cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous Estimation of Microphysical Parameters and Atmospheric State with Simulated Radar Data and Ensemble Square Root Kalman Filter. Part II: Parameter Estimation Experiments

The ensemble Kalman filter method is applied to correct errors in five fundamental microphysical parameters that are closely involved in the definition of drop/particle size distributions of microphysical species in a commonly used single-moment ice microphysics scheme, for a model-simulated supercell storm, using radar data. The five parameters include the intercept parameters for rain, snow, and hail/graupel and the bulk densities of hail/graupel and snow. The ensemble square root Kalman filter (EnSRF) is employed for simultaneous state and parameter estimation. The five microphysical parameters are estimated individually or in different combinations starting from different initial guesses. A data selection procedure based on correlation information is introduced, which combined with variance inflation, effectively avoids the collapse of the spread of parameter ensemble, hence filter divergence. Parameter estimation results demonstrate, for the first time, that the ensemble-based method can be used to correct model errors in microphysical parameters through simultaneous state and parameter estimation, using radar reflectivity observations. When error exists in only one of the microphysical parameters, the parameter can be successfully estimated without exception. The estimation of multiple parameters is less reliable, mainly because the identifiability of the parameters becomes weaker and the problem might have no unique solution. The parameter estimation results are found to be very sensitive to the realization of the initial parameter ensemble, which is mainly related to the use of relatively small ensemble sizes. Increasing ensemble size generally improves the parameter estimation. The quality of parameter estimation also depends on the quality of observation data. It is also found that the results of state estimation are generally improved when simultaneous parameter estimation is performed, even when the estimated parameter values are not very accurate.
An overview of Georgia Tech studies on the fluid dynamics aspects of liquid protection schemes for fusion reactors

This paper provides an overview of experimental and numerical studies conducted at Georgia Tech to assess the fluid dynamics aspects of liquid protection schemes for fusion energy reactors. The problems described here include: (1) Dynamics of slab jets for thick liquid protection, including the effect of nozzle design, flow conditioning, and boundary layer cutting on jet surface smoothness; (2) Primary turbulent breakup of turbulent liquid sheets and forced thin liquid films, and quantification of the associated hydrodynamic source term; (3) Dynamics of forced films on downward-facing flat and curved surfaces, including film detachment and flow around beam ports; (4) Free-surface topology and drop detachment from downward-facing porous wetted walls; and (5) Thermocapillary effects and associated design constraints for liquid-film-protected divertors and first walls. The experimental data and validated numerical models developed in these studies allow reactor designers to identify design windows for successful operation of liquid-protected first walls and plasma facing components in inertial and magnetic confinement systems.
Tree-affix dendrogrammars for languages and compilers

Research in progress is reported regarding a variation on attribute and affix grammars intended for describing the "static semantic" or "context-sensitive syntactic" constraints on programming languages. The grammars are oriented toward abstract-syntax trees, rather than concrete-syntax strings. Attributes are also trees (only) and predicates are simply nonterminals, defined just as other nonterminals are, NOT in some extra-grammatical way. Moreover, trees are allowed as decorations on trees. Thus, the formalism is completely self-contained. The grammars are proposed for language specifications in reference manuals and for the automatic generation of practical compiler modules. Such a module is given an abstract-syntax tree, analyses it, and produces the checked, decorated tree as its result.
Geometrical limitations in grating pair pulse compression

Optical-pulse compression using gratings has become a standard technique for producing ultrafast pulses outside a laser cavity. Short pulses produced by a mode-locked laser are focused into an optical fiber. There, self-phase modulation and group velocity dispersion act to broaden the bandwidth of the pulse and impart to it a negative chirp. A pair of diffraction gratings are placed following the fiber. Different frequencies follow different paths through the grating pair; if they are properly oriented, the gratings can compensate for the linear chirp of the pulse. In this way the spectral components of the pulse are compressed in time. The net effect of the system is to produce an output pulse that is shorter than the input pulse because of the additional frequencies generated in the fiber.
The Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Fermi Surfaces of Copper, Silver and Gold

