cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the southerly low‐level jet climatology for the central United States as simulated by NARCCAP regional climate models

An ensemble of simulations from four regional climate models (RCMs) driven by a global reanalysis was obtained from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) and used to evaluate the ability of the RCMs to simulate the long-term (1979–2000) climatology of southerly low-level jets (S-LLJs) in the central United States. The RCM-derived S-LLJ climatologies were evaluated against rawinsonde observations for the same period. The use of a small ensemble of RCM simulations helped to identify model differences and assisted with interpretation. The RCMs generally reproduced the broad spatial patterns and temporal variations of jet frequency and average jet height and speed. No model consistently outperformed the others in all aspects of the evaluation, although differences existed between models in the placement, migration and relative strength of ‘hotspots’ of more frequent jet activity. In particular, three of the four models placed the centre of greatest nocturnal S-LLJ activity during the warm season in northern and central Texas, whereas for the other model the greatest jet activity was located in the south-central plains (Kansas/Oklahoma). The magnitude of a S-LLJ frequency maximum over south Texas also varied between models, with simulated frequencies exceeding observed frequencies for some models but substantially underestimating for others. The evaluation presented here highlights the potential applications of RCMs in S-LLJ research for future climate and other assessment studies that require three-dimensional data with relatively high spatial and temporal resolutions. The overall performance of the models in reproducing the long-term S-LLJ climatology supports the use of NARCCAP RCM simulations in climate assessments for the central United States where S-LLJs are an important contributor to the regional climatology.
The Man from Somewhere: Author, Affiliation, and Letterhead

This is not an essay composed for the Telos competition; it is an essay about the Telos competition. It addresses “no specific question or theme” other than the request for the author’s institutional affiliation, a form of symbolic capital that, for much of his career, the founder of Telos could not have produced. The seemingly open invitation to participate in the Telos essay competition masks a union of author and affiliation that functions powerfully as it shapes academic careers according to the quest for the knowledge authority embedded in institutional letterhead and directs creative energies into the collection of status displays, while knowledge continues to be legitimated according to its institutional origination. I argue that the value relations within which the potential Telos author is embedded belong to what Michel Foucault described as the “author function.” I explore these value relations through a consideration of the ways in which manners, money, and letterhead circulate through academic status displays, which preserve an economy of affiliation that portrays the personal consequences of status disqualification as matters of merit, when they are in fact matters of governing the boundaries of legitimate knowledge.
Interactions between Thermal Acclimation, Growth Rate, and Phylogeny Influence Prochlorococcus Elemental Stoichiometry

Variability in plankton elemental requirements can be important for global ocean biogeochemistry but we currently have a limited understanding of how ocean temperature influences the plankton C/N/P ratio. Multiple studies have put forward a 'translation-compensation' hypothesis to describe the positive relationship between temperature and plankton N/P or C/P as cells should have lower demand for P-rich ribosomes and associated depressed QP when growing at higher temperature. However, temperature affects many cellular processes beyond translation with unknown outcomes on cellular elemental composition. In addition, the impact of temperature on growth and elemental composition of phytoplankton is likely modulated by the life history and growth rate of the organism. To test the direct and indirect (via growth rate changes) effect of temperature, we here analyzed the elemental composition and ratios in six strains affiliated with the globally abundant marine Cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus. We found that temperature had a significant positive effect on the carbon and nitrogen cell quota, whereas no clear trend was observed for the phosphorus cell quota. The effect on N/P and C/P were marginally significantly positive across Prochlorococcus. The elemental composition and ratios of individual strains were also affected but we found complex interactions between the strain identity, temperature, and growth rate in controlling the individual elemental ratios in Prochlorococcus and no common trends emerged. Thus, the observations presented here does not support the 'translation-compensation' theory and instead suggest unique cellular elemental effects as a result of rising temperature among closely related phytoplankton lineages. Thus, the biodiversity context should be considered when predicting future elemental ratios and how cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus may change in a future ocean.
Response of deep groundwater to land use change in desert basins of the Trans‐Pecos region, Texas, USA: Effects on infiltration, recharge, and nitrogen fluxes

