cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vivid Memories of Vivid Loves Gone by

A study was conducted to investigate vivid memories of a target past close relationship and the effects on vivid memories of the subject's sex, single/divorced status and level of mood depression. It was expected that females, divorced persons and persons high in mood depression wotild report relatively more vivid recall. Thirty-nine subjects between twenty-five and forty-five years of age were administered the Beck Depression Inventory and then a questionnaire pertaining to their recall of a target past close relationship and events associated with that relationship. The results supported the predictions that females and persons high in depression would report relatively vivid memories of a target past relationship; divorced persons did not differ from single persons in such reported recall. The contents of reported memories could be categorized into memories associated with beginnings, special occasions and endings; for example, a common beginning memory pertained to the first sexual encounter. Overall,...
An Lsm2–Lsm7 Complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Associates with the Small Nucleolar RNA snR5

Sm-like (Lsm) proteins function in a variety of RNA-processing events. In yeast, the Lsm2-Lsm8 complex binds and stabilizes the spliceosomal U6 snRNA, whereas the Lsm1-Lsm7 complex functions in mRNA decay. Here we report that a third Lsm complex, consisting of Lsm2-Lsm7 proteins, associates with snR5, a box H/ACA snoRNA that functions to guide site-specific pseudouridylation of rRNA. Experiments in which the binding of Lsm proteins to snR5 was reconstituted in vitro reveal that the 3' end of snR5 is critical for Lsm protein recognition. Glycerol gradient sedimentation and sequential immunoprecipitation experiments suggest that the Lsm protein-snR5 complex is partly distinct from the complex formed by snR5 RNA with the box H/ACA proteins Gar1p and Nhp2p. Consistent with a separate complex, Lsm proteins are not required for the function of snR5 in pseudouridylation of rRNA. We demonstrate that in addition to their known nuclear and cytoplasmic locations, Lsm proteins are present in nucleoli. Taken together with previous findings that a small fraction of pre-RNase P RNA associates with Lsm2-Lsm7, our experiments suggest that an Lsm2-Lsm7 protein complex resides in nucleoli, contributing to the biogenesis or function of specific snoRNAs.
Two opposing effects of sulfate reduction on carbonate precipitation in normal marine, hypersaline, and alkaline environments: COMMENT

Sulfate reduction (SR) has been linked to carbonate mineral precipitation and has been invoked as a possible mechanism for microbialite formation ([Lyons et al., 1984][1]; [Kempe, 1990][2]). Although there is evidence to support the contribution of SR in carbonate mineral precipitation from both
Preliminary Study of Alternate Methodologies for Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

The purpose of this study was to determine whether methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a major cause of infections worldwide, can be detected by flow cytometry with the LIVE/ DEAD BacLight stain. We also discuss current and future uses of other diagnostic test methodologies, such as fluorescent microscopy, fluorescent spectrophotometry, and flow cytometry.
Soil surface CO2 flux in a boreal black spruce fire chronosequence

[1] Understanding the effects of wildfire on the carbon (C) cycle of boreal forests is essential to quantifying the role of boreal forests in the global carbon cycle. Soil surface CO2 flux (Rs), the second largest C flux in boreal forests, is directly and indirectly affected by fire and is hypothesized to change during forest succession following fire. The overall objective of this study was to measure and model Rs for a black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP) postfire chronosequence in northern Manitoba, Canada. The experiment design was a nested factorial that included two soil drainage classes (well and poorly drained) × seven postfire aged stands. Specific objectives were (1) to quantify the relationship between Rs and soil temperature for different aged boreal black spruce forests in well-drained and poorly drained soil conditions, (2) to examine Rs dynamics along postfire successional stands, and (3) to estimate annual soil surface CO2 flux for these ecosystems. Soil surface CO2 flux was significantly affected by soil drainage class (p = 0.014) and stand age (p = 0.006). Soil surface CO2 flux was positively correlated to soil temperature (R2 = 0.78, p < 0.001), but different models were required for each drainage class × aged stand combination. Soil surface CO2 flux was significantly greater at the well-drained than the poorly drained stands (p = 0.007) during growing season. Annual soil surface CO2 flux for the 1998, 1995, 1989, 1981, 1964, 1930, and 1870 burned stands averaged 226, 412, 357, 413, 350, 274, and 244 g C m-2 yr−1 in the well-drained stands and 146, 380, 300, 303, 256, 233, and 264 g C m−2 yr−1 in the poorly drained stands. Soil surface CO2 flux during the winter (from 1 November to 30 April) comprised from 5 to 19% of the total annual Rs. We speculate that the smaller soil surface CO2 flux in the recently burned than the older stands is mainly caused by decreased root respiration.
Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polyethylene Pipes

