cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting Blood Levels of Androgen Binding Protein in the Rat

The factors which determine the levels of androgen binding protein (ABP) in blood were studied. Serum ABP concentrations are high at 18 days of age and decline, after formation of the blood-testis barrier, to levels found in adults. Secretion of ABP into the epididymis was markedly decreased in Hre rats and animals with Sertoli cell enriched testis, but the serum concentrations were normal. Serum ABP concentrations increase following obstruction of the efferent ducts and decrease following hemicastration. Testosterone treatment of chronically hypophysectomized rats resulted in an increase in testicular and serum ABP concentrations but no change in epididymal levels. By contrast, treatment with testosterone and FSH caused an increase in the epididymal content many-fold greater than that observed in plasma. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that release of ABP into blood is controlled by factors which are independent of transport to the epididymis.
Prediction of a protein band profile in preparative reversed-phase gradient elution chromatography.

The overloaded band profiles of lysozyme in reversed-phase preparative chromatography were recorded on a C18 chemically bonded silica column, with acetonitrile/water as the mobile phase. These experiments were carried out under isocratic conditions at 31.6, 31.9, and 32.2% acetonitrile (ACN) for loading factors up to 43% of the column saturation capacity and under linear-solvent-strength gradient-elution with gradient slopes of 0.5 and 1% ACN/min, for loading factors up to 11.3%. The adsorption isotherms of lysozyme were measured for the same solvent compositions and found to be accurately accounted for by a bi-Langmuir isotherm model.With the use of a Craig model implementation of the equilibrium-dispersive model of chromatography, the band profiles of lysozyme were calculated. An excellent agreement was observed between these calculated profiles and the experimental profiles recorded at loading factors below 5%. By contrast, band profiles calculated using a Langmuir isotherm failed to describe the experimental bands. At column loadings exceeding 8%, a slight but systematic deviation takes place between calculated and experimental profiles. It is most probably explained by the considerable concentration effect of the gradient, making the band experience phase equilibrium in a concentration range that exceeds largely the one where the isotherm data have been measured.
Model Building and Forecasting with Multicollinear Time Series

An explanatory regression model from time series data allows us to identify performance drivers and forecast performance given specific driver values, just as regression models from cross sectional data do. When decision makers want to forecast future performance in the shorter term, a time series of past performance is used to identify drivers and fit a model. A time series model can be used to identify drivers whose variation over time is associated with later variation in performance over time.
DIRECT SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF PROTEINS BY IN-SOURCE FRAGMENTATION DURING DELAYED ION EXTRACTION

Continuous segments of amino acid sequence information as long as 41 residues have been deduced by interpretation of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-generated ion signals dominated by cn fragmentation within the ion source of a linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer utilizing delayed ion extraction. The technique has been applied successively to five proteins of mass 12.2 kDa to 18.3 kDa, yielding segments of continuous sequence as long as 41 residues without the need for prior proteolytic fragmentation. Intact crosslinks such as disulfides or heme linkages interrupt the generation of these data.
The effect of stimulants on sleep characteristics in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Abstract Objective : To investigate the effects of stimulant medications on subjective and objective sleep characteristics of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with control children. Methods : An observational study in the sleep clinic and the community. Children with characteristics of ADHD, both stimulant-medicated ( n =53), and non-medicated ( n =34), together with control children ( n =53) completed a sleep habits questionnaire prior to undergoing full overnight polysomnographic assessment. Results : Medicated and non-medicated ADHD subjects were reported to have more sleep disturbances compared with controls. Both groups of ADHD children also demonstrated decreased REM sleep percentage compared with controls ( P =0.006 for ADHDmed; P =0.02 for ADHDnon). However, the use of stimulant medication ( n =53) was not associated with differences in subjective sleep quality or objective sleep measures, compared to ADHD children not taking any medication ( n =34; P =n.s.). Conclusions : Despite the high prevalence of reported sleep disturbance in children with ADHD, stimulant medication appears to have minimal effects on subjective and objective sleep characteristics in children with reported ADHD.
Infant temperament predicts life span in female rats that develop spontaneous tumors

