cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing Factors Affecting the Thermal Properties of a Passive Thermal Refuge Using Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Flow and Transport Modeling

AbstractEverglades restoration activities may cause changes to temperature and salinity stratification at the Port of the Islands (POI) marina, which could affect its suitability as a cold weather refuge for manatees. To better understand how the Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP) may alter this important resource in Collier County in southwestern Florida, the USGS has developed a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the marina and canal system at POI. Empirical data suggest that manatees aggregate at the site during winter because of thermal inversions that provide warmer water near the bottom that appears to only occur in the presence of salinity stratification. To study these phenomena, the environmental fluid dynamics code simulator was used to represent temperature and salinity transport within POI. Boundary inputs were generated using a larger two-dimensional model constructed with the flow and transport in a linked overland-aquifer density-dependent system simulator. Model results for a...
Teaching design evaluation, with results from case studies of playgrounds, schools, and housing for the elderly

Abstract This paper examines the value of teaching POEs (post-occupancy evaluations) in the context of general design education. Using the model of the role of POEs in the design/build cycle, it outlines the major steps in teaching design students how to conduct professional post-occupancy/design evaluations. These steps are illustrated with illustrations of different research instruments, data analysis techniques, and design modifications. Three case studies are highlighted—the evaluation of playgrounds in Sydney, Australia, schools in Glendale, WI, USA and housing complexes for the elderly in Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Freedom of expression in shopping centers

A longstanding legal principle has been that open urban public places are proper locations for the exercise of the range of First Amendment rights. In recent years the privately owned shopping center has in many places assumed the functions of a community commercial center. Although the Supreme Court appeared to be moving in the direction of total recognition of the public character of a shopping center, the most recent decision in this area affirms the private and exclusionary view of these commercial centers.
Use of the carbonyl chemical shift to relieve degeneracies in triple-resonance assignment experiments.

Abstract We illustrate an approach that uses the backbone carbonyl chemical shift to relieve resonance overlaps in triple-resonance assignment experiments conducted on protein samples. We apply this approach to two cases of simultaneous overlaps: those of ( 1 H N , 15 N) spin pairs and those of ( 1 H α , 13 C α ) spin pairs in residues preceding prolines. For these cases we employed respectively CBCACO(N)H and H(CA)CON experiments, simple variants of the commonly used CBCA(CO)NH and HCA(CO)N experiments obtained by replacing one of the indirect dimensions with a carbonyl dimension. We present data collected on ribosomal protein S4 using these experiments, along with overlap statistics for four other polypeptides ranging in size from 76 to 263 residues. These data indicate that the CBCACO(N)H, in combination with the CBCA(CO)NH, can relieve >83% of the ( 1 H N , 15 N) and ( 1 H N , 13 C′) overlaps for these proteins. The data also reveal how the H(CA)CON experiment successfully completed the assignment of triply and quadruply degenerate X-Pro spin systems in a mobile, proline-rich region of S4, even when X was a glycine. Finally, we discuss the relative sensitivities of these experiments compared to those of existing sequences, an analysis that reinforces the usefulness of these experiments in assigning extensively overlapped and/or proline-rich sequences in proteins.
Looking young for your age: Perceptions of anti-aging actions

Despite the potential benefits of looking young, we predicted that older adults who attempt to look younger than they are would threaten the distinctiveness of young adults' social identity and, for this reason, such “passers” would be evaluated negatively. In three experiments we found that both male and female young adults negatively evaluated older adults who attempt to look younger compared to older adults who do not attempt to do so. Both male and female targets who attempt to look younger were evaluated negatively (Experiment 2), and these negative evaluations were a function of experienced threat to young adults' social identities (Experiment 3). Older adults may attempt to look young to avoid age-based prejudice or conform to existing standards, but doing so can result in negative evaluations by younger people. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Approximating the 0-1 multiple knapsack problem with agent decomposition and market negotiation

The 0-1 multiple knapsack problem appears in many domains from financial portfolio management to cargo ship stowing. Algorithms for solving it range from approximate, with no lower bounds on performance, to exact, which suffer from worst case exponential time and space complexities. This paper introduces a market model based on agent decomposition and market auctions for approximating the 0-1 multiple knapsack problem, and an algorithm that implements the model (M(x)). M(x) traverses the solution space, much like simulated annealing, overcoming an inherent problem of many greedy algorithms. The use of agents ensures infeasible solutions are not considered while traversing the solution space and traversal of the solution space is both random and directed. M(x) is compared to a bound and bound algorithm and a simple greedy algorithm with a random shuffle. The results suggest M(x) is a good algorithm for approximating the 0-1 Multiple Knapsack problem.
Diffraction of obliquely incident waves by a cylindrical cavity embedded in a layered viscoelastic half-space

