cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Environmental memory and a possible seasonal bias in the stable isotope composition of (U–Th)/He-dated goethite from the Canadian Arctic

Abstract Goethite (Ax-2) from Axel Heiberg Island (∼80°N) on the margin of the Arctic Ocean is the dominant mineral in a sample of “petrified” Eocene wood, but U, Th, and He measurements suggest that the goethite (α-FeOOH) crystallized in the latest Miocene/Pliocene (ca. 5.5 to 2.8 Ma). Measured δD and δ18O values of Ax-2 are −221 (±6)‰ and −9.6 (±0.5)‰, respectively. The inferred δD and δ18O values of the ancient water were about −139‰ and −18.6‰, respectively, with a calculated temperature of crystallization of 3 (±5)°C, which compares with the modern summer (J-J-A) temperature of 3 °C and contrasts with a modern MAT of −19 °C. Published results from various biological proxies on nearby Ellesmere Island indicate a Pliocene (∼4 Ma) MAT of either −6 or −0.4 °C and corresponding seasonal amplitudes of about 18 or 13 °C. A conductive heat flow model suggests that a temperature of 3 °C could represent goethite crystallization at depths of ∼100–200 cm (for MAT = −6 °C) or ∼250–450 cm (for MAT = −0.4 °C) over seasonally restricted intervals of time. The δ18O value of the Ax-2 water (−18.6‰) is more positive than the modern J-J-A precipitation (−22‰). In combination, the paleotemperatures and δ18O values of ancient waters (from Ax-2 and published results from three Eocene or Pliocene proxy sites on Axel Heiberg and Ellesmere Islands) are consistent with a warm season bias in those isotopic proxies. The results are also consistent with higher proportions of J-J-A precipitation in the annual total. If so, this emphasizes the importance of seasonality at high latitudes even in times of warmer global climates, and suggests that the Arctic hydrologic cycle, as expressed in the seasonal distribution and isotopic composition of precipitation (perhaps modified by a warmer Arctic Ocean), differed from modern. The δ13C value of the Fe(CO3)OH component in the Ax-2 goethite is +6.6‰, which is much more positive than expected if crystallizing goethite incorporated CO2 derived primarily from oxidation of relict Eocene wood with δ13C values of about −24‰. This apparent paradox may be resolved if the goethite is a product of oxidation of 13C-rich siderite, which had previously replaced wood in an Eocene methanogenic burial environment. Thus, the goethite retains a carbon isotope “memory” of a diagenetic Eocene event, but a δD and δ18O record of the latest Miocene/Pliocene Arctic climate.
Modulation of N-type calcium channel activity by G-proteins and protein kinase C.

N-type voltage-gated calcium channel activity in rat superior cervical ganglion neurons is modulated by a variety of pathways. Activation of heterotrimeric G-proteins reduces whole-cell current amplitude, whereas phosphorylation by protein kinase C leads to an increase in current amplitude. It has been proposed that these two distinct pathways converge on the channel's pore-forming α1B subunit, such that the actions of one pathway can preclude those of the other. In this study, we have characterized further the actions of PKC on whole-cell barium currents in neonatal rat superior cervical ganglion neurons. We first examined whether the effects of G-protein–mediated inhibition and phosphorylation by PKC are mutually exclusive. G-proteins were activated by including 0.4 mM GTP or 0.1 mM GTP-γ-S in the pipette, and PKC was activated by bath application of 500 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). We found that activated PKC was unable to reverse GTP-γ-S–induced inhibition unless prepulses were applied, indicating that reversal of inhibition by phosphorylation appears to occur only after dissociation of the G-protein from the channel. Once inhibition was relieved, activation of PKC was sufficient to prevent reinhibition of current by G-proteins, indicating that under phosphorylating conditions, channels are resistant to G-protein–mediated modulation. We then examined what effect, if any, phosphorylation by PKC has on N-type barium currents beyond antagonizing G-protein–mediated inhibition. We found that, although G-protein activation significantly affected peak current amplitude, fast inactivation, holding-potential–dependent inactivation, and voltage-dependent activation, when G-protein activation was minimized by dialysis of the cytoplasm with 0.1 mM GDP-β-S, these parameters were not affected by bath application of PMA. These results indicate that, under our recording conditions, phosphorylation by PKC has no effect on whole-cell N-type currents, other than preventing inhibition by G-proteins.
Informed consent for obstetrics management: a urogynecologic perspective.

