cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Building Connections, Building Communities: Strategies for Integrating Music and Literature in an Undergraduate Learning Community

This article explains the strategies that were used to create a closely integrated, paired-course learning community in the fall of 2001 and presents focus-group assessment data from the combined courses. Five specific strategies were used to create a high degree of connection between the World Literature course and the Music Appreciation course that formed the learning community: 1) Exploring the formal connections between literature and music; 2) Organizing the class by movements in intellectual history common to both disciplines; 3) Focusing on musical works inspired by works of literature; 4) Selecting music and literature from identical non-Western regions; and 5) Combining course web supplements for both courses into a single, "super site" web page. Approximately half of the students in the English class and one third of the students in the Music class were direct participants who were part of the learning-community cohort. The rest of the students were indirect participants enrolled in one class but not the other. In focus groups held at the end of the semester with both groups of students in the English class, the direct participants reported a strong feeling that the information presented in the two classes was more connected, more integrated, and more relevant than information presented in a stand-alone class. Surprisingly, however, the indirect participants in the learning community reported similar feelings, which strongly suggests that the benefits of these integration strategies are not limited to those who participate directly in the course clusters or linked courses.
A Model of Gene-Environment Interaction Reveals Altered Mammary Gland Gene Expression and Increased Tumor Growth following Social Isolation

Clinical studies have revealed that social support improves the outcome of cancer patients, whereas epidemiologic studies suggest that social isolation increases the risk of death associated with several chronic diseases. However, the precise molecular consequences of an unfavorable social environment have not been defined. To do so, robust, reproducible preclinical models are needed to study the mechanisms whereby an adverse environment affects gene expression and cancer biology. Because random assignment of inbred laboratory mice to well-defined social environments allows accurate and repeated measurements of behavioral and endocrine parameters, transgenic mice provide a preclinical framework with which to begin to determine gene-environment mechanisms. In this study, we found that female C3(1)/SV40 T-antigen mice deprived of social interaction from weaning exhibited increased expression of genes encoding key metabolic pathway enzymes in the premalignant mammary gland. Chronic social isolation was associated with up-regulated lipid synthesis and glycolytic pathway gene expression—both pathways are known to contribute to increased breast cancer growth. Consistent with the expression of metabolic genes in premalignant mammary tissue, isolated mice subsequently developed a significantly larger mammary gland tumors burden compared with group-housed mice. Endocrine evaluation confirmed that isolated mice developed a heightened corticosterone stress response compared with group-housed mice. Together, these transdisciplinary studies show for the first time that an adverse social environment is associated with altered mammary gland gene expression and tumor growth. Moreover, the identification of specific alterations in metabolic pathways gene expression favoring tumor growth suggests potential molecular biomarkers and/or targets (e.g., fatty acid synthesis) for preventive intervention in breast cancer.
Administration of S-nitrosoglutathione after traumatic brain injury protects the neurovascular unit and reduces secondary injury in a rat model of controlled cortical impact

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of preventable death and serious morbidity in young adults. This complex pathological condition is characterized by significant blood brain barrier (BBB) leakage that stems from cerebral ischemia, inflammation, and redox imbalances in the traumatic penumbra of the injured brain. Once trauma has occurred, combating these exacerbations is the keystone of an effective TBI therapy. Following other brain injuries, nitric oxide modulators such as S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) maintain not only redox balance but also inhibit the mechanisms of secondary injury. Therefore, we tested whether GSNO shows efficacy in a rat model of experimental TBI. TBI was induced by controlled cortical impact (CCI) in adult male rats. GSNO (50 μg/kg body weight) was administered at two hours after CCI. GSNO-treated injured animals (CCI+GSNO group) were compared with vehicle-treated injured animals (CCI+VEH group) in terms of tissue morphology, BBB leakage, edema, inflammation, cell death, and neurological deficit. Treatment of the TBI animals with GSNO reduced BBB disruption as evidenced by decreased Evan's blue extravasation across brain, infiltration/activation of macrophages (ED1 positive cells), and reduced expression of ICAM-1 and MMP-9. The GSNO treatment also restored CCI-mediated reduced expression of BBB integrity proteins ZO-1 and occludin. GSNO-mediated improvements in tissue histology shown by reduction of lesion size and decreased loss of both myelin (measured by LFB staining) and neurons (assayed by TUNEL) further support the efficacy of GSNO therapy. GSNO-mediated reduced expression of iNOS in macrophages as well as decreased neuronal cell death may be responsible for the histological improvement and reduced exacerbations. In addition to these biochemical and histological improvements, GSNO-treated injured animals recovered neurobehavioral functions as evaluated by the rotarod task and neurological score measurements. GSNO is a promising candidate to be evaluated in humans after brain trauma because it not only protects the traumatic penumbra from secondary injury and improves overall tissue structure but also maintains the integrity of BBB and reduces neurologic deficits following CCI in a rat model of experimental TBI.
Covariant method for calculating helicity amplitudes.

