cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preliminary Study of YBCO/Au/YBCO Josephson Junction

We have grown a YBCO/Au/YBCO tri-layered structure using RF magnetron sputtering for YBCO and high vacuum evaporation for Au. X-ray Diffraction Analysis revealed a strong c-axis orientation of the YBCO thin film even on the Au barrier. We tried to fabricate an SNS junction with an area of 90 um x 90 um. After applying microwave radiation of 8.96 GHz, the critical current was suppressed. Also, weak induced voltage steps in the junction were observed. These steps suggest that an ac-Josephson effect might occur in this device.
Suspensions, Debarments, and Sanctions: A Comparative Guide to United States and World Bank Exclusion Mechanisms

Suspension and debarment are powerful, versatile legal tools for excluding contractors from competing in procurement markets. They have long been used as administrative remedies in the United States to avoid doing business with irresponsible contractors. The World Bank relies on them as means of sanctioning and deterring behavior that compromises the Bank's dual mandate of eliminating extreme poverty and increasing shared prosperity. Although both the U.S. and the World Bank sanctions systems use similar terminology of suspension and debarment and ultimately produce the same result of excluding contractors from procurement markets, these systems exist in very different institutional and legal contexts and were designed to achieve different objectives. This article provides comparative analysis of the U.S. suspension and debarment system and the World Bank's sanctions system. It then explains what U.S. contractors need to know in order to mitigate the risk of being excluded from Bank-financed contracts.
Comparison of Muscadine Ester Volatiles Profiles of Wines Produced Using Pectinase Pre-Treatment and Traditional Methods

Volatile esters in juice and wines from Vitis rotundifolia, cv. Noble wine after one and three years were examined utilizing static headspace solid phase microextraction (SPME) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Wine samples included 24 h and 48 h traditional skin contact, 5 h and 10 h pectinolytic enzyme treatments after one and three years. Unfermented juice esters consisted primarily (72%) of ethyl acetate. Both young (1Y) and old (3Y) wine esters were characterized by high levels of ethyl octanoate. Ester levels of enzyme-treated wines decreased 42–55% in the three-year wine. A similar decrease was observed in the 48 h skin contact samples. Conversely, samples with 24 h skin contact displayed a 10% increase in ester volatiles.
Psoriasis risk SNPs and their association with HIV-1 control.

Abstract Human evolution has resulted in selection for genetic polymorphisms beneficial in the defense against pathogens. However, such polymorphisms may have the potential to heighten the risk of autoimmune disease. Here, we investigated whether psoriasis-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms influence host control of HIV-1 infection. We studied psoriasis and viral immune response variants in three HIV-positive cohorts: (1) HIV-1 controllers and non-controllers in the Study of the Consequences of the Protease Inhibitor Era (SCOPE) cohort (n = 366), (2) Individuals with primary HIV infection in the Options cohort (n = 675), and (3) HIV-positive injection drug users from the Urban Health Study (UHS) (n = 987). We found a strong association of two psoriasis MHC variants, rs9264942 and rs3021366, with both HIV-1 controller status and viral load, and identified another Class III MHC variant rs9368699 to be strongly associated with viral load. A number of genetic variants outside the MHC ( SOX5 , TLR9 , SDC4 , PROX1 , IL12B , TLR4 , MBL-2 , TYK2 , IFIH1 ) demonstrated nominal significance. Overall, our data suggest that several psoriasis variants within the MHC have a robust impact on HIV-1 control, while variants outside the MHC require further investigation.
Teaching Behavior and Positive and Negative Affect in High School Students: Does Students’ Race Matter?

There are clear, empirical associations between teaching behaviors and students’ affect. Yet no study to date has investigated whether teaching behaviors (i.e., instructional, organizational, socio-emotional, and negative) impact students’ affect differently based on race/ethnicity. This gap in the literature is concerning given the substantial academic and mental health disparities between African American (AA) and European American (EA) students. Thus, the present study examined whether differences exist in the associations between teaching behaviors and affect in AA and EA high school students. Participating AA and EA high school students (N = 968; 60.2% EA) completed the Teaching Behavior Questionnaire and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale for Children. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we found a positive association between instructional teaching behavior and positive affect in EA but not AA students; this association was significantly stronger in EA than in AA students (p .05). Finally, there was a negative association between negative teaching behavior and positive affect in EA but not AA students; race did not moderate this finding (p > .05). Regarding negative affect, socio-emotional and negative teaching behavior were positively associated with negative affect (p .05). The implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship Modeling of Kinase Selectivity Profiles

