cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental study on mechanical properties of carbon nanofiber concrete

Concrete is the most widely used construction material,and carbon nano-fiber has many advantages in mechanical properties such as high strength,high Young's modulus.In this paper,the mechanical properties of concrete containing carbon nano-fiber(CNF) were experimentally studied by conducting uniaxial compression test and split tensile test.The test results indicate that the compressive strength and split tensile strength while loading concrete containing CNFs are greater than those of plain concrete.Finally,a reasonable concentration of CNF was obtained for use in concrete which enhances its mechanical properties.
Screening 210 pesticides without reference standards in fruits and vegetables by liquid chromatography coupled time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A novel method for determination of 210 multi-class pesticides without reference standards in fruits and vegetables by high performance liquid chromatography coupled time-of-flight mass spectrometry( HPLC-QTOF / MS) is established. Accurate mass database include compound name,retention time,formula,accurate mass. The parameters( accurate mass tolerance,retention time window,the ionization forms,etc.) in the process of search were optimized to improve the screening capacity and avoid the false positive or false negative results. Standard solutions and spiked samples are applied to evaluation of the reliability,stability and capability of accurate mass database. The results indicate that all pesticides can be detected at the level of 10. 0 μg / kg( Uniform limit),and the RSD of search score of all compounds are lower than 20. 0%. This method is simple, fast,and accurate,and only needs one time sample preparation and one times determination,based on the accurate mass database to achieve simultaneous screening 210 pesticides without reference standards,and the performance of method can meet the need of routine determination. Finally,this method has been applied to screening the pesticide residues in 20 fruit and vegetable samples( apple,cabbage,tomato,pear,peach, watermelon,cabbage,celery,cucumber,leek,pepper,courgettes,pumpkins,eggplant) purchased from local markets,16 pesticide residues are found in these samples,such as carbendazim,dimethomorph,acetamiprid, metalaxyl,atrazine and thiabendazole,etc.
Why don't more countries form Customs Unions instead of Free Trade Agreements? The role of flexibility

In practice, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) outnumber Customs Unions (CUs) by a ratio of 9 : 1. Nevertheless, the literature traditionally views CUs as optimal for members because CU members coordinate external tariffs. I show that a dynamic FTA flexibility benefit can help explain the prevalence of FTAs : individual FTA members have the flexibility to form their own future FTAs whereas CU members must jointly engage in future CU formation. Under asymmetry, even arbitrarily small degrees thereof, FTAs emerge in equilibrium if and only if the FTA flexibility benefit outweighs the CU coordination benefit.
Probing the biological sources of soil N2O emissions by quantum cascade laser-based 15N isotopocule analysis

Abstract Isotopocule analysis by quantum cascade laser spectrometry (QCL) is a promising approach for in situ , real-time tracking of the biological sources of soil N 2 O emissions. However, background atmospheric N 2 O is an important source of variability in the measurement of isotopocule ratios (i.e., 14 N 15 N 16 O/ 14 N 14 N 16 O and 15 N 14 N 16 O/ 14 N 14 N 16 O) of gas samples. Here, a method based on Keeling plot for determining the intramolecular 15 N distribution in N 2 O is introduced. The sensitivity and reliability of this method are examined against N 2 O of known 15 N site preference (SP), and N 2 O produced from fungal and bacterial isolates, soils with different moisture contents and organic amendments, and a soil chamber under field conditions. The isotopocules of N 2 O determined by standard gases supported that the Keeling plot method was more reliable than the averaging method. Using this method, SP of N 2 O was greater in fungal than bacterial denitrifiers, as well as in soil at 60% water filled pore space (WFPS) than 80–100% WFPS. This method also determined that the SP of N 2 O was distinct between soils of different substrate complexity. Further, we observed a N 2 O SP between −18.9‰ and 2.2% in a soil flux chamber deployed in a corn field after 2 d of rainfalls that is consistent with the SP of N 2 O produced from bacterial denitrification and nitrifier denitrification. Our data demonstrate that this Keeling plot method provides accurate discrimination of biological sources when N 2 O is analyzed by the QCL system.
Effacing the Human

Rachel Rosenthal’s complex and extensive body of performance work, spanning from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, often circulated around the human desire to control nature, and the concomitant quest to maintain a rationalist or masculine position of superiority through that domination of the non-human world. Her interest in humans’ ethical relationship to non-human animals, and in humans’ own animality, is in perfect keeping with these broader thematic emphases. Rosenthal included live animals and addressed animality most explicitly in her 1982 and 1985 pieces, Traps and The Others, respectively. Moreover, her 1987 performance Rachel’s Brain foregrounds the problem of the human’s constitutive imbalance, or the co-location of high-order cognition and organic, corporeal animality. While critics have discussed Rosenthal’s use of animals on stage with some frequency, there has been almost no scholarly consideration of her unconventional book Tatti Wattles: A Love Story (1996). This text’s illustrations in particular suggest that Rosenthal understands her creative process itself to be other than human, to be affectively more linked to animality than to humanity proper. Moreover, the intense animal orientation in the book’s images is accompanied by a powerful tendency to efface the human, thus ‘unmasking’ human creativity as having animal origins. In this respect, the Tatti illustrations reveal even more about Rosenthal’s aesthetic engagement with animality than her performances, which explicitly address the species boundary.
Conclusion: Politics, Guides and Critics

