cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mass spectral characterization of the glucuronide conjugates of crufomate (4-t-butyl-2-chlorophenyl methyl methylphosphoramidate) metabolites.

Seven sheep metabolites of crufomate (4-t-butyl-2-chlorophenyl methyl methylphosphoramidate) were characterized as glucuronide conjugates by interpretation of mass spectral data obtained from the pertrimethylsilyl derivatives and the trimethylsilyl derivatives of the methyl esters.
Dynamic data access to the GT/CERCS Linux mirror site

Summary form only given. The purpose of this work is to better understand the dynamic data sharing behavior of certain classes of grid end users. Toward this end, we study a large-scale data repository and the end users' access behaviors to this repository. Interesting insights from the study include that (1) the use of parallel methods for data downloads, via download accelerators, is common, despite qualms expressed by the community about the impacts of such behavior on wide area data distribution networks, (2) high levels of burstiness exist for such data movements, as also observed for scientific or populist data repositories and Web sites (e.g., space imagery, sports events), and (3) a large number of remote data retrievals are by single clients for single files. We finally discuss the impact of our observations on grid applications in general.
ALEXANDER POLYNOMIAL OF A CURVE OF DEGREE SIX

The complete description of the Alexander polynomial of the complement of an irreducible sextic in is given. Some general results about Alexander polynomials of algebraic curves are also obtained.
The Pharmacological Action of 1‐o‐Chlorophenyl‐2‐Isopropylaminoethanol (Isoprophenamine) A Bronchodilator

Pharmacological studies show a synthetic compound, 1‐ o ‐chlorophenyl‐2‐isopropyl‐aminoethanol, 2 to possess bronchodilator activity. The pilocarpine‐constricted bronchi of decerebrate and pithed dogs are rapidly relieved by the compound. In anesthetized dogs, the compound has a depressor action with increased heart rate. Tests on guinea pig tracheal chains and isolated perfused lungs of rabbits also show the compound to have bronchodilator action against pilocarpine‐induced constriction. Toxicological studies indicate the compound has a low order of toxicity. Diets containing 0.1% and 0.5% of the compound do not affect the weight gain of rats. Larger amounts of the drug retard the weight gain. Isolated smooth muscle tests show the compound to have weak antihistaminic and antispasmodic activity.
Evaluation of the U.S. Geological Survey standard elevation products in a two-dimensional hydraulic modeling application for a low relief coastal floodplain

Summary Growing use of two-dimensional (2-D) hydraulic models has created a need for high resolution data to support flood volume estimates, floodplain specific engineering data, and accurate flood inundation scenarios. Elevation data are a critical input to these models that guide the flood-wave across the landscape allowing the computation of valuable engineering specific data that provides a better understanding of flooding impacts on structures, debris movement, bed scour, and direction. High resolution elevation data are becoming publicly available that can benefit the 2-D flood modeling community. Comparison of these newly available data with legacy data suggests that better modeling outcomes are achieved by using 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) lidar point data and the derived 1 m Digital Elevation Model (DEM) product relative to the legacy 3 m, 10 m, or 30 m products currently available in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Elevation Dataset. Within the low topographic relief of a coastal floodplain, the newer 3DEP data better resolved elevations within the forested and swampy areas achieving simulations that compared well with a historic flooding event. Results show that the 1 m DEM derived from 3DEP lidar source provides a more conservative estimate of specific energy, static pressure, and impact pressure for grid elements at maximum flow relative to the legacy DEM data. Better flood simulations are critically important in coastal floodplains where climate change driven storm frequency and sea level rise will contribute to more frequent flooding events.
A Dynamic Inflation Test for Soft Materials

We developed a dynamic inflation experiment to measure the elastodynamic behavior of soft materials. In the experiments, a shock tube was used to apply dynamic pressurization to thin polydimethylsiloxane specimens. Two high-speed cameras were used to image the deforming specimen and three-dimensional digital image correlation was used to determine the three-dimensional displacement field of the specimen surface. We applied dynamic Kirchhoff plate bending theory and concepts from structural dynamics to derive a mathematical expression for the dynamic Young’s modulus. The phase velocity of the initial transverse wave propagation response and the vibration frequency of the long-time response were captured during our experiments and were applied in the calculation of the dynamic Young’s modulus.
Designing an Effective Social Media Platform for Health Care with Synchronous Video Communication

Online social networks are evolving as platforms for health communication among the public, patients, and health professionals. Existing health social network based portals do not provide synchronous -video-based communication features; and are restricted to only text and picture based content sharing. Arguably, healthcare focused online social networks need video based communication for active knowledge sharing between providers and patients, peer-patients, or sharing disease related information through visual media. This study provides a technological framework and design architecture to develop a customizable online healthcare social media network that can incorporate synchronous video communication capability. The design principles and layers that support different types of functionality are described. An evaluation in the context of Rheumatology and back pain patients is underway and will not be discussed in this paper due to page constraints.
Accounting Information Systems (AIS) Doctoral Dissertations: 1992-1996

