cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Formation of Antibody Homologous to the Sulfanilazo Group: The Response to Sulfanilazo-Sheep Red Cell Stromata and the Effect of X Irradiation in Rabbits

Since the demonstration in 1917 by Landsteiner (1947) that small, chemically defined groups attached to protein can stimulate the formation of specifically reactive antibodies, this antihapten response has been of considerable importance in the development of theories of antibody formation and mechanisms of reaction (Talmage, 1959; Eisen, 1959). However, it is relatively difficult to obtain a precipitating antibody specific for the hapten itself and most work with haptens has been done either with reactions of hypersensitivity or with antiserums obtained after one
Mechanical Model of Neuronal Function Loss

The mechanism of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is directly related to the relationship between the mechanical response of neurons and their biological/chemical functions since the neuron is the main functional component of brain.1 The hypotheses is that the external mechanical load will firstly cause the mechanical deformation of neurons, and then, when the mechanical deformation of neurons reaches to a critical point (the mechanical deformation threshold), it will initiate the chemical/biological response (e.g. neuronal function loss). Therefore, defining and measuring the mechanical deformation threshold for the neuronal cell injury is an important first step to understand the mechanism of mTBI. Typically, the mechanical response of neurons is investigated based on the deformation of in vitro model, in which the neurons are cultured on the elastic substrate (e.g. PDMS membranes). The elastic membrane is deformed by the external load, e.g. equibiaxial stretching. The substrate deformation is considered to be the deformation of neurons since the substrate is several orders stiffer than the neurons and the neurons are perfectly bonded with the substrate. The fluoresce method is typically used to test the cell injury, e.g. the cell vitality and the neuron internal ROS level.1, 2 © 2010 ASME
Statements from Youth in Legal Contexts: Effects of Consistency, Legal Role, and Age.

Jurors are often asked to evaluate statements provided by young victims, witnesses, and suspects. When, over time, youths' statements contain inconsistent information or recantations of prior statements, jurors face a difficult task in evaluating the validity of the initial claim. The underlying reasons for inconsistencies and recantation of young people's statements, particularly in cases of child sexual abuse, have been debated. Of primary interest here is whether inconsistencies (e.g., recantation) are evaluated differently by fact finders depending on the youth's age and role in a legal case. The current study examined effects of consistency of juvenile statements, legal role, and age on perceptions of testimony in a child sexual abuse investigation. Participants (N = 693) read vignettes describing child sexual abuse in which consistency of a follow-up statement (consistent, inconsistent, recanted), legal role (victim, witness, suspect), and age (10 years, 16 years) of the juvenile providing testimony were manipulated. The results revealed that judgments of initial statement quality, blameworthiness, and guilt were dependent on the consistency of follow-up statements and on the interactive effects of a juvenile's legal role and age. The current study has theoretical implications for understanding juror decision-making and practical implications for legal professionals and fact finders evaluating youths' statements. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en
Implications of the human/animal bond for human health and veterinary practice.

Topics covered are: the role played by the veterinary surgeon in the prevention of zoonoses; the link between animal sentinels and the human population; and pet ownership and human physical and mental health.
Modeling Host–Vector–Pathogen Immuno-inflammatory Interactions in Malaria

Half of the global population is at risk for malaria, which results in nearly one million deaths annually, 86 % of which are in children [1]. Plasmodium falciparum, the most important human malaria parasite, is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Parasite development in the mosquito begins with the ingestion of blood containing sexualstage gametocytes. Mobile ookinetes penetrate the midgut epithelium 24–36 h later and transform into midgut-bound oocysts within the open circulatory system of the mosquito. Oocysts grow and develop for 10–12 days and then release thousands of sporozoites, which invade the salivary glands and are released during later blood feeding by the mosquito.
Expression of Cyanobacterial FBP/SBPase in Soybean Prevents Yield Depression under Future Climate Conditions

Predictions suggest that current crop production needs to double by 2050 to meet global food and energy demands. Based on theory and experimental studies, overexpression of the photosynthetic enzyme sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (SBPase) is expected to enhance C3 crop photosynthesis and yields. Here we test how expression of the cyanobacterial, bifunctional fructose-1,6/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (FBP/SBPase) affects carbon assimilation and seed yield (SY) in a major crop (soybean, Glycine max). For three growing seasons, wild-type (WT) and FBP/SBPase-expressing (FS) plants were grown in the field under ambient (400 μmol mol−1) and elevated (600 μmol mol−1) CO2 concentrations [CO2] and under ambient and elevated temperatures (+2.7 °C during daytime, +3.4 °C at night) at the SoyFACE research site. Across treatments, FS plants had significantly higher carbon assimilation (4–14%), Vc,max (5–8%), and Jmax (4–8%). Under ambient [CO2], elevated temperature led to significant reductions of SY of both genotypes by 19–31%. However, under elevated [CO2] and elevated temperature, FS plants maintained SY levels, while the WT showed significant reductions between 11% and 22% compared with plants under elevated [CO2] alone. These results show that the manipulation of the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle can mitigate the effects of future high CO2 and high temperature environments on soybean yield.
Atlanto-Axial Fractures and Instability

