cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in plant chemical defenses and nutritional quality as a function of ontogeny in Plantago lanceolata (Plantaginaceae)

Numerous empirical studies have examined ontogenetic trajectories in plant defenses but only a few have explored the potential mechanisms underlying those patterns. Furthermore, most documented ontogenetic trajectories in plant defenses have generally concentrated on aboveground tissues; thus, our knowledge regarding whole plant trends in plant defenses throughout development or potential allocation constraints between growth and defenses is limited. Here, we document changes in plant biomass, nutritional quality and chemical defenses for below- and aboveground tissues across seven age classes of Plantago lanceolata (Plantaginaceae) to evaluate: (1) partial and whole plant ontogenetic trajectories in constitutive chemical defenses and nutritional quality, and (2) the role of resource allocation constraints, namely root:shoot (R:S) ratios, in explaining whole plant investment in chemical defenses over time. Overall investment in iridoid glycosides (IGs) significantly increased, while water and nitrogen concentrations in shoot tissues decreased with plant age. Significant variation in IG content between shoot and root tissues across development was observed: allocation of IGs into root tissues linearly increased from younger to older plants, while non-linear shifts in allocation of IGs during ontogeny were observed for shoot tissues. Finally, R:S ratios only weakly explained overall allocation of resources into defenses, with young stages showing a positive relationship, while older stages showed a negative relationship between R:S ratios and IG concentrations. Ontogenetic trajectories in plant quality and defenses within and among plant tissues can strongly influence insect herbivores’ performance and/or predation risk; thus, they are likely to play a significant role in mediating species interactions.
A 24,500 Da protein derived from rat germ cells is associated with sertoli cell secretory function.

A function and identity of a 24,500 Da protein derived from round spermatids of the rat testis was investigated with a specific polyclonal antiserum raised against RSP-24.5. The proteins released from cultured round spermatids significantly stimulated the secretion of de novo synthesized protein from cultured immature rat Sertoli cells 2.4-fold above control levels. Immunoprecipitation of RSP-24.5 from round spermatid protein further enhanced the stimulation of Sertoli cell protein secretion up to 3.1-fold above control levels, indicating that RSP-24.5 plays a role in the down regulation of Sertoli cell secretion. The antiserum recognized the 24,500 Da protein in Western blots of round spermatid protein, pachytene spermatocyte protein, Sertoli cell lysate and peritubular myoid cell lysate. A 40 amino acid sequence of a cyanogen bromide cleaved internal fragment of RSP-24.5 showed 80.5% homology to a phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein. These results suggest that phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein participates in the negative regulation of Sertoli cell secretory function during spermatogenesis.
Improved dynamic analysis method using load-dependent Ritz vectors

The dynamic analysis of large space structures is important in order to predict their behavior under operating conditions. Computer models of large space structures are characterized by having a large number of degrees of freedom, and the computational effort required to carry out the analysis is very large. Conventional methods of solution utilize a subset of the eigenvectors of the system, but for systems with many degrees of freedom, the solution of the eigenproblem is in many cases the most costly phase of the analysis. For this reason, alternate solution methods need to be considered. It is important that the method chosen for the analysis be efficient and that accurate results be obtainable. It is important that the method chosen for the analysis be efficient and that accurate results be obtainable. The load dependent Ritz vector method is presented as an alternative to the classical normal mode methods for obtaining dynamic responses of large space structures. A simplified model of a space station is used to compare results. Results show that the load dependent Ritz vector method predicts the dynamic response better than the classical normal mode method. Even though this alternate method is very promising, further studies are necessary to fully understand its attributes and limitations.
A National Survey of Physician Practices Regarding Influenza Vaccine

OBJECTIVE: To characterize U.S. physicians’ practices regarding influenza vaccine, particularly regarding the capacity to identify high-risk patients, the use of reminder systems, and the typical period of administration of vaccine. DESIGN: Cross-sectional mail survey administered in October and November 2000. PARTICIPANTS: National random sample of internists and family physicians (N=1,606). RESULTS: Response rate was 60%. Family physicians are significantly more likely than internists to administer influenza vaccine in their practices (82% vs 76%; P<.05). Eighty percent of physicians typically administer influenza vaccine for 3 to 5 months, but only 27% continue administering vaccine after the typical national peak of influenza activity. Only one half of physicians said their practices are able to generate lists of patients with chronic illnesses at high risk for complications of influenza, and only one quarter had used mail or telephone reminder systems to contact high-risk patients. Physicians working in a physician network (including managed care organizations) are more than twice as likely to use reminders as physicians in other practice settings (odds ratio, 2.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.17 to 3.55). CONCLUSIONS: Over three quarters of U.S. internists and family physicians routinely administer influenza vaccine, but few continue immunization efforts past the typical national peak of influenza activity. Many physicians may be limited by their practice data systems’ capacity to identify high-risk patients. Despite the known effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of reminder systems, few physicians use reminders for influenza vaccination efforts. These findings raise concerns about meeting domestic influenza vaccination goals—especially for individuals with chronic illness and during periods of delayed vaccine availability—and the possibility of increased morbidity and mortality attributable to influenza as a result.
A Comparative Assay of Black Widow Anti-Sera.

