cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toxicological evaluation of mixtures of ten widely used pesticides.

Toxicities of pesticidal mixtures in biological systems have not been explored adequately. Therefore, mixtures of ten widely used pesticides were evaluated for their toxicity in ICR male mice (21–24 g). Mice were given four mixtures of alachlor, aldrin, atrazine, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, DDT, dieldrin, endosulfan, lindane, parathion and toxaphene, at 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and 10 ppm of each of these pesticides, in drinking water for 90 days ad libitum. Also, two mixtures at 2.5 and 5 mg kg−1 of each pesticide in 7.5% Tween-80 in water were administered to additional groups of mice by oral intubation daily for up to 14 days. In relation to the control, the 90-day exposure caused a dose-dependent increase in the liver/body weight ratio (3–44%), a decrease in the pentobarbital (60 mg kg−1, i.p.)-induced sleep time (11–79%) and an increase in the metabolism of aniline (233–399%), amidopyrine (79–231%), phenacetin (127–318%) and benzo[aIpyrene (286–1633%)] in the 9000 g hepatic supernatants from the mixture-treated mice. Proliferation, dilatation and fragmentation of the endoplasmic reticulum and scattering of ribosomes were noticed with mixture livers. In the 5 mg kg−1 group, 90% of the animals died by Day 8; incidence of death was considerably less in the 2.5 mg kg−1 group. The serum cholinesterase activity was inhibited by ca. 50% in the 2.5 and 5 mg kg−1 groups on either one or both of Days 8 and 15; the liver/body weight ratio increased by 24–79% and the pentobarbital-induced sleep time decreased by 80–96%. On Days 8 and 15, the in vitro hepatic metabolism of amidopyrine, phenacetin and benzo[a]pyrene in the 2.5 or 5 mg kg−1 group was considerably increased (100–1478%). Findings from this study suggest that these mixtures have the potential to induce the xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in liver; thus, exposures to the pesticidal mixtures might cause deleterious effects in other species, including humans, by enhancing the metabolism of xenobiotics.
Past, Present, and Future Strategies in the Treatment of High-Grade Glioma in Children

Unlike high-grade glioma in adults, these tumors represent a minority of all primary central nervous system neoplasms in the pediatric age group ( 3 years, the role of chemotherapy is less clear. Despite the use of multimodality therapy, less than 20 percent of these children are long-term survivors. This review provides an overview of relevant past, current and future treatment strategies for high-grade glioma in children.
On the Challenges of Effective Movement

Moving Target (MT) defenses have been proposed as a game-changing approach to rebalance the security landscape in favor of the defender. MT techniques make systems less deterministic, less static, and less homogeneous in order to increase the level of effort required to achieve a successful compromise. However, a number of challenges in achieving effective movement lead to weaknesses in MT techniques that can often be used by the attackers to bypass or otherwise nullify the impact of that movement. In this paper, we propose that these challenges can be grouped into three main types: coverage, unpredictability, and timeliness. We provide a description of these challenges and study how they impact prominent MT techniques. We also discuss a number of other considerations faced when designing and deploying MT defenses.
Dietary Carbamazepine Administration Decreases Liver Pyruvate Carboxylase Activity and Biotinylation by Decreasing Protein and mRNA Expression in Rats

Clinical data demonstrate that certain antiepileptic drugs including carbamazepine (CBZ) decrease serum biotin concentration 45-50% and increase urine and serum organic acids, which is suggestive of reduced function of biotin-dependent enzymes. However, little is known about biotin-dependent enzyme function at the tissue level in patients undergoing long-term CBZ treatment. We recently established that dietary CBZ administration to rats increases brain lactate and also decreases specific enzymatic activity and the relative abundance of hepatic biotinylated pyruvate carboxylase (PC). To examine the mechanism of altered activity and abundance of biotinylated PC, the effect of orally administered CBZ on hepatic PC protein and mRNA expression was examined in rats consuming a physiologically relevant level of dietary biotin (0.06 mg/kg). Rats were fed 0 or 3.4 g CBZ/kg diet for 28 d, a dose designed to achieve clinically relevant serum CBZ concentrations. Hepatic biotinylated PC and PC activity were significantly reduced by approximately 43 and 30%, respectively, in the drug-treated group. Liver PC protein expression and mRNA were approximately 43 and 35% lower, respectively, in the drug-treated group than in controls. Brain biotinylated PC was significantly lower (29%), whereas specific enzymatic activity was 175% higher in rats consuming the 3.4 g CBZ/kg diet. Brain, but not serum, lactate was significantly higher in rats consuming CBZ. Taken together, the lower PC protein and mRNA expression provide a plausible biochemical mechanism to explain the decreased abundance of biotinylated hepatic PC observed in previous studies.
Cosolvent effects on sorption isotherm linearity.

