cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Volcanic and Solar Forcing of Climate Change during the Preindustrial Era

The climate response to variability in volcanic aerosols and solar irradiance, the primary forcings during the preindustrial era, is examined in a stratosphere-resolving general circulation model. The best agreement with historical and proxy data is obtained using both forcings, each of which has a significant effect on global mean temperatures. However, their regional climate impacts in the Northern Hemisphere are quite different. While the short-term continental winter warming response to volcanism is well known, it is shown that due to opposing dynamical and radiative effects, the long-term (decadal mean) regional response is not significant compared to unforced variability for either the winter or the annual average. In contrast, the long-term regional response to solar forcing greatly exceeds unforced variability for both time averages, as the dynamical and radiative effects reinforce one another, and produces climate anomalies similar to those seen during the Little Ice Age. Thus, long-term regional changes during the preindustrial appear to have been dominated by solar forcing.
Restoring an Invaded Prairie by Mulching Live Sapium sebiferum (Chinese Tallow Trees): Effects of Mulch on Sapium Seed Germination

Abstract The introduced Sapium sebiferum (Chinese tallow tree) has spread across the southeastern United States and is rapidly replacing native prairies with monospecific Sapium forests. Most attempts to control Sapium are only temporarily effective because of its large seed bank and ability to resprout from cut stumps. We performed a two-year field experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of using large shredding mowers to mulch live Sapium trees and restore Sapium-invaded prairies. We predicted that Sapium mulch would damp diurnal soil temperature fluctuations and suppress Sapium seed germination because Sapium seed germination is highly dependent upon those fluctuations. We manipulated mulch depths and types (0, 10, and 15 cm deep Sapium mulch and hardwood and straw mulch) in the field and measured soil temperatures beneath them. Diurnal soil temperature fluctuations were damped at depths as little as 5 cm, and Sapium mulch significantly reduced Sapium seedling emergence. Deep layers of Sapium mulch (1...
Temporal Needleman-Wunsch

The Needleman-Wunsch algorithm (NW) marked the genesis of a new field of research known as sequence alignment. Its inception was motivated by the growing need for automated methods to find homologous biological sequences. Subsequently, sequence alignment has established itself as a standard approach in bioinformatics, and has also been applied to other domains, including sequences of temporal events. Little prior work has been undertaken on alignment methods in using the temporal information associated with event sequences. In this manuscript, we propose the Temporal Needleman-Wunsch (TNW) algorithm, which modifies the NW approach in a principled manner to use time between events for scoring an alignment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first formal temporal-extension of a global alignment algorithm. We show that the modification can also be used with the Smith-Waterman algorithm that performs local sequence alignment. We introduce an efficient implementation strategy for the TNW that ensures that the time-complexity is not worse than the NW. We test the abilities of the TNW on event-log data from Electronic Medical Records to identify treatment protocols and to cluster patients based on sequence similarity.
Letter by Wheeler et al Regarding Article, “Recognition and Significance of Pathological T-Wave Inversions in Athletes”

We read with interest the recent article by Schnell et al1 regarding abnormal T waves in athletes. This was a multicenter collaboration drawing from 6372 competitive athletes who underwent cardiovascular preparticipation screening including ECG. They studied 155 athletes (2.4%) with pathological T-wave inversion (PTWI; ≥2 mm in ≥2 leads) on resting 12-lead ECG, most of whom had additional ECG abnormalities (ST depression 31%, Q waves 11%, left atrial abnormality 29%). Extensive investigations diagnosed cardiac disease in 45% (n=69) of athletes presenting with PTWI. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; 36%; n=56) was the most commonly identified pathology. Half of the HCM diagnoses were attributable to findings on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, including 14 with …
Molecular Characterization Reveals Diverse and Unknown Malaria Vectors in the Western Kenyan Highlands.

Abstract The success of mosquito-based malaria control is dependent upon susceptible bionomic traits in local malaria vectors. It is crucial to have accurate and reliable methods to determine mosquito species composition in areas subject to malaria. An unexpectedly diverse set of Anopheles species was collected in the western Kenyan highlands, including unidentified and potentially new species carrying the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This study identified 2,340 anopheline specimens using both ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region 2 and mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 loci. Seventeen distinct sequence groups were identified. Of these, only eight could be molecularly identified through comparison to published and voucher sequences. Of the unidentified species, four were found to carry P. falciparum by circumsporozoite enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction, the most abundant of which had infection rates comparable to a primary vector in the area, Anopheles funestus. High-quality adult specimens of these unidentified species could not be matched to museum voucher specimens or conclusively identified using multiple keys, suggesting that they may have not been previously described. These unidentified vectors were captured outdoors. Diverse and unknown species have been incriminated in malaria transmission in the western Kenya highlands using molecular identification of unusual morphological variants of field specimens. This study demonstrates the value of using molecular methods to compliment vector identifications and highlights the need for accurate characterization of mosquito species and their associated behaviors for effective malaria control.
The Virial Stress Is Not a Measure of Mechanical Stress

