cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION OF A BARREL-LAUNCHED ADAPTIVE MUNITION

The development and experimental testing of a new type of flight control system for cannon rounds is presented. For the purposes of this project, a 10° halfangle conical two-piece model with a gimbaled nose was constructed. The nose of the BLAM (Barrel-Launched Adaptive Munition) was attached to the aft section by a set of orthogonally mounted piezoelectric tendons. Analytical models of the piezoelectric tendons used classical laminated plate theory. Aerodynamic models were based on Tsien supersonic cone theory. Actuation of the tendons pitched the nose around the ball joint, facilitating flight control. Static and dynamic bench tests indicates a maximum deflection (peak-to-peak) of 0.3° and the round experienced a first natural frequency in pitch of 198 Hz. Subsequent wind tunnel tests at Mach 3.26 indicated that the round generates body-fixed normal force increments up to of ±0.0019 with good correlation between theory and experiment.
Striving Toward a Cure for Prostate Cancer

death. 11 To illustrate the natural history of prostate cancer relative to various treatments and to assess the response status to different therapies (ie,antiandrogens), a conceptual description of the natural history of prostate cancer referred to as the "clinical states model" has been proposed (Fig 1). In this model, the history of a patient's prostate cancer is described as progression through a series of states from diagnosis to death. Each state represents a clinically significant category, and progression from one statetoanother reflects a change in prognosis generally prompting a change in therapy. 12 In the article accompanying this editorial, Penson et al 13 present results of the STRIVE (Safety and Efficacy Study of Enzalutamide Versus Bicalutamide in Men With Prostate Cancer) trial, a study in chemotherapy-na¨ive men with metastatic CRPC or nonmetastatic CRPC comparing progression-free survival (PFS) with enzalutamide 160 mg/d versus bicalutamide 50 mg/d administered as secondary hormonal therapy. Data from this trial clearly validate the preclinical studies noted earlier that demonstrate the superiority of enzalutamide over bicalutamide as an antiandrogen. With respect to the primary end point, enzalutamide, when compared with bicalu- tamide, reduced the risk of death or progression, which was defined as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression or investigator assessed radiographic progression by 76% (HR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.18 to 0.32). In addition, the secondary end points of PSA progression, proportion of patients with a significant (. 50%) PSA decrease, and radiographic PFS, strongly favored enzalutamide. In the 139 patients with non- metastatic CRPC, the median radiographic PFS was not yet reached in either arm. However, enzalutamide reduced risk of radiographic progression by 76% (HR,0.24; 95% CI, 0.10to0.56) comparedwith bicalutamide. In the 257 patients with metastatic CRPC, enzalu- tamidereducedtheriskofradiographicprogressionby68%.Median radiographic PFS was not reached with enzalutamide and was 8.3 months with bicalutamide (HR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.50; P,.001). One should consider the 50 mg/d bicalutamide dosing that was chosen for the study when interpreting these findings. Bicalu- tamide has been FDA-approved for men with nonmetastatic CRPC at this dose and when used conjunction with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). 14 It is possible that bicalutamide 50 mg/d may be insufficient to block the AR amplification observed in CRPC, and a higher dose of 150 mg/d may have resulted in improved efficacy of the bicalutamide control arm. These results are compelling, but how can these data be used in clinical practice and how might these results influence the future
NOx Interactions with Dispersed BaO: Adsorption Kinetics, Chemisorbed Species, and Effects of Oxidation Catalyst Sites

Infrared spectra and nitrate and nitrite formation rate data free of transport artifacts provide rigorous evidence for the identity of the adsorbed species and the elementary steps required for adsorption of NO, NO2, and CO2 on BaO/Al2O3 with and without Pt clusters that act as oxidation catalysts. NO/NO2 adsorption occurs via initial formation of nitrites and their subsequent oxidation to nitrates on samples presaturated with carbonates by exposure to CO2. Nitrites form much faster than nitrates at low NO2 pressures via displacement of carbonates and vicinal coadsorption of NO and NO2 molecules. As a result, the dynamics of nitrite formation and of their subsequent oxidation can be independently measured during exposure to NO/NO2 mixtures over a broad temperature range (453−673 K). Nitrites form rapidly upon exposure to NOx, but the presence of CO2 limits equilibrium NOx uptakes because of unfavorable thermodynamics, rendering nitrite formation an impractical strategy for NOx removal from CO2-rich combus...
Anaerobic Biotransformations of Organic Matter

Transformations involve both matter and energy, energy being the capacity to do work, i.e., to exert force to cause motion. The kind and magnitude of the energy transformation depend on the materials moved. The six different categories of energy—nuclear, chemical, mechanical, radiant, electrical, and heat—are interconvertible, as shown in Figure 1, but whereas the first five forms of energy (“high” forms) can be converted completely to heat (random motion), the latter can be only partially converted to the others, the more completely the higher the temperature. Work can be defined also as the extent to which energy is converted to a high form. To the extent that high forms of energy are converted to heat, there is a degradation of energy; also, heat energy degrades as the difference diminishes.
DNA fragment transplacement in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: some genetic considerations.