It was a consequence of the wholehearted acceptance by the world of Wessex-as-England, that Hardy became in 1922 the focus of what might have been in a different time a Wessex nationalist movement. On 18 May of that year Hardy received a letter from a W G Bowman. He wrote of Hardy as ‘the gentleman whose life-work has made a Renascence [of Wessex] possible’, and went on: The immediate object of this letter is to advise you that a monthly magazine devoted to the Wessex Movement is rapidly nearing the publishing point. In brief the objects of the paper are: (A.) To bring the Wessex Movement into the daily life of the People. (B.) To press for a Wessex University. (C.) to make Modern Wessex a sturdily independent Province with a distinct individuality; with its own characteristics; with its own songs, literature, and Art. (DCM H5880)
Improved performance of the Aurora front end using a phase conjugate mirror

Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) phase conjugate mirrors have been used to improve the output of KrF lasers.1 We describe here the application of a phase conjugate mirror to the Aurora inertial confinement fusion (ICF) laser system. We believe this to be the first practical application of phase conjugating elements to a large laser system.
Surface-Recombination Controlled SNDC and Current Filamentation

While the influence of boundary conditions upon current instabilities associated with N-shaped current-voltage characteristics (NNDC) has been convincingly elaborated in the past, see e.g. [1], no similar systematic treatment has been available for the case of S-shaped negative differential conductivity (SNDC). SNDC induced by bulk generation-recombination (g-r) mechanisms occurs in: compensated Ge, CdSe, GaAs and ZnTe at low temperatures [2–5]; amorphous chalcogenide films [6]; pin-diodes [7,8]. Current filamentation resulting from g-r induced SNDC has recently been investigated for infinitely extended systems [9]. The current interest in submicron devices has advanced the need for a theoretical understanding of the influence of finite boundaries upon filamentary SNDC transport. Our analysis shows that surface generation-recombination can be used for efficient control of the SNDC transport properties.
The G-20 Conference, Central Banks, and Garbage Collection

Speaking to union members in Italy on 11 November 2008, President Lula of Brazil warned his audience that they should not expect major results from the meetings of Group of Twenty (G-20)2 nations in Washington at the week’s end. Lula admitted that the G-20 would not be able to make a perfect diagnosis of the causes of the global financial crisis, though he added that: This first meeting was at least a promising start, and The G-20 nations now appeared to be taking over from the G-8, as the main forum for tackling the crisis, a fact that was (in his opinion) to be welcomed.
Distinguishing Aspartic and Isoaspartic Acids in Peptides by Several Mass Spectrometric Fragmentation Methods

Six ion fragmentation techniques that can distinguish aspartic acid from its isomer, isoaspartic acid, were compared. MALDI post-source decay (PSD), MALDI 157 nm photodissociation, tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphonium bromide (TMPP) charge tagging in PSD and photodissociation, ESI collision-induced dissociation (CID), electron transfer dissociation (ETD), and free-radical initiated peptide sequencing (FRIPS) with CID were applied to peptides containing either aspartic or isoaspartic acid. Diagnostic ions, such as the y-46 and b+H2O, are present in PSD, photodissociation, and charge tagging. c•+57 and z-57 ions are observed in ETD and FRIPS experiments. For some molecules, aspartic and isoaspartic acid yield ion fragments with significantly different intensities. ETD and charge tagging appear to be most effective at distinguishing these residues. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
Initial comparison of energy measures for neural stimulation in a single conductance channel

This paper considers the utility of several alternative energy measures to reduce the energy required by a stimulation current source to charge a neuron membrane capacitance to a prescribed value in the case of a single sodium channel. For a simple case, minimizing the energy of the nonlinear channel conductance provides improved efficiency in terms of stimulator energy as compared to minimizing a squared-integral measure of the stimulation current. This work lays the foundation for expanding this investigation to a full conductance-based Hodgkin-Huxley model.
100 MHz chirped pulse and frequency comb laser source using an intra-cavity etalon and long-term stabilization

We present a semiconductor-based laser cavity operating in the extreme chirped pulse amplification regime using a 100 MHz fiberized Fabry-Perot etalon. An intra-cavity modified Hansch-Couillaud scheme ensures long-term operation. The laser exhibits supermode noise spur suppression and a semiconductor-based optical frequency comb is generated.
The Role of IL-12 and IL-23 in the Generation and Maintenance of Memory CD4+ T Cells.

