cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stable Ion and Electrophilic Chemistry of the Sterically Crowded Stilbene 1,1'-Bi(benzocyclobutenylidene) and Its Derivatives

Generation and NMR studies of novel carbocations and carboxonium ions are reported from sterically hindered stilbene 1,1'-bi(benzocyclobutenylidene) 1, its dimethoxy derivative 5, and from their skeletally rearranged derivatives, namely, the spirocyclic ketone 6, diastereomeric alcohols 7 and isomeric diols 8. Quenching experiments on the carbocations under various conditions resulted in the formation/isolation of several novel covalent adducts. Acid-catalyzed isomerization of the diols 8 produced a remarkable dimeric molecule, whose structure was confirmed by X-ray analysis. Reactions of hindered stilbenes 1 and 5 with Br 2 /CDCl 3 were examined via NMR experiments. The experimentally observed carbocations were also studied computationally by GIAO-DFT and by NICS.
Pulmonary Lymphangiomyomatosis Causing Bilateral Pneumothorax During Pregnancy

A 32-year-old woman, 12 weeks pregnant, presented with bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax that did not heal with tube thoracostomy. At right and left thoracotomy, lymphangiomyomatosis of the lung was found and treated by pleurodesis. Lymphangiomyomatosis has been infrequently reported in the surgical literature, even though it may befall the thoracic surgeon to establish the diagnosis and aid in treatment.
Nitric Oxide Sensitizes Ovarian Tumor Cells to Fas-Induced Apoptosis☆☆☆

Abstract Fas-mediated apoptosis represents one major mechanism by which tumor cells can be eliminated by activated cytotoxic immune lymphocytes. Previously, we have reported that interferon-γ (IFN-γ) sensitizes human ovarian carcinoma cell lines to Fas-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, IFN-γ, together with many other proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, LPS, etc.), can stimulate the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the generation of nitric oxide (NO). In this study, we examined whether nitric oxide is a mediator of IFN-γ-induced sensitization of human ovarian carcinoma cell lines (A2780 and AD10) to Fas-mediated apoptosis and whether NO regulates the expression of the Fas receptor. Treatment of quiescent A2780 and AD10 ovarian carcinoma cells with IFN-γ alone induced the expression of iNOS mRNA as examined by RT-PCR. There was accumulation of nitrite in the culture medium of IFN-γ-treated cells, suggesting the generation of NO x . Like IFN-γ, the use of exogenous sources of NO ( S -nitroso- N -acetylpenicillamine (SNAP)) mimicked the sensitization of both cell lines to anti-Fas cytotoxic antibody (CH11) by IFN-γ. Endogenously produced NO, by IFN-γ pretreatment or exogenous nitrodonors, resulted in the upregulation of Fas receptor mRNA and protein expression. Blocking iNOS activity by N G -monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMA) significantly reduced the sensitization, Fas mRNA, and protein expression observed with IFN-γ pretreatment of the tumor cells. These findings demonstrate that sensitization of human ovarian carcinoma cell lines to Fas-mediated apoptosis by IFN-γ can be due, in part, to the induction of iNOS and the subsequent upregulation of Fas gene expression by reactive nitrogen intermediates. Thus, the sensitivity of tumor cells to Fas-L-mediated cytotoxic immune lymphocytes can be regulated by the induction of NO or intermediates.
Poly(A) Binding Proteins—Are they all created equal?

Poly(A) Binding Proteins (PABPs), represent a major class of regulatory proteins that interact with the 3’ poly(A) tail of mRNA. These highly conserved polypeptides are present only in eukaryotes; vertebrates express four PABPs in the cytoplasm and Arabidopsis expresses eight, in addition one nuclear PABP is expressed1. These cytoplasmic PABPs contain a conserved domain organization using RNA-recognition motifs, globular domains that are also present in other RNA binding proteins. Nuclear PABPs are structurally and functionally distinct from cytoplasmic PABPs and are involved in stimulating maturation of mRNA and export. Originally it was thought that PABPs’ role was to protect the mRNA from degradation by interacting with the poly (A) tail. However, a great number of studies have shown that PABPs can interact with other regulatory sequences in the RNA and protein factors, making the PABP family a key player in numerous pathways for gene expression. In protein synthesis, PABP binds the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs and has multiple functions in initiation of translation as well as binding to the 5’ UTR of PABP mRNA to possibly regulate its own expression2–4. PABP also functions in polyadenlyation, export, surveillance of transcripts, microRNA (miRNA) activity, control of mRNA stability and viral infection1, 5, 6. PABPs appear to lack catalytic activity of their own, but mediate the interactions of factors and RNAs that affect these processes. New roles are being discovered for this multi-functional class of proteins. However, little is known about the differences among the various PABPs. This review will highlight information, where available, on the differing functions of PABPs and new information on their roles in gene expression.
Testing and Simulation of Stress-Stiffening Extreme Poisson’s Ratio Twisted Fiber-Reinforced Elastomer Composites