Abstract The ability to make specific genomic alterations is an invaluable tool to researchers who use genetics and biochemistry to study problems in biology. We have investigated some of the parameters governing DNA fragment transplacement in two commonly used strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S288C and W303-1A. These strains exhibited a marked difference in their capacity to take up plasmid DNA and utilize linear DNA fragments as substrates for transplacement. The contributions of transformation efficiency, length of homology, and alternative target site configuration were assessed. This analysis indicates that several genetic parameters are important for optimizing the efficiency of gene transplacement.
Song of Dewey Beard: Last Survivor of the Little Bighorn. By Philip Burnham.

Song of Dewey Beard: Last Survivor of the Little Bighorn . By Philip Burnham. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2014. xvii + 248 pp. Illustrations, maps, chart, notes, bibliography, index. $26.95, CAN$33.95, £17.99.) Dewey Beard was the last living Lakota warrior to participate in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Born when Abraham Lincoln was president of the United States, he died in his nineties during Dwight Eisenhower’s administration. A nephew of Crazy Horse, he lived an event-filled life. He killed a soldier at Little Bighorn, then fled to Canada with Sitting Bull. Later, he lost his father, mother, two brothers, wife, and young son at the Wounded Knee Massacre, where he was wounded … Paul.beck{at}wlc.edu
Toy Age-Labeling: An Overview for Pediatricians of How Toys Receive Their Age Safety and Developmental Designations.

Injuries related to toys continue to cause significant childhood morbidity and mortality, despite considerable government regulation of the toy industry. Recent controversy related to toys that contain strong magnets demonstrate the dangers they pose to children. The pediatric community is often unaware of how toys receive their developmental and safety labeling and the degree to which age-labeling on toys can be discretionary. Toy labeling has 2 basic manifestations. The first, safety labeling for hazards like small parts, balloons, or small balls that may present a choking risk, is mandatory. The second, “developmental” age-labeling, describes the age of the children for which the toy is intended, and sometimes has discretionary components. This article provides a review of the regulations governing toy age-safety standards and how they are reflected on toy packaging to help pediatric practitioners apply safety advice across settings and patient characteristics. We review the existing age-labeling regulations and processes and discuss the major areas where children remain vulnerable despite labeling. Finally, we list some recommendations for counseling parents about toy safety.
Genetics of renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) includes a number of genetically distinct histological subtype. An understanding of the genetic basis of RCC has led to distinct treatment paradigms in both the surgical management of localized disease and in the treatment of advanced disease with systemic therapy. While insights into the genetic basis of RCC have been gleaned from the study of patients with hereditary cancer syndromes, many treatment principles can be extrapolated to patients with sporadic forms of the disease. This chapter reviews the genetics of both sporadic and hereditary RCC with a special emphasis on the translation of genetic insights into treatment approaches.
DOA estimation of mixed coherent and uncorrelated targets exploiting coprime MIMO radar

We propose a new scheme to estimate the directions-of-arrival (DOAs) of mixed coherent and uncorrelated targets exploiting a collocated multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar with transmit/receive coprime arrays. In the proposed scheme, the DOAs of the uncorrelated targets are first estimated using subspace-based methods, whereas those of the coherent targets are resolved using Bayesian compressive sensing. Compared with the previous works, the proposed approach achieves improved DOA estimation accuracy with a flexible coprime array configuration and may resolve more targets than the number of coarray elements. Theoretical analysis and simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed technique.
“Your Health and My Happiness”: Sickness and Social Control in The Coquette and Female Quixotism

“We know very well, as to our human Constitutions, that Motion, which is encreas’d and promoted by Exercise, is better than any Receipt in the whole Materia Medica, for the Preservation of Health and Strength.
Economic Losses From a Fire in a Dense-Packed U.S. Spent Fuel Pool

ABSTRACTIn 2013, the staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission estimated the reduction of the off-site economic losses from a fire in a drained U.S. spent fuel pool if fuel that had cooled for more than five years were transferred to dry cask storage—an option it called “expedited transfer.” In this article, it is shown that the savings would be much higher than the NRC estimated. Savings increase to about $2 trillion if: losses beyond 50 miles are included; the land-contamination threshold for long-term population relocation is changed to that used for the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents and recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and, based on the experience of Japan, decontamination of land areas to levels acceptable for population return is assumed to take at least four years. If expedited transfer were implemented, the off-site economic losses would be reduced by about 98%.
The Effects of Intertriai Interval Duration on Sight-Word Learning Rates in Children with Behavioral Disorders:

An adapted alternating treatments design was used to compare the effects of two interventions on sight-word mastery rates in three elementary students with behavioral disorders and learning deficits. During both interventions, students were shown words and given 3 seconds to respond. Errors were corrected and accurate responses were reinforced. The only difference between the two interventions was the intertriai intervals (ITIs). Under the immediate ITI intervention, new words were presented immediately after the previous trial ended. Under the 5-second ITI intervention, after each learning trial ended the therapist waited 5 seconds before beginning the next trial. The results show that the interventions were equally effective in increasing sight-word reading accuracy. These results are discussed in terms of theories of pacing and learning rates.
Help! My team failed: How conducting a premortem can improve group processes and outcomes

Student teams have become a very popular pedagogical learning unit in management education courses. However, these teams vary widely in their ability to accomplish their objectives. Moreover, stude...
Synthesis, Structure, and Hydrogen-Sorption Properties of (Ti,Zr) 4 Ni 2 N x Subnitrides

We synthesize a series of new (Ti, Zr)4Ni2N0.5–1.0 subnitrides with Fe3W3C-type structure (space group Fd -3m, Z = 16, and the Pearson symbol cF112 ). Their hydrogen-sorption properties are investigated (both from the gas phase and electrochemically). It is shown that the alloys may absorb up to 2.5 wt.% hydrogen. The maximum discharge capacitance is detected for Ti4Ni2N0.5. Three new hydrides (Ti4Ni2N0.5H6.9 , Ti2Zr2Ni2NH7.4 , and TiZr3Ni2N0.5H11) are synthesized and their structures are investigated. These nitrides preserve the structure of the original matrix with the volume of the lattice increased up to 18%.
ECG correlates of acute allograft rejection among heart transplant recipients in the NEW HEART study

Background Previous studies have suggested that acute allograft rejection is associated with increases in QT/QTc. Purpose This study sought to determine the relationship between acute allograft rejection and ECG changes in patients undergoing an orthotopic heart transplant. Methods The study population consisted of 220 adult heart transplant patients enrolled in the NEW HEART Study. ECGs performed within 72 h of endomyocardial biopsy were analyzed with ECGs obtained Results Among the 151 male and 69 female transplant recipients (age 54 ± 13), there were 969 biopsy/ECG pairs: 677 with no rejection, 280 with mild rejection, and 12 with moderate/severe rejection. Moderate/severe rejection was associated with significant increases in QRS duration (p Conclusions Moderate/severe acute allograft rejection is associated with ECG changes following transplant surgery. Future studies are needed to assess the value of computerized ECG measurement algorithms for detecting acute allograph rejection.
Detection and segmentation of mechanical damage in concrete with X-Ray microtomography

Abstract X-Ray computed microtomography (micro-CT) is an imaging technique that has seen increasing application in the field of experimental mechanics for its ability to take non-destructive, precise, 3D measurements of material morphology. The microstructure of a heterogeneous material with distinct constituent phases can be segregated using micro-CT as a result of the differences in X-Ray attenuation between the various phases. However, detection and segmentation of different features within the same phase requires more complex methods beyond the segmentation by X-Ray attenuation rate. For example, cracks and porosity are recognized as the same phase by X-Ray attenuation-based segmentation methods. However, these two microstructural features are the result of different processes, as pores are inherent to the microstructure of cementitious materials, while cracks are often considered to be material damage. This study aims to compare a novel quasi-3D crack detection technique with two other techniques reported in previously published studies, with the goal of finding the most effective technique for identifying cracks/damage in concrete specimens subjected to controlled intermittent dynamic mechanical loadings. The results show that while the previously reported techniques work well for detecting cracks in concrete specimens with discrete porosity and/or large interconnected crack networks, they were not as effective in distinguishing small cracks from clusters of voids. The quasi-3D geometric segmentation technique proposed in this study is shown to perform well across all crack length scales even in concrete specimens with interconnected porosity.
Master Standard Data Quantity Food Production Code

By analyzing and consolidating preparation procedures in food production into “macro” elements, it is possible to predetermine labor time for menu items.
Vascular Targets for Ischemic Stroke Treatment

The vast majority of studies on stroke therapy have focused on protecting the neuron from hypoxic/ischemic injury. While undoubtedly important, stroke is a vascular disorder affecting not only neurons, but numerous other cell types in the brain including astrocytes, microglia, and vascular cells (endothelium and smooth muscle). In fact, the only effective treatment for ischemic stroke is a vascular one—dissolution of the clot with tissue plasminogen activator and rapid recanalization of an occluded vessel. The failure of every neuroprotective agent to make it into clinical trials highlights the complexity of ischemic stroke pathophysiology that involves inflammation, oxidative stress, and both macro- and micro-vascular dysregulation that causes brain injury itself and exacerbates the primary insult (i.e., secondary brain injury). The vasculature in the brain has a central role in defining stroke injury since the core infarction is dependent on the depth and duration of ischemia. In addition, any neuroprotective therapy for stroke depends on a patent and functional vasculature, further highlighting the importance of vascular protection as an important therapeutic approach to limiting stroke damage.
Brain Tissue PO2: Correlation with Cerebral Blood Flow

