cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling considerations for improving accuracy of a proton therapy beam with GEANT4

Simulations of a clinical proton treatment nozzle with GEANT4 were performed and compared against measured data to assess simulation accuracy. Various parameters were then adjusted to examine their effect of accuracy and determine optimal values. This analysis included GEANT version (9.3 and 9.5), range cuts, step max, and initial beam model. GEANT4 version 9.5 was found to give better range accuracy than version 9.3. Simulation accuracy was found to not be very sensitive to range cuts and step max parameters, but recommended values for high accuracy simulations are 250 11m for range cuts and 0.1 mm for step max. Finally, the initial beam model was shown to change the lateral profile in the phantom, however, lateral profiles still show significantly higher error rates than depth profiles.
A remote sensing-based tool for assessing rainfall-driven hazards

RainyDay is a Python-based platform that couples rainfall remote sensing data with Stochastic Storm Transposition (SST) for modeling rainfall-driven hazards such as floods and landslides. SST effectively lengthens the extreme rainfall record through temporal resampling and spatial transposition of observed storms from the surrounding region to create many extreme rainfall scenarios. Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves are often used for hazard modeling but require long records to describe the distribution of rainfall depth and duration and do not provide information regarding rainfall space-time structure, limiting their usefulness to small scales. In contrast, RainyDay can be used for many hazard applications with 12 decades of data, and output rainfall scenarios incorporate detailed space-time structure from remote sensing. Thanks to global satellite coverage, RainyDay can be used in inaccessible areas and developing countries lacking ground measurements, though results are impacted by remote sensing errors. RainyDay can be useful for hazard modeling under nonstationary conditions. We introduce RainyDay, a software tool for assessment of rainfall-driven hazards.RainyDay couples rainfall remote sensing with stochastic storm transposition (SST).SST explicitly considers multi-scale hazard impacts of rainfall space-time structure.SST offers advantages potential advantages for nonstationary flood hazard modeling.Limitations exist in complex terrain and due to biases in remote sensing data.
An adaptive threshold determination method of feature screening for genomic selection

Although the dimension of the entire genome can be extremely large, only a parsimonious set of influential SNPs are correlated with a particular complex trait and are important to the prediction of the trait. Efficiently and accurately selecting these influential SNPs from millions of candidates is in high demand, but poses challenges. We propose a backward elimination iterative distance correlation (BE-IDC) procedure to select the smallest subset of SNPs that guarantees sufficient prediction accuracy, while also solving the unclear threshold issue for traditional feature screening approaches. Verified through six simulations, the adaptive threshold estimated by the BE-IDC performed uniformly better than fixed threshold methods that have been used in the current literature. We also applied BE-IDC to an Arabidopsis thaliana genome-wide data. Out of 216,130 SNPs, BE-IDC selected four influential SNPs, and confirmed the same FRIGIDA gene that was reported by two other traditional methods. BE-IDC accommodates both the prediction accuracy and the computational speed that are highly demanded in the genomic selection.
Organocobalt cluster complexes: XXII. α,β-Unsaturated methylidynetricobalt nonacarbonyl complexes

Abstract The reaction of the appropriate RCCl 3 compound with dicobalt octacarbonyl has been used to prepare CH 2 CHCCo 3 (CO) 9 , CH 2 C(CH 3 )CCo 3 (CO) 9 , Me 3 SiCHCHCCo 3 (CO) 9 and CH 3 C(O)CHCHCCo 3 (CO) 9 . A similar reaction with CH 2 CHCH 2 CCl 3 gave a mixture of CH 2 CHCH 2 CCo 3 (CO) 9 , CH 3 CH CHCCo 3 (CO) 9 and CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 CCo 3 (CO) 9 . Protonation of these α,β-unsaturated methylidynetricobalt nonacarbonyl complexes resulted in formation of the αcluster carbonium ions (e.g., CH 2 =C(CH 3 )CCo 3 (CO) 9 + HPF 6 → (OC) 9 Co 3 CC(CH 3 ) 2 + PF6 6 − ), with desilylation occurring during the protonation of Me 3 SiCH CHCCo 3 (CO) 9 . The CH 3 C(O)Cl/AlCl 3 reagent was used to acetylate the first two listed complexes in the β position, and methoxymercuration of CH 2  CHCCo 3 (CO) 9 with Hg(O 2 CCF 3 ) 2 , followed by anion exchange with NaCl, gave ClHgCH 2 CH(OCH 3 )CCo 3 (CO) 9 .
Modeling, design, and testing of a proof-of-concept prototype damper with friction and eddy current damping effects

