cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observations of Temperature, Wind, Cirrus, and Trace Gases in the Tropical Tropopause Transition Layer during the MJO*

AbstractSatellite observations of temperature, optically thin cirrus clouds, and trace gases derived from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC), Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), and the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) are analyzed in combination with Interim European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) wind and humidity fields in the tropical tropopause transition layer (TTL), using the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) as a carrier signal. MJO-related deep convection induces planetary-scale Kelvin and Rossby waves in the stably stratified TTL. Regions of ascent in these waves are associated with anomalously low temperatures, high radiative heating rates, enhanced cirrus occurrence, and high carbon monoxide and low ozone concentrations. Low water vapor mixing ratio anomalies lag the low temperature anomalies by about 1–2 weeks. The anomalies in all fields propagate eastward, circum...
Disease Aftershocks—The Health Effects of Natural Disasters

While the initial activity of a natural disaster event may directly injure or kill a number of people, it is possible that a significant number of individuals will be affected by disease outbreaks that occur after the first effects of the disaster have passed. Coupling the epidemiologist's knowledge of disease outbreaks with geographic information systems and remote sensing technology could help natural disaster relief workers to prevent additional victims from disease aftershocks.
Sorption and transport of gases in miscible poly(methyl acrylate)/poly(epichlorohydrin) blends

Abstract : The sorption and the transport of He, Ar, N2, CH4, and CO2 in miscible poly(methyl acrylate)(PMA)/poly(epichlorohydrin)(PECH) blends from 1 to 20 atm at 35 C are reported. For He, Ar, N2, and CH4, the permeabilities and the diffusion times lags are independent of the upstream pressure, if the compaction effect resulting from compression of the polymer membrane onto the supporting medium is eliminated. The permeability of CO2 increases with upstream pressure but solubility follows a simple Henry's law behavior. For all five gases, the dependence of solubility, diffusion coefficient, and permeability on blend composition are compared with theoretical mixing rules with the conclusion that both the interaction energy density and the excess activation energy for gas diffusion in the blends are near zero. The fact that the specific volumes of the blends exactly follow linear additivity also confirms that only very weak interactions exist between PMA and PECH.
Video views and reviews: mitosis, microfibers, and motility.

Here I review videos depicting various aspects of microtubule dynamics, from papers that were published in Journal of Cell Biology (JCB). The papers describe, respectively, changes in the activity of the G protein Rho-A during cell division (Yoshizaki et al. 2003 ), the dynamic behavior of microtubules attached to kinetochores (Maddox et al., 2003 ), and the targeting of microtubules to sites of focal adhesion in migrating fibroblasts (Krylyshkina et al., 2003 ). In preparing this review, I used the extensive archive of video material at the JCB's Web site entitled “Annotated Video Collection” (AVC; (http://www.jcb.org/misc/annotatdvideo.shtml). I commend the editors of JCB for providing this valuable service, and I encourage editors of other journals that archive similar records to organize their collections in a similar fashion.
The utility of museum records for documenting distributions of deep-sea corals off the southeastern United States

Abstract Museum records can enhance distribution maps of deep-sea corals (DSC), but museum data usually acquired from online internet catalogues may be of uncertain quality. Also, many museum records are unavailable through online sources. Holdings of four structure-forming DSC species (Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata, Enallopsammia profunda, Enallopsammia rostrata) collected from off the southeastern US were evaluated from the US National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Harvard University's Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ), University of Miami's Marine Invertebrate Museum, and Yale University's Peabody Museum of Natural History. Data were gathered from online sources, selected publications, and personal visits to the MCZ and NMNH. Each record was located, if possible, specimens were photographed and additional data obtained, including whether the specimen was collected alive or dead. The resulting database was imported into ArcGIS to examine coral distributions. Museums yielded 304 records: 126 ...
Extrinsic intestinal reinnervation after canine small bowel autotransplantation

Abstract Background: The process of extrinsic reinnervation after small bowel transplantation is poorly understood. Methods: Jejunal and ileal specimens, obtained from the dogs that underwent intestinal autotransplantation by an end-to-end (E-E) or end-to-side arterial reconstruction, were analyzed at 1 (n = 7), 3 (n = 6), 6 (n = 6), 12 (n = 6), or 24 (n = 2) months and compared with control specimens (n = 7). Tissue catecholamine levels and indirect immunohistochemistry results for extrinsic neuropeptides, calcitonin gene–related peptide, neuropeptide Y, substance P, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) were examined. Results: Catecholamine levels in the grafts were undetectable until 6 months but increased significantly after 12 months, particularly in the E-E group. Immunohistochemistry results showed no significant indication of extrinsic reinnervation until 12 months, when TH fibers were observed in five of six dogs. The E-E group revealed some TH fibers extending across the arterial anastomosis toward the graft mesentery. Examination of the intestinal anastomosis at 12 months showed abundant peptidergic and TH extrinsic fibers in the host side, whereas there were few or none on the graft side. Conclusions: These results suggest that extrinsic reinnervation of the graft intestinal wall does occur but requires a prolonged period, and the major route of extrinsic reinnervation is along the arterial axis of the intestinal graft, not beyond the enteric anastomosis. (Surgery 1998;123:25-35.)
Mechanism of Dissolution II: Experimental Determination of Surface Tension of a Solid

