cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 53: Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Enhances Adipogenesis of Adipose Tissue-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells during Evolution of Obesity

Background: The expansion of adipose mass requires adipocyte precursor cells that originate from multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The inflammatory milieu in obesity often involves high levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in adipose tissue, but whether this affects MSC function remains unknown. We tested the hypothesis that microenvironmental changes during the evolution of obesity affect MSC function, which may in turn promote obesity. Methods: Domestic pigs were fed with an adipogenic (n=7) or normal (n=7) diet for 16 weeks. Abdominal adipose tissue biopsies were collected at 8, 12, and 16 weeks for histology and MSC culture. Adipose tissue inflammation and MSC levels were evaluated in situ using immunohistochemistry staining for TNF-α, CD34, and Von Willebrand factor (vWF). The adipogenic propensity of MSC was tested in vitro using appropriate differentiation media, with or without supplementation of TNF-α or anti-TNF-α antibody for 3 weeks. Results: Obese pigs had increased body weight and...
Lessons Learned from All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer Robot Field Test Operations at Moses Lake Sand Dunes, Washington

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is developing the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) as part of NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP). The program develops technologies for surface mobility and equipment handling, human-system interaction, and lunar surface system repair, and constructs dexterous robots and autonomous rovers that can drive over rough terrain and help crew explore, assemble, and maintain a lunar outpost. ETDP sponsors a series of field tests at lunar analog test sites where prototype robots can operate in ways that simulate lunar surface conditions. In this paper, we describe the lessons learned about ATHLETE operations at the most recent lunar analog field test in June 2008 at Moses Lake Sand Dunes, Washington. The Moses Lake field test was structured as a series of “acts” which correspond to unpiloted and piloted missions to the lunar surface in the 2019 to 2022 timeframe. The field test took place over a period of two weeks and involved several robots from various NASA field centers, including the Chariot lunar truck from Johnson Space Center, the K10 planetary rover from Ames Research Center, and ATHLETE from JPL. Lessons learned from the Moses Lake field test will be incorporated into the evolving design of the ATHLETE operations system, and will be tested at subsequent field trials.
Influence of Age on Survival of Respiration, Spinal Reflexes, Pupillary Responses and Heart Action

Despite the many observations reported on survival of tissues and organs, little information is available concerning the influence of age on survival time. Several observers1-5 have reported that young animals are more resistant to anoxia and asphyxia than are adults, and Selle and Witten6 found that the primitive respiratory mechanism (gasping) itself survives much longer in young animals than in old. Thus, the head of a new-born rat or dog gasps 40 to 80 times during a period of 30 to 60 minutes following ligation of the cerebral vessels or decapitation; the head of a half-grown or adult animal ceases gasping within a few seconds.The present studies were undertaken to determine whether the anoxic survivals of other physiological processes, such as pupillary responses, trunk reflexes and heart action, parallel that of the respiratory mechanism.Survival of the gasping mechanism was determined as described previously.6 Maximal dilatation of the pupil was taken to be a satisfactory indication of cessation o...
A Theory-Integrated Model of Medical Diagnosis

Recent research investigating diagnosis has generally relied upon one of two approaches to categorize and assess the antecedents of diagnostic error: (a) describing diagnostic error as a result of flaws in human cognition or (b) explaining diagnostic error as a result of working with complex health information systems. Each approach has uncovered important features that promote diagnostic error. However, each approach has inherent limitations, and integrating results from one approach to the other has proved difficult. In the current study, a cognitive engineering technique known as work domain analysis was implemented to provide a framework for uncovering the relationship between diagnosis, complex health systems, and theories of cognition and reasoning. The resulting model of diagnosis provides a comprehensive, novel perspective of the diagnostic process that offers a new foundation to formulate empirical inquiries about diagnosis and provides new avenues for the design and development of health informa...
Critical Exponents above T c to O ( 1 n )

Critical exponents are functions of $d$, the dimension, and $n$, the number of components of the order parameter involved in the second-order phase transition. They can be expanded in power series of $\frac{1}{n}$ when $n$ is large. We present details of calculating by perturbation theory the critical exponents above ${T}_{c}$ for arbitrary $d$ and to $O(\frac{1}{n})$ for short-range interacting systems and also for long-range interacting systems.
Fragmentation of the Lower Pole of the Patella in Spastic Cerebral Palsy

In cerebral spastic tetraplegia or diplegia, 13 knees with fragmentation of the lower pole of the patella were compared with 58 knees without fragmentation on lateral roentgenograms. A ratio of the longitudinal patellar length to the maximal length transversing it may be used as a parameter of fragmentation. The limit of such a ratio without fragmentation was 2.5.It is considered that the ratio should be measured regularly in children walking with spastic lower extremities and that treatment of their abnormal posture is necessary to maintain walking ability before the ratio approaches 2.5.
An Analysis of Complication Risk Factors in 641 Nipple Reconstructions.