ConclusionsThe results indicate a much higher potency for the sheep serum, one cc. of this serum completely neutralizes 25 average lethal doses of the venom whereas one cc. of the human convalescent serum shows no neutralizing power whatever against 2 average lethal doses of venom.
Maternal-fetal outcomes in prolonged pregnancy.

Abstract The intrapartum fetal heart rate changes, type of labor, mode of delivery, and neonatal outcome were evaluated in 379 consecutive continuously monitored prolonged pregnancies (>42 weeks by history and early examination). These represent only a fraction of the total prolonged gestation population. There were 56% multiparous women, 33% 4000 gm. Depression occurred in 15% of infants at 1 minute and in 4% at 5 minutes. Prolonged hospital stay was seen in 9%, and postmaturity syndrome in 19%. There were four perinatal deaths (two corrected). Active induction does not appear to increase the cesarean section rate. The durations of predelivery observation may be longer because the cervices are frequently unripe. There is a high incidence of fetal heart rate alterations. Induction appears justified as an active intervention to prevent some sudden unexplained deaths.
Maize growth and developmental responses to temperature and ultraviolet-B radiation interaction

Plant response to the combination of two or more abiotic stresses is different than its response to the same stresses singly. The response of maize (Zea mays L.) photosynthesis, growth, and development processes were examined under sunlit plant growth chambers at three levels of each day/night temperatures (24/16°C, 30/22°C, and 36/28°C) and UV-B radiation levels (0, 5, and 10 kJ m –2 d –1 ) and their interaction from 4 d after emergence to 43 d. An increase in plant height, leaf area, node number, and dry mass was observed as temperature increased. However, UV-B radiation negatively affected these processes by reducing the rates of stem elongation, leaf area expansion, and biomass accumulation. UV-B radiation affected leaf photosynthesis mostly at early stage of growth and tended to be temperature-dependent. For instance, UV-B radiation caused 3–15% decrease of photosynthetic rate (PN) on the uppermost, fully expanded leaves at 24/16°C and 36/28°C, but stimulated PN about 5–18% at 30/22°C temperature. Moreover, the observed UV-B protection mechanisms, such as accumulation of phenolics and waxes, exhibited a significant interaction among the treatments where these compounds were relatively less responsive (phenolics) or more responsive (waxes) to UV-B radiation at higher temperature treatments or vice versa. Plants exposed to UV-B radiation produced more leaf waxes except at 24/16°C treatment. The detrimental effect of UV-B radiation was greater on plant growth compared to the photosynthetic processes. Results suggest that maize growth and development, especially stem elongation, is highly sensitive to current and projected UV-B radiation levels, and temperature plays an important role in the magnitude and direction of the UV-B mediated responses.
Derivation andInternal Validation of a Rule to Predict Hospital Admission in Prehospital Patients

Objective. To derive andinternally validate a simple prediction rule, using routinely collected prehospital patient data, that discriminates between hospital admission andemergency department (ED) discharge for adult patients who arrive by ambulance. Methods. We performed a retrospective cohort study of consecutive adult nontrauma patients transported to two separate EDs over two months by a city-run emergency medical services (EMS) system. We tested whether specific prehospital variables could predict hospital admission using chi-square tests, logistic regression, andreceiver-operating characteristic curves. We created a rule to predict the probabilities of hospital admission for individual patients. Results. Of 401 patients, the mean age was 47 years; 60% were black and32% were white; 51% were female; and33% were admitted to an inpatient service after evaluation in the ED. Independent predictors of admission were dyspnea (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 6.8; awarded 3 points), chest pain (OR 5.2; 3 points), an...
Fracture Mechanics of Mode Separation Based on Beam Theory

References 1Pan, T. S., “Robust Structural and Control Design for Flexible Structures,” Ph.D. Dissertation, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN, Dec. 1989, Chap. 2. 2Sunar, M., and Rao, S. S., “SubstructureDecomposition Method for the ControlDesign of Large Flexible Structures,”AIAA Journal, Vol. 30,No. 10, 1992, pp. 2573–2575. 3Su, T.-J., Babuska, V., and Craig, R. R., Jr., “Substructure-Based Controller Design Method for Flexible Structures,” Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 18, No. 5, 1995, pp. 1053–1061.
Impact of margin on tumour and normal tissue dosimetry in prostate cancer patients treated with IMRT using an endorectal balloon for prostate immobilization.