In a recent study, we found that male rats that minimally explored a novel environment as infants died significantly faster than their more exploratory brothers. At death, these males had various complex pathologies, precluding identification of specific hormonal mechanisms underlying adult disease progression and mortality. To minimize the variance of disease processes at the end of life, we conducted a longitudinal study with female Sprague–Dawley rats prone to high rates of spontaneous mammary and pituitary tumors. For females that developed either mammary or pituitary tumors, those that had been neophobic (least exploratory) as infants died approximately 6 months earlier than their neophilic (most exploratory) sisters. In the case of mammary tumors, both benign and malignant, neophobic females developed palpable tumors earlier than neophilic females, whereas the interval between first palpation and death was the same for all females, indicating psychosocial regulation of early rather than later stages of the disease. Neophobic females' ovarian function aged more rapidly than their neophilic sisters. Concomitantly, they had lower corticosterone responses to restraint in late adulthood, ruling out high estrogen or corticosterone levels during senescence as causal factors in their accelerated mortality. During puberty, when mammary tissue is proliferating and differentiating, neophobic females experienced more irregular cycles with prolonged “luteal” phases, suggesting a role for prolactin, prolonged progesterone and fewer estrogen surges during this sensitive period for mammary tumor risk. Thus, we identified prolactin, estrogen, progesterone and possibly corticosterone dynamics as candidates for neuroendocrine mechanisms linking infant temperament with onset of adult neoplastic disease.
Simulations of hydrogen sorption in rht-MOF-1: Identifying the binding sites through explicit polarization and quantum rotation calculations

Grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations of hydrogen sorption were performed in rht-MOF-1, a metal–organic framework (MOF) that consists of isophthalate groups joined by copper paddlewheel clusters and Cu3O trimers through tetrazolate moeities. This is a charged rht-MOF that contains extra-framework nitrate counterions within the material. For the simulations performed herein, excellent agreement with experiment was achieved for the simulated hydrogen sorption isotherms and calculated isosteric heat of adsorption, Qst, values only when using a polarizable potential. Thermodynamic agreement is demonstrated via comparing to experimental isotherms and binding sites are revealed by combining simulation and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) data. Simulations involving explicit many-body polarization interactions assisted in the determination of the binding sites in rht-MOF-1 through the distribution of the induced dipoles that led to strong adsorbate interactions. Four distinct hydrogen sorption sites were determined from the polarization distribution: the nitrate ions located in the corners of the truncated tetrahedral cages, the Cu2+ ions of the paddlewheels that project into the truncated tetrahedral and truncated octahedral cages (Cu1 ions), the Cu2+ ions of the Cu3O trimers (Cu3 ions), and the sides of the paddlewheels in the cuboctahedral cage. The simulations revealed that the initial sorption sites for hydrogen in rht-MOF-1 are the nitrate ions; this site corresponds to the high initial Qst value for hydrogen (9.5 kJ mol−1) in the MOF. The radial distribution functions, g(r), about the Cu2+ ions at various loadings revealed that the Cu1 ions are the preferred open-metal sorption sites for hydrogen at low loading, while the Cu3 ions become occupied at higher loadings. The validation of the aforementioned sorption sites in rht-MOF-1 was confirmed by calculating the two-dimensional quantum rotational levels about each site and comparing the levels to the transitions that were observed in the experimental INS spectra for hydrogen in the compound. For each binding site, the rotational transitions from j = 0 to j = 1 were in good agreement to certain transitions that were observed in the INS spectra. From these calculations, the assignment of the peaks in the INS spectra for hydrogen in rht-MOF-1 has been made.
An analytic treatment of the reliability and performance of mirrored disk subsystems

An analytic model is developed for predicting the performance and reliability of mirrored disk subsystems. The model includes Markovian dependencies in the request stream, read and write traffic, unit failures, and individual request failures necessitating retries. A workload model is synthesized from measurements and used as example input. Statistical tests verify the Markovian nature of the request stream. The mirrored system is seen to offer substantial enhancement to both system reliability and performance. Server-selection, i.e., which drive to use to serve a read request, is also considered. The standard mirror policy, serve closest, is seen to be sub-optimal. A mechanism for optimal selection is suggested.
Mode of shear effects on yield and liquefied strength ratios

A database of 386 laboratory triaxial compression, direct simple shear, rotational shear, and triaxial extension test results was collected to examine yield and liquefied strength ratio concepts us...
Competitive Interactions in Phytotelmata—Breeding Pools of Two Poison-Dart Frogs (Anura: Dendrobatidae) in Costa Rica

Abstract Competition and predation are two of the most important factors structuring communities, and these interactions may be exaggerated when two closely related species share similar resource requirements. We studied size-based habitat selection of artificial phytotelmata for deposition of tadpoles in two species of poison-dart frogs, Dendrobates auratus and Oophaga granulifera, in Costa Rica. Dendrobates auratus exhibits male parental care, and its tadpoles are predaceous, whereas O. granulifera exhibits biparental care, and its tadpoles are obligatory trophic egg eaters. These behavioral traits are integral factors in habitat selection for these two species. We found that the predaceous D. auratus selected large- and medium-sized pools, whereas O. granulifera selected all pool sizes but had a preference for small pools. Oophaga granulifera paid a high cost for exploiting large pools experiencing 100% mortality when sharing a pool with D. auratus. The use of small versus large pools in these species ...
On A Synthetic Jet In A Background Flow

