cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidermal growth factor enhances spontaneous sleep in rabbits

Several growth factors are implicated in sleep regulation. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is found in the brain, and it influences the production of several sleep-promoting substances. We determined, therefore, whether administration of exogenous EGF affected spontaneous sleep in rabbits. Twenty-five rabbits were implanted with electroencephalographic electrodes, a brain thermistor, and an intracerebroventricular guide cannula. Three doses of EGF (0.5, 5, and 25 μg) were used. The animals were injected intracerebroventricularly with saline as control and one dose of EGF on 2 separate days. Five and twenty-five micrograms of EGF enhanced non-rapid eye movement sleep and increased brain temperature. The 25-μg dose of EGF also inhibited rapid eye movement sleep across the 23-h postinjection recording period. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that EGF, like other growth factors, could be involved in sleep regulation.
Ferroic Materials and Composites: Past, Present and Future

In this chapter the class of mimetically twinned crystals, which encompasses all ferroic materials, is discussed and primary and secondary ferroics are defined. The focus will be upon ferroelectric materials, but because of the very strong elasto-dielectric coupling in most ferroelectrics it will be necessary also to consider the ferroelastic character. In discussing past achievements in ferroelectricity the chapter draws heavily upon the earlier study by Cross and Newnham on the ‘History of Ferroelectricity’ [1]. Considering the build-up towards current activities, it is suggested that by the mid 1970s, a divergence began to occur between the emphasis of basic theoretical studies and the needs of the burgeoning industries using ferroelectric ceramics. This chapter considers primarily the more practical applications-driven studies which have been most active and most effective in Japan. The emphasis is upon the solid solution systems required to tune the ferroelectric phase transitions and to manipulate the intrinsic dielectric, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. The newer composite technologies which we considered address the engineering of tensor properties by control of the flux paths through the solid designed by manipulation of the phase connectivity, the symmetry and the scale of the composite. Device needs driving towards the integration of ferroelectrics into more complex lamellar structures will be discussed briefly.
ETHNIC STATUS AND PARTICIPATION IN LONGITUDINAL HEALTH SURVEYS

Ethnic differences in survey participation and their effects on self-reported physical and psychiatric health status measures were examined in a longitudinal health study in Alameda County, California, in 1978 following two time intervals. Blacks and Mexican-Americans were more likely than whites to refuse to participate in follow-up surveys and were more difficult to trace when the time interval between interviews was long. With the exception of age, demographic characteristics were not consistently associated with participation status either across ethnic groups or across time periods. Self-reported psychiatric and physical health status were not statistically associated with participation status in any ethnic group for either time period, despite differential participation by ethnicity.
Political Science, Cicero, and Education

Paper reports a study of the context for the revival of Cicero studies in political science; it attempts to fill lacuna, due to damaged texts, on how Cicero proposes to educate leaders and citizens.
FlashNormalize: programming by examples for text normalization

Several applications including text-to-speech require some normalized format of non-standard words in various domains such as numbers, dates, and currencies and in various human languages. The traditional approach of manually constructing a program for such a normalization task requires expertise in both programming and target (human) language and further does not scale to a large number of domain, format, and target language combinations. We propose to learn programs for such normalization tasks through examples. We present a domainspecific programming language that offers appropriate abstractions for succinctly describing such normalization tasks, and then present a novel search algorithm that can effectively learn programs in this language from input-output examples. We also briefly describe domain-specific heuristics for guiding users of our system to provide representative examples for normalization tasks related to that domain. Our experiments show that we are able to effectively learn desired programs for a variety of normalization tasks.
The Chondroprotective Role of Erythromycin in a Murine Joint Destruction Model.

ObjectiveInflammation is a major player in the joint destruction process. Macrolide antibiotics have recently been found to have a novel anti-inflammatory function, but their effects on the joint are unknown. Our objective was to investigate the effect of macrolide antibiotic erythromycin on cartilage gene expression under inflammatory conditions as well as on joint pathology in an in vivo inflammatory joint destruction model.DesignIn our in vivo studies, mouse knee joints were injected with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA), a chemical that inhibits glycolysis and causes joint inflammation and matrix loss. Erythromycin was administered by daily intraperitoneal injection. Changes in joint cartilage and synovium were evaluated by histological analysis. In our in vitro studies, primary bovine articular chondrocytes were treated with erythromycin in the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and cartilage gene expression analysis was performed.ResultsRegional differences in carti...
Field and Model Studies for Visakhapatnam Harbor

Model studies and analysis of oceanographic and littoral drift data were undertaken to advise Howe India (Private) Ltd. on littoral drift, siltation and shore erosion problems to be encountered during and after the construction of Visakhapatnam Outer Harbor Project. Distorted fixed-bed and movable-bed models with a horizontal scale of 1:300 and a vertical scale of 1:80 were calibrated to reproduce the integrated net effect of an average southwest and northeast monsoon season. Experiments were conducted to assess and predict seasonal changes resulting from the construction of the system of breakwaters under normal and extreme conditions. Recommendations were made concerning breakwater and sand trap location, shore protection, dredging and disposal of dredged material.
A Qualitative Examination of Factors that Influence Birthing Options for African American Women

This article examines the factors that influenced the birthing decisions of a group of African American women from regions throughout the United States who selected to give birth at home. Using the...
Cautery fixation for amniotic membrane transplant in pterygium surgery.

