cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensitivities to monochromatic 254-nm and 365-nm radiation of closely related strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with differing repair capabilities.

— Sensitivity to monochromatic 254- and 365-nm radiation was compared in closely related yeast strains with defects in one or more of the excision-repair (rad1), error-prone repair (rad18), or recombinational-repair (rad51) pathways. At 254 nm, mutants defective in a single repair pathway exhibited slight to moderate UV sensitivity; those defective in two separate pathways were somewhat more UV sensitive, while triple mutants defective in all three pathways exhibited extreme UV sensitivity with a lethal event corresponding to 0.05 J m−2. Repair defects also rendered mutants sensitive to 365-nm radiation; strains with single defects exhibited slight sensitivity, mutants with two defective pathways were more sensitive, and triple mutants exhibited maximal sensitivity with a lethal event corresponding to 2.4 times 104 J m−2. In the triple mutant (rad1, rad18, rad51) at both 254 and 365 nm, the dose per lethal event was almost identical with comparable values in a repair-deficient double mutant (uvrA, recA) of Escherichia coli. In the E. coli mutant pyrimidine dimers are believed to be the primary cause of lethality at both wavelengths. Evidence for dimer involvement in the yeast mutant was obtained by demonstrating that lethality at both 254 and 365 nm was photoreactivated by light at 405 nm.
Mediation of Highly Concentrative Uptake of Pregabalin by L-Type Amino Acid Transport in Chinese Hamster Ovary and Caco-2 Cells

Pregabalin (PGB) is a novel drug under development for the treatment of epilepsy, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and generalized anxiety disorder. In this study, we investigated PGB transport in rats, mammalian cell lines, and Xenopus laevis oocytes. In contrast to gabapentin (GBP), PGB absorption in rats showed unique linear pharmacokinetics. PGB entered CHO and Caco-2 cells predominately via Na(+)-independent processes. Uptake of PGB was mutually exclusive with leucine, GBP and 2-aminobicyclo(2,2,1)heptane-2-carboxylic acid, the substrates preferential for system L. The preloaded PGB in CHO cells was exchangeable with leucine, but at a lower exchange rate than that of leucine and GBP. Dixon plots showed competitive inhibition of leucine uptake by PGB, with a K(i) value very close to the K(m) value for PGB uptake (377 versus 363 microM). At an extracellular concentration of 300 microM, the intracellular PGB concentration in CHO cells reached 1.5- and 23-fold higher than that of GBP and leucine, respectively. In contrast, at clinically relevant concentrations, PGB seemed not to interact with GABA transport in GAT1, GAT2, and GAT3 cell lines, system y(+), b(0,+), B(0,+), and B(0) transport activities in Caco-2 and NBL-1 cells, and the b(0,+)-like transport activity in rBAT cRNA-injected X. laevis oocytes. Taken together, these results suggest that L-type transport is the major transport route for PGB and GBP uptake in mammalian cells. The differential affinity of PGB and GBP at L-type system leads to more concentrative accumulation of PGB than GBP, which may facilitate PGB transmembrane absorption in vivo.
Intraventricular Hemorrhage after Epidural Blood Patching: An Unusual Complication

The authors present two cases of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) believed to be a result of epidural blood patching. The first was a 71-year-old woman who had new onset of nontraumatic IVH on computed tomography (CT) scan after undergoing an epidural blood patch (EBP). This amount of intraventricular blood was deemed an incidental finding since it was of very small volume to account for her overall symptoms. The second patient, a 29-year-old woman, was found to have nontraumatic IVH three days after undergoing an EBP. This was seen on CT scan of the head for workup of pressure-like headaches, nausea, vomiting, and absence seizures. Conservative management was followed in both instances. Serial CT scan of the head in our first patient displayed complete resolution of her IVH. The second patient did not have follow-up CT scans because her overall clinical picture had improved significantly. This highlights a potential sequel of EBP that may be observed on CT scan of the head. In the event that IVH is detected, signs and symptoms of hydrocephalus should be closely monitored with the consideration for a future workup if warranted by the clinical picture.
Groundwater management modeling

The symposium on Optimization Techniques for Managing Groundwater and Stream-Aquifer Systems, held at the 1983 AGU Fall Meeting, covered (1) small-scale optimal design of well fields which were for the most part associated with the containment of contaminated groundwater, and (2) use of management models to evaluate conjunctiveuse and water allocation policy. The presentations focused on methodology and case studies which have combined groundwater flow (and contaminant transport) simulation with linear and nonlinear optimization. The 8 presentations and panel discussion brought together those who have largely shaped the field of groundwater management modeling and those who have extended and applied earlier methods and made contributions as part of recent or ongoing thesis work. After the formal presentations, Manoutch Heidari chaired the lively panel which consisted of Nathan Buras, John D. Bredehoeft, Yacov Y. Haimes, Thomas Maddock III, Gerald T. O'Mara, and Robert Willis.
Using visual analytics to develop situation awareness in astrophysics

