cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sunlight Generates Multiple Tryptophan Photoproducts Eliciting High Efficacy CYP1A Induction in Chick Hepatocytes And IN VIVO

Photooxidized tryptophan (TRP) in tissue culture medium elicits a transient cytochrome P450 (CYP1) induction response in cultured cells. We show here that exposure of TRP to window sunlight (aTRP) greatly increased the potency, efficacy, and duration of CYP1A induction by TRP in primary chick embryo hepatocytes and in vivo. Aqueous TRP exposed to sunlight for 7 days exhibited a 100-fold or greater increase in potency over TRP in medium. The induction response was sustained for at least 48 h and was comparable in efficacy to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. In hepatocytes, increases in mRNAs for CYP1A4 and CYP1A5, chick orthologs of mammalian CYP1A1 and 1A2, preceded increases in CYP1A proteins and enzyme activities, 7-ethoxyresorufin deethylase (EROD) for CYP1A4 and arachidonic acid epoxygenation for CYP1A5, consistent with a transcriptional mechanism. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) dependence was evidenced by aTRP induction of EROD in wild-type Hepa1c1c7 cells but not in AhR-defective (c35) mutants. Preparations of aTRP were stable for many months at 4 degrees C and were relatively resistant to metabolism by hepatocytes or liver microsomes. Fractionation of aTRP by HPLC analysis coupled with EROD assays showed that aTRP contained multiple photoproducts and CYP1A inducing components, which varied in sensitivity to metabolism by hepatocytes. The previously identified TRP photoproduct, 6-formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole (FICZ), was one component, but FICZ was not required for CYP1A induction by the aTRP mixture. These findings identify the indoor environment, and window sunlight in particular, as a new source of CYP1A inducers. Further, the evidence that biologically active metabolites of an endogenous substrate, arachidonic acid, are formed by aTRP-induced CYP1A provides a pathway by which TRP photoproducts, like toxic xenobiotics, could have significant physiologic effects.
A Systematic Review of Prevalence Studies of Gender-Based Violence in Complex Emergencies

Current methods to estimate the incidence of gender-based violence in complex emergencies tend to rely on nonprobability samples. Population-based monitoring is undertaken relatively infrequently. This article provides a systematic review of published literature that represents attempts to quantify the magnitude of gender-based violence in emergency settings. Searches adopted a Boolean procedure, which led to initial selection of material that was then reviewed against set criteria. Only 10 studies met the final criteria for inclusion. Intimate partner violence, physical violence, and rape were the three categories of violence most frequently measured. Rates of intimate partner violence tended to be quite high across all of the studies-much higher than most of the rates of wartime rape and sexual violence perpetrated by individuals outside of the home. Direct comparisons of rates of violence were hindered by different case definitions, recall periods, and other methodological features. Recommendations for future studies are offered based on lessons learned from the studies reviewed.
Distributed visualization of volumetric medical datasets

Increasing spatial and spectral image resolution, coupled with increased expectations both in visualization output and in the time-responsiveness of that output relative to certain clinical tasks have led to a comcomitant increase in the role of parallel and distributed solutions to the visualization problem. In this paper we examine the distribution of classification and visualization tasks over a heterogenous distributed architecture in the context of one specific visualization problem viz. the directed visualization of small-scale structures from the Visible Human Dataset. Specifically, we examine a Challenger-like architecture in which tasks are dynamically bid onto and transported across the fabric under the control of agents.
Mutations and Homologous Recombination Induced by N-Substituted Aryl Compounds in Mammalian Cells

It is widely recognized that the transformation of normal cells into tumorigenic cells is a multistep process, and there is substantial evidence that mutations and gene rearrangements are involved in causing one or more of the required changes. However, the molecular mechanisms by which carcinogens induce such changes in mammalian cells are not well understood. We are making use of a shuttle vector, pZ189, containing a target gene, supF, to examine the frequency and kinds of mutations induced by a series of N-substituted aryl compounds and structurally-related carcinogens, as well as their specific location in the target gene (spectrum of mutations) (Yang et al., 1987; 1988; Mah et al., 1989). In these experiments, the plasmid is treated with radiolabeled carcinogens and allowed to replicate in the human cell line 293 where the mutations are introduced. The progeny plasmids are rescued, analyzed for mutated supF genes, and the kinds and spectra of mutations are determined in order to identify common features in the modes of action of the various agents and determine how they differ from each other.
Pretense and imagination

Issues of pretense and imagination are of central interest to philosophers, psychologists, and researchers in allied fields. In this entry, we provide a roadmap of some of the central themes around which discussion has been focused. We begin with an overview of pretense, imagination, and the relationship between them. We then shift our attention to the four specific topics where the disciplines’ research programs have intersected or where additional interactions could prove mutually beneficial: the psychological underpinnings of performing pretense and of recognizing pretense, the cognitive capacities involved in imaginative engagement with fictions, and the real-world impact of make-believe. In the final section, we discuss more briefly a number of other mental activities that arguably involve imagining, including counterfactual reasoning, delusions, and dreaming.
How naming and shaming affects human rights perceptions in the shamed country

