cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HcwA, an Autolysin, Is Required for Heterocyst Maturation in Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120

In many filamentous cyanobacteria, vegetative cells can differentiate into heterocysts, cells that are specialized for aerobic fixation of N2. Synthesis of the heterocyst envelope polysaccharide is dependent on the gene hepA in Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. In search of genes that are involved in the regulation of hepA, we transposon mutagenized strain DR1069, which bears a chromosomal hepA::luxAB fusion. One resulting mutant, designated HNL3, grows normally in medium with nitrate and shows poor induction of hepA in response to nitrogen deprivation. In HNL3, transposon Tn5-1058 is inserted within gene hcwA, a constitutively expressed open reading frame whose predicted product resembles N-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine amidases. Reconstruction of the mutation confirmed that the mutant phenotype resulted from the insertion of the transposon. The induction of hepA in HNL3 is partially restored upon recombination of HNL3 with plasmid-borne, wild-type hcwA. Moreover, HcwA expressed in Escherichia coli exhibits wall-lytic activity. These results suggest that the degradation, or possibly reconstruction, of the cell peptidoglycan layer is a prerequisite for heterocyst maturation.
Plant-soil microorganism interactions: heritable relationship between plant genotype and associated soil microorganisms.

Although soil microbial communities are known to play crucial roles in the cycling of nutrients in forest ecosystems and can vary by plant species, how microorganisms respond to the subtle gradients of plant genetic variation is just beginning to be appreciated. Using a model Populus system in a common garden with replicated clones of known genotypes, we evaluated microbial biomass and community composition as quantitative traits. Two main patterns emerged. (1) Plant genotype influenced microbial biomass nitrogen in soils under replicated genotypes of Populus angustifolia ,F 1, and backcross hybrids, but not P. fremontii. Genotype explained up to 78% of the variation in microbial biomass as indicated by broad-sense heritability estimates (i.e., clonal repeatability). A second estimate of microbial biomass (total phospholipid fatty acid) was more conservative and showed significant genotype effects in P. angustifolia and backcross hybrids. (2) Plant genotype significantly influenced microbial community composition, explaining up to 70% of the variation in community composition within P. angustifolia genotypes alone. These findings suggest that variation in above- and belowground traits of individual plant genotypes can alter soil microbial dynamics, and suggests that further investigations of the evolutionary implications of genetic feedbacks are warranted.
Issues On Health Risk Assessment At Hazardous Waste Sites and Resource Recovery Facilities in Region Ii

This paper examines the issues involved in health risk assessments at hazardous waste sites and resource recovery facilities in Region II and emphasizes the programmatic aspects of the problem and the integration of risk assessment into the permitting process for these facilities. Suggestions for the R&D agenda and policy needs to support a risk assessment strategy in this area are also discussed.
Fabrication and in vitro testing of polymeric delivery system for condensed DNA.

Polyethylenimine (PEI) was combined with plasmid DNA and freeze dried following the addition of sucrose as a lyoprotectant and pore-forming agent. Freeze-dried PEI DNA condensates were dry mixed with granular polylactideglycolic acid (PLGA) then compression molded and sponged to encapsulated PEI DNA. A measurement of the elastic modulus indicated that 91 wt% sucrose substituted for 95 wt% sodium chloride as a porogen, resulting in PLGA sponges with a mechanical modulus of 100 kPa. The PEI DNA was retained (80%) within PLGA sponges prepared with sucrose during the leaching and subsequent 2-week release studies, whereas sodium chloride PLGA sponges caused the premature release (100%) of PEI DNA within 2 days. In vitro gene transfer studies with PEI DNA PLGA sponges established that adherent and infiltrating fibroblasts expressed reporter gene for 15 days compared with the short, 3-day expression mediated by direct gene of PEI DNA on cells in culture. The results demonstrate an approach to encapsulate condensed DNA in a PLGA sponge for the purpose of retaining DNA within the matrices and creating efficient gene transfer during tissue engineering.
Adjunctive CBT increases response in pharmacotherapy-resistant depression in primary care

