cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-system comparisons elucidate disturbance complexities and generalities

Given that ecological effects of disturbance have been extensively studied in many ecosystems, it is surprising that few quantitative syntheses across diverse ecosystems have been conducted. Multi-system studies tend to be qualitative because they focus on disturbance types that are difficult to measure in an ecologically relevant way. In addition, synthesis of existing studies across systems or disturbance types is challenging because sufficient information needed for analysis is not easily available. Theoretical advances and improved predictions can be advanced by generalizations obtained from synthesis activities that include multiple sites, ecosystems, and disturbance events. Building on existing research, we present a conceptual framework and an operational analog to integrate this rich body of knowledge and to promote quantitative comparisons of disturbance effects across different types of ecosystems and disturbances. This framework recognizes individual disturbance events that consist of three quantifiable components: (1) environmental drivers, (2) initial system properties, and (3) physical and biological mechanisms of effect, such as deposition, compaction, and combustion. These components result in biotic and abiotic legacies that can interact with subsequent drivers and successional processes to influence system response. Through time, a coarse-scale quasi-equilibrial state can be reached where variation in drivers interacting with biotic processes and feedbacks internal to the system results in variability in dynamics. At any time, a driver of sufficient magnitude can push the system beyond its realm of natural variability to initiate a new kind of event. We use long-term data from diverse terrestrial ecosystems to illustrate how our approach can facilitate cross-system comparisons, and provide new insights to the role of disturbance in ecological systems. We also provide key disturbance characteristics and measurements needed to promote future quantitative comparisons across ecosystems.
VALIDATION OF A BRIEF SCREENING MEASURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY: THE CHEMICAL ODOR INTOLERANCE INDEX

The development and validation of a brief self-report screening measure of environmental chemical sensitivity, the Chemical Odor Intolerance Index (CII), is described. Subjects included 1734 college students, 192 older adults, and 38 chemically intolerant and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) patients. The results of the studies demonstrate that the CII has strong internal stability (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.80 to 0.92 across samples), and evidence of factorial, group, convergent, and discriminant validity is reported across diverse samples. In future research, the CII will permit the quantification of self-reported illness from low levels of environmental chemicals as a continuous rather than dichotomous variable. Consequently, the CII will facilitate the ability to compare and standardize subject selection criteria in both preclinical and clinical (i.e. MCS) populations.
An adaptive permutation approach for genome-wide association study: evaluation and recommendations for use

Permutation testing is a robust and popular approach for significance testing in genomic research, which has the broad advantage of estimating significance non-parametrically, thereby safe guarding against inflated type I error rates. However, the computational efficiency remains a challenging issue that limits its wide application, particularly in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Because of this, adaptive permutation strategies can be employed to make permutation approaches feasible. While these approaches have been used in practice, there is little research into the statistical properties of these approaches, and little guidance into the proper application of such a strategy for accurate p-value estimation at the GWAS level. In this work, we advocate an adaptive permutation procedure that is statistically valid as well as computationally feasible in GWAS. We perform extensive simulation experiments to evaluate the robustness of the approach to violations of modeling assumptions and compare the power of the adaptive approach versus standard approaches. We also evaluate the parameter choices in implementing the adaptive permutation approach to provide guidance on proper implementation in real studies. Additionally, we provide an example of the application of adaptive permutation testing on real data. The results provide sufficient evidence that the adaptive test is robust to violations of modeling assumptions. In addition, even when modeling assumptions are correct, the power achieved by adaptive permutation is identical to the parametric approach over a range of significance thresholds and effect sizes under the alternative. A framework for proper implementation of the adaptive procedure is also generated. While the adaptive permutation approach presented here is not novel, the current study provides evidence of the validity of the approach, and importantly provides guidance on the proper implementation of such a strategy. Additionally, tools are made available to aid investigators in implementing these approaches.
Comparison of Anticoagulation and Surgical Treatments of TIA. A Review and Consolidation of Recent Natural History and Treatment Studies

Combined results of selected studies of the natural history and therapeutic results in patients with TIA indicate that anticoagulation therapy is clearly worthwhile in the prevention of completed strokes during the first 40 months after onset. Surgery is somewhat less valuable, but preferable to nihilism, which is associated with new completed strokes in 19% of patients and death in 20% of patients followed for an average of 40 months from onset of TIAs. The incidence of death from all causes is remarkably similar in both treated and untreated patients during this follow-up period, suggesting that fears of increased mortality in patients treated with anticoagulants are either unfounded or compensated by decreased mortality from occlusive strokes.
Hydrogen Segregation at the Al/Si Interface Studied Using a Nuclear Resonant Reaction

