cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple images viewable on twisted-nematic mode liquid-crystal displays

The twisted-nematic mode liquid-crystal display (LCD) display used in most laptop computers has the property that the luminance and color changes dramatically as the viewing angle changes. The present paper utilizes this property to embed several images into the LCD display that are viewable depending on the viewing angle. Applications include improving the viewing angle characteristics of LCD displays.
Identification of the cglC, cglD, cglE, and cglF Genes and Their Role in Cell Contact-Dependent Gliding Motility in Myxococcus xanthus

ABSTRACT Within Myxococcus xanthus biofilms, cells actively move and exchange their outer membrane (OM) lipoproteins and lipids. Between genetically distinct strains, OM exchange can regulate recipient cell behaviors, including gliding motility and development. Although many different proteins are thought to be exchanged, to date, only two endogenous OM lipoproteins, CglB and Tgl, are known to be transferred. Protein exchange requires the TraAB proteins in recipient and donor cells, where they are hypothesized to facilitate OM fusion for transfer. To better understand the types of proteins exchanged, we identified the genes for the remaining set of cgl gliding motility mutants. These mutants are unique because their motility defect can be transiently restored by physical contact with donor cells that encode the corresponding wild-type protein, a process called stimulation. Similar to CglB and Tgl, the cglC and cglD genes encode type II signal sequences, suggesting that they are also lipoproteins. Surprisingly, the cglE and cglF genes instead encode type I signal sequences, suggesting that nonlipoproteins are also exchanged. Consistent with this idea, the addition of exogenous synthetic CglF protein (71 amino acids) to a cglF mutant rescued its motility defect. In contrast to a live donor cell, stimulation with purified CglF protein occurred independently of TraA. These results also indicate that CglF may localize to the cell surface. The implications of our findings on OM exchange are discussed.
Improved error estimates for mixed finite‐element approximations for nonlinear parabolic equations: The continuous‐time case

L2-error estimates are computed for mixed finite-element methods for second-order quasilinear (and linear, variable coefficient) parabolic equations. Results are given for the continuous-time case. The convergence of the values for both the scalar function and the flux is demonstrated. The technique used here covers the lowest-order Raviart-Thomas spaces, as well as the higher-order spaces. A second paper will present the analysis of a fully discrete scheme. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Secure multi-path data deliver in sensor networks

In network communication, Byzantine attacks, i.e., attacks in consequence of the packet dropping and cheating (modified packets), are usually difficult to guard against. Several multi-path packet routing schemes have been recently proposed to recover lost packets on account of the packet dropping (caused by path failures or attacks), but no effective solutions have been proposed to counter cheating attacks. To this end, we propose a novel approach in multi-path routing to improve resilience to Byzantine attacks. In our approach, we present a multi-path source routing scheme based on Prufer number which allows the receiver to identify packet dropping paths. We also propose a multi-path coding scheme based on Reed-Solomon error-correcting coding scheme which allows the receiver to identify paths that cheat. If (n; k) RS coding scheme is used, our v(≥ 3) node-disjoint paths routing scheme is resilient to t = (n-k)/2 faulty paths, i.e., up to t faulty paths can be identified and the original message can be recovered. Our scheme does not involve interactive communications between the source and the destination. Additionally, we propose a path selection scheme which enables a node to select the most reliable paths (isolating faulty nodes) to transmit data. Our robustness analysis also discusses the tradeoffs between using the single path routing and multi-path routing.
Water Treatment Residuals and Biosolids Coapplications Affect Semiarid Rangeland Phosphorus Cycling

Land coapplication of water treatment residuals (WTR) with biosolids has not been extensively researched, but the limited studies performed suggest that WTR sorb excess biosolids-borne P. To understand the long-term effects of a single coapplication and the short-term impacts of a repeated coapplication on soil P inorganic and organic transformations, 7.5- by 15-m plots with treatments of three different WTR rates with a single biosolids rate (5, 10, and 21 Mg WTR ha-1 and 10 Mg biosolids ha-1) surface coapplied once in 1991 or surface reapplied in 2002 were utilized. Soils from the 0- to 5-cm depth were collected in 2003 and 2004 and were sequentially fractionated for inorganic and organic P (Po). Inorganic P fractionation determined (i) soluble and loosely bound, (ii) Al-bound, (iii) Fe-bound, (iv) occluded, and (v) Ca-bound P, while organic P fractionation determined (i) labile, (ii) biomass, (iii) moderately labile, (iv) fulvic acid, (v) humic acid, and (vi) nonlabile associated Po. Pathway analysis showed that humic, fulvic, and nonlabile Po did not play a role in P transformations. Biomass Po and moderately labile Po contributed to the transitory labile Po pool. Labile Po was a P source for Fe-bound and WTR-bound inorganic phases, with the Fe-bound phase transitory to the occluded P sink. The Al-bound phase additionally contributed to the occluded P sink. The Ca-bound phase weathered and released P to both the Fe-bound and WTR-bound P phases. Overall, the WTR fraction, even 13 yr after the initial application, acted as the major stable P sink.
Toward a dialectical concept of autonomy: Revisiting the feminist alliance with poststructuralism