Abstract Sorption–desorption hysteresis, slow desorption kinetics, and other nonideal phenomena have been attributed to the differing sorptive characteristics of the natural organic polymers associated with soils and sediments. In this study, aqueous and mixed solvent systems were used to investigate the effects of a cosolvent, methanol, on sorption isotherm linearity with natural organic matter (NOM), and to evaluate whether these results support, or weaken, the rubbery/glassy polymer conceptualization of NOM. All of the sorption isotherms displayed some nonlinear character. Our data indicates that all of the phenanthrene and atrazine isotherms were nonlinear up to the highest equilibrium solution concentration to solute solubility in water or cosolvent ratios ( C e / S w,c ) used, approximately 0.018 and 0.070, respectively. Isotherm linearity was also observed to increase with volumetric methanol content ( f c ). This observation is consistent with the NOM rubbery/glassy polymer conceptualization: the presence of methanol in NOM increased isotherm linearity as do solvents in synthetic polymers, and suggests that methanol is interacting with the NOM, enhancing its homogeneity as a sorptive phase so that sorption is less bimodal as f c increases. When the equilibrium solution concentration was normalized for solute solubility in water or methanol–water solutions, greater relative sorption magnitude was observed for the methanol–water treatments. This observation, in conjunction with the faster sorption kinetics observed in the methanol–water sediment column systems, indicates that the increase in relative sorption magnitude with f c may be attributed to the faster sorption kinetics in the methanol–water systems, and hence, greater relative sorptive uptake for the rubbery polymer fraction of NOM at similar time scales.
Adaptive Waveform Design and Sequential Hypothesis Testing for Target Recognition With Active Sensors

Cognitive radar is a recently proposed approach in which a radar system may adaptively and intelligently interrogate a propagation channel using all available knowledge including previous measurements, task priorities, and external databases. A distinguishing characteristic of cognitive radar is that it operates in a closed loop, which enables constant optimization in response to its changing understanding of the channel. In this paper, we compare two different waveform design techniques for use with active sensors operating in a target recognition application. We also propose the integration of waveform design with a sequential-hypothesis-testing framework that controls when hard decisions may be made with adequate confidence. The result is a system that updates multiple target hypotheses/classes based on measured data, customizes waveforms as the class probabilities change, and draws conclusions when sufficient understanding of the propagation channel is achieved
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Complicated by Stigma: A Case Study

Nearly 50% of children continue to experience obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and impairment at the end of traditional Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and some studies suggest that...
Far-field detection of the super-lensing effect in the mid-infrared: Theory and experiment

Super-lensing is an electromagnetic phenomenon, based on the amplification of evanescent waves, capable of increasing the resolution of an optical imaging device beyond the diffraction limit. A multi-layer planar super-lens can be constructed from two materials: one with a negative dielectric permittivity e 0. We numerically modelled and experimentally implemented a super-lens in the mid-infrared spectral range (around 11 μm) by creating a three-layered structure of submicron thickness, SiO2/SiC/SiO2, in which the polaritonic material SiC has a negative dielectric permittivity in the restrahlen band between the frequencies of the transverse and longitudinal optical phonons. A far-field diagnostic of super-lensing based on measuring transmission and reflection coefficients through the metal-coated super-lens has been implemented using a tunable CO2 laser.
Domiciliary diurnal variation of exhaled nitric oxide fraction for asthma control

A major goal of asthma management is maintaining optimal control. Current assessment is based on symptoms and lung function. We evaluated whether domiciliary daily home exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FeNO) monitoring could be useful as an index of asthma control. 50 asthmatic subjects and 15 healthy volunteers with a range of asthma severity underwent asthma control questionnaire (ACQ), spirometry before and after salbutamol and sputum induction. FeNO and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were measured twice daily for 2 weeks. A record of exacerbations was obtained 3 months later. Diurnal FeNO variation in uncontrolled asthmatics was significantly greater than in controlled asthmatics (p<0.01). PEF variation was not different. The daily variation of FeNO levels was also greater in uncontrolled asthmatics compared with controlled asthmatic and healthy subjects (p<0.01). 80% of uncontrolled asthmatics experienced at least one or more exacerbations over the 3 months after the enrolment. The combination of diurnal FeNO variation ≥ 16.6% and ACQ scores ≥ 1.8 was best at predicting uncontrolled asthma (area under curve 0.91, 95% CI 0.86-0.97; p<0.001). Diurnal variation in FeNO can be used as a biomarker of asthma control and as a predictor of the risk of future exacerbation. Prospective studies are warranted.
Can Adolescents be Motivated to Learn about Birth Control

A field experiment designed to test a social comparison model for delivery information on human sexuality and birth control to adolescents is discussed. The model addresses the difficult issue of motivation for communication and learning in peer groups. The results of the field experiment have some important implications for the design of informational and educational programs in schools and community settings.
Sensitivity Analysis of a Pharmacokinetic Model of Vaginal Anti-HIV Microbicide Drug Delivery

