cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Embedding the Library in the LMS: Is It a Good Investment for Your Organization’s Information Literacy Program?

Abstract To support the information literacy needs of a large student population, the University of Arizona libraries invested substantial institutional resources, including programmer and librarian time, in developing a system that integrates library content into the campus’ learning management system (LMS). An analysis of data. as well as informal collection of qualitative feedback show that this embedded system is accessed more frequently and consistently by students over the course of a semester than course guides linked on the library website. Studies have shown that the use of library materials has a positive correlation with students’ attainment of critical thinking skills, overall academic success, and persistence. By placing library resources where students are already working—i.e., within the LMS—the University of Arizona libraries can contribute to the academic success and retention of the university’s more than 40,000 students.
Abstract A34: Beyond immune checkpoint: First-in-class antibody targeting soluble NKG2D ligand sMIC for cancer immunotherapy

In response to oncogenic insult, human cells were induced to express a family of MHC I-chain related molecules A and B (MICA and MICB, generally termed MIC) on the surface which serve as the ligands for the activating immune receptor NKG2D expressed by all human NK and cytotoxic T cells. Theoretically, engagement of NKG2D by tumor cell surface MIC is deemed to signal and provoke the immune system to eliminate transformed cells. Clinically, almost all advanced tumors in cancer patients produce soluble MIC through proteolytic shedding mediated by metalloproteases, or by release in exosomes derived from the cell membrane. Tumor-derived sMIC is known to be highly immune suppressive and profoundly insults the immune system by downregulating receptor NKG2D expression on effector NK and T cells, driving the expansion of tumor-favoring myeloid suppression cells, skewing macrophages into alternatively activated phenotypes, and perturbing NK cell peripheral maintenance. High levels of serum sMIC significantly correlate with advanced diseases of many types of cancer. These observations clearly endorse sMIC to be a cancer immune therapeutic target. However, due to mice lack homologues to human MIC, this concept was not proven until our recent studies. Using a “humanized” MIC-transgenic spontaneous mouse model which recapitulates the NKG2D-mediated onco-immune dynamics of human cancer patients, we show that neutralizing circulating sMIC with a first-in-field non-blocking antibody B10 that does not block the interaction of MIC with NKG2D revamps endogenous innate and antigen-specific CD8 T cell responses. We show that therapy with the non-blocking sMIC-neutralizing antibody results in effectively debulk of primary tumor and elimination of metastasis, with no observed toxicity. Furthermore, we show that clearing sMIC with the first-in-class neutralizing antibody B10 also enhanced the efficacy of other cancer immunotherapeutic modalities, such as immune checkpoint blockade or adoptive cell-based therapy pre-clinically. Our study has launched a new avenue of cancer immunotherapy which can be readily translated into clinical trials. Note: This abstract was not presented at the conference. Citation Format: Jennifer D. Wu, Jinyu D. Zhang, Fahmin Basher, Mark Rubinstein. Beyond immune checkpoint: First-in-class antibody targeting soluble NKG2D ligand sMIC for cancer immunotherapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2016 Oct 20-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2017;5(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A34.
Ignorance of ignorance

I discuss the question of when knowledge of higher order ignorance is possible and show in particular that, under quite plausible assumptions, knowledge of second order ignorance is impossible.
Fisheries Genetics: Issues and Priorities for Research and Policy Development

Abstract Following the recent establishment of an AFS North Central Division Fisheries Genetics Technical Committee, a workshop on fisheries genetics was held at the 1987 Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference. The workshop provided a forum for information transfer on techniques, issues, and priorities for research and policy development. The workshop opened with invited presentations on stock identification methods, the effects of hatcheries and breeding programs in fisheries management, the potential for genetic engineering in fisheries management, and an overview of current issues in fisheries genetics. Participants were then divided into discussion groups which were instructed to answer specific questions and to define the highest priority research or policy need for assigned issues. In total, six major issues in fisheries genetics were addressed, including: application of stock identification methods in management, use of the stock concept in management, impacts of man-induced selection on fisheries re...
Memory-guided force control in healthy younger and older adults

Successful performance of a memory-guided motor task requires participants to store and then recall an accurate representation of the motor goal. Further, participants must monitor motor output to make adjustments in the absence of visual feedback. The goal of this study was to examine memory-guided grip force in healthy younger and older adults and compare it to performance on behavioral tasks of working memory. Previous work demonstrates that healthy adults decrease force output as a function of time when visual feedback is not available. We hypothesized that older adults would decrease force output at a faster rate than younger adults, due to age-related deficits in working memory. Two groups of participants, younger adults (YA: N = 32, mean age 21.5 years) and older adults (OA: N = 33, mean age 69.3 years), completed four 20-s trials of isometric force with their index finger and thumb, equal to 25% of their maximum voluntary contraction. In the full-vision condition, visual feedback was available for the duration of the trial. In the no vision condition, visual feedback was removed for the last 12 s of each trial. Participants were asked to maintain constant force output in the absence of visual feedback. Participants also completed tasks of word recall and recognition and visuospatial working memory. Counter to our predictions, when visual feedback was removed, younger adults decreased force at a faster rate compared to older adults and the rate of decay was not associated with behavioral performance on tests of working memory.
Environmental justice and regional political ecology converge in the other california

