cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Land Use, Land Cover, and Climate Change Across the Mississippi Basin: Impacts on Selected Land and Water Resources

The Mississippi Basin is the third largest drainage basin in the world and is home to one of the most productive agricultural regions on Earth. Here we discuss how land use/land cover change and climatic variability may be affecting some key environmental processes across the Mississippi and how these, in turn, affect the flow of selected ecosystem goods and services in the region. Specifically, we consider the recent history of land use/land cover change, crop yields, basin river flow and hydrology, and large-scale water quality in the Mississippi Basin. We find that agricultural activities may have had a profound influence on the basin and may have shifted the flow of many ecosystem goods and services into agricultural commodities, at the expense of altering many of the important biogeochemical linkages between atmosphere, land, and water.
UltraPerformance Convergence Chromatography-High Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Lipid Biomarker Profiling and Identification

Lipids represent biologically ubiquitous and highly dynamic molecules in terms of abundance and structural diversity. Whereas the potential for lipids to inform on disease/injury is promising, their unique characteristics make detection and identification of lipids from biological samples analytically demanding. We report the use of ultraperformance convergence chromatography (UPC2), a variant of supercritical fluid chromatography, coupled to high resolution, data-independent tandem mass spectrometry for characterization of total lipid extracts from mouse lung tissue. The UPC2 platform resulted in lipid class separation and when combined with orthogonal column chemistries yielded chromatographic separation of intra-class species based on acyl chain hydrophobicity. Moreover, the combined approach of using UPC2 with orthogonal column chemistries, accurate mass measurements, time-aligned low- and high-collision energy total ion chromatograms, and positive and negative ion mode product ion spectra correlation allowed for confident lipid identification. Of great interest was the identification of differentially expressed ceramides that were elevated 24-hours post whole thorax lung irradiation. The identification of lipids that were elevated 24-hours post-irradiation signifies a unique opportunity to investigate early mechanisms of action prior to the onset of clinical symptoms in the whole thorax lung irradiation mouse model.
Introduction to Computers and Programming

This chapter presents an introduction to computers and programming. One way of picturing a computer is as a maze of on–off electrical switches connected by wires. Therefore, if a programmer instructs a computer to do something, the programmer would have to feed it a program composed of a series of on–off types of instructions. The type of language that uses this form of instruction is called machine language. In its most primitive form, a program written in machine language consists of strings of Os and ls, where a zero represents an open switch and a one represents a closed switch. Learning to write programs in machine language can be very difficult. Moreover, once mastering it, writing in machine language can be very tedious. For this reason, computer languages closer in form to the spoken word and to algebra, have been devised. The most widely used of these languages is FORTRAN. Computer languages closer to the machine are called low-level languages. An example of a low-level language is machine language.
One-pot synthesis of [6-5-6] tricyclic products via a double Diels-Alder/Nazarov tandem reaction of unsymmetrically substituted cross-conjugated diynones

Abstract A highly concise one-pot method towards biologically pertinent compounds having a [6-5-6] tricyclic framework has been established. The multicomponent reaction utilizes a tandem, double Diels-Alder cycloaddition followed by a Nazarov reaction to furnish the [6-5-6] backbone. This method produces three fused rings evolving from the construction of five new carbon-carbon bonds, a quaternary carbon, and stereogenic centers in a one-pot reaction. The products are produced with excellent regio- and diastereocontrol.
Separation, Sizing, and Quantitation of Engineered Nanoparticles in an Organism Model Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Image Analysis.

For environmental studies assessing uptake of orally ingested engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), a key step in ensuring accurate quantification of ingested ENPs is efficient separation of the organism from ENPs that are either nonspecifically adsorbed to the organism and/or suspended in the dispersion following exposure. Here, we measure the uptake of 30 and 60 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, using a sucrose density gradient centrifugation protocol to remove noningested AuNPs. Both conventional inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and single particle (sp)ICP-MS are utilized to measure the total mass and size distribution, respectively, of ingested AuNPs. Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) imaging confirmed that traditional nematode washing procedures were ineffective at removing excess suspended and/or adsorbed AuNPs after exposure. Water rinsing procedures had AuNP removal efficiencies ranging from 57 to 97% an...
The Role of Political Affiliation in Employment Decisions: A Model and Research Agenda

Research in the organizational sciences has focused on a number of demographic variables (e.g., sex/gender, race). At the same time, recent research in Political Science shows an increasingly divid...
Effects of model error on cardiac electrical wave state reconstruction using data assimilation.

