cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nest usurpation is an ‘edge effect’ for Carolina chickadees Poecile carolinensis

During 1995-1997, we monitored Carolina chickadee Poecile carolinensis nests in a fragmented forest landscape in northcentral Ohio, USA. Nest success was positively correlated with woodlot area and most nest loss was due to nest destruction by house wrens Troglodytes aedon. During 1998 and 1999, we conducted an experiment in both large ( > 6.8 ha) and small (< 6.8 ha) woodlots in which we gave chickadees a choice of nesting on edges of woodlots (preferred wren habitat) or in the center of woodlots. We found no difference in nest success between large and small woodlots, but regardless of woodlot size, nest success was lower on edges than in the center. In the experiment, 100% of nest loss was due to nest destruction by house wrens. Given a choice, Carolina chickadees preferred to nest centrally more often than on edges. These results suggest that in fragmented landscapes where house wrens are common, nest destruction by house wrens is a major cause of nest failure in the Carolina chickadee. Such edge-dependent interspecific nest-site usurpation has not been previously recognized as a potentially important selective factor in nest site selection.
Pharmacologic Reversal of Warfarin-Associated Coagulopathy in Geriatric Patients With Hip Fractures: A Retrospective Study of Thromboembolic Events, Postoperative Complications, and Time to Surgery

Purpose: Patients with acute hip fractures who are on maintenance warfarin for anticoagulation present a significant challenge and their management remains controversial. The purpose of this study ...
Dropped beat: Sir William Osler's tenuous embracement of the electrocardiogram.

in program for the Thirty-Sixth annual meeting of the American Osler Society. Nova Scotia7 Halifax; 2006. p. 40. 11. Segall HN. Pioneers of cardiology in Canada 1820-1970: the genesis of Canadian cardiology. Ontario7 Hounslow Press; 1988. 12. Wooley C, Bliss M. William Osler: slow pulse, Stokes-Adams disease, and sudden death in families. Am Heart J Hosp 2006;4:60. 13. Levine SA. Clinical heart disease. Philadelphia7 W.B. Saunders; 1936. 14. Howell JD. Early perceptions of the electrocardiogram: from arrhythmia to infarction. Bull Hist Med 1984;58:83. 15. Golden RL, A history of William Osler’s The Principles and Practice of Medicine. Osler Library Studies in the History of Medicine, #8. Osler Library,McGillUniversity,Montreal and theAmericanOsler Society, 2004. 16. Osler W, McCrae T. The principles and practice of medicine. 9th thoroughly revised edition. NewYork7D. Appleton and Company; 1920. 17. Lewis T. The rate and mechanism of the heart beat. In: Osler W, McCrae T, editor. 2nd ed. Modern medicine, vol. 4. Philadelphia & New york7 Lea & Febiger; 1915. p. 80. 18. Abbott M. Congenital cardiac diseases. In: Osler W, McCrae T, editor. 2nd ed. Modern medicine, V4. Philadelphia & New york7 Lea & Febiger; 1915. p. 445.
Hazard surveillance for industrial magnetic fields: I. Walkthrough survey of ambient fields and sources

A walkthrough survey method was developed for measuring ambient magnetic fields (MFs) in industrial facilities as the first stage in hazard surveillance. This survey was designed to measure the mean and peak MF magnitudes at extremely low frequencies (ELFs), so that factories could be ranked by MF levels and prioritized for subsequent personal exposure monitoring. Sixty-two facilities from 13 Standard Industrial Classifications (SICs) with the highest monthly electric power usage were surveyed. To measure ambient MFs, a structured walkthrough survey with a special emphasis on workstations was conducted with an EMDEX-II meter in continuous operation, while MF sources were noted. The broadband MF data (40‐800 Hz) for each facility were summarized with the geometric mean (GM) and the average of the five highest readings (Hi-5). The range of the GM magnetic field magnitude was 0.04‐1.61 mT, where the maximum was measured at a steel mill operating large electric furnaces. Maximum values for specific sources were highly variable across and within facilities (Hi-5 range: 1.0‐530 mT). Chemical and Allied Products (SIC 28) and Primary Metal Products (SIC 33) had facilities with GM and Hi-5 magnetic fields greater than any of the other industrial categories. However, the SIC categories were found to be poor predictors of the ambient MF in this sample of factories. A weak relationship was found between the facility-specific monthly electric power consumption and the GM magnetic field magnitude, but confidence limits were too broad to make meaningful exposure predictions from electric power data. Overall, 89% of the GMs were at or below 0.4 mT, consistent with most other studies that collected industrial MF exposure data. The walkthrough survey is a practical way of measuring ambient MFs in a large number of workplaces, and should be evaluated with personal measurements as a screening method for hazard surveillance. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of British Occupational Hygiene Society.
A Stochastic Model for an Optimal Priority Bed Distribution Problem in a Hospital Ward

