cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamics and Proton Transport in Nafion I. Membrane Swelling, Sorption, and Ion-Exchange Equilibrium

A thermodynamic model is proposed to describe the sorption of water in Nafion based on the Flory-Huggins activity model and an appropriate osmotic pressure correction term for the chemical potential of water within the swollen membrane. The key variables for sorption are equivalent weight of ionomer, acid strength of the ionic groups, modulus of polymer elasticity, and interaction between water and polymer. The water uptake per unit mass of dry Nafion increases with the increasing acid strength of the functional groups, decreasing Young’s modulus, and decreasing equivalent weight of Nafion. The model provides insights into the sorption and swelling behavior of ion-exchange membranes, and thus, may be useful in evaluating and designing alternate proton-exchange membranes for fuel cell applications. In a companion paper ~Part II!, a predictive model is presented for the transport of protons in Nafion.
Switchable self-protected attractions in DNA-functionalized colloids.

Functionalizing colloidal particles with DNA is a powerful tool for guiding their assembly, using the complementary ‘sticky ends’ of the molecules. However, other attributes of DNA can be used to engineer interactions between particles more subtly. Temperature- or time-controlled formation of loops or hairpins in DNA provides switchable connections for novel materials from particle assemblies. Surface functionalization with DNA is a powerful tool for guiding the self-assembly of nanometre- and micrometre-sized particles1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. Complementary ‘sticky ends’ form specific inter-particle links and reproducibly bind at low temperature and unbind at high temperature. Surprisingly, the ability of single-stranded DNA to form folded secondary structures has not been explored for controlling (nano) colloidal assembly processes, despite its frequent use in DNA nanotechnology12,13,14. Here, we show how loop and hairpin formation in the DNA coatings of micrometre-sized particles gives us in situ control over the inter-particle binding strength and association kinetics. We can finely tune and even switch off the attractions between particles, rendering them inert unless they are heated or held together—like a nano-contact glue. The novel kinetic control offered by the switchable self-protected attractions is explained with a simple quantitative model that emphasizes the competition between intra- and inter-particle hybridization, and the practical utility is demonstrated by the assembly of designer clusters in concentrated suspensions. With self-protection, both the suspension and assembly product are stable, whereas conventional attractive colloids would quickly aggregate. This remarkable functionality makes our self-protected colloids a novel material that greatly extends the utility of DNA-functionalized systems, enabling more versatile, multi-stage assembly approaches.
The temperature-jump problem based on the CES model of the linearized Boltzmann equation

An analytical discrete-ordinates method is used to solve the temperature-jump prob- lem as defined by a synthetic-kernel model of the linearized Boltzmann equation. In particular, the temperature and density perturbations and the temperature-jump coefficient defined by the CES model equation are obtained (essentially) analytically in terms of a modern version of the discrete-ordinates method. The developed algorithms are implemented for general values of the accommodation coefficient to yield numerical results that compare well with solutions derived from more computationally intensive techniques.
Getting Off the Seeds-and-tools Treadmill with CRS Seed Vouchers and Fairs

The free distribution of seeds and tools is the standard approach to agricultural recovery. The predominance of this approach is partly attributable to the: (1) perception that farmer seed quality is poor, (2) insistence on seed certification, (3) promotion of researcher varieties, (4) misdiagnosis of unavailability, (5) difficulty accessing farmer seed, and (6) support for the commercial seed sector. This paper presents a Seed Security Assessment Framework to distinguish among the causes of seed insecurity and focuses on three principal concepts: seed availability; access to seed; and factors associated with seed utilisation. Using this diagnostic framework, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has developed a better approach to promoting seed system-based agricultural recovery. It involves a combination of seed voucher distribution and the organization of seed fairs, which bring together a range of sellers from whom the holders of vouchers may purchase seed. This approach is advantageous because it: strengthens farmer seed procurement systems; is cost efficient; in economic terms, has a multiplier effect in the community; is straightforward to plan and implement; allows commercial sector participation; provides an opportunity to promote improved varieties for farmer evaluation; brings together different communities.
The Ventilatory Anaerobic Threshold in Heart Failure: A Multicenter Evaluation of Reliability

Abstract Background The ventilatory threshold (VT) is usually determined by visual assessment of the point where the rate of elimination of carbon dioxide (VCO 2 ) increases nonlinearly with respect to oxygen uptake (VO 2 ) (the V-Slope method). We quantified the reliability of VT determination using data from a multicenter study in patients with heart failure. Methods and Results The Fix-Heart Failure-5 study of cardiac contractility modulation enrolled 428 patients from 50 centers in the United States. Cardiopulmonary exercise tests were performed at baseline and 12, 24, and 50 weeks after randomization, which provided 1679 tests. The VT was determined from each test in a core laboratory by 2 independent readers. VT could not be determined for 276 tests (16.4% indeterminate). Inter-observer variability (quantified by the 95% limits of agreement, LoA, expressed as a percent of the mean value) was 20.2% between the 2 readers, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 7.3%. Intra-observer variability was assessed by resubmitting (blinded) 179 tests to the same readers; the LoA was 24.7% for reader 1 and 16.9% for reader 2, with CVs of 6.1 and 8.9%, respectively. Ninety-one tests were submitted to 2 additional readers at a second core lab. Inter-observer variability in the second lab was 26.7% with a CV of 9.6%. Inter-laboratory variability was 21.4%, with a CV of 7.7%. Conclusions Inter-observer, intra-observer, and inter-site variation in determining the VT should be considered when using the VT as an end point in clinical trials of heart failure.
Pseudoaneurysm formation with superior vena caval syndrome 7 years after aortic composite graft placement

