cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporal and spatial variation in solar radiation and photo-enhanced toxicity risks of spilled oil in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA

Solar irradiance (W/m2) and downwelling diffuse attenuation coefficients (Kd; 1/m) were determined in several locations in Prince William Sound (AK, USA) between April 2003 and December 2005 to assess temporal and spatial variation in solar radiation and the risks of photo-enhanced toxicity from spilled oil. Weekly irradiance measurements of surface visible light, ultraviolet B (UVB), and ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation in Valdez (AK, USA) followed expected trends of maximum solar irradiance at each summer solstice and minimum values at each winter solstice. Variation from weekly maximum expected surface irradiances was attributed to large variations in environmental conditions over the 142-week monitoring period. Season and proximity to glacial meltwater were significant determinants of Kd, with 1% attenuation depths ranging from 0.4 to 15 m (UVB and UVA) and from 0.5 to 28 m (visible light). The probability of photo-enhanced toxicity risks estimated from UVA dosimetry decreased with increasing water depth, with higher risks during spring and summer and lower risks during fall and winter. These results demonstrate substantial temporal and spatial variation in solar radiation in Prince William Sound and the potential for significant season- and location-specific photo-enhanced toxicity risks from spilled oil.
The retinoblastoma gene and cell growth control.

Abstract Rare diseases often provide unique and fascinating insights into the workings of biological machinery. Retinoblastoma is a good example. This hereditary disease occurs rarely (in only one out of 20 000 children), yet it opens a ‘window' into the mechanisms that sit at the very center of growth control in cells throughout the body. Children who survive bilateral retinoblastoma often have offspring who are similarly affected. Indeed, transmission of the disease suggests the actions of a simple dominant Mendelian allele of high penetrance. Three years ago the wild-type allele of this gene (termed Rb ) was isolated by molecular cloning. With this success has come a rich harvest of information on tumor pathogenesis and the molecular biology of cellular growth control.
Atrial fibrillation ablation patients have long-term stroke rates similar to patients without atrial fibrillation regardless of CHADS2 score

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a leading cause of total and fatal ischemic stroke. Stroke risk after AF ablation appears to be favorably affected; however, it is largely unknown whether the benefit extends to all stroke CHADS2 risk profiles of AF patients. Objective To determine if ablation of atrial fibrillation reduces stroke rates in all risk groups. Methods A total of 4212 consecutive patients who underwent AF ablation were compared (1:4) with 16,848 age-/sex-matched controls with AF (no ablation) and to 16,848 age-/sex-matched controls without AF. Patients were enrolled from the large ongoing prospective Intermountain Atrial Fibrillation Study and were followed for at least 3 years. Results Of the 37,908 patients, the mean age was 65.0 ± 13 years and 4.4% (no AF), 6.3% (AF, no ablation), and 4.5% (AF ablation) patients had a prior stroke ( P Conclusions In our study populations, AF ablation patients have a significantly lower risk of stroke compared to AF patients who do not undergo ablation independent of baseline stroke risk score.
the importance of proper names: language and “national” identity in colonial Karoland

The seemingly natural association of language and local identity is one of anthropology's most durable and perhaps necessary assumptions. This article interrogates that association through an examination of the linguistic policies and vernacular education program of the Dutch Missionary Society among the Karo Bataks of colonial East Sumatra. I argue that the politically inflected “coalition of Protestantism and print-capitalism” (B. Anderson 1991[1983]:40) in East Sumatra contributed to the formation of bounded collective and individual political subjects at the level both of local “nationalities” (i.e., ethnic groups) and of the grander national community-in-the-making of Indonesia. Although missionaries cannot be credited with the “invention” of Karo identity, their programs of linguistic standardization, vernacular education, and Bible translation nevertheless produced around that identity a set of linguistic resources for rule and resistance. [Indonesia, Karo Bataks, colonialism, missions, nationalism, language]
Gait transition and oxygen consumption in swimming striped surfperch Embiotoca lateralis Agassiz

A flow-through respirometer and swim tunnel was used to estimate the gait transition speed (Up-c) of striped surfperch Embiotoca lateralis, a labriform swimmer, and to investigate metabolic costs associated with gait transition. The Up-c was defined as the lowest speed at which fish decrease the use of pectoral fins significantly. While the tail was first recruited for manoeuvring at relatively low swimming speeds, the use of the tail at these low speeds [as low as 0� 75 body (fork) lengths s � 1 , LF s � 1 ) was rare (<10% of the total time). Tail movements at these low speeds appeared to be associated with occasional slow manoeuvres rather than providing power. As speed was increased beyond Up-c, pectoral fin (PF) frequencies kept increasing when the tail was not used, while they did not when PF locomotion was aided by the tail. At these high speeds, the tail was employed for 40–50% of the time, either in addition to pectoral fins or during burstand-coast mode. Oxygen consumption increased exponentially with swimming speeds up to gait transition, and then levelled off. Similarly, cost of transport (CT) decreased with increasing
Zymogen activation confers thermodynamic stability on a key peptide bond and protects human cationic trypsin from degradation

