cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seismic facies, architecture, and evolution of the Bolivar Roads tidal inlet/delta complex, East Texas Gulf Coast

ABSTRACT The seismic facies, facies architecture, and stratigraphy of tidal-inlet and tidal-delta deposits and their relation to the development of adjacent coastal lithosomes are examined using high-resolution seismic profiles, vibracores, and borehole descriptions. The Bolivar Roads tidal inlet/delta complex, along the east Texas Gulf coast, was formed 3.3 ka by spit accretion across a baymouth following a rapid sea-level rise 4 ka. An increase in the tidal prism through time and entrenchment of the tidal inlet over the Trinity River incised valley stabilized the inlet and intensified tidal processes on the tidal inlet/delta complex. The tidal-inlet facies show channel stacking and cut-and-fill structures. Stacked clinoforms dip westward across the inlet. The spit facies is characterized by oblique-tangential clinoforms that build outward and deepen from the edge toward the center of the valley. The flood-tidal delta facies has a base that shallows abruptly bayward. As the flood-tidal delta facies thins bayward, it interfingers with bay sediments. Near the inlet the flood-tidal delta shows channel cut-and-fill with an overall channel stacking pattern. On the seaward side the channels have a trough-like geometry. Bayward, the channels broaden and shallow. The channels show a prograded-fill pattern. The ebb-tidal delta facies exhibits gently inclined clinoforms prograding over a ravinement surface. Tidal-inlet deposits are composed of sand, shell, and mud interbeds. Sand and clay interlaminae are ubiquitous in the tidal deltas, and sand and shell beds are common near the inlet. Overall, the Bolivar Roads tidal inlet/delta complex is mud-dominated as a result of high influx of fine sediment into the bay.
Effect of histone H2A on progesterone production by bovine luteal cells.

Histone H2A competitively inhibits binding of GnRH to high affinity rat ovarian receptor sites and blocks gonadotropinstimulated steroid and CAMP accumulation during culture of rat granulosal or luteal cells. The objective of our study was to examine the progesterone suppressive effects of histone H2A on bovine luteal cells. In the first study, luteal cells were treated at Time = 0 h with a partially purified preparation of bovine ovarian histone H2A (3 ng GnRH equivalents, 800 pg protein), equivalent amounts of GnRH (3 ng), or BSA (800 pg) and incubated for a total of 4 h. At Time = 2 h, cells were treated with 5 ng bovine LH (bLH) or with medium. Histone H2A completely blocked both basal and LH-induced accumulation of progesterone compared with untreated cultures or cultures treated with bLH. Neither BSA nor GnRH suppressed LH-induced progesterone accumulation. In the second study, histone H2A was added to cultures at Time = 0 h and bovine luteal cells were cultured for 8 h. After 2 h of treatment, histone H2A (3 ng GnRH equivalents) was removed from selected cultures and replaced with fresh medium. Four hours later cultures were treated with 5 ng bLH or medium. LH treatment of cultures from which histone H2A had been removed resulted in an increase in accumulation of progesterone compared with control cultures treated throughout the treatment period with histone H2A. The third study examined the effect of 9-181 pg GnRH equivalents (1.7-34 pg protein) of a highly purified preparation of bovine ovarian histone H2A on basal and LH-induced progesterone production during 2 or 3 h of culture. ED,, values for progesterone suppression were 140 pg GnRH equivalents (34 pg protein) for LH-treated cultures and 200 pg equivalents (40 pg protein) for cultures not treated with LH. The fourth study examined the suppressive effect of 25-200 pg of a commercial preparation of call’ thymus histone H2A on progesterone production. Calf thymus histone H2A did not suppress basal production of progesterone during 6 h of culture compared with untreated control cultures. However, calf thymus H2A suppressed LH-induced progesterone accumulation in a dose-responsive fashion (ED,, = 195 pg protein). We concluded that ovarian histone H2A may have a role in regulation of progesterone production in cattle. Also, since bovine luteal cells were not responsive to GnRH and may not contain high affinity GnRH receptors, an ovarian GnRH receptor is probably not required for the progesterone suppressive effects of histone H2A.
Tensor product surfaces guided by minimal surface area triangulations

We present a method for constructing tensor product Bezier surfaces from contour (cross-section) data. Minimal area triangulations are used to guide the surface construction, and the final surface reflects the optimality of the triangulation. The resulting surface differs from the initial triangulation in two important ways: it is smooth (as opposed to the piecewise planar triangulation), and it is in tensor product form (as opposed to the irregular triangular mesh). The surface reconstruction is efficient because we do not require an exact minimal surface. The triangulations are used as strong hints, but no more than that. The method requires the computation of both open and closed isoparametric curves of the surface, using triangulations as a guide. These isoparametric curves form a tensor product Bezier surface. We show how to control sampling density by filling and pruning isoparametric curves, for accuracy and economy. A rectangular grid of points is produced that is compatible with the expected format for a tensor product surface interpolation, so that a host of well-supported methods are available to generate and manipulate the surface.
LQR control of an under actuated planar biped robot

Modern robotic systems are fully actuated with full information of themselves and their immediate surroundings. If faced with a failure or damage, robotic systems cannot function properly and can quickly damage themselves. In this paper, we study the motion control of an under actuated five-degree-of-freedom planar biped. Once the fully actuated system is established, it is made under actuated by removing control over a specific joint actuator. This is done to represent damage to the robotic system in the form of a failed or unresponsive actuator motor. A Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) controller is then designed to allow the under actuated (damaged) robotic system to continue to follow a human-like walking gait. Using the under actuated control, the walking gait is preformed without the use of the uncontrolled joint and overall effectiveness is compared with the fully actuated system performance. Simulation results indicates that one single LQR controller, designed based on the linearized model at the beginning of the single support phase, is sufficient to perform the desired walking gait even though the biped model is highly nonlinear. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the LQR control to the under actuated biped robot.
Simulated sequestration of anthropogenic carbon dioxide at a deep-sea site: Effects on nematode abundance and biovolume

One proposal for ameliorating global warming is to sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide in the deep ocean, but the environmental consequences of sequestration for sediment-dwelling animals are poorly known. In a previous publication, we reported that � 80% of benthic copepods were killed in an experimental release of CO2 off northern California at 3262 m. The effects of this release on nematodes are reported here. We examined samples of nematodes taken inside two ‘corrals’ into which CO2 was directly injected (providing an extreme endpoint for CO2 exposure) and taken near to and far from this CO2 source. After 30 days, pore-water pH was unchanged (� 7.8) at the sediment–water interface far (� 40 m) from corrals, but pH profiles were reduced by � 0.75 near (� 2 m) corrals. Corral pH was highly acidic (5.4 in a measurement from a subsequent experiment). Fifty randomly selected nematodes from each of four vertical layers from the 14 cores were photographed. They were assigned to a tail group (based on morphology), and individual biovolume was estimated from measurements of body length and width. Although nematode abundance (expressed as total nematodes and by tail group) was not affected, length, width, and individual biovolume significantly differed between near and far samples. Median nematode biovolume examined across tail group and core layer increased by � 48% inside and near corrals. Differences between near and corral samples were always less than differences between near and far samples. However, nematode length:width ratio did not differ between near and far, and the shapes of length, width, and biovolume frequency distributions were similar in all samples. We postulate that the nematode community throughout the upper 3 cm suffered a high rate of mortality after exposure to CO2, and that nematodes were larger because postmortem expansions in body length and width occurred. Decomposition rates were probably low and corpses did not disintegrate in 30 days. The observable effects of a reduction in pH to about 7.0 after 30 days were as great as an extreme pH reduction (5.4), suggesting that ‘moderate’ CO2 exposure, compared to the range of exposures possible following CO2 release, causes high mortality rates in the two most abundant sediment-dwelling metazoans (nematodes and copepods). r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Neural network classification of photoemission spectra

While the relationship between photoemission spectra and defects in integrated circuits has been well documented, the routine use of photoemission spectroscopy has been hampered by the difficulty of classifying the spectrum in the presence of noise. This paper proposes a neural network solution to this problem.
Epithelioid cell clusters with an extensive lymphoid background.

Abstract Context.—Fine-needle aspiration of salivary gland lesions can be particularly challenging for pathologists. There are numerous neoplasms that occur in this area and several cytologic varia...
Dental Students’ Attitudes About Older Adults: Do Type and Amount of Contact Make a Difference?

This study was an extension of a previous study that considered dental student attitudes about older adults. In the current study, the association of student interactions with older adults, in both the dental school clinic and daily life, with their attitudes about this group was evaluated using the Aging Semantic Differential. A total of 311 dental students across all four years of academic standing were included in the study. The results showed that students’ interactions with older adults outside the clinic did not relate to positive attitudes; however, even after controlling for the age of the student and the frequency, type of individual, and context of interactions with older adults outside the dental clinic, the number of older adult patients seen in the clinic showed a significant positive relationship with attitudes towards older adults. These results reinforce the conclusions drawn in a previous study that dental students’ general attitudes about older adults may be changed, but that it is the exposure to older adults in a clinical setting that seems to be more critical in shaping these attitudes.
Early physiologic squamous metaplasia of the cervix: light and electron microscopic observations.

A light and electron microscopic study was undertaken of the early phases of cervical squamous metaplasia. A study of areas of columnar epithelium with one row of subcolumnar cells revealed a spectrum of squamous differentiation ranging from cytologically undifferentiation to more characteristically basal type squamous cells. With increasing differentiation, squamous characteristics, such as tonofibrils and desmosomes, became qualitatively and quantitatively more evident in the cells. Ultrastructural examination also revealed cells in the subepithelial stroma with prominent basal lamina and hemidesmosome-like structures along the periphery. From a light and electron microscopic viewpoint, the most likely origin for the subcolumnar progenitor cells appears to be the subepithelial stromal cells. The resemblance of these subepithelial stromal cells to the subcolumnar cells in very early stages of metaplasia is often striking. (Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 137:661, 1980.)
Development of Target Power Spectral Density Functions Compatible With Design Response Spectra

For seismic analysis of nuclear structures, synthetic acceleration time histories are often required and are generated to envelop design response spectra following the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Standard Review Plan (SRP) Section 3.7.1. It has been recognized that without an additional check of the power spectral density (PSD) functions, spectral matching alone may not ensure that synthetic acceleration time histories have adequate power over the frequency range of interest. The SRP Section 3.7.1 Appendix A provides a target PSD function for the Regulatory Guide 1.60 horizontal spectral shape. For other spectral shapes, additional guidance on developing the target PSD functions compatible with the design spectra is desired. This paper presents a general procedure for the development of target PSD functions for any practical design response spectral shapes, which has been incorporated into the recent SRP 3.7.1, Revision 4.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Met signaling and malignant progression

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 12-16, 2008; San Diego, CA SY28-04 Chromosome instability and aneuploidy are hallmarks of cancer as much as tumor cell proliferation and invasion are fundamental components of malignant disease, but it is not clear how they are connected. We asked whether changes in chromosomal content of a cell contribute to the malignant phenotype. Highly proliferative and/or highly invasive subclones and their revertants can be readily isolated from glioblastoma or prostate cancer tumor cell populations, showing that such phenotypic variants are resident in the tumor cell population and can contribute to malignant progression. We show that the invasive or proliferative variants display changes in chromosome content that dictate proportional changes in the chromosome transcriptome. Importantly, the transcriptome changes do favor the expression of genes appropriate for the specific tumor phenotype. We conclude that chromosome instability generates the necessary transcriptome diversity in the tumor cell population to allow for environment-facilitated clonal expansion and clonal evolution of malignant tumor cell populations.
DNA Methylation and the Epigenetic Program in Stem Cells

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression, which refers to stable and heritable changes in gene expression potential, is essential for normal embryonic development and cellular differentiation. Epigenetic mechanisms provide a memory of developmental history of a cell, and are also responsive to environmental inputs. These extracellular cues serve to direct programs of gene expression that restrict developmental potency as the organism proceeds from a totipotent single cell to a fully mature state. Mounting experimental evidence suggests that epigenetic modifications, either DNA methylation or post-translational modification of histones, are functionally required for establishing and maintaining heritable states of gene expression. Importantly, these codes also serve to identify states of developmental potency, and as such may be useful diagnostic and prognostic markers for diseases involving abnormal tissue homeostasis. There is an emerging view that epigenetic alterations play an important role in a wide range of multifactorial disorders. The importance of epigenetic control in developmental regulation of stem cells supports the notion that similar mechanisms regulate adult tissue homeostasis at the level of adult stem cells. Altered cellular plasticity may be a general mechanism through which aberrant epigenetic programs exert their effects. Loss of epigenetic control can lead to reduced self-renewal and accelerated aging of stem cells. Conversely, enhanced self-renewal through epimutation in tissue stem cells, or reacquisition of stem cell expression states by faulty reprogramming mechanisms are thought to represent early events in cancer. The inherent reversibility of these epigenetic states provides a potential therapeutic opportunity to reset the balance of tissue homeostasis through these pathways.
Der große Wurf — die Grundsatzentscheidung

Nach vielen Jahren des Regens siedelten die meisten der Menschen auf einer Hochebene. Erkundungen hatten ergeben, dass auf der vom Wasser fern liegenden Seite sich zwei grose Hohenkomplexe in verschiedene Richtungen verzweigten. Kluge Menschen hatten sich schon etliche Claims auf den Hohen gesichert, ganz kluge auf beiden. Als das Wasser langsam auch die Hochebene zu erfassen drohte, brach unter den Menschen ein erbitterter Streit aus. War der rechte Bergzug besser zum Ausweichen fur einige Jahre? Oder der linke? Welcher bot die groseren Chancen, die leider unwagbar in fernem Nebel verborgen waren? Prof. Entdecker kamen von Erkundungen zuruck. Aus beiden Richtungen berichteten leider jeweils verschiedene Fernwanderer von unglaublichen Hohen, die fast unbeschrankt weiter nach oben fuhren sollten. Man habe die sichere Hoffnung oder gar Aussicht, dort wieder zur Sonne zu gelangen. Mit demonstrativer Uberzeugtheit liesen viele Unternehmer AG Claims in grosem Stile registrieren.
Quantitative Analysis of Neat Polymeric Fibers by DRIFTS Using Optical Constant Data

Infrared reflectance spectra were obtained of drawn and undrawn poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers using a diffuse reflectance attachment. different fiber alignments with respect to the incident beam produced relative intensity changes for the drawn, but not the undrawn fiber spectra. The band positions in the fiber reflection spectra were shifted with respect to their positions in a transmission spectrum. The intensities of the weak bands and overtones was enhanced in the fiber reflectance spectra as compared to transmission spectra. reflection spectra were also obtained of drawn PET film. The film reflection spectra showed the same band shifts as the fiber reflectance spectra, but the overtone bands were not enhanced as in the fiber case. Using the optical constants measured from a solution-crystallized sample of PET, and a well-known equation from the statistical theory of diffuse reflectance, a fiber reflectance spectrum was calculated. This calculated spectrum agreed quite well with the experimental spectrum of undrawn PET fibers in band positions, relative intensities, and absolute intensities.
Vasectomies performed by private physicians, United States, 1980 to 1984

This study used data from the National Disease and Therapeutic Index to estimate the number of vasectomies performed by private physicians in the US in 1980-84. This survey collects data from about 1500 physicians per quarter on patients seen during 12000 practice days/year. From 55-103 sampled physicians each year reported performing vasectomies. An estimated 1.9 x 10000000 vasectomies were performed in this 5-year period. 48% of the procedures were performed by urologists 35% by general surgeons and 15% by general or family practitioners. 29% were performed in the West 27% in the North Central US 26% in the South and 18% in the Northeast. Age-specific vasectomy rates were consistently highest among men 30-39 years of age and lowest among men over age 50 years. White men were significantly more likely than black men to undergo vasectomy. Most procedures were performed in private offices. The number of vasectomies declined from 1980-82 and then rose again in 1983. The estimates obtained from this analysis are considerably lower than those reported by the Associated for Voluntary Surgical Contraception perhaps because the latter estimates include procedures performed in military facilities and clinics. It is recommended that future cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth should include data on male partners when female respondents reports use of vasectomy as the couples contraceptive method.
Product Standardization and Product Design Modularity: A Case Study of Motorola and the Mobile Handset Market

This research study examines two concepts that initially appear contrary to each other. The history of research around product standardization is reviewed in order to understand the goals and value that it may provide to firms. While the history of modular design is not as well known in popular business discussion, its research history goes back as far as that for product standardization. The history of modular design is reviewed with the same goal, to understand the goals and value that it may provide to firms. The study illustrates the state of a company that attempted to position its products around the principles of standardization, while its chief competitor successfully repositioned its product platforms from the principle of hardware product standardization to one based on modular design.
The Impact Of Adjuvant Nephrectomy On Multimodality Treatment Of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Multimodality treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma with biological response modifiers and cytoreductive surgery has produced durable responses. The timing and impact of cytoreductive surgery on the success of immunotherapy require further study. We reviewed the treatment of 62 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma and primary tumors in place who qualified for multimodality treatment comprising adjuvant nephrectomy and biological response modifier protocols at our institution between 1987 and 1992. Of the patients 37 were scheduled to undergo initial adjuvant nephrectomy followed by biological response modifier therapy. A total of 25 patients underwent initial biological response modifier therapy with planned delayed adjuvant nephrectomy if a response to treatment was demonstrated. Of the 37 patients undergoing initial adjuvant nephrectomy, 8 (22%) were unable to enter induction of immunotherapy because of perioperative complications (1), medical contraindications (2), tumor progression (4) or death (1). Three patients in the initial adjuvant nephrectomy group (8%) had a partial response and the median survival in this group was 12 months (range 1 to 57). In the initial biological response modifier group 3 patients (12%) with an objective response (2 complete and 1 partial) to biological response modifier therapy underwent nephrectomy. The median survival for the initial biological response modifier group was 14 months (range 1 to 48). These results add to our understanding of the impact of adjuvant nephrectomy on patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma considered for immunotherapy protocols.
Estimates of heritability and genetic correlation for five traits in female hop accessions

Little has been published on the heritability of traits in hop (Humulus lupulus). What has been published does not provide adequate information for the determination of selection protocol. This article is the first to report narrow sense heritabilities and genetic correlations for economic traits in female hop plants. Seven female and 14 male accessions were crossed using a North Carolina Mating Design I. At least two offspring per cross were analyzed in three replicates for the determination of genetic parameters. Data were collected on yield, α-acids, β-acids, hop storage index (HSI), and essential oil content. Significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) among maternal families were observed for all five traits. USDA female accessions 56013 (1,985.28 kg/ha) and 56009 (2117.28 kg/ha) produced offspring with highest average yield. Maternal lines 21055 and 21254 produced families with the highest average α-acids content, while 65009 produced offspring with the highest average content of β-acids. Maternal families derived from 21522, 56013, and 65009 all had more desirable HSI values than did the other families. Finally, 21055, 62013, and 65009 produced offspring possessing the highest average content of essential oils of the maternal lines. Narrow sense heritability values were highest for α-acids (h 2 = 0.88 ± 0.17), moderate for β-acids content (h 2 = 0.35 ± 0.02) and HSI (h 2 = 0.31 ± 6.1 x 10 -6 ), and low for essential oil content (h 2 = 0.12 ± 5.3 x 10 -4 ). Heritability value for yield was more difficult to ascertain significance due to the high standard error associated with the estimate (h 2 = 0.20 ± 1,463). Significant negative genetic correlations were estimated between α-acids and β-acids (r = -0.42), α-acids and yield (r = -0.66), HSI and yield (r = -0.63), and essential oil content and yield (r = -0.38). Significant positive genetic correlations observed were for β-acids with yield (r = 0.84), HSI with α-acids (r = 0.28), and essential oil content and α-acids (r = 0.43). The information obtained from this research should enable hop breeders to make informed decisions regarding breeding protocol for these five economic traits.
The Tokyo Trial

On 14 August 1945, the Emperor of Japan informed his good and loyal subjects that he had decided the surrender of his country to the Allied forces, the USA, the UK, China, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USSR. He stated that Japan had declared war on America and Britain out of ‘Our sincere desire to assure Japan’s self-preservation and the stabilization of East Asia, it being far from Our thought either to infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations or to embark upon territorial aggrandizement’ (the full text of the statement is in Presentation 3.1).
Modeling Electrophysiological Interactions between Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Cardiomyocytes for Improved Cell Delivery Cardiotherapeutics

Human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) delivery has demonstrated promise in preclinical and clinical trials for myocardial infarction therapy; however, broad acceptance of this approach is hindered by a limited understanding of the mechanisms by which hMSCs interact with human cardiomyocytes (hCMs). Mathematical modeling is a powerful tool that can simulate intercellular electrical coupling between hMSCs and hCMs. Therefore, to better understand the impact of hMSCs in cardiac therapies, three original electrophysiology models were developed to represent an empirical triad of hMSC families having distinct ion channel currents. The electrical interactions between hCMs and hMSCs were predicted by coupling the ten Tusscher models of human endocardial, midcardial, and epicardial hCMs to the hMSC models developed in this study. Significant pro-arrhythmic electrophysiological consequences were revealed at the cellular level for the two hMSC models expressing delayed rectifier-like human ether a-go-go K+ channel 1 (hEAG1). Specifically, substantial decreases in action potential duration (APD) suggest hEAG1-expressing hMSCs may induce ventricular tachycardia and are capable of pro-arrhythmic electrical remodeling. The third family of hMSCs, absent of hEAG1 channel activity, demonstrated notably lower action potential variations, making it a preferred candidate for enhanced efficacy of hMSC cardiotherapeutics. A model parameter sensitivity analysis confirms these findings and supports the claim of larger APD variability caused by hEAG1-expressing hMSCs, underscoring the difficulty in predicting outcomes using such cell types. Electrophysiological complications can be exacerbated at the tissue level due to decreased conduction velocity following hMSC supplementation, independent of the hMSC family. In summary, this study provides novel electrophysiological models of hMSCs, demonstrates pro-arrhythmic potential of hMSCs when coupled to hCMs, and proposes that isolating a subset of hMSCs absent of hEAG1 channel activity may offer superior effectiveness and safety as a cell delivery cardiotherapy.
Flavoured non-cigarette tobacco product use among US adults: 2013–2014

Introduction Limited data exist on flavoured non-cigarette tobacco product (NCTP) use among US adults. Methods Data from the 2013 to 2014 National Adult Tobacco Survey (N=75 233), a landline and cellular telephone survey of US adults aged ≥18, were assessed to estimate past 30-day NCTP use, flavoured NCTP use and flavour types using bivariate analyses. Results During 2013–2014, 14.4% of US adults were past 30-day NCTP users. Nationally, an estimated 10.2 million e-cigarette users (68.2%), 6.1 million hookah users (82.3%), 4.1 million cigar smokers (36.2%) and 4.0 million smokeless tobacco users (50.6%) used flavoured products in the past 30 days. The most prevalent flavours reported were menthol/mint (76.9%) for smokeless tobacco; fruit (74.0%) for hookah; fruit (52.4%), candy/chocolate/other sweet flavours (22.0%) and alcohol (14.5%) for cigars/cigarillos/filtered little cigars; fruit (44.9%), menthol/mint (43.9%) and candy/chocolate/other sweet flavours (25.7%) for e-cigarettes and fruit (56.6%), candy/chocolate/other sweet flavours (26.5%) and menthol/mint (24.8%) for pipes. Except for hookah and pipes, past 30-day flavoured product use was highest among 18–24-year olds. By cigarette smoking, never smoking e-cigarette users (84.8%) were more likely to report flavoured e-cigarette use, followed by recent former smokers (78.1%), long-term former smokers (70.4%) and current smokers (63.2%). Conclusions Flavoured NCTP use is prominent among US adult tobacco users, particularly among e-cigarette, hookah and cigar users. Flavoured product use, especially fruit and sweet-flavoured products, was higher among younger adults. It is important for tobacco prevention and control strategies to address all forms of tobacco use, including flavoured tobacco products.
Positive Youth Development in the 21st Century: Exploring Online Environments

The manner that young people and adults are communicating with each other is rapidly changing in society that is, in part, driven by the latest technology. As a youth-driven program, we must engage in new strategies and methods by which we communicate with youth members, volunteers, families, and the community at large. Social and mobile media are a growing and popular venue for much of our target audience and youth development practitioners must learn how to leverage these networks to create positive youth development in online environments. If we ignore and don’t engage in the opportunity to be connected to youth online, then youth are left to make their own paths online and set the online norms. As youth organizations, we also must seize the opportunity to be online mentors and use the resources that are available and being used by our target populations.
Turning the Soviet Union into Iowa: The Virgin Lands Program in the Soviet Union

From the start of his administration, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev focused principally on the large scale expansion of agricultural production as the cornerstone of his internal policy. At the center of this expansion was the Virgin Lands program, a project that could be called megaengineering writ large. From 1954 to 1956, most of the northern Kazakh steppe, representing tens of millions of acres/hectares, were plowed and sown with grain. The ultimate goal of the program was to gain parity with the U.S. in grain production and to secure the food needs for the Soviet Union well into the future. Though initially a celebrated success, vagaries of climate, unrealistic expectations, and the inability of Soviet industry to keep pace with mechanical, transportation, or living needs caused the Virgin Lands program to have very uneven results. The lack of concretely positive results inevitably led to the fall of Khrushchev and a more conservative approach to agriculture in future administrations.
Aqueous Synthesis of Technetium-Doped Titanium Dioxide by Direct Oxidation of Titanium Powder, a Precursor for Ceramic Nuclear Waste Forms

Technetium-99 (Tc) is a problematic fission product that complicates the long-term disposal of nuclear waste due to its long half-life, high fission yield, and the environmental mobility of pertechnetate, its stable form in aerobic environments. One approach to preventing Tc contamination is through incorporation into durable waste forms based on weathering-resistant minerals such as rutile (titanium dioxide). Here, the incorporation of technetium into titanium dioxide by means of simple, aqueous chemistry – direct oxidation of titanium powder in the presence of ammonium fluoride -- is achieved. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy indicate that Tc(IV) replaces Ti(IV) within the structure. Rather than being incorporated as isolated Tc(IV) ions, Tc is present as pairs of edge-sharing Tc(IV) octahedra similar to molecular Tc(IV) complexes such as [(H2EDTA)TcIV](μ−O)2. Technetium-doped TiO2 was suspended in deionized water under aerobic conditions, and the Tc leac...
Robust ultrasound super-resolution microvessel imaging with spatiotemporal nonlocal means filtering and bipartite graph-based microbubble tracking

Recently multiple studies have demonstrated microbubble (MB)-based super-resolution imaging (SRI) with ∼λ/10 subwavelength resolution on mice and rats. Clinical translation of SRI, however, faces many technical challenges such as low signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) of the MB signal and physiologic and operator-induced motion in humans. In this study, we take advantage of the rich spatiotemporal information and high frame rate recording of MB signals by ultrafast imaging, and propose a spatiotemporal nonlocal means (NLM) denoising filter and bipartite graph(BG)-based MB pairing and tracking algorithm to achieve robust SRI.
Links between the discovery of primates and anatomical comparisons with humans, the chain of being, our place in nature, and racism.

I focus on the crucial links between the discovery of nonhuman primates by Westerners, discussions on our place in nature, the chain of being, racism, and the history of primate comparative anatomy and of so-called "anatomical human racial studies." Strikingly, for more than a millennium humans knew more about the internal anatomy of a single monkey species than about that of their own bodies. This is because Galen used monkeys to infer human anatomy, in line with the human-animal continuity implied by the Greek notion of scala naturae. With the rise of Christianity, nonhuman primates were increasingly seen in a negative way. A more positive view emerged in the 14th century when nonhuman primates were directly studied/seen by Europeans, culminating in Tyson's 1699 work showing that chimps share more gross anatomical similarities with humans than with monkeys. However, the discomfort caused by this human-chimp similarity then led to a new idea of animal-human discontinuity, now related not to anatomy but to "civilization": between Europeans vs. non-Europeans + other primates. Moreover, Linnaeus' Systema Naturae and the emergence of "anatomical racial studies" influenced by Camper's craniology then led to even more extreme ideas, such as the notion that Europeans were both mentally and morphologically "ideal." Unfortunately the biased and often incorrect "results" of such studies, combined with ideas based on Darwin's "struggle for survival", became crucial in propaganda that lead to the rise of eugenics in the end of the 19th/first half of 20th centuries and that culminated in Nazism. Since the 1950s there has been an emphasis on the continuity/unity between all human groups and other primates, in great part influenced by what happened during World War 2. Reviews such as this one are, therefore, particularly necessary to illuminate and guard against attitudes against "the Other" and racist ideologies that are re-emerging in modern political discourse across the globe.
Nephrotoxicity With Vancomycin in the Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background:Vancomycin is frequently used to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in pediatric patients. Vancomycin exposure may lead to an increase in frequency of nephrotoxicity. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review to describe predictors of nephrotoxicity associated w
Molecular Imaging in Drug Discovery and Development

Noninvasive imaging has played an increasing role in the process of cardiovascular drug development. This review focuses specifically on the use of molecular imaging, which has been increasingly applied to improve and accelerate certain preclinical steps in drug development, including the identification of appropriate therapeutic targets, evaluation of on-target and off-target effects of candidate therapies, assessment of dose response, and the evaluation of drug or biological biodistribution and pharmacodynamics. Unlike the case in cancer medicine, in cardiovascular medicine, molecular imaging has not been used as a primary surrogate clinical end point for drug approval. However, molecular imaging has been applied in early clinical trials, particularly in phase 0 studies, to demonstrate proof-of-concept or to explain variation in treatment effect. Many of these applications where molecular imaging has been used in drug development have involved the retasking of technologies that were originally intended as clinical diagnostics. With greater experience and recognition of the rich information provided by in vivo molecular imaging, it is anticipated that it will increasingly be used to address the enormous time and costs associated with bringing a new drug to clinical launch.
Reply to Holen et al. Regarding the Cerutti Mastodon

ABSTRACTThis reply continues the contretemps between S. Holen et al. and myself regarding the newly reported Cerutti Mastodon. The Cerutti Mastodon materials may have been modified by hominins 130,...
Translational Reprogramming Provides a Blueprint for Cellular Adaptation.

Summary Consistent with its location on the ribosome, reporter assays demonstrate a role for Rps26 in recognition of the Kozak sequence. Consequently, Rps26-deficient ribosomes display preference for mRNAs encoding components of the high salt and high pH stress response pathways and accumulate in yeast exposed to high salt or pH. Here we use this information to reprogram the cellular response to high salt by introducing point mutations in the Kozak sequence of key regulators for the cell wall MAP-kinase, filamentation, or DNA repair pathways. This stimulates their translation upon genetic, or salt-induced Rps26 depletion from ribosomes. Stress resistance assays show activation of the targeted pathways in an Rps26- and salt-dependent manner. Genomic alterations in diverse yeast populations indicate that analogous tuning occurs during adaptation to ecological niches. Thus, evolution shapes translational control across the genome by taking advantage of the accumulation of diverse ribosome populations.
Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies

This essay maps the changing ways that the concepts and writings of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari have been mobilized in the journal Cultural Studies over the past three decades, reflects on ro...
Establishing Validity Evidence for an Operative Performance Rating System for Plastic Surgery Residents.

Objective The aim of this study was to describe an operative performance rating system for plastic surgery residents and provide validity evidence for the instrument. Methods Three plastic surgery residents (PGY levels 1, 5, and 6) from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIUSOM) performed a carpal tunnel release with audio video recording. The 3 videos were reviewed by 8 expert hand surgeons and 3 SIUSOM faculty using the operative performance rating system instrument to assess resident operative performance. Validity evidence including content, internal structure, and relationship to other variables was collected. Results Inter-rater reliability was consistently fair to moderate (weighted Cohen's Kappa 0.44-0.84 for experts, 0.24-0.55 for SIUSOM raters), and all assessment items were highly correlated (Cronbach's alpha of 0.9867). Local SIUSOM faculty routinely demonstrated higher overall scores for PGY 1 and PGY 6 residents compared to expert raters. Conclusions Although limited by small numbers, this pilot study suggests that potential bias based upon PGY year, identity, and performance history may exist and independent assessment by unbiased raters or comparison to national operative norms may be valuable. Our study provides baseline validity evidence for a resident operative performance assessment tool that can be integrated into practice in plastic surgery training programs.
Childhood maltreatment on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) scale versus the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) in a perinatal sample.

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) scale and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) are among the most widely used instruments for assessing childhood maltreatment, yet the convergent valid...
Three methods for characterizing thermo-optic noise in optical cavities

Thermo-optic noise is likely to be the dominant noise source in next generation ultralow noise optical cavities. We developed three measurement and analysis methods, allowing us to estimate the level of coating thermo-optic noise in optical cavities, including interferometric gravitational wave detectors. We measured the shift in the broadband transmission spectra as a function of temperature for single-layer, high index coatings in order to find the thermo-optic coefficient, ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{H}$, of a coating while assuming the thermal expansion coefficient, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{H}$. Our value for ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{H}$ could then be used to calculate the thermo-optic noise in any high-finesse optical cavity using coatings with the same high index layer material. We also measured the spectra as a function of temperature of a multilayer, high-reflectivity coating where the material composition of the layers was similar to the coatings installed in Advanced LIGO. This method has the advantage of allowing us to calculate thermo-optic noise directly; ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{H}$ and ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{H}$ do not need to be known separately, although we do need to know the value of the overall coating thermal expansion coefficient. Finally, we used lasers of different wavelengths to measure transmission changes on the band edges of a multilayer high-reflectivity coating. This gave measurements with high statistical precision but potentially lower systematic accuracy. To address systematic accuracy concerns, we used a constrained Monte Carlo application of the theory of multilayer coating transmission.
Real World Experience of Letermovir (LTV) Prophylaxis (Px) for the Prevention of Cytomegalovirus Infection (CMVi) in the Adult CMV Seropositive Recipients (R+) of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT) Patients (pts).

CMVi leads to significant morbidity in R+ HCT and preemptive therapy (PET) has been the standard of care. LTV was FDA-approved in Nov. 2017 for CMVi prevention in R+ HCT. Besides the clinical trials, there is are real world data on LTV. Upon IRB approval, we retrospectively studied consecutive R+ HCT pts with their first HCT between 1/1/2017 and 6/30/2018. LTV group included pts with HCT between 2/20/18 and 6/30/2018, who had LTV Px started within 28 days of HCT (n=59), and R+ HCT between 1/1/2017 and 2/19/2018 (n=307) served as control (ctrl). We compared CMVi rates in first 100 days of HCT, and time to engraftment between the 2 groups. Risk stratification: high risk - haplo/cord HCT & ATG use, low risk - all others. CMVi was defined as viral load (VL) of 625 IU/ml to 1250 IU/ml or higher (CMV assay conversion factor of 1 genomic copy/ml = 2.5 IU/ml). CMV VL less than 625 IU/ml is reported negative, VL between 625 and 1250 IU/ml is qualitative positive but numeric value is provided only for VL ≥ 1250 IU/ml. PET was recommended for VL >1250 IU/ml (500 copies/ml) in high risk and > 3750 IU/ml (1500 copies/ml) in low risk HCT (including those on LTV requiring PET). Descriptive statistics was done for baseline characteristics. Cumulative incidence curves were generated for CMVi within 100 days post-HCT and Gray's test was used to compare the difference between the 2 groups. In both groups, median age was 54 years and HCT indications were similar. Donor type in LTV/ Ctrl groups: MRD (27 vs 36%), MUD (44 vs 47%), haplo (27 vs 15%), cord (1.7 vs 1.6%). PBMC was graft source in 90% of both groups. Myeloablative conditioning: 40.7% in LTV and 35% in Ctrl. GVHD Px: Cellcept (32 vs 25%), methotrexate (7 vs 9%), tacro/siro (58 vs 65), and others (3.4 vs 0.3%) in LTV & Ctrl respectively. A majority (n=36) received both intravenous & oral LTV formulation while 23 received oral only. Median time from HCT to LTV start was 13 days (range: 4-26). LTV group had significant reduction in CMVi rate (22.4% [95%CI: 12.7-34.0]) compared with ctrl group (41.1% [95%CI: 35.4-46.7], p=0.008, Fig 1). In a subgroup of high-risk HCT LTV was significantly reduced CMVi rate (22.2%) compared with ctrl (62.8%, p=0.004, Fig 2) while statistical difference was not reached in low-risk HCT pts (22.8% vs. 35.6%, p=0.11). In the LTV Px, clinically significant (CS)-CMVi requiring PET occurred in 8.4% (n=5) and on excluding 2 pts who were not on LTV at the time of CMVi, the rate was 5% (Fig 1). CMVi cleared without PET in 8/13 LTV pts and LTV was continued; all pts had VL LTV use in a real world setting is associated with significant reduction of CMVi and CS-CMVi without any discernible myelosuppression. The low level CMVi resolved spontaneously in majority with continued LTV Px and PET was not necessary. The high-risk HCT had most benefit with LTV Px.
Men’s income trajectories and physical and mental health at midlife

Using time-varying, prospectively measured income in a nationally representative sample of baby-boomer men (the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979), the authors identify eight group-based ...
Design of a 3D Vision-based Micro-Force Sensing Probe

This paper presents a vision-based micro-force sensing probe that is capable of µN level force sensing in three dimensions. The sensor is mounted on a standard micromanipulation probe and can be easily integrated into many systems. Furthermore, it is cheap, reliable, and can be specifically tailored for a desired application. Tests were conducted to demonstrate the accuracy of the system. It is capable of achieving sub-µN force resolution, with a range of 175 µN and an accuracy in the x, y, and z directions of 3.63%,0.58%, and 0.61%, respectively. Two case studies using the vision-based micro-force sensing probe were performed to demonstrate the efficacy of the system.
A Brief Note on Looking Forward

Exploring the complexity of transmediality represented in the Whedonverse(s) while it actively expands seems, and perhaps is, Sisyphean. However, we believe scholars will continue to look at these storyworlds because of their vitality and possibility. The connectivity of the Whedonverse(s) remains a constant presence in conversation—both formally in presentations, roundtables, and publications, and informally among friends and fans. Even when at the peripheral of scholarly focus, there is a tacit understanding that transmedial storytelling is part of the narrative nature grounding the ‘verse(s). Such assumption seems integral to both sustainable transmediality and to new iterations of “fandom.”