cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fetal heart rate and motor development in overweight and obese pregnant women.

Abstract Objective To determine the relationship between maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and fetal cardiac and motor activity and integration during the second half of pregnancy. Methods Longitudinal data were collected from 610 nonsmoking women with normally progressing pregnancies at three gestational periods (24, 30–32, and 36 weeks) across eight cohorts studied between 1997 and 2013. Fifty minutes of fetal heart rate and motor activity data were collected at each period via actocardiography in a laboratory setting. Data were digitized and analyzed using customized software. Standard BMI categories were computed from maternal prepregnancy weight and height. Participants were stratified into normal weight (n = 401, 65.7%), overweight (n = 137, 22.5%), or obese (n = 72, 11.8%). Results Fetuses of obese women showed lower heart rate variability and fewer accelerations relative to fetuses of normal weight women. Fetuses of both obese and overweight women exhibited more vigorous motor activity than fetuses of normal weight women. Cardiac–somatic integration was reduced in both obese and overweight groups. Findings differed by gestational age at assessment. Conclusions Excess maternal prepregnancy weight in overweight and obese women alters the normal trajectory of fetal cardiac and motor development and their integration, with effects amplified as pregnancy progresses.
Colonial Auto Center

The CEO of Carter Myers Automotive must consider his promotional plan for the coming summer. His company owned and operated three Virginia automotive dealerships: Colonial Auto Center in Charlottesville, Colonial Honda in Petersburg, and Heritage Chevrolet-Geo in Chester. Colonial was a multifranchise dealership featuring vehicles manugactured by Lincoln, Mercury, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Nissan, Mitsubishi, suzuki cars, and GMC trucks. Several weeks earlier, Myers had requested a written advertising proposal from each of the four major radio station operators in Charlottesville. To finalize his promotion plans, Myers needed to make a final decision on each of the four proposals.
Consumer Valuation of Media as a Function of Local Market Structure

This study examines the effects of media market structure on consumer demand and welfare. A differentiated-product model is used to estimate demand for the local media environment, described by the offerings from newspapers, radio, television, the Internet and Smartphone. Results show that the representative consumer values more different viewpoints in the reporting of information on news and current affairs, more information on community news, and more information that reflects the interests of women and minorities. Consumers have a distaste for advertising. Demand estimates are used to calculate the expected change in consumer welfare from a merger between two television stations that lowers the amount of diversity and advertising in local media environments. Welfare decreases following the merger, but these losses decrease with the number of television stations in the market. For example, the average consumer in a “small market” loses $0.11 per month, whereas the average consumer in a “large market” loses $0.04 per month. These losses are equivalent to $6 million annually for all small-market households in the U.S. and $1.4 million annually for large-market households. If the merger occurs in all markets, aggregate consumer welfare losses would be about $91 million.
Evaluating food-based programmes for their reduction of vitamin A deficiency and its consequences.

Food-based approaches, using foods naturally rich in micronutrients, are one strategy for combating micronutrient deficiencies. They can have both a direct impact on nutritional status and health by changing the production, preparation, and consumption of foods, and an indirect impact by changing associated aspects such as income, expenditure, and empowerment of women. This combination of a direct and an indirect impact, each of which can also be confounded by other factors, complicates the evaluation of the impact of food-based approaches. In order to develop food-based approaches into a sound and well-recognized strategy for combating micronutrient deficiencies, with appropriate appreciation of their possible impact as well as of their limitations, food-based programmes have to be evaluated for their impact on nutritional status and health. This paper suggests ways to do this by using a conceptual framework for designing the programme and evaluating its impact, studying the relationship between the cons...
Physiology and Physical Force: The Effect of Edwardian Science on Women’s Suffrage

ABSTRACTAlthough metabolic theory was ceding ground to genetics and endocrinology in early twentieth-century Britain as an explanation for sex determination, the belief that women were more conserving (anabolic) than expending (catabolic) of energy held sway. Thus, many scientists supported the antisuffrage argument of “physical force,” claiming that women lacked inherent energy needed to physically enforce laws and should be excluded from voting. A secondary argument claimed that such cyclic elements as menstruation and menopause made women too irrational to vote. This article examines how scientific macroarguments over women’s physiology fueled the key antisuffrage microargument of physical force. The debate over physical force illustrates the way that scientific knowledge, even when uncertain and evolving, may take public form as political certainty.
Observations of ponderomotively accelerated electrons from the focus of a very-high-intensity iaser

Electrons emitted from a high-intensity laser focus (~1014 W/cm2) have been observed by Freeman et al.1 At this intensity, the electrons energy distribution was seen to have a series of low-energy (~1-eV) peaks separated by the photon energy. These are above-threshold-ionization (ATI) peaks and were observed to shift by a few electron volts as the laser pulse width was increased from a short pulse (0.5 ps) to a long pulse (50 ps). This shift is explained by the ponderomotive potential Φj.
Impact of lexical filtering on overall opinion polarity identification

