cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On convective instability induced by surface-tension gradients

The linearized stability problem for steady, cellular convection resulting from gradients in surface tension is examined in some detail. Earlier work by Pearson (1958) and Sternling & Scriven (1959, 1964) has been extended by considering the effect of gravity waves. In order to avoid the use of an assumed coupling mechanism at the interface, the relevant dynamical equations were retained for both phases. It is shown that the existence of a critical Marangoni number is assured, and that for many situations this critical value is essentially that which is appropriate to the case of a non-deformable interface. Usually, surface waves are important only at very small wave-numbers, but they are dominant for unusually thin layers of very viscous liquids.
Maximum a posteriori estimation of crystallographic phases in X-ray diffraction tomography

A maximum a posteriori approach is proposed for X-ray diffraction tomography for reconstructing three-dimensional spatial distribution of crystallographic phases and orientations of polycrystalline materials. The approach maximizes the a posteriori density which includes a Poisson log-likelihood and an a priori term that reinforces expected solution properties such as smoothness or local continuity. The reconstruction method is validated with experimental data acquired from a section of the spinous process of a porcine vertebra collected at the 1-ID-C beamline of the Advanced Photon Source, at Argonne National Laboratory. The reconstruction results show significant improvement in the reduction of aliasing and streaking artefacts, and improved robustness to noise and undersampling compared to conventional analytical inversion approaches. The approach has the potential to reduce data acquisition times, and significantly improve beamtime efficiency.
Ethical Limitations of the Copenhagen Accord: A Response to Development Ethics and the Copenhagen Accord: How Important Are the Global Poor? By Allen Thompson

Allen Thompson's review of the ClimateEthics article entitled “ A Comprehensive Ethical Analysis of the Copenhagen Accord. ”1 is a welcome response to the objective of ClimteEthics, namely to provo...
Detection and Prevention of Insider Threats in Database Driven Web Services

In this paper, we take the first step to address the gap between the security needs in outsourced hosting services and the protection provided in the current practice. We consider both insider and outsider attacks in the third-party web hosting scenarios. We present SafeWS, a modular solution that is inserted between server side scripts and databases in order to prevent and detect website hijacking and unauthorized access to stored data. To achieve the required security, SafeWS utilizes a combination of lightweight cryptographic integrity and encryption tools, software engineering techniques, and security data management principles. We also describe our implementation of SafeWS and its evaluation. The performance analysis of our prototype shows the overhead introduced by security verification is small. SafeWS will allow business owners to significantly reduce the security risks and vulnerabilities of outsourcing their sensitive customer data to third-party providers.
Divalproex Sodium Therapy in Elderly with Dementia-Related Agitation

OBJECTIVE:To review available literature regarding the use of divalproex sodium in the treatment of agitation in elderly patients with dementia.DATA SOURCES:Clinical trials and review articles were identified by MEDLINE search (1966 — March 2002).DATA SYNTHESIS:The literature provides information regarding the potential benefits and tolerability of divalproex sodium in the treatment of dementia-related agitation. This article analyzes 7 studies to better understand the role of divalproex sodium in the treatment of dementia.CONCLUSIONS:Divalproex sodium may offer a slight benefit to elderly patients suffering from dementia-related agitation. Until better-controlled trials demonstrate statistical significance and comparisons with established treatments are performed, practitioners should use divalproex sodium cautiously.
THE MASS MEDIA AND INFERENCE ABOUT OTHER NATIONS

Previous research into claims that the Western press provides an inadequate picture of developing countries has neglected effects of media content on audiences. This study examines the influence of news about foreign countries on the accuracy of people's inferences concerning both Third World and more developed countries. An experiment on 109 U.S. residents tested whether unrepresentative news content creates unrepresentative mental images of foreign countries. Those who read an unrepresentative news story about a prototypical European or African country made less accurate judgments about the country than did participants who read no story.
A Liberal Education in Law: Engaging the Legal Imagination Through Research and Writing Beyond the Curriculum

Constructivist theory offers guidance as to the sorts of questions law school curricula should pose to exemplify legal thinking and engage students in independent thought. The questions we choose are those that arise in authentic contexts and require students to use the imaginative structures of legal reasoning and language to make their unique contributions to law and society. Research and writing across - and beyond - the curriculum provide opportunities for expression of original thought and promote education of the individual mind. A law school curriculum that emphasizes compositional education recognizes the value of each student's contribution to legal thought and provides essential preparation for the profession.
Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Watershed Hydrology