The distortion of the Fermi surfaces of the noble metals as a result of hydrostatic pressure has been studied by the observation of phase changes in de Haas-van Alphen oscillations in the pressure range 1 to 25 atm at 1 $^\circ$K. A relative change of phase with pressure between [111] belly and neck oscillations has been observed: the direction of the change shows that the neck cross-sections are increasing in size relative to the bellies. Measurements by a null method of the absolute phase change with pressure of the belly oscillations in a steady magnetic field have also been made. Despite complications due to intermodulation effects from the neck oscillations, these measurements have shown that the rates of increase of the belly cross-sections are somewhat smaller than would be expected from published figures for compressibility. A combination of these results with the measurements of relative phase change show that the overall rates of increase with pressure for the neck cross-sections are in copper about 4.2, in silver about 7.3 and in gold about 5.4 times greater than would be the case if the Fermi surface simply expanded uniformly with the Brillouin zone.
Does Study Enrollment Delay Treatment With Intravenous Thrombolytics for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose— Enrollment in acute stroke trials at a stroke center with multiple study protocols may delay the initiation of intravenous thrombolytics in patients who present within 3 hours of symptom onset. Methods— We studied all patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke over the past 3.5 years who qualified for thrombolysis within 3 hours of symptom onset. We collected demographics, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores, CT findings, and arrival-to-treatment times and compared patients treated with intravenous thrombolytics in a clinical trial with patients who received standard of care intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. Results— Of 290 treated patients, 19 were enrolled in prelytic studies, 46 were enrolled in postlytic studies, and 225 were treated with standard intravenous tissue plasminogen activator. There was no significant difference in age, gender, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, admission glucose, or changes on CT. There was no diffe...
Approximation on disjoint intervals and its applicability to matrix preconditioning

A polynomial preconditioner to an invertible matrix is constructed from the (near) best uniform polynomial approximation to the function 1/x on the eigenvalues of the matrix. The preconditioner is developed using symmetric matrices whose eigenvalues are located in the union of two (disjoint) intervals. The full spectrum of the matrix need not be known in order for the strategy to be applicable. All that is essential is an estimate on the bounds of the larger of the two clusters of eigenvalues. The algorithm, based on the strategy, is shown to be numerically stable with respect to the size of the matrix. In fact it yields, at low cost, an approximation to the inverse of the matrix to within a specified tolerance.
Application-Driven Compression for Visualizing Large-Scale Time-Varying Data

We advocate an application-driven approach to compressing and rendering large-scale time-varying scientific-simulation data. Scientists often have specific visualization tasks in mind based on certain domain knowledge. For example, in the context of time-varying, multivariate volume-data visualization, a scientist's domain knowledge might include the salient isosurface of interest for some variable. Given this knowledge, the scientist might want to observe spatiotemporal relationships among other variables in the neighborhood of that isosurface. We've tried to directly incorporate such knowledge and tasks into data reduction, compression, and rendering. Here, we present our solution andexperimental results for two largescale time-varying, multivariate scientific data sets.
Negative ion mode electrospray ionization mass spectrometry study of ammonium-counter ion clusters

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was used to examine clusters of protonated amine salt solutions with chloride counter ions in the negative ion mode. These ions have the general formula [(RNH3)xClx+1]−. Primary amines generate a wide cluster distribution with clusters up to 14 mer for methylamine hydrochloride clusters. Secondary and quaternary amines only generate the monomer ion under identical conditions. Collision induced dissociation (CID) of the cluster ions generates cluster ions of lower m/z with the next lower cluster being the most abundant. The product ions from MeNH3Cl2−, Me2NH2Cl2− and (MeNH3)2Cl3− have low threshold appearance energies of 1. 24 to 2. 22 eV center-of-mass frame. Secondary amine monomer ions have lower threshold CID energies than primary amine monomer ions. The amine threshold CID energy decreases as the carbon chain length increases. As an electrospray solvent, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) promotes the formation of counter ions and clustering.
Unique hydration behavior of potato starch as determined by deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance.

Deuterium Nuclear Magentic Resonance (NMR) measurements at 4.7 Tesla revealed a unique hydration behavior of potato starch that involved the presence of a tightly bound water population with anisotropic motions within the potato starch granule, even in the presence of excess, bulk water in potato starch slurries. Well-defined powder patterns with residual deuterium quadrupole splittings of about 1 kHz were also observed at 20°C for raw potato tubers. Three other water populations, a weakly bound, a surface-trapped, and a bulk water population, were also present up to 60% starch and were in fast exchange with each other at room temperature, resulting in a broadened, single Lorentzian 2H NMR peak. These three water populations were absent below 35% moisture content in potato starch, but not in corn starch. The unique hydration properties of potato starch might be important for novel processing methodology.
Antirestenotic Effects of a Locally Delivered Caspase Inhibitor in a Balloon Injury Model

Background— The precise role of arterial barotrauma-mediated apoptosis in causing restenosis is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine if a link exists between angioplasty-mediated medial smooth muscle cell apoptosis and subsequent neointimal hyperplasia. Methods and Results— Bilateral iliac artery angioplasty was performed in 25 male New Zealand White rabbits. Simultaneous with balloon injury, each artery was treated locally with either the caspase inhibitor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp(Ome)-fluoromethylketone (ZVAD-fmk) or control. In the acute cohort that was survived to 4 hours (n=10, 7 high dose and 3 low dose), an apoptotic index was calculated using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl TUNEL method. In the intermediate cohort that was survived to 2 weeks (n=5), luminal reendothelialization was measured via CD-31 staining. In the chronic cohort that was survived to 4 weeks (n=10), neointimal area was measured. In the acute cohort, there was a 40% reduction in the apoptotic index with high-d...
Multidimensional Analysis of International Images Among College Students in Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States

