cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Indigenous Modernities: Missionary Photography and Photographic Gaps in Nauru

ABSTRACTThis essay examines a set of photographs created by Philip Delaporte, a German-American missionary working for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions on the island of Nauru in the early 20th century. At the time Nauru was a German colony, but the phosphate industry had brought a varied group of settlers and influences that added to a pre-existing series of inter-Pacific connections. The photographs were produced just prior to the full realization of the mining industry and the widespread ecological destruction it brought to the island. In many ways, Delaporte’s photographs are typical, recording the mission’s various projects and successes. However, Delaporte’s unique position as an ambiguous colonial figure on the eve of World War I, and Nauru’s own complex relationship with modernity, invite alternate readings of these images. Outside of Delaporte’s original intention, the photographs record other experiences: the workings of Indigenous modernity in the midst of a place increas...
Elderly, Social Attitudes Toward

The world’s population is rapidly aging. Social attitudes toward old people set the stage for both informal moral thinking and disciplined applied ethics thinking about old people. The first section of this article describes how social attitudes toward elderly people set the stage for informal moral thinking. Next, the article describes several social attitudes that affect informal moral thinking about old people and aging. The following section identifies methodological issues in the use of social attitudes in applied ethics thinking about the elderly, and the last section describes several applied ethics agendas that include consideration of social attitudes toward the elderly.
An unusual diphosphatase from the PhnP family cleaves reactive FAD photoproducts.

Flavins are notoriously photolabile, but while the photoproducts derived from the iso -alloxazine ring are well known the other photoproducts are not. In the case of FAD, typically the main cellular flavin, the other photoproducts are predicted to include four- and five-carbon sugars linked to ADP. These FAD photoproducts were shown to be potent glycating agents, more so than ADP-ribose. Such toxic compounds would require disposal via an ADP-sugar diphosphatase or other route. Comparative analysis of bacterial genomes uncovered a candidate disposal gene that is chromosomally clustered with genes for FAD synthesis or transport and is predicted to encode a protein of the PhnP cyclic phosphodiesterase family. The representative PhnP family enzyme from Koribacter versatilis (here named Fpd, FAD photoproduct diphosphatase) was found to have high, Mn 2+ -dependent diphosphatase activity against FAD photoproducts, FAD, and ADP-ribose, but almost no phosphodiesterase activity against riboflavin 4′,5′-cyclic phosphate, a chemical breakdown product of FAD. To provide a structural basis of the unique Fpd activity, the crystal structure of K. versatilis Fpd was determined. The results place Fpd in the broad metallo-β-lactamase-like family of hydrolases, a diverse family commonly using two metals for hydrolytic catalysis. The active site of Fpd contains two Mn 2+ ions and a bound phosphate, consistent with a diphosphatase mechanism. Our results characterize the first PhnP family member that is a diphosphatase rather than a cyclic phosphodiesterase and suggest its involvement in a cellular damage-control system that efficiently hydrolyzes the reactive, ADP-ribose-like products of FAD photodegradation.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Children With Sickle Cell Anemia

BACKGROUND: Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) are at increased risk for invasive pneumococcal disease; antibiotic prophylaxis significantly reduces this risk. We calculated the proportion of children with SCA who received ≥300 days of antibiotic prophylaxis and identified predictors of such receipt. METHODS: Children aged 3 months to 5 years with SCA were identified by the presence of 3 or more Medicaid claims with a diagnosis of SCA within a calendar year (2005–2012) in Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina, and Texas. Receipt of antibiotics was identified through claims for filled prescriptions. The outcome, receipt of ≥300 days of antibiotics, was assessed annually by using varying classifications of antibiotics. By using logistic regression with generalized estimating equations, we estimated the odds of receiving ≥300 days of antibiotics, with potential predictors of age, sex, year, state, and health services use. RESULTS: A total of 2821 children contributed 5014 person-years. Overall, only 18% of children received ≥300 days of antibiotics. Each additional sickle cell disease-related outpatient visit (odds ratio = 1.01, 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.02) and well-child visit (odds ratio = 1.08, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–1.13) was associated with incrementally increased odds of receiving ≥300 days of antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Despite national recommendations and proven lifesaving benefit, antibiotic prophylaxis rates are low among children with SCA. Numerous health care encounters may offer an opportunity for intervention; in addition, such interventions likely need to include social factors that may affect the ability for a child to receive and adhere to antibiotic prophylaxis.
Conclusion: Two Paths in the Legal Woods

The final chapter offers a brief set of closing thoughts about the state of political deception and potential problems the future might hold. While acknowledging the importance of the First Amendment protection of freedom of speech, this chapter argues that thought must be given to the possibility of regulating false political speech in some manner. Special concern is given to acts of deception in which American operatives engage in collusion with foreign entities and the ways in which technological advances in video and audio editing software create the potential for problematic shenanigans in political campaigns.
Publisher Correction: Generalized parity–time symmetry condition for enhanced sensor telemetry