This article illuminates the value of the concept of the region in political ecology and environmental justice studies by presenting three arguments about the role of regions in environmental justice social movements engaged in climate change mitigation in California's San Joaquin Valley. First, regional planning agencies and environmental justice advocates are engaged in conflicts over not only the content of regional climate change plans, but the very definitions of region and the authority used to put these regional visions into action. Second, regional organizing provides environmental justice movements with new opportunities to address regional economic patterns and to negotiate with regional planning agencies, both of which influence local manifestations of environmental injustice. Third, regional strategies raise significant dilemmas for these movements as they try to sustain engagement across extensive spatial territories and engage with a broad set of policy and economic protagonists. Together, this analysis demonstrates that a dynamic approach to regions, regionalism, and regionalization can assist political ecology and environmental justice scholars in their common aim of understanding the co-production of social and environmental inequity and collective action to change it.
Long-Term Effect of Universal Helmet Law Changes on Motorcyclist Fatal Crashes

A motorcyclist helmet is considered important safety equipment because it prevents or minimizes head and brain injuries, which are often fatal. Hence, in the 1960s and 1970s, most of the states in the United States enacted the universal helmet law (UHL) requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets. Many researchers have examined the effect of the helmet law changes by using before-and-after studies and found that repealing the law had a negative effect on motorcyclists. In this study, the authors have attempted to explore the long-term impacts of repeal and reinstatement of the UHL by using 13 to 16 years of data. A before-and-after study with a comparison group and empirical Bayes methods was adopted to account for the passage of time and its effect on other factors such as exposure, maturation, trend, and regression-to-the-mean bias. A range of safety performance functions was developed on the basis of counties and parishes, and the expected fatal motorcycle crashes were calculated. The results showed th...
Self-Healing and Damage Resilience for Soft Robotics: A Review

Advances in soft robotics will be crucial to the next generation of robot-human interfaces. Soft material systems embed safety at the material level, providing additional safeguards that will expedite their placement alongside humans and other biological systems. However, in order to function in unpredictable, uncontrolled environments alongside biological systems, soft robotic systems should be as robust in their ability to recover from damage as their biological counterparts. There exists a great deal of work on self-healing materials, particularly polymeric and elastomeric materials that can self-heal through a wide variety of tools and techniques. Fortunately, most emerging soft robotic systems are constructed from polymeric or elastomeric materials, so this work can be of immediate benefit to the soft robotics community. Though the field of soft robotics is still nascent as a whole, self-healing and damage resilient systems are beginning to be incorporated into three key support pillars that are enabling the future of soft robotics: actuators, structures, and sensors. This article reviews the state-of-the-art in damage resilience and self-healing materials and devices as applied to these three pillars. This review also discusses future applications for soft robots that incorporate self-healing capabilities.
On the Decline of the Doctrine of Equivalents

The doctrine of equivalents is a judicial creation that allows patentees to exclude others from the use of subject matter beyond the textual scope of a patent’s claims. This venerable – and extremely controversial – doctrine is tolerated (or promoted) on the theory that it is fundamentally necessary to protect the incentive structure of the patent system. The perceived importance of the doctrine of equivalents makes all the more remarkable recent scholarly arguments that this ancient doctrine is a dead letter in American patent law. One recent empirical study argues that the doctrine is dead but hypothesizes that it did not succumb because courts acted to restrict it; indeed, it argues that the legal rules of the doctrine simply do not much matter. The hypothesis instead emphasizes that the doctrine succumbed because changes in the procedural circumstances in which equivalents claims are heard caused courts to lump them together with literal infringement determinations, making it more likely that they would be resolved in the same way – against the patentee. This Article uses empirical techniques to independently test this hypothesis. It first develops evidence that supports the contention that the doctrine of equivalents has indeed been in decline over the last fifteen years. It then establishes detailed evidence for two additional findings. The first is that procedural context contributes to the decline of the doctrine. The second, however, is that the legal rules imposed by courts to restrict the doctrine also contribute. The Article interprets the results to mean that the decline of the doctrine of equivalents is something more than just the happy (or unhappy) accident of the procedural context in which equivalents claims are now litigated. It is the culmination of a concerted and prolonged court-driven effort to make its favorable application the exception, not the rule.
Thermal benchmarking and modeling for HPC using big data applications