One approach to assessing overall opinion polarity (OvOP) of reviews, a concept defined in this paper, is the use of supervised machine learning mechanisms. In this paper, the impact of lexical filtering, applied to reviews, on the accuracy of two statistical classifiers (Naive Bayes and Markov Model) with respect to OvOP identification is observed. Two kinds of lexical filters, one based on hypernymy as provided by Word-Net (Fellbaum 1998), and one hand-crafted filter based on part-of-speech (POS) tags, are evaluated. A ranking criterion based on a function of the probability of having positive or negative polarity is introduced and verified as being capable of achieving 100% accuracy with 10% recall. Movie reviews are used for training and evaluation of each statistical classifier, achieving 80% accuracy. (Less)
The Identity-Perception Gap

Urban teaching is identity work. Everyday, teachers confront social, psychological, and political challenges as they try to promote the achievement of hundreds of students who emerge from a multiplicity of backgrounds. To achieve equity in schools and classrooms requires that teachers sustain a near-constant awareness of others’ unique perceptions and identities. As teachers negotiate classroom relationships with youth across cultural, gender, linguistic, racial, sexual, and socioeconomic differences (to list only a few), identities get exposed, deconstructed, and disrupted in the classroom as a matter of routine. Although these differences may produce profound breakthroughs in understanding and practice, they can also generate tremendous anxiety in those facing questions about who they are, who they should be, and how they want others to see them.
Special Issue: “Functional Dendrimers”

This special issue entitled “Functional Dendrimers” focuses on the manipulation of at least six “critical nanoscale design parameters” (CNDPs) of dendrimers including: size, shape, surface chemistry, flexibility/rigidity, architecture and elemental composition. These CNDPs collectively define properties of all “functional dendrimers”. This special issue contains many interesting examples describing the manipulation of certain dendrimer CNDPs to create new emerging properties and, in some cases, predictive nanoperiodic property patterns (i.e., dendritic effects). The systematic engineering of CNDPs provides a valuable strategy for optimizing functional dendrimer properties for use in specific applications.
A space charge compensation model for positive DC ion beams

In this paper, we revisit and extend a formula to predict the compensation of space charge in positive DC ion beams of non-relativistic energy, as they are for example found in the injector beam lines of heavy ion accelerator facilities.The original formula was presented in 1975 by Igor Gabovich et al. and takes into account the de-compensation through Coulomb collisions of the primary beam ions and the compensating electrons. We extend its usability to arbitrary (positive) charge states of the ions and non-quasineutral beams.The resulting formula compares well with measurements using a retarding field analyzer and a multi-species generalization of it was incorporated into beam transport simulations using the particle-in-cell code WARP.
Prenatal PCB and Dioxin and Cognitive Dysfunction

The effects of environmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dioxins on cognitive abilities in Dutch children at 42 months of age were assessed at the Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The youngest readers’ dilemma: A review of children’s learning from fictional sources

Abstract Young children are surrounded by fictional media, including books, videos, and games. Often they are expected to learn new information from these explicitly fictional sources, while simultaneously avoiding confusion about what is true in the real world versus what is true only in fictional worlds. How do children navigate this “reader’s dilemma”? The current review addresses this question by first examining whether fiction can change children’s real-world knowledge or behaviors, both generally and through learning of specific pieces of information from fictional contexts. The bulk of this research suggests that children can learn new information from fiction. We then ask whether fiction teaches children more effectively than other types of activities or than nonfiction media, as well as whether there are differences in children’s learning from realistic as opposed to fantastical fiction. Many open questions about these topics remain, including how selective children are when learning from fiction, which properties of the media affect their selectivity, how long children retain information learned from fictional contexts, and how child-level factors like age may affect this learning. We close the review by addressing these issues and offering some suggestions for future research in this area.
Foreign Direct Investment and the Development of the Automotive Industry

This chapter analyzes foreign direct investment (FDI) in the automotive industry of East-Central Europe (ECE), examining trends and patterns since the 1990s with a focus on the 2000s and especially the period after the 2008–2009 economic crisis. I start with a discussion of the position of ECE in the global and European division of labor in the automotive industry. This is followed by an overview of FDI trends in the ECE automotive industry, including an evaluation of automotive FDI trends in individual ECE countries. Finally, I consider the future prospects of automotive FDI and its long-term developmental effects in ECE.
Use of the scat-3, child scat3, and king-devick in concussion assessment of youth hockey players