In the version of this Article originally published, a division symbol was mistakenly omitted from both of the y axis labels in Fig. 5a. The label in the left panel should have read ‘Re((ω×ω0)/2π) (MHz)’ and the label in the right panel should have read ‘Im((ω×ω0)/2π) (MHz)’. This has now been corrected.
Socio-Ecological Disruptions at Critical Periods During Development Alter Stress Responses and Hippocampal Dendritic Morphology of Prairie Voles: Implications for Social Monogamy

Emotions are often associated with the evolution of monogamy. For example, fear of cuckoldry has been recently proposed as the driving force for human monogamy. We used prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) as a model of human behavior to study how stress reactivity is shaped by socio-ecological disruptions experienced as neonates and as subadults. We hypothesized that social disruptions would have a greater impact on the vole’s stress levels than ecological disruptions, and that females would be more susceptible to the experience than males. At six days postpartum, the housing conditions were manipulated to have offspring raised by: 1. both parents under a protective cover (NoDisrupt); 2. both parents uncovered (EcoDisrupt); 3. mother alone covered (SocDisrupt); 4. mother alone uncovered (SocEcoDisrupt). To experience disruptions as subadults, offspring were weaned then housed either alone (Isolate) or with a same-sex sibling (Social). As adults, each offspring was placed in an open-field arena and tested over three consecutive days to measure its behavior in response to an empty space (Day1), a same-sex vole in a container (Day2), and an empty container (Day3). The brain of a subgroup of subjects was processed for Golgi staining to assess the impact of disruptions on hippocampal dendritic morphology in adulthood. Males that experienced social disruption in early life displayed lower stress levels on Day2 of testing than males and females in other groups. This effect was only evident in males that did not experience social disruptions as subadults. Socio-ecological disruptions at postpartum had an unanticipated impact on the hippocampus of the voles. The apical dendrites of the CA3 neurons in male and female voles that experienced either social or ecological disruptions in early life and remained socially isolated as subadults were longer than those in undisturbed voles. Our results suggest that social disruptions experienced in early life modulate the male’s stress-related behaviors and may thus influence his monogamous tendencies. Exposure to disruptions may also impact the memory circuits of the brain that monogamous animals use to make mating decisions.
Practical program repair via bytecode mutation

Automated Program Repair (APR) is one of the most recent advances in automated debugging, and can directly fix buggy programs with minimal human intervention. Although various advanced APR techniques (including search-based or semantic-based ones) have been proposed, they mainly work at the source-code level and it is not clear how bytecode-level APR performs in practice. Also, empirical studies of the existing techniques on bugs beyond what has been reported in the original papers are rather limited. In this paper, we implement the first practical bytecode-level APR technique, PraPR, and present the first extensive study on fixing real-world bugs (e.g., Defects4J bugs) using JVM bytecode mutation. The experimental results show that surprisingly even PraPR with only the basic traditional mutators can produce genuine fixes for 17 bugs; with simple additional commonly used APR mutators, PraPR is able to produce genuine fixes for 43 bugs, significantly outperforming state-of-the-art APR, while being over 10X faster. Furthermore, we performed an extensive study of PraPR and other recent APR tools on a large number of additional real-world bugs, and demonstrated the overfitting problem of recent advanced APR tools for the first time. Lastly, PraPR has also successfully fixed bugs for other JVM languages (e.g., for the popular Kotlin language), indicating PraPR can greatly complement existing source-code-level APR.
High Torque Density Macro-scale Electrostatic Rotating Machines: Electrical Design, Generalized $d-q$ Framework, and Demonstration

The use of advanced dielectric liquids and manufacturing techniques for enhanced surface area per unit volume, along with other multiplicative gains, is enabling macro-scale electrostatic machines with competitive torque densities. This emergence prompts the need for circuit modeling—that guides machine design and drive controls—rooted in the canon of well-established electromagnetic machinery practices. In this study, prior dielectric and manufacturing innovations are combined with a newly developed unified electrostatic machine $d-q$ -axis framework to form a machine that demonstrates industrial utility. Design, equivalent circuits, and performance are validated by an experimental prototype intended for low-speed direct-drive servo actuators. A prototype electrostatic machine was constructed entirely of aluminum and printed circuit boards, and possesses active material torque densities ≥1.4 N⋅m/kg and ≥2.65 N⋅m/L without the need for forced air or liquid cooling. Additional features include near zero loss at stall and low torque ripple.
Phonological Development in a Bilingual Arabic-English-Speaking Child With Bilateral Cochlear Implants: A Longitudinal Case Study.

