cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduced-rank adaptive detection of distributed sources using subarrays

We introduce a framework for exploring array detection problems in a reduced-dimensional space. This involves calculating a structured subarray transformation matrix for the detection of a distributed signal using large aperture linear arrays. We study the performance of the adaptive subarray detector and evaluate its potential improvement in detection performance compared with the full array detector with finite data samples. One would expect that processing on subarrays may result in performance loss in that smaller number of degrees of freedom is utilized. However, it also leads to a better estimation accuracy for the interference and noise covariance matrix with finite data samples, which will yield some gain in performance. By studying the subarray detector for general linear arrays, we identify this gain under various scenarios. We show that when the number of samples is small, the subarray detectors have a significant gain over the full array detector. In addition, the subarray processing can also be successfully applied to the problem of detecting moving sources in an underwater acoustic scenario. We validate our results by computer simulations.
Diammine Dicarboxylic Acid Platinum Enhances Cytotoxicity in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells through Induction of Apoptosis and S-Phase Cell Arrest

Purpose Polysaccharides such as chondroitin play a potent role in tumor growth, tissue repair and angiogenesis. These properties make chondroitin a good candidate for novel drug delivery systems. Diammine dicarboxylic acid platinum (DDAP), a novel polymeric platinum compound, was developed by conjugating the platinum analogue to aspartate–chondroitin for drug delivery to tumor cells. DDAP improves platinum solubility which may reduce systemic toxicity and be more efficacious than cisplatin in killing tumor cells.
The Pim kinases control rapamycin-resistant T cell survival and activation.

Although Pim-1 or Pim-2 can contribute to lymphoid transformation when overexpressed, the physiologic role of these kinases in the immune response is uncertain. We now report that T cells from Pim-1−/−Pim-2−/− animals display an unexpected sensitivity to the immunosuppressant rapamycin. Cytokine-induced Pim-1 and Pim-2 promote the rapamycin-resistant survival of lymphocytes. The endogenous function of the Pim kinases was not restricted to the regulation of cell survival. Like the rapamycin target TOR, the Pim kinases also contribute to the regulation of lymphocyte growth and proliferation. Although rapamycin has a minimal effect on wild-type T cell expansion in vitro and in vivo, it completely suppresses the response of Pim-1−/−Pim-2−/− cells. Thus, endogenous levels of the Pim kinases are required for T cells to mount an immune response in the presence of rapamycin. The existence of a rapamycin-insensitive pathway that regulates T cell growth and survival has important implications for understanding how rapamycin functions as an immunomodulatory drug and for the development of complementary immunotherapeutics.
The molecular and genetic basis of AD: the end of the beginning: the 2000 Wartenberg lecture.

The Decade of the Brain—the 1990s—was a time of gains in our knowledge of the molecular and genetic basis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).1-4 The momentum of discovery and depth of molecular information that developed during that time clearly leads one to predict that it is the end of the beginning of deciphering the pathogenesis of AD leading to effective therapy. Most cases of AD are sporadic; however, the molecular and genetic information of specific genes and other risk factors that cause the familial form of AD will shed light on the etiology of the much more abundant sporadic forms. About 10% of familial disease presents as an autosomal dominant mode of transmission. Epidemiologic studies indicate that about 30% of AD patients have a family history of disease in which at least one first-degree relative is affected. It is clear that early onset autosomal dominant AD is a heterogeneous set of disorders caused in separate families by different genetic mutations. Late-onset sporadic disease is the result of yet-to-be-discovered multiple environmental and genetic influences. In support of this view, only one-third of identical twins are concordant for AD, indicating that nongenetic—perhaps environmental—factors are important in the pathogenesis of AD. Mutations in the amyloid precursor protein gene ( APP ) on chromosome 21q, and the presenilin 1 and 2 genes ( PS1 , PS2 ) on chromosomes 14q and 1q, account for approximately one half of early-onset forms of autosomal dominant inherited disease. An additional locus on chromosome 12 has also been described. It is estimated that 50% of dominantly inherited disease remains yet to be mapped and genetically identified. Although the specific functions of the proteins coded by the APP and the PS1 and PS2 genes are only incompletely known, they share a common effect of abnormally processing APP, resulting in a 50% …
World's longest surviving liver-pancreas recipient

In July 1988, the liver and pancreas of a cadaveric donor were transplanted separately into a man with type 1 diabetes with end-stage chronic hepatitis B virus. Two features of the operation may help explain the patient's current status as the longest-lived liver-pancreas recipient. One was enteric drainage of pancreatic exocrine secretions. The other was delivery of the pancreas venous effluent to the host portal system and then directly to the hepatic allograft.
Immunostimulatory activity of recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG that secretes major membrane protein II of Mycobacterium leprae.

