cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Device interconnection technology for advanced thermal conduction modules

The use of area array solder bumps on silicon devices known as controlled collapse chip connection (C4) balls for terminating logic and memory devices to ceramic substrates has been extended in both interconnection density and total number of chip I/O connections per module. In addition, a novel materials set, namely glass-ceramic with copper internal metallization along with thin film redistribution wiring on the top surface, has been introduced for multilayered ceramic substrates. Key elements of advanced glass-ceramic substrate technology relevant to flip-chip joining are reviewed. This is followed by a discussion of device join and replace processes used in advanced thermal conduction modules (ATCMs). These models have decoupling capacitors which are attached by C4 solder reflow. Optimization of the top surface metallurgy and device join parameters necessary to achieve reliable joining of more than 70,000 solder balls per module is discussed. >
The Dark Side of Political Skill: When Awareness Reduces Life Satisfaction

Prior research has typically explained the positive intrapsychic influence of political skill using Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. However, theoretical and empirical research explaining po...
Intermolecular interactions in complex liquids: effective fragment potential investigation of water-tert-butanol mixtures.

Structure and bonding patterns in tert-butanol (TBA)–water mixtures are investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations with the effective fragment potential (EFP) method. EFP is a model potential in which all parameters are obtained from a set of ab initio calculations on isolated fragment molecules. Mixed-basis EFP potentials (called “EFPm”) for water and TBA molecules were prepared and tested in this work. The accuracy of these EFP potentials is justified by comparison of structures and binding energies in water, TBA, and water–TBA dimers with MP2/6-311++G(d,p) data. It has been found that the discrepancies between EFP and MP2 do not exceed 0.1 A in intermolecular distances and 1 kcal/mol in binding energies. Structures of TBA–water solutions with 0.0, 0.06, 0.11, 0.16, and 0.50 TBA mole fractions were analyzed by using radial distribution functions (RDFs) and coordination numbers. These results suggest that, at low TBA concentrations, the structure of water is enhanced and water and TBA are not h...
QTL Mapping of Drought-resistant Traits of Cultivated Rice and Research Advance in Molecular Breeding

This article summarizes the QTL mapping of the drought-resistant traits of cultivated rice and the research advance in molecular breeding in recent years,and points out the countermeasures of breeding water-saving and drought-resistant rice varieties by using molecular breeding in the future,aiming at the existent problems in the study on the drought-resistance of rice.
Application of C8051F020 in mouth X-ray machine

The C8051F deceives are fully integrated mixed-signal system-on-a-chip MCUs. Within the MCUs, there are most the analog and digital peripherals and other functional components, It is presented that the hardware and software design of mouth X-ray machine which is based on C805IF020.
Medical and Life-Style Risk Factors Affecting Fetal Mortality, 1989-90

OBJECTIVES This report presents fetal mortality data by medical and life-style risk factors of the mother and the fetus. METHODS Deaths and fetal mortality rates are presented in this descriptive report. Data sources used are vital statistics data for fetal deaths and live births. RESULTS The data that became available with the revision of the U.S. Standard Report of Fetal Death in 1989 expanded the medical and health data available on mothers and fetuses. Reporting of medical conditions is probably incomplete for fetal deaths as well as for live births. Therefore, caution should be exercised in using this data. Reported occurrences of medical and life-style risk factors of mother and fetus for fetal deaths and live births and fetal mortality rates are presented. Maternal medical conditions most often associated with having a fetal death were problems with amniotic fluid levels and blood disorders. Fetal mortality was 35 percent greater when tobacco was used during pregnancy and 77 percent higher when alcohol was consumed during pregnancy. The complication of labor most often associated with fetal mortality was abruptio placenta. Although a very small proportion of all deliveries have specific congenital anomalies reported, fetal mortality was close to 50 percent for anencephalus, about 25 percent for renal agenesis, and slightly more than 20 percent for hydrocephalus.
Use of Contrasted Computerized Tomography as a Surrogate for Nuclear Medicine Renogram to Categorize Renal Function in the Setting of Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction.

Objective To use basic measurements on contrasted computerized tomography (CT) to reliably determine whether a kidney with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) is definitively functional (≥30% differential renal function [DRF]) or nonfunctional (≤10% DRF), obviating the need for nuclear medicine renogram (RG) to determine DRF. Methods This is a single institution, retrospective cohort of patients diagnosed with UPJO who underwent either pyeloplasty or nephrectomy between December 2004 and December 2014. Included patients had both preoperative mercaptoacetyltriglycine RG and contrasted CT within 180 days of each other. Patients with stents or nephrostomy tubes were excluded. Results A total of 49 patients were included. The strongest correlation between differential CT measurements and DRF on RG existed by multiplying the cortical area by the average cortical Hounsfield units (Pearson's r = 0.90, P Conclusion RG is the gold standard in determining quantitative DRF. However, the treatment algorithm for a kidney with symptomatic UPJO hinges on categorized function: "functional" (repair) or "nonfunctional" (remove). Appropriate measurements on contrasted CT can categorize definitively functional or nonfunctional kidneys with UPJO, negating the need for RG to obtain DRF in a majority of cases. This study design favors real-world application with potential to reduce medical expenditure and delay in definitive treatment.
James’s Portrait of the Writer-Critic

