cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dantrolene From Better Bacon to a Treatment for Ventricular Fibrillation

The porcine stress syndrome is a major cause of poor meat quality and death in the pork industry. It is known to be more prevalent in some pig strains than others,1 and susceptible animals can be identified by a challenge with halothane, which results in striking elevation in body temperature. This scenario parallels the clinical entity of familial malignant hyperthermia on exposure to general anesthetics, which was one of the earliest recognized human pharmacogenetic syndromes. We now know that affected pigs and people share the same molecular mechanism, mutations in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium release channel of skeletal muscle encoded by RYR1 .2,3 In the pig world, selective breeding programs have been used to develop strains resistant to malignant hyperthermia. In humans, malignant hyperthermia is an anesthetic emergency and is treated by immediate intravenous administration of dantrolene, which is effective and thought to be safe. Chronic oral dantrolene is also approved to treat severe muscle spasticity, and, in this setting, the limiting toxicity is hepatitis, which can be fulminant and fatal in up to 1% of exposed subjects. Article see p 875 Abrupt membrane depolarization (excitation) in skeletal or in cardiac muscle results in calcium release from SR stores via ryanodine receptor (RyR) calcium release channels, and the ensuing rise in intracellular calcium then activates the contractile apparatus. The details of the way in which excitation couples to contraction differs somewhat in the 2 types of muscle (in the heart, but not in skeletal muscle, calcium influx via voltage-gated Cav1.2 channels is required to activate RyR channels; Figure), and there are different genes encoding the channels, RYR1 in skeletal muscle and RYR2 in cardiac muscle. Early studies of the mechanism of action of dantrolene highlighted its ability to decouple excitation from contraction in skeletal muscle, …
Grammar as a developmental phenomenon

More and more researchers are examining grammar acquisition from theoretical perspectives that treat it as an emergent phenomenon. In this essay, I argue that a robustly developmental perspective provides a potential explanation for some of the well-known crosslinguistic features of early child language: the process of acquisition is shaped in part by the developmental constraints embodied in von Baer’s law of development. An established model of development, the Developmental Lock, captures and elucidates the probabilistic generalizations at the heart of von Baer’s law. When this model is applied to the acquisition of grammar, it predicts that grammatical achievements that are more generatively entrenched will emerge earlier in development and will be more developmentally resilient than those that are less generatively entrenched. I show that the first prediction is supported by a wealth of psycholinguistic evidence involving typically developing children and that the second prediction is supported by numerous studies involving both children who receive deficient linguistic input and children who experience various language impairments. The success of this model demonstrates the analytic potential of a developmental approach to the study of language acquisition.
Brittle Composites Modeling: Compazisons with MoSi2/ZrO2

We have calculated the mechanical properties of brittle composites with spring-network (SN) model. The composites that we studied involve the transformation toughening effects and the accompanying micro-cracking. Our simulation results are consistent with experiments of MoSi2 toughened with ZrO2. By monitoring the stress changes due to the transformation and micro-cracking we are able to separate, for the first time, the contributions from these two competing effects. We also found that the fracture toughness of the composite increases as the modulus, interfacial cohesion of particle increases.
Quantile Regression for Recurrent Gap Time Data

Summary Evaluating covariate effects on gap times between successive recurrent events is of interest in many medical and public health studies. While most existing methods for recurrent gap time analysis focus on modeling the hazard function of gap times, a direct interpretation of the covariate effects on the gap times is not available through these methods. In this article, we consider quantile regression that can provide direct assessment of covariate effects on the quantiles of the gap time distribution. Following the spirit of the weighted risk-set method by Luo and Huang (2011, Statistics in Medicine 30, 301–311), we extend the martingale-based estimating equation method considered by Peng and Huang (2008, Journal of the American Statistical Association 103, 637–649) for univariate survival data to analyze recurrent gap time data. The proposed estimation procedure can be easily implemented in existing software for univariate censored quantile regression. Uniform consistency and weak convergence of the proposed estimators are established. Monte Carlo studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. An application to data from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register is presented to illustrate the methods developed in this article.
Life-cycle cost based maintenance plan for steel bridge protection systems

Life-cycle cost analysis was used to compare different alternative strategies for steel bridge paint systems. It was also used as a tool for steel bridge paint rehabilitation planning. The existing paint systems are lead-based and zinc-vinyl, while the new system is an inorganic/organic zinc, epoxy, and urethane paint system ~three-coat!. Economic analysis using present value ~PV! and equivalent uniform annual cost ~EUAC! was applied to compare several steel bridge paint system alternatives. The PV and EUAC were also used to compare different rehabilitation scenarios within the same alternative. Life-cycle cost analysis computations indicate that the three-coat paint system was better than others. Researchers concluded that the best scenario for three-cost system rehabilitation was doing spot repairs every 15 years of paint life. A maintenance plan based on life-cycle cost analysis also favored the ''spot repairs every 15 years'' scenario. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted to account for uncertainty in the cost, conditions, and subjective data.
Faculty committee leadership for an interdisciplinary engineering program

