cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hardbottom Morphology and Relationship to the Geologic Framework: Mid-Atlantic Continental Shelf

ABSTRACT High-energy, sediment-starved continental shelves of the mid-Atlantic region have abundant hardbottoms that extend from the shoreface to the shelf edge. Because of the thin and irregularly distributed Holocene sand sheet, shelf morphology is determined mainly by outcropping Tertiary and Pleistocene stratigraphic units. Each unit and combination of units produces different hardbottom morphologies that depend upon the geometry and spatial relationships of the units, lithology and patterns of stratification, and subsequent weathering and erosion. Hardbottoms vary in surface relief from smooth, flat surfaces to scarped surfaces with up to 10 m of relief. The morphology ranges from sloping and stepped erosional ramps to vertical and undercut scarps with associated broad rubble ramps. Hardbottoms associated with each of the different gently dipping Tertiary depositional sequences have distinctive morphologies. Hardbottoms developed on Pleistocene units unconformably overlie the Tertiary sequences as flat-lying marine carbonates, or cut into them as channel systems backfilled with fluvial and estuarine sediments. Initial dissection of hardbottoms produced highly convoluted surfaces that resulted from subaerial weathering, stream erosion, and karst formation during sea-level lowstands. During subsequent sea-level highstands, these rimary morphologies were greatly modified through the interaction of bioerosion and storms. Understanding continental shelf hardbottoms is critical for interpreting the sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and for reconstructing paleoceanographic conditions, for the following reasons. (1) They are an extensive part of the stratigraphic record on shelves that are not actively subsiding and have small volumes of terrigenous input with low sediment accumulation rates. (2) They are important stages in the formation of major stratigraphic unconformities, condensed sections, and sequence boundaries. (3) They support diverse biological communities that produce primary carbonate sediments and are rapidly degraded and modified by bioerosion and physical processes supplying abundant "new sediment" to the continental shelf.
Different Signaling Pathways Stimulate a Disintegrin and Metalloprotease-17 (ADAM17) in Neutrophils during Apoptosis and Activation

ADAM17 is a membrane-associated metalloprotease that cleaves proteins from the surface of neutrophils and modulates the density of various receptors and adhesion molecules. The protease activity of ADAM17 is highly inducible and occurs upon neutrophil activation as well as apoptosis. At this time, little is known about the signal transduction pathway that promotes ADAM17 activity in neutrophils upon the induction of apoptosis. We show that caspase-8 activation, Bid cleavage, and the release of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species are sequential transduction components of the Fas signaling cascade that induces ADAM17. This is different from ADAM17 stimulation upon overt neutrophil activation, which requires MAPK p38 or ERK, but not caspases and reactive oxygen species. ADAM17 activity in apoptotic neutrophils may serve to inactivate select effector molecules that promote the pro-inflammatory activity of recruited neutrophils. For instance, TNFα receptors TNF-RI and TNF-RII are substrates of ADAM17, and we show that they are shed during apoptosis, decreasing neutrophil sensitivity to TNFα. Altogether, our findings provide significant new insights into the signal transduction pathway that stimulates ADAM17 during induced neutrophil apoptosis. ADAM17 induction during apoptosis may rapidly diminish neutrophil sensitivity to the inflammatory environment, complementing other anti-inflammatory activities by these cells during inflammation resolution.
Executive Exclusion and the Cloistering of the Cheney Energy Task Force

This paper asks whether the exclusion of environmentalists by the Cheney Energy Task Force can be understood in First Amendment terms as a form of belief-based discrimination. The Task Force operated secretively in the early weeks of the administration; counseled by industry but cloistered from those who would challenge the administration's production-based orthodoxy. Records released six years after the Task Force disbanded show it met with environmental groups just once - late in its tenure after priorities were established - though it met early and often with industry representatives. Privileging the ideologically compatible is a Washington tradition and (in some circumstances) an executive branch prerogative which the author describes as "executive exclusion." Yet here the exclusion of environmentalists seemed motivated by more than mere policy differences; the record suggests they were shut out because of their identity and not just ideas. The article explores that animus to ask how it should be seen within the framework of First Amendment protection for viewpoint and belief. The author finds the phenomenon does not fit neatly into a free speech analysis because the Cheney process was not a sufficiently public forum; nor a free exercise or establishment analysis because the beliefs and identity at issue cannot be understood as sufficiently analogous to religion to advance an establishment claim. Yet the Cheney Task Force raises concerns about political exclusion and identity-based discrimination inconsistent with core democratic principles. While the phenomenon appears at the edge of traditional First Amendment protection, the author concludes that it warrants further scrutiny and asks whether Congressional action to tighten the principal federal law on executive processes openness - the Federal Advisory Committee Act - offers a potential solution.
Modeling and simulation of liquid–liquid droplet heating in a laminar boundary layer

