cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disparrhopalites naasaveqw n. sp. from caves at Wupatki National Monument, Arizona, synonymy of Dietersminthurus Palacios-Vargas, Cuéllar & Vázquez, 1998 with Disparrhopalites Stach, 1956 and composition of Songhaicinae (Collembola: Sminthuridae)

Disparrhopalites naasaveqw n. sp. is described from a cave at Wupatki National Monument, Arizona. It differs from D. patrizii (Cassagnau & Delamare Deboutteville, 1953) in having pigment and a well-developed ungual cavity, and from D. tergestinus Fanciulli, Colla & Dallai, 2005 by having pigment, 8+8 eyes and a well-developed ungual tunica. Dietersminthurus enkerlinius Palacios-Vargas, Cuellar & Vazquez, 1998 is transferred to Disparrhopalites Stach, 1956 as D. enkerlinius (Palacios-Vargas, Cuellar & Vazquez, 1998) n. comb. The sminthurid subfamily Songhaicinae Sanchez-Garcia & Engel, 2016 (type genus Songhaica Lasebikan, Betsch & Dallai, 1980) is redefined and the genera Disparrhopalites , Gisinurus Dallai, 1970, Soqotrasminthurus Bretfeld, 2005 and Varelasminthurus Da Silva, Palacios-Vargas & Bellini, 2015 are transferred to this subfamily. A key is provided for separation of included genera. Effects of climate change on presumed cases of cave restriction in the American Southwest are discussed.
Empirical constraints on the effects of radiation damage on helium diffusion in zircon

Abstract In this study, we empirically evaluate the impact of radiation damage on zircon (U-Th)/He closure temperatures for a suite of zircon crystals from the slowly cooled McClure Mountain syenite of south-central Colorado, USA. We present new zircon, titanite, and apatite conventional (U-Th)/He dates, zircon laser ablation (U-Th)/He and U-Pb dates, and zircon Raman spectra for crystals from the syenite. Titanite and apatite (U-Th)/He dates range from 447 to 523 Ma and 88.0 to 138.9 Ma, respectively, and display no clear correlation between (U-Th)/He date and effective uranium concentration. Conventional zircon (U-Th)/He dates range from 230.3 to 474 Ma, while laser ablation zircon (U-Th)/He dates show even greater dispersion, ranging from 5.31 to 520 Ma. Dates from both zircon (U-Th)/He datasets decrease with increasing alpha dose, indicating that most of the dispersion can be attributed to radiation damage. Alpha dose values for the dated zircon crystals range from effectively zero to 2.15 × 1019 α /g, spanning the complete damage spectrum. We use an independently constrained thermal model to empirically assign a closure temperature to each dated zircon grain. If we assume that this thermal model is robust, the zircon radiation damage accumulation and annealing model of Guenthner et al. (2013) does not accurately predict closure temperatures for many of the analyzed zircon crystals. Raman maps of the zircons dated by laser ablation document complex radiation damage zoning, sometimes revealing crystalline zones in grains with alpha dose values suggestive of amorphous material. Such zoning likely resulted in heterogeneous intra-crystalline helium diffusion and may help explain some of the discrepancies between our empirical findings and the Guenthner et al. (2013) model predictions. Because U-Th zoning is a common feature in zircon, radiation damage zoning is likely to be a concern for most ancient, slowly cooled zircon (U-Th)/He datasets. Whenever possible, multiple mineral-isotopic systems should be employed to add additional, independent constraints to a sample’s thermal history.
Comparison of laparoscopic jejunostomy tube to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube with jejunal extension: long-term durability and nutritional outcomes

Enteral access through the jejunum is indicated when patients cannot tolerate oral intake or gastric feeding. While multiple approaches for feeding jejunal access exist, few studies have compared the efficacy of these techniques. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term durability, re-intervention rates, and nutritional outcomes following percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes with jejunal extension tubes (PEG-JET) versus laparoscopic jejunostomy tubes (j-tubes). Retrospective chart review was performed on all patients who underwent PEG-JET or laparoscopic jejunostomy tube placement from January 2005 through December 2015 at our institution. Thirty-day and long-term outcomes were compared between the two groups. A total of 105 patients underwent PEG-JET and 307 patients underwent laparoscopic j-tube placement during the defined study period. In terms of 30-day outcomes, patients who underwent PEG-JET placement were significantly more likely to experience a tube dislodgement event (p = 0.005) and undergo a re-intervention (p < 0.001). Patients who had a laparoscopic j-tube placed were significantly more likely to meet their enteral feeding goals (p = 0.002) and less likely to require nutritional supplementation with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) (p < 0.001). With regard to long-term outcomes, patients who underwent PEG-JET placement were significantly more likely to experience tube occlusion (p < 0.001) and require an endoscopic or surgical tube re-intervention (p < 0.001). Patients who underwent laparoscopic j-tube placement were significantly more likely to experience a tube site leak (p = 0.015) but were less likely to require nutritional supplementation with TPN (p = 0.001). Laparoscopic jejunostomy tubes provide more durable long-term enteral access compared to PEG-JET. Consideration should be given to laparoscopic jejunostomy tube placement in eligible patients who cannot tolerate oral intake or gastric enteral feeding.
Pediatric Ataxia: Focus on Chronic Disorders

