cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The multixenobiotic defense mechanism in mussels is induced by substrates and non-substrates: Implications for a general stress response

Abstract A multixenobiotic defense mechanism similar to the p-glycoprotein multidrug transporter has been identified and characterized in several marine invertebrates. Its suggested role is protection from xenobiotics, both natural and anthropogenic. To assess whether MXR functions as a defense mechanism against environmental toxins, studies were undertaken to determine the inducibility of the transporter by environmental toxins. Both MXR substrates (including the pesticide chlorthal) and non-substrates (including Arochlor 1254) appeared to induce MXR activity and protein titer in the gill tissues of the mussel Mytilus californianus. Mussels exposed for 3 days to subacute concentrations of these compounds showed increased ability to extrude a dye substrate from the cells and exhibited a stronger band at 170 kDa on a Western blot relative to animals exposed to clean sea-water. These results suggest that in mussels, MXR induction may be part of a general cellular stress response to organic toxins.
2. A Review Symposium on: Amos Yong The Spirit of Creation: Modern Science and Divine Action in the Pentecostal-Charismatic Imagination

2. A Review Symposium on: Amos Yong The Spirit of Creation: Modern Science and Divine Action in the Pentecostal-Charismatic Imagination
Planning Students in a City’s Planning Department: The View from Both Sides of the Fence

The big “finding” here — which is actually not that remarkable when you stop to think about it — is that “academic” and “professional” planners live and work in different worlds, and have developed different worldviews as a result of their respective perspectives. In structuring and developing partnerships between academic and applied planning — whether single semester research projects, internships, or ongoing university/community efforts — we would be wise to pay attention to these differences to ensure success for all parties. The paper begins by discussing the source and nature of these differences and closes by exploring some potential partnership models that address them.
Systems Mapping of Evidence Review and Experts’ Opinion on Consumer Acceptance of Agrifood Nanotechnology

A systems map showing key components, stages, and the links between underlying values, expressed attitudes and actual behaviors involving consumer acceptance of agrifood nanotechnology has been developed. The purpose of the study was to use systems mapping to examine and analyze critical links between consumer acceptance of agrifood nanotechnology and other factors such as trust, stakeholders, institutions, knowledge, and human environmental health risks. The study used evidence review of the literature and experts’ opinion in developing this systems map. This study is the 1st to quantitatively rank barriers to commercialization of agrifood nanotechnology from experts’ perspective. Public attitudes and perceptions, and consumer acceptance; regulatory uncertainty; and, health and safety respectively are the most identified barriers in the literature and the results obtained from the value elicitation from experts compares favorably with evidence from the literature. This study is based on theory that accounts for the dynamic aspects of systems modeling, risk perception, and consumer acceptance. The research was done in four stages: The review of the literature to determine the key policy and programmatic intervention points in consumer acceptance of food nanotechnology applications and products as suggested by historical experience with other emerging technologies in agriculture and food; elicitation of experts opinion regarding the attributes that affect consumer attitudes toward agrifood nanotechnology products and applications; comparative analysis of the literature and experts opinion on the interactions between stocks & flows, consumers, processes, and institutions; and a systems modeling/mapping of consumer acceptance of agrifood nanotechnologies. The systems dynamics approach and the resulting systems map, though much simplified, have crucial implications in respect to consumer acceptance of agrifood nanotechnology. It is clear that factors affecting consumer acceptance of agrifood nanotechnology are dynamic, complex, interactive, and interdependent; and that consumer decision to accept agrifood nanotechnology is the results of complex feedback structure. This study therefore makes several policy recommendations with the overriding major issue being whether stakeholders in the agrifood system can cooperate and take specific steps toward reducing or eliminating consumer acceptance as a barrier to commercialization of agrifood nanotechnology innovation.Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Minnesota.
Palatogenesis: Engineering, pathways and pathologies

Cleft palate represents the second most common birth defect and carries substantial physiologic and social challenges for affected patients, as they often require multiple surgical interventions during their lifetime. A number of genes have been identified to be associated with the cleft palate phenotype, but etiology in the majority of cases remains elusive. In order to better understand cleft palate and both surgical and potential tissue engineering approaches for repair, we have performed an in-depth literature review into cleft palate development in humans and mice, as well as into molecular pathways underlying these pathologic developments. We summarize the multitude of pathways underlying cleft palate development, with the transforming growth factor beta superfamily being the most commonly studied. Furthermore, while the majority of cleft palate studies are performed using a mouse model, studies focusing on tissue engineering have also focused heavily on mouse models. A paucity of human randomized controlled studies exists for cleft palate repair, and so far, tissue engineering approaches are limited. In this review, we discuss the development of the palate, explain the basic science behind normal and pathologic palate development in humans as well as mouse models and elaborate on how these studies may lead to future advances in palatal tissue engineering and cleft palate treatments.
Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma

In our experience, certain commonly cited immunophenotypic features of nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) are not encountered in day-to-day practice. We reviewed 60 cases of NLPHL (18 women, 42 men; median age, 34 years) to discern immunophenotypic features from a large, single-institution cohort. All cases contained lymphocytic and histiocytic (LH 100% of cases (55/55) demonstrated CD3+ rosettes. Although CD57+ T cells were common within the background infiltrate, CD57+ rosettes were seen in only 48% of cases (15/31) and were rare when encountered. Based on these patterns, we conclude that bcl-2 and bcl-6 may be useful additions to the immunophenotypic analysis of NLPHL, but that the diagnostic usefulness of epithelial membrane antigen and CD57 rosettes may have been overemphasized in previous reports.
L-type calcium channels in type I cells of the rat carotid body

1. Whole-cell and cell-attached patch-clamp recordings were made from enzymatically isolated type I cells from the carotid body of adult rats. Voltage-dependent K+ and Ca2+ channels were observed, but there was no detectable Na+ current. In this respect, rat carotid body cells are unlike those from rabbit, which have Na+ currents and Na(+)-dependent action potentials. 2. The observed Ca2+ channels had the following properties: 1) activation requires voltage steps above -20 mV; 2) little inactivation occurred with holding voltages below -40 mV; 3) one single-channel conductance of 21 pS was found with 90 or 110 mM Ba2+ in the cell-attached pipette and this was the only conductance observed; 4) open probability was increased by the dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel agonist Bay K 8644 and was decreased by the antagonist nifedipine; and 5) omega-conotoxin had little or no effect on the channels. These are properties expected of L-type Ca2+ channels. 3. To investigate whether these voltage-dependent channels would be available for opening on membrane depolarization, we measured the type I cell resting membrane potential noninvasively using unitary openings of the L-type Ca2+ channel with Bay K 8644 in the cell-attached pipette. Resting potentials ranged from -62 to -13 mV, with a mean of -32 mV in 12 cells. 4. Judging from single-channel conductance and pharmacology, the Ca2+ current is mostly, if not solely, carried by L channels. Thus it should be possible to use modulators of L channel activity to determine the role of Ca2+ channels in stimulus-secretion coupling in the rat carotid body.
Quantitative Radionuclide Assessment of Cardiac Dyssynchrony: Breakthrough in Patient Selection for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy for Refractory Heart Failure?

An estimated 5.7 million adults with heart failure (HF) currently burden the human, medical, and financial resources of the United States. By 2030, this number is expected to increase to more than 8 million. In 2012, the total cost of HF in the United States was estimated at $30.7 billion, which is
Effects of Humanizing Mutations on the Heme Crevice Loop of Yeast Iso-1-Cytochrome c

Cytochrome c (Cytc) is a small, globular protein within the inner mitochondrial membrane that plays an important role in cellular energy production by facilitating electron transport. Upon release from the mitochondria, Cytc participates in initiation of the caspase cascade leading to apoptosis, or programmed cell death. On the inner mitochondria membrane, Cytc binds cardiolipin, leading to loss of Met80-heme ligation, enabling Cytc to function as a peroxidase capable of oxidizing cardiolipin. Cytc has decreased affinity for oxidized cardiolipin and therefore can dissociate from the membrane facilitating release from mitochondrial and propagation of apoptosis.
Microglial depletion alters the brain neuroimmune response to acute binge ethanol withdrawal.

Recent studies have implicated microglia—the resident immune cells of the brain—in the pathophysiology of alcoholism. Indeed, post-mortem alcoholic brains show increased microglial markers and increased immune gene expression; however, the effects of ethanol on microglial functioning and how this impacts the brain remain unclear. In this present study, we investigate the effects of acute binge ethanol on microglia and how microglial depletion changes the brain neuroimmune response to acute binge ethanol withdrawal. C57BL/6J mice were treated intragastrically with acute binge ethanol for time course and dose-response studies. Cultured mouse BV2 microglia-like cells were treated with ethanol in vitro for time course studies. Mice were also administered the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitor PLX5622 to deplete microglia from the brain. These mice were subsequently treated with acute binge ethanol and sacrificed during withdrawal. Brain and BV2 mRNA were isolated and assessed using RT-PCR to examine expression of microglial and neuroimmune genes. Acute binge ethanol biphasically changed microglial (e.g., Iba1, CD68) gene expression, with initial decreases during intoxication and subsequent increases during withdrawal. Acute ethanol withdrawal dose dependently increased neuroimmune gene (e.g., TNFα, Ccl2, IL-1ra, IL-4) expression beginning at high doses. BV2 cells showed biphasic changes in pro-inflammatory (e.g., TNFα, Ccl2) gene expression following ethanol treatment in vitro. Administration of PLX5622 depleted microglia from the brains of mice. Although some neuroimmune genes were reduced by microglial depletion, many others were unchanged. Microglial depletion blunted pro-inflammatory (e.g., TNFα, Ccl2) gene expression and enhanced anti-inflammatory (e.g., IL-1ra, IL-4) gene expression during acute binge ethanol withdrawal. These studies find acute binge ethanol withdrawal increases microglial and neuroimmune gene expression. Ethanol exposure also increases microglial pro-inflammatory gene expression in vitro. Furthermore, microglial depletion decreases expression of microglia-specific genes but has little effect on expression of many other neuroimmune signaling genes. Microglial depletion blunted the acute binge ethanol withdrawal induction of pro-inflammatory genes and enhanced induction of anti-inflammatory genes. These findings indicate microglia impact the brain response to acute binge ethanol withdrawal.
Physical Restraint as Time-Out in Therapy

