cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visualizing Specific Genomic Loci using Fluorescently Labeled Transcription Activator-Like Effectors

Understanding how gene transcription is spatially regulated by cis-regulatory elements (CREs) is both genetically and biomedically important. Cis-regulatory elements can be located thousands to millions of base pairs away from the promoter site, yet they somehow control and regulate transcription. Here we outline a new live cell, high resolution imaging methodology that allows for the visualization and quantification of these critical regulatory interactions. The method is based on the insertion of DNA sequences highly specific for a class of DNA binding proteins, known as Transcription Activator-Like Effectors (TALEs) into the human genome. TALEs are known to have high binding affinity and specificity to their target sites, and through conditional expression of fluorescently labeled TALEs, we are able to image specific chromosomal loci with improved signal-to-background and excellent localization precision. By using multicolor enhancer and promoter targeted TALEs, the technique can be coupled with super-resolution microscopy to detect and quantify subtle spatial changes occurring in the nucleus prior to or during transcriptional activation. This new methodology will help answer important questions on when, where and how genes are regulated during the process of cell differentiation or from external stresses and stimuli.
PAPR Reduction in Trigonometric-Based OFDM Systems

A key building block in any OFDM transceiver is the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and its inverse. A number of researchers have recently proposed the use of the discrete cosine transform (DCT) and the discrete sine transform (DST), and their inverses as alternative modulating/demodulating bases to improve the BER performance of OFDM schemes while maintaining a low implementation cost. In this paper, we consider the open problem of reducing the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) in OFDM systems that deploy these trigonometric transforms. In specific, we show that similar to the FFT case, the complex envelope of a bandlimited DCT/DST- OFDM signal has a chi-square distribution with one degree of freedom and hence converges weakly to a Gaussian random process as the number of sub-carriers becomes large. Using this result, we then derive closed form expressions for the complementary cumulative distribution functions (CCDF) of each system and show that OFDM systems with trigonometric transforms provide higher PAPR reduction than the standard FFT-based system. Simulation results that compare the CCDFs of the different transforms using the partial transmit sequences (PTS) technique confirm our theoretical findings.
A Revision of the Mexican Endemic Asta (Brassicaceae)

The monospecific, Mexican endemic Asta Klotzsch & O. E. Schulz is divided into three subpecies. The new combinations A. schaffneri (S. Watson) O. E. Schulz subsp. pringlei (O. E. Schulz) Al-Shehbaz and A. schaffneri subsp. stricta (Rollins) Al-Shehbaz are proposed. Asta schaffneri subsp. pringlei is widespread in east-central Mexico, A. schaffneri subsp. schaffneri is endemic to San Luis Potosi, and A. schaffneri subsp. stricta is restricted to Hidalgo and Queretaro States. A key to the three subspecies is presented, and a neotype for A. pringlei O. E. Schulz is designated.
Business Courts and Firm Performance

Does it matter for firm performance whether corporations have access to high-quality courts for litigating their internal affairs? To shed some light on this question, this paper focuses on the creation of business courts in various states between 1992 and 2015. Employing a difference-in-difference approach, I find that the creation of business courts is associated with a 3.2 to 3.7 percentage point increase in firm performance as measured by return on assets. Moreover, corporations with access to business courts have a 0.5 percentage point higher likelihood of being the target in a completed merger with positive abnormal returns for the target’s shareholders. These results are both economically and statistically significant.
TRENDS IN INCIDENCE AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING PCI FOR ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with high morbidity in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), particularly in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We sought to examine the incidence and outcomes of AKI in ACS PCI patients from a large tertiary center and to
Context Effects in Discourse: The Question under Discussion.

Linguistic analyses of the Question Under Discussion (QUD) provide an interesting extension to Tony Sanford’s work on discourse coherence (e.g., Sanford & Emmott, 2012). The QUD approach claims tha...
Murine Supraspinatus Tendon Detachment and Repair Model Augmented With Tendon-Derived, Activated Endothelial Cells: A New Concept in Biologic Enhancement of Tendon-to-Bone Healing

Objectives:Biologic interventions are being increasingly used to improve outcome of rotator cuff repair. Individual growth factors and stem cell-based augmentations are among the most popular appro...
Field of Plans/Sections—UCLA Chiller Plant with Cogeneration

This arrangement of images from the design for the UCLA Chiller Plan with Cogeneration is a meditation on the legibility of purposefulness. Here “purposefulness” is distinguished from willfulness, ...
Laplace Transform of Periodic Functions

