cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxandrolone Improves Height Velocity and BMI in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of oxandrolone in improving the nutritional status and linear growth of pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods. Medical records of patients with CF treated with oxandrolone were reviewed for height z score, height velocity (HV), BMI z score, weight velocity (WV), Tanner stage, pulmonary function, liver enzyme levels, and any reported adverse events. Data were compared before (pre-Ox) and after (Ox) oxandrolone using a paired t-test. Results. 5 subjects (ages 8.5–14.5 years) were treated with oxandrolone 2.5 mg daily for 8–38 months. After 8–12 months of treatment, there was a statistically significant improvement in HV ( cm/yr, cm/yr, ) and BMI z score ( , , ). Both height z score ( , , ) and WV ( kg/yr, Ox kg/yr, ) showed beneficial trends that did not reach statistical significance. No adverse events were reported. Conclusions. In this brief clinical report, oxandrolone improved the HV and BMI z score in patients with CF. Larger studies are needed to determine if oxandrolone is an effective, safe, and affordable option to stimulate appetite, improve weight gain, and promote linear growth in patients with CF.
Conceptualizing and Measuring Engagement: An Analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale

This article analyzes the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES; Schaufeli et al. in J Happiness Stud 3:71–92, 2002b) on a variety of levels. Study 1 critiques the method by which the original scale was developed, and analyzes a similar sample using both exploratory and, subsequently, confirmatory factor analyses. Study 2 uses three samples to explore the 17-item UWES-17, and the recent shorter version of the scale, the 9-item UWES-9. Factor structures and reliabilities of scores for both scale versions were examined for each sample. Although some cautions are warranted when using the UWES, this research leans toward supporting a multifactorial conceptualization of the construct. Preliminary construct validation of the use of the measures was also established via correlations with other pertinent constructs. Although research on the measure remains sparse, the UWES-9 holds promise as a parsimonious version of the UWES-17 that appears valid in use, appears to yield reliable scores in the samples herein, and also appears to capture the purported three-factor dimensionality of the engagement construct better than does the original UWES-17 version.
Principle of vibrational control: Theory and applications

The principle of vibrational control is presented. This principle consists in the introduction of such vibrations (with zero mean value) of the dynamic system parameters which modify the properties of the system in a desired manner. Unlike conventional control principles, vibrational control does not require measurements of deviations and disturbances. Classes of dynamic systems are described where the vibrational control is effective for ensuring:. 1) the stability, 2) the desired properties of the transient motions, and 3) the desired properties of the dynamic system response to the external disturbance. Applications of the vibrational control are also considered which include method of alternating-gradient focusing in particle accelerators and vibrational stabilization of glow discharge in powerful continuous gas lasers. Vibrational control principle seems to be useful in cases where feedback and feedforward principles cannot be applied.
Designing a dispersionless UWB channel with two identical antennas

The development of UWB communications systems has led to intense research on antennas that can provide instantaneous coverage to the UWB spectral from 3.1 - 10.6 GHz (Z.N. Chen et al., 2004). Reciprocity dictates that the impulse response of an antenna on transmit is the derivative of the impulse response on receive. UWB radio systems are further complicated by the fact that the impulse response is a function of the direction arrival. All of these items combine to force us to consider the impulse response of the antenna when modeling the UWB communications channel. Many researchers have explored the problem of developing antennas for UWB communications by adapting existing antennas that have been developed for other purposes. The two primary thrusts have been to take planar and low profile antennas and adapt them to be more wideband, or to take known wideband radiators like bowtie antennas or TEM horns and adapt them to make them more compact (Z.N. Chen et al., 2004). Both of these strategies have produced excellent results, but suffer from the limitations inherent in their starting points. In this paper, we hypothesize a concept for an UWB antenna, and then discuss ways of achieving the particular impulse response in question.
Linkage disequilibrium-based quality control for large-scale genetic studies.

Quality control (QC) is a critical step in large-scale studies of genetic variation. While, on average, high-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping assays are now very accurate, the errors that remain tend to cluster into a small percentage of “problem” SNPs, which exhibit unusually high error rates. Because most large-scale studies of genetic variation are searching for phenomena that are rare (e.g., SNPs associated with a phenotype), even this small percentage of problem SNPs can cause important practical problems. Here we describe and illustrate how patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) can be used to improve QC in large-scale, population-based studies. This approach has the advantage over existing filters (e.g., HWE or call rate) that it can actually reduce genotyping error rates by automatically correcting some genotyping errors. Applying this LD-based QC procedure to data from The International HapMap Project, we identify over 1,500 SNPs that likely have high error rates in the CHB and JPT samples and estimate corrected genotypes. Our method is implemented in the software package fastPHASE, available from the Stephens Lab website (http://stephenslab.uchicago.edu/software.html).
Caring for patients in a hospitalist‐run clinical decision unit is associated with decreased length of stay without increasing revisit rates