Management of the spine trauma patient requires thorough neurologic and radiographic evaluation. While a majority of spine traumatic conditions can be managed non-operatively, high index of suspicion must be maintained to avoid missing critical injuries that could lead to immediate or delayed neurologic deterioration.
Brain and Peripheral Atypical Inflammatory Mediators Potentiate Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration

Neuroinflammatory response is primarily a protective mechanism in the brain. However, excessive and chronic inflammatory responses can lead to deleterious effects involving immune cells, brain cells and signaling molecules. Neuroinflammation induces and accelerates pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Multiple Sclerosis. Neuroinflammatory pathways are indicated as novel therapeutic targets for these diseases. Mast cells are immune cells of hematopoietic origin that regulate inflammation and upon activation release many proinflammatory mediators in systemic and central nervous system inflammatory conditions. In addition, inflammatory mediators released from activated glial cells induce neurodegeneration in the brain. Systemic inflammation-derived proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines and other factors cause a breach in the blood brain-barrier (BBB) thereby allowing for the entry of immune/inflammatory cells including mast cell progenitors, mast cells and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines into the brain. These peripheral-derived factors and intrinsically generated cytokines/chemokines, α-synuclein, corticotropin-releasing hormone, substance P, beta amyloid 1-42 (Aβ1-42) peptide and amyloid precursor proteins can activate glial cells, T-cells and mast cells in the brain can induce additional release of inflammatory and neurotoxic molecules contributing to chronic neuroinflammation and neuronal death. The glia maturation factor, a proinflammatory protein discovered in our laboratory released from glia, activates mast cells to release inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Chronic increase in the proinflammatory mediators induces neurotoxic Aβ and plaque formation in AD brains and neurodegeneration in PD brains. Glial cells, mast cells and T-cells can reactivate each other in neuroinflammatory conditions in the brain and augment neuroinflammation. Further, inflammatory mediators from the brain can also enter into the peripheral system through defective BBB, recruit immune cells into the brain, and exacerbate neuroinflammation. We suggest that mast cell-associated inflammatory mediators from systemic inflammation and brain could augment neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the brain. This review addresses the role of some atypical inflammatory mediators that are associated with mast cell inflammation and their activation of glial cells to induce neurodegeneration.
Effect of particle entrainment on the runout of pyroclastic density currents

Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) can erode soil and bedrock, yet we currently lack a mechanistic understanding of particle entrainment that can be incorporated into models and used to understand how PDC bulking affects runout. Here we quantify how particle splash, the ejection of particles due to impact by a projectile, entrains particles into dilute PDCs. We use scaled laboratory experiments to measure the mass of sand ejected by impacts of pumice, wood, and nylon spheres. We then derive an expression for particle splash that we validate with our experimental results as well as results from seven other studies. We find that the number of ejected particles scales with the kinetic energy of the impactor and the depth of the crater generated by the impactor. Last, we use a one-dimensional model of a dilute, compressible density current—where runout distance is controlled by air entrainment and particle exchange with the substrate—to examine how particle entrainment by splash affects PDC density and runout. Splash-driven particle entrainment can increase the runout distance of dilute PDCs by an order of magnitude. Furthermore, the temperature of entrained particles greatly affects runout and PDCs that entrain ambient temperature particles runout farther than those that entrain hot particles. Particle entrainment by splash therefore not only increases the runout of dilute PDCs but demonstrates that the temperature and composition of the lower boundary have consequences for PDC density, temperature, runout, hazards and depositional record.
Introduction to a special issue on clinician–researchers: a career engaged in both therapy research and practice1

AbstractThis special issue is devoted to understanding the experiences of professionals who both conduct therapy research and provide psychotherapy. To introduce this special issue, I first provide a brief overview of the potential significance of this topic, including my personal interest in this type of career, and the genesis of this special issue. Next, I address the prevalence of this kind of career among psychologists. I then discuss each of the six papers presented in this special issue, including salient themes connecting these authors’ works. Finally, informed by this scholarship and the research of others, I present a model for helping to conceptualize the various ways of being a clinician–researcher and conclude with a list of key points of learning, including recommendations for future inquiry.
Everyday Islam in Post-Soviet Central Asia

1. Introduction 2. Islam in Post-Soviet Central Asia 3. Sufism and the Veneration of Saints in Central Asia 4. Bukhara 5. Ziyorat 6. Journey in the Homeland 7. Imagining Time 8. Doing Business with Bibi Seshanba 9. Conclusion: Faraway so Close
Cosmic time: From the big bang to the eternal future

