cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Local and cross-seasonal associations of climate and land use with abundance of monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus

Quantifying how climate and land use factors drive population dynamics at regional scales is complex because it depends on the extent of spatial and temporal synchrony among local populations, and the integration of population processes throughout a species’ annual cycle. We modeled weekly, site-specific summer abundance (1994–2013) of monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus at sites across Illinois, USA to assess relative associations of monarch abundance with climate and land use variables during the winter, spring, and summer stages of their annual cycle. We developed negative binomial regression models to estimate monarch abundance during recruitment in Illinois as a function of local climate, site-specific crop cover, and county-level herbicide (glyphosate) application. We also incorporated cross-seasonal covariates, including annual abundance of wintering monarchs in Mexico and climate conditions during spring migration and breeding in Texas, USA. We provide the first empirical evidence of a negative association between county-level glyphosate application and local abundance of adult monarchs, particularly in areas of concentrated agriculture. However, this association was only evident during the initial years of the adoption of herbicide-resistant crops (1994–2003). We also found that wetter and, to a lesser degree, cooler springs in Texas were associated with higher summer abundances in Illinois, as were relatively cool local summer temperatures in Illinois. Site-specific abundance of monarchs averaged approximately one fewer per site from 2004–2013 than during the previous decade, suggesting a recent decline in local abundance of monarch butterflies on their summer breeding grounds in Illinois. Our results demonstrate that seasonal climate and land use are associated with trends in adult monarch abundance, and our approach highlights the value of considering fine-resolution temporal fluctuations in population-level responses to environmental conditions when inferring the dynamics of migratory species.
The Context of Time

In the previous two chapters, we documented the ways in which the sentences imposed on convicted felons vary as a function of the county and the court where sentencing occurs. We also demonstrated that both the magnitude and direction of differential treatment are contingent on the court and surrounding community. In this chapter, we consider the context of time, and its implications for outcomes and for differential treatment during sentencing.
Statistical Approaches for Estimating Sex-Specific Effects in Endocrine Disruptors Research.

Background: When a biologic mechanism of interest is anticipated to operate differentially according to sex, as is often the case in endocrine disruptors research, investigators routinely estimate ...
Management of left main coronary artery obstruction after transcatheter aortic valve replacement utilizing a periscope approach

Coronary obstruction is a rare but potentially fatal complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). It can result from native leaflet or stent frame obstruction of the coronary ostia. There are reports detailing the difficulty of percutaneous coronary intervention following TAVR, but none that describe a periscope approach to access the left main ostia in the presence of a braided nitinol frame. This report describes an alternative approach to access a coronary artery when the valve stent struts are prohibitive to equipment delivery.
Monocyte Recruitment Versus Macrophage Proliferation in Atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis, the underlying pathology in most cardiovascular disease, is a chronic inflammatory disease,1 characterized by accumulation of macrophages in the subendothelial space. Macrophages are protagonists of the disease, both early in the disease as well as during later stages of atherosclerotic lesion progression, with a continuous turnover of the cells.2 Blood monocytes enter the artery wall and differentiate into macrophages, contributing to atherosclerotic lesion growth,3 but local proliferation and survival of existing artery wall macrophages also contribute to lesional macrophage plaque burden (Figure).2 Figure. Macrophages play an important role in all phases of atherosclerosis. Monocyte recruitment is critical during early atherosclerotic disease (and perhaps during certain other situations; left ), and thus at this stage of the disease, blood monocyte levels are an important determining factor. Local macrophage proliferation dominates macrophage accumulation in later stages of atherosclerosis ( right ). Macrophage protein kinase C (PKC) δ is induced by modified lipids that can be found in the plaque. Myeloid cell PKCδ primarily impairs macrophage survival and proliferation, via regulation of phosphorylation of Akt and Foxo3a and ultimately the apoptotic regulator Bim. Deletion knockout (KO) of PKCδ results in increased proliferation and survival, both in the artery wall and in the spleen resulting in more atherosclerosis and enlargement of the spleen. SMC indicates smooth muscle cells. Article, see p …
A comparison of patellofemoral cartilage morphology and deformation in anterior cruciate ligament deficient versus uninjured knees.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient patients have an increased rate of patellofemoral joint (PFJ) osteoarthritis (OA) as compared to the general population. Although the cause of post-injury OA is multi-factorial, alterations in joint biomechanics may predispose patients to cartilage degeneration. This study aimed to compare in vivo PFJ morphology and mechanics between ACL deficient and intact knees in subjects with unilateral ACL ruptures. Eight male subjects underwent baseline MRI scans of both knees. They then performed a series of 60 single-legged hops, followed by a post-exercise MRI scan. This process was repeated for the contralateral knee. The MR images were converted into three-dimensional surface models of cartilage and bone in order to assess cartilage thickness distributions and strain following exercise. Prior to exercise, patellar cartilage was significantly thicker in intact knees as compared to ACL deficient knees by 1.8%. In response to exercise, we observed average patellar cartilage strains of 5.4 ± 1.1% and 2.5 ± 1.4% in the ACL deficient and intact knees, respectively. Importantly, the magnitude of patellar cartilage strain in the ACL deficient knees was significantly higher than in the intact knees. However, while trochlear cartilage experienced a mean strain of 2.4 ± 1.6%, there was no difference in trochlear cartilage strain between the ACL deficient and uninjured knees. In summary, we found that ACL deficiency was associated with decreased patellar cartilage thickness and increased exercise-induced patellar cartilage strain when compared to the uninjured contralateral knees.
Drosophila melanogaster as a Model for Studying Aspergillus fumigatus

