cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modified particle filter methods for assimilating Lagrangian data into a point-vortex model

The process of assimilating Lagrangian (particle trajectory) data into fluid models can fail with a standard linear-based method, such as the Kalman filter. We implement a particle filtering approach that affords a nonlinear estimation and does not impose Gaussianity on either the prior or the posterior distributions at the update step. Several schemes for reinitializing the particle filter, specifically tailored to the Lagrangian data assimilation problem, are applied to a point-vortex system. A comparison with the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) for the same system demonstrates the effectiveness of particle filters for the assimilation of complex, nonlinear Lagrangian data.
Detection of skin displacement and capillary flow using an optical stethoscope

The application of interferometry with the Doppler effect was utilized for the measurement of skin vibration due to vascular displacement (arterial pulse). Using optoelectronics and optical elements, the optical stethoscope can take the role of the conventional stethoscope but can also go beyond normal stethoscope functioning by detecting minute arterial pulsuations which would be subaudible, and by picking up capillary flow in the subepidermal layers. The preliminary results indicate it can provide useful information about the microcirculation and vascular pulse waves, noninvasively. >
The Komsomol's Village Vanguard: Youth and Politics in the NEP Countryside

A mixture of youth vanguardism and class politics shaped the particular identity of the rural Komsomol during NEP. Rural komsomols repudiated village traditions and “backwardness” and embraced instead a purposeful life dedicated to service to the Party and to the countryside's economic, cultural, and social progress. They committed to self-improvement in order to become forward-looking Soviet peasants, bearers of socialist modernity. The activism and dedication of rural activists allowed the Komsomol to become one of the most important Communist organizations in the first decade of Soviet power. Yet within a few years, these inroads in rural areas would be undermined by the anti-rural sentiments that swept the urban-dominated Communist organizations, the Komsomol included. Based on archival research, the article looks at NEP politics and documents the evolving relationship between rural youth activists and the Komsomol organization, and between the Komsomol and the Party and the state.
Extracting the Grain Boundary Character/Free Energy Relationship from the Microstructure: Pure and Tilt Boundaries

Analysis is described to extract the excess free energy of grain boundaries from the mesotexture of well-equilibrated polycrystalline samples. The approach is based upon the force and torque balances at triple junctions described in the classical work of Herring [1]. The main advantage of the approach is that the free energy function is obtained over the full fundamental zone of grain boundary types. For the purposes of exposition, the method is described for specified two-parameter hypersurfaces in the fundamental zone for cubic polycrystals (the sets of pure 〈100〉 and 〈111〉 tilt boundaries) and the free energy is assumed to depend only upon the lattice misorientation. Results from testbed simulations are presented.
A comparison of sampling sites, digesta and microbial markers, and microbial references for assessing the postruminal supply of nutrients in dairy cows.

Abstract This study evaluated the impact of some methodological factors on the flows of nutrients at the omasal canal and duodenum of dairy cows fed corn-based diets. Three ruminally and duodenally cannulated cows were assigned to an incomplete 4×4 Latin square with four 14-d periods and fed diets formulated to contain different amounts and ruminal degradabilities of crude protein. Samples from the omasal canal and duodenum were obtained and processed according to methodologies routinely used in our laboratories and elsewhere. Methodological factors that were evaluated included microbial references and markers, digesta markers, and sampling sites (techniques). Considerable variation was found for the compositions of microbial references and their impact on the intestinal supply of microbial nonammonia nitrogen. Likewise, it appears that variation in measuring the ruminal outflow of nitrogen fractions of microbial and dietary origin could be reduced by using 15 N rather than purines as microbial markers. Sampling from the omasum and duodenum resulted in differences for ruminal outflow and site of digestion as well as digestibility of some nutrients, particularly nitrogen fractions and starch. A sizable portion of this variation was associated with deviations from the assumed ideal behavior of digesta markers and collection of samples that were unrepresentative of true digesta. Collectively, outcomes from this study indicate that more research will be required to determine the accuracy of nutrient flows and the agreement between measurements at the omasal canal and duodenum when dairy cows are fed a variety of diets under different feeding systems. Therefore, caution is recommended when extrapolating or interpreting the underlying biology of published results as well as the results of their application (e.g., model parameters and predictions).
Ethics and politics of embryo and stem cell research: reinscribing the abortion debate.

