cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrospective analysis of fish community change during a half-century of landuse and streamflow changes

Ecological thresholds that lead to alternative community states can be exceeded through gradual perturbation or as a result of sudden disturbance. Many Great Plains streams have experienced dramatic changes in their hydrologic regime resulting from water and landuse changes that began as early as 1880. These changes, combined with the presence of many invasive species, have substantially altered the fish communities in this area. We quantified temporal changes in fish communities in 3 large river basins in relation to putative anthropogenic stressors, including increased sediment supply derived from row-crop agriculture (beginning in 1880), habitat fragmentation caused by reservoir construction (beginning in the 1950s), and reduced discharge caused by groundwater withdrawal (beginning in the 1960s). We hypothesized that these abiotic regime shifts, coupled with species invasions, would shift the system from a fish community dominated by lotic (flowing water) species to one dominated by lentic (still water) species. Further, we predicted that the timing and intensity of community change would vary across basins that experienced different types and levels of stressors. Restructuring of fish communities across the 3 river basins was driven primarily by similar increases in lentic species, with only a few declines in several large-river species. Current fish communities in these basins share ,50% of the species recorded in historic collections, and these differences were driven by species extirpations and invasions. The greatest levels of community divergence over time occurred in western Kansas basins that experienced the most intense groundwater withdrawals and fragmentation by reservoirs. An alarming result from this analysis was the recent (after 1991) expansion of several invasive species in the Arkansas and lower Kansas River basins and the decline or extirpation of several native species where flow regimes are less heavily altered. Accelerating changes in the biota and habitat identified by our retrospective analysis highlight potential complications for restoring the habitat and native fish communities to a previous state.
Comparison and analysis of software and directory coherence schemes

Directory schemes and software schemes have been prop osed to solve the cache coherence problem for the MIN-based large-scale multiproc essor system. We compare the performance of the two schemes using trace-driven simulation including the effect of false sharing caused by a nontrivial cache line size. It shows that the simplest software scheme can have a hit ra­ tio and shared memory traffic comparable to those of the directory scheme. The invalidations and the shar­ ing behavior of the directory scheme are classified and analyzed.
Relations of Symptoms to Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is characterized by a variety of cognitive dysfunc- tions. Information-processing dys- functions differ between clinical subtypes such that nonparanoid schizophrenia patients attend less than paranoid schizophrenia pa- tients to connotative or con- textual aspects of stimuli. The positive and negative symptom dimensions are also associated with distinct cognitive deficits. In general, positive symptoms are related to auditory-proc essing deficits and negative symptoms to visual/motor dysfunctions. The interaction of frontal and sep- tohippocampal brain systems, and failures of information- processing automaticity and self- monitoring, have been proposed as the bases of positive symp- toms. Negative symptoms are thought to arise from abnor- malities in the complex interac- tions of frontal and striatal sys- tems. Recent theoretical analyses have recommended a focus on the cognitive and neuropsycho- logical analysis of specific symp- toms (e.g., hallucinations and de- lusions) instead of on the more heterogeneous symptom clusters or dimensions. Studies of spe- cific symptoms indicate that pa- tients with hallucinations have deficits in discriminatin g the source of information. Delusions have been related to abnormal inference processes as well as abnormal perceptual experiences. Studies should now examine the links between information- processing abnormalities and symptoms over time, as the latter change, within the framework of explicit, disconfirmable theoreti-
Western Bean Cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), as a Potential Pest of Transgenic Cry1Ab Bacillus thuringiensis Corn Hybrids in South Dakota

Abstract Injuries caused by the western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith), on transgenic Cry1Ab Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn hybrids were documented and quantified. The western bean cutworm is an emerging or potential pest of transgenic Bt corn in South Dakota. The proportion of ears infested with western bean cutworm larvae in the Cry1Ab Bt corn hybrids were 18–20, 38–70, and 0–34% in 2000, 2003, and 2004, respectively. The Cry1Ab Bt corn hybrids were almost completely free of European corn borer infestations. Untreated conventional corn hybrids were less infested with western bean cutworm larvae but more infested with European corn borer larvae. The proportion of ears infested with European corn borer larvae alone were 33, 58–80, and 8–25% in 2000, 2003, and 2004, respectively. Infestations with western bean cutworm alone were 28, 8–28, and 13–19%, respectively. Proportion of ears simultaneously infested with both western bean cutworm and European corn borer larvae were much lower than sing...
Best Buy and Showrooming: A Critical Thinking Case Exercise Based upon Service Dominant Logic and Value Co-creation:

AbstractThis article shows how a critical thinking perspective in teaching business cases can create value for students and educators. We introduce a free, online case emphasizing value co-creation in a consumer retail setting that was co-developed by marketing faculty at Illinois State University, Best Buy and IBM. The case focuses on the problems of showrooming (i.e., evaluating products in a physical store, but purchasing products via another channel such as online) and webrooming (i.e., researching products online, but purchasing the products in physical stores) that currently challenge many traditional retailers. The extent of the information created through the case videos of involved managers and other means encourage critical thinking which supports the achievement of higher order thinking skills in students’ business decision-making. The case further adds an additional value by (a) providing current summaries of the emerging marketing literature related to service dominant logic, value co-creatio...
Synergistic cytotoxicity from nitric oxide and hyperoxia in cultured lung cells

Exogenous nitric oxide (NO) is being tested clinically for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in infants and children. In most cases, these patients receive simultaneous oxygen (O2) therapy. H...
Epistemological Fission: On Unity and Diversity in Epistemology

Soulevant le probleme de la taxinomie et des theories hybrides en epistemologie, incluant des versions internalistes de l'externalisme, des versions pragmatistes de l'explicationnisme et des versions contextualistes du coherentisme, l'A. mesure l'espoir, entre mythe et realite, d'une unite retrouvee de l'epistemologie contemporaine, caracteriee par l'autorite de la science et du scientisme (Russell) et par l'emergence du naturalisme eliminativiste de Quine. Examinant la concurrence entre le pragmatisme de Carnap et le sens commun fonde sur l'intution, l'A. conclut a l'unite de la fission epistemologique contemporaine au sein d'un instrumentalisme metaepistemique tolerant
Comments on Taylor's Commentary on Mark

Taylor's work will influence the study of Mk. for years to come. Therefore it deserves such detailed criticism as the following, which should be considered a tribute to the book's importance and to the great learning from which that importance derives. These, however, will be obvious to every reader; therefore this article is devoted to points which seemed to deserve correction rather than praise.
Random Walk with Transition Probabilities That Depend on Direction of Motion

(1964). Random Walk with Transition Probabilities That Depend on Direction of Motion. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 248-250.
Smoothness of Surgical Tool Tip Motion Correlates to Skill in Endovascular Tasks

Current performance assessment techniques in endovascular surgery are subjective or limited to grading scales based solely on an expert's observation of a novice's task execution. Since most endovascular procedures involve performing fine motor control tasks that require complex dexterous movements, this paper evaluates objective and quantitative metrics of performance that capture movement quality through the computation of tool tip movement smoothness. An experiment was designed that involved recording the catheter tip movement from 20 subjects performing four fundamental endovascular tasks in each of three sessions using manual catheterization on a physical model and in a simulation environment. Several motion-based performance measures that have been shown to reliably assess skill in other domains were computed and tested for correlation with subjective data that were simultaneously obtained from the global rating scale assessment tool. Metrics that captured movement smoothness produced statistically significant correlations with the observation-based assessment metrics and were able to differentiate skill among participants. In particular, submovement analysis led to metrics that captured statistically significant differences across ability group, session, experimental platform, and task. Objective and quantitative metrics that capture movement smoothness could be incorporated into future training protocols to provide detailed feedback on trainee performance.
Perspectives on Early Research on Photosynthesis in Chlamydomonas

Personal perspectives of the authors on research conducted in the laboratory of R. P. Levine at the Biological Laboratories, Harvard University in the latter half of the 1960s to the early 1970s is described. The chapter summarizes the state of research in photosynthesis and chloroplast biology in the early 1960s. The authors recall experiments and events that led to the establishment of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model organism for the study of photosynthesis and the molecular biology of chloroplasts. These reminiscences include personal anecdotes that try to convey the excitement, and elation and disappointments, that were experienced during these pioneering times in Chlamydomonas research.
Science in Literature

Huxley named the relations between literature, science and philosophy as ‘the most important and the most interesting of the subjects which may, theoretically, be made into poetry, but which have, as a matter of fact, rarely or never undergone the transmutation’ (Margin 27. 1923). He thought it the literary artist’s cultural responsibility to maintain a dialogue between literature and science and disseminate scientific ideas to a lay audience or at the very least draw their attention to the importance of such ideas. He believed literature could humanize science, could make it felt both as an intellectual achievement and something which profoundly shapes material culture.1 It was also a moral imperative: ‘one of the prime duties’ of the twentieth-century artist, he affirmed, is to draw attention to the evil ends for which a morally neutral science is being used (Literature 78–9).
“First, Do No Harm?”: A Framework for Ethical Decision-Making in Teacher Evaluation

The authors examine issues within current teacher evaluation reform, using ethics as a disciplinary lens. The chapter begins with a call for educational decision-makers to attend to the moral dimensions of teacher evaluation, especially when considering the potential intended and unintended consequences of the use of student growth measures (SGMs). Using a hypothetical example, the authors provide a practical framework for educational decision-makers that may illuminate overlooked ethical concerns. This chapter offers steps for administrators to contextualize, analyze, and more thoughtfully navigate ethical quandaries that arise in the design and/or implementation of teacher evaluation systems. The authors argue that this framework provides a useful, additive approach for evaluating the impact of SGMs, shedding light on possible considerations for high-stakes educational decision-making.
The Role of Particle Surface Functionality and Microstructure Development in Isothermal and Non-Isothermal Crystallization Behavior of Polyamide 6/Cellulose Nanocrystals Nanocomposites

