cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract #2077: Antagonistic antibodies to c-fms block c-fms-mediated activities, reduce tumor-associated macrophages and decrease tumor growth in preclinical models

Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) produce numerous factors that may directly and indirectly support tumor growth and progression. In support of this view, a variety of tumor types with high TAM content, elevated c-fms (CSF-1 receptor) and CSF-1 levels have been associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients. Given that the CSF-1/c-fms signaling pathway drives the proliferation and function of macrophages, we developed antagonistic antibodies to c-fms and assessed the effects of these antibodies on monocytic cells in vitro and TAMs and tumor growth in vivo. In this study, AMG 820, a fully human monoclonal antibody antagonist to c-fms potently inhibited CSF-1 binding to its receptor and CSF-1-driven proliferation of the human myelomonocytic cell line AML-5 as well as primary human bone-marrow derived macrophages (IC-50s range 5-30 pM). Similarly, M279, an antibody to mouse c-fms, inhibited CSF-1-driven mouse myelomonocytic cell line growth. Interestingly, both AMG 820 and M279 significantly inhibited the effects, with similar potencies, of both CSF-1 and IL-34, the recently discovered second ligand for c-fms. M279 and AMG 820 also blocked c-fms activity in vivo in mice and Cynomolgus monkeys, respectively, as shown by significant increases in serum CSF-1 (blockade of c-fms-mediated CSF-1 degradation) as well as decreases in serum Trap 5b through the inhibition of the CSF-1/c-fms axis in osteoclasts. In several preclinical tumor models in mice, these systemic effects were accompanied by consistent reduction of TAMs by 70-80% based upon laser scanning cytofluorometric quantitation of F4/80-positive cells. TAM reduction was associated with a decrease in tumor volume in some models as well as an increase in necrosis and decreased viable tumor by histopathological analysis. Taken together, these data indicate that the treatment with an antagonistic antibody to c-fms reduce TAMs and TAM-mediated support of tumor growth, thus providing a novel approach to cancer therapy. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 2077.
Early stress, parental motivation, and reproductive decision-making: applications of life history theory to parental behavior.

This review focuses on the impact of parental behavior on child development, as interpreted from an evolutionary-developmental perspective. We employ psychosocial acceleration theory to reinterpret the effects of variation in parental investment and involvement on child development, arguing that these effects have been structured by natural selection to match the developing child to current and expected future environments. Over time, an individual’s development, physiology, and behavior are organized in a coordinated manner (as instantiated in ‘life history strategies’) that facilitates survival and reproductive success under different conditions. We review evidence to suggest that parental behavior (1) is strategic and contingent on environmental opportunities and constraints and (2) influences child life history strategies across behavioral, cognitive, and physiological domains.
ACBC to Balcite: Bioinspired Synthesis of a Highly Substituted High-Temperature Phase from an Amorphous Precursor.

Energy-efficient synthesis of materials locked in compositional and structural states far from equilibrium remains a challenging goal, yet biomineralizing organisms routinely assemble such materials with sophisticated designs and advanced functional properties, often using amorphous precursors. However, incorporation of organics limits the useful temperature range of these materials. Herein, the bioinspired synthesis of a highly supersaturated calcite (Ca0.5Ba0.5CO3) called balcite is reported, at mild conditions and using an amorphous calcium–barium carbonate (ACBC) (Ca1− x Ba x CO3·1.2H2O) precursor. Balcite not only contains 50 times more barium than the solubility limit in calcite but also displays the rotational disorder on carbonate sites that is typical for high-temperature calcite. It is significantly harder (30%) and less stiff than calcite, and retains these properties after heating to elevated temperatures. Analysis of balcite local order suggests that it may require the formation of the ACBC precursor and could therefore be an example of nonclassical nucleation. These findings demonstrate that amorphous precursor pathways are powerfully enabling and provide unprecedented access to materials far from equilibrium, including high-temperature modifications by room-temperature synthesis.
Visual TSUNAMI: A Versatile, User-Friendly, Multidimensional Ablation and Gas-Dynamics Design Code

Gas dynamics phenomena in thick-liquid protected inertial fusion target chambers have been explored since the early 1990’s with the help of a series of simulation codes known as TSUNAMI. The code h...
Pediatric Thyroid Cancer: Imaging and Therapy Update

In 2015, the management of thyroid cancer in the pediatric population was overhauled with the publication of the inaugural American Thyroid Association guidelines for children with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer. In this article, we review these guidelines along with recent relevant literature regarding pediatric thyroid cancer, focusing on salient issues relating to imaging and radionuclide therapy. The American College of Radiology recently published its inaugural recommendations for thyroid nodule imaging (TI-RADS). Regarding radionuclide therapy, recent literature has focused on ways to reduce long-term sequelae while providing optimal initial treatment. While a more standardized approach is being taken towards initial imaging of thyroid nodules and cancer, the opposite approach to treatment and surveillance is developing, with a focus on personalization.
Abstract 112: Organum Vasculosum Lateral Terminalis (OVLT) Contributes to Na+-Induced Sympathoexcitation and Hypertension

