cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MEASUREMENT MODEL-BASED PREDICTION OF CORRELATED FLAW SIGNAL

The Center for NDE, Iowa State University, has developed an ultrasonic pulse compression system using Golay codes, and demonstrated the enhanced signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) in highly energy absorbent materials such as rubber, plastics, corks, and some composites. Recently, an attempt has been made to theoretically predict ultrasonic pulse compression (correlated) flaw signals (e.g., voids) using the ultrasonic measurement model developed earlier at the same university. Predictions were made by the use of long coded waveforms (Golay codes) as inputs to the measurement model instead of the spike pulse in conventional ultrasonics. The results were then compared with experimentally measured conventional ultrasonic flaw signals. The results indicated that the ultrasonic pulse compression flaw signals can be predicted as accurate as conventional ultrasonic signals. In addition, the equivalent pulse of the Golay codes (delta-like pulse) was also used as an input to the measurement model to predict the same flaw signal, and it was demonstrated that the Golay codes and the equivalent pulse produce effectively the same results although the signal processing methods are significantly different.
The Safety, Efficacy, and Potential Complications of Intracameral Antibiotics

The use of intracameral antibiotics (ICAs) as endophthalmitis prophylaxis after cataract surgery has increased in the past decade. The goal of this paper is to review the current literature arguing for and against ICAs. There is compelling evidence that ICAs have greater efficacy than topical antibiotics in preventing post-operative endophthalmitis. However, issues related to availability, cost, and safety have limited their widespread adoption in countries such as the USA. In countries without access to a commercially available prepackaged antibiotic for intracameral use, cataract surgeons will have to individually weigh the risks and benefits of ICAs in determining their method of endophthalmitis prophylaxis.
A printed information leaflet about MRI and radiologists improves neuroradiology patient health literacy

PurposeTo determine the health literacy benefit of a printed informational leaflet for patients scheduled to undergo brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.Methods and materialsA two-page lea...
Lecture 3 – Functions and Structure of Membranes and the Mechanism of Phosphorylation Coupled to Electron Transport

There is a complicated hypothesis which usually entails an element of mystery and several unnecessary assumptions. This is opposed by a more simple explanation which contains no unnecessary assumptions. The complicated one is always the popular one at first, but the simpler one, as a rule, eventually is found to be correct. This process frequently requires 10 to 20 years. The reason for this long time lag was explained by Max Planck. He remarked that “Scientists never change their minds, but eventually die.”
An empirical analysis on awareness and intention adoption of residential ground source heat pump systems in Greece

Abstract Residential heating, cooling and Domestic Hot Water (DHW) production are responsible for a significant part of the residential energy consumption in Greece, which is currently based on the consumption of fossil fuels. A solution for the reduction of fossil fuel use -and all the negative effects that their use implies- is the application of renewable energy technologies, among which Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems are included. The present study examined awareness and adoption intention issues concerning this technology in Greece, through the conduction of a questionnaire survey. Specifically, it investigated public's knowledge on issues involving this technology, intention of installing it in households, main information sources and installation barriers. Socioeconomic and residence characteristics, as well as consumers’ preferences and attitudes affecting the knowledge and adoption issues were examined. Factors affecting the subjects under investigation are gender, age, education level, environmentally friendly behavior and awareness, as well as having an occupation, studies or interests related to environment, technology or engineering. Additionally, the intention of installing a GSHP system is affected by specific household characteristics, infrastructure and consumers’ preferences on characteristics of heating systems. In order to promote GSHPs, suitable financial incentives, regulatory improvements and awareness activities are required.
Protocols for Measuring Glutamate Uptake: Dose‐Response and Kinetic Assays in In Vitro and Ex Vivo Systems

This article presents detailed descriptions of procedures and troubleshooting tips for basic in vitro and ex vivo uptake assays for the functional characterization of glutamate transporters and the assessment of the effect of compounds that modulate their activity. Assays are performed in cell lines that transiently or stably express a particular transporter under investigation, in primary cultures of astrocytes, or in ex vivo synaptosomal preparations that endogenously express these transporters. Two main assays are described, including dose-response assays to measure potencies of test compounds for stimulation or inhibition of function (EC50 or IC50 values, respectively) and kinetic functional assays to calculate apparent affinity (KM ) and maximal velocity (Vmax ) of radiolabeled substrate uptake into the cells. The methods described use glutamate transporters as an example; however, the protocols can be adapted to other neurotransmitter transporters using their respective substrates (e.g., GABA uptake through GATs, serotonin uptake through SERTs, among others). © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Advances in the Research of Astrocyte Function in Neural Regeneration

