cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Homologous amino-terminal radioimmunoassay for rat parathyroid hormone

Existing radioimmunoassays for parathyroid hormone (PTH) in rat plasma are based on cross-reactivity of rat PTH (rPTH) with heterologous antisera. We used the synthetic NH2-terminal fragment of rPTH [rPTH-(1-34)] to develop a homologous radioimmunoassay for circulating PTH. An antiserum to rPTH-(1-34) was raised in a goat (G-813), and the same peptide was used as radioligand (125I) and standard. Purification of the label by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) increased specific binding greater than twofold and sensitivity by 50-100%. With a final antiserum dilution of 1:70,000, maximum specific binding of 30-33%, nonspecific binding of 1-5%, and 50-microliters sample additions, the assay detection limit was 1.8-2.5 pmol/l. A midregional fragment of human PTH did not displace 125I-labeled rPTH-(1-34). HPLC of extracts of rat parathyroid glands and hyperparathyroid plasma showed only a single peak of immunoreactivity that eluted 2 min after rPTH-(1-34). Dose dilution curves for rat parathyroid gland extracts, rPTH-(1-34) added to rat plasma, and endogenous rat plasma PTH all paralleled the standard curve. Immunoreactive PTH (irPTH) was detectable in greater than 90% of fasting normal rat plasma and changed appropriately in response to hyper- and hypocalcemia induced by low-calcium and vitamin D-deficient diets, injections of calcium and EDTA, and after thyroparathyroidectomy. The normal range for rat plasma irPTH was less than 2.0-12 pmol/l, in general agreement with bioassay results of others. Thus rPTH-(1-34) is an excellent immunogen for raising antisera to rPTH, and assays incorporating it may be of great value in studying rat parathyroid physiology.
Building Cathedrals: Mission Statements in Academic Libraries

Articulating an organization’s mission using a mission statement is a common method of communicating purpose, attitude, and priorities with stakeholders. While mission statements have been widely studied and written about in business literature, mission statements in libraries have not been studied as deeply. A survey of Association of Research Libraries library directors was conducted in 2014 to determine the current state of academic library mission statements, how they are being created, how they are informing the work of the library, and library directors’ satisfaction with their library’s mission statement.
If Hume Knew Neuroscience: A Suggestion on the Opacity of Moral Sentiments

Hume (and others) have noted the opacity of moral sentiments to the powers of reason. This separation is one of the sources of a suggestion that the two cannot be combined - sometimes incorporated into the naturalistic fallacy. I will suggest an alternative interpretation of this separation, an interpretation based in the strategic role of the sentiments as guarantors of moral commitments.
As transformações (in)visíveis do trabalho.

O presente texto sistematiza uma reflexao tendo como referencia as transformacoes na base de producao capitalista a partir da crise de acumulacao do principio dos anos 1970. Contudo a fim de explicar a realidade social atual e indispensavel estabelecer sua relacao orgânica entre os aspectos da realidade com o contexto mais geral, e entre o presente e suas determinacoes do passado. Esse e o pressuposto para se explicar as transformacoes, verificar os impactos, compreender os sentidos das metamorfoses do trabalho a partir dos anos 70 do seculo XX, quando ocorre o esgotamento do ciclo de crescimento da economia capitalista. Para tanto, trata aspectos da acumulacao de capital do pos Segunda Guerra Mundial ate o final dos anos de ouro do capitalismo. Na sequencia reflete a respeito da ofensiva do capital para a superacao da crise, tendo como eixos norteadores o complexo da reestruturacao produtiva com atencao as inovacoes tecnologicas e novas formas de organizacao do trabalho, desregulamentacao das atividades economicas em especial quanto a redefinicao do papel do Estado favorecendo o processo de mundializacao do capital com sua logica de financeirizacao.
The effects of composition, temperature, and annealing on the rheological properties of InZn in situ composites

High viscoelastic damping is observed in InZn materials over ranges of composition, frequency, temperature, and annealing time. Microscopy reveals InZn when cast segregates into a heterogeneous micro-structure resembling an in situ composite consisting of a zinc matrix with soft indium platelet inclusions. This morphology is predicted to be advantageous for maximizing the damping figure of merit Etanδ by viscoelastic composite theory. InZn is found to be linearly viscoelastic, unlike other high damping metals. The damping of InZn varies little over a substantial range of temperature, in contrast with polymers. For 5 % In material, the optimal composition, Etanδ is 2.8 GPa at 10 Hz, compared to a peak of 0.6 GPa for high damping rubbers. After annealing for 13 years, Etanδ was still high at 1.9 GPa. InZn demonstrates high damping under a wide range of conditions.
Concurrent complementary operator boundary conditions for nonlinear propagation

We demonstrate the superb performance of the concurrent complementary operators boundary conditions in suppressing reflection from computation boundaries in simulations of (2+1) dimensional nonlinear propagation with the finite difference beam propagation method.
TGFβ signaling: a friend or a foe to hepatic fibrosis and tumorigenesis

Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling pathway is an important regulator of cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, migration and immunosurveillance (1). It translates extracellular cues into appropriate gene expression response. It possesses relatively simple machinery, but it is finely tuned to a variety of processes, both temporally and spatially at different levels, including ligand expression and activation, receptor complex formation, effector activation, modification and translocation and availability of transcriptional partners in the nucleus. Therefore, the readout of TGFβ signals strongly depends on the cellular context.
Control of Lawn Moths in Southern California

In tests against lawn moth larvae, Crambus sperryellus Klots and C. bonifatellus (Hulst), the most effective materials were DDT and diazinon. At 5 lb per acre both gave a high initial kill with control holding for more than a month. At the same dosage Zectran® (4-dimethylamino-3,5-xylyl metbylcarbamate) and earbaryl gave a high initial kill but reinfestation occurred within 3 weeks. Bakthane® ( Bacillus thuingiensis var. thuringiensis Berliner), rated at 75×109 viable spores per gram) at 2 and 8 lb per acre reduced the population but its residual effectiveness also was less than 3 weeks.
A GAS-LIQUID TWO-PHASE APPROACH TO TURBULENT OPEN-CHANNEL FLOWS

A method for predicting turbulent gas-liquid two-phase flows is developed. A level set method is used to capture the motion of the interface and a k-ω model is introduced as a turbulence model. The turbulence damping effects near the interface are modeled by considering the jump in the density profile across the interface as a special case of density-stratified flows. This multiphase approach enables us to treat a wide range of flows involving free surfaces in the same way, irrespective of the importance of the motion in the air phase. Computational results for a two-dimensional, fully-developed open-channel flow are given to illustrate the properties of the method along with a discussion of the future implications of these results for better performance.
Some Problems in Application of Pourbaix Map

Through abundant data analysis,problems in application of Pourbaix map are reviewed.Conditions,field and precautions for using the map are determined,which extend the using field.Lewis Acid-base Pair of potential-pH map is obtained.Based on simultaneous equilibrium principle,the calculating problems of-pH map in metal-ligand-water systems are successfully solved,and Pourbaix map of M-H2O system under high temperature is constructed,which provide data accessible to scientists and engineers.The prospect and application value of Pourbaix map is studied.
Rapid compression machine study of a premixed, variable inlet density and flow rate, confined turbulent jet

Abstract The behavior of transient, compressible and combusting pre-mixed methane–air jets was experimentally studied with high speed imaging in a rapid compression machine. The jets were generated with a turbulent jet ignition system, which is a prechamber initiated combustion system. The absence of physical analyses of the characteristics of premixed turbulent jets was the motivation for the present study. Experiments were completed for turbulent jet ignition system orifice diameters of 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 mm each at lean-to-stoichiometric equivalence ratios of ϕ = 0.67, 0.8 and 1.0. The hot jet velocity at the orifice exit was calculated using mathematical correlations. The Mach number and Reynolds number were also computed. The high speed imaging shows the influence of orifice diameter on the flame propagation and the shape and structure of vortices resulting from the turbulent jet. Results revealed a direct relationship between orifice exit area reduction and a decrease in hot jet penetration speed. There was a reduction in hot jet penetration speed with an increase in the equivalence ratio. For the orifice diameters and equivalence ratios tested here, results showed that the jet evolved downstream of the orifice exit in partial agreement with existing correlations. Moreover, the jet was turbulent with calculated Reynolds numbers of around 20,000 or greater.
Structural Separations by Ion Mobility-MS for Glycomics and Glycoproteomics

This chapter describes the utility of ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) for the detection and characterization of glycoproteins and associated glycoconjugates. IM-MS provides separations in two dimensions, one on the basis of molecular surface area, or structure, and the other on molecular mass which creates the ability to differentiate biomolecular classes and isobaric species. When applied to the characterization of glycoproteins, IM-MS separates peptides from the associated glycans in the same digest without purification, and can also be used to separate different isomeric glycans which is a significant challenge in current glycomic studies. The chapter will detail the methodologies to use IM-MS for the study of glycans and glycoproteins for an audience ranging from new and potential practitioners to those already utilizing the technique.
Mode crosstalk matrix measurement of a 1 km elliptical core few-mode optical fiber

The spatial modes of a 1 km elliptical core few-mode optical fiber (6 spatial modes) are analyzed by using liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulators to measure the fiber's mode crosstalk matrix in Hermite-Gaussian, Laguerre-Gaussian, and linearly polarized spatial mode bases. It is shown that the fiber's spatial modes can be described by Hermite-Gaussian modes, which can propagate 1 km over the optical fiber with <-20 dB (1%) average mode crosstalk even when the fiber has multiple 1 cm diameter bends. The use of elliptical core few-mode optical fibers for space division multiplexing in data centers is discussed.
Realizing Relevance: The Influence of Domain-Specific Information on Generation of New Knowledge Through Integration in 4- to 8-Year-Old Children.

