cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
β-Defensin 1 Contributes to Pulmonary Innate Immunity in Mice

Innate immunity serves as a first line defense in vertebrate organisms by providing an initial barrier to microorganisms and triggering antigen-specific responses. Antimicrobial peptides are thought to be effectors of innate immunity through their antibiotic activity and direct killing of microorganisms. Evidence to support this hypothesis in vertebrates is indirect, based on expression profiles and in vitro assays using purified peptides. Here we investigated the function of antimicrobial peptides in vivo using mice deficient in an antimicrobial peptide, mouse β-defensin-1 (mBD-1). We find that loss of mBD-1 results in delayed clearance of Haemophilus influenzae from lung. These data demonstrate directly that antimicrobial peptides of vertebrates provide an initial block to bacteria at epithelial surfaces.
Image-guided radiofrequency ablation as a new treatment option for patients with lung cancer.

e e a c a ung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women in the United States with a death rate of 2% in males and 25% in females, surpassing the mortality ates from colon, prostate, and breast cancer combined. In 004, an estimated 173,700 Americans will receive a diagosis of lung cancer and 160,440 will die of the disease.1 Approximately 80% of new lung cancer cases are of the on-small-cell type, with an estimated 5-year overall survival ate of 10 to 18%. At present, surgical resection remains the nly therapeutic modality with a curative potential in paients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), hough the 5-year survival rates remain dismal even after urgical treatment, in the range of 63 to 67% in Stage IA, 46 o 57% in Stage IB, 52 to 55% in IIA, 33 to 39% in IIB, and nly 19 to 23% in Stage 111A.2,3,4 In practice only one-third of patients are eligible for surgial intervention.5 Many patients with coexistent medical orbid conditions such as poor cardiopulmonary reserve nd advanced stage of the disease are found to be unsuitable or surgery at the time of diagnosis. In these patients the reatment options rely on radiotherapy (XRT) with or withut chemotherapy. In a meta-analysis determining the effeciveness of radical XRT for Stage I/II medically inoperable SCLC patients, overall 5-year survival ranged from 0 to 2%, with complete response rates of 33 to 61% and local ailure rates ranging from 6 to 70%.6 There has been a limited ole of chemotherapy in NSCLC. A meta-analysis of trials omparing primary treatment with or without chemotherapy hows only modest benefit of chemotherapy.7 These factors have led to a search for alternative modalities hich could accomplish tumor destruction or complete radication, complementing, improving, or potentially relacing the existing modalities. Percutaneous image-guided hermal ablation with radiofrequency (RF) has recently been sed as a minimally invasive approach for a variety of solid umors including liver, kidney, breast, bone, adrenal, and
Parylene neuro-cages for live neural networks study

Here we present a surface-micromachined Parylene neuro-cage array for the in vitro study of live neural networks. Various types of neuro-cages have been fabricated and several adhesion promotion techniques have been explored. The biocompatibility and mechanical robustness of Parylene neuro-cages have been demonstrated through cell culture experiments. Dissociated neuronal cell bodies have been inserted one to a cage and cultured, allowing neurites to grow out through Parylene channels and form live neural networks. In addition, there is no observable difference between neural growth on Parylene and on oxide surfaces. It is possible to use the same or slightly modified cage structures to accommodate different cells, leading to possible applications of this technology in cell study and drug discovery.
Jealousy induction as a predictor of power and the use of other control methods in heterosexual relationships.

26 male and 87 female college students filled out Stets' Psychological Aggression Scale, Stets' Interpersonal Control Scale, Straus' Physical Violence Scale, and Fisch and Brainerd's Use and Approval of Jealousy-inducing Behaviors Scale. Use and approval of jealousy-inducing behaviors were good predictors of high need for interpersonal control and the use of psychological aggression. The use of jealousy-inducing behaviors but not the approval of these behaviors was a strong predictor of physical aggression in romantic relationships. Language: en
John Wesley's Views on Science and Christianity: An Examination of the Charge of Antiscience

Traditional nineteenth-century views of the relationship between science and Christianity have seen the two in a mortal conflict from which science emerged victorious over an obscurantist theology which sought to dominate the thinking of the new scientific class. Andrew Dickson White's A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom (1896) represented a high point in such battlefield historiography. Recent writers have found the relationship to be more complex and less militaristic as a result of examining more closely the context in which the alleged battles took place. This paper will examine the case of English evangelist John Wesley (1703–1791), long a scapegoat of the warfare model. Wesley was often tarred with antiintellectualism during his lifetime and, in the ensuing two centuries, this argument has focused on his attitudes toward natural science. The effect has been to cast a leading religious figure of eighteenth-century England in the antiscience mold.
Logistic regression models to predict solvent accessible residues using sequence- and homology-based qualitative and quantitative descriptors applied to a domain-complete X-ray structure learning set

