cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Damage identification in highway bridges using distribution factors

The U.S. infrastructure system is well behind the needs of the 21 st century and in dire need of improvements. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) graded America’s Infrastructure as a “D+” in its recent 2013 Report Card. Bridges are a major component of the infrastructure system and were awarded a “C+”. Nearly 25 percent of the nation’s bridges are categorized as deficient by the Federal Highway Administration (FWHA). Most bridges were designed with an expected service life of roughly 50 years and today the average age of a bridge is 42 years. Finding alternative methods of condition assessment which captures the true performance of the bridge is of high importance. This paper discusses the monitoring of two multi-girder/stringer bridges at different ages of service life. Normal strain measurements were used to calculate the load distribution factor at the midspan of the bridge under controlled loading conditions. Controlled progressive damage was implemented to one of the superstructures to determine if the damage could be detected using the distribution factor. An uncertainty analysis, based on the accuracy and precision of the normal strain measurement, was undertaken to determine how effective it is to use the distribution factor measurement as a damage indicator. The analysis indicates that this load testing parameter may be an effective measure for detecting damage.
Effects of crustal thickness on magmatic differentiation in subduction zone volcanism: A global study

Abstract The majority of arc magmas are highly evolved due to differentiation within the lithosphere or crust. Some studies have suggested a relationship between crustal thickness and magmatic differentiation, but the exact nature of this relationship is unclear. Here, we examine the interplay of crustal thickness and magmatic differentiation using a global geochemical dataset compiled from active volcanic arcs and elevation as a proxy for crustal thickness. With increasing crustal thickness, average arc magma compositions become more silicic (andesitic) and enriched in incompatible elements, indicating that on average, arc magmas in thick crust are more evolved, which can be easily explained by the longer transit and cooling times of magmas traversing thick arc lithosphere and crust. As crustal thickness increases, arc magmas show higher degrees of iron depletion at a given MgO content, indicating that arc magmas saturate earlier in magnetite when traversing thick crust. This suggests that differentiation within thick crust occurs under more oxidizing conditions and that the origin of oxidation is due to intracrustal processes (contamination or recharge) or the role of thick crust in modulating melting degree in the mantle wedge. We also show that although arc magmas are on average more silicic in thick crust, the most silicic magmas (>70 wt.% SiO2) are paradoxically found in thin crust settings, where average compositions are low in silica (basaltic). We suggest that extreme residual magmas, such as those exceeding 70 wt.% SiO2, are preferentially extracted from shallow crustal magma bodies than from deep-seated magma bodies, the latter more commonly found in regions of thick crust. We suggest that this may be because the convective lifespan of crustal magma bodies is limited by conductive cooling through the overlying crustal lid and that magma bodies in thick crust cool more slowly than in thin crust. When the crust is thin, cooling is rapid, preventing residual magmas from being extracted; in the rare case that residual magmas can be extracted, they represent the very last melt fractions, which are highly silicic. When the crust is thick, cooling is slow, so intermediate melt fractions can readily segregate and erupt to the surface, where they cool and crystallize before highly silicic residual melts can be generated.
Brief Report: Anti-RNPC-3 Antibodies As a Marker of Cancer-Associated Scleroderma.

Objective Prior studies have demonstrated an increased risk of cancer-associated scleroderma in patients with anti–RNA polymerase III (anti–RNAP III) autoantibodies as well as in patients who are triple-negative for anticentromere (anti-CENP), anti–topoisomerase I (anti–topo I), and anti–RNAP III (also known as anti-POL) autoantibodies (referred to as CTP negative). In a recent study of 16 CTP-negative scleroderma patients with coincident cancer, 25% of the patients were found to have autoantibodies to RNPC-3, a member of the minor spliceosome complex. This investigation was undertaken to validate the relationship between anti–RNPC-3 antibodies and cancer and examine the associated clinical phenotype in a large sample of scleroderma patients. Methods Scleroderma patients with cancer were assayed for anti-CENP, anti–topo I, anti–RNAP III, and anti–RNPC-3 autoantibodies. Disease characteristics and the cancer–scleroderma interval were compared across autoantibody groups. The relationship between autoantibody status and cancer-associated scleroderma was assessed by logistic regression. Results Of 318 patients with scleroderma and cancer, 70 (22.0%) were positive for anti–RNAP III, 54 (17.0%) were positive for anti–topo I, and 96 (30.2%) were positive for anti-CENP. Twelve patients (3.8% of the overall group or 12.2% of CTP-negative patients) were positive for anti–RNPC-3. Patients with anti–RNPC-3 had a short cancer–scleroderma interval (median 0.9 years). Relative to patients with anti-CENP, patients with anti–RNPC-3 and those with anti–RNAP III had a >4-fold increased risk of cancer within 2 years of scleroderma onset (for anti–RNPC-3–positive patients, odds ratio [OR] 4.3, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.10–16.9 [P = 0.037]; for anti–RNAP III–positive patients, OR 4.49, 95% CI 1.98–10.2 [P < 0.001]). Patients with anti–RNPC-3 had severe restrictive lung disease, gastrointestinal disease, Raynaud's phenomenon, and myopathy. Conclusion Anti–RNPC-3 autoantibodies, similar to anti–RNAP III autoantibodies, are associated with an increased risk of cancer at the onset of scleroderma. These data suggest the possibility of cancer-induced autoimmunity in this subset of patients with scleroderma.
Diagnostic genetic testing for patients with bilateral optic neuropathy and comparison of clinical features according to OPA1 mutation status.

