cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beyond technical issues: A case-study approach to introducing environmental engineering students to nontechnical wastewater engineering constraints

By studying closed-ended technical problems, upper-undergraduate and early graduate environmental engineering students may not appreciate the importance of the nontechnical aspects of sanitation or the critical interrelationship between technical and nontechnical components. A module on sanitation engineering for the developing world was created and implemented in a senior/graduate level wastewater engineering course. Students developed case studies as a means to broaden and deepen their understanding of nontechnical issues of wastewater engineering. The case studies focused on developing countries, but the perceptions, treatment methods, and nontechnical issues are also relevant in developed countries. The goal was to increase student appreciation for the technical and nontechnical complexities and their interplay when designing and implementing sanitation systems in both the developed and developing world. Based on tests administered before and after case-study development, statistically significant change was observed in the students' understanding of technical and nontechnical sanitation issues. This paper presents the module design and implementation, assessment instruments and a detailed statistical and qualitative analysis of the module's impact in the first classroom implementation.
Multiview point cloud kernels for semisupervised learning [Lecture Notes]

In semisupervised learning (SSL), a predictive model is learn from a collection of labeled data and a typically much larger collection of unlabeled data. These paper presented a framework called multi-view point cloud regularization (MVPCR), which unifies and generalizes several semisupervised kernel methods that are based on data-dependent regularization in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHSs). Special cases of MVPCR include coregularized least squares (CoRLS), manifold regularization (MR), and graph-based SSL. An accompanying theorem shows how to reduce any MVPCR problem to standard supervised learning with a new multi-view kernel.
Linking R&D to market needs

Abstract A market research technique for identifying and evaluating the more important product features and service aspects of new industrial products is described. This method helps tailor product design and performance aspects to market needs and manufacturing costs.
Efficient reconstruction of indoor scenes with color

We present an efficient and general approach to computing and integrating 3D distance fields directly from multiple range images. We compute normal and confidence values directly from a 2D range image. We then approximate 3D Euclidean distance by correcting the line-of-sight distance. To integrate multiple scans, we efficiently transform voxels of the target distance field to each scan's local coordinate system, then update voxels with computed distance and confidence values. Finally, we extract an iso-surface from the weighted distance field using the marching cubes algorithm. We extend the same idea to the assignment of weighted colors or texture coordinates to the reconstructed model. Experiments show that our approach is fast, has reasonable storage requirements, and can produce high-quality surfaces from multiple range scans.
Corticosterone Secretion in Response to Adult Alarm Calls in American Kestrels

Abstract Many nestlings respond to alarm calls with anti-predator behavior, but their physiological responses to such calls are poorly understood. Alarm calls could stimulate increased secretion of corticosterone to mobilize energy reserves in anticipation of an interaction with a predator. However, elevated corticosterone levels can be costly to nestlings because they induce catabolic reactions at a time when the birds are engaged in anabolic processes. Thus, there may be constraints on the secretion of corticosterone if the catabolic costs outweigh the behavioral benefits. Furthermore, many studies use baseline corticosterone levels as a correlate of body condition, and if nestlings respond hormonally when they hear alarm calls rather than when they are first handled by (or catch sight of) an investigator, then determination of baseline hormone levels would be difficult. To investigate this phenomenon, we broadcast taped calls of either adult conspecific alarm calls or songs of heterospecifics to 15–20 ...
Euthrophication Analysis: A Multivariate Approach

Data from 55 Florida lakes were used to establish quantitative relationships between lake trophic state and watershed characteristics. The lakes were grouped by cluster analysis into 24 colored lakes and 31 relatively clear lakes, and these two groups were further subdivided into classical trophic groups by cluster analysis using even trophic state indicators. Trophic State indices (TSI) were developed from correlation matrices of the trophic indicators by principal component analysis to rank the lakes on a quantitative trophic state basis. TSI values for the 55 lakes were regressed against land use and population characteristics in the lake watersheds, and fertilized cropland and other cultural factors were found important in explaining the trophic state values. Canonical analysis of the individual trophic variables against eutrophication factors gave similar results.
Detection of heavy metal ions using screen printed wireless LC sensor

This paper reports on the successful development of a fully printed wireless LC sensor for the detection of toxic heavy metal ions. The LC sensor, consisting of inductors and interdigitated electrodes (IDE) in planar form, was screen printed on flexible polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) substrate with silver (Ag) ink as metallization layer. Palladium nanoparticles (Pd NP) were drop casted onto the IDEs as sensing layer. The resonant frequency of the LC sensor was remotely monitored by measuring the reflection coefficient (S11) of a detection coil (planar inductor). The change in resonant frequency of the LC sensor towards varying concentrations of mercury (Hg2+) and lead (Pb2+) ions, revealed micro molar detection levels. The response of the printed wireless LC sensor is analyzed and presented.
Children’s preschool classroom experiences and associations with early elementary special education referral