Purpose This longitudinal study examined the phonological development of a bilingual Arabic–English-speaking child with bilateral cochlear implants (CIs). The focus of the study was to observe the ...
An Adaptable System-on-Chip Security Architecture for Internet of Things Applications

Modern-day System-on-Chip (SoC) security architectures designed for smart connected devices, such as Internet of Things (IoT) and automotive applications, are often confined by two crucial design aspects: in-field configuration and low overhead. Due to the restrictions posed by these design aspects, it is extremely difficult to develop a robust and adaptable architecture for SoC security policies in IoT and automotive platforms. Security policies, on the other hand, are of critical significance as they implement the confidentiality, integrity, and availability requirements of diverse on-chip security assets. During the complex and often a long life of a system, security requirements evolve, giving rise to the need of adapting security policies. Existing SoC architecture and design flow do not provide the flexibility for easy adaptation of SoC security policies based on emerging threats or security requirements. To address these design constraints and subsequent limitations, a novel security architecture and CAD flow is proposed in this work for efficient implementation of diverse security policies. The adaptable architecture and associated CAD flow enable hardware patching through a reconfigurable security policy engine that can be seamlessly and securely upgraded in-field to address unanticipated attacks and update new security requirements. The infrastructure of the proposed security framework is build with three primary building blocks. First, a centralized Reconfigurable Security Policy Engine (RSPE) is introduced to implement and upgrade policies in-field without comprehensive changes in the architecture. Second, a set of smart security wrappers are developed for efficient extraction of security critical event information and avoidance of communication bottleneck. Third, the on-chip debug instrumentation i.e. the Design-for-Debug (DfD) infrastructure is employed with minimal modification for extensive access to an arbitrary number of signals of the SoC. A suitable CAD framework is also proposed along with the architecture to systematically implement diverse security policies. The result analysis shows that the architecture provides a high level of adaptability with minimal overhead in terms of power, area, energy, and performance. Hence, the security architecture is highly suited for SoC in IoTs and automotive systems operating in a rigid boundary of performance and energy profiles.
Autonomy and family business performance: The joint effect of environmental dynamism and national culture:

Building on the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) literature, we investigate the relationship between family firm performance and autonomy, a key EO dimension. To enhance the understanding of the ro...
People of Chinese Heritage

China’s population of more than 1.3 billion people is dispersed over 3.7 million square miles. Ninety-two percent of the population is Han; the remaining 8% is a mixture of 56 different nationalities, religions, and ethnic groups. Chinese people who live in the “Chinatowns” in the US maintain many of their cultural beliefs and values and insist that health-care providers respect these values and beliefs with their interventions. In the US, over two million identify themselves as Chinese largest communities in California, New York, Hawaii, and Texas. This aggregate profile of Chinese in the US may not fit any one person due to individuality, acculturation, and other variant characteristics of culture (see Chap. 1).
Apache Spark Accelerated Deep Learning Inference for Large Scale Satellite Image Analytics

The shear volumes of data generated from earth observation and remote sensing technologies continue to make major impact; leaping key geospatial applications into the dual data and compute-intensive era. As a consequence, this rapid advancement poses new computational and data processing challenges. We implement a novel remote sensing data flow (RESFlow) for advancing machine learning to compute with massive amounts of remotely sensed imagery. The core contribution is partitioning massive amounts of data into homogeneous distributions for fitting simple models. RESFlow takes advantage of Apache Spark and the availability of modern computing hardware to harness the acceleration of deep learning inference on expansive remote sensing imagery. The framework incorporates a strategy to optimize resource utilization across multiple executors assigned to a single worker. We showcase its deployment in both computationally and data-intensive workloads for pixel-level labeling tasks. The pipeline invokes deep learning inference at three stages; during deep feature extraction, deep metric mapping, and deep semantic segmentation. The tasks impose compute-intensive and GPU resource sharing challenges motivating for a parallelized pipeline for all execution steps. To address the problem of hardware resource contention, our containerized workflow further incorporates a novel GPU checkout routine and the ticketing system across multiple workers. The workflow is demonstrated with NVIDIA DGX accelerated platforms and offers appreciable compute speed-ups for deep learning inference on pixel labeling workloads; processing 21 028 TB of imagery data and delivering output maps at area rate of 5.245 sq.km/s, amounting to 453 168 sq.km/day—reducing a 28 day workload to 21 h.
Multimaterial Magneto-Structural Topology Optimization of Wound Field Synchronous Machine Rotors