Reentrant electrical scroll waves have been shown to underlie many cardiac arrhythmias, but the inability to observe locations away from the heart surfaces and the restriction of observations to only one or two state variables have made understanding arrhythmia mechanisms challenging. Recently, we showed that data assimilation from spatiotemporally sparse surrogate observations could be used to reconstruct a reliable time series of state estimates of reentrant cardiac electrical waves including unobserved variables in one and three spatial dimensions. However, real cardiac tissue is unlikely to be described accurately by mathematical models because of errors in model formulation and parameterization as well as intrinsic but poorly described spatial heterogeneity of electrophysiological properties in the heart. Here, we extend our previous work to assess how model error affects the accuracy of cardiac state estimates achieved using data assimilation with the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter. We focus...
Characterization of the Electroanatomic Substrate in Cardiac Sarcoidosis: Correlation With Imaging Findings of Scar and Inflammation

Abstract Objectives This study sought to characterize the electroanatomic (EAM) substrate in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) and ventricular tachycardia and its relationship to imaging findings of inflammation and fibrosis. Background CS is characterized by coexistence of active inflammation and replacement fibrosis. Methods A total of 42 patients with CS based on established criteria and ventricular tachycardia underwent high-density EAM mapping. Abnormal electrograms (EGM) were collected and independently classified as multicomponent fractionated, isolated, late, and split according to standard criteria and regardless of the peak-to-peak bipolar/unipolar voltage. A total of 29 patients (69%) underwent pre-procedural cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT). The distribution of EAM substrate was correlated with regions of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on CMR and increased 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on PET/CT. Results Of 21,451 bipolar and unipolar EGM, 4,073 (19%) were classified as abnormal with a predominant distribution in the basal perivalvular segments and interventricular septum. Using the standard bipolar ( Conclusions In patients with CS and ventricular tachycardia, pre-procedural imaging with CMR and PET/CT can be useful in detecting EAM abnormalities that are potential targets for substrate ablation. Abnormal EGM were more likely located in segments with more scar transmurality (LGE) at CMR and a lower degree of inflammation on PET.
An Energy-Based Low-Order Approach for Mission Analysis of Air Vehicles in LEAPS

Mission analysis methods that allow rapid analysis of conceptual aircraft provide great benefits to designers because a large number of feasibility and optimization studies can be performed quickly. This paper presents a novel low-order mission analysis approach that will be included in a new aircraft analysis tool called the Layered and Extensible Aircraft Performance System, also known as LEAPS. This approach is based on the mission analysis method used in the Flight Optimization System, also known as FLOPS. FLOPS has been developed at NASA Langley Research Center for over 30 years, and it is mainly used to analyze conventional aircraft (e.g., gas turbine-powered aircraft). One of the main features of FLOPS is its ability to perform rapid mission analysis. This quick analysis turnaround makes FLOPS a suitable tool to perform a large number of trade studies and optimizations. For this reason, the main concepts applied in FLOPS will be used and expanded in LEAPS to allow the analysis of unconventional aircraft that use novel propulsion systems. This expanded approach includes the capability to handle electric propulsion systems as well as multiple propulsor classes at the same time. A novel hybrid-electric aircraft configuration is used to investigate the potential benefits of the proposed mission analysis approach. The results show that the design space increases which can potentially lead to better designs.
Deep learning applications in ophthalmology.

Purpose of reviewTo describe the emerging applications of deep learning in ophthalmology.Recent findingsRecent studies have shown that various deep learning models are capable of detecting and diagnosing various diseases afflicting the posterior segment of the eye with high accuracy. Most of the ini
A Systematic Review of the Health of Vulnerable Populations within US Rural Societies

Purpose: To synthesize the recent research on vulnerable populations within United States (US) rural society regarding healthcare, healthcare policy, and health systems. Additionally, a healthcare disparity model was utilized to organize the findings as a means of evaluating the current state of the science regarding vulnerabilities research in the field of rural health. Methods: A systematic review of literature was conducted covering 46 articles published in the last five years on vulnerability within rural populations in the US and its territories. Instruments to evaluate both quantitative and qualitative scientific merit were utilized in this review. Findings: Analysis of the state of the science indicates that studies that scored well on measures of scientific merit were conducted on some of the most vulnerable populations within rural society. Most of this work remains at a descriptive level, rural is only operationally defined approximately 1/3 of the time, and seldom is there a clear definition of the term vulnerable. The findings of this review support the model depicting how healthcare accessibility and quality, along with healthcare needs can reflect the level of vulnerability of rural populations. Conclusions: Using the combination of the search terms “vulnerable” and “rural” failed to produce any studies on the subject of telehealth. Telehealth is an area that needs to be specifically studied for vulnerable populations in rural society. There is a need for rural health research that provides interventions and includes measurement of social determinants of health. Keywords: Rural, Vulnerable, Social determinants of health DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v18i1.507
A Pattern Recognition Tool for Medium-Resolution Cryo-EM Density Maps and Low-Resolution Cryo-ET Density Maps

Cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) produce 3-D density maps of biological molecules at a range of resolution levels. Pattern recognition tools are important in distinguishing biological components from volumetric maps with the available resolutions. One of the most distinct characters in density maps at medium (5–10 A) resolution is the visibility of protein secondary structures. Although computational methods have been developed, the accurate detection of helices and β-strands from cryo-EM density maps is still an active research area. We have developed a tool for protein secondary structure detection and evaluation of medium resolution 3-D cryo-EM density maps that combines three computational methods (SSETracer, StrandTwister, and AxisComparison). The program was integrated in UCSF Chimera, a popular visualization software in the cryo-EM community. In related work, we have developed BundleTrac, a computational method to trace filaments in a bundle from lower resolution cryo-ET density maps. It has been applied to actin filament tracing in stereocilia with good accuracy and can be potentially added as a tool in Chimera.
Brain: Response to Enrichment

A child who experiences appropriate stimulation gains the increased capacity to develop his or her full potential, and is set on the path of lifelong learning. This optimistic statement is based on decades of well-controlled animal experiments and some human studies dealing with either enriched or impoverished experiential environmental living conditions, concluding that ‘use it or lose it’ is a suitable phrase at any age. Numerous variables were considered in order to understand and interpret accurately the consequences of environmental influences on the brain including age, gender, sex hormones, pregnancy, duration of exposure to the environment, enhanced enrichment, neurogenesis in adults, effects of exercise, fetal neocortical grafts, effects of stress and stress hormones, chemical changes, anatomical changes, cerebral insults, concentration of air ions, crowding, behavior, and nutrition. Possible future directions of theory and research are mentioned. How do the individual pieces related to enrichment, learning, and development differ and what are the similarities? Now that neurogenesis has been demonstrated in two areas of the adult brain, how many other areas will follow? Can embryonic stem cells be coaxed by enriched environments to form glial cells which in turn form more myelin? The potential of enriched environments to improve the human condition are tremendous.
Particle Identification By Auger Electron Spectroscopy

The use of Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) as a method for particle characterization has grown in importance, particularly as semiconductor geometries have become smaller. The surface sensitivity and small analysis size of AES makes it the technique of choice for the characterization of sub-micron particles because X-ray techniques approach the limit of their spatial and depth resolution. AES provides particle identification with a minimum of interference from the surrounding matrix. The analysis and identification of particles found during the processing of electronic circuits is discussed. A comparison of surface and near-surface techniques for applicability to sub-micron particle analysis is also made.
The Integration and Differentiation of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Responses to Stress

The problem of clarifying how cardiac and metabolic (somatic) processes interact over a wide range of behavioral conditions which have been variously characterized as stressful has been of long standing interest to both physiologists and psychophysiologists alike. Not only are the relationships among these events rather complex from a physiological point of view, but also from a behavioral standpoint. For example, the term stress refers to a rather heterogeneous set of events such as heat stress, cold stress, exhaustion, infection, trauma, anxiety, nervous tension, strain, and even physical exertion and exercise. Furthermore, even when the analysis is limited to only one type of stress, such as psychological stress, the welter of results that emerge are somewhat difficult to summarize. This difficulty can, in part, be ascribed to the facts that many of the studies reported frequently operationalize stress using different experimental paradigms and involve experiments conducted on various species. Moreover, even where the focus is limited to outcomes with human volunteers, the populations from which samples have been selected often vary along many important dimensions. Notwithstanding these difficulties, the scope of the present chapter will be delimited to one which focuses on the cardiac-metabolic (somatic) interactions which take place during physical (exercise) and psychological stress.
School Wellness Committees Are Associated With Lower Body Mass Index Z-Scores and Improved Dietary Intakes in US Children: The Healthy Communities Study.

BACKGROUND Our objective was to examine the association between school wellness committees and implementation of nutrition wellness policies and children's weight status and obesity-related dietary outcomes. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted of 4790 children aged 4-15 years recruited from 130 communities in the Healthy Communities Study. Multilevel statistical models assessed associations between school wellness policies and anthropometric (body mass index z-score [BMIz]) and nutrition measures, adjusting for child and community-level covariates. RESULTS Children had lower BMI z-scores (-0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.19, -0.03) and ate breakfast more frequently (0.14 days/week, 95% CI: 0.02-0.25) if attending a school with a wellness committee that met once or more in the past year compared to attending a school with a wellness committee that did not meet/did not exist. Children had lower added sugar (p < .0001), lower energy-dense foods (p = .0004), lower sugar intake from sugar-sweetened beverages (p = .0002), and lower dairy consumption (p = .001) if attending a school with similar or stronger implementation of the nutrition components of the school wellness policies compared to other schools in the district. CONCLUSIONS A more active wellness committee was associated with lower BMI z-scores in US schoolchildren. Active school engagement in wellness policy implementation appears to play a positive role in efforts to reduce childhood obesity.
Holography of negative energy states