Cosmology presents intriguing issues for the understanding and tracking of time. The big bang theory says that the universe began 13.8 billion years ago, in a situation of almost unimaginable temperature and density. The age of the universe is highly constrained by the world model, as long as there are reliable measurements of the current expansion rate (the Hubble constant), and amounts of baryonic matter, dark matter, and dark energy. A crucial cross-check on the model age comes from stellar chronometers and the ages of the oldest stars in the Milky Way. Landmarks in cosmic evolution reach back to about 380,000 years (recombination), 40,000 years (matter domination), and a few minutes (light element creation) after the big bang.
Female Urethral Reconstruction

Female urethral injury is an uncommon issue, though frequently requiring complex surgical reconstruction. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment of female urethral injuries requires an adequate understanding of female urethra anatomy and function, causes of female urethra injury, diagnostic evaluation of the female urethra, and proper surgical treatments of female urethral injuries. Most injuries are due to iatrogenic causes, childbirth, or pelvic fracture. Injuries that result in urethral loss can be corrected with urethroplasty utilizing vaginal tissue advancement or advancement of a flap of bladder tissue. Placement of a sling for coexisting incontinence can be performed simultaneously with autologous fascia; sling placement in patients without stress incontinence, though frequently practiced, is controversial. Depending on the location, urethral strictures can be treated with meatotomy, endoscopic incision, or graft urethroplasty. For the most severe cases, urine can be diverted suprapubically, with the bladder closed transvaginally with a tight obstructing autologous sling or via surgical closure of the bladder neck. Surgical repair of female urethral injuries is usually a successful procedure with durable outcomes.
The Listeriolysin O PEST-like Sequence Co-opts AP-2-Mediated Endocytosis to Prevent Plasma Membrane Damage during Listeria Infection.

Summary Listeriolysin O (LLO) is a cholesterol-dependent cytolysin that mediates escape of Listeria monocytogenes from a phagosome, enabling growth of the bacteria in the host cell cytosol. LLO contains a PEST-like sequence that prevents it from killing infected cells, but the mechanism involved is unknown. We found that the LLO PEST-like sequence was necessary to mediate removal of LLO from the interior face of the plasma membrane, where it coalesces into discrete puncta. LLO interacts with Ap2a2, an adaptor protein involved in endocytosis, via its PEST-like sequence, and Ap2a2-dependent endocytosis is required to prevent LLO-induced cytotoxicity. An unrelated PEST-like sequence from a human G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), which also interacts with Ap2a2, could functionally complement the PEST-like sequence in L. monocytogenes LLO. These data revealed that LLO co-opts the host endocytosis machinery to protect the integrity of the host plasma membrane during L. monocytogenes infection.
Examples from computational geometry that demonstrate the potential of using the thrust library to implement parallel processing on GPUs

This paper uses two classic problems in computational geometry to illustrate how GPUs can be used to achieve large speedups with minimal effort. The Thrust library, which supports rapid, high-level parallel coding on GPUs, is used to accelerate simple brute-force algorithms for solving these problems. Familiarity with parallel processing is increasingly necessary for software developers, and the ideas presented here can be used as in-class examples or as programming assignments that can introduce students to parallel processing using GPUs in appropriate college courses. The problems are easy to visualize and understand and demonstrate very well the speedups that can be achieved with parallel processing on GPUs.
A reevaluation of iron binding by Mycobactin J.

The complex stability constant (log β110) and the free iron concentration (pM) are used to compare the relative strength of iron binding by siderophores. Direct measurements of these thermodynamic parameters are often not possible for siderophores due to very large log β110 values ranging from 30 to 50. Instead, siderophore iron(III)-binding constants are determined by competitive experiments with other strong chelators with known values, such as EDTA. Iron(III) binding constants of water-insoluble siderophores, such as the mycobactins produced by the mycobacterium family, have never been directly measured. Since mycobactins contain two hydroxamic acid binding motifs, their log β110 values have been assumed to be comparable to those of other hydroxamate-based siderophores like desferrioxamine B, at ~ 30. However, exochelin MN, another mycobacterial siderophore that contains two hydroxamic acid moieties, has a log β110 of 39.1 and a pM of 31.1, which makes it among the strongest siderophores known. We have found that mycobactin J, the amphiphilic siderophore of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, can remove iron(III) from TrenCAM (log β110 = 43.6) within 1 min in methanol. This surprising result indicates that log β110 for mycobactin J is ~ 43 and the ligand exchange kinetics in methanol is fast. The results imply that mycobactins are capable of removing iron quickly from very strongly binding siderophores in a cellular milieu. We propose a model mechanism for iron acquisition by pathogenic mycobacteria in vivo. This model explains how the host iron captured by siderophores can be returned to the invading pathogen even in the absence of active uptake mechanisms.
Microscopic Origins of the Variability of Water Contact Angle with Adsorbed Contaminants on Layered Materials