Abstract There is a growing body of research demonstrating the association between high quality preschool and improved child outcomes; however, few studies have considered special education referral as a child outcome. This study examined whether four specific aspects of the preschool classroom experience (child engagement, global classroom interaction quality, closeness and conflict in teacher–child relationships) predicted special education referral in early elementary school. Participants were 959 preschoolers in 240 classrooms across 6 states. Of the four aspects of the preschool experience explored, higher levels of conflict in the preschool teacher–child relationship related to greater special education referral in elementary school. Associations between aspects of the preschool classroom experience and special education referral were not moderated by demographic risk. These results imply that relationships play a key role in a child’s preschool experience and reasons for potential conflict in teacher–child relationships should be more closely examined.
The Biological Engineer: Sensing the Difference Between Crops and Weeds

This chapter describes the current state of the art in technology and methodology being used to develop sensors for automated weed control in cropping systems. The development of a reliable universal weed vs. crop plant sensor that works well in a wide range of crops and cropping systems is a formidable task. The discussion in this chapter highlights the significant progress that has been made in developing new, more robust, automatic sensing systems that can differentiate crop plants from weeds. Case studies documenting high levels of success in trials conducted outdoors in the natural, largely uncontrolled environment of an agricultural cropping system are presented. A discussion of the strengths and current challenges of the more successful weed and crop sensing techniques is provided. In many cases the methodology has utilized site- or condition-specific a priori knowledge to make the sensors smarter in a local context. This chapter highlights the advantages and compromises made in using these techniques. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the remaining engineering challenges to the development of a comprehensive, multifaceted fusion of several methods for sensing the differences between crops and weeds across the entire crop production cycle, and how the rapid development of advanced sensing and machine learning technologies will facilitate new plant recognition architectures and systems to achieve the level of machine recognition of weeds needed for automated weed control in cropping systems.
An overview of Real-time 3d Cloud Rendering

Clouds are complex objects with undefined and varying shapes and structures. They have fractal surfaces of various density and transparency levels. Physical properties of cloud such as shape, colour and area of expanse and height of occurrence determine the type of the cloud. Rendering a real-time 3D cloud object on a two dimensional screen is considered to be a tedious task, while having a good scope of research in the field of Computer graphics. The rendering needs high speed graphics hardware which gives greater performance and optimal accuracy. while listing some crucial physical properties of a cloud which directly or indirectly affect the appearance of the cloud, this communication gives a short note on a three step 3D cloud rendering process, i.e., cloud modeling, multiple scattering and cloud rendering.
Biological Effects and Persistence of Methyl Parathion in Clear Lake, California

Methyl parathion was applied to Clear Lake at a rate of 3.3 ppb for control of Chaoborus astictopus Dyar & Shannon. Three treatments at 20-day intervals had no lasting impact on zooplankton. Recovery to near or above pretreatment numbers was rapid for the organisms examined, including copepod nauplii, Diaptomus franciscanus Lilljeborg, Cyclops sp., Mesocyclops spp., Daphnia spp., Bosmina longirostris (O. F. Muller), Diaphanosoma brachyurum (Lieven) and Ceriodaphnia reticulata (Jurine). No residues were detected in lake sediments. Highest residues in water were found 8 and 24 h after the treatments, varying from 0.5–5.4 ppb, and generally declining after each treatment. However, generally larger residues were found with each successive treatment. Residues in bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, exposed to the treatments in live cars, varied from 11–110 ppb. A significant correlation was found between the methyl parathion levels in fish and water collected simultaneously.
Online Urbanism: Interest-based Subcultures as Drivers of Informal Learning in an Online Community

Online communities continue to be an important resource for informal learning. Although many facets of online learning communities have been studied, we have limited understanding of how such communities grow over time to productively engage a large number of learners. In this paper we present a study of a large online community called Scratch which was created to help users learn software programming. We analyzed 5 years of data consisting of 1 million users and their 1.9 million projects. Examination of interactional patterns among highly active members of the community uncovered a markedly temporal dimension to participation. As membership of the Scratch online community grew over time, interest-based subcultures started to emerge. This pattern was uncovered even when clustering was based solely on social network of members. This process, which closely resembles urbanism or the growth of physically populated areas, allowed new members to combine their interests with programming.
Mythologies of Business Intelligence

We present results from a case study of the use of business intelligence (BI) systems in a human services organization. In their organizational trajectory towards a "culture of data," our informants perceived four values associated with BI: data-driven, predictive and proactive, shared accountability, and inquisitive. Each value corresponds to a mythology of big data and BI. For each, we highlight the ways in which the enactment of the mythology is problematized by disconnects between aggregate and drill-down views of data that often impede the desired actionability. Our findings contribute initial empirical evidence of the ways in which the epistemological biases of BI systems influence organizations. We suggest design implications for better enabling data-driven decision making.
Controlled trials of aluminum hydroxide gels for peptic ulcer.