With the advent of the composite graft for combined aortic valve and ascending aortic root operations, post-operative bleeding complications have been reduced. Hemorrhage along the suture sites may occur as a late complication and rarely may originate from the coronary-aortic graft junction. We report a case of a massive pseudoaneurysm, seen as "superior vena caval syndrome," 7 years after operation.
Recovery of temperate Desulfovibrio vulgaris bacteriophage using a novel host strain.

Summary A novel sulfate-reducing bacterium (strain DePue) closely related to Desulfovibrio vulgaris ssp. vulgaris strain Hildenborough was isolated from the sediment of a heavy-metal impacted lake using established techniques. Although few physiological differences between strains DePue and Hildenborough were observed, pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed a significant genome reduction in strain DePue. Comparative whole-genome microarray and polymerase chain reaction analyses demonstrated that the absence of genes annotated in the Hildenbor- ough genome as phage or phage-related contributed to the significant genome reduction in strain DePue. Two morphotypically distinct temperate bacterioph- age from strain Hildenborough were recovered using strain DePue as a host for plaque isolation.
Histone H1 and the dynamic regulation of chromatin function.

Eukaryotic DNA is organized in a complex structure called chromatin. Although a primary function of chromatin is compaction of DNA, this must done such that the underlying DNA is potentially access...
Development of a percutaneous cerebrospinal fluid collection technique in F-344 rats and evaluation of cell counts and total protein concentrations.

A simple technique for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection was developed in F-344 rats. Cell counts and total protein concentrations were evaluated to assess sample quality. While the 50 to 70 µL samples of CSF collected on three different days showed a progressive decrease in the total erythrocyte and nucleated cell counts, no significant changes were observed in the total protein concentrations. Progressive decreases in the total erythrocyte count correlated positively with the decreases in volume of CSF collected. Our data suggest that collection of less than 50 µ Lo fCSF will give a better quality of CSF in F-344 rats. This is the first report of cellular and protein parameters in the CSF of F-344 rats.
A note on Dunford-Pettis operators

Talagrand has shown [4, p. 76] that there exists a continuous linear operator from L1[0, 1] to c0 which is not a Dunford-Pettis operator. In contrast to this result, Gretsky and Ostroy [2] have recently proved that every positive operator from L[0, 1] to c0 is a Dunford-Pettis operator, hence that every regular operator between these spaces (i.e. a difference of positive operators) is Dunford-Pettis.
Frequencies of Restriction Fragment-Length Polymorphisms Indicate That Neotropical Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Populations Have African and West European Origins

Frequencies are reported for restriction fragment-length polymorphisms (RFLPs) at a highly polymorphic nuclear locus in Old and New World honey bee populations. The distribution of these (RFLPs) alleles (composed of MspI and DdeI variants) had been found previously to be discontinuous among groups of Old World honey bee subspecies, which included A. mellifera mellifera L. (west European), A. m. ligustica Spinola, A. m. caucasica Gorbachev (east European), and A. m. scutellata Lepeletier (African). In this study, ancestry in New World bees was inferred from allele identities and frequencies at this locus in combination with mitochondrial DNA types. In bees from the United States, collected before the invasion of African bees, east and west European alleles were found at frequencies of 83 and 17%, respectively, which is consistent with previously identified nuclear and mitochondrial DNA markers. Colonies from two neotropical countries, Mexico and Honduras, had African mitochondrial DNA and high frequencies of African nuclear DNA alleles. Consistent with previous findings, east European alleles were absent or detected at low frequencies in these colonies. However, west European alleles were found at frequencies from 26 to 31%. These results suggest that queen offspring of the African queens first introduced into Brazil mated with west European drones, incorporating neutral markers that have since remained in the expanding population of feral African bees. The results point to little paternal introgression from managed east European colonies encountered by the African bees spreading through the neotropics.
Evidence for Gd3+ inhibition of membrane ATP permeability and purinergic signaling

Extracellular ATP functions as an important autocrine and paracrine signal that modulates a broad range of cell and organ functions through activation of purinergic receptors in the plasma membrane...
Relationship Between Hyperglycemia and Heart Transplant Rejection.