Although individual citizens perceive the human rights conditions in their country differently, existing research on human rights and public opinion has tended to ignore the possible impact from in...
The Influence of Grain Size on the Toughness of Monolithic Ceramics

Experiments have shown that there may be an optimal grain size which maximizes the toughness of polycrystalline ceramics. In this paper, we attempt to develop a theoretical model which can predict the effect of grain size on the toughness of ceramics. We assume that three principal mechanisms affect the toughness of the material: distributed microcracking; crack trapping by tough grains; and frictional energy dissipation as grains are pulled out in the wake of the crack. The grain size influences these mechanisms in several ways. The energy dissipated due to frictional crack bridging increases with the size of the bridging grains, tending to improve toughness. However, as the grain size increases, the density of microcracks in the solid also increases, which eventually weakens the material. In addition, the level of inter-granular residual stress is also reduced by microcracking, which as a detrimental effect on the toughening due to bridging. We have developed a simple model to quantify these effects. However, the model does not predict the dramatic loss of strength which has been observed to occur beyond a critical grain size. We have therefore proposed an alternative explanation for the apparent decrease in toughness in coarse grained ceramics. Calculations indicate that in a coarse grained material, the main contribution to toughness is due to frictional crack bridging. However, to produce this toughening, the bridging zone must be over 500 grains long. In practice, the length of the bridging zone in a coarse grained solid may be comparable to the dimensions of the specimen used to measure its toughness. Under these conditions, it is not appropriate to use the concept of a geometry independent toughness to characterize the strength of the specimen. We have therefore developed a simple model of a double cantilever beam fracture specimen, which accounts for the effects of large scale bridging. Using this model, we are able to predict the apparent decrease in toughness measured in coarse grained specimens.
Ketamine Continuous Infusion for Refractory Status Epilepticus in a Patient With Anticonvulsant Hypersensitivity Syndrome

Objective: Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) requires aggressive management with multiple antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) often requiring the initiation of continuous infusions of propofol, midazolam, or pentobarbital to achieve adequate control in addition to intermittent agents. Ketamine has been implicated in several case reports as a successful agent for treating RSE given that it blocks the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, which is overexpressed in prolonged status epilepticus. Case Summary: We describe a previously healthy 27-year-old woman who presented with prolonged RSE requiring the initiation of multiple AEDs, including high-dose propofol and midazolam continuous infusions. As a result of hypotension from propofol and inadequate seizure control with midazolam, the patient was successfully transitioned to a pentobarbital infusion in combination with multiple AEDs. Although the patient achieved control of her RSE, her course was complicated by the development of an anticonvulsant hypersensitivity synd...
Terrain height estimation using GMTI radar

We simulate the performance of existing and planned tactical GMTI (ground moving target indicator) systems using data cubes derived from high-fidelity interferometric SAR measurements, to assess the utility of these GMTI systems for an auxiliary terrain height estimation function. The two systems are current and next generation GMTI radars with linear and planar arrays, respectively, that could be mounted on a manned aircraft or a large UAV. In order to achieve the vertical element separation required for interferometric terrain height estimation, the antenna array in the first case must be pitched up relative to the horizontal position that is ordinarily used for DPCA or STAP clutter suppression. The purpose of the study is to determine whether useable terrain elevation maps can be generated by interferometric techniques within the operational constraints of these systems. Such elevation map data, obtained using a GMTI radar, would be valuable to knowledge-aided algorithms which rely on precise three-dimensional registration of radar data with terrain or road databases.
Teaching Urban Health

This review has suggested priorities for the education of urban health professionals. First, researchers, practitioners and policy makers need to define the scope of the field of urban health and encourage the development of theories, models and concepts that bring together the diverse disciplines working to improve the health of urban populations. Second, universities and other training programs should broaden the diversity of the students they educate to be urban health professionals and the faculty who teach them. Third, teachers should continue to develop pedagogical strategies uniquely suited to developing the competencies that urban health professionals will need to master. Fourth, universities need to consider various organizational frameworks for teaching urban health and select the options that best match their resources and mission and meet the personnel needs of the region they serve. Finally, universities, health departments and accrediting agencies need to identify new opportunities for collaboration to create the health workforce needed to improve the health of urban populations in the 21st century.
“STAMPED ON HOT WAX”: GEORGE MEREDITH'S NARRATIVES OF INHERITANCE

