cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple interactions determine cellular electrical processes in the multicellular tissue

See article by Verkerk et al. [5] (pages 30–40) in this issue. “Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler” Albert Einstein The traditional classification of cardiac arrhythmias makes a distinction between focal mechanisms due to abnormal electrophysiological functioning of single cells, and propagation-related mechanisms due to abnormal conduction in the multicellular tissue [1]. Single-cell arrhythmogenecity is associated with triggered activity and after-depolarizations, which are subdivided into early (EAD) and delayed (DAD) afterdepolarizations based on their timing relative to the action potential (AP) [2]. Propagation-based arrhythmias include various types of reentry [3] and spiral-wave activity [4] that involve many interconnected cardiac cells and can occur on different spatial scales (e.g. micro- or macro-reentry). The above classification into single-cell and multicellular phenomena also reflects the commonly used reductionist experimental approach that studies cellular behavior in isolated-cell preparations, in the absence of the interactions with neighboring cells that occur in the intact myocardium. Similarly, on a smaller scale, ion-channel function is studied in membrane patches or expression systems (e.g. Xenopus oocyte), away from the complex cellular environment where they interact dynamically with other ionic processes to form the AP. Since cardiac arrhythmias occur in the intact myocardium, it is essential to develop systematic understanding of the underlying processes at increasing levels of complexity and integration from the ion channel, to the cell, to groups of interacting cells, to the multicellular tissue. Such step-by-step integration can be achieved through … *Tel.: +1-216-368-4051; fax: +1-216-368-8672
Transient response in optical ENZ nanocircuit boards

Using analytical and numerical methods, we analyze the temporal response of optical nanocircuit boards formed by grooves in epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) metamaterial substrates. We discuss bandwidth, group velocity and signal delay in such ENZ-surrounded channels.
Nuclear interaction of heavy primary cosmic radiation

In a stack of 30 nuclear emulsions exposed to cosmic radiation near the geomagnetic equator, 65 tracks of heavy primary nuclei were located. Out of the total 65 tracks of heavy nuclei, 24 exhibited interactions with the nucleons of the emulsion. In 10 of these 24 interactions primary particles break up into fragments of charge −2. The charge of these particles is determined by δ-ray counting and from gap length distribution while the energy per nucleon is found from the relative scattering method and from the opening angle of the fragments.
Perinephric abscess following uncomplicated ureteroscopy

We report the case of a 60-year-old male who presented with left-sided back pain 1 month after an uncomplicated ureteroscopy and stone-basketing for left 6-mm mid-pole and 4-mm lower pole stones.
Tracking Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in Single Semiconductor Nanowire Heterostructures

Anunderstandingofnon+equilibriumcarrierdynamicsinsilicon� (Si)� nanowires� (NWs)� andNWheterostructuresisveryimportantduetotheirmany� nanophotonicandnanoelectronicsapplications.� Here,� wedescribethefirst� measurementsofultrafastcarrierdynamicsanddiffusioninsingleheterostructuredSi� nanowires,� obtainedusingultrafastopticalmicroscopy.� Byisolatingindividual� nanowires,� weavoidcomplicationsresultingfromthebroadsizeandalignment� distributioninnanowireensembles,� allowingustodirectlyprobeultrafastcarrier� dynamicsinthesequasi+one+dimensionalsystems.� Spatially+resolvedpump+probe� spectroscopydemonstratestheinfluenceofsurface+mediatedmechanismsoncarrier� dynamicsinasingleNW,� whilepolarization+resolvedfemtosecondpump+probe� spectroscopyrevealsaclearanisotropyincarrierlifetimesmeasuredparalleland� perpendiculartotheNWaxis,� duetodensity+dependentAugerrecombination.� Furthermore,�separatingthepumpandprobespotsalongtheNWaxisenabledusto� trackspaceandtimedependentcarrierdiffusioninradialandaxialNWheterostructures.�� Theseresultsenableustorevealtheinfluenceofradialandaxialinterfacesoncarrier� dynamicsandchargetransportinthesequasi+one+dimensionalnanosystems,�whichcan� thenbeusedtotailorcarrierrelaxationinasinglenanowireheterostructureforagiven� application.��
Measuring Power Distribution System Resistance Variations

Metal resistance variations in back-end-of-line processes can be significant, particularly during process bring-up. In this paper, we propose a simple method to measure resistance variations in the power distribution system (PDS) of an IC. Our technique utilizes the PDS because it is an existing distributed resource in all ICs and provides a means of characterizing resistance in the context of the actual circuit design. By applying a set of tests using small on-chip support circuits attached to the PDS, the resistance of components of the PDS can be obtained from the solution to a set of simultaneous equations. The results from hardware experiments involving two sets of test chips fabricated in an IBM 65-nm technology show significant changes in the resistance variation of some components of the PDS as the process evolved.
Flow of the Alaskan Stream and its variations

