cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induced and spontaneous seizures in man produce increases in regional brain lipid detected by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Elevations of brain concentrations of arachidonic acid and other free fatty acids (FFAs) by seizures induced in animals were demonstrated some years ago. Similarly, large shifts of potassium (K+) from intra- to extracellular space during seizure activity have been documented in numerous studies. More recent studies of cell membrane function demonstrated a direct effect of FFAs on membrane K+ conductance, suggesting that FFAs may play a primary role in seizure evolution in brain tissue. Using electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), in which generalized seizures are induced in patients by passage of electrical current, as a controlled human model of seizures, we studied the in vivobiochemical effects of single generalized seizures with localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS). We found that ECT reliably induces an elevation in the lipid signal that resonates at approximately 1.2 ppm. We observed a similar increase in brain lipids in a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy temporarily off medication; the signal disappeared after re-medication. Similar observations were noted for a subject with focal gliosis bordering a resected brain tumor. Finally, acute alcohol effects seem also to induce observable lipid changes. The 1H MRS technique does not yet permit direct identification of the specific lipids involved but analysis of cerebrospinal fluid obtained by lumbar puncture before and immediately after ECT may permit more precise characterization of the observed lipid increases. Theoretical and clinical implications of these results for the study of brain FFAs and epilepsy will be discussed.
Linking Biological and Social Approaches to Personality: Evolution, Gender, and Cognition

Gender differences in mating strategies reflect evolved genetic predispositions manifested in ongoing cognition, preferences, and behavior. A summary of general principles of evolutionary psychology is followed by specific applications to gender differences. Several lines of related research are summarized One line of research suggests that male preferences for relatively youthful females, and the converse female preference for older males, do not fit prevailing normative theories. Cross-cultural and developmental data are more consistent with an evolutionary model. Another line of research finds sex differences relatively most pronounced when the sexes differ most in potential parental investment (i.e., when considering casual sexual relationships). Under those circumstances, males’ mate criteria are lower than females, and relatively uncorrected with their own self-evaluations. The final program of research considers gender differences in ongoing social cognition. Discussion considers potential fusion of cognitive science and evolutionary psychology, and the essential importance of personality and social psychology to such an integration.
Protoplanetary Disk Heating and Evolution Driven by the Spiral Density Waves

High-resolution imaging of some protoplanetary disks in scattered light reveals presence of the global spiral arms of significant amplitude, likely excited by massive planets or stellar companions. Assuming that these arms are density waves, evolving into spiral shocks, we assess their effect on the thermodynamics, accretion, and global evolution of the disk. We derive analytical expressions for the direct (irreversible) heating, angular momentum transport, and mass accretion rate induced by the disk shocks of arbitrary strength. We find these processes to be very sensitive to the shock amplitude. Focusing on the waves of moderate strength (density jump at the shock $\Delta\Sigma/\Sigma\sim 1$) we show the associated disk heating to be negligible (contributing at $\sim 1\%$ level to the energy budget) in passive, irradiated protoplanetary disks on $\sim 100$ AU scales, but becoming important within several AU from the star. At the same time, shock heating can be a significant (or even dominant) energy source in disks of cataclysmic variables, stellar X-ray binaries, and supermassive black hole binaries, heated mainly by viscous dissipation. Mass accretion induced by the global spiral shocks is comparable to (or exceeds) the mass inflow due to viscous stresses. Protoplanetary disks featuring prominent global spirals must be evolving rapidly, in $\lesssim 0.5$ Myr at $\sim 100$ AU. A direct upper limit on the disk evolution timescale can be established via the measurement of the gravitational torque due to the spiral arms from the imaging data. Our findings suggest that, regardless of their origin, global spiral waves must be important agents of the protoplanetary disk evolution. They may serve as an effective mechanism of disk dispersal and could be related to the transitional disk phenomenon.
Systematics of the Papilio glaucus and P. troilus Species Groups (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae): Inferences from Allozymes

Host plant associations have been studied extensively in swallowtail butterflies of the Papilio glaucus L. and P. troilus L. species groups, but taxonomic status of these species has not been fully resolved. We used allozyme electrophoresis to score butterflies representing 12 of 13 described taxa for 26 enzyme loci. Our results show that six taxa within the P. glaucus group ( alexiares Hoppfer, canadensis Rothschild & Jordan, eurymedon Lucas, glaucus, multicaudatus Kirby, and rutulus Lucas) are differentiated sufficiently from one another to warrant recognition as distinct species. For the P. troilus group, we recognize three species ( palamedes Drury, pilumnus Boisduval, and troilus ) and two subspecies ( troilus troilus and troilus ilioneus Smith). Phylogenetic analysis of allozyme characters for the P. glaucus group reveals that P. glaucus and P. alexiares are sister taxa. Relationships among other species in the group are less certain. In the P. troilus group, P. palamedes and P. troilus represent a lineage distinct from P. pilumnus .
Kinetics of Copper Oxidation in the Air Reactor of a Chemical Looping Combustion System using the Law of Additive Reaction Times