Uncertainties in parameter values in microbicide pharmacokinetics (PK) models confound the models' use in understanding the determinants of drug delivery and in designing and interpreting dosing and sampling in PK studies. A global sensitivity analysis (Sobol' indices) was performed for a compartmental model of the pharmacokinetics of gel delivery of tenofovir to the vaginal mucosa. The model's parameter space was explored to quantify model output sensitivities to parameters characterizing properties for the gel-drug product (volume, drug transport, initial loading) and host environment (thicknesses of the mucosal epithelium and stroma and the role of ambient vaginal fluid in diluting gel). Greatest sensitivities overall were to the initial drug concentration in gel, gel-epithelium partition coefficient for drug, and rate constant for gel dilution by vaginal fluid. Sensitivities for 3 PK measures of drug concentration values were somewhat different than those for the kinetic PK measure. Sensitivities in the stromal compartment (where tenofovir acts against host cells) and a simulated biopsy also depended on thicknesses of epithelium and stroma. This methodology and results here contribute an approach to help interpret uncertainties in measures of vaginal microbicide gel properties and their host environment. In turn, this will inform rational gel design and optimization.
Solubility and clustering of ruthenium fission products in uranium dioxide as determined by density functional theory

One of the consequences of the fission process in uranium dioxide (UO${}_{2}$) fuels in nuclear reactors is the eventual formation of metallic fission product inclusions and precipitates. Here, the stability and clustering behavior of one particular metallic fission product---ruthenium (Ru)---is investigated using density functional theory in combination with classical thermodynamics. In particular, the solution energies of individual Ru atoms, dimers, and trimers at interstitial, uranium and oxygen vacancy, divacancy, and Schottky defect sites are calculated. Ru is predicted to be insoluble in most cases, but is soluble in uranium vacancy sites under hyperstoichiometric conditions (UO${}_{2+x}$). Density of states analysis reveals the metallic nature of even the smallest Ru aggregates. Finally, by analyzing the binding characteristics of Ru in UO${}_{2}$, metallic dimers in Schottky defects are identified as the probable nucleus of metallic precipitates in UO${}_{2}$.
Description of a medical Spanish elective course for pharmacy students

Abstract As the Spanish-speaking population in the United States continues to increase, the encounters between pharmacists and Spanish-speaking individuals will also increase. As a result, there is a need to provide educational training to student-pharmacists in order to effectively communicate and counsel Spanish-speaking patients. The authors describe the development and evolvement of a Medical Spanish course including learning objectives, learning activities, and assessment materials.
Education Versus Family: Institutional Logics in the Early Care and Education Field

Non-parental arrangements for young children serve a dual function as supports for parental activities and educational inputs for children. However, arrangements that are suited to meet families’ specific needs and preferences are sometimes in tension with experts’ definitions of “quality.” Researchers and policymakers increasingly emphasize that educational goals cannot be met until this tension is reconciled. I offer new institutionalism as a conceptual framework for these emerging conversations and propose two ideal-typical institutional logics: the logic of the family and the logic of education. This perspective emphasizes that different expectations and goals are related to individuals’ differing social and institutional locations. Secondary analyses of the National Institute of Child Health and Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) data offer preliminary empirical evidence.
Influences on Agent Unity: Discipline and Cohesion

The previous chapters have challenged the notion of parties as necessarily unitary and rational actors and turned our attention to other legislative agents. Chapter 3 argued that the ballot structure provides a succinct explanation for whether parties, factions, or coalitions will gain prominence in the political dialogue of a country. It also showed, however, that the level of voting unity of these agents varies greatly. This chapter seeks a theoretical understanding of this variation. Following Ozbudun (1970), agent unity can result from two broad factors: cohesion and discipline. A group of legislators are cohesive when they vote together as a result of shared goals or common beliefs; discipline yields voting unity as the result of influential leaders (see also Ranney and Kendall, 1956). Thus, two interrelated and complementary – not competing – sets of variables contribute to an agent's unity. The first set, pertaining to cohesion, includes those that measure the extent to which an agent's legislators share ideological or electoral affinities. When groups lack ideological fervor or common interests, voting unity requires strong leaders who can impose discipline. As unity levels vary both across and within countries, the variables that determine the phenomenon can be analytically subdivided according to whether their primary effect is on inter- or on intracountry variation. By and large, the factors determining the level of cohesion among a group's members are particular to the group and thus explain the different unity rates of agents within a country.
The “Supercube” Scattering Chamber for Spin-1/2 and Spin-1 Analyzing Power Measurements

We have constructed a scattering chamber, locally known as the “supercube”, specifically for making accurate measurements of spin-1/2 and spin-1 analyzing powers. The design aim is to make it routinely possible to achieve accuracies of ± 0.001 on such measurements. This level of performance has not yet been demonstrated except in one simple case1). The cubical geometry, while complex, is believed to be capable of implementing any imaginable spin-1/2 or spin-1 analyzing power measuring scheme.
The scattering of a tsunami by a cylindrical island

Summary The theoretical scattering of a plane ocean wave of great wave length by a cylindrical island is developed. The pattern of the predicted maximum wave heights about the periphery of the island is found to be approximately that observed around the island of Kauai during the tsunami of April 1, 1946.
Usefulness of Plasma Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinase-4 to Predict Death and Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus Referred for Coronary Angiography.