Abstract The three-dimensional harmonic response in the vicinity of an infinitely long, cylindrical cavity of circular cross-section buried in a layered, viscoelastic half-space is obtained when the half-space is subjected to homogeneous plane waves and surface waves impinging at an oblique angle with respect to the axis of the cavity. The solution is obtained by an indirect boundary integral method based on the use of moving Green's functions for the viscoelastic half-space. Numerical results describing the motion on the ground surface and the motion and stresses on the wall of the cavity are presented for obliquely incident P-, SV-, SH- and Rayleigh waves with different horizontal angles of incidence.
Heat capacities of the infrared transmitting glasses Ge28Sb12Se60 and Ge33As12Se55

Abstract Heat capacities of the vitreous systems Ge 28 Sb 12 Se 60 and Ge 33 As 12 Se 55 , used in the manufacture of infrared transmitting glasses, were measured over the respective temperature intervals 180° –640° K and 180° –720° K. The glass transition temperatures were respectively 544° and 626°K. Both glass heat capacities at high temperatures approached the limiting value of 3 R cal/g-atom deg for the vibrational heat capacities of solids and could be fit to the Debye heat capacity function using a characteristic temperature, θ D , of 400°K. The heat capacity increase at the glass transition, ΔC p , was approximately 3 cal/g-atom deg for both glasses, which is of the same magnitude as ΔC p values found previously for sulfur, selenium, and tellurium based glasses of formula As 2 X 3 . This is larger by a factor of 2–3 than values of ΔC p for typical oxide network glasses. The high values of ΔC p for the two systems studied were considered to arise from thermal degradation of the network bonds.
Studies in the Yang-Mills Field

By explicit calculation, the cancellation between longitudinal and scalar components is verified in the lowest-order scattering of massless Yang-Mills fields. The problem of stability of the subsidiary condition under a local gauge transformation is briefly discussed. The question is raised as to whether the (infinitesimal) non-Abelian gauge function should be quantized. A possible connection between the fictitious ghost of Feynman and DeWitt and the fictitious gauge quanta is mentioned.
Structural and functional similarity between the bacterial type III secretion system needle protein PrgI and the eukaryotic apoptosis Bcl-2 proteins.

Background: Functional similarity is challenging to identify when global sequence and structure similarity is low. Activesites or functionally relevant regions are evolutionarily more stable relative to the remainder of a protein structure and provide an alternative means to identify potential functional similarity between proteins. We recently developed the FASTNMR methodology to discover biochemical functions or functional hypotheses of proteins of unknown function by experimentally identifying ligand binding sites. FAST-NMR utilizes our CPASS software and database to assign a function based on a similarity in the structure and sequence of ligand binding sites between proteins of known and unknown function. Methodology/Principal Findings: The PrgI protein from Salmonella typhimurium forms the needle complex in the type III secretion system (T3SS). A FAST-NMR screen identified a similarity between the ligand binding sites of PrgI and the Bcl-2 apoptosis protein Bcl-xL. These ligand binding sites correlate with known protein-protein binding interfaces required for oligomerization. Both proteins form membrane pores through this oligomerization to release effector proteins to stimulate cell death. Structural analysis indicates an overlap between the PrgI structure and the pore forming motif of Bcl-xL. A sequence alignment indicates conservation between the PrgI and Bcl-xL ligand binding sites and pore formation regions. This active-site similarity was then used to verify that chelerythrine, a known Bcl-xL inhibitor, also binds PrgI. Conclusions/Significance: A structural and functional relationship between the bacterial T3SS and eukaryotic apoptosis was identified using our FAST-NMR ligand affinity screen in combination with a bioinformatic analysis based on our CPASS program. A similarity between PrgI and Bcl-xL is not readily apparent using traditional global sequence and structure analysis, but was only identified because of conservation in ligand binding sites. These results demonstrate the unique opportunity that ligand-binding sites provide for the identification of functional relationships when global sequence and structural information is limited.
Transactions in Java Card

A smart-card run-time environment must provide proper transaction support for the reliable updating of data, especially on multi-application cards like the Java Card. The transaction mechanism must meet these demands by means of the applications and the system itself, within the minimal resources offered by current smart-card hardware. This paper presents the current transaction model implied by the Java Card 2.1 specification, highlights its shortcomings and presents a detailed discussion of possible implementation schemes and their optimizations. It especially addresses the problem of object instantiations within a transaction in the Java Card 2.1 specification and presents an effective solution.
Argininosuccinate synthetase of Neurospora crassa

Abstract The argininosuccinate synthetase ( l -citrulline: l -aspartate ligase (AMP), E.C.6.3.4.5) of Neurospora crassa has been studied in crude extracts and in partially purified form. The conditions necessary for enzyme activity resemble closely those previously described for the corresponding enzyme from other sources. Both l -α-amino-n-butyric acid and l -arginine are competitive inhibitors with respect to citrulline. It is suggested that the in vivo depression of the arginine pool size during growth of the mold in the presence of aminobutyrate is in part the result of inhibition of argininonuccinate synthetase by this amino acid.
Group Dialectical-Behavior Therapy Skills Training for Conversion Disorder With Seizures

