cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Continuum modeling of crushing of low density foams

Abstract Under compression deformation in low-density foams localizes into narrow bands of crushed cells. Crushing spreads at nearly constant stress with crushed and relatively undeformed material coexisting. The material returns to homogeneous deformation with increasing stress when the crushing has spread over the whole specimen. This paper presents a first attempt at representing the inhomogeneous behavior exhibited by open-cell aluminum alloy foams with relative density of 8%. A plasticity model is presented with a compressible yield function calibrated to a set of multiaxial foam crushing tests coupled with a non-associated flow rule. An essential component of the modeling effort is the introduction of a softening branch to the material stress-strain response. A cubical finite element model with an irregular mesh of solid elements is used to simulate a set of numerical crushing tests on micromechanically accurate foam models performed in a true triaxial apparatus in Yang and Kyriakides (2019). Small geometric imperfections are used to trigger localized deformation in the form of planar bands of high strain normal to the loading directions of compression. The bands broaden with the stresses tracing plateaus that mimic the random foam test results. The predicted mean stress–change in volume responses perform equally well up to a volume reduction of about 50%. At higher compressions, the stresses exhibit the gradual increase characteristic of foams in the densification regime. These parts of the stress–displacement trajectories, and mean stress–change in volume responses under-predict to some degree those recorded in the random foams. The material hardening in the densification regime appears to be deformation-dependent causing this difference.
The Incidence and Risk Factors Associated With the Need for Fasciotomy in Tibia and Forearm Fractures: An Analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank

OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to analyze a large national trauma database to determine the incidence of, risk factors for, and outcomes after a fasciotomy of the lower leg or forearm after fracture. METHODS Data from the National Trauma Data Bank for the years 2004-2016 were analyzed, and we identified 301,351 patients with forearm fractures and 369,237 patients with tibial fractures. Risk factors, length of stay (LOS), and mortality were assessed to determine associations with an injury that required a fasciotomy. RESULTS A total of 1.22% of the forearm fractures and 3.79% of the tibial fractures had a fasciotomy. Patients with a fasciotomy were more likely to have invasive procedures (P < 0.0001); have injuries resulting from machinery, motor vehicle collisions, and firearms (P < 0.0001); and smoke, use drugs, and/or alcohol (P < 0.05) compared with patients who did not undergo fasciotomies. Fasciotomy procedures were associated with longer LOS and higher mortality rate (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of a fasciotomy is less than 5% in tibia or forearm fractures. Patients who underwent fasciotomy have higher energy injuries, increased alcohol or drug use, higher rates of surgical interventions, and increased LOS. Furthermore, having a fasciotomy is associated with increased mortality rate. When counseling patients and evaluating surgeon/hospital performance, fasciotomies can serve as an indicator and modifier for a more complex trauma pathology. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Tort Reform, Chaining and Quality in the Nursing Home Industry

We provide time series evidence on tort reform’s impact on the nursing home industry. Conditioning on small or large chain affiliation, tort reform causes nursing homes to reduce nursing inputs, while having only modest effects on quality outcomes. However, tort reform has a large, negative, indirect effect on nursing home quality operating through changes in organizational affiliation. As predicted in Ringleb and Wiggins (1990) and Brickley et al., (2017), tort reform promotes large chain affiliation. The Local Average Treatment Effects (LATE’s) of these affiliation changes indicate that tort-induced changes in affiliation lead to significant reductions in nursing inputs and quality.
The Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Liver Diseases

Autoimmune liver diseases (AILD) are chronic inflammatory and immune-mediated disorders of the liver and biliary tree, the pathogenesis of which involves the attack of the host’s innate and adaptive immune systems against cellular elements of the liver and/or the intra- and/or extra-hepatic biliary tree. The four major forms of AILDs include classic autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and overlap syndromes (OS). In AIH, the principal attack of the immune system is directed at hepatocytes; in PBC, the principal attack is directed at cholangiocytes that line the smaller intrahepatic bile ducts; in PSC, the principal attack is directed at cholangiocytes and perhaps other cells that comprise the larger intra- and/or extrahepatic bile ducts; in OS, there are elements of immune-mediated injury directed at both hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. The pathogenesis of AILD involves the exposure of hosts to infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria, or to xenobiotics, chemicals that may come from natural sources or that may have been synthesized by humans. In genetically susceptible hosts, these inciting agents lead to the production of neoantigens and/or to substances that exhibit molecular mimicry to endogenous components of hepatocytes and/or cholangiocytes. The neoantigens or mimics elicit innate immune responses, followed by adaptive immune responses, with the formation of autoantibodies, made chiefly by B cells and plasma cells, and by T lymphocytes, including natural killer (NK) T cells, T8 (cytotoxic) and T4 (helper) cells. The latter cells attack and injure and kill hepatocytes and/or cholangiocytes and set in motion proinflammatory and profibrogenic cascades that may eventuate in hepatic necrosis, collapse, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver failure.
The stigma of dementia

