cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Covenants with Earth and Rain: Exchange, Sacrifice, and Revelation in Mixtec Sociality

The Covenants with Earth and Rain: Exchange, Sacrifice, and Revelation in Mixtec Sociality. JOHN MONAGHAN. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995. xvi + 394 pp., illustrations, tables, notes, bibliography, index.
Why ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride is special

Ferroelectric polymers entail a number of constraints, which together limit the useful compositional variations. These constraints include the following: a stable molecular dipole moment, compact crystal structure, conformational flexibility, and minimal steric hindrance. They are well satisfied by the prototype ferroelectric polymer, polyvinylidene fluoride, and yet almost every other conceivable molecular structure is limited by comparison.
Towards a relationship navigation analysis

Many conceptual modeling and system design methodologies provide tools to help system designers to model the real world. No guidelines exist, however, for determining the relationships within conceptual domains or implementations. RNA (relationship navigation analysis), based on a generic relationship taxonomy, provides a systematic way of identifying useful relationships in application domains. Developers can then implement each relationship as a link. Viewing an application domain from the relationship management point of view and modeling from a philosophy of maximum access provides a unique vantage point for application design. We present RNA and its generic relationship taxonomy, describing their use for system analysis.
A neurobiological model of visual attention and invariant pattern recognition based on dynamic routing of information

We present a biologically plausible model of an attentional mechanism for forming position- and scale-invariant representations of objects in the visual world. The model relies on a set of control neurons to dynamically modify the synaptic strengths of intracortical connections so that information from a windowed region of primary visual cortex (V1) is selectively routed to higher cortical areas. Local spatial relationships (i.e., topography) within the attentional window are preserved as information is routed through the cortex. This enables attended objects to be represented in higher cortical areas within an object-centered reference frame that is position and scale invariant. We hypothesize that the pulvinar may provide the control signals for routing information through the cortex. The dynamics of the control neurons are governed by simple differential equations that could be realized by neurobiologically plausible circuits. In preattentive mode, the control neurons receive their input from a low-level “saliency map” representing potentially interesting regions of a scene. During the pattern recognition phase, control neurons are driven by the interaction between top-down (memory) and bottom-up (retinal input) sources. The model respects key neurophysiological, neuroanatomical, and psychophysical data relating to attention, and it makes a variety of experimentally testable predictions.
From Dewey to No Child Left Behind: The Evolution and Devolution of Public Arts Education

This historical narrative tracks the evolution and devolution of visual arts education from Dewey’s progressive era pedagogy and the theory of the arts as experience through the modern accountability movement. Archival material, state curricular documents, and conversations with policymakers show an increasing focus on core subject areas of reading, writing, and mathematics at the expense of arts education. Texas House Bill 3, the third generation of accountability legislation in the Lone Star State, provides a case study of the status of arts education after more than fifteen years of high-stakes testing and accountability. Policy considerations are offered for arts education and its future standing within the public educational curriculum.
lontophoretic Transport Pathways: Dependence on Penetrant Physicochemical Properties

The objective of this work was to investigate how the preferred iontophoretic transport pathways of a molecule depend on its physicochemical properties. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) was used to visualize in hairless mouse skin the distribution of two fluorescent penetrants: calcein, a multiply charged (-4), hydrophilic molecule; and nile red, a lipophilic, neutral compound. Iontophoresis and passive delivery of nile red showed that the percutaneous transport of this compound occurred via (inter- and intracellular) pathways that were clearly distinct from those followed by calcein. Although the distribution of nile red was influenced somewhat by the passage of current relative to the passive control, there was relatively little enhancement of the penetration of this compound into the skin. Calcein, on the other hand, did not passively enter the skin. However, with iontophoresis, greatly enhanced transport, with an important contribution from follicular structures, was observed. Sequential (dual) transport of the two fluorophores illustrated clearly the different pathways followed and reflected the transport and visualization studies of the individual species. It may be concluded, therefore, that the iontophoretic pathways followed across the skin are dictated by the physicochemical properties of the penetrant and by its affinity for the different environments available.
Pregnancy Prevents Hypertensive Remodeling of Cerebral Arteries: A Potential Role in the Development of Eclampsia

