cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Building the Capacity for Community Food Work: The Geographic Distribution of USDA Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program Grantees

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program, or USDA CFPCGP, supports community efforts to address food system issues. Over the last 15 years the program has funded diverse community-based projects across the nation, including youth education programs on healthy eating, farm-to-table initiatives, and community food assessments. In this initial study, we endeavor to understand the contribution of the CFPCGP in building a community's capacity to address its own challenges for food security. To analyze funding patterns of the CFPCGP program between 1996 and 2012, we used the websites of the CFPCGP and the WhyHunger Network to identify 420 competitive grant applications successfully funded by this grant program. In this paper we present findings on the geographical distribution of successful applicants and the common objectives of these projects. All but three states had successful applicants. We found considerably uneven (disproportionate to population) distribution of successful grantees among 50 states and U.S. territories, as well as among the four USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) regions (Northeast, North Central, South, and West). Organizations and cities receiving multiple grants tended to be located in the metropolitan Northeast or West. Training, education, and gardening are common activities proposed in the funded projects. "Low-income" residents in the community are identified as the target group for nearly one third of the funded grants. We discuss key implications of our findings and offer suggestions for building the capacity of limited-resource communities and organizations to successfully compete for CFPCGP funding.
Circulating soluble P-selectin must dimerize to promote inflammation and coagulation in mice.

Leukocyte adhesion to P-selectin on activated platelets and endothelial cells induces shedding of the P-selectin ectodomain into the circulation. Plasma soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) is elevated threefold to fourfold in patients with cardiovascular disease. Circulating sP-selectin is thought to trigger signaling in leukocytes that directly contributes to inflammation and thrombosis. However, sP-selectin likely circulates as a monomer, and in vitro studies suggest that sP-selectin must dimerize to induce signaling in leukocytes. To address this discrepancy, we expressed the entire ectodomain of mouse P-selectin as a monomer (sP-selectin) or as a disulfide-linked dimer fused to the Fc portion of mouse immunoglobulin G (sP-selectin-Fc). Dimeric sP-selectin-Fc, but not monomeric sP-selectin, triggered integrin-dependent adhesion of mouse leukocytes in vitro. Antibody-induced oligomerization of sP-selectin or sP-selectin-Fc was required to trigger formation of neutrophil extracellular traps. Injecting sP-selectin-Fc, but not sP-selectin, into mice augmented integrin-dependent adhesion of neutrophils in venules, generated tissue factor–bearing microparticles, shortened plasma-clotting times, and increased thrombus frequency in the inferior vena cava. Furthermore, transgenic mice that overexpressed monomeric sP-selectin did not exhibit increased inflammation or thrombosis. We conclude that elevated plasma sP-selectin is a consequence rather than a cause of cardiovascular disease.
Abstract P100: Gene Targeting of Npr1 Reveals Its Repressive Role in Cardiac Hypertrophy and Proinflammatory Cytokine Gene Expression

The objective of the present study was to examine whether genetically determined differences in the Npr1 gene (coding for guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A; GC-A/NPRA) affect the expression of cardiac pro-inflammatory cytokines and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB) levels in Npr1 gene-targeted mice. The Npr1 gene-disrupted null mutant ( Npr1 −/−; 0-copy) mice had 32-38 mmHg higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 60% greater heart weight to body weight (HW:BW) ratio, however, Npr1 gene-duplicated mice ( Npr1 ++/++; 4-copy) exhibited 10-15 mmHg lower SBP with no change in the HW:BW ratio compared with wild-type ( Npr1+/+; 2-copy) mice. Significant up-regulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6; 2-fold tumor necrosis factor-alpha), TNF-α; 4-fold), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1; 4-fold), along with increases in NF-κB and activating protein-1 (AP-1) binding activities (170% and 130%, p < 0.01, respectively), were increased in the Npr1−/− mice hearts. Conversely, a significant decrease in cytokine gene expression and NF-κB and AP-1 binding activities were found in gene-duplicated mice hearts compared with wild-type mice. The ventricular guanylyl cyclase (GC) activity and cGMP levels were reduced by almost 10-fold and 5-fold, respectively, in Npr1-/- mice. However, GC activity and cGMP levels were increased, respectively, by almost 9-fold and 6-fold, respectively, in gene-duplicated mice. The present results provide direct evidence that duplication of Npr1 gene in mice represses the inflammatory cytokine gene expression via inhibition NF-κB- and AP-1-mediated signaling mechanisms, and is associated with cardiac protection.
Multi-scale gyrokinetic simulations of an Alcator C-Mod, ELM-y H-mode plasma