Abstract Characterizing thermal profiles of cluster nodes is an integral part of any approach that addresses thermal emergencies in a data center. Most existing thermal models make use of CPU utilization to estimate power consumption, which in turn facilitates outlet-temperature predictions. Such utilization-based thermal models may introduce errors due to inaccurate mappings from system utilization to outlet temperatures. To address this concern in the existing models, we eliminate utilization models as a middleman from the thermal model. In this paper, we propose a thermal model, tModel, that projects outlet temperatures from inlet temperatures as well as directly measured multicore temperatures rather than deploying a utilization model. In the first phase of this work, we perform extensive experimentation by varying applications types, their input data sizes, and cluster sizes. Simultaneously, we collect inlet, outlet, and multicore temperatures of cluster nodes running these diverse bigdata applications. The proposed thermal model estimates the outlet air temperature of the nodes to predict cooling costs. We validate the accuracy of our model against data gathered by thermal sensors in our cluster. Our results demonstrate that tModel estimates outlet temperatures of the cluster nodes with much higher accuracy over CPU-utilization based models. We further show that tModel is conducive of estimating the cooling cost of data centers using the predicted outlet temperatures.
Growth factors and other targets for rational application as intervention agents.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the American society, with a mortality rate of close to 90% (1). The recalcitrance of lung cancer despite modern treatment approaches reflects the frequency of metastatic spread and the lack of effective systemic chemotherapeutic agents to eliminate disseminated cancer. Because of the lack of progress in treating metastatic lung cancer, new strategies for lung cancer control (prevention, early detection, and intervention) are being studied. Primary prevention efforts, such as the California state government’s large cigarette sales tax mandated by Proposition 99, are beginning to show remarkable results in reducing cigarette consumption (2). Efforts to improve the early detection of lung cancer are also beginning to show signs of promise (3–5). Complementing these are positive developments in the area of intervention therapy for very early lung cancer.
Developmental Synaptic Plasticity: LTP, LTD, and Synapse Formation and Elimination

Early postnatal maturation of developing circuits requires neural activity. This activity, which can be either endogenously generated spontaneous firing or sensory-driven spikes, drives functional and structural maturation of developing synapses in which some synapses are strengthened while others are weakened and eliminated. This process is thought to transform relatively imprecise initial circuits into precise circuits that are optimized in accordance with the experience of each individual animal. This article summarizes the current understanding of activity-dependent plasticity and maturation of developing synapses. The focus is on glutamate synapses, about which most is known.
IMPORTANCE OF STUDIES ON RESISTANCE TO LOW TEMPERATURE

Resistance to low temperature of male Sprague Dawley rats (300 g) fed a laboratory chow (P) or a semi-purified diet (H) for 14 days was evaluated by the degree of hypothermia developed under restraint at +1°C or −4°C. Cold resistance: 1) followed a circochan as well as a circannual cycle, 2) was much greater with the H diet than with the P diet, 3) was increased by oral administration of tryptophan, and 4) was correlated with geomagnetic activity. The possibility is raised that resistance to cold might depend on the state of activity of the central serotonin nervous system at the time the stress is imposed. These results are presented to support the call for more research on the identification of the system limiting the duration of cold resistance in normal warm-acclimated animals.
Direct Activation of Human MLKL by a Select Repertoire of Inositol Phosphate Metabolites

Summary Necroptosis is an inflammatory form of programmed cell death executed through plasma membrane rupture by the pseudokinase mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL). We previously showed that MLKL activation requires metabolites of the inositol phosphate (IP) pathway. Here we reveal that I(1,3,4,6)P4, I(1,3,4,5,6)P5, and IP6 promote membrane permeabilization by MLKL through directly binding the N-terminal executioner domain (NED) and dissociating its auto-inhibitory region. We show that IP6 and inositol pentakisphosphate 2-kinase (IPPK) are required for necroptosis as IPPK deletion ablated IP6 production and inhibited necroptosis. The NED auto-inhibitory region is more extensive than originally described and single amino acid substitutions along this region induce spontaneous necroptosis by MLKL. Activating IPs bind three sites with affinity of 100–600 μM to destabilize contacts between the auto-inhibitory region and NED, thereby promoting MLKL activation. We therefore uncover MLKL's activating switch in NED triggered by a select repertoire of IP metabolites.
Influence of senior housing types on cognitive decline and nursing home admission among lower-income older adults.

Objectives: Focusing on unique ageing populations in subsidized senior housing for lower-income older adults, this study contributes to literature on housing and aging; provides initial understandi...
Focal Lung Disorders

