cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of the cos-Fourier expansion to data transformation between different latitude-longitude grids

In geodesy and geophysics, data of global coverage are often given on a latitude-longitude grid of constant intervals in latitude and longitude, that we call the gridded data (GD), or as a spherical harmonic expansion (SHE). Generally, as the total number of SHE coefficients is only about half of that of the GD, the GD and the SHE do not have one-to-one correspondence, i.e. the GD can be recovered from the SHE computed using the GD. However, in the case when the GD can be exactly represented using a SHE, like the geoid computed from a geopotential model given in terms of a SHE, the GD and the SHE do have one-to-one correspondence. But this is just a special case. Hence, the SHE does not always preserve the complete resolution of the GD. In fact, the GD may have higher resolution than the SHE at higher latitudes. In this paper, we suggest to use the tensor-product of the cosine series over colatitude and the Fourier series over longitude, referred to as the cos-Fourier expansion (CFE), to represent the GD. The CFE always has a one-to-one correspondence with the GD, and preserves the resolution of the GD. The CFE is then applied for transforming GD between different grids. The results of a particular application for generating the ocean function (OF) over a 2.5^@?x2.5^@? grid from that originally given over a 5^'x5^' grid are presented to show the feasibility of the method. Furthermore, a comparison between the CFE and SHE is made using digital land and sea-floor elevation data that demonstrates the above-mentioned characteristics of the CFE and SHE.
Perceived masculine and feminine attributes examined as a function of individuals' sex and level in the organizational power hierarchy: A test of four theoretical perspectives.

Predictions derived from four theoretical formulations, the gender-centered, organization structure, gender-organization, and gender-organization-system perspectives, were tested
Change technology and the implementation of automation in mental health care settings

The problem of clinician resistance to automated systems in mental health care delivery settings is discussed. It is argued that this resistance is a natural part of the change process, an indicator of an inadequate change strategy. The theory of change is briefly reviewed. Previous efforts to install automated systems in mental health care delivery settings are discussed in terms of change theory. Suggestions for incorporating the technology of change into the implementation process are proposed.
Comparison of the interaction of tomatine with mixed monolayers containing phospholipid, egg sphingomyelin, and sterols

Abstract The interaction of the glycoalkaloid tomatine with monolayers of a phospholipid (dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine, DMPC), and sphingolipid (egg sphingomyelin), and cholesterol is compared. Using measurements of the surface pressure response as a function of the subphase concentration of tomatine, interfacial binding constants are estimated for mixed monolayers of DMPC and cholesterol and for those of egg sphingomyelin and cholesterol of mole ratio 7:3. The binding constants obtained suggest a stronger interaction of tomatine with DMPC and cholesterol mixed monolayers, reflecting easier displacement of cholesterol from its interaction with DMPC than from its interaction with egg sphingomyelin. Mixtures of tomatine and cholesterol are found to spread directly at the water–air interface and form stable monolayers, suggesting that cholesterol holds tomatine at the interface despite the absence of observed monolayer behavior for tomatine alone. The interaction of tomatine with DMPC and cholesterol monolayers is found to exhibit a pH dependence in agreement with previously reported results for its interaction with liposomes; in particular, the interaction is much less at pH 5 than at pH 7 or pH 9. It is found that while tomatine interacts strongly with monolayers containing sitosterol, it does not interact with monolayers containing sitosterol glucoside. The response of monolayers of varying composition of DMPC and cholesterol to tomatine is also examined. Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) reveals further evidence for formation of suspected islands of tomatine + cholesterol complexes upon interaction with mixed monolayers of lipid and sterol.
2-Gerbes bound by complexes of gr-stacks, and cohomology

Abstract We define 2-gerbes bound by complexes of braided group-like stacks. We prove a classification result in terms of hypercohomology groups with values in abelian crossed squares and cones of morphisms of complexes of length 3. We give an application to the geometric construction of certain elements in Hermitian Deligne cohomology groups.
Characterization of age-related changes in natural killer cells during primary influenza infection in mice

The current investigation examined the importance of natural killer (NK) cells during the innate immune response to primary influenza infection in young and aged mice. Young (6-8 weeks) and aged (22 months) C57BL/6 mice were infected intranasally with influenza A virus, and NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity was determined in lung and spleen during the first 4 days of infection. Aged mice demonstrated both a decrease in influenza-inducible NK activity and a reduction in the percentage and number of NK1.1+ cells in response to primary influenza infection, relative to young mice. In order to further establish a role for NK cells in controlling influenza infection, young mice were depleted of NK cells in vivo by injecting rabbit anit-NK1.1 antibody 2 days and 1 day prior to influenza infection. Young mice depleted of NK cells exhibited increased weight loss and lung virus titers during the course of infection, compared to young mice infected with influenza virus. These data indicate that NK cell function is impaired in response to primary influenza infection in aged mice. More importantly, these results underscore the essential role of NK cells in controlling virus titers in lung during the early course of influenza infection, regardless of age.
An integrating sphere-based ultraviolet exposure chamber design for the photodegradation of polymeric materials

