cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcitriol and doxercalciferol are equivalent in controlling bone turnover, suppressing parathyroid hormone, and increasing fibroblast growth factor-23 in secondary hyperparathyroidism

We compared the effects of calcitriol and doxercalciferol, in combination with either calcium carbonate or sevelamer, on bone, mineral, and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) metabolism in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. A total of 60 pediatric patients treated with peritoneal dialysis were randomized to 8 months of therapy with either oral calcitriol or doxercalciferol, combined with either calcium carbonate or sevelamer. Bone formation rates decreased during therapy and final values were within the normal range in 72% of patients. A greater improvement in eroded surface was found in patients treated with doxercalciferol than in those given calcitriol. On initial bone biopsy, a mineralization defect was identified in the majority of patients which did not normalize with therapy. Serum phosphate concentrations were controlled equally well by both binders, but serum calcium levels increased during treatment with calcium carbonate, and serum parathyroid hormone levels were decreased by 35% in all groups. Baseline plasma FGF-23 values were significantly elevated and rose over fourfold with calcitriol and doxercalciferol, irrespective of phosphate binder. Thus, doxercalciferol is as effective as calcitriol in controlling serum parathyroid hormone levels and suppressing the bone formation rate. Sevelamer allows the use of higher doses of vitamin D. Implications of these changes on bone and cardiovascular biology remain to be established.
Are They Listening? Parental Social Coaching and Parenting Emotional Climate Predict Adolescent Receptivity

Associations linking parenting emotional climate and quality of parental social coaching with young adolescents' receptivity to parental social coaching were examined (N = 80). Parenting emotional climate was assessed with adolescent-reported parental warmth and hostility. Quality of parental social coaching (i.e., prosocial advice, benign framing) was assessed via parent-report and behavioral observations during a parent-adolescent discussion about negative peer evaluation. An adolescent receptivity latent variable score was derived from observations of adolescents' behavior during the discussion, change in adolescents' peer response plan following the discussion, and adolescent-reported tendency to seek social advice from the parent. Parenting climate moderated associations between coaching and receptivity: Higher quality coaching was associated with greater receptivity in the context of a more positive climate. Analyses suggested a stronger association between coaching and receptivity among younger compared to older adolescents.
Parental Choice in Education: Examining the Underlying Assumptions

In this article, the authors describe four prominent forms of parental choice that have been proposed as broad policy tools to improve education, identify assumptions underlying these initiatives, and review the findings of research that bear on these assumptions. Although the evidence is generally incomplete and inconclusive, it sheds more light on the type of parents who are most likely to exercise choice: They tend to be better educated and already involved in their children's education. The general lack of evidence leads us to two observations: (a) the current debate over choice may center less on the question of its ability to improve education and more on the question of whose interests are served by education, and (b)the failure of researchers to examine nonchoosing parents may have eliminated an important perspective from the discussion on choice as an educational policy tool.
Using de-optimization to re-optimize code

The nature of embedded systems development places a great deal of importance on meeting strict requirements in areas such as static code size, power consumption, and execution time. In order to meet these requirements, embedded developers frequently generate and tune assembly code for applications by hand, despite the disadvantages of coding at a low level. The phase ordering problem is a well-known problem affecting the design of optimizing compilers. Hand-tuned code is susceptible to an analogous problem to phase ordering due to the process of iterative refinement, but there has been little research in mitigating its effect on the quality of the generated code. This paper presents an extension of the VISTA framework for investigating the effect and potential benefit of performing de-optimization before re-optimizing assembly code. The design and implementation of algorithms for de-optimization of both loop-invariant code motion and register allocation, along with results of experiments regarding de-optimization and re-optimization of previously generated assembly code are also presented.
2D Magnetohydrodynamics simulations of induced plasma dynamics in the near‐core region of a galaxy cluster

The mechanisms that maintain thermal balance in the intracluster medium (ICM) and produce the observed spatial distribution of the plasma density and temperature in galaxy clusters remain a subject of debate. We present results from numerical simulations of the cooling-core cluster A2199 produced by the two-dimensional (2-D) resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) code MACH2. In our simulations we explore the effect of anisotropic thermal conduction on the energy balance of the system. The results from idealized cases in 2-D axisymmetric geometry underscore the importance of the initial plasma density in ICM simulations, especially the near-core values since the radiation cooling rate is proportional to ne 2 . Heat conduction is found to be noneffective in preventing catastrophic cooling in this cluster. In addition we performed 2-D planar MHD simulations starting from initial conditions deliberately violating both thermal balance and hydrostatic equilibrium in the ICM, to assess contributions of the convective terms in the energy balance of the system against anisotropic thermal conduction. We find that in this case work done by the pressure on the plasma can dominate the early evolution of the internal energy over anisotropic thermal conduction in the presence of subsonic flows, thereby reducing the impact of the magnetic field. Deviations from hydrostatic equilibrium near the cluster core may be associated with transient activity of a central active galactic nucleus and/or remnant dynamical activity in the ICM and warrant further study in three dimensions.
Association between sleep and morning testosterone levels in older men.