Laminates that exhibit high and negative Poisson’s ratios can be used as solid-state actuators, passive and active vibration dampers, and for morphing aircraft structures. Recently, fiber-reinforced elastomer (FRE) laminates have been fabricated that exhibit extreme (high and negative) Poisson’s ratios [1]. The current research explores twisted fiber bundle elastomeric laminates (both single and double helix) which are being investigated using experimentation, linear and non-linear finite element analysis (FEA). Twisted fiber bundles can be made from carbon fibers, fiberglass, etc, but for simplicity the current work uses twisted cotton string. It is observed that uniaxial fiber-reinforced elastomer laminates, where the fibers are twisted as shown in Figure 1, exhibit stress stiffening. Negative Poisson’s ratios may be produced if the fiber bundles have a double helical path as simulated by a series of laminated tubes. Future auxetic FRE laminates may be developed that do experience extreme shear.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Between eclecticism and orthodoxy in instructional design

This paper presents the concept of critical flexibility as an alternative to eclecticism in instructional design. Eclecticism is often viewed as a persuasive alternative to theoretical orthodoxy (i.e., rigid use of a single perspective or process) due to the openness and flexibility it purports to offer. In contrast, the authors argue that eclecticism ignores or discourages critical reflection regarding background understanding (e.g., implicit assumptions and values) and perpetuates the lack of openness and flexibility commonly associated with orthodoxy. Critical flexibility, as an alternative to eclecticism, emphasizes an awareness of background understanding, but construes it as capable of being explicated, critically examined, adjusted in specific contexts, and refined or developed over time to facilitate increasingly flexible and effective design practices. The authors clarify the nature of critical flexibility as a general way of being involved in the design process, suggest how it helps overcome the traditional theory–practice split, and discuss several of its implications for scholarship and training.
Statistical inference in cross-country demand systems

Abstract Consumption data on eight goods in 15 countries are used for testing and estimating a system of demand equations across countries. The estimated income elasticities are compared with those of Clements et al. (1979) and Houthakker (1957).
Aminoacylase 3 binds to and cleaves the N-terminus of the hepatitis C virus core protein

Abstract Aminoacylase 3 (AA3) mediates deacetylation of N-acetyl aromatic amino acids and mercapturic acids. Deacetylation of mercapturic acids of exo- and endobiotics are likely involved in their toxicity. AA3 is predominantly expressed in kidney, and to a lesser extent in liver, brain, and blood. AA3 has been recently reported to interact with the hepatitis C virus core protein (HCVCP) in the yeast two-hybrid system. Here we demonstrate that AA3 directly binds to HCVCP (Kd ∼10 μM) that may by implicated in HCV pathogenesis. AA3 also revealed a weak endopeptidase activity towards the N-terminus of HCVCP. Structured summary of protein interactions AA3 cleaves HCVCP by protease assay ( View interaction ). AA3 cleaves AA3 by protease assay ( View interaction ). AA3 binds to HCVCP by surface plasmon resonance (View Interaction: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 )
UBIQUINONE‐10 AS AN ANTIOXIDANT*

Ubiquinol, the reduced form of coenzyme Q, is known as a lipid antioxidant. Its fully oxidized form, ubiquinone, would theoretically not have this activity. However, we report that ubiquinone-10, the oxidized form of coenzyme Q, demonstrated antioxidant activity in model studies against a lipid-soluble free radical generator, 2,2′-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile). This was demonstrated at both 1:100 and 1:1,000 ratios of ubiquinone-10 to lipid (for both methyl linoleate and methyl linolenate). Ubiquinone-10 should therefore not be discounted as a possible antioxidant in more complex systems such as food. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Coenzyme Q (ubiquinol/ubiquinone) is an important component of electron transport in biological tissues and is also classified as a potent antioxidant. It is generally believed that the form that is active as an antioxidant is the reduced ubiquinol. In evaluating the loss of antioxidants in mackerel light and dark muscle tissues, it was observed that the oxidized form, ubiquinone, comprised over 87% of the total coenzyme Q in light muscle and over 93% in dark muscle and this observation did not change under anaerobic conditions. This study was done to determine if the oxidized form of coenzyme Q, ubiquinone, was capable of acting as an antioxidant. In this study, it is shown that it can function in this manner.
Dismissing children's perceptions of their emotional experience and parental care: preliminary evidence of positive bias.

