cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The History of Biogeography and Paleobiogeography

Biogeography, as many of the disciplines within the biological sciences, especially those once classified as natural history, has a long and rich past. At different times, different ideas or theories held sway, and these governed how natural historians worked as well as what they looked for. Some of these ideas, today’s so-called research paradigms, are now seen as dead ends, but, that does not mean that the history of the field has no relevance for modern researchers or that early biogeographic research should be consigned to the dustbin of arcane history. Rather, on the whole, the history of the field illustrates many important things that are of great relevance for modern biogeographers because the major themes of the discipline and the topics that were passionately debated in the 18th and 19th centuries were not very different than they are today. Understanding what these debates were about at an earlier time is important because stripping them of their modernity can teach us things. For instance, part of the debate among current biogeographers is clouded by disagreement over technical and methodological issues. Although these are important, they tend to cause scientists to argue past one another so that they lose sight of the basics that they share. Going back to the core of the discipline can bring all biogeographers to common ground and legitimize various different approaches and topics. Further, it illustrates why certain debates between, e.g., ecological and historical biogeographers are so fundamental that they can never be resolved. But this is not necessarily bad. If we can agree that the rationale behind different approaches is good, then the approach one chooses becomes simply a matter of preference.
First-principles calculation of the bulk photovoltaic effect in the polar compounds LiAsS2, LiAsSe2, and NaAsSe2.

We calculate the shift current response, which has been identified as the dominant mechanism for the bulk photovoltaic effect, for the polar compounds LiAsS2, LiAsSe2, and NaAsSe2. We find that the magnitudes of the photovoltaic responses in the visible range for these compounds exceed the maximum response obtained for BiFeO3 by 10–20 times. We correlate the high shift current response with the existence of p states at both the valence and conduction band edges, as well as the dispersion of these bands, while also showing that high polarization is not a requirement. With low experimental band gaps of less than 2 eV and high shift current response, these materials have potential for use as bulk photovoltaics.
Robot team exploration with communication restrictions

In the event of an earthquake or fire, search and rescue efforts may be delayed until it is safe for a human team to enter the area. A team of robots could enter in advance to provide maps, images and locations of interest to the human team, allowing them to prepare their approach when they can enter. In a disaster area, communication may also be limited. We have developed a set of distributed algorithms that make use of a small number of robots to fully explore an unknown environment even with restrictions on communication, team size, and available sensors. We show, through proofs and experiments, that the algorithm will allow the team of robots to fully explore the environment and maintain the necessary communication to return the information to the search and rescue team waiting outside.
Causes and Consequences of Inequality in the STEM: Diversity and its Discontents

Social Science research on science careers tends to focus on gender as the primary mechanism affecting which people enter and succeed in science. Despite the often narrow focus on gender, the demographic composition of many science fields in the US has changed considerably as the US workforce incorporated more women, people of color, and non-US born workers following important legal changes in the 1960s. Using data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) (1% samples for 1960 and 1970, 5% samples from 1980, 1990 and 2000) as well as the American Community Survey from 2009, we show how a narrow focus on gender oversimplifies the racial and increasingly global dynamics of the scientific labor force. We further examine the factors that produce and constrain the scientific labor force sustaining the complex inequality we see when we disaggregate the demographic profiles of two exemplary science fields, Computing and Life Science.
Reflective Concurrent Engineering – 3rd Generation CE

As the changes in our society becomes more frequent and extensive and our customers’ requirements get more diversified, a new framework of concurrent engineering is called for. If we pay our attention to hardware products, we realize that we have not paid enough attention to the fact that our customers would like to use our products more to their needs and to their own tastes. We have been not fully aware that our customers are very active and creative and they enjoy customizing our products. We have attached too much importance to our final product and have not considered enough how we can create life time value by supporting their customization. Software development affords a good example and we can use their continual prototyping approach in hardware development, too. But to make it possible, we have to develop another way of product realization,, where our design starts from elements and combine them into a product. Such a cell- structured or network-structured product realization will provide a basis for the 3rd concurrent engineering.
Short Synthetic Terminators for Improved Heterologous Gene Expression in Yeast

Terminators play an important role both in completing the transcription process and impacting mRNA half-life. As such, terminators are an important synthetic component considered in applications such as heterologous gene expression and metabolic engineering. Here, we describe a panel of short (35-70 bp) synthetic terminators that can be used for modulating gene expression in yeast. The best of these synthetic terminator resulted in 3.7-fold more fluorescent protein output and 4.4-fold increase in transcript level compared to that with the commonly used CYC1 terminator. These synthetic terminators offer several advantages over native sequences, including an easily synthesized short length, minimal sequence homology to native sequences, and similar or better performance characteristics than those of commonly used longer terminators. Furthermore, the synthetic terminators are highly functional in both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and an alternative yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, demonstrating that these synthetic designs are transferrable between diverse yeast species.
Previously Undescribed Abdominal Glands in the Female Introduced Pine Sawfly, Diprion similis (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae),

