cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new anisotropic, two-dimensional, transient heat flux-temperature integral relationship for half-space diffusion

This paper presents a new heat flux-temperature integral relationship for anisotropic materials in the two-dimensional, semi-infinite, planar geometry defined by x > 0, y in(- ∞, ∞) which is useful for experimental studies requiring determination of internal heat fluxes in short, run-time or large-domain experiments. This new relationship provides the in-depth heat flux perpendicular to the surface using in-depth data collected parallel to the surface without knowledge of the surface boundary condition. This relationship explicitly illustrates that the accurate depiction of the time rate of change of temperature is important for the stable and accurate recovery of heat flux. A unified mathematical treatment is proposed utilizing operational and transform methods; and, singular integral equation regularization. The diffusion operator provides sufficient mathematical insight for choosing the novel regularization operator. The resulting integral relationship does not require the specification of temperature gradients in the orthogonal coordinate system. This paper offers a novel time-domain viewpoint for reconstructing the heat flux based on implementing both conservation of energy and the constitutive law. This methodology is particularly appealing for anisotropic materials where Fourier's law of heat flux requires temperature gradients to be specified in multiple coordinate directions. Finally, time-domain analysis offers practical advantages for experimental studies involving heat flux estimation and material characterization in anisotropic materials.
The arguments against ``antigravity'' and the gravitational acceleration of antimatter

Abstract In the 1950's interest arose in the science-fiction idea of “antigravity”. This concept was a speculation that matter and antimatter would repel each other in ordinary tensor (Einsteinian) gravity. (This was reminiscent of the Coulomb interaction between like charges.) Three types of arguments were raised to disprove “antigravity”: (i) violation of conservation of energy, (ii) violation of the principle of equivalence, (iii) anomalous regeneration of Ks mesons, all of which were unseen. Unfortunately, in the physics folklore these arguments came to be interpreted as ruling out any difference in the gravitational interaction of matter and antimatter to the earth, not just ruling out this “antigravity.” After reviewing the history behind the concept of antigravity, we discuss modern theoretical ideas and experiments which are relevant to the possibility that there exist static, non-Newtonian components of gravity. We then consider the arguments against antigravity, pointing out their regimes of applicability and inapplicability to modern quantum theories of gravity. We specifically show that, if these arguments are applied to the ongoing experiment to measure the gravitational acceleration of the antiproton, they do not rule out a large anomalous gravitational response for the antiproton. The antiproton gravity experiment is one of five types of experiments that we consider to be the most critical in testing for finite but long-range, non-Newtonian and non-Einsteinian gravity. We discuss how all five are related to each other and how their completion would improve our knowledge of gravitational forces.
Religion and Socialism

That a co6perative commonwealth is on the way, it would be rash to assert; but that forces tending in such a direction are gathering strength is even more evident in England and on the continent of Europe than with us. While discussions of socialist theory on economic and political lines increase and multiply, another line of thought suggests itself to people preeminently interested in the spiritual rather than in the economic conditions of the race. Supposing a socialist organization of society realized, what would be the reaction on the ethical and religious consciousness,-on creed, on worship, on conduct? It is the purpose of this paper to suggest a few points on the second of these themes,-the probable future of religion under socialism. The subject is less remote from present interests than appears: hypothetical though it be, the attitude of many people toward socialism itself will depend on their conclusions on this point. Many spectators of the modern drift can see in socialism only "the party of progressive materialism," or, at best, an insidiously dangerous desire to realize brotherhood by machinery. One hears them reiterate the conviction that an inner change alone can help and heal the sorrows of humanity, and that all who care for the Spirit, yet range themselves on the socialist side, are victims of a delusion all the more dangerous for its loftiness, dupes of that very materialism which they think to fight. It is in vain to plead with these critics the obvious identity of the ethics of socialism with those of Christianity. The very fact seems to them a snare to the unwary; for they tell us that the effort to make these ethics function, as it were, automatically,
Partnerships in Training

Capital One Financial Corporation supplies credit products in the US. Since 1995, it has followed an information-based strategy, collecting and analyzing data to improve its business decisions. To continue this successful strategy, it must train its analysts in analytical techniques. In a partnership between Capital One and the Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research at Virginia Commonwealth University, we developed three training courses in forecasting, optimization, and simulation. These courses have been well received by the analysts and have led to considerable early return on investment with one class project forecasted to reduce costs at the firm's Richmond, Virginia mail center by more than $2 million annually.
Multiwavelength mid-IR spatially-dispersive CW laser based on polycrystalline Cr2+:ZnSe

For the first time we demonstrate a multiwavelength, ultrabroadband, continuous-wave, tunable, polycrystalline Cr2+:ZnSe spatially-dispersive laser, operating in the near IR spectral region. We show a dual-wavelength operation of the laser, tunable over a 600 nm spectral range (2200–2800 nm), an ultrabroadband operation of the laser, producing a continuous 135 nm wide spectrum centered at 2500 nm, and show a 200 nm wide (2400–2600 nm) multiline, tunable output spectra, consisting of up to 40 spectral lines. We also show simultaneous tuning of a 20-lines ultrabroadband spectrum over a spectral range of 2200–2800 nm.
Bayesian modeling of multiple lesion onset and growth from interval-censored data.