By using the time shifting property and the series expansion of \(\frac {1}{1 - x}\) we arrive at a somehow magical equation furnishing the Laplace transform of an arbitrary periodic function. In particular assume that a non-periodic function has the Laplace transform F(s); then it follows that the periodic version of the function (with period T) has the Laplace transform \(\frac {F(s)}{1 - e^{-sT}}\). We apply this theorem to the periodic pulse and similar signals and illustrate the impact of being periodic on the spectrum. We notice that both real and imaginary parts of what used to be continuous smooth spectrum now transforms to being a jagged one with spikes overlapping the original envelop. The closer the period of the time signal, the more spiky the corresponding spectrum and the further away the spikes. On the other hand as we may the period of the time signal go to infinity the spikes in the frequency domain get closer and die out. Looking at it the other way around we are now also able to take an intrinsically periodic signal, such as the sine or cosine and use its transform to figure the spectrum of the aperiodic version of the signal! All theoretical steps and derivations are back by simulations and illustrative graphics.
Birding, Citizen Science, and Wildlife Conservation in Sociological Perspective

Sociological research on wildlife typically looks at how nonhuman animals in the wild are hunted, poached, or captured for entertainment, or how they play a symbolic role in people’s lives. Within sociology, little research exists on how people appreciate nonhuman animals in the wild, and how people contribute to wildlife conservation. I explore birding-related citizen science projects in the US . Citizen science refers to scientific projects carried out by amateurs. Literature on citizen science focuses on the perspective of professional scientists, with the assumption that only professional scientists are concerned with the quality of data from citizen science projects. The research showed birders share this skepticism, but they still find satisfaction in participating in citizen science projects. This paper contributes to sociological understandings of wildlife conservation by showing how birders’ participation in citizen science projects helps professional scientists study environmental problems such as climate change and its effects on wildlife.
Proportional-share scheduling for distributed storage systems

Fully distributed storage systems have gained popularity in the past few years because of their ability to use cheap commodity hardware and their high scalability. While there are a number of algorithms for providing differentiated quality of service to clients of a centralized storage system, the problem has not been solved for distributed storage systems. Providing performance guarantees in distributed storage systems is more complex because clients may have different data layouts and access their data through different coordinators (access nodes), yet the performance guarantees required are global. This paper presents a distributed scheduling framework. It is an adaptation of fair queuing algorithms for distributed servers. Specifically, upon scheduling each request, it enforces an extra delay (possibly zero) that corresponds to the amount of service the client gets on other servers. Different performance goals, e.g., per storage node proportional sharing, total service proportional sharing or mixed, can be met by different delay functions. The delay functions can be calculated at coordinators locally so excess communication is avoided. The analysis and experimental results show that the framework can enforce performance goals under different data layouts and workloads.
Clinical Translation and Regulations of Theranostics

This chapter is an overview of the regulatory aspects of cancer theranostics. The regulatory requirements for theranostics as a field have not been discussed. The ethics and regulatory oversight of pharmacogenomics and nanomedicine are likely to affect the future review of theranostics. The FDA has stated that nanotechnology applications will be reviewed according to existing regulations for devices, drugs, and biologics. However, academic groups voice concerns that the current regulatory structure does not have the means to provide adequate oversight of this rapidly emerging technology. Similarly, pharmacogenomics, another rapidly growing field, has issues related to standardization, safety, and efficacy research that may require additional regulatory oversight. In this chapter, the ethics of human subject protection and FDA review of investigational drugs and devices as they relate to theranostics are discussed. The scope of the chapter is limited to the initial translation from preclinical to early phase studies.
Gender Equivalence in the Prevalence of Nephrolithiasis among Adults Younger than 50 Years in the United States

Purpose: Although urolithiasis affects each gender, conventional teaching proposes that men are 3 times more likely to have stones. However, clinical practice refutes such a disparity, particularly among working age adults. Small studies have suggested an erosion of this gender gap. Therefore, we examined the relationship between gender and stone prevalence among American adults younger than 50 years.Materials and Methods: We analyzed the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) 2007 to 2012 cohort. Weighted proportions and multivariate logistic regression of the cohort and pertinent subgroups were assessed to determine the prevalence and the odds of nephrolithiasis.Results: The cohort of 17,658 subjects, which was weighted to represent the American population of 218,828,951 adults, was 48.1% male. In our cohort of 8,888 adults weighted to represent 123,976,786 subjects younger than 50 years, which was 49.3% male and 50.7% female, there was no difference in stone prevalence (6.3% in males...
Cardiovascular Protection with Anti-hyperglycemic Agents

Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease. Conversely, CV disease is responsible for a majority of the deaths in patients with diabetes. Many drug trials have concentrated on blood glucose (hemoglobin A1c) reduction. This strategy, while reducing microvascular outcomes like nephropathy and neuropathy, has little or no effect on reducing macrovascular events like heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. It has been postulated that hypoglycemia may counterbalance some of the beneficial effects of anti-hyperglycemic agents, but this is not proven. Further, trial evidence for thiazolidinediones (rosiglitazone and pioglitazone) showed increased risk of heart failure and raised concerns about increased myocardial infarction. This heightened awareness of potentially harmful CV effects of otherwise effective hypoglycemic drugs resulted in regulatory mandates for CV outcome trials to ascertain the safety of newer anti-hypoglycemic agents appearing on the market. Three new classes of anti-hyperglycemic agents have been introduced in recent years. While dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors exhibited increased heart failure hospitalization in the SAVOR-TIMI 53 trial evaluating saxagliptin and in the secondary analysis of the EXAMINE trial for alogliptin, the effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogs and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on CV outcomes in diabetes have largely been positive. The LEADER and SUSTAIN-6 trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of the GLP-1 analogs liraglutide and semaglutide, respectively, showed a statistically significant reduction in the primary outcome (major adverse cardiac events [MACE]: CV death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) and the secondary combined outcome when compared to placebo. Results of the TECOS trial for sitagliptin were, however, neutral (no net CV benefit or harm), questioning the class effect of GLP-1 analogs. Results of the SGLT2 inhibitor trials were more uniform. While EMPA-REG (evaluating empagliflozin) and CANVAS (evaluating canagliflozin) showed a reduction in the MACE end point, dapagliflozin had a net neutral effect on MACE in DECLARE-TIMI 58. All three SGLT2 inhibitors, however, showed a significant reduction in heart failure hospitalizations. Although initially designed to keep potentially harmful anti-hyperglycemic agents off the market, the CV outcome trials have provided clinicians with a new set of anti-hyperglycemic drugs with proven CV benefit in patients with diabetes and CV disease, thus expanding the field of CV secondary prevention. There is a need to inculcate GLP-1 analogs and SGLT2 inhibitors that reduce major CV events and heart failure hospitalizations (alongside lifestyle management and metformin) in the treatment of patients with diabetes and CV disease.
Computation of grain size distribution in 2-D and 3-D binary images

Abstract Grain Size Distribution is one of the basic measurements for sediment classification. The conventional methods for grain size distribution include the sieve method, the laser diffraction method, and the point-count method. We aimed to develop a robust computer code that simulates these conventional methods. The code can measure grain size distribution on 2-D and 3-D binary images using a watershed algorithm to extract out individual grains, and using principal component algorithms to find the principal axes. The outputs include grain radius for different principal axes, grain volume, grain surface area, principal axes inclinations and azimuths, and the number of contacts for each grain. The calculated distribution can be volume-based, frequency-based, or grid-based. Digital microstructures used in this study include (1) identical sphere packs including a simple cubic pack and a Finney pack, and (2) natural rock geometry such as Berea sandstone, Castlegate sandstone, and Fontainebleau sandstone. Furthermore, we employed this code to provide additional value of information from μXCT images by using μXCT to create 2-D to 3-D model of the grain size distribution, solving what is commonly known as Wicksell's corpuscle problem. We showed that our workflow successfully models a generalized 2-D to 3-D grain size distribution for a particular set of natural rocks that we include in our study. We hope to be able to obtain more μXCT images in the future in order to create a universal model covering most types of natural rocks.
HEMS Operation via MILP

Advanced technology in communication and control enables electric utility customers to provide assistance to the grid through demand side management (DSM) and home energy management systems (HEMSs). This capability may mitigate the variability from increased penetration of variable resources, such as wind and photovoltaics (PV) leading to grid operation flexibility. Home load, distributed generation, and storage can assist in meeting such flexibility if they are managed properly. In this paper, we present an optimization model for HEMS based on mixed integer linear programming (MILP). The model schedules the operation of several home appliances, local generation, and home energy storage depending on the electricity price signal. The considered objective is minimizing the incurred cost by the household. Further, feed-in tariff policy is considered allowing the home to export and sell any surplus energy to the grid. Case studies show the reduction in imported energy and cost achieved after applying the HEMS. Further, superior execution times were recorded in all case studies indicating the effectiveness of the proposed model in terms of computational speed.
Interruptions and Delivery of Care in the Intensive Care Unit.

Objective:This study samples interruption frequency in intensive care unit (ICU) settings to assess the relationship between interruptions and common patient hazards.Background:Task interruptions a...
Prospective Changes in Energy Intake, Physical Activity, and Resting Energy Expenditure during Pregnancy

Background and Purpose: Prenatal changes in energy intake (EI), physical activity (PA), and resting energy expenditure (REE) are important determinants of future health and obesity outcomes. This study examined changes in EI, PA and REE in 16 adult, pregnant women (75% Normal-weight, 15% overweight/obese) early in pregnancy (<16 weeks), mid-pregnancy (24 weeks) and late-pregnancy (32-weeks). Results: From early to mid-pregnancy, women gained an average of 3.7 ± 2.9 kg; EI remained relatively constant (-74 ± 826 kcal/d), PA levels declined by -574 ± 1180 Metabolic Equivalent (METS)*min/wk, and REE increased 122 ± 326 kcal/d. From mid-pregnancy to late-pregnancy, women gained 5.9 ± 2.4 kg; EI increased by 279 ± 352 kcal/d, PA levels increased (460 ± 2000 METS*min/wk) but remained 393 METS*min/wk below early in pregnancy, and REE increased by 251 ± 218 kcal/d. Weight gain trajectories were consistent with IOM recommendations for healthy gestational weight gain (GWG). Conclusions: Findings suggest among women with health GWG, a pattern of gradual and relatively small increases in reported EI and REE is expected, with marginal declines in PA throughout pregnancy. Future research with a larger sample size should identify specific caloric and exercise goals associated with healthy GWG and pregnancy health outcomes.
A Clinical Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of the Cerene Device to Treat Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (Clarity Study)