Drosophila melanogaster is a useful model organism that offers essential insights into developmental and cellular processes shared with humans, which has been adapted for large scale analysis of medically important microbes and to test the toxicity of heavy metals, industrial solvents and other poisonous substances. We here give a brief review of the use of the Drosophila model in medical mycology, discuss the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by the opportunistic human pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, and give a brief summary of what is known about the toxicity of some common fungal VOCs. Further, we discuss the use of VOC detection as an indirect indicator of fungal growth, including for early diagnosis of aspergillosis. Finally, we hypothesize that D. melanogaster has promise for investigating the role of VOCs synthesized by A. fumigatus as possible virulence factors.
From Neyman's frequentism to the frequency validity in the conditional inference

Assume that C X is a confidence set with coverage probability 1 — α. The quantity 1 — α is called the confidence of C X , since in the long run the proportion of cases in which C X would cover the true parameter in repeated experiments is 1 — α.
Frequency Doubling in Polymer Waveguides

Abstract This paper reviews the underlying principles of organic dyes for frequency doubling, their poling in polymers and the fabrication of waveguides. The technique of quasi phase matching has been applied either by periodic poling or bleaching and experimental results show that phase matching is possible over at least 0.5 cm. The principle of noncritical quasi-phase-matching with respect to random film thickness fluctuations is also discussed. Finally, calculations are presented that show the requirements for obtaining efficient second harmonic generation.
What are the implications of evolvable molecules

James Shapiro’s view of evolution is inspired by looking at the molecular mechanisms of mutation. Finding these systems to be intelligent and the mutations non-gradual, Shapiro concludes that neither the role of DNA in development, nor and the role of natural selection in evolution are what we thought them to be. The cases discussed are interesting and may require some modification of theory in biology, but this reviewer finds many of Shapiro’s conclusions unwarranted.
An Experimental Comparison of Ordinary and Universal Kriging and Inverse Distance Weighting

A factorial, computational experiment was conducted to compare the spatial interpolation accuracy of ordinary and universal kriging and two types of inverse squared-distance weighting. The experiment considered, in addition to these four interpolation methods, the effects of four data and sampling characteristics: surface type, sampling pattern, noise level, and strength of small-scale spatial correlation. Interpolation accuracy was measured by the natural logarithm of the mean squared interpolation error. Main effects of all five factors, all two-factor interactions, and several three-factor interactions were highly statistically significant. Among numerous findings, the most striking was that the two kriging methods were substantially superior to the inverse distance weighting methods over all levels of surface type, sampling pattern, noise, and correlation.
Truth as Ideal Coherence

The usual objection to the coherence theory of factual truth is that the linkage of coherence to truth is simply too loose for coherence to provide the definitive standard of truth. As Arthur Pap put it some years ago: It is quite conceivable that the coherence theory is a description of how the truth or falsehood of statements comes to be known rather than an analysis of the meaning of “true”.... One might agree that a given statement is accepted as true in virtue of standing in certain logical relations to other statements; still it would not follow that in calling it true one means to ascribe to it those relations.1
CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Genetic Engineering of Hybridomas for Creation of Antibodies that Allow for Site-Specific Conjugation

Covalent conjugation of chemical moieties to antibodies has numerous applications, including antibody-drug conjugates, antibody conjugation for diagnostics, and more. Most nonspecific chemical conjugation methods ligate onto any of a number of sites on the antibody, leading to multiple conjugated species, many of which perturb antibody function. To solve these problems, we used CRISPR/Cas9-edited hybridomas to introduce a Sortase tag (LPXTG) and a Flag tag at the 3' end of the CH3 heavy chain region of a mouse monoclonal antibody. The Flag tag allows easy purification of the antibody, while the LPXTG is then acted on by the bacterial transpeptidase Sortase to site-specifically add on any of a number of chemical moieties that possess a triglycine repeat. This technique thus allows rapid production of an antibody onto which a wide array of chemical moieties can be site-specifically conjugated.
Almost uniform convergence in the noncommutative Dunford–Schwartz ergodic theorem