We present a novel collaborative visual analytics application for cognitively overloaded users in the astrophysics domain. The system was developed for scientists who need to analyze heterogeneous, complex data under time pressure, and make predictions and time-critical decisions rapidly and correctly under a constant influx of changing data. The Sunfall Data Taking system utilizes several novel visualization and analysis techniques to enable a team of geographically distributed domain specialists to effectively and remotely maneuver a custom-built instrument under challenging operational conditions. Sunfall Data Taking has been in production use for 2 years by a major international astrophysics collaboration (the largest data volume supernova search currently in operation), and has substantially improved the operational efficiency of its users. We describe the system design process by an interdisciplinary team, the system architecture and the results of an informal usability evaluation of the production system by domain experts in the context of Endsley's three levels of situation awareness.
System software and hardware support considerations for digital video and audio computing

Digital video and audio (DVA) input/output presents special problems to a computer system's underlying support software and hardware. The author explores what generic functionality the I/O bus, device controllers, and system software should provide to adequately support DVA applications executing on modern workstations connected by fast local area networks. The problems are due to the high data rates and timing constraints of DVA. To address these problems, more efficient data movement (minimizing data copying wherever possible) and better control over low-level timing of I/O transfers are required. System software must take better advantage of I/O bus functionality such as burst-mode transfers and peer-to-peer communication. While complex embedded systems are discouraged, controllers may be equipped with special-purpose functionality which causes a reduction in data movement, such as compression/decompression hardware. System I/O software should support separation of data transfer and I/O control. >
Variance Risk-Premium Dynamics: The Role of Jumps

Using high-frequency stock market data and (synthetic) variance swap rates, this paper identifles and investigates the temporal variation in the market variance risk premium. The variance risk is manifest in two salient features of flnancial returns: stochastic volatility and jumps. The pricing of these two separate components is analyzed in a general semiparametric framework. The key empirical results imply that investors fears of future jumps are especially sensitive to recent jump activity and that their willingness to pay for protection against jumps increase signiflcantly immediately after the occurrence of jumps. This in turn suggests that time-varying risk aversion, as previously documented in the literature, is primarily driven by large, or extreme, market moves. The dynamics of risk-neutral jump intensity extracted from deep out-of-the money put options conflrms these flndings. (JEL C51, C52, G12, G13)
Photonic crystal sensor for organophosphate nerve agents utilizing the organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme

We developed an intelligent polymerized crystalline colloidal array (IPCCA) photonic crystal sensing material which reversibly senses the organophosphate compound methyl paraoxon at micromolar concentrations in aqueous solutions. A periodic array of colloidal particles is embedded in a poly-2-hydroxyethylacrylate hydrogel. The particle lattice spacing is such that the array Bragg-diffracts visible light. We utilize a bimodular sensing approach in which the enzyme organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) catalyzes the hydrolysis of methyl paraoxon at basic pH, producing p-nitrophenolate, dimethylphosphate, and two protons. The protons lower the pH and create a steady-state pH gradient. Protonation of the phenolates attached to the hydrogel makes the free energy of mixing of the hydrogel less favorable, which causes the hydrogel to shrink. The IPCCA’s lattice constant decreases, which blueshifts the diffracted light. The magnitude of the steady-state diffraction blueshift is proportional to the concentration of methyl paraoxon. The current detection limit is 0.2 μmol methyl paraoxon per liter.
Efficiency of Feed Utilization and Rate of Feed Passage Through the Digestive System

Abstract The relationship of efficiency of feed utilization determined by the feed conversion ratio (FCR) to the rate of feed passage through the digestive system of juvenile chickens was studied and three different methods of measuring feed passage rate (FPR) were evaluated. The FPR did not differ between sexes that had different FCR, nor did it differ between commercial broiler strains that differed in FCR. Feed restriction did not affect FPR. There was little correlation between FCR and FPR in any of the groups evaluated and the FPR was similar for high- and low-FCR groups. There was some evidence for increased FPR in birds grown at 32.2 C compared with those grown at 26.7 C. Similar results were obtained for FPR whether the tracer dye was given in the feed, or in a gelatin capsule, or no tracer dye was used. Repeatability of FPR obtained on the same individuals at different ages was very low.
The ND-tree: a dynamic indexing technique for multidimensional non-ordered discrete data spaces

Similarity searches in multidimensional Nonordered Discrete Data Spaces (NDDS) are becoming increasingly important for application areas such as genome sequence databases. Existing indexing methods developed for multidimensional (ordered) Continuous Data Spaces (CDS) such as R-tree cannot be directly applied to an NDDS. This is because some essential geometric concepts/properties such as the minimum bounding region and the area of a region in a CDS are no longer valid in an NDDS. On the other hand, indexing methods based on metric spaces such as M-tree are too general to effectively utilize the data distribution characteristics in an NDDS. Therefore, their retrieval performance is not optimized. To support efficient similarity searches in an NDDS, we propose a new dynamic indexing technique, called the ND-tree. The key idea is to extend the relevant geometric concepts as well as some indexing strategies used in CDSs to NDDSs. Efficient algorithms for ND-tree construction are presented. Our experimental results on synthetic and genomic sequence data demonstrate that the performance of the ND-tree is significantly better than that of the linear scan and M-tree in high dimensional NDDSs.
Role of lysophosphatidic acid in endothelin-1- and hematoma-induced alteration of cerebral microcirculation