Astrocytes play a critical role in maintaining the structural health of the neurons. Astrocytes create the brain environment by building up the micro-architecture of the central nervous system, maintain brain homeostasis, and control the metabolism of neural cells and synaptic activity. Astrocytes are involved in all types of brain pathologies from acute lesions to chronic neurodegenerative processes such as Alexander’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and psychiatric diseases. It was suggested that astrocytes play a negative role following the event of injury because they contribute to the formation of glial scar that inhibits the regeneration and growth of neurons. Recent compelling research shows that reactive astrocytes protect injured tissues and cells in various ways. Studies revealed that transplantation of astrocytes and glial-restricted precursor (GRP)-derived astrocytes (hGDAs) promoted neural regeneration process. In this chapter, we summarize the function of astrocytes in normal neural tissue and the cellular process of astrocytes in neural lesion. We also review the interaction of astrocytes and biomaterials and its potential application in neural regeneration.
Protease‐deficient SOS constitutive cells have RecN‐dependent cell division phenotypes

In Escherichia coli, after DNA damage, the SOS response increases the transcription (and protein levels) of approximately 50 genes. As DNA repair ensues, the level of transcription returns to homeostatic levels. ClpXP and other proteases return the high levels of several SOS proteins to homeostasis. When all SOS genes are constitutively expressed and many SOS proteins are stabilized by the removal of ClpXP, microscopic analysis shows that cells filament, produce mini-cells and have branching protrusions along their length. The only SOS gene required (of 19 tested) for the cell length phenotype is recN. RecN is a member of the Structural Maintenance of Chromosome (SMC) class of proteins. It can hold pieces of DNA together and is important for double-strand break repair (DSBR). RecN is degraded by ClpXP. Overexpression of recN+ in the absence of ClpXP or recN4174 (A552S, A553V), a mutant not recognized by ClpXP, produce filamentous cells with nucleoid partitioning defects. It is hypothesized that when produced at high levels during the SOS response, RecN interferes with nucleoid partitioning and Z-Ring function by holding together sections of the nucleoid, or sister nucleoids, providing another way to inhibit cell division.
Scaffolding and Support Beams: Clinical and Administrative Tools for Emerging Adult Programs

ABSTRACTEmerging adulthood is a critical time in normative development as well as in the emergence of a wide range of psychopathology, and it is imperative that appropriate treatments be developed ...
CE: Atrial Fibrillation: Updated Management Guidelines and Nursing Implications.

Abstract Atrial fibrillation, the most common chronic cardiac arrhythmia, adversely affects the quality of life of millions of people. The condition is frequently associated with advancing age, structural cardiac dysfunction, and preexisting comorbidities. The most common complications, stroke and heart failure, result in significant morbidity and mortality. Indeed, atrial fibrillation is responsible for over 450,000 hospitalizations and 99,000 deaths annually and adds up to $26 billion to U.S. health care costs each year. Given the aging of the U.S. population, the incidence of atrial fibrillation is expected to double within the next 50 years. There is evidence that nursing intervention in patient education and transition of care coordination can improve adherence to treatment plans and patient outcomes.This article reviews the recently updated guideline for the management of atrial fibrillation, issued jointly by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Heart Rhythm Society. It focuses on the prevention of thromboembolism and on symptom control, and stresses the importance of patient adherence to treatment plans in order to ensure better outcomes.
Imaging the effects of age on proactive control in healthy adults.

Previous research has reported reduced efficiency in reactive inhibition, along with reduced brain activations, in older adults. The current study investigated age-related behavioral and neural changes in proactive inhibition, and whether age may influence the relationship between proactive and reactive inhibition. One-hundred-and-forty-nine adults (18 to 72 years) underwent fMRI while performing a stop signal task (SST). Proactive inhibition was defined by the sequential effect, the correlation between the estimated probability of stop signal – p(Stop) – and go trial reaction time (goRT). P(Stop) was estimated trial by trial with a Bayesian belief model; reactive inhibition was defined by the stop signal reaction time (SSRT). Behaviorally the magnitude of sequential effect was not correlated with age, replicating earlier reports of spared proactive control in older adults. Age was associated with greater activations to p(Stop) in the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), paracentral lobule, superior parietal lobule, and cerebellum, and activations to goRT in the inferior occipital gyrus (IOG). Granger Causality analysis demonstrated that the PFC Granger caused IOG, with the PFC-IOG connectivity significantly correlated with p(Stop) in older but not younger adults. These findings suggest that the PFC and IOG activations and PFC-IOG connectivity may compensate for proactive control during aging. In contrast, while the activations of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and caudate head to p(Stop) were negatively correlated with SSRT, relating proactive to reactive control, these activities did not vary with age. These findings highlighted distinct neural processes underlying proactive inhibition and limited neural plasticity to support cognitive control in the aging brain.
Kinetic Investigations of the CH (X2Π) Radical Reaction with Cyclopentadiene.

