cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis C virus infection among noninjecting drug users in New York City.

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among noninjecting drug users has been reported to be higher than in the general population, but the reasons for this observation remain unclear. Noninjecting drug users aged 15-40 years and who used drugs for no longer than 10 years were enrolled in the study. The participants were interviewed about risk behaviors and had specimens drawn for serological testing. Of 276 enrolled, 4.7% were infected with HCV. Drug users who had ever sniffed or snorted heroin in combination with cocaine were significantly more likely to be infected with HCV compared with those who never sniffed or snorted heroin with cocaine. No other drug use or sexual risk behaviors were found to be associated with HCV infection. These findings suggest that sniffing or snorting heroin with cocaine may explain the increase frequently found in HCV infection among noninjectors, but further studies are necessary.
A correction to impulse invariance

The classic equations for discrete time filter design by impulse invariance are not correct, in general. In particular, if the impulse response of the causal continuous-time filter is discontinuous at t=0, then the initial sample h[0] of the discrete-time impulse response should equal one-half the value of the discontinuity, not the full value as classically given. Otherwise, the resulting frequency response does not equal the sum of shifted versions of the original response as expected. This effect will typically be seen only in low order filters such as first order lowpass filters or second order bandpass filters.
Livesolving: Enabling Collaborative Problem Solvers to Perform at Full Capacity

Collaborative problem solving is a key methodology for tackling complex and/or contentious problems. The methodology is supported by computer and communication systems that bring human solvers together with computational agents and provide clear protocols for exploring and rating alternative solution approaches. However, these systems can be challenging to use due not only to the complexity of the problems being solved but the variety of abstractions involved in managing the solution process, e.g., problem representations, collaborations, and strategies. This paper offers new ideas to help the human users of such systems to learn and work more effectively. It also suggests how problem solving may sometimes be carried out in performance contexts similar to those of livecoding improvisational music. Most important here is the identification of seven forms of liveness in problem solving that may heighten a solving team’s sense of engagement. Common themes among them are increasing solvers’ awareness and minimizing latency between solver intentions and system responses. One of the seven livesolving forms involves solvers in tracing paths within problem-space graphs. This and the other six forms derive from experience with a system called CoSolve, developed at the University of Washington.
Ascus Dehiscence in Lecanidion Atratum and its Significance

Lecanidion atratum, which has been placed with the inoperculate Discomycetes, has a method of spore discharge unique for that group. The outer ascus wall breaks at, or near the apex and rolls back;...
An Experimental Study into Active Damping Mechanisms in CNT Nanocomposite

In this effort, the controllability of energy dissipation capability in nanocomposites via electrical signals, referred to herein as active damping, was studied. This mechanism benefits from the electrically conductive network of CNTs, as well as their high surface to volume ratio, to thermally enhance viscous phenomena, such as chain relaxation in polymers. For active damping, the thermomechanical response of the polymer is targeted and studied as a potential damping source within the nanocomposite. By taking advantage of the polymer relaxation resulting from an increase in temperature, the composite material shows controllable damping enhancement. However, the non-uniform temperature distribution in the composite sample has a large effect on the overall damping enhancement. The non-uniformity of the temperature distribution, both locally and globally, was studied via experiments and modeling to further shed light on this phenomenon.
Governance, risk and compliance: impediments and opportunities for managing operational technology risk in industrial cyber security and safety

The appropriate governance of cyber security programmes is essential to their success; however, it is the principal reason for ICS security programmes failing. This paper discusses organisational risk, from the Board throughout the organisation, examining convergence of IT and ICS systems. Implementation challenges are considered, arising from organisational design and significant changes in the ICS landscape, which have expanded potential risk. It is contended that the changes, including the future of Cyber Physical Systems, are fundamental, necessitating new roles and skills to address broader digital risk beyond traditional information assurance. Established guidance and new approaches to managing ICS security and governance are recommended.
Abstract B64: Suboptimal cytoreduction in ovarian carcinoma is associated with molecular pathways characteristic of increased stromal activation.

