cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A global climatology for equatorial plasma bubbles in the topside ionosphere

Abstract. We have developed a global climatology of equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) occurrence based on evening sector plasma density measurements from polar-orbiting Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft during 1989-2004. EPBs are irregular plasma density depletions in the post-sunset ionosphere that degrade communication and navigation signals. More than 14400 EPBs were identified in ~134000 DMSP orbits. DMSP observations basically agree with Tsunoda's (1985) hypothesis that EPB rates peak when the terminator is aligned with the Earth's magnetic field, but there are also unpredicted offsets in many longitude sectors. We present an updated climatology for the full database from 1989-2004 along with new plots for specific phases of the solar cycle: maximum 1989-1992 and 1999-2002, minimum 1994-1997, and transition years 1993, 1998, and 2003. As expected, there are significant differences between the climatologies for solar maximum and minimum and between the two solar maximum phases as well. We also compare DMSP F12, F14, F15, and F16 observations at slightly different local times during 2000-2004 to examine local time effects on EPB rates. The global climatologies developed using the DMSP EPB database provide an environmental context for the long-range prediction tools under development for the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) mission.
Integrating a Behavioural Sleep Intervention into Smoking Cessation Treatment for Smokers with Insomnia: A Randomised Pilot Study

Introduction Sleep disturbance is common among cigarette smokers and predicts smoking cessation failure.
Application of Software Agent to e-Commerce Consumer Buying Support

Facing the flood of information and increasing competitive environment, the e-Commerce seller must make its software facility more customer-oriented, more intelligent, and build one-to-one marketing. A new e-Commerce model is presented to support consumer buying decision making. Some new intelligent technologies like software agent, neural computing, Analytical Hierarchy Process, data mining are used. Some application testing results prove the algorithm's efficiency and the model's practicality.
A note on well-posedness of second order systems

A result which allows one to apply standard well-posedness theory to second order systems is presented and applied to a model for a slewing beam with tip-mass.
Identifying Artistically Talented Students in Four Rural Communities in the United States

Project ARTS was designed as a research and development project to identify high-ability, artistically talented third graders from four different ethnic backgrounds in seven rural schools and to im...
Leukemia-associated mutations within the NOTCH1 heterodimerization domain fall into at least two distinct mechanistic classes

The NOTCH1 receptor is cleaved within its extracellular domain by furin during its maturation, yielding two subunits that are held together noncovalently by a juxtamembrane heterodimerization (HD) domain. Normal NOTCH1 signaling is initiated by the binding of ligand to the extracellular subunit, which renders the transmembrane subunit susceptible to two successive cleavages within and C terminal to the heterodimerization domain, catalyzed by metalloproteases and gamma-secretase, respectively. Because mutations in the heterodimerization domain of NOTCH1 occur frequently in human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), we assessed the effect of 16 putative tumor-associated mutations on Notch1 signaling and HD domain stability. We show here that 15 of the 16 mutations activate canonical NOTCH1 signaling. Increases in signaling occur in a ligand-independent fashion, require gamma-secretase activity, and correlate with an increased susceptibility to cleavage by metalloproteases. The activating mutations cause soluble NOTCH1 heterodimers to dissociate more readily, either under native conditions (n = 3) or in the presence of urea (n = 11). One mutation, an insertion of 14 residues immediately N terminal to the metalloprotease cleavage site, increases metalloprotease sensitivity more than all others, despite a negligible effect on heterodimer stability by comparison, suggesting that the insertion may expose the S2 site by repositioning it relative to protective NOTCH1 ectodomain residues. Together, these studies show that leukemia-associated HD domain mutations render NOTCH1 sensitive to ligand-independent proteolytic activation through two distinct mechanisms.
Power Distribution Fault Cause Identification With Imbalanced Data Using the Data Mining-Based Fuzzy Classification $E$ -Algorithm

Power distribution systems have been significantly affected by many outage-causing events. Good fault cause identification can help expedite the restoration procedure and improve the system reliability. However, the data imbalance issue in many real-world data sets often degrades the fault cause identification performance. In this paper, the E-algorithm, which is extended from the fuzzy classification algorithm by Ishibuchi to alleviate the effect of imbalanced data constitution, is applied to Duke Energy outage data for distribution fault cause identification. Three major outage causes (tree, animal, and lightning) are used as prototypes. The performance of E-algorithm on real-world imbalanced data is compared with artificial neural network. The results show that the E-algorithm can greatly improve the performance when the data are imbalanced
Biorenewable polyethylene terephthalate mimics derived from lignin and acetic acid

Lignin-based vanillin and acetic anhydride are subjected to the Perkin reaction and then hydrogenation to afford acetyldihydroferulic acid. Polymerization of this monomer yields poly(dihydroferulic acid), which exhibits thermal properties functionally similar to those of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Fixed Effects vs. Random Effects Meta‐Analysis Models: Implications for Cumulative Research Knowledge