Abstract Friction is considered as one of the most reliable mechanisms of energy dissipation that has been utilized extensively in passive damping devices to mitigate vibration of civil engineering structures subjected to extreme natural hazards such as earthquakes and windstorms. However, passive friction dampers are well-known for having a highly nonlinear hysteretic behavior caused by stick-slip motion at low velocities, a phenomenon that is inherent in friction and increases the acceleration response of the structure under control unfavorably. The authors have recently proposed the theoretical concept of a new type of damping device termed as “Passive Electromagnetic Eddy Current Friction Damper” (PEMECFD) in which an eddy current damping mechanism was utilized not only to decrease the undesirable effects of stick-slip motion, but also to increase the energy dissipation capacity of the damping device as a whole. That study was focused on demonstration of the theoretical performance of the proposed damping device through numerical simulations. This paper further investigates the influence of eddy current damping on energy dissipation due to friction through modeling, design, and testing of a proof-of-concept prototype damper. The design of this damper has been improved over the design in the previous study. The normal force in this damper is produced by the repulsive magnetic force between two cuboidal permanent magnets (PMs) magnetized in the direction normal to the direction of the motion. The eddy current damping force is generated because of the motion of the two PMs and two additional PMs relative to a copper plate in their vicinity. The dynamic models for the force-displacement relationship of the prototype damper are based on LuGre friction model, electromagnetic theory, and inertial effects of the prototype damper. The parameters of the dynamic models have been identified through a series of characterization tests on the prototype damper under harmonic excitations of different frequencies in the laboratory. Finally, the identified dynamic models have been validated by subjecting the prototype damper to two different random excitations. The results indicate that the proposed dynamic models are capable of representing force-displacement behavior of the new type of passive damping device for a wide range of operating conditions.
Lipid Hydroperoxides as Mediators of Ozone-Induced Oxidative Changes in Human Airway Epithelial Cells

Human exposure to tropospheric ozone (O3) is a significant public health concern. O3 inhalation induces airway inflammation and pulmonary function decrements, and may also lead to cardiovascular morbidity. The carbon-carbon double bonds in polyunsaturated fatty acids are primary targets for oxidation by O3, leading to formation of free radicals, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and lipid hydroperoxides. However, the role of these intermediates in mediating downstream cellular responses to O3 inhalation is not well understood. Previous studies have observed an O3-induced increase in the glutathione redox potential (EGSH) in human airway epithelial cells (HAEC). Impairment of mitochondrial respiration has also been previously observed in mice and rats exposed to O3. We hypothesized that lipid hydroperoxides contribute to these O3-induced oxidative changes in HAEC. In the present study we monitored the EGSH using the fluorogenic sensor roGFP and mitochondrial respiration with the Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer in BEAS-2B cells exposed to lipid hydroperoxides. Overexpression of catalase was used to evaluate the role of H2O2 in the observed hydroperoxide-induced changes. We found that exposure to the linoleic acid-derived hydroperoxide 9-HpODE induces dose-dependent increases in EGSH that are independent of H2O2 production. Exposure to 9-HpODE also caused a decrease in mitochondrial basal oxygen consumption, maximal respiration, and spare respiratory capacity. These results suggest that lipid hydroperoxides are primary effectors of oxidative changes induced by O3 inhalation. This abstract of a proposed presentation does not necessarily reflect EPA policy.
KRAS Oncoprotein Expression Is Regulated by a Self-Governing eIF5A-PEAK1 Feed-Forward Regulatory Loop

There remains intense interest in tractable approaches to target or silence the KRAS oncoprotein as a rational therapeutic strategy to attack pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and other cancers that overexpress it. Here we provide evidence that accumulation of the KRAS oncoprotein is controlled by a self-regulating feed-forward regulatory loop that utilizes a unique hypusinated isoform of the translation elongation factor eIF5A and the tyrosine kinase PEAK1. Oncogenic activation of KRAS increased eIF5A-PEAK1 translational signaling, which in turn facilitated increased KRAS protein synthesis. Mechanistic investigations show that this feed-forward positive regulatory pathway was controlled by oncogenic KRAS-driven metabolic demands, operated independently of canonical mTOR signaling, and did not involve new KRAS gene transcription. Perturbing eIF5A-PEAK1 signaling, by genetic or pharmacologic strategies or by blocking glutamine synthesis, was sufficient to inhibit expression of KRAS, eIF5A, and PEAK1, to attenuate cancer cell growth and migration, and to block tumor formation in established preclinical mouse models of PDAC. Levels of KRAS, eIF5A, and PEAK1 protein increased during cancer progression with the highest levels of expression observed in metastatic cell populations. Combinatorial targeting of eIF5A hypusination and the RAS-ERK signaling pathway cooperated to attenuate KRAS expression and its downstream signaling along with cell growth in vitro and tumor formation in vivo Collectively, our findings highlight a new mechanistic strategy to attenuate KRAS expression as a therapeutic strategy to target PDAC and other human cancers driven by KRAS activation.Significance: These findings highlight a new mechanistic strategy to attenuate KRAS expression as a therapeutic strategy to target human cancers driven by KRAS activation. Cancer Res; 78(6); 1444-56. ©2018 AACR.
A Taxonomic Treatment of Sida Sect. Ellipticifoliae (Malvaceae)

