cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simple Plant Traits Explain Functional Group Diversity Decline in Novel Grassland Communities of Texas

Previous research has found that plant diversity declines more quickly in exotic than native grassland plots, which offers a model system for testing whether diversity decline is associated with specific plant traits. In a common garden experiment in the Southern Great Plains in central Texas, USA, we studied monocultures and 9-species mixtures of either all exotic or all native grassland species. A total of 36 native and exotic species were paired by phylogeny and functional group. We used community-level measures (relative abundance in mixture) and whole-plant (height, aboveground biomass, and light capture) and leaf-level traits (area, specific leaf area, and C:N ratio) to determine whether trait differences explained native-exotic differences in functional group diversity. Increases in species’ relative abundance in mixture were correlated with high biomass, height, and light capture in both native and exotic communities. However, increasing exotic species were all C4 grasses, whereas, increasing native species included forb, C3 grass and C4 grass species. Exotic C4 grasses had traits associated with relatively high resource capture: greater leaf area, specific leaf area, height, biomass, and light capture, but similar leaf C:N ratios compared to native C4 grasses. Leaf C:N was consistently higher for native than exotic C3 species, implying that resource use efficiency was greater in natives than exotics. Our results suggest that functional diversity will differ between grasslands restored to native assemblages and those dominated by novel collections of exotic species, and that simple plant traits can help to explain diversity decline.
Conceptualizing personal web usage in work contexts: A preliminary framework

As the internet became the primary method of task-related communication within organizations, a social phenomenon was born: internet users going online for non-work-related purposes when supposedly working. However, there is little consensus on how to conceptualize this broad range of phenomena. Not only do many conceptual terms exist in the literature without clear distinctions, but also the degree to which specific behaviors belong under each concept remains unclear. In this article, we analyze each broad concept on specific dimensions found in the literature, including formal definitions, causes, and outcomes. We then provide a typology integrating this knowledge. Based on an empirical investigation of this typology, an initial framework of personal web usage in work contexts is proposed.
Arsenic exposure alters expression of cell cycle and lipid metabolism genes in the liver of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Abstract Adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) were used to investigate mRNA expression in the liver following 7-day and 21-day exposures to 0, 10, 50, or 500 ppb sodium arsenite. Arsenic exposure has been linked to several human disorders including cancers and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Quantitative PCR was employed to determine the mRNA expression of genes involved in cell cycle regulation [cyclin E1 (ccne1), WEE1 A kinase (wee1)], DNA damage repair [breast cancer 2 (brca2)] and lipid transport and metabolism [carnitine O-octanoyltransferase (crot), fatty acid binding protein-3 (fabp3) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 1 (hmgcs1)]. Results from the 7-day exposure showed sex- and dose-specific changes in expression of wee1, brca2, crot and hmgcs1. No significant differences from controls were observed in fish exposed for 21 days. Expression of all genes, except ccne1, was significantly different between the 7- and 21-day exposures. The results presented here correlate with prior findings from our lab and others, and offer further insight into potential mechanisms of low-dose arsenic exposure.
Issues in the epidemiology and population-based screening of primary angle-closure glaucoma

Among Caucasians, it is well known that 75-95% of primary glaucoma is due to open-angle glaucoma (POAG), with angle-closure (PACG) comprising only a very small minority of cases. These figures are reversed among other groups such as Asians and Eskimos, where PACG makes up 80-90% of primary glaucoma. Among Eskimos, the prevalence of PACG has been reported as 2-8%, as compared to 0.1% among Caucasians. It appears that a population tendency toward shallow anterior chambers may explain the excess burden of PACG morbidity. Among Asians, the prevalence of PACG is intermediate between Caucasians and Eskimos. Existing biometrical data do not show a clear tendency toward shallower anterior chambers among Asians. PACG may be screened for on a population basis by means of various techniques that estimate axial or limbal anterior chamber depth, measure intraocular pressure, or evaluate the optic disc or visual fields. Demographic information and medical and family history will also be of great importance in screening for PACG in large populations. Groups at increased risk for the disease include women, individuals over 50, first-degree relatives of PACG probands, and hyperopes.
The effects of estrogen and progesterone on female rat proceptive behavior.

Abstract The relative importance of estrogen (EB) and progesterone (P) in stimulating proceptivity in ovariectomized female rats was studied. Proceptive behavior was measured quantitatively, providing a clear measure of response to experimental manipulation. When rats were tested biweekly after daily treatment with 0.4 μg/100 g body wt EB for 4 days, they showed maximal lordosis but low levels of proceptive behavior by the second test. Additional EB (3.0 μg/100 g body wt daily) failed to stimulate additional proceptivity. A graded increase in proceptive behavior resulted from administration of increasing doses of P (50, 100, 500 μg and 1.0 mg) to animals receiving EB priming as described above. The level of “soliciting” was significantly higher than EB-only-treated rats when 500 μg or 1.0 mg P was given. Ovariectomized, adrenalectomized rats, primed with 2.5 μg/100 g body wt EB daily for 7 days and tested on Day 8, were significantly less proceptive than ovariectomized, sham-adrenalectomized rats with the same hormone treatment. Four hours after injection of 1.0 mg P, there was no difference in proceptive or receptive behavior between sham- and adrenalectomized rats. It was concluded that if an EB dose is sufficient to induce maximal receptivity, additional estrogen does not stimulate proceptivity; unlike previous studies, the present data are not consistent with a global effect of ovarian steroids on both components of female behavior. Progesterone is more effective than estrogen in stimulating proceptive behavior, although proceptivity is not absolutely dependent on progesterone for expression. Proceptivity in EB-only-treated rats appears to be facilitated by adrenal P.
Feature construction for game playing

