cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Screening for Enhanced Triacetic Acid Lactone Production by Recombinant Escherichia coli Expressing a Designed Triacetic Acid Lactone Reporter

Triacetic acid lactone (TAL) is a signature byproduct of polyketide synthases (PKSs) and a valuable synthetic precursor. We have developed an endogenous TAL reporter by engineering the Escherichia coli regulatory protein AraC to activate gene expression in response to TAL. The reporter enabled in vivo directed evolution of Gerbera hybrida 2-pyrone synthase activity in E. coli . Two rounds of mutagenesis and high-throughput screening yielded a variant conferring ~20-fold increased TAL production. The catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of the variant toward the substrate malonyl-CoA was improved 19-fold. This study broadens the utility of engineered AraC variants as customized molecular reporters. In addition, the TAL reporter can find applications in other basic PKS activity screens.
The Structure,Evolution and Cultivation of Sports Industry Eco-system

Sports industry involves many environment factors,its operation has expressed a system.Sports industry eco-system has specific structure and different evolution stage,needs adopts different measures to optimize.
Value and Action in Nonconceptual Jurisprudence

As a paradigm for much legal literature, nonconceptual jurisprudence conveys in abundance. The goal of nonconceptual theory is to state something intellectually interesting and socially useful about the law and its effects that can withstand disproof. That is to say, nonconceptual jurisprudence are falsifiable. Legal dialogue provides the crucible for testing theories of nonconceptual jurisprudence. This paper suggestion if that all assertions(made of implied) are means by which participants in legal dialogue attempt representations about one of three very different things: fact, value and action.
Thermodynamics of the Ternary System Na2O-P2O5-B2O3. Part 1. Calorimetric Study of the Liquid Mixtures B2O3 + (NaBO2)2, (NaPO3)2 + Na4P2O7, (NaPO3)2 + B2O3 and Na4P2O7 + (NaBO2)2.

Results of measurements of the enthalpies of mixing of the title mixtures by liquid + liquid calorimetry have been interpreted to indicate that a basic building block in acid mixtures of phosphates and borates probably is a four-coordinated boron atom connected to a phosphorus atom through an oxygen bridge.
The Montana State Constitution: A Reference Guide

Montana's idealistic state constitution was created during the politically turbulent early 1970s. Progressive and innovative, but also pragmatic, this constitutional newcomer combines a strong concern for individual rights, personal liberty, and individual dignity while seeking to keep government open and responsive to the will of the people of Montana. It also stresses rights to a clean and healthful environment. This is the first reference work to provide an in-depth analysis of the text, meaning, and legal interpretations of Montana's constitution. This book will be of interest to legal scholars and practicing attorneys, as well as students of constitutional development and interpretation, state government, and the history of the western US. It is also an excellent research tool for those interested in Montana's constitutional history and case law, and includes a comprehensive bibliographic essay dealing with available primary and secondary research sources.
Entraining Speech with Speech and Metronomes

Duas novas abordagens experimentais para o estudo da fala sao descritas. Na abordagem Speech Cycling, os locutores procuram casar o ritmo de sua fala com aquele de um metronomo. Eles mostram fortes vieses que privilegiam a producao de padroes ritmicos simples baseados no encadeamento de um numero inteiro de pes acentuais compreendidos no ciclo de repeticao da frase. Na abordagem Synchronous Speech, dois locutores leem um texto conjuntamente, tentando manter o sincronismo entre si. Novos resultados, fundamentados em vinte pares de locutores, sao apresentados e demonstram que a pratica nao melhora de maneira acentuada o sincronismo, que os locutores usam informacao visual para se sincronizarem entre si e que um indice independente de fluencia de leitura e somente um fraco preditor de sincronismo. Tomados em seu conjunto, esses experimentos ilustram o uso de estimulos para induzir os locutores ao acoplamento, revelando assim tendencias e limitacoes do sistema de producao de fala.
Urban–Rural Differences in Eye, Bill, and Skull Allometry in House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus)

Allometry, the proportional scaling of log trait size with log body size, evolves to optimize allocation to growth of separate structures and is a major constraint on the functional limits of animal traits. While there are many studies demonstrating the rigidity of allometry across traits and taxa, comparatively less work has been done on allometric variation across environments within species. Rapidly changing environments, such as cities, may be prime systems for studying the flexibility of allometry because they uniquely alter many environmental parameters (e.g., habitat, light, noise). We studied size variation, allometry, and allometric dispersion of craniofacial traits in both sexes of urban and rural house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) because many traits in the head are ecologically critical to the survival and acclimation of birds to their environment (e.g., brain: response to cognitive challenges; bill: foraging modes). We found that urban finches had shorter eye axial lengths and skull widths, but longer (but not wider or deeper) bills, than rural finches. Also, allometric slopes of eye, skull, and bill traits differed based on sex and environment. In the rural environment, females had a far steeper allometric slope for eye axial length than males, but such slopes were similar between males and females in the city. Skull allometry was similar for males and females in both environments, but urban birds had a shallower slope for skull length (but not width) than rural birds. Other traits only differed by sex (males had a steeper slope for bill width), and one trait did not differ based on either sex or environment (bill depth). The dispersion of points around the allometric line did not differ by sex or environment for any craniofacial variable. Due to the significant but low genetic divergence between urban and rural finch populations, allometric differences are probably largely driven by plastic forces. We suggest that differences in diet and cognitive demand of urban environments may drive these allometric patterns. Overall, these results indicate that allometry may shift due to rapid environmental change and differentially so between the sexes.
Characterization and Optimization Methodology Applied to Stencil Computations