Abstract This article gives an affirmative solution to the problem whether the ergodic Cesaro averages generated by a positive Dunford–Schwartz operator in a noncommutative space L p ( M , τ ) , 1 ≤ p ∞ , converge almost uniformly (in Egorov's sense). This problem goes back to the original paper of Yeadon [21] , published in 1977, where bilaterally almost uniform convergence of these averages was established for p = 1 .
A Computationally Efficient Approach for Predicting Toughness Enhancement in Ceramic Composites with Tailored Inclusion Arrangements

Advanced manufacturing techniques such as extrusion-based methods have enabled the fabrication of ceramic composites with ordered inclusion phases (i.e. the size and position of the inclusion can be precisely controlled) to improve their overall strength and toughness. Conventional theories, simulation approaches, and experimental methods for analyzing fracture in composites with randomly dispersed inclusion phases (resulting in homogeneous, isotropic effective properties) become inadequate at understanding and designing composites with ordered inclusions for enhancing effective properties such as toughness. In addition, existing methods for analyzing fracture in composites can be computationally expensive and pose challenges in accurately capturing experimentally observed fracture growth. For example, extended finite element and phase-field methods are computationally expensive in evaluating the large design space of possible inclusion arrangements enabled by the new manufacturing techniques. In this work, a closed-form analytical model for the mixed-mode stress intensity factor in a composite with selected inclusion arrangements is presented, which expedites the analysis for various composite designs. Moreover, the fracture initiation calculation is adapted to approximate crack propagation with computational efficiency. The accuracy of this model for predicting fracture initiation is validated by linear elastic fracture mechanics analysis using the finite element method. The prediction of fracture propagation is validated using a phase-field model, as well as a 4-point bending experiment. Finally, the model is applied to analyze three different composite inclusion arrangements to study the effect of various material combinations and geometries on the overall toughness of the composite; a complete sampling of (and optimization) over the entire design space, however, is beyond the scope of this work. The relative increase in crack length (compared to a homogeneous material) is used as a metric to compare the relative toughness of three different composite designs. Within these designs, using the fast-running approximate method, the effect of the ratio of inclusion radius to inclusion spacing, and the elastic mismatch on the resulting crack length are compared to determine the composite arrangements that result in the greatest toughness enhancement for selected material properties. In particular, a multi-phase cubic array resulted in the greatest toughness enhancement of the designs considered.
Do PROMIS Physical Function, Pain Interference, and Depression Correlate to the Oswestry Disability Index and Neck Disability Index in Spine Trauma Patients?

STUDY DESIGN Correlational study. OBJECTIVE In spine trauma patients, we aimed to assess the correlation of patient-reported outcome measurement information system (PROMIS) physical function (PF), pain interference (PI), and Depression scores with Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) ODI/NDI scores. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The ODI and NDI were intended as patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to evaluate clinical outcomes in patients seeking spine care. To date, the PROMIS has not been studied in the spine trauma population. METHODS Between January 1, 2015 and December 13, 2017, patients presenting to a single, level 1 trauma center spine clinic with known spine trauma were identified. A total of 56 patients (52 operative, 4 nonoperative) representing 181 encounters were identified. PROMIS PF, PI, and Depression, as well as the ODI or NDI, were administered to patients. Spearman rho (ρ) were calculated between PROMs. RESULTS A strong correlation exists between PROMIS PI and the ODI (ρ = 0.79, P < 0.001), while a strong-moderate correlation exists between PROMIS PF and the ODI (ρ = -0.61, P < 0.001). A moderate correlation exists between PROMIS Depression and the ODI (ρ = 0.54, P < 0.001). Strong correlations exist between PROMIS PI and the NDI (ρ = 0.71, P < 0.001) and PROMIS Depression and the NDI (ρ = 0.73, P < 0.001). A poor correlation exists between PROMIS PF and the NDI (ρ = -0.28, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION PROMIS PF, PI, and Depression domains significantly correlate with the ODI and NDI; however, only PROMIS PI strongly correlates with both the NDI and ODI. This suggests that PROMIS PI can be used to capture similar information to that of the ODI or NDI but that PROMIS PF and Depression may offer additional clinical information. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2.
A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Attentive Music Listening on Cochlear Implant Users' Speech Perception, Quality of Life, and Behavioral and Objective Measures of Frequency Change Detection.