Abstract Polyamide 6 (PA6)/cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and aminopropyl triethoxy silane (APS) - modified CNC nanocomposites were prepared by in situ anionic ring opening polymerization and subsequent melt extrusion. The morphological observation of these hybrid systems revealed that the non-modified nanocrystals developed a network-like fibrillar structure while the APS-modified CNCs were finely dispersed mostly as individual whiskers. The isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics was extensively studied with emphasis on the effects of CNC surface functionality and the subsequent microstructure development on crystallization behavior of these novel nanocomposite systems. The non-modified CNC particles with corresponding fibrillar microstructure were found significantly hinder the crystallization process and spherultic growth of polyamide 6 chains under both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. On other hand, the surface modified cellulose nanocrystals with improved sub-micron dispersion enhance crystal nucleation in early stages of crystallization while imposing opposite effect in later stages of crystallization resulting in development of relatively smaller defective spherulitic structures.
Abstract 4722: Inactivation of neogenin promotes castration resistance and bone metastasis in prostate cancer models

Increasing evidence suggests that exposure to new generation agents targeting the AR promotes the emergence of castration-resistant stem-like clones ultimately leading to treatment failure. In order to develop improved therapies for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), it is important to understand the origin and biology of these stem-like clones. We have observed significantly diminished levels of Neogenin (encoded by NEO1) in CRPC. Neogenin functions as a neuronal guidance receptor but has also been implicated in epithelial branching morphogenesis and is homologous to DCC, which functions as a suppressor of tumor progression in breast and colorectal cancer. We found that silencing of neogenin induces androgen receptor (AR) dependent prostate cancer cells to undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and acquire neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation features. In addition, the neogenin-silenced cells expressed high levels of the stem cell markers β4 integrin and CD44 and formed rapidly growing tumor spheres in vitro. Intriguingly, these cells had become castration resistant due to loss of AR expression and were able to efficiently colonize the bone upon intracardiac injection in immunodeficient mice. Genomic and molecular pathology studies indicated that NEO1 expression is lost in CRPC and NEPC. To examine the relationship between the acquisition of the castration resistant phenotype and loss of neogenin, we have generated a series of casodex- and enzalutamide-resistant clones from LNCaP cells. Interestingly, we observed that a significant fraction of these clones have lost expression of neogenin and acquired expression of the β4 integrin and are highly metastatic in immunodeficient mice, similar to the characteristics of CRPC observed in the clinic. To validate these results, we sought to identify a population of β4-positive cells in the peripheral blood of patients with CRPC. By using immunofluorescent staining and FACS analysis, we were able to identify β4-positive circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from the peripheral blood of CRPC patients. These cells were not detected in the blood of healthy normal donors but their numbers increased with disease progression. These findings identify a novel tumor progression pathway that is likely to operate in at least a fraction of CRPC cases. Citation Format: Goutam Chakraborty, Mayur Gadiya, Myriam Kossai, Dong Gao, Weijing Su, Hua Gao, Yu Chen, Howard I. Scher, Mark A. Rubin, Filippo Giancotti. Inactivation of neogenin promotes castration resistance and bone metastasis in prostate cancer models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4722. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4722
Reflux Associated Apnea in Infants: Evidence for a Laryngeal Chemoreflex

The mucosa covering the interarytenoid space at the entrance to the larynx contains specialized nerve endings (receptors) that are stimulated when a fluid comes into contact with the mucosal surface. These receptors mediate several aspiration preventive reflex responses, which include swallowing, cessation of breathing, airway constriction or closure, and coughing. The laryngeal receptors are more sensitive to water than to saline, and therefore the combined reflex response to receptor stimulation is termed the "laryngeal chemoreflex." This reflex can be activated during regurgitation of gastric contents into the pharynx, in which case the several components of the reflex serve to prevent intrapulmonary aspiration of gastric fluid. In certain infants a hyperactive laryngeal chemoreflex may cause episodic prolonged apnea. Such reflex-mediated apnea has been implicated in several kinds of prolonged infantile apnea, including apea of prematurity, gastric regurgitation-related apnea, and apnea associated with upper respiratory infection.
Evaluation of hybrid laser-cut and cast miniature fracture specimens

Abstract This paper presents a new hybrid laser-cutting method for producing fracture test specimens from thermosetting materials. The hybrid approach combines casting of a sheet of material with subsequent laser-cutting of the test specimens. The new approach was compared to the traditional casting method using a fracture toughness test. For this study, a compact version of the tapered double cantilever beam (cTDCB) was used as a specimen geometry for both manufacturing methods. The cTDCB specimen is crack length independent, and crack length investigations were performed to ensure the crack length independence of the cTDCB specimens. The specimens that were made by the hybrid laser-cut method were found to be comparable to the specimens obtained by the traditional casting method. Moreover, the laser-cut method provides a fast and accurate method to make a significant number of samples in a reasonable time. These tests show that the hybrid laser-cut method could be a good alternative to the traditional casting method.
Beauty and the Sense of Life

