cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genome-wide polymorphisms show unexpected targets of natural selection

Natural selection can act on all the expressed genes of an individual, leaving signatures of genetic differentiation or diversity at many loci across the genome. New power to assay these genome-wide effects of selection comes from associating multi-locus patterns of polymorphism with gene expression and function. Here, we performed one of the first genome-wide surveys in a marine species, comparing purple sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, from two distant locations along the species' wide latitudinal range. We examined 9112 polymorphic loci from upstream non-coding and coding regions of genes for signatures of selection with respect to gene function and tissue- and ontogenetic gene expression. We found that genetic differentiation (F(ST)) varied significantly across functional gene classes. The strongest enrichment occurred in the upstream regions of E3 ligase genes, enzymes known to regulate protein abundance during development and environmental stress. We found enrichment for high heterozygosity in genes directly involved in immune response, particularly NALP genes, which mediate pro-inflammatory signals during bacterial infection. We also found higher heterozygosity in immune genes in the southern population, where disease incidence and pathogen diversity are greater. Similar to the major histocompatibility complex in mammals, balancing selection may enhance genetic diversity in the innate immune system genes of this invertebrate. Overall, our results show that how genome-wide polymorphism data coupled with growing databases on gene function and expression can combine to detect otherwise hidden signals of selection in natural populations.
Influence of Longitudinal Vibrations on Image Quality

The optical transfer function for incoherently illuminated objects is derived for the case of longitudinal vibrations. It becomes apparent that, contrary to the case of transverse vibrations, this transfer function cannot be separated from that for the lens alone. As an example, the influence of the longitudinal vibrations on the transfer function of a diffraction-limited lens is considered, and curves for various values of static defocusing and vibrational amplitude are shown. Under certain conditions the transfer function of a defocused lens is demonstrated to be considerably improved by introducing a certain amount of vibration. Finally, the effects of transverse and longitudinal vibrations are compared. Similar degrading effects are obtained by a transverse vibration having a vibrational amplitude A and longitudinal vibrations having an amplitude 2A/(N.A.), where N.A. is the numerical aperture of the lens.
Prevalence of Perceived Dysphonia in a Geriatric Population

OBJECTIVES: To characterize geriatric dysphonia, including its prevalence, quality-of-life impairment, and association with overall health status. DESIGN: A validated survey-based study of geriatric dysphonia. SETTING: An independent living facility for geriatric individuals. PARTICIPANTS: The entire population of residents at the facility was offered the survey. The inclusion criterion was aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Two survey-based measures were used to characterize dysphonia: a direct question asking whether participants had problems with their voice and a voice-related quality-of-life (V-RQOL) measure. In addition, participants were administered the 12-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form survey, U.S. version 2.0, a concise survey designed to evaluate overall health status. RESULTS: The prevalence of dysphonia was 20%. More than 50% of patients with voice problems incurred significant quality-of-life impairment resulting from their dysphonia as measured using V-RQOL scores. The mean total V-RQOL score±standard deviation was 89±20. Finally, general health measures did not reflect V-RQOL. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of voice problems in older people, with a large proportion having significantly impaired quality of life related to their dysphonia. General health measures do not reflect V-RQOL, and many individuals may wrongly attribute dysphonia to age-related change alone. Administration of validated instruments for assessing dysphonia is encouraged, because direct questions regarding voice difficulties may not be sensitive to the severity of vocal impairment.
Normative data and clinically significant effect sizes for single-item numerical linear analogue self-assessment (LASA) scales

Single-item assessments have been the most often-used measures in National Cancer Institute (NCI) cancer control clinical trials, but normative data are not available. Our objective was to examine the normative data and clinically significant effect sizes for single-item numerical linear analogue self-assessment (LASA) scale for overall quality of life (QOL). We analyzed baseline data from 36 clinical trials and 6 observational studies with various populations, including healthy volunteers, cancer trial patients (patients with advanced incurable cancer or patients receiving treatment with curative intent) and hospice patients as well as their caregivers. The overall QOL LASA was rated 0 (as bad as it can be) to 10 (as good as it can be). We calculated the summary statistics and the proportion of patients reporting a clinically meaningful deficit (CMD) of a score equal to 5 or less on the 0–10 scale. In total, for the collective sample of 9,295 individuals, the average overall QOL reported was 7.39 (SD = 2.11) with a markedly skewed distribution with roughly 17% reporting a score of 5 or below indicating a clinically significant deficit in overall QOL. Hospice patients report a much worse average score of 5.7 upon entry to hospice; hospice caregivers average 7.4. Cancer patients vary within these two extremes with most patients averaging in the 7’s on the 0–10 scale (range, 0 to 10 p-value < 0.0001). Men and women’s QOL distributions were virtually identical (with average of 7.6 vs. 7.5, p-value = 0.046). Overall QOL was weakly related to performance status with a Spearman correlation coefficient of −0.29 (p-value < 0.0001). Overall QOL was related to tumor response (p-value = 0.0094), i.e. patients with a full or partial response reported a CMD in 11.4% of cases compared to 14.4% among those with stable disease and 18.5% among those with disease progression. Data missingness was high for performance status and tumor response associations. This study provides the normative data for cancer patients and healthy volunteers for overall QOL using the LASA. These can serve as benchmarks for future studies and inform clinical practice decision-making.
Myb overexpression overrides androgen depletion–induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in prostate cancer cells, and confers aggressive malignant traits: potential role in castration resistance

