cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Support Minimized Nonlinear Acoustic Inversion with Absolute Phase Error Correction

The predominant factors which prohibit the inversion of acoustic scattering data for the purposes of flaw characterization are 1) limited angular access to the flaw, 2) limited temporal frequency signal bandwidth, and 3) lack of absolute phase information between individual measurements (zero of time problem). An additional complication which impedes the data inversion is the non-linear dependence of the scattering data on the scattering object. This problem must be handled by either linearizing the problem or by applying an iterative procedure which may have questionable convergence properties. An approach to data inversion is presented here which shows potential in overcoming the aforementioned difficulties. This approach compensates for the lack of data by constructing a solution which yields simulated scattering consistent with the measured data, while simultaneously minimizing a functional measure of the support (i.e. volume) of the flaw. Such an approach to limited data inversion has proven effective in limited view X-ray CT applications when reconstructing discontinuous boundary flaws such as cracks and inclusions [1, 2, 3]. The application presented here is by-and-large analogous to the X-ray CT application, except for the additional complication of the lack of absolute phase between measurements. This zero-of-time problem is handled here by treating the absolute phase of each measurement as a variable in the minimization of the flaw support.
Condition of finite element matrices generated from nonuniform meshes.

N a previous Note1 it has been shown (see also Refs. 2 and 3) that the spectral condition number Cn(K) of the global (stiffness) matrix K arising from a uniform mesh of finite elements (or of finite differences) discretization can be expressed by Cn(K) = cNes2m where 2m is the order of the differential equation and c a coefficient independent of Nes, the number of elements per side, but dependent on the order of the interpolation polynomials inside the element. This condition is "natural", since it is inherently associated with the approximation of the continuous problem by the discrete (algebraic) one. Nonuniform meshes of finite elements introduce many additional factors which may adversely affect the condition of the system. It is the purpose of this Note to describe a technique for establishing bounds on the condition number for irregular meshes of finite elements. With these bounds it becomes possible to study the effect of element geometry, the order of interpolation functions and other intrinsic and discretization parameters on Cn(K) and to isolate the factors that may lead to ill-conditioning. The matrix K is termed ill-conditioned when \Q~sCn(K) = 1, where s denotes the number of decimals in the computer. The bounds on Cn(K) are expressed in terms of the extremal eigenvalues of the element matrices. Since the element matrices are of restricted size, derivation of the bounds on Cn(K) as a function of the discretization parameters become straightforward for any problem and any element. Particular attention is focused on the possibility of improving the condition of the matrix by scaling. Bounds on the Extremal Eigenvalues
Preservation Potential of Storm Deposits in South Carolina Back-Barrier Marshes

Abstract A 5-year artificial-tracer study was used to mimic bioturbation of foraminifera in the back-barrier marshes of Folly and Rat Islands, South Carolina. Mixing rates decrease with subenvironment elevation, and decadal- to centennial-scale ecological signals and smaller hurricane deposits would not survive passage through the low-marsh mixing zone. However, the lower mixing rates in the high-marsh subenvironment allows for the preservation of such signals in the stratigraphic record. Bioturbation rates correlate poorly with plant density (primarily Spartina alterniflora). The Pearson correlation coefficient between mixing rate (Im in centimeters) and halophyte density (stems per square meter) is only 0.46, while the correlation between mixing and burrow density (apertures per square meter) is a much stronger 0.83. This corroborates earlier reports that spatiolateral variability in bioturbation is primarily a result of bioturbator (Uca spp.) preference for the low marsh and not halophyte distribution....
Inertial Available Kinetic Energy and the Dynamics of Tropical Plume Formation

Abstract Tropical plumes are identified in satellite data as elongated cloud bands originating from convective activity along the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), often extending far into the subtropics and middle latitudes. Many previous studies consider tropical plumes as a product of quasigeostrophic or convergent forcing. Here the authors consider the view that a tropical plume is the upper branch of an enhanced thermally direct circulation driven by latent heat released along the ITCZ. In this way, tropical plume formation is strongly tied to deep cumulus convection and inertial processes. Observations of plume development show that as a midlatitude wave nears a subsequent plume genesis region, a northward advection of upper-tropospheric, low potential vorticity (potential vorticity unit ≪ 1) occurs as anticyclonic flow intensifies southeast of the midlatitude wave. As this low potential vorticity (PV) ridges over and straddles the ITCZ, plume genesis occurs. Plume development occurs about 1–2 ...
Neural correlates of settlement in veliger larvae of the gastropod, Crepidula fornicata

