cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Androgen receptor signaling and vitamin D receptor action in prostate cancer cells.

BACKGROUND 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cells; previous reports suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 actions in LNCaP prostate cancer cells are androgen dependent. This is due in part to the observation that the androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, Casodex, modestly inhibits LNCaP cell growth, but reduces the greater growth inhibition induced by 1,25(OH)2D3 to the level of Casodex alone. Because androgen ablation therapy is used for metastatic prostate cancer, we sought to better characterize this androgen dependence. METHODS We have assessed the requirement for endogenous androgens in 1,25(OH)2D3 mediated growth inhibition of AR+ prostate cancer cell lines. We have also sought the mechanism for anti-androgen mediated reversal of 1,25(OH)2D3 dependent growth inhibition in LNCaP cells. RESULTS Although 1,25(OH)2D3 does not inhibit the growth of LNCaP cells grown in medium lacking androgens, we find that growth of androgen independent derivatives of LNCaP cells is inhibited by 1,25(OH)2D3. Despite this independence, Casodex treatment reduced the response of these cells to 1,25(OH)2D3 suggesting a unique function for Casodex-bound AR. Because Casodex does not directly inhibit the transcriptional activity of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) we sought a common primary target of VDR and AR action whose VDR dependent transcription could be repressed by Casodex. We report that AS3 (APRIN), a novel gene required for androgen dependent growth arrest, is a primary target for 1,25(OH)2D3 and androgens. Moreover, Casodex reduces induction of AS3 by 1,25(OH)2D3 suggesting that it is a candidate for the Casodex effect. Analysis of functional interactions between AR and VDR in other AR containing prostate cancer cells lines (PC-3 AR, LAPC-4, and 22Rv1) revealed that Casodex reversal was unique to LNCaP derived cells. CONCLUSION Anti-androgen mediated reversal of 1,25(OH)2D3 dependent growth inhibition is limited to LNCaP derived prostate cancer cell lines. Moreover, the growth of androgen independent derivatives of LNCaP cells in medium depleted of androgens is strongly inhibited by 1,25D. Therefore, most forms of androgen ablation should not eliminate the utility of VDR agonist treatment in most prostate cancers. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Poliovirus Cell Entry: Common Structural Themes in Viral Cell Entry Pathways

Structural studies of polio- and closely related viruses have provided a series of snapshots along their cell entry pathways. Based on the structures and related kinetic, biochemical, and genetic studies, we have proposed a model for the cell entry pathway for polio- and closely related viruses. In this model a maturation cleavage of a capsid protein precursor locks the virus in a metastable state, and the receptor acts like a transition-state catalyst to overcome an energy barrier and release the mature virion from the metastable state. This initiates a series of conformational changes that allow the virus to attach to membranes, form a pore, and finally release its RNA genome into the cytoplasm. This model has striking parallels with emerging models for the maturation and cell entry of more complex enveloped viruses such as influenza virus and HIV.
SMALS: a novel database for two-dimensional object location

A database called SMALS, for storage minimizing automatic level sifting, that minimizes memory requirements and query response time for object location in 2-space is discussed. Memory usage is minimized through object insertion and deletion algorithms that allocate and deallocate the database memory dynamically, obviating the need for garbage collection. A fixed-level multidensity mesh representation and its associated sifting algorithm efficiently map the number of database nodes (grid boundary intersections) in which an object is stored. In contrast to the case for conventional tree structures, the object query time is well bounded and independent of object density in a region, making SMALS ideal for use in large interactive CAD (computer-aided-design) systems. >
The effects of 3-D anelasticity (Q) structure on surface wave amplitudes

SUMMARY We investigate the effects of lateral perturbations in velocity and anelasticity (Q) on surface wave amplitudes based upon wave propagation simulations in 3-D earth models using a spectral element method (SEM). We construct 3-D Q models based upon a wave speed model S20RTS using a set of reasonable mineralogical parameters assuming lateral variations in both wave speed and anelasticity are due to temperature perturbations. We measure and compare amplitude perturbations of surface waves caused by 3-D wave speed (elastic) structures and those caused by 3-D anelastic (Q) structures at a period range of 50–200 s. The measurements show that influence of 3-D wave speed structures on amplitudes is comparable to that of 3-D Q structures at short period (50 s), but becomes dominant at longer periods. In ray theoretical framework, surface wave amplitudes can be decomposed into three terms—elastic focusing, anelastic attenuation and anelastic focusing—which depend, respectively, upon the roughness of phase velocity perturbations (), perturbations in anelasticity (δ ln Q−1) and the roughness of perturbations in anelasticity (). Ray-theoretical calculations confirm the relative importance of 3-D Q and 3-D wave speed in perturbing surface wave amplitudes and show that anelastic focusing effects, which have been ignored in present-day tomographic studies, have a more significant effect than attenuation. Therefore, the effects of 3-D Q structures can be ‘counter-intuitive’ at long period for surface waves travelling through a low-Q region may experience amplitude increase.
Depressive Symptoms, Ethnic Identity, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Obese Youth