To build an evaluation function for game-playing, one needs to construct informative features that enable accurate relative assessment of a game state. This chapter describes the feature construction problem, and suggests directions for dealing with shortcomings in the present state of the art.
A model for online collaborative cancer research: report of the NCI caBIG project

The US National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is developing an international grid infrastructure for exchange of biomedical information, known as caBIG. This open source infrastructure group is currently developing several major components and is actively seeking participation from the international biomedical informatics community. The components may be used on the grid for multi-investigator information exchange or may be downloaded and customised for use within an institution as stand-alone software. This paper explains the project and discusses the software features that could be provided for biomedical investigators.
Kinetics of conversion of silicon carbide to carbide derived carbon

Carbide derived carbon (CDC) was produced on SiC by reaction with flowing Ar–3.5% Cl2 gas at 900 and 1000 °C. The thickness of the CDC layer increased with time during high temperature exposure according to a parabolic rate equation represented by Kp = [2.48 × 10−6e−(165 000/RT)] m2 s−1. Carbon loss due to the formation and spallation of graphitic powder was found to be negligible in these experiments. Residual chlorine contents in the CDC layer were measured, and a gradient in chlorine content increasing from the CDC/SiC interface to the CDC/gas interface was observed. This is consistent with diffusional transport of chlorine through the growing CDC layer as the rate controlling step in the CDC growth process. Because the value of the parabolic rate constant is high compared with solid state diffusion coefficients for carbon, transport by solid state diffusion is unlikely. Because the apparent activation energy of 165 000 J mol−1 is high for a gas phase diffusion process, surface diffusion of adsorbed chlorine in the pores of the CDC is suggested as a transport mechanism for the growth of CDC under these conditions.
Online Index Recommendations for High-Dimensional Databases Using Query Workloads

High-dimensional databases pose a challenge with respect to efficient access. High-dimensional indexes do not work because of the often-cited "curse of dimensionality." However, users are usually interested in querying data over a relatively small subset of the entire attribute set at a time. A potential solution is to use lower dimensional indexes that accurately represent the user access patterns. A query response using the physical database design that is developed based on a static snapshot of the query workload may significantly degrade if the query patterns change. To address these issues, we introduce a parameterizable technique to recommend indexes based on index types that are frequently used for high-dimensional data sets and to dynamically adjust indexes as the underlying query workload changes. We incorporate a query pattern change detection mechanism to determine when the access patterns have changed enough to warrant change in the physical database design. By adjusting analysis parameters, we trade off analysis speed against analysis resolution. We perform experiments with a number of data sets, query sets, and parameters to show the effect that varying these characteristics has on analysis results.
A trace-driven emulation framework to predict scalability of large clusters in presence of OS Jitter

Various studies have pointed out the debilitating effects of OS jitter on the performance of parallel applications on large clusters such as the ASCI Purple and the Mare Nostrum at Barcelona Supercomputing Center. These clusters use commodity OSes such as AIX and Linux respectively. The biggest hindrance in evaluating any technique to mitigate jitter is getting access to such large scale production HPC systems running a commodity OS. An earlier attempt aimed at solving this problem was to emulate the effects of OS jitter on more widely available and jitter-free systems such as BlueGene/L. In this paper, we point out the shortcomings of previous such approaches and present the design and implementation of an emulation framework that helps overcome those shortcomings by using innovative techniques. We collect jitter traces on a commodity OS with a given configuration, under which we want to study the scaling behavior. These traces are then replayed on a jitter-free system to predict scalability in presence of OS jitter. The application of this emulation framework to predict scalability is illustrated through a comparative scalability study of an off-the-shelf Linux distribution with a minimal configuration (runlevel 1) and a highly optimized embedded Linux distribution, running on the IO nodes of BlueGene/L. We validate the results of our emulation both on a single node as well as on a real cluster. Our results indicate that an optimized OS along with a technique to synchronize jitter can reduce the performance degradation due to jitter from 99% (in case of the off-the-shelf Linux without any synchronization) to a much more tolerable level of 6% (in case of highly optimized BlueGene/L IO node Linux with synchronization) at 2048 processors. Furthermore, perfect synchronization can give linear scaling with less than 1% slowdown, regardless of the type of OS used. However, as the jitter at different nodes starts getting desynchronized, even with a minor skew across nodes, the optimized OS starts outperforming the off-the-shelf OS.
Reduced antinociceptive responsiveness to hyperbaric oxygen in opioid-tolerant mice.

