cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global Mental Health and Psychopharmacology in Precarious Ecologies: Anthropological Considerations for Engagement and Efficacy

Contrary to common assumptions, treatments that use psychopharmaceuticals require thorough cultural consideration just as psychosocial interventions do. Current efforts to “scale up” global mental health interventions must recognize the social, cultural, and psychological contexts of mental illness and its treatment, and the ecological features of environments with respect to socioeconomic and political conditions that may predispose persons to mental illness through entrapment in precarious situations. Such interventions should be based on a fine-tuned engagement with patients and their families characterized by engaged listening and dialogue if they are to facilitate communication and understanding of both the medical and social expectations associated with the use of psychopharmaceuticals.
Net community production and carbon export during the late summer in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

The phytoplankton bloom in the Ross Sea is the largest in spatial extent and one of the most productive in Antarctica, yet the fate of the summer bloom remains poorly understood. Here we present carbon system data from the first biogeochemical process cruise to be conducted in both the western and central Ross Sea during late summer (February–March 2013). Using one-dimensional carbon budgets, we found evidence for substantial positive net community production (425 ± 204 mmol C m−2 d−1) during the late summer in Terra Nova Bay (TNB) of the western Ross Sea, which was rapidly exported to below 200 m. In addition, seasonally integrated carbon export was higher in diatom-dominated TNB (7.3 ± 0.9 mol C m−2) compared to the Phaeocystis antarctica-dominated central Ross Sea (3.4 ± 0.8 mol C m−2). Substantial late summer productivity and export may be a widespread phenomenon in Antarctic coastal regions that is not accounted for in regional carbon models.
Abstract 3865: Targeting the epigenetic modifier HMGA2 in lethal adult and pediatric gliomas inhibits invasion, growth and tumorigenicity

Glioblastoma (GBM) and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) are highly infiltrative, incurable adult and pediatric brain tumors characterized by the presence of tumor stem-like cells. Although GBM and DIPG have different epigenetic drivers, we found increased expression of an epigenetic modifier and stem cell factor HMGA2 in both tumors by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. HMGA2 is a DNA-binding protein that regulates transcription during normal embryogenesis and in cancer stem cells. We hypothesized that HMGA2 contributes to high grade glioma tumorigenicity through its ability to alter the transcription of many genes. Lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated reduction of HMGA2 in multiple patient-derived GBM cell lines significantly reduced invasion in transwell assay (shHMGA2 vs. shControl, P Citation Format: Harpreet Kaur, Sabeen Z. Ali, Huizi Guo, Sepehr Akhtarkhavari, Fausto Rodriguez, Charles G. Eberhart, Eric H. Raabe. Targeting the epigenetic modifier HMGA2 in lethal adult and pediatric gliomas inhibits invasion, growth and tumorigenicity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3865. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3865
The use of peptides in studying mechanisms of immune tolerance.

The administration of a peptide to experimental animals can have several different immunologic consequences. The peptide may stimulate helper T cells and possibly other lymphocyte subpopulations to respond. Alternatively, it might induce a State of tolerance, so that no response would be detected initially or on subsequent exposure to the peptide even in a form that stimulates a response in naive animals. Before peptides can be used as immunogens, it is important to understand not only what is required to productively engage the immune system, but also to know under what conditions a peptide can induce tolerance. Certainly it would be counterproductive if a peptide intended to stimulate protective immunity instead caused nonresponsiveness. T-lymphocyte tolerance is more likely to be a problem than B-cell tolerance. The B cells which would recognize a small peptide are not the same ones that would recognize the native protein unless the peptide retained the same conformation it had as part of the whole protein. However, T cells normally interact with denatured antigen derived from processing of the native molecule in antigen-presenting cells (ZEEGLER and UNANUE 1981; GERMAIN 1981; SHIMONKEVITZ et al. 1983), and so there is a large overlap between T cells responding to the native protein and those responding to peptide fragments.
Vascular, inflammatory, and metabolic factors associated with cognition in aging persons with chronic epilepsy

We examined cognition in aging persons with chronic epilepsy; characterized targeted vascular, inflammatory, and metabolic risk factors associated with abnormal cognitive aging in the general population; and examined associations between cognition and vascular, inflammatory, and metabolic health. Participants included 40 persons with chronic localization-related epilepsy and 152 controls, aged 54.6 and 55.3, respectively. Participants underwent neuropsychological assessment, clinical examination, and fasting blood evaluation for quantification of vascular status (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, obesity/body mass index [BMI], total and high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol level, and homocysteine), inflammatory markers (high sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], and interleukin-6 [IL-6]), and metabolic status (insulin resistance [Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR)], glucose). Epilepsy participants exhibited impairment across all cognitive factor scores (all p's < 0.0001); abnormalities in BMI (p = 0.049), hs-CRP (p = 0.046), HOMA-IR (p = 0.0040), and fasting glucose (p = 0.03), with significant relationships between higher HOMA-IR with poorer Immediate Memory (p = 0.03) and Visuospatial Ability (0.03); elevated hs-CRP with poorer Visuospatial (p = 0.035) and Verbal Ability (p = 0.06); elevated BMI with poorer Speed/Flexibility (p = 0.04), Visuospatial (p = 0.001) and Verbal Ability (p = 0.02); and lower HDL with poorer Verbal Learning/Delayed Memory (p = 0.01), Speed/Flexibility (p = 0.043), and Working Memory (p = 0.008). Aging persons with chronic epilepsy exhibit multiple abnormalities in metabolic, inflammatory, and vascular health that are associated with poorer cognitive function.
Incidence and predictors of failed second-generation endometrial ablation.