Abstract: A taxonomic treatment of Sida L. sect. Ellipticifoliae Fryxell is presented in which eight species and two varieties are recognized. Brief descriptions, a key to species, distribution maps, illustrations, and notes on ecology, etymology, typification, and species relationships are included. Sida inflexa Fernald is reduced to synonymy under S. elliottii Torr. & A. Gray, S. rubromarginata Nash is resurrected in light of new characters, and S. elliottii var. parviflora Chapm. is broadly redefined.
Competing with the private sector: the welfare-maximizing response

Abstract It is becoming increasingly common for the public sector to face competition from private for-profit providers of the same goods and services. How should the public sector respond? This paper examines its optimal response, defined as the one that maximizes community welfare, and applies it to the case of bus transit provision in an urban corridor. We show that an optimal response to entry can significantly increase community welfare and that this is likely to be possible in a wide variety of urban settings. However, since the optimal response can substantially increase public-sector deficits, it may be politically infeasible. We, therefore, study the opportunity costs of several feasible but nonoptimal responses and show that they can generate more than 80% of the benefits achievable by an optimal response. Finally, if the public sector can directly control transport externalities, competition can increase welfare even further.
Uncertainties in the predictions of thermo-physical properties of thermoplastic polymers via molecular dynamics

We quantify the effect of various sources of uncertainties in the prediction of thermo-physical properties of polymers using molecular dynamics simulations. We quantify how the choice of polymer builder, force field, molecular weight and data analysis affect predicted values of the glass transition temperature (Tg), room temperature density and coefficient of thermal expansion of poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS). Interestingly, we find that the data analysis introduces significant uncertainties in Tg (approximately 5%) while the other properties are insensitive to it. The force field is the only variable that significantly affects the predictions of density. Polymer-consistent force field (PCFF) resulted in a higher density for PMMA than Dreiding and the opposite trend was observed in PS; in all cases the difference in density was less than 2%. Strongly correlated with density, we find that PCFF leads to a higher Tg than Dreiding for PMMA and both force fields predict similar Tg values for PS. The trends in Tg can be explained by differences in segmental mobility of the melts predicted by the two force fields. We find that the choice of amorphous polymer builder results in uncertainties in predictions comparable to those associated with the force field due to subtle, but persistent, differences in molecular structure. The results presented here provide insight into the physics behind molecular simulations of polymers and quantitative levels of uncertainties associated with individual sources that can help practitioners of molecular simulations interested in using their results in engineering applications.
Factors Associated With Participation in Cardiac Episode Payments Included in Medicare's Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative.

Importance Medicare’s Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) is a voluntary pilot program evaluating bundled payments for several common cardiovascular conditions. Evaluating the external validity of this program is important for understanding the effects of bundled payments on cardiovascular care. Objective To determine whether participants in BPCI cardiovascular bundles are representative of US acute care hospitals and identify factors associated with participation. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cross-sectional study of hospitals participating in BPCI model 2 bundles for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary artery bypass graft, and percutaneous coronary intervention and nonparticipating control hospitals (October 2013 to January 2017). The BPCI participants were identified using data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and controls were identified using the 2013 American Hospital Association’s Survey of US Hospitals. Hospital structural characteristics and clinical performance data were obtained from the American Heart Association survey and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. One hundred fifty-nine hospitals participating in BPCI model 2 cardiac bundles and 1240 nonparticipating control hospitals were compared, and a multivariable logistic regression was estimated to identify predictors of BPCI participation. Exposures Bundled payments. Main Outcomes and Measures Hospital-level structural characteristics and 30-day risk-adjusted readmission and mortality rates for AMI and CHF. Results Compared with nonparticipants, BPCI participants were larger, more likely to be privately owned or teaching hospitals, had lower Medicaid bed day ratios (ratio of Medicaid inpatient days to total inpatient days: 17.0 vs 19.3;P Conclusions and Relevance Hospitals participating in BPCI model 2 cardiac bundles differed in significant ways from nonparticipating hospitals. The BPCI outcomes may therefore have limited external validity, particularly among small and safety net hospitals with limited clinical cardiac services.
Is Someone in this Office Available to Help Me

Robots are increasingly autonomous in our environments, but they still must overcome limited sensing, reasoning, and actuating capabilities while completing services for humans. While some work has focused on robots that proactively request help from humans to reduce their limitations, the work often assumes that humans are supervising the robot and always available to help. In this work, we instead investigate the feasibility of asking for help from humans in the environment who benefit from its services. Unlike other human helpers that constantly monitor a robot's progress, humans in the environment are not supervisors and a robot must proactively navigate to them to receive help. We contribute a study that shows that several of our environment occupants are willing to help our robot, but, as expected, they have constraints that limit their availability due to their own work schedules. Interestingly, the study further shows that an available human is not always in close proximity to the robot. We present an extended model that includes the availability of humans in the environment, and demonstrate how a navigation planner can incorporate this information to plan paths that increase the likelihood that a robot can find an available helper when it needs one. Finally, we discuss further opportunities for the robot to adapt and learn from the occupants over time.
Dementia Beyond Pathology: What People Diagnosed Can Teach Us About Our Shared Humanity.

