cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The magnetic fabric of surficial deep-sea sediments in the HEBBLE area (Nova Scotian continental rise)

Flood, R.D., Kent, D.V., Shot, A.N. and Hall, F.R., 1985. The magnetic fabric of surficial deep-sea sediments in the HEBBLE area (Nova Scotian continental rise). In: A.R.M. Nowell and C.D. Hollister (Editors), Deep Ocean Sediment Transport -- Preliminary Results of the High Energy Benthic Boundary Layer Experiment. Mar. Geol., 66: 149--167. The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) of surficial sediments in the HEBBLE area (depth 4820 m, Nova Scotian continental rise) has been measured to study the fabric of these sediments and to relate the sediment fabric to depositional conditions. Previous investigators have established that strong but variable bottom currents are important agents in redistributing bottom sediments in the area. We observe that the upper 1.5 cm of the sediments has a primary fabric (dominantly foliar with horizontal bedding) created by bottom-current activity while sediments deeper than 2.5 cm have a predominantly secondary fabric due to bioturbation. The magnitude of the AMS signal in these sediments is generally low making it difficult to measure some of the fabric elements, especially the direction of the lineated fabric. In the upper 1.5 cm magnetic grains are predominantly oriented parallel to the regional bathymetric contours, but there is also a significant grouping of alignments perpendicular to the contours. Primary fabrics are observed in a few of the samples from the bioturbated sediments with the magnetic grains oriented parallel to the contours. Some of the variability observed between box cores in the magnetic fabric may reflect the variability of depositional conditions within the region. An analysis of the magnitude of the AMS fabric suggests that the parameter Fs, often used to denote bottom-current fabrics, is strongly dependent on the total anisotropy and only weakly dependent on the lineated nature of the fabric. Both primary and secondary fabrics can have relatively large F s values. Thus F s does not appear sufficient for delineating bottom current activity in the deep sea.
Thio‐bromo “Click,” post‐polymerization strategy for functionalizing ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP)‐derived materials

The use of a thio-bromo click strategy as an efficient postpolymerization tool is described. Norbornene derivatives bearing an α-bromo ester could be polymerized using Grubbs 2nd generation initiator to provide α-bromo ester-containing homo-and block copolymers that could be efficiently functionalized through reactions with various thiols. A one-pot strategy was also used, in which up to four different thiols were reacted simultaneously. This chemistry could also be used as an efficient cross-linking strategy to form ROMP-based gels as well as a tool for terminal functionalization of polypropylene-based oligomers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 179–185
Dynamic Inter-Enterprise Workflow Management in a Constraint-Based E-Service Infrastructure

This paper presents an infrastructure and a mechanism for achieving dynamic Inter-enterprise workflow management using e-services provided by collaborative e-business enterprises. E-services are distributed services that can be accessed programmatically on the Internet, using SOAP messages and the HTTP protocol. In this work, we categorize e-services according to their business types and manage them in a UDDI-enabled constraint-based Broker Server. E-service requests are specified in the activities of a process model according to some standardized e-service templates and are bound to the proper service providers at run-time by using a constraint-based, dynamic service binding mechanism. The workflow management system is dynamic in the sense that the actual business organizations, which take part in a business process, are not determined until run-time. We have extended the traditional workflow process modeling by including e-service requests in activity specifications and extended the Web Service Description Language (WSDL) by including constraints in both service specifications and service requests so that the selection of e-service providers can be more accurately performed.
Osmotic or Chemical Activation of the TRPV4 Ion Channel Enhances the Development of Chondrocyte-Based Tissue Engineered Cartilage

Dynamic mechanical loading can enhance the formation of engineered cartilage, potentially through secondary biophysical effects such as changes in interstitial osmolarity. This study examined the effects of daily osmotic loading, as well as direct activation of the osmosensitive ion channel TRPV4, on the biochemical and functional properties of chondrocyte-laden cartilage constructs. Osmotic loading, as well as exposure to the TRPV4-specific agonist GSK1016790A, enhanced extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation, and TRPV4 activation enhanced the functional properties of the constructs. This study implicates the Ca++-permeable TRPV4 ion channel in the metabolic response of articular chondrocytes to osmotic and mechanical loading. Furthermore, these results suggest that targeting TRPV4, either directly with channel agonists, or indirectly via osmotic loading, may provide a novel strategy for enhancing tissue engineered cartilage construct maturation.© 2013 ASME
The Knowledge Organization: Cultural Priorities and Workspace Design

General Motors Research and Development (R&D) management is planning to renovate portions of the Warren, Michigan, research facility. The study's goal was to help organizational leaders and planners understand culturally endorsed workspace architecture and design elements. Researchers used a rapid ethnographic assessment research design grounded in cognitive anthropology and methods to capture impressions and cultural requirements for workspace. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge at the intersection of workspace, culture, and user-oriented design by analyzing employee comments and research observations to construct a cultural model of R&D workspace. All model components underscore the cultural values of productivity and pragmatism. The authors examine features associated with the workspace productivity model, behaviors associated with the workspace, and differences in workspace perceptions and behaviors by organizational role. Findings refine the definition of knowledge worker culture and s...
Coordination of oxovanadium(V) in an expanded porphyrin macrocycle

