cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the petroleum technology-based dry soil barrier

Many contaminated subsurface sites cannot be economically decontaminated due to the limitations in the existing technology. The most viable approach in such cases is to prevent further spread of contamination. Therefore, in parallel to remediation efforts, innovative technologies are needed to retard or prevent the advancement of contamination plumes into the environment. This paper aims at investigating the feasibility of an innovative approach for preventing the movement of liquid contaminants toward groundwater using commercially available oil and gas technology and equipment. The concept involves using either vertical or horizontal wells for dry air circulation through a targeted subsurface layer to lower, by evaporation, and then maintain the water saturation well below the minimum saturation required for flow of liquids. Drying increases the liquid storage capacity of the soil layer and therefore, the soil will tend to retain rather than transmit the liquids. Dry soil barrier (DSB) provides a nonphysical confinement, active monitoring and leak detection, and high potential for integration with other remediation technologies. However, it would greatly benefit from proof of concept to gain acceptance. An experimental study was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of the soil-drying concept. Several issues including the influence of the soil characteristics on drying profile and liquid retention have been investigated. The results have provided the knowledge base for soil drying processes and fluid infiltration in porous media. The experimental results indicated that dry soil has a significant potential as barrier.
Risk-taking behavior in adolescents: the paradigm.

The majority of adolescents emerge from the second decade of life relatively unscathed by serious social, psychological, or physical disability. I4 Risk behaviors are largely responsible for the negative health outcomes among the remaining significant minority of adolescents. The primary immediate threats to adolescent health are preventable behaviors such as substance use, dangerous vehicle use, and sexual behavior. Unhealthy eating behaviors have generally not been considered under the risk construct; however, there are many similarities between the traditional behaviors classified as risky and eating behaviors. These behaviors have a developmental trajectory as well. Typically, they increase in prevalence over the adolescent years,5 with rates of substance use, unhealthy eating behaviors, and injury-related behaviors peaking in late adolescents and declining in young adulthood.Gs These potentially healthdamaging behaviors, established during adolescence, often have lasting deleterious effects throughout the life span. There is considerable debate about whether these behaviors are risk-taking behaviors or just risky behaviors with negative health outcomes. A critical question continues to be debated: Does the risky nature of the behaviors initiated during adolescence in conjunction with their volitional nature imply that there is a conceptual link among the behaviors? A number of investigators and theorists argue that adolescent risk taking is a valid construct, although they disagree about its conceptual basis. Since the focus of these proceedings is Adolescent Nutritional Disorders, whenever possible the issues specifically related to eating and the associated behaviors will be highlighted. It is hard to pinpoint an absolute reason why adolescents are at increased risk for risky behavior and the associated negative nutritional outcomes. As with all health problems, there is a complex relationship among the host, the agent, and the environment that are associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors. This paper reviews the theoretical constructs that provide a framework for under-
Theory of Spin-polarized Current and Spin-transfer Torque in Magnetic Multilayers

An introduction to the theory of quantized spin-polarized electron transport perpendicular to the plane of a magnetic multilayer with noncollinear magnetization vectors. The dependence of resistance and current-driven torque on relative angle between two magnetic moments of a multilayer pillar are derived. Spacers of both metallic and insulating tunnel-barrier types are considered. The classical Landau–Lifshitz equation describes the dynamics of the magnetization created by spin-transfer torque. Keywords: torque; multilayer; polar; current; spin-transfer; pillar; metallic; tunneling; non-collinear; resistance; torkance; elastic; inelastic; signature; transport; conductance; spacer; switch; reversal; precession; polarization
Dynamically modeling fault step overs using various friction laws

