cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capacity for cellular CDMA PCS's in Nakagami fading log-normal shadowing channels

Spread-spectrum DS/CDMA is a powerful technique for implementing PCS. However, DC/CDMA suffers from the 'near-far' problem, and hence, power control for the signals involved is required. A model for DS/CDMA PCS is studied under the effect of Nakagami fading and log-normal shadowing. The interference from neighboring cells is studied and obtained. The capacity of the system is then evaluated as a function of the maximum number of active users within the cell, for different cases of the fading channel parameters. The capacity improvement through applying a suitable power control scheme is obtained and compared with the case when no power control is used. >
Does Asserting a Nonblack Identity Elicit Positive Evaluations? White Observers’ Reactions to Black, Biracial, Multiracial, and White Job Applicants

How do white observers react when people with black heritage assert a biracial, multiracial, or white identity rather than a black identity? To address this question, I conducted two experiments in...
Transferencia negativa del español al inglés en las vocales /ʌ/ y /æ/

The aim of this non-experimental descriptive study is to establish if linguistic negative transfer caused by the aural perception of Spanish vowel phonemes is responsible for spelling mistakes found in 5th graders’ written texts from a Spanish-English bilingual school in Concepcion, Chile. The subjects of this study participated in an aural perception test in which they had to represent the English vowels /ʌ/ and /ae/ —these vowels were presented in twelve pseudo words. The results are consistent with the literature on the subject of phonetic- phonological negative transfer, suggesting the influence of Spanish phonics on the auditory vowel perception in English, both for pseudo words within a semantic context and in isolation.
Increased Transgenerational Intestinal Tumorigenesis in Offspring of Ionizing Radiation Exposed Parent APC 1638N/+ Mice

The purpose of the study was to assess transgenerational intestinal tumorigenic effects of low dose ionizing radiation employing a well-characterized mouse model of human colorectal cancer. Mice (6 to 8 weeks old APC1638N/+ mice; n=20 per study group) were exposed to whole-body 25 cGy x-rays and mated 2 days post-irradiation. Intestinal tumorigenesis in male and female F1 mice from No Parents Irradiated (NPI), Both Parents Irradiated (BPI), and Male Parent Irradiated (MPI) groups were compared 210 days after birth. Male and female Direct Parent Irradiated (DPI) groups were additional controls for male and female F1 groups respectively. Data showed higher intestinal tumor frequency (± standard error of the mean) in male and female F1 from BPI (male: 7.81 ± 0.91; female: 5.45 ± 0.36) as well as from MPI (male: 6.30 ± 0.33; female: 4.45 ± 0.33) mice relative to F1 from NPI mice (male: 4.2 ± 0.48; female: 3.35 ± 0.37). Compared to male and female DPI (male: 5.55 ± 0.40; female: 3.60 ± 0.22), tumor frequency in F1 mice of BPI and MPI, though higher, was not statistically significant except for DPI vs. BPI in male mice. Additionally, both BPI and MPI showed increased frequency of larger tumors relative to NPI. In summary, our observations demonstrated that the APC1638N/+ mice due to its low spontaneous tumor frequency could serve as an effective model to study risk of transgenerational carcinogenesis in gastrointestinal tissues after exposure to clinically relevant low doses of ionizing radiation.
AEROSOLS | Role in Radiative Transfer

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by W Collins, volume 1, pp 48–53, © 2003, Elsevier Ltd.
Data Analytics for Policy Informatics: The Case of E-Petitioning

To contribute to the development of policy informatics, we discuss the benefits of analyzing electronic petitions (e-petitions), a form of citizen-government discourse with deep historic roots that has recently transitioned into a technologically-enabled and novel form of political communication. We begin by presenting a rationale for the analysis of e-petitions as a type of e-participation that can contribute to the development of public policy, provided that it is possible to analyze the large volumes of data produced in petitioning processes. From there we consider two data analytic strategies that offer promising approaches to the analysis of e-petitions and that lend themselves to the future creation of policy informatics tools. We discuss the application of topic modeling to the analysis of e-petition textual data to identify emergent topics of substantial concern to the public. We further propose the application of social network analysis to data related to the dynamics of petitioning processes, such as the social connections between petition initiators and signers, and tweets that solicit petition signatures in petitioning campaigns; both may be useful in revealing patterns of collective action. The paper concludes by reflecting on issues that should be brought to bear on the construction of policy informatics tools that make use of e-petitioning data.
Driving Graphics and Sound with Sensor Data

With the basics of reading sensor data already covered in the previous chapter, we will now see how to use data from the accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope to generate interactive graphics and sound in our Processing sketches.
Synthesis of N-alkoxy-substituted 2H-benzimidazoles.