We present an alternative approach for calculating helicity amplitudes for processes involving both massless and massive fermions. With this method one can easily obtain covariant expressions for the helicity amplitudes. The final expressions involve only four-vector products and are independent of the basis for \ensuremath{\gamma} matrices or specific form of the spinors. We use the method to obtain the helicity amplitudes for several processes involving top quark production. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Tides and the Climate: Some Speculations

Abstract The important role of tides in the mixing of the pelagic oceans has been established by recent experiments and analyses. The tide potential is modulated by long-period orbital modulations. Previously, Loder and Garrett found evidence for the 18.6-yr lunar nodal cycle in the sea surface temperatures of shallow seas. In this paper, the possible role of the 41 000-yr variation of the obliquity of the ecliptic is considered. The obliquity modulation of tidal mixing by a few percent and the associated modulation in the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) may play a role comparable to the obliquity modulation of the incoming solar radiation (insolation), a cornerstone of the Milankovic theory of ice ages. This speculation involves even more than the usual number of uncertainties found in climate speculations.
Indian Monsoon GCM Sensitivity Experiments Testing Tropospheric Biennial Oscillation Transition Conditions

Abstract Observational studies have shown that the tropospheric biennial oscillation (TBO) involves transitions that occur from northern spring [March–April–May (MAM)] to the Indian monsoon season [June–July–August–September (JJAS)] such that a relatively strong monsoon the previous year is often followed by a relatively weak one, and vice versa. Several conditions involving anomalous land and ocean surface temperature anomalies in the Indo-Pacific region in MAM have been identified to be associated with TBO monsoon transitions. Though it is possible to quantify the relative contribution of each transition condition year by year in observations, they are interrelated and the question remains whether each condition by itself could cause a monsoon transition. Here, a series of GCM sensitivity experiments is performed to isolate the effects of each of the transition conditions to document their respective influences on the anomalous patterns of monsoon rainfall associated with TBO transitions. Three conditio...
Partial Differential Operators

So far we have avoided to a large extent the more refined behavior of functions with respect to Lie derivatives. For the theory of spherical functions, we dealt with eigenvectors of convolution operators. The time has come to relate some invariants we have found in the representation theory with some of the invariant differential operators on G. Bargmann [Ba] saw how coefficient functions are eigenfunctions of such operators, Harish-Chandra got a complete insight into the situation by determining the center of the algebra of invariant differential operators, the centralizer of K in this algebra. Gelfand characterized spherical functions as eigenfunctions of this centralizer. In this chapter, we give Harish-Chandra’s result that there are no other spherical functions, besides those described in Chapter IV, on SL 2(R) where the proofs are short and easy.
Focus on . . . The New Proposed Regulations Under Section 411(D)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code

The proposed liberalization of the anti-cutback rules falls short. The hoped for reform, coming in the form of the IRS's new proposed regulations, fails to provide the much-needed simplification. As the article went to press, the IRS issued final regulations, which are referred to at the end of this article, and will be covered in detail in the next issue of Journal of Pension Benefits.
Reduced endothelial nitric oxide synthase in lungs of chronically ventilated preterm lambs

Nitric oxide (NO), produced in lung vascular endothelium and airway epithelium, has an important role in regulating smooth muscle cell growth and tone. Chronic lung disease, a frequent complication...
Enhanced Photo-Oxidation of Formaldehyde on Highly Reduced o-TiO2(110)

Photo-oxidation of formaldehyde is important because it is an atmospheric pollutant and a possible intermediate along the pathway for CO2 reduction to methanol. By using temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy as the main tool, we demonstrate that the efficiency for photo-oxidation of formaldehyde to adsorbed formate on rutile TiO2(110) is strongly dependent on the degree of reduction of the surface and near-surface region. The most efficient photoreaction occurs when O adatoms are present on titania that is highly bulk reduced. These data suggest that electron–hole pairs created deep in the bulk do not play a significant role in the photo-oxidation of formaldehyde. Exposure of the material to O2 heals most bridging oxygen vacancies, creates O adatoms in the Ti five-coordinate rows, and quenches charge at the surface due to the presence of interstitial defects in the near-surface region. Under these conditions, the surface is oxidized but the bulk remains reduced. The major product of formaldehyde ph...
Detection of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex in bone marrow specimens of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Thirty-seven bone marrow core biopsy specimens from 21 human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex bacteremia were stained using rabbit polyclonal antibodies against Mycobacterium bovis strain Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and Mycobacterium duvalii , as well as Kenyon and Fite stains, to compare sensitivities of these techniques and evaluate possible response to therapy. The patients in this study had participated in a phase I/II trial of liposome-encapsulated gentamicin therapy. Two biopsy specimens had inadequate tissue for evaluation. Thirtytwo specimens demonstrated bacilli with anti- M duvalii , 33 with anti- BCG, 20 with Kenyon, and 23 with Fite. Two were negative with all stains. Fifteen biopsy specimens had epithelioid granulomas, 12 had histiocytic granulomas, and 1 had a granuloma of indeterminate type. The remaining seven biopsy specimens had no granulomas. Four of these seven demonstrated bacilli with anti- M duvalii , 5 with anti-BCG, 1 with Kenyon, and 2 with Fite. The number of M avium-intracellulare organisms per milliliter of blood decreased in 14 of 21 patients after liposome-encapsulated gentamicin therapy. However, none of the 11 patients whose pre- and posttherapy bone marrow core biopsy specimens were both evaluable demonstrated a reduction in the number of M avium-intracellulare organisms. The authors concluded that anti- M duvalii and anti-BCG are more sensitive than acid-fast stains for identifying M avium-intracellulare infection in bone marrow core biopsy specimens of patients who have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) with M avium-intracellulare bacteremia. Bone marrow core biopsy specimens may provide a perspective on M avium-intracellulare infection in AIDS patients that differs from the one provided by blood cultures.
Verification and validation at the micro- and nanoscale