Various underlying etiologies can result in focal lung disorders in the pediatric population. They include pulmonary cysts, pulmonary nodules, pulmonary hyperinflation, and infectious process such as pneumonia. In section “Pulmonary Cysts” of this chapter, pulmonary cysts which can be seen on chest radiographs as completely or partially air-filled, round masses are reviewed. The differential diagnosis is refined based on the age of the patient (neonate and young infant vs. child) and distribution within the lungs (unilateral vs. bilateral), as well as the clinical presentation and the presence of other findings such as nodules or wedge-shaped opacities. Section “Nodular Lung Disease,” which incorporates a conglomerate of different entities based on the common radiographic appearance of solitary or multiple pulmonary nodules, is divided into anomalies that tend to cause solitary nodules and those that cause multiple nodules. In section “Hyperlucent Lung and Lung Segments,” there are various causes of overinflation of the lungs and increased lucency. This may affect all of both lungs, all of one lung, or scattered segments of one or both lungs. These observations may be easily recognized from chest radiographs or require dynamic imaging such as chest fluoroscopy, inspiratory/expiratory CT, or dynamic airway computed tomography (CT). Among the most common infections in children are those affecting the lower respiratory tract. Most frequently, this involves viral or bacterial pneumonia, which can present as a focal lung disorder, which is discussed in section “Pneumonia.” The last section of this chapter, section “Necrotizing Pneumonia,” highlights necrotizing pneumonia (NP), which is becoming an increasingly recognized complication of community-acquired pneumonia in children with emphasis on epidemiology, pathophysiology, microbiology, clinical presentation, imaging evaluation, management, complications, and long-term outcomes.
GP40 OHVIRA syndrome- an unusual variant in an infant

Obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal anomaly (OHVIRA) syndrome is a rare Mullerian duct anomaly. The classical description is that of a uterus didelphys, unilateral obstructed hemivagina caused by a longitudinal sagittal vaginal septum and ipsilateral renal agenesis. An updated classification allows for inclusion of a wide variety of renal anomalies such as dysplastic kidneys, pelvic kidneys, or ectopic ureters. We report a rare case of OHVIRA syndrome in a fourteen month old girl, with a single normal uterus, obstructed hemi-vagina with a longitudinal coronal vaginal septum and unilateral dysplastic kidney. Antenatal ultrasound scan at twenty weeks of gestation revealed a suspected hydrocolpos and dysplastic kidney. The infant was born at term via elective caesarean section (maternal request for elective repeat caesarean). Of note mum had a personal history of uterus didelphys which was diagnosed at her first delivery (emergency caesarean section). Mum had no known associated renal anomaly. The patient was reviewed at five weeks old in the paediatric and adolescent gynaecology (PAG) clinic. She was thriving, but had a small vaginal bulge on examination. Repeat abdominal ultrasound scan revealed a single uterus, a normal right kidney and dysplastic left kidney, and a small hydrocolpos. As the patient was asymptomatic this was managed conservatively, and mum was advised to contact the PAG service if any concerns. At twelve months of age mum reported copious grey non-odorous discharge into the patient’s nappy. This was thought to be the hydrocolpos draining spontaneously and the patient was called in for review in the PAG clinic, however on clinical examination a large mass was palpable to the umbilicus. Repeat ultrasound suggested a persistent large hydrocolpos (10 × 6 × 4 cm). Examination under anaesthesia was performed. This demonstrated an elongated vagina with no cervix palpable at the superior aspect. A bulging septum in the coronal plane was then noted and a small punctum identified just inferior to the urethral orifice. This was opened draining 300mls of fluid. A single cervix was located in this obstructed anterior hemi- vagina. Clinical and sonographic review at six weeks post-operative confirmed a single uterus, unilateral dysplastic kidney and no recurrence of hydrocolpos or discharge and the infant was thriving. Cases of OHVIRA syndrome with variations in the classically described anatomical anomalies found in OHVIRA have been reported, however our patients variant with a single normal uterus, and a coronal septum may be a new variant not previously identified.
Chapter 3 – Spatial Vision

Publisher Summary The topic of spatial vision concerns the fundamental mechanisms within the eye and the brain that analyze and represent the distribution of light across the visual field with the ultimate goal of understanding how these mechanisms contribute to object recognition and scene interpretation in general. A wealth of psychophysical and physiological research supports the view that stimulus selectivity plays a fundamental role in spatial vision. Psychophysical studies have provided evidence that the human visual system is selective along a number of stimulus dimensions including orientation, size, position, wavelength, speed of motion, direction of motion, and binocular disparity. These studies have shown that there are mechanisms selective to different regions along each of these stimulus dimensions. Similarly, neurophysiological and anatomical studies have demonstrated that neurons in the visual pathway are selective along a number of stimulus dimensions, and that this selectivity increases from the retina to the primary visual cortex. This chapter relies upon a wealth of psychophysical and physiological research to develop the topic of spatial vision with two themes in mind.
Highly Stable Organic Antimony Halide Crystals for X-ray Scintillation

Scintillators are utilized for X-ray detection in many important fields ranging from homeland security to health care. Developing low-cost, high-performance scintillation materials to address the i...
Defining and Treating Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

Patients with borderline resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (BR PDAC) should receive preoperative chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy, with the intent to eradicate occult metastatic cancer cells, to select patients with a “locally dominant cancer phenotype” for whom local therapies might be most effective, and to reduce the anatomic extent of tumors to facilitate surgical resection. The administration of preoperative therapy may also be a useful strategy to deliver the maximum load of chemotherapy to patients with BR PDAC, since as many as half of patients will never qualify for adjuvant treatments following pancreatectomy due to postoperative morbidity or disease progression. Patients with BR PDAC should be categorized at diagnosis on the basis of anatomical, biological, and conditional criteria and should be offered induction systemic chemotherapy with close monitoring for toxicity, followed by administration of (chemo)radiation in selected cases. Patients should be restaged after systemic therapy and, if used, (chemo)radiation. Patients who continue to show disease response or disease stability without signs of progression should be considered for pancreatectomy; better measures of response to therapy are needed.
Bridge to Transplant Outcomes with Axillary Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump versus Durable Left Ventricular Assist Device in the Current UNOS Heart Allocation System