Hydrogen segregation at the interface between an epitaxial Al film and a Si (111) substrate is studied using the1H(15N, αγ)12C nuclear resonant reaction. Hydrogen depth profiles show that H atoms diffuse through the 1600 A thick Al layer during 500 eV H implantation and are trapped at the Al/Si interface. The total amount of interface H is about 2 × 1015 /cm2 after a 1.4 × 1018 H/cm2 implantation, and the H atoms are narrowly distributed in the direction normal to the interface. During an isothermal anneal at 360 K, the amount of interface H decreases exponentially with annealing time; and during ramp annealing from 110 to 500 K, an abrupt release of the interface H is observed at temperature around 380 K. The release rates in both cases are controlled by a first order thermally activated de-trapping process with a binding energy of 0.86 eV/atom.
SURFACE TENSION OF GLASS AND ITS EFFECT ON CORDS

The results of experiments with synthetic cords indicate that surface tension is the most important factor in the disappearance of cords. The viscosity relations of the glasses do not correlate with the tendency to form inhomogeneities. Fibers of higher surface tension than the base glass with which it is fused form cords, and those of lower surface tension do not. Compositions that are high in RO or A1208 tend to form inhomogeneities in glasses which have a lower content of these two constituents.
Integrating automated test generation into the WYSIWYT spreadsheet testing methodology

Spreadsheet languages, which include commercial spreadsheets and various research systems, have had a substantial impact on end-user computing. Research shows, however, that spreadsheets often contain faults. Thus, in previous work we presented a methodology that helps spreadsheet users test their spreadsheet formulas. Our empirical studies have shown that end users can use this methodology to test spreadsheets more adequately and efficiently; however, the process of generating test cases can still present a significant impediment. To address this problem, we have been investigating how to incorporate automated test case generation into our testing methodology in ways that support incremental testing and provide immediate visual feedback. We have used two techniques for generating test cases, one involving random selection and one involving a goal-oriented approach. We describe these techniques and their integration into our testing environment, and report results of an experiment examining their effectiveness and efficiency.
Low temperature ortho‐para hydrogen conversion‐kinetic studies

Rate studies were carried out for the ortho-para hydrogen conversion at liquid nitrogen temperature with a multiple-impregnation nickel on aluminum oxide catalyst. Data were obtained at pressures up to 400 lb./sq. in. gauge over a range of flow rates for three catalysts of different pellet sizes. For the largest particle, ⅛-in. cylinders, diffusion resistances were significant. Effectiveness factors were evaluated and found to be somewhat less that 0.5 for this relatively active catalyst. After the diffusion resistances were accounted for, the surface rate was correlated on the basis of a mechanism supposing molecular hyddrogen to be adsorbed on the surface. Separate evaluation of the catalyst for the hydrogen-deuterium exchange reaction suggested that dissociation was not significant at liquid nitrogen temperature.
Teaching About International Families Across the United States

Due to increasing globalization, teaching students about international families is important in preparing them to become competent multicultural educators. This study assessed the current existence of family studies courses across the United States which focus on international families. More than 110 undergraduate and 76 graduate family science/studies programs were reviewed. However, only 20 undergraduate and 10 graduate courses on international families or cross-cultural perspectives on families were identified. Recommendations are provided for including this type of course in family studies curricula, and several textbooks on international families are suggested.
THE IMPRINTING OF NUTRITIONAL DISTURBANCES ON THE GROWING BONE.

WHEN nutritional disturbances in the young animal become so severe that nutrient material is inadequate to go around, in the economy of nature the bones are sacrificed. Preference is given to those organs on which continued existence depends and, if they also suffer, they do not do so to a comparable extent. In the crisis the bones simply cease to grow and, when the crisis is over, proceed to carry on again as if nothing had happened. Nature9s method of shedding the burden of the skeleton and, presumably, of the other extra-vital tissues in periods of nutritional stress leaves marks in the growing bones, as seasonal sapless periods leave their marks in trees in the form of rings and as the fasting spawning periods in the anadromous fishes record themselves by lines in the scales. Doubtless, the soft tissues of the locomotor system, like the bones, reflect these nourishment withdrawals, but the resulting cellular changes are not located in areas where they can be recognized and, moreover, are probably evanescent anyway. The marks in the trunks of trees, in the scales of fishes and in the growing bones of warm-blooded animals can be recognized because they are strung out seriatim, for the reason that linear growth takes place in increments, one superimposed upon another in the order of time, and also because the material is durable. Although growth arrest marks in the bones originate in the organic matrix, the matrix becomes immediately infiltrated with mineral matter so that the marks become petrified in situ, so to speak.
Temperature Oscillations of Alternating‐Current‐Heated Thin Filaments in Ceramic Fiber Production

Resistively heated filaments are used to manufacture ceramic fibers. When an ac power source is used for heating, the temperature of the filament oscillates. These oscillations influence the deposition rate on the surface of the filament. An analysis of this problem is presented, and it is also shown that these oscillatory effects diminish as the filament gauge increases. The analysis can help to decide whether an ac or a dc power source should be used.
Making work queue cluster-friendly for data intensive scientific applications