Ward beds are a primary resource under the control of hospital management. We develop a method for determining an optimum distribution of beds in a ward by assuming that ward patients can be classified into two categories, that admissions follow Poisson distribution, and that length of stay in the ward follows the negative exponential distribution. After defining a cut-off level as "the number of beds beyond which type 2 non-serious patients are not admitted," we develop a system of differential and difference birth and death process equations for the process. An objective function made up of shortage and holding costs is then developed and optimized for various values of cut-off priority level. An application of this model to a university teaching hospital in Cleveland is illustrated. The model is then extended to a situation where overflows are temporarily housed in a buffer accommodation or inappropriate ward.
Environmental and genetic control of crassulacean acid metabolism in two crassulacean species and an F1 hybrid with differing biomass δ13C values

Abstract The growth, biomass δ13C values, and ability to accumulate titratable acidity at night were compared in eight environmental treatments for Cremnophila linguifolia, Sedum greggii, and their F1 hybrid. In the phytotron, differences in treatment daylength, day/night temperature and water availability were all found to have effects on total plant dry weight, nocturnal accumulation of titratable acidity and biomass δ13C value of at least some of the genotypes. However, there were differences between the genotypes both in the magnitude and direction of response of the phenotypic properties to the treatment variables. The phytotron δ13C values ranged from -12.9 to -19.2‰ for C. linguifolia, from -22.2 to -33.4‰ for S. greggii, and from -19.2 to -24.9‰ for the hybrid. After with-holding water for 76 h both C. linguifolia and the hybrid had midday Ψleaf values of -0.23 MPa; however, S. greggii had a value of -1.05 MPa. In contrast to past observations of other species, the daily watered plants of C. linguifolia had less negative δ13C values than did the plants watered only weekly.
“Big” Theories and Policy Counsel: James Burnham, Francis Fukuyama, and the Cold War

As many commentators note, American political discourse is not generally characterized by a receptivity to “big” theories; nor, in particular, is policy analysis. But two writers, one at the beginning of the Cold War and one at the end, offered theories that are notable exceptions to this generalization. James Burnham and Francis Fukuyama, anchoring their theories on their observations of the Cold War, construct dramaturgical philosophies of history, synthesize and append European architectonic writers to their accounts, and offer comprehensive critiques of American liberal democracy. Moreover, both “big” theories, despite their apparent incongruence with American political discourse and conventional policy counsel, attract wide attention and are well received by economic and political elites.
Preparation and properties of bacterial chromatophores entrapped in polyacrylamide

The immobilization of Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores was successfully performed by entrapping them in polyacrylamide. Their photophosphorylating activity was about 40% of native chromatophores. The temperature and pH optima for immobilized chromatophores were similar to the native photosynthetic apparatus and kinetic parameters showed that the rate of photophosphorylation in polyacrylamide particles was diffusion controlled. Light penetration of the gel particles was not a limiting parameter. Immobilization considerably increased the stability of the chromatophores towards denaturation.
AdSeD: An Adaptive Quality of Security Control in Disk Systems

Since security is of critical importance for modern storage systems, it is imperative to protect stored data from being tampered or disclosed. Although an increasing number of secure storage systems have been developed, there is no way to dynamically choose security services to meet disk requests' flexible security requirements. Furthermore, existing security techniques for disk systems are not suitable to guarantee desired response times of disk requests. We remedy this situation by proposing an adaptive scheme (referred to as AdSeD) that can judiciously select the most appropriate security service for each write request while endeavouring to guarantee the desired response times of all disk requests. Experimental results show that AdSeD significantly improves security and overall performance over an existing scheme by up an average of 199.5% and 213.4%.
Emerging targets and novel strategies in the treatment of AIDS‐related Kaposi's sarcoma: Bidirectional translational science

Through the mentorship process, Dr. Arthur Pardee emphasized the critical importance of bidirectional translational research—not only advancing drug development from bench to bedside, but also bringing back precious clinical material to the laboratory to assess the biologic effects of therapeutic agents on their targets. This mini-review focuses on the signal transduction pathways of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and on how the knowledge of such pathways has led to the rational development of molecularly targeted pathogenesis-driven therapies. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) related-KS results from co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus and KS herpesvirus/human herpesvirus-8 (KSHV/HHV8), which leads to the development of an angiogenic-inflammatory state that is critical in the pathogenesis of KS. KS is driven by KSHV/HHV8-specific pathways, which include viral G protein-coupled receptor (vGPCR), viral interleukin-6 (vIL-6), and viral chemokine homologues. In addition, cellular growth/angiogenic pathways, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), angiopoietin and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are “pirated” by KSHV/HHV8. As a very tangible example of how translational research has led to a marked improvement in patient outcome, the signal transduction inhibitor imatinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of c-kit and PDGF) was administered to patients with KS whose tumors were serially biopsied. Not only did the patients' tumors regress, but also the regression was correlated with the inhibition of PDGF receptor (PDGFR) in the biopsy samples. Recent and future clinical trials of molecularly targeted therapy for the treatment of KS are a prelude to a shift in the paradigm of how KS is managed. J. Cell. Physiol. 209: 659–662, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Correlates of college student marijuana use: results of a US National Survey

