cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiscale analyses of solar-induced florescence and gross primary production

Solar induced fluorescence (SIF) has shown great promise for probing spatiotemporal variations in terrestrial gross primary production (GPP), the largest component flux of the global carbon cycle. However, scale mismatches between SIF and ground-based GPP have posed challenges towards fully exploiting these data. We used SIF obtained at high spatial sampling rates and resolution by NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2) satellite to elucidate GPP-SIF relationships across space and time in the US Corn Belt. Strong linear scaling functions (R2 ≥ 0.79) that were consistent across instantaneous to monthly timescales were obtained for corn ecosystems, and for a heterogeneous landscape based on tall tower observations. Although the slope of the corn function was ~56% higher than for the landscape, SIF was similar for corn (C4) and soybean (C3). Taken together, there is strong observational evidence showing robust linear GPP-SIF scaling that is sensitive to plant physiology but insensitive to the spatial or temporal scale.
Flexible Adaptation of Brain Networks during Stress

How does the brain coordinate efforts to meet environmental challenges? Although research over the past century has illuminated specific details of stress signaling pathways, less well understood is how global patterns of neural activity fit with this prior research to explain how an organism
The Role of Aspirations and Obligations in Explaining the Relationship between Identity Discrepancies and Psychological Distress

Using a national sample of adults, we examine the relationship between identity discrepancies and mental health in spouse and worker identities. Building on previous research, we predict that discr...
Sonographic screening for Wilms tumor in children with CLOVES syndrome

Background CLOVES syndrome is associated with somatic mosaic PIK3CA mutations and characterized by congenital lipomatous overgrowth, vascular malformations, epidermal nevi, and skeletal anomalies. Wilms tumor (WT) is a malignant embryonal renal neoplasm associated with hemihypertrophy and certain overgrowth disorders. After identifying WT in a child with CLOVES, we questioned whether ultrasonographic screening was necessary in these patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients with CLOVES syndrome in our Vascular Anomalies Center at Boston Children's Hospital between 1998 and 2016 to identify those who developed WT. A PubMed literature search was also conducted to find other patients with both conditions. Results A total of 122 patients with CLOVES syndrome were found in our database (mean age 7.7 years, range 0–53 years). Four patients developed WT; all were diagnosed at 2 years of age. The incidence of WT in our CLOVES patient population (3.3%) was significantly greater than the incidence of WT in the general population (1/10,000) (P < 0.001). Four additional patients with WT and CLOVES syndrome were identified in our literature review. Conclusion Patients with CLOVES syndrome have an increased risk of WT. Given the benefits of early detection and treatment, children with CLOVES syndrome should be considered for quarterly abdominal ultrasonography until age 7 years. Screening may be most beneficial for patients under 3 years of age.
History of the winter simulation conference: period of growth, consolidation, and innovation (1993-2007)

In this paper, we consider the history of the Winter Simulation Conference (WSC) from 1993--2007, a period characterized by growth, consolidation, and innovation. We examine developments in the WSC program including rapid proliferation of new tracks and mini-tracks to match the interests of WSC attendees. Our essay also considers the impact of technological advancements. With the launch of www.wintersim.org in 1995, the website soon became the main vehicle for dissemination of information to conference participants. Additionally, it enabled the development of the online paper-management system for submission, review, revision, and final delivery to the publisher of all papers in the Proceedings. The website also led to significant changes in how the Proceedings was published and archived. Lastly, we survey developments in the WSC administration concerning the WSC Board of Directors structure, conference financing, new conference venues (e.g., the decision to take the conference international), and novel collaborations.
The effect of pH on the photochemical reactivity of BaTiO3

Abstract When particulate photocatalysts promote a reaction, the overall reaction rate is limited by the constraint that the photoreduction and photooxidation reactions must occur on the surface of the same particle and at the same solution potential. The optimized solution potential would be the one where the photoanodic and photocathodic reactions proceed at the same maximum rate. Here, the relative photochemical reactivity of BaTiO3 was investigated as a function of the surrounding aqueous solution pH. Topographic atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to quantify the amount of metallic silver produced from the photochemical reduction of Ag+ (Ag+→Ag) under UV light illumination. The overall reaction rate was observed to increase with pH. A similar pH-dependence existed for both high concentration (0.1 M) and low concentration (10−4 M) Ag+ solutions. When the pH is changed, the adsorbed charge at the surface is changed and this has the same effect as applying an external electric field. The observations are consistent with the idea that increasing the pH increases the net negative charge adsorption on the surface, increasing the upward band bending and promoting the oxidation half reaction, which is the rate-limiting factor for the overall reaction. As a result, the rate of Ag+ reduction increases with pH. The results show that adjusting the aqueous solution pH has the potential to control the rates of the two half reactions and increase the overall photochemical reaction rate.
Towards Explainability of UAV-Based Convolutional Neural Networks for Object Classification