Study Objectives: The circulating testosterone levels of healthy men decline with advancing age. This process is characterized by considerable inter-individual variability, the causes of which are of significant biological and clinical interest but remain poorly understood. Since sleep quantity and quality decrease with age, and experimentally-induced sleep loss in young adults results in hormonal changes similar to those that occur spontaneously in the course of aging, this study examined whether some of the variability in circulating testosterone levels of older men can be related to objective differences in their sleep. Design: Observational study. Setting: General community and university clinical research center. Participants: Twelve healthy men ages 64 to 74 years. Interventions: Three morning blood samples were pooled for the measurement of total and free testosterone. In addition to overnight laboratory polysomnography, wrist activity monitoring for 6-9 days was used to determine the amount of nighttime sleep of the participants in everyday life settings. Measurements and Results: The main outcome measures were total sleep time and morning testosterone levels. Sleep time in the laboratory was correlated with the usual amount of nighttime sleep at home (Pearson’s r = 0.842; P = 0.001). Bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the amount of nighttime sleep measured by polysomnography was an independent predictor of the morning total (Beta 0.792, P = 0.017) and free (Beta 0.741, P = 0.029) testosterone levels of the subjects. Conclusions: Objectively measured differences in the amount of nighttime sleep are associated with a significant part of the variability in the morning testosterone levels of healthy older men.
Some Properties of Otoconia

Otoconia are dynamic mineral deposits present in the gravity receptors of most vertebrates; fishes often have a single large mass called an otolith instead. Otoconia generally have the appearance of single crystals but contain organic and inorganic components, the mineral being almost exclusively a polymorph of calcium carbonate. The two phases are closely interrelated structurally. Ultra-high resolution transmission electron microscopy of rat otoconia showed them to be mosaic biominerals. The crystallites were 50-100 nm in diameter, had some rounded edges, and were highly ordered into laminae. This suggests that crystallite seeding and growth is organic matrix mediated. Crystallite asymmetry may also indicate piezoelectricity. A further finding of similarities in electron beam diffraction patterns obtained from some frog and rat otoconia could mean that the calcite of mammalian units mimics aragonite. A comparative study showed that turtles, which are close to the stem line for mammals, had calcite-type otoconia in the utricle. Alligators, which share a common ancestry with birds, had this type otoconium in all three gravity receptors, although saccular otoconia had a variety of forms. The nature of the mineral is unknown. The biochemical composition of the organic otoconial material is under study, to learn how mineral deposition is regulated. Proteins of rat otoconial complexes ranged between ca. 16500 and over 100000 Da in molecular mass and were similar in saccular and utricular otoconial complexes. Our new analysis of the amino acid composition of the complexes by high performance liquid chromatography showed the complexes to be high in the acidic and low in the basic amino acids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Design and Manufacturing of a Fourier Transform Microspectrometer

Spectrometry has long been used for measuring chemical compositions and purity of materials in industrial, medical and environmental applications by detecting material dependent absorption of wavelength. Traditional spectrometers, however, are table-top instruments, and they are generally too large, and too costly to be ported outside of lab environments. Micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) technology offers promising possibilities to build compact and cost-effective miniature instruments, including spectrometers. In this paper, we present a fiber-coupled Fourier-transform microspectrometer of a nominal size of 3 cm times 3 cm times 3 cm, constructed using 3D hybrid microassembly. The microspectrometer targets wavelengths in the Visible and NIR spectra. We use modular microscale parts, including minimum energy compliant MEMS fasteners, in order to configure a die-sized microoptical bench. A scanning micromirror is snapped into a MEMS thermal actuator, and we measure interference fringes from a Michelson interferometer. Light coupling, miniature electronics and power are included in the spectrometer package. We discuss the design, robotic assembly, packaging and experimental characterization of this MEMS-based instrument.
Printed Metamaterials: Antennas Emulating Anisotropic Media

In this paper, review of degenerate bandedge (DBE) antenna, followed by variations in plane or in volume to realize multimode and wideband configurations is presented. Ferrite and multilayer substrates are also examined to realize the Magnetic Photonic Crystal (MPC) modes to further improve bandwidth and multifunctionality. Of particular interest in this regard is the use of thin magnetic layers which can still realize the MPC mode without stringent requirements on low loss.
Physical Therapists' Recognition of Battered Women in Clinical Settings

Background and Purpose. The purposes of this study were to describe physical therapists' knowledge regarding battered women and to determine whether physical therapists recognize these patients in clinical settings. Subjects and Methods. Two hundred questionnaires were distributed to outpatient physical therapists in northern California. One hundred fifty-one usable questionnaires (76%) were returned. Results. Although 43% of the respondents reported treating a patient they identified or strongly suspected as having been battered, only two respondents (1%) reported they routinely asked patients about physical abuse. Less than 50% of the respondents correctly identified that battering injuries are more likely to occur in a central pattern (ie, head, neck, chest, abdomen). Discussion and Conclusion. The results of this survey suggest that physical therapists have treated patients who are battered. Many physical therapists, however, may not be fully educated to detect the signs of abuse. This study is the first step in initiating physical therapy research in domestic violence identification and education.
MY APPROACH to the patient with hard-to-control hypertension.