High fidelity, multi-scale gyrokinetic simulations capable of capturing both ion () and electron-scale () turbulence were performed in the core of an Alcator C-Mod ELM-y H-mode discharge which exhibits reactor-relevant characteristics. These simulations, performed with all experimental inputs and realistic ion to electron mass ratio () provide insight into the physics fidelity that may be needed for accurate simulation of the core of fusion reactor discharges. Three multi-scale simulations and series of separate ion and electron-scale simulations performed using the GYRO code (Candy and Waltz 2003 J. Comput. Phys. 186 545) are presented. As with earlier multi-scale results in L-mode conditions (Howard et al 2016 Nucl. Fusion 56 014004), both ion and multi-scale simulations results are compared with experimentally inferred ion and electron heat fluxes, as well as the measured values of electron incremental thermal diffusivities—indicative of the experimental electron temperature profile stiffness. Consistent with the L-mode results, cross-scale coupling is found to play an important role in the simulation of these H-mode conditions. Extremely stiff ion-scale transport is observed in these high-performance conditions which is shown to likely play and important role in the reproduction of measurements of perturbative transport. These results provide important insight into the role of multi-scale plasma turbulence in the core of reactor-relevant plasmas and establish important constraints on the the fidelity of models needed for predictive simulations.
Assessment of anisotropy using viscoelastic response (VisR) ultrasound in the biceps brachii of healthy older adults and stroke patients

While skeletal muscle is often assumed to be structurally transversely isotropic (TI), its mechanical anisotropy is not well characterized in vivo. VisR ultrasound, a technique that provides information about the viscoelastic mechanical response of tissue, can be used for such in vivo characterization. Specifically, VisR-derived Relative Elasticity (RE) provides directionally dependent information about the shear modulus of materials. We hypothesize that VisR RE can be used in healthy older adults and in stroke patients to 1) assess the degree of anisotropy (DoA) of the biceps brachii (BB) and 2) characterize the effect of passive loading on the BB. VisR imaging was performed in the BB long head of 2 healthy controls and 1 stroke patient. The subjects' arms were imaged in full extension and approximately 90° flexion at rest. Data were acquired in the transverse and longitudinal imaging planes at the medial location of the BB. The ratio of RE obtained in the transverse to the longitudinal muscle views was found to reflect the DoA in shear modulus, where DoA = 1 indicates perfect isotropy. In control subjects, RE values for flexion and extension in the transverse imaging plane (previously shown to reflect the longitudinal shear modulus, μL) were higher than the RE values in the longitudinal imaging plane (which, primarily reflects the transverse shear modulus, μT). Additionally, both the longitudinal and transverse shear moduli increased in extension vs. flexion. Both the magnitude and direction of anisotropy appeared to change in the stroke patient compared to the healthy controls. This work indicates VisR can be used to assess DoA in skeletal muscle of older adults and examine effects of passive loading on mechanical properties, in vivo, which may be clinically relevant to studying impairment post stroke.
Abstract 19713: Renal Mechanisms of Hypertension Induced by SNX5 Gene Silencing

We have reported that sorting nexin 5 (SNX5) plays an important role in the positive regulation of the renal dopamine receptor subtype 1 (D1R); siRNA-gene silencing of renal SNX5 increased the bloo...
In-between Histories and Stories: Jewish Indian Identities in the Fiction of Esther David

This essay explores novelist Esther David's restorative fictional creation through partial historical recovery in The Book of Esther (2000) and The Book of Rachel (2006). David, a prolific writer f...
Comparing Active and Passive Distraction-Based Music Therapy Interventions on Preoperative Anxiety in Pediatric Patients and Their Caregivers.

Background Young children who experience high levels of preoperative anxiety often exhibit distress behaviors, experience more surgical complications, and are at a higher risk for developing a variety of negative postoperative consequences. A significant factor in pediatric preoperative anxiety is the level of anxiety present in their caregivers. Active and passive music therapy interventions addressing anxiety prior to invasive procedures have been met with success. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative effectiveness of two distraction-based music therapy interventions on reducing preoperative anxiety in young pediatric surgical patients and their caregivers. Methods A total of 40 pediatric patient and caregiver dyads undergoing ambulatory surgery were included in this study. Pediatric preoperative anxiety was measured pre- and post-intervention using the modified Yale Pediatric Anxiety Scale, while caregiver anxiety was measured through self-report using the short-form Strait-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y6. Participants were randomized to either an active or passive intervention group for a preoperative music therapy session. Results Results indicated a significant reduction in preoperative anxiety for both patients and their caregivers regardless of intervention type. Neither active nor passive music therapy interventions were significantly more effective than the other. Conclusions For future studies, the researchers recommend an increased sample size, controlling for various factors such as sedative premedication use, and testing interventions with patients in various stages of development.
Incidence of postoperative cystoid macular edema by a single surgeon.