Two types of polyethylene are used for pipeline systems: medium density polyethylene and high density polyethylene. A polyethylene pipe, being a thermoplastic, softens on heating and hardens on cooling. Because of the viscoelastic nature of polyethylene, stresses decrease under applied constant strain and strains increase under applied constant stress. To account for the complex behavior of polyethylene pipe, laboratory tests were performed to study its thermal and mechanical properties. This paper presents the test results, findings, and design recommendations for polyethylene pipe properties. The tests were performed in a temperature controlled room, where properties were investigated for thermal variations expected in the field. Two types of tests were performed: stress relaxation tests and temperature ramp tests. Test methods and properties are summarized for relaxation modulus, instantaneous modulus, Poisson’s ratio, thermal expansion/contraction coefficient, and stress relaxation rates.
Quantitative Performance Evaluation Algorithms for Pavement Distress Segmentation

Algorithms for pavement distress image segmentation are crucial to developing an automatic pavement distress detection and classification system. Many algorithms for pavement distress segmentation have been developed in the past decade; however, the lack of good methods to evaluate their performance quantitatively hinders the focused development of better segmentation algorithms. In this paper, a novel method is developed to quantitatively evaluate the performance of different pavement distress segmentation algorithms. This method uses the buffered Hausdorff distance to estimate the deviation of the cracks in the automatically segmented image from the ground truth cracks. The proposed method captures the local effectiveness of segmentation methods around the crack region without compromising its robustness to isolated pixel deviations caused by noise. Besides real pavement images, synthetic images simulating extreme pavement distress conditions are used to evaluate the capability of the proposed method an...
Traffic flow modeling and control using artificial neural networks

In this article we use an artificial neural network technique to model and control highway traffic in a single lane with no on- or off-ramps. The developed controllers generate the speed commands for each section of the lane that vehicles need to follow in order to achieve a desired traffic flow density distribution along the lane. In today's traffic, these speed commands could be communicated to drivers, who would then have to respond to them. This raise human factors issues that need further investigation in order to assess the possible benefits. In an automated highway, speed commands cn be communicated to the vehicle's computer control system and followed directly without human errors or delays. We simulate an automated highway environment with such a system to alleviate congestion. We demonstrate that the use of feedback control on the macroscopic level could bring dramatic improvements to traffic flow characteristics.
A General Test for Compliance with Equal Credit Opportunity Standards

essentials, the proposed test consists of a comparison of the discrim inating ability of two alternative multivariate discriminant functions. One of these discriminant functions contains only generally accepted risk and return factors as discriminant variables, while the other is composed of the same risk and return factors plus a set of variables representing protected classes of loan applicants. An empirical appli cation of the methodology in a mortgage lending setting led to the conclusion that protected classes of applicants such as minorities, women, and the elderly were afforded the same access to credit as their unprotected counterparts in the same risk categories. During the past decade a spate of laws and regulations has been promulgated to ensure that consumers have equitable access to the pool of loanable funds. The legislative vehicles for carrying out this policy have included, among others, the landmark Equal Credit Op portunity Act (ECOA, as amended), The Truth in Lending Act, The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, and the Community Reinvestment Act. A whole array of regulations has evolved to implement the mandates of these legislative initiatives.
Computational identification of non‐coding RNAs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by comparative genomics

We screened for new structural non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the genome sequence of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae using computational comparative analysis of genome sequences from five related species of Saccharomyces. The screen identified 92 candidate ncRNA genes. Thirteen showed discrete transcripts when assayed by northern blot. Of these, eight appear to be novel ncRNAs ranging in size from 268 to 775 nt, including three new H/ACA box small nucleolar RNAs.
Production of Gaseous N2 by Fertilized Hens’ Eggs

Abstract The pattern of gaseous N2 production by fertilized hens’ eggs coincides with protein incorporation into developing chick embryonic tissue; thus providing further evidence that gaseous N2 is not an inert physiological constituent in higher animals.
Pipelined network of PLA based circuit design

In this paper, we present a pipelined Network of PLA based circuit design approach. Our approach can be used to realize an arbitrary logic circuit with an extremely high throughput and low latency. Using logic synthesis tools to decompose a logic circuit into this framework, and appropriately inserting "stutter" blocks to balance the logical depth of all paths in the decomposed circuit, we come up with a pipelined network of PLA netlist. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of the approach via SPICE simulations and layout generation experiments. Throughput, latency, and area are compared with competing approaches, demonstrating the power of this design style. We show that our approach has a 75% better throughput than the asynchronous micropipelining based technique, and a latency which is 63% that of the asynchronous scheme. Both techniques were implemented in a super-threshold fashion. We have also conducted Monte Carlo experiments to validate the approach under variations.
Schwannoma of the left atrium: Diagnostic evaluation and surgical resection