Researchers with large-scale data-intensive applications often wish to scale up applications to run on multiple clusters, employing a middleware layer for resource management across clusters. However, at the very largest scales, such middleware is often “unfriendly” to individual clusters, which are usually designed to support communication within the cluster, not outside of it. To address this problem we have modified the Work Queue master-worker application framework to support a hierarchical configuration that more closely matches the physical architecture of existing clusters. Using a synthetic application we explore the properties of the system and evaluate its performance under multiple configurations, with varying worker reliability, network capabilities, and data requirements. We show that by matching the software and hardware architectures more closely we can gain both a modest improvement in runtime and a dramatic reduction in network footprint at the master. We then run a scalable molecular dynamics application (AWE) to examine the impact of hierarchy on performance, cost and efficiency for real scientific applications and see a 96% reduction in network footprint, making it much more palatable to system operators and opening the possibility of increasing the application scale by another order of magnitude or more.
Empirical aesthetics: the body and emotion in extraordinary architectural experiences

While there have been many theoretical and philosophical speculations on the role of emotion and embodiment in the aesthetic experience of architecture, there have been little or no actual empirical support substantiating the claims made. If this lack of hard proof was not an issue in the past, our epoch, profoundly influenced by Modernity, has made increasingly difficult to advance any significant allegation without providing some factual evidence in the scientific sense. This paper reports on work directed to address this challenge. Using a previously documented survey on Extraordinary Architectural Experiences, a large quantity of ‘qualitative measurements' was collected along 13 categorical variables gauging feeling and embodiment. These data were then thoroughly examined through four levels of statistical analysis. The results empirically demonstrate 69 significant correlations among the variables and thus the central role of embodiment and emotion in extraordinary architectural experiences. Of these correlations, 23 were specifically analyzed to define their psychological and physical characteristics to an unprecedented level of detail. It is hoped that this knowledge sets up a foundation from where to test, develop, and/or apply old and new hypotheses of aesthetic affect and effect in architecture.
Assessment of a full–scale, multi–year, aquifer thermal energy storage demonstration project

A 520 kW (peak, thermal) Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) based air–conditioning system has been operated and monitored since 1983. The system is used to cool a 5800 m² student recreation building on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa (USA). During cold weather, ambient ground water is chilled using either a cooling tower or a spray pond, and is reinjected into a water table aquifer for storage. After storage for periods of up to several months, chilled ground water is recovered for building cooling during warm weather. Measurements of water chilling, thermal energy storage and cooling performance are presented for eight years of operation. The fraction of the chill energy stored that is recovered for building cooling has ranged from 40 to 85 percent. An annual average of about 4.8 units of cooling per unit of electricity input has been measured, a value about twice that of conventional air–conditioning equipment installed at the same time. From a gross efficiency standpoint the energy performance of the system has been quite good. However, the quality of the air conditioning has suffered in late summer as chilled water temperatures become too warm to provide adequate dehumidification. Recent modifications to the system, including the addition of a large chilling capacity spray pond and additional wells, have been aimed at reducing this problem. In addition to the technical aspects of this demonstration project, economic and environmental advantages of ATES systems and obstacles that impede their more extensive use are identified. In particular, problems that have arisen with the design and implementation of the ATES system in this project are discussed. Appropriate applications of the technology, both in industrialized and in developing countries, are identified.
Sweets for the Sweet: Saccharin, Knowledge, and the Contemporary Regulatory Nexus

In 1977, the United States Congress forbade the Food and Drug Administration to outlaw use of the food additive saccharin as an artificial sweetener for a period of three years. Subsequent legislation extended the congressional ban. It remains in effect today. Congress's saccharin action neatly represented late twentieth-century federal regulatory policy. The process had become decidedly antibureaucratic and ultimately democratic. Forces both for saccharin's prohibition and for its continued use outlined and debated their positions in public, letting their arguments contend in the marketplace of ideas. Following the conduct of this de facto national plebiscite, duly elected representatives weighed the respective cases and selected the course that their constituents seemed to favor.
Breeding of Indica CMS Line Zhenfeng A with the Characteristic of Weak Sensitivity to Photoperiod Induced by Gene Interaction

Zhenfeng A, derived from the cross and backcross of You ⅠA∥(You ⅠB/Bo B) F_4, is an Indonesian Paddy type CMS line of rice with the characteristic of weak sensitivity to photoperiod induced by gene interaction. It shows the characteristics of stable sterility, good plant type, high combining ability and good flowering habits and higher out-crossing rate for easy and high-yielding multiplication and hybrid seed production. Most of its F_1 hybrids have weak sensitivity to photoperiod, good grain quality and strong cold tolerance in the late growing stage. Zhenfeng A was technically certified in Guangdong Province in October, 2003, and Zhenyou 998, one of its elite F_1 hybrids with good grain quality, was registered and released for commercial production in Guangdong Province in February, 2004.
The analysis on the result of monitoring Iodized salt in salt company and residents in Jiangdu from 2008 to 2011