Abstract As the global population ages, increased demand is being placed on healthcare systems to effectively manage and treat dementia. Negative cultural attitudes, coupled with misinformation regarding the condition, have created major barriers to proper care. A poor understanding of the various behavioral manifestations of dementia has led to delayed diagnoses, risks to patient safety, and poor access to vital resources. Those diagnosed early are often left feeling ashamed and misunderstood by friends and family. Among the general population, a lack of educational awareness has contributed to patient mistreatment, caregiver burnout, and inadequate research funding. While these issues are well documented in the literature, they remain routinely overlooked. Now more than ever, it's important that these issues be appropriately acknowledged in an effort to create tangible solutions. Only then can an ever-growing population of patients with dementia receive the care they rightly deserve.
Example-Based Named Entity Recognition

We present a novel approach to named entity recognition (NER) in the presence of scarce data that we call example-based NER. Our train-free few-shot learning approach takes inspiration from question-answering to identify entity spans in a new and unseen domain. In comparison with the current state-of-the-art, the proposed method performs significantly better, especially when using a low number of support examples.
DIRBE Minus 2MASS: Confirming the CIRB in 40 New Regions at 2.2 and 3.5 μm

With the release of the 2MASS All-Sky Point Source Catalog, stellar fluxes from 2MASS are used to remove the contribution due to Galactic stars from the intensity measured by DIRBE in 40 new regions in the North and South Galactic polar caps. After subtracting the interplanetary and Galactic foregrounds, a consistent residual intensity of 14.69 ± 4.49 kJy sr-1 at 2.2 μm is found. Allowing for a constant calibration factor between the DIRBE 3.5 μm and the 2MASS 2.2 μm fluxes, a similar analysis leaves a residual intensity of 15.62 ± 3.34 kJy sr-1 at 3.5 μm. The intercepts of the DIRBE minus 2MASS correlation at 1.25 μm show more scatter and are a smaller fraction of the foreground, leading to a still weak limit on the CIRB of 8.88 ± 6.26 kJy sr-1 (1 σ).
Who's a Good Boy? Reinforcing Canine Behavior in Real-Time using Machine Learning.

In this paper we outline the development methodology for an automatic dog treat dispenser which combines machine learning and embedded hardware to identify and reward dog behaviors in real-time. Using machine learning techniques for training an image classification model we identify three behaviors of our canine companions: "sit", "stand", and "lie down" with up to 92% test accuracy and 39 frames per second. We evaluate a variety of neural network architectures, interpretability methods, model quantization and optimization techniques to develop a model specifically for an NVIDIA Jetson Nano. We detect the aforementioned behaviors in real-time and reinforce positive actions by making inference on the Jetson Nano and transmitting a signal to a servo motor to release rewards from a treat delivery apparatus.
Lower Bounds for Adversarially Robust PAC Learning under Evasion and Hybrid Attacks

In this work, we study probably approximately correct (PAC) learning under general perturbation-based adversarial attacks. In the most basic setting, referred to as an evasion attack, the adversary’s goal is to misclassify an honestly sampled point x by adversarially perturbing it into $\tilde x$, i.e., $h(\tilde x) \ne c(\tilde x)$ where c is the ground truth concept and h is the learned hypothesis. The only limitation on the adversary is that $\tilde x$ is not "too far" from x, controlled by a metric measure.We first prove that for many theoretically natural input spaces of high dimension n (e.g., isotropic Gaussian in dimension n under l 2 perturbations), if the adversary is allowed to apply up to a sublinear amount of perturbations in the expected norm, PAC learning requires sample complexity that is exponential in the data dimension n. We then formalize hybrid attacks in which the evasion attack is preceded by a poisoning attack in which a poisoning phase is followed by specific evasion attacks. Special forms of hybrid attacks include so-called "backdoor attacks" but here we focus on the general setting in which adversary’s evasion attack is only controlled by a pre-specified amount of perturbation based on data dimension and aim to misclassifying the perturbed instances. We show that PAC learning is sometimes impossible under such hybrid attacks, while it is possible without the attack (e.g., due to the bounded VC dimension).
Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Are Not Associated With Future Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity.

