cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling climatic effects of carbon dioxide emissions from Deccan Traps volcanic eruptions around the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary

Abstract Warming events observed in paleotemperature proxy records within 500 kyr of the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) boundary have often been attributed to atmospheric CO 2 increases due to Deccan Traps flood volcanism. Currently, there is uncertainty in the size, nature, and timing of the Deccan eruptions, all of which lead to uncertainty in the likely climatic effects. Modeling the impact of Deccan Traps eruption on climate is complicated by the discrepancy between the lifetimes of emitted gasses and the length of the total eruptive sequence. Though SO 2 emissions can have important climatic effects, the short atmospheric lifetimes of SO 2 and resulting aerosols mean these effects are unlikely to be recognized in the proxy record. Here we focus on the CO 2 emissions, and attempt to match paleotemperature proxy records with plausible emissions scenarios. We also test the relevance for climate of the number, length, and arrangement (e.g., increasing or decreasing size) of individual eruptions as well as the total duration and size of the overall eruptive sequence. We find that the number and length of individual eruptions are largely unimportant to CO 2 -based based climate effects, but that the pattern and duration of eruption have measureable effects. Unsurprisingly, the total emitted CO 2 from the Deccan Traps exerts a strong control on climatic effects, and better constraints on the volume of emitted gas are necessary. At the high end of the uncertainty range, the Deccan Traps eruptions are capable of generating warming events recorded in the proxy record, but rates of silicate weathering above modern rates are necessary to draw down CO 2 in accordance with those records.
Single-channel to multichannel conversions in pediatric cochlear implant recipients.

Speech perception skills were measured in five children who had received a 3M/House single-channel cochlear implant and were subsequently upgraded to a multichannel cochlear implant (Nucleus). A rationale was developed based upon performance with the single-channel device and anticipated performance with the multichannel device. All subjects demonstrated improved acoustic thresholds with the multichannel device. Three of the children demonstrated improvements on identification tasks and two on word recognition tasks
Successor Team Dynamics in Family Firms

In a qualitative study of 19 family businesses, we examine the dynamics of successor teams, using insights from the family dynamics and succession literature and teams and conflict theory in family business. In-depth interviews with family firm leaders identified two major successor team performance outcomes, a positive track leading to team commitment and a negative track resulting in dissolution of the team and potentially the family firm. Our findings are encapsulated by 10 propositions and a model of successor team dynamics.
Classical Education and Britain’s Imperial Elite

A.P. Thornton once described Kennedy’s Latin Primer, a standard public school text for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, as ‘one of the winding sheets of empire’. This was hyperbole, meant to underscore his assertion that Britain’s elite educational institutions had lost their vitality by the 1920s and 1930s, and were no longer instilling the proper imperial spirit in graduates. By implication these same institutions — and the classical curriculum symbolized by Kennedy’s Primer — had been very successful at instilling that spirit during the empire’s 19th-century heyday. Elsewhere Thornton was even more explicit. He referred to elite education in Britain’s public schools and universities as an ‘elixir of empire’: a powerful cultural force inculcating particular imperial ideas and values in Britain’s elites, albeit in a sometimes mysterious, often uneven, and entirely unscientific manner.62
How do we ensure good food for all

First paragraph: How do we provide good food for all 323 million Americans? Differing answers to this question continue to distract, if not misdirect, the sustainable food movement. Some argue that organic, local, and other so-called good foods must accommodate the current industrial system of food processing and retailing. They point to the fact that organic food sales of nearly US$40 billion per year (Organic Trade Association, 2016) are still less than 5% of total retail food sales. In addition, mainstream supermarkets and large specialty markets, such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, account for more than 90% of organic sales (Porterfield, 2015). Large corporate food processors also own and control production for most of the major organic food brands (The Cornucopia Project, n.d.). So, about 99% of foods still move through the industrial food system, even after accounting for local food sales of an estimated $12 billion per year (Vilsack, 2015). To accommodate the 99%, some good food advocates urge farmers to find ways to accommodate the industrial food system....
Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War. By Max Hastings. (New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. Pp. xxvii, 628. $35.00.)

The military history of the First World War begins when the war of 1914 reaches an impasse at the end of the year. The catastrophe of which the author of this book writes is the bloodbath of this, ...
SAPIEN S3 Leaflet Malfunction With Severe Intravalvular Aortic Insufficiency Immediately Post-Deployment.

An 85-year-old male (Society of Thoracic Surgeons score 4%) was referred for transcatheter aortic valve replacement for severe aortic valve stenosis (mean gradient, 43 mm Hg). Noninvasive computed tomography sizing demonstrated annular dimensions of 32.0 × 22.6 mm, and an area of 5.65 cm2.
Relationships Between Standing Frontal-Plane Knee Alignment and Dynamic Knee Joint Loading During Walking and Jogging in Youth Who Are Obese.