OBJECTIVE: Examine relations between depressive symptoms, ethnic identity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in overweight or obese (OV/OB) children. METHODS: A total of 166 OV/OB 8- to 17-year-olds (M = 12.94 years; 86.7% obese; 50.6% racial/ethnic minority) attending an outpatient pediatric obesity medical clinic participated. Children completed the Children's Depression Inventory-Short Form, Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. RESULTS: Increased depressive symptoms significantly predicted reduced total, physical, and psychosocial HRQOL. For minority OV/OB youth only, MEIM Affirmation/Belonging moderated depressive symptoms and total HRQOL (effect = -2.59, t = -2.24, p = .027; R(2) overall model = 0.315) and depressive symptoms and psychosocial HRQOL (effect = -3.01, t = -2.47, p = .015; R(2) overall model = 0.331). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms are negatively associated with HRQOL. In minority OV/OB youth, high ethnic identity may be protective when depressive symptoms are minimal. Ethnic identity and other cultural factors are important to consider in psychosocial treatments for pediatric obesity. Language: en
PVA Brush Technology for Next Generation Post-CMP Cleaning Applications

This paper presents recent developments in the design and characterization of chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) consumables, with specific emphasis on post-CMP (PCMP) cleaning polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) brushes. Special nodule design and modified charge super-clean PVA brushes were developed to obtain more effective near-wafer-edge cleaning and significantly improved overall PCMP cleaning performance in advanced applications. The profiled nodule-top, elongated-nodule brushes provided optimum cleaning contact area and contact force at the brush-wafer interface in the wafer edge region, whereas the negative zeta potential (NZP) modified PVA brushes resulted in significantly improved PCMP cleaning efficiency in smaller-node high-sensitive copper/low-k processes. The effects of extended exposure of one alkaline and four acidic PCMP cleaning chemistries on brush PVA discoloration and properties were investigated. All the tested acidic cleans caused significant discoloration, whereas the alkaline clean caused minimal change. Further, all the tested chemistries did not show much change in PVA physical properties and compressive stress.
Evidence on the equivalence of the strategic and extensive form representation of games

Our experiment tests whether strategically equivalent representations of games produce equivalent behavior when actually played. We examine representative members of the class of generic 2 � 2 extensive form games of perfect information and the equivalent strategic form games. Systematic differences exist between subjects’ choices in the strategic and extensive form representations. These differences cannot be attributed to differences in subjects’ ability to do backwards induction, in the salience of interpersonal preferences, or in optimization premiums between the two game forms. Instead, subjects in the extensive form are consistently
Invasive browser sniffing and countermeasures

We describe the detrimental effects of browser cache/history sniffing in the context of phishing attacks, and detail an approach that neutralizes the threat by means of URL personalization; we report on an implementation performing such personalization on the fly, and analyze the costs of and security properties of our proposed solution.
Lead-Free Piezoelectric Freestanding Films with Sheet Geometry-Enhanced High-Field Piezoelectric Coefficients

films were successfully fabricated by pressureless sintering. Large high-fieldd31 value of 1700 pm/V, 420 times larger than that of the bulk counterpart, was observed at an applied dc electric field of 6-8 kV/cm. In situ X-ray diffraction study showed that the large piezoelectric response was partially due to non-1801 domain switching under the electric field. Further in- vestigation is needed to elucidate this enhancement effect. The enhanced high-field piezoelectric property observed should en- courage the use of lead-free piezoelectrics.
Uncovering hidden loop level parallelism in sequential applications

As multicore systems become the dominant mainstream computing technology, one of the most difficult challenges the industry faces is the software. Applications with large amounts of explicit thread-level parallelism naturally scale performance with the number of cores, but single-threaded applications realize little to no gains with additional cores. One solution to this problem is automatic parallelization that frees the programmer from the difficult task of parallel programming and offers hope for handling the vast amount of legacy single-threaded software. There is a long history of automatic parallelization for scientific applications, but the techniques have generally failed in the context of general-purpose software. Thread-level speculation overcomes the problem of memory dependence analysis by speculating unlikely dependences that serialize execution. However, this approach has lead to only modest performance gains. In this paper, we take another look at exploiting loop-level parallelism in single-threaded applications. We show that substantial amounts of loop-level parallelism is available in general-purpose applications, but it lurks beneath the surface and is often obfuscated by a small number of data and control dependences. We adapt and extend several code transformations from the instruction-level and scientific parallelization communities to uncover the hidden parallelism. Our results show that 61% of the dynamic execution of studied benchmarks can be parallelized with our techniques compared to 27% using traditional thread-level speculation techniques, resulting in a speedup of 1.84 on a four core system compared to 1.41 without transformations.
Potential for Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer in Methanogenic Wastewater Digester Aggregates