Human memory CD4+ T cells can be distinguished from antigenically-naive CD4+ T cells based on their CD45RA low CD45R0 high and CD45RA high CD45R0 low surface phenotypes, respectively. Memory CD4+ T cells from adult peripheral blood can be further divided based on surface expression of the CCR7 chemokine receptor. Th1 memory CD4+ T cells that are CCR7 high (putative central memory cells or T cm ) are expected to be preferentially targeted to peripheral lymph nodes where the ligands for CCR7 are expressed in high amounts. These cells have been reported to lack expression of the CCR3 and CCR5 chemokine receptors, which facilitate entry into inflamed tissues, and produce little or no interferon (IFN)-γ after stimulation via the αβ-TCR/CD3 complex. CD45RA low CD45R0 high CCR7 low CD4+ T cells account for virtually all IFN-g production by human CD4 T cells after ab-TCR/CD3 stimulation using monoclonal antibodies, and for this reason were termed effector memory cells (T em ). These findings, as well as the observation of shorter telomere lengths for memory CD4+ T cells that are CCR7 low compared to those that CCR7 high suggest that the T cm population may be an intermediate between naive CD4+ T cells and T em . It has recently been proposed that the level of signal strength and γc containing cytokines play a role in memory T cell generation. However, little is known whether IL-12 or IL-23 are necessary and for this differentiation and/or maintenance. Our laboratory has previously described a patient with IL-12Rβ1 deficiency, which ablates both IL-12 and IL-23 signaling. This patient had a deficiency in T em number and function, unexpectedly suggesting that IL-12 and/or IL-23 may play a key role in this process. We therefore hypothesized that signaling through IL-12Rβ1 plays a key role in the latter stages of generation and/or maintenance of human memory CD4+ T cells. Preliminary data thus far show CCR7 expression to be slightly decreased on activated T cm in response to incubation with IL-2 or IL-12 alone, and to a greater extent with IL-2 and IL-12 incubated together. In addition, spontaneous apoptosis of both T cm and T em is decreased upon incubation with IL-12. Taken together, these data suggest that IL-12 may play a role in both generation of T em and maintenance of both T cm and T em .
Can Processed Food Be Part of a Responsible Diet

Americans live in a polarized society, and fewer things are more polarized than thoughts and ideas about food. Dietitians, food scientists, nutritionists, and toxicologists tend to view whole and processed foods as complex combinations of edible chemicals. Food pundits, media personalities, medical doctors, and researchers of food addiction tend to see processed foods as more dangerous than whole foods primarily due to added food chemicals. The former are the foxes who talk in relative terms suggesting that any individual food has positive and negative aspects that must be balanced when making a decision to eat or not to eat. The latter are the hedgehogs who speak in absolute terms of good and bad food (see Figs. 10.1 and 10.2). Consumers caught in the middle of conflicting information tend to stick with certainty over uncertainty. The irony is that both the food pundits and Big Food are most successful when acting as hedgehogs. Big Food uses its two most powerful weapons, advertising and convenience, to convince us that the latest processed product is good for us and will save precious time. Food pundits call out Big Food not always based on merit but because the products are “processed.”
Some Functional Properties of Succinylated Proteins from Fish Protein Concentrate

Fish protein concentrate (FPC) prepared from hake extracted with hot isopropanol was partially solubilized by succinylation with succinic anhydride followed by heating at pH 9 for 30 min. The yield was 73% of the FPC, and the degree of succinylation of this protein isolate was 90%. FPC was also extracted at a high pH of 11.5; the yield was approximately 50%. Racemization was not detected in either the succinylated protein or the protein extracted at high pH. Pancreatin digestion of protein isolates resulted in release of 4.1 and 41.5% of the total lysine from succinylated fish protein and fish protein extracted at high pH, respectively, indicating a low apparent digestibility for the succinylated protein. The isoelectric point of succinylated fish protein was about 4, whereas that of fish protein extracted at high pH was about 5. Furthermore, fish protein extracted at high pH was relatively soluble below pH 4. Succinylated fish protein generally had a greater emulsion capacity and stability than did fish ...
Irish Households in the Early Twentieth Century: Culture, Class, and Historical Contingency:

This article explores the place of the Irish within European family history by comparing early twentieth century household patterns of four occupational groups (strong farmers, modest farmers, nonagricultural people, and laborers) within a small region of Country Kerry. While shared cultural values unify the Irish patterns in some respects, the different resource configurations of the four occupational groups generate clear differences. Some of the variability is strongly influenced by specific historical factors.
Identification of Novel MHC Class I and Class II Epitopes of WT1 Using a Peptide Library Screen.