The flow field of a round synthetic jet in a background flow is investigated experimentally. The question posed was the following: 'can a synthetic jet in a parallel background flow be modeled along the lines of a turbulent jet in a coflow?’ Experiments were carried out with a piezoelectric synthetic actuator operating in uniform background flow parallel to the jet axis, with the ensuing velocity field measured using a single hot wire probe. The mean excess velocity was shown to exhibit self-similarity. The spreading rate of the synthetic jet with a background flow was observed to be non linear in contrast to a synthetic jet issuing into a quiescent environment. The synthetic jet in coflow is shown to spread faster and decay quicker than a turbulent continuous jet of equivalent excess momentum flux. Both the jet width and velocity decay in coflow showed good agreement with an integral model with the sole replacement of the spreading rate of a continuous jet in a quiescent environment with that of a synthetic jet.
Monitoring pH and Corrosion Potentials in High Temperature Aqueous Environments

Abstract A zirconia membrane electrode that responds to pH can serve admirably as a pH sensor in high temperature aqueous systems. Alternatively, under conditions of known, stable pH, the sensor ma...
The carboxyl-terminal valine residues of proTGF alpha are required for its efficient maturation and intracellular routing.

Abstract Soluble forms of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) are derived by proteolytic processing of an integral membrane glycoprotein precursor (pro TGF alpha). Previous studies indicated that phorbol ester-induced cleavage of pro TGF alpha in CHO cells is dependent on the presence of a valine residue located at the carboxyl terminus of the precursor's cytoplasmic domain. We reassessed this requirement with epitope-tagged constructs introduced into transformed rat liver epithelial cells that normally express and process TGF alpha. We found that pro TGF alpha mutants lacking the terminal valine residues showed greatly reduced maturation to the fully glycosylated form. Additionally, they were present at substantially reduced levels on the cell surface and, instead, accumulated in the endoplasmic reticulum. Consistent with these results, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analyses revealed little or no soluble TGF alpha in medium conditioned by cells expressing the mutant constructs. Finally, a truncated pro TGF alpha mutant lacking most of the cytoplasmic domain but retaining a carboxyl-terminal valine was processed and cleaved in a near-normal manner. These results, some of which were reproduced in CHO cells, indicate that the predominant effect of the carboxyl-terminal valines is to ensure normal maturation and routing of the precursor.
The economic impact of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis in the United States and Canada: a literature review.

BACKGROUND: Acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) are recurrent and potentially severe medical events for the 13 million people in the United States who have chronic bronchitis. Medical resource use associated with AECB can have a substantial economic impact on the patients, health care system, and society overall. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate literature on the economic impact of AECB in terms of cost of illness, cost of treatments, and cost-effectiveness. METHODS: A MEDLINE literature search was conducted for studies of chronic bronchitis and costs. Reference lists of identified articles were also retrieved for review. RESULTS: Eight published studies were identified: 2 cost-of-illness studies, 1 comparative cost study, and 5 cost-effectiveness studies. Important drivers of costs associated with AECB include hospitalization and choice of antibiotics. In mild to moderate AECB, patient adherence with therapy is essential to consider when selecting treatment. The antibiotic with the lowest acquisition cost has not been shown to be the most cost effective, as adherence and clinical outcomes, particularly rehospitalization rates, differ. CONCLUSION: Further research in these areas is needed to guide clinical decision making and the conduct of disease management programs.
The frustrating search for arrhythmia risk stratifiers in heart failure due to nonischemic cardiomyopathy: does T-wave alternans testing help?

Identification of heart failure patients who are at risk for life-threatening arrhythmias due to cardiomyopathy has been challenging, particularly for those without underlying coronary artery disease. The inherent complexity of risk stratification in this group is probably attributable to
Sonography and hypotension: a change to critical problem solving in undergraduate medical education.

Study objectives Multiple curricula have been designed to teach medical students the basics of ultrasound; however, few focus on critical problem-solving. The objective of this study is to determine whether a theme-based ultrasound teaching session, dedicated to the use of ultrasound in the management of the hypotensive patient, can impact medical students' ultrasound education and provide critical problem-solving exercises. Methods This was a cross-sectional study using an innovative approach to train 3rd year medical students during a 1-day ultrasound training session. The students received a 1-hour didactic session on basic ultrasound physics and knobology and were also provided with YouTube hyperlinks, and links to smart phone educational applications, which demonstrated a variety of bedside ultrasound techniques. In small group sessions, students learned how to evaluate patients for pathology associated with hypotension. A knowledge assessment questionnaire was administered at the end of the session and again 3 months later. Student knowledge was also assessed using different clinical scenarios with multiple-choice questions. Results One hundred and three 3rd year medical students participated in this study. Appropriate type of ultrasound was selected and accurate diagnosis was made in different hypotension clinical scenarios: pulmonary embolism, 81% (95% CI, 73%-89%); abdominal aortic aneurysm, 100%; and pneumothorax, 89% (95% CI, 82%-95%). The average confidence level in performing ultrasound-guided central line placement was 7/10, focused assessment with sonography for trauma was 8/10, inferior vena cava assessment was 8/10, evaluation for abdominal aortic aneurysm was 8/10, assessment for deep vein thrombus was 8/10, and cardiac ultrasound for contractility and overall function was 7/10. Student performance in the knowledge assessment portion of the questionnaire was an average of 74% (SD =11%) at the end of workshop and 74% (SD =12%) 3 months later (P=0.00). Conclusion At our institution, we successfully integrated ultrasound and critical problem-solving instruction, as part of a 1-day workshop for undergraduate medical education.
Longitudinal Study of DNA Methylation of Inflammatory Genes and Cancer Risk