In “The Decay of Lying” (1889), Oscar Wilde's speaker calls Victorian novelist George Meredith “a child of realism who is not on speaking terms with his father” (Wilde 976). The comment underscores the idealism running through Meredith's strange and understudied novels. Wilde's speaker announces that Meredith “has made himself a romanticist” (976), a self-conscious reactionary against Victorian High Realism who is nonetheless situated deeply within it. Meredith's uneasy relationship with his own time has likely affected recent critical assessments of his work. Though his canonical status surpassed George Eliot's in the 1940s, and although there was a mini-explosion of Meredith scholarship in the 1970s, more recent work has focused on his sonnet sequence, Modern Love, and his psychological novel, The Egoist. However, with the rise of interest in the history of the book, gender and sexuality studies, and Victorian publishing, Meredith's novels are becoming the subject of renewed attention.
Optically Transparent, Amphiphilic Networks Based on Blends of Perfluoropolyethers and Poly(ethylene glycol)

Amphiphilic networks of perfluoropolyethers (PFPE) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been achieved to yield optically transparent, mechanically robust films over a wide range of compositions. Telechelic diols of these oligomers were transformed to a photocurable dimethacryloxy form (DMA) and free radically cured at various composition weight ratios to yield free-standing films. Clear and colorless amphiphilic networks could be achieved when low molar mass versions of both the PFPE-DMA (1 kg/mol) and the PEG-DMA (550 g/mol) were used. The bulk morphologies of the samples were extensively characterized by a variety of techniques including ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanic thermal analysis, small-angle X-ray scattering, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical microscopy, which strongly suggest that nanoscopic to macroscopic phase-separated materials could be achieved. By incorporating a threshold amount of PFPEs into PEG-based hydrogel networks, water swelling could be significantly reduced, which may offer a new strategy for a number of medical device applications. Along these lines, strong inhibition of nonspecific protein adsorption could be achieved with these amphiphilic network materials compared with an oligo(ethylene glycol)-based self-assembled monolayer coated surface.
SU(3) decomposition of two-body B decay amplitudes.

We present the complete flavor SU(3) decomposition of decay amplitudes for decays of the triplet ({ital B}{sub {ital u}}{sup +}, {ital B}{sup 0}{sub {ital d}}, {ital B}{sup 0}{sub {ital s}}) of {ital B} mesons nonleptonically into two pseudoscalar mesons. This analysis holds for arbitrarily broken SU(3) and can be used to generate amplitude relations when physical arguments permit one to neglect or relate any of the reduced amplitudes.
Psychological Issues and Problems

Understanding of death and expression of grief are determined by chronologic age and levels of cognitive development.
Women in Leadership: The Future of Christian Higher Education

ABSTRACTThis article presents a discussion of the gender imbalance in senior-level leadership roles within the U.S. member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), highlighting data across the last two decades. The underrepresentation of women in this sector is placed within a theological context and is compared with other sectors of U.S. higher education. Insights from the secular literature provide an introductory context for the article's presentation of the data. Although the CCCU member institutions collectively serve a student body that is 60% female, a 2015 analysis of individuals holding “vice president” or higher titles (e.g., senior vice president, executive vice president) revealed that women held fewer than 30% of those employed in any particular leadership role (e.g., chief academic officer) and only slightly over 20% of all senior leadership roles. Notably, when a national study compared the leadership composition of 1,481 evangelical non-profit organizations...
Pivotal study of iodine I 131 tositumomab for chemotherapy-refractory low-grade or transformed low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tositumomab and iodine I 131 tositumomab (Bexxar; Corixa Corp, Seattle, WA, and GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, PA) in patients with chemotherapy-refractory low-grade or transformed low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and to compare its efficacy to the patients’ last qualifying chemotherapy (LQC) regimens. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty patients who had been treated with at least two protocol-specified qualifying chemotherapy regimens and had not responded or progressed within 6 months after their LQC were treated with a single course of iodine I 131 tositumomab. RESULTS: Patients had received a median of four prior chemotherapy regimens. A partial or complete response (CR) was observed in 39 patients (65%) after iodine I 131 tositumomab, compared with 17 patients (28%) after their LQC (P < .001). The median duration of response (MDR) was 6.5 months after iodine I 131 tositumomab, compared with 3.4 months after the LQC (P < .001). Two patients (3%) had a CR a...
Flow and Heat Transfer in Liquid Films Flowing Over Highly Curved Surfaces