Objective:With the monitoring analysis of iodine content in edible salt from Jiangdu salt company and residents,the quality of edible salt at this stage,when the IDD has been eliminated partly,has been learned.The analysis is useful for eliminating IDD completely and making policies for preventing IDD.Methods: From 2008 to 2011,the department of schistosomiasis prevention and control of CDC has sampled edible salt from Jiangdu Salt Company,9 rural towns and 32 administrative villages around Jiangdu Town,and the Laboratory Department of Jiangdu CDC tested the content of iodine in salt.Results: 378 samples of iodized salt from salt company were collected,100% of which is qualified;1152 samples of iodized salt from residents were collected through 4 years,98.52% of which is qualified.Conclusion: The quality of iodized salt in Jiangdu salt market is stable.The rates of qualified iodized salt,iodized salt coverage and the ebible rate of qualified iodized salt are more than 90%,which reach the national standard made to eliminate IDD.However,it is necessary to strengthen propaganda and education of people using iodized salt,which can consolidate the success we have reached in eliminating IDD.
Dietary Protein Quality, Protein Quantity and Food Intake: Effects on Lactation and on Protein Synthesis and Tissue composition in Mammary Tissue and Liver in Rats

Rate of protein synthesis in mammary tissue and liver as well as pup weight and milk yield were measured at d 15 of lactation in rats fed throughout gestation and lactation diets that varied in protein quality (wheat, wheat supplemented with lysine and threonine or casein supplemented with methionine), protein quantity [11 or 21% (wt/wt)] and feeding level (ad libitum or pair-fed to 100 or 85% of the consumption of dams fed wheat ad libitum). Improvement in dietary protein quality or quantity at the ad libitum feeding level produced large increases in mammary protein synthesis and pup weight; pair-feeding at 100 or 85% of the ad libitum wheat consumption level reduced or eliminated these increases. Increases in protein synthesis and pup weight associated with protein quality improvement were of similar magnitude to those associated with nearly doubling protein content of maternal diets. The responses of liver protein synthesis to dietary manipulation were qualitatively similar to those seen in mammary tissue. These data demonstrate that maternal dietary protein quality, protein quantity and feeding level all affect mammary protein synthesis and pup weight, and that, considered across all diets, changes in mammary protein synthesis are highly correlated with changes in pup weight and protein nutritional value.
Characteristics of 4 K pulse tube cryocoolers in applications

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces the Cryomech 4 K pulse tube cryocoolers and their performances. The characteristics of the cryocoolers in applications are presented and compared with 4 K GM cryocoolers. Cryomech has developed and commercialized 4 K pulse tube cryocoolers, Models PT403, PT405, PT407 and PT410, which provide cooling capacities from 0.25 W to 1.0 W at 4.2K. The latest developments at Cryomech have enabled the pulse tube cryocoolers to have almost the same capacity and efficiency as GM cryocoolers. The 4 K pulse tube cryocoolers have opened many challenging applications and demonstrated their advanced features with respect to very low vibration, low magnetic field distortion, and long MTBM. It has no moving parts at cryogenic temperatures and leads to advanced features over the 4 K GM cryocooler. These 4 K pulse tube cryocoolers have opened many challenging applications in cooling NMR and MRI magnets, precooling dilution refrigerator, ADR and sorption cooler, cooling sensitive devices like SQUID magnetometer, etc. These applications demonstrate great advantages of pulse tube cryocoolers over GM cryocoolers in the field.
Healthcare monitoring based on digital transactions at pharmacies: Malaria in Kigali

Epidemiological studies traditionally focus on medical records from hospitals and clinics to monitor disease. However, in a developing country context, not all patients go to a clinic when suffering from an illness; many bypass medical centers and go directly to a pharmacist where they obtain drugs based on the symptoms they present. The study presented here examines how certain medical diseases can be monitored through digital transactions resulting from drug sales. It focuses on purchased drugs linked to cases of malaria in Kigali, Rwanda. The data are collected from pharmacies that use the Ishyiga point-of-sale software as a management tool and focus on antimalarial records. Furthermore, additional factors that influence malaria have been considered such as weather patterns. Monthly sales of antimalarial drugs are best predicted by cumulative rainfall from two months previously. Alongside the oscillations caused by the rainy seasons this novel monitoring system indicates a concerning recent upward trend in the number of cases. The system facilitates real-time monitoring and probabilistic forecasts that can both inform policymakers and help individuals that may want to take preventative medication during the most risky months of the year.
Holy Grails in Chemistry: Investigating and Understanding Fast Electron/Cation Coupled Transport within Inorganic Ionic Matrices

Typically, power and energy are competing concepts in electrochemical energy storage, where one can be optimized only at the expense of the other. However, the specialized and diverse needs of new applications exceed the functional boundaries of existing battery chemistries, where both high power and high energy content are critical. The needed battery paradigms may not be realized by optimization of previous electrochemical energy storage technologies but rather require new basic science breakthroughs involving new materials chemistry. Here we propose that fundamental understanding of electron/cation coupled transport within inorganic ionic matrices is a holy grail that can potentially transform the energy storage landscape.
Ecophysiology of two solar tracking desert winter annuals : IV. Effects of leaf orientation on calculated daily carbon gain and water use efficiency.

