cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Directionality control and flight stability of takeoff

Flight initiation is an area that remains unexplored amongst today's nano-scaled, flapping-wing, robotic insects. To understand mechanical principles of ground-to-air transitions at this particular scale, we investigate the biomechanics of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster during takeoff. Building upon a prior framework [1], we analyze the insect's pre-flight motion, and its impact in directionality control. Using a rigid multi-body system comprised by one central body and six legs, we are able to estimate forces from joint kinematics. The approach provides a mathematical framework for studying tradeoffs between directionality control [1] and dynamic stability during flight initiation.
Wnt signaling in development and disease

Cell signaling mediated by morphogens is essential to coordinate growth and patterning, two key processes that govern the formation of a complex multi-cellular organism. During growth and patterning, cells are specified by both quantitative and directional information. While quantitative information regulates cell proliferation and differentiation, directional information is conveyed in the form of cell polarities instructed by local and global cues. Major morphogens like Wnts play critical roles in embryonic development and they are also important in maintaining tissue homeostasis. Abnormal regulation of these signaling events leads to a diverse array of devastating diseases including cancer. Wnts transduce their signals through several distinct pathways and they regulate vertebrate embryonic development by providing both quantitative and directional information. Here, taking the developing skeletal system as an example, we review our work on Wnt signaling pathways in various aspects of development. We focus particularly on our most recent findings that showed that in vertebrates, Wnt5a acts as a global cue to establishing planar cell polarity (PCP). Our work suggests that Wnt morphogens regulate development by integrating quantitative and directional information. Our work also provides important insights in disease like Robinow syndrome, brachydactyly type B1 (BDB1) and spina bifida, which can be caused by human mutations in the Wnt/PCP signaling pathway.
Generalized myositis ossificans (familial) in pigs.

Generalized myositis ossificans (progressive ossifying myositis) (Code 270-731 ; 277012, Code 744.22) is a disease of unknown etiology affecting the muscular system in young growing children, adolescents or young adults13 11. It involves not only the interstitial tissue of the muscles but also the tendons, ligaments, fasciae and aponeuroses, and even the skin. Masses of fibrous tissue and bone appear in these structures ; the muscle fibers then undergo atrophy and destruction secondary to pressure and inactivity. Alternate designations, progressive ossifying fibrositis6 and fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva’ have been proposed because it is likely that the disorder is not primarily one of muscle substance, but rather an affection of fibrous and collagenous connective tissue. Serial microscopic studies show degeneration of the muscle fibres, fibrosis, and ossification. The ossification spreads along fibrous septa and tendons, commencing at the bone and extending superficially. The primary lesions affect interstitial connective tissue rather than the muscle fibers themselves. Interstitial tissue proliferates and becomes replaced by an embryonic connective tissue network. This condenses (“becomes organized into fully formed and firm fibrous tissue”6) and, in areas where circumscription of muscle fibers has occurred, they undergo atrophy. Ossification of the pathologic fibrous tissue finally occurs, but in some areas the process may develop no further than induration. Few of the designations are adequately descriptive because the lesions actually do not have the character of inflammations. The disease has also been designated progressive muscular ossification*. * These observations were made in 1943 while the authors were associated with the central laboratory (Washington, D.C.) and the branch laboratory (Denver, Colorado), respectively. Their present addresses are at the end of the paper.
A parasitic plant increases native and exotic plant species richness in vernal pools

Species interactions are well known to affect species diversity in communities, but the effects of parasites have been less studied. Previous studies on parasitic plants have found both positive and negative effects on plant community diversity. Cuscuta howelliana is an abundant endemic parasitic plant that inhabits California vernal pools. We tested the hypothesis that C. howelliana acts as a keystone species to increase plant species richness in vernal pools through a C. howelliana removal experiment at Beale Air Force Base in north-central California. Vernal pool endemic plants were parasitized more frequently, and Eryngium castrense and Navarretia leucocephala were the most frequently parasitized host plant species of C. howelliana. Cuscuta howelliana caused higher plant species richness, both natives and exotics, compared with removal plots. However, there was no single plant species that significantly increased with C. howelliana removal. Decreases in Eryngium castrense percent cover plots with C. howelliana is a plausible explanation for differences in species richness. In conclusion, C. howelliana led to changes in species composition and increases in plant species richness, consistent with what is expected from the effects of a keystone species. This research provides support for a shift in management strategies that focus on species-specific targets to strategies that target maintenance of complex species interactions and therefore maximize biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems.
An independently corroborated, diatom-inferred record of long-term drought cycles occurring over the last two millennia in New Mexico, USA