Abstract Research on human embryos is controversial. Whether federal dollars can or should fund this work has been debated for 25 years, without satisfactory resolution. Many commentators point out that current conflict over embryo research grows out of this country’s seemingly intractable conflict over abortion and the moral status of the fetus. This commentary reviews the most recent iteration of the embryo research debate—federal funding of human embryonic stem cell investigation—and explores the ways in which the terms of this debate not only reflect abortion disputes, but may in turn be shifted to strengthen feminist claims vis-a-vis abortion.
Reflective writing in medical education

Background: The teaching of reflection and the use of reflective writing assignments is commonplace in medical school education. There is a preponderance of research in medical education, which appraises and discusses new ways of teaching reflection.Aims: Students often complain about having to write about their experience with that patient. This work explores some of the reasoning between the variability of student acceptance of reflection in medical education.Methods: The method is based on available literature as well as a personal perspective regarding reflective writing in medical education.Results: Reflection is a skill that requires teaching and practice. It is within the explicit process of teaching reflection in medical education that reflective learners can be developed.Conclusions: Reflection includes the take-home lesson from patient encounters. Its use can help learners become better physicians in terms of medical and humanistic effectiveness and support personal growth.
Evaluation of purification schemes in the determination of tylosin in honey using high performance liquid chromatography

SUMMARYTylosin residues have been isolated from honey samples by dilution with water containing sodium bicarbonate, adsorption on a neutral solid-phase extraction cartridge, elution with methanol, and quantification using HPLC. This method gives approx 95% recovery of tylosin and a quantification limit of ≤ 0.2 mg/kg, but shows minor interferences in some honeys. Extraction of tylosin from honey with organic solvents according to a published method gave extracts contaminated with honey. Subsequent purification on solid-phase extraction cartridges, and analysis by HPLC gave improved purity of the isolated antibiotic but recoveries of only 8.6% (chloroform) to 30.9% (acetonitrile).
“It's all set in the stars”: adapting and staging Lee Smith's “Intensive Care”

ABSTRACTThis essay describes the analysis, adaptation, and staging processes associated with a production of Lee Smith's short story, “Intensive Care.” Smith's story, animated by a subtextual tension between religion and science, is distinctive in that she renders them as complements rather in opposition to one another, as is traditional in Southern fiction. The production utilized Salvador Dali’s painting, Corpus Hypercubus, which similarly combines the religious theme of salvation with mathematical and scientific ideas to demonstrate their consubstantiality, as a visual intertext for staging Smith's narrative. The essay details how the synergies between these two texts inspired both the voice and the visual elements of the production.
Mutant allele frequencies in the cat population of Omaha, Nebraska

The phenotypes of 256 cats seen in Omaha, Nebraska, during the summer of 1983 were recorded and compared to those of other midcontinental USA cat populations. When cats that were "pure-bred," or derived from pure breeds, were excluded, random breeding at the O locus was confirmed and mutant allele frequencies were: O = 0.352, a = 0.813, tb = 0.354, d = 0.525, I = 0.369, S = 0.197, and W = 0.039. Siamese and Himalayan cats constituted 10.9 percent of the total sample (cs = 0.342), but analysis suggests that they are not randomly mating with the general population. Mutant allele frequencies of Omaha cats are more similar to those of cats in Champaign, Illinois, than to those of St. Louis, suggesting that an overland route was more important than a river route in founding the Omaha cat population.
NMDA Receptor-Mediated Currents in Rat Cerebellar Granule and Unipolar Brush Cells

The properties ofN-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated currents at the giant cerebellar mossy-fiber unipolar brush cell (UBC) synapse were compared with those of adjacent granule cells usin...
Tabletop extreme ultraviolet holography and coherent diffraction imaging

Single-shot extreme ultraviolet Fourier transform holography and coherent diffraction imaging techniques were developed for 2-D and 3-D microscopy.
End of Squaring as an Economic Indicator of Approximate Time to End Insecticidal Treatments for Boll Weevil Control

Under various field conditions in North Carolina, cotton planted in mid-April started squaring in mid-June, stopped squaring in mid-August or earlier, and did not produce bolls which failed to open prior to the first fall freeze. Square infestation by Authonomus grandis Boheman was reduced and the yield of cotton was economically increased by insecticidal treatments applied at approximately 5-day intervals from the time the square infestation in July reached 10% until the end of squaring. After the end of squaring, additional treatments applied at approximately 5-day intervals did not reduce the adult boll weevil population or increase the yield of cotton. Hence, from the economic standpoint of cotton production, the end of squaring (less than I square per linear ft of row) indicated the approximate time to end insecticidal treatments for boll weevil control.
On the Curent Status of the English Translation of Zhouyi and a Few Suggestions

For the English translation of The Book of Changes Zhouyi, a general inspection of the works that have been published currently shows that there is no common wordages and standard terminologies used in the translation. It has brought the non - Chinese readers great difficulties in understanding and interpreting the Zhouyi. This paper cites a few obvious examples to show the confusion and meanwhile a new English term for the subject of Zhouyi Studies is coined by the author.The proposed term is yimutoloty. In order to let the world have a better nuderstanding on Zhouyi, the author appeals to the circle of yimutology(Zhouyi Studies) to go forward hand in hand with scholars of English literature so that a set of unified and standard terminologies for yimutology could be established.
Crystallographic and spectral equivalence of boron-carbide polymorphs

