cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and assembly of large synthetic DNA constructs.

The availability of custom synthetic gene-length DNA products removes numerous bottlenecks in research efforts, making gene synthesis an increasingly common commercial service. However, the assembly of synthetic oligonucleotides into large, custom DNA constructs is not especially difficult, and performing “in-house” gene synthesis has time and cost advantages. This unit will treat both the concerns of design and physical assembly in gene synthesis, including how to design DNA sequences for synthesis and the design of overlapping oligonucleotide schemes to ensure facile assembly into the final product. Assembly is accomplished using a reliable series of PCR reactions, with a troubleshooting assembly protocol included, which not only assembles difficult sequences but allows identification of the source of a failure down to a pair of oligonucleotides. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 99:3.23.1-3.23.18. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: gene synthesis; synthetic genes; synthetic DNA; synthetic biology; protein expression; gene assembly; oligonucleotides; oligonucleotide assembly; oligonucleotide synthesis; inside-out nucleation; PCR
A Method for Measuring Vertical Accretion, Elevation, and Compaction of Soft, Shallow-Water Sediments

High-resolution measures of vertical accretion, elevation, and compaction of shallow-water sediments are fundamental to understanding the processes that control elevation change and the mechanisms of progradation (e.g., development of mudflats and intertidal wetlands) in coastal systems. Yet, measurements of elevation by traditional survey methods often are of low accuracy because of the compressible nature of the substrates. Nor do they provide measures of vertical accretion or sediment compaction. This paper evaluates the use in shallow-water systems of an approach designed to measure these variables in vegetated wetlands. The approach employs simultaneous measures of elevation from temporary benchmarks using a sedimentation-erosion table (SET) and vertical accretion from marker horizons with sediment cores collected with a cryogenic coring apparatus. The measures are made with a level of resolution sufficient to distinguish between the influence of surface and subsurface processes on elevation, thus providing quantitative estimates of shallow subsidence. The SET-marker horizon approach was evaluated on a developing splay created by an artificial crevasse of a distributary in the Mississippi River delta. The approach provided high-resolution measures of vertical accretion (48.3 ± 2.0 cm) and elevation (36.7 ± 1.6 cm) over a 4-year period, with the difference between the two indicating the amount of shallow subsidence. In addition, by laying new marker horizons in later years, the approach provided rates not only of shallow subsidence (3.9 ± 0.5 cm y-1) but also compaction of newly deposited sediments (2.1 ± 0.6 cm y-1) and compaction of underlying sediments (1.8 ± 0.20 cm y-1) over a two-year period. Hence, the SET-marker horizon approach has widespread applicability in both emergent wetland and shallow water environments for providing high resolution measures of the processes controlling elevation change.
Treatment of Sheep With Prostaglandin F2α Enhances Production of a Luteal Chemoattractant for Eosinophils

Eosinophils were quantitated in sections of luteal tissue obtained from sheep treated with a luteolytic dose of prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha. Increased numbers of cells were detected before the onset of either functional (decline in sera or tissue concentrations of progesterone) or morphological regression. Luteal tissue was shown to produce a specific chemoattractant for eosinophils as assessed by a linear under-agarose migration assay. Eosinophils were responsive toward leukotriene B4, but not toward PGF2 alpha or a synthetic N-formyl peptide. Because eosinophils are capable of mediating tissue damage in immune/inflammatory conditions, it is suggested that these cells could play a similar role in the mechanics of luteolysis.
An Na+-independent decarboxylation in a marine bacterium: Ion-controlled biotransformations with intact cells

Abstract The catabolism of o -phthalate by a marine Acinetobacter sp. required Na + ions. In contrast, the decarboxylation of 4,5-dihydroxyphthalate, an intermediate in phthalate breakdown, occurred independently of Na + ions and with a quantitative accumulation of the product, protocatechuate. In the presence of Na + ions, protocatechuate did not accumulate and was further oxidized. Transport systems of marine bacteria require Na + ions and extracellular enzymes probably account for Na + -independent conversions. Na + -independent reactions in marine bacteria present a biotechnological opportunity to use intact cells, rather than cell-free preparations, to effect specific biotransformations.
Hypofrontality in schizophrenia: distributed dysfunctional circuits in neuroleptic-naïve patients

Summary Background There have been reports that patients with schizophrenia have decreased metabolic activity in prefrontal cortex. However, findings have been confounded by medication effects, chronic illness, and difficulties of measurement. We aimed to address these problems by examination of cerebral blood flow with positron emission tomography (PET). Methods We studied 17 neuroleptic-naive patients at the early stages of illness by means of image analysis and statistical methods that can detect abnormalities at the gyral level. Findings An initial omnibus test with a randomisation analysis indicated that patients differed from normal controls at the 0·06 level. In the follow-up analysis, three separate prefrontal regions had decreased perfusion (lateral, orbital, medial), as well as regions in inferior temporal and parietal cortex that are known to be anatomically connected. Regions with increased perfusion were also identified (eg, thalamus, cerebellum, retrosplenial cingulate), which suggests an imbalance in distributed cortical and subcortical circuits. Interpretation These distributed dysfunctional circuits may form the neural basis of schizophrenia through cognitive impairment of the brain, which prevents it from processing input efficiently and producing output effectively, thereby leading to symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and loss of volition.
Killing of Brucella abortus by bovine serum