We investigated late Holocene (2000 YBP to present) drought in northern New Mexico, USA, using diatom valves sampled from a lake sediment core. Diatoms were analyzed with a combination of multivariate ordination and time series analysis to identify significant changes in community dynamics and corresponding significant bifurcations between periods of increased and decreased precipitation. This diatom-inferred precipitation regime was statistically corroborated against an independently derived tree ring record of precipitation in northern New Mexico. Also, both the tree ring and diatom records were tested for concordance with indirect radiocarbon solar intensity data and were both significantly cross-correlated with solar intensity. Periods of drought aligned with periods of decreased solar intensity during ~1400–1000 and ~600–200 YBP; periods of increased solar activity aligned with periods of increased precipitation during ~1000–600 YBP and ~200 YBP to present day. These results suggest that longer-term drought regimes in northern New Mexico may have been modulated by solar activity.
Conditional entropy-constrained residual VQ with application to image coding

This paper introduces an extension of entropy constrained residual vector quantization (VQ) where intervector dependencies are exploited. The method, which we call conditional entropy-constrained residual VQ, employs a high-order entropy conditioning strategy that captures local information in the neighboring vectors. When applied to coding images, the proposed method is shown to achieve better rate-distortion performance than that of entropy-constrained residual vector quantization with less computational complexity and lower memory requirements, moreover, it can be designed to support progressive transmission in a natural way. It is also shown to outperform some of the best predictive and finite-state VQ techniques reported in the literature. This is due partly to the joint optimization between the residual vector quantizer and a high order conditional entropy coder as well as the efficiency of the multistage residual VQ structure and the dynamic nature of the prediction.
Transport Phenomena and Defect Formation in Laser Welding of Zinc-Coated Steels

Zinc-coated steels are used extensively in the auto industry because they are inexpensive, durable and have high corrosion resistance. Lasers are being used to weld zinc-coated steels due to high welding speed, small seam and narrow heat affected zone. However, it is difficult to laser weld lap-joint zinc-coated steel sheets under a very small gap condition between the metal interfaces since there is a considerable amount of zinc vapor generated. This vapor must be vented out; otherwise it will be trapped in the weld pool leading to different welding defects, such as large voids at the tip of the weld and porosities in the form of small bubbles in the weld. These defects can significantly decrease the strength of the weld. In this paper, a mathematical model and the associated numerical techniques have been developed to study the transport phenomena in laser welding of zinc-coated steels. The volume-of-fluid (VOF) method is employed to track free surfaces. The continuum model is used to handle the liquid phase, solid phase and mushy zone of the metal. The enthalpy method is employed to account for the latent heat during melting and solidification. The transient heat transfer and melt flow in the weld pool during the keyhole formation and collapse processes are calculated. The escape of zinc vapor through the keyhole and the interaction between zinc vapor and weld pool are studied. The aforementioned weld defects are found to be caused by the combined effects of zinc vapor-melt interactions, keyhole collapse and solidification process. By controlling the laser pulse profile, it is found that the keyhole collapse and solidification process can be delayed, allowing the zinc vapor to escape, which results in the reduction or elimination of weld defects.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Distribution, Occupancy, and Habitat Correlates of American Martens (Martes americana) in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

A clear understanding of habitat associations of martens (Martes americana) is necessary to effectively manage and monitor populations. However, this information was lacking for martens in most of their southern range, particularly during the summer season. We studied the distribution and habitat correlates of martens from 2004 to 2006 in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) across 3 spatial scales: site-specific, home-range, and landscape. We used remote-sensored cameras from early August through late October to inventory occurrence of martens and modeled occurrence as a function of habitat and landscape variables using binary response (BR) and binomial count (BC) logistic regression, and occupancy modeling (OM). We also assessed which was the most appropriate modeling technique for martens in RMNP. Of the 3 modeling techniques, OM appeared to be most appropriate given the explanatory power of derived models and its incorporation of detection probabilities, although the results from BR and BC provided corroborating evidence of important habitat correlates. Location of sites in the western portion of the park, riparian mixed-conifer stands, and mixed-conifer with aspen patches were most frequently positively correlated with occurrence of martens, whereas more xeric and open sites were avoided. Additionally, OM yielded unbiased occupancy values ranging from 91% to 100% and 20% to 30% for the western and eastern portions of RMNP, respectively.
Dynamic Analysis of a General Class of Winner-Take-All Competitive Neural Networks

This paper studies a general class of dynamical neural networks with lateral inhibition, exhibiting winner-take-all (WTA) behavior. These networks are motivated by a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) implementation of neural networks, in which mutual competition plays a very important role. We show that for a fairly general class of competitive neural networks, WTA behavior exists. Sufficient conditions for the network to have a WTA equilibrium are obtained, and rigorous convergence analysis is carried out. The conditions for the network to have the WTA behavior obtained in this paper provide design guidelines for the network implementation and fabrication. We also demonstrate that whenever the network gets into the WTA region, it will stay in that region and settle down exponentially fast to the WTA point. This provides a speeding procedure for the decision making: as soon as it gets into the region, the winner can be declared. Finally, we show that this WTA neural network has a self-resetting property, and a resetting principle is proposed.
Extracurricular Activity and Ethnicity Creating Greater School Connection among Diverse Student Populations

