cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The proportion and distribution of polarizing zone cells causing morphogenetic inhibition when coaggregated with anterior half wing mesoderm in recombinant limbs

Previous work demonstrated that dissociated polarizing zone cells inhibit morphogenesis when dispersed among dissociated anterior wing mesoderm cells in recombinant limbs. In the present study the proportions and distribution of polarizing zone mesoderm which inhibit morphogenetic expression in recombinant limb buds were determined. Completely dissociated and pelleted anterior half wing mesoderm packed into leg ectodermal jackets produced slender, digit-like outgrowths of bilateral symmetry in 60% of the cases. This represented the baseline with which recombinants containing polarizing zone cells were compared. The inhibitory influence was first detected when polarizing zone cells constituted 16–18% of the mesodermal component of recombinant limb buds; at this percentage the incidence of distally complete outgrowths dropped to 23% of the cases. The addition of 20–36% polarizing mesoderm to dissociated anterior half wing gave reduced incidence (9%) of distally complete outgrowths. Percentages greater than 36% polarizing zone cells led to the total failure of distally complete limb-like morphogenesis in all cases. Further, when more than 60% polarizing mesoderm was dispersed with anterior half mesoderm, the outgrowths obtained were small, fleshy, and completely deficient in limb character. Finally, the distribution of polarizing mesoderm in recombinant grafts was demonstrated to be random at all percentages examined through 8 days, using chick/quail and autoradiographic methods. In a separate set of experiments, flank mesoderm was not found to have the same inhibitory effect on recombinant limb morphogenesis as described for polarizing mesoderm.
Dangerous Liaisons: Caspase-11 and Reactive Oxygen Species Crosstalk in Pathogen Elimination

Recently, the focus of murine caspase-11 and human orthologs caspase-4, -5 research has been on their novel function to induce noncanonical inflammasome activation in direct response to Gram-negative bacterial infection. On the other hand, a new role in anti-bacterial autophagy has been attributed to caspase-11, -4 and -5, which currently stands largely unexplored. In this review, we connect lately emerged evidence that suggests these caspases have a key role in anti-bacterial autophagy and discuss the growing implications of a danger molecule—extracellular ATP—and NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS generation as novel inducers of human caspase-4, -5 signaling during infection. We also highlight the adeptness of persistent pathogens like Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobe and successful colonizer of oral mucosa, to potentially interfere with the activated caspase-4 pathway and autophagy. While, the ability of caspase-4, -5 to promote autophagolysosomal fusion is not well understood, the abundance of caspase-4 in skin and other mucosal epithelial cells implies an important role for caspase-4 in mucosal defense, supporting the view that caspase-4, -5 may play a non-redundant part in innate immunity. Thus, this review will join the currently disconnected cutting-edge research thereby proposing a working model for regulation of caspase-4, -5 in pathogen elimination via cellular-trafficking.
Computer-aided studies of the ALS 500 MHz storage ring cavity

The design of the ALS (Advanced Light Source) storage ring 500-MHz cavity has been modeled with Mafia and Urmel codes. The effects of the holes cut for the drive port, the higher-order mode damping port, the probe port, and tuner were modeled with the Mafia codes. The frequency dependence on the shape and spacing of the nose cones and the general shape of the cavity were modeled with Urmel codes. The modeling results agree with those of the operating SRS cavity fairly well. The shape of the cavity and the nose cones and their spacing have been confirmed with the codes. The power dissipation at various parts of the cavity has also been examined. The power dissipation map should help in the cavity cooling system design. >
From the Field to the Lab: Best Practices for Field Preservation of Bat Specimens for Molecular Analyses

Studies in molecular ecology depend on field-collected samples for genetic information, and the tissue sampled and preservation conditions strongly affect the quality of the DNA obtained. DNA yields from different tissue types have seldom been compared, and the relative performance of storage media has never been directly tested, even though these media may influence DNA degradation under field conditions. We analyzed DNA yield from buccal swabs and wing punches harvested from live bats using nucleic acid quantification as well as quantitative PCR for a single-copy nuclear locus. We also compared DNA yields from wing tissue preserved in three media: ethanol, NaCl-saturated dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and silica desiccant. Wing punches yielded more total DNA than did buccal swabs, and wing tissues preserved in silica beads yielded significantly more total and nuclear DNA than those preserved in DMSO or ethanol. These results show that tissue type and preservation media strongly influence the quantity of DNA obtained from non-lethal genetic samples, and based on these effects we provide recommendations for field collection of tissues for genetic analyses.
Insights into the mechanism of flavoprotein-catalyzed amine oxidation from nitrogen isotope effects on the reaction of N-methyltryptophan oxidase