L'A. souligne le paradoxe de l'alliance feministe avec le poststructuralisme, nee de la critique feministe du sujet cartesien masculin appartenant a la tradition humaniste et liberale. L'alliance feministe rejette en effet un ideal normatif d'autonomie qu'elle presuppose par ailleurs. Ses efforts pour elaborer une theorie de la subjectivite qui depasse la dialectique du sujet constitue et constitant souffrent du rejet premature des philosophies existentialistes comme la theorie de l'interiorite de S. Kierkegaard
Cortical neural populations can guide behavior by integrating inputs linearly, independent of synchrony

Neurons are sensitive to the relative timing of inputs, both because several inputs must coincide to reach spike threshold and because active dendritic mechanisms can amplify synchronous inputs. To determine if input synchrony can influence behavior, we trained mice to report activation of excitatory neurons in visual cortex using channelrhodopsin-2. We used light pulses that varied in duration from a few milliseconds to 100 ms and measured neuronal responses and animals’ detection ability. We found detection performance was well predicted by the total amount of light delivered. Short pulses provided no behavioral advantage, even when they concentrated evoked spikes into an interval a few milliseconds long. Arranging pulses into trains of varying frequency from beta to gamma also produced no behavioral advantage. Light intensities required to drive behavior were low (at low intensities, channelrhodopsin-2 conductance varies linearly with intensity), and the accompanying changes in firing rate were small (over 100 ms, average change: 1.1 spikes per s). Firing rate changes varied linearly with pulse intensity and duration, and behavior was predicted by total spike count independent of temporal arrangement. Thus, animals’ detection performance reflected the linear integration of total input over 100 ms. This behavioral linearity despite neurons’ nonlinearities can be explained by a population code using noisy neurons. Ongoing background activity creates probabilistic spiking, allowing weak inputs to change spike probability linearly, with little amplification of coincident input. Summing across a population then yields a total spike count that weights inputs equally, regardless of their arrival time.
Compounds in Cottonseed Oil That Cause Pink White Discoloration in Stored Eggs

Abstract SEVERAL years ago studies were initiated in this laboratory to isolate the compounds in crude cottonseed oil which cause pink-colored whites and large salmon-colored yolks in stored eggs produced by hens fed the oil. Since this work was started Masson et al. (1957) reported that sterculic acid from Sterculia foetida seeds caused pink white discoloration, and Faure (1956) showed that sterculic acid gave a positive Halphen reaction. Lorenz (1939) believed the substance in crude cottonseed oil that causes “pink-white” egg discoloration is the same as the one that gives the Halphen reaction or something very closely associated with it. Shenstone et al. (1965) isolated sterculic acid from cottonseed oil by reversed phase chromatography. Shenstone and Vickery (1956) obtained from cottonseed oil a fatty acid fraction that gave a positive Halphen reaction and caused “pink-white” discoloration of stored eggs. Macfarlane et al. (1957) isolated from this fraction a fatty acid, which …
KLD-Sampling: Adaptive Particle Filters

Over the last years, particle filters have been applied with great success to a variety of state estimation problems. We present a statistical approach to increasing the efficiency of particle filters by adapting the size of sample sets on-the-fly. The key idea of the KLD-sampling method is to bound the approximation error introduced by the sample-based representation of the particle filter. The name KLD-sampling is due to the fact that we measure the approximation error by the Kullback-Leibler distance. Our adaptation approach chooses a small number of samples if the density is focused on a small part of the state space, and it chooses a large number of samples if the state uncertainty is high. Both the implementation and computation overhead of this approach are small. Extensive experiments using mobile robot localization as a test application show that our approach yields drastic improvements over particle filters with fixed sample set sizes and over a previously introduced adaptation technique.
Full length article: Signal propagation techniques for wireless underground communication networks

Wireless Underground Communication Networks (WUCNs) consist of wireless devices that operate below the ground surface. These devices are either (i) buried completely under dense soil, or (ii) placed within a bounded open underground space, such as underground mines and road/subway tunnels. The main difference between WUCNs and the terrestrial wireless communication networks is the communication medium. In this paper, signal propagation characteristics are described in these constrained areas. First, a channel model is described for electromagnetic (EM) waves in soil medium. This model characterizes not only the propagation of EM waves, but also other effects such as multipath, soil composition, water content, and burial depth. Second, the magnetic induction (MI) techniques are analyzed for communication through soil. Based on the channel model, the MI waveguide technique for communication is developed to address the high attenuation challenges of MI waves through soil. Furthermore, a channel model, i.e., the multimode model, is provided to characterize the wireless channel for WUCNs in underground mines and road/subway tunnels. The multimode model can characterize two cases for underground communication, i.e., the tunnel channel and the room-and-pillar channel. Finally, research challenges for the design communication protocols for WUCNs in both underground environments are discussed based on the analysis of the signal propagation.
The Temperature Size Rule in Arthropods: Independent of Macro-Environmental Variables but Size Dependent