Human cationic trypsinogen, precursor of the digestive enzyme trypsin, can be rapidly degraded to protect the pancreas when pathological conditions threaten, while trypsin itself is impressively resistant to degradation. For either form, degradation is controlled by two necessary initial proteolytic events: cleavage of the Leu81–Glu82 peptide bond by chymotrypsin C (CTRC) and cleavage of the Arg122–Val123 peptide bond by trypsin. Here we demonstrate that the Leu81–Glu82 peptide bond of human cationic trypsin, but not trypsinogen, is thermodynamically stable, such that cleavage by CTRC leads to an equilibrium mixture containing 10% cleaved and 90% uncleaved trypsin. When cleaved trypsin was incubated with CTRC, the Leu81–Glu82 peptide bond was re-synthesized to establish the same equilibrium. The thermodynamic stability of the scissile peptide bond was not dependent on CTRC or Leu-81, as re-synthesis was also accomplished by other proteases acting on mutated cationic trypsin. The Leu81–Glu82 peptide bond is located within a calcium binding loop, and thermodynamic stability of the bond was strictly dependent on calcium and on the calcium-coordinated residue Glu-85. Trypsinolytic cleavage of the Arg122–Val123 site was also delayed in trypsin relative to trypsinogen in a calcium-dependent manner, but for this bond cleavage was modulated by kinetic rather than thermodynamic control. Our results reveal that the trypsinogen to trypsin conformational switch modulates cleavage susceptibility of nick sites by altering both the thermodynamics and kinetics of cleavage to protect human cationic trypsin from premature degradation.
Prey handling performance facilitates competitive dominance of an invasive over native keystone ant

Studies of species coexistence in ant communities often suggest that competitive interactions are mediated by behavioral trade-offs between resource discovery and dominance. However, these studies have always measured foraging at artificial, static baits that omit traits of living prey items and potential coevolutionary predator–prey relationships. In a series of lab experiments, we compare the ability of ants to harvest live termites (
In situ and Other Methods to Estimate Ruminal Protein and Energy Digestibility: A Review

Abstract Methods to estimate ruminal protein and carbohydrate availability were reviewed. Solubility of carbohydrate and protein is dependent on the chemical characteristics of the buffer. Protein solubility is highly correlated to short-term (1 to 3 h) ruminal digestion of protein, however, not to extent of ruminal digestion. Enzymatic digestion techniques for both protein and carbohydrate offer precision in ranking feeds; however, absolute values may be questioned. Combining several enzymes may offer more accurate estimates. Continuous culture techniques offer enhanced simulation of the ruminal environment compared with batch culture and is more applicable to examination of total rations than individual feedstuffs. Several variables associated with in situ experimentation were evaluated and recommended guidelines were proposed. This methodology offers a better way to simulate the rumen environment within a given feeding regimen. However, its usefulness will be dependent on the standardization of inherent variables associated with its conduct (i.e., bag porosity, sample size, feed particle size). Although in vivo methodologies (postruminal cannulation) are usually the standards by which other techniques are compared, they are plagued with variation associated with microbial and particulate or liquid flow markers and animal variation.
Utilizing online tools to increase volunteer ombudsmen presence in long-term care

In this descriptive study, former and current volunteer ombudsmen (n ¼ 65) completed an online survey and Chi-square analyses were used to determine group differences in order to examine the impact of internet-based communication on the recruitment and retention of volunteer long-term care ombudsmen. The results showed that the program’s shift to internet-based recruitment and communication methods helped increase the number of volunteers by 50% and contributed to a positive shift in role perception and satisfaction. Consequently, the proliferation of internet and social media usage permits greater volunteer management opportunities than previously were available. These tools also allow for consistency of message, extended training opportunities, and recourse to resources at need which permit ombudsmen volunteers to identify more readily with the role of resident advocate and receive greater performance satisfaction as it relates to that role.
Juvenile Justice, Delinquency, and Psychiatry

Juvenile delinquency is a serious problem in the United States, and is likely to remain so for many years to come. Because delinquency often is accompanied by high rates of coincidental and causal comorbidities, effective treatment programs for CD youths must use multimodal approaches tailored to each youth's particular set of psychopathologies. Child psychiatrists are uniquely qualified to provide assistance and leadership in the treatment of delinquent youths, as their problems are best captured by a developmental psychopathology model. Knowledge regarding the epidemiology of CD, and of the risk factors associated with it, is excellent, although a thorough understanding of resilience and treatment is still developing. Successful involvement in the treatment of delinquent youth requires that psychiatrists maintain a diverse set of skills, a high level of flexibility in treatment approaches, and a special awareness of the legal parameters governing the rehabilitation of these youngsters.
Abstract 375: Surgical Site Infection after Initial and Replacement Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices: Leveraging the Electronic Medical Record to Develop a Surveillance Model

