cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of power in social explanation

Power is often taken to be a central concept in social and political thought that can contribute to the explanation of many different social phenomena. This article argues that in order to play this role, a general theory of power is required to identify a stable causal capacity, one that does not depend on idiosyncratic social conditions and can thus exert its characteristic influence in a wide range of cases. It considers three promising strategies for such a theory, which ground power in (1) the ability to use force, (2) access to resources, or (3) collective acceptance. It shows that these strategies fail to identify a stable causal capacity. The lack of an adequate general theory of power suggests that the concept lacks the necessary unity to play the broad explanatory role it is often accorded.
International Business Finance

Introduction to International Finance. History of Money and Finance. The Foreign Exchange Market. Hedging Foreign Exchange Risk. Financial Management. Financial Scams and Swindles
Dynamic immunoregulatory processes that sustain immune privilege in the eye

The past 30 years have witnessed enormous insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to immune privilege in the eye. Among these is the generation of dynamic immunoregulatory processes that downregulate immune-mediated inflammation in the eye. These processes uniformly employ T regulatory cells that prevent the induction and expression of immune responses that inflict antigen-nonspecific injury to ocular tissues while preserving immune processes that do not adversely affect innocent bystander cells. Although much is known about the inductive phase of ocular T regulatory cells, much remains to be learned about the mechanisms that these cells use to suppress immune-mediated inflammation.
A new model for permeability impairment due to asphaltene deposition

Abstract The existing theoretical and empirical models to describe asphaltene deposition in porous media do not consider the complicated structure of pore network. Permeability reduction due to asphaltene deposition has been mainly attributed to pore volume shrinkage (porosity reduction). However, asphaltene particles can also block pore throats which will lead to severe permeability reduction even when a large fraction of total pore volume still remains intact. Thus, there is a need for permeability models that are explicitly function of pore/hydraulic connectivity. This paper provides a review of the existing models and examines a permeability model that explain permeability impairment due to asphaltene deposition. In this study, we propose a new permeability model based on Critical Path Analysis (CPA) which is a function of average coordination number (average number of available/connected neighbor pores). Furthermore, experimental data in the literature related to limestone, sandstone and carbonate (dolomite) samples are utilized to understand combined effects of surface deposition and interconnectivity loss due to pore blockage on permeability reduction. We observed that surface deposition is the dominant mechanism in the limestone samples studied here owing to large pore throat size compared to the particle size. In the sandstone samples, both the surface deposition and pore throat plugging mechanisms contribute fairly the same in the observed permeability reduction. For the carbonate (dolomite) samples, the pore blockage is the dominant mechanism, which results in rapid sharp decrease of the permeability. It is expected that the outcome of this work improves prediction of the asphaltene deposition in the near wellbore region.
Discovery of the canonical Calvin-Benson cycle.

It has been 65 years since the Calvin–Benson cycle was first formulated. In this paper, the development of the concepts that are critical to the cycle is traced and the contributions of Calvin, Benson, and Bassham are discussed. Some simplified views often found in text books such as ascending paper chromatography and the use of the “lollipop” for short labeling are discussed and further details given. Key discoveries that underpinned elucidation of the cycle such as the importance of sedoheptulose phosphate and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate are described. The interchange of ideas between other researchers working on what is now called the pentose phosphate pathway and the development of the ideas of Calvin and Benson are explored while the gluconeogenic aspects of the cycle are emphasized. Concerns raised about anomalies of label distribution in glucose are considered. Other carbon metabolism pathways associated with the Calvin–Benson cycle are also described. Finally, there is a section describing the rift between Calvin and Benson.
Defect Sites Modulate Fouling Resistance on Carbon-Nanotube Fiber Electrodes.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber electrodes have become increasingly popular electrode materials for neurotransmitter detection with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV). The unique properties of CNT fib...
Visual Pose Estimation of Rescue Unmanned Surface Vehicle From Unmanned Aerial System.

This article addresses the problem of how to visually estimate the pose of a rescue unmanned surface vehicle (USV) using an unmanned aerial system (UAS) in marine mass casualty events. A UAS visually navigating the USV can help solve problems with teleoperation and manpower requirements. The solution has to estimate full pose (both position and orientation) and has to work in an outdoor environment from oblique view angle (up to 85° from nadir) at large distances (180 m) in real-time (5 Hz) and assume both moving UAS (up to 22 m/s) and moving object (up to 10 m/s). None of the 58 reviewed studies satisfied all those requirements. This article presents two algorithms for visual position estimation using the object's hue (thresholding and histogramming) and four techniques for visual orientation estimation using the object's shape while satisfying those requirements. Four physical experiments were performed to validate the feasibility and compare the thresholding and histogramming algorithms. The histogramming had statistically significantly lower position estimation error compared to thresholding for all four trials (p-value ranged from ~ 0 to 8.23263 x 10^-29), but it only had statistically significantly lower orientation estimation error for two of the trials (p-values 3.51852 x 10^-39 and 1.32762 x 10^-46). The mean position estimation error ranged from 7 px to 43 px while the mean orientation estimation error ranged from 0.134 rad to 0.480 rad. The histogramming algorithm demonstrated feasibility for variations in environmental conditions and physical settings while requiring fewer parameters than thresholding. However, three problems were identified. The orientation estimation error was quite large for both algorithms, both algorithms required manual tuning before each trial, and both algorithms were not robust enough to recover from significant changes in illumination conditions. To reduce the orientation estimation error, inverse perspective warping will be necessary to reduce the perspective distortion. To eliminate the necessity for tuning and increase the robustness, a machine learning approach to pose estimation might ultimately be a better solution.
Characterization of the genetics of mucosal melanoma in patients treated with immunotherapy.