A pair of previously unknown abdominal glands of undetermined function are described from serial sections of female Diprion similis (Hartig) stained with Delafield's hematoxylin-eosin. The glands lie in the anterolateral margins of the abdomen, one on either side, and each opens via a short necklike duct through a vertical slitlike orifice in intertergal membrane II-III. The subspherical corpus of each gland is about 200 µ in diameter and lies embedded in the peripheral fat body largely beneath tergum II. It is composed of a central chitin-lined lumen, a layer of small endothelial cells, a layer of large (about 35 µ) dark-staining gland cells, and a surrounding basement membrane. Each gland cell has a large granular nucleus, a nonstaining secretory reservoir, and darkly stained granular cytoplasm. It is suggested that the glands may be the source of the sex pheromone in D. similis females; no such structures were found in male sawflies. The results of field tests of purified gland extracts for both pheromone attractancy and repellency were ambiguous and did not confirm the function of the glands.
Iron and α-synuclein in the substantia nigra of MPTP-treated mice

One of the prominent pathological features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the abnormal accumulation of iron in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), in the reactive microglia, and in association with neuromelanin, within the melanin-containing dopamine (DA) neurons. Lewy body, the morphological hallmark of PD, is composed of lipids, redox-active iron, and aggregated α-synuclein, concentrating in its peripheral halo and ubiquitinated, hyperphosphorylated, neurofilament proteins. The capacity of free iron to enhance and promote the generation of toxic reactive oxygen radicals has been discussed numerous times. Recent observations, that iron induces aggregation of inert α-synuclein to toxic aggregates, have reinforced the critical role of iron in oxidative stress-induced pathogenesis of DA neuron degeneration and protein degradation via ubiquitination. N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)- and 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurodegeneration in rodents and nonhuman primates is associated with increased presence of iron and α-synuclein in the SNpc. The accumulation of iron in MPTP-induced neurodegeneration has been linked to nitric oxide-dependent mechanism, resulting in degradation of prominent iron regulatory proteins by ubiquitination. Radical scavengers such as R-apomorphine and green tea catechin polyphenol (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, as well as the recently developed brain-permeable VK-28 series derivative iron chelators, which are neuroprotective against these neurotoxins in mice and rats, prevent the accumulation of iron and α-synuclein in SNpc. This study supports the notion that a combination of iron chelation and antioxidant therapy, as emphasized on several occasions, might be a significant approach to neuroprotection in PD and other neurodegenerative diseases.
A HYBRID WOODPECKER AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN SPECIATION IN THE GENUS DENDROCOPOS

In the course of field work in the Sierra del Carmen, Coahuila, in April of 1953 a hybrid woodpecker was taken representing a cross between the very distinct species Dendrocopos villosus and Dendrocopos scalaris. Not only are the parent species greatly different in size, but they represent two different species groups in the North American section of the genus, the group with longitudinally striped backs and the ladder-backed group (see Voous, 1947). The only other reported hybridization between these groups is that between the small Dendrocopos pubescens and the somewhat larger, ladder-backed, Dendrocopos nuttallii (Cockrum, 1952: 146). The significance of the hybrid here reported takes these directions: (1) Some ecologic and distributional evidence is available to suggest why the biologic isolation between the parent species broke down in this instance. (2) The interplay of many pattern and size factors is open to a partial analysis. (3) The hybrid's characters suggest in many respects the combination of characters present in another species that occurs in a different geographic area. Figures 1 and 2 and the analytic comparison to follow will serve to describe the characters of the hybrid. The bird was taken on April 12 and is a female. The ovary was considerably disrupted by shooting and although fragments of ovarian tissue could be seen, no clear evidence of breeding activity could be discerned; certainly it was not actually engaged in laying. No mate was found in the area at the time or subsequently. I was first attracted to the bird by its drumming on a tree, a form of song or advertising behavior in such woodpeckers. This performance may have indicated solitariness and search for a mate but it should be realized that female woodpeckers may do some drumming while paired and nesting. Obviously we know nothing, then, about the fertility of this female, which in the light of its combination of characters can be rather safely assumed to be an F1 individual. Since its parents must have broken through the behavioral differences that 1lormally separate the two species, it may be supposed that this hybrid could have done likewise, although perhaps only under especially favorable conditions of mate availability.
(NH4)3C60: A New C60 Superconductor?