Settlement behavior of molluscan veliger larvae prior to metamorphosis requires cessation of swimming, accomplished by arrest of prototrochal cilia on the margin of the velum (the larval swimming organ). Ciliary arrest in larvae of gastropods is mediated by an action potential that occurs synchronously across the velum as a consequence of electrical coupling between the prototrochal ciliated cells. We developed a preparation for extracellular recording of such ciliary arrest spikes from intact swimming and crawling veliger larvae of the caenogastropod Crepidula fornicata, using a fine wire electrode. Ciliary arrest spike rates during bouts of substrate crawling were significantly higher than those recorded during preceding swimming periods in larvae that were competent for metamorphosis, but not in precompetent larvae. Spike rates were similar on clean polystyrene substrates, and on substrates that had been coated with a natural cue for metamorphosis (mucus from conspecific adults). We used immunohistochemical methods to localize neuromodulators that might regulate the function of velar cilia. Labeled terminals for serotonin, FMRFamide, and tyrosine hydroxylase (an enzyme for catecholamine synthesis) were located in positions consistent with modulatory effects on the prototrochal ciliated cells. Prototrochal ciliary arrest spike rates and beat frequencies were measured in isolated velar lobes from competent larvae, which were exposed to serotonin, FMRFamide, and dopamine (10−5 mol L−1). Serotonin abolished arrest spiking and increased beat frequency; dopamine also increased beat frequency, and FMRFamide depressed it. Competent larvae tested in a small static water column swam to the top of the column when exposed to serotonin, but occupied lower positions than controls when in the presence of dopamine and FMRFamide. The larval nervous system appears to regulate velar functions that are critical for settlement behavior, and is likely to do so by integrating different sensory modalities in an age-dependent manner.
Synaptic and morphological characteristics of temperature-sensitive and -insensitive rat hypothalamic neurones.

Although neurones in the preoptic area and anterior hypothalamus (PO/AH) are important in regulating body temperature, little is known about their morphologies and synaptic interactions. In vivo and in vitro electrophysiological studies find that the majority of PO/AH neurones are relatively insensitive to temperature; however, 30 % of the neurones are classified as warm sensitive because their firing rates significantly increase during increases in hypothalamic temperature (Boulant, 1996). Unlike temperature-insensitive neurones, most warm-sensitive neurones respond not only to hypothalamic temperature, but also to skin or spinal temperatures (Boulant & Hardy, 1974). PO/AH warm-sensitive neurones, therefore, appear be the integrators of central and peripheral thermal information. Peripheral thermal information ascends over spinohypothalamic and spinothalamic tracts (Burstein et al. 1991; Dado et al. 1994). These afferent signals enter hypothalamic nuclei both from a lateral direction via the medial forebrain bundle and from a medial direction via the periventricular stratum (Palkovits & Zaborszky, 1979; Cliffer et al. 1991). Since PO/AH warm-sensitive neurones receive much of this afferent input, it might be expected a priori that these neurones orient their dendrites medially and laterally toward the ascending pathways. No previous study has identified the morphologies of warm-sensitive and temperature-insensitive neurones in the mammalian hypothalamus. Hence, one objective of the current study was to fill warm-sensitive and temperature-insensitive hypothalamic neurones with intracellular dyes to determine their dendritic configurations. A second objective was to characterize the synaptic inputs that different PO/AH neurones receive from nearby neurones. A popular neuronal model (Hammel, 1965) suggests that temperature-sensitive and -insensitive neurones send antagonistic synaptic inputs to various thermoregulatory effector neurones controlling heat loss and heat production. This model proposes, for example, that heat loss effector neurones are excited by nearby warm-sensitive neurones and inhibited by temperature-insensitive neurones. The present study examined PO/AH neuronal networks by determining the effect of temperature on the frequency of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs). During warming, the frequency of postsynaptic potentials determined by warm-sensitive neurones should increase, while the frequency of postsynaptic potentials determined by temperature-insensitive neurones should remain constant. Accordingly, the types of neurones that constitute local synaptic networks may be revealed by analysing the effect of temperature on EPSP and IPSP frequencies.
Effects of calcium and strontium in the process of acetylcholine release from motor nerve endings.

1. The effects of Ca and Sr ions on synchronous acetyleholine (ACh) secretion (the impulsive, physiologically functional form of secretion which produces an end-plate potential in response to a single nerve impulse) and on asynchronous ACh secretion (the delayed, residual increase in miniature end-plate potential frequency evoked by repetitive nerve impulses or by accumulation of intracellular divalent cations) were studied at frog neuromuscular junctions. 2. In a comparison of their extracellular effects, Ca was far more effective than Sr in supporting synchronous ACh secretion but less effective than Sr in mediating asynchronous release evoked by repetitive nerve impulses. 3. In studies of their intracellular effects, Sr and Ca were delivered to the nerve terminal cytoplasm using liposomes as a vehicle. Ca-containing liposomes, although producing effects on asynchronous ACh secretion that were indistinguishable from those of equimolar Sr-containing liposomes, were more effective than Sr-containing liposomes in increasing synchronous release. 4. Extracellular Ca behaved as a potent competitve inhibitor of asynchronous, neurally evoked release mediated by Sr. In contrast, intracellular Ca (i.e. liposomal Ca), whilst increasing synchronous ACh release, failed to antagonize evoked asynchronous release. 5. The results demonstrate that synchronous and asynchronous secretion have different sensitivities to alterations in intracellular divalent cation concentrations. It is suggested that selectivity for Ca over Sr may occur at intraterminal sites responsible for synchronous ACh secretion but not at sites responsible for asynchronous ACh release. Furthermore, Ca appears to bind with high affinity as an antagonist at the external surface of the nerve ending. These results are discussed in conjunction with current theories of depolarization—secretion coupling.
Digital Piracy: A Competitive Analysis