This project began in July of 1996 when survey letters were sent to directors of accounting doctoral programs at all USA schools of accountancy. The survey requested each director to identify any AIS related dissertations completed in the previous five years (July 1991 through July 1996), as well as the current mailing address for those former doctoral students. AIS was identified as including, but not limited to, topics such as the organization and management of AIS, database systems, expert systems, computer auditing, and the effect of systems tools on decision making. The former doctoral students were contacted directly (through email where possible) and asked to provide a short abstract of their dissertation. The submitted abstracts were edited for conciseness and clarity.
Regional variation in percutaneous penetration in man. Pesticides

Pesticides labeled with radioactive carbon (14C) (parathion, malathion, and carbaryl) were applied on the skin of volunteers. The experimental variable studied was the effect of anatomic site; all other factors (dose, solvent, and analytic method) remained constant. Quantitation was based on urinary recovery of the 14C. The forearm was used as the frame reference. The palm, of which the thick stratum corneum is allegedly almost impenetrable, allowed approximately the same penetration as the forearm. The abdomen and dorsum of the hand had twice the penetration of the forearm, whereas folliclerich sites, including the scalp, angle of the jaw, postauricular area, and forehead, had fourfold greater penetration. The intertriginous axilla had a fourfold to sevenfold increase; the scrotum allowed almost total absorption.
The landscape of DNA methylation amid a perfect storm of autism aetiologies

Increasing evidence points to a complex interplay between genes and the environment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including rare de novo mutations in chromatin genes such as methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) in Rett syndrome. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation act at this interface, reflecting the plasticity in metabolic and neurodevelopmentally regulated gene pathways. Genome-wide studies of gene sequences, gene pathways and DNA methylation are providing valuable mechanistic insights into ASD. The dynamic developmental landscape of DNA methylation is vulnerable to numerous genetic and environmental insults: therefore, understanding pathways that are central to this 'perfect storm' will be crucial to improving the diagnosis and treatment of ASD.
Construct Effective Teaching Model of Central Practical Course in Modern Distance and Open Education

Centered on the learners, constructivism theory meets the need of developing modern distance and open education. In order to manifest the objective, explorative and the interactive features of modern education, this article designs a constructivism-based teaching model for the central practical course and probes its practical meaning.
Chemical and Biologic Analysis of Compounds Separated by Preparative Thin-Layer Chromatography

TLC is particularly suitable to separate a few hundred micrograms of material containing aliquots if it is applied in the form of a 160–180 mm long streak to the bottom of a TLC plate. If the thickness of the SiO2 layer increased to 0.5 mm or 0.75 mm, even more material can be separated and recovered from the plates. Since the chrome-sulfuric acid spray destroys the separated compounds, it is replaced in this Exercise by spraying the TLC plates with bis-distilled water. Hydrophobic bands will remain white, while background or hydrophilic components will pick up water and will become translucent gray. The visible bands may be marked and scraped off together with the silicic acid carrier. Part A of this Exercise describes procedures, developed in our laboratories, to determine molar ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, hexosamines, long-chain carboxylic acids, 2-keto-3-deoxy octonate (KDO), and heptose in such scrapings without attempting to elute the components from the SiO2 carrier (Chen et al., 1974), In Part B methods are described to determine some of the biologic activities present in the separated components. The procedure has been applied by us to studies of endotoxic glycolipids (Chen et al., 1975). These methodologies are described here.
Exposure to 131I-Labeled Viscose Rayon Fibers

Lung clearance has been studied, with external scanning, in 20 living rats after inhalation or intratracheal injection of viscose rayon fibers labeled with radioactive iodine (131I). The clearance rates after both methods of administration appear to occur in two phases. The initial rate of clearance for both modes of administration takes place with a half-life of about two to four hours. The second phase of clearance was much slower after aerosol inhalation than after intratracheal injection. The difference in clearance rates between the two modes of administration became significant 32 hours after exposure. The data suggest that, after aerosol inhalation, a significant amount of particles is deposited in peripheral lung areas, while approximately the same range of size fibers, if injected intratracheally, are deposited within the reach of the mucociliary transport mechanism.
How do geomorphic effects of rainfall vary with storm type and spatial scale in a post-fire landscape?