Nipple-areola reconstruction represents the completion of the breast restorative process and is associated with significant positive psychological implications. While factors such as medical comorbidities, smoking status, and radiation therapy have been shown to be associated with an increase in complications following breast reconstruction, their impact on nipple reconstruction remains largely unaddressed in the literature. An IRB-approved, retrospective review of 472 patients who underwent nipple reconstruction at Wake Forest University over a 15-year period was completed. Demographic and surgical characteristics were assessed including age, body mass index, medical comorbidities, smoking status, need for radiation, breast reconstruction type, and nipple flap used. Four hundred and seventy-two patients with 641 nipple reconstructions were included with an average follow-up of 56.5 months. Radiation prior to nipple reconstruction was required in 146 breasts (22.8%). Overall, postoperative nipple projection problems occurred in 7.6% of reconstructions with a 4.1% rate of other complications, including nipple necrosis, tip loss, wound infection and wound breakdown. Implant-based reconstruction and radiation were associated with significantly more nipple projection problems (p = 0.009 and 0.05, respectively). Higher rates of complications and nipple projection problems were seen with skate flap reconstruction compared to a star flap (p = 0.046 and 0.001, respectively). Implant-based breast reconstruction and radiotherapy are associated with higher rates of nipple reconstruction problems. Identification of patient and surgical variables associated with increased risk of poor outcomes preoperatively could help in patient counseling and selection of the most appropriate method of breast and nipple reconstruction.
Combined Lidar-based feedforward and feedback controllers for wind turbines with tower and blade damping

Two advanced controllers designed to reduce wind turbine component loading have been developed in this paper. The advanced controllers attempt to damp tower fore-aft and blade root bending moments using tower fore-aft and blade flap tip signals in feedback to augment the commanded pitch angle of the baseline controllers. Three baseline controllers are considered in this study: a PI feedback only collective pitch controller, a combined feedback/feedforward collective pitch controller, and a combined feedback/feedforward individual pitch controller. Simulation results in realistic turbulent wind fields demonstrate that adding fore-aft tower damping and blade damping to standard baseline controllers can give effective mitigation on the tower fore-aft and blade flapwise bending moment without reducing power production.
Preoperative Myocardial Injury as a Predictor of Mortality in Emergency General Surgery: An Analysis Using the American College of Surgeons NSQIP Database

Background Recent studies have linked postoperative serum troponin elevation to mortality in a range of different clinical scenarios. To date, there has been no investigation into the significance of preoperative troponin elevation in emergency general surgery (EGS) patients. We define this as preoperative myocardial injury (PMI). We hypothesize that PMI seen in EGS patients may predict postoperative morbidity and mortality. Study Design Using the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, we performed a retrospective review of all EGS cases between 2008 and 2014. Patients with preoperative troponin I drawn were compared. Results There were 464 EGS patients who had troponin I measurements preoperatively. Eighty-two (18%) had preoperative troponin elevations. Patients with PMI were more likely to have the following preoperative physiologic derangements: acute renal failure (18% vs 4%; p = 0.002) and septic shock (40% vs 13%; p Conclusions Emergency general surgery patients with PMI are at increased risk for postoperative events and death. Preoperative myocardial injury is an independent predictor of mortality and has prognostic utility that can prepare surgical teams for adverse events so that they can be recognized, evaluated, and treated earlier.
O2 Protection of Nitrogenase in Frankia Isolate HFPArI3

O2 protection of nitrogenase in a cultured Frankia isolate from Alnus rubra (ArI3) was studied in vivo. Acetylene reduction (nitrogenase activity) was correlated with vesicle differentiation following removal of NH4+. Vesicles were broken off from the point of attachment to vegetative filaments by brief sonication. Loss of acetylene reduction was correlated with the increase in detached vesicles. Respiratory protection was suggested by the observation that O2 consumption rates in actively-fixing vesicle-containing cells were 5 times greater than rates in ammonia-grown undifferentiated cells. Furthermore, carbon limitation resulted in a decrease in the optimum O2 tension for nitrogenase activity. In actively-fixing (10 nMol C2H4/min/mg protein), aerobically induced cells, maximum acetylene reduction occurred near 20k PaO2. Acetylene reduction and O2 uptake decreased more than 10-fold in cells that were washed and incubated aerobically without a carbon source. Residual acetylene reduction activity was optimal at 5k PaO2 and nearly eliminated at 20 k PaO2. Evidence for a passive gas diffusion barrier in the vesicles was obtained by kinetic analysis of in vivo enzyme rates. O2 uptake rates of NH4+-grown cells showed an apparent KmO2 of approximately 1.0 um O2. In N2-fixing cultures, a KmO2 of approximately 160 um O2 was observed. Thus, respiration remains unsaturated by O2 at air saturation levels. In vivo the apparent Km for acetylene was 10-fold greater than reported in vitro values. These data show diffusion-limited kinetics and are interpreted as evidence for a gas diffusion barrier in the vesicles but not vegetative filaments of ArI3.
Piperonyl butoxide reduces salicylate-induced nephrotoxicity and covalent binding in male rats.