This investigation analyzed 22 xenon CT cerebral blood flow (CBF) studies from 18 severely head-injured patients (Glasgow motor score < 6) who underwent xenon CT scanning while brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO2) was being monitored. CBF was determined both in a localized region of interest around the actual or estimated location of the tip of the PbtO2 probe and in the entire corresponding CT slice. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between these CBF measurements and PbtO2 values recorded immediately prior to the xenon CT CBF study. PbtO2 varied linearly with both regional CBF (rCBF) and global CBF measurements, but the average global CBF value was significantly higher than the average rCBF value. Very low values were significantly less common for global CBF than for rCBF. Further investigation is necessary to determine how probe placement near contused areas vs. in normal tissue affects our understanding of the relationship between rCBF, global CBF, PbtO2, and cerebral oxygen consumption.
Monitoring Somatosensory Evoked Potentials

Intraoperative recordings of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) were recorded among the earliest used electrophysiological methods for monitoring function of the spinal cord, and for that matter, of any neurological system. Orthopedics was the first specialty of surgery where this method was used, beginning in the 1970s in operations for scoliosis (1–3).
Association of genomically unstable Ewing sarcoma tumors with HOTAIR overexpression and clinical outcome.

11035Background: Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common bone cancer in children, characterized by the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein. Like most translocation-driven pediatric cancers, ES is a genomi...
Investigation of handheld laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (HH LIBS) for the analysis of beryllium on swipe surfaces

Handheld laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (HH LIBS) was explored for its feasibility to perform rapid, semi-quantitative analysis of beryllium (Be) on fibrous swipe materials which could prove to be impactful for industrial hygiene (IH) based applications. Here, the HH LIBS methodology was compared to established methods including inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy to examine its ability to accurately determine Be concentrations on swipe samples. It was determined that, while not as precise as ICP-OES and fluorescence spectroscopy, HH LIBS was able to quantify Be on solid substrates with values of 0.63 and 4.98 μg Be for swipes that contained 0.5 and 5.0 μg Be. In addition to quantification, HH LIBS was explored for its ability to chemically map the Be on the swipe material. Be can be detected directly from the swipe surface and subsequently, spatial analysis of the desired analyte can be performed by rastering a desired pattern that can be translated into a chemical map. The HH LIBS methodology could prove to be a vital analytical technique for applications in which rapid chemical analysis must be performed in the field to determine the presence of beryllium.
A History of Cyber Incidents and Threats Involving Industrial Control Systems

For many years, malicious cyber actors have been targeting the industrial control systems that manage critical infrastructure assets. Most of these events are not reported to the public and their details along with their associated threats are not as well-known as those involving enterprise (information technology) systems. This chapter presents an analysis of publicly-reported cyber incidents involving critical infrastructure assets. The list of incidents is by no means comprehensive. Nevertheless, the analysis provides valuable insights into industrial control system threats and vulnerabilities, and demonstrates the increasing trends in the number and complexity of cyber attacks.
Outguard: Detecting In-Browser Covert Cryptocurrency Mining in the Wild

In-browser cryptojacking is a form of resource abuse that leverages end-users' machines to mine cryptocurrency without obtaining the users' consent. In this paper, we design, implement, and evaluate Outguard, an automated cryptojacking detection system. We construct a large ground-truth dataset, extract several features using an instrumented web browser, and ultimately select seven distinctive features that are used to build an SVM classification model. Outguardachieves a 97.9% TPR and 1.1% FPR and is reasonably tolerant to adversarial evasions. We utilized Outguardin the wild by deploying it across the Alexa Top 1M websites and found 6,302 cryptojacking sites, of which 3,600 are new detections that were absent from the training data. These cryptojacking sites paint a broad picture of the cryptojacking ecosystem, with particular emphasis on the prevalence of cryptojacking websites and the shared infrastructure that provides clues to the operators behind the cryptojacking phenomenon.
The Information Content of CEOs' Personal Social Media: Evidence from Stock Returns and Earnings Surprise