The reaction of the ground state methylidyne radical (CH (X2Π)) with cyclopentadiene (C5H6) is studied in a quasi-static reaction cell at pressures ranging from 2.7 to 9.7 Torr and temperatures ran...
The airway epithelium in asthma

Asthma is a genetically and phenotypically complex disease that has a major impact on global health. Signs and symptoms of asthma are caused by the obstruction of airflow through the airways. The epithelium that lines the airways plays a major role in maintaining airway patency and in host defense. The epithelium initiates responses to inhaled or aspirated substances, including allergens, viruses, and bacteria, and epithelial-derived cytokines are important in the recruitment and activation of immune cells in the airway. Changes in the structure and function of the airway epithelium are a prominent feature of asthma. Approximately half of individuals with asthma have evidence of active type 2 immune responses in the airway. In these individuals, epithelial cytokines promote type 2 responses, and responses to type 2 cytokines result in increased epithelial mucus production and other effects that cause airway obstruction. Recent work also implicates other epithelial responses, including interleukin-17, interferon and ER stress responses, that may contribute to asthma pathogenesis and provide new targets for therapy.
Microbiota of the Oropharynx and Endoscope Compared to the Esophagus.

The role of the microflora in the development of esophageal disease is still largely unknown and is being investigated in more detail. Our goal was to determine how the microbiota levels of endoscope and uvular swabs compared to the levels of tissue biopsies along various points of the esophagus. 17 patients with Barrett’s esophagus agreed to participate in the study. Biopsies of esophageal mucosa were taken from the (1) proximal esophagus, (2) mid-esophagus, (3) distal esophagus, and (4) Barrett’s esophagus. Swabs were also taken from the uvula and the endoscope. Throughout the esophagus, 17 bacterial genera were detected from the samples. The microflora pattern obtained from the uvula and endoscopic swabs did not correlate well with mucosal biopsies along any aspect of the esophagus. There were statistically significant differences in the levels and proportions of bacteria found when comparing the uvula swab to the esophageal biopsies and when comparing the endoscope swab to the esophageal biopsies. Obtaining a simple swab of the uvula or endoscope itself appears to be a poor substitute for tissue biopsy of esophageal mucosa when evaluating microflora patterns. When performing microflora studies of the esophagus, mucosal biopsies should be used for analysis.
A Fixed Point Theorem for Cones

Let E be a Banach space. A set M⊂E is convex if ϕ,ψ∈ M implies λϕ + (l−λ)ψ ∈ M, 0 ≤ λ ≤ l. A set K⊂E is a cone if (i) K is closed and convex, (ii) if ϕ is in K, then λϕ ∈ K, λ ≥ 0, (iii) for any ϕ ≠ 0 in E, both ϕ and −ϕ cannot belong to K.
Maintaining immunogenicity of blood stage and sexual stage subunit malaria vaccines when formulated in combination

Background Eradication of Plasmodium falciparum malaria will likely require a multivalent vaccine, but the development of a highly efficacious subunit-based formulation has been challenging. We previously showed that production and immunogenicity of two leading vaccine targets, PfMSP119 (blood-stage) and Pfs25 (sexual stage), could be enhanced upon genetic fusion to merozoite surface protein 8 (PfMSP8). Here, we sought to optimize a Pfs25-based formulation for use in combination with rPfMSP1/8 with the goal of maintaining the immunogenicity of each subunit. Methods Comparative mouse studies were conducted to assess the effects of adjuvant selection (Alhydrogel vs. glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant-stable emulsion (GLA-SE)) and antigen dose (2.5 vs. 0.5 μg) on the induction of anti-Pfs25 immune responses. The antibody response (magnitude, IgG subclass profile, and transmission-reducing activity (TRA)) and cellular responses (proliferation, cytokine production) generated in response to each formulation were assessed. Similarly, immunogenicity of a bivalent vaccine containing rPfMSP1/8 and rPfs25/8 was evaluated. Results Alum-based formulations elicited strong and comparable humoral and cellular responses regardless of antigen form (unfused rPfs25 or chimeric rPfs25/8) or dose. In contrast, GLA-SE based formulations elicited differential responses as a function of both parameters, with 2.5 μg of rPfs25/8 inducing the highest titers of functional anti-Pfs25 antibodies. Based on these data, chimeric rPfs25/8 was selected and tested in a bivalent formulation with rPfMSP1/8. Strong antibody titers against Pfs25 and PfMSP119 domains were induced with GLA-SE based formulations, with no indication of antigenic competition. Conclusions We were able to generate an immunogenic bivalent vaccine designed to target multiple parasite stages that could reduce both clinical disease and parasite transmission. The use of the same PfMSP8 carrier for two different vaccine components was effective in this bivalent formulation. As such, the incorporation of additional protective targets fused to the PfMSP8 carrier into the formulation should be feasible, further broadening the protective response.
81 Injuries caused by law enforcement among young people: disparities and trends among California emergency department and hospital patients, 2005–2014