Evidence of pronounced fluctuation in climate variability has caused numerous impact assessment studies of climate variability and change on watershed hydrology. Several methods of impact assessment have been used over the last decade which basically incorporates atmospheric-ocean circulation-based climate models’ projection of changes in meteorological variable into the simulation of land surface hydrological processes. In this study, we have evaluated two methods, frequency perturbation and direct use of data, through forcing of a simulation model with data from a suite of global climate models. Hydrologic response of a typical watershed in Midwest was evaluated for the change in climatic condition. Frequency perturbation method found precipitation decrease by 17 % and reduction in temperature by 0.43 °C on an average annual basis. The changes when applied through the watershed simulation model resulted in 13 % reduction in evapotranspiration (ET) and 25 % reduction in water yield. In contrast, direct method with 1.25 % decrease in precipitation and 0.2 °C decrease in temperature on annual basin found an increase of 1.8 % for ET and 5 % reduction in water yield. Changes in ET and water yield on temporal and spatial scale due to changes in future climate are likely to have severe implications for the water availability. However, more research is needed to evaluate several impact assessment methods for more accurate analysis.
Obesity Screening and Treatment: Practices of Louisiana Pediatric Healthcare Providers

stakeholders, and break-out groups convened periodically throughout the conference to explicate strategies, barriers, and facilitators for implementation. The conference ended with a consensus discussion to detail next steps for the development and dissemination of the toolkit. Results: The pre-conference survey identified multiple barriers to implementing the USPSTF recommendations, including a lack of reimbursement for services, a lack of available financial resources for operating costs, and lowavailability and quality of staff training. The expert consensus discussion identified the following as critical components of an effective pediatric obesity treatment program: family-based treatment; a comprehensive approach including diet, exercise, and behavior modification; comprehensive and consistent training for interventionists; screening and appropriate treatment of medical comorbidities; an individualized approach to tailor treatment to the patient and family; and the sharing of information with the patient and team members. Critical team members identified by expert consensus included a behavioral interventionist, care coordinator, supervisor with doctoral degree, and medical management with access to specialty healthcare as needed. Conclusions: Convening stakeholders in an intensive, interactive conference resulted in a valuable dialogue between stakeholders from multiple sectors which resulted in expert consensus, reflecting the diverse logistical and scientific considerations to increase children’s access to evidence-based obesity care. Deliverables are now in development to reach targeted audiences including written and oral presentations to the pediatric clinical community and insurers. Sources of Support: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (R134S022816) and the American Academy of Pediatrics. AES is supported by the 1U54GM104940 grant from the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
Social Stratification and Combat Survival

fore, that experimentation in the effective use of social control mechanisms, as included in the research instrument, be incorporated as part of the pre-test procedure of research. It might be further suggested that a fruitful attempt to operationalize elements of this conceptual scheme, thereby aiding in the empirical resolution of this dilemma of the structured interview relationship, is to be found in the combined observational and
Effect of tetracycline on intestinal absorption of various nutrients by the rat.

SummaryTetracycline administration to adult rats (250 mg per kg i.m.) was associated with impaired intestinal absorption of fat (as 131I triolein) fatty acids (as 131I oleic) and radioactive iron. The jejunal mucosa of the treated animals was microscopically normal and without lipid accumulation. D-xylose absorption appeared to be increased as the result of tetracycline treatment since urinary excretion was significantly greater than that of control. Vitamin B12 absorption was not affected. Possible mechanisms accounting for this differential effect are discussed.
In Vivo CO2 Buffer Curves of Arterial and Mixed Venous Blood

SummarySix dogs were hyperventilated to an arterial Pco2 of less than 15 Torr for 2 hr and then allowed to breathe spontaneously on 100% oxygen. A second group of 6 dogs breathed 10% CO2-90% O2 for 6 hr and then returned to breathing 100% oxygen. Arterial and mixed venous blood samples were drawn for determination of pH and Pco2. From these values plasma bicarbonate concentrations were calculated. CO2 buffer slopes calculated as ΔHCO-3/ΔpH were determined by comparing bloods drawn before and 10 or 15 min after a step change in Pco2. In three of the four cases the buffer slope of mixed venous blood was between 8.3 and 14.0 sl with the predicted value, calculated from Hb concentration and assumed values for other parameters, between 11 and 12 sl. Difference between arterial and venous slopes over the range of Pco2 change utilized in these studies was neither statistically significant nor of a degree to be of practical importance in evaluating acid-base disturbances clinically.
The Construction of Strong P-regular Semigroups

The present paer constructs strong P-regular semigioups and by using the main result,obtains a new construction of orthodox seimgroups.
Using Natural Allelic Diversity to Evaluate Gene Function

Genomics has developed a wide range of tools to identify genes that play roles in specific pathways. However, relating individual genes and alleles to agronomic traits is still quite challenging. We describe how association analysis can be used to relate natural variation at candidate genes with agronomic phenotypes. Association approaches in plants can provide very high resolution and can evaluate a wide range of alleles rapidly. We discuss issues related to experimental design, germplasm sample, molecular assay, population structure, and statistical analysis necessary for association analysis in plants.
Causes and prevention of deafness in childhood.