Objective: While surgical site infection (SSI) rates tend to be low in patients with a Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device (CIED), the occurrence of infection can be devastating to the patient and costly to manage. Accurate surveillance and reporting of infections can assist in future risk stratification and mitigation in this population. Our purpose is (1) to describe the incidence of SSI after CIED implantation using a cardiac device registry in a large HMO and (2) to illustrate the process of infection validation utilizing a screening algorithm in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) of registered patients. Methods and Results: A longitudinal cohort study was performed to identify patients with a CIED implanted between 1/1/2007 and 12/31/2013. A screening algorithm (Figure 1) for detection of SSI includes (1) triggers for review in the registry, (2) International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for screening in the EMR, and (3) validation of flagged cases in the EMR. There were 11,924 Implantable Cardioverter Debrillators (7929 initial and 3995 replacement); 33,519 Pacemakers(23,772 initial and 9747 replacement); and 4472 cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (2537 initial and 1935 replacement) registered during the study period in 47,312 patients. Deep infection rates are shown in Figure 2 below. Superficial and Organ Space Infection rates remained low for all device types for combined rates of ≤0.03 and ≤0.10 respectively. Conclusion: In a population where the incidence of infection is often less than 1%, a comprehensive, sensitive, and specific model for infection screening and validation is necessary to accurately identify and classify surgical site infections. ![][1] ![][2] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/graphic-2.gif
Role of Videofluoroscopy

Disorders of feeding and swallowing are common in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, and comprehensive objective assessment followed by ongoing and periodic reassessment is essential to the appropriate management of these children (SULLIVAN and ROSENBLOOM 1996). Additional groups of children presenting with dysphagia include those with structural abnormalities of the head and neck (e. g., cleft palate, tracheomalacia), premature infants and those with respiratory disease.
Parallel data acquisition of in‐source fragmented glycopeptides to sequence the glycosylation sites of proteins

Glycosylation plays important roles in maintaining protein stability and controlling biological processes. In recent years, the correlation between aberrant glycoproteins and many diseases has been reported. Hence, qualitative and quantitative analyses of glycoproteins are necessary to understand physiological processes. LC-MS/MS analysis of glycopeptides is faced with the low glycopeptide signal intensities and low peptide sequence identification. In our study, in-source fragmentation (ISF) was used in conjunction with LC-MS/MS to facilitate the parallel acquisition of peptide backbone sequence and glycan composition information. In ISF method, the identification of glycosylation sites depended on the detection of Y1 ion (ion of peptide backbone with an N-acetylglucosamine attached). To attain dominant Y1 ions, a range of source fragmentation voltages was studied using fetuin. A 45 V ISF voltage was found to be the most efficient voltage for the analysis of glycoproteins. ISF was employed to study the glycosylation sites of three model glycoproteins, including fetuin, α1-acid glycoprotein and porcine thyroglobulin. The approach was then used to analyze blood serum samples. Y1 ions of glycopeptides in tryptic digests of samples were detected. Y1 ions of glycopeptides with different sialic acid groups are observed at different retention times, representing the various numbers of sialic acid moieties associated with the same peptide backbone sequence. With ISF facilitating the peptide backbone sequencing of glycopeptides, identified peptide sequence coverage was increased. For example, identified fetuin sequence percentage was improved from 39 to 80% in MASCOT database searching compared to conventional CID method. The formation of Y1 ions and oxonium ions in ISF facilitates glycopeptide sequencing and glycan composition identification.
A fast, accurate method for computing group-velocity partial derivatives for Rayleigh and Love modes

Abstract A method for quickly and accurately calculating Rayleigh- and Love-mode group-velocity partial derivatives with respect to model parameters ( m ) is developed. The method requires computer codes that calculate C, U, and ∂ C ∂ m | ω and employs numerical differentiation of ∂ C ∂ m | ω to yield ∂ U ∂ m | ω . The method is fast because ∂ C ∂ m | ω and ∂ U ∂ m | ω for all the model parameters can be obtained at a given frequency from only two solutions of the period equation. The accuracy of the method is established with two examples. For Love waves, the group-velocity partials computed by this method agree exactly with those obtained analytically by Novotny (1970). For Rayleigh waves, comparison with a “brute force” calculation of group-velocity partials showed agreement to the order of 0.00002. Systematic inversion of group-velocity data separately or in combination with phase-velocity data is computationally feasible using this method.
The Occurrence of Psammoma Bodies in Papillary Adenocarcinoma of the Lung