Obstetric management has been modified for conditions with acute, short-term consequences (i.e. breech presentation). It is timely to address those conditions related to the vaginal birth process which may have a delayed but significant negative impact on the mother's quality of life (i.e. urinary and fecal incontinence) but which may be reduced by selectively avoiding the vaginal birth process. The known possible consequences, and other associated risks and benefits, should be discussed with the pregnant patient and her spouse, in order to allow their input into the obstetric decision-making process and to individualize management. Urogynecologists are in a unique, no-conflict-of-interest position to further the acceptance of the concept of obstetrical informed consent. Cesarean delivery should not be seen as a failure of obstetric management, but rather as a safe and acceptable option to the vaginal delivery process, chosen after completing an informed decision-making process.
Political Economy of the World-System: The Imperative of African-Centered Utopias

What is clear to me in this current moment of capitalist crisis and the demand for its alternative is this: African peoples throughout Africa and the diaspora  the United States, Brazil, the Caribbean, Europe  are at the center of dispossession: social, economic, political, and environmental.
Loco Labels and Marketing Madness: Law and Interpreting Information in the American Food Economy

This work in progress analyzes how current food labeling laws, regulations, and policies impact consumers' food purchasing decisions. It makes specific recommendations for stakeholders to re-evaluate the placement of information, as well as the message the information conveys (positive or negative). The draft juxtaposes two examples of American labeling schemes (sodium chloride - salt) and the National Organic Program. Salt is regulated under the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act and is thus evaluated with a scientific standard. On the other hand, the National Organic Program is a marketing effort with no scientific standards - just regulations that dictate how labeled food must be produced in order to display the NOP logo. I have considered relying solely on the salt example, but still feel that the NOP element shows how marketing programs play a signficant role in consumer purchasing decisions (think EnergyStar appliances, cruelty free cosmetics). Comments and feedback are invited and welcome.
Quest for Timely Detection and Treatment of Women With Depression

BACKGROUND: Women are at risk for a wide range of depressive and anxiety disorders and particularly for mood disorders associated with their menstrual cycle, with seasonality, and during the menopausal transition. OBJECTIVE: To review the presentation of depression, the importance of timely and effective treatment, and some of the research surrounding increased prevalence of depression in women, and the times and conditions such as the perimenopausal transition, pregnancy, postpartum period, and comorbidities of this increased risk in women. SUMMARY: Dynamic interactions of both biological and environmental factors contribute to the development of major depression. These include, but are not limited to, predisposing genetic influences, gender, environmental stressors, poor social support, childhood sexual abuse, other psychiatric illness, and trauma. Timely and effective treatment of each episode of depression to remission is critically important. Barriers to instituting collaborative care of depressive i...
Louis Pasteur's three artist compatriots—Henner, Pointelin, and Perraud: A story of friendship, science, and art in the 1870s and 1880s

Biographers have largely ignored Louis Pasteur's many and varied connections with art and artists. This article is the second in a series of the authors' studies of Pasteur's friendships with artists. This research project has uncovered data that enlarge the great medical chemist's biography, throwing new light on a variety of topics including his work habits, his social life, his artistic sensibilities, his efforts to lobby on behalf of his artist friends, his relationships to their patrons and to his own patrons, and his use of works of art to foster his reputation as a leader in French medical science. In a prior article, the authors examined his unique working relationship with the Finnish painter Albert Edelfelt and the creation of the famous portrait of Pasteur in his laboratory in the mid-1880s. The present study documents his especially warm friendship with three French artists who came from Pasteur's home region, the Jura, or from neighboring Alsace. A forthcoming study gives an account of his friendships with Max Claudet and Paul Dubois, both of whom made important images of Pasteur, and it offers further illustrations of his devotion to the fine arts.
Ophthalmic Manifestations of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis).

Purpose: To determine if clinical and histopathologic findings were present in the eyes of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and explore correlations to an animal model of ALS.
Characteristic length of phonon transport within periodic nanoporous thin films and two-dimensional materials

In the past two decades, phonon transport within nanoporous thin films has attracted enormous attention for their potential applications in thermoelectrics and thermal insulation. Various computational studies have been carried out to explain the thermal conductivity reduction within these thin films. Considering classical phonon size effects, the lattice thermal conductivity can be predicted assuming diffusive pore-edge scattering of phonons and bulk phonon mean free paths. Following this, detailed phonon transport can be simulated for a given porous structure to find the lattice thermal conductivity [Hao et al., J. Appl. Phys. 106, 114321 (2009)]. However, such simulations are intrinsically complicated and cannot be used for the data analysis of general samples. In this work, the characteristic length ΛPore of periodic nanoporous thin films is extracted by comparing the predictions of phonon Monte Carlo simulations and the kinetic relationship using bulk phonon mean free paths modified by ΛPore. Under s...
NK cell KIR heterogeneity and evolution