Background: Chronic inflammation plays a key role in cancer etiology. DNA methylation modification, one of the epigenetic mechanisms regulating gene expression, is considered a hallmark of cancer. Human and animal models have identified numerous links between DNA methylation and inflammatory biomarkers. Our objective was to prospectively and longitudinally examine associations between methylation of four inflammatory genes and cancer risk. Methods: We included 795 Normative Aging Study participants with blood drawn one to four times from 1999 to 2012 (median follow-up, 10.6 years). Promoter DNA methylation of IL6 , ICAM-1 , IFN , and TLR2 in blood leukocytes was measured using pyrosequencing at multiple CpG sites and averaged by gene for data analysis. We used Cox regression models to examine prospective associations of baseline and time-dependent methylation with cancer risk and compared mean methylation differences over time between cancer cases and cancer-free participants. Results: Baseline IFN hypermethylation was associated with all-cancer (HR, 1.49; P = 0.04) and prostate cancer incidence (HR, 1.69; P = 0.02). Baseline ICAM-1 and IL6 hypermethylation were associated with prostate cancer incidence (HR, 1.43; P = 0.02; HR, 0.70; P = 0.03, respectively). In our time-dependent analyses, IFN hypermethylation was associated with all-cancer (HR, 1.79; P = 0.007) and prostate cancer (HR, 1.57; P = 0.03) incidence; and ICAM-1 and IL6 hypermethylation were associated with prostate cancer incidence (HR, 1.39; P = 0.02; HR, 0.69; P = 0.03, respectively). We detected significant ICAM-1 hypermethylation in cancer cases ( P = 0.0003) 10 to 13 years prediagnosis. Conclusion: Hypermethylation of IFN and ICAM-1 may play important roles in early carcinogenesis, particularly that of prostate cancer. Impact: These methylation changes could inform the development of early detection biomarkers and potential treatments of inflammation-related carcinogenesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(10); 1531–8. ©2015 AACR .
Plasmon-resonant gold nanorods as low backscattering albedo contrast agents for optical coherence tomography

Plasmon-resonant gold nanorods are demonstrated as low back-scattering albedo contrast agents for optical coherence tomography (OCT). We define the backscattering albedo, a′, as the ratio of the backscattering to extinction coefficient. Contrast agents which modify a′ within the host tissue phantoms are detected with greater sensitivity by the differential OCT measurement of both a′ and extinction. Optimum sensitivity is achieved by maximizing the difference between contrast agents and tissue, |a′ca - a′tiss|. Low backscattering albedo gold nanorods (14 × 44 nm; λmax = 780 nm) within a high backscattering albedo tissue phantom with an uncertainty in concentration of 20% (randomized 2±0.4% intralipid) were readily detected at 82 ppm (by weight) in a regime where extinction alone could not discriminate nanorods. The estimated threshold of detection was 30 ppm.
VEGF single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and correlation to sunitinib-induced hypertension (HTN) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients (pts)

5005 Background: VEGF SNPs (-634 C/C and -1498 T/T) have been associated with protection from grade III/IV HTN in breast cancer pts receiving bevacizumab plus paclitaxel (J Clin Oncol. 26:4672–4678...
Genetics of Pancreatic Cancer: From Genes to Families

Cancer of the pancreas is a genetic disease. Sporadic cancers of the pancreas are frequently associated with the activation of an oncogene, K-ras, and the inactivation of multiple tumor suppressor genes, including p53, DPC4, pl6, and BRCA2. An improved understanding of the genetics of pancreas cancer should lead to new tests to screen for this disease and novel rational gene-based therapies.
Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems Design for a Contract Manufacturer Using a Co-operative Co-evolutionary Multi-agent Approach