The virial stress is the most commonly used definition of stress in discrete molecular systems. This stress includes two parts. The first part depends on the mass and velocity of atomic particles, reflecting an assertion that mass transfer causes mechanical stress to be applied on stationary spatial surfaces external to an atomic particle system. The second part depends on interatomic forces and atomic positions, providing a continuum measure for the internal mechanical interactions between particles. For the simple conditions of rigid translation and uniform tension, the virial stress yields apparently erroneous interpretations. It is shown that the virial stress violates balance of momentum and does not possess physical significance as a measure for mechanical interaction between material points. The lack of physical significance is both at the individual atom level in a time-resolved sense and at the system level in a statistical sense. As a stress-like quantity, the virial stress has the geometric interpretation of being a measure for momentum change in a fixed spatial region. It is demonstrated that the interatomic force term alone is a valid stress measure and can be identified with the Cauchy stress. The discussions here focus on an error in the theoretical derivation of the virial stress that led to the inclusion of the kinetic energy term and on the conceptual flaws in the argument commonly used for including it. The result here demonstrates that, for gas systems in macroscopic steady state, the isotropic statistical average of the internal stress tensor over time and space is not equal to the negative of the macroscopic pressure tensor for the system. The statistical average of the stress is equal to the negative of the pressure only at absolute zero when all molecular motions cease.
Evidence for an InsP3-gated channel protein in isolated rat olfactory cilia

Stimulation of rat olfactory cilia (ROC) with odorants leads to a transient elevation in the levels of either cAMP or inositol trisphosphate (InsP3). We have characterized the binding of [3H]InsP3 ...
Content and Composition of Branched-Chain Fatty Acids in Bovine Milk Are Affected by Lactation Stage and Breed of Dairy Cow

Dairy products contain bioactive fatty acids (FA) and are a unique dietary source of an emerging class of bioactive FA, branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA). The objective of this study was to compare the content and profile of bioactive FA in milk, with emphasis on BCFA, among Holstein (HO), Jersey (JE), and first generation HO x JE crossbreeds (CB) across a lactation to better understand the impact of these factors on FA of interest to human health. Twenty-two primiparous cows (n = 7 HO, n = 7 CB, n = 8 JE) were followed across a lactation. All cows were fed a consistent total mixed ration (TMR) at a 70:30 forage to concentrate ratio. Time points were defined as 5 days in milk (DIM), 95 DIM, 185 DIM, and 275 DIM. HO and CB had a higher content of n-3 FA at 5 DIM than JE and a lower n-6:n-3 ratio. Time point had an effect on the n-6:n-3 ratio, with the lowest value observed at 5 DIM and the highest at 185 DIM. The content of vaccenic acid was highest at 5 DIM, yet rumenic acid was unaffected by time point or breed. Total odd and BCFA (OBCFA) were higher in JE than HO and CB at 185 and 275 DIM. Breed affected the content of individual BCFA. The content of iso-14:0 and iso-16:0 in milk was higher in JE than HO and CB from 95 to 275 DIM. Total OBCFA were affected by time point, with the highest content in milk at 275 DIM. In conclusion, HO and CB exhibited a higher content of several bioactive FA in milk than JE. Across a lactation the greatest content of bioactive FA in milk occurred at 5 DIM and OBCFA were highest at 275 DIM.
Readying students to test: The influence of fear and efficacy appeals on anxiety and test performance

Educational accountability policies have led to a growth in the use of high-stakes examinations for a number of important educational decisions, including the evaluation of teacher effectiveness. As such, educators are under increasing pressure to raise student test performance. In an attempt to prepare students for a high-stakes exam, teachers often resort to using threat-based messages that focus on the negative consequences of test failure rather than messages highlighting students’ ability or expectation for high performance. However, the relative influence of teacher messaging (threat-based or facilitating) under different testing conditions is unknown. The present investigation examined the use of fear and efficacy appeals with 487 university students. Anxiety, motivation, and test performance data were collected during a typical, lower stakes testing situation and a higher-stakes, final course examination. A two-way mixed ANOVA and a mediation analysis were used to examine between (i.e. fear and ef...
Research on the Industrial Development of China's Leisure Agriculture

This paper analyzed the industrial characteristics of leisure agriculture, pointing out the necessity of industrial development of leisure agriculture resources. Through further analysis on the key factors of industrial development of leisure agriculture, this study introduced the development experience of foreign leisure agriculture, and then put forward some countermeasures and suggestions to provide a favorable reference for industrial development of China's leisure agriculture resources.
Design of a ultrashort wave broadband high power 6-way power combiner

