cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computed tomography of biological structures in marine sediments

X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) images of a bioturbated sediment from the northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf reveal clear evidence of two worm tubes, one circular and the other elliptical in plan view. Application of a segmentation technique using (CT number, gradient) feature space permitted a volumetric characterization of the tubes, which obtained results in good agreement with physical measurements. Although the tubes appear to be relict structures, a numerical exercise demonstrates that the tubes can increase the effective surface area of the seafloor locally by up to 23%. From this and through visualization of the dramatic modifications in the spatial density structure of the sediments, the importance of tubificid structures is clear: seafloor characterizations conducted in support of biogeochemical, geotechnical, and geoacoustic studies of bioturbated sediments are largely incomplete without a consideration of these features. The combination of X-ray CTR and digital image analysis is a powerful means to examine these features nondestructively and provide the necessary quantitative information for such purposes. >
Enforcing complex security policies for commercial applications

Commercial applications often require complex access control policies which are hardly enforced by mechanisms based on a multilevel security model due to the properties of a lattice. Nor can they be enforced by discretionary access control like the access control matrix described by Harrison, Ruzzo, and Ullman without extra constraints since their enforcement still demands some degree of mandatory control. Frequently-desired multilevel exceptions are systematically categorized and it is shown that many security policies required by commercial sectors are actually examples of these multilevel exceptions. A new access control model based on Boolean expressions of classified categories is developed to enforce these policies in a uniform and elegant way.
CENP-A nucleosomes localize to transcription factor hotspots and subtelomeric sites in human cancer cells

Background: The histone H3 variant CENP-A is normally tightly regulated to ensure only one centromere exists per chromosome. Native CENP-A is often found overexpressed in human cancer cells and a range of human tumors. Consequently, CENP-A misregulation is thought to contribute to genome instability in human cancers. However, the consequences of such overexpression have not been directly elucidated in human cancer cells. Results: To investigate native CENP-A overexpression, we sought to uncover CENP-A-associated defects in human cells. We confirm that CENP-A is innately overexpressed in several colorectal cancer cell lines. In such cells, we report that a subset of structurally distinct CENP-A-containing nucleosomes associate with canonical histone H3, and with the transcription-coupled chaperones ATRX and DAXX. Furthermore, such hybrid CENP-A nucleosomes localize to DNase I hypersensitive and transcription factor binding sites, including at promoters of genes across the human genome. A distinct class of CENP-A hotspots also accumulates at subtelomeric chromosomal locations, including at the 8q24/Myc region long-associated with genomic instability. We show this 8q24 accumulation of CENP-A can also be seen in early stage primary colorectal tumors. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that excess CENP-A accumulates at noncentromeric locations in the human cancer genome. These findings suggest that ectopic CENP-A nucleosomes could alter the state of the chromatin fiber, potentially impacting gene regulation and chromosome fragility.
Localized depigmentation after steroid injection of a ganglion cyst on the hand

Presented is the case of a man who had localized depigmentation after local injection of triamcinolone diacetate. Search of the literature indicates that this is a rare complication of such therapy. Localized depigmentation may have important cultural implications for dark-skinned patients. There is some experimental evidence that less-potent and shorter-acting steroid preparations have a lower likelihood for depigmenting side effects, and such agents may be more appropriate when injecting subcutaneous structures to prevent this complication.
Subspecies differences in early fetal development and plasma pregnancy-associated glycoprotein concentrations in cattle.

Inclusion of Bos indicus genetics improves production traits of cattle maintained in hot climates. Limited information exists detailing pregnan- cy-specific events as influenced by variable amounts of Bos indicus genetics. Three experiments were complet- ed to examine the effect of Bos taurus and Bos indicus genotypes on fetal size and plasma pregnancy-associ- ated glycoprotein (PAG) concentrations. In all experi- ments, cows were bred by AI after synchronization of ovulation. Fetal measurements were completed by transrectal ultrasonography and plasma PAG concentra- tions were quantified from plasma harvested the day of each fetal measurement. In Exp. 1, fetal size and plasma PAG concentrations were measured at d 53 of preg- nancy in cows composed of various fractions of Angus and Brahman (n = 9 to 21 cows/group). Fetus size was greater in cows containing >80% Angus genetics com- pared with cows containing 80% Angus genetics when compared with their contemporaries (6.0 ± 1.5 ng/mL vs. 9.4 ± 1.5 ng/mL). In Exp. 2, fetal measurements and plasma PAG concentrations were determined at d 35 and 62 of pregnancy in Angus and Brangus cows. Breed did not affect fetus size at d 35, but Angus cows contained larger fetuses than Brangus cows at d 62 (3.0 ± 0.03 vs. 2.8 ± 0.03 cm crown-nose length (CNL; P > 0.01)). Plasma PAG concentrations were not different between breed at d 35 and 62 (P > 0.1). In Exp. 3, fetal measurements and plasma samples were collected at d 33/34, 40/41, 47/48, and 54/55 post-AI in Angus and Brangus cows. Fetus size was not different (P > 0.05) between genotypes on d 33/34, 40/41, and 47/48. Angus fetuses were larger than Brangus fetuses at d 54/55 (2.1 ± 0.03 vs. 1.9 ± 0.03 cm CNL; P = 0.001). Plasma PAG concentrations were less in Angus than Brangus cows at each time point (average 4.9 ± 0.9 vs. 8.2 ± 0.9 ng/ mL; P = 0.005). In conclusion, these studies determined that the Bos taurus × Bos indicus genotype impacts fetal size and rate of fetal development by 7 wk of gestation. Plasma PAG concentrations were increased in cattle with Bos indicus genetics in 2 of 3 studies, suggesting that genotype is one of several determinants of PAG production and secretion in cattle.
Abstract LB-106: Fusogenic-oligoarginine peptide-mediated silencing of the CIP2A oncogene suppresses oral cancer tumor growth in vivo