TIMP-4 is the newest member of a family of secreted proteins known as the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteases that selectively inhibit matrix metalloproteases. TIMP-4 is abundantly expressed in human cardiovascular structures and has been implicated in cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, it has also been shown to be a novel target of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in rat smooth muscle cells, suggesting a potential role in diabetes mellitus as well. However, there have been no studies that have specifically examined the utility of baseline plasma TIMP-4 levels for the prediction of long-term adverse cardiovascular outcomes. In this study, baseline plasma TIMP-4 levels were measured in 162 male patients with diabetes mellitus who were referred for coronary angiography and followed prospectively for the development of all-cause mortality and enzymatically confirmed myocardial infarction (MI) out to 5 years. After adjustment for a variety of baseline clinical, angiographic and laboratory parameters, plasma TIMP-4 levels were an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.60, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.26; p = 0.0082) and MI (hazard ratio 1.61, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.18; p = 0.0021) at 5 years. Furthermore, in additional multivariate models that adjusted for a variety of biomarkers with established prognostic efficacy, TIMP-4 remained an independent predictor of adverse outcomes. In conclusion, elevated levels of TIMP-4 are associated with an increased risk of long-term all-cause mortality and MI in patients with diabetes mellitus referred for coronary angiography. Moreover, this association is independent of a variety of clinical, angiographic, and laboratory variables, including biomarkers with established prognostic efficacy in the prediction of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
Outcomes of Transcatheter and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients on Maintenance Dialysis

Abstract Background The introduction of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) expanded definitive therapy of aortic stenosis to many high-risk patients, but it has not been fully evaluated in the dialysis population. We aimed to evaluate the current trend and in-hospital outcome of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and TAVR in the dialysis population. Methods Severe aortic stenosis patients on maintenance dialysis who underwent SAVR or TAVR in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2014, were included in our comparative analysis. The trends of SAVR and TAVR were assessed. In-hospital mortality, rates of major adverse events, hospital length of stay, cost of care, and intermediate care facility utilization were compared between the 2 groups using both unadjusted and propensity-matched data. Results Utilization of aortic valve replacement in dialysis patients increased 3-fold; a total of 2531 dialysis patients who underwent either SAVR (n = 2264) or TAVR (n = 267) between 2005 and 2014 were identified. Propensity score matching yielded 197 matched pairs. After matching, a 2-fold increase in in-hospital mortality was found with SAVR compared with TAVR (13.7% vs 6.1%, P = .021). Patients who underwent TAVR had more permanent pacemaker implantation (13.2% vs 5.6%, P = .012) but less blood transfusion (43.7% vs 56.8%, P = .02). Rates of other key morbidities were similar. Hospital length of stay (19 ± 16 vs 11 ± 11 days, P P = .002) were significantly higher with SAVR. Cost of hospitalization was 25% less with TAVR. Conclusion In patients on maintenance dialysis, TAVR is associated with lower hospital mortality, resource utilization, and cost in comparison with SAVR.
Vague Topological Predicates for Crisp Regions through Metric Refinements

Topological relationships between spatial objects have been a focus of research on spatial data handling and reasoning for a long time. Especially as predicates they support the design of suitable query languages for data retrieval and analysis in spatial databases and geographical information systems. Whereas research on this topic has always been dominated by qualitative methods and by an emphasis of a strict separation of topological and metric, that is, quantitative, properties, this paper investigates their possible coexistence and cooperation. Metric details can be exploited to refine topological relationships and to make important semantic distinctions that enhance the expressiveness of spatial query languages. The metric refinements introduced in this paper have the feature of being topologically invariant under a ne transformations. Since the combination of a topological predicate with a metric refinement leads to a single unified quantitative measure, this measure has to be interpreted and mapped to a lexical item. This leads to vague topological predicates, and we demonstrate how these predicates can be integrated into a spatial query language.
Insects as a piece of the puzzle to mitigate global problems: an opportunity for ecologists

Abstract Although scientists have studied and touted the importance of insects to many ecosystem services for decades, insects and insect science are often poorly perceived by the public and by policy makers. Because insects do have important influences on many ecosystem services, they have even greater potential to be used to solve some anthropogenically-caused current global problems. We give several examples where insects are currently being used, or are being considered for future use, as a part of the solution to a global problem, including their potential roles as a part of the solution to sustainable fuel and food systems, deforestation and other environmental degradation, and global inequities. Ecologists have an important role to play in assessing how many of the proposed uses of insects will alter ecological processes and ecosystem services, or how their use may be effectively implemented.
Papillary muscle rupture following acute myocardial infarction: Anatomic, echocardiographic, and surgical insights

