–12 min but did not reduce the size of hot spots and actually accelerated the later (Ca2+)i wave. Surprisingly, global addition of PA to Xenopus eggs induced localized hot spots at a time and size that was similar to those induced after sperm addition. In contrast, sperm induce a rapid (Ca2+)i wave (~4 µm/s) within ~30 s after hot spot appearance, whereas hot spots induced by PA required an ~32 min to induce a very slow (~1 µm/s) (Ca2+)i wave with a lower peak of (Ca2+)i. Thus, PA may not be required for the initial release of (Ca2+)i at the sperm-egg binding site, but mimics sperm by inducing a similarly sized localized (Ca2+)i release. As compared with sperm, PA may induce a weak, slow (Ca2+)i wave by slowly increasing IP3 receptor clustering. Addition of PA to Xenopus oocytes, or Ca2+ ionophore to either Xenopus oocytes or eggs, did not induce hot spots but a global (Ca2+)i wave that rapidly moved at ~12 µm/s.
Clinical outcomes of intracranial complications secondary to acute mastoiditis: The Alder Hey experience

Abstract Objective Acute mastoiditis is the most common intra-temporal complication of acute otitis media. Its management remains a challenge due to potential extracranial and intracranial complications. This study was designed to evaluate the recent experience with acute mastoiditis and its associated intracranial complications at a tertiary paediatric centre. Methods A retrospective case note review was carried out for patients admitted to Alder Hey Children's Hospital between January 2006 and December 2016 with a diagnosis of acute mastoiditis. Patients were identified using ICD-10 codes H700, H701, H702, H708 and H709. A case note review was performed to identify patients with intracranial complications and data collected. Results 30 patients were identified with intracranial complications of acute mastoiditis, with 18 males and 12 females. The average age was 4 years and 2 months (range 2 months–15 years). The most common presenting complaint was otalgia and vomiting (63%), with only 27% patients presenting with mastoid swelling. 83% of patients were investigated with a combination of CT and MRI scans, 6.7% with CT scans only and 6.7% with MRI scans only. 73% were diagnosed with sinus thrombosis, 40% cerebral abscess and 33% postauricular subperiosteal abscess. 78% of the patients required surgical intervention. 27 of the 30 patients recovered fully with no significant long term sequalae following an average of 50 months follow-up. Conclusion Intracranial complications of acute mastoiditis remain a significant challenge. Most patients tend to present without mastoid swelling, necessitating a high index of suspicion in patients with picket fence fever, vomiting, drowsiness, headaches, seizures or cranial nerve involvement. Most cases treated at our institution required acute surgical intervention in addition to adjuvant medical treatment with majority patients recovering fully.
Controlling martensite and pearlite formation with cooling rate and temperature control in rotary friction welding

Abstract A major limitation in industrial welding is the undesirable microstructures that form due to high peak temperatures and cooling rates. In particular, martensite and other brittle microstructures often form in steels during rotary friction welding (FW). In order to address this, cooling rate and temperature control is developed for FW. Limits of achievable FW cooling rates are primarily determined by thermal and geometric properties such as thermal diffusivity and length. A controller limits interface temperatures during a weld preheat, changing the thermal profile and slowing post-weld cooling. This method is demonstrated in 1045 steel. Cooling simulations, TTT diagrams, microhardness line scans, and scanning electron microscopy are used for analysis. Without temperature and cooling rate control, martensite readily forms after a weld. With temperature and cooling rate control, martensitic transformations are completely avoided and a pearlitic microstructure is developed. Temperature and cooling rate control is a viable tool in designing post-weld microstructures within achievable cooling rate limitations.
Este es gallo. ¿Esta es novela?: Un desafio a la clasificacion tradicional de "El curioso impertinente"

Critical studies of “El curioso impertinente” have ignored, perhaps because it seemed obvious to do so, one fundamental aspect of this intercalated novella with respect to the work within which it is found; that is to say, its genre. Iffland (1987) summarizes the countless ambiguities found throughout Don Quixote to conclude that this book is unique in its contradictoriness, and I argue that what happens with respect to the genre of “El curioso” is merely a symptom of what plagues the larger work. Therefore, I simultaneously propose in this article a questioning of the definitive classification of “El curioso” and an argumentation in favor of it being considered a type of early, shorter chivalric romance. As happened with Orbaneja’s painting of the rooster (II, 3), just because “El curioso” is defined as a novella, that does not mean that it is or that it cannot be interpreted as something else. “El curioso” shares the three fundamental characteristics of early 16th-century chivalric romances (i.e., form, finality, and subject) identified by Lucia Megias y Sales Dasi (2008), and therefore, it behaves as if it were cut from the same cloth.
Chapter 1 – Of Cockroaches and Wolves: Framing Animal Behavior

