cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantifying Crowding Effects on Transient Encounter Complex Formation during Protein Binding

Formation of transient encounter complexes during the early steps of protein binding is known to play an important role in the specific-complex formation by enhancing the association rate. The cellular medium is crowded with an ensemble of macromolecules, e.g., proteins, nucleic acids, sugars, lipids, etc. These macromolecules occupy the cell as high as 40% of its volume, thereby affecting the stability and speed of protein-protein interactions. We investigate the effects of macromolecular crowding on the formation of protein complexes, especially, encounter complexes, using a residue-based coarse-grained model for proteins and spherical macromolecular crowders. Crowders with solely repulsive interactions with protein(s) stabilize the formation of the native complex, while destabilizing most of the encounter complexes. However, certain encounter complexes, whose shapes are similar to that of the native complex, are shown to be stabilized by these repulsive crowders. On the other hand, attractive crowders exhibit the opposite trend, destabilizing the native complex and stabilizing the encounter complexes. The principal component analysis on the protein complexes shows that the free-energy landscape on the leading principal coordinates is affected by crowders, in which the energy barrier between the native complex and the dominant encounter complex is increased. We develop a theoretical model based on the scaled particle theory to quantify the crowding effects on the formation of encounter complexes. The newly developed theory can predict the effect of crowding accurately over a wide range of crowder sizes and interaction strengths between crowders and proteins. Our study provides the first (to our knowledge) theoretical description of crowding effects on the encounter complexes. We are currently extending its scope to provide microscopic understanding of the protein-protein interactions inside a cell.
Boundary Value Problems: Box Method

This chapter discusses the Box method for boundary value problems. It is applicable to boundary value problems for ordinary differential equations. It yields a numerical approximation of the solution. It is found that using finite differences, the solution to a boundary value problem is determined everywhere on the interval of interest. The procedure on the general second-order linear ordinary differential equation is elaborated. The same technique can be used, with only slight modifications, to systems of higher order ordinary differential equations, with the boundary data given virtually anywhere in the interval of interest.
Effect of the Two-Stage Autohydrolysis of Hardwood on the Enzymatic Saccharification and Subsequent Fermentation with an Efficient Xylose-Utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To effectively utilize sugars during the fermentation process, it is important to develop a process that can minimize the generation of inhibiting compounds such as furans and acids, and a robust micro-organism that can co-ferment both glucose and xylose into products. In this study, the feasibility of efficient ethanol production was investigated using a combination of two approaches: two-stage autohydrolysis of biomass and fermentation using an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce ethanol. When the hardwood chips were autohydrolyzed at 140 °C, followed by the second treatment at 180 °C, a higher yield of sugar conversion and fewer inhibitory effects on subsequent fermentation were achieved compared with the results from single-stage autohydrolysis. A higher overall yield of ethanol resulted by using an engineered yeast strain, SR8. This observation suggests the possibility of the feasible combination of two-stage autohydrolysis and the recombinant yeast.
From Returns to Tweets and Back: An Investigation of the Stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average

ABSTRACTA sizeable percentage of investors are using social media to obtain information about companies (Cogent Research [2008]). As a consequence, social media content about firms may have an impact on stock prices (Hachman [2011]). Various studies utilize social media content to forecast stock market-related factors such as returns, volatility, or trading volume. The objective of this article is to investigate whether a bidirectional intraday relationship between stock returns and volatility and tweets exists. The study analyzed 150,180 minute-by-minute stock price and tweet data for the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average over a random 13-day interval from June 2 to June 18, 2014 using a BEKK-MVGARCH methodology. Findings indicate that 87% of stock returns are influenced by lagged innovations of the tweets data, but there is little evidence to support that the direction is reciprocal, with only 7% of tweets being influenced by lagged innovations of the stock returns. Results further show that...
New Directions in Catholic Historical Research: Saints in Social Work

For over half a century now, the profession of social work has ignored calls to develop critical infrastructures for strengthening and expanding historical research in schools of social work. Since...
Macrophage Polarization Contributes to Glioblastoma Eradication by Combination Immunovirotherapy and Immune Checkpoint Blockade

Summary Glioblastoma is an immunosuppressive, fatal brain cancer that contains glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs). Oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) selectively replicates in cancer cells while inducing anti-tumor immunity. oHSV G47Δ expressing murine IL-12 (G47Δ-mIL12), antibodies to immune checkpoints (CTLA-4, PD-1, PD-L1), or dual combinations modestly extended survival of a mouse glioma model. However, the triple combination of anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, and G47Δ-mIL12 cured most mice in two glioma models. This treatment was associated with macrophage influx and M1-like polarization, along with increased T effector to T regulatory cell ratios. Immune cell depletion studies demonstrated that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as macrophages are required for synergistic curative activity. This combination should be translatable to the clinic and other immunosuppressive cancers.
OPTIMAL PORTFOLIO APPLICATION WITH DOUBLE-UNIFORM JUMP MODEL !