Although several HLA-A*0201-restricted immunodominant peptides from the leukemia-restricted protein WT-1 are characterized, T cell responses to peptide sequences binding to other common class I and II epitopes of WT-1 remain almost completely unexplored. A more comprehensive definition of the WT-1 antigen would extend peptide antigen vaccines to individuals lacking HLA-A*0201 and *2402 and improve vaccine potency by recruiting both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses. Here we used a WT1 peptide library to identify WT-1 peptide sequences inducing CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in normal individuals and patients with AML and other myeloid leukemias. Six cases were studied. The library consisted of 110 15mer peptides overlapping by 11aa covering the entire WT-1 protein in 21 pools. Monocytes were isolated by plastic adherence and pulsed with peptide pools for 3 hours. Autologous CD8+ and CD4+ T cells were then added. Pools of peptides were prepared in such a way that each peptide was represented in two different peptide pools, allowing the identification of the respective peptide by responses in the two corresponding pools. Cells were harvested for RNA extraction and reverse transcription. Real time PCR (RQ-PCR) was used to identify peptide-specific induction of IFN-γ and IL-2 in CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. The SYFPEITHI binding motif software was then used to predict the probable HLA restriction for the candidate epitopes. To confirm candidate peptide immunogenecity and HLA restriction, selected peptides were synthesized and tested individually. In addition to the known HLA-A*0201 peptides WT37, WT126, WT187 and WT235 we identified 20 new MHC class I and II epitopes of WT1. Four were restricted by more than one HLA allele, demonstrating the promiscuity of epitope binding. One epitope (VPGVAPTLV) was restricted to HLA-A*0201 and HLA-B*5101. One epitope (SGQFTGTAGACRYGP) was restricted by a class I HLA allele, namely HLA-*6801 and a class II HLA allele, DR*1501. Two epitopes (YGPFGPPPPSQASGQ and QKKFARSDELVRHHN) were restricted by multiple MHC class II alleles. The proliferative response of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to candidate peptides was confirmed using CFSE labeling. We now plan to characterize the antileukemic effects of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells induced by these peptides with a view to designing broad-spectrum vaccines inducing leukemia-reactive T cells across a wide range of HLA types.
Understanding the role of schools in the Asian-white gap: a seasonal comparison approach

AbstractAsian Americans are the most highly educated racial group in the United States and are commonly heralded as the model minority for their high academic success. Nevertheless, previous research suggests that Asian Americans may face certain disadvantages in school settings. For example, Asian Americans’ academic advantage over non-Hispanic white students diminishes between kindergarten entry and the next several years of schooling. This study provides a closer examination of the educational progress of Asian American students compared to white students through a seasonal comparison approach. Using the Northwest Evaluation Association, we analyze reading and math scores for over 130,000 Asian American and white students in grades K-7 in approximately 675 public schools across the US. We find that Asian Americans have higher academic achievement than white students in general, but that these advantages are maintained primarily through faster rates of learning during the summer months. When school is i...
Refining amino acid hydrophobicity for dynamics simulation of membrane proteins

Coarse-grained simulations enable the study of membrane proteins in the context of their native environment but require reliable parameters. The CgProt force field is assessed by comparing the potentials of mean force for sidechain insertion in a DOPC bilayer to results reported for atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. The reassignment of polar sidechain sites was found to improve the attractive interfacial behavior of tyrosine, phenylalanine and asparagine as well as charged lysine and arginine residues. The solvation energy at membrane depths of 0, 1.3 and 1.7 nm correlate with experimental partition coefficients in aqueous mixtures of cyclohexane, octanol and POPC, respectively, for sidechain analogs and Wimley-White peptides. These data points can be used to further discriminate between alternate force field parameters. Available partitioning data was also used to reparameterize the representation of the polar peptide backbone for non-alanine residues. The newly developed force field, CgProt 2.4, correctly predicts the global energy minimum in the potentials of mean force for insertion of the uncharged membrane-associated peptides LS3 and WALP23. CgProt will find application in molecular dynamics simulations of a variety of membrane protein systems.
EPO improved neurologic outcome in rat pups late after traumatic brain injury

Abstract In adult rats, erythropoietin improved outcomes early and late after traumatic brain injury, associated with increased levels of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor. Using our model of pediatric traumatic brain injury, controlled cortical impact in 17-day old rats, we previously showed that erythropoietin increased hippocampal neuronal fraction in the first two days after injury. Erythropoietin also decreased activation of caspase3, an apoptotic enzyme modulated by Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, and improved Novel Object Recognition testing 14 days after injury. Data on long-term effects of erythropoietin on Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor expression, histology and cognitive function after developmental traumatic brain injury are lacking. We hypothesized that erythropoietin would increase Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and improve long-term object recognition in rat pups after controlled cortical impact, associated with increased neuronal fraction in the hippocampus. Methods Rats pups received erythropoietin or vehicle at 1, 24, and 48 h and 7 days after injury or sham surgery followed by histology at 35 days, Novel Object Recognition testing at adulthood, and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor measurements early and late after injury. Results Erythropoietin improved Novel Object Recognition performance and preserved hippocampal volume, but not neuronal fraction, late after injury. Conclusions Improved object recognition in erythropoietin treated rats was associated with preserved hippocampal volume late after traumatic brain injury. Erythropoietin is approved to treat various pediatric conditions. Coupled with exciting experimental and clinical studies suggesting it is beneficial after neonatal hypoxic ischemic brain injury, our preliminary findings support further study of erythropoietin use after developmental traumatic brain injury.
A minimalist ontology, with other people in it