In recent years, the issue of copyright protection for intellectual properties such as computer software, music CDs, and videos has become increasingly important. It is often claimed that illegal copying of intellectual property costs companies billions of dollars in lost revenues and reduces firms' incentives to innovate. Some researchers have shown that copying can be beneficial to firms when there are strong network effects and copying expands the market. In this paper, we first examine the impact of illegal copying of software and other similar intellectual properties on firms' prices, profits, and quality choices, even when there are no network effects and the market is saturated. We show that contrary to the claims of manufacturers, there are conditions under which copying can increase firms' profits, lead to better quality products, and increase social welfare. This is because weaker copyright protection enables firms to reduce price competition by allowing price-sensitive consumers to copy. Thus, weaker copyright protection can serve as a coordination device to reduce price competition. We also examine how equilibrium copyright enforcement is affected by network externalities. In contrast to previous research, we show that strong network effects can sometimes lead to a firm choosing higher levels of copyright protection. Our results show that in the presence of strong network effects, stronger copyright enforcement by one firm can serve as a coordinating device to reduce price competition.
Internet Site Evaluations: The Influence of Behavioral Experience, Existing Images, and Selected Website Characteristics

Abstract The purpose of this research was to develop and test a conceptual model for website evaluation in resort settings. As significant advances in transportation and information technologies have converged over the past five years, resort marketing strategies are increasingly focused on the Internet. Traditional copy testing techniques are clearly inadequate for assessing dynamic website quality, hence, the need to develop and test new models for website evaluation. The proposed model positions “resort quality as presented by the website” as the outcome measure. Key factors influencing this outcome measure include overall website quality, visual attractiveness of the website, the information content of the website and existing resort images. Overall website quality is viewed as a function of site accessibility, navigation, visual attractiveness, and information content. Finally, consumer experience is recognized for its influence on assessment of the website characteristics, supporting the importance ...
Comparative review of the effects of inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate and budesonide on bone.

The role of inflammation in asthma is now well recognized, and corticosteroids are being used increasingly in its treatment. However, frequent high-dose courses of oral steroids result in many side-effects including loss of bone mass, which can eventually lead to osteoporosis and fractures (1). Several mechanisms may be involved in this process (2-5) (Fig. 1). Inhaled steroids have a wider therapeutic margin than oral steroids as a result of their high topical: systemic potency ratio, low bioavailability and high systemic clearance (2). It is now recommended that regular inhaled steroids are started earlier in the course of asthma and that high doses are used initially to attain control of the disease (6), but there is still some concern that the amount absorbed might be sufficient to cause systemic side-effects. The effect of high-dose inhaled corticosteroids on bone has been investigated in healthy adult volunteers and asthma patients of various ages. This review summarizes the data on beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) and budesonide, the two most widely used inhaled steroids in the U.K.
Implications of the North American Free Trade Agreement for the US tourism industry

Abstract Taking NAFTA as a model for other free trade agreements to follow - thanks to its supplemental agreements on labor laws and the environment - this article discusses its impact on the US tourism industry and on its relationships with Canada and Mexico. Benefits will include enhanced product quality and competitiveness, further growth and an increase in the number of jobs available. Globalization of US tourism services will be promoted through guarantees that service companies will receive national treatment in all countries, a ban on discrimination against service firms which invest in Mexico and the possibility for US financial firms to operate fully in Mexico. It is argued that Mexico will benefit from the foreign investment thus stimulated through increased employment and a rise in the standard of living.
A revision of the Neotropical caddisfly genus Rhyacopsyche, with the description of 13 new species (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae)