A graphical method for determining solid surface tension is presented. The method is based on the Ostwald-Fruendlich equation for the solubility dependence on particle size and on the Fowkes geometrical mean relationship. The solid surface tension, γs, and the particle size in equilibrium with saturated solution are both determined graphically. For the solid m-acetotoluide, γs was calculated to be 34.4 ergs/cm.2. The calculated particle size in equilibrium with saturated solution was in agreement with electron microscopic determinations. It is proposed that the method is applicable to the determination of ys for any solid for which a particle size-solubility relationship can be determined.
Identification and characterization of cerebral cortical response to esophageal mucosal acid exposure and distention.

Abstract Background & Aims : Esophageal acid exposure is a common occurrence in healthy individuals and patients with esophagitis. Clinically, perception of this exposure ranges from no perception to severe heartburn and chest pain. Cerebral cortical response to esophageal mucosal contact to acid has not been systematically studied. The aim of this study was to elucidate cerebral cortical response to esophageal acid exposure in normal individuals by functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI). Methods : We studied 10 normal healthy volunteers. Cortical FMRI response to 10 minutes of intraesophageal perfusion of 0.1N HCl (1 mL/min) was determined, and the results were compared with those of saline infusion and balloon distention. Results : Acid perfusion did not induce heartburn or chest pain but increased FMRI signal intensity by 6.7% ± 2.0% over the preperfusion values. No increase was detected for saline infusion. FMRI signal intensity to balloon distention was similar to that of acid perfusion. Activation latency, activation to peak, and the deactivation periods for response to acid perfusion were significantly longer than those of balloon distention ( P Conclusions : Contact of esophageal mucosa with acid, before inducing heartburn, evokes a cerebral cortical response detectable by FMRI. Temporal characteristics of this response are significantly different from those induced by esophageal balloon distention. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;115:1353-1362
Thiamine Deficiency Identification and Treatment in Commercial Turkeys and Coturnix Quail

Abstract Day-old turkey poults were obtained from a commercial hatchery which hatched eggs from a particular flock of breeders that produced a considerable number (5–10%) of culls. These cull poults showed symptoms almost classical for polyneuritis. Injection of the poults with a combination vitamin mixture containing thiamine, or of thiamine alone, caused decreased mortality and a remission of symptoms. Poults injected with thiamine grew and developed normally when fed a practical type diet. The addition of 2 mg./kg. of thiamine to the breeder ration caused the condition to disappear in newly-hatched poults from the particular flock involved. Classical symptoms of polyneuritis were noted in newly-hatched quail from breeding flocks fed turkey breeder rations. These quail responded positively to thiamine injection.
Centromere satellites from Arabidopsis populations: maintenance of conserved and variable domains.

The rapid evolution of centromere sequences between species has led to a debate over whether centromere activity is sequence-dependent. The Arabidopsis thaliana centromere regions contain ∼20,000 copies of a 178-bp satellite repeat. Here, we analyzed satellites from 41 Arabidopsis ecotypes, providing the first broad population survey of satellite variation within a species. We found highly conserved segments and consistent sequence lengths in the Arabidopsis satellites and in the published collection of human α-satellites, supporting models for a functional role. Despite this conservation, polymorphisms are significantly enriched at some sites, yielding variation that could restrict binding proteins to a subset of repeat monomers. Some satellite regions vary considerably; at certain bases, consensus sequences derived from each ecotype diverge significantly from the Arabidopsis consensus, indicating substitutions sweep through a genome in less than 5 million years. Such rapid changes generate more variation within the set of Arabidopsis satellites than in genes from the chromosome arms or from the recombinationally suppressed centromere regions. These studies highlight a balance between the mechanisms that maintain particular satellite domains and the forces that disperse sequence changes throughout the satellite repeats in the genome. [Supplemental material is available online at www.genome.org.]
An efficient, digitally-based, single-lag autocorrelation-derived, voice-operated transmit (VOX) algorithm

The authors provide theoretical justification for a VOX algorithm which is easily implemented digitally. It is shown that a delay-and-multiply followed by a lowpass filter efficiently implements many of the features of a conventional speech detector. >
Promoting student metacognition.