PURPOSE: To report a technique using cautery fixation of the amniotic membrane transplant in pterygium excision. METHODS: The amniotic membrane transplant is oversized 3-4 mm in both dimensions (1.5-2 mm on each side). The transplant is placed in position, and the excess is tucked subconjunctivally 270 degrees. Limbal fixation sutures using 9-0 Vicryl in a buried fashion are placed, and then, amniotic membrane transplant (AMT) overlying the cornea is excised. Cautery fixation of the AMT in a grid pattern using the eraser tip is performed. The cautery power is started low and titrated up until the appropriate reaction of the graft is noted upon application. Forceps are used for countertraction to prevent the eraser tip from lifting the AMT graft after fixating it to the underlying episclera. RESULTS: This technique was used on 17 consecutive patients with pterygia (12 primary and 5 recurrent). Average surgical time was 22.65 ± 2.57 minutes. No AMT malposition, dislocation, or loss and no granuloma formation were experienced. Although follow-up up to this point is short (average: 7.12 months, range: 2-18 months), no recurrences have occurred. CONCLUSIONS: This technique provides a quick, inexpensive, and effective method of AMT fixation for use in pterygium surgery.
THE PHARMACOKINETICS OF INTRAVENOUS PROPRANOLOL

The pharmacokinetics of propranolol was evaluated basedupon the plasma concentration measured by the HPLC on 16 healthy volunteersgiven intravenously with a single dose of 5mg of propranolol in 20ml of 10%-glucose solution in a 5-minute period injection. The propranolol pharmacokine- tics of our study is in agreement with that of studies in the western countries,with its half life time 3. 15hrs, plasma clearance 72. 319 l/hr, and apparent vol-ume of distribution 3. 946 l/kg. The peak plasma-drug concentration in some ca-ses was rather high in this study, suggesting that the intravenous dosage usednowadays in clinical practice should be smaller.
Effect of heparanase RNA interference on biological behaviour of HepG2 liver cancer cells

Objective To Utilize the screened heparanase RNA interference cell lines HepG2/RNAi/1 and HepG2/RNAi/3 to study the effect of heparanase RNA interference on biological behaviour of HepG2 liver cancer cells.Method Through MTT experiment、FCM、plate clone formation experiment、Transwell invasion experiment and tumorigenesis in nude mice experiment we detected biological behaviour changes of HepG2 after heparanase RNA interference.Result MTT result showed that cell proliferation ability of HepG2/RNAi/1 and HepG2/RNAi/3 cells was significantly lower than that of HepG2 and HepG2/RNAi/N cells.Plate clone formation experiment demonstrated that single cell clone formation capacity of HepG2/RNAi/1 and HepG2/RNAi/3 cells was obviously lower than that of HepG2 and HepG2/RNAi/N cells(34±4,26±5 vs 138±7,123±22,P0.05).Flow cytometry demonstrated that HepG2/RNAi/1 and HepG2/RNAi/3 cells arresting in G0/G1 and decrease proliferative index(PI) of HepG2/RNAi/1 and HepG2/RNAi/3 cells.Transwell in vitro invasion experiment showed that penetrated cell number in HepG2/RNAi/1 and HepG2/RNAi/3 cells was much lower than in HepG2 and HepG2/RNAi/N cells(85.1±9.1,78.1±10.4 vs 182.2±9.7,183.5±9.3,P0.05).Tumorigenesis in nude mice experiment demonstrated that HepG2 and HepG2/RNAi/N cells had a tumor formation ratio of 100%.Although HepG2/RNAi/1 cells also had a tumor formation ratio of 100%,but its subcutaneous tumor volume is much smaller than that of HepG2 and HepG2/RNAi/N cells(0.099±0.030 vs 0.585±0.135,0.690±0.099,P0.01),while no subcutaneous tumor formed in group of HepG2/RNAi/3 cells.Conclusion Heparanase RNAi can effectively inhibit HepG2 liver cancer cells in proliferation,invasion,clone formation,and tumorigenesis in nude mice.
Structure-Specific nuclease activities of Artemis and the Artemis: DNA-PKcs complex

Artemis is a vertebrate nuclease with both endo- and exonuclease activities that acts on a wide range of nucleic acid substrates. It is the main nuclease in the non-homologous DNA end-joining pathway (NHEJ). Not only is Artemis important for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in NHEJ, it is essential in opening the DNA hairpin intermediates that are formed during V(D)J recombination. Thus, humans with Artemis deficiencies do not have T- or B-lymphocytes and are diagnosed with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). While Artemis is the only vertebrate nuclease capable of opening DNA hairpins, it has also been found to act on other DNA substrates that share common structural features. Here, we discuss the key structural features that all Artemis DNA substrates have in common, thus providing a basis for understanding how this structure-specific nuclease recognizes its DNA targets.
Effects of lead and a low-molecular-weight endogenous plasma inhibitor on the kinetics of sodium-potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase and potassium-activated p-nitrophenylphosphatase.