Hearing problems in children must be diagnosed early in order to prevent deafness in later life.Tests for determining deafness in children less than five years old should be conducted by trained personnel. Audiometric studies are usually reliable and valuable in testing hearing in older children.A study of school children in Nebraska showed conduction deafness to he the most common type of hearing loss. Removal of obstructive tonsils and adenoids resulted in marked improvement in hearing.Other types of hearing loss encountered in the study included perception and mixed-type deafness. One case of otosclerosis was observed.
Maximum Likelihood and Nonlinear Regression

Introduction Maximum likelihood is generally regarded as the best all-purpose approach for statistical analysis. Outside of the most common statistical procedures, when the “optimal” or “usual” method is unknown, most statisticians follow the principle of maximum likelihood for parameter estimation and statistical hypothesis tests. Bayesian statistical methods also rely heavily on maximum likelihood. The main reason for this reliance is that following the principle of maximum likelihood usually leads to very reasonable and effective estimators and tests. From a theoretical viewpoint, under very mild conditions, maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) are consistent, asymptotically unbiased, and efficient. Moreover, MLEs are invariant under reparameterizations or transformations: the MLE of a function of the parameter is the function of the MLE. From a practical viewpoint, the estimates and test statistics can be constructed without a great deal of analysis, and large-sample standard errors can be computed. Overall, experience has shown that maximum likelihood works well most of the time. The biggest computational challenge comes from the naive expectation that any statistical problem can be solved if the maximum of some function is found. Instead of relying solely on the unconstrained optimization methods presented in Chapter 8 to meet this unrealistic expectation, the nature of the likelihood function can be exploited in ways that are more effective for computing MLEs. Since the exploitable properties of likelihood functions follow from the large-sample theory, this chapter will begin with a summary of the consistency and asymptotic normality properties of MLEs.
Energy-Autonomous Wireless Communication for Millimeter-Scale Internet-of-Things Sensor Nodes

This paper presents an energy-autonomous wireless communication system for ultra-small Internet-of-Things (IoT) platforms. In the proposed system, all necessary components, including the battery, energy-harvesting solar cells, and the RF antenna, are fully integrated within a millimeter-scale form factor. Designing an energy-optimized wireless communication system for such a miniaturized platform is challenging because of unique system constraints imposed by the ultra-small system dimension. The proposed system targets orders of magnitude improvement in wireless communication energy efficiency through a comprehensive system-level analysis that jointly optimizes various system parameters, such as node dimension, modulation scheme, synchronization protocol, RF/analog/digital circuit specifications, carrier frequency, and a miniaturized 3-D antenna. We propose a new protocol and modulation schemes that are specifically designed for energy-scarce ultra-small IoT nodes. These new schemes exploit abundant signal processing resources on gateway devices to simplify design for energy-scarce ultra-small sensor nodes. The proposed dynamic link adaptation guarantees that the ultra-small IoT node always operates in the most energy efficient mode for a given operating scenario. The outcome is a truly energy-optimized wireless communication system to enable various classes of new applications, such as implanted smart-dust devices.
Supportive care of the marrow transplant recipient: the Seattle Experience.

Bone marrow transplantation is a worldwide activity involving more than 250 transplant centers in over 40 countries [5]. Since its clinical introduction almost 20 years ago, the indications for transplantation have increased as the long-term results have improved [33]. Following marrow ablation with supralethal doses of total body irradiation and/or chemotherapy, hematopoietic and immunologic reconstitution is achieved via proliferation of engrafted marrow donor stem cells [36]. The ultimate success of the procedure depends, in large measure, upon supportive care of the transplant recipient. The following report reviews aspects of this special care.
The Low-Volatility Anomaly

A direct relationship between risk and return—in the sense that return should vary positively and proportionately to volatility—is so essential that this should be designated as the first law of finance. Investors otherwise would never be induced to commit capital to risky assets. In reality, low-volatility stocks offer abnormally high returns relative to their riskier counterparts. By undermining conventional assumptions about the relationship between risk and return, the low-volatility anomaly arguably represents the most significant challenge to mathematical finance. The value premium in the Fama and French’s three-factor model is arguably a special case of the low-volatility premium, attributable to the costly reversibility of physical investments and human capital during recessions and economic downturns. The literature of strategic management has identified a similar effect, called Bowman’s paradox. That discipline identifies managerial culture, especially corporate and social responsibility, as a possible explanation for abnormal returns on low-volatility stocks.
Simultaneous use of customer, product and inventory information in dynamic product promotion