Abstract In post-fire landscapes, increased runoff and soil erosion can cause rapid geomorphic change. We examined how different types of rainfall events in 2013 affected hillslope-scale erosion and watershed-scale channel change in two 14–16 km 2 watersheds within the 2012 High Park Fire burn area in northern Colorado, USA. The first set of rainfall events was a sequence of 12 short, spatially variable summer convective rain storms, and the second was a > 200 mm week-long storm in September. We compared rainfall characteristics, hillslope sediment yields, stream stage, and channel geometry changes from the summer storms to those from the September storm. The summer storms had a wide range of rainfall intensities, and each storm produced erosion primarily in one study watershed. The September storm rainfall had less spatial variability, covered both watersheds, and its total rainfall depth was 1.5 to 2.5 times greater than the total summer rainfall. Because rainfall intensities were highest during some summer storms, average hillslope sediment yields were higher for summer storms (6 Mg ha − 1 ) than for the September storm (3 Mg ha − 1 ). Maximum storm rainfall intensities were good predictors of hillslope sediment yield, but sediment yield correlated most strongly with total depths of rainfall exceeding 10–30 mm h − 1 intensity thresholds. The combined summer storms produced relatively small changes in mean channel bed elevation and cross section area, with no clear pattern of incision or aggradation. In contrast, the sustained rain across the entire study area during the September storm led to extensive upstream incision and downstream aggradation. Because of different spatial coverage of storms, summer storms produced more total hillslope erosion, whereas the September storm produced the greatest total channel changes. At both scales, high intensity rainfall above a threshold was responsible for inducing most of the geomorphic change.
The Languages of Wessex

The languages of Wessex are properly those which Hardy used to convey the concept in all its various forms to his readers. However, this is not the place to begin an investigation of the Englishes Hardy’s successive narrators employ, and the focus here will be on ‘the Wessex tongue’, as one of them calls it in Jude the Obscure. Nevertheless, it is worth at least drawing initial attention to the contrasts that everyone feels between the native speakers of Wessex and the literary dialects of those narrators who present them — a contrast that is in itself part of that country-city divide which is a driving force behind the creation and continuing development of Wessex.1
Neronian Pastoral and the World of Power

As the third pastoral poet, Calpurnius Siculus was the first to take up the genre fully formed. For all their many differences, Theocritus and Vergil had given bucolic poetry an established frame of reference, a characteristic subject matter, and a self-contained mythology. From a poet in Calpurnius' position whose work would inevitably be measured against that of his predecessors, one would expect a certain amount of generic self-consciousness, taking such forms as an implicit evaluation of the tradition, numerous allusions and specific verbal borrowings, and, ideally, an assurance that the genre had not been exhausted, that is to say, some open-ended indication of the new directions in which pastoral might turn. The first of these elements is clearly present in the poetry, but the last remains elusive. A major imaginative influence upon his genre is something Calpurnius did not provide for antiquity. Unlike his contemporaries, Persius and Lucan, he has no conspicuous literary heir, nor do the Einsiedeln fragments or the slim corpus of Nemesianus give much proof of his having invigorated the tradition. Indeed the effect of Calpurnius upon the pastoral is rather comparable to that often assigned to Paradise Lost upon the epic: he closed it off for centuries. But this fact need not stand in the way of an evaluation of the poet's artistry, nor originality. My argument in this paper is that Calpurnius' originality in adapting the pastoral tradition to his own sense of the temper of the Neronian Age was so extreme as to constitute a reluctant denial of the validity of pastoral mythology for contemporary Rome.
TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE COMPREHENSION : DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS IN USA

Due to unfamiliarity, international tourists may have higher potential to be involved in traffic related incidents while driving in foreign countries. The study described in this paper evaluated the traffic control device comprehension by international and domestic drivers in the United States, identified other transportation related concerns, and suggested countermeasure ideas useful in addressing transportation and highway safety needs of international tourists. These objectives were achieved by conducting focus group surveys at the departing areas of two international airports in Florida, which is a popular destination among international tourists. Through the data analyses, it was found that more international drivers lack understanding of traffic signs, markings, and traffic signal indications than domestic persons. Based on the identified problem areas, highway safety related countermeasure ideas were suggested for addressing transportation needs of international drivers.
Minority Stress, Emotion Regulation, and the Parenting of Sexual-Minority Youth

ABSTRACTDespite increasing societal acceptance of sexual-minority individuals, there are still gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) adolescents who experience negative mental health outcomes. Minority stress theory posits that stigma-related stress associated with sexual-minority status drives increased risk among GLB individuals. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that minority stress impacts emotion regulation (ER), identified as a particularly important risk factor for sexual-minority youth (SMY). Current research has identified some aspects of parenting contribute to GLB youth's mental health. We review the literature in these areas, and also integrate research from the broader developmental field on families and emotion socialization in order to identify the need for studies of parenting that go beyond existing data on parental acceptance and supportiveness of youth's sexual orientation. Limitations of the current literature and directions for future research are discussed, with specific focus on impl...
Hepatic lipid accumulation: cause and consequence of dysregulated glucoregulatory hormones