The primary method for obtaining laboratory weathering data for a wide range of commercial polymer products including coatings, textiles, elastomers, plastics and polymeric composites is through the use of ultraviolet radiation exposure chambers (UV-chambers). Although numerous improvements have been made in the design of UV-chambers over the last 80 years, the repeatability and reproducibility of the exposure results from these chambers have remained elusive. This lack of reproducibility and repeatability is attributed to systematic errors in their design, operation, and control which, in turn, has prevented comparisons of the performance of competing construction materials exposed in the same environment, comparisons of the performance of the same material exposed in different laboratories, and the comparison of field and laboratory results. The paper re-examines current UV-chamber designs, discusses possible sources of systematic error associated with these chambers, and describes an innovative UV-chamber design having a basis in integrating sphere technology which greatly reduces the magnitude of these errors.
Community outreach along the U.S./Mexico border: Developing HIV health education strategies to engage rural populations

Although there have been ongoing efforts in the United States to reduce new infections and improve care in people already living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases/infections, Hispanics continue to bear a disproportionate burden of HIV/STI’s. Reducing sexual health disparities is a key aspect in achieving health equity, and requires prioritization of groups most at risk for HIV/STI infection and least likely to have regular access to preventive healthcare. A growing body of nursing research highlights the need for addressing HIV-related health disparities among Hispanics. Our research in the U.S. – Mexico border region contributes to our ability to respond to HIV-related health disparities in Hispanic populations in the border region and beyond. Nurses have much to contribute to community-based efforts to promote societal and structural changes to reduce HIV risk, and bring unique expertise, experience, and perspective to community mobilization efforts. The purpose of this article is to explore strategies in disseminating HIV health education information and research findings in rural areas along the U.S./Mexico border. We conducted a needs assessment of clinics serving rural areas to enhance our dissemination and outreach efforts and to inform the development of culturally and linguistically appropriate health education materials. Increased capacity to integrate screening, referral, and education into routine clinic visits may improve prevention education, screening, and treatment engagement for STI’s and HIV. Translating local research findings into improved clinical practice and services can promote health equity among medically underserved people in our region. Prioritizing rural practitioners - who are often generalists and meet many of the health care needs of their community – is a replicable dissemination approach for nurses and other health professionals committed to building health equity. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v14i1.302 Key words: HIV; Health Equity; Hispanic health; rural health
Facile geometric isomerization of phenolic non-steroidal estrogens and antiestrogens: Limitations to the interpretation of experiments characterizing the activity of individual isomers

In many estrogen responsive systems the isomers of tamoxifen are known to have different biological character-the trans isomer is generally an antagonist and the cis isomer an agonist. Attempts to similarly characterize the isomers of hydroxytamoxifen (which differ greatly in their affinity for the estrogen receptor) are shown to be complicated by their facile isomerization. This isomerization was studied in cultures of estrogen receptor positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and monitored by HPLC under reversed phase conditions. Hydroxytamoxifen isomers that are initially 99% pure, undergo a time and temperature dependent isomerization, so that after 2 days in tissue culture medium at 37 degrees C they have isomerized to the extent of 20%. This isomerization occurs in the cell-free medium alone and cannot be attributed to a metabolic conversion by the cells. The isomerization occurs much more slowly at 4 than at 37 degrees C and can be reduced considerably by various antioxidants (butylated hydroxytoluene, ascorbate, alpha-tocopherol, retinoic acid and retinal); however, at concentrations that block isomerization, these antioxidants are toxic to the cells. Although the medium contains both the cis and trans isomers of hydroxytamoxifen, the MCF-7 cells preferentially accumulate the trans isomer and the material associated with the nuclear estrogen receptor is, in all cases, mainly the higher affinity trans isomer. A similar preference of the estrogen receptor for the trans isomer is seen with diethylstilbestrol, resulting again in almost exclusive accumulation of the trans isomer in the receptor binding site. These experiments indicate the importance of verifying the isomer compositions of easily isomerizable non-steroidal estrogens and antiestrogens, such as diethylstilbestrol and hydroxytamoxifen, both in stock solutions and in experimental samples (especially those derived from receptor-associated material), so as to ascertain that the activity of the individual isomers is being correctly assigned.
Identification of predaceous arthropods in soybeans by using autoradiography.