The salicylates are among the most widely used therapeutic agents in the world. Their effectiveness in treating pain, fever and inflammation all contribute to the extensive use of these drugs. Although generally regarded as safe, a number of side effects have been associated with the administration of salicylates. In particular, the development of kidney toxicity is of concern as this damage may lead to renal failure and death (NIH Consensus Development Conference, 1984).
Carlyle’s Moral Aesthetic

One can perhaps best illustrate Carlyle’s essentially ‘moral’ aesthetic by examining his relationship with the Romantics, that generation of poets with whom he sometimes has been connected. It is important to keep in mind, however, that Carlyle was born in 1795, three years before Lyrical Ballads, and he was in his early teens when Byron took his seat in the House of Lords and published English Bards. There was never any question of Carlyle’s basic hostility to the Romantics, for his approach to art and poetics, no matter what he might pay lip service to, was one that could in no way embrace the poetics of the Romantics, even granting their own varied views on art and poetry. In examining Carlyle’s responses to the major poets of the early nineteenth century, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, and Keats, one can see instantly that there was never any basis for agreement; each had his own faults or distortions in terms of the Carlylean aesthetic, faults generally based on moral rather than aesthetic grounds. Of the lesser poets and writers, he also has responses based on matters other than aesthetics. Lamb was simply insane; Hunt, a personal friend, was regarded most highly. His poetry had ‘a genuine tone of Music’, although that is as far as Carlyle ever got to defining one of the terms he was so fond of using.1
Cell Membrane Biology and Juxtacrine Signal Conversion

Our contemporary view of the cell membrane pictures a highly dynamic structure endowed with a rich functional repertoire. This chapter describes the evolution of our understanding of membrane structure and function, and introduces the notion of ‘cell membrane emergence’ as a robust conceptual framework for bringing systems perspectives into this field. The notion of multi-tiered emergent states is of particular interest with respect to membrane proteins, in terms of their surface distribution, dynamic structure, and inbound and outbound signaling potential. Focusing on membrane protein-driven, intercellular ‘juxtacrine’ signaling, a scientific journey is showcased in which a succession of novel fusion protein paints and signal converter proteins have been developed for cell surface engineering and, in particular, juxtacrine signal conversion and rewiring of cellular networks.
5.11 Landslides Generated by Earthquakes: Immediate and Long-Term Effects

Earthquake-induced landslides are of many different types and occur in virtually all geologic environments from steep and high glaciated rock slopes to gently sloping river flood plains and coastal areas underlain by soft sediment. The largest earthquakes can trigger tens of thousands of landslides throughout regions of tens or even hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, moving millions or billions of cubic meters of material down slopes. Such landslides can greatly alter the landscape in a variety of ways and pose hazards that persist long after the earthquake shaking that produced them.
Chapter 5 Data Assimilation by Models

Publisher Summary Data assimilation is a procedure that combines observations with models. This chapter provides an overview of data assimilation with an emphasis on applications to analyzing satellite altimeter data. The problem of data assimilation belongs to the wider field of estimation and control theories. The estimates of the dynamic system are improved by correcting model errors with the observations on the one hand and synthesizing observations by the models on the other. Much of the original mathematical theory of data assimilation was developed in the context of ballistics applications. Data assimilation is an emerging area in oceanography, stimulated by recent improvements in computational and modeling capabilities and the increase in the amount of available oceanographic observations. The continuing increase in computational capabilities have made numerical ocean modeling a commonplace. One of the central merits of data assimilation is its extraction of oceanographic signals from incomplete and noisy observations. Most oceanographic measurements—including altimetry—are characterized by their sparseness in space and time compared to the inherent scales of ocean variability; this translates into noisy and gappy measurements.
Controllable procedural content generation via constrained multi-dimensional Markov chain sampling

Statistical models, such as Markov chains, have recently started to be studied for the purpose of Procedural Content Generation (PCG). A major problem with this approach is controlling the sampling process in order to obtain output satisfying some desired constraints. In this paper we present three approaches to constraining the content generated using multi-dimensional Markov chains: (1) a generate and test approach that simply resamples the content until the desired constraints are satisfied, (2) an approach that finds and resamples parts of the generated content that violate the constraints, and (3) an incremental method that checks for constraint violations during sampling. We test our approaches by generating maps for two classic video games, Super Mario Bros. and Kid Icarus.
Microflora of Retained Intracochlear Electrodes from Infected Cochlear Implants.