Abstract Asymmetric liquid–liquid droplet heating mechanisms differ from the more commonly studied and better understood symmetric liquid–gas mechanisms. In this work, we simulate two-dimensional low Weber number droplet heating in developing low Reynolds number liquid boundary layers. Of particular interest are the influences of Weber, Prandtl, and Reynolds number magnitudes on the system evolution. We perform simulations with a coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian interface capturing methodology – the Lagrangian volume of fluid – alongside an Eulerian solver for the Navier–Stokes equations that provides the spatial and temporal evolution of the temperature and velocity fields for the droplet and the surrounding fluid. Our results show droplet rolling induced by the velocity boundary layer modifies the temperature field in and around the droplet. Conduction negates the thermal influence of rolling in low Prandtl number droplets, but modifies the continuous phase temperature field. The Magnus force separates the droplets from the heated surface, decreasing their heating rate. These results establish the fundamentals of asymmetric liquid–liquid droplet heating in developing boundary layers: it is necessary to include the Magnus force in physically representative near-wall droplet heating models, and resolution of near-droplet temperature gradients may be necessary in situations with temperature dependent interface processes.
Vibrational spectra and structure of organophosphorus compounds: IX: Infrared and Raman spectra of CH3OPSC1F and CD3OPSC1F

The infrared spectra of both CH3OPSClF and CD3OPSClF in the vapor phase have been recorded from 4000 to 33 cm−1. The Raman spectra of the liquids have been recorded and a temperature study of the CD3OPSClF spectrum has been completed. Two isomeric configurations are indicated from the low-temperature Raman spectra. The doublet due to the P=S stretching vibration has a separation of only 15 cm−1. From the variation in the relative intensity of the doublet, an energy difference of −450 cal/mol was obtained for the two isomers. The fundamental vibrations are assigned on the basis of the band positions and isotopic shift factors. The assignments are compared to those previously given for the CH3OPSCl2 and CH3OPSF2 molecules.
Interracial Marriage and Divorce in Hawaii

ROM the beginning of Hawaii's contact with the outside world, circumstances in the Islands have always been highly favorable to the process of racial fusion. Not long after the accidental discovery of these Islands by the English navigator, Captain James Cook, in 1778, King Kamehameha I gave two Caucasian seamen Hawaiian women of high social rank in marriage.' This stamp of royal approval paved the way for interracial marriages between Hawaiian women of all social ranks and foreign men of all racial extractions. As time went on, Hawaiian women came to look upon foreign men as desirable husbands primarily because they were industrious workers and good providers.2 In the early decades of the nineteenth century, the foreign community in Hawaii was composed of people drawn from many parts of the world and was numerically small. As pointed out by Romanzo Adams, there were 1,572 foreigners in the Islands in 1850. Of this number the great majority were of "American or European origin," with perhaps 50 to 100 Chinese and "about a score of Negroes."3 With the possible exception of the American missionaries and their families, ethnic and cultural ties among the various groups of foreigners were not particularly strong. At the same time, the sex ratio among foreigners was exceedingly abnormal. In 1866 the number of foreigners increased to 4,194 but their sex ratio was 384.3 males per 100 females.4 And, as late as 1900, after the arrival of a rather significant number of women from Portugal, China, and Japan, the sex ratio among Hawaii's foreign community was still 299.0 males per 100 females.' CHANGING INTERRACIAL COMPOSITION
The Psychiatrist's Double Bind: The Right to Refuse Medication

The assertion of a patient's right to refuse medication places a psychiatrist in a double bind because he or she knows that medication will often greatly relieve mental disturbance. Delaying medication until the patient is formally judged incompetent and a guardian appointed causes discomfort for the patient, the physician, staff, and other patients. On the other hand, forcing medication on a patient undermines the latter's sense of autonomy and may interfere with his or her constitutional rights, as a federal judge has ruled in the famous Boston State Hospital case. The right to refuse medication presents a uniquely intriguing case study of a need for accommodation between abstract constitutional concepts and practical realities and has opened a profound legal and ethical debate about the nature of "true freedom."
Automatic Congestion Identification with Two-Component Mixture Models

Automatic identification of traffic congestion is an important component of any intelligent transportation system. These systems need computer algorithms to identify current congestion and to predict the evolution of future congestion. The output of the congestion identification algorithm enables various users to be better informed and make safer, more coordinated, and smarter use of transportation networks. A new automatic congestion identification algorithm was proposed; it assumed that the speed data were drawn from a two-component mixture model. The first component represented the speed distribution in congestion, and the second component was the free-flow speed distribution. The proposed algorithm was first calibrated by using historical speed data in a two-component mixture model. A free-flow speed threshold based on the estimated parameters of the free-flow speed distribution was set. Subsequently, a road segment was identified as having free flow if its speed was greater than the threshold and congested if its speed was less than the threshold. The mixture components considered lognormal and gamma-skewed distributions and normal symmetric distributions. The proposed algorithm was tested by using two real data sets collected from two different roadways and was demonstrated to produce good performance.
Physical Activity and Human Development among Older Native American Women