Despite some controversy about optimal treatment targets in hypertension, the majority of guidelines continue to recommend a blood pressure of o140/90mmHg for most adults, although o150/90mmHg may be adequate for those aged over 80 years. How do we deal with the approximately 20% of patients who do not achieve their goal blood pressure (BP) despite being prescribed effective treatment? Here are some key questions that can help identify underlying issues and give guidance for next steps.
Association Between Asthma Symptom Scores and Increased Perceived Stress and Trait Anxiety in Asthmatic Adolescents

S A T U R D A Y Cathryn J. Luria, MD, Alexandra R. Sitarik, MS, Suzanne Havstad, MA, Ganesa R. Wegienka, PhD, Haejin Kim, MD, Edward M. Zoratti, MD, FAAAAI, Christine L. M. Joseph, PhD, AndreaCassidy-Bushrow, PhD; Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, Henry Ford Health System, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Detroit, MI, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI. RATIONALE: The relationship between asthma symptoms and perceived stress and trait anxiety is not well understood. METHODS: Adolescents ages 14-17 years were recruited to examine the effect of stress on health measures. They were included in the present analysis if they reported current asthma, defined as self-reported cliniciandiagnosed asthma plus one or more episodes of asthma in the past year. Asthma symptomswere assessed on a 7-point Likert scale using six asthma control questionnaire items targeting nocturnal awakening due to asthma, symptoms upon awakening, activity limitation, shortness of breath, time spent wheezing, and short-acting bronchodilator (SABA) use. Stress was measured using the perceived stress scale (PSS), and trait anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Linear regression was used to associate asthma symptoms with PSS and trait anxiety. RESULTS: Of335adolescents recruited, 38 (11.3%) reportedcurrent asthma. Four of the six asthma symptom assessments had significant associations with PSS: symptoms upon awakening (b54.8, p-value<0.001), nocturnal awakening due to asthma (b54.47, p<0.001), activity limitation (b52.78, p50.005), and shortness of breath (b51.73, p50.014). These associations remained significant after adjusting for gender, race, and BMI percentile. Time spentwheezingandSABAusewerenot significantly associatedwithPSS.Trait anxiety had significant associations with nocturnal awakening (b59.28, p50.002) and symptoms upon awakening (b58.74, p50.002). CONCLUSIONS: Asthma symptoms are associated with increased perceived stress and trait anxiety. Asthmatic adolescents may represent a population that is particularly vulnerable to perceived stress and anxiety, highlighting the importance of considering these factors in asthma counseling.
Creating a new framework for promoting the health of African-American female adolescents: beyond risk taking.

African-American female adolescents bear a disproportionate burden of poor health outcomes compared to young white women. The racial and gender disparities in adolescent health are readily apparent in the reported rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, poor nutrition, victimization and exposure to traumatic violence, incarceration, and mortality among young African-American women, especially those who are poor and living in inner cities. Risk behavior, the dominant construct explaining adolescent morbidity and mortality, is inadequate because it assumes that all adolescents develop similarly when, in fact, gender, race, and socioeconomic status force different developmental patterns and health outcomes. The author calls for interdisciplinary collaborations examining the structural inequities and combined consequences of sexism, racism, and inner-city poverty for young women of color in order to inform public health interventions to improve the health of African-American female adolescents. Language: en
Failure of interleukin-2 to alter systolic blood pressure in Dahl salt-sensitive rats

The effect of interleukin-2 (IL-2) on systolic blood pressure in Dahl salt-sensitive rats was investigated. The treatment group received human IL-2 injections (5000 units/kg). Control animals received subcutaneous saline injections. Both groups of animals were placed on a diet containing 1.5% sodium the day of the first injection and maintained on that diet for the duration of the study. Systolic blood pressure increased in both the IL-2 treated and the control groups (P = .0001) over 7 weeks. The increase in SBP was the same for both groups (P = .8823 for between group differences). At the end of 7 weeks, when SBP in both groups was elevated to a similar degree, the IL-2 group and the control group were each administered 5000 units/kg of IL-2. SBP in both groups remained elevated, showing no decrease over the next two weeks. These results indicate that perhaps unlike in SHR, IL-2 does not alter systolic blood pressure in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.
In-office use of the intrector for the removal of retained lens cortex.