The enthalpy of formation (ΔHf) of the ionic solid (NH4+)3C603- is assessed. The solid is found to be stable with respect to the standard state reactants (N2(g), H2(g), and C60(s)), with a ΔHf of −1.82 eV/mol. For comparison, this enthalpy of formation is less than the enthalpy of formation of, e.g., K3C60 (−6.27 eV/mol). There are several attractive features of (NH4+)3C603- as a new ionic solid and potential superconductor, if it can be synthesized. It is well-known that the size of the NH4+ cation is almost exactly the same as that of Rb+. Among the M3C60 superconductors, Rb3C60 has the second highest superconducting transition temperature, with Tc = 28 K, which suggests that the Tc of a superconducting (NH4)3C60 could be higher than yet achieved for C60 superconductors, of which Cs3C60(s) has the highest Tc of 40 K. There is a 28% relative mass change when the NH4+ countercation is replaced by 15ND4+, which is a much larger relative change than can be achieved with the alkali metal atoms, which is impo...
Influence of alumni careers and students' educational pathways on animal science undergraduate teaching programs

In an attempt to aid the planning of courses and curricula in animal science, a survey instrument concerning careers, opinions and suggestions regarding education received was sent to 1,398 alumni who had graduated during the years 1956 to 1987. Longitudinal studies of 1972-82 entering animal science students, and a telephone survey of students who entered as freshmen in 1985-86, provided information concerning student profiles and educational interests. Fifty-two percent of alumni were women, 61% had obtained advanced degrees, about 50% were veterinarians, laboratory or medical scientists, business owners or managers, only 8% were ranch owners or managers, and the rest were engaged in a multiplicity of careers. Undergraduate experiences judged most important by alumni were obtaining academic skills, followed by advanced biology courses, animal science courses, work experience and developing the ability to continue learning. Alumni suggestions for change gave priority to offering more practical subject matter and business and economics in the animal science program, followed by more general education, research, science and theory, or no change. Approximately 30% of entering freshmen students graduated in the animal science major. Fifteen percent expressed interest in livestock, 23% in horses, 29% in companion animals, and the rest in a wide variety of animals.
Walrasian Economics: General philosophy and methodology

Introduction There was a rationalist side to Walras's philosophical and methodological thought and, in a certain sense and in certain limited respects, an idealist side, but he was also a realist and an empiricist. He had the latter attributes in the sense that he contended, first, that there is an objective reality independent of ideas about it – there is the personal reality and there is “ la realite impersonnelle ” (82, 1868, columns 210, 214, in 194, 1896, pp. 109, 119), “the reality of physical phenomena” (79, 1867, column 185, in ibid., p. 89); second, that concepts should reflect reality, and that theories regarding all aspects of experience that are amenable to scientific thought should be grounded firmly on empirical knowledge; and third, that both the assumptions and the conclusions of theories should be compared with reality and rejected or modified in the light of new empirical evidence. In Chapters 2 and 3 it will be shown that Walras made those contentions regarding the special case of economic science and the even more special case of his mature comprehensive model of general equilibration and equilibrium. It should be emphasized that Chapters 1, 2, and 3 are expositions of Walras's views. They do not judge them. They do not consider whether he was right or wrong in holding his views, nor whether he or other nineteenth-century scholars' opinions on scientific method accurately reflected how science is done or should be done, nor whether his terminology regarding “realism” or “empirical knowledge” or other philosophical and methodological matters was consistent with modern usage or appropriate in the light of modern conceptions.
Sociological Concepts II: The Macroscopic Level of Analysis

So far in our discussion of sociological concepts we have concentrated on the interpersonal level of analysis. We now move to the societal or macroscopic level in order to complete the framework of concepts we have been developing. We turn first to discuss the manner in which society is divided into social strata — the stratification structure.
Role of the Activation Status of the Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase in Regulating Photosynthesis

The photosynthesis model advanced by Farquhar et al., 1980 and Farquhar and Sharkey, 1982 postulates a linear relationship between ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) turnover rate and RuBP concentration up to an RuBP concentration equal to the concentration of RuBP binding sites on the enzyme, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase). According to the model increases in RuBP above this concentration will not lead to increases in photosynthetic rate because of the high affinity of the enzyme for RuBP and the high concentration of the enzyme in the chloroplast. From this relationship the model predicts that RuBP will be above binding site concentration, hence non-limiting at low intercellular CO2 (Ci), and below binding site concentrations, hence limiting at high Ci. The model further predicts that decreases in photosynthesis with decreases in light intensity are the result of RuBP becoming limiting as RuBP usaqe exceeds RuBP regeneration capacity.
Automotive software development and management

This paper highlights few of the challenges associated with developing, sustaining, managing and re-using embedded systems in a complex automotive environment. This paper will specifically focus on requirement management techniques, advances in modeling languages and use of Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) solutions to alleviate some of the challenges faced by the automotive industry today.
POMP: a powerful splice mapper for RNA-seq reads