The discovery of selective inhibitors of biological target proteins is the primary goal of many drug discovery campaigns. However, this goal has proven elusive, especially for inhibitors targeting the well-conserved orthosteric adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding pocket of kinase enzymes. The human kinome is large and it is rather difficult to profile early lead compounds against around 500 targets to gain an upfront knowledge on selectivity. Further, selectivity can change drastically during derivatization of an initial lead compound. Here, we have introduced a computational model to support the profiling of compounds early in the drug discovery pipeline. On the basis of the extensive profiled activity of 70 kinase inhibitors against 379 kinases, including 81 tyrosine kinases, we developed a quantitative structure-activity relation (QSAR) model using artificial neural networks, to predict the activity of these kinase inhibitors against the panel of 379 kinases. The model's performance in predicting activity ranges from 0.6 to 0.8 depending on the kinase, from the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC). The profiler is available online at http://www.meilerlab.org/index.php/servers/show?s_id=23.
Ethnic and genetic factors of iron status in women of reproductive age.

Background: African Americans are at increased risk of iron deficiency (ID) but also have higher serum ferritin (SF) concentrations than those of the general population. The Hemochromatosis and Iron Overload Screening (HEIRS) Study was a multicenter study of ethnically diverse participants that tested for the hemochromatosis (HFE) C282Y genotype and iron status.Objective: We sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of ID (SF concentration ≤15 μg/L) and elevated iron stores (SF concentration >300 μg/L) in HEIRS women of reproductive age (25-44 y).Design: The HEIRS Study was a cross-sectional study of iron status and HFE mutations in primary care patients at 5 centers in the United States and Canada. We analyzed data for women of reproductive age according to whether or not they were pregnant or breastfeeding at the time of the study.Results: ID was present in 12.5% of 20,080 nonpregnant and nonbreastfeeding women compared with 19.2% of 1962 pregnant or breastfeeding women (P 49.0; P 2.0; P < 0.001). Asian American ethnicity (OR: 1.8; P = 0.001) and HFE C282Y heterozygosity (OR: 1.9; P = 0.003) were associated with increased iron stores in nonpregnant and nonbreastfeeding women.Conclusions: Both ID and elevated iron stores are present in women of reproductive age and are influenced by ethnicity and HFE C282Y. Efforts to optimize iron status should keep these findings in view. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03276247.
Fast-response liquid crystal phase modulators for augmented reality displays

We report three new liquid crystal mixtures optimized for the phase modulator of an augmented reality display. The mixtures exhibit a relatively high birefringence (Δn) yet low viscosity, modest dielectric anisotropy (Δe), and acceptable resistivity and UV stability. High Δn enables a thin cell gap (d≈1.7 μm) for achieving 2π phase change with a reflective Liquid-Crystal-on-Silicon (LCoS) device and ~2 ms average phase-to-phase response time at 40°C. The modest Δe helps lower the operation voltage to 5V. To improve the response time of a full-color LCoS, we propose a new driving method by shifting the operation voltage away from the threshold. We also applied such a high Δn LC mixture to LCoS based amplitude modulators and achieved submillisecond response time. Widespread applications of these materials for the emerging augmented reality displays are foreseeable.
Mass detection in digital breast tomosynthesis data using convolutional neural networks and multiple instance learning.

Abstract Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) was developed in the field of breast cancer screening as a new tomographic technique to minimize the limitations of conventional digital mammography breast screening methods. A computer-aided detection (CAD) framework for mass detection in DBT has been developed and is described in this paper. The proposed framework operates on a set of two-dimensional (2D) slices. With plane-to-plane analysis on corresponding 2D slices from each DBT, it automatically learns complex patterns of 2D slices through a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN). It then applies multiple instance learning (MIL) with a randomized trees approach to classify DBT images based on extracted information from 2D slices. This CAD framework was developed and evaluated using 5040 2D image slices derived from 87 DBT volumes. The empirical results demonstrate that this proposed CAD framework achieves much better performance than CAD systems that use hand-crafted features and deep cardinality-restricted Bolzmann machines to detect masses in DBTs.
Surviving the Great Recession: Nonprofit Housing Developers Through the Lens of Organizational Theory

This study identified factors that influenced California nonprofit housing development organizations’ (NHDO) survival and financial stability during the Great Recession. NHDO typically develop and ...
Beyond the Boundary: New Insights from Inside the Space-Time Prism

The space-time prism is a key concept in time geography; it demarcates all locations that a mobile object can occupied given origin and destination anchors, the earliest departure time from origin, the latest arrival time at destination, and the maximum travel velocity. The prism boundary has been widely applied to measure the limits on mobility and accessibility given individual’s spatial and temporal constrains. However, little attention has been paid to the interior of the prism. This chapter provides some novel insights into the internal structure of the prism, which can improve not only the theoretical understanding of the space-time prism but also practical applications. Two properties of prism interior are demonstrated in detail: the probability to visit each location within the prism interior and the velocity profile associated with each location. To illustrate the potentials for applying these properties, two example implications are provided: a modified utility-based accessibility benefit measure and a new measure for the potential environmental costs of accessibility.
Neural Stem Cells: Ocular

