cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DISTRIBUTION OF NONSTRUCTURAL VARIATION BETWEEN WHEAT CULTIVARS ALONG CHROMOSOME ARM 6Bp: EVIDENCE FROM THE LINKAGE MAP AND PHYSICAL MAP OF THE ARM

Metaphase I (MI) pairing of homologous chromosomes in wheat intercultivar hybrids (heterohomologous chromosomes) is usually reduced relative to that within the inbred parental cultivars (euhomologous chromosomes). It was proposed elsewhere that this phenomenon is caused by polymorphism in nucleotide sequences (nonstructural chromosome variation) among wheat cultivars. The distribution of this polymorphism along chromosome arm 6Bp (=6BS) of cultivars Chinese Spring and Cheyenne was investigated. A population of potentially recombinant chromosomes derived from crossing over between telosome 6Bp of Chinese Spring and Cheyenne chromosome 6B was developed in the isogenic background of Chinese Spring. The approximate length of the Chinese Spring segment present in each of these chromosomes was assessed by determining for each chromosome the interval in which crossing over occurred (utilizing the rRNA gene region, a distal C-band and the gliadin gene region as markers). The MI pairing frequencies of these chromosomes (only the complete chromosomes were used) with the normal Chinese Spring telosome 6Bp were determined. These were directly proportional to the length of the euhomologous segment. The longer the incorporated euhomologous segment the better was the MI pairing. This provided evidence that the heterohomologous chromosomes are differentiated from each other in numerous sites distributed throughout the arm.—The comparison of the physical map of arm 6Bp with the linkage map showed a remarkable distortion of the linkage map; no crossing over was detected in the proximal 68% of the arm. A population of 49 recombinant chromosomes was assayed for recombination within the rRNA gene region, but none was detected. No new length variants of the nontranscribed spacer separating the 18S and 26S rRNA genes were detected either.
Isostatic, thermal, and flexural models of the subsidence of the north coast of Puerto Rico

Published seismic reflection records show that the north coast of Puerto Rico subsided in three stages, each dominated by different physical mechanisms. In the late mid-Eocene to mid-Oligocene, tensional thinning of hot island-arc crust and sediment loading caused uniform subsidence of 1 to 2 km. During the Oligocene and Miocene the area sank uniformly almost 2 km because of sediment loading and thermal contraction from the previous stage of magmatism. In the Pliocene, flexural isostasy led to mild uplift on land and over 4 km of sinking along the south side of the Puerto Rico Trench. The flexure was driven mainly by tectonic erosion of island-arc crust by the newly underthrust North American plate.
Comparative responsiveness of supracaudal and other sebaceous glands in male and female guinea pigs to hormones.

Different types of sebaceous glands in guinea pigs were chosen to study their comparative responsiveness to steroid hormones. Glands selected were (1) Sebaceous glands associated with rudimentary hair in the supracaudal gland; (2) Free sebaceous glands of the nipple; (3) Sebaceous glands associated with the hair. The results showed distinct differences in sensitivity among these different sebaceous glands and according to the sex of the experimental animal. The most responsive of the glands in males was the supracaudal gland; in the female the most responsive glands were the sebaceous glands of the nipple. Sebaceous glands associated with normal hair were relatively insensitive to changes in hormonal level. In all cases testosterone propionate was more potent in stimulating any of the sebaceous glands than progesterone. After gonadectomy, various sebaceous glands showed unequal states of depletion due to the different rates of differentiation and disintegration of their cells into sebum.
High-speed optical wireless connectivity: design challenges and performance evaluation

The paper proposes free-space optics (FSO) as one of the potential solutions for the design and development of next generation, high-capacity, high-speed wireless networks. The hybrid wireless architecture is introduced and the role of FSO in the proposed architecture is highlighted. The significance of the hybrid architecture in achieving ubiquitous, carrier-grade wireless connectivity is also explained. The paper presents various FSO network design challenges and potential solutions for real-time FSO link performance characterization as well as dynamic FSO link adaptability for enhanced performance during adverse operating conditions. Dynamic power control and dynamic data rate control schemes are evaluated for FSO link adaptability. Dynamic load switching (DLS) scheme for hybrid architecture functionality during extreme conditions is also evaluated. Finally, the paper describes an elaborate field test-bed based on hybrid architecture, and various dynamic FSO link adaptation techniques implemented in to the test-bed. The performance of these dynamic link adaptation schemes and DLS functionality is presented to quantify the improvement in overall hybrid architecture performance. The results, recorded from the experiments during extreme weather conditions, validate the hybrid architecture concept and conclusively prove the reliability of the architecture in achieving sustained high-speed connectivity.
A Framework for Investigating Minority Group Influence in Urban School Reform