Myb, a cellular progenitor of v-Myb oncogenes, is amplified in prostate cancer and exhibits greater amplification frequency in hormone-refractory disease. Here, we have investigated the functional significance of Myb in prostate cancer. Our studies demonstrate Myb expression in all prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP, C4-2, PC3 and DU145) examined, whereas it is negligibly expressed in normal/benign prostate epithelial cells (RWPE1 and RWPE2). Notably, Myb is significantly upregulated, both at transcript (>60-fold) and protein (>15-fold) levels, in castration-resistant (C4-2) cells as compared with androgen-dependent (LNCaP) prostate cancer cells of the same genotypic lineage. Using loss and gain of function approaches, we demonstrate that Myb promotes and sustains cell cycle progression and survival under androgen-supplemented and -deprived conditions, respectively, through induction of cyclins (A1, D1 and E1), Bcl-xL and Bcl2 and downregulation of p27 and Bax. Interestingly, Myb overexpression is also associated with enhanced prostate-specific antigen expression. Furthermore, our data show a role of Myb in enhanced motility and invasion and decreased homotypic interactions of prostate cancer cells. Myb overexpression is also associated with actin reorganization leading to the formation of filopodia-like cellular protrusions. Immunoblot analyses demonstrate gain of mesenchymal and loss of epithelial markers and vice versa, in Myb-overexpressing LNCaP and -silenced C4-2 cells, respectively, indicating a role of Myb in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Altogether, our studies provide first experimental evidence for a functional role of Myb in growth and malignant behavior of prostate cancer cells and suggest a novel mechanism for castration resistance.
Hepatitis C Virus Envelope Glycoprotein E2 Glycans Modulate Entry, CD81 Binding, and Neutralization

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major human pathogen that causes serious liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The primary target cells of HCV are hepatocytes, and entry is restricted by interactions of the envelope glycoproteins, E1 and E2, with cellular receptors. E1 and E2 form noncovalently linked heterodimers and are heavily glycosylated. Glycans contribute to protein folding and transport as well as protein function. In addition, glycans associated with viral envelopes mask important functional domains from the immune system and attenuate viral immunogenicity. Here, we explored the role of N- and O-linked glycans on E2, which is the receptor binding subunit of the HCV envelope. We identified a number of glycans that are critical for viral entry. Importantly, we showed that the removal of several glycans significantly increased the inhibition of entry by sera from HCV-positive individuals. Only some of the glycans that affected entry and neutralization were also important for CD81 binding. Our results show that HCV envelope-associated glycans play a crucial role in masking functionally important regions of E2 and suggest a new strategy for eliciting highly neutralizing antibodies against this virus.
Party Competition and Citizens' Political Attitudes in the American States ∗

Democratic theorists argue that vigorous competition between candidates/parties is essential for democracy to flourish because it engages citizens' political interest and ultimately makes elected officials more accountable to their constituents. Using data on citizens' perceptions of government responsiveness to their political opinions from the American National Election Studies and the Ranney measure of party competition for control of state government, we examine the effects of competition on citizens' political attitudes from 1952 to 2008. Our analysis reveals that citizens feel government is more responsive to them when there is greater competition between the two parties for control of government in their state. However, this relationship is confined only to citizens who identify with the party that controls government in their state. We also find that the relationship between competition and efficacy is strongest among citizens with lower levels of education and income. These results suggest that vigorous competition for control of state government can have important implications for citizens' political attitudes.
IMPACTS OF CUSTOMERS' PERCEPTIONS ON INTERNET BANKING USE WITH A SMART PHONE

In recent years, a smart phone has become a useful platform to easily access banking services. However, compared to regular Internet banking using a personal computer, the adoption of a smart phone for Internet banking might be more vulnerable with regard to security. In this study, we first identify two dimensions: security and usability, and empirically test their role as determinants that affect Internet banking use with a smart phone (IBUS). Second, we investigate whether or not security and usage can possibly interact with each other to influence IBUS. Results indicate: (1) security issues were found to be a significant determinant of IBUS; (2) Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEU) as usability had significant effects on IBUS; (3) PU and PEU moderated the relation between users' perception toward security and IBUS; and (4) Users' perception toward security moderated the relation between PU/PEU and IBUS.
Role for anions in pulmonary endothelial permeability