This paper treats jump-diffusion processes in continuous time, with emphasis on the jump-amplitude distributions, developing more appropriate models using parameter estimation for the market in one phase and then applying the resulting model to a stochastic optimal portfolio application in a second phase. The new developments are the use of double-uniform jump-amplitude distributions and time-varying market parameters, introducing more realism into the application model — a lognormal diffusion, log-double-uniform jump-amplitude model. Although unlimited borrowing and short-selling play an important role in pure diffusion models, it is shown that borrowing and shorting is limited for jump-diffusions, but finite jump-amplitude models can allow very large limits in contrast to infinite range models which severely restrict the instant stock fraction to [0,1]. Among all the time-dependent parameters modeled, it appears that the interest and discount rate have the strongest effects.
Chronic Wasting Disease in Cervids in North America

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of free-ranging and farmed cervids in North America that is distinct from scrapie of domestic sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease of humans. The purpose of this paper is to review the current status of CWD in North America. The natural host range of CWD includes mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni). Experimentally, by intracerebral or oral exposure, the host range is wider, but there appears to be a significant barrier to infection of cattle and humans. The exact mechanism of CWD transmission is not known but recent studies indicate that direct transmission, indirect transmission via environmental contamination, and transmission associated with carcasses are possible. Maternal transmission does not appear to play a significant role in CWD. Although still under investigation, polymorphisms in the prion protein influence CWD pathogenesis in mule deer and elk. Studies of CWD pathogenesis following oral exposure demonstrate early widespread distribution of abnormal prion protein in the lymphoid tissue prior to invasion of the central nervous system. These data have lead to techniques for CWD surveillance in deer based on testing retropharyngeal lymph node. However, both brain and lymph node must be tested in elk for highest sensitivity due to differences in pathogenesis in this species compared to deer. The unique nature of a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy occurring in free-ranging cervids is a serious challenge to wildlife managers and animal health agencies in North America.
Cell Fusion and the Introduction of New Information into Temperature-Sensitive Mutants of Mammalian Cells

Cell fusion occurs in nature spontaneously. Barski et al. (1) were the first ones to demonstrate spontaneous fusion between mammalian cells in culture. However, it is likely that many multi-nucleated giant cells found in normal and pathological conditions (for instance, in measles) may be the result of cell fusion. In cell biology, though, cell fusion has been used to introduce new information, of either phenotypic or genotypic nature into viable mammalian cells. Cell fusion should therefore be discussed together with newer methods for introducing information into mammalian cells which include: manual microinjection, transfection, liposomes, loaded erythrocyte ghosts and permeabilization of membranes. Because of space limitations, we shall omit the last three from the discussion, although liposomes and permeabilized membranes have still unexplored potentials, and we shall take into consideration only: 1) cell fusion; 2) manual microinjection; and 3) transfection.
Plutonium Aging: From Mystery to Enigma

The unusual behavior of plutonium in the solid state is a result of plutonium sitting at a transition in the actinide series between 5f electrons participating in bonding vs. being localized or inert in the core of the atom. The metallurgical consequences of this peculiar electronic structure are examined. We then review the consequences of aging on the properties of plutonium and some of its alloys. The principal mechanisms of aging are through surface corrosion (especially with oxygen and hydrogen) and through self-irradiation damage.
Multiplicative Controllability for the Schrödinger Equation

In this chapter we discuss some recent results obtained for multiplicative controllability of the Schrodinger equation. In recent years a substantial progress has been made in investigating the controllability properties of the Schrodinger equation governed by multiplicative control. In this chapter we will discuss some of these results due to Beauchard [11, 12, 14], Beauchard and Coron [16], Beauchard and Mirrahimi [18], Chambrion, Mason, Sigalotti and Boscain [26], Nersesyan [124] and others. It should be noted that the Schrodinger equation that we study below has certain property which sets it apart from the other partial differential equations considered in this monograph. Namely, the L2-norms of its solutions are conserved,regardless of the value of real-valued multiplicative control applied. Therefore, all the results below deal with controllability properties on the unit L2-sphere S, $$ S=\{ \varphi | \varphi \in L^{2}(\Omega, C), \int_{\Omega} | \varphi(x) |^{2} dx =1 \} \in L^{2}(\Omega, C), $$ where Ω is the system’s space domain. The Schrodinger equation with real-valued control is also complex-conjugate time-reversible in the sense that if control u(t), t e [0,T] steers it from u0 to u1 at time t = T, then control u•(t) = u(T –t) steers this equation from ū1 to ū0.
Flipped Classroom for Online Textile Course