Synopsis Temperature is a key factor that affects the rates of growth and development in animals, which ultimately determine body size. Although not universal, a widely documented and poorly understood pattern is the inverse relationship between the temperature at which an ectothermic animal is reared and its body size (temperature size rule [TSR]). The proximate and ultimate mechanisms for the TSR remain unclear. To explore possible explanations for the TSR, we tested for correlations between the magnitude/direction of the TSR and latitude, temperature, elevation, habitat, availability of oxygen, capacity for flight, and taxonomic grouping in 98 species/populations of arthropods. The magnitude and direction of the TSR was not correlated with any of the macro-environmental variables we examined, supporting the generality of the TSR. However, body size affected the magnitude and direction of the TSR, with smaller arthropods more likely to demonstrate a classic TSR. Considerable variation among species exists in the TSR, suggesting either strong interactions with nutrition, or selection based on microclimatic or seasonal variation not captured in classic macro-environmental variables.
Application of temperature-sensitive mutants for single-cell protein production.

Cell-division-cycle, temperature-sensitive mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated as a means of altering the morphological characteristics and subsequent physical properties of single-cell protein (SCP). Strain 4471, harboring mutation cdc 4, formed a visible complex mass at the nonpermissive temperature, after being grown at 30°C and then transferred to 37°C for 8 hr. Microscopic observation showed that the mother cell was unable to complete the budding process at the nonpermissive temperature, which caused the cells to enlarge. Viscosity measurements were used to establish and characterize optimum morphological changes in the yeast. The Maximum increase in viscosity occurred when cells were incubated at 30°C and then shifted to 37°C for 8 hr. Strain 4471 exhibited yield stress, whereas A364A did not. Maximum change in yield stress occurred when cells were shifted from 30 to 37°C for 8 hr. No significant loss of protein or RNA occurred in strain 4471, as compared to strain A364A, when incubated at the nonpermissive temperature.
Comments on “A Quantitative Assessment of the NESDIS Auto-Estimator”

The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) computes operational quantitative precipitation estimates (Borneman 1988) and provides real-time satellite precipitation estimates (SPEs) and outlooks to field forecasters. This information is transmitted to the field via satellite precipitation estimate messages called SPENES. These SPENES alert forecasters and hydrologists of the potential for heavy precipitation and flash floods over their watch and warning areas. For over 20 years, SPEs have been a manual/interactive process using the interactive flash flood analyzer (IFFA) technique (Scofield and Oliver 1977; Scofield 1987). IFFA was designed for high-intensity precipitation events. However, due to the manual/interactive nature of the IFFA methodology, precipitation estimates cover limited areas for limited periods of time and can take a significant amount of time to produce. In order to improve the spatial and temporal coverage of SPEs while improving timeliness, NESDIS/Office of Research and Application (ORA) developed an automatic algorithm for high-intensity precipitation called the Auto-Estimator (A-E). The A-E was designed for cold-topped (less than 2608C) mesoscale convective systems (Vicente et al. 1998). In addition, the original A-E was based on 10.7-mm rain rate information at 30min intervals, growth, gradient, and a precipitable water/relative humidity adjustment from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Eta Model. This original version was the one evaluated by Rozumalski. As stated in Rozumalski’s (2000) final paragraph, NESDIS has continued to develop the A-E since this evaluation, and progress is being made toward operational implementation. Recent enhancements include the addition of 15-min Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) 10.7-mm imagery, 15-min Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) reflectivity data (as a rain/no rain indicator), and ad-
Interactive Exploration of Stress Tensors Used in Computational Turbulent Combustion

Simulation and modeling of turbulent flow, and of turbulent reacting flow in particular, involves solving for and analyzing time-dependent and spatially dense tensor quantities, such as turbulent stress tensors. The interactive visual exploration of these tensor quantities can effectively steer the computational modeling of combustion systems. In this chapter, we discuss the challenges in dense symmetric-tensor visualization applied to turbulent combustion calculation, and analyze the feasibility of using several established tensor visualization techniques in the context of exploring space-time relationships in computationally-simulated combustion tensor data. To tackle the pervasive problems of occlusion and clutter, we propose a solution combining techniques from information and scientific visualization. Specifically, the proposed solution combines a detailed 3D inspection view based on volume rendering with glyph-based representations—used as 2D probes—while leveraging interactive filtering and flow salience cues to clarify the structure of the tensor datasets. Side-by-side views of multiple timesteps facilitate the analysis of time-space relationships. The resulting prototype enables an analysis style based on the overview first, zoom and filter, then details on demand paradigm originally proposed in information visualization. The result is a visual analysis tool to be utilized in debugging, benchmarking, and verification of models and solutions in turbulent combustion. We demonstrate this analysis tool on three example configurations and report feedback from combustion researchers.
Molecular Level Study of Insensitive and Energetic Layered and Intercalated Materials