It is well known that fault step overs can under some circumstances allow through-going rupture and under other circumstances cause rupture to terminate. However, the effects of different friction law formulations on jumping rupture have not been extensively explored. In this study we use the 2-D dynamic finite element method to investigate how different frictional parameterizations affect the ability of rupture to jump a step over, in both extensional and compressional settings. We compare linear slip-weakening friction and three forms of rate- and state-dependent friction: the aging law, slip law, and slip law with strong rate weakening. We have found that for friction parameterizations with the same effective slip-weakening distance, the functional forms of such friction laws can have a significant effect on maximum jump distance. With friction laws scaled to have equivalent fracture energies, we find that the functional forms of such friction laws have a second-order effect on jumping rupture. Finally, with our specific parameterizations we find that delays in rupture across the step over systems can lead to a previously unseen mode of supershear transition once the rupture renucleates on the secondary fault segment, even if the initial stress field precludes such a transition. Studies using multiple friction laws in complex geometries such as fault step overs can lead to better understanding of the dependence of rupture properties on the type of friction law utilized in models and statistical analysis.
Recent steroid therapy increases severity of varicella infections in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Objective. The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) continues to be a dangerous pathogen to immunocompromised children. Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are treated with intermittent steroid therapy. This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between steroid therapy for ALL and severity of varicella infection. Methods. We performed a retrospective review of patients who were on Pediatric Oncology Group Protocol 9201 and had a history of varicella infection. Pediatric Oncology Group 9201 is a phase III study for the treatment of children with lesser risk ALL diagnosed between 1992 and 1999. Cases of varicella were coded 1 to 5 on the basis of severity: grade 1 caused minimal to no symptoms, grade 2 caused mild to moderate symptoms that did not require hospitalization, grade 3 caused symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization and intravenous acyclovir, grade 4 caused severe disease that had complications or that required intensive care, and grade 5 resulted in death. Results. Of 697 enrolled patients, 110 (15.8%) developed primary varicella; 59% of these were male. For analysis, disease grade was dichotomized into nonsevere (grades 1 and 2) and severe (grades 3, 4, and 5). Of the 110 patients, 56 had nonsevere disease; 54 had severe disease, including 2 deaths. Of the patients whose varicella was diagnosed within 3 weeks of receipt of prednisone, 70% had severe infection, whereas only 44% of those who had not received prednisone within 3 weeks had severe infection. The odds ratio for having a severe infection within 3 weeks of prednisone versus >3 weeks is 2.9 (95% confidence interval: 1.1–7.9). By multivariate analysis, older age at ALL diagnosis, years from ALL diagnosis to VZV diagnosis, and VZV diagnosis within the 4-week period of interest (during or within 3 weeks of prednisone therapy) all were independently associated with an increased risk for severe infection. Conclusions. This study represents the largest study to date of varicella in children with ALL and provides convincing evidence that prednisone therapy during the VZV incubation period significantly increases the risk for developing severe varicella infection. In addition, older age is associated with more severe infection. Despite the varicella vaccine and a dropping incidence of primary infections, VZV remains a dangerous pathogen for pediatric patients with ALL. With the possible exception of induction therapy, patients who are on ALL therapy and are exposed to varicella should have steroid therapy delayed until after the VZV incubation period. These findings may have implications for other diseases that are treated with corticosteroids.
Sequential steps in axonal targeting are mediated by carbohydrate markers

Mannose and hybrid/complex-type oligosaccharides serve as markers for both the full set of peripheral sensory afferent neurons in the leech and also for disjoint subsets of these neurons. We have shown that these various surface carbohydrates play crucial roles in the multistep process by which afferents meet their synaptic parterns in the central nervous system (CNS). The carbohydrate marker common to all these afferents allows their projections (which are fasciculated as they enter the CNS) to disperse and search out target regions. Carbohydrate markers specific for subsets of these afferents subsequently allow each subset to consolidate the position of its projections in appropriate regions of the CNS where it contacts its synaptic partners. - 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Braucht Europa eine Verfassung? Einige Anmerkungen zur Grimm-Habermas-Debatte

Braucht Europa eine Verfassung? Auch nach dem vorlaufigen Scheitern des Verfassungsvertrags durch die Referenden in den Niederlanden und in Frankreich bleibt diese Frage aktuell. Befurworter und Gegner schlagen einen Ton der Unbedingtheit an; Apologien und Untergangsszenarien werden vorgetragen. Die hitzige Diskussion verhindert die sachliche Debatte, der polemische Begriffskrieg verdeckt die inhaltlichen Konzepte. Um den Irrungen und Wirrungen des Themas zu entgehen, ist es hilfreich, zwischen einer realpolitischen und eine politiktheoretischen Diskussion zu differenzieren und genau zu bestimmen, welche Vorstellungen mit dem Begriff, Verfassung’ jeweils verbunden werden.
Impact of Turbulence Model Irregularity on High-Order Discretizations

A high-order, discontinuous Galerkin nite element discretization for the the Reynoldsaveraged Navier Stokes equations coupled with the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model is presented and applied to subsonic airfoil test cases. In particular, grid renement studies are conducted to examine the accuracy of the scheme. The results of these renement studies demonstrate that optimal order of accuracy is not obtained. Adjoint based error estimates are used to investigate this loss of accuracy. The results demonstrate that the turbulent/non-turbulent interface at the boundary layer edge region, where the turbulence model solution is not smooth, contribute signicantly to the total error in the computed drag.
Rhenium, [2‐(mercapto‐κS)benzenemethanethiolato(2–)‐κS]methyloxo(triphenylphosphine)

[354565-70-1] & [222734-85-2] C26H24OPReS2 (MW 633.78) InChI = 1S/C18H15P.C7H8S2.CH3.O.Re/c1-4-10-16(11-5-1)19(17-12-6-2-7-13-17)18-14-8-3-9-15-18;8-5-6-3-1-2-4-7(6)9;;;/h1-15H;1-4,8-9H,5H2;1H3;;/q;;;;+1/p-1 InChIKey = AUUPBNYWPJZXBV-UHFFFAOYSA-M (reagent used in oxygen-atom transfer (OAT) reactions) Alternate Names: MeReO(mtp)PPh3, where mtpH2 is 2-(mercaptomethyl)thiophenol. Physical Data: N/A. Characterization Data: 1H and 13C NMR, elemental analysis, X-ray structure, and molar absorptivity. Solubility: benzene, toluene, tetrahydrofuran (must be freshly distilled to avoid peroxides destroying the catalyst), chloroform, and acetonitrile.1 Preparative Method: prepared by the exposure of rhenium, bis[µ-[2-(mercapto-κS)benzenemethanethiolato(2–)-κS: κS]dimethyldioxodi-, (222734-84-1, trivial name {MeReO(mtp)}2), with triphenylphosphine.1
Recessions and the participation of youth in the selling and use of illicit drugs.