High dietary salt intake increases plasma and CSF Na+ concentration to elevate sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and arterial blood pressure (ABP). Ablation of the anterior ventral 3 rd ventricle (AV3V) region attenuates the elevation in SNA and ABP during acute and chronic salt loading. The AV3V contains numerous hypothalamic nuclei including osmosensitive neurons of the OVLT. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to determine whether OVLT neurons mediate the sympathetic and hypertensive effects of central salt loading and 2) to characterize the changes in SNA to different vascular beds and/or end organs. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received an intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of 1M NaCl (5ul over 10min) before and after lesion of AV3V (n≥4) or OVLT (n=7). ICV infusion of NaCl increased mean ABP (8.9±1.0mmHg) and lumbar SNA (26.4±3.6%) but decreased renal (-18.6±2.3%) and splanchnic SNA (-10.6±2.3%). Electrolytic lesion of the AV3V region attenuated this Na+-induced increase in ABP (8.9±1.0 vs 1.7±0.4mmHg, p=0.001) and lumbar SNA(26.4±3.6% vs 8.0±1.9%, p=0.001) but did not alter the inhibition of renal SNA (-18.6±2.3% vs -19.2±3.5%, p>0.8) and splanchnic SNA (-10.6.±2.3% vs -8.2±1.7%, p>0.4). ICV infusion of 1M NaCl produced similar increases in ABP, lumbar, renal and splanchnic SNA between control versus sham-lesion animals. Selective lesion of the OVLT attenuated the Na+-induced increase in ABP (10.4±2.0 vs 5.8±0.8mmHg, p
SAR observations of organized large eddies over the Somali current

The Arabian Sea is characterized by an annually reversing circulation influenced by strong monsoon winds. The southwest monsoon that occurs during summer drives a northward boundary current along the coast of Somalia. During the winter monsoon, the southward flowing Somali Current merges with the northward flowing East African Coastal Current to form the eastward flowing South Equatorial Counter Current. This pattern shifts during the summer monsoon as the East African Coastal Current feeds the reversing Somali Current. Part of this northward flow retroflects from the coast at about 4°N to form the Southern Gyre while the remaining flow continues north past the Gulf of Aden or detaches at about 10°N to form the Great Whirl. Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data were acquired over the Somali Current in 2016 during the summer and winter monsoons. The Somali Current along the coast, the Southern Gyre and the Great Whirl are well developed at the time of the summer acquisition. The covariability of the atmospheric boundary layer and sea surface temperature was observed at high resolution over the Western Arabian Sea. Wind stress curl derived from the SAR data show the effects of the cold upwelled water and the Somali Current on the wind speed. Significant organized large eddies (OLEs) are also observed east of the Somali Current. During the winter monsoon, the Somali Current, Southern Gyre and Great Whirl are absent. The wind stress curl computed from the SAR data confirm this and do not show distinct circulation patterns or OLEs.
Optical Properties and Molar Hemoglobin Concentration of Skeletal Muscles Measured In Vivo With Wearable Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a widely-used noninvasive optical technique for measuring concentration of hemoglobin species in human tissues. Despite its potential, NIRS has seen limited clinical application largely due to a lack of in-vivo standard reference. Hence, cross-validation studies to validate novel NIRS instrumentation against established NIRS devices are needed. This in-vivo study compared a wearable continuous-wave (CW-NIRS) oximeter against a non-wearable frequency-domain (FD-NIRS) oximeter on optical properties and hemoglobin concentrations. To measure absolute coefficients and stoichiometric hemoglobin concentrations, the CW-NIRS oximeter exploits spectral properties of water. Both CW-NIRS and FD-NIRS provided physiologically-valid measurements in skeletal muscles during normoxia, hypoxia, and hyperemia. Although absorption-scattering crosstalk was evident, absorption coefficient $\mu _{a}$ and reduced scattering coefficient $\mu '_{s}$ at 690nm and deoxyhemoglobin concentration (HbR) were mostly within agreement limits, and the measurements differed principally by a systematic offset. Specifically, CW-NIRS estimated larger $\mu '_{s}$ values (+2 cm−1) and smaller $\mu _{a}$ (from −0.04 to −0.08 cm−1) at all wavelengths. The results suggest that lower-cost, wearable CW-NIRS oximeters are a potential alternative to FD-NIRS to measure optical properties and molar concentration of oxyhemoglobin and HbR in skeletal muscles in-vivo as long as the estimated water content is reasonably accurate.
Elimination of negation in term algebras

We give an informal review of the problem of eliminating negation in term algebras and its applications. The initial results appear to be very specialized with complex combinatorial proofs. Nevertheless they have applications and relevance to a number of important areas: unification, learning, abstract data types and rewriting systems, constraints and constructive negation in logic languages.
Micromechanics of Deformation in Rocks