We previously demonstrated that major membrane protein II (MMP-II) is one of the immunodominant antigens (Ags) of Mycobacterium leprae capable of activating T cells through Toll-like receptor 2. Based on the observation that Mycobacterium bovis BCG secreting a 30-kDa protein offered better protection against tuberculosis, we constructed a recombinant BCG strain (BCG-SM) that secretes MMP-II to improve the potency of BCG against leprosy. The secreted MMP-II protein from BCG-SM stimulated monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) to produce interleukin-12. DC infected with BCG-SM expressed MMP-II on their surfaces, and MMP-II expression was suppressed by the pretreatment of DC with chloroquine. These results indicated that secreted MMP-II was processed by DC for higher expression levels on their surfaces. In addition, BCG-SM phenotypically activated DC and induced higher expression levels of major histocompatibility complex, CD86, and CD83 Ags on DC than did vector control BCG (BCG-pMV). The DC infected with BCG-SM more efficiently stimulated naive and memory CD4+ T cells and memory CD8+ T cells to produce gamma interferon than did those infected with BCG-pMV. However, naive CD8+ T cells were significantly activated only when they were stimulated with BCG-SM-infected DC. When CD8+ T cells were cocultured with BCG-SM-infected DC, the proportion of perforin-producing T cells was significantly higher than that in cells cocultured with BCG-pMV-infected DC. Moreover, MMP-II-specific memory T cells were more efficiently produced in mice inoculated with BCG-SM than in mice inoculated with BCG-pMV. Taken together, these results indicate that BCG capable of secreting the immunodominant Ag is more potent in the stimulation of T cells.
High temperature Cu-Sn joints manufactured by a 250/spl deg/C fluxless bonding process

A 250/spl deg/C bonding process is developed to manufacture Cu-Sn joints that can withstand up to 415/spl deg/C. This is made possible by solid-liquid interdiffusion in the mixture of Cu, Sn, and Sn liquid that contacts with Cu coated on a substrate. The mixture is produced by heating the Sn-Cu multilayer composite that is deposited on semiconductor in high vacuum to inhibit tin oxidation. Upon deposition, Cu interacts with Sn to become Sn-Cu/sub 6/Sn/sub 5/ composite where Cu/sub 6/Sn/sub 5/, prevents the Sn layer from oxidation in atmosphere. Thus no flux is needed. This is a fluxless, lead-free, low cost, low temperature process that provides high temperature joints.
College students' perceptions and experiences with health insurance.

Objectives Most research on perceptions of health insurance has examined gender- and race-based differences across sections of the adult population. This is the first study to examine differences based on demographic characteristics of undergraduate college students’ coverage and perceptions of health insurance. Methods The participants were undergraduates at 12 of the 13 public universities in Ohio. Valid and reliable 40-item questionnaires (n = 1800) were equally distributed to faculty at 12 public universities. Results A total of 1367 (70%) surveys were completed. Most students (59.9%) believed that the federal government should have the primary responsibility to ensure that Americans have health insurance and 53.3% felt that the best way was through universal health insurance from the federal government. Perceptions varied by race, political affiliation, and health insurance status. Conclusions Undergraduate students appear to have formed opinions about health insurance similar to general adult populations. These perceptions may have been obtained by transfer of perceptions from family and friends. A more formalized undergraduate education approach to educating future leaders of society regarding health insurance should be considered. Policy changes to reduce disparities in health status among groups of college students must be explored.
Evidence supports severe renal insufficiency as a relative contraindication to heart transplantation

Background This study was conducted to determine whether survival after orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) is associated with pre-transplant estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and to define ranges of pre-OHT eGFR associated with differences in post-transplant survival. The 2006 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation revised listing criteria for OHT stated that chronic kidney disease, defined by an eGFR Methods The United Network for Organ Sharing provided deidentified patient-level data. The study population included 17,459 OHT recipients aged ≥18 years who received allografts between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2009. Logistic regression was used to assess the effect of multiple variables on survival after OHT. Receiver operating characteristic curves and stratum-specific likelihood ratios were generated to compare 1-year survival at eGFR thresholds. The primary outcomes measure was actuarial post-transplant survival expressed in years. Results Regression analysis showed that a lower pre-transplant eGFR is associated with worse post-transplant survival. Threshold analysis demonstrated 3 distinct survival strata: eGFR ≤ 34 ml/min, eGFR 35 to 49 ml/min, and eGFR > 49 ml/min. Graft survival at all times is decreased for patients with eGFR ≤ 34 ml/min. They are also more likely to have in-hospital and long-term complications. Conclusions eGFR is a strong predictor of post-transplant survival and should be considered when assessing patients for OHT. This analysis supports current International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines and suggests that end-stage heart failure patients with an eGFR ≤ 34 ml/min is a relative contraindication for heart transplantation alone.
Smoking Behaviors and Attitudes Among Clients and Staff at New York Addiction Treatment Programs Following a Smoking Ban: Findings After 5 Years.