Field cage experiments were conducted to identify predators which feed on eggs and early stage larvae of Heliothis spp., Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) and Anticarcia gemmatalis Hubner. Isotope labeled (32p) eggs, 1st-, 2nd-, and early 3rd-stage larvae were exposed to possible predators. Predaceous arthropods which obtained the label were identified by autoradiography. A total of 349 individual arthropods from 25 species obtained radioactive labels when exposed to lepidopterous eggs or early stage larvae. Major predators identified in this study were Nabis roseipennis Reuter, Geocoris punctipes (Say), and Oxyopes salticus Hentz. Nabis roseipennis was the most frequently labeled predator of eggs and larvae. Spider species encountered in this study were not labeled when eggs were provided as prey. A high percentage of the carabids found in the foliage such as Lebia analis Dejean, Callida decora (F.) and Colliuris pennsylvanicus (L.) was labeled. Other foliage dwelling beetles which contained the isotope were Coleomegilla maculata (DeGeer) adults and larvae and Notoxus monodon (F.). Several tettigoniids, Conocephalus fasciatus (Forster), also were labeled. Predation upon primary predators was demonstrated when labeled nymphs of G. punctipes and N. roseipennis were exposed to the indigenous predator complex.
Effect of Various Salts on the Coagulation of Casein

Summary Addition of potassium or sodium chloride (80 or 130m M ) to skimmilk increased the time the milk could be held in frozen storage without development of 4% precipitate by volume. Addition of phosphate or calcium (10m M ) had the opposite effect. Addition of large amounts of sodium chloride (up to 1.0 M ) offset the destabilizing effect of phosphate or calcium at 0, 10, and 20° F., but addition of similar amounts of potassium chloride stabilized the samples only at 10 and 20° F. Addition of potassium chloride (1.0 M or more) and of phosphate (100m M or more) induced gelation of milk at room temperature. Addition of sodium chloride and phosphate did not induce gelation. Addition of either potassium or sodium chloride (2.3 M ) shifted approximately 20% of the insoluble calcium and 7.5% of the insoluble phosphate to the soluble forms, displaced calcium from casein, and increased the dissociation of calcium citrate. A possible explanation of these effects, based on the interlinking of potassium-calcium-caseinate micelles by precipitating calcium phosphate, is presented.
Efficient light emitting diodes from polyfluorene copolymer blends

Abstract Highly efficient light emitting diodes were obtained by blending blue-emitting poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-alt-co-(N,N′-diphenyl)-N,N-di(p-butyl-oxyphenyl)-1,4-diaminobenzene] (I) with green-emitting poly[(9,9-dioctyl-2,7-divinylene-fluorenylene)-alt-co-{2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene}] (II). Only green emission was obtained from the films of polymer blends and from corresponding double-layer LEDs, indicating an almost complete Forster energy transfer from I to II. These devices show enhanced external quantum efficiency, higher brightness and lower turn on voltages. Luminance and efficiency of 2.6 × 104 cd/m2 and 2.55%, respectively, were obtained.
Engaging underrepresented youth populations in community youth development: Tapping social capital as a critical resource

For youth who are the most vulnerable to challenging community conditions, more limited opportunities, and poor health, educational and economic trajectories derive especially strong benefits from engagement in community youth development efforts. Although communities can benefit in powerful ways from the knowledge and insight of these youth populations, the experiences of vulnerable youth are often underrepresented in planning and decision making. This article draws on lessons learned from two communities that successfully engaged such youth in a community change initiative over four years. Key elements in creating the types of safe, supportive, and meaningful settings that promote young people's ongoing participation and leadership were intentionality and commitment; local knowledge of vulnerable populations; adult allies with key capacities; meaningful focus; resources for intensive outreach, relationship building, and youth support; and continuity of key adults. Each of these elements is described, identifying the ways they build on often underrecognized forms of social capital and offering lessons learned about engaging underserved youth populations in community youth development.
A Novel System Applying the 2-Deoxyglucose Method to Fish for Characterization of Environmental Neurotoxins

Methods of identifying and preventing ecotoxicity related to environmental stressors on wildlife species are underdeveloped. To detect sublethal effects, we have devised a neurochemical method of evaluating environmental neurotoxins by a measuring changes in regional neural activity in the central nervous system of fish. Our system is a unique adaptation of the 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) method originally developed by L. Sokoloff in 1977, which is based on the direct relationship between glucose metabolism and neural functioning at the regional level. We applied these concepts to test the assumption that changes in neural activity as a result of chemical exposure would produce measurable effects on the amount of [14C]2-DG accumulated regionally in the brain of Tilapia nilatica. For purposes of this study, we utilized the excitotoxin N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) to characterize the response of the central nervous system.Regional accumulation of [14C]2-DG was visualized by autoradiography and digital image proces...
Teaching computers to read the pharmacogenomics literature ... so you don't have to.

