cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parental Hesitancy About Routine Childhood and Influenza Vaccinations: A National Survey

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The World Health Organization has designated vaccine hesitancy as 1 of the 10 leading threats to global health, yet there is limited current national data on prevalence of hesitancy among US parents. Among a nationally representative sample of US parents, we aimed to (1) assess and compare prevalence of hesitancy and factors driving hesitancy for routine childhood and influenza vaccination and (2) examine associations between sociodemographic characteristics and hesitancy for routine childhood or influenza vaccination. METHODS: In February 2019, we surveyed families with children using the largest online panel generating representative US samples. After weighting, we assessed hesitancy using a modified 5-point Vaccine Hesitancy Scale and labeled parents as hesitant if they scored >3. RESULTS: A total of 2176 of 4445 parents sampled completed the survey (response rate 49%). Hesitancy prevalence was 6.1% for routine childhood and 25.8% for influenza vaccines; 12% strongly and 27% somewhat agreed they had concerns about serious side effects of both routine childhood and influenza vaccines. A total of 70% strongly agreed that routine childhood vaccines are effective versus 26% for influenza vaccine (P CONCLUSIONS: Almost 1 in 15 US parents are hesitant about routine childhood vaccines, whereas >1 in 4 are hesitant about influenza vaccine. Furthermore, 1 in 8 parents are concerned about vaccine safety for both routine childhood and influenza vaccines, and only 1 in 4 believe influenza vaccine is effective. Vaccine hesitancy, particularly for influenza vaccine, is prevalent in the United States.
xtgeebcv: A command for bias-corrected sandwich variance estimation for GEE analyses of cluster randomized trials:

Cluster randomized trials, where clusters (for example, schools or clinics) are randomized to comparison arms but measurements are taken on individuals, are commonly used to evaluate interventions ...
A classification-based approach to estimate the number of resting fMRI dynamic functional connectivity states

Recent work has focused on the study of dynamic (vs static) brain connectivity in resting fMRI data. In this work, we focus on temporal correlation between time courses extracted from coherent networks or components called functional network connectivity (FNC). Dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) is most commonly estimated using a sliding window-based approach to capture short periods of FNC change. These data are then clustered to estimate transient connectivity patterns or states. Determining the number of states is a challenging problem. The elbow criterion is a widely used approach to determine the optimal number of states. In our work, we present an alternative approach that evaluates classification (e.g. healthy controls versus patients) as a measure to select the optimal number of states (clusters). We apply different classification strategies to perform classification between healthy controls (HC) and patients with schizophrenia (SZ) for different numbers of states (i.e. varying the model order in the clustering algorithm). We compute cross-validated accuracy for different model orders to evaluate the classification performance. Our results are consistent with our earlier work which shows that overall accuracy improves when dynamic connectivity measures are used separately or in combination with static connectivity measures. Results also show that the optimal model order for classification is different from that using the standard k-means model selection method and that such optimization improves resulting in cross-validated accuracy. The optimal model order obtained from the proposed approach also gives significantly improved classification performance over the traditional model selection method. In sum, the observed results suggest that if one9s goal is to perform classification, using the proposed approach as a criterion for selecting the optimal number of states in dynamic connectivity analysis leads to improved accuracy in hold-out data.
Not Black or White but Shades of Gray: Homologous Recombination Deficiency as a Continuous Variable Modulated by RNF168

In this issue of Cancer Research, the study by Krais and colleagues underscores that DNA damage repair by homologous recombination (HR) is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, but that HR competency comes on a spectrum, ranging from complete deficiency to proficiency. Residual low-level HR in BRCA1-mutant cancer cells turns out to be critically important for their survival and is afforded by low levels of Histone 2A (H2A) ubiquitination resulting from lowered RNF168 levels. The findings raise the possibility that, if ubiquitination of H2A could be enforced by inhibition of deubiquitinases, residual HR in BRCA1mt cells might be extinguished. Extinction of residual HR might improve the therapeutic efficacy of the emerging inhibitors of DNA damage repair. The development of methods to measure HR directly and quantitatively is crucial to develop this field.See related article by Krais et al., p. 2848.
Microbial control over host diet selection

