cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How safe are the biologicals in treating asthma and rhinitis

A number of biological agents are available or being investigated for the treatment of asthma and rhinitis. The safety profiles of these biologic agents, which may modify allergic and immunological diseases, are still being elucidated. Subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy, the oldest biologic agent in current use, has the highest of frequency of the most serious and life-threatening reaction, anaphylaxis. It is also one of the only disease modifying interventions for allergic rhinitis and asthma. Efforts to seek safer and more effective allergen immunotherapy treatment have led to investigations of alternate routes of delivery and modified immunotherapy formulations. Sublingual immunotherapy appears to be associated with a lower, but not zero, risk of anaphylaxis. No fatalities have been reported to date with sublingual immunotherapy. Immunotherapy with modified formulations containing Th1 adjuvants, DNA sequences containing a CpG motif (CpG) and 3-deacylated monophospholipid A, appears to provide the benefits of subcutaneous immunotherapy with a single course of 4 to 6 preseasonal injections. There were no serious treatment-related adverse events or anaphylaxis in the clinical trials of these two immunotherapy adjuvants. Omalizumab, a monoclonal antibody against IgE, has been associated with a small risk of anaphylaxis, affecting 0.09% to 0.2% of patients. It may also be associated with a higher risk of geohelminth infection in patients at high risk for parasitic infections but it does not appear to affect the response to treatment or severity of the infection. Clinical trials with other biologic agents that have targeted IL-4/IL-13, or IL-5, have not demonstrated any definite serious treatment-related adverse events. However, these clinical trials were generally done in small populations of asthma patients, which may be too small for uncommon side effects to be identified. There is conflicting information about the safety TNF-alpha blocking agents, which have been primarily used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, with serious infections, cardiovascular disease and malignancies being the most frequent serious adverse events. An unfavorable risk-benefit profile led to early discontinuation of a TNF-blocking agent in a double-blind placebo controlled of severe asthmatics. In summary, the risk of anaphylaxis and other treatment-related serious events with of all of the biological agents in this review were relatively small. However, most of the clinical trials were done in relatively small patient populations and were of relatively short duration. Long term studies in large patient populations may help clarify the risk-benefit profile of these biologic agents in the treatment of asthma.
Effect of Heating and Homogenization on the Stability of Coconut Milk Emulsions

The effects of homogenization and heat treatment on the colloidal stability of coconut milk were studied. Fresh coconut milk (15% to 17% fat, 1.5% to 2% protein) was extracted and stored at 30 °C before homogenization at 40/4 MPa (stage I/stage II). Both homogenized and non-homogenized samples were heated at 50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C, 80 °C, and 90 °C for 1 h. Homogenization reduced the size of the primary emulsion droplets from 10.9 to 3.0 μm, but increased the degree of flocculation, presumably via a bridging mechanism. This flocculation was also responsible for increased viscosity of the homogenized samples. Heating increased the degree of flocculation in both non-homogenized and homogenized samples. A slight amount of coalescence was also observed after heating above 80 °C. All samples creamed after 24 h of storage, but the heated samples formed a larger cream layer, presumably because the flocculated droplets packed together less efficiently. Optical microscopy was used to confirm the combination of flocculation and creaming responsible for changes in coconut milk quality. The information obtained from this study provides a better understanding of the emulsion science important in controlling coconut milk functionality.
Local impedance and microchemical analysis of electrical heterogeneities in multilayer electroceramic devices

We present an experimental methodology for locating and studying local failure sites in multilayer electroceramic devices at the submicron-length scale. In particular, the inhomogeneous degradation of multilayer ceramic capacitors is studied using a judicious combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), local-probe electrical measurements, focused ion beam (FIB) extraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Voltage-contrast SEM permits the identification of regions of different electrical potential within degraded multilayer devices. The local impedance from specific regions is measured in situ between a tungsten probe and the internal device electrodes, while impedance spectra are extracted for more detailed analysis. Because implementation occurs in dual-beam FIB/SEM, these locally defective sites can be extracted and thinned to electron transparency for further investigation by TEM. In this study, degraded sites in BaTiO3 multilayer capacitors are found to be associated with local oxygen deficiencies in BaTiO3, as measured by electron energy loss spectroscopy.
Optimization using neural networks

The design of feedback (or recurrent) neural networks to produce good solutions to complex optimization problems is discussed. The theoretical basis for applying neural networks to optimization problems is reviewed, and a design rule that serves as a primitive for constructing a wide class of constraints is introduced. The use of the design rule is illustrated by developing a neural network for producing high-quality solutions to a probabilistic resource allocation task. The resulting neural network has been simulated on a high-performance parallel processor that has been optimized for neural network simulation. >
Classroom-Based Intervention for Student Exhibiting Depressive Reactions.