Abstract A case of primary benign schwannoma of the left atrium is reported. A 35-year-old man presented with new onset atrial fibrillation. Noninvasive evaluation revealed a 4 × 7-cm mediastinal mass either directly posterior to or involving the left atrium. The histologic diagnosis and specific location of the mass were established by incisional biopsy through a left thoracotomy. On cardiopulmonary bypass the tumor was resected by widely excising the posterior left atrium. The residual 20-cm 2 left atrial defect was patched with pericardium. This unusual case illustrates that left atrial tumors originating near the pulmonary veins may be nonmyxomatous neoplasms of neural origin. Diagnosis may be difficult and require a surgical transthoracic approach.
Three-dimensional nonlinear evolution of equatorial ionospheric spread-F bubbles

[1] Using numerical simulation techniques, we present the first study of the three-dimensional nonlinear evolution of an equatorial spread-F bubble. The background ionosphere used to initialize the bubble evolution is computed using a time-dependent first-principles equatorial plasma fountain model together with a prereversal enhancement vertical drift model. We find that finite parallel conductivity effects slow down both the linear and nonlinear bubble evolution compared to the two-dimensional evolution. In addition we find that bubble-like structures with extremely sharp density gradients can be generated off the equator at equatorial anomaly latitudes in agreement with recent observations.
Reconstruction for medial instability of the knee.

In dealing with acute knee ligament injuries, the main thing is to find the torn ligaments and to put them together again. Knee reconstruction, on the contrary, is a salvage operation. The questions to be answered are: Who should have a ligament reconstruction? Why should it be done? When should it be done? Where should it be done? Who should do it?
Eccentricity Compensator for Log-Polar Sensor

This paper aims at acquiring robust rotation, scale, and translation-invariant feature from a space-variant image by a fovea sensor. A proposed model of eccentricity compensator corrects deformation that occurs in a log-polar image when the fovea sensor is not centered at a target, that is, when eccentricity exists. An image simulator in discrete space remaps a compensated log-polar image using this model. This paper proposes unreliable feature omission (UFO) that reduces local high frequency noise in the space-variant image using discrete wavelet transform. It discards coefficients when they are regarded as unreliable based on digitized errors of the input image. The first simulation mainly tests geometric performance of the compensator, in case without noise. This result shows the compensator performs well and its root mean square error (RMSE) changes only by up to 2.54 [%] in condition of eccentricity within 34.08[deg]. The second simulation applies UFO to the log-polar image remapped by the compensator, taking its space-variant resolution into account. The result draws a conclusion that UFO performs better in case with more white Gaussian noise (WGN), even if the resolution of the compensated log-polar image is not isotropic.
Diels-alder reactions: Rate acceleration promoted by a biphenylenediol

Abstract The presence of biphenylenediol 8 accelerates the rate of some Diels-Alder reactions. Catalysis via a complex involving two hydrogen bonds (see 6 ) is proposed.
Complete reversal of epithelial to mesenchymal transition requires inhibition of both ZEB expression and the Rho pathway.

Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) induced by Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) is an important cellular event in organogenesis, cancer, and organ fibrosis. The process to reverse EMT is not well established. Our purpose is to define signaling pathways and transcription factors that maintain the TGF-β-induced mesenchymal state. Inhibitors of five kinases implicated in EMT, TGF-β Type I receptor kinase (TβRI), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), MAP kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase activator kinase (MEK1), c-Jun NH-terminal kinase (JNK), and Rho kinase (ROCK), were evaluated for reversal of the mesenchymal state induced in renal tubular epithelial cells. Single agents did not fully reverse EMT as determined by cellular morphology and gene expression. However, exposure to the TβRI inhibitor SB431542, combined with the ROCK inhibitor Y27632, eliminated detectable actin stress fibers and mesenchymal gene expression while restoring epithelial E-cadherin and Kidney-specific cadherin (Ksp-cadherin) expression. A second combination, the TβRI inhibitor SB431542 together with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580, was partially effective in reversing EMT. Furthermore, JNK inhibitor SP600125 inhibits the effectiveness of the TβRI inhibitor SB431542 to reverse EMT. To explore the molecular basis underlying EMT reversal, we also targeted the transcriptional repressors ZEB1 and ZEB2/SIP1. Decreasing ZEB1 and ZEB2 expression in mouse mammary gland cells with shRNAs was sufficient to up-regulate expression of epithelial proteins such as E-cadherin and to re-establish epithelial features. However, complete restoration of cortical F-actin required incubation with the ROCK inhibitor Y27632 in combination with ZEB1/2 knockdown. We demonstrate that reversal of EMT requires re-establishing both epithelial transcription and structural components by sustained and independent signaling through TβRI and ROCK. These findings indicate that combination small molecule therapy targeting multiple kinases may be necessary to reverse disease conditions.
The iteratile: A new measure of central tendency

This article defines a new measure of central tendency (called the “iteratile”) by iterating a function which maps a triple of data into a triple of the median, mean, and trimean (sorted). An explicit formula is given with proof, along with brief discussion of potential applications.
Detection of antitrophoblast antibodies in the sera of patients with anticardiolipin antibodies and fetal loss.