In a series of 56 consecutive necropsies of patients with primary adenocarcinoma of the lung, nine of the lesions contained psammoma bodies. Three similar cases not from this series are included in the study. The 12 adenocarcinomas contained papillary formations, with the psammoma bodies easily recognizable within the glands and papillary processes of the primary tumor and, in several instances, in their metastatic foci. The psammoma bodies were laminated and nonlaminated types and contained various amounts of mucopolysaccharides, iron, and calcium. The differentiation of these tumors from other papillary adenocarcinomas with psammoma bodies, especially of the thyroid gland, is important because of the prognostic and therapeutic implications. In two recent surgical cases, metastatic papillary adenocarcinomas with psammoma bodies were found in cervical and mediastinal lymph nodes with the primary sites of the tumors in the lungs.
Epitaxial Alignment of as Implanted Polysilicon Emitters

We demonstrate a clear advantage for high-temperature, short time annealing to induce intentional, complete epitaxial alignment of arsenic implanted, 0.5 μm-thick polysilicon films on (100) silicon, while minimizing arsenic outdiffusion into the substrate. Using MeV ion channeling and cross-sectional electron microscopy, epitaxial alignment was studied in the 1050-1150 °C temperature range, for arsenic doping concentrations between 1 and 10 × 1020 cm−3. The alignment efficiency increases dramatically with chemical arsenic concentration in this range. An arsenic concentration of 1020 cm−3 yields alignment behavior which proceeds from the polysilicon/single-crystal interface. Between 1 and 5 × 1020 cm×3, the random grain growth can exceed the rate of alignment, and large grain, highly oriented polycrystalline films can result from the RTA. For 0.5 μm-thick polysilicon films with an average doping of 1021 cm×3, the rate of achievement of a high degree of epitaxial alignment exceeds the rate of arsenic penetration into the substrate at temperatures ≥ 1150 °C. Bipolar transistors with 0.5 μm-thick emitter contacts and polysilicon dopings of 5 and 10 × 1020 cm×3 show less variation in base current when subjected to RTA (T ≥ 1100 °C) compared to devices annealed in a furnace in the 900 to 1000 °C range, while retaining the advantage over metal contacts.
95 Global Child Advocacy

Pediatricians and other clinicians who care for children around the globe are aware of the need to address the social determinates of childhood illness and advocate for children and their families living in their communities. Pediatricians have a unique perspective on the health and wellbeing of children and families living in their communities since they are the only professionals who routinely care for and follow preschool children. Pediatricians throughout the world are usually highly regarded by families and respected within their communities. Because of this respect, they have special opportunities to influence child and family policy. Advocacy is defined by the 4 P’s: personal experience, persistence/patience, passion, and principles. Personal experience usually determines the population or issue for which you decide to advocate. An effective advocate must be persistent and patient because it is difficult to change both policy and health care systems. Passion is also necessary for effective advocacy. An effective advocate feels personally connected to his or her issue. The final P in advocacy is to be principled. This means having a strong sense of integrity, credibility, fairness, and responsibility. Having integrity means a commitment to gain as complete an understanding of the issue as possible. Having credibility means that you will serve the best interests of children. Being fair means your policy recommendations will be based on a uniform standard of care for all children. Finally being responsible means recognizing how the consequences of the policy or advocacy efforts might have unintended effects.
Hot-Wire Measurements of Instabilty Waves on Cones at Mach 6

Hot wires were used in the Mach-6 tunnel to obtain mass flux profiles and to study the amplitude and growth of instability waves on 7° half-angle sharp and blunt (0.020-inch radius) cones. Measurements were taken at several stagnation pressures (45, 70, 90, and 125 psia) on each of the cones. The boundary layer thickness at convention noise was similar for the sharp and blunt cones, though it was noticed that for the same pressure and axial location the boundary layer on the sharp cone was slightly thinner than that on the blunt cone. The measurements taken with the hot wires were then compared to computations using the STABL code. These comparisons show good agreement both in the shape of the mass flux profiles and the value of mass flux at the edge of the boundary layer. Good agreement was also seen in the frequency of the second-mode instabilities at various pressures; the frequencies found experimentally were within 8% of those calculated by STABL for all cases. Hot wire measurements were also obtained on a sharp cone under quiet-flow conditions and though no instabilities were observed at 0° angle of attack, when placed at a 3° angle of attack, peaks in the spectra were observed at 130 kHz which could be attributed to instabilities.
Disorders of Menopause

Menopause is a condition in women whereby reduced ovarian function accompanied by declining levels of estrogen in circulation lead to cessation of menstrual cycles and increases the risk for hot flashes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, sleep disturbances and others. Treatment can be in various forms estrogen and progesterone replacement therapies and others to target loss of bone associated with osteoporosis.
Geographical Tracking Algorithm of UAV EO/IR Payload