The need for any treatment following an endometrial ablation is frequently cited as “failed therapy,” with the two most common secondary interventions being repeat ablation and hysterectomy. Since second-generation devices have become standard of care, no large cohort study has assessed treatment outcomes with regard to only these newer devices. We sought to determine the incidence and predictors of failed second-generation endometrial ablation, defined as the need for surgical re-intervention. We performed a retrospective cohort study at a single academic-affiliated community hospital. Subjects included women undergoing second-generation endometrial ablation for benign indications between October 2003 and March 2016. Second-generation devices utilized during the study period included the radiofrequency ablation device (RFA), hydrothermal ablation device (HTA), and the uterine balloon ablation system (UBA). Five thousand nine hundred thirty-six women underwent endometrial ablation at a single institution (3757 RFA (63.3%), 1848 HTA (31.1%), and 331 UBA (5.6%)). The primary outcome assessed was surgical re-intervention, defined as hysterectomy or repeat endometrial ablation. Of the total 927 (15.6%) women who required re-intervention, 822 (13.9%) underwent hysterectomy and 105 (1.8%) underwent repeat endometrial ablation. Women who underwent re-intervention were younger (41.6 versus 42.9 years, p < .001), were more often African-American (21.8% versus 16.2%, p < .001), and were more likely to have had a primary radiofrequency ablation procedure (hazard ratio 1.37; 95%CI 1.01 to 1.86). Older age was associated with decreased risk for treatment failure with women older than 45 years of age having the lowest risk for failure (p < .001). Age between 35 and 40 years conferred the highest risk of treatment failure (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.32–1.92). Indications for re-intervention following ablation included menorrhagia (81.8%), abnormal uterine bleeding (27.8%), polyps/fibroids (18.7%), and pain (9.5%). Surgical re-intervention was required in 15.6% of women who underwent second-generation endometrial ablation. Age, ethnicity, and radiofrequency ablation were significant risk factors for failed endometrial ablation, and menorrhagia was the leading indication for re-intervention.
A Radon-Nikodým theorem for a vector-valued reference measure

The conclusion of a Radon-Nikodým theorem is that a measure μ can be represented as an integral with respect to a reference measure such that for all measurable sets A, μ(A) = ∫A f μ(x)dλ with a (Bochner or Lebesgue) integrable derivative or density f μ. The measure λ is usually a countably additive σ-finite measure on the given measure space and the measure μ is absolutely continuous with respect to λ. Different theorems have different range spaces for μ. which could be the real numbers, or Banach spaces with or without the Radon-Nikodým property. In this paper we generalize to derivatives of vector valued measures with respect a vector-valued reference measure. We present a Radon-Nikodým theorem for vector measures of bounded variation that are absolutely continuous with respect to another vector measure of bounded variation. While it is easy in settings such as μ << λ, where λ is Lebesgue measure on the interval [0,1] and μ is vector-valued to write down a nonstandard Radon-Nikodým derivative of the form ϕ : *[0,1] → fin(*E) by \( \varphi _\mu (x) = \sum\nolimits_{i = 1}^H {\tfrac{{{}^*\mu (A_i )}} {{{}^*\lambda (A_i )}}1_{A_i } (x)} \) a vector valued reference measure does not allow this approach, as the quotient of two vectors in different Banach spaces is undefined. Furthermore, generalizing to a vector valued control measure necessitates the use of a generalization of the Bartle integral, a bilinear vector integral.
Abstract 17025: Stable in vivo Ventricular Pacing Created by Tbx18-induced Pacemaker Cells Upon Inhibition of Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transformation in an Ambulatory Rat Model of Complete Atrioventricular Block