In accumulating knowledge, direct modes of learning are complemented by productive processes, including self-generation based on integration of separate episodes. Effects of the number of potentially relevant episodes on integration were examined in 4- to 8-year-olds (N = 121; racially/ethnically heterogeneous sample, English speakers, from large metropolitan area). Information was presented along with unrelated or related episodes; the latter challenged children to identify the relevant subset of episodes for integration. In Experiment 1, 4- and 6-year-olds integrated in the unrelated context. Six-year-olds also succeeded in the related context in forced-choice testing. In Experiment 2, 8-year-olds succeeded in open-ended and forced-choice testing. Results illustrate a developmental progression in productive extension of knowledge due in part to age-related increases in identification of relevant information.
Causal Mechanism Graph ─ A new notation for capturing cause-effect knowledge in software dependability

Abstract Understanding cause-effect relations between concepts in software dependability engineering is fundamental to various research or industrial activities. Cognitive maps are traditionally used to elicit and represent such knowledge; however they seem incapable of accurately representing complex causal mechanisms in dependability engineering. This paper proposes a new notation called Causal Mechanism Graph (CMG) to elicit and represent the cause-effect domain knowledge embedded in experts’ minds or described in the literature. CMG contains a new set of symbols elicited from domain experts to capture the recurring interaction mechanisms between multiple concepts in software dependability engineering. Furthermore, compared to major existing graphic methods, CMG is particularly robust and suitable for mental knowledge elicitation: it allows one to represent the full range of cause-effect knowledge, accurately or fuzzily as one sees fit depending on the depth of knowledge he/she has. This feature combined with excellent reliability and validity poses CMG as a promising method that has the potential to be used in various areas, such as software dependability requirement elicitation, software dependability assessment and dependability risk control.
Automated Tag Detection

Tagged MRI [4, 30] is an excellent technique for measuring tissue deformations. For the deformation to be quantified, however, the tags must be identified and tracked through the image sequence. Tag identification and tracking is the most time consuming step in the analysis of tagged MR images because most techniques require that the myocardium is segmented from the background before the tags are identified and tracked. This segmentation requires user interaction in each image in the study.
Thermodynamics of superheated phase-change agents

Superheated phase-change nanodrops are particles comprised of a fluorocarbon (PFC) core and lipid monolayer coating that stably exist in the liquid state at temperatures beyond their boiling point. Currently, these nanodrops are being researched as cavitation nuclei for ultrasound-mediated biomedical applications. The nanodrops are either fabricated at room temperature in the liquid state using a perfluoropentane (C 5 F 12 ) core, or they can be formed by the condensation of gas-filled microbubbles using either perfluoropropane (C 3 F 8 ) or perfluorobutane (C 4 F 10 ) cores. These droplets have been shown to be stable as a superheated liquid under physiological conditions. Originally, it was suggested that the large Laplace pressure experienced inside the sub-micron sized particles was responsible for this high resistance to vaporization. However, recent research proposes that the large energy barrier associated with homogeneous nucleation is responsible. New vaporization conditions were calculated based on homogeneous nucleation theory and compared to experimental results. The findings in this study suggest the energy barrier associated with homogenous nucleation is responsible for nanodrop superheat stability.
H.J. Muller and J.B.S. Haldane: Eugenics and Lysenkoism

In this chapter I cover a rarely examined phenomenon in the history of twentieth-century biology: the replacement of eugenics by Lysenkoism as a focus of concern among activist biologists in the USA and Great Britain. I trace this history by analyzing the relationship between two geneticists, Hermann J. Muller and J.B.S. Haldane, from the interwar period—when eugenics flourished as a source of fascination and controversy—to the onset of the Cold War, when Lysenkoism replaced it as a compelling force demanding the attention of observers, scientific and otherwise. I choose Muller and Haldane as case studies to map this historiography for two reasons: One, both were active players in both controversies; two, their juxtaposition is illustrative in that they effectively switched places in terms of how their role and behavior were perceived. Muller, due to his concern with how his attempt to persuade Stalin of his eugenic plan contributed to the cancellation of the Seventh International Eugenics Congress, deliberately deceived Haldane about events in Soviet biology. Haldane’s ignorance led him into the unfortunate position of being portrayed as an advocate of totalitarian science. This was due to his defense of Lysenko, a position he would not have taken had Muller told him the truth.
Writing Without Ink: A Mechanically and Photochemically Responsive PDMS Polymer for Science Outreach