This study examines which personal student background and college characteristics are associated with marijuana use. A self-administered survey was mailed to a national representative sample of 17 592 students at 140 American colleges. One of four (24.8%) students reported using marijuana within the past year. Rates of use among the colleges ranged from zero per cent at the lowest use schools to 54% at the highest use schools. Multiple regression models, constructed to determine the college and student characteristics predicting marijuana use, suggest that use was higher among students at non-commuter colleges and at colleges with pubs on campus. Student characteristics associated with marijuana use included being single, white, spending more time at parties and socializing with friends, and less time studying. Marijuana use was higher among students who participate in other high risk behaviors such as binge drinking, cigarette smoking and having multiple sexual partners, and among students who perceived parties as important, and religion and community service as not important. The study points to the social nature of drug use in college, and demonstrates that this behavior is of continuing concern for public health.
System reliability assessment using covariate theory

A method is demonstrated that utilizes covariate theory to generate a multi-response component failure distribution as a function of pertinent operational parameters. Where traditional covariate theory uses actual measured life data, a modified approach is used herein to utilize life values generated by computer simulation models. The result is a simulation-based component life distribution function in terms of time and covariate parameters for each failure response. A multivariate joint probability covariate model is proposed by combining the covariate marginal failure distributions with the Nataf transformation approach. Evaluation of the joint probability model produced significant improvement in joint probability predictions as compared to the independent series event approach. The proposed methods are executed for a nominal aircraft engine system to demonstrate the assessment of multi-response system reliability driven by a dual mode turbine blade component failure scenario as a function of operational parameters.
Bilateral inflammatory breast cancer in a pre-menopausal patient: A diagnostic dilemma

We present the case of a premenopausal patient with inflammatory breast cancer that was originally misdiagnosed as mastitis. This case emphasizes the importance of close follow up for patients presenting to the acute care setting with symptoms of mastitis and reinforces recommendations regarding the imaging work up of these patients.
Radar, Passive Microwave, and Lightning Characteristics of Precipitating Systems in the Tropics

Abstract The bulk radar reflectivity structures, 85- and 37-GHz brightness temperatures, and lightning characteristics of precipitating systems in tropical Africa, South America, the east Pacific, and west Pacific are documented using data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite during August, September, and October of 1998. The particular focus is on precipitation features [defined as a contiguous area ≥75 km2 with either a near-surface reflectivity ≥20 dBZ or an 85-GHz polarization-corrected temperature (PCT) ≤ 250 K] with appreciable rainfall, which account for the bulk of the total rainfall and lightning flash density in their respective regions. Systems over the tropical continents typically have greater magnitudes of reflectivity extending to higher altitudes than tropical oceanic systems. This is consistent with the observation of stronger ice scattering signatures (lower 85- and 37-GHz PCT) in the systems over land. However, when normalized by reflectivity heights, tropical c...
The association between sociodemographic factors, common systemic diseases, and keratoconus an analysis of a nationwide heath care claims database

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether an association exists between common systemic diseases, sociodemographic factors, and keratoconus (KCN) among a large, diverse group of insured individuals in the United States. Design Retrospective longitudinal cohort study. Participants Sixteen thousand fifty-three patients with KCN were matched 1:1 with persons without KCN. Methods Persons with KCN were identified using billing codes and matched by age, gender, and overall health with a control group with no record of KCN. Multivariable logistic regression assessed whether sociodemographic factors and certain systemic diseases affected the odds of KCN. Main Outcome Measures Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of receiving a KCN diagnosis. Results After adjustment for confounders, black persons had 57% higher odds (adjusted OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.38–1.79; P P P P = 0.002), and patients with DM complicated by end-organ damage had 52% lower odds of having KCN (adjusted OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.40–0.58; P P = 0.01). Other conditions found to have increased odds of KCN included sleep apnea (adjusted OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.00–1.27; P = 0.05), asthma (adjusted OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.17–1.47; P P P > 0.1 for all comparisons). Conclusions Clinicians caring for persons with KCN should inquire about breathing or sleeping and, when appropriate, refer patients for evaluation for sleep apnea or asthma. Patients with DM have lower risk of KCN, potentially because of corneal glycosylation.
Control System and Its Application of Rockwell SLC500 Series Programmable Logic Controller

Programmable logic controller has become a powerful tool in the industrial contr ol automation, and has been used widely. In order to meet the demand of differen t control systems, the function, capacity, operation rate and communication capa bility of programmable logic controller were enhanced continually. Especially, t he characteristic of control system of Rockwell SLC500 series programmable logi c controller has been improved rapidly. The structure, function, networ k, program tool and its application of this control system were introduced.
Confirming the promise to prevent physiological disorders of organs: urolithiasis in laying hens