9556Background: Mucosal melanomas can be effectively treated with checkpoint inhibitors, although the response rates are lower than those observed for melanomas arising in cutaneous sites. The mech...
Leadership for What

Since the 1980s, leadership as a subject of inquiry has become a prominent feature in higher education both in the United States and Europe. The old “bosssubordinate” model of leadership has given way to an interactive paradigm that requires a new set of skills. Leaders and followers are now asked to be flexible, accept constant change, work in teams, and decentralize the decision-making process. In the political arena, we ask our citizens to become active participants in the political process at a young age. Leaders and followers play an integral part in the success of modern democratic polities, and college-age citizens should not feel alienated from the political system. These emerging emphases suggest a search for meaning and purpose in leadership development. In their rush to acquire the necessary “credentials” to face a highly competitive marketplace, students often overlook the real meaning and purpose of leadership development. This paper argues that the “for what” question is critical at the outset of any leadership development program at the undergraduate level. Leadership is not a value-
Evaluating the seasonal and decadal performance of red band difference algorithms for chlorophyll in an optically complex estuary with winter and summer blooms

Abstract Standard ocean color chlorophyll algorithms, including normalized fluorescence line height algorithms, overestimate summer blooms and often miss large winter blooms in mid-latitude estuaries such as Long Island Sound (LIS). Thus, they are unable to accurately determine year-round chlorophyll concentrations. Here, we show that winter phytoplankton blooms cannot be retrieved using MODIS' 667 and 678 nm bands. Although MERIS' equivalent 665 and 681 nm bands are able to better characterize chlorophyll a concentrations at LIS compared to MODIS, we show that it is a red band difference (RBD) algorithm relying on observing the maximum spectral difference between Rrs681nm-Rrs665nm and Rrs709nm-Rrs665nm from the MERIS sensor that is able to successfully capture the seasonal chlorophyll dynamics measured in situ. Such switching algorithms are useful in areas where the shape of the reflectance spectrum changes throughout the seasons associated with changes in the phytoplankton community structure, and provide seamless implementation compared to algorithms based on seasonal tunings. We apply the switching RBD algorithm to the 10 years of available MERIS data, and results reveal important spatial and temporal patterns that cannot be assessed from in situ data alone. These include the observation that the decreasing trend in surface chlorophyll concentrations between 2002 and 2012 is localized, and may be related to changes in the flow of Atlantic waters into the estuary rather than a result of active management against eutrophication. Following from past studies, we demonstrate how high sensitivity red bands are valuable to successfully determine proxies for phytoplankton biomass in coastal areas where optical properties are dominated by dissolved organic matter, and where the fluorescence peak may not accurately capture the dynamics of productive waters. Such switching RBD algorithms applied to data from the Sentinel or PACE missions may allow distribution of near-real time chlorophyll a products for coastal waters across winter and summer seasons.
Representing and reasoning with traceability in model life cycle management

Decision making using models is an iterative process involving the modification, elaboration and refinement of models. Operational scenarios, requirements and assumptions underlying models often evolve over time, necessitating reformulation. Further, many decisions and trade-offs are made that affect the model components. Under these circumstances, it is essential to provide traceability of models to the various components that affect their creation and maintenance. We present a framework for developing model traceability. We describe a prototype decision support system that supports the representation of and reasoning with traceability information. Intelligent decision support for various stakeholders in model development and management is illustrated in the areas of knowledge acquisition and navigation, knowledge access, model evolution, design review, and knowledge integration.
Long-Term Outcomes of Endovascular vs Open Surgical Repair for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