Abstract The extraordinary properties of boron carbide originate from the collection of polymorphs that comprise fabricated samples. However, traditional nomenclature that differentiates and describes these crystal structures often restricts the ability to fully model variations in material properties and performance. To highlight and transcend these limitations, this study introduces a modified nomenclature and defines new groups of equivalent polymorphs based on quantum-mechanical simulations. Trends in lattice parameters, total energy, and Raman spectra are explained in terms of the unique covalent-bonding environments of boron-carbide polymorphs.
Novel Materials and Devices for Solid-State Neutron Detection

There is a need in many fields, such as nuclear medicine, non-proliferation, energy exploration, national security, homeland security, nuclear energy, etc, for miniature, thermal neutron detectors. Until recently, thermal neutron detection has required physically large devices to provide sufficient neutron interaction and transduction signal. Miniaturization would allow broader use in the fields just mentioned and open up other applications potentially. Recent research shows promise in creating smaller neutron detectors through the combination of high-neutron-cross-section converter materials and solid-state devices. Yet, till recently it is difficult to measure low neutron fluxes by solidstate means given the need for optimized converter materials (purity, chemical composition and thickness) and a lack of designs capable of efficient transduction of the neutron conversion products (x-rays, electrons, gamma rays). Gadolinium-based semiconductor heterojunctions have detected electrons produced by Gd-neutron reactions but only at high neutron fluxes. One of the main limitations to this type of approach is the use of thin converter layers and the inability to utilize all the conversion products. In this LDRD we have optimized the converter material thickness and chemical composition to improve capture of conversion electrons and have detected thermal neutrons with high fidelity at low flux. We are also examining differentmore » semiconductor materials and converter materials to attempt to capture a greater percentage of the conversion electrons, both low and higher energy varieties. We have studied detector size and bias scaling, and cross-sensitivity to xrays and shown that we can detect low fluxes of thermal neutrons in less than 30 minutes with high selectivity by our approach. We are currently studying improvements in performance with direct placement of the Gd converter on the detector. The advancement of sensitive, miniature neutron detectors will have benefits in energy production, nonproliferation and medicine.« less
Single-Molecule Investigation of the Diffusive Microtubule +Tip Tracking Protein EB1

We use single-molecule microscopy to observe the motions of dye-labeled EB1 proteins and find them to be highly dynamic and continuously diffusive while bound to microtubules polymerized in the presence of GMPCPP and GTPγS. The diffusion coefficient increases and the characteristic binding lifetime decreases with increasing buffer ionic strength, in agreement with measurements of other diffusive microtubule-associating proteins. The diffusion coefficient is also sensitive to the choice of GTP analog used in microtubule polymerization. In equilibrium binding measurements, we find that EB1 binding is cooperative, and that both the concentration of bound EB1 and the dissociation constant are sensitive to GTP analog and ionic strength. Finally, we observe EB1 diffusion at higher EB1 concentrations (>5 nM) and find that the diffusion coefficient decreases with increasing concentration, which we attribute to the cooperativity of EB1 binding.
The dendritic cell–T helper 17–macrophage axis controls cholangiocyte injury and disease progression in murine and human biliary atresia

Biliary atresia (BA) is a fibroinflammatory obstruction of the extrahepatic biliary tree in neonates. While intrahepatic bile duct proliferation is universal at diagnosis, bile duct paucity develops later. We hypothesized that polarized T helper lymphocyte responses orchestrate progression of intrahepatic biliary injury in this disease. Interleukin 17A (IL-17A)-green fluorescent protein, cluster of differentiation 11c (CD11c)/diphtheria toxin receptor, and IL-17 receptor A-/- mice were used to examine T-lymphocyte polarization, inflammatory leukocyte recruitment, and biliary injury in rhesus rotavirus-induced BA. Multiparameter flow cytometry and automated image analysis of immunostaining were applied to liver tissue samples from infants with BA. In the mouse model, activated CD4+ lymphocytes started to emerge in the liver on day 8 after viral challenge, while innate immune responses were waning. Plasma IL-17A levels rose concomitantly with hepatic accumulation of T helper 17 lymphocytes and myeloid dendritic cells. Targeted depletion of CD11c+ dendritic cells diminished hepatic IL-17A production and ameliorated intrahepatic bile duct injury. Recombinant IL-17A induced expression of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 in neonatal cholangiocytes in vitro, and blockade of the corresponding chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 reduced recruitment of inflammatory macrophages to the liver in vivo. Genetic disruption of IL-17A signaling was associated with down-regulation of hepatic Ccl2/Ccr2 messenger RNA expression, reduced infiltration of the liver with inflammatory Ly6Chi macrophages, and improved survival. In the liver of infants with BA, cholangiocytes were found to express IL-17 receptor A, and the prevalence of IL-17A+ cells was positively correlated with the degree of CD68+ macrophage infiltration at diagnosis. Hepatic CD4+ lymphocytes were chief producers of IL-17A in patients with progressive disease undergoing liver transplantation. Conclusion These findings identify the dendritic cell-T helper 17-macrophage axis as a target for the development of strategies to block progression of intrahepatic bile duct injury in patients with BA. (Hepatology 2017;65:174-188).
Can an Omniscient God Be Fallible? Several Important Lessons about Leadership from an Extraordinary Midrash

