cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pre-Occupant Departure Hvac Shutdown: A Strategy for Energy Conservation:

The human response to the thermal environment depends in part on the temporal nature of the exposure. One aspect of the temporal dimension includes ramps or drifts that are brought about when the heating or cooling system is turned off. When this occurs, the shape of the drift depends upon the outside temperature and wind velocity, the solar load; the building shell, the location of the occupant and the indoor thermal load including the occupant density and machinery. The Honeywell Corporation in Arlington, Illinois has developed a model that will predict the temperature drifts at various locations within the occupied space when the HVAC system is shutdown. This regulation of the office temperature before workers leave for the day represents an energy saving strategy. The purpose of this study was to examine the comfort response of humans when exposed to drifts that began 0.5 h and 1.0 h before the normal departure of the employees. Drifts were examined at 4 locations: interior, west side and north side; ...
Oviposition Patterns of Koa Seedworm and Litchi Fruit Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) on Macadamia and Litchi in Hawaii

Samples taken from the field when all sizes of macadamia nuts were present indicated that females of the koa seedworm, Cryptophlebia illepida (Butler), and of the litchi fruit moth, C. ombrodelta (Lower), seldom oviposited on nuts 90% of the nuts had hardened shells by the time they reached 29 mm in diameter, except for the cultivar ‘Purvis’. Samples taken early in the season, when nut sizes were smaller, showed that smaller size nuts were accepted more frequently as oviposition sites. On litchi, similar studies conducted at four sites with four cultivars showed that female Cryptophlebia exhibit similar fruit size-oviposition patterns. These results indicate that treatment and monitoring activities need not commence until nuts or fruits are > 20 mm in diameter.
Recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, United States, 2003 and update on childhood immunizations.

The 2003 Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule is now available, and includes a harmonized catch-up schedule for children who are behind in immunizations. The catch-up schedule offers specific guidance regarding the minimum time between doses as well as the number of doses for those who are behind schedule.
Teaching Young Dual Language Learners to Be Writers: Rethinking Writing Instruction through the Lens of Identity.

For young dual language learners (DLLs) the process of learning to write and use language expressively differs from that of children who are monolingual English speakers. Yet these differences ofte...
Bedside to bench to bedside research: Estrogen receptor beta ligand as a candidate neuroprotective treatment for multiple sclerosis

Protective effects of pregnancy during MS have led to clinical trials of estriol, the pregnancy estrogen, in MS. Since estriol binds to estrogen receptor (ER) beta, ER beta ligand could represent a "next generation estriol" treatment. Here, ER beta ligand treatment was protective in EAE in both sexes and across genetic backgrounds. Neuroprotection was shown in spinal cord, sparing myelin and axons, and in brain, sparing neurons and synapses. Longitudinal in vivo MRIs showed decreased brain atrophy in cerebral cortex gray matter and cerebellum during EAE. Investigation of ER beta ligand as a neuroprotective treatment for MS is warranted.
Automated segmentation of routine clinical cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for assessment of left: Ventricular diastolic dysfunction

Background— Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is established for assessment of left ventricular (LV) systolic function but has not been widely used to assess diastolic function. This study tested performance of a novel CMR segmentation algorithm (LV-METRIC) for automated assessment of diastolic function. Methods and Results— A total of 101 patients with normal LV systolic function underwent CMR and echocardiography (echo) within 7 days. LV-METRIC generated LV filling profiles via automated segmentation of contiguous short-axis images (204±39 images, 2:04±0:53 minutes). Diastolic function by CMR was assessed via early:atrial filling ratios, peak diastolic filling rate, time to peak filling rate, and a novel index—diastolic volume recovery (DVR), calculated as percent diastole required for recovery of 80% stroke volume. Using an echo standard, patients with versus without diastolic dysfunction had lower early:atrial filling ratios, longer time to peak filling rate, lower stroke volume–adjusted peak diastolic filling rate, and greater DVR (all P <0.05). Prevalence of abnormal CMR filling indices increased in relation to clinical symptoms classified by New York Heart Association functional class ( P =0.04) or dyspnea ( P =0.006). Among all parameters tested, DVR yielded optimal performance versus echo (area under the curve: 0.87±0.04, P <0.001). Using a 90% specificity cutoff, DVR yielded 74% sensitivity for diastolic dysfunction. In multivariate analysis, DVR (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.13 to 2.57; P =0.02) was independently associated with echo-evidenced diastolic dysfunction after controlling for age, hypertension, and LV mass (χ2=73.4, P <0.001). Conclusions— Automated CMR segmentation can provide LV filling profiles that may offer insight into diastolic dysfunction. Patients with diastolic dysfunction have prolonged diastolic filling intervals, which are associated with echo-evidenced diastolic dysfunction independent of clinical and imaging variables. Received May 11, 2009; accepted September 16, 2009. # CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE {#article-title-2}
A Workload Characterization for the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

