cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A case study of bats and white-nose syndrome demonstrating how to model population viability with evolutionary effects

Ecological factors generally affect population viability on rapid time scales. Traditional population viability analyses (PVA) therefore focus on alleviating ecological pressures, discounting potential evolutionary impacts on individual phenotypes. Recent studies of evolutionary rescue (ER) focus on cases in which severe, environmentally induced population bottlenecks trigger a rapid evolutionary response that can potentially reverse demographic threats. ER models have focused on shifting genetics and resulting population recovery, but no one has explored how to incorporate those findings into PVA. We integrated ER into PVA to identify the critical decision interval for evolutionary rescue (DIER) under which targeted conservation action should be applied to buffer populations undergoing ER against extinction from stochastic events and to determine the most appropriate vital rate to target to promote population recovery. We applied this model to little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) affected by white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease causing massive declines in several North American bat populations. Under the ER scenario, the model predicted that the DIER period for little brown bats was within 11 years of initial WNS emergence, after which they stabilized at a positive growth rate (λ = 1.05). By comparing our model results with population trajectories of multiple infected hibernacula across the WNS range, we concluded that ER is a potential explanation of observed little brown bat population trajectories across multiple hibernacula within the affected range. Our approach provides a tool that can be used by all managers to provide testable hypotheses regarding the occurrence of ER in declining populations, suggest empirical studies to better parameterize the population genetics and conservation-relevant vital rates, and identify the DIER period during which management strategies will be most effective for species conservation.
Allergic contact dermatitis from tacrolimus

A 9-year-old boy developed allergic contact dermatitis from tacrolimus ointment. Tacrolimus was proven to be the allergen by right-versus-left double-blinded provocative use testing of tacrolimus ointment 0.1% versus inactive vehicle applied twice daily to normal preauricular and antecubital skin. Facial dermatitis appeared after 1 week and antecubital dermatitis after 7 weeks. Furthermore, patch testing of each individual ingredient was positive only with tacrolimus; a concentration of 2.5% in ethanol was required. Forty control patients had negative patch tests with tacrolimus 5% in ethanol. We hypothesize that the unusually long time required to elicit a positive use test on the arm and the high patch test concentration required on the back are caused by low percutaneous absorption through normal extrafacial skin. This is likely to be caused in part by the high molecular weight of tacrolimus. A similar phenomenon may occur when patch testing with neomycin sulfate.
Nonlinear responses to food availability shape effects of habitat fragmentation on consumers

Fragmentation of landscapes is a pervasive source of environmental change. Although understanding the effects of fragmentation has occupied ecologists for decades, there remain important gaps in our understanding of the way that fragmentation influences mobile organisms. In particular, there is little tested theory explaining the way that fragmentation shapes interactions between consumers and resources. We propose a simple model that explains why fragmentation may harm consumers even when the total amount of resources on the landscape they use remains unchanged. In particular, we show that nonlinearity in the relationship between resource availability and benefits acquired by consumers from resources can cause a decrease in benefits to consumers when landscapes are subdivided into isolated parts and when the distribution of consumers in fragments is not matched to the distribution of resources. We tested predictions of the model using a laboratory system of cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) larvae on artificial landscapes. Consistent with the model's predictions, survivorship of larvae decreased when landscapes with heterogeneous resources were fragmented into isolated parts. However, average mass of surviving larvae did not change in response to fragmentation. With basic knowledge of consumer resource use patterns and landscape structure, our model, supported by our experiment, contributes new understanding of the resource-mediated effects of fragmentation on consumers.
Statistical challenges in null model analysis

This review identifies several important challenges in null model testing in ecology: 1) developing randomization algorithms that generate appropriate patterns for a specified null hypothesis; these randomization algorithms stake out a middle ground between formal Pearson–Neyman tests (which require a fully-specified null distribution) and specific process-based models (which require parameter values that cannot be easily and independently estimated); 2) developing metrics that specify a particular pattern in a matrix, but ideally exclude other, related patterns; 3) avoiding classification schemes based on idealized matrix patterns that may prove to be inconsistent or contradictory when tested with empirical matrices that do not have the idealized pattern; 4) testing the performance of proposed null models and metrics with artificial test matrices that contain specified levels of pattern and randomness; 5) moving beyond simple presence–absence matrices to incorporate species-level traits (such as abundance) and site-level traits (such as habitat suitability) into null model analysis; 6) creating null models that perform well with many sites, many species pairs, and varying degrees of spatial autocorrelation in species occurrence data. In spite of these challenges, the development and application of null models has continued to provide valuable insights in ecology, evolution, and biogeography for over 80 years. ‘A null model is a pattern generating model that is based on randomization of ecological data or random sampling from a known or imagined distribution. The null model is designed with respect to some eco logical or evolutionary process of interest’. (Gotelli and Graves 1996) From its origins in the analysis of species/genus ratios (Jarvinen 1982), there is a long history of using null models to analyze patterns and test hypotheses in ecology, evolution and biogeography (Harvey et al. 1983). Although the general controversy in the 1970s over null models and competition has died down (Gotelli and Graves 1996), there are still many disputed aspects of testing and implementing null models. In this paper, we review some of the more recent challenges and controversial issues in the implementation and interpretation of null models in ecology. We focus primarily on the use of null models in biogeography, ecology, and macroecology. 1. Hypothesis testing and constraints in null model analysis
Mean field theory and ϵ-expansion for Anderson localization