The tendency to perceive caregivers in highly positive terms and to perceive the self as strong and problem-free are two facets of the positive bias characteristic of a dismissing attachment classification in adulthood. However, this link has not yet been examined in children. We evaluated the association between dismissing attachment and positive bias in school-aged children’s reports of their own emotional experience and their parental care, hypothesizing that: (1) compared to secure children, dismissing children would underreport their subjective distress relative to physiological indicators of distress, and (2) dismissing children would report that their parents were warmer/more caring than would secure children. Ninety-seven children between the ages of 8 and 12 completed the Child Attachment Interview, reports of maternal and paternal care, and a psychophysiological threat paradigm. Compared to secure children, dismissing children reported less distress than their startle responses during threat would suggest. In other words, dismissing children showed a greater divergence between subjective and physiological emotional response. Dismissing children rated their parents as warmer and more caring as compared to secure children’s ratings. Results provide support for the association between dismissing attachment and inflated positivity on child-report measures of parental care and emotional experience. Implications of the study’s findings for attachment theory are discussed.
EISPACK — A package of matrix eigensystem routines

Abstract EISPACK is a package of Fortran subroutines that find eigenvalues and eigenvectors of matrices. This paper introduces each of the current members of EISPACK and describes the capability it contributes to the package. The final section describes the planned further extensions of the package.
Anion effects on the liver alcohol dehydrogenase reaction.

Abstract The effects of various anions on the rate constant for dissociation of NADH from a binary complex with horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase were evaluated. Phosphate, sulfate, and fluoride had no effect, while nitrate and the other halide ions caused a three- to fourfold increase in the rate constant for NADH dissociation. These results indicate that a ternary enzyme-NADH-anion complex is formed, and from the anion concentration dependence the relative affinities are iodide > nitrate and bromide > chloride. At high salt concentrations, above 0.2 m , the rate constants for NADH dissociation decreased, which was attributed to a decrease in the activity coefficient of the reactants or “salting in.” The rate constant for NADH dissociation from ternary complex with imidazole, which crystallizes in an orthorhombic form rather than triclinic, was also substantially enhanced by anions. This provides an indication that the enhancement is independent of the conformational state of the enzyme complex. Thus, the most likely explanation for the observed enhancement of NADH dissociation is anion interference with binding of the coenzyme pyrophosphate group, which does not occur with larger anions such as phosphate or sulfate. Since NADH dissociation partially limits the turnover of the enzyme, the effect of nitrate on steady-state turnover was determined. A twofold increase was observed at optimal levels of nitrate, at both substrate inhibitory and noninhibitory concentrations of ethanol.
Michael F. Strmiska, ed., Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives , Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2005, 382 pp., ISBN: 1851096086, hb

The essays that make up this edited volume provide a welcome addition to previous surveys of paganism and neopaganism [by Graham Harvey (2000), Joanne Pearson (2002), Shelley Rabinovitch and James Lewis (2002), and Sarah Pike (2004)] that focus mainly on the USA and the British Isles and on Wicca and its variants. Editor Michael Strmiska broadens this focus by including essays on modern pagan movements in Lithuania and Ukraine, Italian-American Stregheria, Asatru in Iceland and America, Heathenry in Great Britain, Druidry in Ireland, and pagans in the US military. This expanded focus remains organized around a European–American axis, allowing for intriguing discussions of parallels and contrasts between the various groups covered, without becoming a superficial “global encyclopedia.” The essays on eastern Europe highlight the “tenacious preservation” of folklore and customs in these more ethnically homogeneous former Soviet states and the ways these deep streams of cultural memory are reemerging in vibrant pagan movements. Strmiska’s opening essay makes several interesting points about the terms “pagan” and “neopagan.” First, Strmiska traces the development of “pagan” as a pejorative term for pre-Christian polytheisms that threatened Christian dominance throughout northern and central Europe. He points out that modern pagans embrace the term precisely because it marks their break from conventional Christian belief and practice. They also are influenced, he maintains, by positive nineteenth-century anthropological, folkloric, and Romantic portrayals of European pagan religion. These portrayals cast pagan religion in a mysterious and alluring light and also showed how these traditions could be used to stimulate national pride and a respect for cultural patrimony among ethnic subcultures. Finally, contemporary pagans hope that by wearing the label proudly they can honor their pagan ancestors who fought to maintain their spiritual practices in the face of hostility and persecution. Strmiska discusses the disagreements within the pagan community over the use of the term “neopagan,” noting that, for many contemporary pagans, the term is Sophia (2007) 46:105–106 DOI 10.1007/s11841-007-0012-9
Identification of strain-softening constitutive relation from uniaxial tests by series coupling model for localization

Abstract Recent studies of path stability in inelastic bifurcation problems have shown that, even if the specimen is stable, strain softening in uniaxial tests must localize right after the peak stress state into the smallest length permitted by the material, which is approximately equal to the characteristic length of nonlocal continuum. Without knowing this length, the uniaxial stress-strain relation cannot be identified from uniaxial test data. The post-peak stress-strain relation is analyzed on the basis of a series coupling hypotheses. Van Mier's uniaxial compression test results for specimens of different lengths show this hypothesis to be valid.
A Class of Detection Filters for Targets and Anomalies in Multispectral / Hyperspectral Imagery