This chapter presents a method for designing the structure of reconfigurable manufacturing systems for a contract manufacturer based on the use of co-operative co-evolutionary agents. The aim is to determine the structure of a reconfigurable manufacturing system that can be converted from one configuration to another to manufacture the different products of the customers of the contract manufacturer. The approach involves multiple computational agents where each agent is allocated to each partner for whom the contract manufacturer is to manufacture parts. Each agent synthesises a machine configuration for manufacturing the part for the company it is allocated to achieve minimum machining cost and at the same time cooperates with other agents to co-evolve the structure of the machine to minimise reconfiguration cost between different machine configurations.
Likelihood of unacceptable normal tissue doses in breast cancer patients undergoing regional nodal irradiation in routine clinical practice

Abstract Purpose As indications for regional nodal irradiation (RNI) for breast cancer have expanded, so too has scrutiny over potential late toxicity from radiotherapy. This emphasizes the need for careful radiation treatment planning to maximize the therapeutic ratio. We sought to evaluate how often unacceptable doses (UDs) to organs at risk (OARs) occur and the associated factors for patients receiving RNI in daily practice. Methods and materials Treatment records of patients who received RNI from February 2012 to May 2015 were studied. The NSABP B51/RTOG 1304 clinical dose-volume constraints for targets/OARs receiving RNI were used as the benchmark. Dose-volume histograms were analyzed for the rate of ≥1 UD delivered to the following organs: heart, mean >5 Gy; ipsilateral lung, V20 >35%, V10 >60%, V5 >70%; contralateral lung (CL), V5 >15%; and contralateral breast, V4.1 >5%. Logistic regression was used to test the association between UDs to OAR and key variables. Results Two hundred three consecutive cases received RNI (105 left, 98 right), to the chest wall in 171 (84%) and to the internal mammary nodes in 170 (84%); 77.4% of cases met all OAR constraints. The most common OAR UDs were delivered to the contralateral breast (n = 32, 15.7%) and ipsilateral lung V5 (n = 22, 10.8%). On multivariate analysis, use of intensity modulated radiation therapy (odds ratio [OR], 64.7; 95% confidence interval, 20.8-201.5; P P = .04), but not internal mammary node irradiation (OR, 2.7; P = .35) or reconstruction (OR, 0.62; P = .33), were independently associated with higher OAR UD rate. For 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy plans, 7.9% had OAR UDs. Conclusion The OAR UD rate with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy ± deep inspiration breath-hold in routine clinical practice is low and not independently associated with internal mammary node irradiation or reconstruction presence. Women treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy had a significantly higher overall OAR UD rate, and clinicians should be aware of this as they initiate RNI treatment planning.
Developing a Healthy Hair Regimen I: Formulating an Optimal Cleansing and Conditioning Regimen

Cleansing the hair is the cornerstone of any healthy hair regimen. A typical cleansing routine consists of shampooing the hair, followed by the application of a conditioner or, less frequently, a deep conditioner. Other important elements include the use of protein-containing conditioners and oils which can further enhance the benefits of routine cleansing. This chapter will provide an in-depth discussion of the role each of these product types plays in maintaining and promoting healthy hair.
An ensemble-based recommendation engine for scientific data transfers

Big data scientists face the challenge of locating valuable datasets across a network of distributed storage locations. We explore methods for recommending storage locations ("endpoints") for users based on a range of prediction models including collaborative filtering and heuristics that consider available information such as user, institution, access history, endpoint ownership, and endpoint usage. We combine the strengths of these models by training a deep recurrent neural network on their predictions. Collectively we show, via analysis of historical usage from the Globus research data management service, that our approach can predict the next storage location accessed by users with 80.3% and 95.3% accuracy for top-1 and top-3 recommendations, respectively. Additionally, our heuristics can predict the endpoints that users will use in the future with over 75% precision and recall.
Geologic map of the east-central Meadow Valley Mountains, and implications for reconstruction of the Mormon Peak detachment, Nevada

The role of low-angle faults in accommodating extension within the upper crust remains controversial because the existence of these faults markedly defies extant continuum theories of how crustal faults form, and once initiated, how they continue to slip. Accordingly, for many proposed examples, basic kinematic problems like slip direction, dip angle while active, and magnitude of offset are keenly debated. A well-known example is the Miocene Mormon Peak detachment and overlying Mormon Peak allochthon of southern Nevada (USA), whose origin and evolution have been debated for several decades. Here, we use geologic mapping in the Meadow Valley Mountains to help define the geometry and kinematics of emplacement of the Mormon Peak allochthon, the hanging wall of the Mormon Peak detachment. Pre-exten­sion structural markers, inherited from the east-vergent Sevier thrust belt of Meso­zoic age, are well suited to constrain the geometry and kine­matics of the detachment. In this study, we add to these markers a newly mapped Sevier-­age monoclinal flexure preserved in the hanging wall of the detachment. The bounding axial surfaces of the flexure can be readily matched to the base and top of the frontal Sevier thrust ramp, which is exposed in the footwall of the detachment to the east in the Mormon Mountains and Tule Springs Hills. Multiple proxies for the slip direction of the detachment, including the mean tilt direction of hanging wall fault blocks, the trend of striations measured on the fault plane, and other structural features, indicate that it is approximately S77°W (257°). Given the observed structural separation lines between the hanging wall and footwall, this slip direction indicates 12–13 km of horizontal displacement on the detachment (14–15 km net slip), lower than a previous estimate of 20–22 km, which was based on erroneous assumptions in regard to the geometry of the thrust system. Based on a new detailed map compilation of the region and recently published low-temperature thermochronologic data, palinspastic constraints also preclude earlier suggestions that the Mormon Peak allochthon is a composite of diachronously emplaced, surficial landslide deposits. Although earlier suggestions that the initiation angle of the detachment in the central Mormon Mountains is ∼ 20°–25° remain valid, the geometry of the Sevier-age monocline in the Meadow Valley Mountains and other structural data suggest that the initial dip of the detachment steepens toward the north beneath the southernmost Clover Mountains, where the hanging wall includes kilometer-scale accumulations of volcanic and volcaniclastic strata.
Threats to the archaeological sites of Egypt: a response to Fradley and Sheldrick