Diet selection is a fundamental aspect of animal behavior with numerous ecological and evolutionary implications1. While the underlying mechanisms are complex, the availability of essential dietary nutrients can strongly influence diet selection2. The gut microbiome has been shown to metabolize many of these same nutrients3, leading to the untested hypothesis that intestinal microbiota may influence diet selection4,5. Here we show that germ-free mice colonized by gut microbiota from three rodent species with distinct foraging strategies differentially selected diets that varied in macronutrient composition. Specifically, we found that herbivore-conventionalized mice voluntarily selected a higher protein:carbohydrate ratio diet, while omnivore- and carnivore-conventionalized mice selected a lower P:C ratio diet. In support of the long-standing hypothesis that tryptophan - the essential amino acid precursor of serotonin - serves as a peripheral signal regulating diet selection6, bacterial genes involved in tryptophan metabolism and plasma tryptophan availability prior to the selection trial were significantly correlated with subsequent voluntary carbohydrate intake. Finally, herbivore-conventionalized mice exhibited larger intestinal compartments associated with microbial fermentation, broadly reflecting the intestinal morphology of their donor species. Together, these results demonstrate that gut microbiome can influence host diet selection and intestinal physiology by mediating the availability of essential amino acids, thereby revealing a novel mechanism by which the gut microbiota influence host foraging behavior.
Which Way to Memphis?: Political Theory and the Historiography of the Civil Rights Movement

In 1964, Bayard Rustin took to the pages of Commentary to take stock of the past, present, and future of the civil rights movement. There, the veteran activist who had served as advisor to Martin Luther King since the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and organized the famous 1963 March on Washington, claimed that the civil rights movement had reached the near-­end of its “classical phase,” which encompassed the era from the landmark Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation decision in 1954 to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – and the full array of sit-­ins, freedom rides, and protest marches in between. The “classical” civil rights movement, Rustin argued, was to be replaced by an emergent, post-­1964 “social” movement. What separated the “classical” phase from this emergent “social movement” phase, for Rustin was not the stunning “success” of the former – which Rustin felt confident enough in to declare as “the period in which the legal foundations of racism in America were destroyed.” Instead, Rustin saw the “break” as a fundamental departure in the civil rights movement’s concerns, geography, and personnel.
Perceptions Analysis of E-Cigarette Use in College Students

Background: The scientific literature supports that use of e-cigarettes does have associated safety and health concerns. E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury has resulted in a rise in hospital admissions and focused media attention on the nicotine delivery devices. Despite this increased attention, the use of e-cigarettes amongst college students has been increasing. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify perceptions regarding the safety and usefulness of e-cigarettes among college-aged students from a large Midwestern University. In addition, comparison of perceptions between program of study and e-cigarette frequency of use was also examined. Methods: This IRB approved study was a convenience sample of 291 undergraduate students from The Ohio State University’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Fisher College of Business responded to the voluntary online survey sent to them via college email. The Risks and Benefits of E-cigarettes questionnaire was used to measure perception of e-cigarette usage. The results from the usage of e-cigarettes were measured using items from the Electronic Cigarette Smoking History Questionnaire. SPSS was used for analysis. Results: Out of the total population (n=291), participants had a lower mean risk score (40.33) and a higher mean benefit score (95.24). This shows that participants were more likely to agree with the risks associated with e-cigarettes and more likely to disagree with benefits. There was a significant difference in benefit score between the two college programs (P=.005), but not in risk score (P=.246). In post-hoc analysis, there were significant differences between those who have never tried, tried at least once, and daily users of e-cigarettes. Conclusions: This study was able to observe the perceptions of health risks and benefits regarding e-cigarette use from students at a large Midwestern University. The students’ educational program did not affect their perceived risks, but did affect their perceived benefits. It is apparent that higher perceived benefits have an influence on likelihood to try and use e-cigarettes regularly. Future research is needed to inform and develop educational programs for college students as e-cigarette use persists in this population.
Optimization of Mass Transport within Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cell Catalyst Layer via Pore Formers

Direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFC) offer a potentially sustainable alternative to the batteries in portable devices due to their higher charge capacity, higher efficiency, and smaller size. However, due to the two-phase flow in the anode catalyst layer and the small pore size between agglomerates in the catalyst layer (~20 nm), mass transport limitations plague the performance of the DFAFC. To maximize the performance, the two-phase transport of the reactant (formic acid, liquid) and the product (carbon dioxide, gas) must be optimized. By incorporating 15 and 25 wt% MgO, the electrochemical surface area (ECSA) of the catalyst layer increased from 21.8 cm2 g-1 to 62.7 and 85.8 cm2 g-1, respectively. Furthermore, at higher potentials the porous catalyst layers improved cell performance by 86%. These improvements in ECSA and cell performance are possibly due to an enhancement of the triple-phase boundary.
Abstract IA13: In the light of evolution: Why do we get more cancers in old age?