An important goal in the detonation physics and chemistry community is to design explosives with high-performance capabilities, yet sufficiently low impact and shock sensitivities. The traditional ways of developing increasingly energetic explosives have led to an increase in sensitivity. It is, therefore, of practical and theoretical importance to design, from molecular level considerations, polycrystalline explosive systems which clearly exhibit directional sensitivity and initiation properties, and which approach the insensitivity of homogeneous or single-crystal explosives. Theoretical studies indicate that such systems may be constructed from special materials such as high-quality pyrolytic, layered, hexagonal boron nitride (BN) crystals. Intercalation of the crystals with various oxidizing agents can yield an explosive system with the desired properties. Under ordinary laboratory conditions and with modest pressures, the intercalate molecules readily enter the host lattice by exploiting the weak bonding between the layers, resulting in denser, metastable crystals. High energy release is achieved when products containing B2O3 are formed.
Effect of Type of Housing and Litter on Production of Broilers

Abstract RECENTLY there has been considerable interest in the use of windowless-type houses for the production of broilers in the South. It is generally agreed that houses of this type which are fan-ventilated tend to be superior to conventional houses with respect to growth, feed conversion, mortality and condemnation of broilers to market age (Chalaupka et al., 1967; Stevens, 1967; Griffin et al., 1968; and McCartney et al., 1969). Ross (1968) has shown that mortality of chicks reared on fresh litter was slightly lower than for those reared on reused litter. On the other hand, Reed and McCartney (1970) found no difference in mortality of broilers reared on reused or new litter. Condemnations at the processing plant from leukosis were found to be lower for chicks reared on reused litter (Chalaupka et al., 1968). Although Witter et al., (1967) suggested that litter and droppings contaminated with Marek’s disease agent could be…
Distance education and the scholarship of teaching and learning in political science

Higher education has been transformed by technology over the past two decades, and teaching and learning online has become considerably more prominent. We examine the extent to which journals in th...
Studies on Present Status of Beijing Rural Informalization and Countermeasures——Based on Investigation of 116 Towns in Beijing

Rural informalization is playing more and more important role in infrastructure construction of urban and rural areas,in development of modern agriculture,in improvement of public service and social management in rural areas,and in raising education and culture level in rural areas,etc.Because the rural informalization in China started late and developed at low level,lots of problems appeared,such as imperfect working mechanism,weak information-based consciousness,difficulty in full performance of informalization,etc.In order to develop informalization in rural areas,it is necessary to perfect the information-oriented mechanism,to promote the integration of all main bodies of informalization,to constantly upgrading application level of informalization technologies in rural areas,and to constantly perfect the evaluation system of informalization.
Recurrence of moderate to large magnitude earthquakes produced by surface faulting on the Wasatch fault zone, Utah

No historical earthquake associated with surface faulting have occurred along the Wasatch fault zone during at least the past 133 yr. Exploratory trenching, analysis of fault scarp morphology and scarp-derived colluvial deposits, and detailed mapping at two locations along the fault zone indicated there have been repeated moderate to large magnitude earthquakes ( M 6 1 2 to 7 1 2 ) associated with surface faulting during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. These detailed geological studies provide new data on the style of deformation associated with normal-slip faulting, amount of cumulative displacement, amount of displacement per event, and the recurrence intervals of surface faulting earthquakes. At the Kaysville site, 30 km north of Salt Lake City, at least three surface faulting events have produced 10 to 11 m of cumulative net vertical tectonic displacement since the middle Holocene; estimates of the net tectonic displacement for individual faulting events range from 1.7 to 3.7 m. The two most recent events occurred within the past 1,580 ± 150 yr and interval between these events was from 500 to 1,000 yr. Along this segment of the fault, the average recurrence interval is probably close to 1,000 yr. The middle to late Holocene slip rate is 1.8 (+1.0; −0.6) nm/yr. At the Hobble Creek site, 46 km south of Salt Lake City, six or seven surface faulting events have produced 11.5 to 13.5 m of cumulative net vertical tectonic displacement during the past 12,000 to 13,000 yr; the average net tectonic displacement per event is 0.8 to 2.8 m. The average Holocene recurrence interval at this location is 1,500 to 2,600 yr and the slip rate is 1.0 ± 0.1 mm/yr. If the recurrence intervals on these segments of the Wasatch fault zone are typical of the other segments of the zone, the recurrence interval of moderate to large magnitude earthquakes for the entire Wasatch fault zone may be 50 to 430 yr.
Implementing the QR Decomposition