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is one of the promising technologies for fuel combustion which has the potential to reduce the energy penalty associated with the CO2 capture process. A CLC system typically consists of two interconnected fluidized beds that act as a fuel and an air reactor, with a recirculating metal/metal-oxide system acting as the carrier of oxygen from the latter to the former. Insights to the design and optimization of an air reactor in a CLC process could be obtained by analyzing the oxidation kinetics by the Law of Additive Reaction Times. The law offers an approximate closed form solution for a gas–solid reaction in which structural changes on reaction can be neglected. It takes into account the pore diffusion of gaseous species in the interior of the porous oxygen carrier. This is in contrast to shrinking-core model, which assumes the occurrence of the reaction along a well-defined sharp reaction interface that progresses into the solid as the reaction occurs; when applied to an ...
GENDER DISPARITIES IN ST-ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION CARE AND OUTCOMES IN EMERGING COUNTRIES: A GLOBAL LUMEN ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN (GLOW) INITIATIVE AND CALL TO ACTION

In the past decade, outcomes for patients with acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have improved in the developed world as a result of an organized revolution in STEMI-care. Concurrently, the Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) burden in the developing world is steadily rising.
Benign Myoclonus of Early Infancy

To redefine benign myoclonus of early infancy (BMEI), clinical and neurophysiologic features in 102 infants (60 male) with brief paroxysmal abnormal movements and normal neurologic and psychomotor development were studied at one center in Argentina and two in Italy.
208 PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF PREOSTEOBLASTS IN AN IN VITRO MODEL OF DISTRACTION OSTEOGENESIS

Introduction Distraction osteogenesis is widely used in surgical correction of craniofacial skeleton abnormalities, however, its underlying cellular mechanisms are poorly understood. We used a new in vitro model, the microdistractor, to study changes in morphology, proliferation and differentiation of preosteoblasts under mechanical strain. Methods Mouse calvarial immortalized cell line, MC3T3 cells were suspended in a polymerized three-dimensional collagen gel and subjected to either a distraction (tension stress), oscillation (alternating tension/compression stress), or no stress schedule for 14 days. Cell aspect ratio (largest/smallest diameter), deviation from axis of stress, proliferation (cell number), and expression of osteogenic lineage markers were monitored for all groups. Results Cell morphology changed differently depending on stress schedule, but consistently within experimental groups and throughout the gels. Aspect ratio increased for all cells, but was greatest for the distracted group. The orientation of cells with respect to the linear axis of stress was either arbitrary (control), parallel (during distraction), or perpendicular (during compression). Proliferation and differentiation into osteogenic lineage occurred in all groups, with greatest cell count and protein concentration in the distraction group, and earliest osteogenic marker expression in the oscillation group. Conclusions The microdistractor is an effective in vitro model of distraction osteogenesis, yielding uniform stress distribution throughout the gel and consistent changes in two cell morphologic parameters. Distraction is more effective than oscillation in stimulating proliferation of preosteoblastic cells, however, oscillation induces differentiation into osteogenic lineage earlier than distraction does. Studies using adipose derived stem cells in the microdistractor system are ongoing.
Controversies in the Management of Nodular Thyroid Disease

The American Thyroid Association guidelines serve as the foundation for the management of patients with nodular thyroid disease. While the evaluation and management of nontoxic nodular thyroid disease are straightforward, several areas of controversy exist including the appropriate management of patients with a thyroid nodule and an FNAB categorized as atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AFLUS), the intraoperative management and extent of thyroidectomy for patients with an FNAB suspicious for papillary thyroid cancer, and the extent of thyroidectomy for patients with benign nodular thyroid disease and an established indication for surgical therapy. Some of the controversy is related to the introduction of the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC) in 2008. This is especially true for AFLUS, a new heterogeneous category with at least eight cytologic possibilities that are neither definitively benign nor definitively neoplastic. Due to institutional variation in experience with the BSRTC, there is significant variation in the reported incidence and rate of malignancy for each cytologic category.
Low affinity IgE receptors (Fc epsilon RII).

As indicated herein, the FceRII, defined rather simply as the “low affinity” receptor for IgE, exists on a variety of cell types. Present evidence from the cloning of the human lymphocyte FceRII and the α-chain of the FceRI combined with additional biochemical data indicate that the two receptors are products of different genes and that they interact with different sites on the IgE molecule. The lymphocyte receptor also sheds a FceRII fragment into the media; in the human, but not murine, system this fragment retains IgE binding activity and has been termed an IgE-BF. The possible immunoregulatory activity of the fragment is an area of active investigation, however, at present the function is unclear. Recent evidence pointing to B cell stimulatory activities of the lymphocyte FceRII are pointing to new previously unsuspected roles for this molecule. The FceRII on macrophages, platelets, and eosinophils is not as well structurally characterized; however, functional studies point to a role in parasitic immunity. The exact relationship between the FceRII on the various cell types, via the use of molecular probes, should be soon available.
Language interaction effects in bimodal bilingualism: Argument omission in the languages of hearing ASL-English bilinguals