Imagine yourself as the instructor of an introductory undergraduate biology course. Two students from your course independently visit your office the week after the first exam. Both students are biology majors. Both regularly attend class and submit their assignments on time. Both appear to be eager, dedicated, and genuine students who want to learn biology. During each of their office hours visits, you ask them to share how they prepared for the first exam. Their stories are strikingly different (inspired by Ertmer and Newby, 1996). During office hours, Josephina expresses that she was happy the exam was on a Monday, because she had a lot of time to prepare the previous weekend. She shares that she started studying after work on Saturday evening and did not go out with friends that night. When queried, she also shares that she reread all of the assigned textbook material and made flashcards of the bold words in the text. She feels that she should have done well on the test, because she studied all Saturday night and all day on Sunday. She feels that she did everything she could do to prepare. That said, she is worried about what her grade will be, and she wants you to know that she studied really hard, so she should get a good grade on the exam. Later in the week, Maya visits your office. When asked how she prepared for the first exam, she explains that she has regularly reviewed the PowerPoint slides each evening after class since the beginning of the term 4 weeks ago. She also read the assigned textbook pages weekly, but expresses that she spent most of her time comparing the ideas in the PowerPoint slides with the information in the textbook to see how they were similar and different. She found several places in which things seemed not to agree, which confused her. She kept a running list of these confusions each week. When you ask what she did with these confusions, she shares that she
There and up again: on the uses and misuses of neuroimaging in psychology.

The aim of this article is to discuss the conditions under which functional neuroimaging can contribute to the study of higher cognition. We begin by presenting two case studies—on moral and economic decision making—which will help us identify and examine one of the main ways in which neuroimaging can help advance the study of higher cognition. We agree with critics that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies seldom “refine” or “confirm” particular psychological hypotheses, or even provide details of the neural implementation of cognitive functions. However, we suggest that neuroimaging can support psychology in a different way—namely, by selecting among competing hypotheses of the cognitive mechanisms underlying some mental function. One of the main ways in which neuroimaging can be used for hypothesis selection is via reverse inferences, which we here examine in detail. Despite frequent claims to the contrary, we argue that successful reverse inferences do not assume any strong or objectio...
It's a Bird, It's A Plane, It's … Fidelity Measurement In the Real World

In psychotherapy research, fidelity instruments were originally developed as manipulation checks in experimental tests of treatment efficacy. The purposes of fidelity measurement are expanding as consumers, administrators, and payers seek to determine the extent to which the interventions purchased are actually received. Emerging purposes for fidelity measurement are described, as are challenges to developing a single instrument that can adequately meet multiple purposes, and that is both effective (psychometrically sound) and efficient (feasibly used in routine care). Examples are provided of efforts to balance these attributes of fidelity measurement, to measure fidelity at multiple levels of the practice context, and to index and evaluate the effects of additional program parameters on client outcomes in routine care.
Mannose induces the release of cytopathic factors from Acanthamoeba castellanii.

Acanthamoeba keratitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the cornea which is highly resistant to many antimicrobial agents. The pathogenic mechanisms of this disease are poorly understood. However, it is believed that the initial phases in the pathogenesis of Acanthamoeba keratitis involve parasite binding and lysis of the corneal epithelium. These processes were examined in vitro, using Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites. Parasites readily adhered to Chinese hamster corneal epithelial cells in vitro; however, parasite binding was strongly inhibited by mannose but not by lactose. Although mannose prevented trophozoite binding, it did not affect cytolysis of corneal epithelial cells. Moreover, mannose treatment induced trophozoites to release cytolytic factors that lysed corneal epithelial cells in vitro. These factors were uniquely induced by mannose because supernatants collected from either untreated trophozoites or trophozoites treated with other sugars failed to lyse corneal cells. The soluble factors were size fractionated in centrifugal concentrators and found to be ≥100 kDa. Treatment of the supernatants with the serine protease inhibitor phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride inhibited most, but not all, of the cytopathic activity. These data suggest that the binding of Acanthamoeba to mannosylated proteins on the corneal epithelium may exacerbate the pathogenic cascade by initiating the release of cytolytic factors.
Trends in racial/ethnic disparities in overweight self-perception among US adults, 1988-1994 and 1999-2008

Objective: Weight self-perceptions, or how a person perceives his/her weight status, may affect weight outcomes. We use nationally representative data from 1988–1994 and 1999–2008 to examine racial/ethnic disparities in weight selfperceptions and understand how disparities have changed over time. Design: Using data from two time periods, 1988–1994 and 1999–2008, we calculated descriptive statistics, multivariate logistic regression models and predicted probabilities to examine trends in weight self-perceptions among Whites, Blacks, US-born Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants to the USA. Setting: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III (1988– 1994) and continuous NHANES (1999–2008). Subjects: Adult NHANES participants aged 18 years and older (n 37 050). Results: The likelihood of self-classifying as overweight declined between 1988–1994 and 1999–2008 among all US adults, despite significant increases in mean BMI and overweight prevalence. Trends in weight self-perceptions varied by gender and between racial/ethnic groups. Whites in both time periods were more likely than racial/ethnic minorities to perceive themselves as overweight. After adjustment for other factors, disparities in weight self-perceptions between Whites and Blacks of both genders grew between survey periods (P<0·05), but differences between overweight White women and Mexican immigrants decreased (P<0·05). Conclusions: Weight self-perceptions have changed during the obesity epidemic in the USA, but changes have not been consistent across racial/ethnic groups. Secular declines in the likelihood of self-classifying as overweight, particularly among Blacks, are troubling because weight self-perceptions may affect weightloss efforts and obesity outcomes.
Short artificial hairpins sequester splicing signals and inhibit yeast pre-mRNA splicing.