Author(s): Pagano, Anna; Guydish, Joseph; Le, Thao; Tajima, Barbara; Passalacqua, Emma; Soto-Nevarez, Arturo; Brown, Lawrence S; Delucchi, Kevin L | Abstract: IntroductionAddiction treatment clients are more likely to die of tobacco-related diseases than of alcohol or illicit drug-related causes. We aimed to assess smoking behavior, and smoking-related attitudes and services, in New York addiction treatment programs before a statewide smoking ban in treatment facilities was implemented (2008), 1 year (2009) and 5 years after implementation (2013).MethodsWe conducted surveys at each time point with clients (N = 329, 341, and 353, respectively) and staff (N = 202, 203, and 166, respectively) from five residential and two methadone maintenance programs in New York State. At each data collection wave, questionnaires measured smoking behavior as well as smoking-related knowledge, attitudes, and experiences with tobacco cessation services as part of addiction treatment.ResultsStaff smoking prevalence decreased from 35.2% in 2008 to 21.8% in 2013 (P = .005) while client smoking prevalence over the same period was unchanged (68.1% vs. 66.0%, P = .564). Among clients who smoked, mean cigarettes per day decreased from 13.7 (SD = 8.38) to 10.2 (SD = 4.44; P l .001). There were significant time-by-treatment-type interactions for client tobacco-related attitudes and cessation services received; and for staff self-efficacy and cessation services provided. In residential programs, scores for most items decreased (became less positive) in 2009 followed by a partial rebound in 2013. Methadone program scores tended to rise (become more positive) throughout the study period.ConclusionsStaff and clients may respond differentially to tobacco-free policies depending on type of treatment program, and this finding may help to inform the implementation of tobacco-free policies in other statewide addiction treatment systems.
Wavelet Galerkin METHODES FOR GAME THEORETIC CONTROL OF DISTRIBUTED PARAMETER SYSTEMS

This paper presents a novel strategy for obtaining finite dimensional approximations of Riccati operators arising in game theoretic control problems on Hilbert spaces. While extensive progress has been made in the utilization of the newly developed field of wavelet analysis in signal and image processing, for less progress has been made in applicationa to computational mechanics. This fact is surprising considering the inherent multiresolution properties of wavelet analysis. This paper derives a wavelet galerkin formulation of a specific class of computational control problems: zero sum dynamic games on Hilbert spaces. This work extends previous research in that not only are convergence, exponential stability and robust stability of soft constrained differtial games on Hilbert spaces considered, but quantitative numerical conditioning results are also presented. In fact, a precise bound is given on the error induced by truncating wavelet quadratures used in the weak formulation of computational control problems. The theory presented is verified by modeling a robust control strategy for a beam subjected to piezocerarnic actuation and structured uncertainty.
Reversal of tetraplegia in patients with cervical osteomyelitis--epidural abscess using anterior debridement and fusion.

Reversal of tetraplegia in patients with cervical osteomyelitis – epidural abscess using anterior debridement and fusion†
Status of Occupational Hazards and Control Measures in Floating workers of Inner Mongolia

[Objective]To understand the occupational hazards in floating workers of Inner Mongolia,and propose related control measures.[Methods] Questionnaire was adopted to investigate 187 enterprises,1526 floating workers and occupational health service agencies.[Results]Of 1526 floating people,66.91% had exposed to occupational hazards,informing rate of occupational hazards was 52.9%,47.6% had trained before job,52.28% had protective equipment;health examination rate before job,in the position and after leaving the job was 44.0%,64.2%,0 respectively.The informing rate of health examination was 65.7%,the rate of reexamination of the abnormal was 39.0%.Of the 187 investigated enterprises,the rate of establishing occupational health files was 42.2%,only 18.9% had full-time occupational health manager.[Conclusion]The occupational hazards were not controlled well in floating workers of Inner Mongolia;long-term occupational health programs with operability and systematicness should be developed on the actual conditions,and it is necessary to explore the occupational health surveillance mode for floating workers.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (Sbirt) Education for Medical Professionals

Introduction Alcohol and other substance use contribute to a major, preventable, international healthcare burden. The evidentiary bases for screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for alcohol are well-established, while research on SBIRT for other substance use is ongoing. In the United States, funding for SBIRT education among medical professionals recently has expanded beyond physicians to include other healthcare providers such as nurses and social workers. Objectives This brief study measured characteristics of nurses, social workers, and physicians at the beginning of the first year of graduate education (nurses, social workers) or post-graduate year 1 (physician residents) to assess potential baseline differences in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to SBIRT. Aims The aim of this study was to inform targeted modification of SBIRT education programs based on baseline differences between professions. Methods Participants (n = 81 [16 physicians, 27 nurses, 38 social workers]) completed a 36-item assessment of baseline behaviors (modified from Hettema et al., 2012) and knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes predictive of SBIRT performance (Gassman et al., 2003). Differences between groups were assessed using ANOVA and the Tukey or Games-Howell post-hoc test (contingent on homogeneity of variance). Results The study identified differences among professionals for 13 of 36 measured variables across several domains: SBIRT behaviors, beliefs about time utilization, satisfaction working with at-risk clients, self-efficacy, and perceived organizational resources. Conclusions Preliminary data suggest that SBIRT training for medical professionals might be improved by attending to specific differences among nurses, physicians, and social workers in several key areas.
Shear wave elastography and parathyroid adenoma: A new tool for diagnosing parathyroid adenomas

