cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wnt3a Reestablishes Osteogenic Capacity to Bone Grafts from Aged Animals

Background: Age-relatedfattydegenerationofthebonemarrowcontributestodelayedfracture-healingandosteoporosisrelatedfracturesintheelderly.Themechanismsunderlyingthisfattychangeareunknown,buttheymayrelatetothelevelof Wnt signaling within the aged marrow cavity. Methods: Transgenic mice were used inconjunctionwitha syngeneic bone-graftmodel tofollowthefatesof cellsinvolvedin the engraftment. Immunohistochemistry along with quantitative assays were used to evaluate Wnt signaling and adipogenic and osteogenicgeneexpressioninbonegraftsfromyoungandagedmice.LiposomalWnt3aprotein(L-Wnt3a)wastestedforitsability to restore osteogenic potential to aged bone grafts in critical-size defect models created in mice and in rabbits. Radiography, microquantitative computed tomography (micro-CT) reconstruction, histology, and histomorphometric measurements were used to quantify bone-healing resulting from L-Wnt3a or a control substance (liposomal phosphate-buffered saline solution [L-PBS]). Results: Expression profiling of cells in a bone graft demonstrated a shift away from an osteogenic gene profile and toward an adipogenic one with age. This age-related adipogenic shift was accompanied by a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in Wnt signaling and a loss in osteogenic potential. In both large and small animal models, osteogenic competence was restored to aged bone grafts by a brief incubation with the stem-cell factor Wnt3a. In addition, liposomal Wnt3a significantly reduced cell death in the bone graft, resulting in significantly more osseous regenerate in comparison with controls. Conclusions: Liposomal Wnt3a enhances cell survival and reestablishes the osteogenic capacity of bone grafts from aged animals. Clinical Relevance: We developed an effective, clinically applicable, regenerative medicine-based strategy for revitalizing bone grafts from aged patients.
Correction and monitoring of postoperative cerebral vasospasm.

There have been several case reports in which various hypertension-inducing regimens have been used in the treat ment of postoperative cerebral vaso spasm. Regimens have included the use of metaraminal bitarate, norepineph rine with intravascular volume expan sion, and high-dose dopamine with mannitol and volume expansion. Clini cal response has been very favorable. Our patient improved markedly after administration of dopamine and intra vascular volume expansion.Little work has been done to docu ment vasospasm as the cause of the ischemia or to demonstrate increased cerebral blood flow following treat ment. We suggest that noninvasive Doppler flow velocity studies may be an ideal tool for the further assessment of these patients.
Software support for heterogeneous computing

As a result of advances in high-speed digital communications, researchers have begun to use collections of different high-performance machines in concert to execute computationally intensive application tasks. Existing high-performance machines typically achieve only a fraction of their peak performance on certain portions of such application programs; that is, there is a gap between average sustained performance and the machine’s peak performance. One reason for this is that different subtasks of an application can have different computational requirements that are best processed by different types of machine architectures. Thus, an important approach to high-performance computing is to construct a heterogeneous computing (HC) environment, consisting of a variety of machines interconnected by high-speed links, orchestrated to perform an application whose subtasks have diverse execution requirements. In addition to how well a subtask matches a machine, many factors must be considered to exploit optimally the power of an HC suite of machines. These include the time to move data shared by subtasks executed on different machines, the operating system overhead involved in stopping a task on one machine and restarting it on another, the ability to execute subtasks concurrently on all or some subset of the machines in the suite, and the machine and intermachine network load caused by other users of the HC system. There are many instances of successful implementations of application tasks across suites of heterogeneous machines. Typically, however, current users of HC systems must decompose the application task into appropriate subtasks themselves, decide on which machine to execute each subtask, code each subtask specifically for its target machine, and determine the relative execution schedule for the subtasks. The automation of this process is a long-term goal in the field of HC, but research conducted toward this goal should produce tools that will aid the users of HC systems until full automation is possible. Even though the field of HC is relatively new, it is very active. This paper is a brief outline of the software support challenges for HC addressed in Siegel et al. [1996], and readers interested in more details are referred to Eshaghian [1996], Freund and Siegel [1993], Freund and Sunderam [1994], Siegel et al. [1996], and Sunderam [1995]. The first step in using an HC system is to construct the application program. A programming language used in an HC environment must be compilable into efficient code for any machine in the HC suite, and the program specification should facilitate the decomposition of an application task into appropriate subtasks. One model for automated HC consists of four stages: (1) determina-
A Certificate-Based Signcryption Scheme