We investigated how hypertension during pregnancy affected passive structural (wall:lumen, wall stress) and active (myogenic activity) responses of the cerebral circulation. Female nonpregnant (NP; n=8) Sprague Dawley rats were compared with late-pregnant (LP; day 19 to 20, n=6) rats. Some animals were treated with the NO synthase inhibitor nitro-L-arginine in their drinking water to raise blood pressure. LP rats (n=6) were treated for the last 7 days of pregnancy (last trimester) to mimic preeclampsia and compared with NP rats treated for the same duration (n=8). Active and passive responses were determined on isolated and pressurized third-order posterior cerebral arteries. Nitro-L-arginine treatment significantly raised blood pressure in both groups of animals that was associated with increased wall thickness and wall:lumen ratio in the NP hypertensive animals versus controls (P<0.05). In contrast, this response to pressure was absent in LP animals, which had similar wall measurements. In addition, arteries from NP hypertensive animals had increased myogenic tone and pressure of forced dilatation compared with NP control animals (P<0.01). Again, this response was lacking in the LP hypertensive animals that had similar tone and pressure of forced dilatation as normotensive controls. The increased tone and wall thickness decreased wall stress in the NP hypertensive animals, a response that did not occur in LP hypertensive animals. Because medial hypertrophy is considered a protective response to elevated blood pressure, these results suggest that hypertension in pregnancy may predispose the cerebral circulation to autoregulatory breakthrough and blood-brain-barrier disruption when blood pressure is elevated, as during eclampsia.
AN INCREASE IN THE X-LINKED LETHAL MUTATION RATE ASSOCIATED WITH AN UNSTABLE LOCUS IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

The behavior of an unstable allele of the singed-bristle locus on the X chromosome was studied in connection with the occurrence of lethal mutations on that same chromosome. The unstable allele, weak singed (snw), is under the control of the P-M system of hybrid dysgenesis and, in the M cytotype, mutates secondarily to extreme singed (sne) and to wild type (sn+) at high rates. Chromosomes whose snw allele had mutated in this fashion sustained lethal mutations at a rate of 3%; whereas, those whose snw allele had apparently remained unchanged, acquired lethals at a lower rate, 1.3%. The significant difference between these values indicates a statistical coincidence between the phenomena of snw instability and X-linked lethal mutation induction. This coincidence can be explained by postulating that mutations at the singed locus sometimes release a genetic element capable of reinserting elsewhere in the chromosome. Alternately, snw instability and lethal induction might be associated because they are the effects of a common cause, perhaps some mutation-inducing substance present in various amounts in the germ cells of dysgenic flies. The lethals that occurred on chromosomes whose snw allele had mutated to sne mapped preferentially close to singed. The lethals on the snw and sn+ chromosomes did not show this concentration on the map. Cytological analysis of samples of all three types of lethal chromosomes indicated that, with one exception, there was no detectable breakage at the singed locus itself. The single instance of breakage at singed was not associated with any change in the singed phenotype. Thus, the instability of snw apparently does not involve detectable breakage of the singed locus, or if it does, this breakage is not a common event.
Nonparametric hierarchical Bayesian model for functional brain parcellation

We develop a method for unsupervised analysis of functional brain images that learns group-level patterns of functional response. Our algorithm is based on a generative model that comprises two main layers. At the lower level, we express the functional brain response to each stimulus as a binary activation variable. At the next level, we define a prior over the sets of activation variables in all subjects. We use a Hierarchical Dirichlet Process as the prior in order to simultaneously learn the patterns of response that are shared across the group, and to estimate the number of these patterns supported by data. Inference based on this model enables automatic discovery and characterization of salient and consistent patterns in functional signals. We apply our method to data from a study that explores the response of the visual cortex to a collection of images. The discovered profiles of activation correspond to selectivity to a number of image categories such as faces, bodies, and scenes. More generally, our results appear superior to the results of alternative data-driven methods in capturing the category structure in the space of stimuli.
Review of Pesticide Education Materials for Health Care Providers Providing Care to Agricultural Workers

: Context: Pesticide exposure is an important environmental and occupational health risk for agricultural workers and their families, but health care providers receive little training in it. Objective: To evaluate the medical resources available to providers caring for patients, particularly farmworkers, exposed to pesticides and to recommend a selective bibliography for use in educating clinicians about pesticides and health care. These resources are divided into 3 domains: (1) the working knowledge, (2) the skill set, and (3) the references needed to care for these patients. Methods: We searched library databases dating back to 1995, as well as conference materials and Internet resources. Materials were included only if they were readily available through customary sources. Materials were randomly divided into 2 groups. Two authors wrote detailed reviews for each group. The remaining authors read each document and review, making changes that were agreed upon by the team. Review procedures were standardized to examine the contemporary relevance, quality, and overall strengths and weaknesses of the material relative to guidelines developed for each domain. These guidelines were developed from the authors’ experience, national focus groups, and literature review. Results: While no 1 resource adequately addresses all needs, a number of resources were identified addressing the categories of working knowledge, skill set, and reference materials. Few of the reviewed materials address the cultural competence of providers treating farmworkers. Additional education resources are needed.
Rapid, sensitive and specific electron capture-gas chromatographic method for the quantitation of 6-chloro-2-(1-piperazinyl) pyrazine in biological fluids.