Quantifying the effects of anthropogenic processes on groundwater in arid regions can be complicated by thick unsaturated zones with long transit times. Human activities can alter water and nutrient fluxes, but their impact on groundwater is not always clear. This study of basins in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas links anthropogenic land use and vegetation change with alterations to unsaturated zone fluxes and regional increases in basin groundwater NO3− concentrations. Median increases in groundwater NO3− (by 0.7–0.9 mg-N/l over periods ranging from 10 to 50+ years) occurred despite low precipitation (220–360 mm/year), high potential evapotranspiration (~1570 mm/year), and thick unsaturated zones (10–150+ m). Recent model simulations indicate net infiltration and groundwater recharge can occur beneath Trans-Pecos basin floors, and may have increased due to irrigation and vegetation change. These processes were investigated further with chemical and isotopic data from groundwater and unsaturated zone cores. Some unsaturated zone solute profiles indicate flushing of natural salt accumulations has occurred. Results are consistent with human-influenced flushing of naturally accumulated unsaturated zone nitrogen as an important source of NO3− to the groundwater. Regional mass balance calculations indicate the mass of natural unsaturated zone NO3− (122–910 kg-N/ha) was sufficient to cause the observed groundwater NO3− increases, especially if augmented locally with the addition of fertilizer N. Groundwater NO3− trends can be explained by small volumes of high NO3− modern recharge mixed with larger volumes of older groundwater in wells. This study illustrates the importance of combining long-term monitoring and targeted process studies to improve understanding of human impacts on recharge and nutrient cycling in arid regions, which are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and increasing human reliance on dryland ecosystems.
Modelling of air entrainment during pouring of metal castings

AbstractAir entrainment during mould filling is major source of oxide inclusions in metal castings. A model is developed to predict the location and rate of air entrainment as part of a standard mould filling simulation. The local air entrainment rate is calculated as a function of the turbulent kinetic energy and the magnitude of the normal velocity gradient of the liquid metal at the liquid–air interface. The model is validated through comparisons with experimental air entrainment measurements for a plunging water jet. It is then applied to study the effect of gating system design and pouring parameters on air entrainment in steel casting. Air entrainment is found to be reduced for a metal stream from the ladle that is centred above the pouring cup or the use of an offset step pouring basin, low head heights, high flow rates, a pressurised gating system and bottom ingates.
Redox-triggered mixing and demixing of surfactants within assemblies formed in solution and at surfaces

We report experiments that test the hypothesis that redox-triggered changes in the architectures of surfactants permit control of mixing of surfactants within assemblies. Specifically, we describe surface tension, light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and quartz crystal microbalance measurements that characterize the redox-dependent behaviors of cationic surfactants with a ferrocene group located either at the surfactant terminus (11-ferrocenylundecyl-trimethylammonium bromide; FTMA) or head (N,N-dimethylferrocenylmethyldecylammonium bromide; DMFA). In bulk solution, we find that reduced and oxidized FTMA do not mix within micellar assemblies but that reduced and oxidized DMFA do form mixed micelles. Because oxidized FTMA has the architecture of a bolaform surfactant whereas oxidized DMFA has a conventional surfactant architecture with a divalent head group, these results suggest that redox-triggered changes in molecular architecture permit control of the extent of mixing of surfactants in micellar assemblies in bulk solution. This conclusion receives further support from measurements performed with mixtures of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and FTMA, with FTMA in either reduced or oxidized states, and was found to extend to hemimicellar assemblies formed at hydrophobic solid surfaces but not to mixed monolayers formed at the surface of water. The latter is attributed to differences in the conformations of surfactants within monolayers and micellar assemblies. Overall, these results provide insight into the design of surfactant assemblies within which mixing can be controlled reversibly using redox processes.
Making Dysphagia Easier to Swallow: A Review for the Practicing Clinician

Evaluating a patient with dysphagia can be a complex and daunting task. In this article, we present a practical approach to the evaluation, physical examination, and subsequent work-up of dysphagia that is applicable to practicing physicians.
District Smoking Policies: A National Survey

(1988). District Smoking Policies: A National Survey. Journal of the Institute of Health Education: Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 129-137.
Methods of comparing associative models and an application to retrospective revaluation

Contemporary theories of associative learning are increasingly complex, which necessitates the use of computational methods to reveal predictions of these models. We argue that comparisons across multiple models in terms of goodness of fit to empirical data from experiments often reveal more about the actual mechanisms of learning and behavior than do simulations of only a single model. Such comparisons are best made when the values of free parameters are discovered through some optimization procedure based on the specific data being fit (e.g., hill climbing), so that the comparisons hinge on the psychological mechanisms assumed by each model rather than being biased by using parameters that differ in quality across models with respect to the data being fit. Statistics like the Bayesian information criterion facilitate comparisons among models that have different numbers of free parameters. These issues are examined using retrospective revaluation data.
nirSFE: an ultrathin, flexible, near-infrared endoscope (Conference Presentation)