PURPOSE To report a case and technique for the removal of retained lens cortex material in an office-based procedure using a portable battery-powered vitrectomy system. METHODS Case report. RESULTS An 88-year-old man underwent uncomplicated office-based vitrectomy for the removal of retained lens material with good anatomical and visual outcomes. CONCLUSION The authors report a case of the removal of retained cortex material using an office-based vitrector. Clinicians should be aware of this technique for selected patients.
COMPARISON OF FOSSIL AND RECENT SPECIES: SOME DIFFICULTIES

are lengthened and overhang the white ones below like a cape. (3) The feathers of the nape are somewhat lengthened and pointed. The color pattern is unusual. The black chest is sharply marked off from the rest of the underparts which are white and narrowly barred, in one of the two subspecies, with gray. Dorsally there is a sharply defined central area of black on head, scapulars, midback and tail which is set off from the gray shoulders. This color pattern is not particularly buteo-like; rather there is some resemblance to such a species as the Barred Hawk (Leucopternis princeps). The immature plumage of the Eagle-buzzard is also rather variegated for a Buteo and recalls rather that of such a species as the Great Black Hawk (Buteogallus urubitinga ).
Obama, Bastiat and Economic Stimulus Packages

The Obama stimulus package has been less than a total success if one is to compare what was predicted to what has been delivered to date. The crux of the problem is that the economic planners have ignored or failed to take into account the secondary effects that increased government spending has on the economy. Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850), a French economist and journalist, discussed this point in his classic essay, What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen. This paper begins with a discussion of Bastiat’s essay, then applies Bastiat’s line of reasoning to the current economic situation. A bibliography with links to other Bastiat studies is also included.
Forest area and connectivity influence root- Associated fungal communities in a fragmented landscape

Habitat fragmentation is well known to affect plant and animal diversity as a result of reduced habitat area and connectivity, but its effects on microorganisms are poorly understood. Using high-throughput sequencing of two regions of the rRNA gene, we studied the effects of forest area and connectivity on the diversity and composition of fungi associated with the roots of the dominant tree, Metrosideros polymorpha, in a lava-fragmented landscape on the Island of Hawaii. We found that local fungal diversity increased with forest area, whereas fungal species composition was correlated with fragment connectivity. Fragment size and connectivity were significant predictors even when we included environmental covariates, which were also associated with fungal diversity and composition. Fungal species composition was more similar among highly connected fragments than among poorly connected ones. We also identified individual taxa that varied in abundance with connectivity. Taken together, our results show that habitat fragmentation can alter microbial diversity and composition via differential response among fungal phyla and individual taxa to habitat connectivity.
Discovery of Highly Potent Inhibitors Targeting the Predominant Drug-Resistant S31N Mutant of the Influenza A Virus M2 Proton Channel.

With the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N9 and H5N1 strains, there is a pressing need to develop direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) to combat such deadly viruses. The M2-S31N proton channel of the influenza A virus (A/M2) is one of the validated and most conserved proteins encoded by the current circulating influenza A viruses; thus, it represents a high-profile drug target for therapeutic intervention. We recently discovered a series of S31N inhibitors with the general structure of adamantyl-1-NH2+CH2–aryl, but they generally had poor physical properties and some showed toxicity in vitro. In this study, we sought to optimize both the adamantyl as well as the aryl/heteroaryl group. Several compounds from this study exhibited submicromolar EC50 values against S31N-containing A/WSN/33 influenza viruses in antiviral plaque reduction assays with a selectivity index greater than 100, indicating that these compounds are promising candidates for in-depth preclinical pharmacology.
The Exit Option, Withdrawing from and Re-entering Global Capitalism: China under and after Mao

In recent years, the People’s Republic of China, like many underdeveloped countries, has sought to industrialize and to sell more of its manufactured products overseas. Once isolationist, China is now one of the world’s 10 largest trading nations, enjoying a surplus of nearly $25 billion dollars with the USA alone (which puts China second only to Japan in the size of its imbalance with Washington). And while the Western economies have registered recession or only mild economic growth rates, the Chinese economy seems to be on fire, recording an average growth of 10 per cent in the past decade. Attracting nearly $90 billion of FDI in the same period, China is poised to be the largest economy in the world by 2010 according to purchasing-power parity, a measure the World Bank uses to assess the real worth of the wealth of nations.
Menstrual questionnaires for clinical and research use

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have the potential to be extremely valuable in the clinical care delivery for women who report heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). Increasingly, studies on HMB have incorporated PROMs to evaluate the impact of bleeding on quality of life. These measures have included semiquantitative charts and pictograms, questionnaires to assess symptoms and impact on quality of life, and health-related quality of life questionnaires. Recent systematic reviews have highlighted inconsistency of outcome measurement across studies on HMB as a challenge limiting the interpretability of the body of literature and the ability to generate consensus on the relative effectiveness of treatment options. Consequently, research initiatives and international collaborations are working to harmonize outcome measurement. Harmonizing the use of questionnaires in research and clinical care has the potential to improve patient-centered care delivery for women with HMB and improve the generation of patient-focused evidence-based guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of HMB.
Great House origins and population stability at Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico: The isotopic evidence

