cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photoredox Reactions and the Catalytic Cycle for Carbon Dioxide Fixation and Methanogenesis on Metal Oxides

Photoirradiated metal oxide semiconductors are known to reduce carbon dioxide to methane. This multistep reaction is commonly represented as a sequence of proton-coupled two-electron reactions leading from carbon dioxide to formate to formaldehyde to methanol and to methane. We suggest that the actual reaction mechanism is more complex, as it involves two-carbon molecules and radicals in addition to these one-carbon species. The ″stepping stone″ of this mechanism for carbon dioxide fixation could be glyoxal, which is the product of recombination of two formyl radicals, or glycolaldehyde, which is its reduced form. We demonstrate the main steps of this reduction chain and suggest a catalytic cycle integrating these steps and the radical chemistry. In addition to methane, this cycle generates complex organic molecules, such as glycolaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and methylformate, which were observed in product analyses. This cycle can be regarded as one of the simplest realizations of multistep, photosynthetic f...
The Acrosomal Matrix

The acrosome, a single exocytotic vesicle on the head of sperm, has an essential role in fertilization, but the exact mechanisms by which it facilitates sperm-egg interactions remain unresolved. The acrosome contains dozens of secretory proteins that are packaged into the forming structure during spermatogenesis; many of these proteins are localized into specific topographical areas of the acrosome, while others are more diffusely distributed. Acrosomal proteins can also be biochemically classified as components of the acrosomal matrix, a large, relatively insoluble complex, or as soluble proteins. This review focuses on recent findings using genetically modified mice (gene knockouts and transgenic "green acrosome" mice) to study the effects of eliminating acrosomal matrix-associated proteins on sperm structure and function. Some gene knockouts produce infertile phenotypes with obviously missing, specific activities that affect acrosome biogenesis during spermatogenesis or interfere with acrosome function in mature sperm. Mutations that delete some components produce fertile phenotypes with subtler effects that provide useful insights into acrosomal matrix function in fertilization. In general, these studies enable the reassessment of paradigms to explain acrosome formation and function and provide novel, objective insights into the roles of acrosomal matrix proteins in fertilization. The use of genetically engineered mouse models has yielded new mechanistic information that complements recent, important in vivo imaging studies.
Use of Cupriavidus basilensis -aided bioabatement to enhance fermentation of acid-pretreated biomass hydrolysates by Clostridium beijerinckii

Lignocellulose-derived microbial inhibitors (LDMICs) prevent efficient fermentation of Miscanthus giganteus (MG) hydrolysates to fuels and chemicals. To address this problem, we explored detoxification of pretreated MG biomass by Cupriavidus basilensis ATCC(®)BAA-699 prior to enzymatic saccharification. We document three key findings from our test of this strategy to alleviate LDMIC-mediated toxicity on Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 during fermentation of MG hydrolysates. First, we demonstrate that growth of C. basilensis is possible on furfural, 5-hydroxymethyfurfural, cinnamaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, syringaldehyde, vanillin, and ferulic, p-coumaric, syringic and vanillic acid, as sole carbon sources. Second, we report that C. basilensis detoxified and metabolized ~98 % LDMICs present in dilute acid-pretreated MG hydrolysates. Last, this bioabatement resulted in significant payoffs during acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation by C. beijerinckii: 70, 50 and 73 % improvement in ABE concentration, yield and productivity, respectively. Together, our results show that biological detoxification of acid-pretreated MG hydrolysates prior to fermentation is feasible and beneficial.
Parenting of Preschool Children’s Media Use in the Home

A growing body of literature demonstrates associations between preschool children's exposure to various forms of electronic media and developmental outcomes, exploring factors such as the timing and frequency of children's electronic media exposure, as well as the quality of the content to which they are exposed. More recently, researchers have begun documenting the role of parenting and socialization during children's home media use. However, many of these studies rely on parent report of children's media exposure, as well as parenting practices related to media use, a method prone to reporter bias. In the present chapter, we use enhanced audio recordings and coding of naturalistic observations to provide a comprehensive description of the home media environment of preschoolers. In addition to describing the quantity and quality of children's media exposure, we examine the nature of conversations between mothers and their preschool-aged children during media use, and explore sociodemographic differences.
Influence of horizontal tube banks on the behavior of bubbling fluidized beds: 2. Mixing of solids

Abstract Video image analysis techniques were used to investigate the solids mixing behavior in a two-dimensional (thin) fluidized bed containing “simulated” horizontal tube banks. Colored glass beads were used as the tracer, and the image intensity was used to deduce the variation of axial concentration profiles with time. A three-phase counter-current back-mixing model was developed for data interpretation. The model accounted for the axial variations in bubble properties and in flow (of gas and solids) in the presence of tubes. These variations induce cross-flow of material between phases (for volume conservation). Mathematical form for the cross-flow term for inclusion in the conservation equations was deduced. The model equations were solved using finite difference techniques; bubble parameters for use in the model have been described in a previous paper, part 1 in this series. Calculations compare favorably with experimental data. The results also show that both tube position and tracer feed location have significant effects on the mixing time. Tubes located in the top and the bottom of the bed lead to smaller mixing times; tracer fed in the middle of the bed provides the fastest mixing rate.
Loss of SynDIG1 Reduces Excitatory Synapse Maturation But Not Formation In Vivo .