Abstract A highly specific and sensitive gas chromatographic method for the determination of 6-chloro-2-(1-piperazinyl)pyrazine (MK-212), a central serotonin-like agent, in biological fluids is described. MK-212 and a related internal standard are extracted into benzene from an alkaline solution, back-extracted into acid and then re-extracted into benzene at an alkaline pH. The amines are converted to the trifluoroacetyl derivatives (characterized by gas—liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry), chromatographed and detected with a 63Ni electron capture detector. The sensitivity of the method is such that 10 ng of drug can be measured per aliquot of biological fluid. The precision and accuracy of the method are well within acceptable limits. Specificity of analysis was established by gas—liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry techniques.
Sensor fault isolation and detection of smart structures

This paper proposes a novel principal component analysis (PCA)-based sensor fault isolation and detection method for smart structures: detectability and isolability of each sensor fault are analyzed using a PCA-based numeric residual generator and the probability of errors in each sensor is also determined using the Bayesian probabilistic analysis of these residuals. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed PCA-based sensor fault isolation and detection methodology, a seismically excited three-story building structure equipped with a magnetorheological damper that is operated by a semi-active nonlinear fuzzy control system is investigated. It is shown that the proposed PCA-based sensor fault diagnosis approach is effective in identifying sensor faults of smart structures for hazard mitigation of large structures as a model-free methodology.
Bartholomew James Sulivan's discovery of fossil vertebrates in the Tertiary beds of Patagonia

While commanding a Royal Navy survey of the Falkland Islands in 1845, Bartholomew James Sulivan discovered and collected fossil mammals at Rio Gallegos, Patagonia. Described the following year by Richard Owen, Sulivan's specimens comprised the first collection taken from what would later be designated the Santa Cruz beds (early-middle Miocene), the most prolific fossil mammal horizon in South America and the oldest discovered by Sulivan's time. Unfortunately, Charles Darwin's conservative estimate of the age of the fossils delayed the full appreciation of Sulivan's discovery. Sulivan was only moderately successful at attracting interest in his discovery among British naturalists. By the time that the first extensive collections of Santa Cruz fossil mammals were made by Argentine paleontologists Carlos and Florentino Ameghino, in the 1890s, Sulivan's pioneering role in the history of South American vertebrate paleontology had been overshadowed and all but forgotten. An examination of Sulivan's experience p...
Unique and Shared Cognitive Factors in Social Anxiety and Depression: Automatic Thinking and Self-Appraisal

Previous social-cognitive studies of social anxiety and depression have typically not separated these two states from each other. The current study compared “purely” depressed subjects to “purely” socially anxious subjects on two cognitive variables: automatic thinking and accurate self-appraisal. Results suggested that while negative automatic thinking is relatively specific to depressive affect, positive automatic thinking was impaired across both affective states. The accuracy of both negative and positive self-appraisals appeared to depend more on depressive than socially anxious affect. These results suggest both methodological as well as theoretical implications for future social-cognitive studies of depression and social anxiety.
Multilevel Control of Multipollutant System

The problem of maintaining water quality is considered. The following assumptions are made in problem formulation: (1) the existence of a Regional Authority; (2) the use of effluent charges to provide an economic incentive for the reduction of pollution loads; and (3) the desirability of a scheme is described in terms of dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demanding materials (BOD), temperature, and algae concentrations. Control actions include the fractional removal of BOD at sewage treatment facilities and of energy from steam power plants via cooling towers. Multilevel approach is then utilized to permit the decomposition of the integrated problem into decentralized subproblems (essentially the polluters) and the subsequent coordination of these first level decisions via effluent charges determined at a second level.
[Analysis of reports of cases of pesticide poisoning in Jiangsu Province, China, from 2006 to 2013].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of pesticide poisoning in Jiangsu Province, China, and to provide a scientific basis for developing effective intervention measures and prevention strategies. METHODS: The data from report cards of pesticide poisoning in Jiangsu Province from 2006 to 2013 were arranged using EXCEL tables, and assessed. Statistical analysis was applied to the epidemiological data using SPSS. RESULTS: From 2006 to 2013, a total of 32672 cases of pesticide poisoning were reported in Jiangsu Province. Most of the cases were caused by non-occupational poisoning (life poisoning) (72.78%). A majority of patients with pesticide poisoning were 35-54 years old (40.85%) or older than 65 years (15.69%). There were more female patients (58.22%) than male patients (41.78%). Among patients with occupational poisoning, male patients (50.90%) were more than female patients. Among patients with non-occupational poisoning, female patients were more than male patients (38.37%). Pesticide poisoning mainly occurred fromJuly to September. The case-fatality rate of occupational poisoning (0.47%) was lower than that of non-occupational poisoning (7.10%). All 13 cities in Jiangsu Province reported cases of pesticide poisoning. There were more cases in the northern regions than in the southern regions. Pesticide poisoning was mainly caused by organophosphorus insecticides including methamidophos, dichlorvos, dimethoate, omethoate, and parathion, which accounted for 65.58%of all cases. Paraquat had the highest case-fatality rate (10.06%) among all pesticides, followed by tetramine (10.00%), dimethoate or omethoate (7.85%), methamidophos (7.79%), and dimehypo (7.68%). CONCLUSION: Pesticide poisoning cannot be ignored. The management and control should be improved in production and usage of highly toxic pesticides including organophosphorus insecticides, rodenticides, and herbicides. More attention should be paid to the protection of vulnerable groups including women, children, and the elderly. Language: zh
Benchmarking Continuum Solvent Models for Keto–Enol Tautomerizations