Background Youth who are obese have high risk of poor knee health and cartilage damage. Understanding factors which may affect knee health in youth who are obese is critical for preservation of knee integrity and function. Objective This study compared standing frontal-plane knee alignment and knee loading patterns between youth who are obese and those of healthy weight and determine the association between knee alignment and knee loading patterns during walking and jogging. Design This study used a cross-sectional matched pair design. Methods Twenty youth who were obese and 20 youth who were healthy-weight (ages 11-18 years) were recruited. Three-dimensional motion analysis quantified standing frontal-plane knee alignment as well as frontal- and sagittal-plane knee moments during walking and jogging. Paired t -tests, multiple analysis of covariance, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were used for analysis. Results The youth who were obese demonstrated greater knee valgus in standing ( P = 0.02), lower normalized peak external knee adduction moments during walking ( P = 0.003), and greater normalized peak external knee extension moments during jogging ( P = 0.003) compared with the youth who were healthy-weight. Standing knee alignment did not correlate with knee moments in the youth who were obese. Limitations Results are limited to small, homogeneous cohorts. The standing alignment methodology is not validated in this population and may limit interpretation of results. Conclusion Youth who are obese stand in more knee valgus and have altered knee loading patterns during walking and jogging compared with youth who are healthy-weight. Frontal-plane knee alignment does not correlate with frontal-plane knee loading patterns in youth who are obese. A better understanding of other mechanisms related to joint loading in youth who are obese is necessary to maintain long-term joint integrity in this population.
237 Np analytical method using 239 Np tracers and application to a contaminated nuclear disposal facility

Abstract Environmental 237 Np analyses are challenged by low 237 Np concentrations and lack of an available yield tracer; we report a rapid, inexpensive 237 Np analytical approach employing the short lived 239 Np (t 1/2 = 2.3 days) as a chemical yield tracer followed by 237 Np quantification using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. 239 Np tracer is obtained via separation from a 243 Am stock solution and standardized using gamma spectrometry immediately prior to sample processing. Rapid digestions using a commercial, 900 W “Walmart” microwave and Parr microwave vessels result in 99.8 ± 0.1% digestion yields, while chromatographic separations enable Np/U separation factors on the order of 10 6 and total Np yields of 95 ± 4% (2σ). Application of this method to legacy soil samples surrounding a radioactive disposal facility (the Subsurface Disposal Area at Idaho National Laboratory) reveal the presence of low level 237 Np contamination within 600 m of this site, with maximum 237 Np concentrations on the order of 10 3 times greater than nuclear weapons testing fallout levels.
Periodic stabilization of discrete-time controlled switched linear systems

The goal of this paper is to study the state-feedback stabilization of controlled discrete-time switched linear systems (SLSs), where the discrete switching control input and the continuous control input coexist. We propose a periodic hybrid-control policies, periodic control Lyapunov functions (PCLFs), and prove that the existence of a quadratic PCLF is a necessary and sufficient condition for the stabilizability of SLSs. Moreover, computational algorithms are developed to find quadratic PCLFs and test the stabilizability.
Neonatal infection produces sex-specific changes in neuroimmune function with no associated deficits in spatial learning in juvenile rats

Immune activation during early development can have profound effects on later immune function, cognition, and behavior. Epidemiological data indicate a strong correlation between early-life immune activation and later diagnosis of disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and depression. However, there has been little investigation into the impact of sex or early-life immune activation on the developing immune system or the ontogeny of cognitive processes, such as learning. Microglia are the resident immune cells of the brain and affect neural function and behavior. Male rats have more microglia than female rats in the hippocampus (HP) on postnatal day four (P4), suggesting that males may be more vulnerable to the long- term consequences of early-life immune activation than females. We examined the effect of neonatal immune activation (E.coli; 1 × 106 CFU/0.1 mL/kg) alone, or following a second immune challenge of LPS (Lipopolysaccharide; 25 μg/mL/kg), during late juvenile development on behavior and microglia function in males and females. Neither neonatal infection nor a second immune activation produced learning deficits. However, neonatal infection produced sex-specific alterations in CD11b, IL-β, and IL-6 in the HP, prefrontal cortex (PFC), and cerebellum. Additionally, we found sex-specific alterations in microglial density in CA3, dentate gyrus, and PFC. These data suggest that neonatal infection produces sex-specific changes in cytokine expression and microglia activation in juveniles, but the consequences of these changes may have a delayed effect on behavioral outcomes.
Description of analytical method and clinical utility of measuring serum 7-alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (7aC4) by mass spectrometry.

