cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel liver-specific transport protein

Monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize a membrane component located on the sinusoidal domain of the hepatocyte have been used to screen a rat liver cDNA expression library and a clone encoding a novel transporter (NLT) protein has been identified. Analysis of the deduced 535 amino acid protein sequence indicates that it is unique, but shares the twelve-transmembrane domain hydrophathicity profile as well as the presence of transporter-specific amino acid motifs with bacterial and mammalian transporters. Since overall homology of NLT to known transporter genes is low (20-25% identity) it may represent a new subgroup within the transporter family of proteins. The NLT was characterized further with respect to its tissue distribution and its expression during liver development. A 2.1 kb transcript has been found in liver and at lower levels in kidney, but not in several other tissues tested. Studies on the developing liver indicate that NLT transcripts are present at a very low level from 19 through 21 gestation days with a 4- to 5-fold increase within two weeks after birth. Overall, we have cloned a novel transporter that is preferentially expressed in liver, is located on the sinusoidal domain of the plasma membrane and represents a marker for the late stage of liver development.
A case study of CES: a distributed collaborative editing system implemented in Argus

Experience implementing CES, a distributed collaborative editing system, is described. CES was written in Argus, a language that was designed to support the construction of reliable distributed programs, and exhibits a number of requirements typical of distributed applications. The authors' experience illustrates numerous areas in which the support provided by Argus for meeting those requirements was quite helpful, but also identifies several areas in which the support provided by Argus was inadequate. Some of the problems arise because of the distinction in Argus (and in other systems) between locally and remotely accessible data and the mechanisms provided for implementing each. Others arise because of limitations of the mechanisms for building user-defined data types. The authors discuss the problems they encountered, including the implications for other systems. They also suggest solutions to the problems, or in some cases further research directed at finding solutions. >
Social Organization in Woodchucks (Marmota monax) and its Relationship to Growing Season

Among sciurids, delayed dispersal may result from slow rates of maturation associated with short growing seasons and large body mass. However, woodchucks (Marmota monax) experience a range of ecological conditions and display behavioral flexibility, often ignored in models of sociality. To investigate relationships between social organization and growing season, I collected data on interaction rates, timing of dispersal, and body mass of woodchucks in southern Maine, and I gathered comparative data from the literature. Interaction rates peaked in spring then declined, with agonistic interactions exceeding amicable interactions in adults and in yearling males. Adult males and females weighed comparable amounts early and late in the season, but female weights lagged behind those of males in early summer. Woodchucks did not attain adult mass until after their second hibernation period. Nearly 50% of juveniles postponed dispersal beyond their first summer, and nearly half of those individuals remained philopatric in the following year. Populations faced with longer growing seasons matured more slowly, but timing of dispersal did not correspond to growing season or maturation rate. Other ecological factors, including burrow density, or benefits associated with joint hibernation, may influence timing of dispersal and degree of sociality and deserve further study.
Seasonality and temporal correlation between community antibiotic use and resistance in the United States.

Background Therapeutic antibiotic use in humans is a significant driver of antibiotic resistance. The seasonal effect of antibiotic use on antibiotic resistance has been poorly quantified because of lack of large-scale, spatially disaggregated time-series data on antibiotic use and resistance. Methods We used time-series analysis (Box-Jenkins) on US antibiotic usage from IMS Health and on antibiotic resistance from The Surveillance Network from 1999-2007 to estimate the effect of aminopenicillin, fluoroquinolone, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline usage on resistance of Escherichia coli to drugs within these classes. We also quantified the effect of fluoroquinolone and macrolide/lincosamide usage on resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to ciprofloxacin and clindamycin (which has a similar mode of action to macrolides), respectively. Results Prevalence of resistant Escherichia coli was significantly correlated with lagged (by 1 month) antibiotic prescriptions for aminopenicillins (0.22, P = .03) and fluoroquinolones (0.24, P = .02), which are highly prescribed, but was uncorrelated to antibiotic classes with lower prescription levels. Fluoroquinolone prescriptions were also significantly correlated with a 1-month lag with the prevalence of ciprofloxacin-resistant MRSA (0.23, P = .03). Conclusions Large-scale usage of antibiotics can generate seasonal patterns of resistance that fluctuate on a short time scale with changes in antibiotic retail sales, suggesting that use of antibiotics in the winter could have a significant effect on resistance. In addition, the strong correlation between community use of antibiotics and resistance isolated in the hospital indicates that restrictions imposed at the hospital level are unlikely to be effective unless coordinated with campaigns to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use at the community level.
Lattice study of a Yukawa theory with a real scalar field

Abstract Using a combination of analytic mean field techniques and hybrid Monte Carlo simulations, we determine the phase structure of a 4d Yukawa theory with a one-component scalar field interacting with two species of staggered lattice fermions. In a parametrization of the theory in terms of the Yukawa coupling γ and the nearest-neighbor scalar field coupling κ and quartic coupling λ, we find four different phases: (1) symmetric, disordered; (2) ferromagnetic; (3) antiferromagnetic; and (4) simultaneously ferromagnetically and antiferromagnetically ordered. To study the continuum limit of the model, we measure correlation functions and extract masses and renormalized scalar and Yukawa couplings close to the (second-order) phase boundary between phases (1) and (2). The current parametrization allows us to extend significantly previous studies of renormalized couplings and to probe a very large range of bare couplings in continuum parametrization. The renormalized Yukawa coupling γ R is always found to be ⪅1.5 for the range of bare coupling covered. The values of λ R are also bounded and exhibit only weak sensitivity to the bare λ. Comparisons are made with λ R values obtained in the pure 4d λo 4 theory.
Mothers have lower testosterone than non-mothers: evidence from the Philippines.

