cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linearized analysis versus optimization-based nonlinear analysis for nonlinear systems

For autonomous nonlinear systems stability and input-output properties in small enough (infinitesimally small) neighborhoods of (linearly) asymptotically stable equilibrium points can be inferred from the properties of the linearized dynamics. On the other hand, generalizations of the S-procedure and sum-of-squares programming promise a framework potentially capable of generating certificates valid over quantifiable, finite size neighborhoods of the equilibrium points. However, this procedure involves multiple relaxations (unidirectional implications). Therefore, it is not obvious if the sum-of-squares programming based nonlinear analysis can return a feasible answer whenever linearization based analysis does. Here, we prove that, for a restricted but practically useful class of systems, conditions in sum-of-squares programming based region-of-attraction, reachability, and input-output gain analyses are feasible whenever linearization based analysis is conclusive. Besides the theoretical interest, such results may lead to computationally less demanding, potentially more conservative nonlinear (compared to direct use of sum-of-squares formulations) analysis tools.
Animation program as a tool for teaching electric machines' fundamentals

Teaching and learning electric machines' fundamentals can be made simpler via visualization tools containing moving images. Still vector/phasor diagrams do not easily convey the notion of variation in time and space involved in the inner workings of electric machines. This paper details the capabilities of an animation computer program that has been developed for use as a teaching tool in electric machinery and power systems first courses. The program, originally created in 1991, has been recreated and enhanced in a new software environment. This animation program has been utilized in teaching various related courses and has been well received by students.
A frequency autonomous retrodirective array transponder

Retrodirective arrays are able to radiate a signal in response to a signal transmitted by an interrogator back toward the transmitter position with no a priori knowledge of the arrival direction. We present a novel architecture that enables the retrodirective array to respond to an interrogator at the same transmitted frequency with no previous knowledge of the transmission frequency. The frequency agile prototype array shows excellent retrodirectivity at various frequencies.
Trends in Adult Suicides in New Mexico: Utilizing Data from the New Mexico Violent Death Reporting System*

Although many suicide prevention programs focus on youth suicides, data indicate the vast majority of suicides occur among adults (18-64 years). In 2005 New Mexico joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Violent Death Reporting System, collecting data on suicides, homicides, and unintentional firearm fatalities to better inform state and national prevention programs. We utilized data collected by the New Mexico Violent Death Reporting System in its first 2 years of operation (2005 and 2006) in order to define the demographic patterns of adult suicides in the state and characterize risk factors. A total of 526 suicides occurred among adults during this time, with the majority being male (78.5%) and White non-Hispanic (56.7%). The highest incidence was in adults between 45 and 54 years (28.1%). Firearms were the most commonly used mechanism, and "current depressed mood" the most commonly identified risk factor. High rates of adult suicide indicate the need for targeted prevention programs.
Clinical Reasoning Process in Physical Therapy

The purpose of this descriptive study was to analyze physical therapists' clinical problem solving and compare the results with physicians' clinical problem solving. Ten skilled physical therapy clinicians were observed as they performed an initial interview with a patient. Their performance was audiotaped and later analyzed. The therapists defined their problem lists and developed treatment plans early in the interview, as they gathered data. This clinical problem-solving sequence is comparable to a method reported in the literature that is used by physicians. This model of clinical problem solving based on actual performance of clinicians can be used to train physical therapy students and, perhaps, to refine clinical evaluation skills.
Prospects for Magnetic Recording over the next 10 years

This paper examines recent progress in magnetic recording and draws upon a variety of sources in presenting the outlook for the next ten years. The discussion is confined to conventional longitudinal and perpendicular magnetic recording where we assume a featureless medium and no thermal assist (i.e. patterned media and 'HAMR' are excluded).
Phylogenomics Resolves a Spider Backbone Phylogeny and Rejects a Prevailing Paradigm for Orb Web Evolution

Summary Spiders represent an ancient predatory lineage known for their extraordinary biomaterials, including venoms and silks. These adaptations make spiders key arthropod predators in most terrestrial ecosystems. Despite ecological, biomedical, and biomaterial importance, relationships among major spider lineages remain unresolved or poorly supported [1]. Current working hypotheses for a spider ‘‘backbone’’ phylogeny are largely based on morphological evidence, as most molecular markers currently employed are generally inadequate for resolving deeper-level relationships. We present here a phylogenomic analysis of spiders including taxa representing all major spider lineages. Our robust phylogenetic hypothesis recovers some fundamental and uncontroversial spider clades, but rejects the prevailing paradigm of a monophyletic Orbiculariae, the most diverse lineage, containing orb-weaving spiders. Based on our results, the orb web either evolved much earlier than previously hypothesized and is ancestral for a majority of spiders or else it has multiple independent origins, as hypothesized by precladistic authors. Cribellate deinopoid orb weavers that use mechanically adhesive silk are more closely related to a diverse clade of mostly webless spiders than to the araneoid orb-weaving spiders that use adhesive droplet silks. The fundamental shift in our understanding of spider phylogeny proposed here has broad implications for interpreting the evolution of spiders, their remarkable biomaterials, and a key extended phenotype—the spider web.
Effects of Salt Stress on Adenine and Uridine Nucleotide Pools, Sugar and Acid-Soluble Phosphate in Shoots of Pepper and Safflower