Significant variations in the literature reports of water contact angles on layered materials have been interpreted to suggest that the wettability of layered materials can be very sensitive to contamination in an ambient environment. However, the theoretical potential for contamination to account for this variation has yet to be quantitatively fully explored. To address this gap, we combined a Lifshitz-based contact angle model with density functional theory calculations of optical properties to study the wettability of graphite and MoS2. We first demonstrated the layer dependence and substrate dependence of wettability. We find that the contact angle generally decreases with increasing number of layers for a suspended layered material, whereas for a layered material on a substrate, the contact angle change depends on the dielectric functions of both the layered material and the substrate. Then, to study in depth the effect of contamination, we considered a spectrum of potential contaminating molecules i...
Introductory Surgical Skills Course: Technical Training and Preparation for the Surgical Environment

Introduction Early exposure to surgery in a positive learning environment can contribute to increased student interest. The primary objectives of this study included developing increased comfort in...
Detecting Cyber Attacks Using Anomaly Detection with Explanations and Expert Feedback

Detecting cyber attacks in large computer networks is crucial for many organizations. To that purpose, different types of detectors capture the important signals resembling a security attack from individual computers and bring that to the attention of a security analyst. Unfortunately, the analyst sometimes has no indications about why the particular computer was identified as being "under attack". In addition, the analyst may have no method to provide feedback to the detector if the computer was actually identified for some benign reason. In this paper, we use a state-of-the-art anomaly detector called an Isolation Forest [1] for attack detection and generate explanations about why the detector identified certain computers as anomalous. These explanations allow the analyst to direct their investigation in order to save time. We then take the feedback from the analyst in the form of true and false positives and update the anomaly detector to capture signals that align better with the given feedback. Our experiments on actual network data show that the explanations give more insight into the detections, and the analyst’s feedback increases the attack detection rate.
Unpacking Genetic Risk Pathways for College Student Alcohol Consumption: The Mediating Role of Impulsivity.

Background The period of college represents a particularly risky developmental stage with regard to alcohol use, as college students engage in more risky drinking behaviors than their noncollege peers, and such problematic alcohol use is associated with far-reaching negative consequences. Existing findings from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) indicate that alcohol consumption has a complex polygenic etiology. Currently, there is a lack of studies examining genetic risk for alcohol consumption using polygenic risk scores (PRS) in college samples. In this study, we examined whether alcohol-specific and risky behavior-related PRS were longitudinally associated with alcohol consumption among college students and whether this effect might be partially mediated by impulsivity domains. Methods The sample included n = 2,385 European ancestry (EA) and n = 1,153 African ancestry (AA) college students assessed over the course of 4 years. To indicate genetic risk, 2 PRS were created based on recent large-scale GWAS: alcohol consumption (Liu et al., 2019) -drinks per week (DPW)-PRS and risky behaviors (Linner et al., 2019) -RISK-PRS. The main outcome was alcohol consumption, measured across 4 waves of follow-up data. The UPPS-P impulsivity subscales were examined as mediators of the genetic effect on alcohol consumption. Results The results from structural equation modeling showed that among EA students, both DPW-PRS and RISK-PRS had significant positive effects on alcohol consumption above and beyond UPPS dimensions and control variables. RISK-PRS explained larger portion of variance in alcohol consumption than DPW-PRS. RISK-PRS showed a significant indirect effect on alcohol consumption through sensation seeking and lack of perseverance; no significant indirect effect of DPW-PRS was found. No significant association of either PRS or alcohol consumption was found for AA participants. Conclusions The current results found that PRS related to more broadly defined risky behaviors predicted alcohol consumption across college years and that this association was partially mediated via dimensions of impulsivity.
Sinonasal quality-of-life outcomes after endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery

BACKGROUND There are substantial gaps in our understanding of the influence of the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) for endoscopic skull base surgery on sinonasal-specific quality of life (QOL) as well as the instruments available for assessment. Our primary objective in this study was to characterize postoperative changes in sinonasal QOL, specifically using the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), with a secondary objective of delineating weaknesses in our current understanding of patient symptomatology after EEA for skull base surgery. METHODS A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and SCOPUS for studies reporting SNOT-22 data pre- and postoperatively in patients who underwent EEA for skull base pathologies. Studies were limited to patients ≥18 years of age and excluded patients diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). RESULTS Nineteen unique studies with 27 separate data sets and a total of 1025 patients were used in this meta-analysis. Overall SNOT-22 scores statistically improved at the 6-month (p = 0.0009) and 1-year (p = 0.002) time-points. Patients with preoperative SNOT-22 scores ≥20 achieved postoperative improvements at 12-week (p < 0.00001), 6-month (p < 0.0001), 1-year (p < 0.00001), and long-term follow-up (p < 0.0001). Patients with preoperative SNOT-22 scores <20 remained stable and did not worsen postoperatively. CONCLUSION Patients undergoing EEA for skull base pathologies who have impaired sinonasal QOL preoperatively demonstrated significant postoperative QOL improvements. Those patients with relatively normal preoperative sinonasal QOL remained asymptomatic postoperatively. This study supports the need for development of a contemporary disease- and approach-specific, validated QOL instrument for skull base pathologies.
Telomere Length Is Associated with Disability Progression in Multiple Sclerosis