PURPOSE Inherited optic neuropathy is genetically heterogeneous, and genetic testing has an important role in risk assessment and counseling. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and spectrum of mutations in a group of patients referred for genetic testing to a tertiary center in the United States. In addition, we compared the clinical features of patients with and without mutations in OPA1, the gene most commonly involved in dominantly inherited optic atrophy. METHODS Clinical data and genetic testing results were reviewed for 74 unrelated, consecutive patients referred with a history of insidious, relatively symmetric, bilateral visual loss secondary to an optic neuropathy. Patients were evaluated for disease-causing variants in OPA1, OPA3, WFS1, and the entire mitochondrial genome with DNA sequencing and copy number variation (CNV) testing. RESULTS Pathogenic DNA variants were found in 25 cases, with the majority (24 patients) located in OPA1. Demographics, clinical history, and clinical features for the group of patients with mutations in OPA1 were compared to those without disease-causing variants. Compared to the patients without mutations, cases with mutations in OPA1 were more likely to have a family history of optic nerve disease (p = 0.027); however, 30.4% of patients without a family history of disease also had mutations in OPA1. OPA1 mutation carriers had less severe mean deviation and pattern standard deviation on automated visual field testing than patients with optic atrophy without mutations in OPA1 (p<0.005). Other demographic and ocular features were not statistically significantly different between the two groups, including the fraction of patients with central scotomas (42.9% of OPA1 mutation positive and 66.0% of OPA1 mutation negative). CONCLUSIONS Genetic testing identified disease-causing mutations in 34% of referred cases, with the majority of these in OPA1. Patients with mutations in OPA1 were more likely to have a family history of disease; however, 30.4% of patients without a family history were also found to have an OPA1 mutation. This observation, as well as similar frequencies of central scotomas in the groups with and without mutations in OPA1, underscores the need for genetic testing to establish an OPA1 genetic diagnosis.
Translators and machine translation: knowledge and skills gaps in translator pedagogy

Graduates of translation programmes increasingly encounter machine translation in the language industry. In response to this identified market need, translation education programmes have begun to i...
Peer Effects in the Classroom: Evidence from New Peers

Peer effects in education are of interest to parents, policy-makers, and researchers alike. However, there are serious obstacles to estimating these effects, notably selection, endogeneity and reflection problems. In this paper I assemble a rich longitudinal data set of individuallevel test scores and introduce an innovative research design to circumvent these identification problems, and estimate the extent and structure of ability spillovers among elementary students in the same classroom. My identification strategy is based on isolating the impact of new students to a school. These new students can plausibly be viewed as randomly assigned to a class within their new school. I implement this strategy by using the new students’ lagged test score (from Grade 3 in their previous school) as an instrument for the average performance of Grade 6 students in their new class. I simultaneously account for the potentially endogenous selection of students into schools, and school-specific time trends, by incorporating school-by-year fixed effects. Using administrative test scores data for three cohorts of Ontario elementary students (observed in Grades 3 and 6 for three subjects mathematics, reading and writing), I find positive and statistically significant peer effects a one standard deviation in the classmates’ average test score leads to 0.25 standard deviation increase in individual test score. However, the effect is not constant: the impact of classmates’ average ability varies with a student’s individual ability. I also contrast the effect of class level peers with the impact of school level peers and find that it is immediate classmates as opposed to school or grade level peers who matter for individual achievement in elementary school. This finding suggests that the definition of the relevant peer group is important for recovering peer effects in education. jel classification: J10; J15; I20 keywords: peer effects, education. ∗Assistant Professor, Arizona State University. e-mail: margarita.pivovarova@asu.edu. I am indebted to my supervisor, Dwayne Benjamin, for inspiration and continuous support during this project, and to Gustavo Bobonis and Philip Oreopoulos who provided valuable suggestions that significantly improved the original draft. I benefited from insightful comments from Josh Lewis, Elaine Liu and seminar participants at the University of Toronto. I thank the Educational Quality and Accountability Office and especially Michael Kozlow, for providing the data used in this research. Financial support from the Royal Bank Graduate Fellowship in Public and Economic Policy is gratefully acknowledged.
Multiple self-reported sleep measures are differentially associated with cognitive performance in community-dwelling nondemented elderly.