Experimental free energies of tautomerization, ΔGT, were used to benchmark the gas-phase predictions of 17 different quantum mechanical methods and eight basis sets for seven keto–enol tautomer pairs dominated by their enolic form. The G4 method and M06/6-31+G(d,p) yielded the most accurate results, with mean absolute errors (MAE’s) of 0.95 and 0.71 kcal/mol, respectively. Using these two theory levels, the solution-phase ΔGT values for 23 unique tautomer pairs composed of aliphatic ketones, β-dicarbonyls, and heterocycles were computed in multiple protic and aprotic solvents. The continuum solvation models, namely, polarizable continuum model (PCM), polarizable conductor calculation model (CPCM), and universal solvation model (SMD), gave relatively similar MAE’s of ∼1.6–1.7 kcal/mol for G4 and ∼1.9–2.0 kcal/mol with M06/6-31+G(d,p). Partitioning the tautomer pairs into their respective molecular types, that is, aliphatic ketones, β-dicarbonyls, and heterocycles, and separating out the aqueous versus nona...
A short-form of the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress.

The measurement of stress in families of developmentally delayed or mentally retarded children has been a difficult task. The Questionnaire on Resources and Stress (QRS, Holroyd, 1974) was designed to answer this need, but the length and psychometric weaknesses of this instrument have interfered with more widespread usage. In the present investigation, data from 289 QRSs were item analyzed, and 52 items emerged as most reliable, forming a short form of the QRS. These items were factor analyzed, and four distinct factors were found: Parent and Family Problems, Pessimism, Child Characteristics, and Physical Incapacitation. The correlation between the total scores of the QRS and this short form was .997. In Study 2 initial efforts at concurrent validation of this short form were reported.
Key Technology and Systematic Framework of Internet Public Sentiment

With the popularization of Internet,the number of Chinese cyberizen ranks first in the world. Internet becomes the distributing center of ideology and culture and the amplifier of social public opinion. The necessary monitoring,analysis and leading of Internet public sentiment is of great significance to maintain social stability and political security. This paper analyzes the key technology and systematic framework of Internet public sentiment from the professional aspects of computer and network technology. At the end,this paper summarizes the studying situation and prospects the developing trend of domestic Internet public sentiment.
Comparison of statistical methods for analysis of threshold model of two-stage clustered randomized data

Objective To compare the performance of three statistical methods, namely probit regression, generalized estimating equations and probit-normal regression, for analysis of two-stage clustered randomized data. Methods Bias of estimates and coverage of 95% confidence intervals were compared across the three statistical methods through computer simulations according to a pupil based somatic study under different values of the regression coefficient parameters and intraclass correlation coefficient. Results Under various circumstances, probit-normal regression gave the least bias and the best coverage. Conclusions Probit-normal regression is a sensitive and reliable statistical method to analyze two-stage clustered randomized data.
Blockade of the estrogen-induced luteinizing hormone surge in monkeys: a nonsteroidal, antigenic factor in porcine follicular fluid *

That both follicular fluid extracts and ovarian hyperstimulation block estrogen-induced gonadotropin surges in primates has been established. In the present study, the differential actions of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and estradiol benzoate (E2B) on bioassayable LH (BIO-LH) secretion in the presence of a porcine follicular fluid (pFF) extract were assessed. Further, the inherent immunogenicity of the follicular fluid factor(s) that block estrogen-induced surges was examined. In castrated monkeys, administration of Florisil/charcoal-extracted pFF did not affect BIO-LH secretion induced by exogenous GnRH, although the pFF extract abolished E2B-induced BIO-LH surges. In monkeys given pFF chronically (for 6 to 8 months), immune responses capable of neutralizing the inhibitory actions of pFF on the E2B-induced BIO-LH surges developed. In these pFF-immunized monkeys, the BIO-LH surge induced by an E2B challenge was restored despite concurrent pFF injections.
Characterization of HER2 Status by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

Abstract The use of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) gene amplification and overexpression as a molecular predictive marker has become critically important for proper selection of breast cancer patients for treatment with targeted therapeutic agents such as trastuzumab, lapatinib, pertuzumab, and T-DM1. A high level of sensitivity and specificity of molecular tests for this alteration is desirable. The American Society of Clinical Oncology and College of American Pathology have jointly established consensus guidelines to standardize characterization of this alteration in breast cancers. This chapter provides a brief overview of pre-analytic and analytical processing of breast specimens as well as subsequent molecular evaluation for HER2 status.
Differences in Bird Communities on the Forest Edge and in the Forest Interior: Are There Forest-interior Specialists in Japan?

