cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends in agricultural ammonia emissions and ammonium concentrations in precipitation over the Southeast and Midwest United States

Abstract Emissions from agricultural activities, both crop and animal, are known to contain gaseous ammonia (NH3) which through chemical reaction in rainwater changes into ammonium ion (NH4+). Using wet deposition data of ammonium from several National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) and ambient levels of ammonium from Clean Air Status Trends Network (CAST Net) sites as well as calculated NH3 emissions from North Carolina, and the Southeast and Midwest regions of the United States, trends in ammonium concentrations in precipitation were analyzed for the period of 1983–2004. The beginning of 1997 coincides with the implementation of a swine population moratorium in the state of North Carolina. Results from the analysis in North Carolina indicate a lessening in the rate of increases in NH4+ concentration in precipitation since the moratorium went into effect. Sampson County, NC, saw stable NH4+ concentrations from 1983 to 1989, an average rise of 9.5% from 1989 to 1996, and an average increase of only 4% from 1997 to 2004. In addition, HYSPLIT back-trajectory model was used to determine that when ambient air in downwind sites arrived from the high NH3 emissions source region, ammonium concentrations in precipitation were enhanced. For the Southeast United States domain, analysis shows that NH4+ concentrations generally increased with increasing NH3 emissions from within the same region. Similar analysis has been performed over the Midwest United States and compared to the results from the Southeast United States. Emissions from the Midwest are attributed to larger animals, including hogs and cattle, whereas the Southeast has a higher percentage of emissions coming from smaller livestock, such as chickens. In addition, the states of the Midwest United States have a much more uniform spatial distribution of emissions.
Emergence of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy and Its Impact on Current and Future Clinical Practice

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is generally a tumor-ablative radiation modality using essential technologies capable of accurately and precisely damaging the target with a high dose while geometrically sparing innocent normal tissues. The intent, conduct, and tissue biology are all dramatically distinct from conventionally fractionated radiotherapy such that new understanding is required for its optimization. It is most practical, tolerable, and tumoricidal in its most potent form treating tumors in the lung and liver. However, it is increasingly being used for tumors adjacent to bowels and nervous tissue, albeit with somewhat less ablative potency. Its strengths include high rates of tumor eradication via a noninvasive, convenient outpatient treatment. Its weakness relates to the possibility of causing difficult-to-manage toxicity (eg, ulceration, stenosis, fibrosis, and even necrosis) that may occur considerably later after treatment, particularly in the vicinity of the body's many tubular structures (eg, organ hila, bowel). However, clinical trials in a variety of organs and sites have shown SBRT to result in good outcomes in properly selected patients. Given its short course, lack of need for recovery, and favorable overall toxicity profile, there is great hope that SBRT will find a prominent place in the treatment of metastatic cancer as a consolidative partner with systemic therapy. With considerable published experience, available required technologies and training, and many patients in need of local therapy, SBRT has found a place in the routine cancer-fighting arsenal.
A comparative study of complications and outcomes associated with radical retropubic prostatectomy and robot assisted radical prostatectomy

Purpose: To evaluate outcomes among a matched cohort of prostate cancer patients treated with radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and robot assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Materials and methods: Between 2002 and 2005, 294 patients underwent RARP at our institution. Comparison RRP patients were matched 2:1 for surgical year, age, PSA, clinical stage, and biopsy grade (n=588). Outcomes among groups were compared. From an oncologic standpoint, pathologic features among groups were assessed and Kaplan-Meier estimates of PSA recurrence free survival were compared. Results: Overall margin positivity was not significantly different between groups (RARP, 15.6%, RRP, 17%), yet risk of apical margin was significantly less with RARP. RARP was associated with significantly shorter hospitalization (p<0.01) and lower incidence of blood transfusion (p < 0.01). Early complications were higher in the RARP group (16% vs 10%, p<0.01). Among late complications, risk of bladder neck contracture was lower with RARP (1.2%, p=0.02). Adjuvant hormonal therapy was significantly higher in the RRP group (6.6% p<0.01). Continence at 1 year among groups was equivalent (p=0.15). Potency at 1 year was better among RARP patients (p=0.02). At a median followup of 1.3 years, PSA recurrence free estimates were not significantly different (92% vs 92%, p=0.69). Conclusions: Early complications were higher in this RARP group, but this experience includes cases performed in the learning curve. Oncologic, quality of life, and functional data in this study revealed encouraging results for RARP when compared to RRP.
Reprogramming of Human Cord Blood CD34+ Cells into Induced MSCs

Blood cells are the most accessible cells for reprogramming. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have multiple applications in regenerative medicine. We reported that induced MSCs (iMSCs) can be efficiently generated with OCT4 under defined conditions and iMSCs can be immortalized by overexpression of OCT4. Here, we detail the protocol for generating integration-free iMSCs from cord blood CD34+ cells using an episomal vector and describe the approach to immortalizing iMSCs.
Evaluation of the Evidence Base for the Alcohol Industry’s Actions to Reduce Drink Driving Globally