Introduction Most cochlear implant (CI) users have difficulty in listening tasks that rely strongly on perception of frequency changes (e.g., speech perception in noise, musical melody perception, etc.). Some previous studies using behavioral or subjective assessments have shown that short-term music training can benefit CI users' perception of music and speech. Electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings may reveal the neural basis for music training benefits in CI users. Objective To examine the effects of short-term music training on CI hearing outcomes using a comprehensive test battery of subjective evaluation, behavioral tests, and EEG measures. Design Twelve adult CI users were recruited for a home-based music training program that focused on attentive listening to music genres and materials that have an emphasis on melody. The participants used a music streaming program (i.e., Pandora) downloaded onto personal electronic devices for training. The participants attentively listened to music through a direct audio cable or through Bluetooth streaming. The training schedule was 40 min/session/day, 5 days/week, for either 4 or 8 weeks. The pre-training and post-training tests included: hearing thresholds, Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12) questionnaire, psychoacoustic tests of frequency change detection threshold (FCDT), speech recognition tests (CNC words, AzBio sentences, and QuickSIN), and EEG responses to tones that contained different magnitudes of frequency changes. Results All participants except one finished the 4- or 8-week training, resulting in a dropout rate of 8.33%. Eleven participants performed all tests except for two who did not participate in EEG tests. Results showed a significant improvement in the FCDTs as well as performance on CNC and QuickSIN after training (p 0.05). Results of the EEG tests showed larger post-training cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) in seven of the nine participants, suggesting a better cortical processing of both stimulus onset and within-stimulus frequency changes. Conclusion These preliminary data suggest that extensive, focused music listening can improve frequency perception and speech perception in CI users. Further studies that include a larger sample size and control groups are warranted to determine the efficacy of short-term music training in CI users.
A general framework for integrative analysis of incomplete multiomics data

There is a tremendous current interest in measuring multiple types of omics features (e.g., DNA sequences, RNA expressions, methylation profiles, metabolic profiles, protein expressions) on a large number of subjects. Although genotypes are typically available for all study subjects, other data types may be measured only on a subset of subjects due to cost or other constraints. In addition, quantitative omics measurements, such as metabolite levels and protein expressions, are subject to detection limits in that the measurements below (or above) certain thresholds are not detectable. In this article, we propose a rigorous and powerful approach to handle missing values and detection limits in integrative analysis of multiomics data. We relate quantitative omics variables to genetic variants and other variables through linear regression models and relate phenotypes to quantitative omics variables and other variables through generalized linear models. We derive the joint-likelihood for the two sets of models by allowing arbitrary patterns of missing values and detection limits for quantitative omics variables. We carry out maximum-likelihood estimation through computationally fast and stable algorithms. The resulting estimators are approximately unbiased and statistically efficient. An application to a major study on chronic obstructive lung disease yielded new biological insights.
New flare minimization strategies with consideration of multi-plant material exchange

Abstract Flare emissions during chemical plant turnaround operations, such as start-up and shutdown, will waste tremendous material and energy while emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, and carbon monoxide. Thus, flare minimization is a triple-win thrust toward simultaneous industrial, environmental, and societal sustainability. Available flare minimization studies are exclusively focused on single process facility plant or single plant, which have substantially restricted flare minimization capabilities of many chemical plants. In this paper, new turnaround flare minimization strategies with considerations of multi-plant material exchanges have been developed. The novelty of the study is that flaring sources of one plant, which might be very difficult or expensive for recovery by the plant itself, could be effectively and efficiently utilized by another adjacent plant who is under its normal production, so that flare emissions can be significantly reduced than ever before. Two case studies have been provided: one is flare minimization during an olefin plant start-up supported by a normal operating plant; the other is flare minimization during an olefin plant shutdown supported by a normal operating plant. Through virtual demonstration via plant-wide dynamic modeling and simulations, the new start-up and shutdown flare minimization strategies could save 83.64% and 90.23% of original flaring sources, respectively. This study has laid out a new foundation for future flare minimization studies with consideration of multi-plant material exchanges. It could provide an augmented degree of opportunities for cost-effective industrial emission reductions and controls.
STING agonist-based treatment promotes vascular normalization and tertiary lymphoid structure formation in the therapeutic melanoma microenvironment