RNA Sequencing (RNA-seq) based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology enables transcriptome analyses of entire genomes at a very high resolution. Due to limitations of the sequencing technology the reads are very short and erroneous. As a consequence it is a very challenging task to accurately map RNA-seq reads onto the genome and identify the splice junctions. There are two shortcomings in some of the existing best-known algorithms for identifying splice junctions: 1) the junction boundaries are predicted within a large range, 2) they take a long time and 3) the predictions of splice junctions are inaccurate. In this article we propose a novel algorithm POMP to accurately detect the splice junctions considering all the shortcomings of the existing algorithms as stated above. It generates accurate candidate splice junctions utilizing expected properties around the splice junctions. These candidates are used as examples to train a learner. The model learnt by the learner can be used to identify splice junctions. Extensive experiments were done considering whole human genome splicing events. Experimental results show that POMP is indeed a more effective and efficient algorithm compared to the other state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and runtime.
Learning Outcomes of Study-Abroad Programs: A Meta-Analysis

The increasing number of participants in study-abroad programs coupled with conflicting evidence about learning from these experiences motivated this study. I meta-analyzed 72 study-abroad investig...
The Effect of the Number of Carries Among College Running Backs on Future Injury Risk and Performance in the National Football League.

Background:There has been speculation that running backs with an excessive number of carries in college are less likely to be successful in the National Football League (NFL).Purpose:To determine w...
Mothers' Implicit Appraisals of Their Adolescents as Unlovable: Explanatory Factor Linking Family Conflict and Harsh Parenting.

This study examined the consequences of negative change in mothers' implicit appraisals of their adolescents after engaging in a family disagreement. Participants included 194 mothers and their early adolescents (Mage = 12.4 at Wave 1; 50% female) followed over 1 year. Mothers' implicit appraisals of her child as "unlovable" were assessed using the Go/No-Go Association Task-Child (Sturge-Apple, Rogge, Skibo, et al., 2015), an associative word-sorting task, before and after engaging in a family conflict task. Mothers' implicit appraisals, on average, did not become more negative following conflicts with their teen. However, substantial variability was evident, suggesting that important individual differences exist in mothers' cognitive reactivity to conflict. Greater susceptibility to implicit change predicted more harsh and insensitive parenting in response to their adolescents' bids for support 1 year later. This effect held over and above mothers' emotional reactivity to the conflict, their explicit negative attitudes about their adolescent, and maternal harshness at Time 1. Harsh and insensitive parenting, in turn, mediated the link between maternal implicit reactivity and subsequent increases in adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems. The results suggest that individual differences in maternal susceptibility to changes in implicit appraisals following conflictual interactions serve as a unique determinant of parenting in adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record
Abstract P039: Encapsulation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Alginate Microspheres to Enhance Paracrine-Mediated Vascular Recovery

Bone marrow cells migrate to ischemic areas and facilitate revascularization mostly through paracrine mechanisms. As a result, therapeutic strategies for vascular repair have focused on increasing the concentration of these cells at the site of ischemia by direct injection. These strategies have led to encouraging results in clinical trials, yet the number of cells that remain at the site of delivery is very low. The goal of this study is to design an effective cell delivery system to enhance revascularization by maintaining large numbers of cells at the ischemic site, thus increasing the local delivery of angiogenic factors. To achieve this goal, we encapsulated bone marrow derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in non-degradable, barium-gelled alginate spheres prior to delivery to the ischemic site. Our microspheres are biocompatible, do not generate a fibrotic response, and are stable for extended periods of time. They prevent incorporation of cells into the neighboring tissue and protect implanted cells from immune mediated clearance or wash out by the host capillary and lymphatic systems. The microspheres allow diffusion of molecules as large as 80 kDa (which includes most angiogenic factors) but not of larger molecules such as IgG. To test this cell delivery system in vivo, we used a model of murine hind limb ischemia in athymic nude mice. We delivered encapsulated hMSCs, or, as a control, empty capsules, to the ischemic muscle. At various time points, we retrieved the capsules by gentle scooping, then assessed the viability of the encapsulated cells and their protein secretion profile. Approximately 70% of the cells remained viable within the first week and 10-20% within the first month after implantation. In addition, encapsulated cells secreted angiogenic factors (VEGF, bFGF, HGF, angiogenin) in vitro and in vivo. We also assessed recovery of perfusion in the hind limb and found that delivery of encapsulated cells enhanced vascular recovery as compared to empty capsules. The results obtained from this study show that microcapsules are an effective delivery vehicle of therapeutic cells for vascular repair. Encapsulation represents a powerful and highly translatable tool to enhance cell-based therapies in cardiovascular disease.
“The problem is bigger than us”: Grappling with educational inequity in TeachFirst New Zealand