Objectives. To evaluate the evidence base for the content of initiatives that the alcohol industry implemented to reduce drink driving from 1982 to May 2015.Methods. We systematically analyzed the content of 266 global initiatives that the alcohol industry has categorized as actions to reduce drink driving.Results. Social aspects public relations organizations (i.e., organizations funded by the alcohol industry to handle issues that may be damaging to the business) sponsored the greatest proportion of the actions. Only 0.8% (n = 2) of the sampled industry actions were consistent with public health evidence of effectiveness for reducing drink driving.Conclusions. The vast majority of the alcohol industry’s actions to reduce drink driving does not reflect public health evidenced–based recommendations, even though effective drink-driving countermeasures exist, such as a maximum blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.05 grams per deciliter for drivers and widespread use of sobriety checkpoints.
Emotionally numb: Desensitization to community violence exposure among urban youth

Community violence exposure (CVE) is associated with numerous psychosocial outcomes among youth. Although linear, cumulative effects models have typically been used to describe these relations, emerging evidence suggests the presence of curvilinear associations that may represent a pattern of emotional desensitization among youth exposed to chronic community violence. This study uses longitudinal data to investigate relations between CVE and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms among 3,480 youth ages 3 to 12 at baseline and 9 to 18 at outcome. Results support desensitization models, as evidenced by longitudinal quadratic associations between Wave 2 CVE and Wave 3 anxiety/depressive symptoms, alongside cross-sectional linear associations between Wave 3 CVE and Wave 3 aggression. Neither age nor gender moderated the associations between CVE and well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record
She Has a Pain Problem, Not a Pill Problem Chronic Pain Management, Stigma, and the Family—An Autoethnography

People with chronic noncancer pain who rely on prescription opioid painkillers for treatment experience stigmatization, both within and outside of the health care system, which hinders their abilit...
Believing in other minds: Accurate mentalizing does not predict religiosity

Abstract Theorists have argued that religious beliefs emerged as a consequence of the human propensity to attribute mental states. However, little empirical work has explored the relationship between individual variability in theory of mind (ToM) and religious beliefs. We investigated the connection between empathy, emotional intelligence, systemizing, ToM, and religiosity in two college student samples. Empathy was correlated with aspects of religiosity but did not uniquely predict religiosity. Emotional intelligence was positively related to religiosity, whereas ToM was either unrelated or negatively related to religiosity. We argue that the basic ability to reason about self and other, including self-awareness (emotional intelligence) and empathy, rather than accuracy in mentalizing (ToM), predicts religiosity. However, despite these intriguing patterns, our measures of sociocognitive abilities explained little variance in our religiosity measures. Future research should explore other samples including those absent of empathy and ToM, and should explore capacities such as agency detection.
Loss of Genetic Diversity and Increased Subdivision in an Endemic Alpine Stonefly Threatened by Climate Change

Much remains unknown about the genetic status and population connectivity of high-elevation and high-latitude freshwater invertebrates, which often persist near snow and ice masses that are disappearing due to climate change. Here we report on the conservation genetics of the meltwater stonefly Lednia tumana (Ricker) of Montana, USA, a cold-water obligate species. We sequenced 1530 bp of mtDNA from 116 L. tumana individuals representing “historic” (>10 yr old) and 2010 populations. The dominant haplotype was common in both time periods, while the second-most-common haplotype was found only in historic samples, having been lost in the interim. The 2010 populations also showed reduced gene and nucleotide diversity and increased genetic isolation. We found lower genetic diversity in L. tumana compared to two other North American stonefly species, Amphinemura linda (Ricker) and Pteronarcys californica Newport. Our results imply small effective sizes, increased fragmentation, limited gene flow, and loss of genetic variation among contemporary L. tumana populations, which can lead to reduced adaptive capacity and increased extinction risk. This study reinforces concerns that ongoing glacier loss threatens the persistence of L. tumana, and provides baseline data and analysis of how future environmental change could impact populations of similar organisms.
Nanodrug Delivery: Is the Enhanced Permeability and Retention Effect Sufficient for Curing Cancer?

Nanotechnology offers several attractive design features that have prompted its exploration for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Nanosized drugs have a large loading capacity, the ability to protect the payload from degradation, a large surface on which to conjugate targeting ligands, and controlled or sustained release. Nanosized drugs also leak preferentially into tumor tissue through permeable tumor vessels and are then retained in the tumor bed due to reduced lymphatic drainage. This process is known as the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. However, while the EPR effect is widely held to improve delivery of nanodrugs to tumors, it in fact offers less than a 2-fold increase in nanodrug delivery compared with critical normal organs, resulting in drug concentrations that are not sufficient for curing most cancers. In this Review, we first overview various barriers for nanosized drug delivery with an emphasis on the capillary wall’s resistance, the main obstacle to delivering drugs. Then, w...
Building a Faculty-Centric Virtual Community of Practice (vCoP) Within the Post-secondary Education Environment: A Systems Approach Framework