Study Objective To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a novel cryoablation device (Cerene Cryotherapy Device, Channel Medsystems, Emeryville, CA) in premenopausal women with heavy menstrual bleeding due to benign causes. Design A prospective, multi-center, single-arm, open-label, non-randomized study Setting At 11 academic and private practices in North America: 8 clinic sites in the US, and 3 outpatient hospital sites (1 in Mexico and 2 in Canada). Patients or Participants 242 subjects comprise the Intent-to-Treat (ITT) population. Subject demographics were similar to other published endometrial ablation studies performed. Interventions Subjects were treated with the Cerene Device, a single-use disposable device requiring no capital equipment, which delivers a 2.5-minute cryoablation of the endometrium. Analgesia and local anesthesia were administered per investigator discretion; IV sedation was used in only 3% of subjects and no general anesthesia was used. Measurements and Main Results There were no device- or procedure-related serious adverse events, nor unanticipated adverse device effects. The Cerene Device was effective in reducing menstrual blood loss measured by pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBLAC) score. Mean score dropped from 360.6 pretreatment (± 332.1; range 150-4506) to 51 at 12 months post treatment (±64.1), with 81% of 230 evaluable subjects reporting a PBLAC score of ≤ 75 and 85% of evaluable subjects reporting a PBLAC score of ≤ 100. The median pain rating was ≤ 2 (mild) throughout the treatment. Of 223 subjects that underwent hysteroscopic evaluation at 12 months, the uterine cavity was accessible and visualized in 220 subjects. Quality of life improved with 90% of reporting subjects indicating satisfied or very satisfied at Month 12. Conclusion The study demonstrated that the Cerene Device is safe and effective and provides the benefits of reduced menstrual blood loss, limited use of pain medication, high patient tolerability, quality of life improvement, and preserved access to the uterine cavity.
X-ray scattering investigation of ion aggregation in imidazolium-based ionic liquids upon doping with lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and cesium salts

Abstract X-ray scattering measurements were utilized to probe the effects of doping the neat 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide [C8mim][TFSI] room temperature ionic liquid with alkali-TFSI salts of varying concentrations. The introduction of lithium TFSI, sodium TFSI, potassium TFSI, rubidium TFSI and cesium TFSI has the universal effect on the scattering intensity of depressing the charge alternation peak and enhancing the aggregation peak as the relative concentration is increased. The changes in the liquid structure are interpreted as a result of the formation of long-lived alkali-TFSI complexes. The depression of the charge alternation peak is due to a more disordered structure at that length scale as the doping concentration increases. The aggregation peak is demonstrated to increase in height for all alkali complexes due to an increase in the scattering strength of the complexes and an increase in their prevalence as the concentration of each alkali salt is increased.
Hybrids are an effective transitional technology for limiting US passenger fleet carbon emissions

Human economic activity must be decarbonized within several decades to avoid dangerous levels of global warming, with the US passenger fleet a major source of CO2. Decarbonization likely requires an ultimate shift to completely electrified transportation, but given the current reliance of electricity generation on fossil fuels, the optimal deployment schedule of low-carbon vehicles is not known. A simple model is developed for the turnover of the vehicle fleet from the current conventional to an all battery-electric vehicle fleet, including the lifecycle emissions for vehicle production, fuel, and electricity generation. Hybrid-electric vehicles are included as a transitional technology. This model represents the US fleet and both the present and future electrical grid at the county scale, and a range of imposed vehicle market share transition scenarios are considered. To limit cumulative vehicle emissions over the 2017 to 2070 interval, an early, rapid adoption of low-carbon vehicles, either as hybrid or pure electric vehicles, must take place, with an ultimate transition to the battery-electric technology. However, hybrids are found to be an effective transitional technology, and even preferable over the short-term in many areas. Furthermore, some degree of behavioral change, in the form of reduced vehicle miles, must accompany this transition to fully meet climate targets.
Nonhuman Primate Testing of the Impact of Different Regulatory T Cell Depletion Strategies on Reactivation and Clearance of Latent Simian Immunodeficiency Virus.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) may be key contributors to the HIV/SIV latent reservoir, since they harbor high levels of HIV/SIV; reverse CD4+ T cell immune activation status, increasing the pool of resting CD4+ T cells; and impair CD8+ T cell function, favoring HIV persistence. We tested the hypothesis that Treg depletion is a valid intervention toward an HIV cure by depleted Tregs in 14 rhesus macaque (RM) controllers infected with SIVsab, the virus that naturally infects sabaeus monkeys, through different strategies: administration of an anti-CCR4 immunotoxin, two doses of an anti-CD25 immunotoxin (interleukin-2 with diphtheria toxin [IL-2-DT]), or two combinations of both. All of these treatments resulted in significant depletion of the circulating Tregs (>70%) and their partial depletion in the gut (25%) and lymph nodes (>50%). The fractions of CD4+ T cells expressing Ki -67 increased up to 80% in experiments containing IL-2-DT and only 30% in anti-CCR4-treated RMs, paralleled by increases in the inflammatory cytokines. In the absence of ART, plasma virus rebounded to 103 vRNA copies/ml by day 10 after IL-2-DT administration. A large but transient boost of the SIV-specific CD8+ T cell responses occurred in IL-2-DT-treated RMs. Such increases were minimal in the RMs receiving anti-CCR4-based regimens. Five RMs received IL-2-DT on ART, but treatment was discontinued because of high toxicity and lymphopenia. As such, while all treatments depleted a significant proportion of Tregs, the side effects in the presence of ART prevent their clinical use and call for different Treg depletion approaches. Thus, based on our data, Treg targeting as a strategy for HIV cure cannot be discarded.IMPORTANCE Regulatory T cells (Tregs) can decisively contribute to the establishment and persistence of the HIV reservoir, since they harbor high levels of HIV/SIV, increase the pool of resting CD4+ T cells by reversing their immune activation status, and impair CD8+ T cell function, favoring HIV persistence. We tested multiple Treg depletion strategies and showed that all of them are at least partially successful in depleting Tregs. As such, Treg depletion appears to be a valid intervention toward an HIV cure, reducing the size of the reservoir, reactivating the virus, and boosting cell-mediated immune responses. Yet, when Treg depletion was attempted in ART-suppressed animals, the treatment had to be discontinued due to high toxicity and lymphopenia. Therefore, while Treg targeting as a strategy for HIV cure cannot be discarded, the methodology for Treg depletion has to be revisited.
Wh-the-hell as a polarity-insensitive, speaker-oriented domain restrictor