Animal behavior is the study of how animals move in their environment, how they interact socially, how they learn about their environment, and how an animal might achieve cognitive understanding of its environment. The Nobel Prize winning scientist Niko Tinbergen developed four guiding questions for examining behavior. He argued that behavior should be understood in terms of its development, mechanism, adaptive value, and evolution. In this chapter, we show how these questions establish the framework for modern analyses of animal behavior. This chapter also gives an overview of the history of behavioral studies and evolutionary principles as they apply to animal behavior. Through the four questions, we gain an intellectual and scientific framework for the analysis of behavior.
Undergoing active treatment for gynecologic cancer during COVID-19: A qualitative study of the impact on healthcare and social support

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic poses unique challenges for oncology patients and clinicians. While guidelines for oncology care delivery during the pandemic have been established, there is a paucity of data examining patient experiences of cancer care during the COVID pandemic. This qualitative study captured the perspectives of women undergoing active treatment for gynecologic malignancy at an academic medical center. Hour-long semi-structured interviews were conducted via video-conference and transcribed verbatim. Focused coding was conducted to identify all data related to COVID-19. These data were then categorized into themes that emerged inductively. Seven women (N = 7) were interviewed. Several themes arose under two main categories: 1) Impact of COVID-19 on cancer care delivery and interactions and 2) Intersection of cancer and COVID-19 outside of the healthcare setting. Under category 1, themes included: going to treatment alone; variable access to care and information. Under category 2, themes included: unavailability of cancer-specific social support; mask wearing; COVID-19 & life outlook; adapting coping strategies. Participants’ perceptions of having cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic varied and were not always negative. Healthcare systems can draw on our findings to inform interventions to ensure optimal patient care. Additionally, given our finding that noncompliance with mask wearing and physical distancing can be uniquely distressing to cancer patients, healthcare systems should prioritize clear messaging around COVID-19 precautions and ensure compliance of staff and patrons. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic, outcomes for these patients should be monitored and care guidelines should incorporate first-hand patient narratives.
Blowing Smoke at the Second Amendment

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution codified the preexisting right to keep and bear arms, meaning the right was enshrined within the scope it was understood to have at its inception. When enacted, the Second Amendment broadly protected the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense, only restricting gun ownership for certain classes of people, such as the mentally ill or felons. However, these historical restrictions never encompassed marijuana users or possessors. Quite the opposite, many of the founding fathers grew or manufactured cannabis themselves. Despite this discrepancy, the Federal Government enacted §922(g) in the Gun Control Act prohibiting gun owners and applicants who are medical marijuana patients from owning or possessing a firearm. Further, such individuals must voluntarily disclose their medical marijuana use to the government, restricting their right to keep and bear arms and implicating the Fifth Amendment’s Privilege Against Self-Incrimination. This paper will explore the consequences of the enactment and continued enforcement of §922 against an individual’s right to keep and bear arms while possessing or using medical marijuana in accordance with their state’s medical programs.
Exploring the Association Between USMLE Scores and ACGME Milestone Ratings: A Validity Study Using National Data From Emergency Medicine.