BACKGROUND Studies of adults with Crohn's disease (CD) suggest that poor mental health precedes worsening disease activity. We evaluated whether depression and/or anxiety forecast worsening pediatric CD disease activity. METHODS Through the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Partners Kids & Teens internet-based cohort, children with CD age 9 to 17 completed Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric measures and the short Crohn's disease activity index (sCDAI). Using general linear models, we examined how baseline PROMIS Pediatric anxiety and depressive symptom scores independently associate with subsequent sCDAI scores (average survey interval 6.4 months). Models included baseline PROMIS Pediatric anxiety and depressive symptoms scores, baseline sCDAI, sex, age, parental education, race/ethnicity, and prior IBD-related surgery. We performed a post hoc subanalysis of children in baseline remission (sCDAI <150) with otherwise identical models. RESULTS We analyzed 159 children with CD (mean age 14 years, 45% female, 84% in baseline remission). We found no association between baseline PROMIS Pediatric anxiety score and subsequent sCDAI (change in sCDAI for 3-point change in PROMIS Pediatric -0.89; 95% CI -4.81 to 3.03). Baseline PROMIS Pediatric depressive symptoms score was not associated with future sCDAI (change in sCDAI for 3-point change in PROMIS Pediatric <0.01; 95% CI -4.54 to 4.53). In a subanalysis of patients in remission at baseline, the lack of association remained. CONCLUSION We found that neither anxiety nor depressive symptoms associate with subsequent disease activity in pediatric CD. These findings contrast with adult IBD studies, thus underschoring the unique pathophysiology, natural history, and outcomes of pediatric CD.
Progress for Immunotherapy in Inflammatory Breast Cancer and Emerging Barriers to Therapeutic Efficacy

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive subtype of breast cancer that carries a particularly poor prognosis. Despite the efficacy of immunotherapy in other difficult to treat forms of breast cancer, progress for immunotherapy in IBC has been difficult. Though immunotherapy has been under clinical investigation in IBC since the 1970s, few approaches have shown significant therapeutic efficacy, and no immunotherapy regimens are currently used in the treatment of IBC. Here, we provide a comprehensive summary of what is known about the immune composition of IBC tumors, clinical and basic science evidence describing the role for immune checkpoints such as PD-L1 in IBC pathobiology, as well as past and present attempts to advance ICIs in the treatment of IBC.
Identification and Classification of Reverse Transcriptases in Bacterial Genomes and Metagenomes

Reverse Transcriptases (RTs) are found in different systems including group II introns, Diversity Generating Retroelements (DGRs), retrons, CRISPR-Cas systems, and Abortive Infection (Abi) systems in prokaryotes. Different classes of RTs can play different roles, such as template switching and mobility in group II introns, spacer acquisition in CRISPR-Cas systems, mutagenic retrohoming in DGRs, programmed cell suicide in Abi systems, and recently discovered phage defense in retrons. While some classes of RTs have been studied extensively, others remain to be characterized. There is a lack of computational tools for identifying and characterizing various classes of RTs. In this study, we built a tool (called myRT) for identification and classification of prokaryotic RTs. In addition, our tool provides information about the genomic neighborhood of each RT, providing potential functional clues. We applied our tool to predict and classify RTs in all complete and draft bacterial genomes, and created a collection that can be used for exploration of putative RTs. Application of myRT to gut metagenomes showed that gut metagenomes encode proportionally more RTs related to DGRs, outnumbering retron-related RTs, as compared to the collection of reference genomes. MyRT is both available as a standalone software and also through a website.
Photoinduced isomerization sampling of retinal in bacteriorhodopsin

Abstract Photoisomerization of retinoids inside a confined protein pocket represents a critical chemical event in many important biological processes from animal vision, non-visual light effects, to bacterial light sensing and harvesting. Light driven proton pumping in bacteriorhodopsin entails exquisite electronic and conformational reconfigurations during its photocycle. However, it has been a major challenge to delineate transient molecular events preceding and following the photoisomerization of the retinal from noisy electron density maps when varying populations of intermediates coexist and evolve as a function of time. Here I report several distinct early photoproducts deconvoluted from the recently observed mixtures in time-resolved serial crystallography. This deconvolution substantially improves the quality of the electron density maps hence demonstrates that the all-trans retinal undergoes extensive isomerization sampling before it proceeds to the productive 13-cis configuration. Upon light absorption, the chromophore attempts to perform trans-to-cis isomerization at every double bond coupled with the stalled anti-to-syn rotations at multiple single bonds along its polyene chain. Such isomerization sampling pushes all seven transmembrane helices to bend outward, resulting in a transient expansion of the retinal binding pocket, and later, a contraction due to recoiling. These ultrafast responses observed at the atomic resolution support that the productive photoreaction in bacteriorhodopsin is initiated by light-induced charge separation in the prosthetic chromophore yet governed by stereoselectivity of its protein pocket. The method of a numerical resolution of concurrent events from mixed observations is also generally applicable.
Acceptance Control Charts Based on Normal Approximations to the Poisson Distribution

An acceptance control charting scheme is investigated for the case in which observations consist of the number of nonconformities seen when a process is observed for a certain fixed length of time. The counts are assumed to have a Poisson distribution. ..
A new model-based speech analysis/Synthesis system

A new model-based speech analysis/synthesis system is presented in this paper. In this model, the short-time spectrum of speech is modeled as the product of an excitation spectrum and a spectral envelope. The spectral envelope is some smoothed version of the speech spectrum and the excitation spectrum is represented by the pitch period and a voiced/unvoiced (V/UV) decision for each harmonic. In speech analysis, the model parameters are estimated by explicit comparison between the original speech spectrum and the synthetic speech spectrum. Preliminary results indicate that speech and noisy speech synthesized based on this model do not have the "buzziness" typically associated with vocoder speech and is essentially the same as the original speech or the noisy speech in both intelligibility and quality. Potential applications of this new model and its parameter estimation include high quality speech analysis/synthesis, time scale modification of speech and noisy speech, and pitch detection.
Safety, Soundness, and the Evolution of the U.S. Banking Industry