Neuroimaging evidence suggests deficits in affective regulation in conversion disorder (CD). Dialectical-behavior therapy skills training (DBT-ST) was developed to target emotion dysregulation. This study was aimed to test the feasibility of stand-alone DBT-ST for CD using Linehan's manual for borderline personality disorder. In a prospective naturalistic design, 19 adult outpatients diagnosed with video EEG-confirmed seizure type CD were recruited and received weekly group DBT. Seventeen out of 19 subjects finished an average of 20.5 weeks of treatment. The mean seizure rate decreased by 66%. Cessation of seizures occurred in 35% of the sample. Completion rates reached 90%.
Plasmodium falciparum SSB tetramer binds single-stranded DNA only in a fully wrapped mode.

Abstract The tetrameric Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein ( Ec -SSB) functions in DNA metabolism by binding to ssDNA and interacting directly with numerous DNA repair and replication proteins. Ec -SSB tetramers can bind ssDNA in multiple DNA binding modes that differ in the extent of ssDNA wrapping. Here, we show that the structurally similar SSB protein from the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum ( Pf -SSB) also binds tightly to ssDNA but does not display the same number of ssDNA binding modes as Ec -SSB, binding ssDNA exclusively in fully wrapped complexes with site sizes of 52–65 nt/tetramer. Pf -SSB does not transition to the more cooperative (SSB) 35 DNA binding mode observed for Ec -SSB. Consistent with this, Pf -SSB tetramers also do not display the dramatic intra-tetramer negative cooperativity for binding of a second (dT) 35 molecule that is evident in Ec -SSB. These findings highlight variations in the DNA binding properties of these two highly conserved homotetrameric SSB proteins, and these differences might be tailored to suit their specific functions in the cell.
Probability concepts in engineering: emphasis on applications to civil and environmental engineering

Probability concepts in engineering: emphasis on applications to civil and environmental engineering, 2nd edition, by Alfredo H-S. Ang and Wilson H. Tang, John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2007, 406 pp., US$...
Russell Kirk and Territorial Democracy

Russell Kirk is one of the most important American conservative thinkers. This article traces the development of Kirk's understanding of federalism, which was neither nationalistic nor based in the usual arguments about states' rights. Specifically, Kirk adapted what the American thinker Orestes Brownson called “territorial democracy” to articulate a version of federalism that is based on premises that differ in part from those of the Founders and other conservatives. Further, Kirk believed that territorial democracy could reconcile the tension between treating the states as mere “provinces” of the central government and seeing them as autonomous political units independent of Washington. Finally, territorial democracy allowed Kirk to set out a theory of rights that was based in the particular historical circumstances of the United States while rejecting a universal conception of individual rights. Copyright 2004, Oxford University Press.
Depression, anxiety, and platelet reactivity in patients with coronary heart disease

There is considerable epidemiological evidence supporting the association between chronic emotional stress and coronary heart disease (CHD). Emotional factors that have been linked to atherosclerosis and adverse cardiac events include primarily negative affective disorders such as depression, anxiety, anger, and hostility.1,2 It is now well established that depression is related not only to the incidence of CHD but also to the prognosis of patients with established disease. In a meta-analysis concerned with the role of depression in the development of coronary artery disease, Rugulies found that individuals with clinical depression have >2.5 times the risk of a myocardial infarction or coronary death as the general population.3 In patients with established coronary disease, not only is major depression a significant predictor of mortality following acute myocardial infarction, but the level of depressive symptoms has a dose–response relationship with cardiac mortality over several years of follow-up.4 The importance of other affective disorders in the development and progression of CHD is less well established. Large-scale prospective studies have demonstrated a significant link between anxiety and sudden cardiac death,5 but studies documenting an association between anxiety and the development of coronary artery disease have been inconclusive. In patients with known CHD, Suls and Bunde found a relatively weak association between anxiety and hard cardiac events.6 More recent studies, however, have demonstrated that anxiety is an independent predictor of major cardiac events in patients with stable coronary disease.7,8 Hostility and anger are felt to represent the potentially harmful aspects of Type A behaviour, and their relationships to CHD have therefore received considerable attention. While some studies have reported that hostility is an important risk factor for CHD,6 numerous studies have found no association between hostility and cardiovascular disease after adjusting for confounding factors.9 … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 410 614 6258, Fax: +1 410 955 3478, Email: iwittste{at}jhmi.edu
Fundamental Understanding of Processes Involved in Optical Fiber Manufacturing Using Outside Vapor Deposition Method