Studies of the serum bactericidal system in bovine brucellosis were undertaken to investigate the role of the humoral immune response in protection of cattle against the facultative intracellular parasite Brucella abortus. Fresh sera from normal control cattle, infected cattle, and cattle immunized with B. abortus cell envelopes were collected before treatment and during the course of immunization or infection. Normal fresh bovine serum or fresh agammaglobulinemic serum from colostrum-deprived calves was effective in killing smooth virulent B. abortus 2308, but rough strains RB51 (a rough mutant of strain 2308) and 45/20 were much more sensitive to serum. The difference in susceptibility to serum was shown to be correlated with differences in lipopolysaccharide chemotype, with the more resistant strain 2308 having O polysaccharide and the more susceptible strains 45/20 and RB51 lacking O side chains. By treatment of fresh serum with MgCl2 and EGTA [ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid] killing was shown to occur via the classical pathway of complement activation. When antibody to B. abortus was present, killing of strain RB51 increased but killing of smooth strain 2308 decreased. The earliest antibody response in serum from infected animals did not interfere with killing. When affinity-purified bovine immunoglobulins specific for B. abortus smooth lipopolysaccharide were added to fresh normal bovine serum, immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG2 isotypes blocked killing but IgM and IgA isotypes did not. Thus, it appears that serum from previously unexposed animals or animals early during infection can kill smooth B. abortus, an appropriate defense mechanism before the organism becomes intracellular. At later stages of infection, blocking antibodies predominate.
The Design of an Accountability Framework for Service Engineering

The goal of our service science and engineering research is to advance IT-based services technology for service innovation, composition and delivery. In this project, we study the service accountability framework to detect, diagnose, and defuse the real problem in a service process. This is important when a service process has external service providers. We need an efficient mechanism to ensure that external services do provide an acceptable level of performance and stability, in order to meet the overall quality of service (QoS). Our design adopts Bayesian networks to look for the most likely causes in a service process and inspects those services individually to identify the problem. We implement the LLAMA accountability service bus, a dynamic and efficient service infrastructure to support the monitoring, analysis, and reconfiguration of service processes. It includes accountability agents to continuously monitor services and an accountability authority to identify faulty ones.
How does adding and removing liquid from socket bladders affect residual-limb fluid volume?

Adding and removing liquid from socket bladders is a means for people with limb loss to accommodate residual- limb volume change. We fit 19 people with transtibial amputa- tion using their regular prosthetic socket with fluid bladders on the inside socket surface to undergo cycles of bladder liquid addition and removal. In each cycle, subjects sat, stood, and walked for 90 s with bladder liquid added, and then sat, stood, and walked for 90 s again with the bladder liquid removed. The amount of bladder liquid added was increased in each cycle. We used bioimpedance analysis to measure residual-limb fluid volume. Results showed that the preferred bladder liquid vol- ume was 16.8 +/- 8.4 mL (mean +/- standard deviation), corre- sponding with 1.7% +/- 0.8% of the average socket volume between the bioimpedance voltage-sensing electrodes. Resid- ual-limb fluid volume driven out of the residual limb when bladder liquid was added was typically not recovered upon subsequent bladder liquid removal. Of the 19 subjects, 15 experienced a gradual residual-limb fluid volume loss over the test session. Care should be taken when implementing adjust- able socket technologies in people with limb loss. Reducing socket volume may accentuate residual-limb fluid volume loss.
Microfabrication and characterization of a silicon-based millimeter scale, PEM fuel cell operating with hydrogen, methanol, or formic acid

A silicon-based microfabricated fuel cell has been developed to provide a high energy and power density power source on the millimeter size scale. An integrated silicon microscale membrane electrode assembly (Si-MEA) consisting of a Nafion 112 TM membrane bonded between two electrodes on microstructured silicon substrates forms the core element of this polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. The use of silicon meshes that serve the purpose of catalyst support, current collector, and structural element provides a promising alternative to the traditional gas diffusion layer-based MEAs for the development of robust, high-performance microfuel cells. The cell performance was characterized using hydrogen, methanol, and concentrated formic acid–water fuels at the anode, and oxygen at the cathode. The catalyst used for each fuel was Pt black. Preliminary results show that the microfabricated fuel cell running on formic acid may be a promising alternative for fuel cell applications running at ambient temperature and pressure, provided additional work on catalyst improvement, assembly, and packaging is performed so that the power density achieves that of traditional forced fed PEM fuel cell design. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
185 TRANSIENT RECEPTOR POTENTIAL CHANNEL-2 (TRPP2) REGULATES MOTILITY AND INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM OF PORCINE SPERM

Transient receptor potential channel-2 (TRPP2) is a membrane protein important for the regulation of calcium homeostasis in renal epithelial cells. Mutations in human TRPP2 cause enlarged cystic kidneys and contribute to polycystic kidney disease. In addition, TRPP2 functions have been described in some invertebrate sperm and are related to sperm-egg interactions and mating. Male Drosophila with mutated TRPP2 display a mild sperm motility phenotype but have a drastic reduction in fertility due to failed sperm migration and storage within the female tract. Although TRPP2 has critical roles for Drosophila sperm function, the protein has not been described in mammalian sperm. The TRPP2 mutations affecting sperm function could explain idiopathic subfertility that is not detected when evaluating sperm by routine analyses. Herein we report the location of TRPP2 in porcine sperm and have identified functions of TRPP2 in regulating sperm functions important for fertility. The TRPP2 was detected as a 110-kDa band in protein lysates from sperm after capacitation or mock incubation in conditions that do not capacitate sperm. With immunofluorescence, TRPP2 was most abundant on the head and principal piece of sperm with more consistent staining patterns when sperm were maintained in non-capacitating medium. Inhibition of TRPP2 by antiserum resulted in a reduction in sperm average path and curvilinear velocity and an increase in tail cross-beat frequency when sperm were incubated in capacitating conditions. Sperm incubated with TRPP2 antiserum also had a significant decrease in intracellular calcium concentration compared with control samples and failed to undergo an increase in calcium over 90 min that is characteristic of capacitating sperm. TRPP2 is a previously unreported mammalian sperm membrane protein that appears to function as an ion channel to regulate calcium and capacitation-like changes in porcine sperm. This project is supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2011–67015–20099 and 2015–67015–23228 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
On successive autonomic induction of the parasympathetic system.

AbstractExperiments on lightly anesthetized cats in winch the blood pressure, heart rate and nictitating membrane were recorded established the following facts :1. Stimulation of the posterior division of the hypothalamus induced by square wave currents or condenser discharges, leads to the appearance of an abrupt slowing of the heart rate in the post-stimulatory period, which is associated with a fall in the blood pressure. This parasympathetic, discharge increases with the increase in the preceding sympathetic excitation regardless of whether this is accomplished by an increase in the voltage, frequency, pulse duration of the square wave, or in the total duration of the stimulation. However, if the duration of the stimulation is extended too much, the slowing of the heart rate diminishes in degree and duration.2. The post-stimulatory slowing of the heart rate is interpreted as a rebound phenomenon of the parasympathetic system which is analogous to the successive spinal induction of Sherrington. It is d...
Micro pH Sensors Based on Iridium Oxide Nanotubes

Iridium oxide (IrO x ) nanotubes have been grown on microelectrodes utilizing a patterned nanoporous aluminum oxide (AAO) template to form a micro pH sensor. A layer of 900-nm thick aluminum sputtered on a silicon wafer was locally anodized at various voltages to investigate the morphology of the patterned AAO templates. The electrode position of IrO x inside the supportive AAO template was carried out to yield IrO x nanotubes with a diameter ranging from 80 to 110 nm, corresponding to the AAO pore sizes. The fabrication processes produced free-standing IrO x nanotubes on top of the 50 × 100 μm 2 micro-scale electrodes. Material characterization along with fabrication parameters was investigated. Potentiometric responses of the miniature sensors to hydrogen ions in terms of sensitivity, repeatability, response time, and reliability were performed. Super-Nernstian response was achieved. pH measurements for higher resolution targeting biological applications and sensor temperature dependence were also conducted.
Lyapunov-based Spacecraft Rendezvous Maneuvers using Differential Drag

This work presents a Lyapunov-based control strategy to perform spacecraft rendezvous maneuvers exploiting differential drag forces. The differential drag is a virtually propellantfree alternative to thrusters for generating control forces at low Earth orbits, by varying the aerodynamic drag experienced by different spacecraft, thus generating differential accelerations between the vehicles. The variation in the drag can be induced, for example, by closing or opening flat panels attached to the spacecraft, hence effectively modifying their cross- sectional area. In a first approximation, the relative control forces can be assumed to be of bang-off-bang nature. The proposed approach controls the nonlinear dynamics of spacecraft relative motion using differential drag on-off control, and by introducing a linear model. A control law, designed using Lyapunov principles, forces the spacecraft to track the given guidance. The interest towards this methodology comes from the decisive role that efficient and autonomous spacecraft rendezvous maneuvering will have in future space missions. In order to increase the efficiency and economic viability of such maneuvers, propellant consumption must be optimized. Employing the differential drag based methodology allows for virtually propellant-free control of the relative orbits, since the motion of the panels can be powered by solar energy. The results here presented represent a breakthrough with respect to previous achievements in differential drag based rendezvous.
Preparation and Evaluation of Multifunctional Branched Diesters As Fuel Property Enhancers for Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel Fuels

A family of eight branched diesters that were similar in molecular weight to typical fatty acid methyl esters encountered in biodiesel was prepared in high yield by condensation of alcohols and aci...
Can We Prevent Premature Membrane Rupture

Enough has been learned about the predisposing socioeconomic factors to permit identification of the population at high risk, and, if we are willing to pay the cost, to reduce significantly the incidence of this condition. So far as the individual patient is concerned, several measures are available to help manage the threat of premature rupture, but the potential for prevention is at best limited.
Influence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and hCG internalization by granulosa cells on the rate of in vitro fertilization and embryonic development of human oocytes

Follicular fluids and granulosa cells were obtained from 28 aspirated follicles of nine women undergoing laparoscopy in an in vitro fertilization program. Follicular growth was stimulated by a human menopausal gonadotropin regimen and laparoscopy was performed 32 hours after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration. Follicular fluid 17 beta-estradiol (E2) levels were higher and hCG levels were lower in follicles with oocytes that fertilized and cleaved beyond two blastomeres (greater than two-cell group) than in those with nonfertilizable oocytes (NF group) (P less than 0.05). Compared to those from the NF group, granulosa cells from the greater than two-cell group secreted less progesterone (P) in vitro and had a fourfold increase in percentage of cells with internalized hCG. These results demonstrate that the steroidogenic capacity of granulosa cells from follicles whose oocytes fertilize and undergo accelerated embryonic development in vitro differs from the capacity of granulosa cells from NF follicles. This difference may be due to their enhanced ability to bind and subsequently internalize hCG.
Plague and the Athenian Imagination: Materials II: The cult of Asclepius and the Theater of Dionysus

Why should the Athenians, as a response to the waves of plague that struck their city during the first half of the 420s, have placed, six or seven years later, their new Asklepieion on the south slope of the Acropolis, as Figure 1 shows, below the Parthenon, the temple dedicated to Athena, and above the Theater, part of the sanctuary dedicated to Dionysus? Does Asclepius have some connection with drama, or was the shrine location purely coincidental? I have demonstrated that drama shows a persistent, though undeveloped, interest in disease imagery that becomes especially strong after the plague's onset, and this interest opens the door to the arrival of Asclepius near and in the Theater of Dionysus. The development of the cult of Asclepius in Athens and the range of myths involving him both associate him with Dionysus, the Greek god of, among other things, theater. Thus, on the levels of theme, ritual and performance Asclepius is important to Greek drama in the last quarter of the fifth century and beyond. Here I should make it clear, however, that I am not positing Asclepius as a god who appears as an overseer of the action in tragic plots, for he is far too benign and helpful a figure to play the same part as the more ambivalent gods Apollo and Dionysus.
Use of the hypothetical lead (HL) vehicle trace: A new method for evaluating fuel consumption in automated driving

The regulation of fuel consumption and emissions around the world is based on standard drive (SD) cycles. Several autonomous or simple eco-driving methods of smoother driving and smaller acceleration and braking can violate the ± 2 MPH speed deviation regulation from the SD and hence they are currently not counted towards the vehicle fuel economy, even though they are acceptable from a traffic pattern perspective, namely following a vehicle at a safe and reasonable gap. This paper develops and suggests a prototypical vehicle velocity versus time trajectory that supersedes each SD cycle since the SD cycle is the vehicle trace from following a vehicle with the prototypical velocity trace. The prototypical velocity trace is named from now on as the Hypothetical Lead (HL) vehicle cycle. In essence, the HL cycle recreates the traffic conditions followed by the drivers of the standard drive cycles. Finally, the paper concludes with a demonstration of using the HL cycle for assessing the fuel economy benefits of autonomous following in relation to standard test cycles and limits on the following distances to ensure that the different drive traces follow the same prototypical traffic conditions in a reasonable and safe way for real world applications.
Cloning the Genes That Allow a RhizobiumLeguminosarum Strain to Nodulate Afghan Peas

Unlike most strains of R. leguminosarum, the Turkish strain TOM is able to nodulate pea cv Afghanistan, in addition to commercial varieties of peas(Winamo, Lie, 1979). The extended host range of TOM is a property of its symbiotic plasmid, pRL5JI (Brewin et al. 1980). A gene bank was constructed in the cosmid vector pLAFR1. Following transfer to a strain of R. leguminosarum that had been cured of its symbiotic plasmid, several clones were isolated that were each able to nodulate both cv. Afghanistan and commercial pea varieties. One of these clones, pIJ1095, was subjected to mutagenesis with transposon Tn5. From one hundred Tn5 insertions screened, 11 affected the nodulation ability and all these were mapped to a region of only 6kb. The mutants fell into three classes on the basis of their map positions and phenotypes (table 1).
Kaiser Permanente Northern California pregnancy database: Description and proof of concept study.

Abstract Background/objective We describe the establishment of a dynamic database linking mothers to newborns with the goal of studying vaccine safety in both pregnant women and their children and provide results of a study utilizing this database as a proof of concept. Methods All Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) live births and their mothers were eligible for inclusion in the pregnancy database. We used the medical record number (MRN), a unique identifier, to retrieve information about events that occurred during the pregnancy and at delivery and linked this same MRN to newborns for post-partum follow up. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the association between receipt of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during pregnancy and fever 0–3 days after the first dose of diphtheria tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine in the infant. The study included infants who were born at ⩾37 weeks gestation from January 1, 2009 – October 1, 2015 and who received their first DTaP vaccine between 6 and 10 weeks of age. We utilized diagnostic codes from inpatient, emergency department, outpatient clinics, and telephone calls. We identified fever using ICD 9 code 780.6, recorded temperature ⩾101 degree Fahrenheit, or parental report. Results The database contained the starting and ending date of each pregnancy and basic demographic characteristics of mothers and infants. There were 859,699 women and 873,753 children in the database as of January 2016. The proof of concept study included 148,699 infants. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, Tdap vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with infant fever 0–3 days after first dose of DTaP (adjusted odds ratio = 0.92, 95% CI 0.82–1.04). Conclusion The KPNC pregnancy database can be used for studies investigating exposure during pregnancy and outcomes in mothers and/or infants, particularly monitoring vaccine safety and effectiveness.
Understanding trends in C-H bond activation in heterogeneous catalysis

While the search for catalysts capable of directly converting methane to higher value commodity chemicals and liquid fuels has been active for over a century, a viable industrial process for selective methane activation has yet to be developed. Electronic structure calculations are playing an increasingly relevant role in this search, but large-scale materials screening efforts are hindered by computationally expensive transition state barrier calculations. The purpose of the present letter is twofold. First, we show that, for the wide range of catalysts that proceed via a radical intermediate, a unifying framework for predicting C-H activation barriers using a single universal descriptor can be established. Second, we combine this scaling approach with a thermodynamic analysis of active site formation to provide a map of methane activation rates. Our model successfully rationalizes the available empirical data and lays the foundation for future catalyst design strategies that transcend different catalyst classes.
Geochemistry, mineralogy, and petrology of boninitic and komatiitic rocks on the mercurian surface: Insights into the mercurian mantle

Abstract Orbital data from the MESSENGER mission to Mercury have facilitated a new view of the planet's structure, chemical makeup, and diverse surface, and have confirmed Mercury's status as a geochemical endmember among the terrestrial planets. In this work, the most recent results from MESSENGER's X-Ray Spectrometer, Gamma-Ray Spectrometer, and Neutron Spectrometer have been used to identify nine distinct geochemical regions on Mercury. Using a variation on the classical CIPW normative mineralogy calculation, elemental composition data is used to constrain the potential mineralogy of Mercury's surface; the calculated silicate mineralogy is dominated by plagioclase, pyroxene (both orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene), and olivine, with lesser amounts of quartz. The range in surface compositions indicate that the rocks on the surface of Mercury are diverse and vary from komatiitic to boninitic. The high abundance of alkalis on Mercury's surface results in several of the nine regions being classified as alkali-rich komatiites and/or boninites. In addition, Mercury's surface terranes span a wide range of SiO 2 values that encompass crustal compositions that are more silica-rich than geochemical terranes on the Moon, Mars, and Vesta, but the range is similar to that of Earth. Although the composition of Mercury's surface appears to be chemically evolved, the high SiO 2 content is a primitive feature and a direct result of the planet's low oxygen fugacity.
Properties of the Gluon Plasma Just Above Tc

We describe the results of a detailed study of the properties of finite temperature SU(3) lattice gauge theory on large lattices near and above the confinement-deconfinement phase transition. We measure correlation functions of Wilson lines and local operators and observe a nonzero value for the inverse screening length in the deconfined phase. We calculate thermodynamic quantities of the plasma. We compare our results with perturbative QCD and with the model of dynamic confinement based on dimensional reduction.
Akt des sprechenden Körpers. Austin — Quintilian — Kafka

Am Beginn der dritten Vorlesung zu seiner Theorie sprachlicher Akte (How to do things with Words) wartet Austin mit einer Formulierung auf, die einen Bezug zwischen seinem theoretischen Unterfangen und dem Korper herstellt. Nach der Einfuhrung des Begriffs der performativen Auserung (performative utterance), einer Analyse von Unglucksfallen (infelicities) und deren Unterscheidung in Versager (misfires) und Misbrauche (abuses) heist es: So then we may seem to have armed ourselves with two shiny new concepts with which to crack the crib of Reality, or as it may be, of Confusion — two new keys in our hands, and of course, simultaneously two new skids under our feet. In philosophy, forearmed should be forewarned.1
Acculturation‐based family conflict: A validation of Asian American Family Conflict Scale among Chinese Americans

Acculturation-based family conflicts can influence parent-child relationships and children's development among immigrant families. The Asian American Family Conflict Scale (AAFCS) was developed to measure conflicting practices and values between parents and children in the context of acculturation. Given that considerable cultural and institutional changes have taken place in original countries for the Chinese immigrant population, it is important to investigate whether the factor structure of the AAFCS is appropriate for measuring the attitudes and practices of acculturation among the current Chinese immigrant population. A sample of Chinese American immigrant parents (n = 269) from the Survey of Asian American Families was employed to conduct exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The principal-axis factoring method of EFA was used to determine the factor structure of the AAFCS, followed by the weighted least squares means and variance estimation in CFA to assess the fitness of the measurement model. A nine-item one-factor model (without the first item regarding decision making) was suggested by EFA with all factor loadings greater than .45. CFA results indicated a good fit of the nine-item one-factor model: χ2 (27, 296) = 40.24, p < .05, root-mean-square error of approximation = .04, 90% CI [.00, .07], comparative fit index = .99, Tucker-Lewis index = .99. The validation of the AAFCS is useful for practitioners and researchers to better assess the outcomes of acculturation conflicts among Chinese immigrants who are adjusting to living in the United States. This study can inform social work practitioners in regards to cultural sensitivity and cultural competency when working with Chinese immigrants and their U.S.-born children.
Long-Term Outcomes After Surgical Pulmonary Arterioplasty and Risk Factors for Reintervention

Background Although surgical patch arterioplasty is the conventional therapy for branch pulmonary artery (PA) stenosis, limited data exist on long-term outcomes. We examined the incidence of and risk factors for reintervention after surgical arterioplasty for branch PA stenosis in biventricular congenital heart disease. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients with 2-ventricle physiology who underwent patch arterioplasty for PA stenosis at a single high-volume congenital heart center during a 10-year period. Freedom from surgical or percutaneous reintervention for recurrent PA stenosis was evaluated. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to determine risk factors for reintervention. Results Among 135 patients, the median age at patch arterioplasty was 0.9 years. Survival to hospital discharge (or 30 days postoperatively) was 96%. During a median follow-up period of 4.0 years, reintervention for PA stenosis occurred in 38 of 115 patients (33%) at a median time to reintervention of 1.4 years. The overall 10-year reintervention rate was 54%. In univariate analysis, age less than 30 days at initial arterioplasty, congenital PA stenosis (vs acquired), and bilateral PA stenosis (vs unilateral) were significantly associated with reintervention. In multivariable analysis, neonatal age (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.6; p = 0.002) and bilateral PA stenosis (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.8; p = 0.005) remained independently associated with reintervention. Conclusions Long-term reintervention for recurrent PA stenosis after patch arterioplasty is common. Patients with bilateral PA stenosis or age younger than 30 days at the time of the index pulmonary arterioplasty are at higher risk for reintervention. These patients may benefit from frequent monitoring or novel approaches to repair.
Burlesque, Tragedy, and a (Potentially) “Yuuuge” “Breaking of a Frame”: Donald Trump’s Rhetoric as “Early Warning”?

The presidential campaign communications of Donald J. Trump, 2015–2016 were a rhetorical phenomenon. They scandalously broke from tradition yet fused together a winning coalition in America’s gerry...
Thyroidectomy in patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery.

Background Morbid obesity is a chronic condition that may be challenging to treat. Gastric bypass surgery is used to treat morbid obesity and its complications. Hypocalcemia, a known complication after thyroidectomy, is usually transient and treatable. There is a growing body of literature indicating that patients with previous gastric bypass surgery are at an increased risk for recalcitrant, symptomatic hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy. The management of hypocalcemia in patients with prior gastric bypass surgery may be exceedingly difficult. Methods Relevant articles published between 2008 and January 2017 were reviewed by topic. The review of literature was conducted using a systematic search of database resources, such as PubMed and EMBASE. Results Prior gastric bypass surgery may be an independent risk factor for developing profound hypocalcemia after thyroid surgery. Conclusion Refractory hypocalcemia in patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery is underreported. Careful consideration should be given to performing staged thyroidectomy and, in some cases, reversal of the bariatric surgery.
A Five-Minute Situational Judgment Test to Assess Empathy in First-Year Student Pharmacists.

Objective. To design, implement, and evaluate the utility of a situational judgment test (SJT) to assess empathy in first-year student pharmacists as part of an end-of-year capstone experience. Methods. First-year students completed a five-minute SJT in lieu of a multiple mini interview (MMI) during the end-of-year capstone. For each SJT item, students selected the two most appropriate response options from a list of five. Various strategies to score the SJT were compared to evaluate the psychometric properties of the test. Student performance on the SJT was examined in relationship to performance on other measures, (eg, MMI stations, personality assessments, and admissions data). Results. A total of 135 first-year pharmacy students completed an average of 9.5 items. Scoring keys based on subject matter experts’ and student responses demonstrated high reliability. There was a positive, weak relationship between student performance on the SJT and performance on the adaptability station used in the capstone, and an inverse, weak relationship with students’ agreeableness scores. Conclusion. This study suggests that the SJT may be a feasible and efficient assessment strategy in pharmacy education. Additional research is needed to inform SJT design, implementation, and interpretation.
Racial disparities in the initial treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in the population 65+ years in the United States.

431Background: Insufficient evidence exists regarding the initial management of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to describe racial differences in...
ROBOTS FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Evolving robot technology can play a pivotal role in helping to maintain humans in a more independent role in both home and institutional health care delivery settings. Although the useful robot —from a health and human services perspective— has not yet evolved. robotic technologies are rapidly moving toward utilitarian applications in this important area. This paper will present an overview of some of the issues that will need to be addressed as robots evolve into service roles for humans.
EXPOSURE TO "TEXTISMS" DOES NOT LOWER SPELLING SCORES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN

“Textisms” are semi-standardized abbreviations and conventions uses in SMS text messaging. Students in the fourth and fifth grades (N = 136) were expos ed to words on a spelling list as correctly-spelled words, incorrectly-spelled words, or “textisms” to determine whether short term exposure to “textisms” decreased spelling performance for elementary aged children. Multivariate ANOVA found exposure type significantly impacted post-exposure spelling, F(3,132) = 5.483, p<0.001. Individual t-tests for ea ch group found exposure to correctly spelled words sig nificantly improved spelling ability on spelling posttest, t(35) = 5.399, p<0.0001, unlike exposure to incorrec tly spelled words, t(29) = -1.96, p<0.060. Textisms similar to traditional English spellings s howed almost no change in spelling ability, t(28) = 0.064, p<0.950, exposure to non-traditional orthogr aphic forms showed a slight decrease from pretest t o posttest, t(40) = 1.39, p<0.172. Difference in posttest scores between participants in the two textism groups suggests that children may derive orthograph ic information from some textism forms, but do not decrease spelling abilities because of limited expo sure to textisms.
A Design-Based Process in Characterizing Experienced Teachers’ Formative Assessment Enactment in Science Classrooms

Formative assessment can facilitate teachers’ abilities to elicit and notice the disciplinary substance of students’ thinking and to respond based on this. Following a design-based process, we developed principled practical knowledge to create resources that might guide experienced teachers in examining their formative assessment practice and provide researchers with tools to study formative assessment enactment. Starting with the outcomes of the first cycle to generate a generalizable explanatory model, we describe the process of our second cycle, which resulted in a practical guide and research tool. The complexity, challenges, and major learnings of the design-based process are highlighted. Implications for teachers’ professional development are discussed.
Effects of meteorological factors to reduce large-scale PM10 emission estimation errors on unpaved roads

Abstract Unpaved roads are one of the major sources of the particulate matter (PM) known to negatively affect human health, environment, and vegetation. The control of PM10 and PM2.5 (i.e., aerodynamic diameter
Modified immersed boundary method for flows over randomly rough surfaces

Abstract Many phenomena, ranging from biology to electronics, involve flow over rough or irregular surfaces. We treat such surfaces as random fields and use an immersed boundary method (IBM) with discrete (random) forcing to solve resulting stochastic flow problems. Our approach relies on the Uhlmann formulation of the fluid-solid interaction force; computational savings stem from the modification of the time advancement scheme that obviates the need to solve the Poisson equation for pressure at each sub-step. We start by testing the proposed algorithm on two classical benchmark problems. The first deals with the Wannier problem of Stokesian flow around a cylinder in the vicinity of a moving plate. The second problem considers steady-state and transient flows over a stationary circular cylinder. Our simulation results show that our algorithm achieves second-order temporal accuracy. It is faster than the original IBM, while yielding consistent estimates of such quantities of interest as the drag and lift coefficients, the length of a recirculation zone in a cylinder's wake, and the Strouhal number. Then we use the proposed IBM algorithm to model flow over cylinders whose surface is either (deterministically) corrugated or (randomly) rough.
Benign tumoral melanosis of a cervical lymph node in a child.

Abstract We present a pediatric case of benign tumoral melanosis in a cervical lymph node arising from congenital pigmented lesions of the anterior neck. This is the first reported pediatric case not associated with regressed melanoma or trauma. Tumoral melanosis is a rare phenomenon which describes a pigmented lesion like melanoma; however, histology demonstrates melanin-laden macrophages without malignant cells. In the few reported cases, tumoral melanosis has arisen in the skin or lymph node and associated with a regressed melanoma, pigmented basal cell carcinoma or mycosis fungoides. We discuss the pathology of this disease process, and the work up in a pediatric patient.
Unveiling the Charge Storage Mechanism in Nonaqueous and Aqueous Zn/Na3V2(PO4)2F3 Batteries

In search of a suitable cathode host for aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs), polyanionic materials have been explored due to their open-framework structure that is believed to improve Zn-ion diffusion...
Reviewer acknowledgement 2014.

The Editors of Human Genomics would like to thank all our reviewers who have contributed to the journal in volume 7 (2013).
Self-organizing network modelling of 3D objects

Abstract Advanced manufacturing is moving towards a new paradigm of ‘low-volume-high-mix’ production. There is an urgent need to develop effective representations of real-world 3D objects and further enable the matching and retrieval of engineering designs. This paper presents a new self-organizing network representation of 3D objects. Each voxel of the 3D object is a node in a network, and the edge is dependent on node closeness in space. Then, the network is self-organized by balancing attractive and repulsive forces between the nodes. Experimental results show the effectiveness of network representation by reassembling the geometry of 3D objects.
The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, Scarlet Street, and Out of the Past: Paradigm Cases

This chapter presents a comparative analysis of four films that have often been held up as paradigmatic of film noir: The Maltese Falcon (1941, often considered the first noir film), Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder 1944), Scarlet Street (Fritz Lang 1945), and Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur 1947). To have a stable base for comparison, in each film I focus on the scenes in which the male protagonist first meets the femme fatale figure. Working through each film/scene individually, I show that each uses this conventional story beat in very different ways and that their differences go beyond simply being variations on a single unifying theme. The chapter overall is a hinge between the conceptual/theoretical arguments of the introduction and the extended close readings of the remaining body chapters.
Hospital Care for Opioid use in Illinois, 2016-2019.

This study analyzes trends in hospital emergency room visits and admissions for patients with opioid diagnoses seen at 214 hospitals in Illinois over 42 months. Visits were coded hierarchically for opioid overdose, dependence, abuse, or use. Visit rates per 100,000 were stratified by zip code level of poverty. Regression estimates of the likelihood of inpatient admission and death are presented. There were 239,069 visits accounting for almost $5 billion in total charges and over 710,000 inpatient hospital days with less than a 1% death rate. The Illinois opioid epidemic is concentrated in the poorest areas of the Chicago metropolitan area. There was a sharp gradient in visits rates and deaths rates by poverty level area and more than a fivefold difference in hospital deaths. Effective state policy responses should expand to include decriminalization and proven harm reduction strategies such as medically assisted treatment, access to safe syringes, take home naloxone, and supervised safe consumption facilities.
Enhancement of laccase production by Cerrena unicolor through fungal interspecies interaction and optimum conditions determination

The present study aimed to identify a pair of fungal strains that promote laccase production in the co-cultivation of white-rot basidiomycetes and to determine the optimum conditions to enhance enzyme synthesis under co-fermentation of mandarin peels. Co-cultivation of Cerrena unicolor with Trametes versicolor, Lenzites betulina, and Panus lecomtei led to up-regulation of laccase activity. Moreover, interspecific interaction of Cerrena unicolor and Trametes versicolor induced the production of two new laccase isoenzymes. By contrast, interactions of Cerrena unicolor with Trametes coccineus and Trametes hirsuta resulted in a multiple decreased ability of Cerrena unicolor to produce laccase. Co-cultivation of Cerrena unicolor with other fungi 3- to 12-fold down-regulated manganese peroxidase (MnP) activity. The outcomes of these fungal interactions are closely related to the initial concentration and availability of the nutrients, the partners’ inoculum ratio, time, and sequence of their inoculation. Co-cultivation of Cerrena unicolor and Trametes versicolor in fermenter resulted in the accumulation of 476 U/mL laccase and 1.12 U/mL MnP.
Testbed for measuring ultraviolet contrast of next generation microshutter arrays

Microshutter arrays are powerful tools enabling simultaneous spectroscopy of multiple objects within a single, crowded field-of-view. This technology is currently employed on the James Webb Space Telescope, and next-generation arrays are being proposed for future flagship missions such as LUVOIR and HabEx. For these future large missions, it is important to fully characterize the performance of the next-generation microshutter arrays in the lab, particularly in the ultraviolet range not probed with JWST. To this end, we have developed a laboratory testbed to measure the contrast between opened and closed shutters achievable with these devices.
Contextualizing Ancestral Pueblo Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo spp.) Management

Penning turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo spp.) in the Ancestral Pueblo American Southwest/Mexican Northwest (SW/NW) involved the creation or use of a variety of spaces and contexts throughout AD 1–1600 and into the post-contact era. Turkey pens, or captivity, occur through simple tethering, reuse of abandoned pit houses or surface rooms, or creation of pens within villages, plazas, and elsewhere. Turkey dung, droppings, and eggshells are fundamental for determining the presence or absence of pens at archaeological sites. In this paper, I review the archaeological record for turkey pens and focus on three main questions: (1) how are turkey pens identified in the SW/NW, (2) if turkey pen construction or evidence for turkey captivity shifts through time, and (3) what the record of turkey penning informs us regarding the long-term human management of these birds and global perspectives on human–bird/human–animal management. Ancestral Pueblo peoples created an adaptive and flexible strategy for turkey penning, which successfully integrated these birds into ceremonial and socioeconomic processes for approximately 1600 years.