Griffin, M. Pamela. Role for anions in pulmonary endothelial permeability. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(2): 615–622, 1997.—β-Adrenergic stimulation reduces albumin permeation across pulmonary artery endothelial monolayers and induces changes in cell morphology that are mediated by Cl − flux. We tested the hypothesis that anion-mediated changes in endothelial cells result in changes in endothelial permeability. We measured permeation of radiolabeled albumin across bovine pulmonary arterial endothelial monolayers when the extracellular anion was Cl − , Br − , I − , F − , acetate (Ac − ), gluconate (G − ), and propionate (Pr − ). Permeability to albumin ( P albumin ) was calculated before and after addition of 0.2 mM of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), which reduces permeability. In Cl − , the P albumin was 3.05 ± 0.86 × 10 −6 cm/s and fell by 70% with the addition of IBMX. The initial P albumin was lowest for Pr − and Ac − . Initial P albumin was higher in Br − , I − , G − , and F − than in Cl − . A permeability ratio was calculated to examine the IBMX effect. The greatest IBMX effect was seen when Cl − was the extracellular anion, and the order among halide anions was Cl − > Br − > I − > F − . Although the level of extracellular Ca 2+ concentration ([Ca 2+ ] o ) varied over a wide range in the anion solutions, [Ca 2+ ] o did not systematically affect endothelial permeability in this system. When Cl − was the extracellular anion, varying [Ca 2+ ] o from 0.2 to 2.8 mM caused a change in initial P albumin but no change in the IBMX effect. The anion channel blockers 4-acetamido-4′-isothiocyanotostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (0.25 mM) and anthracene-9-carboxylic acid (0.5 mM) significantly altered initial P albumin and the IBMX effect. The anion transport blockers bumetanide (0.2 mM) and furosemide (1 mM) had no such effects. We conclude that extracellular anions influence bovine pulmonary arterial endothelial permeability and that the pharmacological profile fits better with the activity of anion channels than with other anion transport processes.
Public Employee Pensions in Missouri: A Looming Crisis

This paper describes how public employee pensions currently measure their financial health; discusses the consensus among economists that current accounting rules significantly understate pension liabilities and overstate pension funding levels; and describes how pension financing would appear using accounting rules similar to those required for private sector pensions or for public employee plans in other countries. Following that is discussion of objections to fair market valuation. Finally, we discuss the costs and benefits of potential reforms, including shifting to defined contribution or cash balance pension structures.
Theories of Elastic Continua and Crystal Lattice Theories

This paper is concerned with the relations between discrete and continuum theories of the elastic behavior of perfect crystals. The point of view adopted is that the validity of any extension of the classical theory of elasticity, intended to accommodate effects of the atomic structure of crystalline solids, can be tested by comparison with an appropriate lattice theory. The particular test to be applied is how well and to how short wave lengths the dispersion relation for plane waves, deduced from the continuum theory, reproduces that for the lattice.
What Kinds of People are at High Risk to Develop Chronic Stress-Related Symptoms?

Sir William Osier had to rely on intuition to identify subject features that could potentiate or attenuate either the symptoms or the etiology, or both, of a disease. The first goal of the present chapter is to specify a promising set of empirically identifiable individual differences and also a set of situational events that increase the risk of developing stress-related physical symptoms. The second goal is to present evidence from my clinical practice and the research literature to support this model of the patient at high risk to develop chronic stress-related illness. The third goal of this chapter is tentatively to suggest some procedures to quantify these subject dimensions and these situational conditions. The present model (Wickramasekera, 1979, 1980b,d, 1983) is based on clinical observations in an increasingly specialized clinical practice, theoretical speculations, and empirical data from several disparate lines of controlled research.
Exogenous applications of capsaicin inhibits seed germination of Capsicum annuum

Abstract Secondary metabolites, for example capsaicin, are substances with no known direct function in basic metabolism, but can provide some important adaptive significance in protection against herbivory and/or microbial infection. Capsaicin, responsible for the heat sensation in chile pepper fruit, is only found in the genus Capsicum (chile peppers). Like the accumulation of capsaicinoids, germination of chile pepper seed has been observed to vary among genotypes. To test whether capsaicin could be a contributor to reduced seed germination, two no-heat cultivars, Keystone Resistant Giant and Pimiento L, were treated with capsaicin to determine its effect on germination. Seeds were treated with 0, 500, or 1500 ppm capsaicin. Capsaicin treatment resulted not only in reduced but also delayed germination. We determined that capsaicin can decrease chile pepper seed germination, and may be the cause of slow germination in some chile pepper cultivars.
New Pseudacteon (Diptera: Phoridae) from North America That Parasitizes the Native Fire Ant Solenopsis geminata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A new species, Pseudacteon bifidus, is described from Travis County, TX. It differs from all other North American Pseudacteon species by the structure of the ovipositor in females and the shape of antennal flagellomere 1 in males. Females attack ants of the species Solenopsis geminata and have distinctive preoviposition behavior.
Assessing the accuracy of contact angle measurements for sessile drops on liquid-repellent surfaces.