In the condition of UAV′s real-time staring reconnaissance,the geographical tracking algorithm of UAV EO/IR Payload is designed for smart getting and tracking target in vision field by selecting point from map or image.As the result of simulation and flight test,it′s proved that the algorithm is effective on controlling payload to meet requisition of smart getting and tracking target.
Exploring Second-Language Teachers' Identities Through Multimodal Narratives: Gender and Race Discourses

This article has several interconnected goals. First, it foregrounds the role of narratives and narrative inquiry in the research of second language teaching practices. It illustrates how multimodal narrativity could be used in analyzing the formation of personal and professional identities of several female teachers of English. Specifically, it claims that narratives, while personal and unique constructions, can also function as bridges to understanding social and cultural beliefs. Second, it focuses on gender and race as the major social discourses contributing to the emergence of teachers' in training selves. Finally, viewing both teacher identities and narratives as multidimensional, emotional, and often contradictory constructions, the article calls for their investigation from multiple theoretical perspectives, for example, dialogism, as articulated by Bakhtin (1981, 1984), and other postpositivist approaches.
Evaluation of a Slide-Based Urine Magnesium Assay on the Vitros 5600

A slide-based urine magnesium (UM) assay was evaluated at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC)– Memphis using our Vitros 5600 (V5600) chemistry analyzer (Ortho, Rochester, NY). Twenty-five specimens were sent to the reference laboratory (RL); 23 were adequate to allow for comparative analysis. In-laboratory specimens were run on two analyzers and repeated on both analyzers after 24 hours stored at 4°C. Serial dilutions were performed …
On the Measurement of Perceived Service Quality: A Conjoint Analysis Approach

Parasuraman. Zeithaml, and Berry (1988) have proposed the use of a 22-item SERVQUAL instrument for the measurement of perceived service quality. Since their important work, several authors have criticized the use of this instrument in applied settings suggesting that the number and type of dimensions may vary by service category, that there are problems in attempting to use the same wording, across different service categories and in dealing with services that provide multiple service functions (e.g., hospitals), that the analysis of difference scores between perceptions and expectations raises questions about the psycho­metric properties of such a scale, and that the SERVQUAL instrument confounds the measurement of service satisfaction with service quality. We present an alternative measurement scheme for the measurement of perceived service quality, based on conjoint analysis, that can be easily modified to any service category by expectancy confirmation/disconfirmation response. The advantages of the proposed procedure are, first, that we measure true perceptions, as opposed to perceptions confounded with expectations and satisfaction; second, that the number, type, and operationalization of the specific dimensions (vis-a-vis the wording) are completely flexible according to the specific usage scenario; third, that estimation can be performed in an efficient manner utilizing orthogonal designs and simple OLS; and last, that the proposed model can lead to interesting quality optimization models as welt as models"that explore segmentation. The proposed methodology is illustrated with service quality perceptions of banks and dental offices. We conclude by discussing directions for future research.
CHAPTER 7 – Clinical and Genetic Features of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2

This chapter discusses clinical and genetic features of myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2). DM2 possesses several unique genetic features: it is the only identified tetranucleotide repeat disorder; DM2 expansions are larger than any other identified repeat expansion, exceeding 11,000 repeats with a mean of 5000 repeats; the degree of somatic mosaicism is unparalleled, with most subjects having dramatic heterogeneity of repeat length in blood; expansion length can increase over time, in one instance growing by 2 kb over 3 years; there is no discemable correlation between repeat length and disease severity. The size and somatic mosaicism have complicated genetic testing, but the currently available set of a PCR-based repeat assay and Southern analysis is reliable, sensitive, and specific. However, the lack of correlation between repeat length and severity suggests that the pathogenic mechanism is saturable, with no further increase in pathogenicity as repeat lengths expand beyond a size with maximal effect; this ceiling effect is further reflected by the fact that individuals homozygous for DM2 expansions are clinically indistinguishable from those with only one expanded allele.
Case Report: Spironolactone Withdrawal Associated With a Dramatic Response in a Patient With Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Clinical Practice PointsTherapeutic options are limited for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer, and potential drug-drug interactions should always be considered.Spironolactone, a selective androgen receptor modulator, diminishes the therapeutic efficacy of abiraterone and enzalutamide, an
Redundancy in Multi-core Memory-Rich Application-Specific PIM Chips