BACKGROUND Observation medicine is a growing field with increasing involvement by hospitalists. Little has been written regarding clinical outcomes in hospitalist-run clinical decision units (CDUs). OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of a hospitalist-run geographic CDU on length of stay (LOS) for observation patients. Secondary objectives included examining the impact on 30-day emergency department (ED) or hospital revisit rates. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study with pre- and post-implementation analysis. SETTING Urban, academic, 600-bed teaching hospital in Camden, New Jersey. PATIENTS Observation patients discharged from medical–surgical units before and after CDU opening and those discharged from the CDU after CDU opening. INTERVENTION Creation of a hospitalist-run, 20-bed geographic CDU, adjacent to the ED with order sets, protocols, and priority consults and testing. MEASUREMENTS Median LOS for observation patients was calculated for 7 months pre- and post-CDU implementation. ED and hospital revisits requiring an observation or inpatient stay within 30 days of discharge were measured. RESULTS CDU observation patients had a lower median LOS than medical–surgical observation patients during the same period (17.6 hours vs 26.1 hours, P < 0.001). CDU LOS was lower than medical–surgical observation LOS in the 7 months 1 year prior to CDU implementation (17.6 hours vs 27.1 hours, P < 0.001). CDU patients had a similar 30-day ED or hospital revisit rate compared with observation patients pre-CDU. CONCLUSIONS Implementing a hospitalist-run geographic CDU was associated with a 35% decrease in observation LOS for CDU patients compared with a 3.7% decrease for medical–surgical observation patients. CDU LOS decreased without increasing ED or hospital revisit rates. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2014;9:391–395. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine
Using LID Projects to Engage K-12 Audiences: A Rainwater Harvesting Story

An undergraduate student team from Norwich University (NU), involved fourth and fifth grade students, in the Engineering Design Process (EDP) of a rainwaterharvesting system. They surveyed roof and land areas, measured and calculated various units, and developed models and computer based designs and drawings of the system. The system is designed to harvest rainwater from a 130 square meter area and yield an average of 890 liters of water per week. The final deliverables included drawings of the proposed system, and a preliminary cost estimate. The team utilized the United States Geological Survey (USGS) data to gather average rainfall data in the Burlington, VT area, and used the Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting as a basis for their design. An efficiency of 85% is assumed.
The properties of super-Earth atmospheres

Extrasolar super-Earths likely have a far greater diversity in their atmospheric properties than giant planets. Super-Earths (planets with masses between 1 and 10 M⊕) lie in an intermediate mass regime between gas/ice giants like Neptune and rocky terrestrial planets like Earth and Venus. While some super-Earths (especially the more massive ones) may retain large amounts of hydrogen either from accretion processes or subsequent surface outgassing, other super-Earths should have atmospheres composed of predominantly heavier molecules, similar to the atmospheres of the rocky planets and moons of our Solar System. Others still may be entirely stripped of their atmospheres and remain as bare rocky cores. Of the two currently known transiting super-Earths one (GJ 1214b) likely falls into the former category with a thick atmosphere, while the other (CoRoT-7b) falls into the latter category with a very thin or nonexistent atmosphere. I review some of the theoretical work on super-Earth atmospheres, and I present methods for determining the bulk composition of a super-Earth atmosphere.
Old age security and the family life course: A case study of nineteenth-century mennonite immigrants to Kansas.

According to life course analysis, age systems create socially recognized turning points, which outline life paths, channel people into positions and roles, and determine the distribution of rights and obligations. Yet few studies have examined these social parameters. Another problem with life course research is its ahistoricity. Even specifically historical studies have often been unable to measure the dynamics of change because of their use of cross-sectional household data, which only measures a small portion of kinship relations. This case study of the Mennonite family of Cornelius and Helena Richert Voth, who migrated from Russia to the Kansas Plains in 1874, analyzes the role that religious and ethnic traditions and inheritance rules play in preserving family stability, providing security in old age, and shaping the family life course. It contributes to our understanding of the social determinants of life course change by illustrating how traditional Mennonite patterns of family organization and property transmission, formed during centuries of community life in Prussia and Russia, shaped the timing of life course transitions and how the differing social, political, and economic conditions the immigrants encountered on the American frontier altered those traditional patterns.
Amplification of Coccidioidal DNA in Clinical Specimens by PCR

Coccidioides DNA was amplified from serum by a PCR using coccidioid-specific primers. A 239-bp product was visualized when 10 fg of exogenous coccidioidal DNA was subjected to amplification. This product was demonstrated in some human and mouse sera prior to the detection of coccidioidal antibodies.
Determining the sea-air flux of dimethylsulfide by eddy correlation using mass spectrometry