Abstract To examine the stability of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) pre-mRNA structures, we inserted a series of small sequence elements that generated potential RNA hairpins at the 5' splice site and branch point regions. We analyzed spliceosome assembly and splicing in vitro as well as splicing and nuclear pre-mRNA retention in vivo. Surprisingly, the inhibition of in vivo splicing approximately paralleled that of in vitro splicing. Even a 6-nucleotide hairpin could be shown to inhibit splicing, and a 15-nucleotide hairpin gave rise to almost complete inhibition. The in vitro results indicate that hairpins that sequester the 5' splice site have a major effect on the early steps of spliceosome assembly, including U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein binding. The in vivo experiments lead to comparable conclusions as the sequestering hairpins apparently result in the transport of pre-mRNA to the cytoplasm. The observations are compared with previous data from both yeast and mammalian systems and suggest an important effect of pre-mRNA structure on in vivo splicing.
EARLY RESPONSE OF RAT BRAIN TRYPTOPHAN HYDROXYLASE ACTIVITY TO CYCLOHEXIMIDE, PUROMYCIN AND CORTICOSTERONE

— The activity of tryptophan hydroxylase was measured in whole homogenates of midbrain and forebrain areas of the rat brain. A significant elevation of tryptophan hydroxylase in midbrain and forebrain was found within 1 h after injection of corticosterone hemisuccinate Na salt (10mg/kg) into normal rats. A further elevation of tryptophan hydroxylase at 4 h after injection occurred only in the midbrain region. A rapid alteration of tryptophan hydroxylase was also observed following intracistemal injection of a protein synthesis inhibitor, cydoheximide. A significant depression of 50% of normal levels occurred both in midbrain and forebrain regions within 1 h. However. 4 h after injection only the midbrain tryptophan hydroxylase level was depressed, and this depression was 16% of normal levels. This temporal and spatial pattern following cydoheximide injection was not the result of changes in the ability of cydoheximide to inhibit in vivo protein synthesis since [3H]valine incorporation into protein was shown to be equally depressed at both 1 and 5 h in both the midbrain and forebrain. Puromycin blocked [3H]valine incorporation into proteins in the midbrain and forebrain. but only caused a depression of 16% of tryptophan hydroxylase in the midbrain at 4 h. The aminonucleoside derivative of puromycin has no effect on protein synthesis or on tryptophan hydroxylase. Cydoheximide had no effect on tryptophan hydroxylase in vitro. The data suggest that cydoheximide and corticosterone produce an early (1 h) effect on tryptophan hydroxylase unrelated to de novo protein synthesis in regions known to contain perikaryon (midbrain) and axon terminals (forebrain) of 5-HT-containing neurons. The later (4h) effects of these two compounds and puromycin on tryptophan hydroxylase in the perikaryon (midbrain) region of 5-HT-containing neurons probably result from alteration in de novo protein synthesis. The half time of tryptophan hydroxylase in midbrain region is calculated to be 12 h.
A Numerical Method for Controllability Problems for the Wave Equation

Let T denote a given positive number and let uo(x) and U l(x) denote given functions defined on (0,1). Let Σ = {0, 1} × (0, T), Q = (0, 1) × (0, T) and (u 0, u 1 ∈ L 2(0, 1) × H −1(0, 1). The exact Dirichlet boundary controllability problem for the wave equation is: find a control function g(x, t) defined on Σ such that u satisfies $$ \left\{ {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{{u}_{{tt}}} - {{u}_{{xx}}} = 0\quad in\;Q} \hfill \\ {u{{|}_{{t = 0}}} = {{u}_{0}}\quad and\quad {{u}_{t}}{{|}_{{t = 0}}} = {{u}_{1}}\quad in\;(0,1)} \hfill \\ {u{{|}_{{t = T}}} = 0\quad and\quad {{u}_{t}}{{|}_{{t = T}}} = 0\quad in\;(0,1)} \hfill \\ {u = g\quad on\;\sum .} \hfill \\ \end{array} } \right. $$ (1)
Metamodeling of Droplet Activation for Global Climate Models

AbstractThe nucleation of cloud droplets from the ambient aerosol is a critical physical process that must be resolved for global models to faithfully predict aerosol–cloud interactions and aerosol indirect effects on climate. To better represent droplet nucleation from a complex, multimodal, and multicomponent aerosol population within the context of a global model, a new metamodeling framework is applied to derive an efficient and accurate activation parameterization. The framework applies polynomial chaos expansion to a detailed parcel model in order to derive an emulator that maps thermodynamic and aerosol parameters to the supersaturation maximum achieved in an adiabatically ascending parcel and can be used to diagnose droplet number from a single lognormal aerosol mode. The emulator requires much less computational time to build, store, and evaluate than a high-dimensional lookup table. Compared to large sample sets from the detailed parcel model, the relative error in the predicted supersaturation ...
Thresholds for Na+ and Ca++ effects on thermoregulation.

