cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oral contraceptive use among African American adolescents: individual and community influences.

Side effects of oral contraceptives are a noteworthy problem, particularly among low-income young women who reside in inner-city communities. The problem may be compounded by inadequate family planning services, particularly when such services are provided by general medical practices with high volumes of clients. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of pill-related side effects, with particular attention to the role of clinic characteristics. Participants were 177 pregnant and parenting African American adolescents and young women (average age=18.34). The experience of a pill-related side effect was the most frequently cited barrier to birth control use, and it was significantly related to contraceptive behavior. Finally, although participants attending comprehensive clinics experienced more barriers to medical service use than those attending neighborhood clinics, they reported fewer problems with pill-related side effects and better psychological functioning. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.
mj Rainbows in molecule-surface scattering

Abstract A quasiclassical trajectory study of N 2 scattering from a rigid corrugated crystal surface was carried out. Rainbow maxima were seen in the m j distribution. The maximum value of product j at which m j , rainbows occur is found to increase linearly with the corrugation and decrease linearly with the hardness of the interaction potential.
Influence of Thermomigration on Lead-Free Solder Joint Mechanical Properties

Thermomigration experiments were conducted to study the change in mechanical properties of 95.5Sn-4Ag-0.5Cu (SAC405) lead-free solder joint under high temperature gradients. This paper presents some observations on samples that were subjected to 1000°C/cm thermal gradient (TG) for 286 h, 712 h, and 1156 h. It was observed that samples subjected to thermal gradient did not develop a Cu 3 Sn intermetallic compound (IMC) layer, and we observed disintegration of Cu 6 Sn 5 IMC. On the other hand, samples subjected to isothermal annealing exhibited IMC growth. In samples subjected to thermomigration, near the cold side the Cu concentration is significantly higher compared with hot side. Extensive surface hardness testing showed an increase in hardness from the hot to cold sides, which possibly indicates that Sn grain coarsening is in the same direction.
Frequency matters: beta-band subthalamic nucleus deep-brain stimulation induces Parkinsonian-like blink abnormalities in normal rats

The synchronized beta-band oscillations in the basal ganglia-cortical networks in Parkinson's disease (PD) may be responsible for PD motor symptoms or an epiphenomenon of dopamine loss. We investigated the causal role of beta-band activity in PD motor symptoms by testing the effects of beta-frequency subthalamic nucleus deep-brain stimulation (STN DBS) on the blink reflex excitability, amplitude, and plasticity in normal rats. Delivering 16 Hz STN DBS produced the same increase in blink reflex excitability and impairment in blink reflex plasticity in normal rats as occurs in rats with 6-hydroxydopamine lesions and patients with PD. These deficits were not an artifact of STN DBS because, when these normal rats received 130 Hz STN DBS, their blink characteristics were the same as without STN DBS. To demonstrate that the blink reflex disturbances with 16 Hz STN DBS were frequency specific, we tested the same rats with 7 Hz STN DBS, a theta-band frequency typical of dystonia. In contrast to beta stimulation, 7 Hz STN DBS exaggerated the blink reflex plasticity as occurs in focal dystonia. Thus, without destroying dopamine neurons or blocking dopamine receptors, frequency-specific STN DBS can be used to create PD-like or dystonic-like symptoms in a normal rat.
LEAD at lunch: inquiry, learning, and action

This account of practice discusses the author's experience in facilitating a small group of managers in health care over lunchtime utilizing an action learning approach. This was part of a larger leadership development initiative which took place in the organization and the intention was to create a more intimate, informal and safe setting whereby the group could further delve into the collaborative learning process, explore issues around leadership, garner feedback about the formal programming, gain insight into larger organizational issues, and perhaps develop strategies for change. Outcomes achieved include better meeting management, revision of an organizational communication forum, the development of a training program for performance management, as well as plans for more collaboration with upper administration and the development of a mentoring program. In summary, this venue created a supportive space whereby all aspects of a problem could be explored and resolutions could be formulated and acted upon.
Single-Shot, Multicycle Suicide Gene Therapy by Replication-Competent Retrovirus Vectors Achieves Long-Term Survival Benefit in Experimental Glioma

Achieving therapeutically efficacious levels of gene transfer in tumors has been a major obstacle for cancer gene therapy using replication-defective virus vectors. Recently, replicating viruses have emerged as attractive tools for cancer therapy, but generally achieve only transitory tumor regression. In contrast to other replicating virus systems, transduction by replication-competent retrovirus (RCR) vectors is efficient, tumor-selective, and persistent. Correlating with its efficient replicative spread, RCR vector expressing the yeast cytosine deaminase suicide gene exhibited remarkably enhanced cytotoxicity in vitro after administration of the prodrug 5-fluorocytosine. In vivo, RCR vectors replicated throughout preestablished primary gliomas without spread to adjacent normal brain, resulting in profound tumor inhibition after a single injection of virus and single cycle of prodrug administration. Furthermore, stable integration of the replicating vector resulted in persistent infection that achieved complete transduction of ectopic glioma foci that had migrated away from the primary tumor site. Thus, efficient and stable integration of suicide genes represents a unique property of the RCR vector that achieved multiple cycles of synchronous cell killing upon repeated prodrug administration, resulting in chronic suppression of tumor growth and prolonged survival.
Returns to contrarian investment strategies: Tests of naive expectations hypotheses

Abstract This paper examines the ability of naive investor expectations models to explain the higher returns to contrarian investment strategies. Contrary to Lakonishok, Shleifer, and Vishny (1994), we find no systematic evidence that stock prices reflect naive extrapolation of past trends in earnings and sales growth. Building on Bauman and Dowen (1988) and La Porta (1995), however, we find that stock prices appear to naively reflect analysts' biased forecasts of future earnings growth. Further, we find that naive reliance on analysts' forecasts of future earnings growth can explain over half of the higher returns to contrarian investment strategies.
Total synthesis of erythromycin B

Abstract We report the details of the first total synthesis of erythromycin B using two different strategies for the end game. The first of these follows a classical approach in which the desosamine and cladinose residues are sequentially appended to a macrocyclic lactone, which was formed by cyclization of a seco acid derivative, to give a bis-glycosylated macrolide intermediate that is converted into erythromycin B. The second strategy features an abiotic approach in which a seco acid bearing a desosamine residue is cyclized to give a monoglycosylated macrocyclic lactone that is then transformed into erythromycin B via a sequence of steps involving refunctionalizations and a glycosylation to introduce the cladinose moiety. Attempts to prepare a bis-glycosylated seco acid by de novo synthesis were unsuccessful. The syntheses of the key seco acid intermediates feature the oxidative transformation of a furan containing C(3)–C(10) to provide a dioxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonenone that served as a template on which to create the stereocenters at C(6) and C(8). A stereoselective aldol reaction was used to establish the C(11)–C(15) segment, and a stereoselective crotylation was implemented to introduce the propionate subunit comprising C(1)–C(2).
The Role of Overweight Perception and Depressive Symptoms in Child and Adolescent Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors: A Mediation Model

OBJECTIVE: Children who are overweight or obese are at risk for depression and development of unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs), including using diet pills, purging, or fasting. Explications of pathways leading to UWCBs are needed to prevent the associated negative health outcomes. METHODS: Participants were 106 children/adolescents 8-17 years of age at a pediatric clinic. Measures included child body mass index, the Child Depression Inventory-Short Form, and questionnaires assessing perception of overweight and UWCBs used in the past year. Depression was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between perception of overweight and UWCBs. RESULTS: A bootstrapped mediation model revealed that depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between youth perception of overweight and UWCBs accounting for youth body mass index z-score. The total model explained 24% of the variance in UWCBs. Discussion This study presents a potential mechanism by which youth perception of overweight may influence UWCBs. Longitudinal research is needed to further elucidate the directionality of these relationships. Language: en
QR code antenna for wireless and security applications

This paper presents the first QR code antenna. The QR code itself represents a specific code based on any text, URL, and any alphanumeric contents. However it can also serve as the antenna that is described in this paper, or any other QR code-shaped antenna. This antenna has a return loss of 8.5 dB at 2.43 GHz and gain of 1.25 dBi, representative of a good receiver. These antennas can be used as an additional security feature and/or replacement for RFID tag antennas.
Implications of Pure Phase Mass Matrices

We find an example of Higgs field interactions that can produce fermion mass matrices in the highly textured symmetric pure phase form, a form consistent with phenomenology. The potential we study implies a simple set of discrete symmetries in the structure of the Lagrangian, symmetries closely connected to the hierarchical structure of fermion masses and the CKM matrix.
A recombinant homotrimer of type I procollagen that lacks the central two D-periods. The thermal stability of the triple helix is decreased by 2 to 4 °C

A D-period cassette system was developed that can be used to synthesize a variety of recombinant homotrimers of type I procollagen. A construct lacking the central two D-periods of pro alpha 1(I) chains was assembled and expressed as a recombinant protein in the mammalian cell line. The recombinant protein was purified to homogeneity and the thermal stability of the triple helix assayed by rapid protease digestion. The results indicated that deletion of the central 468 amino acids from the major triple helix lowered the thermal stability of the protein by 2 to 4 degrees C. The results therefore begin to define regions of the molecule that vary in their contributions to helical stability.
Cloning and functional expression of a mouse liver organic cation transporter

Hepatic uptake of organic cations is essential for the metabolism and secretion of numerous endobiotics and drugs. Several hepatic organic cation transporters have been kinetically defined, yet have not been isolated or cloned. We have isolated a complementary DNA (cDNA) from both murine liver and kidney cDNA libraries (mOct1/Slc22a1), and have functionally expressed it in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Although mOct1/Slc22a1 is homologous to previously cloned rat and human organic cation transporters, organic cation transport kinetics differed markedly. mOct1/Slc22a1-RNA injection of oocytes resulted in the saturable, time- and temperature-dependent uptake of the quaternary organic cation [14C]-tetraethylammonium ([14C]-TEA), with a Km of 38 micromol/L. TEA uptake was inhibited by several other organic cation drugs, but was not inhibited by the organic cation n-methyl-nicotinamide (NMN), being instead stimulated by it (fourfold). [14C]-TEA uptake was also stimulated by an inside-outside proton gradient. mOct1/Slc22a1-injected oocytes transported the organic cations [3H]-1-methyl-4-phenylpyridium and [3H]-choline chloride, but did not transport other classes of organic compounds. mOct1/Slc22a1 encodes for a hepatic and renal organic cation transporter which may be important for the uptake and secretion of cationic drugs and endobiotics.
Calculated effect of fluid retention upon velocity of blood flow and turbulence: Implications for atherosclerosis

Fluid retention increases intravascular volume and pressure. The calculations in this paper demonstrate that fluid retention increases the likelihood that blood will flow in a turbulent manner, in part due to an increase in stroke volume, regardless of whether or not blood pressure is increased. Increased turbulence will promote endothelial dysfunction, thereby contributing to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Accordingly, fluid retention is predictably detrimental to the cardiovascular system. The reason that some medications, such as cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors, nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, estrogens, progestins, and rosiglitazone, are associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarcts and strokes may be that they cause fluid retention. Increased stroke volume and/or edema formation may indicate that a medication increases the risk of adverse cardiovascular events. For drugs that increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events, it may be possible to reduce or neutralize the increased risk by simultaneously administering a diuretic.
Habitat and estimated density of Magicicada septendecula (Hemiptera: Cicadidae), a 17-year periodical cicada newly discovered in Connecticut, United States of America

Periodical cicadas in the genus Magicicada Davis (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of brood II emerged in the eastern United States of America in 2013. In Connecticut, only Magicicada septendecim (Linnaeus) had been recorded until this emergence when Magicicada septendecula Alexander and Moore was found on Totoket Mountain in North Branford, Connecticut, United States of America. This discovery represented the northeastern-most record of this species. In two 0.25-ha plots where M. septendecula and M. septendecim emerged and chorused, species of Carya Nuttall (Juglandaceae) comprised 59.9–63.7% of the total basal area, with Carya glabra (Miller) Sweet, accounting for 43.9–60.0%. In one plot, 31.6% of the total basal area was Fraxinus americana Linnaeus (Oleaceae). By using the proportion of exuviae of M. septendecula (hind tibial length<6.3 mm) and M. septendecim (length ⩾ 6.3 mm) near trees and the mean number of emergence holes per 0.25-m2 quadrat (1.88), it was estimated that 1487 M. septendecula and 17 313 M. septendecim emerged in one 0.25-ha plot. Mean tibial length of M. septendecula was significantly smaller in males (5.53 mm) than females (5.99 mm), and the sex ratio did not depart significantly from 1:1. Magicicada septendecula may be threatened by the decline of F. americana and Juglans cinerea Linnaeus (Juglandaceae), the first a known host and the second a suspected host.
Teramac-configurable custom computing

The Teramac configurable hardware system can execute synchronous logic designs of up to one million gates at rates up to 1 megahertz. A fully configured Teramac includes half a gigabyte of RAM and hardware support for large multiported register files. The system has been built from custom FPGA's packaged in large multichip modules (MCMs). A large custom circuit (/spl sim/1,000,000 gates) may be compiled onto the hardware in approximately 2 hours, without user intervention. The system is being used to explore the potential of custom computing machinery (CCM).
In vitro and in vivo study of sustained nitric oxide release coating using diazeniumdiolate-doped poly(vinyl chloride) matrix with poly(lactide-co-glycolide) additive

Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous vasodilator as well as natural inhibitor of platelet adhesion and activation that can be released from a NO donor species, such as diazeniumdiolated dibutylhexanediamine (DBHD/N2O2) within a polymer coating. In this study, various Food and Drug Administration approved poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) species were evaluated as additives to promote a prolonged NO release from DBHD/N2O2 within a plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) matrix. When using an ester-capped PLGA additive with a slow hydrolysis time, the resulting coatings continuously release between 7 and 18 × 10−10 mol cm−2 min−1 NO for 14 days at 37 °C in PBS buffer. The corresponding pH changes within the polymer films were visualized using pH sensitive indicators and are shown to correlate with the extended NO release pattern. The optimal combined diazeniumdiolate/PLGA-doped NO release (NOrel) PVC coating was evaluated in vitro and its effect on the hemodynamics was also studied within a 4 h in vivo extracorporeal circulation (ECC) rabbit model of thrombogenicity. Four out of 7 control circuits clotted within 3 h, whereas all the NOrel coated circuits were patent after 4 h. Platelet counts on the NOrel ECC were preserved (79 ± 11% compared to 54 ± 6% controls). The NOrel coatings showed a significant decrease in the thrombus area as compared to the controls. Results suggest that by using ester-capped PLGAs as additives to a conventional plasticized PVC material containing lipophilic diazeniumdiolates, the NO release can be prolonged for up to 2 weeks by controlling the pH within the organic phase of the coating.
Shoulder Dystocia and Operative Vaginal Delivery

Our objective was to determine the factors involved in the development of shoulder dystocia in association with operative vaginal delivery. In this prospective study, patients who were candidates for operative vaginal delivery were randomized either to forceps (N = 315) or vacuum with M-cup (N = 322) and timed from initial placement of instrument to final delivery. Data were gathered prior to and after instrumental delivery. Statistics used were Pearson chi square, Fisher's exact, analysis of variance, and multiple logistic regression. There were a total of 21 patients with shoulder dystocia in both groups (3.3% incidence). Discriminant factors that did not meet significance included use of epidural analgesia (P =. 12), station (P =. 99), previous vaginal delivery (P =. 99), fetal gender (P =. 54), indication for operative vaginal delivery (P =. 63), >45 degree rotation (P =. 68), use of episiotomy (P =. 62), maternal weight (P =. 26), and maternal diabetes (P =. 08). Nearly attaining significance in univ...
Representing the Unrepresentable: Towards a Strong Cultural Geography of Spirituality

Many geographers have called into question the utility of cultural representation in geographical research, analysis and theory. Gathering under the banner of “non-representational theory,” these critics argue that an overweening focus on cultural representation obscures materiality, affect and a clear view of the bodily performance of subjectivity. In the geography of religion this argument has been pressed into service to give religious experience an ontological reality it could not hold under the previous cultural representational/constructivist modes of research, analysis and theory. I argue that the epistemological commitments of non-representational theory are not useful for the geography of religion and that a “strong cultural” perspective provides geographers of religion greater analytical leverage.
Plötzlicher Herztod beim Sport

Dem Problem des plotzlichen Herztodes beim Sport kommt im Rahmen der Betrachtung des plotzlichen Todes eine besondere Rolle zu. Im Verlauf einer sich uber mehrere Jahre erstreckenden Studie, in der 192 einschlagige Falle von mir und meinen Mitarbeitern eingehend untersucht wurden, ergaben sich die folgenden Befunde:
Effects of ractopamine, genotype, and growth phase on finishing performance and carcass value in swine: I. Growth performance and carcass merit.

A replicated factorial experiment using 183 individually fed crossbred barrows was conducted. Pigs were fed an 18.5% CP (.95% lysine) diet with 3,594 kcal of ME&. The effects of five genotypes (GT): 1) Hampshire (H) x (H x Duroc PI), 2) synthetic terminal sire line, 3) (H x D) x (Landrace [L] x lyorkshire (Y) x D]), 4) L x (Y x D), and 5) Y X L; two levels of ractopamine (RAC) treatment: 0 and 20 ppm; and three treatment weight periods 0: 1) 59 to 100, 2) 73 to 114, and, 3) 86 to 127 kg live weight on growth performance and carcass traits were evaluated. Ractopamine increased (P and backfat thickness at the last rib @F%R P < .OS). Genotype 3 performed better for most economically important traits than did GT 1 and 4, suggesting that heterosis existed in GT 3, which essentially was obtained by crossing GT 1 and 4. Among the three treatment periods, WT 2 had the highest ADG. As BW increased from WT 1 to 3, AFI and AFJ/ADG ratio (FCR) increased and lean percentage decreased. No significant interactions among RAC, GT, and WT were observed for ADG, FCR, and muscle quantity traits, indicating that the effects of RAC, GT, and WT were additive for these traits.
Circadian rhythm changes in blood pressure and heart rate during the first year after heart transplantation.

Heart transplant recipients (n = 11) were studied before discharge from the hospital and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation to (1) examine systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate circadian patterns, (2) detect the presence or absence of nocturnal declines, and (3) describe changes in the mean levels of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate. An ambulatory blood pressure-monitoring system was used to record blood pressure and heart rate at 1-hour intervals for up to 48 hours. Data were analyzed with descriptive and independent t-test statistics, as well as cosinor analysis for rhythmicity. The majority of the patients had significant (p 140/90 mm Hg) was common and by 6 months and 1 year after transplantation 8 of the 10 patients remaining in the study were hypertensive. Increases in mean heart rate of approximately 18% (ranging from 2% to 46%) were also observed during the first postoperative year.
The Plutonium Economy

(1976). The Plutonium Economy. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 32, No. 10, pp. 10-14.
How I diagnose and manage individuals at risk for inherited myeloid malignancies.

Although inherited hematopoietic malignancies have been reported clinically since the early twentieth century, the molecular basis for these diseases has only recently begun to be elucidated. Growing utilization of next generation sequencing technologies has facilitated the rapid discovery of an increasing number of recognizable heritable hematopoietic malignancy syndromes while also deepening the field9s understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie these syndromes. Because individuals with inherited hematopoietic malignancies continue to be under-diagnosed and are increasingly likely to be encountered in clinical practice, clinicians need to have a high index of suspicion and be aware of the described syndromes. Here, we present the methods we use to identify, test, and manage individuals and families suspected of having a hereditary myeloid malignancy syndrome. Finally, we address the areas of ongoing research in the field and encourage clinicians and researchers to contribute and collaborate.
Richard E. Braithwaite on J. M. Keynes's A Treatise on Probability and Logical Theory of Probability: Ignorance is Bliss

Richard E Braithwaite’s Oct,1931 review article in Mind on Jefferys’ work on probability also summarized what the current assessment of Keynes’s A Treatise on Probability and logical theory of probability was. This assessment is based on a complete and total ignorance on Braithwaite’s part about what Keynes actually accomplished in the A Treatise on Probability. He had no idea about what an interval valued, indeterminate probability is. He had no idea about how Keynes built on Boole’s upper-lower bound approach. He had no idea about the concept of the weight of the evidence, w, and how it is connected to the size of the difference between the lower and upper bound. He apparently forgot that Keynes’s logical approach to probability was carefully laid out in 1907 and 1908, which would be 12 or 13 years before Harold Jeffreys published his articles in 1919 with Wrinch.Finally, Braithwaite had no idea about how to compare objects using a relation of similarity and/or dissimilarity which, of course, is the basic requirement needed for pattern recognition, which is recognized as fundamental by cognitive psychologists and cognitive scientists if decision makers are to successfully use their intuition and induction. He is totally oblivious to the connection between degrees of similarity and Keynes’s logical probability relations. In short, he was an ignorant fool who failed abysmally, like Hugh Townshend, to make use of the clues Keynes periodically sent his way.
Mitigating bad data and measurement delay in nonlinear dynamic state estimation

We present an augmented continuous-discrete extended Kalman filter (EKF), capable of mitigating the effects of bad data and (random) measurement delay. We use an innovations-based Fisher-type scheme to identify and remove occurrences of corrupted sensor observations. We rely on time-stamp technology to accurately determine the duration of delay experience d by each received measurement packet. The length of delay is then used to construct a “delay-aware” optimum MMSE state estimate. A Flywheel Energy Storage System (FESS) example is used to demonstrate the high quality of dynamic state estimation achieved with the proposed method in the presence of bad sensor samples and delayed measurement packets.
Performance Evaluation for Simulation-Based Practice: A Cardiac Code Simulation Assessment for Nursing Students

The healthcare industry is increasingly integrating simulation-based training within the different practices of medicine, including nursing education. While considerable literature exists regarding...
Heterogeneous Associations of Second-Graders’ Learning in Robotics Class

Drawing on Latour’s (Reassembling the social: an introduction to actor–network-theory, Oxford University Press, New York, 2005), this manuscript discusses a study of a robotics class in a public, Title I elementary school. Compared with theoretical frameworks (e.g., constructivism and constructionism) dominant in the field of early childhood robotics education, the lens of ANT served to move beyond emphasizing a single element (i.e., either robotic tools or children’s work with teachers and parents) to seeing heterogeneous associations of multiple elements involved in robotics education. In these associations, human and non-human elements greatly contributed to implementing robotics activities. In particular, our analysis of three second-graders, who successfully met the instructional objectives set by our research team, revealed critical roles played by material actors (e.g., robotic manipulatives, engineer logs) and quasi-human/quasi-material actants (e.g., embodied simulation) in these children’s learning and performance. The findings of this study encourage educators to pay careful attention to multiple elements, including instructional materials and children’s bodily exploration, associated with teaching and learning.
Sustainable Agriculture-a Valid Alternative:

The concepts of sustainable agriculture have been much debated in recent years. The emphasis in this paper is on alternative farming practices that optimize on-farm techniques to control pests and satisfy nutrient requirements; and that address broader ecological and societal goals. This contribution focuses on the economic findings and barriers to adopting sustainable farming practices in the USA. These issues are of major concern to policymakers, agribusiness and producers. Shifts are occuring in American agriculture, but major adjustments in farming practices will not occur until farm policy is changed and economic, environmental, and social goals are fully incorporated into the accounting framework.
Drug Court Through the Eyes of Participants

Operating with community support and through partnerships among treatment providers and the criminal justice system, drug courts address substance abuse as a root cause of criminal behaviors. Drug ...
Benthic Responses to Wet-Weather Discharges in Urban Streams in Southern Ontario

Urban stormwater and combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges are important sources of sediment and contaminants (trace metals, PAHs, nutrients and road salts), and cause changes in flow, sediment, chemical and thermal regimes of receiving waters. Over the past several years, benthic conditions of streams representing a range of exposure environments were assessed in Hamilton, Toronto, Oshawa and Kingston, Ontario. Studies progressed from initial surveys of sediment contaminant levels, sediment toxicity and benthic invertebrate community structure to more spatially intensive sampling and experimental approaches that included the use of artificial substrates, in situ water toxicity tests and measurements of contaminant bioaccumulation. Results showed that while sediments and some biota at sites exposed to wet-weather discharges were often contaminated with metals and PAHs and enriched with nutrients, significant biological degradation measured by sediment toxicity or depauperated benthic communities was not evident. Exposure to stormwater discharges at sites below outfalls could alter the composition of benthic communities, but these effects were not strongly related to contaminant concentrations in sediment or invertebrate tissue. No outfall-associated toxicity was observed for caged amphipods held in the water column. Effects of wet-weather discharges on benthic communities at the urban stream sites studied appear to be small, and their detection was limited by several inherent conditions, including natural heterogeneity in the distribution of benthic invertebrates, episodic (intermittent) exposure to discharges and contaminant fluxes allowing some recovery, “background” levels of disturbance, poorly delineated changes in communities caused by physical effects such as flow and sediment transport, and community response dynamics. Detection of stormwater discharge effects should be improved by sampling on smaller temporal and multiple spatial scales to better quantify stressor exposure and invertebrate responses.
Evaluating the Accuracy of Vehicular Channel Models in a Large-Scale DSRC Test

Vehicle-to-vehicle channel characteristics differ significantly from those of conventional cellular channels, especially in terms of fading statistics due to varying environmental conditions, link types, vehicle types, and objects that result in complex propagation effects. Accurate modeling of the vehicular channel remains a complex challenge. In this paper, existing, common vehicular channel models (VCMs) are evaluated and compared to measurement data from the UMTRI large-scale Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) testbed involving nearly 3000 vehicles and conducted over several months around Ann Arbor, MI. While many VCMs can predict reasonably well the frequent packet error rates observed near Ann Arbor, they over-estimate inter-packet gap and under-estimate the likelihood of runs of consecutively and successfully received packets. The testbed environment shows significant fading (i.e., sub-Rayleigh) and/or shadowing effects that challenge the accuracy of traditional VCMs. Furthermore, despite 60% of the inter-vehicle paths being obstructed by items available using OpenStreetMap (OSM) geodata, a deterministic obstacle shadowing model that makes use of such geodata does not account for all shadowing effects. Evaluating vehicular channel models in terms of real-world, large-scale experiments helps researchers better understand actual behaviors and allows for the development of new and/or improved models that more accurately reflect reality.
Autoregulation of Protein Synthesis by Translation

In mammalian cells mRNA translation is activated by a variety of stimuli including hormones such as insulin and growth factors. The stimulatory effects of nutrients, in particular, glucose and amino acids, on protein synthesis have recently become a focus of new interest. Acute exposure of pancreatic β-cells to glucose, for example, is known to activate insulin biosynthesis by stimulating translation of pre-existing prepro-insulin mRNA. This regulation at the level of translation rather than at the level of insulin gene transcription ensures a rapid replenishment of stored insulin content after exocytosis. Dietary amino acids have also been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis after food intake (1, 2). This anabolic effect may be attributed in part to an increase in amino acid supply to muscle, thereby augmenting substrate availability for peptide synthesis. However, many recent studies suggest that amino acids also function independently as nutritional signaling molecules that regulate mRNA translation. In this chapter, the effects of nutrients, glucose and amino acids, on the regulation of protein synthesis by activating key regulatory translation factors will be discussed primarily focusing on pancreatic β-cells.
Attraction to and Avoidance of Instream Hydrokinetic Turbines by Freshwater Aquatic Organisms

Abstract The development of hydrokinetic (HK) energy projects is under consideration at over 150 sites in large rivers in the United States, including the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Atchafalaya Rivers. These waterbodies support numerous fish species that might interact with the HK projects in a variety of ways, e.g., by attraction to or avoidance of project structures. Although many fish species inhabit these rivers (about 172 species in the Mississippi River alone), not all of them will encounter the HK projects. Some species prefer low-velocity, backwater habitats rather than the high-velocity, main channel areas that would be the best sites for HK. Other, riverbank-oriented species are weak swimmers or too small to inhabit the main channel for significant periods of time. Some larger, main channel fish species are not known to be attracted to structures. Based on a consideration of habitat preferences, size/swim speed, and behavior, fish species that are most likely to be attracted to HK structures in the main channel include carps, suckers, catfish, white bass, striped bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, and sauger. Proper siting of the project in order to avoid sensitive fish populations, backwater and fish nursery habitat areas, and fish migration corridors will likely minimize concerns about fish attraction to or avoidance of HK structures.
[314-POS]: Despite high aldosterone (Aldo), the distal tubule sodium chloride co-transporter, NCC, is not increased in pregnant rats

Objectives Pregnancy is characterized by cumulative plasma volume expansion due to renal Na retention, driven by activation of Aldo. The Aldo-responsive epithelial Na channel (ENaC) is activated in the kidney in pregnancy. Here, we investigated the other Aldo-responsive transporter, NCC in mid- and late pregnant rats (MP, LP), compared to virgins (V). Methods We performed Western blots to determine abundance of total NCC (using 2 different antibodies generated by AM and SM) and abundance of 3 phosphorylated (=activated) NCC (-pT53; p-S71 and p-S89) in cortex. We also performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) using the AM antibody on perfusion fixed kidneys from V, MP and LP. Results Total NCC abundance using both AM and SM antibodies, and activated NCC-pT53, p-S71 and p-S89 were unchanged in MP vs. V (data not shown). In LP vs. V, total and phosphorylated NCC was decreased, using all 5 antibodies (Figure). By IHC, NCC was clearly detectable in distal tubules in virgins and was mainly localized to the luminal membrane. While NCC was also detectable in the MP and LP cortex, the luminal localization was clearly reduced in LP. Conclusions Despite high circulating Aldo levels in MP and LP, the Aldo-responsive NCC is not increased in total or activated (phosphorylated) abundance, or in luminal membrane localization (required for activation) in MP or LP vs. V. This contrasts to the aldo-responsive activation of ENaC and the inhibited natriuretic activity (by increased medullary phosphodiesterase V) in pregnancy that we previously reported. Why and how NCC escapes Aldo activation in pregnancy is not clear, but may relate to regional differences in cortex vs. medulla. Disclosures C. West: None. E. Qiu: None. A. McDonough: None. S. Masilamani: None. J. Verlander: None. C. Baylis: None.
Analysis and Experimental Validation of an Optimized Gradient-Index Phononic-Crystal Lens

Harvesting flexural energy has emerged as a viable means for driving low-power electronic devices. This study presents an optimized phononic gradient refractive index (GRIN) lens, which has important applications in focusing and harvesting elastic waves in fields such as structural health monitoring and wearable electronics. Also presented is a general framework for optimizing GRIN lenses, using multiple-scattering computations and ray-tracing analysis. Experimental results for an actual, optimized lens exhibit significant increase in focused power, with significant shortening of focal distance.
Impella 5.0 as a Bridge to Clinical Decision Making

Introduction Mortality from cardiogenic shock remains a significant clinical challenge. Short term mechanical circulatory support devices have the potential to improve outcomes. The Impella 5.0 is currently FDA approved for up to 10 days. We report our institutional experience with the Impella 5.0 as a means to improve survival and expand treatment options in patients presenting with severely decompensated end stage heart failure (HF) and cardiogenic shock. Hypothesis The Impella 5.0 can serve as an effective bridge to recovery or as an optimization tool for long-term support in patients with cardiogenic shock. Methods A retrospective review was performed on all consecutive patients supported with Impella 5.0 from August 2017 to February 2018 at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Results A total of 19 Impella 5.0 devices were implanted in men and women as a “bridge to decision” regarding the potential for recovery vs. evaluation for long-term ventricular assist device (VAD). Eleven patients presented in cardiogenic shock and 8 in severely decompensated HF. All implantations were performed via axillary approach. The average number of pressors was 0.9 (range 0-3 pressors). The average norepinephrine dose was 0.15 mcg (range 0.04 - 0.33 mcg) and epinephrine 0.10 mcg (range 0.06 - 0.15 mcg). After Impella implantation, patients were on pressors for an average of 1.4 days (range 0 - 4 days). The average length of Impella duration was 14 days (range 0 - 36 days). There were no major adverse complications from prolonged Impella support. No devices malfunctioned and there were no reported strokes or major bleeding events. Two (11%) patients had hemolysis requiring device removal on days 6 and 18 respectively. Thrombocytopenia requiring more than 10 units of platelets occurred in 2 patients (11%). Seven patients (37%) died and twelve (63%) survived. Of those that survived seven (37%) regained their ejection fraction (EF) and five (26%) had a VAD placed. Of the seven (37%) that died, four were not VAD candidates (for psychosocial reasons) so decided on hospice/withdrawal of care and the other three died of worsening HF and rupture of a chronic abdominal aortic aneurysm. Conclusions Prolonged hemodynamic support with Impella 5.0 is a safe and viable option for patients presenting with decompensated HF and cardiogenic shock as a bridge to decision strategy. Use of Impella support for more than 10 days was safe and did not result in major adverse events. This type of strategy allows for thorough evaluation for viable VAD candidates and offers potential for cardiac recovery in a sub-group of patients.
Sexual Concurrency and Contraceptive Use Among Young Adult Women.

Leveraging 2.5 years of weekly data from the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life Study, we investigate the relationship between young women’s sexual concurrency and their contraceptive behavior. Specifically, we (1) examine whether young women changed their contraceptive use when switching from one to multiple concurrent sexual partners in the same week; (2) explore the uniformity of contraceptive responses to concurrency across relationship context; and (3) compare the contraceptive behaviors of never-concurrent women with those of ever-concurrent women in weeks when they were not concurrent. Nearly one in five sexually active young women had sex with two or more people in the same week. When they were concurrent, these women’s odds of using any contraception increased threefold, and their odds of using condoms increased fourfold. This pattern of contraceptive adjustments was the same across relationship characteristics, such as duration and exclusivity. Yet when they were not concurrent, ever-concurrent women were less likely to use any contraception and used condoms less consistently than women who were never concurrent. We discuss these findings in the context of ongoing debates about the role of sexual concurrency in STI transmission dynamics.
Extrinsic Dopant Effects on Oxygen Vacancy Formation Energies in ZrO2 with Implication for Memristive Device Performance

Despite much progress in development of oxide-based resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) devices that have an inherent memory and advantages in increased speed of operation, higher density, nonvolatility, ease of integration, and low power, many challenges remain, particularly relating to conductive filament (CF) formation and rupture and associated device uniformity. Oxygen vacancies (Vos) play an important role for both the valence change memory (VCM), based on formation and rupture of Vo or oxygen ion-mediated CFs, and the electrochemical metallization mechanism (ECM), in which a metallic CF is formed by the cations of an active electrode. In this work, to provide guidelines for ReRAM device improvements, we investigated the role of dopants within the ZrO2 resistive switching layer. Density functional theory calculations for 20 dopants, which span a range of electron configurations, valence, and atomic radii, identified a preference toward either substitutional or interstitial doping, useful for cons...
Relationships between Spatial Visualization Ability and Student Outcomes in a 3D Modeling Course.

The impact of spatial visualization ability on student outcomes in a freshman-level, 3D modeling class is explored by analyzing connections between students’ spatial ability pre- and post-test scores, course grades, and self-reported difficulty of an assignment. Analysis of the results indicate that spatial visualization ability, as measured by the post-test, is strongly correlated with perceived difficulty, exam grades, and overall course grade. Students’ spatial visualization scores increased over the semester by an average of 9.4%; however, students with low spatial visualization ability underperform compared to their peers.
Military autonomy: its origins, limits, and the politico-military dialectic of war

Military officers often oppose political interference in the conduct of war. Political leaders respond by citing Clausewitz’s contention that “war is the continuation of politics with the addition ...
Disability Arts and Culture: Methods and Approaches: edited by Petra Kuppers, Intellect Ltd., The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 2019, 302 pp., $100.00 (hardback)

This collection of essays examines the performance, production, and consumption of disability. It aims to dispel disability as a monolith and explain it as an amalgamation of experiences and ways o...
Finding Faults in PV Systems: Supervised and Unsupervised Dictionary Learning With SSTDR

This article explains the use of supervised and unsupervised dictionary learning approaches on spread spectrum time domain (SSTDR) data to detect and locate disconnections in a PV array consisting of five panels. The aim is to decompose an SSTDR reflection signature into different components where each component has a physical interpretation, such as noise, environmental effects, and faults. In the unsupervised dictionary learning approach, the decomposed components are inspected to detect and localize faults. The maximum difference between actual and predicted location of the fault is 0.44 m on a system with five panels connected to an SSTDR box with a leader cable of 59.13 m and total length of 67.36 m including the effective length of the panels. In the supervised dictionary learning approach, the dictionary components are used to classify the SSTDR data to their respective fault types. Our results show a 97% accuracy using the supervised learning approach.
Alexa Eldercare Toolbox: A Smarthome Solution for the Elderly

This paper examines the issue of providing care to an increasing elderly population presenting a strong desire to continue living at home. A smart home system designed to operate via an Amazon Echo, the Alexa Eldercare Toolbox, was designed to address some of the everyday struggles faced in the home eldercare scenario. A specific focus was placed on addressing the needs of Alzheimer’s patients, who struggle more than the rest of the population to tend to their own needs. Measures were also taken to assist the patients’ caretakers, who are so often forgotten in this context. An examination of the problem, a description of the Alexa Eldercare Toolbox and how it was developed, a discussion of the implications of this potential solution, and a listing of next steps are provided in this text.
Leading Self: Motivation and Leader Identity of Women in Japan

In this chapter, we explore literature on Japanese women leaders to identify how they have taken ownership to develop to become leaders, shifting from dependent and supporting roles to leaders. We seek to understand the learning experiences of these women based on three questions: what triggers motivated these women to become leaders, how does their view of their identity change as they move toward leadership, and how did they learn to develop competencies to achieve the leadership positions? Based on the assumption that the key drivers of leadership are motivation and learning, we explore Japanese women’s self-efficacy. As Japanese women are said to lack confidence, we end this chapter with a discussion of how self-efficacy can be developed.
The disordered regions of the methyltransferase SETD2 govern its function by regulating its proteolysis and phase separation.

SETD2 is an important methyltransferase that methylates crucial substrates such as histone H3, tubulin, and STAT1 and also physically interacts with transcription and splicing regulators such as Pol II and various hnRNPs. Of note, SETD2 has a functionally uncharacterized extended N-terminal region, the removal of which leads to its stabilization. How this region regulates SETD2 half-life is unclear. Here we show that SETD2 consists of multiple long disordered regions across its length that cumulatively destabilize the protein by facilitating its proteasomal degradation. SETD2 disordered regions can reduce the half-life of the yeast homolog Set2 in mammalian cells as well as in yeast, demonstrating the importance of intrinsic structural features in regulating protein half-life. In addition to the shortened half-life, by performing fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assay we found that SETD2 forms liquid droplets in vivo, another property associated with proteins that contain disordered regions. The phase-separation behavior of SETD2 is exacerbated upon the removal of its N-terminal segment and results in activator-independent histone H3K36 methylation. Our findings reveal that disordered region-facilitated proteolysis is an important mechanism governing SETD2 function.