Abstract Treatment of 2-nitro- N -(2-methyl-1-propen-1-yl)benzenamines with potassium tert -butoxide in tert -butanol followed by the addition of an electrophile affords N -alkoxy-2 H -benzimidazoles. Electrophiles including methyl iodide, allylic bromides, propargylic bromides, benzyl bromide, and acetyl chloride gave good to excellent yields of product while 1-iodo- and 2-iodo-butane afforded very low yields.
Investigation and utilization of personal food computers for research in drug development and biomedicine

With the development of civilization into urban areas, agriculture has been forced to adapt to less space and limited resources. Developments in urban farming and robotics have produced the personal food computer, a device producing a controlled environment for hydroponic plant growth. As many pharmaceuticals originate from chemicals found in plants, investigation of chemicals relevant to human health can be economically performed using this controlled environment. Advances to the food computer which aid in this research include a cloud-based system for collecting data across multiple devices, weather simulation recipes supported by global weather data and artificial intelligence techniques, and automated plant monitoring and reporting. Several devices have been built to work with these systems and research is underway in a variety of projects including preventative medicine and drug development.
Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Closer Look at Hypertension and Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy.

Primary intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) studies often use hematoma location rather than ICH etiologies when assessing outcome. Characterizing ICH using hematoma location is effective/reproducible, but may miss heterogeneity among these ICH locations, particularly lobar ICH where competing primary ICH etiologies are possible. We subsequently investigated baseline characteristics/outcome differences of spontaneous, primary ICH by their etiologies: cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and hypertension. Primary ICH clinical/outcomes data were prospectively collected between 2009 and 2015. Modified Boston criteria were used to identify “probable/definite” and “possible” CAA-ICH, which were evaluated separately. SMASH-U criteria were used to identify hypertension ICH. Medication and systemic disease coagulopathy ICH were excluded. Baseline characteristics/outcomes among “probable/definite” CAA-ICH, “possible” CAA-ICH, and hypertension ICH were compared using logistic regression. Mortality models using ICH etiologies compared to hematoma location as predictor variables were assessed. Two hundred and four hypertension ICHs, 55 “probable/definite” CAA-ICHs, and 46 “possible” CAA-ICHs were identified. Despite older age and larger ICH volumes, lower hospital mortality was seen in “probable/definite” CAA-ICH versus hypertension ICH (OR 0.2; 95% CI 0.05–0.8; p = 0.02) after adjusting for female gender, components of ICH score, and EVD placement. There were no mortality differences between “possible” CAA-ICH and hypertension ICH. However, lower hospital mortality was seen in “probable/definite” versus “possible” CAA-ICH (OR 0.2; 95% CI 0.04–0.7; p = 0.02). When using ICH etiology rather than hematoma location, hospital mortality models significantly improved (χ2: [df = 2, N = 305] = 6.2; p = 0.01). Further investigation is required to confirm the mortality heterogeneity seen within our primary ICH cohort. Hematoma location may play a role for these findings, but the mortality differences seen among lobar ICH using CAA-ICH subtypes and a failure to identify mortality differences between “possible” CAA-ICH and hypertension ICH suggest the limitations of accounting for hematoma location alone.
Prophylactic use of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and its effect on the long-term survival, cardiovascular and sudden cardiac death in nonischemic cardiomyopathy patients—a systematic review and meta-analysis

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has shown to reduce sudden cardiac death and overall mortality in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. The recently published DANISH trial has shown conflicting outcomes on the long-term survival in patients with prophylactic implantation of ICD in Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy (NICM). Two independent reviewers searched MEDLINE, PUBMED, Ovid, CINAHL, clinicaltrials.gov , and Cochrane Registry for randomized control trials (RCT’s) comparing ICD to medical treatment (MT). Six RCT’s enrolling 3389 patients (ICD = 1554 and MT = 1835) were included for final analysis. The primary outcomes were mortality comparing ICD to MT, 231 vs 337 (OR = 0.74, CI = 0.62–0.90, p = 0.002, and I2 = 0%) favoring ICD. On comparing to amiodarone only, there were 47 deaths in the ICD arm vs 71 deaths in amiodarone arm, (OR = 0.66, CI = 0.44–0.98, p = 0.04, I2 0%), to placebo and usual care only (excluding amiodarone); there were 225 deaths in ICD patients compared to 266 in the placebo and usual care arm, (OR = 0.73, CI = 0.59–0.92, p = 0.007, I2 = 15%). The results of our analysis from these six RCTs clearly support the ongoing benefit of prophylactic ICD implantation and support current recommendations for ICD implantation in NICM patients. More RCT’s at a larger scale are needed to further elucidate benefits of both ICD and CRT-D in this post PARADIGM era where MT is at a pinnacle in reducing morbidity and mortality in heart failure patients.
China and the Twenty-First-Century Silk Roads: A New Era of Global Economic Leadership?