Abstract. Mass spectrometric measurement of DMS by atmospheric pressure ionization with an isotopically labeled standard (APIMS-ILS) is a sensitive method with sufficient bandpass for direct flux measurements by eddy correlation. Use of an isotopically labeled internal standard greatly reduces instrumental drift, improving accuracy and precision. APIMS-ILS has been used in several recent campaigns to study ocean-atmosphere gas transfer and the chemical budget of DMS in the marine boundary layer. This paper provides a comprehensive description of the method and errors associated with DMS flux measurement from ship platforms. The APIMS-ILS instrument used by most groups today has a sensitivity of 100–200 counts s−1 pptv−1, which is shown to be more than sufficient for flux measurement by eddy covariance. Mass spectral backgrounds (blanks) are determined by stripping DMS from ambient air with gold. The instrument is found to exhibit some high frequency signal loss, with a half-power frequency of ≈1 Hz, but a correction based on an empirically determined instrument response function is presented. Standard micrometeorological assumptions of steady state and horizontal uniformity are found to be appropriate for DMS flux measurement, but rapid changes in mean DMS mixing ratio may serve as a warning that measured flux does not represent the true surface flux. In addition, bias in surface flux estimates arising from the flux divergence is not generally significant in the surface layer, but under conditions of lowered inversion and high flux may become so. The effects of error in motion corrections and of vertical motion within the surface layer concentration gradient are discussed and the estimated maximum error from these effects is ≤18%.
Identification and analysis of genome-wide SNPs provide insight into signatures of selection and domestication in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).

Domestication and selection for important performance traits can impact the genome, which is most often reflected by reduced heterozygosity in and surrounding genes related to traits affected by selection. In this study, analysis of the genomic impact caused by domestication and artificial selection was conducted by investigating the signatures of selection using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). A total of 8.4 million candidate SNPs were identified by using next generation sequencing. On average, the channel catfish genome harbors one SNP per 116 bp. Approximately 6.6 million, 5.3 million, 4.9 million, 7.1 million and 6.7 million SNPs were detected in the Marion, Thompson, USDA103, Hatchery strain, and wild population, respectively. The allele frequencies of 407,861 SNPs differed significantly between the domestic and wild populations. With these SNPs, 23 genomic regions with putative selective sweeps were identified that included 11 genes. Although the function for the majority of the genes remain unknown in catfish, several genes with known function related to aquaculture performance traits were included in the regions with selective sweeps. These included hypoxia-inducible factor 1β· HIFιβ ¨ and the transporter gene ATP-binding cassette sub-family B member 5 (ABCB5). HIF1β· is important for response to hypoxia and tolerance to low oxygen levels is a critical aquaculture trait. The large numbers of SNPs identified from this study are valuable for the development of high-density SNP arrays for genetic and genomic studies of performance traits in catfish.
Temperature dependence and energetics of the equilibrium sorption of water vapor in glassy polyacrylonitrile

Equilibrium sorption isotherms for water vapor in commercial polyacrylonitrile film are presented. The data are discussed in terms of hte dual-mode sorption model at low vapor activities with cluster formation occuring at higher activities. The film samples were treated by a two-stage extraction process to remove a tenaciously held solvent present from the manufacturing process. Extraction of the residual had a minor effect on the equilibrium sorption of water in the film. The temperature dependence of the various sorption parameters is presented and discussed in detailed.
Fast feature detection and stochastic parameter estimation of road shape using multiple LIDAR

This paper describes an algorithm for an autonomous car to identify the shape of a roadway by detecting geometric features via LIDAR. The data from multiple LIDAR are fused together to detect both obstacles as well as geometric features such as curbs, berms, and shoulders. These features identify the boundaries of the roadway and are used by a stochastic state estimator to identify the most likely road shape. This algorithm has been used successfully to allow an autonomous car to drive on paved roadways as well as on off-road trails without requiring different sets of parameters for the different domains.
Capturing and exploiting fine-grained IDE interactions

Developers interact with IDEs intensively to maximize productivity. A developer’s interactions with an IDE reflect his thought process and work habits. In this paper, we propose a general framework to capture and exploit all types of IDE interactions. We have two explicit goals for the framework: its systematic interception of comprehensive user interactions, and the ease of use in writing customized applications. To this end, we developed IDE++ on top of Eclipse IDE. For evaluation, we built applications upon the framework to illustrate 1) the need for capturing comprehensive, finegrained IDE interactions, and 2) IDE++’s ease of use. We believe that IDE++ is a step toward building next generation, customizable and intelligent IDEs.
The role of community health advisors in community-based participatory research

Mistrust and fear of research often exist in minority communities because of assumptions, preconceived ideas, and historical abuse and racism that continue to influence research participation. The research establishment is full of well-meaning 'outsider' investigators who recognize discrimination, health disparities, and insufficient health care providers in minority communities, but struggle in breaking through this history of mistrust. This article provides ethical insights from one such 'insider-outsider', community-based participatory research project implemented via community health advisors in the Mississippi Delta. Both community-based participatory research and community health advisors provide opportunities to address the ethical issues of trust, non-maleficence, and justice in minority communities. Implications for ethics-driven nursing research are discussed.
Kinetic Monte Carlo Model of Scintillation Mechanisms in CsI and CsI(Tl)