This chapter describes the process used to design, develop and assess a faculty-centric virtual Community of Practice (vCoP) within the environment of post-secondary educational. The primary goals for developing a faculty-centric vCoP were to provide: on-demand, multi-modal learning opportunities for globally-distributed faculty with diverse abilities, a forum for faculty members to share their ideas and best practices, and a self-supported, sustainable and scalable learning community, while increasing social capital. To guide the development of the resulting community artifact, the systems approach model was applied (Dick in The systematic design of instruction. Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, Boston, 2005). Further guided by the empirical work of Chiu (Decis Support Syst 42(3):1872–1888, 2006) regarding knowledge sharing and the development of social capital in vCoPs, as well as the 21 typology elements outlined by Dube (Interdiscip J Inf Knowl Manag 1(1):69–93, 2006), this study extends the understanding of effective vCoP implementations. In an ever-expanding realm of instruction and the digitization of instruction within post-secondary education, a supportive Community of Practice is deemed critical to the effective dissemination of skills, techniques and information. Thus, to address this gap, a faculty-centric vCoP development framework is proposed and examined in detail. This chapter provides a comprehensive literature review, presents a theoretical framework, discusses challenges and goals of a faculty-centric vCoP, explains the framework development methodology used, highlights key findings and discusses benefits and limitations of the findings. This chapter examines a suggested development framework and processes to develop a vCoP in the post-secondary educational setting with the goal of fostering knowledge creation and knowledge sharing among participants.
Fusarium head blight resistance in Aegilops tauschii

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe [telomorph = Gibberella zeae (Schw.) Petch], is a persistent threat to wheat production. Development of resistant varieties and identification of germplasm carrying new sources of resistance is necessary to preserve grain quality and yield. Resistance to FHB has been identified both within the gene pools of cultivated wheat and wild wheat relatives. In this study, a collection of the D genome species, Aegilops tauschii Coss. was evaluated for resistance to FHB. A total of 109 accessions of Ae. tauschii Coss. subsp. tauschii and Ae. tauschii Coss. subsp. strangulata (Eig) Tzvelev were infected with F. graminearum by single floret inoculation. Disease severity was rated as the percentage of infected spikelets at 21 days post-inoculation. A strong relationship was identified between geographical origin of Ae. tauschii accessions and FHB resistance. Generally, accessions from areas receiving high levels of annual rainfall were resistant whereas accessions from areas of low rainfall, more susceptible to FHB. High levels of FHB resistance were identified in accessions collected from regions bordering the Caspian Sea. The majority of accessions from arid regions were susceptible to FHB. The resistant germplasm identified in this study will support long-term FHB resistance breeding efforts.
Introduction: Recent Approaches to Pottery and Society in the Southeast

ABSTRACTThis article discusses the themes of this special edition of Southeastern Archaeology on modern pottery studies and summarizes the articles included in this edition. Southeastern archaeologists increasingly are applying new theoretical constructs and techniques to ceramic studies. These new techniques, in conjunction with traditional typological analysis, allow archaeologists to approach the study of past peoples from a broader perspective.
Suden’s $$$$ Disribuion

The Student’s t distribution or t distribution defines a family of continuous probability distributions. It has a wide range of applications in probability, statistics, and other fields of sciences. It was first developed by Willieam S. Gosset (1908) in his work on “the probable error of a mean,” published by him under the nom de plume of Student. Further developments continued with the contributions of Fisher (1925) and others later. For detailed discussions on the development of the t distribution and its usages, see, example, Pearson (1967, 1970), Eisenhart (1979), Box (1981), Patel and Read (1982), Johnson et al. (1995), Wiper et al. (2005), Finner (2008), and Zabell (2008), and references therein. The graph of the probability density function of the Student’s t distribution is a symmetric and bell-shaped curve, differing for different sample sizes. The Student’s \(t\) distribution has mean \(=0\) and standard deviation is greater 1 for degrees of freedom greater than 2 and it does not exists for 1 and 2 degrees of freedom. As the sample size \(n\;\rightarrow \infty \), the Student’s t distribution approaches the standard normal distribution. If we compare the z-table and t table, we can see that the percentile points for of normal distribution and Student \(-t\) distribution for large degrees of freedom are approximately equal.
Investigating antecedents of task commitment and task attraction in service learning team projects

The authors investigated the antecedents of team task cohesiveness in service learning classroom environments. Focusing on task commitment and task attraction as key dependent variables representin...
Shifting Gears in Treating Psychogenic Sexual Dysfunction: Medical Assessment, Sex Therapy, Psychotherapy, and Couple Therapy