Laboratory testing of rocks subjected to differential compression have revealed many different mechanisms for extensile crack growth, including pore crushing, sliding along pre-existing cracks, elastic mismatch between grains, dislocation movement, and hertzian contact. Micromechanical models based on fracture mechanics have been developed for these different mechanisms by many different researchers. In this paper, the KI solutions for these micromechanical models are reviewed. Because of the similarity in rock behavior under compression in a wide range of rock types, it is not surprising that these micromechanical models have many similarities. This may explain the success of models based on certain micromechanisms in spite of the lack of evidence for these mechanisms in microscopic studies. Based on these similarities, a generic micromechanical model is proposed that in some way takes into account all of the above phenomena. It is demonstrated how the KI solutions from the micromechanical models can be used to derive nonlinear stress-strain curves that exhibit strain-hardening and strain-softening, dilatation, σ2 sensitivity, and rate dependence. By using subcritical crack growth, transient and tertiary creep behavior can also be predicted. Also, it is shown how these micromechanical models can form the basis for continuum damage models using the finite element method.
Differentiating compensatory mechanisms associated with low tolerance to central hypovolemia in women.

We compared hemodynamic and metabolic responses in men and women to experimentally controlled reductions in central blood volume at physiologically equivalent levels of compensatory reserve. We cor...
The Development of Venture Capital in Latin America: A Comparative Perspective

Venture Capital (VC) helps financing high-growth ventures in the business ecosystem. The development of Latin American VC lags behind developed economies, but also behind China and India. Nonetheless, in the recent boom regional VC grew 30% yearly (2005-2011). VC investments in Latin America are less hi-tech, larger and more likely to be funded from abroad than in benchmark regions. Deals are made by investors with less experience and in fewer rounds than comparables. VC growth was highly dependent on the macroeconomic business cycle. Results show symptoms of an early stage of development with relatively fewer high-tech ideas than money.
FDG PET imaging of vascular inflammation in post-traumatic stress disorder: A pilot case-control study.

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is increased in subjects with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Vascular inflammation mediates CVD and may be assessed by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. In this pilot study, we investigated whether subjects with PTSD have enhanced vascular and systemic inflammation compared to healthy controls, as assessed by FDG PET imaging. A prospective group of 16 subjects (9 PTSD and 7 controls, age 34 ± 7) without prior history of CVD underwent FDG PET/CT imaging. The presence of PTSD symptoms at the time of the study was confirmed using PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL5) questionnaire. Blood samples were collected to determine blood glucose, lipid and inflammatory biomarkers (tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6) levels. FDG signal in the ascending aorta, amygdala, spleen and bone marrow was quantified. The two groups matched closely with regards to cardiovascular risk factors. The inflammatory biomarkers were all within the normal range. There was no significant difference in FDG signal in the aorta (target to background ratio: 2.40 ± 0.29 and 2.34 ± 0.29 for control and PTSD subjects, difference: − 0.06, 95% confidence interval of difference: − 0.38 to 0.26), spleen, bone marrow, or amygdala between control and PTSD subjects. There was no significant correlation between aortic and amygdala FDG signal. However, a significant positive correlation existed between amygdala, splenic, and bone marrow FDG signal. This pilot, small study did not reveal any difference in vascular or systemic inflammation as assessed by FDG PET imaging between PTSD and healthy control subjects. Because of the small number of subjects, a modest increase in vascular inflammation, which requires larger scale studies to establish, cannot be excluded. The correlation between FDG signal in amygdala, spleen and bone marrow may reflect a link between amygdala activity and systemic inflammation.
Stability of Structures

In the previous chapters, we investigated the equilibrium (both static and dynamic) of various structural systems. Now we wish to consider a very important property of systems in equilibrium, namely, their stability. Basically, we are interested in what happens to the structure when it is slightly disturbed from its equilibrium position: as shown in Figure 6.1, does it return to its equilibrium position, or does it depart even further? We term the former case stable equilibrium and the latter unstable equilibrium clearly a load-carrying structure in a state of unstable equilibrium is unreliable and hazardous. Reference [32] gives a good background setting for the study of structural stability, whereas Reference[77] is an excellent compendium of examples and solutions. Mention should also be made of References [74, 75, 85], which place stability in a much broader context.
Structure-Activity Relationships Among Analogues of Pemedolac, cis-1-Ethyl-1,3,4,9-tetrahydro-4-(phenylmethyl)pyrano(3,4-b)indole-1-acetic Acid, a Potent Analgesic Agent.