A kind of ultrashort wave 6-way power combiner was introduced, which makes six in-phase input signal into one-way high power signal. Together with the existing power combiner, power combination of any way can basically be realized, improving the system efficiency and reliability of power combination and reducing the production cost of transmitter power amplifier module. The front and back synthesis unit were produced based on transmission line transformer theory, using LC matching network as impedance converter between the two stages of synthetic unit. The input and output impedance can be precisely determined by simulation, and good transmission performance exhibits in frequency of 30 MHz to 100 MHz. The designed 6-way power combiner can work in 30 MHz to 100 MHz with maximum power of 3.5k W, voltage standing wave ratio ≤1.30, and insertion loss ≤0.30 d B.
Analysis of HIV voluntary counseling and testing in Changping District of Beijing

Objective To understand the social and demographic characteristics of individuals receiving VCT and HIV infection status, and provide scientific basis for adopting relevant measures to prevent and control HIV / AIDS. Methods The data of interview with individuals seeking HIV VCT and the results of tests were analyzed. Results There were 672 persons received VCT, of which 18 cases were confirmed to be HIV positive, and the positive rate was 2.68%; male was higher than female(P0.05).20-39 years old accounted for 77.23 percent, more men than women.The detection rate of persons who had received VCT before was higher than those who received VCT for the first time(P0.05). Reasons for seeking consultation was,mainly for having non-commercial non-fixed heterosexual sex, commercial sex and with male and male sex history. HIV prevalence of different reasons of seeking consultation was significantly different(χ2=29.283,P=0.001). Conclusion We should vigorously promote HIV VCT services, and improve the network of VCT services,especially for sexually active young adults to step up publicity and interventions to improve AIDS prevention effect.
Incontinence in Nursing Homes: Research and Treatment Issues from the Nursing Perspective

While bladder training appears to be a feasible modality for treating urinary incontinence in long-term care patients, many issues exist that prevent effective use of such a program. Multiple factors, including staff, patient, and environmental variables influence the outcome of treatment and research protocols and therefore must be addressed before any protocol can be effectively implemented. This article addresses and examines such issues in long-term care settings.
Majority of Transformed Lymphomas Have High SUVs on PET Scanning Similar to Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL).

Abstract Background: In our previous work, we correlated non-Hodgkin's (NHL) histology with intensity of FDG uptake (SUVmax) on positron emission tomography in untreated patients: an SUVmax greater than 10 predicted an aggressive lymphoma with >80% certainty and an SUVmax greater than 13 predicted an aggressive lymphoma with >90% certainty. We sought to evaluate SUVmax in a series of patients with transformed lymphoma. Methods: All PET scans for lymphoma indications at our institution 1999–2005 were evaluated. Patients were included if they had biopsy proven transformation. FDG-PET scans were included if they were no more than sixty days prior to or 90 days after biopsy proven transformation. Patients had no therapy for sixty days prior to PET scan unless there was documented progression of disease after the last treatment. Results: Among the indolent diagnoses (n= 28), the following specific histologies were identified: 7 follicular lymphoma grade I (FL I), 5 follicular lymphoma grade II (FL II), 5 small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia (SLL/CLL), 6 marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) including one of mucosa associated lymphoid tumor (MALT) type, one mycoses fungoides, and one indolent lymphoma otherwise not specified. Three follicular lymphomas grade III (FL III), including one specified as grade IIIa (FL IIIa) were considered indolent if they preceded a diagnosis of DLBCL. Among the aggressive diagnoses (n= 28), the following specific histologies were identified: 22 DLBCL, one follicular lymphoma grade IIIa included as it was preceded by FLI, one large peripheral T-cell lymphoma, and 4 “Large cell lymphoma” (LCL), not otherwise characterized on account of biopsy size. Standard uptake values (SUV) were measured at the biopsy site when possible (n=25). In 3 patients the biopsy site was completely excised before the PET scan. The SUV of biopsy site ranged from 2.9–26.7, with a median of 9 and mean of 11. Excluding the three patients who had an excisional biopsy, 10/25 (40%) biopsies had an SUV above 10; and 8/25 (32%), above 13. The SUVmax for a transformed aggressive lymphoma ranged from 3.2–30.2, with a median of 10.8 and mean of 14. 16/28 (57%) patients had an SUVmax above 10; and 12/28 (43%), above 13. Conclusions: Similar to patients with de-novo aggressive lymphoma, the majority of patients with transformed lymphomas have high SUVmax for a given pre-treatment staging study. Therefore, transformation to aggressive lymphoma should be suspected in patients with indolent lymphoma found to have high SUVs on FDG PET, and biopsies should be directed to the site of greatest PET avidity whenever feasible.
Signal-to-Noise Ratio in PVT Performance as a Cognitive Measure of the Effect of Sleep Deprivation on the Fidelity of Information Processing.

