cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION IN THE CONTACT CALLS OF ORANGE-FRONTED PARAKEETS

Abstract We examined patterns of geographic variation in contact calls of Orange-fronted Parakeets (Aratinga canicularis) during the nonbreeding season. Calls were recorded throughout the range of that species in Costa Rica. Recordings of wild-caught birds held for one to two weeks indicated that each individual favors one dominant call type and different birds use different favored calls. We used that fact to cull replicate calls from the same individual in field recordings of flocks observed at various locations throughout the sample area. Remaining recordings from a given year were submitted to spectrographic cross-correlation and principal coordinates analysis as described by Cortopassi and Bradbury (2000). Principal coordinates were then correlated with site location using MANOVA. Call durations were also examined for geographical patterns. Like sympatric Yellow-naped Parrots (Amazona auropalliata) studied over the same region by Wright (1996), Orange-fronted Parakeets exhibited significant geographi...
Boundary-Layer Theory

In this and the next chapter we discuss perturbative methods for solving a differential equation whose highest derivative is multiplied by the perturbing parameter e. The most elementary of these methods is called boundary-layer theory.
HIDROCEFALIA DE PRESIÓN NORMAL UNA DEMENCIA REVERSIBLE

Normal pressure hydrocephalus is an obstructive but communicating hidrocephalus, with reversible dementia. Its prevalence fluctuates between 1 and 6% of all dementias, about 0.41% in people older than 65 years. Most cases have idiopathic ethiology; other causes include subarachnoid hemorahage, cranioencephalic trauma and neoplastic and inflamatory diseases. Classic symptomalic trial: motor disturbance, dementia and incontinence. Diagnosis is based on clinics, scanographic imaging and magnetic nuclear resonance. Surgical treatment (deprivation) and predisposing factors of good response are describer.
Outpatient Medication Titration in Acute Heart Failure

Outpatient management of heart failure has changed significantly over the past 20 years, with evolving concepts of what improves longevity, decreases hospitalizations, and improves functional capacity. Randomized controlled trials have confirmed the efficacy of the following medications in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure: most forms of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, specific beta-blockers (carvedilol, metoprolol succinate, and bisoprolol), and aldosterone antagonists. Frequently, appropriate medications are initiated but not titrated to evidence-based doses. A stepwise approach to initiation of heart failure medication and titration to therapeutic doses is recommended and can be guided by considering both ACC/AHA class and NYHA functional class of the patient. Such an approach is outlined in this chapter.
User-Centric Heterogeneity-Aware MapReduce Job Provisioning in the Public Cloud.

Cloud datacenters are becoming increasingly heterogeneous with respect to the hardware on which virtual machine (VM) instances are hosted. As a result, ostensibly identical instances in the cloud show significant performance variability depending on the physical machines that host them. In our case study on Amazon’s EC2 public cloud, we observe that the average execution time of Hadoop MapReduce jobs vary by up to 30% in spite of using identical VM instances for the Hadoop cluster. In this paper, we propose and develop U-CHAMPION, a user-centric middleware that automates job provisioning and configuration of the Hadoop MapReduce framework in a public cloud to improve job performance and reduce the cost of leasing VM instances. It addresses the unique challenges of hardware heterogeneity-aware job provisioning in the public cloud through a novel selective-instance-reacquisition technique. It applies a collaborative filtering technique based on UV Decomposition for online estimation of ad-hoc job execution time. We have implemented U-CHAMPION on Amazon EC2 and compared it with a representative automatedMapReduce job provisioning system. Experimental results with the PUMA benchmarks show that U-CHAMPION improves MapReduce job performance and reduces the cost of leasing VM instances by as much as 21%.
Structure, Tectonics, and Geological History of the Northeastern Indian Ocean