A trend of growing significance in the arena of advanced microprocessor chip design is the inclusion of multiple processor cores onto the same die with significant parts of the memory hierarchy. This is done to reduce both non-recurring design costs and power dissipation, and to get more computational capability and utilization out of the silicon. A side-effect, however, is the opportunity to leverage the redundancy offered by these multiple cores to improve both die yield (and thus reduce chip costs) and the longevity of systems employing such chips. This paper discusses the key variables that go into the configuration of such multi-core chips where the goal is complete integration with the memory hierarchy in a single part type. The emphasis of the study is on understanding how many cores, and of what complexity, are most appropriate.
Abstract A23: Characterization of diverging molecular and phenotypic responses under changing extracellular matrix stiffness in MCF10A cells

Tissue stiffness has emerged as an important regulator in the maintenance of normal cellular processes. In general, solid tumors are known to be much stiffer than normal tissue, with increased extracellular matrix (ECM) density being indicative of a higher risk for many cancers, including those of the breast. Over the course of breast cancer progression, the ECM becomes increasingly stiffer, a phenomenon which is known to be a driver of malignancy. In a 3D culture system using self-assembling peptide (SAP) gels, we grew MCF10A acini under a dynamic range of stiffness environments (140-5800 Pa). Under normal breast tissue elasticity, mammary epithelial cells form rounded, polarized acini with cleared lumens. However, in tumor-like stiffnesses, the same cells form non-polarized, collapsed structures that invade into the gel. To investigate the specific genes and pathways affected by stiffness, we have conducted tandem mass spectrometry to identify protein expression changes in MCF10A cells grown on SAP gels of increasing stiffness. Interestingly, the resulting analysis showed that cells grown on higher stiffnesses exhibit greater variation in protein expression. These divergent force-regulated molecular pathways are involved in a variety of cellular functions, including cell adhesion and migration, metabolism, and the immune response, among others. This study underscores the significance of mechanical forces exerted by the ECM, and signifies the first large-scale proteomic screen carried out to analyze heterogeneous cellular responses to changing stiffness environments. Citation Format: Sonya Liu, Russell Bainer, Yoshihiro Yui, Colin Flinders, Parag Mallick, Valerie Weaver, Shannon Mumenthaler. Characterization of diverging molecular and phenotypic responses under changing extracellular matrix stiffness in MCF10A cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Function of Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression; 2016 Jan 7–10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(15 Suppl):Abstract nr A23.
Clay components in soil dictate environmental stability and bioavailability of cervid prions in mice

Chronic wasting disease affects cervids and is the only known prion disease to affect free-ranging wildlife populations. CWD spread continues unabated, and exact mechanisms of its seemingly facile spread among deer and elk across landscapes in North America remain elusive. Here we confirm that naturally contaminated soil contains infectious CWD prions that can be transmitted to susceptible model organisms. We show that smectite clay content of soil potentiates prion binding capacity of different soil types from CWD endemic and non-endemic areas, likely contributing to environmental stability of bound prions. The smectite clay montmorillonite (Mte) increased prion retention and bioavailability in vivo. Trafficking experiments in live animals fed bound and unbound prions showed that mice retained significantly more Mte-bound than unbound prions. Mte promoted rapid uptake of prions from the stomach to the intestines via enterocytes and M cells, and then to macrophages and eventually CD21+ B cells in Peyer’s patches and spleens. These results confirm clay components in soil as an important vector in CWD transmission at both environmental and organismal levels.□
James Buchanan's Liberal Theory of Political Economy: A Valiant But Failed Effort to Square the Circle

The bulk of James Buchanan’s contributions to political economy occupy 20 volumes in Liberty Fund’s collection of his works. Reading those works shows both that Buchanan injected new strands of thought into that tradition and that his oeuvre contains points of apparent incoherence. To speak of a tension in someone’s body of work is typically to locate incongruent elements within that body. In this respect, tension is identified relative to the logic of non-contradiction, which is suitable for closed schemes of thought. For open schemes of thought, which Buchanan often though not invariably supported, thought must be dialectical, where what appears to be tension is the necessary operation of the parts that generate the phenomena being examined. Buchanan’s political economy reflects both forms of tension, as this essay examines. In short, Buchanan wanted to develop a political economy for an open and creative system of liberal political economy; however, he never fully escaped the hold of closed-form theorizing. In this failure to fully achieve his aspiration, he resembled his bete noire John Maynard Keynes who asserted much the same thing in his Preface to the General Theory.
Generative Evaluations using Quantitative Methods: A Case Study

As discussed by Preiser, Rabinowitz, and White (1988) and Wener (1988), numerous advances have been made in evaluating built environments over the past 15 years. Advances in research design, methodologies and techniques, and theoretical model development have been displayed in a plethora of evaluation studies undertaken in a wide variety of settings and for different of purposes. Whereas earlier work highlighted the purpose of evaluation as providing feedback to clients and environmental designers on the impact of physical environments on occupant behavior, which could suggest directions for environmental modification (Zeisel, 1975; Zimring and Reisenstein, 1980), new purposes for undertaking evaluation in the environmental design fields have surfaced in the 1980s.
Effects of sea-level, sea-ice extent, and nutrient availability on primary production at the Umnak Plateau, Bering Sea (IODP Site U1339) during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5