Fatty liver can be diet, endocrine, drug, virus or genetically induced. Independent of cause, hepatic lipid accumulation promotes systemic metabolic dysfunction. By acting as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) ligands, hepatic non-esterified fatty acids upregulate expression of gluconeogenic, beta-oxidative, lipogenic and ketogenic genes, promoting hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and ketosis. The typical hormonal environment in fatty liver disease consists of hyperinsulinemia, hyperglucagonemia, hypercortisolemia, growth hormone deficiency and elevated sympathetic tone. These endocrine and metabolic changes further encourage hepatic steatosis by regulating adipose tissue lipolysis, liver lipid uptake, de novo lipogenesis (DNL), beta-oxidation, ketogenesis and lipid export. Hepatic lipid accumulation may be induced by 4 separate mechanisms: (1) increased hepatic uptake of circulating fatty acids, (2) increased hepatic de novo fatty acid synthesis, (3) decreased hepatic beta-oxidation and (4) decreased hepatic lipid export. This review will discuss the hormonal regulation of each mechanism comparing multiple physiological models of hepatic lipid accumulation. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is typified by increased hepatic lipid uptake, synthesis, oxidation and export. Chronic hepatic lipid signaling through PPARgamma results in gene expression changes that allow concurrent activity of DNL and beta-oxidation. The importance of hepatic steatosis in driving systemic metabolic dysfunction is highlighted by the common endocrine and metabolic disturbances across many conditions that result in fatty liver. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the metabolic dysfunction that develops as a consequence of hepatic lipid accumulation is critical to identifying points of intervention in this increasingly prevalent disease state.
Sexuality and Female Friendship in Maryse Condé's I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem

Maryse Conde's I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem offers a complex vision of what it means to be Caribbean at a particular moment in the history of colonization. Simultaneously the novel raises social issues, such as racism and religious bigotry, which are not limited to the era in which it unfolds. But it also destabilizes conventional, rigid notions of female heterosexuality, characterized in clearly heterosexist terms, and those of sexually ambivalent intimate female friendships. By rendering the boundaries between heterosexuality, lesbianism, and bisexuality more fluid and tenuous, the novel illuminates the tension between culturally normalized expectations of female sexuality and the realities of women's lives, and presents a means of avoiding the difficulties encountered when feminism is equated with a particular sexual orientation.
Human Y-Family DNA Polymerase κ Is More Tolerant to Changes in Its Active Site Loop than Its Ortholog Escherichia coli DinB.

DNA damage is a constant threat and can be bypassed in a process called translesion synthesis, which is typically carried out by Y-family DNA polymerases. Y-family DNA polymerases are conserved in all domains of life and tend to have specificity for certain types of DNA damage. Escherichia coli DinB and its human ortholog pol κ can bypass specific minor groove deoxyguanine adducts efficiently and are inhibited by major groove adducts, as Y-family DNA polymerases make contacts with the minor groove side of the DNA substrate and lack contacts with the major groove at the nascent base pair. DinB is inhibited by major groove adducts more than pol κ, and they each have active site loops of different lengths, with four additional amino acids in the DinB loop. We previously showed that the R35A active site loop mutation in DinB allows for bypass of the major groove adduct N6-furfuryl-dA. These observations led us to investigate the different active site loops by creating loop swap chimeras of DinB with a pol κ l...
Chapter 12 – Pharmaceutical Innovation

This chapter surveys the costs, risks, and challenges encountered in the progressive discovery and development of new pharmaceuticals. The changing methods by which drugs are discovered, the links between companies and academic science, the changing character of public regulation, and the sharp rise in the cost per new approved drug are analyzed. Determining which new drugs are both efficacious and safe poses classic statistical decision theory problems. Why patents are so important to drug developers is explored. A rent-seeking theory of new drug development is proposed to rationalize the high gross margins but only slightly supranormal returns on investment realized by pharmaceutical companies, and the puzzling economic welfare implications are investigated.
EL ABANDONO EDUCATIVO TEMPRANO (AET): EVOLUCIÓN Y COLECTIVOS AFECTADOS

Nowadays one of the most important challenges from a social analysis perspective of education is referred to early school leaving rate in the context of all school academic performance indicators. This indicator has been selected by the European Union to evaluate the progress of Lisbon Objectives achievement to reach the knowledge society. This objective has as a goal that the maximum amount of population has higher qualification lever than compulsory schooling. The article analyses early school leaving indicator from two perspectives: On the one hand, the evolution and geographic distribution and on another hand its impact and the age when the school leavers appears.
Progressive clustering of big data with GPU acceleration and visualization

Clustering has become an unavoidable step in big data analysis. It may be used to arrange data into a compact format, making operations on big data manageable. However, clustering of big data requires not only the capability of handling data with large volume and high dimensionality, but also the ability to process streaming data, all of which are less developed in most current algorithms. Furthermore, big data processing is seldom interactive, which stands at conflict with users who seek answers immediately. The best one can do is to process incrementally, such that partial and, hopefully, accurate results can be available relatively quickly and are then progressively refined over time. We propose a clustering framework which uses Multi-Dimensional Scaling for layout and GPU acceleration to accomplish these goals. Our domain application is the clustering of mass spectral data of individual aerosol particles with 8 million data points of 450 dimensions each.
Flow and Microwave Induced Pellizzari Reactions: Synthesis of Heterocyclic Analogues of the Benzoxazepine Antipsychotic Agents Loxapine and JL-13