An easy-to-implement science outreach demonstration featuring a mechanically and photochemically color-changing polymer is described. The active polymeric material is a filled poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) elastomer that is covalently functionalized with spiropyran (SP), which is both a photochemical and mechanochemical switch. The material can be reversibly changed from colorless to dark purple by exposing it to light from a blue laser pointer or providing a mechanical stimulus such as hitting the polymer with a hammer or dragging a blunt object across the surface. The keynote demonstration is a PDMS chemical-drawing board that allows children literally to “write without ink” using a laser pointer or a blunt stylus. Collectively, these demonstrations are suitable for various student groups and encompass concepts in polymer and materials chemistry, photochemistry, and mechanochemistry. This demonstration has been successfully employed dozens of times in multiple universities across North America.
A Food Demand Framework for International Food Security Assessment

Abstract We present a parsimonious demand modeling approach developed for the annual USDA-ERS International Food Security Assessment, a large-scale prospective assessment focusing on chronic food insecurity in 76 countries. The approach incorporates price effects, food quality variation across income deciles, and consistent aggregation over income deciles and food qualities. The approach is based on a simple demand approach for four food categories. It relies on data on food availability, complemented by own-price and income elasticities and food price data. Beyond consistent aggregation, the framework exhibits desirable characteristics: food quality is increasing with income; price and income responses become less sensitive with income; and increasing income inequality decreases average per capita food consumption. The proposed approach is illustrated for Tanzania. We assess future food insecurity in Tanzania using the calibrated model and evaluate the impact of safety net policies and their budgetary costs. Food-insecure population is estimated as well as the implied food gap expressed in calorie per day per food-insecure person as well as in total annual food volume in grain equivalent. The food gap measure gauges the depth of the chronic food insecurity.
Hepatic Arterial Embolization Using Cone Beam CT with Tumor Feeding Vessel Detection Software: Impact on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Response

Dedicated tumor feeding vessel detection software (TFVDS) using cone beam CT has shown a higher sensitivity to detect tumor feeding vessels during hepatic arterial embolization (HAE) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared to 2D imaging. Our primary hypothesis was that HCC tumors treated with HAE guided by a TFVDS would show more complete response (CR) than when treated with 2D imaging alone. Secondary analysis of the impact on X-ray exposure was performed. Nineteen males and 8 females (median age: 69 year, 46–85) with 44 tumors (median size: 38 mm, 6–100) treated with selective HAE between January 2013 and December 2014 were included. Exclusion criteria were: extra-hepatic supply, >4 tumors, tumor size >10 cm, and adjunctive local therapy. Baseline patient and procedure characteristics were reviewed. Differences in CR per modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors were assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses for tumor size, number, location, particles size, and use of TFVDS. Median imaging follow-up was 20.1 months (2–33). Use of TFVDS (13 patients, 19 tumors) was the only factor predictive of CR (OR = 3.85 [CI95%: 1.09, 13.67], p = 0.04) on univariate analysis but not on multivariate analysis (OR = 3.26 [0.87, 12.23], p = 0.08). A higher rate of CR was observed for HAE using TFVDS guidance versus 2D imaging alone (68.4%, 13–19, vs. 36%, 9–25, p = 0.03). Median dose area product was lower when TFVDS was used (149.7 Gy.cm2, 38–365, vs. 227.8 Gy.cm2, 85.3–468.6, p = 0.05). HCC embolized with TFVDS may result in improved local tumor response without increasing the dose exposure.
Variability and geologic associations of volcanic activity on Io in 2001–2016

Since the end of the Galileo epoch, ground-based observations have been crucial for the continued monitoring and characterization of volcanic activity on Jupiter’s moon, Io. We compile and analyze observations from the Keck and Gemini North telescopes between 2001 and 2016, including new and published observations from 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2016. A total of 88 distinct hot spot sites were detected over the 15-year period, 82 of which were detected multiple times, and 24 of which were not detected by Galileo at thermal infrared wavelengths (1–5 µm). A variety of analytical methods are utilized to investigate the detections of active volcanism as a surface expression of interior heating. Geologic associations of hot spots, including patera type, lava flow type, and proximity to mountainous regions, are made using the USGS-published global geologic map of Io (Williams, 2011). We also provide a summary of outburst-scale events, along with the slightly less bright but more frequent, mini-outbursts described by de Kleer and de Pater (2016a). We investigate the spatial distribution of volcanic activity on Io using nearest neighbor, mean pairwise spacing, and mean latitude statistics with various classification schemes. The analysis confirms previous findings in that the heat dissipation appears to be primarily concentrated in the asthenosphere resulting in a high time-averaged surface heat flux at low latitudes. Our observations show significant spatial deviations do exist from the asthenosphere heat dissipation model while also suggesting a deeper source of magma ascent to be present as well, supporting conclusions from previous analyses of primarily spacecraft data (Veeder et al., 2012; Hamilton, 2013; Davies et al., 2015). From a temporal perspective, there are signs of significant variations in the distribution of global heat flux, as volcanoes undetected, and probably dormant, during the Galileo encounters subsequently erupted and remained active during our observations. We also use the on 3.8-µm radiant intensity timelines of individual hot spots, along with the distribution of extensive lava fields in relation to detected activity, as a means to investigate possible connections between hot spots and short timescale, spatio-temporal variations in the global heat flux distribution. We conclude that while the global heat flux distribution remains relatively constant over decadal timescales, there is evidence that significant deviations do occur potentially as a result of mountain forming processes or triggering mechanisms between eruptions.
Cerebrovascular Disease in Infants and Children