We have developed a computational model of energy transfer processes in scintillators using the kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) approach. In this publication, we focus on the alkali halide compound CsI both pure and doped with a range of thallium concentrations. The KMC model makes use of an explicit atomistic representation of the crystal lattice, activator sites, defect sites, and individual electron-hole pairs. The probability of individual diffusion, recombination, and scintillation events is calculated from rate equations parameterized with data published in the literature. Scintillation decay curves, relative intensities of emission peaks, and light yields are computed and found to be in good agreement with experimental data for a range of temperatures and thallium concentrations. This demonstrates that the KMC scintillation model is capable of reproducing both the kinetics and the efficiency of the scintillation process in CsI. In addition, novel predictions emerge from our simulations such as the diffusion distance distributions of self-trapped holes and excitons. Finally, the KMC scintillation model provides a framework for probing possible physical processes responsible for the nonlinear relationship between scintillation light yield and incident gamma-ray energy.
Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) gene variation: Comprehensive resequencing for variant and molecular haplotype discovery in monosomic hybrid cell lines

Candidate gene association studies have met with mixed success due to many reasons including incomplete surveys of genetic variation and differences in patterns of genetic variation among study populations. We present the results of comprehensive variant discovery for the corticotropin releasing hormone gene (CRH on chromosome 8) encoding a neuropeptide that is central to many physiologic pathways. Mouse–human hybrid cell lines were constructed that are monosomic for human chromosome 8 for resequencing of separated CRH alleles to identify variants and directly determine their chromosomal phase for three major ethnic groups including African Americans (AA), Mexican Americans (MA) and European Americans (EA). We also resequenced diploid individuals to evaluate single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery in the limited numbers of monosomic hybrid cell lines. Our results show that CRH variation is very different in AA, yielding larger numbers of variants and haplotypes compared to MA and EA. Analysis of LD...
Quality of care and racial health disparities: a strategic overview.

Substantial racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care exist in the United States. The Department of Health Policy at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine has developed a strategy for reducing those disparities that builds upon its quality improvement experience. This article discusses the utility of applying quality improvement principles to the development of interventions to eliminate underuse of effective treatments and reduce the disparities that may arise from this quality problem. We present a conceptual model of racial disparities in health and our underuse hypothesis. Parallels between our disparities research strategy and six sigma quality improvement methods are described. Finally, the article provides an example of how we have been able to successfully implement proven-effective health improvement programs in the Harlem community even after grant funding has ended. Mt Sinai J Med 75:7–12, 2008. © 2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Ants and reinforcement learning: a case study in routing in dynamic networks

We investigate two new distributed routing algorithms for data networks based on simple biological "ants" that explore the network and rapidly learn good routes, using a novel variation of reinforcement learning. These two algorithms are fully adaptive to topology changes and changes in link costs in the network, and have space and computational overheads that are competitive with traditional packet routing algorithms: although they can generate more routing traffic when the rate of failures in a network is low, they perform much better under higher failure rates. Both algorithms are more resilient than traditional algorithms, in the sense that random corruption of routing state has limited impact on the computation of paths. We present convergence theorems for both of our algorithms drawing on the theory of non-stationary and stationary discrete-time Markov chains over the reals. We present an extensive empirical evaluation of our algorithms on a simulator that is widely used in the computer networks community for validating and testing protocols. We present comparative results on data delivery performance, aggregate routing traffic (algorithm overhead), as well as the degree of resilience for our new algorithms and two traditional routing algorithms in current use. We also show that the performance of our algorithms scale well with increase in network size-using a realistic topology.
Technical Communique: Input-output pseudolinearization on controlled invariant submanifolds

The original notion of input-output pseudolinearization on equilibrium submanifolds is extended to general controlled invariant submanifolds for nonlinear systems. Input-output pseudolinearizing feedback laws render the input-output behavior of linearizations about nominal trajectories in the submanifold trajectory-independent and equal to that of a fixed linear time-invariant system, thereby facilitating the subsequent construction of control laws for stabilization and tracking. Sufficient existence conditions are derived that are weaker than the familiar relative degree conditions for nonlinear input-output decoupling that have come to be associated with exact input-output linearization.
A multicenter retrospective 3D study of serial complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and complete bilateral cleft lip and palate casts to evaluate treatment: part 1--the participating institutions and research aims.