Abstract We present a field theoretic formulation of Anderson localization of an electron in a random potential. In mean field theory we find a mobility edge at energy Ec separating a region with no states from one with conducting states. When the nearest neighbor hopping is a random variable with variance σ, Ec2=4zσ2, where z is the coordination number. We study this mobility edge using the ϵ-expansion. We find an upper critical dimension of eight near which this mobility transition is in the same universality class as the statistics of dilute branched polymers (lattice animals).
A scalable peer-to-peer architecture for distributed information monitoring applications

We present PeerCQ, a decentralized architecture for Internet scale information monitoring using a network of heterogeneous peer nodes. PeerCQ uses continual queries (CQs) as its primitives to express information-monitoring requests. The PeerCQ development has three unique characteristics. First, we develop a systematic and serverless approach to large scale information monitoring, aiming at providing a fully distributed, highly scalable, and self-configurable architecture for scalable and reliable processing of a large number of CQs over a network of loosely coupled, heterogeneous, and possibly unreliable nodes (peers). Second, we introduce an effective service partitioning scheme at the P2P protocol layer to distribute the processing of CQs over a peer-to-peer information monitoring overlay network while maintaining a good balance between system utilization and load balance in the presence of peer joins, departures, and failures. A unique feature of our service partitioning scheme is its ability to incorporate strategies for handling hot spot monitoring requests and peer heterogeneity into the load balancing scheme in PeerCQ. Third, but not least, we develop a dynamic passive replication scheme to enable reliable processing of long-running information monitoring requests in an environment of inherently unreliable peers, including an analytical model to discuss its fault tolerance properties. We report a set of experiments demonstrating the feasibility and the effectiveness of the PeerCQ approach to large-scale peer-to-peer information monitoring.
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in the Autumn of Life.

To implant or not to implant a primary prevention implantable-cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in older patients is a question that has challenged clinicians for years. On the one hand, the ICD is a highly effective therapy for the prevention of sudden cardiac death. On the other hand, there are no
Melanoma Risk and Citrus Consumption

TO THE EDITOR: Wu et al report that citrus consumption increases risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma. The authors state that citrus fruits contain psoralens and furocoumarins, which sensitize the skin to UV radiation and are potent carcinogens. Consumption of citrus fruits and juices more than 1.6 times per day (95% CI, 1.14 to 1.63) resulted in a risk for developing melanoma of 1.36. The results of Wu et al contradict the results of Fortes et al, who found that citrus fruit consumption protects against melanoma. Low consumption (up to two times per week) had no protective effect (odds ratio [OR]5 1). Medium citrus consumption (three to four times per week) had an OR of 0.79 (95% CI, 0.47 to 1.32, adjusted for sex, age, education, hair color, skin phototypes, number of nevi, presence of freckles in childhood, and sunburns in childhood). High citrus consumption (four to five times per week) had an OR of 0.51 (95% CI, 0.32 to 0.80; P 5 .003; Wald test for trend). Citrus consumption is widely advocated because it reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, and other forms of illness. Therefore, further study would be worthwhile.
Trace Gas Adsorption Within Gas-Sorbent Suspensions in the Presence of O2 and Water Vapor

New federal regulations will soon limit total mercury emissions from coal-fired electric power plants, which supply half of the electric power and are responsible for one-third of the anthropogenic mercury emissions in the U.S [1]. This presents a significant challenge to the electric power industry because of variability in mercury concentration and speciation (both within a single facility and between different facilities) and a lack of proven continuous emissions monitor (CEM) and mercury control technologies. Although wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) has demonstrated effectiveness in removing oxidized forms of mercury (Hg2+ , nominally in the form HgCl2 ), elemental mercury (Hg0 ) generally passes unaffected through such processes.© 2002 ASME
A Monte Carlo Power Comparison of the Classical and One-Sided Procedures for Testing Linear Inequalities

The issue of whether the new one-sided procedures for testing inequalities dominate the classical procedure in terms of power remains unresolved in the literature. The Monte Carlo results in this study suggest a theoretical approach that could provide an analytical resolution.
The King’s Two Bodies as Lamentation:

The King’s Two Bodies is, as has long been recognized, a genealogy of modern state power. But it is also something else less clearly recognized. The King’s Two Bodies is a lamentation. In Kantorowicz’s poignant eulogy, the sovereign that medieval lawyers had made in the imago dei, was revealed at last to be an idol. Profound reverence for the rule of law crumbled into absent-minded legality. The lawful sovereign became diabolical power, forever deciding exceptions but incapable of justice or grace. In The King’s Two Bodies, Kantorowicz mournfully shows how the death and tragic afterlife of a particular medieval concept of sovereignty helped to make possible the horrors of modern political absolutism and state idolatry.
Analysis of two multi-lightning flashovers on external porcelain sheath of 220 kV circuit breaker chamber