Physical activity involvement often changes as an individual gets older. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore the involvement in and meanings of physical activity from childhood to the present among a selected group of Native American women. The results showed that perceived meanings of physical activity remained relatively stable over the lives of these women. Two patterns of involvement emerged among the women: decliners and rejuvenators. The results suggested that physical activity as women aged was a result not of choice as often as of a life situation. Furthermore, the changes occurring in physical activity over the life course reflected social and cultural influences, as well as individual self-determination. The findings indicated that a variety of perspectives are needed if researchers are to understand the changes that occur in physical activity patterns and how both women and men of all ethnic groups might remain involved in physical activity throughout their lives.
Social Cognition during the Early Phase of Schizophrenia

Individuals with chronic schizophrenia exhibit performance deficits on tasks of social cognition, particularly in the domains of emotion processing, theory of mind, social perception, and attributional style, and these impairments are uniquely associated with poor functional outcome. Researchers have begun to investigate the pattern and magnitude of social cognitive impairment among individuals early in the course of schizophrenia and in people considered to be at elevated risk for psychosis, such as clinical high-risk samples and unaffected relatives of probands. This chapter evaluates the emerging research literature on social cognition in the early phase of schizophrenia. For each of the four social cognitive domains noted above, we provide an overview of common assessment methods and review relevant research comparing first episode/recent-onset schizophrenia patients, clinical high-risk samples (i.e., putatively prodromal), and genetic high-risk (i.e., unaffected relatives) to matched healthy control subjects. Deficits in emotion processing, theory of mind, and social perception are clearly detectable in first-episode/recent-onset patients and are comparable in magnitude to those seen in chronically ill patients. Among clinical high-risk and unaffected relatives, the magnitude of impairment is more variable and, in general, appears to be smaller than impairments seen among those with established illness. Attributional style is the least studied social cognitive domain and consistent patterns have not yet been identified. The implications and limitations of existing studies, and important areas for further research, are discussed.
Acoustic Startle in Mice and Rats

The acoustic startle response (ASR) can be conceptualized as a sensorimotor system for which the behavioral component is linked to certain aspects of the acoustic stimuli that evoke the response and to events that surround it in space and time. The ASR provides an important behavioral tool for assessing properties of the auditory system and is a phenomenon having relevance for a wide variety of issues important in the study of sensory systems.
Experimental Confirmation of the Polarized Multilayer Theory of Cell Water Including Data That Lead to an Improved Definition of Colloids

The polarized multilayer theory of cell water, as part of the association-induction hypothesis, and its rapidly gathering supportive experimental evidence were reviewed. It was shown that the new insight offered by this theory reconciles many hitherto unexplained phenomena and that new experimental data also suggest an improved definition of the concept of colloids.
Jefferson, Madison, Gallatin and the Resourcing of the War of 1812

Even with the American victory in the Revolution, the future of the country was by no means assured. As the Hamiltonian Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans jousted for power, the frontier remained in a state of continuous warfare, and the financial system was still at somewhat of an experimental stage. Fortunately, the United States, due as much to luck and geography as any other factor, managed to avoid the entanglements of the French Revolution and the military conflict that followed for nearly 20 years. However, by 1814, British troops were once again laying waste to the American countryside and its capital city, only this time, no foreign political, military, or financial support emerged. The failure to prepare the country for this contingency nearly cost the United States its newly won independence.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Other Human Mycoplasmas

Mycoplasmas are small pliable pleomorph bacteria lacking cell walls. They were first called pleuropneumonialike organisms (PPLOs) for the disease they caused in cattle. The first human isolation of a mycoplasma, probably Mycoplasma hominis, was made from a Bartilin’s gland in 1937. However, their role as human parasites did not become recognized until the 1950s. They belong to the order Mycoplasmatales, family Mycoplasmataceae, and class Mollicutes.(1)
Evolutionary and Functional Diversification of the Vitamin D Receptor-Lithocholic Acid Partnership

National Science Foundation [IOS818799]; NIEHS [T32-ES007046]; North Carolina State University; Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory
Optimally applying latency insertion method in large system models

Latency Insertion Method (LIM) can be applied to divide a large system model into a multiplicity of smaller models to reduce simulation execution time. In this paper we have developed an algorithm for optimal placement of LIM connectors into a large system model so that the large model can be partitioned into many smaller models to achieve maximum speed up. Testing results showed that for reference system models having structures similar to electric power distribution systems, simulation speed was increased by a factor of more than three while keeping the error rate within 1%.
Regulation and Bioelectrical Effects of Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Production in the Ciliary Epithelial Bilayer