Nieman, R. H., Clark, R. A., Pap, D., Ogata, G. and Maas, E. V. 1988. Effects of salt stress on adenine and uridine nucleotide pools, sugar and acid-soluble phosphate in shoots of pepper and safflower.—J. exp. Bot. 39: 301-309. Pepper (Capsicum annuum cv. Yolo wonder) and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L. cv. Gila) were grown hydroponically and subjected to a salt stress (51 mol m~3 NaCl plus 25-5 mol m~3 CaCl2). Mature photosynthetic source leaves and shoot meristematic sinks (young pepper leaves and safflower buds) were analyzed for nucleotides by high performance liquid chromatography and for hexose and acid-soluble P—pepper was still vegetative whereas safflower had switched to flower bud formation—the salt stress reduced the fresh shoot yield of pepper by nearly two-thirds and of safflower by half. It reduced the ATP pool and ATP/ADP ratio in the source leaves of both species and also in the young pepper leaves. It had little or no effect on ATP or other nucleotide pools in safflower buds. The UDPG pool was not affected in source leaves or safflower buds, but in the young pepper leaves it was reduced by half, along with UTP. These reductions were accompanied by over a 3-fold increase in hexose and a large decrease in ester phosphate. In safflower, on the other hand, salt stress had little or no effect on UDPG, hexose, or ester phosphate in either source leaves or buds. The results suggest that salt stress reduced the growth of pepper because it reduced assimilation of photosynthate, possibly a consequence of reduced UDPG, UTP, and ATP pools in the growing leaves. Salt stress did not so markedly affect assimilation of photosynthate in the more tolerant safflower.
Randomized Controlled Trials of Interventions to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections: Learning From the Past to Plan for the Future

Globally, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) represent a significant source of morbidity and disproportionately impact the health of women and children. The number of randomized controlled trials testing interventions to prevent STIs has dramatically increased over time. To assess their impact, the authors conducted a systematic review of interventions to prevent sexual transmission or acquisition of STIs other than human immunodeficiency virus, published in the English-language, peer-reviewed literature through December 2009. Ninety-three papers reporting data from 74 randomized controlled trials evaluating 75 STI prevention interventions were identified. Eight intervention modalities were used: behavioral interventions (36% of interventions), vaginal microbicides (16%), vaccines (16%), treatment (11%), partner services (9%), physical barriers (5%), male circumcision (5%), and multicomponent (1%). Overall, 59% of interventions demonstrated efficacy in preventing infection with at least 1 STI. Treatment interventions and vaccines for viral STIs showed the most consistently positive effects. Male circumcision protected against viral STIs and possibly trichomoniasis. Almost two-thirds of behavioral interventions were effective, but the magnitude of effects ranged broadly. Partner services yielded similarly mixed results. In contrast, vaginal microbicides and physical barrier methods demonstrated few positive effects. Future STI prevention efforts should focus on enhancing adherence within interventions, integrating new technologies, ensuring sustainable behavior change, and conducting implementation research.
The Influences Of Cognitive Factors And Trust On E-Government Acceptance: Evidence From A Two-Stage Model

This paper reviews literature in related research in information systems, social psychology, management science, communications and marketing, and develops a two-stage model of factors influencing e-government acceptance. The model proposes that a number of cognitive factors influence perceived usefulness of e-government services while this perceived usefulness, along with trust online and several personal traits, further influence a user’s intention to return and use such e-services in the future. The model is put to a test via a survey instrument. Results show that perceived informativeness, perceived ease of use and trust significantly influence perceived usefulness of the e-government site, while perceived usefulness, trust and compatibility have a significant impact on a user’s intention to return. This study sheds light on areas website designers should pay attention to in order to increase the number of online users of e-government services.
Legitimacy and Cooperation: Will Immigrants Cooperate with Local Police Who Enforce Federal Immigration Law?