The purpose of the study is to explore the concept of flipped classroom (FCR) and its application to online textile course. This study implements advanced technologies (e.g., remote video conferencing) in FCR to provide virtual interactive group activities in online textile class via live-connection. It is expected that FCR with the help of technology will increase class interaction and provide an alternative educational technique for online textile course in higher education. Results of the study may provide pedagogical insights for effective learning activities and improved interaction in online textile class.
Asbestos-free autoclaved wood fiber-cement sheets from recycled old corrugated containers and kraft pulp of Douglas fir: properties and scanning electron microscopy

This study was conducted in cooperation with a United States pulp and paper company targeting part of the pulp production as raw material for fiber-reinforced cement sheets manufacturing. Virgin kraft pulp of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and recycled fiber of old corrugated containers were used in making wood fiber-cement flat sheets. The physical and mechanical properties of the sheets were compared with an available commercial product. Results showed that Douglas fir fiber is a potential choice as reinforcement for wood fiber-cement sheets, as this fiber type outperformed the commercial ones for most of the properties studied. The difference in kappa number from 25 to 35 did not have any effect on the properties of Douglas fir sheets. Even recycled old corrugated containers fiber provided sheets with some properties comparable to the commercial product. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that a dual mechanism of fiber breakage and pull out occurred at rupture.
High-resolution wall temperature measurements with distributed fiber optic sensors

Abstract Conventional methods of surface temperature measurement are often unreliable, and other methods may not be practical in closed, high-temperature spaces. In this study, surface temperature measurements of the cooling panel of a natural circulation facility were performed with fiber optic distributed temperature sensors (DTS). High resolution surface temperature profiles of the cooling panel were acquired under two steady experimental conditions, and compared with measurements performed with nearby thermocouples. The total measurement error of the DTS results presented has been estimated to be ±4.4 °C. The results presented herein show that these DTS can reasonably measure surface temperature when installed with the methods developed in this study. Through the analysis of the DTS data collected, the interesting behavior of the cooling panel was revealed, providing new insights on the system's behavior that may be beneficial to the design and optimization of such heat transfer devices. These sensors can also provide the measurement density necessary for validation efforts with highly-resolved prediction methods such as finite element analysis (FEA) or computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
Monolithic solid-electrolyte interphases formed in fluorinated orthoformate-based electrolytes minimize Li depletion and pulverization

Lithium (Li) pulverization and associated large volume expansion during cycling is one of the most critical barriers for the safe operation of Li-metal batteries. Here, we report an approach to minimize the Li pulverization using an electrolyte based on a fluorinated orthoformate solvent. The solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed in this electrolyte clearly exhibits a monolithic feature, which is in sharp contrast with the widely reported mosaic- or multilayer-type SEIs that are not homogeneous and could lead to uneven Li stripping/plating and fast Li and electrolyte depletion over cycling. The highly homogeneous and amorphous SEI not only prevents dendritic Li formation, but also minimizes Li loss and volumetric expansion. Furthermore, this new electrolyte strongly suppresses the phase transformation of the LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode (from layered structure to rock salt) and stabilizes its structure. Tests of high-voltage Li||NMC811 cells show long-term cycling stability and high rate capability, as well as reduced safety concerns. Parasitic reactions between Li metal and electrolytes need to be mitigated in Li-metal batteries. Here, the authors report the use of a fluorinated orthoformate-based electrolyte, leading to a monolithic solid–electrolyte interphase and subsequently a high-performance Li-metal battery.
Claims-based cardiovascular outcome identification for clinical research: Results from 7 large randomized cardiovascular clinical trials

Background Medicare insurance claims may provide an efficient means to ascertain follow-up of older participants in clinical research. We sought to determine the accuracy and completeness of claims- versus site-based follow-up with clinical event committee (+CEC) adjudication of cardiovascular outcomes. Methods We performed a retrospective study using linked Medicare and Duke Database of Clinical Trials data. Medicare claims were linked to clinical data from 7 randomized cardiovascular clinical trials. Of 52,476 trial participants, linking resulted in 5,839 (of 10,497 linkage-eligible) Medicare-linked trial participants with fee-for-service A and B coverage. Death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and revascularization incidences were compared using Medicare inpatient claims only, site-reported events (+CEC) only, or a combination of the 2. Randomized treatment effects were compared as a function of whether claims-based, site-based (+CEC), or a combined system was used for event detection. Results Among the 5,839 study participants, the annual event rates were similar between claims- and site-based (+CEC) follow-up: death (overall rate 5.2% vs 5.2%; adjusted κ 0.99), MI (2.2% vs 2.3%; adjusted κ 0.96), stroke (0.7% vs 0.7%; adjusted κ 0.99), and any revascularization (7.4% vs 7.9%; adjusted κ 0.95). Of events detected by claims yet not reported by CEC, a minority were reported by sites but negatively adjudicated by CEC (39% of MIs and 18% of strokes). Differences in individual case concordance led to higher event rates when claims- and site-based (+CEC) systems were combined. Randomized treatment effects were similar among the 3 approaches for each outcome of interest. Conclusions Claims- versus site-based (+CEC) follow-up identified similar overall cardiovascular event rates despite meaningful differences in the events detected. Randomized treatment effects were similar using the 2 methods, suggesting claims data could be used to support clinical research leveraging routinely collected data. This approach may lead to more effective evidence generation, synthesis, and appraisal of medical products and inform the strategic approaches toward the National Evaluation System for Health Technology.
Prison Privatization: An Empirical Literature Review and Path Forward:

A substantial body of literature has been devoted to examine the efficacy of prison privatization. Unfortunately, the empirical findings to date are equivocal regarding whether prison privatization...
Neurocognitive development of inhibitory control and substance use vulnerability

Abstract Previous research indicates that risk for substance use is associated with poor inhibitory control. However, it remains unclear whether at risk youth use follow divergent patterns of inhibitory control development. As part of the longitudinal National Consortium on Adolescent Neurodevelopment and Alcohol (NCANDA) study, participants (N = 113, baseline age: 12-21) completed a rewarded antisaccade task during fMRI, with up to three time points. We examined whether substance use risk factors, including dimensional measures of psychopathology (externalizing, internalizing) and family history of substance use disorder, were associated with developmental differences in inhibitory control performance and BOLD activation at both the trial-level and within individual antisaccade epochs (cue, preparation, and response). Among substance use risk factors, only externalizing psychopathology predicted developmental differences in inhibitory control, where high externalizing predicted lower correct response rates and faster latencies were observed in early adolescence, but normalized by late adolescence. Neuroimaging results revealed high externalizing was associated with developmentally-stable hypo-activation in the left middle frontal gyrus (trial-level), but divergent developmental patterns of posterior parietal cortex activation (cue epoch). Developmental differences in inhibitory control associated with externalizing suggest early adolescence may be a unique period of substance use vulnerability via cognitive and phenotypic disinhibition. Highlights Characterized inhibitory control development in adolescents at-risk for substance use. Externalizing psychopathology is associated with lower antisaccade correct response rate and faster latencies in early adolescence. Externalizing performance differences normalize by late adolescence. Externalizing is associated with prefrontal hypo-activation across development. Externalizing moderates age-related increases in posterior parietal cortex activity.
2186 Towards Zero SSIs: Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in High Risk Gynecologic Surgery Patients May Reduce Infections but not Overall Wound Complications

Study Objective Identify whether incisional (or prophylactic) negative-pressure wound therapy (iNPWT) is associated with reduced wound complications. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Quaternary referral academic center. Patients or Participants Included patients underwent an open abdominal procedure for a gynecologic indication with a gynecologic primary surgeon between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2017. Type III or IV incisions were excluded. A total of 568 patients met inclusion criteria. Interventions iNPWT placed over a closed incision. Measurements and Main Results We compared our intervention group of patients who had 1+ additional risk factor and received iNPWT (Group A) to a group of patients managed by gynecologic surgeons who never use iNPWT (Group B) and to a cohort who did not receive iNPWT, but were managed by gynecologic surgeons who use iNPWT (Group C). The primary outcome was a composite of wound complications, including surgical site infections (SSIs), hematomas, seromas, or wound separations, within 30 days following surgery. Results were adjusted using inverse probability weighting. The unadjusted wound complication rates were 18.3%, 13.4% and 16.8%, in Groups A (N=71), B (N=283), and C (N=214), respectively, and were not significantly different. The adjusted rates were similar for overall wound complications but did show a lower SSI rate between Groups A and B (6.7% vs 8.2%) and groups A and C (5.0% vs 10.0%). A subgroup of patients with a BMI >40 kg/m2 and 1 additional risk factor showed similar SSI rates (10.5% vs 10.3%) between Groups A and C, and a lower rate in Group A when compared to Group C (10.5% vs 20.0%). However, SSI rate differences did not reach statistical significance due to low numbers. Conclusion There was no difference in overall wound complication rates among patients receiving iNPWT. Lower SSI rates were seen although statistical significance was not reached. iNPWT as an intervention may impact SSIs more than hematomas, seromas, and wound separations.
Basic Accounting and Interpretation of Financial Statements

Double-entry accounting has been used since ancient times to properly account for costs and revenue. From double-entry accounting, we derive the three basic financial statements: income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement. These basic financial statements are used to assess a business and to help plan strategy. In this chapter, we will discuss basic accounting principles and the use of financial statements relevant to a practicing physician.
Impaired or invalid? Limitations of assessing performance validity using the Boston Naming Test.