Abstract Background There has been limited research on how recessions (or more generally, the strength of the economy) affect drug use and the related outcome of drug selling. This is especially important, given the current economic crisis. This paper aims to use a conceptual framework, previous research, and new research to predict how the current economic crisis may be affecting youth drug selling and drug use. Methods A conceptual framework to understand how a recession could affect youth drug selling and drug use is presented, along with a review of the literature on empirical investigations on how the strength of the economy affects these behaviours among teenagers. In addition, new analyses for young adults are presented. Results The conceptual framework postulates that a recession would have direct positive effects on the prevalence of youth drug selling but ambiguous direct effects on youth drug use. The conceptual framework also postulates that drug selling and drug use are inter-connected at the individual level and the aggregate level. Thus, any effect of a recession on one would likely affect the other in the same direction. The limited empirical evidence indicates that both drug selling and drug use among youth are higher when the economy is weaker. Conclusions The current economic crisis will likely increase both youth drug selling and drug use relative to what they would have otherwise been.
Primary care providers' views of precepting nurse practitioner students.

Purpose To explore perceived barriers to and facilitators of precepting as viewed by experienced community-based preceptors. Data Sources Twenty-four nurse practitioner and physician preceptors participated in a 20-minute telephone interview, using a semi-structured format. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Constant comparative analysis was used to organize the preceptors' responses into thematic categories. Conclusions Overall, most preceptors were satisfied with the precepting experience; however, many preceptors cited increasing difficulty with teaching students in primary care sites due various organizational constraints such as the imperative to increase productivity. Good communication with school of nursing faculty was cited as the key factor to continued willingness to precept. Implications for Practice Understanding factors that are important for preceptors continuing in their clinical teaching role is important for schools of nursing, especially given the increasing time-limitations that many providers face due to social and economic changes in health-care delivery.
The Study of Language Loss: Models and Hypotheses for an Emerging Discipline.

The study of language acquisition has enjoyed a robust history in recent years, with the advent of developmental psycholinguistics as a separate field, and with much attention to bilingualism and the acquisition of second languages by both children and adults. The loss of language skills by individual speakers has, by contrast, been a little researched area, with the exception of the field of aphasiology, which has developed roughly parallel with modern psycholinguistics. Typical situations in which language skills may be lost occur when an individual speaker of a language moves to an area where another language is dominant; when an ethnolinguistic minority child enters school and adopts the societal language; when a second language is no longer studied or needed; when a local language drops out of use and its speakers must adopt a more dominant language. As they grow older, young children appear to lose some language-related skills, such as the ability to make fine phonetic discriminations (see Burnham, this issue) and aging adults lose some language skills they once had.
The hand of birds revealed by early ostrich embryos.

The problem of resolving the homology of the digits of the avian hand has been framed as a conflict be- tween paleontological and embryological evidence, the former thought to support a hand composed of digits I, II, III, because of similarity of the phalangeal formulae of the earliest known bird Archaeopteryx to that of Mesozoic pentadactyl archosaurs, while embryological evidence has traditionally favored a II, III, IV avian hand. We have identified the critical developmental peri- od for the major features of the avian skeleton in a primi- tive bird, the ostrich. Analysis of digit anlagen in the avian hand has revealed those for digits/metacarpals I and V, thus confirming previous embryological studies that indirectly suggested that the avian hand comprises digits II, III, IV, and was primitively pentadactyl. The identity of the digits of the avian tridactyl hand was first addressed in 1821 and has been hotly debated
Characterization of the mu rhythm during rapid eye movement sleep.

Abstract Objective : The rolandic mu rhythm, a resting activity of somatosensory cortex, is a striking feature of the waking human electroencephalogram. This study will demonstrate that activity with identical features occurs during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Methods : Eye and chin leads were added during prolonged closed circuit television (video) electroencephalographic (EEG) recording with scalp (12 patients) or subdural electrodes including 64 contract grids over the frontoparietal cortices (5 patients). Sleep staging was performed by reformatting into standard polysomnography montages (using two EEG channels, and eye and chin channels) and applying standard scoring criteria. The recordings were then reviewed using all EEG channels to assess rhythmic EEG activity by a reader blinded to the sleep staging. Results : During scalp recordings, 7–10 Hz central rhythms were seen during wakefulness in 7 patients, with 6 of these also having similar rhythms during REM sleep. Similar activity was seen over somatosensory cortex during wakefulness and REM in all invasively recorded patients. This activity was blocked by contralateral body movement or contralateral somatosensory stimuli, even during REM sleep. It was absent in other sleep stages. Conclusions : This REM sleep activity recapitulates all the characteristics of the waking rolandic mu rhythm. This demonstrates functional similarity between the states of wakefulness and REM sleep.
Abl Tyrosine Kinase Phosphorylates Nonmuscle Myosin Light Chain Kinase to Regulate Endothelial Barrier Function