The focus of the paper is a phenomenon well documented in both monolingual and bilingual English acquisition: argument omission. Previous studies have shown that bilinguals acquiring a null and a non-null argument language simultaneously tend to exhibit unidirectional cross-language interaction effects — the null argument language remains unaffected but over-suppliance of overt elements in the null argument language is observed. Here subject and object omission in both ASL (null argument) and English (non-null argument) of young ASL-English bilinguals is examined. Results demonstrate that in spontaneous English production, ASL-English bilinguals omit subjects and objects to a higher rate, for longer, and in unexpected environments when compared with English monolinguals and bilinguals; no effect on ASL is observed. Findings also show that the children differentiate between their two languages — rates of argument omission in English are different during ASL vs. English target sessions differ. Implications for the general theory of bilingual effects are offered.
A Prehistoric Farm Site Near Cave Creek, Arizona

AbstractAt the request of the Phoenix office of the Bureau of Land Management the Arizona State Museum surveyed an area scheduled to be used as a sanitary land fill near Cave Creek, Arizona. Two field houses and numerous field borders were discovered within the area and were mapped. One of the houses was excavated. Two additional houses were found north of the survey area.
Assessment of sex differences in bone deficits among adolescents with anorexia nervosa

Objective The objective of this study was to compare sex differences in bone deficits among adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and to identify other correlates of bone health. Method Electronic medical records of all patients 9–20 years of age with a DSM-5 diagnosis of AN who were evaluated by the eating disorders program at Stanford with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) between March 1997 and February 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Whole body bone mineral content Z-scores and bone mineral density (BMD) Z-scores at multiple sites were recorded using the Bone Mineral Density in Childhood Study (BMDCS) reference data. Results A total of 25 males and 253 females with AN were included, with median age 15 years (interquartile range [IQR] 14–17) and median duration of illness 9 months (IQR 5–13). Using linear regression analyses, no significant sex differences in bone deficits were found at the lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck, or whole body when controlling for age, %mBMI, and duration of illness. Lower %mBMI was significantly associated with bone deficits at all sites in adjusted models. Discussion This is the first study to evaluate sex differences in bone health among adolescents with AN, using novel DSM-5 criteria for AN and robust BMDCS reference data. We find no significant sex differences in bone deficits among adolescents with AN except for a higher proportion of females with femoral neck BMD Z-scores <-1. Degree of malnutrition was correlated with bone deficits at all sites. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:352–358)
Phase evolution and electrochemical performance of iron doped lanthanum strontium chromite in oxidizing and reducing atmosphere

Abstract Effect of oxygen partial pressure (PO2) on the processing and phase evolution in (La0.8Sr0.2)0.95Cr0.7Fe0.3O3 (LSCF) is investigated under high temperature electrochemical device fabrication conditions at 1400 °C and oxygen partial pressure (PO2) varying from 0.21 to 10−10 atm. Formation of Fe enriched phase is identified in the samples exposed to reducing atmosphere and the amount of the phase increases with decrease in PO2. LSCF dissociates and forms FeOx when exposed to Ar-3%H2-3%H2O at 1400 °C. LSCF decomposition and the formation of FeOx is in agreement with the thermodynamic simulation results obtained using ThermoCalc with the La-Sr-Cr-Fe-O thermodynamic database. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement on the symmetrical cell of configuration LSCF-YSZ/YSZ/LSCF-YSZ shows high polarization resistance in oxidizing atmosphere when compared to reducing atmosphere under operating conditions (T ∼ 950 °C and PO2 ∼ 0.21–10−16 atm). No degradation and microstructural changes are identified in the samples exposed to air for 80 h. Surface of LSCF phase is significantly modified in Ar-3%H2-3%H2O atmosphere after electrochemical testing for 80 h. Higher stability and electrochemical performance of LSCF is obtained in air when compared with Ar-3%H2-3%H2O. Unlike oxidizing atmosphere, post characterization TEM results show thin SrZrO3 layer formation at the LSCF/8YSZ interface in reducing atmosphere.
The Degree of Rate Control: A Powerful Tool for Catalysis Research

The “degree of rate control” (DRC) is a mathematical approach for analyzing multistep reaction mechanisms that has proven very useful in catalysis research. It identifies the “rate-controlling transition states and intermediates” (i.e., those whose DRCs are large in magnitude). Even in mechanisms with over 30 intermediates and transition states, these are generally just a few distinct chemical species whose energies, if they could be independently changed, would achieve a faster net reaction rate to the product of interest. For example, when there is a single “rate-determining step”, the DRC for its transition state (TS) is 1, which means (by definition) that if this TS’s energy could be decreased by kBT (where kB is Boltzmann’s constant and T is temperature), the net rate would increase by a factor of e. Because the (relative) energies of these key adsorbed intermediates and transition states can be adjusted by modifying the catalyst or solvent, or even a reactant’s molecular structure, the DRC values pr...
Abstract 043: Regulation of cardiac excitability by non-canonical Sonic Hedgehog signaling.