Papillary muscle (PM) rupture is a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction which carries an excessive mortality rate. Optimal outcomes require rapid diagnosis and prompt surgical referral, and in this regard, echocardiography plays a crucial role. Comprehensive echocardiographic examination of the patient with PM rupture consists of identification of the ruptured PM segment, visualization of flail mitral valve segment(s), evaluation of mitral regurgitation severity, and assessment of left ventricular systolic function. This article discusses anatomic and echocardiographic features as well as the surgical management of PM rupture.
PALB2 Synergizes with ATG7 to Suppress Neurodegeneration

Autophagy is an intracellular self-digestion process that plays a critical role in maintaining neuronal homeostasis. PALB2 is a tumor suppressor protein essential for homologous recombination-based DNA repair, redox homeostasis and breast cancer suppression. We previously showed that deletion of Palb2 in the mouse mammary gland using Cre recombinase driven by the whey acid protein promoter (Wap-cre) led to mammary tumor development, which was delayed in a low-autophagy background. To further understand the role of autophagy in breast cancer development, we co-deleted the essential autophagy gene Atg7 together with Palb2 using Wap-cre. Surprisingly, Wap-cre-driven deletion of Atg7 resulted in neurodegeneration evidenced by motor deficits, and combined deletion of Palb2 and Atg7 led to a similar but much more severe phenotype so that the mice died before mammary tumor development. This was found to be due to a high level of 'leaky' expression of Wap-cre in the brain. Morphologic and immunohistochemical studies revealed that Atg7 deletion caused aberrant accumulation of p62, loss of Purkinje cell in the cerebellum, and progressive formation of inclusion bodies in neurons, Co-deletion of Palb2 with Atg7 significantly accelerated the Purkinje cell loss and inclusion body formation, and increased amount of apoptotic cells and necrotic cells. Electron microscopy further revealed a breakdown of myelin sheath and deformed synapse in Palb2f/f;Atg7f/f; Wap-cre mice. Mechanistically, we found markedly higher levels of DNA damage marker γH2AX and DNA oxidation marker 8-oxo-dG in both Palb2 single and Palb2/Atg7 double deletion brains compared with Atg7 single deletion brain. Taken together, these findings suggest that PALB2 plays an important role in neurons by preventing DNA damage and oxidative stress, and autophagy is required for the normal functioning and survival of neurons in the face of DNA damage and oxidative stress elicited by the loss of PALB2.
Safety Analysis of a 300-MW(electric) Offshore Floating Nuclear Power Plant in Marine Environment

AbstractThe Offshore Floating Nuclear Plant (OFNP) integrates an advanced light water reactor into a cylindrical, double-hull, floating platform. It offers a series of potential benefits in economics and safety. The 300-MW(electric) version, named OFNP-300, uses an ocean-based direct reactor auxiliary cooling system (DRACS) to remove decay heat from the core passively and indefinitely during loss of feedwater or loss of off-site power events. In the ocean, the OFNP platform may roll during storms or even statically tilt following asymmetric flooding of underwater compartments. The effects of rolling motion and static tilt on the engineered safety systems are investigated in this paper using a RELAP5-3D (version 4.3.4) model of OFNP-300. The oscillations of the platform are described as the superposition of sinusoidal motions for the six degrees of freedom, i.e., heave, roll, pitch, yaw, sway, and surge. The plant’s thermal-hydraulic responses to two postulated accidents, i.e., loss-of-coolant accident (LO...
Reduction of Radiography with Point-of-Care Elbow Ultrasonography for Elbow Trauma in Children

Objectives To determine whether point-of-care elbow ultrasound (US), with history and physical examination, can decrease radiography for patients with elbow trauma. Secondary outcomes included evaluation of pediatric emergency department (PED) length of stay (LOS) and test performance characteristics. Study design This was a prospective study of patients up to age 21 years with elbow trauma necessitating radiography. After clinical examination and before radiography, pediatric emergency physicians performed elbow ultrasonography of the posterior fat pad and determined whether radiography was required. All patients underwent elbow radiography and received clinical follow-up. Times for US and radiography were recorded. Results A total of 100 patients with a mean age of 7.9 years were enrolled, 42 of whom had a fracture. In 23 patients, the physician determined that radiography could be eliminated. Elbow US combined with clinical suspicion for fracture had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 92%-100%). Elbow US took a median of 3 minutes (IQR, 2-5 minutes), and completion and interpretation of elbow radiography took a median of 60 minutes (IQR, 43-84 minutes). The overall sensitivity of elbow US was 88% (95% CI, 75%-96%). Conclusions Elbow US has a high sensitivity to rule out fracture and is best used in patients with a low clinical suspicion of fracture. The use of conventional radiography and PED LOS may be reduced in patients with a low clinical concern for fracture and normal elbow US.
A Trade-Off of the Schema Theorem.

