cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE INTERFERONS: BIOLOGIC BASIS FOR THEIR ROLE IN VIRAL INFECTIONS.

Evidence indicates that inter ferons are non-viral proteins produced by virus-infected cells but not by normal cells. They inhibit virus reproduction by their action on cells, not by attacking the invading virus directly. There is circumstantial evidence to suggest that interferon synthesis is directly controlled by cellular nucleic acid and that the virus merely acts as an inducing agent or irritant. It seems likely that most cells know how to make interferon but do so only in response to viral infection; proof of this would lend credence to the proposition that interferon production is a specific cellular mechanism for defense against intrusion of foreign viral nucleic acid into the economy of the cell.
Two-photon standing wave patterned photobleaching to probe DNA dynamics in live cells

Two-photon excitation, which avoids the harmful biological effects of ultraviolet exposure and provides intrinsic axial resolution, has been widely used in confocal microscopes to image static structures in biological samples. We have combined two-photon excitation with patterned photobleaching and a standing wave geometry in order to study macromolecular dynamics in such samples. The aim of this work is to measure the short-range diffusive motion of the DNA-containing chromatin in live cells, which is believed to be important in biological gene expression. Conformational fluctuations of the densely packed chromatin fibers are thought to allow transcription proteins access to buried sequences of DNA in the nucleoplasm.
The use of patient factors to improve the prediction of operative duration using laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Reliable prediction of operative duration is essential for improving patient and care team satisfaction, optimizing resource utilization and reducing cost. Current operative scheduling systems are unreliable and contribute to costly over- and underestimation of operative time. We hypothesized that the inclusion of patient-specific factors would improve the accuracy in predicting operative duration. We reviewed all elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed at a single institution between 01/2007 and 06/2013. Concurrent procedures were excluded. Univariate analysis evaluated the effect of age, gender, BMI, ASA, laboratory values, smoking, and comorbidities on operative duration. Multivariable linear regression models were constructed using the significant factors (p < 0.05). The patient factors model was compared to the traditional surgical scheduling system estimates, which uses historical surgeon-specific and procedure-specific operative duration. External validation was done using the ACS-NSQIP database (n = 11,842). A total of 1801 laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients met inclusion criteria. Female sex was associated with reduced operative duration (−7.5 min, p < 0.001 vs. male sex) while increasing BMI (+5.1 min BMI 25–29.9, +6.9 min BMI 30–34.9, +10.4 min BMI 35–39.9, +17.0 min BMI 40 + , all p < 0.05 vs. normal BMI), increasing ASA (+7.4 min ASA III, +38.3 min ASA IV, all p < 0.01 vs. ASA I), and elevated liver function tests (+7.9 min, p < 0.01 vs. normal) were predictive of increased operative duration on univariate analysis. A model was then constructed using these predictive factors. The traditional surgical scheduling system was poorly predictive of actual operative duration (R 2 = 0.001) compared to the patient factors model (R 2 = 0.08). The model remained predictive on external validation (R 2 = 0.14).The addition of surgeon as a variable in the institutional model further improved predictive ability of the model (R 2 = 0.18). The use of routinely available pre-operative patient factors improves the prediction of operative duration during cholecystectomy.
Lattice Thermal Conductivity and Cottrell Atmosphere in Copper-Germanium Alloys

The formation of solute atmospheres around dislocations was first proposed by Cottrell and has been shown to account for the yield point phenomena in a number of alloy systems. This atmosphere formation also affects the lattice thermal conductivity of alloys at low temperatures since it modifies the strain field around the dislocations. According to the theory of Klemens [1] and of Klemens and Ackerman [2], the scattering of phonons by solute atmosphere depends on two factors: the mass difference between the solute and the host atoms, and the lattice distortion introduced by the solute atoms. Furthermore, the temperature dependence of this scattering of phonons by the solute atmosphere is the same as that by bare dislocations. Therefore, lattice thermal conductivity determination at low temperatures should also yield information on the solute atmosphere.
Attenuated-Signal Plaque Progression Predicts Long-Term Mortality After Heart Transplantation: IVUS Assessment of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy

Abstract Background Although cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is typically characterized by diffuse coronary intimal thickening with pathological vessel remodeling, plaque instability may also play an important role in CAV. Previous studies of native coronary atherosclerosis have demonstrated associations between attenuated-signal plaque (ASP), plaque instability, and adverse clinical events. Objectives This study’s aim was to characterize the association between ASP and long-term mortality post-heart transplantation. Methods In 105 heart transplant recipients, serial (baseline and 1-year post-transplant) intravascular ultrasound was performed in the first 50 mm of the left anterior descending artery. The ASP score was calculated by grading the measured angle of attenuation from grades 0 to 4 (specifically, 0°, 1° to 90°, 91° to 180°, 181° to 270°, and >270°) at 1-mm intervals. The primary endpoint was all-cause death or retransplantation. Results At 1-year post-transplant, 10.5% of patients demonstrated ASP progression (newly developed or increased ASP). Patients with ASP progression had a higher incidence of acute cellular rejection during the first year (63.6% vs. 22.3%; p = 0.006) and tendency for greater intimal growth (percent intimal volume: 9.2 ± 9.3% vs. 4.4 ± 5.3%; p = 0.07) than those without. Over a median follow-up of 4.6 years, there was a significantly lower event-free survival rate in patients with ASP progression at 1-year post-transplant compared with those without. In contrast, maximum intimal thickness did not predict long-term mortality. Conclusions ASP progression appears to reflect chronic inflammation related to acute cellular rejection and is an independent predictor of long-term mortality after heart transplantation. Serial assessments of plaque instability may enhance identification of high-risk patients who may benefit from closer follow-up and targeted medical therapies.
Decreased Variability of Acetabular Component Placement With Fluoroscopic-Guided Direct Anterior Approach as Compared with Posterior Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty

INTRODUCTION Acetabular cup orientation is an important element of Total Hip arthroplasty (THA). The purpose of this retrospective case-control study was to compare variability of acetabular cup placement between THA performed via Direct Anterior Approach (DAA) with fluoroscopy in supine position and posterior approach (PA) in lateral position without use of fluoroscopy. METHODS Radiographic and clinical records of THAs performed by a single, high volume arthroplasty surgeon at one institution were reviewed. Patients with similar design of uncemented acetabular cup, femoral component and bearing surface were included to form two groups. PA group consisted of 300 THAs performed from May 2006 to June 2009. DAA group consisted of 300 THAs performed from Oct 2009 to Oct 2011 excluding first 100 cases to eliminate the influence of learning curve. Radiographic analysis was done by two independent blinded observers to determine cup inclination and anteversion (Liaw et al) on standardized, 6 week postoperative, standing anteroposterior pelvic radiographs using Picture Archiving and Communication System software (PACS). RESULTS Both groups were comparable in terms of age, sex and BMI. Mean inclination in both groups was similar; PA (41.2 degrees; range, 23 to 63) and DAA (40.36 degrees; range, 29 to 51). Mean anteversion was lower in DAA group (13.29 degrees; range, 6.2 to 32) as compared to PA group (24 degrees; range, 2.3 to 48.8). Variances for cup inclination (49.7 PA vs 19.1 DAA) and anteversion (75.1 PA vs 16.1 DAA) were significantly lower in the DAA group as compared to the PA group as per the F- test for equality of variances (p = 0.001). DISCUSSION Acetabular cup placement in PA relies predominantly on internal landmarks. Utilization of fluoroscopy with supine position during DAA THA helps in intraoperative assessment of cup orientation and making adjustments for pelvic tilt, thus resulting in decreased variability.
Catalytic hydroprocessing of fast pyrolysis oils: Impact of biomass feedstock on process efficiency

Abstract We report here on an experimental study to produce refinery-ready fuel blendstocks via catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (upgrading) of pyrolysis oil using several biomass feedstocks and various blends. Blends were tested along with the pure materials to determine the effect of blending on product yields and qualities. Within experimental error, oil yields from fast pyrolysis and upgrading are shown to be linear functions of the blend components. Switchgrass exhibited lower fast pyrolysis and upgrading yields than the woody samples, which included clean pine, oriented strand board (OSB), and a mix of pinon and juniper (PJ). The notable exception was PJ, for which the poor upgrading yield of 18% was likely associated with the very high viscosity of the PJ fast pyrolysis oil (947 cp). The highest fast pyrolysis yield (54% dry basis) was obtained from clean pine, while the highest upgrading yield (50%) was obtained from a blend of 80% clean pine and 20% OSB (CP8OSB2). For switchgrass, reducing the fast pyrolysis temperature to 450 °C resulted in a significant increase to the pyrolysis oil yield and reduced hydrogen consumption during hydrotreating, but did not directly affect the hydrotreating oil yield. The water content of fast pyrolysis oils was also observed to increase linearly with the summed content of potassium and sodium, ranging from 21% for clean pine to 37% for switchgrass. Multiple linear regression models demonstrate that fast pyrolysis is strongly dependent upon the contents of lignin and volatile matter as well as the sum of potassium and sodium.
Sunflow: Efficient Optical Circuit Scheduling for Coflows

Optical Circuit Switches (OCS) are increasingly used in cluster networks due to their data rate, energy and longevity advantages over electrical packet switches. Concurrently, an emerging crucial requirement for modern data-parallel clusters is to achieve high application-level communication efficiency when servicing structured traffic flows (a.k.a. Coflows) from distributed data processing applications. This paper presents the first OCS scheduling algorithm called Sunflow that addresses this requirement. Preemption decisions are the key to any OCS scheduling algorithm. Sunflow makes preemption decisions at two levels. First, at the intra-Coflow level, Sunflow does not allow subflows within a Coflow to preempt each other. We prove that the performance of this strategy is within a factor-of-two to the optimal. We further demonstrate that under realistic traffic, performance of Sunflow is on average within 1.03× to optimal. Second, at the inter-Coflow level, Sunflow provides a framework for flexible preemption policies to support diverse usage scenarios. In the specific case of the shortest-Coflow-first policy, we find that Coflows on average finish just as fast in a Sunflow-scheduled optical circuit switched network as in a comparable packet switched network employing the state-of-the-art Coflow scheduler.
Iran-Qatar Relations

Iran and Qatar have little in common in terms of geography, population, history, politics, and ideology. Nevertheless, they have been drawn together in search of common ground by the force of circumstances on one hand and the strategic and policy preferences of their leaders on the other hand. The result, Kamrava suggests, has been the emergence of a broadly friendly “no-dispute” approach by each state toward the other despite what have been at times very trying circumstances and vastly divergent policy preferences. This chapter analyzes these circumstances and preferences, paying particular attention to how their interplay has influenced and shaped each state’s diplomacy toward the other. The mere fact that Tehran and Doha share the world’s largest natural gas structure (called North Field in Qatar and South Pars in Iran) serves as a major area of mutual interest between the two Persian Gulf states. The full utilization of hydrocarbon resources requires a high level of cooperation between Tehran and Doha.
Neurobiology of Literacy and Reading Disorders

Literacy acquisition is complex and multifactorial. Successful literacy acquisition places extreme demands on sensory and cognitive processes. Individuals with reading disorders demonstrate a range of linguistic, sensory, and cognitive deficits. In this chapter, the relationship between reading ability and the frequency-following response (FFR) is examined. The utility of the FFR in assessment of successful literacy and reading disorders is reviewed along with the use of FFR as an index of remediation. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of current issues and future directions regarding the utility of the FFR as an objective neural metric of deficits in literacy disorders. Throughout these sections the distinct cognitive, linguistic, and experiential influences on the FFR are highlighted to further demonstrate how the FFR to speech may serve as an auditory biomarker to predict literacy disorders.
Blurring the Edges: Ricoeur and Rothko on Metaphorically Figuring the Non-Figural

This essay examines Ricœur’s mimetic and transfigurative perspective on non-objective art and adopts it as an idiom for examining Mark Rothko’s artistic intention in the multiform canvases of his “classical” period from 1949 until his death in 1970. Rothko unequivocally denied being an abstractionist, a colorist, or a formalist, insisting, on the contrary, that he desired to communicate discrete dimensions of experience and emotions to his viewers, specifically, experiences of the sacred and the spiritual. His large canvases, with their blurred edges, force the spectator into an intimacy of experience that opens the potentiality of heterogeneous interpretations. In other words, one might consider his paintings to be metaphors of dense meanings that imitate reality, not through facile representation, but through a Kierkegaardian repetition of worlds that track Ricœur’s own ideas of prefiguration, configuration, and re-figuration. I contend in this essay that Rothko’s “abstract expressionism” adequately illustrates Ricœur’s contention that non-figurative art succeeds far better than representational art in refiguring new worlds of meaning.
Reduced Competitive Repopulation Capacity of Multipotential Hematopoietic Stem Cells in the Bone Marrow of Friend Virus-infected Fv2-resistant Mice.