Critics have assigned particular importance to the work James completed in the period 1884–1901. Often termed the ‘middle’ or ‘experimental’ period of James’s career, these years included the agony of his failure as a dramatist, the publication of much of his most brilliant criticism and theory, and the important body of fiction and criticism James wrote about the experience of writers and critics. James’s interest encompassed the impact of failure and success in the lives of people committed to the creative life and reaching toward the quality of acceptance and understanding James himself sought, as well as the artistic and intellectual values and challenges of writers and critics.
Chapter 3.1 – Prediction of composite laminate fracture: Micromechanics and progressive fracture

Publisher Summary This chapter describes an investigation on the prediction of first-ply failure and fracture in selected composite laminates made from glass/epoxy and graphite/epoxy polymer-matrix composites and subjected to uniaxial and combined loadings. Failure envelopes are generated for combined loading of these laminates on the basis of first-ply failure and laminate fracture. The chapter also presents a micromechanics-based theory and progressive fracture for the evaluation of failure envelopes. It explains an exercise organized by Hinton and Soden to confirm the current state-of-the-art for predicting failure in composites and describes the results obtained in two processes—generation of first-ply failure envelopes for combined loading by using the micromechanics-based uniaxial composite strengths and generation of laminate fracture envelopes and stress/strain diagrams for uniaxial and combined loading by using progressive fracture. The effects of residual stresses on the laminate first-ply failure are also evaluated as the differences between pristine and in situ constituent properties. The chapter explains the detailed calibration of the pristine constituent material properties to the unidirectional composite properties, so that the micromechanics used will reproduce the unidirectional composite properties provided. It discusses the specific theories and computer codes to generate the laminate failure envelopes. These computer codes integrate composite mechanics and progressive structural fracture—Integrated Composite Analyzer (ICAN) and Composite Durability Structural Analyzer (CODSTRAN). The chapter describes stress versus strain curves for all laminates as determined by progressive fracture via CODSTRAN.
Conclusion: Interminable Subjects

The narrative “geography” of “A County Doctor” goes nowhere, fast, but goes nowhere, slow, too. The Castle, famously unfinished yet evocatively “paused” without closing punctuation in its final line, marks Kafka’s unbroken fixation on indeterminate occupation and subjection. Kafka’s nonhuman form is never complete. The Castle is Kafka’s true masterpiece of indirect discourse, despite The Trial’s remorseless commitment to the legal execution of this indirect discursive subject. It wanders to a devastating non-halt, refusing both narrative expectation and, unlike The Trial, subjective closure. One can be done with The Trial, even as it confounds by its violent refusals of non-administered experience, but not with The Castle, which demolishes its supposed subject “wholly,” in full, by refusing to terminate in any form.
Serelaxin in the Treatment of Acute Heart Failure

The incidence and mortality associated with acute heart failure (AHF) remain high despite tremendous progress in the treatment of chronic heart failure. Novel approaches to AHF management are needed to improve outcomes. Serelaxin, a recombinant form of human relaxin-2, is a vasoactive peptide hormone with hemodynamic and neurohormonal effects. Serelaxin’s major clinical trials (Pre-RELAX-AHF and RELAX-AHF) demonstrate efficacy in improving heart failure symptoms, decreasing hospital length of stay and reducing morality at 180 days. The AHF patients included in these trials represent a specific and prevalent cohort, briefly those who present with dyspnea, elevated natriuretic peptide levels, systolic blood pressures greater than 125 mmHg, and mild-to-moderate renal insufficiency. Early serelaxin treatment is associated with less end-organ damage and improved outcomes. Serelaxin holds promise as a novel therapeutic for the treatment of AHF and two large additional Phase III trials are underway to confirm and extend these prior results.
Mapping a community resilience management system: Building operational knowledge

System standards have been implemented in many contexts over the last few decades. Using closely aligned standards such as the emerging ISO 37120 typology for sustainable and resilient communities, and by drawing from various recognized capability models and indices, this paper develops a structure for operationalization of a community resilience management system, and then maps the system against the key attributes of a resilient community. This effort is a first step toward the management of long term resilience in our communities.
Curcumin Inhibit PhIP-Induced Carcinogenicity by Regulating Expression of Nrf2 and FOXO Targets, and BRCA-1 and P16 Expression in Breast Epithelial Cells