A working example of relative solvent accessibility (RSA) prediction for proteins is presented. Novel logistic regression models with various qualitative descriptors that include amino acid type and quantitative descriptors that include 20- and six-term sequence entropy have been built and validated. A domain-complete learning set of over 1300 proteins is used to fit initial models with various sequence homology descriptors as well as query residue qualitative descriptors. Homology descriptors are derived from BLASTp sequence alignments, whereas the RSA values are determined directly from the crystal structure. The logistic regression models are fitted using dichotomous responses indicating buried or accessible solvent, with binary classifications obtained from the RSA values. The fitted models determine binary predictions of residue solvent accessibility with accuracies comparable to other less computationally intensive methods using the standard RSA threshold criteria 20 and 25% as solvent accessible. When an additional non-homology descriptor describing Lobanov–Galzitskaya residue disorder propensity is included, incremental improvements in accuracy are achieved with 25% threshold accuracies of 76.12 and 74.79% for the Manesh-215 and CASP(8+9) test sets, respectively. Moreover, the described software and the accompanying learning and validation sets allow students and researchers to explore the utility of RSA prediction with simple, physically intuitive models in any number of related applications.
Production of Recombinant Adeno-associated Virus Vectors Using Suspension HEK293 Cells and Continuous Harvest of Vector From the Culture Media for GMP FIX and FLT1 Clinical Vector.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has shown great promise as a gene therapy vector in multiple aspects of preclinical and clinical applications. Many developments including new serotypes as well as self-complementary vectors are now entering the clinic. With these ongoing vector developments, continued effort has been focused on scalable manufacturing processes that can efficiently generate high-titer, highly pure, and potent quantities of rAAV vectors. Utilizing the relatively simple and efficient transfection system of HEK293 cells as a starting point, we have successfully adapted an adherent HEK293 cell line from a qualified clinical master cell bank to grow in animal component-free suspension conditions in shaker flasks and WAVE bioreactors that allows for rapid and scalable rAAV production. Using the triple transfection method, the suspension HEK293 cell line generates greater than 1 × 105 vector genome containing particles (vg)/cell or greater than 1 × 1014 vg/l of cell culture when harvested 48 hours post-transfection. To achieve these yields, a number of variables were optimized such as selection of a compatible serum-free suspension media that supports both growth and transfection, selection of a transfection reagent, transfection conditions and cell density. A universal purification strategy, based on ion exchange chromatography methods, was also developed that results in high-purity vector preps of AAV serotypes 1–6, 8, 9 and various chimeric capsids tested. This user-friendly process can be completed within 1 week, results in high full to empty particle ratios (>90% full particles), provides postpurification yields (>1 × 1013 vg/l) and purity suitable for clinical applications and is universal with respect to all serotypes and chimeric particles. To date, this scalable manufacturing technology has been utilized to manufacture GMP phase 1 clinical AAV vectors for retinal neovascularization (AAV2), Hemophilia B (scAAV8), giant axonal neuropathy (scAAV9), and retinitis pigmentosa (AAV2), which have been administered into patients. In addition, we report a minimum of a fivefold increase in overall vector production by implementing a perfusion method that entails harvesting rAAV from the culture media at numerous time-points post-transfection.
A time machine for information: looking back to look forward

With the abundant availability of information one can mine from the Web today, there is increasing interest to develop a complete understanding of the history of an entity (i.e., a person, a company, a music genre, a country, etc.) (see, for example, [7, 9, 10, 11]) and to depict trends over time [5, 12, 13]. This, however, remains a largely difficult and manual task despite more than a couple of decades of research in the areas of temporal databases and data integration.
Surgical Management of Metabolic Syndrome Related to Morbid Obesity

Current treatment approaches in morbid obesity are multimodal in nature. Combination therapies include increases in moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance exercise; behavioral lifestyle changes to increase compliance with diet and activity recommendations; medical nutrition therapy; intensive medical therapy; and metabolic surgical procedures, such as gastric bypass and vertical sleeve gastrectomy. This article focuses on the preoperative evaluation and proper patient selection for metabolic surgery. The procedures are discussed relative to their anatomy, metabolic mechanism of action, and common adverse effects.
Cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic responses to apnea induced by atlanto‐occipital intrathecal lidocaine injection in anesthetized horses