We perform an extensive study of medical applications that will potentially execute on the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), from an edge computing perspective. Using this study, we perform a workload characterization of potential IoMT applications and explore the microarchitecture implications of these applications. Our study includes workloads spanning a variety of medical applications including medical image processing algorithms, inverse Radon transform, and implantable heart monitors. We compare these workloads' characteristics to an existing embedded systems benchmark suite, MiBench, to reveal their differences and similarities. The analysis presented herein will enable the study and design of right-provisioned microprocessors for the IoMT, and provide a framework for studying the execution characteristics of workloads in other emerging Internet of Things application domains.
Loss of Muscle and Bone During Spaceflight

The next five chapters deal with the MusculoSkeletal System (MSkS). It is the largest system of the body and both its structure and function are involved. While previous chapters addressed issues that have significant impact, weightlessness effects such as Space Motion Sickness (SMS) are transient—SMS lasting only 2–3 days—quite short when one considers a long mission such as a 6-month stay aboard ISS. There is also a defined time period when fluid shifts have limited in-flight impact and postflight readaptation is also relatively short. In contrast, musculoskeletal adaptation can be potentially disabling for significant periods of time after long missions, and countermeasures can require major amounts of time and resources during spaceflight. Two chapters are given to the musculoskeletal effects; one (the current chapter) is devoted to cause and effects of bone and muscle loss. The second chapter (Chap. 7) addresses the theory and practice of countermeasures and the prevention of adaptation with its loss of muscle and bone. Adaptation of the MSkS also has major effects on the CardioVascular System (CVS), which are described in a separate chapter (Chap. 8). A neuromuscular adaptation plays a significant role in transient strength loss postflight and may have in-flight effects as well. This is addressed in Chap. 9. In addition, Chap. 10 that covers loss of body mass, also addresses a MSkS problem. Inadequate diets have played a significant role in loss of muscle and bone. A summation in the form of a suggested integration of the content of these chapters into a more effective countermeasure program ends this collation.
Caveat Emptor: Jurisdictional Rules, Bowles v. Russell, and Reliance on Our Judicial System

This Note argues that the unjust result in Bowles v. Russell can be remedied by legislative action. Specifically, Congress should amend section 2107 to include the same "excusable neglect or good cause" language it already uses in section 2107(c) to allow a district court to reopen the filing period. This would have the effect of giving the district court discretionary power to hear a late appeal both when a litigant erroneously relies upon a representation of the court and when other unforeseen circumstances dictate such a result.Part I of this Note examines the history and background of the problem of jurisdictional rules. Part II examines Bowles itself in more detail, focusing specifically on how it has been the object of judicial handwringing and confusion in the courts of appeals. Part III examines the various proposals that have been suggested to deal with the problem, their potential positive and negative effects, and their possible effects on the incentives of litigants. Finally, this Note concludes that the interests of both litigants and the judicial system would be best served if Congress gave judges more flexibility in determining which cases warrant a decision on the merits and which do not.
What Does “Born Digital” Mean?

When asked for a definition of the digital humanities, I often fall back on a crisp formula. Digital humanists use computation to generate, organize, publish, or interpret humanistic data. This covers most of the bases, but it's also a bit abstract. “What sort of computation?” a colleague sometimes asks. “I use a computer at work; why aren't I a digital humanist?” To this, I agree; there isn't much daylight between digital and analogue scholarship. Less interesting than what separates the two domains is the question of what unites them. In my view, the most significant shared ingredient is technology.
Contribution of the in-vehicle microenvironment to individual ambient-source nitrogen dioxide exposure: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution

Exposure estimates that do not account for time in-transit may underestimate exposure to traffic-related air pollution, but exact contributions have not been studied directly. We conducted a 2-week monitoring, including novel in-vehicle sampling, in a subset of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution cohort in two cities. Participants spent the majority of their time indoors and only 4.4% of their time (63 min/day) in-vehicle, on average. The mean ambient-source NO2 concentration was 5.1 ppb indoors and 32.3 ppb in-vehicle during drives. On average, indoor exposure contributed 69% and in-vehicle exposure contributed 24% of participants’ ambient-source NO2 exposure. For participants in the highest quartile of time in-vehicle (≥1.3 h/day), indoor and in-vehicle contributions were 60 and 31%, respectively. Incorporating infiltrated indoor and measured in-vehicle NO2 produced exposure estimates 5.6 ppb lower, on average, than using only outdoor concentrations. The indoor microenvironment accounted for the largest proportion of ambient-source exposure in this older population, despite higher concentrations of NO2 outdoors and in vehicles than indoors. In-vehicle exposure was more influential among participants who drove the most and for participants residing in areas with lower outdoor air pollution. Failure to characterize exposures in these microenvironments may contribute to exposure misclassification in epidemiologic studies.
Selective constraint and adaptive potential of West Nile virus within and among naturally infected avian hosts and mosquito vectors.

Arthropod-borne viruses are among the most genetically constrained RNA viruses, yet they have a remarkable propensity to adapt and emerge. We studied wild birds and mosquitoes naturally infected with West Nile virus (WNV) in a 'hot spot' of virus transmission in Chicago, IL, USA. We generated full coding WNV genome sequences from spatiotemporally matched bird and mosquito samples using high-throughput sequencing, allowing a molecular evolutionary assessment with deep coverage. Mean FST among samples was 0.66 (±0.02 SE) and was bimodal, with mean nucleotide diversity being higher between samples (interhost πN = 0.001; πS = 0.024) than within them (intrahost πN 1.01 (in the PrM, NS2a, NS3, NS4b, and 5'-noncoding genomic regions) showed bird versus mosquito variant frequency differences of >30 per cent and/or polymorphisms fixed in ≥5 host or vector individuals, suggesting host tropism for these variants. However, phylogenetic analyses demonstrated a lack of grouping by bird or mosquito, most inter-sample differences were synonymous (mean interhost πN/πS = 0.04), and there was no significant difference between hosts and vectors in either their nucleotide diversities or levels of purifying selection (mean intrahost πN/πS = 0.28 in birds and πN/πS = 0.21 in mosquitoes). This finding contrasts with the 'trade-off' and 'selective sieve' hypotheses that have been proposed and tested in the laboratory, which predict strong host versus vector effects on WNV genetic variation, with heightened selective constraint in birds alternating with heightened viral diversity in mosquitoes. Overall, our data show WNV to be highly selectively constrained within and between both hosts and vectors but still able to vary at a limited number of sites across the genome. Such site-specific plasticity in the face of overall selective constraint may offer a mechanism whereby highly constrained viruses such as WNV and its relatives can still adapt and emerge.
Book Review: Neoliberalization, Universities and the Public Intellectual: Species, Gender and Class and the Production of Knowledge. Fraser, H., & Taylor, N. 2016.

Review of: Neoliberalization, Universities and the Public Intellectual: Species, Gender and Class and the Production of Knowledge. Fraser, H., & Taylor, N. 2016.
Nature, Number and Substance

The reading selections included below are from Book 1 of Aristotle’s De Caelo, or On the Heavens—translated into English by J. L. Stocks. Herein, Aristotle considers the shape, size, composition and motion of both the heavens and the earth. The heavens, as Aristotle writes, refers to everything in that divine and unchangeable expanse which lies beyond the immediate vicinity of the earth. Apart from the profound enjoyment of contemplating the nature of the heavens, studying Aristotle has a number of practical benefits. First, it provides an occasion to read and analyze the arguments of a careful thinker. Second, reading Aristotle’s On the Heavens will provide you with a framework for understanding subsequent theories of the world. Indeed, Ptolemy, Copernicus and Kepler developed their planetary theories largely in response to Aristotle’s ideas. Thus, the better understanding you have of Aristotle, the more clearly you will understand their ideas.
Microbial Factors and Nutrition in Carcinogenesis

Environmental influences are held responsible for more than 80% of human cancers (Peery, 1975; Davis, 1975). A large number of factors have been incriminated including industrial chemicals and pollutants, food additives, fungal products, tobacco smoking, naturally occurring plant products, and deficiences or excesses of diet. The notion that environmental factors are the major determinants in the etiology of human cancers is based on the uneven geographical distribution of the disease (Drasar and Irving, 1973; Armstrong and Doll, 1975). Armstrong and Doll (1975) have studied incidence rates for 27 cancers in 23 countries and mortality rates for 14 cancers in 32 countries. Stomach cancer is high in Japan, South America, and Eastern Europe, and low in North America and Western Europe. An exactly inverse geographical distribution is noted for cancers of the colon, breast, corpus uteri, ovary, and kidney.
A Tale of Two Sample Sources: Do Results from Online Panel Data and Conventional Data Converge?

Samples drawn from commercial online panel data (OPD) are becoming more prevalent in applied psychology research, but they remain controversial due to concerns with data quality. In order to examine the validity of OPD, we conduct meta-analyses of online panel samples and compare internal reliability estimates for scales and effect size estimates for IV–DV relations commonly found in the field with those based on conventionally sourced data. Results based on 90 independent samples and 32,121 participants show OPD has similar psychometric properties and produces criterion validities that generally fall within the credibility intervals of existing meta-analytic results from conventionally sourced data. We suggest that, with appropriate caution, OPD are suitable for many exploratory research questions in the field of applied psychology.
Large-Scale Algorithm Design for Parallel FFT-based Simulations on GPUs

We describe and analyze a co-design of algorithm and software for high-performance simulation of a partial differential equation (PDE) numerical solver for large-scale datasets. Large-scale scientific simulations involving parallel Fast Fourier Transforms (FFTs) have extreme memory requirements and high communication cost. This hampers high resolution analysis with fine grids. Moreover, it is difficult to accelerate legacy Fortran scientific codes with modern hardware such as GPUs because of memory constraints of GPUs. Our proposed solution uses signal processing techniques such as lossy compression and domain-local FFTs to lower iteration cost without adversely impacting accuracy of the result. In this work, we discuss proof-of-concept results for various aspects of algorithm development.
Retinal transcriptome and eQTL analyses identify genes associated with age-related macular degeneration

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants at 34 loci contributing to age-related macular degeneration (AMD)1-3. We generated transcriptional profiles of postmortem retinas from 453 controls and cases at distinct stages of AMD and integrated retinal transcriptomes, covering 13,662 protein-coding and 1,462 noncoding genes, with genotypes at more than 9 million common SNPs for expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis of a tissue not included in Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and other large datasets4,5. Cis-eQTL analysis identified 10,474 genes under genetic regulation, including 4,541 eQTLs detected only in the retina. Integrated analysis of AMD-GWAS with eQTLs ascertained likely target genes at six reported loci. Using transcriptome-wide association analysis (TWAS), we identified three additional genes, RLBP1, HIC1 and PARP12, after Bonferroni correction. Our studies expand the genetic landscape of AMD and establish the Eye Genotype Expression (EyeGEx) database as a resource for post-GWAS interpretation of multifactorial ocular traits.
A Divide-and-Conquer Method for Scalable Phylogenetic Network Inference from Multi-locus Data

Abstract Reticulate evolutionary histories, such as those arising in the presence of hybridization, are best modeled as phylogenetic networks. Recently developed methods allow for statistical inference of phylogenetic networks while also accounting for other processes, such as incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). However, these methods can only handle a small number of loci from a handful of genomes. In this paper, we introduce a novel two-step method for scalable inference of phylogenetic networks from the sequence alignments of multiple, unlinked loci. The method infers networks on subproblems and then merges them into a network on the full set of taxa. To reduce the number of trinets to infer, we formulate a Hitting Set version of the problem of finding a small number of subsets, and implement a simple heuristic to solve it. We studied their performance, in terms of both running time and accuracy, on simulated as well as on biological data sets. The two-step method accurately infers phylogenetic networks at a scale that is infeasible with existing methods. The results are a significant and promising step towards accurate, large-scale phylogenetic network inference. We implemented the algorithms in the publicly available software package PhyloNet (https://bioinfocs.rice.edu/PhyloNet). Contact nakhleh@rice.edu
Symbol-Level Stochastic Chase Decoding of Reed-Solomon and BCH Codes

This paper proposes the symbol-level-stochastic Chase decoding algorithm (S-SCA) for the Reed–Solomon (RS) and Bose–Chaudhuri–Hocquenghem (BCH) codes, which is a soft-input soft-output (SISO) decoder. By the efficient usage of void space between constellation points for $q$ -ary modulations and using soft information at the input of the decoder, the S-SCA is capable of outperforming conventional symbol-level-Chase algorithm (S-CA) with a less computational cost. Since the S-SCA starts with the randomized generation of likely test-vectors, it reduces the complexity to polynomial order and also it does not need to find the least reliable symbols to generate test-vectors. The symbol-level-search bitwise-transmission stochastic Chase algorithm (SSBT-SCA) is also introduced for RS codes over binary phase shift keying (BPSK) transmission that is capable of generating symbol-level test-vectors with reduced complexity and to better mitigate burst errors. Simulation results show that by increasing the number of test-vectors, the performance of the algorithm can asymptotically approach the maximum-likelihood (ML) bound. The S-SCA provides near 2 dB decoding gain in comparison with S-CA for a (31, 25) RS code using 32-QAM, when 1024 test-vectors are used. Furthermore, the algorithm provides near 3 dB additional gain with 1024 test-vectors compared with S-CA that uses 65536 iterations when a (255, 239) RS code is used in an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. For the Rayleigh fading channel and the same code, the algorithm provides more than 5 dB gain. Furthermore, for (63, 57) BCH codes and 8-PSK modulation, the proposed algorithm provides 3 dB gain with less complexity.
Exploring the Effects of Policies Promoting Political Correctness in the Workplace

As a concept, political correctness has supporters and detractors. In the current study, company policies aimed at promoting political correctness in organizations are examined. First, the nature o...
Characterization of an l-Ascorbate Catabolic Pathway with Unprecedented Enzymatic Transformations.

l-Ascorbate (vitamin C) is ubiquitous in both our diet and the environment. Here we report that Ralstonia eutropha H16 (Cupriavidus necator ATCC 17699) uses l-ascorbate as sole carbon source via a ...
Self-driven membrane filtration by core–shell polymer composites

Membrane filtration is an effective way of separation that usually requires an external driving force. Novel configurations simplifying the filtration process could offer extra versatility and enable separation in a broader context at different scales. This work presents a self-driven 3D filtration strategy based on core–shell polymer composites (CSPCs). The core is a hydrogel sphere that can spontaneously absorb ∼50 times its own weight of water, while a polyamide film, as thin as ∼7 nm, formed through interfacial polymerization serves as the separating shell. These flexible and easy-to-use CSPCs exhibit high-capacity and selective water absorption, which presents unique possibilities for applications such as concentrating biomedical and environmental samples for analyses and recovering valuable resources from waste streams.
PAC m -Bayes: Narrowing the Empirical Risk Gap in the Misspecified Bayesian Regime.

While the decision-theoretic optimality of the Bayesian formalism under correct model specification is well-known (Berger 2013), the Bayesian case becomes less clear under model misspecification (Grunwald 2017; Ramamoorthi 2015; Fushiki 2005). To formally understand the consequences of Bayesian misspecification, this work examines the relationship between posterior predictive risk and its sensitivity to correct model assumptions, i.e., choice of likelihood and prior. We present the multisample PAC$^m$-Bayes risk. This risk is justified by theoretical analysis based on PAC-Bayes as well as empirical study on a number of toy problems. The PAC$^m$-Bayes risk is appealing in that it entails direct minimization of the Monte-Carlo approximated posterior predictive risk yet recovers both the Bayesian formalism as well as the MLE in its limits. Our work is heavily influenced by Masegosa (2019); our contributions are to align training and generalization risks while offering a tighter bound which empirically performs at least as well and sometimes much better.
Deficiency of Inositol Monophosphatase Activity Decreases Phosphoinositide Lipids and Enhances TRPV1 Function In Vivo.

Membrane remodeling by inflammatory mediators influences the function of sensory ion channels. The capsaicin- and heat-activated TRPV1 channel contributes to neurogenic inflammation and pain hypersensitivity, in part due to its potentiation downstream of phospholipase C-coupled receptors that regulate phosphoinositide lipid content. Here, we determined the effect of phosphoinositide lipids on TRPV1 function by combining genetic dissection, diet supplementation, behavioral, biochemical, and functional analyses in Caenorhabditis elegans. As capsaicin elicits hot and pain sensation in mammals, transgenic TRPV1 worms exhibit an aversive response to capsaicin. TRPV1 worms with low levels of phosphoinositide lipids display an enhanced response to capsaicin, whereas phosphoinositide lipid supplementation reduces TRPV1-mediated responses. A worm carrying a TRPV1 construct lacking the distal C-terminal domain features an enhanced response to capsaicin, independent of the phosphoinositide lipid content. Our results demonstrate that TRPV1 activity is enhanced when the phosphoinositide lipid content is reduced, and the C-terminal domain is key to determining agonist response in vivo. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT TRPV1 is an essential protein for the mechanism whereby noxious stimuli, such as high temperatures and chemicals, cause pain. TRPV1 undergoes sensitization, a process in which inflammatory molecules enhance its response to other stimuli, thereby promoting pain hypersensitivity. Proalgesic agents produced in response to tissue injury activate PLC-coupled receptors and alter the membrane phosphoinositide lipid content. The mechanism by which phosphoinositide lipids modulate TRPV1 function has remained controversial. Determining whether membrane phosphoinositides are positive or negative regulators of TRPV1 function is critical for developing therapeutic strategies to ameliorate TRPV1-mediated inflammatory pain. We address the role of phosphoinositide lipids on TRPV1 function using an in vivo approach and report that phosphoinositide lipids reduce TRPV1 activity in vivo.
HIV Risk-Related Behaviors and Willingness to Use Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Black Americans with an Arrest History

Black individuals in the USA are arrested and incarcerated at a significantly higher rate than White individuals, and incarceration is associated with increased HIV vulnerability. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) reduces the risk for HIV transmission, but little is known about the relationship between HIV risk behavior and willingness to use PrEP among Black individuals with an arrest history. A total of 868 individuals completed a nationally representative survey and provided baseline data on sexual risk. Participants were grouped as those with a history of arrest (N = 226) and those with no history of arrest (N=619) based on self-reported arrest history. Our study examined HIV risk behaviors associated with willingness to use PrEP between those with arrest history and those without arrest history. Participants with an arrest history were more likely to have a lifetime history of anal sex (p<0.0001) and sexually transmitted diseases (p=0.0007). A history of multiple sexual partners in the past 3 months was associated with PrEP willingness in individuals with an arrest history [aPR 2.61 (1.77, 3.85), p<0.0001], adjusting for other covariates in the model. Differences in risk behavior and willingness to use PrEP exist by arrest history. Understanding these risk behaviors are necessary to increase access to PrEP. PrEP uptake and adherence interventions, when recommended and made available for individuals at substantive risk of HIV infection at the time of arrest and during incarceration, are essential to reducing the spread of HIV in correctional facilities and in communities to which they return.
The downside of downsizing: Persistence of racial disparities following state prison reform:

Nationwide, prison populations have declined nearly 5% from their peak, and 16 states have seen double-digit declines. It is unclear, though, how decarceration has affected racial disparities. Usin...
Multifactorial causation of early onset colorectal cancer

The multiple-hit hypothesis of cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC), states that neoplastic development requires a sequence of mutations and epigenetic changes in driver genes. We have previously proposed that obesity increases CRC risk by supporting neoplastic development through adipokine-induced signaling, and this proliferative signaling substitutes for specific driver gene mutations. In support of this hypothesis, analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) mutation data have revealed that obese patients with microsatellite stable CRC exhibit fewer driver gene mutations than CRC patients with normal body mass index. The lower number of driver gene mutations required for cancer development may shorten the neoplastic process and lead to an early onset of CRC. Therefore, obesity could be one factor explaining the rise of CRC incidence among younger individuals ( 50 years of age) is stable or declining, despite the high rates of metabolic syndrome and obesity in this age group. In search for explanations of this phenomenon, we discuss several factors that may contribute to the divergent CRC incidence trends in populations under, and above, the age of 50, despite the rising levels of metabolic syndrome and obesity across all ages. First, older individuals with metabolic dysregulation are more frequently on maintenance medications, such as aspirin, β-blockers, lipid-lowering drugs, ACE inhibitors, metformin, etc., compared to younger individuals. Such treatments may suppress specific adipokine-induced proliferative signaling pathways, and therefore counteract and slow down neoplastic development in medicated overweight/obese individuals. Second, in the past decades, the incidence of infectious diseases accompanied by febrile episodes has been decreasing and the use of antipyretics increasing. Compared to normal cells, neoplastic cells are more sensitive to high body temperature; therefore, the decreased number of febrile episodes in childhood and adolescence may contribute to increased cancer incidence before the age of 50. Third, obesity at younger age may expand the stem cell compartment. An increased number of intestinal stem cells and stem cell divisions translates into a higher probability of sporadic mutations in the stem cells, and therefore, a greater chance of neoplasia. In conclusion, we hypothesize that early onset CRC has multifactorial causation and the proposed associations could be examined through analyses of existing data.
Danone S.A.: Becoming a Mission-Driven Company (A)

Emmanuel Faber became CEO of Danone SA, the French food and beverage company, in 2014. Right from the start, he ran the company with a dual commitment to both profit and purpose (i.e., ESG objectives or “sustainability”). In fact, in 2018, he said, “It’s time to make sustainable business the only way of doing business.” The case examines his leadership and efforts to make Danone a more socially and environmentally responsible company, culminating with a shareholder vote in June 2020 to adopt a new legal status recently created under French corporate law called the “entreprise a mission” (EAM or mission-driven company). Shareholders overwhelmingly approved the bylaw change which allowed Danone to redefine its “raison d’etre” (corporate purpose) to include social and environmental objectives. In response, Faber said, “You have toppled the statue of Milton Friedman here today,” a reference to the author of the famous article entitled “The social responsibility of business is to increase profits.” As the first publicly traded company in France to adopt the new structure, all eyes were on Faber to see how he would run the company and simultaneously achieve multiple corporate objectives (purpose and profit). This case series has two pedagogical objectives. First it describes the steps one CEO took to become a mission-driven company—a more stakeholder-focused rather than shareholder-focused company. Right from the start of his tenure as CEO, Emmanuel Faber was committed to achieving purpose and profit. This dual commitment culminated in a formal change in the company’s bylaws allowing it to pursue social and environmental as well as financial objectives. The A case gives students an opportunity to analyze what it means to be a “mission-driven company.” Managing a company with multiple objectives, however, presents a number of challenges. The second objective of this case series is to analyze how Faber implemented the mission-driven governance structure in an attempt to provide lessons for other firms considering the adoption of a more stakeholder-oriented business model. The other cases explore the implementation process.
Black Earth and Ivory Tower: New American Essays from Farm and Classroom

Review of: "Black Earth and Ivory Tower: New American Essays from Farm and Classroom," edited by Zachary Michael Jack.
Aggressive cost-effective electricity conservation: Novel approaches

Abstract Scarce capital constrains the installation of new generating capacity in most developing countries. Pursuing electricity conservation through cost-effective end-use efficiency improvements offers an important way to reduce the demand for new capital. However, an array of barriers to improving efficiency prevents its implementation. Barriers may be overcome by the adoption of programmes which are succeeding in industrialized countries. These countries and multilateral donor institutions can help increase end-use efficiency in the developing world through loans and grants for utility companies and manufacturers. This paper suggests ways to increase the electricity efficiency of new and existing electricity end-uses in the developing countries. It draws a parallel to an idea from the environmental community and proposes requiring each new plant in selected industrial sectors to prepare an energy-efficiency impact statement.
Virulence genes, borders, and overdrive generate single-stranded T-DNA molecules from the A6 Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens transfers the T-DNA portion of its Ti plasmid to the nuclear genome of plant cells. Upon cocultivation of A. tumefaciens A348 with regenerating tobacco leaf protoplasts, six distinct single-stranded T-DNA molecules (T strands) were generated in addition to double-stranded T-DNA border cleavages which we have previously reported (K. Veluthambi, R.K. Jayaswal, and S.B. Gelvin, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:1881-1885, 1987). The T region of an octopine-type Ti plasmid has four border repeats delimiting three T-DNA regions defined as T left (TL), T center (TC), and T right (TR). The six T strands generated upon induction corresponded to the TL, TC, TR, TL + TC, TC + TR, and TL + TC + TR regions, suggesting that the initiation and termination of T-strand synthesis can occur at each of the four borders. Most TL + TC + TR T-strand molecules corresponded to the top T-DNA strand, whereas the other five T strands corresponded to the bottom T-DNA strand. Generation of T strands required the virA, virG, and virD operons. Extra copies of vir genes, harbored on cosmids within derivatives of A. tumefaciens A348, enhanced production of T strands. The presence of right and left border repeats in their native orientation is important for the generation of full-length T strands. When a right border repeat was placed in the opposite orientation, single-stranded T-DNA molecules that corresponded to the top strand were generated. Deletion of overdrive, a sequence that flanks right border repeats and functions as a T-DNA transmission enhancer, reduced the level of T-strand generation. Induction of A. tumefaciens cells by regenerating tobacco protoplasts increased the copy number of the Ti plasmid relative to the bacterial chromosome.
Extracting Knowledge of Concrete Shear Strength from Artificial Neural Networks

This article introduces an artificial neural network (ANN) to estimate the shear strength of reinforced concrete beams. Current methods for calculating shear strength use a model that is based on engineering mechanics and empirical values determined though testing of a beam failing due to shear. The current methods are intended to provide a conservative lower bound on the strength needed to prevent a shear failure. A database containing the results of over 1200 laboratory shear strength tests was used to train an ANN. The database contained the geometric and material property data from the test specimens and the recorded failure load. The ANN presented in this paper was able to predict the shear strength of reinforced concrete beams more accurately than the current approach. The ANN provides additional insight on the parameters that are most significant in estimating concrete shear strength, which may lead to a better understanding of the mechanism of shear failure.
Modeling a multi-step protein synthesis and purification process: A case study of a CAPE application in the pharmaceutical industry

Summary This paper described the application of Batch Plus in a biotech process development project. The use of the software in representing the process and in determining the overall material balance was discussed. The unit operations typically employed in bulk protein manufacturing, how these were modeled with the software and learning points from the model development process were described. The paper also discussed the context and environment within which the software was deployed. Business drivers, project structure and linkages to other corporate efforts were all described. Several conclusions were drawn regarding the application of Batch Plus in this project. Key among these was that it was worth using the tool because of the numerous benefits derived. The overall potential of the software was recognized as well as the fact that it was also evolving. The paper concluded by discussing some of the dimensions along which the tool was evolving and the direction of its technical development.
Managing Business Ethics and Opportunity Costs

Economic profits differ from accounting profits. Accounting profits are usually defined as revenues minus costs, and those costs as fixed and variable. Economic profits enlist a third cost, opportunity costs. While these costs are difficult to determine with mathematical precision, they are nonetheless significant, especially for decision making in business. They reflect social costs and benefits, tensions between individual and corporate interests, and all internal and external considerations which enter into decision making in business. It is precisely within opportunity cost decision making that Primeaux and Stieber situate business ethics.
Silicon-on-insulator technology for low power electronics

Low power electronics are the key enabling technology of a new class of highly functional portable information technology components and consumer products. The key challenge is to reduce power dissipation with minimal effect on computational performance. Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technologies offer the capability to maintain high device integration levels, reduce power supply voltages to <1 V, and concurrently reduce device capacitance, allowing high speed operation. Potential applications and technology insertion challenges for SOI are described.
Farming in the Prairie Peninsula, 1830-1890

Flaring westward from the upper valley of the Wabash lies the prairie triangle, embracing most of central and northern Illinois and almost all of Iowa. Much of this region today lies in the heart of the corn belt. Its economic history is a story of practical experimentation, adaptation, and change as its restless settlers endeavored after 1820 to unlock its wealth. To do so, the prairie pioneers had to adapt techniques and crops to the novel environment of an almost treeless grassland at a time when both technology and markets were undergoing revolutionary change. In 1830 the farm-makers had hardly begun their task; by the 1890's the land was tamed, the corn belt a fact, its farmers on the threshold of a golden age.
A note on adiabatic theorem for Markov chains

We state and prove a version of an adiabatic theorem for Markov chains using well-known facts about mixing times. We extend the result to the case of continuous time Markov chains with bounded generators.
Social Media Index Valuation: Impact of Technological, Social, Economic, and Ethical Dimensions

Marketing practitioners have recognized a growing need to measure consumer-generated social media in a standard way since there are numerous social media indicators in use, making intra- and inter-company comparisons difficult. This paper identifies four social media dimensions for measurement and evaluation: technological, social, economic, and ethical; and, subsequently, measures social media. The study makes a contribution to social media literature by using analytic hierarchy process of developing a mathematical model for social media index valuation. The “social media composite index number” will serve as an industry benchmark signifying the organization's share and commitment to social media.
Reduced Expression of the Molecular Markers of Dopaminergic Neuronal Atrophy in the Aging Rat Brain