Abstract Data from cruises in winter 1980 and summer 1981, which traversed the region from the head of the Gulf of Alaska to the western Aleutian Islands, are used to examine the flow of the Alaskan Stream and its changes. The physical property distributions reveal seasonal changes, interactions with shelf and offshore waters, and the effects of large-scale variations in circulation. Peak geostrophic speeds, referred to 1500 db, were typically 100 cm s −1 ; consideration of the baroclinic structure below 1500 db would increase the speeds slightly, but the usual volume transports (about 12 × 10 6 m 3 s −1 , referred to 1500 db) would increase by about 3 × 10 6 m 3 s −1 near 150°W and by about 8 × 10 6 m 3 s −1 near 180°. In winter 1980 the Alaskan Stream had essentially constant transport (referred to 1500 db) from the head of the gulf to the western Aleutians, with some southward recirculation of upper waters near 175°W and a southward flow through Amchitka Pass. In summer 1981 the circulation pattern was markedly different; only about half the normal flow entered the upper gulf, and the rest was deflected northward across the southern stream boundary. The two flows converged near 165°W to produce typical transports along the Aleutians. It appears that the rare flow structure of summer 1981 was related to an anomalous distribution of wind-stress curl, which may have altered isopycnal slopes and the geostrophic flow.
Analysis of K99 plasmids from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

Evaluation of 9 wild-type K99 positive strains of Escherichia coli showed that each had a plasmid of approximately 87.8 kb that hybridized with two DNA probes specific for K99 genes. The K99 reference plasmid from E. coli also is 87.8 kb. Each of these strains had a conserved 7.15-kb Bam HI fragment that also hybridized to these probes. Several K99 negative mutants and three 3P− strains also contained K99 plasmids as well as the 7.15-kb Bam HI fragment. These results suggest that there is a conservation in size of the K99 plasmids of diverse strains.
Composition/structure/property relations of multi-ion-beam reactive sputtered lead lanthanum titanate thin films: Part III. Electrical properties

This paper, the third and final of a three part series, presents the electrical properties of postdeposition annealed, lead lanthanum titanate (PLT) thin films deposited by multi-ion-beam reactive sputtering (MIBERS). Also, a model is presented that explains the relations among composition, crystallographic structure, microstructure, and electrical properties of the PLT thin films. Thin films of PLT consisting of the perovskite phase exhibit (100) textured microstructures. Addition of a critical quantity of excess PbO results in the loss of this (100) texture, and continuity of the perovskite phase is disrupted while both excess PbO and porosity phases become continuous due to a percolation effect. Films with textured microstructures consisting of a continuous perovskite phase exhibit relatively high dc resistivities, high dielectric permittivities, and high remanent polarizations. At the transition between textured and nontextured microstructures, a discontinuous drop in the electrical properties occurs due to the ensuing continuity of the excess PbO and porosity. These composition-induced changes in the electrical properties were quantitatively modeled by applying a simple mixing rule model to the microstructure model developed in Part II of this series.
Incremental Validity of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in Predicting Academic Major Selection of Undecided University Students:

This study examined the incremental validity of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as a predictor of academic major choice. Undecided university students were administered the MBTI and Strong Interest Inventory (SII). Their academic major choice was recorded at the end of their fourth semester and categorized as realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, or conventional. We conducted sequential discriminant analyses based on the (a) SII alone and (b) combined use of the SII and MBTI. The SII general occupational theme scales correctly predicted 45.4% of cases, which was significantly better than chance. The hit rate based on the combined use of the SII and MBTI was 48.3%, which was not a significantly higher predictive increment. Implications of these findings for career counselors are discussed.
Photothermal aerosol absorption spectroscopy.

In situ aerosol absorption spectroscopy was performed using three photothermal detection schemes: phase fluctuation optical heterodyne spectroscopy, photothermal modulation of Mie scattering, and photophoresis. Particle specific absorption data of ammonium sulfate aerosols were obtained. The specific absorption coefficient for the sulfate ion was measured to be 0.5 m2/g at 1087 cm−1. Each of the three techniques allows single-particle and subnanogram per cubic centimeter detection sensitivity, and in all cases the relative absorption spectrum can be obtained directly from the data without the need for complex inverse scattering calculations.
Swept coherent optical spectrum analysis

Swept coherent optical spectrum analysis is becoming a viable method for subpicometer spectral characterization of optical communications signals. The performance of this technique depends on a number of factors that we have investigated both theoretically and experimentally. This includes the influence of signal linewidth, polarization, optical phase, intensity noise, and electrical filtering methods. These effects are discussed in detail and illustrated through spectral measurements on communications transmitters. We extend the heterodyne method to permit measurement of both spectral amplitude and phase of the spectral sidebands. The transformation of the complex optical field spectrum to the time domain waveform is demonstrated.
Exposure-related effects on Cd bioaccumulation explain toxicity of Cd-phenanthrene mixtures in Hyalella azteca.