Abstract One of the truly remarkable developments in the prehistory of North America was the construction of more than a dozen Great Houses—imposing multi-storied structures that were qualitatively different from the usual small, irregular, single-story homes—in Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico from the early AD 800 to the 1100s. Beginning no later than AD 1000, scores of similar large pueblos, often referred to as Chacoan outliers, were erected throughout much of the southern Colorado Plateau in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. A small number of these outliers were connected by formal roads and many others participated in a broad network of exchange and ritual. The largest and most unusual of the Chaco Great Houses and one of the earliest to be built was Pueblo Bonito situated in the heart of the Canyon. Some of the most intriguing aspects of Pueblo Bonito are two clusters of human burials, almost certainly elites, found within its sandstone walls. We present here isotopic proveniencing data (strontium, lead, and oxygen) that situate these burials in a new and unexpected perspective. Our results suggest that almost all individuals interred in Pueblo Bonito had been born in Chaco Canyon or in nearby parts of the southern San Juan Basin. All of these individuals, moreover, likely belonged to the elite component of Bonito society, given their placement in special burial crypts within the walls of the pueblo. These conclusions suggest that the origin of Chaco Canyon Great Houses and the hierarchical society that organized their construction was more likely a product of local sociocultural dynamics than a result of migration of a group of new people into the Canyon from the northern San Juan Basin.
Inactivation of Mitochondrial Deacetylase Sirt3 Promotes Vascular Oxidative Stress, Increases Endothelial Dysfunction and Exacerbates Hypertension

Endothelial dysfunction is associated with aging, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity and these risk factors affect the expression and activity of the mitochondrial energy regulator deacetylase Sirt3. Sirt3 activates major mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme SOD2 by deacetylation of specific lysine residues and Sirt3 depletion increases oxidative stress. We hypothesized that loss of vascular Sirt3 activity increases vascular oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction and that this promotes hypertension and end organ damage. The role of vascular Sirt3 was studied in wild-type C57Bl/6J mice and tamoxifen-inducible smooth muscle specific Sirt3 knockout mice (Smc Sirt3KO ) using angiotensin II model of hypertension (Ang II, 0.7 mg/kg/day). Western blot analysis of aorta showed 30% reduction of vascular Sirt3 and increased SOD2 acetylation by 2-fold after onset of hypertension. We have tested if ex vivo treatment of aorta with Sirt3 activator resveratrol reduces SOD2 acetylation, diminishes mitochondrial O 2 ●– , and increases the production of endothelial NO. Indeed, however, ex vivo incubation with resveratrol (10 µM) significantly reduced SOD2 acetylation, diminished mitochondrial O 2 ●– and increased endothelial NO to normal level while Sirt3-inactive analog dihydroresveratrol had no effect. Specific role of vascular Sirt3 was studied in Smc Sirt3KO mice by crossing floxed Sirt3 mice with mice carrying gene for inducible cre in the vascular smooth muscle (inducible SMMHC cre). Wild-type and Smc Sirt3KO mice were injected daily for 5 days with tamoxifen and Ang II osmotic pumps were installed 10 days later. Deletion of Sirt3 in smooth muscle exacerbates hypertension (165 mm Hg vs 155 mm Hg in wild-type) and significantly increased mortality in Ang II-infused Smc Sirt3KO mice (60% vs 10% in wild-type) associated with severe edema and aortic aneurysm formation (100% vs 20% in wild-type). Decrease of NO is a hallmark of endothelial dysfunction in hypertension due to vascular oxidative stress. Indeed, Ang II infusion increased vascular O 2 ●– by 2-fold and reduced endothelial NO by 2-fold. Interestingly, Ang II infusion in Smc Sirt3KO mice caused severe vascular oxidative stress (3-fold increase in O 2 ●– ) and exacerbated endothelial dysfunction (4-fold decrease in NO). These data indicate that reduced vascular Sirt3 activity occurs in hypertension and this leads to SOD2 hyperacetylation and inactivation, promotes vascular oxidative stress, increases endothelial dysfunction, exacerbates hypertension, increases end-organ-damage and mortality. It is conceivable that Sirt3 agonists and SOD2 mimetics may have therapeutic potential in cardiovascular disease.
Content identification

Content identification can help link content to its legal creators. How robust can content identification become? In part-I of the talk we speculate about its asymptotic computational complexity (joint with Kivanc M. Mihcak), and in part-II we discuss the economics of such systems (joint with Gideon Yaniv; see full paper in this proceeding).
The Aspirational Curriculum Map: A Diagnostic Model for Action-Oriented Program Review.

