cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential effects of atorvastatin on autophagy in ischemic and nonischemic myocardium in Ossabaw swine with metabolic syndrome.

Objectives The perioperative administration of pleomorphic statin drugs has been implicated in improving outcomes after cardiac surgery. Adaptive autophagy is a highly conserved cellular process that allows for the elimination of dysfunctional cell components in response to stress and survival under starving conditions. We sought to investigate the effects of the statin drug atorvastatin on autophagy in ischemic and nonischemic myocardia using a clinically relevant porcine model of metabolic syndrome. Methods Male Ossabaw swine were fed a regular diet (n = 8), a high-cholesterol diet (n = 8), or a high-cholesterol diet with supplemental atorvastatin (1.5 mg/kg/d) (n = 8). After 14 weeks, all animals underwent surgical placement of an ameroid constrictor to the circumflex coronary artery to induce chronic ischemia. Nonischemic and ischemic myocardia were harvested 6 months after initiation of the diet and processed for Western blotting. Results In the nonischemic myocardium, Western blot results demonstrate that a high cholesterol diet resulted in a statistically significant decrease in autophagy as indicated by an increase in mammalian target of rapamycin and the accumulation of several essential autophagy markers, including Beclin-1, light chain 3B-I, and light chain 3B-II. Atorvastatin supplementation prevented these changes and resulted in an increase in autophagy as indicated by a decrease in autophagy flux marker P62. In the ischemic myocardium, atorvastatin had the opposite effect, with a decrease in autophagy flux as indicated by an increase in p62 and an accumulation of light chain 3B-I, light chain B-II, and lysosome-associated membrane protein 2. Conclusions Atorvastatin administration has differential effects on autophagy in ischemic and nonischemic myocardia. In the setting of metabolic syndrome, atorvastatin stimulates autophagy in nonischemic myocardium while partly inhibiting autophagy in ischemic myocardium. The differential regulation on autophagy may, in part, explain the cardioprotective effect of statins in both ischemic and nonischemic myocardia, and these findings may have implications in the setting of cardiac surgery.
Termination of vitellogenin synthesis by mosquito fat body, a programmed response to ecdysterone

. In the blood-fed mosquito, peak vitellogenin synthesis occurs 24–32 h after the meal, dropping to resting levels by 40 h. Challenging fat body with ecdysterone in vitro at various times after a blood meal demonstrated a refractory period at about 50 h, when there was also a drastic decrease in mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, and glycogen in fat body cells. When fat bodies from sugar-fed females were incubated with continuous ecdysterone in vitro, vitellogenin synthesis reached a peak at 30 h, but then declined even in the presence of ecdysterone. This was not due to the in vitro conditions since fat bodies were responsive, even if first exposed to ecdysterone, after 80 h in vitro. If ecdysterone was removed, vitellogenin synthesis ceased. If it was replaced, the fat body responded again only if the initial removal was done during the first 30 h. It is proposed that the falling ecdysterone titre is the major cause of cessation of vitellogenin synthesis, but that synthesis is programmed to decline even if exposure to ecdysterone is abnormally prolonged.
Understanding diversity in millennial students

The Millennial generation of college students has demographics and attitudes toward diversity issues different from their predecessors; this chapter explores those differences and their implications for student affairs work.
Differences in Self-Effacing Behavior between European and Japanese Americans Effect on Competence Evaluations

Self-presentational differences and subsequent misperceptions between Japanese Americans and European Americans were examined. In Experiment 1, Japanese Americans and European Americans were given positive feedback on their performance and were asked to either publicly or privately describe their performance. As predicted, Japanese Americans described their performance less favorably than European Americans in public but not in private. In Experiment 2, interviewees from the first study were evaluated on the basis of their self-reported performance descriptions. Observers consistently evaluated Japanese Americans less favorably than European Americans. The study illustrates the judgmental and interpersonal consequences of self-presentational differences between minority and majority individuals.
Preparing The Health Care Workforce To Care For Adults With Alzheimer’s Disease And Related Dementias

In the United States, one in nine people ages sixty-five and older and one-third of people ages eighty-five and older have Alzheimer's disease. The number of cases of Alzheimer's disease is projected to triple by 2050, from 5.0 million in 2013 to 13.8 million. This will challenge the health care workforce, which is already inadequate in both size and training. We assessed what is likely to be an increasing shortage of physicians, nurses, and social workers with specialized training in geriatrics and, more specifically, in the care of people with dementia. We highlight the limited training of health care professionals in best practices of dementia care and chronic disease management. To address these shortfalls, we recommend the dissemination of team-based models of care that integrate health and social services; expansion of education loan forgiveness and faculty development programs to attract students into clinician-educator careers focusing on Alzheimer's disease; inclusion of curricula specific to the disease in all health professions training; expansion of federal programs to train existing workers; and increased compensation for the direct care workforce.
The homeobox transcription factor Barx2 regulates chondrogenesis during limb development.