Objective To examine associations between daytime and insomnia-related sleep problems with different domains of cognitive functioning and determine whether subclinical depressive symptoms and age moderate these associations. Method A total of 903 cognitively healthy older adults enrolled in a longitudinal aging study completed the UDS neuropsychological battery (measuring attention, executive functioning, episodic memory, language and processing speed). Subclinical depressive symptoms were also assessed and self-reported measures of sleep were administered. Results Hierarchical multiple regression analyses separately assessing the effects of daytime and insomnia-related sleep problems on cognition identified relationships between both daytime and insomnia-related sleep problems with a composite measure of executive functioning; however, the former was related more to speed of processing and the latter to higher order executive abilities. Age moderated the relationship between insomnia severity and executive functioning, and subclinical depressive symptoms moderated the relationship between insomnia-related sleep problems and performance on measures of attention. Conclusions Among older adults, sleep problems have a deleterious effect on executive functioning regardless of whether they occur during the day or nighttime; however, age and subclinical depressive symptoms differentially impact relationships between sleep variables and cognitive domains. (PsycINFO Database Record
Analyzing us Mainland Precipitation Pattern Change Based on a Kinetics-Based GIS Method

Abstract. Precipitation is a key type of dynamic geographic phenomena. With time changing, precipitation areas can move, merge, split or disappear. Based on existing research methods, this paper applies a kinetics-based GIS method to analyze precipitation patterns in US mainland area. Annual precipitation data of 1950 and 2010 in small spatial resolution are selected for analysis. Three major dynamic changing types are considered for analysis: divergence, rotation and deformation. Objects to analyze transitions are designed, and displacement of precipitation area is calculated. After applying kinetics-based algorithm in precipitation data, conclusions can be made that there are some significant pattern changes in some key areas of US, such as east coast, west coast and Mississippi river area. Dynamic precipitation pattern changes of divergence/convergence, rotation and deformation in different areas of US mainland are analyzed and compared.
Taint flow analysis to improve Android application security

The current generation, adults and children of all ages, have come to know and love the smartphone. Everywhere you look, a majority of people will have a smartphone in hand. The entirety of one's life is on his or her device - contacts, pictures, schedules, and other private information. Most rely on the smartphone's carriers and software developers to keep their information safe; however, this is not guaranteed. Security breaches can happen at any time, but more common in Android phones due to their open source development environment. Android has some obvious security problems and it is vastly important that they find a way to halt or fix the problems with application security. Nonetheless, it is important for users to understand the risks and know how to protect themselves. Many aspects of Android - intents, content providers, and permissions - make it harder for the apps to be breached, but if the will is there, people will find a way. It is for these reasons that Android needs to make some changes. Our primary research goal is to improve the security of the Android platform by analyzing the preexisting security measures, and increasing the minimum default permissions to the signature level. To achieve our research goal, they propose a Taint Flow analysis method which consists of two already known methods: COVERT and Didfail. Specifically, the proposed taint flow analysis method provides information to users about where their sensitive data is and if it is being collected by unauthorized apps. The use of our proposed scheme results in a more secure Android marketplace. This in turn allows the customers to enjoy the open source development while providing them with a certainty that the applications they are downloading are not malicious.
Rethinking American Indian and Non‐Indian Relations in the United States and Exploring Tribal Sovereignty: Perspectives from Indian Country and from Inside the Bureau of Indian Affairs

This article uses materials from field research conducted at the level of tribal homelands and at the federal level of the Bureau of Indian Affairs to rethink and reconceptualize Indian–non-Indian relations and federal–Indian relations in the United States. I document the ways Chickasaw and Choctaw tribal officials are moving beyond the “deadliest enemies” model of Indian–non-Indian relations in tribal homelands in their pursuit of strategies that expand the role of tribal governments, mobilize support from local non-Indians for American Indian tribal empowerment and resurgence, and institutionalize a reordered regional political hierarchy. Cultural constructions of tribal sovereignty undergird these strategies and the transformations that are unfolding in the territories of the American Indian tribe in which I am enrolled and its neighbor tribe. Turning to a second site of participant-observation field research, I document the ways a different but related construction of tribal sovereignty drives the work of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, an agency whose workforce is more than 95 percent American Indian. Federal–Indian relations are shown to take shape through systematic responses to bureaucratic imperatives, the circulation of legal and popular constructions of Indian identity, and the resistance to segregation of the categories of “federal” and “Indian” in federal–Indian affairs.
“No More Silence!”: Feminist Activism and Religion in the Second Wave

