cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical utility of chemical induction of ovulation

Abstract The capacity of clomiphene (MRL-41) to induce ovulation in cases of secondary amenorrhea or irregular anovulatory menses of unknown etiology was evaluated in 32 patients. In 18 patients with secondary amenorrhea the compound induced at least two successive ovulatory menstrual cycles, as judged by vaginal smears and basal body temperature changes in 9 patients (50 per cent). An additional 3 patients (17 per cent) ovulated irregularly. Four pregnancies occurred in this group. Eleven (79 per cent) of 14 patients with irregular anovulatory menses ovulated regularly while taking this drug. Five pregnancies occurred in this group. Two dosage schedules were evaluated: 100 mg. per day for 20 days each month, and 200 mg. per day for 5 days only each month. In patients with irregular anovulatory menses there was no difference in the results with the two dosage schedules. In the group with secondary amenorrhea, however, the longer dosage schedule gave much better results. The major complication of therapy was the development of ovarian cysts in 19 patients (59 per cent), which regressed with cessation of therapy. The incidence of cysts decreased to 7 per cent with the short dosage schedule. Four patients had hot flashes similar to those seen in menopause. No other significant side effects were noted. The induction of ovulation in humans by the administration of clomiphene appears to be a useful therapeutic approach to the problems of patients with secondary amenorrhea or irregular anovulatory menses of unknown etiology. Studies on the mechanism of action of this drug will also lead to a better understanding of reproductive physiology.
Aquaculture, a Component of the Farming Systems among the Fishing Communities in Oil Producing Areas of Delta, Nigeria

The study focused on ascertaining the relative importance of aquaculture in the farming systems of Oil Producing Areas Delta State, Nigeria. A stratified random sample of 598 households from 47 communities was used. Primary data collected between the months of May 2009 and February 2011 by means of structured questionnaire, complemented by oral were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show that 69% of the respondents were into fishing/fish farming either as sole enterprise or in combination with other farming activities while 31% were into non-fish farming activities only. Among those involved in fishing activities, 37% were into capture fisheries, while about 32% were involved in aquaculture either as sole enterprise or in combination with other farming enterprises. The average size of fish pond was about 51 m 2 . The mean household net income from aquaculture per annum was about N91, 542, giving the highest returns on investment of about 45%. The study also found that households practicing aquaculture together with arable cropping generated significantly (P ≤ 0.05) highest net farm income (N127342) than the rest groups of households. The major constraints to aquaculture development were inadequate finance, high cost of feeds and water pollution problems. It was recommended that the current government efforts at boosting investment in aquaculture through microcredit should be stepped up. Local sourcing of feeds by the farmers is also encouraged.
Project Information Literacy's Research Summary: Lifelong Learning Study, Phase Two and the Online Survey

A trends report with preliminary findings from the lifelong learning survey Project Information Literacy administered to recent college graduates from 10 US colleges and universities during October 2014 through December 2014. Survey data was collected from college graduates (n=1,651) about their lifelong learning needs and information practices for their personal development, engagement in local communities, and for staying employable and competitive in the workplace. A majority of grads had a diffuse set of complex learning needs, which often overlapped. Grads relied on a mixed variety of information sources in their lives for staying informed, including search engines, books, blogs, social networks, co-workers, and friends. About half of the respondents credited college with helping them develop their competencies for extracting the information needed and evaluating the credibility of content. The survey results are revealing about the information competencies a majority of students may develop and master during their college years. Still, lifelong learning was not necessarily easier for grads: Many "strongly agreed" with the statement that finding time as well as locating affordable sources for learning after college was challenging.
Key issue: The Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI)

COUNTER: opportunities and challenges Under the skilful leadership of Peter Shepherd and the COUNTER Board, COUNTER is securely fixed among publishers and librarians as the standard for reporting online usage.1 However, on the demand side of the fence, there are serious impedi- ments to making use of the COUNTER reports. The formatting of the delimited reports (either comma-separated or in Excel) is widely variable across publishers, which makes processing them automatically difficult or impossible. Though steps are being taken to make the reports more con- sistent, COUNTER reports are not yet available in a consistent data ‘container’. The administrative cost of individual provider-by-provider down- loads is also high. To make complete use of the reports, library staff must log into each and every one of their different providers, navigate to the right page, then download the appropriate report to their hard drive. Then it is up to the library staff member to consolidate the individual report with all the others and for all the other months.
Lateral mass flux and thermal radiation on natural convection heat and mass transfer from a vertical flat plate in porous media considering Soret/Dufour effects

Abstract The heat and mass transfer characteristics of natural convection about a vertical flat plate embedded in a saturated porous medium with blowing/suction and thermal radiation effects considering Soret and Dufour are numerically analyzed. The surface of the vertical flat plate has a uniform wall temperature and uniform wall concentration (UWT/UWC). The surface blowing/suction velocity is variable. The Rosseland diffusion approximation is employed to describe the radiative heat flux. Similar governing equations are solved by Keller box method. Comparisons showed excellent agreement with the numerical data in previous works. Numerical data for the dimensionless temperature profile, the dimensionless concentration profile, the local Nusselt number and the local Sherwood number are presented graphically for the buoyancy ratio N , the Lewis number Le , the Soret parameter S , the Dufour parameter D , the lateral mass flux parameter f w and the thermal radiation parameter R d . Results show that increase the lateral mass flux parameter and thermal radiation parameter tends to increase the local Nusselt number and the local Sherwood number.
Peptides of myelin basic protein are encephalitogenic in rats without the aid of emulsions.