Research conclusions in the social sciences are increasingly based on meta-analysis, making questions of the accuracy of meta-analysis critical to the integrity of the base of cumulative knowledge. Both fixed effects (FE) and random effects (RE) meta-analysis models have been used widely in published meta-analyses. This article shows that FE models typically manifest a substantial Type I bias in significance tests for mean effect sizes and for moderator variables (interactions), while RE models do not. Likewise, FE models, but not RE models, yield confidence intervals for mean effect sizes that are narrower than their nominal width, thereby overstating the degree of precision in meta-analysis findings. This article demonstrates analytically that these biases in FE procedures are large enough to create serious distortions in conclusions about cumulative knowledge in the research literature. We therefore recommend that RE methods routinely be employed in meta-analysis in preference to FE methods.
Designing Diversity-Enabled Power Profiles for Decode-and-Forward Wireless Relay Networks

Wireless relay networks have caught a lot of attention recently due to their potential to enhance performance by combating fading effects. Numerous strategies have been proposed in the literature to enable cooperative diversity. Among them, decode-and-forward protocol has been well adopted because of its low implementation complexity. However, most decode-and-forward based schemes assume that the relay node has perfect error detection or has feedback information from the destination. In this paper, we design power profiles at the relay which enable diversity at the destination without any feedback or coding assumptions at the relay and source. Furthermore, the diversity orders enabled by any general power profile are quantified. We then summarize necessary and sufficient conditions on the power profiles to guarantee full diversity at the destination. The theoretical analysis is corroborated with numerical simulations.
Newer technics helpful in the study of regurgitant lesions of the cardiac valves.

Abstract The usefulness of two new radiologic technics, namely, cardiac ventriculography and suprasternal thoracic aortography, in assessment and quantitation of cardiac valvular regurgitant lesions is discussed. Direct needle puncture opacification of the ventricular chambers and the ascending aorta permits an objective appraisal of degrees of regurgitation of the mitral, tricuspid and aortic valves.
Identification of linear plants using state-space models

A method for identifying a linear plant with accessible state under servo control is described. The method is characterized by an attempt to perform the identification task on a system described by its continuous-time state-space model. Such an approach is desirable, since it allows greater insight into the physical mechanisms of the system than the input-output models. The method for identification of multiple input-output linear plants is general enough to allow for physical parametrization as well as a black-box approach to the modeling of the unknown disturbance. Initial formulation of the problem allows for identification of incremental changes rather than obsolete values of system parameters. The assumption made is that the unknown system parameters remain constant over the period of time over which identification is applied. >
Defining the New World Order

Let me begin by saying that before we look at security in what has become known as the post-Cold War world, we—the United States and Europe—made a very big mistake at the end of the Cold War by not celebrating the end of the war in the same manner that we marked the end of World War II. Because there were no shots fired, it did not seem appropriate to celebrate. But as you talk to people, on both sides of the Atlantic, there is no real sense of closure. Many people in the United States still compare what we do now in defense to the days of the Cold War because in many ways there was no clear break between the Cold War and this new era. Some see the situation in Bosnia and Kosova as a continuation of the conflicts we had in the Cold War, like Korea. They are markedly different. Without this sense of closure, the current security situation is more confusing than it needs to be.
Appendix A: The Fourier Transform

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Fourier Transformation of Time-Domain and Spatial Frequency-Domain Signals ]]>
Validation and Assessment of Pediatric Lead Screener Questions for Primary Prevention of Lead Exposure

Objective. Pediatric lead screener questions have previously been evaluated for their ability to identify children whose blood lead levels (BLLs) are greater than 10 µg/dL. Based on recent policy changes stressing that there is no safe BLL for children, the current study reevaluates the screener questions for their ability to identify children with BLLs less than 2 µg/dL and the validity of the questions in positively identifying those at greater risk for exposure. Method. A total of 202 parents of children enrolled in Head Start programs were administered the pediatric lead screener, questions to validate the screener questions, and children’s BLLs were collected in Summer 2013. Pediatric screener questions were validated against children’s BLL and the more comprehensive questions on lead risk. Results. In predicting BLL greater than 2 µg/dL, the pediatrician screener tool had a sensitivity of 26.3% and specificity of 72.2%. Each of the screener questions had low sensitivities for identifying children wi...
Is family sense of coherence a protective factor against the obesogenic environment

