cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Arabic Verses of Qasmūna Bint Ismā'il Ibn Bagdālah

Little is known about the twelfth-century poet called Qasmūna the Jewess. She was one of a constellation of Arabic-writing women poets of medieval Spain, and is the sole representative of her faith from whom we have surviving verses. These are collected in the fifteenth-century anthology of women's verse compiled by as-Suyūtu, who drew upon the Nafh at-tub of al-Maqqaru. The sketchy biographical data that as-Suyūtu records show Qasmūna as a witty and intelligent young woman who received an excellent education from a doting father named Ismā'il ibn Ba@dālah. Indeed, the first of the three poetic texts we have from her is the product of a collaboration between Qasmūna and her father. In addition, she was endowed with great physical beauty, as becomes apparent in her poetry.
Spatiotemporal correlation between phase singularities and wavebreaks during ventricular fibrillation.

Introduction: Phase maps and the detection of phase singularities (PSs) have become a well-developed method for characterizing the organization of ventricular fibrillation (VF). How precisely PS colocalizes with wavebreak (WB) during VF, however, is unknown. Methods and Results: We performed optical mapping of 27 episodes of VF in nine Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. A WB is a point where the activation wavefront and the repolarization waveback meet. A PS is a site where its phase is ambiguous and its neighboring pixels exhibit a continuous phase progression from −π to +π. The correlation coefficient between the number of WBs and PSs was 0.78 ± 0.09 for each heart and 0.81 for all VF episodes (P < 0.001), indicating a significant temporal correlation. We then superimposed the WBs and PSs for every 100 frames of each episode. These maps showed a high degree of spatial colocalization. To quantify spatial colocalization, the spatial shifts between the cumulative maps of WBs and PSs in corresponding frames were calculated by automatic alignment to obtain maximum overlap between these two maps. The spatial shifts were 0.04 ± 0.31 mm on the x-axis and 0.06 ± 0.27 mm on the y-axis over a 20 × 20 mm2 mapped field, indicating highly significant spatial correlation. Conclusion: Phase mapping provides a convenient and robust approach to quantitatively describe wave propagation and organization during VF. The close spatiotemporal correlation between PSs and WBs establishes that PSs are a valid alternate representation of WB during VF and further validated the use of phase mapping in the study of VF dynamics. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. 1103-1109, October 2003)
Acarospora Fuscescens (Acarosporaceae), a Little Known Species of Western North America

Abstract. The taxonomy of A. fuscescens H. Magn. is clarified and its occurrence is verified from Colorado, Idaho, and Utah.
On the multiplier of a repelling fixed point

We estimate the multiplier λ of a repelling fixed point with rational rotation number for a polynomial in one complex variable. We show that a canonical branch of the logarithm of λ lies in a small disk tangent to the imaginary axis. The radius of the disk is determined by the degree of the polynomial, the rotation number of the fixed point and the escape rates and external arguments of the critical values.
Guilt by association: large scale malware detection by mining file-relation graphs

The increasing sophistication of malicious software calls for new defensive techniques that are harder to evade, and are capable of protecting users against novel threats. We present AESOP, a scalable algorithm that identifies malicious executable files by applying Aesop's moral that "a man is known by the company he keeps." We use a large dataset voluntarily contributed by the members of Norton Community Watch, consisting of partial lists of the files that exist on their machines, to identify close relationships between files that often appear together on machines. AESOP leverages locality-sensitive hashing to measure the strength of these inter-file relationships to construct a graph, on which it performs large scale inference by propagating information from the labeled files (as benign or malicious) to the preponderance of unlabeled files. AESOP attained early labeling of 99% of benign files and 79% of malicious files, over a week before they are labeled by the state-of-the-art techniques, with a 0.9961 true positive rate at flagging malware, at 0.0001 false positive rate.
Sequence progressive alignment, a framework for practical large-scale probabilistic consistency alignment

Motivation: Multiple sequence alignment is a cornerstone of comparative genomics. Much work has been done to improve methods for this task, particularly for the alignment of small sequences, and especially for amino acid sequences. However, less work has been done in making promising methods that work on the small-scale practically for the alignment of much larger genomic sequences. Results: We take the method of probabilistic consistency alignment and make it practical for the alignment of large genomic sequences. In so doing we develop a set of new technical methods, combined in a framework we term ‘sequence progressive alignment’, because it allows us to iteratively compute an alignment by passing over the input sequences from left to right. The result is that we massively decrease the memory consumption of the program relative to a naive implementation. The general engineering of the challenges faced in scaling such a computationally intensive process offer valuable lessons for planning related large-scale sequence analysis algorithms. We also further show the strong performance of Pecan using an extended analysis of ancient repeat alignments. Pecan is now one of the default alignment programs that has and is being used by a number of whole-genome comparative genomic projects. Availability: The Pecan program is freely available at http://www.ebi.ac.uk/~bjp/pecan/ Pecan whole genome alignments can be found in the Ensembl genome browser. Contact: benedict@soe.ucsc.edu supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Comparison of Intervertebral Disc Displacements Measured Under Applied Loading With MRI at 3.0T and 9.4T