Abstract Objectives This study prospectively determines the shear wave elastography characteristics of parathyroid adenomas using virtual touch imaging quantification, a non-invasive ultrasound based shear wave elastography method. Methods This prospective study examined 57 consecutive patients with biochemically proven primary hyperparathyroidism and solitary parathyroid adenoma identified by ultrasound and confirmed by at least one of the following: surgical resection, positive Technetium–99 m Sestamibi Scintigraphy (MIBI) scan, or fine needle aspiration biopsy with positive PTH washout (performed only in MIBI negative patients). Vascularity and shear wave elastography were performed for all patients. Parathyroid adenoma stiffness was measured as shear wave velocity in meters per second. Results The median (range) pre-surgical value for PTH and calcium were 58 pg/mL (19, 427) and 10.8 mg/dL (9.5, 12.1), respectively. 37 patients had positive MIBI scan. 20 patients had negative MIBI scan but diagnosis was confirmed with positive PTH washout. 42 patients underwent parathyroidectomy, and an adenoma was confirmed in all. The median (range) shear wave velocity for all parathyroid adenomas enrolled in this study was 2.02 m/s (1.53, 2.50). The median (range) shear wave velocity for thyroid tissue was 2.77 m/s (1.89, 3.70). The shear wave velocity of the adenomas was independent of adenoma size, serum parathyroid hormone concentration, or plasma parathyroid hormone concentration. Conclusions Tissue elasticity of parathyroid adenoma is significantly lower than thyroid tissue. B-mode features and distinct vascularity pattern are helpful tools in diagnosing parathyroid adenoma with ultrasound. Shear wave elastography may provide valuable information in diagnosing parathyroid adenoma.
Inflatable antenna for CubeSats: Development of the X-band prototype

CubeSats1 and small satellites have potential to provide means to explore space and to perform science in a more affordable way. As the goals for these spacecraft become more ambitious in space exploration, moving from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) or further, the communication systems currently implemented will need to be improved to support those missions. One of the bottlenecks is the antennas' size, due to the close relation between antenna gain and dimensions. Hence, a possible solution is to develop inflatable antennas which can be packaged efficiently, occupying a small amount of space, and they can provide, once deployed, large dish dimension and correspondent gain. A prototype of a 1 m inflatable antenna for X-Band has been developed in a joint effort between JPL and ASU. This paper will detail the principle challenges in developing the antenna technology focusing on: design, EM analysis, fabrication and tests.
When Image Isn’t Everything: The Effects of Instagram Frames on Social Comparison

In recent years visual social media have become increasingly popular mechanisms for communication. Past research suggests links between using social media, upward social comparison, and negative affect. The present online experiment of U.S. women (N = 58) takes a media psychology approach to understanding how text frames on image-based social media contribute to social comparison and perceptions of the self. Findings suggest that individuals who were in a body-positive experimental condition reported higher levels of self-esteem than did the women in a body-negative experimental condition. Those in the negative conditions ranked significantly higher on state social comparison with the images than those in the positive condition. Additionally, women who compared themselves to the women in the experimental images were also more likely to fantasize that they could achieve the look and lifestyle of the women featured in the images. Findings are discussed in light of framing theory and social comparison theory and suggestions are made for future experimental work.
Better Nurse Autonomy Decreases the Odds of 30-Day Mortality and Failure to Rescue.

Research Purpose Autonomy is essential to professional nursing practice and is a core component of good nurse work environments. The primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between nurse autonomy and 30-day mortality and failure to rescue (FTR) in a hospitalized surgical population. Study Design This study was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data. It included data from three sources: patient discharge data from state administrative databases, a survey of nurses from four states, and the American Hospital Association annual survey from 2006–2007. Methods Survey responses from 20,684 staff nurses across 570 hospitals were aggregated to the hospital level to assess autonomy measured by a standardized scale. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the relationship between nurse autonomy and 30-day mortality and FTR. Patient comorbidities, surgery type, and other hospital characteristics were included as controls. Findings Greater nurse autonomy at the hospital level was significantly associated with lower odds of 30-day mortality and FTR for surgical patients even after accounting for patient risk and structural hospital characteristics. Each additional point on the nurse autonomy scale was associated with approximately 19% lower odds of 30-day mortality (p < .001) and 17% lower odds of failure to rescue (p < .01). Conclusions Hospitals with lower levels of nurse autonomy place their surgical patients at an increased risk for mortality and FTR. Clinical Relevance Patients receiving care within institutions that promote high levels of nurse autonomy have a lower risk for death within 30 days and complications leading to death within 30 days. Hospitals can actively take steps to encourage nurse autonomy to positively influence patient outcomes.
Generalized Social Trust and International Dispute Settlement