This chapter describes the characterization and optimization methodology applied to a 3D finite differences (3DFD) algorithm used to solve constant or variable density isotropic acoustic wave equation (Iso-3DFD).
Dielectrophoretic cell isolation in microfluidics channels for high-throughput biomedical applications

The isolation of target cells from biological samples such as blood, serum or urine without contamination with other cells or without loosing target cells in high-throughput is the starting point of developing effective therapy. Currently available techniques for cell isolation require extra labeling of target cells followed by lengthy isolation processes. These processes will cause to contaminate and degrade target cells. To address this issue, dielectrophoresis is proposed as it provide label free cell isolation. In dielectrophoretic cell isolation, dielectrophoretic force acting on cells determines the purity and the throughput of the isolated cell sample. Since the electric field gradients are part of the dielectrophoresis force, it is important to design electrodes that are capable of generating high electric field gradients. In this work, we have proposed electrodes that can generate high electric field gradients. We then calculated the electric field gradients using finite element software and fabricated the electrodes. Finally, we have produced a device that can be used for cell isolation. In this paper, we have presented the concepts, designs and prototypes of our device.
Alzheimer’s Disease: Theories of Causation

Alzheimer’s disease will be the epidemic of the twenty-first century (1,2). The generally accepted figures are that 5% of individuals of the age of 65 have severe dementia, and another 10% have moderate dementia, with 30% having developed dementia if they live to the age of 90. The recent Boston study suggested that the figures were even higher, with 3% of those age 65 to 74 having probable Alzheimer’s disease, 18.7% of those 75 to 84, and 47.2% of those over 85 having probable Alzheimer’s disease (3). About 75% of patients with a clinical diagnosis of senile dementia prove to have Alzheimer’s disease, while a number of other disorders, such as multi-infarct dementia and other neurological degenerations, underlie the remaining proportion. Alzheimer’s disease is therefore going to be the major health care burden in the coming decades, both in terms of personal and family stress and of national health care costs. It is unnecessary, therefore, to emphasize the urgent need for an understanding of the cause of the disease and its treatment.
A reboot of Derrick Bell’s ‘The Space Traders’: using racial hypos to teach white pre-service teachers about race and racism

AbstractThis article imagines what it might look like for White people to commit to racial justice in the U.S. as if their very lives depended on its success. Inspired by the venerable storytelling of Derrick Bell, Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, W. E. B. Du Bois and Adrien Wing, as well as the tradition of science fiction in Black Diasporan writing, the author revisits Bell’s well-known ‘The Space Traders’ counterstory. This ‘reboot’ forecasts the arrival of Space Traders who target White people who choose not to do the work of reckoning with whiteness and the legacy of white supremacy. The story serves as a ‘racial hypo’ or allegory to challenge White pre-service teachers, specifically, to consider what they need to do to betray white supremacy.
Abstract IA25: Synergistic innate and adaptive integrin-targeted immunotherapy

We have determined that antitumor antibodies, when combined with extended systemic exposure to IL-2, strongly polarize an inflammatory tumor microenvironment and generate a vaccinal effect that significantly potentiates adoptive T cell therapies (1). We have broadened this approach by delivering activating Fc domains to tumors via a small peptide that targets RGD-binding integrins (i.e. alpha V beta 3 and alpha 5 beta1). Combining integrin-targeted Fc-mediated effector functions with extended IL-2 exposure leads to ablation of established syngeneic tumors, with formation of protective immunity against subsequent tumor rechallenge. The therapeutic index of this protocol is excellent in wild-type mice, with mild transient reversible toxicities attributable primarily to IL-2 exposure. These results provide a strong case for using tumor-opsonizing agents such as monoclonal antibodies or Fc fusions to synergize with T-cell directed immunotherapies.Reference1. Zhu EF, Gai SA, Opel CF, Kwan BH, Surana R, Mihm MC, Kauke MJ, Moynihan KD, Angelini A, Williams RT, Stephan MT, Kim JS, Yaffe MB, Irvine DJ, Weiner LM, Dranoff G, Wittrup KD. Synergistic innate and adaptive immune response to combination immunotherapy with anti-tumor antigen antibodies and extended serum half-life IL-2. Cancer Cell 2015;27(4):489-501. Citation Format: Karl Dane Wittrup. Synergistic innate and adaptive integrin-targeted immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; 2016 Sept 25-28; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(11 Suppl):Abstract nr IA25.
Wireless sensor for determining the impedance of human skin

We have developed a new wireless sensor for determining the impedance of human skin from 10 Hz to 1000 Hz. Skin impedance is a good indicator of hydration and fat intake. It can also indicate incipient melanoma and radiation (UV, sunlight, etc.) induced cell damage. The wireless link enables the impedance sensor to be untethered and more reliably monitor the skin impedance. The skin impedance of one of the authors was monitored to study the effect of calorie intake and will be discussed and presented.
Role of Nitric Oxide Synthase on Blood Pressure Regulation and Vascular Function in Pregnant Rats on a High-Fat Diet.