Introduction: We have previously demonstrated conversion of ventricular cardiomyocytes to induce pacemaker cells (iPMs) by TBX18. However, the iPMs’ automaticity waned over time due to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transformation (EMT)-mediated cell detachment, collaterally activated by TBX18. We hypothesized that inhibitions of EMT with direct myocardial gene transfer of TBX18 can induce stable biological pacing in a rat model of complete atrioventricular block (CAVB). Methods: A rat model of CAVB was created by ablating the AV node area with a high-frequency electrosurgical generator. Upon CAVB, adenoviral gene transfer of human TBX18 was performed to the LV apex. In another group of TBX18-injected rats, an osmotic pump was implanted for peritoneal release of an inhibitor of EMT, A83. Control animals were implanted with an A83-osmotic pump, but injected with a GFP adenovirus. Animal were followed for 3 wks by telemetry and weekly ECG. Results: Immediately upon CAVB, control rats’ heart rate dropped from 352±40 to 102±38 bpm (n=15). The CAVB rats were sustained by slow junctional rhythm which persisted from wk1 (132±19) through wk4 (134±22). TBX18-injected rats’ mean ventricular rate increased from 165±46 (d1) to 186±35 bpm at wk1 but began wavering, 179±46 at wk2 and 167±44 at wk3. In contrast, TBX18-injected rats with EMT inhibition exhibited stable biological pacing at rates significantly higher than control and TBX18-only rats; 171±41 (d1), 157±35 (wk1), 176±54 (wk2), and 231±33 (wk3). TBX18-only group showed non-sustained ectopic beats that often competed with junctional escape beats. In contrast, TBX18-injected rats with EMT inhibition demonstrated highly-organized, sustained ventricular beats that often approach the sinus rate. With EMT inhibition, the TBX18-transduced myocardium was restricted to the injection site, similar to the GFP. Without EMT inhibition, however, TBX18-transduced myocardium appeared to spread away from the injection site. Conclusions: Stable, TBX18-mediated biological pacing in vivo can be achieved by simultaneous inhibition of EMT. The iPMs, with suppressed EMT, retain cell-cell coupling and synchronous pacing, and may allow the iPMs to better overcome the source-to-sink mismatch in ventricular myocardium.
White Matter Repair in Subcortical Stroke

White matter stroke is a common clinical problem, which leads to distinct histological changes that are different than immune-mediated demyelination. The temporal changes occurring in white matter stroke such as acute loss of axons and astrocytic and microglia responses are likely to change the milieu of the stroke white matter into an inhibitory environment to the remyelination process. Based on the limited number of studies investigating acute and chronic injury states of demyelination, it is yet unclear if a window of opportunity exists after white matter stroke to enhance white matter repair. Although stroke-specific inhibitory mechanisms are not well known, a comprehensive list of pro- and anti-remyelination factors derived from non-stroke white matter diseases is in place to guide further investigation.
Universities as Learning Organizations

One of the most important steps colleges and universities can take in becoming learning organizations is to reorganize their educational activities to encourage shared, connected learning experiences.
Research Methods for Environmental Studies: A Social Science Approach

The methodological needs of environmental studies are unique in the breadth of research questions that can be posed, calling for a textbook that covers a broad swath of approaches to conducting research with potentially many different kinds of evidence. Written specifically for social science-based research into the environment, this book covers the best-practice research methods most commonly used to study the environment and its connections to societal and economic activities and objectives. Over five key parts, Kanazawa introduces quantitative and qualitative approaches, mixed methods, and the special requirements of interdisciplinary research, emphasizing that methodological practice should be tailored to the specific needs of the project. Within these parts, detailed coverage is provided on key topics including the identification of a research project; spatial analysis; ethnography approaches; interview technique; and ethical issues in environmental research. Drawing on a variety of extended examples to encourage problem-based learning and fully addressing the challenges associated with interdisciplinary investigation, this book will be an essential resource for students embarking on courses exploring research methods in environmental studies.
Neuro-Ensemble for Time Series Data Classification

Combining a set of classification algorithms is a powerful technique in improving the accuracy of individual classifiers. There are two main paradigms in combining classifiers: classifier selection, where each classifier is considered as an expert in some local area of the feature space, and classifier fusion, where all classifiers are trained over the entire feature space and they are considered as competitive and complementary to each other. In this paper, we propose a new ensemble technique, NeuroEnsemble, that follows the classifier fusion paradigm applied on time series data. The Neuro-Ensemble exploits the idea that different classifiers participating in the ensemble have varying degrees of expertise on learning different class labels and it optimizes the ensemble using a shallow Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) based meta-learner to capture the expertise of individual classifiers. Every neuron in the MLP represents a classifier that contributes with a vote and performs activation and state computations. This work is the first attempt to train a neural network for learning the expertise of each classifier in an ensemble and optimize the entire classification schema based on class-level expertise weights. We validated our Neuro-Ensemble on 43 real-world time series datasets from the UCR repository. Our experimental results show the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach in comparison with individual baseline learners and ensemble techniques.
Conservatism in Accounting: A Reassessment

ABSTRACT This paper examines how the concept of “conservatism” evolved in historical and contemporary accounting writings using authoritative professional and academic documents. The paper reviews ...
Stabilizing Sets for Linear Time-Invariant Continuous-Time Plants