Abstract Cognitive maps produced by the perceived differences of four cultural groups were measured and compared by multidimensional scaling methods. The international images indicated by cognitive maps were significantly different from one another for college students from Japan, Hong Kong, and two distinct cultural sites in the United States. The perceived similarity structure of cognitive maps was found to be more stable than preference structure. The influence of international communication experiences on cognitive maps was somewhat mixed. Having foreign friends was consistently related with more complex cognitive maps, but having traveled abroad and having lived abroad were not consistently related.
Is Nature Fractal

David Avnir et al. ( Science 's Compass, 2 Jan., [p. 39][1]) report on the high proportion of hasty claims of fractality in Physical Review journals and end by saying that “[t]his is the fractal geometry of nature.” When assessing a field, other authors might not dwell so much on the statistics
A note on repeated-root cyclic codes

G. Castagnoli et al. (see ibid., vol.37, no.2, p.337-42, 1991) and J.H. van Lint (see ibid., vol.37, no.2, p.343-5, 1991) analyzed cyclic codes with repeated roots. These studies fail to acknowledge a previous work by C.L. Chen (1969) which includes an analysis of even-length binary cyclic codes. Results from Chen's study are presented. >
Systematic testing of protocol robustness: case studies on mobile IP and MARS

Systematic testing of robustness by evaluation of synthesized scenarios STRESS is a methodology developed for the systematic testing of protocols, and includes algorithms for generating topologies and event sequences that rigorously test the correctness or performance of a given protocol. In this paper, we apply the STRESS method to mobile IP (MIP) and the multicast address resolution server (MARS) protocol for supporting IP-multicast over ATM. For each protocol, we develop a protocol model and analyze its robustness. We also analyze complexity of the STRESS test generation algorithms. In the process, we identify the limitations of the existing STRESS models and algorithms, and propose extensions to carry out our case studies. With the aid of STRESS, we were able to identify several protocol behaviors that lead to error or performance degradation. For MIP we identified such behaviors with the crash of a home agent or the loss of a registration message. For MARS undesired behavior was detected with the crash of the MARS server or source and the selective loss of a join or leave message. The complexity of forward search was found to be O(n/sup 2/) for both MIP and MARS. Incorporating the fault model in the search was found to affect the number of states searched. The crash of a home agent in MIP, and the crash of a data source or server in MARS, were both found to increase the number of states searched. However, the asymptotic complexity was not affected.
Identification of Focal Viral Infections by Confocal Microscopy for Subsequent Ultrastructural Analysis

A correlative microscopy method for the ultrastructural analysis of focal viral tissue infections is presented. Using a confocal scanning laser microscope, foci of infection are identified in tissue sections prior to embedment; a variety of techniques can be employed for viral detection, including staining with standard histochemical reagents and fluorescently labeled antibodies. Areas of infection identified using confocal microscopy are excised from the tissue sections, embedded, and examined by transmission electron microscopy. Applications of this technique in both diagnostic and basic research settings are described.
An adaptive least-mean-square wave digital filter

An adaptive wave digital filter (WDF) based on the least-mean-square algorithm is presented. The stability can easily be monitored and achieved by observing and controlling the multiplier coefficients of the adaptive WDF. The author discusses the elementary building blocks of the WDF and derives the algorithm for updating the coefficients of the adaptive WDF. Simulation results are included to demonstrate its potential application in system identification. >
Mechanisms of electroless metal plating. II: Formaldehyde oxidation

Etude quantitative de la cinetique et du mecanisme d'oxydation du formaldehyde sur un metal de chaque groupe (Pt et Cu), et determination de la stœchiometrie globale de la reaction d'oxydation sur chaque metal. Determination de l'influence de la nature du metal sur l'oxydation electrocatalytique du formaldehyde
State‐led Democratic Politics and Emerging Forms of Indigenous Leadership Among the Ye'kwana of the Upper Orinoco

En este articulo analizo la politica Ye'kwana del Alto Orinoco para revelar como sus nociones de liderazgo, autoridad, y comunidad han sido transformadas con la intrusion politica nacional de Venezuela. Comparo las respuestas de indigenistas, misioneros, politicos regionales, e indigenas Ye'kwana sobre la ascension al poder politico de Jaime Turon, un lider polemico Ye'kwana y alcalde del municipio Alto Orinoco. Sostengo que la politica de descentralizacion y democratizacion conducida por muchos estados de America Latina son procesos que simultaneamente excluyen e incorporan a lideres indigenas y plantean desafios complicados para aquellos que buscan legitimidad entre los pueblos indigenas y organizaciones indigenistas. Esta situacion es especialmente pertinente al caso de Venezuela, un pais petrolero donde lideres indigenas entran a la esfera politica nacional como politicos elegidos con presupuestos municipales relativamente grandes bajo su control y no como lideres asociados a federaciones interetnicas. Este estudio revela los aspectos emergentes del liderazgo indigena contemporaneo y los criterios hibridos necesarios para la legitimidad politica entre indigenas Amazonicas. Ademas, agrega a una comprension mas plural y multi-vocal de la politica indigena en America Latina
Preferences Are Public Rights