The Hegelian notion of the end of art presupposes his totalizing account of world history. Hegel’s historical vision is inadequate because it fails to recognize that cultures have had different specific goals for art, and that they have not all aimed at the transparent realism that Hegel admires. His relegation of art to a less prominent role than hitherto also amounts to a demotion of beauty from its earlier spiritual role, through art, of guiding humanity to greater collective self-awareness. Hegel underemphasizes another spiritual function of beauty, its role in furthering our sense of life and enabling us to take joy in our own vitality. A recognition of this function of beauty is better able to reflect diverse cultural conceptions of beauty and spirituality than does Hegel’s account. It also suggests a partial explanation of the widespread phenomenon of turning to beauty in contexts of loss and mourning.
Paper 4. Towed Bodies

The problems of stability and control are surveyed for the system comprising towing body, connecting cable and towed body. Factors influencing the equilibrium configuration are first outlined, foll...
Sling Procedures for Neuropathic Sphincter Incontinence

Sling suspension of the bladder neck in neuropathic sphincter incontinence is a relatively easy and successful way to achieve urinary continence. It obviates the need for complicated intravesical procedures and can be combined with any other type of bladder surgery. In females, the transvaginal way is easy and success is nearly guaranteed.
Learning from Role Models in Rwanda: Incoherent Emulation in the Construction of a Neoliberal Developmental State

In the twenty-first century, developing country policymakers are offered different market-led role models and varied interpretations of ‘developmental state role models’. Despite this confusion, Af...
The Success of Urban Schools in Oxnard, California: An In-Depth Look at Developmental and Relational Assets

AbstractThe study is a mixed-methods investigation of how urban schools are succeeding. The study surveyed 28 former students from urban schools in Oxnard, California. The qualitative responses represent themes that align to a high level of school connectedness and social–emotional learning (SEL) as key indicators of a successful urban school district. The responses also aligned with the thematic structures of the assets and relationships frameworks and to SEL standards.
Improving Lidar-based aboveground biomass estimation of temperate hardwood forests with varying site productivity

Abstract Accurate quantification of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is the foundation to the responses of diverse forest ecosystems to the changing climate. Lidar-based statistical models have been used to accurately estimate AGB in large spatial extents, especially in boreal and temperate softwood forest ecosystems. However, the few available models for temperate hardwood and hardwood-dominated mixed forests are low in accuracy due both to the deliquescent growth form of hardwood trees and the strong site-to-site variations in height-diameter relationship. In this study, we established multiplicative nonlinear regression models that incorporated both lidar-derived metrics and soil-based site productivity classes (high and low productivity sites) to estimate aboveground biomass in temperate hardwood forests. The final optimized model had high accuracy (R 2 = 0.81; RMSE = 45.5 Mg ha − 1 ) with reliable performance in ABG estimation by integrating relative height metrics at 75 and 70 percentiles (RH75 and RH70), canopy coverage and site productivity class. An optimized model that included an index of site productivity explained 14% more variance than the best-fit model without the term. Moreover, the relationship between AGB and lidar-based metrics was nonlinear on low productivity sites and nearly linear on high productivity sites, further indicating the importance of including direct or indirect measures of site productivity in lidar-based biomass models, particularly for those applied to temperate hardwood forests. Our new lidar-based model provides a potential framework to integrate lidar-based structural information and soil-based site productivity to improve AGB estimation in temperate hardwood forests.
Nitrogen fixation and denitrification

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses nitrogen fixation, denitrification, and their applications. It discusses the most widely used enzyme-based and direct tracer procedures in the N cycle- N 2 fixation and denitrification. Biological nitrogen fixation is the enzymological capacity of certain bacteria and Archaea to convert gaseous dinitrogen to ammonium on a pathway to amino acid synthesis. In marine systems, the attention is focused on diazotrophic cyanobacteria, because of their quantitative importance in supplying new N to the upper ocean. Nitrogenase activity is routinely determined in many laboratories using the C 2 H 2 reduction procedure. Denitrification is measured conveniently in many microbial systems by addition of C 2 H 2 , which inhibits N 2 O reductase, the last step of the denitrification pathway. The presence of C 2 H 2 results in the accumulation of N 2 O, which is detected selectively and sensitively by electron capture gas chromatography. Many of the procedures and conceptual design of denitrification experiments parallel those of the C 2 H 2 reduction procedure. As for nitrogen fixation, denitrification can also be measured directly by the introduction of enriched 15-N nitrate (or nitrite) into a system, with the determination of progressive enrichment of 15N in the N 2 pool.
MDMX acidic domain inhibits p53 DNA binding in vivo and regulates tumorigenesis.