PhIP (Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine) is a heterocyclic amine (HCA) which is formed when meat products are cooked at high temperature. PhIP is known for its genotoxic and carcinogenic effects causing several types of cancer, including breast cancer. HCA causes multifold cytotoxic effect, for example metabolism of PhIP leads to ROS production, and PhIP metabolites produce DNA adduct and DNA strand breaks [1-4]. Breast epithelial cells contain all the machinery to metabolize HCA and the genotoxic effects of these metabolites may lead to breast cancer [1].
Abstract 2746: Significant evidence for linkage for lethal prostate cancer on chromosome arm 4q in Utah high-risk pedigrees

Background: Using the unique Utah genealogical resource that links 12 generations of genealogy data to a statewide cancer registry from 1966 and statewide death certificates from 1904 we have identified a set of high-risk lethal prostate cancer pedigrees with a significant excess of prostate cancer cases having died from prostate cancer. Methods: Clusters of prostate cancer cases descended from a common ancestor, among whose descendants is observed a statistical excess of prostate cancer (high-risk prostate cancer pedigrees) were recruited and sampled over the past 25 years. Pedigrees including 4 or more cases who have subsequently been reported to have died from prostate cancer (as evidenced by inclusion as a cause of death on a Utah death certificate) were genotyped with 720k high-density SNPs across the genome. Linkage analysis with markers not in linkage disequilibrium was performed to identify regions hypothesized to contain a lethal prostate cancer predisposition gene. Results: A single extended Utah high-risk prostate cancer pedigree (p Conclusions: The inability of association studies to identify prostate cancer predisposition genes has returned focus to linkage studies of highly informative high-risk pedigrees, which provide power for identifying and localizing regions of interest for predisposition genes. A focus on only those prostate cancer cases who are members of high-risk lethal prostate cancer pedigrees, who also went on to die as a result of their prostate cancer, has resulted in the identification of evidence for a prostate cancer predisposition gene on chromosome arm 4q24, confirming a previous GWAS that reported association with prostate-cancer-specific-survival (Pomerantz MM et al., 2011) in this region harboring TET2 (a tumor suppressor gene involved in pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and myeloproliferative neoplasms), and PP2A (implicated in androgen receptor regulation in prostate cancer cell lines). Citation Format: Lisa A. Cannon-Albright, craig C. TEERLINK, Robert A. Stephenson, Neeraj Agarwal. Significant evidence for linkage for lethal prostate cancer on chromosome arm 4q in Utah high-risk pedigrees. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2746. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2746
Outcomes of men who present with elevated serum PSA (greater than 20 ng/mL)to an inner-city hospital

A80 Introduction: We report the incidence, clinicopathologic features, and outcomes of men who presented to an inner-city hospital with serum PSA greater than 20 ng/ml. Materials and Methods: Five hundred and sixty men underwent a transrectal ultrasound needle-guided biopsy of the prostate for elevated PSA greater than 4 ng/ml with or without an abnormal digital rectal examination. Results: Of the 560 men 65 (12%) were found to have a serum PSA greater than 20 ng/ml, with 57 having prostate cancer on needle biopsy. In the group of 57 men with cancer, the positive predictive value of PSA alone was 72% for PSA levels of 20-29.99 ng/ml, 100% for PSA greater than 30 ng/ml. Eighteen of the 57 men underwent definitive therapy, 24 underwent androgen deprivation, 8 men refused treatment or were lost to follow-up and 7 were treated on protocol. Overall, 15 of 57 (26%) patients diagnosed with cancer refused therapy or were lost to follow-up. Another 17 men (30%) died during this study, 12 of their disease. Conclusions: Serum PSA above 30 ng/ml is an almost certain predictor of the presence of prostate cancer. Aggressive prostate cancer education and screening programs are needed in our inner cities in order to detect prostate cancer at an earlier, treatable stage.
The Creativity–Motivation–Culture Connection

A review of the literature reveals that cultural distinctions have yet to be integrated into empirical investigations or models of the interface between motivation and creativity. Scholarly work is dominated by a Western perspective, and this bias has prevented a full examination of the impact of cultural context on motivational orientation or creative performance. Yet, importantly, the creative act is as much social and cultural as it is cognitive or psychological. Research avenues incorporating a consideration of culture are explored and a call is made to carry out not only carefully controlled studies that rely on cross-cultural comparisons and operationalize culture as an external force but also ethnographic investigations taking the view that culturally driven differences in psychological processes, most especially how individuals view themselves in relation to others, might also result in important differences in creative behavior.
System dynamic modeling of energy savings in the US food industry