The evidence for threshold concentrations of Na+ and Ca++ that alter body temperature when introduced into (a) the hypothalamus and cerebral ventricles, and (b) intravenously and by oral ingestion is examined. For hypothamic and ventricular perfusion the threshold for any increase in core temperature (Tc) at rest with excess Na+ is about 10 mM, while there is a linear relationship between the level of excess Ca++ and the decrease in Tc, with a correlation coefficient of 0.85. With intravenous and oral ingestion the resting threshold plasma concentration for an excess Na+ effect is about 5 mEq/1 per 0.1°C rise in Tc, and the excess Ca++ level is about 1 mEq/1 per 0.1°C decrease in Tc. With exercise, there is a dose-dependent attenuation of the rise in core temperature that is also about 0.1°C per mM excess Ca++.
High-resolution probing of inner core structure with seismic interferometry

Increasing complexity of Earth's inner core has been revealed in recent decades as the global distribution of seismic stations has improved. The uneven distribution of earthquakes, however, still causes a biased geographical sampling of the inner core. Recent developments in seismic interferometry, which allow for the retrieval of core-sensitive body waves propagating between two receivers, can significantly improve ray path coverage of the inner core. In this study, we apply such earthquake coda interferometry to 1846 USArray stations deployed across the U.S. from 2004 through 2013. Clear inner core phases PKIKP^2 and PKIIKP^2 are observed across the entire array. Spatial analysis of the differential travel time residuals between the two phases reveals significant short-wavelength variation and implies the existence of strong structural variability in the deep Earth. A linear N-S trending anomaly across the middle of the U.S. may reflect an asymmetric quasi-hemispherical structure deep within the inner core with boundaries of 99°W and 88°E.
The Insistent Call: Rhetorical Moments in Black Anticolonialism, 1929–1937

On April 4, 1967, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” one of the most important yet least studied speeches of his career. In the words of hi...
DNA-Directed Fluorescence Switching of Silver Clusters

Silver clusters with ≲30 atoms are molecules with diverse electronic spectra and wide-ranging emission intensities. Specific cluster chromophores form within DNA strands, and we consider a DNA scaffold that transforms a pair of silver clusters. This ∼20-nucleotide strand has two components, a cluster domain (S1) that stabilizes silver clusters and a recognition site (S2) that hybridizes with complementary oligonucleotides (S2C). The single-stranded S1-S2 exclusively develops clusters with violet absorption and low emission. This conjugate hybridizes with S2C to form S1-S2:S2C, and the violet chromophore transforms to a fluorescent counterpart with λex ≈ 490 nm/λem ≈ 550 nm and with ∼100-fold stronger emission. Our studies focus on both the S1 sequence and structure that direct this violet → blue-green cluster transformation. From the sequence perspective, C4X sequences with X = adenine, thymine, and/or guanine favor the blue-green cluster, and the specificity of the binding site depends on three factors: ...
Influence of Comorbidity on the Risk of Mortality in Men With Unfavorable-Risk Prostate Cancer Undergoing High-Dose Radiation Therapy Alone.

Purpose To explore whether a subgroup of men with unfavorable-risk prostate cancer (PC) exists in whom high-dose radiation therapy (RT) alone is sufficient to avoid excess PC death due to competing risk from cardiometabolic comorbidity. Methods and Materials This was a cohort study of 7399 men in whom comorbidity (including congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, or myocardial infarction) was assessed and recorded with T1-3NxM0 PC treated with brachytherapy with or without neoadjuvant RT, October 1997 to May 2013 at a single providing institution. Cox and competing risks regression analyses were used to assess whether men with unfavorable–intermediate/high-risk versus favorable–intermediate/low-risk PC were at increased risk of PC-specific, all-cause, or other-cause mortality (PCSM, ACM, OCM), adjusting for number of comorbidities, age at and year of brachytherapy, RT use, and an RT treatment propensity score. Results After a median follow-up of 7.7 years, 935 men died: 80 of PC and 855 of other causes. Among men with no comorbidity, PCSM risk (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 2.74 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49-5.06], P =.001) and ACM risk (AHR 1.30 [95% CI 1.07-1.58], P =.007) were significantly increased in men with unfavorable–intermediate/high-risk PC versus favorable–intermediate/low-risk PC, with no difference in OCM ( P =.07). Although PCSM risk was increased in men with 1 comorbidity (AHR 2.87 [95% CI 1.11-7.40], P =.029), ACM risk was not (AHR 1.03 [95% CI 0.78-1.36], P =.84). Neither PCSM risk (AHR 4.39 [95% CI 0.37-51.98], P =.24) or ACM risk (AHR 1.43 [95% CI 0.83-2.45], P =.20) was increased in men with 2 comorbidities. Conclusions To minimize death from PC, high-dose RT alone may be sufficient treatment in men with 2 or more cardiometabolic comorbidities and unfavorable–intermediate- and high-risk PC.
Limited Business Knowledge Investors Perceptions Of Auditor Independence In The Provision Of Assurance On Unregulated Nonfinancial Disclosures