Nonmuscle myosin light chain kinase (nmMLCK), a multi-functional cytoskeletal protein critical to vascular homeostasis, is highly regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation. We identified multiple novel c-Abl–mediated nmMLCK phosphorylation sites by mass spectroscopy analysis (including Y231, Y464, Y556, Y846) and examined their influence on nmMLCK function and human lung endothelial cell (EC) barrier regulation. Tyrosine phosphorylation of nmMLCK increased kinase activity, reversed nmMLCK-mediated inhibition of Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization, and enhanced binding to the critical actin-binding phosphotyrosine protein, cortactin. EC challenge with sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a potent barrier-enhancing agonist, resulted in c-Abl and phosphorylated nmMLCK recruitment into caveolin-enriched microdomains, rapid increases in Abl kinase activity, and spatial targeting of c-Abl to barrier-promoting cortical actin structures. Conversely, reduced c-Abl expression in EC (siRNA) markedly attenuated S1P-mediated cortical actin formation, reduced the EC modulus of elasticity (assessed by atomic force microscopy), reduced nmMLCK and cortactin tyrosine phosphorylation, and attenuated S1P-mediated barrier enhancement. These studies indicate an essential role for Abl kinase in vascular barrier regulation via posttranslational modification of nmMLCK and strongly support c-Abl-cortactin-nmMLCK interaction as a novel determinant of cortical actin-based cytoskeletal rearrangement critical to S1P-mediated EC barrier enhancement.
Induction of Oligodendrocyte Fate During the Formation of the Vertebrate Neural Tube

The development of the central nervous system (CNS) comprises a series of inductive and transforming events that includes rostro-caudal and dorso-ventral patterning, neuroglial specification and extensive cell migration. The patterning of the neural tube is also characterized by the transcription of specific genes, which encode for morphogens and transcription factors essential for cell fate specification. The generation of oligodendrocytes, the myelin forming glial cells in the CNS, appears to be restricted to specific domains localized in the ventral neuroepithelium. Signaling mediated by sonic hedgehog (Shh) seems to command the early phase of the specification of uncommitted neural stem cells into the oligodendroglial lineage. Once generated, oligodendrocyte progenitors have to follow a developmental program that involves changes in cell morphology, migratory capacity and sensitivity to extracellular trophic factors before becoming mature myelinating cells. This minireview aims to discuss molecular aspects of the early induction of oligodendroglial fate during the formation of the CNS.
The ultrastructure of isolated glial (Müller) cells from the turtle retina.

Sarthy and Lam (1978) described a method for isolation of glial (Muller) cells from turtle retina which involves papain treatment, mechanical dissociation of the retinae, and subsequent separation of the dispersed cells by velocity sedimentation at unit gravity. In order to establish the cytologic integrity and the extent of contamination, we have carried out ultrastructural studies on the isolated cells using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. During the course of these studies we have also examined the effect of papain on the morphology of the retina. Scanning electron microscopic studies show that the isolated cells have a free surface with limited extraneous material attached. The basal portion of the cell is organized as end bulbs with a convoluted surface while the apical region is specialized with long microvilli. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the isolated cells have intact plasma membranes with very few interruptions. The cytoplasm is dense and contains the normal complement of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, microtubules, and filaments. The extent of contamination as estimated from serial sections of a single cell is about 10-15% of the total cell volume. These studies indicate that Muller cells isolated by this technique should be useful for metabolic studies and for characterizing the Muller cell surface.
Equilibrium fluctuation relations for voltage coupling in membrane proteins