This paper examines a Midrash and shows that there are many important messages about leadership embedded in it. Superficially, the Midrash appears heretical since it has Moses correcting God; God even openly admits, “You have taught me something.” The key lessons are that leaders must be compassionate; humble; and have a willingness to listen, make changes, and admit to mistakes.
Fourier trajectory analysis for identifying system congestion

We examine the use of the Fourier transform to discriminate dynamic behavior differences between congested and uncongested systems. Simulation continuous time statistic ‘trajectories’ are converted to time series for Fourier analysis. The pattern of Fourier component magnitudes across frequencies differs for congested versus uncongested systems. We use this knowledge to explore statistical process control methods to monitor nonstationary systems for transition from uncongested to congested state and vice versa. In a sense we are monitoring dynamic metamodel parameters to detect change in the dynamic behavior of the simulation. CUSUM charts on Fourier magnitudes can detect such transitions, and preliminary results suggest that in some cases detection can be more rapid than for CUSUM charts based on queue length.
Characterization and Modeling of the Wind Turbine Radar Signature Using Turbine State Telemetry

Wind turbine observations and characterization efforts have treated the wind turbine as a noncooperative target. Similarly, suppression of the turbine’s radar signature has been considered without the aid of state information from the wind turbine under observation. In this paper, X-band radar observations of a utility-scale wind turbine, with detailed turbine state telemetry, are investigated. From scattering theory, the wind turbine’s physical structure has a deterministic radar cross section for a given observation geometry. Using the telemetry, the variation in the turbine’s signature is considered over a range of operating states. The deterministic nature of a turbine’s signature is demonstrated from radar observations, and a model is developed to isolate it. The turbine’s radar signature, as it relates to changes in the operating state, is discussed with the intent of enabling future suppression techniques.
Fundamental causes of accelerated declines in colorectal cancer mortality: Modeling multiple ways that disadvantage influences mortality risk.

Abstract Background Improvements in colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality reflect the distribution of effective preventions. Social inequalities often generate unequal diffusion of medical interventions, resulting in disparate outcomes while preventions are being disseminated throughout the population. This study used a novel method to examine whether Race (Black versus White) and SES influenced when rates of CRC mortality started to decline, and how rapidly they did so. Method Mortality counts from 1968-2010 were derived from death certificates of U.S. residents aged 25 + years. Individuals’ race, age, county of residence, and sex were collected from death certificates. County-level SES was measured using the decennial U.S. census. Layered joinpoint regression was used to model CRC mortality trends over time. Acceleration in rates of historical decline were used to indicate preventability within counties. Results Black race was associated with a 4.1-year delay in colonoscopy-attributable declines in CRC mortality and each standard deviation unit change in SES with a 5.7-year delay in such mortality. Following the onset of a decline, colonoscopy-attributable mortality change was slower by 0.5% among Blacks, and 2.0%/standard deviation in SES. Modifying the rapidity of colonoscopy uptake could have averted 12–14,000 and 83–86,000 deaths among Blacks and residents of lower SES counties, respectively. Conclusions Successful interventions do not uniformly benefit the U.S. population. This study highlighted the notable impact that substantial delays in the provision of interventions, and in the relative rapidity of dissemination, and estimated the extent to which there was a preventable loss of life concentrated amongst the most disadvantaged. A more egalitarian delivery of life-saving interventions could drastically reduce mortality by improving effectiveness of interventions while also addressing inequalities in health.
Dramatic Drop of d0 Ferromagnetism with ZnO Nanocrystal Size in Vacuum and Air

The dramatic drop of about 2.5 orders of magnitude in the Zn vacancy magnetization with nanocrystal (NC) size was experimentally found in ZnO quantum dots in vacuum and air. We explain such an unusual behavior by the different contributions of spatial surface and core Zn vacancy configurations. With the increase of a NC size, the core contribution to the total NC magnetization becomes more pronounced. Therefore, the magnetization drop with NC size can be explained by the input of the core configuration, which has the lowest magnetic moment, 260 times lower than the magnetic moments of other surface or core configurations. In air the additional oxygen molecules on a NC surface can cause chemical reactions of dissociation along with the attachments of the NC oxygen atoms. Such configurations are different from those of the vacuum ones, resulting in the different NC size-dependence of the magnetic moment. Excellent agreement between the experiments and computations is reached.
Effective Treatment for Disturbed Violent Prisoners