The present study was designed to utilize physical restraint as time-out for aggressive behavior. Nonsystematic use of physical restraint and drugs failed to eliminate violent outbursts and foul language for a 29-year-old male in a state mental hospital. Then behavior free from violence and foul language was followed by progressively longer periods of freedom from restraint and increased access to reinforcing activities. 19 days were required to reduce the aggressive behaviors to zero. Checks made 17 and 380 days after the program was terminated indicated continued absence of aggressive behavior.
In the Event of Death: Lesbian Families' Plans to Preserve Stepparent–Child Relationships

Objective This study explores the plans women in same-sex stepfamilies make to preserve stepparent–child relationships in the event of an origin parent's death. Background The incomplete institutionalization of stepparent–child relationships leaves them legally vulnerable, and this vulnerability may be compounded for lesbian stepparent families given that existing policies (such as second-parent or joint adoption) are not accessible to them. Method This study is based on in-depth phone interviews with 39 birth, adoptive, and stepparents residing in 17 states. All were raising children from previous relationships and did so for at least one year before study participation. Some grounded theory strategies were adopted to code the transcribed data. Results Findings indicate that three approaches were used: (a) relying solely and informally on family members, (b) outlining in-the-event-of-death wishes in wills for extended family to follow, and (c) assuming that the children were old enough to choose for themselves. Conclusion Findings suggest that existing family policies leave stepparent–child relationships legally vulnerable in the event of the origin parent's death. Implications The three plans participants articulated may promote division rather than unify a support network for children at a time when they are most needing stability. Family life educators can play a key role in mitigating these divisions by teaching families tools to foster harmonious coparenting relationships among multiple parents.
Centrality of Religiosity of Relationships for Affectionate and Sexual Behaviors Among Emerging Adults

Emerging adults’ religiosity has been consistently linked with less participation in sexual behaviors as supported by cognitive dissonance theory. However, this association may be different when examining centrality of religiosity of relationships (CRR), meaning participating in and discussing religiosity and spirituality with a current or anticipated romantic partner. The goal of this study is to examine the influence of CRR for emerging adults’ affectionate and sexual behaviors. Additionally, we test if the association between CRR and affectionate and sexual behaviors varies by gender, given males’ more positive attitudes towards sexual behaviors compared to females. Data for this study comes from 284 emerging adults, ages 18 to 29 (mean age = 20.9 years; 70.1% female) from an area in the Midwestern United States. Results illustrated that CRR is negatively associated with affectionate behaviors, intimate touching behaviors, oral sex behaviors, and sexual (vaginal) intercourse. Additionally, gender significantly moderated these relationships. Male participants reporting low levels of CRR conveyed significantly higher participation with these sexual behaviors compared to males reporting high levels of CRR, whereas CRR did not appear to significantly alter female participants’ engagement with these sexual behaviors. These findings provide some evidence that CRR contributes to males’ romantic development and that CRR may increase intimacy in females’ romantic relationships, which could promote sexual activity. Other implications for religious and sexual development are discussed.
Teaching an Advanced Methods Course to a Mixed Audience

I recently introduced an advanced statistical methods course into our curriculum with a two-tiered prerequisite system – students were required to have taken either an introductory statistics cours...
Three-Year Trend in Antimicrobial Resistance and Genotypes among Salmonella in Swine and Humans

The aim of this study was to determine antimicrobial resistance among Salmonella isolated from swine and humans in North Carolina, compare genotypes among isolates from humans originated from pig-producing areas and characterize important genes. Resistance to 9 and 11 of the 12 antimicrobial agents tested was detected among isolates from swine and humans respectively. Frequency of resistance to tetracycline and b-lactams was significantly higher among isolates from swine than humans (p <0.05). Two common multi-drug resistance (MDR) patterns were found among isolates from apparently healthy swine: AmKmStSuTe and AmCmStSuTe. However, the former MDR pattern was rare among clinical isolates. Genotyping revealed that two predominant genotypes, one composed of clinical isolates and the other non-clinical were noticed. Further characterization using Salmonella plasmid virulence; spvA gene also revealed that this gene is absent among the most common MDR pattern, AmKmStSuTe, in swine.
The Fifteenth Chapter

Not only for the common sins of the world doth the Lord plague, but most of all for unthankfulness—of all blasphemies the greatest, for that spurneth against knowledge and directly worketh against the Holy Ghost. A double destruction or decay both of soul and body by the righteousness of God must needs follow the willful contempt of his verity, manifestly showed and openly taught. Yet is the Lord so merciful that he willeth not the damnation of a sinner. Such compassion hath he over our manifold weakness that he promonisheth us of his most terrible plagues to call us back by fear if love will not do it—as here consequently in the first vision of this present revelation to John, which followeth after this sort in this fifteenth and sixteenth chapters.
Index of Development

The initial organizational meeting was held in Washington D. C. during the Annual Meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society.
Diversity and Subcarrier Index Modulation Based Multiple Access for the Tactile Internet

We consider multiple access of users with different Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. One user transmits high-priority (low-latency and high-reliability) but sporadic traffic, such as some types of Tactile Internet traffic. The other user transmits low-priority traffic with less stringent requirements on latency and reliability and the traffic arrival process is not sporadic. To meet the QoS requirements of the high-priority traffic while being efficient in utilizing resources, we use subcarrier index modulation (SIM) for the low-priority traffic and diversity for the high-priority traffic. To reduce the complexity, such multiple access is applied within small groups of resources separately. We develop low-complexity maximum likelihood detection algorithms. Analysis and simulation results show that the performance of the low-priority traffic is almost not affected by the presence of high-priority traffic while the desired performance of the latter is achieved.
Planning Communities for All Ages

Using a 2013 national survey of 1,474 U.S. communities, we differentiate communities that address the needs of children and seniors in planning and zoning codes, and their impacts on the built envi...
Sensory Health and Healthy Aging: Hearing and Smell

Aging is associated with a gradual deterioration of sensory function, including hearing and smell with a prevalence of 80% and 40% in those over 80 years of age, respectively. Both are significant sources of disability, and both have a significant impact on the quality of life. Age-related disturbances of sensory function are in part genetic, but are to a significant extent influenced by lifetime exposures and modifiable risk factors. Given their significant impact on the quality of life, it is not surprising that both hearing and smell losses have been associated with increased risk of cognitive decline. Preventive and rehabilitation strategies generally involve control of risk factors and continued stimulation of both sensory systems to preserve and strengthen neural connections between sensory cells and the central nervous system.
Parental Separation and Social Effects

This study was carried out to find out the social effects of parental separation. This study was conducted in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Bargur in Krishnagiri Dist. Tamilnadu. The adolescent girls of separated parents from the age group of 10-18 years were the samples for this study. The researcher had taken 31 adolescent girls of separated parents for this study. Descriptive design was used to assess the social effects of parental separation. Self-administered questionnaire was administered to collect data about their social life. Research software SPSS 20.0 was used to analyze the data. It was found out in this study that the adolescent girls during the school hours were ridiculed by their own peers and many felt sad as well as loneliness because of the absence of their fathers. Some adolescent girls of separated parents didn’t want to mingle with anybody or anything.
Cell Walls and Membranes of Actinobacteria

Actinobacteria is a group of diverse bacteria. Most species in this class of bacteria are filamentous aerobes found in soil, including the genus Streptomyces perhaps best known for their fascinating capabilities of producing antibiotics. These bacteria typically have a Gram-positive cell envelope, comprised of a plasma membrane and a thick peptidoglycan layer. However, there is a notable exception of the Corynebacteriales order, which has evolved a unique type of outer membrane likely as a consequence of convergent evolution. In this chapter, we will focus on the unique cell envelope of this order. This cell envelope features the peptidoglycan layer that is covalently modified by an additional layer of arabinogalactan . Furthermore, the arabinogalactan layer provides the platform for the covalent attachment of mycolic acids , some of the longest natural fatty acids that can contain ~100 carbon atoms per molecule. Mycolic acids are thought to be the main component of the outer membrane, which is composed of many additional lipids including trehalose dimycolate, also known as the cord factor. Importantly, a subset of bacteria in the Corynebacteriales order are pathogens of human and domestic animals, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The surface coat of these pathogens are the first point of contact with the host immune system, and we now know a number of host receptors specific to molecular patterns exposed on the pathogen's surface, highlighting the importance of understanding how the cell envelope of Actinobacteria is structured and constructed. This chapter describes the main structural and biosynthetic features of major components found in the actinobacterial cell envelopes and highlights the key differences between them.
Michael Buckingham—Cosmologist

Before Mike Buckingham became and ocean acoustician, he had a rather different career path—that of a cosmologist trying to detect gravitational waves. In the late 1960s, physicist Joseph Weber published a paper in which he claimed to have measured Einstein’s gravitational waves. Efforts quickly ensued to either confirm or disprove Weber’s stunning claim—and Mike Buckingham was in the thick of these efforts. The story of Mike’s involvement traces a very interesting episode in the history of gravitational wave research. It also involves a fair bit of acoustics, as that was the technique used at that time (and is still pursued to some extent today). Perhaps most happily, this story explains how and why Mike Buckingham became an ocean acoustician, which is the ASA’s gain (though cosmology’s loss.)
Legal status of smart contracts: features, role, significance

This article using critical analysis discusses the legal status of smart contracts, their features and characteristics, and the possibility of introducing this category into the legal field. The main goal of the study is to determine the legal status of smart contracts. The study concludes that a smart contract is a program code based on blockchain technology, which, by legal characteristics, is a legally significant message recorded in a language (artificial language) and sealed with an electronic digital signature of each of the parties (or certified with a special key). It is proved that the multilateral interactions implemented through smart contracts can reduce the costs of operations and control them, increase the speed of operations and reduce the risks associated with dishonest actions of the parties, minimize or completely exclude intermediaries from the transaction; therefore, legislation should provide for the possibility of using smart contracts along with existing contracts.
Macrobenthic community structure before, during, and after implementation of the Clean Water Act in the Neches River estuary (Texas)

Community structure of macrobenthos in the industrialized, tidal Neches River was studied 12 years after implementation of phase III of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Result were compared with a 1971–72 study conducted before implementation of the CWA and a 1984–85 study conducted after implementation of phases I & II of the CWA. The permitted BOD waste load decreased 93% between the 1971–72 and 1984–85 studies, then increased 19% between 1984–85 and the current study. A total of 50 taxa were collected during the 1971–72 study, 104 during the 1984–85 study, and 110 during the current study. Numbers of taxa per collection at each station increased by a factor of at least two between the 1971–72 and 1984–85 studies and were significantly different at the 0.0001 level. Numbers of taxa per collection at each station were not significantly different between the 1984–85 and the current study (p=0.286). Minimum collection densities in 1984–85 were higher than maximum densities in 1971–72 and were significantly different at the 0.0001 level. Collection densities were not significantly different between the 1984–85 study and the current study (p=0.374). Shannon's annual and station collection diversity values significantly increased (p= 0.05). Dendrograms of Sorenson's similarity index between all pairs of stations were more alike between the 1971–72 and the current study than between the 1984–85 and the current study. Evidence of some organic enrichment at the upper stations was indicated by the dominance of Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and depressed oxygen concentrations. Environmental quality in the river has greatly improved since implementation of the CWA in 1972. Most of the improvments were due to phases I & II of the CWA, with little apparent change since implementation of phase III.
Flattened circadian glucocorticoid oscillations cause obesity due to increased lipid turnover and lipid uptake

Chronic stressors flatten circadian glucocorticoid oscillations, which has been correlated with negative health outcomes including obesity. How flatter circadian glucocorticoid oscillations affect metabolism and fat storage remains unknown. Here we aimed to investigate the consequences of flattened glucocorticoid oscillations in mice. We found that flattening glucocorticoid oscillations not only results in body weight gain mainly due to an increase in white fat depot mass, but also leads to fat accumulation in brown adipose tissue and to hyperinsulinemia. A transcriptomic analysis of white and brown adipose tissues revealed that flattened glucocorticoid oscillations resulted in a dysregulated lipid metabolism with a prominent role of Cd36. Indeed, Cd36 knockout mice are partially protected against body weight gain and lipid accumulation in the brown and visceral white fat depots induced by flattened glucocorticoid oscillations. These results provide insights how conditions associated with flattened glucocorticoid levels cause obesity.
The influence of changes in leaf inclination angle and leaf traits during the rainfall interception process

Abstract Rainfall interception is a dynamic process where raindrops exert a force on leaf surfaces causing splashing and changes in leaf inclination angles. Leaf biomechanical properties determine the resistance to changes in leaf inclination angle due to raindrop impacts. The hydrophobicity of leaf surfaces may influence water movement off the leaf. A laboratory experiment incorporating a raindrop generator and high-speed video camera was used to examine the relationships between raindrop impact, leaf biomechanics, and water droplet retention of three tree species (Acer saccharinum, Ulmus pumila, and Quercus gambelii). Specifically, we explored if the impact of a falling raindrop resulted in the maximum leaf inclination angle exceeding the water droplet retention angle, allowing for the leaf to shed the intercepted raindrop. This study found that changes in leaf inclination angle after a single raindrop impact could explain water movement off more than 6.7% of the leaf surfaces associated with the three tree species. The change in leaf inclination angle over time produced a decaying sinusoidal curve after raindrop impact. The amplitude of the change in leaf inclination angle was greater with larger drops; however, this change varied with species. Quercus gambelii was least affected by drop impact compared with Acer saccharinum and Ulmus pumila. For species with stiff leaves, such as Quercus gambelii, the resistance of movement after raindrop impact could be a factor in inhibiting the amount of precipitation shed from the canopy. The influence of raindrop impact during rainfall events and leaf biomechanical properties may inform and enhance modeling of the dynamic process of rainfall interception.
Anxiety Sensitivity Among Smokers During a Reduction Attempt: The Impact of Hatha Yoga

Smokers with elevated anxiety sensitivity (AS) have poorer smoking cessation outcomes. Smokers with elevated anxiety/depression report worse smoking cessation outcomes and greater AS. Thus, it is important to examine the utility of intervention strategies that target AS in the context of smoking cessation. Hatha yoga encourages the implementation of present-centered awareness in the face of discomfort, which may be a potential therapeutic strategy to reduce AS. The current study examines the impact of hatha yoga on AS among 51 smokers. Participants were randomly assigned to hatha yoga or wellness control on their quit/reduce smoking day. Compared to the control, the yoga condition reported significantly less AS at one-week follow-up. This relationship was moderated by baseline anxiety/depression, such that among individuals with elevated anxiety/depression, yoga was related to less AS than the control. Hatha yoga may serve as an additional strategy for successful smoking cessation in individuals with high AS.
Architect i2000 SR has improved turnaround time for infectious disease serology testing over Vitros ECiQ.

Abstract Background Vitros ECiQ and Architect i2000 SR are two automated instruments used to detect serology biomarkers of hepatitis A, B and C viruses, and HIV infections. We compared performance of the Architect to the Vitro EciQ after implementation at our institution. Methods A retrospective review was performed to compare patient samples tested on the Vitros ECiQ or Architect for hepatitis and HIV serological assays. The positivity rate, frequency of equivocal results, turnaround times (TAT), and hands-on time (HOT) were analyzed. Results There was no statistical difference in the positivity rate between the two instruments, with the exception of two assays. An increase in equivocal results was observed for the Architect (0.2% vs 0.5%). Notably, the TAT for the Architect i2000 was shorter for all except one assay (31.6 vs 33.7 hours) and demonstrated improved workflow. Conclusions Overall, both instruments performed comparably. Architect had shorter TAT over Vitros.
Progress towards a widely usable integrated silicon photonic photon-pair source

Photon-pair generation at telecommunication wavelengths using high-quality silicon microring resonators is an active area of research. Here, we report on significant progress towards the ultimate goal of an integrated silicon microchip for bright generation of photon pairs with multiple stages of tunable optical filtering on the same chip. A high pair generation brightness of 6.5×1010 pairs/s/mW2/nm is achieved. The resonance of the high-Q silicon microring resonator can be monitored using a high dynamic range readout of a photocurrent in an all-silicon p-i-n diode fabricated across the waveguide cross-section, which is used to align the ring resonance to the passbands or stopbands of the filters.
Radical excision for retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma: A national propensity-matched outcomes analysis.

Abstract Background Given the rarity of retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma, few studies have assessed if radical excision of retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma with adjacent organs improves survival outcomes. This propensity score–matched study aimed to evaluate the impact of radical excision versus resection of tumor alone. Methods The National Cancer Database 2004 to 2015 was used to assess short- and long-term outcomes of resection of tumor alone versus radical excision (tumor plus ≥1 adjacent organs) via 1:1 propensity-matched analyses. Subgroup analyses included low-grade, high-grade, liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, adjacent organ involvement alone, localized tumors alone, and high-volume hospitals (≥10 resections/y). Multivariable logistic regression models identified factors associated with radical excision. Results Comparison of propensity-matched groups (N = 1,139/group) revealed no significant differences in 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, or overall survival (for all, P > .580). For all subgroup analyses comparing resection of tumor alone with radical excision, including localized tumors without organ invasion (N = 208/group), there were no identified differences in short- or long-term survival. Although it yielded lower R2 resection rates (P = .007), radical excision was associated with greater mean length of stay (P Conclusion Radical excision was not associated with improved retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma survival irrespective of grade, histology, hospital volume, or adjacent organ involvement. Resection of ostensibly involved adjacent viscera may increase morbidity without survival benefit. These results inform ongoing discussion regarding histology-tailored, situation-specific extent of retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma resections.
Parameter Estimation in Surface Catalysis with Reaction-Diffusion Fronts