The formation of a dioxovanadium(V) complex of an expanded porphyrin-type Schiff base macrocycle is reported; the tetrapyrrolic ligand undergoes a tautomeric shift which permits a bimodal recognition of the nonspherical cationic guest.
Teaching a topic in psychology with APL: A cognitive information processing model

This paper describes a curriculum unit in which APL is used to introduce a simple information processing model known as “Pandemonium” [1]. It begins by describing the structure of the model; then the corresponding APL representation is given; the curriculum unit is outlined; and, in conclusion, implications for further developments are mentioned.
A Comprehensive Microcomputer-Based Medical Records System With Sophisticated Preventive Services Features For The Family Physician

Background: Computer-based medical records systems improve the provision of preventive services in the offices of family physicians. Until recently, these systems were either not commercially available for use by practicing physicians or were very expensive. Methods: A commercially available, microcomputer-based medical records system is currently used at the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. This system is used as a fully electronic medical record and has sophisticated health maintenance tracking and reminder features. These features track the provision of preventive services, provide physician reminders at the time of patient visits, permit generation of mailed patient reminders, and provide reference to relevant patient education resources. Results and Conclusion: The system described in this paper can be used by practicing physicians to improve their delivery of preventive services.
The Multiple Dimensions of Market-Wide Liquidity:Implications for Asset Pricing

Recent research has suggested that the state of market-wide liquidity varies over time and that the covariance of returns with innovations in a market-wide liquidity state variable is priced. However, liquidity has multiple dimensions which incorporate key elements of volume, time and transaction costs and it is not clear which of these are important to investors. This paper estimates measures of market-wide liquidity along multiple dimensions and finds that each measure's innovations are correlated, that covariance of stock returns and innovations in each measure is priced, and combining the information in each measure improves the precision of estimated liquidity risk premia. I estimate the liquidity risk premium to be approximately 2-6% per year.
How to increase the burden on trauma centers: implement the 80-hour work week.

The 80-hour week was implemented in 2003 to improve outcomes and limit errors. We hypothesize that there has been no change in outcomes postimplementation of the restrictions. Outcomes were queried from the trauma registry from 1997 to 2002 (PRE) and 2004 to 2009 (POST). Primary outcomes were mortality, intensive care unit length of stay (ICU LOS), and length of stay (LOS). Patients were stratified based on demographics, blood pressure, heart rate, and injury severity (Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Score, base deficit). Outcomes were then compared PRE with POST. A total of 41,770 patients were admitted during the study period. The mean age was 38 years with most being male (73%) and blunt mechanism (78%). Although patients admitted in the POST period had a slightly higher blood pressure, they were older and had higher injury severity. ICU LOS, LOS, self-pay, and mortality were higher in the POST period. After adjusted analysis, admission in the POST period was no longer a predictor of mortality (odds ratio, 1.02; confidence interval, 0.92 to 1.14). Whereas patients were more slightly more injured in the POST period, the adjusted analysis shows no difference in mortality and both a longer LOS and ICU LOS. Whether the increase is the result of more severe injury in the POST period or less efficient disposition remains to be elucidated. This study adds to the mounting evidence that the implementation of the limits on work hours does not lead to better outcomes. Language: en
Folic acid conjugase: inhibition by unconjugated dihydroxy bile acids.

SummaryEvidence is presented to show inhibition of guinea pig intestinal mucosa gamma glutamyl carboxypeptidase (conjugase) by dihydroxy bile acids. Cholic acid, a trihydroxy acid, shows minimal inhibition at physiologic levels, while chenodeoxycholic and deoxycholic acids show striking inhibition.
Eigenset Generalizations of the Eigenvalue Concept.

For an n-by-n complex matrix A some generalizations of the eigenvalue-eigenvector equation Ax=λx, 0≠x∈Cn are investigated. These take the form AS=λS or AS⊆λS where S is a suhset of C n about which various assumptions are made. For example, it is shown that there exists a finite set S ⊂ Cn , the sum of whose elements is not 0, such that AS = λS, if and only if λ is an eigenvalue of A in the usual sense. The requirement that the sum of the elements of S is not 0 should he viewed as a natural analog of the requirement x ≠ 0 in the classical eigenvalue-eigenvector equation.
Diurnal Behavior of Eriborus terebrans (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