Observers in the media conceive of prisons as hotbeds of predation and violence, redolent with rapes, riots, and carnage. Such portraits can be overdrawn. For example, Ouimet (1999) points out that in the United States between 1984 and 1989 the prison homicide rate for corrections officers was 2.91 per 100,000, while the homicide rate for the US population was 8 per 100,000. Miners, truck drivers, and construction workers were more likely than prison staff to die on the job (p. 28).
Validation of a New Web-Based System for Point-of-Care Implant Documentation in Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Implant documentation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) must be both accurate and comprehensive. A new system enables surgeons to complete a secure, web-based operative report for each surgery. This study evaluated implant documentation using this system and hypothesized that it would be as reliable as the current standard. This was a retrospective study of all primary and revision TKA performed at a single academic institution from January 1, 2015 to March 31, 2015, by eight adult reconstruction surgeons who used the web-based system. Electronic medical records and implant logbooks were chosen as a composite standard reference for implant documentation. Cohen's kappa statistic and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to determine agreement between the system and the standard reference. Mean kappa value for entire system was 0.916 ± 0.152 ( p = 0.015) indicating “almost perfect” agreement (as per Landis and Koch's method) with standard reference. Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.926 ± 0.147 ( p = 0.021) further corroborating this excellent agreement. There was “substantial” or “fair” agreement for items pertaining to cement and augments. Overall, sensitivity was 0.98 (95% confidence interval: 0.71–0.98) and specificity 0.93 (95% confidence interval: 0.53–0.98) indicating that the system was very effective at documenting whether or not an implant was placed. The system exhibited significantly greater sensitivity than specificity ( p = 0.027). This study demonstrated excellent performance of this novel system in point-of-care TKA implant documentation. Further research is needed to validate its use in arthroplasty of other joints and its potential for documentation of biomedical device implantation in other fields such as cardiothoracic surgery and gastroenterology.
Trust representation and aggregation in a distributed agent system

This paper considers a distributed system of software agents who cooperate in helping their users to find services, provided by different agents. The agents need to ensure that the service providers they select are trustworthy. Because the agents are autonomous and there is no central trusted authority, the agents help each other determine the trustworthiness of the service providers they are interested in. This help is rendered via a series of referrals to other agents, culminating in zero or more trustworthy service providers being identified. A trust network is a multiagent system where each agent potentially rates the trustworthiness of another agent. This paper develops a formal treatment of trust networks. At the base is a recently proposed representation of trust via a probability certainty distribution. The main contribution of this paper is the definition of two operators, concatenation and aggregation, using which trust ratings can be combined in a trust network. This paper motivates and establishes some important properties regarding these operators, thereby ensuring that trust can be combined correctly. Further, it shows that effects of malicious agents, who give incorrect information, are limited.
Messenger RNA Domains in the Embryogenesis and Germination of Cotton Cotyledons

We have begun the task of describing the development of cotton cotyledons through embryogenesis and germination in terms of the mRNA subsets that, through their appearance and disappearance, determine this developmental sequence. This, of course, represents an attempt to describe a developmental sequence in terms of sequential gene activity.
Urodynamic Evaluation of Female Stress Urinary Incontinence

The American Urological Association has published guidelines for the surgical management of female stress urinary incontinence (1). According to these guidelines, the objective demonstration of stress urinary incontinence should be documented prior to initiating surgical therapy. This can be accomplished with physical examination (filling the bladder and observing stress incontinence with cough or Valsalva maneuver) or with urodynamic testing. This chapter reviews the various urodynamic techniques used to assess the presence and severity of female stress urinary incontinence.
Some Issues in the Assessment of Mathematical Problem Solving

To assess problem solving in mathematics adequately one must address the narrowing effects of current testing practice and of the continued pressure for efficient measurement. A new psychometrics is needed. Also, solutions need to be communicated and to be assessed as communication. A central issue is to make a valid assessment that sees problem solving as situated and mental processes as multiple and nonlinear.
Outpatient percutaneous coronary interventions: hospital and health system costs saving while maintaining patient safety.

Tremendous improvements in interventional cardiology make percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) a rather routine procedure, at least in the U.S. and other wealthy countries around the world. Approximately 1 million PCIs are performed annually in the U.S., with health care costs approaching $10
Three-dimensional ultrasonography in the evaluation of pathological myopia

Pathological myopia remains one of the leading causes of blindness in the world1. In spite of the fact that over 2% of the population is estimated to suffer from this condition2little is known about its pathogenesis and virtually nothing is known about its treatment3. In addition, very little fundamental information on risk factors for severe vision loss have been identified. In the clinical evaluation of pathological myopia, fluorescein angiography has proved to be useful for identifying choroidal neovascularization4. More recently, ICG angiography has delineated lacquer crack formation and its association with choroidal neovascularization with increased clarity5.
Climate-Based Decision Support Tools for Agriculture