Police violence is an important public health issue. Although research on police violence has substantially grown, few studies have examined its burden among young people. Given a broader literature that documents lasting adverse effects of early-life exposure to trauma and disproportionate policing of Black youth linked to racialized constructions of their being older and dangerous, further inquiry is warranted. This study examined the demographic and temporal distributions of injuries caused by law enforcement, severe enough to require clinical care, among young people. Using statewide data on all hospitalizations and emergency department visits in California, 2005–2014, we identified patients, ages 19 years or younger, with ICD-9-CM external cause of injury codes for legal intervention (LI) injury, and calculated rates using Census population estimates. From 2005–2014, 13,855 young people in California were treated for LI injury. Non-Hispanic Black males, ages 15–19 years, had the highest rate overall (217.5 per 100,000 person-years [PYs]), over three times that among same aged non-Hispanic White males (64.1 per 100,000 PYs). Among 10–14-year-olds, Black boys had five times (22.2 per 100,000 PYs) the LI injury rate as White boys (4.3 per 100,000 PYs), and, notably, the rate among Black girls (8.9 per 100,000 PYs) was twice and six times the rates, respectively, among White boys and White girls (1.5 per 100,000 PYs). Trends in annual rates also varied by race. Rates among White youth increased by 29.3%, peaking in 2009, but returned below the 2005 rate by 2014, whereas rates among Black youth increased by 63.6% by 2009, but did not return to the 2005 level by 2014. Results indicate that the burden of LI injuries among young people substantially varies by minoritized identity; in particular, Black boys and girls experience dramatically greater rates of LI injury, and inequities are even greater at younger ages.
Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived small extracellular vesicles restore lung architecture and improve exercise capacity in a model of neonatal hyperoxia-induced lung injury.

Early administration of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-derived small extracellular vesicles (MEx) has shown considerable promise in experimental models of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). However,...
Finding Strength in Vulnerability: Ethical Approaches when Conducting Research with Vulnerable Populations

Researchers who desire to make positive changes for vulnerable populations often conduct problem-focused studies. Although problem-focused research is important, when such studies are not carefully designed, their results can contribute to a deficit discourse. A deficit discourse is a narrative that describes the person through a myopic lens of negativity characterized only by illness, death, depression, failure, or the like. Deficit discourse negatively affects how health care providers and society interact with vulnerable people. This article discusses deficit discourse in health care and strengths-based research: an ethical approach to working with vulnerable individuals in research settings and a strategy to overcome deficit discourse. Strengths-based research approaches balance risks with countermeasures that include areas that are positive and amenable to growth or intervention. Strengths-based research can be conducted using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods methodology. Strengths-based research should be culturally relevant and population-specific, often including the individuals of study throughout the process. By modifying the research approach, critical problems can be identified and addressed while also emphasizing positive ways to empower individuals and improve their lives. Additionally, these changes better the way researchers and health care providers view and care for people while also challenging deficit discourses in society at large.
Note: A transimpedance amplifier for remotely located quartz tuning forks

The cable capacitance in cryogenic and high vacuum applications of quartz tuning forks imposes severe constraints on the bandwidth and noise performance of the measurement. We present a single stage low noise transimpedance amplifier with a bandwidth exceeding 1 MHz and provide an in-depth analysis of the dependence of the amplifier parameters on the cable capacitance.
N95 filtering face piece respirators remain effective after extensive reuse during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a cross-sectional evaluation of healthcare worker reuse of their own 3M N95 respirators, 83% (76/92) passed the seal check and the fit-test after a median of 40 repeated donnings. User seal-check failure correlated with fit-test failure, and it may help HCWs recognize when to appropriately discard a reused N95.
Deconstructing the epigenomic architecture of human neurodegeneration.

Abstract The past 10 years have seen a rapid advance in our ability to profile the epigenome from human pathologic material, opening up new study designs to investigate the role of epigenomic features in human disease. Moderate to large scale studies have now been conducted in the target tissue of neurodegenerative diseases, the brain, and, through the use of rigorous statistical methodologies, have laid a foundation of validated observations and successful study designs that inform our perspective on the role of the epigenome in these diseases, generate new hypotheses, and guide our path forward for a second generation of studies. It is clear that sampling the epigenome is not redundant with other “omic” profiling of the same tissue and that it can serve as an important vehicle for the integration of the effect of multiple environmental exposures on risk of disease. In some cases, change in the epigenome may thus have a causal impact on disease, but we now have evidence that such changes may also mediate some of the effect of tau proteinopathy and that other changes may moderate the impact of genetic risk factors. Thus, the epigenome may be involved at multiple different stages of the sequence of events that leads to human neurodegeneration, and we review the study designs that may begin to guide the development of a more comprehensive perspective on the aging brain's epigenome.
"It depends:" a qualitative study on digital health academic-industry collaboration.