Large-scale evaporative cooling is one of the leading sources of fresh water consumption. Dry cooling based on existing heat exchangers, however, has found limited usage due to the high cost and large foot prints/weights. Development of alternative low-cost light-weight heat exchangers for dry cooling is therefore urgently needed. One promising design for such alternative heat exchangers is what we call Direct-contact Liquid-on-String Heat Exchangers (DILSHE). DILSHE consists of a vertically aligned array of inexpensive polymer strings. A nonvolatile liquid flows over the strings, forming thin liquid films. Large surface areas provided by these films enable efficient heat transfer to counter-flowing cooling air. Physics-based design and optimization of DILSHE requires rigorous understanding of flow and heat transfer phenomena of falling liquid films on highly curved surfaces. Formation of travelling beads through the Rayleigh-Plateau or Kapitza instability can enhance heat transfer across liquid-gas interfaces. We have developed a numerical model for liquid-gas flows and heat transfer in the drop-like regime, where the Rayleigh-Plateau instability dominates and the shape of travelling beads is governed mainly by the influence of surface tension. We solve the Young-Laplace equation to obtain the liquid bead shape, which was then used to construct a finite element model. The time-dependent Navier-Stokes equation and the energy equation were then solved to obtain velocity and temperature distributions in the liquid and the surrounding counter-flowing air. The temporal and spatial variations in the temperature of travelling beads are analyzed to evaluate the effective heat transfer coefficients, which are key input parameters for an overall heat exchange model to quantify the heat transfer characteristic of DILSHE. The present work helps build foundation for systematic design of new generations of heat exchangers for dry cooling.© 2015 ASME
An ultrafast look at Au nanoclusters.

In the past 20 years, researchers studying nanomaterials have uncovered many new and interesting properties not found in bulk materials. Extensive research has focused on metal nanoparticles (>3 nm) because of their potential applications, such as in molecular electronics, image markers, and catalysts. In particular, the discovery of metal nanoclusters (<3nm) has greatly expanded the horizon of nanomaterial research. These nanosystems exhibit molecular-like characteristics as their size approaches the Fermi-wavelength of an electron. The relationships between size and physical properties for nanomaterials are intriguing, because for metal nanosystems in this size regime both size and shape determine electronic properties. Remarkably, changes in the optical properties of nanomaterials have provided tremendous insight into the electronic structure of nanoclusters. The success of synthesizing monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) in the condensed phase has allowed scientists to probe the metal core directly. A...
On the Use of Polynomial Regression Equations As An Alternative to Difference Scores in Organizational Research

For decades, difference scores have been widely used in studies of congruence in organizational research. Although methodological problems with difference scores are well known, few viable alternat...
Microstructrures and Mechanical Properties of Ni-Base Alloys Consolidated by Vacuum Plasma Spray (VPS) Process

Increased demands of the aircraft jet engines have been steadily increasing the need for materials exhibiting higher strength at high temperatures. Ni-base alloys, which are highly resistant to thermal fatigue and thermal shock have been used to meet these requirements. Ni-base alloys, known for their high temperature strength up to 900°C, were deposited by the vacuum plasma spray (VPS) process. The plasma deposition process uses metal powders, offering near net shape capability with dense and homogeneous microstructures. The research described here reviews the properties of several Ni-base alloys: Ni5Mo5Al, Ni27Mo6Al and blends with Mo powders, consolidated by the VPS process. These Ni-base metals which are alloyed or blended with Mo have lower thermal expansion than the common used materials alloyed with chromium. These metals were deposited using plasma jets, varying the operational parameters and conditions. The morphology of the powder particles of the alloys has been studied prior to processing. The microstructures of the deposits were analyzed in the “as-sprayed” conditions and after post deposition treatments. Plasma deposition parameters were selected which produced dense as-sprayed structures up to 98%. Post deposition thermal processes such as HIP and sinter cycles were also explored. The deposited materials were analyzed for the degree of particle melting in the jet, deposit bulk density, mechanical properties (tensile and impact) at room temperature and at 760°C and coefficient of thermal expansion from R.T to 1100°C. Results showed that the VPS process and post deposition treatments produced dense (˜99%) Ni-alloys deposits with high strength and low coefficients of thermal expansion.
Health Literacy and Access to Care.

Despite well-documented links between low health literacy, low rates of health insurance coverage, and poor health outcomes, there has been almost no research on the relationship between low health literacy and self-reported access to care. This study analyzed a large, nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults ages 50 and older to estimate the relationship between low health literacy and self-reported difficulty obtaining care. We found that individuals with low health literacy were significantly more likely than individuals with adequate health literacy to delay or forgo needed care or to report difficulty finding a provider, even after we controlled for other factors, including health insurance coverage, employment, race/ethnicity, poverty, and general cognitive function. They were also more likely to lack a usual source of care, although this result was only marginally significant after we controlled for other factors. The results show that in addition to any obstacles that low heal...
Incentivizing Comparative Effectiveness Research

Comparative effective research (CER) compares alternative methods of preventing, diagnosing, treating, and otherwise managing medical conditions. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act authorized creation and funding of an independent agency, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, to expand CER in the U.S. A key issue in the years ahead is the extent to which public investment in CER and related initiatives should be further expanded in an attempt to improve the efficiency of healthcare spending, limit cost growth, and reduce projected deficits for Medicare and Medicaid. This study provides an overview and analysis of public funding of CER and the desirability and feasibility of incentivizing additional CER in the private sector. It explores key impediments to higher private spending on CER, the rationales for increased public investment, the potential benefits and inherent limitations of publicly-funded CER, and the advantages of pursuing a multifaceted approach to increase private sector, entrepreneurial investment in CER.
Effect of Hand-washing Behavior Intervention Mode in Sichuan Areas Under Improving Drinking Water and Lavatories