This paper is a summary and progress report of a study of the northeastern Indian Ocean, covering the areas of the Bengal and Nicobar Fans, the western Wharton Basin, the continental margins surrounding the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea, the Andaman-Nicobar Ridge, the Sunda Arc off Sumatra and Java, and the adjacent land areas (Fig. 1). Bathymetry and topography of the study area are shown in Fig. 2. Combined, it is one structural province, extending from the Assam Valley on the northeast and the Ganges flood plain on the northwest, southward over oceanic crust to the distal ends of the Bengal and Nicobar Fans. This Mesozoic-Cenozoic structural basin will henceforth be referred to as the Bengal Geosyncline.
Abstract 4283: Src phosphorylates splicing factor 45 (SPF45) and regulates SPF45 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, cell migration and invasion.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Src phosphorylates splicing factor 45 (SPF45) and regulates SPF45 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, cell migration and invasion Yuying Liu1, LaShardai Conaway1, Jennifer Rutherford Bethard1, Amber Thompson Bradley1 and Scott T. Eblen1,2 From Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics1 and the Hollings Cancer Center2 Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425 SPF45 is a bifunctional protein involved in splicing and DNA repair and is overexpressed in several forms of cancer. Previously, we have shown that SPF45 overexpression regulates ovarian cancer cell proliferation and adhesion in a MAP kinase phosphorylation-dependent manner. In this study, we investigated novel roles of SPF45 and their regulation by the tyrosine kinase Src. We show by cell fractionation that endogenous SPF45 localizes in both the nucleus and cytoplasm and that exposure of cells to UV irradiation or osmotic shock increased SPF45 cytoplasmic accumulation. Consistent with this result, heterokaryon assays using SKOV-3 cells stably expressing Myc-SPF45 showed that SPF45 shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm and that pretreatment of the cells with the Src family kinase inhibitor PP2 inhibited nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. Src strongly induced SPF45 tyrosine phosphorylation and co-immunoprecipitated with SPF45 after co-transfection into COS-1 cells. Src phosphorylated SPF45 in vitro on five tyrosine residues (Y100, Y108, Y194, Y214 and Y246), as determined by mass spectrometry. Sequential mutation of these sites to phenylalanine inhibited SPF45 tyrosine phosphorylation in cells co-transfected with Src, with mutation of all 5 sites (Myc-SPF45-Y5F) completely inhibiting SPF45 tyrosine phosphorylation. Myc-SPF45-Y5F stably expressed in SKOV-3 cells showed reduced nucleocytoplasmic shuttling compared to wild type Myc-SPF45. SKOV-3-Myc-SPF45 cells demonstrated enhanced migration and invasion compared to vector control cells, while SKOV-3-Myc-SPF45-Y5F cells migrated significantly less than SKOV-3-Myc-SPF45 cells. These data are the first to show that SPF45 is a shuttling protein, a Src substrate, and that Src phosphorylation of SPF45 regulates nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and SPF45-induced cell migration and invasion. Citation Format: Yuying Liu, Lashardai Neniara Conaway, Jennifer Rutherford Bethard, Amber Thompson Bradley, Scott Eblen. Src phosphorylates splicing factor 45 (SPF45) and regulates SPF45 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, cell migration and invasion. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4283. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4283
Observations on Geo-Orientation of Spruce Budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, Adults

Field and laboratory observations were made on resting, copulatory, and ovipositional orientation to gravity of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens). While at rest more than 50% of the moths oriented geonegatively within 30° of the vertical. Less than 2% oriented geopositively. During copulation all females oriented geonegatively, unless on a horizontal surface. As end-to-end copulation is the rule, males assumed a position in the direction opposite the females. During oviposition, females commonly oriented geonegatively, but occasional geopositive orientations occurred. Thigmotaxis was thought to be partly responsible for orientation in the preferred oviposition stances. It was concluded that the gravitational force is sufficiently strong to maintain both sexes in geonegative positions while resting. For the male, copulation is a strong stimulus, completely obscuring gravitational orientation, while for the female it is a weak stimulus causing no deviation from standard orientation. Ovipositional behavior is a strong stimulus to the female, so occasional deviations from standard orientation occur.
U.S. Trade Protection in the 1990s: Strategic Implications for the Automotive, Electronics, and Textile Industries

Protectionism threatens to become a problem of global proportions. Persistently slow economic growth and high unemployment in the United States have combined to intensify protectionist pressures and to weaken free trade efforts. Within the U.S., the regulation of imports affects the deficit, economy, business, workers, consumers, and relations with other nations. This paper examines the effects of U.S. trade protection for the automotive, electronics, and textile industries. Strategies for policy makers and international marketers are also discussed.
FERC Net Metering Decisions Keep States in the Dark

As the effects of climate change increasingly become a reality, policymakers have recognized the need for more renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, and the benefits of distributed generation. One important way that both renewable energy and distributed generation are being addressed is through the use of electrical net metering policies. Net metering allows property owners to generate their own electricity and to receive credit from their utility company for any excess. State net metering policies are pervasive—forty-three states and the District of Columbia have adopted some form of net metering—and yet uncertainty remains about their jurisdictional limits. Further, FERC’s guidelines on net metering are unclear and are preventing state policies from reaching their full potential. This Note reviews the net metering rules of three different states and analyzes the useful aspects of each. It then argues that FERC should provide clearer guidelines that allow states to expand their net metering policies and more effectively foster distributed renewable energy generation.
Coevolution of Humans and Pathogens

Coevolution can be defined as evolutionary changes that occur within two or more organisms as a response to interactions between them and the resulting mutual selective pressures that those interactions cause. This chapter discusses coevolutionary mechanisms between human hosts and their pathogens and gives four examples: the relationship between ABO blood groups and disease, genetic variants that have arisen in response to malaria, the evolution of new strains of the influenza A virus, and the evolution of the CCR5-Δ32 variant and associated resistance to HIV infection.
The Simple Geometry of Correlated Regressors and IV Corrections