In IMRT treatment, margin for planning target volume is determined by organ motion and set-up error. The margin width that achieves the desired dose escalation, while minimizing normal tissue exposure is dependent upon patient immobilization and/or organ localization techniques. In this study, we compare the impact of margin width on the dosimetry of tumour and normal tissues using an endorectal balloon filled with 100 cc of air. Plans were generated for ten patients using margin widths of 0, 3, 5, 8 and 10 mm. The prescription dose to prostate and seminal vesicles was 70 Gy in 35 fractions with 15% of bladder allowed to receive above 65 Gy, 15% of rectum above 68 Gy and 10% of femurs above 45 Gy. Margins above 5 mm produced significantly lower mean doses for both prostate and seminal vesicles without affecting TCP. For normal tissues, mean doses, percent volumes above prescription constraints and NTCP increased as a function of margin width, especially when this was 5 mm or above. We conclude that planning with tighter margins of ≤5 mm improves IMRT dosimetry for prostate and normal tissues and is only possible when target localization and/or immobilization devices are routinely used.
Women’s Political Engagement in a Mexican Sending Community Migration as Crisis and the Struggle to Sustain an Alternative

Early research suggested that migration changed gender roles by offering women new wages and exposing them to norms of gender equity. Increasingly, however, scholars have drawn attention to the role of structural factors, such as poverty and undocumented status, in mediating the relationship between migration and gender. This article takes such insights a step further by showing that migrant communities’ reactions to structural marginality—and their efforts to build alternatives in their home villages—may also draw women into new gender roles. I demonstrate this mechanism through the case of San Miguel, a Mixtec sending community in Southern Mexico where, in the context of U.S. migration, once-excluded women came to predominate in civic affairs. In response to harsh conditions in the United States, migrants from San Miguel returned to their village. To make this economically feasible, they sought state development resources. Men, who often stayed in the United States as breadwinners, relied on sympathetic...
NORWEGIAN COLLABORATION IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF ARCTIC FINLAND

The transfer of Petsamo Province from Finland to the Soviet Union following World War II isolated northern Finland from the ocean and cut it off from overseas trade. Between the two World Wars the Petsamo corridor was used as a means for exporting Finnish lumber, and importing fuels and other supplies. It also provided the basis for a thriving tourist trade. There was the beginning of hydro-electric development of the Pasvik River, not only to supply power for the new Petsamo nickel industry, but also to further development of the whole region. During the decade immediately following World War II, the loss of Petsamo, serious though it was, did not make its full impact on the area's economy. There was a heavy demand for labour needed in reconstruction of devastated Lapland, and Finnish contractors were busy constructing Soviet power plants on the Pasvik River. This post-war boom period has now ended. Unemployment is severe, and the Finnish government is anxious to develop the resources of Arctic Finland by using seaports on the Norwegian coast. The present paper surveys the physical, economic and political factors involved in this and discusses the best routes to the sea-coast. The possibility of establishing in northern Finland not only a sawn lumber industry, but the manufacture of wallboard and other wood products is discussed, along with the part to be played in this by Norwegian hydro-electric power. Should Finnish trade through Norway expand appreciably, there should be a demand in Finland for fish and other products of the Finnmark province of Norway and a corresponding improvement in the highly seasonal economy of the Norwegian coastal zone.
Methylation in Vivo of Deoxyribonucleic Acid during Induction of Bacteriophage P1 by Thymine Deprivation

Abstract Methylation of DNA in vivo during prophage induction was studied in different mutants of Escherichia coli B3, lysogenic for phage P1b, by measuring the transfer of the methyl group from methionine to DNA bases. All the incorporated label was found in 6-methylaminopurine and in thymine. In the induced cells the specific activity of 6-methylaminopurine, expressed per unit of newly synthesized adenine, is decreased in one strain and increased in others in comparison with the noninduced cells. Evidence is presented that the DNA made before induction becomes supermethylated in thymine-deprived cultures, but without correlation with the extent of induction. Further, the rate of methylation in the induced cultures is not correlated with the rate of induction. Although specific alterations in the methylation pattern involving a small number of specific bases cannot be excluded by the analytical techniques available, it is concluded that gross supermethylation of newly synthesized DNA is not necessary for induction to occur. It seems, however, that in thymineless phage induction some excess methylation of the preformed DNA can be regarded as a common event in induced cultures, although such supermethylation is shown not to be sufficient for the induction of the prophage.
PREFERENTIAL INCORPORATION OF 3H-DEOXYCYTIDINE INTO CHICKEN BURSAL CELLS.