In the last decade, pharmacogenomics has emerged as an active and productive discipline, drawing on both pharmacology and genomics. With powerful high-throughput technologies, we are discovering rich connections between genes, drugs, variants and phenotypes. The productivity of pharmacogenomics research has led to a rapid expansion of the associated scientific literature, widely dispersed among numerous journals and difficult to track. An important set of challenges thus arises: how to track new findings? How to recall known connections? How to identify gaps in understanding? Recent advances in the technology of text mining promise to help. Knowledge reported in the literature is often embedded in dormant PDF documents, disconnected from related information and underlying data [1]. The reality, of course, is that the entities of interest (drugs, genes, model systems, experimental methods, phenotypes and so on) are interconnected in intricate ways, via pathways and networks often too complex to commit to memory. Text mining can connect these entities, and provides us with the opportunity to assess our understanding by viewing a connected map of entities. The benefit is clear; an accurate knowledge map would assist researchers, save their time and allow them to read less, cover more and (most importantly) generate hypotheses to bring to the lab. In the context of pharmacogenomics, the key entities are drugs, gene variants and phenotypes. Knowledge of these entities and the interactions between them provides answers to associated fundamental questions: ‘which gene products metabolize a drug?’, ‘what drug response phenotypes are affected by a particular gene?’ or ‘which gene variant decreases response to drug X?’ This knowledge also forms the basis for generating candidate gene lists for important phenotypes, and for detecting unexpected drug–drug interactions. The vision of a computer-based system to answer such questions was a far-off fantasy a decade ago. However, text mining and natural language processing techniques, particularly those tailored to biomedical text, have matured in recent years, and we can now contemplate a continually updated and automatically generated comprehensive view of pharmacogenomic knowledge. How has text mining advanced? Text mining is the process whereby information is extracted from human-generated natural language text using informatics algorithms. Thus, unstructured text is structured into a machine-readable format. The text mining task consists of several key steps: document retrieval, entity recognition (also known as ‘named entity recognition’), and relationship extraction (either simple term co-occurrence or more advanced semantic understanding). The last decade has shown great progress in each of these steps. The automation of these tasks provides a method that scales with the double-exponential growth of Medline [2], which currently adds an additional two papers every minute [3].
Effects of clonidine on central and peripheral catecholamine metabolism

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF; n = 5) and plasma (n = 7) levels of norepinephrine (NE) and its major metabolite, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were examined in abstinent normotensive men with alcohol amnestic disorder during placebo and after 2 wk of clonidine treatment (6 or 12 micrograms/kg/day). Clonidine reduced concentrations of NE and both free and total MHPG in CSF and plasma. The CNS contribution to CSF free MHPG also decreased (as estimated from the differential reductions in CSF and plasma levels). Percent reductions in CSF and plasma NE were substantially greater than those for MHPG, suggesting diminished CNS and peripheral NE release and turnover. CSF levels of homovanillic acid (HVA), which is derived solely from CNS dopamine metabolism, rose in each patient, whereas the CSF serotonin metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, did not change. Thus the increase in HVA cannot be attributed to inhibition of acid transport from brain to blood. Changes in central noradrenergic and dopaminergic activity correlated inversely; thus diminished NE release and enhanced dopamine metabolism may both contribute to the effects of clonidine in man.
Subjective Probability and the Theory of Games

This paper explores some of the consequences of adopting a modern subjective view of probability for game theory. The consequences are substantial. The subjective view of probability clarifies the important distinction between normative and positive theorizing about behavior in games, a distinction that is often lost in the search for "solution concepts" which largely characterizes game theory since the work of von Neumann and Morgenstern. Many of the distinctions that appear important in conventional game theory two-person versus n-person, zero-sum versus variable sum appear unimportant in the subjective formulation. Other distinctions, such as single play versus repetitive-play games, appear to be more important in the subjective formulation than in the conventional formulation.
Using Rerouting to Improve Aggregate Based Resource Allocation

This paper studies the effect of rerouting for augmenting aggregate based resource allocation in the trade-off between overhead and utilization. Aggregation is a common approach used to address the scalability issue in resource allocation. However, resources committed in bulk may be under utilized while other resource requests are being turned down for lack of resources in some shared links. The aim of rerouting is to free up committed resources for better utilization by reusing resources vacated by terminated flows and by moving existing flows to alternative paths. Our results show that rerouting improves performance over a wide range of network loads on two different network topologies.
Effects of body size and plant structure on the movement ability of a predaceous stinkbug, Podisus maculiventris (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae).

The movement ability of individuals has become increasingly important to a variety of ecological questions. In this study, I investigate how plant structure and changes in body size through development affect the movement ability of a predaceous stinkbug, Podisus maculiventris, on three species of goldenrod (Solidago spp.) representing a wide range of surface complexities. I adapt existing techniques for quantifying movement in two dimensions to the study of movement on natural plant structures in three dimensions. These experiments indicate that plant structure and insect size are significant factors affecting the movement ability of P. maculiventris. Changes in movement ability due to factors of ontogeny and different habitat structures suggest that the scale of an individual’s ambit or ecological sphere of influence may vary within its lifespan. Considering the influence of ontogeny and habitat structure on movement ability may be useful to investigations of population dynamics, foraging behavior, and pest management.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Long QT Syndrome: Is Personalized Medicine Ready for Prime Time?