Among the many factors involved in regulation of chondrogenesis, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and members of the Sox and homeobox transcription factor families have been shown to have crucial roles. Of these regulators, the homeobox transcription factors that function during chondrogenesis have been the least well defined. We show here that the homeobox transcription factor Barx2 is expressed in primary mesenchymal condensations, digital rays, developing joints and articular cartilage of the developing limb, suggesting that it plays a role in chondrogenesis. Using retroviruses and antisense oligonucleotides to manipulate Barx2 expression in limb bud micromass cultures, we determined that Barx2 is necessary for mesenchymal aggregation and chondrogenic differentiation. In accordance with these findings, Barx2 regulates the expression of several genes encoding cell-adhesion molecules and extracellular matrix proteins, including NCAM and collagen II ( Col2a1 ) in the limb bud. Barx2 bound to elements within the cartilage-specific Col2a1 enhancer, and this binding was reduced by addition of Barx2 or Sox9 antibodies, or by mutation of a HMG box adjacent to the Barx2-binding element, suggesting cooperation between Barx2 and Sox proteins. Moreover, both Barx2 and Sox9 occupy Col2a1 enhancer during chondrogenesis in vivo. We also found that two members of the BMP family that are crucial for chondrogenesis, GDF5 and BMP4, regulate the pattern of Barx2 expression in developing limbs. Based on these data, we suggest that Barx2 acts downstream of BMP signaling and in concert with Sox proteins to regulate chondrogenesis.
Fluorescent in situ hybridization for sex chromosome determination before and after fertilization in mice.

In mice, the relative numbers of male and female pups per litter not only can vary but can probably change over the course of pregnancy in response to numerous environmental and physiological factors. As such, a technique is required to determine gender at several developmental stages. Here we describe a robust and accurate fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) procedure for determining chromosomal sex that can be applied with minimal modification to sperm, pre-and post-implantation conceptuses and recovered dead post-natal pups. Sperm was prepared for FISH analysis y using a modified microwave decondensation–denaturation technique. Preimplantation conceptuses (0.5 dpc) were cultured to the morula stage before sexing. They were then acid-treated to remove the zona pellucida. Tissue homogenates from postimplantational conceptuses (8.5 dpc) and stillborn pups were fixed to pre-etched slides. Specimens were hybridized with identical, commercially available DNA probes for the X (FITC) and Y (Cy3) chromosomes. Sperm ratios met the expected value of 0.5 when determined by using XY FISH. Preimplantation conceptuses pre-treated with pepsin yielded distinct fluorescence of X and Y chromosomes in morulae, whereas microwave decondensation resulted in loss of conceptuses from the slide. Both 4.0 and 8.5 dpc conceptuses displayed mean sex ratios of 0.5. Post-natal FISH analysis allowed gender identification of pups that could not be sexed due to developmental abnormalities or partial cannibalism. FISH analysis of sperm and of multiple conceptuses or post-natal tissue provided a cost-effective, accurate alternative to PCR-based sex determination.
A closer examination of three small-sample approximations to the multiple-imputation degrees of freedom

Incomplete data is a common complication in applied research. In this study, we use simulation to compare two approaches to the multiple imputation of a continuous predictor: multiple imputation through chained equations and multivariate normal imputation. This study extends earlier work by being the first to 1) compare the small-sample approximations to the multiple-imputation degrees of freedom proposed by Barnard and Rubin (1999, Biometrika 86: 948- 955); Lipsitz, Parzen, and Zhao (2002, Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation 72: 309-318); and Reiter (2007, Biometrika 94: 502-508) and 2) ask if the sampling distribution of the t statistics is in fact a Student's t distribution with the specified degrees of freedom. In addition to varying the imputation method, we varied the number of imputa- tions (m =5 , 10, 20, 100) that were averaged over 500,000 replications to obtain the combined estimates and standard errors for a linear model that regressed the log price of a home on its age (years) and size (square feet) in a sample of 25 ob- servations. Six age values were randomly set equal to missing for each replication. As assessed by the absolute percentage and relative percentage bias, the two ap- proaches performed similarly. The absolute bias of the regression coefficients for age and size was roughly −0.1% across the levels of m for both approaches; the ab- solute bias for the constant was 0.6% for the chained-equations approach and 1.0% for the multivariate normal model. The absolute biases of the standard errors for age, size, and the constant were 0.2%, 0.3%, and 1.2%, respectively. In general, the relative percentage bias was slightly smaller for the chained-equations approach. Graphical and numerical inspection of the empirical sampling distributions for the three t statistics suggested that the area from the shoulder to the tail was reasonably well approximated by a t distribution and that the small-sample ap- proximations to the multiple-imputation degrees of freedom proposed by Barnard and Rubin and by Reiter performed satisfactorily.
An Investigation of Plate Girder Web Splices