This paper represents an empirical study on the effect of different leaf orientations on the daily carbon gain and transpirational water loss of desert winter annuals. Laboratory physiological data on Malvastrum rotundifolium (Gray) and Lupinus arizonicus (Wats) were combined with energy budget concepts and field measurements of water relations and leaf movements to predict carbon gain patterns for horizontally oriented, diaheliotropic and paraheliotropic leaf movement types. The results showed contrasting patterns of carbon gain and water loss. L. arizonicus, which is capable of both dia- and paraheliotropic leaf movements, had the lowest rates of daily carbon gain and water loss. But these low rates resulted in the highest water use efficiencies under early season conditions and high water availability. M. rotundifolium, a diaheliotropic species, was predicted as having the highest rates of carbon gain and water loss on a daily basis over a wide range of environmental conditions and water availability. Despite possessing the highest rates for transpiration, its water use efficiency was higher in relation to other leaf movement types, under a variety of conditions. This result was extremely sensitive to soil water availability. The results were discussed in relation to the ecological ramifications of leaf movements in arid land annuals.
Percutaneous Closure of a Delayed Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm After Transseptal Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement.

A 65-year-old woman underwent transseptal transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve replacement (TMVR) with a 29-mm SAPIEN 3 valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California). A hand-curved, Amplatz Super-Stiff wire (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Massachusetts) was used for valve delivery. She was
A theory of initiation of takeover contests

We study strategic initiation of takeover contests by potential bidders and the target. After discovering the target, a bidder can approach it thereby putting it \in play." The target can preempt bidders and put itself for sale. We argue that the decision to approach the target reveals some information about the initiating bidder’s valuation of the target. In \common-value" takeover contests, such as battles between two nancial bidders, this disincentivizes the initiating bidder from approaching the target. In pure common-value contests, unraveling occurs: Each bidder never approaches the target, no matter how high his valuation is. By contrast, this eect is limited in \private-value" takeover contests, such as battles between two strategic bidders. Our analysis has implications for how bidders select targets, which deals are bidder- or target-initiated, and how bidding strategies depend on whether a bidder initiated the contest or was solicited by the target.
Active Learning from Peers

This paper addresses the challenge of learning from peers in an online multitask setting. Instead of always requesting a label from a human oracle, the proposed method first determines if the learner for each task can acquire that label with sufficient confidence from its peers either as a task-similarity weighted sum, or from the single most similar task. If so, it saves the oracle query for later use in more difficult cases, and if not it queries the human oracle. The paper develops the new algorithm to exhibit this behavior and proves a theoretical mistake bound for the method compared to the best linear predictor in hindsight. Experiments over three multitask learning benchmark datasets show clearly superior performance over baselines such as assuming task independence, learning only from the oracle and not learning from peer tasks.
Knock it Off: A History of Design Piracy in the US Women’s Ready-to-Wear Apparel Industry

Knock it Off: A History of Design Piracy in the US Women’s Ready-to-Wear Apparel Industry is an investigation into the practice of copying in the American fashion industry from early ready-to-wear ...
Synthesis, computational, and spectroscopic analysis of tunable highly fluorescent BN-1,2-azaborine derivatives containing the N-BOH moiety

Nine new polycyclic aromatic BN-1,2-azaborine analogues containing the N-BOH moiety were synthesized using a convenient two-step, one-pot procedure. Characterization of the prepared compounds show the luminescence wavelength and the quantum yields of the azaborines were tunable by controlling the power and location of the donor and acceptor substituents on the chromophore. UV-visible spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) computations revealed that the addition of electron-donating moieties to the isoindolinone hemisphere raised the energy of the HOMO, resulting in the reduction of the HOMO–LUMO gap. The addition of an electron-accepting moiety to the isoindolinone hemisphere and an electron-donating group to the boronic acid hemisphere decreased the HOMO–LUMO gap considerably, leading to emission properties from partial intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states. The combined effect of an acceptor on the isoindolinone side and a donor on the boronic acid side (strong acceptor–π-donor) gave the most red-shifted absorption. The polycyclic aromatic BN-1,2-azaborines emitted strong fluorescence in solution and in the solid-state with the largest red-shifted emission at 640 nm and a Stokes shift of Δλ = 218 nm, or Δν = 8070 cm−1.
Children with sickle cell disease migrating to the United States from sub‐Saharan Africa

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited red blood cell disorder that occurs worldwide and results in significant morbidity and mortality. In addition to affected children who are born in the US, an increasing number of children with SCD are migrating to the US with their families or through international adoption. Children arriving as immigrants or refugees have unique medical and psychosocial challenges that require a multidisciplinary team approach which takes into account the family's primary language, culture, and health beliefs. This review focuses on the special challenges for children with SCD who emigrate from sub-Saharan Africa to the US.
Refinement of Spatial Receptive Fields in the Developing Mouse Lateral Geniculate Nucleus Is Coordinated with Excitatory and Inhibitory Remodeling.