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Intracellular delivery and endosomal escape of functional small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) remain major barriers limiting the clinical translation of RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics. Recently, we demonstrated that a endosome-disruptive peptide we synthesized termed, 599, could enhance the intracellular delivery and bioavailability of siRNAs designed to target the CIP2A oncoprotein (siCIP2A) into oral cancer cells and consequently inhibit oral cancer cell invasiveness and anchorage-independent growth in vitro. Thus, to further assess the therapeutic potential of the 599 peptide in mediating RNAi-based therapeutics for oral cancer and its prospective applicability in clinical settings, the objective of the current study was to determine whether intratumoral dosing of the 599+siCIP2A complex could induce silencing of CIP2A and consequently impair tumor growth using a xenograft oral cancer mouse model. Our results demonstrated that the 599 peptide was able to protect siRNAs from degradation by serum and ribonucleases in vitro, confirming the stability of the 599+siRNA complex and its potential for in vivo utility. Moreover, 599 peptide-mediated delivery of siCIP2A to tumor tissue induced CIP2A silencing without any associated toxicity, consequently resulting in reduction of the mitotic index and significant inhibition of tumor growth. Together, these data suggest that the 599 peptide carrier could be a clinically effective mediator of RNAi-based cancer therapeutics. Citation Format: Angela Alexander-Bryant, Anca Dumitriu, Christopher Attaway, Hong Yu, Andrew Jakymiw. Fusogenic-oligoarginine peptide-mediated silencing of the CIP2A oncogene suppresses oral cancer tumor growth in vivo. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-106. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-106
Resistant Hypertension: Etiology, Evaluation and Management

Resistant hypertension is defined as a failure to achieve goal blood pressure (BP) with maximum tolerated doses of three antihypertensive drugs including a diuretic or control of BP with four or more antihypertensive drugs of different classes at optimal doses. The diagnosis of resistant hypertension requires use of appropriate BP technique to confirm persistently elevated BP levels and exclusion of pseudoresistance due to patient nonadherence with medications, physician nonadherence with hypertension guidelines or medication underdosing, and white coat hypertension. This condition might indicate the presence of secondary causes of hypertension. Although the true prevalence of resistance hypertension is currently unknown, population studies and clinical trials suggest that 20–35 % of hypertensive population have resistant hypertension. According to the 2002 World Health Report, uncontrolled BP is the most common attributable risk for death worldwide, being responsible for about 50 % of coronary heart disease and 62 % of stroke.
Characterizing Mode Localization by Symmetry

Small mistuning in bladed-disks can lead to large changes in stability and forced response. This paper presents a general framework for finding forced response as a function of mistuning. Our methods exploit symmetry arguments and eigenstructure perturbation to provide a method valid for any model. In addition, we show that intentional mistuning can guarantee stability and forced response under manufacturing uncertainty. Thus, intentional mistuning may yield robust improved performance and safety and should be considered as a practical design tool.
Ovarian low-grade serous carcinoma: A clinicopathologic study of 33 cases with primary surgery performed at a single institution