See related article, pages 841–847 The study by Malan et al1 in this issue of the Circulation Research presents elegant data about induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived myocytes2 from a mouse model of long QT syndrome (LQTS) type 3.3 The study is an important contribution that adds to a highly innovative field that is trying to define the role of iPSC technology in the understanding of inherited arrhythmias. In this accompanying editorial, I provide an overview of the previous studies in the field, comment on the contribution of Malan et al,1 and conclude by discussing some of the challenges in the field. The technique to differentiate cardiac myocytes from pluripotent stem cells is quite recent and it was introduced by the seminal article published in 2006 by Takahashi and Yamanaka,2 who used a combination of four retrovirally transduced transcription factors ( Oct3/4 , Sox2 , Klf4 , and c-Myc ) to generate iPSCs from mouse somatic cells. The importance of this technology was immediately recognized and it was rapidly applied to human cells.4 In the past few years, several investigators have refined protocols to optimize differentiation of iPSCs into cardiac myocytes and to characterize their properties. In analogy with myocardial cells derived from human embryonic cells,5 iPSC-derived myocytes differentiate into three cell types: nodal, atrial, and ventricular myocytes and present physiological adaptation of action potential duration to changes in heart rate and normal response to beta adrenergic stimulation.6 Furthermore, the presence of key ion channels7 and regulators of intracellular calcium physiology,8 as well as the preservation of the sarcomeric structure,9 have been confirmed in iPSC-derived myocytes. This comprehensive set of data provided a solid background to test the hypothesis that the differentiation of iPSC-derived cardiac cells from patients with inherited cardiac …
Performance Evaluations of Geospatial Web Services Composition and Invocation

Geospatial data and analytical functions are essential to geospatial modeling. There are increasing interests in publishing both geospatial data and analytical functions as Web services and use them as the building blocks for domain specific geospatial modeling. While the advantages of using the Web services technologies have been well recognized and a number of prototype systems have been built to demonstrate the feasibility, very few performance evaluations have been reported in the previous studies. Compared with business data, geospatial data is rich in data types, large in data volumes and complex in semantics. On the other hand, the Web services technologies are known to have significant overheads with respects to deployment and invocation. The answers to how effective the Web services technologies can be, and, to what extent they are effective under the typical computation environments for geospatial modeling remain largely unknown. In this study we have set up an experimental system by deploying several geospatial Web services on top of popular commercial and open source spatial databases and geographical information systems (GIS). The Kepler scientific workflow system is used for geospatial Web services composition and invocation. We have conducted experiments to chain the geospatial Web services into a geospatial model under two data volume levels and two network settings. Our experiments show that the geospatial modeling using the Web services technologies remains effective in the wired LAN computation environment for data volume as large as 10000 points. However, the same data volume level incurs significant response lags under the wireless WAN computation environment. The experimental results may be used as a guideline for geospatial modeling using the Web services technologies when performances need to be taken into considerations.
Toll-Like Receptor-4 Inhibits Enterocyte Proliferation via Impaired β-Catenin Signaling in Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Background & Aims Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), the leading cause of gastrointestinal death from gastrointestinal disease in preterm infants, is characterized by exaggerated TLR4 signaling and decreased enterocyte proliferation through unknown mechanisms. Given the importance of β-catenin in regulating proliferation of many cell types, we hypothesize that TLR4 impairs enterocyte proliferation in NEC via impaired β-catenin signaling. Methods Enterocyte proliferation was detected in IEC-6 cells or in ileum or colon from wild-type, TLR4-mutant, or TLR4 −/− mice after induction of NEC or endotoxemia. β-Catenin signaling was assessed by cell fractionation or immunoconfocal microscopy to detect its nuclear translocation. Activation and inhibition of β-catenin were achieved via cDNA or small interfering RNA, respectively. TLR4 in the intestinal mucosa was inhibited with adenoviruses expressing dominant-negative TLR4. Results TLR4 activation significantly impaired enterocyte proliferation in the ileum but not colon in newborn but not adult mice and in IEC-6 enterocytes. β-Catenin activation reversed these effects in vitro. To determine the mechanisms involved, TLR4 activation phosphorylated the upstream inhibitory kinase GSK3β, causing β-catenin degradation. NEC in both mouse and humans was associated with decreased β-catenin and increased mucosal GSK3β expression. Strikingly, the inhibition of enterocyte β-catenin signaling in NEC could be reversed, and enterocyte proliferation restored, through adenoviral-mediated inhibition of TLR4 signaling in the small intestinal mucosa. Conclusion We now report a novel pathway linking TLR4 with inhibition of β-catenin signaling via GSK3β activation, leading to reduced enterocyte proliferation in vitro and in vivo. These data provide additional insights into the pathogenesis of diseases of intestinal inflammation such as NEC.
Fault Trees vs. Event Trees in Reliability Analysis