Receptive field properties of individual visual neurons are dictated by the precise patterns of synaptic connections they receive, including the arrangement of inputs in visual space and features such as polarity (On versus Off). The inputs from retina to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in the mouse undergo significant refinement over development, however it is unknown how this corresponds to the establishment of functional visual response properties. Here we conducted in vivo and in vitro recordings in mouse LGN, beginning just after natural eye opening to determine how receptive fields develop as excitatory and feed-forward inhibitory retinal afferents refine. Experiments used both male and female subjects. For in vivo assessment of receptive fields, we performed multisite extracellular recordings in awake mice. Spatial receptive fields were over twice as large at eye-opening as in adults, and then reduced in size over the subsequent week. This topographic refinement was accompanied by other spatial changes such as a decrease in spot size preference and an increase in surround suppression. Notably, the degree of specificity in terms of On/Off and sustained/transient responses appeared to be established already at eye opening and did not change. During the same time, in vitro recordings of the synaptic responses evoked by optic tract stimulation revealed a pairing of decreased excitatory and increased feed-forward inhibitory convergence, providing a potential mechanism to explain the spatial receptive field refinement. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The development of precise patterns of retinogeniculate connectivity has been a powerful model system for understanding the mechanisms underlying the activity dependent refinement of sensory systems. Here we link the maturation of spatial receptive field properties in dLGN to the remodeling of retinal and inhibitory feed-forward convergence onto dLGN neurons. These findings should thus provide a foundation to test the cell-type specific plasticity mechanisms that lead to refinement of different excitatory and inhibitory inputs, and their impact on the establishment of mature receptive fields in the LGN.
Asymmetric centrosome behavior in stem cell divisions

Stem cells are well known for their self-renewal ability and differentiation potential. It is critical to regulate stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, both during fast growth in development and tissue homeostasis in adulthood. One way to maintain tissue homeostasis is through asymmetric stem cell division, in which centrosomes play an important role in establishing mitotic spindles by acting as a microtubule organization center (MTOC). In this chapter, the asymmetric behavior of centrosomes during stem cell division will be discussed based on their structural, behavioral, and developmental asymmetry.
Refractory thrombocytopenia due to anti-PLA1 antibodies following autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation: case report and review of literature.

A 43-year-old woman developed life-threatening refractory thrombocytopenia following autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for metastatic breast carcinoma. Anti-PL A1 antibodies were demonstrated in the patient's plasma. Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and transfusion of PL A1 -negative blood products restored platelet responsiveness. PL A1 alloantibodies should be considered as a possible cause of severe refractory thrombocytopenia in marrow transplant patients. It is important to make this diagnosis as the mainstay of treatment is the avoidance of blood products from PL A1 -positive donors (98% of the population).
Gätschenberger über das „Gegebene“ und Carnaps „Aufbau“

In seinem Aufbau kritisiert Carnap Gatschenbergers Vorstellung von der Unmoglichkeit einer reinen Sprache des „Gegebenen“. Fur Carnap ist das Gegebene ein Gegenstand und die Erkenntnis die Konstruktion („Konstitution“) der Gegenstande aus dem Gegebenen. Der Begriff des Gegebenen ist entscheidend auch fur die als Alternative zur traditionellen Erkenntniskritik formulierte semiotische Theorie Gatschenbergers. Gatschenberger betrachtet das Gegebene oder jedes einzelne Erlebnis als naturliches Symbol, das einen Gegenstand setzt. Der Gegenstand kann durch die Wirkungen des Erlebnisses und insbesondere Handlungen, die das Erlebnis auslost, identifiziert werden. Das Gegebene kann sich dank seiner symbolischen Natur auf jeden moglichen Gegenstandsbereich beziehen und fungiert als Fundament der Erkenntnis. Gatschenberger glaubt, dass sich diese Eigenschaften des Gegebenen vor allem in dessen „demonstrierender“ Funktion in Bezug auf Satzsysteme zeigen. Ich behaupte, dass diese Annahme problematisch ist und dass Gatschenbergers Auffassung des Gegebenen als Symbol sie nicht rechtfertigt. Carnaps Begriff des Gegebenen kann als eine Losung dieses und einiger anderer Probleme der Theorie Gatschenbergers angesehen werden.
Splice variants and regulatory networks associated with host resistance to the intestinal worm Cooperia oncophora in cattle