The nature of cerebrovascular disease affecting the pediatric patient is different from that in the adult. Atherosclerotic sources of thrombotic occlusion and thrombotic or plaque emboli are not usually an issue in infants and children. The nature of cerebrovascular injury in infants and children is dependent on the age at which the insult occurs and the mechanism of the insult. Insults in the premature infant, which consist of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and germinal matrix hemorrhages (GMH) (see Chapter 5), are quite different and distinct from injuries in term infants, who sustain deep gray matter infarctions, parasagittal watershed infarctions and middle cerebral artery infarctions (see Chapter 6). The term infant injuries are somewhat, but not that different from those that occur in children beyond infancy. Complicating the large number of different etiologies for the primary cerebrovascular pediatric diseases that result in injuries, such as infarctions and bleeds, there are the secondary cerebrovascular disease processes that have arisen due to various recent therapeutic methods and innovations in dealing with neoplastic diseases.
Chaos in cardiac signals.

Chaotic dynamical systems analysis has become over the last two decades a standard tool for systems analysis in the hydrodynamics of turbulence, in mechanical systems, and in electrical signals. The label “chaotic” has summarized the lack of predictability of the weather and other complex systems. We can use “chaos” theory to enhance our understanding of cardiovascular pressures, flows, heart rates, and tracer exchanges. Explaining why we cannot predict exactly is an improvement over not understanding at all, and aids in taking the next steps toward deeper insight at the biochemical and electrophysiologic levels.
The Use of Direct Photoreversal of UV-Irradiated DNA for the Demonstration of Pyrimidine Dimer-DNA Glycosylase Activity

A two-step enzymatic mechanism for the incision of UV-irradiated DNA at pyrimidine dim ers (PD) by the “UV endonuclease” activity from M. luteus has recently been proposed (1–3). This mechanism is related to the classical base excision repair mode (4), since it consists of the sequential action of a PD-specific DNA glycosylase and an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease. Such a two-step mechanism was interesting to us for the relevance it might have to our continuing investigations of the repair of UV-irradiated DNA in a variety of biological systems.
Infrastructure: Social/Behavioral Research (United States)

Progress in science presupposes an infrastructure that sustains research and exchange of new scientific information, that prepares requisite personnel, and that advances cumulative knowledge of the empirical world. This is no less true in the social and behavioral sciences than elsewhere in science and engineering. While science is increasingly international, with its own sustaining infrastructure, a primary base for advancing science exists within each nation. In the United States, the foundations of the existing infrastructure for the social and behavioral sciences (hereafter, social sciences) were laid in the early decades of the twentieth century and subsequently expanded just after World War II (WWII). At the beginning of the twenty-first century, however, certain limitations of this infrastructure are apparent. Perforce, these factors may constrain progress in US social and behavioral science and may fail to encourage a full participation in or realization of an international science of behavior and society as the new century unfolds.
Laboratory Diagnostic Tests for Retrovirus Infections of Small Ruminants

Small ruminant retroviruses, such as ovine progressive pneumonia virus and caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus, cause persistent infections, therefore, serology remains the most efficient method of diagnosis. The biology, genetic and antigenic relatedness, and primary routes of transmission of these lentiviruses are discussed in reference to serologic diagnosis. Also, the use of detection methods, such as PCR, are reviewed for potential use in rigorous eradication programs.
Chronic effects of neurotrauma consortium: a combined comparative analysis of six studiesIntroduction to Special edition of Brain Injury.

Concussions, or mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), are the most common, potentially clinically debilitating, neurological injury associated with military combat, sports, vehicular accidents and ...
Abstract 719: A tumor mitochondria vaccine protects against experimental renal cell carcinoma

Mitochondria provide energy for cells via oxidative phosphorylation. Reactive oxygen species, a byproduct of this mitochondrial respiration, can damage mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and somatic mtDNA mutations have been found in all colorectal, ovarian, breast, urinary bladder, kidney, lung, and pancreatic tumors studied. The resulting altered mitochondrial proteins or tumor-associated mitochondrial Ags (TAMAs) are potentially immunogenic, suggesting that they may be targetable Ags for cancer immunotherapy. In this article, we show that the RENCA tumor cell line harbors TAMAs that can drive an antitumor immune response. We generated a cellular tumor vaccine by pulsing dendritic cells with enriched mitochondrial proteins from RENCA cells. Our dendritic cell-based RENCA mitochondrial lysate vaccine elicited a cytotoxic T cell response in vivo and conferred durable protection against challenge with RENCA cells when used in a prophylactic or therapeutic setting. By sequencing mtDNA from RENCA cells, we identified two mutated molecules: COX1 and ND5. Peptide vaccines generated from mitochondrial-encoded COX1 but not from ND5 had therapeutic properties similar to RENCA mitochondrial protein preparation. Thus, TAMAs can elicit effective antitumor immune responses, potentially providing a new immunotherapeutic strategy to treat cancer. Citation Format: Stefano Pierini, Andrea Facciabene, Mireia Uribe-Herranz, Stavros Rafail, Chongyun Fang, Janos Tanyi. A tumor mitochondria vaccine protects against experimental renal cell carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 719.
Vasari's Words: The 'Lives of the Artists' as a History of Ideas in the Italian Renaissance

In this book, Douglas Biow analyzes Vasari's Lives of the Artists - often considered the first great work of art history in the modern era - from a new perspective. He focuses on key words and shows how they address a variety of compelling, culturally determined ideas circulating in late Renaissance Italy. The keywords chosen for this study investigate five seemingly divergent, yet still interconnected, ideas. What does it mean to have a 'profession', professione, and possess 'genius', ingegno, in the visual arts? How is 'speed', prestezza, valued among visual artists of the period and how is 'time', tempo, conceptualized in Vasari's narrative and descriptions of visual art? Finally, how is the 'night', notte, conceived and visually represented as a distinct span of time in The Lives? Written in an engaging manner for specialists and non-specialists alike, Vasari's Words places the Lives - a truly foundational and innovative book of Western culture - within the context of the modern discipline of intellectual history.
“Dignity Can’t Wait”: Building a Bridge to Human Rights

With this chapter, I shift to examine how solutions are framed in MHM. Many MHM proponents draw on discourses of human rights to conceptualize a menstrual-friendly world as one where every girl is enabled to care for her menstruating body with “dignity.” In this chapter, I explore this frame by analyzing the materials of MHM organizations as well as the gray and scholarly literature to reveal how the MHM-human rights link relies on a fundamental social construction of (female) bodies as dirty and, thus, shameful. My complaint is not with this general deployment of the human rights frame, but with how MHM’s human rights discourse rests upon a unidimensional notion of dignity that subscribes to a standard of cleanliness rife with gendered, racialized, and classed meanings. And so, the quest for the means of menstrual care becomes a quest for “protection”—against the body that, if not contained, invites ridicule, a frame that fails to challenge institutions (both material and cultural) to imagine a view of the body that is truly agentic and profoundly liberatory.
The Meanings and Practices of “Consumer Activism” in Postsocialist Bulgaria

This chapter examines the meanings and practices of consumer activism in postsocialist Bulgaria, and shows how postsocialist consumption practices provide a productive site to understand the tension of the politics of modern consumption between “access” and “choice.” It documents and analyzes a prevalent phenomenon in everyday consumer experiences, often referred to as mente (fake/counterfeit) in Bulgaria. Mente goods have been at the center of consumer anxiety and frustration for many postsocialist consumers. The problem of fake or counterfeit goods has been commonly observed in many different countries and at different historical junctures, but the phenomenon of mente raises some critical questions about rights and responsibilities and what consumer activism entails after the experiences of state socialism. These discussions also show how multiple social agents (merchants, consumer experts, the state, and consumers) navigate these tensions that present themselves as moral dilemmas over abundance in the contemporary world.
Statistical Considerations for Bias and Protocol Deviation in Medical Device Pivotal Clinical Study

Background:The gold standard in conducting clinical trials/studies is to follow what is prespecified in the study protocol. However, deviations from the study protocol may occur. This article discusses the issues of protocol deviation in pivotal clinical trials or studies for medical device and provides statistical approaches to mitigating bias such as selection bias specifically for diagnostic test clinical trials or studies.Method:Bias correction methods are developed for 2 specific types of selection biases, prescreening bias and verification bias. Statistical approaches are discussed on how to estimate device performance adjusted for enrollment enrichment and discrepant testing results. We use an FDA-approved Roche Cobas Human Papillomavirus (HPV) test for detecting high-grade cervical disease (>CIN2) as an example to illustrate how to correct for verification bias. A recently FDA-cleared Microarray Assay in detecting copy number variation is used to illustrate how to properly estimate sensitivity and...
Comparative Analysis of Microcystin Prevalence in Michigan Lakes by Online Concentration LC/MS/MS and ELISA

