cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protocols, practices, and the reproduction of technique in molecular biology

Protocols are one of the main organizational resources in molecular biology. They are written instructions that specify ingredients, equipment, and sequences of steps for making technical preparations. Some protocols are published in widely used manuals, while others are hand-written variants used by particular laboratories and individual technicians. It is widely understood, both in molecular biology and in social studies of science, that protocols do not describe exactly what practitioners do in the laboratory workplace. In social studies of science, the difference between protocols and the actual practices of doing them often is used to set up ironic contrasts between 'messy' laboratory practices and the appearance of technical order. Alternatively, in ethnomethodological studies of work, the difference is examined as a constitutive feature, both of the lived-work of doing technical projects, and of the administrative work of regulating and evaluating such projects. The present article takes its point of departure from ethnomethodology, and begins with a discussion of local problems with performing molecular biology protocols on specific occasions. The discussion then moves to particular cases in criminal law in which defense attorneys cross-examine forensic technicians and lab administrators. In these interrogations, the distinction between protocols and actual practices animates the dialogue and becomes consequential for judgments in the case at hand. The article concludes with a discussion of administrative science: the work of treating protocols and paper trails as proxies for actual 'scientific' practices.
Elimination in vivo of developing T cells by natural killer cells.

Natural killer cells gauge the absence of self class I MHC on susceptible target cells by means of inhibitory receptors such as members of the Ly49 family. To initiate killing by natural killer cells, a lack of inhibitory signals must be accompanied by the presence of activating ligands on the target cell. Although natural killer cell–mediated rejection of class I MHC–deficient bone marrow (BM) grafts is a matter of record, little is known about the targeting in vivo of specific cellular subsets by natural killer cells. We show here that development of class I MHC–negative thymocytes is delayed as a result of natural killer cell toxicity after grafting of a class I MHC–positive host with class I MHC–negative BM. Double positive thymocytes that persist in the presence of natural killer cells display an unusual T cell receptor–deficient phenotype, yet nevertheless give rise to single positive thymocytes and yield mature class I MHC–deficient lymphocytes that accumulate in the class I MHC–positive host. The resulting class I MHC–deficient CD8 T cells are functional and upon activation remain susceptible to natural killer cell toxicity in vivo. Reconstitution of class I MHC–deficient BM precursors with H2-Kb by retroviral transduction fully restores normal thymic development.
Rest tremor in advanced essential tremor: a post-mortem study of nine cases

Background Rest tremor may occur in as many as 30% of essential tremor (ET) patients. It is not clear whether this tremor is a sentinel marker for brainstem Lewy body pathology. Here we report the clinical and post-mortem findings of nine ET cases with upper-extremity rest tremor in the absence of other parkinsonian features. Methods All brains had a complete neuropathological assessment. Tissue sections from the brainstem and basal ganglia were immunostained with α-synuclein antibody. Results All cases had longstanding ET (median duration=42 years) with moderate to severe arm tremor. Rest tremor involved both arms in seven (77.8%) cases and one arm in two cases. The rest tremor score was correlated with the total action tremor score (r=0.69, p=0.04). The number of torpedoes was elevated, and Purkinje cells, reduced. Post-mortem changes in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), caudate, putamen and globus pallidum were minimal, and neither Lewy bodies nor Lewy neurites were evident. Conclusions In nine ET brains with upper-extremity rest tremor, neither Lewy body-containing neurons nor Lewy neurites were found on α-synuclein immunostained sections, and other pathological changes in the basal ganglia were minimal. These data support the notion that isolated rest tremor in longstanding ET is not the expression of underlying Lewy body pathology in the SNc.
Reactivation of the Archean-Proterozoic suture along the southern margin of Laurentia during the Mazatzal orogeny: Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of ca. 1.63 Ga granite in southeastern Wyoming