Women with anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA) are at increased risk for fetal loss. One potential explanation for this outcome is that sera from these individuals contain antibodies reactive with trophoblast cells, which are involved in the establishment of the uteroplacental vasculature and maintenance of placental blood fluidity. To examine this hypothesis, we compared the incidence of trophoblast-reactive antibodies in 27 patients with ACLA and a history of fetal loss with that in 29 normal pregnant women. Sera from 20 patients, but only one control, contained trophoblast-reactive antibodies (P
The John Stanley Coulter Lecture. Injury control: meeting the challenge.

This Coulter Lecture is about a dream. In this dream, injuries are prevented and children have a new lease on life. Motor vehicle crashes, firearms, falls, drownings, fires, and poisonings don’t plague our young people. In this dream, hospital beds are empty of people with recent injuries. and our attention is focused on restoring to those who have already been injured the type of life they deserve. This is a dream that can be attained; we have chosen a route to achieve the dream and we invite you to join us. The subject of my lecture is injury control. My organization is the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. (The National Center was formerly the Division of Injury Control.) Perhaps you do not expect bureaucrats to talk to you about a dream and you may expect that CDC focuses more on diseases than on injuries. People most commonly associate the Centers for Disease Control with illnesses such as Legionnaires’ disease, or toxic shock syndrome, or AIDS. However, even though Disease is CDC’s middle name, we have diversified and one of our top priorities is injury control. I am here to tell you about our approach to injury control. There are two types of injuries: unintentional and intentional-or injuries that result from violence. Unintentional injuries, or what were once called “accidents”, include motor vehicle injuries that cause about 50,000 deaths a yearour combat death toll in Vietnam over many years. Other deaths from unintentional injury result from poisonings, drownings, falls, fires and burns, and sports injuries. These number about 50,000 a year also, or about one-third of the yearly injury death toll. Intentional injuries through violence cause another 50,000 fatalities every year. Two years ago there was a huge outcry in this country because children were not vaccinated against measles and 40 deaths from the disease were recorded. The New York Times called the situation “a national disgrace.” Yet every year we have 50,000 deaths from intentional injury, or violence. These deaths are suicides or homicides resulting from assault, child abuse, sexual assault, elder abuse, child sexual assault, or spousal violence-all very common, very prevalent problems. These 50,000 deaths from intentional violence are just the tip of the iceberg. The problem is so big and so unattended that in 1985 a report from the National Academy of Science (NAS) entitled “Injury in America” declared that a major national effort was needed to control it. But there was no one to lead
Do nuclear and renewable energy improve the environment? Empirical evidence from the United States

The central focus of this article is to assess the dynamic effects of nuclear and renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions, for a given level of income and energy consumption. We apply an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration to U.S. data from 1960 to 2010. We find that nuclear energy consumption indeed reduces CO2 emissions in both the short- and long-run, while renewable energy consumption does only in the short-run. We also find that income increases CO2 emissions in the long-run after showing the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) initially in the short-run. Finally, energy consumption is found to have a negative impact on reducing CO2 emissions in the short- and long-run.
An Application of Desargues' Theorem

(1982). An Application of Desargues' Theorem. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 55, No. 4, pp. 233-235.
Coatings capable of germinating and neutralizing Bacillus anthracis endospores.

Endospores are formed by various bacterial families, including Bacillus and Clostridium, in response to environmental stresses as a means to survive conditions inhospitable to vegetative growth. Although metabolically inert, the endospore must interact with its environment to determine an optimal time to return to a vegetative state, a process known as germination. Germination has been shown to occur in response to a variety of chemical stimuli from specific nutrient germinants including amino acids, sugars and nucleosides. This process is known to be mediated primarily by the GerA family of spore-specific receptor proteins which initiates a signal transduction cascade that results in a return of oxidative metabolism in response to germinant receptor interactions. Herein, we report the development of a novel coating system capable of germinating B. anthracis endospores, followed by rapid killing of the vegetative bacteria by a novel incorporated amphiphilic biocide. The most effective formulation tested e...
Electrophoretic Deposition of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Templates

We have investigated guided self-assembly of nanoparticles using a combination of templates and electric fields. Some 11.2 ± 0.5 nm iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and dispersed in toluene. Electrophoretic mobility measurements indicate that most nanoparticles have a small excess charge. Using a parallel plate geometry, a voltage is applied to drive particles toward electrodes submersed in the nanoparticle dispersion. These electrodes are either bare silicon wafers or Si nanopatterned with hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) electron beam resist. We demonstrate how an electric field can guide the nanoparticles to selectively nucleate around patterned features. A model is developed to predict the effect of the electric field on a patterned template and the forces guiding the nanoparticle self-assembly.
Computer-Aided Treatment Design of a Distal Upper Extremity Soft Tissue Tumor with Electron Beam Radiotherapy

Abstract We present here a novel approach for the planning and treatment of a distal upper extremity soft tissue tumor. Utilizing computed tomography (CT) based electron dose calculations, a customized compensating wax bolus was designed in order to deliver sufficient dose coverage to the tumor volume while sparing the draining lymphatics of the patient’s hand and digits. A clinical case is presented as well as the design and construction of the compensator. Outcome and clinical implications are discussed.
Multiracial Asians: Models of Ethnic Identity

(1997). Multiracial Asians: Models of Ethnic Identity. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 29-42.
From Mao to Deng: Economic Reform in China

China’s experience with economic reform has been very different from that of the other countries in transition. Politically China has not moved towards democracy. It remains a Communist one-party state. Its elderly ‘paramount leader’, Deng Xiaoping, speaks of his death as going to an appointment with Karl Marx.
Heart transplant outcomes in recipients of Centers for Disease Control (CDC) high risk donors.