Why do we get cancer? Why is cancer highly associated with old age? Of course, aging is associated with the accumulation of more mutations, and some of these mutations can contribute to cancer phenotypes. But we now understand that carcinogenesis is much more complex than originally appreciated. In particular, there are tissue environmental forces that both impede and promote cancer evolution. Just as organismal evolution is known to be driven by environmental changes, cellular (somatic) evolution in our bodies is similarly driven by changes in tissue environments, whether caused by the normal process of aging, by lifestyle choices or by extrinsic exposures. Environmental change promotes selection for new phenotypes that are adaptive to the new context. In our tissues, aging or insult-driven alterations in tissues drives selection for adaptive mutations, and some of these mutations can confer malignant phenotypes. We have been using mouse models of cancer initiation, mathematical models of cellular evolution, and analyses of human tissue samples to better understand the evolutionary forces that control somatic cell evolution and thus cancer risk. We have shown that aging and inflammation dependent changes in tissue environments dramatically dictate whether cancer-causing mutations are advantageous to stem cells in our tissues, starting the cells down the path to cancer. Our studies have focused on cancer initiation within the hematopoietic system and the lung. These studies have also uncovered molecular explanations for mutation-driven adaptation to aged and inflammatory tissue environments. In all, these studies indicate that strategies to prevent or treat cancers will need to incorporate interventions that alter tissue microenvironments. While we largely cannot prevent mutation accumulation through our lives, we do have the ability to manipulate tissue environments so as to change the evolutionary trajectories of cells with cancer-causing mutations. Citation Format: Catherine Pham-Danis, Andrii Rozhok, Hannah Scarborough, Nathaniel Little, Curtis Henry, Travis Nemkov, Kirk Hansen, James DeGregori. In the light of evolution: Why do we get more cancers in old age? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Tumor Heterogeneity: From Single Cells to Clinical Impact; 2020 Sep 17-18. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(21 Suppl):Abstract nr IA13.
Can indicator species guide conservation investments to restore connectivity in Great Lakes tributaries

In many applications, conservation organizations depend on one species to indicate the presence of another. While extensive research has gone into methods for selecting these indicator species, few studies have directly measured the performance of indicator species in guiding conservation actions. Here, we evaluated whether a small number of indicator species could be used to efficiently select barrier removal projects to restore breeding habitat access for many other Great Lakes migratory fishes in the highly fragmented tributaries of the North American Great Lakes. First, we used a dataset of the historical distributions of 35 species of native migratory fishes to identify four clusters of co-occurring species, and then selected an indicator species for each cluster based on within-group co-occurrence or range width. We evaluated the utility of these indicator species by using upstream habitat and removal costs for 103,894 dams and road culverts across 1800 tributaries of the Great Lakes. We compared the potential increase in accessible tributary habitat for each species when barrier removals were prioritized to maximize benefits for (1) each species itself, versus (2) possible indicator species. We found that for 80% of the species, habitat gains from indicator-based project selection were at least 75% of the maximum gains possible under species-specific planning. However, a small subset of species would receive few habitat gains under indicator-directed project selection. Overall, our findings suggest that a suite of indicator species could be an efficient basis for planning restoration efforts for a majority of native migratory fishes in the Great Lakes.
Impact of Public Health and Social Measures on the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States and Other Countries: Descriptive Analysis.

Background: The United States of America has the highest global number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, which may be due in part to delays and inconsistencies in implementing public health and social measures (PHSMs). Objective: In this descriptive analysis, we analyzed the epidemiological evidence for the impact of PHSMs on COVID-19 transmission in the United States and compared these data to those for 10 other countries of varying income levels, population sizes, and geographies. Methods: We compared PHSM implementation timing and stringency against COVID-19 daily case counts in the United States and against those in Canada, China, Ethiopia, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe from January 1 to November 25, 2020. We descriptively analyzed the impact of border closures, contact tracing, household confinement, mandated face masks, quarantine and isolation, school closures, limited gatherings, and states of emergency on COVID-19 case counts. We also compared the relationship between global socioeconomic indicators and national pandemic trajectories across the 11 countries. PHSMs and case count data were derived from various surveillance systems, including the Health Intervention Tracking for COVID-19 database, the World Health Organization PHSM database, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Results: Implementing a specific package of 4 PHSMs (quarantine and isolation, school closures, household confinement, and the limiting of social gatherings) early and stringently was observed to coincide with lower case counts and transmission durations in Vietnam, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, South Korea, Ethiopia, and Kazakhstan. In contrast, the United States implemented few PHSMs stringently or early and did not use this successful package. Across the 11 countries, national income positively correlated (r=0.624) with cumulative COVID-19 incidence. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that early implementation, consistent execution, adequate duration, and high adherence to PHSMs represent key factors of reducing the spread of COVID-19. Although national income may be related to COVID-19 progression, a country’s wealth appears to be less important in controlling the pandemic and more important in taking rapid, centralized, and consistent public health action.
Potential impact of diphacinone application strategies on secondary exposure risk in a common rodent pest: implications for management of California ground squirrels