Mechanisms for electron transfer within microbial aggregates derived from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reac- tor converting brewery waste to methane were investigated in order to better understand the function of methanogenic consor- tia. The aggregates were electrically conductive, with conductivities 3-fold higher than the conductivities previously reported for dual-species aggregates of Geobacterspecies in which the two species appeared to exchange electrons via interspecies electron transfer. The temperature dependence response of the aggregate conductance was characteristic of the organic metallic-like con- ductance previously described for the conductive pili of Geobacter sulfurreducens and was inconsistent with electron conduction through minerals. Studies in which aggregates were incubated with high concentrations of potential electron donors demon- strated that the aggregates had no significant capacity for conversion of hydrogen to methane. The aggregates converted formate to methane but at rates too low to account for the rates at which that the aggregates syntrophically metabolized ethanol, an im- portant component of the reactor influent. Geobacterspecies comprised 25% of 16S rRNA gene sequences recovered from the aggregates, suggesting that Geobacterspecies may have contributed to some but probably not all of the aggregate conductivity. Microorganisms most closely related to the acetate-utilizing Methanosaeta concilii accounted for more than 90% of the se- quences that could be assigned to methane producers, consistent with the poor capacity for hydrogen and formate utilization. These results demonstrate for thefirst time that methanogenic wastewater aggregates can be electrically conductive and suggest that direct interspecies electron transfer could be an important mechanism for electron exchange in some methanogenic sys- tems. IMPORTANCE The conversion of waste organic matter to methane is an important bioenergy strategy, and a similar microbial metabolism of complex organic matter in anaerobic soils and sediments plays an important role in the global carbon cycle. Stud- ies with laboratory cultures have demonstrated that hydrogen or formate can serve as an electron shuttle between the microor- ganisms degrading organic compounds and methanogens. However, the importance of hydrogen and formate as intermediates in the conversion of organic matter to methane in natural communities is less clear. The possibility that microorganisms within some natural methanogenic aggregates may directly exchange electrons, rather than producing hydrogen or formate as an inter- mediary electron carrier, is a significant paradigm shift with implications for the modeling and design of anaerobic wastewater reactors and for understanding how methanogenic communities will respond to environmental perturbations.
Airborne measurement of OH reactivity during INTEX-B

Abstract. The measurement of OH reactivity, the inverse of the OH lifetime, provides a powerful tool to investigate atmospheric photochemistry. A new airborne OH reactivity instrument was designed and deployed for the first time on the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the second phase of Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment-B (INTEX-B) campaign, which was focused on the Asian pollution outflow over Pacific Ocean and was based in Hawaii and Alaska. The OH reactivity was measured by adding OH, generated by photolyzing water vapor with 185 nm UV light in a moveable wand, to the flow of ambient air in a flow tube and measuring the OH signal with laser induced fluorescence. As the wand was pulled back away from the OH detector, the OH signal decay was recorded; the slope of −Δln(signal)/Δ time was the OH reactivity. The overall absolute uncertainty at the 2σ confidence levels is about 1 s−1 at low altitudes (for decay about 6 s−1), and 0.7 s−1 at high altitudes (for decay about 2 s−1). From the median vertical profile obtained in the second phase of INTEX-B, the measured OH reactivity (4.0±1.0 s−1) is higher than the OH reactivity calculated from assuming that OH was in steady state (3.3&plusmn0.8 s−1), and even higher than the OH reactivity that was calculated from the total measurements of all OH reactants (1.6±0.4 s−1). Model calculations show that the missing OH reactivity is consistent with the over-predicted OH and under-predicted HCHO in the boundary layer and lower troposphere. The over-predicted OH and under-predicted HCHO suggest that the missing OH sinks are most likely related to some highly reactive VOCs that have HCHO as an oxidation product.
Re: Cosmetic Incision in Boys for Lower Abdominal Surgery

Editorial Comment: Skin coverage of the dorsum of the epispadiac penis during reconstruction is challenging. In this case the authors use a technique I have not seen before, namely preserving a ventral flap of coronal based tissue that becomes the ventral penile shaft skin. The remainder of the ventral skin is bisected with a reverse Byars flap to cover the dorsum after the urethroplasty. The postoperative images are convincing. Although we tend to use a ventral transverse island flap as a source of dorsal skin, this approach deserves consideration.
Heterocarpus tenuidentatus, a new species of shrimp from the Solomon Islands (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea, Pandalidae)

Heterocarpus tenuidentatus n. sp. is described from an ovigerous female collected off the Solomon Islands at a depth of between 814 and 980 meters. It is distinguished by a branchiostegal carina that extends along two thirds of the carapace, this being the only long, sharp carina on the lateral part of the carapace. It is also characterized by having the rostrum scarcely longer than half the length of the carapace, the small size of the upper rostral and postrostral teeth, the proportionally wide blade of the scaphocerite, and by being larger in size than any other Heterocarpus species.
TopicCheck: Interactive Alignment for Assessing Topic Model Stability