A combined magneto-structural topology optimization approach based on the solid isotropic with material penalization method is proposed for wound field synchronous machines (WFSMs) to optimally distribute multiple materials including electrical steel, copper, and air in a rotor design domain. Magnetic topology optimization is simultaneously combined with structural topology optimization to ensure rotors, which are mechanically feasible. A topology optimization approach does not require the use of a geometric template where dimensions are controlled by parameters. Example designs of salient pole WFSM rotors are used to demonstrate the proposed technique. The proposed topology optimization technique is compared with a multiobjective optimization with the rotor geometry defined by a geometric template. For the same torque level the topology optimized rotor has lower copper losses.
Chapter 234 – Sexual Selection

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the sexual selection in insects. Sexual selection depends on the success of certain individuals over others of the same sex, in relation to the propagation of the species; while natural selection depends on the success of both sexes, at all ages, in relation to the general conditions of life. Sexual selection is a struggle between individuals of one sex, generally the males, for the possession of the other sex. The differential sexual selection model discussed is in chapter and its role, and processes of speciation may provide a possible explanation of how genetic variability may be not only maintained but also actually enhanced. The generation of novel genetic recombinants and the selection for genotypes that are better adapted to changing environmental conditions are enhanced by the sexual selection system in the population, especially when subjected to population bottlenecks. It is suggested that sexual selection is a dynamic process, influenced by density-dependent factors, that enables populations to overcome environmental conditions that result in drastic reduction in population size.
Restoring Trust and Requiring Consent in Death by Neurological Criteria

Berkowitz and Garrett (Berkowitz and Garrett 2020) make a compelling case for requiring consent for apnea testing to determine death by neurological criteria (DNC). I will add another consideration...
Spatio-temporal ecological and evolutionary dynamics in natural butterfly populations

Spatial and temporal variation in the strength and nature of natural selection could help explain genetic diversity in natural populations and data on short term evolutionary responses to fluctuations in temperature and rainfall could facilitate predictions of climate change impacts. In 2012, we began a long term study of genome-wide molecular evolution in populations of Lycaeides idas in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). In 2016, we used distance sampling to estimate population densities of 10 butterfly populations spread across the GYE in Wyoming and Montana. In parallel, we estimated host plant cover and conducted insect community surveys at each site. We also completed a genotyping-by-sequencing survey for eight populations sampled in 2013 and 2015 to estimate contemporary variance in effective population sizes. Based on 480 samples across sites, we found significant variation in population sizes (as estimated by distance sampling) among sites and years. Host plant abundance, climate, and insect communities varied among sites but were not consistently predictive of population size. Estimates of effective population sizes among sites showed pronounced variation that was uncorrelated with genetic diversity, possibly due to widespread fluctuating selection. Featured photo from Figure 1 in report.
Early Blues and Jazz Authorship in the Case of the “Livery Stable Blues”

A 1917 copyright lawsuit over sheet music pursuant to the Original Dixieland Jazz Band’s first commercially successful record revealed challenges in determining legal authorial attribution and owne...
Curriculum in Gifted Education: The Core of the Enterprise:

This article examines these important questions related to differentiated curriculum: Should curriculum for the gifted be available for all learners? Would differentiated strategies that work with ...
Molecular viscosity and diffusivity effects in transitional and shock-driven mixing flows.

This paper investigates the importance of molecular viscosity and diffusivity for the prediction of transitional and shock-driven mixing flows featuring high and low Reynolds and Mach number regions. Two representative problems are computed with implicit large-eddy simulations using the inviscid Euler equations (EE) and viscous Navier-Stokes equations (NSE): the Taylor-Green vortex at Reynolds number $\mathrm{Re}=3000$ and initial Mach number $\mathrm{Ma}=0.28$, and an air-${\mathrm{SF}}_{6}$-air gas curtain subjected to two shock waves at $\mathrm{Ma}=1.2$. The primary focus is on differences between NSE and EE predictions due to viscous effects. The outcome of the paper illustrates the advantages of utilizing NSE. In contrast to the EE, where the effective viscosity decreases upon grid refinement, NSE predictions can be assessed for simulations of flows with transition to turbulence at prescribed constant $\mathrm{Re}$. The NSE can achieve better agreement between solutions and reference data, and the results converge upon grid refinement. On the other hand, the EE predictions do not converge with grid refinement, and can only exhibit similarities with the NSE results at coarse grid resolutions. We also investigate the effect of viscous effects on the dynamics of the coherent and turbulent fields, as well as on the mechanisms contributing to the production and diffusion of vorticity. The results show that nominally inviscid calculations can exhibit significantly varying flow dynamics driven by changing effective resolution-dependent Reynolds number, and highlight the role of viscous processes affecting the vorticity field. These tendencies become more pronounced upon grid refinement. The discussion of the results concludes with the assessment of the computational cost of inviscid and viscous computations.
Crafting Adversarial Examples for Deep Learning Based Prognostics

