cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developing a vision for executing scientifically useful virtual biomedical experiments

A virtual biomedical experiment (VBE) is a simulation of a wet-lab or clinical biomedical experiment. The goal of VBEs is to provide a scientifically useful method of in silico experimentation that can challenge concrete hypotheses and provide explanatory, mechanistic insight into the referent system. We envision virtual experimentation not as a supplement to traditional wet-lab experimentation, but rather as an essential part of the scientific method itself. The goal of this work is to lay preliminary groundwork for realizing this vision, through outlining requirements and describing agent-based models demonstrative of this vision. VBEs focus on reasoning by analogy; thus, a VBE includes model components analogous to particular relevant aspects of the referent experiment---from hypothesis formation to data analysis, and key concepts in between. We explore five exemplary categories of scientifically useful VBEs: hypothesis, experiment context, living counterparts, experiment agents, and measurements. We discuss how to develop model components of each category in the context of agent-based modeling. We highlight the importance of two overarching requirements: concreteness and modularity. Finally, we demonstrate this vision by describing an in silico liver model that partially fulfills the VBE vision and requirements, including components corresponding to each of the five VBE categories.
3D carbon nanofiber microelectrode arrays fabricated by plasma-assisted pyrolysis to enhance sensitivity and stability of real-time dopamine detection

In this paper, we have fabricated 3D carbon nanofiber microelectrode arrays (MEAs) with highly reproducible and rich chemical surface areas for fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV). Carbon nanofibers are created from negative photoresist by a new process called dual O2 plasma-assisted pyrolysis. The proposed approach significantly improves film adhesion and increases surface reactivity. We showcase our sensor’s compatibility with FSCV analysis by demonstrating highly sensitive and stable FSCV dopamine measurements on a prototype 4-channel array. We envision with proper surface fuctionalization the 3D carbon nanofiber MEA enable sensitive and reliable detection of multiple neurotransmitters simultaneously.
Schedulability Analysis for a General Model of Mixed-Criticality Recurrent Real-Time Tasks

In their widely-cited survey on mixed-criticality systems, Burns and Davis describe a very general model for representing mixed-criticality sporadic tasks. In this general model multiple estimates, at differing levels of assurance, are specified for each of the three parameters -- worst-case execution time (WCET), relative deadline, and period -- characterizing a 3-parameter sporadic task. The preemptive uniprocessor scheduling of systems of such tasks is considered. A scheduling algorithm is presented, proved correct, and quantitatively characterized via the speedup factor metric for dual-criticality systems of such tasks. To our knowledge, this is the first work to conduct any form of analysis of task systems that are represented using this general model.
Multi-Rod Constructs Can Prevent Rod Breakage and Pseudarthrosis at the Lumbosacral Junction in Adult Spinal Deformity.

Study Design:Retrospective cohort study.Objective:To determine if patients fused with multi-rod constructs to the pelvis have a lower incidence of lumbosacral rod failure and pseudarthrosis than th...
Reactive Oxidative Species and Speciated Particulate Light-Duty Engine Emissions from Diesel and Biodiesel Fuel Blends

It is well established that particulate matter (PM) continues to be a major air pollutant challenge for human health globally, and vehicle exhaust PM emissions have been linked to many adverse health effects. However, the relative toxicity of biodiesel emissions compared to petroleum diesel remains unclear. Given the legislated mandates to increase biodiesel fuel use in response to energy security and climate concerns, in this study we examined the relationships between biodiesel fuel blend, exhaust particle oxidative potential (OP), and PM composition. Mechanistically, there is a growing consensus that the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to PM exposure leads to subsequent oxidative stress and inflammation at the cellular level. Here, dithiothreitol (DTT) assays were performed on impinger samples of PM obtained from light-duty diesel engine transient cycle emission tests with two biodiesel feedstocks, soybean (SOY) and waste vegetable oil (WVO), blended with ultralow sulfur petrodiesel at f...
Reaching Out versus Lashing Out: Examining Gender Differences in Experiences with and Responses to Bullying in High School

The present study examines gender differences in bullying in high school. Unique contributions include comparisons of both victimization and perpetration rates across four subtypes of bullying: physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. Further, as we conceptualize bullying within the larger framework of literature on social rejection, we also address whether there are gender differences in experiencing social rejection–in the form of bullying–and responding with aggression, as opposed to asocial or prosocial behavior. The literature yields mixed findings across these three questions (i.e., gender differences in experiences with victimization and perpetration and responses to those experiences), suggesting sample variations (Archer Review of General Psychology, 8(4), 291–322, 2004; Archer & Coyne Personality and Social Psychology Review, 9, 212–230, 2005; Card, Stucky, Sawalani, & Little Child Development, 79, 1185–1229, 2008). Thus, we explored experiential differences in our sample, and hypothesized based on the tend and befriend model (Taylor et al., 2000) that girls would be more likely than boys to respond to bullying with prosocial behaviors. With regard to victimization and perpetration differences, we found that male students both experienced and perpetrated significantly more physical bullying. Boys were also significantly more likely to report experiencing verbal bullying than girls. No significant differences emerged for relational or cyber bullying. With regard to responses, social withdrawal was more common than aggressive responding, but consistent with the tend and befriend model, girls chose prosocial responses significantly more than boys, whereas boys were just as likely to choose antisocial responding as prosocial responding. These results suggest that gender should be considered in studies addressing the question of when experiences with rejection–in its many forms–results in antisocial versus prosocial behavior.
Metformin vs sulfonylurea use and risk of dementia in US veterans aged ≥65 years with diabetes