Objective Currently youth sports hockey programs do not adhere to concussion protocols. The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between performance of two sideline assessments. Design Retrospective analysis of two measures given as part of a youth travel hockey program. Setting Ice hockey skating facility in Westchester County, NY (USA). Participants A sample of 121 youth hockey players participated. All of the athletes were administered the King-Devick, SAC (ages 13-18) and Child SAC (ages 10-12) at baseline, sideline, and once symptom free. Main results Mean age was 13.2 (SD=1.2) and there 118 were boys (97.5%). The majority of sample had zero self-reported past concussion (n=113; 93.3). Fourteen athletes sustained concussions. Worse King Devick scores were associated with overall worse SAC and Child SAC Concentration and Delayed Memory scores. For every 1-point reduction in SAC Delayed Memory Score, there was a worsening of King Devick time score of 5.3 seconds (95% CI 5.0, 9.5, p Conclusions This study reaffirms prior studies that both King Devick and SAC are effective combination clinical tools that assess athletes with suspected concussion. Competing interests None.
“A Flat Carnivalesque Intention of Being a Cannibal,” Or, How (not) to Read the Cannibal Manifesto

In this article, I propose that, in the face of the Manifesto antropofago ’s inchoate endeavor to supersede a dominant narrative about the irresistible rise of modern rationality, the critic can either accept the terms of this attempted repudiation or reposition it within the very epistemological framework which that text seeks to displace. In accordance with this latter epistemic model, antropofagia cannot but appear contradictory. Yet the passages that seem paradoxical and nonsensical appear so only because their essential meaning cannot be fully grasped from this frame of reference. It is therefore the epistemological framework which informs our “re-readings” of the Manifesto —rather than a failure or banality intrinsic to the text—that produces what he or she may come to define as nonsense and paradox.
Is poor director attendance contagious

Recent corporate governance guidelines have focused on the structure of the board of directors, with little recognition of the importance of director attendance at board and committee meetings. Dir...
Arteriovenous grafts: Stenosis, thrombosis and aneurysms

The arterial supply of the upper extremity begins at the aortic arch; the right subclavian artery originates from the innominate (brachiocephalic) artery, while the left subclavian artery originates directly from the aortic arch. After crossing the first rib, the subclavian becomes the axillary artery; after crossing the lower border of the teres major, it becomes the brachial artery. In the antecubital fossa, the brachial artery bifurcates into the radial and ulnar arteries. The radial artery courses laterally in the forearm and then posterior at the wrist to the anatomical snuffbox where it forms the major branches of the deep palmar arch and communicates with the deep branches of the ulnar artery. The ulnar artery courses medially in the forearm to the wrist, where it forms the major branches of the superficial palmar arch and communicates with the superficial branches of the radial artery.
Abstract A16: Discovery and functional characterization of essential pathways in KRAS mutant cancers

KRAS oncogenes are present in 30% of all human cancers and are required for tumor development and maintenance and although clearly important efforts to target KRAS mutant tumors remains a major challenge. Several systematic approaches have been made to target these RAS-dependent cancers through small molecule screening and genome-scale RNAi screens to identify KRAS Synthetic Lethal (SL) genes. We applied and network based approached to integrate published KRAS SL screen data to uncover protein networks enriched with KRAS SL genes. We are using these proteins networks to generate a KRAS genetic interaction map (E-MAP) using combinatorial RNAi to identify candidate drug combinations, which may be useful to treat KRAS mutant cancers. Our network analysis revealed a dozen protein networks enriched with KRAS SL genes. Our pilot RNAi screen revealed that KRAS mutant tumors are sensitive to PAPR inhibition. Furthermore our isogenic models reveal that KRAS mutant cells harbor active DNA repair pathways in the absence of DNA damaging agents and are likely suffering from replication stress. A combinatorial RNAi screen revealed a KRAS specific synthetic lethal interaction with PARP inhibitors and knock down of MEK-ERK pathway genes. Our results suggest that PARP inhibitions have some efficacy in treating KRAS mutant tumors undergoing replication stress single agents and potentially combined with inhibitors of MEK-ERK signaling. Future studies are underway to determine if PAPR inhibitors are effective in cancer cell in vitro and in vivo models. Citation Format: Angel A. Ku, Sourav Bandyopadhyay. Discovery and functional characterization of essential pathways in KRAS mutant cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Opportunities and Challenges of Exploiting Synthetic Lethality in Cancer; Jan 4-7, 2017; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2017;16(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A16.
Tutorial on X-ray photon counting detector characterization.