Ovarian low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC) is an entity with distinct pathologic and clinical features. The number of studies on this type of tumor is limited. In this article, we present our experience with 33 cases of ovarian LGSC with primary surgical treatment at our institution. For comparison, a cohort of ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) was also studied. Clinical information was obtained from the patients' charts or from the treating physicians. Hematoxylin and eosin slides were reviewed of 28 available LGSCs, and the following parameters were recorded: presence/absence of a serous borderline tumor (SBT), presence/absence of micropapillary/cribriform pattern (MP/CP), architectural pattern in the invasive component, and presence/absence of desmoplasia or fibrosis. The incidence of ovarian LGSC was 4.7%. LGSC patients ranged in age from 19 to 79 years (mean, 52 y), with 21.2% younger than 40 years. HGSC patients ranged in age from 38 to 90 years (mean, 62 y), with 1.6% younger than 40 years. LGSCs were staged as follows: stage I (2), stage III (23), and stage IV (8). Twenty-eight of 33 LGSC cases had concurrent SBT, with this component accounting for >50% of the neoplasm in 15 cases. In addition, MP/CP was noted in 19 cases. Invasion patterns included micropapillae (93%), cribriform nests (74%), elongated papillae (26%), glandular (44.4%), medium-sized papillae (33.3%), solid nests (22.2%), macropapillae (19%), and single cells (19%). In addition, desmoplasia (44.4%) and fibrosis (37%) were noted. Follow-up data ranging from 13 to 195 months (median 61.2 mo) were available on 30/33 LGSC patients: 18 (60%) were dead of disease; 1 (3.3%) was dead of other cause; 5 (16.7%) were alive with disease; and 6 (20%) had no evidence of disease. Follow-up data from 1 to 169 months (median 48 mo) were available on 185 HGSC patients: 132 (71.4%) were dead of disease; 3 (1.6%) were dead of other cause; 21 (11.4%) were alive with disease; and 29 (15.7%) had no evidence of disease. Ovarian LGSC is rare with a predilection for younger patients relative to HGSC. Most LGSC cases are associated with SBT with an MP/CP, and their invasive component usually contains a micropapillary pattern. Most patients with ovarian LGSC present with advanced-stage disease and have a short-term survival advantage over patients with HGSC (estimated 5 y survival: 62.3% vs. 43.9%). However, over a prolonged period of time, this survival advantage decreases (estimated 10 y survival: 21.2% vs. 22.7%).
Watershed Sulfur Biogeochemistry: Shift from Atmospheric Deposition Dominance to Climatic Regulation

North American atmospheric S emissions peaked in the early 1970s followed by a dramatic decrease that resulted in marked declines in sulfate (SO42-) concentrations in precipitation and many surface waters. These changes in S biogeochemistry have important implications with respect to the mobilization of toxic (Aln+, H+) and nutrient (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+) cations and the acidification of watersheds. We used the continuous long-term record for watersheds 1, 3, 5, and 6 (37–44 years from 1965 through 2008) of SO42- concentrations and fluxes at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire (U.S.) for evaluating S budgets. Analysis revealed that the annual discrepancies in the watershed S budgets (SO42- flux in drainage waters minus total atmospheric S deposition) have become significantly (p < 0.001) more negative, indicating the increasing importance of the release of S from internal sources with time. Watershed wetness, as a function of log10 annual water flux, was highly significant (p < 0.001) and explain...
Leap of Faith — Medicare's New Physician Payment System

Medicare's new payment system reflects the movement toward value-based payment, which is built on the view that we can contain costs only by eliminating fee-for-service payment. But there are important problems with this belief and the reforms it inspires.
Degradation and Elimination of Temik In Rats

Oral administration of Temik½ (2-methyl-2-(methylthio) propionaldchyde O -(methylcarbamoyl)oxime) to rats resulted in approximately 80% of the dose being eliminated in the urine within 24 hours. An additional 4% of the dose was detected in the feces. Only a trace amount of Temik, per se, was found in the excreta, indicating a very rapid degradation of the carbamate within the animals. The following metabolites were isolated from the urine by extraction with chloroform and tentatively identified; (a) 2-methyl-2-(methylthio) propionaldoxime; (d) 2-methyl-2-(methylsulfinyl) propionaldoxime; (c) 2-methyl-2-(methylcarbamoyl) propionaldoxime; (d) 2-methyl-2-(methylsulfinyl) propionitrile; (e) 2-methyl-2-(methylsulfinyl) propionaldehyde O -(methylcarbamoyl) oxime and (g) 2-methyl-2-(methylsulfonyl) propionaldehyde O -(methylearbamoyl)-oxime. Approximately one-half of the metabolites in the urine could not be extracted into organic solvent and their identity was not determined. The methylsulfinyl derivative of Temik was excreted more slowly than the parent compound when given orally to rats.
Effectively realizing the canonical TSVD method in the continuous framework

In this paper,a thought was changed to adopt the bisection method with inverse iteration to effectively realize canonical TSVD method in the continuous framework.In the continuous framework,firstly a approximate singular system for the operator A was solved,then it was changed to solve symmetric positive generalized eigenvalue problems,then it was changed to solve symmetric eigenvalue problems,lastly the cTSVD solution was solved.Some conclusions were got through the numerical results and the results show that the amount of calculation in the continuous framework is smaller than the amount of calculation in the discrete framework.
Insecticide resistance in Musca domestica in Ordos

Objective To determine current resistance to commonly used insecticides in the natural population of Musca domestica in Ordos city, in order to evidence for proper application of insecticides for fly control. Methods Topical application method was used in the study. Results The natural populations of M. domestica in Ordos city had developed various degrees of resistances to dichlorovos, deltamethrin and beta-cypermethrin, with resistance ratios of 19.39, 48.05, and 407.69, respectively. Propoxur resulted in low fatality in M. domestica. Conclusion The natural populations of M. domestica in Ordos city had low resistance to dichlorovos and high resistance to deltamethrin and beta-cypermethrin. Propoxur had a low lethality rate in the flies.
Interactions of different vegetal cells with mesomeres during early stages of sea urchin development

