cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of supplemental food on population dynamics of cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus

Variation in resource abundance affects population dynamics by altering demographic processes and interactions among individuals in the population. For small mammals, food is likely to be a critical resource. Population densities should vary directly with food abundance, but the underlying demographic changes are more difficult to predict. We experimentally increased food available to populations of hispid cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus, to examine how rates of recruitment and disappearance varied with food abun- dance. We expected supplemental food to increase winter survival and to increase recruit- ment, perhaps advancing the date of first reproduction in the spring. We also thought larger, behaviorally dominant animals might dominate the point sources of supplemental food, altering age or size ratios and producing an excess of transient animals. Supplemental food increased population densities but did not dampen pronounced sea- sonal fluctuations. Supplemented populations contained proportionately more juveniles and small adults than did controls; social behavior may have limited increases in numbers of large adults. Survival rates did not change; density increases were due to increased repro- duction and immigration. In supplemented populations, reproductive effort by females increased, but the proportion of reproductive females decreased. Reproductive females and nonreproductive animals of both sexes were less likely to be transients than were repro- ductive males. Transients constituted higher proportions of control populations because of successful settlement, primarily by juveniles and small adults, into supplemented areas. The strongly seasonal climatic conditions under which northern S. hispidus populations exist produce contrasting selective pressures which might favor season-specific foraging strategies. Our data support a scenario of territorial females and wandering males in the reproductive season, with females maximizing resource acquisition for production of off- spring. During winter, both sexes may restrict foraging time (and exposure to predators and weather) to the minimum required for survival.
"Videolized" atomic force microscopy for interactive nanomanipulation and nanoassembly

The main problem in nanomanipulation and nanoassembly using atomic force microscopy (AFM) is its lack of real-time visual feedback during manipulation. Fortunately, this problem has been solved by our recently developed augmented reality system, which includes real-time force feedback and real-time "videolized" visual feedback. Through the augmented reality interface, the operator can monitor real-time changes of the nanoenvironment during nanomanipulation through a movie-like AFM image. In this paper, the behavior of some nanowires under pushing is theoretically analyzed and the interaction among the tip, substrate, and nanowires has been modeled. Based on these models, the real-time interactive forces can be used to locally update the AFM image in order to obtain movie-like visual feedback in video frame rate. This augmented reality enhanced system capable of manipulation of nanoparticles and nanowires helps the operator to perform several operations without the need of a new image scan. AFM-based nanoassembly becomes feasible through this newly developed system.
Intravenous Theophylline — An Alternative to Temporary Pacing in the Management of Bradycardia Secondary to AV Nodal Block

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of bradycardia secondary to atrioventricular nodal block (AVNB) successfully treated with intravenous theophylline. Intravenous theophylline was used as an alternative to temporary pacing in a patient with sepsis secondary to thermal injury.CASE SUMMARY:A 79-year-old white woman with significant cardiac history was admitted with 14.5% total body surface area burns after a house fire. Cardiac events included intermittent episodes of sinus bradycardia complicated by the development of second-degree AVNB and periods of sinus arrest. Intravenous theophylline initiation maintained normal sinus rhythm without further episodes of sinus bradycardia or heart block, thus preventing the need for cardiac pacemaker placement.DISCUSSION:This is the first case published in the English-language literature describing the use of intravenous theophylline as an alternative therapy to temporary pacing in a patient with sepsis secondary to thermal injury. Bradyarrhythmic events in sepsis patients hav...
Synapse selection based on differences in synapse turnover.

Rat retinal neurons formed transient synapses with rat muscle cells in culture only during a discrete period in development, from the 20th day of embryonic development to the 7th neonatal day. In contrast, chick embryo spinal cord neurons formed synapses at all developmental stages tested, from the 2nd to the 18th day of embryonic development. The percentage of cells from the spinal cord that formed synapses with muscle cells was maximum at 4 days of embryonic development and decreased thereafter. However, the number of synapses with muscle formed by cells from 8-day embryonic spinal cord did not decrease during 14 days of culture. Under identical conditions, all synapses formed between rat retinal neurons and muscle cells were terminated during 7 days of culture. These results show that differences in the rates of turnover of two populations of cholinergic synapses can result in the selective retention of one population of synapses and the loss of the other, and thereby alter the specificity of synaptic connections.
Modifying the Memorability of Face Photographs

Contemporary life bombards us with many new images of faces every day, which poses non-trivial constraints on human memory. The vast majority of face photographs are intended to be remembered, either because of personal relevance, commercial interests or because the pictures were deliberately designed to be memorable. Can we make a portrait more memorable or more forgettable automatically? Here, we provide a method to modify the memorability of individual face photographs, while keeping the identity and other facial traits (e.g. age, attractiveness, and emotional magnitude) of the individual fixed. We show that face photographs manipulated to be more memorable (or more forgettable) are indeed more often remembered (or forgotten) in a crowd-sourcing experiment with an accuracy of 74%. Quantifying and modifying the 'memorability' of a face lends itself to many useful applications in computer vision and graphics, such as mnemonic aids for learning, photo editing applications for social networks and tools for designing memorable advertisements.
Race, state and nation in early twentieth century Ecuador*