BACKGROUND While obesity is a leading risk factor for preeclampsia, the mechanisms whereby obese women are more susceptible to pregnancy-induced hypertension are unclear. As high-fat diet (HFD) is an important contributor to the development of obesity, we tested the hypothesis that pregnant rats on HFD have hypertension and endothelial dysfunction due to reduced nitric oxide synthase (NOS). METHODS Twelve-week-old Sprague-Dawley female rats were fed normal diet (ND, 13% fat kcal) or HFD (40% fat kcal) for 9 weeks. Timed-pregnant rats were then generated and the effect of HFD on mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and vascular function was assessed on gestational day (GD) 19. RESULTS MAP was not different between HFD and ND pregnant rats. Intriguingly, sensitivity to acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation was enhanced in small mesenteric arteries of HFD dams compared to ND controls (logEC50 -7.9 ± 0.3 vs. -6.7 ± 0.3 M; P < 0.05). Additionally, HFD dams exhibited higher mesenteric artery expression of NOS3 and plasma levels of NO metabolites than ND controls (1738.0 ± 316.4 vs. 1094.0 ± 82.5 pg/mg and 72.5 ± 8.7 vs. 39.7 ± 4.5 µM, respectively; both P < 0.05). Further, to determine the role of NOS in modulating blood pressure in HFD pregnant rats, animals were treated with the nonselective inhibitor Nω-Nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (100 mg/l, drinking water) from GD 14 to 19. It was found that NOS inhibition increased MAP equally in HFD and ND groups. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to our initial hypothesis, HFD dams were normotensive and presented increased endothelial function and NO/NOS3 levels. This enhanced NOS-mediated vascular function does not appear to have a major impact on blood pressure regulation of HFD-fed pregnant rats.
With a Little Help from Friends

A young man with acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission received consolidation chemotherapy with cytosine arabinoside and mitozantrone. He was treated in a single room with filtered air. On day +6 after finishing chemotherapy, he became febrile (38.5°C). The neutrophil count was 0.53 × 109/l. A chest X-ray was reported as clear. Piperacillin and Amikacin were administered.
Catalase overexpression modulates metabolic parameters in a new ‘stress-less’ leptin-deficient mouse model

Oxidative stress plays a key role in obesity by modifying the function of important biological molecules, thus altering obesogenic pathways such as glucose and lipid signaling. Catalase, is an important endogenous antioxidant enzyme that catabolizes hydrogen peroxide produced by the dismutation of superoxide. Recent studies have shown knockdown of catalase exacerbates insulin resistance and leads to obesity. We hypothesized that overexpressing catalase in an obese mouse will modulate obesogenic pathways and protect against obesity. Therefore, we bred catalase transgenic ([Tg(CAT)+/−] mice with Ob/Ob mice to generate the hybrid “Bob-Cat” mice. This newly generated “stress-less” mouse model had decreased oxidative stress (oxidized carbonylated proteins). ECHO-MRI showed lower fat mass but higher lean mass in “Bob-Cat” mice. Comprehensive Lab Animal Monitoring System (CLAMS) showed light and dark cycle increase in energy expenditure in Bob-Cat mice compared to wild type controls. Circulating levels of leptin and resistin showed no change. Catalase mRNA expression was increased in key metabolic tissues (adipose, liver, intestinal mucosa, and brain) of the Bob-Cat mouse. Catalase activity, mRNA and protein expression was increased in adipose tissue. Expression of the major adipokines leptin and adiponectin was increased while pro-inflammatory genes, MCP-1/JE and IL-1β were lowered. Interestingly, sexual dimorphism was seen in body composition, energy expenditure, and metabolic parameters in the Bob-Cat mice. Overall, the characteristics of the newly generated “Bob-Cat” mice make it an ideal model for studying the effect of redox modulators (diet/exercise) in obesity.
Cancer Evolution: No Room for Negative Selection.