The mechanism of N-methyltryptophan oxidase, a flavin-dependent amine oxidase from Escherichia coli, was studied using a combination of kinetic isotope effects and theoretical calculations. The 15(kcat/Km) kinetic isotope effect for sarcosine oxidation is pH-dependent with a limiting value of 0.994-0.995 at high pH. Density functional theory calculations on model systems were used to interpret these isotope effects. The isotope effects are inconsistent with proposed mechanisms involving covalent amine-flavin adducts but cannot by themselves conclusively distinguish between some discrete electron-transfer mechanisms and a direct hydride-transfer mechanism, although the latter mechanism is more consistent with the energetics of the reaction.
Continuous flow electrophoresis for study of membrane protein compartments. Focus on "More than apical: distribution of SGLT1 in Caco-2 cells".

the uptake of glucose by the intestine is sodium dependent ([4][1]). The flow of glucose is accompanied by the movement of an equivalent number of sodium ions ([14][2]). There are at least three human forms of sodium-dependent glucose transporters: SGLT1, SGLT2, and SGLT3 ([15][3]). SGLT1 was
Discovery and labeling of high-affinity 3,4-diarylpyrazolines as candidate radioligands for in vivo imaging of cannabinoid subtype-1 (CB1) receptors.

Imaging of cannabinoid subtype-1 (CB1) receptors in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET) is likely to be important for understanding their role in neuropsychiatric disorders and for drug development. Radioligands for imaging with PET are required for this purpose. We synthesized new ligands from a 3,4-diarylpyrazoline platform of which (−)-12a ((−)-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-N′-[(4-cyanophenyl)sulfonyl]-4-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamidine) was found to have high-affinity and selectivity for binding to CB1 receptors. (−)-12a and its lower affinity enantiomer ((+)-12a) were labeled with carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min) using [11C]cyanide ion as labeling agent and evaluated as PET radioligands in cynomolgus monkeys. After injection of [11C](−)-12a, there was high uptake and retention of radioactivity across brain according to the rank order of CB1 receptor densities. The distomer, [11C](+)-12a, failed to give a sustained CB1 receptor-specific distribution. Polar radiometabolites of [11C](−)-12a appea...
Test Chip design for study of CDM related failures in SoC designs

During CDM-ESD testing, SoC (System on a Chip) designs may fail either in the pad ring or in the core circuitry, particularly at the power domain crossings. A specially designed test chip allows one to locate the sites at which ESD-induced damage occurs and also to investigate the efficacy of different CDM protection strategies.
A Performance Based, Multi-Process Cost Model for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Cost effective high volume manufacture (HVM) is a major challenge to the success of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). More than fifteen processing methods have been reported in the literature many of which could be used in various combinations to create the desired product characteristics. Modeling tools are needed to aid in the selection of the appropriate process combination prior to making expensive investment decisions. This paper describes the development of a multi-process cost model that permits the comparison of manufacturing cost for different processing combinations and various materials. Two specific processing methods are discussed, tape casting and screen printing. The results are compared with data and experience from the fuel cell and electronic packaging industries. Initial comparisons show good agreement with this experience base. Sensitivity of manufacturing costs to SOFC performance requirements such as maximum power density and operation temperature is investigated.
The birth of EMBO and the difficult road to EMBL

Abstract Why was the road to EMBL ‘more difficult than anticipated’, as Francois Jacob put it? The standard account, advanced by scientists, is that it was because molecular biology did not require big, complex and expensive equipment like high-energy physics. European governments therefore lacked the incentive to pool their efforts and to build together a supranational laboratory ‘modeled on CERN’. This account is one-sided. It overlooks the fact that many scientists themselves were less than enthusiastic about building a European molecular biology laboratory in the early 1960s. Taking John Kendrew and Conrad Waddington as representative of two different and opposing views on how best to promote molecular biology in Europe at this time, I argue that a supranational laboratory project could only come to fruition once the field had been entrenched in national institutional niches (or after determined efforts to do so had failed). Until that time, the usual fear that a European laboratory would drain essential human and financial resources away from incipient or planned programmes in universities and national research centres dominated the horizons of most molecular biologists in Europe. Hence their preference to first establish EMBO to coordinate existing activities and only later to set up a supranational laboratory.
The Porcine Ovarian Follicle. VII. FSH Stimulation of in vitro [3H]-Glucosamine Incorporation into Mucopolysaccharides

Hhly purified porcine follicle stimulating hormone (pFSH) stimulated the incorporation of (3 H) -glucosamine into mucopolysaccharides of proteoglycans secreted by granulosa cells from porcine small ( 6 mm) follicles were less responsive to pFSH than were small follicle cells. The stimulatory effect of pFSH could be mimicked by dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) although the time course for dbcAMP stimulation was somewhat shorter than for pFSH. Prostaglandin E2 also increased the incorporation of �3 HI 'glucosamine into mucopolysaccharides and it enhanced the response to a maximally stimulating dose of pFSH. The response to FSH was inhibited by prolactin, dexameth- asone, progesterone, and testosterone and by inhibitors of protein and RNA synthesis. Data presented here suggest that FSH stimulation of (3 H) -glucosamine incorporation into mucopoly- saccharides is mediated by cAMP and involves gene activation and/or synthesis of new protein. Hormonal regulation of proteoglycan synthesis would suggest an important role for these macro- molecules in normal development of the ovarian follicle.
Effects of repetitive vagal stimulation on heart rate and on cardiac vasoactive intestinal polypeptide efflux