1. Lead, ouabain and an endogenous plasma inhibitor were all found to be potent inhibitors of purified hog cerebral cortex sodium—potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase and potassium-stimulated p-nitrophenylphosphatase. 2. The kinetic characteristics of inhibition of both enzymes by lead and the endogenous plasma inhibitor differed in several respects. For sodium—potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase, lead and the endogenous plasma inhibitor were non-competitive inhibitors with respect to potassium; lead was competitive with respect to sodium, whereas the endogenous plasma inhibitor had no effect; lead was competitive with respect to magnesium adenosine triphosphate, whereas the endogenous plasma inhibitor was uncompetitive. For potassium-activated p-nitrophenylphosphatase, both lead and the endogenous plasma inhibitor were competitive with respect to potassium; lead showed a mixed type of inhibition with respect to p-nitrophenylphosphate, whereas the endogenous plasma inhibitor was non-competitive. 3. Lead and the endogenous plasma inhibitor exhibited synergistic inhibitory activity on sodium—potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase. 4. These results suggest that lead could play a contributory role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension via an additive inhibition of vascular smooth muscle sodium—potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase.
A limited investigation of airplane response to flap extension

This paper examines airplane response to flap extension on four general aviation (GA) airplanes. The scenario involves a pilot flying in the traffic pattern who becomes distracted, abruptly extends flaps while looking outside the airplane, and fails to notice airspeed and pitch-attitude changes. In the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) §23.143, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires no more than 50 pounds of pitch wheel force to arrest any un-commanded airplane pitch response [1]. The airplanes tested in this report had pitch forces less than 40 pounds. Despite satisfying the FAA requirement, data gathered in-flight showed a pitch-up to more than 30 degrees in 5 seconds after flap extension, subsequently causing airspeed to drop below stall speed for three of the airplanes. If the pilot did not compensate for this response with positive pitch inputs on the controls, the airplanes would have stalled. At traffic pattern altitudes, stalling an airplane can be fatal. The National Transportation Safety Board listed over 1000 accidents caused by loss-of-control in the traffic pattern between 1982 and 2015 [2]. Since GA airplanes don't carry flight data recorders, we don't know how many of those accidents may have involved stalls caused by un-commanded response after flap extension. From the data we gathered in-flight, it seems possible some were. To improve safety, airplane developers could interconnect flaps with the elevator, reduce horizontal tail size, or use a T-tail. The FAA should consider reducing the maximum pitch stick and wheel forces in CFR §23.143 to 10 pounds or less.
New diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis during the third trimester of pregnancy.

We report here an unusual case of rheumatoid arthritis presenting for the first time in a 32-week pregnant patient. Despite thorough evaluations from different specialties, the patient’s diagnosis went undiscovered originally being attributed to orthopedic issues and then to normal symptoms of pregnancy. The patient’s symptoms progressively worsened until she was no longer able to ambulate and complete her daily activities. A primary diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is exceedingly rare during pregnancy due to changes in the body’s immune system that accommodate the foreign fetus. Also physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy can often cloud the clinical picture of a patient presenting with joint pain and weakness. Nonetheless, a thorough workup should be conducted to rule out underlying rheumatologic disease.
Decentralized consensus in distributed networks

AbstractWe consider the decentralised consensus optimization problem in this paper. A fast decentralised gradient-based algorithm is proposed for a general class of problems with convex and differentiable objective functions. The developed method guarantees that all the nodes in the network would reach consensus on the global variable eventually. Based on the proposed decentralised algorithm, a broadcast-based protocol is designed, which is capable of providing solution for real-time in situ seismic imaging. Extensive numerical experiments on both synthetic and real sensor network seismic data sets validate the superior efficiency of the proposed algorithm over the other benchmarks.
Effect of phosphate buffer on aggregation kinetics of citrate-coated silver nanoparticles induced by monovalent and divalent electrolytes.