Abstract Background Imbalance of bile acids (BA) homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to chronic diarrhea or constipation when BA in the colon are in excess or low, respectively. Since both disturbances of bowel function can result from other etiologies, identifying BA imbalance is important to tailor treatment strategies. Serum concentrations of 7-alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (7aC4), a precursor in bile acid synthesis, reflect BA homeostasis. Here we describe a method to accurately measure serum 7aC4 and evaluate the clinical utility in patients with diarrhea or constipation phenotypes. Methods Serum 7aC4 is measured after acetonitrile protein precipitation using C18 liquid chromatography, tandem mass spectrometry , and deuterium-labeled 7aC4 internal standard. Assay performance including linearity, precision, and accuracy was assessed using waste serum samples. The reference interval was established in healthy individuals without BA-altering conditions or medications. Clinical performance was assessed in patients with irritable bowel syndrome . Results The method precisely and accurately measured 7aC4 in human serum from 1.4–338 ng/mL with no ion suppression or interference from related 7-keto-cholesterol. Central 95th percentile reference interval was 2.5–63.2 ng/mL. Lower serum 7aC4 was found in patients with constipation with sensitivity/specificity of 79%/55% compared to healthy controls. Higher 7aC4 was found in patients with bile acid diarrhea (BAD) compared to those without BAD with sensitivity/specificity of 82%/53%. Conclusions We have developed a sensitive and precise assay for measuring the concentration of 7aC4 in serum. The assay can be used to screen for diarrhea caused by bile acid malabsorption.
Metabolomic effects of CeO 2 , SiO 2 and CuO metal oxide nanomaterials on HepG2 cells

To better assess potential hepatotoxicity of nanomaterials, human liver HepG2 cells were exposed for 3 days to five different CeO2 (either 30 or 100 μg/ml), 3 SiO2 based (30 μg/ml) or 1 CuO (3 μg/ml) nanomaterials with dry primary particle sizes ranging from 15 to 213 nm. Metabolomic assessment of exposed cells was then performed using four mass spectroscopy dependent platforms (LC and GC), finding 344 biochemicals. Four CeO2, 1 SiO2 and 1 CuO nanomaterials increased hepatocyte concentrations of many lipids, particularly free fatty acids and monoacylglycerols but only CuO elevated lysolipids and sphingolipids. In respect to structure-activity, we now know that five out of six tested CeO2, and both SiO2 and CuO, but zero out of four TiO2 nanomaterials have caused this elevated lipids effect in HepG2 cells. Observed decreases in UDP-glucuronate (by CeO2) and S-adenosylmethionine (by CeO2 and CuO) and increased S-adenosylhomocysteine (by CuO and some CeO2) suggest that a nanomaterial exposure increases transmethylation reactions and depletes hepatic methylation and glucuronidation capacity. Our metabolomics data suggests increased free radical attack on nucleotides. There was a clear pattern of nanomaterial-induced decreased nucleotide concentrations coupled with increased concentrations of nucleic acid degradation products. Purine and pyrimidine alterations included concentration increases for hypoxanthine, xanthine, allantoin, urate, inosine, adenosine 3′,5′-diphosphate, cytidine and thymidine while decreases were seen for uridine 5′-diphosphate, UDP-glucuronate, uridine 5′-monophosphate, adenosine 5′-diphosphate, adenosine 5′-monophophate, cytidine 5′-monophosphate and cytidine 3′-monophosphate. Observed depletions of both 6-phosphogluconate, NADPH and NADH (all by CeO2) suggest that the HepG2 cells may be deficient in reducing equivalents and thus in a state of oxidative stress. Metal oxide nanomaterial exposure may compromise the methylation, glucuronidation and reduced glutathione conjugation systems; thus Phase II conjugational capacity of hepatocytes may be decreased. This metabolomics study of the effects of nine different nanomaterials has not only confirmed some observations of the prior 2014 study (lipid elevations caused by one CeO2 nanomaterial) but also found some entirely new effects (both SiO2 and CuO nanomaterials also increased the concentrations of several lipid classes, nanomaterial induced decreases in S-adenosylmethionine, UDP-glucuronate, dipeptides, 6-phosphogluconate, NADPH and NADH).
Nursing Considerations in the Care of Elderly Burn Patients

Advances in burn care have made survival of large burns more possible throughout the age continuum. Unfortunately mortality for even relatively small burns remains high in the elderly population. A review of burn care considerations in general, with an emphasis on managing comorbidity in the setting of elderly burn care is described herein. Principles of management include basic management of the physical, surgical, psycho-social, and ethical considerations relevant in this population. The use of data from the 2016 National Burn Repository (NBR) is cited as a marker for expected outcomes that can be used for planning care to this vulnerable population.
Pulverization of rubber granulates using the solid state shear extrusion process: Part II. Powder characterization

Abstract Rubber powder obtained from the solid state shear extrusion (SSSE) process and the unprocessed rubber granulates were analyzed using physical, thermal, and chemical characterization methods. A portion of the granulates and two different size fractions of the powder produced by several passes of the rubber through the extruder were sampled by sieves and then characterized. Particle size distribution of the samples was determined using a laser diffraction technique. The shape of the particles was observed with an optical microscope, and the details of the particle surfaces were visualized using a scanning electron microscope. The total surface area was obtained using a BET method. Thermal analysis techniques were used to determine the composition, thermal, and thermo-oxidative degradation characteristics. The cross-link density and gel fraction of the rubber were determined using swelling and Soxhlet extraction methods, respectively. The microscopy study revealed that the particles generally had irregular shapes with rough surfaces, whereas the granulates had angular shapes with smooth surfaces. The larger particles produced by the SSSE process were mainly agglomerates of smaller particles. The total and external surface areas of the particles produced by the SSSE process were significantly greater than those of a cryogenically ground rubber of a similar size range. The extent of thermo-oxidation depended on the external and total surface areas of the samples. However, characteristic temperatures and kinetic parameters of the thermal degradation in the nitrogen environment were not affected by the size or surface area. The composition of the granulates was the same as that of the particles. However, the cross-link density and gel fraction of the rubber particles were smaller than those of the granulates suggesting the cleavage of chemical bonds due to the high mechanical stresses and possible oxidation during the SSSE process. The particle agglomeration during the reprocessing was instrumental in the alteration of the rubber properties.
Phonemic Representations and Categories

Current ideas of how the brain extracts phonemic content from the acoustic stream of speech will be discussed. Physiological data obtained from humans and non-human primates will be emphasized supporting modern theories positing that phonemic perception is a categorization task involving the parsing of the speech signal into a multidimensional acoustic space that allows extraction of phonemically relevant features. The importance of temporal processing will be stressed. Speech unfolds over time, and auditory cortex possesses a temporal processing fidelity that promotes both the parsing of the signal into discrete units amenable for speech decoding, and provides directly relevant information for phonemic classification. It will be shown how basic rules of auditory cortical physiology help determine several contextual effects in phonemic perception. The utility of physiology as an independent means to assess hypotheses in speech perception will be considered. Reference will be made to hypotheses proposing how stop consonants are encoded, and those postulating that developmental language abnormalities can be the result of abnormally prolonged temporal windows of integration. Physiologic transformations that occur as processing extends out from primary cortical areas into higher-order cortical regions will be examined. Emphasis will be on summarizing the results of studies using higher spatial resolution techniques, such as those offered by intracranial recordings and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Finally, it will be argued that a modular model of phonemic categorization may not adequately explain speech encoding, and that the process can be better clarified by invoking more dynamic and interactive network mechanisms.
Human Cutaneous Pigmentation

Cutaneous pigmentation is the outcome of exquisite interactions among various cell types in the skin, the best described of which are the interactions between epidermal melanocytes and keratinocytes, and between melanocytes and dermal fibroblasts. Melanocytes are the site of melanin synthesis, and keratinocytes are the recipients of melanosomes, melanin-containing organelles. The wide variation in constitutive pigmentation among humans is caused by enormous differences in the rate of synthesis of the two forms of melanin, eumelanin and pheomelanin, and the rate of transfer of melanosomes to keratinocytes. Cutaneous pigmentation is regulated by a wide array of factors, some of which are endocrine, and many are paracrine and/or autocrine. Many of those factors regulate constitutive pigmentation and also participate in the ultraviolet radiation (UVR)- or inflammation-induced hyperpigmentation. There is convincing evidence that the tanning response to UVR exposure is mediated by a spectrum of locally produced cytokines and growth factors, such as α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and endothelin-1 (ET-1). Currently, more is known about the regulation of melanin synthesis than about the control of melanosome transfer. Only in the past few years was significant progress made in defining some of the molecular aspects and genes involved in the latter process. The significance of cutaneous pigmentation lies in its principal role in photoprotection against the carcinogenic effects of UVR. Numerous epidemiological and clinical studies have concluded that the incidence of UVR-induced skin cancer correlates inversely with constitutive pigmentation and the ability to tan. An important role of some of the paracrine/autocrine factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), stem cell factor (SCF), ET-1, α-MSH, or ACTH, is to protect melanocytes from stress-induced apoptosis, e.g., that induced by exposure to UVR. This survival effect is of tremendous importance given the significance of the melanocyte in photoprotection and its limited capacity to proliferate and self-renew. It is plausible that at least some of those factors might link the survival pathways to the DNA repair pathways in melanocytes. If this is the case, then the ability of melanocytes to respond to those survival factors might be a determinant of skin cancer, particularly melanoma, susceptibility.
An Implementation Blueprint

In her book Lanterns, Marian Wright Edelman (1999), president of the Children’s Defense Fund, writes about the many mentors who influenced and inspired her throughout her life. These were her parents, elders in her community, teachers, preachers, and civil rights leaders—natural mentors who entered her daily life.
Beyond organizational ties: foundations of persistent commitment in environmental activism

Movement scholars commonly treat persistent commitment as an aspect of activism that is set in motion when recruits join a group or organization. To investigate the phenomenon of sustained activist...
Improving Patient-Provider Communication and Therapeutic Practice Through Better Integration of Electronic Health Records in the Exam Room: A Pilot Study.

Background. The rapid proliferation of electronic health records (EHRs) in clinics has had mixed impact on patient-centered communication, yet few evaluated interventions exist to train practicing ...
The Origins of the Democratic Priestess of Athena Nike

In the fifth century, the Athenian Demos passed a number of decrees concerning the priestess of Athena Nike. One decree, IG i3 35, instituted the first democratic priesthood in Athens; the priestess was now drawn by lot from all Athenian women. How did the state come to control the priesthood that had formerly been in the hands of a genos? The most likely scenario is that the genos died out. The state voted to assume the responsibility itself, in order to preserve the rites at one of the most prominent sanctuaries in Athens.
Bugaroo: Exposing Memory Model Bugs in Many-Core Systems

Modern many-core architectures such as GPUs aggressively reorder and buffer memory accesses. Updates to shared and global data are not guaranteed to be visible to concurrent threads immediately. Such updates can be made visible to other threads by using some fence instructions. Therefore, missing the required fences can introduce subtle bugs, called Memory Model Bugs. We propose Bugaroo to expose memory model bugs in any arbitrary GPU program. It works by statically instrumenting the code to buffer some shared and global data for as long as possible without violating the semantics of any fence or synchronization instruction. Any program failure that results from such buffering indicates the presence of subtle memory model bugs in the program. Bugaroo later provides detailed debugging information regarding the failure. Bugaroo is the first proposal to expose memory model bugs of GPU programs by simulating memory buffers. We present a detailed design and implementation of Bugaroo. We evaluated it using seven programs. Our approach uncovers new findings about missing and redundant fences in two of the programs. This makes Bugaroo an effective and useful tool for GPU programmers.
Psychotropic polypharmacy reconsidered: Between-class polypharmacy in the context of multimorbidity in the treatment of depressive disorders.

Abstract Objectives : Both psychiatric polypharmacy and multimorbidity are common in depressed adults. We examine recent patterns of psychotropic polypharmacy with attention to concurrent multimorbidity in the treatment of depressive disorders in outpatient psychiatric care. Methods : Data from the 2006–2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey offer nationally representative samples of office-based psychiatric care in adults with depressive disorders (ICD-9-CM codes 296.20–296.26, 296.30–296.36, 300.4, 311, and 301.10–301.13) (n = 6,685 unweighted). These data allowed estimation of the prevalence of polypharmacy (within-class, between-class, and both) involving four major psychotropic classes: antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood-stabilizers, and sedative-hypnotics. We further evaluated the proportion of within-class and between-class psychotropic prescription combinations that were potentially justifiable, taking FDA-approved indications and multimorbidity into consideration. Results : Prescribing two or more psychotropic medications for depressed adults remained substantial and stable ranging from 59.0% in 2006–2007 to 58.0% in 2014–2015. The most common within-class polypharmacy types were: antidepressants (22.7%) and sedative-hypnotics (14.8%). The most common between-class polypharmacy types were: an antidepressant and a sedative-hypnotic (30.7%), an antidepressant and an antipsychotic (16.4%), and an antipsychotic and a sedative-hypnotic (9.0%). In visits in which between-class psychotropics were prescribed, 53.9% were potentially justified by FDA-approved augmentation and/or adjunctive treatment strategies or by psychiatric multimorbidities. Conclusion : Psychotropic polypharmacy affects more than half of depressed adults. Between-class polypharmacy is the most common pattern and in over 50% of instances may be justified by augmentation strategies or considerations of psychiatric multimorbidity. Future research is needed to address effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of polypharmaceutical care for depression, especially those occurring with psychiatric co-morbididities.
You Are College Material—You Belong: An Underrepresented Minority Student Retention Intervention Without Deception:

Declines in college persistence can lead to an array of negative individual-level consequences that can have implications for society in general. Dropout rates are higher among underrepresented min...
The Physiology of Stress

All humans feel stress. In response to emotional or physical stress, the human body induces a complicated physiologic response that is known and yet still incompletely understood. The biology of stress is discussed using the terms allostasis (the normal stress response and the reason that stress exists), allostatic load (when the stress response becomes dysfunctional and leads to disease), and allostatic load index (researching stress in humans). Stress induces a response via the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in order to activate various areas of the brain through mediators such as dopamine, serotonin, and many others. It is important to understand the biology of the stress response and recognize when this response becomes pathologic.
Monte Carlo Application of Arnoldi’s Method for Acceleration of Eigenvalue and Fission Source Convergence

AbstractThis paper introduces the explicitly restarted Arnoldi’s method for calculating eigenvalues and eigenvectors in a Monte Carlo criticality calculation. Arnoldi’s method is described along with the power method. The power method has been used for decades for Monte Carlo criticality calculations despite the availability of other algorithms with better convergence properties. The Monte Carlo application of the transport-fission operator of the Boltzmann transport equation is defined, and the Monte Carlo implementation of both Arnoldi’s method and the power method are described. A brief discussion of eigenvalue and fission source convergence is given. Numerical simulations of one-demensional slab geometries are presented, demonstrating the convergence of both the eigenvalue and fission source (as measured by the Shannon entropy) for both Arnoldi’s method and the power method. The results show that Arnoldi’s method does not need to discard iterations like the power method because both the eigenvalue and...
Intuitions about personal identity are rooted in essentialist thinking across development

What aspects of a person determine whether they are the same person they were in the past? This is one of the fundamental questions of research on personal identity. To date, this literature has focused on identifying the psychological states (e.g., moral beliefs, memories) that people rely on when making identity judgments. But the notion of personal identity depends on more than just psychological states. Most people also believe that the physical matter that makes up an individual is an important criterion for judging identity; changes to the physical stuff in a person's body, even if they are not accompanied by any psychological changes, are judged to change who the person is at some level. Here, we investigate the sources of these beliefs and propose that they stem from the broader cognitive tendency to assume that unseen physical essences make things what they are-psychological essentialism. Four studies provided support for this claim. In Studies 1 and 2, exposing participants to essentialist reasoning led to stronger endorsement of physical continuity as a criterion for personal identity. Similarly, individual differences in participants' essentialist thinking predicted the extent of their reliance on physical continuity (Study 3), and this relationship was observed even among 6- to 9-year-old children (Study 4). These studies advance theory on the psychology of personal identity by identifying a reason why people assign a central role to physical composition when judging identity.
High resolution imaging of tumor pO2 with Cherenkov-excited luminescence scanned imaging (Conference Presentation)

Cherenkov excitation of molecular probes in tissue can be used for photodynamic effect or diagnostic luminescence imaging. Excitation of dendritic platinum-based metalloporphyrn molecule complexes as an oxygen sensor (PtG4) has been shown to allow oxygen measurement in vivo with spatial resolution defined by the exciting x-ray beam. By sweeping the beamlet shapes and geometries, and detecting the emitted luminscence lifetime, a highly accurate pO2 distribution can be reconstructed of the tissue volume. This has been shown in tumors as well as in normal tissues, and now for implanted microtubes. Additional imaging of luminescent agents based upon Cherenkov or direct radio-excitation could be used for molecular sensing. The combination of depth, concentration, and radiation dose have been analyzed for the tradeoffs in signal to noise, and the signal to background optimization has been completed. The use of this approach can be applied to any clinical radiation therapy linac.
HIV-Associated NAFLD: Disease Burden and Management

Highly potent anti-retroviral therapy (ART) for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has led to dramatic improvements in quality of life and lifespan in persons living with HIV (PLWH). PLWH, however, are suffering from other comorbid conditions, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This review summarizes the epidemiology and pathophysiology of NAFLD in PLWH and explores unique diagnostic and treatment considerations in this population. Though it is well established that there is a high prevalence of NAFLD in PLWH, the mechanisms underlying NAFLD in this population are just beginning to be explored. Traditional NAFLD risk factors, including insulin resistance, visceral adiposity, and genetics, have been consistently linked with NAFLD in PLWH. In addition, HIV-related factors including mitochondrial dysfunction, microbiome alterations, and direct effects of the virus and of ART may play a role. Given the burden of NAFLD in PLWH, further studies are necessary to investigate mechanisms specific to HIV with which to target therapies.
Recruiting African American parents of school-aged children in a physical activity study: Lessons learned:

ObjectivesTo describe the recruitment strategies and lessons learned when enrolling African American parents/caregivers of school-aged children (ages 6–12 years) in an online survey of physical act...
Vacuum structure of Yang-Mills theory as a function of θ

It is believed that in SU(N) Yang-Mills theory observables are N -branched functions of the topological θ angle. This is supposed to be due to the existence of a set of locally-stable candidate vacua, which compete for global stability as a function of θ. We study the number of θ vacua, their interpretation, and their stability properties using systematic semiclassical analysis in the context of adiabatic circle compactification on ℝ3 × S1. We find that while observables are indeed N-branched functions of θ, there are only ≈ N/2 locally-stable candidate vacua for any given θ. We point out that the different θ vacua are distinguished by the expectation values of certain magnetic line operators that carry non-zero GNO charge but zero ’t Hooft charge. Finally, we show that in the regime of validity of our analysis YM theory has spinodal points as a function of θ, and gather evidence for the conjecture that these spinodal points are present even in the ℝ4 limit.
Forgery and Impersonation in Imperial China: Popular Deceptions and the High Qing State. By Mark McNicholas. (Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2016. Pp. xiv, 265. $50.00.)

This book considers the significance of forgery and impersonation in Imperial China between 1700 and 1820, a time span commonly referred to as the “High Qing.” Drawing on archival records, dynastic...
Metabolic Regulation of Stem Cells in Aging

From invertebrates to vertebrates, the ability to sense nutrient availability is critical for survival. Complex organisms have evolved numerous signaling pathways to sense nutrients and dietary fluctuations, which influence many cellular processes. Although both overabundance and extreme depletion of nutrients can lead to deleterious effects, dietary restriction without malnutrition can increase lifespan and promote overall health in many model organisms. In this review, we focus on age-dependent changes in stem cell metabolism and dietary interventions used to modulate stem cell function in aging. Over the last half-century, seminal studies have illustrated that dietary restriction confers beneficial effects on longevity in many model organisms. Many researchers have now turned to dissecting the molecular mechanisms by which these diets affect aging at the cellular level. One subpopulation of cells of particular interest are adult stem cells, the most regenerative cells of the body. It is generally accepted that the regenerative capacity of stem cells declines with age, and while the metabolic requirements of each vary across tissues, the ability of dietary interventions to influence stem cell function is striking. In this review, we will focus primarily on how metabolism plays a role in adult stem cell homeostasis with respect to aging, with particular emphasis on intestinal stem cells while also touching on hematopoietic, skeletal muscle, and neural stem cells. We will also discuss key metabolic signaling pathways influenced by both dietary restriction and the aging process, and will examine their role in improving tissue homeostasis and lifespan. Understanding the mechanisms behind the metabolic needs of stem cells will help bridge the divide between a basic science interpretation of stem cell function and a whole-organism view of nutrition, thereby providing insight into potential dietary or therapeutic interventions.
Plant sources of bioactive peptides

Abstract Plant proteins constitute as one of the major sources of food proteins for the human body. In addition, they provide biological functions such as antioxidant and immunomodulation associated with naturally occurring and process-derived peptides that can alter signaling pathways promoting overall health. This chapter provides an overview on some of the plant sources of bioactive peptides. In addition, the procedures employed in the isolation, production, and purification of these bioactive peptides are discussed. Throughout the chapter, examples of plant-derived bioactive peptides and their bioactive properties are given. Discussion on the mechanistic insights as well as opportunities and challenges in the use of plant-derived peptides in human health studies are presented. Future studies answering these opportunities and challenges are needed to move forward the utilization of plant-derived peptides for the promotion of human health.
The Spiked Helmet Sign: A Concerning Electrocardiographic Finding

Abstract We present the case of an 18-year-old man, with a history of subarachnoid hemorrhage, who is found to have the spiked helmet sign on electrocardiogram during a hospital admission for sever...
Derivation of dorsal spinal sensory interneurons from human pluripotent stem cells.

We describe two differentiation protocols to derive sensory spinal interneurons (INs) from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In protocol 1, we use retinoic acid (RA) to induce pain, itch, and heat mediating dI4/dI6 interneurons, and in protocol 2, RA with bone morphogenetic protein 4 (RA+BMP4) is used to induce proprioceptive dI1s and mechanosensory dI3s in hPSC cultures. These protocols provide an important step toward developing therapies for regaining sensation in spinal cord injury patients. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Gupta et al. (2018).
Insect Pests of Rice and Their Management in Karnataka State of India – A Review

Insect pests are major biotic constraints in rice production throughout the country and Karnataka is not an exception. More than 28 insect species have been reported on rice as pests from the state. Among them, brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stal), yellow stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas Walker), leaf roller (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis(Guenee)) and gall midge (Orseolia oryzae Wood-Mason) are major ones. The present review focuses on literature generated in Karnataka on various aspects of rice insect pests viz., pest status and their distribution, biology and ecology and different management strategies such as, cultural and mechanical, host plant resistance, role of natural enemies and need based chemical control besides integrated pest management strategies employed against different pests.
High current transistor pulse generator

A solid-state pulse generator capable of delivering high-current trapezoidally shaped pulses into an inductive load has been developed at SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center). Energy stored in the capacitor bank of the pulse generator is switched to the load through a pair of Darlington transistors. A combination of diodes and Darlington transistors is used to obtain trapezoidally or triangularly shaped current pulses into an inductive load and to recover the remaining energy in the same capacitor bank without reversing capacitor voltage. The transistors work in the switch mode, and the power losses are low. The rack-mounted pulse generators presently used at SLAC contain a 660- mu F storage capacitor bank and can deliver 400 A at 800 V into inductive loads up to 3 mH. The pulse generators are used in several different power systems, including pulse-to-pulse bipolar power supplies and in applications with current pulse distributed into different inductive loads. The current amplitude and discharge time are controlled by the central computer system through a specially developed multichannel controller. The pulse generators have performed reliably. >
Electronic phase separation in the itinerant metamagnetic transition of Sr$_4$Ru$_3$O$_{10}$