In dogs anesthetized with alpha-chloralose, we assessed the "vagally induced tachycardia" elicited by successive 2-min periods of intense vagal stimulation (0.5 ms, 10 mA, 20 Hz) after we had blocked the animals' muscarinic and beta-adrenergic receptors with atropine and propranolol, respectively. We found that the tachycardia produced by the successive vagal stimulations progressively decreased to < 20% of the initial tachycardia response within 84 min. We also observed that the chronotropic response to vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) injected into the sinus node artery after the vagal stimulation regimen did not differ significantly from the response to the same dose of VIP injected prior to vagal stimulation. This finding indicates that the postjunctional responsiveness of the cardiac pacemaker cells had not diminished over the course of the vagal stimulation regimen. In isolated, perfused right atrial preparations, we observed a close correlation between the efflux of VIP from the atrial tissues and the chronotropic responses to vagal stimulation. Our results support the hypotheses that 1) VIP is a mediator of vagally induced tachycardia, 2) the reduction in VIP efflux is associated with a diminished vagally induced tachycardia, and 3) the reduced efflux of VIP probably reflects a diminution in neuronal release, perhaps by depletion of this peptide from the vagus nerve endings consequent to the prolonged neural stimulation.
Prophylaxis of opportunistic infections in persons with HIV infection.

BACKGROUND Morbidity and mortality associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is most often related to associated opportunistic infections. OBJECTIVE To review the prophylaxis of common opportunistic infections in patients with human immunodeficiency virus. SUMMARY Prophylactic treatment for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia should begin when the CD4 count falls below 200 cells per (O.L. Recommended treatment consists of trimethoprim 160 mg and sulfamethoxazole 800 mg daily, but other regimens have been successfully used. This regimen appears to also prevent the development of toxoplasmic encephalitis. Fluconazole 100 mg once or twice weekly can prevent oral and esophageal candidiasis, but its efficacy against life-threatening fungal infections is unproved. Rifabutin 300 mg daily can delay the development of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex infection. Daily therapy with 300 mg of isoniazid for at least 9 months is recommended for persons at risk for tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS Prevention of opportunistic infections can prolong the lives of persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Effective regimens are available for preventing some of these infections, and studies are in progress to establish optimum regimens for others.
Optimizing Slow and Stored Light via EIT in Alkali Vapor

We investigate the possibility to achieve high-efficiency quantum memory in atomic vapor. We demonstrate a procedure to obtain the maximum efficiency for the storage and retrieval of light pulses based on a pulse-shape optimization.
Our new understanding of heart failure: The role of beta-blockers in treatment

Beta-blockers, long considered contraindicated in heart failure, improve left ventricular function in this disease by improving the biology of cardiac myocytes. Whether they improve survival remains to be determined.
Quantum Effects in Charge Transfer Plasmons

Metallic nanoparticles placed in close proximity support strong localized surface plasmon resonances. One such resonance, known as the charge transfer plasmon, involves the physical transfer of electrons between the nanoparticles and, thus, exists only in dimers bridged with conductive junctions. Here we analyze the quantum effects associated with these type of plasmon modes by studying the optical response of a metallic dimer bridged with a two-level system. We find that the charge transfer plasmons are observed in the absorption spectrum only when one of the energy levels of the two-level system is resonant with the Fermi level of the nanoparticles. Furthermore, we explicitly show that, for the resonant configuration, the conductance of the junction reaches a value equal to one quantum of conductance, 2e2/h. Our results establish a connection between the optical response of plasmonic nanostructures and quantum transport phenomena, thus bringing a new perspective to quantum plasmonics.
Ellbogenluxationen — konservatives oder operatives Vorgehen

Um die Indikation zum operativen oder konservativen Vorgehen in der Behandlung der Ellbogenluxation zu uberprufen, wurden 33 Patienten nachuntersucht. Konservativ wurden Luxationen ohne Reluxationstendenz und mit kleinen, nicht gelenktragenden Abschlagfragmenten behandelt. In der konservativen Gruppe zeigten 66% der Patienten ein sehr gutes oder gutes Ergebnis, bei den operativ versorgten 72%. Bei etwa gleichen Behandlungsergebnissen hat bei differenzierter Indikationsstellung die konservative Behandlung auch heute noch ihren Stellenwert.
Raimo Tuomela: Response to Kirk Ludwig