Amid heightened uncertainty in the wake of Washington’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership in early 2017, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is drawing increased attention and scrutiny. Xi Jinping’s defense of economic globalization at the 2017 World Economic Forum meeting and China’s hosting of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May 2017 attest to Beijing’s growing determination to assume an increased global economic leadership role. Against the backdrop of China’s call for a “new great power relationship” with the United States and its quest for “national rejuvenation,” Chap. 2 outlines how and to what extent the BRI might herald the emergence of a new global economic order. Is it reflective of a new era of geoeconomics or is it merely a disguise for a deeper geostrategic move?
Alkalinity of Freshwater

Abstract Alkalinity is a measure of the amount of bases in a solution, which can neutralize hydrogen ions H + from strong acids. A closely related and more encompassing term is Acid Neutralizing Capacity (ANC), which may include any type of buffering, including buffering action of particulates suspended within unfiltered samples. In most freshwaters, the major buffers in the carbonate system, bicarbonate [HCO 3 − ], and carbonate ions [CO 3 2 − ], with bicarbonate ion being the dominant buffering agent that moderates large variations in the pH of the system.
Clinical Evidence of Bacterial Translocation from the Gut

Physicians have always looked upon the gut with dark suspicion. The colon, that enormous reservoir of potentially pathogenic bacteria, was especially suspect. Purging, sometimes violently, often combined with bleeding was a common remedy of our medical forebears. Wiggers in his classic on shock in 1950 mentions that bacteria might possibly make their way out of the colon as a result of ischemic damage to tissues.
Liposomes as Carriers for Controlled Drug Delivery

Important recent technological developments in liposome research for parenteral drug delivery are discussed. The chapter is divided into two major sections. The first section provides an overview of liposome physicochemical properties and the mechanism of vesicle formation. Various liposome preparation methods are reviewed, including film hydration method, organic solvent injection method, and reverse phase evaporation. Then several drug encapsulation/loading techniques are discussed. In the second part, the use of liposomes for parenteral drug delivery is discussed with specific examples of marketed products as well as those that are currently under investigation. In particular, the in vivo fate of drug containing liposomes and several successful examples of formulation approaches to alter the drug/liposome in vivo disposition are discussed.
Molecular abnormalities of the brain in Down syndrome: relevance to Alzheimer's neurodegeneration.

Down syndrome is caused by over-expression of genes located within a segment of chromosome 21, termed the Down locus. Down syndrome is associated with developmental abnormalities of the central nervous system that result in mental retardation and age-dependent Alzheimer-type neurodegeneration. Some of the neurodegenerative lesions, including Aβ amyloid eposition, apoptotic cell death, and aberrant dendritic arborization, are in part due to constitutively increased expression of genes that encode the amyloid precursor protein, superoxide dismutase I, and S100-beta, and located within the Down locus. However, neurodegeneration in Down syndrome is also associated with aberrant expression of genes that are not linked to the Down locus, including the growth associated protein, GAP-43, nitric oxide synthase 3, neuronal thread protein, and pro-apoptosis genes such as p53, Bax, and interleukin-1β-converting enzyme. Increased expression of these non-Down locus genes correlates with proliferation of dystrophic neuntes and apoptotic cell death, two important correlates of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease. This article reviews the functional importance of abnormal gene expression in relation to Alzheimer-type neurodegeneration in brains of individuals with Down syndrome.
Effects of Boundary Lubricants and Metallic Oxides in Steel-Steel Tribological Junctions Studied with the Atomic Force Microscope

The effects of boundary lubricants and metallic oxides upon the interaction between two asperities is central to the tribological behavior of metal-metal systems. We have used an Atomic Force Microscope to measure tribological properties of micron-scale steel-steel junctions. Frictional and adhesion data were measured in air for unlubricated and boundary lubricated samples. Adhesive forces of order 0.02 mN were measured for dry micron-scale tips. The frictional coefficient increases by a factor of three as a function of the number of sliding cycles for unlubricated junctions at pressures where a boundary-lubricated junction shows no such effects. This friction increase is attributed to metallic adhesion.
Epilepsy in the Neonate and Infant and Sleep

Publisher Summary Associations between sleep and epilepsy have been increasingly appreciated by neurologists caring for patients with seizure disorders. Interrelationships between sleep and epilepsy during childhood and adulthood have also been addressed. Despite the growing understanding of the rapid stages of sleep ontogeny from birth through 1 year of age, associations between sleep and seizure occurrence remain elusive. Intrauterine monitoring of the fetal baboon demonstrates similar maturation of state organization after 36 weeks postconceptional age (PCA) as noted for the preterm newborn. Neonates with seizures are not primarily associated with epileptic syndromes, with or without sleep activation. Seizures occur in otherwise healthy infants during preserved sleep transitions. Seizures usually occur within the first several days of life but can begin or recur for several weeks to months in a particular child. The clinician must be careful to note the neurodevelopment status of children, because severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy may also be present in children with significant developmental delay. This chapter emphasizes that generalized electro-decremental episodes are the most common electrographic accompaniments to clinical infantile spasms.
Discharge summary training curriculum: a novel approach to training medical students how to write effective discharge summaries.