Social learning constructs which provide discrete yet complimentary views of the etiology of reactive depression have been advanced in the psychological literature. These viewpoints which include l...
Magnetic transition and sound velocities of Fe3S at high pressure: implications for Earth and planetary cores

Magnetic, elastic, thermodynamic, and vibrational properties of the most iron-rich sulfide, Fe3S, known to date have been studied with synchrotron Mossbauer spectroscopy (SMS) and nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (NRIXS) up to 57 GPa at room temperature. The magnetic hyperfine fields derived from the time spectra of the synchrotron Mossbauer spectroscopy show that the low-pressure magnetic phase displays two magnetic hyperfine field sites and that a magnetic collapse occurs at 21 GPa. The magnetic to non-magnetic transition significantly affects the elastic, thermodynamic, and vibrational properties of Fe3S. The magnetic collapse of Fe3S may also affect the phase relations in the iron–sulfur system, changing the solubility of sulfur in iron under higher pressures. Determination of the physical properties of the non-magnetic Fe3S phase is important for the interpretation of the amount and properties of sulfur present in the planetary cores. Sound velocities of Fe3S obtained from the measured partial phonon density of states (PDOS) for 57Fe incorporated in the alloy show that Fe3S has higher compressional and shear wave velocity than those of hcp-Fe and hcp-Fe0.92Ni0.08 alloy under high pressures, making sulfur a potential light element in the Earth's core based on geophysical arguments. The VP and VS of the non-magnetic Fe3S follow a Birch's law trend whereas the slopes decrease in the magnetic phase, indicating that the decrease of the magnetic moment significantly affects the sound velocities. If the Martian core is in the solid state containing 14.2 wt.% sulfur, it is likely that the non-magnetic Fe3S phase is a dominant component and that our measured sound velocities of Fe3S can be used to construct the corresponding velocity profile of the Martian core. It is also conceivable that Fe3P and Fe3C undergo similar magnetic phase transitions under high pressures.
Fault Modeling for Digital MOS Integrated Circuits

A new fault modeling technique aimed at efficient simulation and test generation for complex digital MOS IC's is described. It is based on connector-switch-attenuator (CSA) analysis, which employs purely digital models of switching transistors, resistive/capacitive elements, and their associated signals. The use of CSA networks to model the digital behavior, both static and dynamic, of MOS circuits is reviewed. It is shown that most physical failure modes in such circuits, including short-circuit, open-circuit, and delay faults, can be modeled more efficiently by CSA models than by conventional approaches. A generalized single stuck-line (GSSL) fault model is suggested as a uniform and practical method for fault representation.
Multilayer coating of gold nanorods for combined stability and biocompatibility

Engineering plasmonic nanostructures that simultaneously achieve high colloidal stability, high photothermal stability, low non-specific binding to biological specimens, and low toxicity is of significant interest to research in bionanotechnology. Using gold nanorods, we solved this problem by encapsulating them with a multilayer structure, silica, hydrophobic ligands, and amphiphilic-polymers. In comparison with nanorods covered with the conventional surface chemistries, such as surfactants, polyelectrolytes, thiolated polymers, and silica shells alone, the new nanorods remain single in various solutions and show remarkable stability against laser irradiation. We further demonstrated specific targeting and effective treatment of prostate tumor cells using nanorod–aptamer bioconjugates. This exquisitely formulated nanoencapsulation technology could potentially help stabilize other plasmonic nanostructures that are not in the most thermodynamically or chemically stable states, and should open exciting opportunities in nanotechnology-based imaging and therapeutics.
Testing Lead-Lag Effects under Game-Theoretic Efficient Market Hypotheses

A game-theoretic efficient market hypothesis says that a trading strategy will not multiply the capital it risks substantially relative to a specified market index. This implies that the autocorrelation of returns with respect to the index will be small and that a signal x will have approximately the same lead-lag effect on all traded securities. These predictions do not depend on assumptions about probabilities and preferences. Instead they rely on the game-theoretic framework introduced by Shafer and Vovk in 2001, which unifies statistical testing with the notion of a trading strategy that risks only a fixed capital. In this framework, we reject market efficiency at significance level alpha when the capital risked is multiplied by 1/alpha or more. This approach identifies the same anomalies as the conventional approach: statistical significance for the autocorrelations of small-cap portfolios and equal-weighted indices, as well as for the ability of other portfolios to lead them. Because it bases statistical significance directly on trading strategies, the approach allows us to measure the degree of market friction needed to account for this statistical significance. We find that market frictions provide adequate explanation.
Cerebral Hemodynamic Effects of Hyperoxia Linked to Severity of Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension

We employ diffuse optical spectroscopies to measure cerebral hemodynamic effects of hyperoxia in pediatric patients treated with pulmonary vasodilators and demonstrate the potential of diffuse optics to probe severity of pulmonary hypertension.
Team-Based Telecare for Bipolar Disorder.