The Neotropical genus Rhyacopsyche Muller, 1879, was last reviewed in 1971 when 5 species were known. Since that time, the genus has gradually grown to 13 species: R. andina Flint, 1991 (Colombia, Peru, Venezuela), R. chichotla Bueno & Hamilton, 1986 (Mexico), R. duplicispina Flint, 1996 (Tobago), R. hagenii Muller, 1879b (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay), R. jimena Flint, 1991 (Colombia), R. matthiasi Flint, 1991 (Colombia), R. mexicana (Flint, 1967) (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua), R. mutisi Mey & Joost, 1990 (Colombia), R. obliqua Flint, 1971 (Mexico), R. peruviana Flint, 1975 (Ecuador, Peru), R. torulosa Flint, 1971 (Costa Rica, Guatemala), R. turrialbae Flint, 1971 (Costa Rica), and R. yatay Angrisano, 1989 (Argentina). Thirteen new species are described and illustrated: R. benwa (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru), R. bulbosa (Brazil), R. colei (Venezuela), R. colombiana (Colombia), R. colubrinosa (Ecuador, Peru), R. dikrosa (Brazil), R. flinti (Venezuela), R. hasta (Peru), R. intraspira (Peru), R. otarosa (Venezuela), R. patulosa (Brazil), R. rhamphisa (Colombia, Costa Rica), and R. tanylobosa. (Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela). The distribution of Rhyacopsyche is widened to include Bolivia and Nicaragua. Detailed illustrations are presented for all species as well as diagnoses, descriptions, and a taxonomic key. A species level phylogenetic analysis using PAUP* 4.0b 10 was performed. A heuristic search was conducted based on 20 morphological characters of the male genitalia, with species of Ochrotrichia and Metrichia used as outgroups. A strict consensus of 23 equally parsimonious trees is presented. The analysis revealed 3 characters supporting the monophyly of Rhyacopsyche. The monophyly of 1 of the 2 previously established species groups, the turrialbae group, is supported.
Input Necessary Assignments for Testing of Path Delay Faults in Standard-Scan Circuits

We consider the use of necessary assignments for input lines, referred to as input necessary assignments, as part of a test generation process for path delay faults in standard-scan circuits. Input necessary assignments are computed in polynomial time and provide a unified framework for identifying undetectable faults and generating tests for detectable faults. Within this framework, large numbers of path delay faults can be considered efficiently and accurately. The proposed test generation procedure is able to resolve large numbers of path delay faults associated with the longest paths in benchmark circuits by detecting the faults using broadside tests or showing that they are undetectable by such tests. We also consider the use of input necessary assignments for test compaction.
Blue River Declaration: A New Conversation about an Earth-based Ethic

In October 2011, a group of environmental thinkers—ecologists, philosophers, foresters, poets and novelists, religious and environmental studies specialists, and indigenous traditions experts—met with the audacious goal to write collaboratively a new ethic. The result was a statement of conscience that drew on the collective wisdom of the assembled group about the human place in and responsibilities to the biosphere and its diverse and interconnected living systems. The ethic was named the Blue River Declaration for the river in Oregon’s Cascade Mountain Range where it was crafted.
Structural, mechanical and electronic properties of 3d transition metal nitrides in cubic zincblende, rocksalt and cesium chloride structures: a first-principles investigation.

We report systematic results from ab initio calculations with density functional theory on three cubic structures, zincblende (zb), rocksalt (rs) and cesium chloride (cc), of the ten 3d transition metal nitrides. We computed lattice constants, elastic constants, their derived moduli and ratios that characterize mechanical properties. Experimental measurements exist in the literature of lattice constants for rs-ScN, rs-TiN and rs-VN and of elastic constants for rs-TiN and rs-VN, all of which are in good agreement with our computational results. Similarly, computed Vickers hardness (HV) values for rs-TiN and rs-VN are consistent with earlier experimental results. Several trends were observed in our rich data set of 30 compounds. All nitrides, except for zb-CrN, rs-MnN, rs-FeN, cc-ScN, cc-CrN, cc-NiN and cc-ZnN, were found to be mechanically stable. A clear correlation in the atomic density with the bulk modulus (B) was observed with maximum values of B around FeN, MnN and CrN. The shear modulus, Young’s modulus, HV and indicators of brittleness showed similar trends and all showed maxima for cc-VN. The calculated value of HV for cc-VN was about 30 GPa, while the next highest values were for rs-ScN and rs-TiN, about 24 GPa. A relation (HV/ 2 D ) between HV and Debye temperature ( D) was investigated and verified for each structure type. A tendency for anti-correlation of the elastic constant C44, which strongly influences stability and hardness, with the number of electronic states around the Fermi energy was observed. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)
Some Problems and Prospects in Residence and Marriage

general polygyny, (2) the nonexistence of amitalocal residence, and (3) the factors underlying the preponderance of matrilateral cross-cousin marriage. The first problem involves an unusual form of social organization recorded for the Comorian archipelago (Ottenheimer and Ottenheimer 1979). In these islands of the western Indian Ocean, men marry two or more unrelated women who maintain separate households with their mothers and sisters in distinct quarters, towns, or islands. The wives are then visited by the men who attempt to spend equal time with each wife. This simultaneous occurrence of
ARE YOU TALKING TOME? PERSONAL PRONOUN USAGE IN TUTORING ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES

Writing clinics, labs, and centers serve students by providing a place on campus where they can come to talk and learn about writing. For many years, writing tutors and those affiliated with writing centers have struggled to define our niche in the university community.We have studied the kinds of work and talk that tutors and tutees do, and we have created a community of scholars that discuss what our roles ought to be in relation to the writing classroom, to English departments, to the administration and, most importantly, to the students we tutor. Stephen North’s 1984 “The Idea of aWriting Center,” which appeared in College English, publicly declared that writing centers strive “to produce better writers, not better writing” (438). Writing centers are not fix-it shops for documents. We are student-centered, so we use documents as a window to students’ writing process, rather than treating a document as an end unto itself. The focus on the student’s processes instead of the product led to arguments that writing tutors are not editors, a point that Jeff Brooks articulated in “Minimalist Tutoring: Making the Student Do All the Work,” an essay that marked the movement toward nondirective methods that became, in the words of Linda Shamoon and Deborah Burns in “A Critique of Pure Tutoring,” “orthodoxy” (225). Many scholars before me have traced the development of the writing center from the workshop for remedial students to its self-envisioned collaborative, nonhierarchical, studentcentered environment. Nondirective methods are in vogue at most writing centers, as is evident in both tutor training and center policies. For some time, however, a minority of tutors and center scholars have questioned if nondirective methods ought to be the only tools that peer tutors learn to use. In “Power andAuthority in Peer Tutoring” Peter Carino argues, “the watchword in tutor training should not be nondirective peership, but flexibility. Tutors should learn to shift between directive and nondirective methods as needed” (110). While nondirective methods are wonderful when they work, do they work in every situation? I could illustrate with center lore here, but instead I will ask you to think of your own writing centers and times when nondirective methods did not suffice. For seven semesters, I worked in a multidisciplinary learning center at York College of Pennsylvania, where the writing center is integrated with tutoring from all disciplines. Undergraduate (peer) writing tutors take a course called Teaching and Tutoring Writing, in which they study mostly nondirective methods of tutoring, with the exception of modeling for
A Month for Gallbladder Cancer: A Case Report of Four Gallbladder Cancers Over a 30-Day Period at a Community Hospital

Gallbladder carcinoma is an exceedingly rare and fatal cancer. With stage 1 disease having a 5-year survival of only 50%, a diagnosis of gallbladder cancer carries a grim prognosis. Fortunately, especially in the developed world, it is exceedingly rare. Annual rates are reported as low as 1 - 2.5 per 100,000 people in the United States. Over the past 14 years, Newark Beth Israel in New Jersey has diagnosed 21 patients with gallbladder cancer. The purpose of this case report was to describe four new cases which occurred over a 30-day period in 2015 and review the risk factors, diagnosis and treatment strategies for this terrible disease. World J Oncol. 2015;6(6):495-498 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/wjon951w
Domain Induced Dirichlet Mixture of Gaussian Processes: An Application to Predicting Disease Progression in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Predicting disease course is critical in chronic progressive diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) for determining treatment. Forming an accurate predictive model based on clinical data is particularly challenging when data is gathered from multiple clinics/physicians as the labels vary with physicians' subjective judgment about clinical tests and further we have no a priori knowledge of the various types of physician subjectivity. At the same time, we often have some (limited) domain knowledge on how to group patients into disease progression subgroups. In this paper, we first present our rationale for choosing a Dirichlet mixture of Gaussian processes (DPMGP) model to address the subjectivity in our data. We then introduce a new approach to incorporating domain knowledge into the non-parametric mixture model. We demonstrate the efficacy of our model by applying it to two medical datasets to predict disease progression in MS patients and disability levels in early Parkinson's patients.
From CT to fMRI: Larry Shepp's Impact on Medical Imaging

Larry Shepp worked extensively in the field of medical imaging for almost 40 years. He made seminal contributions to the areas of computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In this review, I highlight some of these important contributions, with the goal of illustrating the important role that mathematics and statistics played in their development.
Optical control of backward and forward microwave generation

We propose an experiment to demonstrate a strong coherent backward and forward microwave generation using forward-propagating optical fields only. This is achieved by applying laser fields to an ultradispersive medium with properly chosen detunings and/or Rabi frequencies to excite a spin coherence that generates a forward- or backward-propagating microwave. Applications to coherent scattering and remote sensing are discussed.
A review of the ethics of the use of placebo in clinical trials for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis therapeutics

Randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials have been considered the most rigorous method of evaluating the efficacy of novel treatment interventions. The first effective disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) were approved in the 1990s after a number of pivotal placebo-controlled trials. Since then, the ethics of the continued use of placebo in clinical trials of new DMTs for RRMS has been the subject of repeated policy statements and recommendations by international committees. As further data have accumulated demonstrating a reduction in long-term morbidity and mortality with early initiation of DMT, a growing consensus has emerged that further inclusion of placebo arms in clinical trials of novel RRMS therapies is no longer ethical.
RAMPS: A Reconfigurable Architecture for Minimal Perfect Sequencing

The alignment of many short sequences of DNA, called reads, to a long reference genome is a common task in molecular biology. When the problem is expanded to handle typical workloads of billions of reads, execution time becomes critical. In this paper we present a novel reconfigurable architecture for minimal perfect sequencing (RAMPS). While existing solutions attempt to align a high percentage of the reads using a small memory footprint, RAMPS focuses on performing fast exact matching. Using the human genome as a reference, RAMPS aligns short reads hundreds of thousands of times faster than current software implementations such as SOAP2 or Bowtie, and about a thousand times faster than GPU implementations such as SOAP3. Whereas other aligners require hours to preprocess reference genomes, RAMPS can preprocess the reference human genome in a few minutes, opening the possibility of using new reference sources that are more genetically similar to the newly sequenced data.
Zika virus, vectors, reservoirs, amplifying hosts, and their potential to spread worldwide: what we know and what we should investigate urgently.