In this paper we present a class of detection filters based on variations of the spectral screening. Spectral screening is a technique used in reducing the multispectral / hyperspectral data to a representative subset of spectra. The subset is formed such that any two spectra in it are dissimilar and, for any spectrum in the original image cube, there is a similar spectrum in the subset. Spectral screening is performed in a sequential manner, at each step, the subset being increased with a spectrum dissimilar from all the spectra already selected. The procedure, using the spectral angle as similarity measure is employed in a variety of algorithms for linear unmixing and data compression. We modified the algorithm such that at the selection step the spectrum with the largest distance from the set is selected. While not introducing additional computational complexity, the Maximum Spectral Screening (MSS) algorithm ensures that the overlap among the representatives is minimized. MSS is further improved by choosing as first spectra the one with the largest distance to the diagonal, thus transforming the screening into a deterministic process. Second, we investigated the alternative approach where at each step the spectra with the smallest distance (but larger than a threshold value) is selected (Minimum Spectral Screening mSS). The detection filters were obtained as the classification projector matrices based on the spectral subset. The developed algorithms were tested on HYDICE hyperspectral data using the spectral angle and the spectral information divergence. The results indicate that MSS outperforms regular spectral screening detection and mSS.
Long-Term Oncological Outcomes in Women Undergoing Radical Cystectomy and Orthotopic Diversion for Bladder Cancer

Purpose: We compared oncological outcomes in women undergoing radical cystectomy and orthotopic diversion for bladder transitional cell carcinoma.Materials and Methods: From 1990 to 2005, 201 women underwent radical cystectomy, including 120 with an orthotopic neobladder. Median followup was 8.6 years. The clinical course, and pathological and oncological outcomes in these 120 women were analyzed and compared to those in 81 women undergoing radical cystectomy and cutaneous diversion during the same period.Results: Overall 3 of 120 women (2.5%) who received a neobladder died perioperatively. In this group the tumor was pathologically organ confined in 73 patients (61%), extravesical in 18 (15%) and lymph node positive in 29 (24%). Overall 5 and 10-year recurrence-free survival was 62% and 55%, respectively. Five and 10-year recurrence-free survival in patients with organ confined and extravesical disease was similar at 75% and 67%, and 71% and 71%, respectively. Patients with lymph node positive disease ha...
Generating 3D interaction techniques by identifying and breaking assumptions

Researchers have created 3D interaction techniques for immersive virtual worlds, but existing techniques represent just part of the design space. While exploring other parts of the design space might yield more effective techniques, conducting that exploration is difficult and time-consuming. Analyzing the particular task, user, and hardware characteristics for any given problem is straightforward, but only suggests the shape of a potential technique; generating the technique itself still requires a creative breakthrough. We propose extending existing approaches to generating 3D interaction techniques by focusing more explicitly on identifying and breaking assumptions about the real world to inspire potential technique ideas. We describe our approach, suggest an initial list of assumptions to consider, and present a case study of applying the process to create a technique for navigation with visible landmarks and place representations.
Amorphous-SiCBN-Based Metal–Semiconductor–Metal Photodetector for High-Temperature Applications

A photodetector (PD) with metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structure has been developed using an amorphous SiCBN film. The amorphous SiCBN film was deposited on the silicon substrate using reactive RF magnetron sputtering. The optoelectronic performance of the SiCBN MSM devices has been examined through photocurrent measurements. Temperature effect, with respect to photocurrent ratios, has been studied. The detector sensitivity factor, which is determined through the PD current ratio, was greater than five at room temperature. Furthermore, the device showed an excellent current sensitivity factor that is greater than two even at a higher temperature of 200 oC . The improved performance of the device at higher temperatures could open avenues for high-temperature PD applications.
Teaching Adolescent Development

Courses on adolescent development have changed considerably over the past 25 years, mirroring changes in the fields of psychology and human development. The course on adolescent development is particularly suited to illustrate cohort differences and the impact of sociohistorical context on individual development. Students tend to be personally involved in the content of the course, affording instructors special opportunities for effective teaching. It is possible to use students' direct experience in adolescence and their familiarity with the cultural images of adolescents to facilitate their intellectual development away from overgeneralized personal experience toward more relativistic thinking. The value of empirical studies and an objective scientific view can be brought directly to students' awareness. Active strategies such as free writing, journals, autobiography, case studies, and projects help connect the course content to students' own experiences.
EFFECTS OF PERIODS OF WARM WEATHER UPON THE WINTER HARDENED CONDITION OF A PLANT