Abstract Introduction: Numerous randomized controlled trials indicate that collaborative chronic care models improve outcome in a wide variety of mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder. However, their spread into clinical practice is limited by the need for a critical mass of patients and specialty providers in the same locale. Clinical videoconferencing has the potential to overcome these geographic limitations. Materials and Methods: A videoconference-based collaborative care program for bipolar disorder was implemented in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Program evaluation assessed experience with the first 400 participants, guided by five domains specified by the American Telemedicine Association: treatment engagement, including identification of subpopulations at risk for not being reached; participation in treatment; clinical impact; patient safety; and quality of care. Results: Participation rates resembled those for facility-based collaborative care. No participant characteristics...
Pheromone-Baited Traps for Dendroctonus Pseudotsugae(Coleoptera: Scolytidae): Influence of Selected Release Rates and Trap Designs

Several different aggregation pheromone release rates and trap designs were evaluated for trapping the Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins. Frontalin:seudenol release rates of 160:80, 80:40, 40:20, 20:10, 10:5, and 1:0.5 mg/d, respectively ith a constant ethanol release rate of 88 mg/d at 24°C were tested in multiple-funnel traps. The highest Douglas-fir beetle catches occurred at release rates of 20:10 and 10:5 mg/d. There were significantly fewer catches at higher and lower release rates. The percentage of male Douglas-fir beetles increased significantly with increasing release rates up to a plateau at 80:40 mg/d. Catches of Thanasimus undatulus (Say) (Coleoptera: Cleridae), a predator, increased consistently with higher release rates. Multiple-funnel traps caught significantly more Douglas-fir beetles than slotted-panel traps for both total numbers and number per unit area of trapping surface. There was no difference between the 2 trap types in selectivity for Douglas-fir beetles relative to T. undatulus. Placing metal screens with 6- or 12-mm openings above the collection cup to filter intercepted insects or providing a strip of metal screen with 1.5-mm openings to serve as an escape route for predators from the collection cup in multiple-funnel traps resulted in capture of a significantly higher ratio of Douglas-fir beetles to predators. These results will contribute to the development of more efficient trapping programs to lessen the impact of Douglas-fir beetle outbreaks.
A MELUS Interview: Nikki Giovanni

Throughout her career, Nikki Giovanni's poetry has been valued, at least in part, as a touchstone to the latest political and artistic ideas in Black American writing. She, however, never considered herself a spokesperson for any group. She says she is a "we" poet whose work might reflect the thoughts of others but judges it the height of "arrogance" to assume one is the "voice" of a people; people, she is confident, can speak perfectly well for themselves. She feels that her poetry is richer now because she understands more than she did when she was younger; as if to accommodate that fuller understanding, she is experimenting with longer pieces, some of 1200 to 1500 lines. Her forthcoming book is Those Who Ride The Night Winds, to be published later this year by William Morrow.
Meaningfulness values for 52 CVCs for grade-school-aged children

Multiple word associations to 52 CVCs were obtained from grade-school-aged children. Meaningfulness values (m) for each word, defined as the mean number of associations, were determined. While m values for the set of words increased with grade-age, the rank ordering of these values was essentially the same within each grade-age-sex group. Sex was not related to m values. Values of m when compared with Noble’s m’ showed significant agreement both for rank-order comparisons and values dichotomized into high and low categories.
The Response of Specifically Immunized Mice to Reinoculation with the Virus of St. LouisEncephalitis, with Especial Attention to the Development of Myelitic Symptoms

The transmission of the virus of St. Louis encephalitis to mice was first accomplished by Webster and Fite.1 The symptom-complex, as initially described by them and subsequently observed by other workers and ourselves, consists of ruffling of the fur, tremors, ataxia and usually hyperesthesia, with death either in violent convulsions, especially where an excessive dose of virus has been given (1,000 or more cerebral lethal doses), or with profound prostration, the more typical picture. Working with the Daily strain of the virus, generously sent to this laboratory by Dr. Muckenfuss, we have noted the most rigid adherence to the above syndrome in more than 1,000 mice inoculated with the virus in the course of various experimental procedures. Moreover, once definite nervous symptoms have appeared, the disease has almost invariably progressed to a fatal outcome.
Californian Anostraca: Distribution, Habitat, and Status

ABSTRACT California has a diverse anostracan fauna of 17 species belonging to 6 genera. This is nearly 40% of all species currently described from North America. Six of these anostracans are endemic to California. This is the highest level of endemism among anostracans for any comparable geographic area in North America. The causes of this high endemism remain unclear except that they probably relate to the factors responsible for the high level of species diversity. Species richness within the state is attributable to the great variety of habitats occurring within the state. The distribution of each species appears to be controlled by geographical and seasonal variations in habitat water chemistry and temperature. Historical and ongoing land use practices have resulted in significant loss of anostracan habitats, particularly in California's Central Valley. As a result of this ongoing habitat loss, several of the state's endemic species may warrant consideration as threatened or endangered species under state and federal endangered species acts. We describe 4 new species, all endemic to California: Branchinecta conservatio, B. longiantenna,B. lynchi, and Streptocephalus woottoni.
Influence of Semipurified Constituents of Juvenile Jack Pine, Pinus banksiana, Foliage and Other Pine-derived Chemicals on Feeding of Neodiprion swainei and N. rugifrons Larvae