Optical fibers are often made using a flame hydrolysis deposition process, in which silica and doped silica particles from a soot-laden flame are deposited on a target rod. The porous preforms thus formed are subsequently sintered into glass blanks and then drawn into optical fiber. We review here various tools that have been developed for better understanding of different processes involved in the making of optical fibers using the outside vapor deposition technique. Fundamental understanding of the different unit operations involved in the optical fiber manufacturing is critical for process optimization and improved product attributes.
Nonhomologous End-Joining Ligation Transfers DNA Regulatory Elements between Cointroduced Plasmids

Cointroduction of plasmids into mammalian cells is commonly used to investigate transcription factor regulation of reporter genes or to normalize transfection efficiency. We report here that cotransfected DNA molecules commonly transfer enhancer elements from one plasmid to another. Using separate Renilla or Firefly luciferase reporters, we found that an estrogen response element (ERE) originally linked to one of the reporters stimulated expression of the non-ERE-containing reporter. Similar enhancer transfer was seen with the cytomegalovirus enhancer. This enhancer transfer effect was not seen when cells were transfected separately with the reporters and the extracts were then combined before luciferase assays. The degree of enhancer transfer increased with transfected plasmid concentration and was greater when linearized rather than circular plasmid DNA was used. We hypothesized that double-strand breaks and heteroligation of cointroduced DNA molecules mediated the transfer of regulatory elements from one molecule to another. PCR of transfected plasmid DNA confirmed nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) ligation of DNA fragments originally present in separate plasmids. The NHEJ reaction was enhanced by UV light treatment to introduce double-strand breaks, and it was greater after liposome-mediated transfection than after calcium-phosphate-mediated transfection. NHEJ also occurred after adenoviral transfer of DNA into cells. We conclude that NHEJ mediates the transfer of regulatory DNA elements among cointroduced DNA molecules. These findings indicate the need for caution when interpreting results of transfection experiments containing more than one plasmid and suggest a mechanism whereby viruses or other exogenous DNA might recombine to activate unrelated genes.
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus infection in Yellow perch, Perca flavescens, in Lake Erie

ABSTRACT Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) infects wild and hatchery fish in Europe, Japan, and the Great Lakes and Pacific regions of North America. The virus was associated with a large die-off of yellow perch, Perca flavescens, in Lake Erie in 2006. To determine the infection pattern of VHSV, we sampled yellow perch during the spring, summer, and fall of 2007 and 2008 in the central basin of Lake Erie during routine sampling by the Ohio Division of Wildlife with bottom trawls in nearshore, mid-depth, and offshore locations near the Chagrin River. The Ohio Department of Agriculture's Diagnostic Laboratories and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's La Crosse Fish Health Center tested for VHSV from homogenized samples obtained from yellow perch kidney, spleen, and brain. At each lake sample location, we also measured temperature, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity. In both years, we found yellow perch infected with VHSV during a threeweek period starting in the last week of spawning to early June....
Primary Care Physicians’ Concerns May Affect Adolescents’ Access to Intrauterine Contraception

Purpose: Although the intrauterine device (IUD) may be safely used in adolescents, few US adolescents use IUDs. Increasing IUD use in adolescents can decrease pregnancy rates. Primary care providers’ clinical practices many be one of the many barriers to increasing adolescents access to IUDs. We explored primary care physicians’ (PCPs) approaches to contraception counseling with adolescents, focusing on their views about who would be appropriate IUD candidates. Methods: Phone interviews were conducted with 28 urban family physicians, pediatricians, and obstetrician-gynecologists. Using standard qualitative techniques, we developed coding template and applied codes. Results: Most respondents have a patient-centered general contraceptive counseling approach. However, when considering IUDs many PCPs describe more paternalistic counseling. For example, although many respondents believe adolescents’ primary concern is pregnancy prevention, many PCPs prioritize sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention an...
Synthesis, Characterization, and High Temperature Stability of Si(B)CN-Coated Carbon Nanotubes Using a Boron-Modified Poly(ureamethylvinyl)Silazane Chemistry

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) and polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) are of interest due to their unique multifunctional properties. CNTs, however, tend to lose their well-defined structure and geometry at about 400°C in air. PDCs on the other hand are structureless in X-ray diffraction but show high chemical and thermal stability in air (up to ~1400°C). Herein, we demonstrate synthesis of a composite nanowire structure consisting of polymer-derived silicon boron-carbonitride (Si–B–C–N) shell with a multiwalled carbon nanotube core. This was achieved through a novel process involving preparation of a boron-modified liquid polymeric precursor through a reaction of trimethyl borate and poly (ureamethylvinyl) silazane under normal conditions; followed by conversion of polymer to ceramic on carbon nanotube surfaces through controlled heating. Chemical structure of the polymer was studied by liquid-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) while evolution of various ceramic phases was studied by solid-NMR, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction confirm presence of amorphous Si(B)CN coating on individual nanotubes for all specimens processed below 1400°C. Thermogravimetric analysis, followed by Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed high temperature stability of the carbon nanotube core in flowing air up to 1000°C.
Note-Taking and Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities: Challenges and Solutions.