Little is known regarding mixture effects of metals and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) under environmentally relevant exposure regimes. Standard U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) procedures were applied and extended to test effects of phenanthrene (Phen) on sediment-Cd uptake, aqueous-Cd uptake, and Cd-elimination kinetics in the amphipod Hyalella azteca. In sediment exposures, Phen increased the projected equilibrium-tissue concentration of Cd from 47.2 (36.2–58.3) to 221.1 μg/g ([117.8–324.3], 95% confidence intervals [CI] in parentheses). Although Cd bioaccumulation increased markedly in sediment exposures, dissolved Cd concentrations and physical-chemical parameters indicative of Cd bioavailability were unaffected by Phen. Further, in water-only exposures, Phen had no effect on Cd bioaccumulation or Cd-elimination kinetics. These results indicate that increased Cd bioaccumulation in Cd-Phen mixtures occurred via a sediment-mediated process and was likely a function of increased uptake associated with feeding (i.e., Pheninduced alterations in ingestion and/or digestive processes). Observed increases in H. azteca lethality when exposed to Cd-Phen mixtures in sediment, but not in water-only exposures, likely resulted from increased Cd bioaccumulation rate rather than a true toxicological synergism. Thus, apparent synergisms and antagonisms may result from exposure-mediated effects in sediment that are unrelated to toxicological interactions. Implications of these findings regarding sediment-quality assessment and suggestions for future studies are discussed.
Transaction support for HBase

NoSQL technologies such as HBase, Cassandra, MongoDB are becoming popular due to their ability to scale and handle large volumes of data as opposed to a traditional Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). However they lack two major functionalities provided by traditional RDBMS namely "transactional support" and "SQL interface". Transactions are designed to maintain database integrity in a known, consistent state, by ensuring that interdependent operations on the system complete successfully or all the operations are canceled. This paper describes a non-intrusive approach to provide transaction support for HBase based on optimistic concurrency model.
Generating iPSC-Derived Choroidal Endothelial Cells to Study Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of incurable blindness in the western world, is characterized by the dysfunction and eventual death of choroidal endothelial (CECs), RPE, and photoreceptor cells. Stem cell-based treatment strategies designed to replace photoreceptor and RPE cells currently are a major scientific focus. However, the success of these approaches likely also will require replacement of the underlying, supportive choroidal vasculature. The purpose of this study was to generate stem cell-derived CECs to develop efficient differentiation and transplantation protocols. Methods Dermal fibroblasts from the Tie2-GFP mouse were isolated and reprogrammed into two independent induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines via viral transduction of the transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. Tie2-GFP iPSCs were differentiated into CECs using a coculture method with either the RF6A CEC line or primary mouse CECs. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived CECs were characterized via RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry for EC- and CEC-specific markers. Results Induced pluripotent stem cells generated from mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under control of the endothelial Tie2 promoter display classic pluripotency markers and stem cell morphology. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived CECs express carbonic anhydrase IV, eNOS, FOXA2, PLVAP, CD31, CD34, ICAM-1, Tie2, TTR, VE-cadherin, and vWF. Conclusions Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived CECs will be a valuable tool for modeling of choriocapillaris-specific insults in AMD and for use in future choroidal endothelial cell replacement approaches.
Determinants of fatty acid and alcohol monomer activities in mixed micellar solutions.

The determinants of monomer activities of lipids dissolved in micellar bile salt solutions have been studied using polyethylene discs as the organic phase of a partitioning system. The studies show that fatty acids and alcohols interact with micelles as a partitioning system so that the monomer activity is determined by micelle volume and the lipid's partition coefficient as well as mass of lipid in the solution. Influence of the partition coefficient is seen in the dependence of monomer activity on chain length, unsaturation and carboxyl or alcohol polar groups. Dependence on chain length is equivalent to an incremental free energy of approximately −700 cal · mol−1 per methylene group. Substitution of an alcohol group for the carboxyl group at pH 7.4 decreases monomer activity by a factor of 900. Expansion of taurodeoxycholate micelles with 5m M monooleoylglycerol slightly decreases monomer activity whereas solutions of lipids in taurocholate have relatively greater monomer activities, demonstrating the influence of volume of the micelle organic phase. With constant micelle structure, monomer activity was linearly dependent on lipid mass in the system as predicted by partitioning theory. Addition of low concentration of lecithin, lysolecithin, or monoacylglycerol to the solutions had only small effects on the monomer activities consistent with the small change in total micelle organic phase. Data provided allow calculation of monomer activities of fatty acids and alcohols in many complex micellar solutions. Such data are important for evaluating such processes as intestinal absorption and gallstone formation and dissolution.
Stability and Control of a Flux-Pinned Docking Interface for Spacecraft

