cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF AUTORADIOGRAPHIC IMAGE INTENSIFICATION USING THIOUREA-S35

Photographic images enhanced by the method of Thiourea-S35 autoradiography are evaluated in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, detective quantum efficiency (DQE), and Wiener spectrum analysis using digitized images. It is determined that the original signal-to-noise ratio is not degraded by the intensification process which allows an increase in the practical working DQE as a function of density. These results apply at all spatial frequencies that were tested. The advantage given by autoradiography is the ability to produce usable images from emulsions originally exposed to the low densities corresponding to maximum DQE and movement of faint image densities above the level of the threshold for detection.
Leaching of natural and nuclear waste glasses in sea water

Microtektites, some with a SiO2 content as low as 50%, exhibit a very limited extent of corrosion after having been exposed to interaction with their environment in sea-bed sediments for periods of 105a. Measurements carried out on a bottle-green microtektite glass composition in de-ionized water show that this glass has relatively high leach rates, as expected on the basis of its low SiO2 content (≈ 50%) and high modifier content (≈ 20%). However, is sea water the leach rates are smaller by at least 2 orders of magnitude, in agreement with the small extent of microtektite corrosion observed in nature (typically<5μ). Systematic studies of leachant composition effects show that the suppression of leaching in sea water is probably due to the presence of high levels of Mg. Measurements were also carried out on man-made silicate glasses related in composition to nuclear waste glasses. Although the compositions of the man-made glasses are different in many important respects from the composition of microtektites, it was found that the leach rates of the man-made glasses, too, are smaller by about 2 orders of magnitude in sea water compared with their values in de-ionized water. Surface analysis of glasses exposed to sea water shows that the predominant feature is the formation of a layer which is very rich in Mg.
Adult women's blood mercury concentrations vary regionally in the United States: association with patterns of fish consumption (NHANES 1999-2004).

BACKGROUND: The current, continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has included blood mercury (BHg) and fish/shellfish consumption since it began in 1999. NHANES 1999-2004 data form the basis for these analyses. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine BHg distributions within U.S. Census regions and within coastal and noncoastal areas among women of childbearing age, their association with patterns of fish consumption, and changes from 1999 through 2004. METHODS: We performed univariate and bivariate analyses to determine the distribution of BHg and fish consumption in the population and to investigate differences by geography, race/ethnicity, and income. We used multivariate analysis (regression) to determine the strongest predictors of BHg among geography, demographic factors, and fish consumption. RESULTS: Elevated BHg occurred more commonly among women of childbearing age living in coastal areas of the United States (approximately one in six women). Regionally, exposures differ across the United States: Northeast > South and West > Midwest. Asian women and women with higher income ate more fish and had higher BHg. Time-trend analyses identified reduced BHg and reduced intake of Hg in the upper percentiles without an overall reduction of fish consumption. CONCLUSIONS: BHg is associated with income, ethnicity, residence (census region and coastal proximity). From 1999 through 2004, BHg decreased without a concomitant decrease in fish consumption. Data are consistent with a shift over this time period in fish species in women's diets.
The status of performance measures for emergency medical services

Performance measures for emergency medical services (EMS) are classified into three types: input, process and outcome. Examples of each type are cited in the EMS literature and analyzed for conceptual validity and practicality. No single measure or set of measures appears wholly adequate. The use of "salvageable deaths among traffic fatalities" as a performance measure is reviewed to illustrate the difficulty of valid EMS evaluation. It appears that the common claim that 20% of traffic deaths could be saved with better EMS is open to serious question and that the true value of a "modern" EMS system is uncertain. In particular, it appears that the published claims of success for the Illinois statewide trauma network have not been convincingly documented.
Workshop attendees suggest methods to improve the number and advancement of women scientists in NanoScience/NanoTechnology

Women are underrepresented in the new field of nanoscience and nanotechnology (NS/NT). They comprise only 14% of the faculty members at the 62 federally funded centers for NS/NT at higher education institutions in the USA, but make up 25% of the faculty in other STEM disciplines. Increasing the participation of women and minorities in NS/NT research is important for the relatively new field of NS/NT to reach its full potential. A workshop was held to gather information about the challenges and opportunities academic work in NS/NT offers to women and minorities and to identify differences between NS/ NTand other STEM disciplines. The workshop, titled ‘Toward Increasing Diversity in STEM Faculty: AWorkshop Addressing Underrepresentation of Women of all Ethnicities in Nanoscience Fields,’ was cohosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF, USA). The two-day workshop included forty researchers in NS/NT and in the social sciences. In this news item, I will summarize some of the key findings and suggestions that are described in a published monograph about the workshop written by Vivien Savath and Suzanne Brainard at the University of Washington. (Published: 6 February 2012) Citation: Nano News 2012, 3 : 15895 - DOI: 10.3402/nano.v3i0.15895
ATF4 is a mediator of the nutrient-sensing response pathway that activates the human asparagine synthetase gene.