f autonomous systems using trust and trustworthiness is the focus of Autonomy Teaming and TRAjectories for Complex Trusted Operational Reliability (ATTRACTOR), a new NASA Convergent Aeronautical Solutions (CAS) Project. One critical research element of ATTRACTOR is explainability of the decision-making across relevant subsystems of an autonomous system. The ability to explain why an autonomous system makes a decision is needed to establish a basis of trustworthiness to safely complete a mission. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are popular visual object classifiers that have achieved high levels of classification performances without clear insight into the mechanisms of the internal layers and features. To explore the explainability of the internal components of CNNs, we reviewed three feature visualization methods in a layer-by-layer approach using aviation related images as inputs. Our approach to this is to analyze the key components of a classification event in order to generate component labels for features of the classified image at different layers of depths. For example, an airplane has wings, engines, and landing gear. These could possibly be identified somewhere in the hidden layers from the classification and these descriptive labels could be provided to a human or machine teammate while conducting a shared mission and to engender trust. Each descriptive feature may also be decomposed to a combination of primitives such as shapes and lines. We expect that knowing the combination of shapes and parts that create a classification will enable trust in the system and insight into creating better structures for the CNN.
Improving the Remission Quality in Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) by Increasing Cytoreduction During Induction Therapy

Induction of remission in AML has, for many years, been achieved by the administration of daunorubicin with cytarabine [1]. With traditional doses of these drugs, approximately two-thirds of the patients treated have gone into remission. Roughly two-thirds of these have achieved their remission after the first cycle of therapy and one-third required additional treatment. Although physicians have consistently tried to increase the cure rate of patients with AML achieving CR by the administration of subsequent therapy, the “quality” of CR has never been thought to be vital, since post-induction chemotherapy was considered the most important aspect of treatment. Because of this, consolidation therapy has gone from gentle to very intense and has been given for as little as 1–2 months to as long as 1 year or more. Death, associated with delivery of this therapy, has varied between 0% and 40% [2, 3]. The therapy reported here is based on the presumption that, at the time of diagnosis or at relapse, with fully evident disease, the normal stem cells are asleep and somewhat protected from the chemotherapy that is administered. Therefore, induction treatment with high-dose cytarabine, mitoxantrone, and etoposide can be administered with less risk than previously expected. Indeed, it may be that, in most protocols, what is accomplished during “induction” therapy may be the most important element of treatment.
Recommendations of Symposium Working Groups

Major applications of wave data include: offshore platform design, breakwater and jetty design, site selection criteria, operational planning, military operations, transportation studies, environmental impact studies, real-time input to wave forecasting, search and rescue, and pollution clean up.
Getting Lucky in Ontology Search: A Data-Driven Evaluation Framework for Ontology Ranking

With hundreds, if not thousands, of ontologies available today in many different domains, ontology search and ranking has become an important and timely problem. When a user searches a collection of ontologies for her terms of interest, there are often dozens of ontologies that contain these terms. How does she know which ontology is the most relevant to her search? Our research group hosts BioPortal, a public repository of more than 330 ontologies in the biomedical domain. When a term that a user searches for is available in multiple ontologies, how do we rank the results and how do we measure how well our ranking works? In this paper, we develop an evaluation framework that enables developers to compare and analyze the performance of different ontology-ranking methods. Our framework is based on processing search logs and determining how often users select the top link that the search engine offers. We evaluate our framework by analyzing the data on BioPortal searches. We explore several different ranking algorithms and measure the effectiveness of each ranking by measuring how often users click on the highest ranked ontology. We collected log data from more than 4,800 BioPortal searches. Our results show that regardless of the ranking, in more than half the searches, users select the first link. Thus, it is even more critical to ensure that the ranking is appropriate if we want to have satisfied users. Our further analysis demonstrates that ranking ontologies based on page view data significantly improves the user experience, with an approximately 26% increase in the number of users who select the highest ranked ontology for the search.
Radionuclide angiography in the management of asymptomatic aortic regurgitation

Left ventricular systolic function is an important determinant of long-term prognosis in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation. In patients undergoing aortic valve replacement, those with preoperative left ventricular dysfunction have a greater risk of postoperative congestive heart failure and death than do those in whom preoperative left ventricular systolic function is normal. However, patients with preoperative left ventricular dysfunction are not a homogeneous group but may be further stratified according to risk on the basis of the severity of symptoms, exercise intolerance, and temporal duration of left ventricular dysfunction. Therefore, asymptomatic patients with reproducible and definite evidence of impaired left ventricular function should undergo operation without waiting for the development of symptoms or more severe left ventricular dysfunction. In addition, among asymptomatic patients with normal systolic function, indexes of left ventricular function are also helpful, especially when measured serially, in predicting the development of symptoms and the need for valve replacement surgery over the course of the next 5 to 10 years. Noninvasive imaging techniques should play a major role in this evaluation, and radionuclide angiography is ideally suited for the quantitative evaluation of systolic function in the volume-overloaded left ventricle. Although the prognostic value of left ventricular ejection fraction at rest is well established, ejection fraction during exercise has little value once age and left ventricular function at rest are accounted for and is of minor importance in formulating patient management decisions.
Investigation of 3,5-isoxazolidinediones as hypolipidemic agents in rodents.