Flux pinning occurs in certain types of superconductors which, when cooled below their critical temperature in the presence of a magnetic field, resist changes to that initial magnetic flux. This interaction effectively “pins” the source of the magnetic field in place relative to the superconductor. A flux-pinned interface exploits this unique behavior by placing a superconductor on one spacecraft module and an array of magnets on another module, thus creating a non-contacting connection between them. This paper investigates the application of this interaction in the context of spacecraft docking, specifically by examining the mathematical framework for the stability of these systems. The basics of modeling a fluxpinned system are discussed, and the elements of proving stability using a Lyapunov function are addressed. An energy-based Lyapunov function is derived and tested for the passive system. This function is extended to an actively controlled system with a generic control input. A constraint on the control effort is found for the guarantee of Lyapunov stability for an actively controlled system. The paper closes with a brief description of future validation experiments and a summary of the results of the derivations.
Experimental Parachute Validation Research Program and Status Report on Indoor Drop Tests

The US Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) is currently developing coupled fluid/structure computer codes to simulate the performance of parachutes and airdrop systems. Concurrently, NSRDEC is leading and managing an experimental parachute research program to obtain parachute performance data for validation of the computer codes. This program consists of detailed measurements of the aerodynamics and structural dynamics of small-, medium- and full-scale parachutes. Currently, measurements and instrumentation development are focused on the first two scale parachutes. These measurements include spatial canopy position and motion, the three-dimensional geometry of the canopy, canopy fabric strain, suspension line forces, air velocity, and pressure. For the small- and medium-scale parachutes, a test program has been developed in which flat round 3.5-ft., 7.0-ft., and 9.0-ft. diameter model parachutes are vertically dropped in an indoor controlled environment to obtain the measurements. The tests consist of dropping the parachutes in a large enclosed structure with a highly instrumented payload. To obtain repeatable and consistent data, a guided vertical drop system is being used. A thin steel guide wire is anchored at the floor of the structure and extends vertically through the centerline of the payload and the vent of the canopy to the ceiling. Such a test setup restricts the opening and the descent trajectory of the parachute to be on the vertical path of the guide wire. Repeatable and consistent parachute performance data have been obtained.
The Electrostatic Corral: Trapping Single DNA Molecules in Solution

In this contribution, we will discuss a novel and elegant approach for the trapping and manipulation of single biomolecules and other particles over extended periods of time free in solution: the electrostatic corral.
Site-Dependent Free Energy Barrier for Proton Reduction on MoS2 Edges

We calculated the adiabatic free energy surface of the proton reduction reaction on catalytically active MoS2 edge atoms by combining density functional theory with the Anderson–Newns model, which accounts for solvent fluctuation and charge transfer in the context of Marcus theory. This framework combines three different contributions to the associated reaction energetics and kinetics, namely, the relevant electronic orbitals of the substrate, the possibility of surface relaxation upon adsorption, and the impact of solvation. Under the assumption of fixed edge geometry throughout the reaction, we calculate the free energy barriers on edge S and Mo sites to be 0.65 and 0 eV, respectively. However, if we consider surface relaxation, the barrier on the edge S site is reduced by more than half to 0.31 eV. On edge Mo sites, the dz2 orbital is responsible not only for the strength of binding but also for the barrierless reaction. On edge S sites, the bound hydrogen atom always retains some finite positive charg...
Improving Teacher Candidates' Lesson Planning Competencies Through Peer Review in a Wiki Environment

This article examines the implementation of a wiki-type platform for lesson planning for teacher candidates in an undergraduate general instructional methods course in the teacher education program of a Midwestern university in the United States. The study draws on the results of two separate sets of analysis involving 159 participants. Teacher candidates in this course were required to post the first five lesson plans of their unit plans to the course wiki. Each teacher candidate was required to analyze several classmates' lesson plans and provide constructive feedback that the authors of the lessons could incorporate in improving their unit plans. This exercise was meant to create a sense of constructive approach to lesson planning and encourage teacher candidates to think of their peers as resources to whom they could turn for advice in the process of designing lesson plans in an emerging community of practice, all while availing themselves of the flexibility of the wiki's collaborative features. Resul...
TH-F-201-01: The Problem: Is This a Trick Question?