Evaluation of a pediatric patient presenting with ataxia can be expensive and time consuming. Acute causes tend to have a clear developmental paradigm, but chronic presentations are more likely to be secondary to a genetic disorder, either one that primarily causes ataxia or that presents ataxia as one of a multitude of symptoms. Evaluation should focus on a quick diagnosis for those that have treatment options and for those that require other systemic monitoring. Friedreich ataxia is the most common, and genetic testing can easily confirm the suspicion. Testing for vitamin E (for ataxia with isolated vitamin E deficiency) and alpha fetoprotein (for Ataxia Telangiectasia or AT) are important, as is empiric treatment with coenzyme Q10 for those genetic abnormalities that can lead to coenzyme Q deficiency. Clear family history, disease progression, physical examination focusing on type of ataxia and other associated neurologic features, and investigation of systemic involvement can help in focusing clinical assessment.
A qualitative exploration of the discharge process and factors predisposing to readmissions to the intensive care unit

Quantitative studies have demonstrated several factors predictive of readmissions to intensive care. Clinical decision tools, derived from these factors have failed to reduce readmission rates. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the experiences and perceptions of physicians and nurses to gain more insight into intensive care readmissions. Semi-structured interviews of intensive care unit (ICU) and general medicine care providers explored work routines, understanding and perceptions of the discharge process, and readmissions to intensive care. Participants included ten providers from the ICU setting, including nurses (n = 5), consultant intensivists (n = 2), critical care fellows (n = 3) and 9 providers from the general medical setting, nurses (n = 4), consulting physicians (n = 2) and senior resident physicians (n = 3). Principles of grounded theory were used to analyze the interview transcripts. Nine factors within four broad themes were identified: (1) patient factors – severity-of-illness and undefined goals of care; (2) process factors – communication, transitions of care; (3) provider factors – discharge decision-making, provider experience and comfort level; (4) organizational factors – resource constraints, institutional policies. Severe illness predisposes ICU patients to readmission, especially when goals of care were not adequately addressed. Communication, premature discharge, and other factors, mostly unrelated to the patient were also perceived by physicians and nurses to be associated with readmissions to intensive care. Quality improvement efforts that focus on modifying or improving aspects of non-patient factors may improve outcomes for patients at risk of ICU readmission.
Speech Recognition in Noise by Children with and without Dyslexia: How is it Related to Reading?

Abstract Purpose Developmental dyslexia is commonly viewed as a phonological deficit that makes it difficult to decode written language. But children with dyslexia typically exhibit other problems, as well, including poor speech recognition in noise. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the speech-in-noise problems of children with dyslexia are related to their reading problems, and if so, if a common underlying factor might explain both. The specific hypothesis examined was that a spectral processing disorder results in these children receiving smeared signals, which could explain both the diminished sensitivity to phonological structure – leading to reading problems – and the speech recognition in noise difficulties. The alternative hypothesis tested in this study was that children with dyslexia simply have broadly based language deficits. Participants Ninety-seven children between the ages of 7 years; 10 months and 12 years; 9 months participated: 46 with dyslexia and 51 without dyslexia. Methods Children were tested on two dependent measures: word reading and recognition in noise with two types of sentence materials: as unprocessed (UP) signals, and as spectrally smeared (SM) signals. Data were collected for four predictor variables: phonological awareness, vocabulary, grammatical knowledge, and digit span. Results Children with dyslexia showed deficits on both dependent and all predictor variables. Their scores for speech recognition in noise were poorer than those of children without dyslexia for both the UP and SM signals, but by equivalent amounts across signal conditions indicating that they were not disproportionately hindered by spectral distortion. Correlation analyses on scores from children with dyslexia showed that reading ability and speech-in-noise recognition were only mildly correlated, and each skill was related to different underlying abilities. Conclusions No substantial evidence was found to support the suggestion that the reading and speech recognition in noise problems of children with dyslexia arise from a single factor that could be defined as a spectral processing disorder. The reading and speech recognition in noise deficits of these children appeared to be largely independent.
The Impact of Government on Quality of Life for People with Disabilities in the United States and Guatemala

Neoliberal governments value citizens by their economic worth. Accordingly, the stigma that people with disabilities are deficient relegates them to roles of inadequate market players and removes from the public agenda. Thus, disability policy goals worldwide continue to remain unmet. Two very different, yet neoliberal countries, the United States and Guatemala, were chosen as case studies to determine how social construction of disability impacts policy implementation in both countries. In the absence of research and data in Guatemala, interviews were conducted. Key findings revealed that though these countries were vastly different in wealth, they exhibited similar responses with limited enforcement of disability laws and increased reliance on nongovernmental entities to implement policies. Further, the “deficient” social construction of people with disabilities was found to play a pivotal role in determining the how policies were implemented, thereby shaping what rights were protected in either country and ultimately impeding quality of life.
Soot Formation and Burn-Out in Turbulent Coal Liquid Fuel Flames