After reviewing the reduced QR decomposition done using Gram-Schmidt, this chapter develops two efficient methods for computing the QR decomposition, using Givens rotations and Householder reflections. Givens rotations are defined, and the use of a rotation to zero out a particular entry in a vector is developed. This is followed by showing how to use Givens rotations to zero out multiple entries in a vector. If J ( i , j , c , s ) is a Givens rotation and A is a matrix, the product J ( i , j , c , s ) * A can be performed by modifying only two rows of A . These ideas are then applied to zeroing out entries in a column of a matrix. Due to possibility of overflow, the Givens parameters c and s must be computed carefully. This material is put together to develop algorithms for computing the QR and reduced QR decompositions of a general m × n matrix using Givens rotations, and the flop count is determined. Next, Householder reflections are defined and many of their properties developed. It is shown how to find a vector u such that Hu * A zeros out all the elements below a diagonal element of A . A careful analysis is done to assure accurate computation of u . As with Givens rotations, Householder reflections can be applied implicitly rather than actually building a Householder matrix. The chapter ends with the development of the QR decomposition using Householder reflections, which is the standard algorithm. Studying Givens rotations was useful because they are needed when computing eigenvalues and the SVD.
Development of superconducting joints for twc high-Jc Nb3Sn wires for NMR superconducting magnet applications

For a persistent mode high-field NMR magnet involving several Nb3Sn coils, Nb3Sn-Nb3Sn joints with extremely small resistance values are required to maintain an acceptable field-decay rate. We have successfully developed a very reliable superconducting joining technique for Teledyne Wah Chang (TWC) high critical current-density (high-J c), niobium diffusion barrier modified jelly roll (MJR) Nb3Sn wires. In this paper, the joint fabrication and test results are presented. The range of the electric resistance of the Nb3Sn-Nb3Sn joints fabricated is about 10-14 Ohms (Ω) for currents up to 500 A and less than 6 × 10-14 Ω for currents up to 1000 A in a field of about 0.03 Tesla generated by the test coil. Both the standard four-terminal and field-decay methods were used for the measurements of joint resistance. Four joints have been tested and the success rate of the tested joints is 100%.
Prosthetic leg control in the nullspace of human interaction

Recent work has extended the control method of virtual constraints, originally developed for autonomous walking robots, to powered prosthetic legs for lower-limb amputees. Virtual constraints define desired joint patterns as functions of a mechanical phasing variable, which are typically enforced by torque control laws that linearize the output dynamics associated with the virtual constraints. However, the output dynamics of a powered prosthetic leg generally depend on the human interaction forces, which must be measured and canceled by the feedback linearizing control law. This feedback requires expensive multi-axis load cells, and actively canceling the interaction forces may minimize the human's influence over the prosthesis. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a method for projecting virtual constraints into the nullspace of the human interaction terms in the output dynamics. The projected virtual constraints naturally render the output dynamics invariant with respect to the human interaction forces, which instead enter into the internal dynamics of the partially linearized prosthetic system. This method is illustrated with simulations of a transfemoral amputee model walking with a powered knee-ankle prosthesis that is controlled via virtual constraints with and without the proposed projection.
An Inquiry into the Legal Standing of Rogue REMICs in Foreclosures

The business of privatized mortgage loan securitization (Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits or “REMICS”) is so arcane and specialized that few people outside of that realm of investment knowledge understand, or even care to understand how loan securitization functions. However, if the difference between a legitimate REMIC and a Rogue REMIC is adequately explained, one can begin to understand why Rogue REMICs must be exposed as unlawful enterprises whose affiliates are not only able to disregard existing federal securities and tax laws, but are also able to circumvent state and local foreclosure laws at will. These ongoing violations result from the intentional and commonplace shortcutting of the proper mortgage loan securitization processes during the several years preceding the 2008 financial crisis. This Inquiry will not focus primarily on how and why Rogue REMICS violate federal tax and securities laws; although those aspects are part of the discussion by necessity. I will argue that all Rogues lack the perquisite legal standing to prosecute both judicial and non-judicial foreclosures. I will present compelling evidence that, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, foreclosures by Rogues may have exceeded 10% of all foreclosures. I will further argue that county officials may be violating state laws by recording the documents that impart false legal standing to the Rogues. I will conclude with a suggestion to homeowners on how to proceed if a mortgage assignment to a Rogue turns up in the local County public records.
Initial Comparison of Resident and Attending Milestones Evaluations in Plastic Surgery.