Fast and reliable workflows are needed to quantitate microcystins (MCs), a ubiquitous class of hepatotoxic cyanotoxins, so that the impact of human and environmental exposure is assessed quickly and minimized. Our goal was to develop a high-throughput online concentration liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) workflow to quantitate the 12 commercially available MCs and nodularin in surface and drinking waters. The method run time was 8.5 min with detection limits in the low ng/L range and minimum reporting levels between 5 and 10 ng/L. This workflow was benchmarked by determining the prevalence of MCs and comparing the Adda-ELISA quantitation to our new workflow from 122 samples representing 31 waterbodies throughout Michigan. The frequency of MC occurrence was MC-LA > LR > RR > D-Asp3-LR > YR > HilR > WR > D-Asp3-RR > HtyR > LY = LW = LF, while MC-RR had the highest concentrations. MCs were detected in 33 samples and 13 of these samples had more than 20% of their total MC concentration from MCs not present in US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Method 544. Furthermore, seasonal deviations between the LC/MS/MS and Adda-ELISA data suggest Adda-ELISA cross-reacts with MC degradation products. This workflow provides less than 24-h turnaround for quantification and also identified key differences between LC/MS/MS and ELISA quantitation that should be investigated further.
Wollaston prism-based structured illumination microscope with tunable frequency.

This work proposes an alternative structured illumination (SI) system based on a Wollaston prism (WP) illuminated by the diffracted field of an incoherent linear source. The proposed WP-based SI system presents several advantages. First, the generated fringes can be approximated by a pure sinusoidal pattern; thereby, computational methods developed for sinusoidal SI can be used without the need for additional processing. Second, the SI pattern's period can be continuously varied up to the cutoff frequency of the native widefield system. Most significantly, the phase shifting of the SI pattern required for demodulation in SI microscopy can be easily accomplished using a de Senarmont compensator, which provides accurate lateral displacement of the fringes independently of the lateral modulation frequency. Experimental verifications confirm the presented theoretical predictions.
8.5 Sonocatalysis

The sections in this article are Introduction and the Origins of Sonochemistry Effects of Ultrasound on Heterogeneous Catalysts Metal Powders Modification of Bulk Metals Amorphous and Nanostructured Metal Catalysts Metal Oxides as Catalysts Metal Carbides and Sulfides Catalyst Supports: Sonogels and Zeolites Supported Catalysts Polymerization Catalysts Conclusion Keywords: sonocatalysis; sonochemistry; ultrasound
Characterizing lane changes via digitized infrastructure and low-cost GPS

With the expected increase in the availability of trajectory-level information from connected and autonomous vehicles, issues of lane changing behavior that were difficult to assess with traditiona...
Insurance-Based Disparities In Access, Utilization, And Financial Strain For Adults With Psychological Distress

Limited provider participation within Medicaid and narrow provider networks on health insurance Marketplaces pose potential barriers to accessing and using the health care system for people with be...
CRISPR Genome Editing Systems in the Genus Clostridium: a Timely Advancement

The genus Clostridium is composed of bioproducers, which are important for the industrial production of chemicals, as well as pathogens, which are a significant burden to the patients and on the health care industry. Historically, even though these bacteria are well known and are commonly studied, the genetic technologies to advance our understanding of these microbes have lagged behind other systems. New tools would continue the advancement of our understanding of clostridial physiology. The genetic modification systems available in several clostridia are not as refined as in other organisms and each exhibit their own drawbacks. With the advent of the repurposing of the CRISPR-Cas systems for genetic modification, the tools available for clostridia have improved significantly over the past four years. Several CRISPR-Cas systems such as using wild-type Cas9, Cas9n, dCas9/CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and a newly studied Cpf1/Cas12a, are reported. These have the potential to greatly advance the study of clostridial species leading to future therapies or the enhanced production of industrially relevant compounds. Here we discuss the details of the CRISPR-Cas systems as well as the advances and current issues in the developed clostridial systems.
Do Health Care Mutual Funds Provide Healthy Risk-Adjusted Returns?

Specialty mutual funds, such as health care funds, offer an investor the opportunity to focus on high total return, income, and further diversification within a specific industry. Although extensive research has been conducted on mutual fund performance as well as other specialty mutual fund performance, little research has focused on the performance of health care mutual funds. This article seeks to decode the characteristics of health care mutual funds and their performance by examining their risk-adjusted rate of return from 2001 to 2018. The authors find that, on average, equally weighted portfolios of health care mutual funds did not perform better relative to Dow Jones Health Care Index. Net four-factor alphas of health care mutual funds were positive but insignificant. In addition, based on the two performance models studied, these categories of funds have not consistently created positive net alphas for their investors over longer time periods, such as measured the 2001–2018 period. TOPICS:Mutual fund performance, wealth management Key Findings • Specialty mutual funds, such as health care, offer an investor the opportunity to focus on high total return, income, and further diversification within a specific industry. • We found that, on average, on the basis of risk-adjusted returns, equally weighted portfolios of health care mutual funds did not perform better relative to Dow Jones Health Care Index, but they did outperform Dow Jones Total Market and CRSP Value weighted index. • In addition our results indicated that, based on the four-factor alpha model used in our study, health care mutual funds did not have significantly positive net alphas for their investors over the period of this study (January 2001–December 2018).
Using Digital Media to Empower Adolescents in Smoking Prevention: Mixed Methods Study.