Sex therapy is a brief, focused therapy designed specifically for the treatment of sexual dysfunctions. Its focus is on the immediate causes for the dysfunction (“monitoring,” inadequate or inappropriate stimulation) rather than on remote causes (oedipal conflict, repressive upbringing, rape, incest, other traumatic sexual episodes from the past). The behavioral core and nonbehavioral ingredients are discussed, and specific relearning strategies for specific dysfunctions are presented.
Integrated simulation testbed for security and resilience of CPS

Owing1 to an immense growth of internet-connected and learning-enabled cyber-physical systems (CPSs) [1], several new types of attack vectors have emerged. Analyzing security and resilience of these complex CPSs is difficult as it requires evaluating many subsystems and factors in an integrated manner. Integrated simulation of physical systems and communication network can provide an underlying framework for creating a reusable and configurable testbed for such analyses. Using a model-based integration approach and the IEEE High-Level Architecture (HLA) [2] based distributed simulation software; we have created a testbed for integrated evaluation of large-scale CPS systems. Our tested supports web-based collaborative metamodeling and modeling of CPS system and experiments and a cloud computing environment for executing integrated networked co-simulations. A modular and extensible cyber-attack library enables validating the CPS under a variety of configurable cyber-attacks, such as DDoS and integrity attacks. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation is also supported along with several hardware attacks. Further, a scenario modeling language allows modeling of alternative paths (Courses of Actions) that enables validating CPS under different what-if scenarios as well as conducting cyber-gaming experiments. These capabilities make our testbed well suited for analyzing security and resilience of CPS. In addition, the web-based modeling and cloud-hosted execution infrastructure enables one to exercise the entire testbed using simply a web-browser, with integrated live experimental results display.
SHOCK HUMOR: Zaniness and the Freedom of Permanent Improvisation in Urban Tanzania

This essay explores scenes of zany comedy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, across three sites: a television sketch about repeated electrical shock; the careers of freelance electricians known as vishoka; and encounters between residents and power utility inspectors. Drawing on the work of Sianne Ngai, as well as long-term ethnographic research, the essay argues that zaniness manifests the structural paradoxes of entrepreneurial populations that have alternately been described as the lumpen, the informal, or simply the urban poor. Specifically, it argues that such populations are often consigned to permanent improvisation and that this engenders a social freedom that, in some respects, remains indistinguishable from constraint. The zany can thus critically nuance portraits of livelihood and citizenship practices in urban Africa by bringing their freedoms and constraints into the same frame.
Does the Enthalpy of Heterogeneous Chemical Reactions Affect the Formation of Aqueous Secondary Organic Aerosols

The chemical aging of liquid organic aerosols most likely occurs via exothermic heterogeneous chemical reactions on the aerosol’s surface. Because of the enthalpy of reactions, the temperature of an aerosol particle during its chemical aging may become greater than the ambient (air) temperature. We attempt to shed light on this aspect of the formation of secondary organic aerosols considering their nucleation and chemical aging as concomitant processes. Using the model of aqueous hydrophilic–hydrophobic organic aerosols in the framework of classical nucleation theory, we evaluate characteristic time scales of the four most important processes involved in this complex phenomenon. Their analysis suggests that the release of the enthalpy of heterogeneous chemical reactions during the chemical aging of organic aerosols may play a significant impeding role in the formation of an ensemble of aqueous secondary organic aerosols via nucleation and hence must be taken into account in atmospheric aerosol and global ...
Social television engagement: An examination of content, interpersonal, and medium relationships

This study aimed to identify factors that influence intention to engage in social TV. To that end, this study developed and tested a conceptual model that integrates content–, interpersonal–, and medium–relational factors. A survey of 275 college students in the United States suggests that individuals’ relationships with their contacts on an SNS, relationships with the SNS, affinity for viewing television programs, and preferences for certain types of television program genres predict engagement in social TV.
On the Frequency and Severity of Interstate Wars

Lewis Fry Richardson argued that the frequency and severity of deadly conflicts of all kinds, from homicides to interstate wars and everything in between, followed universal statistical patterns: their frequency followed a simple Poisson arrival process and their severity followed a simple power-law distribution. Although his methods and data in the mid-20th century were neither rigorous nor comprehensive, his insights about violent conflicts have endured. In this chapter, using modern statistical methods and data, I show that Richardson’s original claims are largely correct, with a few caveats. These facts place important constraints on our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that produce individual wars and periods of peace and shed light on the persistent debate about trends in conflict.
Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle greenhouse gas mitigation cost of five routes to bio-jet fuel blendstocks