A general theoretical framework is developed to account for the effects of an external potential on the energetics of membrane proteins. The framework is based on the free energy relation between two (forward/backward) probability densities, which was recently generalized to non-equilibrium processes, culminating in the work-fluctuation theorem. Starting from the probability densities of the conformational states along the "voltage coupling" reaction coordinate, we investigate several interconnected free energy relations between these two conformational states, considering voltage activation of ion channels. The free energy difference between the two conformational states at zero (depolarization) membrane potential (i.e., known as the chemical component of free energy change in ion channels) is shown to be equivalent to the free energy difference between the two "equilibrium" (resting and activated) conformational states along the one-dimensional voltage couplin reaction coordinate. Furthermore, the requirement that the application of linear response approximation to the free energy functionals of voltage coupling should satisfy the general free energy relations, yields a novel closed-form expression for the gating charge in terms of other basic properties of ion channels. This connection is familiar in statistical mechanics, known as the equilibrium fluctuation-response relation. The theory is illustrated by considering the coupling of a unit charge to the external voltage in the two sites near the surface of membrane, representing the activated and resting states. This is done using a coarse-graining (CG) model of membrane proteins, which includes the membrane, the electrolytes and the electrodes. The CG model yields Marcus-type voltage dependent free energy parabolas for the response of the electrostatic environment (electrolytes etc.) to the transition from the initial to the final configuratinal states, leading to equilibrium free energy difference and free energy barrier that follow the trend of the equilibrium fluctuation relation and the Marcus theory of electron transfer. These energetics also allow for a direct estimation of the voltage dependence of channel activation (Q-V curve), offering a quantitative rationale for a correlation between the voltage dependence parabolas and the Q-V curve, upon site-directed mutagenesis or drug binding. Taken together, by introducing the voltage coupling as the energy gap reaction coordinate, our framework brings new perspectives to the thermodynamic models of voltage activation in voltage-sensitive membrane proteins, offering an a framework for a better understating of the structure-function correlations of voltage gating in ion channels as well as electrogenic phenomena in ion pumps and transporters. Significantly, this formulation also provides a powerful bridge between the CG model of voltage coupling and the conventional macroscopic treatments.
Low-Loss Ultrawideband Programmable RF Photonic Phase Filter for Spread Spectrum Pulse Compression

We demonstrate a low-loss, ultrawideband (UWB), programmable radio frequency photonic phase filter utilizing a broadband optical frequency comb, interferometric pulse shaping configuration, and a balanced photodetector for spread spectrum pulse compression. We present UWB linear frequency-chirped pulse compression with bandwidths exceeding 7 GHz. The filter insertion loss for these experiments can be as low as 0.5 dB. In addition, the bandwidth and chirp rate of the phase filter are programmable. To further illustrate the programmability of the proposed filter, we report pulse compression experiments for UWB Costas sequences with bandwidth over 6 GHz. Finally, we perform a spread-spectrum jamming-resistant pulse compression experiment with the chirp filter, where a processing gain of $\sim$ 17.3 dB, proportional to the time-bandwidth product of the filter, enables the recovery of a transmitted UWB signal in the presence of jamming.
Delirium Associated With Lidocaine Patch Administration: A Case Presentation

Delirium is a common complication among hospitalized elderly individuals. Systemic analgesics are known precipitating factors for delirium. However, the risk from topical pain agents is not well documented. We report a case of a woman who developed delirium after the application of a lidocaine patch. Although lidocaine patches are generally perceived as safe, clinicians should be aware of delirium as a potential adverse effect, particularly in older patients. This report also highlights the role of a systematic approach of staff education, use of a standardized protocol, and interdisciplinary communication in the identification and management of delirium in acute rehabilitation facilities.
Abstract MP46: Growth Factors Are Associated With Imaging Markers of Brain Aging in Young Adults

Metabolic and vascular dysregulation are related to stroke, cognitive decline and dementia. Growth factor biomarkers of these processes, such as Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF1) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) have been associated with risk of neurodegeneration and stroke in middle-aged and older Framingham participants. Additionally, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and angiopoietin 2 are novel biomarkers of interest as they have been related to cardiovascular events. As abnormal brain changes probably start years before clinical symptoms, we hypothesize that circulating growth factors are related to MRI endophenotypes of brain aging. We included 1,877 individuals aged 46±8 years from the Framingham Study. Blood samples were collected during 2008-2011, and used to measure IGF1, VEGF, HGF, angiopoietin 2 and its receptor tyrosine kinase (TIE2). Participants underwent brain MRI examination (2009-2013) from which brain volumes and white matter hyperintensities were estimated. We related growth factor levels to brain MRI markers adjusting for age, sex, time between blood draw and MRI, and cardiovascular risk factors. Lower IGF1, as well as higher HGF and angiopoietin 2 levels were associated with higher ventricular volumes indicative of brain shrinkage. Higher TIE2 levels were associated with lower total brain and gray matter volumes, while higher angiopoietin 2 levels were associated with lower white matter volumes. Lower IGF1 levels were also associated with reduced hippocampal volumes. Finally, higher TIE2 levels were associated with larger white matter hyperintensities. Our results suggest that growth factors are associated with neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular markers of brain aging in healthy young adults. Whereas IGF1 seems protective, higher levels of HGF, angiopoietin 2 and TIE2 were associated with greater subclinical brain injury. These associations expand our understanding of the earliest stages of brain aging. We will extend our findings by analyzing cognitive outcomes.
"I think they're all basically the same": parents' perceptions of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine compared with other adolescent vaccines.