The Boston Naming Test (BNT) has been proposed as an embedded performance validity test (PVT), though replication is needed to provide further empirical support of its simultaneous use as a cogniti...
Cardiac myxoma: Review and update of contemporary immunohistochemical markers and molecular pathology

Cardiac myxoma is an uncommon benign mesenchymal neoplasm of the heart. It usually arises in the left atrium, near the valve of the fossa ovalis, and most frequently affects adults in the third through the sixth decades of life. It is hypothesized to arise from subendothelial vasoformative reserve cells or primitive cells that differentiate along the lines of the endothelium, but this remains speculative. Microscopically, the neoplastic cells are arranged individually, and nests, and are oriented in single or multiple layers around vascular channels. The neoplastic cells are immunoreactive for vimentin, calretinin, S100, nonspecific enolase, factor VIII, CD31, and CD34. The tumor can have diverse clinical presentations depending on its location and extent of disease and is predisposed to embolization. The current treatment is prompt surgical excision.
AoI Minimization in Broadcast Channels with Channel State Information

In this paper, we consider a status updating system where updates are generated at a constant rate at K sources and sent to the corresponding recipients through a broadcast channel. We assume that perfect channel state information (CSI) is available at the transmitter before each transmission, and the additive noise is negligible at the receivers. Under various assumptions on the number of antennas at the transmitter and the size of updates, our object is to design precoding and transmission scheduling schemes for the minimization of the summed time-average Age of Information (AoI) at the recipients. We show that when the transmitter has a single antenna, precoding is unnecessary, and the optimal policy is to update each recipient in a greedy round-robin fashion. When the transmitter has multiple antennas, updating with round-robin precoding is age-optimal.
Adsorption of constitutional isomers of cyclic monoterpenes on hydroxylated silica surfaces

We present a study of four monoterpene isomers (limonene, γ-terpinene, terpinolene, and α-pinene) that are prevalent in indoor environments and their interaction with the hydroxylated SiO2 surface, a model for the glass surface, by combining infrared spectroscopy and computational simulations. These isomers are molecularly adsorbed onto SiO2 through π-hydrogen bonds with surface hydroxyl groups. However, experimental results suggest that the strength of interaction of these compounds with the SiO2 surface varies for each isomer, with α-pinene showing the weakest interaction. This observation is supported by molecular dynamics simulations that α-pinene adsorbed on the SiO2 surface has lower free energy of desorption and a lower mass accommodation coefficient compared to other isomers. Additionally, our ab initio molecular dynamics simulations show lower π-hydrogen bonding probabilities for α-pinene compared to the other three constitutional isomers. Importantly, these interactions are most likely present for a range of other systems involving organic compounds and solid surfaces and, thus, provide a thorough framework for comparing the interactions of organic molecules on indoor relevant surfaces.
A Longitudinal Mediation Model of Negative Emotionality, Coping Motives and Drinking Intensity Among Individuals Receiving Community Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder.

AIMS Negative emotionality is a key domain in frameworks measuring heterogeneity in alcohol use disorder (AUD), such as the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA). Recent research has examined the construct validity of the ANA negative emotionality domain, but has not examined whether this domain demonstrates predictive validity for drinking outcomes. In this study, we examined the association between self-reported negative emotionality at baseline and drinking intensity 1 year following AUD treatment initiation. We also assessed whether coping motives for alcohol use at 6 months following treatment initiation and changes in coping motives mediated this association. METHODS This was a secondary data analysis of a multisite prospective study of individuals entering AUD treatment (n = 263; 61.6% male; mean age = 33.8). Measures of coping motives and drinking intensity captured those who experienced a lapse to drinking. The associations between the ANA negative emotionality domain, coping motives and drinking intensity over time were assessed using a latent growth curve mediation model. RESULTS The ANA negative emotionality domain at baseline was indirectly associated with greater 7-12-month drinking intensity through higher coping motives at 6 months. Negative emotionality was not related to change in coping motives over the assessment period and change in coping motives was not related to 7-12-month drinking intensity. CONCLUSIONS This analysis provides evidence for the predictive validity of the ANA negative emotionality domain for coping motives and drinking intensity among treatment seekers who experienced a lapse to drinking. Coping motives may be an important target in AUD treatment among those high in negative emotionality.
The association between famotidine and in-hospital mortality of patients with COVID-19.