AbstractImmunization with peptides is usually done with the aid of Freund's adjuvant. Using peptides derived from myelin basic protein, we show that aqueous solutions can be antigenic (encephalitogenic in this instance) in Lewis rats. The first procedure involved multiple doses of aqueous peptide, increased absorption into the lymphatic system from the peritoneal cavity in the postinflammatory state, and the use of pertussis vaccine. Three different peptides containing the major encephalitogenic site were active in this system, with the activity somewhat proportional to the size of the fragment. The second procedure, the direct delivery of peptide to lymph nodes by percutaneous inoculation, was equally successful and did not require the use of pertussis vaccine.
The Effect of Protein and Carbohydrate Levels on the Chemical and Sensory Properties of Beer

The influence of interactions between volatile compounds and different levels of beer carbohydrates and proteins was evaluated. Two beer treatments containing different concentrations of proteins (...
Effect of Dietary Magnesium Deficiency on Calcium Transport by the Rat Small Intestine

SummaryTo determine the effect of dietary magnesium deprivation on intestinal calcium transport by the rat intestine, experiments were performed using an in vitro everted gut sac technique as a measure of transport. Despite the development of hypercalcemia, no increase in the ability of the intestine to transport calcium was demonstrated. The results suggest that the hypercalcemia may be mediated by a mechanism independent of an adaptive increase in intestinal calcium absorption.The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Patricia Stubbert, Paula Ennis and Anne Montague.
Diet-Induced Obesity in the Selenocysteine Lyase Knockout Mouse

Aims: Selenocysteine lyase (Scly) mediates selenocysteine decomposition. It was previously demonstrated that, upon adequate caloric intake (12% kcal fat) and selenium deficiency, disruption of Scly in mice leads to development of metabolic syndrome. In this study, we investigate the effect of a high-fat (45% kcal) selenium-adequate diet in Scly knockout (KO) mice on development of metabolic syndrome. Involvement of selenoproteins in energy metabolism after Scly disruption was also examined in vitro in the murine hepatoma cell line, Hepa1-6, following palmitate treatment. Results: Scly KO mice were more susceptible to diet-induced obesity than their wild-type counterparts after feeding a high-fat selenium-adequate diet. Scly KO mice had aggravated hyperinsulinemia, hypercholesterolemia, glucose, and insulin intolerance, but unchanged inflammatory cytokines and expression of most selenoproteins, except increased serum selenoprotein P (Sepp1). Scly KO mice also exhibited enhanced hepatic levels of pyruvate and enzymes involved in the regulation of pyruvate cycling, such as pyruvate carboxylase (Pcx) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (Pdh). However, in vitro silencing of Scly in Hepa1-6 cells led to diminished Sepp1 expression, and concomitant palmitate treatment decreased Pdh expression. Innovation: The role of selenium in lipid metabolism is recognized, but specific selenium-dependent mechanisms leading to obesity are unclear. This study uncovers that Scly has a remarkable effect on obesity and metabolic syndrome development triggered by high-fat exposure, independent of the expression of most selenoproteins. Conclusion: Diet-induced obesity in Scly KO mice is aggravated, with effects on pyruvate levels and consequent activation of energy metabolism independent of selenoprotein levels. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 23, 761–774.
Discordant reporting of nonmedical opioid use: reply to letter to the editor.

Below is our brief invited response to Ruan, Chiravuri, and Kaye who submitted a Letter to the Editor (1) regarding our recent manuscript “Discordant reporting of nonmedical opioid use in US high s...
Abstract Argumentations Using Voronoi Diagrams

This work introduces a novel approach to dynamic online machine to machine argumentation, which does not require human intervention. The proposed model is a hybrid between weighted, Dung style argumentation frameworks, and competitive facility placement Voronoi games and delivers the outcome in graphic form.
Public goods, common pool resources, and international law

The concept of public goods is often operationalized in the literature as anything that demands some form of international cooperation. While this may be politically useful in generating international cooperation, it is analytically problematic for designing international law with the purpose of enhancing international cooperation. Many of the issues characterized as public goods are in fact common pool resources, which pose distinct issues for international cooperation and demand different legal architectures than public goods for effective international cooperation.
Shared Task Experience in Surgical Teams: Exploring the Benefits and their Boundaries

Operating rooms are one of the most significant contributors to hospital financial performance. Accordingly, identifying factors that influence surgical performance is a key concern for stakeholder...
Consistency of Maximum Likelihood for Continuous-Space Network Models.