Gravity-induced sagging can amplify variations in goniometric measurements of the contact angles of sessile drops on super-liquid-repellent surfaces. The very large value of the effective contact angle leads to increased optical noise in the drop profile near the solid–liquid free surface and the progressive failure of simple geometric approximations. We demonstrate a systematic approach to determining the effective contact angle of drops on super-repellent surfaces. We use a perturbation solution of the Bashforth–Adams equation to estimate the contact angles of sessile drops of water, ethylene glycol, and diiodomethane on an omniphobic surface using direct measurements of the maximum drop width and height. The results and analysis can be represented in terms of a dimensionless Bond number that depends on the maximum drop width and the capillary length of the liquid to quantify the extent of gravity-induced sagging. Finally, we illustrate the inherent sensitivity of goniometric contact angle measurement t...
Frequency-based customization of multizone sound system design

Methods for generating multizone soundfield have a wide range of applications. The desired dominant frequency bands to be generated and perceived, however, are not the same for different applications. Previous work proposed a low complexity algorithm for multizone wideband sound field generation using a frequency variable dictionary in a Lasso-LS optimization. This work demonstrates the flexibility of the novel algorithm in imposing variable number of active speakers to provide the desired reproduction accuracy at variable frequency bands. The deployment of this technique can lead to the customization of multizone sound system design based on both signal frequency content and listeners' perception.
Finite element modeling and validation of thermomechanical behavior of Ti-6Al-4V in directed energy deposition additive manufacturing

Abstract Thermally induced residual stresses and residual distortions in the additive manufactured (AM) parts are two of the major obstacles that are preventing AM technology from gaining wide adoption. In this work, a three-dimensional thermo-elastic-plastic model is proposed to predict the thermomechanical behavior in the laser engineered net shaping (LENS) process of Ti-6Al-4V using Finite Element Method (FEM). It is shown that the computed thermal history and mechanical deformations are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. The main contributions of this study are: (I) in the past, a point-wise comparison between simulation results and experimental measurements is more favored to validate the employed model, where the general picture is lost; rather, to validate the proposed model, the simulated distortion of the bottom surface of a thin substrate is compared with experimental measurements using a 3D laser scanner, in terms of both magnitude and distribution map. (II) Rather few works have been done to show the effectiveness of widely employed quasi-static mechanical analysis in the transient LENS process; as such, both quasi-static and dynamic simulations are performed and compared mechanically to demonstrate the validity of using quasi-static modeling to save computational cost.
Assessing bank performance and determining strategy

This case study offers insights into the assessment of bank performance and the determination of strategies to attain defined objectives (operational and ultimate). It reviews the fundamental analytical tools and defines their relative importance as measures of performance and strategy implementation. To validate the relationship between performance assessment and strategy implementation, the study focuses on a South Florida-based bank in the post 2008 crisis period. The bank's profile and accompanying financial statements provide the analyst with the necessary information to assess its performance and make a recommendation as to the proposed course of action. The pedagogical objective of the case is to expose the analyst to the challenges confronting the bank and the various strategic options available to management.
Fixed and growth mindsets: practical strategies to enhance creative and reflective learning

Explore the power of a "growth mindset." Through her research on achievement and success, Dr. Carol Dweck (2008) states that "growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts" and "the hand you're dealt is just the starting point for development" (p. 7). She has found that "the fixed mindset- creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over" (p. 6).Recalibrating a fixed mindset to a growth mindset reframes the learnerA¢â¬â¢s thought process to allow input that would otherwise be unavailable. Looking at learning through a growth mindset enables individuals to embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, reflect on reflect on knowledge acquisition, and see possibilities.Participants will explore their own mindset through a stimulation; they will engage in group activities to sort out ideas about fixed vs. growth mindsets. Attendees will learn strategies to help foster a growth environment. Applying these strategies can cultivate a love for learning, as well as resilience and persistence to attain goals. Participants will develop practical enhance learning and creative and reflective thinking.AÂ CitationDweck, C. (2008). Mindset: the new psychology of success. New York: Ballantine Books.
Psychosocial Features of Clinically Relevant Patient Subgroups With Serious Mental Illness and Comorbid Diabetes.