Combustion scientists and engineers have for a long time been interested in understanding the processes leading to the formation and disappearance of soot in flames. The practical reasons for developing a capability of predicting soot concentration were mainly connected with the effects of soot upon the radiative emission from furnace flames, and the clean combustion of hydrocarbon fuels in furnaces and gas turbines. More recently new interest has been generated by the concern over health effects of soot and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon species, the latter of which condense in the flue gas to form submicron-size aerosols. A major research program on the formation of particulates in flames, their emission and effects on human health, is in progress at M.I.T. under the sponsorship of the National Institute of Environmental Health. Investigations under this program include flat flame and stirred reactor studies of hydrocarbon vapor pyrolysis and the kinetics of formation of PAH and soot in pyrolyzing liquid fuel droplet streams. Parallel with these bench scale experiments detailed studies are carried out on turbulent diffusion flames using the M.I.T. Combustion Research Facility. In these flames the thermal and chemical environment of industrial flames is closely simulated.
Off-label use of bevacizumab in relapsed and refractory pediatric sarcoma patients: The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Experience.

10569Background: Survival rates for children and young adults with relapsed and/or refractory sarcomas remain poor. Cytotoxic salvage options for these patients are limited and associated with sign...
Spectacular reassurance strategies: how to reduce environmental concern while accelerating environmental harm

Spectacular reassurance strategies, drawing from Guy Debord’s concept of the spectacle, refer to tactics that mitigate environmental concern and action while simultaneously maintaining or accelerat...
Scaling Millimeter-Wave Phased Arrays: Challenges and Solutions

This paper motivates the need for scaled phased arrays and outlines key challenges for their implementation. Design trade-offs are discussed for important aspects such as beamforming architecture, module-level realization with antennas and packaging, and digital control. Two recently introduced scaled 64-element dual polarized phased array designs are reviewed as implementation examples. (1) A phased array transceiver module operating at 28-GHz supporting 5G applications, and (2) TX and RX phased arrays operating at 94-GHz suitable for backhaul and imaging applications. An outlook for future opportunities with phased array scaling is provided.
Elastin-Like Polypeptide Delivers a Notch Inhibitory Peptide to Inhibit Tumor Growth in Combination with Paclitaxel

This research describes a thermally responsive elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) for the delivery of dnMAML peptides that inhibit the Notch pathway. Exploiting passive targeting and a thermally active...
Comparative chemical and structural analyses of two uranium dioxide fuel pellets

Abstract A comparative investigation of the trace element, U and Pb isotopic compositions, and structural attributes of two uranium dioxide fuel pellets was conducted for nuclear forensic applications. One fuel pellet consists of natural UO2 (0.71% 235U), while the other contains enriched UO2 (3.98% 235U). Numerous impurities, including transition metals, lanthanides, and main group elements were detected in both fuel pellets with total trace element contents that vary between 9.77 and 11.37 μg/g. The relative abundances of the transition metal impurities in the natural UO2 fuel pellet are linked to the source U ore and provide important insights into its provenance. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy was utilized to investigate and compare the macro-(cm)-scale distribution of impurities within each of the fuel pellets. In addition, structural properties of the fuel pellets were examined using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and Raman and infrared spectroscopy. Differences in the intensity of the T2g U-O stretching vibrational mode were observed in the Raman spectra of the fuel pellets. Pb isotope ratios were investigated to potentially differentiate between the natural and enriched UO2 samples and are linked to the process history of these materials.
Impact of Distinct Origin Locations on the Life Cycles of Landfalling Atmospheric Rivers Over the U.S. West Coast

Author(s): Zhou, Y; Kim, H | Abstract: An atmospheric river (AR) event represents strong poleward moisture transport and is defined as a series of spatiotemporally connected instantaneous AR objects. Utilizing an AR tracking algorithm with a depth-first search (a widely used algorithm in computer science), we examine the life cycle characteristics of AR events that make landfall over the U.S. West Coast by their distinct origin locations. Landfalling AR events from the Northwest Pacific (120°E–170°W, WLAR events) temporally last longer (5.3 versus 3.6 days on average) and have stronger intensity of integrated vapor transport (508 versus 388 kg m−1 s−1 on average) than those originating from the Northeast Pacific (125°W–170°W, ELAR events). A persistent tripole geopotential height anomaly pattern over the North Pacific modulates the origin locations and propagation of landfalling AR events. WLAR events are associated with anomalous highs over northeastern Asia and the Northeast Pacific and an anomalous low over the central North Pacific. This pattern provides favorable conditions for WLAR events to start, propagate northeastward, and make landfall in the northwestern West Coast. WLAR events contribute approximately 25% of the total winter precipitation over Washington and British Columbia. ELAR events are associated with a similar tripole pattern to the WLAR eventsnwith an eastward shift. The anomalous low over the Northeast Pacific helps ELAR events to start, propagate northeastward, and make landfall in the southwestern West Coast. Precipitation induced by ELAR events contributes up to 30% of total winter precipitation over California.
Silica supported poly(propylene guanidine) as a CO2 sorbent in simulated flue gas and direct air capture

