cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A study of the thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate using a gas chromatographic technique

The thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate and associated mixtures in the range 170 to 200 °C has been studied by measuring the rate of evolution of nitrous oxide using a flow system in conjunction with a gas chromatograph enabling measurements to be made at temperatures of practical importance not covered in most previous investigations. The rate constant calculated from the data for pure ammonium nitrate was compared with the values of other workers. The effects of water and of monoammonium phosphate on the decomposition rate were studied. The effect of several metal ions on the decomposition rate was also studied, but no clear pattern emerged from the results.
Rieff's Freud and the Tyranny of Psychology:

When Philip Rieff's magisterial Freud: The Mind of the Moralist was first published in 1959, Freud's status as a scientific authority was at its height. Even within sociology, Freud was considered to be one of the discipline's essential theorists. At such a time, Rieff's text was clearly indispensable for its illuminating accounts of Freud's thought and of its social, moral and political implications. Today, Freud's status as scientist and social theorist has fallen to an all-time low. Nevertheless, his demise has left the value of Rieff's Freud unaffected. In fact, a re-reading of The Mind of the Moralist is a powerful reminder of what makes Freud so central as a cultural figure, and Rieff so essential as a social theorist of the present age. While Rieff highlights those aspects of Freud's thought that remain valuable and sociologically relevant, the real purpose of Rieff's book is to examine its cultural impact. In Rieff's view, Freud's anatomy of the soul and his reductionistic account of the dynamics ...
Premarital Cohabitation and Marital Success

Four models of the way in which premarital cohabitation may affect marital quality are examined using interview data from a national probability sample of married persons. The idea that cohabitation improves mate selection and marital training is rejected. Cohabitation is negatively related to marital interaction and positively related to marital disagreement, proneness to divorce, and the probability of divorce in nonminority populations. No evidence is found that the accelerated marriage model explains these findings. Some support is found for the explanation that some of those who cohabit are poor marriage risks before they marry. No support is found for the idea that cohabitation itself causes a decline in marital quality, but this argument cannot be rejected with confidence, given the data at hand.
Novel delivery of oligonucleotides using a topical hydrogel tissue sealant in a murine partial nephrectomy model

ABSTRACTPurpose: Ischemia/reperfusion injury is a leading cause of renal damage and antisense gene therapy has been shown to ameliorate its effects. However, this approach has been limited by current delivery methods that require high concentrations of intravenous nucleic acids lacking specificity for targeting tissues. To overcome these limitations we developed a novel murine partial nephrectomy model to evaluate polyethylene-glycol (PEG) hydrogel tissue sealant as a topical oligonucleotide delivery system.Materials and Methods: A total of 18 male C57BL/6 mice underwent left partial nephrectomy with vascular occlusion. Hydrogel primer and then sealant were applied to the cut surface and photopolymerized. Using this method 16 additional mice received hydrogel primer mixed with Cy5 labeled fluorescent oligonucleotide (10 to 100 μg). Kidneys were harvested at various time points and assessed for oligonucleotide penetration using fluorescence microscopy.Results: A survival rate of 100% (34 subjects) was obta...
Responding to L2 Students in College Writing Classes: Teacher Perspectives

Response to student writing has been a research concern for composition specialists for the past several decades. However, most research to date has utilized student opinions or researcher judgments about teacher feedback, with researchers rarely consulting teachers themselves as informants. Also, first language (L1) and second language (L2) response research has been completed and disseminated in separate arenas, with little consideration given to the current blurring of boundaries in many educational contexts between L1 and L2 student writers. In the study described in this article, college writing instructors in both mainstream and specialized L2 writing contexts were surveyed (N = 129) and interviewed (N = 23) about their backgrounds (training and experience) and their philosophies and practices with regard to response. In addition, samples of their commentary on student papers (3–5 papers per interview subject) were collected, discussed with the instructors, and analyzed. Although most instructors were aware of adapting their approach to feedback for L2 writers, the nature of these adjustments varied dramatically across subjects, as did their overall attitude toward the endeavor of responding to L2 writers. The article concludes with a discussion of practical implications of the findings for teacher response practices and for professional preparation of L1 writing instructors who work with L2 students.
A New Slice of Pie? Estrogen Regulation of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1