Background Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy can produce analgesia in patients experiencing various conditions of chronic pain. Previously, we reported that naloxone antagonized the acute antinociceptive effect of both brief (11 min) and longer (60 min) HBO2 treatments. This implied a possible role for opioid receptors in the antinociceptive effects of HBO2. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine whether mice previously rendered as tolerant to opioid agonists would exhibit a reduced antinociceptive responsiveness to HBO2. Methods Male NIH Swiss mice were given repeated injections of the opioid agonists morphine, fentanyl or (-)-U50488H over 4 days to induce tolerance at their respective opioid receptors. Mice receiving saline according to a similar injection schedule served as a vehicle control group. On day 5, 15 h after the last injection, mice received either an antinociceptive challenge dose of the opioid agonists or a 30-min HBO2 exposure at 3.5 atmosphere absolute. The antinociception was then assessed by the 0.6% acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction test. Results The results showed that mice rendered as tolerant to morphine, fentanyl or (-)-U50488H pretreatment all exhibited reduced antinociceptive responsiveness to themselves and HBO2. Conclusions These results demonstrated that both μ- and κ-opioid receptors are involved in mediation of the acute antinociceptive response to HBO2.
Reactions and residence time distributions in motionless mixers

Motionless mixers are modeled as open, circular tubes with parabolic velocity distributions except at a few isolated planes where radial mixing occurs via an instantaneous coordinate transformation. Possible transformations are constrained by continuity of volumetric flow. Complete flow inversion appears the theoretically optimal transformation, being superior to complete mixing. A model consisting of intermediate planes of complete mixing approximates existing experimental data on the Kenics Static Mixer when four Kenics elements are made equivalent to a single plane of complete mixing. This model preserves the essential nature of a laminar flow residence time distribution while providing a relatively simple means of estimating mixer performance.
Descriptive data mining; A granular model

We present here a formal syntax and semantics for descriptive data mining. We do so in terms of three abstract models: Descriptive, Semantic, and Granular. The Descriptive Model formalizes the syntactical concepts and properties of the data mining process. Semantic Model formalizes its semantical properties. The Granular Model establishes a relationship between the Descriptive and Semantic models in terms of a formal satisfaction relation.
Tuberculous epididymitis with extensive retroperitoneal and mediastinal involvement

The incidence of tuberculosis in the United States is on the rise, in part, because of its association with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Genitourinary tuberculosis remains one of the most common forms of secondary or extrapulmonary disease. We present an unusual case of tuberculous epididymitis with extensive retroperitoneal and mediastinal spread. The possible routes of dissemination, as well as the efficacy of antimycobacterial therapy in the management of tuberculous epididymitis, are discussed and the relevant literature is reviewed.
Substantial Differentiation of Human Neural Stem Cells Into Motor Neurons on a Biomimetic Polyurea

To find the first restorative treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI), researchers have focused on stem cell therapies. However, one obstacle is the lack of an implantable cell scaffold that can support efficient motor neuron (MN) differentiation and proliferation. We aimed to overcome this through the use of an RGD functionalized novel biomimetic polyurea, optimized to encourage efficient differentiation of MNs. Images taken after 14-days showed increased differentiation (∼40%) of hNSCs into MNs as well as increased cell count on the biomimetic polymer compared to PDL-Laminin coating, indicating that the RGD-polyurea provides a favorable microenvironment for hNSC survival, having promising implications for future SCI therapies.
Inflections on pre-nominal adjectives in Germanic: Main types, subtypes, and subset relations

In order to contribute to the understanding of the nature of inflection, this paper investigates the endings on pre-nominal adjectives in four Germanic languages: Dutch, Norwegian, German, and Yiddish. Incorporating detailed observations about Yiddish in general and non-canonical nominals in particular, this study confirms Harbert’s (The Germanic languages, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2007) classification of the Mainland Scandinavian languages as semantically determining their inflections but of German as encoding case, number, and gender on its endings. The latter is shown to be regulated by lexical factors. Dutch is grouped with Norwegian and Yiddish with German. While all four languages differ in their details, the paper proposes that compared to Dutch, the Norwegian weak inflections require a subset of definiteness (sub-)components and that in comparison to German, the Yiddish weak inflections require a subset of lexical triggers. Whereas weak endings only surface inside DPs, which are necessarily definite in Dutch and Norwegian, strong endings are shown to appear in more diverse contexts. Given the language-specific conditions on the distribution of the weak inflections, the strong endings are interpreted as the elsewhere case in all languages.
Identification of the Ventricular Tachycardia Isthmus After Infarction by Pace Mapping