Network analysis needs tools to infer distributions over graphs of arbitrary size from a single graph. Assuming the distribution is generated by a continuous latent space model which obeys certain natural symmetry and smoothness properties, we establish three levels of consistency for non-parametric maximum likelihood inference as the number of nodes grows: (i) the estimated locations of all nodes converge in probability on their true locations; (ii) the distribution over locations in the latent space converges on the true distribution; and (iii) the distribution over graphs of arbitrary size converges.
A systematic literature review of the enabling environment elements to improve implementation of water safety plans in high-income countries

Effective risk management helps ensure safe drinking water and protect public health. Even in high-income countries, risk management sometimes fails and waterborne disease, including outbreaks, occur. To help reduce waterborne disease, the WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality recommend water safety plans (WSPs), a systematic preventive risk management strategy applied from catchment to consumer. Since the introduction of WSPs, international guidelines, national and state legislation, and local practices have facilitated their implementation. While various high-income OECD countries have documented successes in improving drinking water safety through implementing WSPs, others have little experience. This review synthesizes the elements of the enabling environment that promoted the implementation of WSPs in high-income countries. We show that guidelines, regulations, tools and resources, public health support, and context-specific evidence of the feasibility and benefits of WSPs are elements of the enabling environment that encourage adoption and implementation of WSPs in high-income countries. These findings contribute to understanding the ways in which to increase the uptake and extent of WSPs throughout high-income countries to help improve public health.
A Legal Analysis of State Tax Policy for Online Sales: The Recipe from Direct Marketing

ABSTRACT The growth of e-commerce has changed the way people shop. The changing business environment is a strain on state governments due to their inability to collect sales and use tax on most int...
Signal-Adaptive Aeroelastic Flight Data Analysis with HHT

This paper investigates the utility of the Hilbert-Huang transform for the analysis of aeroelastic flight data. The recently-developed Hilbert-Huang algorithm addresses the limitations of the classical Hilbert transform through a process known as empirical mode decomposition. Using this approach, the data is filtered into a series of intrinsic mode functions, each of which admits a well-behaved Hilbert transform. In this manner, the Hilbert-Huang algorithm affords time-frequency analysis of a large class of signals. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the potential applications of the Hilbert-Huang algorithm for the analysis of aeroelastic systems. Applications for correlations between system input and output, and amongst output sensors, are discussed to characterize the time-varying amplitude and frequency correlations present in the various components of multiple data channels. Examples are given using aeroelastic flight test data from the F/A-18 Active Aeroelastic Wing aircraft and Aerostructures Test Wing.
The Membrane Potential in the Up State of Striatal Neurons is Determined by Voltage-Activated Potassium Currents

Since the pioneering studies of Albe-Fessard (Albe-Fessard, et al, 1960) it has been well known that most striatal neurons fire rarely and in an episodic fashion. The relative silence of the striatal cells has been the topic of much experimental work and speculation. Initial intracellular recording experiments verified that the cells firing in this pattern are the spiny projection neurons (Wilson and Groves, 1981). Subsequent studies have refuted the previously held view that most striatal neurons are silent due to the action of a strong tonic inhibition (Wilson and Groves, 1981, Wilson et al., 1983, Calabresi et al., 1987, Calabresi et al., 1990, Wilson, 1993). Instead, it has been shown that the projection neurons of the neostriatum have very polarized membrane potentials and a low membrane resistance which opposes firing except during periods of strong excitatory inputs, and further that synaptic input to the projection cells is itself episodic in nature (Cowan and Wilson, 1994). Thus the firing pattern of striatal neurons is now considered primarily to be the product of the temporal pattern of converging excitatory inputs from the cerebral cortex and thalamus, rather than arising mainly from synaptic interconnections within the neostriatum.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Pre-Service Teachers’ Orientations Toward Inquiry-Based Learning in History

In order to implement models of reform-based history education in the classroom there is a fundamental need to address preservice and practicing teachers’ understanding of learning and teaching history, mindful of the role inquiry must play in the process. The project described in this paper employed a comparative case design to explore how prospective social studies educators perceived inquiry-based instruction and the extent to which it aligned with relevant history education for middle and secondary students. Results suggest that the process undertaken by the intervention group may have more of an implicit impact on shaping how preservice teachers understand inquiry. Yet these preservice teachers included more inquiry-based activities in lesson plan products analyzed as part of this project. After the implementation of both means of learning about historical inquiry, many remained conflicted about what the ideal model of inquiry represents for student learning and at what ability level students are capable of engaging in inquiry in social studies.
Distributed State Estimation by Using Active-Passive Sensor Networks