Solving crimes often requires community cooperation. Cooperation is thought by many scholars to depend critically on whether community members believe that law enforcement institutions are legitimate and trustworthy. Yet establishing an empirical link between legitimacy and cooperation has proven elusive, with most studies relying on surveys or lab experiments of people’s beliefs and attitudes, rather than on their behavior in the real world. This Article aims to overcome these shortcomings, capitalizing on a unique natural policy experiment to directly address a fundamental question about legitimacy, cooperation, and law enforcement success: do de-legitimating policy interventions actually undermine community cooperation with the police? The policy experiment is a massive federal immigration enforcement program called Secure Communities. Secure Communities was widely criticized for undermining the legitimacy of local police in the eyes of immigrants, and it was rolled out nationwide over a four-year period in a way that approximates a natural experiment. Using the rate at which police solve crimes as a proxy for community cooperation, we find no evidence that the program reduced community cooperation — despite its massive size and broad scope. The results call into question optimistic claims that discrete policy interventions can, in the short run, meaningfully affect community perceptions of law enforcement legitimacy in ways that shape community cooperation with police.
Evolution of the properties of AlnNn clusters with size

A global optimization of stoichiometric (AlN)n clusters (n = 1−25, 30, 35, ..., 95, 100) has been performed using the basin-hopping (BH) method and describing the interactions with simple and yet realistic interatomic potentials. The results for the smaller isomers agree with those of previous electronic structure calculations, thus validating the present scheme. The lowest-energy isomers found can be classified in three different categories according to their structural motifs: (i) small clusters (n = 2−5), with planar ring structures and 2-fold coordination, (ii) medium clusters (n = 6−40), where a competition between stacked rings and globular-like empty cages exists, and (iii) large clusters (n > 40), large enough to mix different elements of the previous stage. All the atoms in small and medium-sized clusters are in the surface, while large clusters start to display interior atoms. Large clusters display a competition between tetrahedral and octahedral-like features: the former lead to a lower ener...
Using information flow to analyze grammars

This paper presents algorithms for analyzing grammars using information flow in a graph. A grammar problem is modeled by an annotated graph. Information is then propagated around the graph and the problem solution is extracted from the graph's final state. By using this approach students need learn only one generic algorithm (information flow analysis), which they then can apply to several problems Teachers are able to develop problems to be solved directly from the graphs, thereby simplifying the task of generating grammars with required properties for homework and exams.
The Scolopendra species (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae) of Greece (E-Mediterranean): a theoretical approach on the effect of geography and palaeogeography on their distribution

The species of the genus Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758 are very widely distributed in the Mediterranean region. Current knowledge is summarized, with references to material derived mainly from the well-explored islands of the Aegean Archipelago, several localities in continental Greece and old bibliographic reports. We suggest that Scolopendra species represent examples of both paradigms of historical biogeography, namely vicariance and dispersal. We propose that the dispersal routes of Scolopendra species in Greece were mainly influenced by late Miocene and upper Pleistocene palaeogeography. The formation of the Mid-Aegean trench (c. 12 – 9 Mya) considered as a remarkable geographical barrier between the Anatolian peninsula and mainland Greece, prevented the entry of certain Scolopendra species westwards. In total, five Scolopendra species have been recorded from mainland and insular Greece. A vicariance event that occurred in the area more than 17 Mya, when the Aegean region was part of a united landmass, better explains the biogeographical history of S. canidens. Cyclades harbours remnants of the ancient populations of S. canidens, whereas during the late Pleistocene (c. 400.000 21.000 ya) S. canidens was isolated in Dodecanese. S. cretica is the only endemic, being distributed in Crete and its adjacent islets. S. clavipes in E-Mediterranean and S. dalmatica in W-Mediterranean evolved from ancient canidens populations. S. cingulata entered central and southern Europe from the east (c. 20 – 11 Mya), while the formation of the Mid-Aegean trench (c. 12 – 9 Mya) prevented its entry in Crete.
Quality Improvement: Buzz Words or Boon?

Background Assessment of quality in health care has a long history, dating back to the works of E.A. Codman, who wrote in 1914 about improving the quality of care by evaluating the results of treatments.1 These views were not widely accepted at the time. Codman experienced considerable frustration in persuading his colleagues to keep accurate records and note the outcomes of their treatment. Ultimately, he resigned from the staff of the Massachusetts General Hospital and formed his own hospital, where he diligently kept records of his surgical procedures and patients9 outcomes. Codman9s ideas concerning outcome-based quality improvement were not considered seriously again until the 1980s. In the interim, many physicians regarded the quality of care they provided to be high, but they could neither define nor measure it exactly. This attitude toward quality perhaps is illustrated by a quotation from Pirsig9s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: "Quality.... you know what it is, yet you don9t know what it is....But when you try to say what quality is, apart from the things that have it, it all goes poof! There is nothing to talk about. But if you can9t say what quality is, how do you know what it is, or how do you know that it even exists?"2
Epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-mouth disease in Qingyuan City from 2008-2011