We present a scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) designed for near-infrared (nir) imaging. The SFE piezo actuator drives a single mode fiber in spiral patterns; meanwhile return fibers collect the reflective light; then signals from detector are mapped onto an image according to the fiber scan trajectory. Many SFE prototypes have been developed based on red/green/blue reflectance, enhanced spectral, fluorescence, optical coherence, and multimodal imaging. These forward-view SFE prototypes have the advantage of miniature size (1-3mm), flexible shaft, video-speed frame rate (10-30Hz), wide field of view (60-100 degree) and good resolution quality. A new SFE prototype is being developed that operates entirely in near-infrared wavelength range, which is expected to have great potential in imaging dental lesions and monitoring therapy. The first nirSFE probe has a diameter of around 3mm, frame rate of 17Hz, 53 degree FOV and spatial resolution of 40um. Although the specific optical fibers made for nir makes the probe stiffer than previous prototypes, the flexible 2m shaft allows for easy orientation. Using this prototype we can achieve reflectance mode imaging and also switch between different wavelengths (1310nm, 1460nm, 1550nm) and light sources (SLD or laser). In the development of this prototype, we encounter several issues: 1) the speckle noise caused by interference of laser beams, 2) uneven illumination and reduced visual field caused by collection fiber distribution and numerical aperture, and 3) specular reflection patterns which can obscure important enamel target detail. We explore solutions to these issues by using multiple detector channels, light sources, and filtering.
The NMDA Receptors: Physiology and Neurotoxicity in the Developing Brain

Abstract The N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor is one subtype of receptor for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Unlike other subtypes of glutamatergic receptors, NMDA receptors are exclusively associated with neurons and expressed at the postsynaptic site. Activation of NMDA receptors requires both glutamate release from the presynaptic terminals and sufficient depolarization of the postsynaptic membrane, and allows the influx of calcium ions from the extracellular space into neurons. Thus, the NMDA receptor possesses the characteristics of a partially combined ligand- and voltage-gated ion channel and plays an essential role in controlling postsynaptic activities in a unique way. The NMDA receptor is involved in many neuronal processes, such as growth, differentiation, and apoptosis, as well as in neural functions, such as learning, memory, and plasticity. The NMDA receptor is also implicated in several neurological disorders. To stay within the scope of this book, this chapter will provide an overview of the properties and functions of the NMDA receptor and focus in particular on the role of NMDA receptor in developmental neurotoxicity.
Topology Identification and Learning over Graphs: Accounting for Nonlinearities and Dynamics

Identifying graph topologies as well as processes evolving over graphs emerge in various applications involving gene-regulatory, brain, power, and social networks, to name a few. Key graph-aware learning tasks include regression, classification, subspace clustering, anomaly identification, interpolation, extrapolation, and dimensionality reduction. Scalable approaches to deal with such high-dimensional tasks experience a paradigm shift to address the unique modeling and computational challenges associated with data-driven sciences. Albeit simple and tractable, linear time-invariant models are limited since they are incapable of handling generally evolving topologies, as well as nonlinear and dynamic dependencies between nodal processes. To this end, the main goal of this paper is to outline overarching advances, and develop a principled framework to capture nonlinearities through kernels, which are judiciously chosen from a preselected dictionary to optimally fit the data. The framework encompasses and leverages (non) linear counterparts of partial correlation and partial Granger causality, as well as (non)linear structural equations and vector autoregressions, along with attributes such as low rank, sparsity, and smoothness to capture even directional dependencies with abrupt change points, as well as time-evolving processes over possibly time-evolving topologies. The overarching approach inherits the versatility and generality of kernel-based methods, and lends itself to batch and computationally affordable online learning algorithms, which include novel Kalman filters over graphs. Real data experiments highlight the impact of the nonlinear and dynamic models on consumer and financial networks, as well as gene-regulatory and functional connectivity brain networks, where connectivity patterns revealed exhibit discernible differences relative to existing approaches.
The effect of heat recovery on near-source plume dispersion of a simple cycle gas turbine

Abstract The waste heat recovery (HR) systems are employed to increase the overall thermal efficiency of electric generation units (EGUs). Although the emission factors (in terms of gram of pollutants per unit of thermal energy consumed or electric energy generated) generally decreases after installing HR systems, the emission rates in terms of grams of pollutants per unit of time remain unchanged. However, HR systems reduce stack exit temperature, resulting in lower effective emission heights, which lead to higher near-source ground level concentrations (GLCs) of air pollutants. In order to comprehensively evaluate the near-source air quality impact from deploying HR systems, we proposed a new modeling framework by integrating a computationally efficient Gaussian-based dispersion model (AERMOD) and a (relatively) more accurate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. As a demonstration of the proposed framework, we investigated the HR impact on NOx concentrations near a simple cycle gas turbine located in Brentwood, NY. Specifically, we applied the AERMOD modeling system to screen the hourly GLCs over five years, and highest values (and the corresponding hours) were shown to cluster into two main meteorological conditions: the stable atmospheric boundary layer with relatively high wind speed (Stable, HW) and the unstable atmospheric boundary layer with relatively low wind speed (Unstable, LW). These two conditions were further simulated using a CFD model that have been extensively evaluated previously for detailed analysis. By setting different stack exit temperatures, the near-source air quality impact of different waste heat conversion rates was evaluated. We introduced a concept called the heat recovery amplified factor (HRAF), defined as the ratio between the maximum GLC with HR system and that without HR system, as an indicator of HR impact. HRAF was shown to be much more sensitive to temperature in the Unstable, LW condition than in the Stable, HW condition. Although the results were limited to a specific simple cycle gas turbine, the proposed modeling framework and HRAF can be used for evaluating the HR systems impact for other emission sources.
On the “quantum disk” and a “non-commutative circle”