SUMMARY Several problems caused by organ system disorders, such as urolithiasis (kidney stone formation) in laying hens, occur sporadically in poultry flocks and are likely to remain unresolved unless the scientific method is rigorously applied to develop and validate a research model for inducing similar pathology in experimental flocks. Successful research models confirm key triggering mechanisms and stressors, reveal innate organ system limitations or susceptibilities, and provide a reliable test bed for evaluating practical prophylactic and therapeutic strategies. Researchers have a professional responsibility to confirm their research model's limitations and relevance before making recommendations to poultry producers. Our experiments confirmed that feeding diets containing high Ca with low available phosphorus (HCLP) to experimental groups of immature pullets consistently triggered the pathognomonic symptoms associated with field outbreaks of urolithiasis. The HCLP research model also demonstrated that affected hens would survive and remain in production when their dietary cation:anion balance was adjusted to acidify the urine and thereby solubilize the kidney stones. Urinary acidification was rapidly adopted as the method of choice for treating commercial flocks experiencing outbreaks of urolithiasis.
Reflections on Chinese Female Writings in the 90s of the 20th Century

Since the early 90s of last century, Chinese female writings have, in the context of globalization, taken on fresh aesthetic features, of which the os tensible ones lie in the distortion and elimination of gender order, the reinfor ced criticism of the male_centrism and the individuality, privatism and writing with body language.
Music, Peacebuilding, and Interfaith Dialogue: Transformative Bridges in Muslim–Christian Relations

An ever-increasing need to find creative approaches and mission models to engage with Muslim neighbors exists. Studies have shown that musical performance can evoke transformative moments that enhance communication and restore broken relationships. In this article, I explore the intersection of music, peacebuilding, and interfaith dialogue in light of Muslim-Christian relations. I ask how music contributes to peacebuilding among peoples of differing faiths by investigating the roles music plays in promoting peace and living with the other in sustainable ways. I suggest a theoretical framework of transformative music communication and practices of interfaith dialogue as bridges in Muslim-Christian relations.
Professional Ethical Standards: The Journey Toward Effective Codes of Ethics

This chapter overviews the theoretical and empirical research on professional ethical standards and the field’s journey toward greater understanding of the inherent role of a code of ethics. Over the last 30 years, research in the field of professional ethical standards has evolved from a micro-level (or content focus) to include a macrolevel strategic orientation, specifically from a focus on the code itself (development, content, compliance, enforcement) to a systems perspective of the code as one of the potential key contributors in effective formal or informal governance over a profession (Gotterbarn D, Aust J Inf Syst 16(1):165–184, 2009; Mabe AR, Rollins SA, J Couns Dev 64:294–297, 1986; Murphy PE, J Bus Ethics 62:183–189, 2005; Skubik DW, Stening BW, J Bus Ethics, 85:515–525, 2009; Stevens B, J Bus Ethics 78:601–609, 2008; Tucker LR, Stathakopolous V, Patti CH, J Bus Ethics 19:287–300, 1999). This chapter represents this evolution through comparisons of code content across select professional associations and accounts of longitudinal processes used by professional associations in the code development process. The conclusion drawn is that while codes can serve to increase awareness of moral principles, contribute to a positive ethical climate, and serve as a control mechanism within the organization, they are merely part and parcel of a complex web of formal and informal governance infrastructures that work to promote integrity within a profession (De Cremer D, Tenbrunsel AE, van Dijke M, J Bus Ethics 95:1–6, 2010; Valentine S, Johnson A, J Bus Ethics, 61:45–53, 2005). The role of implicit and explicit institutionalization is discussed as it relates to Quality of Work Life (QWL) and ethical climate. The chapter concludes with considerations relating to international codes.
Avoiding “Embarrassment”: Aesthetic Reason and Aporetic Critique in Dialectic of Enlightenment

Habermas charges that by equating a deformed instrumental reason with reason itself in Dialectic of Enlightenment, Horkheimer and Adorno err twice. Not only do they fail to lead us to the path holding the greatest promise for understanding reason in modernity, they destroy all rational grounds for normative justification. Leaving themselves without a claim to reason, they suffer the embarrassment of becoming implicated in an aporia undermining their critique of enlightenment. I contest Habermas's argument, first by showing that they identify a differentiated form of aesthetic reason, and then by fleshing it out conceptually and developing its significance. With the concept of aesthetic reason Horkheimer and Adorno justify their critique and establish the basis for an alternative idea of enlightenment. By so doing, they illuminate the theoretical path allowing us to consider how the rational content of modernity can be recovered, and they preserve Habermas's theme of modernity as an unfinished project.
Wooden Foreign Body in the Skull Base: How Did We Miss It?