QUESTION Question: How effective is adding cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to pharmacotherapy-based usual care for primary care patients with treatment resistant depression? Patients: A total of 469 adults (average age 49.6 years, 72% female and 44% in paid employment) with treatment resistant depression (meeting ICD-10 criteria for depression, treated with adequate dose of antidepressants for ≥6 weeks but still with Beck depression inventory (BDI) score ≥14). For more than half of the participants (59%) the current depression episode had lasted 2 years or longer, and 70% had taken their antidepressant for over a year. People with bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, or major alcohol or substance abuse problems were excluded, as were pregnant women, those unable to complete study questionnaires, those currently receiving CBT, other psychotherapy or secondary care for depression, or those who had received CBT in the past 3 years. Setting: A total of 73 general practices in Bristol, Exeter and Glasgow, UK; 2008–2011. Intervention: CBT plus usual care or usual care alone. CBT was provided as 12 individual sessions of 50–60 min, with up to 6 additional sessions allowed based on therapists’ judgement of clinical need. Therapists used CBT for depression treatment manuals, with expansion as needed to address treatment resistance. Therapists had at least 1 day of training specific to the trial and received weekly supervision from experienced CBT supervisors. Usual care included antidepressants, and participants were expected to continue with these during the trial. There was no restriction on usual care, and participants could be referred for counselling, CBTor for secondary care as needed. Outcomes: Primary outcome: response at 6 months (≥50% reduction in BDI score from baseline). Analyses were
Relaxation therapy in adult asthma. Is there new evidence for its effectiveness

Studies of relaxation training for adult asthma patients were reviewed for the period between 1980 and 2000. Six controlled and three uncontrolled studies were identified, employing a variety of methods, such as progressive relaxation, functional relaxation, autogenic training, or yoga. Most studies had low sample sizes and suffered from one or more methodological deficiencies, such as suboptimal data analysis, high dropout rates, problematic measurement procedures, or insufficient descriptions of methodology and results. Overall effects on parameters of lung function, symptoms, medication consumption, and health care use were generally negligible. Problems with the underlying rationale of relaxation therapy in asthma are discussed from a psychophysiological viewpoint. Examples are given of potential beneficial and detrimental effects of these techniques on lung function with respect to emotional processes, the musculoskeletal system, and ventilation as targets of a relaxation intervention. It remains to be demonstrated that relaxation training can significantly contribute to the standard treatment of asthma in adult patients.
Life as a Source of Theory: Erik Erikson’s Contributions, Boundaries, and Marginalities

Psychobiography and the study of lives – an area of specialized study in the discipline of psychology – asserts that it is often clarifying and sometimes essential to analyze the life histories of intellectual leaders whose ideas have shaped social and cultural life. Psychobiographies can help us understand the personal and historical contexts of theory construction, dissemination, and reception, while providing interpretive clues to the complex process of theory development and institutionalization (Anderson 2005). In fact, William Runyan (2006) has argued that studying how the lives of scientists have influenced their scientific projects can help steer observers away from misleading causal abstractions. Uncovering the connections between lives and theories has great heuristic value. The study of lives can advance the study of ideas.
Use of Antipsychotic Medications for Nonpsychotic Children: Risks and Implications for Mental Health Services

Antipsychotic medications, especially second-generation antipsychotics, have increasingly been prescribed to children under age 18 in the United States. They are approved to treat pediatric bipolar and psychotic disorders and aggressive behaviors among patients with autism, but they are often used off label to control disruptive behaviors of children without autism and treat mood problems of children without bipolar disorder. The most vulnerable children, such as those in foster care, are the most likely recipients. Common known risks are potentially serious, and suspected long-term developmental risks to the brain and body are largely unstudied. Safer and equally efficacious therapies, both psychosocial and pharmacological, are available. Critical implications for mental health services include implementing prevention activities, training and monitoring prescribers and other clinicians, increasing efforts to protect children as the most vulnerable patients receiving these medications, increasing access t...
A qualitative analysis of emerging adult black men’s sexual decision-making behavior and substance use

Emerging adult Black men and substance users may have an increased risk for compromised sexual health. This study qualitatively investigated how substance use affects the sexual decision-making of emerging adult Black men. Nineteen Black men in college (18-24 years) completed a semi-structured interview about their sexual attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions and their substance use. Results show that substance use may not independently affect sexual risk behavior among emerging adult Black men. Findings highlight the importance of using approaches that incorporate structural and sociocultural factors when framing research and interventions related to substance use, sexual decision making, and Black men.
Chiefdoms, States, Cycling, and World-Systems Evolution: A Review Essay

Why review a series of books and articles on the rise and fall of chiefdoms in this stetother than my obvious penchant for reading and writing about such topics? The brief answer is that the kind of cycling (rise and fall) that occurs in chiefdoms has analogues in state-based world-systems. In particular, the probabalistic nature of the transitions from chiefdom to state means that there are lots of near misses, or examples of failed transitions. The growing literature on such cycling suggests these transitions are the result of Braudelian conjuncturesall the right pieces falling into place at the right time and placebut nonetheless the result of systematic, or I argue world-systematic processes. Furthermore, initial evidence shows that ideology and individual actors play signi?cant roles in such transitions. Kent Flannery (1999) argues that structure and agency rather than being antithetical, are complementary. Via several examples he shows how in certain phases of chiefdom cycling space, or opportunity, is opened for especially potent actions by leaders, and for ideology to play a much stronger than usual role in social, political, and cultural change. Thus, examination of such events gives some insight into the roles of ideology and individuals in system transformation.
Abstract 324: Dronedarone Alters the Sensitivity of Cardiac Mitochondria to Permeability Transition Pore Opening