Currently, retail data are both accessible and plentiful while the retail space has become increasingly competitive. When combined with technology like mobile computing and low cost analytic techniques, data can now be leveraged by companies to dynamically offer individualised promotions in real time. This paper considers the relative value of three retail information elements which can be used by retailers to dynamically identify a subset of product offerings to promote to their customers. The retail information elements considered are: (a) product markup, (b) customer preference estimates gleaned from purchase history and (c) retailer inventory positions. The importance of each element is evaluated singularly and in combination as is their effect on promotion success, inventory costs and average markup. Computational results show that, on average, dynamic promotion policies incorporating all retail information elements can increase expected profit by 14.5% over policies that consider only customer prefe...
Challenges in assessing rare risks associated with topical calcineurin inhibitors for the treatment of eczema

In a recent issue of the Journal of Dermatological Treatment, Cai et al. reported a retrospective cohort study on the association of cancers with the use of topical calcineurin inhibitors to treat ...
The Mind Murderer

A lex was only twenty when he came to the hospital. He was serving his second sentence in the prison system. The first was for assault, the second for murder. Early in his sentence, he was gruff and cocky. He paraded around the hospital, wearing his correctional clothes like they were something he had just picked up at a suburban store. He had an air that he didn’t belong. He’d flip a chair around and sit on it backwards, then wave dismissively as if he were the boss. He seemed like a streetwise version of a visiting dignitary. He told one psychiatrist that the charge resulted from a drug war in which many people were shooting. He said that he was charged and convicted because the police wanted him, because he was making too much money selling cocaine. But slowly, a change occurred in Alex. He no longer smiled and bragged. Less intrusive, he became sad and quiet. When a new psychology intern came to the prison hospital, Alex agreed to enter into psychotherapy with her. Slowly, Alex admitted that his drug dealing supported an expensive drug habit, which he said was the only way that he knew to escape endless despair.
Continuous Auditing as a Foundation for Real Time Decision Support: Implementation Challenges and Successes

Continuous auditing has the potential to transform the existing audit paradigm from periodic reviews of a few accounting transactions to a continuous review of all transactions which thereby could vastly strengthen an organisation’s risk management and business processes. Although some continuous ­auditing implementations are occurring now, their adoption is slower than expected. Continuous auditing systems require that human judgement be formalised and ­automated which can be a complex, costly and computationally intensive ­endeavour. However, continuous auditing systems have similarities with emergency management and response systems which integrate continuous auditing’s detection and alerting functions with the tracking of decisions and decision options for situations that could be more effectively handled by human judgement. Emergency management and response systems could provide an effective prototype to help overcome some of the implementation obstacles that are impeding the implementation rate of continuous auditing systems.
The Plant Cuticle

Most plant-pathogenic fungi gain access into their host by penetration of unwounded tissue. Some pathogens such as rusts invade the host via stomata (Hoch and Staples, 1987 and Chapter 2), whereas others penetrate the intact leaf surface without the requirement of natural openings (Aist, 1976; Emmett, 1975; Kunoh, 1984). The latter type of direct penetration encounters the plant cuticle, a noncellular hydrophobic structure covering the layer of epidermal cells. The cuticle thus serves as the first surface barrier that the pathogen has to breach. There is little evidence for the mere physical strength of the plant cuticle as a major factor in plant defense against pathogens. In some cases, the thickness of plant cuticles has been correlated with an increased passive resistance against fungal attack. This correlation, however, appears to be an exception rather than the rule (Martin, 1964). Furthermore, the cuticle has not been considered to play a major role in the active defense mechanisms of disease-resistant cultivars. There is good evidence that the cuticle is penetrated by the attacking pathogen before the sequential steps of disease development are halted by the active defense reactions of the challenged plant. Recent examples for this lack of cuticle involvement in cultivar resistance are the host—pathogen interactions of Venturia ivaequalis—apple (Valsangiacomo and Gessler, 1988) or Phytophthora infestans—potato (Gees and Hohl, 1987). The breaching of the cuticle can also be accomplished in many interactions of pathogens with nonhost plants (Heath, 1987).
Emotional and Behavioral Milestones in Infancy and Early Childhood

Aspects of physical, sensorimotor, and impersonal cognitive development are already included in many developmental approaches to infants and their families. Comprehensive clinical approaches to diagnosis and preventive intervention require equal attention to emotional, social, and socially relevant cognitive development.
Brief Report: Maternal Opioid Prescription from Preconception through Pregnancy and the Odds of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Autism Features in Children.