Farmers consider many variables in making agricultural decisions. The farmer must often choose his inputs for the production function before variables such as weather are known. The uncertainties associated with weather can however be mitigated with the use of decision support tools. As the specific relationships of weather, disease development and crop maturity are determined through research, the value of weather-based decision support tools becomes more evident. The State Climate Office of North Carolina (SCO) at North Carolina State University, USA has successfully developed several agricultural decision support systems. These include climate-based decision support tools for peanuts, strawberries, cucurbits, turfgrass and tobacco. All are built in collaboration with agricultural scientists who have expertise in each respective crop. Real-time and historical data from the North Carolina Environment and Climate Observing Network (ECONet) in conjunction with high-resolution numerical models support the availability of the tools.
Initiative on long term durability of materials and structures

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates the background for the durability initiative and its subsequent development. Demands for better-performing, longer-lasting, safer, more economical, and more environment-friendly structures and machines are constantly pushing the envelope of technological capabilities and engineering practice. As a result, there are relentless moves towards close tolerances and the use of realistic life-cycle design, condition-based maintenance, and performance-based design. In this environment, the engineering designer is faced with the problem of finding useful and relevant materials property data for use in the design of machines and structures that are expected to provide top performance for an extended period. He or she will typically have access to “hard” data, that is, repeatable and reproducible results from short term laboratory tests, such as simple hardness, fatigue, uniaxial yield, and fracture tests; and even results from somewhat more complex standard tests, such as fracture toughness or short-term salt spray or ultraviolet chamber exposure tests.
Proteins and Proteolysis in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease

Investigations concerning the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease initially focused on neurotransmitters, enzymes involved in their synthesis and their neuronal receptors. It eventually became apparent that abnormalities in neurotransmitter systems were probably not the cause of Alzheimer’s disease, but rather the result of it, i.e. dead or dying neurons failed to synthesize the neurotransmitters and receptors found to be depleted in this disease. Since the major pathological findings in Alzheimer’s disease are neuronal loss, neurofibrillary tangles, senile plaques and cerebrovascular amyloidosis, a major emphasis on delineating the nature of these lesions appeared to offer an approach to the understanding of the nature of this disease. These studies employing protein chemistry have resulted in new pathologic concepts and the introduction of molecular biology in the deciphering of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Leveraging the Dismisura: translating the mediterraneity of Franco Cassano’s Southern Thought

ABSTRACTThis essays reflects on the philosophy and ideology underlying the practice of translaTING Il pensiero meridiano by Italian sociologist Franco Cassano. II pensiero meridiano is a foundation...
In the Web of Creative Connections: Redefining Writing in Education and Therapy

Discoveries in therapy and education about writing have rarely been shared between the two. This article attempts to bridge the gap through practical and theoretical explorations of the potentials of humanistic psychology and expressionistic writing pedagogy for academic and therapeutic learning. Based on his own experiences, the author creates a framework where education and therapy together seek a more holistic approach to their fields.
Against the grain: science education researchers and social justice agendas

This paper is written in response to Alberto J. Rodriguez and Deb Morrison’s article entitled, “Expanding and Enacting Transformative Meanings of Equity, Diversity and Social Justice in Science Education.” The authors provide a historical account of science education social justice research efforts within the USA and support the need to more critically incorporate social justice research agendas in science education. They summarize four main rationales used in science education research for engaging in equity, diversity and social justice: the economic, moral, demographic shift, and sociotransformative arguments. The authors remind researchers to consider systems of power and privilege when advocating for marginalized people, arguing that social justice should be embodied by the researcher and constantly be enacted within their work. The authors question why few have taken up social justice science education research. This paper expands on these authors’ arguments by offering a critical race analysis of the social justice construct in science education research. I conclude with suggesting the need to deconstruct whiteness within social justice science education research agendas.
A Phase Field Model of Photo-Induced Trans-Cis-Trans Bending of Liquid Crystal Elastomer Films

A new class of glassy liquid crystal elastomers are studied to understand their light-coupled deformation characteristics. In particular, the photomechanics of azobenzene liquid crystal elastomers is modeled using a nonlinear continuum mechanics approach coupled with time-dependent liquid crystal domain structure evolution to understand light polarization effects on deformation. Light propagation and absorption within the elastomer is modeled using Maxwell’s electro-magnetic equations. By consideration of electric energy due to light absorption, light-induced electrical stresses are introduced which provide the driving force for mechanical deformation via coupling with the azobenzene liquid crystals. A liquid crystal director (i.e., orientation of the liquid crystal molecule) is used to describe liquid crystal evolution and elastomer deformation. This aspect of the model is extended to include 3D effects to accommodate trans-cis-trans photoisomerization. This is coupled to plane stress, nonlinear mechanics to demonstrate key field-coupled mechanics relations governing this class of smart materials. The results show that the model successfully predicts large, bi-directional bending of the polymer film by controlling the polarization of light. The results are consistent with recent experimental data given in the literature.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Schlafen12 Reduces the Aggressiveness of Triple Negative Breast Cancer through Post-Transcriptional Regulation of ZEB1 That Drives Stem Cell Differentiation