In this issue of Cell, Martincorena et al. and Campbell et al. interrogated the selection dynamics during tumor evolution using large-scale genomics datasets. They found that somatic mutations in cancer are largely neutral, highlighting a near-complete absence of negative selection. Neutral evolution enables tolerance of hypermutation, which defines a surprisingly large fraction of adult cancer.
A Meeting of Innovation Minds

Eric von Hippel and Andrew W. Torrance are two scholars who might never have met, let alone become close colleagues and collaborators. In 2008, these two scholars began discussing, exchanging, and sometimes debating ideas with each other. They quickly found common ground and soon began a close and productive collaboration. Each has helped the other understand new aspects of innovation. The result has been a synthesis of ideas that has benefited both of them. In 2013, they coauthored an article entitled “The Right to Innovate” and in 2017 von Hippel reported upon their joint insights in a chapter in his book, Free Innovation. Torrance plans to publish a book on what he calls “innovation hypercycles” in 2018 that will also include some of their joint ideas. This somewhat unorthodox Essay, written jointly by von Hippel and Torrance at the request of the Northwestern University Law Review, relates how their collegial collaboration began and expanded to enrich their understandings of innovation, in the hopes of encouraging more researchers to pursue cross-disciplinary collaboration. Collaboration between scholars with expertise from disparate fields of scholarship has long been an effective method of intellectual crossfertilization. Although not every interdisciplinary collaboration is successful, this Essay illustrates the promise of one that, at least in the minds of the authors, succeeded, and exhorts scholars across any fields to consider collaborating with scholars whose research is potentially complementary. The result can be meaningful, and sometimes surprising, insights for both fields.
The role of programmed death ligand-1 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer overexpressing HER2 gene

The purpose of the study is to investigate the prognostic significance of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in HER2+ breast cancer (BC). HER2+ BC cases (n = 191) were collected between 1996 and 2013. Tissue microarray (TMA) slides were stained with two clones of PD-L1 antibodies (28-8 and 22C3) and the percentage of positive membranous staining was scored. TILs of the full sections were also scored using percentage scale. Clone 28-8 had expression in ≥ 1% of the tumor cells in 25.7% of the cases, while clone 22C3 in ≥ 1% of the tumor cells was expressed in 11.5% of the cases. In the multivariate analysis, higher expression of PD-L1 (clone 28-8) in tumor correlated with lower risk of tumor recurrence, with HR of 0.4 (p = 0.033). Higher level of TILs (> 15%) predicts better overall survival (OS) in all patients with HR of 0.35 (p = 0.0046). In the group of patients who were treated with trastuzumab-based adjuvant chemotherapy, lower PD-L1 (clone 28-8) expression in TILs correlated with tumor recurrence (p = 0.034). In the group of patients who were treated with non-trastuzumab-based adjuvant chemotherapy, lower TILs and lower PD-L1 (clone 28-8) expression in tumor had borderline statistical significance in association with tumor recurrence (p = 0.064 and 0.083, respectively). In the group of patients who were treated with trastuzumab-based adjuvant chemotherapy, PD-L1 or TILs was not statistically significant to predict 5-year survival. In the group of patients who were treated with non-trastuzumab-based adjuvant chemotherapy, low TILs (p = 0.009) correlated with 5-year death due to disease. We conclude that PD-L1 may have prognostic significance in HER2+ BCs.
Stare Decisis and the Selection Effect

This chapter contends that there are significant systemic obstacles to determining whether the Supreme Court actually adheres to stare decisis. Political-science research suggests that precedent exerts relatively little constraint on the Court’s decisionmaking. The author contends that this research is unreliable, however, because of the selection effect: A strong norm of stare decisis, if it existed, would allow only the closest cases—those where precedent is least constraining—to reach the Court in the first place. Whether the selection effect actually operates in this way, however, depends on whether litigants, lawyers, and lower-court judges believe the Court applies stare decisis. And whether the Court does so is precisely what the empirical studies cannot reveal. As things stand, then, there is no reliable way to know whether the Court really follows precedent. The Court could fill this information gap by conspicuously reaffirming decisions known to be opposed by a majority of Justices, but it rarely has done so. This failure, more than any empirical research, suggests that the Court does not in fact accord much weight to precedent.
ZnO Piezoelectric Devices

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the progress of piezoelectric zinc oxide (ZnO) and its device applications. Piezoelectricity is the mechanism of converting mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. The generation of electrical polarization when a piezoelectric material is strained is known as the direct piezoelectric effect. The converse piezoelectric effect refers to the generation of strain in a piezoelectric material when an electric field is applied. Piezoelectricity occurs only in twenty of the thirty-two crystal classes where the unit cells are hemimorphic, devoid of a center of symmetry. The chapter provides the most important piezoelectric properties of ZnO material and describes the major growth technologies to obtain piezoelectric films. It also discusses the compensation doping process and presents the characteristics of surface acoustic waves in ZnO and ZnO-based multilayer structures. The integrated surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, including sensors, are also covered. The chapter also presents ZnO thin film bulk acoustic devices.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Airway Targeted PLGA Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery in Obstructive Lung Diseases