A guanidine-based oligomer/polymer, poly(propylene guanidine) (PPG), is synthesized and impregnated into mesoporous silica, SBA-15, to prepare a composite organic/inorganic CO2 sorbent. 1H NMR and ESI-TOF MS spectra are used to characterize the structure of the synthesized oligomer/polymer. The adsorption capacities of the PPG based sorbents are measured under both simulated flue gas conditions and direct air capture conditions, and are compared to the performance of poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) based sorbents, the current state of art material among supported amine compositions. While PPG sorbents show lower pseudo-equilibrium capacities than PEI based sorbents under 400 ppm CO2 flow, they show comparable adsorption capacities using 10% CO2 streams. Furthermore, PPG sorbents were able to reach their pseudo-equilibrium capacity in a shorter time than the PEI sorbents under both 10% and 400 ppm CO2. However, due to the higher volatility of the prepared oligomeric PPG, the PPG sorbents show a fast decrease in the adsorption capacity when used over multiple cycles, suggesting that improved performance may be obtained using higher molecular weight oligomers/polymers.
Multivariate Monotone Inclusions in Saddle Form

We propose a novel approach to monotone operator splitting based on the notion of a saddle operator. Under investigation is a highly structured multivariate monotone inclusion problem involving a mix of set-valued, cocoercive, and Lipschitzian monotone operators, as well as various monotonicity-preserving operations among them. This model encompasses most formulations found in the literature. A limitation of existing primal-dual algorithms is that they operate in a product space that is too small to achieve full splitting of our problem in the sense that each operator is used individually. To circumvent this difficulty, we recast the problem as that of finding a zero of a saddle operator that acts on a bigger space. This leads to an algorithm of unprecedented flexibility, which achieves full splitting, exploits the specific attributes of each operator, is asynchronous, and requires to activate only blocks of operators at each iteration, as opposed to activating all of them. The latter feature is of critical importance in large-scale problems. Weak convergence of the main algorithm is established, as well as the strong convergence of a variant. Various applications are discussed, and instantiations of the proposed framework in the context of variational inequalities and minimization problems are presented.
Hardness of bounded distance decoding on lattices in lp norms

Bounded Distance Decoding BDDp,α is the problem of decoding a lattice when the target point is promised to be within an α factor of the minimum distance of the lattice, in the lp norm. We prove that BDDp,α is NP-hard under randomized reductions where α → 1/2 as p → ∞ (and for α = 1/2 when p = ∞), thereby showing the hardness of decoding for distances approaching the unique-decoding radius for large p. We also show fine-grained hardness for BDDp,α. For example, we prove that for all p ∈ [1, ∞) \ 2Z and constants C > 1, e > 0, there is no 2(1-e)n/C-time algorithm for BDDp,α for some constant α (which approaches 1/2 as p → ∞), assuming the randomized Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis (SETH). Moreover, essentially all of our results also hold (under analogous non-uniform assumptions) for BDD with preprocessing, in which unbounded precomputation can be applied to the lattice before the target is available.Compared to prior work on the hardness of BDDp,α by Liu, Lyubashevsky, and Micciancio (APPROX-RANDOM 2008), our results improve the values of α for which the problem is known to be NP-hard for all p > p1 ≈ 4.2773, and give the very first fine-grained hardness for BDD (in any norm). Our reductions rely on a special family of "locally dense" lattices in lp norms, which we construct by modifying the integer-lattice sparsification technique of Aggarwal and Stephens-Davidowitz (STOC 2018).
To recover faster from Covid-19, open up: Managerial implications from an open innovation perspective

Abstract Covid-19 has severely tested our public health systems. Recovering from Covid-19 will soon test our economic systems. Innovation will have an important role to play in recovering from the aftermath of the coronavirus. This article discusses both how to manage innovation as part of that recovery, and also derives some lessons from how we have responded to the virus so far, and what those lessons imply for managing innovation during the recovery.
Exploring the Effects of Compliance/Non-Compliance Message Framing, Desirability of End States, and Brand Zealotry on Consumers’ Responses to Wearables Advertising

An experiment examined the combinatory effects of advertising message framing, desirability of end states, and brand zealotry on consumers’ responses to wearables advertising. The compliance framed...
Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Identifies Functionally Distinct Fibro-inflammatory and Adipogenic Pdgfrβ Progenitor Subpopulations in Visceral Adipose Tissue