[Objective]To understand the epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD) in Qingyuan City from 2008 to 2011,provide the evidence for the prevention and control of HFMD.[Methods]The data of HFMD cases were collected from Qingyuan Disease Surveillance Information Management System,and the descriptive epidemiology method was applied to analyze its epidemiological characteristics.[Results]A total of 22 995 HFMD cases were reported in Qingyuan City from 2008 to 2011,which included 4 case of death.There were 1 048 cases,3 474 cases,6 832 cases and 11 637 cases in different year respectively,and the annual reported incidence was 30.15/lakh,98.92/lakh,192.45/lakh and 314.65/lakh,respectively.Most cases were reported during May to June,which accounted for 37.69% of the total cases.HFMD were reported in all 8 counties of Qingyuan City,but most occurred in Qingcheng District,Fogang County and Qingxin County.A majority of cases were scattered children below 3 years old(accounting for over 70%),and the ratio of male to female was 1.95∶ 1.Enterovirus 71 was the predominant strains of HFMD,which accounted for 62.79%.[Conclusion]The reported cases of HFMD show a rising trend year by year in Qingyuan City.The prevention and control of HFMD should be strengthened among children under 3 years old in summer.And the scattered children in Qingcheng District,Fogang County and Qingxin County are the high-risk population.
The Long Dolmen at Asnædes Forskov, West Zealand

(1988). The Long Dolmen at Asnaedes Forskov, West Zealand. Journal of Danish Archaeology: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 40-52.
The Involvement of Novel Protein Kinase C Isozymes in Influencing Sensitivity of Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells to Tumor Necrosis Factor-α

Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) signaling. Structurally and functionally distinct PKC activators and selective inhibitors of PKC were used to investigate the involvement of PKC isozymes in influencing TNF sensitivity in MCF-7 cells. Activators of PKC, such as phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) (1.0 μm), indolactam V (10 μm), and bryostatin 1 (1.0 μm) decreased the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to TNF by 5-, 10-, and 1.7-fold, respectively. The PKC-specific inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide II (BIM) (≥1 μm) antagonized the effect of PDBu in protecting MCF-7 cells against TNF cytotoxicity. High concentrations of BIM (≥10 μm) also significantly enhanced the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to TNF. In contrast, Go 6976, a specific inhibitor of cPKCs, did not potentiate TNF sensitivity and failed to reverse the effect of PDBu. In addition, BIM but not Go 6976 blocked PDBu-mediated down-regulation of TNF receptors. There was no correlation between down-regulation of PKCα, -δ, and -e, and protection against TNF cytotoxicity by PKC activators. A 6-hr exposure to 1.0 μm PDBu, 10 μm indolactam V, and 1.0 μm bryostatin 1 caused a 1.8-, 3.5- and 1.2-fold induction, respectively, of nPKCη in MCF-7 cells. Similar exposure to BIM but not Go 6976 led to a significant down-regulation of nPKCη. This novel regulation of PKCη implicates this isozyme in PDBu-mediated protection of MCF-7 cells against TNF cytotoxicity.
Ebola and Human Rights Post-9/11 Public Health and Safety in Epidemics

In public health practice, the concepts of health and safety are often conflated. However, protecting and promoting health is radically different from protecting and promoting safety. Since 9/11, t...
Use of evidence-based interventions in child welfare: Do attitudes matter?

Abstract Implementation of evidence-based programs in child welfare has progressed slowly, with the majority of services in child welfare settings lacking empirical evidence for effectiveness. In other settings, research has identified providers' attitudes about evidence-based practices (EBPs) as a potential barrier to adoption of EBPs. As little research has focused on the role of attitudes in influencing use after training in an EBP in child welfare, the potential for attitudes to impede implementation efforts in child welfare is unclear. This study addressed this question in a sample of 55 caseworkers and therapists randomly assigned to enhanced support to use an EBP following training or a training-only condition. Information on providers' use of the intervention after training and their attitudes about EBPs were measured for up to five time points. Results indicate that attitudes did not predict providers' use of the EBP, and attitudes did not change overall or in the enhanced condition that provided greater exposure to the intervention. Providers perceived of requirements to use a practice as more influential in their use than their openness to EBPs. However, those who were more open to EBPs were more likely to participate in implementation support after the training, suggesting that openness facilitates participation in activities that support use of a new intervention.
The evolution of body size in birds. II. The role of reproductive power

Given that body mass evolves non-randomly in birds, it is important to ask what factors might be responsible. One suggestion is that the rate at which individuals turn resources into offspring, termed ‘reproductive power’, might explain this non-randomness. This is because, in mammals, the body mass with the highest reproductive power is the most common (modal) one. Reproductive power was estimated for birds from data on energetic content of eggs and population productivity. According to the formulation of Brown et al. (1993), reproductive power is composed of two component processes: acquisition (acquiring resources and storing them in reproductive biomass) and conversion (converting reproductive biomass into offspring). As with mammals, estimates of reproductive power indicate that the most common body mass in birds is also the body mass that maximizes reproductive power. The relationship between reproductive power and diversity is different for species smaller than this modal body mass when compared to those that are larger. The relationship of body mass and reproductive power is different between birds and mammals in two ways: (1) the body mass that maximizes reproductive power is smaller in birds (33g) than in mammals (100g), and (2) mammals generate more reproductive power than an equivalent-sized bird. Reproductive power is determined primarily by acquisition in small birds and mammals, while it is determined by conversion in the largest birds and mammals. It is likely that reproductive power is closely tied to the evolution and diversification of body masses because it constrains the ways in which traits affecting fitness can evolve.
The impact of ocular hemodynamics and intracranial pressure on intraocular pressure during acute gravitational changes.

A significant percentage of astronauts present anatomical changes in the posterior eye tissues after spaceflight. Hypothesized increases in ocular blood volume and intracranial pressure (ICP) in sp...
“We also wanted to learn”: Narratives of change from adults literate in African languages

This article discusses the impact of literacy programmes on those who learned to read and write in their own African languages. It draws on adult learners’ reflections on the significance of literacy and numeracy in their everyday lives as evidenced in interviews conducted in 2014 and 2015 in rural sites in five African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The research approach was influenced by the Most Significant Change (MSC) method of monitoring and evaluation, which collects and examines narratives that reveal beneficiaries’ perceptions of change related to a given programme. This study emulates this approach in that it seeks to learn about perceived changes attributed to literacy acquisition from the perspectives of the beneficiaries, without imposing pre-established indicators. In the rural adult learners’ view, literacy enabled lifelong learning outcomes that rivalled the results of primary schooling. Literacy programme graduates demonstrated extensive ongoing learning after they learned to read, write and calculate, consequently acquiring new literacy practices and new understandings of themselves. Even though many of those interviewed had been unable to attend school, they viewed the practices of reading and writing that they developed outside of school as equivalent to the practices of adults who had been educated in primary school.
The neurokinin-1 receptor mediates escalated alcohol intake induced by multiple drinking models.

Abstract We have previously demonstrated that the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) is upregulated in the central nucleus of the amygdala of alcohol preferring (P) rats and that this receptor mediates escalated alcohol consumption in this strain. However, it is unclear if non-genetic models of escalated consumption are also mediated by NK1R signaling, and if so, what brain regions govern this effect. In the experiments presented here, we use two methods of inducing escalated alcohol intake in outbred Wistar rats: yohimbine pretreatment and intermittent alcohol access (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday availability; 20% alcohol). We found that escalated alcohol consumption induced by both yohimbine injection and intermittent access is attenuated by systemic administration of the NK1R antagonist L822429. Also, when compared to continuous alcohol access or access to water alone, NK1R expression was increased in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) and dorsal striatum, but not the amygdala. Escalated consumption induced by intermittent access was attenuated when the NK1R antagonist L822429 was infused directly into the dorsal striatum, but not when infused into the NAC. Taken together, these results suggest that NK1R upregulation contributes to escalated alcohol consumption that is induced by genetic selection, yohimbine injection, and intermittent access. However there is a dissociation between the regions involved in these behaviors with amygdalar upregulation contributing to genetic predisposition to escalated consumption and striatal upregulation driving escalation that is induced by environmental exposures.
Developmental Interventions to Address the STEM Gender Gap: Exploring Intended and Unintended Consequences

Women and girls in the United States continue to be underrepresented in STEM, particularly in engineering and technology fields. This gap has been attracting recent attention from those motivated to ensure that girls and women have access to a full range of personally satisfying careers as well as from those concerned with developing a rich talent pool to meet national workforce needs. This chapter is focused on interventions that have been designed to address this STEM gender gap. We begin by documenting the STEM gender gap and then review change mechanisms emerging from theories of gender development that may be harnessed in intervention efforts. In addition, we pro vide a taxonomy of intervention goals which we then use to organize an illustrative review of sample interventions. After commenting on some of the findings and limitations of past work, we offer suggestions for enhancing the systematic evaluation of intervention programs that include careful selection of comparison groups, a broad array of STEM outcome measures, assessment of potentially unintended consequences, and meta-analyses.
Clinical application of quantitative glycomics

Introduction: Aberrant glycosylation has been associated with many diseases. Decades of research activities have reported many reliable glycan biomarkers of different diseases which enable effectiv...
Ethics, Equity, and Community Engagement: Urban School Administrators Rate Their Preparation Programs.

School administrators from three mid-Atlantic cities were surveyed regarding the levels of emphasis given to components from their university-based leadership preparation programs. Three components...
Upconversion nanoparticles for photobiomodulation of neuronal cells

Lanthanide doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are promising luminescent materials for biomedical applications due to their ability to convert low energy, non-scattering NIR light to higher energy wavelength emissions. Sensing, bioimaging, drug delivery, therapy and photobiomodulation are the expected biomedical fields that will be impacted by the combination of NIR stimulation and upconversion emission. In the case of a typical upconversion from NIR, energy transfer occurs from Yb3+ sensitizer ions, which can be excited at 980 nm, to the activator lanthanide ions such as Er3+, Tm3+, Ho3+, Eu3+. Synthesis and design of the UCNPs and their introduction into the biological system requires stringent procedures due to the complex nature of biological environment at the cellular level. Our goal in this study is to develop small size, biocompatible UCNPs with a facile microwave assisted synthesis method and utilize them for photobiomodulation of neuronal cells. We aim to elucidate the intracellular mechanisms that are impacted by the upconversion photons emitted from designed nanotransducers towards stimulation of cell function. For this purpose, we sensitized blue emitting NaYF4 UCNPs and in-vitro laser irradiation experiments are conducted with NG108-15 (neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid) cells. Experiments are designed to further investigate the thermal and chemical effects that contribute to the resulted modifications in the cell function.
Detecting spatio-temporal changes of arable land and construction land in the Beijing-Tianjin corridor during 2000–2015

Rapid peri-urbanization has become a new challenge for sustainable urban-rural development worldwide. To clarify how unprecedented urban sprawl at the metropolitan fringe impacts urban-rural landscape, this study took the Beijing-Tianjin corridor of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei metropolitan area, one of the largest urban clusters in China, as a typical example. By using Landsat-based landscape metrics and a practical methodology, we investigated the landscape changes and discussed the potential reasons in the context of rapid peri-urbanization of China. Specifically, multi-temporal land use maps derived from Landsat images were used to calculate landscape metrics and analyze their characteristics along the urban-rural gradients. The practical methodology was used to monitor spatio-temporal characteristics of landscape change in large metropolitan areas. The results showed that landscape patterns in the area had changed greatly from 2000 to 2015 with characteristics of construction land sprawl and arable land shrinkage. The intensity and scale of landscape changes varied along the urban-rural gradients. Sampled plots in urbanized areas and rural areas demonstrated distinguishable landscape patterns and significant differences. Urban areas had more heterogeneous and fragmented landscapes than rural areas. Peri-urban areas in general experienced higher levels of land diversification than rural areas. Rural residential land appeared to be more aggregated near Beijing and Tianjin cities. Besides, our findings also indicated that urban expansion was largely responsible for landscape patterns. The findings of this study potentially provide strategical insights into landscape planning around mega cities and sustainable coordinated urban-rural development.
Richaud–Degert Real Quadratic Fields and Maass Waveforms

In this paper, we place the work of Andrews et al. (Invent Math 91(3):391–407, 1988) and Cohen (Invent Math 91(3):409–422, 1988), relating arithmetic in \( \mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{6} \) to modularity of Ramanujan’s function σ(q), in the context of the general family of Richaud–Degert real quadratic fields \( \mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{2p} \). Moreover, we give the resulting generalizations of the function σ as indefinite theta functions and invoke Zwegers’ work, (Q J Math 63(3):753–770, 2012), to prove the modular properties of the completed functions.
In vitro translation and expression of renal intrinsic factor-cobalamin receptor.

Abstract The primary translation product of intrinsic factor (IF)-cobalamin receptor (IFCR) mRNA from rat kidney is a single polypeptide chain of Mr=215,000. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes the IFCR binding activity is expressed with mRNA of a size between 5 to 7 kb. These results suggest that IFCR mRNA transcripts are present in the renal tissue and encode a single chain, large molecular weight precursor. Furthermore, Xenopus oocytes can be used as a screening system in the expression cloning of the renal IFCR.
Predicting the need for retreatment in venous sinus stenting for idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Background Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a disease of raised intra-cranial pressure of unknown etiology. Lateral cerebral venous sinus stenosis (VSS) has been increasingly reported in these patients, and stenting has emerged as an alternative treatment for medically refractory symptoms. Treatment efficacy on meta-analysis appears promising, but identifying which patients are likely to benefit most, and which are likely to require repeat procedures, is currently unclear. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively collected database of 79 patients treated with venous sinus stenting at a single academic center with minimum follow-up of 18 months. We extracted baseline clinical data, as well as manometry at lumbar puncture and during angiography, and used logistic regression to identify parameters that could predict stent failure. Results Retreatment rate after successful VSS was 13.9%. Lumbar puncture opening pressure (OP) was shown to significantly predict treatment failure (s=0.06; OR=1.064 (1.003–1.135); P=0.039). This effect remained significant when age, sex and body mass index were added to the model (s=0.06; OR=1.066 (1.002–1.140); P=0.043). OP was correlated with venous sinus manometry readings in the superior sagittal and transverse sinus pre-stent placement, as well trans-stenotic gradient (P Conclusions Higher lumbar puncture OP was associated with an increased risk of stent failure in transverse sinus stenting for idiopathic intracranial hypertension, although the performance of this model as a linear discriminator was poor. Further studies are required to better assess which patients are at greatest risk of treatment failure.
Effects of Conflict Zones on Two Western Healthcare Systems: Italy and Israel

In the last decade, and especially since recent events in the Middle East and ensuing wars, armed and military conflicts have risen to levels not witnessed in the past. Now, in nearly 50 geographic areas, civil wars, sectarian violence,famine, religious persecutions and genocide have caused significant population migration across borders, indirectly impacting medical care in neighboring recipient countries and continents. The United Nations, Council of European Union, and the World Health Organization have treaties, policies and articles addressing and outlining health delivery for migrants and refugees around the world. These policies serve as a legal framework for recipient countries to address this issue as part of their obligation to administer medical care. How these policies are translated into practice and the effects these policies have on healthcare delivery vary from one country to another, from one municipality to another, and from one hospital to another. Yet, overall, delivery of care is upheld and in line with the above mentioned policies. This qualitative study addresses how conflicts in North Africa and Syria impact hospitals and refugee sites in Florence, Italy and Nahariyya, Israel. It is based on direct participant observation, literature review and interviews with physicians, nurses and hospital administrators. The paper aims to outline how hospitals in these particular locations apply international laws, such as United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and UN Resolution 18/2816 and describes the challenges for staff, institutions and organizations providing care for patients affected by conflicts who are unable to access medical care in their native country.
Mechanical evaluation of 3D printed biomimetic non-Euclidean saddle geometries mimicking the mantis shrimp.

Engineering design has drawn inspiration from naturally occurring structures to advance manufacturing processes and products, termed biomimetics. For example, the mantis shrimp, order Stomatopoda, is capable of producing one of the fastest appendage strikes in the world with marginal musculoskeletal displacement. The extreme speed of the mantis shrimp's raptorial appendage is due to the non-Euclidean hyperbolic paraboloid (i.e., saddle) shape within the dorsal region of the merus, which allows substantial energy storage through compression in the sagittal plane. Here, investigation of 3D printed synthetic geometries inspired by the mantis shrimp saddle geometry has revealed insights for elastic energy storage (i.e., spring-like) applications. Saddles composed of either a stiff or a flexible resin were investigated for spring response to explore the geometric effects. By modulating the saddle geometry and testing the spring response, it was found that, for the stiff resin, the spring constant was improved as the curvature of the contact and orthogonal faces were maximized and minimized, respectively. For the flexible resin, it was found that the spring constant increased by less than 250 N/mm as the saddle geometry changed, substantiating that the flexible component of mantis saddles does not contribute to energy storage capabilities. The geometries of two saddles from the mantis shrimp species Odontodactylus scyllarus were estimated and exhibited similar trends to manufactured saddles, suggesting that modulating saddle geometry can be used for tailored energy storage moduli in spatially constrained engineering applications.
Chapter 14 Diuretics and Potassium

Publisher Summary Diuretics can increase renal K + elimination substantially and have widespread secondary effects through K + depletion. Study of the effects of diuretics on K + elimination, therefore, has important clinical implications besides throwing light on the fundamental processes that regulate renal K + transport. The renal control processes which subserve normal K + homeostasis have been reviewed extensively as have the mechanisms and sites of action of diuretics on Na + and fluid reabsorption and K + excretion. The short-term K + losses, K + balance are normally well maintained during prolonged diuretic therapy. Two independent mechanisms have been identified which can limit losses of K + , Na + , and fluid; these are extinction of the diuretic response and a compensatory period of retention in the drugfree, postdiuretic phase. Potassium (K) balance during the administration of loop diuretics can depend on the level of salt intake and probably relates to the prevailing level of aldosterone secretion. However, the factors that limit distal fluid delivery or distal K + secretion in the compensation period and that are therefore critical for maintenance of K + homeostasis during repeated diuretic administration remain to be defined.
Dityrosine: a marker for oxidatively modified proteins and selective proteolysis.

Publisher Summary Dityrosine can be found in several proteins as a product of UV irradiation, γ-irradiation, aging, exposure to oxygen free radicals, or incubation with peroxidase. In other cases, dityrosine is the product of normal posttranslational processes affecting specific structural proteins. Oxidative modification is clearly the common element involved in dityrosine formation. This chapter describes a method for measuring dityrosine release from proteins that have been preexposed to oxygen radicals. The method is based on a proteolytic digestion followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis with fluorescence detection. The formation of dityrosine in a protein exposed to oxygen free radicals can serve as a marker of oxidatively modified proteins. Indeed, dityrosine may be a useful biomarker for organismal oxidative stress. Incubation of oxidatively modified proteins with proteolytic enzymes results in increased proteolysis in which the modified proteins undergo a selective digestion by specific intracellular proteases.
Estimating Reliability of Conditional Promises

Using conditional promises, the reliability of promises can be measured without reference to the reliability of the issuing agent, by defining notions of when conditions operate and when promises are expected to be fulfilled. This inspires an analytical method that attributes promise failures to incomplete knowledge rather than agent unreliability. This analysis allows agents to choose between conditional offers of service based upon statistical measures of the completeness of stated conditions.
On the Bootstrap and Empirical Processes for Dependent Sequences

The goal of this paper is to describe recent advances in empirical processes theory and several bootstraps for dependent data. We will address both theory and applications. The first three sections deal with the heuristics, motivation, statement of results and applications. The last section is devoted to mathematical techniques behind the theory. Although some results presented here are new (bootstrap for Markov chains), this is not a research paper, and the presented proofs do not contain all the details.
Steerable dyadic wavelet transform and interval wavelets for enhancement of digital mammography

This paper describes two approaches for accomplishing interactive feature analysis by overcomplete multiresolution representations. We show quantitatively that transform coefficients, modified by an adaptive non-linear operator, can make more obvious unseen or barely seen features of mammography without requiring additional radiation. Our results are compared with traditional image enhancement techniques by measuring the local contrast of known mammographic features. We design a filter bank representing a steerable dyadic wavelet transform that can be used for multiresolution analysis along arbitrary orientations. Digital mammograms are enhanced by orientation analysis performed by a steerable dyadic wavelet transform. Arbitrary regions of interest (ROI) are enhanced by Deslauriers-Dubuc interpolation representations on an interval. We demonstrate that our methods can provide radiologists with an interactive capability to support localized processing of selected (suspicion) areas (lesions). Features extracted from multiscale representations can provide an adaptive mechanism for accomplishing local contrast enhancement. By improving the visualization of breast pathology can improve changes of early detection while requiring less time to evaluate mammograms for most patients.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Modulation of Gene Expression by the MHC Class II Transactivator

The class II transactivator (CIITA) is a master regulator of MHC class II expression. CIITA also modulates the expression of MHC class I genes, suggesting that it may have a more global role in gene expression. To determine whether CIITA regulates genes other than the MHC class II and I family, DNA microarray analysis was used to compare the expression profiles of the CIITA expressing B cell line Raji and its CIITA-negative counterpart RJ2.2.5. The comparison identified a wide variety of genes whose expression was modulated by CIITA. Real time RT-PCR from Raji, RJ2.2.5, an RJ2.2.5 cell line complemented with CIITA, was performed to confirm the results and to further identify CIITA-regulated genes. CIITA-regulated genes were found to have diverse functions, which could impact Ag processing, signaling, and proliferation. Of note was the identification of a set of genes localized to chromosome 1p34-35. The global modulation of genes in a local region suggests that this region may share some regulatory control with the MHC.
Cytokinin signaling stabilizes the response activator ARR1.

Summary The cytokinins play essential roles in the development and environmental responses of higher plants. Cytokinin signaling leads to the phosphorylation-dependent activation of two classes of Arabidopsis response regulators (RRs): the type-B RR (RRB) transcriptional activators that promote the expression of cytokinin response genes and the type-A RRs (RRAs) that are encoded by primary cytokinin response genes and function as response inhibitors. We show that cytokinin signaling increases the abundance of ARR1, a ubiquitously expressed RRB, by preventing its degradation by the 26S proteasome. We also show that the RRAs act to suppress ARR1 accumulation, thus providing an explanation for their inhibitory action in cytokinin signaling. Collectively, our results reveal an additional regulatory mechanism in the cytokinin response pathway that involves the cytokinin-dependent stability control of a major RRB response activator.
Towards demystification of direct manipulation: cognitive modeling charts the gulf of execution

Direct manipulation involves a large number of interacting psychological mechanisms that make the performance of a given interface hard to predict on intuitive or informal grounds. This paper applies cognitive modeling to explain the subtle effects produced by using a keypad versus a touchscreen in a performance-critical laboratory task.
Playing the Field: Questions of Fieldwork in Geography

Many questions-practical, strategic, political, ethical, personal-are raised by conducting field research. Some of these seem, or are constituted as, separate from the “research itself,” yet are integral to it. In this paper I attempt to cut through the breach that divides the doing of fieldwork and the fieldwork itself by addressing what constitutes the “field,” what constitutes a field researcher, and what constitutes data under contemporary conditions of globalization. Drawing on my work in New York City and Sudan, I argue that by interrogating the multiple positionings of intellectuals and the means by which knowledge is produced and exchanged, field researchers and those with whom they work can find common ground to construct a politics of engagement that does not compartmentalize social actors along solitary axes.