Fractionated extracts of foliage of juvenile jack pine, Pinus banksiana Lambert, were investigated as antifeedants for larvae of the Swaine jack pine sawfly, Neodiprion swainei Middleton, and N. rugifrons Middleton. A partially purified fraction exhibiting strong antifeedant activity was obtained from aqueous extracts by a selective extraction procedure and by TLC. This fraction had similar TLC development and IR spectral absorption as an antifeedant component in a hexane extract of juvenile foliage. N. swainei showed variable feeding preference to non-host foliage and oleoresin extracts. Several non-oxygenated monoterpenes common in pine needle oil did not inhibit larval feeding. Terpene acetates also were inert. The resin acid, 1-pimaric, did not inhibit N. rugifrons feeding; d-pimaric acid and abietic acid were not active at low concentration (1%), but deterred larval feeding at a higher concentration (20%). Larvae were strongly deterred by tall oil fatty acids and certain oxygenated monoterpenes. Feeding of both sawflies was inhibited by certain quinoidal compounds; larvae were most sensitive to 2-methyl-3-phytyl- 1,4-naphthoquinone > 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone > 1,4-naphthoquinone > 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone > 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone.
Frequency Dependence of Petechial Hemorrhage and Cardiomyocyte Injury Induced during Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography

Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) for perfusion imaging can induce microscale bio-effects during intermittent high-Mechanical Index scans. The dependence of MCE-induced bio-effects on the ultrasonic frequency was examined in rats at 1.6, 2.5 and 3.5 MHz. Premature complexes were counted in the electrocardiogram, petechial hemorrhages with microvascular leakage on the heart surface were observed at the time of exposure, plasma troponin elevation was measured after 4 h and cardiomyocyte injury was detected at 24 h. Increasing response to exposure above an apparent threshold was observed for all endpoints at each frequency. The effects decreased with increasing ultrasonic frequency, and the thresholds increased. Linear regressions for frequency-dependent thresholds indicated coefficients and exponents of 0.6 and 1.07 for petechial hemorrhages, respectively, and 1.02 and 0.8 for cardiomyocyte death, compared with 1.9 and 0.5 (square root) for the guideline limit of the mechanical index. The results clarify the dependence of cardiac bio-effects on frequency, and should allow development of theoretical descriptions of the phenomena and improved safety guidance for MCE.
Application of X-ray Radiation Separation Technology in Pre-concentration of Copper Ore

The test of run-of-mine and surrounding rock taken from ChifengDajingzi copper ore was conducted to study the effect of separation threshold value on pre-concentration index using X-ray radiation separator. The results indicated that pre-concentration index varied with separation threshold value and the feed size. Under the suitable separation condition,the valuable mineral and the gangue mineral or barren rock in the copper ore could be separated efficiently. The barren rock could be removed from run-of-mine and the valuable mineral could be recovered from surrounding rock,which could increase the mill feed grade,decrease the beneficiation costs,reduce the loss and waste of resources and improve the benefits of the concentratore.
Virtuous Avengers in Commonplace Cases

Despite the bad press that revenge has received from moral philosophers and legal theorists, it can be a legitimate way to forge a link between wrongful behavior and penalties that karmic moral theories can only postulate. It can be especially effectual in commonplace cases that are under the radar of formal systems of justice. In such cases it can play a positive role in strengthening the moral foundations of a community. In those cases acts of revenge can provide a morally valuable antidote to the negative participant reactive attitudes of community members. They can be an expression of morality in and for itself while exorcizing such pent up emotions as resentment, hatred, indignation, anger, antipathy, annoyance, umbrage, and ire. I maintain that responding in morally appropriate ways to insults, derisions, disparagements, and other forms of perceived wrongful disrespect and ill will is elemental in sustaining equitable human relations. To reiterate and paraphrase a point Robert Nozick made, the only power that morality has to affect human affairs resides in the critical responses moral people feel obliged to make upon recognizing the wrongful quality of another person’s acts or will. In this paper I apply the four criteria I defended in the book The Virtues of Vengeance to rather mundane cases of perceived maltreatment, exploitation, oppression, and/or neglect, and I deal with the issue of regulating multiple avengers who are bent on dealing out revenge to offenders in such commonplace cases.
Comparative resistance of San Miguel sea lion virus and vesicular exanthema of swine virus to chemical disinfectants.

Two similar calici agents, San Miguel sea lion virus (SMSV) and vesicular exanthema of swine virus (VESV) are susceptible to the virucidal activity of disinfectants of differing formulation. Ten of 12 com-pounds were effective against six log10 plaque forming units (PFU) of SMSV in a 2-min exposure at 4, 25 and 37°C. However, only seven of these 10 SMSV-positive compounds inactivated VESV under the same conditions of temperature and time. Two compounds were not effective against SMSV in a 20-min exposure at 4 and 25°C, but were effective at 37°C. Two of the three compounds not effective against VESV in a 20-min exposure at 4 and 25°C were also effective at 37°C. The test iodophor compound inactivated SMSV completely but had only minimal inactivating activity against VESV at the three temperatures tested.
Brunner's gland hamartomas : clinical presentation and pathological features of 27 cases