Objective: To determine whether metformin is associated with a lower incidence of dementia than sulfonylureas. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of US veterans ≥65 years of age with type 2 diabetes who were new users of metformin or a sulfonylurea and had no dementia. Follow-up began after 2 years of therapy. To account for confounding by indication, we developed a propensity score (PS) and used inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) methods. Cox proportional hazards models estimated the hazard ratio (HR) of incident dementia. Results: We identified 17,200 new users of metformin and 11,440 new users of sulfonylureas. Mean age was 73.5 years and mean HbA1c was 6.8%. Over an average follow-up of 5 years, 4,906 cases of dementia were diagnosed. Due to effect modification by age, all analyses were conducted using a piecewise model for age. Crude hazard ratio [HR] for any dementia in metformin vs sulfonylurea users was 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61–0.73) and 0.78 (95% CI 0.72–0.83) for those Conclusions: After accounting for confounding by indication, metformin was associated with a lower risk of subsequent dementia than sulfonylurea use in veterans
Giving Reason and Giving Purpose

Skillful teaching involves seeing mathematics in ways that are coherent and making decisions during planning and teaching. In particular, teaching requires making decisions about what connections to make, when to make them, and how students might make them. We posit that it is important for teachers and teacher educators to understand the pedagogical work of making connections, as this pedagogical work positions students to access ideas later in the curriculum. We analyzed the teaching and planning sessions of a first grade teacher to examine the question: What are the characteristics of planning that make it possible for students to connect mathematics in ways that are productive in the short and long term? We frame this work in terms of connections that “give reason” (Duckworth, The having of wonderful ideas and other essays on teaching and learning. New York: Teachers College Press, 1996) and “give purpose” – making sense of mathematical representations and arguments and increasing students’ access to content and practices valued by the discipline. We provide a concrete decomposition of the pedagogical work of planning for connections that give reason and give purpose. To illustrate the components we identify, we use the example of a first grade lesson whose goal was to help students transition from counting one by one when adding or subtracting to using the base ten system more intentionally. We close by describing possible future work in two arenas: designing opportunities to learn teaching that makes connections well and identifying learning opportunities made possible by such teaching.
Peirce on Realism and Idealism

This book offers a new interpretation of the metaphysics of Charles Peirce (1839–1914), the founder of pragmatism and one of America's greatest philosophers. Robert Lane begins by examining Peirce's basic realism, his belief in a world that is independent of how anyone believes it to be. Lane argues that this realism is the basis for Peirce's account of truth, according to which a true belief is one that would be settled by investigation and that also represents the real world. He then explores Peirce's application of his Pragmatic Maxim to clarify the idea of reality, his two forms of idealism, and his realism about generality and vagueness. This rich study will provide readers with a clear understanding of Peirce's thoughts on reality and truth and how they intersect, and of his views on the relation between the mind and the external world.
Increasing salt size selectivity in low water content polymers via polymer backbone dynamics

Abstract Two low water content copolymers, rubbery 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate-co-ethyl acrylate (HEA-co-EA) and glassy 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate (HEMA-co-MMA), were crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate and studied to investigate the influence of polymer backbone segmental dynamics on salt transport size selectivity. These copolymers were chosen for chemical similarity and because HEA-co-EA is rubbery while HEMA-co-MMA is glassy at room temperature. Thermal analysis indicated that the copolymers are relatively homogeneous as a single glass transition temperature was observed for each material. The copolymers were prepared to have low water content (approximately 8% by mass) similar to the reported water content of many commercially available desalination membrane polymers. At low water content, most of the water in the polymer is expected to interact either with the polymer backbone or sorbed ions, suggesting that the influence of backbone segmental dynamics on the transport properties of these low water content materials may be different from the situation in more highly hydrated polymers. Salt sorption similarly increased with water content for the two copolymers due to their chemical similarity. Size selectivity was quantified as ratios of the salt permeability and diffusion coefficients to the corresponding values for a reference salt, and salt size was quantified using the salt diffusivity in bulk aqueous solution at infinite dilution to take into account both ion size and hydration properties. At comparable water content, the salt permeability and diffusion coefficients of the rigid HEMA-co-MMA copolymer decreased to a greater extent as a function of salt size compared to the more flexible HEA-co-EA copolymer. These results suggest that more rigid polymer backbones may drive increases in size-based permeation and diffusion selectivity when polymer water content is sufficiently low.
Isolation of mitochondria from Saccharomyces cerevisiae using magnetic bead affinity purification

