cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Natural Hazards and Residential Mobility: General Patterns and Racially Unequal Outcomes in the United States

This study conducts a nationwide, locally comparative analysis of the extent to which natural hazards contribute to residential mobility in the United States and how this influence varies for racial and ethnic minorities. Analyses combine census data on households with data from thousands of recorded natural hazards during the late 1990s. Findings affirm that natural hazards are common throughout the country; that associated property damage correlates positively with increases in residential mobility for all groups; that these increases are particularly noticeable among racial and ethnic minorities because of preexisting inequalities in mobility; and that areas with more costly damage tend to pull as well as push migrants, especially Latinos and Asians. Implications for existing theory, methods, and policy are discussed.
Shock and annealing in aubrites: Implications for parent-body history

Several aubrites (e.g., LAP 03719, Bishopville, Khor Temiki, ALH 83015) contain orthopyroxene grains that exhibit more-pronounced shock effects than associated olivine grains. The orthopyroxene grains in these samples have clinoenstatite lamellae on (100) and exhibit weak mosaic extinction, characteristic of shock stage S4; the olivine grains exhibit either sharp optical extinction, characteristic of shock stage S1 (as in LAP 03719), or undulose extinction (shock stage S2), as in Bishopville and ALH 83015. The Khor Temiki regolith breccia contains S1 and S2 olivine grains. Because literature data show that diffusion is much slower in orthopyroxene than in olivine, it seems likely that aubrites experienced postshock, impact-induced annealing. After differentiation, the aubrite parent asteroid suffered major collisions that caused extensive brecciation of near-surface materials and damaged orthopyroxene and olivine crystal lattices. As a result of these impact events, some aubrites were shocked and buried within warm ejecta blankets or beneath fallback debris under the crater floor. Entombed olivine crystal lattices healed (and became unstrained, reaching shock stage S1), but orthopyroxene lattices retained their S4-level shock-damaged features. Aubrites with S4 orthopyroxene and S2 olivine were probably very weakly shocked again after olivine was annealed to S1.
Determinants of Quits and Dismissals on a Long-Lasting Unionized Industrial Construction Project

AbstractLabor-market conditions, remuneration, and personal and worksite characteristics all affected the probability of a worker quitting or being fired prior to a reduction in force (RIF) on a large, industrial, union project under construction between 1999 and 2002 in the South Central United States. Using a Cox proportional hazard survival regression model applied to weekly payroll and monthly labor-market data, hazard ratio probabilities for adverse separations (quits and dismissals) are estimated. Straight-time and overtime hours, in particular, retained workers more effectively than did periodic increases in collectively bargained wage rates. Workers coming from afar were less likely to be fired, whereas, ironically, increases in travel incentives made workers more likely to quit. Older workers were more likely to stay until a RIF, and compared to journey workers, apprentices were more likely to stay. Overmanning crews made workers more likely to quit or be fired. This case study underscores the im...
Quality Assessment of Dyslipidemia in Managed Care: Current Best Evidence Should be Used to Benchmark Quality

Quality measurements in managed care allow purchasers of health care to distinguish between health plans. Existing measures (Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set goals) for treatment of dyslipidemia provide a limited snapshot about quality of care for members within commercial health plans. Newer evidence (ie, the Heart Protection Study) and consensus guidelines (the National Cholesterol Education Program) expand the definition of high-risk populations and emphasize pharmacotherapy in managing dyslipidemia. We believe that newer evidence and standards provide health plans with the best opportunity to accurately assess the quality of dyslipidemia care for their populations. We propose a broad framework that provides health plans with guidance on developing a new quality measure for dyslipidemia that focuses on pharmacotherapy.
Exon Microarray Analysis of Human Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Alcoholism

Background Alcohol abuse is associated with cellular and biochemical disturbances that impact upon protein and nucleic acid synthesis, brain development, function, and behavioral responses. To further characterize the genetic influences in alcoholism and the effects of alcohol consumption on gene expression, we used a highly sensitive exon microarray to examine mRNA expression in human frontal cortex of alcoholics and control males. Methods Messenger RNA was isolated from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC; Brodmann area 9) of 7 adult alcoholic (6 males, 1 female, mean age 49 years) and 7 matched controls. Affymetrix Human Exon 1.0 ST array was performed according to standard procedures and the results analyzed at the gene level. Microarray findings were validated using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and the ontology of disturbed genes characterized using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Results Decreased mRNA expression was observed for genes involved in cellular adhesion (e.g., CTNNA3, ITGA2), transport (e.g., TF, ABCA8), nervous system development (e.g., LRP2, UGT8, GLDN), and signaling (e.g., RASGRP3, LGR5) with influence over lipid and myelin synthesis (e.g., ASPA, ENPP2, KLK6). IPA identified disturbances in network functions associated with neurological disease and development including cellular assembly and organization impacting on psychological disorders. Conclusions Our data in alcoholism support a reduction in expression of dlPFC mRNA for genes involved with neuronal growth, differentiation, and signaling that targets white matter of the brain.
A neural network approach for stereo vision