A youth’s sense of connection to school has been theorized by several traditions to be an important predictor of school success and student behavior inside and out-side of school. Using a diverse sample of adolescents (N =1,755), this study focuses on the relationship between youth participation in extracurricular activities and a greater sense of school connection, particularly for non-European American students. In addition, we examined differences in participation rates for different categories of extracurricular activities. Results revealed that students who participated, regardless of ethnicity, had greater levels of school connection. Results also revealed that European American students had a significantly greater level of involvement, whereas Hispanic American students had significantly less involvement. These results are discussed in terms of creating accessible and attractive extracurricular activity opportunities for diverse students.
Virtual Classroom Characteristics and Student Satisfaction with Internet-Based MBA Courses

The trend toward delivering management education via the Internet has accelerated in recent years. However, research on what constitutes effective Internet-based courses is somewhat limited. This study examined the impact of technological and pedagogical characteristics of the virtual classroom on student satisfaction with Internet-based MBA courses. The perceived usefulness of the course software, perceived flexibility provided by taking the course via the Internet, and instructor efforts to create an interactive environment were the characteristics most strongly associated with student satisfaction. Finally, the article identifies several challenges and opportunities from these findings for management education researchers, educators, and business schools.
On the convergence of a trust region SQP algorithm for nonlinearly constrained optimization problems

In (Boggs, Tolle and Kearsley, 1994) the authors introduced an effective algorithm for general large scale nonlinear programming problems. In this paper we describe the theo-retical foundation for this method. The algorithm is based on a trust region, sequential quadratic programming (SQP) technique and uses a special auxiliary function, called a merit function or line-search function, for assessing the steps that are generated. A global convergence theorem for a basic version of the algorithm is stated and its proof is outlined.
Adenocarcinoma of the anus: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract Anal carcinoma is relatively uncommon cancer in the United States and comprises only 2.1% of all gastrointestinal malignancies with the estimated incidence rate of 1.8 per 100,000 per year. The current report describes a case of ACA diagnosed in a 75 years old male with emphasis on overall management of ACA. A 75 years old male with history of hemorrhoids presented to his primary care provider with complaints of anal irritation and occasional bleeding per rectum. On physical examination a large fungating mass protruding from anal verge was seen. Colonoscopy demonstrated rectal polyps in superior, middle and inferior rectal area and the lesion at the anal verge. Biopsy of perianal tissue and posterior anus revealed invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma. Patient's cancer was defined as Stage IIIB (T2, N3, M0). Chemotherapy with capecitabine and radiation therapy was started. After 2 months capecitabine was discontinued as patient developed side effects that included-weakness, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. 8 months later patient underwent abdominoperitoneal proctosigmoidectomy with creation of permanent colostomy as tumor mass did not regress. A repeat PET scan showed recurrence of tumor in inguinal lymph nodes, biopsy confirmed necrotic metastatic tumor. After a year patient was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction and went to hospice care. Research into anal adenocarcinoma is limited by the rarity of the condition. Most studies contain a small number of patients accumulated over a long period of time, resulting in heterogeneous study populations with widely variable approaches to management.
NAFTA, Environmental Kuznets Curves, and Mexico's Progress

The effects of NAFTA on Mexico’s environment were of great concern pre-NAFTA and have continued to be a matter concern in the post-NAFTA era. As the many studies and evidence presented in this pape...
Nonneoplastic Kidney Diseases in the Setting of a Renal Mass

Early detection has led to significant gains in cancer-free survival rates for kidney cancer patients, and the preservation of renal function has emerged as an important objective. Diabetes and hypertension are important independent risk factors for the development of renal cell carcinoma, so the corresponding diabetic and/or hypertensive kidney injuries are commonly encountered. With the number of kidney cancer survivors approaching 350,000 in the USA, further gains in the clinical outcomes for kidney cancer can be achieved with additional attention on the harmful impact of nonneoplastic kidney diseases and improved coordination between urologists, nephrologists, and pathologists during the management of these patients.
Toxicologic Aspects of Photosensitization in Livestock