Abstract Objective The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate whether Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is inferior to open surgical repair in terms of adverse events during late follow up, defined as >8 years after the procedure. Background EVAR is associated with reduced morbidity and mortality compared to open surgery in the early perioperative period. However, it is unknown whether this pattern remains during long-term follow up >8 years. Methods A meta-analysis was conducted with the use of random effects modeling. Hazard ratios were calculated for mortality at different time intervals, and risk ratios were calculated in cases where the total number of events was available. Results There was no difference in all-cause mortality during follow up of each study (HR: 1.04; 95%CI: 0.93–1.17; I2 = 16.0%). Subgroup analyses for all-cause mortality at 4 to 8 years of follow up (HR: 1.13; 95%CI: 0.94–1.35; I2 = 0.0%) and all-cause mortality at follow up >8 years (HR: 1.07; 95%CI: 0.89–0.28; I2 = 36.6%) also did not show any significant difference between the two approaches. The risks of aneurysm-related mortality and aneurysm rupture were similar during follow-up. However, the cumulative risk for reintervention during follow up was greater in the EVAR group (RR: 2.18; 95%CI: 1.50–3.17; I2 = 76.1%) and occurred in 29% vs 15% of patients in the EVAR vs surgery groups respectively. Conclusions EVAR and open surgical repair of AAA are equally safe and have no difference in all-cause mortality. However, endovascular repair is associated with an increased need for re-intervention. Emerging technology in endovascular devices will likely further improve the outcomes of EVAR. Subject codes: Meta-analysis; aneurysm; atherosclerosis; complications.
Impulsivity and anxiety-related dimensions in adults with bulimic-spectrum disorders differentially relate to eating disordered behaviors.

Abstract While facets of both anxiety and impulsivity appear central to the development and maintenance of bulimia nervosa (BN), specific BN behaviors may be propagated by differing profiles of risk. The current study examined associations between dimensions of anxiety and impulsivity and BN symptoms (binge eating, vomiting, laxative misuse, driven exercise), both in terms of the presence of such behaviors and their frequency. Two hundred and four women (Mage = 25.7 years) who met DSM-IV criteria for full or subthreshold BN completed self-report measures of perfectionism (Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale), anxiety (Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory), impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale–11; Impulsive Behavior Scale), eating disordered behaviors (Eating Disorder Examination – Questionnaire), and associated psychiatric symptoms (Michigan Assessment Screening Test/Alcohol-Drug; Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory). Factor analysis revealed multidimensional impulsive and anxiety-related traits (5 anxiety-related factors; 7 impulsivity-related factors). In zero-sensitive regression models, different facets of impulsivity evidenced association with the presence of binge eating (risk taking), laxative misuse (impulsive spending), and fasting (difficulty concentrating), along with the frequency of vomiting (long-term planning difficulties). In contrast, anxiety-related dimensions were only associated with driven exercise (high standards) and fasting (concern over mistakes, high standards, parental expectations). Overall, impulsive and anxiety-related factors and symptoms showed distinct associations with specific eating disorder behaviors, even among those with the same diagnosis.
Predicting Right Ventricular Failure in Chronic Heart Failure Patients Receiving Left Ventricular Assist Device

Purpose Right ventricular failure (RVF) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is a serious complication with poor prognosis. Improved selection of patients with greater risk of developing the condition is crucial, considering the growing need for destination therapy patients. However, predicting RVF remains a vexing clinical problem. Methods From 2008 to 2019, 478 consecutive chronic heart failure (HF) patients supported with continuous-flow LVADs were prospectively evaluated. RVF was defined by the need for intravenous inotropes for >14 days and/or right ventricular assist device implantation. Data was analyzed based on the presence or absence of RVF in the early post-operative period and their baseline clinical, hemodynamic, imaging and laboratory data were compared. Multivariable logistic regression was used to develop a clinical model for RVF prediction. Results Overall, 77 (16.1%) patients developed RVF. Univariate analysis showed that the RVF was associated with higher acuity disease before LVAD implantation reflected by low INTERMACS profile, high vasoactive medication requirement, presence of IABP support, hyponatremia, thrombocytopenia, low serum albumin, and renal dysfunction. Additionally, RVF was associated with increased heart rate, right atrial (RA) and right atrial to wedge pressure (RA/PCWP) ratio, along with decreased systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), right ventricular stroke work index (RVSWi) and pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPi), at baseline. Interestingly, patients who developed RVF had decreased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter at baseline, when compared to the no RVF group. The multivariate model (AUC=0.77; p Conclusion Our model seems capable of distinguishing patients prone to develop RVF post-LVAD implantation. The identified pre-LVAD predictors include markers of globally advanced HF syndrome and higher acuity as well as markers specific to severity of RVF.
84 – Familial Dysautonomia

Publisher Summary Familial dysautonomia (FD) is one of the hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies that are generally characterized by widespread sensory dysfunction and variable autonomic dysfunction. FD is an autosomal recessive disorder that appears in individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish extraction. Two mutations in the IKAPgene, located on chromosome 9 (9q31), were shown to cause FD. Frequent manifestations of FD include hypotonia, delayed developmental milestones, oromotor incoordination and gastrointestinal dysmotility, labile body temperature and blood pressure, absence of overflow tears and corneal anesthesia, marked diaphoresis with excitement, breath-holding episodes, and spinal curvature. With greater understanding of the disorder and development of treatment programs, survival statistics have markedly improved allowing increasing numbers of patients to reach adulthood. Still of concern are the patients who succumb to unexplained deaths that may have been the result of unopposed vagal stimulation or a sleep abnormality.
Blood and Bone: The Quarantine Chronicles