Response to rejoinder to Keane, Webb . 2018. “Perspectives on affordances, or the anthropologically real.” Hau : Journal of Ethnographic Theory 8 (1): 27–38
The Costs of Reproduction: History and the Legal Construction of Sex Equality

Today, legal and political actors argue that sex equality does not require society to share the costs of pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing with individual women and private families. Courts interpret the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 (“PDA”), amending Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to prohibit only market-irrational discriminatory animus. Political pundits oppose paid parental-leave legislation as a mandate that unfairly subsidizes private reproductive choice by shifting its costs onto the larger public.This Article uses novel historical research to deconstruct the boundaries between cost sharing and sex equality. I recover the redistributive dimensions of the vision for sex equality that legal feminists articulated from the 1960s through the 1980s. Legal feminists’ challenge to the family-wage system entailed efforts to redistribute the costs of reproduction between women and men within the home and between the family and society. The history of feminist mobilization, anti-feminist counter-mobilization, and norm evolution in law and policy, illustrates the overlap in the normative purpose and cost effects of antidiscrimination and cost-sharing mandates. To realize women’s right to social and economic independence, feminists pursued classic antidiscrimination mandates, the accommodation of pregnancy in the workplace, and affirmative social-welfare entitlements related to caregiving. All of these reforms, moreover, shifted the costs of reproduction from individual women to the larger society.The history related in this Article holds significant implications for contemporary legal and political debates. The history suggests that courts adopt an artificially narrow perspective when they interpret the PDA to fall short of requiring structural change in the workplace. It also suggests that Congress might build upon an evolving commitment to cost sharing as a critical component of sex equality by augmenting the entitlements created by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (“FMLA”).
Advance directives in critically ill cancer patients.

This prospective observational research study evaluates the frequency with which critically ill patients present to the intensive care unit with advance directives; describes the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with advance directives; and determines if the presence of an advance directive is associated with the hospital outcome of a critically ill cancer patient. The study emphasizes the cultural and clinical differences among patients with and without advance directives in the context of critically ill cancer patients.
Linear-elastic crack models of jointing and faulting

Abstract To gain insight into the formation and distribution of joints and faults and to illuminate the origin of associated secondary structures, we have developed methods for the interactive calculation and visualization of the stresses and displacements around these features. We assume that joints and faults can be idealized as cracks in homogeneous elastic bodies. Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) provides analytical expressions for the stress and displacement fields around cracks of various geometries for various loading conditions. We use a widely available symbolic math program to solve the general equations for a crack under uniform remote load and to display the results in two and three dimensions. Fracture mechanics has wide application in structural geology. The linked graphics and mathematics capabilities of symbolic math packages make LEFM accessible to a wide audience for both analytical and heuristic applications. We offer several geologic examples to demonstrate the power of visualizing the analytical solutions to linear elastic fracture problems. By examining the stress pattern around a modeled strike-slip fault we can predict the expression of secondary structures around the fault, including basins and ridges, or splay cracks and pressure solution surfaces. An analysis of variation in tensile stress away from an existing joint can be used to predict where the next parallel joint might initiate, defining the relationship between bed thickness and joint spacing. The crack model of a simple strike-slip fault also yields displacement vectors comparable in direction and relative magnitude to measured displacements produced by the 1989 Loma Prieta (California) earthquake.
Covering Gender on Memory's Front Page: Men's Prominence and Women's Prospects

The gender composition of highly available, naturally acquired memories for famous people was investigated in four field studies and three experiments with predominantly Caucasian children and adults. When memory was probed with only a linguistically gender-neutral retrieval cue (“famous people”), both male and female participants recalled significantly more famous men than famous women. Adding a gender-inclusive retrieval cue (“men or women”) significantly attenuated this androcentric recall effect for men and completely eliminated it for women. Women also recalled famous women just as rapidly as they recalled famous men in an experiment that utilized gender-specific cues (“famous men” “famous women”). Regardless of how memory was probed, large gender of participant effects were consistently observed. Gendercentric processing of androcentric cultural data is proposed as an explanation for the pattern of results observed here, and limitations and implications of this research are noted.
Longitudinal effects of developmental bisphenol A, variable diet, and physical activity on age-related methylation in blood.