The noninvasive measurement of displacements under applied loading with magnetic resonance imaging (dualMRI) can be implemented on both clinical and high-field research MRI systems. dualMRI synchronizes cyclic loading applied by an MRI-compatible loading device with displacement-encoded MRI [1]. Numerous factors influence the MRI-based measurement of deformation (e.g. displacements and strain) in biomaterials and tissues, including the magnitude and frequency of cyclic loading, the geometry and configuration of the physical environment, and inherent material properties, which are often heterogeneous [2–4].Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Menhaden oil prevents but does not reverse sucrose-induced insulin resistance in rats

Although fish oil supplementation may prevent the onset of diet-induced insulin resistance in rats, it appears to worsen glycemic control in humans with existing insulin resistance. In the present ...
Self-Care and Sustainability for Pediatric Oncology Providers

Practitioners in pediatric oncology perform complex tasks and engage patients and their families under very stress-filled circumstances. Devotion to the work, team collaboration, and satisfaction in the work are important influences on sustaining involvement and commitment to practice in this area. However, patients and families suffer. Practitioners observe, engage, and are affected by this exposure to the suffering of others. A review of the literature demonstrates the imperative for self-care. Self-care practices become essential components of maintaining a healthy balance and sustainability in the work. This chapter reviews the impact of secondary traumatic stress on the pediatric oncology practitioner, the team, and the organization. The importance of team work and administrative supports that encourage resilience and sustainable practice is discussed. Recommendations for best practice are provided.
Sidestepping the rock and the hard place: The private avoidance of prosocial requests

Abstract For some, facing a prosocial request feels like being trapped between a rock and a hard place, requiring either a resource (e.g., money) or psychological (e.g., self-reproach) cost. Because both outcomes are dissatisfying, we propose that these people are motivated to avoid prosocial requests, even when they face these requests in private, anonymous contexts. In two experiments, in which participants' anonymity and privacy was assured, participants avoided facing prosocial requests and were willing to do so at a personal cost. This was true both for people who would have otherwise complied with the request and those who would have otherwise refused the request. This suggests that anticipatory self-reproach motivates people to avoid prosocial requests, regardless of whether or not this self-reproach would have been strong enough to cause them to comply with a direct request. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for prosocial behavior and the maintenance of moral self-regard.
The Value of Left Ventricular Relative Wall Thickness in Predicting Ventricular Arrhythmia and Related Death.

Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) remain important problems in patients with heart failure (HF), despite the reduction in VA-associated deaths attributable to implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) [(1)][1]. The MADIT-CRT (Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator
Studies on therapy of staphylococcal infections in monkeys. I. Comparison of cloxacillin, triacetyloleandomycin and erythromycin.

ConclusionsIntravenous inoculation of a penicillin-resistant, phage type 80/81 staphylococcus caused lethal infection of all 7 untreated monkeys. Daily intragastric administration of 30-50 mg/kg of erythromycin, triacetyloleandomycin and cloxacillin was followed by mortalities in 7 of 8, 2 of 8 and 4 of 8, respectively. Thus, of the 2 bacteriostatic agents, triacetyloleandomycin was far superior to erythromycin as was cloxacillin, a bactericidal drug. Of particular interest was the observation that the bacteriostatic triacetyloleandomycin was as effective or perhaps superior to cloxacillin in preventing lethal infection.
A study of transference and solvation phenomena—II: Silver perchlorate in water, water-ethanol, and ethanol solvents

Abstract For water solvent the transference number of silver ion in silver perchlorate decreases slowly but linearly with decreasing concentration of the salt and extrapolates to 0·488 ± 0·005 at infinite dilution. This value agrees quite well with values for dilute solutions recorded in the literature. The moles of water carried per mole of cation increases with decreasing weight per cent silver perchlorate as is to be expected and is in agreement with the decrease of the transference number with increasing weight per cent ethanol. There was first a small linear decrease of transference number of the silver ion with increasing weight per cent ethanol out to about fifty-five weight per cent ethanol. Then there is an accelerated rate of decrease of the transference number up to about eighty-five weight per cent ethanol when the rate of decrease again decelerates. The solvation data indicate that silver ion carries an excess of water compared to the perchlorate ion while the perchlorate ion seems to carry alcohol molecules in an amount equal to or greater than the silver ion depending on how the basis of comparison is determined. These data might be interpreted as showing selective solvation of silver and perchlorate ions by water and ethanol, respectively.
Survey on Cryptosporidium and Giardia in rural central water Supply of Southern China