For years the schema theorem has been a principal mathematical foundation for Genetic Algorithms. This article briefly describes a trade-off involving crossover and mutation with respect to schema length. The one-max function, a variant of it, and finding snakes in hypercubes are used to demonstrate this trade-off, looking at the impact on solution quality solution and number of function evaluations required when the schema theorem trade-off is violated.
On creep buckling of structures

Criteria of creep buckling of structures are discussed. The useful life of the structures is controlled by the tolerable deformation, which should be the criterion for design. Current creep strain affects creep strain rate as indicated by the mechanical equation of state. Past creep strain may change the time-independent stress-strain, relation, which determines the elastic-plastic buckling of a number of structures. The different effects of creep strain and initial strain on the deformation rate of the structure is shown.
Abstract 16997: Kv 1.5 Channels Play A Critical Role in Coronary Metabolic Dilation

Previously we found that coronary metabolic dilation (CMD), the matching of flow to cardiac metabolism or work, was compromised by 4-amino-pyridine, indicating a role for voltage- gated potassium (Kv) channels. Complicating the identification of a specific Kv channel involved in CMD is the existence of 12 Kv channel families, each with multiple members. Based on observations that regulation of Kv1.5 channels is redox-dependent and that CMD is mediated, in part, via redox signaling, we hypothesized that the Kv1.5 channel is partially responsible for CMD. To test this hypothesis, we studied mice null for Kv1.5 channels (Kv1.5−/−, n=10) and wild type (WT, n=10) in which cardiac work (CW: stroke volume × heart rate (HR) × mean arterial pressure [MAP]) was altered by i.v. infusion of norepinephrine (NE) during sevoflurane anesthesia and hexamethonium (to eliminate reflex neural adjustments). Myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured by contrast echocardiography (ml/min per g) during changes in CW. MAP and HR were measured using a Millar transducer in the aorta, and stroke volume was measured via transthoracic echocardiography. In WT animals, NE at 2.5 and 5 ug/kg/min increased CW over baseline by 117% ± 9 and 160% ± 12, respectively, during which MBF increased 370% ± 19 and 490% ± 32, respectively. In Kv1.5−/−, CW increased 121% ± 8 and 153% ± 9 during the two doses of NE, respectively (NS vs WT), but the increase in MBF was greatly attenuated, 58% ± 10 and 96% ± 9, respectively (P
Current Management of Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are an uncommon group of lymphoproliferative disorders accounting for approximately 10–15 % of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) in Western countries. Although PTCLs are associated with poor prognosis, outcomes vary with disease subtype. The standard of care has been anthracycline-based induction combination chemotherapy, however, with the exception of low-risk ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma, relapse rates are high. Therefore, consolidation with autologous stem cell transplantation is usually recommended for patients deemed candidates, and with aggressive subtypes. In recent years, a number of novel agents including pralatrexate, histone deacetylase inhibitors, immunotoxins, proteasome inhibitors, aurora kinase inhibitors and the CD30 antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin, have shown promise in the treatment of PTCLs. Studies are underway to explore the activity of these newer agents used in the frontline setting.
Weed Control with Landscape Fabrics

Abstract Six polypropylene landscape fabrics were compared with black plastic and preemergence herbicides for weed control. Large crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.] shoots and roots and yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) shoots penetrated all of the fabrics tested and developed into large plants. In greenhouse studies, black plastic plus mulch, and pennant (metolachlor) [2-chloro-N-(2ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide] at 4.5 kg ai/ha (4.0 lb/A) plus mulch provided equal, or greater control of large crabgrass than the landscape fabrics. In the field study, more time was required to hand-weed landscape fabrics covered with mulch than uncovered fabrics. When covered with mulch, hand-weeding time and weed shoot fresh weights were similar for black plastic, surflan (oryzalin) [4-(dipropylamino)-3,5-dinitrobenzenesulfonamide] at 2.2 kg/ha (2.0 lb/A), and the landscape fabrics.
Relation between single-molecule properties and phase behavior of intrinsically disordered proteins

Proteins that undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) have been shown to play a critical role in many physiological functions through formation of condensed liquid-like assemblies that function as membraneless organelles within biological systems. To understand how different proteins may contribute differently to these assemblies and their functions, it is important to understand the molecular driving forces of phase separation and characterize their phase boundaries and material properties. Experimental studies have shown that intrinsically disordered regions of these proteins are a major driving force, as many of them undergo LLPS in isolation. Previous work on polymer solution phase behavior suggests a potential correspondence between intramolecular and intermolecular interactions that can be leveraged to discover relationships between single-molecule properties and phase boundaries. Here, we take advantage of a recently developed coarse-grained framework to calculate the θ temperature [Formula: see text], the Boyle temperature [Formula: see text], and the critical temperature [Formula: see text] for 20 diverse protein sequences, and we show that these three properties are highly correlated. We also highlight that these correlations are not specific to our model or simulation methodology by comparing between different pairwise potentials and with data from other work. We, therefore, suggest that smaller simulations or experiments to determine [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] can provide useful insights into the corresponding phase behavior.
Investigation and Mitigation of Shunts for Higher Efficiency Epitaxial GaSb/GaSb and GaSb/GaAs Solar Cells