We study the personal Twitter accounts of 226 CEOs, and examine whether the content across 127,916 Tweets hold information about future firm performance. The content of these Tweets mostly deals with CEOs' personal activities and opinions, and the analysis further employs machine learning algorithms to identify and exclude Tweets that have relevance for firm operations. The results show that a high proportion of positive words in the CEOs' Tweets predict positive future abnormal returns. This pattern is especially strong before earnings release. Using Tweets posted before earnings announcements, a daily calendar-time spread portfolio that buys stocks with a high proportion of positive words and sells stocks with a low proportion delivers a return of 10.8 to 19.6 basis points per day. Furthermore, the cumulative proportion of positive words can predict quarterly earnings surprise, earnings and cash flows. These results suggest that the content of personal Tweets can elicit the moods of CEOs, and that executives tend to spend time doing enjoyable activities when they have achieved the performance targets.
Development of a Competition-Binding Assay to Determine Binding Affinity of Molecules to Neuromelanin via Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Neuromelanin, the polymeric form of dopamine which accumulates in aging neuronal tissue, is increasingly recognized as a functional and critical component of a healthy and active adult human brain. Notorious in plant and insect literature for their ability to bind and retain amines for long periods of time, catecholamine polymers known colloquially as ‘melanins’ are nevertheless curiously absent from most textbooks regarding biochemistry, neuroscience, and evolution. Recent research has brought attention to the brain pigment due to its possible role in neurodegeneration. This linkage is best illustrated by Parkinson’s disease, which is characterized by the loss of pigmented dopaminergic neurons and the ‘white brain’ pathological state. As such, the ability to determine the binding affinity of neurotoxic agents, as well as any potential specific endogenous ligands to neuromelanin are of interest and potential value. Neuromelanin has been shown to have saturable binding interactions with nicotine as monitored by a fluorimeter. This interaction provides a signal to allow for a competition-binding assay with target molecules which do not themselves produce signal. The current report establishes the viability of this competition assay toward three compounds with central relevance to Parkinson’s disease. The Kd of binding toward neuromelanin by methyl-phenyl-pyridinium ion (MPP+), dopamine, and 6-hydroxydopamine were found to be 1 mM, 0.05 mM, and 0.1 mM, respectively in the current study. In addition, we demonstrate that 6-hydroxydopamine polymerizes to form neuromelanin granules in cultured dopaminergic neurons that treated with 2,4,5-trihydroxy-l-phenylalanine. Immunohistochemical analysis using fluor-tagged anti-dopamine antibodies suggests that the incorporation of 6-hydroxydopamine (following internalization and decarboxylation analogous to levodopa and dopamine) alters the localized distribution of bound dopamine in these cells.
Getting Better Together: A Website Review of Peer Coaching Initiatives for Medical Educators

Phenomenon: Peer coaching is a form of faculty development in which medical educators collegially work together to improve their teaching. Benefits include use of evidence-based teaching practices, promotion of collegial discussions, and reflection within the workplace teaching context. Some faculty developers have expertise in designing and offering peer coaching initiatives for medical educators. However, because of a paucity of reporting on these initiatives in the literature, this specialized knowledge is not readily accessible to the health professions education community. This gap hinders practice advancement and creates barriers for new initiative implementation. Approach: The authors conducted a website review to identify, examine, and conceptually map characteristics of peer coaching initiatives at Association of American Medical Colleges-accredited medical schools. Forty-five initiatives were included that maintained publicly accessible websites, performed direct observation of teaching with feedback, and had a stated purpose of improving teaching. Data collection included details related to initiative purpose, structure, participation, observation of teaching, feedback, and support of learning. Findings: Most initiatives were voluntary and provided formative feedback with the sole purpose of improving teaching. Nearly all used a three-phase process with a preobservation meeting for goal setting, direct observation of teaching, and a postobservation meeting with feedback. Many initiatives required peer coach training and expertise. Reflection, collaboration, confidentiality, and use of an observation instrument were frequently mentioned. Insights: This website review provides faculty developers with a knowledge synthesis of how present-day peer coaching initiatives are structured and enacted-laying a foundation to collaborate, build best practices, and identify areas for future research. These findings enable faculty developers to learn from and build upon others' examples. Future research should explore whether there is an ideal coaching model and location for peer coaching within the higher level organization. In addition, researchers should seek to build consensus on initiative characteristics that enhance participation and foster teaching effectiveness.
Implementation and Perceptions of Classroom-Based Service Delivery: A Survey of Public School Clinicians

Purpose The choice of service delivery model is important for public school clinicians. Despite a theoretical emphasis on inclusive classroom-based services, data from a recent American Speech-Lang...
Application of a Closed-Form Solution to Directional Ocean Wave Spectrum Extraction from HF-Radar Field Data

In [1], an efficient algorithm was presented for non-directional ocean wave spectrum extraction from HF-radar data. In that paper, the method was tested on synthetically-generated Doppler spectra, and was found to perform well, even in the presence of noise. In the current paper, the method from [1] is slightly modified and shown to be able to extract directional wave spectra effectively from HF-radar field data acquired in Argentia, Newfoundland, Canada.
Life Cycle of the Trout Cecal Nematode, Truttaedacnitis truttae (Nematoda: Cucullanidae): Experimental and Field Observations.