Objectives The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical presentation, pathological features, and outcome of a series of patients with Brunner's gland hamartomas. Methods We reviewed the clinical and pathological features of 27 patients who presented with Brunner's gland hamartomas, and we obtained follow-up information. Results Patients (12 men and 15 women) presented predominantly in the fifth and sixth decades of life either with gastrointestinal hemorrhage (n = 10) or obstructive symptoms (n = 10); there were also patients whose tumors were discovered as an incidental finding (n = 7). The tumors were generally pedunculated, were located in the first portion of the duodenum, and were in the range of diameter from 1 to 6 cm. Histologically, the hamartomas were characterized by the presence of nondysplastic, lobulated Brunner's glands with intervening bands of fibrous tissue and variable adipose and lymphoid tissue. Focal sclerosis was found in 93% of the hamartomas, possibly mimicking an adenocarcinoma. Whether managed surgically (24 patients) or endoscopically (three patients), the outcome was uniformly favorable. After a median period of 7-yr-follow-up, no tumors recurred, and no additional morbidity was identified. Conclusions Brunner's gland hamartomas are rare duodenal tumors occurring in middle age that present either with gastrointestinal hemorrhage, obstructive symptoms, or as an incidental finding. Surgical or endoscopic excision is uncomplicated, and the long-term outcome is favorable.
What Does It Mean to Be Student Centered? An Institutional Case Study of edTPA Implementation

ABSTRACTThis longitudinal case study investigated how one School of Education (SOE), situated in an urban, commuter, public university, responded to the New York State mandate to require the edTPA for initial teacher certification. In order to engage faculty in the work of program redesign, SOE administrators employed a covert leadership approach. Based on survey and focus-group data collected across 3 years, the authors draw conclusions about how professional development that fostered communities of practice helped to shift faculty from self to program/candidate concerns.
Maxillofacial Morphology of Miocene Hominoids from Africa and Indo-Pakistan

The contact of the Afro-Arabian Plate with Eurasia around 17 million years ago (m.y.a.) is associated with profound changes in Miocene faunal communities. At or about this time, a hominoid appeared in East Africa that was anatomically quite different from the Proconsul species complex that had been endemic there for over 6 million years. These differences involved elements of occlusal design, thickness of molar enamel caps, and gnathic buttressing, which showed a general increase in robusticity. By the mid 1970s, this combination of features had come to be regarded as exclusively characteristic of australopithecines or their immediate ancestors. Thus the presence of a hominoid with thick enamel and robust maxillae at Fort Ternan seemed to provide the oldest evidence of hominids (Simons, 1968; Andrews and Tekkaya, 1976; Simons and Pilbeam, 1978). The later discovery and diagnosis of Australopithecus afarensis from Pliocene deposits in Ethiopia and Tanzania (Johanson et al., 1978; Johanson and White, 1979) tended to further strengthen the argument that an animal like Ramapithecus from East Africa and Indo-Pakistan was ancestral to the earliest undoubted hominids.
Understanding climate-induced migration through computational modeling: A critical overview with guidance for future efforts

Climate change has the potential to displace large populations in many parts of the developed and developing world. Understanding why, how, and when environmental migrants decide to move is critica...
Low Rates of Adverse Events Following Ambulatory Outpatient Total Hip Arthroplasty at a Free-Standing Surgery Center

Abstract Background We proposed to determine the complication and hospital admission rates for patients with total hip arthroplasty (THA) done by a single surgeon in a stand-alone ambulatory surgical center with same-day discharge. Given the recent emphasis on bundled payments for a 90-day episode of care, this same time frame after surgery was chosen to determine patient outcomes. Methods The records of patients with THAs done through a direct anterior approach by a single surgeon at 2 separate ambulatory surgery centers were reviewed. To analyze the learning curve for outpatient THA, the procedures were arbitrarily divided into 2 groups depending on when they were done: early in our experience or later. Complications were recorded, as were hospital admissions and surgical interventions, length of surgery and blood loss, and time spent at the outpatient facility. Results Over a 3-year period, 145 outpatient THAs were done in 125 patients; 73 were considered to be initial procedures, and 72 were considered to be later procedures. Only one of the 145 procedures (0.7%) required transfer from the outpatient facility to the hospital for a blood transfusion. No other direct admissions to the hospital or transfers to the emergency department from the surgery center were necessary. Surgical interventions were required after 3 (2%) of the 145 arthroplasties in the global period (90 days). Conclusion This study demonstrated that same-day discharge to home following THA can be safely done without increased complications, readmissions, reoperations, or emergency room visits.
Volatility of Commodity Futures Prices and Market-Implied Inflation Expectations

Abstract This study examines intricate interplay between crude oil, copper and gold futures prices, and market-implied inflation expectations that are proxied by the breakeven inflation derived from the 5-year US Treasury Note yields. We perform the Bai-Perron multiple breakpoint tests, Bayesian VAR with impulse response functions and GARCH with GED parameterization tests on daily data for the sample period January 3, 2003 – March 26, 2015. The results show a strong causal impact of shocks in the breakeven inflation on West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude oil as well as copper futures prices, albeit to varied degrees during the examined sample period. At times of low market risk and highly liquid markets West Texas Intermediate and copper futures prices move in tandem with the 5-year breakeven inflation. Prices of Brent and gold futures move in the opposite direction to the market-implied inflation.
Atmospheric correction for hyperspectral ocean color retrieval with application to the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO)