In Eurocrypt 2003, Gentry introduced the notion of certificate-based encryption, which combines traditional pubic key encryption (PKE) with identity-based encryption (IBE) while preserving most of the advantages of each, such as no private key escrow and less PKI infrastructure. In this paper, we propose the security notion of certificate-based signcryption and present a concrete certificate-based signcryption scheme derived from pairings on elliptic curves and prove its security in the random oracle model. Additionally, our scheme satisfies the public verifiability and forward secrecy. Compared with the certificate-based sign-then-encrypt scheme, our scheme enjoys shorter message length and less operation cost.
Unified theory of spin dynamics in a two-dimensional electron gas with arbitrary spin-orbit coupling strength at finite temperature

We study the spin dynamics in the presence of impurity and electron-electron (e-e) scattering in a III-V semiconductor quantum well with arbitrary spin-orbit coupling (SOC) strength and symmetry at finite temperature. We derive the coupled spin-charge dynamic equations in the presence of inelastic scattering and provide a new formalism that describes the spin relaxation and dynamics in both the weak and the strong SOC regimes in a unified way. In the weak SOC regime, as expected, our theory reproduces all previous zero-temperature results, most of which have focused on impurity-scattering induced spin-charge dynamics. In the regime where the strength of the Rashba and linear Dresselhaus SOC match, known as the SU(2) symmetry point, experiments have observed the spin-helix mode with a large spin-lifetime whose unexplained nonmonotonic temperature dependence peaks at around 75 K. As a key test of our theory, we are able to naturally explain quantitatively this nonmonotonic dependence and show that it arises as a competition between the Dyakonov-Perel mechanism, suppressed at the SU(2) point, and the Elliott-Yafet mechanism. In the strong SOC regime, we show that our theory directly reproduces the only previous known analytical result at the SU(2) symmetry point in the ballistic regime. It also explains, as we have shown previously, the rise of damped oscillating dynamics when the electron scattering time is larger than half of the spin precession time due to the SOC. Hence we provide a unified theory of the spin dynamics in two-dimensional electron gases in the full phase diagram experimentally accessible.
Gun Focus Effect Revisited II: How Sex Modulates Emotional Information Processing Strategy

Studies have consistently found that arousal is associated with enhanced recognition and recall. In these studies, the influence of participant sex was unexamined. However, motivational theories of emotion predict evolutionarily bound emotional experiences with specific mediated content which vary between men and women. This study draws upon motivational theories of emotion and recent evidence from neuroimaging research to examine comprehensive effects of message arousal and emotional tone on memory for message detail as a function of sex. Female participants showed an advantage in processing peripheral detail when information was positive and when questions about details were in a verbal cued recall format. Male participants were immune to memory narrowing for highly arousing negative content when questions about details were posed in a visual recognition task format.
Attraction of Males by Virgin Females of the Mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

The mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) has extended its range throughout the Caribbean region since it was first detected in Grenada in 1994, and has recently been detected in Southern California, Mexico, and Central America. Laboratory and field experiments using virgin females were conducted on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, to determine if females attract males with pheromones. Virgin females isolated in gelatin capsules attracted on average one male to each capsule over a period of 18 h in the laboratory compared with gelatin capsules without females. Adhesive traps baited with virgin females and placed on hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L., in the field, captured more males at all three study localities on St. Croix than did unbaited traps. Virgin females attracted more males than controls at 0–10 m from infested hibiscus, but were capable of attracting males at 50 m distance from an infestation. The attractiveness of virgin females to flying males strongly suggests the involvement of a female-produced sex pheromone. Isolation and synthesis of such a sex pheromone would provide a valuable tool for population monitoring and control of this invasive pest.
Cutting Municipal Services During Fiscal Crisis: Lessons from the Denial of Services to Condominium and Homeowner Association Owners

Faced with restrictions on revenue and increased demands for municipal services, local governments have often chosen to cut expenses by denying services such as trash and recycling collection to unit owners in condominiums and homeowner associations (HOA). Although these owners continue to pay full property taxes, they are forced to purchase the withheld public services from private contractors. Condominium and homeowner HOA owners in effect are forced to pay twice for services, even though for these purposes they are indistinguishable from other (single family) residential owners. In light of the current crisis in municipal finance, we can expect that states and towns will attempt to balance their budgets by additional service cuts on small groups in the community who are unable to resist the majority’s political power. This article analyzes the denial of municipal services to condominium and HOA owners from a public policy and legal perspective. My thesis is that various goals and commonly held values demonstrate that it is poor public policy for municipalities to place the pain of service cutbacks on only one segment of residential property taxpayers. Legislatures should reject service denial proposals because such programs compromise powerful societal policies including efficiency, fairness, shared sacrifice, notice to buyers, and community building. If government still does enact service denials, condo and HOA owners might challenge them in the courts under takings, equal protection, and substantive due process theories. While I offer what I believe to be a plausible equal protection argument against service denials, I do so reluctantly since courts should not generally intervene into state and local regulatory matters. Legislatures need the flexibility to enact programs and judicial intrusion will weaken goals of separation of powers, judicial economy, and experimentation under federalism. The case of service denials, however, where the majority is transferring all costs/burden of a cutback to a smaller segment of society and where there is no plausible distinction between the owners in the majority and minority, might be the rare case where judicial intervention is necessary. One would hope, though, that legislatures will not act unwisely in the first place by enacting no-service laws. I further argue that my analysis of the issues invoked in condo and HOA service denials should inform policy makers and the courts during the current period of significant municipal fiscal crisis and ensuing service cuts. The fundamental questions in the condo and HOA service denial and the current fiscal cutbacks are the same: which citizens should have their services reduced, should the pain of cutbacks be shared equally, and who (legislatures or courts) should make these decisions? The clashing choices and resolutions in the case of denial of municipal services to condominium and HOA owners provide important guidance when redefining general fiscal goals and obligations of state and local governments.
Abstract 15: Assessing Clinical Quality Indicators for Diabetes Care by Patient Home Zip Code