In manufacturing, unexpected failures are considered a primary operational risk, as they can hinder productivity and can incur huge losses. State-of-the-art Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) systems incorporate Deep Learning (DL) algorithms and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to ascertain the health status of equipment, and thus reduce the downtime, maintenance cost and increase the productivity. Unfortunately, IoT sensors and DL algorithms, both are vulnerable to cyber attacks, and hence pose a significant threat to PHM systems. In this paper, we adopt the adversarial example crafting techniques from the computer vision domain and apply them to the PHM domain. Specifically, we craft adversarial examples using the Fast Gradient Sign Method (FGSM) and Basic Iterative Method (BIM) and apply them on the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based PHM models. We evaluate the impact of adversarial attacks using NASA’s turbofan engine dataset. The obtained results show that all the evaluated PHM models are vulnerable to adversarial attacks and can cause a serious defect in the remaining useful life estimation. The obtained results also show that the crafted adversarial examples are highly transferable and may cause significant damages to PHM systems.
Assessment of Length and Readability of Informed Consent Documents for COVID-19 Vaccine Trials.

Importance: Informed consent is a fundamental element of research ethics. The COVID-19 vaccine trials are high profile trials that have enrolled more than 100â¯000 participants. Consent documents must be succinct and understandable to ensure informed voluntary participation. Objective: To assess how well informed consent documents of the COVID-19 vaccine trials achieve the ideal of being succinct and understandable, and to create a shorter, more readable document. Design, Setting, and Participants: This quality improvement study collected and analyzed the informed consent documents used in 4 COVID-19 vaccine phase III randomized clinical trials to quantitatively assess readability and length and, based on this analysis, created a measurably more accessible informed consent document. Analysis was conducted from October 2020 to January 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes were number of words (measured as word count), time-to-read (measured at reading speeds of 175-300 words per minute), language complexity (measured using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level assessment), and readability (measured using Flesch Reading Ease Score). Secondary outcomes included clarity of how the placebo group could access the vaccine if it is proven safe and effective. The study also examined the length and readability of an improved consent document. Results: The 4 informed consent documents were a mean (range) of 8333 (7821 to 9340) words long, with a mean (range) 35 (32.6 to 38.9) minutes to read at 240 words per minute. All documents exceeded grade 9 language complexity and scored lower than 60 in the formal reading ease metric, which constitutes difficult. Only 1 document specified that participants in the placebo group might receive vaccine. It was possible to write a document in fewer than 3000 words with a grade 7 to 8 reading level and a formal readability score that was not difficult. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that existing COVID-19 vaccine informed consent documents were too long, difficult to read, and exceeded grade 9 in language complexity. It was possible to create a shorter, more readable informed consent document for these trials.
De Novo Colorectal and Pancreatic Cancer in Liver-Transplant Recipients: Identifying the Higher-Risk Populations.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies are common after liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to identify the risk and timing of the more common GI malignancies, colorectal and pancreatic cancer, to aid in optimizing potential posttransplant screening practices. APPROACH AND RESULTS Data from the United Network for Organ Sharing database of all adult liver-transplant recipients from 1997 to 2017 were analyzed and a comparison made with cancer incidence from general population data using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data. Of 866 de novo GI malignancies, 405 colorectal and 216 pancreas were identified. The highest cumulative incidence for colorectal cancer occurred in recipients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), recipients over the age of 50 with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)/cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), and females >50 years with alcohol-associated liver disease and HCC/CCA, with risk increasing above the general population within 5 years of transplant. Patients with PSC and HCC/CCA or NASH and HCC/CCA have the highest cumulative incidence of pancreatic cancer also rising within 5 years following transplant, with those patients >50 years old conferring the highest risk. CONCLUSIONS These data identify a high-risk cohort that warrants consideration for intensified individualized screening practices for colorectal cancer after liver transplantation. In addition to recipients with PSC, further study of recipients with NASH and HCC/CCA and females with alcohol-associated liver disease and HCC/CCA may be better tailored to colorectal cancer screening ideals. Higher-risk patient populations for pancreatic cancer (PSC and NASH with HCC/CCA) would benefit from further study to determine potential screening practices. GI malignancies occur at higher rates in liver-transplant patients compared with the general population. In the era of individualized medicine, this study identifies the highest-risk transplant recipients (PSC and NASH cirrhosis with coexisting HCC/CCA) who may benefit from altered screening practices for these malignancies.
Overview of Current Robotic Technology

Robotic technology has accelerated the modernization and integration into the healthcare field. Robotic machinery was first developed in the third century BC and for the amusement of wealthy ancient Grecians. Continued advancements through the Industrial Revolution and World War II laid the foundation for the first surgical robotic system. Throughout the last four decades, robotic surgical technology has transformed from initial neurosurgical biopsies to single-port and endoscopic functions. A number of FDA-approved platforms are currently in use including da Vinci surgical system, Senhance, Hugo, FlexⓇ robotic system, Invendoscopy E210 system, and the NeoGuide Colonoscope. Other emerging robotic platforms which are awaiting FDA clearance include MiroSurge, Sport™ Surgical System, Versius Robotic System, miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant (MIRA), and the STRAS i-Cube. Future directions include continued development for improved maneuverability, vision, and safety in a cost-effective manner. Current robotic technology paves the way for the modernization and advancement of cutting edge medicine.
World War I in central and eastern Europe: politics, conflict and military experience

