cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of the Champlain Canal and Erie Canal as Putative Corridors for Colonization of Lake Champlain and Lake Ontario by Sea Lampreys

AbstractThe origin of populations of the landlocked Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus in Lakes Champlain and Ontario, whether by artificial canals or by natural colonization following the last ice age, is controversial, in part because the related history and ecology had been poorly documented. This situation favored a native classification for the populations in both lakes based mainly on genetics. A native classification for the Lake Champlain population was predicated on either of two erroneous dates of first record, 1841 and 1894, whereas the correct date, 1929, was much more recent and strongly supports a nonnative classification. The detection of the Sea Lamprey in Lake Champlain occurred shortly after the opening in 1916 of the Champlain Barge Canal, which opened the upper Hudson River to fish passage. The case for a native Lake Ontario population did not account for a watershed breach in 1863 between the Susquehanna River, where the Sea Lamprey had been common, and the Lake Ontario drainage. Shortly ...
FDTD analysis of dielectric resonators with curved surfaces

In this paper, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is applied to calculate the resonant frequency of dielectric resonators (DRs) with curved surface. The contour-path integral FDTD (CFDTD) is modified to deal with the curved surface of the dielectric body while the traditional rectangular cells are maintained. Results are compared with theoretical values and staircase approximation, and show that the present method is more accurate than the staircase approximation.
Assessing Psychiatric Impairment in Primary Care with the Sheehan Disability Scale

Objective:Several recent studies have documented that substantial functional impairment is associated with many of the mental disorders seen in primary care. However, brief measures of mental health-related functional impairment are not commonly applied in primary care settings. The Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), a three-item instrument for assessing such impairment, is evaluated in this study. Method: A psychometric analysis of the SDS was conducted with a sample of 1001 primary care patients at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California. The SDS and the Symptom Driven Diagnostic System for Primary Care assessments were completed.Results:The internal consistency reliability of the SDS is high, with coefficient alpha of 0.89. The construct validity was substantiated in two ways. A one-factor model fit the data quite well. Furthermore, patients with each of six psychiatric disorders had significantly higher impairment scores than those who did not. Finally, over 80 percent of the patients with mental disord...
Diversity and multiplexing tradeoff bounds for cooperative diversity protocols

We consider a wireless network with multiple terminals (m/spl ges/2) as well as multiple receive antennas at the destination (N/spl ges/1) and obtain diversity multiplexing tradeoff upper bounds for some recently proposed cooperative diversity protocols. The results obtained show that irrespective of the coding scheme employed none of these protocols can yield a diversity order greater than N+m-1. Further, the tradeoff bounds indicate that the protocol yielding the best diversity order may change with the multiplexing gain. Using these bounds we propose a switching strategy that yields the best tradeoff bound which also significantly outperforms the optimal tradeoff curve for the baseline noncooperative system at all possible multiplexing gains.
Beam based characterization of a new 7-pole superconducting wiggler at CESR

The paper describes the beam based measurements of the magnetic field characteristics of the first 7-pole superconducting wiggler recently installed in CESR. The results are compared with the model prediction and with the estimates based on magnetic field measurements. It also presents results of the beam resonance mapping which was done by a 2D scan of betatron tunes while recording vertical beam size. The scan clearly exposed resonances excited by the wiggler nonlinear magnetic field components. In conclusion, the ways to optimize the wiggler magnetic field in order to reduce destructive effects on beam dynamics are discussed
Prevalence to Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis spp. in a reintroduced fisher (Martes pennanti) population in Pennsylvania.

Abstract Understanding the role of disease in population regulation is important to the conservation of wildlife. We evaluated the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii exposure and Sarcocystis spp. infection in 46 road-killed and accidentally trapper-killed fisher (Martes pennanti) carcasses collected and stored at −20 C by the Pennsylvania Game Commission from February 2002 to October 2008. Blood samples were assayed for T. gondii antibodies using the modified agglutination test (MAT, 1∶25) and an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT, 1∶128). For genetic analysis, DNA samples were extracted from thoracic and pelvic limb skeletal muscle from each carcass to test for Sarcocystis spp. using 18s-rRNA PCR primers. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 100% (38 of 38) of the fishers tested by MAT and in 71% (32 of 45) of the fishers tested by IFAT. PCR analysis revealed that 83% (38 of 46) of the fishers were positive for Sarcocystis spp. Sequence analysis of 7 randomly chosen amplicons revealed the fishe...
Aerodynamic sampling for landmine trace detection

Electronic noses and similar sensors show promise for detecting buried landmines through the explosive trace signals they emit. A key step in this detection is the sampler or sniffer, which acquires the airborne trace signal and presents it to the detector. Practicality demands no physical contact with the ground. Further, both airborne particulates and molecular traces must be sampled. Given a complicated minefield terrain and microclimate, this becomes a daunting chore. Our prior research on canine olfactory aerodynamics revealed several ways that evolution has dealt with such problems: 1) proximity of the sniffer to the scent source is important, 2) avoid exhaling back into the scent source, 3) use an aerodynamic collar on the sniffer inlet, 4) use auxiliary airjets to stir up surface particles, and 5) manage the 'impedance mismatch' between sniffer and sensor airflows carefully. Unfortunately, even basic data on aerodynamic sniffer performance as a function of inlet-tube and scent-source diameters, standoff distance, etc., have not been previously obtained. A laboratory-prototype sniffer was thus developed to provide guidance for landmine trace detectors. Initial experiments with this device are the subject of this paper. For example, a spike in the trace signal is observed upon starting the sniffer airflow, apparently due to rapid depletion of the available signal-laden air. Further, shielding the sniffer from disruptive ambient airflows arises as a key issue in sampling efficiency.
The design of an online environment to support pedagogical code reviews

Inspired by the formal code inspection process commonly used in the software industry, we have been exploring the use of pedagogical code reviews (PCRs), in which a team of three to four students, led by a trained moderator, (a) walk through segments of each other's programming assignments, (b) check the code against a list of best coding practices, and (c) discuss and log issues that arise. We have found that PCRs not only improve the quality of students' code, but also positively impact students' communication and sense of community. However, implementing PCRs also presents a key logistical challenge: how to make code solutions and review results accessible to team members before, during, and after the team reviews? To address this challenge, we are developing an online environment specifically tailored to support PCRs. Our environment enables students to submit their code solutions; to review team members' code solutions on-line prior to PCRs; to carry out PCRs; and to resubmit their solutions based upon the results of the PCRs. In an empirical evaluation of the environment in a CS1 course, we found that it not only eased the logistics of implementing PCRs, but also improved the organization and efficiency of the PCR process.
Wrist anatomy: Incidence, distribution, and correlation of anatomic variations, tears, and arthrosis

We dissected 393 wrists to evaluate the incidence and distribution of anatomic features, arthrosis, chondromalacia, and soft tissue lesions. The data were then analyzed for any statistically significant associations among the different variables. The most common (73%) lunate morphology had a separate medial facet on its distal surface for the hamate. The capitate had a separate facet for the fourth metacarpal in 86% of the wrists. Fourth metacarpals with a dorsal radial facet, either separate from or connected to the rest of the fourth metacarpal base, were the most common types of fourth metacarpal. Cartilage erosion with exposed subchondral bone was identified in 58% of the wrists. It was most commonly at the proximal pole of the hamate (28%). Tears of the ligaments and/or the triangular fibrocartilage complex were identified in 56% of the wrists. The triangular fibrocartilage complex was found torn in 36% of the wrists. The lunotriquetral interosseous ligament was torn in 36% of the wrists, and the scapholunate interosseous ligament was torn in 28% of the wrists. There was a communication between the proximal wrist joint and the pisotriquetral joint in 88% of the 76 wrists, which were further dissected to assess this issue. Statistical analysis of the data found a significant correlation between the presence of cartilage erosion at the proximal pole of the hamate and the presence of a lunate facet. There was also a significant correlation between the presence of a tear in the scapholunate interosseous ligament and the presence of cartilage erosion in the scaphoid-trapezium-trapezoid joint. Analysis of the paired wrists from 169 cadavers revealed that the same soft tissue tear or combination of tears was present bilaterally in 39% of the pairs. Cartilage erosion was present bilaterally in the same location or locations in 27% of the pairs.
Effect of electron temperature and impact ionization on Martian return AOTV flowfields

Various electron impact ionization models in conjunction with a quasi-equilibrium electron temperature model have been investigated and applied to the stagnation region of a hypothetical 2.3 m nose radius Martian return AOTV. For the conditions considered, U = 12 km/sec at 80 km, both multi-temperature inviscid and viscous results indicate that a two-step ionization impact model predicts ionization distances in agreement with experimental data, that nonequilibrium chemistry and radiation effects are important throughout the stagnation zone, and that the quasi-equilibrium electron temperature model is reasonable. Also, using a non-grey emission-absorption radiation step model, it is shown that nonequilibrium causes a reduction in radiative heating from that predicted for equilibrium conditions and that compared to an adiabatic wall a cool wall (1650 deg K) results in a 28 to 45 percent reduction in radiative heating due to absorption near the wall.
Prevention of Oxidative Stress by Adenoviral Overexpression of Glutathione-Related Enzymes in Pancreatic Islets

Chronic exposure to supraphysiologic glucose concentrations causes functional damage to cells and tissues, a process known as glucose toxicity. Recent research indicates that one important mechanism for glucose toxicity is oxidative stress. Glucose has been shown to form reactive oxygen species through several metabolic pathways. The pancreatic islet is distinguished by its relatively low antioxidant enzyme content and activity, which render it especially susceptible to oxidative stress. Adenoviral overexpression of glutathione peroxidase as well as gamma-glutamylcysteine ligase have been shown to protect the islet against oxidative stress. Antioxidants have been shown to brake the worsening of diabetes by improving beta cell function in animal models. These observations suggest that enhancing antioxidant defense mechanisms in pancreatic islets may be a valuable pharmacologic approach to managing diabetes.
Clinical Research and the Geriatric Patient: An Assessment of Needs

AbstractMedications represent an essential form of treatment for many chronic diseases of the elderly. Most medications, however, have been inadequately studied in the elderly to provide information on their pharmacokinetics pharmacodynamics, efficacy and safety following chronic administration. There are numerous physiologic and psychologic changes occurring in older persons that can greatly affect the need for, action of and response to drug therapy. Most information about drugs and beneficial effects of drug treatment has been derived from individuals less than 65 years of age. This paper reviews reasons why clinical research on drug therapy is needed in this age group and identifies areas of drug research that should receive increased attention of clinical investigators in the future.
Alkaline phosphatase in leucocytes by an azo dye method

Alkaline phosphatase activity was demonstrated in the cytoplasm of leucocytes of man, rat and rabbit by means of naphthol AS phosphate as the substrate and fast blue BBN as the coupling agent. The reaction was effected in Tris buffer, 0.2 M at ph 9.1, in 5-10 min at 25°C. Air-dried smears, with or without fixation in 10% neutral formalin, showed activity but those heated 1 min in water at 100°C did not.
Calcium Signalling in Lacrimal Acinar Cells

The predominant signalling pathway by which hormones and neurotransmitters control the secretion of lacrimal fluids and proteins involves an elevation of cytoplasmic calcium. We have investigated this signalling system in mouse lacrimal acinar cells activated through their muscarinic cholinergic receptors. These receptors initiate signalling by activation of a phospholipase C enzyme that degrades specifically a minor membrane phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate.1,2 The resulting products are 1,2—diacylglycerol (DG) and inositol 1,4,5—trisphosphate (IP3); both play important roles in determining the extent and duration of lacrimal calcium signalling.
V(D)J Recombination

This chapter focuses on V(D)J recombination, but other mechanisms also contribute to antigen receptor diversity. Although in mice and humans V(D)J recombination is the major source of diversity, this is not true of all vertebrates. Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase (TdT) is normally expressed only in early lymphoid cells, so these insertions are relatively specific to V(D)J recombination (compared with other types of double-strand break repair). Work of the past several years has shown that V(D)J recombination has two distinct stages. In the first stage, the RAG1 protein and RAG2 protein act together to recognize the RSSs and their correct 12/23 pairing, and make double-strand breaks at the border between each heptamer and the neighboring coding sequence. In the second stage, an array of factors also used in other types of ‘‘nonhomologous end joining’’ acts to assemble the coding joints and signal joints. The RAG1 and RAG2 proteins are the only lymphoid-specific factors needed for V(D)J recombination. RAG1 and RAG2 are normally coexpressed only in early lymphoid cells, where V(D)J recombination takes place. Transcription of the two neighboring RAG genes is convergent, and it has been shown that the control region of both genes is located upstream of RAG2. As for the regulation of V(D)J recombination, several new experimental systems should soon lead to a better understanding of locus accessibility, and make experimental modification of rearrangement possible.
Differences in the rates of patient safety events by payer: implications for providers and policymakers

BACKGROUND The reduction of adverse patient safety events and the equitable treatment of patients in hospitals are clinical and policy priorities. Health services researchers have identified disparities in the quality of care provided to patients, both by demographic characteristics and insurance status. However, less is known about the extent to which disparities reflect differences in the places where patients obtain care, versus disparities in the quality of care provided to different groups of patients in the same hospital. OBJECTIVE In this study, we examine whether the rate of adverse patient safety events differs by the insurance status of patients within the same hospital. METHODS Using discharge data from hospitals in 11 states, we compared risk-adjusted rates for 13 AHRQ Patient Safety Indicators by Medicare, Medicaid, and Private payer insurance status, within the same hospitals. We used multivariate regression to assess the relationship between insurance status and rates of adverse patient safety events within hospitals. RESULTS Medicare and Medicaid patients experienced significantly more adverse safety events than private pay patients for 12 and 7 Patient Safety Indicators, respectively (at P < 0.05 or better). However, Medicaid patients had significantly lower event rates than private payers on 2 Patient Safety Indicators. CONCLUSIONS Risk-adjusted Patient Safety Indicator rates varied with patients' insurance within the same hospital. More research is needed to determine the cause of differences in care quality received by patients at the same hospital, especially if quality measures are to be used for payment.
Exhaustively Sampling Peptide Adsorption with Metadynamics

Simulating the adsorption of a peptide or protein and obtaining quantitative estimates of thermodynamic observables remains challenging for many reasons. One reason is the dearth of molecular scale experimental data available for validating such computational models. We also lack simulation methodologies that effectively address the dual challenges of simulating protein adsorption: overcoming strong surface binding and sampling conformational changes. Unbiased classical simulations do not address either of these challenges. Previous attempts that apply enhanced sampling generally focus on only one of the two issues, leaving the other to chance or brute force computing. To improve our ability to accurately resolve adsorbed protein orientation and conformational states, we have applied the Parallel Tempering Metadynamics in the Well-Tempered Ensemble (PTMetaD-WTE) method to several explicitly solvated protein/surface systems. We simulated the adsorption behavior of two peptides, LKα14 and LKβ15, onto two se...
“The Ages of Me”: Toward Personal and Interpersonal Definitions of Functional Aging

Personal age (how old a person seems to himself) is proposed (a) as a potential component of total functional age and (b) as a basis of classification in attempts to create and modify “old behavior.” Companion constructs are those of interpersonal age (how old a person seems to others) and consensual age (degree of agreement between personal and interpersonal ages). Illustrative data are reported from a sample of 75 adults (38 women, 37 men) who range in age from 20 to 69; 43 are enrolled in advanced gerontology training programs. The results suggest that personal age is comprised of at least two fairly distinct components: how old S looks and how old he feels. There is a strong bias toward reporting personal age as more youthful than chronological age—a bias that becomes more pronounced with advancing chronological age level. All of the age constructs are related to chronological age, although not always in a linear or simple manner. At this point in the research program, gerontology specialists do not a...
Fully Self-Consistent 3-D Modeling of Inductively Coupled Plasmas

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactors utilize multidimensional antenna segments among other azimuthally asymmetric components. Computed 3-D electric fields, power deposition, and electron density are presented for an ICP using a 3-D electromagnetic plasma model, which self-consistently treats the electromagnetic phenomena and the antenna-plasma coupling.
The Defense of My Aging Self: A Report From the Field

This article offers a field report-experiences, thoughts, and anecdotes-of my personal passage into older adulthood and my attempts to maintain a healthy sense of personhood in the context of the normative ageism in my world. Specifically, I illustrate how my career-long engagement with the scientific base of gerontology-particularly life-span developmental and social psychology-has been a key ally in informing my aging and in assisting my defense against internalization of negative stereotypes. Also, I offer some thoughts drawn from personal life experience that may inform research and application efforts designed to modify some of the psychological motives that sustain ageism in our shared environment.
Optimal ROS Signaling Is Critical for Nuclear Reprogramming

Summary Efficient nuclear reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotency requires activation of innate immunity. Because innate immune activation triggers reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling, we sought to determine whether there was a role of ROS signaling in nuclear reprogramming. We examined ROS production during the reprogramming of doxycycline (dox)-inducible mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) carrying the Yamanaka factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc [OSKM]) into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). ROS generation was substantially increased with the onset of reprogramming. Depletion of ROS via antioxidants or Nox inhibitors substantially decreased reprogramming efficiency. Similarly, both knockdown and knockout of p22 phox —a critical subunit of the Nox (1–4) complex—decreased reprogramming efficiency. However, excessive ROS generation using genetic and pharmacological approaches also impaired reprogramming. Overall, our data indicate that ROS signaling is activated early with nuclear reprogramming, and optimal levels of ROS signaling are essential to induce pluripotency.
Kinesiologic measurements of functional performance before and after McKee-Farrar total hip replacement. A study of thirty patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or avascular necrosis of the femoral head.

Measurements of the functional performance of thirty patients with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head were made before and three and six months following McKee-Farrar total hip replacement and were then compared. The measurements included: range of hip m
Pattern Effects of Soil on Photovoltaic Surfaces

The texture or patterning of soil on PV surfaces may influence light capture at various angles of incidence (AOI). Accumulated soil can be considered a microshading element, which changes with respect to AOI. Laboratory deposition of simulated soil was used to prepare test coupons for simultaneous AOI and soiling loss experiments. A mixed solvent deposition technique was used to consistently deposit patterned test soils onto glass slides. Transmission decreased as soil loading and AOI increased. Dense aggregates significantly decreased transmission. However, highly dispersed particles are less prone to secondary scattering, improving overall light collection. In order to test AOI losses on relevant systems, uniform simulated soil coatings were applied to split reference cells to further examine this effect. The measured optical transmission and area coverage correlated closely to the observed $I_{{\rm SC}}$ . Angular losses were significant at angles as low as 25°.
Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma with Multifocal Synchronous Transformation to Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

Papillary thyroid carcinoma is a common malignancy to affect the thyroid and is typified by a nonaggressive nature and low rates of mortality. In contrast, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is the most aggressive thyroid malignancy with a mortality rate of nearly 90% and survival typically of only six months after the diagnosis is made. The transformation of papillary thyroid carcinoma to anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is well documented in the literature but is uncommon and in most instances is reported as a case report or small series only. Transformation of papillary thyroid carcinoma to anaplastic thyroid carcinoma usually takes place in the thyroid itself or in the adjacent lymph nodes. Only on rare occasions does a transformation occur in a papillary thyroid carcinoma metastasis outside of these locations. In the present case report and subsequent discussion we highlight an unusual case of PTC with transformation to anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, which is shown to involve numerous locations to include near total lung parenchyma obliteration. We also discuss the differential diagnostic challenges when faced with a thyroid malignancy that is negative for thyroglobulin.
Complete logic family using tunneling-phase-logic devices

This paper presents the work done to develop and characterize the behavior of binary tunneling phase logic (TPL) devices. Three input NAND, NOR and MINORITY functions are demonstrated using a single TPL element. The fan-out of the gates is discussed as well as the loading effects of multiple gates in cascade. Stable regions of operation are reported and future research possibilities are explored.
G. P. Gooch, Frederick the Great. The Ruler, the Writer, the Man: New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1947. Pp. ix, 376, Index iv. $5.00.

(1948). G. P. Gooch, Frederick the Great. The Ruler, the Writer, the Man. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 311-315.
Brain Metastasis Velocity: A Novel Prognostic Metric Predictive of Overall Survival and Freedom From Whole-Brain Radiation Therapy After Distant Brain Failure Following Upfront Radiosurgery Alone.

Purpose Prior statistical models attempted to identify risk factors for time to distant brain failure (DBF) or time to salvage whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) to predict the benefit of early WBRT versus stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) alone. We introduce a novel clinical metric, brain metastasis velocity (BMV), for predicting clinical outcomes after initial DBF following upfront SRS alone. Methods and Materials BMV was defined as the cumulative number of new brain metastases that developed over time since first SRS in years. Patients were classified by BMV into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, consisting of 13 new metastases per year, respectively. Histology, number of metastases at the time of first SRS, and systemic disease status were assessed for effect on BMV. Results Of 737 patients treated at our institution with upfront SRS without WBRT, 286 had ≥1 DBF event. A lower BMV predicted for improved overall survival (OS) following initial DBF (log-rank P P P P =.02) and neurologic death ( P =.008). Factors predictive for a higher BMV included ≥2 initial brain metastases ( P =.004) and melanoma histology ( P =.008). Conclusions BMV is a novel metric associated with OS, neurologic death, and need for salvage WBRT after initial DBF following upfront SRS alone.
Erythroid Inhibition by AML1-ETO: Repression of GATA-1 Function by a Novel Non-Transcriptional Mechanism Involving Targeted Protein Degradation.

AML1-ETO (A/E) is the fusion product of a chromosomal translocation, t(8;21) frequently associated with FAB M2 acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The fusion combines the runt domain of the hematopoietic transcription factor RUNX1 with almost the entire transcriptional repressor ETO. Clinical cases of AML with t(8;21) are distinguished by blockade in erythroid differentiation. In addition, enforced expression of A/E in primary human erythroid progenitors impairs differentiation. Existing paradigms postulate that A/E exerts its leukemogenic effects through recruitment to RUNX binding sites of cofactors such as corepressors, histone deacetylases (HDACs), and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), causing repression of RUNX target genes. However, this paradigm fails to explain effects of A/E on erythropoiesis as erythroid genes generally lack functional RUNX sites. We have published a physical and functional interplay between RUNX1 and the erythroid master regulator GATA-1 (Blood 101:4333). Furthermore, A/E physically interacted and functionally interfered with GATA-1. In the current studies we have examined domain and cofactor requirements for A/E inhibition both of GATA-1 function and of erythroid differentiation. Deletional mutagenesis of A/E demonstrated that the zinc finger (NH4) and runt domains were absolutely required for GATA-1 inhibition. Treatment with HDAC and DNMT inhibitors failed to affect A/E repression of GATA-1. RNAi knockdown of all known NH4 interactors, HDACs 1-3, N-CoR, SMRT-A, and SMRT-B also failed to affect A/E inhibition of GATA-1. Inducible expression of A/E in MEL cells caused downregulation of endogenous GATA-1 protein and mRNA, an effect dependent on induction of erythroid differentiation. A coexpressed GATA-1-GFP fusion showed downregulation with identical kinetics to endogenous GATA-1. Interestingly, proteasome-specific inhibitors effectively prevented the downregulation of endogenous GATA-1 and GATA-1-GFP caused by induction of A/E coupled with erythroid differentiation. Fluorescence microscopy showed a striking relocation of GATA-1-GFP from the nucleus to discrete, paranuclear bodies upon joint induction of A/E expression and erythroid differentiation. Our findings indicate that A/E inhibition of GATA-1 occurs through a previously undescribed mechanism that involves GATA-1 redistribution to novel cellular structures followed by proteasome-mediated degradation. These findings expand the paradigm of A/E leukemogenicity to include a non-transcriptional mechanism in which a growth inhibitor/tumor suppressor, GATA-1, is targeted by A/E for proteolytic degradation in a manner reminiscent of human papilloma virus E6 targeting of p53 for degradation in cervical carcinogenesis.
Epoxidation with Possibilities: Discovering Stereochemistry in Organic Chemistry via Coupling Constants

A one-day laboratory epoxidation experiment, requiring no purification, is described, wherein the students are given an “unknown” stereoisomer of 3-hexen-1-ol, and use 1H NMR coupling constants to determine the stereochemistry of their product. From this they work backward to determine the stereochemistry of their starting alkene.
Edge Detection of Piecewise Smooth Functions from UnderSampled Fourier Data Using Variance Signatures

Detecting edges in piecewise smooth images is important in a variety of applications. In some cases, such as magnetic resonance imaging, data are collected as Fourier samples, and are often oversampled at low frequencies but more sparsely acquired in the high frequency range. This undersampling causes Fourier-based edge detection algorithms to yield false positives in smooth regions. The problem is compounded when the data are noisy. In this paper, we demonstrate that even when the given data are noisy and undersampled, the edge response behavior obtained using certain Fourier-based edge detection methods can be accurately characterized. In particular, the responses of different high order methods vary little, both in regions away from the discontinuities and at true edges. By contrast, the variance is large in cells neighboring each true edge. By locating these “double peaks” in variance, it is possible to determine edges from noisy and undersampled Fourier data. Alternative methods of generating and ref...
Variable Tolerance among Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) Biotypes to Glyphosate, 2,4-D Amine, and Premix Formulation of Glyphosate plus 2,4-D Choline (Enlist Duo®) Herbicide

Adoption of soybean that is resistant to 2,4-D will result in more use of glyphosate plus 2,4-D premixes and tank mixtures. Preliminary whole-plant greenhouse assays confirm most Palmer amaranth populations found in Indiana are glyphosate-resistant (GR), and some biotypes exhibit tolerance to 2,4-D amine. Dose—response experiments were conducted to determine the level of glyphosate resistance and 2,4-D amine tolerance in four Palmer amaranth biotypes. A premix formulation of glyphosate plus 2,4-D choline was also evaluated. The R1, R2, and R3 biotypes were 31- to 66-fold more resistant to glyphosate (R:S ratio) than the S1 biotype based on the herbicide dose to cause 90% mortality (LD90). The maximum POST rate of the premix formulation of Enlist Duo® labeled in ‘Enlist®’ soybean is 2,195 g ae ha-1 When separated by active ingredient, the maximum POST rate of Enlist Duo® is equivalent to 1,141 and 1,054 g ae ha-1 of glyphosate and 2,4-D choline, respectively. In the absence of glyphosate, the maximum rate of 2,4-D (1,054 g ae ha-1) in the premix formulation of Enlist Duo® controlled S1, R2, and R3 biotypes, but failed to control all plants from the R1 biotype. Estimates for LD90 showed the R1 biotype was 3-fold more tolerant than the S1 biotype to 2,4-D amine. However, no plants survived the 1,155 g ae ha-1 (600 g ae ha-1 of glyphosate plus 555 g ae ha-1 2,4-D) treatment with the premix formulation of glyphosate plus 2,4-D choline. Overall, results from this experiment suggest GR Palmer amaranth that also exhibits increased tolerance to 2,4-D amine will be difficult to control with glyphosate or 2,4-D alone, but can be controlled POST with Enlist Duo® at lower than labeled field rates (1,618 to 2,195 g ae ha-1).Nomenclature: 2,4-D amine; 2,4-D choline; Enlist Duo®; glyphosate; Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.
Language mixing and genetic similarity: The case of Tojol-ab’al

Definitions of ‘mixed’ or ‘intertwined’ languages derive almost entirely from studies of languages that combine elements from genetically unrelated sources. The Mayan language Tojol-ab’al displays a mixture of linguistic features from two related Mayan languages, Chuj and Tseltal. The systematic similarities found in related languages not only make it methodologically difficult to identify the source of specific linguistic features but also mean that inherited similarity can alter the processes and outcomes of language mixing in ways that parallel observed patterns of code-switching between related languages. Tojol-ab’al, therefore, arguably represents a distinct type of mixed language, one that may only result from mixture involving related languages.
A prospective analysis of clinical detection of defective wrapping by operating room staff

Surgical instrument trays are wrapped for sterilization, and these wraps are inspected by operating room personnel for defects before using the instruments. In this study, we intentionally damaged wraps, and these wraps were evaluated by operating room personnel. Examiners correctly identified a wrapper's sterile integrity with an overall 56.1% accuracy, with correct identification of 67.2% for defects between 2 and 5 cm. However, studies have shown bacterial contamination through defects as small as 1.1 mm. This study suggests that the current method for assessing sterility is inadequate.
Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Targeted Gold Nanoparticles for Theranostics of Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers and among the leading causes of cancer deaths in the United States. Men diagnosed with the disease typically undergo radical prostatectomy, which often results in incontinence and impotence. Recurrence of the disease is often experienced by most patients with incomplete prostatectomy during surgery. Hence, the development of a technique that will enable surgeons to achieve a more precise prostatectomy remains an open challenge. In this contribution, we report a theranostic agent (AuNP-5kPEG-PSMA-1-Pc4) based on prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA-1)-targeted gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) loaded with a fluorescent photodynamic therapy (PDT) drug, Pc4. The fabricated nanoparticles are well-characterized by spectroscopic and imaging techniques and are found to be stable over a wide range of solvents, buffers, and media. In vitro cellular uptake experiments demonstrated significantly higher nanoparticle uptake in PSMA-positive PC3pip cells than in PSMA-negat...
"Macrovascular" Decompression of Dolichoectatic Vertebral Artery Causing Hemifacial Spasm Using Goretex Sling: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Hemifacial spasm is characterized by painless and involuntary spasms of the muscles supplied by the facial nerve, most commonly involving the orbicularis oculi. The most common cause of hemifacial spasm is compression of the facial nerve's root by the anterior inferior, or posterior inferior, cerebellar arteries (AICA or PICA). However, in <1% of cases, the compression can be due to a dolichoectatic vertebral artery. Microvascular decompression using Teflon patties may be sufficient when the offending artery is small (eg, AICA or PICA). However, the size and tortuosity of the vertebral artery (especially one that is dolichoectatic) may require a more robust means of decompression (ie, "macrovascular decompression"). In this operative video we demonstrate our technique for managing a patient with hemifacial spasm due to a dolicoectatic vertebral artery. We use a Goretex® (W.L. Gore & Associates Inc, Newark, Delaware) sling secured to the dura of the posterior petrous ridge to suspend the vertebral and posterior inferior cerebellar arteries, thereby decompressing the root entry zone of the facial nerve. Teflon felt pieces are added as a second layer of security. Key steps to this technique include: (1) visualization of the root entry zone, (2) extensive arachnoid dissection to allow adequate mobilization of the vertebral artery, 12 and (3) securing the sling in a trajectory that prevents kinking of the vertebral artery and its branches.
14-P: THE COMPARISON OF SERUM VS EDTA-PLASMA WHEN PERFORMING SOLID PHASE SINGLE ANTIGEN BEAD TESTING

Aim Single antigen bead (SAB) assay used to screen for anti-HLA antibodies also provides the mean fluoresnce intensity(MFI) that correlates with the strength/avidity of the HLA-Ab. Donor specific antibody(DSA) MFI values correlate well with actual crossmatch results and thus SAB is routinely used to perform virtual crossmatch. However, presence of interfering substances like IgM antibody, complement or medications, may result in false negative (FN) results. Recent studies have demonstrated that complement inhibition with EDTA decreases FN results. Additionally, manufacturer’s package insert states that EDTA plasma(plasma) is an acceptable sample for SAB. We present comparision of SAB results obtained from serum and plasma samples. Methods Serum and plasma samples from 11 patients were run in parallel using the Labtype Mixed beads (One Lambda, CA) on a Luminex platform. Number of antigens positive at cutoffs: 500-999, 1000-3999, 4000-7999, 8000-10000 and >10000 were compared. Results MFI values for positive control (PC) and negative control (NC) beads are decreased in the plasma and is reflected by higher PC/NC ratio for serum samples [ Table 2 ]. The total number of antigens identified at different cutoffs in serum and plasma are summarized [ Table 1 ]. Overall at lower cutoff there are more antigens identified in plasma, while at cutoff >8000 more antigens are identified in serum. Conclusions While the NC values are lower in plasma samples, there is a greater decrease in the PC values as reflected by higher PC/NC ratios in serum samples. In addition, this decrease in signal results in greater number of plasma specificities at lower cutoff. Clinical significance of these results need further evaluation.
Baptists Are Different

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, assessing the relations between Baptists and Reformed Protestants is in the mind of the historian. Although some use historical methods and evidence to argue that Baptists and Reformed are closer than R. Scott Clark and D. G. Hart have alleged, this historiography often relies as much on religious convictions as academic expertise. If religiously informed perspectives are possible in professional scholarship, the case for insisting on differences between Baptists and Reformed Protestantism, as this chapter maintains, still makes sense.
Co-Designers: Cultures of Computer Simulation in Architecture

Designers employ a variety of tools and techniques for speculating about buildings before they are built. In their simplest form, these are personal thought experiments. However, embracing advanced computer simulations means engaging a network of specialized people and powerful machines. In this book, Yanni Alexander Loukissas demonstrates that new tools have profound implications for the social distribution of design work; computer simulations are technologies for collective imagination. Organized around the accounts of professional designers engaged in a high-stakes competition to redefine their work for the technological moment, this book explores the emerging cultures of computer simulation in architecture. Not only architects, but acousticians, fire safety engineers, and sustainability experts see themselves as co-designers in architecture, engaging new technologies for simulation in an evolving search for the roles and relationships that can bring them both professional acceptance and greater control over design. By illustrating how practices of simulation inform the social relationships and professional distinctions that define contemporary architecture, the book examines the cultural transformations taking place in design practice today.
#MeToo: Before and After

This essay asks, why now? What contributed to the rapid public success of #MeToo in this contemporary moment? It situates the explosion of #MeToo within both a longer history of feminist debates an...
The Irrelevance of Balanced Budget Amendments

Today, the debate about public indebtedness has reached a fervor not often seen among professional economists and the general public. This has renewed considerations of requiring Congress to balance its budget, through either a Constitutional amendment or some other legislative or statutory means. But what effect would such a requirement have on the actual practice of federal spending? Conventional approaches to answering this question are typically empirical in nature, perhaps looking at the budgets of individual states and the patterns of spending before and after balanced budget requirements were put into practice. This paper takes a different tack, instead exploring the process by which figures of federal revenues and expenditures are constructed and what effect requiring these constructed figures to be equal would have on actual underlying fiscal realities.
Psychometric Properties of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) in an African American Clinical Sample

Self-compassion has been recognized as a protective factor against adverse mental health outcomes. Recently, efforts have been taken to investigate the psychometric properties of a widely used measure of self-compassion, the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). It is vital that psychometric studies include racially/ethnically diverse participants to ensure the SCS’s validity and utility among these samples. The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the SCS in a sample of 248 low-income African American individuals with a recent suicide attempt. Using confirmatory factor analyses, the following factor structure models of the SCS were tested: one-factor, two-factor, six-factor correlated, higher order, bifactor, and two-bifactor. Although our confirmatory factor analyses supported model fit for three of these models (two-factor, two-bifactor, six-factor correlated), the six-factor correlated model was most consistent with theoretical and practical applications of the SCS in this specific demographic and clinical sample. The SCS also demonstrated good internal consistency, as well as strong convergent validity with measures of suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, self-criticism, and mindfulness. These results suggest that the SCS is a psychometrically sound tool for assessing the construct of self-compassion among a low-income, clinical African American sample.
On the Road to a Better Understanding of Learning and Memory in Drosophila Melanogaster

In the decade or so since S. Benzer and coworkers at CalTech began to isolate mutations that affect learning and memory in Drosophila, much work has revealed interesting, if not exciting, biochemical and behavioral details about normal and mutant flies. Below, I will summarize our current understanding of the biochemistry underlying associative learning. Then, I will discuss interesting behavioral aspects of normal and mutant memory formation, which is produced by a classical conditioning procedure.
Evaluating the Transfer of Scaffolded Inquiry: What Sticks and Does It Last?

The Next Generation Science Standards [1] expect students to master disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and scientific practice. In prior work, we showed that students benefited from real time scaffolding of science practices such that students’ inquiry competencies both improved over time and transferred to new science topics. The present study examines the robustness of adaptive scaffolding by evaluating students’ inquiry performances at a very fine-grained level in order to investigate what aspects of inquiry are robust over time once scaffolding was removed. 108 middle school students in grade 6 used Inq-ITS and received adaptive scaffolding for three lab activities in the first inquiry topic they completed (i.e. Animal Cell); they then completed 10 activities without scaffolding across three new topics. Results showed that after removing scaffolding, student’s inquiry performance generally improved with slight variations in performance across driving questions and over time. Overall, these findings suggest that adaptive scaffolding may support students’ inquiry learning and transfer of inquiry practices over time and across topics.
Patterns of cigarette, e-cigarette, and cannabis use among adult smokers in primary care 2014-2015.

Abstract Background Poly-use of tobacco, cannabis, and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is an emerging problem in the general population. The current study investigated poly-use of these products and receipt of smoking cessation counseling in a primary care setting. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional secondary data analysis from a trial of a tablet intervention to increase provider delivery of the 5As (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange follow-up), a brief counseling intervention for smoking cessation, in 3 diverse primary care clinics in San Francisco, CA from 2014 to 2015. Participants were currently smoking cigarettes (N = 601; mean age = 50.8; 38.1% female) and reported information on past 30-day cigarette and e-cigarette use and past 3-month cannabis use. We classified participants into 4 groups: (1) cigarette-only, (2) dual-use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, (3) dual-use of cigarettes and cannabis, (4) poly-use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cannabis, and examined correlates of use. Results Only cigarette smoking was reported by 48.6% of participants, 30.4% reported use of cigarettes and cannabis, 10.5% reported use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and 10.5% reported use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cannabis. Cigarette-only smokers did not differ from other groups by cigarette smoking behavior and motivation to quit. Patients reporting dual-use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes had a higher likelihood of receiving the Arrange step and all 5As compared to cigarette-only smokers. Conclusions Providers should screen for co-use of cigarettes and other nicotine/cannabis products and consider co-use when delivering smoking cessation treatment and evaluating treatment outcomes. Development of guidelines to help facilitate provider training is needed.
Lessons Learned From 30 Years of a University-Community Engagement Center

The University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development (OCD) has practiced university–community engagement activities for 30 years. This has included hundreds of specific projects conducted with community partners, all funded by outside grants. Based on our experience, we describe some lessons learned regarding the operation of a university–community engagement unit, the conduct of community-engaged scholarship, and some of the challenges that the engagement endeavor poses to traditional research universities. These themes are discussed in the hope that other engagement units can benefit from these experiences.