For the purposes of this paper we use the AIAA guide definition of Verification as “the process of determining that a model implementationaccurately represents the de- veloper’s conceptual description of the model and the solution to the model”. In the simplest interpretation verification means that the given equations have been numerically solved correctly. Verification procedures are unchanged when continuum calculations are performed at the micro and nanoscale. Validation is the term given to the process of deter- mining whether the the simulation accurately represents the physical problem of interest. Validation answers the question: Is the computational model an accurate physical represen- tation of the actual real-world problem? Most often validation is performed by comparing with experimental data. However experiments that yield velocity and other profiles are extremely difficult at the microscale and virtually impossible at nanoscale. This paper dis- cusses the use of dimensional analysis to validate nanoscale computations using microscale experiments for liquid flows of an electrolyte mixture. In addition, the system response quantities (SRQ) appropriate to nanofluidics are also discussed. The use of an alternative plausible model to validate electroosmotic flow in nanochannels is also described. References 1Oberkampf, W. L. and Roy, C. J., Verification and Validation in Scientific Computing , Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2010.
IGC1: An integrated fluidic system for gas chromatography including knudsen pump, preconcentrator, column, and detector microfabricated by a three-mask process

This paper reports an integrated microscale gas chromatography (μGC) system, the iGC1, which contains four components: 1) a Knudsen pump (KP); 2) a preconcentrator-focuser (PCF); 3) a separation column; and 4) a gas detector. All four components are fabricated from glass wafers using a three-mask process with minimal postprocessing. In a stackable architecture, the components are finally assembled into a 4-cm 3 system. The stacked iGC1 system demonstrates the successful separation and detection of an alkane mixture in the range of C 5 -C 8 in less than 60 s.
The effects of divorce and marital discord on adult children's psychological well-being.

Previous research has demonstrated associations between exposure to parental divorce and marital discord while growing up and children's psychological distress in adulthood. Few studies, however, have attempted to explain these associations. Three pathways are evaluated through which family disruption and discord may affect offspring's well-being: children's socioeconomic attainment, children's marital and relationship stability, and the quality of children's relations with parents. Using 17-year longitudinal data from two generations, results show that divorce and marital discord predict lower levels of psychological well-being in adulthood. Parentchild relationships mediate most of the associations between parents' marital discord and divorce and children's subsequent psychological outcomes. Marital discord appears to erode children's emotional bonds with mothers, whereas both divorce and marital discord appear to erode children's emotional bonds with fathers. The results highlight the continuing importance of parent-child ties for children's well-being in early adulthood.
Pinned chemical waves in the presence of Stokes flow.

Excitable reaction–diffusion systems form a wealth of dissipative concentration patterns that exist not only in chemical systems but also control or disrupt biological functions. An important example are rotating spiral waves in the autocatalytic Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction. We show that the viscosity of this system can be increased by the addition of the polymer xanthan gum. In the resulting system, we pin spiral waves to a thin glass rod and then reposition the vortex centers by a linear motion of the heterogeneity. The Stokes flow generated by this motion can be a weak perturbation to the wave pattern and follows a simple, analytical expression. Numerical simulations of a corresponding reaction–diffusion-flow model reproduce the experimental observations and show that the spatial extent of the flow field can vary widely around the characteristic wavelength of the spiral. We find that a sharp spatial decay of the flow pattern corresponds to our experimental observations, whereas more expansive flow fi...
Effective Legal Writing: A Guide for Students and Practitioners