This paper describes committee leadership in an undergraduate program in electromechanical engineering. The program is designed to incorporate all the essential elements in an electrical and mechanical engineering curriculum and program criteria for both programs must be met. By adopting and empowering a faculty committee, the electromechanical program at Wentworth Institute of Technology has enjoyed some unique benefits. The purpose of this paper is to describe some distinct advantages of a committee governance structure in an interdisciplinary program.
The Obese Emergency Patient: Imaging Challenges and Solutions

The dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity among children and adults in the United States over the last several decades has brought several new challenges to the delivery of healthcare. The increased utilization of and dependence on imaging for accurate and timely diagnosis has placed the radiology department in a unique position in the provision of care for the obese emergency patient. Radiology practices must be cognizant of the imaging challenges presented by the obese patient and adjust their imaging algorithms accordingly to optimize all types of diagnostic studies. The article systematically reviews common pitfalls and offers methods to improve image quality when using radiography, ultrasonography, and computed tomography to image the obese patient population.
PRESENCE OF THREE NEW INGREDIENTS IN SPEARMINT OIL.

By use of gas chromatography, spearmint oil N. F. was separated into 19 fractions. Cochromatography with known reference substances conclusively demonstrated the presence of cineole, α -pinene, and linalool in the oil.
Developmental changes in responsivity to threat are stimulus-specific in rats

During early ontogeny, stimuli that pose a threat to an animal change. Unrelated adult male rats may kill young rats, but infanticide ends around weaning. Predation, on the other hand, may increase during early ontogeny when rats begin to extend their activity range. We investigated the developmental course of two defensive responses, immobility and analgesia, in young rats exposed to an adult male rat or to predator cues. Preweaning 14-day-old rats became immobile and analgesic when exposed to the male and showed immobility but not analgesia when exposed to cat odor. On Day 26, around weaning, the presence of the male rat no longer induced immobility and analgesia whereas cat odor produced higher levels of immobility and analgesia compared to control and male-exposed animals. This developmental change in responsivity may reflect the differences in the risk of being harmed by a male or a cat during different periods of ontogeny.
Probabilistic Inference of Unknown Locations: Exploiting Collective Behavior when Individual Data is Scarce

In recent years there has been a proliferation in the use of large-scale, passively collected digital trace data to study the mobility and migration patterns of individuals in developing countries. Analysis of mobile phone and social media data, among other sources, has immediate policy applications that range from disease monitoring and city planning to disaster management and humanitarian relief. Unfortunately, existing methods for mining location-based information from passively collected data are generally not well suited to a large number of individuals in developing countries. This is in part due to the fact that technology use is quite heterogeneous, and that the lower intensity use patterns of many individuals produces a sparser digital trace. In this paper, we present a method for predicting the approximate location of a mobile phone subscriber that is more appropriate to contexts where the signal generated by each individual may be intermittent, but the collective population generates a large amount of data. This method works well when, for instance, an individual is not consistently active on the network or when the phone is off. Our model uses a nonparametric approach to probabilistically interpolate locations, and has the advantage of associating a confidence with each prediction. We test this method on a large dataset of anonymized mobile phone records from Afghanistan, and find that we can correctly predict a subscriber's unknown location in 76%-95% of cases, and that on average our predicted location is off by 0.2-1.9 kilometers.
Bathymetry Estimation Using Drifter-Based Velocity Measurements on the Kootenai River, Idaho

Velocity measurements from drifter GPS records are used in an ensemble-based data assimilation technique to extract the river bathymetry. The method is tested on a deep meandering reach and a shallow braided reach of the Kootenai River in Idaho. The Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) is used to model numerous statistically varied bathymetries to create an ensemble of hydrodynamic states. These states, the drifter observations, and the uncertainty of each are combined to form a cost function that is minimized to produce an estimated velocity field and bathymetry. The goals of this study are to assess whether ROMS can accurately reproduce the Kootenai River flow to an extent that depth estimation is feasible, to investigate if drifter paths are sensitive enough to bottom topographytomakedepthestimationpossible,andtoestablishpracticallimitationsofthepresent methodology.At both test sites, the depth estimation method produced a bathymetry that was more accurate than the priorestimate.
The Xenakis Sieve as Object: A New Model and a Complete Implementation