In his paper Ludwig argues for methodological individualism and, in a novel way, against my we-mode approach.1 According to him (I) the irreducibility of the we-mode to the I-mode (as claimed in my Social Ontology (SO)) does not entail that methodological individualism is to be rejected.2 He also argues that (II) the three central criteria for we-mode activities, viz. the group reason, collectivity, and collective commitment criteria, that I present and defend in SO can plausibly be satisfied by a reductive account. Furthermore, he argues that (III) the arguments in the book do not give reason to think that a reductive account cannot be adequate to the descriptive and explanatory requirements of a theory of the social world. In turn I will below argue that theses I, II, and III are not acceptable.
Chapter 15 – Regime Switching on the Relationship Between Stock Returns and Currency Values: Evidence From the 1997 Asian Crisis

This paper examines the investor behavior of exchange rate exposure on the national stock returns through real income and financial channels for the Asian crisis period. Evidence from modeling a regime-switching process supports the hypothesis that the financial channel is more dominant during the crisis period (high volatility regime), while the real channel is more relevant during the tranquil period (low volatility regime).
An analysis of factors predicting memory loss in Alzheimer's disease prevention

In recent years, data-driven approaches have been developed to predict Alzheimer's Disease. The goal of our report is to identify the factors that are most associated with memory loss. Data from ADNI (Alzheimer's Disease Neuro-imaging Initiative) with 8 variables from socioeconomic factors and biomarkers are analyzed, and will be used to propose a predictive model for the onset of AD. On the mathematical side, we propose to evaluate the data and the results for stability and reproducibility. Principal component analysis was first adopted to directly visualize the data structure and gain intuitive understanding. PCA shows a clustering of biomarkers TAUAB42, APOE4 and the current diagnosis DXCURREN, another clustering of characteristic variables including sex, age and education level, and the response AVLTot by itself. Furthermore, in the second principal component, which signifies a contrast between the characteristic descriptors and the biomarkers APOE4 and TAUAB42. The sex of the respondents played a significant effect: the contrast is larger for males and smaller for females. Linear regression model using backwards elimination further reached the result that the degree of memory loss indicated by AVLTot0 is positively related to education, but negatively related to gender, age, APOE4 and TAUAB420. In addition, higher level of TAUAB420 is related to lower memory function, and this decline effect is more dramatic for people who are younger.
Suspicion and Ethnographic Peace Research (Notes from a Local Researcher)

In this article, I focus upon the notion of suspicion as a lens to better understand the distinct challenges that local researchers from the Global South encounter in ethnographic fieldwork when st...
Architecture in the Production of Ecological Time

AbstractThis paper revisits Nicholas Grimshaw’s Eden Project in Cornwall, UK to interrogate architecture’s relation to neoliberalism. It looks to this project as a means to open a speculative approach for architectural scholarship to engage neoliberal society. Eden, I argue, coordinates its spaces, technologies and objects to project a temporality that seems to lack both past and future in favor of presenting time as continuous, homogeneous, bound to the perpetual management of the present – what I call “ecological time”. This project shows that in the theater of neoliberal governmentality, the present is the object of design, and “design” becomes indistinguishable from the technological management of the world.
Now You See Me: High School Dropout and Machine Learning

In this paper, we create an algorithm to predict which students are eventually going to drop out of US high school using information available in 9th grade. We show that using a naive model - as implemented in many schools - leads to poor predictions. In addition to this, we explain how schools can obtain more precise predictions by exploiting the big data available to them, as well as more sophisticated quantitative techniques. We also compare the performances of econometric techniques like Logistic Regression with Machine Learning tools such as Support Vector Machine, Boosting and LASSO. We offer practical advice on how to apply the new Machine Learning codes available in Stata to the high dimensional datasets available in education. Model parameters are calibrated by taking into account policy goals and budget constraints.
Intimate partner and sexual violence screening practices of college health care providers.

Abstract Background Female college students experience higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) compared to men of all ages, older women and young women who are not attending college. Experts and medical organizations have issued recommendations that health care providers should routinely screen women for IPV and SV. However, most female college students report they are not being screened for IPV and SV at college health centers. Aim This exploratory study sought to examine the IPV and SV screening practices of college health care providers and identify individual and organizational influences using a cross-sectional, quantitative survey design. Methods Sixty-four health care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners and registered nurses) from five colleges and universities in the northeastern U.S. were invited to participate in an anonymous, web-based survey about their IPV/SV-related screening practices and beliefs, and organizational characteristics of their college health centers. Results Twenty-six health care providers completed surveys (56% response rate). The median reported IPV/SV screening rate was 15%. More IPV/SV screening was reported by nurse practitioners, providers at state colleges, and by those in health centers that prioritized IPV/SV screening and had greater organizational capacity for change. Conclusions College health centers represent unique, yet often missed, opportunities to screen for IPV/SV in a high-risk population. Provider- and organization-level influences should be incorporated into future interventions to improve IPV/SV screening in college health centers. Future studies with larger numbers of colleges and providers are needed to better understand organizational influences and identify mediators and moderators of effects.
Orthorexic eating behaviors related to exercise addiction and internal motivations in a sample of university students