Similar to the political goals of Second-Wave feminists, proponents of feminist theology, which also surged in the early 1970s, sought to establish leadership roles for women in the church and end “patriarchal religious hierarchies.” In this chapter, Laura Foxworth examines the complex relationship between Second-Wave Feminism and the ongoing struggle for equality within American religious institutions. Although the National Organization of Women (NOW) created a task force to explore the relationship between feminism and organized religion, Foxworth notes that it was rarely utilized and its influence was limited. Frustrated with their lack of progress, many women, contends Foxworth, sought religious expression outside of the church. The result was an expansion of “woman’s spirituality” and an elevated understanding of the female divine in the absence of male presence. Other moderate feminist reformers who remained inside the church, advocating for equality within traditional religious practices, faced specific opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Foxworth explores how religious leaders, both male and female, often argued that people of faith should oppose the ERA, particularly in the South where opposition to both feminism and the ERA was often the strongest. Phyllis Schlafly and other popular leaders of the emerging “Religious Right,” for example, quoted various Bible verses to support their opposition to the ERA. Foxworth concludes that while Second-Wave feminists primarily fought to create secular equality, they inspired a powerful movement within religious institutions as well. Though the lasting influence of Second-Wave Feminism remains the growing numbers of women who are ordained in many denominations, as well as the increased leadership opportunities for women of faith, the level of inequality in the contemporary church remains incredibly high.
Intrinsic apoptotic pathway activation increases response to anti-estrogens in luminal breast cancers.

Estrogen receptor-α positive (ERα+) breast cancer accounts for approximately 70–80% of the nearly 25,0000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the US each year. Endocrine-targeted therapies (those that block ERα activity) serve as the first line of treatment in most cases. Despite the proven benefit of endocrine therapies, however, ERα+ breast tumors can develop resistance to endocrine therapy, causing disease progression or relapse, particularly in the metastatic setting. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins enhance breast tumor cell survival, often promoting resistance to targeted therapies, including endocrine therapies. Herein, we investigated whether blockade of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins could sensitize luminal breast cancers to anti-estrogen treatment. We used long-term estrogen deprivation (LTED) of human ERα+ breast cancer cell lines, an established model of sustained treatment with and acquired resistance to aromatase inhibitors (AIs), in combination with Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibition (ABT-263), finding that ABT-263 induced only limited tumor cell killing in LTED-selected cells in culture and in vivo. Interestingly, expression and activity of the Bcl-2-related factor Mcl-1 was increased in LTED cells. Genetic Mcl-1 ablation induced apoptosis in LTED-selected cells, and potently increased their sensitivity to ABT-263. Increased expression and activity of Mcl-1 was similarly seen in clinical breast tumor specimens treated with AI + the selective estrogen receptor downregulator fulvestrant. Delivery of Mcl-1 siRNA loaded into polymeric nanoparticles (MCL1 si-NPs) decreased Mcl-1 expression in LTED-selected and fulvestrant-treated cells, increasing tumor cell death and blocking tumor cell growth. These findings suggest that Mcl-1 upregulation in response to anti-estrogen treatment enhances tumor cell survival, decreasing response to therapeutic treatments. Therefore, strategies blocking Mcl-1 expression or activity used in combination with endocrine therapies would enhance tumor cell death.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Inhibition for Inflammatory Bowel Disease after Liver Transplant for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Background. Outcome data regarding the use of tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors (anti-TNFα) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) after liver transplant (LT) for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are scant. Methods. We performed a retrospective chart review to investigate outcomes among a series of post-liver-transplant PSC/IBD patients receiving anti-TNFα therapy at Henry Ford Health System ((HFHS), Detroit, MI). Results. A total of five patients were treated with anti-TNFα agents for IBD after LT for PSC from 1993 through 2015. Two patients were treated with adalimumab, and three were treated with infliximab. Three patients were hospitalized with severe posttransplant infections. Two patients developed posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD); one of these patients died due to complications of PTLD. Conclusion. Anti-TNFα treatment following LT worsened the disease course in our patients with concurrent PSC/IBD and led to serious complications and surgical intervention. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the side effects and outcomes of the use of such agents in this patient population. Until then, clinicians should have a high threshold to use anti-TNFα therapy in this setting.
Perceived Parental Remote Acculturation Gaps Among Divorced Coparents and Children’s Adjustment in Turkey

The possibility of differential remote acculturation to a distant culture is yet another chasm that divorced coparents must bridge as they raise their children in globalizing urban settings. This s...
Structure –Function Relationships, Pharmacokinetics, and Potency of Orally and Parenterally Administered Progestogens