The neurons and Muller glia of the retina are produced during development by cells known as multipotent progenitors. These cells can undergo symmetric and asymmetric divisions to generate additional progenitors and postmitotic neurons. In fish and some amphibians, some of these cells persist throughout the life of the animal and continue to generate new retinal neurons and Muller glia. In the adult animal, these cells are known as retinal stem cells, since they occupy a niche similar to that of the other well-characterized central nervous system stem cell zones, such as the subventricular zone. The characteristics of these cells and the evidence for their existence in mammals are reviewed.
Part A: Psychiatric Aspects of the Dialysis Patient

Psychiatry and psychiatrists can help in the treatment of the dialysis patient, by being members of the caregiving team, and in diagnosing psychopathology in the patient, family and treatment team. Arrangements then can be made in setting up appropriate treatment for psychopathology, instituting treatment when indicated, and performing research in demographic, psychopathologic and outcome factors. This chapter will deal with adult problems and psychopathology, and not with the special problems of pediatric patients. Case reports are used in an illustrative fashion, to highlight symptoms and management of psychopathology
Whatever happened to abstracts from different sections of the association for research in vision and ophthalmology

PURPOSE The authors investigated the fate of abstracts from each ARVO section (May 1985 meeting), the overall publication percentage, and the journals in which the abstract-derived articles were published. METHODS They performed a MEDLINE search by first author for 25 or 26 randomly selected abstracts from each section to identify those that led to full-length articles in peer-reviewed journals. RESULTS Overall, 63% of abstracts led to full-length articles in peer-reviewed journals within our search period of 87 months. The publication rate of oral presentation abstracts (68%) was significantly higher than that of poster presentation abstracts (56%). A greater proportion of basic science-oriented abstracts (67%) led to publication than the clinically oriented abstracts (56%). The rate of publication was lowest for the Cornea section (40%) and highest for Physiology and Pharmacology (80%) and Biochemistry (76%). The abstract-derived articles were published in 67 different peer-reviewed journals, with 43% of the articles appearing in only five journals. CONCLUSIONS The fact that the majority of abstracts led to full-length articles supports ARVO's goal of a large interdisciplinary appeal with the exchange of ideas among different investigators.
Model predictive control for building loads connected with a residential distribution grid

Abstract Aggregated control of electrical loads in a large cluster of buildings has been a challenge due to the complexity of the system involving generators, grid constraints, load serving entities complex load models, and people behavior. This paper introduces a novel load aggregation method in an electricity distribution system with Model Predictive Controlled (MPC) loads. This method closes the control loop from power generation to people behavior, resulting in a more stable and efficient integrated buildings-to-grid system. A behavior-driven price-based MPC is introduced for a residential building energy management system, which controls the air conditioner (AC), electric vehicle (EV), water heater, and battery energy storage system. A nodal pricing method is introduced representing power generation and distribution costs, which is mathematically proven to stabilize the system with MPC controlled loads. The method is tested in a 342-node residential building distribution network with 15,000 buildings which is inverse sampled from hundreds of actual smart meter data. The results show a 21% reduction in generation cost, 17% reduction in peak load, and reduced nodal voltage drop from the coordinated control system.
Residual value analysis of plug-in vehicles in the United States

Abstract Knowledge about the value of used plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), known as residual value, is critical for potential PEV purchasers, corporations, and governments who wish to consider the lifetime cost effectiveness of PEVs. We investigate the residual values of PEVs and compare them with those of other vehicle powertrain technologies using the “true market value” data from Edmunds.com, and considering U.S. federal incentives. We define the adjusted retention rate as the ratio between resale value and the manufacturer's suggested retail price, subtracting incentives. We develop statistical models to quantify the effects of powertrain technologies on residual value while controlling key factors, including vehicle size, brand, and market segments. We find that the long-range high-performance Tesla Model S holds value significantly better than any other vehicle type evaluated, including internal combustion engine vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are comparable to one another. They hold slightly less value than internal combustion engine vehicles, but significantly more than short-range (
Comparison of Two Strategies to Introgress Genes for Resistance to Common Scab from Diploid Solanum chacoense into Tetraploid Cultivated Potato