Background— Ventricular tachycardia (VT) isthmuses can be defined by fixed or functional block. During sinus rhythm, pace mapping near the exit of an isthmus should produce a QRS similar to that of VT. Pace mapping at sites proximal to the exit may produce a similar QRS with a longer stimulus-to-QRS interval (S-QRS). The aim of the study was to determine whether a VT isthmus could be identified and followed by pace mapping. Methods and Results— Left ventricular pace mapping during sinus rhythm was performed at 819 sites in 11 patients with VT late after infarction, and corresponding CARTO maps were reconstructed. An isthmus site was defined by entrainment and/or VT termination by ablation. Pace-mapping data were analyzed from the identified isthmus site and from sites at progressively increasing distances from this initial isthmus site. Sites where pace mapping produced the same QRS with different S-QRS delays were identified to attempt to trace the course of the isthmus. In 11 patients, 13 confluent low-...
Kinetics of the heterogeneous decomposition of nickel tetracarbonyl

The decomposition of nickel tetracarbonyl at pressures between 20 and 200 torrs was studied at temperatures from 100° to 225°C. In the cross-flow system, the rate in the absence of appreciable dilution was primarily limited by kinetic resistances at temperatures up to about 175°C. over an effective Reynolds number range of 5 to 100. Gas phase diffusional resistances were controlling at higher temperatures. Corrections for natural convection were employed in both the kinetic and diffusional regions of control.
In0.35Ga0.65P light-emitting diodes grown by gas-source MBE

This paper describes the growth and optical characteristics of InyGa1-yP with 0.3<y<0.5, and the LED operation of p-i-n structures in the same materials system. The InGaP is grown using gas-source molecular beam epitaxy (GSMBE). The non-lattice-matched InyGa1-yP grown on GaAs using GSMBE has a specularly smooth surface morphology through the use of unique strained-layer superlattice (SLS) buffer. We have measured the luminescence, luminescence excitation, and Raman spectra of these undoped films and observe strong excitonic luminescence over the entire composition range investigated. The band gap derived from the luminescence excitation spectra corresponds to that of a fully relaxed InGaP film with no residual strain, which is confirmed by the Raman measurements. Light-emitting diodes with peak (300 K) emission centered at less than 590 nm have been fabricated from p-i-n junctions in In0.35Ga0.65P. This alloy is close to that with the largest direct band gap in the InyGa1-y P system and has lattice mismatch from the GaAs substrate of 1%.
Glioblastoma Multiforme Recurrence: An Exploratory Study of (18)F FPPRGD2 PET/CT.

18F FPPRGD2 is a safe PET radiopharmaceutical that may be useful when examining patients suspected of having glioblastoma multiforme recurrence after first-line therapy.
Measuring the value of groundwater and other forms of natural capital.

Valuing natural capital is fundamental to measuring sustainability. The United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank, and other agencies have called for inclusion of the value of natural capital in sustainability metrics, such as inclusive wealth. Much has been written about the importance of natural capital, but consistent, rigorous valuation approaches compatible with the pricing of traditional forms of capital have remained elusive. We present a guiding quantitative framework enabling natural capital valuation that is fully consistent with capital theory, accounts for biophysical and economic feedbacks, and can guide interdisciplinary efforts to measure sustainability. We illustrate this framework with an application to groundwater in the Kansas High Plains Aquifer, a rapidly depleting asset supporting significant food production. We develop a 10-y time series (1996−2005) of natural capital asset prices that accounts for technological, institutional, and physical changes. Kansas lost approximately $110 million per year (2005 US dollars) of capital value through groundwater withdrawal and changes in aquifer management during the decade spanning 1996–2005. This annual loss in wealth is approximately equal to the state’s 2005 budget surplus, and is substantially more than investments in schools over this period. Furthermore, real investment in agricultural capital also declined over this period. Although Kansas’ depletion of water wealth is substantial, it may be tractably managed through careful groundwater management and compensating investments in other natural and traditional assets. Measurement of natural capital value is required to inform management and ongoing investments in natural assets.
Effect of Elastic Modulus of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Strands on the Behavior of Posttensioned Segmental Bridges

AbstractSegmental bridges are widely used for accelerated construction and lower costs and environmental impact. The major concern with such bridges is in the corrosion protection of posttensioning steel strands. Noncorrosive carbon fiber strands can serve as viable alternatives to help reduce maintenance costs. A novel carbon fiber strand was tested for posttensioning of a 3.5∶1 scaled model of the Long Key segmental box girder bridge, and its performance was compared with prior test data for steel strands and another type of carbon fiber. The most important distinction between the two types of carbon fibers is their elastic moduli, which are 77 and 93% of that of steel strands. Numerical simulation was also conducted and the effect of different elastic moduli of the tendons on the structural performance was investigated with a parametric study. While the study confirms the feasibility of both types of carbon fiber strands for segmental bridge applications and their similar serviceability behavior, stran...
The Moral Politics of Argentine Crowds