Two types of plant-caused photosensitizations are recognized in livestock: 1) primary, wherein the phototoxic agent in the plant is ingested and reaches the skin chemically unchanged; and 2) secondary, wherein the phototoxic agent in the porphyrin phylloerythrin produced by chlorophyll degradation in ruminant stomachs. Phylloerythrin is normally excreted in bile but is allowed to reach the skin when hepatic damage interferes with the phylloerythrin-excreting mechanism. Primary photosensitizing plant toxins are few, whereas secondary photosensitizations can be caused by damage to the liver by a variety of plant and other toxins. Plants causing each type of photosensitization are discussed and clinical manifestations of the disease in livestock are summarized. Tetradymia species are one of the most economically important causes of phototoxicity in livestock. The etiology of this phototoxic syndrome in sheep and the importance of sagebrush species as preconditioning agents for phototoxicity are discussed.
ASSOCIATION OF ORTHOSTATIC HYPERTENSION WITH MORTALITY IN THE SYSTOLIC HYPERTENSION IN THE ELDERLY PROGRAM

History and physical, target organ damage, and biomarkers are used to estimate risk in patients with hypertension. Orthostatic hypertension is a marker of elevated risk that can be identified during physical examination but is not usually appreciated by clinicians. Vital status and cause of death
In-flight Landing Location Predictions using Ascent Wind Data for High Altitude Balloons

This paper presents a hardware and software system in which the landing location of a balloon–payload system is continually predicted and improved. Initial prediction parameters are corrected by estimating flight parameters using GPS data. The focus of this study is on small (less than 10 kg payload) balloon systems. For these systems, flight missions typically have a duration of a few hours (minimal loitering at altitude) and descend after the balloon bursts at an altitude in the range of 15-30 km. Prior to launch, weather predictions are typically used to predict the flight path and landing location of the balloon-payload system. The prediction accuracy greatly depends on the stability of wind data, as well as the accuracy in predicting the balloon ascent speed, balloon burst altitude, and parachute descent speed. Differences between the predicted and actual landing locations of 60 km are not atypical. Rather than relying on the pre-flight predictions, the system developed here measures ascent/descent speeds and wind speed during the balloon’s ascent. Unlike the pre-flight predictions, the system provides chase and recovery personnel with an accurate prediction of the landing location that is periodically updated as the mission progresses. During ascent, GPS data is logged to provide both actual ascent speed and up-to-date spatial and temporal wind data. The ascent speed along with the logged wind data and initial estimates of the parachute-payload flight characteristics (mass, parachute size, etc.) are used to correct the flight model up to the time of balloon burst. During descent, the actual descent speed is used to further enhance predictions as the mission progresses. Results calculated from post-processing actual balloon flight GPS data validate the methodology developed. Prediction accuracy is improved from an average predicted landing location error of 36% of the traveled range prior to launch. At the balloon burst location, prediction quality improves to 3.5% of the total range traveled on average. Additionally, real-time, in-flight prediction results verify the ability to perform the in-flight prediction updates on-board a balloon using a microprocessor and off-the-shelf radio communication equipment.
Investigating the Function of an Archaic-Period Earthwork Using Microartifacts

The functions of Archaic-period mounds in the Lower Mississippi River valley are generally poorly understood. Poverty Point's Mound C provides a unique opportunity to examine the function of one Late Archaic mound. Archaeological excavation of Mound C revealed a complex construction sequence consisting of numerous, thin, flat-topped construction stages. The presence of cultural features on the surfaces of some stages suggests these mound stage summits were used for cultural activities. The nearly complete absence of macroartifacts, however, makes it difficult to discern the types of activities undertaken on these surfaces. Microartifacts from the surfaces of these construction platforms provide an alternative perspective on the nature of activities associated with this earthwork. The analysis of microartifacts from Mound C, coupled with the limited number of macroartifacts, suggests that individual mound stage summits were intentionally cleaned prior to the addition of subsequent construction stages. The ...
Facilitation in Action: The Reflective Practice of Two Facilitators Using a Participation Training Model.

This article describes the experiences of two graduate faculty members from Indiana University who facilitated two workshops sponsored by Ball State University at Highlander Research and Education ...
Making the case for manager delegation of authority

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present some of the foundational characteristics of the effective delegation of authority. Taken from a broad array of research and opinion, the fundamental aspects are given clear exposition. Design/methodology/approach Addressed in this paper are several areas that establish the basis for effective delegation to include the psychology of delegation, potential benefits, delegation and high performance human resource management practices, and fears of actually delegating authority. Findings Findings are grounded on actual practices which have been researched. There is a “science” to manager delegation of authority, and the critical information about how to delegate is presented. Originality/value This work gives shape to the actions that help to create effective delegation. There are many benefits that accrue from effective delegation, and these benefits are often under-represented.
Tandem Solar Cells with Infrared-Tuned Silicon Bottom Cells