The presence of ca. 1.63 Ga monzogranite (the “white quartz monzonite”) in the southern Sierra Madre, southeastern Wyoming, is anomalous given its distance from the nearest documented plutons of similar age (central Colorado) and the nearest contemporaneous tectonic margin (New Mexico). It is located immediately south of the Cheyenne belt–a ca. 1.75 Ga Archean-Proterozoic tectonic suture. New geochronological, isotopic, and geochemical data suggest that emplacement of the white quartz monzonite occurred between ca. 1645 and 1628 Ma (main pulse ca. 1628 Ma) and that the white quartz monzonite originated primarily by partial melting of the Big Creek Gneiss, a modified arc complex. There is no evidence that mafic magmas were involved. Open folds of the ca. 1750 Ma regional foliation are cut by undeformed white quartz monzonite. On a regional scale, rocks intruded by the white quartz monzonite have experienced higher pressure and temperature conditions and are migmatitic as compared to the surrounding rocks, suggesting a genetic relationship between the white quartz monzonite and tectonic exhumation. We propose that regional shortening imbricated the Big Creek Gneiss, uplifting the now-exposed high-grade rocks of the Big Creek Gneiss (hanging wall of the thrust and wall rock to the white quartz monzonite) and burying correlative rocks, which partially melted to form the white quartz monzonite. This tectonism is attributed to the ca. 1.65 Ga Mazatzal orogeny, as foreland shortening spread progressively into the Yavapai Province. Mazatzal foreland effects have also been described in the Great Lakes region and have been inferred in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We suggest that the crustal-scale rheologic contrast across the Archean-Proterozoic suture, originally developed along the southern margin of Laurentia, and including the Cheyenne belt, facilitated widespread reactivation of that boundary during the Mazatzal orogeny. This finding emphasizes the degree to which crustal heterogeneities can localize subsequent deformation in accretionary orogens, producing significant crustal melting in the distal foreland–a region not typically associated with orogenic magmatism.
Behavioral Upset in Medical Patients-Revised: Evaluation of a Parent Report Measure of Distress for Pediatric Populations

Examined the utility of a new parent-report measure designed specifically for pediatric inpatients, the Behavioral Upset in Medical Patients-Revised (BUMP-R). The BUMP-R was administered to 151 mothers of hospitalized children ages 4-12 years the day following the child's hospital admission. The BUMP-R demonstrated good internal consistency and a factor analysis revealed four factors identified as negativity/agitation, amiability, dysphoria, and noncompliance. Children exhibiting behavioral distress at home were more likely to experience adjustment problems upon hospitalization. Demographic and illness-related variables were not substantial risk factors for hospital adjustment difficulties.
On inf-sup stabilized finite element methods for transient problems

We consider the behavior of inf–sup stabilization in the context of transient problems with multiple time scales. Our motivation for studying this setting is provided by reacting flows problems for which small time steps are necessary in the integration process. We show that for algorithms defined through a process wherein spatial and temporal discretizations are separated, the coupling of implicit time integration with spatial inf–sup stabilization may lead to anomalous pressure behavior, including the onset of spurious oscillations, for very small time steps. Effectively, this coupling introduces a stability criterion resulting in a dependence between the spatial grid size and the time step. We illustrate our theoretical results by numerical examples that demonstrate the stability criterion. � 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Oceanic Rain Column Height Derived from SSM/I

Abstract The climatology of oceanic rain column height derived from 12 years (July 1987–June 1999) of Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) data is presented. The estimation procedure is based on a technique developed by Wilheit et al. In the annual mean, the SSM/I-derived oceanic rain height shows a maximum of about 4.7 km in the Tropics and decreases toward the high latitudes to less than 3.5 km at 50°. Interannual variations exhibit seasonal dependency and show maxima of about 200–300 m in the oceanic dry zones and in the midlatitude storm track regions. The rain heights estimated from the morning passes of the SSM/I are lower than those computed from the afternoon passes by about 60 m in the Tropics but are higher north of 40°N. This small difference cannot change the conclusion about the morning maximum in rain rate. The nonsystematic error increases with decreasing rain column height and is estimated to be about 120 m for rain heights of 4–5 km and 200 m at 3.5 km. Comparison with the height of th...
CAN A SUBSET OF FORECASTERS BEAT THE SIMPLE AVERAGE IN THE SPF

The forecast combination literature has optimal combination methods, however, empirical studies have shown that the simple average is notoriously difficult to improve upon. This paper introduces a novel way to choose a subset of forecasters who might have specialized knowledge to improve upon the simple average over all forecasters in the SPF. In particular, taking the average of forecasters that recently beat the simple average more than the calibrated threshold of 52.5% of times can statistically significantly outperform the simple average for 10-year treasury bond yields, CPI inflation and unemployment at some horizons.
Agrobacterium-mediated plant genetic transformation

Publisher Summary Agrobacterium -mediated plant genetic transformation is a multistep process in which the bacterium delivers a specific DNA molecule from its own genome into the host-cell genome. Much of the bacterium's unique and fascinating biology and a wide range of transformation protocols have been developed for an impressive number of plant species, varieties, and cultivars. This chapter outlines the biology of the transformation process and introduces the basic requirements for using Agrobacterium as a biotechnological tool for plant genetic engineering. Prospects for enhancing and controlling the transformation process are also discussed. Agrobacterium uses a set of chromosomal ( chv ) and Ti-plasmid virulence ( vir ) proteins to sense the presence of wounded plant tissues, produce the transported form of the T-DNA, and deliver it to the plant cell. Elimination of the native T-DNA genes requires the development of novel constructs and methods for the regeneration and selection of transformed tissues and whole transgenic plants from infected cells. Agrobacterium can genetically transform a wide range of plant and nonplant species. It is used as a practical and robust tool for the genetic engineering of many scientifically and agriculturally important plant species, including Arabidopsis , tobacco, tomato, poplar, soybean, rice, and wheat
Delay of Muscle Flaps by Denervation An Experimental Study

Muscle flaps which have several vascular pedicles are prone to necrosis when one or more of these pedicles are divided. An experimental study using rabbits was undertaken to see if denervation two weeks prior to raising the flap would avoid or minimise this necrosis. Results showed a significant protection against necrosis following denervation. The mechanism and possible clinical significance are discussed.
Value of MR in definition of the neuropathology of cerebral palsy in vivo.