As more secondary students with learning disabilities (LD) enroll in advanced content-area classes and are expected to pass state exams, they are faced with the challenge of mastering difficult concepts and abstract vocabulary while learning content. Once in these classes, students must learn from lectures that move at a quick pace, record accurate and complete notes, and then demonstrate their mastery of the content on tests. This article provides an overview of the challenges faced by students with LD in content-area classes and discusses the problems that students have learning from lectures and recording notes. Further, the article discusses theory and research related to note-taking and presents note-taking interventions that teachers can use to help students improve their note-taking skills, and ultimately, improve their achievement in these classes.
Threaded multiple path execution

This paper presents Threaded Multi-Path Execution (TME), which exploits existing hardware on a Simultaneous Multi-threading (SMT) processor to speculatively execute multiple paths of execution. When there are fewer threads in an SMT processor than hardware contexts, threaded multi-path execution uses spare contexts to fetch and execute code along the less likely path of hard-to-predict branches.This paper describes the hardware mechanisms needed to enable an SMT processor to efficiently spawn speculative threads for threaded multi-path execution. The Mapping Synchronization Bus is described, which enables the spawning of these multiple paths. Policies are examined for deciding which branches to fork, and for managing competition between primary and alternate path threads for critical resources. Our results show that TME increases the single program performance of an SMT with eight thread contexts by 14%-23% on average, depending on the misprediction penalty for programs with a high misprediction rate.
A Time to Harvest, a Time to Sow: Ethics for a Shifting Landscape

Ruth B Purtilo, known to many physical therapist students and clinicians through her numerous publications in the area of ethics, has influenced the delivery of health care nationally and internationally. Throughout her long career, she has educated us about the moral issues and courses of direction that guide us in our daily lives as health care professionals. Dr Purtilo has been a visiting professor or named lecturer to more than 30 different colleges and universities worldwide. Her publications, primarily on ethics in health care, include 8 books and more than 70 articles and chapters. In addition to being involved in APTA, Dr Purtilo has served as President of the American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics and was a founding member of the Society of Bioethics Consultation. She is a member of many other professional organizations, including the American Association of Bioethics, the American Philosophical Association, the Society for Health and Human Values, and the World Confederation for Physical Therapy. Dr Purtilo has been recognized by APTA as a recipient of the Golden Pen Award, the Helen Hislop Award for Outstanding Contributions to Professional Literature, and a Catherine Worthingham Fellowship.
Thin Film Transistors Made of Polysilicon Crystallized at 950°C on Steel Substrate

We fabricated top-gate polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors on steel foil substrates with two processes: (1) Directly deposited n+ source/drain layers. (2) Ion-implanted n+ source/drains. The steel substrates enable reducing the crystallization time of amorphous silicon to polysilicon from 4 hours at 600°C to 20 seconds at 900°C. Thin film transistors were made from polysilicon channel material crystallized at 950°C for either 20 seconds or 20 minutes. The steel foil substrates were passivated with SiO2. The best thin film transistors to date have mobilities of above 30cm2/Vs in both the linear and saturated regions.
Human Health Risk Assessment for Pharmaceuticals in the Environment: Existing Practice, Uncertainty, and Future Directions

Globally, several thousand substances are produced for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications in humans. The production tonnage of these compounds is astronomical, ranging to hundreds of tons annually. Based on data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics, individuals who visited their physician recorded an average of almost seven medications taken per person. As expected, this number increases dramatically in older persons to almost 20 medications per person after age 65. As the global population ages, the use of pharmaceuticals to alleviate age-related conditions can reasonably be expected to increase. Further, the ongoing development of large markets such as China and India will further increase the magnitude of pharmaceutical consumption. In general, it has been believed that the environmental concentrations of APIs are too low to constitute a risk to human health in developed countries, and several studies have been conducted to assess this perspective. However, a recent poll among expert stakeholders reported that 62% of those interviewed believed that pharmaceuticals in the environment (PIE) represent a risk to human health. In recent years, higher potential exposure levels in developing countries, potable water reuse and public health concerns regarding antibiotic resistance are receiving increased attention. Here we provide a critical examination of the state of human health risk assessment for human pharmaceuticals in the environment. We further identify important uncertainties and future research needs.
Transplantation of the rabbit's patella.