We modify silicon heterojunction solar cells for the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum and reduced generation rate that they experience in tandems, with a focus on the front transparent conductive oxide layer and rear reflector. These cells are then incorporated into both two-terminal and four-terminal tandems, including a new, optically coupled tandem architecture that utilizes a silicon “PVMirror”. A PVMirror is a curved PV module that may include a spectrum-splitting film or coating on the sunward side of the cells. Near-infrared light is transmitted to the silicon cells, whereas visible (and potentially infrared) light is reflected and focused—thanks to the curvature of the PVMirror—onto a second, complementary solar converter. Though there are many potential embodiments of the PVMirror technology, this talk presents initial results for a parabolic trough PVMirror incorporating silicon “bottom” cells with a GaAs receiver at its focus. Our best NIR-tuned silicon cells reach a peak spectral efficiency of 42% at 900 nm, and PVMirrors with these cells coupled with GaAs receivers demonstrate outdoor efficiencies of over 24% with respect to the global irradiance and over 28% with respect to the direct normal irradiance.
Probing quantum origins of the classical

The interpretation of quantum theory has always been a controversial subject. Since its inception early this century, it has been apparent that the rules that govern the quantum domain appear to be at odds with the familiar classical universe. Yet quantum theory is without doubt more fundamental. Whenever anything is investigated in detail, quantum rules invariably prevail, yielding correct predictions in all of the tested cases. But everything, including all of the objects we encounter in the "classical domain" of our everyday experience, is undoubtedly made out of quantum pieces. So how can it be that the quantum weirdness never makes it out of the quantum underworld? An ingenious experiment recently carried out at the Kastler-Brossel Laboratory of the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris has just begun to explore the quantum-classical boundary (M Brune et al. 1996 Phys. Rev. Lett. 77 4887).
Challenging Demography: Contributions from Feminist Theory

Demography as a field has made limited progress in its work on understanding the role of gender in demographic change for several reasons. This paper explores the theoretical, methodological, and political influences on this understanding. For example, demography can be seen as a field that because of its stability and resources, has not been forced into the “crises” that might force it to question its assumptions and methodologies; it has not developed a tradition of reflexivity, one which might address alternative approaches to this and other issues, such as the political nature of population work. In addition, partly because of a reliance on certain kinds of methodological approaches, demographers tend to use measures of gender that reflect individual characteristics rather than those that allow understanding of gender at a larger level, or provide information beyond the individual. The result is a particular approach to gender within demographic studies. Feminist theoretical approaches to gender could contribute to the field and the study of population change in general in several key ways.
The cognitive and immersive situations room

Cognitive environments with "eyes," "ears," "mind," "mouth," and "hands" will converse with people, understand group dynamics, present stories, and augment group intelligence, enabling humans and computers to accomplish things neither could do alone.
Genetics of Nonsyndromic Human Obesity, With Suggestions for New Studies From Work in Mouse Models

Most genetic human obesity is due to multiple genes interacting with each other and with environment. Sequencing exomes, genome-wide associations with single nucleotide polymorphisms, sequencing methylations, and sequencing genomic DNA have revealed hundreds of obesity-causing polymorphisms that all together account for a small percent of total heritability. Pathway analyses reveal that most body mass index genes are expressed in the brain whereas most waist-to-hip ratio fat distribution genes are expressed in adipose tissue. Most mouse obesity genes are also human obesity genes and vice versa. Studies in mice demonstrate that quantitating fat mass, individual fat depots, responses of individual fat depots to dieting and exercise, and parental effects will reveal many new obesity genes. These topics have been explored superficially or not at all in studies of humans. Genetic and randomized controlled diet data are presently inadequate for development of personalized obesity therapy.
Critical shoulder angle is associated with full-thickness rotator cuff tears in patients with glenohumeral osteoarthritis

Background Higher critical shoulder angle (CSA) is correlated with rotator cuff tears (RCTs), whereas lower CSA is associated with glenohumeral osteoarthritis (OA). Our goal was to investigate whether patients with concurrent glenohumeral OA and full-thickness RCTs demonstrate a higher CSA than patients with OA alone. Methods Using a 2-surgeon shoulder arthroplasty registry, we identified 31 patients with glenohumeral OA and full-thickness RCTs confirmed by plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging, respectively. Sixty-two age- and gender-matched controls (1:2 ratio) with glenohumeral OA and an intact rotator cuff were identified from the same registry. Two independent observers evaluated the radiographs for CSA and acromiohumeral index. Results The average CSA was 30° in the OA control group and 35° in the concurrent RCT and OA group ( P P = .13). Interobserver reliability of the independent reviewers was excellent (κ = 0.89; Ρ = 0.95). The receiver operating characteristic curve for CSA demonstrated that a value >35° was 90% specific and 52% sensitive for a full-thickness RCT in the setting of OA (area under curve = 0.84). Conclusion Concurrent glenohumeral OA and full-thickness RCT are associated with greater CSA values compared with patients with glenohumeral OA alone. The CSA measurement may be useful in determining the need for magnetic resonance imaging to assess rotator cuff integrity in the arthritic population.
Evaluation of a portable gas chromatograph with photoionization detector under variations of VOC concentration, temperature, and relative humidity.