Chronic airway inflammation is a hallmark of chronic obstructive airway diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), and asthma. Airway inflammation and mucus obstruction present major challenges to drug or gene delivery and therapeutic efficacy of nano-based carriers in these chronic obstructive airway conditions. To achieve targeted drug delivery of NPs to the diseased cells, NPs need to bypass the obstructive airway and circumvent the airway's defense mechanisms. Although there has been increasing interest and significant progress in development of NPs for targeting cancer, relatively little progress has been made towards designing novel systems for targeted treatment of chronic inflammatory and obstructive airway conditions. Hence, we describe here methods for preparing drug loaded multifunctional nanoparticles for targeted delivery to specific airway cell types in obstructive lung diseases. The formulations and methods for selective drug delivery in the treatment of chronic airway conditions such as COPD, CF, and asthma have been evaluated using a variety of preclinical models by our laboratory and currently ongoing further clinical development for translation from bench to bedside.
An Internet of Things (IoT)-Based Network for Dispersed and Decentralized Wireless Battery Management Systems

Conventional battery management systems (BMSs) typically adopt hierarchical master-module architectures with standard wired-communication systems for electrified vehicles. The installation of additional wiring causes critical wiring-harness issues and the centralized master-module BMS architecture may results in the failure of the entire system if the Master BMS fails. This paper proposes a new distributed wireless Internet of Things (IoT) network for dispersed and decentralized wireless battery management systems. The proposed network includes a lightweight IoT protocol, a fast and autonomous leader election algorithm for data aggregation and communication with external systems, and an IoT gateway for cloud support services. The proposed IoT network will enable battery systems to be simpler, dispersed, scalable, reliable, and cost effective.
Electronic structure of electron-irradiated graphene and effects of hydrogen passivation

We report results for the electronic structure of irradiated and irradiation-induced amorphized graphene based on first-principles density functional theory calculations, using models of irradiated graphene sheets that were initially relaxed structurally according to molecular-dynamics simulations. We find that localized states appear at the Fermi level upon irradiation damage and the corresponding local density of states increases with increasing defect density. Electronic structure calculations show that band flattening occurs due to electron localization in the vicinity of irradiation-induced defects and reduces the charge carrier mobility. This band flattening effect becomes stronger with increasing defect density due to a greater degree of carrier localization at irradiation-induced carbon dangling bonds. Passivating these dangling bonds with hydrogen atoms delocalizes the charge density, reduces the density of states at the Fermi level, and increases the band dispersion. Hydrogen passivation also has the additional effect of quenching any localized magnetic moments at dangling bonds. Our studies show that defect engineering of graphene—even at a gross level without atomic-scale precision—can be employed to tune its properties for additional electronic functionality.
Fast-evolving alignment sites are highly informative for reconstructions of deep Tree of Life phylogenies

The trimming of fast-evolving sites, often known as slow-fast analysis, is broadly used in microbial phylogenetic reconstruction under assumption that fast-evolving sites do not retain accurate phylogenetic signal due to substitution saturation. Therefore, removing sites that have experienced multiple substitutions would improve the signal-to-noise ratio in phylogenetic analyses, with the remaining slower-evolving sites preserving a more reliable record of evolutionary relationships. Here we show that, contrary to this assumption, even the fastest evolving sites, present in conserved proteins often used in Tree of Life studies, contain reliable and valuable phylogenetic information, and that the trimming of such sites can negatively impact the accuracy of phylogenetic reconstruction. Simulated alignments modeled after ribosomal protein datasets used in Tree of Life studies consistently show that slow-evolving sites are less likely to recover true bipartitions than even the fastest-evolving sites. Furthermore, site specific substitution-rates are positively correlated with the frequency of accurately recovered short-branched bipartitions, as slowly evolving sites are less likely to have experienced substitutions along these intervals. Using published Tree of Life sequence alignment datasets, we additionally show that both slow- and fast-evolving sites contain similarly inconsistent phylogenetic signals, and that, for fast-evolving sites, this inconsistency can be attributed to poor alignment quality. Furthermore, trimming fast sites, slow sites, or both is shown to have substantial impact on phylogenetic reconstruction across multiple evolutionary models. This is perhaps most evident in the resulting placements of Eukarya and Asgardarchaeota groups, which are especially sensitive to the implementation of different trimming schemes
Chapter 26 – Vitamin D and the Kidney

Publisher Summary The kidney has a unique function in mineral homeostasis and plays a vital role in the control of plasma calcium and phosphorus. The kidney plays a vital role in the conservation of calcium and phosphorus. Besides being the site of synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D3, the kidney responds to the hormone by increasing the efficiency of calcium and phosphorus reabsorption. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3-1α-hydroxylase is a multicomponent, cytochrome P-450-containing enzyme in the mitochondria of renal proximal tubular cells. Elements of the calcium transport systems including calbindin D28K, calbindin D9K, the epithelial calcium channel, and the plasma membrane calcium pump all localize to the distal portion of the nephron and are regulated directly or indirectly by 1,25(OH)2D3. The reabsorption of calcium in the kidney is controlled by several factors such as the filtered load of sodium, urine flow, and the activity of several hormones, most notably, parathyroid hormone (PTH), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) and calcitonin, in addition to others. The kidney is the major site of synthesis of 1,25 (OH)2D, the active, hormonal form of vitamin D. Finally, the kidney has an equally important role in the control of plasma phosphate, and the filtration and reabsorption of phosphate.
Coronary Biofeedback: A Challenge to Bioengineering