Let T q be the universal C*-aIgebra generated by an element zsatisfying the equation: $$z{{z}^{*}} = q{{z}^{*}} + \left( {1 - q} \right)I$$ where q ∈ [-1, 1] is a parameter. We show that, in contrast to T q for -1 0, \(\phi - 1\) is the restriction to T q of the Haar measure on the quantum group S √q U(2). The distribution (with respect to \({{\phi }_{q}}\) of the real part of the generator z is deformed from the semicircle law \(\frac{2}{\pi }\sqrt {{1 - {{t}^{2}}dt}}\), at q = 0, to |t|dt, at q = -1.
Self-Regulatory Approaches to White-Collar Crime: The Importance of Legitimacy and Procedural Justice

Securing employee adherence to workplace rules and company policies is a key antecedent of successful functioning within organizations. It is important for companies to be able to effectively motivate rule following behavior among employees, i.e. to be able to limit white-collar crime. This chapter compares the utility of two approaches to securing such behavior. Those strategies are as follows: (1) the sanction-based command-and-control model and (2) self-regulation approaches that are linked to activating employee’s ethical judgments. Research findings suggest that, while command-and-control strategies influence employee behavior, self-regulatory strategies have a stronger influence. Studies also explore the basis of these ethical judgments, and find that the primary factor shaping them is the procedural justice that employees experience in their workplace. These results suggest that the roots of employee policy adherence and rule following behavior lie in the procedural justice of the organization. Overall, this analysis highlights the important role ethical judgments play in motivating both rule following and policy adherence among employees in work settings and provides practical suggestions for shaping those judgments.
Molecular Diagnostics in Breast Cytology

Breast cancer is the most frequent carcinoma in females. It comprises a heterogeneous group of lesions that differ by morphology, clinical presentation, tumor biology, and response to therapy. Traditional classification of breast cancer has been based on evaluation of histologic features, but molecular studies and diagnostic assays have expanded the understanding of tumor biology and are impacting diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment. Here we review the molecular classification of breast cancer, assays commonly used in clinical care, and some tests that show promise in both the early and metastatic setting.
Peripheral and central nervous system distribution of the CGRP neutralizing antibody [125I] galcanezumab in male rats:

ObjectiveThe objective of this investigation was to examine the distribution of galcanezumab and a control immunoglobulin 4 antibody containing the same constant regions as galcanezumab, into perip...
The Challenge of the Future: Teaching Students to Speak Fluently and Accurately.

L'A. examine le probleme de l'efficacite des methodes d'enseignement en langue seconde dont le but est de faire acceder les etudiant a des niveaux de haute competence en precision et fluidite verbales. Pour atteindre ce but, les methodes d'enseignement doivent combiner un programme base sur la grammaire et sur la comprehension
“Drops of Diversity”: How a small academic library is working to increase cultural competence

Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) is ranked 19th in ethnic diversity among national liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report, a distinction held high by the institution. Diversity is a prominent feature of VWU’s strategic plan, and the institution’s core values emphasize inclusion and social responsibility. Given the diverse constituents on campus, librarians at VWU’s Hofheimer Library saw an opportunity to develop library diversity initiatives in an intentional way. What’s more, diversity forms an important component of the library’s strategic plan, thus emphasizing a commitment inclusive of the community being served.
Replacing Agency Adjudication with Independent Administrative Courts

Modern administrative agencies conflict with a strong separation of powers, exercising not only executive power, but also delegated legislative and judicial power. This feature of modern agencies raises serious legitimacy concerns, because the separation of powers is one of the traditional means to constrain government power and deter improper government behavior. Defenders of the administrative state often argue, however, that these legitimacy concerns must be borne because modern government would not otherwise possess the expertise or efficient decision making capacity that such government requires to function. This Article, published as part of a symposium on administrative adjudication, argues that there is an alternative way of structuring administrative adjudication that would allow for both a strong separation of powers and efficient decision-making. I argue for a system of genuinely independent courts that have expertise and that use the streamlined procedures of agency adjudication. The judges of these courts might be either Article III or Article I judges and would be required to have expertise in either economics, medicine, or science. Such courts would serve to promote the limited and effective government of the separation of powers while also furthering the expert and expeditious decision-making of agency adjudication. The system would avoid the basic unfairness and bad results of having the prosecutor be the judge in his or her own case. It would also reduce the opportunity for agencies to take a host of other actions that are currently allowed, such as pursuing extreme ideologies not shared by the public or promoting the interests of a political party. But a system of independent administrative courts would not require that regulatory laws be administered by uninformed officials or through expensive and time-consuming procedures. One could employ expertise and streamlined procedures to allow for knowledgeable and low-cost decision-making.
11 – Biomedical hydrogels