Cerebral palsy refers to a clinical syndrome of nonprogressive motor deficits (usually spastic weakness, uncommonly choreoathetosis, rarely ataxia) of central origin with onset from early infancy. In this issue of the Journal, Truwit et al describe the MR findings in 40 patients with the clinical diagnosis of cerebral palsy (1). The purposes of their retrospective study were to define the anatomic substrates of cerebral palsy in the living patient and, from the definitions of the topography of the neuropathology and the analysis of clinical data, to suggest etiology and timing of the brain injury. The authors place particular emphasis on their conclusion that cerebral palsy is usually not related to perinatal factors. The work is relevant to the role of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in the genesis of cerebral palsy, the means of diagnosis of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in the neonatal period, the spectrum of the neuropathology associated with cerebral palsy and the role of MR in the later definition of this neuropathology, and the timing of etiologic factors. These issues are discussed in sequence.
Relating complex solute mixture characteristics to membrane fouling

This paper presents a concept for relating complex solute mixture characteristics to membrane fouling using field flow fractionation. Field flow fractionation has traditionally been used in separation science as a tool for characterizing aquatic system components in terms of size based on Stokes-Einstein theory. This work begins to assess the possibility of using flow field flow fractionation (FlFFF) as a tool for ‘fingerprinting’ complex solute mixtures and obtaining effective mixture properties, such as effective size, effective diffusion coefficient, and interaction potential between solutes and ultrafiltration membrane materials. The effect of applied field and changes in solute ionic strength are demonstrated for polystyrene sulfonate latex colloids. Quantitative analysis is also considered for the residence time distribution (commonly referred to as a fractogram) of solutes from FlFFF measurements. The results here suggest that FlFFF may effectively fingerprint a complex solute mixture based on solute characteristics and membrane solute interactions.
Multispot Diffusing Transmitters Using Holographic Diffusers for Infrared Beams and Receivers Using Holographic Mirrors

There are some practical means to create multiple diffusing spots. E. Simova et al. combined the diffusing and splitting functions in a single holographic optical element (HOE), while J. Carruthers and J. Kahn used eight laser diodes to produce eight collimated beams. This chapter investigates the use of a computer‐generated hologram (CGH) as a beam‐splitting element for a multiple‐beam transmitter for indoor wireless infrared links. It presents simulation results for the channel parameters when such a transmitter is utilized over a communication link. Comparison with a pure diffuse link is made in order to distinguish the characteristic features of the multispot diffusing configuration (MSDC). A communication link utilizing angle diversity detection with a seven‐branch composite receiver is computer simulated, and is compared to the case when a single element wide field‐of‐view (FOV) receiver is used. The system robustness against shadowing and blockage is also discussed.
Running on Empty: The Effects of Aggregate Travel Stress on Team Performance

In this study, we explore the effects of travel on performance at the team level using conservation of resources (COR) theory as an explanatory mechanism. We investigate the effects of aggregate travel stress, which we define as the accumulated strain experienced by a team when traveling, on key components of team functioning and performance including team task performance, team concentration level, and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB). We analyze 3054 games played in the National Football League across six seasons using multilevel structural equation modeling. Replicating our findings, we also analyzed an additional 11,802 games played in the National Basketball Association across five seasons. Aggregate travel stress, as a latent construct, negatively impacts team task performance and team concentration level. Team concentration partially mediates the relationship between aggregate travel stress and CWB. Findings suggest that travel has a deleterious effect on various forms of team functioning and performance. As a result, organizations and leaders need to be aware of the potential side effects of travel, and researchers need to further incorporate travel into models and examinations of workplace stress. This is the first study to provide a theoretically driven investigation of the effects of business travel on team outcomes and to apply COR theory to team-level phenomena. Results put forth offer a more nuanced understanding of the effects of travel as well as open up new avenues of exploration for COR theory.
Rabies Vaccination in the 1980s

The new human diploid cell vaccine was designed to overcome the myriad problems of older vaccines. In early trials it has been fully effective and has shown no major side effects. Indications and g...
Periventricular Heterotopia and Absence Epilepsy

A 7-year-old child with absence seizures and a 3-Hz generalized and occasional focal, spike-and-wave EEG pattern, responsive to treatment with valproic acid, had an MRI with periventricular nodular heterotopias, primarily right sided.
pRB Takes an EZ Path to a Repetitive Task.