The processes of two flashover accidents on the external porcelain sheath of the 220 kV circuit breaker chamber due to multi-time lightning surge to transmission lines were introduced and analyzed. It is suggested that line lightning arrester should be installed on the outgoing line of the substation to restrict the over-voltage on the chamber of the circuit breaker in cut-off state.
Manifold alignment with Schroedinger eigenmaps

The sun-target-sensor angle can change during aerial remote sensing. In an attempt to compensate BRDF eﬀects in multi-angular hyperspectral images, the Semi-Supervised Manifold Alignment (SSMA) algorithm pulls data from similar classes together and pushes data from diﬀerent classes apart. SSMA uses Laplacian Eigenmaps (LE) to preserve the original geometric structure of each local data set independently. In this paper, we replace LE with Spatial-Spectral Schoedinger Eigenmaps (SSSE) which was designed to be a semisupervised enhancement to the to extend the SSMA methodology and improve classiﬁcation of multi-angular hyperspectral images captured over Hog Island in the Virginia Coast Reserve.
Surgeons' physical discomfort and symptoms during robotic surgery: a comprehensive ergonomic survey study.

It is commonly believed that robotic surgery systems provide surgeons with an ergonomically sound work environment; however, the actual experience of surgeons practicing robotic surgery (RS) has not been thoroughly researched. In this ergonomics survey study, we investigated surgeons’ physical symptom reports and their association with factors including demographics, specialties, and robotic systems. Four hundred and thirty-two surgeons regularly practicing RS completed this comprehensive survey comprising 20 questions in four categories: demographics, systems, ergonomics, and physical symptoms. Chi-square and multinomial logistic regression analyses were used for statistical analysis. Two hundred and thirty-six surgeons (56.1 %) reported physical symptoms or discomfort. Among those symptoms, neck stiffness, finger, and eye fatigues were the most common. With the newest robot, eye symptom rate was considerably reduced, while neck and finger symptoms did not improve significantly. A high rate of lower back stiffness was correlated with higher annual robotic case volume, and eye symptoms were more common with longer years practicing robotic surgery (p < 0.05). The symptom report rate from urology surgeons was significantly higher than other specialties (p < 0.05). Noticeably, surgeons with higher confidence and helpfulness levels with their ergonomic settings reported lower symptom report rates. Symptoms were not correlated with age and gender. Although RS provides relatively better ergonomics, this study demonstrates that 56.1 % of regularly practicing robotic surgeons still experience related physical symptoms or discomfort. In addition to system improvement, surgeon education in optimizing the ergonomic settings may be necessary to maximize the ergonomic benefits in RS.
Performance comparison of a new current regulator for 3-level NPC inverter for sinusoidal and non-sinusoidal current tracking applications

In this paper, a new current regulator is applied for a 3-level NPC inverter to achieve both current regulation and neutral-point voltage balance. The performance of the proposed current regulator is validated for both sinusoidal current tracking, such as for a 3-level NPC inverter based motor drive application, and also for non-sinusoidal current tracking, such as for active filter application. Performance comparison and current regulator design considerations are addressed for sinusoidal and non-sinusoidal current tracking applications. Detailed simulation results are presented for performance validation of the new current regulator for both cases and the RMS current error is used as a performance index for comparison.
Fatigue mediated lattice rotation in Al alloys