Isolated mitochondria are widely used to study the function of the organelle. Typically, mitochondria are prepared using differential centrifugation alone or in conjunction with density gradient ultracentrifugation. However, mitochondria isolated using differential centrifugation contain membrane or organelle contaminants, and further purification of crude mitochondria by density gradient ultracentrifugation requires large amounts of starting material, and is time-consuming. Mitochondria have also been isolated by irreversible binding to antibody-coated magnetic beads. We developed a method to prepare mitochondria from budding yeast that overcomes many of the limitations of other methods. Mitochondria are tagged by insertion of 6 histidines (6xHis) into the TOM70 (Translocase of outer membrane 70) gene at its chromosomal locus, isolated using Ni-NTA (nickel (II) nitrilotriacetic acid) paramagnetic beads and released from the magnetic beads by washing with imidazole. Mitochondria prepared using this method contain fewer contaminants, and are similar in ultrastructure as well as protein import and cytochrome c oxidase complex activity compared to mitochondria isolated by differential centrifugation. Moreover, this isolation method is amenable to small samples, faster than purification by differential and density gradient centrifugation, and more cost-effective than purification using antibody-coated magnetic beads. Importantly, this method can be applied to any cell type where the genetic modification can be introduced by CRISPR or other methods.
3D FFT Mode Filtering for Phase Gradient Velocity Measurements

Palpation is a diagnostic tool that is commonly used by physicians to assess the elasticity of tissues. A medical imaging technique capable of quantitatively mapping tissue elasticity is of clinical interest because disease can affect the elastic properties of tissue [1]. Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) [2, 3] is currently being developed to quantitatively image the elastic properties of tissue. MRE measures the displacements caused by a shear wave propagating within tissue. From the MRE displacement data, the propagation characteristics of the shear wave are determined and used to quantify elastic properties of the tissue. The MRE technique has three components: methods for generating acoustic shear waves, magnetic resonance imaging sequences capable of imaging cyclic displacements, and image processing techniques to determine phase velocity. The focus of this work has been to develop robust image processing techniques that will accurately relate measured shear velocity to tissue elasticity.
State Space System Theory

We will now begin our study of system theory. This chapter is devoted to examining one of the building blocks used in the foundation of this course, the continuous time, state space system. Our goal is to cover the fundamentals of state space systems, and we will consider and answer questions about their basic structure, controlling and observing them, and representations of them.
Observation of weakly adsorbed oxygen on Y5Ba6Cu11Oy

We observed, for the first time, adsorption of weakly bonded oxygen at low temperature (<-250°C) by a Y5Ba6Cu11O y sample, using thermogravimetric analysis. The resulting “oxygen enriched” phase in the surface layers may be attributed to the observation of a superconductivity-like transition at above 200 K.
Determining Seasonal Emergence and Control Programs for Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule L.)

Henbit is a winter annual weed that is not effectively controlled by spring-applied herbicide applications. Research was conducted to determine henbit's emergence pattern and whether fall-applied residual herbicides would be effective for henbit control in the spring. Henbit emerges in Louisiana from late October through March, but emergence predominantly occurs in the last week of October through the first week of December. Applying paraquat plus flumioxazin, oxyfluorfen, or rimsulfuron:thifensulfuron November 1 through December 15 provided better than 90% henbit control in March. Applying paraquat plus S-metolachlor on November 15 or December 1 provided 92% henbit control, which was similar to flumioxazin, oxyfluorfen, and rimsulfuron:thifensulfuron. The addition of flumioxazin, oxyfluorfen, or rimsulfuron:thifensulfuron to paraquat reduced the height of henbit plants by 4% to 22% of nontreated plants when applied November 1 through December 15. These studies indicate that crop producers can achieve control of henbit in March following November 1 through December 15 applications of paraquat plus flumioxazin or rimsulfuron:thifensulfuron; however, paraquat plus oxyfluorfen can be applied October 15 through December 15 to achieve similar control.Nomenclature: Flumioxazin; oxyfluorfen; paraquat; rimsulfuron:thifensulfuron; S-metolachlor; henbit, Lamium amplexicaule L. LAMAM
Recursive Truth Estimation of Time-Varying Sensing Data from Online Open Sources