Background Academic-industry collaborations (AICs) are endorsed to alleviate challenges in digital health, but partnership experiences remain understudied. The qualitative study's objective investigated collaboration experiences between academic institutions and digital health companies. Methods A phenomenology methodology captured experiences of AICs, eliciting perspectives from academic researchers and industry affiliates (e.g., leadership, company investigators). Semi-structured interviews probed eligible collaborators about their experiences in digital health. Analysts coded and organized data into significant statements reaching thematic saturation. Results Participants (N=20) were interviewed from 6 academic institutions and 14 unique industry partners. Seven themes emerged: (I) Collaboration evolves with time, relationships, funding, and evidence; (II) Collaboration demands strong relationships and interpersonal dynamics; (III) Operational processes vary across collaborations; (IV) Collaboration climate and context matters; (V) Shared expectations lead to a better understanding of success; (VI) Overcoming challenges with recommendations; (VII) Collaboration may help navigate the global pandemic. Conclusions Digital health academic industry collaboration demands strong relationships, requiring flexible mechanisms of collaboration and cultural fit. Diverse models of collaboration exist and remain dependent on contextual factors. While no collaboration conquers all challenges in digital health, AICs may serve as a facilitator for improved digital health products, thus advancing science, promoting public health, and benefiting the economy.
Therapeutic nanocarriers comprising extracellular matrix-inspired peptides and polysaccharides.

INTRODUCTION The extracellular matrix (ECM) is vital for cell and tissue development. Given its importance, extensive work has been conducted to develop biomaterials and drug delivery vehicles that capture features of ECM structure and function. AREAS COVERED This review highlights recent developments of ECM-inspired nanocarriers and their exploration for drug and gene delivery applications. Nanocarriers that are inspired by or created from primary components of the ECM (e.g. elastin, collagen, hyaluronic acid (HA), or combinations of these) are explicitly covered. An update on current clinical trials employing elastin-like proteins is also included. EXPERT OPINION Novel ECM-inspired nanoscale structures and conjugates continue to be of great interest in the materials science and bioengineering communities. Hyaluronic acid nanocarrier systems in particular are widely employed due to the functional activity of HA in mediating a large number of disease states. In contrast, collagen-like peptide nanocarriers are an emerging drug delivery platform with potential relevance to a myriad of ECM-related diseases, making their continued study most pertinent. Elastin-like peptide nanocarriers have a well-established tolerability and efficacy track record in preclinical analyses that has motivated their recent advancement into the clinical arena.
Web-Based Instruction and Learning: Responding to K-14 Customer Needs

A follow-up working conference was held at Lewis Research Center (now Glenn Research Center) on September 23-25, 1997, to continue discussing issues related to the development of Web-based education materials for the K-14 community. The conference continued the collaboration among the NASA aerospace technology Centers (Ames, Dryden, Langley, and Lewis [now Glenn]), NASA Headquarters, the University of Idaho and the Pennsylvania State University. The conference consisted of presentations by the Aeronautics Cooperative Agreement teams, and working sessions that addressed issues related to the conference theme, responding to the K-14 customers needs. The group identified the most significant issues by consensus. The issues addressed were: classroom access, World Wide Web resources, teacher training, different teaching and learning styles, interactivity, and education standards. The working sessions produced observations and recommendations in each of these areas in order to work toward the goal of making NASA sponsored Web-based educational resources useful to teachers and students.
A Simple Model for the Local Group of Galaxies

The standard model for the Local Group is a two-body system originally comoving with the Universe. I generalize this model by assuming accretion onto two seed masses. The model is normalized by an assumed Hubble constant, the distance to M31, and its observed radial velocity. These assumptions result in reasonable rotation curves for the galaxy. A test of the velocity field against dwarf members of the Local Group results in excellent agreement if H 0 = 50 kms −1 Mpc −1.
No Vacancy: Why Congress Can Regulate Senate Vacancy-Filling Elections Without Amending (or Offending) the Constitution

There currently exists no uniform method for filling vacancies in the United States Senate, leaving the states to create and implement their own vacancy-filling procedures. As a result of recent problems under this system, such as ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich’s notorious scandal in Illinois, some in Congress have suggested a standardized method for filling Senate vacancies. However, an apparent constitutional conflict between the Elections Clause and the Seventeenth Amendment’s vacancy-filling clause presents the question of whether such standardization could be accomplished with federal legislation, or whether it would require amending the Constitution. Applying the textual, structural, and historical approaches of constitutional interpretation to this conflict shows that the Seventeenth Amendment did not alter Congress’s Elections Clause authority to fashion regulations for all types of Senate elections, including those to fill vacancies. Since the Amendment’s primary goal was to eliminate state legislatures’ selection of senators, it would be an absurd textual result to interpret the Amendment as giving states any exclusive authority over vacancy-filling elections. Such an interpretation would also create structural inconsistency among the Constitution’s elections provisions and contravene the intent of the Seventeenth Amendment’s framers. Thus, if Congress wants to create a uniform method for filling U.S. Senate vacancies, it can—and should—do so through regular federal legislation, which, even after the Seventeenth Amendment’s ratification, remains a constitutionally-permissible exercise of Congress’s Elections Clause authority. This comment is available in American University Law Review: http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/aulr/vol61/iss2/4 ISTA.OFF.TO.PRINTER (DO NOT DELETE) 3/26/2012 8:09 PM
Insight in Many-Electron Theory from the Charge Density Wave Structure of Potassium