Purpose. To determine whether the intact isolated ciliary epithelial bilayer retains the alpha2 and beta adrenergic receptor activation and interaction described for whole ciliary processes and whether this pure epithelial bilayer displays bioelectrical parameters sensitive to alterations in cyclic adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) production induced by adrenergic compounds. Methods. The intact ciliary epithelial bilayer of the rabbit eye isolated by perfusion was mounted in a specially constructed Ussing-type chamber. The transepithelial potential difference and short-circuit current were monitored for effects induced by agents that stimulated or blocked (some did both) cAMP production. Using a radioimmunoassay, the latter were studied in the pure epithelial bilayers and in whole ciliary processes. Results. A reproducible increase in cAMP production and an increase in the short-circuit current induced in the bilayer by isoproterenol, a nonspecific beta adrenergic agonist, were both blocked by pretreatment with either timolol, a nonspecific beta adrenergic blocking agent, or with para-aminoclonidine, an alpha-2 agonist. Maximal stimulation of cAMP with forskolin in this pure isolated epithelial preparation yields a response that is 60% of the value found in whole processes, indicating that the latter tissue contains responsive sites that are nonepithelial, probably vascular, or perhaps stromal. The degree of inhibition of the beta adrenergic receptor by alpha-2 agonists was not very different in the two preparations. On the other hand, inhibition of the epithelial vasointestinal peptide receptor by neuropeptide Yor alpha-2 agonism was considerably heightened in the pure bilayered epithelial preparation. Conclusions. The isolated intact ciliary epithelial bilayer, when stimulated with beta adrenergic receptor agonists, vasointestinal peptide, or forskolin, produces increased cAMP and its transepithelial potential becomes hyperpolarized. These chemical and bioelectrical effects are prevented by pretreatment with either alpha-2 adrenergic agonists or beta adrenergic blocking agents. The results obtained in the isolated intact purely epithelial ciliary bilayer confirm that the ciliary epithelium is the source of adrenergic receptor activation and interaction and support the hypothesis that aqueous humor production is regulated by interactions between epithelial alpha-2 and beta adrenergic receptors. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1996; 37:607612. Aqueous formation in the eye by the ciliary epithelium is stimulated by the activation and interaction of several receptor subtypes. The centrality of betaadrenergic and alpha-2 adrenergic receptors and their interactions in regulating cyclic adenosine monophos
Understanding the Unique Online Challenges Faced by Teens in the Foster Care System

While there has been much research studying technology in family contexts, little to no research has explored the challenges and risks faced online by teens and their parents in foster care situations. To address this gap, we have begun to conduct in-depth, semi-structured interviews with foster parents of teens. Our preliminary findings suggest that teens in foster care situations face unique offline challenges (e.g., victims of sex trafficking or rape) that make them more vulnerable to online risks. In addition, foster parents struggle with managing the high-risk online behavior of their foster teens. The purpose of this paper is to present our early findings to help unpack the challenges and the problem context for online safety for "at-risk" adolescents in the foster care system.
Regulation of neurite morphogenesis by interaction between R7 regulator of G protein signaling complexes and G protein subunit Gα13.

The R7 regulator of G protein signaling family (R7-RGS) critically regulates nervous system development and function. Mice lacking all R7-RGS subtypes exhibit diverse neurological phenotypes, and humans bearing mutations in the retinal R7-RGS isoform RGS9-1 have vision deficits. Although each R7-RGS subtype forms heterotrimeric complexes with Gβ5 and R7-RGS-binding protein (R7BP) that regulate G protein-coupled receptor signaling by accelerating deactivation of Gi/o α-subunits, several neurological phenotypes of R7-RGS knock-out mice are not readily explained by dysregulated Gi/o signaling. Accordingly, we used tandem affinity purification and LC-MS/MS to search for novel proteins that interact with R7-RGS heterotrimers in the mouse brain. Among several proteins detected, we focused on Gα13 because it had not been linked to R7-RGS complexes before. Split-luciferase complementation assays indicated that Gα13 in its active or inactive state interacts with R7-RGS heterotrimers containing any R7-RGS isoform. LARG (leukemia-associated Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF)), PDZ-RhoGEF, and p115RhoGEF augmented interaction between activated Gα13 and R7-RGS heterotrimers, indicating that these effector RhoGEFs can engage Gα13·R7-RGS complexes. Because Gα13/R7-RGS interaction required R7BP, we analyzed phenotypes of neuronal cell lines expressing RGS7 and Gβ5 with or without R7BP. We found that neurite retraction evoked by Gα12/13-dependent lysophosphatidic acid receptors was augmented in R7BP-expressing cells. R7BP expression blunted neurite formation evoked by serum starvation by signaling mechanisms involving Gα12/13 but not Gαi/o. These findings provide the first evidence that R7-RGS heterotrimers interact with Gα13 to augment signaling pathways that regulate neurite morphogenesis. This mechanism expands the diversity of functions whereby R7-RGS complexes regulate critical aspects of nervous system development and function.
STIM-TRP Pathways and Microdomain Organization: Contribution of TRPC1 in Store-Operated Ca 2+ Entry: Impact on Ca 2+ Signaling and Cell Function.