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Stern v. Marshall, there is widespread uncertainty as to what other proceedings may constitutionally fall within a bankruptcy court’s core jurisdiction. Supreme Court jurisprudence has been cryptic regarding the constitutional limitations of non-Article III courts, but the Court has identified a "public rights exception" to the general rule that the judicial power must be exercised only by judges with life tenure and salary protection. This public rights exception has not yet been explicitly extended to a bankruptcy proceeding, but the reasoning of the Court strongly suggests that a trustee’s motion to avoid preferences would fall under the public rights exception, as a proceeding stemming exclusively from bankruptcy law and necessary to resolve claims against the estate. Accordingly, and contrary to what most scholars have suggested, preference proceedings fit comfortably within the jurisdiction of bankruptcy courts, even after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Stern.
Pavement thickness and stabilised foundation layer assessment using ground-coupled GPR

AbstractExperimental results from field and laboratory investigations using a ground-coupled ground penetrating radar (GPR), dielectric measurement, magnetic imaging tomography (MIT) and dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) tests are presented. Dielectric properties of asphalt pavement and stabilised and unstabilised pavement foundation materials were evaluated in the laboratory in frozen and unfrozen conditions. Laboratory test results showed that dielectric properties of materials back-calculated from GPR in comparison to dielectric gauge measurements are strongly correlated and repeatable. For chemically stabilised materials, curing time affected the dielectric properties of the materials. Field tests were conducted on asphalt pavement test sections with different foundation materials (stabilised and unstabilised layers), drainage conditions and layer thicknesses. GPR and MIT results were used to determine asphalt layer thicknesses and were compared with measured core thicknesses, while GPR and DCP were use...
A cross-sectional analysis of nuclear medicine technologists in the US concerning radiological emergency preparedness

2713 Objectives Radiological emergency preparedness has gained more attention in the aftermath of the nuclear power plant emergency in Japan. This study aims to: (1) Evaluate the knowledge of nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs) in regards to bioassays that can be performed and radiation protection principles that can be followed during and/or after a radiological disaster 1-6; (2) Measure the willingness of NMTs to perform bioassays and decontamination during and/or after a radiological disaster; (3) Assess the availability of equipment to NMTs 2-6; (4) Determine the relationship between the knowledge and willingness of NMTs to participate in radiological emergency response efforts and the availability of equipment. Methods An electronic survey was sent to approximately 7,000 NMTs in the US using the SNMMI/TS database. Analyses were performed using SAS Version 9.3. Results The survey response rate was 12.14%. The majority of respondents, regardless of years of experience, were knowledgeable on the use of a scintillation gamma camera, Geiger counter, thyroid probe, and portal monitor to detect radioactive contamination. 82.4% of respondents were overall willing to help with radiation detection/monitoring during a radiological disaster. Most respondents were likely to have a scintillation gamma camera, well counter, Geiger counter, or thyroid probe available. 35.28% of respondents had not had radiological emergency preparedness training in the past 5 years, and 77.1% and 77.3% of respondents were not familiar with specific preparedness materials provided by the CDC and DHHS, respectively. Conclusions Our results suggest a need for additional radiological emergency preparedness training for NMTs and a strategic plan to increase awareness of preparedness materials and volunteer programs to NMTs.
Endocrine Factors in Pathogenesis of Experimental Poliomyelitis in Hamsters. Role of Inoculatory and Environmental Stress.

Summary1. The incidence of paralytic poliomyelitis in experimentally infected hamsters has been found to depend upon a variety of factors such as inoculatory trauma, environmental stress, and diet. A linear correlation was found between incidence of adrenal hypertrophy and incidence of paralytic disease induced by the above factors in 2 series of hamsters inoculated simultaneously, one with pathogen-free material, the other with MEFX1 virus. 2. Seasonal fluctuations in adrenal reactivity to the inoculatory trauma were closely associated with parallel fluctuations in susceptibility to poliomyelitis. Either, adaptation to chronic environmental stress, or rapid disappearance of the virus from certain inoculated tissues, interfered with the above correlation. 3. The mechanism by which endocrine glands and hormones may influence the progression of virus is discussed.
Scribble Scaffolds a Signalosome for Active Forgetting