Abstract Objective: To compare the multicenter retrospective and prospective spaciotemporal (4D) serial analyses of complete unilateral (CUCLP) and complete bilateral (CBCLP) cleft lip and palate casts that had undergone different treatment procedures. The involved institutions are Miami Craniofacial Anomalies Foundation, South Florida Cleft Palate Clinic; University Hospital of Nijmegen Cleft Palate Center; Free University of Amsterdam Cleft Palate Center; Academic Hospital (Dijkzigt/Sophia) Rotterdam Cleft Palate Center; Center for Craniofacial Anomalies, University of Illinois College of Medicine; Cleft Palate Center, Sahigrenska University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden; and Children's Memorial Medical Center, Northwestern University Cleft Palate Institute. Design: Using serial casts of the upper jaw and an electromechanical digitizer with special CadCam software (CadKey), the occlusal relationships and morphometric palatal growth changes that occur under the influence of presurgical orthopedics and vario...
T-Cell Epitopes of HIV-1 Envelope Glycoprotein

The presentation of viral proteins to T cells is a critical early step in the immune response to HIV-1. From the initial surge of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity observed during the resolution of the acute viremia of early HIV-1 infection (Yasutomi et al., 1993b; Koup et al., 1994), to the T-helper-cell (Th)-driven production of HIV-1-specific antibodies, immune responses to HIV-1 are critically dependent on the activities of T cells. It is thus important to understand how HIV-1 proteins are processed for T-cell recognition, and which regions (or epitopes) of these proteins are recognized in T-cell responses to the virus. The delineation of the HIV-1 epitopes presented to T cells has opened new avenues for exploration of host defense against virus infection and for the design of potential vaccines and therapeutic strategies.
Manipulating the dimensional assembly pattern and crystalline structures of iron oxide nanostructures with a functional polyolefin

Controlled crystalline structures (α- and γ-phase) and assembly patterns (1-D, 2-D and 3-D) were achieved in the synthesized iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles (NPs) using polymeric surfactant-polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) with different concentrations. In addition, the change of the crystalline structure from the α- and γ-phase also led to the significantly increased saturation magnetization and coercivity.
EFFECTS OF FIRE, BROWSERS AND GALLERS ON NEW JERSEY TEA (CEANOTHUS HERBACEOUS) GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION

Abstract Woody plant species in grassland ecosystems can be subjected to damage from fire and multiple herbivore species, but interactions between fire and herbivory can modify their separate impacts on woody plant life histories. We studied how galling (by Periploca ceanothiella, Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae), deer browsing (Odocoilius virginianus) and fire affected the growth and reproduction of the woody shrub Ceanothus herbaceous (Rhamnaceae) on a burned and an unburned site at Konza Prairie Research Natural Area in eastern Kansas. Fire was the major influence on C. herbaceous growth, causing plants to produce long unbranched vegetative ramets from protected belowground meristems, while unburned plants were heavily branched and bore shorter shoots and numerous inflorescences. Unburned plants experienced higher gall frequencies, more galls on their longest shoots, but similar deer browsing compared to burned plants. Ramets with herbivore damage had more branches and inflorescences than undamaged ramets...
Reporting rape: Language, neoliberalism, and the media

This study is a critical examination of news reports, editorials, and other stories directly related to the rape of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi, India, on 16 December 2012. I examine newspaper...
Slab-rollback ignimbrite flareups in the southern Great Basin and other Cenozoic American arcs: A distinct style of arc volcanism

In continental-margin subduction zones, basalt magmas spawned in the mantle interact with the crust to produce a broad spectrum of volcanic arc associations. A distinct style of very voluminous arc volcanism develops far inland on thick crust over periods of 10–20 m.y. and involves relatively infrequent caldera-forming explosive eruptions of dominantly calc-alkaline rhyolite, dacite, and trachydacite with repose times of 104–106 yr. Volumes of individual eruptions are large (102–103 km3), and nested super-eruptions of thousands of cubic kilometers are common. Calderas are as much as 60–75 km in diameter, and surrounding individual ignimbrite outflow sheets extend outward as much as 150 km, blanketing upwards of 105 km2. Little or no basalt is extruded, whereas andesitic differentiates coeval with silicic ignimbrites range from ­minor to dominant in relative volume. A common feature in these flareups is essentially nonextending, thick, inland crust overlying a subducting oceanic plate with transverse tears that rolled back to a steeper dip from a previously flat configuration. Lithospheric delamination is locally possible. Large volumes of basalt that provide heat and mass for silicic magma generation in the crust form by fluid fluxing of the growing mantle wedge overlying the steepening dehydrating slab and from asthenospheric decompression. Variations in the mantle input, together with variations in crustal thickness, temperature, and composition, modulate the expression of the flareups. As a consequence of the high flux of mantle-derived magma into the thick crust, geotherms become elevated, and the brittle-ductile transition can rise to depths as shallow as 7 km. At this transition, diapirically rising magmas from a melting, assimilation, storage, and homogenization (MASH) zone are blocked and spread laterally into discoid chambers that grow until a thermomechanical threshold is attained, triggering climactic eruption and caldera collapse. This ignimbrite flareup style of continental arc volcanism is exemplified by the mid-Cenozoic southern Great Basin ignimbrite province; other examples include the contemporaneous Southern Rocky Mountain, Mogollon-Datil, vast Sierra Madre Occidental volcanic fields, and the late Cenozoic Altiplano-­Puna volcanic complex in the Central Andes. Rhyolitic and trachydacitic ignimbrites typically have erupted, but where the crust was predominantly felsic, prewarmed, and orogenically thickened, well-developed MASH zones have spawned multiple super-eruptions of phenocryst-rich dacite, or monotonous intermediates, and smaller volumes of calc-alkaline rhyolite ignimbrite. In the Great Basin, eruptions of dry, hot trachydacite magma followed the monotonous intermediates. Partial melting in thinner crust with a major mafic component yielded more alkalic rhyolite and related trachydacite.
Green synthesis of magnetic MOF@GO and MOF@CNT hybrid nanocomposites with high adsorption capacity towards organic pollutants