Publisher Summary Hydrogels are insoluble water-swollen networks that are being widely investigated for biomedical applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. These polymers consist of a wide range of chemistries and can be formed through a variety of mechanisms, including physical and chemical gelation. This chapter presents a list of potential advantages and disadvantages of using hydrogels as biomaterials. Properties of hydrogels that are important to their design and use as biomaterials include swelling, mechanics, and degradation. There have been many types of hydrogels developed for biomaterials applications. These hydrogels are either natural, for example, fibrin, collagen and gelatin, hyaluronic acid, alginate, and agarose or modified natural polymers or are synthetically derived, for example, poly(ethylene glycol), poly(acrylic acid), poly(vinyl alcohol), and polypeptides. Many of these hydrogels are increasingly explored as scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, such as for the generation of cartilage, bone, liver, neurons, muscle, and fat. For such applications, physical properties, mass transport properties, and biological properties of the hydrogel must all be considered and tailored for a particular application.
A Child Rights Framework for Educational System Reform

The purpose of schools can be described as the provision of knowledge and skills to students that will promote their success in life and includes the development of social and emotional competence, personal ambition, and academic skills (Doll & Cummings, Transforming school mental health services: Population-based approaches to promoting the competency and wellness of children. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA, 2008). The promotion of psychological well-being should be central to the school, to which academic success and well-being are closely associated (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). Schools need an overarching framework comparable to those that exist for academics to guide the creation of an environment that aims to comprehensively meet this larger purpose. Covell and Howe (2008) suggest the use of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (hereinafter referred to as the Convention; United Nations, 1989) as the framework of system design for schools. The Convention meets this need because it serves as a broad framework that promotes and protects individual rights and respects cultural values. In this chapter, we demonstrate ways in which the Convention can provide unifying principles that can guide schools in the development, integration, and review of systems that promote the attainment of larger goals of education. Specifically, we illustrate how to use the Convention as a framework to evaluate the alignment of policies, programs, and practices to the broader purpose of schooling described above.
Trigger Finger? Just Shoot!:

Trigger finger is a common condition usually curable by a safe, simple corticosteroid injection. Trigger finger results from a stenotic A1 pulley that has lost its gliding surface producing friction and nodular change in the tendon. This results in pain and tenderness to palpation of the A1 pulley, progressing to catching and then locking. Splinting for 6 to 9 weeks produces gradual improvement in most patients as does a quick steroid injection with the latter resulting in resolution of pain in days and resolution of catching or locking in a few weeks. Percutaneous or open release should be reserved for injection failures particularly those at high risk for continued injection failure including diabetics and those with multiple trigger fingers. We present a step-by-step method for injection with illustrations to encourage primary care providers to offer this easily performed procedure to their patients.
Euphotic Zone Metabolism in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre Based on Oxygen Dynamics

We report in situ rates of gross oxygen production (GOP), community respiration (R), and net community production (NCP) in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre derived from mixed layer O/Ar measureme...
Biopolíticas de la visualidad en la necrópolis contemporánea. Javier Guerrero (comp). Bogotá: Cuadernos de Literatura 46, Vol. XXIII Jul-Dic 2019.

El tiempo de la vida es el tiempo de la Tierra como gran organismo, propone Rita Segato en su reciente articulo “Todos somos mortales”. Un tiempo que, como parte de ese gran “utero terrestre”, desafia las reglas, la gran omnipotencia de Occidente y su obsesion de ubicarnos como especies en una posicion sujeta a la manipulacion de la vida. Desde catastrofes naturales, flujos migratorios incontenibles, una guerra global normalizada, enfermedades, pandemias, femicidios y violencia policial, ?como pensar desde el final de los tiempos? ?Como proteger y cuidar la vida en el presente? ?Y como registrar esta experiencia, como retenerla, al desarticular los dominios del necropoder y el biopoder? Estas son algunas de las preguntas que aborda Biopoliticas de la visualidad en la necropolis contemporanea (2019), compilado por Javier Guerrero para la revista Cuadernos de literatura.
Yttrium-90 Hepatic Radioembolization for Advanced Chemorefractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Survival Outcomes Based on Right- Versus Left-Sided Primary Tumor Location

Please see the Editorial Comment by Roger T. Tomihama discussing this article. To listen to the podcast associated with this article, please select one of the following: iTunes, Google Play, or dir...
Fibrous Dysplasia at Unusual Anatomic Sites: A Series of 86 Cases With Emphasis on Histologic Patterns.