Summary Objectives The widespread epidemic of Zika virus infection in South and Central America and the Caribbean in 2015, along with the increased incidence of microcephaly in fetuses born to mothers infected with Zika virus and the potential for worldwide spread, indicate the need to review the current literature regarding vectors, reservoirs, and amplification hosts. Vectors The virus has been isolated in Africa in mosquitoes of the genera Aedes , Anopheles , and Mansonia , and in Southeast Asia and the Pacific area in mosquitoes of the genus Aedes . Aedes albopictus has invaded several countries in Central Africa and all Mediterranean countries, and continues to spread throughout Central and Northern Europe. The wide distribution of the virus in animal hosts and vectors favors the emergence of recombinants. Animal hosts The virus has been isolated in monkeys, and antibodies have been detected in domestic sheep, goats, horses, cows, ducks, rodents, bats, orangutans, and carabaos. Conclusions It is a public health imperative to define the domestic and wild animal reservoirs, amplification hosts, and vector capacity of the genera Aedes , Anopheles , and Mansonia . These variables will define the geographic distribution of Zika virus along with the indicated timing and scale of the environmental public health interventions worldwide.
Protein Calligraphy: A New Concept Begins To Take Shape

The ability to assemble molecules into supramolecular architectures of controllable size and symmetry is a long sought after goal of nanotechnology and material engineering. Proteins are particularly attractive for molecular assembly due to their inherent molecular recognition and self-assembly capabilities. Advances in the computational prediction of protein folding and quaternary assembly have enabled the design of proteins that self-assemble into complex yet predictable shapes. These protein nanostructures are opening new possibilities in biomaterials, metabolic engineering, molecular delivery, tissue engineering, and a plethora of nanomaterials. Images of protein constructs assembled from simpler structures draw comparison to characters of calligraphy. In both cases, elaborate designs emerge from basic subunits, resulting in the translation of form into function with a high degree of artistry.
Association of concurrent acid-suppression therapy with survival outcomes and adverse event incidence in oncology patients receiving erlotinib.

Purpose Acid-suppression therapy is known to decrease the systemic exposure of erlotinib. The erlotinib prescribing information recommends staggering dosing with a histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) and avoiding concurrent use of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). This retrospective analysis evaluated the frequency of concurrent acid-suppression therapy in oncology patients receiving erlotinib and its association with outcomes.
SU-F-J-58: Evaluation of RayStation Hybrid Deformable Image Registration for Accurate Contour Propagation in Adaptive Planning

Purpose: Adaptive radiotherapy requires complete new sets of regions of interests (ROIs) delineation on the mid-treatment CT images. This work aims at evaluating the accuracy of the RayStation hybrid deformable image registration (DIR) algorithm for its overall integrity and accuracy in contour propagation for adaptive planning. Methods: The hybrid DIR is based on the combination of intensity-based algorithm and anatomical information provided by contours. Patients who received mid-treatment CT scans were identified for the study, including six lung patients (two mid-treatment CTs) and six head-and-neck (HN) patients (one mid-treatment CT). DIRpropagated ROIs were compared with physician-drawn ROIs for 8 ITVs and 7 critical organs (lungs, heart, esophagus, and etc.) for the lung patients, as well as 14 GTVs and 20 critical organs (mandible, eyes, parotids, and etc.) for the HN patients. Volume difference, center of mass (COM) difference, and Dice index were used for evaluation. Clinical-relevance of each propagated ROI was scored by two physicians, and correlated with the Dice index. Results: For critical organs, good agreement (Dice>0.9) were seen on all 7 for lung patients and 13 out of 20 for HN patients, with the rest requiring minimal edits. For targets, COM differences were within 5 mm on average for all patients. For Lung, 5 out of 8 ITVs required minimal edits (Dice 0.8–0.9), with the rest 2 needed re-drawn due to their small volumes (<10 cc). However, the propagated HN GTVs resulted in relatively low Dice values (0.5–0.8) due to their small volumes (3–40 cc) and high variability, among which 2 required re-drawn due to new nodal target identified on the mid-treatment CT scans. Conclusion: The hybrid DIR algorithm was found to be clinically useful and efficient for lung and HN patients, especially for propagated critical organ ROIs. It has potential to significantly improve the workflow in adaptive planning.
Psychophysiological Methods and Developmental Psychopathology