Objective To describe the status of the drinking water polluted by Cryptosporidium and Giardia in the three provinces of Southern China.Methods Filta-Max Xprss method of Standard examination methods for drinking waterMicrobiological parameters was used for detecting,and the general information of water source areas and water plants were surveyed.Results The positive rate of Cryptosporidium and Giardia of the water we detected were 23.33% and 33.33% respectively.Some of the water source areas had no protection or with un-qualified water treatment facilities.Most of the plants used traditional water treatment processes,and the workers knew little about Cryptosporidium and Giardia contamination.Conclusions The investigated districts which used surface water as source had the high rate of Cryptosporidium and Giardia contamination.Water source protection and water treatment processes should be strengthened and improved.Furthermore,the managerial personnel of the water plants should be trained to know more about Cryptosporidium and Giardia.
The Rhetoric of Diversion in English Literature and Culture, 1690–1760

Why did eighteenth-century writers employ digression as a literary form of diversion, and how did their readers come to enjoy linguistic and textual devices that self-consciously disrupt the reading experience? Darryl P. Domingo answers these questions through an examination of the formative period in the commercialization of leisure in England, and the coincidental coming of age of literary self-consciousness in works published between approximately 1690 and 1760. During this period, commercial entertainers tested out new ways of gratifying a public increasingly eager for amusement, while professional writers explored the rhetorical possibilities of intrusion, obstruction, and interruption through their characteristic use of devices like digression. Such devices adopt similar forms and fulfil similar functions in literature as do diversions in culture: they 'unbend the mind' and reveal the complex reciprocity between commercialized leisure and commercial literature in the age of Swift, Pope, and Fielding.
Effect of Prior Game Experience on Energy Expenditure During Xbox Kinect in Children and Teens.

Abstract Objective: To examine the effect of game-specific and overall Kinect experience and overall gaming habits on energy expenditure (EE) and enjoyment of children and adolescents (8–17 years) while playing Xbox® Kinect exergames. Materials and Methods: Participants (N = 55) played four active videogames for 6–10 minutes. Height, weight, and resting metabolic rate were measured and participants completed a survey on gaming habits and previous experience. Habit (none, low, moderate, or high) was based on the number of game systems at home, frequency, and duration of game play. Game-specific experience was classified as either inexperienced or experienced. A composite score was created for how much experience they had with each game, classified as none, low, or high. The participant wore a portable metabolic analyzer (total and physical activity energy expenditure [PAEE]), heart rate (HR) monitor, and accelerometer (waist, counts/min). Enjoyment was measured after each game using a three-item face scale...
Pauses, steps, and the mechanism of contraction.

Abstract Despite widespread controversy still surrounding the phenomenon, stepwise shortening has now been confirmed by five independent methods in this laboratory, and by several other methods in different laboratories. In this paper we offer preliminary evidence obtained with the most recent method--measurement of 'isotonic muscle length transients'. We find that the muscle length inflections observed after quick release to an isotonic load correspond to pauses and steps at the sarcomere level. Thus, pauses and steps are reflected not only in sarcomere length and segment length signals, but in the muscle length signal as well. We review several of the more illuminating features of stepwise shortening, as well as new ultrastructural observations which, taken together, point to an hypothesis for the generation of steps. The steps may be generated by shortening of one or another of the sarcomere's filaments: connecting filaments in the unactivated myofibril and thick filaments in the activated myofibril. Supporting evidence is considered.
Enalapril delayed end-stage renal failure in patients with chronic renal failure and hypertension

Source Citation Hannedouche T, Landais P, Goldfarb B, et al. Randomised controlled trial of enalapril and β blockers in non-diabetic chronic renal failure. BMJ. 1994 Oct 1;309:833-7.
Sexual dimorphism in striatal dopaminergic responses promotes monogamy in social songbirds