In this article, I explore how methods of investigation can allow us either to appreciate the intact cognitive and social abilities of people with Alzheimer’s disease or unwittingly obscure those same abilities. Specifically, I shall assert that (1) the biomedical- quantitative approach, while being generally appropriate for drug efficacy studies, does not allow us to appreciate the many significant strengths possessed by people diagnosed with dementia, (2) qualitative/narrative approaches do so admirably, and (3) understanding the cognitive and social strengths of people diagnosed is of paramount importance for developing optimal care giving approaches and reveals strikingly the shared humanity of those diagnosed with dementia and those deemed healthy.
Voucher Pathways and Student Achievement in Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program

This article examines the pathways that students can follow within the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program and the associations with their math and English language arts achievement in upper elementary and middle school. We analyze student-level longitudinal data by matching voucher and nonvoucher students to estimate the role of participating in the voucher program, taking advantage of the uniqueness of Indiana public and private schools taking the same standardized assessment over time. The different student pathways for using vouchers are related to student achievement with significant achievement losses for students who switch from a public to a private school with a voucher. Students who have always attended a private school, both before and after receiving a voucher, experience no significant changes in achievement.
The Impact of a Comprehensive Resident Curriculum and Required Participation in "This Week in SCORE" on General Surgery ABSITE Performance and Well-Being.

OBJECTIVE This Week in SCORE (TWIS) is a biennial, general surgery curriculum comprised of weekly online modules, readings, and multiple-choice quizzes. In this study, we examined the impact of required TWIS on American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores and well-being among categorical general surgery residents. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS TWIS quiz completion became required in 2017. Residents attended weekly lectures, and ABSITE performance was incentivized with educational stipends. Surveys were distributed to assess study preferences, learning styles, burnout, and grit. Thirty-six categorical general surgery residents who took ABSITE in both 2017 and 2018 were evaluated in a paired-sample, retrospective analysis. RESULTS After requiring TWIS, median ABSITE percentile increased by 12% (65%–77%, p = 0.001). Weekly TWIS completion (59% vs 89%, p CONCLUSIONS After TWIS participation became required, ABSITE performances improved. Formalized curriculum with frequent assessment may foster accountability among residents, enhancing educational climate, well-being, and test performance.
The Influence of Money-related Metaphors on Financial Anxiety and Spending

People often use metaphors to discuss their financial prospects – for example, finding a fortune or searching for wealth. The purpose of the present research was to utilize conceptual metaphor theo...
Fully moderated t-statistic in linear modeling of mixed effects for differential expression analysis

Gene expression profiling experiments with few replicates lead to great variability in the estimates of gene variances. Toward this end, several moderated t-test methods have been developed to reduce this variability and to increase power for testing differential expression. Most of these moderated methods are based on linear models with fixed effects where residual variances are smoothed under a hierarchical Bayes framework. However, they are inadequate for designs with complex correlation structures, therefore application of moderated methods to linear models with mixed effects are needed for differential expression analysis. We demonstrated the implementation of the fully moderated t-statistic method for linear models with mixed effects, where both residual variances and variance estimates of random effects are smoothed under a hierarchical Bayes framework. We compared the proposed method with two current moderated methods and show that the proposed method can control the expected number of false positives at the nominal level, while the two current moderated methods fail. We proposed an approach for testing differential expression under complex correlation structures while providing variance shrinkage. The proposed method is able to improve power by moderation and controls the expected number of false positives properly at the nominal level.
Gut-derived uremic toxin handling in vivo requires OAT-mediated tubular secretion in chronic kidney disease

The role of the renal organic anion transporters OAT1 (also known as SLC22A6, originally identified as NKT) and OAT3 (also known as SLC22A8) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains poorly understood. This is particularly so from the viewpoint of residual proximal tubular secretion, a key adaptive mechanism to deal with protein-bound uremic toxins in CKD. Using the subtotal nephrectomy (STN) model, plasma metabolites accumulating in STN rats treated with and without the OAT inhibitor, probenecid, were identified. Comparisons with metabolomics data from Oat1-KO and Oat3-KO mice support the centrality of the OATs in residual tubular secretion of uremic solutes, such as indoxyl sulfate, kynurenate, and anthranilate. Overlapping our data with those of published metabolomics data regarding gut microbiome-derived uremic solutes - which can have dual roles in signaling and toxicity - indicates that OATs play a critical role in determining their plasma levels in CKD. Thus, the OATs, along with other SLC and ABC drug transporters, are critical to the movement of uremic solutes across tissues and into various body fluids, consistent with the remote sensing and signaling theory. The data support a role for OATs in modulating remote interorganismal and interorgan communication (gut microbiota-blood-liver-kidney-urine). The results also have implications for understanding drug-metabolite interactions involving uremic toxins.
Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids potentiates oxidative stress in human airway epithelial cells exposed to ozone