Based on archival research and ethnographic fieldwork, this article reconstructs protesters' actions, collective beliefs, and shared self-understandings during two recent contentious episodes in contemporary Argentina, the 1993 Santiagazo and the 1996 pueblada in Cutral-co. Drawing upon E.P. Thompson's and J. Scott's notion of moral economy, the anaysis dissects the crowds' beliefs as to what are right and wrong political practices. The notion of moral politics, it is argued, calls for simultaneous attention to the content of protesters' beliefs, to their origin, and to their impact on the course of the events.
Temporary Anion States of closo-Carboranes and Diethyl Carborane

The energies required to attach electrons into the low-lying normally unoccupied molecular orbitals of the carborane (C2B10H12) cage compounds closo-1,2-, closo-1,7-, and closo-1,12-dicarbadodecacarborane, and those of diethyl carborane (nido-dicarbahexacarborane) are determined by electron transmission spectroscopy in the gas phase. The lowest lying anion state in each of these compounds in the equilibrium geometry of the neutral molecule is found to be unstable with respect to electron ejection, and is formed at a vertical attachment energy of approximately 1 eV. The total yield of negative ions produced by electron impact on ortho-carborane was measured and observed to peak near 0 eV and at 0.7 eV. The latter feature has a cross section of 5.1 × 10-17 cm2. Our data are consistent in energy dependence with relative yield measurements made elsewhere in which the charged product was identified as a metastable anion state of the parent molecule. The results from our calculations seeking to identify the geo...
IMPROVING NON-CARDIOLOGIST APPROPRIATE USE OF STRESS MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION IMAGING

Appropriate use (AU) of tests like myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is important for delivering efficient, cost-effective care. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has developed Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for MPI. Cardiologists, familiar with AUC, have fewer “rarely appropriate” MPI
An Overview of Cost Study of Basic Public Health Service in Community

Objective To study the cost of basic public health service in community. Methods An index database was set up by literature review and panel discussion,and " standards of basic public health service" were then established using a two- round Delphi method. Field investigation was conducted on 60 community health centers from stratified random sampling;work time of each service was measured by the activity- based costing method; work strength was determined by using the resource- based relative value scale to adjust work time. According to human resource price,work time was converted to human resource cost,and added to the cost of reagents and materials and the cost of operation and management to calculate the total cost,the average cost per person and the unit cost; finally, based on national regulation, the cost in 2015 was predicted. Results Standards of basic public health service were established concerning 10 basic public health services,28 service categories,112 items of service,and 365 work steps were standardized. The total work time of basic public health service of the 60 investigated community health centers was 856 141. 9 hours,total cost was at least 71 322 thousand Yuan,and the average annual cost per person was at least 67. 5 Yuan. For fund allocation proportion of basic public health service,vaccination took up 25. 9% and the health management of chronic disease patients 20. 4%. Conclusion This study worked out the cost of basic public health service,which may provide reference for government investment and performance evaluation.
Adrenal steroids and neutrophil mobilization.

Rats were challenged to mobilize neutrophils by intraperitoneal injection of a bacterial extract. Adrenalectomized rats were able to accomplish this as well as their sham-operated controls. Furthermore, pretreatment of intact animals with moderate doses of cortisol injected subcutaneously did not produce a detectable effect upon neutrophil mobilization. On the other hand, when massive, pharmacologic doses were injected subcutaneously, significantly fewer neutrophils appeared in the peritoneal fluid. Inhibition of neutrophil accumulation was noted when the steroid was injected locally; this was accomplished with relatively small doses when calculated in terms of body weight. The relative ineffectiveness of subcutaneous injection compared with topical administration suggests a direct effect of the hormone, probably upon small blood vessels.
Improving pain management practice. A medical center moves beyond education to document and manage patient care.

In 1993 nurses at Providence/ Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, initiated a quality improvement project to assess pain levels in the facility's inpatients. A convenience sample in April 1993 showed an average pain intensity of 6.30 on a 0-10 scale (where O equals no pain and 10 is the worst pain imaginable). With the nursing administrator's support, pain management nurses presented a four-hour course in the basics of pain assessment and intervention to more than 850 nurses and 100 other professionals. In August 1993 nurses found that the intensity of patient pain had dropped to 5.70 on the 0-10 scale. Still dissatisfied with this situation, the nurses proceeded with a three-pronged approach to improve the medical center's quality of pain management: making the problem visible by better documentation and communication about pain; making an institutional commitment to pain management, including establishing pain management quality improvement as the medical center's first patient outcome institutional objective; eliciting the endorsement of influential committees. In August 1994 a random sample revealed patient pain had decreased to 3.21. The next step focused on empowering patients and families through education (e.g., revising the booklet on patient rights and responsibilities, posting signs in rooms encouraging patients to report pain) and clearing up myths and misconceptions through inservices and posters. A sampling in November 1995 showed that the average pain intensity of inpatients had been reduced to 2.32. Plans for continuous quality improvement interventions will further enhance patient comfort and recovery.
COMPLEXITY IN THE REGULATION OF SOS FUNCTIONS IN BACTERIA