Anticoagulant rodenticides are a common tool used to manage rodents in agricultural systems, but they have received increased scrutiny given concerns about secondary exposure in non-target wildlife. Rodenticide application strategy is one factor that influences exposure risk. To understand the impact of application strategy, we tested residues of a first-generation anticoagulant (diphacinone) in liver tissue of radiotransmittered California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) following spot treatments, broadcast applications, and bait station applications in rangelands in central California during summer and autumn 2018-2019. We also documented the amount of bait applied, the mean time from bait application until death, and the proportion of ground squirrels that died belowground. We documented the greatest amount of bait applied via bait stations and the least by broadcast applications. We did not document a difference in diphacinone residues across any application strategy, although survivors had an order of magnitude lower concentration of diphacinone than mortalities, potentially lowering secondary exposure risk. We did not observe any difference among bait delivery methods in time from bait application to death, nor did we identify any impact of seasonality on any of the factors we tested. The vast majority of mortalities occurred belowground (82-91%), likely reducing secondary exposure. Secondary exposure could be further reduced by daily carcass searches. Results from this study better define risk associated with first-generation anticoagulant rodenticide applications, ultimately assisting in development of management programs that minimize non-target exposure.
Transport in non-ideal, multi-species plasmas

Charged particle transport plays a critical role in the evolution of high energy-density plasmas. As high-fidelity plasma models continue to incorporate new micro-physics, understanding multi-species plasma transport becomes increasingly important. We briefly outline theoretical challenges of going beyond single-component systems and binary mixtures as well as emphasize the roles experiment, simulation, theory, and modeling can play in advancing this field. The 2020 Division of Plasma Physics mini-conference on transport in Transport in Non-Ideal, Multi-Species Plasmas was organized to bring together a broad community focused on modeling plasmas with many species. This special topics issue of Physics of Plasmas touches on aspects of ion transport presented at that mini-conference. This special topics issue will provide some context for future growth in this field.
Impact of CNS Stimulants for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder on Growth: Epidemiology and Approaches to Management in Children and Adolescents

Central nervous system stimulants are established treatments for pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with robust efficacy data. Reductions in appetite, weight, and growth velocity are some of the most common concerns regarding the long-term use of central nervous system stimulants in developing children. They are associated with suppression of weight and body mass index in childhood. However, both weight and body mass index often progressively increase over adolescence at rates faster than those seen in non-attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder youth to the degree that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is associated with elevated body mass index by the end of adolescence regardless of medication use. The capacity of central nervous system stimulants to slow growth was identified 50 years ago. Recent work has established that the growth deficits accumulate during the first 2 years of use and may persist provided medication is used. Early initiation coupled with persistent use through adolescence is most likely to be associated with clinical impactful growth suppression. There has been limited formal investigation of treatments for stimulant-associated reductions in weight and height. The most robust evidence exists for drug holidays improving weight gain. Observational studies suggest that limiting lifetime exposure or discontinuing medication is associated with greater adult height. Additional research is needed to identify the causal mechanisms driving the observed slowing in growth as well as the identification of predictors of clinically impactful growth suppression.
Analysis of Fatigue Crack Closure and Thresholds

A critical examination of fatigue crack closure concepts indicates that (a) procedures commonly followed in estimating crack closure are in error, (b) complete premature crack closure occurs only when cracks are completely filled with oxides or corrosion products, (d) such closure manifests as an infinite slope in the load-displacement (crack mouth opening) curves; rarely observed in experiments, (e) asperities cause only local closure, (f) their contribution is less significant than is assumed and (g) plasticity does not contribute to closure. New concepts are developed to explain fatigue phenomena hitherto attributed to crack closure. Implications of these concepts to understand fatigue crack growth are discussed.
Abstract 1528: GD2+ breast cancer stem cell growth is dependent on NFκB signaling and suppressed by the IKK inhibitor BMS345541 in vitro and in vivo