BACKGROUND Resident physicians at teaching hospitals write many discharge summaries (DCSs), but receive little formal training or feedback. Poor DCS quality poses a potential patient safety risk. METHODS We developed a curriculum to train fourth-year medical students (MS4s) how to write DCSs and integrated this curriculum into a transition-to-residency course. An inpatient attending physician (IPA) and non-inpatient physician (coach) used structured tools to assess for the presence of key elements within the DCS, evaluate the overall quality of the DCS, and judge the student's progression towards entrustable professional activities and transitional year milestones. We identified overall areas of weakness and correlated scores between IPAs and coaches. Improvements in student knowledge and DCS writing confidence were determined using pre- and post-curriculum surveys. RESULTS Of 102 eligible students, 78 completed the assignment, 61 wrote a new DCS and 17 reviewed previously written DCSs. Patient condition at discharge was missing in more than 20.0% of DCSs. Coaches were less likely than IPAs to assess students as entrustable (58.3% versus 95.8%; p = 0.0027). IPAs assigned higher overall quality ratings than coaches (8.0 versus 6.0 out of 10.0, p< 0.0001). Post-intervention, 82.2% of students reported they learned how to write high-quality DCSs and 93.3% of students reported they would change the way they write DCSs. CONCLUSIONS Graduating medical students have limited skill and comfort in writing DCSs. Structured training on how to write DCSs before postgraduate residency training is a key step towards ultimately improving transitions of care. Training should teach learners to write high-quality DCSs that serve the needs of both inpatient and outpatient providers. Resident physicians at teaching hospitals are expected to independently author [discharge summaries] DCSs, yet few receive formal training.
Mitochondrial Metabolism in Major Neurological Diseases

Mitochondria are bilayer sub-cellular organelles that are an integral part of normal cellular physiology. They are responsible for producing the majority of a cell's ATP, thus supplying energy for a variety of key cellular processes, especially in the brain. Although energy production is a key aspect of mitochondrial metabolism, its role extends far beyond energy production to cell signaling and epigenetic regulation⁻functions that contribute to cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, and autophagy. Recent research on neurological disorders suggest a major metabolic component in disease pathophysiology, and mitochondria have been shown to be in the center of metabolic dysregulation and possibly disease manifestation. This review will discuss the basic functions of mitochondria and how alterations in mitochondrial activity lead to neurological disease progression.
A multiobjective simulation-optimization tool for assisting in urban watershed restoration planning

Abstract Significant efforts are being made to restore urban watersheds. Stormwater control measures (SCMs) reduce runoff and provide water quality treatment, and are the predominate means of achieving restoration objectives. Determining an effective implementation strategy for these measures often requires a simulation model. The Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is a hydrologic-hydraulic and water quality model specifically developed for use in urban watersheds. We enhanced an existing external control program for SWMM by adding automated calibration for user-selected events, sensitivity analysis capability, and a multiobjective cost-optimization feature using a well-known evolutionary solver, the Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). The enhanced program, RSWMM-Cost, was then applied to a previously developed SWMM model of the Difficult Run watershed of Fairfax County, Virginia. Calibration and verification were performed using the program. Sensitivity analysis was conducted by varying SCM attributes as a function of performance metrics. Cost-optimization was conducted on a 123.4 ha headwater subcatchment of the watershed using generalized cost relationships and constraints based upon SCM design guidance and water quality requirements. A cost-effectiveness curve was generated, consisting of sets of SCMs that either are optimal or nearly so. Thus, RSWMM-Cost can assist decision makers identify watershed management strategies that meet water quality goals.
Occurrence of a shadow response among brachyuran larvae

A closed-circuit television system was used to study phototaxis and behavioral responses upon sudden decreases in light intensity in light-adapted Stage I zoeae from 7 species of Brachyura (Panopeus herbstii, Menippe mercenaria, Uca pugilator, Callinectes sapidus, Sesarma cinereum, Pinnotheres maculatum, and Libinia emarginata). All species except one show positive phototaxis to high intensities of 500 nm light and negative phototaxis to low intensities. Upon a sudden light intensity decrease, larvae show a shadow response, which depends upon the initial and final intensities. If the initial intensity is sufficient to induce positive phototaxis, and the light is extinguished, the larvae of 6 species stop swimming and passively sink (sinking response). Reducing the intensity to an absolute level that causes negative phototaxis, induces a sinking response followed by negative phototaxis. For intensity reductions that occur in the intensity range above that for negative phototaxis, a sinking responseis observed. The intensity decrease that initiates the sinking response is independent of initial stimulus intensity and duration, is consistent between species, and is equivalent to a decrease by 0.5 OD (optical density) units. The sinking response is greatest at intensity decreases of at least 1.0 to 1.1 OD units. It is concluded that the shadow response is common in brachyuran larvae inhabiting coastal-estuarine areas.
How does familiarity impact the stigma of mental illness