Repetitive DNA elements are essential for genome function; in this issue of Molecular Cell, Ishak et al. (2016) describe a novel mechanism of epigenetic repression at these elements that requires pRB-dependent recruitment of EZH2.
Gallium Nitride for M/NEMS

The holy grail of seamless monolithic integration of MEMS with supporting circuitry has driven the development of electromechanical devices in compound semiconductors. Piezoelectricity manifests itself in the majority of compound semiconductors due to the inherent crystal asymmetry of the two or more atomic species comprising the material. The interaction of acoustic waves with charge carriers in these piezoelectric semiconductors was investigated as early as 1953 [1] and revealed interesting phenomena such as reduced electron effective mass due to phonon drag [2] and wave amplification and velocity shift in the presence of free carriers [3–5]. The unique properties of piezoelectric semiconductors and their implications for resonant devices are explored in this chapter.
State affirmative action bans and STEM degree completions

This paper investigates the effect of statewide affirmative action bans on minority STEM degree completions at US public four-year colleges. The number of minority students completing STEM degrees at highly selective colleges falls by 19% five years after affirmative action bans, while there is no change in the total number of students completing STEM degrees. This indicates that a nontrivial number of minority students only admitted to highly selective colleges because of affirmative action graduate in STEM during periods of race preferences in college admissions. There is no convincing evidence of effects at moderately selective colleges. These findings speak to the recent debate about the extent to which minority students admitted to top ranked colleges due to affirmative action may have higher probabilities of graduating in the sciences if they had attended lower ranked colleges. Results are presented with the caveats that changes in race reporting caused by affirmative action bans may upwardly bias estimated effects, and that estimated aggregate effects may not fully capture all student-level responses.
Health, Human Rights, and the Global Programme on AIDS

This chapter explores how Jonathan Mann, Director of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Programme on AIDS (GPA), came over time to champion a health and human rights framework for confronting the AIDS pandemic and made it a key component of the Global AIDS Strategy. Mann strived to draw attention to issues of discrimination, including national policies restricting the immigration and travel of people with HIV and AIDS. He argued passionately that fundamental human rights violations put populations at greater risk for HIV infection and hindered their appropriate access to prevention, care, and treatment services. Significantly, in May 1988, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution calling on governments to advocate the need to protect the human rights and dignity of people with HIV and AIDS. This led GPA to establish collaborations with human rights organizations and to apply the health and human rights framework to the rights of women.
Coherence, Literary and Epistemic

Coherence is a term of art in both epistemology and literary criticism, and in both contexts judgments of coherence carry evaluative significance. However, whereas the epistemic use of the term picks out a property of belief sets, the literary use can pick out properties of various elements of a literary work, including its plot, characters, and style. For this reason, some have claimed that literary critics are not concerned with the same concept of coherence as epistemologists. In this article I argue against this claim. Although various nonepistemic notions of coherence figure in literary criticism, the epistemic concept has a mirror image in the literary–critical concept of thematic coherence. Moreover, evidence from literary criticism suggests that thematic coherence can be valuable from a literary-evaluative standpoint because it can be valuable from an epistemic standpoint, in particular by enhancing the credibility of a work's themes or author. My analysis of the notion of thematic coherence thus provides novel support for literary cognitivism, the view that a work's literary-aesthetic merits can depend on its epistemic merits.
An analysis of utility meter data aggregation and tenant privacy to support energy use disclosure in commercial buildings

Abstract A growing number of cities are adopting energy use benchmarking ordinances, which require building owners report their buildings' total energy usage annually. It also requires that utilities supply aggregated building-level monthly energy consumption data. The data aggregation poses privacy concerns, as it is possible to estimate the individual tenant load consumption curve by dividing aggregated energy data by the number of meters. A solution is to quantify and assess the impact of adjusting the utility meter aggregation threshold on tenant privacy and on buildings that are eligible for energy usage reporting. As the threshold increases, fewer buildings are eligible for energy use data disclosure and therefore lessening data value. This study aims to investigate the similarity between individual utility meters and whole-building totals at various aggregation levels. Based on statistical analysis of 715,000 anonymized, non-residential meter accounts from six utilities across the U.S., we developed the “Meter Aggregation Selection Threshold” as a metric to assess tenant privacy risk. The metric estimates the portion of individual customer energy use patterns that are similar to the aggregated building consumption profile. It allows policy makers to make an informed decision on whether required disclosure regulations compromise business sensitive information and tenant privacy.
Coarse-grained molecular dynamics modeling of reaction-induced phase separation