Testosterone (T) is lower among fathers and men in committed relationships, suggesting that the hormone mediates the trade-off between mating and parenting effort. The function of T in women, and responses of the hormone to relationships or motherhood, are less well understood. Here we report relationships between T and pairbonding and motherhood in a random sample of 67 women (20.9 to 22.4 years old) participating in a population-based birth cohort study in the Philippines. Testosterone was measured in saliva collected at bedtime and at waking the following morning to capture circadian dynamics. Compared to non-mothers and non-pairbonded women, mothers and pairbonded women had 32% (p<0.0001) and 23% (p<0.004) lower waking T, respectively, but similar evening T. The lower waking T in mothers largely reflected reduced T in mothers of young offspring (<2 years), with mothers of older offspring (2+ years) having intermediate T. These differences were independent of measures of breastfeeding, contraceptive pill use, menstrual cycle, sleep quality, education, employment and socioeconomic status. Our findings highlight a similar relationship between parenting and committed relationships and T in women as documented in men, and suggest that caregiving of dependent young may modulate female T. Future research should clarify whether this cross-sectional association reflects a suppressive effect of motherhood on T, whether these relationships vary across cultures, and the role of T within the endocrine architecture regulating female reproductive and caregiving strategies.
Time to Detection of Positive Cultures in 28- to 90-Day-Old Febrile Infants

Objective. To determine the time to de- tection of positive blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures among febrile 28- to 90-day-old infants. Study Design. Retrospective cohort of consecutive 28- to 90-day-old infants presenting with a temperature of >38°C to an urban pediatric emergency department. Pos- itive cultures and times to detection were noted. Patients were categorized as being at high risk for serious bacte- rial illness (SBI) based on clinical and laboratory criteria. Results. Of the 3166 febrile infants seen in the emer- gency department during the study, 2733 had blood (86%), 2517 had urine (80%), and 2361 had CSF (75%) specimens obtained for culture, and 2190 had all 3 cul- tures (69%) sent. There were 224 positive cultures in 214 patients; of these, 191 had all 3 cultures (89%) sent. Sub- sequent analyses were confined to those who had all 3 cultures sent. The detected rate of SBI was 8.7% (191/ 2190). There were 28 positive blood cultures (1.3%), 165 positive urine cultures (7.5%), and 8 positive CSF cul- tures (.4%). Median time to detection of positive cultures was 16 hours for blood, 16 hours for urine, and 18 hours for CSF. Four blood cultures (.1%), 20 urine cultures (.9%), and 0 CSF cultures were noted to have growth of a pathogen >24 hours after the specimen was obtained. All 4 blood cultures and 17 of 20 urine cultures with growth noted after 24 hours occurred among high-risk patients. Conclusions. The risk of identifying SBI after 24 hours is 1.1% among all 28- to 90-day-old febrile infants and .3% in low-risk infants. Pediatrics 2000;106(6). URL: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/106/6/e74; seri- ous bacterial illness, febrile infants.
A Mechanism for Spontaneous Self-Perpetuating Volcanism on the Terrestrial Planets

We present a model for self-perpetuating magmatism resulting from Rayleigh-Taylor like instabilities developing spontaneously in regions that are partially molten, or at the solidus. The mechanism is capable of generating large volumes of magma without the need of a plume, or other deep source. Numerical models have been used to determine characteristic timescales, spacings and eruption rates in terms of nondimensional parameters. Scaled to realistic parameter space, the results correspond to timescales and eruption rates compatible with observations of small-scale intra-plate volcanism. Applications to oceanic seamount production, volcano spacing and rapid lithospheric erosion are discussed.
A model of empathy to shape trolley problem moral judgements

Moral judgements are a complex phenomenon that have gained a renewed interest in the research community. Many have proposed explanations for moral judgements, including utilitarian accounts and the Principle of Double Effect. Some also advocate for the critical role of emotional processes like empathy. However, developing a computational model of moral judgements is rare perhaps due in part to the numerous influences on it. We present here a computational model of moral judgements based on moral expectation and the Principle of Double Effect. We then extend this model to provide a plausible explanation for the effect of empathy on these judgements. We evaluate these models using results from recent studies with human participants.
Truth in Drama