Study objectives There is a long-standing debate about the best way to characterize performance deficits on the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), a widely used assay of cognitive impairment in human sleep deprivation studies. Here, we address this issue through the theoretical framework of the diffusion model and propose to express PVT performance in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Methods From the equations of the diffusion model for one-choice, reaction-time tasks, we derived an expression for a novel SNR metric for PVT performance. We also showed that LSNR-a commonly used log-transformation of SNR-can be reasonably well approximated by a linear function of the mean response speed, LSNRapx. We computed SNR, LSNR, LSNRapx, and number of lapses for 1284 PVT sessions collected from 99 healthy young adults who participated in laboratory studies with 38 hr of total sleep deprivation. Results All four PVT metrics captured the effects of time awake and time of day on cognitive performance during sleep deprivation. The LSNR had the best psychometric properties, including high sensitivity, high stability, high degree of normality, absence of floor and ceiling effects, and no bias in the meaning of change scores related to absolute baseline performance. Conclusions The theoretical motivation of SNR and LSNR permits quantitative interpretation of PVT performance as an assay of the fidelity of information processing in cognition. Furthermore, with a conceptual and statistical meaning grounded in information theory and generalizable across scientific fields, LSNR in particular is a useful tool for systems-integrated fatigue risk management.
Notes on the Christian Battle to End the “Abortion Holocaust”

References to the abortion Holocaust proliferate in the literature of the international Christian pro-life movement. This essay examines the ability of this term to recruit people into social activism as a form of lived religion. It shows how it mobilizes people across the theological and political spectrum and radicalizes some into using violent means of resistance and terrorism. The term distorts the history of Nazi reproductive policy and abortion legislation and minimizes the mass murder of Jews to the point of denial and revisionism. By embracing this term, the Christian pro-life movement constructs a totalizing world view that mandates intolerance and legitimates violence as necessary and appropriate.
Mass Support for Climate Cooperation Depends on Institutional Design

Effective climate mitigation requires international cooperation and these global efforts need broad public support to be sustainable over the long run. We provide estimates of public support for different types of climate agreements in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Using data from a large-scale experimental survey, we explore how three key dimensions of global climate cooperation---costs and distribution, participation, and enforcement---affect individuals' willingness to support these international efforts. We find that design features have significant effects on public support. Specifically, our results indicate that support is higher for global climate agreements that involve lower costs, distribute costs according to prominent fairness principles, encompass more countries, and include a small sanction if a country fails to meet its emissions reduction targets. In contrast to well documented baseline differences in public support for climate mitigation efforts, opinion responds similarly to changes in climate policy design in all four countries. We also find that the effects of institutional design features can bring about decisive changes in the level of public support for a global climate agreement. Moreover, the results appear consistent with the view that the sensitivity of public support to design features reflects underlying norms of reciprocity and individuals' beliefs about the potential effectiveness of specific agreements.
Abstract WP334: The Positive Impact of Role Definition and Communication on Door to Needle Times in Acute Stroke Patients Receiving Intravenous Alteplase

Background and Issues: Intravenous IV t-PA (IV t-PA) is indicated for the management of acute stroke in adults for improving neurological recovery and reducing the incidence of disability. The deci...
Introduction to Nematode Genome and Transcriptome Announcements in the Journal of Nematology

The Journal of Nematology now offers publication of Nematode Genome Announcements (NGA) and Nematode Transcriptome Announcements (NTA). These brief reports announce the sequencing and assembly of a nematode genome or transcriptome resource, along with basic technical information on DNA sequencing and bioinformatic methods used. This publishing initiative offers a new avenue to openly and concisely communicate the availability and relevance of genome and transcriptome sequence resources to the broader scientific community.
Variations in Daily Cognitive Affective States as a Function of Variations in Daily Generative Activity.

Greater perceived and actual generative, or contributory, engagement predicts more favorable psychosocial and physical well-being with advancing age. Although theoretical formulations of prosocial behavior suggest self-enhancement, social connectedness, and positive emotion pathways might underlie such links, empirical examination of these connections remains limited. These associations were examined using data from the National Study of Daily Experiences (n = 1747) in the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States. Multilevel regression models examined person-level and day-level indicators of three forms of generative activity (volunteering, emotional support, informal help) as predictors of daily self-enhancement, social connectedness, and positive affect states over an 8-day period, controlling for sociodemographic factors. At the daily level, both volunteering and giving informal help were found to be associated with greater feelings of self-enhancement and social connectedness. Though the between-person effects of informal help were not significant, individuals who volunteered more, on average, also experienced greater average feelings of positive affect and social connectedness than those who volunteered less or not at all. In contrast, giving emotional support to others was associated with slightly lower levels of these cognitive–affective correlates on a given day, and on average. Observed daily cognitive–affective correlates of different generative activities suggest potential pathways through which such activities may be linked to well-being over time.
Dexamethasone exacerbates cytotoxic chemotherapy induced lethargy and weight loss in female tumor free mice