Multiple choice questions are a tool medical physicists encounter throughout their careers. They are a commonly used method of assessment during our early didactic training (graduate school, residency and board certification). They are used throughout our MOC process both in SAMs and online CE. And they are used for the MOC exam every 10 years. While we have significant training in answering these multiple choice questions, we rarely receive training in how to construct effective multiple choice questions. This is important too, as it is medical physicists who are creating the exams at academic institutions, for the AAPM SAMs and online CE as well as for the ABR exams (both initial and MOC). While there are rigorous scientific methods for evaluating the quality of questions in an exam that has been taken, creating good questions (stem) and multiple choice answers (distractors) requires skill and practice. This talk will cover some of the do's and don'ts for creating good multiple choice questions. Item analysis of answers to multiple choice questions can reveal a great deal about the quality of the questions. Questions can be measured in terms of their difficulty and ability to discriminate between examinees. The distractors themselves can be evaluated for their ability to discriminate as well. And finally the overall test can be evaluated for reliability. We will discuss some of the specifics of item analysis as well as provide guidelines for constructing good tests items. Learning Objectives: 1.Understand rules for writing a good stem 2.Understand rules for writing good distractors
Growing out of the plan: State sector reforms, 1979–1983

During 1979 and 1980, the Chinese government began a vigorous reform program in the state sector. Reforms centered around the twin initiatives of expanding enterprise autonomy and combining plan and market, and they quickly spread to encompass much of the state sector. In the context of economic reorientation, reforms took root rapidly, and along with liberalization of the rural economy discussed in the next chapter, these initiatives mark the beginning of China's reform era. Reform was energetically promoted until the end of 1980, when policy suddenly changed direction. A much more conservative policy emerged in 1981, skeptical about rapid reforms and insisting that planning was necessary. The government then backed away from state sector reforms until the early months of 1984. The 1979–83 period thus emerges as a classical policy cycle, in which a phase of energetic reform policy was followed by a phase of cautious retrenchment. Actual change in the economic system, though, did not fit so neatly into phases of reform and retrenchment. First, even during the activist reform phase, implementation was extremely unbalanced. Although reformers were quickly able to decentralize and introduce more flexibility into the system, their attempts to rationalize prices and financial relations were largely unsuccessful. The retrenchment beginning in 1981 partially reflected the inability of reformers to develop an overall program of reform that was both coherent and practical. Conversely, the conservative policies post-1981 had a number of unanticipated consequences that had a positive influence on the further development of reform.
Steroid receptor coactivator-1 can regulate osteoblastogenesis independently of estrogen.

Steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1), a well-studied coactivator of estrogen receptor (ER), is known to play an important and functional role in the development and maintenance of bone tissue. Previous reports suggest SRC-1 maintains bone mineral density primarily through its interaction with ER. Here we demonstrate that SRC-1 can also affect bone development independent of estrogen signaling as ovariectomized SRC-1 knockout (SRC-1 KO) mouse had decreased bone mineral density. To identify estrogen-independent SRC-1 target genes in osteoblastogenesis, we undertook an integrated analysis utilizing ChIP-Seq and mRNA microarray in transformed osteoblast-like U2OS-ERα cells. We identified critical osteoblast differentiation genes regulated by SRC-1, but not by estrogen including alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin. Ex vivo primary culture of osteoblasts from SRC-1 wild-type and KO mice confirmed the role of SRC-1 in osteoblastogenesis, associated with altered ALPL levels. Together, these data indicate that SRC-1 can impact osteoblast function in an ER-independent manner.
Evaluation of the concurrent use of dolutegravir and metformin in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

An analysis of the interaction between dolutegravir and metformin was conducted in the HIV ambulatory clinic setting. This was a multicenter, retrospective case series evaluating adult, HIV-infected patients concurrently prescribed dolutegravir and metformin. Historical electronic medical records were utilized to collect case-specific data. Laboratory parameters including serum creatinine (SCr), hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c), plasma HIV RNA, CD4 cell count, and lactate were reviewed. Adverse drug reactions were assessed using patient-reported gastrointestinal intolerance and hypoglycemic symptoms. Metformin dose reduction or discontinuation was also recorded. Nineteen patients identified as concurrently taking metformin and dolutegravir were included. Eighteen patients were on metformin prior to dolutegravir initiation, with 13 having received metformin for at least six months prior to dolutegravir. At the time of dolutegravir initiation, one patient had a preemptive metformin dose reduction. Seven patients wer...
Fungal Alchemy: Using Radiation as a Source of Energy

Accustomed as we are to microbial surprises, we were nonetheless taken aback by a report disclosing that certain fungi grow better when exposed to ionizing radiation. According to a paper from Albert Einstein Medical School, fungi can also use radiation as a source of energy—not exactly one’s view of radiation as something malevolent and baneful. Had we paid attention to the news from Chernobyl, we would not have been surprised because the walls of the still-hot reactor have become covered with mold. Not only that, but it has been known for some time that fungal species search out radioactive particles, i.e., manifest radiotropism.
What intrinsic and extrinsic factors explain the stoichiometric diversity of aquatic heterotrophic bacteria