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is recommended for routine administration at ages 11–12 years. However, uptake is lower than for other vaccines that are also routinely recommended for adolescents (MCV4 and Tdap). Understanding parental perceptions of HPV vaccine compared with other vaccines may help to inform strategies to increase uptake. Methods Parents and caregivers (n = 45) of adolescents ages 10–18 years from a low-income, ethnic minority population participated in a qualitative study. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded for emergent themes. Results Many participants perceived the HPV vaccine to be similar to other routine vaccines. Noted similarities included the vaccines' ability to prevent disease, similar methods of administration and belief in health care providers' recommendation. Some parents noted the greater benefit of HPV vaccine in preventing cancer, which was viewed as a serious disease. Parents also noted the different mode of transmission (sexual) for HPV, which evoked mixed opinions. Conclusion Overall, most participants viewed the HPV vaccine in a positive light and similar to other adolescent vaccines with the added benefit of cancer prevention. Strategies that treat all three vaccines equally such as presenting them similarly as a ‘bundle’ to parents or considering policy initiatives such as school entry requirements might help increase raise coverage for HPV vaccine.
Some problems of Erdős on the sum-of-divisors function

Let σ(n) denote the sum of all of the positive divisors of n, and let s(n) = σ(n) − n denote the sum of the proper divisors of n. The functions σ(·) and s(·) were favorite subjects of investigation by the late Paul Erdős. Here we revisit three themes from Erdős’s work on these functions. First, we improve the upper and lower bounds for the counting function of numbers n with n deficient but s(n) abundant, or vice versa. Second, we describe a heuristic argument suggesting the precise asymptotic density of n not in the range of the function s(·); these are the so-called nonaliquot numbers. Finally, we prove new results on the distribution of friendly k-sets, where a friendly k-set is a collection of k distinct integers all of which share the same value of σ(n) n .
Red Mud Catalytic Pyrolysis of Pinyon Juniper and Single-Stage Hydrotreatment of Oils

Pinyon juniper biomass feedstocks, which cover a large acreage of rangeland in the western United States, are being eradicated and, therefore, considered as a convenient biomass feedstock for biofuel production. Pinyon juniper whole biomass (wood, bark, and leaves) were pyrolyzed in a pilot-scale bubbling fluidized-bed reactor at 450 °C, and the non-condensable gases were recycled to fluidize the reactor. Red mud was used as the in situ catalyst for the pyrolysis of the pinyon juniper biomass. The pyrolysis products were condensed in three stages, and products were analyzed for physicochemical properties. The condenser oil formed two phases with the aqueous fraction, whereas the electrostatic precipitator oils formed a single phase. The oil pH was 3.3; the higher heating value (HHV) was 28 MJ/kg; and the viscosity was less than 100 cP. There was a direct correlation between the viscosity of the oils and the alcohol/ether content of the oils, and this was also related to the aging rate of the oils. The cat...
Chemotherapeutic Vulnerability of Triple-negative Breast Cancer Cell-derived Tumors to Pretreatment with Vernonia amygdalina Aqueous Extracts

Background: Unresponsive to most clinical therapies, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the dominant biological cause of population-based racioethnic disparities in breast cancer mortality in the United States. We report the chemotherapeutic vulnerability of TNBC cells and stem cell-derived tumors to Vernonia amygdalina aqueous leaf extracts (VA extracts). VA extracts arrest cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in vitro and inhibit growth of implanted tumors and show chemo-preventive efficacy in vivo. Materials and Methods: HRAS cells and MDA-MB-468 cells were subcutaneously implanted into nude mice with or without pretreatment with VA extracts before chemotherapeutic treatment with VA extracts and/or paclitaxel to evaluate their ability to inhibit tumor growth. Results: The most significant reduction in tumor volume was observed in the MDA-MB-468 cell-induced tumors following VA extract pre-treatment compared to those from HRAS cell implantation. Conclusion: VA extracts induce apoptosis, exhibit additive effects, inhibit tumor growth and display chemo-preventive actions against TNBCs.
Excessive Reactive Oxygen Species and Exotic DNA Lesions as an Exploitable Liability.

Although the terms “excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS)” and “oxidative stress” are widely used, the implications of oxidative stress are often misunderstood. ROS are not a single species but a variety of compounds, each with unique biochemical properties and abilities to react with biomolecules. ROS cause activation of growth signals through thiol oxidation and may lead to DNA damage at elevated levels. In this review, we first discuss a conceptual framework for the interplay of ROS and antioxidants. This review then describes ROS signaling using FLT3-mediated growth signaling as an example. We then focus on ROS-mediated DNA damage. High concentrations of ROS result in various DNA lesions, including 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-guanine, oxazolone, DNA–protein cross-links, and hydantoins, that have unique biological impacts. Here we delve into the biochemistry of nine well-characterized DNA lesions. Within each lesion, the types of repair mechanisms, the mutations induced, and their effects on transcription and ...
Cr2+:ZnSe Fiber Lasers

To date, efforts to power scale Cr2+:ZnSe gain media have been limited by its high thermo-optic coefficient. We demonstrate the first continuous wave Cr2+:ZnSe fiber lasers, providing a path forward for high power systems.
Towards large vocabulary ASR on embedded platforms.