Summary Forgetting, one part of the brain's memory management system, provides balance to the encoding and consolidation of new information by removing unused or unwanted memories or by suppressing their expression. Recent studies identified the small G protein, Rac1, as a key player in the Drosophila mushroom bodies neurons (MBn) for active forgetting. We subsequently discovered that a few dopaminergic neurons (DAn) that innervate the MBn mediate forgetting. Here we show that Scribble, a scaffolding protein known primarily for its role as a cell polarity determinant, orchestrates the intracellular signaling for normal forgetting. Knocking down scribble expression in either MBn or DAn impairs normal memory loss. Scribble interacts physically and genetically with Rac1, Pak3, and Cofilin within MBn, nucleating a forgetting signalosome that is downstream of dopaminergic inputs that regulate forgetting. These results bind disparate molecular players in active forgetting into a single signaling pathway: Dopamine→ Dopamine Receptor→ Scribble→ Rac→ Cofilin.
SPATIAL SCALE INFLUENCES ON MODELED RUNOFF FOR LARGE WATERSHEDS

Modeling the runoff subsystem for large drainage basins requires simplification in representing natural processes owing to the spatial variability of mass and energy transfers in a watershed. Many models represent temporally and spatially distributed watershed variables by some form of aggregation or lumping. Scale becomes a factor in the lumping decision because some of the variables are spatially continuous while others are spatially discontinuous. The effects of scale differences on lumping in large watersheds is examined using the 27,300 km2 drainage area of the Deschutes River, Oregon. The watershed is modeled using three different spatial aggregations for representing the runoff subsystem. Agreement between modeled and observed monthly runoff for water years 1951-60 is analyzed to evaluate the magnitude of the difference between corresponding observed and modeled values. Increasing the number of spatial units in the model from 1 to 9 reduces all of the error terms by about 35 percent, but 20 spatial...
The Truth About Memory and Identity

The moral condemnation of memory modifying technologies (MMTs) often relies on the view that memory provides a veridical representation of the past and that it can be used to ground personal identity. In this chapter, I present a range of studies that substantiate the claim that autobiographical memory is unreliable and cannot be used to ground narrative identity. I use this evidence to argue that MMTs that have the potential to alter autobiographical memory do not jeopardize personal identity. Given its flexibility, I argue, narrative identity can be maintained despite changes in memory. I further argue that maintenance of particular memories is not required for authenticity. Because of the spontaneous fluctuations of each person’s character traits, values, and preferences over time, I claim that first-person endorsement of core traits or the identification of core memories as formative of narrative identity is required to establish one’s true self. In addition, I dispute the argument that memory modification poses a challenge to authenticity and provide examples of instances where such modification can promote authenticity.
Bidirectional associations of accelerometer-determined sedentary behavior and physical activity with reported time in bed: Women's Health Study

Abstract Objective To examine the day-to-day, bidirectional associations of accelerometer-derived sedentary behavior and physical activity (PA) with reported time in bed in a large cohort of older women. Methods Data are from 10 086 Women's Health Study participants (aged 71.6 years; SD, 5.7) who agreed to wear an accelerometer and complete a diary for 7 consecutive days. Generalized linear (multilevel) models with repeated measures were used to examine the adjusted associations of the following: (1) reported time in bed with next-day accelerometer-determined counts and time spent sedentary and in light- and moderate-to-vigorous–intensity PA (MVPA) and (2) accelerometer estimates with reported time in bed that night, expressed as short ( 9 hours) sleep. Results Across days, short sleep was associated with an average of 5500 (SE, 1352) higher accelerometer counts the following day but was also related to higher average sedentary (46.5 [SE, 1.5] minutes) and light-intensity PA (11.9 [SE, 1.2] minutes) than optimal sleep (all P P P Conclusions Findings support the bidirectional associations of accelerometer-determined sedentary behavior and PA with reported time in bed in older women. Future studies are needed to confirm findings with sleep actigraphy in older women.
Migraine affects 1 in 10 people worldwide featuring recent rise: A systematic review and meta-analysis of community-based studies involving 6 million participants.

Abstract Objective To study the weighted average global prevalence of migraine at the community level. Study design and setting A systematic review using advanced search strategies employing PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for community-based and non-clinical studies by combining the terms “migraine”, “community-based”, and names of every country worldwide spanning all previous years from January 1, 1920 until August 31, 2015. Methods were in accordance with PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. A meta-analysis with subgroup analysis was performed to identify pooled migraine prevalence and examine cohort heterogeneity. Results A total of 302 community-based studies involving 6,216,995 participants (median age 35 years, male-to-female ratio of 0.91) were included. Global migraine prevalence was 11.6% (95% CI 10.7–12.6%; random effects); 10.4% in Africa, 10.1% in Asia, 11.4% in Europe, 9.7% in North America, 16.4% in Central and South America. When the pooled cohort was stratified, the prevalence was 13.8% among females, 6.9% among males, 11.2% among urban residents, 8.4% among rural residents, and 12.4% among school/college students. Our result showed a pattern of rising global migraine prevalence. Conclusion Migraine affects one in ten people worldwide featuring recent rise. Higher prevalence was found among females, students, and urban residents.
Critical Thoughts on American Social Work and the Crisis of Modernity: Lessons From Theory and Current Events