“The English language knows only two types of writing — good writing and bad writing. Good legal writing is good writing about a legal subject.” From this core proposition, this compact book provides researching and writing lessons for 1L’s, upper class law students, and practicing lawyers. Leading judges, lawyers, and literary figures help deliver many of the lessons.An early chapter covers the foundations of good legal writing, beginning with avid reading, maintaining personal and professional commitment to the client’s interests, and “earning the right to a reader.” Also covered are such foundations as identifying the audience, scheduling, outlining, orienting readers, maintaining civility and professionalism, and adhering to bias-free writing.Later chapters concern researching, writing, editing, and dismantling barriers to effective written expression. Topics include the consequences of inadequate research; the four fundamentals of good legal writing (conciseness, precision, simplicity, and clarity); and reason and passion in persuasive writing. Chapters on editing and proofreading stress the writer’s need to restrain pride of authorship that would stiffen resistance to constructive pre-publication input. Chapters treat three major barriers – misused jargon, acronyms, and footnotes.Chapters on versatility describe how lawyers, if their personal and professional circumstances permit, can fulfill professional responsibility and achieve personal satisfaction by writing in such diverse forums as newspaper editorial pages, law reviews, bar association journals, and blogs.
The functional requirement of two structural domains within telomerase RNA emerged early in eukaryotes

Telomerase emerged during evolution as a prominent solution to the eukaryotic linear chromosome end-replication problem. Telomerase minimally comprises the catalytic telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase RNA (TR) that provides the template for telomeric DNA synthesis. While the TERT protein is well-conserved across taxa, TR is highly divergent amongst distinct groups of species. Herein, we have identified the essential functional domains of TR from the basal eukaryotic species Trypanosoma brucei, revealing the ancestry of TR comprising two distinct structural core domains that can assemble in trans with TERT and reconstitute active telomerase enzyme in vitro The upstream essential domain of T. brucei TR, termed the template core, constitutes three short helices in addition to the 11-nt template. Interestingly, the trypanosome template core domain lacks the ubiquitous pseudoknot found in all known TRs, suggesting later evolution of this critical structural element. The template-distal domain is a short stem-loop, termed equivalent CR4/5 (eCR4/5). While functionally similar to vertebrate and fungal CR4/5, trypanosome eCR4/5 is structurally distinctive, lacking the essential P6.1 stem-loop. Our functional study of trypanosome TR core domains suggests that the functional requirement of two discrete structural domains is a common feature of TRs and emerged early in telomerase evolution.
Naïve Beliefs About the Natural World in a Case of Childhood Onset Amnesia

The individual profiled here (M.S.) suffered an episode of severe oxygen deprivation (anoxia) at the age of eight, damaging memory relevant structures in the mid-temporal lobes, including the hippocampus bilaterally. The resulting anterograde amnesia was characterized by profound deficits in autobiographical memory, but also a compromised ability to acquire new facts and information (semantic memory), resulting in the formation of idiosyncratic and naive beliefs about the natural world that have persisted into his adult years. This article presents an interview with M.S. in which many of these idiosyncratic beliefs are detailed, and argues that they can be broadly viewed as the interaction of; 1) intact frontal lobe functioning that supports the application of rational analysis to his lived experience, and 2) an impoverished factual knowledge base upon which to construct sophisticated and evidence-based models of his lived experience and of natural world processes.
Abstract B32: The Survivin-deltaEx3 isoform drives microvascular proliferation and malignant progression in proneural gliomas

Introduction: Survivin expression correlates with poor prognosis in high-grade glioma. The influence of Survivin isoforms on outcome is poorly understood. We analyzed the dominant anti-apoptotic transcript variants of Survivin using expression data and modeled them in vivo. Methods: TCGA mRNA expression data was used to study Survivin in low- and high-grade gliomas including proneural(PN) and mesenchymal(Mes) subtypes. We expressed the anti-apoptotic isoforms of Survivin (transcript variants 1 and 2) in vivo using the RCAS/Ntv-a system. Results: In low-grade glioma, increased expression of Survivin occurred in 22/167(13.2%) cases, and was associated with shortened survival (log rank test, p=0.005). In high-grade gliomas, increased expression occurred in 258/547(47%) cases. Variant 1 was expressed in 215/258(83%) cases, and variant 2 was expressed in 26/258(10%) cases. Median survival was 451 days and 382 days for variant 1 and 2 expressors respectively. Survivin was preferentially expressed in PN relative to Mes gliomas(chi squared, p Conclusions: Survivin expression in low-grade gliomas is associated with poor survival and is more common in PN gliomas. Poorer survival correlates with Survivin Variant 2, relative to the common isoform. In a PN murine glioma model, variant 2 promotes malignant progression, angiogenesis and shortens tumor-free survival. Note: This abstract was not presented at the conference. Citation Format: Ganesh Rao, Tiffany Doucette, Yuhui Yang, Greg Fuller, Arvind Rao. The Survivin-deltaEx3 isoform drives microvascular proliferation and malignant progression in proneural gliomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: The Translational Impact of Model Organisms in Cancer; Nov 5-8, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2014;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B32.
Carbon dioxide capture using ammonium sulfate surface modified activated biomass carbon