Cerebral hematoma increases cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) endothelin-1 (ET-1). Inhibitors of ET-1 synthesis prevent this increment and hematoma-induced modification of cerebral arteriolar reactivity. We hypothesized that intrathecal ET-1 injection could 1) modify pial arteriolar reactivity similarly to hematoma; 2) increase CSF lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a potential contributor to altered cerebrovascular reactivity; and 3) reduce the level of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in the CSF. Either ET-1 (10(-7) M) or artificial CSF was injected over the left parietal cortex of newborn pigs. Four days later, cranial windows were implanted. CSF ET was increased from a basal level of 11 fmol/ml to 18 fmol/ml 4 days after ET-1 injection, whereas CSF cAMP was reduced from 2,700 to 950 fmol/ml. The mean diameter of pial arterioles was reduced 31%. In control animals, 10(-12) M ET caused dilation, and higher concentrations induced vasoconstriction. Four days after ET-1 injection topical ET-1 caused constriction instead of dilation at 10(-12) M, and constrictions at higher doses were enhanced. Norepinephrine-induced constrictions were potentiated in the ET-1-injected group. Dilations to cAMP-dependent (but not independent) vasodilators were attenuated after ET-1. The concentration of the vasoconstrictor lipid mediator LPA increased approximately fourfold. Thus intrathecal injection of ET-1 mimics hematoma-induced modification of cerebral vascular reactivity and increase in LPA production. The mechanism(s) of ET-1- and hematoma-induced modifications may involve LPA, which is known to contribute to the loss of dilator responses by inhibition of cAMP product on. The present study further suggests that ET-1 together with LPA could be causing changes in cerebrovascular reactivity following cerebral hemorrhage. ET-1 stimulates the release of LPA from brain parenchyma independent of serum so that LPA could serve as a secondary mediator.
High throughput screening of Toxoplasma gondii clones by PCR after limitation cloning

Toxoplasma gondii is a kind of obligate intracellular parasites that are capable of infecting virtually all warm-blooded animals. It is one of the most common parasites in human. Serological studies estimated that up to a third of the global population has been chronically infected with the parsites. Toxoplasma gondii is also used as a model orgnisim of Apicomplexans that includes Plasmodium – the parasites that cause malaria. Gene knockout is a very important way to study gene function in all organisms. When it comes to Toxoplasma, it’s very difficult as this haploid parasite has strong adaptability to circumvent the condition of gene defects by gene duplication. High throughput screening at very early stage of transfection is very important for generating a true knockout of this parasite. For some genes that are required forToxoplasma gondii, the high throughput screening is necessary. Different labs use different protocols. After reading and practicing protocols from different papers or different labs, here I established an efficient pipeline for this purpose.
Structural, Optical, and Electrical Characterization of Monoclinic β-Ga 2 O 3 Grown by MOVPE on Sapphire Substrates

Epitaxial growth of monoclinic β-Ga2O3 on a-plane and c-plane sapphire substrates by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) is reported. Crystalline phase, growth rate (∼150 nm/h), and energy gap (∼4.7 eV) were determined by x-ray diffraction and optical reflectance measurements. Film density of ∼5.6 g/cm3 measured by x-ray reflectivity suggests the presence of vacancies, and the O-rich growth regime implies the presence of Ga vacancies in the films. O/Ga ratio of 1.13, as measured by XPS for Ga2O3 grown on c-plane Al2O3, suggests that, near the surface, the film is O-deficient. Atomic force microscopy revealed smoother, smaller grain size when films were grown on c-plane Al2O3. Raman spectroscopy suggested inclusions of α-Ga2O3, likely present at the sapphire interface due to growth on nonnative substrate. Samples of β-Ga2O3 were selectively implanted with Si in the source/drain regions and subsequently annealed at 1000°C for 10 min. Normally-off transistors (V T ≅ 4.7 V) with 20-nm-thick Al2O3 gate oxide were fabricated, and a maximum drain–source current of 4.8 nA was measured.
TORSIONAL RESPONSE OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS

Ambient and earthquake response records obtained in several southern California high-rise buildings are analyzed. Building translational and torsional natural periods are estimated and compared. Ambient response is found to be an important indicator of earthquake response. Torsional building response resulting from ambient and earthquake excitation was found to be significant. A design spectrum is developed representing a standardized torsional ground motion of El Centro 1940 Earthquake Intensity.
Endorectal multiparametric MRI of the prostate: incremental effect of perfusion imaging on biopsy target identification ☆