In the midst of the chaos of the global pandemic, the online daily webinar series Blood and Bone was created. The series started with a blank schedule on a google doc and, with enthusiasm and participation from the hematopoiesis and hemostasis/thrombosis communities, was quickly filled through September 2020. In the absence of any editing of the speaker list, a diverse, well-balanced, and scientifically exciting program emerged. The seminar is hosted on Zoom and live-streamed on YouTube daily, and can accommodate up to 1000 attendees. Attendance has topped over 600 and averages 200 to 300 people daily; this has been sustained for 10 weeks. In addition, there is a weekly Thursday trainee series that hosts three 20-minute seminars. In this forum, we reflect on a series that allowed global scientists to come together to help shape chaos into an opportunity for community and growth.
Clinical Guideline Highlights for the Hospitalist: 2019 American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America Update on Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

GUIDELINE TITLE: Diagnosis and Treatment of Adults with Community Acquired Pneumonia: An Official Clinical Practice Guideline of the American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America RELEASE DATE: October 2019 PRIOR VERSION: 2007 Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society Consensus Guidelines on the Management of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults DEVELOPER: American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America FUNDING SOURCE: American Thoracic Society and Infectious Diseases Society of America TARGET POPULATION: Immunocompetent adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia.
Diagnosis of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms by Computed Tomography Without Allometric Scaling.

This diagnostic study of computed tomography scans at a single tertiary care center compares radiologist descriptions of abnormal size ascending aortas with definitions of aorta diameters defined by nomograms.
A field experiment on workplace norms and electric vehicle charging etiquette

The increase in electric vehicles as a low-carbon mobility option has driven interest from many workplaces and local governments to offer charging services for employees, customers and visitors. However, the lack of incentives to limit over-consumption in shared charging resources has led to congestion issues. In this paper, we use high-frequency data to study two deterrence mechanisms implemented at one of the largest workplace charging programs in the United States. We study both price and nonprice interventions that encourage adoption of workplace norms and charging etiquette for resource sharing in charging stations. To study these mechanisms, we use a dynamic regression discontinuity design to separately identify treatment effects with digital platform data. Our findings provide new evidence that group norms can play an important role in driving behavioral compliance when setting EV access policies. We also find that workplace norms are complements to dynamic pricing policies. We discuss the implications of this data discovery for the effective management of common pool resources in the context of workplace charging and space-constrained environments. This article met the requirements for a gold-gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges
Modeling the Effect of Fabrication Process on Grain Boundary Formation in Nb/Al-AlO $_x$ /Nb Josephson Junction Circuit

By modeling the propagation of a seed layer with various crystal orientations, this study explores the influence of process variations on grain formation with the help of a physics-based process simulator. Grain boundaries allow easy diffusion of foreign atoms through the lattice, which causes Al to move inside the Nb bottom electrode layer and more interestingly, O to penetrate through the Al layer during oxidation and create a barrier with non-uniform thickness. In addition to thickness variations, the grain structure exhibited by Nb and Al can cause significant suppression of supercurrent at the boundaries depending on the degree of lattice mismatch, impurity deposition, etc. This work details the process simulation of grain boundary formation and aims to provide geometrical models that may be used in the simulation of device performance to account for process-induced variations.
TSExplain: Surfacing Evolving Explanations for Time Series

Understanding the underlying explanations for what has happened is more and more crucial in today's business decision-making processes. Existing explanation engines focus on explaining the difference between two given sets. However, for time-series, the explanations usually evolve as time advances. Thus, only considering two end timestamps would miss all explanations in between. To mitigate this, we demonstrate TSExplain, a system to help users understand the underlying evolving explanations for any aggregated time-series. Internally, TSExplain models the explanation problem as a segmentation problem over the time dimension and uses existing works on two-sets diff as building blocks. In our demonstration, conference attendees will be able to easily and interactively explore the evolving explanations and visualize how these explanations contribute to the overall changes in various datasets: COVID-19, S&P500, Iowa Liquor Sales. Questions-like "which states make COVID-19 total confirmed case number go up dramatically during the past year?", "which stocks drive the dramatic crashes of S&P500 in Mar and the quick rebound later?", and "how does Liquor sales trend look like from January 2020 till now and why"-can all get well-answered by TSExplain.
Craig’s Anti–Platonism, Lowe’s Universals, and Christ’s Penal Substitutionary Atonement

William Lane Craig has defended nominalism as a kind of “anti–Platonism.” To him, Platonism is inimical to God’s aseity. More recently, he also has defended the penal substitution of Christ. However, he has not brought the two subjects into dialogue with each other. In this essay, I will attempt to do that by exploring the implications of two major types of nominalism, austere nominalism and trope theory, for the penal substitution. I will argue that nominalism will undermine the penal substitution of Christ. Instead, to try to preserve both his anti–Platonism and the penal substitution, a better alternative for Craig is to embrace E. J. Lowe’s immanent universals.
Electron Channeling Contrast Imaging for Rapid III-V Heteroepitaxial Characterization