Few clinical studies have impacted clinical care more dramatically than those addressing the role of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a strategy to reduce cardiovascular risk. Based on large observational and sound biological studies addressing cardiovascular risk, and on the efficacy of HRT in reducing perimenopausal symptoms, HRT was the standard-of-care for postmenopausal women for many years.1 Then, as a result of landmark prospectively randomized clinical trials published within the last few years,2,3 the recommendations changed, such that HRT is no longer routinely prescribed for postmenopausal women.4 How could observational studies and biology have been so wrong? The present study by Smith et al5 may be a beginning in understanding subtleties implicit in the use of HRT. It is postulated that estrogen has pleiomorphic cardiovascular effects including direct effects on the vessel wall and on extracellular matrix proteins and components,6 complex regulation of lipid metabolism7 and nitric oxide synthesis, 8 and effects on the balance between thrombosis and fibrinolysis9—all areas of critical importance in atherogenesis. Many of these effects are mediated via interactions of estrogen with two receptors: ERα and ERβ.10 Important downstream events modulated by ERα and ERβ include regulation of the expression of a number of genes, one of which is plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), arguably among the most important of the regulators of fibrinolytic balance. At first glance, one might ask why the present study, which identifies a new estrogen response element (ERE) in the PAI-1 promoter that responds to ERα activation, would merit editorial comment. After …
Counterfactuals, belief changes, and equilibrium refinements

L'A. expose sous quelles conditions un «equilibre de Nash» est possible dans les jeux, c'est-a-dire que chaque joueur peut comprendre la strategie de l'autre et predire rationnellement ses prochains coups. L'A. montre que le critere de rationalite n'est pas seul en question et qu'il faut aussi en referer au contexte et a la connaissance psychologique pour se penser fonde dans sa croyance envers l'autre
Parallelizing a Face Detection and Tracking System for Multi-Core Processors

This paper describes how to accelerate a real-world face detection and tracking system by taking advantage of the multiple processing cores that are present in most modern CPUs. This work makes three key contributions. The first is the presentation of a highly optimized serial face detection and tracking algorithm that uses motion estimation and local search windows to achieve fast processing rates. The second is redefining the face detection process based on a set of independent face scales that can be processed in parallel on separate CPU cores while also achieving a target processing rate. The third contribution is demonstrating how multiple cores can be used to accelerate the face tracking process which provides significant speed boosts when tracking a large number of faces simultaneously. Used in a real-world application, the parallel face detector and tracker yields a 50-70% speed boost over the serial version when tested on a commodity multi-core CPU.
Fit a Spread Estimator in Small Memory

The spread of a source host is the number of distinct destinations that it has sent packets to during a measurement period. A spread estimator is a software/hardware module on a router that inspects the arrival packets and estimates the spread of each source. It has important applications in detecting port scans and DDoS attacks, measuring the infection rate of a worm, assisting resource allocation in a server farm, determining popular web contents for caching, to name a few. The main technical challenge is to fit a spread estimator in a fast but small memory (such as SRAM) in order to operate it at the line speed in a high-speed network. In this paper, we design a new spread estimator that delivers good performance in tight memory space where all existing estimators no longer work. The new estimator not only achieves space compactness but operates more efficiently than the existing ones. Its accuracy and efficiency come from a new method for data storage, called virtual vectors, which allow us to measure and remove the errors in spread estimation. We perform experiments on real Internet traces to verify the effectiveness of the new estimator.
Nonparametric Statistics in Marketing Research

ished to abandon the orthodox approach to marketing problems. The current plea is for an eclectic approach which draws heavily upon substantive concepts of the behavioral sciences. Marketing researchers have, for some time, had recourse to psychology for interpretations of consumer behavior, to sociology and statistics as sources of analytical tools, and to other disciplines for methodologies. More recently, marketing researchers have been looking to historians, anthropologists, political scientists, philosophers, and others for concepts and understandings of our society that could be useful in interpreting the concept of marketing. Since marketing is no longer considered merely a technical process, insights of those with other than a technical viewpoint of marketing are becoming increasingly important. One method, advocated by some, of adding this breadth to marketing research is to integrate marketing with the behavioral sciences. Alderson' suggests that marketing will be increasingly recognized as a segment of the behavioral sciences. Similarly, Tarpey2 takes the position that marketing research is nearing maturity and that continued growth will likely come only from a recognition and acceptance of the value of the behavioral sciences. Furthermore, this growth may not come merely from borrowing but rather from merging with these disciplines whenever necessary. A behavioral approach to marketing problems is not without support from our own profession.3 Enlarging the scope of marketing research to include more studies which focus on the "why" of consumption as well as the "what" and "how" would result in a necessary spillover into the fields of psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, and others. If marketing research is to be thus encompassing, a familiarity with the tools and techniques of behavioral scientists is imperative because of the nature of the data generated by this type of study. Thus, it is the objective of this * Published with the approval of the director of the South Dakota Agr. Exp. Sta. as Paper 692 of the J. Ser. The author wishes to acknowledge helpful comments from Donald B. Erickson.
Growth of Human Nervous System. III. Relations between Cerebral Surface, Volume and Length:

The human cerebrum, excluding its ventricular system, is a solid: and it is possible by the study of its measurements to determine to what degree, if any, the growth of this structure follows the usual geometric laws of the interrelation of dimensions of solids with simple and regular form.If these dimensions approach the geometric rules of dimensionality, it is to be expected that the following relations may be approximated: and also the converse expressions. In the above general formulae CV is cerebral volume, CL cerebral length, and CS cerebral surface. The k's are constants to be empirically determined, and the other lower case letters represent powers also to be empirically determined. For objects of simple and regular geometric form it is to be expected that a will approach 3; b, 2; and c, 2/3.We have tested these assumptions by fitting curves for several of these dimensions as determined from a series of 20 cerebri, ranging from about 5 cc. to over 1,000 cc. in volume and from slightly less than 4 ...
Seasonal Distribution of Northern New York State Anthropophilic Tabanidae (Diptera) and Observations on the Dispersal of Several Species

In a 154 km2 area of Franklin Co., N.Y., 47 sites were monitored biweekly or weekly for two consecutive adult Tabanidae seasons. Investigators used standard aerial insect nets and captured 10,969 tabanids during 1,380 10-min sweeps. Four genera and 37 species were collected, with Chrysops ater (43%) and C. mitis (15%) dominating. The collection method was more selective of Chrysops (96% of total Tabanidae) than Hybomitra , Stonemyia , or Tabanus . In addition, over 600 C. dawsoni , a species only recently detected in New York, were captured at this location. New extensions of nuisance activity were documented for seven species. In addition to seasonal distribution data on 37 northern New York Tabanidae species and relationships of major species collected to habitat, we also report observations on the dispersal of C. ater and C. mitis recaptured at sites ≤7 km from the release site and dispersed to other sites at a rate of ≥1.2 km/h. Sixteen of 520 (3.1%)marked and released Chrysops were recaptured.
Development of muscarinic-cholinergic stimulation of inositol phosphate production in cultured embryonic chick atrial cells. Evidence for a switch in guanine-nucleotide-binding protein coupling.

We have demonstrated that muscarinic stimulation of inositol phosphate production in cultured atrial cells from chicks at 14 days in ovo is partially sensitive to inhibition by pertussis toxin. In these cells, muscarinic agonist binding is coupled to phospholipase C activity via at least two guanine-nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins), one sensitive to pertussis toxin and the other (Gp) insensitive to pertussis toxin [Barnett, Shamah, Lassegue, Griendling & Galper (1990) Biochem. J. 271, 437-442]. In the current study we demonstrate that during embryonic development of the chick heart, muscarinic stimulation of inositol phosphate production decreases by 50% between days 5 and 14 in ovo in cells cultured from both atrium and ventricle. In atrial cells, however, pertussis toxin-sensitive muscarinic stimulation of inositol phosphate production increased from undetectable levels at day 5 in ovo to 40% of total stimulation at day 12 in ovo. Muscarinic stimulation of inositol phosphate production in the ventricle did not become sensitive to pertussis toxin at any age studied. In permeabilized atrial cells from embryonic chicks at 5 days in ovo, guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]) stimulated InsP1 levels by 40 +/- 10% (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 3), InsP2 levels by 117 +/- 18% and InsP3 levels by 51 +/- 8%, suggesting that at day 5 in ovo all of the muscarinic-stimulated inositol phosphate production was coupled to phospholipase C via Gp. H.p.l.c. analysis demonstrated that, in spite of these changes in coupling of phospholipase C to different G-proteins, no changes could be demonstrated in the isomers of InsP3 produced in response to carbamylcholine at both days 5 and 14 in ovo. These data demonstrate that embryonic development of the chick atrium is associated with a switch in coupling of muscarinic receptors to phospholipase C from Gp to a pertussis toxin substrate. This developmental switch in coupling of G-proteins may be related to possible developmental switches in levels of muscarinic receptor isoforms or switches in the subtype of phospholipase C.
T-cell LPD of the GIT: first do no harm.

In this issue of Blood , Perry et al describe cases of an indolent T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD) of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) that mimics inflammatory bowel disease or peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).[1][1] The lesions involved all sites in the GIT, and mucosal infiltrates
Effects of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation on objective sleep outcomes in Parkinson's disease.

Background Sleep dysfunction is a common and disabling nonmotor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD). DBS of the STN improves motor symptoms and subjective sleep in PD, but alternative stimulation parameters to optimize sleep have not been explored. We hypothesized that low-frequency STN DBS would improve objective sleep more than conventional settings. Methods Twenty PD subjects with STN DBS (18 unilateral, 2 bilateral) underwent 3 nonconsecutive nights of polysomnography (PSG): DBS off; DBS high frequency (≥130 Hz); and DBS low frequency (60 Hz). Motor symptom tolerability was assessed 30 minutes after resumption of baseline settings the morning following PSG. The primary outcome was change in sleep efficiency between high- and low-frequency nights measured with repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results There was no difference in sleep efficiency between nights at high frequency (82.1% [72.6–90.1]) (median [interquartile range]), low frequency (81.2% [56.2–88.8]), or DBS off (82.8% [75.7–87.4]; P = 0.241). Additionally, there was no difference in sleep stage percent, arousals, limb movements, subjective sleep quality, or objective vigilance measures. These outcomes did not change after adjusting for age, sex, disease duration, or side of surgery. No residual adverse motor effects were noted. Conclusions Although well tolerated, low-frequency STN DBS did not improve objective sleep in PD. Remarkably, objective measures of sleep were not worse with DBS off. These observations point to the potential for adaptive stimulation approaches, through which DBS settings could be optimized during sleep to meet individual needs. Additionally, these changes could preserve battery life without compromising patient outcomes.
Computational Thinking for All: Pedagogical Approaches to Embedding 21st Century Problem Solving in K-12 Classrooms