We appreciate Michael Fradley and Nichole Sheldrick's response to our 2016 Antiquity paper. They claim that our results are �potentially misleading�, that there is an incorrect �emphasis on looting as the most significant problem facing Egypt's heritage� and that our prediction model is flawed. Our paper, however, clearly focuses on the major population centre of Egypt�the Nile Valley and Delta regions�where the bulk of the archaeological sites are located. This is a basic Egyptological fact.
Dynamically Reconfigurable Metadevice Employing Nanostructured Phase-Change Materials

Mastering dynamic free-space spectral control and modulation in the near-infrared (NIR) and optical regimes remains a challenging task that is hindered by the available functional materials at high frequencies. In this work, we have realized an efficient metadevice capable of spectral control by minimizing the thermal mass of a vanadium dioxide phase-change material (PCM) and placing the PCM at the feed gap of a bow-tie field antenna. The device has an experimentally measured tuning range of up to 360 nm in the NIR and a modulation depth of 33% at the resonant wavelength. The metadevice is configured for integrated and local heating, leading to faster switching and more precise spatial control compared with devices based on phase-change thin films. We envisage that the combined advantages of this device will open new opportunities for signal processing, memory, security, and holography at optical frequencies.
Impact of Social Determinants on Parent Sense of Competence in Mothers Who are Homeless or Poor Housed

Unfavorable social determinants can impact mothering of young children who are homeless or poor housed and parent sense of competence. Social determinants influence on mothers’ parent sense of comp...
A New Phycitine Genus and Species of a Pourouma-Feeding Moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from Panama

Astudy of insects associated with the guarumo de pava tree, Pourouma bicolor Martius (Urticaceae), in Panama resulted in the discovery of a new phycitine moth genus and species, Vorapourouma basseti, new genus, new species (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), described herein. The immatures were collected by beating vegetation using the Fort Sherman Canopy Crane in Panama, and subsequently reared in the laboratory. Although a number of Lepidoptera have been recorded to feed on Pourouma, this is the first pyraloid recorded from this host plant.
Metaphysics Without Substance

This chapter is a positive contribution to the debate regarding ontological priority. It aims to show that we should not dismiss process metaphysics and that we have naturalistic reasons for further developing a process metaphysics. In doing so, I first show how process metaphysics has been too easily dismissed for, what are likely to be, sociological reasons. I then argue that the very naturalistic developments in physics and biology that resulted in the questioning of substance metaphysics provide support for process metaphysics.
The Impact of Capital Structure on Profitability of Commercial Banks in Ghana

The study examined the effect of capital structure (measures as short term debt ratio, long term debt ratio, and total debt ratio) on profitability (measured as Return on Assets and Return on equity) of commercial banks in Ghana. The study sampled 23 banking over a six year period from 2010 to 2015 and extracted data from the annual of these banks. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis as well as panel regression analysis. The results showed that banks in Ghana are highly leveraged with debt financing constituting 84% of total capital out of which 77% is short term debt despite the increase in minimum equity capital of these banks. The regression analysis revealed that short term debt ratio and long term debt ratio are negatively related with profitability of banks in Ghana. However, total debt ratio was positively associated with profitability of Banks in Ghana. On the control variables, firm size, foreign ownership and age of the bank were positively associated with banks profitability whiles growth in customers? deposits was negatively associated with banks? profitability. The results show that commercial banks in Ghana reliance on short term financing (deposits) reduces banks profitability and as such banks should shift their financing focus from deposits to other sources. The results call for firms to choose the right mix of short term and long term debt that will maximize profitability of bank.
Suspected necrotising enterocolitis after surgery for CHD: an opportunity to improve practice and outcomes