This paper proposes a novel adaptive observer for heterogeneous sensor networks (HSNs) to estimate state vector of an unknown target or process by using the sensed output when the input to the target/process is also not known. In an HSN, nodes are considered either active or passive depending upon their ability to sense the target output. The local information exchange among the nodes is dictated by a connected graph. By using the criterion of collective observability, a novel distributed adaptive estimation is introduced where the nodes are allowed to have different sensor modalities. Stability analysis shows uniform ultimate boundedness of the state estimation and parameter estimation errors. Simulation results are included to validate the proposed approach.
Learning inverse kinematics and dynamics of a robotic manipulator using generative adversarial networks

Abstract Obtaining inverse kinematics and dynamics of a robotic manipulator is often crucial for robot control. Analytical models are typically used to approximate real robot systems, and various controllers have been designed on top of the analytical model to compensate for the approximation error. Recently, machine learning techniques have been developed for error compensation, resulting in better performance. Unfortunately, combining a learned compensator with an analytical model makes the designed controller redundant and computationally expensive. Also, general machine learning techniques require a lot of data to perform the training process and approximation, especially in solving high dimensional problems. As a result, state-of-the-art machine learning applications are either expensive in terms of computation and data collection, or limited to a local approximation for a specific task or routine. In order to address the high dimensionality problem in learning inverse kinematics and dynamics, as well as to make the training process more data efficient, this paper presents a novel approach using a series of modified Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). Namely, we use Conditional GANs (CGANs), Least Squares GANs (LSGANs), Bidirectional GANs (BiGANs) and Dual GANs(DualGANs). We trained and tested the proposed methods using real-world data collected from two types of robotic manipulators, a MICO robotic manipulator and a Fetch robotic manipulator. The data input to the GANs was obtained using a sampling method applied to the real data. The proposed approach enables approximating the real model using limited data without compromising the performance and accuracy. The proposed methods were tested in real-world experiments using unseen trajectories to validate the “learned” approximate inverse kinematics and inverse dynamics as well as to demonstrate the capability and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm over existing analytical models.
Who Goes to Shows? Race-ethnicity and the Visual and Performing Arts:

Using data from the 2012 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, I investigate whether education’s influence on the likelihood of visual and performing arts attendance in the USA varies by race...
Water Quality Models

Applications of water quality models are a required part of many local and regional decisions. The location of major industrial facilities must make use of water quality analyses. Under the Clean Water Act of 1977 (for a review of its provisions see Environmental Law Reporter, 8 ELR 10010, January, 1978), and its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), all public and private facilities that discharge wastes into water bodies must apply for a discharge permit. This application must show the nature and quantity of pollutants which will be discharged at any given site. The application is evaluated in terms of meeting the effluent standards for discharges for that type of plant and the ambient or in-stream standards for water quality. Thus, in the selection of a plant location, the design of plant manufacturing and waste processing facilities (if any), or the expansion of an existing industrial facility, some analysis of the water quality impacts must be made.
Scalable and multifunctional carbon nanotube-based textile as distributed sensors for flow and cure monitoring

Abstract Many manufacturing processes involve flow and cure of polymeric materials and development of sensors to detect these phenomena in situ and in real-time is important to reduce processing time and improve quality. This paper reports the development of a novel multifunctional sensor where carbon nanotubes are deposited onto a nonwoven textile to create a thin and porous areal sensor. The sensor is produced using a scalable dip-coating process and carbon nanotubes form an electrically conductive network on the fabric. Vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) for advanced fiber composites is used to validate the sensor by using global and local distributed measurements to monitor the flow of epoxy resin. Spatial flow mapping is demonstrated using electrical impedance tomography (EIT). In a series of 2-D radial flow experiments, the EIT maps demonstrate accurate estimations for the resin flow, in terms of flow front location and shape, and is able to pinpoint dry spots and unsaturated regions. During elevated temperature cure, the sensor electrical response can be correlated directly to changes in viscosity and gelation of the epoxy. The sensor offers potential as a process sensor for flow and cure as well as for structural health monitoring.
You Will Not Remember This: How Memory Efficacy Influences Virtuous Behavior

The present article explores the effect of memory efficacy on consumer behavior—particularly on consumer’s likelihood to behave “virtuously,” that is, in line with standards, such as ideals, values, morals, and social expectations. Memory efficacy refers to people’s general belief that they will be able to remember in the future the things they are experiencing or doing in the present. We hypothesize and find across five studies that when consumers have low-memory efficacy (vs. control), they are less likely to behave virtuously because their actions seem less consequential for their self-concept (i.e., less self-diagnostic). Using two different experimental manipulations of memory efficacy, we examine its effect on virtuous behavior in the context of prosocial choices—that is, charitable giving (study 1A) and volunteering (studies 1B and 2). We then explore our proposed underlying mechanism (perceptions of self-diagnosticity) using causal-chain mediation (studies 3A and 3B) and moderation approaches (studies 4 and 5) in the context of food choices. We conclude with a discussion of the practical and theoretical implications of our findings.
Family Law: Marriage and Divorce