Objective To evaluate the health education effect of hand-washing behavior in rural areas with improving drinking water and lavatories,and to provide scientific basis for health education. Methods With random sampling,the villagers from 3 counties of Mingshan,Anju and Daxian were intervened and surveyed,and the effectiveness was evaluated. Results After years of health education,habits of hand-washing before breakfast,feeding child before meals,after using the toilet,after wiping children,contacting with feces on villagers were improved in general( P0. 01); the hand-washing behavior of the students in school after using the toilet improved in general( P0. 01); the rates of hand- washing with soap in villagers did not improved in general( χ2= 0. 05; P0. 05),the rates of washing hand with soap in the students in school were improved in general( χ2= 4. 36,P0. 05). Conclusion The targeted hand-washing behavior intervention model has achieved certain effect,especially the mode carried out in the students,which is worthy of popularization and application.
Bupivacaine toxicity in lightly anesthetized pigs with respiratory imbalances plus or minus halothane.

Background and Objectives Changes in acid base balance within the body, oxygen delivery to tissue, and carbon dioxide elimination, as well as general anesthetics, influence the toxicity of local anesthetics. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that light halothane anesthesia, hypercapnia, and hypoxia act together to alter the central nervous system and cardiovascular toxicity of bupivacaine. Methods Three groups of 2-week-old pigs were lightly anesthetized with N2O in O2 and paralyzed with pancuronium. One group (n = 6) was made hypercapnic (group A; PaCO2 ≥ 60 mg Hg), another group (n = 6) was made hypercapnic and hypoxic (group B; F1O2 = 0.1, PaCO2 = 66.8 ± 9.91 mm Hg, PaO2 = 29.2 ± 3.53 mm Hg), and another group (group C; n = 5) was made hypercapnic and hypoxic and given 0.5% halothane (PaCO2 = 68.54 ± 4.18, PaO2 = 31.06 ± 1.96). Bupivacaine was infused intravenously at 1 mg·kg−1·min−1 until the animals developed cardiac asystole. Results Arrhythmias, seizures, isoelectric electroencephalogram (isoEEG), and asystole were readily identified in groups A and B. None of the animals given halothane had seizures, but they did exhibit the other three toxic endpoints. The doses of bupivacaine producing asystole were significantly less in group C than in group A (7.9 ± 1.8 versus 17.7 ± 2.2 mg·kg−1). The doses of bupivacaine that produced isoEEG were significantly lower in groups B and C than in group A (8.9 ± 6.2, 5.0 ± 1.1, 14.6 ± 3.2 mg/kg, respectively). Doses of bupivacaine producing all toxic endpoints except seizures were lower in group B animals than in group A, but only the isoEEG doses were statistically different (arrhythmias 2.3 ± 1.1 versus 3.7 ± 1.1; isoEEG 8.9 ± 6.2 versus 14.6 ± 3.2; asystole 12.1 ± 7.5 versus 17.7 ± 2.2 mg·kg−1). No differences in seizure pattern or type of arrhythmia were detected. Mean arterial pressure decreased during bupivacaine infusion, the rate of decrease was fastest (P Conclusions Bupivacaine is significantly more lethal, as judged by the doses producing asystole, in young pigs that are hypercapnic, hypoxic, and receiving halothane than in young pigs that are hypercapnic.
Characterization of the WBC differential count.

A physician ordering serial WBC differential counts on the typical hospital/clinic patient assumes that changes in the percentage representation of the various cell types will be due to disease.
CHAARTED/GETUG 12--docetaxel in non-castrate prostate cancers.

In two recent phase III trials, investigators evaluated the addition of docetaxel to androgen-deprivation therapy for non-castrate prostate cancer. On the basis of the CHAARTED-trial findings, we can firmly conclude that this combination can be used in the metastatic setting. The results of the GETUG 12 trial are less informative, although some benefit for patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer was demonstrated.
Absence of postmating barriers between a selfing vs. outcrossing Chilean Mimulus species pair