Abstract In the United States, the food industry alone accounts for approximately 19% of the total energy consumed. The objective of this study is to forecast the food-related energy consumption and evaluate policy alternatives for reducing food related energy consumption in the medium and long term. Influential factors of energy consumption in the food industry include population growth rate, GDP, agriculture's share of GDP, food waste, technologies, and agricultural investment. Based on the life cycle of the food industry, five life stages were considered: agricultural production, industrial processing and packaging, transportation, wholesale and retail, and household. In this study, based on the causal relationships and feedback loops between these factors and the energy consumed for each life stage, a system dynamics (SD) model was designed to simulate the situation for the US food industry. Policy options of reducing waste percentage and improving industrial energy productivity are incorporated for building the energy use mitigation scenarios. By implementing the integrated mitigation scenarios, a 9.43% reduction in total food system energy consumption can be attained in 2030.
The Structure of Reciprocity and Integrative Bonds: The Role of Emotions

Publisher Summary Reciprocity is a defining feature of social exchange with varying structure. The differences in the structure have important implications for the integrative bonds that develop in exchange relations and networks. A theoretical program of research comparing different forms of exchange finds striking differences in their effects on integrative outcomes, including trust, affective regard, relational solidarity, and interactional fairness. Reciprocal exchange produces stronger integrative bonds than negotiated exchange, while indirect exchange produces stronger integrative bonds than either form of direct exchange. This chapter identifies emotions that are likely to be involved in the process and discusses the potential role of emotions in the causal mechanisms that link the structure of reciprocity to integrative. Reciprocity theory explains these effects by arguing that two dimensions of the structure of reciprocity in exchange, whether benefits are reciprocated directly or indirectly and whether reciprocity occurs through bilateral or reciprocal unilateral flows of benefit, influence the development of integrative bonds through three intervening causal mechanisms: risk of nonreciprocity, expressive value of acts of reciprocity, and relative salience of the cooperative or competitive faces of exchange.
Flat Modules over Group Rings of Finite Groups

Let k be a commutative ring of coefficients and G be a finite group. Does there exist a flat k G-module which is projective as a k-module but not as a k G-module? We relate this question to the question of existence of a k-module which is flat and periodic but not projective. For either question to have a positive answer, it is at least necessary to have |k| ≥ ℵω. There can be no such example if k is Noetherian of finite Krull dimension, or if k is perfect.
Gender- & Diversity-Daten-Analyse zur Erhebung des gleichstellungspolitischen Ist-Zustandes in den 20 Unternehmen

Im Rahmen der Gender- & Diversity-Daten-Analyse zur Untersuchung des gleichstellungspolitischen Ist-Zustandes zu Projektbeginn in den 20 mittelstandischen Unternehmen widmet sich dieses Kapitel der Auswertung der hierbei – bayern- und bundesweit erstmalig – generierten Daten zu konkreten, mittelstandischen Bedarfen des Gender & Diversity Management.
Landscape and flow path-based nutrient loading metrics for evaluation of in-stream water quality in Saginaw Bay, Michigan

Abstract Landscape metrics are often used to model nonpoint source pollution from agricultural and urban surface runoff. By considering topography and the spatial arrangement of land cover, landscape metrics can better account for hydrologic connectivity, loading quantity, and vegetated buffer filtering between nutrient loading sources and streams. For this study we develop a surface runoff nutrient loading metric that considers source (i.e. cropland or developed) loading and buffer filtering along hydrologic transport vectors, or flow paths. We use General Additive Modeling to evaluate the relationship between this metric and in-stream nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in the Saginaw Bay watershed in Michigan, US and compare the relative predictive power between this metric and other landscape metrics that do not consider hydrologic connectivity. The flow path-based cropland loading metric was a stronger predictor of in-stream NO3 concentrations than alternative metrics. In-stream P concentrations were best predicted by models that included 48-h antecedent precipitation and catchment-wide proportion of developed landcover. Metric maps reveal high nutrient loading areas where only a small proportion of loading reaches streams via surface runoff, highlighting the need to consider nutrient loading via drainage tiles and other subsurface pathways in efforts to quantify nonpoint source loading to surface waters. The flow path-based loading metric is represented spatially as a gridded dataset showing estimates of nutrient loading adjacent to streams, and with higher resolution stream delineation data it could be used by land managers to target locations for precision buffer placement to intercept surface runoff and reduce nutrient loading.
DNA Ligases: Mechanism and Functions

DNA ligases are polypeptides that catalyze phosphodiester bond formation during DNA replication, recombination, and repair. These enzymes, along with RNA ligases and mRNA capping enzymes, belong to a superfamily of nucleotidyl transferases. DNA ligases can be subdivided into two groups based on cofactor specificity. Prokaryotic enzymes utilize either nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide or adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a cofactor, whereas viral, archael, and eukaryotic DNA ligases use ATP almost exclusively. Eukaryotic ATP-dependent DNA ligases are subdivided into three families with members of the DNA ligase III family being restricted to vertebrates. DNA ligases are comprised of a common catalytic region that encircles the DNA substrate during ligation and divergent N- and C-terminal flanking regions that mediate the specific participation of DNA ligases in different DNA transactions through interactions with different partner proteins.
The Diversity Feedback Loop