Objective: Quality of care for diabetes varies widely in the United States but is usually compared at the level of health facilities. As part of the HealthRise project, we analyzed ambulatory clinic data at the level of each patient’s residential zip code to determine whether achievement of risk factor targets is also a function of home neighborhood. Methods: Minnesota Community Measurement (MNCM) collects comprehensive patient-level clinical data from all non-federal ambulatory clinics in their state. Using MNCM data from the year 2013, we assessed risk factor targets for diabetes, defined as the percentage of adult diabetics seen at least twice in 12 months who achieved all of four risk factor targets (HbA1c < 8%, LDL<100 mg/dL, systolic blood pressure <140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure <90 mmHg, and documented to be free of tobacco use). We aggregated the data to the zip code in which the patient resided for Hennepin, Ramsey, and Rice Counties, representing Minneapolis-St. Paul and a nearby rural county. Results: Success in meeting the HbA1c target was similar between counties, with 74.1% of patients in Hennepin, 74.4% in Ramsey, and 76.2% in Rice meeting the target. However, this varied widely at the zip code level. Across zip codes, the HbA1c target was achieved by 58.8% to 90.0% of patients and the LDL target by 46.7% to 83.6% of patients. Blood pressure and tobacco use targets were met by more patients (74.4% to 95.3% for blood pressure and 70.2% to 94.6% for tobacco). The lowest-performing zip codes were consistent across all four targets. Populations with the lowest achievement levels were found in the neighborhoods of North Minneapolis and Camden in Hennepin County, Downtown St. Paul, Southwest Downtown St. Paul, and South East Downton St. Paul in Ramsay County, and outlying rural areas in Rice County. Conclusion: Small-area geographies based on residential zip code appear to stratify the achievement of risk factor targets for diabetic patients in Hennepin, Ramsey and Rice Counties. Patients living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas are less likely to achieve these clinical targets. Policies to improve cardiovascular risk factor control within clinics should also consider expanding their data collection to include the role of patients’ neighborhood environment. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Evolving Neural Network Weights for Time-Series Prediction of General Aviation Flight Data

This work provides an extensive analysis of flight parameter estimation using various neural networks trained by differential evolution, consisting of 12,000 parallel optimization runs. The neural networks were trained on data recorded during student flights stored in the National General Aviation Flight Database (NGAFID), and as such consist of noisy, realistic general aviation flight data. Our results show that while backpropagation via gradient and conjugate gradient descent is insufficient to train the neural networks, differential evolution can provide strong predictors of certain flight parameters (10% over a baseline prediction for airspeed and 70% for altitude), given the four input parameters of airspeed, altitude, pitch and roll. Mean average error ranged between 0.08% for altitude to 2% for roll. Cross validation of the best neural networks indicate that the trained neural networks have predictive power. Further, they have potential to act as overall descriptors of the flights and can potentially be used to detect anomalous flights, even determining which flight parameters are causing the anomaly. These initial results provide a step towards providing effective predictors of general aviation flight behavior, which can be used to develop warning and predictive maintenance systems, reducing accident rates and saving lives.
Data modeling for real: nifty assignment

This assignment is suitable for entry level database students in their first data modeling class. It is assigned after students have a good grasp of fundamental database design but does not require an understanding of normalization. The assignment addresses the challenge of helping students relate the dry concepts of database design to their own "real world". When students can visualize the interactions between the data in tables they are designing and real people's lives, they will better understand how and why to apply database design concepts. This assignment can be found at http://www.ccsc-ms.org/nifty/10/wri/
Interspecific variation in larval anuran anti-parasite behavior: a test of the adaptive plasticity hypothesis