Famotidine has been considered to be a potential treatment for COVID-19 but the current data is conflicting. This retrospective study was conducted by utilizing data of 9,565 COVID-19 hospitalized patients. Patients treated with and without famotidine were matched by propensity score using 1:1 matching scheme. 1,593 patients (16.7%) received famotidine. In-hospital mortality was similar in patients treated with and without famotidine in the propensity matched cohorts (28.3% versus 28.2%, P=0.97), which remains similar irrespective of severity or concomitant treatment by steroids. Famotidine treatment was not associated with a lower risk of in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The Trieb of Dialectic: Systematic and Thematic Extension of the Concept of Trieb in Hegel

This chapter examines the systematic and thematic extension that the concept of Trieb receives in Hegel’s mature philosophy, that is, throughout a system conceived as the dialectical connection of a logic, a philosophy of nature, and a philosophy of spirit. For Hegel, the concept of Trieb is no longer the specific and exclusive province of a philosophy of nature, a psychology, or a moral philosophy. While crucial in the thematization of these fields, the notion of Trieb becomes a logical and methodological feature of dialectical processes. The chapter brings this latter point to the fore discussing the occurrence of the concept in central passages of Hegel’s Logic.
Genes and Hearing Loss: Relationship to Oxidative Stress and Free Radical Formation

Genetic evidence in humans and in mice supports the significance of reduction–oxidation (redox) balance in the development and maintenance of normal hearing. Variants in genes that directly or indirectly alter redox balance result in increased susceptibility to hearing loss, including age-related hearing loss and loss associated with noise and ototoxic drugs. Preexposure to low levels of noise, heat, or drugs activates pathways, including oxidative stress response genes, that can protect the cochlea from subsequent ototoxic damage. Further insight into the genetic control of redox balance and its influence on hearing will be accelerated by a variety of advances in genetic and genomic approaches. These include more extensive genome-wide association analyses and next-generation sequencing in human populations to identify genetic variants associated with age- and ototoxin-related hearing loss. In addition, innovations in cellular reprogramming strategies and genome engineering techniques will broaden the range of genetic model systems in which to investigate mechanisms of cochlear pathology and to test therapeutic interventions.
Consumer Interaction with Novel Interfaces: A Typology of Learning from Product Use

A central factor in the adoption of technological innovations is the nature of consumer interaction with new interfaces and how this interaction ultimately impacts adoption. The challenge for firms commercializing novel interfaces is not only to understand how this learning occurs but also to anticipate how they can proactively facilitate consumers' learning process. We propose four types of learning processes that are likely to facilitate adoption: two consumer driven and two firm driven. Keywords: novel interface; technology; technological innovation; consumer learning; technology adoption
Error accumulation of repetitive image coding

Repetitive image coding is encountered in applications such as video transcoding and image/video servers. This paper studies the effect of error accumulation in repetitive image coding. We describe the conditions under which zero-error-accumulation property holds. We study the impact of intermediate operations (like linear filtering, sealing, and shifting) on image quality in repetitive coding. Experiments with DCT, MC, and MPEG coding algorithms are reported. >
Effect of Sulfate on the Activity and the Kinetics of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Degradation by Porcine Spleen Deoxyribonuclease

Abstract Divalent anions such as sulfate, oxalate, and malonate can inhibit porcine spleen deoxyribonuclease completely. At anion concentrations 10- to 100-fold below those which inhibit, a reproducible 20% increase in activity is observed in the hyperchromicity assay of DNase II. For sulfate, half-maximal activation occurs at 6 x 10-5 m and half of complete inhibition occurs at 10-2 m. Sulfate, oxalate, and malonate also protect DNase II completely from inactivation by iodoacetate, which alkylates an essential histidine residue. The concentration of anion needed to reduce by half the rate of inactivation with iodoacetate is approximately equal to the concentration of anion needed to achieve half maximal activation. Concentrations of sulfate which activate DNase II also change the mode of cleavage of the DNA. In the presence of 5 x 10-4 m sulfate the rate of decrease in molecular weight of single-stranded, alkali-denatured DNA is increased dramatically while the rate of decrease of double strand molecular weight is unaffected. The more rapid decrease in single-stranded molecular weight with sulfate corresponds to a 15-fold increase in total phosphodiester bond cleavages. The fraction of total breaks which result in a double strand break declines from 0.80 in the absence of sulfate to 0.04 in 5 mm Na2SO4.
Improved latency insertion method for simulation of large networks with low latency

In this work, a block processing method is introduced to increase the speed of the latency insertion method while maintaining stability. By partitioning a large network into blocks, the simulation speed increases and memory usage is reduced significantly.
la sobeRanía en ÁfRica: casi esTados y oTRos miTos en la TeoRía inTeRnacional