In this chapter, we develop algorithms and procedures for the computation of the complete stabilizing set of PID controllers for continuous-time systems based on signature methods for root distribution determination. First, we present some basic results for the computation of stabilizing sets. Second, we provide justification and background for the computation of stabilizing sets. Then, we describe the procedure to compute the stabilizing set for LTI systems with P, PI, and PID controllers, and first-order controllers without delay. Finally, we present the computation of the PID stabilizing set which assigns closed-loop poles with real parts less than \(-\sigma \), for prescribed \(\sigma \).
Harm Reduction Approaches for Opioid Use Disorder

An estimated 15.5 million people have an opioid use disorder across the globe resulting in tremendous morbidity and mortality. In the United States, the toll of untreated opioid use disorder has led to an epidemic of overdose deaths resulting in a decline in life expectancy over the past three years. Much of the focus in responding to the opioid overdose crisis has been on supply reduction or expanding the existing treatment system. Supply reduction or expansion of the existing treatment system may not target the needs of people who are actively using drugs and at highest risk of harm or death. In contrast, harm reduction offers a practical approach which focuses on reducing negative consequences and improving the lives and health of people who use opioids. Harm reduction is a philosophy and an approach which focuses on minimizing harm and promoting health, rather than necessarily reducing drug use. A broad range of harm reduction interventions has been studied and found to be successful, including syringe service programs, supervised consumptions sites, naloxone distribution, safer use education, low-threshold treatment models, and prescription heroin programs. Many components of these specific interventions can be incorporated into clinical practice. In addition, the general principles of harm reduction can inform a patient-centered care model both within addiction treatment programs and general medical settings to improve the health of and clinical outcomes for patients. This approach embraces the notion that people who continue to use drugs deserve equitable and dignified care delivered with respect and without judgment.
Factors that predict life sciences student persistence in undergraduate research experiences

Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) have the potential to benefit undergraduates and longer UREs have been shown to lead to greater benefits for students. However, no studies have examined what causes students to stay in or consider leaving their UREs. In this study, we examined what factors cause students to stay in their UREs, what factors cause students to consider leaving their UREs, and what factors cause students to leave their UREs. We sampled from 25 research-intensive (R1) public universities across the United States and surveyed 768 life sciences undergraduates who were currently participating in or had previously participated in a URE. Students answered closed-ended and open-ended questions about factors that they perceived influenced their persistence in UREs. We used logistic regression to explore to what extent student demographics predicted what factors influenced students to stay in or consider leaving their UREs. We applied open-coding methods to probe the student-reported reasons why students chose to stay in and leave their UREs. Fifty percent of survey respondents considered leaving their URE, and 53.1% of those students actually left their URE. Students who reported having a positive lab environment and students who indicated enjoying their everyday research tasks were more likely to not consider leaving their UREs. In contrast, students who reported a negative lab environment or that they were not gaining important knowledge or skills were more likely to leave their UREs. Further, we identified that gender, race/ethnicity, college generation status, and GPA predicted which factors influenced students’ decisions to persist in their UREs. This research provides important insight into how research mentors can create UREs that undergraduates are willing and able to participate in for as long as possible.
Bipedal Robotic Running on Stochastic Discrete Terrain

To navigate over discrete terrain with large displacements in the stepping locations, bipedal robots have to be able to perform agile and dynamic maneuvers such as jumping or running while also satisfying strict constraints on foot placement and ground contact forces. In this paper, we analyze the problem of bipedal running over stochastically varying discrete terrain with large changes in step lengths. Specifically, our method is based on designing a library of running gaits that are two-step-periodic. We illustrate the capabilities of the proposed controller through numerical simulations of a five link underactuated robot RABBIT, running over discrete terrain with step lengths that vary between 0.6m and 1.2m. This is about 1.5 times the robot's leg lengths and twice the step length that could have been achieved by walking.
Female Adnexal Tumor of Probable Wolffian Origin: A Review.

Context.— Female adnexal tumor of probable Wolffian origin (FATWO) is an extremely rare gynecologic neoplasm of low malignant potential. Fewer than 90 cases of this entity have been described in th...
Apollonian coronas and a new Zeta function

We find a formula for the area of disks tangent to a given disk in an Apollonian disk packing (corona) in terms of a certain novel arithmetic Zeta function. The idea is based on "tangency spinors" defined for pairs of tangent disks.
Full endoscopic unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression of the cervical spine: surgical technique and early experience