Background Graduate medical education has recently undergone a major archetypal shift toward competency-based evaluations of residentsʼ performance. The implementation of the Milestones program by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is a core component of the shift, designed to ensure uniformity in measuring residency knowledge using a series of specialty-specific achievements. This study evaluates the correlation between residentsʼ self-evaluations and program directorsʼ assessments of their performance. Methods The study population comprised 12 plastic surgery residents, ranging from postgraduate year 1 to postgraduate year 6, enrolled in an integrated residency program at a single institution. Results Overall, average attending scores were lower than average resident scores at all levels except postgraduate year 6. Correlation between resident and attending evaluations ranged from 0.417 to 0.957, with the correlation of average scores of Patient Care (0.854) and Medical Knowledge (0.816) Milestones significantly higher than those of professional skillsets (0.581). “Patient care, facial esthetics” was the Milestone with the lowest average scores from both groups. Residents scored themselves notably higher than their attendingsʼ evaluations in Practice-based Learning and Improvement categories (+0.958) and notably lower in Medical Knowledge categories such as “Cosmetic Surgery, Trunk and Lower Extremities” (−0.375) and “Non-trauma hand” (−0.208). The total possible number of participants in this study was 12. The actual number of participants was 12 (100%). Conclusions The remarkable range of correlations suggests that expectations for performance standards may vary widely between residents and program directors. Understanding gaps between expectations and performance is vital to inform current and future residents as the restructuring of the accreditation process continues.
Treatment of acute variceal bleeding: general management and prevention of infections

Ruptured esophageal varices cause 60–80% of all upper gastrointestinal bleeding episodes in cirrhosis. Variceal bleeding ceases spontaneously in 40–50% of patients; however, a small percentage of patients (∼5%) die from uncontrolled bleeding. Even in patients in whom bleeding stops, rebleeding occurs within the first 6 weeks in ∼20%. A poor outcome, either failure to control bleeding, early recurrent bleeding or death, occurs in 15–30% of cases. Several factors predictive of a poor outcome have been identified in various studies. Some of them, such as hypovolemia, renal dysfunction and bacterial infection, apply to cirrhotic patients with any gastrointestinal hemorrhage, independent of etiology. Other predictive factors, such as active variceal bleeding at the time of diagnostic endoscopy and an hepatic venous pressure gradient >20 mmHg, apply to cirrhotic patients with variceal hemorrhage and are factors that can be prevented or treated by using pharmacologic or other portal pressure-reducing methods. A third group of predictive factors are intrinsic to the cirrhotic patient, as is the case of an alcoholic etiology of cirrhosis, the degree of liver dysfunction (albumin, bilirubin levels and the presence of hepatic encephalopathy) and the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Burden of Adult Community-acquired, Health-care-Associated, Hospital-Acquired, and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: New York City, 2010 to 2014

Background Although pneumonia is a leading cause of death in New York City (NYC), limited data exist about the settings in which pneumonia is acquired across NYC. Cases of pneumonia acquired in community settings are more likely to be preventable with vaccines and treatable with first-line antibiotics than those acquired in noncommunity settings. The objective of this study was to estimate the burden of hospitalizations associated with community-acquired (CAP), health-care-associated (HCAP), hospital-acquired (HAP), and ventilator-associated (VAP) pneumonia from 2010 to 2014. Methods This retrospective analysis was performed by using an all-payer reporting system of hospital discharges that included NYC residents aged ≥ 18 years. Pneumonia-associated hospitalizations were defined as any hospitalization that included a diagnostic code for pneumonia among any of the discharge diagnoses. Using published clinical guidelines, we classified hospitalizations into mutually exclusive categories of CAP, HCAP, HAP, and VAP and defined pneumonia acquired in the community setting as the combination of CAP and HCAP. Results Of 4,614,108 hospitalizations during the reporting period, 283,927 (6.2%) involved pneumonia. Among pneumonia-associated hospitalizations, 154,158 (54.3%) were CAP, 85,656 (30.2%) were HCAP, 39,712 (14.0%) were HAP, and 4,401 (1.6%) were VAP. Death during hospitalization occurred in 7.9% of CAP-associated hospitalizations, compared with 15.6% of HCAP-associated hospitalizations, 20.7% of HAP-associated hospitalizations, and 21.6% of VAP-associated hospitalizations. Conclusions Most pneumonia-associated hospitalizations in NYC involve pneumonias acquired in the community setting. Although 15.6% of pneumonia-associated hospitalizations were categorized as HAP or VAP, these pneumonias accounted for > 25% of deaths from pneumonia-associated hospitalizations. Public health pneumonia prevention efforts need to target both community and hospital settings.
Integrated all-optical phase-sensitive amplifier using the thermal nonlinearity

We demonstrate an all-optical phase-sensitive amplifier, a critical component in integrated circuits for all-optical computing. The amplifier is fabricated in amorphous silicon-on-insulator and relies on thermo-optic self-heating in a ring-loaded Mach-Zehnder interferometer. changing the power and phase of the bias input tunes the gain.
Scalable thioarylation of unprotected peptides and biomolecules under Ni/photoredox catalysis

Site-specific functionalization of unprotected native peptides and biomolecules remains a useful transformation in synthetic design and chemical biology, yet until recently, advancements in transition metal-catalyzed methods, which have prevailed in organic synthesis, have been relatively ineffective when applied to large and structurally complex biomolecules. Here, the mechanistically distinct, Ni/photoredox-catalyzed arylation of unprotected, native thiols (e.g., cysteine residues) is reported - a process initiated through a visible light-promoted, hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) event under ambient conditions. Sub-stoichiometric loadings of the dual-catalyst system (≤5 mol%) are employed, granting excellent site-specificity, broad substrate scope, and low chemical waste. Reaction scalability (from μg to grams) has been achieved through modest reagent adjustments, and high throughput experimentation (HTE) demonstrates the ease of reaction setup, enabling prompt screening of aryl halide coupling partners and conditions. Scores of thiol substrates and aryl entities were examined and effectively conjugated, suggesting further diverse, practical applications.
Molecular Features of Lymphoproliferation in Mixed Cryoglobulinemia