Background Recent advances in photon counting detection technology have led to significant research interest in X-ray imaging. Objective As a tutorial level review, this paper covers a wide range of aspects related to X-ray photon counting detector characterization. Methods The tutorial begins with a detailed description of the working principle and operating modes of a pixelated X-ray photon counting detector with basic architecture and detection mechanism. Currently available methods and techniques for charactering major aspects including energy response, noise floor, energy resolution, count rate performance (detector efficiency), and charge sharing effect of photon counting detectors are comprehensively reviewed. Other characterization aspects such as point spread function (PSF), line spread function (LSF), contrast transfer function (CTF), modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), detective quantum efficiency (DQE), bias voltage, radiation damage, and polarization effect are also remarked. Results A cadmium telluride (CdTe) pixelated photon counting detector is employed for part of the characterization demonstration and the results are presented. Conclusions This review can serve as a tutorial for X-ray imaging researchers and investigators to understand, operate, characterize, and optimize photon counting detectors for a variety of applications.
Minimally Invasive Approach to Acute Diverticulitis

Colonic diverticulosis and diverticulitis are common disease entities, responsible for approximately 300,000 annual hospital admissions, and impose considerable economic burden and consume substantial healthcare resources. Though the mainstays of therapy include antibiotics and operative intervention, equipoise exists regarding if and for whom operative intervention should be offered, particularly in the context of balancing risk/benefit ratios. Knowing that the majority of patients with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis respond with medical therapy alone, nonoperative therapy is an appropriate initial measure. However, the data suggest that even moderate disease (Hinchey I and II) possesses higher recurrence and complication rates, and thus, elective operative intervention, preferably laparoscopic, should be offered to those patients deemed of appropriate risk. However, in the context of complicated diverticulitis, the tenets of emergency general surgery predominate, emphasizing expeditious resuscitation and reversal of shock and elimination of continued sources of contamination and sepsis. Collectively these data support a more algorithmic acute care surgical approach that is tailored to the specific phenotype of the interaction between patient and disease and thereby proffers improved morbidity and mortality.
Culturally-tailored interventions for chronic disease self-management among Chinese Americans: a systematic review

Objectives: Literature review evaluating the effectiveness and cultural surface and deep structures of interventions designed to improve Chinese Americans' chronic disease self-management.Method: PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Health Source databases were searched for research conducted from 1990 to 2016 on self-management interventions for Chinese Americans with chronic disease.Results: Ten articles comprised eight interventions, which each addressed a dimension of cultural surface structure, all providing linguistically appropriate messages delivered via bilingual staff. Five interventions also addressed cultural deep structure dimensions by providing culturally congruent counsellors or educators, or incorporating Chinese cultural values and social customs. Six interventions resulted in significant improvements in major outcome variables. Participants also reported high satisfaction and retention rates were high.Conclusion: Culturally-tailored interventions that incorporate surface and deep structural elements of culture are sensitive and generally effective for Chinese Americans to improve access to health care, disease awareness, social environment, and participants' ability to practice self-management skills.
NMR Spectroscopy Reveals Adsorbate Binding Sites in the Metal–Organic Framework UiO-66(Zr)

We assign 1H and 13C NMR resonances emanating from acetone, methanol, and cyclohexane adsorbed inside the pores of UiO-66(Zr). These results are informed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which probe the role of two competing effects inside of the pore environment: (i) nucleus independent chemical shifts (NICSs) generated by ring currents in conjugated linkers and (ii) small molecule coordination to the metal-oxyhydroxy cluster. These interactions are found to perturb the chemical shift of in-pore adsorbate relative to ex-pore adsorbate (which resides in spaces between the MOF particles). Changes in self-solvation upon adsorption may also perturb the chemical shift. Our results indicate that cyclohexane preferentially adsorbs in the tetrahedral pores of UiO-66(Zr), while acetone and methanol adsorb at the Zr–OH moieties on the metal-oxyhydroxy clusters in a more complex fashion. This method may be used to probe molecular adsorption sites and material void saturation with selected adsorbates...
Conductive two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks as multifunctional materials.

Two-dimensional (2D) conductive metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a unique class of multifunctional materials due to their compositional and structural diversity accessible through bottom-up self-assembly. This feature article summarizes the progress in the development of 2D conductive MOFs with emphasis on synthetic modularity, device integration strategies, and multifunctional properties. Applications spanning sensing, catalysis, electronics, energy conversion, and storage are discussed. The challenges and future outlook in the context of molecular engineering and practical development of 2D conductive MOFs are addressed.
Markovnikov's Rule in History and Pedagogy

In 1870–75 Markovnikov enunciatedan empirical Rule which generalized theregiochemical outcome of addition reactions tounsymmetrical alkenes. This Rule remaineduseful for about 75 years, until suchreactions came to be better understood inmechanistic terms. Thereafter the Rule couldbe deduced from principles of relativecarbocation stabilization and ceased to servean independent purpose. Nevertheless, mostorganic textbooks continue to cite it (oftenin a historically inaccurate, anachronisticway), thereby distracting student attentionfrom the underlying principles. This paperadvocates doing away with the Rule in organicchemistry textbooks and classrooms.
Science Advisory Board’s Judgments in the Assessment of the Risk of Environmental Contaminants