Misfit dislocations in heteroepitaxial layers of GaP grown on Si(001) substrates are characterized through use of electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). ECCI allows for imaging of defects and crystallographic features under specific diffraction conditions, similar to that possible via plan-view transmission electron microscopy (PV-TEM). A particular advantage of the ECCI technique is that it requires little to no sample preparation, and indeed can use large area, as-produced samples, making it a considerably higher throughput characterization method than TEM. Similar to TEM, different diffraction conditions can be obtained with ECCI by tilting and rotating the sample in the SEM. This capability enables the selective imaging of specific defects, such as misfit dislocations at the GaP/Si interface, with high contrast levels, which are determined by the standard invisibility criteria. An example application of this technique is described wherein ECCI imaging is used to determine the critical thickness for dislocation nucleation for GaP-on-Si by imaging a range of samples with various GaP epilayer thicknesses. Examples of ECCI micrographs of additional defect types, including threading dislocations and a stacking fault, are provided as demonstration of its broad, TEM-like applicability. Ultimately, the combination of TEM-like capabilities - high spatial resolution and richness of microstructural data - with the convenience and speed of SEM, position ECCI as a powerful tool for the rapid characterization of crystalline materials.
Functional implications of the peptidoglycan recognition proteins in the immunity of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) play essential roles in the immune systems of insects and higher animals against certain pathogens, including bacteria. In insects, most studies on the functions of PGRPs have been performed in Drosophila, with only limited studies in mosquitoes, which are important disease vectors. In the present study, we analysed the PGRP sequences of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, acquired from two genome databases, and identified a total of seven PGRP genes; namely, PGRP-S1, -SC2, -LA, -LB, -LC, -LD and -LE. Bacterial injection using the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive bacteria Micrococcus luteus showed that three PGRPs responded directly to both bacterial stimuli. Subsequently, the transcriptional expression of six of these PGRPs was knocked down using double-stranded RNA-injection-based RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi of the PGRPs resulted in different impacts on the immune responses of Ae. aegypti to the two bacteria, as evidenced by the changes in mosquito survival rates after bacterial challenges as well as the differential regulation of several antimicrobial peptides and a number of other genes involved in mosquito immune pathways. Our data suggest that PGRP-LC is a significant factor in mediating immune responses to both E. coli and M. luteus, and the other PGRPs play only minor roles against these two bacteria, with PGRP-SC2 and -LB also serving as potential negative regulators for certain immune pathway(s) in Ae. aegypti.
Regulatory Effects of Endogenous Protease Inhibitors in Acute Lung Inflammatory Injury

Inflammatory lung injury is probably regulated by the balance between proteases and protease inhibitors together with oxidants and antioxidants, and proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Rat tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-2 (TIMP-2) and secreted leukoprotease inhibitor (SLPI) were cloned, expressed, and shown to be up-regulated at the levels of mRNA and protein during lung inflammation in rats induced by deposition of IgG immune complexes. Using immunoaffinity techniques, endogenous TIMP-2 in the inflamed lung was shown to exist as a complex with 72- and 92-kDa metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9). In inflamed lung both TIMP-2 and SLPI appeared to exist as enzyme inhibitor complexes. Lung expression of both TIMP-2 and SLPI appeared to involve endothelial and epithelial cells as well as macrophages. To assess how these endogenous inhibitors might affect the lung inflammatory response, animals were treated with polyclonal rabbit Abs to rat TIMP-2 or SLPI. This intervention resulted in significant intensification of lung injury (as revealed by extravascular leak of albumin) and substantially increased neutrophil accumulation, as determined by cell content in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids. These events were correlated with increased levels of C5a-related chemotactic activity in BAL fluids, while BAL levels of TNF-α and chemokines were not affected by treatment with anti-TIMP-2 or anti-SLPI. The data suggest that endogenous TIMP-2 and SLPI dynamically regulate the intensity of lung inflammatory injury, doing so at least in part by affecting the generation of the inflammatory mediator, C5a.
Geological and geophysical evaluation of the mechanisms of the Great 1899 Yakutat Bay Earthquakes