Content analysis, a widely-applied social science research method, is increasingly being supplemented by topic modeling. However, while the discourse on content analysis centers heavily on reproducibility, computer scientists often focus more on scalability and less on coding reliability, leading to growing skepticism on the usefulness of topic models for automated content analysis. In response, we introduce TopicCheck, an interactive tool for assessing topic model stability. Our contributions are threefold. First, from established guidelines on reproducible content analysis, we distill a set of design requirements on how to computationally assess the stability of an automated coding process. Second, we devise an interactive alignment algorithm for matching latent topics from multiple models, and enable sensitivity evaluation across a large number of models. Finally, we demonstrate that our tool enables social scientists to gain novel insights into three active research questions.
An Analysis of Required Computer Competencies for University Students

AbstractTo be successful in many academic programs and careers, it is essential that university students possess strong computer skills. However, instructors and support staff involved with student computer use in classrooms and laboratories on the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Stout encountered widely differing levels of computer competency among the students. There was no consensus as to how computer competencies should be obtained or who should provide training to obtain these competencies. To address these concerns, a total quality management team was established. The team, which consisted of faculty, staff members, and students, developed a survey to obtain data on required computer competencies. The survey instrument contained items pertaining to basic computer skills, word processing, spreadsheets, database management, graphics, multimedia, information retrieval, and telecommunications. The survey was given to 157 students, 32 faculty members, 50 alumni, and 100 employers in the spring of 1...
Microbial reduction of Cr(VI) in the presence of chromate conversion coating constituents

ABSTRACTThe reduction of Cr(VI) by the metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was evaluated, to determine the potential for exploiting Cr(VI) bioreduction as a means of treating chromate conversion coating (CCC) waste streams. Inclusion of Cr(VI) at concentrations ≥1 mM inhibited aerobic growth of S. oneidensis, but that organism was able to reduce Cr(VI) at a concentration of up to 1 mM under anaerobic, nongrowth conditions. S. oneidensis reduced Cr(VI) in the presence of common CCC constituents, with the exception of ferricyanide, when these CCC constituents were included at concentrations typical of CCC waste streams. Ferricyanide inhibited neither aerobic growth nor metabolism under aerobic, nitrate- or iron-reducing conditions, suggesting that the ferricyanide-depended inhibition of Cr(VI) reduction is not due to broad metabolic inhibition, but is specific to Cr(VI) reduction. Results indicate that under some conditions, the activities of metal-reducing bacteria, such as S. oneidensis, c...
Irregular Negative Conventions

We observed in Chap. 1 that at least some irregular negations are used to deny an implicature of their root. We will show in this chapter that all logically irregular negations are used similarly, and that different kinds of irregular negations deny different kinds of implicatures. This rule extends to irregular contraries but not irregular contradictories, which have different rules. We will also see that some implicatures cannot be denied by an irregular negative. Irregular negations and contraries exist because of three levels of linguistic convention.
Specific Recognition of a Single-Stranded RNA Sequence by a Synthetic Antibody Fragment.

Abstract Antibodies that bind RNA represent an unrealized source of reagents for synthetic biology and for characterizing cellular transcriptomes. However, facile access to RNA-binding antibodies requires the engineering of effective Fab libraries guided by the knowledge of the principles that govern RNA recognition. Here, we describe a Fab identified from a minimalist synthetic library during phage display against a branched RNA target. The Fab (BRG) binds with 20 nM dissociation constant to a single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) sequence adjacent to the branch site and can block the action of debranchase enzyme. We report the crystal structure in complex with RNA target at 2.38 A. The Fab traps the RNA in a hairpin conformation that contains a 2-bp duplex capped by a tetraloop. The paratope surface consists of residues located in four complementarity-determining regions including a major contribution from H3, which adopts a helical structure that projects into a deep, wide groove formed by the RNA. The amino acid composition of the paratope reflects the library diversity, consisting mostly of tyrosine and serine residues and a small but significant contribution from a single arginine residue. This structure, involving the recognition of ssRNA via a stem–loop conformation, together with our two previous structures involving the recognition of an RNA hairpin loop and an RNA tertiary structure, reveals the capacity of minimalist libraries biased with tyrosine, serine, glycine, and arginine to form binding surfaces for specific RNA conformations and distinct levels of RNA structural hierarchy.
Climate Change Communication

Effective climate change communication is a central concern for geographers and others wishing to convey the science and impacts of climate change to lay publics, policymakers, and managers, and to engage in meaningful discourse on response options. The interdisciplinary field of climate change communication has grown rapidly since the early 2000s, with major research foci on messaging, language, and imagery; messengers; communication channels; the media; and audience segmentation. As the science of climate change moved its primary focus from detection and attribution of observed changes to improvements in climate models, to climate change impacts, vulnerabilities, and responses options, the foci in communication shifted. While the concerns early on were on conveying the physical science of climate change, related uncertainties, and mitigation options, more recent emphasis is on engaging the public on impacts and adaptation. The widening disconnect between the growing scientific consensus on the reality, human causation, and urgency of climate change on the one hand and the lagging societal response on the other remains a persistent challenge for climate change communication, particularly in North America and Australia. Keywords: communication; democracy; environmental perception; environmental risks/threats; global warming; language; media; new media
Interventions for Young Children With and at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Social-emotional and behavioral skills are essential to school and life success. Some young children, though, demonstrate significant delays in these areas. While there is a current hierarchical mo...
CD103+ cells at the forefront of anticancer immunity.

Owing to their unprecedented success in the management of advanced or metastatic disease, immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) are being elevated to the rank of standard-of-care for patients affected ...
Bootstrapping evolvability for inter-domain routing with D-BGP

The Internet's inter-domain routing infrastructure, provided today by BGP, is extremely rigid and does not facilitate the introduction of new inter-domain routing protocols. This rigidity has made it incredibly difficult to widely deploy critical fixes to BGP. It has also depressed ASes' ability to sell value-added services or replace BGP entirely with a more sophisticated protocol. Even if operators undertook the significant effort needed to fix or replace BGP, it is likely the next protocol will be just as difficult to change or evolve. To help, this paper identifies two features needed in the routing infrastructure (i.e., within any inter-domain routing protocol) to facilitate evolution to new protocols. To understand their utility, it presents D-BGP, a version of BGP that incorporates them.
Computational Methods for Mass Spectrometry Imaging: Challenges, Progress, and Opportunities

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a rapidly growing field of research, with applications in proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics. The benefit of MSI is its capacity to measure spatially resolved molecular information. Computational methods are important to extracting information from MSI data for basic and translational research. In this chapter, we examine current and emerging methods for analysis of MSI data, and highlight associated challenges and opportunities in computational research for MSI.
Metabolome analysis reveals a role for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in the inhibition of C. thermocellum by ethanol

Clostridium thermocellum is a promising microorganism for conversion of cellulosic biomass to biofuel, without added enzymes; however, the low ethanol titer produced by strains developed thus far is an obstacle to industrial application. Here, we analyzed changes in the relative concentration of intracellular metabolites in response to gradual addition of ethanol to growing cultures. For C. thermocellum, we observed that ethanol tolerance, in experiments with gradual ethanol addition, was twofold higher than previously observed in response to a stepwise increase in the ethanol concentration, and appears to be due to a mechanism other than mutation. As ethanol concentrations increased, we found accumulation of metabolites upstream of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) reaction and depletion of metabolites downstream of that reaction. This pattern was not observed in the more ethanol-tolerant organism Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum. We hypothesize that the Gapdh enzyme may have different properties in the two organisms. Our hypothesis is supported by enzyme assays showing greater sensitivity of the C. thermocellum enzyme to high levels of NADH, and by the increase in ethanol tolerance and production when the T. saccharolyticum gapdh was expressed in C. thermocellum. We have demonstrated that a metabolic bottleneck occurs at the GAPDH reaction when the growth of C. thermocellum is inhibited by high levels of ethanol. We then showed that this bottleneck could be relieved by expression of the gapdh gene from T. saccharolyticum. This enzyme is a promising target for future metabolic engineering work.
Contemporary Proofs for Mathematics Education

In contemporary mathematical practice, the primary importance of proof is the advantage it provides to users: proofs enable very high levels of reliability. This essay explores use of this sort of proof, and methods mathematicians use to implement them, in pre-college mathematics. Examples include methods for multiplying integers (including large ones), multiplication of polynomials, solving equations, and standardizing quadratic functions. The point of view also reveals drawbacks of real-world applications (word problems).
The Flow of Liquids in Surface Grooves

We have obtained detailed capillary kinetic data for flow of a series of alcohols with various surface tension to viscosity ratios, {gamma}/{mu}, spreading in open V-shaped grooves cut in Cu with three different groove angles. Two theoretical models which assume Poiseuille flow and static advancing contact angles were tested against the experimental data. One is a detailed hydrodynamic model with the basic driving force resulting from the pressure drop across a curved interface. The second depends on the total interfacial energy change, independent of the shape of the liquid interface. Both agree with the experimental data. Both predict numerical values in general agreement with experiment and with each other. In the threshold region where the transition occurs between filled and empty regions of the groove, the liquid height decreases linearly with distance, within experimental limitations, and forms an angle which roughly scales as the contact angle for a significant fraction of the threshold region. On the basis of the present detailed experimental data for both kinetics and threshold profile, the differences between experiment and theory and between the theoretical models are insufficient to allow a clear choice between the models. 20 refs., 11 figs., 3 tabs.
A Waste Derived Chemical for Acid Rain Control

CMA or calcium magnesium acetate is a new bulk chemical emerging on the world marketplace. Two major uses for this chemical identify it as being used in multi-million ton quantities in the near future. One use is as an organic biodegradable non-corrosive deicing salt, already established by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration as the road salt selected to replace sodium chloride. Production and use of up to 10 million tons per year are projected within the next decade. The second major use for CMA is as an additive to coal-fired combustion units such as used by electrical utilities. State-of-the-Art technology for flue gas desulfurization (FGS) incorporates injection of some form of limestone to capture sulfur dioxide, thus preventing acid rain. Laboratory tests have shown that if the limestone is first converted to the acetate salt (calcium magnesium acetate or “CMA”, if dolomitic limestone is used) then capture of over 90 percent sulfur is possible, rather than 60 percent with simply limestone alone. Moreover, the combustion of the acetate results in reduction of oxides of nitrogen. Other laboratory experiments have confirmed that the acetate may be produced from organic residues such as sewage sludge. That is, the organic residue is anaerobically fermented to acetic acid (not biogas), the acetate is recovered and combined with dolomite to form CMA. The overall result is that organic wastes may be converted to a bulk environmental chemical that is in turn used to control air pollution. This work is now ready for carefully monitored field demonstration.
Performance of Middle Grade Students on Quantitative Tasks: A Beginning Dialogue on Quantitative Literacy in Middle Schools

Quantitative literacy involves a set of skills necessary to reason about data. Such skills are imperative in our increasingly data-oriented world. Despite the importance of such skills, assessment ...
The Challenges of Designing an Inductively Coupled Power Link for μm-sized On-Chip Coils

This paper highlights the challenges which exist in realizing miniaturized inductively powered devices that integrate μm-sized coils. As the amount of energy harvested is directly proportional to the effective area of the receiver coil, ultra-small coils receive very limited power and thus need to be carefully optimized for a particular application. Apart from the geometric design of the coil, there are also many other factors that impact the maximum amount of energy that can be harvested on a μm-sized coil. These unique challenges are discussed and addressed in this work using a fully integrated wireless power receiver fabricated in GF 130 nm CMOS 8RF technology. The entire system measures 300 × 300 μm2and is wirelessly powered at 1.18 GHz.
The PD-1/PD-L1 Axis in HER2+ Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) of the Breast

Objectives The aims were to evaluate the programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast. Methods We reviewed 85 pure DCIS cases treated with surgical excision at our institution, including 51 luminal A (estrogen receptor [ER] positive/human epidermal growth factor 2 [HER2] negative), 15 luminal B (ER+/HER2+), 13 HER2 (ER-/HER2+), and six basal-like (ER-/HER2-/CK5/6+). The extent and intensity of PD-1 and PD-L1 immunohistochemical staining in the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and in the tumor cells were recorded. Results Our study found that moderate/severe inflammation around DCIS correlated with HER2 expression (20/28 HER2+ cases [71%] vs 21/57 HER2- cases [37%], P = .005). Of interest, over half of the TILs around the HER2 subtype expressed PD-L1 (7/13, 54%). In addition, about one-third of TILs around the HER2 subtype expressed PD-1 (4/13, 31%). Conclusions These findings suggest that immune-based therapeutic strategies may be used as a potential therapy in DCIS cases with PD-L1 overexpression, especially those of the HER2 molecular subtype.
Research-Track Residency Programs in Orthopaedic Surgery: A Survey of Program Directors and Recent Graduates.

Background The importance of research in resident education has been emphasized in the orthopaedic surgery community, and a number of residency programs have incorporated a year or more of protected research time into their training. However, limited information exists as to what programs are looking for in applicants to research-track residency programs or the perceived benefits of completing such a program. Methods We identified orthopaedic surgery programs that have tracks involving at least 1 year of protected research time and sent surveys to their program directors and to the 2012 through 2016 research-track graduates. Results Twenty-three programs with research tracks were identified, and 19 program directors (83%) responded to the survey. The survey revealed that only 2 (11%) of these program directors were willing to accept lower scores and grades among applicants to their research track compared with their primary clinical (categorical) track. While most of the program directors (14 [74%]) preferred that applicants have an interest in academics, only a few (3 [16%]) considered it a failure if their research-track residents did not pursue academic careers. We obtained the e-mail addresses of 82 research-track graduates, and 66 (80%) responded to the survey. The survey revealed that those who went into academic careers were more likely than those who went into private practice to view completing a research track as beneficial for fellowship (73% versus 35%, respectively) and job (73% versus 22%, respectively) applications, believed that the income lost from the additional year of residency would be compensated for by opportunities gained from the research year (50% versus 17%, respectively), and said that they would pursue a research-track residency if they had to do it over again (81% versus 39%, respectively; all p values Conclusions The majority of program directors preferred that applicants to their research-track program have an interest in academics, although most did not consider it a failure if their research-track residents entered nonacademic careers. Graduates of research-track residency programs who entered academics more frequently viewed the completion of a research track as being beneficial compared with those who went into private practice.
Lucretia W. McClure, AHIP, FMLA