Summary In studying rates of occurrence and progression of lesions (or tumors), it is typically not possible to obtain exact onset times for each lesion. Instead, data consist of the number of lesions that reach a detectable size between screening examinations, along with measures of the size/severity of individual lesions at each exam time. This interval-censored data structure makes it difficult to properly adjust for the onset time distribution in assessing covariate effects on rates of lesion progression. This article proposes a joint model for the multiple lesion onset and progression process, motivated by cross-sectional data from a study of uterine leiomyoma tumors. By using a joint model, one can potentially obtain more precise inferences on rates of onset, while also performing onset time-adjusted inferences on lesion severity. Following a Bayesian approach, we propose a data augmentation Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for posterior computation.
Learning abstraction hierarchies for problem solving

The use of abstraction in problem solving is an effective approach to reducing search, but finding good abstractions is a difficult problem, even for people. This paper identifies a criterion for selecting useful abstractions, describes a tractable algorithm for generating them, and empirically demonstrates that the abstractions reduce search. The abstraction learner, called ALPINE, is integrated with the PRODIGY problem solver [Minton et al., 1989b, Carbonell et al., 1990] and has been tested on large problem sets in multiple domains.
Xylem hydraulic safety margins in woody plants: coordination of stomatal control of xylem tension with hydraulic capacitance

Summary 1. The xylem pressure inducing 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity due to embolism (P50 ) is widely used for comparisons of xylem vulnerability among species and across aridity gradients. However, despite its utility as an index of resistance to catastrophic xylem failure under extreme drought, P5o may have no special physiological relevance in the context of stomatal regulation of daily minimum xylem pressure and avoidance of hydraulic failure under non-extreme conditions. Moreover, few studies of hydraulic architecture have accounted for the buffering influence of tissue hydraulic capacitance on daily fluctuations in xylem pressure in intact plants. 2. We used data from 104 coniferous and angiosperm species representing a range of woody growth forms and habitat types to evaluate trends in three alternative xylem hydraulic safety margins based on features of their stem xylem vulnerability curves and regulation of daily minimum stem water potential (Y stem min ) under non-extreme conditions: (i)Ystem min - P50, (ii) Y stem min - Pe, the difference between Ystem min and the threshold xylem pressure at which loss of conductivity begins to increase rapidly (Pe) and (iii) Pe - P50 an estimate of the steepness of the vulnerability curve between Pe and P50. Additionally, we assessed relationships between xylem capacitance, species-specific set-points for daily minimum stem water potential and hydraulic safety margins in a subset of species for which relevant data were available. 3. The three types of hydraulic safety margin defined increased with decreasing species-specific set-points for Y stem min, suggesting a diminishing role of stem capacitance in slowing fluctuations in xylem pressure as Ystem min became more negative. The trends in hydraulic safety were similar among coniferous and angiosperm species native to diverse habitat types. 4. Our results suggest that here is a continuum of relative reliance on different mechanisms that confer hydraulic safety under dynamic conditions. Species with low capacitance and denser wood experience greater daily maximum xylem tension and appear to rely primarily on xylem structural features to avoid embolism, whereas in species with high capacitance and low wood density avoidance of embolism appears to be achieved primarily via reliance on transient release of stored water to constrain transpiration-induced fluctuations in xylem tension.
Predicting the Orientation of Short Fibers in Thin Compression Moldings

A method is presented for predicting the distribution of orientation of rigid short fibers in thin compression molded parts. The method extends Folgar and Tucker's model for fiber orientation in a concentrated suspension to the case of spatially non-uniform flows and orientation states. A generalized Hele-Shaw model is used to predict flow and defor mation during mold filling. Other assumptions are appropriate for sheet molding com pound : fibers much longer than the part thickness and a cold material molded in a hot mold. The predictions compare favorably to experiments on sheet molding compound and on a model suspension of nylon monofilaments in silicone oil.
Reproductive potential of overwintering, F1, and F2 female boll weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