Premise of the study Reproductive isolation between sympatric species pairs may be maintained by both pre- and postmating barriers. Here we evaluate potential barriers to mating between the outcrossing Mimulus luteus and its more highly selfing sympatric congener, M. cupreus, two members of the South American luteus complex of Mimulus. Methods Seed set was compared following autonomous self-pollination, manual pollination, conspecific outcrossing, and sympatric and allopatric hybridization, for laboratory-maintained inbred lines and wild-collected accessions. Survival and reproductive fitness of hybrids relative to parental species were examined across environments that differed with respect to temperature and soil nutrients, two factors that vary across the ranges of M. luteus and M. cupreus. Key results Mimulus luteus was minimally capable of autonomous self-fertilization, consistent with reliance on an animal pollinator, whereas M. cupreus was a successful selfer across all tested accessions. Postmating barriers to hybridization are negligible, in both low- and high-stress environments, across multiple sympatric and allopatric populations. Conclusion As in the North American M. guttatus-M. nasutus species pair, postmating barriers contribute little to isolation between M. luteus and M. cupreus. This result reinforces the importance of premating barriers, specifically species differences in reliance on, and accessibility to, animal pollinators. A unique aspect of the M. luteus-M. cupreus pair is the recent gain of red floral anthocyanin pigmentation in M. cupreus. On the basis of species differences in vegetative anthocyanin production, a facultative stress-protective response, we propose a potential stress-protective role for the constitutive floral anthocyanins of M. cupreus.
Aligning Research and the Current Practice of Performance Management

The debate over eliminating performance ratings addresses many important theoretical and practical issues. However, the academic debate on the topic is disconnected from the concerns of practitioners. Knowledge gained from theory-driven research is not leading practice on the use of performance ratings, despite the large volume of potentially relevant research findings. Many organizations are charging ahead with performance management solutions that seem sensible to them. They may be interested in academic research, but they are not waiting for it. We will argue that academic researchers who hope to influence practice need to better understand the concerns of practitioners and the research opportunities that are presented by contemporary practice.
From Anti-Communism to Anti-Totalitarianism

The very nature of democracy makes its defense difficult. In a democracy, the majority has the right to be wrong and the opportunity to make public its private passions while acting on its personal interests. What is more, democratic tolerance of pluralism and recognition of social conflict ensure that democracy will be characterized above all by self-criticism. As a result, when it is threatened, its enemies will find at least some domestic support from citizens who despair of democracy, or at least of this democracy, and who convince themselves that a better, more substantial or less superficial, democracy can be brought into being. Such critics of the really existing democracy are convinced that they are acting in the name of real democracy. So it was, for example, that the General Secretary of the American Communist Party in the 1930s, Earl Browder, could claim that communism is “twentieth century Americanism.” Following the same logic, the CIA took it upon itself to support not only opposition to Soviet influence but also to encourage and finance what Frances Stonor Saunders calls the “cultural Cold War”1 The shared logic of the CIA and the CPUSA turns out to be, as the saying goes, no accident.
Metabolic and hormone influences on emotion processing during menopause

Disturbances of emotion regulation and depressive symptoms are common during the menopause transition. Reproductive hormone levels are not directly correlated with depressive symptoms, and other factors may influence mood symptoms during menopause. In this study, we sought to determine the role of metabolic function in mood symptoms during menopause, hypothesizing an association with menopause status and long-term glucose load. We studied 54 women across three menopause transition stages (15 premenopause, 11 perimenopause, and 28 postmenopause), examining effects of age, hormones, and metabolism on mood and neural activation during emotional discrimination. We assessed participants using behavioral and functional MRI measures of negative emotion and emotion discrimination, and glycated hemoglobin A1c, to assess long-term glucose load. We found that emotionally unpleasant images activated emotion regulation (amygdala) and cognitive association brain regions (prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate, temporal-parietal-occipital (TPO) junction, hippocampus). Cognitive association region activity increased with menopause stage. Perimenopausal women had left TPO junction activation, and postmenopausal women had prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate, and TPO junction activation. Negative affect was associated with decreased amygdala activation, while depression symptoms and negative mood were associated with increased TPO junction activation. Hemoglobin A1c was associated with negative interpretation bias of neutral images and cognitive region recruitment during emotion discrimination. FSH levels, indicating menopause stage, were associated with negative mood. Age was not associated with any behavioral measures or activation patterns during the emotion task. Our results suggest that an interaction between metabolic and hormonal factors may influence emotion regulation, leading to increased risk for depression during menopause.
Wheelerodemus muhlenbergiae Henry and Sweet (Hemiptera: Lygaeoidea: Blissidae): Distribution, Host Plants, and Seasonality

Abstract. The chinch bug Wheelerodemus muhlenbergiae Henry and Sweet was described as a new species in 2015 based on collections from disjunct regions of Oklahoma (Arbuckle Mountains and nearby areas) and Texas (eastern Edwards Plateau). Adults are short winged (micropterous) and flightless. The known host plants are two species of the grass genus Muhlenbergia: M. lindheimeri in Texas and M. reverchonii in Oklahoma and Texas. The present paper provides additional information on the study sites and host plants, adds collection sites not included in the original description, and gives notes on seasonality. Adults overwintered and first instars were observed as early as late April. Second instars were present in late May, third instars in early to mid-June, and fourth and fifth instars in early July. The bug might be univoltine, but the adults observed in late October probably represented those of a second generation. Vascular plants and other insect groups with similar Arbuckle Mountains-Edwards Plateau ran...
Tale of Tails: Anomaly Avoidance in Data Centers