Wild potato relatives are important sources of novel genes useful for potato improvement. Since most wild potato species are diploid and most cultivars are tetraploid, it is typically necessary to employ ploidy manipulations to access wild potato germplasm. A common strategy is unilateral sexual polyploidization (USP), in which a tetraploid cultivated clone is crossed with a diploid that produces 2n gametes. The diploid parent may be a wild plant selected for a trait of interest. Alternatively, the wild plant may be crossed to a cultivated diploid and, after selection, the diploid hybrid is then crossed to the tetraploid parent. This study was designed to compare these two strategies for the introgression of common scab resistance from wild diploid Solanum chacoense (chc) into cultivated potato. Progeny were evaluated in naturally scab-infested soil in Maine and Michigan. There were no differences between introgression methods for tuber surface area covered by scab. Scab lesions were significantly more severe when a hybrid was used as the diploid parent, but this difference is likely not large enough to be important in a breeding program. Reciprocal cross differences were not significant. However, location x clone interactions were detected for both surface area and lesion type. This study revealed that, while hybridization strategy did not play a major role in developing this scab resistant germplasm, it is critical to consider production environment when screening for resistance.
Pediatric ovarian volumes measured at ultrasound after contralateral unilateral oophorectomy

Changes that occur in the remaining ovary after contralateral oophorectomy are not well described. To determine average ovarian volume in pediatric patients after contralateral oophorectomy compared to age-matched controls with two normal ovaries. We performed a retrospective review of ultrasound examinations and electronic medical records of patients ages 0–18 years who had unilateral oophorectomy from 2000 to 2017 (n=64). We used 384 consecutive normal age-matched ovaries for comparison, analyzing mean ovarian volumes. Higher mean ovarian volume (mL) was observed in patients who had oophorectomy compared to controls in the first decade of life (P<0.003) and second decade of life (P<0.0003). Higher mean ovarian volume was seen in both premenarchal and menstruating patients with prior oophorectomy when compared to controls (P<0.05 and P<0.0001, respectively). When comparing volume during menstrual cycle, we saw higher mean ovarian volumes in the oophorectomy group compared to the control group for the follicular (P<0.0001), pre-ovulatory (P=0.0005) and luteal phases (P<0.0003). We provide an updated reference of normal ovarian volumes for pediatric patients, with values similar to those already reported in the literature. Ovarian volume is higher in pediatric patients with one normal ovary following contralateral oophorectomy. The provided normative volumes can be used in evaluating these patients.
The influence of editorial decisions and the academic network on self-citations and journal impact factors

Abstract There are many means by which editors can inappropriately manipulate journal impact factors, but questions remain as to whether these potentially inappropriate behaviors actually influence these scores to an empirically meaningful degree, and which academic disciplines are most culpable. In this manuscript, we propose a game-theoretic/information-asymmetry model that suggests manipulation is reinforced by a feedback loop that creates incentives for manipulation to spread and for disciplines to specialize in the type of manipulation used. We empirically investigate these hypotheses for four different manipulation strategies; coercive citation, self-serving review articles, editorials, and online queuing. Results show that all four of these techniques are effective, they inflate JIF scores and the h-index, and a significant part of that effect is due to inflated self-citations. We also find journals within disciplines tend to specialize in which technique they most frequently employ. Moreover, we show that disciplines are also interconnected, tied together by a journal cross-discipline content network and that disciplines that share more content also tend to rely more heavily on the same JIF influencing behaviors. Effective policy needs to change the editorial decision calculation by removing the benefits of manipulation; removing self-citations from journal metric calculations drastically reduces those benefits.
Input-Decoupled Q-Learning for Optimal Control

A design of optimal controllers based on a reinforcement learning method called Q-Learning is presented. Central to Q-Learning is the Q-function which is a function of the state and all input variables. This paper shows that decoupled-in-the-inputs Q-functions exist, and can be used to find the optimal controllers for each input individually. The method thus converts a multiple-variable optimization problem into much simpler single-variable optimization problems while achieving optimality. An explicit model of the system is not required to learn these decoupled Q-functions, but rather the method relies on the ability to probe the system and observe its state transition. Derived within the framework of modern control theory, the method is applicable to both linear and non-linear systems.
Learner-Centered Use of Student Response Systems Improves Performance in Large Class Environments.

At the college level, students often participate in introductory courses with large class enrollments that tend to produce many challenges to effective teaching and learning. Many teachers are concerned that this class environment fails to accommodate higher-level thinking and learning. I offer a brief rationale for why a student-response system (a computer-assisted polling tool), when well incorporated into lectures, can effectively address the basis of some of these concerns and should improve teaching and learning. An empirical assessment reveals that when used to engage students in lecture, this technology can help many of them achieve higher test scores.
Advancing Adoption of Active Learning Pedagogy via New Avenues of Research and Training