Abstract Background Dietary intake of the omega-3 family of polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 FA) is associated with anti-inflammatory effects. However, unsaturated fatty acids are susceptible to oxidation, which produces pro-inflammatory mediators. Ozone (O3) is a tropospheric pollutant that reacts rapidly with unsaturated fatty acids to produce electrophilic and oxidative mediators of inflammation. Objective Determine whether supplementation with ω-3 FA alters O3-induced oxidative stress in human airway epithelial cells (HAEC). Methods 16-HBE cells expressing a genetically encoded sensor of the reduced to oxidized glutathione ratio (GSH/GSSG, EGSH) were supplemented with saturated, monounsaturated, or ω-3 FA prior to exposure to 0, 0.08, 0.1, or 0.3 ppm O3. Lipid peroxidation was measured in cellular lipid extracts and intact cells following O3 exposure. Results Relative to cells incubated with the saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids, cells supplemented with ω-3 FA containing 5 or 6 double bonds showed a marked increase in EGSH during exposure to O3 concentrations as low as 0.08 ppm. Consistent with this finding, the concentration of lipid hydroperoxides produced following O3 exposure was significantly elevated in ω-3 FA supplemented cells. Discussion Supplementation with polyunsaturated ω-3 FA potentiates oxidative responses, as indicated by EGSH, in HAEC exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of O3. This effect is mediated by the increased formation of lipid hydroperoxides produced by the reaction of O3 with polyunsaturated fatty acids. Given the inflammatory activity of lipid hydroperoxides, these findings have implications for the potential role of ω-3 FA in increasing human susceptibility to the adverse health effects of O3 exposure.
Inhibiting Freeze-Thaw Damage in Cement Paste and Concrete by Mimicking Nature’s Antifreeze

Summary Since the 1930s, surfactant-based air-entraining admixtures (AEAs) have been used to mitigate freeze-thaw damage in cementitious materials. While effective, entrained air voids weaken concrete and increase its permeability, thereby increasing susceptibility to multiple other forms of in situ degradation. Inspired by nature, we report that a soluble biomimetic antifreeze polymer that displays ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) and dynamic ice shaping (DIS) activities can prevent damage from ice crystal growth in cement paste and concrete. We first report that polyethylene glycol-graft-polyvinyl alcohol (PEG-PVA) mimics the explicit IRI and DIS activity of native ice-binding proteins in high-pH media characteristic of concrete pore solution. Second, we report that addition of PEG-PVA to cement paste and concrete prevents freeze-thaw damage without entraining air. Taken together, the findings demonstrate an alternative mechanistic approach to AEAs that can be leveraged to prevent damage from ice crystal growth in cementitious materials.
An uncharacterized clade in the DMSO reductase family of molybdenum oxidoreductases is a new type of chlorate reductase.

The dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) reductase family of enzymes has many subfamilies catalyzing unique biogeochemical reactions. It also has many uncharacterized subfamilies. Comparative genomics predicted one such subfamily to participate in a key step of the chlorine cycle because of a conserved genetic association with chlorite dismutase, implying they produce chlorite through chlorate or perchlorate reduction. We determined the activity of the uncharacterized enzyme by comparing strains in the phototrophic genus Rhodoplanes that encode either a typical perchlorate reductase or the uncharacterized enzyme. Rpl. piscinae and Rpl. elegans, which encode perchlorate reductase, grew by using perchlorate as an electron acceptor. In contrast, Rpl. roseus, which encodes the uncharacterized enzyme, grew by chlorate reduction but not by perchlorate reduction. This is the first report of perchlorate and chlorate being used as respiratory electron acceptors by phototrophs. When both chlorate and perchlorate were present, Rpl. roseus consumed only chlorate. Highly concentrated Rpl. roseus cells showed some perchlorate consumption, but chlorate consumption occurred at a ten-fold higher rate. Together, these genomic and physiological data define a new group of chlorate reductases. Some organisms encode both this chlorate reductase and a perchlorate reductase, raising new questions about the physiology and evolution of chlorine oxyanion respiration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Reduced Striatal Dopamine Transporter Binding in Major Depressive Disorder

527 Objectives Dopamine (DA) plays an important role in learning and motivation. These functions are reduced in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) signifying the involvement of DA signaling in MDD. The DA transporter (DAT) terminates DA signaling by reuptake of synaptic DA. Post-mortem studies have found decreased DAT in MDD, which has been interpreted as a compensatory down-regulation due to low DA levels; SPECT and PET studies have, however, been inconclusive. The goal of this work was to compare striatal DAT nondisplaceable binding potential (BPND) in individuals with MDD and healthy controls (HCs) using the high-selective DAT radiotracer [11C]altropane. Methods PET data were acquired in 25 unmedicated adults with MDD and 23 HCs using a Siemens HR +. Regional BPND estimates were generated using MRTM2 (cerebellum as a reference) in the caudate (CAU), putamen (PUT), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Results A Group (HCs, MDD) x Region (CAU, PUT, NAc) x Hemisphere (left, right) MANCOVA (covariate:age) indicated a significant Group x Region interaction (p .05). For both the PUT (r=-.36) and VTA (r=-0.36), mean DAT BP was negatively correlated with the number of prior major depressive episodes (MDE; p Conclusions Results indicate decreased DAT in the striatum and VTA in MDD. The specificity of this finding highlights the significance of mesolimbic over nigrostriatal pathways in the pathophysiology of MDD. Decreased DAT in MDD may be explained as a compensatory down-regulation due to chronic low DA signaling. These findings have promising implications for understanding the physiological processes underlying MDD as well as potential for interventions. Research Support R01MH068376, R01MH095809, T32EB013180
Climate of change

Climate change has become a key narrative of our time and prompts us to look forward, to imagine tomorrow. Museums, with their strong community connections and their focus on stories of place and p...
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation of Ectopic Pregnancy: A Value-Added Review.