A model of transplantation of a joint surface, that is, the patella, was studied in rabbits. The fate of the various components of this composite graft was compared in autografts and homografts in unsensitized and sensitized animals and in homografts in animals treated with an immunosuppressive agent. The effects of immobilization alone were noted and the changes occurring from two weeks to one year were evaluated. In general the articular cartilage fared well regardless of the genetic relationship of host and donor or the immune status of the host. A major technical difficulty lay in faults of healing of the soft tissues leading to joint-surface malalignment which adversely influenced the fate of the transplant. Suggestions are offered to reduce the incidence of this complication but in future applications of the model technical failures should not be included in end-result evaluation. A self-limited but intense soft-tissue infiltration with inflammatory cells occurred in the unmodified homografts. Revascularization of the bone nucleus was also considerably delayed in these animals. Drug-induced immunosuppression favorably affected both the soft-tissue reaction and the rate of revascularization. These findings are discussed in the light of present clinical needs and current knowledge of the immune response to cartilage homografts.
Neglect of Duty is Fault Nonetheless: A Practical Discussion of Strict Liability

This paper chronicles my experiences with teaching a negligence law course for first-year law students. This Article includes references and detailed discussions of general negligence, products liability and, most of all, strict liability.
HOXs and lincRNAs: Two sides of the same coin

The clustered Hox genes play fundamental roles in regulation of axial patterning and elaboration of the basic body plan in animal development. There are common features in the organization and regulatory landscape of Hox clusters associated with their highly conserved functional roles. The presence of transcribed noncoding sequences embedded within the vertebrate Hox clusters is providing insight into a new layer of regulatory information associated with Hox genes.
(Invited) Molecular Layer Deposition of Flexible, Transparent and Conductive Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Thin Films

Hybrid organic-inorganic thin film alloys were fabricated by molecular layer deposition (MLD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) methods using diethyl zinc (DEZ), hydroquinone (HQ), and water (H2O). Sequential exposures of DEZ & HQ for zincone MLD and DEZ & H2O for ZnO ALD led to the linear growth of zincone alloy films. The alloy film composition could be varied by changing the number of MLD cycles and ALD cycles per reactant sequence. The alloy films were found to be highly conductive. Zincone alloys grown with MLD:ALD cycle ratios of 1:1 and 2:2 displayed sheet resistivities in the 10-3Ω cm range. These sheet resistivities were substantially lower than the sheet resistivity for ZnO ALD films. These alloys films may be useful as flexible, transparent and conducting coatings.
Life after proteolysis: Exploring the signaling capabilities of classical cadherin cleavage fragments.

Classical cadherins are a group of Ca++ dependent transmembrane cell adhesion molecules, mostly known for their ability to perform homophylic interactions with like-cadherin molecules on the surface of neighboring cells. Over the past decade, many studies have also established cadherins as key players of intracellular signaling events by modifying the activity of Rho GTPases, members of the Wnt signaling pathway, and receptor tyrosine kinases. Given the utility of these molecules, it is not surprising that they play multiple roles during different embryological and adult processes. Yet, these activities have been primarily tied to their full-length molecules. And, while the activity of full-length molecules is undoubtedly an essential part of how cadherins perform in vivo, it is becoming increasingly evident that the proteolytic fragments of these molecules may also play a role. This is an exciting development because proteolysis of cadherins was previously thought to be a simple clearing-mechanism meant ...
Helicon waves in uniform plasmas. IV. Bessel beams, Gendrin beams, and helicons

Electromagnetic waves in the low frequency whistler mode regime are investigated experimentally and by digital data superposition. The radiation from a novel circular antenna array is shown to produce highly collimated helicon beams in a uniform unbounded plasma. The differences to Bessel beams in free space are remarked upon. Low divergence beams arise from the parallel group velocity of whistlers with phase velocity either along the guide field or at the Gendrin angle. Waves with angular momentum are produced by phasing the array in the circular direction. The differences in the field topologies for positive and negative modes numbers are shown. It is also shown that in uniform plasmas, the radial amplitude profile of the waves depends on the antenna field topology. Thus, there are no helicon “eigenmodes” with radial Bessel function profiles in uniform plasmas. It is pointed out that phase measurements in helicon devices indicate radial wave propagation which is inconsistent with helicon eigenmode theory based on paraxial wave propagation.Trivelpiece-Gould modes also exist in uniform unbounded plasmas.
Bioinformatics analysis of CDPK gene family in Populus

In order to lay a foundation for isolation and cloning CDPK gene in plants, using the CDPK domain sequence identified from Arabidopsis gene as searching sequence, the members in CDPK gene family in poplar were analyzed at genomic level, and thirty-six potential CDPK genes were identified from poplar. A polygenetic tree was constructed based on the corresponding CDPK proteins from Arabidopsis and poplar, and the conserved sequences in these proteins were analyzed. The results showed that distribution of introns in CDPK genes in poplar was rather conserved during the genome evolutionary process. Compared with Arabidopsis, more gene pairs in CDPK gene family were found in poplar. Some CDPK genes formed earlier than the separation of these two species based on comparison of phylogenetic tree and introns distribution between two CDPK families.
Bilateral posterior cervical cages provide biomechanical stability: assessment of stand-alone and supplemental fixation for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