Aims. Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a benign fibro-osseous neoplasm that most commonly arises in the ribs, femur, and craniofacial bones. We analyzed features of FD arising in the spine/short tubular/s...
Florida’s Healing Waters: Gilded Age Mineral Springs, Seaside Resorts & Health Spas

Orlando-based graphic designer and writer Rick Kilby is no stranger to Florida springs and other waters. In 2013, the University Press of Florida published his trim and well-illustrated Finding the Fountain of Youth: Ponce de Leon and Florida’s Magical Waters. That book uses a few hundred images (photos, drawings, old brochures and other promotional material) to reveal the impact of the sixteenth century Spanish conquistador on Florida’s twentieth and twenty-first century landscapes—especially those where people have long sought to capitalize on Ponce de Leon’s fabled search for a fountain of youth. As Kilby (2013, p.31) suggests, “If you visit the many places in Florida that have claimed ties to the Fountain of Youth, you might get the impression that Ponce de Leon stumbled across the peninsula, drinking from every spring he could find in search of the elusive elixir.” Kilby’s recent book, Florida’s Healing Waters, is equally well-illustrated, but it is no coffee table book. Kilby clearly builds on our understanding of the historic development and continuing evolution of tourism in Florida. He contends that better understanding the history of Florida’s Victorian-era springs, spas and sanitariums will help us see “how they fit into the larger context of human history and our relationship to water” (Kilby 2020, p. ix).
Michigan Local Leaders Expect Mixed Impacts From Expanded Voter Registration and Absentee Voting Reforms

This report presents the experiences and opinions of Michigan’s local government clerks and other city and township leaders regarding three statewide voting and election reforms: 1) voter registration up to 15 days before an election via mail, online, and at a Secretary of State’s office; 2) in-person, same-day voter registration up to and including Election Day at a local clerk’s office, and; 3) no-excuse absentee voting. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Spring 2020 wave of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), conducted between March 30 and June 1, 2020.
Invariants of algebraic tori of degree and weight 2

Abstract We determine the group of cohomological invariants of algebraic tori of degree and weight 2.
Chapter 3 Studies on The Control of Differentiation of Murine Virus-Induced Erythroleukemic Cells*

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses about the murine virus-induced leukemia (FLV) that serves as a model system for exploring the relationship between differentiation and malignancy. The cells of this virus-induced leukemia (FLC) differentiate along the erythroid pathway in vitro and, under special conditions, in vivo as well. Reports on the differentiation of tumor cells in vitro include: studies of human and murine neuroblastoma cells as well as of human leukemic cells and murine leukemic cells. The studies describe that the malignant cells possess at least some of the genetic information that controls the growth and fate of their normal counterparts. Recent studies on human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells demonstrate the presence of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, an enzyme found only in normal thymus cells, indicating that in some human leukemic cells, there is retention of certain specific genetic information of the tissue of origin. It was observed that FLC, cultured in the presence of DMSO or DMF alone or in combination with BUdR, increased numbers of budding viruses on their cell membranes. It appeared that the cells synthesizing murine leukemia Type C virus particles are not necessarily malignant, for the agents (DMSO, DMF) that stimulate differentiation, with a concomitant decrease in malignant potential of FLC, also increased the number of budding virus particles. BUdR inhibits the differentiation and, yet, also increases the number of budding viruses.
Model-Assisted Sampling

Model-assisted sampling is concerned with making design-based inference using model-based estimators to improve precision.
Antiprogestin Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacokinetics, and Metabolism: Implications for Their Long-Term Use

Antiprogestins represent a relatively new and promising class of therapeutic agents that could have significant impact on human health and reproduction. In the present work, the pharmacodynamics, Pharmacokinetics, and metabolism of mifepristone (MIF), lilopristone (LIL), and onapristone (ONA) in humans are reviewed, and characteristics bearing important clinical implications are discussed. Although MIF has gained notoriety as an “abortion pill,” antiprogestins may more importantly prove effective in the treatment of endometriosis, uterine leiomyoma, meningioma, cancers of the breast and prostate, and as contraceptive agents. MIF pharmacokinetics display nonlinearities associated with saturable plasma protein (α1-acid glycoprotein, AAG) binding and characterized by lack of dose dependency for parent drug plasma concentrations (for doses greater than 100 mg) and a zero-order phase of elimination. LIL and ONA pharmacokinetics are less well characterized but ONA does not appear to bind AAG and displays a much shorter t1/2 than the other agents. The three antiprogestins are substrates of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4, an enzyme exceedingly important in human xenobiotic metabolism. Even more implicative of likely drug–drug interactions subsequent to their long-term administration are recent data from our laboratory indicating that they inactivate CYP3A4 in a cofactor- and time-dependent manner, suggesting that complexation and induction of the enzyme may occur in vivo via protein stabilization. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that MIF increases CYP3A4 mRNA levels in human hepatocytes in primary culture, indicative of message stabilization and/or transcriplional activation of CYP3A4 expression. Finally, MIF has also been shown to inhibit P-glycoprotein function. Whether LIL and ONA share these latter two characteristics with MIF has not yet been determined but they illustrate properties that, in addition to diminished antiglucocorticoid activities and altered pharmacokinetic characteristics, warrant consideration during the development of these and newer antiprogestational agents.
Molecular analysis of a pathogenicity locus in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae.