Recurrence of breast cancer after treatment could be caused by breast cancer stem-like cells (BCSCs) or breast cancer-initiating cells. Therefore, targeting BCSCs is an important strategy that could complement standard chemotherapy. We recently reported that the ganglioside GD2 is exclusively expressed on BCSCs and that targeting its metabolic enzyme (GD3 synthase, GD3S), reduced breast tumor growth and metastasis in immuno-deficient mice (Battula et al., JCI, 2012). To identify signaling pathways that are activated in GD2+ BCSCs, we performed proteomic analysis in GD2+/- cells from breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and SUM159 cells using Kinexus® antibody arrays. Data analysis employing Ingenuity® pathway analysis revealed activation of NFκB signaling in GD2+ cells in both cell lines. To validate the array data, we tested activation of NFκB (phospho p65) by CyTOF mass cytometry using metal tagged antibodies and found that NFκB was indeed activated in GD2+ but not in GD2- cells, suggesting activation of canonical NFκB signaling in GD2+ BCSCs. Systemic phospho- and total-protein analyses by immuno blotting revealed that proteins involved in non-canonical signaling, including RelB, NFκB2, and Traf2, were also up-regulated (2-3 fold) in GD2+ compared to GD2- cells. These data suggest that both canonical and non-canonical NFκB signaling are active in GD2 + cells and that it may require inhibition of both pathways to block GD2+ BCSC growth. We found that BMS345541 (IC50 for IKKβ = 0.4μM (canonical) and IC50 for IKKα = 4μM (canonical and non-canonical) reduced GD2+ cells and inhibited GD3S expression (determined by qRT-PCR) in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Treatment with BMS345541 at 5μM for 72hrs reduced GD2 + cell frequency from 18.5±2.5% to 1.7±0.4% (P 90% reduction of GD2+ cells in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, treatment with doxorubicin increased the percentage of GD2+ cells, from 13.5±2.5% to 21±2.6% in MDA-MB-231 cells, suggesting that GD2+ cells are resistant to doxorubicin. BCSCs generate mammospheres under low adhesion conditions. Treatment with the BMS compound inhibited the ability of breast cancer cells to form mammospheres app.12 fold in vitro. To test if BMS345541 inhibits in vivo tumor growth, NOD/SCID mice were transplanted with MDA-MB-231 cells (0.5×10 6 ) injected into the mammary fat pad. Following engraftment (2 weeks after transplantation), mice were treated with 50mg/kg of BMS345541 or with DMSO daily for only 5 days (IP, n = 5). The BMS345541-treated group showed a significant decrease (P Citation Format: Venkata Lokesh Battula, Jeffrey Sun, Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, Michael Andreeff. GD2+ breast cancer stem cell growth is dependent on NFκB signaling and suppressed by the IKK inhibitor BMS345541 in vitro and in vivo. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1528. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1528
The hydrogenation of toluene and o-, m-, and p-xylene over palladium. II. Reaction model

Abstract The similarity among activation energies and partial pressure dependencies for the hydrogenation of benzene, toluene, and the three xylene isomers allowed the use of our previous model for benzene hydrogenation, which could be simplified for the hydrogenation of toluene and the xylenes because there was no evidence of deactivation or significant coverages of hydrogen-deficient surface inhibitors. Thus a Langmuir-Hinshelwood model involving two sets of active sites, one on the Pd surface and the other composed of acid sites in the Pd-support interfacial region supplied by spilled-over hydrogen, readily describes the kinetics for these four aromatic hydrocarbons as well as benzene. The presence of these acid sites, presumed to be Bronsted sites, was confirmed by the parallel reaction of o-xylene isomerization to m-xylene, and rate enhancements in this reaction were nearly identical to those observed for the hydrogenation of o-xylene. The derived rate expression was computer fitted to the data and the obtained values of the equilibrium adsorption constants for H2 and these aromatic compounds are consistent with assumptions in the model and provide trends in agreement with results from the literature.
An in vitro study of senescent events of human embryonic lung (WI-38) cells: I. Changes in enzyme activities of cellular and membrane associated enzymes of untreated and cortisone acetate-treated cultures during senescence

Abstract Composition and content of enzyme activity associated with the cytoplasmic membranes and cellular organelles changed with the age of the culture in vitro. Treatment of old cultures with cortisone acetate restored the enzyme composition of Phase III cultures to that observed in Phase II cultures. There was also a marked increase of total protein in treated old cultures. There was a marked increase in detectable alkaline phosphatase activity in treated old cultures and the reappearance of the band on the acrylamide gel column. There was also a marked decrease in detectable activity of the lysosomal hydrolase enzymes, acid phosphatase, and β-glucuronidase in the treated old cultures. This decrease in total activity of acid phosphatase in treated Phase III cultures was also seen in the absence of two of the fast-moving isoenzymes. The decrease and/or increase in the other enzymes in the untreaetd and treated aged cultures strongly supports the point that there are alterations in total cellular metabolic functions in cells with age. These alterations in activities can in this system of aged WI-38 be influenced by the presence of cortisone acetate. Lastly, the phasing out of these cultures occurred in the absence of detectable isoenzymes of acid phosphatase and an increase in total β-glucuronidase activity.
AAHPERD Poster Presentations that Strengthen and Support the Benefits of Physical Education

The purpose of this paper is to identify recent research related to fitness, physical activity, and academic achievement as presented via research abstracts by the Research Consortium of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Five hundred and fifty-nine abstracts published in the 2011 and 2012 March Supplement of Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport were reviewed. Twenty-seven abstracts were deemed appropriate for this paper. A summary statement related to research findings was drafted for each of the abstracts. The statements were used to provide support for best practices, contemporary practices, and evidence based practices in K-12 physical education.
Core density turbulence in the HSX Stellarator