. This article aims to explore the ways in which the tensions involved in nation-building and state consolidation during the half-century following the Liberal Revolution of 1895 in Ecuador were refracted through the locus of race and the manipulation of racial ideologies. It centres the state as the primary motor of nation-building and racialisation, arguing that nation-building and state formation in Ecuador operated in close conjunction, and that race was central to each. Through case studies of citizenship, education and the integration of territory and resources, it explores how state discourse and policy shaped the racial boundaries of national inclusion, and how these were negotiated and contested by subalterns at the level of the state.
Facet joint contact pressure is not significantly affected by ProDisc cervical disc arthroplasty in sagittal bending: a single-level cadaveric study

Abstract Background context Total disc arthroplasty is a motion-preserving spinal procedure that has been investigated for its impact on spinal motions and adjacent-level degeneration. However, the effects of disc arthroplasty on facet joint biomechanics remain undefined despite the critical role of these posterior elements on guiding and limiting spinal motion. Purpose The goal was to measure the pressure in the facet joint in cadaveric human cervical spines subjected to sagittal bending before and after implantation of the ProDisc-C (Synthes Spine Company, L.P, West Chester, PA, USA). Study design A biomechanical study was performed using cadaveric human cervical spines during sagittal bending in the intact and implanted conditions. Methods Seven C2–T1 osteoligamentous cadaveric cervical spines were instrumented with a transducer to measure the C5–C6 facet pressure profiles during physiological sagittal bending, before and after implantation of a ProDisc-C at that level. Rotations of the index segment and global cervical spine were also quantified. Results The mean C5–C6 range of motion significantly increased (p=.009) from 9.6°±5.1° in the intact condition to 16.2°±3.6° after implantation. However, despite such changes in rotation, there was no significant difference in the facet contact pressure during extension between the intact (64±30 kPa) and implanted (44±55 kPa) conditions. Similarly, there was no difference in facet pressure developed during flexion. Conclusions Although implantation of a ProDisc-C arthroplasty device at the C5–C6 level increases angular rotations, it does not significantly alter the local facet pressure at the index level in flexion or extension. Using a technique that preserves the capsular ligament, this study provides the first direct measurement of cervical facet pressure in a disc arthroplasty condition.
A reliable low cost power electronics interface for photovoltaic energy systems using a single DSP controller

Performance, efficiency, cost of the power converters and their associated control, are important considerations for the commercialization of renewable power sources. In view of this, this paper proposes a reliable and low cost power electronics interface for photovoltaic energy systems, using a single DSP controller. The proposed approach achieves the following: (a) integrate the dc-dc converter control and inverter control by utilizing a single, low cost, fixed point Digital Signal Processor (DSP controller) (b) implement a fast converging MPP tracking method in the dc-dc converter stage (c) reduce the size of the dc-link capacitor by using a modified pulse width modulation (PWM) technique for single phase inverter control.
Connecting and expanding the emerging engineering education research & innovation (EER&I) communities

Currently there is a lot of emphasis on engineering education research (EER) and engineering education innovation (EEI). In the EER domain, several universities have established or are considering establishing engineering education research centers and PhD programs. In the EEI domain, the National Academy of Engineering launched the Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) symposium and NSF recast CCLI as TUES, and more recently IUSE (Improving Undergraduate STEM Education). In 2014 NSF funded a pilot implementation of the NSF Innovation Corps for Learning (I-Corps™ L) and additional cohorts have been conducted and are planned. The growth of interest in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) has great potential to contribute to EER and EEI as indicated by the response to the ASEE Virtual Communities of Practice (VCP) project. Faculty and graduate students interested in engineering education research and innovation (EER&I) are widely distributed and often isolated in their department and institution. Many are eager to meet and interact with colleagues who have similar interests. This session provides the opportunity to for people who have been involved in engineering education research and innovation to reconnect, and to welcome new folks into this emerging community.
The Identification of the School-Health and Safety Concerns of the Secondary-School Physical Educator

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify the health and safety concerns of the secondary school physical educator. A list of 137 possible health and safety concerns was compiled. These were secured from the professional literature, through interviews with experts in the field, and through introspection. This list was submitted to a jury of experts in physical education and health education to determine the relative importance of these concerns in contributing to the success of the physical education program. Fifty-one percent of the judges found that 83 of the statements represented health and safety concerns that were essential to the fulfillment of the objectives of secondary school physical education.
Oxidation of KCNB1 K(+) channels in central nervous system and beyond