3H-deoxycytidine, 3H-thymidine and 125I-deoxyuridine were injected intravenously into different groups of chickens and mice, and lymphoid organs and intestine of the animals sampled one hour later. Incorporation of the isotopes into proliferating cells was evaluated after nucleic acid extraction and determination of specific activity of the isotopes in counts per minute per microgram of DNA (cpm/mug DNA). Labelled deoxycytidine was incorporated much better into bursal cells than the other isotopes, indicating that this isotope may preferentially label bursal lymphocytes, or a subpopulation of them.
Probabilistic seismic inversion based on rock-physics models

A site-specific rock-physics transform from porosity, mineralogy, and pore fluid to elastic-wave velocities is used to invert seismic amplitude data for clay content, total porosity, and saturation. The implementation is Bayesian and produces probabilistic values of the reservoir properties from seismic measurements and well data. This method focuses on an exploration setting where minimal data exist. Two key assumptions reduce the problem and keep the prior information as noncommittal as possible. First, a prior interpretation of the seismic data is required that provides a geobody on which to perform the inversion. Second, the reservoir thickness is assumed to be constant, as are the rock properties within the reservoir. The prior distributions of the reservoir properties are assumed to be uncorrelated and independent, although this is not an essential assumption. Central to theinversion is the generation of a complete set of earth models derived from the prior distribution. A site-specific rock-physics...
Influence of Pump-to-Signal RIN Transfer on Noise Figure in Silicon Raman Amplifiers

The effect of the relative intensity noise (RIN), transferred from the pump to the signal, in 1-cm-long chip scale silicon Raman amplifiers is investigated in the presence of nonlinear losses. We show that due to the short waveguide length, the reduction in fluctuations that normally occurs due to ldquowalk-offrdquo between pump and signal waves in fiber amplifiers is inefficient in chip scale Raman amplifiers. In the counterpropagating pump configuration, which leads to minimum frequency RIN transfer, fluctuations up to 1.5 GHz are transferred from the pump to the signal. As a case study, the noise figure degrades by as much as 11 dB in the silicon waveguide with the free carrier life time of 0.1 ns, when it is pumped with a laser with a RIN value of -125 dB/Hz.
Peer Education in Campus Suicide Prevention

This chapter explores the need and effectiveness of using peer educators to help address mental health issues on college campuses. The implementation process of a mental health peer education program at a large research institution, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, is discussed.
Antibiotic-Induced Alterations of the Murine Gut Microbiota and Subsequent Effects on Colonization Resistance against Clostridium difficile

ABSTRACT Perturbations to the gut microbiota can result in a loss of colonization resistance against gastrointestinal pathogens such as Clostridium difficile. Although C. difficile infection is commonly associated with antibiotic use, the precise alterations to the microbiota associated with this loss in function are unknown. We used a variety of antibiotic perturbations to generate a diverse array of gut microbiota structures, which were then challenged with C. difficile spores. Across these treatments we observed that C. difficile resistance was never attributable to a single organism, but rather it was the result of multiple microbiota members interacting in a context-dependent manner. Using relative abundance data, we built a machine learning regression model to predict the levels of C. difficile that were found 24 h after challenging the perturbed communities. This model was able to explain 77.2% of the variation in the observed number of C. difficile per gram of feces. This model revealed important bacterial populations within the microbiota, which correlation analysis alone did not detect. Specifically, we observed that populations associated with the Porphyromonadaceae , Lachnospiraceae , Lactobacillus , and Alistipes were protective and populations associated with Escherichia and Streptococcus were associated with high levels of colonization. In addition, a population affiliated with the Akkermansia indicated a strong context dependency on other members of the microbiota. Together, these results indicate that individual bacterial populations do not drive colonization resistance to C. difficile. Rather, multiple diverse assemblages act in concert to mediate colonization resistance. IMPORTANCE The gastrointestinal tract harbors a complex community of bacteria, known as the microbiota, which plays an integral role preventing its colonization by gut pathogens. This resistance has been shown to be crucial for protection against Clostridium difficile infections (CDI), which are the leading source of hospital-acquired infections in the United States. Antibiotics are a major risk factor for acquiring CDI due to their effect on the normal structure of the indigenous gut microbiota. We found that diverse antibiotic perturbations gave rise to altered communities that varied in their susceptibility to C. difficile colonization. We found that multiple coexisting populations, not one specific population of bacteria, conferred resistance. By understanding the relationships between C. difficile and members of the microbiota, it will be possible to better manage this important infection.
Nonparametric Estimation of Crop Yield Distributions: Implications for Rating Group-Risk Crop Insurance Contracts

We use nonparametric density estimation procedures to evaluate county-level crop yield distributions. Implications for rating area-yield crop insurance contracts are discussed. The procedures developed are used to measure yield risk and calculate insurance premium rates for wheat and barley in the 1995-96 Group Risk Program.
Therapeutic potential of target of rapamycin inhibitors