Psychophysiology—the study of interactions between physiological systems and psychological states and traits—has a long history of use in psychopathology research. Developmental psychopathologists routinely use psychophysiological methods to investigate how individual-level vulnerabilities (e.g., neural, autonomic) interact with environmental risk factors (e.g., familial, social) to shape and maintain maladaptive behavior. Two overarching goals of such research are to (1) elucidate the etiology and course of psychopathology, including mechanisms of equifinality and multifinality; and (2) prospectively identify individuals who are most vulnerable to psychopathology. In this chapter, we describe several peripheral psychophysiological methods (e.g., cardiovascular, electrodermal, pupillary, electromyographic), review research contexts in which these methods are used, and offer suggestions for designing and executing developmentally sensitive quasi-experiments aimed at furthering our understanding of emerging psychopathology. Keywords: autonomic nervous system (ANS); sympathetic nervous system (SNS); parasympathetic nervous system (PNS); heart rate variability; respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA); impedance cardiography; electrodermal activity (EDA); pupillometry (PPM); electromyography (EMG); startle reflex; prepulse inhibition (PPI)
Stabilization of floating offshore wind turbines by artificial muscle based active mooring line force control

The floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) promises the future penetration of wind power generation into deep water, while FOWT presents significant challenge for controls in terms of platform stability, power regulation and increased structural loads. With floating foundations, wind turbine control faces dramatic increase of degrees-of-freedom (DOF) to be controlled, thus resulting in under-actuation reality. It is thus critical to develop actuation schemes that are of low cost, low power consumption, high bandwidth and low design complexity. In this paper, an active mooring line force control scheme is investigated using linear actuators based a novel thermally-actuated sewing thread artificial muscle (STAM). The STAM actuator is proposed to consist of multiple bundles of twisted nylon fishing line or sewing thread. The proposed actuator is added to the junction between the mooring lines and platform bars of FOWT with tensioned-leg platform (TLP). Simulation models of STAM actuator is integrated to the mooring line model of NREL's FAST, and control simulations are performed on the 5MW WindPACT model. Simulation results of two load cases validate the effectiveness of this novel actuation scheme in stabilizing the platform motion and reducing the wind turbine loads.
Correlates of Hookah Pipe Awareness and Perceived Harmfulness Among U.S. Adults

Introduction Hookah smoking has recently become a common form of smoking, and its prevalence has increased worldwide. This study determined the prevalence and correlates of hookah awareness and perceived harmfulness among U.S. adults. Methods Weighted multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed on 6,711 adults aged ≥18 years collected from the 2013–2014 Health Information National Trends Survey (Cycles 3 and 4). Analysis was conducted in 2016. Results Overall, 74.3% were aware of hookah. Of these, 73.4% believed hookah pipes were equally harmful as cigarettes whereas 15.7% believed otherwise. Older (OR=0.13, 95% CI=0.09, 0.18), black (OR=0.51, 95% CI=0.38, 0.71), Hispanic (OR=0.52, 95% CI=0.37, 0.71), and less-educated (OR=0.42, 95% CI=0.27, 0.65) respondents had lower odds of being aware of hookah. Compared with non-smokers, former smokers had 83% (95% CI=1.44, 2.33) higher odds of hookah awareness. Among those aware of hookah, older (OR=0.44, 95% CI=0.31, 0.62), black (OR=0.64, 95% CI=0.43, 0.96), and less-educated (OR=0.55, 95% CI=0.33, 0.92) respondents had lower odds of perceiving hookah as less harmful than cigarettes. Conclusions Most adults in U.S. are aware of hookah, but only 15.7% believe it is less harmful than cigarettes. This small proportion are mostly young, white, and college graduates. Targeted behavioral interventions will be necessary to increase individuals’ perceived risk, knowledge, and perceived harmfulness of hookah smoking.
Examining college students' uptake of Facebook through the lens of domestication theory:

Given the prevalence of social network sites (SNS) uptake among college students, and Facebook use in particular, we seek to understand the variety of ways in which Facebook is embedded in the rout...
Diacerein inhibits the pro-atherogenic & pro-inflammatory effects of IL-1 on human keratinocytes & endothelial cells.

We investigated IL-1-induced regulation of genes related to inflammation and atherogenesis in human keratinocytes and endothelial cells, and if ‘diacerein’, an oral IL-1 inhibiting drug currently approved for use in osteoarthritis, would reverse IL-1’s effects on these cells. Primary human keratinocytes and coronary artery endothelial cells were treated with either IL-1α or IL-1β, with and without diacerein. Using PCR-array, we assessed differential gene-expression regulated by IL-1 and diacerein. We identified 34 pro-atherogenic genes in endothelial cells and 68 pro-inflammatory genes in keratinocytes significantly (p<0.05) regulated at least 2-fold by IL-1, in comparison to control. Diacerein completely or partially reversed this regulation on almost all genes. Using ELISA, we confirmed diacerein’s ability to reverse IL-1-driven gene-regulation of 11 selected factors, at the protein level. The results support a novel idea that diacerein acts as an inhibitor of the pro-atherogenic and pro-inflammatory effects of IL-1. Diacerein may have therapeutic applications to diminish IL-1-induced skin inflammation in psoriasis and attenuate IL-1-induced development of atherosclerosis. Further investigation into diacerein’s effect on skin inflammation, atherogenesis and cardiovascular risk in animal models or humans is warranted.
The Implications of “The Bauplan” for Development and Evolution of the Tetrapod Limb