Opioid use during pregnancy is associated with suboptimal pregnancy outcomes. Little is known about child neurodevelopmental outcomes. We examined associations between maternal opioid prescriptions preconception to delivery (peri-pregnancy) and child's risk of ASD, developmental delay/disorder (DD) with no ASD features, or ASD/DD with autism features in the Study to Explore Early Development, a case-control study of neurodevelopment. Preconception opioid prescription was associated with 2.43 times the odds of ASD [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99, 6.02] and 2.64 times the odds of ASD/DD with autism features (95% CI 1.10, 6.31) compared to mothers without prescriptions. Odds for ASD and ASD/DD were non-significantly elevated for first trimester prescriptions. Work exploring mechanisms and timing between peri-pregnancy opioid use and child neurodevelopment is needed.
Biobased Plasticizers from Tartaric Acid, an Abundantly Available, Renewable Material

Esters/ethers derived from tartaric acid, an abundant renewable biomaterial, have been synthesized, fully characterized, and evaluated as plasticizers in PVC. These compounds are fully compatible w...
An overview of residual stresses in metal powder bed fusion

Abstract Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has garnered tremendous research and industrial interest in recent years; in the field, powder bed fusion (PBF) processing is the most common technique, with selective laser melting (SLM) dominating the landscape followed by electron beam melting (EBM). Through continued process improvements, these methods are now often capable of producing high strength parts with static strengths exceeding their conventionally manufactured counterparts. However, PBF processing also results in large and anisotropic residual stresses (RS) that can severely affect fatigue properties and result in geometric distortion. The dependence of RS formation on processing variables, material properties and part geometry has made it difficult to predict efficiently and has hindered widespread acceptance of AM techniques. Substantial investigations have been conducted with regards to RS in PBF processing, which have illuminated a number of important relationships, yet a review encompassing this information has not been available. In this review, we survey and assemble the knowledge existing in the literature regarding RS in PBF processes. A discussion of background mechanics for RS development in AM is provided along with methods of measurement, highlighting the anisotropic nature of the stress fields. We then review modeling efforts and in-process experimental measurements made to advance process understanding, followed by a thorough analysis and summary of the known relationships of both material properties and processing variables to resulting RS. The current state of knowledge and future research needs for the field are discussed.
Variations in risk and promotive factors on substance use among urban American Indian youth

Although roughly 70% of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI) population live in urban areas, research is scarce regarding this population. As a consequence, there is limited understanding about the salient socioenvironmental factors that aid in preventing substance use among urban AI communities. This study utilized a statewide, cross-sectional, school-based survey of urban AI adolescents (N = 2,375) to (a) examine the associations between substance use and risk and promotive factors within the family and peer group, and (b) explore how these associations vary by subgroups (gender, racial/ethnic background, and grade level). Results suggest that risk factors-familial substance use and antisocial peer affiliation-were associated with higher alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. However, these findings varied by subgroup. For males, involvement with antisocial peers was associated with greater marijuana use. Involvement with antisocial peers was also positively associated with alcohol and marijuana use for multiracial/multiethnic AI adolescents and those adolescents in 10th and 12th grades. The promotive factors-supportive family environment and prosocial peer affiliation-were not universally associated with lowered substance use by subgroup. This study advances understandings of the risk and promotive factors important in reducing and preventing substance use among urban AI adolescents. Experiencing familial substance use and affiliating with antisocial peers were the salient factors associated with increased substance use, particularly for urban AI adolescents who are older, male, and with multiracial/multiethnic AI backgrounds.
Soil gas monitoring at the Illinois Basin – Decatur Project carbon sequestration site

Abstract An extensive monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) program was carried out from 2011 to 2016 as part of the Illinois Basin – Decatur Project (IBDP), a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration project in Decatur, Illinois, USA. As part of the monitoring program, a near-surface monitoring network for soil gas was used to characterize the natural variability of CO2 and identify anomalies that could be associated with CO2 leakage in the vadose zone. In the fall of 2011, 21 permanent soil gas sampling nests were installed on-site and three nests were installed off-site as reference locations. Soil gas was collected from three depth intervals (15–30, 47–61, 107–122 cm) at each nest. Fixed gas (CO2, N2, O2, and light hydrocarbon) concentrations, stable carbon isotopic composition (δ13C), and radiocarbon (14C) content of CO2 in soil gas were monitored during the pre-injection, injection, and post-injection phases from 2011 to 2016. Both CO2 concentrations and carbon isotopic compositions showed large spatial and temporal variations; however, the relationships among CO2, N2, and O2 concentrations in soil gas indicated that these variations should be attributed to natural processes and not CO2 leakage. Soil CO2 concentrations responded to temperature and precipitation variations and increased with increasing soil depth. While 14C cannot be used to determine the occurrence of CO2 leakage at IBDP site due to the indistinctive signature between injected CO2 and soil gas CO2, experiences at IBDP validated that δ13C can serve as an effective natural tracer at this site. Results from this project have value for future industrial CCS projects that plan to use soil gas monitoring techniques for site characterization and leakage detection.
Racism Lives Here: The University of Missouri’s Response to a Campus Crisis