This research explored the exercise tendencies and motivations of individuals varying in orthorexia symptomatology. Participants were 411 university students, who completed the Eating Habits Questionnaire alongside measures of exercise activity and addiction in Study 1 (a modified version of the Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire, the Exercise Addiction Inventory, and the Compulsive Exercise Test) and various exercise motivations in Study 2 (the Behavioural Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire and the Exercise Motivations Inventory-2). Orthorexia symptomatology was positively correlated with aerobic and strength-training exercise levels; all measures of exercise addiction; all measures of internal exercise motivation; and nearly all measures of exercise motivation for the purposes of psychological, social, health, and body improvement. Symptomatology was not significantly related to either measure that specifically assessed external motivation to exercise. Individuals high in orthorexia symptomatology are internally driven to exercise for the purposes of improving their physical and mental health, but these strong motivations also lead to exercise addiction characterized by a compulsive need to follow a rigid schedule of intensive exercise even in the face of injury, illness, or other problems. Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.
Competitive Microstructures Versus Cooperative Dynamics of Hydrogen Bonding and π-Type Stacking Interactions in Imidazolium Bis(oxalato)borate Ionic Liquids

The delicate trade-off between hydrogen bonding and π-type coordinations plays a pivotal role in stabilizing molecular structures in ionic liquids bearing multiple hydrogen bonding sites and heteroaromatic ring planes. By performing extensive atomistic simulations, we have investigated the effect of aliphatic chain length in imidazolium cations on liquid morphologies, hydrogen bonding and π-type structures, and the corresponding dynamical quantities in imidazolium bis(oxalato)borate ionic liquids. The liquid morphologies are characterized by segregated apolar clusters (domains) within polar framework in liquid samples with short aliphatic chains in imidazolium cations and are transformed to spongelike polar and apolar arrangements in liquid matrices with lengthening aliphatic chains in imidazolium cations. Such a striking evolution of liquid morphologies of imidazolium bis(oxalato)borate ionic liquids is qualitatively characterized by total and partial X-ray scattering static structural factors. Preferent...
Does Motherhood Mean Maturity

Articles abound on the pregnant adolescent or the one who obtains an abortion, while the adolescent mother has received less consideration. This chapter focuses on whether, in adolescence, motherhood is a sign of maturity or helps in the teenager’s development toward adulthood. Although the focus is on the adolescent, this question may also apply to those in their majority.
Final Theoretical and Empirical Issues

In the preceding eight chapters we have presented our analysis of the processes through which depressive episodes are instigated, exacerbated, and eventually remitted. Our analysis is derived from previous social psychological theorizing on self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-regulation. In a nutshell, we argue that depressive episodes are instigated when an individual is unable to exit a self-regulatory cycle after the loss of a central source of self-esteem. This inability to disengage from the lost object occurs when the individual lacks the resources to provide a suitable substitute for what was lost. The high level of self-focus inherent in self-regulatory perseveration on the lost object coupled with the irreducible discrepancy between current and desired states produces and exacerbates a diverse array of depressive symptoms. Eventually, a generalized depressive self-focusing style emerges that maintains and exacerbates the depressive state.
BrainPrint: Identifying Subjects by Their Brain

Introducing BrainPrint, a compact and discriminative representation of anatomical structures in the brain. BrainPrint captures shape information of an ensemble of cortical and subcortical structures by solving the 2D and 3D Laplace-Beltrami operator on triangular (boundary) and tetrahedral (volumetric) meshes. We derive a robust classifier for this representation that identifies the subject in a new scan, based on a database of brain scans. In an example dataset containing over 3000 MRI scans, we show that BrainPrint captures unique information about the subject’s anatomy and permits to correctly classify a scan with an accuracy of over 99.8%. All processing steps for obtaining the compact representation are fully automated making this processing framework particularly attractive for handling large datasets.
Hexagonal polyomino weak (1,2)-achievement games

A version of polyomino achievement games is studied, in which the first player marks one cell and the second player marks two cells at each move. All polyominos but one on an infinite 2-dimensional hexagonal board are characterized to be weak winners or losers.
Antitumor efficacy of CDK 4/6 dual inhibitor, abemaciclib, in an esophageal adenocarcinoma model.

e15598Background: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a leading cause of cancer death, and current treatment options are extremely limited. Cell cycle regulators CDK6 and its homolog, CDK4, are know...
Confirmation Bias and Other Systemic Causes of Wrongful Convictions: A Sentinel Events Perspective