We are witness to a 400 million-year-natural experiment that reveals the consequences of genetic and environmental changes on the process of limb development. In spite of genetic and environmental evolution, the pattern of the tetrapod limb has remained effectively similar throughout its history. This conserved pattern of morphological organization, or “bauplan”, underlies the evolutionary diversity of tetrapods.
A soft-switching dynamic VAr compensator

This paper presents a novel soft-switching topology for instantaneous reactive power compensation. The topology has a simple three-phase current source inverter stage, an inductor for temporary energy storage, and an auxiliary resonant circuit to provide a full range of zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) conditions for all the main devices. The proposed VAr compensator can dynamically provide both leading and lagging reactive power. The functionality of the converter is validated with simulation and experimental results.
Interrogating Detergent Desolvation of Nanopore-Forming Proteins by Fluorescence Polarization Spectroscopy.

Understanding how membrane proteins interact with detergents is of fundamental and practical significance in structural and chemical biology as well as in nanobiotechnology. Current methods for inspecting protein–detergent complex (PDC) interfaces require high concentrations of protein and are of low throughput. Here, we describe a scalable, spectroscopic approach that uses nanomolar protein concentrations in native solutions. This approach, which is based on steady-state fluorescence polarization (FP) spectroscopy, kinetically resolves the dissociation of detergents from membrane proteins and protein unfolding. For satisfactorily solubilizing detergents, at concentrations much greater than the critical micelle concentration (CMC), the fluorescence anisotropy was independent of detergent concentration. In contrast, at detergent concentrations comparable with or below the CMC, the anisotropy readout underwent a time-dependent decrease, showing a specific and sensitive protein unfolding signature. Functiona...
Favoritism, bias, and error in performance ratings of scientists and engineers: The effects of power, status, and numbers

In this paper we argue that the sociostructural position of groups must be taken into consideration along with motivational and cognitive processes to explain evaluations received and made by women, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. With this framework, we analyze performance ratings for a sample of 2,445 scientists and engineers from 24 U.S. companies and find that (a) there is more evidence of in-group favoritism than of out-group derogation; (b) high status, dominant, and majority group members enjoy favoritism expressed as a global prototype of them as competent; and (c) subordinate, minority group members “overshoot” in opposite ways toward other groups depending on their status and the status level of the target group. We find these effects even after controlling for self-reported productivity and for various errors inherent in the evaluation process.
Spatial Theta Cells in Competitive Burst Synchronization Networks: Reference Frames from Phase Codes

Spatial cells of the hippocampal formation are embedded in networks of theta cells. The septal theta rhythm (6-10 Hz) organizes the spatial activity of place and grid cells in time, but it remains unclear how spatial reference points organize the temporal activity of theta cells in space. We study spatial theta cells in simulations and single-unit recordings from exploring rats to ask whether temporal phase codes may anchor spatial representations to the outside world. We theorize that an experience-independent mechanism for temporal coding may combine with burst synchronization to continuously calibrate self-motion to allocentric reference frames. Subcortical recordings revealed spatial theta cells with strong rate-phase correlations related to distinct theta phases. Simulations of bursting neurons and networks explained that relationship and, with competitive learning, demonstrated flexible spatial synchronization patterns when driven by low-dimensional spatial components from the recording data. Thus temporal coding synchrony may reconcile extrinsic and intrinsic neural codes.
Why Do Birds Lay Eggs in Conspecifics’ Nests?

Conspecific brood parasitism (CBP) resembles interspecific brood parasitism, except that parasitic females lay eggs in the nests of conspecifics. CBP is a female alternative reproductive behavior, and understanding its evolution requires a life history approach. We review studies that investigate life history aspects of CBP. One or more life history components have been examined for 56 species, 49 of which are relevant to the adaptive basis of CBP. Various approaches have been used to detect CBP, but there is increasing reliance on molecular methods. Molecular methods are not always foolproof, and false exclusions are incorrectly interpreted as CBP; future studies should employ multiple lines of evidence. Two types of parasites have been documented, often in the same species: non-nesting females without their own nest in a given year and nesting females that lay some of their eggs parasitically. There is no evidence for lifelong professional brood parasites; non-nesting females apparently adopt parasitism to make the best of a bad job, although we lack a clear understanding of the specific constraints that prevent these females from nesting or the costs that make restraint a better option. Parasitism by nesting females is common, surprisingly so in the precocial waterfowl, and is only rarely associated with breeding interruption or nest loss. Nesting females appear to use parasitism to enhance their reproductive output, but for most species it is not clear why females don’t lay the additional eggs in their own nest. A full understanding of this form of brood parasitism will require a better understanding of clutch size constraints.