BACKGROUND A lack of donor hearts remains a major limitation of heart transplantation. Hearts from Centers for Disease Control (CDC) high-risk donors can be utilized with specific recipient consent. However, outcomes of heart transplantation with CDC high-risk donors are not well known. We sought to define outcomes, including posttransplant hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, in recipients of CDC high-risk donor hearts at our institution. METHODS All heart transplant recipients from August 2010 to December 2014 (n = 74) were reviewed. Comparison of 1) CDC high-risk donor (HRD) versus 2) standard-risk donor (SRD) groups were performed using chi-squared tests for nominal data and Wilcoxon two-sample tests for continuous variables. Survival was estimated with Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS Of 74 heart transplant recipients reviewed, 66 (89%) received a SRD heart and eight (11%) received a CDC HRD heart. We found no significant differences in recipient age, sex, waiting list 1A status, pretransplant left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support, cytomegalovirus (CMV) status, and graft ischemia times (p = NS) between the HRD and SRD groups. All of the eight HRD were seronegative at the time of transplant. Postoperatively, there was no significant difference in rejection rates at six and 12 months posttransplant. Importantly, no HRD recipients acquired hepatitis or HIV. Survival in HRD versus SRD recipients was not significantly different by Kaplan-Meier analysis (log rank p = 0.644) at five years posttransplant. CONCLUSION Heart transplants that were seronegative at the time of transplant had similar posttransplant graft function, rejection rates, and five-year posttransplant survival versus recipients of SRD hearts. At our institution, no cases of hepatitis or HIV occurred in HRD recipients in early follow-up.
Abstract 229: Concern about Medication, Nuisance Bleeding and Adherence to Clopidogrel

Introduction and purpose: Nuisance bleeding is a common side effect of antiplatet drug therapy with clopidogrel and has been implicated in the high rates of patients’ self- discontinuation of the d...
Investigations of Si Thin Films as Anode of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Amorphous silicon thin films having various thicknesses were investigated as a negative electrode material for lithium-ion batteries. Electrochemical characterization of the 20 nm thick thin silicon film revealed a very low first cycle Coulombic efficiency, which can be attributed to the silicon oxide layer formed on both the surface of the as-deposited Si thin film and the interface between the Si and the substrate. Among the investigated films, the 100 nm Si thin film demonstrated the best performance in terms of first cycle efficiency and cycle life. Observations from scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the generation of cracks was inevitable in the cycled Si thin films, even as the thickness of the film was as little as 20 nm, which was not predicted by previous modeling work. However, the cycling performance of the 20 and 100 nm silicon thin films was not detrimentally affected by these cracks. The poor capacity retention of the 1 μm silicon thin film was attributed to the delamination.
Becoming Minority: How Discourses and Policies Produce Minorities in Europe and India ed. by Jyotirmaya Tripathy and Sudarsan Padmanabhan (review)

Tripathy, Jyotirmaya, and Sudarsan Padmanabhan, eds. Becoming Minority: How Discourses and Policies Produce Minorities in Europe and India . London: Sage Publications, 2014.
Abstract A52: Arid1a exerts context-dependent oncogenic and tumor suppressor functions in liver cancer

ARID1A, an ATP-dependent SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex component, is hypothesized to be one of the most commonly mutated tumor suppressors in human cancer. Using mouse liver cancer models, we sought to elucidate the functional consequences of ARID1A gain and loss. Surprisingly, mice with liver-specific Arid1a deficiency were resistant to chemical- and MYC-induced liver carcinogenesis, while ARID1A overexpression accelerated tumorigenesis when combined with a variety of oncogenes, indicating an important role during tumor initiation. Mechanistically, Arid1a promoted tumor initiation by increasing cytochrome P450-mediated oxidative stress. In human HCCs, late ARID1A loss has been observed upon metastatic spread, suggesting that deleterious mutations do occur after tumor initiation. Indeed, both homozygous and heterozygous loss after liver tumor formation in mice were sufficient to drive progression and metastasis. Intriguingly, the Arid1a haploinsufficient state was sufficient to globally increase chromatin occupancy and downregulate metastasis suppressor genes within tumors. In summary, ARID1A can play both tumor-suppressive and oncogenic roles in liver cancer in a temporally dependent manner, explaining the expression and mutation patterns seen in human HCC. Citation Format: Xuxu Sun, Sam Wang, Shuyuan Zhang, Hao Zhu. Arid1a exerts context-dependent oncogenic and tumor suppressor functions in liver cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Modeling Cancer in Mice: Technology, Biology, and Beyond; 2017 Sep 24-27; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A52.
Forensic Genetic Analysis of Microorganisms: Overview of Some Important Technical Concepts and Selected Genetic Typing Methods