OBJECTIVE To assess whether biological aging as measured by leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with clinical disability and brain volume loss in multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS Adults with MS/clinically isolated syndrome in the University of California, San Francisco EPIC cohort study were included. LTL was measured on DNA samples by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and expressed as telomere to somatic DNA (T/S) ratio. Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and 3-dimensional T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging were performed at baseline and follow-up. Associations of baseline LTL with cross-sectional and longitudinal outcomes were assessed using simple and mixed effects linear regression models. A subset (n = 46) had LTL measured over time, and we assessed the association of LTL change with EDSS change with mixed effects models. RESULTS Included were 356 women and 160 men (mean age = 43 years, median disease duration = 6 years, median EDSS = 1.5 [range = 0-7], mean T/S ratio = 0.97 [standard deviation = 0.18]). In baseline analyses adjusted for age, disease duration, and sex, for every 0.2 lower LTL, EDSS was 0.27 higher (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.13-0.42, p < 0.001) and brain volume was 7.4mm3 lower (95% CI = 0.10-14.7, p = 0.047). In longitudinal adjusted analyses, those with lower baseline LTL had higher EDSS and lower brain volumes over time. In adjusted analysis of the subset, LTL change was associated with EDSS change over 10 years; for every 0.2 LTL decrease, EDSS was 0.34 higher (95% CI = 0.08-0.61, p = 0.012). INTERPRETATION Shorter telomere length was associated with disability independent of chronological age, suggesting that biological aging may contribute to neurological injury in MS. Targeting aging-related mechanisms is a potential therapeutic strategy against MS progression. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:671-682.
Organic superhydrophobic coatings with mechanical and chemical robustness

Stable superhydrophobic coatings were produced from aqueous suspensions of epoxy nanoparticles. The superhydrophobic coatings demonstrated excellent mechanical robustness and chemical resistance. Aqueous solutions of ionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and small organic molecules on superhydrophobic coatings could wet the superhydrophobic coatings. However, the superhydrophobicity can be recovered by rinsing the wet surface with water. It was also discovered that, although seemed wetted, the superhydrophobic surface was separated from the solution of ionic surfactant by a layer of ionic surfactant molecules. In contrast, nonionic and small organic molecules could not aggregate on the superhydrophobic surfaces; the coatings were exposed to the solutions.
Complement Dysregulation Syndromes in Children and Adolescents

The perceived complexity of the complement system has limited the understanding of its prevalence within many disease processes. Well-known disorders such as Shiga Toxin E. coli hemolytic uremic syndrome (STEC HUS) have overshadowed emerging lesser-known diseases such as atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), Streptococcus pneumoniae hemolytic uremic syndrome (spHUS), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and congenital CD59 deficiency in the pediatric population. Unfortunately, delays in differential consideration and diagnosis of such complement dysregulation syndromes in children often lead to catastrophic outcomes. Morbidity and mortality have been reduced through early recognition and implementation of appropriate therapeutic interventions. This chapter will portray a more abridged version of the physiologic mechanisms of complement and its relation to pediatric disease processes with the goal of improving awareness through a broader understanding.
Measuring price discovery between nearby and deferred contracts in storable and nonstorable commodity futures markets

Using price discovery measures, including Putniņs’ (2013) information leadership share and intraday data, we quantify the proportional contribution of nearby and deferred contracts in price discovery in the corn and live cattle futures markets. On average, nearby contracts reflect information more quickly than deferred contracts in the corn market, but have a relatively less dominant role in the live cattle market. In both markets, the nearby contract loses dominance when its relative volume share dips below 50%, which typically occurs when the nearby is close to maturity. Regression results indicate that the share of price discovery is mainly related to trading volume and time to expiration in both markets. In the corn market, price discovery share between nearby and deferred contracts is also related to inverse carrying charges, crop year differences, USDA announcements, market crashes, and commodity index position rolls. Differences between corn and live cattle markets are consistent with differences in the contracts’ liquidity and commodity storability.
Onset of magnetic reconnection in a collisionless, high- plasma