Abstract A significant lattice rotation in the plastic zone of a fatigue crack at room temperature in highly oriented Al 1100 and Al 7075 alloys has been observed by employing X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The intensity of 111 peak gradually increases as compared to the intensity of 200 peak as we approach the crack, suggesting lattice rotation. The texture was seen to change gradually from nearly cubic, away from the crack, to a more random orientation close to the crack. We ascribe the lattice rotation to the increase in dislocation density in the plastic zone. The estimated average angle of rotation is approximately 11°, which is sufficient to disturb the cube texture close to the crack. In addition, the observed plastic zone, as estimated by the lattice rotation, is order of magnitude higher as compared to the theoretically predicted plastic zone. This is of great importance, as it leads to a new insight of the underlying physics of the deformation process in the plastic zone under cyclic loading.
Abstract P196: The Impact of MicroRNA195 on the Lkb1/AMPK Signaling Axis and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Objectives: MicroRNAs (miRs) have been identified as chief post-transcriptional regulators of cardiac disease progression. In addition, a critical role of the adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK) pathway in the development of myocardial hypertrophy has been revealed. Yet, regulation of the AMPK pathway by miRs in the heart has not been addressed. We hypothesized that components of the AMPK pathway are targeted by miRs and alter AMPK signaling in a mouse model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods and results: Using real-time PCR, a candidate miR screen that included 22 miRs implicated in pathological cardiac disease and/or metabolic dysregulation was performed on hearts from 60-, 120-, and 240-day-old transgenic HCM male mice harboring an R403Q mutation in the myosin heavy gene. Among early (60 day) elevated miRs were miR-195 and -451. Both miR-195 and -451 have conserved target sites in the 3′ UTR of CAB39 (MO25), a central component of the MO25/STRAD/LKB1 complex that acts as an upstream kinase for AMPK and its subsequent activation. We further confirmed the elevation of miR-195 and -451 by Northern blotting. Next, we demonstrated specific expression and a similar distribution pattern of miR-195 and -451 in cardiomyocytes of R403Q HCM hearts by in situ hybridization. To determine whether the conserved sites in MO25 3′ UTR acted as functional targets, either the miR-195 or miR-451 target sequence was cloned into a luciferase expression vector. MiR-195 but not miR-451 suppressed luciferase activity compared to the missense sequence control vector in C2C12 cells. In addition, over-expression of miR195 in C2C12 cells knocked down MO25 expression levels and downstream AMPK signaling (phosphorylation of Acetyl CoA carboxylase). Finally, parallel changes were measured in 60 day R403Q HCM male hearts that included reduced MO25 expression and lowered phosphorlation of AMPK and Acetyl CoA carboxylase. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that miR-195 targets the LKB1/AMPK signaling axis and suggest a functional role for miR-195 elevation in R403Q HCM disease progression.
Biosensing in multiple sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION The goal of using wearable biosensors in multiple sclerosis (MS) is to provide outcome metrics with higher sensitivity to deficits and better inter-test and inter-rater reliability than standard neurological exam bedside maneuvers. A wearable biosensor not only has the potential to enhance physical exams, but also offers the promise of remote evaluations of the patient either at home or with local non-specialist providers. Areas covered: We performed a structured literature review on the use of wearable biosensors in studies of multiple sclerosis. This included accelerometers, gyroscopes, eye-trackers, grip sensors, and multi-sensors. Expert commentary: Wearable sensors that are sensitive to change in function over time have great potential to serve as outcome metrics in clinical trials. Key features of generalizability are simplicity in the application of the device and delivery of data to the provider. Another important feature to establish is best sampling rate. Having too high of a sampling rate can lead to over-interpretation of noisy data On the other hand, a low sampling rate can result in an insensitive test thus missing subtle changes of clinical interest. Of most importance is to establish metrics derived from wearable devices that provide meaningful data in longitudinal studies.
Cross-sectional Internet-based survey of Japanese permanent daytime workers' sleep and daily rest periods.

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to describe the sleep quantity, sleep quality, and daily rest periods (DRPs) of Japanese permanent daytime workers. METHODS Information about the usual DRP, sleep quantity, and sleep quality (Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: PSQI-J) of 3,867 permanent daytime workers in Japan was gathered through an Internet-based survey. This information was analyzed and divided into the following eight DRP groups: <10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and ≥16 h. RESULTS The sleep durations for workers in the <10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and ≥16 h DRP groups were found to be 5.3, 5.9, 6.1, 6.3, 6.5, 6.7, 6.7, and 6.9 h, respectively. The trend analysis revealed a significant linear trend as the shorter the DRP, the shorter was the sleep duration. The PSQI-J scores for the <10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and ≥16 h DRP groups were 7.1, 6.7, 6.7, 6.3, 6.0 (5.999), 5.6, 5.2, and 5.2, respectively. The trend analysis revealed a significant linear trend as the shorter the DRP, the lower was the sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS This study described sleep quantity, sleep quality, and DRP in Japanese daytime workers. It was found that a shorter DRP was associated with poorer sleep quantity as well as quality.
Constraining neutrino mass with the tomographic weak lensing one-point probability distribution function and power spectrum

The one-point probability distribution function (PDF) of weak lensing, which provides access to non-Gaussian information beyond the power spectrum, is particularly sensitive to nonlinear growth at small scales, precisely where massive neutrinos contribute significantly. The authors therefore use the PDF, for the first time, with the express purpose of tightening the bounds on the neutrino mass sum.
Spark for Social Science

Urban has developed an elastic and powerful approach to the analysis of massive datasets using Amazon Web Services’ Elastic MapReduce (EMR) and the Spark framework for distributed memory and processing. The goal of the project is to deliver powerful and elastic Spark clusters to researchers and data analysts with as little setup time and effort possible, and at low cost. To do that, at the Urban Institute, we use two critical components: (1) an Amazon Web Services (AWS) CloudFormation script to launch AWS Elastic MapReduce (EMR) clusters (2) a bootstrap script that runs on the Master node of the new cluster to install statistical programs and development environments (RStudio and Jupyter Notebooks). The Urban Institute’s Spark for Social Science Github page holds code used to setup the cluster and tutorials for learning how to program in R and Python.
Framing Pier 55: negotiated resilience and contested waterfronts