Decarbonizing the air transportation sector remains one of the most challenging hurdles to mitigating climate change. Lignocellulosic biomass-derived jet fuel blendstocks can contribute to the shift toward renewable, low-carbon energy sources for aircrafts. Producing these renewable jet fuel molecules from biomass requires advanced pathways with the potential for efficient and affordable conversion routes. This paper presents a detailed techno-economic analysis and sensitivity analysis, including estimated minimum selling price (MSP), and life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation costs for five routes to four potential bio-jet fuel molecules – limonane via limonene, limonane via 1,8-cineole, tetrahydromethylcyclopentadiene dimer (RJ-4), bisabolane, and epi-isozizaane. The simulated biorefineries utilize biomass sorghum and an integrated high-gravity ionic liquid-based biomass deconstruction process. We present results reflecting the current state of the technology and potential future scenarios with improved yields. Among the conversion pathways and the fuel molecules evaluated in this study, limonane, bisabolane, and epi-isozizaane could reach an MSP of $0.73–$0.91 per L-Jet A ($2.75–$3.45 per gal-Jet A) in optimized future cases, without a hypothetical lignin-derived co-product. RJ-4 requires a more costly upgrading process and catalysts, resulting in a comparatively higher MSP ($1.33 per L-Jet A or $5.04 per gal-jet A). Based on the GHG footprints of each fuel, the minimum achievable carbon mitigation cost relative to conventional Jet-A is $29 per metric ton CO2e, which is just under double the current cap-and-trade market price in California. In the absence of any policy support, the economics could be improved through high-value uses for lignin. To reach a target selling price of $0.66 per L-Jet A ($2.50 per gal), lignin-derived products would need to be sold for at least $1.9 per kg. However, the higher energy density of these bio-based blendstocks offers valuable improvements in aircraft efficiency/range; we find that commercial airlines may be willing to pay a 4–14 cent per L premium for these bio-jet fuels. Our results highlight the need for improvements beyond currently-reported yields for the biologically produced intermediates, identification of ideal microbial hosts, selection of metabolic pathways to achieve competitive production costs, and a focus on fuels with attractive properties that increase their value.
Identifiability and bias reduction in the skew-probit model for a binary response

The skew-probit link function is one of the popular choices for modelling the success probability of a binary variable with regard to covariates. This link deviates from the probit link function in...
‘It takes a village’: mechanisms underlying antimicrobial recalcitrance of polymicrobial biofilms

Chronic infections are frequently caused by polymicrobial biofilms. Importantly, these infections are often difficult to treat effectively in part due to the recalcitrance of biofilms to antimicrobial therapy. Emerging evidence suggests that polymicrobial interactions can lead to dramatic and unexpected changes in the ability of antibiotics to eradicate biofilms and often result in decreased antimicrobial efficacy in vitro In this review, we discuss the influence of polymicrobial interactions on the antibiotic susceptibility of biofilms, and we highlight the studies that first documented the shifted antimicrobial susceptibilities of mixed-species cultures. Recent studies have identified several mechanisms underlying the recalcitrance of polymicrobial biofilm communities, including interspecies exchange of antibiotic resistance genes, β-lactamase-mediated inactivation of antibiotics, changes in gene expression induced by metabolites and quorum sensing signals, inhibition of the electron transport chain, and changes in properties of the cell membrane. In addition to elucidating multiple mechanisms that contribute to the altered drug susceptibility of polymicrobial biofilms, these studies have uncovered novel ways in which polymicrobial interactions can impact microbial physiology. The diversity of findings discussed highlights the importance of continuing to investigate the efficacy of antibiotics against biofilm communities composed of different combinations of microbial species. Together, the data presented here illustrate the importance of studying microbes as part of mixed-species communities rather than in isolation. In light of our greater understanding of how interspecies interactions alter the efficacy of antimicrobial agents, we propose that the methods for measuring the drug susceptibility of polymicrobial infections should be revisited.
Soldiers’ perceptions of military spouses’ career experiences

The current study provided an exploratory qualitative examination of the issues surrounding career progression for military spouses from the perspective of the soldier. Utilizing family systems the...
BIOMARKER MODULATION STUDY OF CELECOXIB FOR CHEMOPREVENTION IN WOMEN AT INCREASED RISK FOR BREAST CANCER: A Phase II Pilot Study

In preclinical studies, celecoxib has been associated with reduced risk of breast cancer. In this study, the aim was to assess the biomodulatory effect of celecoxib on blood and benign breast tissue biomarkers in women at increased risk for breast cancer. Women at increased risk for breast cancer [5-year Gail risk score of >1.67%, history of atypical hyperplasia, lobular carcinoma in situ, or previous estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer] were treated with celecoxib at 400 mg orally twice daily for 6 months. Participants underwent random periareolar fine needle aspiration and blood draw at baseline and at 6 months for analysis of biomarkers: serum levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), IGF-binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1), and IGFBP-3; tissue expression of Ki-67 and ER; as well as cytology. Forty-nine patients were eligible for analysis. Median IGFBP-1 levels increased significantly from 6.05 ng/mL at baseline to 6.93 ng/mL at 6 months (P = 0.04), and median IGFBP-3 levels decreased significantly from 3,593 ng/mL to 3,420 ng/mL (P = 0.01). We also detected favorable changes in cytology of 52% of tested sites after 6 months of celecoxib therapy. No changes in tissue Ki-67 and ER expression levels were observed. No grade 3 or 4 toxicity was recorded. Celecoxib was well tolerated and induced favorable changes in serum biomarkers as well as cytology in this pilot phase II trial. A phase IIb placebo-controlled study with celecoxib could be considered for women at increased risk for breast cancer.
A Bombieri-Vinogradov Theorem for primes in short intervals and small sectors

Abstract Let K be a finite Galois extension of Q . We count primes in short intervals represented by the norm of a prime ideal of K satisfying a small sector condition determined by Hecke characters. We also show that such primes are well-distributed in arithmetic progressions in the sense of Bombieri-Vinogradov. This extends previous work of Duke and Coleman.
Information Seeking Behaviors and Intentions in Response to Environmental Health Risk Messages: A Test of A Reduced Risk Information Seeking Model.