INTRODUCTION Supplemental posterior instrumentation has been widely used to enhance stability and improve fusion rates in higher risk patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). These typically involve posterior lateral mass or pedicle screw fixation with significant inherent risks and morbidities. More recently, cervical cages placed bilaterally between the facet joints (posterior cervical cages) have been used as a less disruptive alternative for posterior fixation. The purpose of this study was to compare the stability achieved by both posterior cages and ACDF at a single motion segment and determine the stability achieved with posterior cervical cages used as an adjunct to single- and multilevel ACDF. METHODS Seven cadaveric cervical spine (C2-T1) specimens were tested in the following sequence: intact, C5-C6 bilateral posterior cages, C6-C7 plated ACDF with and without posterior cages, and C3-C5 plated ACDF with and without posterior cages. Range of motion in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation was measured for each condition under moment loading up to ±1.5 Nm. RESULTS All fusion constructs significantly reduced the range of motion compared to intact in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation (P<0.05). Similar stability was achieved with bilateral posterior cages and plated ACDF at a single level. Posterior cages, when placed as an adjunct to ACDF, further reduced range of motion in both single- and multilevel constructs (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The biomechanical effectiveness of bilateral posterior cages in limiting cervical segmental motion is comparable to single-level plated ACDF. Furthermore, supplementation of single- and multilevel ACDF with posterior cervical cages provided a significant increase in stability and therefore may be a potential, minimally disruptive option for supplemental fixation for improving ACDF fusion rates.
Chapter 1 – Pharmacological significance of nicotine

Nicotine is a principal alkaloid, which accounts for the widespread human use of tobacco products in the world. In addition to its importance in tobacco products, nicotine is used as an insecticide for agricultural and horticultural purposes. Nicotine alone as a chemical has a commercial and environmental impact. In addition to its chemical and pharmacological significance, it is fundamental of biological importance. Nicotinic cholinergic receptors are the major targets of nicotine's action. As multiple ligand-gated ion channels, these receptors are very complex, involving many presynaptic and postsynaptic sites, especially in the central nervous system. Receptor depolarization leads to an influx of calcium and sodium ions intracellularly, providing an ionic basis for the release of multiple chemical messengers. Repeated nicotine exposure leads to tachyphylaxis and tolerance due to receptor desensitization, which means receptor desensitization to acetylcholine as well. Such a mechanism accounts for the mixed stimulant/depressant actions of nicotine. The diffuse pharmacological actions of nicotine are dramatic evidence of the functional significance of the nicotinic cholinergic system in all living organisms possessing such receptors.
Novel Radiation Approaches for the Treatment of Rectal Cancer: Where Are We Now?

Over the past decade, significant strides have been made in improving local control for stage II and III rectal cancer, including the use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation and total mesorectal excision. These advancements have led to a remarkable 10-year local failure rate of just 7.1 %. This has come, however, at the cost of moderate treatment-related morbidity, emphasizing a need for further refinement of management strategies. This article will explore recent innovations and novel approaches involving radiation therapy to address these issues, including the use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy, avoidance of radical resection with the use of chemoradiation alone, total neoadjuvant chemotherapy with the selective use of chemoradiation, and the use of local excision approaches following neoadjuvant treatment. Although many of these novel strategies appear promising, data from prospective randomized trials will be necessary before implementation into standard practice.
Sideromycins as Pathogen-Targeted Antibiotics

The overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics rapidly selects for dangerous multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogens. The landscape of antibiotic drug discovery is adapting to this wave of resistance with a movement towards narrow-spectrum, pathogen-targeted antibiotics that limit the emergence of new resistance. Sideromycins (siderophore-antibiotic conjugates) exploit essential iron acquisition pathways to achieve receptor-mediated cell entry where the spectrum of antibiotic activity is determined by highly selective cell surface siderophore receptors rather than the widely distributed and highly conserved antibacterial target. Sideromycins overwhelm traditional resistance mechanisms through high intracellular antibiotic concentrations and resistance adaptation renders pathogens avirulent. The timing is optimal to pursue sideromycins as pathogen-targeted antibiotics and chemical probes for rapid pathogen diagnostics.
Estimating the cost of invasive species control

Abstract Optimal invasive species control depends on the nature of the removal cost function. Obtaining reliable estimates of removal costs, however, is challenging because the effectiveness of invasive species control is often unobserved. As a result, there are few, if any, estimates of invasive species removal costs in the literature. To address this challenge, we couple a spatial population dynamics model with standard econometric methods and estimate a removal cost function when control effectiveness is unobserved. Our cost estimates are based on unique panel data from 2004-2011 for 122 sites in the Invasive Spartina Project, a control program in the California San Francisco Bay Area. Contrary to common assumptions on removal costs in the invasive species literature, we find that removal costs are linear in removal suggesting that a bang-bang type of control is optimal, which is largely consistent with the Invasive Spartina Project's policy of rapid eradication.
Echolocation is cheap for some mammals: Dolphins conserve oxygen while producing high-intensity clicks