Identifying drivers of interspecific differences in trait plasticity is a major goal in ecology and evolution. For instance, understanding why species invest in constitutive or induced defenses against pathogens is critical for developing accurate models of host-parasite interactions. The adaptive plasticity hypothesis (APH) suggests that, due to costs associated with plasticity, species with greater heterogeneity in their association with an enemy should be more likely to exhibit a plastic (i.e., induced) defense. Here, I tested whether the APH can explain variation among eight co-occurring anuran species in a plastic defense (change in activity level after parasite exposure) against a common trematode parasite (Digenea: Echinostomatidae). The species examined vary in life history, habitat use and phenology—traits that influence the frequency of encounters with parasites in natural ponds. Laboratory experiments were used to measure the proportional change in species’ activity in response to parasites and infection levels, and experimental results were then coupled to data from a field survey. Consistent with the APH, the activity change was greatest for species that vary most in their association with parasites, even when accounting for species phylogeny. Habitat use may thus have influenced the evolution of parasite avoidance, comparable to a similar pattern in species’ defenses against predators. Infection levels, however, correlated with species’ baseline activity levels rather than the change in activity post-exposure. General activity levels may thus contribute more strongly to species-level differences in infection rates than plasticity. Overall, these findings suggest that the APH and consideration of behavior generally enhances understanding of interspecific variation in defenses and susceptibility to parasitism, with implications for community-scale interactions and amphibian conservation.
Influence of Maturity on Immunosuppression by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol

SummaryMarihuana and its principal active ingredient Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been shown to be immunosuppressive in mice. The present study was conducted in order to determine if the immunosuppression was regulated by the maturity of the animal. Splenic lymphocytes from 4-week-old mice exposed to THC displayed a reduced capacity for mitogenic stimulation following in vitro exposure to phytohemagglutinin. Rosette formation, IgG plaque formation, and synthesis of circulating antibody to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) were also inhibited after exposure of young mice to THC. Cell-mediated immunity and rosette formation in 14-week-old mice was not significantly altered by treatment with THC as evidenced by the equivalent capacity of splenic lymphocytes from both drug and control animals to respond to mitogenic stimulation and to bind SRBC. Older mice were also found to be less responsive to immunosuppression by THC in relation to IgG plaque formation and hemagglutination titer.
Yemen: Between Revolution and Regression

ABSTRACTYemen once again descended into chaos in November 2014, when the Houthis seized control of Sana'a. Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Cooperation Council partners, along with mainstream media, characterized the conflict as a sectarian proxy-war with Iran. However, this narrative fails to acknowledge the trajectory of Yemen's Arab Spring revolt. This article refutes this narrative by using theories of revolution to connect the Arab Spring revolt to the current conflict. Situating Yemen within a broader revolutionary moment sheds light on patterns of revolution in Third World societies and the likely outcome of the current conflict.
Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive Patients in Federally Qualified Health Centers: Impact of Shared Decision Making in the Office-GAP Program

Background: Hypertension (HTN) in people with diabetes doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease. Prior patient activation studies largely show improved communication but little impact on behavior...
Avoiding Extraverts: Pathogen Concern Downregulates Preferences for Extraverted Faces

Past research indicates that salient concerns with infectious disease reduce individuals’ self-reporting of extraverted personality trait characteristics, an adaptive response to mitigate exposure to pathogenically threatening conspecifics. Additionally, individuals are capable of accurately inferring another person’s level of extraversion from facial cues alone. Extending these findings, we hypothesized that disease concerns should result in a reduced preference for extraverts, as indexed by facial cues, given that such persons may comprise a greater disease threat due to increased contact with a greater number of conspecifics. To test this hypothesis, participants were randomly assigned to either disease or control prime conditions, reported face preferences among face pairs containing target faces manipulated to communicate extraversion or introversion, and indicated dispositional pathogen concerns. Contrary to hypotheses, acute disease activation did not influence face preferences. However, men with dispositionally higher perceived infectability (PI) demonstrated reduced preferences for extraverted female faces, whereas higher PI in women predicted a reduced preference for extraverted male faces. This relationship between higher PI and reduced preferences for extraverted faces provides partial support for the hypothesis that pathogen concerns facilitate stronger preferences for reticent individuals, an adaptive response to mitigate contact with disease vectors.
What Schooling Does to Teachers

Elizabeth, Mary and Sophia Peabody were sisters from Massachusetts, all born in the first decade of the nineteenth century. Their stories, if you don’t know them already, are incredible.
Inferring the timing of long-distance dispersal between Rail metapopulations using genetic and isotopic assignments