This study tests the effects of environmental health risk messages on perceived risk, information needs and decisions to seek information, testing a reduced risk information seeking and processing ...
Predicting 3D body shape and body composition from conventional 2D photography.

Purpose Total and regional body composition are important indicators of health and mortality risk, but their measurement is usually restricted to controlled environments in clinical settings with expensive and specialized equipment. A method that approaches the accuracy of the current gold standard method, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), while only requiring input from widely available consumer grade equipment, would enable the measurement of these important biometrics in the wild, enabling data collection at a scale that would have previously been prohibitive in time and expense. We describe an algorithm for predicting three-dimensional (3D) body shape and composition from a single frontal 2-dimensional image acquired with a digital consumer camera. Methods Duplicate 3D optical scans, two-dimensional (2D) optical images, and DXA whole-body scans were available for 183 men and 233 women from the Shape Up! Adults Study. A principal component analysis vector basis was fit to 3D point clouds of a training subset of 152 men and 194 women. The relationship between this vector space and DXA-derived body composition was modeled with linear regression. The principal component 3D shape was then fitted to match a silhouette extracted from a 2D photograph of a novel body. Body composition was predicted from the resulting 3D shape match using the linear mapping between the principal component parameters and the DXA metrics. Accuracy of body composition estimates from the silhouette method was evaluated against a simple model using height and weight as a baseline, and against DXA measurements as ground truth. Test-retest precision of the silhouette method was evaluated using the duplicate 2D optical images and compared against precision of the duplicate DXA scans. Paired t-tests were performed to detect significant differences between the sets. Results Results were reported on a held-out set. Body composition prediction achieved R2 s of 0.81 and 0.74 for percent fat prediction of males and females, respectively, on a held-out test set consisting of 31 males and 39 females. Precision estimates for fat mass were 2.31% and 2.06% for males and females, respectively, compared to 1.26% and 0.68% for DXA scans. The t-tests revealed no statistically significant differences between the silhouette method measurements and DXA measurements, or between retests. Conclusion Total and regional body composition measures can be estimated from a single frontal photograph of a human body. Body composition prediction using consumer level photography can enable early screening and monitoring of possible physiological indicators of metabolic disease in regions where medical imagery or clinical assessment is inaccessible.
Surface engineering to enhance heat generation and joint strength in dissimilar materials AZ31 and DP590 ultrasonic welding

A multiscale simulation approach was developed and employed to optimize the sheet surface conditions for higher interfacial temperature and joint strength in ultrasonic welding of magnesium alloy AZ31 and dual-phase steel DP590. First, a mesoscale model was used to study the relationship between friction coefficient and surface roughness, which can be modified by various engineering methods. Then a macroscopic process model was employed to study the effects of surface roughness on heat generation, indicating that a temperature increase can be achieved with rougher surfaces on two sides of both DP590 and AZ31 sheets. Samples prepared by sanding and filing, as well as grinding, were first characterized for surface roughness and then welded under ultrasonic vibration. An infrared camera was used to measure temperatures in situ for model validation. Lap shear test results for the welded joint showed that the joint strength can be improved by 10~25% using filing and round grinding methods as a result of the enhanced heat generation and mechanical interlocking on the interface.
Awareness and implications of fish consumption advisories in a women's health setting

OBJECTIVE: To determine awareness of fish consumption advisories and fish consumption patterns among women and to explore demographic associations with advisory awareness and fish cortsumption. STUDY DESIGN: An anonymous survey was given in 2006-2007 to women seeking care at the Medical University of South Carolina Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Family Medicine. RESULTS: The population (N = 453) was predominantly black, with an annual income of <$50,000, and 36.5% were pregnant. Overall, 47.0% reported awareness of fish consumption advisories, with pregnant women more knowledgeable compared to nonpregnant, and whites more aware than blacks. Fish consumption in this population is low, with 97.3% of respondents consuming fish twice per week or less. Fish advisory information is commonly obtained via the popular media. CONCLUSION: Fewer than half of the women in a health care setting report knowledge of fish consumption advisories. Fewer than 5% of women consumed fish above Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency advisory levels. Pregnant women report higher advisory awareness, but also higher fish avoidance, potentially missing beneficial aspects of fish consumption during pregnancy. Novel educational interventions targeting specific populations should be developed to encourage safe consumption of fish, especially in reproductive-age women.
Hemorrhagic herpes zoster with contralateral multidermatomal distribution associated with rivaroxaban: An unusual presentation