Social work in America is at a curious junction: continue down the status quo path of professionalization or embrace an antagonistic and critical, political stance toward global institutions and th...
Epigenetics of Mucus Hypersecretion in Chronic Respiratory Diseases

Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis are three chronic pulmonary diseases that affect an estimated 420 million individuals across the globe. A key factor contributing to each of these conditions is mucus hypersecretion. Although management of these diseases is vastly studied, researchers have only begun to scratch the surface of the mechanisms contributing to mucus hypersecretion. Epigenetic regulation of mucus hypersecretion, other than microRNA post-translational modification, is even more scarcely researched. Detailed study of epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation and histone modification, could not only help to better the understanding of these respiratory conditions but also reveal new treatments for them. Because mucus hypersecretion is such a complex event, there are innumerable genes involved in the process, which are beyond the scope of a single review. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to narrow the focus and summarize specific epigenetic research that has been conducted on a few aspects of mucus hypersecretion in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and some cancers. Specifically, this review emphasizes the contribution of DNA methylation and histone modification of particular genes involved in mucus hypersecretion to identify possible targets for the development of future therapies for these conditions. Elucidating the role of epigenetics in these respiratory diseases may provide a breath of fresh air to millions of affected individuals around the world.
Biological and cultural diversity in the context of botanic garden conservation strategies

Impacts of global climate change, habitat loss, and other environmental changes on the world's biota and peoples continue to increase, especially on islands and in high elevation areas. Just as floristic diversity is affected by environmental change, so too are cultural and linguistic diversity. Of the approximately 7000 extant languages in the world, fully 50% are considered to be at risk of extinction, which is considerably higher than most estimates of extinction risks to plants and animals. To maintain the integrity of plant life, it is not enough for botanic gardens to consider solely the effects of environmental change on plants within the context of major conservation strategies such as the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Rather, botanic gardens should actively engage in understanding and communicating the broader impacts of environmental change to biological and cultural diversity.
Meet with Editorial Reviewers: An Interactive Discussion of the Difficulties and Issues Facing Authors in the Journal Review Process: An Abstract

With the existing insights on writing and publishing marketing journal articles and the discipline’s rapid expansion of publishing opportunities in new U.S. and international marketing journals, one intuitive prediction is marketing scholars’ publishing success of important scientific articles is rapidly becoming a more common occurrence. Yet, this trend prediction is perplexing and contradictive because the prestigious and top 25 ranked marketing-oriented journals consistently report annual acceptance rates ranging between 7% and 18%. The low acceptance suggests a disconnect gap between conducting important, relevant quality research and ultimately publishing that research in quality journals.
Parrot Beak Nails Revisited: Case Series and Comprehensive Review.

The term “parrot beak nail” describes a morphologic change of the nail plate characterized by excessive forward curvature. It may be associated with systemic disease or, most commonly, occurs as an idiopathic finding complicated by delayed nail plate trimming. The characteristics of parrot beak nails in ten men are described, and the features of this acquired nail deformity are reviewed. Of the ten patients, six presented with concurrent neuropathies that resulted in frequent foot injuries or falls. While the true incidence of parrot beak nails is unknown, this nail deformity occurred in 2.1 % of patients seen by a single physician during a 3-month period. In conclusion, parrot beak nails secondary to poor nail care may lead to functional impairment, tissue injury, and subsequent infections. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to look for these nail lesions on cutaneous examination and recommend frequent nail trimmings to individuals with parrot beak nails.
Rapid and reliable assessment of methane impacts on climate

Abstract. It is clear that the most effective way to limit global temperature rise and associated impacts is to reduce human emissions of greenhouse gases, including methane. However, quantification of the climate benefits of mitigation options are complicated by the contrast in the timescales at which short-lived climate pollutants, such as methane, persist in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide. Whereas simple metrics fail to capture the differential impacts across all timescales, sophisticated climate models that can address these temporal dynamics are often inaccessible, time-intensive, require special infrastructure, and include high unforced interannual variability that makes it difficult to analyse small changes in forcings. On the other hand, reduced-complexity climate models that use basic knowledge from observations and complex Earth system models offer an ideal compromise in that they provide quick, reliable insights into climate responses, with only limited computational infrastructure needed. They are particularly useful for simulating the response to forcings of small changes in different climate pollutants, due to the absence of internal variability. In this paper, we build on previous evaluations of the freely available and easy-to-run reduced-complexity climate model MAGICC by comparing temperature responses to historical methane emissions to those from a more complex coupled global chemistry–climate model, GFDL-CM3. While we find that the overall forcings and temperature responses are comparable between the two models, the prominent role of unforced variability in CM3 demonstrates how sophisticated models are potentially inappropriate tools for small forcing scenarios. On the other hand, we find that MAGICC can easily and rapidly provide robust data on climate responses to changes in methane emissions with clear signals unfettered by variability. We are therefore able to build confidence in using reduced-complexity climate models such as MAGICC for purposes of understanding the climate implications of methane mitigation.
Dissociation Energy of the H2O···HF Dimer