KCNB1, a voltage-gated potassium (K(+)) channel that conducts a major delayed rectifier current in the brain, pancreas and cardiovascular system is a key player in apoptotic programs associated with oxidative stress. As a result, this protein represents a bona fide drug target for limiting the toxic effects of oxygen radicals. Until recently the consensus view was that reactive oxygen species trigger a pro-apoptotic surge in KCNB1 current via phosphorylation and SNARE-dependent incorporation of KCNB1 channels into the plasma membrane. However, new evidence shows that KCNB1 can be modified by oxidants and that oxidized KCNB1 channels can directly activate pro-apoptotic signaling pathways. Hence, a more articulated picture of the pro-apoptotic role of KCNB1 is emerging in which the protein induces cell's death through distinct molecular mechanisms and activation of multiple pathways. In this review article we discuss the diverse functional, toxic and protective roles that KCNB1 channels play in the major organs where they are expressed.
Work and revolution in France: FROM GENS DE MÉTIER TO SANS-CULOTTES

THE GENS DE METIER OF PARIS, both masters and journeymen, were active in the Revolution from the start. They constituted the numerical majority of the Parisian menu peuple (little people or populace), and they participated in large numbers in all of the great popular movements of the Revolution. According to George Rude's figures, for example, workers and masters in the arts and trades of Paris made up some 75 to 80 percent of those who took part in capturing the Bastille. They continued to play a central role in the Parisian revolution, participating prominently in the insurrections that toppled the monarchy in 1792 and purged moderates from the Legislative Convention in 1793. Moreover, it was workers and masters in the Parisian trades- shoemakers and tailors, locksmiths and stonecutters, hatters and typographers, jewelers and wheelwrights, brewers and pastrycooks - who made up the mass of the sans-culotte movement of 1792 to 1794 and gave the Committee of Public Safety the popular backing it needed to carry through its resolute and merciless policies when the Revolution was most in danger. The victory of the Revolution over the leagued monarchs of Europe and over the internal rebellions of the Federalists and the Vendee was in no small part due to the limitless energy and the fanatical patriotism of the Parisian sans-culottes. The patriotism of the gens de metier did not mean that they had abandoned their corporations- at least not in the beginning.
A non-oscillatory central scheme for conservation laws

1 Visiting Professor from Tsinghua University, China, Email: zz9@students.eng.wayne.edu 2 Associate Professor, AIAA Member, Email: styu@eng.wayne.edu ABSTRACT A non-oscillatory central scheme, originally developed by Nessyahu and Tadmor, has been modified based on a strategy of space-time integration similar to that in the Space-Time Conservation Element and Solution Element Method, originally developed by Chang. The resulting scheme is a two-point, second-order, central difference scheme, which retains most of the advantageous features of Chang’s space-time method. Similar to both Nessyahu and Tadmor’s method and Chang’s CE/SE method, the present method does not use the Riemann solver as the building block as that in the modern upwind schemes. Thus the logic is considerably simpler and the computation is much more efficient. In addition, based on space-time flux balance, the boundary condition treatment in the present method is easier than Nessyahu and Tadmor’s method. To demonstrate the capabilities of the present scheme, numerical results of some standard problems are reported, including the Sod shock tube problem, the Shu-Osher problem of a shock interacting with a sinusoidal wave, the WoodwardColella problem of two interacting blast waves, and the oblique shock reflection problem. The results show that the present scheme is accurate and efficient for moving shocks and wave motions.
Critical Current Density and Microstructure of Yba2Cu3O7-X Films as a Function of Film Thickness

Thin films of nominal composition YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7‐x (YBCO) were produced on (100) SrTiO 3 substrates by coevaporation and furnace annealing. Film thicknesses in the range of 0.2 to 2.4/μm were analyzed. Microstructural investigations by cross sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal a continuous layer of about 0.4 μm thickness adjacent to the substrate with c‐axis normal to the substrate plane. In thicker films the remaining top portion has the c‐axis in the film plane. The critical current density (J ) at 77 K decreases with increasing thickness in the thickness range exceeding 0.4 μm, qualitatively consistent with the microstructural observations, but quantitatively inconsistent with a simple model based on the microstructural data.
A citizens' AIDS Task Force: overcoming obstacles

This article analyzes the experience of a state-wide Task Force on AIDS using grassroots techniques to construct policy responsive to the needs of people living with HIV. The four primary obstacles to effective policy making were the need (1) to include disenfranchised groups; (2) to avoid the domination of governmental bureaucracy so that community-based organizations could offer solutions, as well as services; (3) to overcome resistance to anonymous testing; and (4) to reach "hard to reach" populations. Task Force members' perspectives colored what were deemed appropriate policies. Members tended to polarize into two groups: those community-based groups and individuals who focused on the needs of people with HIV on one side, and on the other side, more institutional players who wanted to identify and isolate "HIV carriers." The article closes by analyzing the resulting HIV Omnibus Bill. Those who focused on the needs of people with HIV seized the opportunity to draft and successfully pass an omnibus bill through the Arizona Legislature. This success demonstrates that highly organized communities can affect policy making, even to the extent that it offsets more institutionalized power.
Independence of ℓ and traces on cohomology.