Purpose Since the 2018 UNOS Allocation system for heart transplantation change there has been concern for increased wait times for patients with durable left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) as bridge to transplantation (BTT). Furthermore, there are increasing trends to utilize axillary intra-aortic balloon pumps (Ax-IABP) to optimize cardiac unloading while maintaining ambulatory status in listed hospitalized patients. BTT outcomes data for Ax-IABP patients is limited. Understanding risks vs benefits of prolonged support with Ax-IABP vs LVAD in the current UNOS allocation environment is imperative. Methods We performed a single center retrospective review from October 18, 2017 to October 18, 2019 for all patients who underwent heart transplant. Waitlist times based on device (Ax-IABP or LVAD) to transplant were assessed in addition to time from transplant to discharge. Intraoperative cardiopulmonary bypass time, transfusion requirements and post-operative vasoactive support was also compared. Results 59 heart transplants occurred during our review period. 8 bridged with Ax-IABP (13%) and 22 with LVAD (37%). Average age in both groups was 53 with 75% and 68% males in the IABP and LVAD groups respectively. More LVAD as BTT were transplanted prior to the UNOS change (13 vs. 9). All Ax-IABP patients were transplanted after the UNOS change. Waitlist time for LVAD was higher than Ax-IABP patients (109d vs. 575d, p=0.0003). Waitlist time before and after UNOS change was not statistically different among LVAD patients, but did increase (497d vs 688d, p=0.176). Cardiopulmonary bypass time was longer in LVAD patients, but not significant, despite similar UNOS Status at transplant. More PRBC transfusions in the LVAD group (7.5u, IQR 0u - 24u) compared to the Ax-IABP group (2.6u, IQR 0u - 6u, p=0.0012). Time from transplant to discharge was 25 days for LVAD group and 13 for Ax-IABP group (p=0.075). Conclusion Waitlist time and transfusion requirements are statistically increased in LVAD as compared to Ax-IABP as BTT. In the current listing schema for heart transplant, risk vs. benefit of increased waiting time, perioperative hemodynamic compromise and increased transfusions in the LVAD population pose significant concerns. Further prospective studies with larger cohorts may be needed to better evaluate this trend.
Using a Simple Prescription Gap to Determine Warfarin Discontinuation Can Lead to Substantial Misclassification.

BACKGROUND Warfarin remains widely used and a key comparator in studies of other direct oral anticoagulants. As longer-than-needed warfarin prescriptions are often provided to allow for dosing adjustments according to international normalized ratios (INRs), the common practice of using a short allowable gap between dispensings to define warfarin discontinuation may lead to substantial misclassification of warfarin exposure. We aimed to quantify such misclassification and determine the optimal algorithm to define warfarin discontinuation. METHODS We linked Medicare claims data from 2007 to 2014 with a multicenter electronic health records system. The study cohort comprised patients ≥65 years with atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism initiating warfarin. We compared results when defining warfarin discontinuation by (1) different gaps (3, 7, 14, 30, and 60 days) between dispensings and (2) having a gap ≤60 days or bridging larger gaps if there was INR ordering at least every 42 days (60_INR). Discontinuation was considered misclassified if there was an INR ≥2 within 7 days after the discontinuation date. RESULTS Among 3,229 patients, a shorter gap resulted in a shorter mean follow-up time (82, 95, 117, 159, 196, and 259 days for gaps of 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, and 60_INR, respectively; p < 0.001). Incorporating INR (60_INR) can reduce misclassification of warfarin discontinuation from 68 to 4% (p < 0.001). The on-treatment risk estimation of clinical endpoints varied significantly by discontinuation definitions. CONCLUSION Using a short gap between warfarin dispensings to define discontinuation may lead to substantial misclassification, which can be improved by incorporating intervening INR codes.
Poison in the Ear: The Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing of Justice Clarence Thomas

When confronted with rival claims of the same event but denied any definitive way of choosing between them, when forced to decide who is lying and who is telling the truth but offered nothing by way of conclusive evidence—nothing by way of what Shakespeare’s Othello calls “ocular proof”— how, ultimately, do we decide what we decide? What explains, in other words, what we end up believing in situations where observable facts are absent and we must instead rely on, essentially, theatrical representations? This paper explores theses questions through the lens of the newly relevant Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas and the classic Shakespearean tragedy that a prominent member of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time, Senator Al Simpson of Wyoming, compared it to: Othello.
Work-in-Progress: Pre-college Teachers’ Metaphorical Beliefs about Engineering