Vasarhelyi and Zheng (2013) report that more than 4,000 filing errors have been reported in XBRL interactive data following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions 2009 interactive data reporting mandate. Alles and Gray (2012) report that demand exists for externally provided assurance of XBRL filings if the cost of assurance appears less significant to clients. While the discussion of assurance on XBRL filings generally addresses managements confidence in the accuracy assurance on financial data, a void in the literature exists regarding auditor independence in the provision of assurance on XBRL-generated nonfinancial information. Further, Pinsker and Wheeler (2009) note that limited business knowledge (LBK, hereafter) investors perceptions of and reactions to assurance services have not been fully examined. The results of the present research indicate that LBK investors may be more tolerant of a nonindependent attestation on XBRL nonfinancial data with respect to their long-term investments, but not necessarily for their short-term investments. In addition, companies that provide assurance on voluntarily reported nonfinancial information may feel a level of comfort in the fact that LBK investors do not feel that they would win a lawsuit against the company for a mistake in this information.
Determination of Saccharin, Benzoic Acid and p-Hydroxybenzoate Esters in Soy Sauce by High Speed Liquid Chromatography

A high speed liquid chromatographic method was established for the simultaneous quantitative determination of saccharin, benzoic acid, and ethyl (PHBA-Et), iso-propyl (PHBA-isoPr), n-propyl (PHBA-Pr), iso-butyl (PHBA-isoBu) and n-butyl (PHBA-Bu) p-hydroxybenzoate esters in soy sauce. Samples were simply extracted with ether and filtered through a 1.0μm filter prior to injection. Saccharin, benzoic acid and PHBA esters were separated within 37min on a 30cm reverse phase column, “μ-Bondapak C18, ” with 0.03M sodium acetate-acetic acid-methanol as the eluent. The ultraviolet adsorption detector was set at 254nm.Average recoveries of saccharin, benzoic acid, PHBA-Et, PHBA-isoPr, PHBA-Pr, PHBA-isoBu and PHBA-Bu from soy sauce were 97.0, 98.5, 98.5, 98.5, 98.0, 99.5 and 99.0%, respectively.
An Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System for Sensing and Tracking

Cooperative unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) teams can be used to accomplish many tasks such as surveillance and tracking without many of the normal risks associated with using manned vehicles. We present a software and hardware platform for a single user to interact with a UAV eet. A component-based software architecture built on a Linux platform is used to separate functionality. A bottom-to-top modularization is used in order to achieve the requirements of the system. This architecture makes adding functionality simple, while being exible enough to deal with hardware changes and robust enough to meet the demands of a mobile robotic system. A single user is able to interact with the system using a graphical user interface. Users are able to see the current status of aircraft and can input dierent types of tasks depending on the capabilities of the aircraft. Decentralized task allocation is done by the eet with onboard computing and the use of ad-hoc wireless communication. The tasks are allocated based on the user specied task requirements, aircraft capabilities, and a cost function which minimizes time to completion for each task. A gimbal is used to point any mounted sensors in the desired location. Video can be streamed to users interacting with the system and also recorded for later analysis. Vision-based algorithms allow for the probabilistic based tracking of pedestrians. Algorithms have been developed to give an optimized path for the UAV to follow based on a given state and the current target estimate probability distribution.
Aeroelastic modeling and simulation of high-speed flexible vehicles

for exible vehicles with larger deformations such as the very slender structures that may be used for air-to-air missions. A representative vehicle model has been developed based on reduced order and fundamental tools to enable the study of the aeroelastic response of a maneuvering vehicle. This paper presents the development of the vehicle model and the computational framework to analyze the aeroelastic response of the maneuvering vehicle in free ight. The vehicle response to control inputs for various values of vehicle bending stiness and distribution is presented to investigate the variation of performance with vehicle exibility. The results show that the vehicle loading, maneuverability, and agility are all dependent on the vehicle structural conguration. Therefore, accurate analyses of future designs are dependent on vehicle modeling as exible structures. Understanding the aeroelastic response of a exible munition could lead to vehicle stiness becoming an additional design parameter to improve maneuverability and agility.
Teachers’ Rights Versus Students’ Rights: Race and Professional Authority in the New York City Public Schools, 1960–1986

In 1968, New York City’s unionized teachers participated in three separate strikes that spanned two school years. Teachers clashed with Black parents and activists who called for community control as both groups sought authority and recognition in the schools. Racialized assumptions in place before and extending beyond the labor skirmish infused teachers’ professional identity as well as how they understood their students and the communities they served. This article provides a history of how constructions of Blackness and Whiteness permeated teacher preparation programs, administrative policies, and the teachers’ union, in turn delimiting teachers’ collective professional persona. This historical analysis provides a framework to understand the persistent strains between social institutions and the communities they serve.
Information service in Library of Hainan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Ideas to establish the system for assessing the technical performance of librarians were proposed by using team cooperation model,establishing communication feedback system,keeping abreast of important dynamic information about scientific projects,enforcing construction of key subjects,characteristic databases and resources,according to the insufficient librarians and funds,few exchange and training opportunities. The new information service model in small-sized libraries was discussed,including active service,professional service,participation service and innovative service.
Concentration of mRNA encoding 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5,Δ4 isomerase (3β-HSD) and 3β-HSD enzyme activity following treatment of ewes with prostaglandin F2α