Quantum states with negative energy densities have been long known to exist in quantum field theories. We explore the structure of such states for holographic theories using quantum information theory tools and show how certain negative energy states are naturally captured by the thermodynamics of black holes with hyperbolic horizon at zero temperature, suggesting that they provide a dual description of those states. Our results give a satisfying field theory understanding of the distinct thermodynamics of such black holes.
Management of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Narcolepsy With Baclofen.

Abstract Background Narcolepsy is a disabling sleep-wake disorder characterized by the pentad symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis, sleep fragmentation, sleep-related hallucinations, and cataplexy. There is no curative therapy for narcolepsy. Treatment is therefore symptom directed. Symptom management is generally directed at improving excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep fragmentation, and cataplexy. First-line treatment for excessive daytime sleepiness is typically daily use of wake-promoting agents, such as modafinil or armodafinil, or stimulant therapy, such as methylphenidate or amphetamines. Alternatively, sodium oxybate can be used nightly for improved cataplexy, sleep consolidation, and following day wakefulness. These therapies can be limited in some patients because of inadequate efficacy, poor tolerability, or side effects. Methods We describe five narcolepsy patients with severe excessive daytime sleepiness who had an inadequate response or experienced side effects with the initial therapies but had a positive response to treatment with baclofen. Results These patients reported subjective improvement in sleep maintenance without fragmentation and daytime sleepiness. Average Epworth Sleepiness Scale assessment before treatment was 15.8 with post-treatment assessment being 10.4 (P Conclusions Baclofen may be an effective treatment for excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep fragmentation in narcolepsy and warrants further study.
How can biomarkers assist the prognosis of urologic malignancies

Urologic malignancies comprise highly prevalent neoplastic diseases, such as prostate cancer (PCA), urothelial carcinoma (UC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which in turn encompass entities with a...
Lifetime-Optimal Buffer Management on Flash-based Swap Framework for Smart TV

Recent work has demonstrated that using NAND flash as a swap device is feasible for Smart TVs by reducing the swap-out traffic with data compression and deduplication techniques. In this paper, we propose to add a buffer cache, to hold the reduced swap-out traffic, which gives a new opportunity to further extend the lifetime. This paper also introduces dynamic buffer management models, which intelligently control the size of buffer cache based on system-wide memory conditions and the efficiency of data compression. Experimental results on real Smart TV show that having a buffer cache with well-defined threshold value can improve the lifetime. The results also show that our dynamic buffer management models can effectively shrink the buffer cache even under unexpected environmental changes, resulting in significantly improving the lifetime compared to static threshold-based model.
Dispersion and Stabilization of Alkylated 2D MXene in Nonpolar Solvents and Their Pseudocapacitive Behavior

Summary To date, MXene dispersions have been mostly limited to polar solvents. Here, we show that when the lithium cations present between MXene multilayers after etching are exchanged with di(hydrogenated tallow)benzyl methyl ammonium chloride (DHT), they become organophilic and form highly stable colloidal suspensions in nonpolar solvents. The rapid cation exchange occurs under ambient conditions and the resulting two-dimensional flakes are well dispersed and remain oxide free. A 142 ± 0.7-μm thick film (≈10 mg ⋅ cm−2) made from a DHT-Ti3C2Tz suspension in toluene exhibits pseudocapacitive behavior, with a capacitance of 305 F ⋅ g−1 at a scan rate 2 mV ⋅ s−1. The moduli and tensile strengths of solution-processed polyethylene nanocomposites are increased by ≈11% and 32% with a loading of ≈1 vol% DHT-Ti3C2Tz. Our approach may enable the use of MXenes in multiple research and industrial fields.
Groundwater characterization and monitoring at a complex industrial waste site using electrical resistivity imaging