Background Full-endoscopic decompression surgery has been shown to be safe and efficacious in the lumbar spine, while its role remains to be determined in the cervical spine. We describe the utility of cervical endoscopic unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (CE-ULBD) in a series of elderly patients with severe central stenosis, significant medical comorbidity, and existing cervical deformity. Methods A prospectively collected spine surgery registry at the University of Washington was retrospectively queried for patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy receiving CE-ULBD. Demographic data, operative details, imaging, and patient reported outcomes, including visual analogue scale (VAS) for neck and upper extremity pain, Nurick grade, and the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) score, were reviewed. Description of the surgical technique is provided. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results From 2014 through 2018, 10 patients with an average age of 70.2±5.0 years underwent CE-ULBD for symptomatic upper cervical stenosis due to ligamentum flavum buckling. Half of these patients had one stenotic segment, the other half had two stenotic segments. The most commonly affected segment was C3/4 (5/10 patients). Average length of surgery was 128±18.4 minutes. Average length of stay was 1.2±0.2 days. Average clinical follow-up time was 22.0±4.7 months; clinical outcomes at most recent follow-up were improved via both the Nurick grade (1.2±0.4, P<0.01) and modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (14.6±1.0, P<0.001) compared with pre-operative values. One patient experienced a transient loss of motor evoked potentials intraoperatively, but there were no cases of permanent neurological deficit. Conclusions Severe central cervical stenosis is a safe and viable target for full-endoscopic decompression via an interlaminar approach.
Occupant Localization in Obstructive Indoor Environments Using Footstep-Induced Floor Vibrations

In this paper, we characterize the effects of obstructions on footstep-induced floor vibrations to enable obstruction-invariant indoor occupant localization. Occupant localization is important in smart building applications such as healthcare and energy management. In prior works, footstep-based vibration sensing has been introduced for non-intrusive occupant localization in open areas. However, real buildings have various types of obstructions (e.g., walls, furniture, etc.) which affect the wave propagation characteristics and significantly reduce localization accuracy. Requiring unobstructed paths between footsteps and sensors results in higher instrumentation and maintenance cost for these prior works. We have observed that the obstruction mass is one of the key factors affecting localization accuracy by altering wave propagation velocity. Therefore, to overcome the obstruction challenge, we (1) detect and estimate the mass of the obstruction by characterizing the attenuation rate, and (2) model the velocity-mass relationship to find the propagation velocities which in turn are used for occupant localization through non-isotropic multilateration. In field experiments, we achieved an average localization error of 0.61 m, which is a 1.6X improvement compared to the baseline approach.
The inclusion of health data standards in the implementation of pharmacogenomics systems: a scoping review.

Background: Despite potential benefits, the practice of incorporating pharmacogenomics (PGx) results in clinical decisions has yet to diffuse widely. In this study, we conducted a review of recent discussions on data standards and interoperability with a focus on sharing PGx test results among health systems. Materials & methods: We conducted a literature search for PGx clinical decision support systems between 1 January 2012 and 31 January 2020. Thirty-two out of 727 articles were included for the final review. Results: Nine of the 32 articles mentioned data standards and only four of the 32 articles provided solutions for the lack of interoperability. Discussions: Although PGx interoperability is essential for widespread implementation, a lack of focus on standardized data creates a formidable challenge for health information exchange. Conclusion: Standardization of PGx data is essential to improve health information exchange and the sharing of PGx results between disparate systems. However, PGx data standards and interoperability are often not addressed in the system-level implementation.
Meeting Engineering Program Objectives through Service Learning Opportunities in Developing Countries

The civil engineering profession, in an adaptive reaction to emerging roles for civil engineers, is recognizing the need for new engineers to possess a more robust skill set than just the typical design background. This paper describes the efforts of Clemson Engineers for Developing Countries (CEDC) to fulfill the more nontraditional and often unaddressed "learning outcomes" noted by ASCE's Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century as important prerequisites for licensure. The learning outcomes are addressed through ongoing international service learning projects in Cange, Haiti. The paper focuses on the following four outcomes and their fulfillment methods: leadership, globalization, teamwork, and communications. The student led organization has allowed students to set up their own fundraising mechanisms, to seek out members to join design review boards, and to develop their own project objectives. This level of student autonomy is noted as key to ensuring that students achieve competency in these four areas.
Characterization and design methodology for the dual exponentially tapered slot antenna

Tapered slot antennas are simple planar structures with broadband characteristics that are typically used in arrays for radar applications, mobile satellite communications and phased arrays. Most published work has been limited to the linearly tapered slot and Vivaldi antennas. Very little has been published on the dual exponentially tapered slot antenna (DETSA), originally referred to as a wideband bunny-ear element. In this paper a performance characterization for the DETSA is presented. It has been found that careful design of the DETSA can give improved directivity and half power beamwidth (HPBW) performance over the Vivaldi antenna. Also presented is a method for defining the DETSA dimensions in terms of ratios, so design features of different DETSAs can be quantified and their performance compared.
Embryotoxicity and maternal serum concentrations of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) in baboons (Papio cynocephalus).