The University of Missouri-Columbia faced a crisis situation during the 2015–2016 academic year after a series of racially charged incidents on campus. The University’s chancellor and University Sy...
Recalculating the Length of the Longest Path in Perturbed Directed Acyclic Graph

Abstract This paper proposes an algorithm called the Maximum Length Recalculation Algorithm (MLRA) to update the length of the longest path to affected nodes in a perturbed Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAG) where multiple edges are simultaneously deleted and added. MLRA can find all these lengths through a single pass. It is mathematically proved that MLRA is correct. MLRA can be applied in different fields where problems can be described as a perturbed DAG. For instance, this paper applies MLRA on the scheduling problem.
Workforce Development Needs and Objectives of Today’s Transportation Engineering Professionals:

Given the growing influence of technology and innovation, the skill set and knowledge required of today’s transportation engineering professional includes many different subject areas. For this rea...
Functional traits predict species responses to environmental variation in a California grassland annual plant community

Turnover in species composition and community-wide functional traits across environmental gradients is a ubiquitous pattern in ecology, and is generally assumed to reflect shifts in trait optima across these gradients. However, the demographic processes that give rise to these trait turnover patterns at the community level remain unclear. We asked whether shifts in the community-weighted means of three key functional traits across an environmental gradient in a southern California grassland reflect variation in the trait-performance relationship across the landscape. We planted seeds of 17 annual plant species in cleared patches with no competitors, and quantified the lifetime seed production of 1360 individuals. We then asked whether models that included trait-environment interactions help explain interspecific variation in demographic responses to the environment. This allowed us to evaluate whether observed shifts in community-weighted mean traits matched the direction of any trait-environment interactions detected in the plant performance experiment. Our results indicate that commonly-measured plant functional traits help explain variation in species responses to the environment -- for example, high-SLA species had a demographic advantage in soils with high soil Ca:Mg levels, while low-SLA species had an advantage in low Ca:Mg soils. We also found that shifts in community-weighted mean traits often reflect the direction of these trait-environment interactions, though not all trait-environment relationships at the community level reflect interactive effects of traits and environment on species performance. Our results support the value of plant functional traits for predicting species responses to environmental variation, and highlight a need for more detailed evaluation of how trait-performance relationships change across environments to improve such predictions.
Toward an understanding of myofibrillar function in health and disease

The March 2021 issue of JGP is a collection of peer-reviewed articles focused on the function and dynamic regulation of contractile systems in muscle and non-muscle cells.
Service-Learning for a Multiple Learning Modality Environment

Chemistry curricula have been severely impacted by social distancing, the need for hybrid and remote learning, and the reduction of resources that many institutions have encountered since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak. Educators have had to be extremely creative and innovative with their pedagogical approaches in order to offer a quality learning experience. Instructors have used a plethora of interventions to convey course material or aspects of a class that typically would have been carried out in-person, such as live streaming laboratories, virtual simulations, and Zoom classes. Herein, we have identified a service-learning project as a means to engage students in chemistry, complement laboratory activities, and enhance students’ soft skills. During the project, students in a nonmajors chemistry course and upper level majors course presented a science activity to elementary students using Google Meet. Herein, we present the results and benefits of the interactive virtual service-learning project.
Power Spectrum Analysis of Breast Parenchyma with Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Images in a Longitudinal Screening Cohort from Two Vendors.

Rationale and Objectives To quantitatively compare breast parenchymal texture between two Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) vendors using images from the same patients. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included consecutive patients who had normal screening DBT exams performed in January 2018 from GE and normal screening DBT exams in adjacent years from Hologic. Power spectrum analysis was performed within the breast tissue region. The slope of a linear function between log-frequency and log-power, β, was derived as a quantitative measure of breast texture and compared within and across vendors along with secondary parameters (laterality, view, year, image format, and breast density) with correlation tests and t-tests. Results A total of 24,339 DBT slices or synthetic 2D images from 85 exams in 25 women were analyzed. Strong power-law behavior was verified from all images. Values of β d did not differ significantly for laterality, view, or year. Significant differences of β were observed across vendors for DBT images (Hologic: 3.4±0.2 vs GE: 3.1±0.2, 95% CI on difference: 0.27 to 0.30) and synthetic 2D images (Hologic: 2.7±0.3 vs GE: 3.0±0.2, 95% CI on difference: -0.36 to -0.27), and density groups with each vendor: scattered (GE: 3.0±0.3, Hologic: 3.3±0.3) vs. heterogeneous (GE: 3.2±0.2, Hologic: 3.4±0.1), 95% CI (-0.27, -0.08) and (-0.21, -0.05), respectively. Conclusion There are quantitative differences in the presentation of breast imaging texture between DBT vendors and across breast density categories. Our findings have relevance and importance for development and optimization of AI algorithms related to breast density assessment and cancer detection.
Multi-ethnic polygenic risk modifies the association between APOL1 high risk genotypes and chronic kidney disease