Objective:Care for people with serious mental illness and diabetes is complicated by clinical heterogeneity. This cross-sectional analysis of 200 individuals with comorbid serious mental illness and diabetes explored differentiation between patient subgroups that were characterized on the basis of selected dimensions within a biopsychosocial framework.Methods:Relationships between self-efficacy, treatment expectation, social support, and depression were first assessed via bivariate Spearman correlations among 200 individuals participating in a randomized controlled trial who had diabetes along with major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Next, latent profile analyses were conducted to determine underlying subgroups on the basis of these variables. The resultant groups were compared on diabetes control, function, and symptoms.Results:Two subgroups emerged. One had more severe psychiatric symptoms, low scores on other psychosocial variables, and worse diabetes control. The other had low levels...
Deformation theory of nearly Kähler manifolds

Nearly Kahler manifolds are the Riemannian 6‐manifolds admitting real Killing spinors. Equivalently, the Riemannian cone over a nearly Kahler manifold has holonomy contained in G2. In this paper we study the deformation theory of nearly Kahler manifolds, showing that it is obstructed in general. More precisely, we show that the infinitesimal deformations of the homogeneous nearly Kahler structure on the flag manifold are all obstructed to second order.
Peak Sound Pressure Levels and Associated Auditory Risk from an H2–Air “Egg-Splosion”

The noise level from exploding chemical demonstrations and the effect they could have on audiences, especially young children, needs attention. Auditory risk from H2–O2 balloon explosions have been studied, but no studies have been done on H2–air “egg-splosions”. The peak sound pressure level (SPL) was measured for the first time and compared to the recommended SPL limits and some recently published work. All peak SPL results ended above 125 dB, some greater than 150 dB. The SPL results exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) safe limits of 120 dB for children and 140 dB for adults.
Otx, β-Catenin, and the Specification of Ectodermal Cell Fates in the Sea Urchin Embryo

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the current status of the specification events leading to the differentiation of ectodermal cell types in sea urchin embryo. In sea urchins, the fates of all the major cell types are specified very early in embryogenesis, and it is the establishment of these individual cell types, rather than reiterative patterning along a body axis, which is critical for embryonic development. This chapter describes the embryological and molecular features that make ectodermal cell fate specification an attractive experimental system. The prevailing model that the activities of uniformly distributed transcription factors are regionally modulated by external signaling pathways is evaluated in light of new experiments. A comparison is made of the relevance of recent findings on sea urchin development to other organisms and how evolutionary mechanisms influence cell fate-specification processes is considered. The chapter also presents the current evidence linking extracellular signaling events with ectoderm-specific gene expression.
A numerical model for a hypoeutectic alloy droplet deposition with non-equilibrium solidification

A numerical model is developed to study the splat morphology and solidification characteristics of a molten hypoeutectic alloy droplet impinging and solidifying on a substrate. The study finds application in optimization and improvement of metal additive manufacturing processes such as solder jetting, microcasting, sputtering and 3D printing. The major mathematical and numerical challenges include solution of multiphase flow governing equations, interface tracking and modeling the non-equilibrium (rapid) solidification on a macroscopic domain. The free surface is tracked using a volume of fluid method with a piecewise linear interface construction while the mushy phase is modelled as a pseudo porous medium. An enthalpy formulation of the energy equation is coupled with the solute transport equation and the system is solved simultaneously for the temperature and concentration profiles until the eutectic point is reached; beyond which a special treatment is employed till complete solidification. Segregation models (with back diffusion) and eutectic phase diagram are incorporated in the solution procedure. The splat morphology, concentration profiles and microstructural properties are closely examined with emphasis on the convective effects and eutectic formation.
Social Media as a Tool to Reduce Sexual Misconduct in Medical Facilities.

Social Media and Sexual Misconduct Social Media as a Tool to Reduce Sexual Misconduct in Medical Facilities David Bychkov, PhD, 1 and Sean Young, PhD, MS 2 Johns Hopkins University, Whiting School of Engineering, Institute for NanoBioTechnology, inHealth Measurement Corps, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA Article Type: Commentary Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors Correspondence and reprint requests: Sean D. Young, PhD, MS Department of Family Medicine University of California, Los Angeles 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1800 Los Angeles, CA 90024 Email: Dr. Bychkov (DBychkov@mednet.ucla.edu); Dr. Young (SDYoung@mednet.ucla.edu)
BLIP-II Employs Differential Hotspot Residues To Bind Structurally Similar Staphylococcus aureus PBP2a and Class A β-Lactamases.