In the design of plate girders several types of web splices are in current use. Probably the most common is the type with one plate on either side of the web extending the full depth between the to...
Global Portfolio Diversification with Emerging Stock Markets

Because of their low correlation with each other and with developed stock markets, emerging stock markets are generally mentioned as attractive portfolio diversification prospects for global investors. In this paper, we use the Principal Components Analysis (PCA) method to study the global portfolio diversification opportunities for the investors of seven developed stock markets in twenty emerging stock markets with data for the January 1, 2003-January 1, 2014 period .
Immunologic Testing as a Guide to Cancer Management

A variety of tests have been developed to assess the general immune response of patients. These multiparameter immunocompetency tests are now being undertaken in patients with cancer in order to gauge more precisely the stage of disease as well as its prognostic implications, both preoperatively and postoperatively. The potential role of such immunologic testing in the management of cancer has yet to be established.
Regularizing Long Short Term Memory with 3D Human-Skeleton Sequences for Action Recognition

This paper argues that large-scale action recognition in video can be greatly improved by providing an additional modality in training data – namely, 3D human-skeleton sequences – aimed at complementing poorly represented or missing features of human actions in the training videos. For recognition, we use Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) grounded via a deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) onto the video. Training of LSTM is regularized using the output of another encoder LSTM (eLSTM) grounded on 3D human-skeleton training data. For such regularized training of LSTM, we modify the standard backpropagation through time (BPTT) in order to address the wellknown issues with gradient descent in constraint optimization. Our evaluation on three benchmark datasets – Sports-1M, HMDB-51, and UCF101 – shows accuracy improvements from 1.7% up to 14.8% relative to the state of the art.
Art in the Sciences of the Artificial

Abstract This position paper argues that the sciences of the artificial (artificial intelligence and artificial life) have a special relationship to art that is absent from much of science. Just as art is often a depiction or interpretation of nature, so are the algorithms in the sciences of the artificial. This observation is important because the discourse in these fields largely ignores the relevance of subjective resonance with nature to their own scientific progress. Yet progress is potentially stifled if we cannot discuss such resonance openly. To support this view, examples in this paper illustrate how the subjective impression of such resonance led to novel encodings and algorithms in the author’s own career. An important conclusion is that there may be more to gain than to lose by allowing some level of subjectivity to enter the discourse in the sciences of the artificial.
EXTRAESOPHAGEAL GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE: Presentations and Approach to Treatment

Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common in the adult US population, but likely is underestimated as many patients present with symptoms other than heartburn or regurgitation. Ears, nose, throat, pulmonary, and cardiac symptoms also frequently are related to GERD. The diagnosis of GERD as a cause of these symptoms can be difficult and treatment strategies are much less clear than in patients presenting with heartburn or regurgitation. This article discusses the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of some of the manifestations of extraesophageal reflux disease.
Instability of the oxy form of sickle hemoglobin and of methemoglobin in isopropanol.

Oxygenated hemoglobin from water-lysed sickle erythrocytes precipitated more rapidly than hemoglobin from normal cells when exposed to 17% isopropanol in 0.1M tris, p H 7.4, buffer (the isopropanol solubility test of Carrell and Kay). Precipitates became visible after approximately 20 minutes of incubation with SS, AS, or SC blood, while AC hemoglobin and normal adult A hemoglobin required 40–60 minutes to precipitate. Methemoglobin comprised less than 1.5% of the total hemoglobin present in all samples’ under study. Significant precipitation of methemoglobin did not occur unless methemoglobin levels were greater than 8%. Solubilization of the precipitate in 6M urea–barbital buffer and subsequent electrophoresis demonstrated that the insoluble material was sickle hemoglobin ( β S chain). The results of these experiments confirm previous findings indicating that even fully oxygenated sickle hemoglobin is unstable.
Domestic Food Animals from Hubbell Trading Post

ABSTRACTVery little is known from excavations in regard to animals associated with early territorial trading posts in Arizona. Hubbell Trading Post is one of the more important trading centers that has been in continual operation from the late 1800s to the present. Faunal remains from several test pits from the Hubbell era have been dug to determine what animals were utilized by the occupants of the post at that time. These forms are reported here and compared with some contemporary written faunal records made by Hubbell.
The Daguerreotype Devil: Herman Melville (1819–1891)