Abstract We develop a model to describe reaction-induced phase separation in thermoplastic-toughened thermoset polymers at molecular scales. To achieve the temporal and spatial scales required for phase separation we use coarse-grained molecular dynamics where beads represent bi-functional epoxy, a di-amine crosslinker and monomers in the thermoplastic. The model describes the curing of the thermoset using a distance criterion to identify chemical reactions on the fly during a molecular dynamics simulation. We characterize how composition, curing temperature and conversion degree affect the onset of phase separation and domain growth. The onset of phase separation in terms of degree of cure depends on cure temperature and the subsequent growth of domain size during cure can be described with two power laws. Interestingly, the domain size vs. time following quenching after cure also follows power-law behavior but with exponent of approximately ¼, lower than those observed in simple binary mixtures and linear chain polymers.
El padre Uriel Molina habla sobre la Teología de la Liberación

Padre Uriel Molina played a very important role in the revolution that overthrew Somoza and in the development of liberation theology, particularly Christian base communities. During the Fall, 2001. Padre Uriel was asked to respond to various questions about the current state of liberation theology and the future of this method and theory of theology. In this article, his responses to these inquires are reported and placed in the context of contemporary social philosophy. He believes that the social and economic conditions in Nicaragua and other countries of Latin America have not improved, and therefore this version of theology still should retain its original goal of changing the structural causes of poverty. In a world that is not currently controlled by traditional dictators, but by the new dictatorship of the market and commercial values, Father Uriel contends that community-based theology can contribute to the creation of a new, more humane image of the community. In other words, by elevating the poor in importance in the mind of the general population, in addition to revealing a new historical subject, Molina states that a more democratic world can be created. Master en Estadistica, Universidad de Costa Rica. Profesor de cursos de grado de la Escuela de Estadistica y de la Maestria en Estadistica en el area de muestreo y encuestas. Tambien imparte cursos de la practica profesional. Es consultor privado y ha realizado investigaciones y publicaciones en diversas areas de Ciencias Sociales (salud reproductiva, SIDA, sexualidad, poblacion, negocios y cultura politica, entre otros). Actualmente tiene mas de cuarenta publicaciones en libros, articulos cientificos e informes de encuestas
Context-Free Languages

This chapter discusses context-free languages. It discusses the relation between context-free grammars in general and positive context-free grammars. Except for the limitation, everything that can be done using context-free grammars can be done with positive context-free grammars, which requires some messy technicalities. Certain vertices will have other nodes as immediate successors, and the immediate successors of a given node are to be in some definite order. It is helpful (though of course not part of the formal development) to think of the immediate successors of a given node as being physically below the given node and arranged from left to right in their given order. Nodes are to be connected by line segments to their immediate successors. There is to be exactly one node that is not an immediate successor; this node is called the root. Each node other than the root is to be the immediate successor of precisely one node, its predecessor. Nodes that have no immediate successors are called leaves. Regular languages are generated by context-free grammars of an especially simple form.
Electrodiagnosis in Spinal Cord Injury

Electrodiagnosis (EDX) compliments the clinical examination and imaging studies in managing patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). EDX elucidates the pathophysiology and delineates the recovery mechanisms. It allows early diagnosis of secondary neurologic complications of SCI such as paripheral nerve entrapment and post-traumatic syringomyelia. The full benefits of EDX in guiding motor recovery and minimizing complications will be realized with further refinement of methods and wider clinical use.
THE AMP SYSTEM IN ENGLISH

The present status of the English translation of the AMP System is described; and comparative data in four clinical studies between the Psychological Assessment Scale (PAS) of the AMP and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) are discussed.
Implementing Landscape Scale Conservation across Organizational Boundaries: Lessons from the Central Appalachian Region, United States

Natural resources across the United States are increasingly managed at the landscape scale through cooperation among multiple organizations and landowners. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS) agency leaders have widely promoted this approach since 2009 when Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack called for “all lands” management. Landscape scale projects have been undertaken to address multiple goals such as single species conservation, resilience to fire, invasive species eradication, and others. The West Virginia Restoration Venture (WVRV)—one of five landscape scale conservation projects funded 2014–2016 across the Northeast and Midwest and known as “Joint Chiefs’” projects—was evaluated by an interdisciplinary team of USFS employees to gain insight into how cross-boundary landscape scale conservation projects are implemented in the region. In this paper, the team used qualitative interview data from project participants to explore processes related to developing a shared vision for the landscape, implementation priorities, and methods to work across institutional and property ownership boundaries. Grounded in the landscape and collaborative resource management literatures, the report shows how established inter-organizational networks, flexible approaches to management, and a “shelf-stock” of ready-to-implement projects led to on-the-ground success. The authors provide insight about factors that constrain and facilitate the implementation of landscape scale conservation projects that have multiple goals, landowners, and organizational partners.
Faculty Applicants' Attempt to Inflate CVs Using Predatory Journals.