Abstract Activated carbon (AC) was produced by phosphoric acid activation and microwave pyrolysis of Douglas fir biomass. A low temperature activated carbon surface modification method was tested using ammonium sulfate. This method successfully enhanced the carbon dioxide adsorption capacity of Douglas fir biomass based activated carbons. The activated carbon produced, was comparable to commercial grade modified carbon in terms of breakthrough time and adsorption capacity. All modified carbons were selective to carbon dioxide over methane. Activated carbon produced by a phosphoric acid impregnation ratio of 3:1, and modified with an ammonium sulfate mass fraction of 9.1%, had the highest breakthrough time and exhaustion time of 3.5 min and 13.5 min respectively. This carbon adsorbed 97% carbon dioxide from the inlet stream containing methane and other gases with a carbon dioxide over methane selectivity of 5.27. A 1 h exposure of the used carbon to a 105 °C regeneration removed a majority of the carbon dioxide and methane on the carbon surface, facilitating regeneration.
Pagoda: Fine-Grained GPU Resource Virtualization for Narrow Tasks

Massively multithreaded GPUs achieve high throughput by running thousands of threads in parallel. To fully utilize the hardware, workloads spawn work to the GPU in bulk by launching large tasks, where each task is a kernel that contains thousands of threads that occupy the entire GPU. GPUs face severe underutilization and their performance benefits vanish if the tasks are narrow, i.e., they contain This paper presents Pagoda, a runtime system that virtualizes GPU resources, using an OS-like daemon kernel called MasterKernel. Tasks are spawned from the CPU onto Pagoda as they become available, and are scheduled by the MasterKernel at the warp granularity. Experimental results demonstrate that Pagoda achieves a geometric mean speedup of 5.70x over PThreads running on a 20-core CPU, 1.51x over CUDA-HyperQ, and 1.69x over GeMTC, the state-of- the-art runtime GPU task scheduling system.
Pension Risk and Equity Returns

We develop an analytical framework that divides the contribution of pension risk to the total systematic risk of the firm into two parts: (1) the risk due to the investment strategy of the pension plan (“Mismatch Risk”); and (2) the risk due to the funded status of the pension plan (“Deficit Risk”). We then use this framework to show that the financial statement treatment of pension plan obligations has implications for how pension risk is impounded into equity returns. Our empirical strategy uses variation in the financial statement effect of two new accounting standards as natural experiments to generate inferences. In contrast with the empirical finding in Jin, Merton and Bodie (2006), we find that pension risk is only reflected in equity returns when the underlying drivers of risk are disclosed and recognized on the firm’s financial statements.
Spatio-temporal neighborhood impacts on internalizing and externalizing behaviors in U.S. elementary school children: Effect modification by child and family socio-demographics

Increasing evidence from experimental and non-experimental research has shown that children residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods exhibit greater levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, above and beyond individual characteristics, and family or school contexts. Using the ECLS-K, a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of U.S. school children, this study examined direct neighborhood effects on internalizing (N = 14,870; N = 10,610) and externalizing (N = 14,960; N = 10,730) behaviors at the beginning and end of elementary school. Using IPTW propensity scores to mitigate selection bias and ordinary least squares regression, we examined direct neighborhood effects when children were 7 years old (1st grade) and when they were 11 years old (5th grade). We also examined neighborhood effect modification by child child race/ethnicity, sex, family structure, and family SES. Both the direct effect and effect modification models indicated that living in disadvantaged neighborhoods had no impact on either internalizing or externalizing behaviors at the beginning of elementary school (age 7). At the end of elementary school (age 11), we found small, yet significant direct neighborhood associations with effect sizes ranging from 0.12 to 0.18 standard deviations. The effect modification analysis revealed that being black (relative to white) was the strongest moderator of the relationship between neighborhood context and internalizing and externalizing behaviors in 5th grade, with effect sizes ranging from 0.27 to 0.59 standard deviations. Being Hispanic in high poverty neighborhoods was found to be protective for externalizing behaviors, suggesting the presence of the Hispanic health paradox. We also found, that in some neighborhood contexts, child sex, family structure, and family socioeconomic status amplified or dampened the effect of neighborhood, but only for externalizing behaviors. These results demonstrate the importance of age-dependent neighborhood effects and that children with different demographic profiles respond differently to the social contexts in which they are exposed.
In-Plane Shear Properties of Laminated Wood from Tension and Compression Tests of Angle-Ply Laminates

AbstractExperimental methods for the characterization of shear strength and stiffness of both wood-based and glass-based or carbon-based composite materials are highly contested because shear prope...
Effective Method to Convey Threat Information for Tornado: Probabilistic Hazard Information vs. Deterministic Hazard Information