The interaction of β-lactamase inhibitory protein II (BLIP-II) with β-lactamases serves as a model system to investigate the principles underlying protein–protein interactions. Previous studies have focused on identifying the determinants of binding affinity and specificity between BLIP-II and class A β-lactamases. However, interactions between BLIP-II and other bacterial proteins have yet to be explored. Here, we provide evidence that BLIP-II binds penicillin binding protein 2a (PBP2a) from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with a KD in the low micromolar range. In comparison to the binding constants for the potent interaction between BLIP-II and TEM-1 β-lactamase (KD = 0.5 pM), the on-rate for BLIP-II binding PBP2a is 44 000 times slower and the off-rate is 170 times faster. Therefore, a slow association rate is a limiting factor for the potency of the interaction between BLIP-II and PBP2a. Results from alanine scanning mutagenesis of the predicted interface residues of BLIP-II indicate...
Massive Upland to Wetland Conversion Compensated for Historical Marsh Loss in Chesapeake Bay, USA

Sea level rise leads to coastal transgression, and the survival of ecosystems depends on their ability to migrate inland faster than they erode and submerge. We compared marsh extent between nineteenth-century maps and modern aerial photographs across the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in North America, and found that Chesapeake marshes have maintained their spatial extent despite relative sea level rise rates that are among the fastest in the world. In the mapped region (i.e., 25% of modern Chesapeake Bay marshland), 94 km2 of marsh was lost primarily to shoreline erosion, whereas 101 km2 of marsh was created by upland drowning. Simple projections over the entire Chesapeake region suggest that approximately 100,000 acres (400 km2) of uplands have converted to wetlands and that about a third of all present-day marsh was created by drowning of upland ecosystems since the late nineteenth century. Marsh migration rates were weakly correlated with topographic slope and the amount of development of adjacent uplands, suggesting that additional processes may also be important. Nevertheless, our results emphasize that the location of coastal ecosystems changes rapidly on century timescales and that sea level rise does not necessarily lead to overall habitat loss.
Model for radiation damage-induced grain subdivision and its influence in U3Si2 fuel swelling

Abstract The swelling mechanisms of U3Si2 from neutron irradiation under power reactor conditions are not unequivocally known. The limited experimental evidence that is available suggests that the main driver for swelling in this material would be fission gas accumulation at crystalline grain boundaries. The stages that lead to the accumulation of fission gases at these locations are multiple and complex. However the main mechanism is that, gradually, the gaseous fission products migrate by diffusion. Upon reaching a grain boundary, which acts as a trap, the gaseous fission products accumulate thus leading to formation of bubbles and hence to induced swelling. Therefore, a quantitative model of swelling requires a correct accounting for the presence of grain boundaries and for phenomena and changes that increase their numbers, thus creating sites for bubble formation and growth while concurrently decreasing grain sizes, thus decreasing the effective distance for gas species migration to gas accumulation sites. A model for the subdivision, or recrystallization, of crystal grains is presented. It is assumed that new grain boundary formation results from the conversion of stored energy from accumulated dislocations into energy for local matter rearrangements that create the new grain boundaries hence subdividing the initial grain. The model is applied to grain subdivision in U3Si2, albeit using highly uncertain parameters. Then the implications of the model are assessed using a swelling modeling code to evaluate the total swelling of a fuel pellet during its lifetime in the I2S-LWR reactor, accounting for the influence of grain subdivision. The present model relaxes assumptions from previous models that limit their applicability in the case of the power levels and temperature conditions of the I2S-LWR concept. In particular, the new model assumes fully time-dependent conditions and does not postulate equilibrium or steady-state conditions for any population of radiation induced damage structures or the products of their evolution, such as vacancies, interstitials, and dislocations. Unlike others, the present model explicitly accounts for a population of di-interstitials. The model predicts that when a critical fission density is reached, the crystal grains subdivide and new, smaller grains are formed. It is shown that for some plausible, though uncertain, sets of physical parameters, a critical fission density can be reached at which recrystallization can occur in U3Si2, which can then result in the onset of breakaway swelling. It is found that the critical fission density depends strongly on the fission rate density and that it decreases with increases in the fission rate density. The critical fission density is found to display a minimum at intermediate temperatures, which suggest possible fuel performance advantages in operating the reactor in ways that imply higher fuel temperatures.
Coherence-length-gated distributed optical fiber sensing based on microwave-photonic interferometry.