Minority students in urban schools have the most to gain if efforts at reforming urban school systems work and the most to lose if nothing changes. Yet research on educational reform has not addressed how minority communities influence decisions about how to change their children's schools. Thus far, research has dealt only with how reform affects minority students and communities, not with how minority groups affect the planning of reform. This article offers a more active perspective. It investigates how a minority group might influence the conceptualization, planning, and implementation of urban school reform and suggests a framework for that influence.
Clinical Challenges and Images in GI

Question: A 29-yearold white man was brought to our department with a presumptive diagnosis of diffuse hepatic metastasis. He was complaining of anorexia and abdominal right upper quadrant discomfort over the last 2 months. On physical examination he had a nodular liver border, 2-cm below the right costal margin. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography were performed, revealing the presence of multiple nodules diffusely distributed throughout the liver parenchyma. The patient referred a history of asthma, recently medicated with montelukast, and denied alcohol intake or hepatotoxic drug exposure. Liver tests demonstrated slightly elevated aspartate aminotransferase (64 U/L), alanine aminotransferase (98 U/L), and -glutamyltransferase (270 U/L) levels. The remaining blood tests (tumor markers—-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, and CA19.9; viral serologies; autoimmunity; ceruloplasmine; HFE genotype), as well as upper GI endoscopy and ileocolonoscopy, were normal. The subsequent investigation with abdominal magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography (Figure A, B) revealed an abnormal vascular structure (arrows) and elucidated this clinical situation. What is the most likely diagnosis? Look on page 000 for the answer and see the GASTROENTEROLOGY web site (www.gastrojournal.org) for more information on submitting your favorite image to Clinical Challenges and Images in GI. Acknowledgments: The authors thank Dr Carlos Pina Vaz for providing the radiological films.
Managing the Personal Side of Health: How Patient Expertise Differs from the Expertise of Clinicians

Background: When patients need health information to manage their personal health, they turn to both health professionals and other patients. Yet, we know little about how the information exchanged among patients (ie, patient expertise) contrasts with the information offered by health professionals (ie, clinician expertise). Understanding how patients’ experiential expertise contrasts with the medical expertise of health professionals is necessary to inform the design of peer-support tools that meet patients’ needs, particularly with the growing prevalence of largely unguided advice sharing through Internet-based social software. Objective: The objective of our study was to enhance our understanding of patient expertise and to inform the design of peer-support tools. We compared the characteristics of patient expertise with that of clinician expertise for breast cancer. Methods: Through a comparative content analysis of topics discussed and recommendations offered in Internet message boards and books, we contrasted the topic, form, and style of expertise shared in sources of patient expertise with sources of clinician expertise. Results: Patient expertise focused on strategies for coping with day-to-day personal health issues gained through trial and error of the lived experience; thus, it was predominately personal in topic. It offered a wealth of actionable advice that was frequently expressed through the narrative style of personal stories about managing responsibilities and activities associated with family, friends, work, and the home during illness. In contrast, clinician expertise was carried through a prescriptive style and focused on explicit facts and opinions that tied closely to the health care delivery system, biomedical research, and health professionals’ work. These differences were significant between sources of patient expertise and sources of clinician expertise in topic (P < .001), form (P < .001), and style (P < .001). Conclusion: Patients offer other patients substantial expertise that differs significantly from the expertise offered by health professionals. Our findings suggest that experienced patients do not necessarily serve as “amateur doctors” who offer more accessible but less comprehensive or detailed medical information. Rather, they offer valuable personal information that clinicians cannot necessarily provide. The characteristics of patient expertise and the resulting design implications that we identified will help informaticians enhance the design of peer-support tools that will help meet patients’ diverse information needs. [J Med Internet Res 2011;13(3):e62]
A Predictive Risk Model for Electroshock-Induced Mortality of the Endangered Cape Fear Shiner

Abstract We evaluated the effects of a single electroshock on injury and mortality of hatchery-reared Cape Fear shiners Notropis mekistocholas (N = 517), an endangered cyprinid. Groups of 18-22 Cape Fear shiners were exposed to DC, 120-Hz pulsed DC (PDC), or 60-Hz PDC at voltage gradients of 1.1, 1.9, or 2.7 V/cm for 3 s. Mortality occurred only among fish exposed to 120-Hz PDC (25%) and DC (38%) applied at 2.7 V/cm. Because no mortality occurred in Cape Fear shiners exposed to 60-Hz PDC, this waveform was selected for further study of electroshock duration (3, 6, 12, 24, or 48 s) and voltage gradient (0.9, 1.6, or 2.3 V/cm). Most fish electroshocked in the experiments were immobilized (ceased swimming motion). No physical injury was detected by necropsy or radiography in any fish. Electroshock-induced mortality of Cape Fear shiners showed a strong multivariable relationship to voltage gradient, electroshock duration, and fish length. Fish subjected to 60-Hz PDC at 0.9 or 1.6 V/cm for 6 s experienced low ...
On the Straightness of Digital Arcs

The straightness of a digital arc can simply be determined by the absence of unevenness in its chain code. The absence of unevenness is a necessary and sufficient condition for a digital arc to have the chord property, and it offers a much simpler alternative for examining whether a digital arc has the chord property or not. This condition is also the most comprehensive and precise expression of the third criterion about digital straight lines given by Freeman. The relations among the chord property, Freeman's three criteria, and the hierarchical structure that a digital straight line supposedly have become much more clear. A procedure to detect the uneven segments and algorithms for determining the straightness of digital arcs is also included.
Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) gardening program for restoration in Delaware's Inland Bays, USA.

Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica is a keystone species in many estuarine bays. They clean the water by filtering out suspended particulates from the water column, while their reefs serve as valuable habitat for many ecologically and economically important macrofaunal species. However, with the ever-increasing development along our coastlines, the oyster population throughout the Mid-Atlantic region has plummeted as a result of overharvesting, extreme eutrophication, and disease. In response to this detrimental decline, many conservation organizations in the area have developed community-involvement programs commonly referred to as ‘oyster gardening’ to help restore the oyster population, while instilling within the community a strong sense of stewardship for their bays. Although the oyster gardening program in Delaware is relatively new, its popularity has grown tremendously. It is the hope of many Delaware residents that the reintegration of oysters into the Inland Bays will help to return their bays to the state of health in which they once were. Despite the expansion, further development of designated reef area is necessary to ensure the successful proliferation of C. virginica in Delaware’s Inland Bays.
Testing efficient market hypothesis for the dollar–sterling gold standard exchange rate 1890–1906: MLE with double truncation

Abstract This paper tests an efficient market hypothesis for the dollar–sterling exchange rate under the classical gold standard in the period 1890–1906. The test is based on maximum likelihood estimation of doubly truncated time series. The results show that weak-form efficiency can not be rejected if truncation by the gold points is incorporated. The results, however, are sensitive to the gold points estimates used.
Concurrent built-in self-test with reduced fault latency

Presents various new approaches for concurrent built-in self-test (CBIST). These new approaches have a low latency in fault detection. Two approaches are proposed. The first approach is applicable to combinational logic circuits which can be designed using iterative logic arrays (ILAs). Two methods namely the HIT-COMPRESS and HIT-IDENTICAL, are discussed. These methods employ different hardware structures to accomplish on-line detection. The second approach is applicable to sequential circuits. Two implementations are presented. The first implementation is based on a ring counter, while the second implementation utilizes a parity tree. The principles of operation of these approaches have been fully analyzed and it is proved that fault latency is considerably less than in previous approaches. Hardware overhead issues are also analyzed. >
An X- and Ku-Band Wideband Recursive Receiver MMIC With Gain-Reuse

This paper presents an 8-18 GHz wideband receiver with recursive super-heterodyne topology. A multi-feedback technology is utilized in the LNA design for the input matching over the wide frequency range in X- and Ku-band. In order to save power, both the RF and IF signals share a tunable transconductance stage. The IF output of the first mixer is fed back into the tunable input stage for IF amplification in a recursive manner, which significantly enhances the gain tuning without increasing the power. The wideband receiver MMIC is implemented in a 0.13 SiGe BiCMOS technology and achieves a 6.7-7.8 dB noise figure. The receiver average gain over the frequency range is measured as 53 dB maximum gain with 20 dB continual tuning and 36 dB discrete tuning. The average output P1dB over the frequency range is measured as 10 dBm at maximum gain. The receiver dissipates only 180 mW with a 2.2 V power supply.
Drivers leading to higher food prices: biofuels are not the main factor

Since 2007, the overall rise in food prices in the USA was twice that of the overall inflation rate, led by inflation for poultry and dairy products in particular. Prominent studies have indicated that the main drivers associated with the rise in food prices in the past 3 yr are the increased energy costs (and the trickle-down impact on farm input costs) and the devaluation of the US dollar. However, currently, the impact of crude oil as one of the primary drivers in food prices has waned significantly, as crude oil prices have fallen dramatically since late 2008. The data reviewed here debunk the popular myth that food producers, particularly farmers growing corn or soybean for biofuel feedstocks, are making huge profits with high commodity prices. Producers continue to face extraordinary risks in their farming operations, and profit margins have narrowed considerably because of the high input prices driven by high energy costs. One of the primary solutions to the food price inflation is to increase the supply of commodity crops in a responsible way that is both respectful and sustainable regarding economic, social, and environmental aspects. At the center of this solution is implementing and developing new technologies to increase crop yields and nutritional values without increasing the amount of fossil-based inputs used in agriculture. Conventional breeding, molecular breeding, genomics, and biotechnology are pivotal technologies for increasing crop yields to meet these supply needs, combined with the impacts of other new technologies and best management practices in agricultural production.
Hyperspectral image analysis using artificial color