Cytotoxic chemotherapy can induce a systemic inflammatory response which has been proposed to be an underlying mechanism of cancer treatment related fatigue. Dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid that has potent anti-inflammatory effects, is incorporated into chemotherapy regimens to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). The purpose of this study was to determine whether by suppressing cytotoxic chemotherapy-induced inflammation, dexamethasone could ameliorate chemotherapy induced fatigue/lethargy in tumor free mice. The effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on Cytoxan-Adriamycin (CA)-induced inflammation was assessed by measuring circulating levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, GCSF, KC, and MCP-1 twenty-four-hours post CA injection. Decline in voluntary wheel running activity (VWRA) from baseline (used as a proxy for fatigue/lethargy), body weight and composition, and food intake were monitored in mice administered four cycles of CA every two weeks with or without DEX. CA increased circulating levels of IL-6, GCSF, KC, and MCP-1 and caused a rapid decline in VWRA and body weight immediately following CA-injection. Although the acute CA-induced decline in VWRA and body weight was not evident in mice administered CA + DEX, DEX alone had a suppressive effect on VWRA, and body weight continued to decline in mice administered both CA and DEX while it returned to baseline in CA-treated mice. CA or DEX alone had no long term impact on VWRA but DEX exacerbated lethargy and weight loss in CA-treated mice. Despite dampening the systemic inflammatory response to chemotherapy, dexamethasone failed to ameliorate acute or long term chemotherapy related fatigue/lethargy. Our pre-clinical findings suggest that supportive therapies like dexamethasone used to acutely control nausea and vomiting in cancer patients may actually contribute to overall symptom burden in cancer patients.
Occurrence of Juvenile Wood

Although juvenile wood and its properties were briefly and generally defined in Chapter 1, in this chapter more definitive information is given about the formation and location of juvenile wood. The juvenile wood zone is difficult to define because it is the area from the pith outward where a rapid change in wood properties occurs, prior to the mature zone where wood with more constant characteristics is located. The extent of juvenile wood depends on the properties you define it by. The situation was well expressed by Bendtsen (1978) as: “The demarcation between juvenile and mature wood is not clear because of the gradual change in properties … the actual number of rings in the juvenile core depends upon how juvenile wood is defined … cell length may reach maturity … before cell wall thickness.” A complicating factor is the presence of a transition area between the juvenile and mature zones, making an exact definition of juvenile and mature wood difficult.
BPV VLPs presenting HIV-1 epitopes from membrane-proximal external region of gp41 induced HIV-specific mucosal and systemic cross-clade neutralizing antibodies (P4507).

Two conserved epitopes, located in the membrane–proximal external region (MPER) of gp41 of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV–1) envelope spike, are promising targets for vaccine design in efforts to elicit 2F5 and 4E10–like anti–HIV–1 broadly neutralizing antibodies. Since most HIV–1 infections initiate at mucosal surfaces, the induction of mucosal neutralizing antibodies is necessary and of utmost importance to counteract HIV–1 infection. Here, we utilized a mucosal vaccine vector, bovine papillomavirus (BPV) virus–like particles (VLPs), as a platform to present HIV–1 neutralizing epitopes by inserting the extended 2F5 (ELLELDKWASLWN) or 4E10 epitope (NWFDITNWLWYIK) or the MPER domain into surface loops of BPV L1 respectively. In order to enhance the presentation of the neutralizing epitopes, the modified 4E10 and 2F5 epitope were presented by inserting two alanines (AA) in N–terminal, C–terminal or both terminals of the epitopes. The chimeric VLPs presenting MPER domain resembled the HIV–1 natural epitopes better than the chimeric VLPs presenting unmodified single ones. Moreover, N–terminal modified 2F5 epitope further enhanced the epitope presentation when inserted in D–E loop. Oral immunization of mice with the chimeric VLPs displaying 2F5 or MPER elicited epitope–specific serum IgGs and mucosal secretory IgAs. The antibodies induced by chimeric VLPs presenting MPER domain are capable of neutralizing clade B and clade C HIV–1 viruses, although modest.
Drama: A Means of Self-Expression for the Visually Impaired Child:

Drama can be used as a tool for helping blind children to express feelings and fantasies about their visual impairment. Excerpts from sessions conducted with one child are used in this article to i...
Preclinical and Clinical Manifestations of Paratuberculosis (Including Pathology)

The term Johne's disease immediately brings to mind an image of an emaciated, debilitated ruminant with bottlejaw and fluid, pipestream diarrhea. The clinical case, however, is merely the tip of the iceberg in terms of the total number of infected animals on the farm. If the clinically affected animal was born on the farm, a minimum of 25 other animals are probably infected and fewer than 30% of those will be detectable by currently available tests. Infected animals in the early stages of the disease progress slowly over a period of months or several years to stages where they may be diagnosed by antigen detection tests and antibody-based diagnostic tests. The duration of each stage of infection seems dependent upon age at the time of exposure and the dose of organisms ingested.
CM 3 , Looking into the Third and Fourth Dimensions of GDSS