Most animal studies of visceral and glandular learning have provided the foundations for interesting and often successful applications to various psychophysiologic disorders. Very often the focus of these treatment efforts has been on cardiovascular function with attention to such diverse clinical phenomena as cardiac arrhythmias and conduction problems (Engel, 1972), essential hypertension (Shapiro et al., 1970), and disorders involving problems of blood flow such as Raynaud’s disease (Surwit, 1974) and migraine headache (Sargent et al., 1974).
Potassium isotopic variability and implications for 40 K-basedgeochronology

Abstract. 40Ar/39Ar and K-Ar geochronology assume that 40K/K values are invariant among the sample of interest, the co-irradiated neutron fluence monitor ( standard ), and the material used to measure decay constants. Until recently, this assumption was reasonable due to the small K isotope (41K, 40K, 39K) variability found in many terrestrial samples and the negligible effect of any variation relative to the precision of the determined age. The recent discovery of measurable δ41K variability in terrestrial samples now questions this assumption. Although δ41K values for some neutron fluence monitors have now been reported, potassium isotopes are not routinely measured on samples dated by the 40Ar/39Ar method even though a wide range of silicate materials were found to vary by > 2.5 ‰. Further, the 40K decay constants used in 40Ar/39Ar geochronology are based on activity counting of radioactive decay in K-rich salts. These salts have not been measured for δ41K, yet evaporites have been shown to vary by > 1 ‰ from the mean value of silicates. The potential effects of δ41K variability on 40Ar/39Ar ages are illustrated using the case of the ca. 28.2 Ma Fish Canyon sanidine (FCs) and the ca. 99 Ma Mt. Dromedary Biotite (GA-1550). If the two standards have δ41K values as measured and the material used to determine decay constants is appropriately represented by δ41K of evaporites, the age of FCs is underestimated by ca. 7 ka (0.25 ‰). Although this is a small effect, such bias is becoming important as the analytical precision and accuracy of isotopic measurements and calculation of 40Ar/39Ar ages continue to improve.
Abstract A117: Thyroid cancer incidence trends among pediatrics, adolescents, and young adults in the United States 2001-2015

Background: The United States and other industrialized nations are experiencing what is known as the thyroid cancer epidemic. While there are studies of incidence trends among adult thyroid cancer patients in the United States, there is a paucity of data examining the relative contributions of different races/ethnicities and age groups, especially among the pediatric, adolescent, and young adult (AYA) population. This study aimed to identify which racial/ethnic groups may be driving the incidence trends of thyroid cancer among the pediatric and AYA population in the United States. Methods: We used data from the joint National Program of Cancer Registries/Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results databases from 2001 - 2015 (n = 149,578), which covered the entire United States (50 states and the District of Columbia). We calculated age-adjusted incidence rates of thyroid cancer for patients from 0 - 39 years, and rates were stratified by age, race/ethnicity, and sex and presented per 100,000 person-years (PY). Overall rates for the entire study period, rate ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and annual percent changes (APC) comparing the 2001 rate and 2015 rate were calculated for each group. Joinpoint regression estimated increases/decreases in age-adjusted incidence over time for each group through average annual percent changes (AAPC). Results: The majority of thyroid cancer patients in this study were females (83%), white (60%), and between 15 - 39 years (98%). The overall incidence was 6.17 per 100,000 PY with an AAPC of 4.22 (p Conclusion: Incidence of thyroid cancer increased in both the pediatric and AYA population over the last 15 years, and white females aged 15 - 39 years accounted for most of this increase. These findings can inform future directed screening and reveal unaddressed health disparities. Citation Format: Katherine M. Polednik, Matthew C. Simpson, Aleksandr R. Bukatko, Matthew E. Gaubatz, Eric Adjei Boakye, Mark A. Vavaras, Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters. Thyroid cancer incidence trends among pediatrics, adolescents, and young adults in the United States 2001-2015 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A117.
Gender & Justice: Why Women in the Judiciary Really Matter by Sally J. Kenney

In Gender & Justice: Why Women in the Judiciary Really Matter, Sally J. Kenney sets out a provocative argument for gender scholars: Stop looking for difference; it does not help achieve equality. T...
Space Shuffle: A Scalable, Flexible, and High-Performance Data Center Network

The increasing need of cloud and big data applications requires data center networks to be scalable and bandwidth-rich. Current data center network architectures often use rigid topologies to increase network bandwidth. A major limitation is that they can hardly support incremental network growth. Recent work has been investigating new network architecture and protocols to achieve three important design goals of large data centers, namely, high throughput, routing and forwarding scalability, and flexibility for incremental growth. Unfortunately, existing data center network architectures focus on one or two of the above properties and pay little attention to the others. In this paper, we design a novel flexible data center network architecture, Space Shuffle (S2), which applies greedy routing on multiple ring spaces to achieve high-throughput, scalability, and flexibility. The proposed greedy routing protocol of S2 effectively exploits the path diversity of densely connected topologies and enables key-based routing. Extensive experimental studies show that S2 provides high bisectional bandwidth and throughput, near-optimal routing path lengths, extremely small forwarding state, fairness among concurrent data flows, and resiliency to network failures.
Intertwined charge, spin, and pairing orders in doped iron ladders