The recent focus on computational thinking as a key 21st century skill for all students has led to a number of curriculum initiatives to embed it in K-12 classrooms. In this paper, we discuss the key computational thinking constructs, including algorithms, abstraction, and automation. We further discuss how these ideas are related to current educational reforms, such as Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards and provide specific means that would allow teachers to embed these ideas in their K-12 classrooms, including recommendations for instructional technologists and professional development experts for infusing computational thinking into other subjects. In conclusion, we suggest that computational thinking ideas outlined in this paper are key to moving students from merely being technology-literate to using computational tools to solve problems.
Serum Protein, Enzyme and Immunoglobulin Responses Following Perineal Cryosurgery for Carcinoma of the Prostate

Alterations in serum proteins, enzymes and immunoglobulins were analyzed sequentially in 40 patients undergoing perineal cryosurgery for carcinoma of the prostate. A search was made for evidence of a tumor marker and for augmented host response attributable to an immune mechanism. The data showed little evidence to support a systemic immune response. A reliable tumor marker could not be identified when cryosurgery was used alone.
A small embedding of logic programming with a simple complete search

We present a straightforward, call-by-value embedding of a small logic programming language with a simple complete search. We construct the entire language in 54 lines of Racket---half of which implement unification. We then layer over it, in 43 lines, a reconstruction of an existing logic programming language, miniKanren, and attest to our implementation's pedagogical value. Evidence suggests our combination of expressiveness, concision, and elegance is compelling: since microKanren's release, it has spawned over 50 embeddings in over two dozen host languages, including Go, Haskell, Prolog and Smalltalk.
Historical Environment Is Reflected in Modern Population Genetics and Biogeography of an Island Endemic Lizard (Xantusia riversiana reticulata).

The restricted distribution and isolation of island endemics often produces unique genetic and phenotypic diversity of conservation interest to management agencies. However, these isolated species, especially those with sensitive life history traits, are at high risk for the adverse effects of genetic drift and habitat degradation by non-native wildlife. Here, we study the population genetic diversity, structure, and stability of a classic “island giant” (Xantusia riversiana, the Island Night Lizard) on San Clemente Island, California following the removal of feral goats. Using DNA microsatellites, we found that this population is reasonably genetically robust despite historical grazing, with similar effective population sizes and genetic diversity metrics across all sampling locations irrespective of habitat type and degree of degradation. However, we also found strong site-specific patterns of genetic variation and low genetic diversity compared to mainland congeners, warranting continued special management as an island endemic. We identify both high and low elevation areas that remain valuable repositories of genetic diversity and provide a case study for other low-dispersal coastal organisms in the face of future climate change.
Beamforming sensitivity of airborne distributed arrays to flight tracking and vehicle dynamics

In this paper, we identify the beamforming sensitivity of 2D synthesized arrays for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) based radars generated from closely spaced flight tracks to in-flight disturbances. Computer-based simulations are used to assess the sensitivity of array beamwidth, and sidelobe level sensitivity to the number of flight-lines (antennas) and the array perturbation in flight path. We assess expected flight path deviations and vehicle attitude using flight data gathered from a small fixed-wing UAS recently deployed to Greenland for polar ice sheet surveys. For circularly distributed flight path offsets, it was found that flight path deviations must be kept within ∼2% of the operating wavelength to achieve 30 dB Sidelobe Level (SLL) and 20-degree half-power beamwidth (BW). For array sizes of seven elements and greater the maximum average SLL was typically within 1 dB regardless of the magnitude of the offset. SLL are more sensitive to vertical deviations than horizontal, though the difference is small. Analysis of the UAS flight-track perturbations reveals that the radiation parameters of 30 dB SLL and 20 degrees BW are expected to be achieved less than 10% of the flight time (when assuming a 9-element array and an operating frequency of 14 MHz). A simulated nine-element array demonstrated slightly improved performance, including over arrays with more elements. To meet the beamforming parameters for 95% of the flight time would require an operating frequency of 2.76 MHz or lower; however, it is impractical to integrate the large antenna required at 2.76 MHz into a small UAS due to its size. In addition, changing the operating frequency to meet beamforming requirements may not be practical for the sensing application. Thus, phase compensation methods will be investigated in future studies.
A closer look at next generation sequencing (NGS) in breast cancer: A retrospective analysis.