Abstract Objective To determine physiologic responses to apnea‐induced severe hypoxemia in anesthetized horses. Study design Prospective experimental study. Animals Six university‐owned horses with a median (range) body weight of 500 (220–510) kg and aged 13.5 (0.8–24.0) years scheduled for euthanasia. Methods Xylazine–midazolam–ketamine‐anesthetized horses breathing room air spontaneously were instrumented with a facial artery catheter for pressure measurement and blood sampling, and were made apneic with atlanto‐occipital intrathecal lidocaine (4 mg kg−1). Cardiopulmonary, biochemical and hematologic variables were recorded before (baseline) and every minute for 10 minutes after lidocaine injection. Results PaO2 values were: baseline, 55 mmHg (7.3 kPa); 1 minute, 28 mmHg (3.8 kPa); 2 minutes, 18 mmHg (2.4 kPa); 3 minutes, 15 mmHg (2.0 kPa), and 4–10 minutes, (8–11 mmHg (1.1–1.5 kPa). PaCO2 values were: baseline, 50 mmHg (6.7 kPa); 1 minute, 61 mmHg (8.1 kPa), and 2–10 minutes, 64–66 mmHg (8.5–8.8 kPa). Base excess values at baseline, 1 minute and 2–10 minutes were 5.3 mmol L−1, 6.5 mmol L−1 and 7.0–8.1 mmol L−1, respectively. Pulse rates at baseline, 1 minute and 2–7 minutes were 36, 53 and 54–85 beats minute−1, respectively. Asystole occurred at 8 minutes. Pulse pressures were 50 mmHg at baseline and 1 minute, and 39 mmHg, 31 mmHg, 22 mmHg, 17 mmHg and 1–9 mmHg at 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6–10 minutes, respectively. Lactate was 0.9 mmol L−1 at baseline, progressively increasing to 1.7–2.4 mmol L−1 at 7–10 minutes. Packed cell volume increased after 7 minutes of apnea. There were no other major changes. Conclusions and clinical relevance Apnea immediately exacerbated hypoxemia and hypercapnia and rapidly caused hemodynamic instability. Apnea in hypoxemic anesthetized horses is associated with a serious risk for progress to cardiovascular collapse.
Theoretical Limits on Speed, Errors, and Resolution in Microscopy with Switchable Fluorophores

We consider theoretical limits to microscopy techniques that involve activation and localization of sparse subsets of fluorophores. We will show that the performance of the image processing algorithm determines the trade-offs between speed and resolution.
FRACTAL TILINGS IN THE PLANE

Tilings have appeared in human activity since prehistoric times. They are used in the design of floor and wall coverings for cathedrals, commercial buildings, and personal dwellings. Mathematicians stucly the geometric structure of tilings. A checkerboard is an elementary example of a sinilarity tiling, one that is composed of smaller tiles (,rep tiles) of the same size, each having the same shape as the whole. Each rep tile in the checkerboard is the scaled and translated image of the entire board. For the checkerboard in FIGURE la, the lower left tile is the image of the checkerboard under
Repolarization of the membrane potential of blood platelets after complement damage: evidence for a Ca++ -dependent exocytotic elimination of C5b-9 pores

Gel-filtered blood platelets exposed to complement proteins C5b-9 have previously been shown to undergo a reversible depolarization of membrane potential (Em) in the absence of lytic plasma membrane rupture. In this paper, we examine the mechanism by which C5b-9 damaged platelets restore their basal electrochemical state, despite increased ion conductance due to membrane insertion of these cytolytic serum proteins. Repolarization of Em after formation of the C5b-9 membrane pore is shown to be accompanied by a Ca++-dependent vesiculation of the platelet surface, which results in the release of these proteins from the plasma membrane and a restoration of the membrane's functional integrity. This exocytotic elimination of C5b-9 complexes from the plasma membrane is accompanied by a ouabain-inhibitable repolarization of Em, which presumably reflects restoration of transmembrane cation gradients by the plasma membrane Na/K ATPase. The role of external Ca++ in the platelet's response to membrane-insertion of the C5b-9 proteins is discussed both in the context of the known cellular effects of this ion and in the context of recent observations suggesting sublytic changes in platelet function after complement-mediated plasma membrane damage.
A New Approach to the Computation of Tidal Motions in Estuaries

Abstract In this paper we present a summary of a new procedure for computing periodic tidal motion in estuaries with irregular boundaries and variable depth. The new method, described by Pearson and Winter (1977), appears to provide both computational speed and numerical accuracy in a wide variety of problems of practical interest. The starting point of the analysis is the standard set of vertically-integrated, time-dependent equations expressing conservation of horizontal momentum and mass in two dimensions. Since the motion in the estuary is assumed to be periodic, the dependent variables are Fourier decomposed. However, in order to avoid awkward Fourier decomposition of nonlinear terms and to decouple the different modes, advection and friction are evaluated by an iterative procedure. The time-dependent equations of motion are replaced by an equivalent set of modal equations, and it is shown that the boundary value problem consisting of the modal equations and appropriate boundary conditions can be rephrased in terms of a variational principle. The variational principle is used together with a finite element method to solve for the unknown flow variables. We describe here an application of the method to a segment of Hood Canal, Washington, where there is an interest in pollutant dispersal by tidal currents.
Utilizing Markov Chains to Understand Operation Sequencing in Design Tasks

Design often involves searching for a final design solution by iteratively modifying and adjusting a current design. Through this process designers are able to improve the quality of the current design and also learn what patterns of operations are most likely to lead to the quickest future improvements. Prior work in psychology has shown that humans can be adept at learning how to apply short sequences of operations for maximum effect while solving a problem. This work explores the sequencing of operations specifically within the domain of engineering design by examining the results of a human study in which participants designed trusses. A statistical analysis of the data from that study uses Markov Chains to show with high confidence that meaningful operation sequences exist. This work also uses an agent-based modeling framework in conjunction with Markov Chain concepts to simulate the performance of teams with and without the ability to learn sequences. These computational studies offer confirmation for the conclusion that sequence-learning abilities are helpful during design.
Acute Kidney Injury: Culprits, Cures, and Consequences.