ABSTRACT DNA damage initiates induction of many functions that promote survival and mutagenesis of bacteria or their phages, in tif mutants of E. coli these “SOS functions” are thermoinducible. Mutations (Sfi) selected to suppress one Tif-mediated function (filamentous growth at 42°C) may or may not also suppress or alter expression of other SOS functions (prophage induction, error-prone repair). We propose that Sfi mutations participate in SOS regulation via effects on the activity or specificity of cellular protease(s).
Many Connected Components

This chapter presents different ways of handling the first challenge of summarizing spatial network data, i.e., the large number of k-subsets of connected components in the network. This challenge is conceptualized as the spatial network activity summarization problem (SNAS) where given a spatial network, a collection of activities and their locations (e.g., placed on a node or an edge), and a desired number of paths k, SNAS finds a set of k shortest paths that maximizes the sum of activities on the paths (counting activities that are on overlapping paths only once) and a partitioning of activities across the paths.
Determinants of Consumer Sentiment Over Business Cycles: Evidence from the US Surveys of Consumers

We study the information content of the University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Sentiment as well as its five components. Using household data from the Surveys of Consumers over 1979-2013, we identify the main determinants of these indicators and document their varying role over the business cycle. Our results suggest that while at the aggregate level, macroeconomic conditions explain sentiment well, important and additional information is contained at the level of households. We compare the role of objective and subjective information in determining household level sentiment, and show that significant heterogeneity in the absorption of news from local network sources is a major feature of consumer sentiment. The differential interpretation of current macroeconomic conditions is found to be more pervasive in periods of falling sentiment that typically predates business cycle peaks, and thus helps sentiment to foreshadow recessions.
Application of Spread Spectrum technique for EMI reduction in boost converter - A case study

Size and weight power density are important for power converters used in aerospace applications. Several attempts have been made by power electronics engineers to improve power density. Designers are often compelled to work with trade-offs while using conventional methods to improve power density like increasing the switching frequency, optimizing the heat sink design for small size and optimizing the switching device for particular power rating. This paper presents a case study that demonstrates the Spread Spectrum technique to reduce the size of the EMI filter used in boost converter resulting in improved power density. This technique can render significant reduction in size of EMI filter without any tradeoffs.
Non-Surgical Ablative Therapy for Management of Small Renal Masses—Current Status and Future Trends

A large number of small renal masses (SRMs) with size less than 4 cm are being identified due to advances in diagnostic imaging. As the natural history of these tumours remains unknown, there is no reliable way to predict their behaviour or future growth. Although, partial nephrectomy is the gold standard for treatment of these tumours, ablative non-surgical therapies such as cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation provide a less invasive option of treatment with comparable oncological outcomes. In this systematic review, the principle, indications, methods of treatment, oncological control, complication and renal function of ablative therapies are critically reviewed. Cryotherapy utilizes the principle of inducing tissue destruction by freezing and thawing using argon and helium gasses, respectively. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) works on the principle of tissue heating. Ablative treatments are particularly useful in the elderly patients, those with comorbidities or in patients with SRMs in solitary kidneys or renal impairment. Ablative therapies have less procedure-related complications and have promising medium-term oncological outcome. Longer-term results are accumulating. Cryotherapy may be a better modality for oncological control than RFA. Ablative therapy has emerged as a viable treatment options for SRMs with recurrence free survival rates approaching that of extirpative surgery. However, there is no consensus in the literature on the best selection criteria and this needs further refinement. Prospective long-term data with regards to oncological control is still needed
Infrequent and Frequent Nondaily Smokers and Daily Smokers: Their Characteristics and Other Tobacco Use Patterns.

Author(s): Wang, Yingning; Sung, Hai-Yen; Yao, Tingting; Lightwood, James; Max, Wendy | Abstract: IntroductionThe proportion of smokers who do not smoke daily has increased over time, but nondaily smokers are a heterogeneous group. We compare characteristics and other tobacco product use of infrequent nondaily, frequent nondaily, and daily US adult smokers.MethodsWe analyzed data from the 1998, 2000, 2005, and 2010 National Health Interview Surveys. Current smokers were categorized as daily, infrequent nondaily (smoked 1-12 days in the past 30 days), and frequent nondaily (smoked 13-29 days in the past 30 days) smokers. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlates of infrequent nondaily, frequent nondaily, and daily smoking.ResultsAmong current smokers, 8.3% were infrequent nondaily, 8.1% were frequent nondaily, and 83.6% were daily smokers. The prevalence of infrequent versus daily smoking increased over time, with a smaller increase among non-Hispanic Blacks than non-Hispanic Whites. The adjusted odds of both infrequent and frequent smoking versus daily smoking differed by age, race/ethnicity, education, poverty status, marital status, region, quit attempts in the past 12 months, and binge drinking. Snuff users (vs. non-snuff users) were 2.4 times as likely to be infrequent than daily smokers. There were also differences in race/ethnicity, education, marital status, region, quit attempts, and snuff use between infrequent versus frequent smokers.ConclusionInfrequent smokers differ from both frequent and daily smokers in socio-demographics, quit attempts, and snuff use. The heterogeneity of nondaily smokers should be considered in developing targeted tobacco control and smoking cessation programs.ImplicationsInfrequent and frequent nondaily smokers were found to differ from daily smokers in age, race/ethnicity, education, poverty status, marital status, region, and quit attempts and they were different from each other in race/ethnicity, education, marital status, region, and quit attempts. Binge drinkers were more likely to be infrequent smokers and frequent smokers versus daily smokers. Current snuff users were found to have increased odds of infrequent smoking versus daily smoking and versus frequent smoking. These results highlight the importance of acknowledging the differences among nondaily smokers in smoking frequency in developing targeted tobacco control and smoking cessation programs.
Physical Properties of Sub-galactic Clumps at 0.5 ≤ Z ≤ 1.5 in the UVUDF