Target of rapamycin (TOR) functions within the cell as a transducer of information from various sources, including growth factors, energy sensors, and hypoxia sensors, as well as components of the cell regulating growth and division. Blocking TOR function mimics amino acid, and to some extent, growth factor deprivation and has a cytostatic effect on proliferating cells in vivo. Inhibition of TOR in vivo, utilising its namesake rapamycin, leads to immunosuppression. This property has been exploited successfully with the use of rapamycin and its derivatives as a therapeutic agent in the prevention of organ rejection after transplantation with relatively mild side effects when compared to other immunosuppressive agents. The cytostatic effect of TOR on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation has also recently been exploited in the therapeutic application of rapamycin to drug eluting stents for angioplasty. These stents significantly reduce the amount of arterial reblockage that results from proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells. In cancer, the effect of blocking TOR function on tumour growth and disease progression is currently of major interest and is the basis for a number of ongoing clinical trials. However, different cell types and tumours respond differently to TOR inhibition, and TOR is clearly not cytostatic for all types of cancer cells in vitro or in vivo. As the molecular details of how TOR functions and the targets of TOR activity are further elucidated, tumour and tissue specific functions are being identified that implicate TOR in angiogenesis, apoptosis, and the reversal of some forms of cellular transformation. This review will describe our current understanding of TOR function, describe the current strategies for employing TOR inhibitors in clinical and preclinical development, and outline future strategies for appropriate targets of TOR inhibitors in the treatment of disease.
The catalytic reaction between adsorbed oxygen and hydrogen on Rh(111)

The adsorption rate for O2 on Rh(111) at 335 K exhibits Langmuir (1 − θ) kinetics rather than the expected (1 − θ)2 dependence. Adsorption occurs with a sticking coefficient near unity on empty sites, producing a mixture of ordered and disordered domains. At θ ⩽ 0.5, the intensity of the(1, 12)overlayer beam increases in proportion to θ2 as expected for ordered oxygen island formation. Extensive ordering occurs only in the very last stages of monolayer formation. The reaction of the ordered-O layer with H2(g) to produce H2O takes place rapidly above 275 K in the 10−8−10−6 Torr range and can be followed quantitatively by observation of the(1, 12) LEED beam intensity. The reaction accurately exhibits kinetics which are first order in H2 pressure, implying an efficient trapping mechanism for adsorbed hydrogen on the ordered-O layer. The activation energy for reaction is5.3 ± 0.3 kcalmole; each reaction event leads to a loss of order from a ∼-300 A2 domain. This suggests that near saturation coverage, extensive disordering occurs for small decreases in ordered oxygen coverage during reaction with Hz(g) and is consistent with the massive ordering behavior seen in the final stages of oxygen adsorption. The reaction of H2(g) with disordered oxygen species follows approximate half-order kinetics in PH2 as expected for a mechanism which does not involve hydrogen atom trapping.
National Narrative and Social Psychological Influences in Turks’ Denial of the Mass Killings of Armenians as Genocide

This article sheds light on the nature of the Turkish denial of Armenian mass killings. A survey study investigates Turkish students’ construals (i.e., attributions of responsibility and perceived severity of harm) of Turkish massacres of Armenians at the beginning of the 20th century. The results demonstrated a high correspondence between participants’ individual construals and the Turkish official narrative of the events. Structural equation modeling indicated that in-group glorification, perceived in-group threat, and positive attitudes toward war predicted less acknowledgment of in-group responsibility, which in turn predicted less support for reparations of the harm inflicted on Armenians. The study highlights the influence of government-sponsored national self-images in the production and endorsement of legitimizing narratives of the in-group’s violence. The findings call for research that examines the combined influence of psychological and societal mechanisms on people’s beliefs about in-group actions.
A celR Mutation Affecting Transcription of Cellulase Genes in Thermobifida fusca

Biosynthesis of extracellular cellulases in the cellulose-degrading actinomycete Thermobifida fusca is controlled by a transcriptional regulator, CelR, and cellobiose, which acts as an inducer interfering with the CelR-DNA interaction. We report the identification and characterization of a mutation in the celR gene that changes Ala55 in the hinge helix of CelR to Thr. The wild-type and mutant celR genes were cloned in Escherichia coli, and their protein products were characterized. The CelR mutant protein bound DNA more weakly than the wild-type protein and formed a less stable complex with DNA in the presence of cellobiose. The results of Western analysis and gel retardation experiments suggest that CelR is produced constitutively and its DNA-binding activity is regulated through posttranslational modification.
Lessons from the Past: Reassessing the Interwar Disciplinary History of International Relations