By definition, HSC (HyperSpectral Camera) images are much richer in spectral data than, say, a COTS (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) color camera. But data are not information. If we do the task right, useful information can be derived from the data in HSC images. Nature faced essentially the identical problem. The incident light is so complex spectrally that measuring it with high resolution would provide far more data than animals can handle in real time. Nature's solution was to do irreversible POCS (Projections Onto Convex Sets) to achieve huge reductions in data with minimal reduction in information. Thus we can arrange for our manmade systems to do what nature did - project the HSC image onto two or more broad, overlapping curves. The task we have undertaken in the last few years is to develop this idea that we call Artificial Color. What we report here is the use of the measured HSC image data projected onto two or three convex, overlapping, broad curves in analogy with the sensitivity curves of human cone cells. Testing two quite different HSC images in that manner produced the desired result: good discrimination or segmentation that can be done very simply and hence are likely to be doable in real time with specialized computers. Using POCS on the HSC data to reduce the processing complexity produced excellent discrimination in those two cases. For technical reasons discussed here, the figures of merit for the kind of pattern recognition we use is incommensurate with the figures of merit of conventional pattern recognition. We used some force fitting to make a comparison nevertheless, because it shows what is also obvious qualitatively. In our tasks our method works better.
Return Decomposition: A Bayesian State-Space Model Approach

We test the implications of the return decomposition of Campbell (1991), in which the unexpected market return is decomposed into cash-flow and discount-rate news. Unlike most of the previous literature, which uses VAR models to implement the return decomposition, we propose a state-space model with parameter restrictions, which is a more systematic and direct than the VAR approach on two aspects. First, the state-space model approach simultaneously models returns, cash-flow news, and discount-rate news, whereas the VAR approach models discount-rate news and uses the return decomposition to back out cash flow news. Second, the state-space model allows us to use information directly related to market and portfolio returns to study the return decomposition, whereas the VAR approach utilizes different predictive variables. We find that discount-rate news has larger variance than does cash-flow news and that the two types of news are nearly perfectly correlated, which can be economically intuitive. We also find that small stocks have higher cash-flow betas than do large stocks, but do not find that value stocks have higher ashflow betas than do growth stocks.
Scientists and Slaveholders: Proslavery Orthodoxy and Proslavery Science, 1830 - 1860

Citizens can benefit from expert testimony, but giving epistemic authority to experts privileges particular individuals and runs the risk of devolving into undemocratic rule by experts. Science, as a presumed realm of the universal not the particular, has been proposed as a remedy to reconcile democracy with central action, because science relies, like liberal democracy, on reasons that all could accept. In addition, science can widen the space for democratic action by providing citizens with reasonable sources of knowledge to solve political disputes. However, I argue that science was unable to fulfill this role before the Civil War, because it was, itself, part of the political process. Before 1868 naturalists, ethnologists, anthropologists, and theologians debated the place of the races within the natural hierarchy in places like Mobile, Charleston, and Richmond, as well as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. Their debates over race and the unity of the human species were intimately tied to the political controversy over slavery. Proslavery politicians adopted the scientific argument for the permanent fixity of race to defend slavery, and southern scientists felt directed by politics to turn to the natural world to clarify the naturalness of slavery. Science was unable to act as an independent arbiter between abolitionists and slave-owners, who had to settle their disputes, instead, by an appeal to political authority and force.
Surface rupture at a fault bend: the 28 June 1992 Landers, California, earthquake

Mapping of surface rupture associated with the 28 June 1992 Landers earthquake along a portion of the north-central Emerson fault permits us to characterize the fractures and to interpret them in terms of a contractional bend in the fault trace. The main rupture exhibits right-lateral and reverse slip and is localized in a zone about 50-m wide along the present-day trace of the Emerson fault. The surface deformation within its northeastern block, the hanging wall, is accommodated by a dome structure about 2-km long and 0.5-km wide and a complex assemblage of fractures. The complexity of the fracture pattern around the fault bend results in part from (1) interaction between the main rupture and many shorter subparallel faults, (2) the initiation and propagation of fractures at geometric complexities such as fault segment tips and fault bends, and (3) bedding plane faulting. Both geological data and rupture kinematics indicate that uplift and shortening are associated with the fault bend. The state of stress around the Emerson fault bend is determined for co-seismic conditions (fault slip boundary conditions) and interseismic conditions (the remote applied stress and frictional fault boundary conditions) using both displacement discontinuity boundary element and dislocation methods, respectively. We also investigate a possible fault propagation path at an idealized bend using the maximum distortional strain-energy density criterion. Results of the theoretical analyses provide support for an understanding of the location and the asymmetry of the dome structure and the mechanisms for some of the observed fracture systems in terms of the state of stress and fault propagation paths around the fault bend and other smaller-scale complexities along the fault trace.
A Defect Model for Amorphous and Liquid States