The identification and characterization of the B-cell population responsible for the production of IgM with rheumatoid factor activity are important in order to understand the pathogenetic mechanism leading to type II cryoglobulinemia and overt B-cell lymphoma development. Based on recent progress in the molecular and cell biology of self-reactive B cells in HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia, it has become clear that a substantial proportion of clonal B cells consist of unswitched CD27+ memory B cells with the inherent property of IgM receptor expression. In this chapter, we report the latest information on the molecular implication of IgM receptors in the context of HCV infection, transinfection, and autoimmune B-cell survival. A relationship between the Blys receptor, BR3, and IgM+VH1-69+ B cells, including the regulation of B-cell receptor signaling and cell homeostasis, has been suggested; however, many questions remain to be answered.
A systematic review of cultural considerations and adaptation of social skills interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract Background There is an increasing need for culturally competent interventions for individuals with ASD. Given the dynamic relationship between culture and social behavior, the effectiveness of social skills interventions may be particularly influenced by the degree to which they are culturally appropriate. The extent to which ASD social skills intervention research has considered the role of culture (either through including diverse samples or by implementing cultural adaptations) is not well understood. Method The current study is a systematic review of social skills intervention studies for individuals with ASD. The aims of the current review were to evaluate the extent to which studies have included diverse samples, and the extent to which cultural adaptations have been made to social skills interventions. Results Sixty-two percent of studies published since 2010 reported the race, ethnicity, or nationality of participants. Minority populations were notably underrepresented in studies conducted in the United States. Only five studies incorporated cultural adaptations to social skills interventions, and these studies included both surface and deep structure adaptations for diverse populations. Conclusion Greater diversity is needed in studies of social skills interventions for children and adolescents with ASD. Although a few studies highlighted the feasibility of incorporating cultural adaptation strategies for ASD interventions, future research is needed to examine the extent to which cultural adaptations enhance the effectiveness of social skills interventions in this population.
Nanostructured Materials for Gas-Reactive Applications

Nanostructured materials with their small grain size, large number of grain boundaries and surfaces, together with their strong reactivity with gaseous species, are very interesting materials to study and develop for gas-reactive applications. These applications include: gas-sensors and getters and hydrogen storage. In this chapter, the basic characteristics of nanostructured materials, especially those related to gas reactions will be presented. This will be followed by a review of the research activities on nanostructured materials in gas sensors, getters, and hydrogen storage devices. The chapter will conclude by briefly discussing the challenges and the opportunities associated with this very interesting and promising area of research.
Fertility Transition: China

China's fertility transition followed a long historical tradition as Chinese families resorted to a variety of mechanisms to regulate the size and sex composition of their offspring long before the modern transition. The fertility transition was highly compressed in time, completed mostly in only a decade time. While China's transition was facilitated by a strong government birth control program, most of it was completed when China launched the extreme birth control policy known as the one-child. Such a compressed fertility transition, followed by more than three decades enforcement of the One-Child policy, has led to a series of long-term social and economic consequences.
Resistance to Antioestrogen Therapy: a Challenge for the Future

Tamoxifen (Nolvadex®) is the first-line endocrine therapy for advanced breast cancer. About 30% of unselected patients have an objective response, although another 20% have stable disease. If oestrogen receptor-positive patients are selected for study, tamoxifen produces a 50–60% objective response rate. Nevertheless, about 13% of oestrogen receptor-negative patients can have a response to therapy.
Mineral Surfaces As Agents of Environmental Proteolysis: Mechanisms and Controls

We investigated the extent to which contact with mineral surfaces affected the molecular integrity of a model protein, with an emphasis on identifying the mechanisms (hydrolysis, oxidation) and conditions leading to protein alteration. To this end, we studied the ability of four mineral surface archetypes (negatively charged, positively charged, neutral, redox-active) to abiotically fragment a well-characterized protein (GB1) as a function of pH and contact time. GB1 was exposed to the soil minerals montmorillonite, goethite, kaolinite, and birnessite at pH 5 and pH 7 for 1, 8, 24, and 168 h and the supernatant was screened for peptide fragments using Tandem Mass Spectrometry. To distinguish between products of oxidative and hydrolytic cleavage, we combined results from the SEQUEST algorithm, which identifies protein fragments that were cleaved hydrolytically, with the output of a deconvolution algorithm (DECON-Routine) designed to identify oxidation fragments. All four minerals were able to induce protein cleavage. Manganese oxide was effective at both hydrolytic and oxidative cleavage. The fact that phyllosilicates-which are not redox active-induced oxidative cleavage indicates that surfaces acted as catalysts and not as reactants. Our results extend previous observations of proteolytic capabilities in soil minerals to the groups of phyllosilicates and Fe-oxides. We identified structural regions of the protein with particularly high susceptibility to cleavage (loops and β strands) as well as regions that were entirely unaffected (α helix).
A chromosomal-scale genome assembly of Tectona grandis reveals the importance of tandem gene duplication and enables discovery of genes in natural product biosynthetic pathways.