Copper-catalyzed addition of the Grignard reagents (II) to the enone (I) gives the ketones (III).
Surface Acoustic Wave Induced Birefringence in In0.21Ga0.79As-GaAs Multiple Quantum Wells for Optical Modulation ≈1000 nm under Normal Incidence

This paper presents observation of quantum Confined Stark effect induced by the surface acoustic waves (SAW) propagating in multiple quantum well (MQW) layers. It also presents the evidence for the first time of SAW induced birefringence under surface normal mode operation in MQWs. MQW layers usually do not exhibit significant birefringence when the light is normally incident. The launching of surface acoustic waves in In0.21Ga0.79As-GaAs MQW layers produces significantly different strain along the direction of propagation (y) as compared to the lateral direction (x), and this in turn results in differential absorption coefficient Δα (= αx - αy) and birefringence (Δnbir). The enhanced birefringence due to excitonic effect depends on the magnitude of RF power exciting the SAW transducer. An interdigitated transducer operating at 119 MHz with an aperture (w) to wavelength (Λ) ratio of 25 was used to launch the surface acoustic waves. Typical values of Δn are in the range of 0.01-0.02 for polarized light at ≈1.01 μm wavelength when the RF power is varied between 0.5-1.2 Watt. Computations of Δn are in agreement with experimental data. The SAW propagation also induces a perpendicular component Ez of electric field which results in conventional Stark effect producing absorption and index changes in MQWs that vary as a function of SAW power.
Prognostic factors associated with achieving total oral diet following osteocutaneous microvascular free tissue transfer reconstruction of the oral cavity

Abstract Introduction Osteocutaneous microvascular free tissue transfer (OMFTT) is the current standard in reconstruction of large bony defects of the oral cavity. Although being able to swallow ranks as a top priority for patients undergoing OMFTT, factors associated with achieving an oral diet following surgery remain unclear. We sought to describe the rate of total oral diet achievement, and to identify possible pre-, intra-, and post-operative factors associated with achievement in patients undergoing OMFTT. Methods Retrospective review between January 1, 2010 and March 31, 2018 at two tertiary academic centers. Results 249 patients (67% male, mean age 58 years) met inclusion criteria, with a median follow up of 15 months. Overall, 142 (57%) of patients achieved a total PO diet post-operatively, with median time to achievement of 3.2 months. Multivariate analysis identified that lack of concurrent glossectomy (SHR 1.72 [1.09–2.70], p = 0.02), N0/1 disease (SHR 1.92 [1.16–3.13], p = 0.011), avoidance of post-operative fistula formation (SHR 1.96 [1.22–3.23], p = 0.005), pre-operative G-tube independence (SHR 3.33 [1.69–6.25], p Conclusions Bony resections not requiring glossectomy, limited nodal disease burden, pre-operative gastrostomy-independence, avoidance of post-operative fistula, and dental rehabilitation are independently associated with achievement of total oral diet following OMFTT reconstruction of the oral cavity. Counseling patients on associated risk factors is important in guiding post-treatment expectations. Minimization of post-operative fistula, and maximization of dental rehabilitation may significantly improve total oral diet achievement in this patient population.
Fast Automatic Artifact Annotator for EEG Signals Using Deep Learning

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a widely used non-invasive brain signal acquisition technique that measures voltage fluctuations from neuron activities of the brain. EEGs are typically used to diagnose and monitor disorders such as epilepsy, sleep disorders, and brain death and also to help the advancement of various fields of science such as cognitive science, and psychology. EEG signals usually suffer from a variety of artifacts caused by eye movements, chewing, muscle movements, and electrode pops, which disrupts the diagnosis and hinders precise representation of brain activities. This paper proposes a deep learning based model to detect the presence of the artifacts and to classify the kind of the artifact to help clinicians resolve problems regarding artifacts immediately during the signal collection process. The model is optimized to map the 1-second segments of raw EEG signals to detect 4 different kinds of artifacts and the real signal. The model achieves a 5-class classification accuracy of 67.59%, and a true positive rate of 80% with a 25.82% false alarm for binary artifact classification with time-lapse. The model is lightweight and could potentially be deployed in portable machines.
METALLICITY AND THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE INITIAL MASS FUNCTION

The stellar initial mass function (IMF), along with the star formation rate, is one of the fundamental properties that any theory of star formation must explain. An interesting feature of the IMF is that it appears to be remarkably universal across a wide range of environments. Particularly, there appears to be little variation in either the characteristic mass of the IMF or its high-mass tail between clusters with different metallicities. Previous attempts to understand this apparent independence of metallicity have not accounted for radiation feedback from high-mass protostars, which can dominate the energy balance of the gas in star-forming regions. We extend this work, showing that the fragmentation of molecular gas should depend only weakly on the amount of dust present, even when the primary heating source is radiation from massive protostars. First, we report a series of core collapse simulations using the ORION AMR code that systematically vary the dust opacity and show explicitly that this has little effect on the temperature or fragmentation of the gas. Then, we provide an analytic argument for why the IMF varies so little in observed star clusters, even as the metallicity varies by a factor of 100.
The Effects of Rewards on Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Operations Using Reinforcement Learning

The effects of rewards on the ability of an autonomous UAV controlled by a Reinforcement Learning agent to accomplish a target localization task were investigated. It was shown that with an increas...
Video:Micropayments for trusted vehicular services using MOTIVE