Most North American bird species that are less successful in small forests than in large forests, are forest-interior specialists that winter in the tropics. These species have declined in small forests because of high rates of nest predation and brood parasitism near the forest edge. To determine whether migratory forest-interior specialists are also important components of bird communities in Japan, we surveyed bird populations on plots at the edge and in the interior of deciduous forests in Hokkaido and Kyoto. Surveys were conducted during the breeding season in forest fragments using the point count method. We calculated edge indices for the most abundant species in Hokkaido and Kyoto (38 and 18 species, respectively). Among the nine species that were more abundant in interior than in edge plots in Hokkaido were the following tropical migrants: Turdus cardis, Phylloscopus coronatus, and Cuculus saturatus. In Kyoto, the abundance of particular species of tropical migrants was too low to permit statistical analysis. We therefore analyzed the rare species as a group and this group was more abundant in the forest interior than on the forest edge. Three resident species, Garrulus glandrius, Picus awokera, and Bambusicola thoracica, were also more abundant in the forest interior. The most frequent potential nest predator, Corvus macrorhynchos, was more abundant at the edge than in the interior in Hokkaido, but showed the reverse pattern in Kyoto. The abundance of the most frequent brood parasite in Hokkaido, Cuculus saturatus, had a weak positive relation with the abundance of its host species, but was not significantly related to the distance from the forest edge. Therefore, the major negative edge effects in Japan may be due to nest predation by corvids. The impact of negative edge effects, as well as the effect of forest structure, on forest-interior birds in Japan should be the focus of future research.
Caloric restriction improves health-related quality of life in healthy normal weight and overweight individuals

Commentary on : Martin CK, Bhapkar M, Pittas AG, et al. Effect of calorie restriction on mood, quality of life, sleep and sexual function in healthy nonobese adults: the CALERIE 2 randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med 2016;176:743–52[OpenUrl][1]. Studies have demonstrated that caloric restriction (CR) increases longevity in animals and also decreases the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer in humans without obesity.1 ,2 It is hypothesised that these favourable CR effects may be related to a reduction in metabolism, reduced core temperature and lowered triiodothyronine(T3).3 While it is unlikely that studies will ascertain whether CR extends life, intermediate length studies may be able to determine the safety, tolerability and feasibility of CR and its effects on chronic disease development and biomarkers correlated with longevity.2 This study aimed to examine the sustained effects of a 25% CR on health-related quality of life (QOL) in individuals … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%2BIntern%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D176%26rft.spage%253D743%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
New Classification of Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease: Added Clarity from the Consensus Diagnoses.

Abstract Chronic graft versus host disease (CGVHD) is classically defined as occurring more than 100 days after hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). But, with newer donor types and transplant strategies being used [eg. non myeloablative (NMA) and reduced intensity conditioning (RIC)] the presentation of the syndrome is changing. Clinical syndromes resembling acute GVHD (aGVHD) are often recognized beyond 100 days after HCT; possibly misdiagnosed as CGVHD. Additionally, the old grading system of limited versus extensive GVHD was designed to identify patients likely to benefit from systemic immune suppression and does not capture the severity of organ involvement. The Diagnosis and Staging Working Group of the NIH Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in chronic graft-versus-host-disease proposed criteria for diagnosis and assessment of overall CGVHD severity. We retrospectively reviewed 197 patients who underwent sibling donor transplant between January 2002 to December 2005 to assess the applicability of the new criteria in predicting survival and transplant related mortality (TRM). Fifty four patients were diagnosed with CGVHD [cumulative incidence 28% (95% CI 22–34%)]. Of these, 8 [cumulative incidence 4% (95% CI 2–6%)] were reclassified as Late aGVHD; 31 [cumulative incidence 16% (95% CI 11–21%) had classic CGVHD and 15 [cumulative incidence 8% (95% CI 5–11%] had Overlap syndrome. Forty six patients with Overlap syndrome and classic CGVHD were graded. Six patients (13%) had Mild, 29 (63%) Moderate and 11 (24%) Severe CGVHD. After a median follow up of 35 months (range 4.3–59.2mo), 3 year probability of overall survival was significantly worse in Late aGVHD [25%(95% confidence interval 4–56%)] as compared to Overlap [87%(56–96%)] or CGVHD [75%(54–87%), p=0.001].). Amongst patients with Overlap and CGVHD (n = 46), similar survival was seen between mild or moderate disease. However, patients with severe disease had a trend to worse survival. [Mild-moderate 3 year probability of survival 85% (68–94%) versus Severe 57%(21–82%)]. Additonally, 3 year cumulative incidence of TRM was higher in patients with Late aGVHD [38% (9–67%)] versus Overlap syndrome [13%(0–27%)] or CGVHD [7%(0–13%)], p= 0.003. A trend towards greater TRM was seen in patients with severe GVHD [18%(0–36] versus mild+ moderate GVHD [6%(0–14%)]. This analysis indicates that the consensus guidelines are applicable to related donor HCT recipients and more reliably predicts survival and TRM than older classification of CGVHD. Prospective validation and testing in alternative donor cohorts is still needed before widespread acceptance is justified.
An electro-dynamic 3-dimensional vibration test bed for engineering testing