The stochastic and infrequent nature of long-distance dispersal often makes it difficult to detect. We quantified the frequency, distance, and timing of long-distance dispersal in a non-migratory, secretive wetland bird, the California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus), between an inland and a coastal metapopulation separated by greater than 100 km. Using 15 microsatellites in conjunction with stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotopes, we classified rails as: residents of their capture population, recent migrants that dispersed to their capture population less than one year before capture, established migrants that dispersed to their capture population more than one year before capture, and seasonal migrants that dispersed away from their capture population to forage, but returned the next season. Most rails (195 of 204 or 95.6%) were classified as residents, but we detected two established migrants that had moved >100 km more than a year before capture. Seven rails appeared to be seasonal migrants, but comparisons of feather isotope values with isotope values from wetland soils indicated that the isotope values in the feathers of these rails likely resulted from natural environmental variation (e.g., source element effects) rather than long-distance dispersal of individuals. Thus, these seven rails were most likely misassigned by isotopic population assignments due to small-scale variation in the isoscape. Using genetic data in conjunction with isotopic data allowed us to not only infer the timing of long-distance dispersal events, but to successfully track long-distance movements of non-migratory rails between metapopulations even when environmental variation of isotopes occurred across small spatial scales. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Phase Diagram and Symmetrization of Dense D2S

The phase diagram of D2S has been investigated to 70 GPa in diamond anvil cells using confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy. The results show that molecular phase IV transforms to “polymeric” phase V at 30 GPa at 300 K, analogous to an extended network structure of ice X with symmetrized hydrogen bonds. The formation of symmetrized phase V is evident by its characteristic single vibrational Raman peak at ∼460 cm–1 for symmetric D–S–D bending/stretching, analogous to that of ice X at ∼730 cm–1 at 76 GPa. At low temperatures, the proton-disordered phase IV transforms to more proton-ordered phases of IV′ and VI, which also transforms to phase V at 40 GPa at 100 K. The present phase diagram indicates that D2S is chemically stable at least to 70 GPa at 300 K, contrary to the previously reported decomposition to sulfur and HxS (x > 2) above 30 GPa. This conclusion is important, considering that a wide range of decomposed states (H3S + S, H3S+ + HS–, etc.) were used to explain the recently observed high Tc supercond...
Were Trump's Fake Losses Legal as Tax Deductions?

Trump claimed almost a billion of tax losses on his 1995 tax return. Trump did not lose anything like that in economic substance because he never put that much money into his transactions. If he never put it, he did not lose it. Trump must have treated part of the $3.4 bank debt as a cost and tax basis, while inconsistently, not correcting his cost when it turned out not be paid. Sheppard and Lipton have proposed an S corporation or Gitlitz theory, which if applicable would allow the fake loss as a tax deduction, but real estate developers did not use S corporations in the early and middle 1990’s because S corporations trapped all losses inside the corporation where they were wasted. Trump might have reduced basis in real property, rather than taking an immediate income or NOL reduction. In any event, the losses do not “impinge on the world” and courts take away fake tax losses when they see them. “Legal” means that a court would uphold the tax loss when fully aware of the facts and with capable briefing by adversaries. The standards for reporting losses allow the taxpayer to report that this loss might be available, but it probably is not. “Legal” does not include claims that were not caught by a smart agent, which were in fact fraudulent.The legality of Trump’s claimed losses has some bearing on the current election. Even beyond the election, we need to understand his claim to ensure that such an awful result never happens again.
Computational Theories of Learning and Developmental Psycholinguistics

A computer is something that computes, and since modern theories of cognition assume that humans make computations when processing information, humans are computers. What kinds of computations do humans make when they learn languages? Answering this question requires the collaborative efforts of researchers in several different disciplines and sub-disciplines, including language science (e.g. theoretical linguistics, psycholinguistics, language acquisition), computer science, psychology, and cognitive science. The primary purpose of this chapter is explain to developmental psycholinguists and language scientists more generally the main conclusions and issues in computational learning theories. This chapter is needed because
High-Price And Low-Price Physician Practices Do Not Differ Significantly On Care Quality Or Efficiency

Consolidation of physician practices has intensified concerns that providers with greater market power may be able to charge higher prices without having to deliver better care, compared to providers with less market power. Providers have argued that higher prices cover the costs of delivering higher-quality care. We examined the relationship between physician practice prices for outpatient services and practices’ quality and efficiency of care. Using commercial claims data, we classified practices as being high- or low-price. We used national data from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey and linked claims for Medicare beneficiaries to compare high- and low-price practices in the same geographic area in terms of care quality, utilization, and spending. Compared with low-price practices, high-price practices were much larger and received 36 percent higher prices. Patients of high-price practices reported significantly higher scores on some measures of care coordination and ma...
Experimental demonstration of an omni-resonant optical micro-cavity

By simultaneously phase-matching an angularly multiplexed 60-nm-wide spectrum, we render a Fabry-Perot microcavity having 0.7-nm-wide resonances ‘omni-resonant’, such that it continuously resonates across multiple bare-cavity FSRs.
The Correlation between Emissions and Warming in the CET