Publisher Summary Large intersubject variability is found in serum or plasma levels and pharmacokinetic parameters, including bioavailability and half-life, of all the progestogens. Higher bioavailability of a progestogen may result in a lower required dosage and less intersubject and intrasubject variability. A long serum half-life may be associated with a greater protective effect in the event of missed pills and may provide more consistent cycle control. Assessment of progestogen potency is problematic due to the large number of variables and assumptions associated with quantitative and qualitative tests of potency. Difficulties also arise when potency estimates from animal tests are extrapolated to humans. Nevertheless, certain clinical tests in which potency of orally administered progestogens is assessed in women can provide useful information from which optimal therapeutic progestogen doses can be determined. Biologic activities of progestogens, other than progestational effects, have been poorly studied. There is a misconception about progestin androgenicity. This is due primarily to extrapolation of data from rat studies to the human and misinterpretation of data that show effects of progestins on sex hormone-binding globulin and free testosterone. A better understanding of the pharmacokinetics and potency of progestins will help clinicians to choose the optimal type and dose of progestogen for individualized treatment of patients.
Superior Vena Cava Filter

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States with approximately 600,000 cases of clinically significant pulmonary embolism (PE) and 200,000 deaths. Most VTE originates from lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but upper extremity DVT constitutes 1–4 % of all DVTs and 18 % of DVTs among hospitalized patients. Anticoagulation with warfarin, unfractionated heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, fondaparinux, or related agents remains the standard therapy for DVT and PE. This therapy is effective in preventing and treating VTE. When anticoagulation is contraindicated or ineffective, vena cava interruption with a filter device constitutes an alternative therapy.
A Brief Mindfulness Intervention Reduces Depression, Increases Nonjudgment, and Speeds Processing of Emotional and Neutral Stimuli

Abstract Anxiety and mood disorders are common in university students but most students are not receiving treatment. The university setting presents a unique opportunity to provide interventions for at-risk students who may not otherwise seek services. Mindfulness interventions have been successfully adapted for use with individuals reporting symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other forms of psychological distress. The present quasi-experimental study addressed whether non-treatment-seeking university students screened for moderate-to-high levels of distress would benefit from a brief mindfulness intervention relative to a control group. Participants completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, distress, and mindfulness as well as a dot-probe measure of processing of emotional and neutral information before and after a mindfulness or no-intervention control group. As expected, anhedonic depression symptoms and judging of experiences decreased in the mindfulness but not control group. Also consistent with prediction, the mindfulness group showed reaction time evidence of “even-handed” facilitated processing of all stimuli (pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant) within a dot-probe task from pre- to post-intervention. Psychological distress, anxious arousal, and worry decreased, and several facets of self-reported mindfulness increased in both groups. Results indicate that a brief mindfulness intervention may be helpful for non-treatment-seeking university students in decreasing anhedonic depression symptoms, judgment of experiences, and encouraging facilitated processing of emotional and neutral information. Implications for using brief mindfulness interventions in early intervention and prevention efforts with university students are discussed.
Optimal Theory’s Contributions to Understanding and Surmounting Global Challenges to Humanity:

In this article, we discuss challenges to and the triumphs of the production of psychological knowledge pertinent to human health and sustainable well-being, particularly as it relates to persons a...
Comment on Frameworks for Causal Inference

Rose compares three frameworks for causal inference: Potential Outcomes, DAGS, and Campbell’s Framework. I argue that Potential Outcomes is more appropriately thought of as a conceptual analysis of the notion of a causal effect and offer some objections to that analysis. I also contend that DAGS allow for a more precise definition of the concept of confounding variable than the one more typically seen in the social sciences. And I argue that what Rose regards as limitations of Potential Outcomes and DAGS aren’t really limitations. Both Potential Outcomes and DAGS were developed for certain purposes. Rose’s claim about limitations amounts to expecting each to do something it wasn’t designed to do.
Responses of guinea-pig lung parenchymal strips to tracheobronchial lavage fluid from horses affected with summer pasture-associated obstructive pulmonary disease.

The response of parenchymal strips from guinea-pig lungs to tracheobronchial lavage fluid (TBLF) collected from 8 normal horses and from 8 affected with summer pasture-associated obstructive pulmonary disease (SPAOPD) was determined. TBLF was collected during the summer (July) and winter (February) seasons. The serum/TBLF urea nitrogen ratio was used to standardize the mediator concentration in the TBLF. Four strips were used from each guinea-pig. The first strip did not receive any antagonist and served as the control. The second, third and fourth strips received antagonists of PGE2, LTD4 and PAF, respectively at 10–6 mol/L for 30 min. The tissues were then precontracted with a dose of histamine (10–5 mol/L) and their responses to 1 ml of TBLF were determined. The study showed that TBLF obtained in the summer from unaffected horses produced a significantly greater relaxation than that from the affected horses, whereas TBLF obtained in the winter from unaffected or affected horses did not cause a significantly different degree of relaxation. Among the antagonist-treated strips, only those exposed to the PGE2 blocker showed a significant reduction in the relaxation caused by TBLF obtained in the summer from SPAOPD horses. This suggests that PGE2 is an important mediator present in the summer in the TBLF from horses affected with SPAOPD.
Smoking and pregnancy: Epigenetics and developmental origins of the metabolic syndrome