Family law is the branch of civil law that deals with all things that occur in a family. It deals with marriage, divorce, children, and other family responsibilities. If all goes well, the state does not intervene in the family except to constitute it by requiring registration when people marry. The law defines who can marry, and what happens to individuals when they acquire family or marital property. If there are problems and the people choose to dissolve the family, called dissolution of marriage or divorce, then the state intervenes and pronounces it over with a decree. If there are problems with the family members assuming their responsibilities the court might intervene upon a petition. Family law governs what happens to family property during a death of one of its members or a divorce. Wills and trusts are discussed as are other economic factors. Major changes in family laws in the U.S. and other countries now grant legal rights, including the right to marry, to those who identify as LBGTQ so that marriage is no longer restricted to just one man and one woman. Both legal and social prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are discussed here. Other topics such as child custody issues, child abuse, legal rights of children, reproductive rights, and juveniles are discussed in separate chapters.
Transcaval TAVR on A LVAD Patient Presenting with Cardiogenic Shock

Introduction Aortic insufficiency (AI) following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement is a serious, well established complication. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been successfully used in LVAD patients developing AI. However, femoral/iliac arterial access required for TAVR is not always possible due to arterial calcifications and small arterial size. Transcaval approach is a novel alternative percutaneous catheter route from the IVC, through the retroperitoneal space, into the abdominal aorta. Transcaval TAVR in LVAD patients with severe AI has not been described. CASE Patient is a 28 year old female with history of postpartum STEMI secondary to spontaneous LAD/LCX dissection requiring CABG with subsequent cardiogenic shock requiring emergent LVAD (HeartMate 3) placement. One month following LVAD implantation, she presents with intractable nausea and vomiting. Physical exam illustrates a cachectic female who was hypotensive, tachycardic, with cool extremities. Laboratory evaluation reveals elevated lactate, transaminases and creatinine. Abdominal CTA shows a prior dissection in the infrarenal abdominal aorta, occlusion of the right external iliac artery and stenosis in the left external iliac artery. On echocardiography, there is severe, continuous, aortic regurgitation increased in severity compared to baseline. Right heart catheterization illustrates right atrial pressure 18 mmHg, pulmonary artery pressure 53/25 mmHg, pulmonary wedge pressure 24 mmHg, and cardiac index 1.3 L/min/m2. Patient is referred for urgent TAVR via transcaval access due to her stenotic and small sized iliac arteries. A pigtail was inserted in the left femoral artery and advanced to the abdominal aorta and another pigtail was inserted in the right femoral vein and advanced to the IVC to align with the aorta one. From the IVC, an astato wire was crossed into the aorta using wats to electrify the wire. A Sapien 3 valve was deployed. The caval aortic fistula was closed with a covered aortic stent. Final angiography showed complete occlusion of the fistula. Post intervention, patient experienced immediate improvement with resolution of cardiogenic shock. At three months, she remained asymptomatic and echocardiogram showed a well seated valve with no AI. DISCUSSION We present an urgent transcaval TAVR performed for a LVAD patient presenting with cardiogenic shock due to AI. Transcaval TAVR is a promising intervention that can be successfully used in LVAD patients developing AI with challenging iliofemoral arterial access.
The crystal structure of TlMgCl3 from 290 K to 725 K.

The title compound, thallium magnesium trichloride, has been identified as a scintillator with both moderate gamma-stopping power and moderate light yield. Knowledge of its crystal structure is needed for further development. This work determines the crystal structure of TlMgCl3 to be hexa-gonal P63/mmc (No. 194) and isostructural with RbMgCl3, contrary to previously reported data. This structure was obtained by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and was further confirmed by neutron diffraction measurements. Extending neutron diffraction measurements to high temperature, the data show that TlMgCl3 maintains this crystal structure from 290 K up through 725 K, approaching the melting point of 770 K. Anisotropic thermal expansion coefficients increase over this temperature range, from 31 to 38 × 10-6 K-1 along the a axis and from 19 to 34 × 10-6 K-1 along the c axis.
Exploring attitudes about developing cancer among patients with pre-existing mobility disability.