The elemental content of microbial communities is dependent upon the physiology of constituent populations, yet ecological stoichiometry has made slow progress toward identifying predictors of how species and strains change the elemental content of their biomass in response to the stoichiometry of elements in resources. We asked whether the elemental content of aquatic bacteria, especially flexibility in elemental content, could be predicted by their phylogeny, maximum growth rate or lake productivity. We examined 137 isolates using chemostats and found that strains differed substantially in how the carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus ratios (C:N:P) in their biomass responded to P-sufficient and P-limiting conditions. The median strain increased its biomass C:N:P from 68:14:1 to 164:25:1 under P limitation. Patterns in elemental content and ratios were partly explained by phylogeny, yet flexibility in elemental content showed no phylogenetic signal. The growth rate hypothesis predicts that P content is positively related to growth rate, but we found weak correlation between maximum growth rate and P content among the strains. Overall, isolates from highly productive lakes had higher maximum growth rates and less flexible biomass N:P than isolates from unproductive lakes. These results show that bacteria present within lake communities exhibit diverse strategies for responding to elemental imbalance.
Safety and Efficacy of Reslizumab for Children and Adolescents With Eosinophilic Esophagitis Treated for 9 Years.

BACKGROUND Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic disease characterized by infiltration of eosinophils in the esophageal epithelium. There are limited treatment options for EoE. The rationale of the study was to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of reslizumab (RSZ) in pediatric patients who received RSZ in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and expanded access program. METHODS Records of patients who received RSZ in our center were reviewed. Patients received RSZ 2 mg/kg (or placebo) every 4 weeks as part of the RCT, open-label extension (OLE), and compassionate use (CU). Data were analyzed as of their most recent evaluation in August 2017. Labwork, history, and examinations were conducted every 12 weeks. Biopsy results were compared from baseline (before RCT) and at the most recent evaluation. Adverse events (AE) were recorded. RESULTS Twelve patients entered the RCT at our center; 6 patients completed the OLE and 4 received RSZ through CU. Between the RCT, OLE, and CU periods, patients received 549 doses of RSZ (median 37, range 2-116). No serious AE were attributed to RSZ. Symptoms improved on treatment: dysphagia (42% vs 0%), abdominal pain (58% vs 0%), heartburn (18% vs 0%), vomiting (67% vs. 17%), reflux (58% vs. 0%). Median esophageal eosinophil count improved (35 eosinophils per high-power field vs 3, P < 0.001). Patients receiving RSZ maintain a relatively unrestricted diet. CONCLUSIONS RSZ appears to be safe in children with EoE over 9 years of treatment experience. Symptoms and eosinophil count improved considerably during treatment with RSZ despite a relatively unrestricted diet.
Designing Institutions: The Role of the State in Voluntary Regulation

This chapter reviews voluntary regulation and the related changes in procurement policy of leading states. The effectiveness of voluntary regulation relies on the feedback between institutions and states interests. The question is problematized by using the IR concept of forum shopping suggesting that there is a relationship between the increased costs of shifting forum and the commitment of strong states to compliance. States’ incentives to shift forum would incur the opportunity cost associated with substituting across governance structures—that is, to articulate a new policy given an already existing one.
The Ritual of Everyday Life: Hindu Women’s Rituals, Mujerista Theology, and the Catholic Theology of Gender

While the Catholic theology of gender places great emphasis on the gendered body, it tends to be overly abstract and simplistic. A more realistic theology of gender must be centered on actual women in the midst of their lives. This essay reflects on what a Catholic theology of gender can learn from Hindu women’s everyday rituals—which transform women’s bodies and channel power ritually through women to their families and society—in conversation with mujerista theology (Latina and Hispanic women’s theology). Ultimately, Tiemeier aims to reconstruct a broader ritual theology that decenters the male hierarchy, recenters the sacred on the gendered body engaged in the world, and expands the Catholic sacramental imagination into the ritual of everyday life.
Clonal Forestry in the Eucalypts

The earliest operational use of rooted cuttings in plantations of forest trees was not with the eucalypts, since rooted cuttings were used over 100 years ago in Cryptomeria japonica (Ono 1882). This kind of regeneration has been common in plantations of Populus spp. and Salix spp. Currently, however, the largest operational clonal forestry programs are with several species in the genus Eucalyptus. For nearly 20 years, large plantings of rooted cuttings of eucalypts have been made in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of Africa (Delwaulle 1985), South America (Campinhos and Ikemori 1977), and in other areas such as the Mediterranean region and South Africa. A few programs are very large — for example, one company in Brazil plants nearly 30 million Stecklings per year and its program is expanding annually. The largest programs have received a great deal of publicity; an example is Aracruz Florestal in Brazil, which has achieved breakthrough successes with rooted cuttings (Fig. 1); its foresters have received the prestigious Wallenberg Prize from Sweden in recognition of their pioneering efforts (Wallenberg Foundation 1984).
Arterial Hypotension and Hypertension During Neurosurgical Procedures

During ordinary clinical circumstances, cerebral/spinal autoregulation maintains a constant blood flow across wide variations in perfusion pressure. However, as a function of neurologic pathology, surgical risk, or comorbidities, many neurosurgical scenarios are anything but ordinary, and “tight” but strategic control of blood pressure is warranted. Intraoperative arterial blood pressure that is either too high or too low can cause or indicate serious complications for neurosurgical patients. This section addresses three clinical settings in which arterial blood pressure is a common and critical management challenge.
Teaching to Diversity through Multiple Intelligences: Student and Teacher Responses to Instructional Improvement.