Maternal smoking causes lower birth weight, birth defects, and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. Epidemiological evidence over the past four decades has grown stronger and the adverse outcomes attributed to maternal smoking and secondhand smoke exposure have expanded. This review presents findings of latent and persistent metabolic effects in offspring of smoking mothers like those observed in studies of maternal undernutrition during pregnancy. The phenotype of offspring of smoking mothers is like that associated with maternal undernutrition. Born smaller than offspring of nonsmokers, these children have increased risk of being overweight or obese later. Plausible mechanisms include in utero hypoxia, nicotine-induced reductions in uteroplacental blood flow, placental toxicity, or toxic growth restriction from the many toxicants in tobacco smoke. Studies have reported increased risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and hypertension although the evidence here is weaker than for overweight/obesity. Altered DNA methylation has been consistently documented in smoking mothers' offspring, and these epigenetic alterations are extensive and postnatally durable. A causal link between altered DNA methylation and the phenotypic changes observed in offspring remains to be firmly established, yet the association is strong, and mediation analyses suggest a causal link. Studies examining expression patterns of affected genes during childhood development and associated health outcomes should be instructive in this regard. The adverse effects of exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy now clearly include permanent metabolic derangements in offspring that can adversely affect life-long health.
Pushered single shell implosions for mix and radiation trapping studies using high-Z layers on National Ignition Facility

Pushered Single Shells (PSSs) are an alternative approach to Inertial Confinement Fusion implosions that employ high-Z materials in the innermost capsule layer (pusher) as a means to enhance radiation trapping and lower core ignition requirements. However, adding high-Z materials can also increase losses due to mix, provide extra tamping, and make the capsule emission opaque to x-ray diagnostics. The first PSS implosions performed on the National Ignition Facility use plastic ablators with a germanium (Ge) dopant as a high-Z surrogate in the pusher to isolate the effects of high-Z mix and radiation trapping without changing tamping. Using a 2-shock laser pulse, the PSS implosions are designed and symmetrized to reach 3.7 keV core temperatures. A low concentration (2.8%) Ge dopant is added to the innermost layer, and the resulting effects on mix and x-ray opacity are observed. The method of separated reactants is used to infer information about mixing between the deuterated plastic pusher and the capsule fill gas (25% tritium) from the resulting nuclear DT reactions. Radiation transport is studied via capsule emission x-ray spectroscopy and imaging. Both nuclear and x-ray data corroborate the hypothesis that the addition of Ge strongly affects the mix region through radiation losses but has a minimal effect on the core and the warm, unmixed regions. Simulations using diffusive and turbulent mix models agree qualitatively with data, but quantitative agreement may require hybrid mix models that can model the transitional regime between turbulence and diffusion. Simulations matching the observables show increased core radiation trapping when Ge is added.
Substrate recognition by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa EF-Tu methyltransferase EftM

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of serious infections in individuals with cystic fibrosis, compromised immune systems, and severe burns. During infection, P. aeruginosa adhesion to host epithelial cells is enhanced by surface exposed translation elongation factor EF-Tu carrying a Lys5 trimethylation. This modification is incorporated by the S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferase EftM. Thus, EF-Tu modification by EftM may represent a novel target to restrict the establishment of P. aeruginosa infections in vulnerable individuals. Here, we extend our understanding of EftM action by defining the molecular mechanism of EF-Tu substrate recognition by this enzyme. First, following the observation that EftM can bind to EF-Tu lacking an N-terminal peptide (encompassing the Lys5 target site), an EftM homology model was generated and used in protein-protein docking studies to predict EftM:EF-Tu interactions. The predicted protein-protein interface was then experimentally validated using site-directed mutagenesis of residues in both proteins coupled with binding and methyltransferase activity assays. We also show that EftM is unable to methylate the isolated N-terminal EF-Tu peptide and that binding-induced conformational changes in EftM are likely needed to allow placement of the first 5-6 amino acids of EF-Tu into the conserved peptide binding channel. In this channel, a group of residues that are highly conserved in EftM family proteins position the N-terminal sequence to facilitate modification of Lys5. Our findings provide detailed insights into substrate recognition by this lysine methyltransferase, paving the way for a deeper understanding of EftM’s mechanism of action on EF-Tu.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients with Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion.