40 Computer Music Journal In numerous publications from 1965 to 1992, composer, architect, and theorist Iannis Xenakis (1922– 2001) developed an elegant and powerful system for creating integer-sequence generators called sieves. Xenakis used sieves (cribles) for the generation of pitch scales and rhythm sequences in many compositions, and he suggested their application to a variety of additional musical parameters. Though sieves are best calculated with the aid of a computer, no complete implementation has been widely distributed. Xenakis’s published code is incomplete and insufficient for broad use. This article demonstrates a new object-oriented model and Python implementation of the Xenakis sieve. This model introduces a bi-faceted representation of the sieve, expands Xenakis’s use of logic operators, employs a practical notation, produces sieve segments and transpositions, and easily integrates within higher-level systems. This modular implementation is deployed within athenaCL, a cross-platform, open-source, interactive commandline environment for algorithmic composition using Csound and MIDI. High-level, practical interfaces have been developed to provide athenaCL users with sieve-based tools for the algorithmic generation of pitches, rhythms, and general parameter values.
Selection from perceptual and conceptual representations

The lateral prefrontal cortex has been implicated in a wide variety of functions that guide our behavior, and one such candidate function is selection. Selection mechanisms have been described in several domains spanning different stages of processing, from visual attention to response execution. Here, we consider two such mechanisms: selecting relevant information from the perceptual world (e.g., visual selective attention) and selecting relevant information from conceptual representations (e.g., selecting a specific attribute about an object from long-term memory). Although the mechanisms involved in visual selective attention have been well characterized, much less is known about the latter case of selection. In this article, we review the relevant literature from the attention domain as a springboard to understanding the mechanisms involved in conceptual selection.
Extra-Large G Proteins Expand the Repertoire of Subunits in Arabidopsis Heterotrimeric G Protein Signaling

Heterotrimeric G proteins, consisting of Gα, Gβ, and Gγ subunits, are a conserved signal transduction mechanism in eukaryotes. However, G protein subunit numbers in diploid plant genomes are greatly reduced as compared with animals and do not correlate with the diversity of functions and phenotypes in which heterotrimeric G proteins have been implicated. In addition to GPA1, the sole canonical Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Gα subunit, Arabidopsis has three related proteins: the extra-large GTP-binding proteins XLG1, XLG2, and XLG3. We demonstrate that the XLGs can bind Gβγ dimers (AGB1 plus a Gγ subunit: AGG1, AGG2, or AGG3) with differing specificity in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) three-hybrid assays. Our in silico structural analysis shows that XLG3 aligns closely to the crystal structure of GPA1, and XLG3 also competes with GPA1 for Gβγ binding in yeast. We observed interaction of the XLGs with all three Gβγ dimers at the plasma membrane in planta by bimolecular fluorescence complementation. Bioinformatic and localization studies identified and confirmed nuclear localization signals in XLG2 and XLG3 and a nuclear export signal in XLG3, which may facilitate intracellular shuttling. We found that tunicamycin, salt, and glucose hypersensitivity and increased stomatal density are agb1-specific phenotypes that are not observed in gpa1 mutants but are recapitulated in xlg mutants. Thus, XLG-Gβγ heterotrimers provide additional signaling modalities for tuning plant G protein responses and increase the repertoire of G protein heterotrimer combinations from three to 12. The potential for signal partitioning and competition between the XLGs and GPA1 is a new paradigm for plant-specific cell signaling.
Preliminary Outcomes of a Pre-Adjudication Diversion Initiative for Juvenile Justice Involved Youth with Mental Health Needs In Texas

Estimates of mental health disorders among youth involved with the juvenile justice system range from 50% to 75%, while general population prevalence is 9% to 20%. The system is ill-equipped to sup...
Empathy and stress related neural responses in maternal decision making

Mothers need to make caregiving decisions to meet the needs of children, which may or may not result in positive child feedback. Variations in caregivers’ emotional reactivity to unpleasant child-feedback may be partially explained by their dispositional empathy levels. Furthermore, empathic response to the child’s unpleasant feedback likely helps mothers to regulate their own stress. We investigated the relationship between maternal dispositional empathy, stress reactivity, and neural correlates of child feedback to caregiving decisions. In Part 1 of the study, 33 female participants were recruited to undergo a lab-based mild stressor, the Social Evaluation Test (SET), and then in Part 2 of the study, a subset of the participants, fourteen mothers, performed a Parenting Decision Making Task (PDMT) in an fMRI setting. Four dimensions of dispositional empathy based on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index were measured in all participants – Personal Distress, Empathic Concern, Perspective Taking, and Fantasy. Overall, we found that the Personal Distress and Perspective Taking were associated with greater and lesser cortisol reactivity, respectively. The four types of empathy were distinctly associated with the negative (versus positive) child feedback activation in the brain. Personal Distress was associated with amygdala and hypothalamus activation, Empathic Concern with the left ventral striatum, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), and supplemental motor area (SMA) activation, and Fantasy with the septal area, right SMA and VLPFC activation. Interestingly, hypothalamus-septal coupling during the negative feedback condition was associated with less PDMT-related cortisol reactivity. The roles of distinct forms of dispositional empathy in neural and stress responses are discussed.
Bacillus spore uptake onto heavily corroded iron pipe in a drinking water distribution system simulatorA paper submitted to the Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science.