The area of Group Decision Support System (GDSS) is a relatively new field. To date, most research has focused on small group activity using a Decision Room concept.‘Computer Mediated Meeting Management’(CM 3) is a new GDSS system designed to address the challenges of meetings decentralized in time and space. Design principles, operational characteristics and experiences gained from sessions using the CM 3 system are discussed. We also discuss the fundamental issues related to decentralized meetings including mechanisms to aid in identifying conversational threads in brainstorming sessions. Unique features of the CM 3 brainstorming and voting modules are presented.
Mega-Drivers to Inform NASA Space Technology Strategic Planning

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) has been developing a new Strategic Framework to guide investment prioritization and communication of STMD strategic goals to stakeholders. STMD’s analysis of global trends identified four overarching drivers which are anticipated to shape the needs of civilian space research for years to come. These Mega-Drivers form the foundation of the Strategic Framework. The Increasing Access Mega-Driver reflects the increase in the availability of launch options, more capable propulsion systems, access to planetary surfaces, and the introduction of new platforms to enable exploration, science, and commercial activities. Accelerating Pace of Discovery reflects the exploration of more remote and challenging destinations, drives increased demand for improved abilities to communicate and process large datasets. The Democratization of Space reflects the broadening participation in the space industry, from governments to private investors to citizens. Growing Utilization of Space reflects space market diversification and growth. This paper will further describe the observable trends that inform each of these Mega Drivers, as well as the interrelationships between them within STMD’s new Strategic Framework.
Britain and Perón

Covering the late 1940s and early 1950s, the chapter examines interactions between the British Labour government under Clement Atlee and the government of Juan Peron. Major tussles occurred over meat. The British required as much cheap meat as possible to support post-war rationing and to assist British economic recovery. The Argentines wanted to sell it at high prices to assist social programmes and industrial development. Other squabbles occurred over post-war British debts for wartime meat supplies. The two sides alone could never resolve the impasse and agreements required the assistance of US ambassadors. Railway nationalisation in 1948 became the other leading issue of the post-war. Britain sold the railways at a high price mainly because domestic pressure pushed Peron into all-out purchase. With the loss of the railways, the British community in Argentina lost its major source of employment. Tension increased following the British devaluation of 1949, as Britain again tried to force down meat prices. Argentina gained important advantages during the Korean war when a commodity boom forced the British to pay higher prices. Disputes with Peron played a part in the fall of Labour in 1951.
Exploring the mediating role of self‐blame and coping in the relationships between self‐compassion and distress in females following the sexual assault

Objective The present study investigated the associations between self-compassion, self-blame, disengagement coping, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptom severity among females who had experienced sexual assault. We also examined whether the relationships between self-compassion and both PTSD and depression severity were mediated by self-blame and coping. Method A volunteer sample of female adults (N = 207) completed surveys online or on paper. Results Mediational analyses showed that higher self-compassion was associated with lower behavioral self-blame, characterological self-blame (CSB), and disengagement coping which, in turn, were associated with less PTSD. Higher self-compassion was associated with less depression severity directly and indirectly via CSB. Conclusions These findings suggest that self-compassion may be relevant for understanding postassault mental health, partially through its associations with self-blame and coping. Clinicians working with sexual assault survivors may choose to augment treatment-as-usual with interventions designed to increase self-compassion.
Gas-phase oxydehydrogenation of ethylbenzene with nitrobenzene by hydrogen transfer catalyzed reaction to produce styrene and aniline

Gas-phase catalytic hydrogen transfer reaction between ethylbenzene and nitrobenzene, to produce styrene and aniline, has been carried out at 360–460°C on amorphous AlPO4, SiO2, Al2O3, and on a natural sepiolite, as well as on the corresponding 20 wt% supported nickel catalysts. The influence of Cu as a second metal was also studied. Reactions were also carried out without nitrobenzene, under nonoxidative conditions. Catalytic activity under oxidative conditions was always comparatively higher than in nonoxidative conditions. In both cases, styrene yield and selectivity values obtained with support materials directly used as catalysts were better than those obtained with the corresponding Ni or Ni–Cu supported metal catalysts, with the only exception of SiO2. The best results were obtained when amorphous AlPO4 was used as the catalyst. The catalytic activity obtained in both oxidative and nonoxidative conditions, was closely associated to acid–base properties of the catalysts studied. Furthermore, a very similar linear correlation between A and Ea known as “compensation effect” was obtained and a common dehydrogenation mechanism was considered for oxidative and nonoxidative conditions. However, without considering the catalyst, nitrobenzene plays an important role as hydrogen acceptor, not only shifting the ethylbenzene dehydrogenation equilibrium but also avoiding secondary reactions by lowering the level of available hydrogen, especially when supported metals are being used as catalysts.
Data-Driven Distribution System Load Modeling for Quasi-Static Time-Series Simulation