In this essay, I argue that Paul Ricoeur’s theories of mimesis and metaphor provide important resources with which one can talk sensibly about the truth of a dramatic work These theories give one grounds for claiming that the truth of a dramatic work is positively correlated with its importance. Conversely, the trivial work is one which lacks truth.
The Changing Structure of Agriculture

Agriculture’s changing structure shows an increasing concentration of production and processing firms. Retail outlets and cooperatives are following the same path. Many small to mediumsize operations face difficult financial survival. Additionally, the lives of many rural communities will be affected by these changes.
Relation between Dynamic Friction and Shrinkage of Plasma-treated Wool

目的 羊毛の収縮性の機構はまだ明確ではない.ここでは, 単繊維の動摩擦係数を測定し, コンピュータに測定値を取り込むことができる装置を試作し, プラズマ処理した羊毛の動摩擦係数と収縮性の関係を明らかにすることを目的とする.成果 試作の装置を用いて動摩擦係数を測定した結果, 水中における動摩擦係数はプラズマ処理の化学修飾とエッチングによって変化し, 収縮率に与える影響が異なると考えられる.動摩擦係数そのものと収縮率との間には密接な相関関係は見られないが, 空気中および水中での動摩擦係数の異方性は収縮率と大きな相関があることが確認できた.さらに, 空気中および水中における動摩擦係数の異方性を比較することから, プラズマ処理によって水中におけるスケールの開き角度が空気中のときよりも減少することが推定できた.
Syntheses and characterizations of linear triborazanes.

Reaction of the amine boranes NH2(R)BH3, where R = H, Me, and Bz, with 1/3 equiv of sodium hexamethyldisilazane produced the five-membered, linear aminoborane anions Na+[BH3N(R)HBH2N(R)HBH3–], where R = H (1), Me (1Me), and benzyl (1Bz). Reactions of 1 and 1Me with ammonium chloride and methylammonium chloride, respectively, resulted in elimination of NaCl and H2 to produce the linear triborazanes BH3(RNHBH2)2N(R)H2, where R = H (2) and Me (2Me), with the structure of 2 crystallographically confirmed. The reactions of 1 and 1Me with pyridine–HCl produced the pyridine-capped aminoboranes H3B(RNHBH2)2(NC5H5), where R = H (3) and Me (3Me). 2 and 2Me proved to be stable up to 90 °C but produced a mixture of products when heated above 90 °C. 2 was selectively monochlorinated at the terminal boron when treated with 1 equiv of HCl and dichlorinated when reacted with a second 1 equiv of HCl.
Chm7 and Heh1 form a nuclear envelope subdomain for nuclear pore complex quality control

Mechanisms that ensure the integrity of the nuclear envelope rely on membrane remodeling proteins like the ESCRTs and the AAA ATPase Vps4, which help seal the nuclear envelope at the end of mitosis and prevent the formation of defective nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Here, we show that the integral inner nuclear membrane proteins Heh1 and Heh2 directly bind the ESCRT-III, Snf7, and the ESCRT-II/III chimera, Chm7, in their "open" forms. Moreover, Heh1 is required for Chm7-recruitment to the nuclear envelope. As Chm7 accumulates on the nuclear envelope upon blocks to NPC assembly, but not to nuclear transport, interactions between ESCRTs and the Heh proteins might form a biochemically distinct nuclear envelope subdomain that delimits regions of assembling NPCs. Interestingly, deletion of CHM7 suppresses the formation of the storage of improperly assembled NPC compartment prevalent in vps4Δ ; strains. Thus, our data support that the Heh1-dependent recruitment of Chm7 is a key component of a quality control pathway whose local regulation by Vps4 and the transmembrane nup, Pom152, prevents loss of nuclear compartmentalization by defective NPCs.
Welfare First, Autonomy Second

Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby (2016) argues that cognitive biases and heuristics “pose a serious threat to autonomous decision-making and human agency” (13). To make her case, Blumenthal-Barby sketches...
The Investigation of the self-management Status for the DM Patients Before Standardized follow-up management

Objective To investigate self-management status of the DM patients before Standardized follow-up management, and to make sure the keystone of Drug treatment and Non-drug therapy and diabetes education in the DM patients, then provide a scientific basis for more targeted and effective diabetes prevention and control work within the community. Methods With the questionnaire on life-style self-management status the passed degree of DM knowledge,1067 DM patients in Dalian were investigated. Results The average age of the patients is 70.51±8.707,92.9% of them over 60 years old and 11% of them admit their family history. The percent of who smoke and drink are 5.2% and 6.3%, there are 11% of them never inspect their fbg. There were 30.2% of them can obey doctors, and the passed degree of he who are older then 45 years is easy suffering the DM's blood pressure is easy higher then others the DM should have less fat are 24.7%、44.3%、40.0%. DM's blood sugar control rates is 48.1%. Conclusion The investigation revealed the life-style of DM patients needs being amended and Standardized follow-up management and the self-management is imperfect and in addition, the DM knowledge is insufficien、blood sugar monitoring、Non drug intervention and Drug treatment.
Postpartum Mental Health and Breastfeeding Practices: An Analysis Using the 2010-2011 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.