This Work in Progress in the Research to Practice Category advocates for new evidence-based training opportunities for potential future faculty to increase student access to active learning. Active learning has been used in the classroom for years and demonstrated its effectiveness in terms of enhancing students’ performance. In spite of the reported benefits of active learning, a sizable gap exists between faculty that are aware of active learning as a teaching style and those that adopt it for their classrooms. In response, the broader community has developed several successful aids to overcome often cited barriers to adoption. Nevertheless, this gap remains and indicates the need for further interpretation of existing research as well as additional avenues of research and training to advance adoption. These avenues should augment existing initiatives to increase adoption and further understanding of faculty reticence. Based on the current topography of active learning and its adoption, we argue for new training mechanisms to be offered at the graduate level that would have broad appeal and provide a foundation for evidence-based techniques. We also argue for research that is more inclusive and qualitative in nature to specifically explore faculty attitudes, beliefs, and backgrounds as they pertain to instruction.
Chapter 7 – Sampling Theory

Publisher Summary To process signals with a computer it is necessary to sample, quantize, and code them to obtain digital signals. Once the analog signal is sampled in time, the amplitude of the obtained discrete-time signal is quantized and coded to give a binary sequence that can be either stored or processed with a computer. The sampling theory provides the necessary information to convert a continuous-time signal into a discrete-time signal and then into a digital signal with minimum error. The sampling process can be thought of as a modulation process, in particular connected with pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). It is the frequency representation of an analog signal that determines the way in which it can be sampled and reconstructed. Analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters are the devices that in practice convert an analog signal into a digital signal and back. This chapter presents a bridge between analog and digital signal processing. Two parameters characterizing these devices are the sampling rate and the number of bits each sample is coded into. The rate of change of a signal determines the sampling rate, while the precision in representing the samples determines the number of levels of the quantization and the number of bits assigned to each sample. The analysis of discrete-time signals, as well as the analysis and synthesis of discrete systems is also discussed in this chapter.
Mesothelioma Biomarkers: Discovery in Search of Validation.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an asbestos-related neoplasm that can only be treated successfully when correctly diagnosed and treated early. The asbestos-exposed population is a high-risk group that could benefit from sensitive and specific blood- or tissue-based biomarkers. We review recent work with biomarker development in MPM and literature of the last 20 years on the most promising blood- and tissue-based biomarkers. Proteomic, genomic, and epigenomic platforms are covered. SMRP is the only validated blood-based biomarker with diagnostic, monitoring and prognostic value. To strengthen development and testing of MPM biomarkers, cohorts for validation must be established by enlisting worldwide collaborations.
Postural control development from late childhood through young adulthood.

Abstract Background The development of stable postural control is characterized by changes in sway variability and periods of rapid reorganization of motor system components. Research question The current study examined whether changing biomechanical and perceptual demands influences the postural control behavior during development. Method The center of pressure (COP) was assessed via a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 48 females in three age groups (late childhood, mid-adolescence, and young adulthood) during four quiet stance conditions: (1) eyes open with feet apart, (2) eyes open with feet together, (3) eyes closed with feet apart, and (4) eyes closed with feet together. Linear measures included total path length of the COP and the mean/standard deviation of the overall COP position and speed. To characterize the sway patterns via nonlinear analyses, the speed and two-dimensional positional time series were submitted to sample entropy and Renyi entropy, respectively. Results The linear results indicated that the late childhood group displayed longer COP trajectories (p Significance The linear results support previous findings, while the nonlinear measures indicate sway characteristics that may provide a window into the development of underlying control processes that regulate quiet standing.
Six versus twelve hours of single-balloon catheter placement with oxytocin administration for labor induction: a randomized controlled trial.