The objectives of these experiments were (1) to determine if prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) decreased mRNA encoding 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/d5,Δ4 isomerase (3β-HSD) specifically in large steroidogenic luteal cells, which contain the high affinity receptors for PGF2α; and (2) to determine if the decreased concentration of mRNA encoding 3β-HSD following administration of PGF2α was associated with a decrease in 3β-HSD enzyme activity. Ewes on days 11 or 12 of the estrous cycle were administered PGF2α (25 mg iv followed by 10 mg im 2 h later) and corpora lutea collected 4, 12, 24, or 48 h later (n = 4–5/time). Corpora lutea were also collected from non-injected (n=4) or saline-injected (n=4) control ewes. Administration of PGF2 decreased (P < 0.05) steady-state concentrations of mRNA encoding 3β-HSD to 35, 15, 9, and 5 percent of the concentrations in the control group at 4, 12, 24, and 48 h, respectively. Concentrations of mRNA encoding 3β-HSD in large luteal cells were decreased to 43% of controls 4 h following injection, which was similar to the decrease seen in steady-state concentrations of this mRNA in total luteal mRNA (35%). However, 3β-HSD enzyme activity was not significantly decreased by 48 h after PGF2α injection. Thus, the dramatic decreased in mRNA encoding 3β-HSD was not associated with an immediate decrease in 3β-HSD enzyme activity and, therefore, does not appear to be responsible for the acute decrease in secretion of progesterone from ovine luteal tissue during PGF2α-induced luteolysis.
Sol–Gel Hybrids for Electronic Applications: Hermetic Coatings for Microelectronics and Energy Storage

Hermetic seals are an essential part of microelectronics, namely, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) displays using organic-light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and electrochemical devices, such as microbatteries. Hermetic seals have to prevent humidity and other gases from reaching devices and degrading their performance. Typically, the barriers are applied once the devices have been assembled, and, consequently, the sealing material has to be hermetic at low processing temperatures. Hybrid organic–inorganic materials are capable of being applied in a sol–gel process at low temperature. A survey of sol–gel hybrid materials that are finding use in microelectronics is presented.
Automorphisms of the endomorphism algebra of a free module

Abstract Let R be a commutative ring with identity 1 ∈ R and V a free R -module of arbitrary rank. Let E n d R ( V ) denote the R -algebra of all R -linear endomorphisms of V . We show that all R -algebra automorphisms of E n d R ( V ) are inner if R is a Bezout domain. We also consider 2-local automorphisms of E n d R ( V ) .
The Effect of Hydraulic Bulge Process on the Surface Topography of Annealed AISI 304 Stainless Steel

Abstract In this study, the relationship between surface topography and strain was established for annealed 0.2 mm thick AISI 304 stainless steel sheet that had been hydroformed. The effect of the die diameter on the surface topography was also examined. Sheets were bulged using stepwise application of hydraulic pressure; forcing the sheet metal through 5 mm and 11 mm diameter open dies. The strains at the pole of the bulge of the work pieces were determined analytically using the Jovane analytical method, this was achieved by measuring the height of the pole of the bulge for every applied hydraulic pressure for a particular die. The surface topography at the micro level was found by scanning the bulge of the sample using an atomic force microscope over an area of 60 μm × 60 μm. The results of this study indicate that the bearing ratio was unaffected by the change in strain for both the 5 mm die and the 11-mm diameter dies and that roughness decreases as the diameter decreases for similar strains. The average, root mean square, peak-to-peak roughness and the maximum depth of the surface profile show a linear relationship with the strain
Comparing Ex-offenders Who Use and Decline Job Readiness Training

ABSTRACTReentry research has primarily focused on systemic and structural issues, with relatively little attention paid to the individual differences among ex-offender participation in community-ba...
A Note on Interior Pathways in the Meridional Overturning Circulation

AbstractA simple oceanic model is presented for source–sink flow on the β plane to discuss the pathways from source to sink when transport boundary layers have large enough Reynolds numbers to be i...
Image processing and machine learning techniques to automate diagnosis of Lugol's iodine cervigrams for a low-cost point-of-care digital colposcope

The world health organization recommends visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and/or Lugol’s Iodine (VILI) for cervical cancer screening in low-resource settings. Human interpretation of diagnostic indicators for visual inspection is qualitative, subjective, and has high inter-observer discordance, which could lead both to adverse outcomes for the patient and unnecessary follow-ups. In this work, we a simple method for automatic feature extraction and classification for Lugol’s Iodine cervigrams acquired with a low-cost, miniature, digital colposcope. Algorithms to preprocess expert physician-labelled cervigrams and to extract simple but powerful color-based features are introduced. The features are used to train a support vector machine model to classify cervigrams based on expert physician labels. The selected framework achieved a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 89.2%, 66.7% and 80.6% with majority diagnosis of the expert physicians in discriminating cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN +) relative to normal tissues. The proposed classifier also achieved an area under the curve of 84 when trained with majority diagnosis of the expert physicians. The results suggest that utilizing simple color-based features may enable unbiased automation of VILI cervigrams, opening the door to a full system of low-cost data acquisition complemented with automatic interpretation.
Critique of Proxy Consent Standards