A contaminated industrial waste site in Washington State (USA) containing buried, metallic-waste storage tanks, pipes, and wells, was evaluated to determine the feasibility of monitoring groundwater remediation activities associated with an underlying perched aquifer system using electrical resistivity tomography. The perched aquifer, located ~65 m below ground surface and ~10 m above the regional water table, contains high concentrations of nitrate, uranium, and other contaminants of concern from past tank leaks and intentional releases of wastes to surface disposal sites. The extent of the perched water aquifer is not well known, and the effectiveness of groundwater extraction for contaminant removal is uncertain, so supplemental characterization and monitoring technologies are being evaluated. Numerical simulations of subsurface flow and contaminant transport were performed with a highly resolved model of the hydrogeologic system and waste site infrastructure, and these simulations were used as the physical basis for electrical resistivity tomography modeling. The modeling explicitly accounted for metallic infrastructure at the site. The effectiveness of using surface electrodes versus surface and horizontal subsurface electrodes, for imaging groundwater extraction from the perched water aquifer, was investigated. Although directional drilling is a mature technology, its use for electrode emplacement in the deep subsurface under a complex industrial waste site via horizontal wells has not yet been demonstrated. Results from this study indicate that using horizontal subsurface electrode arrays could significantly improve the ability of electrical resistivity tomography to image deep subsurface features and monitor remediation activities under complex industrial waste sites.
Developmental differences in preschoolers’ definition assessment and production

Abstract Children are able to assess the quality of information presented to them, most notably in the domains of causal explanations and arguments. However, children are also presented with another form of verbal information—definitions. Very little empirical work has investigated how children assess and produce definitions. Two experiments explored preschoolers’ comprehension and production of definitions. In Experiment 1, a selective trust paradigm was used to assess 3-year-olds’ (n = 28) and 5-year-olds’ (n = 28) endorsements of informative and uninformative definitions. Participants were provided with two informants: one who always provided a circular definition (e.g., “Silly means when you are silly”) and one who always provided a noncircular definition (e.g., “Silly means when you are goofy”). The 5-year-olds endorsed noncircular definitions over circular definitions for both frequent and infrequent words, but they chose to learn only from informants who provided information about infrequent words. The 3-year-olds, on the other hand, did not systematically endorse either definition type. In Experiment 2, new groups of 3-year-olds (n = 25) and 5-year-olds (n = 24) were asked to provide definitions, and their responses were coded for correctness and circularity. Results demonstrated that 5-year-olds provided more definitions than 3-year-olds. In addition, 5-year-olds provided more noncircular definitions than 3-year-olds for infrequent words but not for frequent words. Together, the results from Experiments 1 and 2 suggest that children’s understanding of definitions emerges during the preschool period. This work presents an important first step in addressing an understudied facet of lexical development.
Quanlitative Orgniazation Management Evaluation: A Case Study of Changzhou Wujin Dazhong Standard Parts Co. Ltd

This article analyzes the management and operations of the company Changzhou Wujin Dazhong Standard Parts Co. Ltd (CWDSP), Jiangsu, China. Using qualitative research methods, such as interviews and participative observation, the author evaluates a few key factors of the company's organizational management. The evaluative factors include Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, Stress Level, Leadership Type, Team Qualities, Organizational Culture, and Trust, Justice & Ethics in this article. Based on the evaluation results, recommendations regarding organization management and operations are provided for improvement and optimization.
Use of double leg injury screening to assess single leg biomechanical risk variables.

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this article was to determine if differences in kinematic and kinetic variables observed in a double-leg screen carried over to a single-leg task. Design We used a case-control design with grouping based on performance during a double-leg jump landing. Setting All participants were selected from a large university setting and testing was performed in a biomechanics laboratory. Participants Participants were females between 18 and 25 years of age with at least high school varsity experience in one or more of the following sports: soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, rugby, basketball, or team handball. Main outcome measures Primary outcome measures were knee angles in the frontal and sagittal planes as well as vertical ground reaction force (vGRF). Results There were significant between group differences in peak knee flexion and knee flexion displacement during both the double and single-leg tasks, however between group differences for peak knee valgus and knee valgus displacement noted in the double-leg task were not observed in the single-leg task. vGRF was significantly different in the single-leg task but not the double-leg task. Conclusion A double leg screening may not provide complete identification of risk of injury during sports requiring single leg tasks.
Effects of alcohol consumption on insulin sensitivity and breast cancer development.