Transcription from the asparagine synthetase (A.S.) gene is increased in response to either amino acid (amino acid response) or glucose (endoplasmic reticulum stress response) deprivation. These two independent pathways converge on the same set of genomic cis-elements within theA.S. promoter referred to as nutrient-sensing response elements (NSRE) 1 and 2, both of which are necessary for gene activation. The NSRE-1 sequence was used to screen ATF/CREB family members by electrophoresis mobility shift assays and supershift by specific antibodies. The results indicated that ATF4 binds to the NSRE-1 sequence and that the amount of the ATF4 complex was increased when extracts from amino acid-deprived or glucose-deprived cells were tested. Using electrophoresis mobility shift assay experiments and a probe that contained both NSRE-1 and NSRE-2, mutation of the NSRE-1 sequence completely prevented formation of the ATF4-containing complexes, whereas mutation of the NSRE-2 sequence did not. Overexpression of ATF4 increased A.S. promoter-driven transcription, whereas an inhibitory dominant negative ATF4 mutant blocked both basal and starvation-enhanced transcription. Collectively, the results provide both in vitro and in vivoevidence for a role of ATF4 in the transcriptional activation of theA.S. gene in response to nutrient deprivation.
Collisional Line Broadening Using Laser Excitation and Ionization

A laser excitation and ionization process is used to measure Cs-Ar interaction forces at long range. With energy densities of 1 J/cm/sup 2/, nonlinear excitation persists as far out as 70 A at one atmosphere of Ar. This method provides extreme sensitivity (even single absorption events can be measured) which allows absolute measurements on the very far wing where absorption or fluorescence becomes vanishingly small.
Diastereotopic group-selective reactions at π-arene chromium derivatives. Deprotonation and nucleophilic addition reactions of substrates bearing benzylic chiral centers

(η 6 -(MeHXC)C 6 H 5 )Cr(CO) 3 (X=NMe 2 or OR) substrates undergo deprotonation by alkyllithium bases to produce, after quenching with electrophiles (E + ), high diastereomeric excesses of (η 6 -o-E-(MeHXC)C 6 H 4 )Cr(CO) 3 products. The N,N-dimethylamino substrate shows excellent chemoselectivity for ortho metalation
Synthesis and infrared characterization of the reaction products of N-bromosuccinimide with estradiol-17β

Abstract The reaction product of estradiol-17β with N-bromosuccinimide in the dark and under reflux in carbon tetrachloride was determined by infrared investigation as a mixture of 2- and 4-monobromo- and 2:4-dibromoestradiols in yields of approximately 50, 45 and 5 per cent, respectively. Infrared reference spectra of the three o-bromoestradiols are given, and the influence of the specific type of bromine substitution on the aromatic vibrations of ring A is discussed. The expected trans-cis isomerism of the phenolic O−H group was investigated by hydrogen bond studies. As a new phenomenon observed in connection with o-substituted compounds it was found that a change in the molecular geometry of the o-bromo position is associated with a change in the trans-cis ratio and the Δv value of the phenolic hydroxy 1 group, which appears to be due to a variation of the electronegativity of the bromine atom and to a variation of double bond character of the aromatic C−Br bond. The trans-cis ratio was determined as 1:33 for 2-bromoestradiol and as 1:15 for 4-bromoestradiol.
Effect of juvenile hormone III and beta-bisabolol on pheromone production in fat bodies from male boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract 1. 1. Fat bodies form 1 to 10-day-old male boll weevils were treated with juvenile hormone III, beta-bisabolol, and juvenile hormone + beta-bisabolol. 2. 2. We measured the amount of sex pheromone produced after 2 hr of incubation with the above compounds. 3. 3. More pheromone was produced by the juvenile hormone III + beta-bisabolol treatment than by the others.
Gibbs random fields, cooccurrences, and texture modeling

Gibbs random field (GRF) models and features from cooccurrence matrices are typically considered as separate but useful tools for texture discrimination. The authors show an explicit relationship between cooccurrences and a large class of GRF's. This result comes from a new framework based on a set-theoretic concept called the "aura set" and on measures of this set, "aura measures." This framework is also shown to be useful for relating different texture analysis tools. The authors show how the aura set can be constructed with morphological dilation, how its measure yields cooccurrences, and how it can be applied to characterizing the behavior of the Gibbs model for texture. In particular, they show how the aura measure generalizes, to any number of gray levels and neighborhood order, some properties previously known for just the binary, nearest-neighbor GRF. Finally, the authors illustrate how these properties can guide one's intuition about the types of GRF patterns which are most likely to form. >
RHIC injection kicker impedance

The longitudinal impedance of the RHIC injection kicker is measured using the wire method upto a frequency of 3 GHz. The mismatch between the 50 ohm cable and the wire and pipe system is calibrated using the TRL calibration algorithm. Various methods of reducing the impedance, such as coated ceramic pipe and copper strips are investigated.
Delay-optimized robust transmission of images over multiple channels