Herpes zoster is an infection that develops when varicella-zoster virus reactivates from its latent state in a nerve ganglion. Symptoms typically begin with pain along the affected dermatome, followed within 2-3 days by a vesicular eruption, which is usually diagnostic. Herpes zoster eruption involving 2 disparate dermatomes on different sides of the body is referred to as herpes zoster duplex bilateralis, with a reported occurrence rate of < 0.5% when compared with general herpes zoster.1 Multidermatomal herpes zoster has been most commonly reported in immunocompromised individuals. In a comprehensive literature review by Vu. et al conducted between 1969 and 1999, 6 cases of multidermatomal herpes zoster were reported, with only one of these 6 cases presenting in an immunocompetent adult.2,3 Atypical herpes zoster has been reported in the immunocompetent elderly, suggesting a general immunocompromised state of advanced age with no evident underlying immunocompromised condition.4 The classic clinical presentation consists of clear vesicles in a dermatomal distribution; however, a hemorrhagic or purpuric presentation has been reported in association with anticoagulants, in particular clopidogrel.5
Combinatorial glucose, nicotinic acid and N-acetylcysteine therapy has synergistic effect in preclinical C. elegans and zebrafish models of mitochondrial complex I disease.

Mitochondrial respiratory chain disorders are empirically managed with variable antioxidant, cofactor, and vitamin 'cocktails'. However, clinical trial validated and approved compounds, or doses, do not exist for any single or combinatorial mitochondrial disease therapy. Here, we sought to pre-clinically evaluate whether rationally-designed mitochondrial medicine combinatorial regimens might synergistically improve survival, health, and physiology in translational animal models of respiratory chain complex I disease. Having previously demonstrated that gas-1(fc21) complex I subunit NDUFS2-/- C. elegans have short lifespan that can be significantly rescued with 17 different metabolic modifiers, signaling modifiers, or antioxidants, here we evaluated 11 random combinations of these 3 treatment classes on gas-1(fc21) lifespan. Synergistic rescue occurred only with glucose, nicotinic acid, and N-acetylcysteine (Glu + NA + NAC), yielding improved mitochondrial membrane potential that reflects integrated respiratory chain function, without exacerbating oxidative stress and while reducing mitochondrial stress (UPRmt) and improving intermediary metabolic disruptions at the levels of the transcriptome, steady-state metabolites, and intermediary metabolic flux. Equimolar Glu + NA + NAC dosing in a zebrafish vertebrate model of rotenone-based complex I inhibition synergistically rescued larval activity, brain death, lactate, ATP, and glutathione levels. Overall, these data provide objective preclinical evidence in two evolutionary-divergent animal models of mitochondrial complex I disease to demonstrate that combinatorial Glu + NA + NAC therapy significantly improved animal resiliency in the face of stressors that exacerbate their underlying metabolic deficiency, thereby preventing acute neurologic and biochemical decompensation. Clinical trials are warranted to evaluate the efficacy of this lead combinatorial therapy regimen to improve resiliency and health outcomes in human subjects with mitochondrial disease.
The Significance of Interpolated Time Intervals on Motor Learning

Abstract This study was an exploration of the significance of the interpolation of three different time intervals between practices in learning a motor skill. The stabilimeter was the instrument used. Three equated groups followed one of three time patterns for five weeks and had a retention test two weeks later. The subjects were housed in convents, so unique experimental controls were possible. Two of the time patterns simulated those frequently used in educational scheduling. The third time pattern was established by using a “Summation-Series.” Significant differences appeared in performance at various times during the experiment.
Protein Kinase C ∊ Subcellular Localization Domains and Proteolytic Degradation Sites: A MODEL FOR PROTEIN KINASE C CONFORMATIONAL CHANGES (∗)

Protein kinase C (PKC) ∊ has been found to have unique properties among the PKC isozymes in terms of its membrane association, oncogenic potential, and substrate specificity. Recently we have demonstrated that PKC∊ localizes to the Golgi network via its zinc finger domain and that both the holoenzyme and its zinc finger region modulate Golgi function. To further characterize the relationship between the domain organization and the subcellular localization of PKC∊, a series of NIH 3T3 cell lines were created, each overexpressing a different truncated version of PKC∊. The overexpressed proteins each were designed to contain an ∊-epitope tag peptide at the COOH terminus to allow ready detection with an antibody specific for the tag. The subcellular localization of the recombinant proteins was analyzed by in vivo phorbol ester binding, immunocytochemistry, and cell fractionation followed by immunoblotting. Results revealed several regions of PKC∊ that contain putative subcellular localization signals. The presence either of the hinge region or of a 33-amino-acid region including the pseudosubstrate sequence in the recombinant proteins resulted in association with the plasma membrane and cytoskeletal components. The catalytic domain was found predominantly in the cytosolic fraction. The accessibility and thus the dominance of these localization signals is likely to be affected by the overall conformation of the recombinant proteins. Regions with putative proteolytic degradation sites also were identified. The susceptibility of the overexpressed proteins to proteolytic degradation was dependent on the protein conformation. Based on these observations, a model depicting the interaction and hierarchy of the suspected localization signals and proteolytic degradation sites is presented.
Party Competition between Unequals: Strategies and Electoral Fortunes in Western Europe