Abstract The classical multi-spectral Atmospheric Correction (AC) algorithm is inadequate for the new generation of spaceborne hyperspectral sensors such as NASA's first hyperspectral Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) onboard the anticipated Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite mission. The AC process must estimate and remove the atmospheric path radiance contribution due to the Rayleigh scattering by air molecules and scattering by aerosols from the measured top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance, compensate for the absorption by atmospheric gases, and correct for reflection and refraction of the air-sea interface. In this work, we present and evaluate an improved AC for hyperspectral sensors developed within NASA's SeaWiFS Data Analysis System software package (SeaDAS). The improvement is based on combining the classical AC approach of multi-spectral capabilities to correct for the atmospheric path radiance, extended to hyperspectral, with a gas correction algorithm to compensate for absorbing gases in the atmosphere, including water vapor. The SeaDAS-hyperspectral version is capable of operationally processing the AC of any hyperspectral airborne or spaceborne sensor. The new algorithm development was evaluated and assessed using the Hyperspectral Imager for Coastal Ocean (HICO) scenes collected at the Marine Optical BuoY (MOBY) site, and other SeaWiFS Bio-optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS) and AERosol Robotic NETwork - Ocean Color (AERONET-OC) coastal sites. A hyperspectral vicarious calibration was applied to HICO, showing the validity and consistency of HICO's ocean color products. The hyperspectral AC capability is currently available in SeaDAS to the scientific community at https://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/ .
So You Think Computational Approaches to Understanding Glycosaminoglycan–Protein Interactions are Too Dry and Too Rigid? Think Again!

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) play key roles in virtually all biologic responses through their interaction with proteins. A major challenge in understanding these roles is their massive structural complexity. Computational approaches are extremely useful in navigating this bottleneck and, in some cases, the only avenue to gain comprehensive insight. We discuss the state-of-the-art on computational approaches and present a flowchart to help answer most basic, and some advanced, questions on GAG-protein interactions. For example, firstly, does my protein bind to GAGs?; secondly, where does the GAG bind?; thirdly, does my protein preferentially recognize a particular GAG type?; fourthly, what is the most optimal GAG chain length?; fifthly, what is the structure of the most favored GAG sequence?; and finally, is my GAG-protein system 'specific', 'non-specific', or a combination of both? Recent advances show the field is now poised to enable a non-computational researcher perform advanced experiments through the availability of various tools and online servers.
The influence of child restraint lower attachment method on protection offered by forward facing child restraint systems in oblique loading conditions.

Objective: The research objective was to quantify the influence of child restraint lower attachment method on head kinematics, head impact potential, and head, neck, and thorax injury metrics for a...
Early photoreceptor outer segment loss and retinoschisis in Cohen syndrome.

ABSTRACTPurpose: To describe early structural and functional retinal changes in a patient with Cohen syndrome.Methods: A 13-month-old Caucasian girl of Irish and Spanish ancestry was noted to have micrognathia and laryngomalacia at birth, which prompted a genetic evaluation that revealed biallelic deletions in COH1 (VPS13B) (a maternally inherited 60-kb deletion involving exons 26–32 and a paternally inherited 3.5-kb deletion within exon 17) consistent with Cohen syndrome. She underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, full-field flash electroretinography and retinal imaging with spectral domain optical coherence tomography.Results: Central vision was central, steady, and maintained. There was bilateral myopic astigmatic refractive error. Fundus exam was notable for dark foveolar pigmentation, but no obvious abnormalities of either eye. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography cross sections through the fovea revealed a normal appearing photoreceptor outer nuclear layer but loss of the interdigitati...
Using object-based image analysis to conduct high- resolution conifer extraction at regional spatial scales

Abstract Distributional expansion and infill of pinyon ( Pinus monophylla ) and juniper ( Juniperus osteosperma, J. occidentalis ) trees (hereinafter, "pinyon-juniper") into sagebrush ecosystems alters the ecological function and economic viability of these ecosystems and represents a major contemporary challenge facing land and wildlife managers. Therefore, accurate and high-resolution maps of pinyon-juniper distribution and abundance across broad geographic extents would facilitate science that quantifies ecological effects of pinyon-juniper expansion and help guide land management decisions that better target areas for pinyon-juniper treatment projects. We mapped conifers at a high (1- m 2 ; i.e., 1 × 1-m) resolution across the majority of Nevada and northeastern California. We used digital orthophoto quad tiles from National Agriculture Imagery Program ( USDA, 2013 ) to classify conifers using automated feature extraction (AFE) with the program Feature Analyst™ ( Overwatch, 2013 ). Overall accuracy was >86% across all mapped areas for ground referencing methods. We provide five sets of full-extent maps for land managers: (1) a shapefile representing accuracy results linked to mapping subunits; (2) binary rasters representing conifer presence or absence at a 1-m 2 resolution; (3) a 900-m 2 resolution raster representing percentages of conifer canopy cover within each cell; (4) 1-m 2 resolution canopy cover classification rasters derived from a 50-m radius moving window analysis; and (5) an example map derived from our canopy cover product that prioritizes pinyon-juniper treatment by significance to sage-grouse habitat improvement. Importantly, the canopy cover maps were developed to allow user-specified flexibility based on their own objectives (i.e., develop phases of expansion). These products improve upon or complement existing conifer maps for the Western United States and will help facilitate habitat management and sagebrush ecosystem restoration through an accurate understanding of conifer distribution and abundance at multiple spatial scales.
Growth response of major USA cowpea cultivars II. Effect of salinity on leaf gas exchange