Introduction: Induction of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) in the myocardium post myocardial infarction promotes neovascularization and reduces infarct size. Shh signals through the 7-TM protein Smoothened (SMO), which we have found to couple to Gi proteins. Our goal is to investigate the effect of Shh on myocardial excitability and electrical remodeling and the role of SMO/Gi coupling. Methods and Results: We performed whole-cell patch clamp action potential and K+ currents measurements, biochemistry and volume-conducted ECG measurements in Langerdoff preparations using wild type and transgenic GiCT mice with inducible cardiomyocyte-specific impaired Gi protein signaling. In normal hearts and isolated cardiomyocytes, Shh reduced by 80% the isoproterenol-induced cAMP increase and protein kinase A (PKA) activation (p Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that acute Shh signaling in the heart leads to reshaping of the action potential (AP) and results in a dramatic increase of ventricular arrhythmias. Our data constitute the first evidence that acute, noncanonical Shh signaling may be implicated in the pathological electrical remodeling that sets the substrate for life-threatening arrhythmias in HF patients.
Cross-country gender DIF in PISA science literacy items

This study investigated gender based differential item functioning (DIF) in science literacy items included in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012. Prior research has sugge...
Porphinogen Formation from the Co-Oligomerization of Formaldehyde and Pyrrole: Free Energy Pathways

We have investigated the nonoxidative stepwise co-oligomerization of formaldehyde and pyrrole to form porphinogen using density functional theory calculations that include free energy corrections. While the addition of formaldehyde to the pyrrole nitrogen is kinetically favored, thermodynamics suggest that this reaction is reversible in aqueous solution. The more thermodynamically favorable addition of formaldehyde to the ortho-carbon of pyrrole begins a stepwise process, forming dipyrromethane via an azafulvene intermediate. Subsequent additions of formaldehyde and pyrrole lead to bilanes (linear tetrapyrroles), which favorably cyclize to form porphinogen. Porphinogen is a precursor to porphin, the simplest unsubstituted porphyrin that could have played a role in primitive metabolism at the origin of life.
Mise en Scène: The Indictment

The revolutionaries attacked the premises and functioning of the international order under the old regime where war was the norm and peace the exception and states recognized no bonds but self-interest. They also critiqued the demonstrable foreign policy failures of Louis XV and Louis XVI which reduced France to a nullity and underscored its impotence. The revolutionaries could draw upon a long tradition of criticism of the diplomatic system. Statesmen, philosophers, and clerics in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, including Leibniz, Mably, and Fenelon, critiqued both the system and the king, as did many of the philosophes, notably Montesquieu, Rousseau, Diderot, and Holbach. Even worse from the perspective of many was to engage in war and repeatedly fail as the kings did.
Mycorrhizal fungi increase yields of winter wheat

In western Nebraska, declines in soil populations of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi with continued wheat production in wheat-fallow rotations were observed. The significance of these declines was difficult to evaluate since the effect of VAM on grain yields under field conditions was unknown. This project was initiated to determine the effect of VAM fungi on the yield of winter wheat.
Finding an Interval for the Next Observation from a Normal Distribution

An interval within which the next observation from a normal population can be expected to lie is constructed and contrasted with a confidence interval and a tolerance interval...
p53 Family Members: p63 and p73

Almost two decades subsequent to the discovery of p53, two homologues p63 and p73 were revealed. Much excitement erupted in the p53 field due to the fact that these genes bear significant homology to p53 primarily in the DNA binding domain. Although the structure of these genes is quite complex, p63 and p73 have been shown to have similar functions to p53 transcriptionally activating a number of known p53 target genes. In mouse models deficient for p63 and p73, developmental roles for these genes have been unveiled. To date, no clear evidence has shown that these genes have tumor suppressive functions similar to those seen for p53, but p63 and p73 have been shown to play a role in apoptosis, an important antitumorigenic pathway. A previously unrecognized connection between p53 and its family members has recently been revealed. p53 depends on p63 and p73 for the induction of apoptosis in response to DNA damage. These new p53 family members appear to be necessary for p53 to bind to DNA and transactivate target genes involved in the apoptotic response. While p63 and p73 were only recently discovered, many new functions of these genes have been found that have important implications for the p53 pathway and cancer therapy.
Prediction of RNA-RNA interaction structure by centroids in the Boltzmann ensemble