Objective To evaluate the clinical and angiographic incidence of cystoid macular edema (CME) after cataract surgery, and to determine the impact of intraoperative triamcinolone acetonide. Methods This is a prospective, single-center trial looking at 81 eyes of 61 patients who underwent clear-cornea incision phacoemulsification with lens implantation under topical anesthesia by a single surgeon. Outcome measures included clinical and angiographic CME, the impact of operative time, medications, and systemic disease on the presence of CME. Results Eight eyes (9.87%) demonstrated angiographic CME at the one-week and six-week follow-up visits. Two eyes showed evidence of clinical CME (2.46%) on examination. Subjects with diabetes had an increased risk of angiographic CME. Conclusion The incidence of clinically significant and angiographic CME in this study is confirmatory of previous studies in the literature. The use of intraoperative subconjunctival triamcinolone acetonide did not appear to significantly reduce the development of post-operative CME.
Applying career construction theory to female National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference commissioners.

Women’s participation in collegiate sport has increased dramatically since the passage of Title IX, but there has not been a corresponding increase in the percentage of women in administrative positions. Women have, however, been successful obtaining leadership positions in conference offices, as more than 30% of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference commissioners were women in 2016. This research used career construction theory as a framework to explore the experiences of these women. Findings revealed that participants constantly negotiate time spent on personal and professional obligations, and relationships created in the workplace turned into organic mentorship relationships. Participants felt that there were limited amounts of sexism in the workplace, but all discussed experiencing instances of sexism, indicating a culture of gender normalcy. Women may experience increased success in leadership positions at conference offices, compared with on-campus athletic departments, du...
Neuropeptides and Morphine Tolerance

ABSTRACT In recent years, we have found certain neuropeptides that have profound effects on opiate action. One of the findings is the differential effects of leu-enkephalin and met-enkephalin in their interaction with narcotic analgesics. Treatment of mice with leu-enkephalin i.c.v. or i.p. shortly before or after administration of morphine sulfate results in a dose-dependent decrease of morphine ED50 in the tail flick or writhing assays for analgesia. Leu-enkephalin treatment also potentiates morphine induced tolerance and dependence. In contrast met-enkephalin has no effect on any of these pharmacological effects of morphine. Leu-enkephalin only potentiates pure narcotic agonists such as morphine, levorphanol and methadone and has no effect on mixed agonist-antagonist analgesics such as nalorphine. Leu-enkephalin potentiation of morphine-induced analgesia requires the intact pentapeptide for maximal potency and stable analogues of leu-enkephalin are much more potent potentiators. Another peptide which has been shown to facilitate the development of morphine tolerance and dependence is prolyl-leucyl-glycinamide (PLG) which is the C-terminal tripeptide of oxytocin. In this case, however, PLG does not alter morphine analgesia. The amount of naloxone required to induce withdrawal jumping in dependent mice is decreased by leu-enkephalin but is not altered by PLG. However, PLG treatment increases the hypothermia and body weight loss associated with naloxone-induced withdrawal. Neither leu-enkephalin nor PLG alters the distribution of morphine to the brain. In the case of PLG, the brain tissue is less sensitive to morphine in the tolerant state since more morphine in the brain is required in the PLG-treated mice to effect the same degree of analgesia as the control tolerant mice. The locus of action of leu-enkephalin appears to be on opioid receptors because naloxone blocks the potentiating effect of leu-enkephalin. Also in studies with superfusion of slices of corpus striatum which detects release of bound narcotics from opioid binding sites, leu-enkephalin treatment potentiates the capacity of naloxone to release morphine from the slices. On the other hand, the effect of PLG appears to be on events following the receptor-narcotic interaction.
Functional Genomics: Uncovering Cellular and Subcellular Mechanisms of Action

Despite numerous successes in the past, controversy remains on the utility of current toxicological methods in predicting adverse human health effects. A key element in understanding the consequences of exposure is the cellular and subcellular mechanism of action. Emerging functional genomics methods including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics are rapidly gaining acceptance as powerful tools to uncover underlying mechanism of action. With careful study design and adequate bioinformatics, the resulting data-rich environments can be improved through contextual, exploratory, or network-building analyses. When integrated with existing toxicological methods, functional genomics clearly provides novel, comprehensive understanding of the biochemical reactions controlling adverse reactions to environmental chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
The effects of dividend taxation on short selling

This study examines the effects of dividend taxation on the primary parties involved in a short sale: the lender of the stock and the short seller. For stock lenders, dividend taxation is associated with a decrease in the supply of shortable shares and an increase in equity lending fees around the dividend record date. For short sellers, potential reimbursement costs are associated with a significant decrease in short volume before the ex-dividend date followed by a significant increase after the ex-date. Prior research shows that short selling improves price efficiency and formation. Hence, because of the negative effects of taxation on shorting, market quality declines along several dimensions: equity mispricing, increased loan search frictions, loan price inefficiencies and market microstructure breakdown. In sum, this study documents that taxation constricts the shorting market around the dividend dates, which in turn has negative implications for market quality. JEL Classification: G11, G12, G23, H20.
Multimodal deep learning based on multiple correspondence analysis for disaster management