Transmission of delay-sensitive images over wireless channels can be hampered by insufficient bandwidth and unreliable channels. These challenges can be overcome by aggregation of multiple channels into a single, higher bandwidth logical channel and by employing strategic error correction. This paper addresses the problem of partitioning image data over multiple channels with unequal characteristics to minimize delay, and the robustness to channel losses and failures is provided by product codes. Data is unequally error protected based on both decoding priorities and channel reliabilities. The proposed product codes outperform a conventional product code due to the adaptivity of the partitions to the channel conditions. Two schemes for product coding are considered and their relative merits are analyzed and compared.
Differential tonic influence of lateral habenula on prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens dopamine release

Conditions of increased cognitive or emotional demand activate dopamine release in a regionally selective manner. Whereas the brief millisecond response of dopamine neurons to salient stimuli suggests that dopamine's influence on behaviour may be limited to signalling certain cues, the prolonged availability of dopamine in regions such as the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens is consistent with the well described role of dopamine in maintaining motivation states, associative learning and working memory. The behaviourally elicited terminal release of dopamine is generally attributed to increased excitatory drive on dopamine neurons. Our findings here, however, indicate that this increase may involve active removal of a tonic inhibitory control on dopamine neurons exerted by the lateral habenula (LHb). Inhibition of LHb in behaving animals transiently increased dopamine release in the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens and dorsolateral striatum. The inhibitory influence was more pronounced in the nucleus accumbens and striatum than in the prefrontal cortex. This pattern of regional dopamine activation after LHb inhibition mimicked conditions of reward availability but not increased cognitive demand. Electrical or chemical stimulation of LHb produced minimal reduction of extracellular dopamine, suggesting that in an awake brain the inhibition associated with tonic LHb activity represents a near-maximal influence on dopamine neurotransmission. These data indicate that LHb may be critical for functional differences in dopamine neurons by preferentially modulating dopamine neurons that project to the nucleus accumbens over those neurons that primarily project to the prefrontal cortex.
Parsing the Effects Violence Exposure in Early Childhood: Modeling Developmental Pathways

Objective To prospectively examine pathways from early childhood violence exposure and trauma-related symptoms to school-age emotional health. Methods A longitudinal, birth cohort (N ¼437) was assessed with parent reports of lifetime violence exposure and trauma-related symptoms at 3 years of age and later, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and social competence at school age. Results Early family and neighborhood violence correlated significantly with early trauma-related symptoms and also significantly predicted school-age internalizing and externalizing symptoms and poorer competence, independent of sociodemographic risk and past-year violence exposure. Longitudinal pathways were significantly mediated by arousal and avoidance symptoms at 3 years of age, which increased risk for clinically significant emotional problems and lower competence at school age (adjusted odds ratios ¼3.1–6.1, p<0.01). Conclusions Trauma-related symptoms may mediate developmental pathways from early violence exposure to later emotional health. Interventions that prevent or reduce early trauma-related symptoms may ameliorate the long-term deleterious impact of violence exposure.
Tissue typing antisera from immunization by pregnancy.

Anti-HL-A antibodies developing during pregnancy were investigated and identified in 1400 pregnancy sera. Of these 169 (12 %) were observed to be strongly reactive with at least 1 out of 20 lymphocytes. A panel of 33 lymphocyte donors phenotyped for 22 HL-A antigens was used for the determination of antibody specificity in the reactive sera. During this investigation 11 sera showing a perfect or almost perfect correlation with one known HL-A specificity were identified. Fifteen other useful sera showed correlation with more than one HL-A specificity. Eight additional sera reacted with patterns that did not fit a defined group but suggested the possibility of reactions with as yet unidentified HL-A antigens. The results of this study demonstrate that the development of tissue typing reagents from pregnancy sera in a clinical tissue typing laboratory can be highly productive.
Model-based software tools for integrated vehicle health management

Present day IVHM systems are often constructed using hand-written code that is hard to produce and difficult to verify and maintain. In this paper we introduce a suite of model-based tools that allow for the construction of embeddable IVHM applications using a model-based approach. Reusable (and potentially validated) reasoners are used in conjunction with executable code that is generated from models, thus allowing the integration of the reasoner as a component into a larger on-board system. This paper describes the toolsuite, the modeling approach used, the runtime environment, and some of the applications where the tools were used.
Measurements of the propagation parameters of tree canopies at MMW frequencies