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is a ubiquitous Ca2+ entry pathway that is activated in response to depletion of ER-Ca2+ stores and critically controls the regulation of physiological functions in a wide variety of cell types. The transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels (TRPCs 1–7), which are activated by stimuli leading to PIP2 hydrolysis, were first identified as molecular components of SOCE channels. While TRPC1 was associated with SOCE and regulation of function in several cell types, none of the TRPC members displayed ICRAC, the store-operated current identified in lymphocytes and mast cells. Intensive search finally led to the identification of Orai1 and STIM1 as the primary components of the CRAC channel. Orai1 was established as the pore-forming channel protein and STIM1 as the ER-Ca2+ sensor protein involved in activation of Orai1. STIM1 also activates TRPC1 via a distinct domain in its C-terminus. However, TRPC1 function depends on Orai1-mediated Ca2+ entry, which triggers recruitment of TRPC1 into the plasma membrane where it is activated by STIM1. TRPC1 and Orai1 form distinct store-operated Ca2+ channels that regulate specific cellular functions. It is now clearly established that regulation of TRPC1 trafficking can change plasma membrane levels of the channel, the phenotype of the store-operated Ca2+ current, as well as pattern of SOCE-mediated [Ca2+]i signals. Thus, TRPC1 is activated downstream of Orai1 and modifies the initial [Ca2+]i signal generated by Orai1. This review will highlight current concepts of the activation and regulation of TRPC1 channels and its impact on cell function.
HIV and HCV infection among injecting drug users.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the two blood-borne pathogens most commonly transmitted among injection drug users via multi-person use of syringes and other injection equipment. However, important differences exist in the epidemiology of HIV and HCV within different populations of intravenous drug users. Methods: A literature review was carried out to summarize publications describing the epidemiology and natural history of HIV and HCV in injection drug users. Results: Among injection drug users worldwide, HIV prevalence varies from 80%, with annual HIV incidence between < 1% and 50%. More consistency is shown in HCV prevalence (50 ‐ 90%) and incidence (10 ‐ 30% per year). Host, environmental and viral factors that favor rapid spread of HCV among IDUs suggest that HCV infection in a population of injection drug users may become endemic over a relatively short period of time. Lower transmission efficiency for HIV also indicates that its spread among injection drug users may be somewhat slower. Conclusions: Successful efforts to prevent transmission of blood-borne viruses among IDUs typically result in risk reduction; however, no intervention has resulted in elimination of risk behavior. To reduce HIV transmission, risk reduction may be sufficient, whereas control of HCV may necessitate the use of injection practices that guarantee elimination of exposure to equipment contaminated with even small amounts of blood.
Reversal of Schistosome Resistance In Biomphalaria glabrata By Heat Shock May Be Dependent On Snail Genotype

Several genes have recently been shown to affect the innate resistance of laboratory strains of Biomphalaria glabrata to infection with Schistosoma mansoni, including Hsp90, the expression of which following a brief exposure to elevated temperature can interfere with resistance in juvenile BS-90 snails. Because a prior study failed to see a similar effect in adult snails, juvenile BS-90 snails were exposed to 10 or 50 miracidia following a 4.5 to 6 hr incubation at 33 or 37 C. Snails were then monitored for production of secondary sporocysts or release of cercariae. In addition, snails exposed to 33 C were examined histologically between 1 and 15 days post exposure (DPE) to 30 miracidia to assess the fate of primary sporocysts. Other than elevated numbers of viable primary sporocysts in the tissues of heat shocked snails at 3 DPE, no statistically significant effect of elevated temperature was observed. This discrepancy with regard to prior studies is hypothesized to result from genetic divergence in different laboratory colonies of the same strain of snail.
Nonlinear Structural, Inertial and Damping Effects in an Oscillating Cantilever Beam

The nonlinear oscillations of a cantilever beam are studied with a theoretical computational model and the results are compared to experimental results obtained in a previous study. In order to explore the various possible nonlinear effects, the cantilevered beam is oscillated by the clamped base in a harmonic motion. Frequency sweeps are conducted in the vicinity of the first and second resonance frequencies of the beam to produce tip displacements of the order of the beam’s length. Three types of nonlinear effects are included in the model and discussed: Inertial, structural, and fluid damping nonlinearities.
Innovative Strategies for Improving Engineered Mouse Models of Human Cancer for Preclinical Development