Broadband turbulent density fluctuations are explored in the helically symmetric stellarator experiment (HSX) by investigating changes related to plasma heating power and location. No fluctuation response is observed to occur with large changes in electron temperature and its gradient, thereby eliminating temperature gradient as a driving mechanism. Instead, measurements reveal that density turbulence varies inversely with electron density scale length. This response is consistent with density gradient drive as one might expect for trapped electron mode (TEM) turbulence. In general, the plasma stored energy and particle confinement are higher for discharges with reduced fluctuations in the plasma core. When the density fluctuation amplitude is reduced, increased plasma rotation is also evident suggesting a role is being played by intrinsic plasma flow.
A Methodology for Estimating the Contribution of Malnutrition to Child Mortality in Developing Countries

According to conventional methods of classifying cause of death, approximately 70% of child deaths (0-4 y) worldwide are due to a small number of priority infectious diseases which, in turn, receive the vast majority of donor and national resources in the health sector. Despite the long-recognized synergism between malnutrition and infection in the causation of child mortality, malnutrition does not appear as a major cause of death in health statistics from developing countries. Part of the reason for this has been the difficulty of estimating the percent of deaths due to malnutrition, because the conventional methods of classifying cause of death do not recognize the potentiating effect of malnutrition on the disease. The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a simple methodology to estimate the percent of child deaths in a given country or community that is due to malnutrition's potentiating effects on prevailing infectious diseases. The cornerstone of the methodology is knowledge of the strength of the association between malnutrition and mortality in developing countries, as measured in eight prospective studies. These studies reveal remarkable consistency in relative risk across different grades of malnutrition. The mean and SE of relative risk for severe malnutrition is 8.4 +/- 2.1, for moderate malnutrition it is 4.6 +/- 0.9, and for mild malnutrition it is 2.5 +/- 0.3. When applied to survey data from Ethiopia, Malawi, Guatemala and India for illustrative purposes, this methodology indicates that 42-57% of all child deaths in these samples (6-59 mo) are due to malnutrition's potentiating effects on infectious disease, of which 76-89% is attributable to mild-to-moderate malnutrition. This methodology is recommended for use in a variety of policy and planning applications.
Urban climate and adaptation strategies

Extreme heat poses a threat to the livability and sustainability of cities, and disproportionally harms marginalized groups. The frequency of extreme heat events is expected to increase in the future as climate change exacerbates urban heat island (UHI) effects. Common UHI mitigation strategies – such as cool pavements (light-colored surfacing or permeable pavements), cool roofs (often categorized as “white”, “blue”, or “green” roof strategies to differentiate the approaches), and increased planting of vegetation – vary in effectiveness depending on a city's baseline climate, as well as on city size and layout. Microclimate mitigation efforts must move beyond exterior site-level strategies to consider land-use planning at the neighborhood level and the role of passive cooling strategies for buildings. Green infrastructure offers benefits in the form of improved stormwater management, air quality, carbon sequestration, and microclimate regulation. The creation of a new utility – one akin to a public compan...
Perceptual Adaptation of Voice Gender Discrimination with Spectrally Shifted Vowels

Purpose To determine whether perceptual adaptation improves voice gender discrimination of spectrally shifted vowels and, if so, which acoustic cues contribute to the improvement. Method Voice gend...
Matrix Proteins of Nipah and Hendra Viruses Interact with Beta Subunits of AP-3 Complexes

ABSTRACT Paramyxoviruses and other negative-strand RNA viruses encode matrix proteins that coordinate the virus assembly process. The matrix proteins link the viral glycoproteins and the viral ribonucleoproteins at virus assembly sites and often recruit host machinery that facilitates the budding process. Using a co-affinity purification strategy, we have identified the beta subunit of the AP-3 adapter protein complex, AP3B1, as a binding partner for the M proteins of the zoonotic paramyxoviruses Nipah virus and Hendra virus. Binding function was localized to the serine-rich and acidic Hinge domain of AP3B1, and a 29-amino-acid Hinge-derived polypeptide was sufficient for M protein binding in coimmunoprecipitation assays. Virus-like particle (VLP) production assays were used to assess the relationship between AP3B1 binding and M protein function. We found that for both Nipah virus and Hendra virus, M protein expression in the absence of any other viral proteins led to the efficient production of VLPs in transfected cells, and this VLP production was potently inhibited upon overexpression of short M-binding polypeptides derived from the Hinge region of AP3B1. Both human and bat (Pteropus alecto) AP3B1-derived polypeptides were highly effective at inhibiting the production of VLPs. VLP production was also impaired through small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated depletion of AP3B1 from cells. These findings suggest that AP-3-directed trafficking processes are important for henipavirus particle production and identify a new host protein-virus protein binding interface that could become a useful target in future efforts to develop small molecule inhibitors to combat paramyxoviral infections. IMPORTANCE Henipaviruses cause deadly infections in humans, with a mortality rate of about 40%. Hendra virus outbreaks in Australia, all involving horses and some involving transmission to humans, have been a continuing problem. Nipah virus caused a large outbreak in Malaysia in 1998, killing 109 people, and smaller outbreaks have since occurred in Bangladesh and India. In this study, we have defined, for the first time, host factors that interact with henipavirus M proteins and contribute to viral particle assembly. We have also defined a new host protein-viral protein binding interface that can potentially be targeted for the inhibition of paramyxovirus infections.
A self-pumping lab-on-a-chip for rapid detection of botulinum toxin.