Even though (H2O)2 and (HF)2 are arguably the most thoroughly characterized prototypes for hydrogen bonding, their heterogeneous analogue H2O···HF has received relatively little attention. Here we report that the experimental dissociation energy (D0) of this important paradigm for heterogeneous hydrogen bonding is too large by 2 kcal mol–1 or 30% relative to our computed value of 6.3 kcal mol–1. For reference, computational procedures similar to those employed here to compute D0 (large basis set CCSD(T) computations with anharmonic corrections from second-order vibrational perturbation theory) provide results within 0.1 kcal mol–1 of the experimental values for (H2O)2 and (HF)2. Near the CCSD(T) complete basis set limit, the electronic dissociation energy for H2O···HF is ∼4 kcal mol–1 larger than those for (H2O)2 and (HF)2 (∼9 kcal mol–1 for the heterogeneous dimer vs ∼5 kcal mol–1 for the homogeneous dimers). Results reported here from symmetry-adapted perturbation theory computations suggest that this l...
RF Breakdown Limits

The scientific explanation of high rf voltage breakdown in evacuated structures is incomplete at best. Although interest in the subject is well over 50 years old, the number of variables and the range of parameters involved are so large that no coherent picture has emerged. Effect modeling is relatively crude and often empirically weighted. Reproducability of experimental results has often been poor. The present discussion will outline some of the hypothesized models and tools and then review some of the more recent experiments and findings concerning some of the variables and parameters.
Biomaterials and their applications in medicine

Abstract This chapter describes the history of biomaterials and their applications in medical products. It reviews the types of biomaterials, and medical device innovations inspired by the availability of new types of biomaterials.
Multivariate Lifetime Distributions

In most reliability analysis, components of a system are assumed to have independent lifetime distributions. However, in many reliability situations, it is more realistic to assume some form of dependence among components. For instance, we may observe the phenomenon that one component’s survival would increase the chance of another component’s survival, which is termed “positive dependence” in reliability. This positive dependence among component life lengths arises from common environmental stress and shocks, from components depending on common sources of power, and so on. Multivariate lifetime distributions are used to describe life length of multicomponent systems, taking component dependence under consideration.
Cell Traction and the Generation of Anatomical Structure

The component cells of the body exert traction forces by which they can propel themselves and rearrange extracellular materials, in particular the fibrous protein collagen. Because the compression and alignment created by these cellular forces can, in turn, affect cell behavior, positive feedback cycles of several kinds arise, and these cycles are capable of spontaneously generating regular geometric patterns of cells and matrix. In this way, the mechanical activities of cells can themselves accomplish the morphogenetic functions usually attributed to the diffusion and reactions of chemical “morphogens”.
Crystal Structure of Gluconate Bound Iron(III) Complex: Synthesis, Characterization and Redox Properties of the Complex in Aqueous Solution

A novel tetra-iron(III) complex, K6[Fe4(ccdp)2(μ-O)(μ-OH)(D-GluA)2](NO3)3·10H2O (K6[1](NO3)3·10H2O) with two gluconato and two N,N′-bis[2-carboxobenzomethyl]-N,N′-bis[carboxomethyl]-1,3-diaminopropan-2-oxy (ccdp5−) ligands has been synthesized and fully characterized using different techniques including single crystal X-ray crystallography. K6[1](NO3)3·10H2O showed stability aqueous solution, in biological samples such as human and fetal bovine serum (HS and FBS) and cell cultures such as phosphate buffer saline and minimum essential medium (PBS and MEM) using UV-Vis spectroscopy at room temperature and 37 °C. The redox behavior of the complex was studied using cyclic and square wave voltammetries in aqueous and DMF solutions. Furthermore, magnetic study using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and Guoy balance magnetic moment measurements indicated antiferromagnetic coupling among the metal centers of the (μ-O)(μ-OH) bridged tetra-iron(III) anion core of the complex. Electrochemical studies of the K6[1](NO3)3·10H2O in aqueous and DMF solutions using cyclic and square-wave voltammetries revealed the presence of multi-accessible electron metal-based redox events.
Supervision of Counselor Trainees with Clients in Crisis

Supervision of counselors working in college counseling centers whose clients are in the midst of an immediate mental health crisis is a complex process. This article reviews this neglected subject...
Variability in Partial Nephrectomy Outcomes: Does Your Surgeon Matter?

