cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eighteen-month-old children learn words in non-ostensive contexts.

Previous studies have demonstrated that children aged 2;0 can learn new words in a variety of non-ostensive contexts. The current two studies were aimed at seeing if this was also true of children just beginning to learn words at 1;6. In the first study an adult interacted with 48 children. She used a nonce word to announce her intention to find an object (‘Let's find the gazzer’), picked up and rejected an object with obvious disappointment, and then gleefully found the target object (using no language). Children learned the new word as well in this condition as in a condition in which the adult found the object immediately. In the second study the adult first played several rounds of a finding game with each of 60 children, in which it was first established that one of several novel objects was always in a very distinctive hiding place (a toy barn). The adult then used a nonce word to announce her intention to find an object (‘Let's find the toma’) and then proceeded to the barn. In the key condition the barn was mysteriously ‘locked’; the child thus never saw the target object after the nonce word was introduced. Children learned the new word as well in this condition as in a condition in which the adult found the object immediately. The results of these two studies suggest that from very early in language acquisition children learn words not through passive, associative pro- cesses, but rather through active attempts to understand adult behaviour in a variety of action and discourse contexts.
Eradication Thresholds in Epidemiology, Conservation Biology and Genetics

A simple model has been used to describe metapopulation dynamics, the spread of an infectious disease, and the dynamics of transposable elements (TEs). This suggests underlying common dynamics despite the different nature of the systems. Eradication thresholds are derived from the common model and they are interpreted for each system. TEs have been viewed as intragenomic parasites. Thus, some ideas derived from epidemiology, and in particular the existence of such eradication thresholds, can be used to explain some evolutionary puzzles such as the strange distribution of TE families within the phylogeny of host species.
Balancing conservation and economic gain: a dynamic programming approach

Abstract We optimize the trade-off between economic and ecological concerns in conservation biology by using a novel method to link a spatially explicit individual-based model to a dynamic programming model. To date, few optimality models have been presented to optimize this trade-off, especially when the common currency cannot be easily measured in dollars. We use a population simulation model (e.g. spatially explicit individual-based model) to model a hypothetical forest bird population's response to different cutting and planting regimes. We then link these results to a dynamic programming model to determine the optimal choice a manager should make at each time step to minimize revenue foregone by not harvesting timber while maintaining a given population of birds. Our results show that if optimal management choices are made further back in time, future (terminal) reward may be greater. As the end of the management period approaches, past management practices influence the terminal reward more than future practices can. Thus if past revenue lost is high, the future reward will be low as compared to when past revenue lost is low. The general strategy of setting some minimum viable population size and then using a population simulator linked to a dynamic programming model to ask how to maintain such a population size with minimum economic loss should have nearly universal applicability in conservation biology.
Developmental Relations between Reading and Writing at the Word, Sentence and Text Levels: A Latent Change Score Analysis

Relations between reading and writing have been studied extensively, but the less is known about the developmental nature of their interrelations. This study applied latent change score modeling to investigate longitudinal relations between reading and writing skills at the word, sentence, and text levels. Latent change score models were used to compare unidirectional pathways (reading-to-writing and writing-to-reading) and bidirectional pathways in a test of nested models. Participants included 316 boys and girls who were assessed annually in Grades 1 through 4. Measures of reading included pseudoword decoding, sentence reading efficiency, oral reading fluency and passage comprehension. Measures of writing included spelling, a sentence-combining task, and writing prompts. Findings suggest that a reading-to-writing model better described the data for the word and text levels of language, but a bidirectional model best fit the data at the sentence level.
Editorial: Cognitive Architectures, Model Comparison and AGI

Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence share compatible goals of understanding and possibly generating broadly intelligent behavior. In order to determine if progress is made, it is essential to be able to evaluate the behavior of complex computational models, especially those built on general cognitive architectures, and compare it to benchmarks of intelligent behavior such as human performance. Significant methodological challenges arise, however, when trying to extend approaches used to compare model and human performance from tightly controlled laboratory tasks to complex tasks involving more open-ended behavior. This paper describes a model comparison challenge built around a dynamic control task, the Dynamic Stocks and Flows. We present and discuss distinct approaches to evaluating performance and comparing models. Lessons drawn from this challenge are discussed in light of the challenge of using cognitive architectures to achieve Artificial General Intelligence.
Crime Pays: The Connection Between Time in Prison and Future Criminal Earnings

This study draws on theories of stigma, social and human capital, and opportunity structure to assess the role of prior incarceration on illegal earnings. Tobit regression models are estimated for ...
Neonatal outcomes following in utero exposure to buprenorphine/naloxone or methadone:

Objectives:To study neonatal outcomes following buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone exposure during pregnancy.Methods:This study is a retrospective review of clinical and demographic information o...
Compact self-packaged active folded patch antenna with omni-directional radiation pattern