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) occurs in ≈7% of all patients and in >25% of high risk patients undergoing coronary angiography.1 The definition of CI-AKI by relative or absolute changes in serum creatinine has evolved over the past decade, and there is increasing recognition that CI-AKI is associated with increased mortality, readmission to the hospital, and progression of existing chronic kidney disease. No evidence-based treatment for established CI-AKI has been developed, but prevention of CI-AKI has been the subject of many studies.2 In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions , Diab et al3 present an invasive approach to curing at-risk patients of CI-AKI: coronary sinus aspiration of contrast. The role of this highly invasive method of preventing CI-AKI should be seen in the broader context of our limited understanding of the potential causes, preventive strategies, and consequences of CI-AKI. See Article by Diab et al Patient and procedural characteristics that increase the likelihood of developing CI-AKI include the following: chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, advanced age, female sex, hemodynamic instability, diabetes mellitus, anemia, and the urgency of the procedure. Procedural characteristics include the need for vasopressor support and the amount and type of contrast used for imaging the coronary vessels.4 The mechanism of injury in CI-AKI involves ischemic and nephrotoxic injury.5 The pathophysiologic evidence for injury may obscure the fact that the definition of CI-AKI requires the exclusion of other causes of AKI, unrelated to contrast administration. For example, noncontrast computed tomography scans performed 24 hours after coronary angiography reveal frequent persistent global nephrograms (that could be consistent with CI-AKI), as well as segmental lesions, suggesting localized areas of decreased perfusion (that might be consistent with embolic disease).6,7 Such lesions can be seen in the absence of a change in …
Abstract P189: Angiotensin II - Endocannabinoid Interactions in the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract are Important for Regulation of Baroreflex Control of Heart Rate

Hypertension resulting from elevated brain angiotensin (Ang) II is associated with impaired functioning of neural reflexes regulating sympathetic and parasympathetic outflow. Restoration of normal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) for control of heart rate (HR) is achieved in a rat model of Ang II - dependent hypertension [ (mRen2)27 transgenic rats ] by local injection of the cannabinoid CB 1 receptor antagonist rimonabant (SR141716A), a CB 1 receptor antagonist, into the solitary tract nucleus (NTS) of anesthetized rats or by chronic oral rimonabant treatment, which has central and peripheral sites of action. Together with elevated brain dorsal medullary tissue concentrations of 2-arachidonylglycerol present in the (mRen2)27 rats, these findings are consistent with an activated endocannabinoid system contributing to the impaired BRS in these animals. To further explore acute interactions between Ang II - mediated suppression of BRS and the endocannabinoids, Ang II was injected into NTS of anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats 10 minutes following NTS injection of rimonabant or aCSF (120 nL, bilaterally). In the presence of aCSF, Ang II reduced BRS by ~50% (In msec/mm Hg: 1.14 ± 0.14 before versus 0.53 ± 0.16; n = 7, p 1 receptors. We conclude that functional interactions between these two systems occur at multiple brain sites relevant to blood pressure control mechanisms and together the findings support a role for elevated brain endocannabinoids as contributors to the altered reflexes characteristic of Ang II - dependent hypertension. Support: HL-51952, DA-024863 and DA-03690, the Hypertension & Vascular Research Center, Farley[[Unable to Display Character: ‐]]Hudson Foundation
Rapid and reliable steroid hormone profiling in Tursiops truncatus blubber using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Monitoring of marine mammal steroid hormone status using matrices alternative to blood is desirable due to the ability to remotely collect samples, which minimizes stress to the animal. However, measurement techniques in alternative matrices such as blubber described to date are limited in the number and types of hormones measured. Therefore, a new method using bead homogenization to QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) extraction, C18 post extraction cleanup and analysis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed and applied to the measurement of hormone suites in bottlenose dolphin blubber. Validations were conducted in blubber from fresh dead stranded bottlenose dolphin. The final method consisting of two LC separations and garnet bead homogenization was tested for extraction efficiencies. Steroids were separated using a biphenyl column for reproductive hormones and C18 column for corticosteroids. Three hormones previously noted in blubber, testosterone, progesterone, and cortisol, were quantified in addition to previously unmeasured androstenedione, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 11-deoxycortisol, 11-deoxycorticosterone, and cortisone in a single sample (0.4 g blubber). Extraction efficiencies of all hormones from blubber ranged from 84% to 112% and all RSDs were comparable to those reported using immunoassay methods (< 15%). The method was successfully applied to remote biopsied blubber samples to measure baseline hormone concentrations. Through this method, increased coverage of steroid hormone pathways from a single remotely collected sample potentially enhances the ability to interpret biological phenomena such as reproduction and stress in wild dolphin populations.
Enhanced spatially-resolved trace analysis using combined SIMS–single-stage AMS