ABSTRACTThe objective of this present study was to evaluate the performance of a portable gas chromatograph-photoionization detector (GC-PID), under various test conditions to determine if it could be used in occupational settings. A mixture of 7 volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—acetone, ethylbenzene, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene, m-xylene, p-xylene, and o-xylene—was selected because its components are commonly present in paint manufacturing industries. A full-factorial combination of 4 concentration levels (exposure scenarios) of VOC mixtures, 3 different temperatures (25°C, 30°C, and 35°C), and 3 relative humidities (RHs; 25%, 50%, and 75%) was conducted in a full-size controlled environmental chamber. Three repetitions were conducted for each test condition allowing for estimation of accuracy. Time-weighted average exposure data were collected using solid sorbent tubes (Anasorb 747, SKC Inc.) as the reference sampling medium. Calibration curves of Frog-4000 using the dry gases showed R2 > 0.99 for ...
Functional Pathways of Biomolecules Retrieved from Single-particle Snapshots

We present a new approach to determining the conformational changes associated with biological function, and demonstrate its capabilities in the context of experimental single-particle cryo-EM snapshots of ryanodine receptor (RyR1), a Ca2+-channel involved in skeletal muscle excitation/contraction coupling. These results include the detailed conformational motions associated with functional paths including transitions between energy landscapes. The functional motions differ substantially from those inferred from discrete structures, shedding new light on the gating mechanism in RyR1. The differences include the conformationally active structural domains, the nature, sequence, and extent of conformational motions involved in function, and the way allosteric signals are transduced within and between domains. The approach is general, and applicable to a wide range of systems and processes.
Getting the Lead Out: Urban Chicken Keeping as Transformative Neo-Agrarianism

This ethnographic study explores how the discovery of lead contamination in urban chicken flocks in the Boston area unsettles postindustrial optimism and neo-agrarian romanticism, producing new openings for multispecies relationships. Within rising popular and political attention to food systems, urban chicken keeping stands as a uniquely positioned subset of urban agriculture. Through ethnography with chicken keepers, policy makers and businesses in Boston and Somerville, Massachusetts in the summer of 2016, my research investigated how urban chicken keeping might transform keepers’ thinking about food systems and animal relationships. The unexpected discovery of lead in chickens’ blood and eggs revealed keepers’ increasingly entangled relationships with the history of the soil they and their birds live upon, exposing what Marx (1981) termed the “metabolic rift” at the heart of industrial capitalist approaches to subsistence. With lead breaking the imagined simplicity of urban agriculture and the linear progression of modern cities, responses in urban chicken keeping reveal space for new ways of thinking about collective metabolism, multispecies living, food politics, and the bodies wrapped up in these material legacies.
The impact of preoperative anemia and malnutrition on outcomes in paraesophageal hernia repair.

Patients with a paraesophageal hernia may experience gastroesophageal reflux symptoms and/or obstructive symptoms such as dysphagia. Some patients with large and complex paraesophageal hernias unintentionally lose a significant amount of weight secondary to difficulty eating. A subset of patients will develop Cameron’s erosions in the hernia, which contribute to anemia. Given the heterogeneous nature of patients who ultimately undergo paraesophageal hernia repair, we sought to determine if patients with anemia or malnutrition suffered from increased morbidity or mortality. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program datasets from 2011 to 2015 were queried to identify patients undergoing paraesophageal hernia repair. Malnutrition was defined as preoperative albumin < 3.5 g/dL. Preoperative anemia was defined as hematocrit less than 36% for females and 39% for males. Thirty-day postoperative outcomes were assessed. A total of 15,105 patients underwent paraesophageal hernia repair in the study interval. Of these patients, 7943 (52.6%) had a recorded preoperative albumin and 13.9% of these patients were malnourished. There were 13,139 (87%) patients with a documented preoperative hematocrit and 23.1% met criteria for anemia. Both anemia and malnutrition were associated with higher rates of complications, readmissions, reoperations, and mortality. This was confirmed on logistic regression. The average postoperative length of stay was longer in the malnourished (6.1 vs. 3.1 days when not malnourished, p < 0.0001) and anemic (4.1 vs. 2.8 days without anemia, p < 0.0001). Malnutrition and anemia are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing paraesophageal hernia repair, as well as a longer length of stay. This information can be used for risk assessment and perhaps preoperative optimization of these risk factors when clinically appropriate.
Is There a Universal System of Ethics or are Ethics Culture-Specific?