e13023Background: Targeted cancer therapy has been posited to revolutionize treatment paradigms in oncology. There are, a paucity of data regarding the use of NGS in breast cancer (BC). Herein we report our experience with NGS in a consecutive series of BC patients. Methods: Using an IRB approved protocol, we retrospectively identified patients with BC treated at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMMSOM) who underwent NGS. Data were collected on demographics, tumor characteristics, genomic mutation profiles, and subsequent response to targeted therapy after 3 months. Results: Between January 2013 and April 2016, 101 BC patients underwent NGS. The mean age at diagnosis was 49. Ninety-one percent were stage IV, 6% were stage III, 2% were stage II, and 1% were stage I. Fifty percent had estrogen receptor (ER)+, HER2- tumors, 31% had triple-negative tumors, 13% had HER2+, ER+ tumors, and 6% had HER2+, ER- tumors. Ninety-six percent had at least one mutation, of which 78% had a targetable mutation. Si...
Author Attribution Using Network Motifs

The problem of recognizing the author of unknown text has concerned linguistics and scientists for a long period of time. The authorship of the famous Federalist Papers remained unknown until Mosteller and Wallace solved the mystery in 1964 using the frequency of functional words. After that, many statistical and computational studies were published in the fields of authorship attribution and stylistic analysis. Complex networks, gaining much popularity in recent years, may have a role to play in this field. Furthermore, several studies show that network motifs, defined as statistically significant subgraphs within a network, have the ability to distinguish networks from distinctive disciplines. In this paper, we succeed in the utilization of network motifs to distinguish the writing style of 10 famous authors. Using statistical learning algorithms, we achieved an accuracy of 77% in classifying 100 books written by ten different authors, which outperformed the results from other works. We believe that our method proved the importance of network motifs in author attribution.
On CMOS totally self-checking circuits

To model faults in CMOS VLSI digital circuits, an augmented fault model comprising FET stuck-open and stuck-on faults, in addition to line stuck-at faults, is being used. Recently, it was discovered that delays in CMOS circuits under test. could invalidate tests derived by neglecting such delays. Thus, it is necessary to reinvestigate most of the existing design and test methods which are based on stuck-at fault models while considering CMOS digital circuits. One of the areas that requires such a revisit is that of self-checking circuits, due to the fact that the self-testing property of these circuits is dependent upon fault model adopted. In this paper, the problem of the design of CMOS totally self-checking checkers is considered when arbitrary delays in the circuit under test are allowed. Designs using both full CMOS and domino gates are considered. Several design procedures given earlier for totally self-checking checkers are analyzed under the augmented fault model. Adequate design rules are derived for some of the checkers, such that the self-testing property is retained for the augmented fault model.
The Pastoral Sectors: Herds, Herders, and Herd Owners

This chapter presents an analysis of the organization of wool production in the Sicuani area. A discussion of the plants, animals, and inanimate features that form the nonhuman components of pastoral ecosystems shows that although the transhumance of herds and the annual cycle of herd management are strongly influenced by environmental constraints, the requirements of the herds can be met by several different forms of social organization. There are certain factors, especially pasture and labor, which become critically scarce under certain conditions but not under others. For this reason, any organization of pastoral production should be relatively flexible in some ways, though it can be rigid in others. This characteristic of the activity of a herding unit—constrained to narrow limits in certain dimensions and wider ones in others—serves as the basis for an examination of the relations of herding units with each other and with other sectors of the regional society.
The Origins and Groundwork of Psychoanalysis

The way in which the mind is interpreted at any given time cannot be studied in a vacuum. If one wishes to gain an understanding of the theories of mind put forward by Aristotle, Plato, and Democritus, for instance, it helps to know something about the Athenian political and cultural landscape in which those philosophers flourished. Moreover, it is also not possible to view the variety of approaches to interpretation without taking into account other historical trends, especially in science. In periods characterized by groundbreaking scientific advances, it is not surprising to find a renewed interest in psychological interpretation. The invention of telescopes and microscopes allowed scientists to see worlds that had hitherto been unknown to them. So they naturally assumed that the mysteries of the mind could be similarly opened up. In some epochs, the theories of the mind based on physiological models enjoyed favor, while in others more attention was given to the patient’s subjective experience and observations. Cultural and educational traditions also exerted an influence on how the mind is viewed and interpreted; thus, it was inevitable that a European import like psychoanalysis would undergo a dramatic transformation once it made the crossing to America. All that said, it is still possible to ask why the whole idea of investigating the mind – and why such an enterprise was even considered worth pursuing – took hold in one place and not in another. Specifically, why Germany in the nineteenth century?
Surviving the Great Recession: Performance Management and the Budget Deficits of City Governments

Has performance management helped city governments in the U.S. cope with the current local fiscal crisis? Rational planning models and theories from public choice suggest that using performance inf...
The Beneficial Effects of Fruit and Vegetable Supplementation on Neuronal Signaling and Behavior in Aging