PURPOSE The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) sequence and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) milestones represent 2 major components along the continuum of assessment from undergraduate through graduate medical education. This study examines associations between USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores and ACGME emergency medicine (EM) milestone ratings. METHOD In February 2019, subject matter experts (SMEs) provided judgments of expected associations for each combination of Step examination and EM subcompetency. The resulting sets of subcompetencies with expected strong and weak associations were selected for convergent and discriminant validity analysis, respectively. National-level data for 2013-2018 were provided; the final sample included 6,618 EM residents from 158 training programs. Empirical bivariate correlations between milestone ratings and Step scores were calculated, then those correlations were compared with the SMEs' judgments. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted on the selected subcompetencies, in which milestone ratings were the dependent variable, and Step 1 score, Step 2 CK score, and cohort year were independent variables. RESULTS Regression results showed small but statistically significant positive relationships between Step 2 CK score and the subcompetencies (regression coefficients ranged from 0.02 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.01-0.03] to 0.12 [95% CI, 0.11-0.13]; all P < .05), with the degree of association matching the SMEs' judgments for 7 of the 9 selected subcompetencies. For example, a 1 standard deviation increase in Step 2 CK score predicted a 0.12 increase in MK-01 milestone rating, when controlling for Step 1. Step 1 score showed a small statistically significant effect with only the MK-01 subcompetency (regression coefficient = 0.06 [95% CI, 0.05-0.07], P < .05). CONCLUSIONS These results provide incremental validity evidence in support of Step 1 and Step 2 CK score and EM milestone rating uses.
Constitutional stability

Political scientists in the pluralist tradition disagree sharply with public and social choice theorists about the importance of institutions and with William Riker in particular, who argues inLiberalism against Populism that the liberal institutions of indirect democracy ought to be preferred to those of populism. This essay reconsiders this dispute in light of two ideas unavailable to Riker at the time. The first, offered by Russell Hardin, is that if we conceptualize constitutions as coordinating devices rather than as social contracts, then we can develop a more satisfying view of the way in which constitutions become self-enforcing. The second idea derives from the various applications of concepts such as the uncovered set. Briefly, although institutions such as the direct election of president are subject to the usual instabilities that concern social choice theorists, those instabilities do not imply that “anything can happen” —instead, final outcomes will be constrained, where the severity of those constraints depends on institutional details. We maintain that these ideas strengthen Riker's argument about the importance of such constitutional devices as the separation of powers, bicameralism, the executive veto, and scheduled elections, as well as the view that federalism is an important component of the institutions that stabilize the American political system. We conclude with the proposition that the American Civil War should not be regarded as a constitutional failure, but rather as a success.
Water for Life: Water Management and Environmental Policy

Successful water management is crucial for the proper operation of natural environmental systems and for the support of human society. These two aspects are interdependent, but decisions about one are often made without regard to effects upon the other. A persistent challenge is to consider them together. This book fully analyzes the relationship between water management, environmental conditions and public policy. It combines a careful review of the character and evolution of water management and evaluates management from the standpoint of the quality of the natural environment. Topics covered include domestic and industrial water supply and waste disposal, groundwater use, river channel and floodplain management, and integrated river basins. The processes of social decision-making are examined against a backdrop of plant-soil-water-ecosystem relationships and ecosystem change. Examples are drawn from around the world, from local watershed management to international river basin planning, with emphasis on integrative approaches.
What deters nurses from participating in web-based graduate nursing programs?: A cross-sectional survey research study.

Summary Background A graduate degree is required of nursing faculty in America. Because of the nursing faculty shortage, web-based graduate nursing programs are being offered to encourage nurses to return to school. The identification of deterrents to participating in these programs is an important step in increasing enrollment. Objective To identify deterrents to participation in web-based graduate nursing programs. Design Descriptive survey research. Setting Louisiana Participants Two hundred and eighty-one registered nurse members of the Louisiana Nurses' Association. Methods The 54-item four-point Likert-type interval scale Deterrents to Participation in Web-Based Graduate Nursing Programs Survey Instrument was used. Data were collected over 8weeks using SurveyMonkey.com to administer the web survey tool to all members of the Louisiana State Nurses' Association. Results A factor analysis revealed a three-factor solution that explained 55.436% of the total variance in deterrents to participation in web-based graduate nursing programs. The factors were labeled "concerns about quality, cost, and time," "concerns about access to resources: technological and personal," and "concerns about electronic mediated communication." Multiple regression analysis revealed an overall model of three predictors of deterrents to participation in web-based graduate nursing programs: no computer literacy, annual household income between 20,000 and 50,000 dollars, and having the current educational status of graduating from a diploma RN program. This model accounted for 21% of the variance in the deterrents to participation scores. Conclusions Since these three significant predictors of deterrents to participation in web-based graduate nursing programs were identified, web-based nursing graduate program administrators might consider an outreach to RN diploma graduates in an effort to make them aware of available technology support programs to foster participation. Scholarships for lower income nursing students are recommended, and programs to support computer literacy within the nursing community should be considered.