Recently, scientific publishing has experienced an expansion of journals and publishers whose primary goal is profit and whose peer review process is virtually non-existent. These “predatory” or “o...
Relationship of Socioeconomic Status Indicators to Obesity in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Middle-Aged Women: A Population Study.

Background Obesity rates differ between Hispanic and White (non-Hispanic) women in the United States, with higher rates among Hispanic women. Socioeconomic processes contribute to this disparity both at the individual and the environmental level. Understanding these complex relationships requires multilevel analyses within cohorts of women that have a shared environment. In population-based samples of Hispanic and White (non-Hispanic) women from the same neighborhoods, we evaluated within each ethnic group a) The association of individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) with body mass index (BMI); and b) The additional contribution of neighborhood-level measures of SES. Methods Using population-based multi-stage sampling methods, we oversampled low SES and Hispanic block groups. During household screening, we identified women aged 30 to 50 years. Among White women, we specifically oversampled women with low educational levels. 515 Hispanic and 503 White women completed baseline. Height and weight were measured. Baseline surveys, in Spanish and English, included four measures of SES. Three measures of area-level SES were examined. Analysis of loge BMI on each SES measure used linear mixed models, incorporating design effects. Results Among White women, low education, social status, and neighborhood SES were associated with higher BMI (p < 0.001, p < 0.0001, and p < 0.05, respectively), independent of other SES measures. Although the highest grouped category of education, income and subjective social status within the Hispanic cohort had the lowest mean estimated BMI, the point estimates across categories were not monotonic, and had wide confidence intervals. As a result, in contrast to the findings among White women, no statistically significant associations were found between BMI and measures of SES among Hispanic women. Discussion Neighborhood and individual measures of SES operate differently in Hispanic compared with White women. We had assumed the measures we included to be most salient and operate similarly for both groups of women. Rather the salient factors for Hispanic women have yet to be identified. Improved understanding may ultimately inform the design of culturally-relevant multilevel obesity prevention strategies.
Physiological Performance Measures as Indicators of CrossFit® Performance

CrossFit® began as another exercise program to improve physical fitness and has rapidly grown into the “sport of fitness”. However, little is understood as to the physiological indicators that determine CrossFit® sport performance. The purpose of this study was to determine which physiological performance measure was the greatest indicator of CrossFit® workout performance. Male (n = 12) and female (n = 5) participants successfully completed a treadmill graded exercise test to measure maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), a 3-minute all-out running test (3MT) to determine critical speed (CS) and the finite capacity for running speeds above CS (D′), a Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) to assess anaerobic peak and mean power, the CrossFit® total to measure total body strength, as well as the CrossFit® benchmark workouts: Fran, Grace, and Nancy. It was hypothesized that CS and total body strength would be the greatest indicators of CrossFit® performance. Pearson’s r correlations were used to determine the relationship of benchmark performance data and the physiological performance measures. For each benchmark-dependent variable, a stepwise linear regression was created using significant correlative data. For the workout Fran, back squat strength explained 42% of the variance. VO2max explained 68% of the variance for the workout Nancy. Lastly, anaerobic peak power explained 57% of the variance for performance on the CrossFit® total. In conclusion, results demonstrated select physiological performance variables may be used to predict CrossFit® workout performance.
Vacancy Ordering in O 3 -Type Layered Metal Oxide Sodium-Ion Battery Cathodes

To improve battery technology, cathodes based on intercalated Na${}^{+}$ rather than Li${}^{+}$ are closely studied, as sodium is much cheaper, and sodium-ion batteries can be fully drained yet still remain viable. Unfortunately, during cycling Na cathode materials present reversible vacancy-ordering phase transformations that can reduce performance. The authors use high-throughput calculations to study the nature of these transformations in all known Na${}_{x}$$M$O${}_{2}$ layered compounds, and their findings may also apply to systems with other alkali ions.
Wisdom as the Key to a Better World

B. F. Skinner (1971) begins his book, Beyond Freedom and Dignity, by reviewing some of the “terrifying problems that face us in the world today.” Skinner notes that “technology itself is increasingly at fault” and that “the application of the physical and biological sciences alone will not solve our problems.” Skinner’s diagnosis is that “we need to make vast changes in human behavior” (pp. 1, 2). This author agrees wholeheartedly with Skinner on all of these points. However, quite a different vision from Skinner’s concerning the kind of changes humans need to undergo and how they may be brought about will be presented in this chapter. In particular, my contention is that universal wisdom is the key to bringing about the better world we all need and want.
Bridging Gaps and Understanding Disparities in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus to Improve Perinatal Outcomes