Publisher Summary Human natural killer (NK) cells in the peripheral blood are highly diverse in their expression of HLA class I-specific inhibitory receptors. NK cell heterogeneity is generated by variegated expression of polymorphic MHC class I specific-inhibitory receptors. In humans, these receptors comprise the polygenic and polymorphic Killer cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR), the more conserved NKG2A/CD94 receptors and the LILRB1 receptor. Variegated expression of these receptors generates a NK-cell repertoire that is unique to each human individual. The mechanism that shapes human NK cell repertoires is distinct from the selection mechanisms operating on T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte repertoires. Polygenic and polymorphic KIR combine with diverse HLA class I to determine KIR expression frequencies in the NK cell population, levels of cell-surface expression and the strength of missing-self response for each NK cell subset. Human NK cell expression of KIR and NKG2A is balanced to calibrate the overall response of repertoires against missing-self stimulus. Functional heterogeneity of NK cells is a feature of innate immunity that has been actively maintained in mammalian species through genetic diversification of NK receptors and their ligands. Understanding NK cell heterogeneity will become crucial in clinical medicine as NK cells are increasingly used in immunotherapy.
Sex Differences in Rodent Cognitive Processing and Responses to Chronic Stress

Abstract Chronic stress is associated with a different pattern of physiological, neural, and behavioral changes depending on the sex of the subject receiving the stress. In this review, the sex-dependent effects of chronic stress on learning and memory are reviewed in adult and developing (perinatal and adolescent) rodents. While males show impairments in aspects of cognitive function following chronic stress, females show a general resilience in performance of the same cognitive tasks following the same stresses. Moreover, studies show that alcohol alleviates stress-dependent cognitive impairments in males but is associated with impaired cognition when it is administered to stressed females. The possible role of different learning and memory strategies in the sexes on the outcomes of chronic stress as well as the ability of estradiol to confer cognitive resilience to stress in females is discussed. Finally, the results presented are considered within the context of well described sex differences in mental disorders associated with stress and in relation to substance use/abuse.
New Technologies, New Horizons: Graduate Student Views on Creating Their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)

The purpose of this chapter is to present graduate students’ views of their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) development. These graduate students are also teachers. Data was collected using a mixed method approach founded on the TPACK Framework and social network analysis. Koehler and Mishra (2006) claim that effective teaching with technology requires TPACK, or an ability to integrate content, pedagogy and technology flexibly during the act of teaching. As part of a graduate course on new literacies and media, participants were required to design and implement lessons that incorporated a range of technologies, produce written reflections about their experiences, and engage in online interactions with participants in the class. Qualitative results from participants’ written reflections revealed four themes relative to TPACK. Additionally, a social network analysis demonstrated a positive relationship between participants’ views on their TPACK development and their interaction patterns within the online learning environment. This study shows that the TPACK framework can be a useful tool, giving educators a productive way to think about technology integration as they navigate the rapid changes prompted by emerging technologies.
Supporting Learning and Behavior of At-Risk Young Children

AbstractBased on the severe challenges of urban education, the growing capabilities and availability of advanced technology in schools, and experience in implementing technology as part of an urban school reform effort, the authors hypothesized a role for interactive computer technology (ICT) in supporting learning and behavior of young children who are at risk because of behavior problems. The article reports on an exploratory study to examine the potential of ICT to contribute to learning and behavior improvement. The study employed an experimental design comparing the performance of young, urban, African-American children from low-socioeconomic-status homes who were given specially selected ICT experiences with a comparison group who did not have the ICT treatment. The study also compared the performance of children identified as with or without behavioral problems, but not identified as special education.
Defining outcomes of patients with clinical stage I small cell lung cancer upstaged at surgery

Abstract Background A proportion of patients with clinical stage I small cell lung cancer (SCLC) will be upstaged following surgical resection. The existing data regarding the management of upstaged SCLC patients and guidelines for their treatment remains sparse. The primary objective was to describe the impact of pathologic upstaging following surgical resection. Methods The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with clinical stage I SCLC (cT1-2a,N0,M0) who underwent resection with curative intent followed by adjuvant therapy, excluding patients who underwent surgery alone. Clinical and pathologic T, N, and M staging were compared to identify patients that were upstaged. Results Four-hundred and seventy-seven patients were identified with clinical stage I SCLC. Pathologic upstaging occurred in 25% (117). Of those upstaged, 30% (35) were due to a higher pathologic T descriptor and 81% (95) were due to the presence of nodal disease. Overall 5-year survival was significantly worse for upstaged patients compared with those patients who remained a pathologically stage I (36% vs 52%, p Conclusions Pathologic upstaging is common after surgical resection of stage I SCLC, and is associated with significantly inferior survival. These data provide evidence that recommend the use of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the setting of nodal upstaging after resection of clinical stage I SCLC patients.
Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective

(2007). Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 883-885.
Progress on the relationship of pancreatic cells development and function and intrauterine growth retardation

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) can improve the danger of insulin resistance syndrome. It was reported that regulatory factors of βcells development and enzymes of regulating metabolism of glucose, fat, insulin signal transduction and effecter molecule were expressed at a low level in the IUGR. As a result, the number of β cells, proliferation, insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity was reduced, apoptosis was increased, and glucose intake in peripheral tissue declined. All these factors contribute to the insulin resistance syndrome. Key words: Intrauterine growth retardation; Pancreatic; Animal model; Insulin resistance
Fresnel zone plate light field spectral imaging simulation