The presence of trees in a given scene can hamper detection of nearby targets by millimeter-wave (MMW) radars especially at near grazing incidence. Proper characterization of scattering and attenuation in tree canopies is important for optimal detection algorithms. In this paper, a new technique for determining the extinction and volume backscattering coefficients in tree canopies using the measured radar backscatter response is proposed and verified experimentally. The technique, which can be applied to already available wideband radar backscatter data, is used to compute the extinction and volume backscattering coefficients of different tree canopies under various physical conditions. The dynamic range of these coefficients are presented and results at 35 GHz are compared with results at 95 GHz.
Carrier-frequency dependence of a step-modulated pulse propagating through a weakly dispersive single narrow-resonance absorber

We observe interference between the optical precursors and the main signal for small optical depth α0 L ∼ 1, in which the main signal cannot be entirely absorbed. Since the main signal oscillates at the carrier frequency of the input pulse and precursors oscillate at medium resonance frequency, in our case carrier frequency dependence of the total transmitted field is observed as a form of modulation patterns oscillating at the detuning frequency. To distinguish between the Sommerfeld and Brillouin precursors for the case of weakly dispersive off-resonance medium, we utilize asymptotic precursor theory under the assumption of small detuning.
With a Little class: A Critique of Identity Politics

This article seeks to illuminate the political and ideological implications of identity politics based on racial/ethnic labels currently used in the United States. The salience of politically const...
Controlling cavity reflectivity with a single quantum dot

Solid-state cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) systems offer a robust and scalable platform for quantum optics experiments and the development of quantum information processing devices. In particular, systems based on photonic crystal nanocavities and semiconductor quantum dots have seen rapid progress. Recent experiments have allowed the observation of weak and strong coupling regimes of interaction between the photonic crystal cavity and a single quantum dot in photoluminescence. In the weak coupling regime, the quantum dot radiative lifetime is modified; in the strong coupling regime, the coupled quantum dot also modifies the cavity spectrum. Several proposals for scalable quantum information networks and quantum computation rely on direct probing of the cavity–quantum dot coupling, by means of resonant light scattering from strongly or weakly coupled quantum dots. Such experiments have recently been performed in atomic systems and superconducting circuit QED systems, but not in solid-state quantum dot–cavity QED systems. Here we present experimental evidence that this interaction can be probed in solid-state systems, and show that, as expected from theory, the quantum dot strongly modifies the cavity transmission and reflection spectra. We show that when the quantum dot is coupled to the cavity, photons that are resonant with its transition are prohibited from entering the cavity. We observe this effect as the quantum dot is tuned through the cavity and the coupling strength between them changes. At high intensity of the probe beam, we observe rapid saturation of the transmission dip. These measurements provide both a method for probing the cavity–quantum dot system and a step towards the realization of quantum devices based on coherent light scattering and large optical nonlinearities from quantum dots in photonic crystal cavities.
Methodological issues of real time data acquisition from multiple sources of physiological data

Safe and effective use of monitoring, scheduling, and action-guidance technologies is often dependent upon human operator agency. The cognitive ability of the human operator to control the environment varies depending on the individual's affective and physiological state as well as on situation-dependent temporal and contextual factors. Clearly, there is a need for real-time assessment of cognitive load in order to increase operator effectiveness through adaptive filtering of information. In order to begin assessment of how to flexibly augment human operator capabilities in real time, a study to determine the best practices for intercepting and synchronizing biosensor information from operators engaged in visual search tasks was performed.
DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A THREE-DIMENSIONAL HYDRODYNAMIC MODEL

With increases in computing power, researchers all over the world are developing and applying three-dimensional hydrodynamic models. The development of one such model called CH3D-WES and its application on Chesapeake Bay are presented. The basic equations solved, boundary conditions employed, and numerical solution techniques utilized, along with the parameterization of the vertical turbulence which is crucial when computing flows in partially stratified water bodies, are discussed. Finally, model results from application to the September 1983 data set on Chesapeake Bay are presented and compared to field data. This data set contains a major wind mixing event that was aided by a cooling of the surface waters of the bay.
Chitin: a potential new alternative nitrogen source for the tertiary, algal-based treatment of pulp and paper mill wastewater

Every day, pulp and paper mills in the USA discharge millions of liters of wastewater. Primary and secondary treatment of this wastewater often enriches it with phosphorus, resulting in uncontrolled eutrophication of receiving water bodies. A new method of tertiary wastewater treatment uses controlled growth of algae in a photobioreactor to sequester phosphorus into algal biomass, which is then harvested. This typically requires addition of a nitrogen fertilizer (nitrate, ammonium, or urea) to the water. We show on the laboratory scale that chitin can be used as an alternative source of nitrogen for the tertiary treatment of pulp mill wastewater using algae. We demonstrate that phosphorus can be efficiently removed from pulp wastewater using algae and chitin. Furthermore, phosphorus removal with chitin did not result in an increase in dissolved nitrogen in the wastewater because it is insoluble, unlike conventional nitrogen fertilizers. Despite its insolubility, it has recently been found that many diverse algae and cyanobacteria can use it as a source of nitrogen. Chitin has many advantages over conventional nitrogen fertilizers for use in wastewater treatment technologies. It is the second-most abundant natural polymer and is a waste product of the shellfish industry. Chitin is sustainable, inexpensive, and carbon neutral. Thus, chitin improves the sustainability and carbon footprints associated with water treatment, while the production of commercially attractive algal biomass helps to offset costs associated with the water treatment system itself.
What is the “Relational” in Relational Spirituality? A Review of Definitions and Research Directions