Abstract The attachment efficiency (α) is an important parameter that can be used to characterize nanoparticle (NPs) aggregation behavior and has been a topic of discussion of several papers in the past few years. The importance of α is because it is one of the key parameters that can be used to model NP environmental fate and behavior. This study uses UV–vis and laser Doppler electrophoresis to monitor the aggregation behavior of citrate-coated silver nanoparticles (cit-AgNPs) induced by Na+ and Ca2 + as counter ions in the presence and absence of Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) as a surrogate of natural organic matter and different concentrations of phosphate buffer (0–1 mM). Results demonstrate that phosphate buffer, which serves to maintain pH nearly constant over the course of a reaction, is an important determinant of NP aggregation behavior. Increasing phosphate buffer concentration results in a decrease in the critical coagulation concentrations (CCC) of cit-AgNPs to lower counter ion concentration and an increase of α at the same counter ion concentration, both in the absence and presence of SRFA. SRFA stabilizes AgNPs and increases the CCC to higher counter ion concentrations. The outcome of this study can be used to rationalize the variation in α and CCC values reported in the literature for NPs with similar physicochemical properties, where different α and CCC values are reported when different types of buffers and buffer concentrations are used in different studies.
Why Social Relationships Are Important for Physical Health: A Systems Approach to Understanding and Modifying Risk and Protection

Social relationships are adaptive and crucial for survival. This review presents existing evidence indicating that our social connections to others have powerful influences on health and longevity and that lacking social connection qualifies as a risk factor for premature mortality. A systems perspective is presented as a framework by which to move social connection into the realm of public health. Individuals, and health-relevant biological processes, exist within larger social contexts including the family, neighborhood and community, and society and culture. Applying the social ecological model, this review highlights the interrelationships of individuals within groups in terms of understanding both the causal mechanisms by which social connection influences physical health and the ways in which this influence can inform potential intervention strategies. A systems approach also helps identify gaps in our current understanding that may guide future research.
Differential Reinforcement Effectiveness as a Function of Schedule of Reinforcement and Reinforcement History

Variants of the differential reinforcement paradigm were investigated as a function of both present schedule of reinforcement and past reinforcement history. Results suggest that such differential reinforcement procedures are effective in both increasing new responses and decreasing old responses. Reinforcement history was found not to be a significant variable. Rather, present schedule of reinforcement was found to be crucial in the control of lever-press behavior, with children reinforced on a VR schedule responding at a higher rate than those on a VI schedule of reinforcement.
Erratum to: Integrity and Internal Control in Information Systems V

Erratum to: M. Gertz (Ed.) Integrity and Internal Control in Information Systems V DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-35693-8
Effects of estradiol on lactoprivic signaling of the hindbrain upon the contraregulatory hormonal response and metabolic neuropeptide synthesis in hypoglycemic female rats.

Abstract Background Caudal dorsomedial hindbrain detection of hypoglycemia-associated lactoprivation regulates glucose counter-regulation in male rats. In females, estradiol (E) determines hypothalamic neuroanatomical and molecular foci of hindbrain energy sensor activation. This study investigated the hypothesis that E signal strength governs metabolic neuropeptide and counter-regulatory hormone responses to hindbrain lactoprivic stimuli in hypoglycemic female rats. Methods Ovariectomized animals were implanted with E-filled silastic capsules [30 (E-30) or 300 μg (E-300)/mL] to replicate plasma concentrations at estrous cycle nadir versus peak levels. E-30 and E-300 rats were injected with insulin or vehicle following initiation of continuous caudal fourth ventricular L-lactate infusion. Results Hypoglycemic hypercorticosteronemia was greater in E-30 versus E-300 animals. Glucagon and corticosterone outflow was correspondingly fully or partially reversed by hindbrain lactate infusion. Insulin-injected rats exhibited lactate-reversible augmentation of norepinephrine (NE) accumulation in all preoptic/hypothalamic structures examined, excluding the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH) where hindbrain lactate infusion either suppressed (E-30) or enhanced (E-300) NE content. Expression profiles of hypoglycemia-reactive metabolic neuropeptides were normalized (with greater efficacy in E-300 animals) by lactate infusion. DMH RFamide-related peptide-1 and -3, arcuate neuropeptide Y and kisspeptin, and ventromedial nucleus nitric oxide synthase protein responses to hypoglycemia were E dosage-dependent. Conclusions Distinct physiological patterns of E secretion characteristic of the female rat estrous cycle elicit differential corticosterone outflow during hypoglycemia, and establish both common and different hypothalamic metabolic neurotransmitter targets of hindbrain lactate deficit signaling. Outcomes emphasize a need for insight on systems-level organization, interaction, and involvement of E signal strength-sensitive neuropeptides in counter-regulatory functions.
Protection of Abused Children, the Mentally and Physically Challenged, and the Elderly