This article reconstructs the interwar discourse of international relations among American political scientists and seeks to challenge the orthodox view that the scholarship of this period was essentially idealist in nature. It aims to make a contribution to the growing body of literature devoted to examining the institutional history of international relations. My purpose is to demonstrate that the conventional label of idealism that has been attached to the interwar period of international relations scholarship seriously misrepresents the actual character of the conversation that was being directed toward understanding international politics. By carefully reconstructing the internal discourse of the field, many of the field's long forgotten individuals and ideas are brought back to life. The article concludes by highlighting some of the lessons that the interwar discourse offers to the study of international relations today and argues that this period cannot be construed as idealist.
Social Policy and the Dual-Career Family: Bringing the Social Context Into Counseling

Although most counselors who work with dual-career families are not involved in formal policy analysis and development, their clients are inevitably affected by a broad array of social policies. Values analysis is presented as a tool for counselors to explore the impact of policies on the family. We argue that predominant social values—independence of families, minimal government intervention, separation of home and workplace, and the sex-typed division of labor—lead to policies that create dilemmas for dual-career families. We present and illustrate a counseling process that traces dual-career family dilemmas to discrepancies between family values and the values underlying social policies that affect the family. An alternative set of values based on community and human development is presented as a framework for evaluating current social policies and guiding the formulation of new policies.
Embedded Singularity Chipless RFID Tags

Every structure scatters an impulse plane wave in a unique fashion. The structural information of an object can be extracted by analyzing the late-time scattered field as the impulse-response of the structure. The late-time scattered field, which represents the source-free response of the structure, contains a summation of damped sinusoids. The frequency and damping factor of these damped sinusoids are uniquely associated with the structural information, and can be used to identify an unknown object. We propose to create uniquely identifiable scattered fields from an object by incorporating “notches” in the structure giving rise to specific damped sinusoids in the source-free scattered field of the structure. In this manner, data can be embedded into the structure of an object which is detectable using electromagnetic waves, allowing a metallic object to serve as a chipless radio-frequency identification tag (RFID). Data is encoded as complex natural resonant frequencies (referred to as poles) in the structure and is retrieved from the scattered field. Data retrieval is based on Singularity Expansion Method (SEM) analysis using target identification techniques. Each complex-frequency pole provides two-dimensional data (real and imaginary) which can be extracted from the late-time impulse response of the structure using a numerical technique such as the Matrix Pencil Method. We have designed and prototyped a 6-bit (3-pole) tag. The tag is analyzed using simulations and measurements. The tag is successfully read remotely via its scattered fields. The measured data are compared with simulation, and are in close agreement.
Initial testing of a massively parallel ensemble Kalman filter with the Poseidon isopycnal ocean general circulation model

A multivariate ensemble Kalman filter (MvEnKF) implemented on a massively parallel computer architecture has been developed for the Poseidon ocean circulation model and tested with a Pacific basin model configuration. There are about 2 million prognostic state-vector variables. Parallelism for the data assimilation step is achieved by regionalization of the background-error covariances that are calculated from the phase‐space distribution of the ensemble. Each processing element (PE) collects elements of a matrix measurement functional from nearby PEs. To avoid the introduction of spurious long-range covariances associated with finite ensemble sizes, the background-error covariances are given compact support by means of a Hadamard (element by element) product with a three-dimensional canonical correlation function. The methodology and the MvEnKF implementation are discussed. To verify the proper functioning of the algorithms, results from an initial experiment with in situ temperature data are presented. Furthermore, it is shown that the regionalization of the background covariances has a negligible impact on the quality of the analyses. Even though the parallel algorithm is very efficient for large numbers of observations, individual PE memory, rather than speed, dictates how large an ensemble can be used in practice on a platform with distributed memory.
Automated Cross-Platform Code Synthesis from Web-Based Programming Resources

For maximal market penetration, popular mobile applications are typically supported on all major platforms, including Android and iOS. Despite the vast differences in the look-and-feel of major mobile platforms, applications running on these platforms in essence provide the same core functionality. As an application is maintained and evolved, the resulting changes must be replicated on all the supported platforms, a tedious and error-prone programming process. Existing automated source-to-source translation tools prove inadequate due to the structural and idiomatic differences in how functionalities are expressed across major platforms. In this paper, we present a new approach—Native-2-Native— that automatically synthesizes code for a mobile application to make use of native resources on one platform, based on the equivalent program transformations performed on another platform. First, the programmer modifies a mobile application’s Android version to make use of some native resource, with a plugin capturing code changes. Based on the changes, the system then parameterizes a web search query over popular programming resources (e.g., Google Code, StackOverflow, etc.), to discover equivalent iOS code blocks with the closest similarity to the programmer-written Android code. The discovered iOS code block is then presented to the programmer as an automatically synthesized Swift source file to further fine-tune and subsequently integrate in the mobile application’s iOS version. Our evaluation, enhancing mobile applications to make use of common native resources, shows that the presented approach can correctly synthesize more than 86% of Swift code for the subject applications’ iOS versions.
Global Sequence Protocol: A Robust Abstraction for Replicated Shared State