Multi-junction cells using GaAs/GaSb interface misfit arrays for metamorphic growth can achieve comparable efficiency to conventional inverted metamorphic multijunction cells without the need for costly graded buffer layers. In this work, GaSb single junction cells were grown via molecular beam epitaxy on both GaSb and GaAs substrates to compare homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial GaSb material quality. The homoepitaxial cell achieved 4.1% efficiency under 1 sun AM1.5g while the IMF cell achieved 0.70%. The IMF cell had higher non-radiative dark current likely caused by defects related to the mismatched growth. Lock-in thermography was used to explore shunt causing defects and sidewall shunting was passivated by dielectric deposition on device sidewalls. Homoepitaxial cells with sidewalls passivated by $\mathbf{Al}_{2}\mathbf{O}_{3}$ had $\sim 5\mathbf{x}$ higher average shunt resistance compared to unpassivated devices. Reverse bias thermograms indicated that MBE-related defects filled with front grid metal were the cause of device-crippling shunts which lowered device yield and limited growth of large-area devices.
Factors associated with favorable survival outcomes for Asians with hepatocellular carcinoma: A sequential matching cohort study.

Background Overall 5-year survival rates for patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are poor, but vary by race/ethnicity. We undertook a comprehensive assessment of underlying contributing factors to the favorable survival outcomes of HCC among Asians compared with non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Methods We identified 1,284 Asian and 7,072 NHW patients newly diagnosed with HCC between 1994 and 2011 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. We used a novel three-step sequential matching approach to identify demographic, presentation and treatment factors that may explain survival differences between Asians and NHWs. Hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between Asian race and risk of HCC-related mortality were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results The absolute difference in 5-year survival rates between Asians and NHWs was 8.4% (95% CI: 4.6%-12.0%) in the demographics match analysis. The disparity remained unchanged after additionally matching on stage, grade and comorbidities in the presentation match analysis. However, in the treatment match analysis, which accounts for differences in demographic, presentation and treatment factors, the absolute difference in 5-year survival rates was reduced to 5.8% (95% CI: 2.6%-9.3%). Treatment differences explained more of survival disparity in Asian and NHW patients with localized disease than for those with regional or distant stage HCC. Conclusions Asian patients with HCC continue to have more favorable survival outcomes than NHWs with HCC. This persistent disparity seems to be more related to treatment differences than to differences in presentation characteristics including stage.
Mobility guidance for tracked vehicles on fine-grained soil from historical full-scale test data in DROVE 2.0

Abstract With over 8000 field and laboratory tests, the Database for Off-Road Vehicle Environments (DROVE) provides a consolidated database of parameters for the assessment of tracked and wheeled vehicles on fine- and coarse-grained soils. This paper presents a new release of DROVE, version 2.0, which adds 294 results from the test performed by powered and unpowered tracks on fine-grained soils. Several performance parameters including drawbar pull, motion resistance, sinkage, torque, trim angle, and slip were measured alongside track geometry and loads. Soil properties were quantified via cone index testing, allowing performance parameters to be assessed in terms of their relationship to contact pressure divided by cone index. Potentially useful relationships were identified for drawbar pull, sinkage, and powered torque. The new release of DROVE dataset can be used for several applications including evaluation of existing mobility models, development of improved algorithms, and validation of numerical simulations for tracked vehicles.
Earlier age at menarche as a transdiagnostic mechanism linking childhood trauma with multiple forms of psychopathology in adolescent girls.

Background Although early life adversity (ELA) increases risk for psychopathology, mechanisms linking ELA with the onset of psychopathology remain poorly understood. Conceptual models have argued that ELA accelerates development. It is unknown whether all forms of ELA are associated with accelerated development or whether early maturation is a potential mechanism linking ELA with psychopathology. We examine whether two distinct dimensions of ELA – threat and deprivation – have differential associations with pubertal timing in girls, and evaluate whether accelerated pubertal timing is a mechanism linking ELA with the onset of adolescent psychopathology. Methods Data were drawn from a large, nationally representative sample of 4937 adolescent girls. Multiple forms of ELA characterized by threat and deprivation were assessed along with age at menarche (AAM) and the onset of DSM-IV fear, distress, externalizing, and eating disorders. Results Greater exposure to threat was associated with earlier AAM (B = −0.1, p = 0.001). Each 1-year increase in AAM was associated with reduced odds of fear, distress, and externalizing disorders post-menarche (ORs = 0.74–0.85). Earlier AAM significantly mediated the association between exposure to threat and post-menarche onset of distress (proportion mediated = 6.2%), fear (proportion mediated = 16.3%), and externalizing disorders (proportion mediated = 2.9%). Conclusions Accelerated pubertal development in girls may be one transdiagnostic pathway through which threat-related experiences confer risk for the adolescent onset of mental disorders. Early pubertal maturation is a marker that could be used in both medical and mental health settings to identify trauma-exposed youth that are at risk for developing a mental disorder during adolescence in order to better target early interventions.
Examining Some of The Students’ Challenges in Learning Organic Chemistry