In medical research, frequently other important determinants, correlated with the key treatment variable, are omitted from the analysis. This omission yields biased and inconsistent estimates. For example, leaving out correlated (with, say, ) determinants of Y from regressions yield biased estimates of key parameters (say ). Instrumental variable estimation solves this problem by constructing similar triangles to retrieve consistent estimates. This article illustrates the geometry of correlated regressor bias, and the simple IV geometric solution.
Diagnosis and management of perilymph fistula: the University of North Carolina approach

Perilymph fistula is a potentially disabling leakage of perilymphatic fluid from the otic capsule. The occurrence of perilymph fistula is now attributed to a wide variety of causes and the diagnosis is frustrated by a lack of characteristic signs or symptoms. A brief review of the literature and the University of North Carolina philosophy for the diagnosis and management of perilymph fistula is presented. Emphasis on timely evaluation and surgical technique is provided.
Prophylactic Antiepileptic Drug Use in Patients with Brain Tumors Undergoing Craniotomy

Background Prophylactic use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) for patients undergoing brain tumor surgery is common practice despite lack of clear evidence. We hypothesized that prophylactic AED (pAED) use did not affect seizure rates in patients with brain tumor who underwent craniotomy for tumor resection. Methods A retrospective review was performed of 606 patients who underwent surgery for brain tumors from 2006 to 2013 at the University of Florida, excluding patients with preexisting seizure condition before tumor diagnosis. Data were analyzed to determine seizure incidence, AED use, and AED toxicities. Results Most patients (81%) had no seizure on presentation. Eight patients did not present with seizure but had seizure postoperatively, and 9 patients did not present with seizure or have seizure postoperatively but did have seizure on follow-up. Despite not presenting with a seizure preoperatively, 208 patients (43%) were placed on pAED preoperatively, 313 patients (64%) were on AED in the postoperative period, and 274 patients (56%) remained on AED at discharge. The pAED use odds ratio for seizures was 1.3 (95% confidence interval, 0.5–3.4; P = 0.599). At last follow-up, 34% of patients with no seizure on presentation remained on pAEDs. Conclusions pAEDs did not significantly reduce postoperative seizures in patients with brain tumor in this analysis. In addition, pAED was often continued once prescribed even if the patient remained seizure free.
Short Courses for Long-Term Learning

Good microbiologists question assumptions. How about the assumption that semesters are the best calendars for learning? What would happen if rather than taking four courses concurrently during a semester, students instead took those four courses successively, one at a time? This describes the Colorado College “block plan” (http://bit.ly/1kbdkQh), first implemented in 1970. We teach every undergraduate course, from Arabic to Zoology, in periods of 3.5 weeks.
NMR line shape of Si 29 in single-crystal silicon

We report measurements of the NMR line shape of 4.685% abundant $^{29}\mathrm{Si}$ in single-crystal silicon for four different crystallographic orientations relative to the applied magnetic field. To avoid significant inhomogeneous broadening, the sample crystals are immersed in a susceptibility-matched liquid and the proton NMR line shape in the liquid is used to measure the residual susceptibility mismatch and to shim the applied field. The observed line shapes are in good agreement with disorder-averaged spin dynamics simulations performed on a $4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4$ unit-cell lattice with periodic boundary conditions. The splitting of resolved doublet features is used to measure the asymmetry $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}J$ of the nearest-neighbor indirect dipole or $J$-coupling tensor, with the result $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}J=90\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20$ Hz. All resolved doublets can be identified with specific nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor isolated spin pairs that occur in the disorder ensemble.
SU11657 Cooperates with Doxorubicin To Increase Survival of Leukemic Mice.

Abstract Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by t(15,17) resulting in fusion of RARα to PML; in rare cases, RARα may be fused to other partners. The PML-RARα fusion initiates APL-like disease in mice, including a response to ATRA. FLT3, a receptor tyrosine kinase, is mutated in a large number of human AMLs and roughly 40% of cases of human APL. In our mouse model of APL, we previously introduced activated FLT3 (ITD mutation) into bone marrow of PML-RARα transgenic mice and observed rapid development of AML. This disease is transplantable into sublethally irradiated mice with onset of disease between 3–6 weeks, creating a system suitable for therapeutic study. There has been considerable effort focused on the development of small molecule inhibitors of FLT3 as therapeutics for hematological malignancies, in particular, AML; some of these inhibitors are currently in clinical trials. SU11657 is a multi-targeted inhibitor of class III/V receptor tyrosine kinases, including FLT3. We previously observed a synergistic effect of SU11657 in combination with ATRA in our PML-RARα/FLT3 model. We set out to use this model to assess the effectiveness of anthracycline chemotherapy in combination with SU11657. This model is in vivo resistant to the maximum tolerated dose of doxorubicin (3 mg/kg/day). We found that the median survival of untreated and doxorubicin-treated mice with PML-RARα/FLT3 leukemia was not significantly different (42 and 45 days, respectively). SU11657 increased the median of survival to 55 days, whereas the combination therapy increased median survival to 62 days (P=0.003). Neither agent alone or in combination significantly increased survival of mice with PML-RARα leukemia lacking activated FLT3. These results suggest that the use of targeted therapeutics, such as a FLT3 inhibitor, can overcome chemoresistance to traditional therapies in AMLs.
Soot with 10 13 cm -3 high concentration and 25 Å radius of gyration as detected by small-angle X-ray scattering in a premixed ethylene-air flame at sooting threshold