We have used tectonic, geologic, and seismologic observations to reevaluate the mechanisms and seismotectonic significance of the two great (M w = 8.1 and 8.2) September 1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes. In their comprehensive study of these earthquakes between 1905 and 1910, Tarr and Martin (1912) showed that these events were accompanied by shoreline changes in Yakutat Bay that ranged from 14.4 m emergence to 2.1 m submergence, uplift of about 1 m at Yakataga 160 km west of Yakutat Bay, and by several zones of surface fissures on land. Although major earthquake faults were not found, Tarr and Martin postulated that the shoreline displacements were caused by vertical movements on a system of concealed steep normal faults and that the fissure zones on ridges were along subsidiary faults. Our geologic studies in the Yakutat Bay region indicate that: (1) the emergent shorelines along Yakutat Bay define a broad upwarp roughly 50 km x 30 km that is primarily related to reverse slip on local concealed shallowly dipping thrust faults; (2) the reported subsidence was due largely, or entirely, to nontectonic surficial submergence of unconsolidated deposits; and (3) most, if not all, of the zones of surface fractures related to the 1899 earthquakes are "sackung" that were probably caused by large-scale gravitational slumping of steep slopes, rather than faulting. A small number of early damped seismograms and the vertical uplift data were used to constrain the fault slippage that occurred during the two great earthquakes of 1899. Seismic moments determined from 50-s surface wave amplitudes are ∼2 x 10 21 N m for these two events, equivalent to M w 8.1. Uplift determined from raised shorelines within Yakutat Bay can be accounted for by the 10 September event alone, and these data can be fit by ∼10- to 20-m dip slippage on three dextral oblique thrust faults that dip ∼30° northeast or north. Faulting complexity is also shown by the S-wave seismogram of the 10 September shock, which lasted ∼3 min and shows at least three distinct long-period pulses. The large seismic moment of the 4 September event and uplift of ∼1 m at Yakataga suggest a 150-km westward extension of faulting along the foothills fold-and-thrust zone. Our reassessment suggests that, although some portions of the complex plate boundary zone ruptured in 1899, regional seismic hazard is currently significant. First of all, none of the potentially tsunamigenic offshore thrust faults west of the Pamplona zone slipped in 1899. It is unlikely that all of the onshore thrust faults south of the Chugach-St. Elias thrust fault system did either. Furthermore, more than 100 years of convergence at 48 mm/yr across the region has reloaded faults that slipped in 1899 and added further strains on those that did not. Matters are much less clear for the Yakutat Bay thrusts because although they slipped in 1899, we have no good constraints on the convergence rates across these faults. The most recent pre-1899 uplift event in Yakutat Bay was at least 380 ± 70 years ago.
Structural features of GPI-specific phospholipase D revealed by proteolytic fragmentation and Ca2+ binding studies.

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD) is abundant in plasma and is potentially capable of degrading the anchor utilized by many cell surface proteins. The goal of this work was to study structural features of the GPI-PLD that might be involved in regulation of its activity. Trypsin cleaved the 100-110 kDa GPI-PLD polypeptide into three major fragments (two of approximately 40 kDa and a carboxyl-terminal fragment of 30 kDa) which were relatively resistant to further proteolysis. Pretreatment of the GPI-PLD with chelators resulted in complete degradation. During the cleavage process the GPI-PLD enzymatic activity increased approximately 3-4-fold but no other major change in its properties (e.g. inhibition by chelators and lipids, thermal stability, oligomerization, etc.) was observed. Intact or trypsinized GPI-PLD bound 45Ca2+ (approximately 5.5 ions/molecule GPI-PLD; Kd approximately 16.1 microM as determined by equilibrium dialysis) which could not be blocked by the addition of other divalent metal ions. However, inhibition of enzymatic activity by divalent cation chelators appeared to involve removal of bound Zn2+ rather than Ca2+. A metal analysis of GPI-PLD revealed approximately 5 and 10 atom/molecule of calcium and zinc, respectively. The data suggest that the predicted integrin E-F hand-like sites in GPI-PLD are functional but not directly involved in enzymatic activity.
A Driverless Alternative: Fleet Size and Cost Requirements for a Statewide Autonomous Taxi Network in New Jersey

Over the past six decades, as private automobiles have become more affordable and more universal among American families, previously uncounted costs for cars have come to the forefront of the modern transportation debate, with some activists calling for an end to cars. This paper identifies five transit criteria that a transportation system must satisfy if it hopes to dethrone the individually owned and operated car as king of the road: (a) a solution to the congestion problem, (b) safety improvements over conventional manually operated cars, (c) lesser impact on the environment, (d) economic feasibility, and (e) comfort and convenience to rival the automobile. Given recent advancements in the field of vehicle autonomy, a potential solution to the car's growing problems has presented itself: an autonomous taxi network (ATN). Drawing from the classic personal rapid transit model as well as Mark Gorton's idea of smart paratransit, two potential designs for an ATN are presented and compared with one another,...
Iron Meteorites and Paradigm Shifts

The assumption that iron meteorites were formed by planetary differentiation of asteroid-scaled parent bodies is deeply imbedded in the standard solar system formation model. This assumption is directly falsified by the trace element distributions in one significant group of iron meteorites and is not supported by chronologic studies of primordial or extinct radioisotopes. There is growing evidence that iron meteorites may be individually and, as a class, isotopically heterogeneous. The paradigm of iron meteorite formation is undergoing a fundamental shift.
Recent advances in optical parametric processes in the femtosecond time domain