The known microscopic configuration and dynamics of interstitials in face-centered cubic metals have been used [1] to construct a model according to which fcc-liquid and amorphous metals are crystals containing a few percent of interstitials. The phenomenological aspects of the model do not depend on the microscopic configuration. The thermodynamic properties will therefore be similar, or universal, for any defect which has similar properties. The essential features are (1) a strong softening of the shear modulus G with defect concentration c, (2) degeneracy in orientation, and (3) low frequency resonance modes ωr. These properties are known experimentally to be universal for amorphous materials [2,3,4].
Theoretical Studies of the Stability and Oxidation of Pdn (n = 1–7) Clusters on Rutile TiO2(110): Adsorption on the Stoichiometric Surface

First principles theoretical studies of the atomic and electronic structure of Pdn (n = 1–7) clusters supported on a TiO2(110) surface, and O2 activation by such clusters, have been carried out within a gradient corrected density functional approach. It is shown that the supported Pdn cluster geometries are driven by competing effects including intracluster interactions favoring compact geometries and cluster–support interactions that favor geometries that flatten out in the TiO2(110) surface channel. When exposed to O2, a single Pd atom only activates the O–O bond while all other clusters energetically favor a broken O–O bond. The differing behavior of Pd atom is proposed to originate from the minimal amount of charge transferred from Pd to O2 and its spin excitation energy that also result in its observed lack of reactivity in experiments on CO oxidation. Our studies on PdnO clusters indicate an inverse correlation between the O binding strength to the cluster and the cluster’s surface stability, which ...
Efficient and Systematic Click-Based Synthetic Routes to Amino Acid Functionalized Metallatricarbadecaboranes

A general method for the systematic syntheses of amino acid functionalized metallatricarbadecaboranyl complexes has been developed that employs the copper-catalyzed click addition reactions of N-az...
Variable Memory Recurrent Neural Networks For Launch Vehicle Attitude Control

Launch vehicle attitude control is a complex nonlinear problem that is compounded by several internal and external factors such as modeling uncertainties, elastic dynamics, fuel sloshing and unstable aerodynamics. Adaptive control strategies that utilize a neural network augmented to a linear controller have the capability to minimize the effect of these uncertainties and disturbances. In this paper, the architecture and learning mechanism of a new type of recurrent neural network known as the Variable Memory Recurrent Neural Network (VMRNN) is presented. This network, when used in conjunction with a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller for the attitude control of a Nanosat Launch Vehicle, offers improved transient response characteristics when encountering uncertainty in the dynamic model and external disturbances. Further, a comparison of the VMRNN augmented PID controller with a traditional Feedforward Neural Network (FFNN) and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) augmented PID controller demonstrates its improved learning capability.
Quality of Cooling Water in Central Air Conditioning Systems in Public Places and Its Relationship with Legionella Pneumophila Contamination

[Objective] To evaluate the quality of cooling water in central air conditioning systems and its relationship with Legionella pneumophila contamination, and to provide scientific evidence for legionella disease prevention. [Methods] A total of 36 public places in Nanshan District equipped with central air conditioning systems were recruited. Cooling water samples were collected and tested for physical, chemical, and microbiological indicators. [Results] The water temperature of the cooling water was higher than average tap water, with a median of 30.0℃. The median of plate bacteria count was 6.8 CFU/mL, the median of turbidity was 3.5 NTU, and both were beyond the recommended limits for drinking water. The OR values(95%CI) of turbidity and total dissolved solids to Legionella pneumophila contamination in cooling water were 1.300(1.011-1.672) and 1.102(1.016-1.196) respectively. [Conclusion] The turbidity and total dissolved solids of cooling water is a critical factor that may influence the growth and reproduction of Legionella pneumophila. Strengthening the management of cooling water is of great public health significance in preventing legionella disease.
Correction: Comparison of strategies for non-perturbing labeling of α-synuclein to study amyloidogenesis

Correction for ‘Comparison of strategies for non-perturbing labeling of α-synuclein to study amyloidogenesis’ by Conor M. Haney, et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2016, 14, 1584–1592.
Social Capital, Civic Engagement, and Economics in a Transitioning Economy: The Case of Vietnam Provinces

ABSTRACTSocial capitalist assert that civic engagement and participation yield significant economic gains for a county but, generally focus on democratic governed societies. The objective of this research is to determine if social capital transitions to Vietnam, a single-party governed country. This analysis first identifies factors that impact civic engagement and participation. Then it analyzes the relationship between civic engagement, participation, and economics. Using the 2012 Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index, we find human capital is a stronger predictor of economics in Vietnam. We conclude by offering policy implications for understanding social capital in single-party, transitioning economy countries.
Regulating Automakers for Climate Change: US Reforms in Global Context