With the passing of Lucretia W. McClure, AHIP, FMLA, on October 17, 2019, the Medical Library Association, the library profession, and the field of medical history lost an important friend and colleague. She was a role model for many and a bright light for the association.
Dual organizational identification within multisite nonprofit organizations

What influences the organizational identification of volunteers and employees within multisite nonprofit organizations? Specifically, is identification focused on the central office, affiliate offi...
Characteristics of electromyography of sphincter of Oddi in patients with cholelithiasis after common bile duct exploration

Objective To observe the characteristics of electromyography of sphincter of Oddi (SO) in patients with cholelithiasis after common bile duct exploration,and investigate new methods for detecting the motility of SO.Methods The basal pressure of SO(SOBP)and electromyography of SO were detected in 33 patients with cholelithiasis who were reexamined at the Southwest Hospital from January to October,2010.All patients were divided into low SOBP group,normal SOBP group and high SOBP group.The amplitude,frequency and duration of SO spike burst(SOSB)of the three groups were compared.Results The numbers of patients in the low SOBP group,normal SOBP group and high SOBP group were 14,13 and 6,respectively.The mean SOBP of the low SOBP group,normal SOBP group and high SOBP group were(3.1±1.2),(18.5±7.6),(39.8±4.8)mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa).The amplitude,frequency and duration of SOSB were(41±27)μV,(5.8±1.6) times/minutes and(2.7±0.6)s in the low SOBP group,and(150±71)μV,(6.9±1.4)times/minutes and (3.4±0.7)s in the normal SOBP group,and(301±109)μV,(7.8±1.2)times/minutes and(4.2±0.7)s in the high SOBP group,respectively,with significant difference among the three groups(F=50.751,4.293,13.159,P<0.05).Conclusion The results of electromyography of SO could reflect the function of SO,and it is possible to be a prospective method in the clinical research of SO. Key words: Cholelithiasis; Sphincter of Oddi; Electrophysiology
Copepod feeding strategy determines response to seawater viscosity: videography study of two calanoid copepod species.

ABSTRACT Calanoid copepods, depending on feeding strategy, have different behavioral and biological controls on their movements, thereby responding differently to environmental conditions such as changes in seawater viscosity. To understand how copepod responses to environmental conditions are mediated through physical, physiological and/or behavioral pathways, we used high-speed microvideography to compare two copepod species, Acartia hudsonica and Parvocalanus crassirostris, under different temperature, viscosity and dietary conditions. Acartia hudsonica exhibited ‘sink and wait’ feeding behavior and typically responded to changes in seawater viscosity; increased seawater viscosity reduced particle-capture behavior and decreased the size of the feeding current. In contrast, P. crassirostris continuously swam and did not show any behavioral or physical responses to changes in viscosity. Both species showed a physiological response to temperature, with reduced appendage beating frequency at cold temperatures, but this did not generally translate into effects on swimming speed, feeding flux or active time. Both copepod species swam slower when feeding on diatom rather than dinoflagellate prey, showing that prey type mediates copepod behavior. These results differentiate species-specific behaviors and responses to environmental conditions, which may lead to better understanding of niche separation and latitudinal patterns in copepod feeding and movement strategies.
Simulating Systems Thinking under Bounded Rationality

Brian Arthur’s El Farol bar model of bounded rationality provides a simple computer model of decision making in a complex, dynamic, and self-organized environment. Can systems thinking provide a viable alternative strategy to traditional methods for dealing with these types of problems? Nine different agents, designed from both traditional and systems perspectives, compete in fifteen variants of the El Farol environment and their performance in 4 categories—Winner, Top Performers, Competitive, and Vulnerable—is compared. We show that systems thinking is a competitive strategy that is, at least, on par with traditional strategies and may be less vulnerable to elimination or ruin. However, there are two consequential elements that emerge. First, all strategies have some environments where they succeed and others where they fail. Second, as the population of practitioners adopts these adaptive, systems-based strategies, the environment exhibits new behaviors with a new set of unintended consequences.
Regulated disinfection byproduct formation over long residence times.