White adipose tissue (WAT) remodeling is dictated by coordinated interactions between adipocytes and resident stromal-vascular cells; however, the functional heterogeneity of adipose stromal cells has remained unresolved. We combined single-cell RNA-sequencing and FACS to identify and isolate functionally distinct subpopulations of Pdgfrβ stromal cells within visceral WAT of adult mice. Ly6c- Cd9- Pdgfrβ cells represent highly adipogenic visceral adipocyte precursor cells (“APCs”), whereas Ly6c Pdgfrβ cells represent fibro-inflammatory progenitors (“FIPs”). FIPs lack adipogenic capacity, display pro-fibrogenic/proinflammatory phenotypes, and can exert an anti-adipogenic effect on APCs. The pro-inflammatory and adipogenic phenotypes of Pdgfrβ cells are regulated, at least in part, by Nr4a nuclear receptors. These data highlight the functional heterogeneity of visceral WAT perivascular cells, and provide insight into potential cell-cell interactions impacting adipogenesis and inflammation. These improved strategies to isolate FIPs and APCs from visceral WAT will facilitate the study of physiological WAT remodeling and mechanisms leading to metabolic dysfunction.
rab-27 acts in an intestinal secretory pathway to inhibit axon regeneration in C. elegans

ABSTRACT Injured axons must regenerate to restore nervous system function, and regeneration is regulated in part by external factors from non-neuronal tissues. Many of these extrinsic factors act in the immediate cellular environment of the axon to promote or restrict regeneration, but the existence of long-distance signals regulating axon regeneration has not been clear. Here we show that the Rab GTPase rab-27 inhibits regeneration of GABAergic motor neurons in C. elegans through activity in the intestine. Re-expression of RAB-27, but not the closely related RAB-3, in the intestine of rab-27 mutant animals is sufficient to rescue normal regeneration. Several additional components of an intestinal neuropeptide secretion pathway also inhibit axon regeneration, including NPDC1/cab-1, SNAP25/aex-4, and KPC3/aex-5. Together these data indicate that RAB-27-dependent neuropeptide secretion from the intestine inhibits axon regeneration, and point to distal tissues as potent extrinsic regulators of regeneration.
“If Extended Family Can’t Deal…” Disclosing Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Children’s Identity

Parents are core decision-makers and advocates for their pre-adolescent transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) children, yet there is a dearth of research on their experiences, particularly their relationships with extended family members. This study explored how parents make decisions of whether or not to disclose their children’s TGNC identity to extended family members. In Phase 1, 34 parents of TGNC youth under the age of 13 described in interviews their experiences pertaining to disclosure of their child’s TGNC status to extended family members. Phase 2 replicated and expanded these findings with 11 additional parents. Across both phases, two disclosure processes were identified: casual unfolding disclosure, where parents allowed extended family members to witness their child’s TGNC identity development, or explicit direct disclosure, in which parents wrote mailed or emailed letters to help organize their thoughts and direct the course of the conversation. Parents avoided disclosure to select family members, based on five factors: geographical or emotional distance, age, and how conservative or religious family members were. While some relationships were strengthened with disclosure, many parents described tense or unsupportive relationships with extended family members, and some relationships dissolved. The findings suggest extended family members are both potential supporters and stressors, and parents engage in a variety of strategies to bolster their supportive networks while anticipating rejection and mitigating stress. These findings have implications for social work research, practice, and policy.
Correlations in the orientations of galaxy clusters

The relative orientation of clusters' major elongation axes and clusters' angular momentum is studied using a large N-body simulation in a box of 500 Mpc/h base length for a standard LambdaCDM model. Employing the technique of mark correlation functions, we successfully separated the correlations in the orientation from the well known clustering signal traced by the two-point correlation function. The correlations in the orientation are highly significant for our sample of 3000 clusters. We found an alignment of neighboring clusters, i.e. an enhanced probability of the major elongation axes of neighboring cluster pairs to be in parallel with each other. At 10 Mpc/h separation the amplitude of this signal is ~10% above the value expected from random orientations, and it vanishes on scales larger than 15 Mpc/h. The ``filamentary'' alignment between clusters' major elongation axes and the lines pointing towards neighboring clusters shows even stronger deviations from random orientation, which can be detected out to scales of 100 Mpc/h, both in 2D and 3D analyses. Similarly, strong correlations of the angular momentum were seen. Also a clear signal in the scalar correlation of the absolute value of the angular momentum, the spin parameter and the mass was found. They extend up to 50 Mpc/h and have an amplitude of 40%, 15%, and 10% above a random distribution at 10 Mpc/h separation, respectively.
Advances in Imaging Reactive Oxygen Species

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in many cellular processes and can be either beneficial or harmful. The design of ROS-sensitive fluorophores has allowed for imaging of specific activity and has helped elucidate mechanisms of action for ROS. Understanding the oxidative role of ROS in the many roles it plays allows us to understand the human body. This review provides a concise overview of modern advances in the field of ROS imaging. Indeed, much has been learned about the role of ROS throughout the years; however, it has recently been shown that using nanoparticles, rather than individual small organic fluorophores, for ROS imaging can further our understanding of ROS.
The Watchers Of Satanail: The Fallen Angels Traditions In 2 (Slavonic) Enoch