While monogamy is rare within the animal kingdom, some species – including humans and many birds – can be highly social and yet sustain monogamous relationships. Zebra finches, for example, are among a number of species of songbirds in which numerous males and females live closely together but maintain monogamous partnerships. Male songbirds use their songs to attract females, who do not themselves sing. But if female birds are attracted to any male song, how do they manage to remain monogamous when surrounded by potential suitors? In songbirds, and in humans too, a region of the brain called the striatum regulates both social and sexual behaviors. It does this by modulating the release of a molecule called dopamine, which is the brain’s reward signal. Tokarev et al. show that hearing songs triggers dopamine release within the striatum of unattached male zebra finches, but has no such effect in single females. Unattached male songbirds will also put up with irritating puffs of air in exchange for being able to watch videos of singing birds, whereas unattached females will not. Female songbirds with partners will tolerate the air puffs, but only if the videos are accompanied with the songs of their own mate. These findings suggest that song serves as a generic social stimulus for zebra finch males, helping large numbers of birds to live together. By contrast, for a female zebra finch, the song of her partner is a highly selective sexual stimulus. These sex-specific responses to the same socially-relevant stimuli may explain how gregarious animals are able to maintain monogamous pair bonds. More generally, these results are a step towards understanding how brain reward systems regulate social interactions. Studying these mechanisms in songbird species with different social and mating systems could ultimately provide insights into social and sexual behavior in people.
AB0535 Fatigue is associated with hs-crp in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background Fatigue is highly prevalent and has a negative impact on quality of life in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.1,2 The 9-item Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) is one of the commonly used self-report questionnaires to measure fatigue in patients with chronic disease.3 Although fatigue is one of the most commonly reported symptoms in SLE, previous studies have not consistently found any clear association between disease activity (as measured by the SLEDAI)4 or with laboratory measures of disease activity.1 Objectives To determine whether fatigue is associated with any laboratory measures of disease activity or inflammation in patients with SLE. Methods SLE patients and age-matched controls participating in our longitudinal “Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease in SLE” completed FSS questionnaires at study entry. Laboratory measures of cardiovascular risk assessment and lupus disease activity assessments were performed in plasma, including high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), homocysteine, fasting lipid panels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C3, C4, dsDNA, and urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR). Results 54 patients and 37 control individuals participated. FSS scores were higher in patients with SLE (4.79±1.63 (mean ± SD) compared to healthy subjects (3.17±1.83, P In SLE patients, there was significant correlation between FSS scores and hs-CRP (r=0.56, p=0.004), and an inverse correlation with myeloperoxidase (-0.37, p=0.045). No associations between FSS and C3, C4, dsDNA, ESR, UPCR, fasting lipid levels, or homocysteine were seen in the SLE group. No associations between FSS and laboratory measures of cardiovascular risk assessment were seen in the control group. Conclusions Although fatigue is not correlated with traditional laboratory measures of disease activity in SLE patients, we did find significant associations between fatigue, hs-CRP, and myeloperoxidase in our cohort. Future longitudinal studies are underway to determine whether these associations also reflect the risk for progression of cardiovascular disease in patients with high fatigue. References Krupp L B, LaRocca N G MJ et al. A study of fatigue in systemic lupus erythematosus. J Rheumatol. 1990;17(11):1450–1452. Tench CM, McCurdie I, White PD, D9Cruz DP. The prevalence and associations of fatigue in systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2000;39(11):1249–1254. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/39.11.1249. Hjollund NH, Andersen JH, Bech P. Assessment of fatigue in chronic disease: a bibliographic study of fatigue measurement scales. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2007;5:12. doi:10.1186/1477–7525–5-. Wang B, Gladman DD, Urowitz MB. Fatigue in lupus is not correlated with disease activity. J Rheumatol. 1998;25(5):892–895. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Magnetic resonance molecular imaging of metastatic breast cancer by targeting extradomain-B fibronectin in the tumor microenvironment.

PURPOSE Non-invasive early accurate detection of malignant breast cancer is paramount to the clinical management of the life-threatening disease. Here, we aim to test a small peptide targeted MRI contrast agent, ZD2-Gd(HP-DO3A), specific to an oncoprotein, extradomain-B fibronectin (EDB-FN), in the tumor microenvironment for MR molecular imaging of breast cancer. METHOD EDB-FN expression in 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 cancers was analyzed with quantitative real-time PCR and western blot. Primary and metastatic triple negative breast cancer mouse models were developed using 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Contrast-enhanced MRI was carried out to evaluate the use of ZD2-Gd(HP-DO3A) in detecting 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 primary and metastatic tumors. RESULTS EDB-FN was abundantly expressed in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of both the primary and metastatic TNBC tumors. In T1 -weighted MRI, ZD2-Gd(HP-DO3A) generated superior contrast enhancement in primary TNBC tumors than a nonspecific clinical agent Gd(HP-DO3A), during 30 min after contrast injection. ZD2-Gd(HP-DO3A) also produced a significant increase in contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of TNBC metastases, enabling sensitive localization and delineation of metastases that occulted in non-contrast-enhanced or Gd(HP-DO3A)-enhanced MRI. CONCLUSIONS These findings potentiate the use of ZD2-Gd(HP-DO3A) for MR molecular imaging of malignant breast cancers to improve the healthcare of breast cancer patients. Magn Reson Med 79:3135-3143, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
An empirical exploration of female child marriage determinants in Indonesia.