Abstract Toothed whales use echolocation to sense their environment and capture prey. However, their reliance on acoustic information makes them vulnerable to sound exposure. Odontocetes modify echolocation signals in response to ambient noise levels, yet the metabolic cost of producing and modifying echolocation signals are unknown. Studies on bats found that the metabolic cost of producing echolocation signals and modifying sonar parameters is high. Unlike terrestrial mammals, however, the conservation of oxygen is paramount for odontocetes that echolocate underwater on a breath-hold. Flow-through respirometry was used to determine the metabolic costs of producing and modifying echolocations signals in two trained bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) that produced echolocation clicks with variable sound energy levels. Unlike bats, the metabolic cost of echolocation was negligible in dolphins. On average, the metabolic rate of submerged dolphins producing clicks was 1.1 times greater than the metabolic rate of submerged, silent dolphins. Similar to bats, the metabolic cost of producing echolocation signals increased significantly with acoustic energy in dolphins. Yet, for the sound energy levels produced, metabolic rates of dolphins producing clicks were within the range of metabolic rates measured when the dolphins were silent. These results can be used to better understand some of the energetic costs associated with dolphin foraging behavior as well as assess the relative energetic impacts of different delphinid behavioral responses to anthropogenic disturbance.
Sandy Depositional Systems

Why is the study of sandy depositional systems central to the understanding of sand and sandstone? From earliest times geologists have wanted to know where and under what conditions a sandstone was deposited—to better envision its areal extent, its internal properties, and its relation to associated sediments. Sandy depositional systems also play a key role in helping us assign a basin to its proper type and in relating it to a plate tectonic or other genetic framework. With the exception of some carbonates, sandstones are commonly the most permeable of all sedimentary rocks—a key element in their economic significance for oil, gas, groundwater, and later mineralization by uranium, copper, zinc, and lead. In addition, placer deposits such as gold, rutile, and ilmenite are directly related to sandy facies. Identifying the correct depositional model and using it to map and predict the areal extent of a depositional system or one of its parts is the essential key to understanding the origin of known economic sandy deposits and finding new ones. Identification and mapping of sandy deposits in and across ancient basins also playa key role in classifying basins, help us better understand them, and help us place ancient basins in their proper paleoplate setting. Thus, from applied and theoretical viewpoints, we need to be able to identify and interpret ancient sandy deposits. In the 1970s and early 1980s studies on the depositional systems became a focal point for many sedimentologists with the result that today we routinely use both outcrops and subsurface data—wireline logs and cores—to distinguish better the diverse environments of sandy deposits.
Collective subjective logic: Scalable uncertainty-based opinion inference

Subjective Logic (SL), as one of the state-of-the-art belief models, has been proposed to model an opinion that explicitly deals with its uncertainty. SL offers a variety of operators to update opinions consisting of belief, disbelief, and uncertainty. However, SL operators lack scalability to derive opinions from a large-scale network data due to the sequential procedures of combining two opinions, instead of collective procedures dealing with multiple opinions concurrently. In addition, SL's performance in predicting unknown opinions has been validated only when the uncertainty mass is sufficiently low. To enhance scalability and prediction accuracy of unknown opinions in SL, we take a hybrid approach by combining SL with Probabilistic Soft Logic (PSL). PSL provides collective reasoning with high scalability based on relationships between opinions but does not deal with uncertainty. By taking the merits of both SL and PSL, we propose a probabilistic logic algorithm, called Collective Subjective Logic (CSL) that provides high scalability and high prediction accuracy while dealing with uncertain opinions. Our proposed CSL is generic to deal with uncertain opinions with both high scalability and high prediction accuracy of unknown opinions over a large-scale network dataset. Through the extensive simulation experiments, we validated the outperformance of CSL compared against SL and PSL in terms of prediction accuracy of unknown opinions and algorithmic complexity using Epinions and two road traffic datasets.
Psychosocial–Behavioral Interventions and Chronic Disease

Psychosocial–behavioral interventions have a potential role in the management of chronic disorders such as coronary heart disease (CHD), cancer, and HIV/AIDS. These interventions have already been shown to improve the quality of life of patients with established disease and seem to influence biological processes thought to ameliorate disease progression. Recently, randomized clinical trials have begun to provide evidence that psychosocial interventions can reduce disease recurrence and mortality rate in both CHD and cancer. However, because these findings have been found in relatively few trials with limited sample size there is a need for replicating and expanding the size of the sample in these investigations using a multi-center format. This would facilitate an increase in generalizability and accommodate tests of potential mediators intervening between the psychosocial–behavioral interventions and the clinical medical outcomes.