The duty to protect children and others who cannot protect themselves is delegated to each state’s child and family protective services agency that is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. An entirely separate legal system that has its own state and Federal laws governs the operation of this protection system. The system is supposed to protect citizens who cannot protect themselves from harm. This is generally defined as children, the elderly, and those who because of mental incompetence (often defined as intellectually limited, neurologically impaired, or mentally ill) cannot care for themselves. In this chapter, we will attempt to explain the system, review definitions that vary from state to state and under Federal law, and discuss its benefits and drawbacks. One of the cornerstones of the protection system is the mandated reporting laws that require mental health professionals along with others specified in the statutes to report any suspicion that those covered by the laws are being harmed. The precise definitions are discussed here. As might be imagined, these reporting statutes also have their benefits and limitations. To make it even more complicated, the protection system must interact with the criminal justice system and the family law systems when there are cases that are filed in these divisions, also. In some districts, there has been a movement towards a Unified Family Court where all three divisions can come together and dispose of cases within the same family.
Social Media Services

Social Media Services gibt es eine ganze Reihe und es entstehen im Internet fortlaufend weitere. Das Internet ist dafur eine ideale Umgebung, weil Browser-basierte Anwendungen keine lokalen Komponenten (auser Cookies) haben, und man deshalb keine speziellen Installationsrechte benotigt. Selbst fortlaufende Programmanderungen sind einfach machbar. Damit mussen die Losungen anfanglich gar nicht perfekt sein, sondern konnen sich uber die Zeit bessern – man spricht dann auch von einer „Dauer-Beta“-Version. Mit entsprechendem Feedback durch die Nutzer besteht sogar die Moglichkeit auch die Funktionalitat nach den Nutzerwunschen immer weiter – auch in kleinen Schritten – zu verbessert. Somit ist schon das Entstehen solcher Services oftmals ein sozialer Prozess.
Making Related Service Decisions for Students with Severe Disabilities: Roles, Criteria, and Authority:

Effective delivery of related services requires a shared framework for decision making among educators, related service personnel, and families. This framework may be characterized by (a) the roles...
The Child and Family Service Review: A Framework for Changing Practice

ABSTRACT The Child and Family Service Review, authorized in 1994, is designed to assure positive outcomes for children and families served by state child welfare agencies. The review uses intensive case reviews and structured interviews to evaluate seven outcomes within the three domains of safety, permanency, and child and family well being, and states' performance on systemic factors such as the service array and staff training. The review, guided by the themes of family centered practice, strengthening parental capacity to provide for their children, individualizing services to children and families, and community based services, has the unprecedented opportunity to improve services to children and families and to help states better meet their needs.
Comparison of outcomes with PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) of 50-74% vs 75-100% in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with first-line PD-1 inhibitors.

9037Background: Among patients with NSCLC and a PD-L1 TPS ≥50%, the response rate to the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab is ~45%. Whether certain subsets of patients with a PD-L1 TPS ≥50% are more lik...
Mortality, Resource Utilization, and Inpatient Costs Vary Among Pediatric Heart Transplant Indications: A Merged Data Set Analysis From the United Network for Organ Sharing and Pediatric Health Information Systems Databases

ABSTRACT Background Merging United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and Pediatric Health Information Systems databases has enabled a more granular analysis of pediatric heart transplant outcomes and resource utilization. We evaluated whether transplant indication at time of transplantation was associated with mortality, resource utilization, and inpatient costs during the first year after transplantation. Methods and Results We analyzed transplant outcomes and resource utilization from 2004 to 2015. Patients were categorized as congenital (CHD), myocarditis, or cardiomyopathy based on UNOS-defined primary indication. CHD complexity subgroup analyses (single-ventricle, complex, and simple biventricular CHD) were also performed. Of 2251 transplants (49% CHD, 5% myocarditis, 46% cardiomyopathy), CHD recipients were younger (2 [IQR 0–10], 6 [IQR 0–12], and 7 [IQR 1–14] years, respectively; P Conclusions Children with CHD, particularly single-ventricle patients, require substantially greater hospital resource utilization and have significantly worse outcomes during the first year after heart transplantation compared with other indications. Further work is aimed at identifying modifiable pre-transplantation risk factors, such as pre-transplantation conditioning with VAD support and cardiac rehabilitation, to improve post-transplantation outcomes and reduce resource utilization in this complex population.
Photonic Spin Hall Effect in Robust Phase Gradient Metasurfaces Utilizing Transition Metal Nitrides

Robust and high-temperature stable (refractory) transition metal nitrides are an emerging class of nanophotonic materials aimed at durable, bio- and CMOS-compatible plasmonic and metasurface applications. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate titanium nitride- and zirconium nitride-based phase manipulating optical metasurfaces that exhibit a photonic spin Hall effect. In the developed all-nitride system, metal nitrides are combined with dielectric nitrides such as aluminum nitride and silicon nitride to design a highly anisotropic, multilayer resonator geometry that supports gap plasmons and enables high power efficiency (∼40%) and broad bandwidth of operation in the near-infrared wavelength region. A one-dimensional phase gradient created by geometric rotations of the resonators leads to simultaneous, spatial separation of right and left circular polarization as well as different frequency components of the incident light. This work shows that transition metal nitrides can be successfully integrate...
Automated detection of thermoerosion in permafrost ecosystems using temporally dense Landsat image stacks