Abstract This study investigates how primary production responded to changes in nutrient availability, sea-level, and sea-ice coverage at the Umnak Plateau during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 and parts of MIS 4 and MIS 6. The Umnak Plateau during MIS 4 and MIS 6 had low primary production resulting from extensive sea-ice coverage that enhanced stratification and limited nutrient replenishment. This nutrient limitation was relieved during the deglaciation going into MIS 5 when previously exposed continental shelves were flooded and the eastern Aleutian Island passes were opened by an increase in sea-level, resulting in an increase in productivity. Opening and closing of the eastern Aleutian Island passes during the rest of MIS 5 reflected fluctuations in sea-level and likely affected nutrient sources and productivity at the Umnak Plateau. Nutrients during sea-level lowstands were likely sourced by the Aleutian North Slope Current, whereas most of the sea-level high stands throughout MIS 5 had nitrogen sourced by an increase in nitrogen fixation and the assimilation of remineralized nitrogen, which led to highly depleted nitrogen isotope values never before seen for the northern Pacific. Higher sea-level and productivity near the beginning of MIS 5 likely reflected MIS 5e; however, a discrepancy between two diatom productivity proxies suggests that changing environmental conditions stimulated a change in the dominant diatom species. This highlights the complexities associated with productivity in the Bering Sea and emphasizes the need to continue studying how productivity and ecosystems changed during previous warm periods.
Field methods for determination of soluble salts and percent sodium from extract for identifying dispersive clay soils

This paper presents field test procedures for determining the total dissolved salts and the percent sodium in the saturation pore water extract for the purpose of identifying dispersive clay soils. Soluble salts were determined by two methods. The first method used a sodium electrode and chemical reagents, while the second method used a wheatstone bridge. Plots of data and geometric regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between the soluble salts obtained by the two field techniques versus the soluble salts by atomic absorption. The percent sodium was calculated three separate ways using data from the sodium electrode, chemical reagents, and bridge. Plots of data and linear regression analyses were made of the percent sodium by the three methods versus the percent sodium by atomic absorption. In all plots of soluble salts and percent sodium, the atomic absorption data were used as the independent variable.
Software Testing: The State of the Practice

A Web-based survey examined how software professionals used testing. The results offer opportunities for further interpretation and comparison to software testers, project managers, and researchers. The data includes characteristics of practitioners, organizations, projects, and practices.
Biochemical methane potential assays and anaerobic digester bioaugmentation using freeze dried biomass

In this study, freeze dried methanogenic biomass (FDMB) was used as inoculum in place of conventional, non-dried biomass for biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays and as a bioaugment to improve upset digester recovery. Methanogenic biomass was freeze dried and stored in an air atmosphere. Significant methanogenic activity was preserved in FDMB even with drying and storage in air; specific methanogenic activity (SMA) values were 65 ± 4.5% and 42 ± 10.4% for hydrogen:carbon dioxide (H2:CO2) and acetate, respectively, compared to non-dried biomass. There was no significant difference in BMP results for the four substrates tested (glucose, non-fat dry milk, thin stillage and dog food) when using FDMB and non-dried biomass as inocula. However, BMP assays using FDMB inocula took longer to complete. Methane (CH4) production from digesters exposed to a model toxicant (oxygen [O2]) recovered faster when bioaugmented with FDMB compared to digesters that received autoclaved biomass or no bioaugmentation. Methanogen communities in all digesters before toxicant exposure and bioaugmentation were similar. However, bioaugmented and non-augmented digester communities were significantly different during the recovery phase after toxicant exposure. Sequences similar to Methanospirillum were related to improved performance of the FDMB bioaugmented digesters. FDMB could be developed as a standard inoculum for BMP analyses and to bioaugment anaerobic digesters for improved performance. These results may encourage developing customized, dried methanogenic biomass for specific anaerobic biotechnology applications.
A high-efficiency interleaved single-phase AC-DC converter with common-mode voltage regulation for 380 V DC microgrids

A transformerless two-stage bidirectional single-phase ac-dc converter is designed to connect 380 V bipolar dc microgrids with 240 V split-phase single-phase ac systems. The converter consists of a full-bridge ac-dc stage and a full-bridge dc-dc stage. This decouples the common-mode (CM) voltage between the connected ac and dc systems. To achieve high efficiency, interleaving and state-of-the-art Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs are adopted. A pluggable phase-leg module with embedded driving and protection circuit is designed and tested. Interleaving angles are optimized for magnetics design. Besides high efficiency, an active CM voltage control method is incorporated to regulate the dc and low-frequency dc bus to ground voltage. A CM equivalent circuit is derived and used to design the CM controller. A 10 kW converter prototype is built and achieves an efficiency higher than 97%. The dc bus voltages are symmetric to ground, and the leakage current is suppressed.
The Role of Perception–Action Systems in the Development of Tool-Using Skill