Abstract One of the chromosomal regions of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae encoding pathogenicity factors had been mapped into a 3.9-kilobase-pair fragment in previous studies. Promoter probe analysis indicated the existence of a promoter near one end of the fragment. DNA sequencing of this fragment revealed the existence of a consensus promoter sequence in the region of the promoter activity and two open reading frames (ORFs) downstream. These ORFs, ORF1 and ORF2, encoded putative polypeptides of 40 and 83 kilodaltons, respectively. All ORF1::Tn5 as well as ORF2::Tn5 mutant strains were nonpathogenic on susceptible host bean plants and were unable to elicit hypersensitive reactions on nonhost tobacco plants. The deduced amino acid sequence of the 83-kilodalton polypeptide contained features characteristic of known integral membrane proteins. Fusion of the lacZ gene to ORF2 led to the expression of a hybrid protein inducible in Escherichia coli. The functions of the putative proteins encoded by ORF1 and ORF2 are unknown at present.
SPPV: a new formal verification environment

Formal verification has become an integral part of the product development cycle leading to a demand for powerful, yet easy to use tools, which conceal the complexity of the underlying mathematical arguments through the use of convenient interfaces and automatic verification. In this paper we present a new formal verification environment-SPPV-based on series-parallel poset verification. SPPV allows fast, automated verification of event sequencing in complex systems. The system model and properties can be expressed as series-parallel poset expressions or in Verilog.
Morphogenesis of Ascospores in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Ultrastructural changes associated with ascospore formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated by using freeze-etching and thin-sectioning techniques. The first nuclear division (meiosis I) is indicated by the appearance of spindle fibers within the nucleus. The nucleus subsequently elongates and eventually assumes a barbell shape; the second nuclear division (meiosis II) occurs before nuclear separation. The spindle fibers involved in meiosis II appear to be oriented perpendicular to those observed in meiosis I. A discrete bilaminar structure (forespore wall) progressively delineates each ascospore nucleus and encloses cytoplasmic material including mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. The forespores then elongate, close off, and become separated from the ascus cytoplasm by membranes. The ascospores assume a spherical shape as spore coat material is laid down; the latter stages of ascospore formation are characterized by thickening of the ascospore wall and disintegration of the ascus cytoplasm. No structures which could be identified as chromosomes were observed.
Practical Evaluation of Acid-Base Balance

The Co2 combining power bears a variable relationship to the in vivo plasma bicarbonate concentration, depending upon the type and severity of acid-base distortion. In respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis the Co2 combining power will usually be greater than the in vivo plasma bicarbonate concentration; whereas, in respiratory acidosis and metabolic alkalosis the Co2 combining power will usually be less. Co2 content, on the other hand, will always parallel the in vivo plasma bicarbonate concentration quite closely, being only slightly greater. These facts, together with other considerations which are discussed, recommend the abandonment of the determination of CO2 combining power.
How Changes in American Culture Triggered Hyper-Incarceration: Variations on the Tazian View

American imprisonment rates are far higher than the rates in virtually every Western country, even after taking into account differing rates of crime. The late Professor Andrew Taslitz suggested that at least one explanation for this puzzle is the relative lack of “populist, deliberative democracy” in the United States. This article, written for a symposium honoring Professor Taslitz, examines that thesis from a comparative perspective, looking in particular at how differences between American and European attitudes toward populism, capitalism, religiosity, racial attitudes and proceduralism may have led to increased incarceration rates. It also tries to explain another puzzle that has received little attention: why these cultural differences, which have existed for some time, only had an impact on incarceration rates after the 1960s.
On the nature of vocal fry

Statements are made concerning the nature of vocal fry. They are presented in order to provide a descriptive framework that may be useful for further study of this vocal phenomenon.
Comments on the classification of the Clitellata

Sawyer’s (1986) assignment of the Branchiobdellida to the Hirudinea is reviewed and rejected. The Clitellata is considered a subphylum of the phylum Annelida and contains the classes Oligochaeta, Hirudinea and Branchiobdellida.
Cardiovascular Effects of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 Minimum Alveolar Concentrations of Isoflurane in Experimentally Induced Hypothyroidism in Dogs