Abstract Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) provides spatially resolved trace analysis of solid materials, but can be complicated by unresolved abundant molecular isobars. By adding a 300-kV single-stage accelerator mass spectrometer (SSAMS) as a detector for a Cameca ims 4f SIMS, one can measure more abundant positive ions from the SIMS while removing molecular isobars, thus improving very low abundance trace element and isotope analysis. This paper describes important features and capabilities of such an integrated system at the Naval Research Laboratory using charge state +1 ions. Transmission loss is compared to molecule destruction as gas flow to the molecule-destruction cell increases. As most measurements tolerate more modest abundance sensitivities than for 14C analysis, a lower gas flow is acceptable, so good transmission of 20–50% for ions of interest can be maintained for a broad range of ion masses. This new instrument has measured isotope ratios for uranium, lead, rare earths, and other elements from particulates and localized regions, with molecule destruction enabling the measurement at low SIMS mass resolving power and thus high transmission, as examples will show. This new and world-unique instrument provides improved capabilities for applications in nuclear and other forensics, geochemistry, cosmochemistry, and the development of optical, electronic, multifunctional, and structural materials.
The Effects of Emotional Intelligence on Perceived Conflicts - Mediating Role of Social behaviors

This study examines the role of emotion in the emergence of both types of conflict under social context. Specifically, we conduct two interlocking studies that examine how emotional intelligence (E...
Replicating Chromatin in the Eukaryotic Genome

DNA is not a linear molecule but exists in a nucleoprotein complex known as chromatin that, through many layers of organization, forms increasingly larger scale 3D structures necessary for genome stability. As cells divide, chromatin structure is disassembled coincident with DNA replication; therefore, it is not just the primary sequence of DNA but also the epigenetic state leading to proper genome architecture that must be duplicated in each cell cycle. As such, various scales of chromatin folding have become vital components of replication regulation such as influencing sites of replication initiation. Here, we analyze the effects of chromatin from small-scale features such as individual histone modifications to large-scale chromosome architecture and the role they play in the various steps of replication.
Perioperative Gout and Pseudogout

Postoperative flares in crystal-induced arthritis, most frequently gout, are relatively common. Yet there are few studies which specifically describe this clinical entity and no controlled interventional studies which address prophylaxis or treatment in the perioperative setting. Hence, suggestions regarding management are by necessity pragmatic and experience based.
Thermal Reinforcement and Temperature Regulation

Studies of operant conditioning typically have used food as a reinforcer for hungry animals and water for thirsty ones, and similarly, physiologic studies of behavioral regulation have dealt almost exclusively with the control of food and water intake. This emphasis on ingestive reinforcers attests to the fundamental importance of food and water. Temperature, on the other hand, is a variable that has received very little attention in behavioral studies although it is no less basic to life processes than food or water. Nonhibernating mammals maintain an internal body temperature within the very narrow range of a few degrees Celsius in spite of the variation of environmental temperature over a one hundred degree range. Numerous physiologic responses that contribute to thermal equilibrium have been described, including vasomotor, respiratory, and metabolic adjustments, as well as sweating, shivering, and piloerection. A second major class of variables contributes also to thermal balance: the behavioral responses of the animal. These responses are especially important in avoiding the extremes of a hostile thermal environment. This chapter summarizes some attempts to examine behavioral and physiological interactions in temperature regulation.
Management Perquisites and Imperfect Duty

Jensen and Meckling (1976) presented a seminal analysis of managerial perquisite consumption that used management utility maximization to show that shareholder wealth maximization need not be the economic goal of the firm. Notions of management duty were not incorporated into their analysis. When the management team and its pursuit of the nexus of imperfect duties is considered, then perquisite consumption has more dimensions than individual utility impacts. It affects the managerial pursuit of relations of virtue and the productivity of the managerial team. Management’s “pet projects,” overly risk-averse capital structures, associated excess liquidity levels, and other considerations are considered here as managerial perquisites with theoretically measurable impacts on equity value. Pursuit of the nexus of imperfect duty, however, transfers these into a pursuit of shareholder wealth (not a maximization) and other stakeholder impacts.
Mapping diverse visions of energy transitions: co-producing sociotechnical imaginaries