This paper presents a new optical fiber distributed sensing concept based on coherent microwave-photonics interferometry (CMPI), which uses a microwave modulated coherent light source to interrogate cascaded interferometers for distributed measurement. By scanning the microwave frequencies, the complex microwave spectrum is obtained and converted to time domain signals at known locations by complex Fourier transform. The amplitudes of these time domain pulses are a function of the optical path differences (OPDs) of the distributed interferometers. Cascaded fiber Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs) fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining were used to demonstrate the concept. The experimental results indicated that the strain measurement resolution can be better than 0.6 µe using a FPI with a cavity length of 1.5 cm. Further improvement of the strain resolution to the ne level is achievable by increasing the cavity length of the FPI to over 1m. The tradeoff between the sensitivity and dynamic range was also analyzed in detail. To minimize the optical power instability (either from the light source or the fiber loss) induced errors, a single reflector was added in front of an individual FPI as an optical power reference for the purpose of compensation.
In vivo visual reporter system for estrogenic contaminant exposure using transgenic see-through Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes.

Abstract Estrogenic contaminants are commonly detected in water bodies and can result in reproductive effects of aquatic organisms. This necessitates the development of time and cost effective tools to screen chemicals for estrogenic potential. Our objective was to develop a novel in vivo visual reporter system for rapid detection of estrogenic contaminants. We developed a Japanese medaka ( Oryzias latipes ) transgenic line (pOSP1-AcGFP), which expresses Aequorea coerulescens green florescence protein (AcGFP) under the control of ovarian structural protein 1 ( osp1 ) promoter region. Osp1 is a gene with early female-specific expression that is highly responsive to hormonal exposure. Next, we conducted 24 h exposure of 30 dph pOSP1-AcGFP larvae to successfully detect estrogenic activity of contaminants. Our results support the hypothesis that molecular biomarkers are sensitive tools for early detection of the effects of estrogenic contaminants.
Diffusion Cell Design

Although diffusion cells are manufactured with many different designs, there are only two basic models: one-chambered and two-chambered cells. Each type has its own use for skin absorption experiments.
Orthomyxoviral and paramyxoviral infections in transplant patients.

SUMMARY In summary, orthomyxo-and paramyxoviruses cause clinically important infections in transplant patients. Patients often develop lower respiratory tract involvement and sometimes respiratory failure, which almost is uniformly fatal. Bone marrow transplant recipients appear to be at higher risk of severe disease than are solid-organ recipients, but well defined criteria to predict those patients who will be severely affected are not available. Factors associated with more severe disease include the type of viral pathogen, with pneumonia occurring more commonly with RSV and PIV infection, and the degree of immunosuppression of the patient, particularly the pre-engraftment phase in bone marrow transplant recipients. Because mortality is associated with development of pneumonia, prompt diagnosis and studies for concurrent infections are essential. Evaluation of fever and upper respiratory tract symptoms in patients in the peritransplant period should include sampling of nasopharyngeal and throat for virus isolation and antigen detection for respiratory viruses. If patients develop lower respiratory tract symptoms, early bronchoscopy with BAL is indicated. No specific antiviral therapy has proved effective in the treatment of established respiratory viral infections of transplant patients. Aerosolized ribavirin or, in the instance of influenza A virus infection, oral rimantadine might be considered as early therapy to prevent severe lower respiratory disease. Intravenous ribavirin, currently available on a compassionate use basis, might be considered for treating measles virus infection. In patients with lower tract disease due to RSV, the addition of immunoglobulin with high neutralizing antibody titers to RSV or intravenous ribavirin are additional considerations to forestall respiratory failure. Controlled studies of these interventions are needed in transplant patients before their use can be recommended routinely.
A Case of an Invisible Ureteral Stent.

Abstract A 35-year-old female presented to the emergency department with fevers and flank pain and was found on computed tomography to have a retained ureteral stent that was placed during emergent ureteral repair eight years prior. The stent was only faintly visible on computed tomography and was completely radiolucent on fluoroscopy. We believe that the stent's radiopaque coating degraded and was lost after years of exposure to urine. This case suggests that a stent may become undetectable on standard imaging if left in place for a long enough period of time.
Probabilistic framework for evaluating food security of households in the aftermath of a disaster

For households of all income levels, and especially for those that are food insecure, food access can be threatened by natural hazards. Extreme natural hazards can disrupt critical infrastructure s...
More Real Than Ideal: Household and Community Diversity at Metapontum, South Italy

Empirical studies of ancient cities must break down communities into their component parts, but frequently encounter difficulty with the scarcity of excavated domestic structures (e.g. Kramer 1982, 673). I introduce to the archaeological literature the entropy estimating statistical bootstrap (EESB), a tool developed in information theory and computational social science by DeDeo et al. (2013) which provides a way to assess how representative a small dataset is of a parent population, categorized according to some useful typology. This method can be used to decide when small datasets can add further detail to our quantitative studies of archaeological settlements or when they need to be rejected as too small. I then illustrate its uses within the context of urban demography by examining the distribution of house forms to calculate household characteristics specific to Metapontum, an ancient Greek city. Future applications will include building larger urban datasets that are empirically grounded in the specific evidence for each community, facilitating the work of research programs such as urban scaling.
The Normal Response to Pain