The fast and explosive growth of digital data in social media and World Wide Web has led to numerous opportunities and research activities in multimedia big data. Among them, disaster management applications have attracted a lot of attention in recent years due to its impacts on society and government. This study targets content analysis and mining for disaster management. Specifically, a multimedia big data framework based on the advanced deep learning techniques is proposed. First, a video dataset of natural disasters is collected from YouTube. Then, two separate deep networks including a temporal audio model and a spatio-temporal visual model are presented to analyze the audio-visual modalities in video clips effectively. Thereafter, the results of both models are integrated using the proposed fusion model based on the Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) algorithm which considers the correlations between data modalities and final classes. The proposed multimodal framework is evaluated on the collected disaster dataset and compared with several state-of-the-art single modality and fusion techniques. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of both visual model and fusion model compared to the baseline approaches. Specifically, the accuracy of the final multi-class classification using the proposed MCA-based fusion reaches to 73% on this challenging dataset.
Telomerase activity analysis in human cell lines using a real-time PCR (RTQ-TRAP) assay

994 Telomerase has a high potential as a biomarker of cancer, since its activity was demonstrated in about 90% of human cancers and all immortal cells, and in contrast, it is absent from most normal somatic tissues after birth. However, telomerase is activited not only during tumorigenesis in vivo and immortalization in vitro, but also in germ line, stem cells and some normal somatic cells with high proliferative potential. Although levels of telomerase activity (TA) in these cases were considered as low or undetectable by standard TRAP assays, the appearance of highly sensitive quantitative methods of detection, such as a real-time PCR, requires quantitative re-examination of telomerase status in human cell lines that are commonly used as a reference controls. Also, conflicting results were reported regarding cell cycle-dependent regulation of TA in normal and immortal cell lines. Materials and Methods. We used telomerase-positive prostate cancer, PC-3 cells line, and commonly referenced as telomerase-negative, IMR90 and HS27 cells (all cells were obtained from the SUNY Cell culture/hybridoma facility). PC-3 cells were cultured in F12K medium; IMR90 and HS27 cells were cultured in DMEM, supplemened with 10% fetal calf serum. All cells were cultured at 37° C under 5% CO2 in a humidified chamber. Quantitative real-time TRAP assay was carried out in a 96-well plate using the Opticon MJ Research instrument and optimized standard SYBR Green protocol for measurements of TA. For growth arrest in G2/M phase, subconfluent and confluent cells were treated with 0.5 μg/ml or 5 μg/ml of Nocodazole (Sigma) for 24 hours. For serum starvation of cells, a medium was supplemented with 0.5% FCS. For confluency experiments, cells were allowed to grow with one medium change after 5 days of culturing in specified medium supplemented with 10% FCS till full confluency, and after two weeks of growing, cells were treated with nocodazole as described. Results. Amplification plots revealed a cell number-dependent amplification of telomeric repeates on serial dilutions of all examined cell lines. Any nonspecific amplification was not occured since no difference in fluorescence signals in no template controls and at high degrees of sample dilution was detected. Highest telomerase activity was detected in PC-3 cells; both IMR90 and HS27 showed ∼10-20 times lower TA. For PC-3 cells, insignificant decrease in TA was seen after confluency was reached. Treatment with nocodazole further reduced TA in both subconfluent and confluent cells. In contrast, confluent IMR90 and HS27 cells had significantly lower TA compared to subconfluent ones. Nocodazole treatment reduced TA in subconfluent HS27 and IMR90 cells, and had no significant effect on TA levels in confluent cells.
Beyond the Property Paradigm: Fragments for an Anarchist Approach to Archaeological Heritage

Popular, legal, and academic relationships to archaeology are founded upon a property-based model of heritage which threatens to produce unsustainable consequences for heritage sites and stakeholders. The interrelations between the material culture of heritage, the scientific practice of archaeology, and the political economies of tourism and education are explored here in order to analyze the consequences of heritage development. In contrast to a property model of heritage, an ‘anarchistic’ model is proposed for handling heritage. Such a model implies that no individual or collectivity can own archaeological sites, information about those sites, or the material resources generated by tourism or research at heritage sites. Finally, sincere questions are raised about the ethics of intellectual property, heritage management, and the tourism and academic industries within both traditional and ‘anarchist’ models live.
Trade, Redistribution, and the Imperial Presidency