Gaining proficiency using tools during childhood is an important accomplishment and involves using the hands to perceive tool properties and perform goal-directed actions. Using a perception–action...
Living Xenopus oocytes, eggs, and embryos as models for cell division

Xenopus laevis has long been a popular model for studies of development and, based on the use of cell-free extracts derived from its eggs, as a model for reconstitution of cell cycle regulation and other basic cellular processes. However, work over the last several years has shown that intact Xenopus eggs and embryos are also powerful models for visualization and characterization of cell cycle-regulated cytoskeletal dynamics. These findings were something of a surprise, given that the relatively low opacity of Xenopus eggs and embryos was assumed to make them poor subjects for live-cell imaging. In fact, however, the high tolerance for light exposure, the development of new imaging approaches, new probes for cytoskeletal components and cytoskeletal regulators, and the ease of microinjection make the Xenopus oocytes, eggs, and embryos one of the most useful live-cell imaging models among the vertebrates. In this review, we describe the basics of using X. laevis as a model organism for studying cell division and outline experimental approaches for imaging cytoskeletal components in vivo in X. laevis embryos and eggs.
Kriging e Analisi Oggettiva

Come abbiamo visto i dati sono generalmente misurati in un punto, oppure nel caso dei satelliti sono integrati su di una area. Questi punti sono sparsi e casuali e quindi se si vuole ottenere una informazione sul campo geofisico di interesse debbono essere opportunamente interpolati. Esistono vari metodi che permettono di fare queste operazioni, tra i vari ci sono il Kriging, che nasce in ambito Terra solida e l’Analisi Oggettiva sviluppata in ambito Meteorologico e Oceanografico. Krige [68] sviluppo un metodo di interpolazione, basato sul campionamento, per determinare le dimensione dei bacini minerari mentre Gandin [30] fu il precursore degli stessi studi in meteorologia e oceanografia. Sacks et al. [107] utilizzarono l’interpolazione del Kriging nel campo della simulazione casuale ed in varie applicazioni di tipo deterministico come il disegno dei chips dei computer o nel settore delle automobili.
Michel Butor’s L’Embarquement De La Reine De Saba: An Allegorical Undoing of Aesthetic Experience

Modern critical studies and the meta-critical approaches to art and literature to which they adhere are increasingly divisible into two philosophic camps: the foundationalist and the contextualist. “Each may take a variety of forms,” notes Gary Shapiro in his essay “Gadamer, Habermas and the Death of Art,” but it is typical of the foundationalist to seek a fixed basis for … the claims of aesthetic and artistic experience, while the contextualist denies the availability of any such fixed grounds and suggests instead that… our aesthetic experience can get along well enough with reference to the norms and practices of actual societies, taking into account the historical experience of these societies as it is found in their cultures.1
Evaluation of Radiation Exposure From Computed Tomography of the Head

Abstract In an effort to reduce radiation exposure from computed tomography (CT), practitioners and facilities need to monitor radiation exposure while delivering high-quality diagnostic examinations. One way to minimize a patient's exposure to radiation from CT is the use of an automatic exposure control device. Current research is focusing on these devices and their actual benefits to patients. To assess the effectiveness of such a device, analysis of radiation doses per CT examination must occur. Machine-specific dose-length product and/or CT dose index are the only indicators of specific dose levels. This project compares current levels of radiation exposure to patients undergoing CT scans of the head versus the national levels as evaluated by the Nationwide Evaluation of X-ray Trends program.
THE ROLES OF GENDER AND MOTHERS’ CARE PREFERENCES IN THE IMPACT OF CAREGIVING ON ADULT CHILDREN’S MARITAL QUALITY

Adult children often incur a wide array of psychological, personal and interpersonal costs when caring for parents in later life, including to their marital relationships. These costs are moderated by many factors, including characteristics of the parent, the child, and the caregiver’s spouse. One potentially important moderator that has not been considered is the role of children’s perceptions of whether they are their parents’ preferred caregivers. In this paper, we used mixed-method data collected from 506 adult children as part of the Within-Family Differences Study-II to explore how gender and perceptions of mothers’ caregiving preferences interacted to affect marital tension. Multi-level modeling revealed that among daughters, but not sons, marital tension was lower when spouses perceived that they were their mothers’ preferred caregivers. Qualitative analyses suggested this occurred because husbands were more understanding of their wives’ heavy caregiving responsibilities when they perceived their wives were motivated by their mothers’ needs.