To elucidate the molecular mechanism of host resistance, we characterized the jejunal transcriptome of Angus cattle selected for parasite resistance for over 20 years in response to infection caused by the intestinal worm Cooperia oncophora. The transcript abundance of 56 genes, such as that of mucin 12 (MUC12) and intestinal alkaline phosphatase (ALPI), was significantly higher in resistant cattle. Novel splicing variants, exon skipping events, and gene fusion events, were also detected. An algorithm for the reconstruction of accurate cellular networks (ARACNE) was used to infer de novo regulatory molecular networks in the interactome between the parasite and host. Under a combined cutoff of an error tolerance (ϵ = 0.10) and a stringent P-value threshold of mutual information (1.0 × 10(-5)), a total of 229,100 direct interactions controlled by 20,288 hub genes were identified. Among these hub genes, 7651 genes had ≥ 100 direct neighbors while the top 9778 hub genes controlled more than 50% of total direct interactions. Three lysozyme genes (LYZ1, LYZ2, and LYZ3), which are co-located in bovine chromosome 5 in tandem and are strongly upregulated in resistant cattle, shared a common regulatory network of 55 genes. These ancient antimicrobials were likely involved in regulating host-parasite interactions by affecting host gut microbiome. Notably, ALPI, known as a gut mucosal defense factor, controlled a molecular network consisting 410 genes, including 14 transcription factors (TF) and 10 genes that were significantly regulated in resistant cattle. Several large regulatory networks were controlled by TF, such as STAT6, SREBF1, and ELF4. Gene ontology (GO) processes significantly enriched in the regulatory network controlled by STAT6 included lipid metabolism. Our findings provide insights into the immune regulation of host-parasite interactions and the molecular mechanisms of host resistance in cattle.
Mirror Switching for High-Resolution Ion Isolation in an Electrostatic Linear Ion Trap.

Ion isolation was achieved via selective pulsing of the entrance and exit ion mirrors in an electrostatic linear ion trap mass spectrometer (ELIT). Mirror switching has been described previously as a method for capturing injected ions in ELIT devices. After ion trapping, mirror switching can be used as a method for ion isolation of successively narrower ranges of mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio. By taking advantage of the spatial separation of ions in an ELIT device, pulsing of the entrance and/or exit mirrors can release unwanted ions while continuing to store ions of interest. Furthermore, mirror switching can be repeated multiple times to isolate ions of very similar m/z values with minimal loss of the stored ions, as is demonstrated by the isolation of protonated l-glutamine and l-lysine (Δ m/z = 0.0364) from a mixture of the two amino acid ions and the isobaric mixture of [PC P-18:0/22:6] and [PC 19:0/19:0] (Δ m/z = 0.0575). As isolation is accomplished due to the spatial/temporal separation of ion packet...
An assessment of instructional technology in secondary agricultural education curricula in North Carolina and Virginia

The purpose of this descriptive/correlationzil study was to evaluate instructional technology availability and use in secondary agricultural education curricula in North Carolina and Virginia. The population for this study consisted of secondary agriculture teachers in North Carolina and Virginia that were listed in the 1998-99 North Carolina Agricultural Education Director (N = 370) and Virginia Vocational Agriculture Teacher's Associatioa Directory (N = 313). Based on Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) formula for a 5% margin of error, a random sample of 242 would be required for a population of this size. The researcher based on the objectives of the study developed a survey instrument. The survey instrument was pilot tested with 40 Iowa agriculture teachers. The test-retest procedure and Cronbach's alpha were utilized to test the instrument reliability, which resulted in adequate reliability. The final mailing of the survey instrument consisted of 210 North Carolina secondary agriculture teachers and 170 Virginia agriculture teachers. After several follow-up mailings 195 surveys were received. Nonresponce error was tested with the "Double-Dip" procedure, only one significant difference was found. North Carolina and Virginia agriculture teachers utilized desktop computers, compact disk, laser printers, Internet, email, videotape, and television between 1-30 minutes per day for instructional purposes. Agriculture teachers also had adequate access to the aforementioned technologies. Agriculture teachers placed a high priority on computer applications such as the Internet, reference software, databases, spreadsheets, word processing, and content area tutorials/drill and practice software for daily instructional
299. Does increasing body mass index correlate with adverse outcomes following posterior cervical fusions? An analysis of the NSQIP database

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Obesity has been shown to be associated with higher rates of complications following lumbar spine surgery. However, the evidence regarding the impact of increasing body mass index (BMI) on postoperative outcomes following posterior cervical fusions remains limited. PURPOSE To evaluate the impact of increasing severity of body mass index on 30-day outcomes following posterior cervical fusions. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective review of prospectively collected surgical registry. PATIENT SAMPLE The 2012-2017 American College of Surgeons – National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database was queried using Current Procedural Terminology code 22600 to identify individuals undergoing posterior cervical fusions (PCFs). Patients undergoing concurrent anterior cervical spine surgery, surgery for deformity, malignancy and/or infection were excluded. Patients with missing data with regards to weight, height and 30-day outcomes were excluded from the study cohort. BMI (in kg/m2) was categorized into four groups – 1) OUTCOME MEASURES Thirty-day outcomes were subdivided into the following categories: 1) minor adverse events/MAE (superficial SSI, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and progressive renal insufficiency), 2) severe adverse events/SAE (deep SSI, organ/space SSI, wound dehiscence, unplanned intubation, pulmonary embolism, ventilator use >48 hours, acute renal failure, stroke, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, deep venous thrombosis, sepsis, septic shock, reoperation and mortality), 3) bleeding requiring transfusion, 4) readmissions and 5) any adverse event/AAE (SAE or MAE). METHODS Multivariate regression analyses were built to assess the independent impact of BMI on 30-day outcomes while controlling for baseline clinical characteristics. RESULTS Out of a total of 2,786 PCFs – 710 (25.5%) had a BMI CONCLUSIONS With the exception of a higher rate of deep SSIs seen in obese individuals, increasing severity of BMI does not seem to have a major impact on 30-day outcomes following PCFs. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.
Association of Indiana's Section 1115 Waiver With Medicaid Enrollment

This cross-sectional study estimates the difference in Medicaid enrollment associated with Indiana’s expansion of Medicaid using a Section 1115 waiver.
Feeling authentic serves as a buffer against rejection

Abstract Social exclusion is a painful yet common experience in many people’s personal and professional lives. This research demonstrates that feeling authentic serves as a buffer against social rejection, leading people to experience less social pain. Across five studies, using different manipulations of authenticity, different paradigms to create social exclusion, and different measures of feeling rejected, we found that experiencing authenticity led participants to appraise situations as less threatening and to experience lower feelings of rejection from the social exclusion. We also found that perceived threat explains these effects. Our findings suggest that authenticity may be an underused resource for people who perceive themselves to be, or actually are, socially excluded or ostracized. This research has diverse and important implications: Interventions that increase authenticity could be used to reduce perceptions of threatening situations and the pain of impending exclusion episodes in situations ranging from adjustment to college to organizational orientation programs.
Geometry of polygonal hydraulic jumps and the role of hysteresis

An experimental study shows that polygonal hydraulic jumps, which are formed when a liquid jet impacts a target plate, can exhibit modal hysteresis, yet the normalized jump geometry $A/P\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}H$ is unaffected by the flow history and has a weak dependence on the weir geometry. All experimental data collapses upon scaling with the downstream Weber number, illustrating the role of surface tension in mode selection.
Short-term effects of a trunk modification program on patellofemoral joint stress in asymptomatic runners.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate short-term effects of a four-week gait retraining program using visual feedback on trunk flexion angle, patellofemoral joint (PFJ) stress, lower extremity biomechanics and motor skill automaticity. Design Longitudinal interventional study. Settings University research laboratory. Participants Twelve asymptomatic recreational runners (seven male and five female). Main outcome measures Trunk kinematics as well as lower extremity kinematics and kinetics were assessed prior to training at week 1 (baseline) and week 2, 3, 4 and 8 (retention). PFJ stress was computed using a sagittal plane model. A dual-task procedure was performed to examine automaticity. Results At week 8, runners demonstrated 10.1° increase in trunk flexion angle (p Conclusion The gait retraining program is effective to elicit short term changes in trunk position, PFJ stress, and automaticity of the new motor skill.
Impact of Primary Care Worksite Health and Wellness Clinics on HbA1c Level Among Prediabetic or Diabetic Employees

Purpose:To determine whether the use of worksite health and wellness clinics reduced hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) for prediabetic and diabetic employees.Design:Hemoglobin A1c values were compared between...
Reconfigurable edge-state engineering in graphene using LaAlO3/SrTiO3 nanostructures

The properties of graphene depend sensitively on doping with respect to the charge-neutrality point (CNP). Tuning the CNP usually requires electrical gating or chemical doping. Here, we describe a technique to reversibly control the CNP in graphene with nanoscale precision, utilizing LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) heterostructures and conductive atomic force microscope (c-AFM) lithography. The local electron density and resulting conductivity of the LAO/STO interface can be patterned with a conductive AFM tip [Cen et al., Nat. Mater. 7, 298 (2008)] and placed within two nanometers of an active graphene device [Huang et al., APL Mater. 3, 062502 (2015)]. The proximal LAO/STO nanostructures shift the position of graphene CNP by ∼1012 cm−2 and are also gateable. Here, we use this effect to create reconfigurable edge states in graphene, which are probed using the quantum Hall effect. Quantized resistance plateaus at h/e2 and h/3e2 are observed in a split Hall device, demonstrating edge transport along the c-AFM written edge that depends on the polarity of both the magnetic field and direction of currents. This technique can be readily extended to other device geometries.
Magnetic Resonance Studies in Sodium D1 Fluorescence with Modulated CPT Light Fields

We report on a new technique for generating magnetic resonances in sodium fluorescence from D1 manifold using coherent-population-trapping (CPT) with two resonant amplitude-modulated light fields.