cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biotinylated Bioluminescent Probe for Long Lasting Targeted in Vivo Imaging of Xenografted Brain Tumors in Mice

Bioluminescence is a useful tool for imaging of cancer in in vivo animal models that endogenously express luciferase, an enzyme that requires a substrate for visual readout. Current bioluminescence imaging, using commonly available luciferin substrates, only lasts a short time (15–20 min). To avoid repeated administration of luciferase substrate during cancer detection and surgery, a long lasting bioluminescence imaging substrate or system is needed. A novel water-soluble biotinylated luciferase probe, B-YL (1), was synthesized. A receptor-targeted complex of B-YL with streptavidin (SA) together with a biotinylated epidermal growth factor short peptide (B-EGF) (SA/B-YL/B-EGF = 1:3:1, molar ratio) was then prepared to demonstrate selective targeting. The complex was incubated with brain cancer cell lines overexpressing the EGF receptor (EGFR) and transfected with the luciferase gene. Results show that the complex specifically detects cancer cells by bioluminescence. The complex was further used to image xe...
The effect of focal center and peripheral ad placement, player involvement, and player experience on recognition and recall of videogame ads

iv Introduction and Statement of the Problem 1 Literature Review and Theoretical Framework 8 Advertising Approaches in Videogames 9 Involvement, Presence and Immersion 10 Limited Capacity Theory and Experience 13 Recognition and Recall 16 Game Players’ Attitude and Memory of In-Game Advertisements 17 Focal Center and Peripheral Visual Advertisements 18 Hypotheses 21
The Use of Regional or Neuraxial Anesthesia for Below-Knee Amputations May Reduce the Need for Perioperative Blood Transfusions

Background and Objectives Amputations of the lower extremity remain a common procedure in a high-risk population. Perioperative morbidity and mortality reach as high as 14.1% in below-knee amputations. We aimed to determine whether regional, or neuraxial, anesthesia, when compared with general anesthesia (GA), would be associated with reduced perioperative morbidity and mortality. Methods We queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data set. The study population was divided into 2 groups: patients undergoing regional anesthesia (RA) and those undergoing GA. The primary end point for our study was 30-day mortality. The secondary end points were return to the operating room, surgical site infections, pulmonary complications, acute kidney injury, urinary tract infection, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, perioperative transfusions, thromboembolisms, sepsis, composite measure of postoperative complications, and days from operation to discharge. Results Twelve thousand seven hundred twenty-three patients were identified. Older patients, white patients, patients with a higher body mass index, patients without dyspnea, patients with independent functional status, smokers, patients with sepsis, and patients with bleeding disorders were associated with receiving GA. Hispanic patients, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and patients with congestive heart failure were associated with receiving RA. Our study did not reveal a 30-day mortality difference between RA and GA. Regional anesthesia was associated with a significantly decreased need for perioperative blood transfusions (11.8% vs 16.5%, P Conclusions Regional anesthesia does not offer a mortality advantage over GA, but RA may reduce the need for perioperative blood transfusions.
Does pair programming work in a data science context? An initial case study

While pair programming has been studied extensively for software programmers, very little has been reported with respect to pair programming in a data science project. This paper reports on a case study evaluating the effectiveness of pair programming within a data science / big data context. Our findings show that pair programming can be useful for data science teams. In addition, while the driver role was similar to what has been described for software programmers, we note that the observer role had an expanded set of responsibilities, which we termed researcher activities. Further exploration is required to explore if these expanded roles are specific to data science pair programming.
Issues in Pediatric Kidney Transplantation

Pediatric kidney transplants have been performed for more than five decades. To achieve excellent patient outcomes, collaboration of multiple subspecialties is required. This manuscript will review recent advancements in different fields that relate to pediatric kidney transplantation. With improvements in patient selection, drugs, perioperative care, surgical technique and postoperative monitoring, outcomes including graft survival, patient survival, and delayed graft function/primary non-function have improved. Immunosuppressive regimens that minimize corticosteroids are increasingly implemented and long-term side effects of antirejection drugs such as infections and metabolic/endocrine dysregulation are better understood. The anesthetic management of pediatric kidney recipients has remained largely the same over the years, but newer technologies and drugs are beginning to be implemented. The field of pediatric kidney transplantation has seen significant improvements in outcomes but still suffers from a discrepancy between graft demand and supply. The future will likely see efforts directed towards improved graft allocation policies, attempts to increase living donations, and new approaches such as alternative graft sources from tissue engineering and recovery of kidney function using regenerative medicine.
Shyness of Sets in the Space of Automorphisms on [0, 1]

In a 1986 paper, Graf, Mauldin and Williams introduced the notion of a random homeomorphism by defining certain natural probability measures on the space of increasing homeomorphisms on the unit interval [0, 1]. We contrast their study by investigating the shyness and prevalence of some of the sets arising in their article.
Twelfth Colorado Mathematical Olympiad: April 28, 1995