This paper is motivated by prospective Internet of Things (IoT) applications that exploit inputs from online open sources whose reliability may be uncertain. Unlike physical signal fusion (that can leverage solid analytic foundations derived from physical properties of fused signals), data reliability assessment from arbitrary online open sources is a harder problem. At least two difficulties arise. First, source reliability is harder to estimate from first principles due to lack of visibility into the sensing and subsequent processing stages for published data. Second, by virtue of being open, some sources can be copied by others, leading to correlated errors at a large scale. This paper presents a recursive truth estimator for online public data streams that addresses the above two problems. We focus on categorical data. Many truth-finding systems were developed to cope with unreliable categorical data. Most of them are designed for batch analysis of bulk datasets. This work extends previous efforts by developing an online recursive estimator. Unlike previous recursive fact-finders, ours is the first that can jointly handle (i) changes in the population of sources over time, (ii) changes in the ground-truth state of the physical phenomenon being observed (that result in the appearance of conflicting claims), and (iii) correlated errors due to potential copying among sources. Results show that our algorithm not only outperforms other recursive fact-finders in the case of changing ground-truth state, but also improves estimation accuracy of static state.
Aggregating Deep Convolutional Neural Network Scans of Broad-Area High-Resolution Remote Sensing Imagery

Here we present techniques and algorithms to apply trained deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) to high-resol-ution remote sensing imagery datasets covering large areas of the Earth. First, trained DCNN are used to process broad swaths of imagery in an area of interest (AOI) to produce a classification vector response field (CVRF). The CVRF is then aggregated using mode-seeking algorithms to detect potential objects of interest within the AOI. Our research explores the challenges and opportunities of transitioning DCNN out of the training-validation laboratory setting and into the real-world application domain. We show a scalable approach to leverage state-of-the-art DCNN for broad area automated search, detection, and annotation of objects such as tennis courts, storage tanks, runways, and airplanes.
Evaluating pediatric intensive care unit utilization after tonsillectomy.

Abstract Objectives To identify patients at risk for a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) level intervention after adenotonsillectomy. Study design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting Tertiary Children's Hospital. Subjects and methods Ninety-four patients who were admitted to the PICU after adenotonsillectomy were included. The need for PICU level intervention, defined as high flow oxygen by nasal cannula, positive airway pressure (PAP), heliox, and intubation, was documented. The age, gender, BMI percentile, polysomnography (PSG) data, home PAP use, and accompanying comorbidities of patients who required a PICU level intervention were compared to those who did not. Results Of the 94 patients admitted post-adenotonsillectomy to the PICU, most had at least one comorbidity, with obesity being the most common. PICU admission was unplanned in 29 (30.9%) patients. Postoperatively, 25 (26.5%) patients required a PICU level intervention, with PAP being the most common intervention. On chi-square analysis, there was no significant difference in the age, BMI percentile, or PSG parameters of children who required PICU intervention. Significantly more children who used preoperative PAP were started on PAP in PICU (p = 0.018). Only the comorbidity of neuromuscular disorder was associated with PICU intervention (p = 0.04). Using binary logistic regression, the use of home PAP and an oxygen nadir Conclusion Home PAP use, the presence of a neuromuscular disorder, and an oxygen nadir
Scrambler therapy improves pain in neuromyelitis optica: A randomized controlled trial

Objective To determine whether Scrambler therapy is an effective, acceptable, and feasible treatment of persistent central neuropathic pain in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and to explore the effect of Scrambler therapy on co-occurring symptoms. Methods We conducted a randomized single-blind, sham-controlled trial in patients with NMOSD who have central neuropathic pain using Scrambler therapy for 10 consecutive weekdays. Pain severity, pain interference, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance were assessed at baseline, at the end of treatment, and at the 30- and 60-day follow-up. Results Twenty-two patients (11 per arm) were enrolled in and completed this trial. The median baseline numeric rating scale (NRS) pain score decreased from 5.0 to 1.5 after 10 days of treatment with Scrambler therapy, whereas the median NRS score did not significantly decrease in the sham arm. Depression was also reduced in the treatment arm, and anxiety was decreased in a subset of patients who responded to treatment. These symptoms were not affected in the sham arm. The safety profiles were similar between groups. Conclusions Scrambler therapy is an effective, feasible, and safe intervention for central neuropathic pain in patients with NMOSD. Decreasing pain with Scrambler therapy may additionally improve depression and anxiety. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03452176. Classification of evidence This study provides Class II evidence that Scrambler therapy significantly reduces pain in patients with NMOSD and persistent central neuropathic pain.
Permanent Injury Beyond Medical Intervention: Disguising Death in U.S. Immigrant Detention