Motivated by recent experimental progress on iron-based ladder compounds, we study the doped two-orbital Hubbard model for the two-leg ladder ${\mathrm{BaFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{S}}_{3}$. The model is constructed by using ab initio hopping parameters and the ground state properties are investigated using the density matrix renormalization group method. We show that the $(\ensuremath{\pi},0)$ magnetic ordering at half filling, with ferromagnetic rungs and antiferromagnetic legs, becomes incommensurate upon hole doping. Moreover, depending on the strength of the Hubbard $U$ coupling, other magnetic patterns, such as $(0,\ensuremath{\pi})$, are also stabilized. We found that the binding energy for two holes becomes negative for intermediate Hubbard interaction strength, indicating hole pairing. Due to the crystal-field split among orbitals, the holes primarily reside in one orbital, with the other one remaining half filled. This resembles orbital selective Mott states. The formation of tight hole pairs continues with increasing hole density, as long as the magnetic order remains antiferromagnetic in one direction. The study of pair-pair correlations indicates the dominance of the intraorbital spin-singlet channel, as opposed to other pairing channels. Although in a range of hole doping pairing correlations decay slowly, our results can also be interpreted as corresponding to a charge density wave made of pairs, a precursor of eventual superconductivity after interladder couplings are included. Such a scenario of intertwined orders has been extensively discussed before in the cuprates, and our results suggest a similar physics could exist in ladder iron-based superconductors. Finally, we also show that a robust Hund's coupling is needed for pairing to occur.
Students’ Approach to learning over time

Abstract This research study was conducted with one undergraduate nursing cohort at a mid-sized Midwestern university in the USA. The goal of this quantitative research study was to measure students’ approach to learning to determine if they realized changes from the start to the finish of their program. Students were asked to complete the Approaches to Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) on entry into the undergraduate program (ASSIST-1). Two years later, during their final semester, students completed the inventory again (ASSIST-2). Results showed students' top approach to learning was strategic learning, followed by deep learning and lastly surface learning. Students experienced no significant changes in their approach to learning during the two-year period. Suggestions are discussed on how to design classes to encourage deeper learning approaches and the impact of using strategic approaches.
Educating in and for uncertainty: climate science, human evolution and the legacy of Arne Naess as guidance for ecological practice

This paper reflects on how the issue of climate change and the general state of our planet is, among other causes, a main factor in the paralyzing divisions ailing Western societies. This situation...
Disparities in ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment by Race/Ethnicity in Youth Receiving Kentucky Medicaid in 2017.

Background: Kentucky has among the highest rate of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and stimulant use in the United States. Little is known about this use by race/ethnicity and geography. This article describes patterns of diagnosis of ADHD and receipt of stimulants and psychosocial interventions for children aged 6-17 years receiving Kentucky Medicaid in 2017 and identifies factors associated with diagnosis and treatment. Methods: Using Medicaid claims, children with and without ADHD (ICD-10 codes F90.0, F90.1, F90.2, F90.8, and F90.9) were compared and predictors of diag­nosis and treatment type were examined. Psychosocial interventions were defined as having at least one relevant CPT code. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression models were used for univariate and multivariable analysis, respectively. Results: The rates of ADHD, stimulant use, and psychosocial interventions in our study population exceeded the national aver­age (14% vs 9%; 75% vs 65.5%; and 51% vs 46.5%, respectively). The distributions varied by sex, race/ethnicity, sex among race/ethnicities, and population density. In general, race/ethnicity predicted ADHD diagnosis, stimulant use, and receipt of psy­chosocial interventions with non-Hispanic White children being more likely to receive diagnosis and medication, but less likely to receive psychosocial therapy than other children. Differences were also shown for rural compared with urban residence, sex, and sex within racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions: Diagnosis and treatment modalities differed for children by race/ ethnicity, population density, and sex. More data are needed to better understand whether differences are due to provider bias, child characteristics, or cultural varia­tions impacting the utilization of different treatment options. Ethn Dis. 2021;31(1):67- 76; doi:10.18865/ed.31.1.67
Determining the prevalence and risk factors for prescription drug unaffordability.