ObjectivesCochlear implant infections may be refractory to medical management and require device removal with subsequent reimplantation. During device removal, the intracochlear electrode array is ...
Multiple shooting shadowing for sensitivity analysis of chaotic dynamical systems

Abstract Sensitivity analysis methods are important tools for research and design with simulations. Many important simulations exhibit chaotic dynamics, including scale-resolving turbulent fluid flow simulations. Unfortunately, conventional sensitivity analysis methods are unable to compute useful gradient information for long-time-averaged quantities in chaotic dynamical systems. Sensitivity analysis with least squares shadowing (LSS) can compute useful gradient information for a number of chaotic systems, including simulations of chaotic vortex shedding and homogeneous isotropic turbulence. However, this gradient information comes at a very high computational cost. This paper presents multiple shooting shadowing (MSS), a more computationally efficient shadowing approach than the original LSS approach. Through an analysis of the convergence rate of MSS, it is shown that MSS can have lower memory usage and run time than LSS.
The role of NMDA receptors in neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation

N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are expressed abundantly in the brain and play an important role in the regulation of neuronal development, learning, memory, neurodegenerative diseases, and neurogenesis, all of which are extensively discussed in reviews published elsewhere. While the number of research articles on the developmental and neurological cues that trigger NMDAR localization across a developing neuron and the role of the NMDAR in embryonic and adult stem cell proliferation and differentiation have been growing dramatically over the past few years, there is not a single review on this latter general topic. In the proposed review, we will summarize the current understanding of NMDARs in stem cell biology and their involvement in pathophysiological processes of neuron development, especially during early neuronal development (immature neurons) and differentiation.
On the shoulders of giants.

Although this metaphor has been used (and sometimes abused) over the years, it certainly seems entirely appropriate at this particular time and place as I take over the role of Editor-in-Chief (EIC) from Amira Klip , PhD, who for the past three years has provided outstanding editorial guidance to
A mechanistic model of an upper bound on oceanic carbon export as a function of mixed layer depth and temperature

Abstract. Export production reflects the amount of organic matter transferred from the ocean surface to depth through biological processes. This export is in large part controlled by nutrient and light availability, which are conditioned by mixed layer depth (MLD). In this study, building on Sverdrup's critical depth hypothesis, we derive a mechanistic model of an upper bound on carbon export based on the metabolic balance between photosynthesis and respiration as a function of MLD and temperature. We find that the upper bound is a positively skewed bell-shaped function of MLD. Specifically, the upper bound increases with deepening mixed layers down to a critical depth, beyond which a long tail of decreasing carbon export is associated with increasing heterotrophic activity and decreasing light availability. We also show that in cold regions the upper bound on carbon export decreases with increasing temperature when mixed layers are deep, but increases with temperature when mixed layers are shallow. A meta-analysis shows that our model envelopes field estimates of carbon export from the mixed layer. When compared to satellite export production estimates, our model indicates that export production in some regions of the Southern Ocean, particularly the subantarctic zone, is likely limited by light for a significant portion of the growing season.
A Study of Feature Construction for Text-based Forecasting of Time Series Variables

Time series are ubiquitous in the world since they are used to measure various phenomena (e.g., temperature, spread of a virus, sales, etc.). Forecasting of time series is highly beneficial (and necessary) for optimizing decisions, yet is a very challenging problem; using only the historical values of the time series is often insufficient. In this paper, we study how to construct effective additional features based on related text data for time series forecasting. Besides the commonly used n-gram features, we propose a general strategy for constructing multiple topical features based on the topics discovered by a topic model. We evaluate feature effectiveness using a data set for predicting stock price changes where we constructed additional features from news text articles for stock market prediction. We found that: 1) Text-based features outperform time series-based features, suggesting the great promise of leveraging text data for improving time series forecasting. 2) Topic-based features are not very effective stand-alone, but they can further improve performance when added on top of n-gram features. 3) The best topic-based feature appears to be a long-term aggregation of topics over time with high weights on recent topics.
Psychobiology of Intergenerational Effects of Trauma

Systematic scientific study of the effects of trauma on humans has always faced formidable methodological challenges and both ethical and practical obstacles. The most scientifically rigorous study designs—prospective longitudinal experiments, preferably double-blind in nature—are virtually nonexistent, appropriately precluded by the ethical standards of every civilized society. Instead, some reliance on retrospective data inevitably occurs, at least for part of the period under study (e.g., the time prior to the beginning of the trauma). Practical considerations also hinder prospective studies of the long-term consequences of trauma, especially those that involve life-span or multigenerational perspectives. It simply takes too long for humans to grow up (and old) for such prospective longitudinal studies to be feasible in most cases. As a result, retrospective reports provide the basis for much of our current knowledge base regarding long-term consequences of trauma.
The Effect of Corporate Taxation on Investment and Financial Policy: Evidence from the DPAD