Background Induction of labor is common in the United States. Multiple previous studies have tried to outline a faster time to delivery to improve maternal and fetal outcomes. Objective This study aimed to evaluate whether women who undergo induction of labor with a single-balloon catheter and oxytocin have a shorter time to delivery with planned removal of the catheter at 6 vs 12 hours. Study Design In this randomized controlled trial, induction of labor was performed using a combination of single-balloon catheter and oxytocin. Term women, both nulliparous and multiparous, aged 18 to 50 years old with cephalic singletons were included if they were undergoing induction of labor with a Bishop score of Results From February 2019 to June 2020, 237 women were screened, 178 women were randomized, and 177 women were included in the final analysis (89 women in the 6-hour group and 88 women in the 12-hour group). Insertion to delivery time was significantly shorter in the 6-hour group (19.2 vs 24.3 hours; P=.04), and the proportion of women delivered by 24 hours was significantly greater in the 6-hour group (67.4% vs 47.4%; P Conclusion Induction of labor with a single-balloon catheter and oxytocin with planned removal of the catheter at 6 hours rather than 12 hours results in a shorter time from insertion to delivery without increasing the rate of cesarean delivery. Decreasing the length of time a single-balloon catheter is in place should be considered in clinical protocols.
Psychosocial family-level mediators in the intergenerational transmission of trauma: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionPsychosocial factors within the family appear to play a critical role in mediating the intergenerational transmission of trauma; however, there has yet to be a review article that quantitatively synthesizes causal mechanisms across a diversity of trauma-types. This study aims to systematically consolidate the epidemiological research on family-level psychosocial mediators and moderators to ultimately produce causal diagram(s) in the intergenerational transmission of trauma. Methods and analysisWe will identify epidemiological peer-reviewed publications, dissertations, and conference abstracts that measure the impact of at least one psychosocial family-level factor mediating or moderating the relationship between parental trauma exposure and a child mental health outcome. English, French, Kinyarwanda, and Spanish articles will be eligible. We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PTSDpubs, Scopus and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses and will conduct forward citation chaining of included documents. Two reviewers will perform screening and data extraction independently. We will extract reported mediators, moderators, and relevant study characteristics for included studies. Findings will be presented using narrative syntheses, descriptive analyses, mediation meta-analyses, moderating meta-analyses, and causal diagram(s), where possible. We will also perform a risk of bias assessment for studies included in meta-analyses and will construct a funnel plot to assess publication bias. Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not needed for this review. Results will be presented at academic conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal in hopes to inform the development and evaluation of resilience-building interventions. PROSPERO registration numberregistration ID #251053. ARTICLE SUMMARYO_ST_ABSStrengths and limitations of this studyC_ST_ABSO_LIThis review will generate the first evidence-based causal diagram(s) of psychosocial factors mediating and moderating the intergenerational transmission of trauma. C_LIO_LIOur methods are based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews and Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methods manual. C_LIO_LIWe developed a comprehensive search strategy in partnership with two medical research librarians. C_LIO_LIWe will reduce likelihood of publication bias through forward citation chaining and including conference abstracts and dissertations. C_LIO_LIWe will not cover all languages, which might contribute language bias. C_LI
Visual Evoked Potentials in the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis

ABSTRACT.Electrophysiological methods are useful in the detection of clinically silent lesions in patients with suspected multiple sclerosis (MS). While no specific visual evoked potential (VEP) abnormalities are pathognomonic for optic nerve demyelination, they are highly sensitive indicators of visual pathway dysfunction. The prevalence of abnormal VEPs increases with the likelihood of the diagnosis of MS even in those patients with no history of visual symptoms, and in many studies approaches 100% in patients with known optic neuritis. The yield of VEP abnormalities varies considerably with technique. Abnormalities may appear selectively for certain kinds of stimulus patterns, and most studies employing multiple stimuli report an additive effect on yield. Other methods of assessment, such as evoked potentials in other sensory modalities and neuroimaging, test other portions of the nervous system, and therefore give results which are complementary to VEP testing. However, pattern reversal VEPs are more ...
An Overview of PEEK Biomaterials

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews basic information about polymers in general and describes the structure and composition of polyaryletheretherketone (PEEK). It is a member of the polyaryletherketone polymer (PAEK) family that has been used for orthopedic and spinal implants. Historically, the availability of PEEK arrived at a time when there was a growing interest in the development of “isoelastic” hip stems and fracture fixation plates, with stiffnesses comparable with the bone. Much of the research on PEEK implants has been fragmented in the materials science, composites, biomaterials, and application-specific literature. PEEK had emerged as the leading high-performance thermoplastic candidate for replacing metal implant components, especially in orthopedics and trauma. Numerous studies have documented the successful clinical performance of PAEKs in orthopedic and spine patients. Recent research has also investigated the biotribology of PEEK composites as bearing materials and flexible implants used for joint arthroplasty. Because of the interest in further improving implant fixation, PEEK biomaterials research has also focused on compatibility of the polymer with bioactive materials, including hydroxyapatite, either as a composite filler or as a surface coating. As a result of ongoing biomaterials research, PEEK and related composites can be engineered today with a wide range of physical, mechanical, and surface properties, depending upon their implant application.
Chapter 11 Metabolism of bile acids in liver and extrahepatic tissues

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the metabolism of bile acids in liver and extrahepatic tissues. Bile acids synthesized in the liver are primarily derivatives of 5 β -cholanic acid; however, bile acids of lower animals and some fishes may be predominantly of the 5 α or allo series. Eutherian mammals usually synthesize cholic and chenodeoxycholic acids as primary bile acids, which are conjugated in the liver with glycine or taurine; in the remainder of the animal kingdom, only taurine conjugates are found. These bile salts are secreted by the liver as constituents of bile, which is carried via the biliary duct system to the gallbladder. Bile is concentrated in the gallbladder for ultimate discharge into the duodenum where the bile salts are intimately associated with dietary lipids and its various digestive products. While most of the latter constituents are absorbed in the upper 100 cm of the small intestine, conjugated bile acids are absorbed passively from all sites of the gastrointestinal tract, pass through the duodenum–jejunum, and are largely absorbed in the ileum by active transport mechanism. The lower section of the small intestine contains microorganisms, as does the large intestine, which receives the constituents of the small bowel. Biochemical studies with isolated rat hepatocytes have largely been concerned with transport mechanisms, secretion of bile acids, or biosynthesis of bile acids.
BRCA1 Y101X, a recurrent mutation with potential founder effect in Nigerian breast cancer patients