In the age of cloud-connected mobile devices, users want responsive apps that read and write shared data everywhere, at all times, even if network connections are slow or unavailable. The solution is to replicate data and propagate updates asynchronously. Unfortunately, such mechanisms are notoriously difficult to understand, explain, and implement. To address these challenges, we present GSP (global sequence protocol), an operational model for replicated shared data. GSP is simple and abstract enough to serve as a mental reference model, and offers fine control over the asynchronous update propagation (update transactions, strong synchronization). It abstracts the data model and thus applies both to simple key-value stores, and complex structured data. We then show how to implement GSP robustly on a client-server architecture (masking silent client crashes, server crash-recovery failures, and arbitrary network failures) and efficiently (transmitting and storing minimal information by reducing update sequences).
Atomically Thin MoS2: A Versatile Nongraphene 2D Material

Two-dimensional inorganic materials are emerging as a premiere class of materials for fabricating modern electronic devices. The interest in 2D layered transition metal dichalcogenides is especially high. Particularly, 2D MoS2 is being heavily researched due to its novel functionalities and its suitability for a wide range of electronic and optoelectronic applications. In this article, the progress in mono/few layer(s) MoS2 research is reviewed by focusing primarily on the layer dependent evolution of crystal, phonon, and electronic structure. The review includes extensive detail into the methodologies adapted for single or few layer(s) MoS2 growth. Further, the review covers the versatility of 2D MoS2 for a broad range of device applications. Recent advancements in the field of van der Waals heterostructures are also highlighted at the end of the review.
Psychological aspects of sudden unexpected death in infants and children.

The sudden unexpected death of a child is a tragic event, necessitating long-term psychological adaptation for parents and siblings. Death occurring during the newborn period presents special problems. The physician must view unexpected death as the beginning of a family crisis, and realize that his role may extend far beyond the period immediately after death.
Moving backward and moving on: nostalgia, significant others, and social reintegration in nineteenth-century British immigrant personal correspondence

AbstractNostalgia among immigrants frequently has been conceived of as a brooding and obsessive homesickness that leads to depression, lassitude, and neurotic misery among those who have left their original home and resettled elsewhere. Recent social psychological, literary and philosophical work, however, has sought a reformulation of nostalgia that instead emphasizes the positive uses to which memory, even painful memory, may be put in the effort to confront the challenges to personal identities of such massive changes in the lives of an individual as immigration. Through exploration of the letters to family members of three British immigrants to North America in the nineteenth century, this essay seeks to demonstrate how symbolic representations of the personal past inscribed creatively in letter-writing may function, or alternatively fail to function, to provide associations that bridge the gaps between past and present. The past may serve up mental images of pleasant circumstances involving people, p...
CT thermometry for cone-beam CT guided ablation

Monitoring temperature during a cone-beam CT (CBCT) guided ablation procedure is important for prevention of over-treatment and under-treatment. In order to accomplish ideal temperature monitoring, a thermometry map must be generated. Previously, this was attempted using CBCT scans of a pig shoulder undergoing ablation. 1 We are extending this work by using CBCT scans of real patients and incorporating more processing steps. We register the scans before comparing them due to the movement and deformation of organs. We then automatically locate the needle tip and the ablation zone. We employ a robust change metric due to image noise and artifacts. This change metric takes windows around each pixel and uses an equation inspired by Time Delay Analysis to calculate the error between windows with the assumption that there is an ideal spatial offset. Once the change map is generated, we correlate change data with measured temperature data at the key points in the region. This allows us to transform our change map into a thermal map. This thermal map is then able to provide an estimate as to the size and temperature of the ablation zone. We evaluated our procedure on a data set of 12 patients who had a total of 24 ablation procedures performed. We were able to generate reasonable thermal maps with varying degrees of accuracy. The average error ranged from 2.7 to 16.2 degrees Celsius. In addition to providing estimates of the size of the ablation zone for surgical guidance, 3D visualizations of the ablation zone and needle are also produced.
IMAGES IN CLINICAL MEDICINE. Diaphragmatic Hernia Causing Lung Collapse.