Abstract Introduction Coronary artery disease is a common diagnosis among patients evaluated for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). It is unknown whether the presence of coronary artery chronic total occlusion (CTO) has any impact on TAVR post-procedural in-hospital outcomes. Methods The study population was extracted from the 2016 Nationwide Readmissions Data using International Classification of Diseases, tenth edition, clinical modifications/procedure coding system codes for TAVR, coronary CTO and post-procedural complications. Study endpoints included in-hospital all-cause mortality, length of index hospital stay, paravalvular leak (PVL), mechanical complications of prosthetic valve, cardiogenic shock, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), acute kidney injury (AKI), need for a permanent pacemaker, and bleeding. Propensity matching was used to extract a matched control (TAVR-M group to TAVR-CTO group). Results There were 23,604 TAVR, of whom, 467 discharges were identified in each group. Baseline characteristics and comorbidities were comparable. Mean age was 80.5 years and 45.9% were female. In comparison to TAVR-M, TAVR-CTO was associated with longer length of stay (8.1 versus 5.9 days, p Conclusions In comparison to TAVR-M, TAVR-CTO was associated with a higher incidence of cardiogenic shock, AMI, and AKI and longer LOS but similar mortality.
Ignored Racism: White Animus Toward Latinos

Although Latinos are now the largest non-majority group in the United States, existing research on white attitudes toward Latinos has focused almost exclusively on attitudes toward immigration. This book changes that. It argues that such accounts fundamentally underestimate the political power of whites' animus toward Latinos and thus miss how conflict extends well beyond immigration to issues such as voting rights, criminal punishment, policing, and which candidates to support. Providing historical and cultural context and drawing on rich survey and experimental evidence, the authors show that Latino racism-ethnicism is a coherent belief system about Latinos that is conceptually and empirically distinct from other forms of out-group hostility, and from partisanship and ideology. Moreover, animus toward Latinos has become a powerful force in contemporary American politics, shaping white public opinion in elections and across a number of important issue areas - and resulting in policies that harm Latinos disproportionately.
Directly measuring spectrometer resolution from excess noise correlations (Conference Presentation)

Spectral resolution is a crucial parameter in spectral / Fourier domain Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). The sensitivity roll-off is determined by the spectral resolution, while depth-dependent axial resolution changes are caused by spectral resolution variations with wavelength. Currently, spectral resolution assessment is performed using either a narrow linewidth light source or broadband interferometry. Although commonly used, these methods require either additional components or time-consuming procedures. Here, we present a simple method to directly measure the spectral resolution at all wavelengths based on excess noise correlations. We apply this method to a visible light OCT system and validate it against interferometry.
Differential Expression of the Angiotensin-(1-12)/Chymase Axis in Human Atrial Tissue.

Abstract Background Heart chymase rather than angiotensin (Ang)-converting enzyme has higher specificity for Ang I conversion into Ang II in humans. A new pathway for direct cardiac Ang II generation has been revealed through the demonstration that Ang-(1-12) is cleaved by chymase to generate Ang II directly. Herein, we address whether Ang-(1-12), chymase messenger RNA (mRNA), and activity levels can be differentiated in human atrial tissue from normal and diseased hearts and if these measures associate with various pathologic heart conditions. Materials and methods Atrial appendages were collected from 11 nonfailing donor hearts and 111 patients undergoing heart surgery for the correction of valvular heart disease, resistant atrial fibrillation, or ischemic heart disease. Chymase mRNA was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzymatic activity by high-performance liquid chromatography using Ang-(1-12) as the substrate. Ang-(1-12) levels were determined by immunohistochemical staining. Results Chymase gene transcripts, chymase activity, and immunoreactive Ang-(1-12) expression levels were higher in left atrial tissue compared with right atrial tissue, irrespective of cardiac disease. In addition, left atrial chymase mRNA expression was significantly higher in stroke versus nonstroke patients and in cardiac surgery patients who had a history of postoperative atrial fibrillation versus nonatrial fibrillation. Correlation analysis showed that left atrial chymase mRNA was positively related to left atrial enlargement, as determined by echocardiography. Conclusions As Ang-(1-12) expression and chymase gene transcripts and enzymatic activity levels were positively linked to left atrial size in patients with left ventricular heart disease, an important alternate Ang II forming pathway, via Ang-(1-12) and chymase, in maladaptive atrial and ventricular remodeling in humans is uncovered.
Dynamic modeling and validation of a micro-combined heat and power system with integrated thermal energy storage