The ways news stories are framed influences public opinion and public action. As such stories develop, framing may lead to a lack of public awareness about issues affecting communities and the overall rejection of specific ideas. This paper explores the use of framing in news coverage as it relates to a proposed floating park, Pier 55, which would sit above the Hudson River near NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood. Based on a content analysis of 211 news articles written from November 2014 to September 2017, this study finds that issue-based frames, including those related to resilience, recreation, public-private partnerships, design, and transparency, were as common in initial news coverage of Pier 55 as game frames, which focused on conflicts among the project’s supporters and critics. However, after a lawsuit was filed against the project, stories were much more likely to use a game frame that focused on the legal dispute rather than issues articulated by the park’s boosters and critics. These findings suggest that the Pier 55 story became more rigidly game framed over time, wresting control of the narrative from those who wanted to debate its merits, and ultimately dooming the proposal in its original form. We conclude by drawing out the implications of these findings for a negotiated environmental health and urban resilience.
Scalable Realistic Recommendation Datasets through Fractal Expansions

Recommender System research suffers currently from a disconnect between the size of academic data sets and the scale of industrial production systems. In order to bridge that gap we propose to generate more massive user/item interaction data sets by expanding pre-existing public data sets. User/item incidence matrices record interactions between users and items on a given platform as a large sparse matrix whose rows correspond to users and whose columns correspond to items. Our technique expands such matrices to larger numbers of rows (users), columns (items) and non zero values (interactions) while preserving key higher order statistical properties. We adapt the Kronecker Graph Theory to user/item incidence matrices and show that the corresponding fractal expansions preserve the fat-tailed distributions of user engagements, item popularity and singular value spectra of user/item interaction matrices. Preserving such properties is key to building large realistic synthetic data sets which in turn can be employed reliably to benchmark Recommender Systems and the systems employed to train them. We provide algorithms to produce such expansions and apply them to the MovieLens 20 million data set comprising 20 million ratings of 27K movies by 138K users. The resulting expanded data set has 10 billion ratings, 864K items and 2 million users in its smaller version and can be scaled up or down. A larger version features 655 billion ratings, 7 million items and 17 million users.
Assessing the role of native herbaceous legumes in the nitrogen cycle of regularly burned loblolly pine forests

Abstract Prescribed burning is one of the most commonly used management practices in pine (Pinus spp.) forests of the southeastern United States. There is concern, however, that burning may lead to excessive losses of nitrogen (N), thereby decreasing forest productivity. The N losses due to burning may be potentially countered via symbiotic N2-fixation by native and naturalized herbaceous legumes that may thrive in burned forests. However, the rates and controls of N input via legume N2-fixation in these ecosystems are poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to measure legume abundance, biomass, N2-fixation, substrate quality, and associated environmental controls in regularly burned loblolly pine (P. taeda) forests. The study sites were located in four management blocks at the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge. This assessment revealed a total of 23 legume species in 9 genera. Legume abundance averaged 12.95 ± 2.30 individuals m−2, and collectively Centrosema virginianum, Chamaecrista nictitans, Desmodium marilandicum, Galactia volubilis, and Lespedeza procumbens constituted 70.8% of the total legume abundance. Legumes comprised 17.1% of the understory aboveground biomass, and legume foliage, stem, and total (foliage + stem) biomass estimates averaged 15.38 ± 3.18, 20.88 ± 4.01, 36.26 ± 6.95 g m−2, respectively. Legume foliar N concentration averaged 2.22 ± 0.06% (ranging from 1.42−2.83%), and all legume foliar N concentrations were significantly higher than the average foliar values for blackberry (Rubus spp., 1.10 ± 0.05%) and the aggregate of non-leguminous forbs (1.03 ± 0.08%) that grew concurrently with the legumes in the study sites. N2-fixation assessments, based on the differential between legume and non-N2-fixing reference plant foliar N concentrations, indicated that approximately 50% of legume N was derived from the atmosphere. Legume foliage tissues exhibited relatively high substrate quality indices such as high N concentrations, low lignin concentrations (average of 14.3 ± 1.9%), and correspondingly low lignin:N ratios (average of 6.7 ± 0.9) indicative of tissues that exhibit rapid mass loss and N mineralization rates during decomposition. Canopy openness was the environmental variable that was most strongly correlated with foliar N and areal biomass among the dominant legume species. The estimated N input of 0.14 g m−2 yr−1 via N2-fixation may compensate for N losses due to relatively low intensity and infrequent understory burns during a stand rotation. Additional studies are needed to more comprehensively assess legume N2-fixation inputs, associated environmental constraints, and practical field applications which may increase N input via symbiotic N2-fixation in regularly burned pine forest ecosystems.
Resurgence of a target behavior suppressed by a combination of punishment and alternative reinforcement.