It has been known from results obtained in the classical experiments on sea urchin embryos that cell isolation and transplantation showed extensive interactions between the early blastomeres and/or their descendants. In the experiments reported here a systematic reexamination of recombination of mesomeres and their progeny (which come from the animal hemisphere) with various vegetal cells derived from blastomeres of the 32- and 64-cell stage was carried out. Cells were marked with lineage tracers to follow which cell gave rise to what structures, and newly available molecular markers have been used to analyze different structures characteristic of regional differentiation. Large micromeres form spicules and induce gut and pigment cells in mesomeres, conforming to previous results. Small micromeres, a cell type not heretofore examined, gave rise to no recognizable structure and had very limited ability to evoke poorly differentiated gut tissue in mesomeres. Macromeres and their descendants, Veg 1 and Veg 2, form primarily what their normal fate dictated, though both did have some capacity to form spicules, presumably by formation from secondary mesenchyme. Macromeres and their descendants were not potent inducers of vegetal structures in animal cells, but they suppress the latent ability of mesomeres to form vegetal structures. The results lead us to propose that the significant interactions during normal development may be principally suppressive effects of mesomeres on one another and of adjacent vegetal cells on mesomeres.
Mining Twitter as a First Step toward Assessing the Adequacy of Gender Identification Terms on Intake Forms

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that health care providers collect data on gender identity. If these data are to be useful, they should utilize terms that characterize gender identity in a manner that is 1) sensitive to transgender and gender non-binary individuals (trans* people) and 2) semantically structured to render associated data meaningful to the health care professionals. We developed a set of tools and approaches for analyzing Twitter data as a basis for generating hypotheses on language used to identify gender and discuss gender-related issues across regions and population groups. We offer sample hypotheses regarding regional variations in the usage of certain terms such as 'genderqueer', 'genderfluid', and 'neutrois' and their usefulness as terms on intake forms. While these hypotheses cannot be directly validated with Twitter data alone, our data and tools help to formulate testable hypotheses and design future studies regarding the adequacy of gender identification terms on intake forms.
Bilateral Sequential Spermatocytic Seminoma

Abstract A case of bilateral spermatocytic seminoma in a 30-year-old man is reported. An unusual feature of the case is the relatively young age of the patient.
Public Botanophilia: Floras

While the lines separating the various aspects of public botanophilia in 18thcentury France were not sharply drawn, our narrative, without an arbitrary segregation of the categories, could become a thicket of unfamiliar names and places. To begin with a survey of floras published for the public provides a geography of botanical enthusiasm and activity useful for the remaining categories, a geography consistent with the provincial boundaries of the old regime. The greatest publishing activity occurred in the Ile-de-France and Languedoc, a clear reflection of the preeminent botanical gardens and medical schools in Paris and Montpellier. For that reason, we begin our survey of floras in those two provinces, the remaining provinces appearing in alphabetical order for an easier reference: the practicality of artificial classification!
Multiple balance strategies from one optimization criterion

Multiple strategies for standing balance have been observed in humans, including using the ankles to apply torque to the ground, using the hips and/or arms to generate horizontal ground forces, and using the knees and hips to squat. This paper shows that multiple strategies can arise from the same optimization criterion. It is likely that humanoid robots will exhibit the same balance strategies as humans.
Gerontological Social Workers are Key to a Sustainable Long-Term Services and Supports System

Dear President-elect and Members of Congress,Among the long list of policy issues, you will need to tackle in the coming weeks, months, and years, is the challenge of providing long-term care to th...
The Silent Anarchic World of the Evil Genius

Husserl and Heidegger are, more than any others, the thinkers with whom Levinas is in constant dialogue. From the late 1920’s when he attended their lectures in Freiburg, through the 1930’s when he more than anyone else was responsible for introducing their thinking into France, until the present day when it seems as if it is still virtually impossible for him to write a philosophical essay without referring to one or other of them, Husserl and Heidegger provide Levinas with his starting-point. But it is a starting-point with which he never remains content so that it is invoked only as a basis for saying more. The relation with the Other is presented always as ‘beyond intentionality’ or ‘otherwise than being.’ When it comes to the task of giving a more positive account, Levinas’ favourite recourse is to turn to Descartes. It was above all Descartes who gave Levinas his own voice with which to show what Husserl and Heidegger and indeed, if we are believe to him, the whole tradition of Western ontology from Parmenides on failed to recognise and preserve.1 This is already clear from the very title of Totality and Infinity. Rosenzweig may have provided the critique of totality, a critique to which Husserl and Heidegger were assimilated, but it was from Descartes that Levinas borrowed the word by which he sought to think and say transcendence and thus rupture this totality.
Neural Plasticity and Feminine Sexual Behavior in the Rat