AbstractWhen teachers at a suburban middle school decided to develop a more inclusive approach to teaching based on the theory of multiple intelligences, researchers observed classes, met with teachers, interviewed students, and gathered achievement test data. This report analyzes two sixth grade teachers' efforts to improve their instruction in language arts and mathematics. Observations and interviews suggest that these teachers put the theory of multiple intelligences into practice in two essential ways: (1) they encouraged students to learn more about their own ways of knowing and (2) they generated a variety of instructional activities. Test data from their 129 students showed gains in achievement. Interview responses from a cluster sample of students revealed positive perceptions of multiple intelligences. Results offered suggestions for continuing efforts to improve instruction at the middle grades level.
Successful correction of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis with related or unrelated bone marrow transplantation

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening disorder of immune regulation leading to widespread lymphocytic and hemophagocytic infiltration of vital organs. Apparent cure has only been achieved with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). This report describes 20 consecutive patients, who underwent either matched sibling donor (n = 4) or unrelated donor (URD; n = 16) BMT. Age at the time of BMT was 0.4 to 5.3 years (median, 0.8 years). Central nervous system disease was present at diagnosis in 13 patients. At BMT, 14 patients were in a clinical remission, whereas 6 patients had active HLH. All patients were engrafted after cytoreduction with busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide. The probability of grade II-III acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) for all patients was 57% (95% confidence limit [CL], 0.28, 0.86), and 73% (95% CL, 0.44, 1.0) in URD patients. The overall probability of survival at 3 years was 45% (95% CL, 0.23, 0.67) and 44% (95% CL, 0.19, 0.68) when URD BMT was evaluated separately. Favorable BMT outcome was associated with clinical remission status at the time of BMT. The preparative regimen was well tolerated, and in the 9 surviving patients it provided durable engraftment and was effective at eradicating the underlying disease.
Deck-model calculation of π − p → π − π + π − p

We formulate and study a Deck-type model for the reaction ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p$. The model differs from previous Deck calculations in two respects: (i) Experimental data are used for both $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ and $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ scattering, and (ii) the amplitude has proper Bose symmetry. Feature (i) allows us to examine any desired region of $3\ensuremath{\pi}$ mass (the ${A}_{3}$ is treated on the same footing as the ${A}_{1}$); features (i) and (ii) allow us to examine all the angular dependence in the final state and to compare with partial-wave analyses of experimental data. In this paper we present the results of a study in which events generated from the model by a Monte Carlo method are plotted and fitted in the same way as experimental events. Many of the features of the data are qualitatively reproduced, including certain important properties obtained from the partial-wave analysis in the ${A}_{1}$ region. The ${A}_{3}$ region is not accurately represented by the model. Results of an analytic partial-wave analysis of this model, and the use of it to check the assumptions of the fitting program, are presented in an associated paper.
Learning to Semantically Classify Email Messages

As a semantic vector space model for information retrieval (IR), Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) employs singular value decomposition (SVD) to transform individual documents into the statistically derived semantic vectors. In this paper a new junk email (spam) filtering model, 2LSI-SF, is proposed and it is based on the augmented category LSI spaces and classifies email messages by their content. The model utilizes the valuable discriminative information in the training data and incorporates several pertinent feature selection and message classification algorithms. The experiments of 2LSI-SF on a benchmark spam testing corpus (PU1) and a newly compiled Chinese spam corpus (ZH1) have been conducted. The results from the experiments and performance comparison with the popular Support Vector Machines (SVM) and naive Bayes classifiers have shown that 2LSI-SF is capable of filtering spam effectively.
Big bedding planes: Outcrop size and spatial heterogeneity influence trace fossil analyses