What determines the success of a peaceful settlement attempt of a border dispute? In order to fully understand why decision makers choose to put an end to an ongoing conflict, it is necessary to co...
Assessing the state of archaeological GIS research: Unbinding analyses of past landscapes

Abstract The early pioneers of archaeological Geographic Information Systems (GIS) advocated for a future where this technology was more than a data-management tool. To this end, they emphasized harnessing the analytic power of GIS to advance innovative understandings of past social landscapes. This paper introduces the special issue, explaining its aims to offer a current assessment of how this vision has been realized. Three themes related to both persistent questions and emergent horizons in archaeological GIS are explored in the context of the contributions. We present our own set of ideas for how to unbind our analyses from some of the methodological and conceptual constraints inherent in the analytic GIS approaches on which we have long relied to explore past landscapes. We argue it is important to keep moving beyond analytic approaches tethered to discrete points, to push forward geospatial modeling of cultural processes across entire landscapes, and to incorporate uncertainty and iteration directly into our work. Through such efforts, we can develop robust insights into the ways past communities considered, reconfigured, and renewed patterns of social, economic, and ideological interaction, flow, and circulation through the variegated landscapes they inhabited. In doing this, we will get closer to realizing the ambitious vision early pioneers had for archaeological GIS – a technology they believed could let us ask entirely new questions about the past.
Interphase-arrested Drosophila embryos initiate Mid-Blastula Transition at a low nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio

Externally deposited eggs begin development with an immense cytoplasm and a single overwhelmed nucleus. Rapid mitotic cycles restore normality as the ratio of nuclei to cytoplasm (N/C) increases. At the 14th cell cycle in Drosophila embryos, the cell cycle slows, transcription increases, and morphogenesis begins at the Mid-Blastula Transition (MBT). To explore the role of N/C in MBT timing, we blocked N/C-increase by downregulating cyclin/Cdk1 to arrest early cell cycles. Embryos arrested in cell cycle 12 cellularized, initiated gastrulation movements and activated transcription of genes previously described as N/C dependent. Thus, occurrence of these events is not directly coupled to N/C-increase. However, N/C might act indirectly. Increasing N/C promotes cyclin/Cdk1 downregulation which otherwise inhibits many MBT events. By experimentally inducing downregulation of cyclin/Cdk1, we bypassed this input of N/C-increase. We describe a regulatory cascade wherein the increasing N/C downregulates cyclin/Cdk1 to promote increasing transcription and the MBT.
The Future of Neuroethics Research and Training

A number of major national and international projects have recently been launched to meet the “Grand Challenge” of understanding the brain. With substantial funding, these projects aim to reveal the neurophysical processes underlying our mental states and seek to develop technologies to restore brain function when it has been impaired. The projects also include explicit investigation of the ethical, social, and legal implications of neuroscience and the ethical conduct of neuroscience research. The advent of these projects, therefore, offers an extraordinary opportunity for neuroethics to play an integral role in what may be the defining scientific program of our time. To fulfill this role, neuroethics must contribute fully to framing the investigation of ethical issues and the identification of those that need to be addressed. This chapter focuses on four issues that warrant particular attention as we move forward: (1) the ethical conduct of research; (2) responsible research and innovation; (3) responsibility, crime, and punishment; and (4) the identity of neuroethics.
Top predators determine how biodiversity is partitioned across time and space

Natural ecosystems are shaped along two fundamental axes, space and time, but how biodiversity is partitioned along both axes is not well understood. Here, we show that the relationship between temporal and spatial biodiversity patterns can vary predictably according to habitat characteristics. By quantifying seasonal and annual changes in larval dragonfly communities across a natural predation gradient we demonstrate that variation in the identity of top predator species is associated with systematic differences in spatio-temporal β-diversity patterns, leading to consistent differences in relative partitioning of biodiversity between time and space across habitats. As the size of top predators increased (from invertebrates to fish) habitats showed lower species turnover across sites and years, but relatively larger seasonal turnover within a site, which ultimately shifted the relative partitioning of biodiversity across time and space. These results extend community assembly theory by identifying common mechanisms that link spatial and temporal patterns of β-diversity.
Clinical staff nurse leadership: Identifying gaps in competency development