Abstract SAXS experiments on a premixed ethylene-air flame burning at the so-called sooting threshold , i.e., a flame with Carbon-to-Oxygen molecular ratio between fuel C2H4 and air equal to [C]/[O] = 0.65 (Φ Air =25 cm 3 /min, Φ C2H4 =11.7 cm 3 /min) is the object of this work. Measurements are performed at synchrotron SOLEIL / beamline SWING under the approved proposal #20130463. The height above burner considered for this case study is z=21 mm (τ res about 10ms). The background is made by considering an identical lean flame with [C]/[O]=0.19. The data processing approach consisting in subtracting to the signal S, the X-ray scattering from the air molecules surrounding the flame as background BCKG, is here revealed to be incorrect, owing to the fact that sometimes the S-BCKG evaluated as above is a negative quantity. This is caused by the much higher cool gas molecule number density at ambient conditions (300 K) with respect to the lower gas molecule density inside the flame at hot temperatures (about 1800–2100 K). Vice versa, by using a lean flame one obtains as BCKG the scattering contribute from the gas molecules alone in the absence of soot at about the identical premixed flame under test, which results in appreciating even the low signal from ultrafine incipient soot nanoparticles. The main results from the fit of SAXS data at larger q's are two: first, the demonstration of ultrafine nanoparticles, with gyration radius R g =25±10 A, as inferred by the Guinier regime fit, and overall size D =45±10 A, as evaluated through Kratky plots; second, the fact that these entities are present in the premixed flame with a huge concentration, about N =10 13 cm −3 . Such nanoparticles with D =45 A (Rg=25 A), do coexist contemporarily to isolated 20 nm primaries and 160 nm nanoparticle aggregates , which are observed with a number concentrations 6 and 8 order of magnitudes smaller with respect to the one of ultrafine nanoparticles. Our SAXS results do accord very well previous findings on size of premixed flame soot nanoparticles reported both by Wersborg et al. (1973) from molecular beam sampling and TEM analysis and, with concern to the number concentration, the results by Minutolo et al. (1998) and Sgro et al. (2009).
Amnestic Heterosexism and Bystander Responses to Anti-Gay Bullying.

Amnestic heterosexism (AH) reflects the belief that, in contemporary society, people who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) no longer experience discrimination related to sexual orientation. We in...
Firms as Political Entities: Saving Democracy through Economic Bicameralism

When people go to work, they cease to be citizens. At their desks they are transformed into employees, subordinate to the hierarchy of the workplace. The degree of their sense of voicelessness may vary from employer to employer, but it is real and growing, inflamed by populist propaganda that ridicules democracy as weak and ineffective amid global capitalism. At the same time, corporations continue untouched and even unremarked as a major source of the problem. Relying on 'economic bicameralism' to consider firms as political entities, this book sheds new light on the institutions of industrial relations that have marked the twentieth century, and argues that it is time to recognize that firms are a peculiar institution that must be properly organized in order to unshackle workers' motivation and creativity, and begin nurturing democracy again. For more information, please visit the accompanying website: www.firmsaspoliticalentities.net.
Chlamydia Spreading from the Genital Tract to the Gastrointestinal Tract – A Two-Hit Hypothesis

Chlamydia trachomatis, a leading bacterial cause of sexually transmitted infection-induced infertility, is frequently detected in the gastrointestinal tract. Chlamydia muridarum, a model pathogen for investigating C. trachomatis pathogenesis, readily spreads from the mouse genital tract to the gastrointestinal tract, establishing long-lasting colonization. C. muridarum mutants, despite their ability to activate acute oviduct inflammation, are attenuated in inducing tubal fibrosis and are no longer able to colonize the gastrointestinal tract, suggesting that the spread of C. muridarum to the gastrointestinal tract may contribute to its pathogenicity in the upper genital tract. However, gastrointestinal C. muridarum cannot directly autoinoculate the genital tract. Both antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and profibrotic cytokines, such as TNFα and IL-13, are essential for C. muridarum to induce tubal fibrosis; this may be induced by the gastrointestinal C. muridarum, as a second hit, to transmucosally convert tubal repairing – initiated by C. muridarum infection of tubal epithelial cells (serving as the first hit) – into pathogenic fibrosis. Testing the two-hit mouse model should both add new knowledge to the growing list of mechanisms by which gastrointestinal microbes contribute to pathologies in extragastrointestinal tissues and provide information for investigating the potential role of gastrointestinal C. trachomatis in human chlamydial pathogenesis.
In vivo broadband visible light optical coherence tomography probe enables inverse spectroscopic analysis.