Objective Evidence suggests that women with postpartum depression (PPD) are at risk for early breastfeeding cessation, but previous studies have been limited by small samples. The objective of this analysis is to estimate the association between PPD symptoms and breastfeeding using a national, stratified, random sample of U.S. mothers. Methods Data from the 2010–2011 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System were analyzed for New York City and the 29 states for which data were available. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the association between a pre-pregnancy mental health visit and subsequent breastfeeding initiation as well as PPD and 3-month any and exclusive breastfeeding. To identify state-level variation, we created maps of prevalence and adjusted odds of breastfeeding by PPD and pre-pregnancy mental health status. Results Women reporting a pre-pregnancy mental health visit had 0.61 (95 % CI 0.56, 0.67) times the odds of initiating breastfeeding compared with women who reported no pre-pregnancy visit. At 3 months postpartum, women with PPD symptoms since birth had 0.79 (95 % CI 0.70, 0.88) times the odds of any breastfeeding and reduced odds of exclusive breastfeeding modified by race/ethnicity. We found variation in state-level PPD symptoms and pre-pregnancy mental health prevalence and adjusted odds of breastfeeding. Conclusions for Practice Our results highlight the importance of providing targeted breastfeeding support to women with PPD symptoms, because they are at risk of early breastfeeding cessation. Given the cross-sectional nature of these data, women with early breastfeeding cessation may also be at risk for PPD, requiring screening and treatment.
Subwavelength focusing of terahertz waves in silicon hyperbolic metamaterials.

We theoretically demonstrate the subwavelength focusing of terahertz (THz) waves in a hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) based on a two-dimensional subwavelength silicon pillar array microstructure. The silicon microstructure with a doping concentration of at least 1017 cm−3 offers a hyperbolic dispersion at terahertz frequency range and promises the focusing of terahertz Gaussian beams. The results agree with the simulation based on effective medium theory. The focusing effect can be controlled by the doping concentration, which determines the real part of the out-of-plane permittivity and, therefore, the refraction angles in HMM. The focusing property in the HMM structure allows the propagation of terahertz wave through a subwavelength aperture. The silicon-based HMM structure can be realized using microfabrication technologies and has the potential to advance terahertz imaging with subwavelength resolution.
Gene Expression Patterns Associated with Cytarabine Pharmacology and Outcome in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Abstract Abstract 114 To identify genes that influence responses to cytarabine (ara-C) treatment, we explored the association of gene expression in leukemic cells at diagnosis with multiple pharmacological and clinical end-points in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with ara-C on the St. Jude AML97 clinical trial. We applied a novel statistical procedure, PRojection Onto the Most Interesting Statistical Evidence (PROMISE; PR), to identify genes with expression levels associated with clinical and pharmacological endpoints. To do this, we first defined the following values of the clinical and pharmacological variables as “therapeutically beneficial” :higher leukemic cell ara-C triphosphate levels, lower DNA synthesis values on days 1 and 2 of treatment relative to baseline, decreases in leukocyte counts on day 2 of treatment, improved response and decreased risk of relapse, death, or second malignancy. We considered a gene to show a therapeutically beneficial pattern of association if its expression was positively correlated with ara-CTP levels, negatively correlated with DNA synthesis levels, negatively correlated with decrease in leukocyte counts on day 2, positively correlated with better treatment response, and negativelycorrelated with the risk of relapse or death. A gene showed a therapeutically detrimental pattern of association if its expression had the opposite correlations with the clinical and pharmacological variables. We performed five variable (PR5 using early pharmacologically interesting phenotype measures) or seven variable (PR7 all the above indicated phenotypes) PROMISE analyses. PR5 identified 275 beneficial probe sets and 69 detrimental probe sets (p ≤ 0.005). PR7 analysis identified 112 beneficial probe sets and 115 detrimental probe sets (p ≤ 0.005). To confirm these results, we performed a PROMISE for a cohort of patients treated with ara-C and other agents on the AML02 protocol. Gene expression in leukemic cells at diagnosis was analyzed for a beneficial or detrimental pattern of association with three phenotypes (PR-3); diagnostic blast ara-C cytotoxicity, minimal residual disease (MRD) and event-free survival (EFS). Eighty-one probe sets identified by PR5 or PR7 analyses in the initial cohort were confirmed in the PR-3 analysis of AML02 data. Genes identified in the present study may serve as predictive markers of response and candidates for future drug development. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy of excitons, biexcitons, and exciton-polaritons