Background/aims Schlafen12 (SLFN12) promotes human intestinal and prostatic epithelial differentiation. We sought to determine whether SLFN12 reduces triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) aggressiveness. Methods We validated bioinformatics analyses of publicly available databases by staining human TNBC. After virally overexpressing or siRNA-reducing SLFN12 in TNBC cell lines, we measured proliferation by CCK-8 assay, invasion into basement-membrane-coated pores, mRNA by q-RT-PCR and protein by Western blotting. Flow cytometry assessed proliferation and stem cell marker expression, and sorted CD44+/CD24- cells. Stemness was also assessed by mammosphere formation, and translation by click-it-AHA chemistry. Results SLFN12 expression was lower in TNBC tumors and correlated with survival. SLFN12 overexpression reduced TNBC MDA-MB-231, BT549, and Hs578T proliferation. In MDA-MB-231 cells, AdSLFN12 reduced invasion, promoted cell cycle arrest, increased E-cadherin promoter activity, mRNA, and protein, and reduced vimentin expression and protein. SLFN12 knockdown increased vimentin. AdSLFN12 reduced the proportion of MDA-MB-231 CD44+CD24- cells, with parallel differentiation changes. SLFN12 overexpression reduced MDA-MB-231 mammosphere formation. SLFN12 overexpression decreased ZEB1 and Slug protein despite increased ZEB1 and Slug mRNA in all three lines. SLFN12 overexpression accelerated MDA-MB-231 ZEB1 proteasomal degradation and slowed ZEB1 translation. SLFN12 knockdown increased ZEB1 protein. Coexpressing ZEB1 attenuated the SLFN12 effect on E-cadherin mRNA and proliferation in all three lines. Conclusion SLFN12 may reduce TNBC aggressiveness and improve survival in part by a post-transcriptional decrease in ZEB1 that promotes TNBC cancer stem cell differentiation.
Direct Kinetics and Product Measurement of Phenyl Radical + Ethylene.

The phenyl + ethylene (C6H5 + C2H4) reaction network was explored experimentally and theoretically to understand the temperature dependence of the reaction kinetics and product distribution under various temperature and pressure conditions. The flash photolysis apparatus combining laser absorbance spectroscopy (LAS) and time-resolved molecular beam mass spectrometry (MBMS) was used to study reactions on the C8H9 potential energy surface (PES). In LAS experiments, 505.3 nm laser light selectively probed C6H5 decay, and we measured the total C6H5 consumption rate coefficients in the intermediate temperature region (400–800 K), which connects previous experiments performed in high-temperature (pyrolysis) and low-temperature (cavity-ring-down methods) regions. From the quantum chemistry calculations by Tokmakov and Lin using the G2M­(RCC5)//B3LYP method, we constructed a kinetic model and estimated phenomenological pressure-dependent rate coefficients, k(T, P), with the Arkane package in the reaction mechanism generator. The MBMS experiments, performed at 600–800 K and 10–50 Torr, revealed three major product peaks: m/z = 105 (adducts, mostly 2-phenylethyl radical, but also 1-phenylethyl radical, ortho-ethyl phenyl radical, and a spiro-fused ring radical), 104 (styrene, co-product with a H atom), and 78 (benzene, co-product with C2H3 radical). Product branching ratios were predicted by the model and validated by experiments for the first time. At 600 K and 10 Torr, the yield ratio of the H-abstraction reaction (forming benzene + C2H3) is measured to be 1.1% and the H-loss channel (styrene + H) has a 2.5% yield ratio. The model predicts 1.0% for H-abstraction and 2.3% for H-loss, which is within the experimental error bars. The branching ratio and formation of styrene increase at high temperature due to the favored formally direct channel (1.0% at 600 K and 10 Torr, 5.8% at 800 K and 10 Torr in the model prediction) and the faster β-scission reactions of C8H9 isomers. The importance of pressure dependence in kinetics is verified by the increase in the yield of the stabilized adduct from radical addition from 80.2% (800 K, 10 Torr) to 88.9% (800 K, 50 Torr), at the expense of styrene + H. The pressure-dependent model developed in this work is well validated by the LAS and MBMS measurements and gives a complete picture of the C6H5 + C2H4 reaction.
Peristomal variceal hemorrhage at the ileal conduit site due to extrahepatic portosystemic shunt