Unmated pairs of Eriborus terebrans (Gravenhorst), a parasitoid of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), were confined in flight cages provisioned with food, water, and corn plants infested with O. nubilalis . Individuals were observed hourly from before sunrise until after sunset for 3 d to assess diurnal patterns of behavior. Observed behaviors were assigned to 13 categories including resting, preening, walking, flying, feeding and drinking, mating, host searching, and ovipositing. Resting and preening accounted for the majority of observations. Drinking and feeding occupied only a small proportion of the total as did host searching and ovipositing. E. terebrans followed consistent daily patterns of activity. Before sunrise, wasps were quiescent and exhibited a characteristic body and antenna posture (inactive rest). For both males and females, walking and flying peaked between 0900 and 1100 hours eastern standard time. Host search by females peaked at 0900 hours. During the afternoon, both male and female activity declined. Inactive rest reached a high at 1300 hours, decreased somewhat until 1500 or 1600 hours, then increased as all wasps returned to inactive rest by sunset. Wasps were significantly more active on hotter than on cooler afternoons.
Gas-phase experiments on Au(III) photochemistry.

Irradiation of AuCl4− and AuCl2(OH)2− in the gas-phase using ultraviolet light (220−415 nm) leads to their dissociation. Observed fragment ions for AuCl4− are AuCl3− and AuCl2− and for AuCl2(OH)2− are AuCl2− and AuClOH−. All fragment channels correspond to photoreduction of the gold atom to either Au(II) or Au(I) depending on the number of neutral ligands lost. Fragment branching ratios of AuCl4− are observed to be highly energy dependent and can be explained by comparison of the experimental data to calculated threshold energies obtained using density functional theory. The main observed spectral features are attributed to ligand-to-metal charge transfer transitions. These results are discussed in the context of the molecular-level mechanisms of Au(III) photochemistry.
Develop an piezoelectric sensing based on SHM system for nuclear dry storage system

In US, there are over 1482 dry cask storage system (DCSS) in use storing 57,807 fuel assemblies. Monitoring is necessary to determine and predict the degradation state of the systems and structures. Therefore, nondestructive monitoring is in urgent need and must be integrated into the fuel cycle to quantify the “state of health” for the safe operation of nuclear power plants (NPP) and radioactive waste storage systems (RWSS). Innovative approaches are desired to evaluate the degradation and damage of used fuel containers under extended storage. Structural health monitoring (SHM) is an emerging technology that uses in-situ sensory system to perform rapid nondestructive detection of structural damage as well as long-term integrity monitoring. It has been extensively studied in aerospace engineering over the past two decades. This paper presents the development of a SHM and damage detection methodology based on piezoelectric sensors technologies for steel canisters in nuclear dry cask storage system. Durability and survivability of piezoelectric sensors under temperature influence are first investigated in this work by evaluating sensor capacitance and electromechanical admittance. Toward damage detection, the PES are configured in pitch catch setup to transmit and receive guided waves in plate-like structures. When the inspected structure has damage such as a surface defect, the incident guided waves will be reflected or scattered resulting in changes in the wave measurements. Sparse array algorithm is developed and implemented using multiple sensors to image the structure. The sparse array algorithm is also evaluated at elevated temperature.
Using monoclonal antibodies in bromodeoxyuridine-DNA analysis.

Publisher Summary The utility of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) as a marker for cell cycle traverse studies has been substantially increased by the introduction of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against BrdUrd incorporated into cellular DNA. These antibodies are useful as immunological reagents to stain cells containing BrdUrd fluorescently so that the intensity of fluorescence is proportional to the amount of incorporated BrdUrd. The intensity of fluorescence is great enough to permit easy microscopic or flow cytometric (FCM) analysis of BrdUrd incorporation. The cytokinetic utility of the BrdUrd labeling has been further increased by the technique of simultaneous measurement of DNA content and the amount of incorporated BrdUrd. The BrdUrd–DNA assay is based on a procedure for simultaneously staining cells with dyes that fluoresce at different wavelengths. The procedure requires that the DNA is partially denatured to expose incorporated BrdUrd to a specific antibody. Denaturation is necessary because antibodies developed so far bind only to BrdUrd in single-stranded DNA. Green fluorescence from the fluorescein-conjugated antibody is a measure of BrdUrd incorporation.
Undocumented Immigrants in the 21st Century: Perceptions of Spatial Legitimacy