Expression of mRNAs encoding the dopamine transporter (DAT) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) was examined in young and aged Fischer 344 rats by in situ hybridization. Quantitative analysis revealed a statistically significant decline in both DAT and TH mRNA expression in 24-month-old rats in comparison to 6-month-old rats. In addition, it was noted that DAT mRNA expression tended to decrease by 18 months, while TH mRNA reduction did not occur until 24 months. The age-related loss of DAT and TH mRNA expressions was accompanied by diminished expression of mRNA for a neuronal growth-associated protein GAP-43, but not for SCG10 or alpha 1-tubulin. The loss of GAP-43 mRNA became evident when both DAT and TH gene expression declined with advanced age. Our findings indicate that DAT may be a marker of atrophy in dopamine neurons during normal aging.
Automatic conservation law and gauge invariance in space-time with torsion potential

In a theory of gravitation with propagating torsion and a torsion potential, it is shown that the Bianchi identity along with the field equations is equivalent to the Noether identity derived from the Lagrangian. It is also shown how the gauge invariance of the torsion tensor is a necessary ingredient in this proof.
Paclitaxel Disposition in Plasma and Central Nervous Systems of Humans and Rats With Brain Tumors

Background Paclitaxel (Taxol) has been shown to sensitize some malignant cells to the effects of radiation. A number of clinical protocols, combining paclitaxel with radiation therapy, have been designed to exploit this phenomenon. The radiation-potentiating effect of paclitaxel is likely dependent on the ability of the drug to penetrate the tissue being radiated. Paclitaxel is known to have limited access to the central nervous system (CNS) of rats and mice, but its ability to penetrate malignant tissue in the CNS is inadequately documented. Purpose Our purpose was to examine the concentrations of paclitaxel in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with CNS malignancies and in normal and malignant tissues from the brains of Fischer rats bearing the C6 rat glioma and then to compare those paclitaxel concentrations with concomitant paclitaxel concentrations in the plasma of those same patients and animals. Methods Four patients were treated with 3-hour infusions of paclitaxel at doses between 90 and 200 mg/m2. Plasma and CSF were sampled at 0.33, 1.5, 3.25, 5, 6, and 24 hours after initiation of the paclitaxel infusion. Four Fischer rats had 20,000 C6 glioma cells stereotactically implanted into their right frontal lobes; 28 days later, they were given 3-hour infusions of paclitaxel at 10 mg/kg. Plasma was sampled during the paclitaxel infusion. At the completion of the infusion, rats were killed, and portions of their normal and malignant CNS tissues were removed for histologic assessment. Concentrations of paclitaxel in plasma, CSF, and brain tissue were determined with high-pressure liquid chromatography. Results Plasma pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel in patients with brain tumors were comparable to those previously described in patients with other malignancies. Paclitaxel could be measured in CSF of all patients, but concentrations were very low. Peak paclitaxel concentrations in CSF ranged between 5 and 83 nM and occurred between 3.25 and 5 hours after initiation of the paclitaxel infusion. Peak paclitaxel concentrations in CSF were between 0.12% and 8.3% of those present in concomitant plasma samples. Paclitaxel was not detectable in the normal or malignant CNS tissue of any rat, despite the fact that plasma concentrations of paclitaxel at the time of tissue acquisition ranged from 0.62 to 153 microM. Conclusions Paclitaxel has only limited access to the CSF of patients with CNS malignancies and to normal and malignant CNS tissues of rats bearing brain tumors. Implications The utility of combining paclitaxel with radiation therapy to treat CNS malignancies should be considered in light of the documented limited access of paclitaxel to the CNS.
Imaging TCR-Dependent NFAT-Mediated T-Cell Activation with Positron Emission Tomography In Vivo

A noninvasive method for molecular imaging of T-cell activity in vivo would be of considerable value. It would aid in understanding the role of specific genes and signal transduction pathways in the course of normal and pathologic immune responses, and could elucidate temporal dynamics and immune regulation at different stages of disease and following therapy. We developed and assessed a novel method for monitoring the T-cell receptor (TCR)-dependent nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)-mediated activation of T cells by optical fluorescence imaging (OFI) and positron emission tomography (PET). The herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase/green fluorescent protein [HSV1-tk/GFP (TKGFP)] dual reporter gene was used to monitor NFAT-mediated transcriptional activation in human Jurkat cells. A recombinant retrovirus bearing the NFAT-TKGFP reporter system was constructed in which the TKGFP reporter gene was placed under control of an artificial cis-acting NFAT-specific enhancer. Transduced Jurkat cells were used to establish subcutaneous infiltrates in nude rats. We demonstrated that noninvasive OFI and nuclear imaging of T-cell activation is feasible using the NFAT-TKGFP reporter system. PET imaging with [(124)I]FIAU using the NFAT-TKGFP reporter system is sufficiently sensitive to detect T-cell activation in vivo. PET images were confirmed by independent measurements of T-cell activation (e.g., CD69) and induction of GFP fluorescence. PET imaging of TCR-induced NFAT-dependent transcriptional activity may be useful in the assessment of T cell responses, T-cell-based adoptive therapies, vaccination strategies and immunosuppressive drugs.