The purpose of this work-in-progress study was to research teachers’ emotional reactions to engineering employing a metaphoric approach. There are two research questions: What is the range of emotional and metaphoric responses of precollege teachers to engineering? What are prevalent and recurring themes and emotional undertones of precollege teachers’ when describing engineering in metaphors? Using a phenomenological approach, we analyzed 298 statements from the data collection process by asking participants questions such as “Engineering is like … Explain why”, for example “If engineering were a plant, it would be… Explain why”. These metaphorical statements were grouped under two core categories to answer our research questions: A) Categories of Metaphoric Responses, and B) Categories of Emotional. Responses Those categories reflect pre-service teachers’ beliefs, attitudes and emotions in regards to engineering subjects and should be further investigated for insights about pre-service/in-service teacher education.
Case Series of Rapid Surgical Interventions in Fulminant Intracranial Hypertension.

Aims:Examine ophthalmologic outcomes and complications of lumbar drain and cerebrospinal fluid shunts in pediatric fulminant intracranial hypertension.Methods:Patients under 21 years of age with a ...
Experimental and numerical analysis of effective enhancement of wellbore stability in shales with nanoparticles

Abstract One way to reduce wellbore instability in shales is to use agents capable of sealing pores and micro-fractures. The main objectives are 1) to perform pore pressure transmission experiments with test fluids containing nanomaterials, and 2) to develop a model to characterize pore pressure transmission with pore plugging. Pore pressure transmission experiments were performed on two types of shales, Mancos Shale and Eagle Ford Shale, using test fluids containing nanoparticles. An orthogonal test matrix has been developed, which includes different nanoparticle sizes (10 nm, 20 nm, 40 nm), particle types (aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide) and particle concentrations (3 %, 10 %). A mathematical model that incorporates chemical potential, pore plugging, and time-dependent permeability is developed to characterize pore pressure response. The best combinations to decrease pore pressure at the equilibrium state, according to the test matrix, are 10 % 10 nm Al2O3 for Eagle Ford Shale and 10 % 30 nm Al2O3 for Mancos Shale. This nanoparticle-based plugging technique will minimize pore pressure transmission and delay the time to equilibrium, reducing hydration and swelling problems in shale formation. As a result, this research will help to better define drilling fluid properties to enhance wellbore stability in actual wells containing shales.
Abstract P180: Proximity To Telomeres Or A+t Content Suffices To Project Monogenic Hypertension At An 80 % Matching Rate

Hypertension remains the single biggest risk factor contributing to the global burden of disease and mortality. Despite the prevalence of individuals with elevated blood pressure, the role of genet...
Remote Schooling Supports for Linguistically Diverse Parents of Students With Disabilities

Remote schooling has increased in prevalence. Although remote schooling may feel novel, remote and online educational requirements have been consistent parts of the educational landscape for years....
Left-handed Z-DNA and intramolecular triplex formation at the site of an unequal sister chromatid exchange

An unequal sister chromatid exchange (USCE) in the mouse myeloma cell line MPC-11 between 3' regions of the C gamma 2a and C gamma 2b heavy chain genes results in duplication of the C gamma 2a heavy chain gene and generation of a novel recombination joint. The USCE occurs between (TC)n tracts adjacent to alternating purine-pyrimidine tracts. We have investigated the capacity of both the donor regions and the recombinant product involved in this event to adopt left-handed Z-DNA and intramolecular triplexes. The results of chemical probing with diethylpyrocarbonate and osmium tetroxide at the base pair level demonstrate that under the influence of negative supercoiling the alternating purine-pyrimidine regions of these plasmids can adopt Z-DNA at neutral pH, and the oligopurine.oligopyrimidine (pur.pyr) regions of these regions can adopt intramolecular triplexes at low pH (less than or equal to pH 6.0). At intermediate pH values, mixtures of both structures are present. Increasing the negative superhelical density of the plasmid does not increase the amount of triplex present at neutral pH indicating that the presence of long Z-DNA segments adjacent to pur.pyr tract prevents intramolecular triplex formation. In summary, we conclude that the sequences involved in the USCE can form either an intramolecular triplex in the (TC)n tract or Z-DNA in the alternating purine-pyrimidine tract and that Z-DNA will predominate under physiological conditions. The presence of segments which adopt Z-DNA at a site of USCE suggests that formation of this structure may enhance recombination between adjacent pur.pyr tracts.
Omnibus Capitalization Proposals

This shelf project is part of series of proposals to capitalize investment expenditures that are deducted as soon as they are incurred under current law. This last-in-the-series, omnibus proposal would capitalize officer and employee compensation paid to investigate and effect a corporate acquisition, a change of capital structure, and a multiyear contract. Payments for termination of a contract would be amortized over the remaining life of the terminated contract. The proposal would capitalize the direct and indirect costs of exploration for and development of oil and gas or mineral deposits, expenses of large contracts to provide services, costs of depreciable property, and film and television production.The proposal is made as a part of the Shelf Project, a collaboration by tax professionals to develop and perfect proposals to help Congress when it needs to raise revenue.
Price Regulation for Independent Transmission Companies