Abstract Design and operation of drinking water treatment plants and associated distribution systems with long residence times are complicated by the formation of regulated disinfection byproducts (DBPs), comprised of total trihalomethanes (TTHM) and five haloacetic acids (HAA5). Treated water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, the unit processes required to meet those DOC concentrations, and disinfection strategies (e.g., booster chlorination) are the primary design and operational considerations that can require extensive testing or modeling to determine. In this study, twelve different treated drinking waters were generated at the bench-scale using ferric chloride coagulation and granular activated carbon adsorption from four parent raw waters collected from the San Juan River representing spring runoff, monsoon, and low flow events. Treated drinking waters with DOC concentrations of 0.9, 1.4, and 1.9 mg/L were tested for regulated DBP formation under simulated distribution system (SDS) conditions over residence times as long as 56 days and compared to 7-day formation potential (FP) testing. SDS free chlorine concentrations were maintained between 0.2 and 1.0 mg/L as Cl2 through periodic booster chlorination. Maximum SDS TTHM and HAA5 concentrations were 0.208 and 0.074 mg/L, respectively, with formation consistently varying by approximately ±20% across the four different parent raw waters despite having been treated to the same three DOC concentrations. An average of four existing TTHM models consistently underpredicted TTHM formation by approximatively 20%. Long considered a conservative measure of DBP formation, FP testing also underpredicted SDS DBP formation at 56 days by approximately 40% on average. The DBP testing approach presented in this study allowed for the development of several significant linear relationships for predicting DBP concentrations based on treated water ultraviolet light absorbance at 254 nm, water temperature, and cumulative free chlorine demand.
Dynamic control of microchannel cooling system with unanticipated evaporator heat loads

Abstract This study presents a control strategy for electronic cooling systems incorporating microchannel evaporators that experience unanticipated and significant heat load variations. It complements prior studies that focus primarily on the steady operation of two-phase systems facing static heat loads. This study's overall objective is to maintain a fixed evaporator temperature, enable high system efficiency, and avoid critical heat flux (CHF) despite the presence of transient and unexpected variations in heat loads. In this regard, we developed a moving boundary model to account for the presence of single-phase and two-phase flow in the evaporator and account for their respective flow and heat transfer characteristics. We use this model to identify optimum operating conditions for different evaporator heat loads that avoid CHF and correspond to a high COP. Since the changes in the heat loads are unanticipated, we design a disturbance observer based on the optimum operating conditions to estimate the unanticipated evaporator heat loads, which could serve as the feedforward control signal for system inputs such as pump-speed and valve settings. This study demonstrates how the system can maintain a constant evaporator temperature when it experiences a three-fold increase in the heat load. We also extend this study to two evaporators operating in parallel and experiencing unanticipated and asynchronous variations in the evaporator heat load. Our results show that the system with a disturbance observer and controller can maintain a fixed evaporator temperature even under significant heat load variations.
Quantitative measurement of IgG to SARS-CoV-2 proteins using ImmunoCAP

Abstract Background Detailed understanding of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been hampered by a lack of quantitative antibody assays. Objective To develop a quantitative assay for IgG to SARS-CoV-2 proteins that could readily be implemented in clinical and research laboratories. Methods The biotin-streptavidin technique was used to conjugate SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding-domain (RBD) or nucleocapsid protein to the solid-phase of the ImmunoCAP resin. Plasma and serum samples from patients with COVID-19 (n=51) and samples from donors banked prior to the emergence of COVID-19 (n=109) were used in the assay. SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were followed longitudinally in a subset of samples and were related to total IgG and IgG to reference antigens using an ImmunoCAP 250 platform. Results Performance characteristics demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 99% specificity at a cut-off level of 2.5 µg/mL for both SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Among 36 patients evaluated in a post-hospital follow-up clinic, median levels of IgG to spike-RBD and nucleocapsid were 34.7 µg/mL (IQR 18-52) and 24.5 µg/mL (IQR 9-59), respectively. Among 17 patients with longitudinal samples there was a wide variation in the magnitude of IgG responses, but generally the response to spike-RBD and to nucleocapsid occurred in parallel, with peak levels approaching 100 µg/mL, or 1% of total IgG. Conclusions We have described a quantitative assay to measure IgG to SARS-CoV-2 that could be used in clinical and research laboratories and implemented at scale. The assay can easily be adapted to measure IgG to novel antigens, has good performance characteristics and a read-out in standardized units.
Finding a Needle in a Haystack: The Effects of Searching and Learning on Pick-Worker Performance

The rise in online and multichannel retailing has pushed retailers to give increased attention to their order-fulfillment operations. We study “chaotic storage” fulfillment systems in which dissimi...
Pragmatism and the Pursuit of Social Justice in India: Ambedkar and the Rhetoric of Religious Reorientation

This essay engages the understudied Indian reformer, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891– 1956), in order to explicate pragmatism’s influence in non-Western rhetorical situations. By charting the influence of John Dewey on Ambedkar as a student at Columbia University, this study explores Ambedkar’s translation of pragmatism into an Indian context filled with religiously underwritten injustice. His form of pragmatist rhetoric focuses on conversion as a solution to the problems of untouchables in India, and represents a version of pragmatist rhetoric that is revolutionary in form and effect. Expanding our knowledge of how persuasion relates to religious conversion, I argue that Ambedkar constructs and employs a pragmatist rhetoric of reorientation. Honed by Ambedkar in the pluralistic context of India, this process is composed of three distinct steps: evaluation of existing religious commitments, renunciation of harmful worldviews, and conversion to beneficial alternative religious orientations.