Background The degree of immune infiltration in tumors, especially CD8+ T cells, greatly impacts patient disease course and response to interventional immunotherapy. Enhancement of tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) is a critical element of efficacious therapy and one that may be achieved via administration of agents that promote tumor vascular normalization (VN) and/or induce the development of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Methods Low-dose stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist ADU S-100 (5 µg/mouse) was delivered intratumorally to established subcutaneous B16.F10 melanomas on days 10, 14 and 17 post-tumor inoculation. Treated and control tumors were isolated at various time points to assess transcriptional changes associated with VN and TLS formation via quantitative PCR (qPCR), with corollary immune cell composition changes in isolated tissues determined using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy. In vitro assays were performed on CD11c+ BMDCs treated with 2.5 µg/mL ADU S-100 or CD11c+ DCs isolated from tumor digests and associated transcriptional changes analyzed via qPCR or profiled using DNA microarrays. For T cell repertoireβ-CDR3 analyses, T cell CDR3 was sequenced from gDNA isolated from splenocytes and enzymatically digested tumors. Results We report that activation of STING within the TME leads to slowed melanoma growth in association with increased production of antiangiogenic factors including Tnfsf15 (Vegi) and Cxcl10, and TLS-inducing factors including Ccl19, Ccl21, Lta, Ltb and Light. Therapeutic responses resulting from intratumoral STING activation were characterized by improved VN, enhanced tumor infiltration by CD8+ T cells and CD11c+ DCs and local TLS neogenesis, all of which were dependent on host expression of STING. Consistent with a central role for DC in TLS formation, ADU S-100-activated mCD11c+ DCs also exhibited upregulated expression of TLS promoting factors including lymphotoxin-α (LTA), interleukin (IL)-36, inflammatory chemokines and type I interferons in vitro and in vivo. TLS formation in ADU S-100-treated mice was associated with the development of a highly oligoclonal TIL repertoire enriched in expanded T cell clonotypes unique to the TME and not detected in the periphery. Conclusions Our data support the premise that i.t. delivery of low-dose STING agonist promotes VN and a proinflammatory TME supportive of TLS formation, enrichment in the TIL repertoire and tumor growth control.
Simulations of field emission from copper electrodes with inclusion of oxygen surface layer and work function changes based on first-principles calculations

Analysis of field emission requires the inclusion of the internal potentials that shape the electronic wavefunctions and tunneling probabilities; details of the work function that are dependent on material quality and defects; and the role of the density of states (DOS) that influences the electronic supply. Here, these factors are collectively included on the basis of density functional theory to obtain predictions of field-dependent electron tunneling current densities. Results are obtained in copper for three different orientations. The DOS is predicted to be broadened by an externally applied electric field. The (100) copper is shown to yield the largest current density, and the (111) orientation is the lowest. The presence of an oxide surface monolayer is shown to increase the work function, leading to the emission of current reductions. The technique is general and can be applied to other materials (e.g., carbon fibers) that have shown promise as cathode emitters.
Agglomeration economies and productivity in Indian industry

Abstract The primary objective of this paper is to examine the extent to which agglomeration economies contribute to economic productivity. We distinguish three sources of agglomeration economies: (1) at the firm level from improved access to market centers, (2) at the industry level from intra-industry localization economies, and (3) at the regional level from inter-industry urbanization economies. There is considerable variation in the sources and magnitudes of agglomeration economies between industrial sectors—in particular, our results indicate that access to markets through improvements in inter-regional infrastructure is an important determinant of firm level productivity, whereas benefits of locating in dense urban areas do not appear to offset associated costs.
Artificial Intelligence for Peace: An Early Warning System for Mass Violence

This chapter explores novel research conducted by scholars in artificial intelligence (AI) , peace studies, and political science who are collaborating to build sophisticated AI systems to help identify emergent real-time trends on social media which may be contemporaneous with eruptions of extreme violence or mass atrocities. Of key interest in our research is the phenomenon of memes, that may be deployed by nefarious actors with the intention of sparking eruptions of violence amidst pre-existing hostilities. This new research collaboration is also developing novel abilities in semantic forensics—the ability to parse complicated and layered meanings—within a constellation of traditional and social media sets. This chapter summarizes the current state of our research, including: (a) the technological challenges faced in the development of robust semantic analysis systems; (b) novel technologies for identifying deepfake media items; and (c) the complex ethical questions surrounding who should be granted access to this technology.
The Asymmetry Problem: Reflections on Calvin Massey's Standing in State Courts, State Law, and Federal Review

This paper is based on remarks delivered at a symposium to honor my University of New Hampshire School of Law colleague Calvin Massey, who passed away in the fall of 2015. The paper discusses an asymmetry in federal standing law. The asymmetry lies in the fact that, when a state’s highest court decides the merits of a federal claim brought in circumstances where the claimant has standing under state law but not federal law, the United States Supreme Court has jurisdiction to review the decision only if the state supreme court upholds the federal claim. This asymmetry was the subject of a 2015 essay that was Calvin’s last piece of published scholarship. In the essay, Calvin used a hypothetical state-aid-to-religion fact pattern to illuminate the asymmetry, to emphasize its problematic nature, and to propose a solution. This paper agrees with Calvin that the asymmetry is problematic and advances three preliminary hypotheses, to be developed in future work, about how various federal and state institutional actors could ameliorate the problem. The first hypothesis is that Congress should consider legislating to ensure that a party facing a federal claim in state court in circumstances where a federal justiciability doctrine would bar the claim in federal court can remove the claim and obtain its dismissal. The second hypothesis is that the United States Supreme Court should consider using its power to create constitutional common law to fashion a remedy-limiting doctrine drawn from federal justiciability principles and to impose this doctrine on state courts as an affirmative defense to federal claims. The third hypothesis is that, even in the absence of a federal mandate, state courts should apply traditional conflict-of laws theory to withhold relief for claims based on federal law in circumstances where federal courts would lack the power to afford the claimant a remedy.
Recent advances in the epidemiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children