Primary objective of the work is to design, fabrication and testing of a 3-dimensional Mechanical vibration test bed. Vibration testing of engineering prototype devices in mechanical and industrial laboratories is essential to understand the response of the envisioned model under physical excitation conditions. Typically, two sorts of vibration sources are available in physical environment, acoustical and mechanical. Traditionally, test bed to simulate unidirectional acoustic or mechanical vibration is used in engineering laboratories. However, a device may encounter multiple uncoupled and/or coupled loading conditions. Hence, a comprehensive test bed in essential that can simulate all possible sorts of vibration conditions. In this article, an electrodynamic vibration exciter is presented which is capable of simulating 3-dimensional uncoupled (unidirectional) and coupled excitation, in mechanical environments. The proposed model consists of three electromagnetic shakers (for mechanical excitation). A robust electrical control circuit is designed to regulate the components of the test bed through a self-developed Graphical User Interface. Finally, performance of the test bed is tested and validated using commercially available piezoelectric sensors.
On coincident loop transient electromagnetic induction logging

ABSTRACTCoincident loop transient induction wireline logging is examined as the borehole analog of the well-known land and airborne time-domain electromagnetic (EM) method. The concept of whole-space late-time apparent resistivity is modified from the half-space version commonly used in land and airborne geophysics and applied to the coincident loop voltages produced from various formation, borehole, and invasion models. Given typical tool diameters, off-time measurements with such an instrument must be made on the order of nanoseconds to microseconds — much more rapidly than for surface methods. Departure curves of the apparent resistivity for thin beds, calculated using an algorithm developed to model the transient response of a loop in a multilayered earth, indicate that the depth of investigation scales with the bed thickness. Modeled resistivity logs are comparable in accuracy and resolution with standard frequency-domain focused induction logs. However, if measurement times are longer than a few mic...
The actin binding protein scinderin acts in PC12 cells to tether dense-core vesicles prior to secretion

Mechanistic understanding of the control of vesicle motion from within a secretory cell to the site of exocytosis remains incomplete. In this work, we have used total internal reflection (TIRF) microscopy to examine the mobility of secretory vesicles at the plasma membrane. Under resting conditions, we found vesicles showed little lateral mobility. Anchoring of vesicles in this membrane proximal compartment could be disrupted with latrunculin A, indicating an apparent actin dependent process. A candidate intermediary between vesicles and the actin skeleton is the actin binding protein scinderin. Co-transfection of an shRNA construct against scinderin blocked secretion, and also increased the mobility of vesicles in the membrane-proximal section of the cell, indicating a dual role for scinderin in secretion; tethering vesicles to the cytoskeleton, as well as liberating them following stimulation through the previously described calcium dependent actin severing activity. Analysis of lipid dependence indicates that scinderin exhibits calcium dependent binding to phosphatidyl-inositol monophosphate, providing a possible mechanism for vesicle binding.
Photomutagenicity and phototoxicity of the breast cancer therapy agent tamoxifen

4771 Tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen therapy agent for patients with breast cancer, has been widely used. More then 500,000 women in the US are being treated with this drug. It is known that long-term treatment of this drug significantly increase women endometrial cancer. Tamoxifen-DNA adducts have been found in rat liver and in the endometrial tissue of certain women treated with this drug. There is no research into on the possible toxic effects initiated by light irradiation since tamoxifen absorbs UV component of the sunlight. Therefore, a photo-Ames test with Salmonella TA 102 is performed by irradiating the bacteria in plate mixed with various amounts of tamoxifen. It shows that tamoxifen is strongly photomutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium TA102 at concentrations as low as 0.08 μM and reaches maximum photomutagenicity at 0.4 μM under 4.6 J/cm2 of UVA and 8.4 J/cm2 of visible light. Tamoxifen with concentrations of greater than 0.4 μM is the phototoxic, leading to bacteria death. At concentrations of greater than 25 μM, severe bacteria death is observed. Furthermore, tamoxifen showed photocytotoxicity and photogenotoxicity in human HaCaT keratinocytes and supercoiled ΦΧ174 phage DNA. This suggests that the photomutagenicity shown in TA102 might be due to DNA fragmentation caused by the concurrent exposure to tamoxifen and light. Acknowledgement: This research was in part supported by the National Institutes of Health: NIH SCORE S06 GM08047 and the US Army Research Office DAAD 1901-1-0733.
Strong Ferromagnetic Exchange Coupling Mediated by a Bridging Tetrazine Radical in a Dinuclear Nickel Complex