I argue for a reanalysis of "wh-the-hell" questions as restrictions on the domain of alternatives, rather than polarity items or domain extensions. This analysis returns to their original characterization as "aggressively non-D-linked" by specifying what it means to be D-linked, and in doing so captures a number of otherwise unconnected properties of such questions without positing extraneous features. Consequences of the proposal include a new notion of question-specific contextuality, evidence for an inquisitive semantic condition on sluicing, and a potential general discourse restriction on wh-movement.
Aligning patient and physician views on educational pelvic examinations under anaesthesia: the medical student perspective.

Recent media articles have stirred controversy over anecdotal reports of medical students practising educational pelvic examinations on women under anaesthesia without explicit consent. The understandable public outrage that followed merits a substantive response from the medical community. As medical students, we offer a unique perspective on consent for trainee involvement informed by the transitional stage we occupy between patient and physician. We start by contextualising the role of educational pelvic examinations under anaesthesia (EUAs) within general clinical skill development in medical education. Then we analyse two main barriers to achieving explicit consent for educational pelvic EUAs: ambiguity within professional guidelines on how to operationalize ‘explicit consent’ and divergent patient and physician perspectives on harm which prevent physicians from understanding what a reasonable patient would want to know before a procedure. To overcome these barriers, we advocate for more research on patient perspectives to empower the reasonable patient standard. Next, we call for minimum disclosure standards informed by this research and created in conjunction with students, physicians and patients to improve the informed consent process and relieve medical student moral injury caused by performing ‘unconsented’ educational pelvic exams.
Co-application of DMPSA and NBPT with urea mitigates both nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching during irrigated potato production.

Abstract Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production in irrigated coarse-textured soils requires intensive nitrogen (N) fertilization which may increase reactive N losses. Biological soil additives including N-fixing microbes (NFM) have been promoted as a means to increase crop N use efficiency, though few field studies have evaluated their effects, and none have examined the combined use of NFM with microbial inhibitors. A 2-year study (2018–19) in an irrigated loamy sand quantified the effects of the urease inhibitor NBPT, the nitrification inhibitor DMPSA, NFM, and the additive combinations DMPSA + NBPT and DMPSA + NFM on potato performance and growing season nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and nitrate (NO3−) leaching. All treatments, except a zero-N control, received diammonium phosphate at 45 kg N ha−1 and split applied urea at 280 kg N ha−1. Compared with urea alone, DMPSA + NBPT reduced NO3− leaching and N2O emissions by 25% and 62%, respectively, and increased crop N uptake by 19% in one year, although none of the additive treatments increased tuber yields. The DMPSA and DMPSA + NBPT treatments had greater soil ammonium concentration, and all DMPSA-containing treatments consistently reduced N2O emissions, compared to urea-only. Use of NBPT by itself reduced NO3− leaching by 21% across growing seasons and N2O emissions by 37% in 2018 relative to urea-only. In contrast to the inhibitors, NFM by itself increased N2O by 23% in 2019; however, co-applying DMPSA with NFM reduced N2O emissions by ≥ 50% compared to urea alone. These results demonstrate that DMPSA can mitigate N2O emissions in potato production systems and that DMPSA + NBPT can reduce both N2O and NO3− losses and increase the N supply for crop uptake. This is the first study to show that combining a nitrification inhibitor with NFM can result in decreased N2O emissions in contrast to unintended increases in N2O emissions that can occur when NFM is applied by itself.
Social Resilience to Nuclear Winter: Lessons from the Late Antique Little Ice Age.