When the process of curriculum mapping begins with the faculty's articulations of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes students should master upon graduation, a curriculum map results that enables faculty to review the curriculum for effectiveness, see the workings of the whole curriculum at a glance, plan assessments, and recognize where adjustments or changes need to be made. This article explains these benefits and lays out a step by step process for building such a curriculum map that can be adapted to any institutional context. We also describe a variety of outcomes from and reactions to our process.
Reciprocity relationships in vector acoustics and their application to vector field calculations

The reciprocity equation commonly stated in underwater acoustics relates pressure fields and monopole sources. It is often used to predict the pressure measured by a hydrophone for multiple source locations by placing a source at the hydrophone location and calculating the field everywhere for that source. A similar equation that governs the orthogonal components of the particle velocity field is needed to enable this computational method to be used for acoustic vector sensors. This paper derives a general reciprocity equation that accounts for both monopole and dipole sources. This vector-scalar reciprocity equation can be used to calculate individual components of the received vector field by altering the source type used in the propagation calculation. This enables a propagation model to calculate the received vector field components for an arbitrary number of source locations with a single model run for each vector field component instead of requiring one model run for each source location. Applicatio...
Hypothalamus–Pituitary–Ovary Axis

Abstract Normal reproductive function requires cyclical follicular and uterine epithelial changes to achieve the release of a viable oocyte and preparation of an adequate environment for the development of the conceptus. These changes are orchestrated by the hypothalamus–pituitary–ovarian (HPO) axis through the integration of various stimulatory and inhibitory signals. Integration occurs through feed-forward, feedback and paracrine loops that control and coordinate the occurrence of several reproductive events in a timely manner. The different components and hormonal factors that regulate the HPO axis along with recent research advances are discussed in this chapter.
An Introduction to Epidemic Modeling

To begin, I discuss the basic ideas behind the theoretical modeling of epidemics. Briefly, in constructing a model of the spread of an infectious disease we first identify a set of categories or states that individuals may be in that are important in describing the course of an epidemic. For instance individuals may be infected with a given disease, they may be susceptible to acquiring it, or they may be vaccinated and protected against acquiring it. Once the categories are identified we then group individuals in our population of interest into these categories according to their status. The important dynamics of the course of an epidemic occur because of transitions individuals make between these states. Individuals may go from being susceptible to being infected (and infecting others) to being recovered. Or they may go from being susceptible, to receiving a vaccination, to being immune from becoming infected. The description of an epidemic states how these transitions between categories occur across time and answers how many individuals are in a given category at each point in time? To do this within a model we need to calculate the rates at which these various transitions occur (infection, recovery, death, etc.) Initially I describe these transition rates between states abstractly with generic parameters, like \(\alpha \) and \(\kappa \). When one moves to empirical consideration one can use statistics to estimate these transition rates or use underlying knowledge of biology to fix values to these transition rates. As these transitions occur individuals move between categories and thereby change the population sizes in each of these categories. Once this modeling process is specified one can write down a set of equations as a formal description of the model. The equations can then be used to describe the system outcomes either analytically, statistically, or computationally.
Photon Upconversion Using Baird-Type (Anti)Aromatic Quinoidal Naphthalene Derivative as a Sensitizer

A naphtho-p-quinodimethane (QDM) exhibiting Baird’s 4n – π antiaromaticity was used as green photons-harvesting chromophore to sensitize perylene (Per) leading to upconverted blue photoluminescence. The solution phase QDM → Per triplet energy transfer (TET) could not be unraveled via the Stern–Volmer method, but transient absorption measurements revealed that the kinetics of T1 → Tn for QDM (τ = 1.4 μs) was 1 order of magnitude reduced (τ = 0.17 μs) as a result of 3(Per)* formation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that incident light with power densities in the microwatt regime is sufficient to perform photon upconversion using the present set of molecular systems.
Dissecting Regulatory Mechanisms Using Mouse Fetal Liver-Derived Erythroid Cells

Multipotent hematopoietic stem cells differentiate into an ensemble of committed progenitor cells that produce the diverse blood cells essential for life. Physiological mechanisms governing hematopoiesis, and mechanistic aberrations underlying non-malignant and malignant hematologic disorders, are often very similar in mouse and man. Thus, mouse models provide powerful systems for unraveling mechanisms that control hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) function in their resident microenvironments in vivo. Ex vivo systems, involving the culture of HSPCs generated in vivo, allow one to dissociate microenvironment-based and cell intrinsic mechanisms, and therefore have considerable utility. Dissecting mechanisms controlling cellular proliferation and differentiation is facilitated by the use of primary cells, since mutations and chromosome aberrations in immortalized and cancer cell lines corrupt normal mechanisms. Primary erythroid precursor cells can be expanded or differentiated in culture to yield large numbers of progeny at discrete maturation stages. We described a robust method for isolation, culture, and analysis of primary mouse erythroid precursor cells and their progeny.
Effects of evolutionary thermal environment on temperature-preference relationships in fishes

Fishes exhibit a perplexing variety of temperature-preference relationships, ranging from positive to negative functions of acclimation temperature. However, these relationships tend to be consistent within species even across broad geographic ranges. We developed and tested an hypothesis that temperature-preference relationships are related to the amplitude of the annual thermal-cycle experienced by species during their recent evolutionary histories. Species experiencing annual cycles of relatively high amplitude (temperate species) were predicted to exhibit temperature-preference relationships that are positive functions of acclimation temperature. Those with low thermal amplitudes, such as cold stenotherms, or relatively high short-term amplitudes, such as tropical mesotherms, were predicted to exhibit relationships that are either independent or negative functions of acclimation temperature. This hypothesis was tested and strongly supported by a synthesis of studies from the literature. Of 42 species, for which data were available, 40 exhibited the class of temperature-preference relationships that we predicted on the basis of their thermal cycle. The concept of thermal guilds can be expanded by taking into consideration the capacity of fishes to adjust preferred temperatures through acclimation. This work shows the adaptive nature of temperature-preference behavior and may be useful for predicting general characteristics of temperature-preference relationships for the many species not yet examined in this regard.
Differences in lung injury after IMRT or proton therapy assessed by 18FDG PET imaging.

Abstract Background and purpose To compare lung injury among non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with IMRT or proton therapy as revealed by 18F-FDG post-treatment uptake and to determine factors predictive for clinically symptomatic radiation pneumonitis. Material and methods For 83 patients treated with IMRT or proton therapy, planning CT and follow up 18F-FDG PET-CT were analyzed. Post-treatment PET-CT was aligned with planning CT to establish a voxel-to-voxel correspondence between PET and planning dose images. 18F-FDG uptake as a function of radiation dose to normal lung was obtained for each patient. PET image-derived parameters as well as demographic, clinical, treatment and dosimetric patient characteristics were correlated with clinical symptoms of pneumonitis. Results The dose distributions for the two modalities were significantly different; V5 was higher for IMRT, whereas V60 was higher for protons. The mean lung dose (MLD) was similar for the two modalities. The slope of linear 18F-FDG-uptake – dose response did not differ significantly between the two modalities. The MLD, slope, and 95th percentile of SUV were identified as three major factors associated with radiation pneumonitis. Conclusions Despite significantly different dose distributions for IMRT and for protons, the slope of the SUV–dose linear regression line previously shown to be associated with RP did not differ between IMRT and protons. Patients who developed radiation pneumonitis had statistically significantly higher MLD and higher slope regardless of treatment modality.
Tunnel-injected sub 290 nm ultra-violet light emitting diodes with 2.8% external quantum efficiency

We report on the high efficiency tunnel-injected ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV LEDs) emitting at 287 nm. Deep UV LED performance has been limited by the severe internal light absorption in the p-type contact layers and low electrical injection efficiency due to poor p-type conduction. In this work, a polarization engineered Al0.65Ga0.35N/In0.2Ga0.8N tunnel junction layer is adopted for non-equilibrium hole injection to replace the conventionally used direct p-type contact. A reverse-graded AlGaN contact layer is further introduced to realize a low resistance contact to the top n-AlGaN layer. This led to the demonstration of a low tunnel junction resistance of 1.9 × 10−3 Ω cm2 obtained at 1 kA/cm2. Light emission at 287 nm with an on-wafer peak external quantum efficiency of 2.8% and a wall-plug efficiency of 1.1% was achieved. The measured power density at 1 kA/cm2 was 54.4 W/cm2, confirming the efficient hole injection through interband tunneling. With the benefits of the minimized internal absor...
The Lysosome, Elixir of Neural Stem Cell Youth.

Recently in Science, Leeman et al. find that perturbing lysosomal activity of quiescent NSCs directly impedes their ability to become activated, similar to what happens during aging. Excitingly, they could rejuvenate old quiescent NSCs by enhancing the lysosome pathway, ameliorating their ability to clear protein aggregates and become activated.
The MERCATOR representation of spatial knowledge

The MERCATOR program constructs a cognitive map from a sequence of scene descriptions. A new representation of two-dimensional geography was developed for this program. Objects are represented by sets of polygons; their boundaries, by sets of directed edges. The relative positions of objects are determined by connecting edges. A truth-conditional semantics for this representation is presented, its strengths and weaknesses are evaluated, and it is compared to other AI representations of shape and position.
Developing sanitary Practices In the Lodging Housekeeping Department

Seventeen out of 19 directors of hotel and motel housekeeping departments in an upper midwest urban area expressed concern about sanitation procedures in their facilities as part of a survey which indicates that some housekeeping procedures and practices need to be improved and modified to constitute a safe and sanitized approach. The author explains the results and presents practical sanitary guidelines for such departments.
Storage and Communication of Knowledge