A heavy snow was unable to stop six hundred and three students from coming to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs for the Twelfth annual Colorado Mathematical Olympiad. Junior high and high school students came from all over the State: Denver, Parker, Fountain, Ca˜non City, Woodland Park, Florissant, Divide, Englewood, Littleton, Castle Rock, Manitou Springs, Falcon, Peyton, Fort Collins, Hayden, Longmont, Aurora, Franktown, Cascade, Brush, Merino, Hillrose, Ordway, Olney Springs, Erie, Lafayette, Calhan, Yoder, Rush, Sedalia, Larkspur, Monument, Widefield, and Colorado Springs. For the first time in twelve years we also had participants who came from elementary schools.
Ribonucleic Acid Viruses: Antivirals for Human Immunodeficiency Virus

This article describes the history of AIDS/HIV including the origins and manifestation of the disease, its worldwide prevalence, the identification of the causative agent (HIV), and a detailed discussion of the various steps in the viral life cycle. A number of important issues surrounding the conduct of clinical trials are presented, followed by a description of the four classes of antiretroviral agents approved for the treatment of HIV: nucleoside RT inhibitors (NRTIs), nonnucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs), protease inhibitors (PIs), and entry inhibitors. For each drug class, issues such as compliance, tolerability, dosing schedules, side effects, resistance, and compatibility with other antiretrovirals are covered. A variety of unmet medical needs are presented with an emphasis on the enormous challenges faced by those living in the developing world. The final section deals with new research areas including integrase inhibitors and maturation inhibitors.
Language Development: Influence of Socio-Economic Status

Family socioeconomic status (SES) is related to language development in multiple domains, throughout childhood, and in adulthood as well. Children from lower SES homes show lower levels of language and communicative skill than children from higher SES homes beginning in infancy. The gap between lower and higher SES children persists and sometimes widens with age. Substantial evidence locates the source of these differences in children’s language experience. Children from lower SES homes are talked to less, and the speech they hear is less supportive of language development. The evidence that SES-related differences in parents’ speech cause SES-related differences in children’s language development is consistent with theoretical approaches that give experience an important role in the language acquisition process.
Integrated Support of NASA Satellite and In situ Oceanographic Data via the PO.DAAC

The NASA Physical Oceanography DAAC (PO.DAAC) serves as one of the premier repositories for oceanographic satellite data. More recently, however, it is also increasingly archiving and distributing complementary in situ datasets from NASA-sponsored field campaigns. Here we present an overview of these projects, the complex multivariate data they produce, and some of the data interoperability challenges faced when dealing with such a heterogeneous suite of observations. We summarize the range of online tools and services currently available via the PODAAC, including data discovery services, web-services for subsetting/extraction, compliance checking and visualization. We also preview some new capabilities under development that may feature in future. These efforts are indicative of an evolution of DAAC services in pursuit of our broader vision: a more integrated approach to multi-sensor oceanographic data access and delivery spanning NASA satellite missions and field campaigns in support of science and applications for societal benefit.
Mercury dynamics in the pore water of peat columns during experimental freezing and thawing

Biogeochemical processes in northern peatland ecosystems are influenced by seasonal temperature fluctuations that are changing with the climate. Methylmercury (MeHg), commonly produced in peatlands, affects downstream waters; therefore, it is important to understand how temperature transitions affect mercury (Hg) dynamics. We investigated how the freeze-thaw cycle influences belowground peat pore water total Hg (THg), MeHg, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Four large, intact peat columns were removed from an ombrotrophic peat bog and experimentally frozen and thawed. Pore water was sampled across seven depths in the peat columns during the freeze-thaw cycle and analyzed for THg, MeHg, and DOC concentrations. Freezing results showed increased concentrations of THg below the ice layers and limited change in MeHg concentrations. During thawing, THg concentrations significantly increased, whereas MeHg concentrations decreased. Limited bromide movement and depth decreases in THg and DOC concentrations were associated with increased bulk density and degree of humification in the peat. The experiment demonstrates the effects of the freeze-thaw cycle on Hg concentrations in northern peatlands. Changes to freeze-thaw cycles with climate change may exacerbate Hg cycling and transport processes in peatland environments.
The Antiinflammatory Effect of Dopamine in Alcoholic Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis in Cats

Abstract Hemorrhagic pancreatitis was induced in cats by perfusing pancreatic enzymes through a pancreatic duct after the administration of intragastric ethanol. Dimethyl prostaglandin E 2 was administered concurrently. In the first study, dopamine's antiinflammatory effect on the pancreas was determined in the presence of haloperidol, propranolol, or both. Next, dopamine's effects on blood flow in the normal and inflamed pancreas were compared using a hydrogen gas-clearance technique. In the final study, the effect of dopamine on fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran leakage from the pancreatic duct to portal venous blood was investigated. It was found that blockade of either dopamine or β-adrenergic receptors reduced, and blockade of both receptors completely eliminated, the antiinflammatory effect. Dopamine had no effect on pancreatic blood flow in normal cats. In pancreatitis, although dopamine transiently reduced blood flow, after an hour flow had returned to normal. Dopamine reversed the leakage of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran from the pancreatic duct caused by ethanol and by ethanol and prostaglandin E 2 . It was concluded that dopamine ameliorated pancreatitis by reducing pancreatic ductal and/or microvascular permeability rather than by altering pancreatic blood flow. The antiinflammatory effect was mediated by both dopamine and β-adrenergic receptors.
CREASE: Synchronous gait by minimizing actuation through folded geometry:

The Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution promises the integration and synergy of disciplines to arrive at meaningful and comprehensive solutions. As computation and fabrication methods become pe...
Abstract 6275: Targeting RRM2 by triapine sensitizes glioblastoma to radiotherapy

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains characterized by poor clinical outcomes and limited treatment options. Currently, the standard of care for patients with this disease is surgery with radiation therapy and concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide. However, most patients succumb to the disease within the first 15 months after diagnosis. Therefore, effective treatment regimens are desperately needed. Exacerbated cell proliferation as well as repair of DNA damage induced by chemoradiation requires a constant supply of dNTPs. Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is the key enzyme for the synthesis of dNTPs and is a complex formed by two subunits: RRM1 and RRM2 3-aminopyridine-2-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (3AP - commercially Triapine) is a molecule that potently inhibits RRM2 by affecting its active site, and has been shown to cross the brain-blood barrier (Jiang et al. 2006. PMID: 16834759). We herein report that triapine induces DNA replication stress and sensitizes GBM cells to radiation. Analyses of available datasets including TCGA show that RRM2 is overexpressed in GBM and lower grade glioma (LGG), and a higher expression of RRM2 associates with worse overall survival and disease-free survival of GBM and LGG patients. Nevertheless, RRM2 levels do not change between initial and recurrent tumors (Wang et al. 2017. PMID: 28697342). Using human GBM cell lines LN229, LN18 and U251, we have performed cytotoxicity assays and clonogenic radiation assays. The IC50 of triapine in these cell lines are between 1-2 μM. We find that triapine significantly radiosensitizes LN229, LN18 and U251 cells. Consistent with the role of RRM2 in dNTPs biosynthesis, triapine treatment of GBM cells induces robust phosphorylation of CHK1 at S345, which is accompanied by elevated gamma H2AX. Importantly, we reveal that triapine promotes ionizing radiation induced phosphorylation of CHK2 at T68. Acknowledging the increasing concerns about using established cell lines for GBM studies, we are currently moving to validate our results in primary GBM cell lines. Our results demonstrate that RRM2 is overexpressed in glioblastoma and targeting RRM2 with triapine enhances radiation-induced DNA damage leading to radiosensitization of glioblastoma cells. Our findings suggest that triapine is a promising agent for the sensitization of glioblastoma to radiotherapy. Citation Format: Sergio Corrales-Guerrero, Erica H. Bell, Arnab Chakravarti, Changxian Shen, Terence M. Williams. Targeting RRM2 by triapine sensitizes glioblastoma to radiotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6275.
Factors that influence nurse manager job satisfaction: An integrated literature review

Aims and objectives To understand factors that influence nurse manager job satisfaction. Background Nurse managers influence patient care, staff retention and health care initiatives, yet poor retention and recruiting outcomes threaten the supply of managers. Research regarding staff nurse job satisfaction and retention is substantial, but far less is known about these same areas for nurse managers. Evaluations Electronic databases were systematically searched to find studies regarding nurse manager job satisfaction. Articles were selected using professional guidelines and set criteria. Fourteen peer-reviewed publications were included in this review. Major themes were extracted and synthesized. Key issues Findings from this review indicate that nurse manager job satisfaction is influenced by workloads, organisational support, nurse manager-supervisor relationships and the quality of their training and competency. Conclusions This review found overwhelming workloads, inadequate resources, poor supervisor relationships and insufficient training to be commonplace for nurse managers. To improve satisfaction and retention, institutions must cultivate practice environments that promote healthy workloads, strong interorganisational relationships, professional growth and success of their nurse managers. Implications for nursing management Findings from this study reveal areas for improvement that health care institutions and senior nursing leadership can use to transform practice environments, increase nurse managers' job satisfaction and entice them to stay.
The Tolman Surface Brightness Test for the Reality of the Expansion. V. Provenance of the Test and a New Representation of the Data for Three Remote Hubble Space Telescope Galaxy Clusters