Female mating behavior in the rat is normally under the control of estrogen and progesterone. These ovarian hormones act upon the brain to bring about sexual receptivity. One concept often used to explain how these hormones facilitate mating behavior suggests that lordosis is under some form of tonic neural inhibition and that estrogen and progesterone decrease this inhibition. Since an inhibitory concept is only one of several alternative explanations, and since there is considerable evidence that contradicts an inhibition hypothesis in its general form, it is instructive to review the “crucial” studies for this concept before trying to outline alternative interpretations and hypotheses. In this endeavor I will restrict my comments to the laboratory rat.
Lennox, William Gordon

American epileptologist William Gordon Lennox (1884–1960) devoted his career to the study of epilepsy. With Halloowell Davis (1896–1992), Frederic Gibbs (1903–92), and Erna Leonhardt Gibbs (1904–87), Lennox contributed to development of the clinical role for the electroencephalogram machine developed by Albert Melvin Grass (1910–92) beginning around 1935. Lennox's clinical classification of the epilepsies – grand mal, petit mal, and psychomotor – was supported by characteristic electroencephalographic correlations. He viewed epilepsy not as a disease sui generis but rather as a symptom of multiple causes affecting the chemistry of neurons. Lennox's career culminated with the publication of the two-volume treatise Epilepsy and Related Disorders (1960), completed with the collaboration of his daughter, neurophysiologist and epileptologist Margaret Lennox-Buchtal. Lennox's vision was to have patients with epilepsy accepted socially and in the workplace, and to that end he sought to educate both physicians and the lay public. His students and patients remembered him for his generosity, encouragement, and humanitarian philosophy.
Graves ophthalmopathy. Results of transantral orbital decompression performed primarily for cosmetic indications.

Purpose: Transantral orbital decompression is effective treatment for excessive proptosis and optic neuropathy due to Graves ophthalmopathy. In these sight-threatening circumstances, patients willingly accept the side effects of orbital decompression. When transantral orbital decompression is performed for cosmetic indications, patients' acceptance of side effects may be different. This study reports detailed results of transantral decompression for 34 patients in whom the indications were primarily cosmetic. Methods: The medical records of 34 patients with Graves ophthalmopathy who had transantral orbital decompression primarily for cosmetic indications were reviewed. Preoperative and postoperative physical features of the eyes were compared. Long-term assessment was formulated from follow-up examination and a follow-up questionnaire. Results: The most notable improvement was in the reduction of proptosis (mean decrease, 5.2 mm). The frequency of asymmetry of proptosis, however, did not improve. Asymmetry was more than 1 mm in 44% of patients preoperatively and in 54% postoperatively. Although the palpebral fissure was decreased by an average of 2.7 mm, upper lid retraction became worse in 12 (43%) of 28 eyes. Of 15 patients who had no diplopia preoperatively, continuous diplopia developed postoperatively in 73%. The patients underwent a total of 37 eye muscle operations and 31 eyelid operations after decompression. Of 29 patients who responded to a long-term follow-up questionnaire, 69% were satisfied with the appearance of the eyes and 31 % found it acceptable. No patient was dissatisfied. Symptomatic diplopia was present in 6.9% of patients at the time of the follow-up questionnaire. Conclusion: Transantral orbital decompression performed for cosmetic indications in Graves ophthalmopathy may need to be followed by eye muscle and lid operations. These procedures result in a high degree of patient satisfaction. However, a small percentage of patients experience persistent diplopia, despite multiple eye muscle procedures. Ophthalmology 1994;101:938-942
Rapid Sexing of Preimplantation Mouse Embryos by Blastomere Biopsy and Enzymatic Amplification

When infertile couples reach the point in their evaluation where in vitro fertilization (IVF) is considered as a remedy, they have usually exhausted all other modes of treatment In the case of the female, previous testing and therapy may include diagnostic and/or therapeutic laparoscopics, hysterosalpingography, and prolonged cycle monitoring with or without hormone treatment. In the case of the males, various hormone treatment regimens, varicocoele surgery and tests such as the zona-free hamster penetration assay are typical. Given these circumstances, two important features characterize the typical IVF couple. First, their age is relatively advanced, and the female is often approaching the end of her reproductive life. Second, these couples have arrived at a juncture in their treatment course in which the likelihood of pregnancy is relatively low, and consequendy, in which loss of a pregnancy, established after years of emotional stress, medical intervention and financial expense, is a disastrous event.
Electronic, structural, and substrate effect properties of single-layer covalent organic frameworks

Recently synthesized two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) exhibit high surface area, large pore size, and unique structural architectures, making them promising materials for various energy applications. Here, a total of nine COFs structures, including two deposited on a hexagonal boron nitride substrate, are investigated using density functional theory, quasi-particle many-body theory within the GW approximation, and an image charge model. The structures considered belong to two major families (thiophene-based COF-n (T-COF-n) and tetrakis (4-aminophenyl) porphyrin-x (TAPP-x)) differing from the presence of B—O or C=N linkers. While T-COF-n structures are shown to constitute planar networks, TAPP-x systems can display non-negligible corrugation due to the out-of-plane rotation of phenyl rings. We find that the electronic properties do not differ significantly when altering the chain molecules within each family. Many-body effects are shown to lead to large band-gap increase while the presence of the substrate yields appreciable reductions of the gaps, due to substrate polarization effects.
Male Sexual Victimization: Examining Variation in the Probability of Weapon Use and Victim Injury.