The connected and autonomous vehicles are expected to rely heavily on connectivity to exchange data and computation services with other vehicles and remote infrastructure including roadside units and other edge infrastructure to increase their immediate view, which leads to greater safety, coordination and more comfortable experience for their human occupants. In order for vehicles to obtain data, compute and other services from other vehicles or road-side infrastructure, it is important to be able to make micropayments for those services and for the services to run seamlessly despite the challenges posed by mobility and ephemeral interactions with a dynamic set of neighboring devices. We present MOTIVE, a trusted and decentralized framework that allows vehicles to make peer-to-peer micropayments for data, compute and other services obtained from other vehicles or road-side infrastructure within radio range. The framework utilizes distributed ledger technologies including smart contracts to enable autonomous operation and trusted interactions between vehicles and nearby entities.
0025 Pattern of adverse family experiences from early childhood to adolescence: a latent class analysis

Statement of purpose Adverse family experiences (AFEs) are common throughout early childhood to adolescence, which are detrimental to the long-term trajectories of individuals’ mental health. AFEs are likely to co-occur, while few studies have examined distinct patterns of co-occurring AFEs in the different age groups of children. Methods/Approach Participants were from the National Survey of Children Health in 2016, 2017, and 2018, the current study conducted the latent class analysis to identify subgroups of children who had experienced multiple forms of AFEs among three developmental stages: 1–5 (preschool), 6–11 (school-age), and 12–17 years-old (adolescents) in each year and also comparing if these subgroups are stable across the three years. Results In 2016, three latent classes were identified for preschool children, with 85.02% in low AFEs, 13.24% in moderate household dysfunction(MHD, characterized with high economic hardship and parental separation), 1.73% in high AFEs; Four latent classes were identified for both school-aged children, with 77.36% in low AFEs, 15.35% in MHD, 3.37% in severe household dysfunction (SHD, characterized with high economic hardship and parental separation, household mental illness and substance use), and 3.92% high AFEs; Four latent classes were also identified for adolescents, with 72.21% in low AFEs, 15.05% in MHD, 8.28% in SHD, and 4.46% high AFEs. Similar patterns were found in preschool, school-age children, and adolescents in both 2017 and 2018. Conclusion The class ‘low AFEs’ is the smallest proportion in the adolescent population which indicates the experiences of AFEs are growing with age. The findings indicate distinct classes of adversity experienced among children are somewhat stable across developmental periods and across years. Significance The findings call for comprehensive screening as well as tailored intervention for these patterns in order to improve health outcomes.
Mining structure-property linkage in nanoporous materials using an interpretative deep learning approach

In this study, a 3-D convolutional neural network (CNN) is designed and trained with simulated NP materials to investigate their structure-property relationship. It is demonstrated that our approach is able to predict the effective stiffness of NP structure with a wide range of microstructures while exhibiting high accuracy and low computational cost. It is well-accepted that CNNs are purely predictive ‘black-box’ models that are not easily interpretable and therefore are not practical in identifying the microstructure parameters that largely impact the mechanical properties. To tackle this limitation, we developed a unique interpretation method for providing meaningful insights into learning the structure and property linkage of nanoporous material based on our well-trained CNN model. Using this method, it is revealed that the CNN identifies relative density and the saddle-shaped regions of the ligaments as the two most important feature that strongly impact stiffness. While the effect of relative density is already known from previous scaling relationships, verifying that the training process as well as the predicted values of stiffness from our CNN model are trustworthy, our curvature analysis candidates a new microstructural parameter with negative contribution on the effective stiffness of NP metals knowing as: saddle-shaped regions of the ligaments that could be included in future scaling relationships to improve their accuracy.
Standard Systems with Negation

In Chapter 2 the reader was introduced to proofs in the propositional calculus through the positive logical system, P+. In this chapter, two new systems are developed. The first of these systems is called PLT. PLT is a full propositional calculus with negation. It is constructed by adding a twelfth axiom to the axiom-set of P+. A further system is also outlined, called PLT’. PLT’ obtains the full propositional calculus by a reduction of the redundant axioms of PLT.
A multi-sensor satellite assessment of SO 2 emissions from the 2012-13 eruption of Plosky Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka

Abstract Prolonged basaltic effusive eruptions at high latitudes can have significant atmospheric and environmental impacts, but can be challenging to observe in winter conditions. Here, we use multi-sensor satellite data to assess sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from the 2012–2013 eruption of Plosky Tolbachik volcano (Kamchatka), which lasted ~ 9–10 months and erupted ~ 0.55 km3 DRE. Observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS), the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are used to evaluate volcanic activity, SO2 emissions and heat flux associated with the effusion of lava flows. Gaps in the primary OMI SO2 time-series dataset occurred due to instrument limitations and adverse meteorological conditions. Four methods were tested to assess how efficiently they could fill these data gaps and improve estimates of total SO2 emissions. When available, using data from other SO2 observing instruments was the most comprehensive way to address these data gaps. Satellite measurements yield a total SO2 loading of ~ 200 kt SO2 during the 10-month Plosky Tolbachik eruption, although actual SO2 emissions may have been greater. Based on the satellite SO2 measurements, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) multi-taper method (MTM) was used to analyze cyclical behavior in the complete data series and a 55-day cycle potentially attributable to the eruptive behavior of Plosky Tolbachik during the 2012 – 2013 eruption was identified.
General Microscopic Changes

This chapter covers a collection of microscopic changes that lack diagnostic specificity but occur in different specific diseases, as will become apparent in subsequent chapters. Almost all of these changes are responses to injury, generally involving the squamous epithelium and the lamina propria.
Teaching Supply Chain Management Complexities: A SCOR Model Based Classroom Simulation.