4344 Objective: In women, alcohol consumption increases breast cancer risk and decreases type-2 diabetes risk. How alcohol mediates these differential effects is not known. Our hypothesis is that alcohol consumption increases breast cancer development and decreases type-2 diabetes risk by a similar mechanism. Therefore, the objective of the present studies is to determine if alcohol consumption affects insulin sensitivity and mammary tumor development by a similar mechanism (or mechanisms). Methods: To determine glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity, we performed insulin tolerance tests (ITT) and glucose tolerance tests (GTT) in mice which had free access to water or 20%w/v ethanol in the drinking water. To determine the effects of alcohol consumption on mammary tumor development, mice were injected subcutaneously with mammary tumor cells. Furthermore, to elucidate whether alcohol has a direct effect on the metastatic ability of breast cancer cells, we determined the effects of alcohol on the invasiveness of T47D human breast cancer cells via in vitro studies. Results: Results show that alcohol consumption improves insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese mice. Moreover, results show that alcohol consumption improves insulin sensitivity in mice without affecting body weight or body fat levels. With respect to mammary cancer, results from in vitro studies show that alcohol consumption increases the metastatic phenotype of breast cancer cells. In animal studies, we show that alcohol consumption promotes mammary tumor development. Conclusions: In summary, we show that alcohol consumption improves insulin sensitivity, promotes tumor development, and increases the metastatic phenotype of breast cancer cells. Thus, we present a suitable animal model where we can determine if alcohol consumption affects insulin sensitivity and mammary tumor development by a similar mechanism (or mechanisms). Using the animal model presented here can lead to a better understanding of how alcohol increases breast cancer risk, and thus can accelerate the development of new breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies.
Beer and racism: how beer became white, why it matters, and the movements to change it: by Nathaniel G. Chapman and David L. Brunsma, Bristol, England, Bristol University Press, 2020, 228pp., £22.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-5292-0179-6

As I got ready to write this review of Chapman and Brunsma’s book, Beer and Racism: How Beer Became White, Why It Matters, and the Movements to Change It, I checked my email just one last procrasti...
A Christian Amulet Containing Colossians 3:9-10

This article presents the editio princeps and a brief discussion of a Christian amulet that preserves Colossians 3:9-10 in Greek on papyrus. The amulet was discovered at Oxyrhynchus by W.M. Flinders Petrie and is currently housed in the Petrie Egyptian Museum in London. This is currently the first amulet to preserve a passage from Colossians in Greek and it appears that the amulet served as an aide memoire to the person wearing it to remind the person of the meaning of Christian baptism.
Pushing boulders uphill: the difficulty of network intrusion recovery

One of the most significant unsolved problems for network managers and system administrators is how to repair a network infrastructure after discovering evidence of an extensive compromise. The technical issues are compounded by a breathtaking variety of human factors. We present a study of three significant compromises of a medium-scale network infrastructure. We do so as a way to expose the difficulties -- both technical and human -- inherent in intrusion recovery. Most network users take a "secure" network infrastructure for granted. Real events show that this level of faith is unwarranted, as is the belief that intrusions are or can be completely repaired, especially in the absence of research on network recovery mechanisms that explicitly take the needs of support staff into account. We conclude with lessons learned and some detailed suggestions for tools that can help bridge this gap.
Forestry Workers and their Communities

Until the development of the chainsaw and the intensive mechanization of the lumber industry during World War II, rank-and-file workers dominated the labour force in the woods and mills of the North Pacific slope and the American South. Those workers produced good profits for the owners of capital and were able in many instances to extract a modest living for themselves. From the histories that have been written about the turbulent life in many timber communities, it is clear that workers were not passive in the face of arbitrary decisions made by logging and sawmill bosses. Those who worked in the woods and mills of British Columbia, the American Northwest, and the great pineries of the American South struggled – often against great odds and under demanding circumstances – to gain a fair share of the wealth they produced. While mill owners, resident managers, and their allies in the business community usually controlled local politics, I argued in Hard Times in Paradise: Coos Bay, Oregon (2006) that their working-class constituents frequently tempered decisions and helped forge a political culture that embraced some of the hopes and aspirations of common people. Although the industries and work life covered in these three books span different corners of the North American continent and different moments in time, there are interesting parallels between industrial life in the towns and woods of these disparate regions. From British Columbia’s lumber towns to REVIEW ESSAY / NOTE CRITIQUE
A very high resolution study of emission line widths in Galactic and extragalactic H II regions

Very high spectral resolution spectroscopy was performed using the 5007-A forbidden O III line on two Galactic H II regions (NGC 6611 and NGC 7000) and three giant extragalactic H II regions (NGC 588, NGC 604, and IC 133) in M33. Use of the thermally narrow forbidden O III line also aided in the determination of the broadening due to mass motion, although the results are in agreement with the average values obtained in earlier studies primarily done with H-alpha. Evidence is confirmed and found for multiple velocity components in each of the extragalactic systems.
Learning by Doing: Goals & Experience of Two Software Engineering Project Courses

In this paper, we describe two laboratory software engineering class series that are intended to teach the students ‘reflection-in-action.’ We offer the labs at undergraduate and graduate levels, and we present our experience and results from eight project quarters.
Hypoxic Preconditioning of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Induces Metabolic Changes, Enhances Survival, and Promotes Cell Retention In Vivo