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of some of the important technical concepts that are responsible for the development of genetic typing systems for microorganisms. The rapid development of combined disciplines of microbiology, molecular biology, forensics, and epidemiology is being driven by urgent national security and law enforcement needs. Several forward thinkers in the federal law enforcement and national security communities are recognizing the need to develop a robust capability in forensic microbiology given the perceived growing threat posed by bioterrorism and biological weapons in the hands of hostile nations. Forensic discrimination and identification systems for microorganisms require high confidence levels in the data such systems generate. Many of the typing systems have variable applicability for different species within the same class of organism, with some being quite powerful for discrimination among closely related isolates, and others being less informative. For typing systems which are selected as possible forensic tools, numerous issues surrounding variability between species of microorganisms needs to be understood, error rates needs to be quantified, and any issue of reproducibility between laboratories must be resolved. Some species of organisms may require sequencing of many representative genomes before typing systems can effectively exploit the variation. For some viral pathogens with small genomes, either full genomic sequencing or Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) analysis may become the typing system of choice. Current genetic typing systems for microorganism provide a good foundation that can be built upon to develop the highly reliable system of microbial forensic genetic analysis our nation requires. Potent microbial forensic capabilities will improve public health epidemiology, deter the usage of bioweapons. The chapter concludes by highlighting the possible synergistic intersection between the tools of molecular epidemiology (and taxonomy) and the need to develop a robust set of microbial forensic genetic analysis techniques.
Bead array technologies for genetic disease screening and microbial detection

Abstract: In recent decades rapid development and utilization of whole genome assay technologies has produced a vast amount of information on the gene expression patterns and genomic sequences of a number of different organisms. However, once a whole genome assay is used to identify key markers, faster and more cost-effective methods are more practical for the analysis of larger numbers of samples. Midplex or mid-density arrays provide a pragmatic solution for high-throughput analysis of hundreds to thousands of samples where only dozens to a few hundred markers need to be followed. This chapter describes several mid-density multiplex bead array technology platforms and reviews their applications in the study of genomics and infectious diseases.
Aggregated-Query-as-a-Secure-Service for RF Spectrum Database-Driven Opportunistic Wireless Communications

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently mandated the database-driven dynamic spectrum access where unlicensed secondary users search for idle bands and use them opportunistically. The database-driven dynamic spectrum access approach is regarded for minimizing any harmful interference to licensed primary users caused by RF channel sensing uncertainties. However, when several secondary users (or several malicious users) query the RF spectrum database at the same time, spectrum server could experience denial of service (DoS) attack. In this paper, we investigate the Aggregated-Query-as-a-Secure-Service (AQaaSS) for querying RF spectrum database by secondary users for opportunistic wireless communications where selected number of secondary users aka grid leaders, query the database on behalf of all other secondary users, aka grid followers and relay the idle channel information to grid followers. Furthermore, the grid leaders are selected based on their both reputation or trust level and location in the network for the integrity of the information that grid followers receive. Grid followers also use the weighted majority voting to filter out comprised information about the idle channels. The performance of the proposed approach is evaluated using numerical results. The proposed approach gives lower latency (or same latency) to the secondary users and lower load (or same load) to the RF spectrum database server when more number of secondary users (or less number of secondary users) query than that of the server capacity.
Post-MGUS Diagnosis Serum Monoclonal-Protein Velocity and the Progression of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance to Multiple Myeloma

Background: Multiple myeloma is a common hematologic malignancy consistently preceded by monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Little is known about postdiagnosis clinical predictors of progression of MGUS to multiple myeloma to guide MGUS management. This study aimed to investigate whether the rate of rise in serum monoclonal protein concentration during the year after MGUS diagnosis—M-protein velocity—predicts progression of MGUS to multiple myeloma. Methods: Data from the U.S. Veterans Health Administration system were used. A retrospective cohort of patients with MGUS who progressed to multiple myeloma were matched on age at MGUS diagnosis and race in a 1:4 ratio to the patients with MGUS using incidence density sampling. Kaplan–Meier curves were plotted. Univariable and multivariable conditional logistic regression analyses were fitted from the matched risk sets. Results: A total of 128 cases and 490 matched controls were included. The case group contained a higher percentage of patients with M-protein velocity >0.1 g/dL/year than the control group (44.5% vs. 28.2%, P 0.1 g/dL during the year following MGUS diagnosis was positively associated with progression of MGUS to multiple myeloma (multivariable-adjusted odds ratio = 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.37–3.35). Conclusions: Patients with a positive M-protein velocity during the year after MGUS diagnosis may be considered for more frequent monitoring for early detection and timely treatment of multiple myeloma. Future prevention studies could target these patients for intervention evaluation. Impact: Our results suggest a new clinical predictor of progression to multiple myeloma following MGUS diagnosis, which has potential to identify high-risk patients for management and prevention.
Identifying an Optimal Sampling Method to Estimate Postural Risk in a Dynamic Work Task