Let k be an algebraically closed field, and let [Formula: see text] be an endomorphism of a separated scheme of finite type over k We show that for any [Formula: see text] invertible in k, the alternating sum of traces [Formula: see text] of pullback on etale cohomology is a rational number independent of [Formula: see text] This is deduced from a more general result for motivic sheaves.
59 MOLECULAR SYSTEMS BIOLOGY OF LEUKOCYTES FROM NONOBESE DIABETIC MICE: THE EARLY PREPATHOLOGY STAGE.

The focus of this study was to characterize molecular events in spleen leukocytes of nonobese diabetic (NOD) female mice at the earliest stages of development of autoimmune DM1 (before pathology in the islet of Langerhans is seen). Gene expression was characterized at the mRNA level on microarrays from Affymetrix and at the proteome level by 2D-gel electrophoresis. Samples consisted of pooled spleen leukocytes from 2- and 4-week-old NOD, NON, and C57Bl/6 female mice. The data were analyzed using GeneSpring software. Two-way-ANOVA (age 3 strain) with Bonferroni correction identified 388 genes showing a strain effect and 130 genes showing an age effect (p ≤ .05). Hierarchical clustering of the 388 strain-specific genes showed that much of the transcriptome followed a pattern of one strain showing relatively low expression compared to the other two strains. A subgroup of 112 of the 388 genes had uniquely high or low expression in NOD mice compared to both of the control strains. Proteome analysis indicated that 107 proteins showed strain-specific expression differences. We also conducted an analysis to define genes whose expression showed abnormal patterns of change in NOD mice between age 2 and 4 weeks. Because of substantial differences in gene expression between the two control strains, NON and C57BL/6, we compared NOD mice to each of these strains, separately. NOD mice had "abnormal development " in expression of 247 genes relative to NON mice and 164 genes relative to C57BL/6. Analysis of the proteome data showed similar abnormal development in expression of 55 and 97 proteins, respectively. The gene/protein lists were subjected to pathway analysis (www.ingenuity.com) to reveal specific molecular networks associated with each gene/protein list. The networks produced by this analysis suggested that the basic strain defects in NOD mice were associated with molecular networks centered around TGFB1, KITLG, IFNG, and TNF. The networks created from the lists of genes associated with developmental defects in NOD mice were centered around the same genes and in addition IL1B, TP53, and CASP3. The cytokine IL1B has been shown to induce apoptosis in islets, and it is particularly potent and beta cell specific when combined with INFG and TNF. Our data support a model where an increase in IL1B between 2 and 4 weeks of age combined with preexisting expression of INFG and TNF induces apoptosis and precipitates T lymphocyte-dependent autoimmunity, initiating DM1.
Intensive Linear Pedestrian Survey of Callaghan Road Between Ingram and Bandera Roads and Along Zarzamora Creek, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

November 15 and 16, 2006, The Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted an intensive survey of 3.5 miles of Callaghan Road between Ingram and Bandera Roads and along Zarzamora Creek in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The City of San Antonio is planning to widen this section of Callaghan Road and to re-channelize Zarzamora Creek north of Callaghan Road to alleviate flooding in the area. The intensive linear survey was conducted under the Texas Antiquities Permit No. 4320 with Steve A. Tomka serving as Principal Investigator and Jennifer L Thompson as Project Archeologist. This project serves to satisfy the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The project area is in urban west San Antonio and crosses both residential and commercial zones. Buried utilities along Callaghan Road and Zarzamora Creek cross the entire length of the project area. Sections of new right-of-way (ROW) that are relatively undeveloped were selected for shovel testing while both side of Zarzamora Creek were examined by backhoe trenches and shovel tests in efforts to find deeply buried cultural deposits. Other sections of the roadway are paved making subsurface examination difficult. Because of the level of development, CAR targeted approximately .35 miles of the 1.5 new ROW along Callaghan Road. At Zarzamora Creek, wetland mitigation and efforts to reduce flooding will impact 2.31 acres. CAR excavated backhoe trenches and shovel tests in portions of this area most suitable for excavation, away from construction dumps, buried utility lines, fences, etc. While some cultural material were found in one shovel test and in two backhoe trenches in the area of Zarzamora Creek, the artifacts were not in primary context or associated with other artifacts. Fire-cracked rock lay in association with modern plastic and construction material in one shovel test and with alluvial deposits above creek channel gravels in one backhoe trench. Because the APE has seen so much development and the limited cultural material recovered were in questionable context, CAR recommends that the planned construction project proceed. No artifacts were collected during this survey. All notes and project related materials are curated at the Center for Archaeological Research according to Texas Historical Commission guidelines.
Ureteroarterial and Ureterosigmoid Fistula Associated with Polyethylene Indwelling Ureteral Stents