The sexual victimization of adult males remains an understudied subject within criminology. Prior research has generally been restricted to descriptive analysis of small clinical samples and inmate...
Design to Validation of a New Heat Flux Source with Uncertainty Analysis

High-speed, transient aerothermal studies produce excessive temperatures and heat fluxes in laboratory, ground, and flight-test experiments. Experiments are performed for 1) understanding the respo...
Outcomes of Related and Unrelated Donor Searches Among Patients with Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Referred for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

Patients with PIDs are potentially cured by allogeneic HCT, although related donor searches for PID patients have the additional selection factor of the inherited disease and therefore may yield more limited options than searches for hematologic malignancy patients. Unrelated donor options are thus critical in these patients. We evaluated the outcomes of donor searches among PID patients referred to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for HCT, where donor options included matched related donors (MRD), HLA-haploidentical (haplo), or 7-8/8 HLA-matched unrelated donors (mMUD/MUD). After IRB approval (NCT03188419, clinicaltrials.gov), retrospective chart review of PID patients referred to NIH for HCT between 3/30/12-2/27/18 was performed. Patient and donor demographics, MUD search results, HLA typing, pedigrees, mutation testing, and donor selection data were collected. For the purposes of this study, patients with unknown PID mutation were considered to have no related donor options. The HapLogic 8/8 HLA-match algorithm was used to predict the likelihood of a successful MUD search and categorized as very good, good, fair, poor, very poor, or futile per the MSKCC Search Prognosis method. Patient (n = 161), donor, and HCT (n = 109) characteristics are shown in Fig 1, with significant differences by PID mode of inheritance in patient age, disposition (receipt of HCT or not), donor source, and donor relatedness. Of living 1st degree relatives (median 3 (range 0-12) per patient), a median of 1 donor remained for autosomal dominant and X-linked (XL) diseases after HLA typing, mutation testing, and other exclusions, and a median of 2 donors remained for autosomal recessive (AR) diseases. Among patients with a PID of known mode of inheritance (n = 142), the best related donor was haplo for 100 (70%) patients, with 56 (39%) haplos age 40+ years and 4 (3%) 2nd degree haplos; 13 (9%) had no family donor options. The best related donor was a heterozygote/asymptomatic carrier of the PID mutation in 36 (49%) patients with AR or XL disease (n = 73). Among patients with MUD search performed (n = 139), 53 (38%) had very poor/futile 8/8 MUD searches, including 6 (31%) of those with unknown PID mutation and therefore no family donor options. The predicted likelihood of a successful MUD search was lower for those of non-European ancestry, p = 0.01. The majority of patients of Hispanic or African ancestry had very poor/futile MUD searches, 71% and 63%, respectively. No HCT recipients with very poor/futile MUD searches (n = 38) received 8/8 MUD grafts. Median time from HLA typing to HCT was 7 months. Haplo and MUD options are critical to enable HCT for patients with PID. Related donor options are reduced and haplos age 40 years+ and/or mutation carriers are often the best family option. MUD search success remains low for those of non-European ancestry and this is of particular concern for patients with PID due to an unknown genetic defect.
Predicting Catalytic Activity of High-Entropy Alloys for Electrocatalysis

Recently in Joule, Batchelor et al. developed a theoretical method for predicting catalytic activity of high-entropy alloys for oxygen reduction electrocatalysis. This versatile strategy could pave a new path toward designing metal-based catalysts for diverse energy applications.
A review of heat recovery applications for solar and geothermal power plants

Abstract With depleting natural resources and the effects of conventional energy sources like coal and petroleum on the environment, clean energy sources have been gaining prominence in recent times. Renewable sources are abundant and improving the efficiency of renewable technologies will provide a viable solution to meet the ever-increasing energy demands of the modern-day world. One of the most effective and practical ways for improving the efficiency of renewable power plants and other possible energy sources is by recovering waste heat (vs. improving the power plant component efficiencies using new designs and materials). However, in many of the existing designs, the waste heat is merely rejected or not effectively utilized. Through a combination of sustainable and hybrid solutions and reusable waste heat methods, a sustainable future for power and advanced technology can be made a reality. Many independent review articles exist in the areas of solar power plants, geothermal power plants, and combined heat and power (CHP) plants. In this article, power generation using solar and geothermal sources when simultaneously operated as CHP plants for waste heat recovery (WHR) is reviewed with the focus on the current state of the art applications for this waste heat. Also, the thermodynamic performance and economics of these power plants when combined with the heat recovery applications are discussed. Finally, the future research direction for the field is suggested based on the current status and findings to pave the way for a more effective waste heat utilization from renewable thermal sources.
The nutritional landscape of host plants for a specialist insect herbivore