Suboptimal cytoreductive surgery in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is associated with poor survival but it is unknown if poor outcome is due to the intrinsic biology of unresectable tumors or insufficient surgical effort resulting in residual tumor-sustaining clones. Our objective was to identify the potential molecular pathway(s) and cell type(s) that may be responsible for suboptimal surgical resection. By comparing gene expression in optimally and suboptimally cytoreduced patients, we identified a gene network associated with suboptimal cytoreduction and explored the biological processes and cell types associated with this gene network. We show that primary tumors from suboptimally cytoreduced patients express molecular signatures that are typically present in a distinct molecular subtype of EOC characterized by increased stromal activation and lymphovascular invasion. Similar molecular pathways are present in EOC metastases, suggesting that primary tumors in suboptimally cytoreduced patients are biologically similar to metastatic tumors. We demonstrate that the suboptimal cytoreduction network genes are enriched in reactive tumor stroma cells rather than malignant tumor cells. Our data suggest that the success of cytoreductive surgery is dictated by tumor biology, such as extensive stromal reaction and increased invasiveness, which may hinder surgical resection and ultimately lead to poor survival. Citation Format: Zhenqiu Liu, Jessica A. Beach, Hasmik Agadjanian, Dongyu Jia, Paul-Joseph Aspuria, Beth Y. Karlan, Sandra Orsulic. Suboptimal cytoreduction in ovarian carcinoma is associated with molecular pathways characteristic of increased stromal activation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research: Exploiting Vulnerabilities; Oct 17-20, 2015; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2016;22(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B64.
ATMOSPHERIC ECOLOGY. THE TROUBLED OUTDOORS.

The discoverer of the essential fraction of air, a young minister of the Dissenting Church in England, Joseph Priestley, wrote as follows: “My reader will not wonder that after having ascertained the superior goodness of dephlogisticated air by mice living in it I should have the curiosity to taste it myself. I have gratified that curiosity by breathing it. The feeling of it to my lungs was not sensibly different from that of common air but I fancied that my breast felt peculiarly light and easy for some time afterwards. Who can tell but that in time this pure air may become a fashionable article in luxury. Hitherto only two mice and myself have had the privilege of breathing it.”
Catalytic conversion of CO2 to value added fuels: Current status, challenges, and future directions

The electrochemical reduction of CO 2 into liquid fuels especially coupling with the intermittent renewable electricity offers a promising means of storing electricity in chemical form, which reduces the dependence on fossil fuels and mitigates the negative impact of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions on the planet. Although converting CO 2 to fuels is not in itself a new concept, the field has not substantially advanced in the last 30 years primarily because of the challenge of discovery of structural electrocatalysts and the development of membrane architectures for efficient collection of reactants and separation of products. This overview summarizes recent advances in catalytic conversion of CO 2 and presents the challenges and future directions in producing value-added fuels.
Galsworthy Semi-detached

Not surprisingly for one who had always been both fortunate and generously custodial, Galsworthy’s immediate reaction to the First World War was to dedicate himself to helping fund various organizations formed to alleviate suffering. On 5 August, the day after the war began, when a constable came to Manaton to muster all available horses (Galsworthy’s favourite mare, Peggy, “was rejected as unsound”), Galsworthy was already writing an appeal to The Times for the “instant starting of a War Relief Fund”: “Not a day should be lost.”1 By 25 August, having pledged all American earnings, he was pleased that Scribner’s Magazine had promised “a big price” for the serialization of The Freelands, the novel he had not yet finished.2 On 7 November, still revising later sections of The Freelands, he summarized his charities: Sent off −250 to various War Funds, making −1250 to date, i.e. Motor Ambulance −400. Belgian Relief −300. Cigarettes −250. Prince of Wales −200. Authors and Actors −100. Small Funds −50. M.E.R. −50 [an unspecified war charity for which his sister, Mabel Reynolds, was collecting money]. Devon −50. Queen’s Women’s −25. Belgian Refugees −25.3
Attention Deficit and EEG Analysis

Computerized power spectral analysis (PSA), permitting topographic representation and statistical analysis of EEG, of 25 right-handed males, 9-12 years of age with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was used in studies from the Departments of Psychology, Pediatrics (Neurology) and Computing Center, University of Tennessee and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Knoxville, TN.
Agent-Based Modeling of Collaborative Problem Solving

Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is a critical competency in a variety of contexts, including the workplace, school, and home. However, only recently have assessment and curriculum reformers begun to focus to a greater extent on the acquisition and development of CPS skill. One of the major challenges in psychometric modeling of CPS is collecting large-scale data on teams and processes. In this study, we explore the use of agent-based modeling (ABM) to model the CPS process, test the sensitivity of outcomes to different population characteristics, and generate simulated data that can provide a novel means by which to refine and develop psychometric models. Methods of adapting trait-based stochastic processes to a specific task are described, and preliminary results are presented.
A multiproxy analysis of the Frasnian-Famennian transition in western New York State, U.S.A