Reliability analysis is the study of both the probability and the process of failure of a system. For that purpose, several tools are available, for example, fault trees, event trees, or the GO technique. These tools are often complementary and address different aspects of the questions. Experience shows that there is sometimes confusion between two of these methods: fault trees and event trees. Sometimes identified as equivalent, they, in fact, serve different purposes. Fault trees lay out relationships among events. Event trees lay out sequences of events linked by conditional probabilities. At least in theory, event trees can handle better notions of continuity (logical, temporal, and physical), whereas fault trees are most powerful in identifying and simplifying failure scenarios. Different characteristics of the system in question (e.g., a dam or a nuclear reactor) may guide the choice between fault trees, event trees, or a combination of the two. Some elements of this choice are examined, and observations are made about the relative capabilities of the two methods.
Orbital ganglioglioma arising from ectopic neural tissue

Abstract PURPOSE: To report a case of neonatal orbital ganglioglioma originating from ectopic neural tissue. METHOD: Case report. RESULTS: An African-American male presented at birth with proptosis and expansion of the left orbit. A discrete soft-tissue mass was located inferolateral to the globe, which proved to be a ganglioglioma. CONCLUSION: The tumor is presumed to have originated from ectopic neural tissue in the orbit. Although infrequent, this tumor should be included in the differential diagnosis of neonatal orbital neoplasms.
On the effects of sliding velocity and operating pressure differential in rotary O-ring seals:

AbstractAn experimental study is conducted to investigate the effect of sliding velocity and pressure differential across an O-ring seal. Of specific interest are the power loss, friction torque and temperatures at the interface between the O-ring and rotating shaft. Nitrile butadiene rubber of circular cross-section with 70 Shore A hardness is used as a test specimen. The O-ring power loss and temperatures at a distance of 0.61 mm away from the O-ring tip are measured during the tests. In order to analyze the temperature at the interface, a two-dimensional axisymmetric computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is preprocessed in GAMBIT and thermal heat transfer analysis is carried out using a commercial CFD package, FLUENT. Variations of frictional torque, O-ring friction power loss and interfacial temperatures with changes in sliding velocity and operating pressure differential are presented. Results reveal that the O-ring power loss increases in an approximately linear fashion with sliding velocity. Fur...
Perils and Promise in Defining and Measuring Mindfulness: Observations From Experience

As mindfulness research advances on a variety of fronts, it has become increasingly important to carefully define and measure the construct. In this commentary, we draw from our recent research experience on these topics in addressing four issues of primary concern to Bishop et al: The nature of mindfulness, the role of acceptance in the phenomenon, the relation between mindfulness and meditation, and the measurement of mindfulness in meditative and other contexts.
Analysis of autoimmunity through experimental models of thyroiditis and allergic encephalomyelitis.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the relationship between the normal state of self-tolerance and its abnormal corollary, autoimmunity. The several possible bases for loss of self-tolerance, including failure of immune regulation and abnormal presentation of potential self-antigens, are considered in terms of current understanding of cellular and humoral immune processes. A particularly thorough evaluation of suppressor cells and their possible role in self-tolerance and autoimmunity is presented. The pathogenic mechanisms that may be involved in autoimmune disease are examined in the light of two familiar experimental models, allergic encephalomyelitis and autoimmune thyroiditis. The pathogenic potential of cellular autoimmune responses in encephalomyelitis, on the one hand, and of autoantibody responses in thyroiditis, on the other, indicates the very different pathogeneses, which may operate in autoimmunity. The various mechanisms that are responsible for the loss of tolerance to self antigens can be divided into three general categories. First, abnormalities may occur in the regulatory mechanisms that control the normal immune response. Second, a component of self that was once sequestered and nonimmunogenic may become exposed and presented in an antigenic form to the immune system. Third, a normally tolerated self component may for some reason circumvent the prevailing regulatory mechanisms and activate one or more arms of a normal immune system. Numerous factors are involved in autoimmune diseases including genetic control at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and non-MHC loci, immunologic regulatory mechanisms, self-nonself recognition, and logistics and/or nature of the target autoantigens.
Azithromycin Dose to Maximize Efficacy and Suppress Acquired Drug Resistance In Pulmonary Mycobacterium avium Disease