Child marriage, defined as marriage before age 18, is associated with adverse human capital outcomes. The child marriage burden remains high among female adolescents in Indonesia, despite increasing socioeconomic development. Research on child marriage in Southeast Asia is scarce. No nationally representative studies thus far have examined determinants of child marriage in Indonesia through multivariate regression modeling. We used data from the nationally representative 2012 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey and the Adolescent Reproductive Health Survey to estimate determinants of child marriage and marital preferences. We ran multivariate models to estimate the association between demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and the following early marriage outcomes: 1) ever been married or cohabited, 2) married or cohabited before 18 years, 3) married or cohabited before 16 years, 4) self-reported marital-age preferences and 5) attitudes approving female child marriage. Among the child marriage research sample (n = 6578, females aged 20–24 at time of survey), approximately 17% and 6% report being married before 18 and 16 years old respectively. Among the marital preferences research sample (n = 8779, unmarried females 15–24), the average respondent preferred marriage at approximately 26 years and 5% had attitudes approving child marriage. Education, wealth and media exposure have protective effects across marriage outcomes, while rural residence is a risk factor for the same. There are significant variations by region, indicating roles of religious, ethnic and other geographically diverse factors. This research fills a gap in understanding of child marriage determinants in Indonesia. There appears to be little support for child marriage among girls and young women, indicating an entry point for structural interventions that would lead to lasting change. Future research efforts should prioritize rigorous testing of gender-transformative education and economic strengthening interventions, including cost-effectiveness considerations to better understand how interventions and policies can be leveraged to deliver on ending child marriage in Indonesia and globally.
Cellulose Acetate Paper Electrophoresis of Human Serum

Compounds with positive or negative net electric charges will migrate towards the opposite poles in an electric field. This phenomenon is called electrophoresis. If a mixture of different components, such as serum proteins, or amino acids, is placed in this electric field, the components will migrate toward the oppositely charged electrodes. The direction and velocity of their migration is determined mainly by their net electric charge.
Distinct Hypothalamic and Brainstem Contributions to Lorcaserin Action.

Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-expressing neurons regulate energy balance and mediate the effects of some classes of anti-obesity therapeutics. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, D'Agostino et al. (2018) demonstrate that a small and often overlooked population of POMC neurons in the brainstem contributes to satiation induced by the FDA-approved drug lorcaserin.
Social Information in Facebook News Feed Ads: Effects of Personal Relevance and Brand Familiarity

The current research examined effects of the “social information” feature in Facebook news feed ads, in relation to personal relevance and brand familiarity. Ads with social information did not alw...
Modulation of biological responses to 2 ns electrical stimuli by field reversal

Abstract Nanosecond bipolar pulse cancellation, a recently discovered phenomenon, is modulation of the effects of a unipolar electric pulse exposure by a second pulse of opposite polarity. This attenuation of biological response by reversal of the electric field direction has been reported with pulse durations from 60 ns to 900 ns for a wide range of endpoints, and it is not observed with conventional electroporation pulses of much longer duration (>100 μs) where pulses are additive regardless of polarity. The most plausible proposed mechanisms involve the field-driven migration of ions to and from the membrane interface (accelerated membrane discharge). Here we report 2 ns bipolar pulse cancellation, extending the scale of previously published results down to the time required to construct the permeabilizing lipid electropores observed in molecular simulations. We add new cancellation endpoints, and we describe new bipolar pulse effects that are distinct from cancellation. This new data, which includes transport of cationic and anionic permeability indicators, fluorescence of membrane labels, and patterns of entry into permeabilized cells, is not readily explained by the accelerated discharge mechanism. We suggest that multi-step processes that involve first charged species movement and then responses of cellular homeostasis and repair mechanisms are more likely to explain the broad range of reported results.
Measuring Cohabitation in U.S. National Surveys

Cohabitation is one of the fastest growing family forms in the United States. It is widespread and continues to increase but has not been consistently measured across surveys. It is important to track the quality of data on cohabitation because it has implications for research on the correlates and consequences of cohabitation for adults and children. Recent rounds of the Current Population Survey (CPS), National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY-97), and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) provide an opportunity to contrast estimates of cohabitation status and experience using nationally representative data sets and assess the quality of data on cohabitation in these data sets. Results demonstrated that the surveys provide similar estimates of current cohabitation status, except the CPS resulted in lower estimates. In terms of cohabitation experience (i.e., having ever cohabited), Add Health produced higher estimates, whereas both the NSFG and NLSY-97 produced lower estimates. We documented a strong education gradient across all surveys, with lower levels of current cohabitation and cohabitating experience and with increases in educational attainment. Racial/ethnic differences in cohabitation were inconsistent across surveys. We discuss aspects of sampling and measurement that potentially explain differences in estimates. Our findings have implications not only for survey design but also for the interpretation of results based on these four national surveys.
Biomonitoring of mercury and persistent organic pollutants in Michigan urban anglers and association with fish consumption