Modification of the strength of excitatory synaptic connections is a fundamental mechanism by which neural circuits are refined during development and learning. Synapse Differentiation Induced Gene 1 (SynDIG1) has been shown to play a key role in regulating synaptic strength in vitro. Here, we investigated the role of SynDIG1 in vivo in mice with a disruption of the SynDIG1 gene rather than use an alternate loxP-flanked conditional mutant that we find retains a partial protein product. The gene-trap insertion with a reporter cassette mutant mice shows that the SynDIG1 promoter is active during embryogenesis in the retina with some activity in the brain, and postnatally in the mouse hippocampus, cortex, hindbrain, and spinal cord. Ultrastructural analysis of the hippocampal CA1 region shows a decrease in the average PSD length of synapses and a decrease in the number of synapses with a mature phenotype. Intriguingly, the total synapse number appears to be increased in SynDIG1 mutant mice. Electrophysiological analyses show a decrease in AMPA and NMDA receptor function in SynDIG1-deficient hippocampal neurons. Glutamate stimulation of individual dendritic spines in hippocampal slices from SynDIG1-deficient mice reveals increased short-term structural plasticity. Notably, the overall levels of PSD-95 or glutamate receptors enriched in postsynaptic biochemical fractions remain unaltered; however, activity-dependent synapse development is strongly compromised upon the loss of SynDIG1, supporting its importance for excitatory synapse maturation. Together, these data are consistent with a model in which SynDIG1 regulates the maturation of excitatory synapse structure and function in the mouse hippocampus in vivo.
Nematodes and human therapeutic trials for inflammatory disease

Summary Helminth infections likely provide a protective influence against some immune-mediated and metabolic diseases because helminth infection dramatically decreased in developed countries shortly before the explosive rise in the prevalence of these diseases. The capacity of helminths to activate immune-regulatory circuits in their hosts and to modulate the composition of intestinal flora appears to be the mechanisms of protective action. Animal models of disease show that various helminth species prevent and/or block inflammation in various organs in a diverse range of diseases. Clinical trials have demonstrated that medicinal exposure to Trichuris suis or small numbers of Necator americanus is safe with minor, if any, reported adverse effects. This includes exposure of inflamed intestine to T. suis, asthmathic lung to N. americanus and in patients with atopy. Efficacy has been suggested in some small studies, but is absent in others. Factors that may have led to inconclusive results in some trials are discussed. To date, there have been no registered clinical trials using helminths to treat metabolic syndrome or its component conditions. However, the excellent safety profile of T. suis or N. americanus suggests that such studies should be possible.
Progress in Deciphering the Controls on the Geochemistry of Fluids in Seafloor Hydrothermal Systems

Over the last four decades, more than 500 sites of seafloor hydrothermal venting have been identified in a range of tectonic environments. These vents represent the seafloor manifestation of hydrothermal convection of seawater through the permeable oceanic basement that is driven by a subsurface heat source. Hydrothermal circulation has fundamental effects on the transfer of heat and mass from the lithosphere to the hydrosphere, the composition of seawater, the physical and chemical properties of the oceanic basement, and vent ecosystems at and below the seafloor. In this review, we compare and contrast the vent fluid chemistry from hydrothermal fields in a range of tectonic settings to assess the relative roles of fluid-mineral equilibria, phase separation, magmatic input, seawater entrainment, and sediment cover in producing the observed range of fluid compositions. We focus particularly on hydrothermal activity in those tectonic environments (e.g., mid-ocean ridge detachment faults, back-arc basins, and island arc volcanoes) where significant progress has been made in the last decade in documenting the variations in vent fluid composition.
NbOx synaptic devices for spike frequency dependent plasticity learning

Niobium oxide (NbOx) has been extensively studied for application in resistive random access memory (ReRAM) and threshold switching devices [1]. While most of the previous work in this area has studied non-volatile states in NbOx, we report observations on time-dependent volatile states in NbOx for applications as synaptic devices in neuromorphic computing. The dynamic nature of NbOx is critical as it allows short-term potentiation (STP) and short-term depression (STD) behavior, which can serve as the basis for developing recurrent neural networks (RNN) and spike frequency dependent plasticity (SFDP)-based learning algorithms [2]. SFDP-based learning mechanism in neuro-synaptic arrays has potential to offer an alternative Hebbian learning solution to the more commonly implemented spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) based learning schemes. Unlike STDP learning scheme which relies on the relative timing between post-and pre-synaptic neurons and requires complex timing circuitry [3], SFPD relies on the input spike rate into presynaptic neurons to condition the synaptic plasticity. Here we report our observation on the input spike-frequency dependent reconfigurable resistive states in NbOx and retention of these states on various time-scales.
Innovating for student success: The University Leadership Network (ULN) and tiered undergraduate peer mentor model