The SCOR (Supply Chain Operations Reference) Model Supply Chain Classroom Simulation is an in-class experiential learning activity that helps students develop a holistic understanding of the processes and challenges of supply chain management. The simulation has broader learning objectives than other supply chain related activities such as the Beer Game. Competing supply chains work to produce and sell two products, each experiencing differential demand. Seasonal demand, time delays, quality defects, and disruptions offer complexities that are part of actual supply chain management. The behavioral dynamics of collaboration between various functional nodes is illustrated through students’ interactions as they try to achieve their role's objectives. Through their decisions and actions, students develop a practical understanding of the processes and complexities of supply chain management. The classroom simulation actively engages students, and has been used successfully in multiple courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels at multiple universities and by a major corporation during a manager training session. Assessments indicate that the simulation is an effective experiential learning activity. While it offers learning outcome flexibility, common debrief themes are SCOR model processes, supply chain relationships, information flow, seasonal demand, quality defects, reverse logistics, and supply chain disruptions.
The history of external ventricular drainage

External ventricular drainage (EVD) is one of the most commonly performed neurosurgical procedures. It was first performed as early as 1744 by Claude-Nicholas Le Cat. Since then, there have been numerous changes in technique, materials used, indications for the procedure, and safety. The history of EVD is best appreciated in 4 eras of progress: development of the technique (1850-1908), technological advancements (1927-1950), expansion of indications (1960-1995), and accuracy, training, and infection control (1995-present). While EVD was first attempted in the 18th century, it was not until 1890 that the first thorough report of EVD technique and outcomes was published by William Williams Keen. He was followed by H. Tillmanns, who described the technique that would be used for many years. Following this, many improvements were made to the EVD apparatus itself, including the addition of manometry by Adson and Lillie in 1927, and continued experimentation in cannulation/drainage materials. Technological advancements allowed a great expansion of indications for EVD, sparked by Nils Lundberg, who published a thorough analysis of the use of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring in patients with brain tumors in 1960. This led to the application of EVD and ICP monitoring in subarachnoid hemorrhage, Reye syndrome, and traumatic brain injury. Recent research in EVD has focused on improving the overall safety of the procedure, which has included the development of guidance-based systems, virtual reality simulators for trainees, and antibiotic-impregnated catheters.
A New, Rearrangement-free Proof of the Sharp Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev Inequality

We show that the sharp constant in the Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev inequality can be derived using the method that we employed earlier for a similar inequality on the Heisenberg group. The merit of this proof is that it does not rely on rearrangement inequalities; it is the first one to do so for the whole parameter range.
The Cambridge Companion to Comparative Law: The East Asian legal tradition

This essay is a chapter in the Cambridge Companion to Comparative Law. It provides a brief description of an East Asian legal tradition – namely, what I call the classical legal tradition of East Asia, or by way of analogy, a kind of East Asian ius gentium. Although it is a historically significant tradition, by no means does it exhaust the entire East Asian legal universe. The essay intentionally focuses only on the central and shared aspects of that tradition. Yet the very notion of an East Asian legal tradition itself requires further methodological observations. First, just what does the term ‘East Asia’ encompass? Second, what do we mean by a ‘legal tradition’? The answer to neither question is obvious. After addressing these preliminary considerations, the essay turns to developing the broad outlines of a classical East Asian legal tradition.
Duplicates Detection, Counting, and Removal

The need to detect and eliminate duplicate elements arises in many applications such as the processing of relational database operations, comparison of complex objects, transitive closure, and protocol verification. Given a multiset, the process of detecting duplicates, eliminating them, sorting the remaining distinct elements, and counting the number occurrences of each in the multiset is a computationally intensive task, especially when complex objects are involved. In this paper, the computational complexity of performing such a task is addressed. The computational complexity study is based on a modified comparison-based decision tree. It is shown that, to a multiset M(n,L) of n elements L of which are distinct, we can associate a decision tree of L!S(n,L) external nodes. S(n,L) represents Stirling number of the second kind. This result suggests that upper and lower bounds to perform such a task are different from those of sorting a set of the same cardinality. It is also shown that a comparison based sorting algorithm can be adapted to perform such a task. In addition, the analytical performance of the adapted sorting algorithm is addressed.
Annotated Revision Programs