New high-throughput sequencing technologies have made it possible to pursue the advent of genome-wide transcriptomics. That progress combined with the recent discovery of regulatory non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) has necessitated fast and accurate algorithms to predict RNA-RNA interaction probability and structure. Although there are algorithms to predict minimum free energy interaction secondary structure for two nucleic acids, little work has been done to exploit the information invested in the base pair probabilities to improve interaction structure prediction. In this paper, we present an algorithm to predict the Hamming centroid of the Boltzmann ensemble of interaction structures. We also present an efficient algorithm to sample interaction structures from the ensemble. Our sampling algorithm uses a balanced scheme for traversing indices which improves the running time of the Ding-Lawrence sampling algorithm. The Ding-Lawrence sampling algorithm has $O(n^2m^2)$ time complexity whereas our algorithm has $O((n+m)^2\log(n+m))$ time complexity, in which $n$ and $m$ are the lengths of input strands. We implemented our algorithm in a new version of {\tt piRNA} and compared our structure prediction results with competitors. Our centroid prediction outperforms competitor minimum-free-energy prediction algorithms on average.
Comprehensive Risk-based Planning for Small Unmanned Aircraft System Rooftop Landing

The expected proliferation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) has prompted many to question their safety and reliability, particularly in urban areas. Failures and anomalies can lead to the need for emergency landing, which in turn requires the UAS operator or autonomy to rapidly identify and evaluate the risks for possible landing sites and trajectories to reach these sites. This paper proposes a method to optimize the overall emergency landing site and flight path risks. Although sensors can scan an immediate area, no safe site might be observable in which case pre-processed data on more distant safe sites is required. For example, in urban regions, out of sight flat rooftops may pose less risk to people and property than landing in streets or sidewalks. This paper proposes the offline construction of a landing site database using a variety of public data sources, uniquely allowing for the assessment of risk associated with a rooftop landing. A real-time map-based planner is presented that demonstrates a novel trade-off between landing site risk and path risk and provides a heuristic to improve decision-making efficiency.
Cervical and Cervicothoracic Sagittal Alignment According to Roussouly Thoracolumbar Subtypes.

Study Design.Cross-sectional cohort.Objective.To determine normative radiographic sagittal cervical alignment in asymptomatic volunteers based on Roussouly thoracolumbar sagittal alignment subtypes.Summary of Background Data.Comprehension of differences in cervicothoracic alignment with respect to v
Sputtering of water ice by keV electrons at 60 K

Abstract We have measured the sputtering yield of H2O–ice for 0.5–10 keV electrons at 60 K using microbalance gravimetry. We find that over the energy range studied Y (H2O) changes by a factor of ∼16, indicating that there is a clear relation between Y (H2O) and Se. The laboratory data is qualitatively consistent with previous laboratory studies involving ion irradiation of H2O–ice and the trend with energy is reasonably fit by the most recent model for electron induced sputtering of H2O–ice, although the model overestimates the yield by at least a factor of three. In addition, we show that the irradiation history of our H2O–ice samples can strongly influence the measured Y, as temporary enhancements in Y as high as a factor of six were observed, which we speculate is a result of the release of radiolytically-produced O2 that is trapped below the surface of our H2O–ice samples.
Mitral chordae tendineae force profile characterization using a posterior ventricular anchoring neochordal repair model for mitral regurgitation in a three-dimensional-printed ex vivo left heart simulator.

OBJECTIVES Posterior ventricular anchoring neochordal (PVAN) repair is a non-resectional technique for correcting mitral regurgitation (MR) due to posterior leaflet prolapse, utilizing a single suture anchored in the myocardium behind the leaflet. This technique has demonstrated clinical efficacy, although a theoretical limitation is stability of the anchoring suture. We hypothesize that the PVAN suture positions the leaflet for coaptation, after which forces are distributed evenly with low repair suture forces. METHODS Porcine mitral valves were mounted in a 3-dimensional-printed heart simulator and chordal forces, haemodynamics and echocardiography were collected at baseline, after inducing MR by severing chordae, and after PVAN repair. Repair suture forces were measured with a force-sensing post positioned to mimic in vivo suture placement. Forces required to pull the myocardial suture free were also determined. RESULTS Relative primary and secondary chordae forces on both leaflets were elevated during prolapse (P < 0.05). PVAN repair eliminated MR in all valves and normalized chordae forces to baseline levels on anterior primary (0.37 ± 0.23 to 0.22 ± 0.09 N, P < 0.05), posterior primary (0.62 ± 0.37 to 0.14 ± 0.05 N, P = 0.001), anterior secondary (1.48 ± 0.52 to 0.85 ± 0.43 N, P < 0.001) and posterior secondary chordae (1.42 ± 0.69 to 0.59 ± 0.17 N, P = 0.005). Repair suture forces were minimal, even compared to normal primary chordae forces (0.08 ± 0.04 vs 0.19 ± 0.08 N, P = 0.002), and were 90 times smaller than maximum forces tolerated by the myocardium (0.08 ± 0.04 vs 6.9 ± 1.3 N, P < 0.001). DISCUSSION PVAN repair eliminates MR by positioning the posterior leaflet for coaptation, distributing forces throughout the valve. Given extremely low measured forces, the strength of the repair suture and the myocardium is not a limitation.
Community College Instructors' Perceptions of Constraints and Affordances Related to Teaching Quantitative Biology Skills and Concepts.