This paper presents a data-driven distribution system load modeling methodology targeting quasi-static time-series (QSTS) simulation. The proposed methodology is appropriate for modeling down to the level of the customer transformer, and it has three main features: 1) both load pattern diversity and intra-second load variability are considered, 2) the load profiles can be populated for multiple nodes on a circuit in such a way that the diversity factor of the feeder can be defined and tuned, and 3) the load aggregation method can be used to populate the profiles for different nodes at various load aggregation levels. As the foundation of the modeling methodology, variability and diversity libraries have been established based on high-resolution load data collected on customer transformers from real utility feeders. The proposed modeling methodology has been used to build load data sets for both the IEEE 123-bus feeder model and a realistic utility feeder model. The QSTS simulation results on the two evaluation feeders have demonstrated that the load data sets established from the proposed modeling methodology can effectively capture the load impact on feeder operations. For the realistic utility feeder, the effectiveness of the proposed methodology has also been validated by comparing the voltage characteristics of the feeder with modeled loads and the voltage characteristics of realistic voltage data from the same feeder.
Extreme offspring ornamentation in American coots is favored by selection within families, not benefits to conspecific brood parasites.

Offspring ornamentation typically occurs in taxa with parental care, suggesting that selection arising from social interactions between parents and offspring may underlie signal evolution. American coot babies are among the most ornamented offspring found in nature, sporting vividly orange-red natal plumage, a bright red beak, and other red parts around the face and pate. Previous plumage manipulation experiments showed that ornamented plumage is favored by strong parental choice for chicks with more extreme ornamentation but left unresolved the question as to why parents show the preference. Here we explore natural patterns of variation in coot chick plumage color, both within and between families, to understand the context of parental preference and to determine whose fitness interests are served by the ornamentation. Conspecific brood parasitism is common in coots and brood parasitic chicks could manipulate hosts by tapping into parental choice for ornamented chicks. However, counter to expectation, parasitic chicks were duller (less red) than nonparasitic chicks. This pattern is explained by color variation within families: Chick coloration increases with position in the egg-laying order, but parasitic eggs are usually the first eggs a female lays. Maternal effects influence chick coloration, but coot females do not use this mechanism to benefit the chicks they lay as parasites. However, within families, chick coloration predicts whether chicks become “favorites” when parents begin control over food distribution, implicating a role for the chick ornamentation in the parental life-history strategy, perhaps as a reliable signal of a chick’s size or age.
An engineered variant of SETD3 methyltransferase alters target specificity from histidine to lysine methylation

Most characterized SET domain (SETD) proteins are protein lysine methyltransferases, but SETD3 was recently demonstrated to be a protein (i.e. actin) histidine-N3 methyltransferase. Human SETD3 shares a high structural homology with two known protein lysine methyltransferases—human SETD6 and the plant LSMT—but differs in the residues constituting the active site. In the SETD3 active site, Asn255 engages in a unique hydrogen-bonding interaction with the target histidine of actin that likely contributes to its >1300-fold greater catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) on histidine than on lysine. Here, we engineered active-site variants to switch the SETD3 target specificity from histidine to lysine. Substitution of Asn255 with phenylalanine (N255F), together with substitution of Trp273 with alanine (W273A), generated an active site mimicking that of known lysine methyltransferases. The doubly substituted SETD3 variant exhibited a 13-fold preference for lysine over histidine. We show, by means of X-ray crystallography, that the two target nitrogen atoms—the N3 atom of histidine and the terminal ϵ-amino nitrogen of lysine—occupy the same position and point toward and are within a short distance of the incoming methyl group of SAM for a direct methyl transfer during catalysis. In contrast, SETD3 and its Asn255 substituted derivatives did not methylate glutamine (another potentially methylated amino acid). However, the glutamine-containing peptide competed with the substrate peptide, and glutamine bound in the active site, but too far away from SAM to be methylated. Our results provide insight into the structural parameters defining the target amino acid specificity of SET enzymes.
Shear strength and permeability of the cement-casing interface

Abstract The shear strength and hydraulic permeability of the interface between well cement and casing was investigated using a triaxial direct shear apparatus. For the first time, these experiments provide measurements under controlled stress conditions with fluid flow measurements along the interface. The low cohesion (1.1 ± 1.1 MPa) and the high friction angle (43.4 ± 2.0°) indicates that the shear strength of the interface is provided by friction. This implies that the state of stress of the cement is critical to well integrity. The hydraulic aperture of the undamaged cement-steel samples was 6.8 ± 1.0 microns. Shear damage to the interface caused a decrease (-20 %) in hydraulic aperture for samples aged up to 1 month, and an increase (+300 %) for samples cured for two years. We performed numerical simulations to estimate the leakage potential from a carbon storage operation. This model predicts negligible leakage amounts (47 tonnes) in a shear-damaged well for the modeled injection of ∼1.26 million tonnes of CO2. Thus, our measurements indicate that the cement-casing interface is not a significant leakage pathway in its intact or damaged state, and that shear-driven failure scenarios for this interface are not a significant risk to CO2 storage security.
Drying of moist cookie doughs with innovative slot jet reattachment nozzle