This study estimates the investment, financing, and payout responses to variation in a firm's effective corporate income tax rate in the United States. I exploit quasi-experimental variation created by the Domestic Production Activities Deduction, a corporate tax expenditure created in 2005. A 1 percentage point reduction in tax rates increases investment by 4.7 percent of installed capital, increases payouts by 0.3 percent of sales, and decreases debt by 5.3 percent of total assets. These estimates suggest that lower corporate tax rates and faster accelerated depreciation each stimulate a similar increase in investment, per dollar in lost revenue.
Crystallization by laser annealing of amorphous SnO 2 films on the Si (100) surface

Thin films of SnO2 were fabricated on Si wafer (100) substrates in a vacuum chamber at 10−5 Torr using the pulsed laser deposition technique. An excimer laser was used to ablate a SnO2 polycrystalline target and deposit thin films on a Si support which was maintained at 300 °C. The deposited amorphous films were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. To convert the films to crystalline form, two approaches were used: oven annealing and pulsed laser annealing. Both annealing techniques resulted in crystalline thin films of SnO2 in the rutile structure, with oven annealing resulting in higher quality crystalline films. Thickness of the as-deposited SnO2 film can determine crystalline phase of the annealed film.
Loading Reflexes During Two Types of Voluntary Muscle Contractions

Small step load changes were superimposed on a constant load applied to the extensor muscles of the human ankle joint. Comparison of the induced loading reflex during: (1) steady muscle contraction supporting a constant load, and (2) a voluntary movement under this same load, shows in both bases two peaks in the reflex electromyogram. The first peak is much reduced during voluntary movement and is also most affected by the rate of stretch. The size and latency of the second peak is strongly dependent on the contractile state of the muscle at the time of load application. Both peaks are separated by inhibition; this depression in motoneurone firing sometimes dominates the loading response, minimizing the effectiveness of the load compensation reflex.
Critical LAN success factors: an implementation model

The implementation of Local Area Networks (LANs) are expected to require the allocation of significant and increasing amounts of U.S. business resources in the next few years. Models for implementing LANs are currently little more than checklists of reminders, and do not properly address the sequence of implementation or the relative importance of the factors critical for implementation success over the implementation life cycle. Many authors (Brandt, 1989; Gallegos, 1987; Fireworker & Stewart, 1988; Mirsa & Belistos, 1987) have been written articles concerning the factors needed to achieve a successful LAN implementation. This paper organizes the issues highlighted in several of these LAN specific checklists, and The Local Area Network (LAN) Implementation Project Life Cycle Model presented in this paper integrates various checklists of LAN specific implementation considerations with the critical success factors (CSFs) associated with the various stages of the project life cycle. This model addresses the sequence and the timing of various implementation tasks based on the project CSFs over the various implementation life cycle stages. This model provides a superior model for practitioners to implement their local area networks, as it provides focus in addressing the factors critical for success. This model also provides a superior basis for approaching research work in comparison with the current checklists, as it highlights the tasks associated with the CSFs over each phase of the LAN implementation project life cycle.
Comparing genomic and histologic correlations to radiographic changes in tumors: a murine SCC VII model study.

Abstract Rationale and Objectives. To investigate the correlation between the temporal changes in T1- and T2-weighted contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histologic evaluation, and genomic analysis using oligonucleotide microarrays in a murine squamous cell carcinoma tumor models Materials and Methods. The squamous cell carcinoma (SCC VII) cell line was used to initiate subcutaneous tumors in mice. This mouse model has been used as a model for human head and neck carcinomas. Animals were imaged using contrast enhanced MRI (CE-MRI). Different stages of tumor growth were defined based on changes in the T1- and T2-weighted MRI patterns. The contrast enhancing (CE) and nonenhancing (NE) regions of the tumors were marked and biopsied for oligonucleotide microarray and histologic analysis. Tumors with no differential contrast enhancement were used as controls. Results. Distinct temporal stages of tumor progression can be defined using both T1- and T2-weighted CE-MRI and microarray analysis. The early stage tumors show a homogeneous contrast enhancement pattern in the T1- and T2-weighted images with no significant differential gene expression from the center and periphery of the tumor. The more advanced tumors that show discrete regions of contrast enhancement in the post-contrast T1-weighted MRIs and tissues from the CE and NE regions show distinctly differential gene expression profiles. Histologic analysis (hematoxylin-eosin stain) showed that the samples obtained from the periphery and center of the early stage tumors and the CE and NE regions from these more advanced tumors were similar. The gene expression profiles of late-stage tumors that showed changes in T2-weighted MRI signal intensity were consistent with tissue degradation in the NE region, which also showed characteristic signs of tissue necrosis in histologic analysis. Conclusion. These results show that temporal changes in T1- and T2-weighted CE-MRI are related to distinct gene expression profiles, and histologic analysis may not be sufficient to detect these detailed changes. As tumors progress, discrete regions of post-contrast T1 enhancement are identified; these regions have distinct gene expression patterns despite similar histologic features. In late-stage tumors, regions of T2 signal changes are observed which correspond with tissue necrosis.
Cooperation and Sustainability