Children with obesity are at risk for numerous health problems, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This review focuses on progress made in the epidemiology of NAFLD in children for the years 2015-2020. The estimated prevalence of NAFLD in children with obesity is 26%. The incidence of NAFLD in children has risen rapidly over the past decade. An understanding of the reasons for this rise is incomplete, but over the past 5 years, many studies have provided additional insight into the complexity of risk factors, diagnostic approaches, and associated comorbidities. Risk factors for NAFLD are wide-ranging, including perinatal factors involving both the mother and newborn, as well as environmental toxin exposure. Progress made in the noninvasive assessment will be critical to improving issues related to variability in approach to screening and diagnosis of NAFLD in children. The list of serious comorbidities observed in children with NAFLD continues to grow. Notably, for many of these conditions, such as diabetes and depression, the rates observed have exceeded the rates reported in children with obesity without NAFLD. Recent advancements reviewed show an increased awareness of this problem, while also calling attention to the need for additional research to guide successful efforts at prevention and treatment.
Promotion of Thriving in Youth: The Intersections of the Positive Youth Development Perspective and Challenge Course Programming

This paper’s intent is to explore the Positive Youth Development (PYD) perspective, its applications, and the growing research topics pertaining to it. I will demonstrate the importance of developmental assets and PYD centered programs in the human journey towards “Thriving,” which is understood as the ultimate state of being achieved by the systematic promotion of positive development across time in a youth’s life (Lerner et al, 2005). My paper also explains challenge course programming and its relationship to the Positive Youth Development perspective. Upon demonstrating this relationship, I offer a few ideas for future challenge course programming that would foster new dimensions in relationship dynamics for participating youth that can increase indicators that they are thriving.
The Contribution of Economic Data to Bank-Failure Models

The wave of bank failures during the late 1980s and early 1990s was caused in part by a series of regional recessions. This paper examines whether the FDIC can use state-level economic data to forecast bank failures and finds that these data do not improve models that use only bank-level data. The paper also proposes a number of explanations for the lack of improvement.
Relationship Between Lysogeny, Spontaneous Induction, and Transformation Efficiencies in Bacillus subtilis

The low transformation efficiency of Bacillus subtilis 168 lysogenic for phages o105 or SPO2 is shown to result from the induction of lytic phage replication in competent cells. Lysogenic competent cells have a higher rate of spontaneous prophage induction than noncompetent cells. Mutants of o105 and SPO2 which form lysogens resistant to spontaneous induction were isolated, and these lysogens exhibited higher transformation levels than those formed by wild-type phage. These results suggest that the physiological state of competence in B. subtilis promotes prophage derepression leading to cell death and the loss of potential transformants.
Optimizing arsenic removal during iron removal: Theoretical and practical considerations.

New health effects research prompted the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to reduce the drinking water standard for arsenic from 0.05 to 0.010 mg l−1 (10 μg l−1), and as a result many drinking water systems (particularly smaller ones) throughout the country will no longer be in compliance. In waters that contain natural iron, arsenic removal can be achieved during iron removal, but the effectiveness of iron to remove arsenic depends on many variables. The objective of this study was to identify the operational and water quality factors that impact arsenic removal during iron removal. Bench-scale (‘batch’ and standard jar) tests were used to evaluate the effects of pH, phosphate, other water chemistry variables, and the oxidant used to oxidize Fe(II) on the removal of arsenic. Treatment operation considerations, including sequence of oxidant addition and contact time, were also considered. Results showed that (1) arsenic removal improves with increasing iron concentration and particle surface area; (2) freshly precipitated iron particles had a much greater capacity to remove arsenic than preformed particles that were formed by oxidation of ferrous iron with either oxygen or chlorine; (3) chlorination, or application of a stronger oxidant, may be necessary to improve arsenic removal at many drinking water treatment plants; (4) the point of strong oxidant addition in the treatment train is important; and (5) the pH and other competing water quality variables such as phosphate play significant roles in the amount of arsenic removed.
Probing the catalytic promiscuity in tautomerase 1 and 2 in Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1 (769.15)

Certain hydrocarbons created as industrial byproducts, specifically in energy production and oil refinement, are toxic to the vast majority of organisms. Developing remediation strategies to solve ...
Dynamics of survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein interaction with the mRNA-binding protein IMP1 facilitates its trafficking into motor neuron axons