Abstract Hybrid nanocomposites based on Cu-BTC MOF, graphene oxide (GO), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were developed via a simple green solvothermal method, at which GO and CNT were used as platforms to load nanostructured Cu-BTC MOF and Fe3O4 MNPs. The as-synthesized hybrid nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, IR, Raman, TGA, and BET techniques. XRD measurements show highly crystalline structures for the prepared hybrid nanocomposites. Morphological analyses carried out by SEM and TEM also confirm successful growth of Fe3O4 MNPs and nanoparticulate Cu-BTC MOF over the carbon-based platforms. Chemical, elemental, and TGA analyses verify chemical bonding and successful compositing of the parent materials. Nitrogen isotherms show a cumulative pore volume of 0.360 cm3 g−1 for the hybrid nanocomposite of Fe3O4/Cu-BTC@GO compared to 0.030 cm3 g−1 of the sole Cu-BTC MOF, which suggests potential uses towards small molecule adsorption. We have found that use of GO and CNT substrates (i) diminish the aggregation and increases dispersive forces within the MOFs, (ii) lead to MOFs with different morphology and size, and (iii) result in formation of small pores between the MOF and the platforms. Adsorption capacity of the prepared nanomaterials was examined over methylene blue (MB) as a model organic pollutant. The developed hybrid nanomaterials show enhanced pollutant adsorption capacity compared to that of the parent materials. The improved adsorption capacity is attributed to the synergetic effect of covalent bonding between the parent materials as well as to the unique features of the nanoscale MOF. Overall, these novel materials may be considered as excellent candidates towards a variety of environmental applications such as water remediation.
1,2-Addition of Formic or Oxalic Acid to –N{CH2CH2(PiPr2)}2-Supported Mn(I) Dicarbonyl Complexes and the Manganese-Mediated Decomposition of Formic Acid

(PNHP)Mn(CO)2 (I) carboxylate complexes (PNHP = HN{CH2CH2(PiPr2)}2) were prepared via 1,2-addition of either formic or oxalic acid to (PNP)Mn(CO)2 (PNP = the deprotonated, amide form of the ligand –N{CH2CH2(PiPr2)}2). The structural and spectral properties of these complexes were compared. The manganese formate complex was found to be dimeric in the solid state and monomeric in solution. Half an equivalent of oxalic acid was employed to form the bridging oxalate dimanganese complex. The catalytic competencies of the carboxylate complexes were assessed, and the formate complex was found to decompose formic acid catalytically. Both dehydrogenation and dehydration pathways were active as assessed by the presence of H2, CO2, and H2O. The addition of LiBF4 exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on the catalysis.
Unification of locomotion pattern generation and control Lyapunov function-based Quadratic Programs

This paper presents a novel method of combining real-time walking pattern generation and constrained nonlinear control to achieve robotic walking under Zero-Moment Point (ZMP) and torque constraints. The proposed method leverages the fact that existing solutions to both walking pattern generation and constrained nonlinear control have been independently constructed as Quadratic Programs (QPs) and that these constructions can be related through an equality constraint on the instantaneous acceleration of the center of mass. Specifically, the proposed method solves a single Quadratic Program which incorporates elements from Model Predictive Control (MPC) based center of mass planning methods and from rapidly exponentially stabilizing control Lyapunov function (RES-CLF) methods. The resulting QP-based controller simultaneously solves for a COM trajectory that satisfies ZMP constraints over a future horizon while also producing joint torques consistent with instantaneous acceleration, torque, ZMP and RES-CLF constraints. The method is developed for simulation and experimental study on a seven-link, planar robot.
Small-molecule control of protein function through Staudinger reduction