Through numerical simulation, we have demonstrated a novel snapshot spectral imaging concept using binary diffractive optics. Binary diffractive optics, such as Fresnel zone plates (FZP) or photon sieves, can be used as the single optical element in a spectral imager that conducts both imaging and dispersion. In previous demonstrations of spectral imaging with diffractive optics, the detector array was physically translated along the optic axis to measure different image formation planes. In this new concept the wavelength-dependent images are constructed synthetically, by using integral photography concepts commonly applied to light field (plenoptic) cameras. Light field cameras use computational digital refocusing methods after exposure to make images at different object distances. Our concept refocuses to make images at different wavelengths instead of different object distances. The simulations in this study demonstrate this concept for an imager designed with a FZP. Monochromatic light from planar sources is propagated through the system to a measurement plane using wave optics in the Fresnel approximation. Simple images, placed at optical infinity, are illuminated by monochromatic sources and then digitally refocused to show different spectral bins. We show the formation of distinct images from different objects, illuminated by monochromatic sources in the VIS/NIR spectrum. Additionally, this concept could easily be applied to imaging in the MWIR and LWIR ranges. In conclusion, this new type of imager offers a rugged and simple optical design for snapshot spectral imaging and warrants further development.
Review: Architecture and the Historical Imagination: Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, 1814–1879, by Martin Bressani

Martin Bressani. Architecture and the Historical Imagination: Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, 1814–1879 Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2014, 624 pp., 86 color and 64 b/w illus. $114.95, ISBN 9780754633402 When the French architect, theorist, and ardent medievalist Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc taught at the Parisian Ecole des Beaux-Arts, he was met by the sneers of students, a reception that ultimately led him to resign after his seventh lecture on 18 March 1864. Scarcely four months earlier, he had been appointed to the newly minted chair of art history and aesthetics at France's stronghold of academic tradition. He had already published most of the volumes of his influential Dictionnaire raisonne de l'architecture francaise du XIe au XVIe siecle ( Dictionary of French Architecture from the Eleventh to the Sixteen Century ) and Entretiens sur l'architecture ( Lectures on Architecture ).1 He was also overseeing the restoration of a number of significant medieval monuments under the auspices of the French government's Commission des Monuments Historiques. At the height of his career, he had developed the modern conception of restoration and helped establish Gothic architecture as France's national style. But his hostile reception at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts was scarcely surprising. He was unconventionally trained, having been mentored from a young age by his uncle, the art critic Etienne Delecluze, and had forgone formal architectural instruction. His short-lived appointment at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts was part of sweeping reforms to the school that the Second Empire government supported by imperial decree in an attempt to dislodge the institution's notorious insularity. To students and academicians, Viollet-le-Duc, whose medievalist focus challenged academic doctrine, may have appeared to be a pawn of the state. Nevertheless, this affair has attained a rather mythical status. John Summerson, for example, hailed Viollet-le-Duc's lectures as nothing less than an important touchstone in the development of modernist architecture.2 Summerson conceived of Viollet-le-Duc as a structural rationalist concerned above all else with the expressive logic of building materials and methods of construction, …
Review of Uninformed: Why People Know so Little about Politics and What We Can do about It

I write this review in the wake of the devastating Bowling Green Massacre of 2017. While this—let’s call it—“alternative event” is tragic in itself, it denotes the apogee of a presidential election...
Scopes on Trial

This chapter reflects on a selection poets and novelists who depicted and explored male gazing, including Italo Calvino, Edith Wharton, Jeffrey Eugenides, Frank O’Hara, Emily Dickinson, Bob Dylan W.B. Yeats, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nell Zink, Dana Spiotta, and Vendela Vida and examines such writers’ relationships to technologies of seeing—telescopes and spyglasses, microscopes and kaleidoscopes—dating back to Galileo and the age of New World “discovery” and argues for a more elastic understanding of the concept of “objectification.” Subheadings: Men and Their Equipment; Gentlemen; In an Emergency; “What Maidens Loth?”; Opposing Selves; From Windows 0.0 to Kaleidoscopy; Warehouse Eyes.
Detectors for Active Interrogation Applications

Abstract Active interrogation creates an environment that is particularly challenging from a radiation-detection standpoint: the elevated background levels from the source can mask the desired signatures from the SNM. Neutron based interrogation experiments have shown that nanosecond-level timing is required to discriminate induced-fission neutrons from the scattered source neutrons. Previous experiments using high-energy bremsstrahlung X-rays have demonstrated the ability to induce and detect prompt photofission neutrons from single target materials; however, a real-world application would require spectroscopic capability to discern between photofission neutrons emitted by SNM and neutrons emitted by other reactions in non-SNM. Using digital pulse-shape discrimination, organic liquid scintillators are capable of reliably detecting neutrons in an intense gamma-ray field. Photon misclassification rates as low as 1 in 106 have been achieved, which is approaching the level of gaseous neutron detectors such as 3He without the need for neutron moderation. These scintillators also possess nanosecond-timing resolution, making them candidates for both neutron-and photon-driven active interrogation systems. We have applied an array of liquid and NaI(Tl) scintillators to successfully image 13.7 kg of HEU interrogated by a DT neutron generator; the system was in the direct presence of the accelerator during the experiment.
Ethical Dimensions of Maxillofacial Surgery