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the incremental effect of perfusion imaging on biopsy target identification at endorectal multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and methods We retrospectively 52 patients who underwent endorectal multiparametric prostate MRI for suspected or untreated prostate cancer. Two readers independently identified biopsy targets without and with perfusion images. Results Reader 1 identified 36 targets without and 39 targets with perfusion imaging ( P >.05). The corresponding numbers for reader 2 were 38 and 38, respectively ( P =.5). Conclusion Perfusion imaging does not significantly increase the number of biopsy targets identified at endorectal multiparametric prostate MRI.
Medical Respite and Linkages to Outpatient Health Care Providers among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness

Medical respite programs provide nursing care and case management to individuals experiencing homelessness following hospitalization for an acute medical problem. One goal of these programs is to link clients to outpatient providers to decrease their reliance on hospital services. Through qualitative interviews with staff members (n = 8) and clients (n = 14) at a medical respite program, we explored processes of, and challenges associated with, linking clients to outpatient care. Six themes were identified, which offer insight about important considerations when linking clients to outpatient providers and highlight the value of medical respite programs for this population.
Simultaneous determination seven co-existed organic toxicants in working area by gas chromatography

Objective:To study and develop a method for simultaneous determination of ethyl acetate,butyl acetate,butanone,benzene,toluene,xylene,and butanol by using gas chromatography.These seven organic toxicants often co-exist in working area.Methods:Adopt a method based on gas chromatography with gradient temperature,big-bore capillary gas chromatography column,and extraction with organic solvent for sample preparation.Results:Under optimized experiment conditions,peaks for these seven compounds are well separated.The recovery efficiency for standard doping is from 87.9% to 99.1%.The limit of detection is 0.22~1.4 μg/ml.The regression coefficient is 0.997 in the recommended concentration range.Conclusion:This method is capable to simultaneously determine these seven co-existed organic toxicants in working area.This method has a wide linear response range,high accuracy,and simple and fast procedures.
The Rougher Flotation Process of Copper Anode Slime for Collecting Gold and Silver

The copper anode slime, which contains a lot of precious metals and rare element, is an important raw material for the recovery of precious metals. The rougher flotation process of copper anode slime, applying some home-made collectors, was discussed, which followed by a pre-treatment process.And different operating conditions were studied in detail. The results showed that, after pre-treatment process, if the home-made collector C had been used and pH value controlled at 2, then the grade of gold and silver in flotation concentrate would reach 0.8%~1.0% and 45%~50%, respectively. And the concentration ratios of precious metal can achieve 4.5. The flotation concentrate will be allowed to turn into the smelting process directly, saving the traditional process of lead smelting and reducing the cost,which is helpful for subsequent processing.
Tax Knowledge Adventure: Ontologies that Analyze Corporate Tax Transactions

Software about U.S. Income Tax has been concentrated on numerical analysis, calculating tax effects where the legal results of transactions are known. In this paper, utilizing ontologies which represent computerized knowledge, tax software can be extended to explain its computation and also educate the user about the domain, corporate tax. Ontologies can be equally useful as a tool for analyzing transactions to determine what the legal implications are. This paper includes 1) designing Corporate Tax ontology that reflects the structure and form of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (IRC), 2) its application that supports user interactive form filling functionality. Finally, 3) it demonstrates how the end user can learn about the corporate tax consequences. The newly developed software prototype, referred to as Tax Knowledge Adventure or TKA in short, is useful not only for Tax payers but also for government officers to respond to inquiries or appeals with smart reasoning.
UNIT 4.3 Immunofluorescence Staining

This unit provides a protocol for indirect immunofluorescence, which is a method that provides information about the locations of specific molecules and the structure of the cell. Antibody molecules for a specific target molecule are exposed to the cell or tissue being investigated. The binding of these molecules is detected by incubating the sample with a secondary antibody specific for immunoglobulin molecules and conjugated to a fluorophore. This provides both a visible signal and amplification of the signal and the results are observed with a fluorescence microscope. This unit describes the widely used and powerful technique of localization of proteins in cells by immunofluorescence. The location can be determined by double labeling with an antibody directed against a protein of known location. The technique can be used as a supplement to immunolocalization by electron microscopy and subcellular fractionation. It allows not only identification of the antigen distribution in the cell but also a survey of the dynamic aspects of protein movements in the cell—on and off membranes, into and out of the nucleus, and through membrane traffic pathways. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: immunofluorescence; localization; organelle; antibody
On History and Hydrography

In the late summer months of 1797, Tomas Mauricio Lopez, son of famous cartographer Tomas Lopez de Vargas y Machuca, published a beautiful map depicting the archipelago of the Marquesas as well as Easter Island. According to the geo-historical tradition inherited from his father, Lopez was to perform a careful historical study of existing charts in an effort to craft a map by utilizing the longitudinal readings from the Teide Mountain located on the Canary Island of Tenerife.2 Lopez’s map, however, deviated from this accepted geo-historical practice. Although the chart meant to highlight earlier Spanish encounters with the depicted islands in the Pacific, its longitudinal readings were unorthodox. The prime meridian guiding the map derived not from the volcano Teide, but from the Royal Observatory located in Greenwich. In short, Lopez had based his geo-historical analysis almost entirely on the readings of James Cook’s second circumnavigation (1772–1775).
The Linkages Between Customer Satisfaction and Four Loyalty Behaviors in the Presence of Moderators