The influence of alternating periods of high and low temperatures upon the hardening process of plants has been described at various times in the literature (1, 2, 7). The rate at which plants lose this hardened condition when exposed to warm temperatures has been investigated (3, 10, 11). There appears to be relatively little in the literature, however, concerning the ability of a plant to become hardy a second time, following the dehardening process. Most of the work that relates to this subject is intimately connected with the process of vernalization. The implication from the general theory of vernalization, as stated by Lysenko, is that, since " every plant passes through a sequence of phases, which replace one another consecutively and in strict rotation,'' a winter-annual plant, such as winterwheat, would pass into the hardened condition once, and that, having passed out, it could scarcely reenter that condition. Since this investigation was begun, a number of papers have appeared that deal with this topic indirectly. Among these are Kostjucenko and Zarubailo (8, 9), who have reviewed literature dealing with the subject of the dependence of winterhardiness on the conditions of seed ripening. If the seeds of rye or wheat were vernalized upon the mother plant during a cold season of ripening, plants grown from them were found lacking in hardiness. Thus, wheat grown in north Russia was found to produce seed that was not suited for planting in that region, since it had been vernalized upon the mother plant, whereas seed produced on plants from the same lot of seed, but grown further south, produced winter hardy plants. Gregory and Purvis (5, 16) have presented further evidence along the same line. Rudorf (12) subjected winter cereals that had been vernalized to \rarying degrees, to a temperature of 10? C, with various day lengths for various periods of time, and determined the rate of loss of winterhardiness and the degree to which these plants could be rehardened. He concluded that loss of the ability to retain hardiness or to reharden was directly correlated with the degree of vernalization and with the development of the growing point. Voss (14, 15) has presented extensive evidence along the same lines, showing that the degree of vernalization, measured both by microscopic examination of the development of the growing point, and by subsequent growth behavior, is intimately related to the response of the plant to temperatures that ordinarily produce the hardened condition. The length of
Modeling and Training Radial Basis Functions with Integrate-and-Fire Neurons

Various “biologically-inspired” models of computation have been developed over the years. Though their inception may have been inspired by biology, most are not biologically plausible. The concepts of training neural networks by back propagation and global observers occurs nowhere in nature. In this paper, a novel variation on a Radial-Basis Function (RBF) network is proposed that is biologically plausible as supported by the literature. A case study is presented that demonstrate the efficacy of this method in producing functional approximations of difficult problems.
Nonequilibrium chemical instabilities in continuous flow stirred tank reactors: The effect of stirring

We present a simple, phenomenologieal model for chemical reactions which take place in Continuous Flow Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTR). The motivation for developing this model is experimental findings such as those presented by J.C. ROUX et al. [1]. Results of these experiments cannot be adequately explained by existing theory (global Kinetic rate equations or reaction-diffusion models). Our purpose is to develop a better model for CSTR’s. We accomplish this by incorporating two features of turbulent mixing into the overall description: short-range mixing due to molecular diffusion and long-range mixing arising from turbulent diffusion. Our results show that the turbulence of the flow in the reactor affects the state of the chemical reaction. These results are in good qualitative agreement with experimental findings.
A Loophole In Financial Accounting: A Detailed Analysis Of Repo 105

From 2000 to 2008, Lehman used repo transactions to hide billions of dollars on their statements. They also misrepresented the repo transactions as secured borrowings even though they actually recorded the transactions as sales. Valukas report in 2010 stimulated an extensive coverage of the repo transactions and spurred an array of studies addressing issues related to the collapse of financial institutions. Since the Repo 105 maneuver of Lehman provides a good example on how regulatory deficiencies can induce companies to obscure financial reporting and the importance of ethics in deterring these abuses, our study intends to examine repo transactions related accounting standards, illustrate how repo transactions can enhance a banks financial statements, and discuss the importance of business ethics in curtailing accounting irregularities.
West nile virus-associated mortality events in domestic chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar) and domestic impeyan pheasants (Lophophorus impeyanus)

West Nile virus (WNV) infection was diagnosed in captive juvenile chukars (Alectoris chukar), and captive juvenile Impeyan pheasants (Lophophorus impeyanus) on the basis of necropsy, histopathology, polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry. The chukars were kept in a game bird farm that experienced two outbreaks with approximately 25% mortality in hundreds of chukars between September and October 2002 and during the same months in 2003. The submitted pheasants were part of a group of 15 juvenile Impeyan pheasants that all died within approximately 2 wk at the end of August 2002. The macroscopic lesions in the pheasants were dominated by mucosal hemorrhage at the proventricular to ventricular junction and cecal ulcers, whereas the gross lesions in the chukar partridges were nonspecific. The predominant microscopic lesion in the chukar partridges was myocardial necrosis, whereas fibrinous and necrotizing splenitis was prominent in the pheasants. Viral antigen was usually widespread in animals of both species. Spontaneously occurring WNV infection should be considered a differential diagnosis in cases of mortality among select species of galliform birds.
Transmission Electron Microscopy Characterization of Crystals