Triple-layered ruthenate Sr$_4$Ru$_3$O$_{10}$ shows a first-order itinerant metamagnetic transition for in-plane magnetic fields. Our experiments revealed rather surprising behavior in the low-temperature transport properties near this transition. The in-plane magnetoresistivity $\rho$$_{ab}$(H) exhibits ultrasharp steps as the magnetic field sweeps down through the transition. Temperature sweeps of $\rho$$_{ab}$ for fields within the transition regime show non-metallic behavior in the up-sweep cycle of magnetic field, but show a significant drop in the down-sweep cycle. These observations indicate that the transition occurs via a new electronic phase separation process; a lowly polarized state is mixed with a ferromagnetic state within the transition regime.
Evidence that the gap junction protein connexin-43 is the ATP-induced pore of mouse macrophages

Extracellular ATP4- opens pores in the plasma membrane of mouse macrophages and the J774 macrophage-like cell line that allow molecules as large as fura-2 (831 daltons) to enter the cytoplasmic matrix of the cells. The functional similarity of the ATP-induced pores to gap junctions led us to examine whether these pores were related to members of the connexin family of gap junction proteins. Under conditions of high stringency, RNA isolated from J774 cells hybridized with cDNA for connexin-43 but not with cDNA for connexin-32, -26, or -46. RNA isolated from several variant J774 cell lines that do not permeabilize in response to extracellular ATP (ATPR cells) did not hybridize with connexin-43 cDNA. Immunoblots demonstrated that J774 cells, but not the variant ATPR B2 cell line, expressed connexin-43 protein. These studies demonstrate that mouse macrophages express the connexin-43 gap junction mRNA and protein and strongly suggest that in these cells connexin-43 forms "half-gap junctions" in response to extracellular ATP4-.
A Coanda Fluidic Flowmeter

Abstract A Coanda fluidic oscillator measures flow when the time delay, establishing oscillation, varies inversely with fluid velocity. The resulting frequency has the same linear calibration with volumetric flow rate for all fluids in the turbulent range. A no-moving-parts obstructionless flowmeter based on this principle has been conmercially applied for in-line mounting in pipe sizes from one through four inches. Flow in larger pipes can be measured by using a one-inch fluidic meter installed to bypass an orifice in the pipe.
The Role of the Postsynaptic Density and the SpineCytoskeleton in Synaptic Plasticity

Glutamatergic postsynaptic spines have a specialized cytoskeletal structure consisting of an elaborate submembrane scaffold attached to synaptic receptors, termed the postsynaptic density (PSD), and an actin-based cytoskeleton that maintains their mushroom-like shape. The PSD comprises a layered arrangement of scaffold proteins that organize signaling enzymes to respond to activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate-type and metabotropic glutamate receptors. At every level (receptors, proximal scaffolds, and distal scaffolds), effector proteins, regulatory enzymes, and adaptors are recruited into signal transduction modules that enable specialized adaptive functions. Signaling machinery in the PSD and cytoskeletal regulatory proteins work together to alter the structure of the spine to produce LTP or LTD.
Canine intestinal ulcer: Myoelectric components and the effect of chronic hypergastrinemia

Abstract The effects of jejunal ulcer and chronic endogenous hypergastrinemia on canine gastrointestinal myoelectric activity were investigated in three groups of dogs. All dogs were chronically implanted with electrodes on the stomach and either the duodenum or jejunum. Fasted-state myoelectric activity was monitored before and after gastroenterostomy. Two groups of dogs underwent autotransplantation of the gastric antrum to the midcolon with either gastroduodenostomy or gastrojejunostomy. The third group of dogs underwent diversion of the antroduodenum with gastrojejunostomy. Chronic hypergastrinemia was observed postoperatively in the dogs of each of the three models. Only dogs with gastrojejunostomy and antrocolic transplant developed intestinal ulcers. None of the dogs, despite the presence of ulcers in one group, demonstrated significant changes in myoelectric activity. In both gastrojejunostomy models, a trend toward lengthened interdigestive phase 2 at the expense of phase 1 was seen. No other myoelectric changes were observed and chronic hypergastrinemia had no effect on myoelectric activity in these models. We conclude: (a) experimental jejunal peptic ulcer is not marked by significant changes in interdigestive myoelectric activity and (b) chronic hypergastrinemia is not accompanied by the gastrointestinal muscle effects reported after acute treatment with gastrin, suggesting a tolerance.
Infrared laser Doppler flowmeter in the determination of small bowel perfusion after ischemic injury: Comparison with the clearance of locally generated hydrogen and fluorescein angiography

The determination of small bowel perfusion after an ischemic insult is difficult. Regional perfusion was determined in an animal model of neonatal intestinal ischemia using the techniques of laser Doppler flowmetry and the clearance of locally generated hydrogen. Both methods reliably measured tissue perfusion in the areas of maximal ischemic injury. However, considerable variability, perhaps owing to motion artifact, was seen in areas of patchy necrosis. The results suggest that the laser Doppler flowmeter is a suitable technique to measure tissue perfusion in areas of maximal ischemia. However, efforts to reduce motion artifact will be necessary if the laser Doppler is to be used in tissue sites where blood flow is critical for safe anastomosis. This will be a subject of future study.