A robust poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surface treatment was utilized for the development of a self-pumping lab-on-a-chip (LOC) to rapidly detect minute quantities of toxic substances. One such toxin, botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), is an extremely lethal substance, which has the potential to cause hundreds of thousands of fatalities if as little as a few grams are released into the environment. To prevent such an outcome, a quick (< 45 min) and sensitive detection format is needed. We have developed a self-pumping LOC that can sense down to 1 pg of BoNT type A (in a 1 μL sample) within 15 min in an autonomous manner. The key technologies enabling for such a device are a sensitive electrochemical sensor, an optimized fluidic network and a robust hydrophilic PDMS coating, thereby facilitating autonomous delivery of liquid samples for rapid detection. The stability, simplicity and portability of this device make possible for a storable and distributable system for monitoring bioterrorist attacks.
Counterterrorism and Radical Eco-Groups: A Context for Exploring the Series Hazard Model

This study examines whether radical eco-groups have been deterred by legal sanctions. From a rational choice framework, I argue that members of these groups weigh costs and benefits. I measure an increase in costs, or an objective deterrence effect, through four federal sentencing acts targeted at reducing the criminal behavior of these groups [the tree-spiking clause of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act (ADA), the Animal Enterprise Protection Act (AEPA), the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), and the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA)] and hypothesize that this legislation decreased the hazard of subsequent attacks. This research is a quasi-experimental design utilizing the 1,068 illegal incidents perpetrated in the name of the environment, animal, or both as extracted from the Eco-Incidents Database. Using series hazard modeling, I examine the time until the next incident, serious incident, and ideologically specific incident in relation to dummy variables operationalizing the enactment dates of the above legislation. All in all, the results are somewhat consistent with a rational choice framework and my hypotheses. The ADA decreased the hazard of another attack (11 %) and environment-only attack (15 %), while at the same time increasing the hazard of a terrorist, damage, and animal-related attack. AETA decreased the hazard of all (47 %), damage (42 %), and the behavior it was aimed at, that of animal-only incidents (52 %). However, neither the AEPA, nor AEDPA had a significant effect on any of the outcomes. Overall, radical eco-groups were deterred by legal sanctions, but these findings are legislation and outcome specific in addition to including displacement effects.
Visual mining business service using pixel bar charts

Basic bar charts have been commonly available, but they only show highly aggregated data. Finding the valuable information hidden in the data is essential to the success of business. We describe a new visualization technique called pixel bar charts, which are derived from regular bar charts. The basic idea of a pixel bar chart is to present all data values directly instead of aggregating them into a few data values. Pixel bar charts provide data distribution and exceptions besides aggregated data. The approach is to represent each data item (e.g. a business transaction) by a single pixel in the bar chart. The attribute of each data item is encoded into the pixel color and can be accessed and drilled down to the detail information as needed. Different color mappings are used to represent multiple attributes. This technique has been prototyped in three business service applications-Business Operation Analysis, Sales Analysis, and Service Level Agreement Analysis at Hewlett Packard Laboratories. Our applications show the wide applicability and usefulness of this new idea.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Simplified methods in Soil Dynamics

Abstract After a brief description of the main characteristics that define Soil Dynamics and its engineering applications, the role of Simplified Methods is discussed. Despite the current wide availability of powerful computer simulations, it is concluded that Simplified Methods will continue to play an important role in Soil Dynamics as they do in the rest of Geotechnical Engineering. Simplified Methods allow the engineer to conduct calculations by hand or with a minimum computational effort, including parametric variations. In the process, the engineer has the possibility to develop a feel for the physical meaning and relative importance of the various factors, with more personal control of calculations and decisions including use of engineering judgment as needed. A list of simplified procedures proposed by the author is provided, covering systems that range from the free field and earth dams to shallow and deep foundations, subjected to excitations that include both seismic shaking and machine vibrations. Basic understanding of the basic theory and simplifications behind the simplified procedure can be very helpful to engineers, including Dynamics and Wave Propagation concepts. Some of this understanding is developed in the paper, with focus on shallow machine foundations and other dynamic soil–structure interaction applications. The Lecture concentrates on shallow machine foundations on a half-space subjected to dynamic loads in any of the six degrees of freedom of the foundation, and the Simplified Methods that have been proposed over the years to characterize the corresponding equivalent soil springs and dashpots. This includes both frequency-dependent and frequency-independent springs and dashpots. It started with the circular surface foundation which was studied over much of the 20th Century, until the breakthroughs by Lysmer and others in 1966–1971, and continued with the cases of surface and embedded foundations of arbitrary shape that culminated in the two summary publications by Gazetas in 1990 and 1991. The development of these simplified equivalent springs and dashpots for both surface and embedded foundations of arbitrary shape is discussed in some detail, including the contribution of the author in the early part of the process.
DDT and pyrethroids: Receptor binding in relation to knockdown resistance (kdr) in the house fly