This paper considers methods of price structure regulation of electricity transmission in the context of an independent transmission company (TRANSCO). The focus is on two-part tariffs where the variable part would reflect congestion charges (and ancillary services) while the fixed part would reflect capacity costs. The two-part tariffs form a price-cap index, and the firm could rebalance prices, as long as the index satisfies the price-cap constraint. The firm would then have incentives to trade off congestion against capacity expansion in such a way that it becomes profitable to expand, whenever the costs of congestion on average exceed the costs of expansion. However, with chained Laspeyres weights in the price-cap index expansion may be suboptimal. We therefore discuss ways to improve the expansion factor. Implementing the regulatory schemes considered suggests a hybrid approach combining a TRANSCO with an independent system operator (ISO).
On the substrate specificity of rat liver phospholipase A1

The substrate specificity of purified phospholipase A1 was studied using mixed micelles of phospholipid and Triton X-100. The kinetic analysis employed determined Vmax, Ks (a dissociation constant for the phospholipase A1-mixed micelle complex), and Km (the Michaelis constant for the catalytic step which reflects the binding of the enzyme to the substrate in the interface). The order of Vmax values was phosphatidic acid greater than phosphatidylethanolamine greater than phosphatidylcholine greater than phosphatidylserine. The order of Ks values was phosphatidylcholine greater than phosphatidylethanolamine greater than phosphatidic acid greater than phosphatidylserine; the order of Km values was phosphatidic acid greater than phosphatidylethanolamine = phosphatidylserine greater than phosphatidylcholine. When present together, phosphatidylcholine inhibited the hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine but phosphatidylethanolamine did not affect the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine. Sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine plasmalogen, and phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogen had no effect on the hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine. The effects of the reaction products, lysolipids and/or fatty acids, were also considered for their influence on phosphatidylethanolamine hydrolysis catalyzed by phospholipase A1. Free fatty acid was found to inhibit, whereas lysophospholipids stimulated hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine. In a mixture of 1,2- and 1,3-diacylglycerides in mixed micelles, only the acyl chain at the sn-1 position of the 1,2 compound was hydrolyzed. Surface charge did not modulate the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine vesicles or mixed micelles. In conclusion, it is hypothesized that steric hindrance at position 3 of the glycerol regulates substrate binding in the active site and that an acyl group in position 1 is favored over a vinyl ether linkage for binding.
Clostridium difficile infection in liver transplant recipients: a retrospective study of rates, risk factors and outcomes.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) occurs in 3–7% of liver transplant recipients (LTR). However, few data exist on the recent epidemiology, predictors and outcomes of CDI in LTR. A cohort study was performed including LTR from 2000 to 2010 at a tertiary care hospital in Detroit. CDI was defined as diarrhea with a stool C. difficile positive test. Data analyzed included demographics, comorbidities, length of stay (LOS), severity of CDI, rates of recurrence (<12 weeks), relapse (<4 weeks) and overall mortality. Predictors of CDI were calculated using Cox proportional hazard model; 970 LTR were followed for years. Overall prevalence of CDI was 18.9%. Incidence of CDI within 1 year of transplant was 12.4%. Severe CDI occurred in 29.1%. CDI recurrence and relapse rates were 16.9% and 9.7%, respectively. Independent predictors of CDI were year of transplant (hazard ratio [HR] 1.137, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.22; p < 0.001), white race (105/162 whites, HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.03–2.1; p = 0.035), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.045, p = 0.003) and LOS (HR 1.01, 95% CI 1.005–1.02, p < 0.001). Significant mortality was observed among LTR with CDI compared to those without CDI (p = 0.003). We concluded that CDI is common among LTR and is associated with higher mortality.
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae VMA6 gene encodes the 36-kDa subunit of the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase membrane sector.

The yeast vacuolar membrane proton-translocating ATPase (V-ATPase) is a multisubunit complex comprised of peripheral catalytic, and integral membrane domains. At least eight proteins cofractionate with purified preparations of the enzyme including 100-, 69-, 60-, 42-, 36-, 32-, 27-, and 17-kDa polypeptides (Kane, P.M., Yamashiro, C.T., and Stevens, T.H. (1989a) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 19236-19244). We took a reverse genetic approach to clone the structural gene for the 36-kDa subunit of the V-ATPase, VMA6, vma6 null mutants displayed growth characteristics typical of other vma mutants including sensitivity to media buffered at neutral pH or media containing 100 mM Ca2+. Vacuolar acidification was defective in vma6 cells and isolated vacuolar membrane preparations contained no detectable V-ATPase activity. The VMA6 gene encodes a hydrophilic polypeptide of 345 amino acids (predicted molecular mass 39.8-kDa). We present evidence that the VMA6 gene product (Vma6p) is a non-integral membrane component of the membrane pore domain and is required for V-ATPase complex assembly. Vma6p was removed from wild type vacuolar membranes by strong chaotropic agents such as alkaline Na2CO3 or 5M urea, which did not remove integral membrane polypeptides. In yeast cells lacking the integral membrane portion of the V-ATPase complex, Vma6p was unable to stably associate with vacuolar membranes. Conversely, in mutants specifically lacking Vma6p, components of the V-ATPase integral membrane domain were destabilized, and peripheral subunits failed to assemble onto vacuolar membranes. These results are discussed in the context of a developing model for V-ATPase assembly in yeast.
The Epic Struggle: Subject Retrieval from Large Bibliographic Databases