689 Germ-line mutations in the tumor suppressor gene BRCA1 account for approximately 5% of all beast cancer cases, yet these mutations are highly penetrant and among the strongest predictors of breast cancer occurrence. In some populations (Ashkenazi Jews, Dutch, Icelandic, etc.) there exist founder BRCA1 mutations. These are mutations that occurred in a small founder population and subsequently become prevalent in descendants of that population. In the populations of African ancestry, only one recurring BRCA1 mutation (943ins10) has been described as a potential founder mutation, but this lesion may have occurred fairly recently (over 200 years ago). During our analysis of BRCA1 mutations in a Nigerian, predominantly Yoruba population, we detected a recurrent mutation BRCA1 Y101X mutation in breast cancer patients. This mutation occurred four times (0.81%, 95% Confidence Interval [C.I.] 0.02%-1.6%) in a cohort of 492 unrelated Nigerian breast cancer patients. This frequency is comparable to those of the frequent founder mutations, BRCA1 185delAG and 5382insC in Ashkenazi Jewish breast cancer patients. To characterize the history of this allele, we genotyped the Y101X carriers for eight microsatellite markers within and around BRCA1 gene and found that for each of the two closest markers, D17S1326 and D17S1327 upstream from Y101X, all four mutation-carriers share a common allele. We genotyped these two markers in Nigerian control samples and constructed the haplotype of D17S1326, D17S1327 and Y101X using PHASE 2.0 software. The predicted haplotypes suggest the four chromosomes carrying the Y101X mutation likely resulted from a single mutation event. Our results suggest BRCA1 Y101X may be a potential founder mutation in Nigerian breast cancer patients.
Nanoimprint lithography-A key "engine" to nanotechnology research and commercialization today

Summary form only given. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) has increasingly been recognized as a key nanomanufacturing technology that will play a critical role in commercialization of nanostructures. In this talk, we will overview the development of NIL technologies (machines, masks, resists, and processes) and applications in the NanoStructure Laboratory at Princeton University.
Growth hormone and craniofacial changes : Preliminary data from studies in Turner's syndrome

Normal craniofacial and dental growth and development is dependent on growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). Deficiencies of either during childhood cause diminished growth of the maxilla and (to a greater degree) the mandible. Dental development/eruption also is compromised. Conversely, excessive GH/insulin-like growth factor I causes overgrowth, with the mandible again more affected than the maxilla. Replacement therapy in deficiency conditions generally normalizes craniofacial growth. Systemic GH also has been used in other disorders for which overt deficiency of GH has not been demonstrated. One such condition, Turner's syndrome, is now widely treated with GH. Although systemic GH in Turner's syndrome has been shown to positively affect stature, the effects on craniofacial growth and dental development/eruption are largely unknown. To explore these issues, standardized lateral radiographs of seven untreated patients with Turner's syndrome were analyzed and revealed hypoplasias of the cranial base, maxilla, and mandible. Dental development/eruption of patients with Turner's syndrome was found to be significantly advanced (by 0.63 years), relative to control subjects, in a separate study. Annual radiocephalometric measurements of 19 patients with Turner's syndrome treated with GH were compared with nonaffected control subjects over 1 year of treatment. Compared with age-matched historic control subjects, all maxillary-and most mandibular-growth measures were within 2 standard deviations of control. However, in our patients with Turner's syndrome, we found two measures of mandibular growth that deviated by more than 3 standard deviations from control. These data, although preliminary and only encompassing a short period, indicate that mandibular growth may be more affected than is maxillary growth by GH treatment and should be monitored over long-term-therapy.
Incorporating Perceptual Task Effort into the Recognition of Intention in Information Graphics

The rapidly increasing availability of electronic publications containing information graphics poses some interesting challenges in terms of information access. For example, visually impaired individuals should ideally be provided with access to the knowledge that would be gleaned from viewing the information graphic. Similarly, digital libraries must take into account the content of information graphics when constructing indices. This paper outlines our approach to recognizing the intended message of an information graphic, focusing on the concept of perceptual task effort, its role in the inference process, our rules for estimating effort, and the results of an eye tracking experiment conducted in order to evaluate and modify those rules.
NetGator: malware detection using program interactive challenges

