cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drosophila E2F1 Has Context-Specific Pro- and Antiapoptotic Properties during Development

E2F transcription factors are generally believed to be positive regulators of apoptosis. In this study, we show that dE2F1 and dDP are important for the normal pattern of DNA damage-induced apoptosis in Drosophila wing discs. Unexpectedly, the role that E2F plays varies depending on the position of the cells within the disc. In irradiated wild-type discs, intervein cells show a high level of DNA damage-induced apoptosis, while cells within the D/V boundary are protected. In irradiated discs lacking E2F regulation, intervein cells are largely protected, but apoptotic cells are found at the D/V boundary. The protective effect of E2F at the D/V boundary is due to a spatially restricted role in the repression of hid. These loss-of-function experiments demonstrate that E2F cannot be classified simply as a pro- or antiapoptotic factor. Instead, the overall role of E2F in the damage response varies greatly and depends on the cellular context.
Predictive value of the clinical diagnosis of lower genital tract infection in women.

Abstract Objective We hypothesized that diagnostic approaches to lower genital tract infections are inaccurate and proposed this study to evaluate typical approaches. Study design Clinical diagnoses were made with symptoms, direct observation, wet mount, vaginal pH, and amines in 598 women with genital complaints. Laboratory testing for N gonorrhoeae , yeast, T vaginalis , C trachomatis , and bacterial vaginosis by Gram stain. Results The most frequent symptoms were vaginal discharge (64%), change in discharge (53%), malodor (48%), and pruritis (32%). The infection rates were 46% bacterial vaginosis, 29% yeast, 12% trichomoniasis, 11% chlamydia or gonorrhea; 21% of the patients had no infection. The symptoms did not predict laboratory diagnosis. Clinical signs and symptoms with office-based tests and microscopy improved the accuracy of diagnoses. Amsel's clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis was the most sensitive at 92%. The sensitivity of wet mount diagnosis of trichomoniasis was 62%, of yeast by microscopy was 22%, and of mucopus for the prediction of gonorrhea and/or chlamydia was 30%. Conclusion Symptoms alone should not be used to direct treatment in instances in which resources permit more complete evaluation with office-based testing that includes microscopy. Treatment failures or diagnostic uncertainty should prompt specific laboratory testing.
Intracardiac Echocardiography During Interventional and Electrophysiological Cardiac Catheterization

Just as the growing interest and proliferation of methods to reperfuse the coronary artery system with transcatheter techniques spurred interest and utilization of intracoronary ultrasound (at least in academic centers), so the growth of anatomic cardiac transcatheter interventions and increasingly aggressive transcatheter ablative strategies to treat cardiac arrhythmias has stimulated the use of and development of new methods for intracardiac echocardiography (ICE). This article will review the development, present state of the art, and applications of ICE as well as project its evolution from 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional/4-dimensional visualization and integration of therapy with imaging in the near future. It may be surprising to realize that in the earliest days of ultrasound, as early as 1956, the potential of imaging heart structures with catheter-based devices was explored.1 The earliest investigators used single-crystal probes, some of which were rotated to achieve cardiac imaging.2,3 In the mid-1960s, a mechanically rotating 4-element probe was developed by Eggleton et al,4 and in 1969, a 32-element phased-array coil was developed by Bom and coworkers5,6 in Rotterdam. These interests even preceded the development of interventional catheterization therapy. They were spurred by the problems of angiography in outlining vascular and intracardiac anatomy in large detail as single-plane and eventually biplane angiography. The goal was precise measurement of vascular lumens. Some of the early explorations of intracardiac imaging with phased-array technology and color Doppler were undertaken with miniaturized transesophageal studies in experimental animals.7 Higher-frequency rotating catheter probes in the range of 20 to 30 MHz were developed and marketed for intracoronary investigations that yielded new insights into atherosclerosis, vascular response to stents, and coronary remodeling.8 Lower-frequency (10- to 12.5-MHz) versions of these rotating single-element devices were used for the earliest intracardiac investigations by Pandian et al9 in 1990. Our efforts with an …
Learning with Compositional Semantics as Structural Inference for Subsentential Sentiment Analysis

Determining the polarity of a sentiment-bearing expression requires more than a simple bag-of-words approach. In particular, words or constituents within the expression can interact with each other to yield a particular overall polarity. In this paper, we view such subsentential interactions in light of compositional semantics, and present a novel learning-based approach that incorporates structural inference motivated by compositional semantics into the learning procedure. Our experiments show that (1) simple heuristics based on compositional semantics can perform better than learning-based methods that do not incorporate compositional semantics (accuracy of 89.7% vs. 89.1%), but (2) a method that integrates compositional semantics into learning performs better than all other alternatives (90.7%). We also find that "content-word negators", not widely employed in previous work, play an important role in determining expression-level polarity. Finally, in contrast to conventional wisdom, we find that expression-level classification accuracy uniformly decreases as additional, potentially disambiguating, context is considered.
Numerical method for predicting transition in three-dimensional flows by spatial amplification theory

An efficient second-order-accurate numerical method, based on Keller's boc scheme, is used to solve the Orr-Sommerfeld equation for three-dimensional incompressible flows. Transition is computed with the en method and with an eigenvalue formulation based on the saddle-point method of Cebeci and Stewartson. The frequencies needed in transition calculations are obtained from zarfs that correspond to three-dimensional neutral stability curves. The calculation method is evaluated in terms of experimental data on a swept wing and a prolate spheroid at an angle of incidence. In general, the results are in good agreement with measured values.
Modeling and Analyzing Key Performance Factors of Shared Memory MapReduce

Map Reduce parallel programming model has seen wide adoption in data center applications. Recently, lightweight, fast, in-memory Map Reduce runtime systems have been proposed for shared memory systems. However, what factors affect performance and what performance bottlenecks exist for a given program, are not well understood. This paper builds an analytical model to capture key performance factors of shared memory Map Reduce and investigates important performance trends and behavior. Our study discovers several important findings and implications for system designers, performance tuners, and programmers. Our model quantifies relative contribution of different key performance factors for both map and reduce phases, and shows that performance of Map Reduce programs are highly input-content dependent. Our model reveals that performance is heavily affected by the order in which distinct keys are encountered during the Map phase, and the frequency of these distinct keys. Our model points out cases in which reduce phase time dominates the total execution time. We also show that data-structure and algorithm design choices affect map and reduce phases differently and sometimes affecting map phase positively while affecting reduce phase negatively. Finally, we propose an application classification framework that can be used to reason about performance bottlenecks for a given application.
How Corruption Kills: Pharmaceutical Crime, Mediated Representations, and Middle Class Anxiety in Neoliberal Argentina

Argentina is referenced by social scientists as a useful case study for exploring the contours of neoliberal crisis in Latin America. The middle classes of Buenos Aires have played a key role in critiquing neoliberal policies, including those that were responsible for the 2001 crisis and subsequent collapse of the country's economy. Yet these same middle classes are also part of an educated urban elite who both produce and consume the newsworthy journalism that remains implicitly supportive of neoliberal truths. The year 2008 marks the beginning of a journalistic saga that revolves around the case of three young pharmaceutical entrepreneurs in Greater Buenos Aires who were kidnapped and killed by what appeared to be a Mexican drug trafficking gang. The alleged intruders were believed to have entered Argentina in order to gain access to ephedrine, a key ingredient of methamphetamine that is made available from the manipulation of legal pharmaceutical products. From this original incident, two cases have emerged as a subject of intense journalistic scrutiny: the “triple homicide case” and the “medicines mafia case.” This essay analyzes the unfolding of these cases in the daily newspapers Pagina 12 and Clarin as an illustration of the ways in which journalistic portrayals of crime in contemporary Argentina are inflected by class. The cases reported could well be characterized as “epic” in that they point to a new form of neoliberal modernity that is populated by entrepreneurial middle class criminals operating at the borderlands of legal and illegal activities. The case suggests that in Argentina, new forms of sociality may be emerging among the middle classes, who have not only experienced neoliberal collapse but have also been subjects of journalistic reporting that predicts their inevitable pauperization.
TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL PATTERNS OF INSECT EMERGENCE FROM A LAKE MICHIGAN COASTAL WETLAND

Abstract Emergence traps were used to sample insects along a transect through a river delta wetland on Green Bay, Lake Michigan in an attempt to document spatial and temporal patterns in insect emergence. Various abiotic factors were also measured to determine which factors influenced these dynamics. Significant decreasing gradients in dissolved oxygen and pH with distance from the river, coupled with trends in sum nitrate (nitrate + nitrite), revealed that riverine water was mixing with wetland water up to 100 m from the wetland-river interface. Annual emerging insect densities decreased exponentially with distance from the river while emerging insect biomass decreased linearly with distance, both of which were significant. Insects were largely comprised of Chironomidae, which represented 7–88% of the insects emerging. Loss of biomass was largely due to emergence of Aeshnidae (0–34%), Libellulidae (0–69%), Coenagrionidae (0–23%), Siphlonuridae (0–63%), and Chironomidae (1–25%). Major Chironomidae emergen...
Recent Developments in the Jahn–Teller Effect Theory

In a review paper an updated formulation of the Jahn–Teller (JT) effect (JTE) (including proper JT, pseudo JT, and Renner–Teller (RT) effects) is given ased on the latest achievements in this field, including the conclusion that the JTE is the only source of instability and distortion of any polyatomic system from its high-symmetry configuration. Together with the statement in particle physics that “symmetry breaking is always associated with a degeneracy” the extended formulation of the JTE leads us to the speculation that Nature tends to avoid degeneracies. In the updated formulation the presence of two or more electronic states, degenerate or within a limited energy gap, that mix strongly enough under nuclear displacements is the necessary and sufficient condition of instability. Distinguished from the usually considered electron-vibrational (electron–phonon) interaction in which one electronic state interacts with totally symmetric vibrations, the JTE, mixing two or more electronic states, involves also low-symmetry displacements.
Ecology of a semi-isolated population of adult Anopheles freeborni: abundance, trophic status, parity, survivorship, gonotrophic cycle length, and host selection.

Abstract A population of adult Anopheles freeborni near Sheridan, CA was sampled daily during 13 August–7 September 1984. Data on abundance, trophic status, and gonotrophic age were recorded. Abundance and gonotrophic age data were analyzed to estimate daily survivorship and gonotrophic cycle length. Daily survivorship for unfed mosquitoes was estimated to be 0.72 with a gonotrophic cycle of 6 days duration. Daily survivorship for bloodfed mosquitoes was estimated to be 0.74 with a gonotrophic cycle of 4 days. The 2 day difference in gonotrophic cycles between unfed and bloodfed mosquitoes was the result of the period required for maturation and mating of teneral females. In 1986, an incage release of field-collected females estimated survivorship at 0.75 per day. Precipitin tests of 1,338 blood-engorged mosquito abdomens indicated that bovids, horses, rabbits, and canids comprised 92% of bloodmeals; no bloodmeals of human origin were detected.
Creating Mindful Heritage Narratives: Black Women in Slavery and Freedom

Attempts to complicate New England history and counter the amnesia of northern slavery must be done in ways that responsibly account for the diversity of experiences throughout the region in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This transitional period from slavery to emancipation laid the foundations for how slavery is remembered and how race is understood, even to this day. Reading through the historical and archaeological records allows a more nuanced understanding of the mechanisms by which captive and free Blacks were marginalized in New England's landscape and historical memories through gendered and racialized processes of erasure. This article examines the experiences of three women from early rural Massachusetts through a lens of Black feminist theory with the goal of creating mindful narratives of what it meant to be Black in New England at the turn of the nineteenth century.
Importance of the Silk Trails in the Diet Behavior of Late Instars of the Gypsy Moth

One of the most interesting behavioral traits of the gypsy moth. Porthetria dispar (L.). is the diel periodicity exhibited by the late instars. During the 1st 3 stadia, the larvae remain in the tree crown and feed normally in the morning hours (Leonard 1970). However, sometime near the beginning of the 4th stadium, a change in behavior of the larvae occurs; they feed during the scotophase and rest in protected places during the photophase.
Far-traveled latest Cretaceous–Paleocene conglomerates of the Southern Rocky Mountains, USA: Record of transient Laramide tectonism

A solitary, thin, widespread conglomerate is found in latest Cretaceous-Paleocene sections in each of these Laramide basins of the Southern Rockies—the Table Cliff (northwestern Kaiparowits) Plateau and Uinta Basin (Utah), the Piceance Creek and Denver Basins (Colorado), and the San Juan Basin (New Mexico). These units are unusual compared to typical syntectonic conglomerates in that they occur as a thin interval underlain by a disconformity, are far-traveled across most of the length of their basins, generally reflect a change in dispersal direction relative to underlying deposits and were deposited during a period of reduced subsidence. All units were deposited well after local initiation of the Laramide orogeny but within ∼8 m.y. of each other. However, each conglomerate unit was separately derived from individual source areas and is not part of a once-continuous gravel sheet. Similar widespread conglomerate units of this age are apparently absent in other Rocky Mountain Laramide basins. Previous studies postulate the shallow subduction of an oceanic plateau—the conjugate Shatsky Rise—beneath the U.S. Cordillera during the time interval of conglomerate deposition. The distribution, timing, and dispersion directions of the far-traveled conglomerates are grossly consistent with vertical motions and surface tilting along the transport path of the oceanic plateau. An exact match of conglomerate timing differs from previously proposed models, but uncertainties in timing of deposits, and the lack of constraints on the shape and structure of the subducted plateau preclude our ability to further refine the comparison. Elsewise local tectonic activity, climate change, and sea-level fluctuations fail to explain the observed spatiotemporal pattern. Hence, we suggest that these deposits record a transient mantle-derived tectonic effect traversing the Rocky Mountain region and demonstrate the utility of stratigraphy as a record of subtle tectonic events.
Elections and Public Policy

In the absence of historical opinion survey data, studies of the linkage between popular voting and American public policy have been confined to relatively recent time periods. Questions about these linkages, however, necessarily have a temporal dimension—what is the relationship between voting and policy over time? This paper establishes criteria for citizen policy choice that do not depend on opinion surveys. Data drawn from national party platforms and U.S. statutes, and aggregate voting data are compared to determine the extent to which majority choices are translated into national policy over time. Analysis of these data suggests that whether or not voters are completely aware of all of the implications of their actions, over time, popular majorities appear to govern.
Restrictions on surgical resident shift length does not impact type of medical errors.

Abstract Background In 2011, resident duty hours were restricted in an attempt to improve patient safety and resident education. With the goal of reducing fatigue, shorter shift length leads to more patient handoffs, raising concerns about adverse effects on patient safety. This study seeks to determine whether differences in duty-hour restrictions influence types of errors made by residents. Materials and methods This is a nested retrospective cohort study at a surgery department in an academic medical center. During 2013-14, standard 2011 duty hours were in place for residents. In 2014-15, duty-hour restrictions at the study site were relaxed (“flexible”) with no restrictions on shift length. We reviewed all morbidity and mortality submissions from July 1, 2013-June 30, 2015 and compared differences in types of errors between these periods. Results A total of 383 patients experienced adverse events, including 59 deaths (15.4%). Comparing standard versus flexible periods, there was no difference in mortality (15.7% versus 12.6%, P = 0.479) or complication rates (2.6% versus 2.5%, P = 0.696). There was no difference in types of errors between periods ( P = 0.050-0.808). The most number of errors were due to cognitive failures (229, 59.6%), whereas the fewest number of errors were due to team failure (127, 33.2%). By subset, technical errors resulted in the highest number of errors (169, 44.1%). There were no differences between types of errors of cases that were nonelective, at night, or involving residents. Conclusions Among adverse events reported in this departmental surgical morbidity and mortality, there were no differences in types of errors when resident duty hours were less restrictive.
Microtubule disruption leads to cellular contraction in human trabecular meshwork cells.

Purpose To determine whether microtubule- and actin-altering drugs, which have been shown to increase aqueous humor outflow, cause cellular contraction in human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells. Methods HTM cells were plated in culture dishes containing a polymerized deformable silicone substrate. After 48 hours, the dishes were placed on an inverted microscope and treated with ethacrynic acid, colchicine, vinblastine, cytochalasin B, or 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7) and then recorded on videotape for 15 minutes. An increase in silicone substrate wrinkle size and/or number indicated a contraction. Sham controls were used. Results Cellular contraction was observed with ethacrynic acid, colchicine, and vinblastine in the 10(-5) to 10(-4) M dosage range. Pretreatment with H-7 blocked these effects. Cytochalasin B did not produce cellular contraction. Conclusions Microtubule disruption causes cellular contraction in HTM cells, and this effect depends on an intact actin cytoskeleton network. Contraction of trabecular meshwork cells in response to various stimuli is an attractive hypothesis for possible homeostatic mechanisms in the outflow pathway, and this may serve as a focus for novel glaucoma drug development.
Philosophy of nature

Paul Feyerabend was one of the most intriguing figures in the twentieth-century philosophy of science. A student of Karl Popper, he came to reject stridently his former teacher’s ‘rationalistic’ vi...
Integrating an Operator with a Robotic System

Abstract In autonomous robotic systems there is a temporal separation between the operator/programmer's interaction with the system and subsequent task execution. While in conventional teleoperation systems the separation between the operator and the remote task is spacial with no significant time delay. This paper considers the case of the teleprogramming system where the operator is separated both spacially and temporally from the remote manipulator. The operator interaction with the teleprogramming system is drawn from teleoperation while the task execution is drawn from robotics. The failure of robotic systems to handle real-world interaction is overcome by the presence of an intelligent operator.
Large-Scale Cyclic Testing of Steel-Plate Shear Walls with Coupling

AbstractThe steel-plate shear wall with coupling (SPSW-WC) system is a natural extension of the conventional steel-plate shear wall (SPSW) seismic force–resisting system. The SPSW-WC configuration ...
Who Wins from Emissions Trading? Evidence from California

Researchers and environmental policy advocates have raised questions regarding the distributional impacts of emissions trading programs, a.k.a. “cap-and-trade”. While previous research has been careful to identify the causal effect of emissions trading on emissions reductions (Fowlie et al. in Am Econ Rev 102(2):965–993, 2012, hereafter FHM), we argue that existing estimates of differential impacts on demographic groups have relied on unrealistic assumptions regarding pollution dispersion. In this paper, we estimate the emissions reduction due to the RECLAIM cap-and-trade program in Southern California following the identification strategy of FHM, but we relax the assumption of uniform dispersion surrounding point sources. We model the transport of effluents using a state-of-the-science dispersion model to determine the areas impacted by emissions from each source. Importantly, conditional on race and ethnicity, we find that higher income areas receive larger reductions in pollution under cap-and-trade. Furthermore, conditional on income (or poverty rates), we find that Blacks benefit while Hispanics lose relative to whites under RECLAIM.
Critical, Contemplative Community Engagement

Chapter 4, “Critical, contemplative community engagement,” explores how to enact community engagement efforts so that student learning and community impacts embody a critical examination and interruption of the root causes and conditions of injustice, while promoting contemplative practices that fortify the wellbeing of individuals and collectives. This chapter discusses social justice-oriented frameworks for developing reciprocal social change partnerships that recognize the assets of the community while also addressing what the community has identified as problems and injustices. This form of engagement links personal development with social change by examining teaching and learning theories, partnership development factors, and social justice aims of the Critical, Contemplative, Community Engagement model.
Differential array sensing for cancer cell classification and novelty detection

A series of semi-specific peptides reported in the literature to bind various epitopes on cell surfaces were used in a differential sensing array to pattern cell line identity. The peptides were conjugated to thiazole orange to act as both a fluorescence reporter and a DNA intercalator. Fluorescence data for the peptides exposed to cells, with and without exogenous double stranded DNA (dsDNA), led to chemometric fingerprints for eight cancer cell lines. In contrast to the use of structures meant to act in completely non-specific ways, the use of a limited level of specificity generated linear discriminant score plots with high dimensionality, i.e. several principle components carrying significant variance. The arrays were found to correctly classify the cell lines from 60% to 100% depending upon the cell line. Due to the high dimensionality score plots, the identification of cell lines that were not part of the training set was examined. Support vector machines were used as a novelty detection routine and showed that a cancer line not part of the original training set could be correctly identified as being novel.
Dendritic Structural Plasticity and Neuropsychiatric Disease

The structure of neuronal circuits that subserve cognitive functions in the brain is shaped and refined throughout development and into adulthood. Evidence from human and animal studies suggests that the cellular and synaptic substrates of these circuits are atypical in neuropsychiatric disorders, indicating that altered structural plasticity may be an important part of the disease biology. Advances in genetics have redefined our understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders and have revealed a spectrum of risk factors that impact pathways known to influence structural plasticity. In this Review, we discuss the importance of recent genetic findings on the different mechanisms of structural plasticity and propose that these converge on shared pathways that can be targeted with novel therapeutics.
Hospital Cirrhosis Volume and Readmission in Patients with Cirrhosis in California

Patients with cirrhosis are at high readmission risk. Using a large statewide database, we evaluated the effect of hospital cirrhosis-related patient volume on 30-day readmissions in patients with cirrhosis. We conducted a retrospective study of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database for adult patients with cirrhosis, as defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes, hospitalized in California between 2009 and 2011. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of hospital volume on 30-day readmissions. A total of 69,612 patients with cirrhosis were identified in 405 hospitals; 24,062 patients were discharged from the top 10% of hospitals (N = 41) by cirrhosis volume, and 45,550 patients in the bottom 90% (N = 364). Compared with higher-volume centers, lower-volume hospitals cared for patients with similar average Quan–Charlson–Deyo (QCD) comorbidity scores (6.54 vs. 6.68), similar proportion of hepatitis B and fatty liver disease, lower proportion of hepatitis C (34.8 vs. 41.5%) but greater proportion of alcoholic liver disease (53.1 vs. 47.4%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated admission to a lower-volume hospital did not predict 30-day readmission (odds ratio [OR] 0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92–1.01) after adjusting for sociodemographics, QCD score, cirrhosis severity, and hospital characteristics. Instead, liver transplant center status significantly decreased the risk of readmission (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80–0.94). Ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatocellular carcinoma, higher QCD, and presence of alcoholic liver disease and hepatitis C were also independent predictors. Readmissions within 30 days were common among patients with cirrhosis hospitalized in California. While hospital cirrhosis volume did not predict 30-day readmissions, liver transplant center status was protective of readmissions. Medically complicated patients with cirrhosis at hospitals without liver transplant centers may benefit from additional support to prevent readmission.
Multiclass Probit-Based Origin–Destination Estimation Using Multiple Data Types

AbstractThis paper proposes a bilevel optimization model for multiclass origin–destination (O–D) estimation using various types of data. The multiclass character of the model, a new feature and maj...
Decentralized partner finding in multi-agent systems

One of the most compelling characteristics of multi agent systems is the ability to form coalitions to share their resources, create plans, share execution of tasks, etc. The work presented in this article offers scalable methods for finding potential coalition partners when not all agents in a large multi-agent system are known to the agents in need of help to achieve their goals. A new algorithm for finding partners in a MAS, based on concepts inspired by peer-to-peer networks, is described. The proposed algorithm design aims to provide a new, completely decentralized scheme that can be used by agents to gather information needed to make decisions about potential partners. The proposed algorithm is competitive with centralized approaches in smaller multi-agent systems and provides better scalability for larger systems.
Monet and Turner, Masters of Sea and Sky

Claude Monet, a founding member of the Impressionist movement, and Joseph Mallord William Turner, often described as England’s greatest painter, are both famous for spectacular landscapes accurately capturing the changing nature of skies and seas. Astronomical considerations of daylight, twilight, night skies, and tides can be used to enhance our understanding of the creative process for these artists. Monet painted a dramatic scene in his The Cliff, Etretat, Sunset, created in 1883 at a popular resort on the Normandy coast. The canvas shows the orange disk of the Sun sinking toward the horizon near a spectacular line of cliffs and an arch called the Porte d’Aval. In the background, behind the arch, rises a pyramid-like rock formation called the Needle.
Hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope dynamics of hyper-saline and salt-saturated aqueous solutions

Abstract An attractive tracer of water-surface interactions in humidity exposure experiments are the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in water vapor, though the conventional method of using salt saturated aqueous solutions to control humidity is likely to exert strong effects on the H and O stable isotope composition of the vapor. The magnitude of these effects are virtually unknown for hyper-saline solutions near salt saturation and beyond. Here we explore the hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope effects of salt-water mixtures from dilute to the salt saturation point and beyond for BaCl2, CaCl2, KCl, K2SO4, MgCl2, NaBr, NaCl, and NaI salts, of which the O isotope results on BaCl2, K2SO4, and NaBr are the first to be reported, and the first for H with BaCl2. We find that vapor humidity levels, and hydrogen and oxygen isotope effects in the vapor generated from dilute solutions to salt-saturated mixtures increase in magnitude by predictable linear trends. In the case of hydrogen isotope salt effects, the cation identity matters, as the effect becomes stronger with decreasing size and increasing charge (increasing ionic potential) in the sequence of: K
Plant Bioactives and the Intestinal Barrier: Redox Signaling and Implications for Insulin Resistance

Dietary plant bioactives, and in particular flavonoids, can exert actions at the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that can have an impact systemically, e.g. on glucose homeostasis, lipid and energy metabolism. GI barrier permeabilization and the associated increased passage to the circulation of luminal endotoxins underlie in part the pathophysiology of obesity-associated pathologies, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Endotoxins trigger systemic pro-inflammatory responses that contribute to tissue insulin resistance involving the activation of redox-regulated signals. Among flavonoids, we found that the flavan-3-ol (-)-epicatechin (EC) inhibits high fat (HFD)- and/or high fructose (HFr) diet-induced insulin resistance and steatosis in rodents. These beneficial effects are associated with EC capacity to inhibit HFD-mediated intestinal barrier permeabilization and endotoxemia. In vivo and in vitro studies support intestinal cell NADPH oxidase as a major target involved in EC effects. NADPH oxidase triggers a downstream series of events that cause tight junction disruption: NF-kB and ERK1/2 activation, upregulation of myosin light chain (MLC) kinase, leading to MLC phosphorylation and consequent monolayer permeabilization. Modulation of NADPH oxidase is also involved in the capacity of EC to restore insulin sensitivity in liver and adipose tissues, given that the redox-regulated activation of IKK/NF-kB, JNK1/2 and PKC causes inhibitory serine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor (IR) substrate 1 (IRS1), and upregulation of the IR and IRS1 inhibitory tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B. EC and other structurally related flavonoids (i.e. anthocyanidins (AC)) that directly inhibit NADPH oxidase, share similar chemical structures and capacity to improve insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, inhibition of NF-kB can explain EC-mediated decreased expression of select NADPH isoforms. In summary, the capacity of select bioactives (EC, AC) to improve HFD/HFR-associated insulin resistance is in part mediated through their capacity to modulate NADPH oxidase and redox-regulated pathways, leading to loss of GI tract barrier integrity and downregulation of the insulin pathway.
Simultaneous determination of 1,4-dioxane, epichlorohydrin, 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin in water by headspace solid-phase microextraction/GC/MS.

A method for the simultaneous determination of 1,4-dioxane, epichlorohydrin, 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) and geosmin in water by headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME)-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is described. A carboxen (CAR)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) SPME fiber was chosen. The small pores in carboxen particles make this carbon molecular sieve particularly effective for extracting small molecules, like 1,4-dioxane and epichlorohydrin. This method achieved one tenth of the regulated concentration values required in Japanese water regulation, and provided good repeatability with RSD values of between 2.0 and 7.7% at the concentration. The method provided linear ranges from 1 to 100 µg L–1 for 1,4-dioxane, 40 to 4000 ng L–1 for epichlorohydrin, and 1 to 100 ng L–1 for 2-MIB and geosmin. The extractabilities of 1,4-dioxane, epichlorohydrin, 2-MIB and geosmin from a tap-water sample spiked at 10 µg L–1, 400 ng L–1, 10 ng L–1 and 10 ng L–1, respectively, were between 95.7 and 104.6% with RSD values of between 1.4 and 2.4%.
First Report of Kochia (Bassia scoparia) with Cross-Resistance to Dicamba and Fluroxypyr in Western Kansas

Evolution and rapid spread of herbicide-resistant (HR) kochia has become a significant challenge for growers in the U.S. Great Plains. The main objectives of this research were to confirm and characterize the response of putative auxinic HR (Aux-HR) kochia accessions (designated as KS-4A, KS-4D, KS-4H, KS-10A, KS-10-G, and KS-10H) collected from two different corn fields near Garden City, KS, to dicamba and fluroxypyr and to determine the EPSPS gene copy number to detect whether those accessions were also resistant to glyphosate. Single-dose experiments indicated that putative Aux-HR kochia accessions had 78% to 100% and 85% to 100% survivors when treated with dicamba (560 g ae ha−1) and fluroxypyr (235 g ae ha−1), respectively. Whole-plant dicamba dose–response studies revealed that the selected Aux-HR accessions had 2.9- to 15.1- and 3.1- to 9.4-fold resistance to dicamba relative to two susceptible accessions (MT-SUS and KS-SUS). In a separate fluroxypyr dose–response experiment, the selected Aux-HR accessions also exhibited 3.8- to 7.3- and 3.0- to 8.6-fold resistance to fluroxypyr on the basis of shoot fresh and dry weight responses, respectively. The confirmed Aux-HR kochia accessions also had 3 to 13 EPSPS gene copies relative to MT-SUS and KS-SUS accessions (each with 1 EPSPS gene copy). These results suggest that the putative Aux-HR kochia accessions from Kansas had developed moderate to high levels of cross-resistance to dicamba and fluroxypyr and low to high levels of resistance to glyphosate. This is the first confirmation of kochia accessions with cross-resistance to dicamba and fluroxypyr in Kansas. Growers should use diverse kochia control programs, including the proper use of dicamba and fluroxypyr stewardship, use of cover crops, occasional tillage, diversified crop rotations, and alternative effective herbicides to prevent further evolution and spread of Aux-HR kochia on their fields.
Tuning Pore Heterogeneity in Covalent Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Enzyme Accessibility and Resistance against Denaturants

Achieving high-performance biocomposites requires knowledge of the compatability between the immobilized enzyme and its host material. The modular nature of covalent organic frameworks (COFs), as a host, allows their pore geometries and chemical functionalities to be fine-tuned independently, permitting comparative studies between the individual parameters and the performances of the resultant biocomposites. This research demonstrates that dual pores in COFs have profound consequences on the catalytic activity and denaturation of infiltrated enzymes. This approach enforces a constant pore environment by rational building-block design, which enables it to be unequivocally determined that pore heterogeneity is responsible for rate enhancements of up to threefold per enzyme molecule. More so, the enzyme is more tolerant to detrimental by-products when occupying the larger pore in a dual-pore COF compared to a corresponding uniform porous COF. Kinetic studies highlight that pore heterogeneity facilitates mass transfer of both reagents and products. This unparalleled versatility of these materials allows many different aspects to be designed on demand, lending credence to their prospect as next-generation host materials for various enzyme biocomposites catalysts.
Zika virus infection and risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome: A meta-analysis.

Abstract Objective Findings from studies of the association between Zika virus (ZIKV) infection and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) are inconsistent. I conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the nature of this association. Methods I searched PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scielo, and DOAJ for case report, ecological, and analytic studies with “Zika” and “Guillain-Barre syndrome” as keywords, published up to July 1stth 2018. I evaluated if ZIKV infection status influenced the diagnosis of GBS (detection bias) in case-report and analytic studies; assessed if changes in weekly number of cases of ZIKV infection during outbreaks were followed by changes in number of GBS cases 1–8 weeks later; gauged the likelihood of selection, confounding, information, sparse data, and time-dependent bias (i.e. when ZIKV infection was ascertained after GBS onset) in analytic studies; and calculated the average ZIKV-GBS odds ratio (OR) in studies without time-dependent bias. Results In case reports, ZIKV infection prevalence in GBS cases was 2.4 to 25 times higher than expected. Changes in the number of ZIKV-infection cases during outbreaks were not consequentially followed by changes in the number of GBS cases (OR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.99–1.03). Major biases were likely in all but one analytic study, which showed a non-significant ZIKV-GBS association. The average ZIKV-GBS OR in studies without time-dependent bias was 1.57 (95% CI: 0.86–2.86). Interpretation These findings indicate the available evidence is insufficient to claim ZIKV infection causes GBS. Therefore, stakeholders may want to reconsider current ZIKV-GBS public health and patient care recommendations.
Electric and Magnetic Fields

The major sources of electric and magnetic fields are from over-head power lines Both surrogate and direct measurements have been used to assess exposure to the electric and magnetic fields. Each metric has its own strengths and limitations, and exposure misclassification is a major issue in epidemiological studies. Many experts agree that there are suggestions of a modest association of surrogate measurements of residential exposures to EMF and childhood leukemia and of occupational exposures and adult chronic lymphocytic leukemia. However, results from across and even within epidemiological studies of EMF and cancer have been inconsistent and the biological mechanism is unknown. There is little evidence of an increased risk of other childhood and adult cancers.
Multi-layer Non-uniform Series Self-resonant Coil for Wireless Power Transfer

A multi-layer non-uniform self-resonant coil is proposed in this paper for wireless power transfer applications. Multiple layers of spiral coils are stacked up, and the capacitance between them is controlled by a dielectric material between the copper layers. The coil current is shared among all layers, and the current sharing ratio is determined by the variable-width spiral tracks. Compared with a two-layer self-resonant coil, current sharing across the multi-layer structure reduces total copper loss. The analytical model for the proposed coil is provided and used to optimize the design of the coil. Both finite-element simulation and prototype testing of a three-layer design are used to validate the model. The results confirm the predicted high quality factor series resonant behavior.
Railroad Track Geometric Degradation Analysis: A BNSF Case Study

AbstractPlanning and optimizing maintenance actions for rail failures are possible through understanding rail behaviors, which can be captured by statistical models. In this study, a degradation an...
Proceedings from the Albert Charitable Trust Inaugural Workshop on white matter and cognition in aging.

This third in a series of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) workshops, supported by “The Leo and Anne Albert Charitable Trust,” was held from February 8 to 12 at the Omni Resort in Carlsbad, CA. This workshop followed the information gathered from the earlier two workshops suggesting that we focus more specifically on brain white matter in age-related cognitive impairment. The Scientific Program Committee (Frank Barone, Shawn Whitehead, Eric Smith, and Rod Corriveau) assembled translational, clinical, and basic scientists with unique expertise in acute and chronic white matter injury at the intersection of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative etiologies. As in previous Albert Trust workshops, invited participants addressed key topics related to mechanisms of white matter injury, biomarkers of white matter injury, and interventions to prevent white matter injury and age-related cognitive decline. This report provides a synopsis of the presentations and discussions by the participants, including the existing knowledge gaps and the delineation of the next steps towards advancing our understanding of white matter injury and age-related cognitive decline. Workshop discussions and consensus resulted in action by The Albert Trust to (1) increase support from biannual to annual “White Matter and Cognition” workshops; (2) provide funding for two collaborative, novel research grants annually submitted by meeting participants; and (3) coordinate the formation of the “Albert Research Institute for White Matter and Cognition.” This institute will fill a gap in white matter science, providing white matter and cognition communications, including annual updates from workshops and the literature and interconnecting with other Albert Trust scientific endeavors in cognition and dementia, and providing support for newly established collaborations between seasoned investigators and to the development of talented young investigators in the VCI-dementia (VCID) and white matter cognition arena.
Thermodynamics of ion selectivity in the KcsA K+ channel

### I. Introduction In the voltage-gated K+ channels, measurements of ion channel permeability show that the protein selectively allows the flow of K+ over Na+ with a fidelity of better than 1 part in 1,000 ([Latorre and Miller, 1983][1]). Recent measurements ([Lockless et al., 2007][2]) of
The Age of Westernization (1900-1929)

Empire's End: Republican Revolution in China Defeat at the hands of Japan in the Sino-Japanese War of 1895 irrevocably shattered China's traditional sense of self-assurance, and what remained of the premodern Chinese world order was rapidly undermined thereafter. In 1891 and 1897, the reformer Kang Youwei (1858–1927) published two controversial (and repeatedly banned) books that argued that the existing texts of the Confucian Classics had been distorted by forgeries dating from the first century, and that Confucius, far from being a conservative transmitter of ancient traditions, had actually been a reformer in his own day. Despite this attempt to rejuvenate the Sage Confucius in the modernizing guise of a reformer, such scholarship already betrayed a profound loss of faith in tradition. In 1898, one important official, while apparently arguing conservatively for maintaining “Chinese learning for the fundamental principles,” simultaneously also acknowledged that in a time of “drastic transformation” substantial modernizing reforms were appropriate. After 1898, even this relatively moderate approach tended to be abandoned in favor of more radical modernization. The Japanese victory in 1895 had sounded an alarm, and following the Boxer disaster in 1900, even the Qing government recognized the need for rapid reform. China had been exposed as vulnerable – a once mighty empire reduced to being the “sick man of Asia” – and in need of some fairly dramatic measures to pull itself out of the past and adjust to modern world realities (see Figure 9.1). New ( xin ) suddenly became a highly fashionable buzzword in early twentieth-century China, beginning with the Qing Dynasty's “new policies” and “new schools” in the first decade and reaching its climax with the “new culture” of the May Fourth Movement in the second decade of the century – epitomized by the title of its most famous journal, New Youth . In 1902, the Empress Dowager Cixi authorized an edict ordering the abolition of foot binding (a painful and disabling custom that had been widespread among Chinese women since about the Song Dynasty). Although foot binding took decades to thoroughly eradicate everywhere, the abolition of the traditional examination system in 1905 was immediately effective and dealt a fatal blow to the old examination-selected Mandarin elite. Also in 1905, a group of imperial commissioners traveled for eight months in Japan, the United States, and Europe to study models of modern constitutional government.