The Late Devonian Frasnian-Famennian transition is well exposed along Walnut Creek in the western New York State region of the Appalachian Basin. The studied stratigraphic interval encompasses approximately 29 m of section from the organic-rich Pipe Creek Formation, the equivalent of the Lower Kellwasser carbonaceous horizon of Europe, to a thin black shale layer at the top of the overlying Hanover Formation that correlates with the Upper Kellwasser horizon. The Walnut Creek section comprises five depositional cycles that are likely eustatic in nature, perhaps modulated by tectonic dynamics of the basin. Clastic proxy trends (Ti/Al, Zr/Al) suggest that deposits spanning the Frasnian-Famennian boundary (FFB) accumulated in association with rising sea level, a trend documented from elsewhere in the basin. Increasing Si/Al across the FFB may reflect elevated post-extinction biosiliceous productivity documented from Lower Famennian deposits elsewhere. The Walnut Creek section includes two positive δ13Corg excursions of > 3‰, the stratigraphically lower event associated with the Pipe Creek Formation and the highest excursion approximately coincident with the Upper Kellwasser equivalent black shale layer. These isotopic events are interpreted to record episodes of increased global productivity and organic carbon sequestration at the end of the Frasnian Stage. Redox proxy trends (Mo and U enrichment and pyrite framboid size-distributions) documented from black shale associated with the positive excursions suggest sediment accumulation under suboxic to intermittently anoxic or euxinic bottom-water conditions in an unrestricted open-marine setting. The paleoclimate history of the end of the Frasnian based on Th/K data is one of fluctuating atmospheric conditions, including a brief cooling trend at the FFB. Though the Walnut Creek section sheds no light on the triggering mechanism or mechanisms of the Late Devonian extinction, inferred climate fluctuations associated with the FFB reflected in the Th/K data may have contributed to the severity of the biological crisis.
The influence of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) on survival in older adults with multiple myeloma (MM).

9559 Background: In randomized trials, ASCT improves survival in MM patients (pts) < age 65. The impact of ASCT on survival in older adults with MM is unknown. Methods: In a retrospective cohort st...
Population genomic analysis of 1,777 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, Houston, Texas: Unexpected abundance of clonal group 307

ABSTRACT Klebsiella pneumoniae is a major human pathogen responsible for high morbidity and mortality rates. The emergence and spread of strains resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents and documented large nosocomial outbreaks are especially concerning. To develop new therapeutic strategies for K. pneumoniae , it is imperative to understand the population genomic structure of strains causing human infections. To address this knowledge gap, we sequenced the genomes of 1,777 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae strains cultured from patients in the 2,000-bed Houston Methodist Hospital system between September 2011 and May 2015, representing a comprehensive, population-based strain sample. Strains of largely uncharacterized clonal group 307 (CG307) caused more infections than those of well-studied epidemic CG258. Strains varied markedly in gene content and had an extensive array of small and very large plasmids, often containing antimicrobial resistance genes. Some patients with multiple strains cultured over time were infected with genetically distinct clones. We identified 15 strains expressing the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1 (NDM-1) enzyme that confers broad resistance to nearly all beta-lactam antibiotics. Transcriptome sequencing analysis of 10 phylogenetically diverse strains showed that the global transcriptome of each strain was unique and highly variable. Experimental mouse infection provided new information about immunological parameters of host-pathogen interaction. We exploited the large data set to develop whole-genome sequence-based classifiers that accurately predict clinical antimicrobial resistance for 12 of the 16 antibiotics tested. We conclude that analysis of large, comprehensive, population-based strain samples can assist understanding of the molecular diversity of these organisms and contribute to enhanced translational research. IMPORTANCE Klebsiella pneumoniae causes human infections that are increasingly difficult to treat because many strains are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Clonal group 258 (CG258) organisms have caused outbreaks in health care settings worldwide. Using a comprehensive population-based sample of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing K. pneumoniae strains, we show that a relatively uncommon clonal type, CG307, caused the plurality of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae infections in our patients. We discovered that CG307 strains have been abundant in Houston for many years. As assessed by experimental mouse infection, CG307 strains were as virulent as pandemic CG258 strains. Our results may portend the emergence of an especially successful clonal group of antibiotic-resistant K. pneumoniae .
The Impossible and the Implausible

This chapter deals with propositions that are as common as they are incorrect. The people who assert them are either benighted or unwittingly polyanic. In a sense, then, this chapter is a reminder that common bromides stand in the way of mastering superior English writing and speaking. The arguments of philosophers and logicians, more than grammarians, make the case against the propositions “Nothing is impossible” and “There is a first time for everything.”
A Unified Approach to Vibrations of Distributed-Parameters Systems

This chapter provides a brief overview of vibrations of distributed-parameter systems. The treatment offered in this chapter follows a unified approach in which an energy-based modeling framework is adopted to describe the system behavior. As mentioned earlier in Chap. 1, the interactions between different fields (e.g., electrical, mechanical, magnetic) in active materials and especially in piezoelectrics materials can be conveniently established and presented using this method. This is especially important as the piezoelectric-based vibration-control systems considered in this book fall into this category of interacting different field systems. Hence, the materials presented here shall form the basis for the subsequent modeling and control developments for both piezoelectric-based systems and vibration-control systems discussed in Chaps. 8 and 9, respectively.
“Why are we being punished and they are being rewarded?” views on renewable energy in fossil fuels-based communities of the U.S. west