We report the design and characterization of a 6 mm outer diameter pull-back circumferential scanning visible optical coherence tomography probe. The probe’s large visible bandwidth (500–695 nm) allowed for inverse spectroscopic analysis and an axial resolution of ∼1.1 μm in tissue. We verify spectral imaging capabilities by measuring microsphere backscattering spectra and demonstrate in vivo spatial nanoscale characterization of tissue.
Studies of thermal conductivity of liquids: Part III

Values of thermal conductivity and temperature coefficients for thirty-five pure organic liquids, in addition to those previously reported, obtained with a previously described apparatus (Part I), are presented. Values of thermal conductivity or temperature coefficients for twenty-eight of these liquids have not been reported before. The experimentally determined maximum error is ±1.0%. The two methods for predicting the thermal conductivity of liquids previously proposed (Parts I and II) are extended to cover the types of compounds studied in this investigation, in particular ring compounds. The temperature coefficient of thermal conductivity was observed to decrease rapidly, approaching zero as the freezing point is approached. The existence of a transition temperature or region within the liquid state is shown and identified with the onset of molecular rotation.
Transurethral treatment of urethral diverticula in women.

AbstractSix women with urethral diverticulitis and a history of having had previous operations for diverticula were subjected to transurethral diverticulotomy with a knife electrode. Each patient had multiple diverticula, some compartmented, located in the mid or most proximal segments of the urethra. All patients have been relieved of the symptoms and infection during the postoperative period, varying from 1½ to 7 years.
Unexpected Cardiac MRI Findings in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department for Possible Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background:Stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has become increasingly used in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms concerning for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We hypothesized that CMR detects a number of alternative diagnoses (diagnoses other than ACS tha
Patient-Reported Outcomes in Functioning Following Nursing Home or Inpatient Rehabilitation.

Abstract Objectives Our study examines factors associated with patient-reported outcomes in functioning among Medicare beneficiaries who reported receiving rehabilitation services in a nursing home or inpatient (ie, hospital or rehabilitation facility) setting in the prior year. Design Data are from the 2015 and 2016 rounds of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. Setting and Participants A total of 479 participants in the 2016 sample who reported receiving rehabilitation services in a nursing home or inpatient setting in the past year. Measures Bivariate and logistic regression analyses examined the association of demographic, socioeconomic status, and health variables (from the 2015 interview) and rehabilitation characteristics (from the 2016 interview) with patient-reported improvement in “functioning and ability to do activities” while receiving rehabilitation services in the past year. Results Among Medicare beneficiaries who received rehabilitation services in nursing home or inpatient settings, 33.4% (weighted percent) reported no improvement in functioning while they were receiving rehabilitation. In a regression analysis that accounted for demographics, those with a high school education or less (compared with those with a college degree), instrumental activities of daily living impairments, certain primary conditions for rehabilitation, less than 1-month total duration of rehabilitation services, and no outpatient rehabilitation services had greater odds of reporting no improvement. Conclusions/Implications Our weighted sample represents approximately 2.3 million Medicare beneficiaries who received rehabilitation services in nursing home or inpatient settings. In this sample, 1 in 3 reported no improvement in functioning, with differences in patient-reported outcomes across socioeconomic status, health status, and rehabilitation characteristics domains. Consideration of characteristics across these domains may be clinically pertinent, but investigation as to why these differences are present and whether services can be optimized to further improve patient-reported outcomes is warranted.
Mesenchymal stromal cell immunomodulation and aryl hydrocarbon receptor activation by tryptophan catabolites (IRM9P.462)

The catabolism of Trp by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a key correlate of the immunomodulation by human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). AHR is a cytosolic protein expressed by a variety of cells, that upon activation, initiates transcription at aryl hydrocarbon response elements (AHREs). We show MSCs express AHR basally, and hypothesized that the catalytic activity of IDO and signal transduction via AHR are linked, as intracellular signals which deploy MSC suppressive properties. To test this, we treated MSCs with hydrocarbons known to activate AHR: TCDD or FICZ. Upon treatment of resting MSCs with TCDD or FICZ, we observed 100-fold induction of Cyp1a1/1b1 mRNA, reflective of AHRE activation. We next examined the response of MSCs after 48h treatment with 1MT, Trp, kynurenine (Kyn) or kynurenic acid (KynAc), the latter two being IDO-catalyzed Trp metabolites. We observed 1MT and KynAc both induced Cyp1a1/1b1 expression by 60-fold. These data support the theory that IDO-catabolism of Trp generates endogenous ligands (i.e.KynAc) which can directly activate AHR. We performed T cell suppression assays, and observed Trp catabolites augment the immunosuppressive function of MSCs (independently of PDL1 or IDO). Our findings suggest endogenous AHR signals from IDO catalysis may play a role in MSC immunomodulation. This observation supports a novel paradigm for intracellular signaling from catabolic conversion of Trp to AHR ligands and induction of immunomodulatory properties.
Effects of context variability on 2-year-olds' fact and word learning.