Relief of duodenal ulcer pain by aluminum hydroxide gel (AG) was compared with that obtained by a dummy gel (DG) in randomized trials. In 44 individual pain episodes, complete relief was obtained by 15-ml doses of AG in 79% and by DG in 45% (P
Pig endometrial cells in primary culture: morphology, secretion of prostaglandins and proteins, and effects of pregnancy.

Luminal epithelial, glandular epithelial, and stromal cells were isolated from pig endometrium by enzymatic dispersion and sieve filtration. The three cell types, maintained in primary culture, showed distinctly different morphologies when viewed by light and scanning electron microscopy. Immunocytochemical staining indicated that luminal and glandular epithelial cells were positive for both cytokeratin and vimentin. However, stromal cells were positive only for vimentin. Acid phosphatase activity was detected in the culture medium of glandular cells and increased (P less than .05) when progesterone (.1 microM) was included in the culture medium. The secretion of uteroferrin by glandular cells was also indicated by one-dimensional PAGE and Western blot analysis. Stromal cells produced more (P less than .01) prostaglandin E (PGE) than prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha), whereas glandular cells secreted more (P less than .01) PGF2 alpha than PGE. Pregnancy status affected prostaglandin secretion in that stromal cells secreted less (P less than .01) PGE and PGF2 alpha and glandular cells secreted less (P less than .05) PGF2 alpha when they were harvested from pregnant vs cyclic pigs. Furthermore, the PGE:PGF2 alpha ratio in medium from stromal cells was greater (P less than .01) for cells collected from pregnant pigs. This culture system provides an in vitro model for studying the hormonal regulation of the endometrium and potentially may be useful for studying interactions between endometrial cells and embryos in the pig.
Some factors influencing early puerperal pulmonary function

A comparison of the forced vital capacity of 70 patients in the early puerperium with their predicted normal values has shown a 17 per cent reduction at 2 hours post partum that improved to an 11 per cent reduction by the third day. The degree and rate of improvement of this abnormality were not affected by an episiotomy incision or the use of general or regional anesthetic agents. Furthermore, a normal degree of bronchial tone was demonstrated by a 3.4 per cent improvement in the 1 second forced expiratory volume following the inhalation of isoproterenol HCl. The distortion of the respiratory mechanics that accompanies pregnancy is therefore believed to play the predominant role in the etiology of this disorder.
Urinary excretion of modified nucleosides in chronic myelogenous leukemia

Urinary excretion of modified nucleosides was measured in 15 patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive CML to determine the correlation with activity of this disease. Resolution and quantitation of seven nucleosides were accomplished with reversed-phase HPLC. Patients in the stable phase of CML had excretion levels one to two times normal, whereas patients in the blastic phase showed elevations up to 12 times normal. The nucleosides showing the most significant differences in excretion between stable phase and blastic phase were 1-methylinosine, pseudouridine, and N2,N2-dimethylguanosine (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.001, and p less than 0.01, respectively). Nucleoside excretion was also determined in patients with bacterial pneumonia and urinary tract infection for comparison. Serial nucleoside determinations were made in two patients with CML and found to correlate closely with disease activity. The degree of elevation and the correlation with disease activity suggest the potential value of urinary nucleoside quantitation in monitoring patients with CML; in particular, nucleoside excretion may be useful in detecting early blastic transformation.
Circuit Laws and Networking Theorems

Prerequisites: Knowledge of circuit elements, their υ-i characteristics, and Ohm’s law (Chap. 2)
Border Control in Hepatitis C Virus Infection: Inhibiting Viral Entry

A new era has begun in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with powerful yet expensive therapies. New treatments are emerging that target the entry step of HCV and could potentially block reinfection after liver transplant. These treatments include antibodies, which target the virus or host receptors required by HCV. Additionally, several new and previously approved small-molecule compounds have been described that target unique aspects of HCV entry. Overall, the blocking entry represents an attractive strategy that could yield powerful combination therapies to combat HCV.
Dynamically feasible and safe shape transitions for teams of aerial robots

We consider the problem of generating dynamically feasible and safe plans for teams of aerial robots (quadrotors) while holding a fixed relative formation as well as transitioning between a sequence of formations. We extend the existing assignment and planning approaches for quadrotor teams to find minimal-time trajectories to enable team transition between non-rest initial and ending states while ensuring dynamic feasibility with respect to predefined kinematic, dynamic, and collision constraints. This work also presents a method for safe splitting and merging of robot formations according to input specification. The proposed methodology is capable of generating dynamically feasible and safe plans for teams of quadrotors in real time. We validate the performance of the proposed approach through various trials and scenarios conducted in simulation.
Abstract 3291: Prenatal stress increases neuroblastoma tumorigenesis in TH-MYCN mice model