Abstract Renewable energy has emerged as one of the predominant means for addressing global climate change, as well as a remedy for energy workers and communities displaced by declining fossil fuels industries. However, little is known about how individuals living and working in fossil fuels-dependent communities perceive renewable energy and the low-carbon transition. To investigate this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with forty-five community representatives in 2016 in two energy-dependent areas in the state of Utah − one dependent on coal mining and electricity generation and one dependent on oil and natural gas extraction. Findings indicate that representatives overall had negative views of renewable energy development, driven mainly by the perceived threat to the existing local economy, the feeling that renewable energy was incongruent with local identity, and anger about policy incentives favoring renewables. These findings suggest that even though renewable energy development may offer an economic boost to declining fossil fuels-based communities, it may still be rejected in these places. The article concludes by weighing the implications of these findings under the ‘just transitions’ framework, which argues that the clean energy transition must address the plight of individuals and communities hit hardest by the shift away from fossil fuels.
Assessing a Quality Improvement Program: Study Design, Causal Specification and Analysis

Previous chapters have taken a hard look at both the conceptual and the methodological problems of coming to terms with the quality of health care in this era. A variety of study designs and analytic approaches can be used to examine the effects of an intervention program on patient care outcomes, individually and in the aggregate. For example, clinical case management is designed to improve patient care outcomes and to reduce the cost of care. The implementation of case management in hospitals could be based on a variety of study designs. The level of scientific rigor, contingent upon the study design, ranges from a case study to a randomized control trial. The case study only describes the configuration or structure of the case management program. However, little can be said about its cost-effectiveness. However, a clinical trial study design, assigning the intervention randomly to the experimental group with case management and a control group without the intervention, enables the investigator to draw strong causal inferences from the study findings. This chapter explains how causal analysis can be used to evaluate quality improvement programs, using multiple indicators for patient care outcomes.
Feature Extraction by Multiple Neurons in a Topographical Sensory Map

We have shown that burst-like spike patterns of single electrosensory neurons in the hindbrain of weakly electric fish reliably indicate the occurrence of behaviorally relevant stimulus features. Here, we demonstrate that the reliability of feature extraction improves even further when the coincident activity of nearby cells is evaluated. Correlated firing of these cells was mostly stimulus-induced and not attributable to shared synaptic inputs. Since the time scales of interspike intervals within bursts and those of the best coincidence time window were very similar (5-15 ms), we suggest that coincident spikes can be considered “distributed bursts”.
Monte Carlo Calculation of the Ground and Excited State Structures of 4He Clusters

The study of Helium clusters is interesting from many perspectives. A current theme is to understand the emergence of bulk physical properties from finite systems, e.g., the onset of superfluidity as a function of cluster size. Another theme, inherited from nuclear physics, is to understand the extent to which bulk properties can be inferred from that of a finite system, e.g., the relation between bulk liquid compressibility and the cluster giant resonance energies. Finally, Helium clusters are unique bosonic, but fully quantum, finite systems. Because of the simplicity of the 4He-4He potential, these clusters provide an exceptionally clean laboratory for the study of intrinsic many-body effects unhampered by the complexity of the interaction. The scattering of neutron off 4He clusters would provide a unique opportunity of directly confronting experimental data with first-principle calculations.
Insulin receptor-mediated signaling regulates pluripotency markers and lineage differentiation.

Abstract Objectives Insulin receptor (IR)-mediated signaling is involved in the regulation of pluripotent stem cells; however, its direct effects on regulating the maintenance of pluripotency and lineage development are not fully understood. The main objective of this study is to understand the role of IR signaling in pluripotency and lineage development. Methods To explore the role of IR signaling, we generated IR knock-out (IRKO) mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (miPSCs) from E14.5 mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) of global IRKO mice using a cocktail of four reprogramming factors: Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, cMyc. We performed pluripotency characterization and directed the differentiation of control and IRKO iPSCs into neural progenitors (ectoderm), adipocyte progenitors (mesoderm), and pancreatic beta-like cells (endoderm). We mechanistically confirmed these findings via phosphoproteomics analyses of control and IRKO iPSCs. Results Interestingly, expression of pluripotency markers including Klf4, Lin28a, Tbx3, and cMyc were upregulated, while abundance of Oct4 and Nanog were enhanced by 4-fold and 3-fold, respectively, in IRKO iPSCs. Analyses of signaling pathways demonstrated downregulation of phospho-STAT3, p-mTor and p-Erk and an increase in the total mTor and Erk proteins in IRKO iPSCs in the basal unstimulated state. Stimulation with leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) showed a ∼33% decrease of phospho-ERK in IRKO iPSCs. On the contrary, Erk phosphorylation was increased during in vitro spontaneous differentiation of iPSCs lacking IRs. Lineage-specific directed differentiation of the iPSCs revealed that cells lacking IR showed enhanced expression of neuronal lineage markers (Pax6, Tubb3, Ascl1 and Oligo2) while exhibiting a decrease in adipocyte (Fas, Acc, Pparγ, Fabp4, C/ebpα, and Fsp27) and pancreatic beta cell markers (Ngn3, Isl1, and Sox9). Further molecular characterization by phosphoproteomics confirmed the novel IR-mediated regulation of the global pluripotency network including several key proteins involved in diverse aspects of growth and embryonic development. Conclusion We report, for the first time to our knowledge, the phosphoproteome of insulin, IGF1, and LIF stimulation in mouse iPSCs to reveal the importance of insulin receptor signaling for the maintenance of pluripotency and lineage determination.
Co-Processed Particles: An Approach to Transform Poor Tableting Properties.