Abstract The current study investigated the effects of context variability on 2.5-year-olds’ (N = 48) fact and word learning. Children were taught labels or facts for novel objects that were presented on variable or consistent background contexts during training. At test, children were asked to select target items in a context that either matched training contexts or was entirely new. Children learned words at above-chance levels regardless of context variability, and there was no significant difference in learning between children in variable and consistent training conditions. For facts, on the other hand, children demonstrated above-chance target selection only when contexts matched between training and test. In addition, children’s immediate target selection was lower in the variable context condition than in the consistent one. However, this difference was not present after a 10-min delay. Results are discussed in terms of why fact learning and word learning may be differentially affected by context variability.
Modeling Population Dynamics of Kochia (Bassia scoparia) in Response to Diverse Weed Control Options

Kochia [Bassia scoparia (L.) A. J. Scott] is a problematic weed species across the Great Plains, as it is spreading fast and has developed herbicide-resistant biotypes. It is imperative to understand key life-history stages that promote population expansion of B. scoparia and control strategies that would provide effective control of these key stages, thereby reducing population growth. Diversifying weed control strategies has been widely recommended for the management of herbicide-resistant weeds. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to develop a simulation model to assess the population dynamics of B. scoparia and to evaluate the effectiveness of diverse weed control strategies on long-term growth rates of B. scoparia populations. The model assumed the existence of a glyphosate-resistant (GR) biotype in the B. scoparia population, but at a very low proportion in a crop rotation that included glyphosate-tolerant corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. The parameter estimates used in the model were obtained from various ecological and management studies on B. scoparia. Model simulations indicated that seedling recruitment and survival to seed production were more important than seedbank persistence for B. scoparia population growth rate. Results showed that a diversified management program, including glyphosate, could provide excellent control of B. scoparia populations and potentially eliminate already evolved GR B. scoparia biotypes within a given location. The most successful scenario was a diverse control strategy that included one or two preplant tillage operations followed by preplant or PRE application of herbicides with residual activities and POST application of glyphosate; this strategy reduced seedling recruitment, survival, and seed production during the growing season, with tremendous negative impacts on long-term population growth and resistance risk in B. scoparia.
Carbon Acidity in Enzyme Active Sites.

The pKa values for substrates acting as carbon acids (i.e. C-H deprotonation reactions) in several en-zyme active sites are presented. The information needed to calculate them includes the pKa of the active site acid/base catalyst and the equilibrium constant for the deprotonation step. Carbon acidity is obtained from the relation pKeq = pKar – pKap = deltapKa for a proton transfer reaction. Five enzymatic free energy profiles were calculated to obtain the equilibrium constants for proton transfer from carbon in the active site, and six additional proton transfer equilibrium constants were extracted from data available in the literature, allowing substrate C-H pKas to be calculated for eleven enzymes. Active site-bound substrate C-H pKa values range from 5.6 for ketosteroid isomerase to 16 for proline racemase. Compared to values in water, enzymes lower substrate C-H pKas by up to 23 units, corresponding to 31 kcal/mol of carbanion stabilization energy. Calculation of Marcus intrinsic barriers for pairs of nonen-zymatic/enzymatic reactions shows significant reductions in deltaGint for cofactor-independent enzymes, while pyridoxal phosphate dependent enzymes appear to increase deltaGint to a small extent as a conse-quence of carbanion resonance stabilization.
OneUp: Engaging Students in a Gamified Data Structures Course

Although many CS courses require extensive practice, a large number of students show low motivation for engaging in non-graded, self-directed learning activities. To address this problem, we developed OneUp - a highly configurable course gamification platform that enables instructors to tailor the gamification features to fit their preferences. This paper presents a case study of using OneUp to gamify a Data Structures course. The focus is on encouraging students' self-study and better engagement with out-of-class online practicing. We describe the utilized game elements - badges, leaderboard, virtual currency, and learning dashboards, and provide a descriptive analysis of their use. The results of our evaluation show that this gamification intervention has been well received by the students, resulting in significantly increased student engagement and out-of-class practicing and in a reduced failing rate.
A novel transpalatal-transoral robotic surgery approach to clival chordomas extending into the nasopharynx.