A 54-year-old man with a history of cerebral palsy and mental impairment presented with acute respiratory distress. He was afebrile and had a nonproductive cough. Examination revealed an absence of air sounds in the right hemithorax, with audible bowel sounds.
Special Track on Robotics

This track focuses on all aspects of robotics, including related areas and applications, robotics education, and intelligent autonomous systems.
Surgical management of cervical radiculopathy : indication, techniques, and results

Cervical radiculopathy can be surgically approached either posteriorly or anteriorly and the anterior approach has been described with or without fusion. The choice of approach and technique must be based upon anatomic, pathophysiologic, and biomechanical principles in addition to the familiarity of the surgeon with the procedures. The authors discuss the use of the posterior approach for lateral soft-disk disease because it minimizes disruption of soft and bony tissues and does not markedly disrupt the biomechanics of the cervical spine. The anterior approach is preferred for radiculopathy involving osteophytic hard-disk disease, and when properly and carefully performed, the addition of an interbody fusion holds significant advantages over diskectomy without fusion.
Mechanisms of acid injury to rabbit esophageal epithelium: Role of basolateral cell membrane acidification

Abstract Because mucosal HCl traverses the paracellular pathway before significant damage develops within esophageal epithelium, the effects of mucosal and serosal acidification were compared on Ussing-chambered rabbit esophageal epithelia. Notably serosal, but not mucosal, acidification was associated with cell necrosis, and the latter was accompanied by abolition of potential difference and short-circuit current. The reason for this difference was explored by exposing tissues serosally to ouabain, chloride-free solution, 4-acetamido-4′-isothiocyanatostilbene-2-2′-disulfonic acid (SITS), or amiloride. The results show that serosal acidification, but not ouabainization, is associated with cell necrosis and that cell necrosis induced by serosal acidification can be blocked by SITS and chloride-free solution, but not by amiloride. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that serosal acidification is more damaging than mucosal acidification because of the greater rate with which hydrogen ions can traverse the basolateral membrane; also, the route for more rapid entry appears to involve a SITS-sensitive, chloride-dependent mechanism (e.g., ClHCO3 antiport).
Focusing Quality Improvement Initiatives in Pediatric Plastic Surgery: A Descriptive Study Using the Pediatric National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

BACKGROUND The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program - Pediatrics uses a risk-adjusted, case-mix-adjusted methodology to compare quality of hospital-level surgical performance. This paper aims to focus quality improvement efforts on diagnoses that have large patient volume and high morbidity for pediatric plastic surgery. METHODS Frequency statistics were generated for a cohort of patients under age 18 who underwent plastic surgery procedures at participating National Surgical Quality Improvement Program - Pediatrics hospitals from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012. RESULTS Cleft lip and palate procedures were the leading contributor to serious adverse events (45.00%), and the second largest contributor to composite morbidity (37.73%) as well as hospital-acquired infections (21.23%). CONCLUSIONS When focusing resources for relevant data collection and quality improvement efforts, it is important to consider procedures that are both substantial volume and result in relatively higher morbidity. A balance must be made between what is relevant to collect and what is feasible given finite resources. Cleft lip and/or palate procedures might provide an ideal opportunity for coordinated efforts that could ultimately improve care for pediatric plastic surgery patients.
Gastric and Duodenal Surgery

While gastric and duodenal surgeries for peptic ulcer disease (PUD) were, until the late 1980s, among the most common general surgical procedures; now surgery is reserved for tumors, gastroparesis and infrequent complications of PUD such as perforation and obstruction. This dramatic change in the indications for gastric and duodenal surgery has occurred because of the discovery of Helicobacter Pylori as the main causative agent of PUD and the introduction of effective drug therapies to eliminate the bacteria and reduce gastric acid secretion. In this chapter we will detail the indications and technical aspects of the most common gastric and duodenal operations for complications of PUD and other benign and malignant gastric diseases. Duodenal surgery for other indications is discussed elsewhere in this text.
Deconstructing symbolic consumption: exploring the anti-synthetic space between meaning and meaninglessness

ABSTRACTMeaning is a fundamental aspect of symbolic consumption and lies at the heart of consumer culture theory (CCT). Although consumption meanings are considered dynamic, heterogeneous, and contextual, meaning itself is considered an inherent aspect of consumer culture and a constitutive force of consumer experiences. Utilizing deconstruction as a critical strategy, this paper interrogates the concept of meaning in the CCT literature and contends that meaning is not only present in consumption practices, but it is also absent. As meaning circulates in the infinite possibilities of language, meaninglessness emerges as an important aspect of this process. The dialectical tension between meaning and meaninglessness, though, does not converge within a particular consumption practice, but continuously diverges in the anti-synthetic space between them. We empirically explore the consumption of this anti-synthetic space in three popular culture exemplars. We conclude by discussing the broader implications of ...
Hugo Ball, 1916

This iconic photograph of Hugo Ball in “Cubist costume” (Figure 1) has most frequently been linked to the first performance of his sound poems at the Cabaret Voltaire, which he describes ten years ...