Using small molecules to control the function of proteins in live cells with complete specificity is highly desirable, but challenging. Here we report a small-molecule switch that can be used to control protein activity. The approach uses a phosphine-mediated Staudinger reduction to activate protein function. Genetic encoding of an ortho-azidobenzyloxycarbonyl amino acid using a pyrrolysyl transfer RNA synthetase/tRNACUA pair in mammalian cells enables the site-specific introduction of a small-molecule-removable protecting group into the protein of interest. Strategic placement of this group renders the protein inactive until deprotection through a bioorthogonal Staudinger reduction delivers the active wild-type protein. This developed methodology was applied to the conditional control of several cellular processes, including bioluminescence (luciferase), fluorescence (enhanced green fluorescent protein), protein translocation (nuclear localization sequence), DNA recombination (Cre) and gene editing (Cas9).
Improvement of Subjective Well-Being by Ranolazine in Patients with Chronic Angina and Known Myocardial Ischemia (IMWELL Study)

Introduction We aimed to assess if ranolazine would improve angina symptoms among patients with documented myocardial ischemia.
Posterior Approach Ptosis Repair in the Aesthetic Patient With or Without Blepharoplasty

Posterior eyelid ptosis repair via the Muller’s muscle-conjunctival resection procedure is an effective, reliable, and simple technique for periorbital rejuvenation in the aesthetic patient. This procedure may be performed with other periorbital rejuvenation techniques without sacrificing results. Appropriate candidates are patients with maintained levator function whose ptotic upper eyelid elevates close to a normal eyelid level upon instillation of phenylephrine drops to the superior conjunctival fornix.
Estimation of changes in breech face and firing pin marks over consecutive discharges and its impact on an IBIS® Heritage™ System

Abstract When a firearm is discharged, the individual marks of the breech face and firing pin are imprinted onto the primer of the cartridge case. These individual marks are reproducible between shots; however, over a large number of consecutive shots, it has been observed that minute changes in these individual marks may occur. Changes in individual marks may affect an examiner in their ability to identify or eliminate and may change the magnitude of a likelihood ratio, depending on the system used by the laboratory, but the effect that these changes have on the Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS®) is largely unknown. If such changes negatively affect the performance of the IBIS® then consequences may result with respect to the correct matching candidate not be returned in the top results further compared by an examiner. Two hundred consecutive test fires performed in a clean environment (indoor shooting range) were collected in sequence from 24 new Ruger® SR9 9 mm pistols and entered into an IBIS® Heritage™ System. The full known match data were extracted for each firearm, and δ sets were created that had a specific number of cartridge cases between the two cartridge cases being compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) values for these δ sets were compared to the full known match sets to determine if any significant changes in performance resulted. Although there were instances of significant differences, these only occurred in less than 25% of comparisons, and overall no decreasing trends in performance were observed.
Using kinetic energy measurements from altimetry to detect shifts in the positions of fronts in the Southern Ocean

Abstract. A novel analysis is performed utilizing cross-track kinetic energy (CKE) computed from along-track sea surface height anomalies. The midpoint of enhanced kinetic energy averaged over 3-year periods from 1993 to 2016 is determined across the Southern Ocean and examined to detect shifts in frontal positions, based on previous observations that kinetic energy is high around fronts in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current system due to jet instabilities. It is demonstrated that although the CKE does not represent the full eddy kinetic energy (computed from crossovers), the shape of the enhanced regions along ground tracks is the same, and CKE has a much finer spatial sampling of 6.9 km. Results indicate no significant shift in the front positions across the Southern Ocean, on average, although there are some localized, large movements. This is consistent with other studies utilizing sea surface temperature gradients, the latitude of mean transport, and the probability of jet occurrence, but is inconsistent with studies utilizing the movement of contours of dynamic topography.
Leaderless mRNAs are circularized in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mitochondria.

The mitochondrial genome of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii encodes eight protein coding genes transcribed on two polycistronic primary transcripts. The mRNAs are endonucleolytically cleaved from these transcripts directly upstream of their AUG start codons, creating leaderless mRNAs with 3′ untranslated regions (UTR) comprised of most or all of their downstream intergenic regions. In this report, we provide evidence that these processed linear mRNAs are circularized, which places the 3′ UTR upstream of the 5′ start codon, creating a leader sequence ex post facto. The circular mRNAs were found to be ribosome associate by polysome profiling experiments suggesting they are translated. Sequencing of the 3′–5′ junctions of the circularized mRNAs found the intra-molecular ligations occurred between fully processed 5′ ends (the start AUG) and a variable 3′ terminus. For five genes (cob, cox, nd2, nd4, and nd6), some of the 3′ ends maintained an oligonucleotide addition during ligation, and for two of them, cob and nd6, these 3′ termini were the most commonly recovered sequence. Previous reports have shown that after cleavage, three untemplated oligonucleotide additions may occur on the 3′ termini of these mRNAs—adenylation, uridylylation, or cytidylation. These results suggest oligo(U) and oligo(C) additions may be part of the maturation process since they are maintained in the circular mRNAs. Circular RNAs occur in organisms across the biological spectrum, but their purpose in some systems, such as organelles (mitochondria and chloroplasts) is unclear. We hypothesize, that in C. reinhardtii mitochondria it may create a leader sequence to facilitate translation initiation, which may negate the need for an alternative translation initiation mechanism in this system, as previously speculated. In addition, circularization may play a protective role against exonucleases, and/or increase translational productivity.
The Design, Engineering, Manufacture, and Operation of a Communications Satellite