BACKGROUND In this paper, we present three cases where a novel transoral robotic surgery (TORS) approach was used to resect clival chordomas extending into the nasopharynx to demonstrate progress in the evolution of robotic surgery of the head and neck. METHODS The first patient had a history of metastatic chordoma resection and presented with trismus and dysphagia; the second and third patients had first presentation with nasal congestion and facial numbness, respectively. All patients underwent a novel transpalatal-TORS resection. RESULTS Total resection was achieved in the first patient and near-total resections were achieved in the second and third patients. All patients had minimal postoperative morbidity and no patients experienced significant adverse events. CONCLUSION Clival chordomas are rare, potentially dangerous lesions with a high rate of recurrence. The novel transpalatal-TORS approach to these tumors presented in this series represents advancement in the realm of minimally invasive surgery of the head and neck. This approach offers patients total or near-total control of these lesions with minimal intraoperative and postoperative side effects.
Development and Validation of the Awareness of Privilege and Oppression Scale–2:

The two studies presented describe the revision process that led to the development of the Awareness of Privilege and Oppression Scale–2 (APOS-2) and efforts to evaluate the new measure’s reliabili...
Benzotriazole-Mediated Stereoselective Olefination of Carboxylic Esters: Transformation of α-Amino Acid Esters into Chiral Allylamines

Diastereoselective trans-olefinations of carboxylic esters 3a−h have been accomplished using benzylic or allylic benzotriazole derivatives 1a−e to prepare α-(benzotriazol-1-yl) ketones 4a−i, for the subsequent reduction of 4a−i, and finally for low-valent titanium-effected dehydroxybenzotriazolylation.1 N-Protected α-amino acid esters 9a−c and 15 thus give allylamines 13a−e and 19 with virtually full retention of chirality. Mechanistic aspects of the dehydroxybenzotriazolylation are discussed.
Victorians and Numbers: Statistics and Social Science in Nineteenth-Century Britain

This examination of the ‘statistical movement’ in Victorian Britain argues that it failed to achieve the objective of its academic founders in the 1830s, a numerical science of society. As political and social contexts changed from the 1870s the movement’s liberal environmentalism was superseded by more sophisticated mathematical statistics, a different intellectual project, and a different morality, eugenics. It draws on the papers of Adolphe Quetelet, who inspired early Victorian statisticians, and Francis Galton, who are contrasted. Yet the figure emerging as the most important among the founders and a link to the present is Charles Babbage. His attempt to build a mechanical computer is related both to the emergence of the statistical movement and the analysis of ‘big data’ in our own age.
A Second-Order Approximation of Multi-Modal Interactions in Externally Excited Circular Cylindrical Shells

We investigate the nonlinear response of an infinitely long, circularcylindrical shell to a primary-resonance excitation of one of itsflexural modes, which is involved in a one-to-two internal resonancewith the breathing mode. The excited flexural mode is involved in aone-to-one internal resonance with its orthogonal flexural mode. Thereare two simultaneous internal (autoparametric) resonances: two-to-oneand one-to-one. The method of multiple scales is directly applied to thepartial-differential equations to obtain a system of six first-ordernonlinear ordinary-differential equations governing modulation of theamplitudes and phases of the three interacting modes. In the absence ofdamping, the modulation equations are derivable from a Lagrangian,reflecting the conservative nature of the system. The modulationequations are used to study the equilibrium and dynamic solutions andtheir stability and hence their bifurcations. The response may be eithera two-mode or a three-mode solution. For certain excitation parameters,the equilibrium three-mode solutions undergo Hopf bifurcations. Acombination of a shooting technique and Floquet theory is used tocalculate limit cycles and their stability, and hence theirbifurcations.
Advance agent of expanding empires: George F. Becker and mineral exploration in South Africa and the Philippines

In the late nineteenth century, American mining engineers and geologists fanned out to potential or existing mines around the world. This paper examines the work of George F. Becker—a forty-year v...
A new era in the management of ischemic stroke: Advent of endovascular mechanical thrombectomy

Reduction in the mortality and disability resulting from acute ischemic stroke translates into restoration of blood flow to ischemic penumbra or tissue-at-risk. Reopening occluded large intracranial arteries is currently possible by timely institution of endovascular mechanical thrombectomy. In this topic, we discuss the physiologic basis of thrombectomy, technical steps and future directions in a concise yet eminently readable manner.
A Model for Spectrum Valuation

The effective use of radio frequency (RF) spectrum has become more important as industry and government continue to increase their demand for bandwidth to enable new and improved wireless communications services. However practical supply of the resource is finite. Determining the market value of spectrum is a key step for stakeholders and decision makers to understand the impacts of RF spectrum investments, tradeoffs, and alternatives.11Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited. Public Release Case Number 19–1809 To meet this need, The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) developed a methodology and valuation model to assess the potential market value of various RF spectrum bands. The intent of the model is to allow non-industry experts to generate a range of possible valuations rather than a single point estimate and to inform decision makers about where the largest uncertainties exist that could influence the valuations. The spectrum valuation tool uses a novel approach to generate spectrum valuation. It integrates multiple regression models across the various factors that influence value, including transaction factors, network infrastructure factors, geographic factors, policy/economic factors, and consumer factors. This ensemble technique compensates for uncertainty between individual regression algorithms by integrating the results of a “group of experts” together to build a range of outcomes. This paper describes the methodology used to develop the spectrum valuation tool, the data included in the regression models, and the model's prediction capability with respect to the recently held Federal Communication Commission's 28 Gigahertz (GHz) auction.
Comment on Effective Temperature and Structural Rearrangement in Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometry.