All interactions between doctor and patient, as well as interactions among doctors, have an ethical dimension. This chapter reviews the various domains of ethics in healthcare, including professional ethics, clinical ethics and professional standards. The chapter will also explore ethical issues associated with the profession, stages of care, and specific patient situations such as caring for minors, the incompetent adult, and the adult with compromised decisional capacity.
A Study on Communication Network Reliability for Advanced Metering Infrastructure in Smart Grid

One of the critical challenges remained in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) in smart grid is communication network reliability. Ensuring a high communication network reliability for smart grid AMI is a fundamental requirement, which defines the availability of assured data transmission and information delivery. The traditional communication architecture of an AMI follows an access network structure with a tree-based topology, which does not always satisfy high network robustness and is prone to network failures. To address the challenge, this paper conducts a reliability study on the distributed AMI communication networks. First, this paper examines the underlying connectivity issues of an AMI, and proposes two new solutions to the existing communication architecture of an AMI. Second, a mathematical model is formulated to solve a network connectivity problem, where we try to maintain a high overall network reliability, while satisfying the communication deployment cost constraint at the same time. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the overall network reliability in terms of single link reliability and communication architecture.
Time Is Brain: The Stroke Theory of Relativity

Background Since the introduction of the philosophical tenet “Time is Brain!,” multiple lines of research have demonstrated that other factors contribute to the degree of ischemic injury at any one point in time, and it is now clear that the therapeutic window of acute ischemic stroke is more protracted than it was first suspected. To define a more realistic relationship between time and the ischemic process, we used computational modeling to assess how these 2 variables are affected by collateral circulatory competence. Methods Starting from the premise that the expression “Time = Brain” is mathematically false, we reviewed the existing literature on the attributes of cerebral ischemia over time, with particular attention to relevant clinical parameters, and the effect of different variables, particularly collateral circulation, on the time–ischemia relationship. We used this information to construct a theoretical computational model and applied it to categorically different yet abnormal cerebral perfusion scenarios, allowing comparison of their behavior both overall (i.e., final infarct volume) and in real-time (i.e., instantaneous infarct growth rate). Results Optimal collateral circulatory competence was predictably associated with slower infarct growth rates and prolongation of therapeutic window. Modeling of identifiable specific types of perfusion maps allows forecasting of the fate of the ischemic process over time. Conclusions Distinct cerebral perfusion map patterns can be readily identified in patients with acute ischemic stroke. These patterns have inherently different behaviors relative to the time–ischemia construct, allowing the possibility of improving parsing and treatment allocation. It is clearly evident that the effect of time on the ischemic process is relative.
Infection risk of undergoing multiple penile prostheses: an analysis of referred patient surgical histories.

Inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) is the gold standard for medically refractory erectile dysfunction. Infectious complications remain a significant concern in IPP revision surgery. We sought to evaluate the impact of number of IPP surgeries on subsequent infection rates. A retrospective analysis was performed on all new patients (self or outside provider referred) presenting for consideration of IPP revision or salvage surgery between 2013 and 2015. Histories were reviewed including number of prior IPPs, reason for evaluation, and rate, number, and timing of prior IPP infections. No patients were operated on by the primary investigator prior to data acquisition. We identified 44 patients with at least one prior IPP presenting for consultation regarding IPP revision/salvage. There were 88 IPPs placed by 28 different surgeons. In patients with two or more devices, 55% had at least two different surgeons. The most common reason for presentation was malfunction (52%). The risk of specific device infection was strongly correlated and increased based on number of prior IPPs: 1st (6.8%; 3/44), 2nd (18.2%; 4/22), 3rd (33.3%; 4/12), 4th (50%; 4/8), and 5th (100%; 2/2) (R2 = 0.90, p = 0.01). Similarly, overall rates of infection positively correlated with number of prior IPP-related surgeries performed (R2 = 0.97, p < 0.01). The median time to development of infection after most recent IPP surgery was 2 months (IQR 1–3.3 months). Infection rates of revision/salvage IPP surgery increase with each subsequent IPP placement or following IPP-related surgeries. The majority of patients referred for penile implant surgery can expect to have experienced at least one infection by their 4th device. These data represent a change in paradigm on revision prosthetic surgery.
Sensor System for Intelligent Processing of Hot-Rolled Steel

Microstructural engineering offers a means of reducing cycle time and improving product quality with reduced energy cost. Process modelling of hot-rolling of steel has advanced to the point where key metallurgical parameters (e.g. austenite grain size) can be predicted from computer models if other process parameters such as temperature are known. However, a need still remains to develop on-line sensors because sensors can rapidly acquire data for model validation, and could be combined with a process control strategy in feedforward or feedback loops.
Quantifying arc migration and the role of forearc subduction erosion in the central Aleutians