Revision programming was introduced as a formalism to describe and enforce updates of belief sets and databases. Revision programming was extended by Fitting who assigned annotations to revision atoms. Annotations provide a way to quantify certainty (likelihood) that a revision atom holds. The main goal of our paper is to reexamine the work of Fitting, argue that his semantics does not always provide results consistent with intuition and to propose an alternative treatment of annotated revision programs. Our approach differs from that proposed by Fitting in two key aspects: we change the notion of a model of a program and we change the notion of a justified revision. We show that under this new approach fundamental properties of justified revisions of standard revision programs extend to the case of annotated revision programs.
Evidence-Based Practice with Serious and Terminal Illness, Disabilities and Bereavement in Children and Adolescents

This chapter discusses evidence-based practice (EBP) with serious and terminal illness, disabilities and bereavement. Much of the chapter focuses on finding meaning in the crisis of illness and death. Several case studies are offered which demonstrate the use of EBP in the treatment of terminal illness and bereavement. The concept of prolonged or complicated grief is discussed, and the differences between normal grief and prolonged grief are noted. Suggestions are made regarding the treatment of prolonged grief using best evidence and a personal story of the resolution of grief is included. The chapter discusses four serious health-related issues: serious and terminal illness, disabilities, and prolonged bereavement. Significant personal growth often takes place when people cope with life threatening illnesses and bereavement.
Waking a Light-Sleeping Giant: The Restrictive Power of the Dormant Commerce Clause and the States' Discriminatory Bond Taxing Systems

The Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution implicitly prohibits the individual States from taxing the interest on municipal bonds issued under the authority of their sister states while simultaneously exempting the interest accruing on bonds issued under their own authority. Under the Commerce Clause, Congress is granted the authority to "regulate Commerce... among the several states." The Supreme Court interprets this provision to include a negative component, or dormant power, forbidding the individual states from regulating interstate commerce to further an economic protectionist agenda. Because extra-territorial bond taxing statutes on their face give preferential treatment to the home State to the material disadvantage of sister states, these statutes are invalid under the Commerce Clause. Even though these statutes exist in the majority of States, to date only two State's appellate courts have ruled on this issue. While the Ohio Court of Appeals upheld the statute against the weight of traditional Commerce Clause analysis, the Kentucky Court of Appeals invalidated the statute as protectionist in violation of the dormant Commerce Clause.
Hierarchical self-assembly of metal nanostructures on diblock copolymer scaffolds

Self-assembly is emerging as an elegant, ‘bottom-up’ method for fabricating nanostructured materials1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. This approach becomes particularly powerful when the ease and control offered by the self-assembly of organic components is combined with the electronic, magnetic or photonic properties of inorganic components2,5,9. Here we demonstrate a versatile hierarchical approach for the assembly of organic–inorganic, copolymer–metal nanostructures in which one level of self-assembly guides the next. In a first step, ultrathin diblock copolymer films form a regular scaffold of highly anisotropic, stripe-like domains10,11,12. During a second assembly step, differential wetting guides diffusing metal atoms to aggregate selectively along the scaffold, producing highly organized metal nanostructures. We find that, in contrast to the usual requirement of near-equilibrium conditions for ordering2,3,13, the metal arranged on the copolymer scaffold produces the most highly ordered configurations when the system is far from equilibrium. We delineate two distinct assembly modes of the metal component—chains of separate nanoparticles and continuous wires—each characterized by different ordering kinetics and strikingly different current–voltage characteristics. These results therefore demonstrate the possibility of guided, large-scale assembly of laterally nanostructured systems.
Traffic grooming, routing, and wavelength assignment in WDM transport networks with sparse grooming resources

While a single fiber strand in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has over a terabit-per-second bandwidth and a wavelength channel has over a gigabit-per-second transmission speed, the network may still be required to support traffic requests at rates that are lower than the full wavelength capacity. To avoid assigning an entire lightpath to a small request, many researchers have looked at adding traffic grooming to the routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) problem. In this work, we consider the RWA problem with traffic grooming (GRWA) for mesh networks under static and dynamic lightpath connection requests. The GRWA problem is NP-Complete since it is a generalization of the RWA problem which is known to be NP-Complete. We propose an integer linear programming (ILP) model that accurately depicts the GRWA problem. Because it is very hard to find a solution for large networks using ILP, we solve the GRWA problem by proposing two novel heuristics. The strength of the proposed heuristics stems from their simplicity, efficiency, and applicability to large-scale networks. Our simulation results demonstrate that deploying traffic grooming resources on the edge of optical networks is more cost effective and results in a similar blocking performance to that obtained when distributing the grooming resources throughout the optical network domain.
Ending autocracy, enabling democracy : the tribulations of southern Africa, 1960-2000