Since the first observation of dislocations published in 1956, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has become an indispensable technique for materials research. TEM not only provides very high spatial resolution for the characterization of microstructure and microchemistry but also elucidating the mechanisms controlling materials properties. The results of TEM analyses can also shed light on possible ways for improving the crystal quality. With the recent development of the electron exit wave reconstruction technique, the resolution of TEM has exceeded the typical Scherzer point resolution of ≈0.18 nm and observation of dislocation cores with an accuracy of 10 pm has been achieved. Most TEM studies are carried out in a static status; however, dynamic studies using in situ heating, in situ stressing, and even in situ growth can be conducted to study the development, interaction, and multiplication of defects.
Frontiers of Ecology

integration and collaboration as we meet the challenge of understanding the great complexity of biological systems. Ecological subdisciplines are rapidly combining and incorporating other biological, physical, mathematical, and sociological disciplines. The burgeoning base of theoretical and empirical work, made possible by new methods, technologies, and funding opportunities, is providing the opportunity to reach robust answers to major ecological questions. In December 1999 the National Science Foundation convened a white paper committee to evaluate what we know and do not know about important ecological processes, what hurdles currently hamper our progress, and what intellectual and conceptual interfaces need to be encouraged. The committee distilled the discussion into four frontiers in research on the ecological structure of the earth’s biological diversity and the ways in which ecological processes continuously shape that structure (i.e., ecological dynamics). This article summarizes the discussions of those frontiers and explains why they are crucial to our understanding of how ecological processes shape patterns and dynamics of global biocomplexity. The frontiers are 1. Dynamics of coalescence in complex communities 2. Evolutionary and historical determinants of ecological processes: The role of ecological memory 3. Emergent properties of complex systems: Biophysical constraints and evolutionary attractors 4. Ecological topology: Defining the spatiotemporal domains of causality for ecological structure and processes Each of the four research frontiers takes a different approach to the overall ecological dynamics of biocomplexity, and all require integration and collaboration among those approaches. These overlapping frontiers themselves are not necessarily new. Within each frontier, however, are emerging questions and approaches that will help us understand how ecological processes are interconnected over multiple spatial and temporal scales, from local community structure to global patterns.
Substituent Effects on the Self-Assembly/Coassembly and Hydrogelation of Phenylalanine Derivatives.

Supramolecular hydrogels derived from the self-assembly of organic molecules have been exploited for applications ranging from drug delivery to tissue engineering. The relationship between the structure of the assembly motif and the emergent properties of the resulting materials is often poorly understood, impeding rational approaches for the creation of next-generation materials. Aromatic π–π interactions play a significant role in the self-assembly of many supramolecular hydrogelators, but the exact nature of these interactions lacks definition. Conventional models that describe π–π interactions rely on quadrupolar electrostatic interactions between neighboring aryl groups in the π-system. However, recent experimental and computational studies reveal the potential importance of local dipolar interactions between elements of neighboring aromatic rings in stabilizing π–π interactions. Herein, we examine the nature of π–π interactions in the self- and coassembly of Fmoc-Phe-derived hydrogelators by systema...
Ornament as Veneration in Ancient Pueblo Art

Pictographs of kachinas (typically thought of today as ceremonial dancers representing cloudlike ancestral spirits that embody rain) begin to appear on precontact Pueblo ceramics around 1300 CE; some have interpreted this (in association with other findings) as evidence of a “kachina cult” that spread rapidly across the Pueblo Southwest in the fourteenth century. This paper suggests that kachinas can be defined in a less representationally literal way, and thus can be understood as having long been venerated aniconically. White Mountain Redware types employing spiral- and scroll-like motifs and red slips (along with other changes in material-culture traditions) provide one possible example of such aniconic veneration prior to the fourteenth century. The written paper directs methodological attention toward: (1) the issue of “conceptual images” in non-Western tribal arts; (2) the constancy of iconographic “configurations” in the Pueblo Southwest from precontact to postcontact times; and (3) conversely, the necessity of avoiding limited, literal “readings” of Pueblo symbols because of the processes of analogy and association that inform their initial establishment and subsequent use.
Policy emanating from epidemiologic data: what is the proper forum?