Abstract The role of co-processing in improving tablet mechanical properties was investigated in this work. Gabapentin was used as the model compound owing to its poor tableting properties such as low tensile strength, strain rate sensitivity, high ejection force, and tablet capping. Gabapentin was blended with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (Methocel®) in a high shear mixer to obtain an interactive mixture consisting of finer hydroxypropyl methylcellulose particles adsorbed onto the surface of larger gabapentin particles. Interactive mixture containing
Prevalence of Mental Illness in Adolescents and Adults With Congenital Heart Disease from the Colorado Congenital Heart Defect Surveillance System

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the full spectrum of mental illness in adolescents (aged 11 to 17) and adults (aged 18 to 64) with congenital heart defects (CHDs) in the population-level Colorado Congenital Heart Disease Surveillance System. Further we sought to investigate whether severity of the defect, frequency of recent cardiac procedures or underlying genetic disorders influence these estimates. The cohort included patients in clinical care for CHDs between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013, identified across multiple healthcare systems and insurance claims. Of 2,192 adolescents with CHDs, 20% were diagnosed with a mental illness with the most prevalent categories being developmental disorders (8%), anxiety disorders (6%), attention, conduct, behavior, impulse control disorders (6%), and mood disorders (5%). Of 6,924 adults with CHDs, 33% were diagnosed with a mental illness with the most prevalent categories being mood disorders (13%), anxiety disorders (13%), and substance-related disorders (6%). Greater lesion complexity was associated with a higher likelihood of anxiety and developmental disorders in both adolescents and adults. Adolescents and adults who had ≥2 cardiac procedures in the 3-year surveillance period had a 3- and 4.5-fold higher likelihood of a mental illness diagnosis, respectively, compared with those who had fewer than 2 cardiac procedures. Finally, patients with a genetic syndrome were more likely to have a mental illness diagnosis. In conclusion, mental illness is a prevalent co-morbidity in the adolescent and adult population with CHDs, thus comprehensive care should include mental health care.
Relationship Between Flow Experience, Flow Dimensions, and the Equivalence of Challenges and Skills in the Web-Based Training Environment

This study applied components of Csikszentmhalyis flow theory to the Web-based Training (WBT) environment. Specifically considered were how the equivalence of a learners perceived challenges and skills for an activity can effectively predict the emergence of flow in the WBT environment. Also considered was the ability of flow dimensions  defined in flow theory  to predict and model the occurrence of flow during WBT activities. Over a period of about one hour, students (n=43) from a southwestern US university engaged in WBT learning activities pertaining to on-line coursework or self-study. A special Web-based software installed on the students computers sporadically reminded them to complete a series of on-line questionnaires which collected data on their flow experience, learning activities, and flow dimensions. The data collection method employed by this study is effectively an electronic, Web-enabled version of, and functionally equivalent to, the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) used in other flow studies. This study employed questionnaires used in prior flow studies to collect data regarding respondents flow experiences and flow dimensions, and developed an on-line instrument to collect data on students learning experiences based on instructional events found in computer-based lessons from Gagne. Significant findings (p<.05) from this study suggest that, in the WBT environment studied, as the relative level of challenge and skill of a learning activity increases, so does the level of flow experienced by the individual. This study also found that flow dimensions are good predictors of flow experience. The results of this study should have important implications for WBT users and instructional designers. Since flow is a positive experience that most individuals wish to repeat, understanding how to facilitate the occurrence of flow, from both the WBT users and instructional designers perspective, is likely to be beneficial to the rapidly emerging field of WBT.
The Lack of Minority Students in Gifted Education: Hiring More Exemplary Teachers of Color Can Alleviate the Problem

When implemented well, gifted education creates opportunities for future success. However, when gifted students are not placed in gifted programs, they typically struggle in school. Unfortunately, ...
Vestibular migraine and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness

Li and colleagues clarify that vestibular migraine is common, disabling, and treatable.1 Importantly, they mention that anxiety is a common comorbidity. Panic attacks occur during a vestibular migraine episode and are a risk factor for chronification. Anxiety …
Computational analyses of auditory discriminability using data from acceptable signal-to-noise ratio experiment

The current research gap in the area of human auditory performances inspired the need to develop a mathematical model that establishes the relationship between auditory sound discriminability (d'), sound familiarity (k), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and acceptable signal-to-noise ratio (ASNR). This paper developed the mathematical models that showed the relationship between k, d', SNR and ASNR. ASNR archival data from 20 students at a public university located in the eastern region of the USA was used to validate the models. Participants' ages ranged from 23 to 35 years old. Findings from the model simulations revealed a threshold familiarity score (q*), the point at which k and SNR assumed the same value. ANOVA result showed (p < 0.0001), which indicated a statistically significant effect of ASNR and sound familiarity (k) on d' with R2 = 94%. The findings were applicable to auditory detection task only.
Screening ToxCast™ for Chemicals That Affect Cholesterol Biosynthesis: Studies in Cell Culture and Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neuroprogenitors.

Background: Changes in cholesterol metabolism are common hallmarks of neurodevelopmental pathologies. A diverse array of genetic disorders of cholesterol metabolism support this claim as do multipl...
Differentiating Drosophila female germ cells initiate Polycomb silencing by altering PRC2 sampling

Polycomb silencing represses gene expression and provides a molecular memory of chromatin state that is essential for animal development. We show that Drosophila female germline stem cells (GSCs) provide a powerful system for studying Polycomb silencing and how it is established. GSCs resemble pluripotent mammalian embryonic cells in lacking silenced chromatin, but most GSC daughters, like typical somatic cells, induce Polycomb silencing as they differentiate into nurse cells. Developmentally controlled changes in the levels of two Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2)-interacting proteins, Pcl and Scm, initiate differentiation. In germline stem cells, abundant Pcl inhibits silencing by slowing PRC2 and diverting it from PRE sequences. During differentiation, core PRC2 represses inactive loci while Scm and residual Pcl cooperate to enrich PRC2 and silence traditional Polycomb domains. We propose that PRC2-interacting proteins regulate the transition from a variable to stable transcription state during differentiation by altering the rate that PRC2 samples regulatory sequences.
Aortic Stenosis and Amyloidosis: Underdiagnosed and Underreported

Aortic stenosis (AS) and cardiac amyloidosis (CA) are disease processes that are more prevalent in the aged population. Through active calcification and inflammation, AS eventually leads to signifi...
Communication: Microphase equilibrium and assembly dynamics.

Despite many attempts, ordered equilibrium microphases have yet to be obtained in experimental colloidal suspensions. The recent computation of the equilibrium phase diagram of a microscopic, particle–based microphase former [Zhuang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 098301 (2016)] has nonetheless found such mesoscale assemblies to be thermodynamically stable. Here, we consider their equilibrium and assembly dynamics. At intermediate densities above the order-disorder transition, we identify four different dynamical regimes and the structural changes that underlie the dynamical crossovers from one disordered regime to the next. Below the order-disorder transition, we also find that periodic lamellae are the most dynamically accessible of the periodic microphases. Our analysis thus offers a comprehensive view of the dynamics of disordered microphases and a route to the assembly of periodic microphases in a putative well-controlled, experimental system.
A Thematic Analysis of between Session Activities of Counseling Clients

The contribution of between session tasks to psychotherapy outcome has been well documented and many models of psychotherapy utilize homework as an important component of treatment. Despite widespr...
Warming Temperatures Will Likely Induce Higher Premium Rates and Government Outlays for the US Crop Insurance Program

Likely climate change impacts include damages to agricultural production resulting from increased exposure to extreme heat. Considerable uncertainty remains regarding impacts on crop insurance programs. We utilize a panel of U.S. corn yield data to predict the effect of warming temperatures on the mean and variance of yields, as well as crop insurance premium rates and producer subsidies. While we focus on corn, we demonstrate that the subsidy impacts are likely to carry over to other major program crops. We find that warming decreases mean yields and increases yield risk on average, which results in higher premium rates. Current legislation sets producer subsidy payments as a percentage of the premium, so we simulate the impact of a 1°C warming scenario and find that annual subsidy payments will likely increase by as much as $850 million, representing a 13% increase relative to current levels. This estimate increases to 2.2 billion (34%) under a 2°C warming scenario. We also find evidence of extensive spatial heterogeneity of the premium rate effects. Our results indicate that the program level effects of climate change will increase both the cost of obtaining insurance for producers, as well as the governmental outlay required to subsidize this purchase.
Effects of supplemental source of magnesium and inclusion of buffer on ruminal microbial fermentation in continuous culture