Abstract Roadcuts, core, cliffs and even mountainside exposures often limit the lateral extent to which we can assess bioturbation on bedding planes, simply because exposures of such surfaces are generally rare or small. Such constraints may hamper paleoenvironmental and paleoecological interpretations drawn from facies where most bioturbation is bed-parallel or patchily distributed. To explore how acute such constraints are, we conducted a pilot study of bioturbation in three exceptionally large (>5 m2), well-exposed, paleoenvironmentally similar bedding planes from the Cambrian of Wisconsin. The goal was to test the hypothesis that trace fossils and biogenic sediment disruption can be distributed heterogeneously at the scale of meters to decameters. Mapping the size variation and distribution of trace fossils across these bedding planes reveals variable patchiness. Individual bioturbated patches tend to be large (m-scale), but the density of biogenic sediment disruption within these patches is quite heterogeneous. In addition, bioturbated areas are separated by zones of undisturbed sediment that vary in size from 3 m2. These observations suggest that ancient bedding planes, like modern substrate surfaces, can exhibit considerable lateral bioturbation heterogeneity at a range of spatial scales. Caution is thus urged when extrapolating the distribution and diversity of trace fossils and other biogenic sedimentary structures across broad sedimentary horizons based on small (≤1 m2) bedding plane exposures.
Holography for automotive applications: from HUD to LIDAR

Holography can offer unique solutions to the specific problems faced by automotive optical systems. Frequently, when possibilities have been exhausted using refractive and refractive designs, diffraction can come to the rescue by opening a new dimension to explore. Holographic optical elements (HOEs), for example, are thin film optics that can advantageously replace lenses, prisms, or mirrors. Head up display (HUD) and LIDAR for autonomous vehicles are two of the systems where our group have used HOEs to provide original answers to the limitations of classical optic. With HUD, HOEs address the problems of the limited field of view, and small eye box usually found in projection systems. Our approach is to recycle the light multiple times inside a waveguide so the combiner can be as large as the entire windshield. In this system, a hologram is used to inject a small image at one end of a waveguide, and another hologram is used to extract the image several times, providing an expanded eye box. In the case of LIDAR systems, non-mechanical beam scanning based on diffractive spatial light modulator (SLM), are only able to achieve an angular range of few degrees. We used multiplexed volume holograms (VH) to amplify the initial diffraction angle from the SLM to achieve up to 4π steradian coverage in a compact form factor.
Backing Up Big Data Using Encryption Techniques

In this paper we demonstrated the efficiency of programming a continuous system and data backup program for a series of linked machines. The utility can be seen in any network of multiple servers servicing a public user base where information specific to the user must be saved separately for each machine. To accomplish this task, we used Cron, Cygwin, and SSH to compile a running code that used to cache the memory of a machine to be saved in a server. It ties into contemporary data analytics such as Big Data analytics in that many gigabits of information must be stored and accessed securely while maintaining efficient discrepancy in the data accessed and saved.
‘She does not flee the house’: A multimodal poetics of space, path and motion in opening statements

This article shows how an attorney’s multimodal narrative transforms an opening statement into an argument about the credibility of the main prosecution witness. The defence attorney integrates speech, gestures and exhibits to shape motion events and spatial images into relevant objects of evidentiary knowledge, creating inconsistencies in the witness’s account under the auspices of merely showing the jury locations and movements in the defendant’s home. We demonstrate how the encoding of motion events percolates in and through a polyrhythmic and multidimensional poetic format to naturalise gender ideologies – cultural expectations governing victim identity – in the social construction of rape’s legal facticity. Click here for example 1 video Click here for example 2 video
Applying measurement standards to evolution education assessment instruments

Over the past 25 years a number of instruments have been published that attempt to measure understanding and acceptance of evolution. Science educators have been administering these instruments and reporting results, however, it is not clear these instruments are being used appropriately. The goal of this paper is to review these instruments, noting the original criteria and population for which evidence of validity and reliability was assessed, and to survey other publications that report their use, examining each for evidence of validity and reliability with subsequent populations. Our hope is that such a comprehensive review will engage researchers and practitioners in a careful examination of how they intend to use a particular instrument and whether it can provide an accurate and meaningful assessment of the desired outcomes. We encourage the community to administer evolution education assessments with the consideration of an instrument’s measurement support and past use with similar populations. We also encourage researchers to add additional evidence of validity and reliability for these instruments, especially if modifications have been made to the instrument or if its use has been extended to new populations.
A changing media landscape: Science, the public and the press: The case of climate change

La reestructuracio en el sector dels mitjans de comunicacio ha eliminat molts llocs de treball de periodistes, retallades que han estat especialment dures en els professionals especialitzats en arees com ara ciencia, tecnologia, economia i afers estrangers. Aixo fa el public cada vegada mes dependent dels nous –i sovint socials– mitjans de comunicacio a l’hora d’obtenir informacio cientifica. El concepte d’«alfabetitzacio cientifica critica» es presenta com una manera de copsar els coneixements necessaris per navegar per les noticies cientifiques en les procel·loses aigu?es dels mitjans de comunicacio. Per be que aquests mateixos coneixements tambe eren necessaris per trobar sentit a la ciencia en els mitjans «tradicionals», els canvis que ara estan fent que s’apaguen tantes veus periodistiques de prestigi es previsible que continuen, cosa que exigira mes esforc de l’audiencia. El cas del canvi climatic il·lustra aquests reptes.