Background Timely detection of intraorbital and skull base wooden foreign bodies is crucial. Wooden foreign bodies are difficult to detect on imaging. The radiologist may fail to identify wooden foreign bodies on two thirds of initial scans and can miss them in almost one third of total cases. Case Description A 66-year-old woman sustained a penetrating injury through the left upper eyelid with a small tree branch. The branch was immediately removed in the field, and she was provided with prompt medical care at a local hospital. Initial computed tomography (CT) scan diagnosis was “posttraumatic sinusitis,” and this was treated empirically with vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam. On the eighth day after injury, she developed progressive swelling and pain of her eyelid with left trigeminal/supraorbital numbness and complete left ophthalmoplegia. A new CT scan showed an open “track” from the region of the left upper orbit/superior rectus to the contralateral sphenoid sinus, which raised suspicion for a retained foreign body. Further imaging confirmed the suspicion. Endoscopic sinus surgery was performed with extraction of the wooden object and evacuation of the left orbital infection. Conclusions This case indicates that intraorbital and skull base wooden foreign bodies are elusive, demanding a high index of suspicion from both clinicians and radiologists to identify retained material in the setting of ocular or sinus trauma. For better identification of wooden foreign bodies, bone windows on CT should have a width of −1000 Hounsfield units with a soft tissue window level of −500 Hounsfield units.
On the elephant in the room: toward a generative politics of place on race in academic discourse

AbstractIn our conceptual essay, we draw on an exchange between a White scholar and a group of panelists on Critical Race Theory at an international conference. Taking up this exchange as our point of departure, we work in dialectical and multidimensional ways between the essentialized politics of place on race and critical anti-essentializing foundations in recent Critical Race Feminism and Critical White Studies’ literatures. Working the dialectics and multidimensionality of the place that race makes in academic discourse, we recognize and ethically work through the essentialized politics of place in advancing anti-essentializing understandings of race. In articulating these anti-essentializing understandings, our conceptual essay drives at the notion of a generative politics of place on race in academic discourse. A generative politics of place holds essentialized realities and anti-essentializing foundations of race in dialectical and multidimensional tension for teaching, learning, and discussing rac...
Spatial Proximity to Incidents of Community Violence Is Associated with Fewer Suicides in Urban California

Suicide is a leading cause of premature mortality. Aspects of the social environment such as incidents of violence in the community may induce psychological distress and affect suicidality, but these determinants are not well understood. We conducted an ecological study using California vital statistics records, geocoded to address of the decedent, to examine whether proximity to homicide was associated with the occurrence of suicide in urban census tracts. For each urban tract (N = 7194) and each month in 2012, we assessed homicides in the tract or within buffer zones around the tract with a 1-month lag. We estimated two risk difference parameters that capture how suicide risk is related to differences in homicide exposure. Proximity to homicides was negatively associated with suicide occurrence after controlling for demographic factors, seasonality, and other confounders. Estimates suggest that the absence of homicides would be associated with a 4.2 % higher number of tract-months with one or more suicides (95 % confidence interval 2.2–6.0). This relationship was stronger in tracts that were wealthier, older, and less civically engaged. Results were robust to a wide variety of sensitivity tests. Contrary to expectations, we identified a consistent negative association of proximity to homicide with suicide occurrence. It may be that a homicide deters or distracts from suicidality or that aggression or hopelessness may be expressed as inward or outward directed violence in different settings. Further investigation is needed to identify the drivers of this association.
Global Role of Cyclic AMP Signaling in pH-Dependent Responses in Candida albicans

ABSTRACT Candida albicans behaviors are affected by pH, an important environmental variable. Filamentous growth is a pH-responsive behavior, where alkaline conditions favor hyphal growth and acid conditions favor growth as yeast. We employed filamentous growth as a tool to study the impact of pH on the hyphal growth regulator Cyr1, and we report that downregulation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling by acidic pH contributes to the inhibition of hyphal growth in minimal medium with GlcNAc. Ras1 and Cyr1 are generally required for efficient hyphal growth, and the effects of low pH on Ras1 proteolysis and GTP binding are consistent with diminished cAMP output. Active alleles of ras1 do not suppress the hyphal growth defect at low pH, while dibutyryl cAMP partially rescues filamentous growth at low pH in a cyr1 mutant. These observations are consistent with Ras1-independent downregulation of Cyr1 by low pH. We also report that extracellular pH leads to rapid and prolonged decreases in intracellular pH, and these changes may contribute to reduced cAMP signaling by reducing intracellular bicarbonate pools. Transcriptomics analyses found that the loss of Cyr1 at either acidic or neutral pH leads to increases in transcripts involved in carbohydrate catabolism and protein translation and glycosylation and decreases in transcripts involved in oxidative metabolism, fluconazole transport, metal transport, and biofilm formation. Other pathways were modulated in pH-dependent ways. Our findings indicate that cAMP has a global role in pH-dependent responses, and this effect is mediated, at least in part, through Cyr1 in a Ras1-independent fashion. IMPORTANCECandida albicans is a human commensal and the causative agent of candidiasis, a potentially invasive and life-threatening infection. C. albicans experiences wide changes in pH during both benign commensalism (a common condition) and pathogenesis, and its morphology changes in response to this stimulus. Neutral pH is considered an activator of hyphal growth through Rim101, but the effect of low pH on other morphology-related pathways has not been extensively studied. We sought to determine the role of cyclic AMP signaling, a central regulator of morphology, in the sensing of pH. In addition, we asked broadly what cellular processes were altered by pH in both the presence and absence of this important signal integration system. We concluded that cAMP signaling is impacted by pH and that cAMP broadly impacts C. albicans physiology in both pH-dependent and -independent ways.
Density-functional based tight-binding for the study of CO2/MOF interactions: the case of Zn(ADC)·DMSO