In this essay, prepared for a symposium on International Trade in the Trump Era, I argue that one reason for President Trump's massive deployment of tariff authority is that the president, like any political officeholder, is beholden to those who put him in office — and who can keep him there. During his successful 2016 campaign, President Trump promised to help those regions of the United States that have lost significant manufacturing jobs, a trend that President Trump linked to trade agreements that have allowed cheap imports to supplant goods made in the United States. Since taking office, he has used the powers available to him to try to make good on his promises. In principle, the government has a wide range of policy instruments at its disposal to help those regions. An expansion of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, which provides financial assistance to workers, farmers, and firms who have suffered due to trade liberalization, would help President Trump’s target constituency. Similarly, federal subsidies to help new industries, increased federal investment in primary research and infrastructure, and tax credits for businesses that relocate to economically ravaged regions would all help bring jobs back to the heartland. Such programs, however, require action — either to appropriate funds or to change existing law, like the tax code — by a Congress that is remarkably slow to act these days. Thus, like many presidential administrations before it, the Trump administration has searched for policies that advance its goals and that it can implement without Congress. The tariff power is an obvious candidate: Congress, as it turns out, has delegated almost total control over tariff rates to the president. The fact that the president has turned to tariffs to effect redistribution should hardly come as a shock. Tariff reductions since the Second World War have created an enormous amount of wealth globally, but they have also had huge distributional impacts that have gone largely unaddressed. During that time, a bipartisan political consensus emerged that trade policy should maximize wealth, while distributional issues should be dealt with domestically. But Congress, a deliberative body facing substantial impediments to action, has declined to take forceful steps to address the distributional issues exacerbated by trade liberalization. The president, on the other hand, has substantial delegated authority over international trade policy and faces few obstacles to decisive action. It was only a matter of time before the country elected a president who would want to redistribute to the losers from trade and who would rely on his international trade authority to do so.
Using PMU measurements for enhanced power grid monitoring and protection

This chapter discusses the opportunities that PMUs bring to enhance system monitoring and protection. Three topics are included: monitoring of power system operation, monitoring of power system model and wide-area fault location based on PMU measurements.
Reply to Hanlon: Transitions in science careers

We thank Hanlon for his comments on our paper and appreciate his summary of our findings (1). We recognize the concerns raised regarding both research and non-research roles in science. For example, the National Science Foundation reports various estimates of the science labor force: about 6 million in “science and engineering [S&E] occupations,” about 12 million in non-S&E occupations closely or somewhat related to their S&E degree, about 17 million whose highest degree is in S&E, and about 23 million with at least 1 S&E degree (2). Given our interest in the relationship between the changing landscape of knowledge production and scientific careers, we opted for what Xie … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: smilojev{at}indiana.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Dynamic Optimization, Natural Capital, and Ecosystem Services

This article argues that natural capital should be viewed as a stock or state variable whose evolution is described by a difference or differential equation. Ecosystem services are benefit flows produced by stocks of natural capital. To value natural capital and the ecosystem services they provide, one needs to determine their value when they are optimally managed. This requires solving a dynamic optimization problem. The steady-state optimum to such a problem can serve as a benchmark from which to estimate the losses associated with pure open access (the tragedy of the commons) or any other sub-optimal steady state. This approach is illustrated by estimating the ecosystem service from oysters that remove nutrients from Chesapeake Bay.
The World in the Long Twentieth Century: An Interpretive History

Anyone attempting to write a history of the world in the past 150 years faces a daunting task. This is because adopting a world-historical perspective requires the author to possess a breadth of kn...
Electrocardiographic changes associated with epilepsy beyond heart rate and their utilization in future seizure detection and forecasting methods.

Abstract The ability to assess seizure risk may help provide timely warnings and more personalized treatment plans for people with epilepsy (PWE). ECG changes are commonly observed in epilepsy which make ECG a promising candidate to monitor seizure risk. Most ECG research in this domain has focused on heart rate-related changes. However, several studies have identified a range of other peri-ictal ECG parameter changes that may potentially prove useful for seizure detection and forecasting. Here, we offer a systematic review of ECG changes in epilepsy outside of heart rate. We performed the systematic literature review according to PRISMA guidelines using key words related to ECG, SUDEP and epilepsy. We identified and screened 502 abstracts, read 110 full papers, and included 24 papers in the final review. Our results suggest that PWE may be more prone to cardiac conduction abnormalities than healthy controls. During interictal periods, PWE were more likely to have abnormal QTc intervals, ST segment abnormalities, elevated T Waves, early repolarization (ER), increased P Wave dispersion and PR intervals when compared to controls. Apart from these baseline abnormalities, changes during the pre-ictal and ictal states have been reported, with arrhythmias, QTc prolongation and ST segment changes being the most common. A better understanding of these state-dependent changes may afford less-cumbersome and less-stigmatizing epilepsy monitoring tools in the future.
Temperature and water-level effects on greenhouse gas fluxes from black ash (Fraxinus nigra) wetland soils in the Upper Great Lakes region, USA