The threat of nuclear winter from a regional nuclear war is an existential hazard that must be actively addressed by policy makers to ensure the shared future of humanity. Here a cross-cultural ana...
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as an instrument for Chinese influence? Supplementary versus remedial multilateralism

Abstract Starting even before its founding in 2015, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has attracted controversy. Critics—especially the U.S. administration—claim the bank is an instrument of China intended to advance narrow Chinese interests and thereby undermine U.S. influence globally. But does AIIB lending show any Chinese influence? Analysis on AIIB lending patterns has been scant. Based on AIIB loan data through the end of 2019, our analysis suggests the AIIB is facilitating “remedial multilateralism” for China, whereby countries economically distant from China have privileged access to AIIB loans. This is contrary to expectations from “supplementary multilateralism,” whereby the multilateral setting reinforces existing bilateral ties. The paper advances the notions of supplementary and remedial multilateralism and provides a comprehensive analysis of AIIB loans in the first four years of the institution’s operation. It, thus, contributes to the understanding of how China’s rise is affecting the landscape of multilateral development finance.
Acculturative Stress and the Effects on Health and Health Behaviors in Hispanic Immigrants: A Systematic Review:

The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate previously published literature that examined the impact of acculturative stress on health in Spanish-speaking populations. The database sea...
The effect of phosphate rock dissolution on soil chemical properties and wheat seedling root elongation

Soils of the Appalachian region of the United States are acidic and deficient in P. North Carolina phosphate rock (PR), a highly substituted fluoroapatite, should be quite reactive in these soils, allowing it to serve both as a source of P and a potential ameliorant of soil acidity. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of PR dissolution on soil chemical properties and wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Hart) seedling root elongation. Ten treatments including nine rates of PR (0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 mg P kg-1) and a CaCO3 (1000 mg kg-1) control were mixed with two acidic soils, moistened to a level corresponding to 33 kPa moisture tension and incubated for 30 days. Pregerminated wheat seedlings were grown for three days in the PR treated soils and the CaCO3 control. Root length was significantly (P<0.05) increased both by PR treatments and CaCO3, indicating that PR dissolution was ameliorating soil acidity. The PR treatments increased soil pH, exchangeable Ca, and soil solution Ca while lowering exchangeable Al and 0.01 M CaCl2 extractable soil Al. Root growth in PR treatments was best described by an exponential equation (P<0.01) containing 0.01 M CaCl2 extractable Al. The PR dissolution did not reduce total soil solution Al, but did release Al complexing anions into soil solution, which along with increased pH, shifted Al speciation from toxic to nontoxic forms. These results suggest that North Carolina PR should contribute to amelioration of soil acidity in acidic, low CEC soils of the Appalachian region.
Motion Perception, Neural Basis of

Animals perceive motion by extracting velocity information from their visual inputs. Differing aspects of the information are computed in a hierarchical series of sequential stages from the retina through the temporal cortex. Keywords: complex motion; directional selectivity; optic flow; orientation selectivity; speed selectivity
Micromorphology of lithified paleosols

Abstract Lithified paleosols show a variety of microscopic fabrics similar to those of the rocks that enclose them. Sedimentary microfabrics are common in soils and paleosols that were weakly developed or waterlogged. Also preserved in many paleosols are soil microfabrics distinct from those of sedimentary rocks. In clayey paleosols, a variety of bright clay microfabrics (sepic plasmic fabric of R. Brewer) are found. Cavity-lining (vosepic) and grain-coating (skelsepic) bright clay fabrics may form during sedimentation and burial, but other kinds of sepic plasmic fabrics are typical of well drained and developed soils and paleosols. Descriptively similar microfabrics are found in paleosols metamorphosed to lower greenschist facies. At higher metamorphic grades, clays are altered to micas and take on a high birefringence (omnisepic). Micritic, needle fiber and displacive fabrics are preserved in calcareous paleosols. Their formation as original parts of a soil are especially clear when they are associated with burrows or root traces. Carbonate layers and nodules are less compacted during burial than clayey parts of paleosols, and so preserve microstructures in their original three dimensional arrangement. Recrystallization of limestone during burial can obliterate soil structures. Such destruction is near total in marble. Soil micromorphological techniques and terminology were not designed for use with paleosols now entirely lithified and metamorphosed, but can clearly be applied to such materials as operational and descriptive schemes. Interpreting original microstructures and what they mean for ancient soil formation remains a significant challenge for the future.
OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN REAR END COLLISIONS