The adsorption of CO2 on the metal–organic framework, Zn(ADC) · DMSO, is studied using density functional-based tight-binding calculations with empirical dispersion correction (DFTB-D). Validation ...
International Commercial Contracts

Transactions conducted under international commercial contracts, in particular those related to the sale of goods, are considered to form the backbone of international trade. The goal of this research guide is to provide an overview of the major primary sources of law for international commercial contracts, in particular those related to sales, and the related research resources. The focus is global, and the guide does not cover regionally-focused instruments or economic integration organizations, such as the European Union. The guide also does not focus on the complexities of some contracts related to sales, such as those of carriage, insurance, and financing.
Impaired Sleep: A Multifaceted Geriatric Syndrome

Impaired sleep increases in prevalence in older adults, with multiple possible causes that can interact with each other and can lead to poor health outcomes. This article describes normal changes in sleep with aging, sleep disorders that increase in prevalence in older adults, medications and sleep, and medical conditions and psychosocial conditions associated with impaired sleep. In addition, a brief assessment that nurses could use to assess for impaired sleep and nonpharmacologic interventions to improve sleep are discussed.
Mitochondrial-epigenetic crosstalk in environmental toxicology

Crosstalk between the nuclear epigenome and mitochondria, both in normal physiological function and in responses to environmental toxicant exposures, is a developing sub-field of interest in environmental and molecular toxicology. The majority (∼99%) of mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nuclear genome, so programmed communication among nuclear, cytoplasmic, and mitochondrial compartments is essential for maintaining cellular health. In this review, we will focus on correlative and mechanistic evidence for direct impacts of each system on the other, discuss demonstrated or potential crosstalk in the context of chemical insult, and highlight biological research questions for future study. We will first review the two main signaling systems: nuclear signaling to the mitochondria [anterograde signaling], best described in regulation of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and mitochondrial biogenesis in response to environmental signals received by the nucleus, and mitochondrial signals to the nucleus [retrograde signaling]. Both signaling systems can communicate intracellular energy needs or a need to compensate for dysfunction to maintain homeostasis, but both can also relay inappropriate signals in the presence of dysfunction in either system and contribute to adverse health outcomes. We will first review these two signaling systems and highlight known or biologically feasible epigenetic contributions to both, then briefly discuss the emerging field of epigenetic regulation of the mitochondrial genome, and finally discuss putative "crosstalk phenotypes", including biological phenomena, such as caloric restriction, maintenance of stemness, and circadian rhythm, and states of disease or loss of function, such as cancer and aging, in which both the nuclear epigenome and mitochondria are strongly implicated.
Factors Associated With Acute and Chronic Wound Complications in Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcoma With Long-term Follow-up.

OBJECTIVES To identify the rates of acute and chronic wound complications and factors associated in a cohort of patients treated for soft tissue sarcoma (STS) with modern radiotherapy (RT) and surgical techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS An Institutional Review Board-approved database was used to identify all adult nonmetastatic patients treated for STS at a single institution between 2006 and 2015 with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Factors associated with acute and chronic wound complications were analyzed using binomial logistic regression including interaction terms. RESULTS In all, 271 patients were identified with a median follow-up of 3.2 years. The rate of acute wound complications was 22.1%. On univariate analysis, trunk versus extremity location (P<0.001), radiation therapy (P=0.04), and preoperative therapy (P=0.03) were associated with acute wound complications and a trend was noted for reconstruction (P=0.07). On multivariate analysis, extremity tumors were associated with a higher rate of acute wound complications compared with trunk tumors without RT (P=0.02). Utilization of RT was associated with increased risk for extremity tumors (P=0.07). The rate of chronic wound complications was 3.3%. Radiation was associated with increased chronic wound complications (P=0.03) and trends were noted for trunk versus extremity location (P=0.08) and a history of acute wound complications (P=0.12). CONCLUSIONS Several factors associated with acute and chronic wound complications were identified in STS patients including timing of RT, tumor site, and reconstruction use. The development of acute wound complications may also be associated with an increased risk of chronic wound complications.
Performance assessment of a multi-objective parametric optimization algorithm with application to a multi-physical engineering system