Although the banking system appears to be safer and sounder today than it was two decades ago, new risk challenges have arisen that could not have been anticipated in the 1980s. This article outlines the fundamental structural changes in the U.S. commercial banking industry since then. ; The author's strategic analysis of the current state of the industry compares the \"transactions banking\" business model practiced by large financial companies to the more traditional relationship-based banking business model. In particular, the author focuses on the different production technologies, product mixes, strategic behaviors, and risk-return trade-offs that characterize these two opposite approaches. In closing, the article discusses what these new developments may mean for the industry's ongoing safety and soundness.
Compensating Pharmaceutical Injuries in the Absence of Fault

Adverse drug events cause significant injuries to consumers. Between half and three-quarters of these injuries are uncompensated under tort law because they are not due to negligence or fraud. This article argues that fundamental fairness and sound economics favor holding manufacturers of pharmaceutical products financially responsible for pharmaceutical injuries unless there is clear fault by another party. It reviews the experience of vaccine and pharmaceutical injury compensation programs internationally. It proposes the creation of an administrative compensation system for the United States that would compensate pharmaceutical injuries.
The Effect of Regulatory Reforms on Institutional and Retail Investors: Evidence from Restatements before and after the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Regulators have expressed concern that the growing number of financial restatements, especially since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX), confuse investors and erode confidence in the capital markets. Given the investor protection goal of SOX, of particular concern is the relative accuracy with which retail investors process and trade on the information contained in restatement announcements. In this paper, we propose a method to examine the accuracy of the trading behavior of retail and institutional investors conditioned upon accounting restatement announcements, both prior- and subsequent to the passage of SOX. We find that retail investors engaged in more inaccurate (i.e., potentially loss-making) trades in the post-SOX period than in the pre-SOX period. In contrast, the accuracy of institutional investors’ trades does not show any significant difference between the pre- and post-SOX regimes. Our evidence suggests that retail (but not institutional) investors process post-SOX restatements more inaccurately than pre-SOX restatements.
Public Expenditure Programs in Appalachia and Their Impact on Regional Employment

: The reduction of regional unemployment requires a sufficient demand for regional labor and the demand pattern must parallel that of supply. Due to the interdependency of Appalachian economy with the rest of the Nation, the leakage of the final demand imposed on a subregion of Appalachia is substantial. The more capital intensive the investment the higher the leakage which will lead to less demand for labor in Appalachia. While water resource projects are generally longterm projects which aim at structural changes in a regional economy, consumption expenditures induced by welfare payments or public employment programs are basically temporary measures for the rescue of unemployment. Average consumption and private investment programs may impose on Appalachia a larger material demand but the demand for the total regional labor, off-site and on-site combined, is estimated to be less than that from water resource investments. The public expenditure program for combating regional unemployment must be discretionary based on its purpose and its potential to generate optimum demand for labor which will be created by the pattern of regional resource distribution and interindustrial and interregional interactions. An interregional I/O model is best suited for analysis of this type.
Effects of 2.45-GHz microwave and 100-MHz radiofrequency radiation on liposome permeability at the phase transition temperature.

Large unilamellar dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) liposomes loaded with an aqueous chemotherapeutic drug, cytosine arabinofuranoside (ARA-C), were exposed for 30 min to 60 W/kg continuous-wave (CW) 100-MHz or 2.45-GHz radiation in vitro at temperatures between 37 degrees C and 43 degrees C. Liposomes were exposed in HEPES buffer or in HEPES buffer supplemented with 44% by volume fetal calf serum (FCS). Characteristic phase transition responses were detected in the range of 39 degrees C to 40 degrees C with the presence of FCS, increasing maximum % release of /sup 3/H-ARA-C by 20% relative to HEPES suspension. Neither frequency of electromagnetic radiation had any detectable effect on liposome permeability or the location of the phase transition in the presence or absence of FCS.
NADPH diaphorase staining suggests localization of nitric oxide synthase within mature vertebrate olfactory neurons