An expeditious route to fused triazolo-pyrido benzoxazepines has been developed using flow and microwave-mediated cyclization chemistry. A range of substituted aryl hydrazides are coupled with a core chloroimine in good to excellent yield via a Pellizzari type process, producing 1,2,4-triazolo-pyrido [ , -b] [ , ] benzoxazepines with structural similarity to known antipsychotic agents. Modifications allow for strategically functionalized derivatives, and installation of a fluoro group for use in PET imaging is also demonstrated. Given the affinity of the tricyclic core for 5-HT and dopamine receptors, the derivatives are expected to find utility in CNS research.
The Arginine Methyltransferase PRMT6 Regulates DNA Methylation and Contributes to Global DNA Hypomethylation in Cancer

Summary DNA methylation plays crucial roles in chromatin structure and gene expression. Aberrant DNA methylation patterns, including global hypomethylation and regional hypermethylation, are associated with cancer and implicated in oncogenic events. How DNA methylation is regulated in developmental and cellular processes and dysregulated in cancer is poorly understood. Here, we show that PRMT6, a protein arginine methyltransferase responsible for asymmetric dimethylation of histone H3 arginine 2 (H3R2me2a), negatively regulates DNA methylation and that PRMT6 upregulation contributes to global DNA hypomethylation in cancer. Mechanistically, PRMT6 overexpression impairs chromatin association of UHRF1, an accessory factor of DNMT1, resulting in passive DNA demethylation. The effect is likely due to elevated H3R2me2a, which inhibits the interaction between UHRF1 and histone H3. Our work identifies a mechanistic link between protein arginine methylation and DNA methylation, which is disrupted in cancer.
Anorectal wound healing: a comparison of the value of antibiotic agents and nitrofurazone.

In this clinical study documented by serial color photographs, neither erythromycin, 400 mg. administered orally every six hours, nor tetracycline, 250 mg. given orally every six hours for periods of three to seven days, significantly affected wound healing. However, nitrofurazone applied topically had a demonstrably beneficial effect.
Spatially resolved kinetics of skeletal muscle exercise response and recovery with multiple echo diffusion tensor imaging (MEDITI): a feasibility study.

We describe measurement of skeletal muscle kinetics with multiple echo diffusion tensor imaging (MEDITI). This approach allows characterization of the microstructural dynamics in healthy and pathologic muscle. In a Siemens 3-T Skyra scanner, MEDITI was used to collect dynamic DTI with a combination of rapid diffusion encoding, radial imaging, and compressed sensing reconstruction in a multi-compartment agarose gel rotation phantom and within in vivo calf muscle. An MR-compatible ergometer (Ergospect Trispect) was employed to enable in-scanner plantar flexion exercise. In a HIPAA-compliant study with written informed consent, post-exercise recovery of DTI metrics was quantified in eight volunteers. Exercise response of DTI metrics was compared with that of T2-weighted imaging and characterized by a gamma variate model. Phantom results show quantification of diffusivities in each compartment over its full dynamic rotation. In vivo calf imaging results indicate larger radial than axial exercise response and recovery in the plantar flexion-challenged gastrocnemius medialis (fractional response: nT2w = 0.385 ± 0.244, nMD = 0.163 ± 0.130, nλ1 = 0.110 ± 0.093, nλrad = 0.303 ± 0.185). Diffusion and T2-weighted response magnitudes were correlated (e.g., r = 0.792, p = 0.019 for nMD vs. nT2w). We have demonstrated the feasibility of MEDITI for capturing spatially resolved diffusion tensor data in dynamic systems including post-exercise skeletal muscle recovery following in-scanner plantar flexion.
What Happens as a Rule

How must a set of events be related before we are justified in saying of one of them that it is the cause of the others?
Management of the Difficult Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis and Temporary Ileostomy

In performing ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in the technically challenging patient, due to anatomic or other reasons, the main key is patience and careful attention to detail. Even in the most difficult setting, satisfactory results can be achieved.
Turbulence Modeling for Recirculating Flows — Reasons and Approach

The physics that governs turbulence in recirculating flows is very different from that governing attached flow turbulence. This necessitates a modeling approach which attempts to convey the physics as faithfully as possible. This paper points out some of the known physics of recirculating turbulent flows and presents a model which addresses these physical issues. Results are shown for a variety of problems with moderate and large recirculation regions. The performance of the backflow model is demonstrated through comparisons with experimental data
Preaching to the Choir: Turning Anger Into Engagement at Urban Community Colleges

In the wake of the election, I attempt to channel my students' understandable anger, fear, and rage into activism (broadly concieved) outside the classroom.
Tourists’ willingness to accept/pay increased entry fees for park improvement projects