This study investigates the effects of moderators on the relationship between customer satisfaction and four common loyalty behaviors: (1) repurchase intentions, (2) positive word-of-mouth, (3) negative word-of-mouth, and (4) share-of-wallet. This evaluation is performed across three service industries and for two moderators—switching costs and variety seeking. The former is thought to be most relevant at low satisfaction levels whereas the latter is thought to be most relevant at high satisfaction levels. Eight hypotheses are formulated and tested.
Response to Head CT AEM Letter to the Editor

We appreciate Dr. Melnick's interest in our work and acknowledge their own work that also tries to address the important issue of potentially avoidable computed tomography imaging in the emergency department (ED). We agree that a study design that uses big data and one that uses small data each have inherent strengths and weaknesses. As we discussed in our original article, we used a hybrid design in an attempt to capitalize on the strengths, and compensate for the limitations, inherent to each strategy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Cesium Platinide Hydride 4Cs 2 Pt-CsH: An Intermetallic Double Salt Featuring Metal Anions

With Cs9 Pt4 H a new representative of ionic compounds featuring metal anions can be added to this rare-membered family. Cs9 Pt4 H exhibits a complex crystal structure containing Cs+ cations, Pt2- and H- anions. Being a red, transparent compound its band gap is in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum and the ionic type of bonding is confirmed by quantum chemical calculations. This cesium platinide hydride can formally be considered as a double salt of the "alloy" cesium-platinum, or better cesium platinide, Cs2 Pt, and the salt cesium hydride CsH according to Cs9 Pt4 H≡4 Cs2 Pt⋅CsH.
Dual Mechanism of Dry Strength Improvement of Cellulose Nanofibril Films by Polyamide-epichlorohydrin Resin Cross-Linking

The chemical and physical properties of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films cross-linked with wet strength cross-linker polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin (PAE) were investigated. In addition to the expected wet strength improvement, a unique stress–strain behavior for dry cross-linked films was observed. This stress–strain behavior indicates that varying stress-bearing mechanisms arise from the formation of new bonds caused by cross-linking at different levels of cross-linker addition. Cross-linked films showed an approximate 150% increase in dry strength, when compared to non-cross-linked CNF films. The cross-linked films showed a transition of both surface and bulk properties from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The water contact angle increased from 50° to 110°, while the water retention value decreased by approximately 25% for the cross-linked films. Moreover, water vapor permeability also showed a 2-fold decrease. Possible mechanisms for the changes in behavior are discussed in detail.
Electron Spin Resonance Spectra of Gamma Radiolysis Products of Solid Acetonitrile

The electron spin resonance spectra of radicals formed in solid acetonitrile at 77 K under the action of Co 60γ-radiation were observed to guide in the interpretation of the γ-radiolysis of this material. The hyperfine pattern is centered at a g -value of 2.0025 ± 0.0004, and exhibits eleven lines symmetrically situated about this value. Analysis of this hyperfine structure indicates the probable presence of at least two different species. The radical present in the largest concentration is formed from acetonitrile by removal of a hydrogen atom and is responsible for about four-fifths of the observed signal. The remaining intensity is thought to be due to radicals resulting from the addition of a single hydrogen atom to the parent substance. The decay of these radicals has been measured, at various temperatures and the resulting material analyzed by mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. The 100-eV yields for these radicals were estimated using a diphenyl picryl hydrazyl solution standard.
Forgotten and Left Behind: Political Apathy and Privilege at Title IX’s 40th Anniversary

In June 2012, Title IX celebrated its 40th anniversary to much fanfare nationwide, particularly in sporting circles. The event generated widespread news coverage, and journalists thus played a key ...
Influence of a pulsed CO2 laser operating at 9.4 μm on the surface morphology, reflectivity, and acid resistance of dental enamel below the threshold for melting

Below the threshold for laser ablation, the mineral phase of enamel is converted into a purer phase hydroxyapatite with increased acid resistance. Studies suggest the possibility of achieving the conversion without visible surface alteration. In this study, changes in the surface morphology, reflectivity, and acid resistance were monitored with varying irradiation intensity. Bovine enamel specimens were irradiated using a CO 2 laser operating at 9.4 ?? ? m with a Gaussian spatial beam profile—1.6 to 3.1 mm in diameter. After laser treatment, samples were subjected to demineralization to simulate the acidic intraoral conditions of dental decay. The resulting demineralization and erosion were assessed using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography, three-dimensional digital microscopy, and polarized light microscopy. Distinct changes in the surface morphology and the degree of inhibition were found within the laser-treated area in accordance with the laser intensity profile. Subtle visual changes were noted below the melting point for enamel that appear to correspond to thresholds for denaturation of the organic phase and thermal decomposition of the mineral phase. There was significant protection from laser irradiation in areas in which the reflectivity was not increased significantly, suggesting that aesthetically sensitive areas of the tooth can be treated for caries prevention.
Depression Among Transgender Older Adults: General and Minority Stress.