Objective Mobility disability affects approximately 13.7% of the United States population, representing the most common disability type. People with mobility disability experience disparities in cancer screening and higher prevalence of some cancers compared to the general population. We sought to explore the attitudes of people with pre-existing mobility disability about their cancer diagnosis. Methods We conducted open-ended individual interviews with 20 participants who had pre-existing mobility disability requiring use of an assistive device or assistance with performance of activities of daily living (ADLs), subsequently diagnosed with cancer (excluding skin cancers). Interviews reached data saturation and were transcribed verbatim for conventional content analysis. Results Concerns coalesced around three major themes: sense of control over health conditions, seeking support, and recommendations for other people with disability seeking cancer care. Some participants described feeling a loss of control over their cancer diagnosis that they did not have regarding disability, while others suggested that disability presented greater challenges than their cancer diagnosis. Participants described seeking various forms of support, including emotional support (e.g., from friends and family), informational support (e.g., recommendations for seeking care), instrumental support (e.g., ADLs), and appraisal (e.g., self-reflection of personal qualities for fighting cancer). They provided recommendations, highlighting importance of self-advocacy and being attuned to changes in health status. Conclusions We found that people with pre-existing mobility disability and cancer express complex attitudes towards their cancer diagnosis. Findings may inform efforts to improve quality of relevant supports to meet the psychosocial needs of this population.
Rigid monoclonal antibodies improve detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are the basis of treatments and diagnostics for pathogens and other biological phenomena. We conducted a structural characterization of mAbs against the N-terminal domain of nucleocapsid protein (NP NTD ) from SARS-CoV-2 using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Our solution-based results distinguished the mAbs' flexibility and how this flexibility impacts the assembly of multiple mAbs on an antigen. By pairing two mAbs that bind different epitopes on the NP NTD , we show that flexible mAbs form a closed sandwich-like complex. With rigid mAbs, a juxtaposition of the Fabs is prevented, enforcing a linear arrangement of the mAb pair, which facilitates further mAb polymerization. In a modified sandwich ELISA, we show the rigid mAb-pairings with linear polymerization led to increased NP NTD detection sensitivity. These enhancements can expedite the development of more sensitive and selective antigen-detecting point-of-care lateral flow devices (LFA), key for early diagnosis and epidemiological studies of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens.
Efficient and stable flexible Sb2Se3 thin film solar cells enabled by an epitaxial CdS buffer layer

Abstract Recently, Sb2Se3, an Earth-abundant constituents compound, has emerged as a promising low-cost thin film photovoltaic material. The Sb2Se3 solar cells with a polycrystalline CdS buffer layer suffer from unsatisfactory photoexcitation stability. Herein, we fabricate flexible Sb2Se3 thin film solar cells by utilizing the transferable van der Waals epitaxial CdS on mica as a buffer layer. Compared to the nonepitaxial CdS buffer layer, the epitaxial CdS can significantly reduce the interface defects and interfacial diffusion. With the improved Sb2Se3/CdS interface, we obtained a power conversion efficiency of 7.15%, and the flexible Sb2Se3 solar cell exhibits an excellent stability under the continuous illumination. In addition, after 1000 bending cycles with a 50° bending angle, the flexible device maintained over 90% of the initial efficiency. These encouraging results demonstrate a potential application of Sb2Se3 solar cells in flexible, lightweight, and wearable power supply.
Identification of Active Metal Carbide and Nitride Catalytic Facets for Hydrodeoxygenation Reactions

The catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction is of considerable interest for biomass conversion to valuable chemicals and fuels, where one of the critical bottlenecks is the lack of cost-effecti...
Evolutionary psychology, learning, and belief signaling: design for natural and artificial systems.

Recent work in the cognitive sciences has argued that beliefs sometimes acquire signaling functions in virtue of their ability to reveal information that manipulates “mindreaders.” This paper sketches some of the evolutionary and design considerations that could take agents from solipsistic goal pursuit to beliefs that serve as social signals. Such beliefs will be governed by norms besides just the traditional norms of epistemology (e.g., truth and rational support). As agents become better at detecting the agency of others, either through evolutionary history or individual learning, the candidate pool for signaling expands. This logic holds for natural and artificial agents that find themselves in recurring social situations that reward the sharing of one’s thoughts.
Risk and Resilience Processes in Single-Mother Families: An Interactionist Perspective

The developmental consequences of economic hardship and poverty for family functioning and child and adolescent adjustment continue to be of concern to developmentalists and policy makers. Economic changes in the United States during the past two decades, such as increasing income inequality, have renewed interest in how social position and economic resources affect families and the development of children (Conger & Donnellan, 2007). Research shows that more socially and economically disadvantaged adults and children are at higher risk for physical, emotional, and behavioral problems (Bradley & Corwyn, 2002; Conger, Conger, & Martin, 2010; McLoyd, 1998; Schoon, Sacker, & Bartley, 2003). Also important, it is increasingly evident that the family acts as a conduit for socioeconomic influences on the development of children and adolescents (e.g., Repetti, Taylor, & Seeman, 2002). Two dominant perspectives have been proposed to explain the nature of the relationships among contextual stressors, family functioning, and child development. The first, social causation, proposes that variations in environmental conditions, such as poverty or social support, lead to differences in social, emotional, cognitive, and physical functioning. In contrast the social selection perspective argues that differences in individual traits or characteristics account for the associations among adverse life events, family functioning, and life course development (Conger & Donnellan, 2007).
Cdc7-Dbf4 Kinase Overexpression in Multiple Cancers and Tumor Cell Lines Is Correlated with p53 Inactivation