Abstract A single dose of MPA (Depo-Provera; Upjohn Co.; USA) was administered intramuscularly on day 27 (± 2) of gestation to three dosage groups of pregnant baboons. The dosage expressed as mg/kg corresponded to 1 (2.5 mg/kg), 10 (25 mg/kg) and 40 (100 mg/kg) times the human contraceptive dose equivalent (HDE) based on body weight. Injectable MPA was not teratogenic in baboons at 1x HDE. The teratogenicity was confined to the higher doses which included malformations of the external genitalia at 10x and 40x HDE and adrenal gland hypoplasia at 40x HDE. The maternal serum MPA concentrations were high during the critical period of adrenal and genital development. The pattern of MPA concentrations in maternal sera was similar between animals in the low dose group (10x HDE). In contrast, animals in the high dose group (40x HDE) showed interanimal variations in maternal serum concentrations of MPA. This study has demonstrated that injectable MPA is not teratogenic in baboons at human contraceptive dose equivalent and, even at higher doses, does not result in any nontarget organ malformations.
Universal alignment probabilities and subset selection for ordinal optimization

We examine in this paper the subset selection procedure in the context of ordinal optimization introduced in Ref. 1. Major concepts including goal softening, selection subset, alignment probability, and ordered performance curve are formally introduced. A two-parameter model is devised to calculate alignment probabilities for a wide range of cases using two different selection rules: blind pick and horse race. Our major result includes the suggestion of quantifiable subset selection sizes which are universally applicable to many simulation and modeling problems, as demonstrated by the examples in this paper.
Fabrication of extremely short length fiber Bragg gratings for sensor applications

A new technique and a physical model for writing extremely short length Bragg gratings in optical fibers have been developed. The model describes the effects of diffraction on the spatial spectra and therefore, the wavelength spectra of the Bragg gratings. Using an interferometric technique and a variable aperture, short gratings of various lengths and center wavelengths were written in optical fibers. By selecting the related parameters, the Bragg gratings with typical length of several hundred microns and bandwidth of several nanometers can be obtained. These short gratings can be apodized with selected diffraction patterns and hence their broadband spectra have a well-defined bell shape. They are suitable for use as miniaturized distributed strain sensors, which have broad applications to aerospace research and industry as well.
Single‐molecule tracking and super‐resolution imaging shed light on cholera toxin transcription activation

Because of their small size, bacterial cells have long kept details about their inner workings a secret. We are starting to decipher their mechanistic secrets, in no small part due to the development of single-molecule and super-resolution fluorescence imaging, the subject of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. These new methods have yielded a surge of discoveries about the subcellular organization and dynamics inside microbes. One example is an increased understanding of the virulence pathway within the cholera-causing microbe, Vibrio cholerae. Here, expression of the cholera toxin is regulated by an unusual step: transcription is activated by two inner-membrane proteins. Relating potential cooperative mechanisms between these two membrane-bound proteins and transcription activation is difficult using ensemble methods, which could obfuscate any underlying heterogeneity. Recent efforts using single-molecule tracking and super-resolution imaging have begun to unravel the heterogeneity. The results support a mechanism in which one membrane protein recruits the other in order to activate transcription. The study helps to explain the relationship between the two proteins in cholera replication and also sheds light on the broader process of membrane-bound transcription activation which, although uncommon, has been observed in other organisms.
Systematics of particle-nucleus reactions. II. Nuclear recoil in nonfission reactions induced by 1-GeV to 400-GeV protons

Experimental results from nonfission reactions, induced by protons with energies of 1 GeV or more, were analyzed by simple nuclear-reaction models. A set of parameters, described in the preceding paper, was obtained from this analysis for the purpose of studying the systematics of nuclear recoil in these reactions. Spallation reactions were assumed to occur in two steps: an initial fast process in which momentum is transferred to the struck nucleus in the forward direction, followed by an isotropic random-walk process. In another possible type of reaction--fragmentation--the observed nucleus is formed in a single fast event, corresponding to the first step of a spallation reaction. Since a model for determining the parameters of a fragmentation reaction from the experimental data was lacking, all of the results were analyzed by the two-step model. The parameters were divided into three groups. The first two sets of parameters correspond to the two steps described above, and the third is based on an overall energy inventory of each reaction. The general properties of the reactions studied are indicated by the systematics of these parameters. Criteria are presented for distinguishing between spallation, fragmentation, and fission. More detailed information about possible mechanisms for specific reactions is given.
Chromatic Aberration as a Possible Cue to Specify the Sign of Defocus in the Eye

Polychromatic blur from defocus and chromatic aberration specifies distance & relative depth and drives accommodation & emmetropization. Chromatic aberration disambiguates the sign of defocus for most eyes but higher order aberrations can intervene.
A LABORATORY INVESTIGATION OF THE SECOND ORDER CORRECTIONS TO GRAVITY MEASURED AT SEA

Summary A Vening Meinesz pendulum apparatus was subjected to simple harmonic accelerations and the changes in the periods of the pendulums caused by the motion were measured. The second order corrections were investigated for vertical accelerations with periods between 5.9 and 12.8 seconds and for horizontal accelerations with pericds between 3.30 and 6.85 seconds. These corrections were always found to be consistent with Browne's expressions. The long-period pendulums, added to the main apparatus in 1938 in order to record its horizontal accelerations, were found to give satisfactory results.
Differences in copper retention in two strains of chickens.