A new reduction is made of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometric data for E galaxies in three remote clusters at redshifts near z = 0.85 in search for the Tolman surface brightness (SB) signal for the reality of the expansion. Because of the strong variation of SB of such galaxies with intrinsic size, and because the Tolman test is about SB, we must account for the variation. In an earlier version of the test, Lubin & Sandage calibrated the variation out. In contrast, the test is made here using fixed radius bins for both the local and remote samples. Homologous positions in the galaxy image at which to compare the SB values are defined by radii at five Petrosian ? values ranging from 1.0 to 2.0. S?rsic luminosity profiles are used to generate two diagnostic diagrams that define the mean SB distribution across the galaxy image. A S?rsic exponent, defined by the rn family of S?rsic profiles, of n = 0.46 fits both the local and remote samples, on average, with only a small spread from 0.4 to 0.6. Diagrams of the dimming of the SB with redshift over the range of Petrosian ? radii shows a highly significant Tolman signal but degraded by luminosity evolution in the look-back time. The expansion is real and a luminosity evolution exists at the mean redshift of the HST clusters of 0.8 mag in R cape and 0.4 mag in the I cape photometric rest-frame bands, consistent with the evolution models of Bruzual & Charlot.
Intracellular matrix metalloproteinase-9 mediates epigenetic modifications and autophagy to regulate differentiation in human cardiac stem cells

Epigenetic reprogramming and autophagy have critical roles in differentiation of stem cells. However, very little is known about how epigenetic modifications are mediated and how they contribute to autophagy and differentiation in human cardiac stem cells (hCSCs). Previously, we have reported that intracellular matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), a collagenase, mediates cell death in hCSCs. Here, we investigated whether intracellular MMP9 mediates epigenetic modifications and autophagy in hCSCs. We created MMP9KO hCSCs and treated them with 5-azacytidine, an inhibitor of DNA methylation, and bafilomycin A1, an inhibitor of autophagosome degradation, and evaluated epigenetic modifications, autophagic flux, and differentiation. Our results showed compromised epigenetic modifications, reduced autophagy, and impaired differentiation in MMP9KO hCSCs. Remarkably, paracrine MMP9 supplementation restored epigenetic modifications but further reduced autophagy in MMP9KO hCSCs. We conclude that intracellular MMP9 is a critical mediator of epigenetic modifications and autophagy in hCSCs. Furthermore, the endocrine and paracrine effects of MMP9 vary for regulating autophagy in hCSCs. These novel roles of MMP9 are valuable for stem cell therapy.
Do Absolute-Return Mutual Funds Have Absolute Returns?

The authors study the universe of absolute-return mutual funds and find no evidence that they deliver positive alpha. Additionally, these funds can have significant factor exposures. Compared with ordinary equity funds, absolute-return funds have much higher fees and turnover. They perform worse than their hedge fund counterparts. Overall, the results indicate that investors seeking absolute returns using mutual funds are likely to be disappointed.
A Systematic Review of Stimulant Use in Civilian and Military Aviation

Objective: To synthesize the observational data on stimulant use in civilian and military aviation.Background: Pilot fatigue is a major safety concern and effective countermeasures are crucial for ...
Long-term outcomes of congenital diaphragmatic hernia: A single institution experience.

Abstract Background/Purpose As survival rates for patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) increase, long-term sequelae become increasingly prevalent. We present the outcomes of patients who underwent CDH repair at our institution and discuss standardization of follow-up care in our long-term multidisciplinary follow-up clinic. Methods A retrospective review of patients followed in multidisciplinary clinic after CDH repair at our institution from January 1, 2005 to December 1, 2020. Results A total of 193 patients met inclusion criteria, 73 females (37.8%) and 120 males (62.2%). Left-sided defects were most common (75.7%), followed by right-sided defects (20.7%). Median age at repair was 4 days (IQR 3–6) and 59.6% of all defects required patch repair. Median length of stay was 29 days (IQR 16.8–50.0). Median length of follow up was 49 months (IQR 17.8–95.3) with 25 patients followed for more than 12 years. Long-term outcomes included gastroesophageal reflux disease (42.0%), diaphragmatic hernia recurrence (10.9%), asthma (23.6%), neurodevelopmental delay (28.6%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (7.3%), autism (1.6%), chest wall deformity (15.5%), scoliosis (11.4%), and inguinal hernia (6.7%). Conclusion As survival of patients with CDH improves, long-term care must be continuously studied and fine-tuned to ensure appropriate surveillance and optimization of long-term outcomes.
Work Environment and Worker Performance: A View from the Goal Crease

Work environments commonly entail multi-worker production, a regulatory setting, and an overarching managerial structure. Guided by an economic model of individual production, I examine how such elements influence worker performance in the empirical setting of NHL goaltenders, observed over multiple seasons. Results reveal new evidence of positive workplace peer effects but reduced goalie performance in relation to heightened regulation of capital equipment use and turnover in goalies specialized managers, their team goaltending coaches. New goalie coaches do appear to help goaltenders mitigate unfavorable effects of workplace regulation, part of larger evidence illustrating the role of managerial quality in work environments.
A Multiwavelength Study of Evolved Massive Stars in the Galactic Center