The feeding and oviposition activity of overwintering boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis grandis (Boheman), and seasonal fluctuations in development, survival, and reproduction of progeny of overwintering and first- and second-generation boll weevil females were determined in the laboratory at 27°C, 65% RH, and a photoperiod of 12:12 (L:D) h. During the cotton-free period in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, female boll weevils without access to cotton resorb their unlaid eggs and enter reproductive diapause. However, when they were provided daily with greenhouse-grown cotton squares, commencement of oviposition began after 7, 15, or 20 d, depending on when they were captured. Females captured later in the winter fed longer before laying eggs than those captured in the early fall, suggesting that it may take females longer to terminate diapause the longer they have been dormant. The rate of feeding by females was significantly less during the winter months, and this may have affected the rate of diet-mediated termination of dormancy. Females of the first and second generations after the overwintering generation produced a significantly higher percentage of progeny surviving to adulthood and a higher proportion of these progeny were females. Offspring development time from overwintering female parents was significantly longer than that from first and second generations under the same laboratory conditions. The total number of lifetime eggs produced by females of the second generation during the cotton-growing season were ≈9.9-fold higher than for overwintering females and 1.5-fold higher than for first-generation females. Life table calculations indicated that the population of second-generation boll weevils increased an average of 1.5-fold higher each generation than for females of the first generation and 22.6-fold higher than for overwintering females. Our data showed variation in boll weevil survival, development, and reproductive potential among the overwintering and first- and second-generation females, suggesting inherent seasonal fluctuations in these parameters.
The Cerambycidae or Longhorned Wood-Boring Beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) of Plummers Island, Maryland

ABSTRACT Based on historical records in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 63 species of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) are reported from Plummers Island, Maryland. This number represents 24.9% of the Maryland cerambycid fauna. Specimens were collected from March to September, with July yielding the highest total (160 or 38.8%). Only 25 specimens were collected after 1927: three in 1931, three in 1932, one in 1933, one in 1941, 16 in 1968, and one in 2004. Four specimens of the state-listed endangered species Dryobius sexnotatus Linsley were collected prior to 1920.
Fault Tolerance and Scaling in e-Science Cloud Applications: Observations from the Continuing Development of MODISAzure

It can be natural to believe that many of the traditional issues of scale have been eliminated or at least greatly reduced via cloud computing. That is, if one can create a seemingly well functioning cloud application that operates correctly on small or moderate-sized problems, then the very nature of cloud programming abstractions means that the same application will run as well on potentially significantly larger problems. In this paper, we present our experiences taking MODISAzure, our satellite data processing system built on the Windows Azure cloud computing platform, from the proof-of-concept stage to a point of being able to run on significantly larger problem sizes (e.g., from national-scale data sizes to global-scale data sizes). To our knowledge, this is the longest-running eScience application on the nascent Windows Azure platform. We found that while many infrastructure-level issues were thankfully masked from us by the cloud infrastructure, it was valuable to design additional redundancy and fault-tolerance capabilities such as transparent idempotent task retry and logging to support debugging of user code encountering unanticipated data issues. Further, we found that using a commercial cloud means anticipating inconsistent performance and black-box behavior of virtualized compute instances, as well as leveraging changing platform capabilities over time. We believe that the experiences presented in this paper can help future eScience cloud application developers on Windows Azure and other commercial cloud providers.
Properties of Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Membranes and Chemically-activated Carbon Nanofibers:

Electrospinning was used to make activated carbon nanofibers with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as the precursor. The applied voltage was found to be more influential on electrospun PAN fiber diameters than the flow rate and needle tip-collector distance. Tensile load and tear strength of electrospun PAN membranes increased with thickness, accompanied with a decrease in air permeability; however, burst strength was not significantly influenced by the thickness. Electrospun PAN nanofiber membranes were stabilized in air and then activated at 800°C with KOH as the activating agent to make activated carbon nanofibers. Stabilized PAN membranes showed different breaking behaviors from those before stabilization. The maximum tensile stress of the stabilized PAN membranes from different concentrations was affected differently by the stabilization process. The resulting activated carbon nanofibers had no C ≡ N bond. The activation process generated micropores which contributed to a large surface area of 936.2 m2/g and ...
5α‐Reductase Isozymes and Androgen Actions in the Prostate

Androgens acting via the androgen receptor play critical roles in prostate development, growth, and pathogenesis. There are two potent androgens, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), in humans and mammals. DHT is converted from testosterone by 5alpha-reductase isozymes. Two 5alpha-reductase isozymes have been identified. Although both isozymes are expressed, 5alpha-reductase-2 is the predominant isozyme in the human prostate. Mutations in 5alpha-reductase-2 gene cause the 5alpha-reductase-2 deficiency syndrome. Affected 46, XY individuals have a small, nonpalpable, and rudimentary prostate in adulthood. Neither benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) nor prostate cancer has been reported in these patients. The prostate is small in animals with 5alpha-reductase-2 gene knockout or treated with specific 5alpha-reductase inhibitors. 5alpha-reductase isozymes are molecular targets for the prevention and treatment of BPH and prostate cancer. Moreover, androgen actions on prostate gene expression and cell growth are directly modulated by estrogen receptor ligands via protein-protein interactions. The studies of 5alpha-reductases and androgen actions highlight the importance of 5alpha-reductase isozymes in male sexual differentiation and prostate physiology and pathophysiology.
Seed Germination in Iva Annua L.