US President Barack Obama's first major domestic climate policy achievement was the enactment of a cluster of environmental policies regarding automotive firms, in particular significant increases in fuel economy standards. Considering automakers' long history of opposition to environmental regulations in the US, Obama's achievement poses an intriguing research puzzle: how was the US able to enact environmental policy regarding the automotive industry? This article considers conventional explanations of policy adoption but also examines whether globalization, including compliance with global regulations, as well as global competition that left US manufacturers in a weakened economic and political state, influenced firms to acquiesce to environmental regulation. This article finds that globalization concerns motivated nearly all firms to acquiesce to the new policies. Policy enactment was facilitated by conditions within the industry, including global competition and production, technological developments, compliance with carbon and fuel economy regulations across the globe, and the financial and political weakness of domestic firms. Conventional explanations also help to explain policy enactment. Where executive authority existed, President Obama enacted policy via the executive branch rather than working with Congress. Policies created by the passage of legislation in Congress were shaped by presidential leadership, partisan control and outside events. Finally, policymakers built coalitions of support among domestic automakers, labor, environmental and consumer groups, and the public. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Mechanistic Design of Polymer Nanocarriers to Spatiotemporally Control Gene Silencing.

Current siRNA delivery systems lack the ability to precisely tune siRNA release and maximize gene silencing in a spatiotemporal manner. Herein, we investigate photoresponsive block copolymer solution assemblies, for which stimuli-triggered changes in polymer structure altered nanocarrier stability and defined siRNA activity. Uniquely, our biomaterials design enabled the development and validation of a simple kinetic model that accurately predicted the extent of intracellular nanocarrier disassembly and silencing. Moreover, our constructs showed that maximal gene silencing could be achieved using concentrations of siRNA 5-fold lower than typical formulations due to the ability to rapidly release sufficient amounts of siRNA to saturate the cellular RISC machinery. The ability of our nanocarriers to remain dormant prior to phototriggered siRNA release allowed for the generation of cell patterns in gene expression with spatial control on cellular length scales and no detectable off-target effects. Furthermore...
A Comparison of Advanced Standing and Regular Master’s Students’ Performance in the Second-Year Field Practicum

The author surveyed field instructors of second-year graduate students to ascertain the instructors’ assessments of their students’ preparedness for and skill in social work practice. The variable of interest was traditional second-year or advanced placement status. Results indicate that, with few exceptions, there were no differences in field instructors’ evaluations based on status; those that existed favored advanced placement students. The implications of the findings for the continuing debates over advanced placement and an articulated continuum regarding the bachelor’s versus master’s social work degree are discussed.
Theory and simulation of a relativistic high power microwave metamaterial-enhanced resistive wall amplifier

The metamaterial-enhanced resistive wall amplifier (ME-RWA) is a wideband, high power, vacuum electron device1. In the ME-RWA, the resistive liner of the traditional resistive wall amplifier has been replaced with a lossy epsilon negative (ENG) metamaterial. This work investigated a relativistic, high power microwave (HPM) ME-RWA. Specifically, we examined the feasibility of a 50 MW, L-Band ME-RWA. The investigation of the relativistic HPM ME-RWA includes a theoretical investigation and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. In our theoretical analysis, we have modified the traditional resistive wall theory, presented by Birdsall and Whinnery2, to include relativistic effects. To simulate the ME-RWA's performance, we have used the CST Particle Studio software and used homogenous dielectrics with a Drude dispersion response, with the plasma frequency higher than the operating frequency, to emulate materials with negative permittivity. The results of our relativistic ME-RWA theory as well as the results of our PIC simulation will be presented to demonstrate the superior performance of the ME-RWA.
Network Identification via Graph Realization

In this section, we examine the problem of identifying the interaction geometry among a known number of agents, adopting a consensus-type algorithm for their coordination.
Critical Aspects of Heme–Peroxo–Cu Complex Structure and Nature of Proton Source Dictate Metal–Operoxo Breakage versus Reductive O–O Cleavage Chemistry

The 4H+/4e– reduction of O2 to water, a key fuel-cell reaction also carried out in biology by oxidase enzymes, includes the critical O–O bond reductive cleavage step. Mechanistic investigations on active-site model compounds, which are synthesized by rational design to incorporate systematic variations, can focus on and resolve answers to fundamental questions, including protonation and/or H-bonding aspects, which accompany electron transfer. Here, we describe the nature and comparative reactivity of two low-spin heme–peroxo–Cu complexes, LS-4DCHIm, [(DCHIm)F8FeIII-(O22–)-CuII(DCHIm)4]+, and LS-3DCHIm, [(DCHIm)F8FeIII-(O22–)-CuII(DCHIm)3]+ (F8 = tetrakis(2,6-difluorophenyl)-porphyrinate; DCHIm = 1,5-dicyclohexylimidazole), toward different proton (4-nitrophenol and [DMF·H+](CF3SO3–)) (DMF = dimethyl-formamide) or electron (decamethylferrocene (Fc*)) sources. Spectroscopic reactivity studies show that differences in structure and electronic properties of LS-3DCHIm and LS-4DCHIm lead to significant differen...
Media Diet Homogeneity in a Fragmented Media Landscape