Cdc7 is a conserved serine/threonine kinase essential for the initiation of DNA replication, likely by activating the MCM DNA helicase at the G(1-) to S-phase transition. Cdc7 kinase activity requires association with its regulatory subunit Dbf4/activator of S-phase kinase. Cdc7-Dbf4 is also downstream of the conserved Ataxia telangectasia and RAD3-related kinase that responds to stalled replication forks or DNA damage. In this study, we found that Cdc7 protein was very low or undetectable in normal tissues and cell lines but had increased expression in approximately 50% of the 62 human tumor cell lines we examined. Most cell lines with increased Cdc7 protein levels also had increased Dbf4 abundance, and some tumor cell lines had extra copies of the DBF4 gene. A high expression of Cdc7 protein was also detected in primary breast, colon, and lung tumors but not in the matched normal tissues. We also found a high correlation between p53 loss and increased CDC7 and DBF4 expression in primary breast cancers (P = 3.6 x 10(-9) and 1.8 x 10(-10), respectively) and in the cancer cell lines we studied. Therefore, increased Cdc7-Dbf4 abundance may be a common occurrence in human malignancies.
A Community Affair: Effectuating Meaningful Community Involvement in New York School Governance

In 2009, the New York Legislature imposed more stringent requirements on the State’s Department of Education when it amended section 2590-h of article 52-A of the Education Law. Now, as a precondition to closing or significantly changing the use of a school, the Chancellor, who heads the Department of Education, must prepare an impact statement detailing the ramifications of the proposal on students and the community. The Chancellor is also required to hold a joint public hearing where affected community members can present comments or concerns. In 2010, community members affected by proposed school closures in New York City successfully challenged the Department of Education’s compliance with section 2590-h. Although the appellate court affirmed the decision, it left the applicable standard of review a question. This Comment argues that section 2590-h calls for meaningful community involvement and the court should therefore apply a strict standard in reviewing the Department of Education’s compliance.
X-RAY STUDIES OF SYNTHETIC COFFINITE, THORITE AND URANOTHORITES

X-ray data are presented for synthetic coffinite, thorite, and several uranothorites. The cell constants obtained for coffinite are a = 6.981 plus or minus 0.004 kX, c = 6.250 plus or minus 0.005 kX; for thorite a = 7.128 plus or minus 0.004 kX, c = 6.314 plus or minus 0.003 kX. Intermediate constants determined for several uranothorites indicate a continuous solid solution between USiO/sub 4/ and ThSiO/sub 4/. Coffinite and thorite are isostructural with zircon; the space group is D//sub 4h//sup 19/ --I/sub 4/a md. The oxygen positions for coffinite are u = 0.180 plus or minus 0.010, v = 0.347 plus or minus 0.010 and for thorite u = 0.166 plus or minus 0.010 v = 0.347 plus or minus 0.010. No changes were observed either in line intensities or in cell constants when (OH) was removed from the hydrothermal preparations. (auth)
The Shklovsky Paradox

Shklovsky estimated distances to planetary nebulae (PNs) based on an assumed constant ionized mass and the relationship between flux and radius under the assumption of a constant density, fully ionized shell. He found that a mass of ~0.2 M⊙ yielded the best results. Estimates of the ionized masses of PNs with independently determined distances also rarely exceed a few tenths of a solar mass. This is surprising since many PNs are thought to derive from high mass progenitors (up to 8 M⊙). Recent optical work (Plait and Soker, 1990) and our own computer simulations show that this simple mass estimation method may severely underestimate the total ionized mass. This is because of a halo of lower density ionized material which often contributes only a small fraction of the PN luminosity even though it may contain many times the mass of the dense inner shell. The precipitous drop in surface brightness (both optical and radio) beyond the inner part of the ionized shell also lead to underestimates of the PN’s actual ionized radius. Since the evolution of PNs is driven by the expansion of the nebular shell coupled with the evolution of the nucleus (PNN), we ran several simulations using a simple momentum conserving two-wind model as well as employing density profiles derived by more sophisticated energy conserving models, with a wide range of wind parameters and using two different models of PNN evolution. From our simulations (assuming a 4 M⊙ progenitor) we derive an apparent “Shklovsky Mass” — defined as the ionized mass that would be derived from the observationally determined fluxes and radii of our model PNs. While the total ionized masses and Stromgren radii of the model PNs varied widely depending on the PNN and wind parameters, the derived Shklovsky mass consistently remained below one solar mass. This result is almost independent of the total ionized mass or the mass of the progenitor envelope and is fairly insensitive to the wind parameters chosen as input to the models. The observed spread of masses (based on an error analysis of the work of Gathier, 1987) is similar to the mass dispersion in our models for PNs of moderate age. This may explain why the Shklovsky distance method has been found to agree well with kinematic distances (Schneider and Terzian, 1983) even though the fundamental assumptions may be inappropriate for the nebula as a whole.
Direct Numerical Simulation of a Swept-Wing Boundary Layer with an Array of Discrete Roughness Elements