The 32-mile Detroit River and surrounding tributaries have been designated as a Great Lakes Area of Concern due to pollution from decades of municipal and industrial discharges, sewer overflows and urban development. Key pollutants in fish samples from the Detroit River include mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), dioxins and furans. A biomonitoring study was conducted to assess exposures to these persistent toxic substances in Detroit urban shoreline anglers who may be at high exposure risk due to consumption of locally caught fish. Using a modified venue-based sampling approach, 287 adult shoreline anglers along the Detroit River were recruited and participated in the program. Study participants provided blood and urine specimens and completed a questionnaire following informed consent. We examined percentile estimates for total blood mercury, PCBs, DDE, and dioxin-like total toxic equivalency (TEQ) concentrations among study participants. Multiple linear regression was used to identify important predictors of contaminant concentrations. Participants consumed a median of 64 Detroit River caught fish meals in the past year. The Detroit urban anglers' median total blood mercury concentrations was 3.2 times higher than that for the general adult U.S. population. PCB concentrations among the Detroit anglers aged 18-39 years were higher than the U.S. population of the same race/ethnicity. Elevated levels of DDE and total TEQ concentrations were not observed in the cohort. Eating more locally caught fish was associated with higher total blood mercury and serum PCB concentrations. The biomonitoring data served to inform public health officials and help guide environmental public health actions to reduce harmful exposures.
Effects of processing induced defects on laminate response - Interlaminar tensile strength

Four different layup methods were used in the present study of the interlaminar tensile strength of AS4/3501-6 graphite-reinforced epoxy as a function of defects from manufacturing-induced porosity. The methods were: (1) baseline hand layup, (2) solvent wipe of prepreg for resin removal, (3) moisture-introduction between plies, and (4) a low-pressure cure cycle. Pore characterization was conducted according to ASTM D-2734. A significant reduction is noted in the out-of-plane tensile strength as a function of increasing void content; the porosity data were used in an empirical model to predict out-of-plane strength as a function of porosity.
Improving the HIV Prevention Landscape to Reduce Disparities for Black MSM in the South

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) in the South have the highest rates of HIV diagnosis in the country adding to the persistent racial disparities in HIV experienced by this population. The current HIV prevention and care landscape is heavily driven by individual-level clinical and biomedical approaches that have shown progress in reducing HIV diagnoses, but yield less than adequate results in reducing the HIV racial disparities for Black MSM in the South. In efforts to enhance focus on reducing the racial HIV disparities and more completely address the needs of Black MSM in the South, we offer insight on comprehensive approaches that can complement our current HIV prevention and care portfolio. There are five domains we discuss which include: (1) leveraging and integrating resources; (2) building upon existing program models designed to reduce disparities; (3) workforce development and cultural sensitivity; (4) social determinants of health data utilization; and 5) policy considerations. We urge public health practitioners and healthcare providers to consider and incorporate the outlined approaches to improve HIV outcomes along the continuum of care and ultimately reduce disparities in HIV affecting the quality of life of Black MSM living in the South.
Support Effects on Water Gas Shift Activity and Sulfur Dependence of Mo Sulfide Catalysts

Molybdenum (Mo) sulfide catalysts supported on ZrO2, Al2O3, TiO2, CeO2, and SiO2 were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method and explored with respect to their catalytic activity and...
Protein Expression and Functional Relevance of Efflux and Uptake Drug Transporters at the Blood–Brain Barrier of Human Brain and Glioblastoma

The knowledge of transporter protein expression and function at the human blood-brain barrier (BBB) is critical to prediction of drug BBB penetration and design of strategies for improving drug delivery to the brain or brain tumor. This study determined absolute transporter protein abundances in isolated microvessels of human normal brain (N = 30), glioblastoma (N = 47), rat (N = 10) and mouse brain (N = 10), and cell membranes of MDCKII cell lines, using targeted proteomics. In glioblastoma microvessels, efflux transporters (ABCB1 and ABCG2), monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), sodium-potassium pump (Na/K ATPase), and Claudin-5 protein levels were significantly reduced, while large neutral amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) was increased and GLU3 remained the same, as compared with human normal brain microvessels. ABCC4, OATP1A2, OATP2B1, and OAT3 were undetectable in microvessels of both human brain and glioblastoma. Species difference in BBB transporter abundances was noted. Cellular permeability experiments and modeling simulations suggested that not a single apical uptake transporter but a vectorial transport system consisting of an apical uptake transporter and basolateral efflux mechanism was required for efficient delivery of poor transmembrane permeability drugs from the blood to brain.
CHAPTER 9 – APPLICATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the application of set theory, probability, and other statistical concepts. The probability that an individual who is alive at age x will not be alive at age y is given by (nx − ny) divided by nx where nx is the number of individuals alive at age x and ny is the number of individuals alive at age y. The probability that an individual who is alive at age x will still be alive at age y is given by ny divided by nx, where nx is the number of individuals alive at age x and ny is the number of individuals alive at age y. The chapter describes rules for matrix games with mixed strategies. If P is the transition matrix for a Markov process and X is the state matrix for any observation, then XP is the state matrix for the next observation.
Pearls and Pitfalls in Imaging Bone Marrow in Pediatric Patients

Magnetic resonance is a noninvasive, nonionizing modality used in the detection and evaluation of marrow lesions, as well as surgical planning and treatment follow-up. Since the distribution of red and yellow marrow occurs in a predictable sequence according to age, understanding this sequence is essential in establishing an accurate and timely diagnosis. This article provides an overview of the normal appearance of bone marrow in healthy children as well as focal and diffuse marrow abnormalities. Imaging pitfalls unique to children and solutions to use in difficult cases will be described.
After Janus: Teachers’ Unions, Walkouts, and Social Justice Unionism

Recent union-supported teachers’ walkouts and strikes across several U.S. states and cities highlighted union-led and grassroots efforts to amplify teachers’ voices. Yet, the recent U.S. Supreme Co...
Temperature characteristics of high-current UWBG enhancement and depletion mode AlGaN-channel MOSHFETs

We present the temperature-dependent electrical characteristics of high-current depletion (D-mode) and barrier-recessed enhancement-mode (E-mode) ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) AlxGa1−xN channel insulated gate heterojunction field-effect transistors fabricated on the same wafer. The key motivation is the higher Baliga figure of merit for devices with the UWBG AlGaN channel and their strong potential for use in high-power, high-temperature harsh environmental applications. Over a temperature range of 125 °C, the VTH shifted in the opposite direction for D- and E-mode devices with a rate of +13.5 mV/K and −23 mV/K, respectively, giving an overall shift of +1.7 V and −2.9 V. This was attributed to changes in the fixed and trapped charge densities in the dielectric and at the dielectric–AlGaN barrier interface. A single deep sub-bandgap trap level was sufficient to explain the threshold shifts in both devices. The effective channel mobility in the E-mode devices was argued to be limited by charge scattering, arising from the same charges introduced during barrier recessing that shifted VTH.
Thermostability of a trivalent, capsomere-based vaccine for human papillomavirus infection.

Abstract Currently licensed vaccines require a cold-chain to maintain efficacy. This cold-chain requirement reduces the availability of vaccines in resource-poor areas of the world. Commercially available human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines protect against the most common HPV types related to cervical cancer; however, their impact is limited in many regions due to cold-chain requirements. The goal of this study was to test the thermostability of an adjuvanted, trivalent HPV L1 capsomere-based vaccine (containing HPV types 16, 18, and 31) that was formulated by using lyophilization to embed the antigens within a solid, glassy matrix. Thermal stabilities were determined by storing the vaccine formulations for 3 months at 50 °C, followed by immunization of BALB/c mice and measurement of antibody responses. Antibody responses to capsomere vaccines formulated with alum were unchanged after storage for 3 months at 50 °C. Neutralizing responses to these vaccines were unchanged by high-temperature storage, and were equivalent to those generated after administration of the commercially available liquid HPV vaccine Gardasil®9.
Efficient expression of full-length antibodies in the cytoplasm of engineered bacteria

Current methods for producing immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in engineered cells often require refolding steps or secretion across one or more biological membranes. Here, we describe a robust expression platform for biosynthesis of full-length IgG antibodies in the Escherichia coli cytoplasm. Synthetic heavy and light chains, both lacking canonical export signals, are expressed in specially engineered E. coli strains that permit formation of stable disulfide bonds within the cytoplasm. IgGs with clinically relevant antigen- and effector-binding activities are readily produced in the E. coli cytoplasm by grafting antigen-specific variable heavy and light domains into a cytoplasmically stable framework and remodelling the fragment crystallizable domain with amino-acid substitutions that promote binding to Fcγ receptors. The resulting cytoplasmic IgGs—named ‘cyclonals'—effectively bypass the potentially rate-limiting steps of membrane translocation and glycosylation.
Robust Two‐Stage Model‐Guided Designs for Phase I Clinical Studies

The standard rule-based cohorts-of-three phase I design, originally proposed for dose-finding studies of chemotherapeutic agents in cancer patients, has well-known limitations; these include treating a large fraction of the patients accrued at low, presumably ineffective doses. Model-guided designs, such as the continual reassessment method, attempt to address some of these limitations. Such schemes can work well if the initially specified range of doses to be investigated brackets the true maximum tolerated dose (MTD); however, if this condition is not met, and additional doses must be added as the study progresses, these schemes can find an MTD in the absence of the observation of any dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). In first-in-human studies, the latter situation is a particular concern. Robust two-stage model-guided designs use a rule-based first stage that ends upon observation of the first DLT, and a second stage that uses a flexible model that is initialized with the initial DLT data. These designs have the robustness of rule-based designs and the advantages of the model-guided designs. Three such designs are reviewed and compared. Keywords: Continual reassessment method; dose finding; clinical trial; maximum tolerable dose; dose-limiting toxicity
$\Upsilon(1s)\to\gamma f_2(1270)$ Decay