This edited collection brings together fourteen essays that collectively explore the social and cultural history of World War I and its legacy in East-Central Europe, including Germany, Italy, and ...
Engineering an analog-sensitive CDK12 cell line using CRISPR/Cas

The RNA Polymerase II C-terminal domain (CTD) kinase CDK12 has been implicated as a tumor suppressor and regulator of DNA damage response genes. Although much has been learned about CDK12 and its activity, due to the lack of a specific inhibitor and the complications posed by long term RNAi depletion, much is still unknown about the particulars of CDK12 function. Therefore gaining a better understanding of CDK12's roles at the molecular level will be challenging without the development of additional tools. In order to address these issues we have used the CRISPR/Cas gene engineering system to create a mammalian cell line in which the only functional copy of CDK12 is selectively inhibitable by a cell-permeable adenine analog (analog-sensitive CDK12). Inhibition of CDK12 results in a perturbation of the phosphorylation patterns on the CTD and an arrest in cellular proliferation. This cell line should serve as a powerful tool for future studies.
Rhodopsin-Dependent Models of Drosophila Photoreceptor Degeneration

Many model systems have been exploited to examine the various mechanisms and molecular defects that can lead to retinal degeneration. While humans and mice are the two major vertebrate organisms for these analyses, the invertebrate Drosophila melanogaster provides a compelling alternative model system to study hereditary retinal degeneration. The invertebrate and vertebrate photoreceptor cells are dramatically different in both structure and organization, their visual transduction second messenger systems, and the direction of change in membrane polarity as a result of light excitation (1, 2). However, the processes that lead to retinal degeneration may be conserved between vertebrates and invertebrates. This is exemplified by mutations in analogous molecules, most notably both dominant and recessive rhodopsin mutations. Drosophila is ideal for a genetic analysis of retinal degeneration due to its small size, rapid life cycle and ease of mutant generation. Drosophila has provided a large number of mutants that undergo light-dependent, light-enhanced, and light-independent retinal degeneration (3). These mutants are defective in both expected and novel components that are required for visual transduction and photoreceptor cell structure. Because there has not been an exhaustive search for Drosophila retinal degeneration mutants, we expect that many mechanisms and molecular details remain to be identified. Recent results have provided a wealth of information and new ideas about photoreceptor cell structure and physiology.
Selecting the Best Unknown Mean from Normal Populations Having a Common Unknown Coefficient of Variation.

This paper deals with the problem of selecting the population associated with the largest unknown mean from several normal populations having a common unknown coefficient of variation. Both subset selection and indifference zone approaches are studied. Based on the observed sample means and sample standard deviations, a subset selection rule is proposed. Some properties related to this selection rule are discussed. For the indifference zone approach, a two-stage elimination type selection rule is considered. If the experimenter has some prior knowledge about an upper bound on the unknown means, a modification is introduced to reduce the size of the selected subset at the first stage and also to reduce the sample size at the second stage. An example is provided which indicates that the saving in the total sample size is quite significant if this prior knowledge is taken into consideration in designing the selection rule. It is shown how to implement the above selection rules by using several existing tables.
Interplanetary medium data book. Supplement 3: 1977-1985

Supplement 3 of the Interplanetary Medium Data Book contains a detailed discussion of a data set compilation of hourly averaged interplanetary plasma and magnetic field parameters. The discussion addresses data sources, systematic and random differences, time shifting of ISEE 3 data, and plasma normalizations. Supplement 3 also contains solar rotation plots of field and plasma parameters. Supplement 3A contains computer-generated listings of selected parameters from the composite data set. These parameters are bulk speed (km/sec), density (per cu cm), temperature (in units of 1000 K) and the IMF parameters: average magnitude, latitude and longitude angles of the vector made up of the average GSE components, GSM Cartesian components, and the vector standard deviation. The units of field magnitude, components, and standard deviation are gammas, while the units of field direction angles and degrees.
Wear and Fatigue of Nylon and Polyester Mooring Lines1