A series of 2-benzoyl-4,4-dialkyl-3,5-isoxazolidinediones proved to have potent hypolipidemic activity, lowering both serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels at 10 or 20 mg/kg/day, IP and orally in rodents. 2-(3,4,5-Trimethoxybenzoyl)-4,4-diethyl-3,5-isoxazolidinedione (4) afforded the best hypolipidemic activity lowering normolipidemic CFl mouse serum cholesterol levels 49% and serum triglyceride levels 34% at 20 mg/kg/day, IP. Compound 4 was selected as a typical derivative of the chemical class for further detailed studies. Serum cholesterol levels in normolipidemic Sprague Dawley male rats were reduced 45% after 8 weeks at 10 and 20 mg/kg/day of compound, orally. Serum triglyceride levels were reduced 38–49% at 10 and 20 mg/kg/day, orally. In vitro liver enzyme activities studies in normolipidemic CFl mice showed the compound inhibited mitochondrial citrate exchange, acetyl CoA synthetase, HMG CoA reductase, acyl CoA cholesterol acyl transferase, acetyl CoA carboxylase, sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyl transferase, phosphatidylate phosphohydrolase and heparin-induced lipoprotein lipase activities with increases in the activities of cholesterol ester hydrolase and ATP-dependent citrate lyase. Similar enzyme activities were inhibited in vivo except HMG CoA reductase activity was not inhibited in rat liver or small intestinal mucosa after 8 weeks drug administration. Cholesterol levels were reduced in tissues after 8 weeks administration of compound 4 in normolipidemic rats. Bile cholesterol and triglyceride levels were elevated after two weeks administration to rats at 20 mg/kg/day. Serum lipoprotein levels in normolipidemic and hyperlipidemic rats showed the cholesterol levels in VLDL and LDL fractions after 4, 6 and 8 weeks at 10 and 20 mg/kg/day were reduced whereas HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly elevated. Studies demonstrated that 3H-cholesterol and 14C-palmitic acid incorporation into lipids of the lipoprotein fraction was reduced by the drug but 32P-incorporation was generally elevated. The agent demonstrated no observable toxicity in rats after 8 weeks administration, orally. The acute toxicity study in normolipidemic mice at 20, 40 and 100 mg/ kg/day, IP, demonstrated no observable harmful effects of the drug.
Silicone-Induced Foreign Body Reaction: An Unusual Differential Diagnosis of Posterolateral Hip Pain.

Background. Silicone injection is commonly used for soft tissue augmentation for esthetic purposes. It is not without complications. Case presentation. We present a case of a 31-year-old woman presenting with refractory left lateral hip pain. Magnetic resonance imaging of the patient’s pelvis revealed innumerable small low signal foci throughout the gluteus maximus and overlying subcutaneous fat bilaterally consistent with injectable material, possibly silicone. Conclusions. This case report emphasizes that silicone-induced granulomatosis must be considered in the differential diagnosis of hip pain when evaluating a patient who has had access to plastic surgery or clandestine operators.
Perforation Investigations of Zylon Sheets

This investigation is concerned with the determination of the ballistic resistance of sheets of Zylon, a polymeric PBO fiber manufactured by Toyobo Company. The current application is intended to ascertain whether this material is suitable for body armor. Ten layers of this substance were stitched together, tightly emplaced in a specially constructed holder and subjected to impact by standard 9 mm NATO bullets. Resistance to perforation is represented by the bulk deformation of the sheets, as well as fiber damage. Thus, the ballistic limit of this fabric combination depended significantly on the impact position relative to the edges of the steel frame. The magnitude of this quantity for impact near the center was found to be of the order of 350 ± 10 m/s.
Updating structural models containing nonlinear Iwan joints using quasi-static modal analysis

Abstract Structures with bolted joints are known to exhibit amplitude-dependent shifts in the natural frequency and damping of its modes that are challenging to model accurately. These two properties could be derived from dynamic simulations (for example, by computing the response of the structure to an impulsive force), but such simulations are expensive. Any updating strategy based on dynamic simulation therefore becomes cumbersome. A solution was provided by Festjens et al. (2013) whereby the joint is treated as a static subcomponent in an otherwise dynamic global model. This work proposes a few modifications to their theory, resulting in a highly-efficient quasi-static algorithm that can be used to compute the amplitude-dependent frequency and damping by loading the finite element model in the shape of one of its modes. This new quasi-static method was then utilized to update a set of Iwan joint parameters so that the shift in the frequencies and damping seen in the finite element model matched those from measurements on an experimental beam containing three bolted joints. The updated model was then verified to be capable of capturing with good accuracy the effects of modal coupling seen in the impact response of the beam.
High Rates of Underlying Thyroid Cancer in Patients Undergoing Thyroidectomy for Hyperthyroidism

Abstract Background The rate of thyroid cancer in patients with hyperthyroidism is reported to be rare, and patients with toxic thyroid nodules do not routinely undergo fine-needle aspiration (FNA) to evaluate for malignancy. However, higher rates of malignancy in hyperthyroid patients may exist than previously reported. This study examines the rate of malignancy in patients with hyperthyroidism who have undergone thyroidectomy. Methods A retrospective review of prospectively collected data of 138 patients with hyperthyroidism who underwent thyroidectomy at a single institution was performed. Patients were divided into three groups: Graves’ disease (n = 80), toxic multinodular goiter (n = 46), and toxic solitary nodule (n = 12). Patients with previous thyroid surgery were excluded from the study. All patients had biochemical confirmation of hyperthyroidism with thyroid-stimulating hormone Results Of 138 patients, 22% (31/138) were found to have malignancy on final pathology. The breakdown of malignancy by hyperthyroid condition was as follows: 16% in Graves’ disease, 24% in toxic multinodular goiter patients, and 50% in toxic solitary nodule patients. Conclusions There is a clinically significant rate of malignancy seen in patients who undergo thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism. Patients with distinct thyroid nodules in the presence of hyperthyroidism may have the highest rates of malignancy and should undergo appropriate workup with ultrasound and FNA to exclude underlying malignancy. In cases with suspicious ultrasound features and/or FNA cytopathology, surgical treatment should be considered as initial management.
Hybrid Distributed/Shared Memory Model for the RI-MP2 Method in the Fragment Molecular Orbital Framework

The general distributed data interface (GDDI) that was developed for the fragment molecular orbital (FMO) method is combined with the shared memory OpenMP parallel middleware to support a threading multilevel parallelism. First, GDDI partitions [logical] compute nodes into groups, which are statically or dynamically assigned to different fragments. A small number of processes are created on each compute node. Each process subsequently spawns multiple threads for the actual computation. The performance of the hybrid GDDI/OpenMP approach relative to the pure GDDI model was examined in terms of the FMO/RI-MP2 method; that is, the second-order Moller–Plesset (MP2) correlation energy was evaluated using the resolution-of-the-identity (RI) and the FMO approximations. The GDDI and OpenMP workload balances are handled by an arithmetic progression and a loop fusion, respectively. Other OpenMP properties, such as threadprivate or shared memory, are combined with the low memory demand of the RI two-electron integral...
Shaping photovoltaic array output to align with changing wholesale electricity price profiles

Abstract Large-scale deployment of solar photovoltaics (PV) contributes to the occurrence of depressed—and sometimes negative—electricity prices during daylight hours as PV displaces higher-cost generators in the merit-order dispatch stack. These changes in electricity price provide an opportunity to increase the wholesale energy revenue of PV generators through temporal shaping of PV output. Here, we explore the impact of three output-shaping strategies on PV wholesale energy revenue and capacity factor: utilization of 1-axis tracking, curtailment during negative-price hours, and modification of fixed-tilt array orientation. Utility-scale PV arrays are modeled at more than 10,000 pricing nodes across six United States electricity markets over the 2010–2017 time period. Large changes in revenue-optimized output profiles are observed for the California system, where solar capacity penetration has increased from ∼2% of peak load in 2010 to ∼28% of peak load in 2017, and the wholesale revenue benefits of temporal output shaping are increasing with time. On the California real-time market in 2017, compared to capacity-factor-optimized fixed-tilt arrays with must-run operation, curtailment increases revenues by 9%, curtailment in conjunction with fixed-tilt orientation optimization increases revenues by 20%, 1-axis tracking without curtailment increases revenues by 32%, and 1-axis tracking with curtailment increases revenues by 42% for the median node. Median optimal fixed-tilt azimuths for PV on the real-time market in California have increased from 192° in 2010 to 235° (i.e. 55° west of south) in 2017. Among the markets and years studied, the California market in 2017 demonstrates the largest potential benefit from temporal output shaping. These results highlight mechanisms for mitigating some of the decline in PV wholesale value at high solar penetrations, and illustrate the importance of adapting PV installation and dispatch strategies to changing power system conditions.
Phase 0 of the Xenobiotic Response: Nuclear Receptors and Other Transcription Factors as a First Step in Protection From Xenobiotics

This mini-review examines the crucial importance of transcription factors as a first line of defense in the detoxication of xenobiotics. Key transcription factors that recognize xenobiotics or xenobiotic-induced stress such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), include AhR, PXR, CAR, MTF, Nrf2, NF-κB, and AP-1. These transcription factors constitute a significant portion of the pathways induced by toxicants as they regulate phase I-III detoxication enzymes and transporters as well as other protective proteins such as heat shock proteins, chaperones, and anti-oxidants. Because they are often the first line of defense and induce phase I-III metabolism, could these transcription factors be considered the phase 0 of xenobiotic response?
Molecular Logic and Evolution of Bitter Taste in Drosophila

Summary Taste systems detect a vast diversity of toxins, which are perceived as bitter. When a species adapts to a new environment, its taste system must adapt to detect new death threats. We deleted each of six commonly expressed bitter gustatory receptors (Grs) from Drosophila melanogaster. Systematic analysis revealed that requirements for these Grs differed for the same tastant in different neurons and for different tastants in the same neuron. Responses to some tastants in some neurons required four Grs, including Gr39a. Deletions also produced increased or novel responses, supporting a model of Gr-Gr inhibitory interactions. Coexpression of four Grs conferred several bitter responses to a sugar neuron. We then examined bitter coding in three other Drosophila species. We found major evolutionary shifts. One shift depended on the concerted activity of seven Grs. This work shows how the complex logic of bitter coding provides the capacity to detect innumerable hazards and the flexibility to adapt to new ones.
Analyses of non-coding somatic drivers in 2,658 cancer whole genomes

The discovery of drivers of cancer has traditionally focused on protein-coding genes1-4. Here we present analyses of driver point mutations and structural variants in non-coding regions across 2,658 genomes from the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium5 of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). For point mutations, we developed a statistically rigorous strategy for combining significance levels from multiple methods of driver discovery that overcomes the limitations of individual methods. For structural variants, we present two methods of driver discovery, and identify regions that are significantly affected by recurrent breakpoints and recurrent somatic juxtapositions. Our analyses confirm previously reported drivers6,7, raise doubts about others and identify novel candidates, including point mutations in the 5' region of TP53, in the 3' untranslated regions of NFKBIZ and TOB1, focal deletions in BRD4 and rearrangements in the loci of AKR1C genes. We show that although point mutations and structural variants that drive cancer are less frequent in non-coding genes and regulatory sequences than in protein-coding genes, additional examples of these drivers will be found as more cancer genomes become available.
Design and synthesis of N-(16-[18F]fluorohexadecanoyl)ethanolamide (16FEA) as endocannabinoid PET probe in animals and plants

1565 Objectives N-acylethanolamides are endocannabinoid lipid signaling molecules that are important in multiple disease states. 16FEA was designed and synthesized as a probe for the imaging of N-acylethanolamide transport and metabolism. Methods A multi-step synthesis was performed to obtain unlabeled N-(16-fluorohexadecanoyl)ethanolamide (16FEA) for an HPLC standard via the precursor 16-bromo-N-[2[(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy]ethyl]hexadecanoylamide. For 18F-labeling, cyclotron-produced [18F]fluoride (20 mCi) was dried down under nitrogen at 95°C in a 3 ml glass vial containing Kryptofix 2.2.2 (10 mg), acetonitrile (0.8 ml), and K2CO3 (4 mg) solution in water (0.50 ml). The residue was further dried by azeotropic distillation with anhydrous acetonitrile (3×0.5 ml). The [18F]fluoride residue was reconstituted in 0.5 mL acetonitrile and the bromo precursor (approximately 2-3 mg) in acetonitrile (0.5 ml) was added. The resultant reaction mixture was heated with a PETWave microwave reactor for 10 min at 80 °C. 18F incorporation was checked using silica-gel rTLC (8:92 methanol/chloroform). Deprotection was carried out by addition of 450 µl 2.5% TFA acqueous solution followed by heating in the microwave reactor for 5 min at 60 °C. After deprotection the crude product was purified by semi-preparative C-18 HPLC (80:20 AcN/ H2O). The product peak was diluted in water, concentrated on a C-18 SPE column, and eluted in 1 mL EtOH. Results 18F incorporation to form the THP protected 16FEA was >90% with negligible side products observed. Deprotection and HPLC purification proceeded successfully to yield [18F]FEA is >99% radiochemical purity. Biological evaluation studies are ongoing. Conclusions The novel N-acylethanolamide, [18F]16FEA, was successfully synthesized for further evaluation as a PET probe of lipid signaling and metabolism in animal and plant systems. Research Support This work was supported by DOE DE-SC0005251 (SJG/TRD)
Punishment history biases corticothalamic responses to motivationally-significant stimuli

Making predictions about future rewards or punishments is fundamental to adaptive behavior. These processes are influenced by prior experience. For example, prior exposure to aversive stimuli or stressors changes behavioral responses to negative- and positive-value predictive cues. Here, we demonstrate a role for medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons projecting to the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT; mPFC→PVT) in this process. We found that a history of punishments negatively biased behavioral responses to motivationally-relevant stimuli in mice and that this negative bias was associated with hyperactivity in mPFC→PVT neurons during exposure to those cues. Furthermore, artificially mimicking this hyperactive response with selective optogenetic excitation of the same pathway recapitulated the punishment-induced negative behavioral bias. Together, our results highlight how information flow within the mPFC→PVT circuit is critical for making predictions about imminent motivationally-relevant outcomes as a function of prior experience.
Understanding heterosexual women’s erotic flexibility: the role of attention in sexual evaluations and neural responses to sexual stimuli

Many women experience desires, arousal and behavior that run counter to their sexual orientation (orientation inconsistent, 'OI'). Are such OI sexual experiences cognitively and neurobiologically distinct from those that are consistent with one's sexual orientation (orientation consistent, 'OC')? To address this question, we employed a mindful attention intervention-aimed at reducing judgment and enhancing somatosensory attention-to examine the underlying attentional and neurobiological processes of OC and OI sexual stimuli among predominantly heterosexual women. Women exhibited greater neural activity in response to OC, compared to OI, sexual stimuli in regions associated with implicit visual processing, volitional appraisal and attention. In contrast, women exhibited greater neural activity to OI, relative to OC, sexual stimuli in regions associated with complex visual processing and attentional shifting. Mindfully attending to OC sexual stimuli reduced distraction, amplified women's evaluations of OC stimuli as sexually arousing and deactivated the superior cerebellum. In contrast, mindfully attending to OI sexual stimuli amplified distraction, decreased women's evaluations of OI stimuli as sexually arousing and augmented parietal and temporo-occipital activity. Results of the current study constrain hypotheses of female erotic flexibility, suggesting that sexual orientation may be maintained by differences in attentional processing that cannot be voluntarily altered.
Exploring the Effects of Various Polymeric Backbones on the Performance of a Hydroxyaromatic 1,2,3-Triazole Anion Sensor

Polymeric chemosensors are vital sensing tools because of higher sensitivity compared to their monomeric counterparts and tunable mechanical properties. This study focuses on the incorporation of a hydroxyaromatic 1,2,3-triazole sensor, 2-(4-phenyl 1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)phenol (PTP), into polymers. By itself, the triazole has a selective, fluorometric response to the fluoride, acetate, and dihydrogen phosphate anions, and is most responsive to fluoride. Current investigations probe the suitability of various polymeric backbones for the retention and enhancement of the triazole's sensing capabilities. Backbones derived from acrylic acid, methyl methacrylate, divinylbenzene, and styrene were explored. UV-illumination, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) titration, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy studies are used to investigate the performance of newly synthesized polymers and the derivatives of PTP that serve as the polymers' precursors. Among the polymers investigated, copolymers with styrene proved best; these systems retained the sensing capabilities and were amenable to tuning for sensitivity.
Tunable electrochromic behavior of titanium-based MXenes

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides, popular by the name MXenes, are a promising class of materials as they exhibit intriguing optical, optoelectronic and electrochemical properties. Taking advantage of their metallic conductivity and hydrophilicity, titanium carbide MXenes (Ti3C2Tx and others) are used to fabricate solution processable transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs) for the design of three-electrode electrochromic cells. However, the tunable electrochromic behavior of various titanium-based MXene compositions across the entire visible spectrum has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we investigate the intrinsic electrochromic properties of titanium-based MXenes, Ti3C2Tx, Ti3CNTx, Ti2CTx, and Ti1.6Nb0.4CTx, where individual MXenes serve as a transparent conducting, electrochromic, and plasmonic material layer. Plasmonic extinction bands for Ti3C2Tx, Ti2CTx and Ti1.6Nb0.4CTx are centered at 800, 550 and 480 nm, which are electrochemically tunable to 630, 470 and 410 nm, respectively, whereas Ti3CNTx shows a reversible change in transmittance in the wide visible range. Additionally, the switching rates of MXene electrodes with no additional transparent conductor electrodes are estimated and correlated with the respective electrical figure of merit values. This study demonstrates that MXene-based electrochromic cells are tunable in the entire visible spectrum and suggests the potential of the MXene family of materials in optoelectronic, plasmonic, and photonic applications, such as tunable visible optical filters and modulators, to name a few.
Chronic denial: When making change means saying the whole truth

Through a personal exploration of disability as experience, this essay explores the navigation of confession and its ramifications and relevance for scholarly work. Attending to confession in an early modern Spanish context (with focus on Miguel de Cervantes and Teresa de Avila) as well as the contemporary moment, the essay creates a critical space for exploring how confession connects to narrative building.
Thinking psychoanalytically, thinking better: Reflections on transgender.