Abstract Differential-reinforcement-based treatments involving extinction of target problem behavior and reinforcement of an alternative behavior are highly effective. However, extinction of problem behavior is sometimes difficult or contraindicated in clinical settings. In such cases, punishment instead of extinction may be used in combination with alternative reinforcement. Although it is well documented that omitting alternative reinforcement can produce recurrence (i.e., resurgence) of behavior previously suppressed by extinction plus alternative reinforcement, it remains unclear if resurgence similarly occurs for behavior previously suppressed by punishment plus alternative reinforcement. The present experiment examined this question with rats. In Phase 1, a target behavior (lever pressing) was reinforced with food pellets. In Phase 2, the target behavior continued to be reinforced, but it also produced mild foot shock and an alternative behavior (nose poking) also produced food. Finally, all consequences were removed and resurgence of target behavior occurred. Resurgence did not occur for another group that similarly received punishment of target behavior in Phase 2 but not alternative reinforcement. These results indicate that resurgence was a product of the history of exposure to and then removal of alternative reinforcement and that the removal of punishment alone did not produce resurgence of target behavior.
Activating the Intrinsic Pathway of Apoptosis Using BIM BH3 Peptides Delivered by Peptide Amphiphiles with Endosomal Release

Therapeutic manipulation of the BCL-2 family using BH3 mimetics is an emerging paradigm in cancer treatment and immune modulation. For example, peptides mimicking the BIM BH3 helix can directly target the full complement of anti- and pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins to trigger apoptosis. This study has incorporated the potent BH3 α-helical death domain of BIM into peptide amphiphile (PA) nanostructures designed to facilitate cellular uptake and induce cell death. This study shows that these PA nanostructures are quickly incorporated into cells, are able to specifically bind BCL-2 proteins, are stable at physiologic temperatures and pH, and induce dose-dependent apoptosis in cells. The incorporation of a cathepsin B cleavable linker between the BIM BH3 peptide and the hydrophobic tail resulted in increased intracellular accumulation and mitochondrial co-localization of the BIM BH3 peptide while also improving BCL-2 family member binding and apoptotic reactivation. This PA platform represents a promising new strategy for intracellular therapeutic peptide delivery for the disruption of intracellular protein:protein interactions.
Review: Lipid biology in the periparturient dairy cow: contemporary perspectives

Coordinated changes in energy metabolism develop to support gestation and lactation in the periparturient dairy cow. Maternal physiology involves the partitioning of nutrients (i.e. glucose, amino acids and fatty acids (FA)) for fetal growth and milk synthesis. However, the inability of the dairy cow to successfully adapt to a productive lactation may trigger metabolic stress characterized by uncontrolled adipose tissue lipolysis and reduced insulin sensitivity. A consequence is lipotoxicity and hepatic triglyceride deposition that favors the development of fatty liver disease (FLD) and ketosis. This review describes contemporary perspectives pertaining to FA surfeit and complex lipid metabolism in the transition dairy cow. The role of saturated and unsaturated FA as bioactive signaling molecules capable of modulating insulin secretion and sensitivity is explored. Moreover, the metabolic fate of FA as influenced by mitochondrial function is considered. This includes the influence of inadequate mitochondrial oxidation on acylcarnitine status and the use of FA for lipid mediator synthesis. Lipid mediators, including the sphingolipid ceramide and diacylglycerol, are evaluated considering their established ability to inhibit insulin signaling and glucose transport in non-ruminant diabetics. The mechanisms of FLD in the transition cow are revisited with attention centered on glycerophospholipid phosphatidylcholine and triglyceride secretion. The relationship between oxidative stress and oxylipids within the context of insulin antagonism, hepatic steatosis and inflammation is also reviewed. Lastly, peripartal hormonal involvement or lack thereof of adipokines (i.e. leptin, adiponectin) and hepatokines (i.e. fibroblast growth factor-21) is described. Similarities and differences in ruminant and non-ruminant physiology are routinely showcased. Unraveling the lipidome of the dairy cow has generated breakthroughs in our understanding of periparturient lipid biology. Therapeutic approaches that target FA and complex lipid metabolism holds promise to enhance cow health, well-being and productive lifespan.
Effects of short-term -12° head-down tilt on cognitive performance

Abstract Background Microgravity-induced fluid shifts and the resulting changes in cerebral hemodynamics may be linked to cognitive performance alterations in spaceflight. Head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest serves as a well-validated spaceflight analog for microgravity-induced cephalic fluid shifts. This study examined the effects of short-term (t Methods In this within-subject cross-over study, ten male subjects without significant medical comorbidities (mean ± standard deviation [SD] age: 34 years ±3, weight: 81 kg ± 11, height: 1.77 m ± 0.06, body mass index: 26 kg/m2 ± 3) performed the Cognition test battery on an iPad at baseline (45° upright), after 1, 2, 3, and 4 h in the −12° HDT or supine position, and after 30-minute recovery in 45° upright position. The order of conditions (−12° HDT or supine) was randomized, with >1 week washout between test days. Results Mixed model analyses of z-transformed Cognition test scores indicate a small (0.21–0.25 SD) decrease in accuracy that did not survive adjustment for multiple testing and no change in speed (0.00–0.12 SD) across cognitive domains in the supine and −12° HDT position relative to upright. A true decrease in speed may have been masked by practice effects, as speed was found to increase by 0.06 SD per test bout in condition (95% confidence interval 0.03; 0.10). Performance differences between −12° HDT and supine positions across cognitive domains were less than small ( Discussion This study on short-term positional changes on cognitive performance suggests that performing Cognition in the supine or −12° HDT position on a tablet is associated with small decreases in accuracy and, if practice effects are taken into account, potentially also speed, but with no relevant differences between positions. These findings help interpret bed rest studies that use the new −12° HDT paradigm.
Challenges in Identifying High-Leverage Practices:

BackgroundThe current accountability climate prioritizes identifying features of “effective teaching.” One approach has to been to outline a set of “high-leverage practices,” defined as teaching mo...
Between Despair and Hope

A single moment captured my feelings about the 2020 presidential election–the look on my sons’ faces upon hearing the news that Biden and Harris won. The relief and joy in their eyes poignantly con...
The Origins of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery and Their Impact on Surgical Practice: A Sociological, Technological History

The origins of these new technologies may, in the broadest sense, have begun in pre-history but definitely appear in antiquity. Their conception and development span more than 2000 years.
Accompaniment and Emergence: Social Work Community Practice with Resettled Refugees

Refugee communities in resettlement countries, such as the United States, are often underserved and marginalized. State-contracted organizations are often constrained by policy and funding restrictions, thereby limiting assistance. Meanwhile, grassroots organizations that are led and run by refugees themselves provide key supports, but they often function without legitimacy and resources. Moreover, although some localities welcome and support refugees, anti-refugee sentiment and policies have surged in many local contexts. Given such challenges, warranted is social work with refugees that is not only effective and culturally appropriate, but also empowering, just, and forward-looking.
Modulation of Fibronectin and Thrombospondin Synthesis and mRNA Levels by Heparin in Human Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cell Cultures

Since the initial observations that mast cells containing heparin accumulate at tumor sites prior to neovascularization,1 numerous studies have underscored the potential importance of heparin in the regulation of new vessel formation. In vitro heparin potentiates human umbilical vein endothelial cell (EC)* chemotactic and growth responses to endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF), a member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family of mitogens.2,3 The growth and migration stimulatory activity of heparin is neutralized by protamine, an arginine-rich basic protein which is known to bind avidly to heparin.2,4 In vivo local administration of protamine inhibits neovascularization induced by inflammatory agents or by immune reactions. Coadministration of heparin reverses the effect of protamine.5
Are We Limited to a Particular Tradition

Beginning with the next chapter, I shall try to find criteria which can be used appropriately to evaluate Reasons Theories such as the Inclusive Data View. I would like to find criteria which do not rely on the authority of a particular tradition. This wish, however, will seem hopelessly naive to those who are impressed with the importance of particular traditions in developing criteria of rationality and in making them intelligible. In this chapter, I shall answer some of the arguments that purport to expose the naivety of my wish. In the first section, I shall consider arguments for the view that it is futile to seek a way of evaluating Reasons Theories that does not rely on the authority of some tradition. In the second section, I shall defend the Inclusive Data View against objections that seek to tie it to a particular tradition. In the third section, I shall argue against the view that the selection of a Reasons Theory should depend on the tradition of the selector.
Stress Relaxation in SSC Collared Coils and Their Component Materials

Previous work, reported at last year’s meeting, has been continued. One model section of an SSC outer coil has had it’s stress relaxation measured for nearly two years. An addition, the stress relaxation of SSC cable without insulation has been measured. Kapton insulation alone has been studied both in creep and stress relaxation. Creep has been measured parallel to the plane of the film. These measurements are dependent on internal stresses that may be present in the film and on the moisture content of the film. They indicate that any measurements of coil relaxation are not likely to be repeatable if these factors are not controlled.
Hermanos Cheos: Lay Preachers Who Preserved Catholicism

Of all the lands where priests have been scarce or non-existent, few can match the organization and dispersal of the Hermanos Cheos to address that situation. Their development into a coherent and effective movement came only gradually and with very little support by the official Catholic Church. In fact, at the beginning of the 20th century only a handful of middle-level pastors and administrators saw considerable value in lay men assuming preaching and teaching roles that typically had been reserved to priests or to well trained and approved (by the Church) laity.
Sodium Salicylate Activates Caspases and Induces Apoptosis of Myeloid Leukemia Cell Lines