Nutrition has far-reaching effects on both the ecology and evolution of species. A substantial body of work has examined the role of host plant quality on insect herbivores, with a particular focus on specialist-generalist dynamics, the interaction of growth and other physiological attributes on fitness and tritrophic effects. Measures of plant quality usually involve one or two axes of nutritional space: typically secondary metabolites or elemental proxies (N and C) of protein and carbohydrates, respectively.Here, we describe the nutrient space of seven host plants of the specialist insect herbivore, Manduca sexta, using an approach that measures physiologically relevant sources of nutrition, soluble protein and digestible carbohydrates. We show that plant species differ markedly in their nutrient content, offering developing insect herbivores a range of available nutrient spaces that also depend on the age of the leaves being consumed.The majority of host-plant species produce diets that are suboptimal to the herbivore, likely resulting in varying levels of compensatory feeding for M. sexta to reach target levels of protein to ensure successful growth and development. Low-quality diets can also impact immune function leading to complex patterns of optimization of plant resources that maximizes both growth and the ability to defend from parasitoids and pathogens. This study is the first to quantify the nutrient space of a suite of host plants used by an insect herbivore using physiologically relevant measures of nutrition.
The Real Effects of Politicians' Compensation

We study how politicians' compensation affects the real economy. Specifically, we investigate the effect of legislators' wages on business activity in Brazil. We identify our results using a constitutional amendment that established salary caps for legislators in a given municipality based on arbitrary population cutoffs. We find that higher politician wages are associated with increases in firm and job creation and firms' average startup investments. Better paid legislators increase the municipality's budget surplus while increasing expenditure in items that increase local economic productivity. Our evidence highlights the potential adverse effects on the private sector of lowering politicians' salaries.
Self-perceptions of critical thinking skills in university students are associated with BMI and exercise

To assess the role of body mass index (BMI) and exercise levels in self-perception of critical thinking skills. Participants: Three hundred forty-seven students from an upper-division nutrition cla...
Parent and Professional Perceptions and Feedback on the Content of an eHealth Hearing Aid Learning Series for Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

Purpose To qualitatively explore parent and professional perspectives regarding the content of select Hear to Learn tutorials to identify usefulness and meaningfulness of the tutorials, and to info...
Injury severity analysis of rollover crashes for passenger cars and light trucks considering temporal stability: A random parameters logit approach with heterogeneity in mean and variance.

Abstract Problem: The rollover crash is a serious crash type that often causes higher injury severities. Moreover, factors that contribute to the injury severities of rollover crashes may show instabilities in different vehicle types and time periods, which requires further investigations. This study utilizes the rollover crash data in North Carolina from Highway Safety Information System (HSIS) to study the effect instabilities of factors in vehicle type and time periods in rollover crashes. Methods: The injury severities of drivers are estimated using the random parameters logit (RPL) model with heterogeneity in means and variances. Available factors in HSIS have been categorized into three groups, which are drivers, road, and environment, respectively. This study also justifies the segmentations through transferability tests. The effects of identified significant factors are evaluated using marginal effects. Results: Factors such as FWP (farm, wood, and pasture areas), unhealthy physical condition, impaired physical condition, road adverse, and so forth have shown instabilities in marginal effects among vehicle types and time periods. Practical Applications: The finding of this research could provide important references for policy makers and automobile manufactures to help mitigate the injury severity of rollover crashes.
The influence of depression on the relationship between loneliness and grief trajectories in bereaved older adults

Abstract Loneliness is associated with adverse mental health outcomes in older adults. Bereavement triggers intense feelings of loneliness. This pilot study explored the association between baseline loneliness and grief symptom trajectories in bereaved elders and explored if this association is moderated by depressive symptom changes. 56 individuals aged 50 years and older, within 13-months following bereavement, completed assessments. Loneliness was measured at baseline using the UCLA loneliness scale-version 3. Grief and depressive symptoms were measured over 26 weeks using the inventory of complicated grief (ICG) and the 17-item Hamilton Depressive Rating (HAM-D) scales, respectively. Linear regression explored the cross-sectional association between loneliness and grief symptoms, after adjusting for covariates including depressive symptoms. A mixed-effects linear model tested whether baseline loneliness was related to grief symptom trajectory over 26 weeks, after accounting for depressive symptom changes. Loneliness was associated with grief symptom severity at baseline; however, this cross-sectional association was not significant after adjusting for depressive symptoms. Longitudinally, baseline loneliness was positively associated with grief symptom trajectories; however, depressive symptom changes moderated this association. Depressive symptom alterations appear to weaken the loneliness–grief symptom change association. These exploratory findings point to opportunities for interventions targeting loneliness and depression that may reduce grief intensity over time in bereaved elders.
Photoinduced Isomerism of Stilbenes: Picosecond Timescale Results