I was trained as a mathematician but driven to become an ecologist in large part because of a concern for the future of my children and (then hoped-for) grandchildren, and because I was convinced that population growth and the insults humans were heaping upon our environment threatened their future. I have never believed, however, that the protection of the quality of life for humanity and of the services, tangible and otherwise, that we derive from natural systems involves a zero-sum game – between ecological protection and economic growth. Indeed, we have seen since the recent financial crisis that economic contraction diminishes our ability to take the steps necessary to deal with global environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss. It also further exacerbates the problems of intragenerational inequity, poverty, and disease spread and fosters conflict among peoples that diverts us from our joint task of achieving a sustainable future. Cooperation is thus essential, both in how we manage our environment and in how different disciplines and different sectors view the balance between economic growth and environmental protection.
Guiding Software Evolution with Binary Diversity

Zero-day vulnerabilities offer unique vectors for breaking software integrity such as adding malicious code to software distributed to hardware or clients. We propose a novel method of generating immune software variants from binary files in a semi-guided environment where the solution and vulnerability are unknown. We analyze this process on programs of varying complexity.
Growth hormone deficiency, aortic dilation, and neurocognitive issues in Feingold syndrome 2

We report three patients with Feingold 2 syndrome with the novel features of growth hormone deficiency associated with adenohypophyseal compression, aortic dilation, phalangeal joint contractures, memory, and sleep problems in addition to the typical features of microcephaly, brachymesophalangy, toe syndactyly, short stature, and cardiac anomalies. Microdeletions of chromosome 13q that include the MIR17HG gene were found in all three. One of the patients was treated successfully with growth hormone. In addition to expanding the phenotype of Feingold 2 syndrome, we suggest management of patients with Feingold 2 syndrome include echocardiography at the time of diagnosis in all patients and consideration of evaluation for growth hormone deficiency in patients with short stature.
Storage requirements for high grid penetration of wind and solar power for the MISO region of North America: A case study

Abstract Wind and solar energy are currently the most promising carbon-free sources of electrical energy. However, because of their unpredictable and intermittent nature, high penetration of solar and wind into the electrical grid will likely require energy storage in order to provide grid power balance. In this work we consider the storage requirements for 100% and nearly 100% wind and solar power, examining the effects of source diversity, geographical distribution of sources, overcapacity, and balancing power. As a case study we use load data from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) energy market in the central region of the United States for the years 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Solar and wind production is modeled using data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Solar and Wind Integration Data Sets. Our results show nearly an order of magnitude decrease in required energy storage capacity is achieved as the overcapacity is increased from 0 to 30% for optimized solar to wind ratios. Significant reductions also occur by allowing a balancing power of only a few percent. However, the corresponding storage discharge and balancing power capacities are a significant fraction of the solar and wind capacities with correspondingly low capacity factors.
Evaluation of herbicide efficacy and application timing for giant miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus) biomass reduction

Giant miscanthus has the potential to move beyond cultivated fields and invade noncrop areas, but this can be overshadowed by aesthetic appeal and monetary value as a biofuel crop. Most research on giant miscanthus has focused on herbicide tolerance for establishment and production rather than terminating an existing stand. This study was conducted to evaluate herbicide options for control or terminating a stand of giant miscanthus. In 2013 and 2014, field experiments were conducted on established stands of the giant miscanthus cultivars ‘Nagara' and ‘Freedom.’ Herbicides evaluated in both years included glyphosate, hexazinone, imazapic, imazapyr, clethodim, fluazifop, and glyphosate plus fluazifop. All treatments were applied in summer (June or July) and September. For both years, biomass reduction ranged from 85% to 100% when glyphosate was applied in June or July at 4.5 or 7.3 kg ae ha–1. No other treatment applied at this timing provided more than 50% giant miscanthus biomass reduction 1 yr after application. September applications of glyphosate were not consistent: treatments in 2013 reduced biomass by 40% or less, whereas in 2014, at all rates provided at least 78% biomass reduction. Glyphosate applied in June or July was the only treatment that provided effective and consistent control of giant miscanthus 1 yr after treatment.Nomenclature: Clethodim; fluazifop; glyphosate; hexazinone; imazapic; imazapyr; giant miscanthus, Miscanthus x giganteus J.M. Greef & Deuter ex. Hodkinson & Renvoize [sacchariflorus × sinensis]
Utilization of Bauxite Residue: Recovering Iron Values Using the Iron Nugget Process

Red mud waste from aluminum processing was utilized as a material for extraction of iron. Red mud contains a high amount of iron, comparable to feedstock to North American iron mines, and extractin...
Noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP): Diagnostic updates and molecular advances.