Abstract This article utilizes phenomenological research approaches to trace the experiences of participants within TeachFirst New Zealand (TFNZ), a member of the global network, Teach for All, as they grapple with their role in addressing educational inequality on a national scale. Specifically, I argue that TFNZ participants struggled within and against “thin equity” (Cochran-Smith et al., 2016) explanations of persistent inequality by focusing on how they (1) understand their role as individual teachers working in an educational system marked by a history of colonization and systemic racism, and (2) grapple with the ability of an individual teacher to effect lasting change.
Designing an Organizational Leadership Development Program: A Case Study Approach

I used a mixed methods approach to design and assess a youth leader development program for male and female leaders in nonprofit, volunteer youth groups. I used a combination of a literature review, focus group, and survey methods during the case study. The literature review and focus group helped me to construct the survey. I designed the program based on online survey results and literature from the leader development field that generated specific propositions on individual learning, organizational learning, and involving youth in the design of their own program. A final survey indicated that the program, called LxWeek (Leadership eXperience Week), was successful on multiple levels. The positive, reliable feedback prompted organizational leaders to conduct the leader development program for another 2 years. Subscribe to JNEL
A Multi-task Approach to Learning Multilingual Representations

We present a novel multi-task modeling approach to learning multilingual distributed representations of text. Our system learns word and sentence embeddings jointly by training a multilingual skip-gram model together with a cross-lingual sentence similarity model. Our architecture can transparently use both monolingual and sentence aligned bilingual corpora to learn multilingual embeddings, thus covering a vocabulary significantly larger than the vocabulary of the bilingual corpora alone. Our model shows competitive performance in a standard cross-lingual document classification task. We also show the effectiveness of our method in a limited resource scenario.
Coarse-Grained Force Field for Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids.

We develop coarse-grained force fields (CGFFs) for computationally efficient and accurate molecular simulation of imidazolium-based ionic liquids. To obtain CGFF parameters, we employ a systematic coarse-graining approach based on the relative entropy (RE) method to reproduce not only the structure but also the thermodynamic properties of the reference all-atom molecular model. Our systematic coarse-graining approach adds a constraint to the RE minimization using the Lagrange multiplier method in order to reproduce thermodynamic properties such as pressure. The Boltzmann inversion technique is used to obtain the bonded interactions, and the non-bonded and long-range electrostatic interactions are obtained using the constrained relative entropy method. The structure and pressure obtained from the coarse-grained (CG) models for different alkyl chain lengths are in agreement with the all-atom molecular dynamics simulations at different thermodynamic states. We also find that the dynamical properties, such as...
Anxiety Influences the Perceptual-Motor Calibration of Visually Guided Braking to Avoid Collisions.

We investigated whether anxiety influences perceptual-motor calibration in a braking to avoid a collision task. Participants performed either a discrete braking task (Experiment 1) or a continuous ...
FIB-milled quartz nanopores in a sealed nanopipette

We report the use of laser-pulled quartz nanopipettes as a new platform for microfabricated nanopores. A quartz nanopipette is prepared on a laser puller and sealed closed prior to focused-ion beam (FIB) milling. A quartz nanopore can then be FIB-milled into the side walls of the sealed pipette and used to analyze single nanoparticles. This method is fast, reproducible and creates nearly cylindrical nanopores in ultrathin quartz walls with controllable diameter down to 66 nm. Both pore size and wall thickness can be readily controlled in the FIB milling process by adjusting milling parameters and milling at different locations along the pipette walls. FIB-milled quartz nanopores combine the advantages of the pipette pores and silicon chip-based membrane pores into one device while avoiding many of the challenges of two popular nanopore devices. First, they can be used as a handheld probe device like a quartz pipette. Second, the use of an ultrathin quartz membrane gives them superior electric property enabling low noise recording at a higher bandwidth and a highly focused sensing zone located at a farther distance away from the highly restricted tip region. The inner and outer diameters of the resulting pore can be precisely measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As an application, FIB-milled side nanopores are used to study translocation of polystyrene nanoparticles. In addition to studying the dependence of translocation time on the pore length, we demonstrate detection of nanoparticles in parallel nanopores of different lengths and use finite-element simulation to confirm the identity of the two resulting populations. Our results show that FIB-milled side nanopores are a useful platform for future analytical applications like studying nanoparticle translocation dynamics.
Patient preferences for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