BACKGROUND To date, there has been no development of a complete, applicable inventory of clinical staff nurse (CSN) leadership role competencies through a valid and reliable methodology. Further, the CSN has not been invited to engage in the identification, definition, or development of their own leadership competencies. OBJECTIVE Compare existing leadership competencies to identify and highlight gaps in clinical staff nurse leadership role competency development and validation. METHOD Literature review. RESULTS The CSN has not participated in the development of CSN leadership role competencies, nor have the currently identified CSN leadership role competencies been scientifically validated through research. Finally, CSN leadership role competencies are incomplete and do not reflect the CSN perspective.
The theory of disappearing microbiota and the epidemics of chronic diseases

In recent decades, the incidence of many apparently unrelated chronic diseases has markedly increased. Here, I theorize that losses of particular bacterial species of our ancestral microbiota have altered the context in which immunological, metabolic and cognitive development occur in early life, which results in increased disease. This ominous trend suggests that we must refocus efforts to understand and reverse the underlying circumstances that are responsible for our disappearing microbiota.
A radioactive tracer dilution method to determine the mass of molten salt

A new technique for molten salt mass determination, termed radioactive tracer dilution, that uses 22Na as a tracer was validated at bench scale. It has been a challenging problem to determine the mass of molten salt in irregularly shaped containers, where a highly radioactive, high-temperature molten salt was used to process nuclear spent/used fuel during electrochemical recycling (pyro-processing) or for coolant/fuel salt from molten salt reactors. A radioactive source with known activity is dissolved into the salt. After a complete mixture, a small amount of the salt is sampled and measured in terms of its mass and radioactivity. By finding the ratio of the mass to radioactivity, the unknown salt mass in the original container can be precisely determined.
Individual and County Level Correlates of Medicaid Births in Michigan

ABSTRACT Across Michigan the share of births covered by Medicaid varies widely, from a low of 15% in Menominee County to a high of 71% in Roscommon County in 2009 (Michigan League for Public Policy n.d.). This paper uses data on women who delivered a live infant in Michigan between 2009 and 2011 from Michigan's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) matched to county level socioeconomic information to identify factors associated with the likelihood Medicaid is used to cover the medical costs of giving birth. The results suggest that strategies to reduce Medicaid births without reducing health care available to low-income women include stimulating economic growth and expanding access to family planning resources. This analysis does not find evidence that pro-marriage policies would reduce Medicaid births.
Distribution of vestibulospinal synaptic input to cat triceps surae motoneurons.

We applied supramaximal, repetitive stimulation to the lateral vestibular nucleus (Deiters' nucleus, DN) at 200 Hz to evoke steady-state synaptic potentials in ipsilateral triceps surae motoneurons of the cat. The effective synaptic currents underlying these potentials were measured using a modified voltage-clamp technique. The steady-state effective synaptic currents evoked by activating DN were generally small and depolarizing (mean±SD 2.5±2.6 nA). DN stimulation generated hyperpolarizing synaptic currents in 2 of the 34 triceps motoneurons studied. The effective synaptic currents from DN tended to be larger in putative type F motoneurons than in putative type S cells (type F mean 3.0±3.1 nA; type S mean 1.8±1.0 nA). There was a statistically significant difference between the inputs to putative type FF and putative type S motoneurons (mean difference 2.8 nA, t=2.87, P<0.01). The synaptic input from DN to medial gastrocnemius motoneurons had approximately the same mean amplitude as that from homonymous la afferent fibers. However, the distribution of DN input with respect to putative motor unit type was the opposite of that previously reported for Ia afferent input. Thus, the synaptic input from DN might act to compress the range of recruitment thresholds within the motoneuron pool and thereby increase the gain of its input-output function.
Coherent Sea Clutter Signatures Observed with A High-Resolution X-Band Radar

Microwave radars operating from ship and land-based platforms typically view the ocean surface at grazing angles below a few degrees. Consequently, it is important to understand the behavior of electromagnetic waves scattered from the ocean surface in this angular regime. Ocean scattering at larger grazing angles (20° to 70°) is well understood in terms of a two-scale or composite surface scattering model (CSM) [1], where backscatter is predominantly due to the presence of wind-generated capillary-gravity wavelets superimposed on larger gravity waves. The larger waves tilt and strain the bragg waves and therefore only contribute to the backscattered signal in an indirect manner. Low grazing angle (LGA) backscatter is less well understood and exhibits characteristics that cannot be explained using these “conventional” composite surface models [2]. Sea spikes are high-contrast (>20 dB) scattering events frequently observed in high resolution (∼10 m) horizontally polarized radar returns [3] having amplitudes 10–20 dB higher than bragg model predictions and doppler shifts significantly larger than those predicted by two-scale models [4]. The physical mechanisms responsible for these scattering features are currently unknown, although evidence suggests they are caused by scatterers near the crests of steep or breaking waves [5]. LGA backscatter from the sea appears to be highly sensitive to such effects as sharpening of long wave crests and wave breaking, and may therefore be sensitive to the long wave variability caused by submesoscale features such as oceanic fronts and eddies making this scattering regime important for remote sensing.
PR-OWL: A Framework for Probabilistic Ontologies