Semiconductors systems exhibiting excitonic properties are discussed in terms of their coherent response, which is extracted using two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy. This control method allows for separation of quantum pathways that comprise the optical response, such as interactions between excitons, their dephasing rates, the effects of many-body interactions and the role of structure on the microscopic electronic environment. Additional controls, such as polarization can be used to further distinguish biexcitons and suppress many-body interactions. These result are compared and contrasted with those from a semiconductor microcavity where the excitons form polaritonic modes due to normal-mode splitting. Rephrasing spectra map the detuning dependence of the exciton-polariton branches. Increasing the detuning shifts all features to higher energy and the expected anti-crossing is observed. An isolated biexciton is seen only at negative detuning, separated by a binding energy. For positive detuning, the spectral weight of the off-diagonal features swap, as the lower polariton branch and biexciton come into resonance. This indicates that the off-diagonal features are sensitive to the interactions of the exciton-polaritons and other resonances in the system.
The effect of ferrite material to the noise propagation in power distribution network

Different methods of suppressing electromagnetic wave noise propagation in a power distribution network (PDN) were analyzed and compared. Some plates which outside the printed circuit board (PCB) may affect the noise propagation characteristic in the PDN. The ferrite material plate will help to improve the noise isolation in PDN. Both the simulation and experimental results show the same phenomenon.
Hellfire Missile Competition Case Study

This case study is part of a larger effort by the Institute for Defense Analyses to document procurement histories of 19 new and modified tactical munition programs. The case studies do not advocate competition or any other acquisition initiative, but rather they highlight the successes and failures of various systems in order to document lessons learned.
Can an oil-rich economy reduce its income inequality? Empirical evidence from Alaska's Permanent Fund Dividend

Abstract The main focus of this paper is to empirically examine the effect of the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) payouts on Alaska's income inequality by taking into account the roles of income and population. To that end, an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration and the Johansen cointegration approach are applied to annual time series data from 1963 to 2012. We find that the PFD payouts tend to worsen income inequality in Alaska in both the short- and long-run. We also provide evidence to support the existence of Kuznets' hypothesis for Alaska – growth deteriorates income inequality initially and improves it later. Finally, population is found to reduce Alaska's income inequality in the short- and long-run.
Business Groups with Banks: Investment Efficiency and Tunneling

We examine the role of a bank within a business group consisting of favored firms with greater owner rights, and disadvantaged firms with fewer owner rights. Our results suggest that a bank allows a family owner to tunnel wealth by offering high-yield subordinated debt to favored firms, increasing favored-firm financial revenue; while granting high-interest-rate loans to disadvantaged firms, increasing disadvantaged-firm financial expenses. Correspondingly, a sales-growth shock to the most disadvantaged group firm is met with more financial revenue for favored firms. For disadvantaged firms within family groups, there is also less investment efficiency in the presence of a bank.
The usefulness of the H-pouch configuration in salvage surgery for failed ileal pouches.

Aim Abdominal salvage surgery for a failed ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is safe and feasible in experienced hands. When salvaging an ileal pouch or creating a new J, S or W-pouch may not be feasible, construction of an H-pouch may be the final option. This study reports a single colorectal surgeon's experience on H-pouch anal anastomosis in patients referred with a failed ileal pouch. Method Patients undergoing transabdominal salvage surgery with H-pouch formation for a failed pouch from February 2012 to May 2016 were evaluated. Results Five patients were identified with a mean age of 46 (22-63) years. The pathologic diagnosis was mucosal ulcerative colitis (MUC) in all patients. Three patients had an initial traditional 2-stage J-pouch creation and two patients had an initial 3-stage approach. Median time to redo pouch surgery after index IPAA creation was 99 (11-158) months. One patient required excision of the pouch and 2 patients had a complication within 30 days of surgery. Conclusion The H-pouch is a good alternative for a failed IPAA when another type of reservoir is not an option. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Context-Aware Security Policy Agent for Mobile Internet Services

The recent proliferation of e-services on the Internet (e.g. e-commerce, e-health) and the increasing attacks on them by malicious individuals have highlighted the need for e-service security. E-services on the mobile Internet (mi-services) are no exception. However, for mi-services, the level and type of security may depend on the user’s security preferences for the service, the power of the mobile platform, and the location of the mobile platform (we label these UPL). For example, if the user is traveling through a particularly dangerous area known for previous attacks, the security protection should be adjusted to use mechanisms that are resilient to these attacks. We propose the use of a security policy that allows for various security options commensurate with UPL, in conjunction with a context-aware security policy agent that notifies the service provider to activate new security appropriate to a change in UPL.
Inter-partner and Temporal Variations in the Perception of Sexual Risk for HIV

This study uses longitudinal qualitative methods to examine how gay and bisexual men perceive sexual risk across both a variety of partners and across time. Over ten weeks, participants completed three quantitative personal relationship diaries (PRD) describing sexual encounters during that time period. Participants then completed a timeline-based individual in-depth interview to unpack the PRD data. Participants used multiple factors to determine their own sexual risk (e.g., type of sex, partner concurrency, emotional connections), which often resulted in inconsistencies in defining sexual risk and determining the level of risk both within and across partners and across time. These findings can inform HIV prevention messages and programming.
Assessment of Molecular, Antigenic, and Pathological Features of Canine Influenza A(H3N2) Viruses That Emerged in the United States.