Engineers routinely perform parameter studies to investigate how system response changes over a range of parameter values. This can provide engineering insight into the importance of an exogenous variable, the robustness of a design alternative, or even the validity of simulation models. Parametric optimization is an extension of this concept in which one investigates how the solution to an optimization or equilibrium problem changes over a range of parameter values. It has been applied in economics, process engineering and engineering systems design. Recent work has yielded a general-purpose algorithm for parametric multi-objective optimization, the Predicted Parametric Pareto Genetic Algorithm (P3GA), and demonstrated it on engineering examples. This article advances understanding about the capabilities of P3GA through a suite of test problems of varying scale and application to a multiphysical engineered system: a magnetohydrodynamic thermal transport (MTT) system. We also compare P3GA to iterated application of an established multi-objective optimization algorithm, NSGA-II. Results indicate P3GA outperforms the iterative approach, underscoring the importance of using an algorithm tailored to parametric optimization.
Nature of ≡SiOCrO2Cl and (≡SiO)2CrO2 Sites Prepared by Grafting CrO2Cl2 onto Silica

The room-temperature reaction between chromyl chloride and Sylopol 952 silicas pretreated at 200, 450, and 800 °C was investigated using IR, XANES, and EXAFS spectroscopy, as well as by DFT modeling. On the silicas pretreated at 200 and 450 °C, the structurally uniform sites formed by the reaction with one surface hydroxyl group are described as ≡SiOCrO2Cl. Unreacted silanols persist on these silicas even in the presence of excess CrO2Cl2, and on the silica pretreated at 200 °C some participate in hydrogen bonding with the grafted monochlorochromate sites. On the silica pretreated at 800 °C, both ≡SiOCrO2Cl and (≡SiO)2CrO2 sites are formed. The latter are produced despite the absence of hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl pairs on the support. The origin of the chromate sites is proposed to be the reaction between CrO2Cl2 and hydroxyl-substituted siloxane 2-rings. These rings are likely formed at 800 °C by condensation between a pair of vicinal silanols in which one of the silanols is also a member of a geminal pair.
Identification and characterization of host factor interactions with cis-acting elements of rubella virus RNA

We have analyzed the function of cis-acting elements of rubella virus RNA and the components which interact with these elements in viral RNA replication. We demonstrated that the 5′- and 3′-terminal sequences from RV RNA promote translation and negative- strand RNA synthesis of chimeric chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) RNAs. These sequences have a potential to form stem-loop (SL) structures and bind cellular proteins specifically in RNA gel-shift and UV cross-linking assays. The 5’ end binding proteins were identified to be Ro/SSA-associated antigens by virtue of being recognized in an RNA complex by an autoimmune patient serum with Ro antigen type specificity. Purification and sequence analysis of the 3’ end binding protein revealed that it is a homologue of human calreticulin. The role of host proteins in RV replication is discussed.
9-OR: A NOVEL HLA-DSA FLOW CROSSMATCH (DSA-FXM)

Aim To develop a FXM for detecting donor specific HLA antibody (DSA) to A, B, C, DR, DQ, DP. Methods DSA-FXM: 0.2X10 6 donor PBMCs were incubated with recipient serum at RT for 30’, washed, and then beads conjugated with anti-HLA class-I (CI) and -II (CII) MoAbs were added. The cells were lysed for 30’ and the complexes of HLA-Ag-Ab were captured by CI or CII beads; and detected by PE-anti IgG. The final washed beads were acquired on a flow cytometer. The PE intensities on CI and CII beads were proportionately correlated with the HLA-DSA levels in the serum. FXM: IgG FXM procedure. LMX-SAB: One Lambda method. Results Pooled HLA-Ab positive serum (PPS) in various dilutions was tested against different numbers of cells by DSA-FXM, FXM, and LMX-IgG. Results showed that DSA-FXM done with 25,000 cells has comparable sensitivity to FXM. DSA-FXM was able to detect low levels of LMX-DSA Conclusions The DSA-FXM is a novel solid phase XM for selectively detecting HLA-DSA to all HLA loci in recipient serum. It eliminates false positive FXM caused by Non-HLA Ab and is truly donor HLA specific.
Overproduction of Tenascin-C Driven by Lipid Accumulation in the Liver Aggravates Hepatic Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Steatotic Mice

The purpose of this study was to assess the significance of tenascin-C (Tnc) expression in steatotic liver ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). The critical shortage in donor organs has led to the use of steatotic livers in transplantation regardless of their elevated susceptibility to hepatic IRI. Tnc is an endogenous danger signal extracellular matrix molecule involved in various aspects of immunity and tissue injury. In the current study, mice were fed with a steatosis-inducing diet and developed approximately 50% hepatic steatosis, predominantly macrovesicular, before being subjected to hepatic IRI. We report here that lipid accumulation in hepatocytes inflated the production of Tnc in steatotic livers and in isolated hepatic stellate cells. Moreover, we show that the inability of Tnc-/- deficient steatotic mice to express Tnc significantly protected these mice from liver IRI. Compared with fatty controls, Tnc-/- steatotic mice showed significantly reduced serum transaminase levels and enhanced liver histological preservation at both 6 and 24 hours after hepatic IRI. The lack of Tnc expression resulted in impaired lymphocyte antigen 6 complex, locus (Ly6G) neutrophil and macrophage antigen-1 (Mac-1) leukocyte recruitment as well as in decreased expression of proinflammatory mediators (interleukin 1β, tumor necrosis factor α, and chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 2) after liver reperfusion. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is the most abundant cytotoxic enzyme secreted by neutrophils and a key mediator of neutrophil-induced oxidative tissue injuries. Using an in vitro model of steatosis, we also show that Tnc markedly potentiated the effect of steatotic hepatocytes on neutrophil-derived MPO activity. In conclusion, our data support the view that inhibition of Tnc is a promising therapeutic approach to lessen inflammation in steatotic livers and to maximize their successful use in organ transplantation.
Influence of contractibility on the acquisition ofBe: Substantial, meager, or unknown?