Decay $\Upsilon(1s)\to\gamma f_2(1270)$ is studied by an approach in which the tensor meson, $f_2(1270)$, is strongly coupled to gluons. Besides the strong suppression of the amplitude $\Upsilon(1s)\to\gamma gg, gg\to f_2$ by the mass of b-quark, d-wave dominance in $\Upsilon(1s)\to\gamma f_2(1270)$ is revealed from this approach, which provides a large enhancement. The combination of these two factors leads to larger $B(\Upsilon(1s)\to\gamma f_2(1270))$. The decay rate of $\Upsilon(1s)\to\gamma f_2(1270)$ and the ratios of the helicity amplitudes are obtained and they are in agreement with data.
Heat Sinks With Enhanced Heat Transfer Capability for Electronic Cooling Applications

In a competition at Carnegie Mellon University, the mechanical engineering students designed and manufactured 27 heat sinks. The heat sinks were then tested for thermal performance in cooling a mock processor. A heat sink with three rows of 9, 8, and 9 dimpled rectangular fins in staggered configuration performed the best, while having the least total volume (about 25% less than the set value). Validation of the observed thermal performance of this heat sink by experimentation and numerical simulations has motivated the present investigation. Thermal performance of the heat sinks with and without dimples have been evaluated and compared. Results of both the measurements and simulations indicate that dimples do in fact improve heat transfer capability of the heat sinks. However, dimples cause more pressure drop in the air flow. Keeping the total volume of the heat sink and the height of the fins constant and changing the number of the fins and their arrangement show that there is an optimum number of fins for the best performance of the heat sink. The optimum fin numbers are different for inline and staggered arrangements.
Comparison of the 24 kDa Flagellar Calcium‐Binding Protein cDNA of Two Strains of Trypanosoma cruzi

. DNA sequences encoding the 24 kDa flagellar calcium binding protein (FCaBP) of two strains of Trypanosoma cruzi were found to differ at fourteen positions, six of which result in amino acid differences. Four of the amino acid differences are located within the calcium-binding domains of FCaBP; however, none is predicted to affect the calcium-binding ability of the protein. Chromosomes harboring the FCaBP gene clusters differ in size among T. cruzi strains.
An empirical test of the unrelated question randomized response technique

An empirical test was conducted to determine the degree to which respondents, interviewed using the unrelated question randomized response technique (RRT), would truthfully answer the nonsensitive question when directed to by the randomization outcome if that answer could be jeopardizing should it pertain to the sensitive question. Depending on the sensitive question, between 2% and 10% of the respondents did not answer the unrelated question truthfully. However, these percentages were much smaller than were previously found for the directed response RRT.
Can the shadow of the future harm cooperation

Abstract It is generally thought that in long-term relationships high valuations of the future are conducive to cooperation. In an intertemporal model of conflict, however, we demonstrate the possibility of the opposite effect: a longer shadow of the future may harm cooperation. In particular, we show that the degree of inefficiency is positively related to: (i) the agents' valuation of the future, (ii) potential growth rates in resources, (iii) the size of initial resource endowments, and (iv) the effectiveness of conflict.
Support for Environmental Protection: The Role of Moral Norms

A theoretical model is presented that traces support for environmental protection to a social-psychological process involving the activation of moral norms against harming innocent people. In a preliminary test of the model's social-psychological hypotheses, judgments about the moral obligations of industry with respect to hazardous chemicals were found to depend both on awareness of harmful consequences to people and on ascription of responsibility for those consequences to industry; government, however, was held to be morally obligated to act even if it was not responsible for the harm. Suggestions are offered for using the model to study the determinants of changing public opinion on the environment, the tactics of advocacy groups in environmental policy conflicts, and the process that mobilizes pressure for political causes in the absence of tangible group interests.
On the switching material properties of coated plasmonic nanoparticles

The material properties of a plasmonic core-shell particle are examined and it is demonstrated that they follow the switching properties of a Lorentzian function. Through a spherical transmission line analysis it is further demonstrated that these switching material properties are directly mapped onto the particle's input impedance provided its size is electrically small. As a consequence the particle exhibits frequency dependent high- and low-admittance states that permit the realization of short- and open-circuit conditions at the nanoscale.
Observation of size dependent liquidus depression in the growth of InAs nanowires

Abstract InAs nanowires have been grown in the temperature range of 400–660 °C in a closed vapor growth system. Due to the nature of the growth process, no transport gas or reactive gas was used. We have performed EDS analysis on the gold alloy tips of nanowires with diameters of 25, 35, 40, 60 and 100 nm. If one considers the bulk equilibrium phase diagram, our results would indicate that while the tips for the 100 nm nanowires are in a complete liquid state, those of 60 nm diameter or less are in varying degrees of partial liquid state, and the tips of wires grown at 400 °C would be expected to be in the solid state. However, combining the chemical analysis and low temperature results, our results suggests a significant size dependent melting point reduction in these nanowires, in excess of that predicted by the Gibbs–Thompson theory. Under these conditions, all of the nanowire tips would fall within the liquid phase and the growth of all the InAs nanowires at these temperatures can be attributed to the VLS growth mechanism.