THIS PAPER DISCUSSES THE PROBLEM OF OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN SEVERE REAR END COLLISIONS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF HIGH PERFORMANCE SEAT STRUCTURES AND HEAD RESTRAINTS. CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO BOTH FIXED HEAD RESTRAINTS AND TO DEPLOYABLE HEAD RESTRAINTS. TWO-DIMENSIONAL COMPUTER SIMULATIONS OF OCCUPANT KINEMATICS IN A VARIETY OF REAREND COLLISIONS ARE UTILIZED TO PROVIDE INITIAL PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR HEAD RESTRAINT DESIGN CONFIGURATIONS. THE RESULTING PROTOTYPE SYSTEM UNDERWENT A TEST AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ON AN IMPACT SLED. THE RESULTS OF THE VARIOUS PROTOTYPE PERFORMANCES AND GENERAL CRITERIA FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE HEAD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS ARE DISCUSSED. /SAE/
Resolution limits for atomic decompositions via Markov-Bernstein type inequalities

Atomic norm offers a universal way to regularize ill-posed inverse problems. A fundamental problem in understanding the power of such regularization is determining norm-achieving decompositions. Sufficient conditions for atomic decomposition have been established for many instances of atomic norms. In this work, by using Markov-Bernstein type inequalities, we show that the resolution conditions that appear in these sufficient conditions are almost necessary.
On Judith Butler's Parting Ways as Jewish Philosophy

In this brief essay, I want to make one claim about the nature of the argument of Parting Ways and then raise one question about the limits of that argument. Parting Ways presents itself as an attempt to articulate Jewishness in terms of a relation to alterity, which both grounds and interrupts Jewish identity. As Butler writes in her introduction, “Is this a Jewish notion?Yes andno.”This claimabout the nature of Jewish identity is what authorizes her detachment from Zionism at the same time that it authorizes her attachment to a diasporic notion of Jewishness or Judaism. Yet although the book announces itself as an intervention into the reflexive equation of Judaism or Jewishness with Zionism, it is perhaps surprising that Zionism goes unmentioned for large chunks of the book, particularly in the second through the fourth chapters, which treat Levinas and Benjamin (although the ends of the latter two of these chapters do address contemporary political matters). After the first chapter, which endorses a challenge to identity politics common to the work of Edward Said and parts (but not all) of the Levinasian corpus, and in effect amplifies Said’s call to Jews to remember the exilic ground of their identity (represented in the person of the Egyptian JewMoses), Butler offers three chapters in which she argues that (a) Levinas’s thought, especially his argument about substitution as acknowledging “the other inme,” demonstrates that there is no archē ofmeaning found in the self and the self alone, (b) this antiprinciplism is echoed in Benjamin’s claim in “Critique ofViolence” that there is something sacred in life that transcendsnaturalist accounts, and thus is also “allied with the anarchistic” (85), and (c) Benjamin’s account of the messianic also serves to interrupt and question the apparent clarity of any and all conceptual thinking. These claims serve, somehow, to set up themasterful detachment of Judaism and Zionism that occurs in the fifth chapter. But why does the articulation of this political position require pages of grappling with two Jewish philosophers, one (Levinas) whom Prof. Butler explicitly reads in a heterodox manner (“I would prefer to think with Levinas against Levinas,” she writes), and another (Benjamin) whose work she suggests is more suggestive and elliptical than one might imagine would be ideal for a book that seeks to justify an account of Jewishness as anti-identitarian?What are these pages doing here? I want to
A child’s story to illustrate automated reasoning systems using opportunity and history

The primary author has performed previous work to create generalized, high-level reasoning software to identify deception on the basis of actions. The work here is to apply that software architecture to an entirely different domain. The original domain was an espionage scenario, and detected deception when communications were in conflict. This present domain is reasoning about a child’s story to determine who is lying about the theft of some objects. Applying the previous work to a different domain is an attempt to demonstrate the generality of the architecture. It is also an attempt to further generalize the software, and to formalize additional “common sense” strategies in the detection of deception. This software detects deception on the basis of actions. This is in sharp contrast with present approaches that detect deception based on physiological factors, as well as on verbal and non-verbal cues. Our approach models agents and their actions in a logic programming framework using a theory of agents, a theory of actions, and a theory of reasoning with respect to time. As a test case, a children’s mystery is analyzed and implemented. The goal of the story is to identify who stole some items. The software correctly reasons about who the potential suspects are, and ultimately, correctly identifies the chief culprit. Further, it can correctly introspect with regard to previously held beliefs. The program we have developed is able to mimic the thought processes and conclusions of a police investigation.
Cue-Centered Treatment for Youth Exposed to Interpersonal Violence: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study provides preliminary evidence of the feasibility and efficacy of the Stanford cue-centered treatment for reducing posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety in children chronically exposed to violence. Sixty-five youth aged 8–17 years were recruited from 13 schools. Participants were randomly assigned to cue-centered treatment or a waitlist control group. Assessments were conducted at 4 discrete time points. Self-report measures assessed youth symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.Self-report ratings of caregiver anxiety and depression as well as caregiver report of child PTSD were also obtained. Therapists evaluated participants’ overall symptom improvement across treatment sessions. Hierarchal linear modeling analyses showed that compared to the waitlist group, the cue-centered treatment group had greater reductions in PTSD symptoms both by caregiver and child report, as well as caregiver anxiety. Cue-centered treatment, a hybrid trauma intervention merging diverse theoretical approaches, demonstrated feasibility,adherence, and efficacy in treating youth with a history of interpersonal violence.
Antibodies to Granulocyte Precursors in Selective Myeloid Hypoplasia and Other Suspected Autoimmune Neutropenias: Use of HL-60 Cells as Targets