This study aims to (a) examine the direct and indirect effects internalized heterosexism, disclosure of gender identity, and perceived general stress in association with depression among transgender older adults; and (b) to assess the relative contribution of each relationship. Secondary analyses of data from a large community-based study of older sexual and gender minorities were conducted utilizing structural equation modeling with a subsample (n = 174) of transgender adults aged 50 to 86-years old. Disclosure of gender identity had no significant direct or indirect effects on either perceived general stress or depression. Internalized heterosexism did not have a direct effect on depression, but did have a significant indirect effect through perceived general stress. Finally, perceived general stress had an additional significant direct effect on depression, over and above internalized heterosexism. Total effect sizes appear to be considerable with standardized betas greater than 5.0. Perceived general stress and internalized heterosexism independently and cumulatively have significant direct and indirect effects on depression among transgender older adults. Implications for depression among transgender older adults and the role of community psychology are discussed.
Condition Prediction for Manufacturing Electrical Equipment

Abstract This paper addresses the complex issues involved extending prediction intervals for inspection and maintenance of electrical protection equipment on manufacturing lines. Illustrations are based on representative data.
Abstinence environment contributes to age differences in reinstatement of cocaine seeking between adolescent and adult male rats

Abstracts Rationale Extinction responding and cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking after 60-days of forced abstinence are attenuated in male rats that self-administered cocaine during adolescence, compared with adults. Given that environmental enrichment during abstinence decreases reinstatement among adults, a possible explanation for attenuated reinstatement among adolescents is that standard pair-housing in prior studies creates a more stimulating environment for younger rats. Objective Therefore, we tested whether standard pair-housing is necessary for the attenuated reinstatement among adolescents by determining whether an impoverished environment during abstinence would increase reinstatement among adolescents, up to adult levels. Conversely, we also tested whether environmental enrichment could further decrease reinstatement among adolescents, and whether we could replicate effects of environmental enrichment to decrease reinstatement among adults down to adolescent levels (positive controls). Methods Adolescent and adult male Wistar rats self-administered cocaine intravenously for 12 days (fixed ratio 1; 0.36 mg/kg per infusion; 2 h sessions). Rats were then moved into enriched (grouped, large cages, novel toys), standard (pair-housed, shoebox cages), or impoverished (isolated, hanging cages) housing conditions. After 60 days, extinction and cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking were tested, followed by drug-primed reinstatement (0, 5, 10 mg/kg cocaine, i.p.). Results Consistent with previous results, extinction and cue-induced reinstatement were attenuated in adolescent-onset groups compared with adults; this age difference also extended to drug-primed reinstatement. In support of the present hypothesis, an impoverished environment during abstinence increased reinstatement among adolescents to levels that were not different from adult standard-housing levels. Conclusions These data suggest that abstinence environment influences the enduring effects of cocaine among adolescents as well as adults.
Overview of technical specifications for grid-connected photovoltaic systems

Abstract Numerous countries are trying to reach 100% renewable penetration. Variable renewable energy (VRE), for instance wind and PV, will be the main provider of the future grid. Cost reduction of accelerates the large scale VRE deployment around the world. The efforts to decrease the greenhouse gases are promising on the current remarkable growth of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) capacity. This paper provides an overview of the presented techniques, standards and grid interface of the PV systems in distribution and transmission level. This paper compares the different review studies which has been published recently and provides an extensive survey on technical specifications of grid connected PV systems. Moreover, the adopted topologies of the converters, a thorough control strategies for grid connected inverters, as well as their applications in PV farms has been studied. This study will help researchers and industry users to establish their research based on connection requirements and compare between different existing technologies.
The Fractures of the Olecranon