Research indicates that environmental factors can alter DNA methylation, but the specific effects of environmental exposures on epigenetic aging remain unclear. Here, using a mouse model of human-relevant exposures, we tested the hypothesis that early-life exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), variable diet, and/or changes in physical activity would modify rates of age-related methylation at several target regions, as measured from longitudinal blood samples (2, 4, and 10 months old). DNA methylation was quantified at two repetitive elements (LINE-1, IAP), two imprinted genes (Igf2, H19), and one non-imprinted gene (Esr1) in isogenic mice developmentally exposed to Control, Control + BPA (50 µg/kg diet), Western high-fat diet (WHFD), or Western + BPA diets. In blood samples, Esr1 DNA methylation increased significantly with age, but no other investigated loci showed significant age-related methylation. LINE-1 and IAP both showed significant negative environmental deflection by WHFD exposure (P < 0.05). Esr1also showed significant negative environmental deflection by WHFD exposure in female mice (P = 0.02), but not male mice. Physical activity had a non-significant positive effect on age-related Esr1 methylation in female blood, suggesting that it may partially abrogate the effects of WHFD on the aging epigenome. These results suggest that developmental nutritional exposures can modify age-related DNA methylation patterns at a gene related to growth and development. As such, environmental deflection of the aging epigenome may help to explain the growing prevalence of chronic diseases in human populations.
Mitochondrial complex I in the post-ischemic heart: reperfusion-mediated oxidative injury and protein cysteine sulfonation.

Abstract A serious consequence of ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) is oxidative damage leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. Such I/R-induced mitochondrial dysfunction is observed as impaired state 3 respiration and overproduction of O2−. The cascading ROS can propagate cysteine oxidation on mitochondrial complex I and add insult to injury. Herein we employed LC-MS/MS to identify protein sulfonation of complex I in mitochondria from the infarct region of rat hearts subjected to 30-min of coronary ligation and 24-h of reperfusion in vivo as well as the mitochondria of sham controls. Mitochondrial preparations from the I/R regions had enhanced sulfonation levels on the cysteine ligands of iron‑sulfur clusters, including N3 (C425), N1b (C92), N4 (C226), N2 (C158/C188), and N1a (C134/C139). The 4Fe-4S centers of N3, N1b, N4, and N2 are key redox-active components of complex I, thus sulfonation of metal-binding sites impaired the main electron transfer pathway. The binuclear N1a has a very low redox potential and an antioxidative function. Increased C134/C139 sulfonation by I/R impaired the N1a cluster, potentially contributing to overall O2− generation by the FMN moiety of complex I. MS analysis also revealed I/R-mediated increased sulfonation at the core subunits of 51 kDa (C125, C187, C206, C238, C255, C286), 75 kDa (C367, C554, C564, C727), 49 kDa (C146, C326, C347), and PSST (C188). These results were consistent with the consensus indicating that 51 kDa and 75 kDa are two of major subunits hosting regulatory thiols, and their enhanced sulfonation by I/R predisposed the myocardium to further oxidant stress with impaired ubiquinone reduction. MS analysis further showed I/R-mediated enhanced sulfonation at the supernumerary subunits of 42 kDa (C67, C112, C183, C253), 15 kDa (C43), and 13 kDa (C79). The 42 kDa protein is metazoan-specific, which was reported to stabilize mammalian complex I. C43 of the 15 kDa subunit forms an intramolecular disulfide bond with C56, which was reported to stabilize complex I structure. C79 of the 13 kDa subunit is involved in Zn2+-binding, which was reported functionally important for complex I assembly. C79 sulfonation by I/R was found to impair Zn2+-binding. No significant enhancement of protein sulfonation was observed in mitochondrial complex I from the rat heart subjected to 30-min ischemia alone in vivo despite a decreased state 3 respiration, suggesting that the physiologic conditions of hyperoxygenation during reperfusion mediated an increase in complex I sulfonation and oxidative injury. In conclusion, sulfonation of specific cysteines of complex I mediates I/R-induced mitochondrial dysfunction via impaired ETC activity, increasing •O2− production, and mediating redox dysfunction of complex I.
Influence of select bioenergy by-products on soil carbon and microbial activity: A laboratory study.

Concerns about the negative impacts of crop biomass removal on soil ecological functions have led to questioning the long-term sustainability of bioenergy production. To offset this potential negative impact, use of organic C rich by-products from the bioenergy industries have been proposed as a means to replenish soil C in degraded soils. However, the impact of these by-products application on soil carbon dynamics is not fully understood. We measured biogeochemical changes in soil organic C following a three-year field application of two by-products, biochar (BC) and fermentation-by product (FBP), of bioenergy industry processes in an elephant grass [Pennisetum purpureum (L.) Schum.] field. There was a significant increase in overall soil organic C (SOC) observed in BC (270%) treated plots, however the higher labile SOC (51%) content was present in FBP treated plots. Solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy further revealed increased aromatic and alkyl groups in BC amended soils which lend to its significantly higher hydrophobicity index, HI (2.13) compared with FBP amended soils (HI = 0.8). Initial biogeochemical responses of amended soils to drought conditions were also investigated during a short-term experiment with drying and rewetting of soils. Increased concentrations of extractable C and higher stimulation of microbial activities (respiration and enzyme activities) in FBP amended soils were measured. Overall, our results reveal different impacts of the two soil amendments, where FBP soil application can affect the labile SOC availability, and stimulate rapid microbial response in drought affected soils, and biochar soil application lowers the labile SOC and microbial stimulation facilitating C sequestration over time.
Clinical and EEG Characteristics of Ifosfamide-Related Encephalopathy.