Ion mobility spectrometry/mass spectrometry as a structural tool in biochemistry relies on the notion that native solution structures are metastable within the measurement timescale. Ergo, the crit...
Feasibility and Acceptability of Wearable Sleep Electroencephalogram Device Use in Adolescents: Observational Study

Background: Adolescence is an important life stage for the development of healthy behaviors, which have a long-lasting impact on health across the lifespan. Sleep undergoes significant changes during adolescence and is linked to physical and psychiatric health; however, sleep is rarely assessed in routine health care settings. Wearable sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) devices may represent user-friendly methods for assessing sleep among adolescents, but no studies to date have examined the feasibility and acceptability of sleep EEG wearables in this age group. Objective: The goal of the research was to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of sleep EEG wearable devices among adolescents aged 11 to 17 years. Methods: A total of 104 adolescents aged 11 to 17 years participated in 7 days of at-home sleep recording using a self-administered wearable sleep EEG device (Zmachine Insight+, General Sleep Corporation) as well as a wristworn actigraph. Feasibility was assessed as the number of full nights of successful recording completed by adolescents, and acceptability was measured by the wearable acceptability survey for sleep. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed separately for the sleep EEG device and wristworn actigraph. Results: A total of 94.2% (98/104) of adolescents successfully recorded at least 1 night of data using the sleep EEG device (mean number of nights 5.42; SD 1.71; median 6, mode 7). A total of 81.6% (84/103) rated the comfort of the device as falling in the comfortable to mildly uncomfortable range while awake. A total of 40.8% (42/103) reported typical sleep while using the device, while 39.8% (41/103) indicated minimal to mild device-related sleep disturbances. A minority (32/104, 30.8%) indicated changes in their sleep position due to device use, and very few (11/103, 10.7%) expressed dissatisfaction with their experience with the device. A similar pattern was observed for the wristworn actigraph device. Conclusions: Wearable sleep EEG appears to represent a feasible, acceptable method for sleep assessment among adolescents and may have utility for assessing and treating sleep disturbances at a population level. Future studies with adolescents should evaluate strategies for further improving usability of such devices, assess relationships between sleep EEG–derived metrics and health outcomes, and investigate methods for incorporating data from these devices into emerging digital interventions and applications. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03843762; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03843762
Metas educacionais para universitários diagnosticados com deficiência: de uma proposta individualista à ativista transformadora

Due to the legal protections and the effects of inclusive reforms introduced in the U.S. in the last decades, the number of students diagnosed with disabilities (SDWD) entering post-secondary education in the country has steadily increased. Nevertheless, SDWD remain significantly underrepresented among the college student population and their graduation rates are lower than those of their able-bodies peers’. Common explanations of unequal outcomes of SDWD in college have invoked issues related to students’ transitioning from high school to college and inadequate provision of diversified and adequate support. In this paper, I critically examine the scholarship on academic success of SDWD in higher education that shape institutional discourses and practices around educational and life goals for SDWD. My analysis reveals that narrowly individualistic notions of personal responsibility, autonomy, self-determination and self-advocacy skills dominate such practices and discourses. My contention is that a focus on achieving independence as the ultimate educational goal for SDWD reproduces ableistic assumptions and ultimately disempowers those students. Merging insights from critical disability studies with the Vygotskian socio-historical theory expanded by the Transformative Activist Stance, I propose a radical reconceptualization of developmental goals for SDWD away from the notion of independence of individual learners toward focusing on interdependence, reciprocity, relationality, connectedness and collective agency.
Effect of microstructural and environmental variables on ductility of austenitic stainless steels

Abstract Austenitic stainless steels are used extensively in harsh environments, including for high-pressure gaseous hydrogen service. However, the tensile ductility of this class of materials is very sensitive to materials and environmental variables. While tensile ductility is generally insufficient to qualify a material for hydrogen service, ductility is an effective tool to explore microstructural and environmental variables and their effects on hydrogen susceptibility, to inform understanding of the mechanisms of hydrogen effects in metals, and to provide insight to microstructural variables that may improve relative performance. In this study, hydrogen precharging was used to simulate high-pressure hydrogen environments to evaluate hydrogen effects on tensile properties. Several austenitic stainless steels were considered, including both metastable and stable alloys. Room temperature and subambient temperature tensile properties were evaluated with three different internal hydrogen contents for type 304L and 316L austenitic stainless steels and one hydrogen content for XM-11. Significant ductility loss was observed for both metastable and stable alloys, suggesting the stability of the austenitic phase is not sufficient to characterize the effects of hydrogen. Internal hydrogen does influence the character of deformation, which drives local damage accumulation and ultimately fracture for both metastable and stable alloys. While a quantitative description of hydrogen-assisted fracture in austenitic stainless steels remains elusive, these observations underscore the importance of the hydrogen-defect interactions and the accumulation of damage at deformation length scales.