Across a wide range of domains, there is an urgent need for a well-founded approach to incorporating uncertain and incomplete knowledge into formal domain ontologies. Although this subject is receiving increasing attention from ontology researchers, there is as yet no broad consensus on the definition of a probabilistic ontology and on the most suitable approach to extending current ontology languages to support uncertainty. This paper presents two contributions to developing a coherent framework for probabilistic ontologies: (1) a formal definition of a probabilistic ontology, and (2) an extension of the OWL Web Ontology Language that is consistent with our formal definition. This extension, PR-OWL, is based on Multi-Entity Bayesian Networks (MEBN), a first-order Bayesian logic that unifies Bayesian probability with First-Order Logic. As such, PR-OWL combines the full representation power of OWL with the flexibility and inferential power of Bayesian logic.
The Role of Mg 2+ in the Modulation of IRK3 by M1 Acetylcholine Receptor

Near the resting membrane potential, there are inward rectifier potassium channels (IRK) that are active. The biophysical hallmark of IRK channels is their ability to pass more inward than outward current, giving them their name. Because IRK channels are blocked by intracellular cations including Mgt+ or polyamines at the membrane potential above the equilibrium potential of potassium ions (EK) (Fakler et al. 1995; Ficker et al. 1994; Lopatin et al. 1994; Matsuda 1991; Matsuda et al. 1987; Stanfield et al. 1994; Vandenberg 1987), gating of inward rectifier K+ channels shifts with the extracellular potassium concentration. In most excitable cells, the resting membrane potential is higher than EK. Under this circumstance, IRK channels pass only outward current. When the inward current elicited by an excitatory input is large enough to overcome the outward current through IRK channels, membrane depolarization takes place. This depolarization will potentiate the voltage-dependent block of IRK channels by intracellular cations and reduce their ability to maintain the membrane potential close to the resting level, and will finally allow the firing of an action potential. The regulation of IRK channels, therefore, influences the membrane excitability.
Negotiation Risk: Controlling Biological Weapons

This chapter examines the perception, communication, assessment, and management of risk associated with negotiations on the control of biological weapons. After a brief introduction to the relevant theoretical issues concerning how risk affects negotiations, it presents a brief history of negotiations to limit biological agents as instruments of warfare and terrorism, and then focuses primarily on the negotiation of the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention. The main argument is that the assessment of the potential for biological agents being used by armies or terrorist organizations has changed dramatically over the past century; similarly the perceived consequences of the use of these agents have also evolved. Finally, the degree to which a shared assessment of those risks has been diffused through the international system has altered, at times resulting in fundamental consensus and at other times producing significant disagreement. The result is that the process through which limitations on biological weapons have been negotiated has also varied over time in relation to these changing perceptions, assessments, and norms. A consequence of these changing and diverging assessments of risk has been that the content of the measures negotiated internationally to manage the risk emanating from biological agents has also been significantly altered to adapt to the changing environment. I hypothesize that the willingness and eagerness of states to negotiate regulation and limitation of biological weapons will generally vary in relationship to the perceived risk associated with these weapons: as the perceived probability of their use and the severity of the consequences resulting from their use rises, so will interest grow in negotiating restraints that might reduce these risks. I find that this general relationship tended to prevail throughout the 20th century. However, in the
Measurement of spatial and antibody-based PD-L1 heterogeneity in non-small cell lung cancer.

9040Background: Assessment of PD-L1 is not yet standardized and is based largely on “assay performance” rather than protein measurement; with each assay requiring its own specialized platform and a...
Fingerprints theorems

We prove that the scale map of the zero-crossings of almost all signals filtered by a gaussian of variable size determines the signal uniquely, up to a constant scaling. Exceptions are signals that are antisymmetric about all their zeros (for instance infinitely periodic gratings). Our proof provides a method for reconstructing almost all signals from knowledge of how the zero-crossing contours of the signal, filtered by a gaussian filter, change with the size of the filter. The proof assumes that the filtered signal can be represented as a polynomial of finite, albeit possibly very high, order. The result applies to zero- and level-crossings of signals filtered by gaussian filters. The theorem is extended to two dimensions, that is to images. These results imply that extrema (for instance of derivatives) at different scales are a complete representation of a signal.
Yorubá and Black Theologies, a Dialogue

In gratitude for my great-grandmothers, stolen from me by white supremacy and colonization, I offer this reflection on the connection between Yoruba and Black/Womanist theologies. It is through a lived understanding of Axe that I have found my roots and the connection to both my Latinidad and my Blackness. In this paper I consider the possibilities of a dialogue between Candomble, a Yoruba related African Brazilian tradition, and Black and Womanist theologies in the US, trying to go along with several people who have been expanding this relation, like Dianne M. Stewart’s “Three Eyes for the Journey,” Tracey E. Hucks’ “Yoruba Traditions and African American Religious Nationalism,” and our precious Monica Coleman’s “Making a Way Out of No Way.”
Impact of ethanol blending into gasoline on aromatic compound evaporation and particle emissions from a gasoline direct injection engine