A method for achieving stereo vision using a neural network to solve the correspondence problem is presented. The algorithm is edge based and uses the epipolar constraint. The algorithm is in two stages. The first stage is designed to extract the features or primitives for matching, using a static connectionist network. A similarity of measure is defined for each pair of primitive matches, which are then passed on to the second stage of the algorithm. The purpose of the second stage is to turn the difficult correspondence problem into a constraint satisfaction problem by imposing some relational constraints. This is solved using a network of neurons. The results of computer simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. >
The House in the Market: How Q'eqchi' Market Women Convert Money and Commodities into Persons and Personhood

Recent research argues that globalization in Latin America sometimes results in the homogenization of culture and loss of indigenous identity. This paper, however, explores how Q'eqchi'-Maya market women in San Juan Chamelco, Guatemala, generate Q'eqchi' personhood by embracing the conflicts of value introduced by the confrontation of globalization with longstanding Q'eqchi' values. I argue that in Chamelco, market women are mediators of value who participate in global capitalism to reinforce the categories that structure indigenous life. Q'eqchi' women engage in marketing activities not only to accrue capital resources, but also to maintain local values, centered on the junkab'al or "house," or "family." In doing so, they convert the money and commodities exchanged in the market into kinship and Maya personhood. They do so by sustaining local junkab'als , providing them with products necessary for survival, and by constructing marketing as an occupation practiced by their ancestors. When faced with globalization, Chamelco's market women harness capitalism to reproduce longstanding Q'eqchi' values rather than lose them to global capitalist ones. This research contributes to the growing literature on globalization in Latin America by revealing how Maya communities interface with global ideals to perpetuate, rather than alienate themselves from, indigenous values and categories.
A Characterization of Delay Performance of Cognitive Medium Access

We consider a cognitive radio network where multiple secondary users (SUs) contend for spectrum usage, using random access, over available primary user (PU) channels. Our focus is on SUs' queueing delay performance, for which a systematic understanding is lacking. We take a fluid queue approximation approach to study the steady-state delay performance of SUs, for cases with a single PU channel and multiple PU channels. Using stochastic fluid models, we represent the queue dynamics as Poisson driven stochastic differential equations, and characterize the moments of the SUs' queue lengths accordingly. Since in practical systems, an SU would have no knowledge of other users' activities, its contention probability has to be set based on local information. With this observation, we develop adaptive algorithms to find the optimal contention probability that minimizes the mean queue lengths. Moreover, we study the impact of multiple channels and multiple interfaces on SUs' delay performance. As expected, the use of multiple channels and/or multiple interfaces leads to significant delay reduction. Finally, we consider packet generation control to meet the delay requirements for SUs, and develop randomized and queue-length-based control mechanisms accordingly.
Pond-breeding amphibian species richness and habitat selection in a beaver-modified landscape

Beaver (Castor canadensis) activity creates wetland habitats with varying hydroperiods important in maintaining habitat diversity for pond-breeding amphibians with significantly different breeding habitat requirements. We documented pond-breeding amphibian assemblages in 71 freshwater wetlands in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Using 15 variables describing local pond conditions and wetland landscape characteristics, we developed a priori models to predict sites with high amphibian species richness and used model selection with Akaike's Information Criterion to judge the strength of evidence supporting each model. We developed single-species models to predict wood frog (Rana sylvatica), bullfrog (R. catesbeiana), and pickerel frog (R. palustris) breeding site selection. Sites with high species richness were best predicted by 1) connectivity of wetlands in the landscape through stream corridors and 2) wetland modification by beaver. Wood frog breeding habitat was best predicted by temporary hydroperiod, lack of fish, and absence of current beaver activity. Wood frog breeding was present in abandoned beaver wetlands nearly as often as in nonbeaver wetlands. Bullfrog breeding was limited to active beaver wetlands with fish and permanent water. Pickerel frog breeding sites were best predicted by connectivity through stream corridors within the landscape. As beavers have recolonized areas of their former range in North America, they have increased the number and diversity of available breeding sites in the landscape for pond-breeding amphibians. The resulting mosaic of active and abandoned beaver wetlands both supports rich amphibian assemblages and provides suitable breeding habitat for species with differing habitat requirements. Land managers should consider the potential benefits of minimal management of beavers in promoting and conserving amphibian and wetland diversity at a landscape scale.
Does the Field of Aerospace Sciences Have a Role to Play in Large-Scale Disasters?

eld equations, but exact solutions of these often nonlinear dierential equations are impossible to obtain particularly for turbulent ows, and heuristic models together with intensive use of supercomputers are necessary to proceed to a reasonably accurate forecast. In other cases, as for example earthquakes, the precise laws are not even known and prediction becomes more or less a black art. Aerospace engineers are well trained in classical mechanics, and this science may form the foundation for predicting and even controlling large-scale disasters. Viewed as dynamical systems, natural as well as manmade disasters are ripe for opportunities for aerospace scientists and engineers to help, along side civil & environmental engineers, sociologists, psychologists, rst responders, tacticians, logisticians, medical personnel, and the usual plethora of government and private agencies involved in prediction and relief eorts.
Increased μ-opioid receptor expression in metastatic lung cancer