When asked for a daguerreotype portrait to accompany a magazine article, Herman Melville strongly refused the request. He wanted to be judged by what he wrote and how he thought, not how he looked. Melville was disturbed by the ramifications of the daguerreotype, the first commercially feasible method of photography. Daguerreotypes had begun to affect the public’s interpretation of literature. They used the personal images of authors to understand the literature they read. This chapter investigates Melville’s response to the daguerreotype, and the method’s general appeal to the contemporary audience. It argues that the daguerreotype in Melville’s day prefigures the impact that photography would have on modern and contemporary celebrity culture.
The myth of the tough men’s burden: reproducing a hegemonic masculinity at the Turkish National Police#

Despite the common acceptance of masculinity as a foundation of policing, little research has explored the relation between masculinities and the police. Based on the fieldwork, including 35 in-dep...
Validation of the No Objective Testing Rule and Comparison to the HEART Pathway

Background The no objective testing rule (NOTR) is a decision aid designed to safely identify emergency department (ED) patients with chest pain who do not require objective testing for coronary artery disease. Objectives The objective was to validate the NOTR in a cohort of U.S. ED patients with acute chest pain and compare its performance to the HEART Pathway. Methods A secondary analysis of 282 participants enrolled in the HEART Pathway randomized controlled trial was conducted. Each patient was classified as low risk or at risk by the NOTR. Sensitivity for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 30 days was calculated in the entire study population. NOTR and HEART Pathways were compared among patients randomized to the HEART Pathway in the parent trial using McNemar's test and the net reclassification improvement (NRI). Results Major adverse cardiac events occurred in 22/282 (7.8%) participants, including no deaths, 16/282 (5.6%) with myocardial infarction (MI), and 6/282 (2.1%) with coronary revascularization without MI. NOTR was 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 84.6%–100%) sensitive for MACE and identified 78/282 patients (27.7%, 95% = CI 22.5–33.3%) as low risk. In the HEART Pathway arm (n = 141), both NOTR and HEART Pathway identified all patients with MACE as at risk. Compared to NOTR, the HEART Pathway was able to correctly reclassify 27 patients without MACE as low risk, yielding a NRI of 20.8% (95% CI = 11.3%–30.2%). Conclusions Within a U.S. cohort of ED patients with chest pain, the NOTR and HEART Pathway were 100% sensitive for MACE at 30 days. However, the HEART Pathway identified more patients suitable for early discharge than the NOTR.
In situ decoration of stainless steel nanoparticles for synergistic enhancement of α-Ni(OH)2 oxygen evolution reaction catalysis

Alkaline water-splitting is a promising clean technology for hydrogen production. However, reducing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) overpotential is critical to the overall process efficiency and economic feasibility. To this end, we demonstrate novel 3D hierarchical α-Ni(OH)2 nanoparticle decorated stainless steel nanoparticle (SSNP) catalyst deposits on Ni foam substrates. SSNP deposition along with simultaneous in situ Ni(OH)2 decoration of the SSNP is facilitated via a facile single-step electrophoretic deposition (EPD) based co-deposition method. The enhanced OER catalytic activity of α-Ni(OH)2 owing to the synergistic SSNP support, which possibly serves as a dopant source to the metal hydroxide, could sustain current densities of 10 and 125 mA cm−2 at overpotentials of 220 and 250 mV respectively, in 1 M KOH. These robust deposits could survive accelerated cycling and prolonged oxygen generation at higher current densities despite the lack of any polymeric binders. In 10 M KOH, a current density of 500 mA cm−2 could be maintained at an overpotential of 450 mV (iR-uncorrected).
Introduction: The Persistence of Dwelling

Each of the essays collected here presents one or more flashpoints or crises in a history of 20 th - and 21 st -century dwelling.
Logic Restructuring for Low Power

Multi-level implementations of digital circuits are in general smaller and consume less power compared to two-level implementations of the same logic. In fact, in some cases where a two-level implementation has exponential size in the number of inputs (i.e. a multi-input XOR function), the multi-level implementation provides a non-exponential implementation. Logic restructuring techniques are an important part of logic synthesis as they allow for creation of multi-level designs from two-level representation of the circuit. Logic restructuring techniques are also used in optimizing the multi-level representation of circuits. Logic restructuring techniques include common sub-function extraction and factorization.
Recent advances in topical nano drug-delivery systems for the anterior ocular segment

Over the past decade, there has been a rise in the number of clinical cases of moderate to severe anterior segment ocular diseases. Conventional topical ophthalmic formulations have several limitations – to address which, novel drug-delivery systems are needed. Additionally, formidable physiological barriers limit ocular bioavailability through the topical route of application. During the last decade, various nano-scaled ocular drug-delivery strategies have been reported. Some of these exploratory, topical, noninvasive approaches have shown promise in improving penetration into the anterior segment tissues of the eye. In this article, we review the available literature with respect to the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of these nano systems.
Cross-Border E-Commerce: A New Driver of Global Trade