Purpose Ifosfamide can lead to a syndrome of central nervous system toxicity. Here, we investigate the clinical and EEG characteristics of patients with ifosfamide-related encephalopathy. Methods Retrospective data were collected on patients from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who developed encephalopathy associated with ifosfamide between 2007 and 2017. Patients who had an EEG performed were included. Clinical and laboratory data were retrospectively collected. Each EEG recording was reviewed and compared with the originally documented EEG report. Results Sixteen patients with ifosfamide-related encephalopathy were included, with primary tumors consisting of lymphoma (N = 9), sarcoma (N = 4), poorly differentiated ovarian cancer (N = 1), neuroblastoma (N = 1), and papillary serous adenocarcinoma (N = 1). Laboratory results ruled out other etiologies of encephalopathy. Generalized periodic discharges with or without triphasic morphology were seen most commonly (N = 9), with a distinct pattern of interspersed intermittent background attenuation seen in five patients. Background slowing and intermittent rhythmic delta activity (N = 4), bursts of bilateral synchronized delta activity (N = 2), and frontal predominant intermittent delta activity (N = 1) were also seen. One patient demonstrated a pattern consistent with nonconvulsive status epilepticus. Although most patients experienced resolution of symptoms, those who died demonstrated a variety of EEG abnormalities. Abnormal movements were common, with six patients demonstrating characteristic orofacial myoclonus. Conclusions Ifosfamide-related encephalopathy commonly results in a distinct pattern of generalized periodic discharges admixed with intermittent background attenuation on EEG. Abnormal movements, in particular orofacial myoclonus, are also common. Recognizing these clinical and EEG features might lead to early detection of ifosfamide-related encephalopathy.
Treatment for ischemic stroke: From thrombolysis to thrombectomy and remaining challenges

Stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disabilities. Despite decades of extensive efforts in search of brain injury mechanisms and therapeutic interventions, pharmacological treatment is limited to the use of thrombolytic agent tissue plasminogen activator, which has limited therapeutic time window and potential side effect of intracranial hemorrhage. Over the past few years, endovascular thrombectomy with stent-retriever devices combined with advanced imaging modalities has transformed the standard of stroke care, offering an opportunity to improve the outcome in selected patients as late as 24 h after the onset of stroke. This mini-review summarizes the advancement in the treatment of ischemic stroke, from thrombolysis to thrombectomy and remaining challenges in the field.
Characteristics of the opt-out movement: Early evidence for Colorado

Testing and accountability measures have continued to expand since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. In addition to school and district accountability, student test scores increasingly formed the foundation of teacher performance metrics. State participation rates exceeded the 95% minimum prescribed by law despite increasing opposition to many testing requirements. However, the rollout of the Common Core aligned PARCC tests in 2015 marked the start of a backlash against state mandated testing. The movement, commonly called opt-out, encouraged families not to participate in required tests. We use pooled OLS regression on statewide panel data from Colorado schools to examine school-level characteristics in one of the states with the largest declines in test participation. We find the prevalence of opt-out is largest in charter schools, suburban and rural areas, higher performing schools, and schools with a higher proportion of White students.
Monoamine oxidase A inhibition by toxic concentrations of metaxalone

Context: Serotonin toxicity is a reported complication associated with both therapeutic use and overdose of metaxalone while on therapeutic doses of serotonergic drugs such as serotonin reuptake in...
A Unifying Framework for Spectrum-Preserving Graph Sparsification and Coarsening

How might one ``reduce'' a graph? That is, generate a smaller graph that preserves the global structure at the expense of discarding local details? There has been extensive work on both graph sparsification (removing edges) and graph coarsening (merging nodes, often by edge contraction); however, these operations are currently treated separately. Interestingly, for a planar graph, edge deletion corresponds to edge contraction in its planar dual (and more generally, for a graphical matroid and its dual). Moreover, with respect to the dynamics induced by the graph Laplacian (e.g., diffusion), deletion and contraction are physical manifestations of two reciprocal limits: edge weights of $0$ and $\infty$, respectively. In this work, we provide a unifying framework that captures both of these operations, allowing one to simultaneously sparsify and coarsen a graph while preserving its large-scale structure. The limit of infinite edge weight is rarely considered, as many classical notions of graph similarity diverge. However, its algebraic, geometric, and physical interpretations are reflected in the Laplacian pseudoinverse $\mat{L}^\dagger$, which remains finite in this limit. Motivated by this insight, we provide a probabilistic algorithm that reduces graphs while preserving $\mat{L}^\dagger$, using an unbiased procedure that minimizes its variance. We compare our algorithm with several existing sparsification and coarsening algorithms using real-world datasets, and demonstrate that it more accurately preserves the large-scale structure.
The contribution of TMC1 to adaptation of mechanoelectrical transduction channels in cochlear outer hair cells