Mathematical modeling of chemical kinetics in systems in which all chemical species are assumed to be “well mixed” involves systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. If this assumption is dropped, then the modeling leads to partial differential equations which resemble the ODE’s of the well mixed case but have additional “spatial mixing” terms representing diffusion and possibly advection. Here we focus on non-well mixed chemical phenomena which do not include advection, so that the relevant mathematical models are systems of reaction-diffusion equations.
Code-Modulated Embedded Test and Calibration of Phased-Array Transceivers

We present improved methods for built-in test and calibration of phased arrays in free-space using a code-modulated embedded test (CoMET). Our approach employs the Cartesian modulation of test signals within each element using existing phase shifters, the combination of these signals into a code-multiplexed response, creation of code-modulated element-to-element “interference products” using a built-in power detector, demodulation of correlations from the digitized interference response, and parallel in situ extraction of amplitude and phase per element using an equation solver. In this article, we review CoMET’s methodology and then analyze the impact of noise within the system. To improve CoMET accuracy, a reference-element methodology is introduced, where all measurements are referred to as one element in the array whose phase is held constant. This is compared with another method in which the modulation axes are rotated to allow accurate extraction of phase near the original 0°/90°/180°/270° axes. Our techniques are demonstrated for both receive and transmit modes using an eight-element 8–16-GHz phased-array packaged and assembled together with patch antennas. Compared with network analyzer measurements, CoMET-extracted gain and phase using the reference-element method are accurate to within 0.4 dB and 2°–3° for free-space measurements, respectively. CoMET is then used within a calibration loop to equalize elemental gain and achieve a 7-bit phase resolution. In free space, the maximum gain and phase offsets between active antenna elements are reduced from 3.5 dB and 20°–90° to 1.1 dB and 0°, respectively. Calibrated beam patterns show significant improvement with peak-to-null ratios of >30 dB.
Imaging Antenna Arrays

A far-infrared imaging antenna array has been demonstrated for the first time. The array is a line of evaporated silver bow-tie antennas on a fused-quartz substrate with bismuth-micro-bolometer detectors. The measured optical transfer function shows that the system is diffraction-limited. This imaging array should find direct application in fusion plasma diagnostics. If the microbolometers can be replaced by more sensitive diode detectors, the array should also find application in radiometry and radar.
An evaluation of measured and predicted air blast parameters from partially confined blast waves

Understanding the physical mechanisms by which blast waves interact with their surroundings is paramount to protecting the safety of armed service personnel and equipment. This study evaluates and discusses modern technology used in blast pressure measurement as it relates to primary blast injuries such as traumatic brain injury. Factors influencing primary blast injury were established as peak overpressure, impulse, number, and frequency of shock impacts based on a literature review. A simulated confined-corridor breaching environment was used to establish the potential for variability in these key parameters depending on location in a confined blast environment. Wearable blast pressure monitors were compared experimentally to not only laboratory grade pressure transducers but also simulated and empirically modeled blast pressure and impulse predictions at scaled distances between 3.1 and $$13.6\,\hbox {m/kg}^{1/3}$$ from 100-g and 200-g suspended Composition C-4 detonations partially confined by the ground. surface ground reflection. Each measurement and predictive technique is detailed and comparatively summarized. Average deviation from the mean in collected pressure and impulse data ranged between 10 and 15%. The disparity in the measured data was lowest in the static pressure range where mild traumatic brain injury is reported to occur.
The Evolving Standards, As Applied

In Jones v. Mississippi, the Supreme Court adopted a narrow reading of its Eighth Amendment categorical bar on mandatory juvenile life-without-parole (JLWOP) sentences. Specifically, the Court rejected the Jones’ claim that the Eighth Amendment categorical limit required a sentencing jury or judge make a finding of permanent incorrigibility—that the defendant is beyond hope of rehabilitation—as a prerequisite to imposing a JLWOP sentence. In dicta, the Court suggested that Jones could have made an individual as-applied challenge to his sentence under the Eighth Amendment by claiming that his JLWOP sentence was disproportionate to the crime he committed. While the Court has used a narrow disproportionality standard in non-capital, non-JLWOP cases, it is not clear what standard would apply to individual as-applied Eighth Amendment challenges in capital and JLWOP cases. The Court customarily reviews such cases categorically under a heightened evolving standards of decency standard, which suggests that an individual as-applied challenge would also merit some heightened level of review. Accordingly, this Article argues for the adoption of heightened standards of Eighth Amendment review for individual as-applied proportionality challenges in capital and JLWOP cases. Specifically, the Article advocates for the adoption of an intermediate level of review for JLWOP cases and a strict scrutiny level of review for capital cases. Further, the Article argues for a broadening of the kinds of sentences that receive heightened scrutiny under the Eighth Amendment, both for categorical challenges and for individual as-applied proportionality challenges. Part One of the Article describes the Court’s evolving standards of decency doctrine and Eighth Amendment’s categorical limitations on capital and JLWOP sentences. In Part Two, the Article explains the other side of the application of the Eighth Amendment, the narrow disproportionality test the Court uses to evaluate as-applied challenges in individual non-capital, non-JLWOP cases. Part Three then argues for the adoption of heightened as-applied standards of review in individual capital and JLWOP cases as an application of the evolving standards of decency doctrine. Finally, Part IV sketches some possible extensions of the Eighth Amendment’s evolving standards to other punishments and other classes of defendants.
A "Traceless" Directing Group Enables Catalytic SN2 Glycosylation toward 1,2-cis-Glycopyranosides.