Abstract Cupric acetate was injected intramuscularly in two strains of chickens developed by selection for a difference in susceptibility to the avian leukosis complex. When given a dose of 9.1 mg copper per kilogram of body weight as cupric acetate, one strain retained significantly more copper in the liver than the other strain. However, when injected with a dose of 0.91 mg copper per kilogram of body weight as cupric acetate no differences were observed.
Familial 46,XX males coexisting with familial 46,XX true hermaphrodites in same pedigree

Reported here is a family with which 46,XX males and 46,XX true hermaphrodites coexist. The propositus was a paternal uncle with 46,XX true hermaphroditism. One of his brothers fathered a 46,XX daughter with true hermaphroditism; a second brother fathered two 46,XX males. Both fathers have normal male karyotypes and phenotypes. No evidence for chromosomal mosaicism or any additional chromosomal abnormalities was obtained. We conclude that inheritance of the abnormality is most likely via paternal transmission of an autosomal testis-determining factor. This family provides evidence to support the hypothesis that 46,XX true hermaphrodites and 46,XX males represent alternative manifestations of the same genetic defect.
Tensile properties of low-stacking fault energy high-entropy alloys

Abstract An equiatomic NiFeCrCoMn alloy, two non-equiatomic NiFeCrCoMn alloys optimized for low stacking fault energy, and an equiatomic NiFeCrCo alloy were produced by arc melting. Samples were homogenized, cold rolled, and annealed at temperatures between 575 and 1100 °C. Samples annealed at a moderate temperature near their recrystallization temperature (625–675 °C) and 1100 °C were cut into flat tensile samples and tested at a strain rate of 7.3×10−4 s−1. Equiatomic NiFeCrCo had the highest ductility and toughness after annealing at both temperatures, followed by Ni18.5Fe18.5Cr18.5Co26Mn18.5. Ni14Fe20Cr26Co20Mn20 exhibited poor thermal stability, forming σ-phase intermetallics at temperatures below 1100 °C. Observation of the fracture surfaces suggested that the high performance of NiFeCrCo might be due to the absence of oxide particles that form in the Mn-containing alloys. The strain-hardening rate and exponent were calculated from the results, showing a large deviation from typical behavior and significant grain size dependence.
DIASPORA BONDS: TAPPING THE DIASPORA DURING DIFFICULT TIMES

India and Israel have raised over US$35 billion by tapping into the wealth of their diaspora communities. These diaspora bonds represent a stable and cheap source of external finance, often when countries lost access to international capital markets. For diaspora investors, these bonds offer the opportunity to help their country of origin while also providing an investment opportunity. The potential for diaspora bonds is significant for many countries with large diasporas abroad. However, diaspora bond issuance from countries with weak governance and high sovereign risk may require support for institutional capacity building and credit enhancement from multilateral or bilateral agencies. Haiti, for instance, could raise several hundred million dollars by issuing diaspora bonds provided a guarantee structure is created to build trust in the country's public institutions.
Masking and Unmasking Maternal mRNA THE ROLE OF POLYADENYLATION, TRANSCRIPTION, SPLICING, AND NUCLEAR HISTORY

We establish that masked mRNAs synthesized from exogenous plasmid templates microinjected into the nuclei of Xenopus oocytes are translationally activated (unmasked) on oocyte maturation concomitant with polyadenylation. Synthetic mRNA injected into the cytoplasm of the oocyte is translated over an order of magnitude more efficiently than is the cognate mRNA synthesized in vivo. Both mRNA synthesized in vivo and mRNA microinjected into the oocyte cytoplasm require a cytoplasmic polyadenylation element in the 3′-untranslated region to activate translation on maturation. Although polyadenylation upon oocyte maturation can relieve the translational repression of mRNA synthesized in vivo, the excision of an intron within the nucleus does not relieve repression. We suggest that the translational repression coupled to the transcription process will more effectively repress inappropriate gene expression in the oocyte and offer the potential to achieve a wider range of gene regulation.
Comparative studies on blood stream and culture forms of Trypanosoma lewisi. I. Oxygen utilization, carbon dioxide production and glucose uptake.

Abstract 1. 1. Glucose-stimulated oxygen uptake by the blood-stream forms of Trypanosoma lewisi was comparatively higher than the culture forms. 2. 2. Endogenous oxygen consumption by the culture forms was relatively higher than the blood-stream forms. 3. 3. Production of glucose-stimulated carbon dioxide was higher by the blood-stream forms than the culture forms. 4. 4. As the duration of growth of the culture forms was extended, glucose uptake by the organisms increased significantly, while the blood-stream form decreased slightly during the course of the infection. 5. 5. The μM O 2 /μM glucose ratio of the blood-stream form increased significantly from 4 to 7 days, while the ratio decreased during the growth of the culture-form trypanosomes.
Mantle source volumes and the origin of the mid-Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up in the southern Rocky Mountains, western U.S.