Between 2003-2015 over 150 deaths occurred across public and private Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. The additional deaths in 2018 of migrant children under ICE custody have come to question the exact daily operations of ICE by immigration activists across the globe. Despite these fatal conditions, immigrant detention facilities routinely pass federal audits and are rarely held accountable for their deficiencies. We analyze qualitative and quantitative data obtained through Freedom of Information Request (FOIR) that include 5 years of data (2008-2012) across 116 of the largest ICE detention facilities. Looking specifically at 106 immigration detention contracts and 181 office of detention oversight audits, we conclude that ICE creates a framework of obscurity around troubling conditions to disavow the agency from responsibility for administrative detainee’s deaths and poor health. These frames, legitimacy through documentation, benevolent dictatorship, and the detainee as a self-serving opportunist, allow ICE to reinforce the legitimacy of the immigrant detention network despite the awful conditions creating a potential human rights crisis. Our analysis also demonstrates how immigration detention facilities fortify structural legitimacy to continue intergovernmental service agreements with providers despite poor performance reviews. Specifically, phrases such as Permanent Injury Beyond Medical Intervention are used as key mechanisms of obscurity in the failure of medical services, emergency medical service, transfer of custody, and suicide prevention. The vague and generic terminology of Permanent Injury Beyond Medical Intervention serves to protect the interests of the immigrant detention center at the expense of detainees especially in cases of death. After providing background and descriptive on immigrant detention facilities, we construct a theoretical framework to explain the intersections of race and legal violence. Then, we offer three different conceptual frames to show how ICE operators make sense of negligence and deficiency.
A Reexamination of the Association between CEO Compensation and the Components of Accounting Earnings

A long line of research has shown that CEO compensation is associated with accounting performance measures. This research (e.g., Healy 1985) has shown that managers make accounting choices as if they affect compensation, and that compensation appears to be affected by these choices (e.g., Abdel-Khalik et al. 1987, Balsam 1998, Gaver and Gaver 1998, Healy et al. 1987). The current paper extends this literature by showing that in a more current time period, the association of CEO compensation with the components of accounting earnings appears to be changing, with less emphasis on accruals (both discretionary and nondiscretionary) and more emphasis on cash flows. This finding holds for three different measures of compensation: bonus, total current, and total direct compensation. These results are consistent with compensation committees becoming more aware of earnings management, perhaps because of this prior literature, and acting to reduce the reward from it. Empirically we find this decreased reliance on accruals in setting compensation occurring over a period where accruals are increasing in magnitude.
Big Diels: 3D printing covalent adaptable networks

Dynamic covalent bonds are transitioning into the realm of 3D printing. Smaldone and coworkers highlight the potential for Diels—Alder linkages in cross-linked acrylate resins printed using stereolithography. Their study demonstrates a 99% self-healing efficiency without forfeiting shape stability.
A polygenic risk score for asthma in a large racially diverse population

BACKGROUND Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) will have important utility for asthma and other chronic diseases as a tool for predicting disease incidence and subphenotypes. OBJECTIVE We utilized findings from a large multiancestry GWAS of asthma to compute a PRS for asthma with relevance for racially diverse populations. METHODS We derived two PRSs for asthma using a standard approach (based on genome-wide significant variants) and a lasso sum regression approach (allowing all genetic variants to potentially contribute). We used data from the racially diverse Kaiser Permanente GERA cohort (68 638 non-Hispanic Whites, 5874 Hispanics, 6870 Asians and 2760 Blacks). Race was self-reported by questionnaire. RESULTS For the standard PRS, non-Hispanic Whites showed the highest odds ratio for a standard deviation increase in PRS for asthma (OR = 1.16 (95% CI 1.14-1.18)). The standard PRS was also associated with asthma in Hispanic (OR = 1.12 (95% CI 1.05-1.19)) and Asian (OR = 1.10 (95% CI 1.04-1.17)) subjects, with a trend towards increased risk in Blacks (OR = 1.05 (95% CI 0.97-1.15)). We detected an interaction by sex, with men showing a higher risk of asthma with an increase in PRS as compared to women. The lasso sum regression-derived PRS showed stronger associations with asthma in non-Hispanic White subjects (OR = 1.20 (95% CI 1.18-1.23)), Hispanics (OR = 1.17 (95% 1.10-1.26)), Asians (OR = 1.18 (95% CI 1.10-1.27)) and Blacks (OR = 1.10 (95% CI 0.99-1.22)). CONCLUSION Polygenic risk scores across multiple racial/ethnic groups were associated with increased asthma risk, suggesting that PRSs have potential as a tool for predicting disease development.
Statistical Prediction Models for Identifying the Microbial Diversity and Interactions Due to Fixed Periodontal Appliances

Like in the gut, the subgingival microbiota plays a crucial role in oral hygiene, health, and cariogenic diseases. Human activities like diet, antibiotics, and periodontal treatments alter the bacterial communities, metabolism, and functions in the oral cavity, leading to a dysbiotic state and changes in the plaques of orthodontic patients. Fixed periodontal appliances hinder oral hygiene and cause changes in the dental plaques influencing the subgingival microbiota. However, the microbial species diversity and complexity pose a great challenge in understanding the taxa’s community distribution patterns and their role in oral health. In this research, we analyze the subgingival microbial samples from individuals with fixed dental appliances (metal/clear) using an in silico approach. We employ exploratory hypothesis-driven multivariate and regression analysis to shed light on the microbial community and its functional fluctuations due to dental appliances used and identify risk associated with complex disease phenotypes. Our findings confirm the changes in oral microbiota composition due to the presence and type of fixed orthodontal devices. We identified 7 main periodontic pathogens including Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, and Firmicutes whose abundances were significantly altered due to the presence and type of fixed appliances used. In the case of metal braces, the abundances of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, Candidatus saccharibacteria and Spirochaetes significantly increased, while the abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria decreased. However, in individuals With clear braces, the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Candidatus saccharibacteria increased. The highest abundance value (P-value=0.004
Photopolymerized superhydrophobic hybrid coating enabled by dual-purpose tetrapodal ZnO for liquid/liquid separation