Until recently, nearly all the experiments on ultrafast processes in the femtosecond time domain have made use of sources derived directly and indirectly from the Rh6G dye laser. The development of the mode-locked solid-state Ti:sapphire laser has changed the situation fundamentally. With high repetition rate Ti:sapphire lasers now capable of generating sub-100 fs pulses to the 3 W range, it is now possible to extend the wavelength range of high repetition rate femtosecond sources to cover the entire spectral range from the near UV well into the mid-IR by a variety of nonlinear optical processes. One particularly significant recent development has been the broadly tunable high-repetition rate femtosecond optical parametric oscillators. Using KTP as the active medium, Ti:sapphire laser pumped OPO can tune continuously from nearly 900 nm to close to 4 /spl mu/m at power levels in the hundreds of mW range. Precisely synchronized pulses at up to six wavelengths simultaneously that are also broadly tunable have been generated using fs OPO's,. >
Neurovesical dysfunction in children after treating pelvic neoplasms

OBJECTIVE To evaluate 10 years of experience, and thus define the occurrence and causes, of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction in children with pelvic neoplasms treated by surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 1991 to 2000, 33 children were operated by the same surgeons for pelvic neoplasms; 11 were analysed, comprising four each with sacrococcygeal teratoma (ST) and ganglioneuroma, and one each with yolk sac tumour (YST), neuroblastoma and myofibroblastic bladder sarcoma (MBS). The other patients were not assessed because eight had died or were in severe progression, three were treated by bladder substitution and the others were lost to follow-up or refused a urological evaluation. All 11 children were evaluated at ≥ 6 months after surgery with a questionnaire about bowel and voiding habits, a neurological and orthopaedic assessment, a noninvasive urodynamic study, renal ultrasonography and spinal and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All patients with signs of bladder dysfunction were evaluated by a pressure-flow study. The results were analysed for surgical approach and anatomical involvement, i.e. group A, extensive surgery for complete tumour excision in the sacral area (ST and YST); group B, surgery for tumour resection in the paraspinal ganglia area (neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroma); and group C, bladder tumour with partial bladder resection (MBS). RESULTS Eight patients had signs or symptoms related to bladder sphincter dysfunction. One child refused the invasive urodynamic evaluation, leaving seven for analysis (two each ST and ganglioneuroma, one each YST, neuroblastoma and MBS). The urodynamic findings were normal in three children. On spinal and pelvic MRI a presacral lipoma with syringomyelia was discovered in one child with ST. Eight children had bladder dysfunction and two had no neurogenic damage (which was only in sacral tumours); in one child it was related to an upper motor neurone lesion from spinal dysraphism and in the other to a lower motor neurone lesion from surgical injury to the splanchnic nerves. Patients operated for paraspinal tumours had more bladder dysfunction but no signs of neurogenic damage, as did the patient with partial bladder resection. However in Group B, there may have been a transient or incomplete nerve injury in one patient. CONCLUSIONS Deficits of parasympathetic, sympathetic and somatic innervation of the bladder and the urethra may occur in children after surgery for pelvic neoplasms, related to minor or major surgical trauma. In ST, a tethered cord may be associated with mixed neurogenic damage. Knowledge of bladder dysfunction in anorectal malformations, spinal dysraphism, etc. and the clinical protocol used in these patients also seemed to be useful for understanding the development of voiding dysfunction in patients with neoplasm.
Reduced migration, altered matrix and enhanced TGFβ1 signaling are signatures of mouse keratinocytes lacking Sdc1

We have reported previously that syndecan-1 (Sdc1)-null mice show delayed re-epithelialization after skin and corneal wounding. Here, we show that primary keratinocytes obtained from Sdc1-null mice and grown for 3-5 days in culture are more proliferative, more adherent and migrate more slowly than wt keratinocytes. However, the migration rates of Sdc1-null keratinocytes can be restored to wild-type levels by replating Sdc1-null keratinocytes onto tissue culture plates coated with fibronectin and collagen I, laminin (LN)-332 or onto the matrices produced by wild-type cells. Migration rates can also be restored by treating Sdc1-null keratinocytes with antibodies that block alpha6 or alphav integrin function, or with TGFbeta1. Antagonizing either beta1 integrin function using a function-blocking antibody or TGFbeta1 using a neutralizing antibody reduced wild-type keratinocyte migration more than Sdc1-null keratinocyte migration. Cultures of Sdc1-null keratinocytes accumulated less collagen than wild-type cultures but their matrices contained the same amount of LN-332. The Sdc1-null keratinocytes expressed similar total amounts of eight different integrin subunits but showed increased surface expression of alphavbeta6, alphavbeta8, and alpha6beta4 integrins compared with wild-type keratinocytes. Whereas wild-type keratinocytes increased their surface expression of alpha2beta1, alphavbeta6, alphavbeta8, and alpha6beta4 after treatment with TGFbeta1, Sdc1-null keratinocytes did not. Additional data from a dual-reporter assay and quantification of phosphorylated Smad2 show that TGFbeta1 signaling is constitutively elevated in Sdc1-null keratinocytes. Thus, our results identify TGFbeta1 signaling and Sdc1 expression as important factors regulating integrin surface expression, activity and migration in keratinocyte and provide new insight into the functions regulated by Sdc1.
A Comprehensive Genetic Study of Autosomal Recessive Ocular Albinism in Caucasian Patients