Wrongful convictions are a form of criminal investigative failure. Such failures are sentinel events that signal underlying structural problems within a weak system environment. Similar to transportation or medical accidents, they are often the result of multiple and co-occurring causes. However, unlike the response to an airplane crash, the criminal justice system typically makes little effort to understand what went wrong. These failures tend to be ignored and systemic reviews are rare. As a consequence, important necessary procedural changes and policy improvements may not occur. In this article, we discuss a National Institute of Justice-funded research project that was designed to develop a more comprehensive understanding of how—as opposed to why— such failures occur. We deconstructed 50 wrongful convictions and other criminal investigative failures in order to identify the major causal factors, their characteristics and interrelationships, and the systemic nature of the overall failure. We focus on the central role played by confirmation bias and other thinking errors.
Association of obesity in early adulthood and middle age with incipient left ventricular dysfunction and structural remodeling: the CARDIA study (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults).

Abstract Objectives The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship of body mass index (BMI) and its 25-year change to left ventricular (LV) structure and function. Background Longstanding obesity may be associated with clinical cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. Whether obesity relates to cardiac dysfunction during young adulthood and middle age has not been investigated. Methods The CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adult) study enrolled white and black adults ages 18 to 30 years in 1985 to 1986 (Year-0). At Year-25, cardiac function was assessed by conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). Twenty-five–year change in BMI (classified as low: Results The mean BMI was 24.4 kg/m2 in 3,265 participants included at Year-0. Change in BMI adjusted for risk factors was directly associated with incipient myocardial systolic dysfunction assessed by STE (High-High: β-coefficient = 0.67; Low-High: β-coefficient = 0.35 for longitudinal peak systolic strain) and diastolic dysfunction assessed by TDI (High-High: β-coefficient = −074; Low-High: β-coefficient = −0.45 for e′) and STE (High-High: β-coefficient = −0.06 for circumferential early diastolic strain rate). Greater BMI was also significantly associated with increased LV mass/height (High-High: β-coefficient = 26.11; Low-High: β-coefficient = 11.87). Conclusions Longstanding obesity from young adulthood to middle age is associated with impaired LV systolic and diastolic function assessed by conventional echocardiography, TDI, and STE in a large biracial cohort of adults age 43 to 55 years.
Enhancers and Transcriptional Regulation

Abstract Interactions between the genome and its cellular and signaling environments, which ultimately occur at the level of chromatin, are the key to comprehending how cell-type-specific gene expression patterns arise and are maintained during development or are misregulated in disease. Central to the cell type-specific transcriptional regulation are distal cis-regulatory elements called enhancers, which function in a modular way to provide exquisite spatiotemporal control of gene expression during development. We are using a combination of genomic, genetic, biochemical, and single-cell approaches to investigate how enhancers are activated in response to developmental stimuli, how they communicate with target promoters over large genomic distances to regulate transcriptional outputs, what is the role of chromatin modification and remodeling in facilitating or restricting enhancer activity and how regulatory sequence change leads to the phenotypic divergence in humans. I will discuss our latest results on the mechanisms underlying enhancer function and gene regulation in development and disease. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Active Learning with Importance Sampling.

We consider an active learning setting where the algorithm has access to a large pool of unlabeled data and a small pool of labeled data. In each iteration, the algorithm chooses few unlabeled data points and obtains their labels from an oracle. In this paper, we consider a probabilistic querying procedure to choose the points to be labeled. We propose an algorithm for Active Learning with Importance Sampling (ALIS), and derive upper bounds on the true loss incurred by the algorithm for any arbitrary probabilistic sampling procedure. Further, we propose an optimal sampling distribution that minimizes the upper bound on the true loss.
Transnational Organized Crime and Jihadist Terrorism: Russian Speaking Networks in Western Europe

Admired for its literary masterpieces, Russian is currently the seventh most spoken language in the world, shared by nearly 270 million people. For centuries, as the idiom of empire building, the R...
STEM or Humanities? Toward a Balance of Interest Fit

Despite a growing number of studies demonstrating the importance of fit between interests and major/career, an increasing discordant rhetoric can be heard emphasizing either STEM or the humanities in education and work. We propose that perception of interest fit is more important than the domain itself per se. Analysis of a national data set of college graduates (N = 8,151) shows that interest fit accounted for more variance in well-being outcomes (work satisfaction, life satisfaction, and financial satisfaction) as compared to STEM or humanities education, and an equivalent amount of variance was found in personal income. Similar trends were found in a second data set of recent college graduates from a Midwest public university (N = 636). Even controlling for ability-related variables and personality, interest fit accounted for more variance in work satisfaction and life satisfaction, an equivalent amount of variance in financial satisfaction, and less variance in personal income. These results reveal that it is important to achieve a balanced approach to education and career guidance where individuals can be directed to careers that capture their interest.
Enriching college students through study abroad: a case of Nepal Field Experience - Part 3