The MDM2 homolog MDMX oncoprotein is indispensable for inhibition of p53 during normal embryonic development and malignant transformation, yet how MDMX harnesses p53 functions is unclear. In addition to a canonical N-terminal p53-binding domain, recent work suggests the central acidic domain of MDMX regulates p53 interaction through intramolecular mimicry and engages in second-site interaction with the p53 core domain in vitro. To test the physiological relevance of these interactions, we generated an MDMX knockin mouse having substitutions in a conserved WW motif necessary for these functions (W201S/W202G). Notably, MDMXSG cells have normal p53 level but increased p53 DNA binding and target gene expression, and rapidly senesce. In vivo, MDMXSG inhibits early-phase disease in Eµ-Myc transgenic mice but accelerates the onset of lethal lymphoma and shortens overall survival. Therefore, MDMX is an important regulator of p53 DNA binding, which complements the role of MDM2 in regulating p53 level. Furthermore, the results suggest that the WW motif has dual functions that regulate p53 and inhibit Myc-driven lymphomas independent of p53.
Mechanisms for intestinal regeneration.

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to briefly summarize the notable structures and pathways in intestinal epithelial growth before presenting the current main areas of active research in intestinal regeneration. As a rapidly advancing field, a number of breakthroughs have recently been m
Art/Science Collaborations: New Explorations of Ecological Systems, Values, and their Feedbacks

Collaborations between artists and scientists have a long history. In recent years, artists have joined with ecologists to showcase biodiversity, links between biodiversity and ecosystem function, and the effects of human activities on the broader environment. In many cases, artists also have provided “broader impacts” for ecological research activities, communicating scientific findings in creative and novel ways to audiences much broader than the readership of our technical journals.
Membrane Bending Moduli of Coexisting Liquid Phases Containing Transmembrane Peptide

Abstract A number of highly curved membranes in vivo, such as epithelial cell microvilli, have the relatively high sphingolipid content associated with "raft-like" composition. Given the much lower bending energy measured for bilayers with "nonraft" low sphingomyelin and low cholesterol content, observing high curvature for presumably more rigid compositions seems counterintuitive. To understand this behavior, we measured membrane rigidity by fluctuation analysis of giant unilamellar vesicles. We found that including a transmembrane helical GWALP peptide increases the membrane bending modulus of the liquid-disordered (Ld) phase. We observed this increase at both low-cholesterol fraction and higher, more physiological cholesterol fraction. We find that simplified, commonly used Ld and liquid-ordered (Lo) phases are not representative of those that coexist. When Ld and Lo phases coexist, GWALP peptide favors the Ld phase with a partition coefficient of 3–10 depending on mixture composition. In model membranes at high cholesterol fractions, Ld phases with GWALP have greater bending moduli than the Lo phase that would coexist.
The Semiconductor-To-Metal Transition in Liquid SE-TE Alloys

A logical distinction is made between two aspects of the transition: electronic and thermodynamic. Published experimental data for the density is used to provide a quantitative expression for the conversion of the liquid from a low temperature to a high temperature form. This description of the thermodynamic transition indicates a change in the molecular structure, for which we propose a specific mechanism: the replacement of the normal two-fold (2F) bonded neutral chalcogen atoms in the molecular chains by pairs of ions (Dp centers) consisting of a 3-fold D+ positive ion bonded to a one-fold D- ion. The required concentrations of Dp centers is consistent with existing information concerning the concentrations of dissociated ion pairs and their expected tendency to form associated pairs. Electrostatic interactions are expected to cause clustering of Dp centers within a chain, and to cause an electrostatic coordination which can increase the average coordination number Z to a value > 2. This can explain the fact that Z > 2 in molten Te. We discuss the implications of the model for the effect of the transition on the electronic structure.
Modulation of Heart Fibroblast Gene Expression and Proliferation by Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1

The ventricular interstitium plays an essential role in normal function of the vertebrate heart. Alterations in the composition or organization of the extracellular matrix are thought to deleteriously affect heart development and function. A variety of chemical factors including angiotensin II, transforming growth factor-β, insulin-like growth factors and others have been shown to affect the expression and deposition of components of the extracellular matrix. However, the mechanisms whereby these factors modulate the function of the heart fibroblasts, the major producers of the extracellular matrix, are not well understood. The present studies were undertaken to begin to determine the effects of insulin-like growth factor on heart fibroblasts and the signaling mechanisms responsible for these effects. These studies indicate that insulin-like growth factor stimulates both collagen gene expression and proliferation by heart fibroblasts. Insulin-like growth factor treatment of fibroblasts results in the rapid activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase pathways in these cells. Furthermore, stimulation of collagen expression by insulin-like growth factor is dependent on the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase pathway while both pathways appear to be involved in the proliferative response. Recent work illustrates that regulation of the ventricular interstitium in vivo is dependent on dynamic interactions between diverse chemical and mechanical factors. The present studies begin to elucidate how multiple parameters of cell behavior are modulated by one of these chemical factors.
Men's Adjustment to Prostate Cancer: The Role of Agency and Unmitigated Agency