In this chapter, we explore cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) as a new driver of international trade. We adopt a revised i-based N-OLI framework for CBEC. Using China as a case study, we discuss the rapid growth, structure, export/import models, and infrastructure and environment of China’s CBEC. We attribute China’s CBEC success to the important role of e-commerce giants such as Alibaba.com and JD.com, the designation of CBEC pilot cities, supportive governmental policies, and big capital inflows. Four factors are seen to create future opportunities for all stakeholders of global CBEC, especially for merchants: the push from governments, the rise of middle class in developing countries, technological improvements, and more SMEs adopting CBEC. On the other hand, cultural differences, customer trust, logistics, payment, and legal and regulatory barriers are among the biggest challenges facing CBEC. Lastly, we outline several recommendations for foreign firms planning on entering into China’s market by means of CBEC.
Environmental Sources of Bacteria Differentially Influence Host-Associated Microbial Dynamics

Host-associated microbial dynamics are influenced by dietary and immune factors, but how exogenous microbial exposure shapes host-microbe dynamics remains poorly characterized. To investigate this phenomenon, we characterized the skin, rectum, and respiratory tract-associated microbiota in four aquarium-housed dolphins daily over a period of 6 weeks, including administration of a probiotic during weeks 4 to 6. The environmental bacterial sources were also characterized, including the animals' human handlers, the aquarium air and water, and the dolphins' food supply. Continuous microbial exposure occurred between all sites, yet each environment maintained a characteristic microbiota, suggesting that the majority of exposure events do not result in colonization. Small changes in water physicochemistry had a significant but weak correlation with change in dolphin-associated bacterial richness but had no influence on phylogenetic diversity. Food and air microbiota were the richest and had the largest conditional influence on other microbiota in the absence of probiotics, but during probiotic administration, food alone had the largest influence on the stability of the dolphin microbiota. Our results suggest that respiratory tract and gastrointestinal epithelium interactions with air- and food-associated microbes had the biggest influence on host-microbiota dynamics, while other interactions, such as skin transmission, played only a minor role. Finally, direct oral stimulation with a foreign exogenous microbial source can have a profound effect on microbial stability. IMPORTANCE These results provide valuable insights into the ecological influence of exogenous microbial exposure, as well as laying the foundation for improving aquarium management practices. By comparing data for dolphins from aquaria that use natural versus artificial seawater, we demonstrate the potential influence of aquarium water disinfection procedures on dolphin microbial dynamics.
The Challenge of Divorce to Adequate Fathering: The Peripheral Father In Marriage and Divorce

This article presents a case for a major change in attitude toward divorce in our culture and counters much of the thinking about the impact of divorce on children. Based on observations in the course of psychotherapy of divorcing fathers, the author describes the potential for the divorce experience to be one in which a father can continue, or indeed begin for the first time, to develop a caring relationship with his children.
Trade-Offs in Anti-Predator Behavior

Trade-offs occur when two good things cannot be maximized at once. In animal behavior, trade-offs have long been studied, but the term ‘trade-off’ began to be widely used only later as an economic approach to animal behavior was developed in the field of behavioral ecology. This chapter examines trade-offs with predation risk in behavioral ecology. I will explore how predation risk was incorporated into the study of foraging behavior, illustrate trade-offs between reproduction and predation risk, and examine some reasons why trade-offs with predation risk are common. I also argue that animals act to reduce the consequences of trade-offs when they can.
A low-cost, camera-based continuous PPG monitoring system using Laplacian pyramid

Abstract Continuous vital signs monitoring plays a critical role in proactively managing people׳s health in their daily lives. Thus, more affordable, portable, convenient, and reliable health monitoring systems are highly demanded. In this study, we present a new approach capable of extracting photoplethysmogram (PPG) from facial videos using the Laplacian pyramid based signal amplification technique, with the goals of improving the estimation accuracy and enhancing the robustness to varying environmental and operational conditions. To validate our approach in the day-to-day setting, 10 videos from each of the 10 subjects were recorded under various lighting and illumination conditions at different places, over a period of one month. All the results are compared against the popular PPG extraction technique based on the region of interest (ROI) averaging method, as well as the PPG waveforms extracted with the standard pulse oximeter. It is shown that the proposed approach can generate comparable results with improved SNR and a high level of consistency and stability. The average accuracy of the proposed approach for heart rate estimation reaches 93.5%, in comparison with 87.9% for the ROI averaging method.
Clinical and prognostic significance of serum levels of angiopoietin-1 (sAng-1) and angiopoietin-2 (sAng-2) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

e16152Background: Ang-1 and Ang-2 have been shown to play a critical role in the process of vascular development in HCC. The aim of our study is to explore the clinical relevance of sAng-1 and sAng...
Socioeconomic disparities in the complexity of hernias evaluated at Emergency Departments across the United States.