Magnesium oxide (MgO) is the most common supplemental source of Mg for dairy cows and a proven ruminal alkalizer when supplemented above NRC (2001) recommendations. However, overfeeding MgO may increase feeding costs, whereas the effects of alternative sources of Mg on ruminal fermentation are not well known. Moreover, it is still unclear if Mg supplementation influences the effects of bicarbonate-based buffers on ruminal fermentation. We aimed to evaluate the effect of Mg source on ruminal fermentation with diets formulated to a final concentration of 0.25% Mg, and to determine if the effect of sodium sesquicarbonate as a buffer varies with the source of Mg. We used 8 fermentors in a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, by combining 2 factors: (1) Mg source: using either MgO or an alternative source consisting of a blend of CaMg(OH)4 and CaMg(CO3)2 (BLN) and (2) sodium sesquicarbonate buffer inclusion, at 0 or 0.6% of dry matter intake. Based on preliminary tests of reactivity, we hypothesized that BLN plus buffer would allow for greater ruminal pH, acetate molar proportion, and NDF digestibility than diets with MgO or without buffer. Four 10-d periods were completed, where the last 3 d were used for pH measurements and collection of samples for volatile fatty acids (VFA), ammonia (NH3-N), Mg solubility, N metabolism, and nutrient digestibility. Effects of Mg source (source), sodium sesquicarbonate inclusion (buffer), and their interaction (source × buffer) were tested with the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc.). We did not find an effect of Mg source on ruminal fermentation variables; however, concentration of soluble Mg in ruminal fluid was greater for MgO compared with BLN. On the other hand, buffer supplementation increased average ruminal pH, acetate molar proportion, and branched-chain VFA molar proportion; tended to increase NDF digestibility; and decreased both area under the curve and time below pH 6.0. An interaction of source × buffer was found for propionate, butyrate, and NH3-N, the first one decreasing and the 2 others increasing only when buffer was supplemented to the BLN diet. Our results indicate that supplementing Mg with either MgO or BLN promotes similar ruminal fermentation in diets with total concentration of 0.25% Mg. Further evaluations are needed to assess Mg availability and animal performance in dairy cows fed BLN.
Digitized Data as a Political Object

Digitized data is used as a powerful tool: national security actors see it as a surveillance tool, and the Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT) sector treats it as an economic commodity with great financial value. Fundamental to the findings in this book, data is now tied to your personal identity, and is therefore worthy of state protection as a fundamental human right. This chapter poses the main question of the book: Why and How Did Digital Human Rights First Emerge in the European Union? To begin answering this question, I start with a summary of existing literature on internet and data governance, as well as taking a look at data freedom as a public good. Finally, the chapter concludes with a brief overview of the incredible pathway data legislation took to create the new phenomenon of digital human rights (DHR).
Systems Models for Designing the Organizational Restructuring of Companies during the Process of Ownership Changes

This paper presents the possibility for the formation of a practical systems model for the design situation, and an algorithm for the solution of the design problems connected with a firm’s modernization in post communist countries.
The Impact of Emerging Computing Models on Organizational Socio-technical System

Consolidated Enterprise IT solutions have proven to enhance business efficiency when significant fractions of local computing activities are migrating away from desktop PCs and departmental servers and are being integrated and packaged on the Web into “the computing cloud.” Whether referred to Grid, Utility or Cloud Computing, the idea is basically the same: instead of investing in and maintaining expensive applications and systems, users access and utilize dynamic computing structures to meet their fluctuating demands on IT resources and pay a fixed subscription or an actual usage fee. The immense economic demands in the last several years, in conjunction with the immediate reduction of upfront capital and operational costs when cloud-based services are employed, increase the speed and the scale of cloud computing adoption both horizontally -across industries-, and vertically –in organizations’ technology stacks.
Toward a model of the everyday life information needs of urban teenagers, Part 2: Empirical model: Research Articles

This is the second part of a two-part article that presents a theoretical and an empirical model of the everyday life information needs of urban teenagers. Part 2 focuses on the derivation of the empirical model and on its relationship to the theoretical model presented in Part 1. Part 2 also provides examples from the project data to support each of the components of the empirical model, which ties 28 information needs topics to the seven independent variables in the theoretical model. Comparison of the empirical model to the results of past youth information behavior research shows that the participants in this study tended to have the same types of information needs as previous researchers have found with more advantaged, nonminority groups of teens. This finding is significant because it suggests that teenagers have similar information needs across socioeconomic, ethnic, cultural, and geographic boundaries. Due to the exploratory nature of this study, however, additional research is necessary to confirm this possibility. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Toward Culturally Democratic Citizens: Nongovernmental Organizations and the State