Approximations frequently employed to simplify fundamental treatments of the theory of metals can lead to qualitatively incorrect conclusions. A striking example is the broken translational symmetry of the ground state of metallic potassium. Experimental confirmation of its charge-density-wave structure is reviewed. Such a structure cannot occur if local-density approximations to exchange and correlation are employed, or if Coulomb potentials are replaced by screened interactions.
Potential biases in estimating the rate parameter of sigmoid growth functions

Summary 1. We compare biases in estimates of the rate constant of the logistic and Gompertz functions applied to avian growth using three methods of parameter estimation. The methods differ in how the asymptote is determined, and consist of either floating asymptotes estimated from the full data (floating A) or data truncated at 70% of the adult mass (70%A), or fixing the asymptote at the adult mass (fixed A). 2. First, using data for two passerine species exhibiting different growth patterns, we truncated mass measurements at different ages to explore how each method of growth rate estimation responded to simulated differences in nestling period. We bootstrapped growth rates and error measures from these data to produce unbiased error terms, which we used to compare the different models. 3. We tested the effects of age truncation on both real and simulated data, and found that the fixed A method produced less bias and better fits than using estimates of floating asymptotes from the full growth curve (floating A) or truncated at 70% of the adult mass (70%A). Logistic and Gompertz models with a floating asymptote generally provided poorer fits than those with a fixed asymptote, although fits were improved by including a variable accounting for the ratio of asymptotic to adult mass. 4. To evaluate the performance of the methods across an array of species, we applied the three methods to growth data for 45 species of New World songbirds spanning diverse rates of growth, developmental periods and geographic origins. To determine whether choice of method influenced interpretation of regional and life-history differences in avian growth, we used model selection to estimate the influence of three independent variables (adult mass, nestling period and tropical vs. temperate region) with known effects on nestling growth rate calculated by each method. The coefficients of determination in these analyses suggest that the most appropriate method to estimate growth rates, regardless of the growth function (i.e. logistic, Gompertz), is the fixed A method, taking care to use accurate and appropriate estimates of adult mass.
Anatomy of Bovine Mammillitis DNA I. Restriction Endonuclease Maps of Four Populations of Molecules That Differ in the Relative Orientation of Their Long and Short Components

In this paper, we report that the DNA of bovine mammillitis virus (BMV) consists of two covalently linked components that are 71.5 x 10(6) and 15.7 x 10(6) in molecular weight and designated L and S, respectively. We further report that the BMV DNA consists of four equimolar populations differing only in the orientation of the L and S components relative to each other. This conclusion is based on the following: (i) The sum molecular weight of fragments generated by digestion of BMV DNA with Hsu I, Hpa I, Bgl II, or Xba I significantly exceeds the established molecular weight of the intact DNA. (ii) In each digest, the fragments form three groups differing in molar concentration. In reference to the molar concentration of intact DNA, each enzyme digest contained a set of four fragments 0.25 M in concentration, a set of four fragments 0.5 M in concentration, and a variable size set, unique for each enzyme digest, 1.0 M in concentration. (iii) Experiments involving digestion of intact DNA by lambda exonuclease followed by restriction endonuclease digestion established that each of four 0.5 M fragments were positioned at the termini of the BMV DNA. (iv) Complete maps for the fragments generated by each enzyme established that the 0.25 M fragments arise by fusion of the sequences of the terminal fragments when these are juxtaposed as a consequence of the inversion of L and S components. The maps also established the dimensions of the L and S components. We conclude that the structure of BMV DNA is similar to that of HSV DNA previously shown to consist of two unequal size components that invert relative to each other.
Reconfigurable Semiconductor Phased-Array Metasurfaces

Phased-array metamaterial systems are enabling new classes of refractive and diffractive optical elements through spatial-phase engineering. In this article, we develop design principles for reconfigurable optical antennas and metasurfaces. We theoretically demonstrate the tunability of infrared scattering phase and radiation patterns in low-loss, high-index dielectric resonators using free carrier refraction. We demonstrate reconfigurable endfire antennas based on interference between multiple elements. Within single resonators, we demonstrate reconfigurable broadside antenna radiation lobes arising from interfering electric and magnetic dipole resonances. Extending this concept to infinite arrays, we design ideal Huygens metasurfaces with spectrally overlapping electric and magnetic dipole resonances. By introducing free charge carriers into these metasurfaces, we demonstrate continuously tunable transmission phase between 0 and 2π with less than 3 dB loss in intensity. Such tunable metasurfaces may for...
The Uroepithelium: Not Just a Passive Barrier