ABSTRACT Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a known cause of maternal mortality and may be misdiagnosed in up to 50% of pregnant female individuals (Ann Emerg Med. 1996;28(1):10-17). Magnetic resonance imaging, with its superior soft tissue resolution, is a valuable alternative diagnostic modality to diagnose EP when transvaginal ultrasound results are inconclusive. Although an extrauterine gestational sac is the most specific finding, there are other key MRI findings that can aid in diagnosing EP. As availability of MRI access in the emergency department setting increases across the nation, its utility in women with a positive pregnancy test has also increased. Specific MRI findings that are diagnostic of EP include absence of intrauterine pregnancy, adnexal mass separate from the ovary, and hemoperitoneum. In addition, intrauterine ectopic locations, especially intramural, cornual, and cervical pregnancies, can be diagnosed with increased accuracy with the help of MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging is also useful in excluding potential mimics of EP, including adnexal cysts, ovarian neoplasms, and fibroids. In summary, providing an accurate diagnosis and determining the precise location of an EP, which is supported by the use of MRI, is imperative for guiding a patient's treatment to prevent a potentially fatal outcome.
Pick a Number between 0 and 100: An Examination of Percentage-Based Scales

This study provides evidence on the relationship between scale characteristics and participant responses for percentage-based scales (i.e., 101 points) in accounting research. A 4×1 between-subjects experiment examines how common labeling designs affect various statistical properties, including means, variance, normality of the distribution, and frequency of responses. The results indicate that labels on percentage-based scales have a significant impact on the distribution of participants’ responses. Labeling only the endpoints is the lone condition that results in normally distributed data. Additional analyses suggest that labels on percentage-based scales influence participant responses in multiple ways. First, as the number of labels increases, participants may not adequately consider, and thus ultimately select, unlabeled points. Second, while participants seem to inherently interpret percentage-based scales in quartiles and deciles, labeling as such exacerbates this tendency. Finally, when more labels are present, participants seem to engage an anchoring heuristic when selecting their response. Taken as a whole, the results suggest that accounting researchers may benefit from labeling only the endpoints of percentage-based scales.
The Lexus and Olive Tree of Global Communications

In International Communication: Continuity and Change, Daya Kishan Thussu presents a comprehensive and thoroughly readable overview of the significant global impact of communication from ancient times to the Internet era. The book describes major technological, political, cultural, and commercial breakthroughs and trends, and explains how each has helped to make the world a smaller place. Thussu, who holds a doctorate in international relations from the Jawaharal Nehru University in New Delhi and served as associate editor of a London-based international news agency and a senior lecturer in journalism and mass communication at several British universities, views his topic from the perspective of an international journalist and multicultural scholar. Moreover, he strives for an objective approach, advocating neither the policy agenda of multinational communications conglomerates with roots in Western democracies, nor the perspective and media aspirations of the developing world. While acknowledging the demonstrated potential of modern communication technology to effect revolutionary change in all corners of
Design and functionality of a high-sensitivity bomb calorimeter specialized for reactive metallic foils

We have designed and built a unique non-adiabatic bomb calorimeter to measure heat generated from intermetallic formation reactions and the subsequent partial combustion of nanocomposite metallic foils. Reactions are initiated with a low-energy electrical spark and can be performed in 1 atm of air, oxygen, nitrogen, or argon, in order to investigate reaction and burning characteristics in various environments. The bomb was designed to hold the foil samples with minimal thermal contact in order to mitigate heat losses and maximize surface area available for oxidation and nitridation. Samples are limited to the milligram range, and are much less energetic than an equivalent mass of organic material such as benzoic acid. Therefore, to maximize instrument sensitivity, heat capacity was minimized by designing the bomb to be as small as possible and by using low-viscosity silicone oil for the bath instead of water. The calorimeter has an energy equivalent of e (calor) = 279 ± 6 J K−1, allowing us to measure heat generation on the order of tens of Joules. Calibrations were performed in argon using Al:Ni nanocomposite foils with well-known heats of reaction, which were measured using differential scanning calorimetry.
Energy Transfer between Manganese and Erbium Ions in MnF2

We have studied the fluorescence characteristics of the system MnF2:Er and found evidence of a Mn2+→Er3+ energy transfer process. The temperature dependence of this process reveals itself through the spectral behavior of the Er system.
Integrating CUMULVS into AVS/Express