The assessment of risk due to environmental contaminants depends, in part, on scientific data. When such data are incomplete, as is usually the case, assumptions based on scientific judgments are made to analyze the consequences. Specifically, when health related data needed to assess the risk posed by environmental contaminants are missing or incomplete, it becomes necessary to make assumptions using scientific judgment to estimate the risk. The present discussion presents a few of the consensus judgments of the Science Advisory Board of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency concerning the health effects and risk for some environmental contaminants. Because of the uncertainties in current scientific knowledge for many environmental contaminants, judgments differ and there is no right or wrong opinion.
Lower Extremity Arterial Disease Co-Existing With Coronary Artery Disease

The most common risk factor for both disease entities is age; older than 40 years of age for men and older than 50 years of age for women. As the population ages, the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD), lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD), carotid disease, and overall cardiovascular disease increases (Fig. 1).
Spectral and asymptotic properties of linear elastic systems with internal energy dissipation

In this article we consider the problems inherent in developing mathematical models replicating observed damping phenomena in simple linear elastic systems. The Euler — Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam equations are used as the principal examples. We indicate the pitfalls attendant upon the use of dissipation mechanisms based only upon their mathematical convenience and discuss alternatives which originate from more fundamental physical considerations. The last section introduces two mechanisms, namely; thermoelastic damping and shear diffusion damping, which, to our knowledge, have not been discussed previously in this context.
American Option Pricing: A Classification ­ Monte Carlo (CMC) Approach

This paper presents a method for pricing high dimensional Americanstyle options. This method is based on a combination of Monte Carlo simulation, dynamic programming and characterization of the early exercise boundary through recently developed classification methodology. The proposed algorithm grows linearly in the number of underlying assets of the option. Numerical examples for call options on the geometric average of several stocks are provided to illustrate the method.
Normal Sleep Stages

Wakefulness (stage W) is characterized by the “alpha” rhythm, so named because it was the first electroencephalogram (EEG) rhythm discovered. Alpha frequency activity is 8–13 cycles/s and may be recorded anywhere in the brain. Alpha rhythm, however, has come to signify the sinusoidal resting rhythm of the occipital cortex. In addition to being in the above frequency range, it is usually of an amplitude around 30–50 mV and tends to occur in the posterior regions of the head, maximal over the occipital regions, and appears during relaxed wakefulness with eyes closed. In polysomnography interpretation, sleep onset is marked when the alpha rhythm attenuates and is absent from 50% of the epoch. The alpha rhythm, however, may attenuate and disappear when one is fully awake by just opening the eyes or thinking of a visual image. With sleep onset, the alpha frequency activity disappears not only from occipital channels but from all the electrodes (Figs. 1.1–1.6).
POLYOMA VIRUS HR-T GENE PRODUCTS

ABSTRACT Expression of the polyoma virus hr-t function leads to multiple alterations of the cell, affecting its structure and behavior in ways associated with malignant transformation. Mutants in this viral gene are unable to transform cells or induce tumors. Genetic and chemical methods have been used to localize and define the mutations in this class of mutants: all of them reside within a small segment of 315 base pairs in the early region of the viral genome. DNA sequencing of different hr-t mutant viral DNAs in this small segment shows three patterns of alterations: frameshift deletion, in-phase deletion, and triplet insertion plus single transition. Studies of the T antigen patterns induced by these different classes of hr-t mutants show that all produce normal large T antigen but are affected in different ways in both the small (22K) and middle (56K) T antigens. Based on these studies as well as others, it is clear that the 22K and 56K proteins are overlapping products encoded by the hr-t gene. In vitro protein kinase assays of T antigen immune precipitates show phosphorylation of the wild type but not of hr-t mutant middle T antigens. The amino acid sequence of these proteins in the region affected by hr-t mutants shows limited regions of homology with the pituitary glycoprotein hormones.
[316-POS]: Cytomegalovirus dysregulation of HDAC6 function in cytotrophoblast invasion

Objectives Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection of the placenta is associated with significant pathological consequences, including pregnancy loss, intrauterine growth restriction, preeclampsia and preterm labor. It is thought that some of these pathological anomalies are attributed to the inability of extravillous cytotrophoblasts (EVT) to adequately invade the maternal uterine wall during first trimester pregnancy resulting in impaired remodeling of maternal spiral arteries. Our earlier studies show that HCMV inhibits cytotrophoblast invasion, although the mechanism(s) involved are not fully understood. We hypothesize that HCMV inhibits activity of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) that is involved in the balanced control of deacetylation/acetylation of alpha-tubulin and cortactin that is essential for invadosome formation and function. The purpose of this study is to determine whether HCMV inhibits invasion of EVT through dysregulation of HDAC6-dependent invadosome formation and function. Methods An organotypic, 3-dimensional (3-D) model system using primary first trimester trophoblast progenitor cells (TBPCs) or the SGHPL-4 cell line was used to induce differentiation of cytotrophoblasts into an invasive phenotype. Invasive cytotrophoblasts were plated on fluorescein-labeled gelatin and analyzed for invadosome formation and function by confocal microscopy. Cells were infected with HCMV or treated with HDAC6-specific inhibitors to determine the ability of both to abrogate EVT invasion and to increase levels of acetylated alpha-tubulin, a cytoplasmic substrate of HDAC6, the latter of which has been shown, in cancer cells, to be required for invadosome formation and function. Results Cytotrophoblasts cultured in 3-D form actin-rich invasive protrusions that degrade extracellular matrix. HDAC6-specific inhibition and HCMV infection inhibit cytotrophoblast invasion and increase levels of acetylated alpha-tubulin. Conclusions These data suggest that HCMV impairs trophoblast invadosome formation and function through dysregulation of HDAC6. Elucidating the mechanism(s) by which HCMV impairs placentation may be key to understanding and inhibiting fetal and maternal pathologies, such as preeclampsia. Disclosures K.F. Swan: None. M. Ferris: None. G. Pridjian: None. D.E. Sullivan: None. C.A. Morris: None.
The Computer as Gadfly