This study investigates the relationships between nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the state. It demonstrates that Colombian state institutions aim to foster “culturally democratic citizens” through decentralization initiatives and participation mechanisms at the local level. The National Culture Plan is an overarching national policy that intends to be a reference for governance and civil society participation looking particularly to the players involved in the provision and consumption of cultural activities for its implementation. It marks a change at the national level as it launches civil society into the formulation of cultural policies and political participation in general. By examining local nongovernmental organizations through document and qualitative analysis, the study identifies four types of nongovernmental organizations that self-identified as working in cultural activities in Bogota—insiders, yearners, dismissers, and outsiders. These types of NGOs emerged in personal interviews and illustrate that NGO–state relationships vary across the sector. Participation among the nongovernmental sector is uneven despite institutional reforms and initiatives supported by national legislation. This article provides data to add to a growing and innovative body of research necessary for professionals in public policy and nongovernmental management fields.
Organization and expression of a-tubulin genes in Drosophila melanogaster: One member of the a-tubulin multigene family is transcribed in both oogenesis and later embryonic development

Genomic clones containing α-tubulin sequences were isolated from a library of Drosophila melanogaster DNA and identified by a hybridization-selection and in vitro-translation procedure. The in vitro translation products were identical to the two electrophoretic variants of α-tubulin present in Drosophila embryos. They co-assembled with an embryonic tubulin fraction to form microtubules in vitro and generated the same partial proteolytic fragments as Drosophila α-tubulins. Hybridization in situ to polytene chromosomes revealed that the α-tubulin sequences constitute a multigene family localized on the right arm of chromosome 3 at sites 84 B3–6, 84 D4–8 and 85 E6–10. Clones hybridizing to these sites corresponded to the three major α-tubulin sequences in genomic DNA. The α-tubulin sequences at 84 B3–6 were present twice per haploid genome, embedded in a large duplicated DNA segment. The sequences of the three genomic α-tubulin genes showed considerable divergence, making it possible to conclude that both of the α-tubulin variants present in embryos are encoded by the genes at 84 B3–6. Furthermore, the abundance of this α-tubulin messenger RNA changes with the requirements for microtubule synthesis during embryo development. The genes at 84 B3–6 encoded both the stored maternal mRNA of the oocyte and the major mRNA transcribed during embryonic development.
Citrus bitter principles-X. Extractives of Swinglea glutinosa (BI.) Merr.

Abstract A severine alkaloid( 3 ), a C 30 triterpene( 8 ) and a related acetate ( 9 ) have been isolated from extracts of the fruit of Swinglea glutinosa (Bl.) Merr. (Rutaceae). Spectroscopic studies, including NMR spin decoupling, as well as hydrolytic experiments indicate that the alkaloid should be formulated as 3 . The synthesis of alloseverine( 7 ) is described and indicates that severine alkaloids have neryl stereochemistry. The triterpene( 8 ) is of the protolimonoid type and is a mixture of C-21 isomers related to melianone( 8 ). Oxidation of the triterpene gave melianone lactone (3-oxo-3β-deacetylturraeanthin lactone)( 10 ).
A Review of: “Applied Linear Regression Models”

Fifth Edition, by M. H. Kutner, . J. Nachtsheim, J. Neter, and W. Li, New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2004, ISBN 0-07-310874-X, xxviii + 1396 pp., $130. Note Each book includes a CD-ROM with data sets...
Spatiotemporal Variation and the Role of Wildlife in Seasonal Water Quality Declines in the Chobe River, Botswana

Sustainable management of dryland river systems is often complicated by extreme variability of precipitation in time and space, especially across large catchment areas. Understanding regional water quality changes in southern African dryland rivers and wetland systems is especially important because of their high subsistence value and provision of ecosystem services essential to both public and animal health. We quantified seasonal variation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) in the Chobe River using spatiotemporal and geostatistical modeling of water quality time series data collected along a transect spanning a mosaic of protected, urban, and developing urban land use. We found significant relationships in the dry season between E. coli concentrations and protected land use (p = 0.0009), floodplain habitat (p = 0.016), and fecal counts from elephant (p = 0.017) and other wildlife (p = 0.001). Dry season fecal loading by both elephant (p = 0.029) and other wildlife (p = 0.006) was also an important predictor of early wet season E. coli concentrations. Locations of high E. coli concentrations likewise showed close spatial agreement with estimates of wildlife biomass derived from aerial survey data. In contrast to the dry season, wet season bacterial water quality patterns were associated only with TSS (p<0.0001), suggesting storm water and sediment runoff significantly influence E. coli loads. Our data suggest that wildlife populations, and elephants in particular, can significantly modify river water quality patterns. Loss of habitat and limitation of wildlife access to perennial rivers and floodplains in water-restricted regions may increase the impact of species on surface water resources. Our findings have important implications to land use planning in southern Africa’s dryland river ecosystems.