IN BRIEF For a woman who is facing financial, cultural, psychological, or social challenges, discovering that she has gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) represents a significant burden. By better understanding challenges underserved women with GDM face, multidisciplinary clinical teams can make essential changes in health care delivery to optimize outcomes not just during pregnancy, but also, equally importantly, beyond pregnancy to prevent long-term disease.
Novel Anatomic Predictors of New Persistent Left Bundle Branch Block After Evolut Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

New persistent left bundle branch block (NP-LBBB) has been associated with adverse outcomes after TAVI but few predictors thus far reported. We sought to identify predictors of NP-LBBB after TAVI with EvolutR/PRO (ER/EP). From 1/2016 to 4/2019, 544 patients from 2 centers underwent TAVI with Evolut (54% ER, 46% EP) for severe native aortic stenosis. Patients with previous LBBB and pacemaker were excluded. Aortic root analysis was performed using 3Mensio Valves Software and membranous septal length (MSL) was determined using the standard coronal view. Clinical, anatomic and procedural characteristics of 396 Evolut were analyzed and predictors of NP-LBBB were identified. Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 outcomes were reported. At discharge, NP-LBBB was seen in 76(19.2%) patients. NP-LBBB in Evolut was associated with implant depth at left coronary cusp (p = 0.004) and 34 mm ER (p = 0.026). Independent predictors of NP-LBBB in Evolut were shorter MSL (odds ratio [OR] = 0.82 per mm septum, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.68 to 0.98,p = 0.030), left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) eccentricity (OR = 1.04 per %, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.06,p = 0.002), implant depth at noncoronary cusp (NCC) (OR = 1.28 per mm ventricular, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.48,p = 0.001) and annular perimeter oversizing ≥20% (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.20 to 4.72, p = 0.013). On ROC curve analysis, MSL ≤6.5 mm, NCC depth ≥3 mm and LVOT eccentricity ≥35% were optimal threshold values to predict NP-LBBB. In Conclusion, shorter MSL, LVOT eccentricity, annular oversizing and deeper implant depth are novel predictors of NP-LBBB in Evolut TAVI. Preprocedural CT assessment of aortic root anatomy may help identify patients at risk for NP-LBBB. In such patients, modifying procedural factors such as higher implant and less annular oversizing may reduce the risk of NP-LBBB. Further evaluation of our hypothesis is warranted.
Parkinsonism and subthalamic deep brain stimulation dysregulate behavioral motivation in a rodent model.

Abstract Background Apathy and impulsivity constitute opposite poles of a behavioral motivation spectrum often disrupted by both the symptoms and therapies for Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Upwards of 70% of PD patients experience symptoms of apathy, frequently unresolved or worsened by deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Worse, more than half of patients receiving DBS for PD experience new-onset impulse control disorders of varying severity following therapy initiation. While these symptoms and side-effects have been widely reported in clinical studies, they are largely unexplored in animal models. Methods We applied high-frequency DBS in a 6-OHDA hemiparkinsonian rat model. We trained rats on a series of go/stop and go/no-go behavioral paradigms and examined how parkinsonism and DBS modulated task responses. Results STN DBS in healthy rodents drove impulsive behavior in the form of stop and no-go task failure, impulsive reward seeking, and noninstructed task attempts. While trained rats without DBS only tended to fail stop and no-go cues very shortly after the cue, DBS led to failures at significantly later time points. Hemiparkinsonism slowed response times and reduced response rates, not alleviated by effective DBS. Interpretations PD interrupts neural signaling responsible for healthy action selection, not restored by DBS. PD may be associated with a dearth of action commands, manifesting as apathy. Conversely, effective DBS may bias the system toward the impulsive end of the behavioral motivation spectrum without restoring behaviorally reasonable actions, mis-weighting reward-based action selection and manifesting as impulsivity, aided by DBS interfering with stop signaling.
The Russian Federation, the USA and European security

Russian relations with the West have deteriorated significantly in the past two decades, in particular after the rise of Vladimir Putin. The factors leading to this shift included domestic issues such as the role of the military and security elite, as well as the reemergence of authoritarianism and growing concern in Russia for the expansion of Western influence in post-Soviet space.
Sources of Stress and Barriers to Mental Health Service Use Among Asian Immigrant-Origin Youth: A Qualitative Exploration

Asian immigrant-origin youth (IOY) are a large and growing population within the United States (U.S.). Yet, despite the high prevalence of mental health concerns, limited research has examined sources of stress that may lead to mental health concerns among Asian IOY. Further, despite low levels of mental health service use, no studies have directly explored the perceptions of Asian IOY about barriers to mental health service use generally. Hence, using a qualitative approach, this study sought to examine the perceptions of Asian IOY regarding sources of stress that may contribute to mental health concerns and barriers to mental health service use. Thirty-three (n = 33; 58% female) Asian IOY were directly queried through in-depth focus groups. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Themes relating to sources of stress that lead to mental health concerns among Asian IOY included (a) pressure to succeed and (b) stressors related to ethnic minority and immigrant status. Themes relating to barriers to mental health service use among Asian IOY included (a) parental reactions, (b) concerns with mental health treatment, (c) stigma against mental health services, (d) mental health literacy, and (e) pragmatic or logistical reasons. Findings provide insight into tailoring appropriate outreach efforts to increase mental health service use among Asian IOY.
The Association Between the Genetic VDR SNP c.907+75C>T and Prostate Cancer Risk Is Modified by Tanning Potential.