Background We and others have previously demonstrated that the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) is overexpressed in several human malignancies. There is a seven-fold increase in MOR in cell lines of human lung cancer. In animal models, overexpression of MOR promotes tumour growth and metastasis. We, therefore, examined whether MOR expression is increased in metastatic lung cancer. Methods In this study, we examined the association between MOR expression and metastasis in archived biopsy samples from patients with lung cancer. Paraffin-embedded patient material was stained using MOR antibody and scored qualitatively by two independent pathologists using a four-point scale. Results In human lung cancer and normal adjacent lung samples obtained from 34 lung cancer patients, MOR expression was increased significantly in cancer samples from patients with lung cancer compared with adjacent control tissue (P=0.0242). When the samples from patients with metastatic lung cancer were separated from the cohort of the total number of patients with lung cancer, we observed an approximately two-fold increase in MOR expression (P=0.0013). Conclusions The association between the expression of MOR and the progression of the tumour is consistent with the hypothesis of a direct effect of MOR on cancer progression.
Modeling spatially-correlated data of sensor networks with irregular topologies

The physical phenomena monitored by sensor net- works, e.g. forest temperature, usually yield sensed data that are strongly correlated in space. We have recently introduced a mathematical model for such data, and used it to generate synthetic traces and study the performance of algorithms whose behavior depends on this spatial correlation (1). That work studied sensor networks with grid topologies. This work extends our modeling methodology to sensor networks with irregular topologies. We describe a rigorous mathematical procedure and a simple practical method to extract the model parameters from real traces. We also show how to efficiently generate synthetic traces that correspond to sensor networks with arbitrary topologies using the proposed model. The correctness of the model is verified by statistically com- paring synthetic and real data. Further, the model is validated by comparing the performance of algorithms whose behavior depends on the degree of spatial correlation in data, under real and synthetic traces. The real traces are obtained from both publically available sensor data, and sensor networks that we deploy. Finally, we augment our existing trace-generation tool with new functionality suited for sensor networks with irregular topologies.
Strategies for Adaptation to Waterlogging and Hypoxia in Nitrogen Fixing Nodules of Legumes

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation between legumes and rhizobia bacteria occurs in a microaerobic environment within a specialized organ, the root nodule. The fixation of dinitrogen requires a considerable energy input and a high respiratory rate, but the fundamental nitrogen fixation enzyme, nitrogenase, is inactivated by free oxygen. Because of this apparent conundrum, the diffusion of oxygen into the nodule infection zone is exquisitely regulated in response to multiple environmental cues, and becomes sensitive to alterations in the external rhizosphere oxygen tension. As a result, most legumes are sensitive to waterlogging, showing reductions in nodulation and productivity in flooded soils. Nevertheless, certain legumes have evolved developmental strategies to modulate the pathway of oxygen diffusion to the nodule, the patterns of nodule formation on roots and stems, and altered pathways of bacterial invasion to adapt to flooding conditions. In the present chapter, the regulation of oxygen diffusion and adaptations to waterlogged conditions by nitrogen fixing nodules of flooding-sensitive and flooding-tolerant legumes are discussed.
Induction of c-Ha-ras gene expression by double-stranded RNA and interferon requirement.

Abstract The addition of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to NIH 3T3 cells led to an increase in the RNA levels of c-Ha-ras. The double-stranded configuration was required for the increase in c-Ha-ras mRNA levels, as heat-denatured dsRNA and single-stranded RNA did not have any effect. Nuclear run-on transcription experiments indicated that the increase in c-Ha-ras mRNA levels stimulated by dsRNA was due to transcriptional activation of the gene. The induction of c-Ha-ras gene expression by dsRNA was inhibited by anti-beta interferon antibodies, suggesting that interferon might mediate the induction.
Reinforcing effects of caffeine in humans.

The reinforcing and subjective effects of caffeine were studied under double-blind conditions in 12 normal humans. After 2 forced exposure days on which subjects received color-coded capsules containing either caffeine (100, 200, 400 or 600 mg) or placebo, subjects had a choice day on which they chose which one of the two types of color-coded capsules would be ingested. Subjects were exposed to 10 experimentally independent choices (i.e., involving exposure and choice between novel color-coded capsule conditions) at each of several dose levels. All forced exposure and choice opportunities occurred when subjects were overnight abstinent from their normal dietary caffeine intake (mean, 116 mg/day). Significant caffeine positive reinforcement was demonstrated in 5 of 12 subjects at one or more doses. Percentage of selection of caffeine was inversely related to dose, with four subjects showing significant caffeine avoidance at 400 and/or 600 mg. Choice behavior was correlated positively with feelings of contentedness and was correlated negatively with prestudy trait anxiety scores and with ratings of capsule disliking. Compared to placebo, caffeine produced increases in subjective ratings indicating arousal while producing decreases in headache and "craving" for caffeine-containing foods, even at the lowest dose of 100 mg. At higher doses caffeine produced dysphoric anxiety-like subjective effects. Overall, this study provides the first demonstration in humans of the positive reinforcing effects of caffeine alone (i.e., in capsules) and documents individual differences among normal subjects in both caffeine positive reinforcement and caffeine avoidance.
Absolute concentration measurements of atomic oxygen in a flame using radar REMPI

This paper presents an extension of previous work aimed at developing radar REMPI as a combustion diagnostic. The absolute atomic oxygen concentration in a methane/air flame is measured via the use of a noble gas, xenon as a vehicle for calibration. The atomic oxygen concentration is varied by changing the equivalence ratio of the flame. Insight gained from a previous study has established xenon as a viable candidate for calibration. Xenon possesses a two-photon intermediate resonance which lies in close proximity to that of atomic oxygen and furthermore, good signal linearity with concentration in a flame has also been demonstrated. Implementation of this calibration scheme finds decent agreement with the expected equilibrium values under stoichiometric conditions but exceeds these numbers in the fuel rich and fuel lean regimes when the atomic oxygen concentration is an order of magnitude lower. Laser photolysis is examined as a possible reason for this disagreement and initial experiments suggest that molecular oxygen and carbon dioxide are two main photolytic precursors.
Chapter 1 – Introduction to boron nitride nanotubes: synthesis, properties, functionalization, and cutting

This chapter presents an introductory review on properties, synthesis, functionalization, and cutting of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). First, the intriguing properties of BNNTs are highlighted in the perspective of their application in the biomedical field. Then, the developments on the synthesis of BNNTs are summarized. In particular, recent advancements in mass production of BNNTs are described. The quality, purity, and dispersion issues of BNNTs synthesized by various techniques are then analyzed and compared for their potential use in biomedical applications. Later section of the chapter is devoted to review the covalent and noncovalent functionalization of BNNTs with various biocompatible polymers. Their dispersibility and cutting in aqueous media are then finally discussed.
Ionic basis of hypertension in diabetes mellitus. Role of hyperglycemia.

Alterations of cell ion content have been reported acutely after oral glucose ingestion, and chronically in subjects with hypertension and noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We have hypothesized that these ionic abnormalities, elevated cytosolic free calcium (Cai), and suppressed intracellular pH (pHi) and free magnesium (Mgi), common to both of these syndromes, may explain their frequent clinical coincidence. To investigate the potential role of glucose in this process, we utilized 19F- and 31P-NMR spectroscopy to measure Cai, Mgi, and pHi in normal human red blood cells before and 60, 120, and 180 min after in vitro incubation with glucose (15 mmol/L) and equimolar concentrations of the glucose analogs, L-glucose, 2-deoxyglucose, and 3-O-methylglucose. At each point in time (from t = 0 to t = 60, 120, 180 min), glucose induced significant (P < .05) elevations in Cai (27.2 +/- 2.2 to 68.3 +/- 7.2, 70.7 +/- 10.5, 59.8 +/- 10.1 nmol/L), while suppressing pHi (7.28 +/- 0.02 to 7.22 +/- 0.03, 7.23 +/- 0.03, 7.22 +/- 0.03), and Mgi (206 +/- 10 to 151 +/- 7, 131 +/- 7, 143 +/- 5 mumol/L). This glucose induced ionic effect was dose dependent, significant elevations in Cai being observed at 10 and 15 mmol/L, but not at the other concentrations tested. It was also specific, no changes in Cai being observed with any of the glucose analogs tested. Thus, hyperglycemia per se elevates Cai and suppresses Mgi and pHi in normal human red cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Data Needs in Development Economics

This paper first reviews the progress made since the Second World War in data availability for development research, mainly in the field of macroeconomic aggregates. It then focuses on data sources and data-gathering techniques deemed to be the most promising for large pay-offs in further development research. Greater understanding of the structure and workings of the modern sector of market-oriented developing countries could be obtained by analysing data on the 200 largest corporations in each country. But exclusive emphasis on large companies would neglect some very important research areas, such as income distribution, unemployment/underemployment and extreme poverty. The fresh data needed to get a firmer understanding of these matters are likely to come from the greater use of sample surveys.
Analysis of Pogo Stability

Many liquid propellant rocket vehicles have experienced self-excited longitudinal vibration. The self-excitation or instability arises from interaction of the vehicle structure with the propulsion system. The early experiences with this phenomenon involved vibrations in the first longitudinal mode of the vehicle; the nickname ‘pogo’ was coined on the basis of a superficial similarity of the out-of-phase motion of the ends of the vehicle with the motion of the pogo stick (child’s jumping stick). Figure 1 illustrates a typical occurrence of instability during powered flight in terms of longitudinal acceleration at a point on the vehicle structure. Corresponding oscillations occur within the liquid propellant and in the combustion chamber. The oscillation begins spontaneously, intensifies, and then dies away — typically in a period of 10 to 40 s. The frequency of vibration tracks that of the first structural mode which increases as propellant depletes. Less often, pogo vibrations have occurred in higher modes of longitudinal vibration; also multiple periods of instability, each involving a different mode of vibration, have occurred during operation of a single vehicle stage.
Dashboard Effects Challenge Flow-Learning Assumption in Digital Instructional Games

This case study challenges the assumption that successful game-based learning requires flow experience. Analyses of player logs of gameplay behavior and self-reports of subjective experience, establish that challenge often exceeds skill during the type of inquiry-based learning that occurs when instructional games scaffold player discovery and application of targeted concepts. This pattern persists when integrated game dashboards allow players to define and achieve expertise. The analysis here follows three players during their trajectories toward expertise development, while playing the online instructional video game Selene: A Lunar Construction GaME: participants were an undergraduate female (USA Midwest university) and two Spanish teenagers (non-USA, one female and one male, 15-years of age). Theory and data suggest perceived experience during game-based learning (states, such as anxiety, worry, and arousal) might be conceptualized as eustress, which is known to accompany successful adaptation.
Schemas in Problem Solving: The acquisition of planning knowledge

Two studies have incorporated the use of the Problem Solving Environment (PSE) in their design. One was the second experiment of chapter 7, which contrasted learning from abstract and specific instruction. As the final part of that study, one group of students worked for one session with PSE while another group completed the original SPS instruction. The essential conclusion we drew from the study was that 1 hour was simply too brief a time for the students to become comfortable in the interactive environment. They were able to use PSE but not as freely as we had hoped, and we suspected that their freedom to develop their own plans for problem solving was hampered by a lack of familiarity with the computer system itself. We did gain some information about how valuable PSE could be with pairs of students, because some of the students using PSE worked together as part of the experimental design and their conversations were audiotaped. PSE seems to be an ideal setting for the interaction of pairs or small groups. They can describe their plans to each other in terms of the diagrams and icons, which are always visible on the screen, and they can try out their ideas with no ill consequences. The computer display is large enough to accommodate several students easily, so all of them have clear visual access.
Emancipation of the voice: Vocal complexity as a fitness indicator

Although language is generally spoken, most evolutionary proposals say little about any changes that may have induced vocal control. Here I suggest that the interaction of two changes in our species-one in sociality, the other in life history-liberated the voice from its affective moorings, enabling it to serve as a fitness cue or signal. The modification of life history increased the helplessness of infants, thus their competition for care, pressuring them to emit, and parents (and others) to evaluate, new vocal cues in bids for attention. This change elaborated and formalized the care communication system that was used in infancy and, because of parental adoption of social criteria, extended it into childhood, supporting the extrafamilial relationships that intensify in those stages. The remodeling of life history, in conjunction with intensified sociality, also enhanced vocal signaling in adolescence-a second stage that is unique to humans-and adulthood. Building on the new vocal skills and fitness criteria that emerged earlier, I claim that males with ornamented speech enjoyed advantages in their pursuit of dominance and reproductive opportunities in evolutionary history, as they do today. There are implications of this scenario for the mechanistic level of vocal diversification. Today, intentionality plays a role both in the instrumental crying of infants and the modulated vocalizations of adults. In evolutionary history, I claim that in both cases, spontaneously emitted behavioral cues elicited perceptible responses, giving rise to strategic signals that were sent, and processed, under a new and fundamentally different neural regime.
Book review of Minds Online: Teaching Effectively With Technology

As online learning continues to flourish, educators and institutions frequently question how to leverage emerging technologies in a way that effectively enhances the learning process for students. In Minds Online , Miller (2014) suggests that we already have an answer to this question—we just need to know where to look. Reflecting on basic fundamentals found in cognitive psychology, the author advocates a provocative approach: We need to align our teaching with the way the mind works.
Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Diseases by Boosted Neural Networks

A boosting by filtering technique for neural network systems with back propagation together with a majority voting scheme is presented in this paper. Previous research with regards to predict the presence of cardiovascular diseases has shown accuracy rates up to 72.9%. Using a boosting by filtering technique prediction accuracy increased over 80%. The designed neural network system in this article presents a significant increase of robustness and it is shown that by majority voting of the parallel networks, recognition rates reach to > 90 in the V.A. Medical Center, Long Beach and Cleveland Clinic Foundation data set.
C60 Transformations at High Pressures

C60 molecules have been studied at both shock and static high pressures. Under shock compressions C60 fullerenes are stable into the 13-17 GPa pressure range. The onset of a fast (∼0.5 µs) reconstructive transformation to graphite occurs near 17 GPa. The graphite recovered from 27 GPa and about 900 K is relatively well ordered with La = 100 A. Above 50 GPa a continuous transformationto an amorphous state is observed in recovered specimens. A transparent, metastable carbon phase was recovered from thin films of C60, shocked to 69 GPa and 2200 K and then rapidly quenched to 1000 K. The selected area diffraction patterns indicate that the metastable carbon contains an amorphous diamond and n-diamond. Under hydrostatic compressions C60 molecules transform reversibly to a semi-transparent phase in the pressure range of 15-25 GPa with a large pressure hysteresis. The high pressure phaseconsists of interconnected strongly interacting C60 agglomerates, or networksof fullerenes, whose stability continuously increases with increase of pressure. Above 27 GPa the transition becomes irreversible, and the material recovered from high pressureis metastable and diamond-like at ambient conditions. These pressure-induced transitions are explained in terms of π-electron rehybridization between C60 molecules, which occurs at substantially decreased intermolecular distances.
Effects of Bilateral Hearing Aid Use on Balance in Experienced Adult Hearing Aid Users.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the balance of experienced adult hearing aid users with and without their hearing aids via computerized posturography. Method Computerized posturog...
P119 : A POSITIVE FLOW CROSSMATCH WHEN THE VIRTUAL CROSSMATCH WAS PREDICTED TO BE NEGATIVE....HIDDEN DONOR SPECIFIC ANTIBODY?

Background Donors specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA) in renal transplantation have been associated with higher incidence of graft failure. Therefore, potential living donors cells are tested against recipient serum using flow cytometric crossmatch (FCXM) to determine if the presence of DSA will cause positive FCXM. Antibody determination prior to crossmatching potential donors allows for the determination of the virtual crossmatch (VXM) as either being positive or negative. Herein, we report a case where the FCXM did not correlate at all with the VXM. Methods Pre-transplant serum was tested by solid-phase immunoassays for the presence of unacceptable antibodies. Strength of the antibody is determined from mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) cut-offs established by the laboratory. Results An initial FCXM was performed with potential donor cells and recipient serum. Based on a single DSA with MFI of Conclusion Distortion of antigen integrity may have caused the B62 from not being detected by solid phase assay. Antibody testing using solid phase methods are helpful tests but one cannot completely relay on them when trying to determine antibody status of recipients waiting for transplant.
Integrating Business Ethics in Classroom Teaching: Some Preliminary Considerations

Some practical suggestions for the integration of business ethics in teaching disciplinary business topics are provided. Primarily, the tensions between ethical theory and disciplinary applications and those between abstract reasoning and practical actions provide the context for an exploration of pedagogical content and methods in teaching business ethics at the disciplinary level. Issues and considerations in the nature of business ethics, their justification and pedagogical tools are discussed along with a recommendation for normative business ethics.
Pharmakologie der Plazenta

Die Blutversorgung des Uterus wird durch die Arteriae ovaricae und Arteriae uterinae gewahrleistet. Der uterine Blutflus (UBF) ist ungefahr 100 ml/min (2% des Herzzeitvolumens) am Anfang der Schwangerschaft und steigt auf 1200 ml/min (etwa 17% des Herzzeitvolumens) in der Spatschwangerschaft an (1, 2). Er hangt vom mittleren arteriellen Blutdruck der Mutter sowie vom uterinen Gefaswiderstand ab. Da gegen Schwangerschaftsende die uterinen Blutgefase maximal dilatiert sind, ist die Uterusperfusion direkt vom mittleren arteriellen Blutdruck der Schwangeren abhangig. Der niedrige Gefaswiderstand der Plazenta kann durch eine funktionelle Denervation der Spiralarterien im Laufe der Plazentaentwicklung erklart werden. Wahrend die uteroplazentare Durchblutung also proportional zum uterinen Perfusionsdruck ist, kann man bei der fetoplazentaren Zirkulation eine Autoregulierung erkennen, bei der offenbar Prostacyclin (3) und Sauerstoffmonoxid (NO) eine Rolle spielen (4). Die Veranderung des uterinen Gefaswiderstandes durch die Gabe von vasokonstringierenden Substanzen wurde bei verschiedenen Tierspezies untersucht. Alpha-Sympathomimetika konnen zu einer signifikanten Reduktion des uterinen Blutflusses fuhren (5, 6), wahrend Beta-Sympathomimetika (Tokolytika) nur in sehr hohen Dosen einen vasoaktiven (vasodilatierenden) Effekt haben (7). Schwangerschaftswehen (Braxton-Hicks contractions) konnen den uterinen Blutflus um 7 bis 16% senken, bei Geburtswehen sistiert die intervillose Blutzirkulation sogar vorubergehend vollstandig (8). Uterine Hyperaktivitat kann durch die andauernde plazentare Perfusionsstorung eine fetale Azidose bewirken.
First Martingale Steps

The theory of martingales began life with the aim of providing insight into the apparent impossibility of making money by placing bets on fair games. The success of the theory has far outstripped its origins, and martingale theory is now one of the main tools in the study of random processes. The aim of this chapter is to introduce the most intuitive features of martingales while minimizing formalities and technical details. A few definitions given here will be refined later, but the redundancy is modest, and the future abstractions should go down more easily with the knowledge that they serve an honest purpose.
Dynamics of microphytobenthos photosynthetic activity along a depth transect in the sandy northeastern Gulf of Mexico shelf

Abstract The temporal and spatial dynamics of microphytobenthos activity in sandy shelf sediments are poorly understood, which limits assessments of the role of the benthic production in the coastal carbon cycle. The goal of this two-year time series study in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico therefore was to determine how benthic primary production rates in the West Florida Shelf change over the seasons and water depth. The study took place in the Big Bend region of Florida and used three stations along a transect starting at 5 m water depth and ending 29 km offshore, at 18 m water depth. Multisensor YSI 6600 probes installed at each station recorded key environmental parameters at the seafloor. Sediment cores, collected by SCUBA divers from each of the 3 stations at near-monthly intervals over a two-year time period were incubated in the laboratory for production and consumption rate measurements. Incubation of the cores at 200 μE m−2 s−1 allowed comparison of potential productivity between stations and seasons. Community light response curves, produced from sediment incubations at different light intensities, were used to calculate benthic productivity for measured in-situ light levels. The benthic production rates calculated from the core incubations and those calculated using the community light response curves agreed within a factor of three. Average sediment gross primary production rates based on in-situ light intensities ranged from 48 ± 60 mg C m−2 d−1 at 5 m and 81 ± 104 mg C m−2 d−1 at 10 m, to 13 ± 18 mg C m−2 d−1 at 18 m water depth. The corresponding average sediment consumption rates were −62 ± 36, −50 ± 55, and −29 ± 46 mg C m−2 d−1 at 5, 10 and 18 m water depth respectively. On average, production and consumption in the benthic system were found to be balanced, and the nearshore Stations A and B may temporarily turn net autotrophic during periods of high light intensity at the bottom. Our results suggest that the benthic production in this region may contribute up to 50% to the shelf primary production.
ARFRP1 functions upstream of ARL1 and ARL5 to coordinate recruitment of distinct tethering factors to the trans-Golgi network

SNARE-mediated fusion of endosome-derived transport carriers with the trans-Golgi network (TGN) depends on the concerted action of two types of tethering factors: long coiled-coil tethers of the golgin family, and the heterotetrameric complex GARP. Whereas the golgins mediate long-distance capture of the carriers, GARP promotes assembly of the SNAREs. It remains to be determined, however, how the functions of these tethering factors are coordinated. Herein we report that the ARF-like (ARL) GTPase ARFRP1 functions upstream of two other ARL GTPases, ARL1 and ARL5, which in turn recruit golgins and GARP, respectively, to the TGN. We also show that this mechanism is essential for the delivery of retrograde cargos to the TGN. Our findings thus demonstrate that ARFRP1 is a master regulator of retrograde-carrier tethering to the TGN. The coordinated recruitment of distinct tethering factors by a bifurcated GTPase cascade may be paradigmatic of other vesicular fusion events within the cell.
Focal Adhesion Kinase Regulates Critical Functions in Hematopoiesis.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) initially identified as a unique cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase involved in focal adhesions, has been studied extensively in fibroblasts. In these cells, FAK has been shown to play an essential role in bridging signals between integrin and growth factor receptors such as the PDGF and the EGF receptor. In fibroblasts, FAK localizes to regions of the cell that attach to the extracellular matrix and coordinates signals from integrins, cytokines, growth factor receptors, and oncogenes. In some tumors, FAK is over-expressed or constitutively activated, which correlates with increased motility, invasiveness, and proliferation. More recently, expression of FAK in acute myeloid leukemia was associated with enhanced blast migration, increased cellularity, and poor prognosis. However, virtually nothing is known about FAKs role in normal hematopoiesis. FAK is expressed in blood cells, including in bone marrow derived KIT+, Gr-1+, Mac-1+, CD4+, CD8+ and B220+ cells. To determine how loss of FAK affects hematopoiesis, we have generated a mouse model with hematopoietic restricted deletion of FAK. We deleted FAK in bone marrow cells by crossing the FAK-flox mice to Mx.Cre+ expressing mice and by treating Mx.cre+FAK+/+ and Mx.cre+FAKflox/flox mice with poly (I)-poly(C) and then analyzing mice 1 month after the last injection. After one month of poly(I)-poly(C) induction, the progeny failed to express detectable levels of FAK in bone marrow, spleen as well as in bone marrow derived macrophages as determined by PCR and western blotting. Evaluation of peripheral blood counts in control and FAK deleted mice revealed modest but significant differences in different lineages (WBC k/μl: FAK; 14 vs. FAK −/− ; 10.3, n=7, *p FAK −/− ; 7.26, n=7, *p 6 vs. FAK −/− ;8.58 X10 6 n=7 *p FAK −/− ; 434 n=7 *p FAK − / − mice compared to controls (n=5, FAK; 1.8 X 10 6 vs. FAK −/− ; 1.213 X10 6 , *p FAK − / − macrophages was observed in spite of comparable levels of F4/80 expression (WT; 92.98% vs. FAK −/− ; 94.55%) as well as integrin (α4β1 & α5β1) expression (WT; 68% & 83.79% vs. FAK −/− ; 60.39% & 83.17%, respectively) between WT and FAK − / − macrophages. Further analysis of FAK − / − macrophages revealed a significant decrease in extracellular matrix/integrin directed migration of these cells in response to M-CSF on fibronectin (40% reduction), laminin (55% reduction) and collagen (60% reduction) (n=3, *p FAK − / − macrophages was associated with a significant decrease in adhesion on fibronectin (63%), laminin (52%) and collagen (56%) as well as spreading (n=3, *p
Selective resistance of bacterial polyadenylate-containing RNA to hydrolysis by guanosine 3′-5′-monophosphate-sensitive nuclease of Bacillus brevis

Abstract Earlier experiments had shown that the degradation of newly synthesized RNA in permeable cells of Bacillus brevis is mediated primarily by a guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate-sensitive 3′-exonuclease [ N. Sarkar and H. Paulus (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 684–690]. More recently, we found that a substantial fraction of pulse-labeled RNA in B. brevis is polyadenylylated [ N. Sarkar, D. Langley, and H. Paulus (1978) Biochemistry 17, 3468–3474], and it was thus of interest to examine the effect of polyadenylylation on the susceptibility of RNA to degradation by the 3′-exonuclease. Purified 3′-exonuclease from B. brevis hydrolyzed the unadenylylated fraction of pulse-labeled RNA from B. brevis much more rapidly than poly(A)-containing RNA. Similar results were obtained with the pulse-labeled unadenylylated and polyadenylylated RNA fractions from Bacillus subtilis . Control experiments showed that the differential hydrolysis of the labeled RNA preparations by 3′-exonuclease was not due to the presence of inhibitors or activators. These results suggest that the stability of mRNA in Bacillus species may be regulated by polyadenylylation.
Abstract PO-222: Co-morbid risk factors and NSAID use among white and black Americans that predicts overall survival from diagnosed colon cancer

Black Americans (BA) have higher incidence and higher mortality rates for colorectal cancers (CRC) as compared to White Americans (WA). While there are several identified risk factors associated with the development of CRC and evidence that high levels of adequate screening can reduce differences in incidence for CRC between BA and WA, there remains little data regarding patient co-morbid contributions towards survival once an individual has CRC. Here we set out to identify patient risk factors that influenced overall survival in a cohort of 293 BA and 348 WA with colon cancer, ages 40 to 84 years old, with at least 10 years of follow- up. We utilized the logistic regression test for statistical associations, the Kaplan- Meier method with log rank test for survival analyses, and Cox Proportional Hazards Models for covariate independence. Amid our cohort, we found that patients’ age, tobacco usage, and pre-diagnosed medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes were associated with shorter overall survival (OS) from colon cancer. We identified pre-diagnosed hypertension (19.6% contribution) and diabetes (12% contribution) among BA were together responsible for nearly one-third of the colon cancer mortality disparity compared with WA. We also identified long-term regular use (>5 years aggregated years of drug use) of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin, was associated with shorter OS from colon cancer among WA >65 years of age (Hazard Ratio 1.76, 95% confidence interval 1.12-2.77), but not younger WA patients or any aged BA patients. Our results raise the importance of not only treating the colon cancer itself, but also taking into consideration co-morbid medical conditions and NSAID usage to enhance patient OS. Further evaluation regarding adequate treatment of co-morbidities and timing of NSAID continuance after cancer therapy will need to be studied. Citation Format: Minoru Koi, Yoshiki Okita, Erika Koeppe, Elena M. Stoffel, Joseph A. Galanko, Nikki McCoy, Temitope Keku, John M. Carethers. Co-morbid risk factors and NSAID use among white and black Americans that predicts overall survival from diagnosed colon cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-222.
Population attitudes toward contraceptive methods over time on a social media platform.

Background Contraceptive method choice is often strongly influenced by the experiences and opinions of one’s social network. Although social media, including Twitter, increasingly influences reproductive-age individuals, discussion of contraception in this setting has yet to be characterized. Natural language processing, a type of machine learning in which computers analyze natural language data, enables this analysis. Objective This study aimed to illuminate temporal trends in attitudes toward long- and short-acting reversible contraceptive methods in tweets between 2006 and 2019 and establish social media platforms as alternate data sources for large-scale sentiment analysis on contraception. Study Design We studied English-language tweets mentioning reversible prescription contraceptive methods between March 2006 (founding of Twitter) and December 2019. Tweets mentioning contraception were extracted using search terms, including generic or brand names, colloquial names, and abbreviations. We characterized and performed sentiment analysis on tweets. We used Mann-Kendall nonparametric tests to assess temporal trends in the overall number and the number of positive, negative, and neutral tweets referring to each method. The code to reproduce this analysis is available at https://github.com/hms-dbmi/contraceptionOnTwitter . Results We extracted 838,739 tweets mentioning at least 1 contraceptive method. The annual number of contraception-related tweets increased considerably over the study period. The intrauterine device was the most commonly referenced method (45.9%). Long-acting methods were mentioned more often than short-acting ones (58% vs 42%), and the annual proportion of long-acting reversible contraception-related tweets increased over time. In sentiment analysis of tweets mentioning a single contraceptive method (n=665,064), the greatest proportion of all tweets was negative (65,339 of 160,713 tweets with at least 95% confident sentiment, or 40.66%). Tweets mentioning long-acting methods were nearly twice as likely to be positive compared with tweets mentioning short-acting methods (19.65% vs 10.21%; P Conclusion Recognizing the influence of social networks on contraceptive decision making, social media platforms may be useful in the collection and dissemination of information about contraception.