Because of the high cost and risk of anticancer drug discovery and development, predictability is highly desirable. Results from a small-animal model system that is highly relevant to a given human tumor are of the highest quality in target identification and validation, in evaluating the efficacy and toxicity, and in targeting the delivery of a therapeutic. Here, we discuss efforts in engineering better mouse model systems of cancer and the promise offered by innovative technologies in further improving them.
Nontriviality of Arithmetic Invariants

This chapter is an introductory and historical discussion of problems concerning arithmetic invariants and L-values. Often a number-theoretic object has an associated L-function. A number field has its Dedekind zeta function, an algebraic variety has its Hasse–Weil zeta function, an automorphic form/representation has its Langlands L-functions, and we have L-functions associated with Galois representations, compatible systems of Galois representations and motives. Number theorists all agree that L-functions and L-values are useful invariants for studying the object with number-theoretic goals in mind. From L-functions, number theorists have created more invariants, for example, λ- and μ-invariant from p-adic L-functions and the ℒ-invariant from exceptional zeros of p-adic L-functions.
Prediabetes: Prevalence, Pathogenesis, and Recognition of Enhanced Risk

Elucidating the prevalence, pathogenesis and recognizing the enhanced risk for prediabetes is important for the development of strategies to prevent or delay the development of full-blown type 2 diabetes. Using data from a representative sample of the US population, we highlight the high prevalence of prediabetes in otherwise healthy adults. We describe the pathogenesis of prediabetes: due to a multitude of subtle derangements in the adipose tissue, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, kidney, liver, muscle, and brain. Prediabetes entails an expansion of the visceral adipose tissue compartment accompanied with adipocyte dysfunction, a disruption in action of pancreatic alpha and beta cells, gastrointestinal tract incretin secreting cells, increased renal glucose reabsorption and a resistance to the action of insulin in liver, muscle, and the brain. The measurable clinical and laboratory changes in prediabetes by themselves constitute as the early correlates for an adverse cardiometabolic profile. Interventions designed to prevent progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes can attenuate this enhanced cardiovascular disease risk, and may even provide primary prevention for cardiovascular disease.
Predicting and preventing coordination problems in cooperative Q-learning systems

We present a conceptual framework for creating Q-learning-based algorithms that converge to optimal equilibria in cooperative multiagent settings. This framework includes a set of conditions that are sufficient to guarantee optimal system performance. We demonstrate the efficacy of the framework by using it to analyze several well-known multi-agent learning algorithms and conclude by employing it as a design tool to construct a simple, novel multi-agent learning algorithm.
Case 78: Now What Would You Do?

You are a retired anesthesiologist (72” inches and 250 lb) living in Maui, Hawaii. Unfortunately, one evening, while walking on a pedestrian crossway you are hit by a bus. You roll 12 ft, sustain a concussion, a six piece comminuted humerus fracture, one fractured rib, and a 10 in. scalp laceration with lots of road burns. You are taken to the one hospital in Maui. Here, the scalp laceration is sutured. The orthopedic surgeon arrives and you inform him that you have had previous histories of difficult endotracheal intubations. He tells you not to worry as he has a very good anesthesiologist. He schedules you for a stabilization of the humerus.
Prevalence of Nephrolithiasis in Malabsorptive Syndromes

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease have an increased incidence of nephrolithiasis, especially after resection or bypass of part of the bowel1. Many of these stones are composed of calcium oxalate though uric acid stones appear to be more common after an ileostomy. Patients with ileal disease have increased absorption of dietary oxalate, with resultant hyperoxaluria, because of increased solubility of oxalate and increased permeability of the colon to oxalate1. Increased solubility is related to steatorrhea. Unabsorbed fatty acids bind to calcium preventing the formation of insoluble calcium oxalate, thus oxalate remains in solution available for absorption. Fatty acids (and bile acids) also increase the permeability of the colon to oxalate2.
Status of the Virginia Tech Partial-Wave Analyses

We review the status of partial-wave analyses performed by the Virginia Tech group. The pion-induced reactions, specifically πN → πN and πd → pp, are described in more detail. We discuss the effect of dispersion relation constraints in our πN analyses. The appearance of loops in the πd → pp Argand diagram is also indicated.
Kainic Acid Model of Dystonia

Intracerebellar administration of kainate in rodents causes dystonia. Kainate-induced dystonia requires the output of cerebellar Purkinje cells and likely arises from excessive glutamatergic excitation. The dystonia elicited by kainate demonstrates that dystonia may result from abnormal cerebellar output.
Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy (AMAN) presenting with truncal and appendicular ataxia (P2.453)

Objective: To describe an atypical presentation of AMAN Background: Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) typically presents as an acute sensory-motor inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP), and is usually preceded by an upper respiratory or diarrheal illness. Acute motor axonal polyneuropathy (AMAN) is an uncommon variant of GBS in North America (less than 10% cases) and typically presents with distal weakness, absent deep tendon reflexes (80% cases) and an albumino-cytologic dissociation in CSF. An antecedent diarrheal illness with Campylobacter jejuni is also seen in 33% of patients. Design/Methods: Case report Results: 53-year-old woman presented with sudden onset of abnormal movements of bilateral upper extremities and trunk which began one week after a febrile diarrheal illness. She also described concurrent onset of weakness in her upper extremities more than her lower extremities. Neurological exam was significant for abnormal movements comprising of negative myoclonus, partial ataxia of arms and trunk, significant weakness of wrist and finger extension and hand intrinsics, weakness of toe extension/flexion and ankle dorsiflexion. DTRs were initially intact bilaterally. Cranial nerve and sensory exams were normal. Initial serum and CSF studies were unrevealing. MRI brain and cervical spine were unremarkable. EMG showed electrodiagnostic features consistent with a process involving acute motor neuron, motor root or its axon. Further testing showed positive serum C. jejuni IgG and anti-GM1 IgG antibodies favoring a diagnosis of AMAN. She received 5 days of immunoglobulin therapy with significant clinical improvement at 4 week follow up visit. Conclusions: The patient’s presentation with severe truncal and appendicular ataxia/myoclonus drove more attention, however the antecedent diarrheal illness, distal onset of weakness, positive serum C. jejuni and anti-GM1 antibodies along with the EMG findings supported a diagnosis of AMAN. Ataxic variants of AMAN have been uncommonly described with positive anti-GD1b antibodies (3 case reports) and anti-GM1 antibodies (1 case report). Disclosure: Dr. Mahatoo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Topiwala has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nouh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Silverman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Daniel has nothing to disclose.
A Randomized Pilot Study Comparing the Efficacy of a Therapist-Delivered Motivational Interview to a Brief Computer-Delivered Intervention

Aims : The purpose of this study was to compare the preliminary efficacy of a computer-assisted intervention (CAI), in which a computer-delivered intervention was immediately followed up with a brief therapist review session, to a therapist-delivered intervention (TDI) for adolescent substance use. Design, Setting, and Participants : Both conditions were examined in a pilot randomized clinical trial. All participants were recruited from a family court in the northeast United States. The sample included a total of 36 adolescents court-referred for an adolescent substance-related offense. Measures : Measures included adolescent alcohol and marijuana-use frequency, quantity, and problems as well as self-efficacy to resist the urge to use. Findings : While no significant time-by-condition differences were noted between the CAI and TDI conditions, significant time effects were found for both the TDI and CAI indicating a decrease in the total number of alcohol- or marijuana-use days over the six-month follow-up period. Conclusions : Given that CAIs are inexpensive, require minimal training, can be implemented with a high degree of fidelity, and are portable when compared to some TDIs, their use for decreasing substance use and related problems, particularly among adolescents with low access to substance-use interventions, seems promising. A fully powered trial of CAI efficacy is indicated.
Managing the Bright and Dark Sides of Humorous Response in Service Recovery: An Abstract

Despite humor’s promising ability to positively address customer complaints, little research has sought to investigate its role in recovering from service failure on social media. To address this research gap, this study investigates the role of humorous response to customer complaints on social media. We postulate that humorous response has a favorable influence on perceived excitement of the firm. However, humorous response needs to be implemented with care as it negatively influences perceived trustworthiness of as well as overall attitude toward the firm. However, when the customer complaint is also humorous, a humorous response is more effective in intensifying the positive effect on perceived excitement of the firm and lowering its negative effect on perceived trustworthiness of and overall attitude toward the firm. The current study utilizes a scenario-based experiment in the restaurant context. The findings of this study will provide insights into how service organizations can better utilize the humorous response strategy in response to customer complaints on social media.
Investor Preference for Director Characteristics: Portfolio Choice with Gender Bias

This study examines whether investor-level preferences for director characteristics influence portfolio choices, using data on the U.S. holdings of non-U.S. funds. Consistent with bias-based prefer...
[IN1241] Diaprepes Root Weevil on Southern Highbush Blueberry in Florida

Citrus root weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus (Linnaeus) is a destructive pest on citrus trees. It is now becoming a significant pest on blueberry in central Florida, at times causing major damage to blueberry bushes that are more than two years old. This 3-page fact sheet written by Douglas A. Phillips, Oscar E. Liburd, and Larry W. Duncan and published by the UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department will educate blueberry growers on how to monitor, identify, and control citrus root weevil. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1241
Mathematics Learning Opportunities in Preschool: Where Does the Classroom Library Fit In?

Research Findings: These two studies examined the different mathematical opportunities provided in preschool classrooms, with a particular focus on the availability of mathematical-themed books in ...
Distributed non-negative matrix factorization with determination of the number of latent features

The holistic analysis and understanding of the latent (that is, not directly observable) variables and patterns buried in large datasets is crucial for data-driven science, decision making and emergency response. Such exploratory analyses require devising unsupervised learning methods for data mining and extraction of the latent features, and non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) is one of the prominent such methods. NMF is based on compute-intense non-convex constrained minimization, which, for large datasets requires fast and distributed algorithms. However, current parallel implementations of NMF fail to estimate the number of latent features. In practice, identifying these features is both difficult and significant for pattern recognition and latent feature analysis, especially for large dense matrices. In this paper, we introduce a distributed NMF algorithm coupled with distributed custom clustering followed by a stability analysis on dense data, which we call DnMFk, to determine the number of latent variables. The results on synthetic data and the classical Swimmer data set demonstrate the accuracy of model determination while scaling nearly linearly across multiple processors for large data. Further, we employ DnMFk to determine the number of hidden features from a terabyte matrix.
GridFree: A Python Package of Image Analysis for Interactive Grain Counting and Measuring

Abstract Grain characteristics, including kernel length, kernel width, and thousand kernel weight, are critical component traits for grain yield. Manual measurements and counting are expensive, forming the bottleneck for dissecting the genetic architecture of these traits toward ultimate yield improvement. High-throughput phenotyping methods have been developed by analyzing images of kernels. However, segmenting kernels from the image background and noise artifacts or from other kernels positioned in close proximity remain challenges. In this study, we developed a software package, named GridFree, to overcome these challenges. GridFree uses an unsupervised machine learning approach, K-Means, to segment kernels from the background by using principal component analysis on both raw image channels and their color indices. GridFree incorporates users’ experiences as a dynamic criterion to set thresholds for a divide-and-combine strategy that effectively segments adjacent kernels. When adjacent multiple kernels are incorrectly segmented as a single object, they form an outlier on the distribution plot of kernel area, length, and width. GridFree uses the dynamic threshold settings for splitting and merging. In addition to counting, GridFree measures kernel length, width, and area with the option of scaling with a reference object. Evaluations against existing software programs demonstrated that GridFree had the smallest error on counting seeds for multiple crops, including alfalfa, canola, lentil, wheat, chickpea, and soybean. GridFree was implemented in Python with a friendly graphical user interface to allow users easily visualize the outcomes and make decisions, which ultimately eliminates time-consuming and repetitive manual labor. GridFree is freely available at the GridFree website (https://zzlab.net/GridFree).
Toward a DisCrit Approach to American Law

In their groundbreaking article, Dis/ability critical race studies (DisCrit): theorizing at the intersections of race and dis/ability, scholars Subini Ancy Annamma, David Connor, and Beth Ferri ask, “How might DisCrit further expand our knowledge (or understanding) of race and dis/ability?” I take up this question and offer a set of responses geared toward the field of American law. Given the ongoing discrimination, marginalization, and violence against disabled people of color, and the inability of existing federal disability laws, policies, and practices to fully protect against these harms, or adequately remedy these harms, I argue that it is time for a DisCrit approach to American law.
Gender, work, and tourism in the Guatemalan Highlands

While much of modern tourism research centers on the tourist as a leisure consumer, workers are frequently overlooked. Despite a recent uptick in attention to tourism work, the primary focus remain...
Intersecting Communities and PrEP Uptake among US-based Latinx Sexual Minority Men.

The Latinx community in the USA continues to be disproportionately burdened by the HIV epidemic, especially among Latinx sexual minority men (LSMM). Research indicates that up to two-thirds of new HIV infections occur among men who have sex with men (MSM) within primary partnerships. One promising biomedical approach for HIV prevention includes community scale-up of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among LSMM. We examine the relationship between community connectedness (with the Latinx and gay communities) and PrEP uptake among 307 partnered LSMM who reported casual partner sex (i.e., non-monogamous relationships). Within the sample, approximately thirty percent (29.7%) of participants were on PrEP, and 43.3% reported partner approval for PrEP (i.e., my partner is in favor of PrEP generally), while only 7.2% were opposed to PrEP. Insurance status and income levels were significantly associated with PrEP uptake. There was a significant interaction term (gay community connectedness and Latinx group membership), which was positively associated with PrEP uptake (OR = 2.18; p = .007). Findings suggest that there may be structural barriers preventing this population from seeking and initiating PrEP care. Results point to the utility of integrating culturally relevant content related to intersecting identities and their corresponding communities when conceptualizing community-based and culturally informed interventions to improve the PrEP care cascade among LSMM.
Validating the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Composite Measure: An Aviation Industry Pilot Study

Aaron M. Glassman Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide, glassf10@erau.edu Jason M. Newcomer Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide, jason.newcomer@erau.edu Matthew P. Earnhardt Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide, earnharm@erau.edu Rose A. Opengart Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide, opengarr@erau.edu Daryl V. Watkins Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide, watkind4@erau.edu James W. Marion Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide, marionj@erau.edu