A comprehensive detrended correlation analysis of the daily mean Central England Temperature (CET) series for each calendar month against fossil fuel emissions for the 245-year study period 1772-2016 is presented. Time scales of 10, 20, and 30 years were tried each at four different time spans ranging from 60 to 245 years at all possible locations within the overall study period. The results do not show a relationship between emissions and warming that can be interpreted in terms of the theory of anthropogenic global warming and climate change (AGW). The finding is inconsistent with the proposition that warming in the CET data can be related to emissions.
Innovations in Kidney Transplant Research

The future of transplantation research depends on finding ways to refine immunomodulatory protocols so that they not only suppress the inflammatory cells that lead to rejection, but also activate antiinflammatory mechanisms that shift the immune milieu towards tolerance. In this chapter, we describe three emerging areas of interest in the field of transplant immunology. The newly discovered innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) regulate T-cell function and uniquely participate in both innate and adaptive immunity. ILCs interact with antigen such as the commensal bacteria (microbiota) that reside on mucosal surfaces to resist infection and activate immunity. Microbiota sequencing has shown us that various pathological processes, both inflammatory and antiinflammatory, are modulated by microbiota. Similarly, the stromal cells that structurally organize a lymph node can dynamically regulate the immune response. Therapies that target ILCs, microbiota composition, and/or stromal cell function may confer enhanced graft protection and concomitantly bolster host defense mechanisms against opportunistic infection.
Disney Fantasy as the Discourse of the Other

The notion of Disney studio’s “golden era” functions today as an ideological point de capiton, or what Lacan defines as “the point in the signifying chain that grounds signification,” but always retroactively (Evans 1997, 149). The point de capiton refers to a specific nodal point at which the sliding chain of signification, difference, and non-determination coalesce into a network of structured meaning as if sewn there by a button designed to quilt stuffing in place so that it holds its shape. Chapter 4 advances readings from a Lacanian perspective of Disney’s “golden era” films, including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi, while tracing Walt Disney’s own traumatic grief and guilt related to the death of his mother as an emotional and psychological watershed for the growth and development of Disney fantasy. Walt Disney’s turn towards political conservatism correspond to the “golden era” years as America’s chief purveyor of fantasy. Whatever sympathy he may have felt for the working man was swept aside in Disney’s anger at the employees—Communists, according to Disney—who had gone out on strike and all but destroyed the studio he had so long struggled to build. But Disney and his studio would survive the animators’ strike, the failure of Fantasia and Bambi at the box office, and World War II. After the war, America was ready for Disney fantasy entertainment, happy to participate in a fantasy as social practice that enacted, celebrated, and normalized Capital’s parasitic relationship to desire.
Differential Effects of Strand Asymmetry on the Energetics and Structural Flexibility of DNA Internal Loops.

Internal loops within structured nucleic acids disrupt local base-stacking and destabilize neighboring helical domains; however, these structural motifs also expand the conformational and functional capabilities for structured nucleic acids. Variations in size, distribution of loop nucleotides on opposing strands (strand asymmetry), and sequence alter their biophysical properties. Here, the thermodynamics and structural flexibility of poly(T)-rich DNA internal loops were systematically investigated in terms of loop size and strand asymmetry. From optical melting experiments, a thermodynamic prediction model is proposed for the energetic penalty of internal loops that accounts for diminishing enthalpic and increasing entropic contributions due to loop size and strand asymmetry for bulges, asymmetric loops, and symmetric loops. These single-stranded domains become less sequence-dependent and more polymeric as the loop size expands. Single-molecule FRET studies reveal a gradual transition in conformation and...
Development of a video-simulation instrument for assessing cognition in older adults.

Commonly used methods to assess cognition, such as direct observation, self-report, or neuropsychological testing, have significant limitations. Therefore, a novel tablet computer-based video simulation was created with the goal of being valid, reliable, and easy to administer. The design and implementation of the SIMBAC (Simulation-Based Assessment of Cognition) instrument is described in detail, as well as informatics “lessons learned” during development. The software emulates 5 common instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and scores participants’ performance. The modules were chosen by a panel of geriatricians based on relevance to daily functioning and ability to be modeled electronically, and included facial recognition, pairing faces with the correct names, filling a pillbox, using an automated teller machine (ATM), and automatic renewal of a prescription using a telephone. Software development included three phases 1) a period of initial design and testing (alpha version), 2) pilot study with 10 cognitively normal and 10 cognitively impaired adults over the age of 60 (beta version), and 3) larger validation study with 162 older adults of mixed cognitive status (release version). Results of the pilot study are discussed in the context of refining the instrument; full results of the validation study are reported in a separate article. In both studies, SIMBAC reliably differentiated controls from persons with cognitive impairment, and performance was highly correlated with Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score. Several informatics challenges emerged during software development, which are broadly relevant to the design and use of electronic assessment tools. Solutions to these issues, such as protection of subject privacy and safeguarding against data loss, are discussed in depth. Collection of fine-grained data (highly detailed information such as time spent reading directions and the number of taps on screen) is also considered. SIMBAC provides clinicians direct insight into whether subjects can successfully perform selected cognitively intensive activities essential for independent living and advances the field of cognitive assessment. Insight gained from the development process could inform other researchers who seek to develop software tools in health care.
Pneumatosis Intestinalis in Patients Receiving Tube Feeds.