Effective conveyance of hazard information to society is crucial for enhancing public preparedness for the uncertainty involved in the occurrence of tornadoes. The WarnGen system is currently used for issuing deterministic severe weather warnings. To provide society with probabilistic weather information, researchers at The National Severe Storm Laboratory are developing a tool called Probabilistic Hazard Information (PHI). The current study reports an experiment intended to figure out if including information about the uncertainty of a tornado occurrence provided through PHI would help people understand the weather information better and take more appropriate protective action. Our group also wanted to investigate if including probabilistic information about the surrounding area of the target zone would be effective in people’s decision making regarding their safety. The results show that including information about uncertainty in the weather information makes it more effective than the deterministic haz...
Detection of Pathogens with Nucleic Acid Probes

The presence of pathogenic microorganisms can represent a hazard in military and civilian situations. One approach to detecting pathogens is to probe for the presence of their genetic information using molecular hybridization with nucleic acid probes. This approach has the advantage of speed over culture procedures and the advantage of sensitivity over immunological procedures. The following discussion attempts to lay out the scope of the technical problems involved in pathogen detection with nucleic acid probes and provides possible solutions for these problems.
First-principles study of the surface properties of U-Mo system

Abstract U-Mo alloys are promising fuels for future high-performance research reactors with low enriched uranium. Surface properties, such as surface energy, are important inputs for mesoscale simulations (e.g., phase field method) of fission gas bubble behaviors in irradiated nuclear fuels. The lack of surface energies of U-Mo alloys prevents an accurate modeling of the morphology of gas bubbles and gas bubble-induced fuel swelling. To this end, we study the surface properties of U-Mo system, including bcc Mo, α-U, γ-U, and γ U-Mo alloys. All surfaces up to a maximum Miller index of three and two are calculated for cubic Mo and γ-U and non-cubic α-U, respectively. The equilibrium crystal shapes of bcc Mo, α-U and γ-U are constructed using the calculated surface energies. The dominant surface orientations and the area fraction of each facet are determined from the constructed equilibrium crystal shape. The disordered γ U-Mo alloys are simulated using the Special Quasirandom Structure method. The (1 1 0) and (1 0 0) surface energies of γ U-7Mo and U-10Mo alloys are predicted to lie between those of γ-U and bcc Mo, following a linear combination of the two constituents’ surface energies. To better compare with future measurements of surface energies, the area fraction weighted surface energies of α-U, γ-U and γ U-7Mo and U-10Mo alloys are also predicted.
Adolescent pregnancy prevention in group homes: Recruiting and retention considerations

The authors discuss the issues of teenage pregnancy for youth in group homes. They mention the use of the Power Through Choices intervention program for prevention of pregnancy, the recruitment of group homes in which to implement the program, and the problems of tracking participants in the program.
Soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation in residential lawns of the Salt Lake Valley, Utah

Urban lawn ecosystems are widespread across the United States, with fertilization rates commonly exceeding plant nitrogen (N) uptake rates. While urban soils have been shown to accumulate C and N over time, the long-term balance of N inputs and losses from lawn soils remains largely uncertain. We sampled residential lawn soils aged 7–100 years in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area as a means of inferring changes in total nitrogen (TN) content, organic carbon (OC) content, C:N ratio, and δ15N of bulk soil over time. Core-integrated (0–40 cm) TN and OC stocks increased linearly by 2.39 g N m−2 year−1 and 29.8 g OC m−2 year−1 over the 100-year chronosequence. TN and OC percent were also negatively correlated with elevation. Multiple linear regression models including housing age and elevation as covariates, explained 68 and 62% of variability in TN and OC stocks respectively. δ15N increased with housing age, soil depth, and clay content, suggesting N removal over time, especially in poorly drained soils. We quantified potential hydrologic and gaseous N losses over time by comparing observed N accumulation to different historic fertilization scenarios. Modeling and isotopic results suggest that, while soil N has accumulated over time, the majority of N added to lawns in the Salt Lake Valley over 50 years of fertilization was likely lost from surface soils via denitrification or leaching.
Southwest Germany in the West European Landscape

Archaeological studies of hunter—gatherers usually emphasize adaptation to the immediate natural environment in explaining cultural behavior. Often neglected are two crucial elements in human ecological relationships: (1) the social environment, and (2) the preceding history of adaptations. People cope with problems in the natural environment as social beings, in a social context presenting its own problems, with cultural tools developed in past generations. Without consideration of these factors , cultural behavior cannot be fully intelligible.
The X-gal caution in neural transplantation studies.