This study was performed to determine the cardiovascular responses to isoflurane in euthyroid and hypothyroid dogs. Four healthy mixed-breed dogs were studied prior to thyroidectomy (PRE), 6 months after thyroidectomy (HYP), and after 2 months of oral supplementation with 1-thyroxine (SUP). Heart rate (HR), cardiac output (Q), stroke volume (SV), systolic, diastolic, mean arterial blood pressure (SAP, DAP, MAP), and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were determined in awake dogs and in the same dogs when end-tidal isoflurane concentrations were 1.28%, 1.92%, and 2.56%. Ventilation was controlled in anesthetized dogs and Paco2 maintained between 38 to 42 mm Hg. Isoflurane caused significant (P <.05) dose-dependent reduction in Q, SV, SAP, DAP, and MAP in the PRE, HYP, and SUP dogs. Cardiac output was lower in the HYP dogs than in the PRE or SUP dogs during awake measurement. TPR was increased in the awake HYP dogs compared with the PRE or SUP dogs. During anesthesia, HYP dogs tended to have lower Q, SV, SAP, and MAP than the PRE or SUP groups, but the only significant reduction was SAP during 1.5 MAC. The cardiovascular responses to isoflurane in hypothyroid dogs are similar to euthyroid animals with a dose-dependent depression in Q, SV, and arterial pressure.
Relation of insulin to left ventricular geometry and function in African American and white hypertensive adults: the HyperGEN study

Abstract Background It has been suggested that the trophic effects of insulin may contribute to left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy in hypertension, but few population-based data exist to assess the potential impact of insulin level on LV structure or systolic function. Methods Fasting plasma insulin levels (log-transformed) in 1542 nondiabetic African American or white hypertensive participants in the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network (HyperGEN) study were compared to indices of LV geometry and function, with adjustment for potential confounders (age, sex, ethnicity, blood pressure (BP), body mass index, height and antihypertensive drugs). Results In simple correlation analysis, a weak positive relation (r = 0.078, P = .002) was found between LV mass and insulin, principally due to positive correlations (r = 0.22 and 0.50) of both variables to body mass index. Multivariate analysis, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, body size, systolic BP, and antihypertensive drugs revealed a modest negative relation between insulin and LV mass (r = −0.08, P = .001) due to a negative relationship between insulin with LV chamber size (r = − 0.10, P Conclusions: After adjustment for body mass index and other covariates, insulin in nondiabetic hypertensive individuals has weak negative relations to LV chamber size, mass, and stroke volume, and also has weak positive relations to relative wall thickness but not to measures of LV systolic function. Thus, native plasma insulin level may not play a major independent role in the pathogenesis of hypertensive LV hypertrophy or dysfunction.
"RAGE-Control": A Game to Build Emotional Strength.

Abstract Emotional regulation is an important skill, and some children require extra support to develop that skill. To address this need, we have built an active biofeedback videogame and incorporated the game into a cognitive behavioral therapy. Our approach requires that players simultaneously attend to a demanding task and still maintain emotional control, forcing practice and skill building in both domains concurrently. Early studies have shown that our approach improves emotional control compared with treatment as usual and has led to promising new developments of emotionally aware toys that can reach younger children.
Calculation of mean central dose in interstitial brachytherapy using Delaunay triangulation

In 1997 the ICRU published Report 58 “Dose and Volume Specification for Reporting Interstitial Therapy” with the objective of addressing the problem of absorbed dose specification for reporting contemporary interstitial therapy. One of the concepts proposed in that report is “mean central dose.” The fundamental goal of the mean central dose(MCD) calculation is to obtain a single, readily reportable and intercomparable value which is representative of dose in regions of the implant “where the dose gradient approximates a plateau.” Delaunay triangulation (DT) is a method used in computational geometry to partition the space enclosed by the convex hull of a set of distinct points P into a set of nonoverlapping cells. In the three-dimensional case, each point of P becomes a vertex of a tetrahedron and the result of the DT is a set of tetrahedra. All treatment planning for interstitial brachytherapy inherently requires that the location of the radioactive sources, or dwell positions in the case of HDR, be known or digitized. These source locations may be regarded as a set of points representing the implanted volume. Delaunay triangulation of the source locations creates a set of tetrahedra without manual intervention. The geometric centers of these tetrahedra define a new set of points which lie “in between” the radioactive sources and which are distributed uniformly over the volume of the implant. The arithmetic mean of the dose at these centers is a three dimensional analog of the two-dimensional triangulation and inspection methods proposed for calculating MCD in ICRU 58. We demonstrate that DT can be successfully incorporated into a computerized treatment planning system and used to calculate the MCD.