Wear and fatigue in synthetic fiber lines depend on a multitude of mechanisms, including cumulative creep to rupture, hysteretic heating due to cyclic loading of filaments or to relative displacement of structural rope elements, internal wear caused by relative movement between yarns or strands, and external abrasion against deck hardware or rough surfaces. Studies undertaken to evaluate fiber, yarn, and rope responses to each of these mechanisms, singly or in combination, vary significantly with the test conditions including cyclic load level (both axial and transverse), cyclic strain level, and ambient conditions, i.e., temperature and moisture content (whether dry or wet in fresh water or salt). Cyclic load limits depend on wave height, wind velocity, and mooring line dimensions and properties. The relative durability of nylon versus polyester lines is considered as the lines are subjected to tensile cycling under storm conditions. While tensile fatigue as a creep phenomenon is operative over the free ...
Silent Spring and the New York Times: How Rachel Carson Won the Journey

This paper explores people’s reception of and attitudes toward Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring , originally published in 1962. Research was conducted entirely through the lens of The New York Times ( NYT ) articles ranging from before the book’s publication to the present. The articles vary heavily in perspective, representing a range of views towards Carson’s vilification of both the pesticide industry and general American attitudes regarding environmental conservation. Articles from NYT represent public opinion well because the chosen articles come from views representing a variety of sources (corporations, scientists, book reviewers, historians, etc.) and perspectives ranging from maximum support to open criticism of the book. When observed over time, research into these articles tells the story of the change in acceptance of Silent Spring – how it has reached its current state of reverence and influence. This paper comprehensively examines a variety of articles regarding Silent Spring and America’s environmental efforts, tracking the change of general attitudes over the 50 years since its publication.
Parenthood in the Twenty-First Century: African American Grandparents as Surrogate Parents

African American grandparents serve important roles as surrogate parents. Historically they are honored and recognized for their extraordinary service in augmenting the child welfare system. This article provides a contemporary view of the significant number of African American grandparents who serve as surrogate parents. Their assets and challenges are discussed. Following on the work by Dr. Linda Burton and collaborators in 1995, this article addresses the relationship between temporal context, developmental context, and ethnic/racial context of the life course as it relates to grandparenthood in the twenty-first century. In addition to the discussion of African American grand-parenting trends, challenges and benefits in the twenty-first century, the article presents implications of these contexts for the surrogate parenting by older African Americans relative to social work education, research, and policy.
Review: Assessing and managing risk due to consumption of seafood contaminated with micro‐organisms, parasites, and natural toxins in the US

Summary While most seafoods consumed in the US are wholesome, a variety of infectious agents and toxins have been implicated in disease aetiology. The major risk of acute illness is associated with consumption of raw molluscan shellfish. Most reported seafood-associated illness (55%) have unknown aetiologies; they are believed to be due mainly to Norwalk, Norwalk-like, or human enteric virus infection, with a smaller proportion caused by Vibrio bacteria. Parasites are less common than microbiological infections, with anisakids and cestodes having the greatest risks. People consuming tropically-caught fish have a risk of acquiring ciguatera poisoning. Other common natural intoxications (mainly scombroid and to a lesser extent paralytic poisonings) occur due to consumption of finfish and shellfish, respectively. Reduction of risks from the consumption of raw molluscs and other fishery products can be achieved by the following means: research to develop valid human enteric virus indicators, implementing and maintaining proper treatment and disposal of sewage, efforts aimed at identifying and limiting the number of pathogenic Vibrio species in shellfish, developing new diagnostic methods and improved processing technologies, applying risk-based control measures for potential microbial pathogens in raw shellfish, cooking of seafoods, and proper application of a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system to processing and preparation operations of fishery products.
Heat conduction on the ring: Interface problems with periodic boundary conditions

Abstract The classical problem of heat conduction in one dimension on a composite ring is examined. The problem is formulated using the heat equation with periodic boundary conditions. We provide an explicit solution of this problem using the Method of Fokas. The location of the interfaces is known, but neither temperature nor heat flux are prescribed there. Instead, the physical assumption of continuity at the interface is imposed.
Science Scores, Measures of Success, and National Competitiveness

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test data, advanced placement chemistry test scores, and success of students in an introductory college chemistry course are discussed. As more students and a more diverse population in high school and college take chemistry courses, new challenges are encountered that include ones that are outside the scope of college teachers. Keeping focused on potential content and pedagogical changes is crucial, and reform needs to be informed by evidence.
Iterated Feasible Generalized Least-Squares Estimation of Augmented Dynamic Panel Data Models

This article provides the large sample distribution of the iterated feasible generalized least-squares (IFGLS) estimator of an augmented dynamic panel data model. The regressors in the model include lagged values of the dependent variable and may include other explanatory variables that, while exogenous with respect to the time-varying error component, may be correlated with an unobserved time-invariant component. The article compares the finite sample properties of the IFGLS estimator to that of GMM estimators using both simulated and real data and finds that the IFGLS estimator compares favorably.
Seasonal History and Indirect Flight Muscle Degeneration and Regeneration in the Rice Water Weevil