Abstract The operation of combined heat and power systems is inherently challenging due to the fact that they synchronously generate power and heat while being tasked to meet asynchronous loads. By integrating thermal storage into the system, these loads can be temporally decoupled, albeit at the cost of a more complex dynamical system. In this paper we present a nonlinear, reduced order dynamic model of a small-scale, proton exchange membrane fuel cell combined heat and power system with sensible thermal energy storage in the form of a stratified hot water tank. By modeling the thermal stratification dynamics within the thermal storage, its storage capacity, and the temperature of water that will be discharged from the tank, can be accurately quantified. A quasi-static approach is used to couple the dynamic components without increasing the model order, thereby minimizing computational burden. The resulting system model is fully parameterized by the system temperatures and model inputs, making it well suited for use as a faster than real-time, simulated testbed. The model’s empirical parameters are identified from experimental data, and the resulting system model is validated against an experimental testbed over a wide operating range. The results of the experimental validation show that the model is able to predict the electrical power and temperature of hot water provided to the end user within a normalized root mean square error of 1.58 % and 8.34 % , respectively. The presented model is available for download from a public repository through the URL provided at the end of the manuscript.
Implicit Bias and Antidiscrimination Policy

The science behind implicit bias tests (e.g., Implicit Association Test) has become the target of increased criticism. However, policymakers seeking to combat discrimination care about reducing bia...
On the fractional Eulerian numbers and equivalence of maps with long term power-law memory (integral Volterra equations of the second kind) to Grünvald-Letnikov fractional difference (differential) equations.

In this paper, we consider a simple general form of a deterministic system with power-law memory whose state can be described by one variable and evolution by a generating function. A new value of the system's variable is a total (a convolution) of the generating functions of all previous values of the variable with weights, which are powers of the time passed. In discrete cases, these systems can be described by difference equations in which a fractional difference on the left hand side is equal to a total (also a convolution) of the generating functions of all previous values of the system's variable with the fractional Eulerian number weights on the right hand side. In the continuous limit, the considered systems can be described by the Grunvald-Letnikov fractional differential equations, which are equivalent to the Volterra integral equations of the second kind. New properties of the fractional Eulerian numbers and possible applications of the results are discussed.
Health Care Pollution And Public Health Damage In The United States: An Update.

An up-to-date assessment of environmental emissions in the US health care sector is essential to help policy makers hold the health care industry accountable to protect public health. We update nat...
Quantization Aware Training, ERNIE and Kurtosis Regularizer: a short empirical study.

Pre-trained language models like Ernie or Bert are currently used in many applications. These models come with a set of pre-trained weights typically obtained in unsupervised/self-supervised modality on a huge amount of data. After that, they are fine-tuned on a specific task. Applications then use these models for inference, and often some additional constraints apply, like low power-budget or low latency between input and output. The main avenue to meet these additional requirements for the inference settings, is to use low precision computation (e.g. INT8 rather than FP32), but this comes with a cost of deteriorating the functional performance (e.g. accuracy) of the model. Some approaches have been developed to tackle the problem and go beyond the limitations of the PTO (Post-Training Quantization), more specifically the QAT (Quantization Aware Training, see [4]) is a procedure that interferes with the training process in order to make it affected (or simply disturbed) by the quantization phase during the training itself. Besides QAT, recently Intel-Habana Labs have proposed an additional and more direct way to make the training results more robust to subsequent quantization which uses a regularizer, therefore changing the loss function that drives the training procedure. But their proposal does not work out-of-the-box for pre-trained models like Ernie, for example. In this short paper we show why this is not happening (for the Ernie case) and we propose a very basic way to deal with it, sharing as well some initial results (increase in final INT8 accuracy) that might be of interest to practitioners willing to use Ernie in their applications, in low precision regime.
Dual Infection of the Bovine Fetus with Bovine Virus Diarrhea Type 1 and Type 2

Infection of the fetus between 40-120 days of gestation with bovine virus diarrhea virus (BVDV) results in a persistently infected animal that is a constant source of BVDV to the herd.
The Healthy Jew: The Symbiosis of Judaism and Modern Medicine

The Healthy Jew traces the culturally revealing story of how Moses, the rabbis, and other Jewish thinkers came to be understood as medical authorities in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Such a radically different interpretation, by scholars and popular writers alike, resulted in new, widespread views on the salubrious effects of, for example, circumcision, Jewish sexual purity laws, and kosher foods. The Healthy Jew explores this interpretative tradition in the light of a number of broader debates over 'civilization' and 'culture', Orientalism, religion and science (in the wake of Darwin), anti-Semitism and Jewish apologetics, and the scientific and medical discoveries and debates that revolutionized the fields of bacteriology, preventive medicine, and genetics/eugenics.
Effect of Outage Management System Implementation on Reliability Indices

This paper describes the issue of how the implementation of automated outage management systems (OMS) can influence the accuracy of reliability indices. Approaches for analyzing the influence of the OMS implementation on the accuracy of reported reliability indices are described. An example is provided of a systematic evaluation of reliability indices calculation before and after implementation of an automated system. The paper illustrates the importance of considering these effects if reported indices are used as the basis for benchmarking of reliability performance incentives