ABSTRACTThis study assesses the nature of selective exposure and avoidance behaviors among political liberals and conservatives using a survey of 351 American citizens obtained through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Analyses of a new “homogeneity of media diet” measure suggest that although liberals and conservatives consume a comparable total number of media sources, the homogeneity of those media sources is higher among liberals than it is among conservatives. In the sample examined here, liberals were significantly more likely than conservatives to selectively attend to ideologically onsonant media sources and were significantly more likely than conservatives to selectively avoid ideologically discrepant media sources. Analyses include a validity test of the self-reported selective exposure used by Pew and others, as well as an examination of partisan perceptions of the ideological leanings of various media sources. Results indicate that conservatives are more likely than liberals to rate neutral media sour...
Inhibition of the IGF pathway in metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC): Results from a phase II study of OSI-906 (linsitinib).

e16022 Background: AR ligand independent pathways are responsible for the development of CRPC. IGF-1R and its ligands (IGF-1/IGF-2) play a key role in regulating growth, resistance to apoptosis, an...
A Bill of Rights for a new South Africa

An implicit premise, which I see no reason to doubt, of the current political discussion is that the adoption of a new constitution will be a necessary step in fashioning a non-racial democratic South Africa. Should such a constitution contain a Bill of Rights? If so, should the rights there enumerated include such ""second and third generation rights"" as rights to housing, a minimum income, or adequate medical care as well as such ""first generation rights"" as freedom of speech and freedom from racial or religious discrimination? Whatever the Bill of Rights might include, how should the courts who are expected to interpret and apply its terms be staffed and structured?
Heart-Healthy Conversations: A Librarian-Physician Partnership to Promote Disease Management and Wellness Information to Cardiology Patients

ABSTRACTLibrary staff and cardiologists partnering together in an outpatient clinic can be a value-added service for patients and increase visibility of librarians. Patients received a health information consultation from library staff and a customized packet to take home, while others were also trained on using reliable health websites like MedlinePlus. Between July 2014 and June 2016, library staff saw 234 patients. In September 2015, patient satisfaction surveys were initiated. Key findings were that 93% (n = 45) were “very satisfied” with a librarian as part of their health care team and 93% rated the information as “very helpful” or “helpful.”
Working together to understand community health literacy

Health literacy is an important predictor of overall health outcomes. The lack of knowledge, skills, and ability to safety navigate and act on health information impacts a person’s understanding of...
Putting the network in network interventions.

The article by Chami et al. (1) in PNAS provides another example of the potential effectiveness of using network theory and data to implement health-promoting interventions. There are many such examples across the health and medical literatures addressing a variety of health behaviors. While the study by Chami et al. (1) uses a strategy of individual change agent identification, other strategies and tactics using network concepts and data have been used (2). Advances and progress with network interventions have been slowed precisely due to the variety of applications and the variety of approaches. Example applications include HIV/sexually transmitted infections; contraceptive use; tobacco, alcohol, and other substance use; physician behaviors regarding reproductive health; acute myocardial infarction; and kidney disease. So, rather than advancing network intervention theory, scientists continue to replicate approaches in new settings and new applications. Consequently, we now know that selecting influential nodes in a network results in superior intervention effectiveness. We also know that even slightly better nodes from a network perspective are better than nodes chosen randomly: a finding demonstrated with simulations (3) and empirical examples (4). The many studies identified by Valente and Pumpang (5) over 10 y ago and the more recent review by Flodgren et al. (6) have shown that using sociometric network data to identify peer opinion leaders has been a successful strategy across a wide variety of topic areas. This later wave of two studies by Kim et al. (4) and Chami et al. (1) has sacrificed some of the theoretical effectiveness of choosing strategically located nodes in favor of implementing a technique that is more feasible: recruiting the friends of randomly chosen seed nodes who, on average, will be … [↵][1]1Email: tvalente{at}usc.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Crystal Orientation Dependence of Gallium Nitride Wear.

We explore how crystallographic order and orientation affect the tribological (friction and wear) performance of gallium nitride (GaN), through experiments and theory. Friction and wear were measured in every direction on the c-plane of GaN through rotary wear experiment. This revealed a strong crystallographic orientation dependence of the sliding properties of GaN; a 60° periodicity of wear rate and friction coefficient was observed. The origin of this periodicity is rooted in the symmetry presented in wurtzite hexagonal lattice structure of III-nitrides. The lowest wear rate was found as 0.6 × 10−7 mm3/Nm with <1 $$\bar{1}$$ 00>, while the wear rate associated with <1 $$\bar{2}$$ 10> had the highest wear rate of 1.4 × 10−7 mm3/Nm. On the contrary, higher friction coefficient can be observed along <1 $$\bar{1}$$ 00> while lower friction coefficient always appeared along <1 $$\bar{2}$$ 10>. We developed a simple molecular statics approach to understand energy barriers associated with sliding and material removal; this calculated change of free energy associated with sliding revealed that there were smaller energy barriers sliding along <1 $$\bar{2}$$ 10> as compared to the <1 $$\bar{1}$$ 00> direction.
Microelectrode Array Recordings of Patterned Hippocampal Neurons for Four Weeks