The drying of moist porous media, such as pulp, paper and food products, is one of the most energy intensive processes in industry. Many convective drying processes utilize impinging jet nozzles. T...
Students' perceptions of intentional multi-station simulation-based experiences

Abstract Background Clinical opportunities can be challenging for nursing students to obtain with regards to the perioperative setting. In this paper, we describe nursing students’ perceptions of participating in perioperative simulation-based experiences using a multi-station format. The purpose of this study was to better understand if this format enhanced undergraduate nursing student learning of perioperative content. Method A cross-sectional descriptive study using the National League for Nursing (NLN) Simulation Design Scale examined the perceptions of 53 traditional and 82 accelerated undergraduate nursing students participating in a combination of intentional high and low-fidelity multi-station perioperative simulation-based experiences. Results Participants perceived the multi-station format to be beneficial to their learning of perioperative content. Mean scores for both groups were between 4 and 5 on the 5-point Likert scale. Conclusion The findings support the intentional multi-station perioperative simulation format as an effective simulation-based learning experience.
Sex dependent glial-specific changes in the chromatin accessibility landscape in late-onset Alzheimer's disease brains.

In the post-GWAS era, there is an unmet need to decode the underpinning genetic etiologies of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) and translate the associations to causation. We conducted ATAC-seq profiling using NeuN sorted-nuclei from 40 frozen brain tissues to determine LOAD-specific changes in chromatin accessibility landscape in a cell-type specific manner. We identified 211 LOAD-specific differential chromatin accessibility sites in neuronal-nuclei, four of which overlapped with LOAD-GWAS regions (±100 kb of SNP). While the non-neuronal nuclei did not show LOAD-specific differences, stratification by sex identified 842 LOAD-specific chromatin accessibility sites in females. Seven of these sex-dependent sites in the non-neuronal samples overlapped LOAD-GWAS regions including APOE. LOAD loci were functionally validated using single-nuclei RNA-seq datasets. Using brain sorted-nuclei enabled the identification of sex-dependent cell type-specific LOAD alterations in chromatin structure. These findings enhance the interpretation of LOAD-GWAS discoveries, provide potential pathomechanisms, and suggest novel LOAD-loci.
Inexpensive Apparatus for High-Quality Imaging of Microbial Growth on Agar Plates.

The ability to capture images of results or processes is an important tool in the biologist’s tool kit. In microbiology, capturing high-quality images of microbial growth on agar plates is difficult due to the reflective surface of the plates and limitations in common photography techniques. Equipment is available to overcome these challenges, but acquisition costs are high. We have developed and tested an inexpensive and efficient apparatus for high-quality imaging of microbial colonies. The imaging box, as we have named the apparatus, is designed to eliminate glare and reduce reflections on the surface of the plate while providing uniform, diffuse light from all sides. The imaging box was used to capture hundreds of images in research and teaching lab settings.
Droplet and particle methods to investigate turbulent particle laden jets

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has heightened the interest in particle-laden turbulent jets generated by breathing, talking, coughing and sneezing, and how these can contribute to disease transmission. We present quantitative measurement methods for such flows, while exploring and offering improvements for common shortcomings. We generate jets consisting of either liquid droplets or solid particles in an isothermal, quiescent and electrically isopotential experimental chamber that was constructed to control the effects of ambient forcing on jet behavior. For liquid droplets, we find promise in surface deposition analysis based on fluorescent tracer use. For particles, we explore the performance of commercially available adhesive sampling strips and develop conductive grounded carbon tape based sampling strips. We explore ways in which the smallest of thermal gradients or electrostatic charge issues can affect particle dispersion, and suggest practical methods to address these issues. The developed methods are applied to study the simultaneous deposition of (Formula presented.) 25, 50 and 200 μm solid particles from a particle laden turbulent jet with a mean velocity of 33.2 m/s. The deposition location as a function of particle size was compared to results from a simple numerical RANS model, and illustrates ways in which imprecise initial or boundary conditions can lead to a notable deviation from experimental results. The differences in deposition pattern seen in experimental and numerical results despite a carefully controlled environment and characterized particle ejection indicate the need for a more stringent numerical model validation, especially when studying fate and transport of mid-range (neither purely aerosol or ballistic) sized particles.
Understanding bioidentical hormones and their effect on quality of life

It is important to understand the functions of the body's hormones and the options available to make the right choices for use in treating the symptoms of menopause. Bioidentical hormones are compo...