My contribution draws on 15 years of treating trans patients of various genders, embodiments and self-identifications, in private and institutional/inpatient settings. I have worked analytically wi...
Trends in fall-related mortality and fall risk increasing drugs among older individuals in the United States,1999-2017.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated increasing mortality due to falls among older adults. The objective of this study was to determine whether there was an increase in fall risk increasing drug prescribing and if this is concurrent with an increase in fall-related mortality in persons 65 years and older in the United States. METHODS The study is a serial cross-sectional analysis utilizing data from both the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) and the medical expenditure panel survey (MEPS) for years 1999-2017. Adults aged 65 years and older were evaluated for death due to falls from the NVSS and for prescription fills of fall risk increasing drugs per the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries-Rx (STEADI-Rx) fall checklist from the MEPS. RESULTS The analysis included 374 972 fall-related mortalities and 7 858 177 122 fills of fall risk increasing drugs. 563 037 964 persons age 65 and older received at least one fall risk increasing drug. Age-adjusted mortality due to falls increased from 29.40 per 100 000 in 1999 to 63.27 per 100 000 in 2017. The percent of persons who received at least one prescription for a fall risk increasing drug increased from 57% in 1999 to 94% in 2017 (p for trend <.0001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Both use of fall risk increasing drugs and mortality due to falls are on the rise. Fall risk increasing drugs may partially explain the increase in mortality due to falls; this cannot be firmly concluded from the current study. Future research examining the potential relationship between fall risk increasing drugs and fall-related mortality utilizing nationally representative person-level data are needed.
A Policy Evaluation of Restaurant Closures as a Policy Response in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Restaurants have remained closed or faced significant restrictions on indoor dining in Michigan and Illinois, with California, Colorado, New Mexico, New York and Oregon having indoor dining restrictions that have varied significantly by county or city (Appendix A). As a Michigan resident, who studies housing affordability, I have become increasingly concerned for the short- and long-term welfare economically of those employed in the restaurant industry and those sectors that support restaurants. Thus, I decided to drill down on the data that has been collected and research that has been published or released over the past ten months regarding the decision to close indoor dining while other businesses in which people interact remain open. Initially, the decision makes sense. In restaurants, people stay for longer periods of time than they do in grocery stores or other retail outlets. People cannot keep masks on while eating as they can while working out or shopping. Thus, restaurants do seem different than other businesses. Early in the pandemic, closing them to encourage compliance with stay at home orders likely made sense, especially with the support that the CARES Act as well as state funds offered displaced workers. But after ten months, we know more about the virus, about human behavior in this pandemic, and about how outbreaks are actually occurring. Thus, in considering the actual available data on COVID-19 spread and incidence, the decision is uncorroborated by data. This paper is not arguing that the virus does not spread in restaurants or even that restaurants are not higher risk locations that other places that bring people together in large numbers. The findings of this paper, a review of the research studying restaurants and their closures, assert that there is not certain data that demonstrates a causal relationship between COVID-19 spread and restaurant patronage. The decision to privilege the public health concern of the pandemic over the economic impacts of chosen solutions is not supported by current data. Therefore, from a public policy evaluation perspective, the decision to mandate restaurant closures as a solution to COVID-19 spread is unwarranted based on available data.
Brain Gains: A Cross-Country Study on the Relationship Between Remittances and Entrepreneurship

This paper asks: do remittances promote entrepreneurship? Remittances have become one of the largest forms of cross-country financial inflows, even exceeding other prominent forms of financial flows, including foreign aid and foreign direct investment (Meyer & Shera, 2017). By directly providing relief, remittances are an important income and capital source for family members of immigrant workers in home countries. We hypothesise and empirically document a positive link between remittances and entrepreneurship rates across countries. Our results suggest that remittances promote early-stage business development, particularly for opportunity-seeking entrepreneurs. In addition, we find that female opportunity driven entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs with a secondary education and from a middle-class background benefit more from remittances.
CST interacts with the cohesin complex and promotes chromosome cohesion

Abstract Sister chromatid cohesion (SCC) is established during DNA replication by loading of the cohesin complex on newly replicated chromatids. Cohesin must then be maintained until mitosis to prevent segregation defects and aneuploidy. How SCC is established and maintained until mitosis remains incompletely understood and emerging evidence suggests that replication stress can lead to premature SCC loss. Here, we report that the single-stranded DNA-binding protein CTC1-STN1-TEN1 (CST) aids in SCC. CST primarily functions in telomere length regulation but also has known roles in replication restart and DNA repair. Following depletion of CST subunits, we observed an increase in the complete loss of SCC. Additionally, we determined that CST interacts with the cohesin complex. Unexpectedly, we did not find evidence of defective cohesion establishment or mitotic progression in the absence of CST. However, we did find that treatment with various replication inhibitors increased the association between CST and cohesin. Since replication stress was recently shown to induce SCC loss, we supposed that CST may be required to maintain SCC following fork stalling. In agreement with this idea, SCC loss was greatly increased in CST-depleted cells following exogenous replication stress. Based on our findings, we propose that CST aids in the maintenance of SCC at stalled replication forks to prevent premature cohesion loss.
A holistic fault impact analysis of the high-performance sequences of operation for HVAC systems: Modelica-based case study in a medium-office building