Abstract The active Aleutian arc is currently classified as an accreting margin as most of the arc has a well-developed frontal accretionary prism that formed in the Plio-Pleistocene. We focus on the central Aleutian island arc where the arc massif was built to near its current size by the Late Eocene and has since seen limited growth and endured episodic erosion prior to the development of the accretionary prism. As a result, the volcanic front has migrated northwards tens of kilometers since inception. Along with previous mapping, dating and geochemical data, sixteen new 40Ar/39Ar dates and new geochemical data for volcanic rocks on several central Aleutian Islands supplement recent geochronologic data from six other islands in this region and facilitate an attempt to understand how and where Aleutian arc volcanism has migrated with time. Long-term average arc migration rates range from 0.6 to 5 km/Ma in three distinct locations. The arc migration rate increases to the west and is greatest over the last five million years as the arc migrated from a 7–5 Ma volcanic front to its current location. Arc migration and erosion during this most recent period may have been expedited by either the subduction of the Kula Ridge, which ceased spreading in the early Eocene, or clockwise rotation of the Pacific plate in the late Miocene. Some central Aleutian lavas and plutonic rocks have elevated La/Yb, Sm/Yb, and Sr/Yb, most of which were emplaced during times of arc migration or in the waning stages of a peak in magmatic activity. The strongly fractionated trace element patterns are similar to the basaltic andesites to dacites from the western Aleutian seafloor, which are interpreted to be the result of residual garnet during partial melting of eclogite in the subducting oceanic crust. However, the existing subduction parameters coupled with the timing of the central Aleutian adakite-like lavas favors a model in which significant subduction erosion of the mafic forearc, including erosion and subsequent melting of the trapped Kula plate (i.e., MORB-like oceanic crust) as well as early Aleutian arc basalts in the mid-crust, may be partly responsible for the eclogitic component observed in central Aleutian magmas.
Reconciling the Discrepancies in Medicine's Relationship to Medical Marijuana

Despite medical marijuana's increasing use and acceptance, physician understanding of the risks and benefits of its use, guidance from medical associations, and accommodations for documentation in ...
TOTALSYNTHESE VON ALTOHYRTIN A (SPONGISTATIN 1) : TEIL 2

Auserordentlich cytotoxisch sind die aus Meeresschwammen isolierten Spongipyrane. Sie wirken gegen mehrere menschliche Krebszellinien, wobei das als erste Verbindung dieser Naturstoffklasse isolierte Spongistatin 1 am wirksamsten ist. Die erste Totalsynthese dieses Makrolids wurde nun abgeschlossen. Durch sie wird die von Kitagawa et al. vorgeschlagene relative und absolute Konfiguration bestatigt und nachgewiesen, das Altohyrtin A und Spongistatin 1 identisch sind.
Palmar Warming for Radial Artery Vasodilation to Facilitate Transradial Access: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE To investigate the efficacy of palmar warming to induce radial artery vasodilation. MATERIALS AND METHODS After informed consent was obtained, healthy volunteers (n = 45) were randomized 2:1 in palmar warming and control groups, respectively, for this prospective, randomized, single-blind clinical trial (NCT03620383). The palmar warming group was given a warm, commercially available, air-activated heat pack (Kobayashi Consumer Products LLC, Dalton, Georgia) to hold in the left hand for palmar warming. The control group was given a deactivated version of the same heat pack. Left radial artery cross-sectional area (CSA) measurements were obtained at baseline and in 5-minute intervals up to 20 minutes in both groups. Differences in the trends of changes in the radial artery CSA between palmar warming and control groups were examined with the age- and sex-adjusted repeated measure analysis of variance. Propensity score-matched treatment effect analysis was conducted to quantify the effect of heat on radial artery CSA. RESULTS The palmar warming group and the control group were significantly different in terms of subject sex (males/females: 7/23 and 10/5, respectively; P = .005) and baseline CSA (2.5±0.2 mm2 vs 3.2±0.3 mm2, respectively; P = .014). Radial artery CSA showed an increasing trend over time in the palmar warming group compared to a stable trend over time in the control group (P < .0001). Propensity score-matched comparison showed a 43.9% increase (95% confidence interval: 34.1%-53.8%) in CSA in the palmar warming group compared to the control group (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS The palmar warming technique is effective at dilating the radial artery and may be a beneficial technique to facilitate transradial access.
The Yin and Yang of RNA Methylation: An Imbalance of Erasers Enhances Sensitivity to FTO Demethylase Small-Molecule Targeting in Leukemia Stem Cells

A prevalent eukaryotic N6-methyladensosine (m6A) post-transcriptional mark can be "erased" by the m6A demethylase FTO, which is commonly deregulated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this issue of Cancer Cell, Huang et al. design small-molecule FTO inhibitors, FB23 and FB23-2, and demonstrate their potent inhibitory impact in AML models.
A fundamental research on synchronized torrefaction and pelleting of biomass