Key points Hair cell mechanoelectrical transducer channels are opened by deflections of the hair bundle about a resting position set by incompletely understood adaptation mechanisms. We used three characteristics to define adaptation in hair cell mutants of transmembrane channel-like proteins, TMC1 and TMC2, which are considered to be channel constituents. The results obtained demonstrate that the three characteristics are not equivalent, and raise doubts about simple models in which intracellular Ca2+ regulates adaptation. Adaptation is faster and more effective in TMC1-containing than in TMC2-containing transducer channels. This result ties adaptation to the channel complex, and suggests that TMC1 is a better isoform for use in cochlear hair cells. We describe a TMC1 point mutation, D569N, that reduces the resting open probability and Ca2+ permeability of the transducer channels, comprising properties that may contribute to the deafness phenotype. Abstract Recordings of mechanoelectrical transducer (MET) currents in cochlear hair cells were made in mice with mutations of transmembrane channel-like (TMC) protein to examine the effects on fast transducer adaptation. Adaptation was faster and more complete in Tmc2-/- than in Tmc1-/- , although this disparity was not explained by differences in Ca2+ permeability or Ca2+ influx between the two isoforms, with TMC2 having the larger permeability. We made a mouse mutation, Tmc1 p.D569N, homologous to a human DFNA36 deafness mutation, which also had MET channels with lower Ca2+ -permeability but showed better fast adaptation than wild-type Tmc1+/+ channels. Consistent with the more effective adaptation in Tmc1 p.D569N, the resting probability of MET channel opening was smaller. The three TMC variants studied have comparable single-channel conductances, although the lack of correlation between channel Ca2+ permeability and adaptation opposes the hypothesis that adaptation is controlled simply by Ca2+ influx through the channels. During the first postnatal week of mouse development, the MET currents amplitude grew, and transducer adaptation became faster and more effective. We attribute changes in adaptation partly to a developmental switch from TMC2- to TMC1- containing channels and partly to an increase in channel expression. More complete and faster adaptation, coupled with larger MET currents, may account for the sole use of TMC1 in the adult cochlear hair cells.
Debris cover and the thinning of Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, Part A:in situ mass balance measurements

Abstract. The mass balance of many Alaskan glaciers is perturbed by debris cover. Yet the effect of debris on glacier response to climate change in Alaska has largely been overlooked. In three companion papers we assess the role of debris, ice dynamics, and surface processes in thinning Kennicott Glacier. In Part A, we report in situ measurements from the glacier surface. In Part B, we develop a method to delineate ice cliffs using high-resolution imagery and produce distributed mass balance estimates. In Part C we explore feedbacks that contribute to glacier thinning. Here in Part A, we describe data collected in the summer of 2011. We measured debris thickness (109 locations), sub-debris melt (74), and ice cliff backwasting (60) data from the debris-covered tongue. We also measured air-temperature (3 locations) and internal-debris temperature (10). The mean debris thermal conductivity was 1.06 W (m C)−1, increasing non-linearly with debris thickness. Mean debris thicknesses increase toward the terminus and margin where surface velocities are low. Despite the relatively high air temperatures above thick debris, the melt-insulating effect of debris dominates. Sub-debris melt rates ranged from 6.5 cm d−1 where debris is thin to 1.25 cm d−1 where debris is thick near the terminus. Ice cliff backwasting rates varied from 3 to 14 cm d−1 with a mean of 7.1 cm d−1 and tended to increase as elevation declined and debris thickness increased. Ice cliff backwasting rates are similar to those measured on debris-covered glaciers in High Mountain Asia and the Alps.
Subradiance and superradiance-to-subradiance transition in dilute atomic clouds

The authors experimentally demonstrate a transition from superradiance to subradiance in a dilute cloud of ultracold Rb atoms and in the regime of strong excitation. They also show that, in this regime, the subradiant time scales depend on the excitation fraction of the cloud, i.e., on the intensity of the excitation pulse.
Application of Detectability Analysis for Power System Dynamic State Estimation

In this paper, detectability analysis is studied and extended to guide selection of measurements for the dynamic state estimation (DSE) of a synchronous machine. To make sure that the DSE converges, past studies suggested that enough measurements must be available to make the system observable. In this paper, the convergence condition is relaxed via detectability analysis to reduce the number of required measurements. Because the objective of the DSE is to estimate the current states as time progresses, it is shown that a DSE observer can converge not only for an observable system but also for an unobservable system if the eigenvalues corresponding to the unobservable states are stable. Simulation results using the IEEE 10-machine, 39-bus system show that the unscented-Kalman-filter-based DSE can converge when measurements are chosen such that the unobservable states have stable eigenvalues. In comparison with observability analysis, the proposed application of detectability analysis can reduce the number of measurements required for the existence of a DSE observer.