Background: There is a critical need for effective health education methods for adolescent smoking prevention. The coproduction of antismoking videos shows promising results for adolescent health education. Objective: This study explored the feasibility of a smoking prevention program using the coproduction of antismoking videos in order to empower adolescents in smoking prevention and tobacco control. A smoking prevention program based on coproduction of antismoking videos over eight sessions was implemented in a low-income neighborhood. Methods: A mixed methods design with a concurrent embedded approach was used. In total, 23 adolescents participated in the program. During the prevention program, small groups of participants used video cameras and laptops to produce video clips containing antismoking messages. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to examine changes in participants’ psychological empowerment levels between pre- and postintervention; qualitative interview data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Pre- and postcomparison data revealed that participants’ psychological empowerment levels were significantly enhanced for all three domains—intrapersonal, interactional, and behavioral—of psychological empowerment (P<.05). Interviews confirmed that the coproduction of antismoking videos is feasible in empowering participants, by supporting nonsmoking behaviors and providing them with an opportunity to help build a smoke-free community. Conclusions: Both quantitative and qualitative data supported the feasibility of the coproduction of antismoking videos in empowering adolescents in smoking prevention. Coproduction of antismoking videos with adolescents was a beneficial health education method.
In Situ Al-TiC Composites Fabricated by Self-propagating High-Temperature Reaction: Insights on Reaction Pathways and Their Microstructural Signatures

In this study, we have analyzed the formation mechanisms and processing-microstructure relationships for Al/TiC metal matrix nanocomposites produced in situ via thermite-assisted (e.g., CuO) self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS). Al/TiC composites were created by reacting Al-Ti-C-CuO pellets in an Al melt using a wide variety of processing conditions (e.g., precursor powder amounts, bulk melt temperature, precursor powder size, pellet packing method). As-cast composites were visualized using both 2D (SEM) and 3D (TXM) microscopy techniques, to study TiC particle and secondary precipitate (e.g., Al3Ti) characteristics at the nanoscale. SHS-produced samples reveal complex microstructures consisting of individual and clustered TiC particles, elongated Al3Ti intermetallics, and C-rich regions surrounded by TiC. Based on a thermodynamic analysis and our microstructural observations, we propose three dominant TiC formation pathways, each resulting in a distinct microstructural signature. Finally, we utilize multivariate statistics (canonical correlations) on the full breadth of imaging data to infer the dominant processing variables (i.e., amount of CuO and C) that most strongly influence TiC particle characteristics and the final composite microstructure. We also discuss how the dominant processing variables relate to the proposed formation pathways and how they may inform the rational design of future composites produced via thermite-assisted SHS.
Invariant Synapse Density and Neuronal Connectivity Scaling in Primate Neocortical Evolution

Synapses are involved in the communication of information from one neuron to another. However, a systematic analysis of synapse density in the neocortex from a diversity of species is lacking, limiting what can be understood about the evolution of this fundamental aspect of brain structure. To address this, we quantified synapse density in supragranular layers II-III and infragranular layers V-VI from primary visual cortex and inferior temporal cortex in a sample of 25 species of primates, including humans. We found that synapse densities were relatively constant across these levels of the cortical visual processing hierarchy and did not significantly differ with brain mass, varying by only 1.9-fold across species. We also found that neuron densities decreased in relation to brain enlargement. Consequently, these data show that the number of synapses per neuron significantly rises as a function of brain expansion in these neocortical areas of primates. Humans displayed the highest number of synapses per neuron, but these values were generally within expectations based on brain size. The metabolic and biophysical constraints that regulate uniformity of synapse density, therefore, likely underlie a key principle of neuronal connectivity scaling in primate neocortical evolution.
The Conditional Effect of Scientific Knowledge and Gender on Support for COVID-19 Government Containment Policies in a Partisan America

With the onset of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, many state and local governments were forced to implement necessary policies to contain transmission of the deadly virus. These policies ranged from closing most businesses to more controversial proposals, such as postponing primary elections. In this research note, we examine the role scientific knowledge and gender played in citizen perceptions of these virus containment policies both in the general population and among partisans. We find that while a gender gap persists in scientific knowledge, both in the general population and within the parties, women are generally more likely to use this knowledge to inform their policy views on necessary government action during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings shed light on how knowledge and gender intersect to drive support for government intervention during the time of a severe public health crisis in a partisan America.
Expanding Bilingual Social Workers for the East Asian Older Adults beyond the "COVID-19 Racism".

Dear Editor,On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that the outbreak of COVID-19 was a public health emergency of international concern after thousands of cases of the virus had...
Gas Chromatography as Applied to the Industrial Separation of Nitrogen and Helium from Neon

Several values have been given for the concentrations of neon and helium in the air and are shown in Table I. Our recovery figures, to be presented later, are based on the latest values of Gluckauf.