Recent advances in cell biology and surface patterning make possible the construction of in vitro neural networks for long-term, multichannel recording studies. Towards this goal, we have demonstrated the recording of spontaneous electrical activity from rat embryonic hippocampal neurons confined to parallel lines which overlay the microelectrode array. The neurons adhered to adsorbed poly-D-lysine patterns and remained alive on the pattern for up to one month. Recordable, extracellular electrical activity began as early as 6 days in vitro and continued for the duration of the culture. Average amplitude of detected action potentials ranged between 70 μ V to 150 μ V measured from baseline to peak, consistent with results from unpatterned culture technologies.
Cell — Based Gene Delivery: Smooth Muscle Cells as Carriers

Smooth muscle cells are an excellent target for vascular gene transfer since they have many properties that make them a reliable and durable vector. Many of their functions in normal and diseased states have been defined. Vascular smooth muscle cells are the principal cellular component of large arteries and veins, and they maintain the physical state of the vasculature because of their contractile and matrixsynthesizing properties. They are also involved in most pathological states. For example, the fibrous cap overlying an atherosclerotic plaque, the intimal thickening in a healed vascular graft, or the remodeled thrombus in a phlebitic vein all comprise smooth muscle cells and associated matrix.
Management of Anesthesia in the Foal

Several unique pharmacologic and physiologic factors must be considered when attempting to anesthetize premature or neonatal foals. Juvenile foals are similar to adults in their physiology and metabolism. Anesthetic drug and protocol selection should reflect the differences between these two age groups. Neonates are best anesthetized using an inhalation technique, whereas older foals can be safely anesthetized with either parenteral or inhalation anesthetic agents. Careful monitoring is absolutely essential when anesthetizing foals. The clinician should plan to routinely administer fluids and measure electrolyte levels. A basic plan and knowledge of the methods and agents used to treat hypovolemia, severe cardiopulmonary collapse, and life-threatening arrhythmias can result in survival of many critically ill foals.
Objective Eye Tracking Deficits Following Concussion for Youth Seen in a Sports Medicine Setting

Quantification of visual deficits may help to identify dysfunction following concussion. We evaluated eye-tracking measurements among adolescents within 10 days of concussion and healthy control participants. Patients who reported to 2 tertiary care sport concussion clinics within 10 days of concussion completed an objective eye tracking assessment. Seventy-nine participants completed the study, 44 with concussion (mean age = 14.1 ± 2.2 years, 39% female) and 35 controls (mean age = 14.3 ± 2.4 years, 57% female). Right eye skew along the bottom of the screen was significantly higher for the concussion group compared to controls (median = 0.022 [interquartile range = -0.263, 0.482] vs 0.377 [interquartile range = -0.574, -0.031]; P = .002), but not the left eye. Among the variables investigated, right eye skew was altered for adolescents with a concussion. Visual function is an important component in the postconcussion evaluation, and identifying deficits soon after injury may allow for earlier specialist referral and intervention.
PW 0929 Common data elements collected among universities for sport-related concussion studies

Universities in the United States are increasingly implementing programs to effectively respond to and manage sport-related concussions (SRC). One such effort is to develop common data elements (CDEs) and standardize data collection methods. This study aimed to describe CDEs currently collected by the Big Ten and Ivy League universities for SRCs, and to compare the collected data with the core CDEs recommended by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional online survey among medical staff at the 22 universities (one per university). The survey instrument, including 9 questions corresponding to the concussion data collected before, during, and after a concussion, was developed and pilot-tested before field use. We analyzed patterns of the concussion CDEs being collected and compared them with the recommended core CDEs. The findings show of the 19 participating universities (participation rate of 86%), 13 were from the Big Ten and 6 from the Ivy-League. All 19 universities currently collected concussion data with athletes before, during, and after a concussion. Great similarities in data collection were observed at baseline and acutely post-concussion across participating universities. All 19 universities collected one of the ten recommended acute symptoms checklists, and 18 universities collected one of the four recommended core neuropsychological function cognitive measures. However, CDEs in the sub-acute and chronic timeframes were limited, with only 9 (47%) universities collecting short to long term post-concussion outcome data. While over 60% of participating universities collected and stored concussion data electronically, only 17% to 42% of data collected were readily available for research purposes. In conclusion, inter-institutional similarities were found in acute concussion CDEs. Further efforts should focus on collecting sub-acute and chronic timeframe core CDEs. Data access protocols should also be created to facilitate evidence-based concussion prevention and treatment for all collegiate athletes.
Mechanisms of Placental Transfer, Placental Transfer of Specific Drugs

This chapter outlines which drugs do, and which ones do not, cross the placenta. It also discusses drug characteristics that affect placental transfer.