ABSTRACT Truttaedacnitis truttae is a cucullanid nematode of primarily salmonine fishes. Brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Europe reportedly become parasitized by ingesting lampreys (Lampetra planeri) ...
Transfer reactions as an Indirect Method in Nuclear Astrophysics

In my presentation, I will discuss the use of transfer reactions as an indirect method of determining information important for nuclear astrophysics. Specifically, I will focus on peripheral reactions and their analysis with the Asymptotic Normalization Coefficients (ANC) method. I will present results from related experiments that have been conducted at the Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University with focus on the 0ptical Model Parameters obtained and the need for reliable calculations. Additionally, I will describe the im- provements in the measured data that we obtained after upgrading the detection system used.
A Comparative Study of the Academic Programs between Informatics/BioInformatics and Data Science in the U.S.

As Data Science has recently become a trend of the innovation of building new academic programs in the U.S. higher education, a holistic review and analysis of the curriculum development in a close field called Informatics or Bioinformatics, occurred more than a decade ago, seems to be beneficial and necessary in helping and supporting the healthy growth of Data Science programs. In this paper, a thorough comparative study between Informatics and Data Science was presented through comparing and investigating the similarities and differences of their curriculum structures, bodies of domain knowledge, technical skill sets, research areas, faculty preparation, student background, as well as the lessons learnt from the development of Informatics programs and challenges in developing Data Science programs. It is believed that the recommendations drawn from this study will assist educators to build their Data Science programs with the confidence and determination but without hesitation and fear of misstepping along the way in promoting and building their new programs.
Functional pathway redundancy in the metabolism of plant-derived phenolics by Novosphingobium aromaticivorans

ABSTRACT Lignin is a plant heteropolymer composed of phenolic subunits. Because of its heterogeneity and recalcitrance, the development of efficient methods for its valorization still remains an open challenge. One approach to utilize lignin is its chemical deconstruction into mixtures of monomeric phenolic compounds followed by biological funneling into a single product. Novosphingobium aromaticivorans DSM12444 has been previously engineered to produce 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDC) from depolymerized lignin by simultaneously metabolizing multiple aromatics through convergent routes involving the intermediates 3-methoxygallic acid (3-MGA) and protocatechuic acid (PCA). We investigated enzymes predicted to be responsible for O-demethylation and oxidative aromatic ring opening, two critical reactions involved in the metabolism of phenolics compounds by N. aromaticivorans. The results showed the involvement of DesA in O-demethylation of syringic and vanillic acids, LigM in O-demethylation of vanillic acid and 3-MGA, and a new O-demethylase, DmtS, in the conversion of 3-MGA into gallic acid (GA). In addition, we found that LigAB was the main aromatic ring opening dioxygenase involved in 3-MGA, PCA, and GA metabolism, and that a previously uncharacterized dioxygenase, LigAB2, had high activity with GA. Our results indicate a metabolic route not previously identified in N. aromaticivorans that involves O-demethylation of 3-MGA to GA. We predict this pathway channels ∼15% of the carbon flow from syringic acid, with the rest following ring opening of 3-MGA. The new knowledge obtained in this study allowed for the creation of an improved engineered strain for the funneling of aromatic compounds that exhibits stoichiometric conversion of syringic acid into PDC. IMPORTANCE For lignocellulosic biorefineries to effectively contribute to reduction of fossil fuel use, they need to become efficient at producing chemicals from all major components of plant biomass. Making products from lignin will require engineering microorganisms to funnel multiple phenolic compounds to the chemicals of interest, and N. aromaticivorans is a promising chassis for this technology. The ability of N. aromaticivorans to efficiently and simultaneously degrade many phenolic compounds may be linked to having functionally redundant aromatic degradation pathways and enzymes with broad substrate specificity. A detailed knowledge of aromatic degradation pathways is thus essential to identify genetic engineering targets to maximize product yields. Furthermore, knowledge of enzyme substrate specificity is critical to redirect flow of carbon to desired pathways. This study described an uncharacterized pathway in N. aromaticivorans and the enzymes that participate in this pathway, allowing the engineering of an improved strain for production of PDC from lignin.
Interplay between personality and antisocial peer affiliation as prospective predictors of marijuana use and academic achievement in the transition into and out of college.

Abstract Marijuana use has increased in recent cohorts and is associated with several negative outcomes, including poorer academic achievement. Less is known about how personality and peer factors in the first two years of college work together to predict problematic marijuana use and potentially co-occurring academic problems three years later. The longitudinal College Experiences Study (N = 209) was used to address this (N = 209, ~90% white, ~40% male); this study collected data from students in their first year of college, as well as ~1 year later (retention = 85%), and again ~4 years after the initial data collection (retention = 80%). Longitudinal data were analyzed via the traditional cross-lagged panel (CLPM) and the random-intercept CLPM approach. Results were consistent in that there was strong stability in problematic marijuana use, constraint, and antisocial peer affiliation across time, which were predominately influenced by stable, trait-like influences. These factors were also highly correlated but there was less evidence that one predicted the other over time. Nonetheless, greater constraint at Wave 1 was associated with significantly greater cumulative GPA in the transition out of college (βs = 0.43–0.44). Results support the importance of early prevention and intervention of problematic marijuana use, as well as the possibility of using personality-targeted approaches in the first year of college to promote growth in behaviors related to constraint (e.g., staying organized, risk avoidant) in an effort to improve academic success and correlated substance use outcomes by the transition out of college.
Stem Cell Intrinsic Mechanisms Regulating Adult Hair Follicle Homeostasis

Adult hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) undergo dynamic and periodic molecular changes in their cellular states throughout the hair homeostatic cycle. These states are tightly regulated by cell-intrinsic mechanisms and by extrinsic signals from the microenvironment. HFSCs are essential not only for fuelling hair growth, but also for skin wound healing. Increasing evidence suggests an important role of HFSCs in organizing multiple skin components around the hair follicle, thus functioning as an organizing centre during adult skin homeostasis. Here, we focus on recent findings on cell-intrinsic mechanisms of HFSC homeostasis, which include transcription factors, histone modifications, DNA regulatory elements, non-coding RNAs, cell metabolism, cell polarity and post-transcriptional mRNA processing. Several transcription factors are now known to participate in well-known signalling pathways that control hair follicle homeostasis, as well as in super-enhancer activities to modulate HFSC and progenitor lineage progression. Interestingly, HFSCs have been shown to secrete molecules that are important in guiding the organization of several skin components around the hair follicle, including nerves, arrector pili muscle and vasculature. Finally, we discuss recent technological advances in the field such as single-cell RNA sequencing and live imaging, which revealed HFSC and progenitor heterogeneity and brought new light to understanding crosstalking between HFSCs and the microenvironment. The field is well on its way to generate a comprehensive map of molecular interactions that should serve as a solid theoretical platform for application in hair and skin disease and ageing.
Broker-Dealer: A Fiduciary by Any Other Name?

Broker-dealers, unlike investment advisers, are not regulated as fiduciaries when providing investment advice, even though broker-dealers are holding themselves out as financial advisors and offering virtually identical services to investors. The lack of consistent regulation of financial service providers arises from the structure in which advice historically has been delivered. Financial services regulation since the Great Depression has developed along roughly dual tracks: laws governing the sale of financial products, which may or may not require that the products be suitable for the customer, and laws governing investment advice, which impose a fiduciary requirement on the adviser to act solely in the best interests of the client. Even with the inconsistent regulatory and statutory framework, under common law, brokers have historically been held to a fiduciary standard of care when providing personalized investment advice to retail customers or when holding themselves out to the public as trusted financial advisors who provide unbiased investment advice. In situations where brokers were determined not to be fiduciaries, they were solely providing transactional assistance to clients (acting as salespeople). This Article begins by examining the historical origins of broker-dealers as fiduciaries; uses statutory construction to give effect to the clear intent underlying Congress’ enactment of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Advisers Act), specifically the broker-dealer exemption included in Section 202(a)(11); and provides a history of the SEC’s interpretation of the broker-dealer exemption in the Advisers Act. The Article then analyzes judicial treatment of broker-dealers, including the legal reasoning of why the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) provides a lower level of protection and was never meant to regulate personalized investment advice, examining a broker’s right to lie by the use of “puffery” and “sales talk”, and discusses the issue of financial advisors’ ability to “switch hats” and provide services under different standards of care. The Article concludes by opining how having two different standards of care regulating identical conduct is harmful to consumers and provides solutions for the SEC to move forward including the removal of the broker-dealer exemption from the Advisers Act and the creation of a new uniform fiduciary duty for broker-dealers and investment advisers under Section 913 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act).
Quelling the Silver Tsunami: Compassionate Release of Elderly Offenders

Sentencing reform appears resurrected. Following a brief hiatus and an expectedly unwelcoming recent federal response, sentencing reform is again reemerging as a major initiative. Congress and the several states are poised to immediately accomplish major reform of the United States criminal sentencing structure. Proposals that would, among other initiatives, drastically reduce criminal sentences, restore rehabilitative programs to inmates, generate sentencing parity, normalize probation for low-level offenses, and shrink the overall prison footprint are ambling through various legislative processes throughout the country. Though groundbreaking and certainly welcome, these reforms largely ignore the special needs of the imprisoned elderly. One of the most foreseeable, yet ironically ignored, consequences of 1980's and 1990's harsh sentencing laws, is the dramatic upsurge in prison population through the predictable process of human aging. Coined the prison “silver tsunami” phenomenon, surging numbers of elderly inmates raises significant moral, health, and fiscal implications deserving keen scrutiny. It is imperative, then, that any overhaul of criminal sentencing focuses on how to meaningfully address the graying of America's prisons.
International Shareholdings and Strategic Export Policy