Background A single subtype of canine influenza virus (CIV), A(H3N8), was circulating in the United States until a new subtype, A(H3N2), was detected in Illinois in spring 2015. Since then, this CIV has caused thousands of infections in dogs in multiple states. Methods In this study, genetic and antigenic properties of the new CIV were evaluated. In addition, structural and glycan array binding features of the recombinant hemagglutinin were determined. Replication kinetics in human airway cells and pathogenesis and transmissibility in animal models were also assessed. Results A(H3N2) CIVs maintained molecular and antigenic features related to low pathogenicity avian influenza A(H3N2) viruses and were distinct from A(H3N8) CIVs. The structural and glycan array binding profile confirmed these findings and revealed avian-like receptor-binding specificity. While replication kinetics in human airway epithelial cells was on par with that of seasonal influenza viruses, mild-to-moderate disease was observed in infected mice and ferrets, and the virus was inefficiently transmitted among cohoused ferrets. Conclusions Further adaptation is needed for A(H3N2) CIVs to present a likely threat to humans. However, the potential for coinfection of dogs and possible reassortment of human and other animal influenza A viruses presents an ongoing risk to public health.
Forecasting the remaining reservoir capacity in the Laurentian Great Lakes watershed

Abstract Sediment accumulation behind a dam is a significant factor in reservoir operation and watershed management. There are many dams located within the Laurentian Great Lakes watershed whose operations have been adversely affected by excessive reservoir sedimentation. Reservoir sedimentation effects include reduction of flood control capability and limitations to both water supply withdrawals and power generation due to reduced reservoir storage. In this research, the sediment accumulation rates of twelve reservoirs within the Great Lakes watershed were evaluated using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The estimated sediment accumulation rates by SWAT were compared to estimates relying on radionuclide dating of sediment cores and bathymetric survey methods. Based on the sediment accumulation rate, the remaining reservoir capacity for each study site was estimated. Evaluation of the anthropogenic impacts including land use change and dam construction on the sediment yield were assessed in this research. The regression analysis was done on the current and pre-European settlement sediment yield for the modeled watersheds to predict the current and natural sediment yield in un-modeled watersheds. These eleven watersheds are in the state of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, New York, and Wisconsin.
The Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Knowledge of Children with Poor Reading Comprehension despite Adequate Decoding: Evidence from a Regression-Based Matching Approach

The present study examined the reading comprehension and receptive vocabulary skills of children with poor reading comprehension despite adequate decoding using a regression-based matching technique. Participants included five cohorts of children who were identified as typical readers (N = 70,493 - 75,553) or as children with specific reading comprehension difficulties (N = 480 - 8,717). Across cohorts, children with specific reading comprehension difficulties exhibited oral language difficulties based on a measure of vocabulary; however, the observed weakness in vocabulary was not as severe as their reading comprehension difficulties. Results from the regression-based matching technique suggested that the vocabulary weakness for these children is better characterized as a developmental delay rather than a developmental deficit. This outcome also emerged when more stringent criteria were used to identify subgroups of readers. Although children with poor reading comprehension despite adequate decoding have a weakness in at least one aspect of oral language, their oral language weakness does not account for the severity of their reading comprehension difficulties. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Managing Frustration for Children (MFC) Group Intervention for ADHD: An Open Trial of a Novel Group Intervention for Deficient Emotion Regulation

Abstract Deficient emotion regulation is a common and impairing area of difficulty among children with ADHD. Few interventions specifically address deficient emotion regulation. The Managing Frustration for Children With ADHD (MFC) group treatment was developed to specifically target deficient emotion regulation deficits common to children with ADHD. The MFC was developed as a 12-week multisystemic intervention for emotion regulation deficits among children with ADHD. An open trial assessed the effectiveness of the MFC as an adjunctive treatment for deficient emotion regulation among children with ADHD. Fifty-two children with ADHD ages 9–11 (42 boys, 10 girls) were enrolled in the MFC, with 44 completing treatment. The majority (71.2%) of participants had at least one comorbid internalizing, externalizing, or learning disorder. Intent-to-treat repeated-measures ANCOVA suggested significant decreases in emotion regulation deficits, mood difficulties, and externalizing difficulties following completion of treatment. More than half (53%) of children who completed treatment experienced reliable and clinically significant improvement in at least one area of functioning. The MFC demonstrated promising initial effectiveness in addressing the emotion regulation deficits of children with ADHD.
Critical Error 1 Giving the Wrong Speech

On January 27, 1986, because of the low temperatures expected for the next morning’s launch of the space shuttle Challenger, engineers at Morton Thiokol requested a delay in the launch. From their examinations of previous launches, the engineers believed that the lower the launch temperature, the more likely that explosive gases from the solid booster rockets would escape. In an afternoon meeting, these engineers succeeded in persuading management at Morton Thiokol to request a delay. However, when Morton Thiokol’s engineers and management discussed the delay with NASA during a teleconference that evening, they met strong resistance.
Emergence of Life and Creativity