Abstract ASHRAE Guideline 36: High-performance sequences of operation (SOO) for Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning (HVAC) Systems has been demonstrated to save 17%-30% energy under ideal simulation environments. However, HVAC systems are susceptible to various types of faults in a real building operation. There are no existing studies that pertain to a comprehensive fault impact analysis of the high-performance control sequences suggested by ASHRAE Guideline 36 for HVAC systems. How these sequences handle and adapt to the various types of faults is still largely unknown. In this context, a comprehensive fault impact analysis and robustness assessment of the high-performance control sequences is conducted. A Modelica-based medium office virtual testbed is developed following the air-side and the plant-side SOO. A total of 359 fault scenarios in three different seasonal operating conditions (cooling, shoulder, and heating seasons) are injected into the baseline model. The evaluated key performance indexes (KPIs) include the operational cost, source energy, site energy, control loop quality, thermal comfort, ventilation, and power system metrics. The faults of the most negative impact are identified for different seasonal operating conditions over all the KPIs. The results also show that high-performance control sequences are well adapted for the vast majority (∼90%) of all the fault scenarios over all the KPIs in this study.
La preocupación romántica por el conocimiento en El diablo mundo de José de Espronceda

El diablo mundo (1840–1841) plantea el nacimiento de un ‘hombre nuevo’ cuya mente es una tabula rasa. Se analiza el proceso de aprendizaje del protagonista demostrando que Espronceda interioriza el empirismo lockeano como teoria del conocimiento valida. Se prueba asimismo como Espronceda establece una jerarquia de valores epistemologica: arriba, el conocimiento derivado de la interaccion social, del desengano y del dolor; abajo, los conocimientos cientifico, filosofico y religioso, incapaces de preparar al individuo para la hostilidad del mundo. Se propone, finalmente, alinear las ideas esproncedianas con las de aquella corriente de pensamiento que Isaiah Berlin denomino como la Contrailustracion.
Self-report of Correct Inner Speech Predicts Naming Success, Brain Activity and Treatment Outcomes in People with Aphasia (P1.210)

OBJECTIVE: To understand the report of successful inner speech by people with aphasia. BACKGROUND: Anecdotally, people with aphasia often report that certain words “sound right in my head”, even when they are unable to say the word out loud. Here, we examine whether subjectively correct inner speech (scIS) predicts objective measures of naming, brain activity and response to treatment. DESIGN/METHODS: Pilot participants who reported scIS named a corpus of pictures aloud on three separate days. Testing was used to select words that were consistently correct or incorrect aloud for each individual. While in the scanner, participants named selected items internally and reported their subjective success. Two individuals underwent a course of anomia therapy for the consistently incorrect words. RESULTS: In three subjects analysed to date, scIS was associated with a much higher likelihood of correct aloud speech than subjectively incorrect inner speech (siIS). When aloud speech was incorrect, scIS was associated with more phonologically related nonword errors than siIS. Word frequency was higher for scIS than siIS. When incorrect out loud, scIS produced greater activity in superior temporal areas associated with phonological access than siIS. There was no difference based on out loud success. Therapy was more successful for items reported as scIS before treatment than those reported as siIS. CONCLUSIONS: Word-by-word reports of scIS correspond with behavioural, imaging and treatment outcomes, indicating that these self-reports are meaningful. Specifically, the results suggest that scIS indicates access to a phonological word form, whereas siIS indicates failure to retrieve the correct phonology. The treatment results suggest that self-reports of inner speech are clinically important because they predict subsequent therapy outcomes on a word-by-word basis. Additional research is needed, but these results suggest that insight into IS could ultimately provide a novel tool for prognosis and individualized language treatment. Disclosure: Dr. Hayward has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fama has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sullivan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Snider has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lacey has nothing to disclose. Dr. Friedman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Turkeltaub has nothing to disclose.
ESTABLISHING THE DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS PROPERTIES OF THE ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC AMISULPRIDE IN C57BL/6 MICE

ESTABLISHING THE DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS PROPERTIES OF THE ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC AMISULPRIDE IN C57BL/6 MICE By Timothy John Donahue A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Major Director: Joseph H. Porter PhD Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology Antipsychotic medications are used to treat schizophrenia. The present study used the drug discrimination paradigm to measure the subjective effects of the atypical antipsychotic amisulpride and to examine the underlying neuropharmacological mechanisms responsible for the discriminative stimulus property of the drug. Male C57BL/6 mice were trained to discriminate 10 mg/kg (-)S amisulpride from vehicle in a two-lever drug discrimination task. A dose effect curve for (-)S amisulpride yielded an ED50 = 1.77 mg/kg 95% CI [1.28, 2.45 mg/kg]. Substitution testing was conducted for the isomer (+)R amisulpride, racemic (±)SR amisulpride, the atypical antipsychotics clozapine, aripiprazole and the typical antipsychotic haloperidol. There was partial substitution for (+)R amisulpride, and full substitution for (±)SR amisulpride with a significant rightward shift in the dose effect curves. Clozapine, aripiprazole, and haloperidol failed to fully substitute with significant rate suppression at the higher doses. These results demonstrated that (-)S amisulpride has a unique discriminative stimulus that differs from other antipsychotic drugs.