Introduction: Dronedarone (DR) is a new antiarrhythmic agent that was design to minimize side effects of Amiodarone. However, in clinical trials was shown to worsen heart failure (HF) and increased mortality. The mechanisms for these adverse effects are not known. Since mitochondria are critical for maintaining cardiac energetics and regulate, we hypothesized that DR increases sensitivity towards opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) that underlies mitochondrial failure and cell death. Methods: Mitochondria were isolated from left atrial appendage tissue of patients undergoing bypass cardiac surgery (n=3). Patients did not have any history of HF or atrial fibrillation. To induce mPTP, mitochondria were exposed with sequential additions of Ca2+ (Fluo-5N) in the presence of 5, 10, 20 μM of DR. The opening of mPTP was determined by monitoring abrupt release of Ca2+, rapid loss of membrane potential (ΔΨ) and mitochondrial swelling. Results: DR accelerated Ca2+-induced mPTP opening start...
Late luteal estradiol patterns are a better prognosticator of pregnancy outcome than serial beta-human chorionic gonadotropin concentrations

Objective Since the corpus luteum (CL) is known to play an important role in early pregnancy, its activity could possibly be a marker for pregnancy outcome. Design The late estradiol (E 2 ) concentration in 48 viable pregnancies and 39 pregnancies which resulted in spontaneous abortions after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer were used to evaluate such predictability. Setting All patients studied were of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Cornell University Medicai College. Patients, Participants Eighty-seven patients. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measure Serum E 2 and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) concentrations on day +11, +13, +15 (day +1 = day of ovum pick-up) were measured and studied. Results The late luteal CL activity after rescue had a positive correlation with the number and quality of the implanted embryos. Reduced CL activity was indicative of abortion. The late luteal E 2 pattern when compared with hCG doubling time had a better abortion predictability (37.8% versus 63.9%, respectively). Conclusion Corpus luteum activity demonstrated to be a better prognosticator of abortion than serial β -hCG titers.
Trapping and attenuating broadband vibroacoustic energy with hyperdamping metamaterials

Abstract We introduce a class of engineered metamaterials for the purpose of attenuating and trapping spectrally broadband vibration and acoustic energy. The physical phenomenon realized to effect such wideband energy dissipation performance is termed hyperdamping since it is the consequence of eliminating fundamental stiffness contributions within the material system so as to asymptotically enhance damping properties. A strategically sculpted elastomer topology is geometrically constrained and embedded in a poroelastic matrix to realize the metamaterial platform. Finite element model analyses guide design of the embedded hyperdamping inclusions while experimental studies on dynamic force transmissibility and acoustical absorption coefficient provide conclusive evidence that hyperdamping phenomena facilitate wideband energy dissipation in a lightweight material system that is not subject to the limitations of conventional resonance- or bandgap-based attenuation effects. The hyperdamping metamaterials thus meet the often conflicting performance requirements of real applications where broadband vibrations and noise must be abated using lightweight material solutions.
Investigation of Bias in Continuous Medical Image Label Fusion

Image labeling is essential for analyzing morphometric features in medical imaging data. Labels can be obtained by either human interaction or automated segmentation algorithms, both of which suffer from errors. The Simultaneous Truth and Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE) algorithm for both discrete-valued and continuous-valued labels has been proposed to find the consensus fusion while simultaneously estimating rater performance. In this paper, we first show that the previously reported continuous STAPLE in which bias and variance are used to represent rater performance yields a maximum likelihood solution in which bias is indeterminate. We then analyze the major cause of the deficiency and evaluate two classes of auxiliary bias estimation processes, one that estimates the bias as part of the algorithm initialization and the other that uses a maximum a posteriori criterion with a priori probabilities on the rater bias. We compare the efficacy of six methods, three variants from each class, in simulations and through empirical human rater experiments. We comment on their properties, identify deficient methods, and propose effective methods as solution.
Chemical characterization of α-pinene secondary organic aerosol constituents using gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, and paper spray-based mass spectrometry techniques.