This study examined the experiences of community college faculty teaching quantitative skills in biology courses. Challenges of and affordances to teaching quantitative biology were identified, mos...
Genetic color polymorphism of the Whitelined Sphinx moth larva (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)

For a trait to be considered polymorphic, it must fulfill both genetic and ecological criteria. Genetically, a polymorphic trait must have multiple heritable variants, potentially from the same female, in high-enough frequency as to not be due to mutation. Ecologically, in a single wild population, these variants must co-occur, and be capable of interbreeding. Polymorphism is frequently considered in the context of either geographical cause or genetic consequence. However, the incorporation of both in a single study can facilitate our understanding of the role that polymorphism may play in speciation. Here, we ask if the two color morphs (green and yellow) exhibited by larvae of the whitelined sphinx moth, Hyles lineata (Fabricius), co-occur in wild populations, in what frequencies, and whether they are genetically determined. Upon confirmation from field surveys that the two color morphs do co-occur in wild populations, we determined heritability. We conducted a series of outcrosses, intercrosses and backcrosses using individuals that had exhibited yellow or green as laboratory-reared larvae. Ratios of yellow:green color distribution from each familial cross were then compared with ratios one would expect from a single gene, yellow-recessive model using a two-sided binomial exact test. The offspring from several crosses indicate that the yellow and green coloration is a genetic polymorphism, primarily controlled by one gene in a single-locus, two-allele Mendelian-inheritance pattern. Results further suggest that while one gene primarily controls color, there may be several modifier genes interacting with it.
Can a protophobic vector boson explain the ATOMKI anomaly

Abstract In 2016, the ATOMKI collaboration announced [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 042501 (2016)] observing an unexpected enhancement of the e + - e − pair production signal in one of the Be 8 nuclear transitions induced by an incident proton beam on a 7Li target. Many beyond-standard-model physics explanations have subsequently been proposed. One popular theory is that the anomaly is caused by the creation of a protophobic vector boson (X) with a mass around 17 MeV [e.g. Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 071803 (2016)] in the nuclear transition. We study this hypothesis by deriving an isospin relation between photon and X couplings to nucleons. This allows us to find simple relations between protophobic X-production cross sections and those for measured photon production. The net result is that X production is dominated by direct transitions induced by E 1 X and L 1 X (transverse and longitudinal electric dipoles) and C 1 X (charge dipole) without going through any nuclear resonance (i.e. Bremsstrahlung radiation) with a smooth energy dependence that occurs for all proton beam energies above threshold. This contradicts the experimental observations and invalidates the protophobic vector boson explanation.
Political theology of international order: William Bain, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2020, ISBN 9780198859901 (hbk), 288 pp.

I must confess that I had begun to despair that I would ever read anything regarding the topic of ‘world order’ that did not either founder on the Scylla of unreflexive secularism or drown in the C...
Refractory Orolingual Angioedema after Alteplase Treatment: A Novel Approach (5416)

Objective: NA Background: Orolingual angioedema is an uncommon, albeit well-established, side effect of tissue plasminogen activator. Herein presented is an especially refractory case with multiple confounding factors which was successfully treated with a novel approach, thus circumventing impending partial glossectomy. Design/Methods: Authors’ active participation in multidisciplinary treatment plan of care and subsequent chart review regarding patient’s hospital stay in a neurocritical care unit from 3/2019–5/2019. Results: A 48-year-old African American man with a history of trisomy 21 (with baseline macroglossia and an oral fixation), hypertension, and diabetes mellitus presented to an outside hospital with acute onset right sided weakness, aphasia, and left gaze deviation. Patient was administered tPA prior to transfer to a comprehensive stroke center for further evaluation and treatment. By the time of arrival, he had developed severe orolingual angioedema requiring nasotracheal intubation prior to mechanical thrombectomy of his large vessel occlusion. Orolingual angioedema proved to be refractory to epinephrine, antihistamines, and steroid infusions. Additionally, repetitive trauma due to patient continuously biting his tongue resulted in persistent swelling after the initial period of stabilization, despite bite blocks and a trial of neuromuscular blockade with train of four monitoring. Patient required tracheostomy during this period as well. Conservative measures including onabotulinum toxin injections to the masseters and pterygoids and application of serial pressure dressings to the tongue ultimately resulted in reduction of orolingual edema to the point his tongue was able to again fit in his oral cavity without need for partial glossectomy. Conclusions: A novel approach to refractory orolingual angioedema after alteplase administration is presented in which conservative measures including medication management and mechanical intervention with serial pressure dressings resulted in sufficient resolution of symptoms to avoid operative intervention. Disclosure: Dr. Robinson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gomez Siegert has nothing to disclose. Dr. Aysenne has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dunn has nothing to disclose.
Improving Security Through Reducing Employee Rights