The radical bridged compound [(Ni(TPMA))2-μ-bmtz•–](BF4)3·3CH3CN (bmtz = 3,6-bis(2′-pyrimidyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, TPMA = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine) exhibits strong ferromagnetic exchange between the S = 1 NiII centers and the bridging S = 1/2 bmtz radical with J = 96 ± 5 cm–1 (−2JNi-radSNiSrad). DFT calculations support the existence of strong ferromagnetic exchange.
Stratification, Dependence, and Nonanthropocentrism: Nicolai Hartmann’s Critical Ontology

This chapter argues, provocatively, that among all those who proposed a new ontology during the general revival of ontology at the start of the twentieth century, Hartmann was the only thinker to have actually developed one, and one that may fulfill the promise of an ontology of nature. Hartmann’s critical ontology effectively challenges anthropocentrism because his conception of a stratified reality acknowledges the asymmetrical dependence of humans on nonhuman biotic and abiotic nature. Given that, for Hartmann, all relations (organic, psychological, material, cultural, etc.) count, his ontology can form the non-reductive basis for a critical environmental philosophy.
Developing Legal Strategies for a Sustainable Coast

Legal mechanisms exist for moving people involuntarily from high risk areas but property rights issues and political costs may make such actions counterproductive. Takings law at the state level has narrowed the range of allowable public purposes for eminent domain. Eminent domain, however unpopular it is as a government function, may in some cases be the only option. Relocation assistance such as the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act can help lessen resistance to forced relocation but there are also a number of programs administered by FEMA and HUD that provide assistance for voluntary relocation. The limiting factor for any type of relocation is, almost invariably, money which depends on the political will of the governing bodies who appropriate funds. Large federal programs currently in existence, GOMSEA and RESTORE may be flexible enough to provide funding for hazard mitigation. Market forces, such as the escalating cost and availability of insurance, will at some point be the major driver of relocation and elevation in hazardous coastal areas. Proposed revisions to the National Flood Insurance Program have caused a great deal of anxiety and political backlash in flood prone communities but seem inevitable especially in light of climate change. The escalating cost of federal disaster relief will also be a factor in relocation and land use planning in high hazard areas. Taxpayers will tire of subsidizing repeated irresponsible decisions of individuals and local governments and the diminished availability of disaster relief will result in relocation. Local governments will be increasingly brought to task for poor land use planning decisions. There are several legal and policy changes that could affect the actions proposed in this book such as how structural protection is factored into the NFIP, making flood insurance mandatory; restricting disaster relief; increasing NFIP requirements on local governments; requiring developers to post bonds; requiring full disclosure of risk by the real estate industry; controlling and coordinating land use planning for hazard mitigation at the state level. Third party standards such as certified-flood-resistant or climate-smart-investment and private regulation such as real estate and lending institutions requiring flood insurance based on the extent of historic floods could be powerful market forces.
Could Aspirin and Diets High in Fiber Act Synergistically to Reduce the Risk of Colon Cancer in Humans

Early inhibition of inflammation suppresses the carcinogenic process. Aspirin is the most commonly used non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and it irreversibly inhibits cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 (COX1, COX2). Multiple randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that aspirin offers substantial protection from colon cancer mortality. The lower aspirin doses causing only minimal gastrointestinal disturbance, ideal for long-term use, can achieve only partial and transitory inhibition of COX2. Aspirin’s principal metabolite, salicylic acid, is also found in fruits and vegetables that inhibit COX2. Other phytochemicals such as curcumin, resveratrol, and anthocyanins also inhibit COX2. Such dietary components are good candidates for combination with aspirin because they have little or no toxicity. However, obstacles to using phytochemicals for chemoprevention, including bioavailability and translational potential, must be resolved. The bell/U-shaped dose–response curves seen with vitamin D and resveratrol might apply to other phytochemicals, shedding doubt on ‘more is better’. Solutions include: (1) using special delivery systems (e.g., nanoparticles) to retain phytochemicals; (2) developing robust pharmacodynamic biomarkers to determine efficacy in humans; and (3) selecting pharmacokinetic doses relevant to humans when performing preclinical experiments. The combination of aspirin and phytochemicals is an attractive low-cost and low-toxicity approach to colon cancer prevention that warrants testing, particularly in high-risk individuals.
Ultrafast Electron Diffraction and Transient Complex Structures — From Gas Phase to Crystallography