With a view of providing an unsurpassed opportunity to college students, who are mostly from Louisiana, in gaining a comprehensive understanding of Global Climate Change issues, we completed the first Nepal Field Experience Pilot Study Abroad from May 21-June 8, 2019. A total of fifteen students from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana, USA, and one graduate student from University of Arizona, Arizona, USA, participated in the program. Students examined and documented the effects of climate change impacts on agriculture, water resources, wildlife, local communities, forest resources, and other ecological and environmental settings of the country. They identified various climate change mitigation and adaptation measures that had been implemented and noted gaps between policy measures and ground realities. Research topics selected by the students included the following: climate change impacts on wildlife, water pollution, structural geology of Nepal, changing rainfall patterns and adaptation, climate change and agricultural production, geology of Kathmandu valley, air quality of Kathmandu valley, changing hydrology of glaciated landscape, climate change and geohazards, emerging diseases and pests on agricultural crops, climate change adaptation by local communities, green infrastructure and climate-smart technologies, climate change impact on drinking water sources, the roadside geology, and emerging diseases, parasites and zoonotics. Each student completed their individual research project, synthesized the results, and presented to local stakeholders in conference organized by a nonprofit nongovernmental organization, Asta-Ja Rsearch and Development Center (Asta-Ja RDC), Kathmandu, Nepal. Findings of the study reveal that Nepal is experiencing huge impacts of climate change in multiple fronts including atmospheric conditions and snowfall, temperature rise, occurrence of droughts and flooding, changes on monsoon pattern, emerging diseases and pests on crops and livestock, and declining drinking water sources. Environmental pollution, especially the air and water pollution and waste management, was very serious affecting public health, aesthetics, and even the tourism of the country. In order to reverse environmental degradation and enhance climate change adaptation, immediate implementation of effective, comprehensive, coordinated, and well-thought-out climate change adaptation and environmental initiatives are necessary. Nepal Field Experience was a lifetime learning experience for the students.
CoA recycling by a benzoate coenzyme A ligase in cascade reactions with aroyltransferases to biocatalyze paclitaxel analogs

Abstract A Pseudomonas CoA ligase (BadA) biocatalyzed aroyl CoA thioesters used by a downstream N-benzoyltransferase (NDTNBT) in a cascade reaction made aroyl analogs of the anticancer drug paclitaxel. BadA kept the high-cost aroyl CoA substrates at saturation for the downstream NDTNBT by recycling CoA when it was added as the limiting reactant. A deacylated taxane substrate N-debenzoyl-2′-deoxypaclitaxel was converted to its benzoylated product at a higher yield, compared to the converted yield in assays in which the BadA ligase chemistry was omitted, and benzoyl CoA was added as a cosubstrate. The resulting benzoylated product 2′-deoxypaclitaxel was made at 196% over the theoretical yield of product that could be made from the CoA added at 50 μM, and the cosubstrates benzoic acid (100 μM), and N-debenzoyl-2′-deoxypaclitaxel (500 μM) added in excess. In addition, a 2-O-benzoyltransferase (mTBT) was incubated with BadA, aroyl acids, CoA, a 2-O-debenzoylated taxane substrate, and cofactors under the CoA-recycling conditions established for the NDTNBT/BadA cascade. The mTBT/BadA combination also made various 2-O-aroylated products that could potentially function as next-generation baccatin III compounds. These ligase/benzoyltransferase cascade reactions show the feasibility of recycling aroyl CoA thioesters in vitro to make bioactive acyl analogs of paclitaxel precursors.
Loss of Doc2b does not influence transmission at Purkinje cell to deep nuclei synapses under physiological conditions

Doc2a and Doc2b are high-affinity calcium-binding proteins that interact with SNARE proteins and phospholipids. Experiments performed on cultured cells indicated that Doc2 proteins promote spontaneous vesicle fusion and asynchronous neurotransmitter release, regulate vesicle priming, mediate augmentation, and regulate transmission during sustained activity. Here, we assess the role of Doc2 proteins in synaptic transmission under physiological conditions at mature synapses made by Purkinje cells onto neurons in the deep cerebellar nuclei (PC to DCN synapses). PCs express Doc2b but not Doc2a. Surprisingly, spontaneous neurotransmitter release, synaptic strength, the time course of evoked release, responses evoked by sustained high-frequency stimulation, and short-term plasticity were normal in Doc2b KO mice. Thus, in stark contrast to numerous functions previously proposed for Doc2, here we find that Doc2b removal does not influence transmission at PC-to-DCN synapses, indicating that conclusions based on studies of Doc2b in cultured cells do not necessarily generalize to mature synapses under physiological conditions.
Phenotypes of Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a complex heterogeneous disease with different phenotypes and endotypes. Recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms of CRS endotypes have led to the introduction of effective biologic agents for CRS management. Traditionally, CRS phenotypes have been divided into with or without nasal polyps depending on the presence of polyps. Although this classification does not reflect the various endotypes that are recently emerging, it is simple and easily recognized by clinicians. Other phenotypes of CRS are fungal rhinosinusitis (including invasive and noninvasive subtypes), infectious rhinosinusitis, aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease, cystic fibrosis, pediatric CRS, and CRS associated with systemic diseases. This article reviews the diagnostic approaches and up-to-date treatment strategies for each CRS phenotype with the hope that a better understanding of endotypes will result in a more scientific understanding of phenotypes and precise, personalized treatments.
A matrix population model to aid agency response to grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Great Lakes Basin - Lake Erie