Low-cost and scalable superhydrophobic coating methods provide viable approaches for energy-efficient separation of immiscible liquid/liquid mixtures. A scalable photopolymerization method is developed to functionalize porous substrates with a hybrid coating of tetrapodal ZnO (T-ZnO) and polymethacrylate, which exhibits simultaneous superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. Here, T-ZnO serves dual purposes by (i) initiating radical photopolymerization during the fabrication process through a hole-mediated pathway and (ii) providing a hierarchical surface roughness to amplify wettability characteristics and suspend liquid droplets in the metastable Cassie-Baxter regime. Photopolymerization provides a means to finely control the conversion and spatial distribution of the formed polymer, whilst allowing for facile large-area fabrication and potential coating on heat-sensitive substrates. Coated stainless-steel meshes and filter papers with desired superhydrophobic/superoleophilic properties exhibit excellent performance in separating stratified oil/water, oil/ionic-liquid, and water/ionic-liquid mixtures as well as water-in-oil emulsions. The hybrid coating demonstrates desired mechanical robustness and chemical resistance for their long-term application in large-scale energy-efficient separation of immiscible liquid/liquid mixtures.
The Fiscal Impact of Immigration

The fiscal impact of immigration — how immigrants and their descendants affect government budgets — is a widely debated and contentious issue. Economists overwhelmingly accept the economic gains of immigration, but are less certain about immigrants’ impact on government budgets. Contention over this issue is fueled by the numerous methodologies and complexity of analysis that obscure the fiscal costs of immigration.The complexities are many. Each layer of the United States’ federal structure of government — federal, state, and local — is funded by different types of taxes and each spend their budgets on different programs and in different ways.The types of public goods consumed by immigrants also affect their fiscal impact. If the public goods are “pure,” meaning that they are non-rivalrous and non-excludable, then more taxpayers in the form of immigrants spread out the tax cost without diminishing the quality of the goods. Immigrants lower the tax burden of providing pure public goods. But, if the public goods are “congestible,” more immigrants could decrease the quality of the goods, prompting the government to spend more tax dollars to maintain the quality. Some congestion occurs for most government-supplied goods whenever population increases, by immigration or through procreation, but the fiscal impact varies widely.Immigrants also impact the U.S. economy. They can displace U.S.-born workers, complement them, or have little impact on their employment opportunities, all of which alter tax revenue and government welfare expenditures in different ways. Immigrants are also consumers of real estate and other goods and services in the United States, boosting aggregate demand and spurring investment that further grows the taxable economy. The methodologies employed to study the fiscal impact of immigration are also numerous and complicated. This chapter will examine these methodologies’ relative merits and demerits, and present the common findings of the major studies using the various methodologies.
SELECTIVE METABOLIC AND CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF VITAMIN B6 ANTIMETABOLITES.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses experimental studies using pyridoxine analogs or a dietary-induced deficiency of vitamin B6 in relation to the likelihood that effective chemotherapy of infectious or neoplastic diseases can be expected from interference with pyridoxine metabolism by drugs. Atrophy of lymphoid tissue, functional changes in the central nervous system, anemia, inhibition of tumor growth, and impairment of antibody response have been observed in different mammalian species that were fed diets deficient in vitamin B6. Certain of these effects can be made more acute by administering one of the pyridoxine antagonists in conjunction with the pyridoxine-deficient diet. Many chemotherapeutic agents that are promising in experimental studies are limited in their use clinically because of adverse toxicity. Interference with the metabolism of any vitamin would be expected to present real limitations, yet it may be kept in mind that certain diamino pyrimidines that inhibit folic acid metabolism are useful antimalarial drugs and that 4-amino antagonists of folic acid are useful in the treatment of acute leukemia in children. The toxicological and pharmacological studies of the antagonists of pyridoxine available at present already indicate that a major limitation to the use of such compounds may concern their action on the central nervous system as shown by convulsions induced in experimental animals.
Bovine Heart Malic Enzyme II. REVERSIBILITY OF THE REACTION