Computers seem as importuning, to some of us at least, as Socrates ever was. They can produce in us the same amazement and the same shamefaced puzzlement about the most elementary of human things; they evoke reactions ranging from jokes with an undertone of uneasiness to denunciations of ‘computerized societies’ (though unlike Socrates they are too useful to be threatened with extinction); and despite the fundamental questions about ourselves they pose — or reflect — to us, they force us to work out the answers for ourselves: or at least, they respond only to precisely formulated queries. Moreover, one often has the feeling that the dialogue is aporetic rather than dogmatic, that it moves toward a clarification of our ignorance rather than toward an epistemic answer. If this is the case, the question is whether it is a learned ignorance or sheer nescience. I want to try to state a case for the former, on the basis of a recurring difficulty in several areas of artificial intelligence.
Oil in water characterization by dynamic optical fluid imaging technology

Abstract Oil in water content is traditionally analyzed by spectrophotometer after being extracted with solvents. The analysis completed can only quantify the oil content in the water. In the enclosed study, dynamic optical fluid imaging (DOFI) technology is used to characterize the oil in produced water before and after treatment by three reverse emulsion breakers (REBs). The DOFI analysis is quick and can quantify the oil/solids content along with oil droplet sizes and size distribution using a small amount of sample. More importantly, the analysis can help understand the behavior and the performance of REBs in water clarification. The results from the DOFI analysis show that the application of REBs removed oil/solids from water by reducing the amount of oil droplets/solids of all sizes. A more effective REB helped remove more oil droplets of all sizes and removed larger oil droplets completely. As a result, the average oil droplet size became smaller after the application of REBs. The findings from the DOFI analysis suggest that in the deoiling process, REBs cause oil droplets of all sizes to coalesce, making them larger and easier to remove. An additional finding was that there is no correlation between interfacial activity and deoiling performance for the REBs used in the study.
A low-cost quantitative continuous measurement of movements in the extremities of people with Parkinson's disease

Abstract The assessment of Parkinson’s disease currently relies on the history of the present illness, the clinical interview, the physical examination, and structured instruments. Drawbacks to the use of clinical ratings include the reliance on real-time human vision to quantify small differences in motion and significant inter-rater variability due to inherent subjectivity in scoring the procedures. Rating tools are semi-quantitative by design, however, in addition to significant inter-rater variability, there is inherent subjectivity in administering these tools, which are not blinded in clinical settings. Sophisticated systems to quantify movements are too costly to be used by some providers with limited resources. A simple procedure is described to obtain continuous quantitative measurements of movements of people with Parkinson’s disease for objective analysis and correlation with visual observation of the movements. • Inexpensive accelerometers are attached to the upper and lower extremities of patients with Parkinson’s disease and related conditions to generate a continuous, three-dimensional recorded representation of movements occurring while performing tasks to characterize the deficits of Parkinson’s disease. • Movements of the procedure are rated by trained examiners live in real-time and later by videotapes. • The output of the instrumentation can be conveyed to experts for interpretation for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
Ethical considerations in bone tissue-engineered products

Abstract Bone tissue-engineered products (BTEPs) are a therapeutic category that intersects with several areas of traditional ethical interest, as their implementation involves donated human cells, surgery, a heavy cost of research and development, and potentially complex management. We briefly review the fundamental principles of medical ethics and then identify notable aspects of their application to BTEP technology, including the sourcing of cells used in production, the performance of research, and the characteristics of the therapy itself. Our discussion includes a summary of the constituents of ethical research and continues with the properties of cells as an item of donation, their legal status, and challenges of commercializing their results; research ethics, conflicts of interest, and use of cells for research; and the distribution and availability of BTEPs, as well as their limitations in surgical applications. Ultimately, these are considerations that do not necessitate proscription; both therapy and research with BTEPs can be undertaken ethically, but should be performed with appropriate attention to the many ethical issues that they raise.
Integral Human Development: From Paternalism to Accompaniment:

This article traces the development of Catholic treatments of integral human development from Paul VI’s Populorum Progressio to the writings of Pope Francis on accompaniment. The author argues that...
IoT Integration in Manufacturing Processes

In manufacturing processes, simulation parameters such as arrival times have traditionally been drawn from statistical distributions or from empirical datasets. Although this approach may lead to relatively accurate parameters, there may be applications in which a more precise methodology is required. IoT is a technology that enables for the processing of real time data through microcontrollers and servers. A simulation may ingest this real-time data to modify downstream simulation parameters towards values that will produce higher yield. This chapter will introduce two techniques that are made possible by the availability of real-time data in simulation. First, the chapter will discuss possible optimizations that may be made by selectively choosing parameters that lead to higher production based on real-time data input. Then, the chapter will focus on the ability of IoT-based simulations to dispatch real-time instructions to robots placed in the manufacturing process. The chapter introduces these concepts by the model construction of a drug manufacturing process using a discrete-event simulation software called Tao.
Specifically Sized Hyaluronan (35 kDa) Prevents Ethanol-Induced Disruption of Epithelial Tight Junctions Through a layilin-Dependent Mechanism in Caco-2 Cells.

Background Specific-sized species of the carbohydrate hyaluronan elicit a variety of cellular responses mediating tissue integrity and repair, as well as regulating inflammatory responses. Orally provided hyaluronan with an average molecular weight of 35 kDa (HA35) protects mice from short-term ethanol (EtOH)-induced liver injury. This protection was associated with maintenance of the colocalization of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin at tight junctions in the proximal colon. However, it is not known whether HA35 also protects other regions of the intestine or whether protection is due to a direct and/or indirect interaction of HA35 with the intestinal epithelium. Methods Female C57BL/6J mice were fed an EtOH containing diet or pair-fed control diet (4 days) and treated with or without HA35 via daily gavage during the last 3 days of EtOH feeding. Intestinal morphology and tight junction integrity were assessed. Differentiated Caco-2 cells were transfected or not with scrambled siRNA or siRNA targeting layilin, a hyaluronan receptor. Caco-2 cells were treated with or without HA35 prior to challenge with EtOH. Localization of tight junction proteins, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran permeability, and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) were evaluated. Results While short-term EtOH did not result in any apparent changes in the gross morphology of the intestine, colocalization of ZO-1 and occludin at tight junctions was decreased in the proximal and distal colon. HA35 prevented these effects of EtOH. In differentiated Caco-2 cells, EtOH decreased the localization of ZO-1 and occludin at tight junctions and increased permeability of FITC-dextran. At higher concentrations, EtOH also decreased TEER. Pretreatment with HA35 prevented these changes. When the hyaluronan receptor layilin was knocked down in Caco-2 cells, HA35 no longer protected cells from EtOH-induced loss of tight junctions. Conclusions Taken together, these data indicate that HA35 interacts with layilin on intestinal epithelial cells and maintains intestinal tight junction integrity during short-term EtOH exposure.
Shuttling of Dorsal by Cactus: mechanism and implications

In a developing animal, morphogen gradients act to pattern tissues into distinct domains of cell types. However, despite their prevalence in development, morphogen gradient formation is a matter of debate. In our recent publication, we showed that the Dorsal/NF-{kappa}B morphogen gradient, which patterns the DV axis of the early Drosophila embryo, is partially established by a mechanism of facilitated diffusion. This mechanism, also known as "shuttling," occurs when a binding partner of the morphogen facilitates the diffusion of the morphogen, allowing it to accumulate at a given site. In this case, the inhibitor Cactus/I{kappa}B facilitates the diffusion of Dorsal/NF-{kappa}B. In the fly embryo, we used computation and experiment to not only show that shuttling occurs in the embryo, but also that it enables the viability of embryos that inherit only one copy of dorsal maternally. Here we further discuss our evidence behind the shuttling mechanism, the previous literature data explained by the mechanism, and how it may also be critical for robustness of development. Finally, we describe an interaction between Dorsal and BMP signaling that is likely affected by shuttling.
Comparing Exam Performance in a Reinforced Concrete Design Course with Bloom’s Taxonomy Levels

AbstractThe objectives of this study were to investigate the cognitive Bloom’s taxonomy levels achieved in an introductory reinforced concrete design course, determine if the Bloom’s levels assigne...
The Human Predicament

The tragic sense of life has been revived by contemporary studies of evil and a renewed philosophic interest in pessimism. The first chapter uses these topics to enlighten persistent features of our condition and to formulate the general terms of the human predicament. Validated by everyday experience and expressed in world literature, various philosophies and most religions, the human condition is defined as a tension between one’s desires on all levels (instinctual, emotional, moral, intellectual, spiritual) and the (im)possibility of fulfilling them, either in principle or in practice, brought to us by reason.
Oxidized micrometeorites suggest either high pCO2 or low pN2 during the Neoarchean.