The need to rapidly decarbonise energy systems is widely accepted, yet there is growing criticism of ‘top–down’, technocentric transition visions. Transitions are, such critics claim, unpredictable, contested, and comprise of multiple and competing perspectives. This paper opens up to diverse visions of energy transitions by studying a corpus of 12 visions produced across different ‘institutional settings’ of the state, business, science and technology, and civil society in the UK. We introduce a new analytical framework grounded in relational co-productionist perspectives in science and technology studies (STS) to comparatively analyse the similarities and differences of the visions in relation to four dimensions of sociotechnical transformation: meanings, knowings, doings, and organisings. Whilst research on energy transitions often focuses on dominant imaginaries within political cultures, regimes and centres of power, it is an explicit intention of this paper to also comparatively map the distributed, diverse and counter-hegemonic visions. The paper reveals that what is often presented as a primarily ‘technical’ transition is always normative in bringing forward particular forms of social and political order. Our analysis reveals important distinctions between more ‘centred’ and more decentred or ‘alternative’ imaginaries of the energy transition, differences which reveal the inherently political nature of energy futures. Visions which emerge from civil society settings are shown to be a key locus of diversity in sociotechnical imaginaries and tend to open up to alternative models of progress, social change, and the roles of publics. This emphasises the significant role played by the settings and the make-up of collective practices through which energy visions are co-produced. We suggest that mapping diverse visions to reveal their respective partialities, exclusions and sociopolitical dimensions in this way, can offer a more humble, reflexive, and responsible foundation for practices of future-making and sociotechnical transformations.
A Unified Method for Solving Inverse, Forward, and Hybrid Manipulator Dynamics using Factor Graphs

This paper describes a unified method solving for inverse, forward, and hybrid dynamics problems for robotic manipulators with either open kinematic chains or closed kinematic loops based on factor graphs. Manipulator dynamics is considered to be a well studied problem, and various different algorithms have been developed to solve each type of dynamics problem. However, they are not easily explained in a unified and intuitive way. In this paper, we introduce factor graphs as a unifying graphical language in which not only to solve all types of dynamics problems, but also explain the classical dynamics algorithms in a unified framework.
Subsidy Incidence in the Presence of Bertrand Suppliers of Complementary Inputs: A U.S. Agricultural Example

Past farm subsidy research has identified the occurance of subsidy incidence to only a single input factor market (land). We expand subsidy incidence literature to a partial equilibrium two-stage dynamic game between a price-taking buyer and two Bertrand complementary input suppliers. The buyer (farmer) is the target of the government subsidy. We find that a coupled subsidy results in higher input prices for both the affiliated coupled factor (land) and its nonaffiliated complementary factor (e.g. seed). Sector welfare and welfare distribution are highly influenced by input demand complementarity. Surplus for the receiver of the coupled subsidy increases as inputs become closer complements,while aggregate surplus distribution increasingly favors the input suppliers. However, increases in sector growth from coupled subsidies (mulitplier effect) increases as inputs become closer complements. Therefore, policy aimed at mitigating subsidy incidence may reduce sector growth.
Developmental changes in bone mechanics from Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris), obligate swimming mammals.

Mammals living in aquatic environments load their axial skeletons differently from their terrestrial counterparts. The structure and mechanical behavior of trabecular bone can be especially indicative of varying habitual forces. Here, we investigated vertebral trabecular bone mechanical properties (yield strength, stiffness and toughness) throughout development in Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris), obligate undulatory swimmers. Thoracic, lumbar and caudal vertebrae were dissected from manatees (N=20) during necropsies. We extracted 6 mm3 samples from vertebral bodies and tested them in compression in three orientations (rostrocaudal, dorsoventral and mediolateral) at 2 mm min-1 We determined variation in mechanical properties between sexes, and among developmental stages, vertebral regions and testing orientations. We also investigated the relationships between vertebral process lengths and properties of dorsoventrally and mediolaterally tested bone. Rostrocaudally tested bone was the strongest, stiffest and toughest, suggesting that this is the principal direction of stress. Our results showed that bone from female subadults was stronger and stiffer than that of their male counterparts; based on these data, we hypothesize that hormonal shifts at sexual maturity may partially drive these differences. In calves, bone from the posterior region was stronger and tougher than that from the anterior region. We hypothesize that as animals grow rapidly throughout early development, bone in the posterior region would be the most ossified to support the rostrocaudal force propagation associated with undulatory swimming.
A Novel Synchronously Rotating Reference Frame Based Adaptive Control Architecture for Enhanced Grid Support Functions of Single-Phase Inverters

This article presents a novel adaptive control architecture for—connected single-phase inverters (SPIs) that can dynamically regulate active and reactive power, thus enabling grid support functions effectively. The base controller framework is that of the active and reactive power control in the $dq$ -domain. The proposed controller is based on an adaptive minimum variance framework and utilizes an online parametric identifier. The advantage of the proposed scheme is that the architecture can concurrently provide voltage support and line power balancing capability with a performance factor greater than a static proportional-integral (PI) and proportional-resonant (PR) controller. First, the controller capability is evaluated on a proof of concept aggregated power grid model or a single machine infinite bus system. Then, the tests for concurrently providing line balancing and voltage support are conducted by connecting SPIs at several locations on an unbalance three-phase IEEE 123 node distribution system model. It has been demonstrated that the proposed architecture is adaptable and performs better (3% to 5% improvement in error) when compared to static PI and PR controller during varying operating conditions.
THEORIZING WHEN USER REACTION TO IT IMPLEMENTATION IS NEITHER RESISTANCE NOR ACCEPTANCE, BUT CONSTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR: A CASE STUDY OF HEALTHCARE IT IMPLEMENTATION