This paper reviews studies on familiarity of mental illness to determine the relationships that familiarity has with public stigma. We propose a U-shaped relationship between familiarity and stigma that includes the expected inverse distribution (greater familiarity leads to less public stigma) and a provocative, positive relationship (familiarity in some groups leads to worse public stigma). Note that despite many studies in this arena, the U-shaped curve is not definitively supported by existing research. We believe its value, however, lies as a heuristic for hypotheses development to better understand the relationship between familiarity and public stigma. After reviewing research, we focus on two roles that comprise the surprising positive relationship: nuclear family members and mental health service providers like clinical psychologists. We then review research that suggests burden and associative stigma might account for the positive relationship between these groups and stigma. We end by using these findings to propose directions for future research, including on the development and evaluation of anti-stigma approaches.
The Effect of News Peril-type on Social Inclinations: A Social Group Comparison:

One of the most potent ways to communicate stigma is associating a group with peril. In this study, we examine how different forms of peril representations influence specific patterns of interperso...
An ecosystem-based analysis of design innovation infringements: South Korea and China in the global tire industry

Formal intellectual property right (IPR) protections under global agreements are a policy linchpin of the new global knowledge economy. However, we observe that while some emerging-economy firms have successfully transitioned from imitation to innovation, others persist in imitation, sometimes resulting in IPR violations. In this paper, we study design innovation in the global tire industry, focusing on South Korean and Chinese firms, and uncover IPR violations by both groups. However, by the 2000s, Korean tire firms had transitioned to developing their own design innovations while Chinese firms persisted in imitation, as evidenced by continuing IP lawsuits. We trace this difference to the fact that South Korea is home to globally successful multinational automobile manufacturers, whereas China is not. These automobile multinationals function as “keystone organizations” in a national industry ecosystem and are critical to facilitating the transition to innovation. Our study emphasizes the importance of linkages to keystone organizations as crucial elements supporting operations that comply with global IP regulations.
Post-script: Thoughts on Data Lifecycle and the Lifecycle of Anthropological Thought on Data

In her commentary Dr. Cliggett shares her approach to how social scientists can address the mountain of digital data that looms over their research. Citing the chapters of this volume and her own extensive experience, Cliggett argues that without the assistance of professional information specialists and support from universities and other institutions and foundations, the discipline will lose its footing and suffer significant data loss of current and future research.
Spinal Loading During One and Two-Handed Lifting:

Background:Lifting at work remains one of the most highly studied potential risk factors for low back disorders, but most of the studies that have been conducted on this topic focus on lifting scen...
A Simulation Study of Bootstrap Approaches to Estimate Confidence Intervals in DeFries–Fulker Regression Models (with Application to the Heritability of BMI Changes in the NLSY)

The univariate bootstrap is a relatively recently developed version of the bootstrap (Lee and Rodgers in Psychol Methods 3(1): 91, 1998). DeFries-Fulker (DF) analysis is a regression model used to estimate parameters in behavioral genetic models (DeFries and Fulker in Behav Genet 15(5): 467-473, 1985). It is appealing for its simplicity; however, it violates certain regression assumptions such as homogeneity of variance and independence of errors that make calculation of standard errors and confidence intervals problematic. Methods have been developed to account for these issues (Kohler and Rodgers in Behav Genet 31(2): 179-191, 2001), however the univariate bootstrap represents a unique means of doing so that is presaged by suggestions from previous DF research (e.g., Cherny et al. in Behav Genet 22(2): 153-162, 1992). In the present study we use simulations to examine the performance of the univariate bootstrap in the context of DF analysis. We compare a number of possible bootstrap schemes as well as more traditional confidence interval methods. We follow up with an empirical demonstration, applying results of the simulation to models estimated to investigate changes in body mass index in adults from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 data.
Growing MIDI Music Files Using Convolutional Cellular Automata

This paper describes a novel generative system based on cellular automata (CA). The main contribution of this work is CARLA, a Cellular Automata Rule Learning Algorithm that learns CA update rules with lower computational overhead (i.e. a smaller neural architecture) than other current approaches. A formal model is developed, situating the algorithm in terms of machine learning. The algorithm is then validated on the 256 possible elementary cellular automata rules. Next, the CARLA algorithm is incorporated into a larger generative system that learns musical patterns by transforming MIDI-encoded music into cellular automata. A novel postprocessing algorithm called Tendril is then developed and integrated with CARLA. This system is then used to generate a novel MIDI composition based partially on update rules learned from Chopin’s Waterfall Etude, demonstrating the utility of this new algorithm for creative applications.
Anxiety and Mood Disorders Impacting Physician Opioid Prescribing in the Pediatric Hospital Setting.

This research examined whether pediatric inpatients without an anxiety/mood disorder are more likely to receive opioids in response to pain compared to patients diagnosed with a mental health condition. Research questions were tested using cross-sectional inpatient electronic medical record data. Propensity score matching was used to match patients with a disorder with patients without the disorder (anxiety analyses: N = 2892; mood analyses: N = 1042). Although patients with anxiety and mood disorders experienced greater pain, physicians were less likely to order opioids for these patients. Analyses also disclosed an interaction of anxiety with pain—the pain-opioid relation was stronger for patients without an anxiety disorder than for patients with an anxiety diagnosis. Instead, physicians were more likely to place non-opioid analgesic orders to manage the pain of patients with anxiety disorders. Findings imply that pain management decisions might be influenced by patient's mental health.
Proprioceptive Acuity is Enhanced During Arm Movements Compared to When the Arm is Stationary: A Study of Young and Older Adults

Abstract Proprioception in old age is thought to be poorer due to degeneration of the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems (PNS). We tested whether community-dwelling older adults (65–83 years) make larger proprioceptive errors than young adults (18–22 years) using a natural reaching task. Subjects moved the right arm to touch the index fingertip to the stationary or moving left index fingertip. The range of locations of the target index fingertip was large, sampling the natural workspace of the human arm. The target arm was moved actively by the subject or passively by the experimenter and reaching arm movements towards the target were made under visual guidance, or with vision blocked (proprioceptive guidance). Subjects did not know the direction or speed of upcoming target hand motion in the passive conditions. Mean 3D distance errors between the right and left index finger tips were small in both groups and only slightly larger when vision was blocked than when allowed, but averaged 2–5 mm larger in older than in younger adults in moving (p = 0.002) and stationary (p = 0.07) conditions, respectively. Variable errors were small and similar in the two groups (p > 0.35). Importantly, clearly larger errors were observed for reaching to the stationary than to the moving index fingertip in both groups, demonstrating that dynamic proprioceptive information during movement permits more accurate localization of the endpoint of the moving arm. This novel finding demonstrates the importance of dynamic proprioceptive information in movement guidance and bimanual coordination.
Prolonged partner separation erodes nucleus accumbens transcriptional signatures of pair bonding in male prairie voles

Abstract The loss of a spouse is often cited as the most traumatic event in a person’s life. However, for most people, the severity of grief and its maladaptive effects subside over time via an understudied adaptive process. Like humans, socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) form opposite-sex pair bonds, and upon partner separation, show behavioral and neuroendocrine stress phenotypes that diminish over time. Eventually, they can form a new bond, a key indicator of adapting to the loss of their partner. Thus, prairie voles provide an ethologically-relevant model for examining neuromolecular changes that emerge following partner separation for adapting to loss. Here, we test the hypothesis that extended partner separation diminishes pair bond-associated behaviors (partner preference and selective aggression) and causes pair bond transcriptional signatures to erode. Pairs were cohoused for 2 weeks and then either remained paired or were separated for 48hrs or 4wks before collecting fresh nucleus accumbens tissue for RNAseq. In a separate cohort, we assessed partner preference and selective aggression at these time points. Surprisingly, pair bond-associated behaviors persist despite prolonged separation and are similar between same-sex and opposite-sex paired voles. In contrast, we found that opposite-sex pair bonding, as compared with same-sex pairing, led to changes in accumbal transcription that were stably maintained as long as animals remained paired but eroded following prolonged partner separation. Eroded genes are primarily associated with gliogenesis and myelination, suggesting a previously undescribed role for glia in maintaining pair bonds and adapting to partner loss. We further reasoned that relevant neuronal transcriptional changes may have been masked by the prominent transcriptional signals associated with glia. Thus, we pioneered neuron-specific translating ribosomal affinity purification in voles. Neuronally-enriched transcriptional changes revealed dopaminergic-, mitochondrial-, and steroid hormone signaling-associated gene clusters whose expression patterns are sensitive to acute pair bond disruption and loss adaptation. Together, our results suggest that partner separation results in erosion of transcriptomic signatures of pair bonding despite core behavioral features of the bond remaining intact, revealing potential molecular processes central to priming a vole to be able to form a new bond.
Justice Gorsuch's Would-Be War on Chevron

Supreme Court decisions such as Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council require varying levels of deference to legal interpretations provided by administrative agencies – deference that recently appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch believes undermines the separation of powers. He has, since joining the Court in April 2017, found no vehicle for actually executing his anti-Chevron mission. This Essay examines his statement upon denial of certiorari in Scenic America v. Department of Transportation. Justice Gorsuch’s statement is telling both for Scenic America’s unsuitability as a vehicle to address the deference doctrines that he cares about and for the rhetoric he uses in discussing the case. The rhetoric he uses reveals his interest in reviving the non-delegation doctrine and his formalist approach to separation of powers, both of which bode ill for the modern administrative state.
Becoming Seres Puentes: Teresa Leal, the Toxic Tour, and Five Decades of Capacity Building on the U.S.-Mexico Border

This essay examines capacity building on the U.S. - Mexico Border by indigenous, Latino/a/x and People of Color activists working for social and environmental justice. The essay begins with a description of a toxic tour offered at the 1999 American Society of Environmental Historians (ASEH) Annual Conference and ends with insights gathered in a panel discussion with Teresa Leal (Opata) at the 2011 ASEH twelve years later. The essay focuses on Leal’s five decade legacy of empowering women, her community, her fellow activists, and her academic colleagues to ‘become seres puentes or bridge-beings’ who work for equity and intergenerational justice by engaging in performative collective actions such as the toxic tour.
Evaluating the impact of shared situational awareness on combat effectiveness in symmetric engagements