ABSTRACT“Relational spirituality” is a term that has been increasingly employed in psychological literature in recent years with a variety of definitions and within different theoretical orientations. In this article, we identify and review five ways relational spirituality is understood in terms of (a) cognitive appraisals of stress and coping; (b) implicit relational development; (c) couples, family, and community contexts; (d) social interconnection; and (e) a differentiation-based model of spiritual development. We conclude with a discussion of conceptual, psychometric, and applied issues related to this topic, and offer suggestions for future research.
SEGREGATING BODILY ISOMERISM BASED ON CARDIAC FINDINGS: RESULTS OF AN AUTOPSY STUDY

Bodily isomerism, also referred to as heterotaxy, involves multiple organ systems. Previously segregated on the basis of splenic anatomy, it is arguably better segregated on the basis of atrial appendage morphology. Associated findings can then be described for each particular subset. We aimed to
Methods for analysis of zirconium dioxide stabilized by yttrium and scandium oxides

We have developed a procedure for analysis of zirconium dioxide stabilized by yttrium and scandium oxides and for determination of its ZrO2, Y2O3, SiO2, and Fe2O3 contents.
The Vestibular System in the Elderly

Aging in the peripheral vestibular apparatus is shown to consist of processes similar to those occurring in other parts of the nervous system. Sensory epithelium and primary efferents degenerate and are not replaced. Type I hair cells and elements of the pars inferior are most susceptible. Remaining cells show a build-up of lipofuscin and microstructural changes suggesting compromised metabolism. Rupture of the saccular membrane and microfractures of the otic capsule are frequently seen. Otoconia undergo degeneration, and the tissue between the endolymphatic duct and bony vestibular aqueduct becomes fibrotic. The recognition of these findings is a first step in the clinical delineation of the "dysequilibrium of aging" from symptoms related to specific disease processes. Further clinical correlation will remain difficult until changes in the central vestibular pathways and their connections with the optic and locomotor systems are better understood.
Grandparent involvement and children's health outcomes: The current state of the literature.

Introduction Grandparents are often highly involved as secondary caregivers for their grandchildren and may influence children's psychological and physical health outcomes. The purpose of the current review was to gather and synthesize research findings on the effects of grandparent involvement on children's physical health outcomes. Method PubMed, PsycInfo, and MedLine were searched by 3 independent reviewers for articles that reported on grandparent involvement and children's health. Twenty-six articles were included for final review based on selection criteria. Results Relatively few studies have examined the effects of grandparent involvement on children's health outcomes; therefore, the degree of their influence remains unclear. Four categories of children's health outcomes (disease/illness, weight, eating behaviors, and injury/safety) emerged during this review. Results indicated that the majority of studies available reported a negative effect of grandparent involvement on child's weight status. However, it is important to note that in most of these studies, the effects of grandparent involvement were not a primary outcome, and the amount of time grandparents spent with their grandchildren was not accounted for. Many studies in this review were qualitative studies, limiting the types of analyses that could be conducted. In addition, few longitudinal studies have been conducted in this area. Discussion Based on this review, it is clear that grandparents are involved in caretaking for children across many cultures but to understand their role in children's health outcomes, more systematic and longitudinal research needs to be conducted. (PsycINFO Database Record
Contribution of Tropical Cyclones to Rainfall at the Global Scale

AbstractThis study quantifies the relative contribution of tropical cyclones (TCs) to annual, seasonal, and extreme rainfall and examines the connection between El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the occurrence of extreme TC-induced rainfall across the globe. The authors use historical 6-h best-track TC datasets and daily precipitation data from 18 607 global rain gauges with at least 25 complete years of data between 1970 and 2014. The highest TC-induced rainfall totals occur in East Asia (>400 mm yr−1) and northeastern Australia (>200 mm yr−1), followed by the southeastern United States and along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico (100–150 mm yr−1). Fractionally, TCs account for 35%–50% of the mean annual rainfall in northwestern Australia, southeastern China, the northern Philippines, and Baja California, Mexico. Seasonally, between 40% and 50% of TC-induced rain is recorded along the western coast of Australia and in islands of the south Indian Ocean in the austral summer and in East Asia and Mexico...
A Milk-Like Beverage from Neutralized Direct-Acid-Set Cottage Cheese Whey1