Cell transplantation into host brain requires a reliable cell marker to trace lineage and location of grafted cells in host tissue. The lacZ gene encodes the bacterial (E. coli) enzyme beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) and is commonly visualized as a blue intracellular precipitate following its incubation with a substrate, "X gal," in an oxidation reaction. LacZ is the "reporter gene" most commonly employed to follow gene expression in neural tissue or to track the fate of transplanted exogenous cells. If the reaction is not performed carefully-with adequate optimization and individualization of various parameters (e.g.. pH, concentration of reagents, addition of chelators, composition of fixatives) and the establishment of various controls--then misleading nonspecific background X-gal positivity can result, leading to the misidentification of cells. Some of this background results from endogenous nonbacterial beta-gal activity in discrete populations of neurons in the mammalian brain; some results from an excessive oxidation reaction. Surprisingly, few articles have empha sized how to recognize and to eliminate these potential confounding artifacts in order to maximize the utility and credibility of this histochemical technique as a cell marker. We briefly review the phenomenon in general, discuss a specific case that illustrates how an insufficiently scrutinized X-gal positivity can be a pitfall in cell transplantation studies, and then provide recommendations for optimizing the specificity and reliability of this histochemical reaction for discerning E. coli beta-gal activity.
Dietary copper effects on lipid metabolism and circulating catecholamine concentrations in finishing steers.

Forty-eight Angus and Hereford × An- gus steers were used to determine the effects of copper (Cu) on lipid and catecholamine metabolism. Steers were stratified by weight within breed and randomly assigned to treatments. Treatments consisted of 0 (con- trol, no supplemental Cu), 10, or 40 mg of supplemental Cu (from Cu2(OH)3Cl)/kg DM. Steers were fed a corn silage-soybean meal-based growing diet for 42 d. Ani- mals were then switched to a high-concentrate finishing diet and remained on the same dietary treatments. On d 70, indwelling jugular catheters were nonsurgically inserted into five steers per treatment. Blood samples were obtained from steers after a 24-h period of feed withdrawal, 1 h after feeding, and after i.v. administra- tion of norepinephrine and were subsequently analyzed for nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) and catecholamine concentrations. Average daily gain over the finishing
The Two Faces of Toxic Waste: Trends in the Spread of Environmental Hazards

Data from the Massachusetts' Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Census indicate that the toxic waste crisis is worsening. In addition to the contamination of deindustrialized urban areas comes increasing contamination in many newly industrialized suburbs. This results in both race and class biases with disproportionate amounts of toxic waste in urban communities of color and working-class (predominantly white) suburbs. Despite these “region-specific” associations, new evidence indicates that the single best indicator of toxic hazards, before controlling for region, is the percentage of community taxes from commercial and industrial sources. This raises important questions regarding sources of race and class biases and how to assess environmental injustices.
Safety and efficacy of irreversible electroporation in the treatment of obstructive jaundice in advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract Background Irreversible electroporation (IRE) has successfully been used for palliation of pancreatic and liver cancers due to its ability to ablate tumors without destroying nearby vital structures. To date, it has not been evaluated in patients with advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma (AHC). This study presents a single-institution experience with IRE for management of obstructive jaundice in AHC. Methods A single-institution database was queried for patients undergoing IRE for AHC after PTBD placement for relief of obstructive jaundice from 2010 to 2017 and compared to a control group treated with standard of care only (No IRE). Results Twenty-six patients underwent IRE for AHC after PTBD replacement. Three patients experienced complications, with two experiencing severe (≥ grade 3) complications. After IRE, median time to PTBD removal was 122 days (range 0–305 days) and median catheter-free time before requiring PTBD replacement was 305 days (range 92–458 days). In comparison, the 137 control patients had an admission rate of 59% (N = 80 patients) for PTBD infection, occlusion, or catheter related problem. Conclusion IRE safely achieves biliary decompression via tumor electroporation and allows PTBD removal for an extended period of time. In appropriately selected patients with obstructive jaundice in the setting of AHC, IRE can be used to increase catheter-free days and optimize overall quality of life.
A parametric study of operating carbon anodes in the oxide reduction process

Abstract A parametric study of the electrolytic reduction of uranium dioxide in molten lithium chloride – lithium oxide using carbon anodes was conducted to determine the operational parameter values necessary for high yields. Operational parameters evaluated in this study include anode and cathode current densities, anodic polarization, UO2 batch size, and method of electrochemical control. Seven oxide reduction experiments were conducted with between 25 g and 100 g UO2. The current density on the cathode was the critical parameter, which indicates the reduction process is kinetically controlled by cathodic reactions. High cell currents were achieved without the application of high anodic potentials by using a large anode surface area. This approach facilitates efficient reduction at high throughput without production of chlorine or other corrosive gasses.
Variation in obstetric dimensions of the human bony pelvis in relation to age-at-death and latitude.