Abstract The cytoplasmic and mitochondrial malic enzyme isozymes isolated from bovine heart have been studied to determine their capability in catalyzing the reductive carboxylation of pyruvate to malate. The cytoplasmic enzyme carries out this carboxylation at rates that approach one-seventh of the maximal decarboxylation velocity at the same pH. Michaelis constants of 13 mm for bicarbonate and 8 mm for pyruvate have been obtained for this enzyme. The mitochondrial isozyme catalyzes the carboxylation reaction at rates which are only about one-three hundredth that of the maximal rate for decarboxylation. This behavior can be modified by the addition of several C4 dicarboxylate anions, including succinate, d(+) malate, l(-) aspartate, and 2-mercaptosuccinate, the latter being the most active. In the presence of the above mentioned dicarboxylate anions, the carboxylation is enhanced 2- to 3-fold, indicating a possible change in the enzyme conformation. The Michaelis constants for bicarbonate and pyruvate, in the presence of mercaptosuccinate, have been calculated as 16.5 mm and 9 mm, respectively. From experiments conducted at low temperatures, it has been concluded that free CO2, rather than the bicarbonate ion, is the active carboxylating species in the reactions catalyzed by both isozymes.
ISTP and beyond: A solar-system telescope and a cosmic microscope

The International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program has coordinated the activities of an armada of spacecraft, ground-based observatories, and theoretical modeling centers. This assemblage represents the first great observatory for space physics, providing both a global, telescopic view of the Sun-Earth system, as well as a magnificent microscopic view of its physical processes. In just two years of coordinated observations, ISTP has already reaped a rich scientific harvest. However, the future holds even more opportunities to pursue a new, profound understanding of the Sun and the Earth and the interplanetary space between them. Continuing the mission through solar maximum (2000-2001) and beyond offers potentially prodigious rewards for a remarkably low cost.
Abstract 02: Lifetime Risk of Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease in the US

Background: Prevalence provides information about the burden of disease in the population but does not capture individuals’ risk over time. In contrast, lifetime risk is a useful measure of long-term disease incidence in an individual and is underscored for coronary disease and stroke in the AHA/ACC 2013 guidelines. However, there are no available estimates of lifetime risk of lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD), despite its impact on prognosis, leg amputation, and physical function. Methods: With an established method for lifetime risk estimation used in other fields (e.g., kidney disease), we estimated national average probability of developing PAD, defined as an ankle-brachial index (ABI) Results: In an 80-year horizon, lifetime risk of PAD was similar between sexes but 1.5-fold higher in blacks compared to whites (35.6% for black women, 30.6% for black men, 22.5% for white women, and 19.4% for white men) (Figure). From another perspective, 10% of blacks and whites develop PAD by the age of 60 years and 70 years, respectively. The remaining lifetime risk at ages of 65 (for those free of PAD until this age) through 80 years was 29.6% in black women, 28.0% in black men, 17.9% in white women, and 16.5% in white men. Conclusion: In the US, 1 in 3 blacks and 1 in 5 whites will experience lower extremity PAD during their life course. This is the first national estimate of lifetime risk for PAD and should help inform risk-centered screening and prevention strategies. Our results suggest that race is a critical factor in PAD risk, a factor not taken into account for ABI screening in the current clinical guidelines.
Relativistic Random-Phase Approximation

Publisher Summary The nonrelativistic random-phase approximation (RPA) is a simple method for including correlation corrections in the investigation of atomic transitions. The RPA leads to a fully coupled, multichannel description of the final states. Relativistic effects become important for heavy atoms and for ions with high nuclear charge, leading to an enhanced spin-orbit splitting of the atomic shells. It is therefore of interest to include relativistic effects along with correlation corrections for describing transitions in such systems. Care must be taken with the cavity boundary conditions in the relativistic case to avoid the Klein paradox. To avoid dealing with infinite matrices, a finite HF pseudospectrum obtained by expanding the HF orbitals in terms of a finite number of B-splines is introduced. The low-lying states in this pseudospectrum can be made to agree to any desired level of accuracy with the HF states by exploiting the freedom available in choosing the number and order of the B-splines used to approximate the HF orbitals.
Reservoir Geomechanics: Stress fields – from tectonic plates to reservoirs around the world

In this chapter, I discuss in situ stress fields at a wide variety of scales – from global patterns of tectonic stress (with a brief discussion of the sources of large-scale tectonic stress) to examples of normal, strike-slip and reverse faulting stress states in different sedimentary basins around the world. The purpose of this review is to (i) illustrate the robustness of the stress measurement techniques discussed in Chapters 6–8, (ii) emphasize the fact that sedimentary basins are, in fact, found in normal, strike-slip and reverse faulting environments (as discussed in Chapter 1) and (iii) demonstrate that critically stressed faults are found in many sedimentary basins such that stress magnitudes are often found to be consistent with those predicted on the basis of frictional faulting theory (as discussed near the end of Chapter 4). In this chapter I also review empirical methods used for stress magnitude estimation at depth. Specifically, I provide an overview of some of the techniques being used for estimating the magnitude of the minimum principal stress in normal faulting environments (such as the Gulf of Mexico) for cases where direct measurements of the least principal stress from extended leak-off tests and mini-fracs are not available. I discuss in detail one particular model, the bilateral constraint , which has been widely used for stress estimation at depth using values of Poisson's ratio from geophysical logs.
Investigation of Genomic Methylation Status Using Methylation-Specific and Bisulfite Sequencing Polymerase Chain Reaction