BACKGROUND Teak, a member of the Lamiaceae family, produces one of the most expensive hardwoods in the world. High demand coupled with deforestation have caused a decrease in natural teak forests, and future supplies will be reliant on teak plantations. Hence, selection of teak tree varieties for clonal propagation with superior growth performance is of great importance, and access to high-quality genetic and genomic resources can accelerate the selection process by identifying genes underlying desired traits. FINDINGS To facilitate teak research and variety improvement, we generated a highly contiguous, chromosomal-scale genome assembly using high-coverage Pacific Biosciences long reads coupled with high-throughput chromatin conformation capture. Of the 18 teak chromosomes, we generated 17 near-complete pseudomolecules with one chromosome present as two chromosome arm scaffolds. Genome annotation yielded 31,168 genes encoding 46,826 gene models, of which, 39,930 and 41,155 had Pfam domain and expression evidence, respectively. We identified 14 clusters of tandem-duplicated terpene synthases (TPSs), genes central to the biosynthesis of terpenes, which are involved in plant defense and pollinator attraction. Transcriptome analysis revealed 10 TPSs highly expressed in woody tissues, of which, 8 were in tandem, revealing the importance of resolving tandemly duplicated genes and the quality of the assembly and annotation. We also validated the enzymatic activity of four TPSs to demonstrate the function of key TPSs. CONCLUSIONS In summary, this high-quality chromosomal-scale assembly and functional annotation of the teak genome will facilitate the discovery of candidate genes related to traits critical for sustainable production of teak and for anti-insecticidal natural products.
The Endoplasmic Reticulum–Plasma Membrane Junction: A Hub for Agonist Regulation of Ca2+ Entry

Stimulation of cell-surface receptors induces cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) increases that are detected and transduced by effector proteins for regulation of cell function. Intracellular Ca2+ release, via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3R) and ryanodine receptors (RyR), and Ca2+ influx, via store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), contribute to the increase in [Ca2+]i The amplitude, frequency, and spatial characteristics of the [Ca2+]i increases are controlled by the compartmentalization of proteins into signaling complexes such as receptor-signaling complexes and SOCE complexes. Both complexes include protein and lipid components, located in the plasma membrane (PM) and ER. Receptor signaling initiates in the PM via phospholipase C (PLC)-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), and culminates with the activation of IP3R in the ER. Conversely, SOCE is initiated in the ER by Ca2+-sensing stromal interaction molecule (STIM) proteins, which then interact with PM channels Orai1 and TRPC1 to activate Ca2+ entry. This review will address how ER-PM junctions serve a central role in agonist regulation of SOCE.
Antimicrobial resistance in sexually transmitted infections.

RATIONALE FOR REVIEW International travel facilitates the spread of drug-resistant infections, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In 2016, the World Health Organization highlighted the global burden of 'curable' STIs, estimating 376 million new infections of gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis and trichomoniasis annually, with considerable geographic variation in both the burden of disease and prevalence of resistance. Travelers' risk of contracting and transmitting drug-resistant STIs depends in part on their geographic exposure. In this review, we describe the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the management of these four common STIs and Mycoplasma genitalium, an increasingly recognized cause of non-gonococcal urethritis. KEY FINDINGS Multi-drug and extensively drug resistant gonorrhoea strains have been associated with international spread, particularly in travelers returning from Southeast Asia. Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI worldwide. Although in vitro resistance has been reported, surveillance data suggest that clinically significant resistance to macrolides and tetracyclines is rare. Macrolide resistance in syphilis is now endemic in much of the world but there is no documented penicillin resistance, which remains first-line therapy. Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral STI worldwide. Although clinical failure after treatment occurs, resistance to metronidazole is thought to be uncommon. Mycoplasma genitalium exhibits intrinsic resistance to many antibiotics, and the prevalence of resistance to both first- and second-line regimens (macrolides and fluoroquinolones) is increasing worldwide, with limited alternative therapeutic options. RECOMMENDATIONS International travelers are at risk for acquiring resistant STIs with limited therapeutic options. Improved diagnostics are urgently needed to improve AMR surveillance and the management of infected patients. As no vaccinations are currently available for these STIs, and pre-exposure prophylaxis is an area of active study with limited data, condom use is critical for prevention. Travel medicine providers should incorporate STI risk reduction counselling, with an emphasis on condom use, into the routine pre-travel consultation.