Abstract Nitric oxide, a simple gas which serves as a neurotransmitter in the CNS, has been proposed to serve as an interneuronal second messenger in olfactory transduction. However, the role of nitric oxide in olfaction has been questioned by experiments in which nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme that generates nitric oxide, could not be localized to the olfactory epithelium. We have localized nitric oxide synthase to the olfactory neurons in adult rat and catfish olfactory epithelia using a modified nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase technique. In the rat, staining was also found in cells with morphology reminiscent of microvillar olfactory cells. In contrast, the respiratory epithelium and the sustentacular cells in the olfactory epithelium displayed no staining. The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase reaction, which has been shown to co-localize with immunohistochemical staining for nitric oxide synthase in the brain, was stimulated by addition of the nitric oxide synthase substrate l -arginine, and was inhibited by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor l - N G -nitro arginine, indicating that staining was specific for nitric oxide synthase. Unilateral bulbectomy, which causes degeneration of mature olfactory neurons on the bulbectomized side, markedly reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase staining. These observations were substantiated by biochemical assays for nitric oxide synthase by monitoring the production of [ 3 H]- l -citrulline from [ 3 H]- l -arginine. This is the first demonstration of specific NADPH diaphorase staining of mature olfactory neurons in rat and catfish olfactory epithelia suggesting the presence of nitric oxide synthase in these cells. Our histological and biochemical findings, in conjunction with data from other research, are supportive of a role for nitric oxide synthase in olfactory function.
The Curious Case of a Wandering Kinase: CaMKII Spreads the Wealth?

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II has been suggested to produce input-specific long-term potentiation of synaptic strength. This idea has been complicated by results from Rose, Jin, and Craig demonstrating that spatiotemporally restricted NMDA receptor excitation at contiguous synapses can result in the translocation of activated CaMKII throughout the dendritic arbor.
On Large-Scale Solar Convection

We examine the effects of rotation about a vertical axis on thermal convection with a simple model in which an inviscid, incompressible fluid of zero thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity is contained in a thin annulus of rectangular cross-section. The initial steady state assumed is one of no motion relative to the rotating frame with constant (unstable) vertical temperature gradient and uniform toroidal magnetic field. Small periodic disturbances are then introduced and the linearized perturbation equations solved. We also determine the second-order mean circulations and magnetic fields that are forced by non-zero Reynolds and thermal stresses and magnetic field transports.
2. Effects of windbreak structure on wind flow

Abstract Functional effects of windbreaks are directly related to the effects of windbreaks on air flow. Additionally, the indirect effects of windbreaks on air temperature and humidity are interrelated with the effects of air movement. The horizontal extent of windbreak effects upwind and downwind is usually assumed to be proportional to windbreak height, h . Measureable reductions in windspeed have been recorded as far as 50 h to the lee of windbreaks, and rarely, even farther. Reductions of 20% or more may extend to about 25 h from the windbreak. For windbreaks that are long relative to their windbreak height, the most important structural feature is porosity. Maximum wind reductions are closely related to porosity, with low porosity producing high maximum reductions. Barriers with very low porosity create more turbulence downwind than medium-dense barriers. The higher turbulence may result in recovery of mean horizontal windspeeds to upwind speeds closer to low-porosity barriers, thus resulting in a shorter protected distance. However, the reduction in protected distance with very dense windbreaks compared to medium dense windbreaks is much less than much of the older literature suggests. Turbulence in the approach flow reduces windbreak effectiveness, particularly at far downwind positions. The turbulence may be caused by thermal instability, a rough ground surface, or other upwind barriers to flow. Differences in approach-flow turbulence, differences in height of measurement relative to windbreak height and differences in vertical porosity gradients are responsible for much of the scatter in experimental data. There is a triangular ‘quiet’ zone below a line beginning near the top of windbreaks and extending to near ground level at a distance of about 8 h to the leeward. In this zone, the turbulent velocity fluctuations are reduced below values in the approach flow. Above and downwind of the quiet zone is a ‘wake’ zone with turbulent fluctuations greater than those in approach flow. The magnitude of turbulent velocity fluctuations in the lee of windbreaks is inversely proportional to porosity. However, there is a larger difference in turbulence generated between solid barriers and slightly porous barriers than between slightly porous and very porous barriers. Windbreaks generally reduce turbulent eddy length, thus increasing the peak frequency of turbulent velocity fluctuations, regardless of their structure. Peak frequency of velocity fluctuations close to windbreaks tends to increase with porosity.
The Faces of Florence Nightingale: Functions of the Heroine Legend in an Occupational Sub-Culture

The instinct of the mind, the purpose of nature, betrays itself in the use we make of the signal narrations of history. Time dissipates to shining ether the solid angularity of facts. No anchor, no cable, no fences avail to keep a fact a fact. Emerson
Aeolian Decoupling of Beach Sediments

Abstract Sediment population decoupling refers to the sorting of a source population into two or more subpopulations that have distinctly different size distributions. A field experiment along Monterey Bay, California investigated the nature of the decoupling process across a beach-dune complex and determined the implications for aeolian transportrate predictions. A series of instrument clusters were deployed along a shore-perpendicular array, beginning at the berm and extending to the dune back-slope. A total of 14 anemometers, 4 wind vanes, and more than a dozen sediment traps were deployed. Grab samples were taken from the beach surface before and during the wind storm. During shore-perpendicular onshore winds, an internal boundary layer developed in the downwind direction, and surface shear stress and flow competency decreased with distance from the foreshore. Fine-grained sediments were entrained from the back beach and transported inland by suspension and saltation. But the rate of sediment transpor...
Smurf2 Is a Ubiquitin E3 Ligase Mediating Proteasome-dependent Degradation of Smad2 in Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling

Smads are important intracellular signaling effectors for transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and related factors. Proper TGF-β signaling requires precise control of Smad functions. In this study, we have identified a novel HECT class ubiquitin E3 ligase, designated Smurf2, that negatively regulates Smad2 signaling. In both yeast two-hybrid and in vitro binding assays, we found that Smurf2 could interact with receptor-activated Smads (R-Smads), including Smad1, Smad2, and Smad3 but not Smad4. Ectopic expression of Smurf2 was sufficient to reduce the steady-state levels of Smad1 and Smad2 but not Smad3 or Smad4. Significantly, Smurf2 displayed preference to Smad2 as its target for degradation. Furthermore, Smurf2 exhibited higher binding affinity to activated Smad2 upon TGF-β stimulation. The ability of Smurf2 to promote Smad2 destruction required the HECT catalytic activity of Smurf2 and depended on the proteasome-dependent pathway. Consistent with these results, Smurf2 potently reduced the transcriptional activity of Smad2. These data suggest that a ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent mechanism is important for proper regulation of TGF-β signaling.
A study of X‐ray emissions from thunderstorms with emphasis on subsequent strokes in natural lightning

[1] X-ray emissions associated with leaders of natural cloud-to-ground lightning are examined. For 23 (8 first and 15 subsequent) strokes within 2 km of the Lightning Observatory in Gainesville, the occurrence of detectable X-rays was 88% and 47% for the first and subsequent strokes, respectively. Some subsequent-stroke leaders, retracing previously formed, low-density channels, are more prolific producers of detectable X-rays than their corresponding first-stroke leaders, developing in the virgin air. The energy of some photons was in the MeV range (in one case possibly in excess of 5 MeV); that is, in the gamma-ray range. There was a significant difference between first and subsequent leaders in terms of the distribution of estimated X-ray source heights. For first leaders, the maximum source height did not exceed 800 m, whereas for subsequent leaders the source height distribution appeared to extend to about 3.6 km. Not all leaders within a flash produced detectable X-rays. For the same leader near ground, some steps were accompanied by detectable X-ray emissions, while others were not. One possible explanation is that electric field enhancements (>30 MV/m or so for the case of normal air density), needed for the cold runaway breakdown, are very brief and highly localized, so that in many cases a sufficiently energetic electron from the tail of the bulk distribution may be unavailable to start the runaway process. This implies that the cold runaway breakdown is not a necessary feature of lightning leaders, even if the required fields do occur.
Two-Sample Asymptotically Distribution-Free Tests for Incomplete Multivariate Observations

Abstract Asymptotically distribution-free tests for equality of two multivariate distributions based on censored observations are proposed. By choosing appropriate test scores, we obtain the multivariate versions of the Gehan and log-rank tests. An important application of the proposed tests is in the area in which multiple observations are collected on study subjects, some of whom may have missing observations. The patterns of missing observations are allowed to differ for the two groups to be compared. These tests are particularly useful for longitudinal studies—for example, the analysis of repeated measurements and growth curves. Real examples are also provided for illustration.
Constructing local identities in a revolutionary nation : the cultural politics of the artisan class in Nicaragua, 1979-90

During the Nicaraguan Revolution (1979-90), the Sandinista government was simultaneously committed to a politics of class consciousness and a nation-building project informed by an indigenista ideology. Western Nicaraguan artisan communities, a heterogeneous social group with variable and distinctive cultural practices, responded to the Sandinista Revolution by creating a union that represented artisans' interests in terms of class rather than ethnicity, which has historically been a marker of subordinate status. Through an analysis of a particular history in which class identity became salient, in this article I stress not only the fluidity of local identities, but also underscore ways in which anthropology may be complicit in nation-building projects that maintain the subaltern position of peoples among whom anthropologists work.
Inverse Solution of a Heat Conduction Problem Using Evolutionary Data Segregation Techniques

Engineering problems are typically solved by direct solution. For the direct solution of engineering problems the boundary conditions and physical properties of the domain are given, and the dependent variable is calculated throughout the domain. In contrast to this, for inverse engineering problems the dependent variable is known at select locations in the domain, and the material properties and/or the boundary conditions need to be determined. This paper will present a novel technique for the inverse solution of a heat transfer engineering design problem in which the temperature profile and materials are known, but the placement of these materials and the heat flux on the boundaries are unknown. This technique uses evolutionary optimization in the form of the Adaptive Modeling by Evolving Blocks Algorithm (AMoEBA) to determine the material configurations. The material configurations, geometry, and properties are defined by evolving binary trees. The evolved domains are solved directly and then compared with the known temperature profile. Fitness of the new designs is determined by the least squared error between the proposed and the known profile. When this fitness reaches a defined level, the material placement scheme of the real system is found, and boundary conditions matching the problem definition are identified.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
A morphometric analysis of the muscle‐tendon junction