An imitation milk was formulated by combining 4 parts of neutralized, direct-acid-set, cottage cheese whey with 6 parts of whole milk, and fortifying with .5% nonfat dry milk solids (NFDM). Whey collected from a commercial plant was neutralized, clarified, blended with milk, fortified with NFDM, pasteurized, homogenized, and packaged in ½-gal. paper cartons in the Kansas State University (KSU) dairy processing plant. Calculated raw material costs were compared for 2.0% low fat milk, 3.25% milk, and for imitation milks with those same milkfat concentrations. The 2.0 and 3.25% imitation milk could be formulated with savings of 35 and 25 cents per gallon, respectively. Coded samples of the product were compared with regular KSU whole milk by 112 persons. Of these, 45% identified the KSU milk samples, 35% thought the experimental product was the KSU milk, and 20% could tell no difference. The milk sample was preferred for flavor by 42% of the consumers, 32% had no preference, and 26% preferred the imitation m...
OPHTHALMIC FINDINGS IN LATE STAGE SJOGREN-LARSSON SYNDROME.

Purpose To report spectral domain optical coherence tomography and fundus autofluorescence documentation of late stage macular findings associated with Sjogren-Larsson Syndrome in three adult siblings. Methods Three adult siblings with Sjogren-Larsson Syndrome underwent ophthalmic examination and imaging. Results Crystalline maculopathy and subretinal deposits, presumably lipofuscin accumulation, with macular atrophy were present in varying degrees in all three adult siblings. Discussion In adults with Sjogren-Larsson Syndrome, crystalline retinopathy can progress to macular atrophy and the appearance of lipofuscin accumulation.
Explaining Midterm Loss: The Tandem Effects of Withdrawn Coattails and Balancing

This paper tests coattail and balancing theories of midterm loss in congressional elections. Neither theory can by itself account for the regularity of midterm loss. But together they can. When, following a close presidential election, there are no coattails to withdraw, ideological balancing at midterm generates a loss for the presidential party. When voters can anticipate a presidential landslide allowing them to balance their congressional vote in the presidential year, the winner’s coattails are withdrawn at midterm. Either way, the presidential party loses seats. Testing the variables of each theory while controlling for those of the other, this paper finds strong statistical evidence that both process are at work to insure midterm loss.
Design myopia and vicarious learning from good versus bad examples in creative design competitions

High-quality creative design work creates tremendous value for organizations, but how do individual designers learn to produce better designs? Learning through direct experience often presumes eval...
Waiting for Superman : A cultural studies analysis in the nightmare of the present

While the history of cultural studies cites origins in adult education and contemporary scholars continue to note the need for cultural studies work in schools the connections between cultural studies and educational theorizing seem strained. This paper suggests the recent film Waiting for Superman offers an opportunity for a cultural studies analysis with clear import on education and curriculum theorizing. In specific, this paper notes the important conjuncture of forces at work in the public discourse of so-called education reform in the contemporary US context and suggests that cultural studies analysis may be needed now more than ever. This offering provides linkages between the discursive construction of educative reform efforts, the material lived experiences of those who spend time in educative contexts, and the concomitant ethics that such constructions require. As free-market fundamentalism, neoconservative ideological formations, and representations of school and schooling are all in play, this perspective—both in the material and academic sense—intends to help reinvigorate the conversation between cultural studies and curriculum theorizing and provides new understandings of this “nightmare of the present”.
Two Revised Measures of Coping for Individuals with Late-Deafness.

Two of the more commonly known measures of coping in rehabilitation and counseling are the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ; Folkman & Lazarus, 1988; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) and the Brief COPE (BC; Carver, 1997). Purpose: The present study had two goals: (a) to examine the revised structures of these measures to determine the reliability and validity when used in a sample of individuals with latedeafness, and (b) to examine differences in coping style in individuals with late-deafness across race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status (SES), level of hearing loss, communication style, and employment. Methods: An online, quantitative survey was used to collect data from participants ( N = 277) who completed the WCQ, the BC, measures of life satisfaction, and a demographic questionnaire. Results: The two revised factors from the WCQ correlated as expected with life satisfaction, demonstrating convergent validity. However, discriminant validity was not found with this measure. Four of the six revised factors of the BC correlated as expected with life satisfaction, indicating acceptable convergent validity. In addition, discriminant validity was found with this measure. A few differences in coping were found on the basis of age, SES, and gender. Conclusion: The results suggest that the BC, with the revised factors, is a solid measure of coping in individuals with late-deafness.
Redesign of US Electricity Capacity Markets

This paper surveys the different approaches in use today to ensure grid reliability and incentivize new resources. Market challenges are surveyed, as well as empirical findings that suggest that current market approaches do not provide proper incentives. It is argued that the primary problem is that organized capacity markets today do not consider risks and uncertainty over the proper time frame – decades instead of months or years. Because of this, the analyses ignore risks and other factors that are key to making optimal investment decisions. Solutions are proposed based in part on concepts from traditional resource planning.
Free Will, Determinism, and Self-Control

Touring the behaviorist contributions to free will would appear to require a very brief excursion. In Beyond Freedom and Dignity B. F. Skinner asserts that: It is in the nature of an experimental analysis analysis of human behavior that it should strip away the functions previously assigned to autonomous man and transfer them one by one to the controlling environment (1971, p. 198).
Overexpression of CD98 in intestinal epithelium dysregulates miRNAs and their targeted proteins along the ileal villus-crypt axis

CD98 has been implicated in the experimental model of inflammatory bowel disease. We have previously shown that IEC-specific overexpression of CD98 mediates intestinal inflammation and intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction. Mice overexpressing CD98 exhibited severe colitis and a greater susceptibility to CAC. Here we demonstrated CD98 overexpression to dysregulate homeostatic gradient profile of miRNA and protein expression along the ileal villus-crypt axis. Using miRNA-target gene prediction module, we observed differentially expressed miRNAs to target proteins of villus and crypt profoundly affected by CD98 overexpression. We have utilized online bioinformatics as methods to further scrutinize the biological meanings of miRNA-target data. We identified significant interactions among the differentially regulated proteins targeted by altered miRNAs in Tg mice. The biological processes affected by the predicted targets of miRNAs deviate from the homeostatic functions of the miRNA-gene-protein axis of the wildtype mice. Our results emphasize a dynamic perturbation of miRNA and protein expression in villus-crypt axis contributing to potential biological consequences of altering CD98 expression. Our findings also suggest the need for a consideration of arrays of interacting biological entities (i.e. miRNAs-mRNAs, protein-protein interaction) or a combination comparison for a better understanding of the disease pathology which is necessary for an effective therapeutic target development.
Stratigraphy and geochronology of the Nacientes del Teno and Río Damas Formations: Insights into Middle to Late Jurassic Andean volcanism

Author(s): Junkin, William DeForest | Advisor(s): Gans, Phillip B | Abstract: The Nacientes del Teno Formation and the lowermost strata of the Rio Damas Formation in Maule, Chile (35.10°S) comprise a sequence of sedimentary and volcanic rocks deposited along the western margin of the Andean backarc basin during the Middle to Late Jurassic (174-145 Ma). Revised stratigraphy and new U-Pb geochronological data from this classic succession provide insights into the location, composition, and timing of coeval arc volcanic systems.U-Pb geochronological data from detrital and primary volcanic zircons represent the first absolute ages (ca. 172-161 Ma) reported for the Nacientes del Teno Formation. Detrital zircon ages include a tightly clustered population ca. 165 Ma that coincides with a Middle Jurassic trough present in frequency histogram and relative probability plots of published datasets of U-Pb detrital zircon ages, challenging the notion of a lull in volcanic arc activity at this time.The dominantly marine deposits of the Nacientes del Teno Formation interfinger with subordinate subaerial strata. The latter include channelized conglomerate with sub-rounded to sub-angular andesitic clasts up to 40 cm in diameter, suggesting a proximal alluvial fan and fan delta depositional environment with alternating continental and marine deposition. The Nacientes del Teno Formation includes a quartz rhyolite ignimbrite that yielded a U-Pb zircon age of ca. 160 Ma, the first Jurassic rhyolite reported for this portion of the Andes in central Chile, and in stark departure from the commonly assumed Miocene and Triassic ages for local rhyolites. Paleocurrent indicators from the W ± ~90° together with a general eastward decrease in grain size, decrease in volcanic content, and increase in carbonate content of marine deposits, suggest a sediment source to the west. The proximal volcaniclastic stratigraphy and tight distribution of U-Pb detrital zircon ages of the Nacientes del Teno Formation suggest nearby andesitic stratovolcanoes in the Middle Jurassic. These hypothesized volcanoes are located much further east than traditional models for the location of the “main magmatic arc” during the Jurassic, challenging the notion that Jurassic arc volcanism at this latitude was restricted to a single, narrow (a few tens of kilometers wide) volcanic chain located in the present day Coastal Cordillera.Sedimentological features of lowermost Rio Damas Formation strata at 35.10°S are consistent with deposition in an alluvial fan environment. A maximum depositional age of ca. 151 Ma calculated from U-Pb detrital zircon ages agrees with previously published maximum depositional ages for the Rio Damas Formation. Sedimentological and geochronologic evidence suggest that the Late Jurassic regression represented by the formation resulted from tectonic uplift.
T-Cell Replete Peripheral Blood Haploidentical Transplant Using Immunogenic Dose of Cyclophosphamide with Fludarabine/Melphalan Results in Enhanced Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) with Robust Immune Recovery and Low Relapse Rate

