cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primary structure comparison of the proposed low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor binding domain of human and pig apolipoprotein B: implications for LDL-receptor interactions.

Apolipoprotein B (apoB) is the predominant protein in low density lipoprotein (LDL) and is responsible for LDL binding to the LDL receptor. Although the primary amino acid sequence of human apoB has been determined, little is known about the structural domains involved in mediating apoB binding to the LDL receptor. Amino acid sequence comparisons across species lines provide a means of defining structures that are essential for function. We have sequenced a l.l kb fragment of pig apoB genomic DNA, corresponding to a 363 amino acid segment proposed to mediate human apoB binding to the LDL receptor. In human apoB this domain contains two regions enriched in positively charged amino acids flanking two disulfide-linked cysteine residues. The pig amino acid sequence shared 72% identity with the human sequence. However, there were differences that have significant structural and functional implications. Human apoB arginine-3,359 corresponds to a critical arginine (position 142) residue in the apoE LDL receptor binding domain. In the pig, this arginine residue was not conserved. Also, the two disulfide-linked cysteine residues found near the proposed apoB binding domain were not conserved in the pig. Despite these differences, pig LDL had a higher affinity than human LDL for both the pig and human LDL receptor. Thus, these features are not required for high affinity binding of pig LDL to the LDL receptor, and may not be necessary for the binding of human LDL to the LDL receptor.
Amplitudes of surface waves and magnitudes of shallow earthquakes

A study of amplitudes of surface waves having periods of about 20 seconds is employed to improve the calculation of magnitudes of distant shallow earthquakes. Table 3 gives station corrections; table 4, revised figures for the effect of epicentral distance. It is found that for epicentral distances between about 20° and 175° the average observed amplitudes correspond closely to those calculated with an absorption coefficient k = 0.0003 per km. For paths completely outside or inside the Pacific Basin, k = 0.0002± per km., while for paths tangent to its boundary the amplitudes of surface waves with periods of about 20 seconds may be reduced by two-thirds or more (in extreme cases by almost nine-tenths) through reflection or refraction of energy; such seismograms of shallow shocks may be taken as indicating intermediate depth of focus.
The Reliability of High Precision of Total Station Instrument Analysis of River-crossing Leveling

In leveling process,when the level lines across the river is wide river,to river crossing leveling using high-precision total station.From the actual implementation of two kinds of river-crossing leveling method the results accuracy,and estimates of elevation and River-crossing Leveling in the number of error formula using the height difference of trigonometric leveling one-way observation,validated the reliability of high precision river-crossing leveling using high-precision total station.
Enzymic preparation and characterization of an α-l-β-methylaspartic acid☆

Abstract Charcoal-treated extracts of Clostridium tetanomorphum, incubated with mesaconate and an ammonium salt under suitable conditions, catalyze the formation of large amounts of a dicarboxylic amino acid which has been isolated and shown to be an α- l -β-methylaspartic acid. The compound has been tentatively identified as the l -threo isomer. A simple enzymic method is given for preparing 15 g. of the pure amino acid. A spectrophotometric method for the quantitative determination of enzymic β-methylaspartic acid in amounts of 0.02-0.25 μmole is described.
Toepler’s Schlieren Technique

Why do we call it Toepler’s technique? Recalling Chap. 1, although Toepler was not the strict originator of schlieren imaging, he made it what it is today. Here, Toepler’s schlieren technique distinguishes the basic (lens or mirror) schlieren system with slit-source and knife-edge from all the other adaptations that have arisen since his time.
Dung biomass smoke activates inflammatory signaling pathways in human small airway epithelial cells

Animal dung is a biomass fuel burned by vulnerable populations who cannot afford cleaner sources of energy, such as wood and gas, for cooking and heating their homes. Exposure to biomass smoke is the leading environmental risk for mortality, with over 4,000,000 deaths each year worldwide attributed to indoor air pollution from biomass smoke. Biomass smoke inhalation is epidemiologically associated with pulmonary diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and respiratory infections, especially in low and middle-income countries. Yet, few studies have examined the mechanisms of dung biomass smoke-induced inflammatory responses in human lung cells. Here, we tested the hypothesis that dung biomass smoke causes inflammatory responses in human lung cells through signaling pathways involved in acute and chronic lung inflammation. Primary human small airway epithelial cells (SAECs) were exposed to dung smoke at the air-liquid interface using a newly developed, automated, and reproducible dung biomass smoke generation system. The examination of inflammatory signaling showed that dung biomass smoke increased the production of several proinflammatory cytokines and enzymes in SAECs through activation of the activator protein (AP)-1 and arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR) but not nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways. We propose that the inflammatory responses of lung cells exposed to dung biomass smoke contribute to the development of respiratory diseases.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutated Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Changing Treatment Paradigm

Activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are present in approximately 15% of US patients with lung adenocarcinoma. EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors are associated with high response rate and progression-free survival for patients with non-small cell lung cancer with this genotype. Gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib are the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are presently in clinical use. Understanding resistance mechanisms has led to the identification of a secondary mutational target, T790M, in more than half of patients, for which osimertinib has been approved. This article reviews the current treatments, resistance mechanisms, and strategies to overcome resistance.
Zinc Binding Induces Conformational Changes in the Large Intracellular Loop of the Human Zinc Transporter hZIP4

The human (h)ZIP4 transporter is a plasma membrane protein, primarily expressed in intestinal cells, that functions to increase the cytosolic concentration of zinc. While first identified for its role in the zinc deficiency disease acrodermatitis enteropathica, hZIP4 has been implicated in pancreatic, liver and brain cancers where its surface expression is abnormally increased. Surface expression of hZIP4 is regulated by post-translational modifications in response to zinc concentration. At high zinc concentrations, hZIP4 undergoes ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. hZIP ubiquitination likely occurs at a conserved lysine within a large intracellular loop located between transmembrane domains 3 and 4 (M3M4) and requires a histidine-rich domain located on the M3M4 loop. Based on these observations, the hZIP4 intracellular loop has been hypothesized to act as a zinc sensor. We have recombinantly expressed and purified the large intracellular M3M4 loop of hZIP4, as well as mutants in the histidine-rich domain, for metal binding and structural studies. The large intracellular loop coordinates two zinc ions sequentially, with the first zinc ion binding with nanomolar affinity to a CysHis3 site and the second zinc ion binding to a His4 site with a lower binding affinity. Structural analysis using circular dichroism revealed that the intracellular loop is an intrinsically disordered region, and it remains disordered upon zinc binding. Our data support a model in which structural changes in the large intracellular loop of hZIP4 in response to zinc regulate the plasma membrane levels of the hZIP4 transporter.
Promoting Early Writing Skills through Morning Meeting Routines: Guidelines for Best Practices

Observational studies suggest that early writing instruction rarely occurs in early childhood classrooms, despite the importance of supporting young children’s writing development. Morning Meeting Time (MMT) routine is a typically occurring large group activity in early childhood classrooms that is interactive and familiar to teachers and children. Because it is interactive, occurs daily in most preschool classrooms, and is comprised of regular routines that can easily be modified, MMT provides a meaningful context for promoting young children’s writing development. This article describes the characteristics of MMT, discusses the rationales for infusing interactive writing instruction into MMT, and provides seven research-based guidelines for adding writing to MMT in early childhood classroom environments.
Imaging and biodistribution of acid-stable liposome-based oral drug delivery with 99mTc-labeling

1596 Objectives The goal was to investigate the in vivo behavior of 99mTc-labeled acid-stable liposomes following oral administration in rats using nuclear imaging, blood sampling and biodistribution. Methods Groups investigated included 1) 99mTc-G4 (distearoyl phosphatidylcholine (DSPC): cholesterol:asparagine-lipid; 55/40/5), 2) 99mTc-G7(DSPC/Chol ;60/40), 3) 99mTc-pegylated liposome doxorubicin (Doxil®), and 4) 99mTc-BMEDA as control (n=5 in each group). Nude rats (~210 g) were administered 3.5 ml of 99mTc-liposomes (9mM) or 99mTc-BMEDA by gavage. Images were acquired at various time points. Also, blood samples (200 µl) were collected through tail vein at 0.08, 2, 4 and 20 h before biodistribution was performed. Regions-of-interest (ROI) of stomach and intestine for each animal were drawn and corrected with total radioactivity administered. The 99mTc-activity in blood and organs were measured by gamma counter. Results There were 5+/-4.3%, 3+/-4.6%, 8+/-11.2% and 35+/-21.7%ID in stomach, and 75+/-8.5%, 81+/-6.1%,78+/-17.6%, and 53+/-24.75%ID in intestine for the G4, G7, Doxil®, and 99mTc-BMEDA groups, respectively, in 2 h images. 99mTc-bioavailability of Doxil and G4 (~0.01% ID/g) were higher than G7 (~0.005% ID/g) at 2 h and 4 h (p 0.6 at 2h), G7(R2>0.9 at 0.08h) and 99mTc-BMEDA(R2>0.9 at 2h). But, there was no significant difference between liposomal and control groups in biodistribution. Conclusions Use of 99mTc-imaging technique can monitor oral liposomal behavior in gastrointestinal environments. Liposomes are stable in acidic stomach region, especially, Doxil and asparagine-derived liposomes; which protect against intestinal enzymes and increase the permeability of liposomes in intestinal cells. Research Support Partly supported by San Antonio Life Science Institute
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia–Derived IL-10 Suppresses Antitumor Immunity

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients progressively develop an immunosuppressive state. CLL patients have more plasma IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, than healthy controls. In vitro human CLL cells produce IL-10 in response to BCR cross-linking. We used the transgenic Eμ-T cell leukemia oncogene-1 (TCL1) mouse CLL model to study the role of IL-10 in CLL associated immunosuppression. Eμ-TCL mice spontaneously develop CLL because of a B cell-specific expression of the oncogene, TCL1. Eμ-TCL1 mouse CLL cells constitutively produce IL-10, which is further enhanced by BCR cross-linking, CLL-derived IL-10 did not directly affect survival of murine or human CLL cells in vitro. We tested the hypothesis that the CLL-derived IL-10 has a critical role in CLL disease in part by suppressing the host immune response to the CLL cells. In IL-10R-/- mice, wherein the host immune cells are unresponsive to IL-10-mediated suppressive effects, there was a significant reduction in CLL cell growth compared with wild type mice. IL-10 reduced the generation of effector CD4 and CD8 T cells. We also found that activation of BCR signaling regulated the production of IL-10 by both murine and human CLL cells. We identified the transcription factor, Sp1, as a novel regulator of IL-10 production by CLL cells and that it is regulated by BCR signaling via the Syk/MAPK pathway. Our results suggest that incorporation of IL-10 blocking agents may enhance current therapeutic regimens for CLL by potentiating host antitumor immune response.
Effect of Health Disparities on Overall Survival of Patients with Glioblastoma (P6.157)

Objective: NA Background: Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults. It remains uncertain the potential effects of health disparities in this patient population. Design/Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of newly diagnosed GB patients from 2000–2015 at a free standing dedicated cancer center (MD Anderson Cancer Center - MDACC) and a safety net county hospital (Ben Taub General Hospital - BT). We obtained demographic data, insurance status, clinical variables, extent of resection, treatment, and other known prognostic variables (Karnofsky Score – KPS) to evaluate their role on overall GB survival (OS). Results: We identified 784 GB patients consisting of 177 from BT and 607 from MDACC. We found significant differences by ethnicity, primary language, insurance status, marital status, KPS at diagnosis, extent of resection, and percentage of patients receiving standard of care (SOC) consisting of concurrent chemoradiation followed by adjuvant temozolomide between the two centers. OS was 1.83 years for MDACC patients and 1.24 years for BT patients (p Conclusions: GB patients treated at a safety net county hospital had similar OS compared to a free standing comprehensive cancer center when receiving SOC. County hospital patients had poorer KPS at diagnosis and were often lacking health insurance potentially affecting their ability to receive SOC. Study Supported by: na Disclosure: Dr. Mandel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Youssef has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nam has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Liu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bondy has nothing to disclose. Dr. De Groot has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Celldex (rindopepimit); Deciphera Pharmaceuticals (see above), AbbVie (ABT-414), FivePrime Therapeutics, Inc. (cabiralizumab),Genentech (bevacizumab); Celldex (see above); Foundation Medicine, Inc. (diagnostics, genomic testing platform); Novogen (GDC-008. Dr. De Groot has received royalty, license fees, or contractual rights payments from DSMB: VBL Therapeutics (VB111); Novella (ICT-107). Dr. De Groot holds stock and/or stock options in Ziopharm Oncology, Gilead. Dr. De Groot has received research support from Sanofi-Aventis (XL765); Astrazeneca (AZD 0156); EMD-Serono (M2698, Pimasertib); Eli Lilly (numerous durgs); Novartis (numerous durgs); Deciphera Pharmaceuticals DCC2618, altiratinib), Mundipharma (EDO-S101).
The band shape of the ν2 acetylenic stretching infrared band of CF3CCH

Abstract The ν 2 acetylenic stretching infrared band of trifluoropropyne and trifluoropropyne- d 1 has been investigated in detail through observation of the temperature dependence of the gasphase spectral features, and by matrix isolation. The temperature studies show that most of the sharp Q -branches are “hot” bands. For matrix isolation in N 2 at 4.2°K, CF 3 CCH has two bands at 2159.9 and 2154.5 cm −1 , assigned as ν 2 and ν 4 + ν 6 + ν 10 , respectively. In CF 3 CCD, ν 2 appears at 2005.4 cm −1 , and there are two weaker bands at 2024.4 and 2050.6 cm −1 , well separated from the main fundamental and assigned ae ν 3 + Vν 8 + ν 10 and ν 3 + ν 4 , respectively. The combination bands appear to be in Fermi resonance with the fundamentals.
The regulatory protein SnoN antagonizes activin/Smad2 protein signaling and thereby promotes adipocyte differentiation and obesity in mice.

Ski-related oncogene SnoN (SnoN or SKIL) regulates multiple signaling pathways in a tissue- and developmental stage–dependent manner and has broad functions in embryonic angiogenesis, mammary gland alveologenesis, cancer, and aging. Here, we report that SnoN also plays a critical role in white adipose tissue (WAT) development by regulating mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) self-renewal and differentiation. We found that SnoN promotes MSC differentiation in the adipocyte lineage by antagonizing activin A/Smad2, but not TGFβ/Smad3 signaling. Mice lacking SnoN or expressing a mutant SnoN defective in binding to the Smads were protected from high-fat diet–induced obesity and insulin resistance, and MSCs lacking a functional SnoN exhibited defective differentiation. We further demonstrated that activin, via Smad2, appears to be the major regulator of WAT development in vivo. We also noted that activin A is abundantly expressed in WAT and adipocytes through an autocrine mechanism and promotes MSC self-renewal and inhibits adipogenic differentiation by inducing expression of the gene encoding the homeobox transcription factor Nanog. Of note, SnoN repressed activin/Smad2 signaling and activin A expression, enabling expression of adipocyte-specific transcription factors and promoting adipogenic differentiation. In conclusion, our study has revealed that SnoN plays an important in vivo role in adipocyte differentiation and WAT development in vivo by decreasing activity in the activin/Smad2 signaling pathway.
PDCB does not promote CNS autoimmunity in the context of genetic susceptibility but worsens its outcome.

Abstract Background Para-dichlorobenzene (PDCB) is an aromatic hydrocarbon contained in mothballs that is potentially neurotoxic. A potential pathogenic role of PDCB in MS pathogenesis has been suggested. Methods To determine the ability of chronic PDCB ingestion to induce CNS autoimmunity in a genetically susceptible mammalian species, naive myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide (MOGp)35–55 T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice (2D2) on the C57Bl/6 background were orally gavaged once daily with corn oil control, 125 mg/kg PDCB, or 250 mg/kg PDCB for 45 days. The incidence of spontaneous EAE is increased in this mouse strain. Results Both PDCB treatment groups showed the same spontaneous incidence of EAE, an earlier disease onset, and a slight decrease in survival for 125 mg/kg PDCB mice compared to control mice. We were unable to detect any PDCB, or its metabolites 2,5-dichlorophenol, 2,5-dicholormethylsulfide, and 2,5-dichloromethylsulfone in the brain and spinal cord of control mice. In contrast, PDCB was readily detectable in both compartments in mice who received PDCB via oral gavage, with concentrations being significantly higher in the brain (p Conclusion Our study refutes the hypothesis that PDCB or its metabolites trigger spontaneous T cell-mediated CNS autoimmunity in the setting of genetic susceptibility. A slight increase in mortality with PDCB exposure may be due systemic toxicity of hydrocarbons.
Evolution of Endovascular Technique

Since the 1960s with the first reported endovascular catheterization, the diagnostic and therapeutic horizon of neurointervention has continued to expand. This is in part due to the conception, development, and rapid evolution of catheter, device, and embolic materials. Endovascular treatment of fistulas, arteriovenous malformations, aneurysms, and acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion has become more refined and increasingly widespread. The persistent refinement of these tools will serve to challenge the field in seeking further continued improvement in patient outcomes.
Eliciting Preservice Teachers’ Reading Strategies Through Structured Literacy Activities

ABSTRACTEducational reform needs to address the role of literacy in science if there is to be any hope of achieving the goal of literacy for all U.S. students. For reading to play a more prominent ...
Accuracy and bias in perceptions of relationship authenticity

Impressions regarding the attributes of romantic partners play an important role in shaping attributions for relationship-relevant behaviors, but these perceptions are a mix of fact and fiction. In...
Evaluation of BacterioScan 216Dx in Comparison to Urinalysis as a Screening Tool for Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infections in Children.

ABSTRACT Urinalysis (UA) has routinely been used as a screening tool prior to urine culture set up. BacterioScan 216Dx is an FDA-cleared semiautomated system to detect bacterial growth in urine. The aim of this study was to evaluate 216Dx in comparison to UA for diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in children. Clean-catch, unpreserved urine samples from children aged
Genetics and Oil: Transcriptomics, Epigenetics, and Population Genomics as Tools to Understand Animal Responses to Exposure Across Different Time Scales

Exposure to oil causes basic organismal responses rooted in the genetic architecture of specific species. At the most basic level, exposure leads to immediate changes in gene expression related to xenobiotic metabolism but also changes in expression that may lead to impairment of important biological processes and abnormal development. While many responses amount to transient changes in function, some related to epigenetic gene regulation may be more permanent, persisting long after cessation of exposure. Further, some epigenetic change may be heritable, with oil-like responses persisting in later generations that were never directly exposed. Finally, exposure can create mass-mortality events that change contemporary levels of genomic variation and/or lead to selective regimes that favor individuals that carry allelic variants making them more resistant to the negative effects of oil exposure. The latter issue may be compounded if low levels of oil remain in the system leading to chronic exposure and continued selection. This chapter will review molecular techniques and “omics” tools that have allowed researchers a better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of organismal response to oil exposure, while highlighting future directions for this type of research.
Enhancing Biology Students' Academic Achievement and Attitude Through Self-Regulated Learning Strategy in Senior Secondary Schools in Delta Central Senatorial District

This study focused on enhancing biology students' achievement and attitude through Self-Regulated Learning Strategy in secondary schools in Delta Central Senatorial District. The study adopted the quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test control group design. Four research questions and four research hypotheses were formulated and raised to guide the study. The population of the study was all the biology students in senior secondary school II (SS II) in all the government-owned public secondary schools in Delta Central Senatorial District with an estimation of six thousand, four hundred and twenty-one students (6,421). A sample of two hundred and forty-five (245) senior secondary schools II students randomly selected from four (4) public mixed secondary schools was used for the study. The Simple Random Sampling Technique was adopted to draw the sample. The instruments used for data collection were the Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and Biology Attitude Questionnaire (BAQ). BAT and BAQ were validated by I Measurement and Evaluation and Biology teachers that have taught biology for more than ten (10) years. The reliability of BAT and BAQ were established using Kuder-Richardson formula 21 and Cronbach Alpha which yielded a coefficient of internal consistencies of 0.75 for BAT and 0.80 for BAQ respectively. Data were collected by administering the biology achievement test (BAT) and biology attitude questionnaire (BAQ) as pre-test and post-test. The data obtained were analysed using mean, standard deviation Analysis of Variation (ANOVA) and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The result shows that self-regulated regulated learning strategy significantly enhanced students' achievement in biology compared to the lecture method; there was no significant difference between the mean achievement score of male and female students taught biology using self-regulated learning strategy; there was a significant difference between the mean attitude score of students taught using self-regulated learning strategy compared with those taught with lecture method in favour of students taught using the self-regulated learning strategy and there was no significant difference between the mean attitude score of male and female students taught biology using self-regulated learning strategy. Based on the findings it was concluded that self-regulated learning strategy significantly enhances students' achievements and attitudes in biology. It was therefore recommended that biology teachers should adopt the strategy in teaching biology at the secondary school level and that biology teachers should be trained on how to use the skills of self-regulated learning strategy effectively.
Betting on the Workforce: An Interview With the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation

In this article, Deborah Moroney and Jill Young from the American Institutes for Research interview Rebecca Goldberg and Alex Hooker, senior program officers from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Rebecca and Alex describe their experience as members of the youth development workforce and how that experience inspired them to support the youth development workforce on the grantmaking side, focusing on adult practice and youth character development. As the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation sunsets in 2020, Rebecca and Alex also share their hopes for the youth development workforce going forward.
An examination of changes in skeletal muscle thickness, echo intensity, strength and soreness following resistance exercise.

It is suggested that changes in echo intensity (EI) measured through ultrasound can detect muscle swelling. However, changes in EI have never been examined relative to a non-exercise control following naive exposure to exercise. PURPOSE Examine the changes in muscle thickness (MT), EI and isometric strength (ISO) before, immediately after, and 24, and 48 hr following biceps curls. METHODS Twenty-seven non-resistance-trained individuals visited the laboratory four times. During visit 1, paperwork was completed and strength was measured. During visit 2, MT and ISO were measured before four sets of curls. Additional measures were taken immediately after exercise, as well as 24 and 48 hr post. Results are displayed as means (SD). RESULTS For MT, there was an interaction (p < .001). For the experimental condition, MT increased from pre [2.88(0.64) cm] to post [3.27(0.67) cm] and remained elevated 48 hr post. There were no changes for MT in the control arm. In the experimental arm, EI increased from pre [22.9(9.6) AU] to post [29.1(12.3) AU] exercise and returned to baseline by 24 hr. For the control condition, EI was different between pre [24.8(10.2) AU] and 48 hr [21.5(10.7) AU]. The change in EI in the experimental condition was greater than the control condition immediately post (p = .039) and at 48 hr (p = .016). For ISO, there was an interaction (p < .001). In the experimental condition, ISO decreased from pre [40.6(14.7) Nm)] to post [24.8(9.4) Nm] and remained depressed. CONCLUSIONS Exercise produced a swelling response, which was elevated 48 hr post. Despite a sustained increase in MT, EI was only elevated immediately post exercise.
Fairness through Equality of Effort

Fair machine learning is receiving an increasing attention in machine learning fields. Researchers in fair learning have developed correlation or association-based measures such as demographic disparity, mistreatment disparity, calibration, causal-based measures such as total effect, direct and indirect discrimination, and counterfactual fairness, and fairness notions such as equality of opportunity and equalized odds that consider both decisions in the training data and decisions made by predictive models. In this paper, we develop a new causal-based fairness notation, called equality of effort. Different from existing fairness notions which mainly focus on discovering the disparity of decisions between two groups of individuals, the proposed equality of effort notation helps answer questions like to what extend a legitimate variable should change to make a particular individual achieve a certain outcome level and addresses the concerns whether the efforts made to achieve the same outcome level for individuals from the protected group and that from the unprotected group are different. We develop algorithms for determining whether an individual or a group of individuals is discriminated in terms of equality of effort. We also develop an optimization-based method for removing discriminatory effects from the data if discrimination is detected. We conduct empirical evaluations to compare the equality of effort and existing fairness notion and show the effectiveness of our proposed algorithms.
COVID-19 order parameters and order parameter time constants of italy and China: A modeling approach based on synergetics

From a dynamical systems perspective, COVID-19 infectious disease emerges via an instability in human populations. Accordingly, the human population free of COVID-19 infected individuals is an unst...
Accelerated Laboratory Assessment of Discrete Sacrificial Anodes for Rehabilitation of Salt-Contaminated Reinforced Concrete

AbstractFor patch repairs of chloride contaminated RC structures, the use of discrete sacrificial anodes (DSAs) is indispensable. Without DSAs embedded, due to the ring effect, the failure of the R...
Reviewing computational studies of defect formation and behaviors in carbon fiber structural units

Abstract Solid-state carbon materials, such as graphite and graphene, are at the forefront of materials research because of their unique electronic, vibrational, and mechanical properties, leading to a broad range of potential and realized applications. One key application is their role as basic structural units of carbon fiber (CF), a lightweight alternative to steel. In CF, a delicate relationship exists between ultimate material strength and the atomic-scale density of defects contained at the inter- and intra-subunit levels. Computational studies provide insight into the stability of various types of defects that can form in these systems and connect with experimental observables such as bandgap and spectroscopic measurements. Therefore, the literature contains many computational studies that focus on changes induced by defects, including vacancies and Dienes transformations (Stone-Wales and Thrower defects). However, wide-ranging methods and cell sizes have been used, and property-specific information is often lacking. This review summarizes key literature findings, paying particular attention to changes in the electronic, vibrational, and mechanical properties induced by defects in graphitic materials relevant to CF.
Executive functioning in children with ASD + ADHD and ASD + ID: A systematic review

Abstract Executive functions (EF) are skills that impact an individual’s ability to flexibly and efficiently problem solve and react to their environment. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), commonly experience EF deficits. However, it is unclear how a co-occurring diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or intellectual disability (ID) impact EF in children with ASD. This study systematically reviewed 26 studies – within 24 journal articles – that examined EF among children with ASD + ADHD and ASD + ID. Results revealed many non-congruent findings regarding EF in children with ASD + ADHD and ASD + ID, including differences across performance-based and indirect measures of EF. Children with ASD + ADHD exhibited unique flexibility and shifting, inhibition, and attention deficits. Among children with ASD + ID, planning and organizing, flexibility and shifting, attention, behavior regulation, and global EF skills significantly differed from comparison groups. Notably, these findings were dependent on assessment type used (performance-based versus indirect). Furthermore, analyses of mean Z-scores suggest that children with ASD + ADHD and ASD + ID exhibited more severe EF impairments than children with ASD. These results may be used to inform assessment practices for differentiating and determining co-occurring diagnoses. Understanding unique EF deficits may also inform the development of targeted treatment and interventions.
A Multi-Level Trend-Renewal Process for Modeling Systems With Recurrence Data

ABSTRACTA repairable system is a system that can be restored to an operational state after a repair event. The system may experience multiple events over time that are called recurrent events. To model the recurrent event data, the renewal process (RP), the nonhomogenous Poisson process (NHPP), and the trend-renewal process (TRP) are often used. Compared to the RP and NHPP, the TRP is more flexible for modeling, because it includes both RP and NHPP as special cases. However, for a multi-level system (e.g., system, subsystem, and component levels), the original TRP model may not be adequate if the repair is effected by a subsystem replacement and if subsystem-level replacement events affect the rate of occurrence of the component-level replacement events. In this article, we propose a general class of models to describe replacement events in a multi-level repairable system by extending the TRP model. We also develop procedures for parameter estimation and the prediction of future events based on historical...
HEALTH INSURANCE TAX CREDITS, THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT, AND HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE OF SINGLE MOTHERS

SUMMARY The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 enacted a refundable tax credit for low-income working families who purchased health insurance coverage for their children. This health insurance tax credit (HITC) existed during tax years 1991, 1992, and 1993, and was then rescinded. A difference-in-differences estimator applied to Current Population Survey data suggests that adoption of the HITC, along with accompanying increases in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), was associated with a relative increase of about 4.7 percentage points in the private health insurance coverage of working single mothers with high school or less education. Also, a difference-in-difference-in-differences estimator, which attempts to net out the possible influence of the EITC increases but which requires strong assumptions, suggests that the HITC was responsible for about three-quarters (3.6 percentage points) of the total increase. The latter estimate implies a price elasticity of health insurance take-up of −0.42. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Web document classification using machine learning clustering algorithms

Topic directories such as the Open Directory Project (dmoz.org) and About.com rival search engines as some of the most popular websites. The ultimate goal is to organize the entire web hierarchically by topic. Such a structure allows for more focused searching. The process of classifying web documents and associating them with topics is called 'tagging'. Brown et al explored the use of machine learning and data mining tools for automatic tagging [1]. Specifically, their work looked into performance of classification algorithms including the nearest neighbor algorithm and decision tree learning. In this paper, we compare the effectiveness of three clustering algorithms including k-means clustering, EM clustering algorithm, and COBWEB for automatic tagging of web documents. We will compare the performance of these clustering algorithms as well as present their performance relative to the classifiers.
Analysis of ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage and repair in three-dimensional human skin model system

Knowledge of cellular responses in tissue microenvironment is crucial for the accurate prediction of human health risks following chronic or acute exposure to ionizing radiation (IR). With this objective, we investigated the radio responses for the first time in three-dimensional (3D) artificial human skin tissue microenvironment after gamma-rays radiation. IR-induced DNA damage/repair response was assessed by immunological analysis of well-known DNA double strand break (DSB) repair proteins, i.e. 53BP1 and phosphorylated ataxia telangiectasia mutated(ser1981) (ATM(ser1981)). Efficient 53BP1 and phosphorylated ATM foci formation was observed in human EpiDerm tissue constructs after low and high doses of gamma-rays. Interestingly, EpiDerm tissue constructs displayed less 53BP1 and ATM foci number at all radiation doses (0.1, 1, 2.5 and 5 Gy) than that observed for 2D human fibroblasts. DSB repair efficiency judged by the disappearance of 53BP1 foci declined with increasing doses of gamma-rays and tissue constructs irradiated with 2.5 and 5 Gy of gamma-rays displayed 53BP1 foci persisting up to 72 h of analysis. Pretreatment of EpiDerm tissue constructs with LY294002, [an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase and PI-3 kinase like kinases (PIKK)] completely abolished IR-induced 53BP1 foci formation and increased the apoptotic death. This observation indicates the importance of PIKK signalling pathway for efficient radiation responses in intact tissue constructs. In summary, we have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of monitoring the DNA damage response in human skin tissue microenvironment. In this system, 53BP1 can be used as a useful marker for monitoring the DSB repair efficiency.
Radiocarbon age-offsets in an arctic lake reveal the long-term response of permafrost carbon to climate change

Continued warming of the Arctic may cause permafrost to thaw and speed the decomposition of large stores of soil organic carbon (OC), thereby accentuating global warming. However, it is unclear if recent warming has raised the current rates of permafrost OC release to anomalous levels or to what extent soil carbon release is sensitive to climate forcing. Here we use a time series of radiocarbon age-offsets (14C) between the bulk lake sediment and plant macrofossils deposited in an arctic lake as an archive for soil and permafrost OC release over the last 14,500 years. The lake traps and archives OC imported from the watershed and allows us to test whether prior warming events stimulated old carbon release and heightened age-offsets. Today, the age-offset (2 ka; thousand of calibrated years before A.D. 1950) and the depositional rate of ancient OC from the watershed into the lake are relatively low and similar to those during the Younger Dryas cold interval (occurring 12.9–11.7 ka). In contrast, age-offsets were higher (3.0–5.0 ka) when summer air temperatures were warmer than present during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (11.7–9.0 ka) and Bolling-Allerod periods (14.5–12.9 ka). During these warm times, permafrost thaw contributed to ancient OC depositional rates that were ~10 times greater than today. Although permafrost OC was vulnerable to climate warming in the past, we suggest surface soil organic horizons and peat are presently limiting summer thaw and carbon release. As a result, the temperature threshold to trigger widespread permafrost OC release is higher than during previous warming events.
What’s Wrong With The IMF? What Would Be Better?

The International Monetary fund (IMF) and the World Bank were created in 1944 reflecting the experience of the 1920s and 1930s. The fund’s tasks were to adjust current account imbalances and manage the exchange rate system. The bank’s main tasks were to lend for the reconstruction of Europe and eliminate the alleged bias against lending to developing countries.
Object detection through search with a foveated visual system

Humans and many other species sense visual information with varying spatial resolution across the visual field (foveated vision) and deploy eye movements to actively sample regions of interests in scenes. The advantage of such varying resolution architecture is a reduced computational, hence metabolic cost. But what are the performance costs of such processing strategy relative to a scheme that processes the visual field at high spatial resolution? Here we first focus on visual search and combine object detectors from computer vision with a recent model of peripheral pooling regions found at the V1 layer of the human visual system. We develop a foveated object detector that processes the entire scene with varying resolution, uses retino-specific object detection classifiers to guide eye movements, aligns its fovea with regions of interest in the input image and integrates observations across multiple fixations. We compared the foveated object detector against a non-foveated version of the same object detector which processes the entire image at homogeneous high spatial resolution. We evaluated the accuracy of the foveated and non-foveated object detectors identifying 20 different objects classes in scenes from a standard computer vision data set (the PASCAL VOC 2007 dataset). We show that the foveated object detector can approximate the performance of the object detector with homogeneous high spatial resolution processing while bringing significant computational cost savings. Additionally, we assessed the impact of foveation on the computation of bottom-up saliency. An implementation of a simple foveated bottom-up saliency model with eye movements showed agreement in the selection of top salient regions of scenes with those selected by a non-foveated high resolution saliency model. Together, our results might help explain the evolution of foveated visual systems with eye movements as a solution that preserves perceptual performance in visual search while resulting in computational and metabolic savings to the brain.
Influence of Ionization on the Neutral Atmosphere

Ionizing radiation can affect both the dynamics and the chemical composition of the neutral atmosphere through macroscopic heating effects and through microscopic chemical reactions. The dynamical effects, which take place mainly in the thermosphere, will be described in other papers in this collection, and this paper will concentrate on the chemical aspects. Specifically, we will be concerned with the stratosphere, where residence times of certain species tend to be very long and where effects can take place that are potentially important to our surface environment. The chief objective will be to explore the consequences of very intense ionizing events, more intense than any that have occurred within the brief period of man’s interest in such effects, but well within the range of intensities that may have occurred in the distant past, or that might occur in the future. The latter part of the paper will be concerned with a tentative study of the potential effects of such events on the global climate, which is a topic of major current interest.
Penning Trap Measurements of the Masses of C133s, R87,85b, and N23a with Uncertainties ≤0.2 ppb

We report new values from Penning trap single ion mass spectrometry for the atomic masses of ${}^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$, ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$, ${}^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$, and ${}^{23}\mathrm{Na}$ with uncertainties $\ensuremath{\le}0.2\mathrm{ppb}$, a factor of 100 improvement over the accuracy of previously measured values. We have found $M{(}^{133}\mathrm{Cs})\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}132.905451931(27)u$, $M{(}^{87}\mathrm{Rb})\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}86.909180520(15)u$, $M{(}^{85}\mathrm{Rb})\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}84.911789732(14)u$, and $M{(}^{23}\mathrm{Na})\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}22.9897692807(28)u$. These values are important for new ppb-level determinations of the molar Planck constant ${N}_{A}h$ and the fine-structure constant \ensuremath{\alpha}. With the measurement of ${}^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$ we have increased the mass range for sub-ppb measurements by a factor of 3. From $M{(}^{133}\mathrm{Cs})$ and other values we derive ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}137.0359922(40)$.
When Did Photosynthesis Emerge on Earth

Life began early in Earth9s history, but it was the emergence of photosynthesis that allowed its proliferation across the planet, because it freed life from its sole dependence on abiotic chemical sources of reducing power. Des Marais discusses recent geological and molecular biological evidence, such as the paper by Xiong et al., that photosynthesis emerged at least 2,800 million years ago.
A Review of “Education and Social Change: Contours in the History of American Schooling”

As the title indicates, this is a book about the relationship between education and social change. Rury's question is a corollary: Do schools change society or does society change schooling? Rury a...
Collaboration: An Essential Element in Curricular Reform

ABSTRACTPharmacy education, like other professional schools and higher education in general, is in the process of transforming its curriculum. It is the premise of this article that such curriculum revision must include not only changing curricular content but developing new organizational structures and environments in which the curriculum will be designed and delivered. One approach to creating new organizational structures is to engage in collaboration with internal and external colleagues and constituencies as part of the curriculum revision process. This article presents one school's experience in doing so, along with five guidelines for those who are attempting similar curricular reform.
More powerful two-sample tests for differences in repeated measures of adverse effects in psychiatric trials when only some patients may be at risk

Common adverse effect measures in psychiatric trials are typically analysed with repeated measures ANOVA, despite having distributions which violate key assumptions of that method; moreover, some adverse effects may be concentrated in vulnerable subgroups of participants. For testing treatment differences in adverse effects, we propose use of Kendall's τb as a summary measure of within-participant trends in adverse events, in conjunction with a weighted modification of a rank test proposed by Conover and Salsburg. Data on extrapyramidal side effects from a controlled clinical trial conducted in persons with treatment resistant schizophrenia was used to compare the proposed analysis to repeated measures ANOVA using mixed models and alternate tests for treatment differences in τb trend scores. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Research Productivity Among Librarians : Factors Leading to Publications at Penn State

Librarians at the Pennsylvania State University are consistently among the most published in academic library journals. This study explored the factors contributing to research productivity among a cross section of Penn State librarians. Personal motivation, intellectual curiosity, and education were important factors in practice-, institutional-, and discipline-based research among the 38 librarians surveyed here. However, being part of an institution, where everyone is expected to participate in research, may be the most critical factor.
Liquid-crystal technique for observing integrated-circuit operation

A nondestructive technique has been developed that enables both the electric fields and temperature distributions at the surface of an operating integrated circuit to be viewed with conventional optical microscopes. Packaged chips or unscribed wafers are coated with a nematic liquid-crystal layer and operated in their normal fashion. Practical preparation and observation procedures have been developed.
Towards translingual information access using portable information extraction

We report on a small study undertaken to demonstrate the feasibility of combining portable information extraction with MT in order to support translingual information access. After describing the proposed system's usage scenario and system design, we describe our investigation of transferring information extraction techniques developed for English to Korean. We conclude with a brief discussion of related MT issues we plan to investigate in future work.