Purpose Autosomal recessive ocular albinism (AROA) is a group of genetic disorders in which reduced pigmentation of the eye is associated with decreased visual acuity, nystagmus, strabismus, and photophobia, although pigmentation of skin and hair is relatively normal. Previous studies have shown that AROA in some cases constitutes a clinically mild presentation of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), due to mutations in either the TYR (OCA1) or OCA2 (P) genes. The purpose of this study was to characterize the relative prevalence of different genetic forms of AROA, and to characterize a sample repertoire of gene mutations in a large series of Caucasian patients with AROA. Methods Thirty-six unrelated Caucasian patients carrying the clinical diagnosis of AROA were studied by DNA sequence analysis of the four classic OCA genes: TYR, OCA2 (P), TYRP1, and SLC45A2 (MATP), as appropriate. In all patients with no apparent pathologic mutations in these genes, DNA sequence analysis was performed of a candidate OCA gene, SILV, and the two genes most often involved in Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, HPS1 and HPS4, the most frequent syndromic form of OCA. Results TYR gene mutations were identified in 20 (56%) patients, OCA2 mutations in 3 (8%), mutations in both TYR and OCA2 in 2 (6%), and possible TYRP1 mutations in 2 (6%). In at least nine patients, no mutations were found in any of the genes studied. Almost all patients with OCA1-related AROA were compound heterozygous for severe OCA1 mutant alleles and the common R402Q variant. Conclusions Most patients with AROA represent phenotypically mild variants of OCA, well over half of which is OCA1.
Analysis of the metabolome of Anopheles gambiae mosquito after exposure to Mycobacterium ulcerans

Infection with Mycobacterium ulcerans causes Buruli Ulcer, a neglected tropical disease. Mosquito vectors are suspected to participate in the transmission and environmental maintenance of the bacterium. However, mechanisms and consequences of mosquito contamination by M. ulcerans are not well understood. We evaluated the metabolome of the Anopheles gambiae mosquito to profile the metabolic changes associated with bacterial colonization. Contamination of mosquitoes with live M. ulcerans bacilli results in disruptions to lipid metabolic pathways of the mosquito, specifically the utilization of glycerolipid molecules, an affect that was not observed in mosquitoes exposed to dead M. ulcerans. These results are consistent with aberrations of lipid metabolism described in other mycobacterial infections, implying global host-pathogen interactions shared across diverse saprophytic and pathogenic mycobacterial species. This study implicates features of the bacterium, such as the putative M. ulcerans encoded phospholipase enzyme, which promote virulence, survival, and active adaptation in concert with mosquito development, and provides significant groundwork for enhanced studies of the vector-pathogen interactions using metabolomics profiling. Lastly, metabolic and survival data suggest an interaction which is unlikely to contribute to transmission of M. ulcerans by A. gambiae and more likely to contribute to persistence of M. ulcerans in waters cohabitated by both organisms.
A variable-thickness two-dimensional bed for investigating gas—solid fluidized bed hydrodynamics

Abstract A variable-thickness gas-fluidized bed is designed, fabricated and tested as a potential tool for investigating hydrodynamics in, and elutriation from, beds of particulates of different physical properties. It is found that the empty bed channel pressure drop is dependent on its thickness and decreases as the latter is increased for a given gas velocity. In this initial effort, particles of a narrow size range silica sand of average diameter 774 μum have been used, and minimum fluidization velocity is measured for 31.75-, 44.45-, 50.40- and 63.50-mm thick beds. The same is also determined in a separate 20-mm thick two-dimensional bed, and in a 3054-mm square fluidized bed. It is found that minimum fluidization velocity is dependent on the thickness of the bed and the wall effects are minimum for a bed of 89 mm thickness. A discussion of a few similar studies made by other workers is given in the context of our present results.
(Un)Popular Strangers and Crises (Un)Bounded: Discourses of Sex-trafficking, the European Political Community and the Panicked State of the Modern State

While the `trafficking in persons' is a problem that has long plagued the international community, sensationalized media coverage and governmental anti-organized crime initiatives have produced a new set of discursive practices that conflate violent crime against women with complex forms of post-communist gendered migration. These discourses refer to many different forms of exploitation and migration as `trafficking in women for purposes of sexual exploitation'. In other words, they portray all international, often illegal, migration and labour as acts of violated gender and raced innocence and of international organized crime. In this frame, criminalization of all activities related to trafficking appears to be the most logical and effective means of redressing this problem. It simultaneously, however, subjects all East European migrant sex workers to categorizations that defuse what may function as the challenges presented by their sovereign and symbolic boundary transgressions. A focus on crime and vio...