Despite greater risk for poor nutrition, inactivity, and overweight, some low-income children are able to maintain a healthy weight. We explore if a strong family sense of coherence (FSOC) acts as a protective factor against childhood obesity for low-income preschool children. Families with a strong FSOC view challenges as predictable, understandable, worthy of engaging, and surmountable. Data were collected from 321 low-income mothers and their preschool children in five states between March 2011 and May 2013. FSOC was assessed using the Family Sense of Coherence Scale. A 16-item checklist was used to assess practicing healthy child behaviors (fruit and vegetable consumption and availability, physical activity, and family meals) and limiting unhealthy child behaviors (sweetened beverage and fast food consumption, energy dense snack availability, and screen time). Child body mass index (BMI) z-scores were calculated from measured height and weight. FSOC was significantly associated with practicing healthy child behaviors (β = 0.32, p < .001). We did not find a statistically significant association between FSOC and limiting unhealthy child behaviors or child BMI z-scores in fully adjusted models. Our results suggest the importance of family functioning in predicting health behaviors around food consumption and availability, physical activity, and family meals.
Heat Transfer and Fluid Dynamics Measurements in Accelerated Rough-Wall Boundary Layer

The combined effects of freestream acceleration and surface roughness on heat transfer and fluid dynamics in the turbulent boundary layer were investigated experimentally. The experiments included a variety of flow conditions ranging from aerodynamically-smooth through transitionally-rough to fully-rough boundary layers with accelerations ranging from moderate to modestly strong. Two well-defined rough surfaces composed of 1.27 mm diameter hemispheres spaced 2 and 4 diameters apart, respectively, in staggered arrays on otherwise smooth surfaces were used as the test surfaces. The first 1.5 m of the test section had zero-pressure gradient followed by a 0.4 m accelerated region with the remaining 0.4 m adjusted to zero-pressure gradient.The Stanton number for the rough-wall experiments decreased or increased for accelerated rough-wall cases compared to zero-pressure gradient cases depending on flow conditions. For fully-rough boundary layers, Stanton numbers increased with acceleration compared to zero-pressure gradient at the same x-position. For aerodynamically-smooth and transitionally-rough boundary-layer flows, the effect of acceleration was not similar to that of fully-rough flows and was highly dependent upon the flow conditions.The acceleration caused a decrease in the relative turbulence level over the rough surface. The profiles of Display Formulau′2¯ for the accelerated runs were lower than those of zero-pressure gradient cases, and a substantial decrease in the Reynolds shear stress (Display Formula−u′v′¯) component was observed when acceleration was applied.© 1993 ASME
Application of peridynamic stress intensity factors to dynamic fracture initiation and propagation

A non-local formulation of the classical continuum mechanics theory called peridynamics is used to study initiation and propagation of dynamic fractures. The purpose of this study is twofold. First, we introduce a new post-processing technique to estimate stress intensity factors using peridynamic data. Second, the peridynamic stress intensity factors are used to study the influence of loading rate on key aspects of dynamic fracture. In particular attention is focused on examining the influence of loading rate and material properties on time to fracture and the local stress state at the fracture tip during initiation and propagation. In the first part of the paper emphasis is placed on using stress intensity factors to verify the numerical method. Simulations are performed on simplified test cases and the results are compared to relevant experimental and numerical studies found in the literature. Peridynamic stress intensity factors are then used to demonstrate the influence of loading rate on fracture initiation and propagation. To this end simulations are performed by partially loading the internal surfaces of a notch at various loading rates and monitoring the stress intensity at the tip of the notch. For each loading rate, the stress intensity factor increases smoothly to a value above the input fracture toughness at which point initiation occurs. After initiation, the stress intensity factor remains nearly constant in time. It is shown that the stress intensity factor at initiation and the time to fracture depend on the loading rate. Predictions show that the critical stress intensity is insensitive to loading rate when the fracture initiation time is below a material-dependent characteristic time scale. As loading rate increases, the time to fracture decreases and stress intensity at initiation increases markedly. The characteristic time-scale is shown to be only dependent on the material stiffness and independent of the strength of the singularity at the fracture tip. In our simulations, increasing the loading rate resulted in fracture branching. Also, the fracture speed increases with loading rate. However, the dynamic stress intensity factor of a propagating fracture is shown to be independent of loading conditions for a linear peridynamic solid with rate-independent input fracture toughness.
AC Stark-effect-enhanced near-resonant wave mixing in a four-level system. 1: Experiment

Two laser beams at frequencies v(1) and v(2) are used to produce nonlinear scattering (wave mixing) in I2 vapor at frequency 2v(1) + v(2). The scattering results from near resonance allowed transitions in I2 molecules and is observed to be resonantly enhanced when neither the one-, two-, nor three-quantum transitions are in resonance.
Physicians frequently fail to de-intensify treatment in older patients with diabetes and very low haemoglobin A1c or blood pressure