Geographers have addressed various aspects of migration for at least a century. They have typically focused on immigrant settlement patterns, adaptation, and acculturation. However, as the “face” of the American immigrant has changed dramatically since the 1960s, geography has been slow to provide more nuanced and theoretical assessments of the issues specific to these contemporary immigrants. Because of the recent increase in the number of undocumented immigrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, and potential immigrants (those entering on nonimmigrant visas who may later opt to immigrate), and because today’s immigrants are far more ethnically and racially diverse than their predecessors, the contemporary period creates a far more challenging scenario.
Abstract 14088: Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease Is Associated With Increased LGE-MRI Quantified Atrial Fibrosis in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is independently associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes as well as a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF). We sought to examine the correlation of CKD with atrial fibrosis assessed using late gadolinium-enhancement MRI (LGE-MRI). Methods: Four hundred and ninety six patients with AF, presenting for catheter ablation at the University of Utah were included in this study. All patients underwent LGE-MRI prior to catheter ablation of AF. Left atrial fibrosis (LA) was quantified using the Coreview software and was reported as a proportion of the LA wall volume. Creatinine clearance (CrCl) was calculated using the Cockroft-Gault equation. Patients were classified into CKD class I if their CrCl≥90, CKD class 2 if 60 Results: The average CrCl was 94.1±40.4% for the entire cohort. 235 patients (47.7%) fell into CKD class 1, followed by CKD class 2 (172 patients, 34.9%); CKD class 3 (83 patients, 16.8%) and CKD class 4 (3 patients, 0.6%). No patients in this cohort had CKD stage 5 as this constituted a contraindication to gadolinium contrast administration. The mean LA fibrosis of the cohort was 16.2±10.7%. The mean LA fibrosis was comparable in CKD stages 1 and 2 (15.6±10.5% vs 15.5±10.3%, p=0.95). Compared to CKD class 1 and 2, LA fibrosis was significantly higher in CKD stage 3 (18.6±11.6%; p=0.03), and CKD stage 4 (25.2±13.2%; p=0.03) (figure). Atrial fibrosis was the strongest predictor of AF recurrence post ablation (HR 1.05 per % increase, p Conclusions: Advanced stages of chronic kidney disease are associated with a significantly increased burden of left atrial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation. This finding has potential management implications of the arrhythmia in this subgroup.
The Shakti of Senior Women (60 Years of Age and Older)

Focusing on senior women allows us to unmask age differences between women as citizens in South Asia. In this chapter, I focus on how women of 60 years and above create alternative power positions to navigate social, political, cultural, and economic changes.
Psychosocial Aspects of Cancer for Children and their Families

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights potential challenges at each stage of the illness, reviews common psychosocial reactions and provides suggestions for building on child and family strengths, fostering adjustment and achieving the best possible quality of life for the child and family facing childhood cancer. The oncologist should provide hope and optimism unless the medical condition dictates otherwise. Healthcare professionals have come to recognize the psychosocial complexity of delivering care to the child and family facing cancer. The diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer is extremely stressful and frightening for families. As with any life-threatening illness, childhood cancers interfere with the normal developmental milestones of childhood and adolescence and the ability of families to function effectively. Understanding common reactions of children and families at various stages of the illness helps the practitioner to communicate more effectively about the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis and to support the family throughout the process. While no single professional can meet a family's needs completely, collaborative and multidisciplinary healthcare team efforts can help family members enhance adaptive coping skills and mobilize their support systems to effectively engage in medical care.
Nothing Stands Still

To cross-cultural borders in research is a slippery and complicated endeavor, and good intentions, though essential, are not enough to help researchers make those crossings with respect for those they research and with their own integrity intact. With diversity now a world-wide reality, cross-cultural research has become an endeavor for most of those who research in social settings. Though cross-cultural research has different meanings in different disciplines, it is hoped that this book will benefit any researcher who crosses into another culture to pose questions, formulate hypotheses, accrue new knowledge, or, even better, collaborate with those of a different culture to solve problems.
Growth Suppression with Acetazolamide

The effect of acetazolamide on growth of children with epilepsy was evaluated at Osaka Medical Center, Japan.
A Streaming Intrusion Monitoring and Classification System for IaaS Cloud

To secure IaaS cloud environments, multiple layers of security mechanisms must be deployed and monitored. When a threat is detected, it must be appropriately acted upon. A common problem with monitoring such approaches is the sheer volume of alarms generated. Some alerts may be false positives, others are informational. It is challenging for cloud providers to quickly interpret which events to act upon and the priority of events. Another challenge is the dynamic nature of cloud environments. Tenant instances and security sensors may come and go. Systems that depend on the existence of a particular sensor are less effective in IaaS environments. Our work supports a defense in depth approach by leveraging multiple distributed intrusion detection and security system sensors in an IaaS cloud computing environment. We propose and demonstrate a streaming cloud intrusion monitoring and classification system (SCIMCS) to assist cloud providers with multiple security systems by filtering noisy alert messages and classifying previously recognized attacks. Our approach consists of three steps: Summarize and Score, Detect Anomalies, and Classify Attacks. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework in an IaaS cloud environment running Eucalyptus where we execute real attacks with a total alert reduction of 95.9 percent and a zero miss rate for problematic alarms. In addition, we demonstrate a 100 percent classification rate for trained attacks.
OpenACC 2.5 Validation Testsuite Targeting Multiple Architectures