At some point in the near future, the Supreme Court will weigh in on the permissible scope of affirmative action to increase workplace diversity. Undoubtedly, many scholars will argue that if affirmative action is good for colleges and universities, it is good for workplaces as well. One cannot assess whether this “transplant” argument is right without understanding the ways in which diversity initiatives at colleges and universities interact with diversity initiatives at work. The university and the workplace are not separate and distinct institutional settings in which diversity is or is not achieved. They are part of an interconnected system. We call this system the “Diversity Loop,” and it is constituted by three central features: a supply effect (the diversity the university “supplies” to the labor market), a reiteration effect (the extent to which that diversity can be “reiterated” into the workplace), and a demand effect (the influence the employer’s “demand” for particular kinds of employees has on the university’s admissions criteria). The existence of this Diversity Loop is relevant to the normative question of whether it is desirable to promote affirmative action in both the workplace and the university settings and to the doctrinal question of whether the legality of affirmative action in the context of the workplace should be coextensive with the legality of affirmative action in the context of the university.
Surface Elastic Wave Measurements for Determination of Steel Hardness Gradients

Many researchers have used Rayleigh wave dispersion measurements to examine surface and subsurface material properties, in the ultrasonic frequency range below 50 MHz, using contact transducers in a pitch-catch mode configuration, e.g. [1–4]. Unfortunately there are many potential sources of error which can lead to poor measurement reproducibility and low accuracy. This poor reproducibility, and the often stringent requirement for measurement accuracy, have been obstacles to the more wide spread use of Rayleigh wave dispersion and time of flight measurements in industrial settings [3].
APPLICATION OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL MASS TRANSFER TECHNIQUE TO THE STUDY OF BUOYANCY-DRIVEN FLOWS

The applicability of an electrochemical mass transfer technique in studying buoyancy-driven convection is examined. Emphasis is placed on the copper deposition system. A detailed description of the system, the physical properties of the solutions used, and the related methodology are summarized. Justification of the analogy between the electrochemical technique and comparable heat transfer studies is presented.
Transfer-appropriate processing (TAP)

Transfer-appropriate processing (TAP), as applied to implicit memory, has tended to emphasize general forms of processing (e.g.,perceptual or conceptual processing). In the present studies, the TAP principle was employed in a more specific manner in order to more precisely assess the relations between the processing engaged during first exposure and that engaged during second exposure to items. Thirteen experiments used a two-phase, cross-task design in which participants engaged in different combinations of seven specific intentional tasks between Phase 1 and Phase 2. Maximum repetition priming was found when tasks were the same in Phases 1 and 2. When Phase 1 and Phase 2 tasks differed, there were lesser, or no, repetition priming effects, depending on the particular combination of tasks. The results demonstrate the importance of the specific intentional processes engaged during repetition priming and the potential heuristic value of TAP, as a principle and methodology, for exploring the organization of memory and related process models.
ConfChem Conference on Mathematics in Undergraduate Chemistry Instruction: Building Student Confidence with Chemistry Computation

I work in a liberal arts college as a chemistry professor. Not educated in the United States, I have been welcomed into my adopted culture by being given the opportunity to teach that has allowed me to learn about a system I knew little about beforehand. At the college level, chemistry can be portrayed as applied algebra. In my experience, a mastery of algebra rather than just a competence is needed for students to thrive in their learning of chemistry; anything less creates a barrier. The extent of this barrier appears to be exacerbated by the following factors: the lack of continuity of the offering of high school algebra and chemistry prior to entering college, the increased emphasis of attaining confidence at the cost of learning content at high school, and the numbers of students attaining access to college who do not know how to study. This paper looks at attempts to redevelop the robustness of students’ chemistry read-only memory (ROM): their ability to identify and apply appropriate computational ...
Decreasing the shear stress-induced in-plane molecular alignment by unprecedented stereolithographic delay in three-dimensional printing