Iliac artery-ureteral fistulas are uncommon, with less than 15 cases described in the literature. Ureterocolic fistulas have been described even less frequently. We report the first case of synchronous right ilioureteral and left ureterosigmoid fistulas associated with indwelling ureteral stents. The patient presented with massive sentinel gross hematuria, urosepsis and chronic anemia.
Political Change in a Stable Two Party State: The United States

America epitomizes the model of a stable two party majoritarian system using a plurality electoral system creating a diminished opportunity structure to facilitate the establishment of minor parties. The party systems of the West have represented the traditional cleavages with families of parties – Christian Democracy, labor or social democratic – in aggregated party systems. These traditional cleavages are being displaced by the politics of identity based on national patriotism or sub-cultural defense. These sub-cultures are challenging the sense of an American community with a resistance to assimilation known as multi-culturalism. This sense of an American community is reinforced through the American creed, a creed that conflicted with America’s treatment of racial minorities.
The importance of origin: Differences in interpretation of self-inflicted versus environmentally-inflicted scars

Abstract Injuries from nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) often result in scars that can serve as a reminder of the act of injury or an emotional event. In this study we examined whether there are differences in meanings and behaviors associated with scars from NSSI compared to other scars. Participants reporting scars from NSSI (n = 49) were compared to those with environmentally-induced scars (n = 54) on scar-related interpretations, behaviors, and functions. Participants with NSSI scars were more likely to attach meaning to their scars, view them as a marker of shame, and as a reminder of overcoming adversity compared to those with environmental scars, although majorities in both groups viewed their scars as part of their identity. Those with NSSI scars reported attending to their scars more often, attempting to conceal their scars, and noticing their scars when stressed. These findings suggest that individuals with scars from NSSI attach greater significant meanings and functions to their scars than those with environmental scars.
Targeted approaches to improve outcomes for highest-cost patients

Bash and colleagues, using data from Maccabi Healthcare Services, have documented increased cost and utilization attributable to patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The CHF patients were older than the general population and had high rates of important comorbid conditions. While it is somewhat predictable that such a population would have higher healthcare utilization and costs, the extent of the difference was still surprising. Most CHF patients (78%) were hospitalized at least once, compared to only 21% of patients without CHF. CHF patients used dramatically more of every kind of health care, including physician visits, emergency department visits, and specialty care visits. In this paper, Bash and colleagues have provided essential information about the “cost epidemiology” of CHF patients in the Israeli context. This commentary places these results in a broader context of how “cost epidemiology” information can be translated into targeted programs to improve outcomes and costs for vulnerable populations. The commentary makes three key points. First, beyond showing the increased utilization and cost attributable to CHF, there is also a need to examine which patients within this broad category contribute most to these increased costs, and might therefore be targeted for enhanced services. Second, it is helpful to make a business case for intervening to improve outcomes with a subpopulation, focusing in particular on the return on investment from the standpoint of the payer. Finally, while Israeli health collectives have already deployed programs to improve outcomes in older and sicker patients, there may be a need to more precisely define important subpopulations based on social risk factors or particularly severe disease manifestations, and then target those subpopulations with tailored programs focused on their particular needs.
CEO Turnover and Political Repositioning

This paper examines the relation between political regime change, a new president from a new party, and propensity for CEO turnover. Our key conjecture is that some companies, especially those that are politically sensitive, will politically reposition to adapt to the new political regime, and this political repositioning will be reflected in increased CEO turnover. We find support for this hypothesis, for CEO turnover is at least 24% more likely to happen following political regime change. The economic significance of this CEO political repositioning varies by company characteristics, with repositioning greater among large cap stocks, stocks held by short term investors, and sectors that are politically sensitive. However, political repositioning decreases stock performance relative to the sector, though this effect is weakly significant. These results suggest that political regime change causes firms to reevaluate the required skills of the CEO. Collectively, we find that political repositioning is an important determinant of CEO turnover.
Acute Physiologic Stress and Subsequent Anxiety Among Family Members of ICU Patients.