The information age combat model (IACM) is a popular representation of network centric operations (NCO). NCO is a military doctrine championed by the USA. This paper presents the results of a discr...
China's Dominance As a Global Consumer and Producer of Copper

China is now the world’s largest consumer and producer of copper. Its demand for the commodity has soared in tandem with the country’s industrialization process, given copper’s extensive use in infrastructure (e.g., plumbing, telecommunication wiring, and building materials) and manufacturing equipment (e.g., electric power generation and transmission equipment). To meet its growing copper demand over the last decade, China has imported increasing amounts of copper ores (mostly from Latin America) and copper waste/scrap (mostly from the United States) for domestic processing, which is either locally consumed or re-exported. Given China’s dominance as both a global consumer and supplier of copper, changes in China’s domestic market conditions can markedly influence copper’s world price – as evidenced by the commodity’s recent price decreases that were triggered by deteriorating Chinese property market conditions. Understanding China’s role on global copper markets is relevant for U.S. firms, since the United States is the world’s largest supplier of copper waste/scrap, and copper waste/scrap now represents the United States’ third-largest export to China.
Evaluation of PAX8 Expression and Its Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Value in Renal and Extra-Renal Ewing Sarcomas/PNETs

PAX8 is a transcription factor involved in the regulation of organogenesis of the thyroid gland, kidney, and Mullerian system. It is commonly expressed in epithelial tumors of thyroid and parathyroid glands, kidney, thymus, and female genital tract. PAX8 is increasingly used in the establishment of tissue of origin in carcinomas and has recently been identified in a subset of small blue round cell tumors including Ewing sarcomas/PNETs. However, it is unclear if this association in ES/PNETs is due to renal origin or is PNET specific. In this study we investigated the PAX8 staining pattern of primary renal and extra-renal ES/PNETs to explore its potential diagnostic and prognostic role. A tissue microarray (TMA) of 22 cases of extra-renal Ewing/PNETs and two separate cases of primary renal PNET whole slide sections were immunohistochemically stained with rabbit polyclonal PAX8 antibody. PAX8 was positive in 2 of 2 primary renal PNETs and in 14 (64 %) cases of the extra renal PNETs. The association between PAX8 immunoreactivity and Ewing/PNET was identified in both primary renal and extra-renal Ewing/PNETs for the first time. Further studies are warranted to verify these findings and to shed light in the tumorigenesis of Ewing/PNET. However, PAX8 is not useful in establishing a diagnosis of Ewing/PNET due to its presence in different tumors like carcinomas, lymphomas and sarcomas. PAX8 does not seem to have prognostic value.
Enzymes: An integrated view of structure, dynamics and function

Microbes utilize enzymes to perform a variety of functions. Enzymes are biocatalysts working as highly efficient machines at the molecular level. In the past, enzymes have been viewed as static entities and their function has been explained on the basis of direct structural interactions between the enzyme and the substrate. A variety of experimental and computational techniques, however, continue to reveal that proteins are dynamically active machines, with various parts exhibiting internal motions at a wide range of time-scales. Increasing evidence also indicates that these internal protein motions play a role in promoting protein function such as enzyme catalysis. Moreover, the thermodynamical fluctuations of the solvent, surrounding the protein, have an impact on internal protein motions and, therefore, on enzyme function. In this review, we describe recent biochemical and theoretical investigations of internal protein dynamics linked to enzyme catalysis. In the enzyme cyclophilin A, investigations have lead to the discovery of a network of protein vibrations promoting catalysis. Cyclophilin A catalyzes peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerization in a variety of peptide and protein substrates. Recent studies of cyclophilin A are discussed in detail and other enzymes (dihydrofolate reductase and liver alcohol dehydrogenase) where similar discoveries have been reported are also briefly discussed. The detailed characterization of the discovered networks indicates that protein dynamics plays a role in rate-enhancement achieved by enzymes. An integrated view of enzyme structure, dynamics and function have wide implications in understanding allosteric and co-operative effects, as well as protein engineering of more efficient enzymes and novel drug design.
Integrando um Agente Pedagógico para Recomendação de Tutores a um Sistema de Gerência de Cursos

A uniao de novos paradigmas de educacao com tecnologia inovadora tem nos apresentado inumeras ferramentas para aprimorar o ensino a distância e presencial. Os agentes pedagogicos podem humanizar as interfaces destas ferramentas e melhorar a percepcao do aluno em relacao ao conteudo apresentado. O objetivo deste trabalho e introduzir um agente pedagogico a um sistema de gerencia de cursos. O papel do agente pedagogico proposto e de introduzir um componente socio-afetivo a interface do sistema e promover a interacao entre os alunos. Atraves do monitoramento das acoes do estudante que busca realizar alguma tarefa, o agente e capaz de identificar outros alunos que podem auxiliar este estudante na execucao do seu trabalho.
Formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase. Binding of adenosine triphosphate and related ligands determined by partition equilibrium.