Commentary on : Sussman JB, Kerr EA, Saini SD, et al. Rates of Deintensification of Blood Pressure and Glycemic Medication Treatment Based on Levels of Control and Life Expectancy in Older Patients With Diabetes Mellitus. JAMA Intern Med 2015;175:1942–9[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3]. The goals of diabetes care are to ensure maximal treatment benefit, with the least harm and treatment burden, based on each patient's individual circumstances. Thus, glycemic and blood pressure targets need to be individualised in the context of patient's age, life expectancy and burden of comorbidities. However, in clinical practice, many older patients with diabetes achieve unnecessarily low levels of glucose and blood pressure (BP) control—levels that are unlikely to provide benefit and may actually lead to harm, such as hypoglycaemia, hypotension, falls and medication side effects.1 ,2 Prior studies have not examined whether treatment is de-intensified as part of routine diabetes care when glycemic or BP levels … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%2BIntern%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D175%26rft.spage%253D1942%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjamainternmed.2015.5110%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F26502220%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.5110&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=26502220&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F21%2F4%2F158.atom
Generation and Characterization of Carbon Particulate in Disruption Simulations

The SIRENS high heat flux facility at NCSU has been used to generate particulate representative of material mobilized during a hard disruption in a fusion reactor. The electrothermal (ET) plasma so...
Garnering the Experiences and Understandings Emerging from Self-Studies in Science Teacher Education

As scholars within the field of science teacher education, we understand the importance of seeking integrity between our theoretical notions of teaching and our own teaching practices. For us, self-study offers this integrity by enabling us to systematically explore our theories and practice in a reflexive manner. Although we have witnessed an increase of individuals conducting self-study research, we believe that its potential is not yet reached because, although professional knowledge is being explored by individuals within our community, the experiences and resulting understandings are not being collectively reflected upon and discussed by our professional community. Thus, the purpose of this book is to reflect upon the multiple experiences, as well as the gained knowledge about the theory and practice of science teacher education, gained through the process of self-study. Although self-study as a research methodology is necessarily defined and supported throughout the book, the primary focus of the discussion is on the professional knowledge that is derived from this work. We begin the discussion with this first chapter that introduces our working definition of self-study research, provides an overview of contemporary self-study practices in our field and introduces the self-studies in this book.
Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction from Faunal Remains: Ecological Basics and Analytical Assumptions

Paleozoologists have long used taxa represented by ancient faunal remains to reconstruct paleoenvironments. Those ancient environments were the selective contexts in which hominin biological and cultural evolution took place. Knowing about those particularistic selective environments and how organisms responded to them is increasingly seen as critically important to identifying both how biota will respond to future (to some degree anthropogenically driven) environmental change, and biological conservation and management applications that will ensure sustainability of ecological resources and services. Reconstructing paleoenvironments requires knowledge of species’ ecological tolerances, geographic ranges, habitats, environments, and niches. It also requires assumptions that extant species had the same ecological tolerances in the past as they do today and that changes in taxonomic composition or abundances reflect environmental change rather than sampling or taphonomic factors. Greater knowledge of ecological processes as well as increased analytical sophistication in paleozoology is providing increasingly rigorous and detailed insights to paleoenvironments.
Influential Factors of Thermochemical Conversion of Basic Components

Chapter 3 investigated the pyrolytic characteristics and mechanisms of basic components, while the reaction conditions were constant, which simplified the comparison of different components. Then, which factors could influence the pyrolytic process of basic components? This chapter will try to provide an answer to this question. Actually, part of the content was involved in Chap. 3. For example, during the study of kinetics in 3.1, the pyrolysis in thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), slow pyrolysis in Macro-TGA, and fast pyrolysis in Macro-TGA were compared. This chapter aims to investigate this question systematically. Limited by the number of experiments, we could not study the influential factors of all the basic components. Lignin and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) account for high fractions in combustible solid waste (CSW); the thermochemical conversion processes of them are complicated; and a large amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed during the thermochemical processes. In particular for PVC, the chlorine in its structure is the main chlorine source of dioxins. Therefore, this chapter chose lignin as the representative of biomass basic components and PVC as the representative of biomass basic components. Investigation of different influence factors could help us determine suitable factors to enhance efficiency and control pollution in industrial applications. In addition, understanding the effect of different factors could help to further explore the pyrolytic mechanisms of basic components. It should be noted that the study of influence factor in this chapter was limited to single component, and the interactions of basic components were the research focus of next chapter.
Double Versus Single Tendon Transfers to Improve Shoulder Function in Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy

Background:In children with brachial plexus birth palsy (BPBP) undergoing tendon transfers to augment shoulder external rotation, it is unclear whether transfer of the latissimus dorsi with its combined latissimus dorsi and teres major (cLT) versus isolated teres major (iTM) tendon transfer yield di
Interactive Visualizations for Planning and Strategic Business Decisions in NFV-Enabled Networks

Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) is driving a paradigm shift in telecommunications networks, fostering new business models and creating innovation opportunities. In NFV-enabled networks, Service Providers (SPs) have the opportunity to build a business model where tenants can purchase Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) that provide distinct network services and functions. However, the chance to negotiate VNFs requires a change in traditional network planning strategies to accommodate tenants demands. In this context, the planning tasks perform a critical role in the introducing of business strategies that encompass both profit and health of services, which requires operators to have a broad understanding of the environment. In this paper, we propose the usage of two interactive visualization techniques to help NFV network operators in planning and strategic decisions. We advocate that our visualizations can aid in NFV planning tasks, such as infrastructure investment, resources allocation, and service pricing. We present three case studies to provide evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of our visualizations.
Segmented arrival graph based evacuation plan assessment algorithm using linear programming

The evacuation routing problem is NP-hard and hence no polynomial-time algorithm exists for the problem. There have been many studies on the evacuation planning heuristic algorithms but the in-depth comparison between them is not available especially in terms of the performance ratio. Without knowing the heuristic solution quality with respect to the optimal solution, we cannot accurately determine each heuristic algorithm's strengths and weaknesses that can lead to a better combination of heuristic algorithms. In this paper we present a Linear Programming (LP) based iterative algorithm to assess the evacuation planning algorithms in terms of the evacuation time. The proposed algorithm takes the paths that are found and/or used in a heuristic algorithm as the input and finds the minimum evacuation time using only those paths. To get the optimal solution, our algorithm repeatedly solves relaxed LP formulations formed from the concept of segmented arrival graphs. We segment the arrival graphs of paths based on the edge-sharing and construct the LP formulations along the segmented edges on the graphs. The computational experiment shows that the proposed algorithm computes the solution using time that is comparable to that of the heuristic algorithms as long as the number of paths is adequately maintained. Using the algorithm we perform the comparison between the existing heuristic algorithms, CCRP++, SMP, EET, and FBSP.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass versus sleeve gastrectomy: risks and benefits.

Introduction Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (GB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) are the most commonly performed metabolic surgeries and are highly effective for the treatment of obesity and related comorbidities. In this narrative review, recent studies of at least two years of follow-up directly comparing outcomes between GB and SG are reviewed to assess the efficacy of each procedure in weight loss and diabetes remission, as well as resulting quality of life (QoL) assessment and micronutrient deficiencies. Evidence acquisition A systematic search of the literature of PubMed using MeSH terms and key words was performed. Evidence synthesis Forty recent studies comparing GB and SG including 208,556 patients are included in this narrative review. Most studies demonstrate significantly greater weight loss after GB compared to SG. There is some evidence that GB may lead to greater proportion of remission of diabetes mellitus (DM), but the majority of studies found no significant difference at longer follow-up. There is some evidence of greater rates of vitamin D and B12 deficiencies following GB. There were no significant differences in QoL assessments between SG and GB. Conclusions A review of moderate and long-term studies directly comparing SG and GB suggests a greater degree of weight loss with GB. There is some but limited evidence the GB is more likely to induce DM remission, while increasing the risk of specific micronutrient deficiencies.
Isolated Contralateral Axillary Lymph Node Involvement in Breast Cancer Represents a Locally Advanced Disease Not Distant Metastases.

Abstract Background Breast cancer metastases to an ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node is assigned a N3 status in the TNM system and thus classified as stage III disease in the American Joint Commission on Cancer staging manual. Breast cancer metastatic to contralateral axillary lymph node (CAM) without metastases to any other distant organ is currently assigned M1 status (stage IV) instead of N3 (stage III). Patients and Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of breast cancer patients diagnosed with CAM for their clinical presentation, pathologic diagnoses, treatment, and follow-up data. Patients who had distant metastases at the time of CAM diagnosis were excluded from the study. Results We report 12 breast cancer patients who developed CAM but no evidence of metastases in any other distant organ documented with extensive imaging workup. Imaging studies and thorough pathologic evaluation of the prophylactic total mastectomy specimen did not reveal a primary in the breast to account for the metastases in the axillary node. Conclusion Findings of our study as well as previous studies support that lymph node metastases in the contralateral axilla represents a locoregional spread of the tumor from the index breast via lymphatics rather than hematogenous spread. Therefore, isolated CAM in breast cancer patients should not be classified as stage IV disease.
Alfonso Bedoya: Definitions, Definitions, and Definitions

Mathematics consists of definitions, equations, and proofs, and while the last two close the sale, definitions are like “Location, location, and location” in real estate. Types and pitfalls of definitions are discussed.
Pleiotropic Role of p53 in Injury and Liver Regeneration after Acetaminophen Overdose.