In a magnetized, collisionless plasma, the magnetic moment of the constituent particles is an adiabatic invariant. An increase in the magnetic-field strength in such a plasma thus leads to an increase in the thermal pressure perpendicular to the field lines. Above a plasma, imply that the geometry of reconnecting magnetic fields can differ radically from the standard Harris-sheet profile often used in simulations of collisionless reconnection. As a result, depending on the rate of CS formation and the initial CS thickness, tearing modes whose growth rates and wavenumbers are boosted by this difference may disrupt the mirror-infested CS before standard tearing modes can develop. A quantitative theory is developed to illustrate this process, which may find application in the tearing-mediated disruption of kinetic magnetorotational ‘channel’ modes.
Phosphorescent monometallic and bimetallic two-coordinate Au(I) complexes with N–heterocyclic carbene and aryl ligands

Abstract A series of mononuclear and binuclear two coordinate Au(I) complexes consisting of a MAC carbene ligand (1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-5,5-dimethyl-4-keto-tetrahydropyridylidene) and an aryl ligand, including phenyl, biphenyl, naphthyl and anthryl, are reported. The oxidation potential is controlled by the choice of arene ligand, whereas the reduction potential of the complexes is determined by their common MAC carbene ligand. Owing to the heavy atom effect of Au and the aryl ligand-based T1 state, most of these complexes present phosphorescent emission in both solution and polymer film. A high photoluminescence efficiency (ΦPL = 0.84) with a long decay lifetime (τ = 0.36 ms) is obtained for the 1-naphthyl derivative. The complex with the anthryl ligand displays thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) attributed to ISC between the S1 and T2 states, along with locally excited phosphorescence from the T1 state of the anthryl ligand.
A Digitally-Reconfigurable RC Frequency Generator using Impedance IQ-Balanced Frequency-Locked-Loop with Selectable Phase Mixing

With the growing demand for on-chip, low-power clock references in emerging sensor and IoT systems with extreme power limitations, performance of these frequency references requires continued improvement in energy efficiency, area, frequency stability, and frequency reconfigurability. RC oscillators using a frequency-locked loop (FLL) [1 – 6] formed by a frequency detector (FD), an error amplifier, and a voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO) are increasingly used. Compared to a conventional RC relaxation oscillator, the absence of a PVT-sensitive comparator enhances frequency stability. The FD is the dominant FLL block for determining power, noise, and frequency stability performance of the oscillator. In [1], [2], a differential FD provides superior immunity to supply and ground noise, however these topologies lack frequency reconfigurability without changing R REF and C REF . In [3 – 6], the FD is implemented using a switched-capacitor and a voltage reference with resistor, where frequency can be adjusted using the reference voltage. However, voltage-domain adjustment is limited by the DC operating range, and generation of a stable, adjustable on-chip voltage reference is required.
Antireflux and Endoscopic Therapies for Barrett Esophagus and Superficial Esophageal Neoplasia.

Barrett esophagus (BE), defined as intestinal metaplasia of the distal esophageal mucosa, typically results from chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease and is the only known precursor of esophageal adenocarcinoma. The standard of care for the management of early esophageal neoplasia in the setting of BE has changed drastically over the past 15 years. Further investigation into diagnostic and therapeutic adjuncts will continue to improve our ability to control or cure BE before its advancement to a life-threatening malignancy.
From Closing Triangles to Higher-Order Motif Closures for Better Unsupervised Online Link Prediction

This paper introduces higher-order link prediction methods based on the notion of closing higher-order network motifs. The methods are fast and efficient for real-time ranking and link prediction-based applications such as online visitor stitching, web search, and online recommendation. In such applications, real-time performance is critical. The proposed methods do not require any explicit training data, nor do they derive an embedding from the graph data, or perform any explicit learning. Most existing unsupervised methods with the above desired properties are all based on closing triangles (common neighbors, Jaccard similarity, and the ilk). In this work, we develop unsupervised techniques based on the notion of closing higher-order motifs that generalize beyond closing simple triangles. Through extensive experiments, we find that these higher-order motif closures often outperform triangle-based methods, which are commonly used in practice. This result implies that one should consider other motif closures beyond simple triangles. We also find that the best motif closure depends highly on the underlying network and its structural properties. Furthermore, all methods described in this work are fast for link prediction-based applications requiring real-time performance. The experimental results indicate the importance of closing higher-order motifs for unsupervised link prediction. Finally, these new higher-order motif closures can serve as a basis for studying and developing better unsupervised real-time link prediction and ranking methods.
Extremely low-power, multi-Gigabit electrical signaling for parallel optical modules

This paper describes a physical interface for short distance electrical links that are typically used to link parallel optical modules into the system. This interface, called minimal power link (MPL), significantly reduces power consumption by reducing the transmit signal strength and adopting a novel electrical receiver circuit. In addition, MPL interface reduces electromagnetic emissions leading to reduced EMI - an important consideration in densely packaged server platforms.
Complete nucleotide sequence of the fast skeletal troponin T gene. Alternatively spliced exons exhibit unusual interspecies divergence.