Neuroblastomas (NB) are pediatric malignancies with heterogenous phenotypes, ranging from spontaneously regressing to highly aggressive, incurable tumors. Although NB is considered a genetic disease, its etiology and heterogeneity cannot be explained solely by genetic aberrations. NB arises due to defects in sympathetic neuron (SN) differentiation occurring during fetal development. Strikingly, the two factors promoting de-differentiation of NB cells, hypoxia and glucocorticoids, are elevated in the fetus during maternal stress, suggesting a role for prenatal stress in NB tumorigenesis. To test this hypothesis we used mice expressing MYCN oncogene under tyrosine hydroxylase promoter (TH-MYCN mice), which spontaneously develop NBs. To mimic stress, pregnant mothers carrying hemizygous TH-MYCN offspring were implanted with pellets containing either the main rodent glucocorticoid, corticosterone, or placebo at the time of neuroblast proliferation (embryonic days 10-20). Tumor frequency was compared between these two experimental groups and TH-MYCN offspring from intact pregnancies. Surprisingly, in pregnant mothers from the placebo group, physiological stress associated with experimental procedures alone (animal handling, blood collections, pellet insertion and anesthesia) was sufficient to elevate their corticosterone levels and increase tumorigenicity in their hemizygous TH-MYCN offspring from 32 to 64% (p = 0.03). A similar effect was observed in offspring of corticosterone-treated mothers with its levels comparable to mice eliciting a physiological stress response in the placebo group ( 1200ng/ml), indicating that only physiologically relevant levels of stress mediators can accurately recapitulate the stress response in animal models. Taken together, these findings support the role for prenatal stress in NB development, as well as implicate other pathologies associated with elevated levels of glucocorticoids in its etiology. Citation Format: Sung-Hyeok Hong, David Christian, Emily Trinh, Susana Galli, Meredith Horton, Yichien Lee, Christopher Albanese, Olga Rodriguez, Jason Ulip Tilan, Joanna Kitlinska. Prenatal stress increases neuroblastoma tumorigenesis in TH-MYCN mice model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3291. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3291
Effect of Organic Soil Acidity on the Properties of Iraqi Soil

There are many problems with the constructing over organic soils as the existence of these types of soils always produces geotechnical and engineering problems for regional development. The geotechnical properties of inorganic soil greatly differ from organic soils, which is known for its high water content, low shear strength, high compressibility, acidity and long-term settlement. In this paper, two soils are chosen according to its organic content and acidity content then physical and chemical properties is done to know them characteristics and leaching process is performed to reduce its acidity that affect the properties of it and study the change of leaching on these properties. Dry hydrated lime is added to the natural and leached soils depending on the optimum lime content to improve their performance. From the physical tests, shear strength tests and consolidation test it can be noticed that the soils are behave better after leaching as it reduced in plasticity index, compressibility, and swelling and increase in shear strength. Furthermore, the leached soils are needed less percentage of lime content to produce a pH of 12.4 and the stabilized leached organic soils are behave better than the stabilized natural soils.
Darwinism in the American South

No region in the world has won greater notoriety for its hostility to Darwinism than the American South. Despite the absence of any systematic study of evolution in the region, historians have insisted that southerners were uniquely resistant to evolutionary ideas. Rarely looking beyond the dismissals of Alexander Winchell from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, in the 1870s and James Woodrow from Columbia Theological Seminary Decatur, Georgia, in the 1880s—or the Scopes trial in the 1920s—they have concluded, in the words of Monroe Lee Billington, that “Darwinism as an intellectual movement … bypassed Southerners.” W. J. Cash, in his immensely influential book The Mind of the South, contended that “the overwhelming body of Southern schools either so frowned on [Darwinism] for itself or lived in such terror of popular opinion that possible heretics could not get into their faculties at all or were intimidated into keeping silent by the odds against them.” Darwin’s few southern converts either “took the way of discretion” by moving to northern universities or so qualified their discussions of evolution as to render the theory “almost sterile.”
Solving n-queens with a genetic algorithm and its usefulness in a computational intelligence course

Applying genetic algorithm techniques to the classic n-Queens problem illustrates the effectiveness and power of using an evolutionary approach to constraint satisfaction problems whose solutions cannot be found in polynomial time. When applied to problem-solving, genetic algorithms provide a means to emulate the natural evolutionary process in an attempt to reach an acceptable solution. This research reports on the application of the natural evolutionary process towards the solving of the n-Queens problem and the usefulness of such a problem in teaching computational intelligent algorithms.
An Ultrahigh Vacuum Packaging Process Demonstrating Over 2 Million Q-Factor in MEMS Vibratory Gyroscopes

Micro resonators and vibratory gyroscopes could reach their fundamental thermo-elastic damping (TED) limit in an ultravacuum condition where the viscous damping is eliminated. This article presents a reliable and repeatable high vacuum sealing process as a standalone approach for performance evaluation of dynamic micro devices. We demonstrated a micro-Torr vacuum level in a ceramic leadless chip carrier package and achieved the Q-factor over 2million on a quad mass gyroscope, approaching the TED limit of the device by effectively eliminating the viscous damping. The long-term vacuum stability was characterized over 1 year and demonstrated that the Q-factor does not degrade over time and even continues improving. The long-term ultrahigh vacuum condition is enabled by surface desorption prior to sealing, pumping of residual gases by passive getters, and defect-free solder reflow in the sealing area. The experimental results confirmed the reliability and repeatability of the proposed sealing procedure, which can be adapted for other Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) with ultrahigh vacuum requirements.
Content of First Prenatal Visits

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the content of the first prenatal visit within an academic medical center clinic and to compare the topics discussed to 2014 American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists guidelines for the initial prenatal visit. Methods Clinical interactions were audio recorded and transcribed (n = 30). A content analysis was used to identify topics discussed during the initial prenatal visit. Topics discussed were then compared to the 2014 ACOG guidelines for adherence. Coded data was queried though the qualitative software and reviewed for accuracy and content. Results First prenatal visits included a physician, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, medical assistant, medical students, or a combination of these providers. In general, topics that were covered in most visits and closely adhered to ACOG guidelines included vitamin supplementation, laboratory testing, flu vaccinations, and cervical cancer screening. Topics discussed less often included many components of the physical examination, education about pregnancy, and screening for an identification of psychosocial risk. Least number of topics covered included prenatal screening. Conclusions for Practice While the ACOG guidelines may include many components that are traditional in addition to those based on evidence, the guidelines were not closely followed in this study. Identifying new ways to disseminate information during the time constrained initial prenatal visit are needed to ensure improved patient outcomes.
Toxic epidermal necrolysis versus cutaneous Graft-Versus-Host Disease in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient: the role of elafin.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and cutaneous Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) are rare, life-threatening skin eruptions that can occur after a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Because t...
Measurement of Blood Loss in Cardiac Surgery: Still Too Much.

Background Cardiac surgery is associated with a significant decrease in hematocrit. It is unclear whether that occurs from hemodilution, loss of red cells, or both. Hematocrit is a major determinant of transfusion decisions although transfusion is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Physicians must determine whether this anemia is the result of hemodilution or red blood cell loss as the former would be treated with packed red blood cell transfusions and the latter by diuresis. We hypothesize that the decrease in hematocrit observed in cardiac surgery is due to hemodilution. Methods Blood volume (BV), plasma volume (PV), and red blood cell volume (RBCV) were measured in 54 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery, valve surgery, or coronary artery bypass graft/valve surgery. Measurements were made preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and 2 hours after surgery utilizing a dilution tracer method and hematocrit measurements. Results Preoperative average BV was 6,094 mL (SD 1,904 mL), RBCV was 2,024 mL (SD 720 mL), and PV was 4,070 mL (SD 1,339 mL). Postoperative average BV was 4,834 mL (SD 1,432 mL), RBCV 1,226 mL (SD 527 mL), and PV 3,607 mL (SD 993 mL). Blood volume decreased 18% ( p p p Conclusions Decreases in hematocrit observed in cardiac surgery patients are due to significant red blood cell losses and not to hemodilution. Red blood cell losses averaged 38%. Plasma volume also decreased.
Microstructural Effects of High Strain Rate Deformation

This paper constitutes an attempt to present the current state of knowledge of the effects of high strain rates on the microstructures of metals and alloys. It is limited, arbitrarily, to the effects produced by the passage of planar shock waves of known amplitude; i.e., to the effects of uniaxial strain.
Luther, Protestantism, and Education

Medieval philosophical and theological commitments played a fundamental role in the construct of societal norms in Western and Central Europe. Aristotelianism dominated the intellectual landscape of the medieval period, and grounded the movement known as scholasticism whose most influential intellectual was the Dominican monk, Thomas Aquinas. It was Aquinas’ recognizably Aristotelian intellectual methodology that placed the tools of reason at the forefront of theological investigation, and medieval scholasticism emerged from this means of intellectual praxis. The result of this intellectual paradigm affected both the church and the society. The church and its theological commitments became an amalgam of theological and philosophical commitments as intellectuals worked to build a holistic system that accounted for, in toto, a comprehensively rational view of the world. As scholasticism grew, society became more stratified, and at the pinnacle of society was the church and clergy with its scholastic theology, followed by the aristocracy, and finally the marginalized hoi polloi. A significant breach in the medieval scholastic bulwark occurred when Martin Luther posted his, now famous, 95 theses on a church door in Wittenberg. Luther attacked the Aristotelian paradigm whose roots undergird theological, intellectual, and political commitments in Western and Central Europe. Luther’s view of sola scriptura challenged the Catholic Church’s institutional power, as it holds the Scriptures to be the primary source for Christian living, and calls into question the philosophical/theological constructs of the established church. Sola scriptura drove educational change, as literacy and theological training were understood to be necessary for properly equipping the laity to be able to understand scripture. Personal responsibility theologically led to revolutionary changes in the way in which individuals viewed themselves vocationally, as well as within society. Ultimately, it was theological revolution and the subsequent movement away from scholasticism that reconstituted education in Western and Central Europe. Literacy, coupled with increased educational opportunities, brought a seismic change to much of the European continent, as education became increasingly available to all.
Circularly Polarized Luminescence (CPL) of Proteins and Protein Complexes

The review considers general theory of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), instrumentation employed for its accurate measurement including artifacts, calibration, principle parts, and its application to proteins and protein complexes. Circularly polarized intrinsic fluorescence of proteins includes CPL of peptides, poly-α-amino acids, tyrosine and tryptophan residues in proteins, complexes of proteins with functional non-fluorescent agents, and protein conformation perturbation. CPL of fluorescent agents in protein complexes addresses to artificial probes, enzymatic cofactors, bilirubin, lanthanides and light-harvesting chlorophyll-protein complex of photosynthetic photosystem II of higher plants.
Device Malfunctions and Complications Associated with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Surgery: Review of the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience Database.

Introduction and Objectives: Multiple surgical therapies for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) have been developed to decrease complications and increase provider efficiency. We investigated contemporary BPH treatment device-related adverse events by searching a publicly available database. Materials and Methods: The Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database was queried for contemporary BPH treatments. All devices were evaluated for malfunction, patient complications, and manufacturer review. The MAUDE adverse event classification system was used to standardize complications. Univariate analysis was performed to identify associations between BPH devices and adverse events. Results: A total of 2567 reports were identified: transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) 197 (7.67%), holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) 39 (1.52%), GreenLight™ 2315 (90.2%), and UroLift® 16 (0.62%). The most common deviations for each modality included cutting loop detachment during TURP 116 (58.9%), morcellator dysfunction for HoLEP 23 (58.9%), tip fracture/detachment for GreenLight (68.8%), and failure to deploy during UroLift 10 (62.5%). Only 18 (0.7%) patients required medical/surgical management (MAUDE II-IV) due to a device complication. No significant relationship was seen between each modality and complications; however, morcellator use (27.8%) was observed in higher grade complications. Manufacturer review occurred in 61.7% of cases, with 41.3% of reviewed cases finding the operator the cause of the malfunction. Conclusion: Each BPH modality investigated had minimal patient harm with over 99% of patients experiencing no complication after device malfunction. Of note, great care should be taken with morcellator use during HoLEP as it had the greatest number of MAUDE II to IV complications among all devices. Manufacturer review revealed that over 40% of cases were due to misuse by the user. Therefore, urologists should select the modalities they are most familiar with to decrease patient harm and prevent device malfunctions.
Nutrient Biogeochemistry of Urban Systems

This chapter highlights some of the features of nutrient flows through urban areas. Cities represent foci of human activity and are thus centers of resource consumption. Anthropogenic contributions of nutrients (mainly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)), and especially their consumption as food in urban areas, are associated with nutrient loads in human waste, which is channeled to waste treatment facilities, to landfills, and, ultimately, to the regional environment. Other significant contributions include atmospheric N deposition associated with industrial and vehicular combustion processes and N and P fertilizer applied to urban lawns and gardens. The concentration of these nutrients in urban regions, combined with their rapid movement in water flows facilitated by the impervious surfaces and drainage networks of cities, results in high nutrient loads to local and regional waters. Intensification of storm events in future climate scenarios should exacerbate potential nutrient flows from cities. High N and P loads, especially when out of balance with other nutrients such as silicon (Si), represent problems for water quality management.
A 34-Year-Old Woman With Hoarseness of Voice and an Abnormal Echocardiogram

Case Presentation A 34-year-old woman presented for evaluation of several months of a hoarse voice and dyspnea on exertion that progressed over the last 3 years. She had a clinical diagnosis of asthma that had been treated with bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids for a few years. She continued to use her inhalers but with minimal symptomatic improvement. The patient was a lifelong nonsmoker with no history of drug abuse. She worked as a college professor and denied any significant environmental exposures or recent travel.
Neurobiology of Positive Emotion Disruption in Neurodegenerative Disease

Author(s): Sturm, Virginia E; Levenson, Robert W | Abstract: Alterations in emotion are common in neurodegenerative disease. Although often associated with diminished functioning, neurodegeneration of emotion circuits can lead to both losses and gains in a range of emotional functions, including reactivity, regulation, appraisal, and empathy. Most previous research in this area has focused on the impact of neurodegeneration on negative emotions; however, there has recently been increasing interest in the degree to which neurodegenerative diseases may also alter positive emotions. This chapter reviews how different neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., frontotemporal dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease) impact positive emotions and the neural basis of positive emotion alterations. We will also discuss how decreases and increases in positive emotional reactivity can lead to specific behavioral symptoms in neurodegenerative disease and can impact patients’ family members and caregivers.
Non-Canonical Targets of HIF1a Drive Cell-Type-Specific Dysfunction

All mammalian cells sense and respond to insufficient oxygen, or hypoxia, through the activity of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), an evolutionarily conserved family of transcriptional regulators that promote oxygen-independent energy metabolism and angiogenesis. While HIF activation is transiently protective for all cells, prolonged HIF activity drives distinct pathological responses in different tissues. How HIF achieves this pleiotropic effect is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that non-canonical targets of HIF1a impair the function of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) to generate oligodendrocytes. Beyond the canonical gene targets shared between all cell types, HIF1a also bound to and activated a unique set of targets in OPCs including Ascl2 and Dlx3. Each of these targets, when ectopically expressed, was sufficient to block oligodendrocyte development through suppression of the key oligodendrocyte regulator Sox10. Chemical screening revealed that inhibition of MEK/ERK signaling overcame the HIF1a-mediated block in oligodendrocyte generation by restoring Sox10 expression without impacting canonical HIF1a activity. Collectively this work defines the mechanism by which chronic HIF1a suppresses oligodendrocyte formation. More broadly, we establish that cell-type-specific HIF1a targets, independent of the canonical hypoxia response, perturb cell function and drive disease in chronic hypoxia.
A comprehensive hypothesis on the migration of European glass eels (Anguilla anguilla).

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a catadromous fish that spawns in the Sargasso Sea. As larvae, eels cross the Atlantic Ocean and reach the continental slope of Europe, where they metamorphose into post-larval glass eels. These reach the continent, where some enter fresh water, some remain in marine waters, and others move between fresh and marine waters. After 5-25 years, as adult silver eels, they migrate back from fresh water to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die. The glass eel stage is a critical step during which the eels cross the continental shelf and recruit to estuaries, where they facultatively transition to fresh water. Extensive research has been conducted to understand the behavioural mechanisms and environmental cues that aid and guide glass eels' migration. Glass eels follow odours and salinity gradients, they avoid light, and they change orientation and depth according to the tides. Recent work revealed that European glass eels also use Earth's magnetic field and lunar cues to orient. However, while we understand many aspects of their orientation behaviour, a unifying theory describing how glass eels migrate from the continental slope to fresh water is lacking. The goal of this review is to develop a comprehensive hypothesis on the migration of European glass eels, integrating previous knowledge on their orientation behaviour with recent findings on magnetic and celestial orientation. This review follows the journey of a hypothetical glass eel, describing the nature and the role of orientation cues involved at each step. I propose that, although glass eels have the sensory capacity to use multiple cues at any given time, their migration is based on a hierarchical succession of orientation mechanisms dictated by the physical properties of the environments that they occupy: (i) lunar and magnetic cues in pelagic water; (ii) chemical and magnetic cues in coastal areas; and (iii) odours, salinity, water current and magnetic cues in estuaries.
Serial Crystallography for Structure-Based Drug Discovery

Rational drug discovery has greatly accelerated the development of safer and more efficacious therapeutics, assisted significantly by insights from experimentally determined 3D structures of ligands in complex with their targets. Serial crystallography (SX) with X-ray free-electron lasers has enabled structural determination using micrometer- or nanometer-size crystals. This technology, applied in the past decade to solve structures of notoriously difficult-to-study drug targets at room temperature, has now been adapted for use in synchrotron radiation facilities. Ultrashort time scales allow time-resolved characterization of dynamic structural changes and pave the road to study the molecular mechanisms by 'molecular movie.' This article summarizes the latest progress in SX technology and deliberates its demanding applications in future structure-based drug discovery.
Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency and Deficiency in Young, Female Patients With Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Complaints:

Background:Low levels of vitamin D have well-known impacts on bone health, but vitamin D also has a more global role throughout many tissues, including skeletal muscle. The high prevalence of hypov...
Map and sequence-based chromosome walking towards cloning of the male fertility restoration gene Rf5 linked to R11 in sunflower.

The nuclear fertility restorer gene Rf5 in HA-R9, originating from the wild sunflower species Helianthus annuus, is able to restore the widely used PET1 cytoplasmic male sterility in sunflowers. Previous mapping placed Rf5 at an interval of 5.8 cM on sunflower chromosome 13, distal to a rust resistance gene R11 at a 1.6 cM genetic distance in an SSR map. In the present study, publicly available SNP markers were further mapped around Rf5 and R11 using 192 F2 individuals, reducing the Rf5 interval from 5.8 to 0.8 cM. Additional SNP markers were developed in the target region of the two genes from the whole-genome resequencing of HA-R9, a donor line carrying Rf5 and R11. Fine mapping using 3517 F3 individuals placed Rf5 at a 0.00071 cM interval and the gene co-segregated with SNP marker S13_216392091. Similarly, fine mapping performed using 8795 F3 individuals mapped R11 at an interval of 0.00210 cM, co-segregating with two SNP markers, S13_225290789 and C13_181790141. Sequence analysis identified Rf5 as a pentatricopeptide repeat-encoding gene. The high-density map and diagnostic SNP markers developed in this study will accelerate the use of Rf5 and R11 in sunflower breeding.
Metals and Metalloids in Feathers of Neotropic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) Nesting in Lake Livingston and Richland Creek, Texas, USA.

Breast feathers of Neotropic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) from two nesting colonies in Lake Livingston (LALIV) and Richland Creek, Texas, were collected during 2014 and were analyzed for metals and metalloids. Mean concentrations of Al, As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Sb, and Se were not significantly different in breast feathers of cormorants from the two locations or between sexes. However, mean concentrations of Co, Mn, Ni, and V were significantly greater in feathers of cormorants from Richland Creek than in those from LALIV; and Zn concentrations were greater in cormorants from LALIV than in those from Richland Creek (p < 0.05). Overall, except for a few outliers for Pb, concentrations of heavy metals and metalloids in feathers were similar or lower than those reported in other species of cormorants from all over the world and were below levels of concern for lethal or sublethal effects on the species.
Effects of ApoA-I Mimetic Peptide L-4F in LPS-Mediated Inflammation

Despite recent advances in antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory therapy, sepsis continues to be a major cause of death in hospitalized patients. To date few interventions have been successful in treating sepsis. Microbes, via their unique molecular patterns, activate a cascade of events that leads to the clinical manifestation of sepsis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, mediates many of the toxic effects associated with sepsis. The innate immune response is activated during sepsis to protect the host. Circulating lipoproteins especially high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are important components of this immune response. Low concentrations of cholesterol and HDL are associated with oxidative stress and elevated inflammatory mediators in response to LPS. This is associated with poorer outcomes in septic patients. Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I is the principle protein component of HDL that is responsible for many of the anti-inflammatory properties of HDL. Results of studies indicate that HDL/apoA-I administration may be effective in treating sepsis. However obtaining therapeutic quantities of the HDL/apoA-I is impractical. Peptide 18A and its structural variant 4F are only 18 amino acid residues in length (compared to 243 amino acids present in human apoA-I). They have no sequence similarity with apoA-I, but they mimic the class A amphipathic helixes contained in apoA-I with lipid-binding properties. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that 4F efficiently inhibits LPS-mediated inflammatory responses and could be considered as an effective alternative to HDL/apoA-I therapy in conditions mediated by gram-negative infection. Major mechanisms of anti-inflammatory properties of 4F might include a direct binding and neutralization of LPS, strong antioxidant properties, effects on HDL function, and effects on cell membranes.
Subject Specific Cross Word Puzzles Were Effective Active Learning Tools

The purpose was to use lecture specific cross word puzzles to increase active learning activities. The puzzles were used in General Histology, Oral Histology, Mechanisms of Development, Dental, Med...
Associations of Sex Ratios and Male Incarceration Rates with Multiple Opposite-Sex Partners: Potential Social Determinants of HIV/STI Transmission

It is widely recognized that black people are disproportionately impacted by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in the U.S. Non-Hispanic black (NHB) individuals represented 47% of new diagnoses of HIV or AIDS in 2006.1 Similar disparities exist for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and genital herpes.2,3 Among NHB individuals, heterosexual contact is reported to be the leading route of HIV acquisition for women and the second leading route of acquisition for men.1 The number of sexual partners is a principal determinant of the likelihood of acquiring HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).4 National data show that NHB individuals report more recent opposite-sex partners, on average, than do non-Hispanic white (NHW) or Hispanic people.5,6 The rate of acquisition of opposite-sex partners can be influenced by the availability of those partners.
The advantages of the Isuzu square combustion chamber for D.I. engines

An appropriate configuration of square cavities shows two distinct characteristics when compared with the characteristics of the circular cavity. One is that the injection angle to the square cavity wall has some effect on reducing smoke level at low engine speeds and loses this effect with increasing engine speed. Secondly, the reduction in swirl at high engine speeds results in a better balance of swirl over the entire engine operating range. This allows best injection timing for BMEP to be retarded resulting in lower NOx and noise.