The subcutaneous location of the olecranon makes it vulnerable to trauma [1]. Isolated fractures of the olecranon comprise approximately 10% of fractures about the elbow [2, 3], with an estimated incidence of 1.08 per 10,000 person-years [3]. Most result from low energy trauma such as a fall from a height of less than 2 m, a direct blow to the elbow, or from forced hyperextension [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. A fall on a partially flexed elbow may generate an avulsion fracture of the olecranon from the pull of the triceps [1]. Amis et al. [7] investigated variable impact mechanisms and the resultant fracture patterns in a cadaveric model. A trend was noted in which radial head and coronoid fractures tended to occur with forearm impacts with the elbow in up to 8o° of flexion [7]. Olecranon fractures occurred with direct blows at 90° of flexion, while injuries occurring with the elbow in > 110° of flexion tended to result in distal humerus fractures [7].
Conjugated Bile Acids Promote Invasive Growth of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Cells and Cancer Stem Cell Expansion via Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptor 2-Mediated Yes-Associated Protein Activation.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is the sixth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and has been dramatically increasing in incidence over the past decade. Gastroesophageal reflux and Barrett esophagus are well-established risk factors for disease progression. Conjugated bile acids (CBAs), including taurocholate (TCA), represent the major bile acids in the gastroesophageal refluxate of advanced Barrett esophagus and EAC patients. Our previous studies suggested that CBA-induced activation of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2) plays a critical role in promoting cholangiocarcinoma cell invasive growth. However, the role of CBAs in EAC development and underlying mechanisms remains elusive. In the current study, we identified that the expression level of S1PR2 is correlated to invasiveness of EAC cells. TCA significantly promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion, transformation, and cancer stem cell expansion in highly invasive EAC cells (OE-33 cells), but had less effect on the lower invasive EAC cells (OE-19 cells). Pharmacologic inhibition of S1PR2 with specific antagonist JTE-013 or knockdown of S1PR2 expression significantly reduced TCA-induced invasive growth of OE-33 cells, whereas overexpression of S1PR2 sensitized OE-19 cells to TCA-induced invasive growth. Furthermore, TCA-induced activation of S1PR2 was closely associated with YAP and β-catenin signaling pathways. In conclusion, CBA-induced activation of the S1PR2 signaling pathway is critically involved in invasive growth of EAC cells and represents a novel therapeutic target for EAC.
International Marine Environmental Law (Oil Pollution)

This paper gives a broad overview of international marine environmental law, focussing on oil pollution, and is presented as part of a co-operative approach to the problems we face in preventing degradation of our precious marine environment. Oceans by their nature are difficult to legislate for, and this paper demonstrates how the international community has sought to regulate marine pollution, particularly oil pollution, in the context of significant marine disasters.
Chapter 10 Biased estimation

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the conventional linear-statistical models, estimators, and hypothesis testing framework. Sampling theory and Bayes estimators that permit sample information and various types of nonsample information are specified and evaluated. In the chapter, testing frameworks are specified for evaluating the compatibility of the sample information. The various types of nonsample information and the corresponding pretest estimators are derived, compared, and evaluated. The chapter discusses inadmissibility of the least-squares estimator and a range of Stein-rule estimators for alternative loss functions and design matrices. Alternatives to least squares are considered for the stochastic regressor case. The chapter also discusses the problem of collinear data and the ridge-type and general minimax estimators. The statistical implications of these biased alternatives for econometric theory and practice are discussed in the chapter.
Check It, Change It A Community-Based, Multifaceted Intervention to Improve Blood Pressure Control

Background—Despite the widespread availability of effective and affordable therapies, hypertension remains this country’s most significant modifiable cardiovascular risk factor. Approximately 30% to 50% of individuals with hypertension currently fail to reach guideline-recommended target blood pressure (BP) goals. Although multiple interventions have been proposed to affect better hypertension control, the integration of multiple elements in a community-based program has not been evaluated to date. Methods and Results—We created a broadly inclusive community-based initiative to control hypertension called Check It, Change It: The Durham Blood Pressure Challenge (CICI). We enrolled ≈2000 participants with hypertension in 8 ambulatory clinics across Durham County, NC. The CICI program engaged individuals by providing them with tools for self-monitoring and tied this information to their caregivers via a web-based portal (the American Heart Association’s Heart360, a remote BP monitoring system). Additionally...
Temperature dependence of CsI (T1) absolute scintillation yield

A cubic CsI(TI) crystal of 0.8 cm on a side was mounted on a 1 x 1 cm square photodiode to measure the absolute scintillation yield of CsI(TI) between - 100 and + 50°C. The room temperature yield was measured to be 64,800 + 3,200 photons/MeV. The maximum yield was observed to occur at about -35°C, approximately 6% above the room temperature yield. The yield was observed to decrease monotonically above and below this maximum. At - 100 and + 50°C the yield was measured to be about 64% and 95% of the room temperature yield, respectively. Over the range of - 55 to + 50°C the scintillation yield was observed to remain within +6% of the room temperature yield. The temperature dependence of scintillation decay time, scintillation emission spectrum, and wavelengthdependent photodiode quantum efficiency were considered.
The Social Pragmatics of Communication with Social Robots: Effects of Robot Message Design Logic in a Regulative Context

When social robots are used in communicative contexts, the norms, values, and expectations associated with the process of communication itself are important considerations. Message design logics (MDL) are working models of communication that lead to distinct ways of thinking about communication situations and reasoning from goals to messages. The three MDLs are expressive, conventional, and rhetorical. Respectively, they treat communication as a vehicle for the transmission of information, a game to be played cooperatively according to social norms, and the creation and negotiation of social selves and situations. In human communication, there is an observed preference for partners and messages that display the most sophisticated rhetorical MDL. The purpose of this study was to test/extend the theory of MDL and communication pragmatics in HRI. An online between-subjects experiment of 511 U.S. American adults was conducted to determine the effects of a social robot’s MDL and goal structure on people’s evaluations of the message and its source in a hypothetical regulative context, or a situation in which one individual is faced with the need to control or correct the behavior of another. Results demonstrated that rhetorical message designs led to the most positive impressions of the robot in terms of predicted communication success, goal-relevant attributes (ability to motivate and provide face support), competence, credibility, and attractiveness. Findings mirror results in earlier studies of human communication establishing an MDL sophistication advantage in communication dilemmas. Analysis of qualitative responses showed that participants understood the robot’s overall communication pragmatic differently on the basis of the MDL it demonstrated.
Re-configuration of Chromatin Structure During the Mitosis-G1 Phase Transition

Abstract Higher-order chromatin organization such as A/B compartments, TADs and chromatin loops are temporarily disrupted during mitosis. These structures are thought to organize aspects of gene regulation, and thus it is important to understand how they are re-established after mitosis. We examined the dynamics of chromosome reorganization by Hi-C at defined time points following exit from mitosis in highly purified, synchronous cell populations. We observed that A/B compartments are rapidly established and progressively gain in strength following mitotic exit. Contact domain formation occurs from the “bottom-up” with smaller sub-TADs forming initially, followed by convergence into multi-domain TAD structures. CTCF is strongly retained at a significant fraction of sites on mitotic chromosomes and immediately resumes full binding at ana/telophase, the earliest tested time point. In contrast, cohesin is completely evicted from mitotic chromosomes and resumes focal binding with delayed kinetics. The formation of CTCF/cohesin co-anchored structural loops follows the kinetics of cohesin positioning. Stripe-shaped contacts anchored by CTCF grow in length, consistent with a loop extrusion process after mitosis. Interactions between cis-regulatory elements can form rapidly, preceding CTCF/cohesin anchored structural loops. Strikingly, we identified a group of rapidly emerging transient contacts between cis-regulatory elements in ana/telophase, that are dissolved upon G1 entry, co-incident with the establishment of inner boundaries or nearby interfering loops. Our findings indicate that distinct but mutually influential forces drive post-mitotic chromatin re-configuration to shape compartments, contact domains, cis-element contacts, and CTCF/cohesin dependent loops.
Patient-Reported Access in the Patient-Centered Medical Home and Avoidable Hospitalizations: an Observational Analysis of the Veterans Health Administration.

The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) has emphasized timely access to primary care, often by using non-traditional modes of delivery, such as care in person after-hours or by phone during or after normal hours. Limited data exists on whether improving patient-reported access with these service types reduces hospitalization. To examine the association of patient-reported access to primary care within the Veteran Health Administration (VHA) via five service types and hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs). Retrospective cohort study, using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for patient demographics, comorbidity, characteristics of patients’ area of residence, and clinic-level random effects. A total of 69,710 VHA primary care patients who responded to the 2012 Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients (SHEP), PCMH module. Survey questions captured patients’ ability to obtain care from VHA for five service types: routine care, immediate care, after-hours care, care by phone during regular office hours, and care by phone after normal hours. Outcomes included binary measures of hospitalization for overall, acute, and chronic ACSCs in 2013, identified in VHA administrative data and Medicare fee-for-service claims. Patients who reported “always” able to obtain after-hours care compared to “never” were less likely to be hospitalized for chronic ACSCs (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.44–0.89, p = 0.009). Patients reporting “usually” getting care by phone during regular hours were more likely have a hospitalization for chronic ACSC (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.03–2.17, p = 0.034). Experiences with routine care, immediate care, and care by phone after-hours demonstrated no significant association with hospitalization for ACSCs. Improving patients’ ability to obtain after-hours care was associated with fewer hospitalizations for chronic ACSCs, while access to care by phone during regular hours was associated with more hospitalizations. Health systems should consider the benefits, including reduced hospitalizations for chronic ACSCs, against the costs of implementing each of these PCMH services.
Advancing Community College Research and Practice in the Year 2020

Seven years after Alvin Toffler published his classic book, Future Shock (1970), the Community College Journal of Research and Practice (CCJRP) published its first issue. This was a moment in Ameri...
Review of Paths for Cuba: Reforming Communism in Comparative Perspective, edited by Scott Morgenstern, Jorge Pérez-López, and Jerome Branche. 2018.

Book Review. The main focus of the book is putting the reforms that have been taking place in Cuba, which have gone further in terms of economics than politics, into a comparative perspective. The book aims to analyze the potential directions for change and the costs and limitations in implementation. It examines aspects of Cuba’s economy, investment, political leadership, its foreign policy, and the impact of the post-Soviet collapse. But departing from earlier literature that has mainly focused on political issues and Cuba-U.S. tensions, this collection gives a voice to racial identities and inequalities, social security reform, and other aspects of Cuban society and culture.