Mycobacterium aviumcomplex is now the leading mycobacterial cause of chronic pneumonia in the United States. Macrolides and ethambutol form the backbone of the regimen used in the treatment of pulmonary disease. However, therapy outcomes remain poor, with microbial cure rates of 4% in cavitary disease. The treatment dose of azithromycin has mostly been borrowed from that used to treat other bacterial pneumonias; there are no formal dose-response studies in pulmonaryM. aviumdisease and the optimal dose is unclear. We utilized population pharmacokinetics and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics-derived azithromycin exposures associated with optimal microbial kill or resistance suppression to perform 10,000 patient Monte Carlo simulations of dose effect studies for daily azithromycin doses of 0.5 to 10 g. The currently recommended dose of 500 mg per day achieved the target exposures in 0% of patients. Exposures associated with optimal kill and resistance suppression were achieved in 87 and 54% of patients, respectively, only by the very high dose of 8 g per day. The azithromycin susceptibility breakpoint above which patients failed therapy on the very high doses of 8 g per day was an MIC of 16 mg/liter, suggesting a critical concentration of 32 mg/liter, which is 8-fold lower than the currently used susceptibility breakpoint of 256 mg/liter. If the standard dose of 500 mg a day were used, then the critical concentration would fall to 2 mg/liter, 128-fold lower than 256 mg/liter. The misclassification of resistant isolates as susceptible could explain the high failure rates of current doses.
Thioredoxin Reductase in Human Hepatoma Cells Is Transcriptionally Regulated by Sulforaphane and Other Electrophiles via an Antioxidant Response Element

We previously reported the in vitro and in vivo induction of thioredoxin reductase (TR) by sulforaphane (SF) purified from broccoli. The present study was designed to determine whether this induction is mediated by putative antioxidant response elements (ARE) found in the promoter. Luciferase reporter constructs were built using the TR promoter sequence. Sulforaphane, tert-butylhydroquinone and beta-napthoflavone, as well as the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), increased luciferase activity in HepG2 cells transfected with the reporter construct (P < 0.0001). Quinone reductase (QR) is an enzyme with a well-characterized ARE, and QR reporter constructs built as positive controls showed similar patterns of induction. Mutation of the core sequence of a putative ARE in the TR promoter drastically decreased inducibility by SF, but mutations in nonconsensus areas of the ARE and outside of the ARE did not affect inducibility. Results from electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis corroborated mutated reporter gene findings. Induction by TPA was not affected by mutation of the putative ARE. Se plus SF, and SF alone were equally effective for induction of TR reporter luciferase activity (P < 0.0001); Se alone had no effect. Se and SF independently increased TR activity (P < 0.0001) and when combined, increased TR activity synergistically (P = 0.036). These data suggest that TR is transcriptionally regulated by electrophilic compounds via an ARE in the 5' region of the gene, and that this mechanism is unrelated to the established Se-dependent induction of selenoproteins.
Ascending Bloom’s Pyramid: Fostering Student Creativity and Innovation in Academic Library Spaces

Our research examined the degree to which behaviors and learning associated with creativity and innovation were supported in five academic library spaces and three other spaces at a mid-sized university. Based on survey data from 226 students, we apply a number of statistical techniques to measure student perceptions of the types of learning and behavior associated with the selected spaces. We found that the on-campus makerspace located outside the library encouraged the most innovative behaviors and exploration of new ideas. Within the library, collaboration rooms were the best spaces for encouraging creativity. There is an opportunity for the academic library to be reconceptualized as a place to foster creativity and innovation in students. We believe that academic libraries should continue to offer a variety of spaces for students, including quiet spaces for reflection, noisy spaces for collaboration and networking, and makerspaces for experimentation.
Excellence gaps: what they are, why they are bad, and how smart contexts can address them … or make them worse

Every country – and even every community – has populations of students who severely underperform relative to other groups and to their own potential. These performance differences are generally called achievement gaps, and they tend to focus on gaps at basic levels of academic proficiency. But such gaps also exist among the highest levels of achievement, a problem labeled excellence gaps. Recent research provides evidence that these differential achievement effects are due – at least in part – to debilitating contextual factors, such as poverty, negative peer pressure, and discrimination. Given the increasingly recognizable “digital turn” in the classroom, access to and thoughtful use of emergent technologies could play a role in shrinking excellence gaps. Unfortunately, research shows such technologies disproportionately exist in relatively wealthy, predominantly white schools. We identify the potential relationship between lack of availability to technology and widening excellence gaps.
Can Psychometric Measurement Models Inform Behavior Genetic Models? A Bayesian Model Comparison Approach