Abstract Anthropogenic climate change has been linked to the degradation of permafrost across northern ecosystems, with notable implications for regional to global carbon dynamics. However, our understanding of the spatial distribution, temporal trends, and seasonal timing of episodic landscape deformation events triggered by permafrost degradation is hampered by the limited spatial and temporal coverage of high-resolution optical, RADAR, LIDAR, and hyperspectral remote sensing products. Here we present an automated approach for detecting permafrost degradation (thermoerosion), using meso-scale high-frequency remote sensing products (i.e., Landsat image archive). This approach was developed, tested, and applied in the ice-rich lowlands of the Noatak National Preserve (NOAT; 12,369 km2) in northwestern Alaska. We identified thermoerosion (TE) by capturing the spectral signal associated with episodic sediment plumes in adjacent water bodies following TE. We characterized and extracted this episodic turbidity signal within lakes during the snow-free period (June 15–October 1) for 1986–2016 (continuous data limited to 1999–2016), using the cloud-based geospatial parallel processing platform, Google Earth Engine™. Thermoerosional detection accuracy was calculated using seven consecutive years of sub-meter high-resolution imagery (2009–2015) covering 798 (~33%) of the 2456 lakes in the NOAT lowlands. Our automated TE detection algorithm had an overall accuracy and kappa coefficient of 86% and 0.47 ± 0.043, indicating that episodic sediment pulses had a “moderate agreement” with landscape deformation associated with permafrost degradation. We estimate that lake shoreline erosion, thaw slumps, catastrophic lake drainage, and gully formation accounted for 62, 23, 13, and 2%, respectively, of active TE across the NOAT lowlands. TE was identified in ~5% of all lakes annually in the lowlands between 1999 and 2016, with a wide range of inter-annual variation (ranging from 0.2% in 2001 to 22% in 2004). Inter-annual variability in TE occurrence and spatial patterns of TE probability were correlated with annual snow cover duration and snow persistence, respectively, suggesting that earlier snowmelt accelerates permafrost degradation (e.g. TE) in this region. This work improves our ability to detect and attribute change in permafrost degradation across space and time.
Natural Products and Synthetic Biology: Where We Are and Where We Need To Go

The biosynthetic talent of microorganisms has been harnessed for drug discovery for almost a century. Microbial metabolites not only account for the majority of antibiotics available today, but have also led to anticancer, immunosuppressant, and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Yet, inherent challenges of natural products-including inadequate supply and difficulties with structure diversification-contributed to their deprioritization as a source of pharmaceuticals. In recent years, advances in genome sequencing and synthetic biology spurred a renewed interest in natural products. Bacterial genomes encode an abundance of natural products awaiting discovery. Synthetic biology can facilitate not only discovery and improvements in supply, but also structure diversification. This perspective highlights prior accomplishments in the field of synthetic biology and natural products by the scientific community at large, including research from our laboratory. We also provide our opinion as to where we need to go to continue advancing the field.
A Grass-Roots Endeavor To Develop a Permanent University Program for Vision Professionals: The North Carolina Model.

This article describes a collaborative process parents, teachers, consumers, and advocacy groups in North Carolina used to successfully establish a permanently funded university training program sp...
A Low-Cost Multi-robot System for Research, Teaching, and Outreach

We describe a new low-cost robot design that enables large-scale multirobot research, innovative new curriculum, and multi-robotics outreach to younger students. There are four main parts to the system: the r-one robot, a Python development environment, a camera tracking system for ground-truth localization, and server software to connect all the pieces together. This paper presents our preliminary work on the robot design and our experience using it to teach an introductory engineering class. The hardware can support classes in computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. The low-cost and small size will enable more research groups to perform multi-robot experiments on physical hardware. The Python development environment greatly simplifies programming and will make robotics more accessible to a larger group of educators, students, and researchers.
Shoestring Diplomacy: Lobbying and Litigation for Self-Determination

How do self-determination groups and de facto states use diplomacy to advance their international legitimacy? Lacking diplomatic recognition, aspiring states still manage to foster productive relationships with external actors—trading, allying, and partnering to pursue economic, diplomatic, and military objectives. They do this through ad hoc executive visits, participation in international summits, and contact with party leaders, judicial bodies, and other subnational actors in third-party states. To explore the breadth of these diplomatic relations and strategy behind them, I employ original data on five years of diplomatic visits of the representatives of the Polisario Front and Kurdish Regional Government, and I analyze the Polisario case through 11 interviews with foreign ministry representatives. I find: (1) that these governments employ extensive resources to establish a constant presence in third-party states; (2) that they employ their resources strategically based on the domestic characteristics and international positioning of these states; (3) that their diplomatic reach depends in part the kind of appeals they make to external parties.
The regulation of chromosome segregation via centromere loops