Abstract The noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) is a strictly defined thyroid lesion, reclassified in 2016, in order to more accurately reflect the biological behavior of the tumor and thus, modify the way the lesion is clinically approached and perceived both by practitioners and patients. Additionally, this newly specified designation also allows for more uniformity in reporting for general pathologists less comfortable to exclude overt malignancy with certain nuclear features. In recent years, increasing molecular analyses correlated with longitudinal clinical outcomes have fostered improved diagnostic and treatment paradigms. Important revisions made to the definition of NIFTP in 2018 include the prohibition of any true papillae formation and the exclusion of lesions harboring the BRAF V600E mutation and other high-risk genetic abnormalities. These changes reflect the imperfection of the current criteria in outcome prediction and the global efforts for improvement. NIFTP are lesions with a wide range of size and cytomorphology. Although not addressed in the original series, large (≥4 cm) and oncocytic NIFTP have recently been shown to incur no recurrence or metastatic risk. Molecularly, NIFTP have a similar mutational profile as other follicular thyroid neoplasms, with frequent RAS family mutations and PAX8-PPARɤ fusions. However, the transcriptomic landscape is highly heterogenous, adding difficulty to gene expression-based cytopathologic classification. This review summarizes the evolution of the NIFTP concept and important advances in recent literature.
Resolving the discrepancies in the reported optical absorption of low-dimensional non-toxic perovskites, Cs3Bi2Br9 and Cs3BiBr6

In the search for lead-free perovskites for solar cells, cesium bismuth halides are emerging as potential optoelectronic materials. Cs+, Bi3+ and Br− can form multiple compounds with different stoichiometries and crystal structures. Among these, Cs3Bi2Br9 and Cs3BiBr6 are stable in air at room temperature. Published optical absorption data for Cs3Bi2Br9 vary significantly from article to article, while there are limited data on the newly discovered Cs3BiBr6. Herein we resolve the discrepancies in the literature and fill in the knowledge gaps by depositing phase pure Cs3Bi2Br9 and Cs3BiBr6 thin films via co-evaporation of CsBr and BiBr3 in high vacuum and studying the effects of CsBr:BiBr3 ratio on the optical properties of well-characterized films. Cs3Bi2Br9 and Cs3BiBr6 thin films show absorption peaks centered at 435 nm and 383 nm, respectively. These peaks are associated with excitations localized on [BiBr6]3− octahedra in the solid phase but the latter also coincides with absorption by [BiBr6]3− in liquid solutions. We show that the discrepancies in the literature on optical absorption of Cs3Bi2Br9 can have two explanations: Cs3BiBr6 phase impurities or the inevitable absorption by dissolved [BiBr6]3− in colloidal dispersions, which may be easily misinterpreted as originating from the solid product.
Results of a large orbit, high harmonic gyro-twt amplifier

A 16.2 GHz large orbit Gyro-TWT amplifier has been operated at the eighth cyclotron harmonic with a small signal gain of 10 dB, an interaction bandwidth of 4.3%, and a saturated power transfer from the electron beam to the wave of 0.5 kW. Most importantly, the experimental results are in good agreement with the predictions of the analytic dispersion relationship for the interaction (1), permitting the design of scaled, high performance tubes.
Properties of the Confining Force

Any fully satisfactory theory of confinement ought to explain the following features of the confining force, for which there is strong theoretical and/or numerical support: 1. asymptotic linearity of the static potential; 2. Casimir scaling of string tensions at intermediate distance scales; 3. N-ality dependence of asymptotic string tensions; 4. evidence of quantum string-like behavior: roughening and the Luscher term.
Comment on Duran et al. Introduction of IADPSG Criteria for the Screening and Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Results in Improved Pregnancy Outcomes at a Lower Cost in a Large Cohort of Pregnant Women: The St. Carlos Gestational Diabetes Study. Diabetes Care 2014;37:2442–2450

We read with interest the article by Duran et al. (1) that showed an improvement in pregnancy outcomes and a reduction in health care costs with the implementation of the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria (IADPSGC) for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) when compared with the traditional Carpenter-Coustan (CC) criteria. The inclusion of women with a lesser degree of dysglycemia with the IADPSGC was associated with a more than threefold increase in the prevalence of GDM (11% with the CC criteria and 36% with the IADPSGC) and, importantly, with …
Theoretical Study of Electronic Transport in Two-Dimensional Materials

Given the present interest of the VLSI industry on two-dimensional materials, theoretical studies of their charge-transport properties may help us to identify the most promising materials and device structures. Here we focus on three main problems that we must face when undertaking this theoretical task: 1. How to assess critically the accuracy of results obtained using ab initio methods. 2. How to account for the effect that the "dielectric environment" (substrate, gate insulator, metallic gates) may have on the carrier transport. 3. How to deal with quantum-mechanical effects that may control transport in nanometer-scale devices.
Reevaluation of Wolfcampian Cyclothems in Northeastern Kansas: Significance of Subaerial Exposure and Flooding Surfaces

Ten cyclothems from the Wolfcampian of northeastern Kansas, including parts of the Council Grove and Chase Groups, were examined in detail with particular attention to discontinuity surfaces and paleosol development. These cyclothems are shown to be bounded by major discontinuities, or sequence boundaries, where marine limestones abruptly overlie paleosol profiles. Occurring within these cyclothemic sequences are prominent meter-scale cycles that are bounded by flooding surfaces, many of which overlie facies exhibiting evidence of subaerial exposure. They are developed within both the marine carbonate and shale intervals and variegated mudstone intervals of the cyclothems. These meter-scale cycles show a consistent carbonate-to-clastic pattern regardless of their stratigraphic position or component facies. Climate fluctuations within a generally monsoonal environment are determined to be the most likely forcing mechanism for the meter-scale cycles, with wetter climate phases resulting in the increased influx of terrigenous clastic sediment and drier climate phases favoring carbonate precipitation. Evidence of climate change at the scale of the cyclothemic sequences is also recognized in the studied interval. Cycles at both scales indicate that relative sea-level rise was associated with increasingly arid conditions and that sea-level fall was associated with an intensification of seasonal rainfall.
Looking Good and Lying to Do It: Deception as an Impression Management Strategy in Job Interviews

The present study investigated job applicants' use of deception. The study examined applicants' deception on written applications, as well as in a job interview; whether individuals would lie to conform to job requirements; and whether extraversion and self-monitoring are related to lying. Fifty-nine candidates completed an application and interview. After the interview, candidates were informed that they were actually participating in an experiment. They then watched a videotape of their interview and indicated any lies they told. As hypothesized, it was found that applicants lied both on the job applications and during the interview, primarily to appear to conform to job requirements. Furthermore, candidate extraversion was positively correlated with number of lies told, although self-monitoring was unrelated to lying.
Oxygen metabolism in plant/bacteria interactions: characterization of the oxygen uptake response of plant suspension cells

Abstract In recent years the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been studied in plant cell suspension systems treated with bacterial pathogens. However, the associated utilization of molecular oxygen has not been well characterized. Using a multi-electrode oxygen analyser, the rates of oxygen consumption by tobacco cells during bacterial interactions were monitored. Heat-killed (HK) bacteria, which initiate an immediate ROS response in plant cells, were used as an elicitor to avoid complications of oxygen consumption by viable bacteria. An increase in oxygen uptake by the tobacco cells occurred within 4 min after addition of HK-bacteria and lasted for about 10 min, returning to a steady state at approximately twice the initial basal rate. The initial burst in oxygen uptake coincided with production of H2O2. Calculation of the total oxygen consumption by the plant cells indicated that less than 5% of the increased oxygen uptake was utilized in ROS production. Use of respiratory inhibitors indicated that respiration, especially the cytochrome pathway, played a significant role in this response. Results from the use of K-252, a protein kinase inhibitor, and DPI, an inhibitor of membrane bound NADPH oxidases, indicated that triggering of the oxygen uptake response may involve protein phosphorylation and is at least partially activated by the membrane bound NADPH oxidase activity. The involvement of mitochondrial respiration in the oxygen uptake response described here indicates that early events in plant recognition of pathogens involves more of the cellular machinery than previously hypothesized.
Clinical applications of research on fatigue in children with cancer.

Fatigue is a prevalent problem in the pediatric oncology population but is probably underrecognized and undertreated. The research on fatigue in children with cancer presented in this issue offers a welcome exploration of the subject. Clinical nurses must begin to understand the causes and symptoms of fatigue, as well as supportive care measures for their patients. Fatigue can occur in children who receive chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and biotherapy, and in children who are treated with bone marrow transplantation. Education of the patient and family regarding the potential for fatigue is helpful in preparing them for the cancer experience. Factors that contribute to and alleviate fatigue can be identified for each patient, taking into consideration age, developmental level, and cultural background. Parents and patients, especially adolescent patients, may have differing opinions about what fatigue is and what may be helpful. Further research into fatigue in children with cancer is encouraged, especially in patients suffering from alterations in sleep or nutritional status, and in long-term survivors of childhood cancer.