Abstract Forested black ash (Fraxinus nigra) wetlands are an important economic, cultural, and ecological resource in the northern Great Lake States, USA, and are threatened by the invasive insect, emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmmaire [EAB]). These wetlands are likely to experience higher water tables and warmer temperatures if they are impacted by large-scale ash mortality and other global change factors. Therefore, it is critical to understand how temperature, hydrology, and their interaction affect greenhouse gas fluxes in black ash wetland soils. In order to predict potential ecosystem changes, we sampled and incubated intact soil cores containing either mineral or organic (peat) soils from two black ash wetlands, monitored soil oxidation-reduction potential (Eh), and measured the efflux of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) at two water-level treatments nested in three temperature treatments, 10 °C, 15 °C, or 20 °C. The water-level treatments were either saturated or drawdown, designed to mimic wetlands impacted or not impacted by EAB. Mean CO2 fluxes increased with increasing temperature but did not vary significantly by soil type or water-level. Peat soil had 60 to 135 times significantly greater CH4 flux in the saturated treatment and had minimal N2O loss across all treatments, while mineral soils had 8 to 43 times significantly greater N2O flux in the saturated treatment, and minimal CH4 loss across all treatments. Gas fluxes generally increased and had greater variation with increasing temperature. The drawdown treatment resulted in significantly higher Eh during unsaturated periods in both soil types, but the response was more variable in the peat soil. Our findings demonstrate potential indirect effects of EAB in black ash wetlands, with implications for ecosystem functions associated with C and N cycling.
Brief communication: An empirical relation between center frequency and measured thickness for radar sounding of temperate glaciers

Abstract. Radar sounding of the thickness of temperate glaciers is challenged by substantial volume scattering, surface scattering and high attenuation rates. Lower-frequency radar sounders are often deployed to mitigate these effects, but the lack of a global synthesis of their success limits progress in system and survey design. Here we extend a recent global compilation of glacier thickness measurements (GlaThiDa) with the center frequency for radar-sounding surveys. From a maximum reported thickness of ∼ 1500 m near 1 MHz, the maximum thickness sounded decreases by ∼ 500 m per frequency decade. Between 25–100 MHz, newer airborne radar sounders generally outperform older, ground-based ones. Based on globally modeled glacier thicknesses, we conclude that a multi-element, ≤30 MHz airborne radar sounder could survey most temperate glaciers more efficiently.
The alumni project: Fostering student-alumni engagement in the curriculum

This study proposes and empirically tests a novel approach for promoting student-alumni engagement in the business school curriculum. Groups of students conduct semi-structured interviews with alum...
Bipolar Radiofrequency Neurotomy of the Genicular Nerves for Chronic Pain Due to Knee Osteoarthritis

Background: The current treatments for chronic knee osteoarthritis (OA), a disabling and costly healthcare condition in the United States, vary in their level of supporting evidence. Although total...
Conducting remote medical asylum evaluations in the United States during COVID-19: Clinicians' perspectives on acceptability, challenges and opportunities.

Abstract Background Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical evaluations for asylum are being performed predominantly remotely. We sought to describe these evaluations and identify barriers. Methodology This study utilized an online survey to assess clinician perspectives and experiences regarding remote asylum evaluations. Results Clinicians reported positive experiences regarding remote interpretation (85%, 51/60), history taking (82.4%, 61/74), rapport building (81.3%, 61/75), and conducting the psychiatric exam (65.7%, 44/67). Concerns were more frequently reported with performing remote physical examinations (83.3%, 15/18). Although the majority denied challenges with technology (62.5%, 45/72), internet (60.8%, 45/74) or clients having difficulty acquiring technology (58.6%, 41/70) or finding private spaces (54.2%, 39/72), these aspects did represent barriers. Discussion Remote evaluations were relatively easy to perform and acceptable to clinicians. This may facilitate easier access for asylum seekers beyond the pandemic.
Shape selection criterion for cellular array during constrained growth of binary alloys―need for low gravity experiment

Development of steady-state periodic cellular array is one of the critical problems in the study of nonlinear pattern formation during directional solidification of binary alloys. The criterion which establishes the values of cell tip radius and spacing under given growth condition is not known. Theoretical models, such as marginal stability and microscopic solvability, have been developed for purely diffusive regime. However, the experimental conditions where cellular structures are stable are precisely the ones where the convection effects are predominant. Thus, the critical data for meaningful evaluation of cellular array growth models can only be obtained by partial directional solidification and quenching experiments carried out in the low gravity environment of space.
The effects of utility evaluations, biomedical knowledge and modernization on intention to exclusively use biomedical health facilities among rural households in Mozambique.