Heterogeneous computing has emerged as a promising fit for scientific domains such as molecular dynamics simulations, bioinformatics, weather prediction. Such a computing paradigm includes x86 processors coupled with GPUs, FPGAs, DSPs or a coprocessor paradigm that takes advantage of all the cores and caches on a single die such as the Knights Landing. OpenACC, a high-level directive-based parallel programming model has emerged as a programming paradigm that can tackle the intensity of heterogeneity in architectures. Data-driven large scientific codes are increasingly using OpenACC, which makes it essential to analyze the accuracy of OpenACC compilers while they port code to various types of platforms. In response, we have been creating a validation suite to validate and verify the implementations of OpenACC features in conformance with the specification. The validation suite also provides a tool to compiler developers as a standard for the compiler to be tested against and to users and compiler developers alike in clarifying the OpenACC specification. This testsuite has been integrated into the harness infrastructure of the TITAN and Summitdev systems at Oak Ridge National Lab and is being used for production.
Particle Simulations of the Effects of Atomic Oxygen on Ion Thruster Plumes

Ion thruster plumes interacting with ambient atomic oxygen are simulated using direct simulation Monte Carlo/particle-in-cell code with automatic mesh refinement/octree grids. Because of the dispar...
Teaching Pre-service Early Childhood Educators About Health and Wellness Through Educational Movement

Teaching pre-service early childhood educators about educational movement through the concepts of health and wellness is imperative to creating a strong student body, both physically and cognitively. A plethora of research has been published stating the benefits of physical activity to a child’s physical, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing. Current recommendations call for children to be physically active for at least 60 min each day and it is widely recognized that in order to achieve this, educators need to play a part.
Prices for Physicians’ Services in Medicare Advantage and Commercial Plans:

The prices that insurers pay physicians ultimately affect beneficiaries' health insurance premiums. Using 2014 claims data from three major insurers, we analyzed the prices insurers paid in their Medicare Advantage (MA) and commercial plans for 20 physician services, in and out of network, and compared those prices with estimated amounts that Medicare's fee-for-service (FFS) program would pay for the same service. MA prices paid by those insurers were close to Medicare FFS prices, varied minimally, and were similar in and out of network. In contrast, commercial prices paid by the same insurers were substantially higher than FFS, varied widely, and were up to three times higher out of network than in network. Those results suggest that insurers can use statutory limits on out-of-network charges in MA to negotiate lower in-network prices in those plans. In contrast, without those limits on out-of-network prices, in-network prices in commercial plans are much higher.
Constrained and Continuously Pumped Chemical Systems with Emphasis on Conditions for Bistability

This Conference is the second in three years at the Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal. The first was titled “Loin de l’Equilibre” and the second “Phenomenes non-lineares”. These excellent titles designate the major areas of theory as chemists attempt to develop general procedures for treating that most difficult of subjects — the living organism as a chemical system. We may get some guideposts for that attempt by looking briefly at the evolution of some of our ideas for treating simpler chemical systems.
Safety of 5α-reductase inhibitors and spironolactone in breast cancer patients receiving endocrine therapies

To provide dermatologists and oncologists with a foundation for practical understanding and uses of 5α-reductase inhibitors and spironolactone for breast cancer patients and survivors receiving endocrine therapies (ETs), including the effect of these treatments on sex hormone levels, any reported drug interactions, and any risk of malignancy. All published studies from January 1978 through April 2018 were considered, using databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. Forty-seven studies were included in this review. There is no evidence of interactions between 5α-reductase inhibitors and spironolactone with ETs used in breast cancer. Sex hormone alteration with 5α-reductase inhibitor or spironolactone use is variable. Three randomized controlled trials, 1 case–control study, and 6 retrospective cohort studies, including 284 female patients, studied the effects of 5α-reductase inhibitors on serum estrogen levels. Levels were increased in 97 of 284 (34%) patients, decreased in 15 of 284 (5.3%) patients, and unchanged in 162 of 284 (57%) patients. Four retrospective cohort studies, 1 case study, and 1 double-blinded crossover study, including 95 female patients, assessed the effect of spironolactone on estrogen levels. Levels were increased in 25 of 95 (26%) patients, decreased in 6 of 95 (6.3%) patients, and unchanged in 64 of 95 (67%) patients. Ultimately, most patients did not have a significant alteration in the level of estrogen when using 5α-reductase inhibitors or spironolactone. No consistent evidence of increased risk of female breast cancer while on spironolactone was reported in 3 studies including 49,298 patients; the risk of breast cancer with the use of 5α-reductase inhibitors has not been studied. Most patients did not show increased estrogen levels with spironolactone and there were no data suggesting increased risk of breast cancer. Based on hormonal and pharmacological activity, spironolactone may be considered for further research on alopecia and hirsutism in breast cancer patients.
Surgical Treatment with Thoracic Pedicle Screw Fixation of Vertebral Osteomyelitis with Long-Term Follow-up

Background While recent data has demonstrated the utility of lumbar pedicle screws for the treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis, the data are limited for thoracic pedicle screws. Objective To investigate the effectiveness of thoracic pedicle screws for the surgical treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis. Methods A retrospective review of all operations performed by 2 spinal neurosurgeons from 1999 to 2012 yielded 30 cases of vertebral osteomyelitis that were treated with thoracic pedicle screws. Sixteen (53%) of which underwent combined anterior and posterior fusion and 14 patients (47%) underwent standalone posterior fusion. Postoperative records were analyzed for pertinent clinical, laboratory, and radiographic data. Results Of the 30 patients, 21 were males (70%), 8 were females (27%), and 1 was transsexual (3%). The mean age was 47 yr (range 18-69). The most common organism cultured was Staphylococcus aureus in 12 cases (50%). The mean patient stay in the hospital was 12.4 d after surgery (range 5-38 d). The mean antibiotic duration after discharge was 8 wk (range 1-24 wk). Of the 25 patients with long-term follow-up (mean, 49 mo), 92% had improved back pain (6/25 marked improvement, 17/25 complete resolution), 83% had improved muscle weakness (8/18 marked improvement, 7/18 complete resolution), and 100% had improved urinary incontinence (3/8 marked improvement, 5/8 complete resolution). Two patients (7%) required additional surgical revision due to instrumentation failure or wound infection. Conclusion This study demonstrates the efficacy of utilizing thoracic pedicle screws as a primary intervention to treat vertebral osteomyelitis.
Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin impairs corneal epithelial wound healing and promotes intracellular bacterial invasion

Abstract Colonization by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) has been implicated in many infectious and wound healing disorders. This study was performed to characterize the pathogenic role of S. aureus alpha-hemolysin (alpha-toxin) in corneal epithelial wound healing and infectious keratitis in the setting of a corneal wound. The effect of wild-type and isogenic Hla mutant (α-hemolysin gene deleted) S. aureus bacteria and conditioned media on corneal epithelial wound healing was tested in vitro using a scratch assay and in vivo using a murine epithelial debridement model. The invasiveness of wild-type and Hla mutant S. aureus was evaluated in vitro in human corneal epithelial cells and in vivo in a murine model of infectious keratitis following total epithelial debridement. S. aureus and its conditioned media significantly delayed epithelial wound closure both in vitro (P
Dark Matter and enhanced h → γγ rate from vector-like Leptons

In this paper, we study an extension of the standard model with a vector-like generation of leptons. This model provides a viable dark matter candidate and a possibility to enhance the Higgs decay rate into a pair of photons. We evaluate constraints from electroweak precision tests and from vacuum stability, and find that the latter provide an upper limit on the lepton Yukawa couplings. A large enhancement of the Higgs di-photon rate can therefore only be obtained when the mass of the lightest charged lepton is close to the LEP limit. The relic density constraint suggests a co-annihilation scenario with a small mass difference between the lightest charged and neutral leptons, which also weakens the LEP limit on the lightest charged lepton mass and allows for larger Higgs di-photon decay rates. Cross sections for direct detection of the dark matter candidate are calculated, and prospects for detecting the new particles at the LHC are discussed briefly.
Associations Between Exposure and Receptivity to Branded Cigarette Advertising and Subsequent Brand Preference Among US Young Adults.

Introduction Exposure and receptivity to cigarette advertising are well-established predictors of cigarette use overall. However, less is known about whether exposure and receptivity to advertising for specific brands of cigarettes (ie, Marlboro, Camel, and Newport) are longitudinally associated with any subsequent cigarette use and subsequent use of those specific brands. Methods We analyzed data from a US sample of 7325 young adults aged 18-24 years who completed both Wave 1 and Wave 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study. Weighted logistic regression models were used to examine (1) among Wave 1 never-smokers, associations between Wave 1 exposure and receptivity to advertising for Marlboro, Camel, and Newport and subsequent overall and brand-specific smoking initiation at Wave 2, and (2) among Wave 1 ever-smokers, associations between Wave 1 exposure and receptivity to advertising for Marlboro, Camel, and Newport and subsequent preference of those brands at Wave 2. Results Among Wave 1 young-adult never-smokers, exposure to Camel advertising, but not Marlboro or Newport, was associated with smoking initiation with any brand of cigarettes at Wave 2. Among Wave 1 young-adult ever-smokers, receptivity to Marlboro, Camel, and Newport advertising was associated with subsequent preference for each brand, respectively, at Wave 2. Conclusions This study found evidence for the association between receptivity to branded cigarette marketing and subsequent use of that brand. These findings provide evidence regarding the pathways through which cigarette marketing attracts young adults to use cigarettes and can inform tobacco prevention and counter-marketing efforts. Implications This study extends prior work on the effects of cigarette advertising exposure and receptivity by illustrating the brand specificity of this advertising. These findings provide evidence that receptivity to branded cigarette advertising is longitudinally associated with preference for those specific cigarette brands.
Learning Gaps and Family Experience, Nurse-Facilitated Home Parenteral Nutrition Simulation-Based Discharge Training: Proof-of-Concept Study

Background Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is a life-sustaining therapy for children and adults suffering with severe digestive diseases, yet complications are commonplace, and predischarge trainings are variable. High-fidelity simulation training provides participants with an immersive experience using realistic equipment, supplies, and scenarios. Simulation training is rapidly becoming a potential gold standard for healthcare but is currently underutilized for families and caregivers. Methods We prospectively collected data on pediatric patients managed at a single HPN program from September 1, 2016, to September 30, 2018. Participants in a pilot simulation-based training program (orientation, high-fidelity mannequin, realistic homelike space, standardized clinical scenarios, and structured debriefing) were compared with historical controls. We excluded patients with short-term HPN use and strictly palliative goals of care. Results Nineteen (90%) families participated in the pilot initiative with a median (interquartile range) age of 0.9 (3.7) years and diagnosis of short-bowel syndrome in 14 (74%). During teaching scenarios, learning gaps were identified for aseptic needleless changes (53%), HPN equipment setup (84%) with specific difficulty adding multivitamin (32%), and dressing changes (63%). Thirty-day readmission rates in simulation-based training group vs historical cases were 42% vs 63% (P = not significant). There was no difference in length of stay between groups. All (100%) simulation-based training group participants would recommend this learning experience to others. Conclusion HPN discharge training is a novel use for high-fidelity simulation to address family/caregiver satisfaction and to identify learning gaps. Further studies are needed to refine predischarge training materials and examine the impact on postdischarge outcomes.
Recent developments in the theory of nonlinear Scalar first and second order partial differential equations

In this note we review some recent applications of the notion of viscosity solution of first and second order scalar nonlinear partial differential equations of the form $$ F\left( {y,u,Du} \right) = 0in\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^M $$ (1.1) and $$ F\left( {y,y,Du,D^2 u} \right) = 0in\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^M $$ (1.2) Here Ω is an open subset of ℝM, F and u are continuous functions of their arguments and Du, D2u denote the first and second derivatives of u respectively.
Final Remarks and Open Problems

In this monograph, we first consider a semilinear fractional kinetic equation that is characterized by the presence of a nonlinear time-dependent source \(f=f\left ( x,t,u\right ) \), a generalized time derivative \(\partial _{t}^{\alpha }\) in the sense of Caputo and the presence of a large class of diffusion operators A.
Phase Measurements of a 140 GHz Confocal Gyro-Amplifier

The phase stability of a 140 GHz, 1 kW pulsed gyro-amplifier system and its dependence on the cathode voltage were experimentally measured. The phase was determined to be stable both pulse-to-pulse and during each pulse. The phase shift with voltage was measured and found to be $\sim 130^{\circ}/$ kV, in agreement with simulated results.
Detection of massive forming galaxies at redshifts z>l

THE complex problem of when and how galaxies formed has only recently become susceptible to direct attack. It has been known for some time that the excess of blue galaxies counted at faint magnitudes1a¤-5 implies that a considerable fraction of the massive-star formation in the Universe occurred at redshift z 1, we show here that in fact these forming galaxies are present in substantial numbers at B≈24, and that the era from redshifts 1 to 2 was clearly an important period of galaxy formation.
The False Promises of Biogas: Why Biogas Is an Environmental Justice Issue

Years of community-driven research and participatory action have shed an important light on the copious negative health issues burdening communities adjacent to industrial agriculture. Rural commun...
Exploration of serum cardiac troponin I as a biomarker of cardiomyopathy in southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis).

OBJECTIVE To compare serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations between sea otters with and without cardiomyopathy and describe 2 cases of cardiomyopathy with different etiologies. ANIMALS 25 f...
Restricted nucleation and piRNA-mediated establishment of heterochromatin during embryogenesis in Drosophila miranda

Heterochromatin is a key architectural feature of eukaryotic genomes, crucial for silencing of repetitive elements and maintaining genome stability. Heterochromatin shows stereotypical enrichment patterns around centromeres and repetitive sequences, but the molecular details of how heterochromatin is established during embryogenesis are poorly understood. Here, we map the genome-wide distribution of H3K9me3-dependent heterochromatin in individual embryos of D. miranda at precisely staged developmental time points. We find that canonical H3K9me3 enrichment patterns are established early on before cellularization, and mature into stable and broad heterochromatin domains through development. Intriguingly, initial nucleation sites of H3K9me3 enrichment appear as early as embryonic stage3 (nuclear cycle 9) over transposable elements (TE) and progressively broaden, consistent with spreading to neighboring nucleosomes. The earliest nucleation sites are limited to specific regions of a small number of TE families and often appear over promoter regions, while late nucleation develops broadly across most TEs. Early nucleating TEs are highly targeted by maternal piRNAs and show early zygotic transcription, consistent with a model of co-transcriptional silencing of TEs by small RNAs. Interestingly, truncated TE insertions lacking nucleation sites show significantly reduced enrichment across development, suggesting that the underlying sequences play an important role in recruiting histone methyltransferases for heterochromatin establishment.
Political geography debates no. 3: On the significance of 1492

Abstract Before 1492, development in the Eastern Hemisphere was proceeding evenly; at the continental scale, Europe had no advantage over Africa and Asia as to level, rate, or direction of development. The selective rise of Europe began after 1492 and resulted, primordially, from the capital accumulated in colonial activities, mainly in the Americas. The argument concerning evenness of development before 1492 has been put forward by the author in prior publications and is summarized and elaborated in this essay. The proposition that colonialism explains the unique development of Europe and the centration of capitalism in Europe, and the subsidiary proposition that the beginnings of colonialism in 1492 resulted from locational factors, not from any special qualities within European society, are the main arguments of the essay.
Fluoresceinated peanut agglutinin (PNA) is a marker for live O(2) sensing glomus cells in rat carotid body.

Experiments using live dissociated carotid body (CB) cells for patch clamping, [Ca++]i or other measurements require positive identification of the cell being recorded. At present, cell morphology is usually employed, but several cell types within the carotid body evidence similar morphologic characteristics. Therefore, we sought to develop a method utilizing a vital dye to identify glomus cells before and during experiments that require live cells, such as patch clamp studies. It was previously reported that the binding sites for peanut agglutinin (PNA) were highly expressed by all neuroendocrine-derivatives of the sympathoadrenal neural crest, including glomus cells, small, intensely fluorescent cells, PC-12 cells, and adrenal chromaffin cells in situ (katz et al. 1995). By utilizing the binding characteristics of galactose-specific lectin peanut agglutinin (PNA) on the outer cell membrane, we tested the possibility that the fluoresceinated PNA may preferentially bind to CB glomus cells. The results to date show: (1) Rhodamine tagged PNA (Rhod-PNA) binds to the live dissociated glomus cells in less than one hour incubation and can be visualized in superfused cells; (2) Rhod-PNA labeled cells are perfectly matched with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive glomus cells; (3) Rhod-PNA did not interfere with Fura-2 for Ca++ imaging; (4) Rhod-PNA bound to glomus cells in [Ca++]i studies does not affect O2 response of glomus cells. Thus fluoresceinated PNA may be a useful marker for live CB glomus studies, without adversely affecting their physiologic response.
Liver Protein Synthesis after Partial Hepatectomy and Acute Stress

Abstract Partial hepatectomy and acute stress (intraperitoneal injection of Celite) cause increases in the rates of synthesis of serum albumin and fibrinogen, proteins that are formed mainly or entirely by the liver. The rises in protein synthesis after removal of part of the liver differ kinetically from those after acute stress. In addition, only the response to partial hepatectomy is independent of the adrenal glands. Both responses seem to be related to an increase in the ability of liver polyribosomes to form protein.
Feedback control methodologies for nonlinear systems

A number of computational methods have been proposed in the literature to design and synthesize feedback controls when the plant is modeled by nonlinear dynamics. However, it is not immediately clear which is the best method for a given problem; this may depend on the nature of the nonlinearities, size of the system, whether the amount of control used or time needed for the method is a concern, and other factors. In this paper, a comprehensive comparison study of five methods for the synthesis of nonlinear control systems is carried out. The performance of the methods on several test problems are studied, and some recommendations are made as to which feedback control method is best to use under various conditions.
Sensor Beams, Obstacles, and Possible Paths

This paper introduces a problem in which an agent (robot, human, or animal) travels among obstacles and binary detection beams. The task is to determine the possible agent path based only on the binary sensor data. This is a basic filtering problem encountered in many settings, which may arise from physical sensor beams or virtual beams that are derived from other sensing modalities. Methods are given for three alternative representations: 1) the possible sequences of regions visited, 2) path descriptions up to homotopy class, and 3) numbers of times winding around obstacles. The solutions are adapted to the minimal sensing setting; therefore, precise estimation, distances, and coordinates are replaced by topological expressions. Applications include sensor-based forensics, assisted living, security, and environmental monitoring.
On birational morphisms between pencils of Del Pezzo surfaces

Let X/S and X′/S′ be two Del Pezzo fibrations of degrees d, d′ respectively. Assume that X and X′ differ by a flop. Then we prove that d = d′ and give a short list of values of other basic numerical invariants of X and X′.
Amino acid sequence of rabbit skeletal muscle myosin. 50-kDa fragment of the heavy chain

The amino acid sequence of the 50-kDa fragment that is released by limited tryptic digestion of the head portion of rabbit skeletal muscle myosin was determined by analysis and alignment of sets of peptides generated by digestion of the fragment at arginine or methionine residues. This fragment contains residues 205-636 of the myosin heavy chain; among the residues of particular interest in this fragment are N epsilon-trimethyllysine, one of four methyl-amino acids in myosin, and Ser-324, which is photoaffinity labeled by an ATP analogue (Mahmood, R., Elzinga, M., and Yount, R. G. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 3989-3995). Combination of this sequence with those of the 23- and 20-kDa fragments yields an 809-residue sequence that constitutes most of the heavy chain of chymotryptic S-1 of this myosin.