Introduction:The Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) is an ergonomic assessment tool used to screen for risk of musculoskeletal injury due to working posture. The RULA is traditionally applied once ...
Food Insecurity and the Risk of Obesity, Depression, and Self-Rated Health in Women.

Background/Introduction/Objective: Recent studies have shown that food insecurity is associated with obesity, depression, and other adverse health outcomes although little research has been focused on these relationships in underrepresented cultural and social groups. In this study we elucidate the relationship between food insecurity, community factors, dietary patterns, race/ethnicity and health among underrepresented women. Materials and Methods: The data for this investigation come from a cross-sectional survey of women drawn from five urban Utah communities of color, including African immigrants/refugees, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Pacific Islanders, and women from four rural Utah counties. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between food insecurity and obesity risk, self-reported depression, and self-assessed health. Results: Urban women of color were more likely to report food insecurity than rural non-Hispanic white women. Obesity and depression scores were positively associated with food insecurity. Conclusions: Utah women of color had higher levels of food insecurity than reported in state or national data, highlight an important disparity. Nutritional education initiatives, evaluating food assistance programs, and screenings in clinical settings targeting specific racial/ethnic groups may help address the disparities observed in this study.
Shining light on molecular communication

Molecules and combinations of molecules are the natural communication currency of microbes; microbes have evolved and been engineered to sense a variety of compounds, often with exquisite sensitivity. The availability of microbial biosensors, combined with the ability to genetically engineer biological circuits to process information, make microbes attractive bionanomachines for propagating information through molecular communication (MC) networks. However, MC networks built entirely of biological components suffer a number of limitations. They are extremely slow due to processing and propagation delays and must employ simple algorithms due to the still limited computational capabilities of biological circuits. In this work, we propose a hybrid bio-electronic framework which utilizes biological components for sensing but offloads processing and computation to traditional electronic systems and communication infrastructure. This is achieved by using tools from the burgeoning field of optogenetics to trigger biosensing through an optoelectronic interface, alleviating the need for computation and communication in the biological domain.
COVID-19 risk, disparities and outcomes in patients with chronic liver disease in the United States

Abstract Background Scientific evidence is lacking regarding the risk of patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) for COVID-19, and how these risks are affected by age, gender and race. Methods We performed a case-control study of electronic health records of 62.2 million patients (age >18 years) in the US up to October 1st, 2020, including 1,034,270 patients with CLD, 16,530 with COVID-19, and 820 with both COVID-19 and CLD. We assessed the risk, disparities, and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with six major CLDs. Findings Patients with a recent medical encounter for CLD were at significantly increased risk for COVID-19 compared with patients without CLD, with the strongest effect in patients with chronic non-alcoholic liver disease [adjusted odd ratio (AOR)=13.11, 95% CI: 12.49–13.76, p Interpretation Patients with CLD, especially African Americans, were at increased risk for COVID-19, highlighting the need to protect these patients from exposure to virus infection. Funding National Institutes of Health (AG057557, AG061388, AG062272, 1UL1TR002548-01), American Cancer Society (RSG-16-049-01-MPC).
Beyond Causal Explanation: Einstein's Principle Not Reichenbach's.

Our account provides a local, realist and fully non-causal principle explanation for EPR correlations, contextuality, no-signalling, and the Tsirelson bound. Indeed, the account herein is fully consistent with the causal structure of Minkowski spacetime. We argue that retrocausal accounts of quantum mechanics are problematic precisely because they do not fully transcend the assumption that causal or constructive explanation must always be fundamental. Unlike retrocausal accounts, our principle explanation is a complete rejection of Reichenbach’s Principle. Furthermore, we will argue that the basis for our principle account of quantum mechanics is the physical principle sought by quantum information theorists for their reconstructions of quantum mechanics. Finally, we explain why our account is both fully realist and psi-epistemic.
A Pilot Feasibility Open Trial of an Interpretation Bias Intervention for Parents of Anxious Children