Direct numerical simulations of crossflow-induced boundary layer transition are performed for a 45-degree swept wing with an array of discrete roughness elements placed near the leading edge, at a chord Reynolds number of 2.4 million. A large part of the wing upper surface in the chordwise direction (but with only less than two-percent chord in the spanwise direction) is resolved to simulate the growth and breakdown of crossflow vortices on the wing. The procedures, initial results and some difficulties encountered during the study are described.
Is the vanished testis always a scrotal event

Objective To determine if perinatal testicular torsion resulting in a vanished testis is an event that primarily occurs in the scrotum. Patients and methods The records of 54 boys identified as having a solitary testis were reviewed. The side of absence, size of the solitary testis, method of surgical evaluation (scrotal, inguinal or abdominal), surgical findings and histology of the tissue removed were noted. Results The testis was absent twice as often on the left side, the solitary testis was hypertrophic in 25 of 42 boys in whom it was evaluated, and tissue grossly or histologically consistent with a testicular ‘nubbin’ was removed in 52 boys. Scrotal (47) or inguinal (seven) exploration was carried out in all. Laparoscopy (28) or abdominal exploration (two) was undertaken to confirm that no testicular tissue was present in the abdomen in 30 boys, including the two in whom no tissue was found on scrotal or inguinal exploration. Conclusions Perinatal testicular torsion occurs after descent but before fixation of the tunica vaginalis to the scrotal wall. These testes atrophy, leaving a remnant of tissue in the scrotum that can be identified on scrotal exploration in almost all cases. Therefore, it is recommended that the evaluation of the child with a solitary palpable testis start with scrotal exploration. Laparoscopy should be reserved for those in whom no tissue consistent with a testicular nubbin is found in the scrotum.
Storing data from fusion experiments at the National Storage Laboratory

The National Storage Laboratory (NSL) at the National Energy Research Supercomputer Center (NERSC) is a prototype facility which is developing data storage and retrieval techniques using hardware that includes a hierarchy of storage devices. The ultimate goal is to store terabytes of data and achieve rapid retrieval times compatible with the type of media where the data is stored. Files stored in the NSL are accessed directly using the Network File System (NFS); in the future, the Andrew File System (AFS) is expected to be used. System level control of files is available using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a set of program-callable routines. We have experimented with storing and retrieving data from fusion experiments at LLNL and at General Atomics in San Diego, California, using computers running UNIX and VMS operating systems. We discuss some issues associated with accessing files whose names are known, but which are not immediately available, the time required for retrieval, and other pertinent parameters.
Report on a pilot project successfully implementing a design-to-test methodology

Concurrent development of new device designs and test packages is recognized as essential to bringing new products to market faster This paper describes a series of software tools which, when used in concert, make implementation of this methodology feasible. The paper also reports on a pilot project that successfully used this implementation on a new device design and test package. An analysis of the results and lessons learned follows.
Mass Spectrometry Based Targeted Protein Quantification: Methods and Applications

The recent advance in technology for mass spectrometry-based targeted protein quantification has opened new avenues for a broad range of proteomic applications in clinical research. The major breakthroughs are highlighted by the capability of using a “universal” approach to perform quantitative assays for a wide spectrum of proteins with minimum restrictions and the ease of assembling multiplex detections in a single measurement. The quantitative approach relies on the use of synthetic stable isotope labeled peptides or proteins, which precisely mimic their endogenous counterparts and act as internal standards to quantify the corresponding candidate proteins. This report reviews recently developed platform technologies for emerging applications of clinical proteomics and biomarker development.
An Apprenticeship Approach for the Development of Operations Automation Knowledge Bases

Operations automation is automation that replaces, wholly or in part, operational activities currently carried out by human controllers in complex systems. It is intended to be neither ‘black-box’ nor ‘human-tended’ automation, but rather automation that functions independent of human control and yet still facilitates its inspection and repair as necessary. This paper describes research to develop an apprenticeship approach to developing a knowledge base to support such automation. The result is both a human-centered automation approach and a software architecture, Apprentice, to support this approach. Apprentice enables human operators to create the knowledge base for operations automation by performing their normal control activities. Apprentice watches and compares them with those specified in the knowledge base, noting discrepancies between the knowledge base and operator activities. Graphical knowledge base editing tools are then used—-by the domain practitioners—-to modify, refine, or extend the kno...