The uroepithelium lines the inner surface of the renal pelvis, the ureters, and the urinary bladder, where it forms a tight barrier that allows for retention of urine, while preventing the unregulated movement of ions, solutes, and toxic metabolites across the epithelial barrier. In the case of the bladder, the permeability barrier must be maintained even as the organ undergoes cyclical changes in pressure as it fills and empties. Beyond furthering our understanding of barrier function, new analysis of the uroepithelium is providing information about how detergent-insoluble membrane/protein domains called plaques are formed at the apical plasma membrane of the surface umbrella cells, how mechanical stimuli such as pressure alter exocytic and endocytic traffic in epithelial cells such as umbrella cells, and how changes in pressure are communicated to the underlying nervous system.
Evaluation of Liver Lesions

The differential diagnosis of a liver mass is large and requires understanding of the clinical and imaging features of liver lesions. A detailed history, physical examination, hepatic biochemical tests, and imaging studies are all essential in making the diagnosis. Decisions regarding specific imaging modalities for diagnoses, the use of liver biopsy, therapeutic options, and appropriate follow-up are all determined by the presentation of the lesion and associated patient characteristics.
Warped factor analysis

Shifted factor analysis (SFA) is designed to fit overall position shifts of sequential factors as well as the variation of factor weights. SFA is one kind of nonlinear generalization of linear factor models such as the two-mode principal component model and the three-mode Parafac model. Warped factor analysis (WFA), presented here, further generalizes SFA so that it fits factor variation due to not only the position shifts and the systematic weighting but also more flexible shape changes of sequential factors. A quasi alternating least squares (ALS) procedure is developed for WFA, using a simplified warping of segmented sequential factors. The most unique property of WFA is that it allows sequential factors to change shape distinctively, which is unlike what is implicitly assumed in mapping of data profiles, namely that sequential factors change shape together. Unlike the two-mode factor/component models, two-mode SFA was empirically shown to yield an essentially unique solution, using the additional sources of information provided by fitting systematic position shifts. Likewise, factors recovered by two-mode WFA are likely to be essentially unique due to the systematic shape variance fit by the model, provided that the data contain sufficient sources of shape variation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Social security and the family: Coping with seasonality and calamity in rural India

This article examines how poor rural families in India cope with the food insecurity associated with seasonal troughs in the agricultural production cycle, and with calamities such as drought and famine; the effectiveness of the coping mechanisms they adopt; the intra‐household sharing of the burden of coping; and the appropriate state and non‐state interventions that would strengthen the survival mechanisms adopted by the families themselves. The family is seen here as a bargaining unit, the ability of different members to command food (among other resources) depending on their relative bargaining strengths, determined in turn by their ownership endowments (of land, labour, etc.), exchange entitlements, and external social and communal support systems. Gender and age both form the basis of intra‐family inequality in this respect. While seasonality reveals a face of the family which is one of co‐operation, famine mirrors one of disintegration. In both contexts, the burden of coping falls disproportionatel...
Contact pressures in the patellofemoral joint during impact loading on the human flexed knee

Currently, a bone fracture criterion is used by the automotive industry to assess the potential for a lower extremity injury from impact directed on the flexed knee. However, recent studies with animal models indicate irreversible damage to articular cartilage due to overpressures generated within the patellofemoral (P-F) joint without bone fracture, and suggest this injury may lead to a progressive, degenerative disease of the joint. The purpose of this investigation was to measure contact pressure in the human P-F joint during impact loading on the isolated, flexed knee. Loads were delivered on the patella with a free-flight inertial mass that had a rigid or foam padded interface. The experiments were conducted by serially increasing the impactor velocity in repeated tests until bone fracture was observed. The distribution of maximum pressures generated within the joint was recorded with a pressure-sensitive film. Fracture of the patella or the femur occurred at impact loads of approximately 8.5 kN. The average P-F pressure was approximately 25 MPa for 8 kN of impact load on the 90 degrees flexed joint. The P-F contact area varied with the level of contact load and degree of joint flexion. The distribution of P-F pressures was nonuniform. At approximately 70% of the fracture load for the 90 degrees flexed knee, nearly 35% of the contact area was exposed to pressures greater than 25 MPa. In an earlier study by others using subchondral bone-cartilage preparations, this level of pressure resulted in fissures and lacerations of the cartilage.
A thermodynamic description of the glass transition: an exact one-dimensional example

Abstract An exact solution describing the properties of the fluid and the glass transition in terms of the underlying configurational landscape is obtained for a binary mixture of nonadditive hard rods on a line. The role of dynamics usually associated with the glass transition can be replaced by applying constraints to the fluid which trap the system in a single basin on the landscape. The glass transition can then be fully described in terms of thermodynamics. The entropy of the system decreases at the glass transition and the entropy of any glass relative to another is shown to be zero, which suggests that there is no residual entropy associated with the glasses.
MR imaging of brainstem atrophy in progressive supranuclear palsy.