Biophysical studies of the yeast centromere have shown that the organization of the centromeric chromatin plays a crucial role in maintaining proper tension between sister kinetochores during mitosis. While centromeric chromatin has traditionally been considered a simple spring, recent work reveals the centromere as a multifaceted, tunable shock absorber. Centromeres can differ from other regions of the genome in their heterochromatin state, supercoiling state, and enrichment of structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) protein complexes. Each of these differences can be utilized to alter the effective stiffness of centromeric chromatin. In budding yeast, the SMC protein complexes condensin and cohesin stiffen chromatin by forming and cross-linking chromatin loops, respectively, into a fibrous structure resembling a bottlebrush. The high density of the loops compacts chromatin while spatially isolating the tension from spindle pulling forces to a subset of the chromatin. Paradoxically, the molecular crowding of chromatin via cohesin and condensin also causes an outward/poleward force. The structure allows the centromere to act as a shock absorber that buffers the variable forces generated by dynamic spindle microtubules. Based on the distribution of SMCs from bacteria to human and the conserved distance between sister kinetochores in a wide variety of organisms (0.4 to 1 micron), we propose that the bottlebrush mechanism is the foundational principle for centromere function in eukaryotes.
Predictors, Presentation, and Treatment Outcomes of Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplantation: A Large Single Center Experience

Background Liver transplantation (LT) is an accepted therapeutic option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis. Despite careful candidate selection, HCC recurrence occurs. We aimed to describe the predictors of recurrence, clinical presentation, and predictors of survival after HCC recurrence post-LT. Methods Patients with recurrent HCC after LT between January 1996 and December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Results Of 711 patients, 96 (13.5%) patients had post-LT HCC recurrence. The median time to recurrence was 17.1 months, and the median survival was 10.1 months. Initial recurrence was more often in the graft (34.4%), and most (60.4%) had multiple recurrent lesions, and 26% were in multiple sites. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with shorter survival were poorly differentiated histology in explant (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.96; p = 0.027), bilirubin ≥1.2 mg/dL (HR = 2.47; p = 0.025), and albumin Conclusions Recurrent HCC after LT is often in extrahepatic sites with a decreased survival in those with poorly differentiated explant pathology, high bilirubin, low albumin, marked elevation of alpha-fetoprotein at recurrence, and peritoneal recurrence. Sirolimus-based immunosuppression may provide benefit.
Essential role for InSyn1 in dystroglycan complex integrity and cognitive behaviors in mice

Human mutations in the dystroglycan complex (DGC) result in not only muscular dystrophy but also cognitive impairments. However, the molecular architecture critical for the synaptic organization of the DGC in neurons remains elusive. Here, we report Inhibitory Synaptic protein 1 (InSyn1) is a critical component of the DGC whose loss alters the composition of the GABAergic synapses, excitatory/inhibitory balance in vitro and in vivo, and cognitive behavior. Association of InSyn1 with DGC subunits is required for InSyn1 synaptic localization. InSyn1 null neurons also show a significant reduction in DGC and GABA receptor distribution as well as abnormal neuronal network activity. Moreover, InSyn1 null mice exhibit elevated neuronal firing patterns in the hippocampus and deficits in fear conditioning memory. Our results support the dysregulation of the DGC at inhibitory synapses and altered neuronal network activity and specific cognitive tasks via loss of a novel component, InSyn1.
Climate Change Indicators and Spatiotemporal Shift in Monsoon Patterns in Pakistan

Monsoon rainfall is the principle source of fresh water essential for agricultural practices and human sustenance in the Indian subcontinent during summer. This study is primarily designed to analyse the extent of rainfall and temperature variations in Pakistan over the northern monsoon belt by using satellite and ground-based observations. The satellite gridded data for rainfall are acquired from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) along with rainfall and temperature data from 15 ground stations of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). Data were analysed to identify changes in climatic parameters and spatiotemporal shift in monsoon precipitation in Pakistan. Analysis shows that there is significant correlation between TRMM and PMD datasets. Decrease in monsoon rainfall is observed during the last two decades. A more pronounced decrease is observed in monsoon rainfall during the years 2010–2017, i.e., 17.58 mm/year accompanied by 0.18°C increase in temperature. A southward spatial shift in monsoon rainfall occurrence (rainfall ≥2.5 mm/day) is observed while an eastward shift in moderate to heavy monsoon rainfall is identified. This study may be helpful for an agricultural country like Pakistan which is heavily dependent on monsoon rainfalls for assessing the impacts of changing monsoon season and to adapt towards changing climate.
Exploring Critical Success Factors for Safety Management of Tanker Vessels