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) identified on computed tomography (CT) suggests an underlying pathology including bowel ischemia. Patients receiving tube feeds can develop PI, potentially requiring surgical intervention. We identify clinical factors in PI to predict those that may be safe to observe versus those that need immediate intervention. We retrospectively reviewed patients from a single institution from 2008 to 2016 with CT findings of PI and an enteric feeding tube. Patients who had not received tube feeds within one week of the CT were excluded. We analyzed clinical, operative, and outcome data to differentiate benign from pathologic outcomes. P values 30 (OR = 8.57, CI 1.79-40.98, P = 0.006), and vomiting/feeding intolerance (OR = 9.38, CI 1.64-53.62, P = 0.01). Bowel function within 24 hours of the CT, bowel dilatation (small ≥ 3 cm; large ≥6 cm), and lactic acidemia were not significant. Peritonitis was only seen in pathologic states, but this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.06). This represents the largest single-center retrospective analysis of tube feeding-induced PI to date. The presence of free fluid on CT, BUN and Cr elevation, BUN/Cr >30, vomiting/feeding intolerance and peritonitis were predictive of a pathologic etiology of PI.
Crystal Engineering for Catalysis.

Crystal engineering relies upon the ability to predictively control intermolecular interactions during the assembly of crystalline materials in a manner that leads to a desired (and predetermined) ...
Increased Vulnerability to Poorer Cancer-Specific Outcomes Following Recent Divorce.

Abstract Background Prior studies have only considered the association between static marital status and cancer-specific outcomes. We aim to measure the effect of recent divorce on cancer-specific outcomes. Methods There were 83,804 patients with 2 malignancies, diagnosed 12 to 60 months apart, from 1973-2006 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Patients were identified as newly divorced if married at their first diagnosis and single/divorced at their second. Multivariable logistic regression and competing-risks regression were used to analyze the association of becoming newly divorced or newly married with cancer-specific outcomes from the second malignancy, including advanced diagnosis (T4 or N1 or M1), receipt of treatment, and cancer-specific survival. Results Four percent became newly divorced and 3.4% became newly married. Compared with long-term married, newly divorced patients were most likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-1.43), followed by long-term divorced (AOR 1.18; 95% CI, 1.11-1.25), and were least likely to receive curative treatment (AOR 0.74; 95% CI, 0.67-0.81). Newly divorced patients had the worst cancer-specific survival (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 1.17; 95% CI, 1.05-1.30, P = .005), followed by long-term divorced (AHR 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01-1.16, P = .032), while newly married patients had similar cancer-specific survival to long-term married (AHR 0.96; 95% CI, 0.85-1.08, P = .46). Conclusion Recent divorce, which represents an acute disruption of a patient's social support network, was associated with the worst cancer outcomes, followed by long-term divorce. Clinicians should consider recent divorce as a risk factor for worse cancer outcomes, and encourage appropriate screening, treatment, and access to social and financial supports for recently divorced patients.
PoC intelligent IoT based HVAC controller

This research focuses on designing Proof-of-Concept (PoC) for the proposed Intelligent HVAC Thermostat Control System Algorithm. The proposed design involves the use of a network based occupancy algorithm, which accurately tracks the location of residents in the real estate properties. The proposed occupancy model is necessary for accurately tracking the location of residents for use in the control algorithm. For comparison, this design was simulated with an identical design omitting the peripheral sensors, occupancy modeling and resident distance tracking. The simulation results showed that the proposed system is significantly more power efficient than the conventional model.
Multiplexed lateral flow immunoassay to discriminate Solenopsis invicta, Solenopsis richteri , and Solenopsis invicta × richteri hybrids

Solenopsis invicta and Solenopsis richteri are aggressive, highly invasive ant species from South America that were introduced into North America in the early part of the twentieth century. Biosecurity efforts in the US included the establishment of a quarantine to minimize the human-assisted spread of these ants. A limitation of the quarantine is rapid identification/discrimination of these ants when found entering non-quarantined areas. Using monoclonal antibodies designed toward S. invicta and S. richteri venom protein 2, we developed a multiplexed lateral flow immunoassay that provides a rapid and portable method for the identification of S. invicta, S. richteri, and the S. invicta × richteri hybrid. The multiplexed lateral flow immunoassay was validated against 39 unique ant species, and only S. invicta, S. richteri, and the S. invicta × richteri hybrid were detected. The assay did not detect proteins from the congener S. geminata known to produce a S. invicta venom protein 2 ortholog. The invasive fire ant multiplexed lateral flow immunoassay provides a new tool for regulatory agencies in the US to enforce quarantine protocols and limit the spread of these invasive ants.
The Basics of Genetic Association Analysis