In this chapter we will describe the motor and cognitive deficits in behavior that occur in aging and show how these deficits are related to increased vulnerability to oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation, as well as deficits in signal transduction. In addition, we will describe the possible role of fruit polyphenolics, such as anthocyanins, in reversing or forestalling these deficits. From the research discussed in this chapter we will suggest that the aged brain, in combination with genetic changes, may provide a sensitive environment for the development of such devastating neurodegenerative changes of the nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or certain forms of Parkinson’s disease, resulting in even more severe deficits in memory and/or motor function. Therefore, it is critical to find methods to alter this fertile environment and perhaps reduce these enormous healthcare costs. One of these methods involves nutritional intervention.
Effect of core and facesheet thickness on mechanical property of composite sandwich structures subjected to thermal fatigue

Abstract Sandwich panels made of polymeric composite materials used in hostile thermal fatigue environments are prone to microcracking due to internal stresses. The impact of micro-cracking as a result of thermal fatigue is more severe in sandwich structures as opposed to solid laminates. Four sandwich panel configurations are studied. They are quasi-isotropic panels made of polymeric carbon fiber reinforced skin bonded by adhesive to honeycomb Kevlar cores. Different facesheet and core thicknesses are investigated. Samples are subjected to thermal cycles from −195 °C to 150 °C. Microscopic inspection is performed at the sample cross-section for a number of cycles to observe the location and density of cracks. It is observed that cracks are formed mainly at the adhesive/composite interface. Also, microcracks are formed more in the core ribbon direction compared to the core transverse direction. For all samples, after 40 thermal cycles, the total crack length becomes saturated and remains almost constant and no more damage happens. To study the effect of microcracks on mechanical property, flatwise tensile test was performed at room temperature. By increasing the number of cycles, the crack area increases and the flatwise strength decreases. Experimental data indicates that the samples with higher core to facesheet thickness ratio has higher microcrack lengths and lower flatwise strength. Therefore, sandwich panels with thinner facesheet and thicker core are more susceptible to the damage if subjected to the thermal fatigue.
Little to no inbreeding depression in a tapeworm with mixed mating

Meta-studies on hermaphrodites have found a negative relationship between primary selfing rates and levels of inbreeding depression (ID) and, thus, generally support purging in inbred systems. However, in plants, high among-taxa variance in ID results in no difference in the mean ID between outcrossing and mixed-mating taxa. Selective interference likely explains high ID among mixed-mating taxa, whereas low levels of ID among mixed-mating taxa are not as stressed. Among animal hermaphrodites, primarily molluscs, there are little data on mixed-mating systems. To fill a taxonomic and mating system gap, we tested for ID in a mixed-mating tapeworm, Oochoristica javaensis. We provide a direct estimate of ID across infection of an intermediate host by comparing selfing rates at two life history stages. We found little to no evidence for ID, and the level of ID falls in line with what is reported for highly selfing species even though O. javaensis has mixed mating. We discuss this result within the context of kin mating in O. javaensis. Our results emphasize that primary selfing rates alone may be insufficient to classify the inbreeding history in all species when testing for a relationship to ID. Mixed-mating taxa, and possibly some outcrossing taxa, may exhibit low levels of ID if biparental inbreeding is also driving purging. We advocate that ID studies report estimates of inbreeding history (e.g. FIS or identity disequilibrium) from nature-derived adult samples to provide context rather than relying on primary selfing rates alone.
Intrinsic photoaffinity labeling probes for cholecystokinin (CCK)-gastrin family receptors. D-Tyr-Gly-[Nle28,31,pNO2-Phe33)CCK-26-33).

Abstract Attempts to biochemically characterize the pancreatic cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor by affinity labeling have utilized either 125I-Bolton-Hunter-CCK-33 ("long" probes) or decapeptide analogues of the carboxyl terminus of CCK ("short" probes), and covalent attachment via the amino-terminal regions of these probes. The long probe has identified a protein of Mr = 80,000 while "shorter" probes, which have their site of cross-linking closer to the receptor binding region of the probes, have labeled a distinct protein of Mr = 85,000-95,000. To extend and complement these observations, we have designed and synthesized a new probe for the CCK receptor which incorporates a photolabile p-nitrophenylalanine moiety within the theoretical receptor-binding region of the hormone, as its carboxyl-terminal residue. This "intrinsic" photoaffinity labeling probe has been shown to possess full biological activity, with potency and efficacy in stimulating amylase secretion by dispersed rat pancreatic acini similar to that of CCK-8 (CCK-26-33). When iodinated oxidatively, this probe binds rapidly, in a temperature-dependent, reversible, saturable, specific, high affinity manner to enriched pancreatic plasma membranes. In this work, we have used this probe to specifically label the CCK binding site on rat pancreatic plasma membranes. The Mr = 85,000-95,000 protein previously identified with amino-terminal cross-linking of short probes appears to be the protein labeled with this reagent as well. This provides strong evidence that this pancreatic plasma membrane protein contains the CCK-binding domain of the CCK receptor. This intrinsic photoaffinity labeling probe should be quite useful for the characterization of the active site of this receptor and for other CCK and gastrin receptors in many species.
Identification of the Selenoprotein S Positive UGA Recoding (SPUR) element and its position-dependent activity.