Mesenchymal stem cells/multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) are promising therapeutics for a variety of conditions. However, after transplantation, cell retention remains extremely challenging. Given that many hypoxic signals are transitory and that the therapeutic administration of MSCs is typically into tissues that are normally hypoxic, we studied the effect of hypoxic preconditioning (HP) prior to new exposure to hypoxia. We show that preincubation for 2 days or more in 1% oxygen reduces serum deprivation-mediated cell death, as observed by higher cell numbers and lower incorporation of EthD-III and Annexin V. Consistently, HP-MSCs expressed significantly lower levels of cytochrome c and heme oxygenase 1 as compared to controls. Most importantly, HP-MSCs showed enhanced survival in vivo after intramuscular injection into immune deficient NOD/SCID-IL2Rgamma(-/-) mice. Interestingly, HP-MSCs consume glucose and secrete lactate at a slower rate than controls, possibly promoting cell survival, as glucose remains available to the cells for longer periods of time. In addition, we compared the metabolome of HP-MSCs to controls, before and after hypoxia and serum deprivation, and identified several possible mediators for HP-mediated cell survival. Overall, our findings suggest that preincubation of MSCs for 2 days or more in hypoxia induces metabolic changes that yield higher retention after transplantation.
An Overreaction to a Nonexistent Problem: Empirical Analysis of Tort Reform from the 1980s to 2000s

Proponents of tort reform have suggested it is a necessary response to rising personal injury litigation and skyrocketing insurance premiums. Yet the research into the issue has mixed results, and the necessity of tort reform has remained unproven.We decided to research an underdeveloped area by empirically testing the real world effects of noneconomic damages caps. To do so, we assembled a database of nearly fourteen million actual cases filed between 1985 and 2009 and then measured how damages caps affect filing rates for torts. Not only could we analyze the change in filings after adoption of a cap but we could also measure the effect of elimination of a cap as well. When we did, we found something unique in the literature.We found first that when a state adopts a noneconomic damages cap, there is a statistically significant drop in filings of all torts and for medical malpractice torts. We also found that in both the 1990’s and 2000’s, the rate of filings dropped consistently as well – both in states with tort reform but also in states without it. Therefore, our finding of a statistically significant reduction in filings in response to damages caps demonstrates a “doubling-down” effect: there is one drop in filings due to the damages cap, but there is another drop based on larger background forces.Next, when assessing the change in filings after elimination of a damages cap, we found something initially counterintuitive but also new to the literature. While one might expect a sharp increase in filings when a cap disappears, our analysis could find no statistically significant change in the filing rate for all torts after elimination, while medical malpractice filings continued to decline overall. We believe that this finding demonstrates and quantifies, for the first time, the non-legal effect of tort reform measures discussed by commentators like Stephen Daniels and Joanne Martin.We believe the combination of the “doubling down” on plaintiffs as well as the quantifiable non-legal changes in response to damages caps significantly modifies the cost-benefit analysis of tort reform. In Trammel v. United States, the Supreme Court stated: “we cannot escape the reality that the law on occasion adheres to doctrinal concepts long after the reasons which gave them birth have disappeared and after experience suggest the need for change.” Based on our empirical assessment, we conclude that tort reform has reached that point and call upon state legislators to reconsider these measures.
Data Mechanics and Coupling Geometry on Binary Bipartite Networks

We quantify the notion of pattern and formalize the process of pattern discovery under the framework of binary bipartite networks. Patterns of particular focus are interrelated global interactions between clusters on its row and column axes. A binary bipartite network is built into a thermodynamic system embracing all up-and-down spin configurations defined by product-permutations on rows and columns. This system is equipped with its ferromagnetic energy ground state under Ising model potential. Such a ground state, also called a macrostate, is postulated to congregate all patterns of interest embedded within the network data in a multiscale fashion. A new computing paradigm for indirect searching for such a macrostate, called Data Mechanics, is devised by iteratively building a surrogate geometric system with a pair of nearly optimal marginal ultrametrics on row and column spaces. The coupling measure minimizing the Gromov-Wasserstein distance of these two marginal geometries is also seen to be in the vicinity of the macrostate. This resultant coupling geometry reveals multiscale block pattern information that characterizes multiple layers of interacting relationships between clusters on row and on column axes. It is the nonparametric information content of a binary bipartite network. This coupling geometry is then demonstrated to shed new light and bring resolution to interaction issues in community ecology and in gene-content-based phylogenetics. Its implied global inferences are expected to have high potential in many scientific areas.
Secondary Dispersal in Aeschynomene virginica: Do Floating Seeds Really Find a New Home?