The central region of the Milky Way provides a unique laboratory for a systematic, spatially-resolved population study of evolved massive stars of various types in a relatively high metallicity environment. We have conducted a multi-wavelength data analysis of 180 such stars or candidates, most of which were drawn from a recent large-scale HST/NICMOS narrow-band Pa-a survey, plus additional 14 Wolf-Rayet stars identified in earlier ground-based spectroscopic observations of the same field. The multi-wavelength data include broad-band IR photometry measurements from HST/NICMOS, SIRIUS, 2MASS, Spitzer/IRAC, and Chandra X-ray observations. We correct for extinctions toward individual stars, improve the Pa-a line equivalent width measurements, quantify the substantial mid-IR dust emission associated with WC stars, and find X-ray counterparts. In the process, we identify 10 foreground sources, some of which may be nearby cataclysmic variables. The WN stars in the Arches and Central clusters show correlations between the Pa-a equivalent width and the adjacent continuum emission. However, the WN stars in the latter cluster are systematically dimmer than those in the Arches cluster, presumably due to the different ages of the two clusters. In the EW-magnitude plot, WNL stars, WC stars and OB supergiants roughly fall into three distinct regions. We estimate that the dust mass associated with individual WC stars in the Quintuplet cluster can reach 1e-5 M, or more than one order of magnitude larger than previous estimates. Thus WC stars could be a significant source of dust in the galaxies of the early universe. Nearly half of the evolved massive stars in the GC are located outside the three known massive stellar clusters. The ionization of several compact HII regions can be accounted for by their enclosed individual evolved massive stars, which thus likely formed in isolation or in small groups.
Exploring the Developmental Dynamics of Motivational Resilience Over the Transition to Middle School

i Abstract In recent years students’ academic engagement has gained increasing favor as a necessary component of authentic learning experiences. However, less research has focused on what students do when they run into everyday problems in school that allows them to return (or not) to a state of ongoing engagement. Expanding on theseIn recent years students’ academic engagement has gained increasing favor as a necessary component of authentic learning experiences. However, less research has focused on what students do when they run into everyday problems in school that allows them to return (or not) to a state of ongoing engagement. Expanding on these ideas, this project explores students’ motivational resilience in school, that is, the dynamic interactions among their ongoing engagement, emotional reactivity, academic coping, and re-engagement after encounters with difficulties and setbacks in school. Grounded in an established motivational model based on Deci & Ryan’s (1985) selfdetermination theory, and building on earlier studies suggesting that these components of motivational resilience form self-reinforcing internal dynamics (Skinner, Pitzer, & Steele, 2015), this project comprises two free-standing manuscripts that examined key components of this process. Study 1 explored the external dynamics of motivational resilience within a single school year to identify the extent to which outside forces (e.g., students’ experiences of teacher support and self-system processes) can shape students’ motivational systems which tend to be self-sustaining. The study used data from 1020 3 through 6 grade students to examine feedforward and feedback effects between students’ composite motivational resilience and a set of hypothesized antecedents and consequences, and also investigated whether teacher support can shift established motivational patterns.
Asymmetry in Holocene river deltas: Patterns, controls, and stratigraphic effects

Abstract Understanding controls on sediment distribution in river deltas is paramount to predicting facies relationships and stratal architecture. Most classifications of deltas have focused on subaerial plan morphology as a simplistic function of river, tide, and wave energy. New work, however, is revealing the importance of subaqueous deposits, and in particular shore-parallel sediment redistribution, in the shaping of delta planform. Delta asymmetry has emerged as an important characteristic reflective of patterns of alongshore sediment dispersal. Asymmetry has been described from onshore and offshore environments from several different types of modern deltas, but aspects of asymmetry have not been fully documented and the degree to which these patterns are recorded in deltaic strata is not yet known. This study is a comprehensive literature review of sediment distributions in modern deltas focusing on studies with high resolution geomorphic, geophysical, and geochronological datasets. We reviewed 27 deltas using over 100 papers primarily from the past 15–20 years. Morphological, facies, and stratigraphic aspects were analyzed across the entire spectrum of deposits from the delta apex to the most distal muds of the prodelta. We define quantifiable indices of asymmetry describing upcurrent vs. downcurrent distribution of sediment volume, sediment area, sediment caliber, and distributary channels. Most deltas are asymmetrical to some degree with respect to one or more of these parameters. Many deltas are increasingly skewed toward the downcurrent side from proximal to distal sub-environments (i.e. delta plain, delta front, prodelta). Some deltas are skewed toward the upcurrent side in one sub-environment and toward the downcurrent side in another sub-environment. Sand is preferentially deposited on the downcurrent side of most deltas, but distributary channels tend to develop toward the upcurrent side. The highest sand:mud ratios are often on the upcurrent side in the lower delta plain, but in the delta front these ratios are highest on the downcurrent side. These complex patterns of asymmetry reflect different combinations of controls including discharge partitioning, lobe abandonment and localized transgression, plume deflection by coastal currents, dominance of longshore current direction, variable subsidence, and other factors. These processes may result in upcurrent–downcurrent variations in clinoform geometry, rates of progradation, and stratal lapping relationships. Asymmetry has multiple aspects, manifestations, and controls – even within a single delta – but the long-term preservation potential of these patterns likely varies, depending on depositional setting and shoreline trajectory. Studies of ancient deltas will be better-informed by recognizing the wide variety of controls on sediment distribution and avoiding the tendency toward a single model of delta asymmetry.
Permian Shoreline Eolian Complex in Central Arizona: Dune Changes in Response to Cyclic Sealevel Changes

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the dune changes in response to cyclic sealevel changes in the permian shoreline eolian complex in central Arizona. The studies include the upper third of the Schnebly hill formation and the base of the overlying Coconino Sandstone. The base of the section is a regional limestone marker bed—the Fort Apache Member of the Schnebly Hill Formation of early Leonardian age. The area of study is in the central Mogollon Rim—an escarpment that forms the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. Detailed work was performed near Sedona, Arizona and less detailed work was done to the southeast along the Mogollon Rim. The sequence comprises approximately 100 m of cross-stratified, ripple-laminated, and wavy bedded very fine- to medium-grained quartz arenite to subfeldspathic arenite. The sequence displays a strongly cyclic character with repetition of distinctive stratification and bedding types. Most larninae appear to be of sand flow origin deposited as foresets of migrating bedforms of different sizes and shapes. It is found that many of the foreset laminae form complex bundles of small ripple-cross stratification superimposed on larger bedforms.
Impact on Corn Prices from Reduced Biofuel Mandates

Press reports indicate that the Environmental Protection Agency may significantly reduce ethanol mandates to levels that can easily be met. To gain insight into what this decision implies about the price of corn we use a new model of the corn and RIN markets to project corn and ethanol prices and quantities through the 2019 marketing year under two ethanol mandate scenarios. The first scenario is the status quo where mandates that can be met with corn ethanol increase to 14.4 billion gallons in 2014 and 15 billion gallons in 2015 and thereafter. Mandates at this level can only be met using E85 so also included in this scenario is 5,000 new locations where E85 can be purchased. The second scenario holds mandates at 13 billion gallons, a level that can be met with E10. The price of corn is higher by between 5 and 6 percentâ€”about 25 cents per bushelâ€”in the higher mandate scenario. RIN prices are close to zero most of the time in the lower mandate scenario and average between 50 and 60 cents in the higher mandate scenario. Though the corn price difference is economically meaningful to corn farmers and livestock feeders, it is small compared to the price swings that the market has experienced since 2006. This modest change in corn prices from alternative mandate levels suggests that the level of mandate should be determined more by consideration of broad policy objectives rather than the impact on the price of corn. Of key importance to the advanced biofuel industry is whether policy will support the expansion of biofuels consumption by creating incentives to invest in flex cars and fueling stations that will facilitate expanded consumption of low-carbon ethanol. Consideration of the costs and benefits of creating these incentives as part of a national energy policy is of greater long-run importance than the impact of mandates on the price of corn.
Employment Discrimination Plaintiffs in Federal Court: From Bad to Worse?

This Article utilizes the Administrative Office's data to convey the realities of federal employment discrimination litigation. Litigants in these "jobs" cases appeal more often than other litigants, with the defendants doing far better on those appeals than the plaintiffs. These troublesome facts help explain why today fewer plaintiffs are undertaking the frustrating route into federal district court, where plaintiffs must pursue their claims relatively often all the way through trial and where at both pretrial and trial these plaintiffs lose unusually often.
The behavior chain for online participation: how successful web services structure persuasion

The success of many online services today depends on the company's ability to persuade users to take specific actions, such as registering or inviting friends. We examined over 50 popular Web services of this kind to understand the influence processes and strategies used. We found that successful online services share a pattern of target behaviors that can be viewed as part of an overall framework. We call this framework the "Behavior Chain for Online Participation." This paper briefly presents the general idea of a behavior chain and applies it to understanding persuasion patterns found online. We then illustrate the Behavior Chain for Online Participation by applying it to the Web service LinkedIn and other popular services. Future research may identify behavior chains in other domains and develop new research methods for validating behavior chains.
Differentiation and Characterization of Myeloid Cells

Ex vivo differentiation of myeloid cells begins with an enriched population of bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells generated by lineage depletion and/or positive selection for CD34(+) antigen (human) or Sca-1(+) (mouse) cells, which are then expanded and subsequently induced in vitro in a process that recapitulates normal myeloid development. Myeloid cell lines include two human leukemic cell lines, NB-4 and HL-60, which have been demonstrated to undergo retinoic acid-induced myeloid development; however, both cell lines exhibit defects in the up-regulation of late-expressed neutrophil-specific genes. Multiple murine factor-dependent cell models of myelopoiesis are also available that express the full range of neutrophil maturation markers, including: 32Dcl3 cells, which undergo G-CSF-induced myeloid maturation; EML/EPRO cells, which develop into mature neutrophils in response to cytokines and retinoic acid; and ER-Hoxb8 cells, which undergo myeloid maturation upon removal of estradiol in the maintenance medium. In this unit, the induction of myeloid maturation in each of these model systems is described, including their differentiation to either neutrophils or macrophages, if applicable. Commonly used techniques to test for myeloid characteristics of developing cells are also described, including flow cytometry and real time RT-PCR.
On root locus traps