THEORIZING WHEN USER REACTION TO IT IMPLEMENTATION IS NEITHER RESISTANCE NOR ACCEPTANCE, BUT CONSTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR: A CASE STUDY OF HEALTHCARE IT IMPLEMENTATION By Kaveh Mohajeri, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015 Major Director: Allen S. Lee, Ph.D. Dean’s Scholar Professor of Information Systems Department of Information Systems The prevailing discourse of “resistance vs. acceptance” in IT implementation research mostly personalizes the issue as “users” versus IT implementers (e.g., managers, CIOs, CMIOs, etc.). This kind of discourse has created an IT-implementercentric attitude among IS scholars and practitioners. The IT-implementer-centric attitude, while embraces “acceptance” as a desirable reaction almost unconditionally, frequently holds for minimizing or more conservatively suppressing “resistance” to IT implementation. In other words, the mainstream IT implementation research, almost completely, treats “users” as passive recipients whose choices, as they face predeveloped/pre-designed/pre-rolled-out technology being implemented, can only be defined on a spectrum from “acceptance” to “resistance.” The current research study, however, offers an alternative perspective that views the “resistance vs. acceptance” duality “from the other side,” i.e., from the perspective of the supposed “resistors” or “acceptors” themselves. Through a review of the literature, this study first identifies major drawbacks of the extant theories and models of IT implementation research. Next, drawing on an interpretive paradigm of research (more specifically, phenomenological sociology), this study investigates a real world case of healthcare IT implementation. The results of the aforementioned literature review and case investigation subsequently form the basis for the study’s proposed theoretical account, which provides an unprecedented understanding and explanation of how actors representing different stakeholder groups, among which people who are routinely called “users” are but one group, experience IT implementation as they live their everyday lives. The proposed theoretical account is lastly used as a guide for crafting both practical and research prescriptions with respect to managing IT-involved change occasions.
A school-based, interprofessional approach to sustaining oral health on an Island community

A school-based oral health promotion program was established on a Bahamian island that lacks access to dental care. An interprofessional team of dental hygiene (DH) and occupational therapy (OT) st...
Benefits of Understanding Systemic Racism in Forming Clinician-Patient Relationships to Reduce Black Infant Mortality

Background: The United States lags far behind other developed nations in our overall infant mortality rate. Public health researcher Arline Geronimus has described a "weathering" effect of chronic racial stress among Black women that contributes to high rates of preterm birth, the leading cause of infant death. Trusting relationships between clinicians and patients may play a role in reducing infant mortality for Black mothers. Based on a social-ecological model of health care communication around infant mortality, we focus here on doctor-patient communication and correlations between clinicians' understandings of systemic racism and their communication with Black pregnant patients. Methods: This paper reports the findings from interviews with 5 maternal health clinicians (prior to recruitment being temporarily paused due to COVID-19) practicing at Cuyahoga County hospitals that serve large populations of Black women. Qualitative coding methods based in grounded theory were used to draw out themes from interview transcripts. Results: Doctor-patient communication was an emergent theme in these interviews. Results suggest an association between clinicians' understanding of the impact of systemic racism and their ability to communicate successfully and form positive bonds with pregnant mothers who are at higher risk of infant mortality. Conclusion: Acknowledging systemic racism as the cause of poor social determinants of health, which in turn contribute to higher rates of infant mortality, may provide clinicians a pathway to more positive communication and higher levels of trust with their patients, which in turn may play a role in reducing infant mortality in the Black community. Further research should investigate these associations.
Changes in utilization of axillary dissection in women with invasive breast cancer and sentinel node metastasis after the ACOSOG Z0011 trial.

The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0011 (ACOSOG Z0011) trial demonstrated no survival advantage for women with clinical T1-T2 invasive breast cancer with 1-2 positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) who received whole-breast radiation, and no further axillary surgery when compared to women who did undergo axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). We used the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to study changes in utilization of ALND after the publication of this trial. NCDB was queried for female patients from 2012 to 2015 who met Z0011 criteria. Patients were divided into four groups based on Commission on Cancer facility accreditation. Outcome measures include the rate of ALND (nonadherence to Z0011) and the average number of nodes retrieved with ALND. 27,635 patients were identified, with no significant differences in T stage and receptor profiles between groups. Overall rate of ALND decreased from 34.0% in 2012 to 22.7% in 2015. Nonadherence was lowest in Academic Programs (decreasing from 30.1% in 2012 to 20.5% in 2015) and was highest in Community Cancer Programs (41.2% in 2012 to 29.1% in 2015). Median number of positive SLN did not differ between groups (p = .563). Median number of nodes retrieved on ALND decreased from 9 (IQR 5-14) in 2012 to 7 (IQR 4-12) in 2015 (p < .001). In patients who met the ACOSOG Z11 trial guidelines, rates of ALND have decreased over time. However, rates of nonadherence to Z0011 are significantly higher in Community Cancer Programs compared to Academic Programs.
Investigation of image reconstruction for digital breast tomosynthesis imaging by use of directional TV constraint

In digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), in-plane images are of clinical utility, whereas images within transverse planes contain significant artifacts simply because the existing algorithms are not designed for reconstructing accurately images within transverse planes from extremely limited-angular-range data. In this work, we investigate and develop a convex primal-dual (CPD) algorithm that incorporates directional total-variation (DTV) constraints for yielding breast images within transverse planes with substantially reduced artifacts when images are reconstructed from DBT data. We have performed numerical studies to demonstrate that the algorithm proposed has the potential to yield breast images with substantially reduced artifacts within transverse planes observed in images obtained otherwise with existing algorithms.
Examining the impact of a survey's email timing on response latency, mobile response rates, and breakoff rates

The proportion of web survey responses submitted from mobile devices such as smartphones is increasing steadily. This trend presents new methodological challenges because mobile responses are often...
Comparison of CP and Tucker tensor decomposition algorithms

Structured multidimensional data is often expressed in a tensor format. However, due to the large number of terms, it can be difficult to process, store, interpret, or extract patterns from data in a raw tensor format. To alleviate this, various types of tensor decompositions have been developed to reduce the number of terms used to represent multidimensional data, as well as to reveal underlying structure and relationships among the variables. This article will explore variations on two types of tensor decompositions, the CANDECOMP/PARAFAC and the Tucker decompositions, and perform baseline comparisons of their associated algorithms on common datasets with similar choices of parameters. We perform numerical experiments on synthetic and real-world data to directly compare multiple algorithms to approximate the two tensor decomposition types. We also present results comparing the two decomposition models and their algorithms for image denoising and completion examples.
Neonicotinoids can cause arrested pupal ecdysis in Lepidoptera

Recently, we reported a novel mode of action in monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) larvae exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides: arrest in pupal ecdysis following successful larval ecdysis. In this paper, we explore arrested pupal ecdysis in greater detail and propose adverse outcome pathways to explain how neonicotinoids cause this effect. Using imidacloprid as a model compound, we determined that final-instar monarchs, corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea), and wax moths (Galleria mellonella) showed high susceptibility to arrested pupal ecdysis while painted ladies (Vanessa cardui) and red admirals (Vanessa atalanta) showed low susceptibility. Fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda) and European corn borers (Ostrinia nubilalis) were recalcitrant. All larvae with arrested ecdysis developed pupal cuticle, but with incomplete shedding of larval cuticle and unexpanded pupal appendages; corn earworm larvae successfully developed into adults with unexpanded appendages. Delayed initiation of pupal ecdysis was also observed with treated larvae. Imidacloprid exposure was required at least 26 h prior to pupal ecdysis to disrupt the molt. These observations suggest neonicotinoids may disrupt the function of crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) neurons, either by directly acting on their nicotinic acetylcholine receptors or by acting on receptors of inhibitory neurons that regulate CCAP activity.
Sustainability of the Dairy Industry: Emissions and Mitigation Opportunities

Dairy cattle provide a major benefit to the world through upcycling human inedible feedstuffs into milk and associated dairy products. However, as beneficial as this process has become, it is not without potential negatives. Dairy cattle are a source of greenhouse gases through enteric and waste fermentation as well as excreting nitrogen emissions through their feces and urine. However, these negative impacts vary widely due to how and what these animals are fed. In addition, there are many promising opportunities for further reducing emissions through feed and waste additives. The present review aims to further expand on where the industry is today and the potential avenues for improvement. This area of research is still not complete and additional information is required to further improve our dairy systems impact on sustainable animal products.
The State-of-the-Art in Real-Time Computing

The emerging generation of complex software systems presents significant challenges that must be addressed with new development technologies. Such systems are highly distributed and employ many heterogeneous processors, some of which may be parallel processors. Additionally, there are many non-functional requirements (related to timing, reliability, security and fault tolerance).
Costs of Caregiving: Weight Loss in Captive Adult Male Cotton-Top Tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) Following the Birth of Infants

We examined changes in weight for 10 captive adult male cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) from before the birth of infants through the first 16 weeks of infant life. Compared to before birth, males weighed significantly less in Weeks 1–4, 5–8, and 9–12 following the birth. Weights in Weeks 13–16 did not differ significantly from prebirth weights. Maximum weight loss for individual males ranged from 1.3 to 10.8% of prebirth body weight. Males in groups with fewer helpers lost significantly more weight than ones in groups with more helpers. For the 3 males that had no helper other than their mates, weight loss was particularly striking, ranging from 10.0 to 10.8% of their prebirth body weight. These results suggest that caring for infants is energetically costly, and that in this cooperatively breeding species, the presence of more individuals to share the burden of infant carrying reduces the cost to individual caregivers.