Tomkins et al. [A. G. Tomkins et al., Nature 533, 235–238 (2016)] suggested that iron oxides contained in 2.7-Ga iron micrometeorites can be used to determine the concentration of O2 in the Archean upper atmosphere. Specifically, they argued that the presence of magnetite in these objects implies that O2 must have been near present-day levels (∼21%) within the altitude range where the micrometeorites were melted during entry. Here, we reevaluate their data using a 1D photochemical model. We find that atomic oxygen, O, is the most abundant strong oxidant in the upper atmosphere, rather than O2. But data from shock tube experiments suggest that CO2 itself may also serve as the oxidant, in which case micrometeorite oxidation really constrains the CO2/N2 ratio, not the total oxidant abundance. For an atmosphere containing 0.8 bar of N2, like today, the lower limit on the CO2 mixing ratio is ∼0.23. This would produce a mean surface temperature of ∼300 K at 2.7 Ga, which may be too high, given evidence for glaciation at roughly this time. If pN2 was half the present value, and warming by other greenhouse gases like methane was not a major factor, the mean surface temperature would drop to ∼291 K, consistent with glaciation. This suggests that surface pressure in the Neoarchean may need to have been lower—closer to 0.6 bar—for CO2 to have oxidized the micrometeorites. Ultimately, iron micrometeorites may be an indicator for ancient atmospheric CO2 and surface pressure; and could help resolve discrepancies between climate models and existing CO2 proxies such as paleosols.
Suppression of shear localization in nanocrystalline Al–Ni–Ce via segregation engineering

Abstract Shear localization in nanocrystalline metals is a severely limiting factor precluding their use as practical engineering materials. While several strategies exist to enhance the thermal and mechanical behavior of these materials, there are still many outstanding questions regarding the effects of chemical segregation on shear localization of FCC nanocrystalline materials. In this paper we investigate the mechanical response of a ternary aluminum alloy with a sub-10 nm nanocrystalline microstructure subject to various thermal treatments. Contrary to previous observations, our results suggest that annealing up to 0.7 Tm reduces the propensity for shear localization and increases strength, as demonstrated by a transition in deformation morphology from pronounced strain localization to more homogeneous deformation during indentation. This behavior coincides with the formation of an amorphous intergranular film during annealing, causing intragranular dislocation plasticity to be favored over other grain boundary dominated deformation mechanisms, in turn resulting in a lower propensity for long range plastic localization.
The Influence of Hospital Volume on the Outcomes of Nasopharyngeal, Sinonasal and Skull-base Tumors: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Objective: The center of excellence model of health care hypothesizes that increased volume in a specialized center will lead to better and more affordable care. We sought to characterize the volume-outcome data for surgically treated sinonasal and skull base tumors and (chemo) radiation-treated nasopharyngeal malignancy. Design: Systematic review of the literature. Setting: This review included national database and multi-institutional studies published between 1990 and 2019. Participants: PubMed was interrogated for keywords “hospital volume,” “facility volume,” and outcomes for “Nasopharyngeal carcinoma,” “Sinonasal carcinomas,” “Pituitary Tumors,” “Acoustic Neuromas,” “Chordomas,” and “Skull Base Tumors” to identify studies. Single-institution studies and self-reported surveys were excluded. Main outcome measures: The main outcome of interest in malignant pathologies was survival; and in benign pathologies it was treatment-related complications. Results: A total of 20 studies met inclusion criteria. The average number of patients per study was 4,052, and ranged from 394 to 9,950 patients. Six of seven studies on malignant pathology demonstrated improved survival with treatment in high volume centers and one showed no association with survival. Ten of thirteen studies on benign disease showed reduced risk of complications, while one study demonstrated both an increased and decreased association of complications. Two studies showed no volume-outcome associations. Conclusion: This systematic review demonstrates that a positive volume–outcome relationship exists for most pathologies of the skull base, with some exceptions. The relative dearth of literature supports further research to understand the effect of centralization of care on treatment outcomes.
The world according to Siderov: the rise of the far-right celebrity politician in Bulgaria

This article examines Bulgarian politician Volen Siderov’s rise through a career in journalism during communism, into the voice of the opposition during the post-commumist transition, and into the ...
Choosing a Surgical Specialty

Almost all general surgery residents consider post-residency training, and up to 80% ultimately pursue fellowship. Important considerations for choosing a surgical specialty include having a thorough understanding of the types of cases you most enjoy doing and patients you most enjoy treating, seeking guidance from trusted mentors, and identifying early “test run” experiences. Ultimately, the decision must be based on personal interests and life considerations which inform the professional choices.