Abstract Background Understanding physician-level discrepancies is increasingly a target of US healthcare reform for the delivery of quality-focused patient care. Objective To estimate the relative contributions of patient and surgeon characteristics to the variability in key outcomes after partial nephrectomy (PN). Design, setting, and participants Retrospective review of 1461 patients undergoing PN performed by 19 surgeons between 2011 and 2016 at a tertiary care referral center. Intervention PN for a renal mass. Outcomes measurements and statistical analysis Hierarchical linear and logistic regression models were built to determine the percentage variability contributed by fixed patient and surgeon factors on peri- and postoperative outcomes. Residual between- and within-surgeon variability was calculated while adjusting for fixed factors. Results and limitations On null hierarchical models, there was significant between-surgeon variability in operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), ischemia time, excisional volume loss, length of stay, positive margins, Clavien complications, and 30-d readmission rate (all p Conclusions There is significant between-surgeon variability in outcomes after PN, even after adjusting for patient characteristics. While renal functional outcomes are consistent across surgeons, measured and unmeasured surgeon factors account for 18–100% of variability of the remaining peri- and postoperative variables. With the increasing utilization of value-based medicine, this has important implications for the goal of optimizing patient care. Patient summary We reviewed our institutional database on partial nephrectomy performed for renal cancer. We found significant variability between surgeons for key outcomes after the intervention, even after adjusting for patient characteristics.
Open Implantation of Autologous Chondrocytes Cultured on Porcine Collagen Membrane for the Treatment of a Full-Thickness Patellar Cartilage Lesion

Large cartilage defects in the knee are debilitating for patients and challenging for surgeons to treat. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has gained popularity over the past 20 years and has become the treatment of choice for large cartilage defects for some surgeons. Termed matrix-applied ACI (MACI), use of autologous chondrocytes cultured on porcine collagen membrane has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of symptomatic full-thickness cartilage defects in the knee. This new technique for cartilage repair is the third generation of chondrocyte implantation technology and the first to involve the use of a scaffolding to grow chondrocytes1. MACI is a simpler technique than previous generations and has more reliable chondrocyte seeding. Research has shown that patients do well postoperatively, with improvements in patient-reported outcome out to 5 years postoperatively3. These improvements are statistically greater for patients who underwent MACI when compared to those who underwent microfracture2. (1) Preoperative evaluation: patients are indicated for a cartilage procedure after magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical examination. (2) Stage 1: a diagnostic arthroscopy is performed, and chondrocytes are harvested and cultured. (3) Approach: a short vertical incision is made, followed by a medial parapatellar arthrotomy. (4) Debridement: the lesion is identified and debrided back to stable cartilage. (5): Hemostasis: hemostasis is obtained with an epinephrine-soaked sponge. (6) Template creation: foil is used to create a template of the lesion. (7) Cells cutting: with use of the foil, the membrane of cells is cut to the appropriate size and shape. (8) Implantation: the cut membrane is placed on the lesion and secured with fibrin glue. (9) Testing: the knee is taken through a range of motion and the stability of the membrane is confirmed. (10) Closure: standard closure in layers is performed.
Argumentative writing: theory, assessment, and instruction

Despite the early emergence of oral argumentation, written argumentation is slow to develop, insensitive to alternative perspectives, and generally of poor quality. These findings are unsettling because high quality argumentative writing is expected throughout the curriculum and needed in an increasingly competitive workplace that requires advanced communication skills. In this introduction, we provide background about the theoretical perspectives that inform the papers included in this special issue and highlight their contributions to the extant literature about argumentative writing.
An Injectable System for Subcutaneous Photoplethysmography, Accelerometry, and Thermometry in Animals

Obtaining physiological data from animals in a non-obtrusive and continuous manner is important to veterinary science. This paper demonstrates the design and deployment of a miniaturized capsule-based system for subdermal injection to provide real-time and continuous heart-rate, movement, and core-body-temperature measurements. The presented device incorporates sensors for photoplethysmography, motion detection, and temperature measurements. A bluetooth-low-energy enabled microcontroller configures the sensors, digitizes the sensor information, and wirelessly connects with external devices. The device is powered by a CR425 battery for this paper, and various other battery solutions are available based upon the use case. The design uses only commercially available integrated circuits in order to reduce the development cost and be modular. The encapsulation is a combination of medical epoxy and poly(methyl methacrylate) that fits within a 6-gauge hypodermic needle. The preliminary evaluation of the device included an in vitro assessment of its thermal response and measurement accuracy, the impact of one-month implantation on surrounding tissue, the power consumption with duty cycling of various sensors, and a measurement of physiological signals in a rat and a chicken. Having a form factor and implantation method similar to existing devices for animals, this novel system is a useful platform for both scientists and veterinarians to better study a diverse range of animals.