We examined how two male gender-related traits, agency (focus on self) and unmitigated agency (focus on self to the exclusion of others), were related to physical and emotional functioning in 162 men (92% Caucasian) treated for prostate cancer. As predicted, unmitigated agency was associated with worse functioning and more cancer-related difficulties. By contrast, agency was associated with better functioning and fewer cancer-related difficulties. We tested whether difficulties expressing emotions explained these relations. Unmitigated agency was associated with difficulty expressing emotions, and agency was associated with the ability to express emotions. Structural equation modeling was used to show that emotional expressiveness mediated the relations of unmitigated agency and agency to adjustment to prostate cancer. The implications of these results for interventions to enhance men's adjustment to prostate cancer are discussed.
Specific Enzyme Inactivators in Vitro and in Vivo

Highly specific enzyme inactivators can be designed by incorporating latent reactive groupings into substrate analogs of the target enzyme. Upon enzymatic turnover, the reactive group is unmasked. This can result in the specific inactivation of the enzyme if the enzyme reacts with an active-site moiety without diffusing out of the active-site region. Inactivators of this type have been called mechanism-based, suicide, or k cat inactivators [1]. The purpose of this article is not to write a comprehensive review on these inactivators but rather to illustrate elements of their design and in vivo activities by focusing just on inactivators of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolism.
The Contribution of Laboratory Experiments on Protists to Understanding Population and Metapopulation Dynamics

Publisher Summary This chapter describes why protists make appropriate study organisms for laboratory population experiments. Some of the early work of Gause has been described, which provides a rich array of examples of testing and development of theories that are regarded as the core of population ecology. The chapter discusses the influence of density dependent feedback and extrinsic perturbations on populations, integrating early results with ongoing research. In addition, two species have been expanded, predators and their prey, and the effects of space and habitat patchiness on persistence and the insights gained from a search for persistence mechanisms have been reviewed. Laboratory experiments on source and sink dynamics have been reviewed, which is a topic that has proven difficult to explore in the field and offers potential for future research. The chapter discusses studies of intraguild predation and reviews a variety of experimental work that develops close links with mathematical models and leads us in the direction of community ecology. It attempts to capture the state of knowledge in these areas and indicates directions that might prove fruitful for future study, especially in those areas where protist model systems indicate that field tests of theory might be productive.
Radium and Thorium Sorption by Monosodium Titanate (MST) and Modified MST (mMST)

To confirm performance assessment inputs for the Saltstone Facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS), a series of experiments were performed to examine the removal of Ra and Th by monosodium titanate (MST) and modified MST (mMST). The solubility of Th in the simulated high-level waste solutions was found to be extremely low; therefore, its removal by MST could not be measured. Radium was rapidly removed from the high-level waste simulant by both MST and mMST.
Investigating Bodily Responses to Unknown Words: a Focus on Facial Expressions and EEG

Occurrences of unknown words in a conversation can be challenging and often prevent people from engaging in fluent communication with each other. Even worse, currently very little is known about possible bodily responses when a listener comes across unknown words, especially when context information is not available in the conversation to facilitate understanding. In this work, we look at facial expressions and electroencephalography (EEG) as two potential body signals that may convey whether users are having difficulties understanding the words they hear. We performed an experiment to measure the reaction of users during a vocabulary dictation test using meaningful words and pseudowords. Participants were asked to classify words as they heard them into different categories. As a result, we did not see any significant differences in the facial expressions of our participants. However, significant differences were observed in event-related potentials (ERPs) within the time range of 100ms-300ms since the onset of stimuli, with pseudowords showing significantly stronger negative responses than meaningful words. Starting at about 550ms and up to around 750ms, pseudowords elicited significantly stronger negative responses, primarily over the parietal and central brain regions. Analyses for single-electrode sites revealed that pseudowords elicited more negative responses than real words in all investigated regions except the left temporal and lateral frontal regions from 500ms to 700ms since stimuli onset. These results could pave the way for future work that aims to develop real-time solutions for facilitating communication between users with different language backgrounds.
Structural MRI at 7T reveals amygdala nuclei and hippocampal subfield volumetric association with Major Depressive Disorder symptom severity.