In the name of security, there have recently been many reductions or amendments of rights. The most widely publicized and discussed of these, in the United States, have concerned civil liberties. Less well-known, but also important, are reductions of employee rights, particularly rights of representation and employment security.Even these rights have a constitutional aspect. Government employee unions have claimed the new legislation violates employees’ due process rights under the United States’ Constitution. And, in fact, under American constitutional law, whether a government employee has a right to due process does depend on how much employment security is granted that employee by statute.I make no claim, however, that these rights are as long-established or highly valued as civil liberties. Private sector employees, as most airport screeners were until recently, have had representation rights for less than 70 years. United States government employees have had representation rights for only about 40 years, and those rights have been codified only since 1978.
Constitutional Authority, Common Resources, and the Climate

This work sets out to re-examine and challenge the history of the property clause with an eye towards increased congressional reliance on it in the face of daunting threats to our natural environment. No one could seriously question the primary motivations of the Framers, but that does not foreclose the importance of searching for secondary motivations that deepen our understanding of arguably the Constitution’s most explicitly environmental provision. Eugene Gaetke’s work in the 1980’s and Peter Appel’s work twenty years later laid the groundwork for the argument here by pushing back on the originalist argument for a narrow interpretation of Congress’s power under the clause. The argument put forward in this piece completes the picture, making an affirmative case for a fuller, conservationist original understanding, one that acknowledges the historic role of the federal government in preserving the nation’s environment and natural resources.
Pearls and Pitfalls of Imaging in Pediatric Brain Tumors

The central nervous system (CNS) tumors constitute the most common type of solid tumors in the pediatric population. The cerebral and cerebellar parenchyma are the most common site of pediatric CNS neoplasms. Imaging plays an important role in detection, characterization, staging and prognostication of brain tumors. The focus of the current article is pediatric brain tumor imaging with emphasis on pearls and pitfalls of conventional and advanced imaging in various pediatric brain tumor subtypes. The article also elucidates changes in brain tumor terms and entities as applicable to pediatric patients, updated as per World Health Organization (WHO) 2016 classification of primary CNS tumors. This classification introduced the genetic and/or molecular information of primary CNS neoplasms as part of comprehensive tumor pathology report in the routine clinical workflow. The concepts from 2016 classification have been further refined based on current research, by the Consortium to Inform Molecular and Practical Approaches to CNS Tumor Taxonomy (cIMPACT-NOW) group and published in the form of updates. The updates serve as guidelines in the time interval between WHO updates and expect to be broadly adopted in the subsequent WHO classification. The current review covers most pediatric brain tumors except pituitary tumors, meningeal origin tumors, nerve sheath tumors and CNS lymphoma/leukemia.
The Multiple Burdens of Malnutrition

This chapter explains the importance of nutrition in the life cycle and the impact of malnutrition across generations. Malnutrition takes different forms: undernutrition (underweight, stunting, and wasting); micronutrient deficiencies; and overweight and obesity. These forms of malnutrition exist in all countries, whether developed or developing, and can also coexist within countries, communities, households, and individuals. The chapter discusses the global burden of malnutrition, its causes, and the consequences for health.
Secretory Sorcery: Paneth Cell Control of Intestinal Repair and Homeostasis

Abstract Paneth cells are professional secretory cells that, classically, play a role in the innate immune system by secreting antimicrobial factors into the lumen to control enteric bacteria. In this role, Paneth cells are able to sense ques from luminal bacteria and respond by changing production of these factors to protect the epithelial barrier. Paneth cells rely on autophagy to regulate their secretory capability and capacity. Disruption of this pathway through mutation of genes, such as Atg16L1, results in decreased Paneth cell function, dysregulated enteric microbiota, decreased barrier integrity, and increased risk of diseases such as Crohn’s Disease in humans. Upon differentiation Paneth cells migrate downward and intercalate among active intestinal stem cells at the base of small intestinal crypts. This localization puts them in a unique position to interact with active intestinal stem cells, and recent work shows that Paneth cells play a critical role in influencing the intestinal stem cell niche. This review discusses the numerous ways Paneth cells can influence intestinal stem cells and their niche. We also highlight the ways in which Paneth cells can alter cells and other organ systems.
Shape of promoter antisense RNAs regulates ligand-induced transcription activation

The size of the transcriptional program of long non-coding RNAs in the mammalian genome has engendered discussions about their biological roles1, particularly the promoter antisense (PAS) transcripts2,3. Here we report the development of an assay—referred to as chromatin isolation by RNA–Cas13a complex—to quantitatively detect the distribution of RNA in the genome. The assay revealed that PAS RNAs serve as a key gatekeeper of a broad transcriptional pause release program, based on decommissioning the 7SK small nuclear RNA-dependent inhibitory P-TEFb complex. Induction of PAS RNAs by liganded ERα led to a significant loss of H3K9me3 and the release of basally recruited HP1α and KAP1 on activated target gene promoters. This release was due to PAS RNA-dependent recruitment of H3K9me3 demethylases, which required interactions with a compact stem-loop structure in the PAS RNAs, an apparent feature of similarly regulated PAS RNAs. Activation of the ERα-bound MegaTrans enhancer, which is essential for robust pause release, required the recruitment of phosphorylated KAP1, with its transfer to the cognate promoters permitting 17β-oestradiol-induced pause release and activation of the target gene. This study reveals a mechanism, based on RNA structure, that mediates the function of PAS RNAs in gene regulation. The authors describe a role for the non-coding antisense transcripts produced at promoters in regulating ligand-induced activation of gene transcription.
Long-term year-round observations of magmatic CO2 emissions on Mammoth Mountain, California, USA