Abstract Voluminous intermediate to silicic composition volcanic rocks were generated throughout the southern Rocky Mountains, western U.S., during the mid-Tertiary “ignimbrite flare-up”, principally at the San Juan and Mogollon-Datil volcanic fields. At both volcanic centers, radiogenic isotope data have been interpreted as evidence that 50% or more of the volcanic rocks (by mass) were derived from mantle-derived, mafic parental magmas, but no consensus exists as to whether melting was largely of lithospheric or sub-lithospheric mantle. Recent xenolith studies, however, have revealed that thick (> 100 km), fertile, and hydrated continental lithosphere was present beneath at least portions of the southern Rocky Mountains during the mid-Tertiary. The presence of such thick mantle lithosphere, combined with an apparent lack of syn-magmatic extension, leaves conductive heating of lithospheric mantle as a plausible method of generating the mafic magmas that fueled the ignimbrite flare-up in this inland region. To further assess this possibility, we estimated the minimum volume of mantle needed to generate the mafic magmas parental to the preserved mid-Tertiary igneous rocks. Conservative estimates of the mantle source volumes that supplied the Mogollon-Datil and San Juan volcanic fields are ∼ 2 M km3 and ∼ 7 M km3, respectively. These volumes could have comprised only lithospheric mantle if at least the lower ∼ 20 km of the mantle lithosphere beneath the entire southern Rocky Mountains region underwent partial melting during the mid-Tertiary and if the resulting mafic magmas were drawn laterally for distances of up to ∼ 300 km into each center. Such widespread melting of lithospheric mantle requires that the lithospheric mantle have been uniformly fertile and primed for melting in the mid-Tertiary, a possibility if the lithospheric mantle had experienced widespread hydration and refrigeration during early Tertiary low angle subduction. Exposure of the mantle lithosphere to hot, upwelling sub-lithospheric mantle during mid-Tertiary slab roll back could have then triggered the mantle melting. While a plausible source for mid-Tertiary basaltic magmas in the southern Rocky Mountains, lithospheric mantle could not have been the sole source for mafic magmas generated to the south in that portion of the ignimbrite flare-up now preserved in the Sierra Madre Occidental of northern Mexico. The large mantle source volumes (> 45 M km3) required to fuel the voluminous silicic ignimbrites deposited in this region (> 400 K km3) are too large to have been accommodated within the lithospheric mantle alone, implying that melting in sub-lithospheric mantle must have played a significant role in generating this mid-Tertiary magmatic event.
Menstrual disorders in women with epilepsy

Women with epilepsy are more likely to have menstrual disorders than women in the general population. Estimates vary because of different definitions of menstrual disorder. Our best estimate is that perhaps one of every three women with epilepsy may be affected compared with one of seven in the general population. Menstrual disorders are significant because they are associated with anovulatory cycles that may increase the risks for infertility, migraine, emotional disorders, and female cancers. They are neurologically important because they are associated with greater seizure frequency. Increasing evidence implicates both epilepsy itself and antiepileptic drug (AED) use as causal or contributory factors. These factors can alter reproductive hormone levels and promote the development of reproductive endocrine disorders, especially polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Among AEDs, valproate has been associated with the development of characteristic PCOS features. The risk appears to be particularly high when valproate use is started in childhood or adolescence. Menopause tends to occur earlier in women with epilepsy, especially in the setting of a high lifetime number of seizures and lifetime use of multiple enzyme-inducing AEDs. The intricate relationship between reproductive disorders and epilepsy suggests that reproductive function should be monitored closely as part of the comprehensive care of women with epilepsy.
Apparent Temperatures Measured at Melting Points of Some Metal Oxides in a Solar Furnace

Six metal oxides (A12O3, TiO2, Nb2O5, Ta2O5, La2O3, and Dy2O3) were melted in a solar furnace and the apparent temperatures at their melting points were measured by means of a conventional optical pyrometer. The apparent temperatures of three of them (A12O3, TiO2, and Nb2O5) were 2025°, 1840°, and 1496°C. respectively, in close agreement with the melting points as determined by other investigators using other methods. The apparent temperatures of the other three varied widely and bore no relation to their melting points. The method therefore does not have general utility for the measurement of unknown melting points.
Gas Flow and Particle Deposition in the Hot Gas Filter Vessel at the Tidd 70 MWE PFBC Demonstration Power Plant

ABSTRACT Advanced hot-gas filtration systems for clean coal technologies have attracted considerable attention in recent years. The Tidd hot-gas filtration system was the first demonstration unit in the United States. The system was operational for about four years (1990–1994) and has provided considerable engineering information concerning the operation of the demonstration-scale hot-gas particle filtration system. The present work describes a computer simulation study of gas flow and particle transport and deposition in the Tidd filter vessel. The FLUENT™ code is used for evaluating the gas mean velocity, mean pressure, and the state of turbulence in the filter vessel. The three tiers with a total of 384 filters are modeled as three effective cylindrical filters. The particle equation of motion that includes the nonlinear drag and the gravity is used. The particle deposition patterns are evaluated, and the effect of particle size is studied. The results show that, for a clean filter system, the rate of ...