A dechlorinated drinking water distribution system simulator containing 15-year old unlined iron pipe was contaminated with Bacillus globigii spores. Bulk phase spore density decreased by 1.5–2.0 log10 5 min after injection and declined by 1.8–3.4 log10 after 4 d. Spores were detected on the iron pipe interior at 2 and 22 CFU/cm2 after it was decontaminated and disassembled. These results support previous bench-scale studies that show that spores can persist on corroded surfaces in a drinking water environment.
Emotional style and susceptibility to the common cold.

Objective:It has been hypothesized that people who typically report experiencing negative emotions are at greater risk for disease and those who typically report positive emotions are at less risk. We tested these hypotheses for host resistance to the common cold.Methods:Three hundred thirty-four he
Adherence of Streptococcus pyogenes to human epithelial cells is modulated by Haemophilus influenzae.

Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pyogenes colonize overlapping regions of the nasopharynx and oropharynx. The effect of 10 H. influenzae strains (5 non-piliated parent strains and 5 piliated daughter strains) on adherence of S. pyogenes to human respiratory epithelial cells was assessed in this study. A 39.6% and 49.0% increase in the number of adherent S. pyogenes was observed in Chang epithelial cells if the cells were already colonized with 2 out of 5 non-piliated strains of H. influenzae (p 0.05), but a 36.9% (p<0.05), 62.9% (p<0.01) and 32.1% (p<0.05) increase in the number of adherent S. pyogenes was found with 3 out of 5 piliated strains of H. influenzae. These results indicate that increases of S. pyogenes adherence t...
Propellant Injector Influence on Liquid-Propellant Rocket Engine Instability

The avoidance of acoustic instabilities, which may cause catastrophic failure, is demanded for liquid-propellant rocket engines. This occurs when the energy released by combustion amplifies acoustic disturbances; it is therefore essential to avoid such positive feedback. Although the energy addition mechanism operates in the combustion chamber, the propellant injector system may also have considerable influence on the stability characteristics of the overall system, with pressure disturbances in the combustion chamber propagating back and forth in the propellant injectorchannels.Theintroducedtimedelaymayaffectstability,dependingontheratioofthewavepropagationtime throughtheinjectortotheperiodofthecombustionchambersacousticmodes.Thisstudyfocusesontransverse-wave liquid-propellant rocket engine instabilities using a two-dimensional polar coordinate solver (with averaging in the axial direction) coupled to one-dimensional solutions in each of the coaxial oxygen–methane injectors. A blockage in one (or more) of the injectors is analyzed as a stochastic event that may cause an instability. A properly designed temporaryblockage of oneor more injectors can also be used for control of an oscillation introduced by any physical event.Thestochasticanddesignvariablesparameterspaceis exploredwiththepolynomial chaosexpansionmethod.
CDC Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) constitute an epidemic of tremendous magnitude, with an estimated 15 million persons acquiring a new STD each year [1]. Effective clinical management of STDs represents a strategic element in prevention of HIV infection and in efforts to improve reproductive and sexual health. Clinicians who evaluate persons with STDs or those at risk for STDs should be aware of the current national guidelines for STD treatment. The 2002 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for the treatment of STDs provide clinical guidance in the appropriate assessment and management of STDs [2]. The scope and content of these guidelines continues to evolve, reflecting changes not only in clinical experience and epidemiology but also in changes in the health care environment and the circumstances under which clinical services are delivered. The 2002 guidelines for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases were developed in consultation with publicand private-sector professionals knowledgeable in the management of STDs, using an evidence-based approach. A systematic literature review was performed that focused on peer-reviewed journal articles and published abstracts that have become available since publication of the 1998 guidelines. On the basis of this review process, background papers were developed, and the available evidence was evaluated during a meeting of consultants in September 2000. A draft report was then circulated to professional associations, STD treatment experts, and other agencies,
Maximum walking speeds obtained using treadmill and overground robot system in persons with post-stroke hemiplegia

Previous studies demonstrated that stroke survivors have a limited capacity to increase their walking speeds beyond their self-selected maximum walking speed (SMWS). The purpose of this study was to determine the capacity of stroke survivors to reach faster speeds than their SMWS while walking on a treadmill belt or while being pushed by a robotic system (i.e. “push mode”). Eighteen chronic stroke survivors with hemiplegia were involved in the study. We calculated their self-selected comfortable walking speed (SCWS) and SMWS overground using a 5-meter walk test (5-MWT). Then, they were exposed to walking at increased speeds, on a treadmill and while in “push mode” in an overground robotic device, the KineAssist, until they were tested at a speed that they could not sustain without losing balance. We recorded the time and number of steps during each trial and calculated gait speed, average cadence and average step length. Maximum walking speed in the “push mode” was 13% higher than the maximum walking speed on the treadmill and both were higher (“push mode”: 61%; treadmill: 40%) than the maximum walking speed overground. Subjects achieved these faster speeds by initially increasing both step length and cadence and, once individuals stopped increasing their step length, by only increasing cadence. With post-stroke hemiplegia, individuals are able to walk at faster speeds than their SMWS overground, when provided with a safe environment that provides external forces that requires them to attempt dynamic stability maintenance at higher gait speeds. Therefore, this study suggests the possibility that, given the appropriate conditions, people post-stroke can be trained at higher speeds than previously attempted.
Etanercept Enhances Preservation of Osteochondral Allograft Viability