A genetic association analysis is not fundamentally different from any other statistical association analysis. The objective is to establish an association between two variables: a disease trait and a genetic marker. The disease trait can be dichotomous, a measured variable, such as lung function or a quantitative measure of obesity, or time-to-onset of a disease or disorder. The genetic marker can be a known or suspected disease-causing mutation, or a marker without any known effects on DNA coding. In the latter case, the association is created by LD between the marker and the disease allele, as discussed in Chapter 5. Another distinctive feature of genetic association analysis is that two quite different study designs can be used; one which uses only unrelated subjects and the other which uses families that have at least two members with genetic marker data. Family designs have distinct advantages and disadvantages, and are an important class of studies. This chapter deals with study designs that use unrelated subjects; Chapter 9 considers designs for association analysis which use data on families.
Experiential climate change education: Challenges of conducting mixed-methods, interdisciplinary research in San Juan Islands, WA and Oakland, CA

Abstract Transitioning food, energy and water systems for adaptation and mitigation of climate change is a challenge requiring social as well as technological solutions. The best technological solutions will only be effective if combined with behavior changes placing climate change at the forefront of our socio-cultural consciousness. Education is central in creating such a shift. Climate researchers have an important role in aiding the uptake of climate change education in U.S. public schools, where educators are often untrained and uncomfortable teaching the subject. This paper assesses the efficacy of implementing an interdisciplinary, experiential climate change curriculum in school garden classrooms in terms of student climate literacy and teacher professional development. The questions of how to teach and research climate education are explored via a participatory research project with schools in Oakland, CA and Lopez Island, WA. Initial results show improvement in student learning and engagement as well as teacher preparation. Both qualitative and quantitative data are analyzed through student surveys, teacher interviews, and site observation; however, further qualitative methodologies to study process of climate and energy literacy development are needed. Specifically, this paper argues for new forms of assessment to capture dimensions of climate literacy including knowledge, engagement, and behavior change.
GaLnAsP Solar Cells Grown by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy for One-Sun & Low-Concentration III-V/Si Photovoltaics

Dynamic hydride vapor phase epitaxy (D-HVPE) has recently reemerged as a low-cost alternative to metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) for the growth of highefficiency III-V solar cells. Quaternary GaInAsP solar cells in the bandgap range of ~1.6-1.8 eV are promising top-cell candidates for III-V/Si tandem solar cells. In this work, we report on the development of lattice-matched GaInAsP (Eg~1.66 eV) solar cells grown via low-cost HVPE at very high growth rates of ~0.7 μm/min (~42 μm/h). We demonstrate for the first time HVPE grown passivated GaInAsP homojunction solar cells that show substantial improvement in the short-wavelength photoresponse attributed to the incorporation of a GaInP window layer. The heterointerfaces in these multilayer devices were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The best device achieved a certified one-sun efficiency of 18.7% under AM1.5G, demonstrating the viability of HVPE to grow multilayered structures comprising ternary and quaternary alloys. This work represents a promising step towards low-cost III-V/Si tandem photovoltaics with one-sun efficiencies exceeding 30%.
Outcomes of adenotonsillectomy in severe pediatric obstructive sleep apnea.

We conducted a retrospective chart review to examine the efficacy of adenotonsillectomy for the treatment of severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. Our study population was made up of 85 patients-58 boys and 27 girls, aged 1 to 17 years (mean: 6.9 ± 4.4)-with severe OSA who had undergone adenotonsillectomy and pre- and postoperative attended polysomnography (PSG) over a 4-year period. Severe OSA was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of >10 events per hour of sleep. Patients who had an underlying genetic or craniofacial anomaly were excluded. In addition to demographic and PSG data, we compiled information on selected characteristics of patients according to postoperative residual AHIs of ≤5 and >5. Finally, information on body mass index z score was available on 72 patients; the mean score was 1.55 ± 1.51, with 36 patients (50.0%) fulfilling the criteria for obesity. In the group as a whole, we found that adenotonsillectomy resulted in a significant reduction in AHI from 35.4 to 7.1 (p 1 to ≤5 in 39 patients (45.9%), >5 to ≤10 in 24 patients (28.2%), and >10 in 14 patients (16.5%). A significantly higher proportion of boys had a residual AHI of >5 after surgery compared with those whose postoperative AHI was ≤5 (78.9 vs. 59.6%; p = 0.04). We conclude that adenotonsillectomy leads to a significant improvement in sleep-disordered breathing in children with severe OSA, but residual disease is common so close postoperative follow-up is essential.