In an effort to elucidate the physiological processes involved in cowpea differential growth response of four major USA cowpea cultivars (CB5, CB27, 8517 and 7964) to increasing salinity, we investigated the effect of salinity on leaf gas exchange of net photosynthetic rate per unit leafmass(Pnm)andperunitleafarea(Pna),andstomatalconductance(gs)ofthefourcowpeacultivars.Theexperimentwassetupasastandard split-plot design in which cowpea plants were grown in greenhouse sand tanks irrigated with nutrient solutions. Seven salinities ranging from 2.6 to 20.5 dS m � 1 were constructed based on Colorado River water salt composition with NaCl, CaCl2 and MgSO4 as the salinization salts. Light-saturated Pnm, Pna and gs of fully expanded trifoliage were examined at the vegetative growth and flowering stages, and the data were analyzed using a split-plot analysis of variance (ANOVA) model. We found a highly significant (P � 0.0001) reduction of Pnm, Pna and gs due to salinity. The responses of Pnm, Pna and gs to salinity could be further described by a general model of log(y )= a1 + a2x + a3x 2 ,w herey represents either Pnm, Pna, or gs; a1, a2 and a3, empirical constants; x, salinity. We found that Pnm was more sensitive to salinity than Pna. Additionally, we found that increasing stomatal closure with increasing salinity might limit Pnm or Pna. While we did not find any significant difference (P > 0.05) of Pnm and Pna among the four cultivars, we did find a significant difference (P � 0.05) in gs. No significant
Combinatorics of Covers of Complexified Hyperplane Arrangements

This is a survey of combinatorial models for covering spaces of the complement of a complexified hyperplane arrangement. We obtain a unified picture of the subject, and a generalization of various known results, by exploiting the toolkit of homotopy colimits for combinatorial applications developed by Welker, Ziegler and Živaljevic.
Dynamically Disordered Lattice in a Layered Pb-I-SCN Perovskite Thin Film Probed by Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy.

The dynamically flexible lattices in lead halide perovskites may play important roles in extending carrier recombination lifetime in 3D perovskite solar-cell absorbers and in exciton self-trapping in 2D perovskite white-light phosphors. Two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy was applied to study a recently reported Pb-I-SCN layered perovskite. The Pb-I-SCN perovskite was spin-coated on a SiO2 surface as a thin film, with a thickness of ∼100 nm, where the S12CN– anions were isotopically diluted with the ratio of S12CN:S13CN = 5:95 to avoid vibrational coupling and excitation transfer between adjacent SCN– anions. The 12CN stretch mode of the minor S12CN– component was the principal vibrational probe that reported on the structural evolution through 2D IR spectroscopy. Spectral diffusion was observed with a time constant of 4.1 ± 0.3 ps. Spectral diffusion arises from small structural changes that result in sampling of frequencies within the distribution of frequencies comprising the inhomogeneously ...
Bitcoin as Asset Class

A five cent $0.05 investment in Bitcoin on July 17, 2010, the first date in which there appears to have been a published value had grown to $7,383.39 on July 18, 2018. While Bitcoin as a currency has existed for less than a decade it had a very limited liquidity and usage during the first few years. During calendar year 2017 alone, Bitcoin increased in value from about $970 to $14,292, an increase of approximately 1,735 percent. Highly volatile, and having reached a market capitalization of almost $300 billion by December 13, 2017, Bitcoin had become equivalent to the world’s sixth largest currency and has, despite its volatility, attracted considerable attention as an investment asset. Our research examines the history of Bitcoin from inception until mid-year 2018 and compares and contrasts price performance and correlation with other asset classes: Dow Jones 30 Industrial Average; SP NASDAQ; Russell 2000; gold; real estate; Nikki; MSCI; and bond market. We believe our study covers performance of this important alternative class over the greatest period of time to date. We conclude that Bitcoin may be an attractive investment from a diversification perspective because of its low correlation with equities markets. However, Bitcoin’s characteristics of high volatility and potential illiquidity make it difficult to compare with more traditional assets such as equities and bonds.
Soil microbial community size and composition changes along a tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus) gradient in a semiarid region