Background: Osteochondral allografts are an increasingly popular treatment for the repair of articular cartilage lesions. Current tissue bank protocols require bacteriological testing that takes from 21 to 28 days to process. During this time, tumor necrosis factor–alpha (TNF-α, a proapoptotic cytokine) is upregulated, resulting in loss of chondrocyte viability. To date, etanercept (a cytokine inhibitor) has not been studied in the current storage paradigm with the intention of preserving cell viability.Purpose: This study was undertaken to assess whether the addition of etanercept can improve the chondrocyte viability ofosteochondral allograft during storage.Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.Methods: Osteochondral allografts were harvested from 8 Boer goat femurs and placed into storage media and stored at 4°C for 28 days. The experimental group was supplemented with 10 µg/mL of etanercept. After storage, cell viability was assessed by live/dead staining and confocal microscopy. Specimens were al...
Whole body irradiation and agonist anti-CD40 synergize to promote adoptive T cell therapy of resistant murine pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Meeting abstracts Adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) can promote dramatic regressions of established cancer, yet durable clinical responses are observed in only a subset of patients. ACT provides the opportunity to alter the immune suppressive host environment associated with cancer prior to
A Mixed Potential MLFMA for Higher Order Moment Methods With Application to the Generalized Method of Moments

The application of the multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA) to higher order moment method discretizations is a continuing open problem. Herein, we present a point-based mixed potential variant of the MLFMA algorithm that exhibits an MLFMA tree of arbitrary height with no restriction related to basis function support size, efficient nearfield precomputation, and that maintains favorable scaling for any mixture of low- and high-order bases. The flexibility of the algorithm is also leveraged to accelerate the precomputation of algebraic preconditioners. We demonstrate the method through application to the generalized method of moments (GMM), a recently introduced moment method discretization capable of combining both low- and high-order bases and geometries in the same simulation; however, the method may be used to accelerate other higher order moment methods as well.
Suppression of Brownian Motion Explores Cooperativity for Single Multi-Subunit Enzymes in Solution

A high-speed Anti-Brownian ELectrokinetic trap enables extended observation of sub-10nm fluorescent objects in solution. For example, single chaperonin enzymes loaded with Cy3-ATP display stepwise photobleaching intensity traces corresponding to the ATP binding/hydrolysis stoichiometry and cooperativity.
Moderating the impact of e-commerce expenses on financial performance in US upper upscale hotels: The role of property size

The heavily fragmented hotel industry, embracing the changes in their guests’ use of electronic devices, has spent considerable resources to incorporate electronic commerce (e-commerce) practices. ...
The Politics of Defining the Legacy of Confucius

Confucius is an extremely popular and well-respected figure in China today, but historically that has not always been the case, as his reputation has constantly evolved over time. Often, changes in how Confucius is viewed have been the result of attempts by various governments over the years to appropriate his legacy for their own purposes. This paper will look at what some of those motives were, and the extent to which governments were successful at achieving them by examining four cultural sites, each of which represents an aspect of Confucius’ legacy: the Temple of Confucius in Qufu, and the Imperial University, National Museum and People’s University in Beijing. By analyzing the legacy of Confucius as it is reflected in these four sites, the paper demonstrates that the ability of governments to shape how he is perceived by the public is limited by the public’s existing views, which are not easily swayed by the government’s unilateral efforts.
Salesmen and Salesmanagers - Are they Satisfied with their Jobs?

In the 1980’s it is important that Marketing managers create an environment in which they and their employees can work at acceptable levels of satisfaction. Specifically, preceived need and job satisfaction among commissioned salesmen and salesmanagers is of major concern. Measurable variables of job satisfaction and need satisfaction must be identified and evaluated.
Euclidean bridge to the relativistic constituent quark model