This chapter focuses on two oft-repeated errors. One is the notion that Western states uniformly possess a certain organic coherence generated by a purposeful fit between state and nation, a legitimate state desire to maintain this relation, a proven state capacity to defend itself against competing entities. The other is that post-colonial sovereignty constitutes an historical deviation from Western norms, both as a juridical fiction and an empirical reality. [...] To illustrate my points, I will consider the historical forms of sovereignty that Western hegemons envisioned for Belgium and Switzerland, on the one hand, and Congo/Zaire, on the other, during the last two centuries.
The Texas Mis-Step: Why the Largest Child Removal in Modern U.S. History Failed

This article sets forth the historical and legal reasons as to how the state of Texas botched the removal of 439 children from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints’ parents residing in El Dorado, Texas. The Department of Family and Protective Services in Texas overreached its authority by treating this case like a class action removal based on an impermissible legal argument, rather than focusing on the facts and circumstances that could have been substantiated for a select group of children at risk. This impermissible legal argument regarding the ‘pervasive belief system’ of a polygamist sect that allowed minor females to spiritually marry older adult males sparked questions of how far the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment go in protecting religious freedom and parental rights. Ultimately, there was a failure on both sides of the case – harm caused by the unnecessary removal of hundreds of children who were not in immediate danger of abuse, and harm caused by the return of teenage girls who were at risk for sexual abuse on the Yearning For Zion Ranch. The article concludes by discussing key factors that would have made a difference in the outcome of the case and the impact of this decision on the interrelationship between parents, the state, and the child.
The Global Spread of Constitutional Review

Constitutional review, the power of courts to strike down incompatible legislation and administrative action, is an innovation of the American constitutional order that has become a norm of democratic constitution writing. Whereas before World War II, only a small handful of constitutions contained provisions for constitutional review, as of this writing, 158 out of 191 constitutional systems include some formal provision for constitutional review. Some political systems, such as the United States, have developed vigorous constitutional review even without an explicit textual mandate. How did this institution, whose democratic foundations are so often questioned in its birthplace, become a norm of democratic constitution writing?
Dual-Language Immersion Programs: A Cautionary Note Concerning the Education of Language-Minority Students

Dual-language immersion programs have received a great deal of attention from parents, researchers, and policymakers. The supporters of dual-language immersion see the promise of providing first-language instruction for children with non-English-speaking backgrounds, while simultaneously offering monolingual children access to non-English languages. In this article, Guadalupe Valdes concentrates on the possible negative effects of the dual-language immersion movement. After reviewing the literature on the success and failure of Mexican-origin children, the author raises difficult questions surrounding the use of dual-language immersion in the education of language-minority students. Among the issues raised are the quality of instruction in the minority language, the effects of dual immersion on intergroup relations, and, ultimately, how dual-language immersion programs fit into the relationship between language and power and how that relationship may affect the children and society.
High throughput nematode counting with automated image processing

Nematode counting forms the basis for almost every assay in nematology: population surveys and culture density estimates all rely on accurate, rapid nematode counting. Accurate, rapid nematode counting is especially important for bioassays of entomopathogenic nematodes used for biological control. While manual microscope-based counting has traditionally been the standard, automated image processing holds promise for high-throughput nematode counting. Here we develop image capture and processing techniques to facilitate standard curve development and automated counting of two species of entomopathogenic nematodes. The techniques not only produce accurate nematode counts but also are rapid: timesavings over traditional manual counting are large and increase with increasing sample size. These techniques will likely be generally useful for quantification of all nematode species and potentially other small animals requiring quantification using microscopy.
Wrist Fracture and Risk of Subsequent Fracture: Findings from the Women's Health Initiative Study.

Wrist fractures are common in postmenopausal women and are associated with functional decline. Fracture patterns after wrist fracture are unclear. The goal of this study was to determine the frequency and types of fractures that occur after a wrist fracture among postmenopausal women. We carried out a post hoc analysis of data from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study and Clinical Trials (1993–2010) carried out at 40 US clinical centers. Participants were postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years at baseline. Mean follow-up duration was 11.8 years. Main measures included incident wrist, clinical spine, humerus, upper extremity, lower extremity, hip, and total non-wrist fractures and bone mineral density (BMD) in a subset. Among women who experienced wrist fracture, 15.5% subsequently experienced non-wrist fracture. The hazard for non-wrist fractures was higher among women who had experienced previous wrist fracture than among women who had not experienced wrist fracture: non-wrist fracture overall (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33–1.48), spine (HR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.32–1.66), humerus (HR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.57–2.02), upper extremity (non-wrist) (HR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.70–2.07), lower extremity (non-hip) (HR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.26–1.48), and hip (HR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.32–1.71) fracture. Associations persisted after adjustment for BMD, physical activity, and other risk factors. Risk of non-wrist fracture was higher in women who were younger when they experienced wrist fracture (interaction p value 0.02). Associations between incident wrist fracture and subsequent non-wrist fracture did not vary by baseline BMD category (normal, low bone density, osteoporosis). A wrist fracture is associated with increased risk of subsequent hip, vertebral, upper extremity, and lower extremity fractures. There may be substantial missed opportunity for intervention in the large number of women who present with wrist fractures. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Family Structure, Family Processes, and Adolescent Smoking and Drinking.