Abstract The continuous nucleotide sequence of the rat fast skeletal muscle troponin T gene is reported, complementing the previous determinations of its structural organization and its capacity to encode multiple isoforms via alternative RNA splicing. Canonical promoter elements, as well as consensus sequences that may be involved in the 3′ processing of the primary transcript, are present. All exons are flanked by conventional donor and acceptor splice sites, which can hybridize to U1 RNA. Extensive computer-assisted analyses of the genomic sequence do not reveal cis elements that unambiguously distinguish alternative from constitutive exons. Local RNA secondary structures can be predicted, however, that sequester exons or their splice sites in stem-and-loop formations, and which may also pair with small nuclear RNAs. These interactions might, in theory, contribute to differential exon usage. The structural features of exon organization that characterize this rat skeletal gene are closely conserved in the chicken cardiac troponin T gene, but the former exhibits a more diversified capacity for differential splicing. Implications for the mechanisms of alternative RNA splicing are considered. Comparisons of troponin T amino acid sequences among several species reveal striking dissimilarities, in contrast to the otherwise highly conserved contractile proteins. These divergences involve entire peptide subsegments and are concentrated in the same domains as are encoded by alternatively spliced exons, suggesting that exon shuffling may have contributed to the evolution of troponin T.
POLITICAL BELIEF NETWORKS: Socio-Cognitive Heterogeneity in American Public Opinion

Most research on public opinion assumes that American political views are structured by a belief system with a clearly-deﬁned liberal-conservative polarity; however, this is not true of all Americans. In this article we document systematic heterogeneity in the organization of political attitudes and explain its basis in the sociodemographic proﬁle of the respondents. We use Relational Class Analysis (RCA), a network-based method for detecting heterogeneity in collective patterns of opinion, to identify distinctive belief networks, each shared by a diﬀerent group of respondents. Analyzing ANES data between 1984 and 2004, we identify three groups of American citizens that remain stable throughout this period: it Ideologues, whose political attitudes strongly align with either liberal or conservative categories; Alternatives, who are instead morally conservative but economically liberal, or vice versa; and Agnostics, who exhibit weak associations among political beliefs. Respondents’ sociodemographic proﬁles, particularly their income, education, and religiosity, lie at the core of the diﬀerent ways in which they understand politics. When their economic interests and social identities are incompatible with the traditional liberal-conservative polarity (e.g., high earners with weak religious commitments), individuals gravitate toward alternative ways of conceptualizing the political debate. These results raise important methodological questions concerning the assumption of population homogeneity.
An intelligent supervisory system for online statistical process control

The methods of intelligent process control and their application to provide a quality product with a minimum number of defects are presented. A case study of a high-pressure polyethylene production process using intelligent distributed controls is examined. A distributed statistical quality control structure is defined in two levels. The first level is the statistical process control scheme, and the second is the process management system, including statistical quality control. The design and implementation procedures are discussed as applied to a polyethylene reactor. >
Mexican Expatriates Vote? Framing and Agenda Setting in U.S. News Coverage About Mexico

This content analysis examined framing and second-level agenda setting in U.S. newspaper pre-election coverage of the 2006 Mexican presidential elections and the new Mexican expatriate voting law. The authors conducted a quantitative analysis of 161 articles and a qualitative analysis of 36 articles in U.S. newspapers from August 2005 through mid-April 2006. Findings indicated that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador received more coverage (59.6%) than Roberto Madrazo (27.8%) or the eventual winner, Felipe Calderon (29.1%). Candidate attributes were highlighted more than Mexican domestic or Mexico–U.S. issues. The dominant procedural frame was the election horse race. The main substantive frames were the election as an extension of U.S.–Mexico economic relations and the election as an extension of Latin American leftist/populist movements. The expatriate voting law was characterized as unsuccessful and blamed on apathetic voters, the Mexican government's faulty implementation, and a corrupt system.
Chapter 2 Uptake and Fate of Perchlorate in Higher Plants

Abstract Perchlorate recently emerged as a drinking water contaminant, and its high water solubility and relatively unreactive nature under ambient conditions make it a persistent and mobile contaminant. Perchlorate interferes with iodine uptake by the human thyroid, potentially leading to adverse effects on normal metabolism and cognitive function in sensitive groups. There is an interest in the fate of perchlorate in higher plants because phytoremediation is a promising remediation option, and because there is mounting concern about human exposure to perchlorate from contaminated produce. Perchlorate is taken up by many higher plants and is mainly stored in leaves, although perchlorate is also found in smaller quantities in fruits, stems, seeds, and roots. Transpiration plays a key role in delivery of perchlorate to plant roots, and it appears that perchlorate traverses the root cell membrane via the same ion transporter as for nitrate. Certain plants are able to metabolize high concentrations (mg/liter) of perchlorate within their leaves (phytodegradation) by way of chlorate and chloride intermediates to chloride, although this process is slower than ex situ microbial degradation in the root zone (rhizodegradation). However, it is currently unknown whether higher plants will metabolize smaller quantities (i.e., μg/liter concentrations) of perchlorate in vivo . More research is needed in order to determine the extent of translocation, phytodegradation, and exudation of perchlorate and its metabolites, as well as the ability of modified stems and roots to store perchlorate.
Effect of COX-2-specific inhibition on fracture-healing in the rat femur.