The early Enochic booklet unveils the misdeeds of the two hundred Watchers led by their leaders Shemihazah and Asael. What is striking, however, in the description given in the Slavonic apocalypse, is that in contrast to the classic Enochic account, the leadership over the fallen Watchers is ascribed not to Shemihazah or Asael, but instead to Satanail. Adam's story occupies a strikingly prominent place in 2 Enoch. There are two textual units pertaining to the Watchers traditions in 2 Enoch. This chapter discusses the second textual unit dealing with the Watchers traditions situated in chapter 18 of the Slavonic apocalypse. The paradigm shift from the Jewish apocalypticism to early Jewish mysticism, thus in many ways anticipating future developments inside the Enochic lore and serving as a blueprint for the later Watchers traditions reflected in the Shiʿur Qomah and Hekhalot lore.Keywords: 2 Enoch; Adam's story; Hekhalot lore; Shiʿur Qomah; Slavonic apocalypse; Watchers of Satanail
Do urban planning and sprawl affect social vulnerability? An assessment of Dar es Salaam

This study explores connections between urban planning, sprawl, and social vulnerability factors in the Sub-Saharan context with the aim to investigate the influence of broader planning and land us...
Coiled coil exposure and histidine tags drive function of an intracellular protein drug carrier.

Abstract In recent years, protein engineering efforts have yielded a diverse set of binding proteins that hold promise for various therapeutic applications. Despite this, their inability to reach intracellular targets limits their applications to cell surface or soluble targets. To address this challenge, we previously reported a protein carrier that binds antibodies and delivers them to therapeutic targets inside cancer cells. This carrier, known as the Hex carrier, is comprised of a self-assembling coiled coil hexamer at the core, with each alpha helix fused to a linker, an antibody binding domain, and a six Histidine-tag (His-tag). In this work, we designed different versions of the carrier to determine the role of each building block in cytosolic protein delivery. We found that increasing exposure of the Hex coiled coil on the carriers, through molecular design or removing antibodies, increased internalization, pointing to a role of the coiled coil in promoting endocytosis. We observed a clear increase in endosomal disruption events when His-tags were present on the carrier relative to when they were removed, due to an endosomal buffering effect. Finally, we found that the antibody binding domains of the Hex carrier could be replaced with monomeric ultra-stable GFP for intracellular delivery and endosomal escape. Our results demonstrate that the Hex coiled coil, in conjunction with His-tags, could be a generalizable vehicle for delivering small and large proteins to intracellular targets. This work also highlights new biological applications for oligomeric coiled coils and shows the direct and quantifiable impact of histidine residues on endosomal disruption. These findings could inform the design of future drug delivery vehicles in applications beyond intracellular protein delivery.
Suppression of RNA synthesis by a specific antiviral activity in Sindbis virus-infected Aedes albopictus cells.

Abstract An antiviral protein is released by mosquito cells persistently infected with Sindbis virus. Differences in both sensitivity to and production of this virus-specific activity were apparent in three independently produced Aedes albopictus cell lines. This activity inhibits total viral RNA synthesis in a time-dependent manner. The antiviral effect is maximally realized when cells are treated with the activity 48 h before infections. These data suggest that the antiviral activity induces an antiviral state in treated cells which prevents the formation or efficient function of viral RNA-synthesizing complexes.
The Fate of Injected Water in Shale Formations

It is well known that only about a third of water injected for hydraulic fracturing of shales is recovered. It is important to understand the fate of this injected water. The amount of water infiltrating the matrix is determined by a number of parameters such as the pressure differ‐ ential between the fracture and the matrix, the capillary pressure relationships in the frac‐ tures and in the matrix and other petrophysical properties of the formation. In this paper, we provide a breakdown for the various possible water losses depending on the reservoir, fracture and operating parameters. A set of capillary pressure relationships for the forma‐ tion were first created based on the basic mineralogy and the total organic carbon (TOC) content. Fracture capillary pressure also changed depending on the concentrations and types of proppants in the fractures. Two basic end members can be defined – silicistic and dolomitic with different amounts of TOC. The capillary pressure relationships ranged from oil wet, neutral to water wet. Different porosity and permeability combinations were also examined. Amounts of water relative to the total amount injected that would infiltrate the formation were compiled as the operating conditions (pressures) and formation properties changed. This calculation shows that the infiltration due to the various phenomena are not sufficient to account for the water losses if the formations are strongly oil wet. In addition, situations where water blockages occur due to these multiphase flow effects were identified and the loss of productivity due to this phenomenon was quantified both for gas and for oil production. The study was conducted using a discrete-fracture network simulator devel‐ oped at the University of Utah. A realistic (non-orthogonal) representation of a complex fracture network was employed in the study. Realistic representation of distribution and re‐ tention of these aqueous fracturing fluids is essential for optimizing hydraulic fracturing treatment volumes. © 2013 Jia et al.; licensee InTech. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Genetic Control of Cortical Convolutions

Development of the highly convoluted human cerebral cortex depends on the orchestrated migration of millions of cortical neurons from the brain's ventricular and subventricular zones. In a Perspective, [Rakic][1] discusses the identification of a mutation in an orphan G protein-coupled receptor that results in a congenital malformation in which overproduction of cortical neurons results in the appearance of an enlarged number of cortical convolutions ([ Piao et al .][2]). [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/303/5666/1983 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/303/5666/2033
Simplifying loop invariant generation using splitter predicates