While some of my research over the years has had no clear application to disease prevention, another portion has had direct implications for clinical and public health decisions. Not surprisingly, the latter type of research has been (and continues to be) the most rewarding. Mining cancer surveillance data to explore demographic correlates of cancer incidence,1,2 for example, gives me some satisfaction, but not nearly as much as being able to document an effect of certain hormonal regimens on the risk of endometrial cancer.3,4 Or as much as estimat? ing the potential reduction in mortality from colorectal or prostate cancer with screening.5,6 However, having identified a way of using hormones that appears to raise the risk of endometrial cancer, or a screening approach for colorectal cancer that seems to be effective, my articles reporting these findings somehow never go on to recommend avoidance of those hormones, or to recommend establishment of a screen? ing program. What would it take for me to include a policy recommendation in an article that reports re? search results? The short answer to the above question: A lot. The longer answer: All of the following conditions would have to be fulfilled.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in focal epilepsy: 31P and 1H spectroscopy.

La spectroscopie par resonance magnetique (SRM) est rapidement devenue un instrument d'exploration clinique et de recherche en epilepsie. Les etudes chez l'animal montrent des anomalies metaboliques interictales et ictales avec une diminution d'energie et des modifications des molecules neuronales. De meme, des etudes cliniques montrent des anomalies au niveau des molecules energetiques (31P) et cellulaires (1H). La SRM 31P montre une dysfonction metabolique lateralisee chez 65-75 p.100 des patients ayant une epilepsie temporale (PCr/Pi). La SRM 1H utilisant la technique de voxel unique ou l'imagerie par deplacement chimique a demontre une grande sensibilite a la lateralisation dans l'epilepsie temporale (65-96 p.100), des modifications bilaterales etant observees dans 35-45 p.100 des patients. Le role de la SRM dans l'epilepsie extratemporale est moins precis en raison des limitations spatiales des techniques actuelles. Les progres attendus dans ce domaine permettent d'esperer une amelioration de l'utilite clinique de la SRM dans l'epilepsie.
50 Assessing the impact of niosh occupational motor vehicle safety research

The ultimate purpose of violence and injury research is to make positive impacts on the public’s safety. Documenting these impacts is challenging, especially since research is just one of many inputs that influence policy, the environment, and behaviour. Nonetheless, research agencies and researchers are increasingly being called upon to demonstrate the impact of their work, going beyond traditional metrics such as numbers of journal article citations. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently developed a framework for documenting science impacts, adapted from the Institute of Medicine Degrees of Impact framework. The CDC Science Impact Framework uses a combination of narrative, quantitative, and qualitative Methods to document and trace linkages between science and the events and actions that ultimately lead to public health impacts. Starting with a significant output (such as a seminal paper or technological innovation), the framework is used either prospectively or retrospectively to document and demonstrate linkages across five levels of influence: disseminating science, creating awareness, catalysing action, effecting change, and shaping the future. This presentation will illustrate how the CDC Science Impact Framework was applied to the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) research program on occupational motor vehicle safety. Motor vehicles are a leading cause of death and injury at work, and the occupational setting provides unique opportunities for intervention, including influencing employer policies and practices, guidance and materials used by unions and occupational safety professionals, and the design and use of engineering controls on unique work vehicles (e.g. tractor-trailers, fire trucks, and ambulances). This presentation will provide examples of how impacts were traced from key NIOSH documents containing evidence-based policy recommendations and other NIOSH research findings. It will also include lessons learned from this exercise in terms of maximising future impact. Disclaimer The findings and conclusions in this abstract are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of NIOSH.
Airborne Laser Communications Scintillation Measurements

As part of the HAVE LACE (Laser Airborne Communications Experiment) program, optical scintillation data was collected and is being analyzed. This data will be used to examine the effects of scintillation on air-to-air laser communication performance. The HAVE LACE terminals use direct detection of a pulsed diode laser. The random variations in received signal strength, called scintillation, are caused by the time varying index of refraction, called atmospheric turbulence. The scintillation data that was collected is compared to terrestrial scintillation data in an effort to validate atmospheric turbulence models. Valid models can then be used to aid in the design of air-to-air laser communication terminals that provide acceptable probability of error performance.
“Equals” Means “Is the Same As”

36 ularly true of third graders; as many as 90 percent will reject 6 = 6. Children exhibit a strong tendency to accept "equals" only when an operation sign such as " + " or "-" precedes it (Behr, Erlwanger, and Nichols 1980; Kieran 1981; Nibbelink 1981). They tend to think of it as an "operator," as an action signal like "find the answer," or as representing actions like "adds up to" (for addition sentences) or "produces" (for subtraction sentences) (Denmark 1976; Ginsburg 1982). Instead, they should interpret it as a relation, as a statement comparing two entities. It says in 8 = 3 + 5, for instance, that 8 "is the same as" 3 + 5.
Reshaping of telecom band optical signals using programmable pump pulses

We demonstrate reshaping of optical signals in telecom band without a change in wavelength by designing appropriate pump pulses for interaction in a nonlinear χ(2) waveguide.
Dennis K. McLaughlin: Some history and achievements

This paper describes some personal background and a few of the technical achievements of Professor Dennis K. McLaughlin, who has been my colleague at Penn State since 1986. I have known Dennis for ...
Treprostinil Improves Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.