Subcortical volumetric changes in major depressive disorder (MDD) have been purported to underlie depressive symptomology, however, the evidence to date remains inconsistent. Here, we investigated limbic volumes in MDD, utilizing high-resolution structural images to allow segmentation of the hippocampus and amygdala into their constituent substructures. Twenty-four MDD patients and twenty matched controls underwent structural MRI at 7T field strength. All participants completed the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) to quantify depressive symptomology. For the MDD group, volumes of the amygdala right lateral nucleus (p = 0.05, r2 = 0.24), left cortical nucleus (p = 0.032, r2 = 0.35), left accessory basal nucleus (p = 0.04, r2 = 0.28) and bilateral corticoamygdaloid transition area (right hemisphere p = 0.032, r2 = 0.38, left hemisphere p = 0.032, r2 = 0.35) each displayed significant negative associations with MDD severity. The bilateral centrocortical (right hemisphere p = 0.032, r2 = 0.31, left hemisphere p = 0.032, r2 = 0.32) and right basolateral complexes (p = 0.05, r2 = 0.24) also displayed significant negative relationships with depressive symptoms. Using high-field strength MRI, we report the novel finding that MDD severity is consistently negatively associated with amygdala nuclei, linking volumetric reductions with worsening depressive symptoms.
Large scale microbiome profiling in the cloud.

MOTIVATION Bacterial metagenomics profiling for metagenomic whole sequencing (mWGS) usually starts by aligning sequencing reads to a collection of reference genomes. Current profiling tools are designed to work against a small representative collection of genomes, and do not scale very well to larger reference genome collections. However, large reference genome collections are capable of providing a more complete and accurate profile of the bacterial population in a metagenomics dataset. In this paper, we discuss a scalable, efficient and affordable approach to this problem, bringing big data solutions within the reach of laboratories with modest resources. RESULTS We developed Flint, a metagenomics profiling pipeline that is built on top of the Apache Spark framework, and is designed for fast real-time profiling of metagenomic samples against a large collection of reference genomes. Flint takes advantage of Spark's built-in parallelism and streaming engine architecture to quickly map reads against a large (170 GB) reference collection of 43 552 bacterial genomes from Ensembl. Flint runs on Amazon's Elastic MapReduce service, and is able to profile 1 million Illumina paired-end reads against over 40 K genomes on 64 machines in 67 s-an order of magnitude faster than the state of the art, while using a much larger reference collection. Streaming the sequencing reads allows this approach to sustain mapping rates of 55 million reads per hour, at an hourly cluster cost of $8.00 USD, while avoiding the necessity of storing large quantities of intermediate alignments. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Flint is open source software, available under the MIT License (MIT). Source code is available at https://github.com/camilo-v/flint. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Thoracic Pathology in Athletes

The thoracic spine is characterized by significant biomechanical stability and functions in athletics to stabilize the trunk and enable coordinated upper extremity actions. While pathologies are rare, they may range from muscular injuries that are treated conservatively to life-threatening neurologic injury such as complete paraplegia requiring operative decompression and stabilization. Comprehensive history and physical and radiographic imaging are the initial workup for thoracic injuries, with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging playing important roles in furthering our understanding of individual pathologies such as fractures, disc herniations, and spinal cord injuries. Because the incidence of thoracic spine injuries is relatively rare, there remains no consensus regarding return-to-play recommendations, although full strength without neurologic deficit and full painless range of motion are useful return-to-play criteria.
“They Dumped Me Like Trash”: The Social and Psychological Toll of Victimization on Latino Day Laborers' Lives

Although recent rhetoric links undocumented immigrants to criminality, reports indicate undocumented immigrants commit less crime than their native-born counterparts and that this vulnerable group may be at increased risk for criminal victimization. Immigrants living in new immigrant settlement cities may be particularly at risk for exposure to criminal victimization due to the vulnerabilities associated with a lack of an established Latino community and limited availability of culturally appropriate social services to provide support. This ethnographic study examines the experiences of victimization and its social and psychological toll of a street-recruited sample of Latino day laborers (LDLs) (N = 25) living and working in Baltimore, a new immigrant settlement city. Findings elucidate and describe the specific types of victimization experienced by LDLs, including workplace victimization (wage theft, abandonment at the jobsite, poor working conditions, verbal abuse) and street-level victimization (assault and robbery), as well as reveal the social and psychological toll of victimization (sociocultural alienation, despair or desesperacion, and problem drinking) on their lives. Findings have implications for community psychology, through research and practice, as they provide insights for prevention and intervention within the intersection of structural vulnerability (i.e., undocumented immigration status), violence, and mental health.
Outcomes of Two Chemotherapy-Based Preparatory Regimens Compared to TBI-Based Conditioning When Used with CD34+ Selected T-Cell Depleted Allohct for High Risk Hematologic Malignancies: Prospective Clinical Trial NCT 01119066