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a lethal neurodegenerative disease specifically affecting spinal motor neurons. SMA is caused by the homozygous deletion or mutation of the survival of motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. The SMN protein plays an essential role in the assembly of spliceosomal ribonucleoproteins. However, it is still unclear how low levels of the ubiquitously expressed SMN protein lead to the selective degeneration of motor neurons. An additional role for SMN in the regulation of the axonal transport of mRNA-binding proteins (mRBPs) and their target mRNAs has been proposed. Indeed, several mRBPs have been shown to interact with SMN, and the axonal levels of few mRNAs, such as the β-actin mRNA, are reduced in SMA motor neurons. In this study we have identified the β-actin mRNA-binding protein IMP1/ZBP1 as a novel SMN-interacting protein. Using a combination of biochemical assays and quantitative imaging techniques in primary motor neurons, we show that IMP1 associates with SMN in individual granules that are actively transported in motor neuron axons. Furthermore, we demonstrate that IMP1 axonal localization depends on SMN levels, and that SMN deficiency in SMA motor neurons leads to a dramatic reduction of IMP1 protein levels. In contrast, no difference in IMP1 protein levels was detected in whole brain lysates from SMA mice, further suggesting neuron specific roles of SMN in IMP1 expression and localization. Taken together, our data support a role for SMN in the regulation of mRNA localization and axonal transport through its interaction with mRBPs such as IMP1.
Oral Histories in Meteoritics and Planetary Science – XVII: Joseph Goldstein

Abstract– In this interview, Joseph Goldstein (Fig. 1) recounts how he became interested in meteorites during his graduate studies working with Robert Ogilvie at MIT. By matching the Ni profiles observed across taenite fields in the Widmanstatten structure of iron meteorites with profiles he computed numerically he was able to determine cooling rates as the meteorites cooled through 650–400 °C. Upon graduating, he worked with a team of meteorite researchers led by Lou Walter at Goddard Space Flight Center where for 4 years he attempted to understand metallographic structures by reproducing them in the laboratory. Preferring an academic environment, Joe accepted a faculty position in the rapidly expanding metallurgy department at Lehigh University where he was responsible for their new electron microprobe. He soon became involved in studying the metal from lunar soils and identifying the metallic component from its characteristic iron and nickel compositions. Over the next two decades he refined these studies of Ni diffusion in iron meteorites, particularly the effect of phosphorus in the process, which resulted in superior Fe-Ni-P phase diagrams and improved cooling rates for the iron meteorites. After a period as vice president for research at Lehigh, in 1993 he moved to the University of Massachusetts to serve as dean of engineering, but during these administrative appointments Joe produced a steady stream of scientific results. Joe has served as Councilor, Treasurer, Vice President, and President of the Meteoritical Society. He received the Leonard Medal in 2005, the Sorby Award in 1999, and the Dumcumb Award for in 2008. Figure 1. Joseph Goldstein. Download figure to PowerPoint
Inverse Problems and a Unified Approach to Integrability in 1, 1+1 and 2+1 Dimensions

A unified approach for solving initial value problems for equations in 0+1, 1+1 (one spatial and one temporal), and 2+1 (two spatial and one temporal) dimensions is given. Illustrative examples in each of these cases are provided. Some remarks on inverse problems in higher than two spatial dimensions are made in the context of inverse scattering.
Prediction of Erlang-2 Distributed Primary User Traffic for Dynamic Spectrum Access

In this letter, we propose prediction of primary user spectrum activity by constructing a continuous-time Markov chain model for Erlang-2 distributed on/off channel utilization intervals. Moreover, we propose a maximum-likelihood estimator for traffic parameters utilized by the predictor. Finally, we analyze the prediction confidence as the probability of the prediction performance that is not affected by traffic estimation errors. The prediction confidence is quantified by exploiting the proposed prediction region analysis.
AGILE: elastic distributed resource scaling for Infrastructure-as-a-Service

Dynamically adjusting the number of virtual machines (VMs) assigned to a cloud application to keep up with load changes and interference from other uses typically requires detailed application knowledge and an ability to know the future, neither of which are readily available to infrastructure service providers or application owners. The result is that systems need to be over-provisioned (costly), or risk missing their performance Service Level Objectives (SLOs) and have to pay penalties (also costly). AGILE deals with both issues: it uses wavelets to provide a medium-term resource demand prediction with enough lead time to start up new application server instances before performance falls short, and it uses dynamic VM cloning to reduce application startup times. Tests using RUBiS and Google cluster traces show that AGILE can predict varying resource demands over the medium-term with up to 3.42× better true positive rate and 0.34× the false positive rate than existing schemes. Given a target SLO violation rate, AGILE can efficiently handle dynamic application workloads, reducing both penalties and user dissatisfaction.
True Percutaneous Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Case Illustrations, Surgical Technique, and Limitations.