1. The niche party phenomenon 2. Position, salience, and ownership: a strategic theory of niche party success 3. An analysis of niche party fortunes in Western Europe 4. A theory of strategic choice 5. Stealing the environmental title: British mainstream party strategies and the containment of the Green Party 6. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend': French mainstream party strategies and the success of the Front National 7. An uneven battle of opposing forces: mainstream party strategies and the success of the Scottish National Party 8. Cross-national comparisons and extensions 9. Conclusions: broader lessons of competition between unequals.
The Microstructure of Foreign Exchange Dynamics

This paper studies the high frequency behavior of the interbank foreign exchange market with a newly created data set that provides the most comprehensive picture of activity across the market in existence. My analysis indicates that trade activity within the interbank market is distinct from the posting of indicative quotes. Trading and quote-making decisions are linked, but the links are complicated and poorly understood. I also document the existence of a strong relationship between exchange rate movements and a measure of excess Dollar demand. A trading model is analyzed to show how the structure of the market could give rise to such a microstructure effect. Empirically, this effect appears important in the determination of exchange rates at high frequencies and over longer time spans relevant in international macroeconomics.
Ownership Structure of the Firm as a Predictor of Intra-Industry Variation in Partisan Preferences

Most scholars assume firms are politically unified - at least at the industry level. Yet recent contributions data reveal considerable variation in political preferences exhibited among firms in the same industry. This paper investigates what drives this intra-industry variation in partisan preferences by analyzing contributions of firms in fourteen diverse industries during the 2006 electoral cycle. Hypotheses are tested in order to explore whether ownership structure helps predict which firms will be the most partisan and the greatest deviators from their industry. The results suggest that firms with a principal owner deviate significantly more from their respective industry than firms without a principal owner, regardless of the source of capital. The findings suggest that the ownership structure of a firm, identifiable only through firm-level analysis, explains much of the variation in political behavior and therefore should be included in formal models and empirical studies of corporate behavior in the future.
Characterization and Regulation of Mechanical Loading‐Induced Compensatory Muscle Hypertrophy

In mammalian systems, skeletal muscle exists in a dynamic state that monitors and regulates the physiological investment in muscle size to meet the current level of functional demand. This review attempts to consolidate current knowledge concerning development of the compensatory hypertrophy that occurs in response to a sustained increase in the mechanical loading of skeletal muscle. Topics covered include: defining and measuring compensatory hypertrophy, experimental models, loading stimulus parameters, acute responses to increased loading, hyperplasia, myofiber-type adaptations, the involvement of satellite cells, mRNA translational control, mechanotransduction, and endocrinology. The authors conclude with their impressions of current knowledge gaps in the field that are ripe for future study.
Relation of glucagon-specific binding sites to glucagon-dependent stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity in plasma membranes of rat liver.

Abstract Under conditions where both glucagon and hormonal stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity increase with increasing concentrations of glucagon, it was found that hormonal stimulation was complete when occupation of the glucagon-specific binding sites was only 10 to 20% of that achieved upon prolonged incubation; thus, under these conditions, 80 to 90% of the glucagon which binds to liver plasma membranes does so without affecting adenylyl cyclase activity. Des-1-histidine glucagon, a competitive inhibitor of glucagon binding, when added 5 min after glucagon, completely inhibited hormonal stimulation, while at the same time only displacing 10 to 20% of glucagon from its binding sites; thus, under these conditions, there is glucagon bound to liver membranes which does not lead to hormonal stimulation, although bound labeled glucagon is in its biologically active form and the assay conditions used are optimal for determination of hormonal stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity. More labeled glucagon was found to dissociate from liver membranes after 5 to 10 min of incubation in the presence of excess native unlabeled glucagon than in that of excess des-1-histidine glucagon, suggesting the existence of cooperative interactions between glucagon-specific binding sites. GTP stimulated dissociation of bound labeled glucagon from liver membranes under conditions which do not selectively affect the glucagon-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity, suggesting that previously discovered effects of purine nucleotides on hormone binding and on hormonal stimulation may be unrelated phenomena. It was concluded that a large proportion (at least 80 to 90%) of the glucagon-specific sites in liver plasma membranes do not participate in the activation of adenylyl cyclase system by glucagon and that these sites cannot be called receptors until it is demonstrated that they produce an effect on cellular function. Their possible biological importance is discussed in the light of the above findings.