Abstract Synchronized torrefaction and pelleting (STP) was developed as a laboratory scale process to produce torrefied pellets with a single biomass material loading. Two fuel upgrading actions (torrefaction and pelleting) happened simultaneously with the assistance of ultrasonic vibration. It was found that STP elevated biomass temperature to above 200 °C in less than one minute and initiated torrefaction while biomass was pelletized in a mold. A feasibility study showed that STP consistently produced torrefied pellets with improved physical, thermochemical, and hygroscopic properties as an upgraded fuel for biomass co-combustion. STP was effective at enhancing the density and durability of torrefied pellets. Elemental analysis of torrefied biomass material showed increased carbon content, indicating higher heating values of torrefied pellets over non-torrefied biomass. Thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier-transform infrared analysis revealed loss of hydrogen and oxygen-rich matters during STP. Finally, greater hydrophobicity of torrefied pellets was exhibited by less water and vapor absorption compared with non-torrefied biomass.
Future Changes in Hail Occurrence in the United States Determined through Convection-Permitting Dynamical Downscaling

AbstractThe effect of anthropogenically enhanced greenhouse gas concentrations on the frequency and intensity of hail depends on a range of physical processes and scales. These include the environm...
Design and Validation of a Partial-Assist Knee Orthosis with Compact, Backdrivable Actuation

This paper presents the mechatronic design and initial validation of a partial-assist knee orthosis for individuals with musculoskeletal disorders, e.g., knee osteoarthritis and lower back pain. This orthosis utilizes a quasi-direct drive actuator with a low-ratio transmission (7:1) to greatly reduce the reflected inertia for high backdrivability. To provide meaningful assistance, a custom Brushless DC (BLDC) motor is designed with encapsulated windings to improve the motor’s thermal environment and thus its continuous torque output. The 2.69 kg orthosis is constructed from all custom-made components with a high package factor for lighter weight and a more compact size. The combination of compactness, backdrivability, and torque output enables the orthosis to provide partial assistance without obstructing the natural movement of the user. Several benchtop tests verify the actuator’s capabilities, and a human subject experiment demonstrates reduced quadriceps muscle activation when assisted during a repetitive lifting and lowering task.
Angiotensin axis blockade, acute kidney injury, and perioperative morbidity in patients undergoing colorectal surgery: A retrospective cohort study.

Patients undergoing surgery and taking angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) are susceptible to complications related to intraoperative hypotension. Perioperative continuation of such medications in patients undergoing colorectal surgery may be associated with more harm than benefit, as these patients are often exposed to other risk factors which may contribute to intraoperative hypotension. Our objectives were to assess the incidence and severity of postinduction hypotension as well as the rates of acute kidney injury (AKI), 30-day all-cause mortality, 30-day readmission, and hospital length of stay in adult patients undergoing colorectal surgery who take ACEi/ARB. We performed a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing colorectal surgery of ≥4 hour duration at a tertiary care academic medical center between January 2011 and November 2016. The preoperative and intraoperative characteristics as well as postoperative outcomes were compared between patients taking ACEi/ARB and patients not taking these medications. Of the 1020 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 174 (17%) were taking either ACEi or ARB before surgery. Patients taking these medications were more likely to receive both postinduction and intraoperative phenylephrine and ephedrine. The incidences of postoperative AKI (P = .35), 30-day all-cause mortality (P = .36), 30-day hospital readmission (P = .45), and hospital length of stay (P = .25), were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Our results support the current recommendation that ACEi/ARB use is probably safe within the colorectal surgery population during the perioperative period. Intraoperative hypotension should be expected and treated with vasopressors.
Improving the quality of life in breast cancer survivors at risk for lymphedema.

Abstract Background Certain treatments increase lymphedema risk in breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to determine whether quality of life improved with preoperative teaching by a lymphedema expert. Methods Preoperative breast cancer patients were prospectively randomized into intervention group 1 or control group 2. Group 1 had a discussion with the lymphedema expert and at 6 months, in addition to the preoperative surgical discussion and literature given to all. Arm measurements and quality of life evaluation with Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer were completed preoperatively and at intervals for up to 3 years. Lymphedema was verified with a 10% increase in volume or circumference. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed on data. Results There were 119 evaluable patients with no differences between groups 1 and 2. The rate of acute lymphedema was 51.5% (33 of 64) for group 1 and 47.2% (26 of 55) for group 2. Chronic lymphedema presented in 13 patients (9.3% group 1 and 12.7% group 2). Lymphedema was significantly associated with number of lymph nodes resected (P Conclusion Structured lymphedema teaching can help to improve quality of life in lymphedema patients.
ReDiCom: Resilient Communication for First Responders in Disaster Management