ABSTRACTSelenoproteins are a unique class of proteins that contain the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec). Addition of Sec into a protein is achieved by recoding of the UGA stop codon. All 25 ma...
Get the Money Somehow: The Effect of Missing Performance Goals on Insider Trading

This paper uses a regression discontinuity design to identify the effect of compensation shocks on insider trading. I find that CEOs who narrowly miss relative performance goals and hence suffer a loss in compensation subsequently earn higher abnormal profits from their insider trades than otherwise similar CEOs who narrowly beat the goals. I also find that CEOs who narrowly miss relative performance goals become less likely to provide earnings and sales guidance. These results suggest that managers can use insider trading to make up for the loss in compensation due to missing relative performance goals, which could reduce the incentive effect of performance-based pay.
Conserved His-Gly motif of acid-sensing ion channels resides in a reentrant loop implicated in gating and ion selectivity

ABSTRACT Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated members of the epithelial sodium channel/degenerin (ENaC/DEG) superfamily of ion channels and are expressed throughout central and peripheral nervous systems. The homotrimeric splice variant ASIC1a has been implicated in nociception, fear memory, mood disorders and ischemia. Here we extract full-length chicken ASIC1a (cASIC1a) from cell membranes using styrene maleic acid (SMA) copolymer, yielding structures of ASIC1a channels in both high pH resting and low pH desensitized conformations by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The structures of resting and desensitized channels reveal a reentrant loop at the amino terminus of ASIC1a that includes the highly conserved ‘His-Gly’ (HG) motif. The reentrant loop lines the lower ion permeation pathway and buttresses the ‘Gly-Ala-Ser’ (GAS) constriction, thus providing a structural explanation for the role of the His-Gly dipeptide in the structure and function of ASICs.
Pulmonary Hypertension Support Group: A Year in Review

Purpose A Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) support group fills a need for both patients and caregivers. The initial development of a support group community can be challenging. Our center sought to create a PH support group that met the needs of this unique community as well as see if attendance at support group improved adherence to treatment. Methods The PH team sought to use a patient centered approach throughout development and continuation of the support group. Motivational interviewing using standard scripting helped determine best meeting times, spaces and topics. Post-initiation, a non-experimental design using a purposeful sample was used. A nurse researcher developed a survey determining what topics the participants were interested in, how they heard about the support group and benefits the meetings provided. Support group meetings were held quarterly and were open to all patients and caregivers, regardless of PH center. Attendance at quarterly PH clinic appointments was then retrospectively reviewed and compared between patients who had attended support groups and those who had not. Results After compiling the initial motivational interviews, the support group's timing was adjusted and food was provided to attendees. All of our participants stated that the support group was beneficial to them. We were given valuable feedback on improvement: Better temperature controlled room, parking passes, speaker system, PP slides, and more frequent meetings. Most importantly, our research demonstrated that those of our patients who attended one or more support group meetings within one year showed 88% compliance with follow up clinic visits, compared with 59% compliance for those patients who did not attend a support group meeting. Conclusion This study demonstrated that attendance of support group meetings were correlated to the pulmonary hypertension patient's clinic attendance. This may suggest that support groups can positively impact patient's lives by helping patients to stay motivated to manage chronic conditions and stick to treatment plans. The potential of PH support groups should be further studied for their impact on overall quality of life in PH patients.
Non-perturbative renormalization scheme for the CP-odd three-gluon operator

We define a regularization-independent momentum-subtraction scheme for the $CP$-odd three-gluon operator at dimension six. This operator appears in effective field theories for heavy physics beyond the Standard Model, describing the indirect effect of new sources of $CP$-violation at low energies. In a hadronic context, it induces permanent electric dipole moments. The hadronic matrix elements of the three-gluon operator are non-perturbative objects that should ideally be evaluated with lattice QCD. We define a non-perturbative renormalization scheme that can be implemented on the lattice and we compute the scheme transformation to $\overline{\text{MS}}$ at one loop. Our calculation can be used as an interface to future lattice-QCD calculations of the matrix elements of the three-gluon operator, in order to obtain theoretically robust constraints on physics beyond the Standard Model from measurements of the neutron electric dipole moment.
Guide to Estimating Multi-Modal Commuting Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory is emerging as the preferred tool used to address a climate action plan. It enables an institution to measure progress toward desired goals, including reducing gree...
Abstract #2215: CXCL11 and CXCL12 modulate ERK1/2 and NF-kB activation in breast cancer cells via CXCR3, CXCR4, and CXCR7