OBJECTIVES Previous studies associate females who died in young adulthood with narrower obstetric pelvic dimensions, presumably in association with obstetric insufficiency (though this causal relationship is unresolved). In this study, we examine whether females within groups living at higher latitudes present this pattern, as high-latitude groups have larger pelvic dimensions than groups previously examined. These patterns are compared with males. We assess whether there is evidence for younger ages-at-death in females to have been in response to natural selection against narrower true pelvis dimensions. METHODS We measured 14 pelvic dimensions in 327 adults (188 females, 139 males), representing archaeological sites from mid-latitude and high-latitude North America. Individuals were placed into a "young" or "not young" age-at-death category. Latitude, sex, and age-at-death groups were compared using ANOVAs and scaled variance, and evidence for selection was examined with F-tests. RESULTS Pelvic dimensions were larger in high-latitude females and males. Females but not males who died at younger ages had smaller pelvic canals than older individuals, especially in the mediolateral inlet and anteroposterior outlet dimensions. Variance in all pelvic dimensions is equal between the two female age-at-death groups. CONCLUSIONS We found narrower obstetrical dimensions in the female pelvis among individuals who died at younger ages. However, statistically equivalent variances in the two female age-at-death groups does not support natural selection on pelvic dimensions as leading to younger ages at death. We instead argue that this difference is result of continued growth due to remodeling in the pelvis occurring in females, but not males, after early adulthood.
Influence of Must Supplementation on Growth of Pediococcus spp. after Alcoholic Fermentation

One factor potentially affecting growth of wine spoilage microbes (e.g., Pediococcus spp.) is the presence of nutrients not consumed during alcoholic fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To assess the impact of must nutrient supplementation on Pediococcus spp., synthetic grape musts containing low (55.2 mg N/L), medium (250 mg N/L), or high (530 mg N/L) concentrations of yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) were fermented by S. cerevisiae. Upon cessation of fermentative activity P. damnosus OW-2, P. inopinatus OW-8, P. parvulus WS-7C, WS-29A, OW-1, or P. pentosaceus ATCC 33316 were inoculated at 104 to 105 cfu/mL. With the exceptions of OW-1 and OW-2, none of the other species or strains grew in the synthetic wines unless yeast extract or peptone was added, suggesting the absence of an essential nutrient. Experiments were replicated using Cabernet Sauvignon musts containing low (66.9 mg N/L), medium (219 mg N/L), and high (438 mg N/L) YAN. In general, wines containing the greatest residual amino acid concentrations (high YAN) supported better growth of the aforementioned Pediococcus spp. However, low YAN wines containing negligible residual nitrogen achieved similar populations after a short period of initial inhibition, suggesting that ‘excessive’ nitrogen supplementation to musts does not have a large impact on growth of pediococci post alcoholic fermentation.
[Invited] Optical Character Recognition Research at Google

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is an essential building block supporting many research activities and products. Consequently, Google strives for better OCR. Google has been developing an in-house OCR system supporting many languages, covering various domains, and running on multiple platforms. In this talk, the algorithms, design, and philosophy behind the Google’s OCR system are presented. The talk also refers to the interactions between OCR and Spoken Language Processing (SLP) studies. Although OCR and SLP are in different domains, we can find analogous machine learning problems in them. Finally, unsolved problems for OCR are discussed. There may be an opportunity to share technologies to solve the unsolved problems in both fields.
Extracting Insights from Prehistoric Andean Metallurgy: Political Organization, Interregional Connections, and Ritual Meanings

Metal production in the prehistoric Andes entailed an array of political, economic, and ritual relationships that are increasingly the focus of archaeological investigation. One theme directing recent research is the link between metallurgy and political organization, including the origins of metal production, its relationship to sociopolitical complexity, and how shifts in the organization of metal production reflect and shape diachronic political transformations. A second theme is the use of metals to identify and interrogate interregional connections. Patterns in the circulation of different alloys and metal isotopes, as well as the transfer of technology, provide insight into the shifting constellations of economic and political connections maintained by prehispanic Andean populations. A final theme is ritual and meaning in Andean metallurgy, where I explore how the stages of mining, extractive metallurgy, and the production of metal objects added multivalent layers of meaning and value to metal artifacts. Operating in distinct ways across time and space, metallurgy in the ancient Andes could stimulate political complexity, drive geopolitical expansion and the integration of new subject populations, differentiate individuals and groups, connect people to one another and to the landscape, and harness the power of the numinous.
Object Localization with a Weakly Supervised CapsNet

Inspired by CapsNet's routing-by-agreement mechanism with its ability to learn object properties, we explore if those properties in turn can determine new properties of the objects, such as the locations. We then propose a CapsNet architecture with object coordinate atoms and a modified routing-by-agreement algorithm with unevenly distributed initial routing probabilities. The model is based on CapsNet but uses a routing algorithm to find the objects' approximate positions in the image coordinate system. We also discussed how to derive the property of translation through coordinate atoms and we show the importance of sparse representation. We train our model on the single moving MNIST dataset with class labels. Our model can learn and derive the coordinates of the digits better than its convolution counterpart that lacks a routing-by-agreement algorithm, and can also perform well when testing on the multi-digit moving MNIST and KTH datasets. The results show our method reaches the state-of-art performance on object localization without any extra localization techniques and modules as in prior work.
Transformative learning in community college human geography: a mixed methods study

The study explores the extent to which transformative learning occurs using quantitative and qualitative methods in a human geography course (N = 35) and explores student affect in relation to the ...