Abstract Purpose Hyperglycemia increases risks of kidney and liver transplant rejection. To determine whether perioperative and subsequent glycemic control was associated with increased risk of heart transplant rejection over the year after transplantation, we performed a retrospective analysis of glycemic control and rejection rates in heart transplantation patients. Methods Perioperative glucose levels were analyzed in 157 patients undergoing transplantation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital from June 2005 to December 2012 and compared in patients with and without rejection found on routine follow-up biopsy specimens. Results Grade ≤1R rejection on biopsy was observed in 116 patients and grade ≥2R rejection (grade requiring increased anti-rejection treatment) in 41 patients. Although no significant differences in the preoperative fasting or inpatient mean glucose levels were found, the mean glucose levels from discharge to 1 year trended higher in those with grade ≥2R compared to grade ≤1R (128.8 ± 40.9 versus 142.2 ± 46.6 mg/dL, P = .084). In a multivariable logistic regression model, neither the lowest nor highest quartile of glucose levels had significantly different odds ratios (ORs) for the development of ≥2R compared to the middle 50% glucose levels. Older age (OR 0.96, P = .020) and higher body mass index levels (OR 0.86, P = .004) were significantly associated with lower odds of developing grade ≥2R. Conclusions Although the glucose trend regarding rejection was not statistically significant, we cannot exclude the possibility that much higher glucose levels would influence rejection rates.
Reply to book review of Neonatal Anesthesia

To the Editor, Thank you for reviewing Neonatal Anesthesia in the December 2015 issue of the Journal. I would like to correct one statement in the review that read: ‘‘...and were unable to locate or review an electronic version.’’ Indeed, an electronic version of this text is available for sale and downloading from a number of platforms, including Amazon and Springer (http://link.springer.com/book/10. 1007%2F978-1-4419-6041-2). In addition, the electronic version of the text may be accessible to readers through their institutional or personal SpringerLink account. Technical videos are planned for any subsequent editions of this monograph.
Risk Factors for Suicide Ideation Differ From Those for the Transition to Suicide Attempt: The Importance of Creativity, Rigor, and Urgency in Suicide Research

We were invited to comment on the article by May and Klonsky (2016) titled “What Distinguishes Suicide Attempters From Suicide Ideators? A Meta-Analysis of Potential Factors.” We were delighted to see the authors calling attention to the fact that the risk factors for onset of suicide ideation differ from those for the transition from suicide ideation to attempt. Our commentary focuses on three points: (a) despite the authors' framing it as such, this is not a new research question, but one with a substantial history; (b) this meta-analysis excludes most of the available data on this topic and focuses instead on results from small and nonrepresentative studies, limiting the validity of the inferences that can be drawn from this analysis; and (c) this meta-analysis was designed in a way that precludes the examination of actual risk factors for the transition from suicidal thought to action. We conclude by discussing some important considerations for future research.
IRREGULARITIES IN SINGLE-CASE DELETION DIAGNOSTICS

Single-case deletion diagnostics rest on a single outlier at a point in the regressor space. Residuals are basic. Our objectives are to show (i) that shifts serve to inflate or deflate stochastically the ordinary squared residuals, even for non-outlying data; and (ii) that outliers generate anomalies as doubly noncentral distributions for both outlier and influence diagnostics, these specific to a given design. Outliers account for masking and swamping, with probabilities as evaluated here. Despite wide acceptance, software support, and routine useage, these anomalies despoil meanings historically ascribed to deletion diagnostics, thus abrogating objectives traditionally cited for their use. Case studies document some misdirected and unintended consequences of their continued use in practice.
Potency of Cymarin and Coumingine Hydrochloride as Influenced by Environmental Temperature

SummaryThe susceptibility of the frog's heart to cymarin and coumingine hydrochloride increases with the rise of environmental temperature. Coumingine hydrochloride is approximately 5 times as potent at 33°C as at 13°C (bath temperature), and cymarin is more than twice as active at 33°C as at 13°C.
Gimbal-Lock Escape via Orthogonal Torque Compensation

A method for escaping gimbal-lock via orthogonal torque compensation (OTC) is developed for attitude control systems using single-gimbal control moment gyroscopes (SGCMGs). The methodology is based on the addition of a torque error components orthogonal to the singular direction and is amenable to any attitude controller design and steering algorithm. The ecacy of the methodology is demonstrated through analysis and numerical simulations of a pyramidal arrangement of four SGCMGs utilizing an eigen-axis attitude controller. For comparison purposes, three steering algorithms were utilized, Generalized Singularity Robust (GSR) inverse, Singular Direction Avoidance (SDA), and SDA with OTC. For each controller/steering algorithm combination, two z-axis maneuver cases were simulated, one beginning from a zero momentum conguration and the other from a gimbal-locked congurations. For the zero momentum case, all three steering algorithms performed equally well; however, for the gimbal-locked case SDA was unable to initiate the maneuver while both GSR and SDA with OTC completed the maneuver.
BIOCHEMICAL AND ESTROGENIC ACTIVITY OF SOME DIETHYLSTILBESTROL METABOLITES AND ANALOGS IN THE MOUSE UTERUS

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a potent non-steroidal estrogen first synthesized and described by Dodds in 1938 (1). The compound has been used extensively as a medicinal estrogen due to its oral potency which is comparable to the natural estrogen 17β-estradiol. In recent years, several reports from studies with humans have indicated an association between in utero exposure to DES and the development of reproductive tract cancers (2,3). Vaginal adenocarcinoma has been reported in exposed female offspring (4). Male human subjects have not shown any indication of cancers but reproductive tract lesions are present (5). In addition to these lesions, the offspring in both sexes suffer from a variety of fertility problems (6).
Prevention and Treatment of Biliary-Pancreatic Reflux Esophagitis: The Role of Long-Limb Roux-Y

Antireflux procedures remain the best form of surgical treatment for reflux esophagitis. Under certain unusual circumstances, the elimination and diversion of digestive secretion provide an effective alternative.
The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic

The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic (FTA) states that every integer greater than 1 has a factorization into primes that is unique up to the order of the factors. The theorem is often credited to Euclid, but was apparently first stated in that generality by Gauss. Note that the statement has two parts: First, every integer greater than 1 has a factorization into primes; second, any two factorizations of an integer greater than 1 into primes must be identical except for the order of the factors. The proofs of each of those parts will thus be considered separately.
NEPA and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 Statutory Categorical Exclusions: What Are the Environmental Costs of Expedited Oil and Gas Development?

A decade ago, concerned that National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) compliance caused delays in permitting oil and gas (“O&G”) development on federal land, Congress enacted Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act (“EPAct”) of 2005. Section 390 is intended to expedite the environmental review of O&G development projects on federal lands. To effectuate that end Congress created several statutory categorical exclusions (“CEs”) to NEPA that apply to O&G development. Prior to the EPAct, the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) would permit new O&G development after conducting an Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) or Environmental Assessment (“EA”). EISs and EAs were the only NEPA compliance option available to the BLM because the agency had not promulgated regulations creating CEs for O&G projects. After the EPAct was passed, the BLM began permitting a substantial number of wells using the less rigorous CEs provided in Section 390. In fiscal years 2006 through 2008, the BLM used Section 390 CEs to permit approximately 28 percent of all wells nationally. States, members of Congress, and environmental groups have expressed concerns that the Section 390 CEs would lead to otherwise avoidable environmental impacts by circumventing conventional NEPA review. This article reviews 189 NEPA decisions and assesses whether the EPAct’s CEs result in more environmental harm then would occur had the projects undergone EA or EIS review.
Effects of Passive Integrated Transponder Tags on the Physiology and Swimming Performance of a Small‐Bodied Stream Fish

AbstractWithin the past few decades, telemetry has proven to be a valuable tool for tracking and monitoring fish. Although the advent of smaller transmitters has made these methods increasingly applicable to small-bodied fishes, limited information currently exists regarding the efficacy of these transmitters or their putative effects on small-bodied fishes. I evaluated the physiological and performance consequences of PIT tag implantation in a small-bodied, sexually dimorphic stream fish, the Blackspotted Topminnow Fundulus olivaceus. First, I used a common-garden experiment in an outdoor mesocosm setting to assess the long-term effects (184 d) of PIT tag implantation on a suite of physiological and phenotypic metrics. I randomly assigned 216 individuals (50–73 mm SL; equal sex ratio) to one of three tagging treatments: control (no PIT tag), small (8 mm) PIT tag, or large (12 mm) PIT tag. Survivorship did not vary among treatment groups, and the presence of the tags had no apparent effects on the conditi...
Dynamic Visualization of Citation Networks Showing the Influence of Scholarly Fields over Time

Citation graphs between scholarly papers can be used to learn about the structure and development of scholarship. We present a generalizable approach to visualizing scholarly influence over time, using a dynamic node-link diagram representing the citation patterns between groups of papers. We combine this approach with hierarchical clustering techniques that exploit the network structure to partition the graph into clusters representing fields and subfields. We use these methods to explore the influence that fields have had on other fields over time.
The Image of Suffering

The fourth chapter, “The Image of Suffering,” focuses on the theatrical image in Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments, particularly his comments concerning Sophocles’ Philoctetes and his debt to the Stoic tradition. Against this Stoic backdrop, Smith’s natural sympathy comes into focus as an individual’s capacity to step outside herself and see her own position in a larger systematic whole, as if she were an “impartial spectator” observing herself from a “cosmopolitan” perspective. In this way, Smith insists, an individual forms “a much more correct image of his own character,” as the individual becomes an image to herself.
Maintaining Traditions: A Qualitative Study of Early Childhood Caries Risk and Protective Factors in an Indigenous Community

Berkeley Research Impact Initiative (BRII) - UC Berkeley Library, UC Berkeley Center for Latin American Studies; UC Berkeley Center for Global Public Health; Schoeneman Foundation; American Academy of Pediatrics; Rotary International
Enhanced Fill Factor through Chalcogen Side-Chain Manipulation in Small-Molecule Photovoltaics

The fill factor (FF) of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices has proven difficult to optimize by synthetic modification of the active layer materials. In this contribution, a series of small-molecule donors (SMDs) incorporating chalcogen atoms of increasing atomic number (Z), namely oxygen, sulfur, and selenium, into the side chains are synthesized and the relationship between the chalcogen Z and the FF of OPV devices is characterized. Larger Z chalcogen atoms are found to consistently enhance FF in bulk-heterojunction OPVs containing PC61BM as the acceptor material. A significant ∼8% FF increase is obtained on moving from O to S to Se across three series of SMDs. The FF enhancement is found to result from the combination of more ordered morphology and decreased charge recombination in blend films for the high-Z-chalcogen SMDs. Because this FF enhancement is found within three series of SMDs, the overall strategy is promising for new SMD materials design.
Assessing “Clutter” and Related Constructs with a Non-White, Urban Sample

How does the clutter in people’s lives affect their sense of home and well-being? Why do some people (specifically non-white individuals) have too much clutter, and too many possessions, and is clutter related to procrastination? We examined the relation of clutter to psychological sense of home, subjective well-being, procrastination (both decisional and routine), and the need for cognition. Our participants (n = 192) were predominantly non-White, urban college students. Results confirmed prior research indicting negative relations between clutter and both the psychological sense of home and subjective well-being, plus a negative relation between clutter and need for cognition. Clutter was positively related to both forms of procrastination examined. The two forms of procrastination differed in their relation to need for cognition, supporting the view of decisional and routine procrastination as two distinct sub-types of procrastination.
Neutrophil killing of Staphylococcus aureus in diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome: a prospective cellular surveillance study

Obesity, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and diabetes are frequent in surgical populations and can enhance susceptibility to postoperative surgical site infections. Reduced neutrophil function has been linked with diabetes and risk of Staphylococcus aureus infection. Therefore, neutrophil function in diabetic and obese subjects (± MetS) was assessed in this prospective serological and cellular surveillance study to determine whether vaccines administered to protect against infections after surgery could be effective in these populations. Neutrophil function (chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and opsonophagocytic killing of S. aureus) was assessed in subjects classified according to diabetes status, body mass index, and presence/absence of MetS. Neutrophils were characterized within functional subsets by flow cytometry. A serologic assay was used to measure baseline antibody presence to each antigen in SA4Ag: capsular polysaccharide (CP) type 5, CP8, recombinant mutant Clumping factor A (rmClfA), and recombinant Manganese transport protein C (rMntC). Neutrophil function was similar for comorbid and healthy cohorts, with no significant between-group differences in cell counts, migration, phagocytosis ability, neutrophil subset proportions, and S. aureus killing ability when neutrophils were isolated 3–6 months apart (Visit 1 [n = 90] and Visit 2 [n = 70]) and assessed. Median pre-existing antibody titers to CP5, CP8, and rmClfA were comparable for all cohorts (insufficient subjects with rMntC titers for determination). MetS, diabetes, and obesity do not impact in vitro neutrophil function with regard to S. aureus killing, suggesting that if an effective S. aureus vaccine is developed it may be effective in individuals with these comorbidities.
Show Me: Diversity and Isolation Indicators of Spatial Segregation within and across Missouri's School Districts.

Our study examines patterns of spatial segregation using diversity and isolation indicators within and across Missouri school districts. Evaluating segregation from a critical spatial perspective e...
Impact of Owners’ Early Decisions on Project Performance and Dispute Occurrence in Public Highway Projects

AbstractDisputes are common in the construction industry and lead to unnecessary cost and schedule overruns in projects. It is commonly believed that owners’ early decisions regarding the selection...
Genomics of mucoepidermoid and adenoid cystic carcinomas.

Objective To report on the current state of the literature on the genetics of mucoepidermoid and adenoid cystic carcinomas of the salivary glands with a focus on genomic screens and recently discovered genetic translocations. Methods A PubMed based literature review was performed to query for genetics related basic science and preclinical studies about mucoepidermoid and adenoid cystic carcinomas of the salivary glands. Results and conclusions Genetic translocations between CRTC1 and MAML2 in mucoepidermoid carcinoma and between MYB and NFIB in adenoid cystic carcinoma have been recently discovered and have therapeutic implications. Key signaling pathways such as the EGFR pathway in mucoepidermoid carcinoma and the Notch pathway, chromatin regulation, and c-kit mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in adenoid cystic carcinoma have recently been elucidated, pointing to possible therapeutic targets in both cancers.
Fast Time Resolved Measurement and Simulation of Corona

As part of an overall effort to investigate partial discharge initiated deterioration of polymer dielectrics, partial discharge measurement and simulation have been explored. Fast time resolved measurements of corona in air have been made using electrodes and a passive component geometry designed for high resolution time measurements. The cathode employs a split configuration for use as a measuring electrode and coupling capacitor. A simple model has also been developed for the experimental system. The simulation uses swarm parameters and continuity equations coupled with electric field calculations to simulate the corona pulse. Both experimental results and simulations are reported and compared.
Placental Metabolism of Xenobiotics