Abstract Background Hernias represent one of the most common surgical conditions with a high-burden on health expenditures. We examined the impact of socioeconomic-status and complexity of presentation among patients in the Emergency Department (ED). Methods Retrospective analysis of 2006–2014 data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, identified adult discharges with a diagnosis of inguinal, femoral, and umbilical hernia. Cases were dichotomized: complicated and uncomplicated. Unadjusted and adjusted analyses were used to determine factors that influence ED presentation. Results Among 264,484 patients included, 73% presented as uncomplicated hernias and were evaluated at urban hospitals (86%). Uncomplicated presentation was more likely in Medicaid (OR 1.56 95%CI1.50–1.61) and uninsured (OR 1.73 95%CI 1.67–1.78), but less likely for patients within the third and fourth MHI quartile (OR 0.82 95%CI 0.80–0.84 and OR 0.77 95%CI 0.75–0.79), respectively. Conclusion Uninsured, publicly-insured, and low-MHI patients were more likely to present to ED with uncomplicated hernias. This finding might reflect a lack of access to primary surgical care for non-urgent surgical diseases.
The 2013 Nucleic Acids Research Database Issue and the online Molecular Biology Database Collection

The 20th annual Database Issue of Nucleic Acids Research includes 176 articles, half of which describe new online molecular biology databases and the other half provide updates on the databases previously featured in NAR and other journals. This year's highlights include two databases of DNA repeat elements; several databases of transcriptional factors and transcriptional factor-binding sites; databases on various aspects of protein structure and protein-protein interactions; databases for metagenomic and rRNA sequence analysis; and four databases specifically dedicated to Escherichia coli. The increased emphasis on using the genome data to improve human health is reflected in the development of the databases of genomic structural variation (NCBI's dbVar and EBI's DGVa), the NIH Genetic Testing Registry and several other databases centered on the genetic basis of human disease, potential drugs, their targets and the mechanisms of protein-ligand binding. Two new databases present genomic and RNAseq data for monkeys, providing wealth of data on our closest relatives for comparative genomics purposes. The NAR online Molecular Biology Database Collection, available at http://www.oxfordjournals.org/nar/database/a/, has been updated and currently lists 1512 online databases. The full content of the Database Issue is freely available online on the Nucleic Acids Research website (http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/).
The Course on Individual Cognitive Assessment.

Characteristics associated with the graduate level course on individual cognitive assessment—a course required by all accredited school psychology programs throughout the United States—are describe...
Simulation and Adaptive Sub-Array Packing for an All-Digital Phased-Array Radar

Increased flexibility afforded by all-digital radar architectures and operational concepts such as MIMO radar can be leveraged with new waveforms and aperture allocation methods to improve radar performance in diverse situations. A phased-array/MIMO continuum of operation is possible through all-digital architectures and further increases the degrees of freedom for adaptive-transmit radar. This paper describes modeling of this flexibility provided by all-digital radar and initiates potential strategies for waveform designs and aperture segmentation for improved performance in dense environments.
Empirical Investigation of the Size and the Nature of the Eurodollar Futures-Forward Differential

We investigate the magnitude of the forward-futures differential, also known as the convexity adjustment, for Eurodollar interest rate instruments and attempt to identify factors affecting its size using an extensive sample for the 1988-2007 period. The innovative feature of our analysis is that the construction of the differential is extended from using rates for maturities up to twelve months as in previous published research to rates for maturities up to three years through the use of swap rates that allows us to build the extended term structure of spot and forward rates. Opposite to the previous findings, we find that the magnitude of the forward-futures differential is much smaller than what was reported in earlier studies, and that its sign is negative on many occasions which contradicts theoretical implications. We further check for potential data skews and other imperfections that may be behind the obtained results and find that neither asynchronicity bias, nor the unconventional feature of the Eurodollar futures pricing can explain the observed phenomena. The term structure interpolation error and the two business day lag between the fixing (settlement) date and the transaction (value) date the implied forward rates and prices are applied to cannot be attributed to the observed abnormality either. We also find that the level of interest rates is a significant positive factor behind the differential and its explanatory power is magnified if the regression analysis is conducted for the price differential instead of that for the rate differential which also results in a better goodness-of-fit.
Holistic synergy analysis for building subsystem performance and innovation opportunities