Abstract The binding of adenine nucleotides and other compounds of related structures to clostridial formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase was examined through the use of the method of partition equilibrium, which utilizes an aqueous biphasic dextran-polyethylene glycol polymer system. The method is rapid and requires minimal amounts of enzyme and ligand. The results of MgATP binding as determined by partition equilibrium agreed well with those obtained by equilibrium dialysis. The enzyme, which has been shown to be tetrameric in structure, possesses four identical, noninteracting nucleotide binding sites per mole of enzyme. MgATP and MgADP bind to the same set of sites. MgATP binding is independent of the presence of the other substrates. The absence of magnesium does not significantly alter the binding of either nucleotide; however, ATP is a less specific ligand than MgATP and is bound to additional sites with a lower affinity. The affinities of other compounds related in structure to ATP were measured by a competitive binding technique. The results of these experiments suggest that the nucleotide site is composed of subsites each of which has a specific binding interaction for a portion of the ATP molecule. Inorganic phosphate can displace MgATP from the enzyme, but it does not affect MgADP binding. The enzyme has a very strong affinity for adenylyl methylenediphosphonate, the β-γ-methylene analogue of ATP, but not for the α-β-methylene analogues of ATP or ADP. Consideration of differences in bond lengths and bond angles between ATP and adenylyl methylenediphosphonate and the specific effect of phosphate on ATP binding suggest that ATP is bound to the enzyme in such a way that the γ-phosphate is strained towards a trigonal-bipyramidal intermediate.
Real-time distributed power optimization in the DC microgrids of shipboard power systems

Distributed control will play an important role in the shipboard power systems flexibility and will ensure the achievable system objectives. Distributed control has been widely used for low voltage DC microgrids. However, they are still limited to modeling the system for the power sharing solution instead of presenting an adequate configuration of distributed control in both power and energy control levels. In this paper, a practical power and energy management architecture for the ship power system is defined, and a real-time distributed optimization is developed based on particle swarm optimization for the power controller parameter's optimization.
The effects of aqueous salt solutions on the activity coefficients of purine and pyrimidine bases and their relation to the denaturation of deoxyribonucleic acid by salts.

Abstract The activity coefficients of thymine, adenine, cytosine, deoxyadenosine, and adenosine have been determined in aqueous salt solutions from solubility measurements at 25.0°. The large differences in activity coefficients which are observed with different salts are mainly due to the anions, and the order of effectiveness of different salts on all of the bases is nearly the same. There is a good correlation between the effects of concentrated salt solutions on the activity coefficients of the bases and their effects on the denaturation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Salts which cause large decreases in the activity coefficients, or increase in the solubility, of the bases (the sodium salts of Cl3CCOO-, SCN-, ClO4-, and I-) are potent denaturants of DNA. Cations, including (CH3)4N+, have only small effects on the bases corresponding to their lack of effectiveness in denaturation. These results indicate that the denaturation of DNA by these concentrated salt solutions can be accounted for by their effects on the activity coefficients of the bases, and is attributable to the greater degree of exposure of the bases to solvent in denatured DNA than in the native form. The mechanism of the activity coefficient effects is not known but they cannot be explained by salt effects on the activity of water, by electrostatic effects of the Debye-Kirk-wood type, by effects on the internal pressure of the solvent, or by effects on the cavity formation energy of Sinanoglu and Abdulnur. In addition there is no correlation between the effects of salts on the bases and their effects on the structure of water as reflected by the viscosity B coefficients and the partial molal entropy of ions and other parameters. It is suggested, but not proved, that anions which decrease the activity coefficient of the bases may do so by a direct interaction of anions with the polar groups in the bases.
Parallel algorithms for labeling image components

We study the problem of labeling connected components of an N1/2×N1/2 image using parallel computers. The following new results are presented: 1). Based on the CRCW PRAM (Concurrent-Read Concurrent-Write Parallel Random Access Machine) model, we show that Θ(N/logN) processors are necessary and sufficient to solve the image component problem in O(logN) time. The best known algorithm uses N processors to achieve the same time bound. 2). We show that Θ(N/log2N) hypercube or shuffle processors are necessary and sufficient to solve the same problem in O(log2N) time. This new result improves the processor requirement of the best existing algorithm by a factor of O(log2N). 3). We present a new mesh computer algorithm aimed to improve the utilization of the processor resource while maintaining reasonable speedup over the sequential algorithm. The algorithm that is presented uses only O(N1/2) processors and executes in O(N1/2logN) time. This time complexity is a factor of O(logN) away from the optimal time complexity of O(N1/2); however, the number of processors is reduced by a factor of O(N1/2) from O(N). 4). We show that these algorithms can be extended to compute components in k-dimension and to compute components based on generalized connectivities.