Infants with CHD are at increased risk of necrotising enterocolitis, which can interfere with the achievement of adequate nutrition and, ultimately, growth and development. Necrotising enterocolitis is classified by severity as suspected, confirmed, and advanced. We sought to quantify the incidence of all types of necrotising enterocolitis among infants who underwent surgery, with a particular focus on suspected necrotising enterocolitis. This is a retrospective review of all infants <6 months of age who underwent cardiac surgery during 2012 and 2013 at Children's Hospital Colorado. We examined the hospital course of 265 hospitalisations (n=251 patients) and found 18 patients (19 hospitalisations) with suspected necrotising enterocolitis and 16 patients (16 hospitalisations) with confirmed or advanced necrotising enterocolitis. Single-ventricle physiology, lower weight, and younger age were associated with necrotising enterocolitis. Patients with all types of necrotising enterocolitis experienced prolonged length of hospital stay. We found suspected necrotising enterocolitis to be as common as confirmed necrotising enterocolitis, and it frequently occurred early in the post-operative course. We speculate that suspected necrotising enterocolitis may often be overlooked in research owing to a reliance on billing codes. Nevertheless, suspected necrotising enterocolitis poses a substantial barrier to post-operative progression of the CHD patient, as does confirmed necrotising enterocolitis. Following the diagnosis of all types of necrotising enterocolitis, there was wide variability in practice patterns. In response to this variability, we developed care guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of necrotising enterocolitis in this population.
A Note on Heteroclinics for a Hamiltonian System of Double Pendulum Type

Consider the Hamiltonian system (HS) where V satisfies (V 1) V ∈ C 2(ℝ2, ℝ) and is 1-periodic in q 1,q 2 the components of q, * This research was sponsored by the NSF under grant #MCS 8110556.
Topological Synthesis of Robust Dynamic Systems by Sustainable Genetic Programming

Traditional robust design constitutes only one step in the detailed design stage, where parameters of a design solution are tuned to improve the robustness of the system. This chapter proposes that robust design should start from the conceptual design stage and genetic programming-based open-ended topology search can be used for automated synthesis of robust systems. Combined with a bond graph-based dynamic system synthesis methodology, an improved sustainable genetic programming technique - quick hierarchical fair competition (QHFC)- is used to evolve robust high-pass analog filters. It is shown that topological innovation by genetic programming can be used to improve the robustness of evolved design solutions with respect to both parameter perturbations and topology faults.
A Goal-Focusing Approach to Manpower Planning in Graded Organizations

A manpower planning framework is developed for organizations in which staffing targets are ambiguous due to the absence of a well-specified production function. A variation of goal-programming is introduced to guide the selection of hiring and promotion rates, which are control parameters in a familiar Markov transition model. Unlike applications that treat well-defined but mutually inconsistent grade size targets, the goal-focusing model addresses the problem of numerous feasible solutions. Attention is focused on a subset of policy combinations with desirable properties, such as stability of promotion rates, which are evaluated with respect to implied interim and long-range staffing levels. The model is illustrated by simulation of five-year planning scenarios for a university faculty.
Devices for penile traction: the long and winding road to treating Peyronie’s disease

Introduction Penile traction therapy (PTT) is increasingly being recognized as a viable nonsurgical approach to Peyronie's disease (PD). The goal of this article is to review the current literature on PTT with attention to traction protocols, devices, and outcomes. Areas covered Literature on the pathophysiology of PD, PTT as primary and adjunctive treatment for PD, perioperative use of PTT, and vacuum erection devices are all reviewed. Pertinent literature was obtained from the PubMed database. The key words 'penile traction,' 'mechanotransduction,' and 'Peyronie's disease' were searched and results were narrowed down based on relevance to the review. Expert commentary PTT appears beneficial but the true magnitude of effect is difficult to discern. Most studies are not randomized, have small sample sizes, lack control arms, or have varying traction protocols. Patient compliance is critical and new devices and traction protocols are needed to maximize the benefit of PTT.
Evaluation of a Pharmacy-to-Dose Pneumococcal Vaccination Protocol at an Academic Medical Center.

Background: In February 2016, a pharmacy-to-dose (PTD) pneumococcal vaccination protocol was implemented to aid in the appropriate selection of pneumococcal vaccines. Objective: The primary objecti...
Harvesting effects on wild bee communities in bioenergy grasslands depend on nesting guild