The design, engineering, manufacture, deployment and operation of communications satellites constitute a complex and demanding process. The development of new and better technology has allowed satellites to improve over time. Today’s satellites have much higher capacity, operate for a much more sustained period of time, operate over a broader range of frequencies, provide an ever-increasing range of diverse satellite services and work with more cost effective and user friendly ground antenna systems.
Technoaxiologie: angemessene Normen für die Technikbewertung

In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden zwei neuere Formen der Technikkritik untersucht: einerseits die Konzeption der Technikbewertung (‘technology assessment’ — im folgenden abgekurzt als TA), zum anderen die Bewegung fur Alternativtechniken (‘alternative technologies’ — im folgenden abgekurzt als AT). Jede der beiden Richtungen wird dargestellt. Es folgt eine Untersuchung der Frage, aus welchen Grunden sich diese beiden Formen der Kritik weitgehend unabhangig voneinander entwickelt haben. Den Ausgangspunkt des TA bilden die Grundannahmen des klassischen politischen Liberalismus, der utilitaristischen Ethik und der wachstumsorientierten Marktwirtschaft. Die Bewertung der modernen Technik durch das TA ist daher die einer internen Kritik. Im folgenden wird die Auffassung vertreten, das die Philosophie der Technik oft den gleichen Ausgangspunkt hat. Die AT bestreitet dagegen die Angemessenheit von Bewertungen, die auf diesen Annahmen beruhen. Insbesondere wird von der AT die These vertreten, das die Pramissen des TA unvereinbar sind mit den Forderungen nach langfristiger Erhaltung und nach demokratischer Kontrolle der technischen Praxis. Das Ergebnis der hier vorgetragenen Argumentation ist, das die Philosophie der Technik einerseits wertvolle Beitrage zur Methodologie des TA liefern kann (sowohl durch die Analyse von Begriffen wie ‘Effizienz’, ‘Durchfuhrbarkeit’, ‘Wirtschaftlichkeit’ und ‘Kosten/Nutzenrechnung’ als auch dadurch, das Philosophen zur aktiven Teilnahme an TA-Teams ermutigt werden), das aber andererseits die Technikphilosophen auch den Masstaben, auf denen die gegenwartige technische Praxis in ihrer Gesamtheit beruht, mehr Aufmerksamkeit werden schenken mussen.
Splenic Embolization After Trauma: An Opportunity to Improve Best Immunization Practices.

Abstract Background The spleen is the second most commonly injured solid organ during blunt abdominal trauma. Although total splenectomy is frequently performed for injury, splenic rupture can also be managed by splenic embolization. For these patients, current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations indicate that if 50% or more of the splenic mass is lost, patients should be treated as though they are asplenic. We have previously demonstrated that compliance with ACIP guidelines regarding immunization after splenectomy is poor. Compliance with vaccination in the setting of splenic embolization for trauma is unknown and we hypothesized patients would not receive the recommended immunizations. Materials and methods All admissions at our level 1 trauma center requiring splenic embolization secondary to traumatic injury between January 1, 2010, and November 1, 2015, were reviewed. Demographic and injury data, dates and imaging of splenic embolizations, immunization documentation, subsequent vaccination boosters received, and outcomes were collected from the medical record. The proportion of spleen embolized was estimated by review of angiographic imaging using an established method. Results Nine thousand nine hundred sixty-five trauma patients were admitted during the period studied. Nineteen patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Median age of the patient population was 35 y, 85% were male, and median injury severity score was 28. Of these, 15 patients underwent a splenic embolization, in which 50% or more of their splenic mass was lost through embolization. Eight patients received at least one immunization before discharge. Six received initial immunizations against Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae, while three received only the initial immunization against S pneumoniae. None of the 15 patients received any ACIP-recommended booster. Of the four patients having less than 50% of their spleen embolized, three wrongly received immunization against encapsulated organisms before hospital discharge. Conclusions Trauma patients undergoing splenic embolization at our institution receive postsplenectomy immunizations incorrectly and had no recorded booster vaccines. We speculate that this is common among the U.S. trauma centers. Review of immunization practices in our trauma and nontrauma patient populations is underway in our health system to improve the care of these patients, and our experience may serve as a guide for other centers to reduce complications associated with asplenia.