Generally applicable and stereoselective formation of 1,2-cis-glycopyranosidic linkage remains a long sought after yet unmet goal in carbohydrate chemistry. This work advances a strategy to this challenge via stereoinversion at the anomeric position of 1,2-trans glycosyl ester donors. This SN2 glycosylation is enabled under gold catalysis by an oxazole-based directing group optimally tethered to a leaving group and achieved under mild catalytic conditions, in mostly excellent yields, and with good to outstanding selectivities. The strategy is also applied to the synthesis of oligosaccharides.
The Multidirectional Associations of Behavior, Identity, and Experience in Leisure

There has been little written about how the concepts of behavior, identity, and experience in leisure relate to one another, where they fall within the nomological network, and their conceptual distinctions. The issue is further magnified by these constructs’ multidimensionality with subdimensions sharing conceptual overlay further exacerbating concerns over construct validity. This paper forwards the idea that leisure cannot be fully understood without bridging the concepts of behavior, identity, and experience. Each concept must be viewed in symbiotic fashion to understand how individuals make meaning and decisions in leisure through an iterative engagement, thus enacting their agency in a multidirectional process where each construct informs and affects the others.
Athec: A Python Library for Computational Aesthetic Analysis of Visual Media in Social Science Research

Visual aesthetics are related to a broad range of communication and psychological outcomes, yet the tools of computational aesthetic analysis are not widely available in the community of social science scholars. This article addresses this gap and provides a tutorial for social scientists to measure a broad range of hand-crafted aesthetic attributes of visual media, such as colorfulness and visual complexity. It introduces Athec, a Python library developed for computational aesthetic analysis in social science research, which can be readily applied by future researchers. In addition, a case study applies Athec to compare the visual aesthetics of Instagram posts from the two candidates in the 2016 US presidential election, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, showing how amateurishness and authenticity are reflected in politicians’ visual messages. With tools of computational aesthetic analysis, communication researchers can better understand the antecedents and outcomes of visual aesthetics beyond the content of visual media.
Dietary MicroRNA Database (DMD): An Archive Database and Analytic Tool for Food-Borne microRNAs

With the advent of high throughput technology, a huge amount of microRNA information has been added to the growing body of knowledge for non-coding RNAs. Here we present the Dietary MicroRNA Databases (DMD), the first repository for archiving and analyzing the published and novel microRNAs discovered in dietary resources. Currently there are fifteen types of dietary species, such as apple, grape, cow milk, and cow fat, included in the database originating from 9 plant and 5 animal species. Annotation for each entry, a mature microRNA indexed as DM0000*, covers information of the mature sequences, genome locations, hairpin structures of parental pre-microRNAs, cross-species sequence comparison, disease relevance, and the experimentally validated gene targets. Furthermore, a few functional analyses including target prediction, pathway enrichment and gene network construction have been integrated into the system, which enable users to generate functional insights through viewing the functional pathways and building protein-protein interaction networks associated with each microRNA. Another unique feature of DMD is that it provides a feature generator where a total of 411 descriptive attributes can be calculated for any given microRNAs based on their sequences and structures. DMD would be particularly useful for research groups studying microRNA regulation from a nutrition point of view. The database can be accessed at http://sbbi.unl.edu/dmd/.
Tissue-Engineered Peripheral Nerve Guide Fabrication Techniques

Abstract The clinical need for readily available and viable conduits to circumvent the use of nerve autografts has driven research to the development of biodegradable tissue-engineered nerve guides (TENGs) to bridge and restore the function of transected peripheral nerves. In the search for an ideal TENG, researchers have introduced increasingly more sophisticated fabrication techniques in combination with a variety of biomaterials to produce organized porous structures conducive to nerve regeneration and functional recovery. The intent of this chapter is to delineate the TENG fabrication techniques that have been studied to enhance the regenerative effectiveness of critically sized peripheral nerve defects. In addition, important design criteria, biomaterial options, and new perspectives on future technologies toward the development of clinically viable solutions are discussed.