p53 is the major cellular gatekeeper involved in proliferation, cell death, migration, and homeostasis. The role of p53 in pathogenesis of drug-induced liver injury is unknown. We investigated the role of p53 in liver injury and regeneration after acetaminophen (APAP) overdose, the most common cause of acute liver failure in the Western world. Eight-week-old male wild-type (WT) and p53 knockout (p53KO) mice were treated with 300 mg/kg APAP, and the dynamics of liver injury and regeneration were studied over a time course of 0 to 96 hours. Deletion of p53 resulted in a threefold higher liver injury than in WT mice. Interestingly, despite higher liver injury, p53KO mice recovered similarly as the WT mice because of faster liver regeneration. Deletion of p53 did not affect APAP bioactivation and initiation of injury. Microarray analysis revealed that p53KO mice had disrupted metabolic homeostasis and induced inflammatory and proliferative signaling. p53KO mice showed prolonged steatosis correlating with prolonged liver injury. Initiation of liver regeneration in p53KO mice was delayed, but once initiated, cell cycle was significantly faster than WT mice because of sustained AKT, extracellular signal–regulated kinase, and mammalian target of rapamycin signaling. These studies show that p53 plays a pleotropic role after APAP overdose, where it prevents progression of liver injury by maintaining metabolic homeostasis and also regulates initiation of liver regeneration through proliferative signaling.
Examining the spatiotemporal evolution of vaccine refusal: nonmedical exemptions from vaccination in California, 2000–2013

Vaccine hesitancy continues to be an issue throughout the United States, as numerous vaccine hesitant parents are choosing to exempt their children from school-entry vaccination requirements for nonmedical reasons, despite the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. We conduct an analysis of how vaccine refusal, measured by the use of nonmedical exemptions (based on personal or religious beliefs) from vaccination (NMEs), evolved across space and over time in California. Using school-entry data from the California Department of Public Health, we examined NMEs for students entering kindergarten in California from 2000 to 2013. We conduct global and local spatial autocorrelation analysis to determine whether NME use became more geographically clustered over the study period and whether the location of local clusters of high use were temporally stable. We conducted a grouping analysis that identified the general temporal trends in NME use over the time period. The use of NMEs increased from 0.73% of all kindergarteners in 2000 to 3.09% in 2013 and became more geographically clustered over the study period. Local geographic clusters of high use were relatively isolated early in the study period, but expanded in size over time. The grouping analysis showed that regions with high NME use early in the study period were generally few (15% of all US Census tracts) and relatively isolated. Regions that had low initial NME use and moderate to large increases over the study period were located in close proximity to the initial high use regions. The grouping analysis also showed that roughly half of all tracts had 0% or very low NME use throughout the study period. We found an observable spatial structure to vaccine refusal and NME use over time, which appeared to be a self-reinforcing process, as well as a spatially diffusive process. Importantly, we found evidence that use of NMEs in the initially isolated regions appeared to stimulate vaccine refusal in geographically proximal regions. Thus, our results suggest that efforts aimed at decreasing future NME use may be most effective if they target regions where NME use is already high, as well as the nearby regions.
The role of CD133 in cancer: a concise review

Despite the abundant ongoing research efforts, cancer remains one of the most challenging diseases to treat globally. Due to the heterogenous nature of cancer, one of the major clinical challenges in therapeutic development is the cancer’s ability to develop resistance. It has been hypothesized that cancer stem cells are the cause for this resistance, and targeting them will lead to tumor regression. A pentaspan transmembrane glycoprotein, CD133 has been suggested to mark cancer stem cells in various tumor types, however, the accuracy of CD133 as a cancer stem cell biomarker has been highly controversial. There are numerous speculations for this, including differences in cell culture conditions, poor in vivo assays, and the inability of current antibodies to detect CD133 variants and deglycosylated epitopes. This review summarizes the most recent and relevant research regarding the controversies surrounding CD133 as a normal stem cell and cancer stem cell biomarker. Additionally, it aims to establish the overall clinical significance of CD133 in cancer. Recent clinical studies have shown that high expression of CD133 in tumors has been indicated as a prognostic marker of disease progression. As such, a spectrum of immunotherapeutic strategies have been developed to target these CD133pos cells with the goal of translation into the clinic. This review compiles the current therapeutic strategies targeting CD133 and discusses their prognostic potential in various cancer subtypes.
Photochemical reactions of flavor compounds.