BACKGROUND Prostate cancer (PCa) is a multifactorial disease involving complex interactions between genetic and physiological/environmental factors. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) plays a role in numerous cellular pathways and it has been suggested that VDR genetic variants influence individual susceptibility to PCa. MATERIALS AND METHODS Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of six VDR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and factors such as tanning potential and UV sunlight exposure with PCa risk. RESULTS Marginal significant interactions were found, with a 2-fold increase risk of PCa between SNP 1 (c.278-69G>A) and sunlight UV exposure [odds ratio (OR)=2.02, 95% confidence intervaI (CI)=1.036-4.36; p=0.05]; and a 4-fold increase risk of PCa between SNP 4 (c.907+75C>T) and tanning potential (OR=4.40, 95% CI=0.89-29.12; p=0.0591). In contrast, SNP 5 (rs731236, TaqI) and tanning potential interaction had a protective effect by reducing the risk of PCa by 55% (β=-0.804; OR=0.448, 95% CI=0.197-9.42; p=0.0427). SNPs 2 (rs61614328) and 6 (rs533037428) did not show any association with PCa even in the presence of UV sunlight exposure. CONCLUSION The protective effect of SNP 4 from PCa is lost and modified by tanning potential in African Americans. This finding needs to be verified by larger studies in different ethnic populations.
A Study of Longitudinal Trajectories of Health and Job Demand on Retirement Age

In this paper, we characterized health trajectories over an 18-year period for a cohort of American workers. We used administrative data to track monthly, health-related events for six chronic diseases (asthma, arthritis, diabetes, depression, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension) including the diagnoses of new disease, hospitalizations, and outpatient visits. Using these data, we first used sequence and cluster analysis to characterize long-term trajectories of health and to group workers according to their patterns of work experience. We then modeled the relationship of these health trajectories to retirement age, accounting for baseline underlying health, as well as a number of demographic and job-related characteristics. Finally, we consider the role of physical and psychosocial job demand in retirement age. Our analysis produces a number of findings that should be of interest to those studying retirement policy. In our data, workers can be categorized into a small number of distinct work trajectories. While the majority of workers in this sample remain relatively healthy for much of the observation window, others exhibit patterns of health-related events that are often marked by hypertension and/or arthritis. We find that clusters characterized with health events related to hypertension and arthritis are likely to retire later, not earlier. We offer a possible interpretation that these numerous health-related events are signaling the proper management of these chronic diseases, allowing workers to extend their working life. Moreover, we find an association with job demands and retirement, even after controlling for health. Specifically, we find that increases in exposure to heat are associated with lower retirement age, as is less decision-making autonomy. The limitations of this paper include the lack of a representative sample, a relatively small sample size, and the strong incentives of retirement pensions in this cohort that may overwhelm other factors related to retirement decisions.
Structural Characteristics and Proton Conductivity of the Gel Within the Electrosensory Organs of Cartilaginous Fishes

Abstract The Ampullae of Lorenzini (AoL) of cartilaginous fishes are sensory organs used to detect environmental electric fields. The proximal ends of the organs are externally visible as pores in the skin that lead into gel-filled tubular canals which terminate in rounded chambers filled with highly specialized electrosensory cells. The viscoelastic gel that fills the organs is composed of proteins and polysaccharides that are not yet completely characterized but are thought to play a critical role in the electrosensing mechanism. Although recent studies have identified various components of AoL gel, it has remained unclear how the component molecules are structurally arranged and how their structure influences the overall function of the AoL. Here we present the first microscopic descriptions and x-ray scattering data from AoL gel extracted from spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei). Our results suggest that AoL gel is colloidal in nature and composed of spherical globules that are approximately 10-100 nm in size. We investigated the structural influence of the protein components of the gel specifically by analyzing gel that had been digested in situ via enzymatic proteolysis. By comparing gel before and after digestion using microscopy, x-ray scattering analyses, and proton conductivity measurements, we directly observed the structural and functional influence of proteins in AoL gel. The findings described here represent the first detailed structural analysis of AoL gel and lay the groundwork for more detailed studies into the specific interactions of molecules inside AoL gel at the nanoscale, with particular reference to their mechanistic role in electrosensing.