The burden of advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) falls disproportionately on minorities including African Americans (AAs) and Hispanic Americans (HAs) with admixed ancestry. Even though APOL1 high-risk genotypes increase risk of kidney disease, their penetrance is incomplete, indicating that the modification of APOL1 high risk may be polygenic. For this study, we used three multi-ethnic cohorts with APOL1 high risk genotypes and calculated a multi-ethnic PRS using publicly available summary statistics. We show that CKD risk is significantly modified by a multi-ethnic polygenic risk score. Standardizing population screening for CKD by including APOL1 high-risk genotypes and polygenic risk score may improve risk stratification and outcomes.
Object structures: building object-oriented software components with Eiffel

I. INTRODUCTION. 1. Object Structures. The Study of Object Structures. Objects. Object Structures. 2. Objects and Classes. Objects and Classes in Eiffel. Requesting a Feature of an Object. Inside, Outside. Summary. Exercises. 3. Pairs. What a PAIR Is and What It Does. How a PAIR Does What It Does. Sifting Out the Inside to Get the Outside View. Testing Class PAIR. Summary. Exercises. 4. Subclasses and Subcontracts. A More Sophisticated PAIR Structure. The "Can Act As a" Relationship. Subcontracting: Obligations of the Heir. When Subclassing Should Not Be Used. What PAIR Should Do As Subcontractor to ANY. Specifying Types with the like Keyword. Types, Classes, and Assignment. Summary. Exercises. II. LINEAR OBJECT STRUCTURES. 5. Arrays. What an ARRAY Is and What It Does. One Way for an ARRAY to Do What It Does. Summary. Exercises. 6. Lists. What a LIST Is and What It Does. How a LIST Does What It Does: Multiple Implementations. An Implementation Using an ARRAY. Testing List Implementations. Performance of the Array Implementation. Summary. Exercises. 7. Linked Implementations of Lists. Linked Implementations. Singly vs. Doubly Linked Lists and Their Class Hierarchy. Implementing a Singly Linked List. Factoring Out Implementation Commonalities. Choosing an Implementation: Performance Analyses. Summary. Exercises. 8. Stacks. What a STACK Is and What It Does. How a STACK Does What It Does. Using a LIST to Implement a STACK. Using an ARRAY to Implement a STACK. A Singly Linked Implementation of STACK. Choosing the Best STACK Implementation for a Given Use. Who Needs It? Summary. Exercises. 9. Queues. What a QUEUE Is and What It Does. How a QUEUE Does What It Does. Using a LIST to Implement a QUEUE. A Singly Linked Implementation of QUEUE. Using an ARRAY to Implement a QUEUE. Choosing the Best QUEUE Implementation for a Given Use. Who Needs It? Summary. Exercises. 10. Application: Calculators. Postfix Notation (RPN). Converting from Infix to Postfix. The Design. The Implementation. Exercises. III. SORTING AND SEARCHING. 11. Dictionaries and Associations. Dictionaries. The DICTIONARY Object Structure. Associations. The Contract for DICTIONARY. Linear Search Implementation. Performance Analysis. Summary. Exercises. 12. Sorting. Sortable Lists. Insertion Sort. Bubble Sort. Selection Sort. Summary. Exercises. 13. Faster Sorting. Merge Sort. Quick Sort. Space Complexity. Choosing the Best Sorting Algorithm for a Given Use. Summary. Exercises. 14. Faster Dictionaries. Binary Search. <B
Size-matched alkyne-conjugated cyanine fluorophores to identify differences in protein glycosylation.

Currently, there are few methods to detect differences in protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) in a specific manner from complex mixtures. Thus, we developed an approach that combines the sensitivity and specificity of Click Chemistry with the resolution capabilities of 2D DIGE. In “Click-DIGE”, post-translationally modified proteins are metabolically labeled with azido-substrate analogs, then size-and charge-matched alkyne-Cy3 or alkyne-Cy5 dyes are covalently attached to the azide of the PTM by Click Chemistry. The fluorescently-tagged protein samples are then multiplexed for 2DE analysis. Whereas standard DIGE labels all proteins, Click-DIGE focuses the analysis of protein differences to a targeted subset of post-translationally modified proteins within a complex sample (i.e. specific labeling and analysis of azido-glycoproteins within a cell lysate). Our data indicate that 1) Click-DIGE specifically labels azido-proteins, 2) the resulting Cy-protein conjugates are spectrally distinct, and 3) the conjugates are size- and charge-matched at the level of 2DE. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by detecting multiple differentially expressed glycoproteins between a mutant cell line defective in UDP-Galactose transport and the parental cell line. We anticipate that the diversity of azido-substrates already available will enable Click-DIGE to be compatible with analysis of a wide range of PTMs.
HIV-1 gp120- and gp160-induced apoptosis in cultured endothelial cells is mediated by caspases

The immune dysfunction and cell destruction that occur in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected host appear to result from the direct cytopathic effects of viral infection and the effects of viral proteins on uninfected bystander cells. Recently, the α-chemokine receptor CXCR4 has been reported to mediate apoptosis in neuronal cells and in CD4 + and CD8 + T cells after its binding to HIV-1 envelope proteins. In the current study, it was observed that human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) undergo apoptosis after their treatment with the HIV-1 envelope proteins gp120/160. Anti-CXCR4 monoclonal antibody decreased HIV-1 gp120/160-induced apoptosis, suggesting that the CXCR4 chemokine receptor mediates the apoptotic effects of these HIV envelope glycoproteins. Further studies revealed that caspases play an important role in this process because the pretreatment of cells with a general caspase enzyme inhibitor decreased the extent of HUVEC apoptosis induced by gp120/160. In addition, it was found that caspase-3 was activated on HIV-1 gp120/160 treatment of these cells. It was also observed that gp120/160 treatment slightly increased the expression of the pro-apoptotic molecule Bax. These results suggest that HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins can disrupt endothelial integrity through the interaction with CXCR4, thereby facilitating virus transit out of the bloodstream and contributing to the vascular injury syndromes seen in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Anti-HA Glycoforms Drive B Cell Affinity Selection and Determine Influenza Vaccine Efficacy

Protective vaccines elicit high-affinity, neutralizing antibodies by selection of somatically hypermutated B cell antigen receptors (BCR) on immune complexes (ICs). This implicates Fc-Fc receptor (FcR) interactions in affinity maturation, which, in turn, are determined by IgG subclass and Fc glycan composition within ICs. Trivalent influenza virus vaccination elicited regulation of anti-hemagglutinin (HA) IgG subclass and Fc glycans, with abundance of sialylated Fc glycans (sFc) predicting quality of vaccine response. We show that sFcs drive BCR affinity selection by binding the Type-II FcR CD23, thus upregulating the inhibitory FcγRIIB on activated B cells. This elevates the threshold requirement for BCR signaling, resulting in B cell selection for higher affinity BCR. Immunization with sFc HA ICs elicited protective, high-affinity IgGs against the conserved stalk of the HA. These results reveal a novel, endogenous pathway for affinity maturation that can be exploited for eliciting high-affinity, broadly neutralizing antibodies through immunization with sialylated immune complexes.
Cloning and partial characterization of two chromosomal loci from Bacteroides ovatus that contain genes essential for growth on guar gum.

Abstract Previously, we isolated three transposon insertion mutants of Bacteroides ovatus (M-4, M-5, and M-7) that were unable to grow on the branched polysaccharide guar gum. In this study, we used a tetracycline resistance gene on the transposon to clone chromosomal DNA adjacent to the transposon insertions in each of the three mutants. Restriction analysis of the flanking chromosomal DNA in M-4 and M-7 revealed that the insertions in these two mutants were in the same location. The cloned DNA adjacent to the insertions in M-5 and M-7 was used as a hybridization probe to clone the wild-type loci. Two clones of about 10 kbp in size were obtained. Restriction analysis showed that these two clones did not overlap. The clone of the M-5 locus appeared to contain all of the genes affected by the M-5 insertion, but we were unable to demonstrate complementation of the M-5 mutation because of the instability of the clone in this background. Analysis of the clone of the M-7 locus showed that it contained a guar gum-regulated promoter, but the transcript originating from this promoter was not affected by the transposon insertion. Thus, the M-7 locus apparently contains at least two separate transcriptional units, the one defined by this promoter and the one interrupted by the transposon insertion. Insertion mutations downstream of the guar gum-regulated promoter demonstrated that there were essential guar gum utilization genes in this region. The M-7 mutant was eliminated by the wild type in the intestinal tracts of germfree mice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)