Photochemical reaction is a chemical reaction which is initiated by light. In addition to light, photosensitizer and oxygen are the two important factors which contribute to the formation of photochemical products. In this contribution, photochemical reactions of flavor compounds are classified into four categories according to the factors of photosensitizer and oxygen. Photochemical reaction with or without sensitizer in the absence of oxygen and unsensi-tized photochemical reaction in the presence of oxygen usually involve free radical reactions; while in the presence of oxygen and sensitizer, the singlet oxygen can be generated that then reacts with flavor compounds which contain double bonds to give the oxygenated products.
Transformation of Mitochondrially Coded Genes into Mammalian Cells Using Intact Mitochondria and Mitochondrial DNA

The antibiotics chloramphenicol (CAP) and efrapeptin (EF) inhibit mitochondrial protein synthesis and ATPase, respectively, and thus kill sensitive (wild-type) mammalian cells. However, a variety of mutant cell lines have been isolated and characterized which are resistant to these otherwise lethal antibiotics. We have utilized two mutant murine cell lines, the AMT-BU-Al (Malech and Wivel, 1976) and TL-1 (Lichtor and Getz, 1978), to investigate the possibility of isolating mitochondria from the resistant cells and using them to confer antibiotic resistance on sensitive cells. In addition, experiments were conducted comparing the ability of intact mitochondria or cloned mitochondrial DNA to confer antibiotic resistance on sensitive cells. It is expected that these techniques will be of use not only to those studying mammalian mitochondrial genetics and the mechanisms of DNA-mediated gene transfer, but also to those involved in elucidating the mechanisms by which cytoplasts exert effects on nuclear-coded functions.
Interference Free Group Testing and Reactive Jamming Attacks

Another application of group testing that we would like to introduce is to against reactive jamming attacks , which has emerged as a great security threat to wireless sensor networks, due to its mass destruction to legitimate sensor communications and difficulty to be disclosed and defended. There exist many studies against these attacks, however, these methods, i.e., frequency hopping or channel surfing, require excessive computational capabilities on wireless devices. To overcome the shortcomings, we present here an interference free group-testing based solution by identifying the trigger nodes, whose transmissions activate any reactive jammers. The identification of these trigger nodes can help us to (1) carefully design a better routing protocol by switching these nodes into only receivers to avoid activating jammers and (2) locate the jammers based on the trigger nodes, thus providing an alternative mechanism against reactive jamming attacks. The theoretical analysis and experimental results show that this advanced scheme performs well in terms of time and message complexities.
Chemistry of milk mucins and their anti-microbial action.

Mucins are high molecular weight glycoproteins. They are the major component of all mucus secreted from epithelial cells. As a visco-elastic layer they line the surfaces of various body cavities, including the respiratory, gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts. Depending on their site or origin, mucin monomers have molecular weights between 250 and 600 kDa, and are thus significantly larger than most other glycoproteins. At least 50% of the total molecular mass of the mucin molecule is made up of the carbohydrate chains (Feizi et al., 1984; Neutra and Forstner, 1987).
Rationality in Economic Thought: From Thomas Robert Malthus to Alfred Marshall and Philip Wicksteed

In the last chapter, Adam Smith’s perspective on what, at a fundamental level, makes people tick was explored. We found that he placed great emphasis on the drives of self-interest and self-love. However, we also found that even in commercial settings in which people sought the cooperation of a multitude of others, Smith held strongly to a form of self-interest and self-love, bounded by innate and learned morality and restrained by laws and market competition. In this chapter, my main interest will be Alfred Marshall’s perspective on human motivation, especially, in commercial dealings. I offer two reasons for the focus of the chapter. First, Marshall (1842–1924) remains a towering prominence in the history of economics mainly for making key economic concepts centerpieces of the economic way of thinking, including supply and demand curves, equilibrium, consumer and producer surpluses, time periods (market period, short period, and long period), and elasticity. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, he gave coherence to the then-budding neoclassical economics, sparked by the marginal revolution in the 1870s.
Circadian Rhythms and Addiction

Abstract Many physiological and behavioral functions are controlled by circadian rhythms, resembling a primary system by which an organism adapts to environmental changes. Disruptions to the circadian system can have detrimental consequences on human health, including psychiatric disorders. Human and animal studies have demonstrated extensive bidirectional relationships between circadian rhythms and substance use and abuse. Substance dependence is associated with rhythm disruptions, while circadian disruption, misalignment, and chronotype (“morning” vs “evening” preference) may be risk factors for substance use, abuse, and relapse. Almost every cell in the body contains a functional molecular clock and circadian genes are highly expressed in mood and reward-related brain regions. Recent efforts have begun to tease apart the role of specific circadian genes in reward-related pathways. This chapter will focus on the impact of circadian gene mutations on neural plasticity and behaviors related to addiction. We will highlight key findings from humans and animals linking rhythms to addiction and suggest avenues for future investigations to further probe the mechanisms underlying rhythms, reward, and motivation.
Cardiotoxicity of cancer chemotherapy in clinical practice