Epigenetic modification plays a central role in the regulation of gene expression and therefore in the development of disease states. In particular, genomic methylation of cytosines within CpG dinucleotides is crucial to development, gene silencing, and chromosome inactivation. Importantly, aberrant methylation profiles of various genes are associated with cancer as well as autoimmune disease, psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, and heart disease. Various methods are available for the detection and quantification of methylation in a given sample. Most of these methods rely upon bisulfite conversion of DNA, which converts unmethylated cytosines to uracil, while methylated cytosines remain as cytosines. Methylation-specific amplification of DNA can be used to detect methylation at one or more (typically up to about 4) CpG sites by using primers specific to either methylated or unmethylated DNA. Alternatively, amplification of both methylated and unmethylated DNA followed by sequencing can be used to detect methylation status at multiple CpG sites. The following chapter provides protocols for bisulfite conversion of DNA, methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing PCR.
A feminist visualisation of the intimate spaces of security

Geographers have demonstrated how discourses and practices of security are unevenly experienced and mapped onto space, often paradoxically creating insecurities in people's lives. Yet, all too often, the fluid nature of power is difficult to articulate; the intimate is either eclipsed or treated as a passive victim of national and global processes. To draw attention to these erasures, feminist geographers have adopted geometric visualisations that prompt new questions about the importance of intimate spaces for understanding security. This paper highlights three visual motifs, by Katz, Pain and Smith, and Shalhoub-Kevorkian, which we apply in our different fields of intimacy-geopolitics.
Future trends in the design of survivable optical networks

Due to the exponentially increasing amount of bandwidth carried in a single fiber and the emergence of versatile multimedia applications for delay-sensitive commercial purposes with stringent quality of service requirements, the occurrence of a network failure (e.g. fiber cut) may cause serious and even fatal impairment on the service integrity to innumerable end users. Therefore, network survivability and service continuity have become the most important issues for optical networks. In this presentation we will address many issues related to protection and restoration in optical wavelength routed WDM networks and provide some future trends in designing survivable optical networks.
Maternal Discussions of Mental States and Behaviors: Relations to Emotion Situation Knowledge in European American and Immigrant Chinese Children

This study examined in a cross-cultural context mothers' discussions of mental states and external behaviors in a story-telling task with their 3-year-old children and the relations of such discussions to children's emotion situation knowledge (ESK). The participants were 71 European American and 60 Chinese immigrant mother-child pairs in the United States. Mothers and children read a storybook together at home, and children's ESK was assessed. Results showed that European American mothers made more references to thoughts and emotions during storytelling than did Chinese mothers, who commented more frequently on behaviors. Regardless of culture, mothers' use of mental states language predicted children's ESK, whereas their references to behaviors were negatively related to children's ESK. Finally, mothers' emphasis on mental states over behaviors partially mediated cultural effects on children's ESK.
Within-family obesity associations: evaluation of parent, child, and sibling relationships.

Background How parent and sibling obesity status comparatively shape a child’s obesity is unknown. Purpose To investigate how the obesity status of different children within the same family is related to a parent or sibling’s obesity. Methods A national sample of adults in 10,244 American households was surveyed during 2011; data were analyzed in 2012–2013. Of these households, 1,948 adults had one or two children; provided sociodemographic information; and reported on adult and child height and weight, physical activity, and food environment. Logistic regression models were estimated in which the outcome of interest was child obesity status, with parent and sibling obesity as key predictors, adjusting for a range of both adult and child social and demographic confounders. Results In one-child households, it was 2.2 times more likely (SE=0.5) that the child would be obese if a parent was obese. In households with two children, having an obese younger sibling was more strongly associated with elder-child obesity (OR=5.4, SE=1.9) than parent’s obesity status (OR=2.3, SE=0.8). Having an obese elder sibling was associated with younger-child obesity (OR=5.6, SE=1.9), and parent obesity status was no longer significant. Within-family sibling obesity was more strongly patterned between siblings of the same gender than between different genders, and child physical activity was significantly associated with obesity status. Conclusions Considering offspring composition and sibling gender may be beneficial in childhood obesity prevention and intervention.
Insights into the Development of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) from Studies of Prenatally Androgenized Female Rhesus Monkeys

The developmental pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is unknown. However, prenatally androgenized female rhesus monkeys exhibit ovarian and endocrinological features that mimic those found in women with PCOS. Thus, prenatal androgen excess may provide an etiology for hyperandrogenism and anovulation in adulthood.