We present a novel static analysis technique that substantially improves the quality of invariants inferred by standard loop invariant generation techniques. Our technique decomposes multi-phase loops, which require disjunctive invariants, into a semantically equivalent sequence of single-phase loops, each of which requires simple, conjunctive invariants. We define splitter predicates which are used to identify phase transitions in loops, and we present an algorithm to find useful splitter predicates that enable the phase-reducing transformation. We show experimentally on a set of representative benchmarks from the literature and real code examples that our technique substantially increases the quality of invariants inferred by standard invariant generation techniques. Our technique is conceptually simple, easy to implement, and can be integrated into any automatic loop invariant generator.
Pyelonephritis XI. Effect of Growth Phase of Streptococcus faecalis on Serum Susceptibility and Virulence

Rapidly growing Streptococcus faecalis was found to be markedly susceptible to the bactericidal activity of normal rat and rabbit sera, whereas stationary-phase organisms were resistant. In contrast, human serum killed neither phase organism. Further, human serum was found to interfere with killing by rabbit serum. The serosusceptible, rapidly growing organisms were less virulent than the seroresistant, stationary-phase organisms. This was tested by production of pyelonephritis in the rat after intravenous inoculation of the organism. Renal bacterial content over a period of 4 weeks was significantly less in those animals which had received rapidly growing organisms.
Dynamical control of qubit coherence: Random versus deterministic schemes

We reexamine the problem of switching off unwanted phase evolution and decoherence in a single two-state quantum system in the light of recent results on random dynamical decoupling methods [L. Viola and E. Knill, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 060502 (2005)]. A systematic comparison with standard cyclic decoupling is effected for a variety of dynamical regimes, including the case of both semiclassical and fully quantum decoherence models. In particular, exact analytical expressions are derived for randomized control of decoherence from a bosonic environment. We investigate quantitatively control protocols based on purely deterministic, purely random, as well as hybrid design, and identify their relative merits and weaknesses at improving system performance. We find that for time-independent systems, hybrid protocols tend to perform better than pure random and may improve over standard asymmetric schemes, whereas random protocols can be considerably more stable against fluctuations in the system parameters. Beside shedding light on the physical requirements underlying randomized control, our analysis further demonstrates the potential for explicit control settings where the latter may significantly improve over conventional schemes.
Asymptotic analysis of airborne fraction used to validate global carbon models

Abstract Airborne fraction, defined as the ratio of change in atmospheric CO2 concentration to input of CO2 over a specified time period, is explored as an index for validating linear models of the global carbon cycle. Results presented assume a constant value for airborne fraction, which is supported by evidence that measured atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are linearly correlated with inputs due to fossil fuel combustion. Several formulas for calculating airborne fraction are shown to be equivalent when constant values are assumed. For a general linear state variable model, an asymptotic value for airborne fraction is computed in terms of model structure and fossil fuel input rate. The validation scheme proposed compares a model-computed (asymptotic) airborne fraction with an observed value. The scheme is tested using an independently calibrated ocean/atmosphere sub-model. This is followed by a test of a global carbon cycle model composed of the previously tested ocean/atmosphere sub-model linked with a model for the terrestrial biota. These tests produce a range of valid model parameters that are similar to those obtained from independent observations.
The formation of afferent patterns in the somatosensory cortex of the neonatal rat

In the rat, the clustered pattern of thalamocortical afferent terminals to the "barrel field" portion of primary somatosensory cortex replicates the arrangement of vibrissae on the face, and the pattern of the terminals can be altered by the removal of vibrissae on the face, and the pattern of the terminals can be altered by the removal of vibrissae at birth (Killackey et al., '76). These patterns of terminals were studied using enzyme succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) because in somatosensory cortex the activity levels of SDH closely correspond to the patterns of thalamocortical afferent terminals. The present experiments show that the pattern of high SDH segmentation in the portion of layer IV of somatosensory cortex that is related to the vibrissae develops during postnatal Day 3 through 6. Activity related to the centers of individual clusters is first visible, with indistinct boundaries. At later times the edges of individual clusters become apparent. Further, in animals with Row C of vibrissae removed at birth, the abnormal SDH segmentation in somatosensory cortex develops with a time course similar to that of normal animals. At ages when edge boundaries are first distinct, a fused band corresponding to the removed row of vibrissae is present. Thus the aberrant organization seen in the adult cortex is the result of an abnormal initial development, not a later reorganization from a normal pattern. And indeed, vibrissae removal at Day 5 or 6 does not result in an aberrant cortical SDH pattern. Finally, after removal of all five rows of mystacial vibrissae at birth, the cortical SDH pattern seen at postnatal Days 6 and 7 consists of five bands in place of the normally present five rows of clusters. This may indicate that closer relationships exist between vibrissae within one row than vibrissae in adjacent rows.
The use of botulinum toxin for pediatric cricopharyngeal achalasia