Transmission of the contractile force produced by skeletal muscle fibers from myofilaments to tendon fibers occurs at the muscle-tendon junction. This interface between muscle and tendon is characterized by an amplification of the membrane area across which force is transmitted, with the result that stress at the muscle-tendon interface is less than it would be if the muscle fiber ended without surface folding. The amount of stress reduction is proportional to the degree of surface amplification. Because an understanding of the mechanical properties of the muscle-tendon junction requires a quantitative appreciation of the amplification of interfacial area, and hence the reduction of stress, produced by membrane elaboration at the muscle-tendon junction, we have developed a reliable morphometric approach for quantifying this surface amplification. The approach reported here makes use of point-counting techniques applied to thin sections of murine muscle-tendon junctions, together with a statistical analysis of the data. The results indicate that the load on the cell membrane at the muscle-tendon junction is reduced approximately 1 order of magnitude by membrane amplification, compared to the load calculated to occur if the muscle fiber ended as a right cylinder. In addition, significant differences in the degree of membrane amplification have been detected among the four muscle-tendon junctions analyzed in this study. These results and methods should prove useful in future analyses of normal and abnormal muscle-tendon junctions.
Model complexes for amavadine, a vanadium natural product

Abstract Amavadine is a vanadium natural product from the mushroom Amanita muscaria. Earlier reports have characterized the compound as a vanadyl (VO2+) complex with two N-hydroxy-αα-iminodipropionic acid ligands, but no hypothesis as to its function has yet been put forward. We report here the synthesis, isolation, and properties of bis(iminodiacetato)oxovanadium(IV) and bis(αα-iminodipropionato)oxovanadium(IV). The complex bis(ββ-iminodipropionato)oxovanadium(IV) has been prepared in solution. These complexes serve as models for Amavadine. The structures of the models are analogous to that of Amavadine, with two bidentate, singly charged ligands bonding through one oxygen and one nitrogen atom. The visible spectra suggest the possibility of 1:1 complexes in solution in addition to the 2:1 ligand to metal complexes. Preliminary electrochemical data suggest reversible V(IV) ⇌ V(III) couples.
Thunder Among the Pines: Defining a Pan-Asian Soma

Many ancient cultures and religions engaged in various techniques and used various substances to instigate religious experience and to alter perception. These techniques of psycho-sexual drug yoga reached an unparalleled level of sophistication that arose and was often cloaked in practical terms of alchemy and metallurgy. The Vedic tradition describes this plant-based ritualism as soma, which has been identified by Gordon Wasson as the mushroom Amanita muscaria. This article traces these soma-influenced sects of esoteric Buddhism that exerted influences from India, China and Tibet to Japan. Some of the key components, practices and symbolism are retained despite numerous cultural filters. Japan's tradition of esoteric Buddhism can thus be seen to have preserved and incorporated the soma/amrita mushroom lore into its own traditions of mountain ascetic mystics.
On the stability of boundary conditions for molecular dynamics

We study the stability of boundary conditions for molecular dynamics simulations. A general stability criterion is established. We first consider a one-dimensional model with nearest neighbor interaction and multiple-neighbor interactions. We then generalize the results to more realistic models in 3D with nonlinear atomic interaction.
Diurnal urinary corticoid excretion in the human and gorilla.

Urinary corticoids were measured in humans (n = 9) in frequently collected urine samples taken during a 48 hr period, and in captive western lowland gorillas (n = 5) and free-ranging mountain gorillas (n = 3) from samples taken from 0700 to 1800 hr. In each study, the highest concentrations occurred in the morning hours, then declined gradually, reaching the lowest levels in the afternoon to evening. These data show that a similar diurnal pattern of corticoid excretion does occur in these species. We suggest that if single-sample urine collection for determination of hyperadrenal activity is to be used, urine is best collected during hours of low corticoid excretion. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Social identity orientation and social role attributions: Explaining behavior through the lens of the self

Research investigated the way an individual's self-definition (i.e., social or personal identity orientation; Cheek, 1989) influenced the type of attribution used to explain a target group member's opinion. Participants watched a group discussion between three members of a Greek organization and three Independent individuals and were asked to rate the cause behind a target Greek member's opinion. The pattern of agreement between the target and the other group members varied by experimental condition. The attributions made, either to social category membership or to personal characteristics, were influenced by the extent to which individuals valued social aspects of their self-concept. Individuals who placed relatively high value on the social aspects of their identity attributed the target's behavior to his group membership more than to his personality. The results suggest that the importance of social factors to individuals' self-definitions increases the accessibility of social influences in their views...
Agonist-dependent μ-opioid receptor signaling can lead to heterologous desensitization