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications have been shown to delay fracture-healing. COX-2-specific inhibitors such as celecoxib have recently been approved for human use. Our goal was to determine, mechanically, histologically, morphologically, and radiographically, whether COX-2-specific inhibition affects bone-healing. Methods: A nondisplaced unilateral fracture was created in the right femur of fifty-seven adult male rats. Rats were given no drug, indomethacin (1 mg/kg/day), or celecoxib (3 mg/kg/day) daily, starting on postoperative day 1. Fractures were analyzed at four, eight, and twelve weeks after creation of the fracture. Callus and bridging bone formation was assessed radiographically. The amounts of fibrous tissue, cartilage, woven bone, and mature bone formation were determined histologically. Morphological changes were assessed to determine fibrous healing, callus formation, and bone-remodeling. Callus strength and stiffness were assessed biomechanically with three-point bending tests. Results: At four weeks, only the indomethacin group showed biomechanical and radiographic evidence of delayed healing. Although femora from rats treated with celecoxib appeared to have more fibrous tissue than those from untreated rats at four and eight weeks, radiographic signs of callus formation, mechanical strength, and stiffness did not differ significantly between the groups. By twelve weeks, there were no significant differences among the three groups. Conclusions: Postoperative administration of celecoxib, a COX-2-specific inhibitor, did not delay healing as seen at twelve weeks following fracture in adult rat femora. At four and eight weeks, fibrous healing predominated in the celecoxib group as compared with the findings in the untreated group; however, mechanical strength and radiographic signs of healing were not significantly inhibited. Clinical Relevance: Many orthopaedists rely on narcotic analgesia for postfracture and postoperative pain, despite deleterious side effects and morbidity. Traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications have been shown to delay fracture union. This effect may be smaller with COX-2-specific inhibitors.
RABAC: role-centric attribute-based access control

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a commercially dominant model, standardized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Although RBAC provides compelling benefits for security management it has several known deficiencies such as role explosion, wherein multiple closely related roles are required (e.g., attending-doctor role is separately defined for each patient). Numerous extensions to RBAC have been proposed to overcome these shortcomings. Recently NIST announced an initiative to unify and standardize these extensions by integrating roles with attributes, and identified three approaches: use attributes to dynamically assign users to roles, treat roles as just another attribute, and constrain the permissions of a role via attributes. The first two approaches have been previously studied. This paper presents a formal model for the third approach for the first time in the literature. We propose the novel role-centric attribute-based access control (RABAC) model which extends the NIST RBAC model with permission filtering policies. Unlike prior proposals addressing the role-explosion problem, RABAC does not fundamentally modify the role concept and integrates seamlessly with the NIST RBAC model. We also define an XACML profile for RABAC based on the existing XACML profile for RBAC.
Organizational Political Economy and Environmental Pollution

Environmental scholars have made important progress explaining the social forces associated with pollution. Although important exceptions exist, insufficient attention has been given to organizations, which is where most environmental pollution is produced. Even less attentions has been given to parent companies, which have ultimate decision-making authority over their polluting facilities. To file this gap in the literature, this paper develops an organizational political economy perspective to advance our understanding of how organizational and political-legal arrangements affect parent companies' capacity to externalize their pollution costs to society. Organizational political economy maintains that corporations' organizational complexity, financial characteristics, management operating systems, political embeddedness in subnational states, and the degree of compliance with national and subnational environmental policies affect their capacity to externalize pollution costs. This perspective also shows how the exercise of organizational power to externalize pollution costs subsidizes the managerial and investor classes by the middle and working classes, whose taxes pay for a large share of environmental clean-up costs, thereby contributing to economic inequality that goes beyond standard inequality measurements.
Simulation of the Taylor–Green Vortex Using High-Order Flux Reconstruction Schemes

In this paper, the ability of high-order flux reconstruction numerical schemes to perform accurate and stable computations of compressible turbulent flows on coarse meshes is investigated. Two new flux reconstruction schemes, which are optimized for wave dissipation and dispersion properties, are compared to the nodal discontinuous Galerkin and spectral difference methods recovered via the energy-stable flux reconstruction method. The Taylor–Green vortex benchmark problem at Re=1600 is used as a simple a priori test of the numerics. Dissipation rates computed from kinetic energy, vorticity, and pressure dilatation are plotted against reference solutions. Results show that, at low mesh resolution, the flux reconstruction schemes are highly accurate across a range of orders of accuracy, although oscillations can appear in the solution at orders of six and above. Although the flux reconstruction method has a built-in stabilization mechanism, an additional means of damping these instabilities is required. The...