Abstract Invasive plants are a serious concern throughout many rangelands in North America because of their detrimental effects on vegetation community composition, diversity and wildlife habitat. Growing evidence shows that invasive plants affect ecosystem processes such as energy and nutrient cycling and soil microbial associations. Tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus [L.] P. Beauv. ex Roem and Schult.) is a C4, perennial caespitose grass that is rapidly increasing throughout the Coastal Sand Plain in southern Texas. In a field study, we examined the response of soil microbial community size and structure over a 3-year period (2013–2015) along a tanglehead invasion gradient represented by the natives-without-tanglehead plant communities ( 70% tanglehead) plant communities. Soil microbial size [microbial biomass carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN), and total fatty acid methyl esters (FAME)] differed between natives-without-tanglehead and tanglehead-dominated sites in 2013 and 2015 (dry years). MBC averaged ~200 mg kg−1 soil in natives-without-tanglehead sites but
Developing Simulations for the Politics and International Relations Classroom

Simulations have long been an important pedagogical tool in the fields of Politics and International Relations. Their more widespread use, however, has been prevented by a combination of perceived ...
Reduced-Order Modeling of the Wake Behind a Single Wind Turbine

The cluster-based reduced-order model proposed by Kaiser et al. (J Fluid Mech, 754:365–414, 2014, [4]) is applied to identify the physical mechanisms of the wind turbine wake flow. The centroids of the clusters show the features of the fluctuating velocity. Rolling structures of the wake and Fourier-like modes are captured by the centroids. Based on the probability distribution, the dynamical model identifies quasi-attractors of the wakes and intrinsic behavior of the flow. The transition between wake-atmospheric boundary layer interaction occurs only during a particular phase of transition. The spectrum analysis of the clusters provides further information on characteristic frequencies of the ensemble trajectories.
Voltage-gated potassium channels are critical for infrared inhibition of action potentials: an experimental study

Thermal block of unmyelinated axons may serve as a modality for control, suggesting a means for providing therapies for pain. Computational modeling predicted that potassium channels are necessary for mediating thermal block of propagating compound action potentials (CAPs) with infrared (IR) light. Our study tests that hypothesis. Results suggest that potassium channel blockers disrupt the ability of IR to block propagating CAPs in Aplysia californica nerves, whereas sodium channel blockers appear to have no significant effect. These observations validate the modeling results and suggest potential applications of thermal block to many other unmyelinated axons.
Modifying a naturalistic language intervention for use in an elementary school classroom

Background and aimsWe evaluated a naturalistic language intervention (NLI) targeting expanded forms of expressive communication (e.g., two-word phrases) for elementary-aged children with autism spe...
The impact of calorie and physical activity labelling on consumer’s emo-sensory perceptions and food choices

Abstract Providing labelling information is one of the strategies used to help consumers make healthier choices. However, although the type of information has the potential to assist consumers, it is important to evaluate their sensory and emotional perceptions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different labelling information on consumers’ sensory and emotional perceptions and their choices, for three different products (potato chips, juice and yogurt). A total of 480 participants were randomly assigned to one of four information conditions (no information (blind), kilocalorie (kcal) information, physical activity (PA) information [duration of walking required to burn the kcal in the product], kcal + PA information). For each information condition, participants were provided with higher kcal and lower kcal equivalent food pairs and were required to choose one. The participants evaluated their overall liking using a 9-point hedonic scale and answered rate-all-that-apply (RATA) questions related to the sensory and emotional characteristics of the products. The results showed no significant impact of calorie and physical activity labelling on consumers' overall liking for juice and yogurt samples and no impact of PA information for chips. Significant differences in overall liking were found when comparing the blind condition with kcal and kcal + PA information, with lower acceptance of the chips samples when this information was presented. Although providing calorie and physical activity labelling had little impact on consumers’ sensory and emotional perceptions, consumers perceived unhealthy attributes and negative emotions, such as fatty and guilty, when information was presented. The present work suggests that, although nutrition labelling may be presented as an important strategy to assist consumers, it is important to evaluate consumers’ lifestyles, considering that non-dieters and those low and moderate in dietary restraint may not be impacted by this information.
Landau-Ginzburg model of interphase boundaries in improper ferroelastic Perovskites of D4h18 symmetry.

The Landau model of Slonczewski and Thomas (1970) for the improper ferroelastic ${\mathit{O}}_{\mathit{h}}^{1}$-${\mathit{D}}_{4\mathit{h}}^{18}$ phase transition in perovskite-structure compounds has been extended by including spatial gradient terms of the three-component primary order parameter (OP) and applied to calculate the OP profile and the strain distribution for antiphase and for twin boundaries in the tetragonal phase. In order to obtain quasi-one-dimensional kink-type solitary-wave solutions for which the OP and the strain depend only on the coordinate normal to the interface plane, lateral surface forces are required which allow for the shape change associated with ferroelastic interfaces, but which prevent expansion or contraction within the boundary plane. Numerical application to ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$, including calculation of the thickness and energy of both types of interphase boundaries versus temperature, is also presented.