Several anticancer agents are associated with significant cardiotoxicity. The list of cardiotoxic cancer therapeutic agents includes anthracyclines, trastuzumab, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, which have been in use for decades; and recently introduced anticancer therapies such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, angiogenesis inhibitors, checkpoint inhibitors and proteasome inhibitors. Cardiac imaging using echocardiography, nuclear imaging techniques, and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can help in the early detection of chemotherapy-related cardiotoxicity. This can prevent the morbidity and mortality resulting from the cardiotoxicity of these agents. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanism of their cardiotoxicity and to develop newer preventive and therapeutic strategies for chemotherapy related cardiotoxicity.
Successful implementation of genomically based treatment of chemotherapy refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL)

Background: The treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) after failure of standard therapy represents a significant clinical challenge as the best approach has not been defined. The outcomes ...
Modeling railroad trespassing crash frequency using a mixed-effects negative binomial model

ABSTRACTA better understanding of rail trespass crashes is needed as more than 400 trespassing related fatalities occur along rail tracks each year in the United States (U.S.). The objective of this research was to investigate factors associated with the occurrence of rail trespass crashes. Yearly crash frequency for counties in the U.S. with train tracks was modeled using a Mixed-effects Negative Binomial Model based on 2012–2016 datasets from the Federal Railroad Administration, the U.S. Census Bureau and National Historical Geographic Information System. Results revealed that key factors affecting rail trespassing crashes include county population density, length of rail tracks in a county, median age and male proportion of the county population, and average train traffic within a county. The findings provided useful information on improving public safety along railroad tracks.
Structural basis of 7SK RNA 5'-γ-phosphate methylation and retention by MePCE.

Among RNA 5'-cap structures, γ-phosphate monomethylation is unique to a small subset of noncoding RNAs, 7SK and U6 in humans. 7SK is capped by methylphosphate capping enzyme (MePCE), which has a second nonenzymatic role as a core component of the 7SK ribonuclear protein (RNP), an essential regulator of RNA transcription. We report 2.0- and 2.1-A X-ray crystal structures of the human MePCE methyltransferase domain bound to S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) and uncapped or capped 7SK substrates, respectively. 7SK recognition is achieved by protein contacts to a 5'-hairpin-single-stranded RNA region, thus explaining MePCE's specificity for 7SK and U6. The structures reveal SAH and product RNA in a near-transition-state geometry. Unexpectedly, binding experiments showed that MePCE has higher affinity for capped versus uncapped 7SK, and kinetic data support a model of slow product release. This work reveals the molecular mechanism of methyl transfer and 7SK retention by MePCE for subsequent assembly of 7SK RNP.
GIT2 is dispensable for normal learning and memory function due to a predominant brain GIT2 splice variant that evades GIT/PIX complexes

G protein-coupled receptor kinase-interacting protein 2 (GIT2) and GIT1 are highly similar, sharing the same domain structure and many binding partners. The most important GIT partners are the p21-activated protein kinase-interacting exchange factor (PIX) proteins, since through homomeric and heteromeric interactions, GIT and PIX proteins form oligomeric GIT/PIX complexes. Oligomeric GIT/PIX complexes function both as regulators of small GTP-binding proteins and as scaffolds for signalling molecules, including p21-activated protein kinases (PAKs). Deficits in learning and memory have been demonstrated in GIT1 knockout mice, and it has been assumed that GIT2 also would affect learning and memory. Unexpectedly, we find that GIT2-deficient mice respond normally in multiple tests of learning and memory, and have normal hippocampal long-term potentiation. Further, we find no evidence that GIT2 regulates ADHD-like phenotypes. To investigate why GIT2 and GIT1 differ so markedly in the brain, we identified the major isoform of GIT2 in the brain as a previously uncharacterized splice variant, GIT2({Delta}BCE). This variant cannot dimerize or form oligomeric complexes with PIX proteins, and is thus incapable of regulating PAK in synapses, compared to oligomeric GIT1/PIX complexes. Because localized activation of PAK in synapses is required for structural plasticity underlying cognitive performance, loss of monomeric GIT2({Delta}BCE) in the brain does not influence these responses.
A Mental Model of Organizational Culture

Having a clear mental model or paradigm of organizational culture is critical to one’s ability to understand and work with cultures from a consultant’s perspective. In this chapter, I will deal with several key elements of an effective mental model of organizational culture. I will begin with an examination of complex adaptive systems (CAS) and the related concept of emergence, both elements are necessary for understanding the models that I will later present. Subsequently, I will discuss the importance of narrative in organizational culture. The chapter also covers the role of symbols and metaphors in the creation and understanding of organizational culture, and the role of culture in creating meaning and context in our everyday world. The chapter concludes with presentations and discussions of the culture models of Schein, Seel, Hatch, and MacQueen.