Abstract Interpretation bias is a transdiagnostic mechanism underlying anxiety. Theoretical models highlight the role of parental interpretation bias in predicting and maintaining child anxiety. However, very few studies have examined parent interpretation bias as a treatment target. The current pilot study tested the feasibility and acceptability of an interpretation bias intervention delivered by a smartphone app, called HabitWorks, in parents of anxious children who self-reported at least mild symptoms of anxiety and negative interpretation bias. Parents of anxious youth (ages 8 to 16) were recruited from the waitlists of three child anxiety clinics. They were asked to complete interpretation modification exercises via the HabitWorks app 3 times per week for 1 month. Participants completed assessments at pre- and post-intervention and 1-month follow-up to assess changes in interpretation bias, anxiety symptoms, and overall perceptions of HabitWorks. Participants (N = 14) (Mage = 44.36; 14.29% men, 85.71% women) completed an average of 13.29 exercises out of the 12 prescribed. Acceptability ratings were high. Interpretation bias, as measured by an assessment version of the intervention exercise, significantly improved from pre- to posttreatment, and these improvements were maintained at the 1-month follow-up. Anxiety symptoms significantly improved from the “mild” severity range to the “none to minimal” range. In this pilot feasibility study in parents of anxious youth, HabitWorks was a feasible and acceptable low-intensity intervention. These preliminary results support a future controlled trial of HabitWorks for parents. Future studies are also needed to test whether targeting interpretation bias in parents has downstream effects on maladaptive parent behaviors and ultimately, child interpretation bias and anxiety.
The Hodge Theorem

Throughout this chapter, M will be a compact oriented Riemannian manifold of dimension n unless otherwise indicated. We will see that the ordinary Laplacian \(( - 1)\sum\limits_i {{\partial ^2}/\partial {x_i}^2} \) has a generalization to an operator Δ on differential forms, known as the Laplace-Beltrami operator. Our main objective in this chapter is a proof of the Hodge decomposition theorem, which says that the equation Δω = α has a solution co in the smooth p-forms on M if and only if the p-form α is orthogonal (in a suitable inner product on E p (M)) to the space of harmonic p-forms (those for which Δφ = 0). From the Hodge decomposition theorem we will conclude that there exists a unique harmonic form in each de Rham cohomology class. As another simple application we will obtain the Poincare duality theorem for de Rham cohomology and, from it, the Poincare duality theorem for real singular cohomology. To prove the Hodge theorem, we shall give a complete self-contained exposition of the local theory of elliptic operators, using Fourier series as our basic tool. The eigenfunctions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator and their use in a proof of the Peter-Weyl theorem are discussed in the exercises at the end of this chapter.
Expression of a Gαs/Gαi chimera that constitutively activates cyclic AMP synthesis

A chimeric G α subunit cDNA, referred to as G α s/i(38), was constructed containing the complete 5′-untranslated region of G αs, the first 356 codons of the rat G α s and the last 36 codons and 428 base pairs of the 3′-untranslated region of the rat G α i cDNA. Transient expression of the G αs/i(38) protein in COS cells allowed detection of a chimeric protein which was recognized by antibodies generated against an internal G αs sequence as well as antibodies recognizing the carboxyl terminus of G αi2. Chinese hamster ovary cell clones stably expressing the chimeric G-protein α subunit transcript (G αs/i(38] demonstrated 1.5–2.5-fold constitutively elevated cyclic AMP levels and a 3–4-fold increase in the activity ratio of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, although expression of the chimeric polypeptide could not be demonstrated presumably because of low expression of the mutant αs. Expression of the rat G αs transcript yielded clones that were similar to wild-type Chinese hamster ovary cells in regard to cyclic AMP levels and protein kinase activity. In the presence of methyl isobutylxanthine, a cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, cyclic AMP levels in clones expressing the G αs/i(38) transcript were 10–15-fold higher than G αs expressing clones. Adenylyl cyclase activation by guanosine 5′-O-(thiotriphosphate) (GTP γ S) in membranes from clones expressing the G αs/i(38) transcript demonstrated a diminished lag time for maximal activation, indicating an increased relative GDP dissociation rate for the chimeric G α subunit and an increase in total adenylyl cyclase activity relative to wild-type G α s expressing clones. Cholate extracts from membranes of G αs/i(38) expressing clones, when mixed with cyc− S49 membranes, reconstituted an increased GTP γ S-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity and a diminished lag time for maximal activation compared to cholate extracts prepared from G αs-expressing clones. The G αs/i(38) construct confers a dominant constitutive activation of adenylyl cyclase when expressed in cells in the presence of a background of wild-type G αs.
Economic and Social Impact of Open U.S. Immigration Policy Civil War to World War I

The economic and social impacts of U.S. open immigration policy between the Civil War and World War I fall into four board categories. Jenks and Lauck contend that the social assimilation costs of open immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe outweigh any economic benefits of immigration. Kuznets and Rubin state that the primary benefit of open immigration is an increase in aggregate demand due to the increased need for residential housing due to immigration. Neimi claims the main benefit of open immigration is a large exogenous increase in the supply of low cost unskilled or low skilled labor to take jobs unwanted by native born U.S. workers. Gallaway et. al. and Neal and Uselding argue that the primary benefit of open immigration is a massive influence in the supply of capital due to immigration. This includes both human and physical capital, and replaces native born labor and capital that move west for higher skill and wage jobs.