Patients with syndromes of autoantibody-mediated hematocytopenias may manifest signs of increased cell destruction and/or decreased cell production, depending on the maturity of the target cell and the effects of antibody binding. The purpose of this study was to use a cultured human cell line of hematopoietic origin for in vitro assays of antibody binding to overcome the relative inaccessibility of natural human marrow progenitor cells. This report describes the detection, using radioiodinated staphylococcal protein A (SPA), of antibodies binding to a human promyelocytic cell line (HL-60) in sera from three patients with chronic idiopathic granulocytic hypoplasia (“pure white cell aplasia,” PWCA) and 22 patients with other syndromes of suspected immune neutropenia. Bone marrow from patients with increased IgG binding to HL-60 cells showed less than 15% granulocytic lineage cellularity in 11 of 17 cases. In vitro differentiation of HL-60 cells by retinoic acid resulted in increased IgG binding for sera that had shown increased IgG binding to mature granulocytes but not undifferentiated HL-60 cells; in contrast, for sera with antibodies to untreated HL-60 cells and for normal serum, in vitro differentiation had little effect on IgG binding. Antibodies eluted from mature granulocytes were similar to the parent serum regarding the ratio of IgG binding to mature cells v HL-60 cells. No sera from 19 patients with febrile transfusion reactions showed increased IgG binding to HL- 60 cells in the absence of increased IgG binding to mature granulocytes, although two sera had antibodies to both cell types. The use of HL-60 cells as targets may permit measurement of serum antibodies associated with granulocytic hypoplasia. In combination with assays to detect antibody binding to mature granulocytes, these techniques may discriminate among autoantibody specificities for antigens that are gained, conserved, or lost during myeloid maturation.
Ice storms, tree throw, and hillslope sediment transport in northern hardwood forests

In December 2008, 694 trees uprooted within a 108 ha (1·08 km2) watershed in central Massachusetts due to a severe ice storm, resulting in the displacement of ~1300 m3 of root material, unconsolidated sediment, and fractured bedrock. Overall, we find that uprooting and tree throw is often grouped in clusters and cascades; conifers displace more material than deciduous trees; areas with abundant mature hemlock and steep slopes are more susceptible to tree throw, with clusters as dense as 125 per hectare; and failure is predominantly downhill, suggesting that ice storms promote efficient downslope hillslope sediment transport in northern hardwood forests. Combining the recurrence interval of severe storms in New England (20–75 years) with the forest response presented here, we calculate a sediment transport rate of 2–5 × 10−5 m3 m−1 a−1 averaged over the entire watershed. Forest susceptibility to tree throw differed based on location in the watershed; some areas experienced up to ~30× higher than average sediment transport rates, while others experienced no tree throw. Two severe storms following the 2008 ice storm (hurricane in 2011; snow storm in October 2012) did not result in significant tree throw within the study area, highlighting that the coupling of storm severity and forest susceptibility controls the amount of tree throw during a given forest disturbance. In addition to recent tree throw from the 2008 ice storm, widespread pit and mound microtopography in the study area indicates that tree throw is a recurrent process in this landscape. Two factors emerge that will influence future ice storms related hillslope sediment transport in the steep forested hillslopes of New England: regional climate gradients and changing climate determine the size, intensity and recurrence of ice storms; forest management practices and health control the tree age and type. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Imaging of Head and Neck Skin Cancer

It is important for clinicians to understand and to take advantage of new imaging techniques available for the management of skin cancers. There is little written in either skin cancer or radiology texts on the topic of imaging in head and neck skin cancers. This chapter is an attempt to find a common ground between the disciplines of surgery and radiology so that each may communicate more effectively with the other, thereby benefiting patient care and health-care costs.
A mixed integer linear programming formulation of the dynamic traffic assignment problem

The authors propose a new model for dynamic traffic assignment, modeling the traffic system by a mixed integer linear program solvable in finite time. The model represents link travel times, which must be the same for all vehicles which enter a link together during a single time period by means of 0-1 integer variables. Given the values of these variables, the problem is to assign traffic, modeled as multiperiod multicommodity flow, subject to constraints on capacity implied by the link travel times. An optimal solution to the model gives the vehicle routings corresponding to minimum total travel time, achieving the most efficient use of road capacity. The solution gives unambiguous link travel times as a function of time of entry to the link, suitable for individual route optimization if all but a small priority class of traffic accepts the system-optimal routing. >