Objectives:The ICU is a complex and stressful environment and is associated with significant psychologic morbidity for patients and their families. We sought to determine whether salivary cortisol, a physiologic measure of acute stress, was associated with subsequent psychologic distress among famil
Re-examining ammonia addition to the Criegee intermediate: converging to chemical accuracy

Stabilized Criegee intermediates (SCI) are formed during the ozonolysis of unsaturated hydrocarbons and have been implicated in the formation of hydroxyl radicals and aerosols. Previous theoretical research [S. Jorgenson and A. Gross, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2009, 113, 10284–10290] computed the rate constants for addition of ammonia to simple SCIs, but reported a wide distribution of quantum chemical energies, depending on the basis set used. We report optimized geometries for these reactions at the CCSD(T)/ANO2 and CCSD(T)/ANO1 levels, and CCSD(T)/CBS energies with perturbative quadruples corrections. We find the inclusion of perturbative quadruples corrections elevates the energy of the transition state by 0.76–0.88 kcal mol−1 relative to the reactants, which qualitatively changes the reaction surface. We calculate rate constants and find that Jorgenson and Gross previously overestimated the rate constants for ammonia addition to SCIs, but were within an order of magnitude. This supports the previous conclusion of Vereecken et al. [L. Vereecken, H. Harder and A. Novelli, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2012, 14, 14682–14695] that ammonia addition to SCIs is a negligible sink of Criegee intermediates.
Interplay between total thickness and period thickness in the phonon thermal conductivity of superlattices from the nanoscale to the microscale: Coherent versus incoherent phonon transport

We report on the room temperature thermal conductivity of AlAs-GaAs superlattices (SLs), in which we systematically vary the period thickness and total thickness between $2--24\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$ and $20.1--2,160\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$, respectively. The thermal conductivity increases with the SL thickness and plateaus at a thickness around 200 nm, showing a clear transition from a quasiballistic to a diffusive phonon transport regime. These results demonstrate the existence of classical size effects in SLs, even at the highest interface density samples. We use harmonic atomistic Green's function calculations to capture incoherence in phonon transport by averaging the calculated transmission over several purely coherent simulations of independent SL with different random mixing at the AlAs-GaAs interfaces. These simulations demonstrate the significant contribution of incoherent phonon transport through the decrease in the transmission and conductance in the SLs as the number of interfaces increases. In spite of this conductance decrease, our simulations show a quasilinear increase in thermal conductivity with the superlattice thickness. This suggests that the observation of a quasilinear increase in thermal conductivity can have important contributions from incoherent phonon transport. Furthermore, this seemingly linear slope in thermal conductivity versus SL thickness data may actually be nonlinear when extended to a larger number of periods, which is a signature of incoherent effects. Indeed, this trend for superlattices with interatomic mixing at the interfaces could easily be interpreted as linear when the number of periods is small. Our results reveal that the change in thermal conductivity with period thickness is dominated by incoherent (particlelike) phonons, whose properties are not dictated by changes in the AlAs or GaAs phonon dispersion relations. This work demonstrates the importance of studying both period and sample thickness dependencies of thermal conductivity to understand the relative contributions of coherent and incoherent phonon transport in the thermal conductivity in SLs.
Effective gaseous diffusion coefficients of select ultra-fine, super-fine and medium grain nuclear graphite

Abstract Understanding “Where?” and “How much?” oxidation has occurred in a nuclear graphite component is critical to predicting any deleterious effects to physical, mechanical, and thermal properties. A key factor in answering these questions is characterizing the effective mass transport rates of gas species in nuclear graphites. Effective gas diffusion coefficients were determined for twenty-six graphite specimens spanning six modern grades of nuclear graphite. A correlation was established for the majority of grades examined allowing a reasonable estimate of the effective diffusion coefficient to be determined purely from an estimate of total porosity. The importance of Knudsen diffusion to the measured diffusion coefficients is also shown for modern grades. Knudsen diffusion has not historically been considered to contribute to measured diffusion coefficients of nuclear graphite.
Strategy for Regional Seasonal Forecasts

The topic is numerical weather prediction, in particular air-sea coupled forecasts over the Mediterranean Sea and the surrounding areas. At this stage, it is not certain whether or not this venture will be successful. The key questions are: (Question 1) Are three month forecasts over the Mediterranean Sea possible ? and (Question 2) Are forecast studies of the ocean state or ecological conditions useful ?
Extensive Structural Differences of Closely Related 3' mRNA Isoforms: Links to Pab1 Binding and mRNA Stability.

Summary Alternative polyadenylation generates numerous 3′ mRNA isoforms that can vary in biological properties, such as stability and localization. We developed methods to obtain transcriptome-scale structural information and protein binding on individual 3′ mRNA isoforms in vivo. Strikingly, near-identical mRNA isoforms can possess dramatically different structures throughout the 3′ UTR. Analyses of identical mRNAs in different species or refolded in vitro indicate that structural differences in vivo are often due to trans-acting factors. The level of Pab1 binding to poly(A)-containing isoforms is surprisingly variable, and differences in Pab1 binding correlate with the extent of structural variation for closely spaced isoforms. A pattern encompassing single-strandedness near the 3′ terminus, double-strandedness of the poly(A) tail, and low Pab1 binding is associated with mRNA stability. Thus, individual 3′ mRNA isoforms can be remarkably different physical entities in vivo. Sequences responsible for isoform-specific structures, differential Pab1 binding, and mRNA stability are evolutionarily conserved, indicating biological function.
PL-NMF: Parallel Locality-Optimized Non-negative Matrix Factorization.

Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) is a key kernel for unsupervised dimension reduction used in a wide range of applications, including topic modeling, recommender systems and bioinformatics. Due to the compute-intensive nature of applications that must perform repeated NMF, several parallel implementations have been developed in the past. However, existing parallel NMF algorithms have not addressed data locality optimizations, which are critical for high performance since data movement costs greatly exceed the cost of arithmetic/logic operations on current computer systems. In this paper, we devise a parallel NMF algorithm based on the HALS (Hierarchical Alternating Least Squares) scheme that incorporates algorithmic transformations to enhance data locality. Efficient realizations of the algorithm on multi-core CPUs and GPUs are developed, demonstrating significant performance improvement over existing state-of-the-art parallel NMF algorithms.
Anatomic Repair of Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries: The Double Switch

The long-term outcome of patients with corrected transposition of the great arteries and associated lesions after physiologic repair is uncertain. Anatomic correction, utilizing the morphologic left ventricle as a systemic pumping chamber and the mitral valve as the systemic atrioventricular valve, is considered the preferred method, especially for patients with either tricuspid valve regurgitation, with Ebstein's malformation of the tricuspid valve, or with right ventricular dysfunction. The double switch employs both an atrial switch and arterial switch to "correct" the atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance. Associated lesions are also repaired. The best outcomes with double switch are achieved with patients in the first few years of life even if reconditioning of morphologic left ventricle is required. However, the long-term function of the conduction system, the aortic valve, and the ventricles is variable and requires close surveillance.
Elucidating the emotional and relational aspects of gift giving

Abstract Gift giving is a complex emotional process that is important in maintaining relationships. However, little is understood about the effects of individual differences in consumers' ability to understand the emotions of the receiver and even themselves in the gift-giving process. A series of three studies reveal that emotional understanding (EU) influences how much money consumers spend on gifts. Study 1 shows that consumers with higher EU are likely to spend more money on buying gifts for others. Study 2 indicates that relationship closeness moderates the effect of EU on gift spending. Finally, Study 3 demonstrates that consumers with higher EU not only spend more money on gifts but also experience greater happiness. These results highlight the important role of EU on gift-giving behaviors and on the subsequent well-being of the giver.
Function Spaces with Respect to the Gaussian Measure

One of the main goals of functional spaces is to interpret and quantify the smoothness of functions. In this chapter, we discuss the analogs of classical functional spaces with respect to the Gaussian measure. We see that almost all classical spaces with respect to the Lebesgue measure have an analog for the Gaussian measure; nevertheless, we see that in some cases, for instance, Hardy spaces, the analogs to classical spaces are still incomplete and/or imperfect. On the other hand, most of the time, even if the spaces look similar, most of the proofs are different, mainly because the Gaussian measure is not invariant by translation, which implies the need for completely different techniques.
Abstract B052: ATR inhibition potentiates ionizing radiation-induced innate immune response via sensing cytosolic RNAs

Radiation therapy, widely used for cancer treatment for decades, is being revitalized through its ability to induce systemic anti-tumor immune response via activating type I interferon signaling, especially when it is combined with immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Mechanistic understanding of how ionizing radiation induces type I interferon signaling and how to amplify this signaling module will be highly instructive in maximizing the efficacy of radiation therapy. Here we found that ATR inhibitors, which are currently being developed as anti-cancer agents, significantly potentiate ionizing radiation-induced antiviral innate immune response. Using a series of knockout cell lines we generated for components involved in cytosolic nucleic acid sensing pathways, we demonstrated that the MAVS-dependent cytosolic RNA sensing pathway is the major pathway responsible for ionizing radiation alone or radiation plus ATR inhibitor-induced type I interferon signaling in human cells. Mechanistically, ATR-CHK1-CDC25C axis dependent G2/M DNA damage checkpoint abrogation is required for ATR inhibitor plus ionizing radiation-induced type I interferon signaling. More importantly, we proposed DNA damage-elicited double stranded DNA breaks could release AT-rich DNA sequences, which initiate MAVS-dependent type I interferon signaling via RNA polymerase III-mediated transcription in human cells. Our studies suggest that ATR inhibition in combination with radiation therapy and immune checkpoint blockade is a promising new combination therapy for cancer treatment. Citation Format: Junjie Chen. ATR inhibition potentiates ionizing radiation-induced innate immune response via sensing cytosolic RNAs [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2019 Oct 26-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2019;18(12 Suppl):Abstract nr B052. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.TARG-19-B052
Estimating breast tissue-specific DNA methylation age using next-generation sequencing data.