Abstract This study examined the interactions of ethanol with aromatic compounds on aromatic species evolution during gasoline evaporation and the consequent impacts on particle emissions from a single-cylinder, gasoline direct injection engine. From a chemical kinetic standpoint, the dilution of the aromatic species in gasoline by ethanol blending should reduce particle emissions because aromatics are the primary species that form particles during gasoline combustion. However, increased evaporative cooling from the ethanol and ethanol’s effect on when aromatics in the fuel droplet (or surface film or pool) evaporate can drive an increase in particle emissions. The objective of this study was to quantify these competing effects. The results show that a combination of ethanol’s increased evaporative cooling and impact on aromatic compound vapor-liquid equilibrium can extend droplet lifetime and cause aromatics to evaporate later in the droplet evaporation process than would be the case without ethanol. When fuels were burned in a direct-injection single-cylinder engine at high speed (2500 rpm) and relatively high load, ethanol blending caused an increase in particle emissions for fuels containing a low vapor pressure aromatic. At a lower speed (1500 rpm), no statistically significant increase in particle emissions was observed, likely because more time was available for evaporation and mixing to occur. In contrast, particle emissions from a fuel blended with a high vapor pressure aromatic were either insensitive to or reduced by ethanol blending, likewise to engine operating conditions. Current models for predicting particle emissions from gasoline engines, such as particulate matter index (PMI), generally lack variables for non-linear interactions between ethanol and gasoline hydrocarbons. To identify nonlinear interactions between predictor variables that might better explain the observed particle emissions, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regularized regression approach was employed. Among the predictor variables evaluated was the Yield Sooting Index (YSI) which is as an improved measure to quantify the aromatic’s chemical tendency to generate particle emissions. Following this analysis, two variables were selected based on their frequent appearance. The first was ethanol mole percent multiplied by aromatic mole percent divided by aromatic vapor pressure [(EtOH% * Aro%)/Aro VP@443 K]. The second was aromatic mole percent multiplied by aromatic YSI divided by aromatic molecular weight [(Aro% * Aro YSI)/Aro MW]. The results of linear regression including only these two combined explanatory variables achieved an r2 = 0.959, substantially improved over the PMI model (r2 = 0.688) and provides insight into how the PMI formalism might be modified to account for non-linear oxygenate-hydrocarbon coupling.
The effects of blueberry and strawberry serum metabolites on age-related oxidative and inflammatory signaling in vitro

Berry fruits contain a variety of bioactive polyphenolic compounds that exhibit potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. We have shown that consumption of freeze-dried whole berry powder, equivalent to 1 cup per day of blueberry (BB) or 2 cups per day of strawberry (SB), can differentially improve some aspects of cognition in healthy, older adults, compared to placebo-supplemented controls. We investigated whether fasting and postprandial serum from BB- or SB-supplemented older adults (60–75 years), taken at baseline or after 45 or 90 days of supplementation, would reduce the production of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers compared to serum from a placebo group, in LPS-stressed HAPI rat microglial cells, in vitro. Serum from both BB- and SB-supplemented participants reduced nitrite production, iNOS and COX-2 expression, and TNF-alpha release relative to serum from placebo controls (p < 0.05). Protection was greatest with serum from the 90-day time-point, suggesting that ongoing supplementation may provide the most health benefits. Serum was protective in both fasted and postprandial conditions, indicating that the effects are not only acute and that the meal did not challenge subjects’ ability to regulate oxidative and inflammatory stress. These results suggest that berry metabolites, present in the circulating blood following ingestion, may be mediating the anti-inflammatory effects of dietary berry fruit.
Lessons from Theranos: Changing Narratives of Individual Ethics in Science and Engineering

The meteoric ascent and equally dramatic fall of Theranos has been covered prolifically in the media. Presented as an ambitious inventor gone rogue, the discursive construction of the Theranos scandal in popular media and in the biomedical community reifies tired narratives of the role of ethics in science and engineering fields more generally: narratives that emphasizes individual integrity and common sense rather than the structures and norms that leave scientists and engineers vulnerable to ethical quandaries. In this short critical engagement, I argue that the ways Theranos has been captured obscures important conversations about ethics in bioscience and biotechnology, both in the private sector and in university spaces. I call for STS scholars to engage with scientists and engineers to imagine ways to structurally embed ethics and justice in future technoscientific endeavors.
Characteristics and outcomes of hospitalizations and readmissions for opioid dependence and overdose: nationally representative data.

Despite the increasing rates of morbidity, mortality, and costs from the opioid addiction crisis, there is a paucity of literature on nationwide patterns of opioid abuse and dependence admissions a...