It is a common practice that today's cloud data centers guard the performance by monitoring the resource usage, e.g., CPU and RAM, and issuing anomaly tickets whenever detecting usages exceeding predefined target values. Ensuring free of such usage anomaly can be extremely challenging, while catering to a large amount of virtual machines (VMs) showing bursty workloads on a limited amount of physical resource. Using resource usage data from production data centers that consist of more than 6K physical machines hosting more than 80K VMs, we identify statistic properties of anomaly instances (AIs) on physical servers, highlighting their burst duration and potential root causes. To strike a tradeoff between a strong performance guarantee and resource provisions, we propose a tail-driven anomaly avoidance policy for boxes, TailGuard, which allows a small fraction of AIs, e.g., 5% of usages can be above the target value, and still avoid severe performance degradation, typically caused by a burst of continuous AI. Specifically, TailGuard first introduces a novel usage tail prediction that explores the similarity patterns across a great number of boxes within a very recent history, and then redistributes the server load in an online fashion by proactive VM cloning and reactive load balancing. Evaluation results show that TailGuard can not only achieve an accuracy comparable with prediction methodology that relies on long history of usage data but also dramatically reduce the number of CPU AIs by 60%, with a tenfold reduction of their duration, from more than 25 time windows to only 2.
Au–Cu–Ag Nanorods Synthesized by Seed‐Mediated Coreduction and Their Optical Properties

Development of trimetallic nanoparticles can potentially broaden the optical window for plasmonic applications, but can also offer new photocatalysts for organic synthesis. The optical and catalytic properties can be tuned by the ratio between different components and how they are distributed in the nanoparticles, in addition to their size and shape. This work reports a seed-mediated coreduction method for the fabrication of Au-Cu-Ag nanorods in oil phase. The composition and morphology of trimetallic Au-Cu-Ag nanostructures can be controlled by adjusting the injection temperature and the concentration of silver precursor. An additional peak (around 395 nm) is observed in extinction spectrum of trimetallic Au-Cu-Ag nanorods compared to that of bimetallic Au-Cu nanorods, caused by the segregated silver composition in the trimetallic nanorods. The reported synthesis can be used to develop a wide range of trimetallic nanostructures with tunable optical properties and functionality.
Association of Structural and Functional Measures With Contrast Sensitivity in Glaucoma.

Purpose To test the hypothesis that structural and functional measures predict contrast sensitivity (CS) outcomes in glaucomatous eyes. Design Cross-sectional prospective study. Methods One hundred five eyes of 65 patients who underwent macular spectral-domain optical coherence tomography imaging, 24-2 standard achromatic visual fields (VF), and CS measurement on the same day were enrolled. Association of CS at 4 spatial frequencies (3, 6, 12, and 18 cycles per degree, cpd) with structural and functional outcomes was explored with correlation and regression analyses. Results The median (IQR) 24-2 visual field mean deviation was −7.6 (−11.1 to −3.0). Significant correlations were found between CS at 6 cpd and ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer thickness at inferotemporal and inferonasal macular sectors (ρ = 0.222, P = .023 and ρ = 0.209, P = .032, respectively). CS at 6 cpd demonstrated higher correlations with full macular thickness measurements, the strongest of which was with the central macular thickness in the superior 6 × 3-degree region (ρ = 0.311, P = .001). Contrast sensitivity at 6 cpd also had the strongest correlation with mean deviation of the 4 central VF points (ρ = −0.420; P P Conclusions Structural and functional measures showed a fair relationship with contrast sensitivity. This association was most prominent between full-thickness macular measures or central VF parameters and CS at 6 cpd. Contrast sensitivity was not a reliable surrogate for glaucoma severity in this cross-sectional study.
Implementing routine assessment of patient-reported outcomes in cancer care.

229Background: Value based cancer care includes measurement of value to the patient. Patient reported outcomes (PRO) are central to assessing outcomes of cancer care but systematically measuring them creates adoption and work flow issues. We report the Huntsman Cancer Institute’s (HCI) experience implementing routine collection of PROs. Methods: Patients on a quarterly basis either prior to a scheduled visit via email or at the visit via tablet, complete 5 PROMIS measures (fatigue, pain interference, anxiety, depression and physical function) administered in computer-assisted test (CAT) format. Patients also complete a current health visual analog scale and general health question. Data are automatically and seamlessly populated to the electronic health record (EHR) for clinician review at the visit and are stored within the data warehouse. Results: Roll-out began sequentially to all HCI oncology outpatient clinics in July 2016, with a new clinic added every 2 weeks. To date PRO assessment is operational ...
The Evolving Nature of Higher Education Accreditation: Legal Considerations for Institutional Research Leaders

This chapter provides an overview of the purpose, history, and process of accreditation and a context for understanding the legal considerations of accreditation.
Electrotaxis of cardiac progenitor cells, cardiac fibroblasts, and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac progenitor cells requires serum and is directed via PI3'K pathways.