Abstract The buildings sector plays a crucial role in the transition to a low-carbon society as the largest energy-consuming sector globally, accounting for over one-third of all final energy consumption, half of electricity use, and nearly one-third of total direct and indirect energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. The delivery of energy-efficient buildings requires an integrated design that considers climate, technology, operation and maintenance, and occupant behavior. Previous research to reconcile human-building interaction has focused on two or three system interactions with the occupant, improving the accuracy of building controls systems to match occupant demand or manage energy use, changing the user interface to alter human behavior, and understanding the effects of indoor environmental quality on human performance. This work presents a structured process to systematically study the complex interactions between multiple building subsystems and the occupant, as well as capture their multifaceted effects on humans and various building performance outcomes. Derived from systems theory, this process illustrates the dynamic interactions between the human and technical parts and processes of building systems to provide a holistic lens on human-building interaction, building systems integration, and the resulting building performance. The findings illustrate the opportunity to design independent building systems in view of their interactions, resulting effects on humans, and whole-building outcomes/performance goals. The findings conclude that independent building subsystem outputs have functional, social, and emotional effects on humans that are not intentionally captured in the traditional building design metrics.
Recurrence patterns following curative therapy for stage I NSCLC.

e21069Background: Lobectomy remains the standard of care for definitive management of stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is considered primarily ...
Antibiotics effects on the fecal metabolome in preterm infants

Within a randomized prospective pilot study of preterm infants born less than 33 weeks gestation, fecal samples were collected weekly and metabolomic analysis was performed. The objective is to evaluate for differences in fecal metabolites in infants exposed to antibiotics vs not exposed to antibiotics in the first 48hours after birth. Significant differences were seen in the antibiotics vs no antibiotics group, including pathways related to vitamin biosynthesis, bile acids, amino acid metabolism and neurotransmitters. Early antibiotic exposure in preterm infants may alter metabolites in the intestinal tract of preterm infants. Broader multi-omic studies that address mechanisms will guide more prudent antibiotic use in this population.
Adaptive learning through temporal dynamics of state representation

Humans adjust their learning rate according to local environmental statistics, however existing models of this process have failed to provide mechanistic links to underlying brain signals. Here, we implement a neural network model that uses latent variables from Bayesian inference to shift a neural context representation that controls the state to which feedback is associated. Within this model, behavioral signatures of adaptive learning emerge through temporally selective transitions in active states, which also mimic the evolution of neural patterns in orbitofrontal cortex. Transitions to a previous state after encountering a one-off outlier reduce learning, as observed in humans, and provide a mechanistic interpretation for bidirectional learning signals, such as the p300, that relate to learning differentially according to the source of surprising events. Together, our results demonstrate that dynamic latent state representations can afford normative inference and provide a coherent framework for understanding neural signatures of adaptive learning.
Cure Behavior Changes and Compression of Carbon Nanotubes in Aerospace Grade Bismaleimide-Carbon Nanotube Sheet Nanocomposites

Herein, we study the effects that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have on the curing of the bismaleimide resin matrix (BMI), as well as the effects that the curing of BMI has on the CNTs, in the nanocompos...
Partner Emotional Support and Child Problem Behaviors: The Indirect Role of Harsh Parenting for Young Mothers and Their Children.

Emotionally supportive partners promote the well-being of teenage mothers and their children as they navigate sensitive developmental periods. Yet, having focused on young parents' relationship dissolution, we know very little about benefits of partner supportiveness for the development of children's psychological adjustment or processes that may explain this association. Using five waves of Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study data (N = 771) and parallel process latent growth curve modeling, this study tested whether trajectories of partner supportiveness (measured by maternal reports of fathers' emotional support) directly mitigated trajectories of children's externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors (measured by maternal reports of problem behaviors) and/or whether such effects were indirectly linked through lower levels of maternal harsh parenting (measured by observational ratings of mother-child interactions). Results suggest that higher levels of partner supportiveness at birth were associated with child externalizing and internalizing trajectories that started at lower levels and demonstrated slower improvements across time. Lower starting levels of maternal harsh parenting when children were three years old partially explained associations between partner supportiveness at birth and lower levels of child externalizing symptoms at age three. Lessons gleaned from this study are discussed in context of young families' strengths and applied to practice-based settings.
Using Campaign Communications to Analyze Civility in Ranked Choice Voting Elections

Theory suggests that ranked choice voting (RCV) may create a more civil campaign environment. As voters must rank candidates, the candidates have an incentive to work with each other more collaboratively. This study uses text analysis software (LIWC) to examine candidate tweets and newspaper articles in RCV versus specifically-chosen plurality cities for evidence of positivity or negativity. In quantitatively comparing the tweets, the results are mixed among the cities. Qualitatively, candidates seem to be more likely to engage each other in RCV cities than in plurality cities. Using LIWC to analyze newspaper articles for campaign tone, one can see that RCV city articles have significantly more positive than negative words. This is the first published study to use direct campaign communication data to study RCV elections and campaign civility. This research validates survey research indicating that citizens perceive RCV campaigns are more civil.
Tools available to screen for child feeding dysfunction: A systematic review

Abstract Introduction The aim of this systematic review is to identify existing pediatric feeding screening tools that have been shown to be valid and reliable in identifying feeding dysfunction in children. Method A database search produced 5862 relevant articles to be screened based on pre-determined inclusion/exclusion criteria. After full text review of 183 articles, 64 articles were included in the review. Results Forty-four studies detailed development and validation of unique feeding screening tools for the pediatric population. The remaining twenty studies were validations studies of already developed screening tools. Discussion Multiple screening tools identified were effective in determining feeding dysfunction in children. Several tools employed excellent techniques to measure reliability and validity for diverse pediatric populations. Careful consideration of the tools listed in this review will help practitioners determine the best method for feeding screening in their facility.
The Hematopoietic Stem Cell Niche

The concept of stem cell niche, proposed by Schofield 30 years ago, refers to the ability of the microenvironment to regulate stem cell fate. The niche provides critical signals allowing hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) to survive, and if so, whether to remain in or to leave the niche (mobilization), or whether to remain quiescent or divide. Some of these signals originate locally from the niche cell(s) but others are coming from afar. For example, we have found that signals from the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) promote the release of HSCs from the bone marrow (BM) niche. Under steady-state conditions, HSC egress in blood is orchestrated in a circadian manner where the fluctuations of circulating HSCs/progenitors are matched with antiphase oscillations in the expression of Cxcl12 mRNA in the BM microenvironment. These oscillations are entrained in the brain by the molecular clock through the local delivery of norepinephrine by SNS nerve terminals in the BM, and transmitted specifically by the β3 adrenergic receptor (Adrβ3) expressed on CXCL12-producing stromal cells, thereby leading to the cyclical degradation of the Sp1 transcription factor. In humans, the circadian release of HSC is inverted compared to rodents and may influence the stem cell yield even when mobilization is enforced by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), suggesting the potential benefit to harvest HSCs in the clinic at the optimal circadian time. Given the coupling of nervous signals with the stem cell niche, we would expect that the stromal cell forming the niche would be intimately associated with nerve fibers. We have recently found using transgenic mice expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the Nestin promoter elements (Nes-Gfp), that GFP+ cells (referred to as Nestin+) form a HSC niche in the marrow. Nestin+ cells comprise a relatively small subset (0.08 ± 0.01%) of total BM nucleated cells that is anatomically and functionally associated with the vast majority of CD150+ CD48- Lin- HSCs near blood vessels and SNS fibers of the BM. Nestin+ niche cells express high levels of core genes regulating HSC retention (Cxcl12, Kit ligand, Vcam-1, Angiopoietin-1), and these genes are downregulated by mobilization induced by G-CSF or administration of Adrβ3 agonists. We have identified putative Nestin+ niche cells as bona fide mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) since they can be propagated as single clonal spheres capable of self-renewal, dramatic in vivo expansion, and multipotency to form osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondocytes. These data argue for a unique bone marrow niche formed by the pairing of the two rare stem cells, mesenchymal and hematopoietic, that exist in the marrow.
OPC verification considering CMP induced topography

OPC Verification is important to identify the critical wafer hotspots prior to mask fabrication. It helps to identify process limiting structures and possible yield limiters. These hotspots are also used by litho engineers to set up process conditions upfront. OPC Verification generally involves verification done at nominal and process window conditions. The process window conditions take into consideration typical process variations for lithography. In this standard flow, the post CMP topography variation was also lumped into these process variations via focus. But in current technologies especially in higher metal layers, CMP induced topography variation has become a major contributor to limit the overall process window. This results in different best focus for structures with different topography. This gives rises to requirement of OPC Verification flow taking into account these location-specific variations in order to know if the mask data can be used or not. This paper proposes a method to incorporate the topography induced focus shift into the OPC Verification flow. OPC Verification checks are performed at the new nominal and Process window conditions to identify the real hotspots seen on wafer. Results are shown where the highlighted hotspots with the proposed new flow correlate better with wafer results. Runtime was also taken into consideration when the flow was developed. Experiments on various products show better accuracy with minimal runtime impact.
Economic Growth as a Path Toward Poverty Reduction, Better Nutrition and Sustainable Population Growth

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses primarily on globalization, because it has been a major force in eliminating poverty in many regions of the world. Indeed, trade and globalization have been major elements in the saga that have led us to where we are today. This chapter examines the relationship between globalization and poverty reduction as it pertains to developing countries across time. The instrumentality of sustained and rapid growth for poverty reduction cannot be denied. The only known effective method to reduce poverty across the world over time has been the acceleration of economic growth. There are several links in the globalization–growth–poverty reduction chain, which this chapter addresses in later sections. Not all links are present all the time or in all countries, and therefore threshold effects are possible. Their good effects cannot be realized until some threshold, by way of infrastructure, for instance, is reached. Not all links are unidirectional. Some can improve poverty reduction while others, coming the other way, can be offsetting influences.