Recently, an omni-directional patch antenna has been demonstrated by folding the patch in a rectangular wave guide shape, and therefore the inside of the folded patch secures a good electromagnetic shielding zone. However, because of the folding architecture, the antenna gain (for transmitting) and sensitivity (for receiving) has been greatly reduced. In this work, the patch antenna is integrated with an active low noise amplifier in the cavity formed by the folded patch, demonstrating an improved gain and sensitivity, which is attributed to the power gain of the integrated amplifier. Since the amplifier has been self-packaged in the cavity shielded by the ground plane of the patch antenna, it does not interfere with the antenna radiation and any other external circuitry. It preserves its omni-directional radiation characteristic, which finds great usage for many biomedical applications and sensor systems such as a biomedical wireless endoscope. Also, since it is folded, its footprint has been reduced compared to its planar counterpart. In addition, the gap between the edges of the folded patch is utilized for impedance matching, not requiring an additional impedance matching circuit between the antenna and the feeding circuit. Integrated with a low noise amplifier circuit consisting of NBB-400 (RFMD, Inc.) and some passives in the cavity area, a self-packaged omnidirectional active antenna operating at 2.4 GHz with a dimension of 19mm × 18.4mm × 18.4mm (length × width × height) is successfully demonstrated. The footprint has been reduced by more than 50% compared with its counterpart. The structure has been simulated using a high frequency structure simulator (HFSS, Ansys Inc.) and the results show good agreement with measurement results.
Cognitive Load and Learning Effects of Having Students Organize Pictures and Words in Multimedia Environments: The Role of Student Interactivity and Feedback

The cognitive load and learning effects of dual-code and interactivity—two multimedia methods intended to promote meaningful learning—were examined. In Experiment 1, college students learned about the causal chain of events leading to the process of lightning formation with a set of words and corresponding pictures (Group WP), pictures (Group P), or words (Group W). Some students were presented with the organized causal chain of events to study, whereas others were given a self-organization task. Consistent with a cognitive theory of multimedia learning, Condition WP was the highest in instructional efficiency for retention and transfer. However, contrary to our predictions, having students organize the multimedia materials was detrimental to transfer. Two follow-up experiments tested the hypotheses that the negative effects of interactivity were due to students' lack of time control (Experiment 2) and the form of feedback (Experiment 3). The findings showed that interactivity was effective when students were asked to evaluate their answers before receiving corrective feedback from the system.
Decomposition of Mullite

Free surfaces of 2:1 mullite (2Al2O3·SiO2) specimens decomposed with the evolution of SiO and O2 when they were heated at high temperatures under low partial pressures of O2; this reaction was analyzed thermodynamically. In addition, bubbles were observed at internal interfaces between mullite and fused-SiO2 diffusion couples. These bubbles, when formed at 1 atm ambient pressure between 1650° and 1800°C, resulted from reaction of Si particles and residual SiO2-rich glass in the fused cast mullite.
Causes underlying the birth-cohort phenomenon of peptic ulcer: analysis of mortality data 1911–2000, England and Wales

Methods Gastric and duodenal ulcer mortality data from England and Wales between 1911 and 2000 were used to validate a model based on two simple and straightforward assumptions about H. pylori infection. First, the infection rate fell in the general population between 1800 and 2000. Second, gastric ulcer was caused by H. pylori infection contracted between the ages 5 and 15 and duodenal ulcer was caused by H. pylori infection contracted after the age of 15. As the infection receded in the general population, the two fractions of subjects who became infected between the ages 5 and 15 or after the age of 15 increased among consecutive birth cohorts. Results The analysis of the actual long-term mortality from gastric and duodenal ulcer indicates an underlying birth-cohort pattern. These birth-cohort patterns of gastric and duodenal ulcer could be simulated by the interaction of two opposing time trends, namely a declining infection rate and a rising fraction of individuals acquiring their infection at increasingly older ages. The superimposition of a declining and a rising trend resulted in a bell-shaped curve of ulcer occurrence affecting consecutive birth-cohorts born between 1830 and 1970. Similar to the real data, the modelled cohort pattern of gastric ulcer preceded that of duodenal ulcer by 20 years. Conclusion The birth-cohort phenomenon of ulcer disease can be explained by a receding H. pylori infection accompanied by a simultaneous shift in its age of acquisition.
Cul4A and DDB1 associate with Skp2 to target p27Kip1 for proteolysis involving the COP9 signalosome

DDB1, a subunit of the damaged-DNA binding protein DDB, has been shown to function also as an adaptor for Cul4A, a member of the cullin family of E3 ubiquitin ligase. The Cul4A-DDB1 complex remains associated with the COP9 signalosome, and that interaction is conserved from fission yeast to human. Studies with fission yeast suggested a role of the Pcu4-Ddb1-signalosome complex in the proteolysis of the replication inhibitor Spd1. Here we provide evidence that the function of replication inhibitor proteolysis is conserved in the mammalian DDB1-Cul4A-signalosome complex. We show that small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of DDB1, CSN1 (a subunit of the signalosome), and Cul4A in mammalian cells causes an accumulation of p27Kip1. Moreover, expression of DDB1 reduces the level of p27Kip1 by increasing its decay rate. The DDB1-induced proteolysis of p27Kip1 requires signalosome and Cul4A, because DDB1 failed to increase the decay rate of p27Kip1 in cells deficient in CSN1 or Cul4A. Surprisingly, the DDB1-induced proteolysis of p27Kip1 also involves Skp2, an F-box protein that allows targeting of p27Kip1 for ubiquitination by the Skp1-Cul1-F-box complex. Moreover, we provide evidence for a physical association between Cul4A, DDB1, and Skp2. We speculate that the F-box protein Skp2, in addition to utilizing Cul1-Skp1, utilizes Cul4A-DDB1 to induce proteolysis of p27Kip1.
An examination of the lognormal and box and cox family of transformations in fitting environmental data

This paper investigates the fit of the lognormal model and Box and Cox (BC) family of transformation models to several data sets that arise in environmental contexts where the data may be heavily left-censored with multiple detection limits. A model fitting protocol is described that selects an optimal BC model, identifies outlying observations, and verifies the final model using a normal probability plot correlation statistic. This protocol is used to fit these models to data collected on seventeen groundwater chemistry variables in Ingham County, Michigan in 1986-1987 as part of the Michigan Groundwater Survey. Six of these variables are adequately modelled by an optimally-chosen BC model and five of these six are adequately modelled by the lognormal model. Ten of the study variables are marginally modelled by a BC model, whereas only six of the study variables are marginally fit by the lognormal model. The remaining variables fail the fitting criteria due to the significance of the probability plot correlation statistic or because of the presence of outlying observations in the final model. On the basis of these results, the data analyst is cautioned against the automatic use of the lognormal model for fitting environmental data in every circumstance. What is recommended is checking the adequacy of the lognormal model prior to use. If the lognormal model is not an adequate model, then perhaps some other member of the Box and Cox family will provide an adequate model.
ATPG aspects of FSM verification

Algorithms are presented for finite state machine (FSM) verification and image computation which improve on the results of O. Coudert et al (1989), giving 1-4 orders of magnitude speedup. Novel features include primary input splitting-this PODEM feature enlarges the search space but shortens the search due to implications. Another new feature, identical subtree recombination, is shown to be effective for iterative networks (eg, serial multipliers). The free-variable recognition feature prevents unbalanced bipartitioning trees in tautological subspaces. Finally, reached set pruning is significant when the image contains large numbers of previously reached states. >
Preliminary analysis of Shuttle Radar Laboratory (SRL-1) data to study aeolian features and processes

In April 1994, the Shuttle Radar Laboratory (SRL-1) obtained quad-polarization data in L-band (/spl lambda/=24 cm) and C-band (/spl lambda/=5.6 cm) and VV-polarized data in X-band (/spl lambda/=3 cm). Preliminary analyses show that radar backscatter coefficients (/spl sigma//sup 0/) can be used to map the aerodynamic roughness parameter, z/sub 0/, over large areas from orbit, as demonstrated by comparisons with measurements of z/sub 0/ obtained in the field. Although all wavelengths and polarizations show fairly good correlations with z/sub 0/ (r=0.78), L-band HV shows the best relationship (r=0.81). This result has potential use in regional studies of sand and dust transport, modeling atmospheric circulation, and general climate studies. SRL images of aeolian landforms were also studied, including dunes, sand sheets, and wind streaks. Dunes in the Stovepipe Wells area of Death Valley were clearly visible on L-band HV images, but not detected on C-band images. In the same area, L-band penetrated a sand sheet to reveal a buried fault scarp. L-band images in Namibia showed the classic linear dunes near Gobabeb and also revealed previously undetected sets of "cross dunes". Wind streaks were imaged in several areas, including Namibia where streaks are associated with the impact crater, Roter Kamm. These features enable mapping of near surface wind patterns. >
A Review of the U.S. Department of Energy's Inertial Fusion Energy Program

This is the final report of a panel set up by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) in response to a charge letter from Dr. Ray Orbach (Appendix A). In that letter, Dr. Orbach asked FESAC for “an assessment of the present status of” inertial fusion energy (IFE) research carried out in contributing programs. These programs include the heavy ion (HI) beam, the high average power laser (HAPL), and Z-Pinch drivers and associated technologies, including fast ignition (FI). This report, presented to FESAC on March 29, 2004, and subsequently approved by them (Appendix B), presents FESAC's response to that charge.
Identifying Human Interactions in Indoor Environments

A laser range-finder-based system for detecting interactions between people in indoor environments is presented. An entropy-based measure is used to recursively segment tracks of individuals into distinct activities. Probability distributions corresponding to co-occurring activities are compared and similar distributions are flagged as representing possible interactions. Experimental results from two environments are described.
A specialized processing body that is temporally and asymmetrically regulated during the cell cycle in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

RNase mitochondrial RNA processing (MRP) is an essential ribonucleoprotein endoribonuclease that functions in the degradation of specific mRNAs involved in cell cycle regulation. We have investigated where this processing event occurs and how it is regulated. As expected, results demonstrate that RNase MRP is predominantly localized in the nucleolus, where it processes ribosomal RNAs. However, after the initiation of mitosis, RNase MRP localizes throughout the entire nucleus and in a single discrete cytoplasmic spot that persists until the completion of telophase. Furthermore, this spot was asymmetrically found in daughter cells, where the RNase MRP substrate, CLB2 mRNA, localizes. Both the mitotic exit network and fourteen early anaphase release pathways are nonessential but important for the temporal changes in localization. Asymmetric localization was found to be dependent on the locasome. The evidence suggests that these spots are specialized processing bodies for the degradation of transcripts that are cell cycle regulated and daughter cell localized. We have called these TAM bodies for temporal asymmetric MRP bodies.
Targeting Receptor-Mediated Transport for Delivery of Biologics Across the Blood-Brain Barrier

Biologics are an emerging class of medicines with substantial promise to treat neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and multiple sclerosis. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) presents a formidable obstacle that appreciably limits brain uptake and hence the therapeutic potential of biologics following intravenous administration. One promising strategy for overcoming the BBB to deliver biologics is the targeting of endogenous receptor-mediated transport (RMT) systems that employ vesicular trafficking to transport ligands across the BBB endothelium. If a biologic is modified with an appropriate targeting ligand, it can gain improved access to the brain via RMT. Various RMT-targeting strategies have been developed over the past 20 years, and this review explores exciting recent advances, emphasizing studies that show brain targeting in vivo.
Some Promising Trends in Ice Mechanics

Ice sheets are inhomogeneous: properties vary strongly with depth. The theoretical treatment of plates with properties varying perpendicular to the plate has now been satisfactorily developed for floating ice sheets. However other problems are still waiting for solutions. The use of model ice is developing rapidly. Some suggestions how to analyze such ice are made. Breakthrough- loads on ice sheets diminish with duration of loading but no satisfactory solution is available based upon classical procedures of applied mechanics. The solution could very well come by assuming
Own-to-Rent Transitions and Changes in Housing Equity for Older Americans

This paper documents recent trends in older Americans’ transitions from owning to renting and the evolution of their housing equity. The paper also documents the income patterns of both types of households -- those that make the transition from owning to renting and those that don’t -- to determine if older households’ income shortfalls prompt such transitions. It also looks at other possible factors, such as the death of a spouse, entry into nursing homes, etc., which might prompt such transitions, and documents how these trends vary among couples and single (both male and female) households. The data for this study come from the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, and is the most comprehensive national survey of older Americans. For this paper, data from 1998 to 2010 are used to document the biennial transition from owning to renting; unless otherwise noted, this analysis covers the entire 1998-2010 range of data. Key findings include the following:Owning is the most common housing arrangement for older Americans: At age 65, more than 8 in 10 Americans report living in houses they own.The transition rate from home ownership to renting is 3 percent at age 50, bottoming out at 1.6 percent at age 65. However, these transition rates increase after age 85, reaching a peak of 4.7 percent at age 90.Death of a spouse is the most common factor associated with a transition from owning to renting. The next common factor is a drop in household income.Median household income for those between ages 50 and 64 who continue to own their home is $79,758, while those who shift from owning to renting in that same age group have a median household income of $53,520.Ownership rates are very different for couples and singles, but don’t change a lot across owners’ ages. The home ownership rate hovers around 90 percent for couples and 60 percent for singles. The PDF for the above title, published in the July 2012 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the full text of another July 2012 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “Health Plan Choice: Findings from the 2011 EBRI/MGA Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey.”
Differential Structure of Étale Extensions of Polynomial Algebras

The Jacobian Conjecture (see [BCW]) asserts that an etale polynomial map F: ℂ n → ℂ n is an isomorphism. In the course of some work with Haboush on group actions [BH] we observed that this is easily proved if F is equivariant for a reductive group acting on the two ℂ n ’s and having a dense orbit and a fixed point. One is thus tempted to try to prove the Jacobian conjecture by “feeding” such group actions into the picture. For example, let G = SL n (ℂ) act linearly on the target ℂ n . We may assume that F(0) = 0. In order to make F equivariant for a G-action, we must make G act on the source ℂ n by “F o G o F −1”. Of course this begs the issue, since we don’t know that F −1 exists. However F−1 exists analytically near 0. In particular we can pull back the action of the Lie algebra sl n(ℂ) as vector fields on ℂ n . Moreover the fact that the Jacobian matrix of F has a polynomial inverse implies that sl n (ℂ) pulls back to polynomial vector fields on the source ℂ n .
Racial Paradox and Eclipse: Obama as a Balm for What Ails Us

This essay focuses upon the historic 2008 campaign and instances that reveal racial paradox and division. In a race that promised to deliver the first female President, first female Vice President, or the first black President, both crude and subtle identity politics were revealed that challenged the claim made by much of the media punditry that the American citizenry had moved into a "post-racial" epoch of cultural color blindness. Hence Barack Obama’s success does not represent the transcendence of identity politics, but rather his skillful navigation of our chaotic collective racial consciousness. In "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance," Obama chronicled his racial journey and described the ways in which he was forced to manage his identity to put white relatives and acquaintances at their ease. However, despite his choice and construction of his identity as a black man, during the 2008 campaign Obama often became the blank slate onto which racial and other identity based hopes and phobias were transferred. His biography as "the son of a black man from Kenya and white woman from Kansas" placed him at many identity intersections. As a result, Obama was often asked to authenticate or distance himself from his identity in a way not required of other candidates. Obama was simultaneously urged to address concerns that he was "too black" or "not black enough." Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Sarah Palin faced no such scrutiny. This obsession with racial identity is more revealing of disorder than transcendence. This essay explores Barack Obama’s ability to successfully navigate these hopes and phobias. While Obama’s ability to negotiate an intersectional identity may have been his most impressive achievement of the 2008 campaign, it has not dislodged our deep discomfort in openly and honestly discussing matters of race.
Effects of the Impurities on the Habit of Gypsum in Wet-Process Phosphoric Acid

There is a poor understanding of the effect of impurities in phosphate rock on the crystal habit of gypsum during wet-process phosphoric acid production. The present work studies the effects of Al3+, SiF62-, and F- on the habit of gypsum in an MSMPR crystallizer. It is found that the gypsum crystal shape changes little in the presence of Al3+ alone. In the presence of both Al3+ and F-, the shape of the gypsum crystal changes greatly and forms sphere-shaped aggregates instead of the elongated needles formed in the presence of Al3+. In the presence of F-, Al3+, and SiF62- ions, the gypsum crystal shape is similar to that in the presence of both F- and Al3+ ions. In addition, the effects of Al3+, SiF62-, and F- on the crystallization kinetics of gypsum are also investigated.
Operative Procedures in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery

Ari S. Hoschander, Christopher J. Salgado, Wrood Kassira, and Seth R. Thaller, eds. Operative Procedures in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery . Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, 2015. ISBN-13: 978-1466585591, ISBN-10: 1466585595, $199.95. ![Graphic][1] Operative Procedures in Plastic, Aesthetic, and Reconstructive Surgery is a new procedurally oriented text, conceived and edited by Drs. Hoschander, Salgado, Kassira, and Thaller. The text seeks to fill a void in the plastic surgical literature, which contains very few books dedicated to providing trainees a concise, enumerated approach to the intraoperative and perioperative details of a surgical procedure. Despite the tremendous breadth of material, and potential variability of operative techniques, the editors have done a commendable job of putting forth a very relevant instructional textbook. The book is comprised of 32 chapters distributed across five subject headings: General Reconstruction, Breast Reconstruction, Maxillofacial, Cosmetic, and Hand. The basic format of each chapter varies in some instances from discussion of a discrete procedure, such as carpal tunnel release, to more general topics such as lower extremity reconstruction. Each chapter attempts to follow a delineated outline with section headings consisting of an introduction, preoperative markings and needed equipment, intraoperative steps, and postoperative care. Additionally, there is generally a “Notes” section used by the authors to emphasize key points. Finally, each chapter has a coding section listing the CPT codes … Corresponding Author: Dr Mark D. Walsh, Emory University Hospital Midtown, 550 Peachtree Street NE, 9th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA. E-mail: mark.walsh{at}emory.edu [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
How to Make Sure Your Spirometry Tests Are of Good Quality

Poorly performed spirometry greatly increases the risk of misinterpreting spirometry results. The most common cause of erroneous results is suboptimal patient coaching. Use exaggerated body language to demonstrate each of the 3 phases of the forced vital capacity (FVC) maneuver. The first phase of the maneuver (the maximally deep breath) is the most important and should receive the most emphasis. In the second phase (the blast) startle the patient to prompt maximum flow during the first second. In the third phase do not yell at the patient to keep blowing; instead, draw the patient's attention to the movement of the bell of the volume spirometer, the computer incentive display, or the audio tone of the flow-sensing spirometer, which shows that he or she is continuing to get some air out. Pay attention to the patient's body language as you coach him or her through the 3 phases. Facial expressions and body language are much more important than telling the patient what to do. Use the latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) reference equations and the ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced expiratory volume in the first 6 seconds (FEV(1)/FEV(6)). Young, old, and sick patients can produce high-quality, reproducible pulmonary function test results. Grade pulmonary function test efforts with the scholastic grading system (A, B, C, D, and F). Implement a centralized spirometry quality assurance program. Test your spirometers daily. Be cautious in making corrections for body-temperature-and-pressure-saturated.
A CRISPR Path to Engineering New Genetic Mouse Models for Cardiovascular Research

Previous efforts to target the mouse genome for the addition, subtraction, or substitution of biologically informative sequences required complex vector design and a series of arduous steps only a handful of laboratories could master. The facile and inexpensive clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) method has now superseded traditional means of genome modification such that virtually any laboratory can quickly assemble reagents for developing new mouse models for cardiovascular research. Here, we briefly review the history of CRISPR in prokaryotes, highlighting major discoveries leading to its formulation for genome modification in the animal kingdom. Core components of CRISPR technology are reviewed and updated. Practical pointers for 2-component and 3-component CRISPR editing are summarized with many applications in mice including frameshift mutations, deletion of enhancers and noncoding genes, nucleotide substitution of protein-coding and gene regulatory sequences, incorporation of loxP sites for conditional gene inactivation, and epitope tag integration. Genotyping strategies are presented and topics of genetic mosaicism and inadvertent targeting discussed. Finally, clinical applications and ethical considerations are addressed as the biomedical community eagerly embraces this astonishing innovation in genome editing to tackle previously intractable questions.
Isotopomer spectral analysis of cholesterol synthesis: applications in human hepatoma cells

Cholesterol synthesis from 13C-labeled precursors produces a discrete spectrum of mass isotopomers detectable using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The isotopomer spectral analysis (ISA) method matches the observed spectrum of cholesterol isotopomers with a mathematical model to obtain the best fit of model spectrum to data spectrum. The model was based on multinomial probability expressions that simulate cholesterol synthesis as a condensation of mevalonate fragments. As many as four unknown parameters, representing fluxes between compartments, were included in the model. Models were developed to assess cholesterol synthesis from 13C-enriched precursors including mevalonate, acetate, acetoacetate or octanoate. Models were tested in the human hepatoma cell line, Hep G2, which readily incorporated the 13C substrates into cholesterol. The ISA approach was used to estimate the fractional amount of the cholesterol precursors derived from the 13C substrate and the fraction of total cellular cholesterol synthesized in the presence of the 13C substrate. The study demonstrated the feasibility of the ISA approach for a condensation biosynthesis that is not a simple polymerization and for models with more than two unknown parameters.
General Characteristics of Hair in Eating Disorders

Just by examining the hair, dermatologists and other clinicians may find physical evidence of an eating disorder. Characteristic hair features seen on physical examination in anorexia nervosa and bulimia include hypertrichosis, telogen effluvium, hair weathering and fragility, and hypopigmentation. Many of these changes are reversible upon gaining weight appropriately and maintaining a healthy diet with a sufficient amount of protein and calories. Trichotillomania has also been described in association with eating disorders. Hirsutism and androgenetic alopecia are associated with obesity and may also be associated with metabolic syndrome. Unfortunately, hirsutism and androgenetic alopecia may be complicated conditions and require a more extensive workup to properly diagnose and find the true underlying cause. Based on hair changes and physical examination, if a clinician suspects a diagnosis of an eating disorder, appropriate referral and treatment are indicated.
Amplitude and frequency stability of a 5 W injection-locked, laser-diode pumped, Nd:YAG miniature-slab laser

Gravitational-wave detectors1 require a laser that provides single-frequency, polarized, fundamental-mode output at high power. Ideally, the laser would also be reliable and efficient, capable of being operated 24 hours per day for years. In addition, the laser must meet stringent amplitude, frequency and beam-pointing stability requirements. While specially-modified, commercially-available, argon-ion lasers have been used in gravitational-wave interferometry, they do not meet the reliability, output power and electrical efficiency requirements of the next generation of gravitational-wave receivers.2 In this paper, we describe the performance of a laser-diode-pumped, Nd:YAG laser, designed to meet the source requirements of an advanced gravitational-wave detector.
Wiki-workshopping: using Wikispaces for peer writing workshops

Abstract: This project uses the Wikispaces Web platform to facilitate peer writing workshops. Over the course of the semester, students will post drafts of their papers to Wikispaces. Then, students will use the wiki editing tools to revise and comment on peer drafts. Because Wikispaces tracks all revisions, it is possible to view a revised document and also identify which revisions were made by which students. Ultimately, revised documents can be stored as a Web page, allowing each student to use Wikispaces to create an electronic portfolio of her/his writing from the semester.
The child prodigy of 1997-98

Just under a year ago the El Nino of 1997-98 came to an end. By several measures it was the strongest ever documented. But why was this El Nino so strong? Attempts to provide an answer must grapple with a variety of possible contributory causes on timescales ranging from the seasonal to the centennial.
A high-gain fusion-fission reactor for producing uranium-233

The neutronics of several fusion-fission hybrid reactors were studied to develop a design capable of producing 233U while maintaining a self-sufficiency in tritium. High breeding rates are achieved...
Trends in Interactive Multiple Objective Programming

This paper discusses 25 topics that trace the past, present, and future development of interactive multiple objective programming. Grouped by decade, the topics are as follows:
Assessing Creativity as a Student Learning Outcome in Theatre Education

Creativity is an important and widely accepted learning goal of theatre programs in higher education. Yet it appears that creativity and the act of assessing creativity as a learning outcome have received minimal attention by the community of practice and in theatre education scholarship. In this chapter we address this gap by describing a model for assessing creativity as a student learning outcome that we implemented in a theatre performance lab. First, we differentiate between the act of measuring creativity and that of assessing it for the purpose of programmatic improvement and enhanced student learning. Second, we describe the importance of the environment and the impact of exemplars on student learning and development of creativity. Last, we describe how we use the Creative Achievement Questionnaire, reflective journals, and rubrics to assess creativity; we discuss how collectively, the results of these assessments can be used to guide curriculum, improve learning outcomes, and help students of theatre reach their creative potential.
From rallying cry to dysfunctional site: surveying participation in HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US

HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US, a participatory project by the artist collective LaBeouf, Ronkko & Turner, invited people to make statements against division following the inauguration of Donald J. Trump. Thei...
Counter-examples to ‘Sufficient and necessary condition for the asymptotic stability of discrete linear interval systems’

Jiang (1988) gives a sufficient and necessary condition for the asymptotic stability of a discrete linear interval system. It is here demonstrated through counter-examples that the condition is not sufficient. The flaw leading to this erroneous result is also indicated.
High-Throughput Screening of MOFs for Breakdown of V-Series Nerve Agents

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown promise for the catalytic decomposition of chemical weapons. Finding the best materials for the degradation of nerve agents requires the ability to screen a high number of samples and elucidate the key parameters of effective catalysis. In this work, a high-throughput screening (HTS) method has been developed to evaluate MOFs as catalysts, specifically against the V-class of nerve agents. Over 100 MOFs have been tested using the V-class simulant, O,O-diethyl S-phenyl phosphorothioate (DEPPT), revealing good activity for some UiO-66 derivatives. A medium-throughput hydrolysis assay for the nerve agent O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl]methylphosphonothioate (VX) was also performed using six MOFs selected from HTS and was validated by 31P NMR. The results demonstrated that the DEPPT-based assay is a good indicator of V-series agent reactivity and should be considered in addition to the common (4-nitrophenyl)phosphate (DMNP) assay that is used for G-series agents.
Silk fabric as a protective barrier for personal protective equipment and as a functional material for face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background The worldwide shortage of single-use N95 respirators and surgical masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many health care personnel to prolong the use of their existing equipment as much as possible. In many cases, workers cover respirators with available masks in an attempt to extend their effectiveness against the virus. Due to low mask supplies, many people instead are using face coverings improvised from common fabrics. Our goal was to determine what fabrics would be most effective in both practices. Methods and findings We examined the hydrophobicity of fabrics (silk, cotton, polyester), as measured by their resistance to the penetration of small and aerosolized water droplets, an important transmission avenue for the virus causing COVID-19. We also examined the breathability of these fabrics and their ability to maintain hydrophobicity despite undergoing repeated cleaning. Tests were done when fabrics were fashioned as an overlaying barrier and also when constructed as do-it-yourself face coverings. As a protective barrier and face covering, silk is more effective at impeding the penetration and absorption of droplets due to its greater hydrophobicity relative to other tested fabrics. Silk face coverings repelled droplets as well as masks, but unlike masks they are hydrophobic and can be readily sterilized for immediate reuse. Conclusions Silk is an effective hydrophobic barrier to droplets, more breathable than other fabrics that trap humidity, and are readily re-useable via cleaning. Therefore, silk can serve as an effective material for protecting respirators under clinical conditions and as a material for face coverings.
Achieving High-Speed Retraction in Stretchable Hydrogels.

Hydrogels mimicking elastomeric biopolymers such as resilin, responsible for power-amplified activities in biological species necessary for locomotion, feeding, and defense have applications in sof...
Klotho Deficiency Causes Heart Aging via Impairing the Nrf2-GR Pathway

Rationale: Cardiac aging is an important contributing factor for heart failure, which affects a large population but remains poorly understood. Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigat...
Race and the Criminal Law Curriculum

A growing number of law professors are interested in providing their students with tools to think critically about the law. One site for critical thinking involves the topic of race. This book chapter provides criminal law professors with concrete suggestions on how they can meaningfully incorporate discussions of race into the classroom. This chapter will be included in The Oxford Handbook of Race and Law in the United States.
FDG PET/CT for Early Detection of Ventricular Assist Device Infection Prior to Positive Microbiological Culture

Purpose To assess the utility of 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging to diagnose left ventricular assist device (LVAD) infection in patients before positive microbiological cultures. Methods All patients implanted with LVADs between 10/2009 and 10/2019 aged ≥ 18 years old who underwent FDG PET/CT imaging (n=79 patients, n=119 scans) at a single center were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with positive PET/CT were identified and categorized based on microbiological culture results preceding FDG PET/CT. Medical and/or surgical intervention and outcomes were specified in all cases. Positive PET/CT was defined as evidence of FDG uptake along any part of the LVAD. Results 47 patients with increased glucose uptake associated with LVAD components were identified. 17 had prior negative cultures. Of these, four subsequently had definitive diagnosis of LVAD infection by culture of the pump pocket (n=2), driveline exit site (n=3), or blood stream (n=3) (Table 1). There was one patient with positive cultures from the pump pocket and driveline exit site despite negative PET/CT. Conclusion Our results indicate that FDG PET/CT has potential to diagnose early LVAD infection, which would increase the likelihood of successful medical, rather than surgical, management. 13 patients who had negative cultures and positive scans were attributed to peri-operative inflammation. A more robust distinction between diffuse uptake secondary to inflammation and intense focal uptake representative of infection would likely decrease prevalence of false positive results. Future work will investigate this, as well as a potential modality in machine learning image analysis, to more precisely quantify infection signal of LVAD PET/CT.
Reduced-order modeling of near-field THMC coupled processes for nuclear waste repositories in shale

Abstract Performance assessment (PA) of geologic radioactive waste repositories requires three-dimensional simulation of highly nonlinear, thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC), multiphase flow and transport processes across many kilometers and over tens to hundreds of thousands of years. Integrating the effects of a near-field geomechanical process (i.e. buffer swelling) into coupled THC simulations through reduced-order modeling, rather than through fully coupled geomechanics, can reduce the dimensionality of the problem and improve computational efficiency. In this study, PFLOTRAN simulations model a single waste package in a shale host rock repository, where re-saturation of a bentonite buffer causes the buffer to swell and exert stress on a highly fractured disturbed rock zone (DRZ). Three types of stress-dependent permeability functions (exponential, modified cubic, and Two-part Hooke’s law models) are implemented to describe mechanical characteristics of the system. Our modeling study suggests that compressing fractures reduces DRZ permeability, which could influence the rate of radionuclide transport and exchange with corrosive species in host rock groundwater that could accelerate waste package degradation. Less permeable shale host rock delays buffer swelling, consequently retarding DRZ permeability reduction as well as chemical transport within the barrier system.
Localization of Ocular Vessels with Context Sensitive Semantic Segmentation

The human retina contains a network of micro-vessels that helps predict chronic diabetic retinopathy. The disease is common in patients with diabetes mellitus. It weakens the inner surface of retinal vessels and causes neovascularization, resulting in vision loss if not treated at an early stage. For timely detection, automation in vessel localization is required. The existing methods operate with pre-annotated groundtruths that are prone to human error. We applied context-sensitive semantic segmentation to capture long-range dependencies and restore lossy pixels of manually annotated groundtruths. We also applied morphological image processing techniques to create masks for unmasked datasets. The method adopted literature to apply leave-one-out and k-fold strategies for unordered data distributions. The use of context information in predicting target pixels bring added precision to the vision-critical system. The method is evaluated on prominent benchmark datasets and achieved promising results for vessel localization.
Optimal Immunosuppression Strategy in the Sensitized Kidney Transplant Recipient

Patients with previous sensitization events against anti-human leukocyte antigens (HLA) often have circulating anti-HLA antibodies. Following organ transplantation, sensitized patients have higher rates of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) compared to those who are non-sensitized. More stringent donor matching is required for these patients, which results in a reduced donor pool and increased time on the waitlist. Current approaches for sensitized patients focus on reducing preformed antibodies that preclude transplantation; however, this type of desensitization does not modulate the primed immune response in sensitized patients. Thus, an optimized maintenance immunosuppressive regimen is necessary for highly sensitized patients, which may be distinct from non-sensitized patients. In this review, we will discuss the currently available therapeutic options for induction, maintenance, and adjuvant immunosuppression for sensitized patients.