Most breast cancer related deaths are because of metastasis. In order to achieve the metastatic goal; cancer cells must disseminate from the primary tumor site, migrate, invade, adhere, and survive during the process as well as at secondary homing sites. Chemokines, such as stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1; CXCL12) and interferon-inducible T cell \#945;-chemoattractant (I-TAC; CXCL11), and their receptors CXCR4, CXCR7 (CXCL11 & CXCL12), and CXCR3, respectively, are believed to play crucial roles in metastatic process by G protein coupled signaling events leading to the activation of transcription factors. Our study investigates the CXCL12:CXCR4/CXCR7 axis as well as the CXCL11:CXCR3/CXCR7 axis effects on pathways known to mediate transcriptional activation of BrCa cell invasion mechanisms. Amnis ImageStream analysis revealed that treatment of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with either CXCL11 or CXCL12 resulted in the activation and translocation of ERK1/2 and NF-kB to the nucleus. FACE assay analysis demonstrated that stimulation with these chemokines selectively induced ERK1/2 and NFkB phosphorylation through FAK-, Src-, and/or PI3K-dependent pathways. These findings suggest that CXCL11 and CXCL12 differentially induces signal transduction through CXCR3/CXCR4/CXCR7. [This study was supported by funds from the Smith & Lucille Gibson Endowment and National Institute of Health Grants CA092078, CA086359, and MD00525.] Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 2215.
Association between surgery with anesthesia and cognitive decline in older adults: Analysis using shared parameter models for informative dropout.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Recent studies have assessed the association between surgery with general anesthesia and cognitive decline in longitudinal cohorts of older adults. Patients diagnosed with dementia more frequently drop out of these longitudinal studies or are unable to complete the test battery. We revisit this aim with focus on methods for informative dropout. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We use data from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA), a longitudinal epidemiological study of the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Our primary outcome of interest was global cognitive z-score, assessed at study visits every 15 months. We implement linear mixed effects models to assess the association between post-enrollment exposure to surgery/anesthesia and subsequent cognitive decline trajectories. Demented patients more frequently drop out of MCSA, so, subjects with the worst cognitive outcomes are unobserved and missing data may be informative. Since this missingness may be missing not at random, we use shared parameter models to analyze continuous cognitive outcomes while jointly modeling time to dementia. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: A total 1948 subjects, non-demented at baseline, from the MCSA were included. Median age was 79, 51% of subjects were male, and 16% had MCI at enrollment. Among median follow-up of 4 study visits over median 5.4 years, 172 patients developed dementia and dropped out from further assessments of cognitive function. In adjusted linear mixed effects models, our data suggest post-enrollment exposure to surgery/anesthesia is associated with a decline in cognitive function over time (change in slope = −0.07 standard deviations of cognitive z-score per year, 95%CI = −0.08, −0.05, p<.001). After adjusting for informative dropout using shared parameter models, surgery/anesthesia is associated with greater cognitive decline (change in slope = −0.14 per year, 95%CI = −0.16, −0.12, p<.001). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: We revisited a prior analysis by our group with consideration of informative dropout. Subjects who dropout due to dementia may have different trajectories of cognitive decline compared to non-demented subjects. Shared parameter models estimate the association between surgery/anesthesia and cognitive decline accounting for informative dropout.
Characteristic pancreatic and splenic immune cell infiltration patterns in mouse acute pancreatitis

A systemic evaluation of immune cell infiltration patterns in experimental acute pancreatitis (AP) is lacking. Using multi-dimensional flow cytometry, this study profiled infiltrating immune cell types in multiple AP mouse models. Three AP models were generated in C57BL/6 mice via cerulein (CAE) injection, alcohol and palmitoleic acid (EtOH + POA) injection, and alcohol diet feeding and cerulein (EtOH + CAE) injection. Primary pancreatic cells and splenocytes were prepared, and multi-dimensional flow cytometry was performed and analyzed by manual gating and computerized PhenoGraph, followed by visualization with t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE). CAE treatment induced a time-dependent increase of major innate immune cells and a decrease of follicular B cells, and TCD4+ cells and the subtypes in the pancreas, whereas elicited a reversed pattern in the spleen. EtOH + POA treatment resulted in weaker effects than CAE treatment. EtOH feeding enhanced CAE-induced amylase secretion, but unexpectedly attenuated CAE-induced immune cell regulation. In comparison with manual gating analysis, computerized analysis demonstrated a remarkable time efficiency and reproducibility on the innate immune cells and B cells. The reverse pattern of increased innate and decreased adaptive immune cells was consistent in the pancreas in CAE and EtOH + POA treatments. Alcohol feeding opposed the CAE effect on immune cell regulation. Together, the immune profiling approach utilized in this study provides a better understanding of overall immune responses in AP, which may facilitate the identification of intervention windows and new therapeutic strategies. Computerized analysis is superior to manual gating by dramatically reducing analysis time.