Background: Knowledge of nucleon structure is today ever more of a precision science, with heightened theoretical and experimental activity expected in coming years. At the same time, a persistent gap lingers between theoretical approaches grounded in Euclidean methods (e.g., lattice QCD, Dyson-Schwinger equations [DSEs]) as opposed to traditional Minkowski field theories (such as light-front constituent quark models).Purpose: Seeking to bridge these complementary world views, we explore the potential of a Euclidean constituent quark model (ECQM). This formalism enables us to study the gluonic dressing of the quark-level axial-vector vertex, which we undertake as a test of the framework.Method: To access its indispensable elements with a minimum of inessential detail, we develop our ECQM using the simplified quark $+$ scalar diquark picture of the nucleon. We construct a hyperspherical formalism involving polynomial expansions of diquark propagators to marry our ECQM with the results of Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) analyses, and constrain model parameters by fitting electromagnetic form factor data.Results: From this formalism, we define and compute a new quantity---the Euclidean density function (EDF)---an object that characterizes the nucleon's various charge distributions as functions of the quark's Euclidean momentum. Applying this technology and incorporating information from BSE analyses, we find the quenched dressing effect on the proton's axial-singlet charge to be small in magnitude and consistent with zero, while use of recent determinations of unquenched BSEs results in a large suppression.Conclusions: The quark $+$ scalar diquark ECQM is a step toward a realistic quark model in Euclidean space, and needs additional refinements. The substantial effect we obtain for the impact on the axial-singlet charge of the unquenched dressed vertex compared to the quenched demands further investigation.
Iterative designs of onboard context-sensitive information system (OCSIS)

Pilots currently use paper-based documentation and electronic systems to help them perform procedures to ensure safety, efficiency and comfort on commercial aircrafts. The Onboard Context-Sensitive Information System (OCSIS) was developed and tested to overcome the lack of context-sensitivity of paper-based operational documents, especially when time pressure is high in normal, abnormal and emergency situations. It includes operational information on flight, system, performance, and navigation. Its content is organized using a hyperlinked three-layer information structure. The current version of OCSIS was developed on an iPad using a high-level knowledge representation for procedures and checklists called interactive blocks or iBlocks (Boy, 1998). OCSIS was tested using human-in-the-loop simulations that involved professional pilots in the simulator. First results are encouraging because they show that OCSIS can be usable and useful for operational information access and provides other features that paper-based documents do not have. OCSIS was human-centered designed using an agile approach involving formative evaluations.
Critique [of Alternative Education for the Rom]

Leita Kaldi has introduced the readers to little known data on one of America9s most interesting and lesser-known ethnic groups. This critique focuses on further development of the material in the article and the implications of such research for the field of ethnic studies.
An Interactive Web-based Decision Support System for Mass Dispensing, Emergency Preparedness, and Biosurveillance

In this study, we present an interactive web-based real-time decision support suite, RealOpt©. The system integrates visualization, information and cognitive analytics, and dynamic large-scale computational modeling and optimization tools that allow public health emergency preparedness coordinators to determine optimal response facilities and locations, resource needs and supply-routes, and population flow in real time. With an eye towards flexibility and future system expansion, RealOpt is designed in modular format allowing direct linkage to multiple functional modules. Currently, the system has twelve modules covering emergency response preparedness and operations for biological, chemical, radiological/nuclear incidents, biosurveillance, epidemiology, and decontamination models, operations logistics and networks, a real-time crowd sourcing data feed, and evacuation planning. RealOpt has been used for biodefense and H1N1 regional planning and operations, regional flood and hurricane responses, 2010 Haiti earthquake disaster relief, 2011 Japan Fukushima disaster, 2014-2015 Ebola containment assistance and after-event public health preparedness training in West Africa, and current Zika virus containment analysis. The fast solution engines enable real-time use for rapid decision and scenario analysis, since it requires only one CPU minute to determine an optimal network of facilities and resource needs to serve a population of over 10 million.
LINE-1 methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes and clinical characteristics and prognosis of prostate cancer patients.

// Yuyan Han 1 , Junfeng Xu 1 , Jeri Kim 2 , Xifeng Wu 1 and Jian Gu 1 1 Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA 2 Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA Correspondence to: Jian Gu, email: jiangu@mdanderson.org Keywords: LINE-1, methylation, prostate cancer, prognosis Received: July 06, 2017 Accepted: September 18, 2017 Published: October 04, 2017 ABSTRACT Global DNA methylation of long interspersed nucleotide elements (LINE-1) in leukocytes has been suggested to be a risk factor for a few cancers. There has been no report of LINE-1 methylation in leukocytes as a risk factor for aggressive prostate cancer at diagnosis and prognosis after treatments. In this study, we measured the leukocyte DNA methylation of LINE-1 in 795 PCa patients and compared the methylation levels across different clinical subgroups. We then determined the association of LINE-1 methylation in leukocytes with clinicopathological variables at diagnosis using logistic regression analysis and biochemical recurrence in patients receiving active treatments (prostatectomy and radiotherapy) using Cox proportional hazard model after adjusting for age, BMI, smoking status, pack year, D’Amico risk groups, and treatments. Overall, the DNA methylation of LINE-1 was not associated with the risk of being diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer or the risk of biochemical recurrence upon active treatments. Future studies are warranted to investigate other types of repetitive element methylation and longitudinal changes of global methylation in relation to prostate cancer risk and prognosis.
Chapter 3 Case Histories of Coexisting Reefs and Terrigenous Sediments: The Gulf of Elat (Red Sea), Java Sea, and Neogene Basin of the Negev, Israel