Purpose of review To provide an overview of recent articles discussing patient preferences for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. Recent findings Recent studies examined patient preferences for RA treatment in several populations, finding that most participants were willing to accept certain risks of adverse effects to gain potential benefits. Perspectives regarding cannabis were studied, with patients describing medical marijuana as an alternative therapy to be used with prescription medications or as means of tapering off these medications. Treatment preferences for different RA therapies were explored using a conjoint analysis survey and five distinct preference phenotypes emerged, with members of the largest group most concerned with the cost of medications. Other discrete choice studies demonstrated route of administration as an important attribute influencing treatment preferences, with patients expressing preference for various modes in different studies. Patient preferences for route of administration have demonstrated preference for newer autoinjectors over prefilled syringes as well as currently marketed autoinjectors. Incorporating patient preferences in clinical practice recommendations was described in the development of the 2015 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) RA treatment guidelines as well as the 2017 ACR/American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons guidelines for perioperative management of antirheumatic medications. In addition, other studies explored preferences with regard to predictive testing, medication intensification and tapering, treatment goals, and psychological support. Summary Our review of recent studies show variability in patient preferences for RA treatment, highlighting the importance of incorporating patient input into the treatment approach.
Nitric oxide-donor/PARP-inhibitor combination: A new approach for sensitization to ionizing radiation

Recently, clinical development of PARP inhibitors (PARPi) expanded from using them as a single agent to combining them with DNA-damaging therapy to derive additional therapeutic benefit from stimulated DNA damage. Furthermore, inhibiting PARP in cancers with BRCA1/2 mutations has been shown to be an effective synthetic lethality approach either as a single agent or in combination with the different DNA damaging agents: chemotherapy or ionizing radiation (IR). However, inherited BRCA1/2 mutations account only for 5-10% of breast cancers, 10-15% of ovarian cancers, and lesser for the other cancers. Hence, for most of the cancer patients with BRCA1/2-proficient tumors, sensitization to DNA-damaging agents with PARPi is significantly less effective. We recently demonstrated that moderate, non-toxic concentrations of NO-donors inhibited BRCA1 expression, with subsequent inhibition of error-free HRR and increase of error-prone non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). We also demonstrated that the effect of NO-dependent block of BRCA1 expression can only be achieved in the presence of oxidative stress, a condition that characterizes the tumor microenvironment and is also a potential effect of IR. Hence, NO-donors in combination with PARPi, with effects limited by tumor microenvironment and irradiated area, suggest a precise tumor-targeted approach for radio-sensitization of BRCA1/2-proficient tumors. The combination with NO-donors allows PARPi to be successfully applied to a wider variety of tumors. The present work demonstrates a new drug combination (NO-donors and PARP-inhibitors) which demonstrated a high potency in sensitization of wide variety of tumors to ionizing radiation treatment.
Influence of Frequency Bands in EEG Signal to Predict User Intent

Decoding motor user intent using electroencephalography (EEG) sensors may aid individuals with limited upper extremity mobility. Researchers have successfully used Filter Bank Common Spatial Pattern (FBCSP) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to predict user intent from EEG. Frequency bands between 8 to 40 Hz, with 4 Hz intervals are used as inputs to FBCSP classification. While this range includes the commonly used alpha (8–13 Hz) and beta (16–24 Hz) frequency bands, it excludes the delta band (0.3–3 Hz). The delta band has been shown to contain information regarding user intent. This paper investigates the accuracy of predicting user intent to reach and lift when modifying FBCSP to include combinations of alpha, beta and delta bands. This comparison was performed for clinical (32-electrodes) and commercial (12-electrodes) EEG electrode configurations using the WAY-EEG-GAL dataset. The simulated commercial configuration placement mimicked those from the Emotiv Epoc+. We predicted intent to reach (HandStart) and lift a block (LiftOff) by comparing the EEG signal to rest conditions. Intent classification accuracy is the accuracy to predict the future event before the event occurs. Maximum classification accuracy is the maximum accuracy to predict the event during the region of interest (−2.5, −2.0 sec.). Intent classification accuracy of 80.2% and 76.7% were achieved for the clinical and commercial configurations, respectively. Maximum classification accuracy of 85.9% and 83.0% were achieved for the clinical and commercial configuration, respectively. The combination of all three bands outperformed alpha-beta-only and delta-only by 0.9% and 9.9% for the clinical and 4.0% and 4.3% for the commercial for maximum classification accuracy. Using the combination of bands resulted in a maximum classification above 80% for the commercial configuration. These results suggest that including the delta frequency band can help improve the accuracy of user intent in clinical and commercial headsets.
Radar Studies of the Sea Surface - An Introduction

A variety of different radars have been used to observe the sea surface. The instruments include scatterometers to measure wind velocity, altimeters to measure wind speed and wave height, synthetic-aperture radars (SAR) to map the radar reflectivity of the surface in order to see ocean surface waves and other phenomena, and two-frequency radars to measure ocean wavelength (Table 1). Each radar was designed to measure a particular variable. Each evolved independently, yet all are essentially wideband super-high-frequency radars that respond in similar ways to surface roughness, and all use the observation of surface roughness to measure some desired or useful surface variable.
Neuroendocrine Tumors in Pediatrics.