This article highlights the recent development of ultrafast electron diffraction at Caltech. This development has made it possible to resolve transient structures both spatially (0.01 A) and temporally (picosecond and now femtosecond) in the gas phase and condensed media, surfaces and crystals, with wide ranging applications. We also present some advances made in the studies of mesoscopic ionic solvation and biological dynamics and function.
Exploring the immediate and short-term effects of peer advice and cognitive authority on Web search behavior

Abstract An individual's Web search behavior can be influenced by a number of factors, including features and functions of a search engine as well as search education. In contrast to the long-lasting attention to the algorithm and interface dimensions of search, there is a lack of research concerned with the potential effects of user education on search behavior. To address this gap, we ran a three-session field-lab-combined study to examine the effects of user education from two distinct sources – peer advice and cognitive authority (operationalized as video-based student's advice and expert's advice respectively) – on Web search behavior in two different search task scenarios (i.e., factual specific and factual amorphous tasks). We also tested if these behavioral effects persist for a short period of time when the explicit search tips are removed. Using 185 task session data generated by 31 participants in two field and one lab sessions, this study demonstrates that: (1) both peer advice and cognitive authority are effective in stimulating immediate behavioral changes in Web search; (2) the immediate behavioral impact of search advice is broader in factual amorphous task than in factual specific task; (3) framing search tips as the advice from cognitive authority is more likely to generate continuing, short-term effects on Web search behaviors. This research has implications for the design of task-aware user education as well as the study of users’ interactions with IR systems in general.
Evaluating the Association Between the Extent of Resection and Survival in Gliosarcoma.

Introduction: Gliosarcoma (GS) is a rare, malignant mixed tumor of the central nervous system with a median survival of approximately 13 months across multiple studies. Although the value of the extent of resection (EOR) has been confirmed as a prognostic survival factor in glioblastoma, no such association has been defined for GS. The goal of this study was to establish an association between EOR and survival and to determine if a threshold of resection exists for which a survival benefit is conferred in GS. Methods: The authors identified 11 patients with histologically confirmed GS between January 2005 and January 2015, treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Clinical, radiographic, and outcome data were retrospectively reviewed. Volumetric analysis was completed using semi-automated segmentation to measure the change in contrast-enhancing material based on preoperative T1-contrast (T1c) and postoperative T1 & T1c magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. A log-rank test was completed to confirm an association between EOR and survival, and a series of Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to determine an EOR threshold. Univariate Cox proportional hazards model (CPHM) followed by multivariate CPHM was also completed to evaluate associations between the prognostic clinical and immunohistochemistry variables under consideration. Results: Extent of resection categories were defined as gross total resection (GTR >95%), subtotal resection (STR 90%-95%), and partial resection (PR <90%). The median overall survival for the groups were as follows: GTR-17.3 months (n=4), STR-12.6 months (n=5), PR-4.3 months (n=2). A statistically significant association (p=05 level) was found between survival and the PR group with the GTR group as reference. Multivariate CPHM confirmed a statistically significant association between increased survival and age, preoperative Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) scores, postoperative KPS scores, and KI-67 index. Serial Kaplan-Meier curves suggest a survival benefit with an EOR threshold of 94%. Conclusion: This study agrees with previous correlations in glioblastoma EOR and prolonged survival. For patients undergoing surgical resection for GS, maximal surgical removal, when safely possible, should be attempted as it appears to translate to longer survival times.
Preparing Semantic Agents for an Unsuspecting and Unreliable World.

Abstract : Semantic web-enabled agents offer tremendous promise for enabling automated coordination and negotiation amongst diverse participants. Ideally, a user should be able to quickly instruct his personal agent to achieve some goal, e.g., to schedule a meeting so that at least one representative of each division of the company would attend. This agent would then negotiate with the agents of all the invited participants, receiving prompt and definitive replies, and quickly reach consensus on an acceptable time. The original user would be involved again only when the goal was achieved. In reality, many problems are likely to arise: 1. Goal Specification: The user may know precisely what he wishes to have done, but instructing a general-purpose software agent to achieve this goal can be very complex. 2. Agent Proliferation: In a typical organization today, very few participants will know what a software agent is, much less have one that could act on their behalf. 3. Participant Reliability: Even if the user's agent is able to directly interact with the participants, many of them are likely to not respond, due to confusion about how to do so or general busyness. Moreover, those that do properly respond may later need to change their response, a situation that the user's agent may not be prepared to handle. 4. Evolving Goals: Finally, even the originating user may be uncertain about his precise goals. For instance, he may decide to invite new participants later, or to modify the goals after seeing the initial responses. Such changes pose technical challenges for the agent and may render its earlier actions irrelevant or even counter-productive. Collectively, these issues pose serious problems to the wide-scale deployment of useful, flexible semantic agents. In previous work, we examined the first issue by considering how ordinary people could specify flexible, explainable semantic agents (McDowell, Etzioni, & Halevy 2004).