In this comprehensive narrative of the political and economic evolution of Africa, Robert I. Rotberg explains the critical events, players and policies in the continent's tumultuous shift toward democracy. The book reviews the process of decolonization throughout the continent--and subsequent debut of democracy and authoritarianism--the transition of settler-run Rhodesia into African Zimbabwe, and the battle for Southern Africa. Rotberg then traces the epic struggle to free South Africa from the yoke of apartheid, including the contributions of leaders such as Nelson Mandela. He concludes with a look at how current developments will affect Africa's continuing transition to democratic rule into the 21st century. The book includes a collection of Rotberg's best opinion pieces and analytical articles from 40 years of reporting on Africa's democratic efforts.
The Effects of a Pectic Enzyme on the Growth-Depressing and Rachitogenic Properties of Rye for Chicks

Abstract Rye has growth-depressing and rachitogenic properties when fed to chicks. Growth depression also is observed when chicks are fed certain polysaccharides, particularly pectin. Rye has about 8% pectin-like material. A commercially available pectic enzyme preparation was fed to chicks at .1% of the rye diet. This enzyme permitted better utilization of rye for growth and also alleviated the rachitogenic effects of rye. The supplemental enzyme permitted maximal bone mineralization with 200 to 300 ICU of vitamin D3/kg diet, whereas 500 ICU/kg otherwise were required with rye diets.
The beryllium pentamer: trailing an uneven sequence of dissociation energies.

Recent high-resolution spectroscopic studies by Merritt, Bondybey, and Heaven (Science2009, 324, 1548) have heightened the anticipation that small beryllium clusters will soon be observed in the laboratory. Beryllium clusters are important discrete models for the theoretical study of metals. The trigonal bipyramidal Be5 molecule is studied using high-level coupled cluster methods. We obtain the optimized geometry, atomization and dissociation energies, and vibrational frequencies. The c∼CCSDT(Q) method is employed to compute the atomization and dissociation energies. In this approach, complete basis set (CBS) extrapolations at the CCSD(T) level of theory are combined with an additive correction for the effect of iterative triple and perturbative quadruple excitations. Harmonic vibrational frequencies are obtained using analytic gradients computed at the CCSD(T) level of theory. We report an atomization energy of 129.6 kcal mol−1 at the trigonal bipyramid global minimum geometry. The Be5→Be4+Be dissociation energy is predicted to be 39.5 kcal mol−1. The analogous dissociation energies for the smaller beryllium clusters are 64.0 kcal mol−1 (Be4→Be3+Be), 24.2 kcal mol−1 (Be3→Be2+Be), and 2.7 kcal mol−1 (Be2→Be+Be). The trigonal bipyramidal Be5 structure has an equatorial–equatorial bond length of 2.000 A and an axial–equatorial distance of 2.060 A. Harmonic frequencies of 730, 611, 456, 583, 488, and 338 cm−1 are obtained at the CCSD(T)/cc-pCVQZ level of theory. Quadruple excitations are found to make noticeable contributions to the energetics of the pentamer, which exhibits a significant level of static correlation.
Modulus-Driven Differentiation of Marrow Stromal Cells in 3D Scaffolds That Is Independent of Myosin-based Cytoskeletal Tension

Proliferation and differentiation of cells are known to be influenced by the physical properties of the extracellular environment. Previous studies examining biophysics underlying cell response to matrix stiffness utilized a two-dimensional (2D) culture format, which is not representative of the three-dimensional (3D) tissue environment in vivo. We report on the effect of 3D matrix modulus on human bone marrow stromal cell (hBMSC) differentiation. hBMSCs underwent osteogenic differentiation in poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels of all modulus (300-fold modulus range, from 0.2 kPa to 59 kPa) in the absence of osteogenic differentiation supplements. This osteogenic differentiation was modulus-dependent and was enhanced in stiffer gels. Osteogenesis in these matrices required integrin-protein ligation since osteogenesis was inhibited by soluble Arginine-Glycine-Aspartate-Serine peptide, which blocks integrin receptors. Immunostained images revealed lack of well-defined actin filaments and microtubules in the encapsulated cells. Disruption of mechanosensing elements downstream of integrin binding that have been identified from 2D culture such as actin filaments, myosin II contraction, and RhoA kinase did not abrogate hBMSC material-driven osteogenic differentiation in 3D. These data show that increased hydrogel modulus enhanced osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs in 3D scaffolds but that hBMSCs did not use the same mechanosensing pathways that have been identified in 2D culture.
Temperature-insensitive long-wavelength (λ ≈14 µm) Quantum Cascade lasers with low threshold

We demonstrate high-performance, long-wavelength (λ ≈14 µm) Quantum Cascade (QC) lasers based on a diagonal optical transition and a "two-phonon-continuum" depletion scheme in which the lower laser level is depopulated by resonant longitudinal optical phonon scattering followed by scattering to a lower energy level continuum. A 2.8 mm long QC laser shows a low threshold current density of 2.0 kA/cm2, a peak output power of ~336 mW, and a slope efficiency of 375 mW/A, all at 300 K, with a high characteristic temperature T0 ~310 K over a wide temperature range from 240 K to 390 K.