Neuroendocrine cells are dispersed diffusely throughout many organ systems in the body and hence neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) can arise from almost anywhere in the body. NETs are considered rare tu...
Use and expenditures on public access hunting lands

Abstract The recreational and economic benefits of hunting on traditional permanent public lands are well-established. Increasingly popular “open fields” hunting access programs temporarily open private lands to public hunting through public-private partnerships. Open fields programs have the potential to create public hunting opportunities and economic development in rural communities, but the extent to which open fields programs compare to traditional public lands at providing benefits to hunters and rural communities has not yet been evaluated. We compared hunter use and expenditures on open fields lands and traditional public lands in Nebraska, USA. We used Convolution Likelihood Ecological Abundance Regression, a novel Bayesian abundance estimation method, to predict hunter effort, target species, and total expenditures using combined inferences from hunter count surveys, camera traps, and extensive in-person interviews. Open fields sites generally provided lower hunter use and expenditure returns per unit area than did traditional public lands. However, open fields and traditional public lands provided similar returns in one study region prioritized for highly-publicized upland gamebird opportunities. Our findings demonstrate that open fields programs can create returns in use and hunter expenditures when paired with strategic communication initiatives and further suggest that access programs may benefit from enrolling properties that provide diverse opportunities. Management implication The study shows, that public access hunting lands near urban areas receive relatively high use, but hunter expenditures may be greater in ecological rich rural areas. Public-private hunting access partnerships can create returns in hunter use and expenditures when they provide access to valued, highly-publicized hunting opportunities.
Stand density, drought and herbivory constrain ponderosa pine regeneration pulse

Trees in dry forests often regenerate in episodic pulses when wet periods coincide with ample seed production. Factors leading to success or failure of regeneration pulses are poorly understood. We...
Improved Dried Blood Spot-Based Metabolomics: A Targeted, Broad-Spectrum, Single-Injection Method.

Dried blood spots (DBS) have proven to be a powerful sampling and storage method for newborn screening and many other applications. However, DBS methods have not yet been optimized for broad-spectrum targeted metabolomic analysis. In this study, we developed a robust, DBS-based, broad-spectrum, targeted metabolomic method that was able to measure over 400 metabolites from a 6.3 mm punch from standard Whatman 903TM filter paper cards. The effects of blood spot volumes, hematocrit, vacutainer chemistry, extraction methods, carryover, and comparability with plasma and fingerstick capillary blood samples were analyzed. The stability of over 400 metabolites stored under varying conditions over one year was also tested. No significant impacts of blood volume and hematocrit variations were observed when the spotted blood volume was over 60 µL and the hematocrit was between 31% and 50%. The median area under the curve (AUC) of metabolites in the DBS metabolome declined by 40% in the first 3 months and then did not decline further for at least 1 year. All originally detectable metabolites remained within detectable limits. The optimal storage conditions for metabolomic analysis were −80 °C with desiccants and without an O2 scavenger. The method was clinically validated for its potential utility in the diagnosis of the mitochondrial disease mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). Our method provides a convenient alternative to freezing, storing, and shipping liquid blood samples for comparative metabolomic studies.
Internal Neurolysis with and without Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia: Case Series.

Objective Microvascular decompression (MVD) has remained the first-line surgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia when an offending vessel can be identified that is causing neurovascular compression. However, patients without neurovascular compression can either develop trigeminal neuralgia or recurrence after MVD. In addition, patients with venous and less severe arterial compression have been shown to have reduced efficacy after MVD. Internal neurolysis is a surgical technique used to separate the fascicles of the trigeminal nerve and might be a good option for patients with trigeminal neuralgia but without vascular compression. Methods A retrospective, institutional review board–approved medical record review was performed of adult patients with trigeminal neuralgia who had undergone internal neurolysis. The search resulted in 32 patients who had been treated from 2016 to 2019. The Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain intensity scale and hypesthesia scale (HS) were used to determine the outcomes. Results The average follow-up was 20 months (range, 3–40 months). The postoperative outcomes showed a BNI pain intensity scale score of I for 50%, with excellent control in 56%, successful control in 78%, adequate control in 94%, and poor control in 6%. Significantly more patients without previous treatment had had successful pain control (95% vs. 54%). Six patients (19%) experienced pain recurrence and were significantly more likely to experience pain recurrence compared with patients without a previous procedure (39% vs. 5%). The overall BNI-HS score postoperatively was I for 28%, II for 69%, and III for 3%. Conclusions Internal neurolysis with and without MVD has shown efficacy in treating trigeminal neuralgia in carefully selected patients.
In-situ fabrication and transport properties of (111) Y2Ir2O7epitaxial thin film