In contrast to Chimeric-Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell therapy, there is limited literature if any that has addressed the impact of intensity of lymphodepletion rather than myeloablation on relapse after HID HCT. We hypothesize d that enhanced lympho-depletion would create a host immunogenic microenvironment that would enhance donor T cell expansion and alloreactivity after HID HCT. We utilized an intensified lympho-depleting conditioning regimen with Fludarabine (Flu) 150 mg/m2, Melphalan (Mel) 140 mg/m2 and Cyclophosphamide (CY) 29 mg/m2 prior to HID HCT to treat 15 consecutive patients with HM between July 2015 and June 2017. The intensity of lymphodepletion was confirmed in 12 evaluable patients at day (0) by complete absence of lymphocytes in peripheral smear. In contrast, myeloid elements were detected in 7/12 patients suggesting more intense lympho-depletion than myeloablation. All Patients received GVHD prophylaxis with Tacrolimus/Mycophenolate with post-transplant Cyclophosphamide according to Hopkins regimen. Patient characteristics are shown in Table 1. Eight patients had relapsed/refractory disease at time of transplant. The median duration of follow up is 29 months (range 13-37). All patients engrafted and achieved 100% Chimerism in BM and PB by day 100 except for 1 patient who died at day +25 prior to engraftment. Median time to neutrophil engraftment was 21 days (range 12-57). All evaluable patients with relapsed/refractory disease (7/8) achieved complete remission post-transplant. The day 100, 1-year & 2 year overall survival was 93%, 73% & 66% respectively. We observed very low cumulative incidence of relapse of 7% at 2 years post-HCT (only 1/15 patients). Treatment related mortality (TRM) was 6%, 20% and 27% at day 100, 1 and 2 years respectively (4/15 patients). Severe Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), grade 4 by Lee Criteria occurred in 4 patients, all of them have died at day 25, 258, 288 and 540. Grade II-IV acute GVHD developed in 4/15 patients (27%), 2 of whom had grade III-IV by day +180. Chronic extensive GVHD developed in 7 patients (46%). At 2 years, post HCT, only 1/7patients remain with extensive chronic GVHD requiring active treatment. Post -transplant immune reconstitution panels were obtained at day 60, 120, 180 and 360 as shown in Fig 1. We observed early recovery in all T-cell subsets at day 60 with activated T cells (CD3+, HLA-Dr+) being most pronounced. While there was a steady decline of activated T cell, the NK cells and CD4 maintained their early recovery through the first year. There was initial decline in the number of B cells at day 120 which gradually recovered by 1 year. Conclusion: Enhanced lymphodepletion prior to peripheral blood HID HCT may enhance early T cell proliferation, alloreactivity and immune reconstitution. Future strategies directed at improving management of severe CRS are needed to harness the benefits of the observed low relapse rate.
Obstacles to Scanning by RNase E Govern Bacterial mRNA Lifetimes by Hindering Access to Distal Cleavage Sites

The diversity of mRNA lifetimes in bacterial cells is difficult to reconcile with the relaxed cleavage site specificity of RNase E, the endonuclease most important for governing mRNA degradation. This enzyme has generally been thought to locate cleavage sites by searching freely in three dimensions. However, our results now show that its access to such sites in 5'-monophosphorylated RNA is hindered by obstacles-such as bound proteins or ribosomes or coaxial small RNA (sRNA) base pairing-that disrupt the path from the 5' end to those sites and prolong mRNA lifetimes. These findings suggest that RNase E searches for cleavage sites by scanning linearly from the 5'-terminal monophosphate along single-stranded regions of RNA and that its progress is impeded by structural discontinuities encountered along the way. This discovery has major implications for gene regulation in bacteria and suggests a general mechanism by which other prokaryotic and eukaryotic regulatory proteins can be controlled.
Oral Functional Behavior and Neurosensation After Adult Maxillomandibular Advancement for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Long-Term.

Purpose We evaluated and correlated the long-term subjective perioral neurosensory deficit intensity and oral functional behavior difficulty after maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) for adult obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Patients and Methods We implemented a long-term retrospective cohort study of adult subjects who had undergone MMA for OSA, with subjective assessments using 7-point visual analog scales. Adult subjects who had undergone MMA for OSA with a minimum of 5 years of follow-up data available who had agreed to participate were included in the present study. The 1-sample Wilcoxon signed rank test and Spearman correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the data. Statistical significance was set at the P Results Of the 51 eligible subjects, 27 (53% response rate) were included in the present study. The mean age preoperatively was 59.8 years, with a mean follow-up of 12.7 years. Most subjects (85%) had, overall, reported the long-term subjective perioral neurosensory deficit intensity to be none to very mild (mode, 0; mean, 2.20; P Conclusions Within the limitations of the present study, more than 12 years after MMA for severe OSA, most subjects (85%) had minimal to no subjective perioral neurosensory deficits and very minimal to no difficulty in the subjective assessment of oral functional behavior. Strong positive correlations between the subjective decreased perioral neurosensory deficit intensity and decreased oral function behavior difficulty suggest that the return of perioral neurosensation might contribute to the return of oral functional behavior.