We present an investigation of clumpy galaxies in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field at 05 ≤ z ≤ 1.5 in the rest-frame far-ultraviolet (FUV) using Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 broadband imaging in F225W, F275W, and F336W. An analysis of 1404 galaxies yields 209 galaxies that host 403 kpc scale clumps. These host galaxies appear to be typical star-forming galaxies, with an average of 2 clumps per galaxy and reaching a maximum of 8 clumps. We measure the photometry of the clumps and determine the mass, age, and star formation rates (SFR) using the spectral energy distribution fitting code FAST. We find that clumps make an average contribution of 19% to the total rest-frame FUV flux of their host galaxy. Individually, clumps contribute a median of 5% to the host galaxy SFR and an average of ~4% to the host galaxy mass, with total clump contributions to the host galaxy stellar mass ranging widely from lower than 1% up to 93%. Clumps in the outskirts of galaxies are typically younger, with higher SFRs, than clumps in the inner regions. The results are consistent with clump migration theories in which clumps form through violent gravitational instabilities in gas-rich turbulent disks, eventually migrate toward the center of the galaxies, and coalesce into the bulge.
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of injury and spontaneous recovery

Until recently, most have assumed that traumatic brain injury (TBI) was singularly associated with the overt destruction of brain tissue resulting in subsequent morbidity or death. More recently, experimental and clinical studies have shown that the pathobiology of TBI is more complex, involving a host of cellular and subcellular changes that impact on neuronal function and viability while also affecting vascular reactivity and the activation of multiple biological response pathways. Here we review the brain's response to injury, examining both focal and diffuse changes and their implications for post-traumatic brain dysfunction and recovery. TBI-induced neuronal dysfunction and death as well as the diffuse involvement of multiple fiber projections are discussed together with considerations of how local axonal membrane changes or channelopathy translate into local ionic dysregulation and axonal disconnection. Concomitant changes in the cerebral microcirculation are also discussed and their relationship with the parallel changes in the brain's metabolism is considered. These cellular and subcellular events occurring within neurons and their blood supply are correlated with multiple biological response modifiers evoked by generalized post-traumatic inflammation and the parallel activation of oxidative stress processes. The chapter closes with considerations of recovery following focal or diffuse injury. Evidence for dynamic brain reorganization/repair is presented, with considerations of traumatically induced circuit disruption and their progression to either adaptive or in some cases, maladaptive reorganization.
Multi-leader Election in a Clustered Graph for Distributed Network Control

This paper discusses an election problem of multiple leaders in a network divided into clusters which specifically takes a form of ring structures or cycles. The objective function is defined by considering a positional relation between adjacent leaders aiming at the reduction of communication latency in a distributed network control. We propose several heuristic approaches which can be adopted to solve the optimization problem in a polynomial time. Our simulations verify the effectiveness of the obtained solutions in different types of graph models.
Selenium and salt mobilization in wetland and arid upland soils of Pariette Draw, Utah (USA)

Abstract Selenium (Se) mobilization in the soils of the Pariette Draw and subsequent accumulation into the Pariette Wetlands threaten wildlife. To gain a better understanding of the soil biogeochemistry of Se in the draw, the physical and chemical properties for two soils in the Pariette Draw located in eastern Utah were compared: one a formerly arid soil (elevation 1448 m) that was flooded following the creation of the wetlands in 1975, and the other an arid soil (elevation 1467 m). The soils were analyzed, and the influence of inundation by irrigation return water of Pariette Draw of Utah was assessed to obtain a better understanding of soil Se and salts in this system. It appears that Se mobility, especially in the wetlands soil, is associated with the distribution of soluble salts in the soil profile. Due to a fluctuating water table caused by a deluge of irrigation return water and high evapotranspiration rates coupled with low precipitation, capillary migration is the dominant mechanism driving the distribution and accumulation of salts and soluble Se in the upper horizons (Byz) of the wetlands soil. The distribution of soluble salts and Se in the upland soil is typical of a downward gravity-driven hydrology process. Gypsum solubility regulated sulfate levels within the Byz horizons of the wetlands soil. We surmise that soluble Se is regulated by the solubility of a sodium selenate sulfate coprecipitate. It appears that the relatively low concentration of Se in the local Pariette Wetlands soil is not the source and cause of Se responsible for adversely affecting wildlife in the wetlands.
The nasa cygnss mission: Overview and status update