We consider a linear time invariant plant under constant gain feedback control. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions under which a closed loop characteristic root remains trapped on the real axis of the right half plane for positive, negative or all values of feedback gains. These conditions are stated in terms of the real axis right half plane poles and zeros of the plant transfer function G(s) and those of G'(s). The nonoccurrence of these conditions is a new necessary condition for constant gain feedback stabilizability. They provide a new lower bound on the dynamic order of stabilizing controllers. The condition which is similar to but stronger than the parity interlacing condition for strong stabilizability is illustrated with examples.
Incidence, prevalence, and characteristics of fractures in children, adolescents, and adults with spina bifida.

Objective: To determine the age-specific incidence, prevalence, and characteristics of fractures in persons with spina bifida. Design: Year-long historical cross-sectional study.Subjects: Two hundr...
Determining strong-motion duration of earthquakes

abstract The duration of strong ground motion is widely recognized as an important characteristic affecting the response of man-made structures. The basis of this study is to define strong-motion duration in a manner consistent with the use of the root-mean square acceleration as a ground motion parameter. The root-mean square and duration give a good measure of the strong-motion intensity. The dependence of the root-mean square on duration is studied through the use of the cumulative RMS (root-mean square) function. The rate of change of the RMS is obtained by taking the derivative of the cumulative RMS function. The derivative identifies the time after which the RMS is always decreasing. This time value is used as the upper cutoff time (T 2 ) in defining the significant duration (T 2 − T 1 ). The lower cutoff time (T 1 ) is found by performing the above operation on the record with a reversed time scale. Results for the horizontal components of 30 strong-motion earthquake records are presented with the RMS for the defined strong motion. Comparisons of strong-motion duration as defined by the methods of Trifunac-Brady, Bolt, and Vanmarcke and Lai, and the proposed method are presented. The use of the root-mean square acceleration as a ground-motion parameter is also discussed.
ISOTOPIC SIGNATURES OF PRESOLAR MATERIALS IN INTERPLANETARY DUST

Interplanetary dust particles collected in the stratosphere frequently exhibit enrichments in deuterium (D) and 15N relative to terrestrial materials. These effects are most likely due to the preservation of presolar interstellar materials. While the elevated D/H ratios probably resulted from mass fractionation during chemical reactions at very low < 100 K temperatures, the origin of the N isotopic anomalies remains unresolved. The bulk of the N-bearing material may have obtained its isotopic signatures from low temperature chemistry, but a nucleosynthetic origin is also possible.
Chronic social isolation during adolescence augments catecholamine response to acute ethanol in the basolateral amygdala.

Adolescent social isolation (SI) results in numerous behavioral altera- tions associated with increased risk of alcoholism. Notably, many of these changes involve the basolateral amygdala (BLA), including increased alcohol seeking. The BLA sends a strong glutamatergic projection to the nucleus accumbens and activation of this pathway potentiates reward-seeking behavior. Dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) exert powerful excitatory and inhibitory effects on BLA activity and chronic stress can disrupt the excitation-inhibition balance maintained by these catecholamines. Notably, the impact of SI on BLA DA and NE neurotransmission is unknown. Thus the aim of this study was to characterize SI-mediated catecholamine alterations in the BLA. Male Long Evans rats were housed in groups of four (GH) or in SI for 6 weeks during adoles- cence. DA and NE transporter levels were then measured using Western blot hybridiza- tion and baseline and ethanol-stimulated DA and NE levels were quantified using microdialysis. DA transporter levels were increased and baseline DA levels were decreased in SI compared to GH rats. SI also increased DA responses to an acute etha- nol (2 g kg 21 ) challenge. While no group differences were noted in NE transporter or baseline NE levels, acute ethanol (2 g kg 21 ) only significantly increased NE levels in SI animals. Collectively, these SI-dependent changes in BLA catecholamine signaling may lead to an increase in BLA excitability and a strengthening of the glutamatergic projec- tion between the BLA and NAc. Such changes may promote the elevated ethanol drink- ing behavior observed in rats subjected to chronic adolescent stress. Synapse 00:000- 000, 2015. V C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
GDNF Protection against 6-OHDA–Induced Reductions in Potassium-Evoked Overflow of Striatal Dopamine