As the previous chapter has shown, the principle of autonomy has been endorsed as the primary rationale for proxy decision making as far as SJS and PAS are concerned. The purpose of this chapter is threefold. First, I will scrutinize critically the principle of autonomy as it is put forth and applied to proxy decision making by its major proponents. Second, I will refer to fundamental flaws in the way this principle is understood, with the main focus on its anthropological and ethical consequences. Third, I will show that autonomy, construed as pure self-determination, underlies not only SJS and PAS, as typically proposed, but also BIS, as a result of autonomy’s decisive impact on the way the notion of good, undergirding the patient’s or research subject’s best interests, is perceived.
Defect Engineering in π-Conjugated Polymers

The optoelectronic properties of thin films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) are markedly improved by treating the polymer in solution with either electrophiles or nucleophiles. The work function is strongly decreased by treatment with lithium aluminum hydride, consistent with hydride ion addition and the observed {approx}400-fold decrease in p-type defect density. The exciton diffusion length (L{sub ex}) doubled to 14 nm, while the bulk carrier mobility ({mu}) improved by more than an order of magnitude to 2.4 x 10{sup -3} cm{sup 2}/(Vs). The work function is increased after treatment with dimethylsulfate, which is consistent with methyl cation addition and, again, both L{sub ex} and {mu} are increased substantially. Both treatments greatly improve the polymer's stability against photo-oxidation. We discuss these results in the framework of defect engineering in organic semiconductors, in analogy to defect engineering studies of inorganic semiconductors.
Effect of dielectric layers on laser-fired-contact performance in a-Si/cSi heterojunction Solar Cells

Laser fired contacts (LFC) through two types of passivating stacks, amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiN$_{{\mathrm {X}}}$:H) and ntype amorphous silicon (n.a-Si), is investigated on n-type Si front heterojunction solar cells with detail analysis of the dark and illuminated current-voltage characteristics. The LFC on n.a-Si provides a direct estimation of laser damage and degradation of open circuit voltage (${\mathrm {V}}_{{\mathrm {OC}}}$). The ${\mathrm {V}}_{{\mathrm {OC}}}$ degrades by 15 – 50 mV when the laser energy increased from 0.1 – 0.2 J/cm2 respectively. However, the LFC through a-SiN$_{{\mathrm {X}}}$:H with same laser energy leads to much higher degradation in ${\mathrm {V}}_{{\mathrm {OC}}}$ and exhibits anomalous light diode characteristics such as apparent ideality factors much greater than 2, which are likely due to presence of inversion layer surrounding the LFC spots that creates additional junction for minority carrier collection.
Treatment of L5-S1 spondyloptosis with stand-alone anterior lumbar interbody fusion in a patient with neurofibromatosis

Background Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a multisystem disorder that causes multiple tumor formations throughout the nervous system. Common spinal dysplasias seen with NF1, such as dural ectasia (DE), often undergo modulation and predispose these patients to spondylolisthesis, making surgical treatment challenging. Case description A patient with NF1 presented with a 12-year-history of back and left lower extremity radicular pain. Lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging revealed developmental anomalies with severe DE and associated scalloping of the L4-S1 vertebral bodies and severe L5-S1 Meyerding grade 4 spondylolisthesis. During surgery, post-positioning x-rays demonstrated a grade 5 spondyloptosis. The patient underwent an L5-S1 stand-alone anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF). The final construct was an ALIF cage with one screw into S1, without an anterior plate. By 3-months post-operative, there was complete resolution of preoperative symptoms and at 2 year follow-up the patient was asymptomatic with stable hardware and solid bony fusion. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of spondyloptosis treated with a stand-alone ALIF in a patient with NF1 and severe DE.
Understanding ad avoidance on Facebook: Antecedents and outcomes of psychological reactance

Abstract Applying psychological reactance theory (PRT) as a theoretical framework, this study investigates reactance-related factors to better understand why consumers avoid advertising on Facebook. An online survey was conducted to develop and empirically test a conceptual model that integrates the antecedents and outcomes of reactance against Facebook newsfeed ads. Specifically, the study employs Facebook users' perceptions of autonomy, freedom threat, and intrusiveness as antecedents of reactance and measures two sub-constructs of reactance: negative cognitions and anger. As the outcomes of reactance, two types of ad avoidance are examined: cognitive and behavioral. The major findings reveal that users’ perceived autonomy decreases their perceptions of ad intrusiveness. Subsequently, ad intrusiveness and freedom threat to use Facebook have a positive effect on reactance, which influences ad avoidance. Theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed.