cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Common Loon Incubates Rocks as Surrogates for Eggs

A nesting Gavia immer (Common Loon) was discovered incubating 2 rocks on a floating nest platform on the Quabbin reservoir in central Massachusetts for 43 days, well beyond the typical period of 28 days, before we moved in to investigate. The rocks were likely unearthed in the soil and vegetation used on the platform to create a more natural substrate for the nest. We suggest sifting through soil and vegetation to remove rocks before placing material on nest platforms.
Purification and characterization of plasma membranes obtained from rat neurons prepared by bulk-isolation

The properties of neuronal plasma membranes are highly specialized, since they include the receptors by which many hormones, neurotransmitters, drugs, and toxins initiate their actions, as well as the components necessary for receiving synaptic input from a variety of sources and for generating the appropriate pattern of action potentials. To be able to study plasma membranes of neurons, it is necessary to separate sufficient quantities of neurons from the other cell types, processes, and myelin found in brain. The methodology for obtaining neurons by bulk-isolation from 10-day-old rat brain has been established, and techniques for purifying the plasma membranes are presented here. The procedure involves swelling the cells in a buffered solution, homogenizing the cells vigorously, and separating the membrane fragments on discontinuous sucrose gradients. The plasma membrane fraction is enriched in plasma membrane marker enzymes and has low activity for contaminating enzymes for subcellular organelles. Electron micrographs show that the fraction consists of membrane vesicles and profiles of various sizes. The protein composition reveals over 60 proteins with molecular weights as high as 100,000 to a low of 14,000. This plasma membrane fraction now can be the focus for studying receptors, glycoproteins, and cell-specific markers of neurons in health and disease.
Fusion of semispherical membranes.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the experimental techniques applied to investigate the interaction of semispherical lipid bilayers. The main results obtained are discussed along with the advantages and limitations of the model. The physiologically important phenomenon of biomembrane fusion—namely, the simultaneous joining of contacting membranes and the volumes bound by them, appears to be a relatively simple process. At certain stages of the process, the lipid matrixes of the membranes in contact have to fuse, which necessitates some disturbance of the continuity of lipid bilayers. Therefore, the interaction between lipid bilayers is investigated using different model systems. It is necessary to correlate the stages of membrane interaction observed for the model of two interacting bilayer lipid membranes with the stage corresponding to complete fusion in other model systems. The limitations of the experiments are discussed.
Automated visualization workflow for simulation experiments

Modeling and simulation is often used to predict future events and plan accordingly. Experiments in this domain often produce thousands of results from individual simulations, based on slightly varying input parameters. Geo-spatial visualizations can be a powerful tool to help health researchers and decision-makers to take measures during catastrophic and epidemic events such as Ebola outbreaks. The work produced a web-based geo-visualization tool to visualize and compare the spread of Ebola in the West African countries Ivory Coast and Senegal based on multiple simulation results. The visualization is not Ebola specific and may visualize any time-varying frequencies for given geo-locations.
Consumption of Foliage of Juvenile and Mature Red Oak Trees by Late Instar Gypsy Moth Larvae

By using sleeve cages, daily consumption of red oak foliage, Quercus rubra L., by 4th, 5th, and 6th larval instars of Lymantria dispar (L.) was found to average 3.5, 7,6, and 9.5 cm2, respectively. Older larvae consumed more foliage, although consumption differences between 5th and 6th instars were not significant. A regression describing sleeve-cage consumption was developed: Y = −8.20 + 3.00X, when Y = mean daily consumption of a larva in cm2 of foliage, and X = the larval instar (R2 = 0.61). A 2nd regression that also considered precipitation during the feeding trial was developed: Y1 = −12,22 + 3.97X, −270X2 when Y1 = the mean daily consumption of a larva, X1 = the larval instal, and X2 = the amount of precipitation (R2 =0.71). Addition of the precipitation term explained an additional 10% of the observed variation; this suggests that less feeding occurs during rainy weather.
Photoassociation spectroscopy of the A1Σ – b3Π complex in ultracold polar NaCs molecules

We present our investigation of photoassociation channels associated with the A1Σ and b3Π electronic states of NaCs including hyperfine structure of high lying levels. We calculate dispersion coefficients and determine a new b3ΠΩ=2 PEC.
Flow Characteristics of Non Circular Synthetic Jets

Our study aimed to investigate the flow characteristics of circular and non-circular orifice configurations: a slot, a square, and an equilateral triangle, and to compare the results in order to investigate which orifice configuration is a better solution of synthetic jet for thermal control management. The synthetic jet actuators were tested at their resonance frequency where 500 PIV images were acquired randomly for each orifice configuration and were averaged to give the time-averaged flow fields. Velocity profiles along the axial and traverse directions where generated and analyzed. The results showed highly coherent structures for the circular and square configuration, and high spreading rate and mixing for the slot configuration which makes it most preferable configuration. Nomenclature Do Orifice diameter De Effective (hydraulic) diameter Ū Mean velocity in the streamwise direction V Mean velocity in the transverse direction Uo Mean velocity at the orifice exit in the streamwise direction UCL Centerline mean velocity u rms velocity in the streamwise direction x Streamwise distance from the orifice r Radial distance from the centerline
Drug-Induced Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Associated with Proton Pump Inhibitors

Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) is an autoimmune disease that may be induced by proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in at-risk populations. The US FDA does not recognize SCLE as an adverse event associated with PPIs. We queried the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database, which contains adverse event case reports submitted by the public as well as by industry, and analyzed the data to quantify passive pharmacovigilance signals for SCLE associated with PPIs. A disproportionality analysis of the signals yielded a significant association between SCLE and PPIs. Discontinuation of PPI resulted in remission, with PPI re-challenge causing SCLE to reoccur. A follow-up analysis also yielded a significant association between SCLE and H2 receptor antagonists. We conducted a brief literature survey of published case reports and studies to discern the validity of PPI-induced SCLE signals. Healthcare prescribers and patients should be made aware that SCLE can be induced by PPIs. In such cases, PPIs should be discontinued and alternative clinical treatment sought. Regulatory bodies such as the FDA should incorporate the adverse reaction in PPI prescription labels.
Bistetracene: An Air-Stable, High-Mobility Organic Semiconductor with Extended Conjugation

We report the synthesis and characterization of “bistetracene”, an unconventional, linearly extended conjugated core with eight fused rings. The annellation mode of the system allows for increased stability of the conjugated system relative to linear analogues due to the increased number of Clar aromatic sextets. By attaching the appropriate solubilizing substituents, efficient molecular packing with large transfer integrals can be obtained. The electronic structure calculations suggest these large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exhibit excellent intrinsic charge transport properties. Charge carrier mobilities as large as 6.1 cm2 V–1 s–1 and current on/off ratios of 107 were determined experimentally for one of our compounds. Our study provides valuable insight into the design of unconventional semiconductor compounds based on higher PAHs for use in high-performance devices.
Safety and Economics Analysis of the Aged Transformer Based on the Condition Evaluation and Risk Assessment

This paper mainly analyses the safety and economy of the aged transformer operating 15 years and over.The algorithm and model of transformer condition evaluation,risk assessment and economy analysis assistant decision are proposed.An optimized management of these aged transformers can be achieved by evaluating the condition and risk of them,comprehensively analyzing the effects of maintenance,refurbishment and replacement of them in the view of both safety and econmics,simulating the evaluation result of technical improvement and providing the best replacing time.
Evidence that calpains and elastase do not produce the von Willebrand factor fragments present in normal plasma and IIA von Willebrand disease.

Recent evidence suggests that proteolysis plays an important role in some forms of inherited and acquired von Willebrand disease (vWD). Because calpains and one or more enzymes released from polymorphonuclear leukocytes are known to proteolyze von Willebrand factor (vWF) in vitro with resultant loss of large multimers similar to that seen in IIA vWD, they have been suggested as being responsible for the proteolysis in vivo. Using monoclonal epitope mapping, we have examined the proteolysis of the vWF subunit by porcine calcium- activated neutral proteases (calpains) and human leukocyte elastase to determine whether they produce the vWF proteolytic cleavage products seen in normal individuals and IIA vWD. Purified vWF was digested with porcine calpains I and II. We found no difference in the size, location, and quantity of the fragments produced by calpain I v calpain II. New fragments were detected of approximately 200, 170, 150, and 125 Kd. There was no evidence for generation of the native 140 and 176 Kd fragments. Some loss of the native fragments was seen, which suggests that they were further cleaved. Epitope mapping of the 170- and 150-Kd calpain-cleaved fragments revealed them to be from different parts of the molecule than the regions from which the native 176- and 140-Kd fragments derived. This was further supported by determination of the amino-terminal sequence of the calpain-cleaved 170- and 150-Kd fragments. Digestion of vWF with human leukocyte elastase produced new fragments at 210/205, 190, 170/165, 145/140, and 130/125 Kd. No generation of native fragments was detected. Monoclonal epitope mapping of the 145/140-Kd elastase-cleaved band proved that it derived from the carboxyl-terminal portion of the vWF molecule, whereas the native 140- Kd fragment is derived from the amino-terminal end. Neither calpains nor human leukocyte elastase produced the proteolyzed fragments present in normal and IIA vWD and, therefore, probably do not cause the loss of large multimers that is seen in that disorder.
The Political Realists

In this chapter we are going to look at the views of three American theorists who have expounded a kind of political realism in international relations. These theorists, Reinhold Niebuhr, Hans Morgenthau and George Kennan, are not realists in the classical sense, but they share a number of theses with the founders of the realist tradition. We will look very briefly at this tradition, and then concentrate on its contemporary manifestation.
Second-Line Hormonal for Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Abstract Initial systemic therapy with androgen deprivation has been the mainstay treatment of hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Despite an initial response of 18–24 months, disease progression is usually the norm. When this castrate-resistant prostate cancer emerges, secondary hormonal manipulations have long been shown to demonstrate a therapeutic response. This chapter reviews the second-line hormonal therapies available to such patients. This includes the use of first-generation antiandrogens, such as flutamide, bicalutamide, and nilutamide, as well as the newer second-generation antiandrogens that include enzalutamide and ARN-509. Current concepts of antiandrogen withdrawal and the associated response rates are discussed. Traditional second-line treatment options with estrogens, cyproterone, megestrol, ketoconazole, aminoglutethimide, and corticosteroids are also presented. Finally, the role of extragonadal androgen suppression with abiraterone acetate is examined. With newer and emerging treatments, the concept of second-line hormonal manipulation is evolving and holds a tremendous therapeutic potential for men with prostate cancer.
Effects of Coenzyme Q10 on Skeletal Muscle Oxidative Metabolism in Statin Users Assessed Using 31P Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: a Randomized Controlled Study.

Objectives: Statins partially block the production of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an essential component for mitochondrial function. Reduced skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity has been proposed to be a cause of statin myalgia and can be measured using 31 phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 31 P-MRS). The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of CoQ10 oral supplementation on mitochondrial function in statin users using 31 P-MRS. Design/Setting: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study, 21 adults aged 47-73 were randomized to statin+placebo (n=9) or statin+CoQ10 (n=12). Phospho-creatine (PCr) recovery kinetics of calf muscles were assessed at baseline (off statin and CoQ10) and 4 weeks after randomization to either statin+CoQ10 or statin+placebo. Results: Baseline and post-treatment PCr recovery kinetics were assessed for 19 participants. After 4 weeks of statin+ CoQ10 or statin+placebo, the overall relative percentage change (100*(baseline-follow up)/baseline) in PCr recovery time was -15.1% compared with baseline among all participants, (p-value=0.258). Participants randomized to statin+placebo (n=9) had a relative percentage change in PCr recovery time of ‑18.9%, compared to ‑7.7% among participants (n=10) receiving statin+CoQ10 (p‑value=0.448). Conclusions: In this pilot study, there was no significant change in mitochondrial function in patients receiving 4 weeks of statin+CoQ10 oral therapy when compared to patients on statin+placebo. Journal of Nature and Science (JNSCI), 2(8):e212, 2016
A screen of pharmaceutical drugs for their ability to cause short-term morbidity and mortality in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L

The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., is a hematophagous ectoparasite that preferentially feeds on humans. Pharmaceuticals present in a person’s blood may adversely affect C. lectularius when it feeds. We fed >10,000 C. lectularius on blood samples containing more than 400 different drug doses and drug combinations using an in vitro feeding system to determine insect mortality. The majority of drug doses approximated the peak plasma concentration in humans taking those drugs. Twenty-one drugs were found to cause >17% 12–14-day mortality compared to 8.5% mortality in the control (p < 0.05), but postliminary testing of three of the drugs, famotidine, ethambutol, and primaquine, did not demonstrate an increase in C. lectularius mortality. We also tested 23 drugs for their effects on C. lectularius fecundity. The results may have implications for understanding C. lectularius population dynamics in an infestation.
Fabrication and Microscopic and Spectroscopic Characterization of Cytocompatible Self-Assembling Antimicrobial Nanofibers.

The discovery of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has brought tremendous promise and opportunities to overcome the prevalence of bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics. However, their widespread use and translation into clinical application is hampered by the moderate to severe hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity. Here, we presented and validated a supramolecular platform for the construction of hemo- and cytocompatible AMP-based nanomaterials, termed self-assembling antimicrobial nanofibers (SAANs). SAANs, the “nucleus” of our antimicrobial therapeutic platform, are supramolecular assemblies of de novo designed AMPs that undergo programmed self-assembly into nanostructured fibers to “punch holes” in the bacterial membrane, thus killing the bacterial pathogen. In this study, we performed solid-state NMR spectroscopy showing predominant antiparallel β-sheet assemblies rather than monomers to interact with liposomes. We investigated the mode of antimicrobial action of SAANs using transmission electr...
The Boston Process Approach

The Boston process approach to clinical neuropsychological assessment embodies a philosophical ideal concerning the optimal means of examining patients with suspected brain damage or cognitive disabilities. The term “process” was applied to the approach by its founder and earliest proponent, Edith Kaplan, during her tenure at the Boston Veterans Administration Hospital. A great deal of the impetus and basis of methods applied to the approach arose from investigators in the fields of aphasiology and behavioral neurology with whom Kaplan worked on clinical assessment and research at the Boston VA throughout the 1960s to 1990s. Efforts by Kaplan, her colleagues in these fields, and students trained in the process approach have resulted in a tradition of formal test measures, techniques for qualitative observation of test behavior, and clinical interpretation. This tradition has been extensively applied to both assessment of individual patients and research methodology throughout the world and continues to represent the predominant approach to neuropsychological assessment used in the Boston area. In addition, many of the tests developed based on the tradition are used by practitioners who primarily employ techniques emanating from other neuropsychological traditions.
Fundamental Aspects of Star Formation in Galaxies

The starburst phenomenon is one of the most actively pursued problems in extragalactic astronomy, but it is just one aspect of the much broader subject of large-scale star formation in galaxies. This subject is important not only for understanding the physical context of star formation on the scale of individual stars and molecular clouds, but also for understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies in a broader context.
Participation of two structurally related enzymes in rat hepatic microsomal androstenedione 7α-hydroxylation

Rat hepatic cytochrome P-450 form 3 (testosterone 7 alpha-hydroxylase; P-450 gene IIA1) and P-450 form RLM2 (testosterone 15 alpha-hydroxylase; P-450 gene IIA2) are 88% identical in primary structure, yet they hydroxylate testosterone with distinct and apparently unrelated regioselectivities. In this study, androstenedione and progesterone were used to assess the regioselectivity and stereospecificity of these two P-450 enzymes towards other steroid substrates. Although P-450 RLM2 exhibited low 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity with testosterone or progesterone as substrate (turnover number less than or equal to 1-2 nmol of metabolite/min per nmol of P-450), it did catalyse androstenedione 7 alpha-hydroxylation at a high rate (21 min-1) which exceeded that of P-450 3 (7 min-1). However, whereas P-450 3 exhibited a high specificity for hydroxylation of these steroids at the 7 alpha position (95-97% of total activity), P-450 RLM2 actively metabolized these compounds at four or more major sites including the nearby C-15 position, which dominated in the case of testosterone and progesterone. The observation that androstenedione is actively 7 alpha-hydroxylated by purified P-450 RLM2 suggested that this P-450 enzyme might make significant contributions to microsomal androstenedione 7 alpha-hydroxylation, an activity that was previously reported to be associated with immunoreactive P-450 3. Antibody inhibition experiments were therefore carried out in liver microsomes using polyclonal anti-(P-450 3) antibodies which cross-react with P-450 RLM2, and using a monoclonal antibody that is reactive with and inhibitory towards P-450 3 but not P-450 RLM2. P-450 3 was thus shown to catalyse only around 35% of the total androstenedione 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity in uninduced adult male rat liver microsomes, with the balance attributed to P-450 RLM2. The P-450-3-dependent 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity was increased to approximately 65% of the total in phenobarbital-induced adult male microsomes, and to greater than 90% of the total in untreated adult female rat liver microsomes. These observations are consistent with the inducibility of P-450 3 by phenobarbital and with the absence of P-450 RLM2 from adult female rat liver respectively. These findings establish that P-450 RLM2 and P-450 3 can both contribute significantly to microsomal androstenedione 7 alpha-hydroxylation, thus demonstrating that the 7 alpha-hydroxylation of this androgen does not serve as a specific catalytic monitor for microsomal P-450 3.
Switching based on optical nonlinear effects

Abstract: This chapter discusses the physical properties and performance of various types of nonlinear-effect-based optical switches. Nonlinear-effect-based optical switches are important because of the all-optical and high-speed characteristics of Kerr nonlinearities that will enable the realization of future all-optical high-speed networks. The chapter first reviews the nonlinear effects and nonlinear devices used in nonlinear-effect-based optical switches and then discusses their characteristics. The chapter further describes the development of various structures for nonlinear-effect-based optical switches and discusses their characteristics, advantages and applications.
Place and Pedagogy (1992)

T horeau went to live by an ordinary pond on the outskirts of an unremarkable New England village, “to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.” Thoreau did not “research” Walden Pond; rather, he went to live, as he put it, “deliberately.” Nor did he seek the far-off and the exotic, but the ordinary, “the essential facts of life.” He produced no particularly usable data, but he did live his subject carefully, observing Walden, its environs, and himself. In the process he revealed something of the potential lying untapped in the commonplace, in our own places, in ourselves, and the relation between all three.
Tandem Copper-Catalyzed Conjugate Addition-Diastereoselective Protonation of ( E)-α-Trialkylsilyl-β-Alkyl(Aryl)-α,β-Unsaturated Esters.

A tandem Cu(I)-catalyzed conjugate addition of Kharasch reagents/diastereoselective protonation of (E)-α-trialkylsilyl-β-alkyl(aryl)-α,β-unsaturated esters afforded the saturated products with d.r. values of >20:1 favoring the anti-diastereomer in modest to excellent isolated yields.
Case 4: Unexplained Fever in a 5-month-old Boy

1. Jeanna Auriemma, MD* 2. Cara Haberman, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC A 5-month-old previously healthy African American boy presents to the emergency department (ED) with an 8-day history of high-spiking daily fevers between 102°F and 104°F (38.9°C–40.0°C). On his second day of fever, he was diagnosed as having an acute suppurative otitis media by his primary care physician and was started on amoxicillin. Daily fevers continued despite adequate antibiotic compliance. Other than fever his only reported symptom is fussiness. Specifically, he has no cough, congestion, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, or change in appetite. In the ED his temperature is 103.1°F (39.5°C); heart rate, 175 beats/min; respiratory rate, 26 breaths/min; blood pressure, 98/64 mm Hg; and oxygen saturation, 98% on room air. He is ill-appearing and fussy but consolable. Subtle injection of the bulbar conjunctiva is present bilaterally without exudate. His heart rate is tachycardic, with regular rhythm and no murmur. His abdomen is soft and without organomegaly. His extremities are warm, well-perfused, and without edema. His lungs are clear to auscultation with normal respiratory effort. He has no rash or lymphadenopathy. The remainder of his examination findings are normal. Laboratory values obtained in the ED reveal anemia with a hemoglobin level of 7.6 g/dL (76 g/L) and thrombocytosis with a platelet count of 486×103/μL (486×109/L). His white blood cell (WBC) count is normal, C-reactive protein level is elevated at 102 mg/L (971 nmol/L), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is elevated at 61 mm/h. Results …
Predictor ranking and false discovery proportion control in high-dimensional regression

Abstract We propose a ranking and selection procedure to prioritize relevant predictors and control false discovery proportion (FDP) in variable selection. Our procedure utilizes a new ranking method built upon the de-sparsified Lasso estimator. We show that the new ranking method achieves the optimal order of minimum non-zero effects in ranking relevant predictors ahead of irrelevant ones. Adopting the new ranking method, we develop a variable selection procedure to asymptotically control FDP at a user-specified level. We show that our procedure can consistently estimate the FDP of variable selection as long as the de-sparsified Lasso estimator is asymptotically normal. In simulations, our procedure compares favorably to existing methods in ranking efficiency and FDP control when the regression model is relatively sparse.
A Marriage of Technical Rationality and Appreciative Systems

Designing Thriving Systems is about the conception, construction, and evaluation of human-made objects, artefacts. The practice of design in the computing arena has traditionally followed the lead of its ancestral disciplines in the natural sciences founded on the premise of technical rationality. But, technical rationality presupposes that decisions (design decisions) result from a calculation of objective variables, facts. And indeed, if mathematics is the domain, then 4 may be the “correct” solution to “? = 2 + 2.” But, much of design rests upon the evaluation of quality rather than some quantity as design actions are chosen from among alternative design options. The evaluation of quality is often more subjective than objective. This aspect of design behavior defies calculation and distinguishes design from problem-solving. This chapter explores the nature of artefact quality and the interplay of objective and subjective quality in designing thriving systems.
Further refinement of self-normalized Cramér-type moderate deviations

In this paper, we study the self-normalized Cramer-type moderate deviations for centered independent random variables X 1 ,X 2 ,... with 0 | X i | 3 24 (2011) 307–329], the Berry−Esseen bound (2.11) and Corollaries 2.2 and 2.3 of Jing, et al. [B.Y. Jing, Q.M. Shao and Q. Wang, Ann. Probab. 31 (2003) 2167–2215] under stronger moment conditions.
Trawling in the Mediterranean: An Exploration of Empirical Relations Connecting Fishing Gears, Otterboards and Propulsive Characteristics of Fishing Vessels

Fishing pressure is often expressed in terms of vessel’s physical attributes, like tonnage and engine power, while a common definition of fishing capacity identifies vessel size as a convenient proxy for the size of gear used. Nevertheless, these definitions remain arguable, and the refinement of these fishing descriptors is increasingly receiving growing consideration. A stronger understanding of the relationship between the standard measures of effort and capacity and fishing mortality remains a primary objective, followed by the need to overcome a traditional approach that simply describes effort, capacity and mortality as linearly related, conferring to larger vessels a greater fishing power. In this perspective, the analysis of trawls’ technical features in relation with the size and power of the vessel might constitute an essential step. This study specifically investigated a collection of trawl gears technical specifications collected by CNR-IRBIM, Ancona. The dataset used includes records from several Mediterranean fisheries, and involves three trawling techniques, including single trawl, twin trawl and pair trawling, and diverse trawling gear categories, comprising demersal/bottom 2-panel trawls (OTB2), demersal/bottom 4-panel trawls (OTB4), pelagic 4-panel trawls (PTM4), semi-pelagic 2-panel trawls (OTM2), semi-pelagic 4-panel trawls (OTM4), and Mediterranean bottom beam trawl (TBB). We analyzed and described the relationships between vessels’ technical features (LOA, towing force, engine power), some among the main trawl-metrics (headline length, footrope length, trawl length, square width; fishing circle) and otterboard’s technical features (height, width, projected area) in the attempt to enhance fishing capacity definition through the inclusion of the fishing gear deployed. Self-Organizing maps were used to explore the empirical relationships among different parts of the fishing trawl gears, as well as between some of these parts and the otterboard size and the engine power of the vessel.
Adultery, Infidelity, and Consensual Non-Monogamy

Thirty-eight states have laws in place that relate to adultery. Though criminal laws against adultery are not frequently enforced, the network of criminal laws, tort laws, and domestic relations laws related to adultery disincentivize extra-marital sex, an effect heightened by the stigma and other social attitudes associated with adultery. This essay argues that the socio-legal state of affairs concerning adultery is bad for marriages (and similar relationships), bad for public health, and is simply bad public policy. This is the case, in no small part, because the law treats infidelity — having sex with someone other than your primary partner without his or her consent or knowledge — and consensual non-monogamy in the same manner. In fact, infidelity and consensual non-monogamy are significantly different ethically, psychologically, and practically, a claim buttressed by social scientific research. In contrast to proposals to abolish laws that disincentivize adultery whole cloth, this essay argues for more nuanced set of reforms that would end the negative treatment of consensual non-monogamy while leaving unchanged laws relating to infidelity.
Exploring the Burn Model System National Database: Burn injuries, substance misuse, and the CAGE questionnaire

Abstract Burn survivors who misuse alcohol and/other substances have been associated with poorer long-term outcomes and clinical complications following injury. The self-reported CAGE questionnaire (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye-opener) is an outcomes assessment tool used to screen for potential substance misuse. Understanding the persistence and emergence of potential substance misuse through examination of CAGE scores may provide important information about this population. Using data collected from the Burn Model System National Database, demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals who reported positive CAGE scores (total score of ≥2) and those who reported negative CAGE scores (total score of 0 or 1) for either alcohol or other drugs were compared.
Surgery for Vascular Lesions of the Brainstem

Vascular lesions of the brainstem are among the most complicated lesions treated by cerebrovascular neurosurgeons. Aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and cavernous malformations can be found in close association with all levels of the brainstem. Due to the inherent risk of treating brainstem pathologies, all surgical decision-making must first be predicated on knowledge of the natural history and radiographic appearance of these lesions. Successful microsurgical treatment of these lesions demands familiarity with an array of skull base approaches, which force surgeons to operate in deeper and narrower surgical corridors than with a corresponding supratentorial pathology. A regional understanding of the neurovascular anatomy that is unique to the midbrain, pons and medulla guides surgical planning. Advanced techniques are used when standard approaches cannot be performed safely, such as cerebral revascularization for complex aneurysms or in situ disconnection without pial dissection for arteriovenous malformations. With careful patient selection and dedication to developing the technical mastery necessary to operate in and around critical brainstem structures, vascular pathology of the brainstem can be treated safely.
Hidden role of Bi incorporation in nonradiative recombination in methylammonium lead iodide

Bismuth incorporation has been shown to significantly decrease the performance of perovskite solar cells, which has led to the common belief that BiPb is a strong nonradiative recombination center in hybrid perovskites. Using rigorous first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that BiPb is not an efficient recombination center. However, Bi acts as a donor, and pushes the Fermi level closer to the conduction band; this shift promotes the formation of iodine interstitials, which are the actual nonradiative recombination centers. These insights explain why Bi incorporation is detrimental for the photovoltaic performance. More generally, it draws attention to the detrimental role unintentionally incorporated impurities can play, not by acting as nonradiative recombination centers themselves, but by shifting the Fermi level and thereby promoting the formation of efficiency-killing defects.
Rapid Decline in Telestroke Consults in the Setting of COVID-19.

Background and Purpose: As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to be a global pandemic, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that incidence of diseases that require emergent care, particularly myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke, has declined rapidly. The objective of this study is to quantify our experience of telestroke (TS) consults at a large tertiary comprehensive stroke center during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed TS consults of patients presenting to our neuroscience network. Those with a confirmed diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemia attack were included. Data were compared from April 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, which include consults prepandemic and during the crisis. Results: A total of 1,982 TS consults were provided in 1 year. Prepandemic, the mean monthly consults were 148. In April 2020, only 59 patients were seen (49% decline). Mobile stroke unit consults decreased by 72% in the same month. The 30-day moving average of patients seen per day was between five and six prepandemic declined to between two and three in April, and then began to uptrend during May. The mean percentage of patients receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen activator was 16% from April 2019 to March 2020 and increased to 31% in April 2020. The mean percentage of patients receiving endovascular therapy was 10% from April 2019 to March 2020 and increased to 19% in April 2020. Conclusions: At our large tertiary comprehensive stroke center, we observed a significant and rapid decline in TS consults during the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot be certain of the reasons for the decline, but a fear of contracting coronavirus, social distancing, and isolation likely played a major role. Further research must be done to elucidate the etiology of this decline.
Agency and Structure in Latin American Regime Change

Transitions from authoritarianism and breakdowns of democracy have long been central puzzles for scholars of Latin American politics. Because structural explanations have proved to be weak, recent ...
Microjoule-level 20 fs UV pulses for the investigation of molecular dynamics via attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy

A method for generating 20 fs UV pump pulses for attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy is presented. An application of the setup to the real-time mapping of conical intersection dynamics and coherent nuclear motion in CH3I is demonstrated.
Cardiometabolic Parameters Among Transgender Adolescent Males on Testosterone Therapy and Body Mass Index-Matched Cisgender Females

Limited data are available on changes in metabolic parameters in transgender youth on testosterone therapy in comparison with cisgender females. Data from 42 transgender males on testosterone thera...
Towards Timely, Resource-Efficient Analyses Through Spatially-Aware Constructs within Spark

Across several domains there has been a substantial growth in data volumes. A majority of the generated data are geotagged. This data includes a wealth of information that can inform insights, planning, and decision-making. The proliferation of open-source analytical engines has democratized access to tools and processing frameworks to analyze data. However, several of the analytical engines do not include streamlined support for spatial data wrangling and processing. Here, we present our language-agnostic methodology for effective analyses over voluminous spatiotemporal datasets using Spark. In particular, we introduce support for spatial data processing within the foundational constructs underpinning development of Spark programs DataFrames, Datasets, and RDDs. Our empirical benchmarks demonstrate the suitability of our methodology; in contrast to alternative distribution spatial analytics frameworks, we achieve over 2x speed-up for spatial range queries. Our methodology also makes effective utilization of resources by reducing disk I/O by a factor of 18, network I/O by 5 orders of magnitude, and peak memory utilization by 58% for the same set of analytic tasks.
The Challenge of Nanomedicine Human Subjects Research: Protecting Participants, Workers, Bystanders, and the Environment

The growing capacity to build materials at the nanoscale allows much needed problem-solving, but also raises questions about how to assess the effects and safety of the materials created. The promise and the challenge are especially acute in the domain of nanomedicine. Nanotherapeutics and in vivo nanodiagnostics (diagnostics used within the human body) have the potential to solve long-standing problems, including how to ferry drugs across the blood-brain barrier to treat brain tumors, how to find and destroy tiny micrometastases before cancer progresses, and how to transport corrective genes into human cells without the dangers of viral vectors. But none of these applications is possible without first testing the safety and efficacy of these interventions in human beings. Developing appropriate oversight for human subjects research in nanomedicine requires tackling two fundamental problems that have remained unsolved: (1) developing systematic criteria for the requirement of “extra” oversight above the baseline already required by the Common Rule and FDA regulations, and (2) designing oversight that addresses not only the protection of human subjects, but also protection of lab workers, clinicians, close contacts, and the environment.
Community Colleges: Increasing Participation at SIGCSE and ACM Activities

Community and technical colleges play a significant role in computing education by offering associate-degrees in a variety of ACM-recognized disciplines to a diverse student population. The ACM Committee for Computing Education in Community Colleges (CCECC), a standing committee of the ACM Education Board, serves and supports community and technical college educators in all aspects of computing education, including curriculum and assessment development, advising on public policy and advocating for community and technical colleges throughout the world. The ACM CCECC has seen a growing need and interest to increase community college participation in ACM conferences, SIGs, and related activities. For example. community college educators are looking for avenues to identify funding opportunities for professional development and conferences; facilitate collaboration on grants and projects; and actively participate in webinars and informal discussions on topics tailored to community college computing educators. This Birds-of-a-Feather session will bring together those interested in community college computing education and open a dialog to identify and discuss unique issues of interest for this community. Discussion is open to topics across all computing disciplines to support community college educators and ultimately help increase their participation in SIGCSE and ACM activities.
Datasets for occupancy profiles in apartment-style student housing for occupant behavior studies and application in building energy simulation

Abstract Building energy simulation (BES) tools fail to capture diversity among occupants’ consumption behaviors by using simple and generic occupancy and load profiles, causing uncertainties in simulation predictions. Thus, generating actual occupancy profiles can lead to more accurate and reliable BES predictions. In this article, occupancy profiles for apartment-style student housing are presented from high-resolution monitored occupancy data. A geo-fencing app was designed and installed on the cellphones of 41 volunteer students living in student housing buildings on Clarkson University's campus. Occupants’ entering and exiting activities were recorded every minute from February 4 to May 10, 2018. Recorded events were sorted out for each individual by the date and time of day considering 1 for ‘entered’ events and 0 for ‘exited’ events to show the probability of presence at each time of day. Accounting for excluded days (234 days with errors and uncertainties), 1,096 daily occupancy observations were retained in the dataset. Two methods were used to analyze the dataset and derive weekday and weekend occupancy schedules. A simple averaging method and K-means clustering techniques were performed [1] . This article provides the input datasets that were used for analysis as well as the outputs of both methods. Occupancy schedules are presented separately for each day of a week, weekdays, and weekend days. To show differences in students’ occupancy patterns, occupancy schedules in 7 clusters for weekdays and 3 clusters for weekend days are provided. These datasets can be beneficial for modelers and researchers for either using provided occupancy schedules in BES tools or understanding occupant behaviors in student housing.
Separation of Time Scales of Plastic Instabilities During Microscale Deformation of bcc Fe

During mechanical deformation of bcc Fe micropillars, a number of different plastic processes is activated, often leading to unstable plastic flow characterized by abrupt plastic discharges. While some of these instabilities are scale-free, such as dynamic strain aging (DSA), others such as plastic avalanches are strongly dependent on specimen dimensions, as well as temperature and strain rate. However, while these processes often have completely different underlying physical origins, they are difficult to separate and identify due to their co-occurring nature during plastic deformation. Understanding the onset and the evolution of these plastic mechanisms is thus important to separate their contributions during plastic flow and rationalize their dependence on specimen dimensions. In this work, we perform in-situ scanning electron microscopy microcompression tests of Fe micropillars at room-temperature and strain rates between $$10^{{ - 4}}$$ and $$1.0$$ s−1 to study their plastic behavior and characterize the resulting deformation microstructures using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. We develop a numerical model to extract the frequencies inherent to each plastic process and map them to the corresponding physical mechanisms. We find that dislocation avalanches occur on average with a frequency of $$3$$ Hz in the low strain rate range (< $$10^{{ - 3}} ~$$ s−1) while solute-driven instabilities that result in a negative strain rate sensitivity occur with frequencies around $$10$$ Hz. By contrast, at the highest strains rates (> $$10^{{ - 1}}$$ s–1) the two physical mechanisms become overlap in time with one another with frequencies around $$100$$ Hz. Our frequency analysis agrees well with a DSA behavior controlled by interstitials impurities such as C, N and O and their interaction with dislocations.
Interactions between Transposable Elements and the Host Genome

This chapter explores the issue of how eukaryotic transposable elements interact with their hosts, trying to disclose the benefits they can bring to the genome by analyzing the interactions at the molecular level in every step of the transposition process. The tendency of transposable elements to increase in copy number antagonizes the interest of the host genome to keep its genetic information free of the interference produced by new insertions. Due to this tradeoff, transposable elements and their hosts have developed mechanisms to control transposition, which is the most critical step in limiting their propensity to spread throughout the host genome. The same proteins would have evolved afterward to become major players in transcription regulation through alterations in chromatin structure. Another hint of how transposable elements could be subject to silencing and heterochromatization by the host genomes comes from studies of the organization of the pericentromeric regions of the chromosomes and the heterochromatic sex chromosomes. One of the more substantial contributions of this work is the conclusion that the phylogenetic distribution of elements in relation to their respective hosts can be explained without the necessity to assume horizontal transfer between species. Transposable elements, by virtue of the properties discussed here, have facilitated the shuffling and reorganization of the genome necessary for the magnitude of protein evolution observed when distant genomes such as yeast, worms, humans, and flies are compared.
Exploiting a theory of phase transitions in three-satisfiability problems

In the past few years there have been several empirical discoveries of phase transitions in constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs), and a growth of interest in the area among the artificial intelligence community. This paper extends a simple analytical theory of phase transitions in three-satisfiability (3-SAT) problems in two directions. First, a more accurate, problem-dependent calculation leads to a new polynomial time probabilistic estimate of the satisfiability of 3-SAT problems called PE-SAT (Probabilistic Estimate SATisfiability algorithm). PE-SAT empirically classifies 3-SAT problems with about 70% accuracy at the hardest region (the so-called crossover point or 50% satisfiable region) of random 3-SAT space. Furthermore, the estimate has a meaningful magnitude such that extreme estimates are much more likely to be correct. Second, the same estimate is used to improve the running time of a backtracking search for a solution to 3-SAT by pruning unlikely branches of the search. The speed-up is achieved at the expense of accuracy--the search remains sound but is no longer complete. The trade-off between speed-up and accuracy is shown to improve as the size of problems increases.
Multiple enzyme deficiencies in placental tissue from two blighted-ovum abortions

Abstract Specific activities and isoenzyme patterns of 6 enzymes in placental homogenates from 2 blighted-ovum pregnancies (Specimens A and B) and from 4 normal firsttrimester pregnancies were compared. All placentas were obtained by abdominal hysterectomy from clinically normal pregnancies. In Specimen A, lactate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase specific activities were outside the normal ranges; in Specimen B, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and β-glucuronidase specific activities were outside the normal ranges. Only the reductions of lactate dehydrogenase in Specimen A and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in Specimen B were statistically significant ( p