Desensitization of the micro-opioid receptor (MOR) has been implicated as an important regulatory process in the development of tolerance to opiates. Monitoring the release of intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)), we reported that [D-Ala(2), N-Me-Phe(4), Gly(5)-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO)-induced receptor desensitization requires receptor phosphorylation and recruitment of beta-arrestins (betaArrs), while morphine-induced receptor desensitization does not. In current studies, we established that morphine-induced MOR desensitization is protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent. By using RNA interference techniques and subtype specific inhibitors, PKCepsilon was shown to be the PKC subtype activated by morphine and the subtype responsible for morphine-induced desensitization. In contrast, DAMGO did not increase PKCepsilon activity and DAMGO-induced MOR desensitization was not affected by modulating PKCepsilon activity. Among the various proteins within the receptor signaling complex, Galphai2 was phosphorylated by morphine-activated PKCepsilon. Moreover, mutating three putative PKC phosphorylation sites, Ser(44), Ser(144) and Ser(302) on Galphai2 to Ala attenuated morphine-induced, but not DAMGO-induced desensitization. In addition, pretreatment with morphine desensitized cannabinoid receptor CB1 agonist WIN 55212-2-induced [Ca(2+)](i) release, and this desensitization could be reversed by pretreating the cells with PKCepsilon inhibitor or overexpressing Galphai2 with the putative PKC phosphorylation sites mutated. Thus, depending on the agonist, activation of MOR could lead to heterologous desensitization and probable crosstalk between MOR and other Galphai-coupled receptors, such as the CB1.
Understanding substrate specificity in human and parasite phosphoribosyltransferases through calculation and experiment.

We present molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on two enzymes: a human hypoxanthine-guanine-phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRTase) and its analogue in the protozoan parasite Tritichomonas foetus. Th...
C/EBPα and C/EBPβ binding proteins modulate hepatocyte apoptosis through iNOS signaling pathway

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) involve many pathophysiologic conditions. The expression of iNOS is regulated at multiple stages. Presently, the regulatory details of iNOS signaling are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory role of C/EBPα and C/EBPβ in iNOS signaling pathway. By employing the techniques such as EMSA, ChIP assay, site-directed mutagenesis, and siRNA silencing, the relationship between iNOS and C/EBPα/C/EBPβ in rat hepatocytes was clarified. iNOS promoter was the direct transcriptional targets of the C/EBPα, C/EBPβ, and NF-κB binding proteins. There was the interactive influence between NF-κB and C/EBPα/C/EBPβ. The expression of iNOS was modulated by C/EBPα/C/EBPβ transcription factors. Moreover, the iNOS expression mediated glycochenodeoxycholate (GCDC)-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes. C/EBPα/C/EBPβ binding proteins could affect the GCDC-induced apoptosis through iNOS cascade. These findings indicate that C/EBPα and C/EBPβ regulate the iNOS expression, which may further modify cell responses such as apoptosis and cell survival.
Does Community Participation Produce Dividends in Social Investment Fund Projects

Summary Social investment funds (SIFs) aim to strengthen local capacity for design, implementation, and maintenance of social and economic infrastructure projects and to increase community participation in ways that will promote their sustainability and effectiveness. We explore key features of recent SIFs, intended to promote decentralized, participatory decision-making, and management of projects, in SIF-led education projects in Honduras. We investigate empirically whether efforts to implement a participatory approach improve the outcomes of these projects and community members’ perceptions of their effectiveness. The findings identify elements of the participatory methodology which were associated with increased household and community participation and better household opinions of the projects and also show a link between participation and the probability of children’s regular school attendance.
Randomized benchmarking of multiqubit gates.

We describe an extension of single-qubit gate randomized benchmarking that measures the error of multiqubit gates in a quantum information processor. This platform-independent protocol evaluates the performance of Clifford unitaries, which form a basis of fault-tolerant quantum computing. We implemented the benchmarking protocol with trapped ions and found an error per random two-qubit Clifford unitary of $0.162\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.008$, thus setting the first benchmark for such unitaries. By implementing a second set of sequences with an extra two-qubit phase gate inserted after each step, we extracted an error per phase gate of $0.069\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.017$. We conducted these experiments with transported, sympathetically cooled ions in a multizone Paul trap---a system that can in principle be scaled to larger numbers of ions.
Anomalous commutator corrections to sum rules.

In this paper we consider the contributions of anomalous commutators to various QCD sum rules. Using a combination of the Bjorken-Johnson-Low limit with the operator product expansion the results are presented in terms of the vacuum condensates of gauge-invariant operators. It is demonstrated that the anomalous contributions are non-negligible and reconcile various apparently contradictory calculations.
The infrared and Raman spectra of P(CCH)3, As(CCH)3 and Sb(CCH)3☆☆☆

Abstract Infrared spectra from 35 to 4000 cm −1 have been measured for P(CCH) 3 , As (CCH) 3 , and Sb(CCH) 3 in the vapor and solution phases. Raman spectra with polarisations were obtained for solutions. C 3 v symmetry wan assumed, and permitted a satisfactory interpretation of the data. Frequencies have been assigned to 38 of the 42 spectroscopically-active fundamentals.