DNA methylation (DNAm) age has been widely accepted as an epigenetic biomarker for biological aging. Emerging evidence suggests that DNAm age can be tissue-specific and female breast tissue ages faster than other parts of the body. The Horvath clock, which estimates DNAm age across multiple tissues, has been shown to be poorly calibrated in breast issue. We aim to develop a model to estimate breast tissue-specific DNAm age. Genome-wide DNA methylation sequencing data were generated for 459 normal, 107 tumor, and 45 paired adjacent-normal breast tissue samples. We determined a novel set of 286 breast tissue-specific clock CpGs using penalized linear regression and developed a model to estimate breast tissue-specific DNAm age. The model was applied to estimate breast tissue-specific DNAm age in different breast tissue types and in tumors with distinct clinical characteristics to investigate cancer-related aging effects. Our estimated breast tissue-specific DNAm age was highly correlated with chronological age (r = 0.88; p = 2.9 × 10−31) in normal breast tissue. Breast tumor tissue samples exhibited a positive epigenetic age acceleration, where DNAm age was on average 7 years older than respective chronological age (p = 1.8 × 10−8). In age-matched analyses, tumor breast tissue appeared 12 and 13 years older in DNAm age than adjacent-normal and normal breast tissue (p = 4.0 × 10−6 and 1.0 × 10−6, respectively). Both HER2+ and hormone-receptor positive subtypes demonstrated significant acceleration in DNAm ages (p = 0.04 and 3.8 × 10−6, respectively), while no apparent DNAm age acceleration was observed for triple-negative breast tumors. We observed a non-linear pattern of epigenetic age acceleration with breast tumor grade. In addition, early-staged tumors showed a positive epigenetic age acceleration (p = 0.003) while late-staged tumors exhibited a non-significant negative epigenetic age acceleration (p = 0.10). The intended applications for this model are wide-spread and have been shown to provide biologically meaningful results for cancer-related aging effects in breast tumor tissue. Future studies are warranted to explore whether breast tissue-specific epigenetic age acceleration is predictive of breast cancer development, treatment response, and survival as well as the clinical utility of whether this model can be extended to blood samples.
Fluid Overload and Mortality in Patients with Severe Acute Kidney Injury and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Background Volume overload is increasingly being understood as an independent risk factor for increased mortality in the setting of AKI and critical illness, but little is known about its effect in the setting of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We sought to evaluate the incidence of AKI and volume overload and their effect on all-cause mortality in adults after ECMO cannulation. Methods We identified all adult patients who underwent ECMO cannulation at the University of Chicago between January 2015 and March 2017. We evaluated the incidence of KDIGO-defined AKI, RRT, and volume overload. Volume overload was defined as achieving a positive fluid balance of 10% above admission weight over the first 72 hours after ECMO cannulation. The primary outcome collected was 90 day all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality, duration of ECMO and RRT therapy, length of stay, and dialysis independence at 90 days. Results There were 98 eligible patients, 83 of whom developed AKI (85%); 48 (49%) required RRT and 19 (19%) developed volume overload at 72 hours. Patients with volume overload had increased risk of death at 90 days compared with those without volume overload (HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3 to 4.2; P=0.004). Patients with AKI-D had increased risk of death at 90 days compared with those without AKI-D (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.8; P=0.004). Volume overload remained an independent predictor of 90-day mortality when adjusting for RRT, APACHE score, weight (kg), diabetes, and heart failure (HR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.4 to 6.0; P=0.003). Conclusions Volume overload and AKI are common and have significant prognostic value in patients treated with ECMO. Initiating RRT may help to control the deleterious effects of volume overload and improve mortality.
A Research on Farmer Behaviours and Change of Information Resources in a Last 30 Year Period

In this study, the change of farmer behaviour, which is thought to change slowly, over a 30 period, was evaluated in terms of information sources. In the study, the change in farmer attitudes with a longitudinal approach was designed in a process, and the data obtained from the same farmers and the same questionnaire forms were changed over time. A survey conducted in 1989 was repeated in the same region, in the same survey forms and in the same sample group (66 farmers) in 2019. In the analysis phase of the data obtained from the surveys, Multiple Compliance Analysis Technique was used. In the Polatli District of Ankara Province, the long-term approach of 66 farmers, especially the changes in information sources and the non-logging habits of their businesses, has been determined with a longitudinal approach. The research results revealed that urban people have become close to rural areas and agriculture, and that their farmers have become close to district and provincial centres. As in all economic activities, research results support that the same jobs in agriculture for the long time do not have the opportunity to do the same and to be content with the knowledge left from the ancestor. This result is the most concrete indication that knowledge-based agriculture has become inevitable in every respect.
Millimeter Wave Amplification in the Negative Glow

Gain measurements, resonator experiments, and theoretical modeling of the amplification of millimeter-wave radiation in the cathode-region plasma of a cold-cathode discharge are reported.