Peristomal variceal bleeding is a rare but known complication with portal hypertension. In patients with recurrent peristomal hemorrhage, atypical varices should be considered, and liver cirrhosis should be excluded even with normal liver function tests. We report a case of a 76-year-old male who presented with recurrent ileal conduit site peristomal hemorrhage without known chronic liver disease. His liver function tests were normal, but computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis showed liver nodularity and peristomal varices. He was diagnosed to have cirrhosis with portal hypertension and further tested positive for active hepatitis C infection. The patient's extrahepatic portosystemic ileal conduit site shunt was successfully treated with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and endovascular variceal coiling. This case identifies a situation where it is imperative to identify occult liver cirrhosis with portosystemic shunt as a cause of ileal conduit site recurrent stomal bleeding.
Pregnenolone Sulfate as a Modulator of Synaptic Plasticity

Neurosteroids such as pregnenolone have been implicated in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and cannabinoid addiction (1, 2). Our laboratory discovered that the unique negatively charged steroid pregnenolone sulfate (PregS), the product of pregnenolone metabolism via a single sulfation step, modulates fast excitatory synaptic transmission by potentiating NMDA receptor activity in a fashion that is balanced by AMPA receptor inhibition at micromolar concentrations. We recently reported finding a novel high affinity response to PregS (EC50 = 2 pM) that increases intracellular [Ca2+] and CREB activation in cultured rat cortical neurons. Here, we report that PregS increases glutamate receptor and PSD95 colocalized puncta, presumably on dendritic spines of hippocampal neurons, suggesting that PregS increases surface-postsynaptic AMPARs and NMDARs. Whole cell recordings of primary rat hippocampal neurons revealed that PregS increases the frequency of spontaneous excitatory ...
The Effects of Dry Laws on Growth

Dry laws seem like a distant memory to most of us. However, these antiquated restrictions on the purchase of various forms of alcohol can be found throughout the country. Most remaining dry laws occur at the county or city level. While decentralized government is ideal, these remnants of the prohibition era have created a patchwork of stunted growth throughout the US.
Combinatorial and statistical prediction of gene expression from haplotype sequence.

Motivation Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have discovered thousands of significant genetic effects on disease phenotypes. By considering gene expression as the intermediary between genotype and disease phenotype, expression quantitative trait loci studies have interpreted many of these variants by their regulatory effects on gene expression. However, there remains a considerable gap between genotype-to-gene expression association and genotype-to-gene expression prediction. Accurate prediction of gene expression enables gene-based association studies to be performed post hoc for existing GWAS, reduces multiple testing burden, and can prioritize genes for subsequent experimental investigation. Results In this work, we develop gene expression prediction methods that relax the independence and additivity assumptions between genetic markers. First, we consider gene expression prediction from a regression perspective and develop the HAPLEXR algorithm which combines haplotype clusterings with allelic dosages. Second, we introduce the new gene expression classification problem, which focuses on identifying expression groups rather than continuous measurements; we formalize the selection of an appropriate number of expression groups using the principle of maximum entropy. Third, we develop the HAPLEXD algorithm that models haplotype sharing with a modified suffix tree data structure and computes expression groups by spectral clustering. In both models, we penalize model complexity by prioritizing genetic clusters that indicate significant effects on expression. We compare HAPLEXR and HAPLEXD with three state-of-the-art expression prediction methods and two novel logistic regression approaches across five GTEx v8 tissues. HAPLEXD exhibits significantly higher classification accuracy overall; HAPLEXR shows higher prediction accuracy on approximately half of the genes tested and the largest number of best predicted genes (r2>0.1) among all methods. We show that variant and haplotype features selected by HAPLEXR are smaller in size than competing methods (and thus more interpretable) and are significantly enriched in functional annotations related to gene regulation. These results demonstrate the importance of explicitly modeling non-dosage dependent and intragenic epistatic effects when predicting expression. Availability and implementation Source code and binaries are freely available at https://github.com/rapturous/HAPLEX. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Ongoing patient randomization: an innovation in medical care research.

Abstract Hospitals often have rotational assignment of patients to one of several similar provider care teams. The research potential of these arrangements has gone unnoticed. By changing to random assignment of patients and physicians to provider care teams (firms) this kind of organization can be used for sequential, randomized clinical trials which are ethical and efficient. The paper describes such arrangements at three different hospitals: Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, Brooke Army Medical Center, and University Hospitals of Cleveland. Associated methodologic issues are discussed. This is a new, more widely applicable method for medical care research.
Impacts—Regulation to What End

As shown in Chapter 5, throughout their 4 years the commissions reviewed thousands of development proposals for everything from the refurbishing of existing dwellings to substantial new commercial complexes and residential subdivisions. Although the overall percent of permit denial was small, for most projects that were deemed to have a potentially adverse affect on wetlands, natural habitat, scenic vistas, or beach access the commissions used their power to impose modifications on the project (through the mechanism of specifying conditions) and in some instances resorted to outright denials. In terms of the framework of analysis presented in Chapter 1, the permit decisions constituted a major part of the “policy outputs” (stage one) of the implementation process.