The NASA Earth Venture Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) is a constellation of eight microsatellite observatories that was launched into a low (35°) inclination, low Earth orbit on 15 December 2016. Each observatory carries a 4-channel GNSS-R bistatic radar receiver. The radars are tuned to receive the L1 signals transmitted by GPS satellites, from which near-surface ocean wind speed is estimated. The mission architecture is designed to improve the temporal sampling of winds in tropical cyclones (TCs). The 32 receive channels of the complete CYGNSS constellation, combined with the ∼30 GPS satellite transmitters, results in a revisit time for sampling of the wind of 2.8 hr (median) and 7.2 hr (mean) at all locations between 38° North and 38° South latitude. Operation at the GPS L1 frequency of 1575 MHz allows for wind measurements in the TC inner core that are often obscured from other spaceborne remote sensing instruments by intense precipitation in the eye wall and inner rain bands. An overview of the CYGNSS mission is presented, followed by early on-orbit status and results.
New Onset Refractory Status Epilepticus in Pediatric Population: A Single Tertiary Center Experience (P2.296)

Objective: Evaluate etiologies and outcome of New Onset Refractory Status Epilepticus (NORSE) in a pediatric patient population. Background: Ten percent of children and adolescents with a first seizure present with status epilepticus. NORSE is a rare but challenging condition, characterized by the occurrence of a prolonged period of refractory seizures with no readily identifiable cause in otherwise healthy individuals. Design/Methods: This is a single-center retrospective observational study conducted at UTSW/Children’s Medical Center with all patients with new onset refractory status epilepticus between January 2004 and July 2017. We defined refractory status epilepticus (SE) as SE which persisted despite the administration of two anti-seizure medications. Patients with prior history of epilepsy, developmental delay and neonates were excluded. Results: Fifty-two patients were determined to have NORSE. The median age was 3 years old, 56% were females and their mean hospital stay was 26 days. 32 patients had a readily identifiable etiology: hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (12), traumatic brain injury (7), Posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome (4), HSV meningoencephalitis (2), cerebrovascular etiologies (2), EBV meningoencephalitis (1), Group B streptococcus meningitis (1), hypoglycemia (1), brain tumor (1) and Menke’s disease (1). Of those 20 patients with unknown etiology, anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis (1), VGKC Ab encephalitis (1), presumed autoimmune epilepsy associated with ovarian teratoma (1) and acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (2) were identified. For a possible immune-mediated etiology, 15 patients were treated with immunotherapy: high dose steroids (13), plasmapheresis (10) and IVIG (6). Patients with unknown etiology were more likely to be older (8.2 vs 4, p=0.004), have longer ICU stay (20.8 vs 12.15, p=0.03) and lower mortality rate (2 vs 11, p=0.04). Conclusions: The etiology of about third of the children presenting with NORSE remains cryptogenic. A thorough infectious and autoimmune evaluation is warranted in those patients with no clear etiology. NORSE is associated with prolonged ICU stay, high morbidity and mortality. Study Supported by: none Disclosure: Dr Husari has nothing to disclose. Dr. Labiner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Said has nothing to disclose.
THE MODELING OF INELASTIC COMPRESSIBILITY AND INCOMPRESSIBILITY USING THE VISCOPLASTICITY THEORY BASED ON OVERSTRESS (VBO)

An isotropic, small strain theory of viscoplasticity based on overstress (VBO) with inelastic compressibility is formulated that can easily converted to inelastic incompressibility. The theory consists of a flow law the inelastic part of which depends on the overstress. In addition two tensor-valued, stress-like state variables and a scalar, stress like state variable are introduced together with their growth laws. A simplified version needs five constants to represents kinematic hardening, cyclic neutral behavior and nonlinear rate sensitivity, creep and relaxation in the inelastic incompressible case. This version is applied to the modeling of uniaxial monotonic and cyclic loading and ratcheting of AISI 1026 steel with good results.
The Effects of Soil and Poplar Trees on Aflatoxin B1

Mycotoxins which are associated with several crops are becoming more important to the public and environmental health workers because of their potential for causing health problems. Contaminated crops with high levels of aflatoxin are unfit for consumption by humans and animals and are usually disposed of by plowing under soil (Angle 1986; Angle and Wagner 1981; and Goldberg and Angle, 1985), thereby creating the potential for contamination of groundwater. Aflatoxin contamination of the water could be detrimental to the health and welfare of the population since aflatoxin B, is both toxic and carcinogenic (Angle, 1986, Goldberg and Angle, 1985).