Optimum germination of Iva annua seeds occur at 15° C. Temperature and salinity interact in their effect on germination. Increases in osmotic concentration of media cause a gradual decrease in germination percentages at optimal temperatures. Sodium chloride, the most common salt in saline areas occupied by I. annua, has an osmotic rather than a toxic effect on germination.
The involvement of T cell receptor peptide-specific regulatory CD4+ T cells in recovery from antigen-induced autoimmune disease.

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a prototype for CD4+ T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Immunization with myelin basic protein (MBP) in B10.PL mice results in EAE, and a majority of animals recover permanently from the disease. Most MBP-reactive encephalitogenic T cells recognize an immunodominant NH2-terminal peptide, Ac1-9, and predominantly use the T cell receptor (TCR) V beta 8.2 gene segment. Here we report that in mice recovering from MBP-induced EAE, peripheral T cells proliferate in response to a single immunodominant TCR peptide from the V beta 8.2 chain (amino acids 76-101), indicating natural priming during the course of the disease. Cloned T cells, specific for this TCR peptide, specifically downregulate proliferative responses to Ac1-9 in vivo and also protect mice from MBP-induced EAE. These regulatory T cells express CD4 molecules and recognize a dominant peptide from the TCR variable framework region of V beta 8.2, in the context of the major histocompatibility complex class II molecule, I-Au, and predominantly use the TCR V beta 14 gene segment. This is the first demonstration of the physiological induction of TCR peptide-specific CD4+ T cells that result from MBP immunization and that are revealed only during the recovery from disease. The downregulation of disease-causing T cells by TCR peptide-specific T cells offers a mechanism for antigen-specific, network-induced recovery from autoimmune disease.
Cervical Mucus Properties Stratify Risk for Preterm Birth

Background: Ascending infection from the colonized vagina to the normally sterile intrauterine cavity is a well-documented cause of preterm birth. The primary physical barrier to microbial ascension is the cervical canal, which is filled with a dense and protective mucus plug. Despite its central role in separating the vaginal from the intrauterine tract, the barrier properties of cervical mucus have not been studied in preterm birth. Methods and Findings: To study the protective function of the cervical mucus in preterm birth we performed a pilot casecontrol study to measure the viscoelasticity and permeability properties of mucus obtained from pregnant women at highrisk and low-risk for preterm birth. Using extensional and shear rheology we found that cervical mucus from women at highrisk for preterm birth was more extensible and forms significantly weaker gels compared to cervical mucus from women at low-risk of preterm birth. Moreover, permeability measurements using fluorescent microbeads show that high-risk mucus was more permeable compared with low-risk mucus. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that critical biophysical barrier properties of cervical mucus in women at high-risk for preterm birth are compromised compared to women with healthy pregnancy. We hypothesize that impaired barrier properties of cervical mucus could contribute to increased rates of intrauterine infection seen in women with preterm birth. We furthermore suggest that a robust association of spinnbarkeit and preterm birth could be an effectively exploited biomarker for preterm birth prediction.
Influence of Elevated CO2 on the Fungal Community in a Coastal Scrub Oak Forest Soil Investigated with Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis

Sixteen open-top chambers (diameter, 3.66 m) were established in a scrub oak habitat in central Florida where vegetation was removed in a planned burn prior to chamber installation. Eight control chambers have been continuously exposed to ambient air and eight have been continuously exposed to elevated CO 2 at twice-ambient concentration (∼700 ppm) for 5 years. Soil cores were collected from each chamber to examine the influence of elevated atmospheric CO 2 on the fungal community in different soil fractions. Each soil sample was physically fractionated into bulk soil, rhizosphere soil, and roots for separate analyses. Changes in relative fungal biomass were estimated by the ergosterol technique. In the bulk soil and root fractions, a significantly increased level of ergosterol was detected in the elevated CO 2 treatments relative to ambient controls. Fungal community composition was determined by terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The specificities of different ITS primer sets were evaluated against plant and fungal species isolated from the experimental site. Changes in community composition were assessed by principal component analyses of T-RFLP profiles resolved by capillary electrophoresis. Fungal species richness, defined by the total number of terminal restriction fragments, was not significantly affected by either CO 2 treatment or soil fraction.
Oncogenic activation of ERG: A predominant mechanism in prostate cancer

Prevalent gene fusions involving regulatory sequences of the androgen receptor (AR) regulated genes (primarily TMPRSS2) and protein coding sequences of nuclear transcription factors of the ETS gene family (predominantly ERG) result in unscheduled androgen dependent ERG expression in prostate cancer (CaP).Cumulative data from a large number of studies in the past six years accentuate ERG alterations in more than half of all CaP patients in Western countries. Studies underscore that ERG functions are involved in the biology of CaP. ERG expression in normal context is selective to endothelial cells, specific hematopoetic cells and pre-cartilage cells. Normal functions of ERG are highlighted in hematopoetic stem cells. Emerging data continues to unravel molecular and cellular mechanisms by which ERG may contribute to CaP. Herein, we focus on biological and clinical aspects of ERG oncogenic alterations, potential of ERG-based stratification of CaP and the possibilities of targeting the ERG network in developing new therapeutic strategies for the disease.
Risks of Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and Esophageal Dilation

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy generally is considered to be a safe and useful procedure in the evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms and in the treatment of a wide range of conditions. Complications have been known to occur, particularly in the past with older equipment and limited experience, but in the present era, complications are largely associated with therapeutic interventions. The most frequent complications include those resulting from passage of the endoscope or therapeutic instruments, cardiac or respiratory complications related to the patients underlying comorbidities, and adverse effects of anesthesia. Esophageal dilation is one of the endoscopic procedures associated with the highest rate of complications and so will be discussed separately. Patients at greatest risk, such as those with achalasia and long, irregular, malignant strictures, should be approached with caution.
Total Synthesis of Cyanolide A in the Absence of Protecting Groups, Chiral Auxiliaries, or Premetalated Carbon Nucleophiles

Cyanolide A is a glycosidic 16-membered macrodiolide of C2 symmetry isolated from the Papua New Guinea cyanobacterium Lyungbya bouillonii[1] and is closely related in structure to the clavosolide family of natural products (Figure 1).[2] Cyanolide A exhibits potent molluscicidal activity (LC50 = 1.2 µm) against the water snail Biomphalaria glabrata,[1] a vector of the human parasitic disease schistosomiasis (also known as bilharziasis). Infecting more than 200 million people, schistosomiasis ranks second behind malaria among human parasitic diseases.[3] While drugs, most notably praziquantel,[4] exist to treat those infected, reinfection and the emergence of drug-resistant schistosomes are concerns.[5] Disease prevention by reducing or eliminating the population of infected water snails is more desirable.[6] The molluscicide niclosamide (bayluscide) was developed for this purpose and is utilized broadly.[7] However, it exhibits poor water solubility, is rather nonselective, adversely affects native fish, and is relatively expensive.[8] Hence, an authentic need for alternative molluscicidal agents persists, thus fueling efforts toward the synthesis of naturally occurring molluscicides.[9] Toward this end, cyanolide A has garnered significant attention from organic chemists, with several total and formal syntheses published since its isolation in 2010 (Figure 1).[10, 11] Herein, we report a total synthesis of cyanolide A in the absence of protecting groups, chiral auxiliaries, or premetalated C-nucleophiles in fewer than half the steps of any previous approach.
Hemodynamic and electrophysiological actions of cocaine. Effects of sodium bicarbonate as an antidote in dogs.

BACKGROUNDCocaine abuse has been implicated as a cause of death due to sudden cardiac arrest.METHODS AND RESULTSWe examined the hemodynamic and electrophysiological effects of cocaine administered as a series of 5-mg/kg i.v. boluses coupled with a continuous infusion in anesthetized dogs. Sodium bicarbonate (50 meq i.v.) was administered as a potential antidote in 11 of 15 dogs, and intravenous 5% dextrose was given in the remaining four. In a dose-dependent fashion, cocaine significantly decreased blood pressure, coronary blood flow, and cardiac output; increased PR, QRS, QT, and QTc intervals and sinus cycle length; and increased ventricular effective refractory period and dispersion of ventricular refractoriness. No afterdepolarizations were noted in the monophasic action potential recording. Nonsustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia occurred spontaneously in two dogs, and sustained ventricular tachycardia could be induced by programmed stimulation at the end of the dosing protocol in five of 11...
Experimenting with Drugs (and Topic Models): Multi-Dimensional Exploration of Recreational Drug Discussions.

Clinical research of new recreational drugs and trends requires mining current information from non-traditional text sources. In this work we support such research through the use of multi-dimensional latent text models, such as factorial LDA, that capture orthogonal factors of corpora, creating structured output for researchers to better understand the contents of a corpus. Since a purely unsupervised model is unlikely to discover specific factors of interests to clinical researchers, we modify the structure of factorial LDA to incorporate prior knowledge, including the use of of observed variables, informative priors and background components. The resulting model learns factors that correspond to drug type, delivery method (smoking, injection, etc.), and aspect (chemistry, culture, effects, health, usage). We demonstrate that the improved model yields better quantitative and more interpretable results.
Computational Notebooks for AI Education

Computational notebooks are documents that serve dual purposes: they serve as an archive format containing code, text, images and equations; but they can also be run like computer programs. This paper explores the use of these new computational notebooks to teach AI and introduces tools that we have developed — ICalico and Calysto — to facilitate that use. Not only do these new tools broaden the languages and contexts available to students exploring notebook-based AI computing, but they offer a new mode of teaching and learning for the AI classroom.
Retention in Online Courses: Exploring Issues and Solutions—A Literature Review

Despite increasing enrollment percentages from earlier years, online courses continue to show receding student retention rates. To reduce attrition and ensure continual growth in online courses, it is important to continue to review current and updated literature to understand the changing behaviors of online learners and faculty in the 21st century and examine how they fit together as a cohesive educational unit. This article reviews literature to ascertain critical reasons for high attrition rates in online classes, as well as explore solutions to boost retention rates. This will help create a starting point and foundation for a more, in-depth research and analysis of retention issues in online courses. Examining these issues is critical to contemporary learning environments.
Distress Tolerance as a Correlate of Tobacco Dependence and Motivation: Incremental Relations over and above Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms

Distress tolerance-the capacity to withstand distressing states-is implicated in the etiology of regular smoking. The present study extends past research by examining whether relations between perceived distress tolerance and smoking-related factors: (1) differ across subdimensions of distress tolerance (Tolerance, Appraisal, Regulation, Absorption); (2) extend across measures of dependence, negative reinforcement smoking, and craving; and (3) are incremental to depressive and anxiety symptoms. Results showed that global distress tolerance was associated with measures of dependence, negative reinforcement, and craving even after controlling for affective symptomatology. Subdimensions of distress tolerance were not uniquely related to smoking outcomes in unadjusted or adjusted models. These findings suggest that: (a) distress tolerance is uniquely implicated in smoking over and above affective symptomatology; and (b) specific subdimensions of distress tolerance do not provide more information about smoking-related characteristics than global dimensions; and
Association of birth outcomes with fetal exposure to parabens, triclosan and triclocarban in an immigrant population in Brooklyn, New York

Abstract Background Prior studies suggest associations between fetal exposure to antimicrobial and paraben compounds with adverse reproductive outcomes, mainly in animal models. We have previously reported elevated levels of these compounds for a cohort of mothers and neonates. Objective We examined the relationship between human exposure to parabens and antimicrobial compounds and birth outcomes including birth weight, body length and head size, and gestational age at birth. Methods Maternal third trimester urinary and umbilical cord blood plasma concentrations of methylparaben (MePB), ethylparaben (EtPB), propylparaben (PrPB), butylparaben (BuPB), benzylparaben (BePB), triclosan (2,4,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxydiphenyl ether or TCS) and triclocarban (1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl) urea or TCC), were measured in 185 mothers and 34 paired singleton neonates in New York, 2007–2009. Results In regression models adjusting for confounders, adverse exposure-outcome associations observed included increased odds of PTB (BuPB), decreased gestational age at birth (BuPB and TCC) and birth weight (BuPB), decreased body length (PrPB) and protective effects on PTB (BePB) and LBW (3′-Cl-TCC) ( p Conclusions This study provides the first evidence of associations between antimicrobials and potential adverse birth outcomes in neonates. Findings are consistent with animal data suggesting endocrine-disrupting potential resulting in developmental and reproductive toxicity.
Young girl presenting with exercise-induced myoglobinuria.

The sarcoglycanopathies are a heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophies that cause varying degrees of progressive proximal muscle weakness.We describe the case of a Caucasian girl who presented with exercise intolerance, myalgia, and dark urine. Onset of symptoms was at age 4, and she had myalgia with physical activity throughout childhood. Creatine kinase levels were as high as 18,000.Immunostaining of a muscle biopsy showed mildly diminished alpha sarcoglycan staining, and SGCA gene sequencing revealed n.C229T; p.Arg77Cys (R77C) and n.C850T; p.Arg284Cys (R284C), which is associated with alpha sarcoglycanopathy.This patient presented with exercise intolerance, myoglobinuria, and almost normal muscle strength into adolescence, which is uncommon in sarcoglycanopathies. This uncommon presentation should be kept in mind, so that early recognition and intervention may prevent future comorbidities and help preserve the quality of life. Muscle Nerve 54: 161-164, 2016.
Pharmacokinetic Analysis for Tumor Characterization Using MR-Guided Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Diffuse Optical Tomography

Pharmacokinetic analyses for tumor characterization performed using perfectly co registered DCE-DOT and DCE-MR parameters to produce the first ever quantitative MR-DCE-DOT kinetic parameters used for tumor characterization are derived in this study.
Longitudinal tibial fatigue fracture: an uncommon stress fracture with characteristic features.

Purpose The author reports three cases of longitudinal tibial fatigue fractures, reviews the literature, and discusses characteristic features that suggest the diagnosis may be made by bone scintigraphy. Methods Radiographs and two- or three-phase bone scintigraphs with Tc-99m MDP were obtained in three runners who had exercise-related leg pain and whose clinical symptoms suggested either stress fractures or shin splints. The literature was reviewed and previously reported scintigraphic findings were compared with those seen in these three cases. Results In contrast to the focal, elliptical, cortex-based abnormal activity usually seen in the upper or middle tibia in patients with tibial stress fractures, all three patients had a long area of abnormal diffusely increased tibial activity that extended from the tibiotalar region proximally. This finding was seen on the 3-hour delayed static images of all three patients and was suggested on the blood-pool (tissue phase) images. The literature also contained reports of these same scan characteristics. Radiographs subsequently disclosed a longitudinal tibial stress fracture in one patient, computed tomography was positive in the second patient, and findings of clinical follow-up and radiographs were consistent with this diagnosis in the third patient. Conclusion In the appropriate clinical setting and with normal or nondiagnostic radiographs, the presence of a long area of diffusely increased activity in the distal tibia extending proximally from the tibiotalar junction is indicative of a longitudinal fatigue fracture.
Microrandomized trials: An experimental design for developing just-in-time adaptive interventions.

Objective This paper presents an experimental design, the micro-randomized trial, developed to support optimization of just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs). JITAIs are mHealth technologies that aim to deliver the right intervention components at the right times and locations to optimally support individuals’ health behaviors. Micro-randomized trials offer a way to optimize such interventions by enabling modeling of causal effects and time-varying effect moderation for individual intervention components within a JITAI.
Cell-autonomous regulation of dendritic spine density by PirB.

Synapse density on cortical pyramidal neurons is modulated by experience. This process is highest during developmental critical periods, when mechanisms of synaptic plasticity are fully engaged. In mouse visual cortex, the critical period for ocular dominance (OD) plasticity coincides with the developmental pruning of synapses. At this time, mice lacking paired Ig-like receptor B (PirB) have excess numbers of dendritic spines on L5 neurons; these spines persist and are thought to underlie the juvenile-like OD plasticity observed in adulthood. Here we examine whether PirB is required specifically in excitatory neurons to exert its effect on dendritic spine and synapse density during the critical period. In mice with a conditional allele of PirB (PirBfl/fl), PirB was deleted only from L2/3 cortical pyramidal neurons in vivo by timed in utero electroporation of Cre recombinase. Sparse mosaic expression of Cre produced neurons lacking PirB in a sea of wild-type neurons and glia. These neurons had significantly elevated dendritic spine density, as well as increased frequency of miniature EPSCs, suggesting that they receive a greater number of synaptic inputs relative to Cre- neighbors. The effect of cell-specific PirB deletion on dendritic spine density was not accompanied by changes in dendritic branching complexity or axonal bouton density. Together, results imply a neuron-specific, cell-autonomous action of PirB on synaptic density in L2/3 pyramidal cells of visual cortex. Moreover, they are consistent with the idea that PirB functions normally to corepress spine density and synaptic plasticity, thereby maintaining headroom for cells to encode ongoing experience-dependent structural change throughout life.
Histologic Patterns of Hepatotoxic Injury

This article describes and illustrates the histologic manifestations of adaptive and degenerative hepatic responses to injurious drugs and chemicals in humans and laboratory animals. The histologic appearance of adaptive changes such as cytochrome P450 induction and peroxisome proliferation in hepatocytes is described, as well as patterns of degeneration and necrosis. The article also describes alterations in the biliary epithelium and cholestasis, reviews vascular disorders, and discusses preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions.
Multishot echo-planar MREIT for fast imaging of conductivity, current density, and electric field distributions

Purpose Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) sequences typically use conventional spin or gradient echo–based acquisition methods for reconstruction of conductivity and current density maps. Use of MREIT in functional and electroporation studies requires higher temporal resolution and faster sequences. Here, single and multishot echo planar imaging (EPI) based MREIT sequences were evaluated to see whether high-quality MREIT phase data could be obtained for rapid reconstruction of current density, conductivity, and electric fields. Methods A gel phantom with an insulating inclusion was used as a test object. Ghost artifact, geometric distortion, and MREIT correction algorithms were applied to the data. The EPI-MREIT-derived phase-projected current density and conductivity images were compared with simulations and spin-echo images as a function of EPI shot number. Results Good agreement among measures in simulated, spin echo, and EPI data was achieved. Current density errors were stable and below 9% as the shot number decreased from 64 to 2, but increased for single-shot images. Conductivity reconstruction relative contrast ratios were stable as the shot number decreased. The derived electric fields also agreed with the simulated data. Conclusions The EPI methods can be combined successfully with MREIT reconstruction algorithms to achieve fast imaging of current density, conductivity, and electric field. Magn Reson Med 79:71–82, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Managing sleep problems using non‐prescription medications and the role of community pharmacists: older adults’ perspectives

Objectives To examine older adults’ perspectives regarding managing sleep problems through selection and use of non-prescription sleep aids, and the role of pharmacists. Methods Telephone interviews were conducted from May to June 2015 with 116 individuals aged ≥60 years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Participants reported in a previous survey to have used at least one non-prescription sleep aid in the past 30 days and were willing to participate in a follow-up interview. Interview guides were designed to elicit perspectives of sleep problems, selection and use of non-prescription sleep aids, and consultation with healthcare professionals. Interview transcripts underwent content analysis. Key findings Four themes emerged as follows: experiences with sleep problems, selection of non-prescription sleep aids, non-prescription sleep aid use and interactions with healthcare professionals. Over half of participants reported using a non-prescription sleep aid for >1 year, were satisfied with its use and perceived it improved sleep quality. Participants commonly used an antihistamine-only sleep aid; 36% of participants self-recommended their sleep aid; and 16% of participants consulted healthcare professionals. Few participants read medication dosage labels (22%), side effects or warnings (19%), and many reported they disregarded directions. Participants did not typically consult pharmacists about sleep problems (65%) but perceived that they could assist with medication concerns. Conclusions Although most participants had favourable perceptions of non-prescription sleep aids, older adults may be inappropriately using non-prescription sleep aids to self-manage sleep problems by frequently disregarding medication labels and directions for safe use. Also, few older adults are discussing their sleep aid selection and use with pharmacists.
Our Invited Essay Series: “Critical Engagements with the Politics of ‘Extremism’ and Schooling”

ABSTRACTThis issue of Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education features two essays responding to Adeela Arshad-Ayaz and M. Ayaz Naseem'’s lead article for this series, “Creating “Invited” Spaces for Counter-Radicalization and Counter-Extremism Education.” Drawing upon metaphor and empirical research, these essays impart important theoretical tools for scholars who work on questions of migration, social justice, belonging, and security in education.
The influence of time horizon on results of cost-effectiveness analyses

Background: Debates persist on the appropriate time horizon from a payer’s perspective and how the time horizon in cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) influences the value assessment.Methods: We syst...
Comparison of centralized and decentralized model predictive control in a building retrofit scenario

Abstract Heat transfer between apartments can challenge the positive effects of applying model predictive control (MPC) in multi-apartment buildings. This paper reports on an investigation of how the performance of two different MPC approaches – centralized and decentralized – may be affected by non-insulated and insulated partition walls between apartments. The results suggest that ignoring inter-zonal thermal effects using the less complicated decentralized approach leads to insignificant performance reductions compared to the more complicated centralized approach – especially if partition walls are insulated.
The Concrete Jungle 1

The creations are an extension from the person. Our hearts are protected by the ribs, and sealed with flesh. Our flesh covers our feelings and inner wounds. We can't see much of what is going on in someone's life from the outside, but from the inside it's a different story. In life we encounter storms, but if we work through our struggles; we can find the light in darkness. There is a necessity to adapt and struggle, which tends to produce a tougher, stronger person. I make use of leather as a second skin and fabric manipulations become the inner skeleton and structures that lie beneath the surface. Hand painting is expressive and freeing. For me, this process is how I cope. I wanted to convey what the body really is. There is beauty in the contrast of restriction and emancipation which are echoed throughout.
High-Fat Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance in Single Skeletal Muscle Fibers is Fiber Type Selective.

Skeletal muscle is the major site for insulin-stimulated glucose disposal, and muscle insulin resistance confers many negative health outcomes. Muscle is composed of multiple fiber types, and conventional analysis of whole muscles cannot elucidate fiber type differences at the cellular level. Previous research demonstrated that a brief (two weeks) high fat diet (HFD) caused insulin resistance in rat skeletal muscle. The primary aim of this study was to determine in rat skeletal muscle the influence of a brief (two weeks) HFD on glucose uptake (GU) ± insulin in single fibers that were also characterized for fiber type. Epitrochlearis muscles were incubated with [3H]-2-deoxyglucose (2DG) ± 100 µU/ml insulin. Fiber type (myosin heavy chain expression) and 2DG accumulation were measured in whole muscles and single fibers. Although fiber type composition of whole muscles did not differ between diet groups, GU of insulin-stimulated whole muscles from LFD rats significantly exceeded HFD values (P < 0.005). For HFD versus LFD rats, GU of insulin-stimulated single fibers was significantly (P < 0.05) lower for IIA, IIAX, IIBX, IIB, and approached significance for IIX (P = 0.100), but not type I (P = 0.776) fibers. These results revealed HFD-induced insulin resistance was attributable to fiber type selective insulin resistance and independent of altered fiber type composition.