Based on contingent valuation methods, this study examined visitors’ level of willingness to accept as well as pay an increase in the daily entry fee to be used for proposed improvements at Kafue N...
Beyond testing configurable systems: applying variational execution to automatic program repair and higher order mutation testing

Generate-and-validate automatic program repair and higher order mutation testing often use search-based techniques to find optimal or good enough solutions in huge search spaces. As search spaces continue to grow, finding solutions that require interactions of multiple changes can become challenging. To tackle the huge search space, we propose to use variational execution. Variational execution has been shown to be effective in exhaustively exploring variations and identifying interactions in a huge but often finite configuration space. The key idea is to encode alternatives in the search space as variations and use variational execution as a black-box technique to generate useful insights so that existing search heuristics can be informed. We show that this idea is promising and identify criteria for problems in which variational execution is a promising tool, which may be useful to identify further applications.
Classification of shoreline vegetation in the Western Basin of Lake Erie using airborne hyperspectral imager HSI2, Pleiades and UAV data

Mapping land and aquatic vegetation of coastal areas using remote sensing for better management and conservation has been a long-standing interest in many parts of the world. Due to natural complex...
The Power of Inclusion: Theorizing “Abjectivity” and Agency Under DACA:

Critical migration scholars argue that undocumented 1.5-generation immigrants occupy distinct forms of “abject” statuses, as legally excluded yet physically included members of society. Implemented...
CHAPTER 3 – Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

Developmental dysplasia of the hip is a general term referring to a spectrum of deformities, usually diagnosed in the neonatal period, in which the structural relationship of the proximal femur to the acetabulum is intermittently or continuously abnormal. The spectrum includes (i) a subluxatable or dislocatable hip associated with capsular laxity in which the head of the femur moves partially or totally out of the acetabulum with extension and adduction and back into it with flexion and abduction, (ii) a subluxated hip in which there is a partial but persisting loss of the normal relationship of the head of the femur to the acetabulum in extension with the head more lateral than normal in the acetabulum and the acetabulum more shallow than normal with its lateral roof angled outwardly and upwardly, and (iii) a dislocated hip in which there is a complete and persisting loss of any femoral head-acetabular relationship, regardless of the position of the hip. Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), as currently defined, is not associated with clinically evident connective tissue, neuromuscular, or other diseases. The single most important initial pathoanatomic change appears to be a capsular laxity which renders the hip unstable at birth with all subsequent abnormalities being secondary phenomena which develop an increasing variation from the norm the longer a hip is allowed to grow with any persisting malposition. The terminology used to describe this condition has always been variable and imprecise primarily due to the imperfect understanding of the pathoanatomy and timing of its initial occurrence.
Mechanistic insights into atrial functional mitral regurgitation: Far more complicated than just left atrial remodeling

Recent studies lend credibility to the notion that lone atrial fibrillation (AF) can cause functional mitral regurgitation (MR), commonly referred to as atrial functional MR (AF-MR). The conventional view holds that left atrial enlargement associated with AF causes annular dilatation which gradually moves the mitral valve leaflets apart resulting in inadequate coaptation and regurgitation. Recent findings, however, suggest that AF-MR is not solely related to left atrial remodeling, but that important structural and functional abnormalities of the left ventricle also play a role in its pathogenesis.
Obtaining Exposure and Depth of Field: School Nurses "Seeing" Youth Vulnerability to Trafficking.

Trafficking of youth is a growing phenomenon. How commercially exploited youth present in schools is multifaceted and poorly understood. Like other providers, school nurses are on the frontlines, y...
Discovery of an essential mycobacterial polar growth factor involved in cell envelope integrity and LM/LAM transport

ABSTRACT Mycobacteria grow and divide differently compared to well-studied model bacteria. They insert new cell envelope at their poles instead of along their side walls; and, they lack obvious homologs of well-conserved cell growth and division proteins. Furthermore, while mycobacteria are classified as Gram-positive, unlike other bacteria in this taxon, they possess an outer membrane abundant in long-chain fatty acids and several glycolipids. A better understanding of the unique factors that make this unusual structure could lead to therapeutic targets for pathogenic mycobacteria. Here, we study a gene of previously unknown function - msmeg_0317 - predicted to be essential and associated with mycobacterial cell growth and division proteins. We find that transcriptional depletion of msmeg_0317 leads to loss of polar growth, disruption of the outer mycobacterial cell wall, and cell death. Surprisingly, we also observe that depletion results in the accumulation of glycolipids lipomannan and lipoarabinomannan (LM/LAM) in the periplasm. LM/LAM have been extensively studied in relation to infection but their role in bacterial physiology is less clear. Altogether, our data suggest that MSMEG_0317, renamed CwdA, is involved in the transport of LM/LAM to the mycobacterial surface, and reveal unexpected connections between the correct localization of LM/LAM, polar growth, and the structural integrity of the mycobacterial cell envelope.
Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum

A newborn with previously unrecognized pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) presents a medical and surgical emergency if the ductus arteriosus closes, the only source of pulmonary blood flow in this form of congenital heart disease. PA/IVS is a rare form of congenital heart disease, and it is characterized by severe stenosis or atresia of the pulmonary valve or right ventricular outflow tract. Without another shunt such as a ventricular septal defect, the only source of pulmonary blood flow is a patent ductus arteriosus. The ductus can be kept open with a prostaglandin infusion until the infant is ready for surgical correction. Without ductus patency, the newborn will become progressively hypoxemic and ultimately die from cardiovascular collapse. Generally speaking, patients with PA/IVS have two potential surgical outcomes. If the right ventricle (RV) is not small or dysplastic, they may undergo primary repair and have a normal biventricular heart. If the RV is hypoplastic, then the patient will undergo surgical palliation. The first stage of palliation is the Norwood procedure, which establishes a parallel pulmonary and systemic circulation. The second stage is the bidirectional Glenn or hemi-Fontan, which unloads the ventricle and prepares the patient for the third and final stage of palliation, the Fontan procedure. With the Fontan procedure, all pulmonary blood flow flows passively through the lungs, while the single ventricle pumps only the systemic blood flow. Each stage of palliation presents unique challenges to the anesthesiologist, requiring techniques to modulate pulmonary vascular resistance and to optimize systemic oxygen delivery.
Falsely Increased Plasma Lactate Dehydrogenase without Hemolysis Following Transport through Pneumatic Tube System.

Background: Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a nonspecific biomarker for diseases including lymphoma. Serum and plasma are generally considered interchangeable for LDH testing. Investigation into falsely increased plasma LDH concentration results led to the hypothesis that a workflow change that included pneumatic tube system (PTS) transportation caused the errors. The following study was conducted to test the hypothesis. Methods: Plasma and serum separator tube samples were each drawn in duplicate, centrifuged, transported either through the PTS or by hand courier, and evaluated by means of clinical chemistry and hematology assays. Smear slides were made out of the plasma and examined. Aggregate patient results before and after the PTS workflow change were compared. Results: In post-PTS plasma samples, LDH activity was 26%–149% higher. Similarly, white blood cells (WBCs) were 14- to 156-fold higher and platelets were 1- to 13-fold higher. Smear examination revealed dramatically more cells and cell fragments. No significant hemolysis was observed in plasma by chemistry hemolysis indices or hemoglobin testing. These effects were not observed in similarly transported serum samples in gel separator tubes. Aggregate LDH patient results, including moving medians, demonstrated dramatic changes following PTS workflow implementation. Conclusions: PTS transportation led to falsely increased LDH concentration in plasma. These LDH concentration elevations are not heralded by standard indicators of hemolysis. These errors can be prevented by restricting LDH concentration testing to serum collected in gel separator tubes. Moving patient statistics can effectively detect important testing process changes not revealed by external QC or indices.
Impact of Brief Nicotine Messaging on Nicotine-Related Beliefs in a U.S. Sample.

Introduction The current study pilot tested the effect of a single, brief exposure to nicotine education messages on beliefs about nicotine, nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT), E-cigarettes, and cigarettes with reduced nicotine content (RNC). Methods Five hundred and twenty-one U.S. adults (aged ≥18 years) completed a 15-minute survey on Amazon Mechanical Turk in 2018. After completing items on sociodemographics, literacy, and cancer risk behaviors, participants were randomized in a 2:1:1 ratio to 1 of 3 conditions: nicotine education (n=263), sun safety education (attention control, n=128), or no message control (n=130). All participants completed items regarding nicotine, NRT, E-cigarette, and RNC cigarette beliefs, as well as norms about nicotine use, behavioral control regarding cigarette/tobacco use, and intention to use cigarettes, NRT, E-cigarettes, and RNC cigarettes in the next 12 months. Analyses were conducted in 2019. Results Following exposure, nicotine education participants reported fewer false beliefs about nicotine (p Conclusions Findings from the current study support the hypothesis that a brief nicotine messaging intervention—similar to the messages likely to be seen on warning labels or in media campaigns—is likely to correct misperceptions of nicotine, NRT, E-cigarettes, and RNC cigarettes.
Unusual scaling for two-dimensional avalanches: Curing the faceting and scaling in the lower critical dimension

The authors study the longstanding challenge of two dimensional crackling noise, using a nonlinear analysis of the renormalization group flows to predict non-power-law behavior, and a random-lattice simulation to verify the predictions. The emergent behavior is much better described by theory in two dimensions than it was in three dimensions.
Do homeroom teachers affect students’ academic achievement in China’s middle schools?