The shear stress-induced in-plane molecular alignment in 3D printed polymer is decreased with an increased stereolithographic delay. The molecular alignment represented by the through-thickness (perpendicular to the layers) permittivity (100 Hz) is reduced by 39% to approach that of the bulk polymer. Consequently, the through-thickness piezoelectric coupling coefficient is decreased by 27%. Two types of resins (Resin 1, acrylate ester resin, viscosity 95 cP; Resin 2, methacrylate resin, viscosity 2950 cP) that differ in the viscosity are used for the synthesis of 3D printed components. Resin 2 experiences higher values of the shear stress, resulting in more molecular alignment. During the period of the delay, molecular orientation randomization occurs and is more sluggish for Resin 2. The degree of molecular alignment is more pronounced for 3D printed components with smaller layer thickness (25–50 μm), as the shear stress experienced is higher. The proposed analytical model predicted that the shear stress responsible for the molecular alignment for the component with a layer thickness of 25 μm and a platform speed of 3 mm/s is 38 and 1200 kPa for Resins 1 and 2, respectively. The corresponding peak normal compressive stress (unprecedentedly measured) is 5.6 and 22 kPa, respectively. Moreover, the stress increases abruptly as the piston approaches its lowest position and decreases after reaching the peak stress. The rate of stress decrease is more pronounced for Resin 1.
Quantifying Mg2+ Binding to ssDNA Oligomers: A Self-Consistent Field Theory Study at Varying Ionic Strengths and Grafting Densities

The performance of aptamer-based biosensors is crucially impacted by their interactions with physiological metal ions, which can alter their structures and chemical properties. Therefore, elucidating the nature of these interactions carries the utmost importance in the robust design of highly efficient biosensors. We investigated Mg 2 + binding to varying sequences of polymers to capture the effects of ionic strength and grafting density on ion binding and molecular reorganization of the polymer layer. The polymers are modeled as ssDNA aptamers using a self-consistent field theory, which accounts for non-covalent ion binding by integrating experimentally-derived binding constants. Our model captures the typical polyelectrolyte behavior of chain collapse with increased ionic strength for the ssDNA chains at low grafting density and exhibits the well-known re-entrant phenomena of stretched chains with increased ionic strength at high grafting density. The binding results suggest that electrostatic attraction between the monomers and Mg 2 + plays the dominant role in defining the ion cloud around the ssDNA chains and generates a nearly-uniform ion distribution along the chains containing varying monomer sequences. These findings are in qualitative agreement with recent experimental results for Mg 2 + binding to surface-bound ssDNA.
A Walk in the Woods: Adapting Archaeological Training to Archival Discovery

Due to various factors, physical archives of archaeological significance are inconsistent in terms of level of organization and ability to access. In addition, while well-versed in archaeological theory and method, archaeologists are seldom trained in archival theory and method. These factors make it challenging for archaeologists to utilize archival records. Given some unique parallels between archival records and the archaeological record, the authors suggest that archaeological field training can, in fact, serve archaeologists quite well when conducting archival research. While this article focuses mainly on primary sources in physical archives, some discussion of digital archives is included here as well.
Stevens perceived levels of common impulsive noises, sonic booms, and sonic thumps

NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology low boom flight demonstrator aircraft is being designed to produce a shaped sonic thump of 75 dB Perceived Level (PL) at the ground. The PL metric was chosen because it correlates well with human perception of sonic booms both outdoors and indoors. Members of the public often ask how loud 75 dB PL is. To communicate this level in terms of more familiar sounds, a PL reference scale was developed. Common impulsive sounds were recorded, and their PLs were computed. Some of the various impulsive sounds include distant thunder, basketball bounces, and car door slams (79, 81, and 89 dB PL, respectively). Concorde’s 105 dB PL traditional N-wave sonic boom is also included in the reference scale. Additionally, the impulsive sounds’ energy spectral densities and sone spectra are compared to that of a simulated X-59 ground waveform. NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology low boom flight demonstrator aircraft is being designed to produce a shaped sonic thump of 75 dB Perceived Level (PL) at the ground. The PL metric was chosen because it correlates well with human perception of sonic booms both outdoors and indoors. Members of the public often ask how loud 75 dB PL is. To communicate this level in terms of more familiar sounds, a PL reference scale was developed. Common impulsive sounds were recorded, and their PLs were computed. Some of the various impulsive sounds include distant thunder, basketball bounces, and car door slams (79, 81, and 89 dB PL, respectively). Concorde’s 105 dB PL traditional N-wave sonic boom is also included in the reference scale. Additionally, the impulsive sounds’ energy spectral densities and sone spectra are compared to that of a simulated X-59 ground waveform.
Conjugate‐Base‐Stabilized Broensted Acids: Catalytic Enantioselective Pictet—Spengler Reactions with Unmodified Tryptamine.

Benzaldehydes bearing electron-withdrawing substituents in the para position afford the corresponding tetrahydro-β-carbolines in high yields and enantioselectivities.
FTD spectrum: Neuroimaging across the FTD spectrum

Frontotemporal dementia is a complex and heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease that encompasses many clinical syndromes, pathological diseases, and genetic mutations. Neuroimaging has played a critical role in our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of frontotemporal dementia and provided biomarkers to aid diagnosis. Early studies defined patterns of neurodegeneration and hypometabolism associated with the clinical, pathological and genetic aspects of frontotemporal dementia, with more recent studies highlighting how the breakdown of structural and functional brain networks define frontotemporal dementia. Molecular positron emission tomography ligands allowing the in vivo imaging of tau proteins have also provided important insights, although more work is needed to understand the biology of the currently available ligands.
Life history, love and learning.