Abstract Managers and researchers have identified a reproducing population of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the western basin of Lake Erie, generating concern over the potential threat to ecosystem function in the Great Lakes Basin. Capture histories indicate that grass carp may be present at low levels in other areas of Lake Erie, necessitating a large scale, multi-jurisdictional response. As a result, a group of experts and decision makers began a structured decision making exercise to collaboratively address the threat and identify potential response actions. To aid this process, we developed a spatially-explicit periodic matrix population model to project grass carp abundance, and probabilistically evaluate specific management actions. We evaluated four potential management response actions ranging from no action, diffuse removal efforts, and concentrated removal efforts with and without a barrier on the Sandusky River to reduce spawning success. Based on our current knowledge, concentrated removal including a barrier on the Sandusky River provides the most likely path to achieving and maintaining a management target of no more than 10 fish/ha. Our understanding of grass carp ecology in Lake Erie is growing. This model and parameter development methods were designed to flexibly accommodate new information as our understanding of grass carp ecology evolves, or management objectives change. Ultimately, this modeling framework and use of Bayesian methods could facilitate management response efforts for other invasive species occurring over large scales and multiple jurisdictions.
One season of head-to-ball impact exposure alters functional connectivity in a central autonomic network

Repetitive head impacts represent a risk factor for neurological impairment in team-sport athletes. In the absence of symptoms, a physiological basis for acute injury has not been elucidated. A basic brain function that is disrupted after mild traumatic brain injury is the regulation of homeostasis, instantiated by activity across a specific set of brain regions that comprise a central autonomic network. We sought to relate head-to-ball impact exposure to changes in functional connectivity in a core set of central autonomic regions and then to determine the relation between changes in brain and changes in behavior, specifically cognitive control. Thirteen collegiate men's soccer players and eleven control athletes (golf, cross-country) underwent resting-state fMRI and behavioral testing before and after the season, and a core group of cortical, subcortical, and brainstem regions was selected to represent the central autonomic network. Head-to-ball impacts were recorded for each soccer player. Cognitive control was assessed using a Dot Probe Expectancy task. We observed that head-to-ball impact exposure was associated with diffuse increases in functional connectivity across a core CAN subnetwork. Increased functional connectivity between the left insula and left medial orbitofrontal cortex was associated with diminished proactive cognitive control after the season in those sustaining the greatest number of head-to-ball impacts. These findings encourage measures of autonomic physiology to monitor brain health in contact and collision sport athletes.
Responses of Upland Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) Lines to Irrigated and Rainfed Conditions of Texas High Plains

Understanding drought stress responses and the identification of phenotypic traits associated with drought are key factors in breeding for sustainable cotton production in limited irrigation water of semi-arid environments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the responses of upland cotton lines to rainfed and irrigated conditions. We compared selected agronomic traits over time, final yield and fiber quality of cotton lines grown in irrigated and rainfed trials. Under rainfed conditions, the average number of squares per plant sharply declined during weeks 10 to 14 while the average number of bolls per plant significantly reduced during weeks 13 to 15 after planting. Therefore, weeks 10 to 14 and weeks 13 to 15 are critical plant growth stages to differentiate among upland cotton lines for square and boll set, respectively, under drought stress. Variation in square and boll set during this stage may translate into variable lint percent, lint yield and fiber properties under water-limited conditions. Lint yield and fiber quality were markedly affected under rainfed conditions in all cotton lines tested. Despite significantly reduced lint yield in rainfed trials, some cotton lines including 11-21-703S, 06-46-153P, CS 50, L23, FM 989 and DP 491 performed relatively well under stress compared to other cotton lines. The results also reveal that cotton lines show variable responses for fiber properties under irrigated and rainfed trials. Breeding line 12-8-103S produced long, uniform and strong fibers under both irrigated and rainfed conditions. The significant variation observed among cotton genotypes for agronomic characteristics, yield and fiber quality under rainfed conditions indicate potential to breed cotton for improved drought tolerance.