Abstract The contemporaneous deposition of clastics and development of carbonate-secreting organisms, once thought to have been mutually exclusive, is actually quite common through a variety of sedimentological and biological processes. In the Gulf of Elat (Red Sea), the hot, dry climate, and infrequent rain-fall result in flash-flooding. Coarse sands, washed down from the adjacent highlands through intermittant streams (wadis), are deposited in alluvial-fan complexes while reef complexes contemporaneously are deposited along the shelf break. The carbonate-secreting organisms overcome the inhibiting effects of the clastic material due to sediment coarseness and the long periods of quiesence between flash-floods. Reef complexes almost fringe the entire Gulf of Elat coastline. The humid climate of the Java Sea, contrary to the Gulf of Elat, ensures a consistently heavy, sediment-ladened run-off from the islands composed primarily of fine-grained material. Longshore currents redistribute these sediments laterally, away from the carbonate-secreting organisms allowing reef development in clear water approximately 25 km from the Java coast. Within the Hazeva Formation in the Neogene Yeroham Basin in Southern Israel, terrigenous and carbonate facies are mixed in an upward-coarsening clastic sequence topped by an erosion-resistant oyster bank (Crassostreids). By analogy with modern environments, the oyster bank is considered to be intertidal in origin. Probably as a paleoecological retreat into a setting where predators cannot survive, oysters have adapted to a muddy environment by eliminating clay-mucous particles as pseudo-feces. Here, the mutually exclusive relationship between fine-grained terrigenous sediments and carbonate-secreting organisms is not the case.
Fundamentals of Semiconductor Processing

The trend in silicon device fabrication of employing increasing numbers of more complex processes to produce materials systems with narrower tolerances of performance has produced encounters with some fundamental limits of materials processing. This paper examines the role of materials processing in defining the ultimate limits in feature size, compositional and structural heterogeneity, and device performance. Particular emphasis is given to silicon technology which dominates both the science and economics of the electronics industry.
Deptor knockdown enhances mTOR Activity and protein synthesis in myocytes and ameliorates disuse muscle atrophy.

Deptor is an mTOR binding protein that affects cell metabolism. We hypothesized that knockdown (KD) of Deptor in C2C12 myocytes will increase protein synthesis via stimulating mTOR-S6K1 signaling. Deptor KD was achieved using lentiviral particles containing short hairpin (sh)RNA targeting the mouse Deptor mRNA sequence, and control cells were transfected with a scrambled control shRNA. KD reduced Deptor mRNA and protein content by 90%, which increased phosphorylation of mTOR kinase substrates, 4E-BP1 and S6K1, and concomitantly increased protein synthesis. Deptor KD myoblasts were both larger in diameter and exhibited an increased mean cell volume. Deptor KD increased the percentage of cells in the S phase, coincident with an increased phosphorylation (S807/S811) of retinoblastoma protein (pRb) that is critical for the G1 to S phase transition. Deptor KD did not appear to alter basal apoptosis or autophagy, as evidenced by the lack of change for cleaved caspase-3 and light chain (LC)3B, respectively. Deptor KD increased proliferation rate and enhanced myotube formation. Finally, in vivo Deptor KD (∼50% reduction) by electroporation into gastrocnemius of C57/BL6 mice did not alter weight or protein synthesis in control muscle. However, Deptor KD prevented atrophy produced by 3 d of hindlimb immobilization, at least in part by increasing protein synthesis. Thus, our data support the hypothesis that Deptor is an important regulator of protein metabolism in myocytes and demonstrate that decreasing Deptor expression in vivo is sufficient to ameliorate muscle atrophy.
Adapting air quality management for a changing climate: Survey of local districts in California

ABSTRACTAir quality can be affected by weather and thus is sensitive to a changing climate. Wildfire (influenced by weather), consecutive high temperature summer days, and other extreme events are projected to become more severe and frequent with climate change. These may create challenging conditions for managing air quality despite policy targets to reduce precursor and pollutant emissions. Although extreme events are becoming more intense and interest in climate adaptation is increasing among public health practitioners, little attention in scholarly literature and policy covers climate adaptation for air quality governance. Understanding the management and managers’ perspectives at the local level provides insight about the needs for climate adaptation, including their adaptation status, perspectives, responsibilities, and roles. This study explores local manager perspectives and experiences of managing air quality within a changing climate as one puzzle piece to understand the gap in climate adaptati...
Consequences of alternating monocular deprivation on eye alignment and convergence in cats

Four kittens were raised with an opaque contact lens covering one eye for one day and theother eye for the next day, alternating eyes day by day from shortly after birth until six monthsof age. This rearing procedure severely reduces the proportion of binocularly innervated neuronesin visual cortex. Eye alignment measurements, obtained using a corneal reflex technique, dis-closed that this neurophysiologic abnormality is accompanied by at least a mild strabismus.Videotape records of eye movements of the restrained cats showed consistent vergence move-ments upon presentation of an interesting object. These results indicate that: (1) deficits inthe neural mechanisms subserving binocular vision can lead to strabismus; and (2) binocularneurones are unnecessary for the initiation of horizontal vergence eye movements.Key words: binocular vision, strabismus, vergence, visual cortex, early visual experience.
Understanding Health-related Quality of Life in Caregivers of Civilians and Service Members/Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury: Establishing the Reliability and Validity of PROMIS Mental Health Measures.