Indirect flight muscles in the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, are greatly reduced in adults during winter. Muscle regeneration occurs in the spring just before adult exodus from overwintering sites. Once adults establish themselves in a flooded rice-field, the indirect flight muscles degenerate as females begin oviposition. First-generation adults possess well-developed indirect flight muscles; they exit fields in which they develop. Large numbers fly to aestivo-hibernation sites where muscle degeneration promptly occurs. Some first-generation adults move to young rice, if available, where muscle degeneration and oviposition occurs.
Kmu and K-Band Irradiation of Giant Algal Cells: The Absence of Detected Bioeffects at 100 W/m2

Single cells of characean algae were exposed at 100 W/m2, and for periods of 100 ms to 1 h, to CW microwave radiation at 17 discrete frequencies over the range 12.4-26.5 GHz. In an attempt to detect resonances or other interactions between this radiation and membrane ion transport processes of the cells, the vacuolar potentials of the cells were monitored before, during, and after exposure and analyzed for radiation-correlated shifts. No unequivocal evidence of such interactions was observed, despite the fact that the most sensitive measurements were capable of resolving shifts of one part in 10 000.
Retention of endothelium-dependent vasodilatory responses in canine coronary arteries following cryopreservation

In the present study, the cryoprotective effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) and fetal calf serum (FCS) on coronary endothelium and endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) responses was studied in isolated canine coronary arteries following cryostorage at -75 degrees C. Compared to the freshly isolated coronary arteries, the EDR responses to acetylcholine, thrombin, and calcium ionophore were not significantly altered following 1 day storage at -75 degrees C in the presence of 1.8 M Me2SO and 20% FCS. Prolonged cold storage to 7 days, however, resulted in a slight, but significant, rightward shift of the concentration-response curves of acetylcholine and thrombin, but not calcium ionophore. The maximum relaxant response after 7-day cryostorage was 80 to 85% of fresh controls. Omission of FCS from the cryostorage incubation medium further accentuated the loss of EDR responses to all three endothelium-dependent vasodilators tested. Scanning electron microscopic examinations of the intimal surface of the Me2SO and FCS cryostored canine coronary arteries confirmed the preservation of intimal endothelial cells following 1 or 7 days of storage at -75 degrees C, while significant patches of loss of endothelial cells were observed in the arteries cryostored only in the presence of Me2SO. No significant inhibitory effect of cryostorage was observed for the direct, endothelium-independent relaxation induced by isoproterenol, regardless of the presence or absence of FCS. These results demonstrate that slow freezing of canine coronary arteries to -75 degrees C in Krebs-Henseleit solution containing Me2SO and FCS provides good preservation of the vascular smooth muscle function and endothelium-dependent vasodilatory responses.
A Research Synthesis of the Effectiveness, Replicability, and Generality of the VaNTH Challenge-based Instructional Modules in Bioengineering

Background Between 2000 and 2006 the Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Texas and Harvard/MIT Engineering Research Center (VaNTH/ERC) developed, tested, and implemented a set of educational innovations based largely on the ideas presented in the book How People Learn (HPL) and an instructional design known as the the STAR Legacy Cycle. The motivation for this study was to synthesize the results of this work. Published and unpublished experimental and quasi-experimental assessments were included in this synthesis. Purpose (Hypothesis) The fundamental hypotheses tested were whether a set of modules involving challenge-based instruction and other course innovations, often involving advanced computer-based technologies, improved student performance in a variety of educational settings and student populations, and whether improvements could be achieved by instructors other than the developers of the innovations. Design/Method Meta-analysis of effects from thirty-three separate modules in five courses in bioengineering domains was undertaken, along with three case studies. Results Results from the experimental (randomized) and stronger-quasi experimental studies revealed a weighted effect size of 0.655 (p < 0.001). Studies using randomized designs produced smaller effects, and studies using measures of transfer and adaptive expertise to index outcomes produced larger effects. Analyses also revealed that the results can be replicated by instructors other than the developers of the modules, in a variety of student populations and educational settings, and at other institutions. Conclusions Overall, the challenge-based modules and other innovations have moderate overall effects on improved student performance. They can be implemented successively by other instructors in a variety of educational settings and student populations.
Liquid chromatographic determination of ethylenethiourea using pulsed amperometric detection.

Abstract A liquid chromatographic method was developed using pulsed amperometric detection at a gold working electrode to measure residue levels of ethylenethiourea (ETU) in crops and groundwater. Use of the sequential pulsing program eliminates electrode fouling while preserving the sensitive and selective detection of ETU. Minimum detection limits in crops were 5–10 ppb (1.25–2.5 ng on-column) and 5 ppb (0.5 ng) in groundwater. The commercial availability of the pulsed electrochemical detector and its gold working electrode that remains functional with a minimum of conditioning is an improvement in method simplicity.