Abstract The nature of target site or knockdown resistance (kdr) to DDT and pyrethroids was studied by investigating specific binding of [14C] DDT and [14C] cis-permethrin to the previously established membrane receptors from the heads of susceptible (sbo) and resistant (kdr) strains of the house fly, Musca domestica L. In vivo studies showed the heads from sbo flies bound two to three times more DDT than those from kdr flies at all doses tested. Reduced binding was also observed in kdr flies in in vitro [14C] DDT binding assays. Scatchard analysis indicated that kdr flies have the same affinity but fewer receptors per milligram protein in the CNS than sbo flies. Assays with [14C] cis-permethrin also showed binding was much reduced in kdr flies in comparison with sbo flies. Based on these results, the nature of the target site insensitivity of kdr flies may relate to their having a reduced number of receptors for the insecticides.
Occupation numbers and shell closure in the zirconium isotopes

Abstract The zirconium isotopes are described by a shell model with configurations (2p 1 2 , 1g 9 2 ) 2 for protons, (2d 5 2 , 3s 1 2 ) n for neutrons. The model reproduces the observed ground-state proton occupation numbers and predicts near-closure of 2p 1 2 proton and 2d 5 2 neutron shells in 96 Zr.
Use of Handheld Technology by Older Adult Caregivers as Part of a Virtual Support Network

We report here the development and initial test of a novel system for the virtual support of in-home family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients. Based upon information and communications technology, the system includes 1) a pocket computer for reminders, monitoring of events and behaviors, and information support; and 2) an integrated web page which updates automatically with information from the pocket computer. Local and remote family and friends can track the in-home activities through the weblog and provide virtual support to the caregiver. Through a series of interviews and laboratory tests we have developed and refined the proprietary interface which maximizes the usability of the pocket computer by older adults. The considerations that shaped the interface are presented, and the appearance and operation are described. When implemented, this system will facilitate aging in place for both caregiver and patient while also enhancing direct and virtual interactions with family and friends.
Packaging the IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputer

The IBM Blue Gene®/Q supercomputer is designed for highly efficient computing for problems dominated by floating-point computation. Its target mean time between failures for a 96-rack, 98, 304-node system is three days, allowing tasks requiring computation for many days to run at scale, with little time wasted on checkpoint-restart operations. This paper describes various elements of the compute application-specific integrated circuit and the system package, and how they contribute to low power consumption and high reliability.
Older Computer-Literate Women: Their Motivations, Obstacles, and Paths to Success

With the ever-increasing impact of computerized communication and information delivery, the need to encourage learning about technology is critical for the older population today as well as for soon-to-be retirees. Adler (1996, 2002, 2003) has described and defined the key benefits to seniors: enhanced communication with family and friends, expanded opportunities for lifelong learning, improvement of delivery of health care services, support for independent living, and more options for entertainment. Because women outnumber men in their later years, education about, and access to, the world of computers is essential for them. The information gained by exploring the ways in which certain older women have dealt with various obstacles and learned to adapt to this new technology can be of significant use for future computer literacy training and curricular developments. An understanding of these critical issues can provide important guidelines and information for those teaching as well as easier access and tr...
Production of acetylcholine in rat brain following thiamine deprivation and treatment with thiamine antagonists.

— The effects of thiamine deprivation and of treatment with the thiamine antagonists, oxythiamine and pyrithiamine, on the storage and synthesis of acetylcholine were studied in rats. Rats treated with pyrithiamine always developed ataxia and convulsions, and they died in an average of 36 ± 5.0 hr after onset of convulsions. Injections of sublethal doses of eserine after onset of convulsions had no effect or shortened survival time. If injections were started before the onset of convulsions, the survival time was increased to 56 ± 3.3 hr. The content of total acetylcholine-like compounds, measured by bioassay, in the brain was decreased in all three types of thiamine deficiency. On the other hand, the amount of parenterally administered [14C]pyruvate converted to [14C]acetylcholine in vivo was affected only by treatment with pyrithiamine. The increase found was probably due to an increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier to the pyruvate. Conversion of [14C]pyruvate to [14C]acetylcholine in vitro was decreased significantly in homogenates of brains from both oxythiamine and pyrithiamine-treated animals.