In this paper we present an overview of an automatic speech recognition system implementation in the context of embedded systems. Specific challenges presented by low resource platforms will be addressed for the basic components of an ASR decoder. Our main objective is to utilize and modify the technology developed for large vocabulary ASR to achieve efficient LVCSR on embedded systems as well.
Abstract 447: Foam Cell Formation and Triglyceride Production After Incubation of Human Monocytes and Endothelial Cells with MAA-Modified Proteins

Introduction: Oxidized proteins and the formation of foam cells are central aspects in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Malondialdehyde acetaldehyde (MAA) modified low density lipoprotein (LDL) is generated when lipoproteins are exposed to the oxidative product malondialdehyde. These MAA-adducted proteins have been shown to bind scavenger receptors, up-regulate adhesion molecules, induce cytokine expression, and initiate antibody and T-cell responses in both human and animal models of atherosclerotic disease. However, the induction of foam cells using these antigens has been untested. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of MAA-adducted proteins on LDL to induce foam cell formation and upregulate innate inflammatory mediators of atherosclerosis in human peripheral monocytes, mouse macrophage, and human aortic endothelial cell lines. Methods: Mouse aortic endothelial (2167), mouse macrophage (J774) and human peripheral monocytes were incubated with LDL, oxidized-LDL, MAA-LDL, or MAA-human albumin (25 and 50 ng/ml) for 24 or 48 hours and evaluated. Cells were accessed for uptake using Oil Red O, triglyceride production, and cholesterol esters using filipin. Real-time semi-quantitative RT-PCR and ELISA was performed to evaluate IL-6 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA expression and protein secretion. MAA binding was also assessed using an anti-MAA monoclonal antibody. Results: LDL uptake is increased in aortic endothelial cells, J774 and human monocytes as evidenced by filipin and Oil Red O staining for esterified cholesterol LDL as compared to sham controls. Triglyceride data show a 5.1 fold increase in monocytes and a 6 fold increase in aortic endothelial cells increase following MAA-LDL incubation over control p Conclusions: These data show that MAA-modified proteins bind to and are processed by endothelial cells, macrophage, and human monocytes. MAA-modified proteins result in the production of innate immune mediators of tissue inflammation and inflammation recruitment. The direct effect of MAA in forming “foam cells” as evidenced by increased triglyceride and cholesterol is supportive for a role of MAA-modified proteins in the progression of atherosclerosis. The nature and impact of MAA-modification is hypothesized to be central to cellular apoptosis, autophagy and/or necrosis. Implications: MAA-modified proteins may be directly pathogenic in the development of plaque inflammation and progression of atherosclerosis.
Who benefits from job placement services? A two-sided analysis

In light of additional information market agents would achieve better outcomes, for example, a lower ask price for the buyer and a higher offer price for the seller. I examine this notion in a labor market, where employers and employees do not possess perfect information about wages, and address the question of who benefits from the information provided by job placement services? The empirical strategy considers the two-sided nature of the labor market. Estimates of employee and employer incomplete information are contrasted between users and non-users of placement services provided by Job Corps, America’s largest and most important job training program for youths. Findings suggest that employees that use placement services don’t have more information about better offer wages, relative to non-users. Interestingly, firms that employed users of placement services are better informed about reservation wages relative to firms that employed non-users.
Co-adaptive Relationships with Creative Tasks

A successful working relationship between a co-adaptive agent and human collaborator requires both responding to each other dynamically, over time. There are many inputs to take into consideration, many of which are variable such as behavior, state, and personality traits. This experiment focuses on tasks and goals with a secondary focus on personality traits. Tasks and goals present a measurable starting point in configuring the collaborative relationship between the co-adaptive agent and human operator. Our team examined the effects of using a co-adaptive agent working alongside a human operator in a creative workflow. The results of this study show that the presence of a co-adaptive agent has significant positive impact on the result produced and a positive impact on the relationship between the co-adaptive agent and human collaborator.
Actigraphic Sleep Duration and Fragmentation in Older Women: Associations With Performance Across Cognitive Domains.

Study objectives To determine the association of actigraphic sleep duration and fragmentation with cognition in community-dwelling older women. Methods We studied 782 women (mean age = 87.4) of varied cognitive status from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures who completed wrist actigraphy and the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS), California Verbal Learning Test-II-Short Form, digit span, verbal fluency tests, and the Trailmaking Test, Part B (Trails B). Total sleep time (TST) and wake after sleep onset (WASO) tertiles were our primary predictors. Results There were few significant associations in adjusted analyses. Compared to women with intermediate TST (mean = 430.1 minutes), those with the longest (508.7 minutes) had significantly poorer performance on the 3MS and phonemic and semantic fluency. Compared to women with the least WASO (31.5 minutes), those in the middle tertile (61.5 minutes) had significantly poorer delayed recall and those in the middle tertile and highest tertile (126.2 minutes) had poorer total recall and semantic fluency. We observed significant adjusted associations of TST with impaired 3MS performance and of WASO with impaired delayed recall, semantic fluency, and digit span. After excluding participants with adjudicated dementia diagnoses or indeterminate cognitive status, some adjusted associations remained but decreased in magnitude, others became nonsignificant, and a new association emerged. Conclusions In community-dwelling older women, longer objectively measured sleep duration and greater sleep fragmentation are associated with poorer performance and impairment in only a subset of cognitive domains. Some of these associations may be driven by women with dementia in whom disturbed sleep and cognitive performance share an underlying neuropathological basis.
Introduction to the Festschrift in Honor of Henry J. Richardson III

This article introduces a festschrift celebrating Professor Henry J. Richardson III for his many contributions to the field of international law, and in particular his analysis of the relationship between international law and African-Americans and Africans, including the anti-apartheid movement, development, and self-determination, as well as the international protection of human rights. The articles also reflect on his pioneering interpretation of international law through critical race theory and his central role in developing Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL) theory. The festschrift volume begins with several articles that explore central themes of Professor Richardson‘s work: human rights, self-determination, intervention, the International Criminal Court and its relationship to Africa, and economic justice. These pieces draw foundations and inspiration from Professor Richardson‘s scholarship, offering rich analyses of cutting-edge contemporary issues and problems and original insights into potential solutions. The second group of articles focuses directly on Professor Richardson‘s scholarship, describing his substance, method, and genius. The final two articles describe Professor Richardson as a person: a pioneer, a man of integrity, and a race man.
Unravelling the stromal-nerve interactions in the human diabetic cornea.

Corneal defects due to diabetes mellitus (DM) may cause severe vision impairments. Current studies focus on the corneal epithelium and nerve defects neglecting the corneal stroma. The aim of this study was to develop a 3D in vitro model to examine the interactions between corneal stroma and nerves in the context of DM. Primary human corneal stromal fibroblasts isolated from healthy (HCFs), Type 1 (T1DM) and Type 2 (T2DM) patients were stimulated with stable ascorbic acid to secrete and assemble an extracellular matrix (ECM). Human neuronal cells were then seeded on top and differentiated to create the 3D co-cultures. Our data revealed successful co-culture of stromal fibroblasts and neuronal cells with large elongated neuron extensions. T2DM showed significant upregulation of Collagen III and IGF1 when compared to T1DM. Interestingly, upon nerve addition, those markers returned to HCF levels. Neuronal markers were also differentially modulated with T2DM co-cultures expressing high levels of βIII tubulin where T1DM co-cultures expressed Substance P. . Overall, our unique 3D co-culture model provides us with a tool that can be utilized for both molecular and therapeutic studies for diabetic keratopathy.
A Moment Specification Algorithm for Control of Nonlinear Systems Driven by Gaussian White Noise

Covariance control methods have been applied to linearstochastic multivariable control systems to ensure good behavior of eachstate variable separately. Recent attempts to extend these ideas tononlinear systems have been reported, including an example of a systemexhibiting hysteresis nonlinearity which employed describing functions.As nonlinearities, including hysteresis, occur frequently in structuralsystems, the development of effective control algorithms to accommodatethem is desirable. Recently, the authors designed covariance controllersfor several hysteretic systems using the method of stochastic equivalentlinearization. Performance of the closed loop system employing thecovariance control was verified through simulation. In the present work,a new control design method is adopted that uses the principle ofmaximum entropy, which has been used as an alternative procedure forclosure of moment equations arising in stochastic dynamical systems. Themaximum entropy-based method leads to a result equivalent to that ofstochastic linearization when covariances alone are specified; however,the method readily accommodates the specification of higher orderresponse moments.
Mío, tuyo y nuestro: análisis económico del Derecho de Propiedad

In this article, the author analyzes the property legal system has to achieve efficient and useful results. In addition, he points out the reasons for the existence of private property and public property, then he explains the costs and benefits of private property, and he states the difference between real and personal property is the registry system. He concludes by stating the courts believe that a property agreement is obligatory if it is economically efficient.
The effectiveness of closed-circulation gaseous chlorine dioxide or ozone treatment against bacterial pathogens on produce

Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO2) or ozone (O3) treatment against Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), serovars of Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes on baby-cut carrots, lowbush blueberries, and beefsteak tomatoes using a scaled-up closed-circulation treatment system. Dry ClO2 precursors were combined in-chamber to make 0.03, 0.06, and 0.12 mg ClO2/g produce for a 2.5 h exposure and 0.04, 0.07, and 0.15 mg ClO2/g produce for a 5.0 h exposure time. Ozone was generated through corona-discharge of a dry oxygen feed and either 0.86 or 1.71 μg O3/g produce concentrations were used to treat 2 kg of produce for 2.5 and 5.0 h. Overall, ClO2 treatment resulted in maximum bacterial reductions of >7 log observed on carrots and tomatoes and 3.7 log on blueberries. Exposure gaseous O3 resulted in observed reductions of 1.2, 1.8, and 1.6 log and simultaneously resulted in noticeable bleaching carrot and tomato tissue as well. These results reported here indicate that gaseous ClO2 can be a suitable treatment when implemented correctly to reduce bacterial pathogens in a storage setting.