Organic chemistry is often regarded as a difficult subject which deters learners and is associated with poor performance. Our research aims to examine some of the challenges that students face in learning organic chemistry topics related to acid/base and resonance structures theories. For this purpose, organic chemistry exams were analyzed in regards to these troublesome topics. A questionnaire was administered to further understand some of the challenges students face when enrolled in organic chemistry. Our data show that students face several challenges learning these topics and that there is a need to change the way these topics are addressed in instruction.
Suicidal behaviors among American Indian/Alaska Native firefighters: Evidence for the role of painful and provocative events:

Firefighters represent a group at elevated suicide risk. Identifying segments of the fire service at increased risk may facilitate the targeted provision of suicide prevention initiatives. Among th...
Eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 3 mediates Barley Yellow Dwarf Viral mRNA 3'-5' UTR interactions and 40S ribosomal subunit binding to facilitate cap-independent translation

Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) is a positive strand RNA virus that lacks the canonical 5' 7-methylguanosine cap and a 3' poly-A tail. Instead, BYDV utilizes a cruciform cap independent translation element (CITE) in its 3'UTR RNA (BYDV-like CITE or BTE) that binds eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) 4F and recruits 40S ribosomal subunits in the presence of active helicase factors (eIF4A, eIF4B, eIF4F and ATP). A long-range, 5-nucleotide, base-pairing kissing loop interaction between the 3'BTE and a 5'UTR stem-loop is necessary for translation to initiate. The 40S-eIF complex does not bind to the BYDV 5'UTR, suggesting the involvement of additional factors. We identified eIF3 as a component of the 3'BTE recruited complex using affinity-tagged 3'BTE RNA pull-down assays. Fluorescence anisotropy binding and gel shift assays showed that the 3'BTE and 5'UTR RNAs can simultaneously and non-competitively bind eIF3 in the presence of active helicase factors forming a single, macromolecular complex. Further, quantitative studies showed eIF3 increased recruitment of the 40S subunit by more than 25-fold. We propose a new role for eIF3, where eIF3 bridges BYDV's UTRs, stabilizes the long-range 5'-3' interaction, and facilitates recruitment of the 40S-eIF complex to the 5'UTR, leading to translation initiation.
Telomere length and recurrence risk after curative resection in women with adenocarcinoma of the lung: A prospective cohort study.

1532 Background: We hypothesized that telomere length in peripheral blood would have significant predictive value for risk of recurrence after curative resection in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCL...
Ion Channels of the Islets in Type 2 Diabetes

Ca2+ is an essential signal for pancreatic β-cell function. Ca2+ plays critical roles in numerous β-cell pathways such as insulin secretion, transcription, metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum function, and the stress response. Therefore, β-cell Ca2+ handling is tightly controlled. At the plasma membrane, Ca2+ entry primarily occurs through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel activity is dependent on orchestrated fluctuations in the plasma membrane potential or voltage, which are mediated via the activity of many ion channels. During the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes the β-cell is exposed to stressful conditions, which result in alterations of Ca2+ handling. Some of the changes in β-cell Ca2+ handling that occur under stress result from perturbations in ion channel activity, expression or localization. Defective Ca2+ signaling in the diabetic β-cell alters function, limits insulin secretion and exacerbates hyperglycemia. In this review, we focus on the β-cell ion channels that control Ca2+ handling and how they impact β-cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.
Public policy toward entrepreneurial finance: spillovers and scale-up

Abstract This chapter puts crowdfunding as part of a broader portfolio of others types of entrepreneurial finance and explains that an appropriate set of regulatory and public policy goals considers regulation not in isolation, but in terms of how there is an interplay between different forms of entrepreneurial finance. That is, research in the area of public policy toward entrepreneurial finance has traditionally been focused on financing gaps, and whether or not government programs successfully address or mitigate those financing gaps. More recently, a growing literature has identified externalities across different forms of entrepreneurial finance. These externalities include but are not limited to spillovers from one form of finance to another (such as from crowdfunding to venture capital), spillovers from domestic to international investment, and spillovers from early stage to late stage investment. Sometimes these externalities are positive and other times they are negative. In this paper, we review what is known about these spillovers and highlight a need to better understand these spillovers for the optimal design of a government’s portfolio of policy toward entrepreneurial finance.
Resurrecting the Mysteries of Big Tau.

Tau, a microtubule-associated protein that modifies the dynamic properties and organization of microtubules in neurons and affects axonal transport, shows remarkable heterogeneity, with multiple isoforms (45–65 kDa) generated by alternative splicing. A high-molecular-weight (HMW) isoform (110 kDa) that contains an additional large exon termed 4a was discovered more than 25 years ago. This isoform, called Big tau, is expressed mainly in the adult peripheral nervous system (PNS), but also in adult neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) that extend processes into the periphery. Surprisingly little has been learned about Big tau since its initial characterization, leaving a significant gap in knowledge about how the dramatic switch to Big tau affects the properties of neurons in the context of development, disease, or injury. Here we review what was learned about the structure and distribution of Big tau in those earlier studies, and add contemporary insights to resurrect interest in the mysteries of Big tau and thereby set a path for future studies.