Internet-borne threats have evolved from easy to detect denial of service attacks to zero-day exploits used for targeted exfiltration of data. Current intrusion detection systems cannot always keep-up with zero-day attacks and it is often the case that valuable data have already been communicated to an external party over an encrypted or plain text connection before the intrusion is detected. In this paper, we present a scalable approach called Network Interrogator (NetGator) to detect network-based malware that attempts to exfiltrate data over open ports and protocols. NetGator operates as a transparent proxy using protocol analysis to first identify the declared client application using known network flow signatures.Then we craft packets that "challenge" the application by exercising functionality present in legitimate applications but too complex or intricate to be present in malware. When the application is unable to correctly solve and respond to the challenge, NetGator flags the flow as potential malware. Our approach is seamless and requires no interaction from the user and no changes on the commodity application software. NetGator introduces a minimal traffic latency (0.35 seconds on average) to normal network communication while it can expose a wide-range of existing malware threats.
Universal Liquid Chromatography Methods : V. “Pulsing” with weak eluent to resolve peaks☆

Abstract With liquid chromatography “pulsing” is a new approach for resolving peaks and resolution optimization with fluorescence detection. A slug of an additive (e.g. 500 μl of weak eluent) is injected into the gradient stream while a run is in progress. Pulsing injections are timed so that pulsing agent arrives at the unresolved-peaks to slow abruptly the gradient, resulting in improved resolution. Pulsing leaves in place the separated peaks and focuses separation efforts only on unresolved-peaks. With pulsing, only partial resolution of all peaks need be achieved by using simple gradients or high plate counts. It is only necessary to provide space in the chromatogram for ultimately moving the unresolved-peaks. Pulsing with the proper volume and time intervals is used to adjust the resolution between each set of adjacent unresolved-peaks. A chromatogram with a single properly timed pulsing is identical to the unpulsed chromatogram except that an unseparated peak pair is split into two resolved peaks. Thus pulsing has a minimum affect on adjacent peaks so the movement and identities of peaks can be readily followed. Since pulsing does not split pure peaks, pulsing can be used to test each single peak to determine if it is a single component.
Interaction of Divalent Cations with Fluorescein-Labeled Na,K-ATPase

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the interaction of divalent cations with fluorescein-labeled Na, K–ATPase. Mg 2+ , in addition to its presumed role with ATP as the Mg . ATP substrate, is also an important regulator of the Na, K–ATPase. Acting through low affinity sites, Mg 2+ (1) inhibits nucleotide binding, (2) raises the K 0.5 for Na + for enzyme phosphorylation and the Na–ATPase reaction, and (3) inhibits ADP/ATP exchange. Mn 2+ can partially substitute for Mg 2+ in the Na,K-ATPase and K-phosphatase reactions and can itself support phosphatase activity in the absence of K + . The interaction of Mg 2+ and Mn 2+ with Na,K-ATPase labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), a probe that has been used to distinguish the E 1 (Na) and E 2 (K) forms of the enzyme (Karlish, 1980). From the observed effects of Mn2+ and Mg2+ on (1) fluorescence changes due to K + and Na + , (2) fluorescence in the absence of other ligands, and (3) fluorescence quenching produced by ouabain, it has been concluded that Mn 2+ is a more potent selector than Mg 2+ of the E 2 conformational state of the Na,K–ATPase. The chapter provides an overview of a preliminary account of these studies.
The developmental ecology of acoustic reactions: approaches to song playbacks by male cowbirds change across their first year of life

We examined whether captive, wild-caught juvenile male cowbirds (Molothrus ater) would react to playbacks of vocalizations of conspecifics and heterospecifics and if so, whether those reactions would vary across development. We played five different types of vocalizations to juveniles: adult male cowbird song, adult female cowbird chatter, juvenile male cowbird plastic song, songs from species that are common cowbird hosts, and songs of species that cowbirds do not parasitize. We played the vocalizations to different groups of juvenile males at four times during their first year of life (summer, autumn, winter, and spring). Juveniles approached the playback speaker in response to broadcasts of specific vocalizations, but these responses differed across the seasons. Early in summer, young males approached the speaker more often when adult conspecific vocalizations were played. In the autumn, subjects approached the speaker more often during broadcasts of juvenile cowbird plastic song. In the winter, juveniles approached conspecific and heterospecific vocalizations equally. In the spring, they once again approached adult conspecific vocalizations more than any others. Also, only in the spring, the time subjects spent near the speaker during the male cowbird song playbacks was positively related to the song's attractiveness to females (its ability to elicit copulation solicitation displays from females). These responses suggest that song reactivity may serve several functions across development, including species recognition, song learning, and group organization.