This study examined whether family structure was associated with adolescent risk behaviors, including smoking and drinking. Family living arrangements have become increasingly diverse, yet research on adolescent risk behaviors has typically relied on measures of family structure that do not adequately capture this diversity. Data from the 1994-95 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used to conduct logistic regression analyses that revealed adolescents in two biological married parent families were least likely to smoke or drink, whereas adolescents in cohabiting stepfamilies were most likely. Those in single-mother families and married stepfamilies were in between. Maternal socialization was related to reduced odds of smoking and drinking. Maternal modeling was positively associated with smoking and drinking. Family structure is indicative of distinct family processes that are linked to risky behaviors among adolescents. Language: en
Calibrating Use of Emotion Regulation Strategies to the Relationship Context: An Attachment Perspective

This research tested whether adult attachment orientations predict use of emotion regulation strategies in theoretically consistent ways, and whether associations among attachment orientations and emotion regulatory strategies are moderated by critical features of the relationship context. Ninety-six couples (192 individuals) reported on their attachment orientations, habitual use of emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, negative emotion expressivity), and perceptions of relationship closeness and negative partner behaviors. Highly secure individuals reported greater use of cognitive reappraisal, especially when they felt closer to their partners, and engaged in less suppression when their partners behaved more negatively toward them. Highly avoidant individuals reported greater use of suppression, especially when they perceived more negative partner behaviors, and when their partners were more avoidant. Highly anxious individuals also used more suppression when their partners were more avoidant, but they expressed more negative emotions when they were paired with less avoidant partners. Fearful-avoidant individuals' emotion regulation patterns resembled those of both highly secure and dismissive-avoidant individuals. This study illustrates how attending to moderating effects within specific relationships and testing joint effects of both partners' personality characteristics can help identify contextual boundaries of emotion regulation strategies and clarify emotional response patterns in couples.
Demographic and socioeconomic correlates of powder cocaine and crack use among high school seniors in the United States.

Objectives: Rates of powder cocaine and crack use have fluctuated among adolescents over recent decades. Little attention has been paid to recent trends, particularly regarding differences between ...
Using wall shocks to measure preheat in laser-irradiated, high-energy-density, hydrodynamics experiments

Abstract Laser-irradiated, high-energy-density (HED) physics experiments commonly use experimental targets that are contained in a shock tube. X-rays generated when the laser irradiates the target surface are believed to be energetic enough to heat the tube wall material and generate a secondary shock. The speed of this secondary shock can be used to assess the amount of preheat in an experimental system. This paper describes an experiment that explores the hydrodynamic instabilities believed to occur in core-collapse supernova. The preheat in the system can affect the initial conditions of HED experiments causing unintended heating of material.
A natural example of crystal-plastic deformation enhancing the incorporation of water into quartz

Abstract Water content of quartz in and around a greenschist facies mylonitic shear zone located in the western Adirondacks was analyzed by micro-FTIR spectroscopy. The shear zone is within a pegmatitic dike, which cuts across a granitic gneiss. The thickness of the shear zone varies along strike from 15 cm wide and encompassing all of the pegmatite dike at its northern most exposure to 5 cm wide approximately 10 m south, along strike. Microstructures, including quartz ribbons and recrystallized grains, indicate quartz and feldspar within the mylonite underwent dislocation creep. Infrared spectral analysis was carried out using a Nicolet micro-FTIR on mylonitic quartz ribbons, pegmatitic quartz and gneissic quartz. A small aperture size (56 μm by 50 μm) for the IR beam allowed optically clear regions of the quartz grains to be analyzed without any contribution from grain boundaries. The smallest dimension of the quartz ribbons is 0.3 mm, whereas the pegmatitic quartz has a grain size of 3 to 5 cm. Results show mylonitic quartz ribbons contain the most water (320 H:10 6 Si average, range of 50 to 1120 H:10 6 Si); pegmatite quartz contains much less water (30 H:10 6 Si average, range of 20–40 H:10 6 Si) and the gneissic quartz contained an intermediate amount (200 H:10 6 Si average, range of 20 to 870 H:10 6 Si). These data indicate that water was preferentially incorporated into the deformed quartz ribbons.