To enhance the sensitivity and specificity of the clinical diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), neuroradiological parameters established in pathologically proven cases are needed. We examined brainstem atrophy in five pathologically confirmed PSP patients (three men, mean age at death 77 years, range 64–84 years). Time interval between symptom onset and MRI ranged from 1 to 5 years, and between MRI and death from 33 to 52 months. Only one patient had clinical diagnosis of PSP at the time of MRI. Control group consisted of 19 age- and gendermatched healthy subjects. Seventeen morphometric parameters of the midbrain and pons were measured on T1-weighted midsagittal and T2-weighted axial MRI scans with Image Analyzer. Measurements of superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) width were performed on PSP autopsy specimens. Mean SCP width on MRI in PSP (2.7 ± 0.8 mm, 95%CI: 2.1–3.3) was smaller than in controls (3.7 ± 0.5 mm, 95%CI: 3.5–3.9). Mean SCP width at autopsy was 8% smaller than mean SCP width on MRI. Midsagittal midbrain area in PSP (99.1 ± 6.9 mm2, 95%CI: 90.5–107.6) was smaller than in controls (141.0 ± 18.1 mm2, 95%CI: 132.2–149.7). Midbrain/pons area ratio in PSP was 1:5 and in controls was 1:4 (p < 0.01). Repeat MRI 17 months later in one PSP case revealed 30% decrease of SCP width. MR imaging with quantitative analysis may be useful in the diagnosis of early PSP and in monitoring disease course.
The interactive effects of spirituality and trait cynicism on citizenship and counterproductive work behaviors

Spirituality is increasingly recognized and accepted as part of the total employee and the general work environment. The following study examined spirituality as a moderator between an employee personality trait (cynicism) and discretionary job performance dimensions (citizenship behavior and counterproductive work behavior). This exploration integrates the literature on spirituality, cynicism and performance by probing the relationship between negative personality traits and performance while considering the interactive effects of cynicism and spirituality. Specifically, trait cynicism was predicted to have a direct impact on performance. Results did not support this prediction. However, as expected, there was a significant interaction between cynicism and spirituality such that there were significant differences in the performance of highly spiritual cynics and those low in spirituality. Implications are discussed.
NUMARCK: machine learning algorithm for resiliency and checkpointing

Data check pointing is an important fault tolerance technique in High Performance Computing (HPC) systems. As the HPC systems move towards exascale, the storage space and time costs of check pointing threaten to overwhelm not only the simulation but also the post-simulation data analysis. One common practice to address this problem is to apply compression algorithms to reduce the data size. However, traditional lossless compression techniques that look for repeated patterns are ineffective for scientific data in which high-precision data is used and hence common patterns are rare to find. This paper exploits the fact that in many scientific applications, the relative changes in data values from one simulation iteration to the next are not very significantly different from each other. Thus, capturing the distribution of relative changes in data instead of storing the data itself allows us to incorporate the temporal dimension of the data and learn the evolving distribution of the changes. We show that an order of magnitude data reduction becomes achievable within guaranteed user-defined error bounds for each data point. We propose NUMARCK, North western University Machine learning Algorithm for Resiliency and Check pointing, that makes use of the emerging distributions of data changes between consecutive simulation iterations and encodes them into an indexing space that can be concisely represented. We evaluate NUMARCK using two production scientific simulations, FLASH and CMIP5, and demonstrate a superior performance in terms of compression ratio and compression accuracy. More importantly, our algorithm allows users to specify the maximum tolerable error on a per point basis, while compressing the data by an order of magnitude.
Neighborhoods have little effect on fungal attack or insect predation of developing seeds in a grassland biodiversity experiment

Numerous observational studies have documented conspecific negative density-dependence that is consistent with the Janzen–Connell Hypothesis (JCH) of diversity maintenance. However, there have been few experimental tests of a central prediction of the JCH: that removing host-specific enemies should lead to greater increases in per capita recruitment in areas of higher host density or lower relative phylogenetic diversity. Using spatially randomized plots of high and low host biomass in a temperate grassland biodiversity experiment, we treated developing seedheads of six prairie perennials to factorial applications of fungicide and insecticide. We measured predispersal seed production, seed viability, and seedling biomass. Results were highly species-specific and idiosyncratic. Effects of insect seed predators and fungal pathogens on predispersal responses varied with neither conspecific biomass nor phylogenetic diversity, suggesting that—at least at the predispersal stage and for the insect and fungal seed predators we were able to exclude—the JCH is not sufficient to contribute to negative conspecific density-dependence for these dominant prairie species.