Evolutionary speculation explores origins of hominid creativity—among many marvelous dynamic emergences and cosmic creations following a putative Big Bang, over almost 14 billion years. Atoms, galaxies, worlds, life, organisms, mind, and onward. A triumphant achievement for life forms was conscious awareness and meta-awareness. Reflection and self-reflection, a chance to imagine untold alternatives, to change things. For individuals and groups too, aided by dreams, symbols, metaphors, narrative, languages, memory, sharing of results; cultural evolution joins and interacts with biological evolution. Enter futures one may choose. Not necessarily for humans only. A Birth of Creativity. Yet how well have we humans done so far? Is there another leap ahead?
Ascorbic Acid in Cancer Treatment: Let the Phoenix Fly.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, ascorbate), despite controversy, has re-emerged as a promising anti-cancer agent. Recent knowledge of intravenous ascorbate pharmacokinetics and discovery of unexpected mechanisms of ascorbate action have spawned many investigations. Two mechanisms of anti-cancer activity with ascorbate have gained prominence: hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress and DNA demethylation mediated by ten-eleven translocation enzyme activation. Here, we highlight salient aspects of the evolution of ascorbate in cancer treatment, provide insights into the pharmacokinetics of ascorbate, describe mechanisms of its anti-cancer activity in relation to the pharmacokinetics, outline promising preclinical and clinical evidence, and recommend future directions.
Brief behavioral interventions at free medical fairs

Free medical fairs have emerged to compensate for the lack of access to affordable health care in rural areas of the United States. Mental health services are offered less frequently than other medical services, despite a documented need, perhaps due to a belief that mental health interventions could not be effective in a single session. We examined the types of problems presented at three rural medical fairs, and whether single session mental health interventions affected participants' health confidence, distress, or progress toward health-related goals. Problems presented included mental health, legal, financial, tobacco cessation, and relationship problems. Findings indicated that, on average, participants gained health confidence and reduced distress and found the service very helpful. The majority of those reached for phone follow-up reported progress on one or more health goals. Goals that involved manageable steps within the participants' own control, such as gratitude practices or progressive muscle relaxation, were the most likely to be completed. Implementation lessons included the importance of learning about the fairs' cultures, advertising the services, location of services, being proactive in connecting with patients, and preparing resources for community referrals. Overall, findings suggest that mental health interventions can have a positive impact on some people at free medical fairs. Given that tens of thousands of people attend each year, the fairs offer a fruitful opportunity to reach some of our most underserved citizens.
Spectroscopic studies of the effects of mechanochemical synthesis on BaTiO3 nanocolloids prepared using high-energy ball-milling

BaTiO3 ferroelectric nanoparticles have provided benefits to numerous liquid crystal applications, while the chemistry of these nanocolloids was not fully understood. In this paper, infrared absorption spectra reveal that ferroelectric BaTiO3 nanocolloids are more than BaTiO3 nanoparticles in heptane with an oleic acid surfactant as previously believed. It is shown that ball-milling plays a bigger role than just a top-down approach for creating nanoparticles; it also is a means of mechanochemical synthesis. This paper demonstrates that mechanochemical synthesis is responsible for converting a large amount of the oleic acid to a metal carboxylate compound. This suggests that one cannot treat the oleic acid as a mere surfactant when considering new methods/recipes to improve fabrication processes for creating highly ferroelectric nanoparticles or when exploring the various effects that the organic additives may have on liquid crystal systems.
Early Liquid and Gas Phase Hypergolic Reactions between Monomethylhydrazine and Nitrogen Tetroxide or Red Fuming Nitric Acid

Monomethylhydrazine (MMH) fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (NTO)-based oxidizers embody the state of the art for hypergolic propellants. Despite their wide use, a detailed understanding of the full reac...
Learning to Practice Engineering in Business: The Experiences of Newly Hired Engineers Beginning New Jobs

This chapter reports on a study of the experiences of engineers beginning new jobs in a business organization. The overriding question guiding the study was: What and how do newly hired engineers learn to work in a business organization? Two major concepts frame this study: First is the idea of an occupational community as a setting for practice, and second, the process of socialization whereby new members of an occupational community learn how to practice.
The Core Components of Evidence-Based Social Emotional Learning Programs.

Implementing social emotional learning (SEL) programs in school settings is a promising approach to promote critical social and emotional competencies for all students. However, there are several challenges to implementing manualized SEL programs in schools, including program cost, competing demands, and content that is predetermined and cannot be tailored to individual classroom needs. Identifying core components of evidence-based SEL programs may make it possible to develop more feasible approaches to implementing SEL in schools. The purpose of this study was to systematically identify the core components in evidence-based elementary school SEL programs, using the five interrelated sets of competencies identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as an organizing framework. We present the components that were identified, and the rates at which each component was included in the sample of evidence-based SEL programs. The core components that occurred most frequently across programs were Social Skills (100% of programs), Identifying Others’ Feelings (100% of programs), Identifying One’s Own Feelings (92.3% of programs), and Behavioral Coping Skills/Relaxation (91.7% of programs). These findings illustrate the feasibility of systematically identifying core components from evidence-based SEL programs and suggest potential utility of developing and evaluating modularized SEL programs.
Regularity of Fourier Integral Operators