ABSTRACT: Aeschynomene virginica is a freshwater, tidal plant ranging from southern New Jersey to central North Carolina. This plant is listed as threatened in the United States. Population sizes vary greatly from year to year and population sites are often unoccupied several years before re-establishment. Despite long-term population monitoring and experiments, it is not clear if seed banks and seed dispersal or only seed banks re-establish unoccupied population sites. The removal of a dam on Vandell Preserve, New Kent County, Virginia, created a natural experiment that helps clarify the role of seed bank and seed dispersal processes. The establishment of new A. virginica populations on long-covered soils devoid of a seed bank would indicate successful seed dispersal. I review the seed bank and seed dispersal research for A. virginica and map populations before and after dam removal. Past research suggests A. virginica forms only a short-term seed bank that does not persist in buried or inundated soils. ...
Insulin-like growth factor expression in breast cancer epithelium and stroma

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are mitogens for many cancer cell types. In breast cancer cells, IGF-I and IGF-II have both been shown to stimulate cell proliferation. However, IGF-I mRNA has not been found in human breast cancer cell lines, making it unlikely that IGF-I is commonly expressed as an autocrine growth factor for breast cancer cells. Nevertheless, IGF-I mRNA can be detected in breast cancer tissue samples, and in situ hybridization studies have shown that the message originates from the stromal cells adjacent to normal lobules. IGF-II, on the other hand, has been detected in some breast cancer cell lines. In the estrogen receptor positive cell line T47-D, IGF-II mRNA was induced by estradiol. Furthermore, transfection of an IGF-II expression vector into a previously estrogen-dependent cell line resulted in hormone independent growth. Thus, IGF-II can be expressed as an autocrine growth factor in some breast cancers and its expression may, in part, result in hormone independence. Finally, stromal cells obtained from breast tissues showed that IGF-I was commonly expressed in fibroblasts derived from non-malignant biopsy specimens, while IGF-II mRNA was detected in fibroblasts adjacent to malignant tissue. These studies suggest that IGF-II expression may be important in both autocrine and paracrine regulation of breast cancer cell growth.
Understanding freeze stress in biological tissues: Thermodynamics of interfacial water

A thermodynamic approach to distinguish forms of freeze energy that injure plants as the temperature decreases is developed. The pattern resulting from this analysis dictated the sequence of thermal requirements for water to exist as an independent state. Improvement of freezing tolerance in biological systems depends on identification of a specific form of stress, just as control of a disease depends on identification of the pathogen causing the disease. The forms of energy that stress hydrated systems as temperature decreases begin with disruption of biological function from chill injury that occurs above freezing. Initiation of non-equilibrium freezing with sufficient free energy to drive disruptive effects can occur in a supercooled system. As the temperature continues to decrease and freezing occurs in an equilibrium manner, adhesion at hydrated interfaces contributes to disruptive effects as protoplasts contract by freeze-dehydration. If protective systems are able to prevent injury from direct interactions with ice, passive effects of freeze-dehydration may cause injury at lower temperatures. The temperature range in which an injury occurs is an indicator of the form of energy causing stress. The form of energy is thus a primary guide for selection of a protective mechanism. An interatomic force model whose response to temperature change corresponds with the enthalpy pattern might help define freeze stress from a unique perspective.
Addressing HIV in the School Setting: Application of a School Change Model.

This paper describes best practices for responding to youth with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the school setting through the application of a school change model designed by the World Health Organization. This model applies a whole school approach and includes four levels that span the continuum from universal prevention to direct intervention. These levels are described and recommendations made, within the context of addressing mental health and educational issues related to HIV prevention and treatment at school. The challenges associated with implementing this model and strategies to overcome these barriers are discussed.
Production of Soy Isolates by Ultrafiltration: Factors Affecting Yield and Composition

Water extracts of defatted soy flour were prepared by multiple extraction and centrifugation. Ultrafiltration of extracts in hollowfiber units showed significant deviation from ideal behavior for removal of nonprotein components, probably due to solute-solute and solute-membrane interactions. These interactions affected the retentate composition as well as the yield of protein. Membrane adsorption losses increased with feed concentration and were higher for the XM than for the PM series of membranes. A retentate washing step, such as the continuous diafiltration mode of operation, was necessary to produce a true protein isolate. Overall yield of protein was 86% of that in the defatted soy flour.
Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and progestins synergistically enhance cell death in ovarian epithelial cells.

Objective There is growing evidence that progestins and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may prevent ovarian cancer. Because both induce apoptosis, we investigated the potential for synergistic impact of combined drug treatment on cell death. Study Design Using normal and malignant human ovarian epithelial cells and an NSAID-sensitive human colon cancer cell line, we evaluated the effects of progestins and NSAIDs alone and in combination on apoptosis. Results Both progestins and NSAIDs dose dependently inhibited cell growth ( P P Conclusion Our results suggest it may be possible to combine progestins and NSAIDs to achieve ovarian cancer prevention at lower doses of each than are required for single administration, thereby lessening the risk of side effects posed by these agents.