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), when administered before 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), has been shown to prevent the reduction in nigral dopamine (DA) levels and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons normally observed after 6-OHDA lesions. The present study examined the ability of GDNF to prevent 6-OHDA-induced reductions in striatal DA release and reductions in striatal and nigral DA levels. GDNF (10 micrograms), or vehicle, was injected into the right nigra of anesthetized male Fischer-344 rats and was followed 6 hr later by intranigral 6-OHDA or saline. Three to four weeks later the animals were anesthetized with urethane and prepared for in vivo electrochemistry. Potassium-evoked overflow of DA was dramatically decreased in the right striatum of the vehicle + 6-OHDA-treated animals. GDNF appeared to prevent the reduction in evoked overflow of DA in the right striatum of the 6-OHDA-treated animals. However, in comparison with that in animals that received GDNF + saline, the overflow of DA was significantly reduced in the GDNF + 6-OHDA animals. Similarly, although nigral levels of DA were above normal in the GDNF + 6-OHDA-treated animals, they were below DA levels found in GDNF + saline-treated rats. Striatal DA levels were partially protected by GDNF. In animals examined 10-12 weeks after the GDNF and 6-OHDA treatments, the apparent protective ability of GDNF on the evoked overflow of DA in the striatum was diminished. Thus, although intranigral GDNF can prevent 6-OHDA-induced reductions in nigral DA levels, long-term protection of the evoked overflow of DA in the striatum is minimal.
Ecological and environmental correlates of territory occupancy and breeding performance of migratory Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos in interior Alaska

Understanding relationships between environmental conditions and reproductive parameters is important when interpreting variation in animal population size. The northwestern North American population of Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos canadensis initiates courtship and nesting in early spring when prey diversity is low and weather conditions are severe. Snowshoe Hare Lepus americanus and Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus, the primary prey of Golden Eagles early in their nesting season in interior Alaska, both exhibit cyclical fluctuations in abundance, providing the opportunity to investigate such relationships. We used Bayesian hierarchical models to explore variation in territory occupancy, nesting rates, nesting success and productivity of Golden Eagles from 1988 to 2010 in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, in relation to annual and sitespecific parameters including prey abundance, weather conditions, elevation and human activity. We also investigated the long-term fluctuations of breeding performance over the course of the study. The abundance of Hares influenced both the number of Eagles that laid eggs and the number of Eagles that produced fledglings. The conditions on the breeding ground did not explain observed declines in nesting rates and fledgling production, suggesting that other factors such as change in the age structure of the population, increased intraspecific competition or deterioration of migration and wintering habitat are driving the long-term trends of these parameters.
Oxidative phosphorylation coupled to respiration in highly purified intact Euglena mitochondria

Summary Improved methods for isolation of mitochondria from Euglena gracilis var. bacillaris are presented based on Yeda press breakage of protease-prepared sphaeroplasts of low vitamin B12 grown cells. Active preparations are obtained from dark-grown cells of wild-type or mutants W3BUL or W10BSmL but W1o is preferred since it lacks proplastids that can contaminate the mitochondrial preparations. Crude mitochondria obtained by differential centrifugation are further purified on Percoll gradients yielding five fractions (in order of decreasing density): A) enriched in clean contracted mitochondria; B) enriched in clean orthodox mitochondria; and C) D) and E) which contain broken mitochondria and mitochondrial membrane vesicles. All fractions show succinic dehydrogenase activity but only fractions A and B are intact based on retention of fumarase activity. Fraction A contains the bulk of the protein and consistently shows the highest respiratory activity, the activity of fraction B is somewhat lower and resembles the activity of crude mitochondria; fractions C, D and E are inactive. Oxygen uptake (unstimulated by ADP) by fraction A mitochondria is inhibited 100 % by 0.1 mM KCN, about 30 % by 6.6 μM antimycin A and about 50 % by 5 mM NaN3. True uncoupling is observed for the first time in Euglena mitochondria since dinitrophenol (DNP) (0.16 mM) and carbonylcyanide mtrichlorophenylhydrazone (m-CCCP) (0.2 μM) increase O2 uptake by about 250 %. P to O ratios of 2 - 3 are obtained. Electron microscopy and plating on rich media indicate that these preparations are free of significant contamination with other cell fractions or with microorganisms.
A retrospective analysis of intravenous acetaminophen use in spinal surgery patients

Objective: This study aimed to determine if intravenous acetaminophen [paracetamol] (IV APAP) could decrease visual analog pain scores (VAS), opioid exposure and subsequent opioid related adverse effects (nausea, vomiting, constipation) in spinal surgery patients.Methods: Thirty four spinal surgery patients to date have received IV APAP since its addition to the formulary at our institution. The electronic medical record was accessed on all patients who received at least one dose pre or post operatively to collect postoperative opioid consumption (in morphine equivalents), number of antiemetic and laxative doses, use of naloxone, and VAS pain scores from arrival to surgical unit through postop day two. An equivalent number of patients who did not receive any IV APAP were selected and matched on the basis of opioid use prior to admission, surgery type, surgeon, age, and sex to constitute the control group.Results: The IV APAP group used significantly less opioids than the control group (p=0.015). Frequency of antiemetic and laxative use and VAS pain scores did not differ significantly between the two groups.Conclusions: It appears IV APAP can be used effectively as an adjuvant pain management therapy in spinal surgery patients to decrease opioid exposure, but does not necessarily reduce the incidence of opioid related adverse effects or VAS pain scores.