Rationale: Despite ample research into the atmospheric oxidation of α-pinene, an important precursor to biogenic secondary organic aerosol formation, the identification of its reaction products, specifically organic nitrates, which impact atmospheric NOx concentrations, is still incomplete. This negatively impacts our understanding of α-pinene oxidation chemistry and its relation to air quality. Methods: Photochemical chamber experiments were conducted in conjunction with mass spectrometric techniques, including gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), high-performance liquid chromatography/time-of-flight (HPLC/TOF), and paper spray ionization MS, to investigate products from the OH radical initiated oxidation of α-pinene under high NOx conditions. Results: Over 30 compounds were tentatively identified, including those newly detected from photochemical chamber studies of α-pinene oxidation, pinocamphenol, fencholenic aldehyde, and α-pinene-derived nitrate isomers. α-Pinene-derived hydroxynitrate isomers were successfully detected using chromatographic methods, demonstrating, for the first time, the identification of individual first-generation organic nitrate products derived from α-pinene. The application of paper spray ionization to particle-phase compounds collected on filters represents a novel method for the direct analysis of filter samples at ambient pressure and temperature. Conclusions: The use of HPLC/TOF and paper spray ionization methods to identify previously unobserved α-pinene-derived products helps lower the uncertainty in α-pinene oxidation chemistry and provides new platforms that can be used to identify and quantify important atmospheric compounds that relate to air quality in a complex sample matrix, such as ambient aerosol particles. Additionally, the use of paper spray ionization for direct filter analysis is a fast, relatively inexpensive sample preparation technique that can be used to reduce sample manipulation from solvent-induced reactions.
Anxiety and Parkinson's disease

Anxiety is common in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Nearly 40% of patients with PD fulfill criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, anxiety disorders (eg, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia), and many more have symptoms of anxiety not meeting formal criteria. This anxiety is often present prior to the onset of the movement disorder, usually co-occurs with depression, and frequently becomes worse in patients who develop erratic motor fluctuations. Anxiety in patients with PD is likely to be related to the neurochemical and degenerative changes that accompany PD, as well as to worsening disability. Pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatments have not been studied in these patients; nonetheless, clinical experience suggests that a similar approach to that taken in the non-PD elderly may be useful. This approach involves selective serotonin reuplake inhibitors, other newer antidepressants, cognitive-behavioral therapy, exercise, and occasionally benzodiazepines or atypical antipsychotics.
Green and Low-Risk Content Placement in optical content delivery networks

With the rapid growth of content-based network services, there is increasing interest in reducing the emissions associated with brown-energy consumption in Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). At the same time, content needs to be placed in safe Data Center (DC) locations, which are unlikely to be hit by disasters. Further risk reduction is achieved using content replication which provides inter-DC content redundancy. Unfortunately, there is contention between the objectives of brown-energy minimization and risk reduction since replicating content increases brown-energy consumption. To address these contradictory issues, we leverage the concept of content fragmentation used inside DCs and propose an inter-DC Content Fragmentation (CF) scheme which aims to achieve brown-energy saving by reducing storage overhead while maintaining low risk compared to basic replication schemes. We also propose a Green and Low-Risk Content Placement approach (GR-CP) to address the tradeoff between brown-energy consumption and disaster risk. Both CF and replication schemes are implemented in GR-CP and evaluated over a range of content popularity and redundancy levels. Our results show that CF outperforms replication scheme except when content popularity is high and the risk constraint is stringent. When popularity and risk are both low, CF can save more brown energy by using low-redundancy fragmentation techniques.
K-BILDS: A kinase substrate discovery tool

Kinases catalyze protein phosphorylation to regulate cell signaling events.However, identifying kinase substrates is challenging due to the often low abundance and dynamic nature of protein phosphorylation. Development of novel techniques to identify kinase substrates is necessary. Here, we report K-BILDS (Kinase-catalyzed Biotinylation with Inactivated Lysates for Discovery of Substrates) as a tool to identify direct substrates of a kinase. As a proof of concept, K-BILDS was applied to PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase A) using HeLa cell lysates. Subsequent enrichment and MS/MS analysis identified 279 candidate PKA substrates, including 56 previously known PKA substrates. Out of the candidate substrates, NASP (Nuclear Autoantigenic Sperm Protein), BAG3 (BCL2 Associated Athanogene 3), and YWHAQ (14-3-3 Protein Tau) and were validated as novel PKA substrates.K-BILDS provides a valuable tool to identify direct substrates of any protein kinase.
Chapter 5 The 1980s: Heady Times

The previous two decades of shock wave research at Sandia led to (1) advances in experimental techniques, (2) measurements of dynamic material response for a wide range of materials, (3) state-of-the-art material models, and (4) a family of 1-D and 2-D computer codes that could simulate materials used in weapon components and subsystems with considerable accuracy. However, full three-dimensional (3-D) code capabilities were needed for higher fidelity simulations of weapon components and subsystems.
The Intimate Bond: How Animals Shaped Human History. By Brian Fagan. (New York, NY: Bloomsbury, 2015. Pp. xvii, 308. $28.00.)

Traditional histories have often been stories of human conquest—conquest of other humans and of the natural world. This perspective has been challenged on many fronts, most recently through the gro...
Smart Illegal Dumping Detection

Illegal dumping has been a chronicle problem in many cities in the world. The odors and contaminants caused by abandoned household items and dumped garbage, and construction leftovers not only ruin the city view but also threaten citizens health. To reduce the illegal dumping, a few cities have designed community-based voluntary reporting systems and surveillancecamera-based monitoring systems. However, these approaches still require manual monitoring and detection, which are costly and vulnerable to false alarms. In this paper, we propose to use deep learning approach to recognize various types of frequently dumped wastes. To achieve higher accuracy, we explored various approaches and demonstrate the accuracy variance with regard to the number of classes, baseline models, and input image characteristics. We also propose to use edge computing to reduce unnecessary image transfer to the servers. The edge computing station runs a deep learning model for captured images of individual dumping hot spots and sends the images to the server only when the image contains frequently dumped wastes. To successfully deploy deep learning models to edge computing stations that are shipped with limited resources, we also apply the state-of-the-art deep learning model compression tool. Our experimental results show that the proposed approaches provide high recognition accuracy with small memory footprint.
Mechanical Protein Unfolding and Degradation

AAA+ proteolytic machines use energy from ATP hydrolysis to degrade damaged, misfolded, or unneeded proteins. Protein degradation occurs within a barrel-shaped self-compartmentalized peptidase. Before protein substrates can enter this peptidase, they must be unfolded and then translocated through the axial pore of an AAA+ ring hexamer. An unstructured region of the protein substrate is initially engaged in the axial pore, and conformational changes in the ring, powered by ATP hydrolysis, generate a mechanical force that pulls on and denatures the substrate. The same conformational changes in the hexameric ring then mediate mechanical translocation of the unfolded polypeptide into the peptidase chamber. For the bacterial ClpXP and ClpAP AAA+ proteases, the mechanical activities of protein unfolding and translocation have been directly visualized by single-molecule optical trapping. These studies in combination with structural and biochemical experiments illuminate many principles that underlie this universal mechanism of ATP-fueled protein unfolding and subsequent destruction.
'Property' and Investment-Backed Expectations in Ridesharing Regulatory Takings Claims (Foreword)

The technology behind ridesharing enterprises is evolving at lightning pace, and because of that, the legal issues which arise when trying to fit these sharing enterprises into existing regulatory regimes can result in decisions that draw competing philosophies into focus. Police power hawks believe that these things should — like just about everything else — be subject to pervasive regulation. The public needs to be protected! Libertarians applaud free market forces at play. Let a thousand flowers of thought bloom! The property rights advocates... well, as I will suggest in this essay, we end up with a somewhat mixed bag. I say that because these interests draw me in opposite directions. I am not a big fan of regulations which limit entry into markets, and which stifle innovation. But I also favor a regulatory system, if it must exist, which allows investment and reliance, without fearing the government will just decide one day to ignore its own regulatory requirements and exempt others similarly situated from the regulations which govern existing participants. This essay will review several cases which the sharing economy has thus far produced, cases where taxicab companies have sued municipalities for allowing ridesharing services to operate without medallions, most often employing a regulatory takings theory. I argue that the approach employed by these courts wrongly focus on the property interests involved, rather than where the real analytical question resides: what are the investment-backed expectations of those already providing vehicle-for-hire services in the marketplace. Shifting the analysis from artificial distinctions between property for purposes of the Takings Clause and other forms of property, would, I conclude, put the focus where it should be — an owner’s expectations when she obtains a taxicab medallion. Doing so would place these questions in the proper takings context, to be measured along with the other factors which courts consider in most regulatory takings cases.
Current Techniques and Role of Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) was developed for dynamic evaluation of the airway collapse under simulated sleep conditions. DISE has been extensively studied in the last 25 years to standardize the procedures and classification as well as its role in non-surgical and surgical management. The goal of this study is to determine current techniques and recommendations regarding DISE. Current research suggests that standardization with target-controlled infusion and bispectral analysis may be safer and more reproducible. The velum, oropharyngeal, tongue base, epiglottis classification remains the most commonly used to describe the obstruction. While DISE changes surgical management in 50% of patients, there are few studies to evaluate differences in surgical outcomes with and without DISE. Emerging evidence suggests complete collapse of the velum and hypopharyngeal obstruction are associated with poor surgical outcomes. Going forward, more information is required to determine how well DISE mimics natural sleep and its role in decision-making for patients seeking alternatives to continuous positive airway pressure.
Incidence of disturbance and damage to deep-sea corals and sponges in areas of high trawl bycatch near the California and Oregon border

Abstract We evaluated disturbance and damage to deep-sea corals and sponges (DSCS) in areas of longtime (> 65 years) bottom trawling off southern Oregon and northern California. The incidence of disturbance was quantified from video and still images collected along strip transects conducted with underwater vehicles operating at depths of 600–2100 m. All DSCS were identified, counted, and measured, condition (healthy, unhealthy, or dead) was determined, and associated seafloor substratum types were designated. Physical disturbance and damage were classified as DSCS with broken or missing parts, overturned, or detached from the seafloor. Overall frequency of disturbance to DSCS throughout the study area was 2% of the total number observed; most of these were coral colonies while sponges were rarely damaged. There was notable disturbance to corals, particularly to bamboo corals of the family Isididae (45% of 873 colonies were impacted), at depths of 1100–1150 m in our most northern study site off southern Oregon and the southern site off Cape Mendocino, California. Nearly 20% (n = 78) of disturbed bamboo corals were sheared off at the base, leaving only small stumps to be counted. Height of intact undisturbed bamboo coral colonies ranged from 5 to 185 cm. The Mendocino Ridge area had the highest incidence of coral bycatch in research bottom trawls conducted between 2001 and 2015. Using visual survey tools, we now have a better understanding of the extent of damage and disturbance to DSCS. Conservation areas have been implemented off the U.S. West Coast to protect seafloor habitats, but DSCS in our study site remain vulnerable to impacts from bottom-contact fishing gears.
Digital Image Formats

Images contain a significant amount of information which translates to substantial memory for storage. In this chapter we briefly describe various formats in which images are stored. Of necessity this entails some description of image compression.
Statistical anisotropies in temperature and polarization fluctuations from a scale-dependent trispectrum

We study statistical anisotropies generated in the observed two-point function of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) fluctuations if the primordial statistics are non-Gaussian. Focusing on the dipole modulations of the anisotropies, we find that the hemispherical power asymmetry observed in the CMB temperature fluctuations can be modeled by a local-type trispectrum with amplitude ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{NL}}({k}_{p}=0.05\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{\ensuremath{-}1})\ensuremath{\approx}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{4}$ and a large red tilt $n\ensuremath{\approx}\ensuremath{-}0.68$. We numerically evaluate the non-Gaussian covariance of the modulation estimators for both temperature and E-mode polarization fluctuations and discuss the prospects of constraining the model using Planck satellite data. We then discuss other effects of the scale-dependent trispectrum that could be used to distinguish this scenario from other explanations of the power asymmetry: higher-order modulations of the two-point function and the non-Gaussian angular power spectrum covariance. As an important consequence of the non-Gaussian power spectrum covariance, we discuss how the CMB-inferred spectral index of primordial scalar fluctuations can be significantly biased in the presence of a scale-dependent local-type trispectrum.
Chloride in the pore water and water column of Onondaga Lake, N.Y., U.S.A.

The vertical distributions of Cl in the pore waters of the sediments and in the water column of Onondaga Lake, New York, are documented and used to estimate the diffusion flux of Cl across the sediment-water interface, and establish the reduction in lake concentrations that has occurred as a result of the closure of an industrial source of Cl. Despite the industrial enrichment of the water column with Cl over the last 100 yr, gradients within the upper sediments toward the overlying water of 6.9 to 8.5 × 10−2 mg cm−3 cm−1 exist in the deep basins of the lake. These upwards gradients are apparently a manifestation of the salt deposits that underlie the region. The estimated diffusion flux from the sediments to the water column, 3.2 × 106 kg yr−1, represents a small percentage of the external load during the operation of the industry (0.4%) and after its closure (1.6%). The Cl concentration has decreased approximately 70% in response to an approximately equal percent reduction in external loading, as a result of closure of the industry. This supports the position that the lake's concentrations largely reflect external loading and lake flushing associated with surface inputs.
Boundary Layer Adjustments to Bottom Topography and Suspended Sediment

Abstract An accurate knowledge of flow in the immediate vicinity of the sea bed is important in marine geological, benthic ecological, geochemical, and sediment transport studies. However in many cases, the velocity field is complicated by the presence of ripples and dunes on the sea bed and suspended sediment-induced stratification in the flow. Recently techniques for handling these factors were developed by the authors, but they were applied only to a situation where the sea bed was comprised of a single size and specific gravity class. In this paper these techniques are extended to the case where the suspended material is characterized by an ensemble of settling velocities and critical shear velocities. The results are applied first to a flat sea bed and then to spatially averaged flow over a wavy boundary such as might be produced by natural bed forms. These calculations indicate that the sediment transport process can have a significant effect on flow near the sea bed and that proper account must be taken of the settling velocity distribution comprising the suspended sediment concentration field.
Inheritance and Stratification

The individual chapters of this volume have examined various aspects of estate inheritance from historical, legal, and social perspectives. In this concluding chapter, we will return to a more general discussion of the impact of estate inheritance on stratification outcomes.
Numerical stability properties

Designers of algorithms must not only solve the problem of interest, but do so using methods which are robust under perturbations in the data as well as the intermediate parameters of the method. More generally, it is often the case that the actual problem of interest is too complicated to solve directly; simplifying assumptions are necessary. At each stage, from problem identification, to the setup of the problem to be solved using some method, to the ultimate algorithm to be implemented in code, perturbations and their effects must be anticipated and analyzed. Stability is the property that assesses the level of robustness to perturbations that is required before the computed solution given by an algorithm can be used with confidence. The origin of the perturbation can vary, as pointed out above. What is important, however, is to have analysis that supports the premise that a small change in the problem results in a small change to the solution.
A Collaborative Educational Intervention Integrating Biology and Physics in Radiation Oncology: A Design Research Case Study.

Instructional design focuses on solving problems in a multitude of contexts. As such, designers are investigators, gathering evidence to optimally design solutions to learning problems within the identified context. The challenge described in this case study was the need to create an educational activity to promote interaction and collaboration among an interdisciplinary participant group comprised of physicians, radiobiologists, and radiation physicists. Based on the premise that interdisciplinary medical research collaboration requires a shared understanding of authentic problems from multiple perspectives, this design research case documents the design and implementation of an online case study incorporating collaborative inquiry in interdisciplinary teams with the intended outcome of building or strengthening interdisciplinary communication skills. Contextual factors – including the design team and design process – influencing the design of the activity are documented. Results indicate that using an interactive online case study as the basis for collaborative inquiry in small, interdisciplinary teams followed by a summative, large group discussion resulted in (1) evidence-based treatment decisions based on the data supplied in the case study and (2) participation of all disciplines in team interactions. Outcomes also indicated the building or strengthening of interdisciplinary communication skills and the understanding of the value and contribution of all three fields to radiation oncology treatment resulted in the participation of the online case study.
Adherence to Appropriate Nutrition in Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis is Low

Malnutrition is a common cause of impeding recovery in patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis (AAH). Previous reports have shown that appropriate nutritional supplementation reduce short and long-term mortality in patients with AAH. Despite these clear recommendations, the element of nutrition in AAH is often neglected. We designed a quality improvement project to evaluate and improve compliance with appropriate nutrition in patients presenting with AAH at our institution. Patients admitted with AAH between December 2015 to December 2016 were included. Our primary outcome was compliance with appropriate nutrition. Secondary outcomes included nutrition consultation and hepatology consultation. A total of fifty-four patients were included. Nine of the 53 patients (17%) received high calorie and high protein diets. Hepatology was consulted in 72% (38/53) of the patients, and 21% (8/38) of these patients received appropriate nutrition as compared to only 8.3% (1/12) in whom hepatology was not consulted. Nutrition was consulted in 55% (29/53) of these patients and 67% (19/28) of those patients received appropriate nutrition. In conclusion, our compliance of appropriate nutrition in AAH is low. Our initial investigation suggests that hepatology and nutrition consultation improved compliance with appropriate nutrition. The next step will be to implement protocolized care for appropriate nutrition in AAH by incorporating consultation of hepatology and nutrition services, assess the effect on adherence to appropriate nutrition, and determine the impact on patient outcomes.
Racial disparities in tumor features and outcomes of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil.

OBJECTIVE To identify differences in 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) based on race in patients with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 80 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil treated between 2006 and 2015. Overall survival and DFS curves comparing white and black patients were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression was used to determine covariables associated with OS and DFS. RESULTS Forty-one percent of the patients in this cohort were black and 59% were white. Three-year OS for black patients was 45.5% versus 88.1% for white patients (P = 0.003). Three-year DFS for black patients was 41.1% versus 66.6% in white patients (P = 0.001). Black race (hazard ratio [HR] 4.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-15.6, P = 0.009) and lack of insurance (HR 9.50, 95% CI 2.92-13.0, P < 0.009) were independently associated with worse OS on multivariable analysis. Black patients were more likely to have high-risk tumor features. Black patients with stage IV disease (American Joint Committee on Cancer, 7th edition) had decreased OS as compared to white patients, 41.4% versus 82.1% (P = 0.005). There was a trend toward worse OS in human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative black patients compared to HPV-negative white patients. Uninsured black patient experienced worse OS than white patients without insurance, 22.2% versus 68.1%, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Significant racial disparities were found in presentation, tumor, and nodal characteristics, as well as in outcomes in this group of patients with tonsillar cancer. The difference in HPV-associated tonsillar cancer is likely the primary cause of these disparities, but other factors may also contribute to inferior outcomes in black patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 Laryngoscope, 129:643-654, 2019.
A Tale of Two Crematoria:: Funeral Architecture and the Politics of Representation in Mid-Twentieth-Century Bangkok

In 1926, the remains of Siam9s last absolute monarch were cremated on Bangkok9s royal parade grounds, Sanam Luang, in a highly decorated ceremonial pyre known as the phra merumat or phra men. Modeled on Mount Meru, the center of the Vedic and Buddhist cosmos, ephemeral structures like this drew on the Traiphum phra ruang, a fourteenth-century text that elaborated the hierarchical structure of the universe and the exalted place of royalty within it. After the overthrow of the absolute monarchy in 1932, the sanctity of Sanam Luang was challenged when a controversial crematorium for commoners who died defending Siam9s nascent constitution was built in the area once reserved for royalty. Together, the two crematoria played an important role in representing new forms of national belonging in the twentieth century that were consistent with older conceptions of social hierarchy. In A Tale of Two Crematoria: Funeral Architecture and the Politics of Representation in Mid-Twentieth-Century Bangkok, Lawrence Chua examines literary, pictorial, and architectural representations of the monumental crematoria from which powerful, meritorious people were historically dispatched to the upper echelons of the cosmos. As seen in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century temple murals and literature, the phra men was historically depicted as a space in which diverse social groups were brought together but hierarchically segregated. By the twentieth century, the above-noted crematoria for king and commoners—although radically different in appearance and ideology—could be understood as complementary structures that allowed older spatial and political approaches not only to survive but also to flourish in an era of turbulent social upheaval. Key to this continuity was the deployment of new modes of architectural representation such as the plan and section. Associated with Siam9s nascent architectural profession and the rational representation of space, these tools depicted a modern form of political community and premodern social hierarchy while underscoring the shared fate of citizens and the state.
Energy Minimization for Cirrus and Cumulus Cloud Separation in Atmospheric Images

Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR) instrument provides the multi-angle images of aerosols and clouds. There are a multitude of challenges for accurate stereo imaging of clouds and aerosols including the high variation of radiative properties of aerosols and clouds within an image. In this work, we adapt an image model to separate two specific types of clouds frequently appearing in MISR images. Specifically, we separate cirrus and cumulus clouds in the two-dimensional MISR single-channel images. We characterize these two cloud types according to their spatial variations and optical brightness. Cirrus clouds appear smooth and optically thin, while cumulus clouds present high optical oscillations and appear brighter. We adapt the additive piecewise-smooth (APS) model for this cloud separation task. We describe the differences between our results and the results of the previous joint work of the second author on cloud separation.
Enhancing Strength of Wool Fiber Using a Soy Flour Sugar-Based "Green" Cross-linker

This study presents the preparation and use of a "green" cross-linker derived from a waste soy flour sugar (SFS) mixture to cross-link keratin in wool fibers to increase their tensile properties. Earlier studies of keratin cross-linking involved chemicals such as glyoxal and glutaraldehyde that are toxic to humans. In addition, their effectiveness in improving tensile properties has been significantly lower than obtained in this study using modified SFS. Characterization of SFS using 13C NMR revealed the presence of five sugars having different molecular lengths. Oxidation of SFS using sodium periodate resulted in multiple aldehyde groups, as confirmed by 1H NMR and attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR). The oxidized SFS (OSFS) when used to cross-link the amine groups from the wool keratin resulted in 36 and 56% increase in the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the fibers, respectively. These significant increases in strength and Young's modulus were a result of having multiple aldehyde groups on each sugar molecule as well as different molecular lengths of sugars, which favored cross-links of multiple lengths within the cortical cell matrix of wool fibers. The cross-linking between the aldehyde groups in OSFS and amine groups in wool fibers was confirmed using ATR-FTIR and from the color change resulting from the Maillard reaction as well as decrease in moisture absorption by the fibers. Stronger wool fibers can not only increase the efficiencies of wool fiber spinning and weaving and reduce yarn and fabric defects but can also allow spinning finer yarns from the same fibers. Oxidized sugars with optimum molecular lengths can be used to cross-link other biological proteins as well, replacing the currently used toxic cross-linkers.
MMP12 preferentially attenuates axial stiffening of aging arteries.

Arterial stiffening is a hallmark of aging, but how aging affects the arterial response to pressure is still not completely understood, especially with regard to specific matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Here, we used pressure myography of carotid arteries from C57BL/6 mice to study the effects of age and MMP12, a major arterial elastase, on arterial biomechanics. Aging from 2 to 24 months leads to both circumferential and axial stiffening with stretch, and these changes are associated with an increased wall thickness, decreased inner radius, and a decreased in vivo axial stretch ratio (IVSR). Analysis of IVSR and stress-stretch curves with arteries from age- and sex-matched wild-type and MMP12-null arteries demonstrate that MMP12 deletion attenuates age-dependent arterial stiffening, mostly in the axial direction. MMP12 deletion also prevents the aging-associated decrease in the in vivo stretch ratio and, in general, leads to an axial mechanics phenotype characteristic of much younger mice. Circumferential arterial mechanics were much less affected by deletion of MMP12. We conclude that the induction of MMP12 during aging preferentially controls axial arterial mechanics.