This paper discusses the development of a CUMULVS interface for runtime data visualization using the AVS/Express commercial visualization environment. The CUMULVS (Collaborative, User Migration, User Library for Visualization and Steering) system, developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is an essential platform for interacting with high-performance scientific simulation programs on-the-fly. It provides run-time visualization of data while they are being computed, as well as coordinated computational steering, application-directed checkpointing and fault recovery mechanisms, and rudimentary model coupling functions. CUMULVS primarily consists of two distinct but cooperative libraries - an application library and a viewer library. The application library allows instrumentation of scientific simulations to describe distributed data fields, and the viewer library interacts with this application side to dynamically attach and then extract and assemble sequences of data snapshots for use in front-end visualization tools. A development strategy will be presented for integrating and using CUMULVS in AVS/Express, including discussion of the various objects, modules, macros and user interfaces.
Early Intervention and Early Childhood Services for Families in Rural Settings

This paper presents findings from an eight-year longitudinal qualitative research project involving 23 families. In-depth interviews were designed to gather information on the perceptions and exper...
Modernist Ruins, Filmic Archaeologies. Jane and Louise Wilson’s A Free and Anonymous Monument.

Traducao do texto originalmente publicado em Bruno, Giuliana. 2007. “Modernist Ruins, Filmic Archaeologies. Jane and Louise Wilson’s A Free and Anonymous Monument .” In Public Intimacy: Architecture and the Visual Arts, 43-86. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Cesarean section after prolonged labor; influence of prophylactic sulfonamide and penicillin therapy on operative procedure and end results.

Abstract 1. 1. From June 2, 1940, to Dec. 31, 1949, there were 500 cesarean sections performed on the obstetrical service at Bellevue Hospital; seventy (14 per cent) of these operations were done after labors of 30 hours or more. 2. 2. The seventy patients with prolonged labors in all but one instance were delivered by low flap cesarean section. 3. 3. Fifty-nine cases (all treated by the lower segment transperitoneal type of operation) in which sulfonamides and/or penicillin were used prophylactically intra and/or post partum are analyzed in some detail. All but three had ruptured membranes for an average duration of about 39½hours. 4. 4. Cephalopelvic disproportion was the most frequent primary indication for operative intervention; the most frequent secondary indication was uterine inertia. 5. 5. The over-all morbidity calculated on the scale described was 54.4 per cent. Local infection of the uterus, herein described as endometritis, was the most frequent cause for morbidity, occurring in 88.9 per cent of all morbid patients. 6. 6. Eight cases in which grossly purulent amniotic fluid was discovered at operation are analyzed in detail. 7. 7. In the latter half of the series, along with a higher incidence of hemorrhages, there was a more marked increase in the administration of blood transfusions; 79.3 per cent of all patients received transfusions at operation or immediately postoperatively. 8. 8. There were three fetal or neonatal deaths, an incidence of 5.5 per cent. In two cases double anesthesias were administered, the first because of a complication of labor, the second for the operation. 9. 9. During the period June 2, 1940, to Dec. 31, 1949, there were no deaths following low flap cesarean section after labors of 30 hours or longer from hemorrhage or infection.
Partitioning and behavior of coal macerais during dry coal cleaning

Publisher Summary Fine-coal cleaning is studied using dry, triboelectrostatic experimentation. The 45–75 μn coals are pneumatically transported through a Cu-loop tribocharger and then transported through a 100–200 kV/m electric field. Positively charged coal is deflected to the negative electrode and negatively charged minerals are deflected to the positive electrode. Samples are retrieved and subjected to petrographic analysis. Petrographic analysis of these samples showed that for high volatile A and B bituminous coals, vitrinite macerals are significantly enhanced in the clean coal, whereas the fusinite + semifusinite + exinite maceral are enhanced in the tailings/minerals. For a high volatile C bituminous coal, this trend in enhancement is not observed. The vitrinite partitioning, greater for dry processing than for wet processing, may be related to differences in surface chemical and physical properties of the coals.
Glutamine-dependent asparagine synthetase from leukemia cells. Chloride dependence, mechanism of action, and inhibition.

Abstract Asparagine synthetase, purified from an asparaginase-resistant mouse leukemia (RADA1), catalyzes the formation of l-asparagine, AMP, PPi, and l-glutamate from l-aspartate, l-glutamine, and ATP. l-Glutamine may be replaced by NH4+ as the amide nitrogen donor. The postulated intermediate, β-l-aspartyl adenylate, was prepared by organic synthesis. The enzyme catalyzes the synthesis of ATP from PPi and β-l-aspartyl adenylate. Asparagine synthetase was found to exhibit glutaminase activity both in the presence and absence of the other substrates needed for asparagine synthesis. Both the glutaminase and glutamine-dependent (but not the NH4+-dependent) synthetase activities require chloride ions; Cl- can be replaced by Br- or I-, but with much less activity. The enzyme is inhibited by l-2-amino-4-oxo-5-chloropentanoic acid (which binds, probably covalently, to the enzyme), aminomalonic acid, N-methyl-dl-aspartic acid, and several other compounds. These compounds or similar ones may be useful in augmenting asparaginase therapy of tumors.
Environmental tests comparing Kress Indirect Dry Cooling with conventional Coke Oven Pushing and Quenching