As methodologists have increasingly noted, the role of psychometrics in operationalizing a construct is often overlooked when evaluating research claims (Borsboom, 2006). In a related vein, others have noted that psychological research appears to move away from assessment and interpretation of a single a priori statistical model to a more nuanced comparison of models which assess the trade-off between a model’s parsimony and complexity in explaining behavior (e.g., Rodgers, 2010). The genetic factor model is one such statistical model often used to estimate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental components of observed behavior in genetically informative designs (Heath, Neale, Hewitt, Eaves, & Fulker, 1989; Martin, Eaves et al., 1977; Neale & Cardon, 1992). Mathematically, the genetic factor model decomposes observed phenotypic variability into additive genetic (A), common (C), and unique (E) environmental components and is, for that reason, often referred to as the ACE model.
Supersonic jet noise reduction by nozzle fluidic inserts with simulated forward flight

The noise produced by supersonic, high temperature jets that exhaust from military aircraft is becoming more of a disturbance. Methods to reduce the noise produced from these jets in a realistic full-scale environment is difficult. This study describes the development and analysis of fluidic inserts for supersonic jet noise suppression. Distributed blowing within the divergent section of the military-style convergent divergent nozzle alters the shock structure of the jet in addition to creating streamwise vorticity for the reduction of mixing noise. Enhancements to the fluidic insert design have been performed along with experiments for a large number of injection parameters and core jet conditions. It has been shown that the noise reduction of the fluidic inserts is most heavily dependent on the momentum flux ratio between the injector and core jet. Maximum reductions of approximately 5.5 dB OASPL have been observed with practical mass flow rates and injection pressures. The first measurements with fluidic inserts in the presence of a forward flight stream have been performed. Optimal noise reduction occurs at similar injector parameters in the presence of forward flight. Fluidic inserts in the presence of a forward flight stream were observed to reduce the peak mixing noise by nearly 4 dB OASPL and the broadband shock-associated noise by nearly 3 dB OASPL.
Very Well-Differentiated Gastric Adenocarcinoma of the Fundic Gland Type With Intriguing Morphologic Features: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type (GA-FG) is a rare entity that has only recently been described and defined, and there is ongoing controversy regarding the malignant potential of this lesion. We report the case of a GA-FG in a 49-year-old …
Study of Nonhuman Primate Social Behavior

Knowledge of the natural behavior of nonhuman primates is important for anyone who plans to work with these animals. Understanding the way a species deals with other animals and with the environment will help researchers ask appropriate questions and provide a better model for research. Behavioral analysis is important not only in a management and experimental sense but also can be equally important in a clinical or diagnostic setting. Stressed animals may exhibit a whole range of physiological and psychological manifestations that may influence the way an animal reacts. In this chapter we provide background on the questions and techniques used to study behavior. We first describe four questions that can be asked about “why” an animal behaves in a particular way. Next, we provide a brief introduction of what we mean when we discuss social organization and social structure in primates and of how these concepts are applied in different primate genera. Finally, we discuss standard techniques for collecting and analyzing behavioral data. The information provided here should not be used to replace or in lieu of a summary of the literature; rather, our aim is to provide background information that enables better appreciation of the behavior of a particular species. Each species has a unique set of social and environmental needs that must be met for the animal to thrive.
Network coding for high-reliability low-latency wireless control

The Internet of Things (IoT) envisions simultaneous sensing and actuation of numerous wirelessly connected devices. Emerging human-in-the-loop applications demand low-latency high-reliability communication protocols, paralleling the requirements for high-performance industrial control. This paper introduces a wireless communication protocol based on network coding that in conjunction with cooperative communication techniques builds the necessary diversity to achieve the target reliability. The proposed protocol, XOR-CoW, is analyzed by using a communication theoretic delay-limited-capacity framework and compared to different realizations of previously proposed protocols without network coding. The results show that as the network size or payload increases, XOR-CoW gains advantage in minimum SNR to achieve the target latency. For a scenario inspired by an industrial printing application with 30 nodes in the control loop, total information throughput of 4.8 Mb/s, 20MHz of bandwidth and cycle time under 2 ms, the protocol can robustly achieve a system probability of error better than 10−9 with a nominal SNR less than 2 dB with Rayleigh fading.
Plasmonic-based Detection of NO2 in a Harsh Environment

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band response of Au nanoparticles embedded in yttria-stabilized zirconia (Au-YSZ) nanocomposite films are extremely sensitive to high-temperature catalysis processes. By varying the concentration of NO2 in air and O2 in N2, we show that Au-YSZ nanocomposite films are sensitive to changes in NO2 concentration in air, with a detection limit of 5 ppm. We also show a linear relation between the change in the equilibrium ratio, pO2−1/8pNO2−1/4, contributing to oxygen ion diffusion into and out of the YSZ matrix, and the change in the square of the SPR band peak position, confirming an interpretation of the experimental results using the free electron theory model for the optical properties of metal nanoparticles. Furthermore, we observe that there is a temperature dependence in the sensor response of the Au-YSZ nanocomposite film that has an inverse relation to concentrations of surface adsorbed O− species on the YSZ matrix.