Abstract Objective To examine the reliability and validity of the short form (SF) and computer adaptive test (CAT) versions of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures of social health of caregivers of civilians and service members/veterans (SMVs) with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design Self-report questionnaires administered through an online data collection platform. Setting Hospital and community-based outreach at 3 TBI Model Systems rehabilitation hospitals, an academic medical center, and a military medical treatment facility. Participants Caregivers (N=560) (344 civilians and 216 military) of individuals with a documented TBI. Intervention Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures A total of 5 PROMIS social health measures. Results All 5 PROMIS social health measures exceeded the a priori criterion for internal consistency reliability (≥0.70); most PROMIS measures met the criterion for test-retest reliability (≥0.70) in the civilian sample; in the SMV sample, test-retest reliability was generally below this criterion, except for social isolation. For both samples, convergent validity was supported by moderate correlations between the 5 PROMIS social health measures and related measures, and discriminant validity was supported by low correlations between PROMIS social health measures and measures of dissimilar constructs. Most PROMIS scores indicated significantly worse social health in both samples of those caring for individuals who were low functioning. Finally, impairment rates in social health were elevated for those caring for low-functioning individuals, especially in the SMV sample. Conclusions The PROMIS CAT and SF social health measures have potential clinical utility for use in caregivers of civilians and SMVs with TBI.
Multiphoton Ionization Via Rydberg States and Effects of High Laser Intensity

A photoionization experiment is characterized by the initial bound state of the atom, the polarization, frequency, intensity and also temporal distribution of the ionizing radiation, as well as the partial waves describing the final continuum state. The basic observable is the total ionization rate which can be differentiated with respect to the kinetic energy of the emitted photoelectrons yielding total and partial photoionization cross-sections. Additional information can be extracted if the angular distribution of either electron emission [1,2] or spin polarization is measured [3]. The angle-resolved measurement reveals interference effects which average to zero whenever the signal is integrated over all angles, quite analogously to the angular correlations observed, e.g., in γ-γ cascades or scattering of particles.
Repeated administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine augments cocaine's action on dopamine in the nucleus accumbens: a microdialysis study.

In this study, we examined the ability of a single injection of cocaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) to augment extracellular dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens two weeks after pretreating rats with either saline (1 ml/kg, i.p.) or the serotonin neurotoxin 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (20 mg/kg, s.c., twice daily for 4 days). The level of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens was measured using in vivo microdialysis. Cocaine produced a 400% increase in extracellular nucleus accumbens dopamine levels in control rats, whereas in 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine treated rats the increase produced by cocaine was 800%, which was significantly different from controls. This suggests that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a relatively common drug of abuse, may alter subsequent vulnerability to cocaine dependence and abuse.
The biosynthesis of N-acetylneuraminic acid.

Abstract This communication describes a new enzyme system which catalyzes the synthesis of N -acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) from N -acetylmannosamine and phosphoenolpyruvic acid in the presence of ATP. It differs from N -acetylneuraminic acid aldolase (Comb and Roseman, 1960) which catalyzes the synthesis of NANA from N -acetylmannosamine and pyruvic acid. Whereas equilibrium of the aldolase reaction favors degradation of NANA, this system allows virtually complete conversion of substrates to NANA.
Fibres and Their Examination in Forensic Science

Fibres are probably the most abundant form of trace material. They can be used to provide evidence in a wide variety of criminal cases. The processing of fibre evidence in the forensic science laboratory can be divided into recovery, identification, comparison and evaluation. This article reviews each of these aspects in detail, illustrating how fibre examination has developed over the past two decades. State of the art microscopical and instrumental techniques are presented. Literature concerning fibres and their examination has been extensively reviewed with the intent of providing forensic scientists with a complete, current and concise report on this topic. Background information on dyes, optical brighteners, delustrants and flame retardants is also provided. A section has been devoted to considering e evidential value of fibres. This includes details of colour measurement and the use of data bases. Looking to the future, the increasing production of new fibre types and developments in textile technology which may help forensic scientists are discussed. Microspectrofluorimetry and FTIR-microscopy receive attention as instrumental techniques offering potential for the future. Finally, sources of additional information are provided for several fibre types.