Conversion of annual crops to native perennial grasslands for bioenergy production may help conserve wild bees by enhancing nest and food resources. However, bee response to the disturbance of biomass harvesting may depend on their nesting location, thus their vulnerability to nest destruction, and the response of the forb community on which they forage. Moreover, because bees have long foraging ranges, effects of local harvesting may depend on the amount of natural habitat in the surrounding landscape. We performed a large-scale one- and two-year experiment in Michigan and Wisconsin, USA, respectively, to examine how grassland harvesting, landscape context, and study year affect the forb community, above- and belowground-nesting bee species richness, community composition, trap nest emergence, and visitation rate. In Wisconsin, harvesting increased forb richness, cover, and evenness compared to unharvested control sites. Harvesting negatively affected aboveground-nesting bee richness and emergence from trap nests, possibly because of nest destruction during the previous harvest. By contrast, harvesting positively affected belowground-nesting bee richness, possibly because of the greater food resource availability and reduced thatch allowing greater access to nesting sites in the soil. Harvesting also affected bee community composition, reflecting the increase in belowground-nesting species at harvested sites. Despite harvesting effects on forb and bee communities, there was no effect on flower visitation rate, indicating little effect on pollination function. We did not find a harvest by landscape context interaction, which, in combination with the negative harvesting effect on trap nest emergence, suggests that harvesting can affect local population growth rather than simply affecting forager aggregation in different resource environments. For bees, there was no harvest by study year interaction, indicating a consistent response over a short timescale. Similarly, in Michigan, belowground-nesting species also responded positively to harvesting, which was more pronounced in sandier soils that are preferred for nesting. However, other components of the Michigan bee and forb communities were not significantly affected by biomass harvesting. Overall, our study demonstrates that harvesting grasslands can positively affect the ~80% of bee species that nest belowground by enhancing nest and/or forage resources, but that conserving aboveground nesters may require leaving some area unharvested.
Gender differences in the association between migration and cognitive function among older adults in China and India

Abstract Objective This study aims to examine gender differences in the association between migration and cognitive function among adults in China and India. Methods Data from the World Health Organization Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) study were used that included adults aged 50 + from China (N = 12,937) and India (N = 6244). Migration status included: urban residents, rural residents, urban-to-urban, rural-to-urban, rural-to-rural, and urban-to-rural migrants. Cognitive function was assessed by immediate and delayed recall tests, digit span tests, and verbal fluency test. Ordinary least square regression models were used to adjust for sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, health behaviors, and physical health status. Results Controlling for multiple covariates, significant differences in cognitive function were found between men and women, and across migration groups. A consistent female disadvantage was found in China and India for cognitive function. Women who were rural residents or rural-to-rural migrants had the poorest cognitive function in both the Chinese and the Indian samples. Among males in China, rural residents had poorer cognitive function than urban residents, while urban-to-urban migrants had highest cognition scores; however, for male counterparts in India, rural-to-rural migrants had the poorest cognitive function. Conclusions The results suggest that the association between migration and cognitive function differs by gender and country. In our study populations, major sociodemographic characteristics play a key role in accounting for the differences in cognitive function.
Building Resource Adaptive Software Systems

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Building Resource Adaptive Software Systems (BRASS) program is an ambitious effort to improve the resilience and longevity of complex software systems. Its vision seeks a principled integration of adaptive reasoning into all aspects of the software design cycle.
Publicly Funded Home and Community-Based Care for Children With Medical Complexity: Protocol for the Analysis of Medicaid Waiver Applications

Background: Children with medical complexity are a group of children with multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations that represent the highest health care utilization and often require a substantial number of home and community-based services (HCBS). In many states, HCBS are offered to target populations through 1915(c) Medicaid waivers. To date, no standard methods or approaches have been established to evaluate or compare 1915(c) waivers across states in the United States for children. Objective: The purpose of this analysis was to develop a systematic and reproducible approach to evaluate 1915(c) Medicaid waivers for overall coverage of children with medical complexity. Methods: Data elements were extracted from Medicaid 1915(c) approved waiver applications for all included waivers targeting any pediatric age range through October 31, 2018. Normalization criteria were established, and an aggregate overall coverage score was calculated for each waiver. Results: Data extraction occurred in two phases: (1) waivers that were considered nonexpired through December 31, 2017, and (2) the final sample that included nonexpired waivers through October 31, 2018. A total of 142 waivers across 45 states in the United States were included in this analysis. We found that the existing adult HCBS taxonomy may not always be applicable for child and family-based service provision. Although there was uniformity in the Medicaid applications, there was high heterogeneity in how waiver eligibility, transition plans, and wait lists were defined. Study analysis was completed in January 2019, and after analyzing each individual waiver, results were aggregated at the level of the state and for each diagnostic subgroup. The published results are forthcoming. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically evaluate 1915(c) Medicaid waivers targeting children with medical complexity that can be replicated without the threat of missing data. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR1-10.2196/13062
Turbulence modulation by settling inertial aerosols in Eulerian-Eulerian and Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations of homogeneously sheared turbulence

When subject to strong shear, settling particles dispersed at semidilute concentrations may modulate the suspending flow significantly, in a way that enhances or attenuates turbulence. The modulation is enabled by the appearance of clusters and void fraction bubbles in the particle phase.