Abstract In resource-limited settings, the choice between utilizing biomedical health services and/or traditional healers is critical to the success of the public health mission. In the literature, this choice has been predicted to be influenced by three major factors: knowledge about biomedical etiologies; cultural modernization; and rational choice. The current study investigated all three of these predicted determinants, applying data from a general household survey conducted in 2010 in Zambezia Province of Mozambique involving 1045 randomly sampled rural households. Overall, more respondents (N = 802) intended to continue to supplement their biomedical healthcare with traditional healer services in comparison with those intending to utilize biomedical care exclusively (N = 243). The findings strongly supported the predicted association between rational utility (measured as satisfaction with the quality of service and results from past care) with the future intention to continue to supplement or utilize biomedical care exclusively. Odds of moving away from supplementation increase by a factor of 2.5 if the respondent reported seeing their condition improve under government/private biomedical care. Odds of staying with supplementation increase by a factor 3.1 if the respondent was satisfied with traditional care and a factor of 16 if the condition had improved under traditional care. Modernization variables (education, income, religion, and Portuguese language skills) were relevant and provided a significant component of the best scientific model. Amount of biomedical knowledge was not a significant predictor of choice. There was a small effect on choice from knowing the limitations of biomedical care. The findings have implications for public healthcare promotion activities in areas where biomedical care is introduced as an alternative to traditional healing.
BMPR2 mutation in cardiomyocytes impairs insulin-dependent trafficking of CD36

In PAH, insulin resistance is associated with impaired RV function. In mouse model of PAH with mutant BMPR2, we have shown impaired fatty acid oxidation and lipid accumulation in RV cardiomyocytes....
Benchmark Problems for Large Strain Consolidation

AbstractModeling of the one-dimensional consolidation process for soil and other compressible porous media is important for a variety of engineering applications. This paper presents solutions for two benchmark problems for large strain consolidation of a saturated soil layer that can be used to check other analytical and numerical analysis methods. The solutions include effects of vertical strain, soil self-weight, nonlinear constitutive relationships, and changing material properties during the consolidation process. High-accuracy data are presented for each problem and include changes of settlement, void ratio, and excess pore pressure with time.
Transcription units of adenovirus type 2. Termination of transcription beyond the poly(A) addition site in early regions 2 and 4.

Abstract Three types of analysis of pulse-labeled nuclear RNA complementary to adenovirus region 2 (~50–75) from cells early in the infectious cycle showed that transcription regularly proceeded past the poly(A) site: (1) nascent chains showed equal molarity of transcription of sequences before and after the poly(A) site at map position 61·6; (2) the size of the nascent RNA molecules containing the sequences distal to the poly(A) site was larger than the size of the molecules proximal to the poly(A) site; (3) ultraviolet light transcription analysis indicated that the sequences beyond the poly(A) site were part of the leftward transcription unit that appears to initiate at map position 75 on the adenovirus type 2 genome. It was also determined that transcription of early region 4 also proceeds beyond the poly(A) addition site (located at map position 91·5), probably terminating in the region of map position 88.
Stress and coping model for family caregivers of older adults

This study was to evaluate the family caregiver experience using the ABC-X Model and data from the 2004 National Long-Term Care Survey in an effort to bridge the gap between caregiver research and practice. The impact of mediation is demonstrated through the progression of Model A, Model B, Model C, and Model D (Figures 1-4). Caregiver burdens of negative care receiver behavior, activities of daily living, and time spent caregiving will be used as predictor variables for caregiver stress. Caregiver stress is indicated by financial stress and emotional stress. It was hypothesized that the effect of caregiver stress on caregiver’s perceived physical health and the effect of stress on life satisfaction would be mediated by coping behaviors and social support. However, mediation of these relationships was not supported. The researcher also hypothesized that stress, coping behaviors, social support, physical health, and life satisfaction will differ based on characteristics of ethnicity, relationship to the care receiver, and gender. It was found that while model fit was similar for all subgroups, there were significant path coefficient differences indicating that overall, the caregiver experience has similar variables but that based on the caregiver’s background characteristics, the caregiver experience is also unique. Implications are that programs should recognize these differences and address them in program evaluations and interventions with a focus on effective coping behaviors. It was recommended that future research continue to explore ways to bridge the gap between research and practice.
Patents and Vegetable Crop Diversity

The intellectual property system does not seem to drive the rate of innovation in the market for vegetable varieties. Drawing on a unique data set of all plant patents, plant variety protection certificates, and utility patents among 42 vegetable varieties, this short paper examines the relationship between intellectual property rights in vegetable crops and the diversity of commercially available varieties. Three findings are of particular interest: 1) Only 3.8% of varieties available in 2004 were ever subject to protection under patent law or the Plant Variety Protection Act; 2) More than 16% of all vegetable varieties that have ever been patented were commercially available in 2004; and 3) In 2004, approximately 4.5% of protected, or once protected, varieties consisted of inventions that were at least twenty years old. Although intellectual property rights appear to be an insignificant part of the crop diversity story, they exhibit much higher commercialization rates than expected (the conventional wisdom suggests a 5% rate), and they exhibit a slower rate of obsolescence than expected. Complete data on individual vegetable types are provided, and the sui generis nature of corn is also discussed.
Nusty bias effects of the cross spectral matrix when detecting target in presence of strong jammers