While the effect of teacher quality on students’ achievement is widely documented in the literature, relatively little is known about the impact of teachers’ non-instructional role. By exploiting t...
Cartographic Literacy Through Object-Based Learning: The Value of Primary Sources in Instruction

The current generation of students has grown up in a visually-saturated culture and are generally savvy about engaging with imagery. In the Map Library at the University of Colorado Boulder (UCB), ...
COVID-19, Anti-Asian Racism, and Anti-Asian American Racism

This Article analyzes the history of anti-Asian American racism. This Article considers how anger, fear, and hatred over COVID-19 fueled the increase of anti-Asian American racism. This Article introduces the phrase, racism contested, to describe an incident where some people view racism as clearly involved, while some people do not. This Article critiques respectability politics as being an effective response to racism. This Article proposes how to utilize humor to engage non-violent racism. This Article studies how to achieve DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) by fostering Empathy Through Personal Perspective Pivoting (ETPPP).
Spinoza’s EIp10 As a Solution to a Paradox about Rules: A New Argument from the Short Treatise

The tenth proposition of Spinoza’s Ethics reads: “Each attribute of substance must be conceived through itself.” Developing and defending the argument for this single proposition, it turns out, is vital to Spinoza’s philosophical project. Indeed, it’s virtually impossible to overstate its importance. Spinoza and his interpreters have used EIp10 to prove central claims in his metaphysics and philosophy of mind (i.e. substance monism, mind-body parallelism, mind-body identity, and finite subject individuation). It’s crucial for making sense of his epistemology (i.e. Spinoza’s account of knowledge and response to skepticism) and in resolving puzzles within the Ethics (i.e. explaining human ignorance of all but two attributes). Even those who do not attribute some of the above claims to Spinoza need EIp10 to defend much of what they believe about Spinoza’s system. This paper locates a previously unnoticed argument for this proposition in Spinoza’s Short Treatise on God, Man, and His Well Being. There, Spinoza shows himself concerned with a powerful and underappreciated form of philosophical skepticism, one with echoes in the work of his contemporary Leibniz as well as in the later Wittgenstein. Spinoza’s introduction of EIp10 in the Ethics circumvents this form of skepticism, solving the problem the Short Treatise envisions while also explaining that text’s argument’s absence from the explicit justificatory structure of the Ethics.
Intervention of Right in Judicial Proceedings to Review Informal Federal Rulemaking

The codification of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in 1938 (the “Federal Rules”) created not only a more transactional approach to litigation, but also the flexible party structure that was necessary for “public law litigation” to flourish. Indeed, many argue that intervention by non-parties in public law cases is essential to ensure that the court can hear from and protect the wide range of interests likely to be impacted by its decision. This Article seeks to make a case for limiting intervention as of right in a specific subset of public law proceedings–– those brought to review the legality of informal federal rulemakings pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA” or the “Act”). The courts in these cases are placed in a difficult position in considering applications to intervene. On one hand, given the narrow scope of judicial review it is unclear how a court will benefit from the addition of defendant-intervenors seeking to uphold the administrative rule. Instead the court faces the likelihood of information overload and/or information degradation as defendant-intervenors incorporate duplicative or irrelevant arguments into the proceedings. On the other hand, when a court chooses to deny such intervention, it creates the possibility of a lengthy appeal that will further delay judicial review. In sum, intervention practice under the Federal Rules harms the rights of those entitled to judicial review of an agency rulemaking and, most importantly, negatively impacts the public as a whole by reducing the efficiency of the administrative rulemaking process. As such, this Article
Simple Pattern Synthesis for Complicated Arrays

A simple method for approximate pattern synthesis is described. This method is applicable to arrays of any geometry and employing any element pattern, including non-uniformly spaced arrays, volumetric arrays, and arrays consisting of elements having significantly unequal embedded patterns, as is common in the presence of strong mutual coupling.
Role of brachytherapy in stage III endometrial cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy: Identifying factors predictive of a survival benefit.

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES To determine which patients with stage III endometrial cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy derive benefit from the addition of vaginal brachytherapy, as stage III is a highly heterogeneous population with substantial variations in practice. METHODS Patients with FIGO stage III endometrial carcinoma diagnosed 2004–2016 who underwent at least total hysterectomy and adjuvant multiagent chemotherapy were identified in the National Cancer Database. The primary outcome was overall survival according to receipt of brachytherapy, stratified by histologic type, pathological features, and status of pelvic external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), and analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox multivariable regression. RESULTS In total, 9369 patients were identified (24% stage IIIA, 5% stage IIIB, 71% stage IIIC; 61% endometrioid, 39% nonendometrioid histology), and 28% received brachytherapy. In the endometrioid cohort, brachytherapy was associated with a 5% absolute increase in 3-year overall survival (87% vs. 82%, p CONCLUSIONS Factors predictive of brachytherapy benefit were endometrioid histology and pathological risk factors for local recurrence. Additionally, brachytherapy appeared more beneficial in patients not already receiving pelvic EBRT. Further research is warranted to determine which stage III patients may be best served by brachytherapy, EBRT, or both.