This paper highlights the innovative approach the Student Success Initiative’s unit at the University of Texas at Austin is taking to increase undergraduate persistence and four-year graduation rates. Specifically, this piece explores the large-scale University Leadership Network (ULN) program and examines the tiered undergraduate peer mentor model utilized to support the success of first-year students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, including a majority of underrepresented minority (URM) students. The article also reviews the critical role peer mentors play in helping to meet institution-wide goals and how they extend the reach of student support programs. Lastly, best practices, challenges, and components necessary for program replication will be presented.
Power density comparison of three-phase AC inductor architectures

Three-phase inductors are often used in filtering applications in three-phase ac power distribution systems. A variety of magnetic architectures can be used to implement these inductors. In this work, two studies are performed comparing four possible architectures — UI-, EI-, Y- and delta-core. The first study focusses on low-frequency steel-core inductors; the second study focuses on a high switching frequency application. Results show that Y-core and delta-core inductors offer reduced mass for a given loss in both cases.
Sexual Size Dimorphism in the Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus)

Abstract We evaluated Ictidomys tridecemlineatus for sexual dimorphism by taking 40 skeletal measurements from 267 specimens from Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. We compared measurements from males and females using discriminant-function analysis with included analyses of variance. Males and females were significantly different overall. Of the nine characters that were significantly different, eight were larger in males, while females had a greater sacrum width.
Association Among Opioid Use, Treatment Preferences, and Perceptions of Physician Treatment Recommendations in Patients With Neck and Back Pain.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between self-reported use of opioids by patients with neck and back pain and their demographics, pain characteristics, treatment preferences, and recollections of their physicians’ opinions regarding treatment options. Methods We analyzed 2017 Gallup Poll survey data from 1680 US adults who had substantial spine pain in the past year and used logistic regression to explore the aforementioned relationships. Results Our multiple regression analysis indicated that adults with neck or back pain severe enough to have sought health care within the last year were more likely to have used opioids in the last year if they (in descending order of marginal impact) had pain that had lasted 1 year or less (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 34.35, 90% confidence interval [CI] 17.56-74.32); concurrently used benzodiazepines (OR = 6.02, 90% CI 2.95-12.33); had Medicaid as an insurance source (OR = 3.29, 90% CI 1.40-7.48); indicated that they preferred to use pain medications prescribed by a doctor to treat physical pain (OR = 3.24, 90% CI 1.88-5.60); or were not college educated (OR = 1.83, 90% CI 1.05-3.25). Compared with patients aged 65 years and older, those aged 18 to 34 years were less likely to have used opioids in the past year (OR = 0.09, 90% CI 0.01-0.40, 0.50 for 95% CI). Respondents’ perceptions of medical doctors’ positive or negative opinions regarding a variety of neck and back pain treatment options were not significantly associated with opioid use. Conclusions Patients with neck and back pain who use opioids differ from those who do not use opioids in that they are more likely to have pain that is of shorter duration, to use benzodiazepines, to have Medicaid as an insurance source, and to prefer to use pain medications. Those characteristics should be considered when developing opioid use prevention strategies.
Altered structural brain connectivity involving the dorsal and ventral language pathways in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome

Copy number variants at the chromosomal locus 16p11.2 contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and language and articulation disorders. Here, we provide detailed findings on the disrupted structural brain connectivity in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome (patients: N = 21, age range: 8–16 years; typically developing (TD) controls: 18, 9–16 years) using structural and diffusion MRI. We performed global short-, middle-, long-range, and interhemispheric connectivity analysis in the whole brain using gyral topology-based cortical parcellation. Using region of interest analysis, we studied bilateral dorsal (3 segments of arcuate fasciculus (AF)) and ventral (inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), uncinate fasciculus (UF)) language pathways. Our results showed significantly increased axial (AD) and radial (RD) diffusivities in bilateral anterior AF, decreased volume for left long AF, increased mean diffusivity (MD) and RD for right long AF, and increased AD for bilateral UF in the 16p11.2 deletion group in the absence of significant abnormalities in the whole-brain gyral and interhemispheric connectivity. The selective involvement of the language networks may aid in understanding effects of altered white matter connectivity on neurodevelopmental outcomes in 16p11.2 deletion.
Electrochemical Conversion and Storage of Energy

A treatment of the basics of electrochemical energy conversion may be found in Sections 11.3 and 11.4 of Bockris and Reddy (1970).
Reading Histone Modifications

Histone posttranslational modifications (PTM) constitute one of the most important signaling pathways in the eukaryotic nucleus. In this chapter, we will discuss the molecular mechanisms by which histone PTM are deciphered by chromatin regulators and the functional outcomes of reading this signaling system.
Hydraulic fracturing, coalition activity and shock: Assessing the potential for coalition-based collective action in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta formation

Abstract Examining the early stages of coalition formation and how they may react to rapid institutional changes provides insight into how like-minded policy actors pursue their goals and coordinate their behavior in relatively unstable institutional systems. This study observes activity in the policy subsystem of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the southern Argentinian province of Neuquen. Using media sources, we identify policy actors, their support or opposition to the expansion of unconventional oil and gas production through fracking and their agreement or disagreement on the topic of fracking, both before and after Chevron and YPF (the large publicly-owned Argentinian energy company) signed a controversial accord to develop parts of the Vaca Muerta formation, one of the largest in the world. Using Social Network Analysis, we show that two coalitions (pro and anti fracking) exist, and that they exhibit a high potential for intra-coalitional coordination and inter-coalitional conflict. Following the signing of the accord, which we see as an example of an “institutional shock”, significant increases in activity and the potential for intra-coordination within the anti-fracking coalition were observed, along with an increase in the potential for conflict between the coalitions. Our results illuminate shed new light on how coalitions may form and evolve in unstable institutional systems where political power is unevenly distributed.
The Mediating Role of Sleep Quality and Quantity in the Link Between Food Insecurity and Obesity Across Race and Ethnicity.

Objective The objective of the study was to examine the mediating role of sleep quality and quantity in the relationship between food insecurity and obesity across races/ethnicities. Methods Bivariate negative binomial regression and multinomial logistic regression were used to examine direct associations between food insecurity and sleep quality and quantity among non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders (NHPI) relative to non-Hispanic White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic individuals with obesity. The potential outcomes approach and adjusted Wald test were used to explore the mediating role of sleep quality and quantity and the moderating role of race/ethnicity, respectively. Results Among adults with obesity, the study found a positive and direct relationship between food insecurity and trouble falling asleep in each racial/ethnic group. Trouble staying asleep was associated with food insecurity in each racial/ethnic group, except in the Asian group. Positive and direct associations were observed between food insecurity and short/very short sleep. A positive and direct relationship was found between food insecurity and having obesity in each racial/ethnic group, except in the Black group. Sleep quality and sleep quantity partially mediated the relationship between food insecurity and obesity in non-Hispanic NHPI, White, Asian, and Hispanic individuals. Race/ethnicity moderated the indirect effects of food insecurity on sleep quality and quantity. Conclusions Food security and sleep hygiene should be an integral part of the fight against obesity.
Insights into Long-Term Brand Success

Brands such as John Deere remain relevant across generations, yet others fail (e.g., Kodak). What is the secret to staying relevant to consumers across multiple generations? Using a mixed-methods a...
The individual in the semiotic landscape

I present the extreme proposal that change spreads by virtue of its role in a system of social meaning. And since individuals cannot construct meaning on their own, they can play no elemental role in sound change. Based on ethnographic-variationist studies of sound change among preadolescents and adolescents, I challenge two common assumptions in the study of variation and change: (1) that sound change is autonomous, and (2) that change spreads from individual to individual, by imitation and in isolation. Whatever its origins, whether from linguistic pressures (“change from below”) or social pressures (“change from above”), sound change spreads by virtue of its incorporation into a semiotic landscape, as non-referential material is recruited into signs articulating social distinctions. Participation in this landscape connects the individual to the immediate community and to the larger social order and it is through participation in this landscape that speakers produce and perceive – and accelerate – changes in progress.
9.10 – Laser Machining and Laser-Assisted Machining of Ceramics

This chapter intends to provide critical review and basic information pertaining to machining techniques for various ceramics with the use of lasers. Specifically, it provides an overview of laser machining and laser-assisted machining (LAM). In laser machining section, the underlying material removal mechanisms, thermal and stress modeling associated with laser cutting, and analysis of machining results are covered. In the LAM section, similar subjects are covered and an improvement of machinability by LAM is provided in comparison with conventional machining processes.
Countryside, recreation, and the transformation of canals in Britain in the mid-twentieth century

Between 1945 and 1950, advocates for Britain’s canals began to argue for a plan of waterways revival. This study of the early movement to save Britain’s canals strengthens understanding of links be...
Why are some ML2 molecules (M = Ca, Sr, Ba; L = H, F, Cl, Br) bent while others are linear? Implications of the pseudo Jahn-Teller effect.

The unexpected bent geometries of some alkaline earth dihalides and dihydrides, ML2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba; L = H, F, Cl, Br) have been explained in the literature using various models that attribute the ...
Climbing the Mountain: Firm’s Competitive Actions and Emergence of Dominant Design

In this paper, we integrate insights from the dominant design and the competitive dynamics literatures to address how the characteristics of firms’ competitive repertoire influence their chances of...
Initial Evidence for Brain Plasticity Following a Digital Therapeutic Intervention for Depression.

BackgroundDigital therapeutics such as cognitive–emotional training have begun to show promise for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Available clinical trial data suggest that monotherapy...
Processor cycle usage profiling on the sparc

In any optimizing compiler, it is imperative to have a quantifiable way of measuring code performance. Measuring runtime or instruction counts provides only partial information, and is often inconsistent due to stochastic noise. A third way of measuring performance, which combines the previous two, is counting the number of processor cycles that a program takes to execute. Currently, this functionality is not built into VPO ( V ery P ortable Q ptimizer, a retargetable compiler backend I have used for this research), and its addition is important to the concurrent research being done by researchers in compiler optimization. I have been working toward a means for counting both static cycle usage within basic blocks, and dynamic cycle usage across programs.
Digital Advertising to Children

Advertising to children and teenagers is a multibillion-dollar industry. This policy statement reviews the forms of advertising that children and teenagers encounter, including newer forms of digital marketing, such as sponsored content, influencers, data collection, persuasive design, and personalized behavioral marketing driven by machine learning. Parents and pediatric health care providers need to be aware of the ways different marketing messages reach children and teenagers, including Internet sites, social media, and mobile apps. Evidence suggests that exposure to advertising is associated with unhealthy behaviors, such as intake of high-calorie, low-nutrient food and beverages; use of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes; use of alcohol and marijuana; and indoor tanning. Children are uniquely vulnerable to the persuasive effects of advertising because of immature critical thinking skills and impulse inhibition. School-aged children and teenagers may be able to recognize advertising but often are not able to resist it when it is embedded within trusted social networks, encouraged by celebrity influencers, or delivered next to personalized content. This policy statement expresses concern about the practice of tracking and using children's digital behavior to inform targeted marketing campaigns, which may contribute to health disparities among vulnerable children or populations. Pediatricians should guide parents and children to develop digital literacy skills to prevent or mitigate negative outcomes, but it is equally important that policy makers and technology companies embrace digital design, data collection, and marketing practices within today's broad digital environment that support healthier decision-making and outcomes.
The Effect of Type of Antenatal and Delivery Care Provider on Breastfeeding in South and Southeast Asian Countries

Countries in the South and Southeast Asian region vary tremendously in their rates of breastfeeding and the region has both some of the lowest and highest rates of breastfeeding reported worldwide. For example, breastfeeding rates are 23% in Thailand, 65% in Cambodia and 82% in Sri Lanka. These countries also vary in the type of antenatal and delivery care provider. The objective of this study was to determine what association, if any, exists between a woman's type of antenatal care or delivery provider and her duration of breastfeeding. A …
Diaspora Policies, Consular Services and Social Protection for Indian Citizens Abroad

As the country with the world’s largest emigrant population and a long history of international mobility, India has adopted a multi-faceted institutional and policy framework to govern migration and diaspora engagement. This chapter provides a broad overview of initiatives on social protection for Indians abroad, shedding light on specific policy designs to include and exclude different populations in India and abroad. In addition to programmes by the national government, the chapter discusses initiatives at the sub-national level. The chapter shows that India has established a set of policies for various diaspora populations that are largely separate from the rules and policies adopted for nationals at home. Diaspora engagement policies, and especially policies aimed at fostering social protection of Indians abroad, are generally not integrated into national social protection policies. There is a clear distinction between policies that are geared towards the engagement of ethnic Indian populations whose forefathers have left Indian shores many generations ago, Indian communities in OECD countries – mostly US, Canada, Europe and Australia – and migrant workers going on temporary assignments to countries in the Persian Gulf. The chapter offers a discussion of the key differences, drivers, and limitations of existing policies.
Can you have a migraine aura without knowing it

Purpose of review This review covers several aspects our understanding of episodic manifestations and unusual symptoms that may be associated with migraine aura. Recent findings The episodic manifestation of migraine aura is typically visual in nature, although five other types are currently recognized: sensory, speech and/or language, motor, brainstem, and retinal. Other transitory perceptions or experiences such as emotional, olfactory, or auditory have been reported as possible migraine auras. As underlined by the much higher reported prevalence of aura manifestation in individuals with professional knowledge of its possible manifestations, it appears that a number of migraine auras may remain unnoticed, unreported, or misdiagnosed. Summary Aura manifestations may be more common, complex, symptom-rich and variable than previously thought. Clinicians should proactively ask questions beyond those addressing visual symptoms when examining individuals with a potential diagnosis of migraine with aura.
Genomics of the Parasitic Nematode Ascaris and Its Relatives

Nematodes of the genus Ascaris are important parasites of humans and swine, and the phylogenetically related genera (Parascaris, Toxocara, and Baylisascaris) infect mammals of veterinary interest. Over the last decade, considerable genomic resources have been established for Ascaris, including complete germline and somatic genomes, comprehensive mRNA and small RNA transcriptomes, as well as genome-wide histone and chromatin data. These datasets provide a major resource for studies on the basic biology of these parasites and the host–parasite relationship. Ascaris and its relatives undergo programmed DNA elimination, a highly regulated process where chromosomes are fragmented and portions of the genome are lost in embryonic cells destined to adopt a somatic fate, whereas the genome remains intact in germ cells. Unlike many model organisms, Ascaris transcription drives early development beginning prior to pronuclear fusion. Studies on Ascaris demonstrated a complex small RNA network even in the absence of a piRNA pathway. Comparative genomics of these ascarids has provided perspectives on nematode sex chromosome evolution, programmed DNA elimination, and host–parasite coevolution. The genomic resources enable comparison of proteins across diverse species, revealing many new potential drug targets that could be used to control these parasitic nematodes.
A High Dynamic Range ΔΣ Modulator using Anti-Windup Compensated Integrators

Abstract This paper presents a continuous-time (CT) ΔΣ modulator employing an anti-windup (AW) feedback control technique to mitigate integrator overload and maintain an acceptable performance simultaneously. The proposed technique accommodates a large dynamic range and can be applied to multi-loop modulators. According to simulations, using AW augmentations, for a 50% higher dynamic range (DR), integrators do not overload and the signal-to-distortion-ratio (SNDR) drops less than 1dB from the maximum SNDR of the modulator.
Captopril Versus Hydralazine-Isosorbide Dinitrate Vasodilator Protocols in Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Transitioning From Sodium Nitroprusside.

ABSTRACT Background The role of oral vasodilators in the management of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is not clearly defined. We evaluated the use of captopril vs hydralazine-isosorbide dinitrate (H-ISDN) in the transition from sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in patients with ADHF. Methods and Results A retrospective chart review was performed of 369 consecutive adult patients in the intensive care unit with ADHF and reduced ejection fraction, who received either a captopril or an H-ISDN protocol to transition from SNP. Captopril patients were matched 1:2 to H-ISDN patients, based on serum creatinine and race (Black vs non-Black). Baseline demographics, serum chemistry and use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were similar in both groups. Time to SNP discontinuation (46.9 vs 40.4 hours, P = 0.11) and length of hospital stay (9.86 vs 7.99 days, P = 0.064) were similar in both groups. Length of hospital stay in the intensive care unit was statistically shorter in the H-ISDN group (4.11 vs 3.96 days, P = 0.038). Fewer H-ISDN protocol patients were discharged on ACEis/ARBs (82.9 % vs 69.9%, P = 0.003) despite similar kidney function at time of discharge (serum creatinine 1.1 vs 1.2, P = 0.113). No difference was observed in rates of readmission (40.7% vs 50%, P = 0.09) or mortality (16.3% vs 17.5 %, P = 0.77) at 1 year postdischarge. Conclusion Similar inpatient and 1-year outcomes were observed between patients using H-ISDN vs ACEi when transitioning from SNP, even though fewer H-ISDN protocol patients were discharged taking ACEis/ARBs despite similar kidney function.
Are functional movement disorder phenotypes or age at onset correlated with perfectionism or history of abuse

Abstract Objective To assess if the phenotype or age at onset of Functional Movement Disorders (FMD) vary as a function of presence of a perfectionism or history of abuse. Detecting such a potential association might help guide future research into the pathophysiology of FMD. Methods Charts of all patients diagnosed with FMD by a movement disorder specialist using the commonly accepted clinical diagnostic criteria for FMD seen at a tertiary center over 8 years were reviewed. Data collected were sex, age at the onset of the first FMD, phenotype of the first predominant FMD, history of perfectionism and history of childhood abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or neglect). Statistical analyses were performed as appropriate. Results 68 patients with FMD were identified from which 12 were excluded for incomplete documentation. 56 patients were included in the analysis, 43 (76.8%) were women, with average age at onset 41.5y (range 13–74.4). The most frequent predominant initial FMD phenotypes were tremor (39%), dystonia (20.3%) and gait disorders (20.3%).Perfectionism was reported in 30 (53.6%) patients and history of abuse in 27 (48.2%).There was no significant correlation between each of the FMD phenotypes and perfectionism or history of childhood abuse. There was also no correlation between the age at symptoms onset and perfectionism or history of abuse. Conclusion We could not demonstrate a significant correlation between FMD phenotype or age at onset and perfectionist personality trait or history of abuse. Factors leading to the development of one specific FMD phenotype rather than another are still to be elucidated.
Impact of prognostic factor distributions on mortality disparities for socioeconomically disadvantaged cancer patients

Purpose We aimed to assess whether differences in the distributions of prognostic factors explain reported mortality disparities between urban safety-net and SEER cancer populations. Methods We used data from SEER and a safety-net cancer center in Texas. Eligible patients were adults aged ≤64 years and diagnosed with first primary female breast, colorectal, or lung cancer between 2008 and 2016. We estimated crude and adjusted risk differences (RD) in 3- and 5-year all-cause mortality (1- and 3-year for lung cancer), where adjustment was based on entropy balancing weights that standardized the distribution of sociodemographic and tumor characteristics between the two populations. Results Our study populations comprised 1,914 safety-net patients and 389,709 SEER patients. For breast cancer, the crude 3- and 5-year mortality RDs between safety-net and SEER populations were 7.7% (95% CL: 4.3%, 11%) and 11% (95% CL: 6.7%, 16%). Adjustment for measured prognostic factors reduced the mortality RDs (3-year adjusted RD=0.049%, 95% CL: -2.6%, 2.6%; 5-year adjusted RD=5.6%, 95% CL: -0.83%, 12%). We observed similar patterns for colorectal and lung cancer albeit less magnitude. Conclusions Sociodemographic and tumor characteristics may largely explain early mortality disparities between safety-net and SEER populations, but not late mortality disparities.
Loop System for Measuring Sand-Water Mixtures

This investigation is a contribution to the knowledge of the two-phase flow problem. A measuring device for water-sand mixtures, a Loop System, was tested. The Loop System consisted of two identical vertical pipe sections with opposite direction. Head loss readings were obtained at both pipe sections. The summation of the readings could be correlated with the flow rate and their difference was shown to be proportional to the solid concentration. The experimental results were obtained in a piece of equipment, especially developed for the study of solid-water mixtures in pipe lines.
Adaptive robust wing trajectory control and force generation of flapping wing MAV

The prominent maneuverability of flapping flight is enabled by rapid and significant changes in aerodynamic forces, which is a result of surprisingly subtle and precise changes of wing kinematics. The high sensitivity of aerodynamic forces to wing kinematic changes demands precise and instantaneous control of the flapping wing trajectories, especially in the presence of various types of uncertainties. In this work, we first present a dynamic model of a pair of direct-motor-driven flapping wings while taking into consideration the parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. We then present an Adaptive Robust Controller (ARC) to achieve robust performance of high-frequency (over 30Hz) instantaneous wing trajectory tracking with onboard feedback. The proposed control algorithm was experimentally validated on a 7.5 gram flapping-wing MAV which showed excellent tracking of various wing trajectories with different amplitude, bias, frequency, and split-cycles. Experimental results on various model wings demonstrated that the ARC can adapt to unknown parameters and show no performance degradation across wings of different geometries. The results of ARC were also compared with those of open-loop and classical PID controllers.
Professional Liability Insurance

Insurance protects the individual against the risk of loss by distributing the burden of losses over a large number of people, based on the law of averages. In medical practice, professional liability insurance is a contract in which the physician pays a specific premium to the insurance company or carrier, which in turn agrees to pay a party injured or harmed by the negligence of that physician the sum awarded by a trier of fact (judge, jury, or arbitration panel) or by settlement to compensate for the losses resulting from the injury. Like other insurance providers, medical liability carriers have a duty to act in good faith, which includes the requirement to defend the insured throughout all phases of the judicial process.1
Neutrino Factory R&D Efforts

Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USAE-mail: kaplan@iit.eduAbstract. Stored-muon-beam neutrino factories have been recognized as the best option tomeasure precisely the elements of the MNSP matrix and sensitively test the consistency of thethree-neutrino mixing picture. Now that all three mixing angles have been shown to be nonzero,the motivation for neutrino factory construction is strong. A small number of feasibility issuesremain open and are the subject of ongoing R&D. Progress on these R&D e orts is described.(Presented at NuFact 2013, 15th International Workshop on Neutrino Factories, Super Beamsand Beta Beams, 19{24 August 2013, IHEP, Beijing, China.)
Phase-Field Modeling

The phase-field method is a powerful simulation tool to describe xxx the complex evolution of interfaces in a wide range of contexts without explicitly tracking these interfaces. Its main application to date has been to problems in materials science where the evolution of interfaces and defects in the interior or on the surface of a material has a profound impact on its behavior [8]. A partial list of applications to date in this general area includes alloy solidification [5], where models combine elements of the first phase-field models of the solidification of pure materials [9, 32] and the Cahn-Hilliard equation (7), solid-state precipitation [66], stress-driven interfacial instabilities [29, 41, 58], microstructural evolution in polycrystalline materials [17, 31, 36, 60], crystal nucleation [16], surface growth [13, 25, 44], thin film patterning [34], ferroelectric materials [57], dislocation dynamics [22, 49, 52, 55], and fracture [3, 11, 27, 56]. Interface tracking is avoided by making interfaces spatially diffuse with the help of order parameters that vary smoothly in space. Evolution equations for these order parameters are derived variationally from a Lyapounov functional that represents the total free-energy of the system. This theoretical construct provides great flexibility to model simultaneously various physical processes on different length and time scales within a single self-consistent set of coupled partial differential equations.
High-Order Mixed Current Basis Functions for Electromagnetic Scattering of Curved Surfaces

We construct high-order mixed current vector basis (unctions on an arbitrary curved surface which can be subdivided as a union of curved triangles and quadrilaterals. The objective is to construct vector basis (a) which consists of high-order polynomials of the surface parameterization variables on triangles and quadrilaterals, (b) part of the basis will have vanishing moments on the triangles and quadrilaterals. The first property will enable us to represent the current distribution over scatter surface with much less number of unknowns and larger patches of either triangular or quadrilateral shapes. The second property will achieve what wavelet basis does on an interval, but on a more general domain, namely, a sparse matrix representation for some integral operators.
Construction and Categories of Codes

Blakley and Borosh introduced a general theory of codes, encompassing cryptographic and error control codes among others. They explored the properties of such general codes with methods from relational algebra and set theory. We provide a categorical point of view, which leads to new constructions of codes. We also exhibit a Jordan-Holder type theorem and a Schreier refinement technique.
Pheochromocytoma diagnosed at cesarean section for labor obstructed by pelvic neurofibroma

Abstract 1. 1. A case of pheochromocytoma complicating pregnancy is reported in which the diagnosis was made at the time of cesarean section for obstructive labor due to a neurofibroma in the pelvis. The diagnosis was confirmed by subsequent chemical tests and the tumor was later removed successfully. 2. 2. Although rare, the possibility of pheochromocytoma as a cause of hypertension in pregnancy should always be considered, and appropriate diagnostic tests performed when indicated.
Exact learning of read-twice DNF formulas

A polynomial-time algorithm is presented for exactly learning the class of read-twice DNF formulas, i.e. Boolean formulas in disjunctive normal form where each variable appears at most twice. The (standard) protocol used allows the learning algorithm to query whether a given assignment of Boolean variables satisfies the DNF formula to be learned (membership queries), as well as to obtain counterexamples to the correctness of its current hypothesis which can be any arbitrary DNF formula (equivalence queries). The formula output by the learning algorithm is logically equivalent to the formula to be learned. >
Neurobiology and Pharmacotherapy of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by the presence of unwanted, senseless, intrusive and distressing thoughts, urges and images (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). While classified as an anxiety disorder in DSM-IV, OCD is given a separate chapter here as the clinical phenomenology, drug treatment response, family studies, and brain imaging data support a separate neurobiological classification for this disorder and a distinct neuropharmacologic profile as well. Our current understanding of its underlying neurobiology as well as the state of treatment for OCD is provided through a selective review of OCD-related (1) brain imaging studies, (2) genetic studies, (3) animal models, (4) psychopharmacology, including immunomodulatory treatment, and (5) experimental non-pharmacological treatments such as neurosurgery, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and deep brain stimulation. Keywords: animal models of OCD; anxiety disorder; augmenting agents for OCD; autoimmunity and OCD; brain imaging studies in OCD; genetic studies in OCD; immunomodulatory treatment; neurobiology of OCD; obsessive-compulsive disorder; pharmacological studies in OCD; serotonin uptake inhibitors
Studies on plant-mediated fate of the explosives RDX and HMX

Abstract The fate of the explosives RDX and HMX on exposure to plants was investigated in ‘natural’ aquatic systems of Myriophyllum aquaticum for 16 days, and in axenic hairy root cultures of Catharanthus roseus for ⩾9 weeks. Exposure levels were: HMX, 5 mg/l; and RDX, ∼8 mg / l . Exposure outcomes observed include: HMX, no transformation by aquatic plants, and minimal biological activity by axenic roots; and RDX, removal by both plant systems. In the case of RDX exposure to axenic roots, since 14 C-RDX was included, removal was confirmed by the accumulation of 14 C-label in the biomass. The intracellular 14 C-label in these RDX studies was detected in two forms: intact RDX and bound unknown(s).
The invariant density of a chaotic dynamical system with small noise

Abstract We consider a chaotic dynamical system perturbed by noise and calculate an approximate invariant density when the noise level is small. Because of the special structure of the dynamical system, the effective support of the invariant density is much smaller than the noiseless attractor. This behavior is captured by the asymptotic form of the invariant density, which is given explicitly.
Resilient and Permanent Deformation Characteristics of Unbound Pavement Layers Modified by Geogrids

The benefits of geogrids in reducing permanent deformation of flexible pavements are generally recognized and have been shown in numerous studies. In contrast, although resilient moduli of unbound materials are important property inputs in mechanistic-empirical pavement design, the impact of geogrids on the resilient behavior of unbound layers remains unclear from previous studies. This paper focuses on resilient behavior of unbound layers and permanent deformation of subgrades modified by geogrids at the base-subgrade interface. Two sets of tests were conducted on scaled pavements built over two types of soil. Each set of tests consisted of four sections. Three were modified with different geogrids and one was left unmodified as a control. Instruments were installed to measure the subgrades' resilient and permanent deformations. The pavement layers were tested with a lightweight deflectometer (LWD). Surface deflections and subgrade resilient deformation under impulsive LWD loads were recorded. The test s...