Classic avoidance learning leads to a dilemma: if an animal always avoids a cue that lead to a negative outcome, it will never learn anything new about the cue and outcome. A new study suggests that a protected childhood period helps resolve that dilemma: children actually prefer to explore aversive cues but only do so if a parent is present.
Effect of systemic treatment with Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid (TUDCA) on retinal ganglion cell death following optic nerve crush

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of systemically administered N-[2-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-2-oxopiperidine-3- carboxamide (HIOC) or tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) in an optic nerve crush (ONC) mouse model. HIOC (50 mg/kg) or TUDCA (500mg/kg) were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected into adult C57BL/6 mice three times per week. Two weeks after treatment (6 injections), unilateral optic nerve crush was conducted followed by treatment at the same day. The treatment was continued until 1 week or 2 weeks after ONC. A control cohort was identically treated with drug vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline; PBS). Retinas were harvested for whole mount immunofluorescence staining with RGC markers and imaged by fluorescent confocal microscopy at 40x magnification. Fluorescing cells were counted by computer-assisted automated identification and counting software (CellProfiler). Cohort sampling sizes were N=4 and statistical tesing was by the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Test. Significant loss (80%~85%) occurred in the PBS-injected group 1 and 2 weeks after ONC. This loss was partially but significantly prevented in drug-treated cohorts (P < 0.05). Delivery of HIOC or TUDCA by i.p. injection increased survival of RGCs after ONC. Protection was similar between treatment with either drug. These data suggest that it is worthwhile to further explore possible protective effects of HIOC or TUDCA on RGC subtypes with regards to structure and function and in additional disease models that involve RGC loss.
Abstract 105: Blood Pressure Variation and Renal Functional Changes in Chronic Renal Insufficiency Patients With or Without Diabetes in a Large Cohort Study

Hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) are leading causes for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Regardless, interplays of blood pressure, diabetes status, and renal function are largely unknown. We hy...
Automatic soft independent modeling for class analogies

Soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) is an important method for authentication. The key parameters for SIMCA, the number of principal components and the decision threshold, determine the model's performance. In this report, a self-optimizing SIMCA that automatically determines these two parameters is devised and referred to as automatic SIMCA (aSIMCA). An efficient optimization is obtained by incorporating response surface modeling (RSM) and bootstrapped Latin partitions with the model-building dataset. A set of design points over the ranges of the two parameters are evaluated with respect to sensitivity and specificity by using the model-building data from target and non-target classes. Averages of the sensitivity and specificity are used as responses for the design points. A 2-dimensional interpolation and a bivariate cubic polynomial were used to model the response surface. As a control method, a grid search that evaluates all combinations of the two parameters over the same ranges was performed in parallel to determine the best conditions for SIMCA and the modeling performance was compared to aSIMCA with RSM. The developed aSIMCA methods were evaluated by authenticating two botanical extracts sets, i.e., marijuana and hemp, with spectral datasets collected from various spectroscopic techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance, high-resolution mass, and ultraviolet spectrometry. Results of a paired t-test indicated that the aSIMCA with the RSM had similar performance with the one optimized by the grid search for modeling marijuana and hemp, while the RSM was more computationally efficient. The 2-dimensional interpolation is preferred because the better efficiency and the fit to the response surface is more precise.
OXYGEN SUFFICIENCY IN THE “WORKING” BRAIN

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the oxygen sufficiency in the working brain. The dependency of brain function and viability upon adequacy of oxygen and energy levels makes it important to understand what is meant by oxygen adequacy and to define oxygen inadequacy, hypoxia, in terms of brain physiology. Simple definitions of hypoxia in brain appear to hide a much greater degree of complexity. Polarographic recordings shows tissue oxygen tensions from 0 to 95 torr with areas of very low PtO2. In tissues with homogeneous function responsibilities, hypoxia can be defined as the level of O2 insufficient to allow continued activity. The chapter describes a study to examine the effects of oxygen in vivo. For this study, local indicators of oxidative metabolism were required that can be measured without interfering with electrophysiological functioning. In the study, changes in the reduction/oxidation ratio of the terminal member of the respiratory chain, cytochrome oxidase, and, by microfluorometry, redox changes of pyridine nucleotide were measured, by reflection spectrophotometry, as indicators of oxidative metabolic activity in intact cerebral hemispheres of rats. These rats were anesthetized with pentobarbital, paralyzed with curare, and artificially respired with a mixture of 30% O2 and 70% N2. Arterial blood gases were periodically sampled to assure proper physiological status and to indicate the changes that occurred when FiO2 was altered. It was found that decreased FiO2 produced increased ratios of reduced NAD and cytochrome. The study indicated that the relative redox state of the mitochondrial chain components is sensitive to oxygen availability and provides a means to assess oxygen adequacy under resting conditions of energy demand.
Generalized Automatic Surface Reconstruction for CEM Simulations