It is well known that substituted ethylene can undergo cis-trans isomerism following optical excitation. A large literature already exists on this topic and the particular case of stilbenes (1,2-diphenylethylenes) was recently reviewed by Saltiel and coworkers [1]. Phenyl substituted ethylenes have received considerable attention from photochemists because their optical spectra are in the near ultraviolet, readily accessible to traditional light sources. Although the ground work for understanding the photoisomerism process in solutions was laid on the basis of conventional (pre-laser) experiments [1,2] the Intrinsic molecular steps Involved are now known from vapor phase studies to be subnanosecond [3,4]. The basic model for the isomerism is that a twisted, less conjugated form of stilbene is formed following optical excitation [5]. This twisted form may then undergo relaxation processes that result in both cis and trans structures [6]. The effect of the solvent is to slow down the isomerization and at sufficiently low temperature or high viscosity the rate is found to be even slower than radiative processes [7]. The fluorescent properties of the system therefore can be used to monitor the isomerization. Saltiel and coworkers [8,9] have shown that the principal photochemistry of stilbene arises from the singlet excited surface although the triplet state can be involved when sensitizers are present [9,10]. There is also evidence that isomerization is not the exclusive photoprocess since small yields of rearranged species have been reported [11], but such processes will not be considered further in this article.
Regional Paleoprecipitation Records from the Late Eocene and Oligocene of North America

Abstract The marine δ18O record indicates precipitous cooling or significant expansion of Antarctic ice volume across the Eocene‐Oligocene epoch boundary at 33.7 Ma. This climatic step is also found in estimates of decreased paleoprecipitation from paleosols in Oregon, Montana, and Nebraska but is only a part of a long‐term decline across the Eocene‐Oligocene transition rather than a sudden shift. This suggests that climate was driven by a gradual process rather than a single perturbation. Paleoprecipitation levels stabilized during the Oligocene, coincident with a stabilization in δ18O values, possibly indicating a new climatic steady state.
Prospectus for the next LAPACK and ScaLAPACK libraries

New releases of the widely used LAPACK and ScaLAPACK numerical linear algebra libraries are planned. Based on an on-going user survey (www.netlib.org/lapack-dev) and research by many people, we are proposing the following improvements: Faster algorithms, including better numerical methods, memory hierarchy optimizations, parallelism, and automatic performance tuning to accommodate new architectures; More accurate algorithms, including better numerical methods, and use of extra precision; Expanded functionality, including updating and downdating, new eigenproblems, etc. and putting more of LAPACK into ScaLAPACK; Improved ease of use, e.g., via friendlier interfaces in multiple languages. To accomplish these goals we are also relying on better software engineering techniques and contributions from collaborators at many institutions.
Specialized Reading Instruction for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: What Special Education Co-Teachers Say.

In this exploratory study, secondary special education co-teachers report about specialized reading instruction for students with learning disabilities in co-taught classes. Almost half of the respondents were concerned that reading instruction was not occurring in co-taught classes. One-third were concerned reading instruction was not occurring any time during the school day.
The index of refraction of BaTiO3 above Tc

Abstract We have recently reported measurements of the optic index of refraction, n(T), of BaTiO3 for T>Tc and interpreted the data in terms of dynamic islands of polarization. Here we show that the identical results are obtained in melt grown crystals; the original results were found in flux grown crystals (“butterflys”). These results give a quantitative measure of the square of a polarization above Tc.
Model‐Free Tests for Genetic Linkage

This unit covers statistical methods of linkage analysis that do not require the assumption of a detailed genetic model, as is required for standard lod score analysis. The unit has been updated to include the latest methods in sib-pair analysis, including updates to using the software program SIBPAL as well as the relative-pair analysis software applications GENEHUNTER, GENEHUNTER PLUS, and Merlin.
Negative religious coping as a correlate of suicidal ideation in patients with advanced cancer

Objective The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between negative religious coping (NRC) and suicidal ideation in patients with advanced cancer, controlling for demographic and disease characteristics and risk and protective factors for suicidal ideation. Methods Adult patients with advanced cancer (life expectancy ≤6 months) were recruited from seven medical centers in the northeastern and southwestern USA (n = 603). Trained raters verbally administered the examined measures to patients upon study entry. Multivariable logistic regression analyses regressed suicidal ideation on NRC controlling for significant demographic, disease, risk, and protective factors. Results Negative religious coping was associated with an increased risk for suicidal ideation (OR, 2.65 [95% CI, 1.22, 5.74], p = 0.01) after controlling for demographic and disease characteristics, mental and physical health, self-efficacy, secular coping, social support, spiritual care received, global religiousness and spirituality, and positive religious coping. Conclusions Negative religious coping is a robust correlate of suicidal ideation. Assessment of NRC in patients with advanced cancer may identify patients experiencing spiritual distress and those at risk for suicidal ideation. Confirmation of these results in future studies would suggest the need for interventions targeting the reduction of NRC to reduce suicidal ideation among advanced cancer patients. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.