Introduction To assess the therapeutic potential of non-TBI conditioning and T-cell depleted (TCD) allo HCT for high risk malignancies, we conducted a prospective trial comparing: A. our standard 1375 cGy HFTBI + Thiotepa, 5mg/kg/dx2 + cyclophosphamide, 60mg/kg/dx2 vs B. Busulfex, 0.8mg/kg/6hx12(PK adjusted) + Melphalan 70mg/kg/dx2 + Fludarabine 25mg/m2/dx5 vs C. Clofarabine 20mg/m2/dx5 + Melphalan 70mg/m2/dx2 + Thiotepa 5mg/kg/dx2 as preparation for T-cell depleted CD34+ PBSC allografts isolated by the CliniMACS system. All pts received Thymoglobulin pre-transplant to prevent infection. No GVHD prophylaxis was given post transplant. Pts were stratified to arms A, B or C based on disease stage and clinical factors enhancing TBI risks (e.g. age >60m prior therapy or comorbidities), with Arm B the non-TBI arm used for myeloid malignancies and Arm C for lymphoid malignancies. Results From 5/13/10 to 12/31/16, 283 consenting patients were transplanted (106 in Arm A, 144 in B, 33 in C). All pts engrafted by day 10-11; 3 pts in Arm B and 1 in C had late graft failure with sustained T-cell chimerism. The 3 in Arm B reconstituted after TCD PBSC boost alone (N=2) or after CTX/ATG (N=1) conditioning. Cumulative Incidence (C.I.) of Acute Grade 3-4 GVHD was higher in Arm A (12%) than in B (4.2%) or C (3.0%) (p = 0.03), as was C. GVHD (Arm A 8.5%; B (1.5% p = 0.02); C (3%)). CI of relapse at 3 yrs was similar in all arms (A=28%; B=21%; C15%) (p = 0.22). Although pts in Arm B were older (med. 58.5 yrs) than in A (32 yrs) or C(32 yrs), NRM at 3 yrs for Arm B (16%) and A (14.8) were similar. However, NRM in Arm C (32.7%) was higher (p = 0.09). Because the median age of patients in Arm B (58.5 yrs) differed significantly from Arms A (31.9 yrs) and C (32.3 yrs); we evaluated DFS for each arm in 20 year cohorts of increasing age (Fig 1 A,B,C). Because of low cohort size, pts in Arm C aged 20-40) and 54% (Age 40-60). In Arm B, 5 year DFS for pts ≤ 20 was 69.3% and 85.7% for those >20-40, 48.6% for those >40-60 and 46.8% for those 60+ respectively (p = 0.02). In Arm C, 5 year DFS for pts ≤40 was 65% and for those >40, 30.7% (p = 0.01). Conclusion These results demonstrate that these chemotherapy-based regimens secure engraftment and hematopoietic reconstitution and similarly low rates of GVHD and relapse. They also suggest an advantage for patients ≤40 treated on Arm B. In >40-60yo patients, DFS for Arm B is equivalent to Arm A and also yields favorable results in older pts (>60-73 yrs). However, while patients ≤40 yrs of age fared well on Arm C, older patients were less likely to achieve extended OS and DFS than those on Arms A or B, likely as a consequence of increased TRM.
Veteran stroke survivors' lived experiences after being discharged home: a phenomenological study.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in adults and second cause of death in the United States. Survivors face challenges postdischarge, including risks in self-management (SM) following prescrib...
Classifiers and Adaptable Features Improve Myoelectric Command Accuracy in Trained Users**This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (1934792). This work was supported by a Space Technology Research Institutes grant from NASA's Space Technology Research Grant Program. Support also provided from the Link Foundation (Link Fellowship in Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation, and Training).

A common challenge in myoelectric control is to create reliable human-machine interfaces. The aim of our study is to apply classifiers and adaptable features to electromyography (EMG) signals obtained from subjects who are trained to perform cursor-control tasks. We have developed a robust surface EMG command system that relies on training the human rather than training a classifier, thereby enabling the human to correct for signal changes. The purpose of the current study was to understand whether adding an adaptive timing feature and classifiers to our EMG interface could improve the performance of trained human subjects. Forty-eight subjects participated in the experiment, where they learned four different commands to control a cursor to select fixed targets on a computer screen, where each command was composed of a combination of short and long muscle contractions. A Command Accuracy Test assessed subject proficiency at producing commands when prompted. The command classification accuracy was calculated for a control condition and two conditions that reflected possible adaptive features: the timing between EMG signal inputs and a subject-specific classifier. The overall results showed significant improvements in command classification accuracy for both adaptive components ( $p ) compared to the control. However, some initially high performing subjects did not receive as much benefit. These results suggest that customizing the sEMG command system for individual subjects could improve their performance. Future work should investigate the effect of customizing the system for performance and co-adaptation, as well as using the adaptive features as a training tool to further improve command accuracy and efficiency.
COMPUTATIONAL AND ALGORITHMIC ASPECTS OF CARDINAL SPLINE-WAVELETS

Pascal triangles are formulated for computing the coefficients of the B-spline series representation of the compactly supported spline-wavelets with minimum support and their derivatives. It is shown that with the alternating signs removed, all these sequences are totally positive. On the other hand, truncations of the reciprocal Euler-Frobenius polynomials lead to finite sequences for orthogonal wavelet decompositions. For this purpose, sharp estimates are given in terms of the exact reconstruction of these approximate decomposed components.