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents (NSAIA) have been shown to exert potent chemopreventive activity against colon, lung, and breast cancers. In this study, we show that at pharmacological concentrations (1 to 3 mmol/L) sodium salicylate (Na-Sal) can potently induce programmed cell death in several human myeloid leukemia cell lines, including TF-1, U937, CMK-1, HL-60, and Mo7e . TF-1 cells undergo rapid apoptosis on treatment with Na-Sal, as indicated by increased annexin V binding capacity, cpp-32 (caspase-3) activation, and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and gelsolin. In addition, the expression of MCL-1, an antiapoptotic member of the BCL-2 family, is downregulated during Na-Sal–induced cell death, whereas the expression of BCL-2, BAX, and BCL-X L is unchanged. Z-VAD, a potent caspase inhibitor, prevents the cleavage of PARP and gelsolin and rescues cells from Na-Sal–induced apoptosis. In addition, we show that Na-Sal accelerates growth factor withdrawal-induced apoptosis and synergizes with daunorubicin to induce apoptosis in TF-1 cells. Thus, our data provide a potential mechanism for the chemopreventive activity of NSAIA and suggest that salicylates may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of human leukemia.
Implications of the Tribolium genome project for pest biology

Implications of the Tribolium genome project for pest biology The universal availability of the complete Tribolium castaneum genome sequence assembly and annotation (Richards et al., 2008) and concomitant development of the versatile Tribolium genome browser, BeetleBase (Kim et al., 2010, http://beetlebase.org/) open new realms of possibility for stored product pest control by greatly simplifying the task of connecting biology and behavior with underlying molecular mechanisms. This genome has enabled sequence similarity searches that have resulted in a flood of new discovery involving thousands of genes with important functions in digestion, osmoregulation, metamorphosis, olfaction, xenobiotic metabolism, vision, and embryonic and larval growth and development. The value of the T. castaneum genome sequence is greatly enhanced by the availability of a sophisticated functional genomic toolkit for laboratory studies of this insect. These tools include high-resolution physical and genetic maps, genomic and cDNA libraries, balancer chromosomes, and effective and reliable techniques for specific knockout of any target gene via RNA interference (RNAi). In this paper we briefly discuss just two areas of Tribolium biology research that are being revitalized by the availability of the genome sequence, namely olfaction and exoskeleton, or “smell and skin”.
Ion exchange procedures : VI. Cation exchange of ac(III) and Fr(I) in HCl and HClO4 solutions; isolation of 227Ac from 231Pa and 227Ac daughters☆☆☆

Abstract The cation exchange behavior of Ac(III) and Fr(I) in HCl and HClO4 solutions is described and a method for isolating 227Ac from its daughters and from 231Pa is presented.
The planning of tracking control via search

The issue of computability which is associated with the design of systems combining feedforward and feedback controls is addressed. Hybrid systems of this kind are shown to be suitable for the separation of the control problem into two parts, i.e., planned operation and compensation for unmodeled dynamics, which permits better tracking of assignments than any feedback scheme without prediction. It is shown that the synthesis of feedforward commands relies on the solution of (often ill-posed) inverse problems, and that there exists a need for methods which provide approximate solutions in such cases. A definition of approximate inversion is constructed and a simple algorithm for performing this operation is described. Results are shown for SISO and nonlinear MIMO cases, and avenues for future research are suggested. >
El financiamiento del desarrollo urbano en América Latina: estrategias posibles frente a la crisis externa

The paper discusses the principal implications for urban development Financing created by the external crisis that most latin american countries are facing. Concentrating the discussion in the problems of housing and urban infrastructure financing, the paper argues that part of the shortages in public resources created by the crisis can be compensated by increasing the government’s capacity to charge users and beneficiaries the real costs of the urban services and infrastructure supplied by the public sector. The different reforms required to implement this proposal are reviewed and the argument is advanced that they will not only contribute to improve public finances, but also will force private actors to fully account for the costs or urban development decisions.
Irreversible regional cerebral ischemia: Serial MR imaging and proton MR spectroscopy in a nonhuman primate model

PURPOSE To delineate the changes in proton MR spectroscopy and imaging that occur with acute, irreversible ischemia of the basal ganglia of a baboon. MATERIALS AND METHODS The M1 segments of the middle cerebral arteries of six adult male baboons were occluded by endovascular means with microcatheters and N-butyl cyanoacrylate adhesive. Cerebral blood flow measurements were taken with positron emission tomography or radioactive microsphere techniques. Serial spatially localized proton MR spectroscopy of the basal ganglia and MR imaging of the brain were performed. The distribution of ischemic and infarcted tissue was demonstrated by histopathologic techniques or triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. RESULTS Radioactive microsphere or positron emission tomography measurements demonstrated no significant cerebral blood flow within the basal ganglia after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Proton MR spectroscopy of the basal ganglia demonstrated increasing cerebral lactate and decreasing N-acetyl aspartate within 30 minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion. Changes in the MR imaging signal intensity of the basal ganglia were observed as early as 3.1 hours on T2-weighted, 3.3 hours on T1-weighted, and 6.1 hours on spin density-weighted images. The distribution of these changes correlated well with the histopathologic features of ischemia and infarction that were seen throughout the basal ganglia. CONCLUSION Changes in MR imaging signal intensity corresponded to ischemia and infarction in our baboon model of acute irreversible ischemia of the basal ganglia. Increasing cerebral lactate and decreasing N-acetyl aspartate preceded changes in MR imaging signal intensity.