Objective To evaluate the effect of continuous treprostinil in infants with severe pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) on specific markers of pulmonary hypertension severity and to report the safety and tolerability of treprostinil. Study design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of infants with CDH-associated pulmonary hypertension treated with treprostinil from January 2011 to September 2016. Severity of pulmonary hypertension was assessed by echocardiogram and serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) by using time points before initiation and 24 hours, 1 week, and 1 month after treprostinil initiation. Fisher exact tests, Wilcoxon-rank sum tests, and mixed-effects models were used for analysis. Results Seventeen patients were treated with treprostinil for a median of 54.5 days (IQR 44.3-110 days). Compared with the concurrent CDH population (n = 147), infants treated with treprostinil were more likely to require extracorporeal support (76.5% vs 25.2%, P Conclusions In this cohort, treprostinil use was associated with improved severity of pulmonary hypertension assessed by echocardiogram and decreased BNP, with no significant side effects.
Government Housing Policies in the Lead-Up to the Financial Crisis: A Forensic Study

The major cause of the financial crisis in the U.S. was the collapse of housing and mortgage markets resulting from an accumulation of an unprecedented number of weak and risky Non-Traditional Mortgages (NTMs). These NTMs began to default en mass beginning in 2006, triggering the collapse of the worldwide market for mortgage backed securities (MBS) and in turn triggering the instability and insolvency of financial institutions that we call the financial crisis. Government policies forced a systematic industry-wide loosening of underwriting standards in an effort to promote affordable housing. This paper documents how policies over a period of decades were responsible for causing a material increase in homeowner leverage through the use of low or no down payments, increased debt ratios, no loan amortization, low credit scores and other weakened underwriting standards associated with NTMs. These policies were legislated by Congress, promoted by HUD and other regulators responsible for their enforcement, and broadly adopted by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the GSEs) and the much of the rest mortgage finance industry by the early 2000s. Federal policies also promoted the growth of over-leveraged loan funding institutions, led by the GSEs, along with highly leveraged private mortgage backed securities and structured finance transactions. HUD’s policy of continually and disproportionately increasing the GSEs’ goals for low- and very-low income borrowers led to further loosening of lending standards causing most industry participants to reach further down the demand curve and originate even more NTMs. As prices rose at a faster pace, an affordability gap developed, leading to further increases in leverage and home prices. Once the price boom slowed, loan defaults on NTMs quickly increased leading to a freeze-up of the private MBS market. A broad collapse of home prices followed.
Right Hemicolectomy and Ileocecectomy: Single-Port Robotic Approach

Single-incision robotic surgery is utilized in many procedures including but not limited to colectomies, prostatectomies, cholecystectomies, and hysterectomies. The greatest advantage of single-incision robotic surgery compared to laparoscopic is ergonomic superiority and return of triangulation via the cross-arm technique on the da Vinci robot, enhanced three-dimensional acuity, camera stability, and better assistant positioning. Disadvantages such as increased operative and docking time and cost of robot utilization may be offset by more experience and decreased length of stay, respectively. Further studies with larger sample size and cost-benefit analysis will help guide the future of robotic surgery.
Malcev-Admissible Algebras with the Solvable Radical of A− Nonzero

In this chapter we investigate the structure of those flexible Malcev-admissible algebras A for which A− has a semisimple subalgebra S− such that an S−-submodule R of A complementary to S− is a subalgebra of A−. In particular, we give a characterization of such algebras for which either R is a direct summand of A− (i.e., [R,S] = 0), or A is simple and R is abelian (i.e., [R,R] = 0). Included in these classes of algebras are all simple flexible Malcev-admissible algebras such that the solvable radical of A− is either a direct summand of A− or abelian. The main technique is to regard A as a Lie module for a semisimple Lie algebra of derivations of A and to see what restrictions the module structure imposes on the multiplication of A. Our approach is based on the fact that if S− is a semisimple subalgebra of A−, then by (3.6) and (3.7) Der S− is semisimple and inner, and hence by flexibility of A each element of Der S acts as a derivation on A.
Active Transport: Pumps and Exchangers

This chapter describes active transport in terms of the energetics of transport, using the electrochemical potential of the transported material on both sides of the membrane, and the free energy of ATP hydrolysis. The free energy change for sodium, potassium, or calcium entry is calculated for resting cardiomyocytes that have a resting membrane potential. These free energy changes are then used to calculate the overall free energy for the sodium–calcium exchanger or for the sodium–potassium pump. These calculations illustrate thermodynamic coupling between energy-yielding processes and energy-consuming processes. The mechanism of the Na,K-ATPase is considered. Examples of primary and secondary active transport are given.