We report on the successful fabrication of (111) oriented thin films of pyrochlore iridate Y2Ir2O7 by means of solid phase epitaxy. Essentially, we developed an entirely in situ annealing protocol, which is superior to the conventional ex-situ routine that requires multi-hour annealing to stabilize the proper pyrochlore structure. The morphological quality of the films has been confirmed by x-ray diffraction, reflectivity, and reciprocal space mapping, demonstrating their high crystallinity with a pure pyrochlore phase and an expected epitaxial relation to the substrate. Strikingly, below the magnetic phase transition, the temperature dependence of resistivity shows a power-law behavior with the power exponent of ∼3/2, characteristic of a Weyl semimetal in the presence of impurities and electron–electron correlations. Below 10 K, the magneto-transport measurements reveal the emergence of a non-saturated negative magnetoresistance up to 9 T with a small “valley” around zero field. These findings are further interpreted in relation to the weak anti-localization effect and the non-collinear antiferromagnetic ordering on the Ir sublattice.
Identifying the effects of monetary policy shocks on the farm sector

This study concerns two potential channels for the transmission of monetary policy to the farm sector in the United States. The first one is the money channel where I use a relative-price model to explain the effect of monetary policy shocks on relative farm prices. The second one is the credit channel where I use the Flow of Funds Accounts (FOFA) data to assess the effect of monetary policy shocks on net funds raised in the farm sector;The equilibrium relative-price model provides a linkage between monetary policy shocks and relative farm prices. The model shows that monetary policy can affect relative farm prices if aggregate price information is imperfect and if supply and demand elasticities in the farm and nonfarm sectors are different. The short-run elasticity of supply of farm products is argued to be less than that of nonfarm products because of differences in the production processes. This characteristic of farm production causes relative farm prices to fall initially in response to a contractionary monetary policy shock;The credit channel for the transmission of monetary policy is another way monetary policy can affect the farm sector. The credit view holds that monetary policy affects the borrowing and lending activities of the farm sector primarily because it affects the extent of financial intermediation. It suggests that the amount of bank loans might also be an important indicator of the tightness of monetary policy;A "semi-structural" vector autoregression (VAR) model is used to develop two VAR based policy shock measures---the federal funds rate and nonborrowed reserves. The effects of monetary policy shocks on the farm sector are then assessed using dynamic response functions obtained through the VAR model;Relative farm prices show a steady and persistent decline after a contractionary monetary policy shock, while net funds raised in the farm sector increase for roughly a year then decline. The initial rise in the net funds raised reflects the difficulty for farmers to quickly alter their nominal expenditures. Eventually, they reduce their nominal expenditures and net funds raised decline as predicted by the credit view.
Brief Report: Ordinate Scaling and Axis Proportions of Single-Case Graphs in Two Prominent EBD Journals From 2010 to 2019:

Single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) are frequently used to evaluate whether a functional relation exists between interventions and student outcomes. A critical factor in decision making is the...
DSS FOR FREIGHT AND STOWAGE MANAGEMENT

Abstract Paper reports on the Decision Support System (DSS) for freight and stowage management during loading RO-RO ships. The DSS features visual support for stowage planning at various stages of the loading operations, ability to process data characterised by varying degrees of uncertainty and to handle changes and unexpected events. It can also indicate and visualise possible violations of safety and feasibility criteria at each stage and each step of loading procedures and is able to generate the required reports and other documents. The system supports decision making with respect to accepting or rejecting cargoes offered for transportation, stowing different cargoes on board, as well as using ballast and other tank spaces to assure ship safety.
Extended Length of Stay After Robotic-Assisted Hysterectomy: Association with Uterine Weight and Other Risk Factors

Abstract Background: Robotic-assisted hysterectomy (RH) has the same clinical benefits as laparoscopy and offers surgeons additional benefits. However, RH-related costs are high and its clinical benefits have not been shown to be better than those achieved with laparoscopy. A key cost factor is the length of (hospital) stay (LOS). Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between uterine weight and LOS following RH and potential risk factors for extended LOS. Materials and Methods: This study involved a retrospective cohort of all RHs performed in a midwestern tertiary-care teaching hospital and its suburban affiliates, from January 2011 to December 2012. Data were collected using Current Procedural Terminology codes. The current authors examined if any of several variables were associated with uterine weight, using Spearman's correlation for continuous variables and Wilcoxon's rank sum or Kruskal-Wallis test for categorical variables. Comparison of variables between patients who d...