Abstract Objectives Cricopharyngeal achalasia is an uncommon cause of feeding difficulties in the pediatric population, and is especially rare in infants. Traditional management options include dilation or open cricopharyngeal myotomy. The use of botulinum toxin has been preliminarily reported for cricopharyngeal achalasia in children as a modality for diagnosis and management. This study describes the use of botulinum toxin as a definitive treatment for pediatric cricopharyngeal achalasia. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of three patients who were diagnosed with cricopharyngeal achalasia and underwent botulinum toxin injections to the cricopharyngeus muscle. The charts were reviewed for etiology, botulinum toxin dosage delivered, length of follow-up, post-operative need for nasogastric tube placement, and swallow studies. Results A total of 7 botulinum toxin injections into the cricopharyngeus muscle were performed in three infants with primary cricopharyngeal achalasia between April 2006 and February 2011. Mean dosage was 23.4 units per session (range: 10–44 units), or 3.1 U/kg (range: 1.4–5.3 U/kg). Mean interval period between injections was 3.3 months (range: 2.7–4.0 months). Mean follow-up period was 22.1 months (range: 3.4–44.5 months). One patient required hospital readmission after injection for presumed aspiration but recovered without need for surgical intervention. No long-term complications were noted post-operatively. All patients improved clinically and ultimately had their nasogastric feeding tubes removed. Conclusions Botulinum toxin appears to be a safe and effective option in the management of primary cricopharyngeal achalasia in children, and may prevent the need for myotomy.
Fluorinated Boroxin-Based Anion Receptors for Lithium Ion Batteries: Fluoride Anion Binding, Ab Initio Calculations, and Ionic Conductivity Studies

Novel fluorinated boroxines, tris(2,6-difluorophenyl)boroxin (DF), tris(2,4,6-trifluorophenyl)boroxin (TF), and tris(pentafluorophenyl)boroxin (PF), have been investigated for potential applications in lithium ion batteries through fluoride anion binding, ab initio calculations, and ionic conductivity measurements. Structures of the fluorinated boroxines and boroxin-fluoride complexes have been confirmed by comparing their (19)F and (11)B NMR chemical shifts with those obtained by the DFT-GIAO method. The stoichiometry of the fluoride anion binding to these boroxines has been shown to be 1:1 using (19)F NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy. UV-vis spectroscopic studies show the coexistence of more than one complex, in addition to the 1:1 complex, for perfluorinated boroxin, PF. DFT calculations (B3LYP/6-311G**) show that the fluoride ion complex of DF prefers unsymmetrical, covalently bound structure (7) over the symmetrically bridged species (10) by 12.5 kcal/mol. Rapid equilibration of the fluoride anion among the three borons in these boroxines results in a single (19)F NMR absorption for all of the aromatic ortho- or para-fluorines at ambient temperature. The effect of these anion receptors on lithium ion conductivities was also explored for potential applications in dual ion intercalating lithium batteries.
Fréchet algebras generated by certain of their elements

We consider F-algci)ras A that are generated by elements of the form z, (z- Ale)- 1, (z ANe)- 1, where is the identity. If A has no topclogical divisors of zero we show that A is isomorphic to H(), where f is finitely connected region. We also study F-algebras in which
The centroid method of numerical integration

The midpoint method of integration of a function of one variable is perhaps the simplest method of numerical integration, although it is often not mentioned in textbooks. It is here generalized to any number of dimensions and the generalization is called thecentroid method. This again is a very simple method and it can be conveniently used, for example, for the integration of a function of several variables over any non-pathological region. The numerical examples include the integration of multinormal integrands.
Transport of chloride and carboxyfluorescein through phospholipid vesicle membranes by heptapeptide amphiphiles.

Seven synthetic anion transporters (SAT) of the general form R2N-COCH2OCH2CO-(Gly)3-Pro-(Gly)3-OR′ were prepared. Three pairs of compounds each contained twin n-hexyl, n-decyl, and n-octadecyl (R) groups at the N-terminus and one contained twin n-tetradecyl groups. Three of the compounds were C-terminated by benzyl and three by heptyl (R′) residues. The ability of these compounds to mediate ion release from phospholipid vesicles was assessed. Chloride release was measured by ion selective electrode measurements and by chloride quenching of the fluorescent dye lucigenin. Transport of the anion carboxyfluorescein (CF) was measured by fluorescence dequenching. Differences in both the C- (R′) and N-terminal (R) residues within the ionophores affected anion transport. The chloride release data acquired by ion selective electrode and fluorescence methods were similar but not identical. A possible carrier mechanism for Cl− transport was discredited. Both Cl− and CF anions were released from vesicles by these compounds. The results of CF and Cl− transport showed good consistency when the ionophore's N-terminal chains were either decyl or octadecyl but not when they were hexyl. The transport of CF and Cl− appears to be fundamentally different when R is C6 compared to C10 or C18. Differences between the behavior of SATs with Cl− and CF were also reflected in negative ion mass spectrometric studies.