To the two central questions regarding morality, “Is there a universal system of ethics? Are ethics culture-specific?”, I will answer both yes and no, and in each case I will couch the answer with important qualifications. These two questions reflect the intellectual challenge and difficulties of the so-called postmodern era, in which we find numerous competing moral visions and no universally justifiable moral narrative in terms of which one can choose among them. The attempt to answer these questions leads to the conclusion that there is no general secular warrant to condemn the sale of human organs. This does not mean that one may not have special religious or other important reasons morally to condemn practices such as the sale of organs. It is just that such a condemnation cannot be justified in general secular terms. Moreover, an examination of the general secular justification of the moral authority of the state brings into question the moral authority to prohibit such sales.
Maternal and Fetal Death on Weekends.

Background Higher mortality rates have been reported in patients admitted to the hospital on weekends. This study aimed to compare maternal mortality ratio (MMR), fetal mortality ratio, and other maternal and neonatal outcomes by day of death or delivery in the United States. Methods Our database consisted of a population-level analysis of live births and maternal and fetal deaths between 2004 and 2014 in the United States from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. We also examined the relationship between these deaths and various documented maternal and fetal clinical conditions. Results A total of 2,061 maternal deaths occurred on weekends and 5,510 deaths on weekdays. During the same period of time, 65,063 and 210,851 cases of fetal demise were delivered on weekends and on weekdays, respectively. Maternal mortality was significantly higher on weekends than weekdays (22.9 vs. 15.3/100,000 live births, p Conclusion Our data demonstrate a significant increase in the U.S. MMR and stillbirth delivery on weekends. Relative representation of antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum deaths cannot be ascertained from these data.
Inhibitory activities of plumbagin on cell migration and invasion and inducing activity on cholangiocarcinoma cell apoptosis

Objective: To investigate the cytotoxic, apoptotic and inhibitory activities on cell migration and invasion of plumbagin in the human cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cell line (CL-6) in comparison with human embryonic fibroblast cell line (OUMS). Methods: Cytotoxicity activity was evaluated using MTT assay. Inhibitory effect on cell migration and invasion were investigated using label-free real-time cell analysis and QCM ECMatrix cell invasion chamber, respectively. Apoptotic activity was evaluated using flow cytometry and CellEvent™ Caspase 3/7 assay. Results: Based on results of the cytotoxicity test in CL-6 cells, 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50, Mean±SD) values of plumbagin and the standard drug 5-fluorouracil were (24.00±3.33) and (1 036.00±137.77) μmol/L, respectively. The corresponding values for OUMS cells were (57.00±5.23) and (2 147.00±209.98) μmol/L, respectively. The selectivity index was 2.28. The inhibitory activities of plumbagin on cell migration and invasion were potent and concentration-dependent with IC50 of 25.0 μmol/L and complete inhibition at 25.0 μmol/L. Flow cytometry analysis showed that plumbagin at 12.5 μmol/L (half IC50) induced CL-6 cell apoptosis (43.24% of control) through stimulation of caspase 3/7 activities. Complete cell apoptosis was observed at 12.5 μmol/L. Conclusions: The cytotoxic activity and inhibition of migration and invasion including apoptosis induction in the human CCA cell line (CL-6) suggest that plumbagin could be a promising candidate for CCA chemotherapeutics. However, its relatively low selective cytotoxic effect on CCA cells is a major concern.
Graphics processing units-accelerated adaptive nonlocal means filter for denoising three-dimensional Monte Carlo photon transport simulations.

The Monte Carlo (MC) method is widely recognized as the gold standard for modeling light propagation inside turbid media. Due to the stochastic nature of this method, MC simulations suffer from inherent stochastic noise. Launching large numbers of photons can reduce noise but results in significantly greater computation times, even with graphics processing units (GPU)-based acceleration. We develop a GPU-accelerated adaptive nonlocal means (ANLM) filter to denoise MC simulation outputs. This filter can effectively suppress the spatially varying stochastic noise present in low-photon MC simulations and improve the image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by over 5 dB. This is equivalent to the SNR improvement of running nearly 3.5 × more photons. We validate this denoising approach using both homogeneous and heterogeneous domains at various photon counts. The ability to preserve rapid optical fluence changes is also demonstrated using domains with inclusions. We demonstrate that this GPU-ANLM filter can shorten simulation runtimes in most photon counts and domain settings even combined with our highly accelerated GPU MC simulations. We also compare this GPU-ANLM filter with the CPU version and report a threefold to fourfold speedup. The developed GPU-ANLM filter not only can enhance three-dimensional MC photon simulation results but also be a valuable tool for noise reduction in other volumetric images such as MRI and CT scans.
Efficient Photon Upconversion in Semiconductor Nanostructures: Constraints and Opportunities