Publisher Summary The Kress indirect dry cooling (KIDC) process offers a technology that has the potential to reduce emissions from coke pushing and quenching at existing coke oven batteries. A box, slightly larger than the coke charge, is positioned flush against the coke oven, after which it receives the push. Then the box is sealed and transferred to the quenching station where the coke is indirectly quenched by running cooling water on the outside of the box. In the conventional process, the coke is exposed to air and water, often resulting in extensive particulate and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Additionally, the KIDC process uses a door remover that cleans the coke-side door and door jamb. This chapter briefly describes the KIDC process and provides an overview of its evaluation through baseline and demonstration emission testing. The analytical tests consisted of baseline quench water analysis, Kress box VOC measurements, area and personnel monitors, and visible emission observations (VEOs).
Exploring Gender through Education Abroad Programs: A Graduate Student Case Study.

This case study explores how graduate students who attended a short-term education abroad program understood gender as a result of participation in the trip. Findings reveal that students’ understandings of gender are influenced by in and out of class contexts. Implications for faculty and education abroad practitioners are shared to deepen and contextualize understanding and development of student participants
Multilevel emotion modeling for autonomous agents

In this article, we propose the design of sensory motor level as part of a three-layered agent architecture inspired from the Multilevel Process Theory of Emotion (Leventhal 1979, 1980; Leventhal and Scherer, 1987). Our project aims at modeling emotions on an autonomous embodied agent, Petra, a more robust robot than our previous prototype Cherry. Our robot has been equipped with sonar and vision for obstacle avoidance as well as vision for face recognition, which are used when she roams around the hallway to engage in social interactions with humans. The sensory motor level receives and processes inputs and produces emotion-like states without any further willful planning or learning. We describe: (1) the psychological theory of emotion which inspired our design, (2) our proposed agent architecture, (3) the needed hardware additions that we implemented on the commercialized ActivMedia’s robot, (4) Petra’s multimodal interface designed especially to engage humans in natural (and hopefully pleasant) social interaction, and finally (5) our future research efforts.
The linear elastic properties of microcellular foams

Abstract The mechanical behaviour of a new type of open-cell foam made by a thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) process was investigated. Foams made by the TIPS process are characterized by cell sizes which are 10–100 times smaller than conventional foam materials. In this work, the linear elastic modulus of these foams in dynamic tension/compression was measured. A comparison was made with the theoretical predictions and experimental data for conventional large-cell foams. Foams studied include polystyrene, poly(4-methyl-1-pentene), polyacrylonitrile and poly(γ-benzyl- l -glutamate) in the density range 0.04–0.13 g cm −3 .
Calcium Channel CatSper is a Non-Genomic Progesterone Receptor of Human Sperm

Elevation of intracellular Ca2+ regulate sperm motility, chemotaxis, capacitation and the acrosome reaction, and play a vital role in the ability of the sperm cell to reach and fertilize the egg. In mammalian spermatozoa, the flagellar pH-dependent Ca2+ channel CatSper is the main pathway for calcium entry as measured by the whole-cell patch clamp technique. Mouse CatSper channel is activated by alkaline intracellular pH, but human CatSper requires also a ligand. By applying the patch-clamp technique to mature human spermatozoa, we found that nanomolar concentrations of female hormone progesterone activate CatSper and this action explains the mechanism of non-genomic action of progesterone on human sperm cells. Progesterone is released by cumulus cells surrounding the oocyte and serves as a chemoattractant for human spermatozoa.Interestingly, human CatSper can be further potentiated by prostaglandins, but apparently through a binding site other than that of progesterone. Behavior of CatSper channel gradually changes during spermiogenesis with CatSper channel being fully operational only in mature spermatozoa. Physiological regulation of CatSper channel by different components of seminal plasma as well as hormones of female reproductive tract will be discussed.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Elastic Response and Tensile Failure of Alumina

We present the results of molecular dynamics simulations of α-alumina performed using the ES+ potential. We concentrate here on the applicability of these potentials to the study of surface structure and thin film elastic response. The aluminum-terminated (0001) surface of α-alumina is found to undergo dramatic relaxation away from bulk values, driven by the electrostatics of atoms near the surface. We find that the local valence is reduced by 25% for surface and near-surface atoms in this orientation. We demonstrate that the strain variation of the elastic constants in a 25 A thick film of α-alumina can differ substantially from the expected behavior in a bulk crystal. The thin film was found to yield at a stress of approximately 45 GPa, in agreement with a calculation of the theoretical limit of yield stress.
Continental Accretion: From Oceanic Plateaus to Allochthonous Terranes

Some of the regions of the anomalously high sea-floor topography in today's oceans may be modern allochthonous terranes moving with their oceanic plates. Fated to collide with and be accreted to adjacent continents, they may create complex volcanism, cut off and trap oceanic crust, and cause orogenic deformaton. The accretion of plateaus during subduction of oceanic plates may be responsible for mountain building comparable to that produced by the collision of continents.