Abstract Background Prescription affordability is a key component of healthcare accessibility and a determinant of health outcomes. Prior studies indicate that up to 1 in 4 Americans report difficulty affording prescriptions. Objective(s): This study aims to identify factors associated with cost-based prescription refusal. Methods We identified 17,869 study participants from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey who had been prescribed at least one medication in the past 12 months. The outcome was defined as inability to afford at least one prescription medication. Covariates included demographic data, medical history, and social attitudes. Logistic regression models were constructed to identify predictors of cost-based prescription refusal. Results Among 8223 study participants, 8.1% reported the inability to afford at least one prescription medication in the past 12 months. Twenty-seven covariates were correlated with prescription unaffordability, and 8 were selected by the LASSO: Income (Odds ratio (OR) 0.55), Concerned About Bills (OR 2.0), Emergency Department Visits past 12 months (OR 1.33), Dissatisfaction with Medical Care (OR 1.3), Seeking Insurance Through the Health Insurance Marketplace (OR 1.26), Feeling Sad Most of the Time (OR 1.24), History of Asthma (OR 1.26) and History of Diabetes (OR 1.24). Conclusions Prescription unaffordability remains a significant public health problem and is more common among low-income individuals and patients with, chronic medical conditions.
Ontology and Cosmology of the`aql in Ṣadrā’s Commentary on Uṣūl al-Kāfī

Mullā Ṣadrā’s (d. 1640) commentary on Uṣūl al-Kāfī is one of the famous commentaries on this significant Shi`i hadith collection. For his philosophical and Sufi background, Ṣadrā’s approach to the hadith is slightly different and in some part opposite to the earlier commentators such as `Allāma Majlisī in Shi’a and Ibn Taymīyya in Sunni Islam. This paper aims to shed light on the way Ṣadrā interprets al-Kāfī and particularly determine his understanding of the `Aql (intellect) in the cosmic (as first created-being) and human levels that are presented in the Kitāb al-`Aql wa al-Jahl (The Book of Intellect and Ignorance). Ṣadrā, already knowing the philosophical discourses on ontology and cosmology, finds al-Kāfī as a fertile ground to develop and extend his vision of cosmos and existence. Furthermore, this paper investigates and reviews some later and contemporary scholars' critique of Sadra's view on hadith and intellect.
Radio is Good for You! The Rise of Educational Radio

The two decades following the conclusion of the Second World War were relatively quiescent in the field, though as evidenced in Chapter Two, this was also an age in which new possibilities arose. The stodgy, old university-dominated form of educational radio was waning, a victim of apathy, boredom, and the rise of television, but an energetic and voluntaristic alternative model was developed by the anarchist-pacifist Lewis Hill, whose Pacifica Radio was evidence that a challenging, culturally avant-garde radio station (and later network) which was open to a variety of expressed viewpoints could find an audience—and it could also survive without (at first) government subvention.
Multiple Time Series Models

List of Figures List of Tables Series Editor?s Introduction Preface 1. Introduction to Multiple Time Series Models 1.1 Simultaneous Equation Approach 1.2 ARIMA Approach 1.3 Error Correction or LSE Approach 1.4 Vector Autoregression Approach 1.5 Comparison and Summary 2. Basic Vector Autoregression Models 2.1 Dynamic Structural Equation Models 2.2 Reduced Form Vector Autoregressions 2.3 Relationship of a Dynamic Structural Equation Model to a Vector Autoregression Model 2.4 Working With This Model 2.5 Specification and Analysis of VAR Models 2.6 Other Specification Issues 2.7 Unit Roots and Error Correction in VARs 2.8 Criticisms of VAR 3. Examples of VAR Analyses 3.1 Public Mood and Macropartisanship 3.2 Effective Corporate Tax Rates 3.3 Conclusion Appendix: Software for Multiple Time Series Models Notes References Index About the Authors
Optimal Management of Optimal Foragers

Management models should reflect the reality that organisms will change their behavior in response to environmental changes. Based on the evidence that the harvesting behavior of many animals approximates an optimal behavior, it is shown here how this result may be used in a model of predator-prey dynamics. Using this model it is shown that equilibrium yields under human exploitation and qualitative stability properties of predator-prey interactions depend critically upon the behavior of the natural animal predators.
Mitochondrial Distributions in Hearts of Male Rats as a Function of Long-Term Physical Training

Forced swimming has been extensively employed as a training routine to demonstrate alterations in the structure of rat myocardium. A physical training routine which consisted of daily swimming for 6 h, 6 days a week until a total of from 400 to 1600 h was reached, resulted in an increased number of mitochondria in the rat heart [1].
Optical Properties of Polymer Composites

Some composites are mainly used for their particular properties such as electrical, magnetic, and optical properties. This article covers the current and prospective applications of polymer composites as optical materials. In particular, the first section of this article discusses optical properties of polymers in comparison with glasses. In this first part, a greater attention is given to scattering phenomena because the main limitation regarding optical uses of any composite structure is the high degree of scattering that is expected when ever materials of different refractive indices are mixed. As is shown in this article, this scattering can be controlled in various ways. The second section deals with particular examples of optical properties of polymers, including optical methods of damage detection in composite materials and composites where “active” fillers embedded in polymers confer particular properties for switching or otherwise modifying light transmission. Keywords: polymer composites; refractive index; scattering; nonlinear optics; polyethylene