Data from longitudinal and cross-sectional samples are reported in regard to Brown's (1973) hypothesis that uncontractiblebe is an earlier acquisition than contractiblebe. It is concluded that this may not be so and that the discrepancy in the literature between Brown's findings and those of the Villiers and de Villiers (1973) is probably due to sampling variables. Problems with scoring speech samples in regard to the distinction between contractiblebe and uncontractiblebe are also discussed, as are the implications of these problems.
Defining Crime: A Critique of the Concept and Its Implication

Defining Crime is a seminal work to the discipline of criminology because it sheds light on the scientific and objective deficiencies of the legal definition of crime and the resultant limitations ...
Abstract B12: Carcinogen exposure alters keratin 5 expression and K5-Cre recombination in transgenic mouse urothelium

In the urinary bladder, the normal urothelium is divided into three subpopulations of cells: superficial umbrella cells, intermediate cells, and a basal layer, each with distinct expression patterns of uroplakins (UP) and keratin 5 (K5). Many current transgenic mouse models (Tg) for urinary bladder cancer rely on uroplakin or keratin promoters to drive inducible Cre-lox recombination in basal or luminal bladder urothelial cells. Further, many models utilize the chemical carcinogen, N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN), to drive or accelerate tumorigenesis. A major limitation in Tg model systems where genes are knocked out is the requirement for highly penetrant and reproducible Cre activity and subsequent gene deletion in order to see a phenotype. This problem is compounded in long-term experiments such as BBN carcinogenesis that can run for up to six months after Cre induction. We have previously shown that Trim29 (tripartite motif containing 29) is sufficient to drive invasive bladder cancer formation in Tg models and in human bladder tumors. We have now developed a Tg system utilizing K5-Cre-ERT2 to target Trim29 for deletion in K5-expressing basal urothelial cells. In this model, tamoxifen exposure results in Cre expression and Trim29 deletion in K5 basal cells. Whether this would translate into complete loss of Trim29 in the urothelium over time and what effect BBN might have on tamoxifen induction of K5-Cre and loss of Trim29 were unclear. We found that exposure of K5-Cre-ERT2, Trim29 flox/flox mice to tamoxifen for six weeks resulted in loss of Trim29 expression only in the K5+ basal urothelium and that these K5+ Trim29 -/- basal cells did not give rise to intermediate cells or umbrella cells during the six months of follow-up. In contrast, mice treated with 0.05% BBN in drinking water for six months after induction of Cre produced full thickness of Trim29 knockout (KO) in 50% of mice (8/16 mice). Our results indicate that in a nonstressed state, K5 basal cells give rise to other basal cells but do not repopulate intermediate or umbrella cell layers. Furthermore, exposure to BBN resulted in the proliferation of basal cells and the replacement of intermediate cells by basal precursors in the urothelium. These results suggest that K5-Cre promoters may have different effects on transgene recombination in the bladder in the presence or absence of BBN, which induces more universal expression of Cre and its subsequent recombination events. These findings should be considered when interpreting and developing BBN-induced bladder cancer Tg models. Citation Format: Alan Kelleher, Yin Wang, Luke Broses, Sylvia Zelenka-Wang, Phillip L. Palmbos. Carcinogen exposure alters keratin 5 expression and K5-Cre recombination in transgenic mouse urothelium [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolving Landscape of Cancer Modeling; 2020 Mar 2-5; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B12.
Unified Intrinsic and Extrinsic Camera and LiDAR Calibration under Uncertainties

Many approaches for camera and LiDAR calibration are presented in literature but none of them estimates all intrinsic and extrinsic parameters simultaneously and therefore optimally in a probabilistic sense.In this work, we present a method to simultaneously estimate intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of cameras and LiDARs in a unified problem. We derive a probabilistic formulation that enables flawless integration of different measurement types without hand-tuned weights. An arbitrary number of cameras and LiDARs can be calibrated simultaneously. Measurements are not required to be time-synchronized. The method is designed to work with any camera model.In evaluation, we show that additional LiDAR measurements significantly improve intrinsic camera calibration. Further, we show on real data that our method achieves state-of-the-art calibration precision with high reliability.