Effective communication among first responders during and in the aftermath of a disaster can affect outcomes dramatically. We seek to build a resilient architecture that allows first responders to communicate even with: 1) damage to infrastructure — civilian and / or specialized communication facilities may be damaged by the disaster, and 2) dynamically formed groups — first responder teams may be formed dynamically in response to a disaster and team member addresses (e.g., phone numbers, network addresses) may not be known to one another. We propose a resilient network architecture that allows efficient communication among first responders during and after a disaster [1]. We seek to support dynamically formed groups for incident response, allowing first responders to securely and conveniently communicate based on roles (names). The architecture supports communication in disasters by 1) building resilience into the framework across all the layers, 2) creating a framework that allows communication by role and identity, rather than addresses, 3) supporting multiple modalities (data, voice) for communication among dynamically formed first responder teams, and 4) providing robust and resilient communication and computing even when facilities are error- and disruption-prone.
Ruthenium(II) complexes of the tetradentate polypyridyl thioether 1,2-bis[3′-(2″-pyridyl)-1′-thiapropyl]benzene

Abstract Several new Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes of the novel tetradentate thioether 1,2-bis[3′-(2″-pyridyl)-1′-thiapropyl]benzene (Ppes) form from the dinuclear ruthenium(II) complex [{Ru(Ppes)}2(µ-Cl)2]2+ via reaction with various bidentate diimines. Facile symmetrical bridge cleavage occurs, producing mononuclear complexes of the form [Ru(Ppes)(L)]2+, where L is the bidentate diimine. Redox chemistry shows single-electron Ru(II) → Ru(III) oxidations over a wide range of potentials.
OPTIMAL STABILIZATION POLICY IN A MODEL OF ELASTICITY DYNAMICS

This paper considers the role of optimal fiscal policy in the context of a macrodynamic model of the open economy. The dynamics of the model are governed by the transition of aggregate demand elasticities from their short-run values to long-run values. If there are no instrument costs attributed to government expenditure, then optimal fiscal policy can achieve perfect stabilization of price and exchange rate levels. With instrument costs however, this is no longer possible and the optimal fiscal rule is of the linear feedback variety. This paper investigates the properties of this rule.
Link Stability Analysis of Wireless Sensor Networks Over the Ocean Surface

Link stability is an essential factor that should be considered in the design procedure of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) since it plays an important role in choosing different design options. Link stability becomes even more important in the case of an ocean-surface WSN, where the links between the sensors may change constantly due to ocean wave movements. Despite the importance of ocean-surface WSNs and their advantages over the existing ocean monitoring methods, current research lacks a model that describes the stability of wireless links among the buoyant sensor nodes. The existing models mostly focus on static scenarios, where both transmitter and receiver are mounted on relatively static objects such as large boats, rigs, etc. However, in most cases of ocean-surface WSNs, sensors are often installed on floating objects to take advantage of energy-harvesting systems. To fill that void, in this paper we investigate ocean waves’ effects on the Line-of-Sight (LoS) link between buoyant sensors in a homogeneous WSN. Specifically, we derive the blockage probability of LoS links between a buoyant transmitter and receiver pair due to the wave movements, and analyze how environmental effects such as wind speed affect it. The ensuing results from our simulations and theoretical analyses reveal very important and unexpected facts, which are crucial and must be considered in network design.
Mapping the vocal circuitry of Alston's singing mouse with pseudorabies virus

Abstract Vocalizations, like many social displays, are often elaborate, rhythmically structured behaviors that are modulated by a complex combination of cues. Vocal motor patterns require close coordination of neural circuits governing the muscles of the larynx, jaw, and respiratory system. In the elaborate vocalization of Alston’s singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina), for example, each note of its rapid, frequency-modulated trill is accompanied by equally rapid modulation of breath and gape. To elucidate the neural circuitry underlying this behavior, we introduced the polysynaptic retrograde neuronal tracer pseudorabies virus (PRV) into the cricothyroid and digastricus muscles, which control frequency modulation and jaw opening respectively. Each virus singly labels ipsilateral motoneurons (nucleus ambiguous for cricothyroid, and motor trigeminal nucleus for digastricus). We find that the two isogenic viruses heavily and bilaterally co-label neurons in the gigantocellular reticular formation, a putative central pattern generator. The viruses also show strong co-labeling in compartments of the midbrain including the ventrolateral periaqueductal grey and the parabrachial nucleus, two structures strongly implicated in vocalizations. In the forebrain, regions important to social cognition and energy balance both exhibit extensive co-labeling. This includes the paraventricular and arcuate nuclei of the hypothalamus, the lateral hypothalamus, preoptic area, extended amygdala, central amygdala, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Finally, we find doubly labeled neurons in M1 motor cortex previously described as laryngeal, as well as in the prelimbic cortex, which indicate these cortical regions play a role in vocal production. Although we observe some novel patterns of double-labelling, the progress of both viruses is broadly consistent with vertebrate-general patterns of vocal circuitry, as well as with circuit models derived from primate literature.