The “normal” response to pain, from nociceptor activation to the ensuing adaptive behavioral response, is a multidimensional, often nonlinear experience that has evolved to improve an individual’s likelihood for survival through an intricate system designed for protection, preservation and restoration, and prevention of future harm. This is made possible by a system of modulation by peripheral, spinal, brainstem, and cortical processes that undergo predictable and functional changes over time to reduce the potential for long-term harm from an injury or illness. The complex central nervous system processing of pain, as well as the presence and extent of ongoing peripheral input, determines an individualized response pattern during recovery and plays a prominent role in the persistence of pain and resulting physical or psychological impairments. Improving outcomes related to persistent pain will require continued investments in better understanding of the individual-, social-, cultural-, and provider-related factors that lead to chronic impairment and suffering due to persistent pain.
Columbus, Juana and the Politics of the Plaza: Battles over Monuments, Memory and Identity in Buenos Aires

espanolEn 2013, la entonces presidenta Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner desperto la polemica por su decision de reemplazar un monumento a Cristobal Colon en Buenos Aires por uno de la revolucionaria mestiza del siglo XIX Juana Azurduy. Este articulo examina la historia y la iconografia de estos monumentos, explorando la interseccion entre el espacio publico, el arte, la politica y la memoria. Se senala que estas conmemoraciones –que representan la antes maldecida herencia inmigrante italiana y la herencia indigena olvidada– demuestran como luchas fundamentales sobre la identidad nacional han estado enraizadas y han sido disputadas en el paisaje urbano capitalino, en formas que siguen siendo influyentes en el presente. Ademas, el articulo subraya que el centenario de 1910 y el bicentenario de 2010 fueron claves para estos esfuerzos, y examina el poder/politica del espacio en la plaza central donde varios actores lucharon por representaciones conmemorativas. EnglishIn 2013, Argentina’s then-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner sparked controversy for her decision to replace a monument of Christopher Columbus in Buenos Aires with one of nineteenth-century mestiza revolutionary Juana Azurduy. This article examines the history and iconography of these monuments, exploring the intersections between public space, art, politics and memory. It argues that these monuments — one representing Argentina’s previously maligned Italian immigrant heritage, the other its forgotten indigenous culture — demonstrate how fundamental struggles over national identity have been embedded and contested in the capital’s urban landscape, in ways that remain influential. It highlights Argentina’s 1910 centennial and 2010 bicentennial as key to these efforts, and examines the power/politics of place in the central plaza where various actors have fought for public commemorative representation.
LAOS (Large Amplitude Oscillatory Shear) Applications for Semisolid Foods

The rheological behavior of semisolid foods under large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) can offer more detailed understanding of structural changes occurring during processing and consumption compared to traditional rheometry. This chapter focuses on a detailed description of LAOS measurements, including theory, testing method, data interpretation, and corrections. It also discusses LAOS application to food systems with different core structures ranging from dilute dispersions to gels, foams, emulsions, and soft elastic networks, along with a special emphasis on yogurt. Type of stress responses for different rheological behavior, Lissajous-Bowditch curves, and the resulting LAOS parameters (\( {G}_M^{\prime } \), \( {G}_L^{\prime } \), \( {\eta}_M^{\prime } \), \( {\eta}_L^{\prime } \), e3/e1, ν3/ν1, S, and T) are used to understand the structural changes in all of these foods with special emphasis on high-fat, low-fat, and non-fat yogurt.
Evolution of Analytical Sciences in the United States: A Historical Account

The current teaching and practice of analytical chemistry reflect the evolution of measurement science over time. Qualitative and quantitative measurements can be traced back to prebiblical times, ...
Holistic finite element analysis to evaluate influence of cross-frames in skewed steel I-girder bridges

Abstract Cross-frames must provide necessary stiffness for stability, but excessive stiffness can be detrimental by causing stress distributions differing from designers’ expectations and / or uneconomical cross-frame designs. Cross-frames are also generally assumed to have important roles in live-load distribution. This work evaluates a novel means for considering the overall stress distribution throughout finite element models, in contrast to other contemporary methods that quantitatively analyze only isolated stresses. This method is used to evaluate different cross-frame designs, including the absence of cross-frames, for simply-supported composite skewed steel I-girder bridges. Considering all results, from both newly proposed and conventional metrics, it is demonstrated that the influence of cross-frame design often has a more significant influence than the presence or absence of cross-frames. Thus, the importance of cross-frames may be less than previously thought. Furthermore, the data reveals that the greatest differences between models were generally due to the use of staggered cross-frames, which also cause the most significant departures from traditional expectations of girder behavior.