Archivists have talked at length about the virtue of contributing records to a national bibliographic utility to provide enhanced access to collections. There has been little discussion, however, of the difficulties of finding materials in such large database environments. This article discusses a retrieval study that focused on collection-level archival records in the OCLC Online Union Catalog, made accessible through the EPIC search system. Data were also collected from the local OPAC at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) in which UNC-CH-produced OCLC records are loaded. The chief objective was to explore the retrieval environments in which a random sample of USMARC AMC records produced at UNC-Chapel Hill were found—specifically, to obtain a picture of the density of these databases in regard to each subject heading applied and, more generally, for each record. Key questions were (1) how many records would be retrieved for each subject heading attached to each of the records and (2) w...
A molecular pathway leading to endoderm formation in zebrafish

Abstract Background: Several potentially important regulators of vertebrate endoderm development have been identified, including Activin-related growth factors and their receptors; transcriptional regulators encoded by the genes Mixer , Xsox17 , and HNF3β ; zebrafish One-eyed pinhead (Oep), a member of the Cripto/FRL-1/Cryptic family of epidermal growth factor related proteins (EGF-CFC); and the product of the zebrafish locus casanova , which plays an essential cell-autonomous role in endoderm formation. Results: Using overexpression studies and the analysis of different zebrafish mutants, we have assembled a molecular pathway that leads to endoderm formation. We report that a zebrafish Sox17 homologue is expressed during gastrulation exclusively in the endoderm and that casanova mutants lack all sox17 expression. Overexpression of mixer induces ectopic sox17 -expressing cells in wild-type embryos and promotes endoderm formation in oep mutants, but does not rescue sox17 expression or endoderm formation in casanova mutants. Overexpression of a constitutively active form of the type I transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) receptor TARAM-A also promotes sox17 expression in wild-type and oep mutant embryos, but not in casanova mutants. We also show that the Nodal-related molecules Cyclops and Squint and the transmembrane protein Oep are essential for normal mixer expression. Conclusions: The data indicate that the following pathway leads to zebrafish endoderm formation: Cyclops and Squint activate receptors such as TARAM-A; Oep also appears to act upstream of such receptors; signals transduced by these receptors lead to the expression of mixer , Mixer then acts through casanova to promote the expression of sox17 and differentiation of the endoderm.
Classical Morphology of Plants as an Elementary Instance of Classical Invariant Theory

It has long been known that structural chemistry shows an intriguing correspondence with Classical Invariant Theory (CIT). Under this view, an algebraic binary form of the degree n corresponds to a chemical atom with valence n and each physical molecule or ion has an invariant-theoretic counterpart. This theory was developed using the Aronhold symbolical approach and the symbolical processes of convolution/transvection in CIT was characterized as a potential “accurate morphological method”. However, CIT has not been applied to the formal morphology of living organisms. Based on the morphological interpretation of binary form, as well as the process of convolution/transvection, the First and Second Fundamental Theorems of CIT and the Nullforms of CIT, we show how CIT can be applied to the structure of plants, especially when conceptualized as a series of plant metamers (phytomers). We also show that the weight of the covariant/invariant that describes a morphological structure is a criterion of simplicity and, therefore, we argue that this allows us to formulate a parsimonious method of formal morphology. We demonstrate that the “theory of axilar bud” is the simplest treatment of the grass seedling/embryo. Our interpretations also represent Troll's bauplan of the angiosperms, the principle of variable proportions, morphological misfits, the basic types of stem segmentation, and Goethe's principle of metamorphosis in terms of CIT. Binary forms of different degrees might describe any repeated module of plant organisms. As bacteria, invertebrates, and higher vertebrates are all generally shared a metameric morphology, wider implications of the proposed symmetry between CIT and formal morphology of plants are apparent.
Timber harvest planning—A combined optimization/simulation model

A special cascading fixed charge structure can be used to characterize a forest management planning problem in which the objectives are to identify the optimal shape of forest harvest cutting units and simultaneously to assign facilities for logging those units. We describe a four-part methodology that has been developed to assist forest managers in analyzing areas proposed for harvesting. This methodology performs an analysis of harvesting feasibility, computes the optimal solution to the cascading fixed charge problem, undertakes a GASP IV simulation to provide additional information about the proposed harvesting operation, and permits the forest manager to perform a time-cost analysis that may lead to a more realistic, and thus improved, solution.