We present a robust method for automatic high-quality reconstruction and refinement of surface meshes for application in both traditional and ultra-high-order computational electromagnetics (CEM) tools. The generation of optimal surface meshes, especially for higher-order geometries, demonstrates significant promise to improve the accuracy and efficiency in CEM.
Retail deli managers and associates have better food safety culture in stores with lower Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Abstract Food safety climate and culture is an integral part of a healthy food safety system. While much research has been done on elements of food safety climate and culture, no data are available on their relationship with Listeria monocytogenes contamination at retail. We implemented a forty-four-question survey on sense of commitment, employee training, and personal hygiene in 50 United States grocery retail deli departments across six states to evaluate the links among food safety climate, culture, and L. monocytogenes control. One deli manager and up to five deli associates per establishment completed the survey. Survey responses were correlated with L. monocytogenes contamination risk and prevalence, respectively, via a generalized linear mixed model. Estimate and orthogonal contrast statements with Bonferroni adjustment were applied to elucidate significant effects trends. We found that a greater sense of commitment was correlated with lower L. monocytogenes contamination risk (padj = 0.0317). Delis with low risk of contamination reported a better, more complete employee training program (padj = 0.0117). A deep clean intervention significantly improved managers' (padj = 0.0243) and associates’ (padj = 0.0057) commitment to food safety and their perceptions of training programs (padj = 0.0291). Significant differences in occupation-disaggregated survey responses were reported regarding sense of commitment, training program, and infrastructure cleanability. Personal hygiene and handwashing had mixed results. This is the first study to elucidate the relationship between food safety climate and L. monocytogenes contamination in retail deli environments and provides directionality to sustainably improve food safety climate, culture, and sanitation in retail delis environments.
Meat intake increases the risk for pancreatic cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort

5821 Meat intake has been associated with risk for cancer of the exocrine pancreas in several case-control studies. This finding has been attributed to the fat and cholesterol content of meats, or to food preparation methods. However, the results to-date are inconsistent, and data from prospective studies are lacking. We analyzed data from the Multiethnic Cohort Study in Hawaii and Los Angeles to investigate associations between meat, other animal products, fat, and cholesterol intake, and pancreatic cancer risk. Data from 190,545 men and women of African-American, Japanese-American, Caucasian, Latino and Native Hawaiian origin were included in the analysis, and yielded 482 incident cases of pancreatic cancer after an average follow-up of 7 years. Dietary intake was assessed at baseline using a quantitative food frequency questionnaire specially designed for use in this multiethnic population. Cox proportional hazards models, stratified by gender and follow-up time, were calculated, adjusted for age at cohort entry, smoking status, history of diabetes mellitus, familial history of pancreatic cancer, and ethnicity. Pancreatic cancer cases were on average 5 years older than non-cases. A significantly higher proportion of cases were male, current smokers, diagnosed with diabetes mellitus prior to baseline, and reported a familial history of pancreatic cancer. The most pronounced risk factor was processed meat, with a 67% increase in risk for the fifth relative to the first quintile (Rate ratio (RR) 1.67; 95% C.I. 1.35-2.07; p for trend = 0.002). Pork and total red meat intake also increased risk by about 50% (p for trend
How hominin dispersals and megafaunal extinctions influenced the birth of agriculture

Abstract The agricultural revolution is a significant turning point in human history. Its effects are still deeply felt on many aspects of humankind’s social, political, and economic development. For the first time, this study empirically examines the birth of agriculture and identifies the global extinction of megafauna (large mammals) in the past 100,000 years as a paramount related event. During the ice ages, humans and plants heavily depended on megafauna for survival. Megafauna’s decreased abundance shifted human subsistence strategies toward more control over vital common resources. These strategies, in turn, underpinned the type of coevolutionary interactions between humans, animals, and plants that eventually resulted in domestication. The severity of extinction varied considerably in regions occupied by hominins (different species of humans) at different times over the past seven million years. Extinctions were negligible in Africa, moderate in Asia, and severe in the New World. Regression analyses of these exogenous differences reveal a non-monotonic effect of extinction on agriculture. Agriculture was most likely to emerge independently in the lower latitudes of Asia. All other regions experienced suboptimal extinction events, which had varying effects on the birth of agriculture.