Objective The last decade has seen significant advances in minimally invasive techniques for lumbar interbody fusion that have reduced approach-related morbidity. Percutaneous lumbar interbody fusion involves a posterior transforaminal approach to the disk space with a minimal access port through the Kambin triangle. This technique obviates the need for the facetectomy or laminectomy required in a traditional transforaminal approach. This article describes the surgical technique, potential advantages and limitations, and representative case illustrations. Methods Percutaneous transforaminal interbody fusion was performed on two patients with axial back and leg pain as a result of degenerative disk disease. Diskectomy and interbody cage insertion were completed through a tubular dilator placed onto the disk space in the Kambin triangle. Posterior fixation was achieved with percutaneous transfacet screws. Clinical outcome and postoperative complications are discussed. Results Both patients demonstrated significant clinical improvement after surgery with > 1 year follow-up despite experiencing transient neurologic symptoms. Conclusion Although this report demonstrates the feasibility and advantages of the approach, the technique is limited by the potential for nerve root injury and pseudoarthrosis.
Changes in the Serum Protein Levels During Wound Tissue Regeneration

The effect of wounding and formation of regenerating wound tissue on the level of the serum proteins was studied in rats on a protein-free diet. It was found that the level of the globulin component having the third greatest electrophoretic mobility, probably part of the α2-globulin fraction, rose about 60% within 3 days after wounding and did not begin to return to normal until about 10 days later. Concomitantly, the level of the globulin with least mobility, presumably the -globulin component, decreased about 35% and also began to return to normal within 2 weeks after wounding. Varying the rate of healing, by the addition of protein or methionine to the diet, had no effect on the changes in the serum globulin levels. The newly formed α2-globulins were shown to be distinct from fetuin.
Industry performance and investment in R&D and capital goods

Abstract Industry performance and investment patterns in capital equipment and research and development for 42 industries were examined. Superior performance was significantly associated with high levels of R&D investment in half the industries, but was unrelated to capital investment in these industries over the 20-year period studied. Implications of these findings for the competitiveness of American industry are discussed.
Interrater reliability of the Wolf Motor Function Test-Functional Ability Scale: why it matters.

Background. One important objective for clinical trialists in rehabilitation is determining efficacy of interventions to enhance motor behavior. In part, limitation in the precision of measurement presents a challenge. The few valid, low-cost observational tools available to assess motor behavior cannot escape the variability inherent in test administration and scoring. This is especially true when there are multiple evaluators and raters, as in the case of multisite randomized controlled trials (RCTs). One way to enhance reliability and reduce variability is to implement rigorous quality control (QC) procedures. Objective. This article describes a systematic QC process used to refine the administration and scoring procedures for the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT)–Functional Ability Scale (FAS). Methods. The QC process, a systematic focus-group collaboration, was developed and used for a phase III RCT, which enlisted multiple evaluators and an experienced WMFT-FAS rater panel. Results. After 3 staged ref...
A Lightweight, GPU-Based Software RAID System

While RAID is the prevailing method of creating reliable secondary storage infrastructure, many users desire more flexibility than offered by current implementations. Traditionally, RAID capabilities have been implemented largely in hardware in order to achieve the best performance possible, but hardware RAID has rigid designs that are costly to change. Software implementations are much more flexible, but software RAID has historically been viewed as much less capable of high throughput than hardware RAID controllers. This work presents a system, Gibraltar RAID, that attains high RAID performance by offloading the calculations related to error correcting codes to GPUs. This paper describes the architecture, performance, and qualities of the system. A comparison to a well-known software RAID implementation, the md driver included with the Linux operating system, is presented. While this work is presented in the context of high performance computing, these findings also apply to a general RAID market.
The propasation mechanism of impulse creepage discharges over oil-immersed surfaces

A fundamental study of the mechanism of propagation of impulse creepage streamers over an insulating surface is reported. The studies were made using high-speed cameras, still cameras, and special probes, to give a new picture of the creepage process. High-speed photographs show that impulse creepage in the nonuniform field is a stepped discharge process, remarkably similar to natural lightning except on a greatly reduced scale. Probe measurements display the variation of channel voltages with time and distance. The mechanism is discussed in considerable detail for both positive and negative polarities.
Automatic Detection of Coronary Vessels Using Mutli-scale Texture Dictionaries

In this paper we present a new automatic method for coronary artery vessel detection. We employ a texture modelling approach based on image textons as texture features, in the context of a classification experiment, where we attempt to discriminate between vessel and non-vessel like shapes in X-ray angiogram images. Experiments were conducted on a real patient database. The results show that the proposed model can perform well and distinguish vessel areas from others in an efficient manner, and outperforms other existing methods.