Background The limited regenerative capacity of cardiac tissue has long been an obstacle to treating damaged myocardium. Cell-based therapy offers an enormous potential to the current treatment paradigms. However, the efficacy of regenerative therapies remains limited by inefficient delivery and engraftment. Electrotaxis (electrically guided cell movement) has been clinically used to improve recovery in a number of tissues but has not been investigated for treating myocardial damage. Objective The purpose of this study was to test the electrotactic behaviors of several types of cardiac cells. Methods Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs), cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac progenitor cells (hiPSC-CPCs) were used. Results CPCs and CFs electrotax toward the anode of a direct current electric field, whereas hiPSC-CPCs electrotax toward the cathode. The voltage-dependent electrotaxis of CPCs and CFs requires the presence of serum in the media. Addition of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule to serum-free media restores directed migration. We provide evidence that CPC and CF electrotaxis is mediated through phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase signaling. In addition, very late antigen-4, an integrin and growth factor receptor, is required for electrotaxis and localizes to the anodal edge of CPCs in response to direct current electric field. The hiPSC-derived CPCs do not express very late antigen-4, migrate toward the cathode in a voltage-dependent manner, and, similar to CPCs and CFs, require media serum and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase activity for electrotaxis. Conclusion The electrotactic behaviors of these therapeutic cardiac cells may be used to improve cell-based therapy for recovering function in damaged myocardium.
Variation Among Full-Sib Progenies of Red Maple in Growth, Autumn Leaf Color, and Leafhopper Injury

Abstract Controlled pollinations made between selected parents of red maple (Acer rubrum L.), and seedling progenies were planted in a randomized block design along with trees of the cultivars ‘October Glory,’ ‘Autumn Flame,’ and ‘Red Sunset’. Tree height, autumn color, and leafhopper (Empoasca fabae (Harris)) injury were evaluated over an eight-year period. Differences among progenies and cultivars in leafhopper injury and in the time and quality of peak autumn leaf color were statistically significant for all years. These traits were significantly influenced by the female and/or male parent used to create the progeny. The timing of peak color was also influenced by a significant interaction between male and female parents. Growth rate and color intensity of the same progenies were generally consistent across years, whereas correlation for leafhopper damage was weak between years. Clonal selections from the best progenies have been made and are being evaluated for possible release to the nursery industry.
Applying a social model of disability across the life span

With an estimated 21.3% of persons aged 15 and older experiencing disability in the USA, social workers will see clients present with disabilities across all practice settings and stages of human d...
Climate Change and the Balkans: Real Concern or “Useless Arithmetic”

The theme of this essay is the importance of a focused Balkan regional analysis of future climate change and climate change impacts on a more detailed, cross-national and regional basis than has been undertaken before. The argument is based on the differences in potential future climate in the Balkans compared to the European continental area in which the region is typically included and on the reality that geographical propinquity may be more important than boundaries of nation states when issues of climate change impacts are considered. Differences among climate change scenarios and uncertainty in resulting impact patterns are not grounds for ignoring the importance of regional collaboration on climate change assessment. Thus the creation of an informal collaborative among Balkan climate change scientists is proposed.
Breast Augmentation in the Transsexual

Breast enlargement is one of the manifestations for male gender change. The psychological readiness for such a change must be evaluated before augmenting the breast in a male. The procedure is described in detail and has been very successful. The possible risks and complications are similar to those for breast augmentation in a female. There are times when the male wishes, for a variety of reasons, to have the implants removed; in such a case, the chest wall will ordinarily revert back to the previous flattened breast without skin excess.
Elements of Combustion

To this point, our study of thermodynamics has been restricted to nonreacting systems. Because chemical compositions did not change at any point in the process, our thermodynamic analyses did not involve any chemical reactions. However, we will now consider a particular type of chemical reaction: combustion. Although this chapter provides only an introduction to the subject of combustion, it is included because of its importance to engineers.
Understanding Race and Income Disparities in Crowdsourced Pedestrian Safety Data (breakout presentation)

Transportation data collection and communication platforms provide important information on transportation safety that complement government agency-collected data, aiding in data-driven decision-making and resource allocation. However, as governmental agencies increasingly rely on data collected through privately and publicly managed technology to allocate resources and fund transportation initiatives, the safety concerns of city residents who do not have access to these technologies are not recognized. A major concern of new smart city technologies is that they are disproportionately used by and implemented in wealthy, urban communities, developing a form of digital divide between citizens with access to these technologies and those without. This divide often develops over racial and income lines. My research focuses on ways in which transportation data collection and communication platforms can be used to involve low-income communities and communities of color in addressing and developing solutions to pedestrian safety. I will present techniques, opportunities and limitations to studying this topic. I will also present policy and program recommendations for addressing these issues.