Managing modern merchant vessels is quite challenging task for shipboard personnel, as well as for shore-based managers in shipping companies. The risks are more so accentuated in terms of vessels that carry dangerous and volatile cargoes, such as tanker vessels. Modern industrial disasters have demonstrated that organizations have a considerable role to play in terms of ensuring adequate safety climate in day-to-day operations at the sharp end. This study explores Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that are necessary for tanker vessel managers to ensure that the ships operate as safe as possible. A literature review focused on the shipping industry and tanker vessels in specific, revealed CSFs such as – human factors, technical factors, environmental factors, organizational factors, regulatory factors, and economic factors, as well several sub factors. The results can provide a basis for further systematic analyses of the CSFs and how they are perceived by the shipping managers in their order of relative importance.
Reducing Fumigant Application Rates and Soil Emissions with Plastic Mulch Technology

With the new fumigant regulations and rising cost of crop production, including fumigants, it would be desirable to reduce the standard use rate of soil fumigants. The use of higher-barrier, gas-impermeable mulches may make it possible to reduce fumigant application rates by helping to contain the fumigant longer within the soil and reduce overall emissions into the atmosphere. The results of field studies show that fumigant application rates can be reduced by 20 to as much as 40% through the use of virtually impermeable or the more gas-tight TIF mulch films at the time of application. This 5-page fact sheet was written by J. W. Noling and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, March 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in403
Invisible Security: Protecting Users with No Time to Spare

For over 50 years, the cybersecurity community has sought to protect vulnerable systems and users from victimization. Despite ongoing and valiant work at adoption and usability, some users cannot or will not avail themselves of necessary cybersecurity measures such as patching. Average, non-expert users-particularly those in small businesses-cannot afford to devote time to cybersecurity. Instead of accepting the risk of no security, alternatives are possible which achieve both security outcomes and conservation of time. We explore the paradigm of invisible security focused on creating cyber defenses that occur automatically without end user intervention. Invisible security is the next evolutionary step to aid users, now that automation is robust and effective in supporting it. Even though some example implementations, such as automatic updates, have existed for years, dedicated focus on this emerging paradigm is required to develop, measure, and deploy new capabilities. We present examples consistent with this approach in existence today, including automatic software updates and protective DNS. We draw insight and comparisons to other domains, including automobile safety. Then we describe how invisible defenses may aid potential beneficiaries in health care, the defense industrial base, and the general public. Finally, we present benefits and limitations of the approach and propose areas of future research and innovation.
The early effects of cumulative and individual adverse childhood experiences on child diet: Examining the role of socioeconomic status.

Abstract Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been associated with detrimental long-term health outcomes, including obesity risk. Existing research has yet to examine whether early life ACEs are associated with diet in early childhood within socioeconomic subgroups. Data were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (2001−2002). Mother-child dyads (n = 7000) were recruited when children were 9-months old, and followed longitudinally at 2 years, and 4 years. Mothers reported children's exposure to five ACEs at 9-months and 2 years and children's daily intake of fruits, vegetables, sweet snacks, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) at 4 years. Weighted multiple linear regression models tested the effect of cumulative and individual ACEs on child diet in full, low-, and high-SES samples. Cumulative ACE score was inversely associated with frequency of fruit intake in full (b = −0.08, p = 0.005) and low-SES samples (b = −0.10, p
Examining Traditional and Novel Validity Indicators from the Medical Symptom Validity Test Across Levels of Verbal and Visual Memory Impairment.

OBJECTIVE This cross-sectional study examined accuracy of traditional Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT) validity indicators, including immediate recognition (IR), delayed recognition (DR), and consistency (CNS), as well as a novel indicator derived from the mean performance on IR, DR, and CNS across verbal, visual, and combined learning and memory impairment bands. METHOD A sample of 180 adult outpatients was divided into valid (n = 150) and invalid (n = 30) groups based on results of four independent criterion performance validity tests. Verbal and visual learning and recall were classified as indicative of no impairment, mild impairment, or severe impairment based on performance on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised, respectively. RESULTS In general, individual MSVT subtests were able to accurately classify performance as valid or invalid, even in the context of severe learning and memory deficits. However, as verbal and visual memory impairment increased, optimal MSVT cut-scores diverged from manual-specified cutoffs such that DR and CNS required cut-scores to be lowered to maintain adequate specificity. By contrast, the newly proposed scoring algorithm generally showed more robust psychometric properties across the memory impairment bands. CONCLUSIONS The mean performance index, a novel scoring algorithm using the mean of the three primary MSVT subtests, may be a more robust validity indicator than the individual MSVT subtests in the context of bona fide memory impairment.
Validation of the RSClin risk calculator using the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

549Background: Clinical practice guidelines recommend the use of genomic assays to aid decision making regarding the use of adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative (...