cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Digital homework for kinematics and dynamics of machinery

A digital homework program applicable to the study of kinematics and dynamics of machinery has been developed and successfully incorporated into an ongoing kinematics and dynamics of machinery course providing students with regulated self-practice, formative feedback, and partial credit scoring. The use of digital homework in upper-level engineering courses is sparsely documented in the literature but can provide homework assignments that give immediate feedback for self-assessment of learning while significantly reducing the time required of the instructor for grading. This paper presents a procedure for creating a digital homework set generally applicable to engineering courses using a commercially available course management tool. The paper then documents a specific implementation into a junior-level kinematics and dynamics of machinery course. This implementation is assessed over four semesters based on its comparison with traditional homework as perceived by students. The responses indicate that stud...
Empowering Deep Thinking to Support Critical Thinking in Teaching and Learning

This research describes learning activities and techniques that improve deep and critical thinking among students. Critical thinking is considered an ultimate goal in MIS education; and learners who reach critical thinking level can achieve the highest learning goals and outcomes. Critical thinking and English communication are considered the two most essential competencies in the 21st century. Therefore, universities have invested significantly in understanding, promoting, and delivering critical thinking in education. Moreover, the learning and education research has invested extensively in critical thinking. In this research, we present and discuss seven learning activities and techniques that initiate deep thinking and promote critical thinking in teaching and learning in order to achieve high level of quality learning. The main focus of this work is in the higher education setting at the level of colleges and universities. We discuss and explain seven learning activities, with examples and tools that will help increase the level of thinking and improve higher order thinking and critical analysis. The presented techniques and examples can be easily applied and adapted into any discipline to help increase and improve higher order thinking among the learners. The preliminary evaluation results are very encouraging.
TH-CD-BRA-06: Magnetic Field Effects On Gafchromic-Film Response in MR-IGRT

Purpose: To investigate the effects of magnetic fields in radiochromic films (RCF). Magnetokinetic changes may affect crystal orientation and polymerization within active layer of RCF, these effects are investigated in Magnetic Resonance Image-guided Radiotherapy (MR-IGRT). Methods: Gafchromic EBT2 RCF were irradiated in a 30×30×30 cm3 solid water phantom using a ViewRay MRIdian Co-60 MRI guided radiotherapy system (B=0.35 T). Fifteen 20.3×25.4 cm2 EBT2 film sheets were placed at three different depths (d=0.5, 5 and 10 cm) and irradiated using 5 different treatment plans. The plans were computed using the MRIdian treatment planning system to deliver 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 Gy at a depth of 10 cm. The films were scanned using an Epson Expression 10000 XL flat-bed document scanner in transmission mode. Films were processed before and after irradiation to obtain a net optical density (netOD) for each color channel separately. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were obtained to compare the active layer of selected samples. Results: The results show the red channel netOD decreases between 1.3–12.3 % (average of 5.95 %) for doses above 2.8 Gy, with a linear increase in this effect for higher doses. Green channel netOD showed similar results with a decrease between 1.2–10.5 % (average of 4.09 %) for doses above 3.5 Gy. Blue channel showed the weakest effect between 1.3–2.9 % (average of 1.94 %) for doses above 8.0 Gy. SEM images show changes in crystal orientation within active layer in RCF exposed in a magnetic field. Conclusion: The presence of a magnetic field affects crystal orientation and polymerization during irradiation, decreasing netOD by an average of 5.95 % in the red channel. The under response is dependent on dose and differs by up to 12.3 % at 17.6 Gy. The results show that magnetokinetic effects should be carefully considered in MR-IGRT.
Abstract 89: Whole-exome sequencing and immune profiling of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE: Lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) lead to the preponderance of deaths attributable to lung cancer. We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES), comprehensive immune profiling and clinicopathological analysis of LUADs to better understand the molecular pathogenesis of this disease and identify clinically relevant molecular markers. METHODS: We performed WES of 108 paired surgically resected stage I-III LUADs and normal lung tissues using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. Additionally, ten immune related markers (PD-L1, PD-1, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45ro, CD57, CD68, FOXP3 and Granzyme B) were profiled by imaging-based immunohistochemistry in a subset of LUADs (n = 92). Associations among mutations, immune markers and clinicopathological variables were analyzed using ANOVA and Fishers Exact tests. Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed for multivariate analysis of clinical outcome. RESULTS: LUADs in this cohort exhibited an average of 243 coding mutations per tumor. We identified 28 genes with significant enrichment for mutation. SETD2-mutant LUADS exhibited relatively poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) and mutations in STK11 and ATM were associated with poor RFS in KRAS-mutant tumors. EGFR, KEAP1 and PIK3CA mutations were predictive of poor response to adjuvant therapy. Immune marker analysis demonstrated that PD-L1 expression was increased in smoker compared to non-smoker LUADs and, along with other immune markers, was positively correlated with somatic mutation burden. Moreover, immune marker levels including PD-L1 were elevated in TP53-mutant LUADs. In contrast, STK11 and U2AF1 mutant tumors exhibited a suppressed immune response and LUADs with PIK3CA mutations exhibited markedly decreased tumoral PD-L1 expression. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights mutations that may impact clinical outcome and personalized strategies for immune-based therapy of early-stage LUAD patients. Citation Format: Humam Kadara, Murim Choi, Jiexin Zhang, Edwin Parra Cuentas, Jaime Rodriguez Canales, Stephen Gaffney, Zi-Ming Zhao, Carmen Behrens, Junya Fujimoto, Chi-Wan Chow, Neda Kalhor, Cesar Moran, David Rimm, Stephen G. Swisher, Don L. Gibbons, John V. Heymach, Edward Kaftan, Jeffrey Townsend, Thomas J. Lynch, Joseph Schlessinger, J. Jack Lee, Richard Lifton, Ignacio I. Wistuba, Roy S. Herbst. Whole-exome sequencing and immune profiling of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 89.
The Emergency Medicine Milestones: With Experience Comes Suggestions to Improve

In this issue an article, Goal Directed Focused Ultrasound Milestones Revised: A Multi-organizational Consensus, recommends significant change to the PC 12 subcompetency of the Emergency Medicine (EM) Milestones. The membership of this consensus group spans multiple organizations and individuals interested in emergency ultrasound (EUS) as well as resident education. This effort to improve this particular subcompetency is to be lauded. An iterative improvement to the progression of Milestones within PC12 can be justified on the basis of a large body of work produced after the introduction of the EM Milestones. However, there are a number of misperceptions within the article that deserve discussion. As a member of the original Emergency Medicine Milestone Working Group (EMMWG) I can address these suggested changes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Seizures Following DTP Immunization

The incidence of seizures following the administration of DTP vaccine at the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Seattle, has been estimated by epidemiologists at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and by the Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program, Waltham, Mass.
Exploring neighborhood environmental influences on reading comprehension.

Abstract This study examined the association between neighborhood environment and reading using geocoding techniques. Addresses and FCAT reading scores for 2215 (751 MZ, 1464 DZ) twin pairs in 3rd through 10th grades were obtained from The Florida Twin Project on Reading (FTP-R). Additionally, addresses for neighborhood features were collected from publicly available data sources. Distances between participants' homes and potential risk and protective aspects of neighborhood environment were calculated using ArcGIS and used to predict reading comprehension. Results indicated that shelter proximity was negatively associated with FCAT reading after accounting for neighborhood SES. This study also found that distance to shelters explained a significant proportion (0.01–0.02%) of shared environmental influence, marking an additional component of shared environmental influences on reading. These results develop a more comprehensive model of the influences involved in reading achievement and highlight the need for further research on how shelter populations and conditions may influence residents nearby.
Storing solar energy with chemistry: the role of thermochemical storage in concentrating solar power

Concentrating solar power (CSP) with thermal energy storage has the potential for grid-scale dispatchable power generation. Thermochemical energy storage (TCES), that is, the reversible conversion of solar-thermal energy to chemical energy, has high energy density and low heat loss over long periods. To systematically analyze and compare candidate reactions for TCES, we design an integrated process and develop a general process model for CSP plants with TCES systems. We illustrate our model applicability by using ammonia and methane systems with two gas storage options. The analysis allows us to identify critical issues as well as key targets for fluid phase TCES systems. Gas storage is identified as the main cost driver and compressor electricity consumption as the main energy driver. The impacts of reaction temperature, operating pressure and plant characteristics are also studied.
Overcoming Nonuniqueness in the Direct BIEM for Three-Dimensional Steady-State Exterior Elastodynamic Problems

The nonuniqueness in the solution of three-dimensional steady-state elastodynamic transmission problems by the direct Boundary Integral Equation Method (BIEM) at “irregular” frequencies is investigated. The nonuniqueness is overcome by constraining the BIE with the “interior identity”. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.
Carbohydrate ligands of leukocyte adhesion molecules and their therapeutic potential.

Publisher Summary In the recent years, information concerning the roles of the selectins in leukocyte biology has exploded. In particular, carbohydrate ligands for two of the selectins have been identified, and the roles of the selectins in the biochemical mechanisms of leukocyte trafficking are explored. Because they participate in a general mechanism for exit of leukocytes from the blood into tissues or lymphoid organs, they are also relevant to disease states in which leukocyte recruitment of these cells in excess leads to injury of normal tissue. For this reason the selectins are considered potential therapeutic targets to prevent leukocyte mediated damage in acute and chronic inflammatory disease. This chapter reviews recent progress in elucidating the roles of carbohydrate ligands in selectin biology, with emphasis on E- and P-selectin.
Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics

When opponents of the New Deal were unorganized forces in the mid-twentieth century, who gave voice to them? Nicole Hemmer, an assistant professor in presidential studies at the University of Virgi...
Postscript: Framing Research Aimed at Improving School Algebra

This final chapter is written as a guide to persons wishing to carry out research which aims to improve middle-school students’ understanding of school algebra to the point where not only will the students be able to generalize freely, but will also be able to apply the algebra that they learn. The first point made in the chapter is that mathematics education researchers need to take the history of school mathematics more seriously, because the six purposes of school algebra identified in the historical analysis presented in Chapter 2 of this book were important not only in helping the research team identify the importance of language factors in school algebra, but also in designing the study which would be carried out. The second point made is that in a design-research study the theoretical frame is likely to be not one single theory but a composite theory arising from a bundle of part-theories that are suggested by needs revealed in the historical analysis. The third, and final point is the need for mathematics education researchers to remember that, ultimately, the aim of school mathematics is to help students learn mathematics well, so that the students will be competent and confident to use it whenever they might need it in the future. Research designs should be such that tight assessments can be made with respect to whether the results of the studies will help educators improve the teaching and learning of algebra in schools. Suggestions for organization and teaching methods which will generate appropriate discourse patterns in algebra classrooms are made, and an invitation to replicate the main study is extended.
Transitioning Back to Maleness

Thirty-one years after living full time as a woman, a 53-year-old skilled machinist returned to have therapy with me, a psychiatrist, because of a decision to return to living as a man. As our work together continued, I suggested to this would-be published novelist that others might benefit from his experience. This led to his posting an extensive account of his life in September 2016 on Gender Trender. Now living in good mental and physical health as a male, he has given me permission to discuss his initial presentation, my understanding of his motivations, and to reflect on the broader questions that his life rises for the field of transgenderism. This report describes regret, defenses against regret, and a dramatic 3-day catharsis followed by the patient’s first loving relationship. He now ironically reflects that he escaped from the sensed inauthenticity of his youthful maleness only to create a felt inauthentic feminine social psychological state. The professional literature about the long-term outcome of the transgendered who do not have surgery is largely nonexistent in English. Anecdotal accounts, however, are readily accessible on the Internet.
Usage of Islamic banking and financial services by US Muslims

There is limited published research on Islamic marketing in the USA. DinarStandard, a commercial marketing research firm which specialises in the Muslim market released findings from a consumer market research study in 2011, which they updated in 2014/2015 which included an estimate of the usage of Islamic banking and financial services by Muslims residing in the USA. This paper presents some findings from a different investigator from data collected in late 2014 which provides evidence that the usage rate of these products and services may be much higher than estimated by DinarStandard. The evidence is based on a nationwide representative sample (n = 251) of individuals between 18 and 54 who reside in the USA and self-identify as Muslims. The sample was obtained using a qualtrics online panel. In addition, the paper provides insight into the most popular Islamic banking and financial service products that US Muslims have had experience with or use. Providers of banking and financial services in the USA should find the information useful in determining the attractiveness of segmenting and targeting the American Muslim market and developing Shariah compliant products and services to meet the segment's needs.
Functions and implementation of substation-area backup protection in smart substation

Substation-area protection is the key aspect of new generation protection system with a layered structure in smart substation. This paper describes the concept, coverage and functions of substation-area protection and the coordination with other subsystems. Then an idea of implementing full-featured applications of substation-area protection gradually has been proposed. According to the practical functions, a series of protection modules have been designed subsequently, which involve unit redundancy protection, optimized substation-area backup protection and substation-area automatic controller. To meet the requirements mentioned above, a dedicated hardware platform has been proposed, including main processor module, FPGA (field programmable gate array) data processing module and a data communication module between boards. Finally, a prototype of substation-area protection adopting the proposed design has been realized. The performance of the prototype is evaluated through static experiments and RTDS (Real Time Digital Simulator) simulation of a typical 110kV substation. The test results show that the specialized indexes of the prototype have fully reached engineering requirements.
The perineural invasion paradox: Is perineural invasion an independent prognostic indicator of biochemical recurrence risk in patients with pT2N0 prostate cancer?

6Background: Perineural invasion is a histologic feature present in approximately 19% of patients with prostate cancer. The prognostic significance of perineural invasion is controversial with recent studies yielding contradictory results. This study aims to assess whether perineural invasion on surgical pathology of patients with pT2N0 disease is an independent prognostic indicator of the risk of biochemical recurrence. Methods: We identified 201 patients with non-metastatic pT2N0 prostate cancer at our institution between 1/1/2008-12/31/2014. We reviewed the electronic medical record of these patients and identified whether the patient had biochemical recurrence (defined as PSA > 0.2 after surgery). A multivariable analysis was then performed using clinical and histological data for each patient to assess the association between perineural invasion and biochemical recurrence. Results: Of the 201 patients identified, 68.1% (137/201) had perineural invasion and 14% (28/201) had biochemical recurrence. Per...
Introduction: The Challenge of Post-Bubble Japanese Business Growth

From the almost total destruction of its economy in the 1940s, Japanese business and finance had recovered to clearly become very important by the 1980s. After decades of spectacular and rapid growth, the Japanese economy is now the second largest economy in the world. Japan is the lead economy in Asia, the fastest growing region of the world. Japan’s currency is one of the strongest and Japanese companies are fierce and very effective competitors in global markets helping Japan rack up significant trade surpluses year after year. Its financial institutions are some of the largest in the world; at the end of 1994 they accounted for nearly 10% of all lending in the U.S. and held over $400 billion in U.S. treasury securities (Fingleton, 1996). Enigmatically, the Japanese economy failled to recover from its early 1990s recession and has been in a deep recession for most of the 1990s.
Quark Model States and Low Energy Scattering

In these lectures, based on work with R. Jaffe, I wish to discuss the connection between the discrete mass eigenstates which are calculated in an approximate quark-gluon model and the observed low energy hadron-hadron scattering in the same mass region The problem we claim to have solved can be stated crudely: where are the exotics? The quark model predicts exotic states, for example, in the I=2 ππ system at 1.15 GeV; the I=2 ππ S-wave phase shift, on the other hand, shows no sign of interesting behavior up to an energy of about 1.5 GeV, by which time it is approximately — .5 radians. Similar comments apply to other exotic channels. Our solution of this problem rests on a new method of analyzing low energy hadron-hadron scattering, applicable to multitwo-body channels but not to genuine three body channels. It is simplest in its application to single channel systems, and therefore most reliably applicable to low energies and exotic channels.
Neonatal Lung Diseases

Lung diseases are one of the main causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The majority of them result from lung immaturity and difficulties in the transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life. Respiratory distress syndrome occurs primarily due to surfactant deficiency and is the most common cause of respiratory distress in the preterm infant, but can also be seen in infants born at term. Transient tachypnea of the newborn is a common cause of neonatal respiratory dysfunction and results from delayed absorption of fetal lung fluid. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a form of chronic lung disease which is today primarily seen in the most preterm infants and is characterized by the need for prolonged respiratory support and oxygen supplementation. Other lung diseases affecting the newborn infant include pneumonias, aspiration of meconium stained amniotic fluid and congenital anomalies. These conditions are sometimes further complicated by persistent pulmonary hypertension, which is more commonly seen in the term than the preterm infant. Advances in the management of lung diseases affecting the newborn infant have resulted in marked improvement in their survival. These therapies include the administration of pulmonary surfactant, the use of nitric oxide for persistent pulmonary hypertension and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy. Advances in respiratory support have resulted in decreased ventilatory-induced lung injury and thus improved pulmonary outcome.
A Case of Escherichia coli Endocarditis After Hemorrhoidectomy Performed by a Herbalist.

We describe the first reported case of Escherichia coli endocarditis following a hemorrhoidectomy that was performed by the patient's herbalist. With increasing frequency, patients are seeking care by those who practice alternative medicine. Physicians must become more aware of the impact and possible complications related to this practice. Prosthetic valve endocarditis ranges up to 1.5% per patient-year for mechanical mitral valves and up to 0.1% per patient-year for other valves. Although the incidence of aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis is not uncommon, the concomitant organism and its mode of bacteremia make this a most unusual case. There is a paucity of information in the literature regarding surgical complications performed by alternative medicine practitioners. To our knowledge, a case of gram-negative endocarditis as a result of hemorrhoidectomy performed by an herbalist has never been reported. Turkish Baslik: Herbalist Tarafindan Yapilan Hemoroidektomi Sonrasi Gelisen Escherichia Coli Endokarditi Vakasi Anahtar Kelimeler: Endokardit, Escheriachia Coli, hemoroidektomi, alternatif tip, komplikasyonlar Amac: Herbalist tarafindan gerceklestirilen hemoroidektomi sonrasi Escherisia Coli endokarditi geciren bir hasta tanimlanmistir. Gerec ve yontemler: Bir universite hastanesi eriskin yogun bakim unitesinde septik sok ve karin agrisi ile takip edilen olgunun sunumu. Bulgular: Bu olguda hemoroidektomi sonrasi karin agrisi ve septik sokla gelen hastanin kan kulturunde pan- sensitif Esherichia coli ve Citrobacter amalonaticus uremistir. Ampisillin/sulbaktam ve gentamisin tedavisi baslanmistir. Yapilan transozafagial eko sonrasinda protez aort kapagi cevresinde halkalar halinde abse odalkari gorulmustur. Hasta operasyona alinarak yeni bir St. Jude aort kapagi ile degistirilmistir. Patoloji sonucu akut ve organize eksudalar iceren endokardit gelmis ve degisen aort kapagi kulturunde E. Coli uremistir. Postoperatif bes haftalik intravenoz antibiyotik uygulanmasi sonucunda hasta taburcu edilmistir. Sonuc: Herbal tedavi sonuclari ve komplikasyonlari konusunda hekimler daha fazla bilgi sahibi olmalidirlar. Kolorektal cerrahi icin antibiyotik kullanimi mutlaka insizyon oncesi baslanmali ve 24 saat sureyle devam edilmelidir.
Role of the Serotonergic System in Pituitary Hormone Secretion: The Pharmacologic Challenge Paradigm in Man

Multiple agents are available to study the serotonergic system in man using a neuroendocrine challenge paradigm, including precursors such as TRP and 5-HTP, a group of direct-acting agonists such as mCPP, MK-212, ipsapirone, and buspirone, and indirect agents such as fenfluramine. The interpretation of the hormone (and behavioral) responses to these agents in terms of specific receptor subtypes is by no means straight-forward. Specific antagonists are essential to define the receptors involved. Multiple receptor subtypes may contribute to a specific response if the agent is not specific or if a synergistic effect of receptor stimulation is involved. Inclusion of a placebo study condition may be needed to rule out stress and other nonspecific effects. Despite these concerns, neuroendocrine challenge studies may reveal serotonergic dysfunction in specific individuals, its relation to psychopathology and treatment-response, and help to clarify the specificity of drugs for particular receptor subtypes in man.
Crop Insurance in Incomplete Markets

When there are multiple risks threatening the loss of an asset, insurance schemes contingent on one risk alone are incomplete. Such is the case with crop insurance schemes when price variability is uninsured. This paper considers the effect of price risk on crop insurance decisions when price risk is due to supply-and-demand shocks. If demand shocks satisfy the principle of increasing uncertainty, increasing demand uncertainty reduces optimal crop insurance whenever risk aversion is constant or decreasing. In fact, the insurance is so limited for decreasing risk-averse individuals that they strictly prefer those states of the world in which no indemnity is forthcoming to those in which they receive indemnities. Special cases arise when either output risk or demand uncertainty is the sole cause of price risk. In the first case, the optimal insurance is complete even though price variability affects the demand for crop insurance through the correlation between price and output. In the second case, the principle of increasing uncertainty is trivially satisfied and price risk affects optimal insurance levels even though it is independent of output risk.
Electrically Driven Insulator–Metal Transition-Based Devices—Part II: Transient Characteristics

Part II of this paper discusses the transient characteristics of the electrically driven insulator–metal transition (E-IMT) material-based device. To model the full transient characteristics, we modify the electrothermal model developed in Part I to capture extrinsic capacitance and 2-D heat transport effects. In order to test the model against the experiment, we fabricated and tested scaled E-IMT devices with a necked-down design to minimize nonhomogeneity. We show excellent agreement of the predictions of the model with the experimental data, and we find that the IMT device goes through three stages before a steady state is established. These three stages are identified as the times required for the incubation of the IMT transition, positive feedback, and width expansion of the IMT zone within the device. The impact of capacitance and 2-D heat transport is discussed. Furthermore, we show an inverse relation arises between the incubation time and the applied voltage. This paper satisfactorily explains the turn-on transient in a nanoscale E-IMT device within the framework of our electrothermal (Joule heating) model.
The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire – II: an Item Response Theory Analysis

Psychological flexibility is the act of being open to internal experiences while pursuing valued life directions and has been implicated in positive mental health. A lack of psychological flexibility has been implicated in a wide range of mental health problems. In most research, assessment of psychological (in) flexibility has been done with the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire – II (AAQ-II), yet researchers have noted that items on the AAQ-II may not adequately discriminate between responses to experiences and the experiences themselves. Furthermore, little research has examined whether items on the AAQ-II function as intended in terms of assessing psychological (in) flexibility and whether items function differently across populations. The present study used an item response theory framework to examine item functioning in the AAQ-II across items (within the measure) and across non-distressed student, distressed student, outpatient, and residential samples. The analyses identified differences in functioning between items, with some items being more sensitive to differences in psychological inflexibility. No items performed well in assessing psychological flexibility (as opposed to inflexibility) or positive functioning. Items functioned similarly across samples, yet patterns of responding differed in the non-distressed student versus residential and outpatient samples. Implications for use of the AAQ-II in clinical and research contexts are discussed.
Monitoring of thyroid function test abnormalities in cancer patients undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in a community based cancer center.

e15064Background: Immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy related thyroid function test (TFT) abnormalities are not uncommon. No well-established guidelines on the type, frequency, and duration o...
One-sided fractional derivatives, fractional Laplacians, and weighted Sobolev spaces

Abstract We characterize one-sided weighted Sobolev spaces W 1 , p ( R , ω ) , where ω is a one-sided Sawyer weight, in terms of a.e. and weighted L p limits as α → 1 − of Marchaud fractional derivatives of order α . Similar results for weighted Sobolev spaces W 2 , p ( R n , ν ) , where ν is an A p -Muckenhoupt weight, are proved in terms of limits as s → 1 − of fractional Laplacians ( − Δ ) s . These are Bourgain–Brezis–Mironescu-type characterizations for weighted Sobolev spaces. We also complement their work by studying a.e. and weighted L p limits as α , s → 0 + .
Comparative Genomics Reveals the Molecular Determinants of Rapid Growth of the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973

Cyanobacteria are emerging as attractive organisms for sustainable bioproduction. We previously described Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 as the fastest growing cyanobacterium known. Synechococcus 2973 exhibits high light tolerance and an increased photosynthetic rate and produces biomass at three times the rate of its close relative, the model strain Synechococcus elongatus 7942. The two strains differ at 55 genetic loci, and some of these loci must contain the genetic determinants of rapid photoautotrophic growth and improved photosynthetic rate. Using CRISPR/Cpf1, we performed a comprehensive mutational analysis of Synechococcus 2973 and identified three specific genes, atpA, ppnK, and rpaA, with SNPs that confer rapid growth. The fast-growth–associated allele of each gene was then used to replace the wild-type alleles in Synechococcus 7942. Upon incorporation, each allele successively increased the growth rate of Synechococcus 7942; remarkably, inclusion of all three alleles drastically reduced the doubling time from 6.8 to 2.3 hours. Further analysis revealed that our engineering effort doubled the photosynthetic productivity of Synechococcus 7942. We also determined that the fast-growth–associated allele of atpA yielded an ATP synthase with higher specific activity, while that of ppnK encoded a NAD+ kinase with significantly improved kinetics. The rpaA SNPs cause broad changes in the transcriptional profile, as this gene is the master output regulator of the circadian clock. This pioneering study has revealed the molecular basis for rapid growth, demonstrating that limited genetic changes can dramatically improve the growth rate of a microbe by as much as threefold.
Epigenetic Mechanisms in Liver and Pancreas Generation and Regeneration

Abstract The liver and pancreas are fundamental organs of multicellular organisms. The severity and occurrence of diseases due to hepatic and pancreatic malfunction necessitates an understanding of mechanisms of gene regulation and dysregulation. This review describes how transcription factors and dynamics in the epigenetic landscape affect liver and pancreatic cell identity and physiological function during homeostasis and regenerative responses to disease and environmental insults. Understanding the intricate connection of genetics, epigenetics, and environmental cues, in both homeostatic and altered conditions, will provide a roadmap to develop targeted therapeutic strategies to combat liver and pancreas dysfunction.
Hunger-Activated AgRP Neurons Inhibit MPOA Neurons Controlling Parenting.

Parental care comprises several behavioral components directed toward fostering the survival of offspring. It is particularly essential for mammalian species, because infants' growth depends almost entirely on adult care. Mammalian parents nurse or forage to supply food. They also clean and carry
Projecting a High-School Quarterback’s Performance at the Collegiate Level: A Comparison of the Rivals, 247 Sports, and ESPN Recruiting Ratings

We examine recruiting ratings for high-school quarterbacks over the period 2006-2012 from Rivals, 247 Sports, and ESPN. Using Lee & Preacher’s (2013) test of the difference between two dependent correlations with one variable in common and ordinary least squares regression, we determine that the Rivals ratings have the strongest correlation with quarterback performance over the time-period examined. The 247 Sports ratings follow closely behind the Rivals ratings; however, the ESPN ratings correlate more weakly with a quarterback’s career performance in college.
Structures of Indifference: An Indigenous Life and Death in a Canadian City

Structures of Indifference: An Indigenous Life and Death in a Canadian City is an accessible resource, providing undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, historians, and members of the gen...
“Murderers, Rapists, and Bad Hombres”: Deconstructing the Immigration-Crime Myths

Immigration control is at the center of the political debate and it is an important component of the Trump administration agenda. Restrictive immigration policies have expanded under the current ad...
The association between pre-conception intuitive eating and gestational weight gain

To determine if pre-conception intuitive eating, an adaptive eating behavior, was related to gestational weight gain (GWG) and the likelihood of exceeding GWG recommendations. This prospective survey study took place in an outpatient obstetric clinic. Participants completed the pre-conception Intuitive Eating Scale for Pregnancy during a prenatal check-up appointment and total GWG was collected from the medical record. The pre-conception Intuitive Eating Scale for Pregnancy assesses unconditional permission to eat, eating for physical rather than emotional reasons, and reliance on hunger and satiety to inform what, when, and how much to eat. Hierarchical linear multiple regression and logistic multiple regression analyses determined associations between pre-conception intuitive eating and GWG on the total sample and stratified by weight status (normal/underweight, overweight, and obese). The majority of the sample (n = 253) was white, married, employed, had annual household income > $50,000, and had a college degree. No aspects of pre-conception intuitive eating predicted the likelihood of excess GWG. However, in the total sample, unconditional permission to eat (subscale) was inversely related to total GWG (B = −0.16, p < 0.05). Among women with obesity (n = 36), eating for physical rather than emotional reasons (subscale) was inversely related to total GWG (B = −0.47, p < 0.05). Some aspects of intuitive eating during the pre-conception period were related to total GWG, particularly for women with obesity. However, intuitive eating scores did not increase or decrease the likelihood of excess GWG. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms for this association before clinical recommendations can be made. Level III (Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case–control analytic studies).
Examining provision and sufficiency of testing accommodations for English learners

Accommodations are commonly provided to address language-related barriers students may experience during testing. Research on the validity of scores from accommodated test administrations remains s...
On Nye’s lattice curvature tensor

Abstract We revisit Nye’s lattice curvature tensor in the light of Cartan’s moving frames. Nye’s definition of lattice curvature is based on the assumption that the dislocated body is stress-free, and therefore, it makes sense only for zero-stress (impotent) dislocation distributions. Motivated by the works of Bilby and others, Nye’s construction is extended to arbitrary dislocation distributions. We provide a material definition of the lattice curvature in the form of a triplet of vectors, that are obtained from the material covariant derivative of the lattice frame along its integral curves. While the dislocation density tensor is related to the torsion tensor associated with the Weitzenbock connection, the lattice curvature is related to the contorsion tensor. We also show that under Nye’s assumption, the material lattice curvature is the pullback of Nye’s curvature tensor via the relaxation map. Moreover, the lattice curvature tensor can be used to express the Riemann curvature of the material manifold in the linearized approximation.
Efficacy of Thiamine and Medical Management in Treating Hyperuricemia in AUD Patients with ALD: Role of Hyperuricemia in Liver Injury, Gut-Barrier Dysfunction, and Inflammation.

Background: Hyperuricemia has been reported in liver injury; however its role in the early stage of Alcohol-associated Liver Disease (ALD) has not been examined yet. This study investigated the role of Serum Uric Acid (SUA) in alcohol-related liver disease, gut barrier dysfunction, and inflammation activity. This study also evaluated the efficacy of abstinence, treatment with thiamine and medical management to alleviate hyperuricemia. Methods: 48 heavy drinking Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) patients (34 males [M]/14 females [F]) participated in this study. Patients were grouped by serum Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) levels as group 1 (ALT ≤ 40 U/L, 7M/8F) and group 2 (ALT>41U/L, 27M/6F). All patients received open label thiamine 200 mg daily dose. Demographics, drinking history (using Lifetime Drinking History [LTDH], and Timeline Follow Back TLFB] for the past 90 days) reports were collected at baseline. Baseline and three-week assessments for SUA, biomarkers of liver injury, endotoxemia and inflammation were evaluated. Results: 22 out of 48 AUD patients reported hyperuricemia, primarily in males. SUA was significantly associated with ALT in each group (in group 2, when covaried with HDD90). SUA was also significantly associated with gut barrier dysfunction markers, LBP and LPS, in group 2, SUA and LBP predicted IL-1β significantly in group 2. Uric acid along with IL-1β and HDD90 significantly predicted necrotic type of hepatocyte cell death in group 2. Post-treatment SUA dropped across both the groups, significantly in females; adverse effects of drinking, cytokine and uric acid interaction on liver cell death also decreased in group 2. In vitro experiments validated the efficacy of thiamine on hepatocytic uric acid production in alcohol sensitization. Conclusion: Uric acid, a metabolic risk signal, was likely involved in the interaction of proinflammatory activity with heavy drinking markers at early-stage ALD. Three-week inpatient medical management, along with treatment with thiamine, seems to alleviate baseline hyperuricemia and necrotic type of hepatocytic cell death in AUD patients with liver injury.
Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity and Step Count Compilation for Elementary-Aged Youth Participating in Summer Camp Activities

The summer months have recently been identified as a time of the year when children gain excess weight. Despite contrary beliefs, youth are more susceptible to weight gain and fitness losses during this time. Summer camps have been identified as a possible solution to reduce declines in overall health during these months. The purpose of this study was to establish expected step counts and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) values for a variety of activities in one residential camp. Participants included 188 campers (M age = 8.7). Sessions included a variety of invasion, target, net/wall and fitness activities. Step counts and MVPA were tracked across 51 days, incorporating 839 activity sessions using a NL–1000 (New Lifestyle Inc., Lee Summit, MO, USA) accelerometer to track campers’ activity. Means and steps/minute were calculated for each activity. Invasion games represented the greatest opportunity for campers to engage in physical activity. Findings are useful for researchers and practitioners to evaluate physical activity and MVPA at camp settings. Subscribe to JPRA
Selecting and Using Meta-Level Criteria

We need to select criteria for evaluating Reasons Theories so we can evaluate the Inclusive Data View by those criteria. Our first step toward selecting criteria has been to canvass a variety of criteria used in arguments for and against Parfit’s and Brandt’s Reasons Theories. This allowed us to identify and classify a variety of criterion candidates. Of course we have no assurance that all the important candidates have been included, so our conclusions must be provisional. Nevertheless, our candidate pool is sufficiently large to offer hope that many or most of the important criteria are included. Our first task in this chapter is to note criticisms of particular candidates and select a set of criteria in light of our findings. Then we shall make a tentative evaluation of the Inclusive Data View in light of those criteria.
The Secrets of Malaterre

From all indications, Madame Blaise would be difficult. She was in her late seventies now, a suspicious age when generosity is little more than a dry sponge. If she proved to be anything like my grandmother had been, it would be hard for a stranger to get the time of day out of her, let alone the letters and diary. Pearlmutter had barely been able to squeeze out two short notes, when everyone knew she had boxes of unpublished material, in valuable documents, God knows what in her possession. And that was al most ten years ago! No, it was definitely not going to be easy. As soon as I arrived in Paris, I carefully drafted an appeal to her, bowing and scraping in my most courtly French. "I thank you infinitely for your co operation, ch?re Madame Blaise," the letter concluded, "and beg that you will accept my respectful and devoted sentiments." Somewhat effusive, I ad mit, but this was no occasion to stint. Holding my breath, I sent it off. It could be a week, even two, before I had a reply. The thought that she might never answer was a black cabinet I refused to open. Not to waste time while waiting, I climbed the steep cobblestone hill to the Jacques Doucet?the biblioth?que litt?raire across the street from the Pantheon?where I spent the next few days examining the correspondence with Gide. Pearlmutter's magnifying glass had been everywhere. The ad mirable thoroughness of the man, I'm ashamed to say, depressed me pro foundly. But while studying the 1912 letter in which my Malaterre told Gide of his esteem for him, of his own restless boyhood, of his quest for a "noble and pure" mentor, I was suddenly struck by the fact that here was Assistant Professor Stanley Blum of the University of Delaware (Bronx bred and coarsened) holding Malaterre's original, just as he wrote it, right between his reverent fingertips. The thrill almost made the expense of coming to Europe seem worthwhile. As for the contents, unfortunately, everything was in Pearlmutter. But Pearlmutter's biography of the poet had been flagrantly 51
Development of a selective gas sensor utilizing a perm-selective zeolite membrane

Reported here is a novel sensor that utilizes a zeolite film to selectively limit gas exposure of the sensing surface. A unique amperometric sensor design based on a non-porous mixed conducting sensing electrode enables the formation of a continuous zeolite film covering the entire sensor surface. The sensor was tested in a variety of oxygen containing gases. The sensor without a zeolite film responded strongly to both oxygen and carbon dioxide at a bias of 1.8 V. In contrast, the sensor coated with a zeolite film showed a discernable, but diminished response to oxygen, and a more marked drop in response to CO2 indicating that the diffusion of oxygen through the zeolite film is preferential to that of CO2. The response of the zeolite coated sensor to a mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases is attributed primarily to the oxygen content. Expanding this concept using a variety of different zeolite structures covering an array of sensors, complete analyses of complex gaseous mixtures could be performed in a very small device.
Neuron-specific expression of high-molecular-weight clathrin light chain

High-molecular-weight forms of clathrin light chains LCa and LCb contain inserted sequences and are expressed in brain tissue but have not been observed in peripheral tissues. Monoclonal antibodies specific for the high-molecular-weight form of LCb and all forms of LCa were used to analyze their expression in different species and different neuronal cell types. High-molecular-weight light chains were found in bovine, rat, mouse, chicken, and human brain, indicating a conserved pattern of expression. Neuron-specific expression of the high-molecular- weight light chains was suggested by analysis of human brain gray matter and white matter. The former contained a higher proportion of light chains with insertion sequences. Immunohistochemical analysis localized the high-molecular-weight form of LCb to synapses and neuronal perikarya, but not to glial cells. Immunofluorescent labeling of cultured chicken dorsal root ganglia confirmed expression in neurons but not Schwann cells. These results indicate that the high-molecular- weight forms of clathrin light chains are restricted in expression and found in neuronal cells.
Observation of self-pulsing in intracavity singly resonant second-harmonic generation with competing nonlinearities

Summary form only given. While working towards observing self-pulsing in doubly resonant SHG we discovered self-pulsing in a singly resonant cavity where the fundamental field alone, but not its second-harmonic, is resonant. This observation was unexpected since the mean field equation that describes singly resonant SHG only admits non-oscillatory linear instabilities. We therefore expect that the mechanism leading to the observed self-pulsing is qualitatively different than that found in the doubly resonant cavity. As we report here, self-pulsing in the singly resonant cavity only occurs due to a competing nonlinear parametric process, where the internally generated second-harmonic field drives a nondegenerate parametric oscillation.
Teachers’ Perceptions of Need for and Competency in Transcribing Braille Materials in the Nemeth Code:

This study reports the results of a survey of teachers of visually impaired students in Illinois and Massachusetts that asked the teachers to rate their perceived competency in transcribing math ma...