The deleterious bias effects of the cross-spectral matrix when detecting target in presence of noise and strong jammers are shown. A theoretical study of this phenomenon is performed using elementary perturbation theory in order to determine spectral and spatial property of the ghost targets generated by this bias decoherency. The influence of this feature is then analyzed for adaptive and null steering beamforming. The performance of adaptive beamforming is significantly better and greatly improved when all the sensor signals are phased in the jammer direction. >
3D Visualization in Elementary Education Astronomy: Teaching Urban Second Graders about the Sun, Earth, and Moon

This research-in-progress hypothesizes that urban second graders can have an early understanding about the shape of Sun, Moon, and Earth, how day and night happens, and how Moon appears to change its shape by using three dimensional stereoscopic vision. The 3D stereoscopic vision system might be an effective way to teach subjects like astronomy that explains relationships among objects in space. Currently, Indiana state standards for science teaching do not suggest the teaching of these astronomical concepts explicitly before fourth grade. Yet, we expect our findings to indicate that students can learn these concepts earlier in their educational lives with the implementation of such technologies. We also project that these technologies could revolutionize when these concepts could be taught to children and expand the ways we think about children’s cognitive capacities in understanding scientific concepts.
A single polypeptide possesses the binding and transcription activities of the adenovirus major late transcription factor.

Abstract A simple approach has been developed for the unambiguous identification and purification of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins solely on the basis of their ability to bind selectively to their target sequences. Four independent methods were used to identify the promoter-specific RNA polymerase II transcription factor MLTF as a 46-kilodalton (kDa) polypeptide. First, a 46-kDa protein was specifically cross-linked by UV irradiation to a body-labeled DNA fragment containing the MLTF binding site. Second, MLTF sedimented through glycerol gradients at a rate corresponding to a protein of native molecular weight 45,000 to 50,000. Third, a 46-kDa protein was specifically retained on a biotin-streptavidin matrix only when the DNA fragment coupled to the matrix contained the MLTF binding site. Finally, proteins from the most highly purified fraction which were eluted and renatured from the 44- to 48-kDa region of a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel exhibited both binding and transcription-stimulatory activities. The DNA-binding activity was purified 100,000-fold by chromatography through three conventional columns plus a DNA affinity column. Purified MLTF was characterized with respect to the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of DNA binding. These parameters indicate a high degree of occupancy of MLTF binding sites in vivo.
A transcriptionally defective long terminal repeat within an endogenous copy of mouse mammary tumor virus proviral DNA.

Mouse mammary tumor virus proviral DNA is endogenous to most inbred strains of mice but in many strains is not transcriptionally active. This inactivity may be due to defects in the proviruses themselves or to position effects mediated by DNA sequences flanking the proviral units. The transcriptional competence of long terminal repeats (LTRs) derived from endogenous proviral DNA at genetic loci Mtv-8, Mtv-9, and Mtv-17 of the C57BL/6 mouse strain was examined with a transient transfection assay in which gene expression was monitored by expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. LTRs from Mtv-8 and Mtv-9 were able to direct glucocorticoid-induced chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression in this assay, while the LTR from Mtv-17 was only about 5% as effective. Analysis of chimeric LTRs indicated that the glucocorticoid-inducible transcriptional enhancer element within the Mtv-17 LTR is active when linked to a functional promoter from Mtv-8, whereas the promoter from Mtv-17 is defective in directing hormone-induced gene expression, even when linked to the Mtv-8 glucocorticoid-responsive enhancer. The DNA sequence of transcriptional control regions of the LTRs of all three endogenous proviral units was determined; this analysis revealed that the source of the defect in Mtv-17 is a single G-to-A transition at position-75 with respect to the site of transcription initiation that resides within the previously defined binding site for the transcription factor nuclear factor 1. Competition experiments with a gel electrophoresis mobility shift assay indicated that the affinity of nuclear factor 1 for DNA derived from Mtv-17 is significantly less than for comparable sequences derived from Mtv-8. Images
E-readers, Computer Screens, or Paper: Does Reading Comprehension Change Across Media Platforms?

Summary The present research examined the impact of technology on reading comprehension. While previous research has examined memory for text, and yielded mixed results of the impact technology has on one's ability to remember what they have read, the reading literature has not yet examined comprehension. In comparing paper, computers, and e-readers, results from this study indicated that these three different presentation modes do not differentially affect comprehension of narrative or expository text. Additionally, readers were not consistently compensating for difficulties with comprehension by engaging in different reading behaviors when presented with text in different formats. These results suggest that reading can happen effectively in a variety of presentation formats. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.