Due to current myths and to publication pressure, science is often pictured as a reservoir of knowledge, where all published material is accumulated and processed. This picture is sheer myth. Scientific literature is chiefly a means of communication, not a reservoir but a channel-system; and the channels are now clogged.
Second Order Asymptotic Boundary Conditions for Modeling of Imperfect Interface

The interface between two solids has properties differing from those of the bulk media. The actual structure of such an interface depends on the particular type of solid contact: contact formed during solidification, metallurgical solid bond, dry mechanical or lubricated contact, et cetera. The classical boundary conditions which are satisfied for an infinitely thin perfect bond are not adequate to describe wave interaction with such an imperfect interface.
Maternal antihypertensive medication use and selected birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

Background There are limited data on the relationship between antihypertensive medication use in early pregnancy and risk of birth defects. Methods Using data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, we examined associations between specific antihypertensive medication classes and 28 noncardiac birth defects. We analyzed self-reported data on 17,038 case and 11,477 control pregnancies with estimated delivery dates during 1997-2011. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for maternal age, race/ethnicity, body mass index, parity, pregestational diabetes, and study site, for associations between individual birth defects and antihypertensive medication use during the first trimester of pregnancy. We compared risk among women reporting early pregnancy antihypertensive medication use to normotensive women. Results Hypertensive women who reported early pregnancy antihypertensive medication use were more likely to be at least 35 years old, non-Hispanic Black, obese, multiparous, and to report pregestational diabetes than normotensive women. Compared to normotensive women, early pregnancy antihypertensive medication use was associated with increased risk of small intestinal atresia (adjusted OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.7) and anencephaly (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0-3.5). Risk of these defects was not specific to any particular medication class. Conclusions Maternal antihypertensive medication use was not associated with the majority of birth defects we analyzed, but was associated with an increased risk for some birth defects. Because we cannot entirely rule out confounding by the underlying hypertension and most ORs were based on small numbers, the increased risks observed should be interpreted with caution.
Inclusive Work Practices: Turnover Intentions Among LGBT Employees of the U.S. Federal Government:

The federal government lags behind in progressive civil rights policies in regard to universal workplace antidiscrimination laws for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans. The sl...
Retroperitoneal tumors and congenital variations in vascular anatomy of retroperitoneal great vessels.

Abstract Background/objectives Variations in vascular anatomy (VIVAs) of the retroperitoneal great vessels are uncommon but can potentially complicate surgical procedures and negatively affect treatment outcomes, yet their incidence and clinical impact are poorly studied. We sought to assess the incidence and clinical impact of VIVAs of retroperitoneal great vessels in patients with retroperitoneal tumors. Methods We retrospectively analyzed imaging, surgical, treatment and survival data of all pediatric patients with retroperitoneal tumors who underwent resection between January 2007 and October 2016, comparing preoperative scans with corresponding intraoperative observations, and subsequent surgical outcomes. Results Among 66 children with renal, adrenal and paravertebral tumors, 6 (9%) had retroperitoneal VIVAs. Retroperitoneal VIVAs were present only with right-sided tumors and significantly associated with more frequent intraoperative complications (P = 0.013). While the presence of retroperitoneal VIVAs was not directly associated with survival outcomes, relapse was more frequent in patients with VIVAs (33%) than those without (18.3%, P = 0.378), and relapse was also associated with lower overall and event-free survival (P Conclusions VIVAs of retroperitoneal great vessels occurred in 9% of our patients with retroperitoneal tumors. Retroperitoneal VIVAs were associated with higher rates of intraoperative complications and disease relapse but was not directly related to survival outcomes. Type of Study: Retrospective review study. Level of evidence Level III Retrospective comparative study.
Anticipated Emotions in Initial Trust Evaluations of a Drone System Based on Performance and Process Information

Trust in automation has been largely studied through a cognitive lens, though theories suggest that emotions play an important role. Understanding the affective aspects of human-automation trust ca...
Predicting Postdisaster Residential Housing Reconstruction Based on Market Resources

AbstractMultiple billion-dollar disaster events occurred throughout 2017, illustrating the increasing vulnerability of the US residential housing stock to widespread damages associated with disaste...
Mass Selection and the Basic Plant Breeding Algorithm

Abstract Mass selection is the most primitive and simplest of all plant breeding methods. The method yields very slow progress over time with regard to desirable phenotypic changes due to the absence of mating control. As desirable alleles were fixed, progress was halted until tight repulsion linkages were converted to coupling or new alleles appeared via mutation or introgression. The basic plant breeding algorithm is a scaffold onto which nearly all methods may be generalized. The elements of the algorithm proceed in a stepwise fashion with some overlap of parallel activities: breeding objectives ➔ germplasm acquisition ➔ recurrent controlled mating and selection ➔ testing of the best candidate populations ➔ increase in the number of propagules/seeds ➔ release of a new cultivar.