Abstract Diffuse emission of magmatic CO2 is one of the main indicators of volcanic unrest at Mammoth Mountain, but the presence of deep seasonal snowpack at the site has hindered year-round CO2 flux observations. A permanent eddy covariance station was established at the largest area of diffuse CO2 degassing on Mammoth Mountain (Horseshoe Lake tree kill) that measured CO2 fluxes (Fc) and meteorological parameters on a half-hourly basis. From July 22, 2014 to May 24, 2020, Fc ranged from −35 to 10,546 g m−2 d−1. Fc decreased on average by 53% over the study period, tracking the long-term decline in CO2 emissions following the last major increase that occurred at the Horseshoe Lake tree kill area from 2009 to 2011. Statistical and spectral analyses were applied to the Fc and ancillary meteorological parameter time series to understand (1) relationships between these parameters, (2) their dominant periodicities, and (3) changes in Fc that may be unexplained by meteorological forcing. Variations in detrended Fc (Fcdt) were most strongly correlated with wind direction and atmospheric temperature, followed by atmospheric pressure on diurnal to annual time scales, but wind direction likely exerted the most direct control on Fcdt. Comparison of the smoothed (180-d span) Fcdt time series to the time series of average-daily snow water equivalent measured ~1 km away suggested that snowpack may have suppressed CO2 emissions. No evidence of a change in CO2 emissions related to the last major seismic swarm beneath Mammoth Mountain on February 2–18, 2014 was observed.
Imatinib can act as an Allosteric Activator of Abl Kinase.

Abstract Imatinib is an ATP-competitive inhibitor of Bcr-Abl kinase and the first drug approved for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) treatment. Here we show that imatinib binds to a secondary, allosteric site located in the myristoyl pocket of Abl to function as an activator of the kinase activity. Abl transitions between an assembled, inhibited state and an extended, activated state. The equilibrium is regulated by the conformation of the αΙ helix, which is located nearby the allosteric pocket. Imatinib binding to the allosteric pocket elicits an αΙ helix conformation that is not compatible with the assembled state, thereby promoting the extended state and stimulating the kinase activity. Although in wild-type Abl the catalytic pocket has a much higher affinity for imatinib than the allosteric pocket does, the two binding affinities are comparable in Abl variants carrying imatinib-resistant mutations in the catalytic site. A previously isolated imatinib-resistant mutation in patients appears to be mediating its function by increasing the affinity of imatinib for the allosteric pocket, providing a hitherto unknown mechanism of drug resistance. Our results highlight the benefit of combining imatinib with allosteric inhibitors to maximize their inhibitory effect on Bcr-Abl.
Real-Time Estimation of Discharge Current Oscillations Using an Iterated Extended Kalman Filter

Computational efforts to simulate plasma processes have routinely faced challenges due to the multiscale, multispecies, and multidimensional nature of plasma behavior. Work towards predictive modeling of these processes spans from kinetic simulations that track particle-level interactions to fluid-based models for device scale phenomena. 1 , 2 Yet, the physics-based models remain challenging when the physics becomes more complex (cf. turbulence). Advancements in data-driven modeling and machine learning provide new opportunities for predictive modeling capabilities. The benefits of these approaches include the ability to use experimental data to solve the inverse problem and uncover the time histories of non-observed quantities that allows for real-time estimation of the plasma dynamics.
Measuring and modeling time-dependent changes in seabed scatter caused by near-bottom hydrodynamics and biologic processes

Acoustic backscatter systems (ABS) can sense time-dependent changes in seabed surface roughness, internal structure, and composition caused by near-bottom hydrodynamics and biologic processes. However, a better understanding of how these processes affect the acoustic backscatter is required before data from ABS can be effectively used as a remote sensing tool. A Simrad EK80 Wideband Acoustic Transceiver (WBAT) was deployed on the seafloor at two sites off the coast of New Hampshire, and long-term backscatter measurements were acquired at 38, 70, and 200 kHz. The first site was located at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, near New Castle Island (NC), and the second at Star Island (SI) within the Isle of Shoals. The NC site exhibited strong tidal currents and mixed sediment with burrowing infauna, while the SI site was more susceptible to storm events and contained a coarser sediment with large quantities of shell fragments. Measurements of ping-to-ping decorrelation of scattered acoustic pulses were used to quantify timescales involved with near-bottom currents and storm events, while finite-element techniques were employed to study the backscatter from idealized burrows located at the water-sediment interface. An overview of these techniques and results will be discussed. [Work supported by ONR.]