The human placenta serves several vital roles in the parturition of a developing fetus. It serves as a conduit for the transfer of both nutrients and waste products between the mother and fetus. In addition, the placenta serves as a significant source of both estrogens and progestins during the course of pregnancy. However, it is also now evident that the human placenta contains a number of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes as well as xenobiotic transporters that serve to protect the fetus from potentially harmful chemicals through an efflux process, but in some cases may also play a role in xenobiotic uptake. The regulation of these enzymes and transporters and the effects of genetic polymorphisms on their function can have important implications in fetal exposure to xenobiotics and their potential toxicities.
Automated erythrocytopheresis for sickle cell anemia during pregnancy

Automated erythrocytopheresis allows for selective removal of erythrocytes from whole blood by means of extracorporeal centrifugation and separation. Remaining cellular and liquid fractions are returned to the patient, along with donor erythrocytes. Supertransfusion with the use of plasmapheresis and simultaneous direct transfusion of erythrocytes increases the hematocrit while maintaining stable intravascular volume. This technique was used in the prophylactic exchange transfusion in eight pregnant women with sickle hemoglobinopathies. Two patients required repeat procedures 7 arid 13 weeks later for hemoglobin A concentration or hematocrit less than 25%, The results from the first five pregnancies are detailed. All pregnancies were carried to term, with the delivery of healthy infants. There was no fetal or neonatal morbidity, and the only maternal morbidity was a case of puerperal endometritis. Erythrocytopheresis has been established as a flexible and useful means of managing gravid patients with sickle hemoglobinopathies.
Identification of RNA-binding protein targets with HyperTRIBE

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) accompany RNA from birth to death, affecting RNA biogenesis and functions. Identifying RBP-RNA interactions is essential to understanding their complex roles in different cellular processes. However, detecting in vivo RNA targets of RBPs, especially in a small number of discrete cells, has been a technically challenging task. We previously developed a novel technique called TRIBE (targets of RNA-binding proteins identified by editing) to overcome this problem. TRIBE expresses a fusion protein consisting of a queried RBP and the catalytic domain of the RNA-editing enzyme ADAR (adenosine deaminase acting on RNA) (ADARcd), which marks target RNA transcripts by converting adenosine to inosine near the RBP binding sites. These marks can be subsequently identified via high-throughput sequencing. In spite of its usefulness, TRIBE is constrained by a low editing efficiency and editing-sequence bias from the ADARcd. Therefore, we developed HyperTRIBE by incorporating a previously characterized hyperactive mutation, E488Q, into the ADARcd. This strategy increases the editing efficiency and reduces sequence bias, which markedly increases the sensitivity of this technique without sacrificing specificity. HyperTRIBE provides a more powerful strategy for identifying RNA targets of RBPs with an easy experimental and computational protocol at low cost, that can be performed not only in flies, but also in mammals. The HyperTRIBE experimental protocol described below can be carried out in cultured Drosophila S2 cells in 1 week, using tools available in a common molecular biology laboratory; the computational analysis requires 3 more days.
Echo Parameters for Differential Diagnosis in Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Head-to-Head Comparison of Deformation and Nondeformation Parameters.

Background—A plethora of echo parameters has been suggested for distinguishing cardiac amyloidosis (CA) from other causes of myocardial thickening with, however, scarce data on their head-to-head c...
Braveheart Center for Place and Purpose: A New Community-in-Community Inclusion Model for Young Adults with Disabilities

BraveHeart Center for Place and Purpose (BraveHeart CPP) is a comprehensive post-high school, inclusion-focused partnership of university, faith, and local communities. This new initiative aims to address unmet needs of the vulnerable and underserved population of young adults with disabilities through a community-in-community inclusion (CICI) model. The CICI model was specifically designed to support opportunities for individuals with disabilities, especially those with moderate to severe challenges, to empower and increase their presence and level of participation in the community. This strengths-based model operates with a high level of respect and sensitivity for diversity and supports and enhances social skills, cognitive skills, self-esteem, creativity, and work skills for young adults with developmental disabilities. This article explains the CICI model and reviews the goals, activities, and outcomes of BraveHeart CPP’s first year of operation.
Short communication: trends in biometeorology publishing: a case study of climate and Human Health Commission members

The International Journal of Biometeorology (IJB) has been the flagship journal in the field for the past 60+ years. However, given its interdisciplinary nature, biometeorology research has appeared in numerous publication outlets other than the IJB. This study compiles the most popular of these journals, so that early-career biometeorologists might be able to be exposed to more literature that the field has to offer. In focusing on where members of the International Society of Biometeorology’s (ISB) Climate and Human Health Commission (CHH) members publish, journals with a general focus on fields such as climate, the environment, and health stand out. Many of these journals have impact factors much higher than the IJB, potentially making them more attractive for dissemination of results to a larger audience. With this paper, the authors hope that the interest in biometeorology is broadened through an expansion of known available literature, specifically with early-career researchers.
How to Belong: Women’s Agency in a Transnational World: by Belinda A. Stillion Southard, University Park, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2018, 142 pp., US$32.95 (softcover), US$79.95 (hardcover)

Belinda A. Stillion Southard begins How to Belong: Women’s Agency in a Transitional World with a familiar story. A group of women traveled to an international conference that was addressing importa...
Correctors and field fluctuations for the pϵ(x)-Laplacian with rough exponents : The sublinear growth case

A corrector theory for the strong approximation of gradient fields inside periodic composites made from two materials with different power law behavior is provided. Each material component has a distinctly different exponent appearing in the constitutive law relating gradient to flux. The correctors are used to develop bounds on the local singularity strength for gradient fields inside micro-structured media. The bounds are multi-scale in nature and can be used to measure the amplification of applied macroscopic fields by the microstructure. The results in this paper are developed for materials having power law exponents strictly between � 1a nd zero.
Predicting initiation of preventive migraine medications: exploratory study in a large U.S. medical claims database.

Objective: Despite guidelines that identify potential patients eligible for preventive migraine medications, their underutilization leaves patients at risk of acute medication overuse, disease prog...
Topological insulators and higher-order topological insulators from gauge-invariant one-dimensional lines

In this paper, we study the interplay between symmetry and topology with a focus on the ${Z}_{2}$ topological index of two-dimensional and three-dimensional (2D/3D) topological insulators and high-order topological insulators. We show that in the presence of either a two-fold-rotational symmetry or a mirror symmetry, a gauge-invariant quantity can be defined for arbitrary one-dimensional (1D) lines in the Brillouin zone. Such 1D quantities provide a new pathway to compute the ${Z}_{2}$ index of topological insulators. In contrast to the generic setup, where the ${Z}_{2}$ index generally involves 2D planes in the Brillouin zone with a globally defined smooth gauge, this 1D approach only involves some 1D lines in the Brillouin zone without requiring a global gauge. Such a simplified approach can be used in any time-reversal invariant insulators with a two-fold crystalline symmetry, which can be found in 30 of the 32 point groups. In addition, this 1D quantity can be further generalized to higher-order topological insulators to compute the magnetoelectric polarization ${P}_{3}$.
Flash Boys 2.0: Frontrunning in Decentralized Exchanges, Miner Extractable Value, and Consensus Instability

Blockchains, and specifically smart contracts, have promised to create fair and transparent trading ecosystems.Unfortunately, we show that this promise has not been met. We document and quantify the widespread and rising deployment of arbitrage bots in blockchain systems, specifically in decentralized exchanges (or "DEXes"). Like high-frequency traders on Wall Street, these bots exploit inefficiencies in DEXes, paying high transaction fees and optimizing network latency to frontrun, i.e., anticipate and exploit, ordinary users’ DEX trades.We study the breadth of DEX arbitrage bots in a subset of transactions that yield quantifiable revenue to these bots. We also study bots’ profit-making strategies, with a focus on blockchain-specific elements. We observe bots engage in what we call priority gas auctions (PGAs), competitively bidding up transaction fees in order to obtain priority ordering, i.e., early block position and execution, for their transactions. PGAs present an interesting and complex new continuous-time, partial-information, game-theoretic model that we formalize and study. We release an interactive web portal, frontrun.me, to provide the community with real-time data on PGAs.We additionally show that high fees paid for priority transaction ordering poses a systemic risk to consensus-layer security. We explain that such fees are just one form of a general phenomenon in DEXes and beyond—what we call miner extractable value (MEV)—that poses concrete, measurable, consensus-layer security risks. We show empirically that MEV poses a realistic threat to Ethereum today.Our work highlights the large, complex risks created by transaction-ordering dependencies in smart contracts and the ways in which traditional forms of financial-market exploitation are adapting to and penetrating blockchain economies.
The Acoustoelectric Effect and Intervalley Scattering Rates in Antimony - Doped Germanium.

The acoustoelectric effect in antimony-doped germanium has been measured as a function of temperature and doping by a method similar to that used by Weinreich, Sanders, and White for arsenic-doped germanium. The purpose of this experiment was to determine from the acoustoelectric effect the intervalley scattering rates for ionized and neutral antimony donors. Models for the scattering process are discussed, and the antimony rates are compared with those for arsenic. Our main result is that the rate per ionized antimony donor varies by a factor of 50 from 15 to 100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, following approximately an inverse-square temperature dependence. The rate per ionized donor is a factor of 2 smaller than for arsenic at 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and a factor of 10 smaller at 100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K.
Bolus versus continuous feeding regimens post gastrostomy tube placement in children

Abstract Background/purpose Owing to the frequency of gastrostomy tube placement in children and the numerous regimens used to start feeds after placement we attempted to see if it matters if the initial feeds after a gastrostomy tube placement are provided in a bolus or continuous manner. Methods Using a prospective randomized trial, children were randomized to initial bolus or continuous chimney feeding after gastrostomy tube placement. Feeding tolerance and complications related to the gastrostomy tube were collected for 4 weeks after placement. Results Demographics were similar in the two groups. Times to goal feeds were similar in both groups, but in the first two weeks more feeding modifications were required in the bolus group. Other than the rate of leakage during the second week after placement which occurred more in the bolus group, all other clinical outcomes were similar in the two groups. Conclusions Other than minor, clinically insignificant differences noted above, the method of initial feeding after a gastrostomy tube placement does not affect feeding tolerance or gastrostomy tube complication in the first month after placement. Level of evidence Therapeutic, level II.
Economic Outcomes of People

The economic outcomes of American Indians, Native Alaskans, and Native Hawaiians are discussed and compared in the context of land settlements and differences in political sovereignty. The curious result at the aggregated group level is that the American Indians and Native Alaskans, who have the most political sovereignty, have the worst economic outcomes. Native Hawaiians, who have no federal political sovereignty, have the best outcomes overall. The reasons for these differences are not obvious. The higher level of integration of Native Hawaiians into the broader outside society might have allowed more prosperity compared to the other groups who remained more separated, but there are great differences in other circumstances unrelated to political status as well.
Halifax Central Library, Nova Scotia, Canada: “A Vital Centre for Learning and Culture in the Heart of the Community”

The Halifax Central Library was designed by Lead Architect: Fowler, Bauld & Mitchell (FBM) and Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects (International Partners) and opened in 2014. The library seeks to become “a vital centre for learning and culture in the heart of the community” to reach further, push boundaries, and be brave (Halifax Public Libraries Strategic Plan 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021). This is one of the most recently built libraries included in this book. It has garnered attention by its design and the way in which it seeks “to attract more people as it becomes a regional resource, an active information place, and a reflection of the communities in Halifax.” This chapter will examine the placing of Halifax Central Library within the main urban development objectives of the city. The design and function of the library will also be included to provide a broad understanding of the library’s role that highlights a strong emphasis on community service.
Authoritarian experience and electoral success: the fate of authoritarian diasporans in Kenya

Since the early 1990s, many African countries have instituted multiparty elections and experienced electoral turnover. Despite this apparent change, politics in many places remains dominated by pol...
Xylem transport of root-derived CO 2 caused a substantial underestimation of belowground respiration during a growing season.

Previous research has indicated that a potentially large portion of root-respired CO2 can move internally through tree xylem, but these reports are relatively scarce and have generally been limited to short observations. Our main objective was to provide a continuous estimate of the quantity and variability of root-respired CO2 that moves either internally through the xylem (FT ) or externally through the soil to the atmosphere (FS ) over most of a growing season. Nine trees were measured in a Populus deltoides stand for 129 days from early June to mid-October. We calculated FT as the product of sap flow and dissolved [CO2 ] in the xylem (i.e., [CO2 *]) and calculated FS using the [CO2 ] gradient method. During the study, stem and soil CO2 concentrations, temperature, and sap flow were measured continuously. We determined that FT accounted for 33% of daily total belowground CO2 flux (i.e., FS + FT ; FB ) during our observation period that spanned most of a growing season. Cumulative daily FT was lower than FS 74% of the time, equivalent to FS 26% of the time, and never exceeded FS . One-third of the total CO2 released by belowground respiration over most of the growing season in this forest stand followed the FT pathway rather than diffusing into the soil. The magnitude of FT indicates that measurements of FS alone substantially underestimate total belowground respiration in some forest ecosystems by systematically underestimating belowground autotrophic respiration. The variability in FT observed during the growing season demonstrated the importance of making long-term, high-frequency measurements of different flux pathways to better understand physiological and ecological processes and their implications to global change.
Clinical Implications of "Atypia" on Biopsy: Possible Precursor to Lung Cancer?

Background: It is common for biopsies of concerning pulmonary nodules to result in cytologic “atypia” on biopsy, which may represent a benign response or a false negative finding. This investigation evaluated time to diagnosis and factors which may predict an ultimate diagnosis of lung cancer in these patients with atypia cytology on lung nodule biopsy. Methods: This retrospective study included patients of the Stony Brook Lung Cancer Evaluation Center who had a biopsy baseline diagnosis of atypia between 2010 and 2020 and were either diagnosed with cancer or remained disease free by the end of the observation period. Cox Proportional Hazard (CPH) Models were used to assess factor effects on outcomes. Results: Among 106 patients with an initial diagnosis of atypia, 80 (75%) were diagnosed with lung cancer. Of those, over three-quarters were diagnosed within 6 months. The CPH models indicated that PET positivity (SUV ≥ 2.5) (HR = 1.74 (1.03, 2.94)), nodule size > 3.5 cm (HR = 2.83, 95% CI (1.47, 5.45)) and the presence of mixed ground glass opacities (HR = 2.15 (1.05, 4.43)) significantly increased risk of lung cancer. Conclusion: Given the high conversion rate to cancer within 6 months, at least tight monitoring, if not repeat biopsy may be warranted during this time period for patients diagnosed with atypia.