If either (i) domestic residents hold shares of the foreign firm or (ii) foreigners hold shares of the domestic firm, an export subsidy can reduce rather than increase national welfare within the Brander-Spencer model. Two sufficient conditions for such a case are presented. Also discussed are the optimal export policies in the presence of international cross shareholdings. [F 12]
The Transverse Optic Mode Anharmonic Self-Energy of NaCℓ from Measurements by Dispersive Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

The interatomic forces in a crystal are usually strongly dependent on the interatomic spacing and consequently the lattice potential energy for a crystal can generally be written as a power series in the displacements of the atoms from their equilibrium positions. If such an expansion is terminated at the quadratic terms, then this constitutes the so-called harmonic approximation. In the harmonic approximation the lattice vibrations are true normal modes such that if energy is channeled uniquely into any one lattice mode, then it will remain undissipated in that mode. The harmonic approximation would therefore predict, for instance, that the spectral profiles of lattice vibrations would be a set of undamped, temperature-independent resonances. These and other such predictions are, of course, in marked discord with experimental evidence. As a result, the anharmonic terms in a lattice potential must be considered if a full understanding of many of the physical properties of solids is to be achieved.
Use of Patisiran Following Heart Transplant in a Patient with Hereditary Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis and Polyneuropathy

Introduction For patients with end-stage hereditary transthyretin (TTR) cardiac amyloidosis, heart or heart-liver transplant can be considered. Due to advances in treatment, liver transplant may no longer be necessary, even if concomitant polyneuropathy is present as there are novel therapies that may halt, and in some cases reverse the burden of disease. We present a case of mixed phenotype TTR amyloidosis (cardiac involvement and polyneuropathy) successfully treated with orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) and patisiran therapy. Case Report A 73-year-old previously healthy African American male was referred for evaluation due to new-onset dyspnea. Electrocardiogram revealed atrial flutter with a controlled ventricular response. Echocardiogram was notable for severe biventricular hypertrophy, severe biatrial enlargement, severely depressed ejection fraction, and a pericardial effusion. An endomyocardial biopsy confirmed amyloid deposits. Mass spectrometry and genetic testing confirmed the presence of a pathogenic mutation in the TTR gene. During that same time period, the patient reported neuropathy. Nerve conduction studies revealed decrement in conduction consistent with an amyloid polyneuropathy. Despite initiation of tafamidis, the patient's clinical picture deteriorated, and he eventually required initiation of inotropes as a bridge to OHT. He successfully underwent OHT and was discharged home soon after. His immediate and long-term post-operative course was uneventful up until 10 months post-transplant, when the patient began to report worsening symptoms of neuropathy. Neurologic evaluation confirmed the clinical presence of an amyloid polyneuropathy, previously supported by nerve conduction studies. The patient was initiated on patisiran, an anti-transthyretin RNA interference agent, approximately one-year following transplant. At 18 months, the patient reports stability of his polyneuropathy symptoms and has not had any complications from patisiran infusions. Summary In patients undergoing OHT for hereditary TTR cardiac amyloidosis with concomitant polyneuropathy, post-transplant treatment with patisiran can be considered to halt progression of polyneuropathy. Effects on other organs including the transplanted heart may also be favorable, although this area is absent supporting data.
Range-wide variations in common milkweed traits and their effect on monarch larvae.

PREMISE Leaf economic spectrum (LES) theory has historically been employed to inform vegetation models of ecosystem processes, but largely neglects intraspecific variation and biotic interactions. We attempt to integrate across environment-plant trait-herbivore interactions within a species at a range-wide scale. METHODS We measured traits in 53 populations spanning the range of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and used a common garden to determine the role of environment in driving patterns of intraspecific variation. We used a feeding trial to determine the role of plant traits in monarch (Danaus plexippus) larval development. RESULTS Trait-trait relationships largely followed interspecific patterns in LES theory and persisted in a common garden when individual traits change. Common milkweed showed intraspecific variation and biogeographic clines in traits. Clines did not persist in a common garden. Larvae ate more and grew larger when fed plants with more nitrogen. A longitudinal environmental gradient in precipitation corresponded to a resource gradient in plant nitrogen, which produces a gradient in larval performance. CONCLUSIONS Biogeographic patterns in common milkweed traits can sometimes be predicted from LES, are largely driven by environmental conditions, and have consequences for monarch larval performance. Changes to nutrient dynamics of landscapes with common milkweed could potentially influence monarch population dynamics. We show how biogeographic trends in intraspecific variation can influence key ecological interactions, especially in common species with large distributions.