The purpose of this paper is to survey some developments in the study of Radon transforms. These operators and the related oscillatory integrals have long been of interest in harmonic analysis and mathematical physics. Lately, they have emerged as key analytic tools in a wide variety of problems, ranging from partial differential equations to singularity theory and probability. It is not possible for us to describe adequately the progress made in all these areas in this limited space. Instead, we shall focus on the more analytic aspects, and take the opportunity to describe some recent joint work of the author with Elias M. Stein.
A sharp bound on the Hausdorff dimension of the singular set of a uniform measure

The study of the geometry of n-uniform measures in $$\mathbb {R}^{d}$$ has been an important question in many fields of analysis since Preiss’ seminal proof of the rectifiability of measures with positive and finite density. The classification of uniform measures remains an open question to this day. In fact there is only one known example of a non-trivial uniform measure, namely 3-Hausdorff measure restricted to the Kowalski–Preiss cone. Using this cone one can construct an n-uniform measure whose singular set has Hausdorff dimension $$n-3$$ . In this paper, we prove that this is the largest the singular set can be. Namely, the Hausdorff dimension of the singular set of any n-uniform measure is at most $$n-3$$ .
Cardiac Snail family of transcription factors directs systemic lipid metabolism in Drosophila

Maintenance of normal lipid homeostasis is crucial to heart function. On the other hand, the heart is now recognized to serve an important role in regulating systemic lipid metabolism; however, the molecular basis remains unclear. In this study, we identify the Drosophila Snail family of transcription factors (herein termed Sna TFs) as new mediators of the heart control of systemic lipid metabolism. Overexpression of Sna TF genes specifically in the heart promotes whole-body leanness whereas their knockdown in the heart promotes obesity. In addition, flies that are heterozygous for a snail deficiency chromosome also exhibit systemic obesity, and that cardiac-specific overexpression of Sna substantially reverses systemic obesity in these flies. We further show that genetically manipulating Sna TF levels in the fat body and intestine do not affect systemic lipid levels. Mechanistically, we find that flies bearing the overexpression or inhibition of Sna TFs in the postnatal heart only exhibit systemic lipid metabolic defects but not heart abnormalities. Cardiac-specific alterations of Sna TF levels also do not perturb cardiac morphology, viability, lipid metabolism or fly food intake. On the other hand, cardiac-specific manipulations of Sna TF levels alter lipogenesis and lipolysis gene expression, mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration, and lipid storage droplet 1 and 2 (Lsd-1 and Lsd-2) levels in the fat body. Together, our results reveal a novel and specific role of Sna TFs in the heart on systemic lipid homeostasis maintenance that is independent of cardiac development and function and involves the governance of triglyceride synthesis and breakdown, energy utilization, and lipid droplet dynamics in the fat body.
Impaired cardiac performance, protein synthesis, and mitochondrial function in tumor-bearing mice.

Background To understand the underlying mechanisms of cardiac dysfunction in cancer, we examined cardiac function, protein synthesis, mitochondrial function and gene expression in a model of heart failure in mice injected with Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC1) cells. Experimental design Seven week-old C57BL/J6 male and female mice were injected with LLC1 cells or vehicle. Cardiac ejection fraction, ventricular wall and septal thickness were reduced in male, but not female, tumor-bearing mice compared to vehicle-injected control mice. Cardiac protein synthesis was reduced in tumor-bearing male mice compared to control mice (p = 0.025). Aspect ratio and form factor of cardiac mitochondria from the tumor-bearing mice were increased compared control mice (p = 0.042 and p = 0.0032, respectively) indicating a more fused mitochondrial network in the hearts of tumor-bearing mice. In cultured cardiomyocytes maximal oxygen consumption and mitochondrial reserve capacity were reduced in cells exposed to tumor cell-conditioned medium compared to non-conditioned medium (p = 0.0059, p = 0.0010). Whole transcriptome sequencing of cardiac ventricular muscle from tumor-bearing vs. control mice showed altered expression of 1648 RNA transcripts with a false discovery rate of less than 0.05. Of these, 54 RNA transcripts were reduced ≤ 0.5 fold, and 3 RNA transcripts were increased by ≥1.5-fold in tumor-bearing mouse heart compared to control. Notably, the expression of mRNAs for apelin (Apln), the apelin receptor (Aplnr), the N-myc proto-oncogene, early growth protein (Egr1), and the transcription factor Sox9 were reduced by >50%, whereas the mRNA for growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible, beta (Gadd45b) is increased >2-fold, in ventricular tissue from tumor-bearing mice compared to control mice. Conclusions Lung tumor cells induce heart failure in male mice in association with reduced protein synthesis, mitochondrial function, and the expression of the mRNAs for inotropic and growth factors. These data provide new mechanistic insights into cancer-associated heart failure that may help unlock treatment options for this condition.