Photon upconversion is a promising approach to realizing photovoltaics with efficiency beyond the Shockley-Quessier limit by harvesting low-energy photons and converting them to high-energy photons that can be absorbed by a host single-junction solar cell. Existing upconversion materials have limited potential benefit for solar energy harvesting applications because of their narrow absorption bandwidth and low quantum efficiency. We first present numerical simulations of semiconductor nanostructures designed to overcome these limitations. The computational results demonstrate the potential impact of such upconversion materials and identify critical material parameters that must be achieved for practical realization of upconverters that can have a meaningful impact on solar energy harvesting. We then present experimental progress toward realizing this semiconductor upconversion paradigm. We describe the choice of material composition and structure, growth of the nanostructures, and ultrafast optical characterization of the carrier dynamics that result in these structures. We show that upconversion can be achieved in at least one realization of this semiconductor upconversion paradigm. We conclude with a discussion about the prospects for realizing efficient photon upconversion and the constraints that must be addressed to meet this goal.
Adjuvant external beam radiotherapy for locally invasive papillary thyroid cancer.

Background The goal of this study was to assess the impact of adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) on survival in patients with locally invasive papillary thyroid carcinoma. Methods Propensity score analysis was performed on 870 patients with surgically resected T4 papillary thyroid carcinoma, identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database between 1988 and 2013. Results EBRT was associated with worse overall survival (OS) (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.18-2.16) and disease-specific survival (DSS) (HR 1.58, 1.09-2.30). Subset analysis of patients with major extrathyroidal invasion showed that EBRT was associated with worse OS (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.04-2.25), but not with DSS (HR 1.57, 95% CI 0.99-2.50). Conclusion Adjuvant EBRT, in the initial management of locally invasive papillary thyroid cancer, was not associated with a survival benefit. Future studies are needed to determine which subset of patients may benefit from adjuvant EBRT.
Atypical Causes of Urinary Tract Obstruction

Acute kidney injury due to urinary tract obstruction invariably suggests lower urinary tract obstruction or bilateral ureteric obstruction since obstruction of a single kidney while the contralateral kidney is normal and not obstructed would not cause a perceptible rise in creatinine. Assuming a total body volume of 42 L, 70 kg male that generates approximately 1400 mg of creatinine daily (20 mg/kg/day) who has complete urinary tract obstruction would experience a 3.33 mg/dL per day increase in serum creatinine. Thus, for an individual who had prior normal renal function and who presents with a creatinine of 30 mg/dL, one could surmise that the obstructive pathology had lasted at least 10 days. However, the rise in serum creatinine is a poor marker of renal injury and subsequent prognosis. Urinary tract obstruction leading to AKI can be due to a variety of causes, and its management is tailored to the underlying etiology. This case series describes the varied clinical course of four patients at our center who experienced AKI from atypical causes of obstructive uropathy. Current and future diagnostic modalities and caveats in the treatment of this disease entity are also discussed.
Patterns of urine scent mark pheromone evolution in house mice and relatives (Muridae: Mus)

ABSTRACT Scent marks are important mediators of territorial behavior and sexual selection in many species, especially among mammals. As such, the evolution of compounds used in scent marks has the potential to inform our understanding of signal evolution in relation to social and sexual selection. A major challenge in studies of chemical communication is that the link between semiochemical compounds and genetic changes is often unclear. The major urinary proteins (MUPs) of house mice are elaborated pheromone blends that provide information on sex, status and individual identity. Importantly, MUPs are a direct protein product of genes, providing a clear link between genotype and phenotype. Here we examine the evolution of urinary pheromone signals among house mice and relatives by examining the sequences and patterns of expression of MUPs in the liver, where urine excreted MUPs are produced. MUP patterns have evolved among mouse species both by gene duplication and variation in expression. Notably, the sex-specificity of pheromone expression that has previously been assumed to be male-specific varies considerably across species. Our data reveal that individual identity signals in MUPs evolved prior to 0.35 million years ago and have rapidly diversified through recombining a modest number of perceptually salient amino acid variants. Amino acid variants are much more common on the exterior of the protein where they could interact with vomeronasal receptors, suggesting that perception have played a major role in shaping MUP diversity. Collectively, these data provide new insights into the diverse processes and pressures shaping pheromone signals, and suggest new avenues for using house mice and their wild relatives to probe the evolution of signals and signal processing.
Challenges And Best Practices In Mixed Flow Gas Corrosion Testing Of Electronics

Mixed Flow Gas testing is widely used in industry as a means to accelerate corrosion in electronics. Although the science behind mixed flow gas testing is well-documented, the challenges of performing mixed flow gas testing on electrically powered products are not often discussed in the literature. This paper describes the authors’ experiences with performing mixed flow gas tests on over two hundred different industrial electronic products as well as perspective from over 30 years of company experiences with mixed flow gas testing. The advantages of performing testing on electrically powered products, test fixture design best practices, the impact of powered products on testing, and post-test analyses are described.
The universe is rather dusty

Whether in our homes or the depths of space, dust is everywhere – and it can be very annoying, writes