Background/aim The polycythemia form of Friend leukemia virus (FVP) causes splenomegaly and lethal erythroleukemia in Fv-2s-susceptible mouse strains. We sought to determine whether the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) pool was expanded in Fv-2r-resistant mice. Materials and methods The 120-day bone marrow transplantation competitive repopulation assay was used to determine whether FVP-infected Fv-2r C57BL/6 mice demonstrated expansion of the HSC pool compared to the pool of committed hematopoietic progenitor cells in the same marrow assayed in vitro. Results There was a significant expansion of committed hematopoietic progenitors observed in virus-infected Fv-2s FVB mice, but not Fv-2r C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, Fv-2r mice showed no detectable expansion of either committed hematopoietic progenitor cells or the multipotential stem cell pool by competitive repopulation assay. Conclusion Friend virus disease in Fv-2s mice is associated with expansion of committed hematopoietic progenitors. Fv-2r mice show no expansion of either committed progenitor or pluripotential stem cell numbers.
Transapical Access for Percutaneous Mitral Paravalvular Leak Repair

Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a rare complication of mitral valve surgery that may result in serious clinical sequelae—including heart failure or hemolytic anemia. Treatment of these defects may be ac...
The shortest kinship description problem

Abstract We consider a problem in descriptive kinship systems, namely finding the shortest sequence of terms that describes the kinship between a person and his/her relatives. The problem reduces to finding the minimum weight path in a labeled graph where the label of the path comes from a regular language. The running time of the algorithm is O ( n 3 + s ) , where n and s are the input size and the output size of the algorithm, respectively.
Physiology of the wall-less Anaeroplasmataceae (Class Mollicutes) and related walled bacteria

Cell-free extracts of two strictly anaerobic molllcutes, Anaeroplasma intermedium SLA and Asteroleplasma anaerobium 161?, were tested for enzymic activities of Intracellular carbohydrate metabolism. As. anaerobium was also tested for enzymes of purine and pyrimidine metabolism. Both organisms had enzymic activities associated with the nonoxidative portion of the pentose phosphate pathway, and with the Embden-Meyerhoff-Parnas pathway. The 6-phosphofructokinase (PFK) of /Is. anaerobium was ATP-dependent, whereas the PFK of An. intermedium was pyrophosphate-dependent (PPi-dependent). The two anaerobic molllcutes also differed with respect to the enzymes that converted phosphoe/70/pyruvate (PEP) to pyruvate; An. intermedium had pyruvate kinase activity, but /4s. anaerobium had pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase activity (PPi-dependent). Both organisms had lactate dehydrogenase activity that was activated by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Fru-1,6-P2). An. intermedium had activity for PEP carboxykinase (activated by Fru-1,6Pz), but As. anaerobium did not. PEP carboxytransphosphorylase activity was not detected in either organism. An. intermedium had malate dehydrogenase and isocitrate dehydrogenase activities, but it had no activities for the three other tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes examined; As. anaerobium had malate dehydrogenase activity only. /4s. anaerobium had enzymic activities for the interconversion of purine bases,
Using radiation pressure to develop a radio-frequency power measurement technique traceable to the redefined SI

We discuss a power-measurement technique traceable to the International System of Units (SI) based on radiation pressure (or radiation force) inherent in an electromagnetic wave. A measurement of radiation pressure offers the possibility for a power measurement traceable to the kilogram and to Planck's constant through the redefined SI. Towards this goal, we performed measurements of the radiation pressure in a radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic field at three frequencies (26.5 GHz, 32.5 GHz, and 40.0 GHz) and power levels ranging from 2 W to 25 W using a commercially available mass scale. We show comparisons between the RF power obtained with this technique and those obtained with a conventional power meter. The results in this paper represent the first step towards the realization of a more direct link to RF power within the newly redefined SI.
Over five-times improved elongation-to-fracture of dual-phase 1180 steel by continuous-bending-under-tension

Abstract This paper reports the main results from an experimental investigation into the improved elongation-to-fracture (ETF) of the advanced high strength steel (AHSS) dual-phase (DP) 1180 by subjecting the material to the continuous-bending-under-tension (CBT) process. The investigation is carried out using a recently developed testing apparatus, where the specimen flows in a reciprocating fashion through a set of three rollers while it is continuously pulled in tension. The process parameters such as the roller depth defining the amount of bending and wrapping around the rollers and crosshead velocity applying the tensile force to the specimen are varied to maximize the ETF of the material. From the recorded force vs. displacement curves along the rolling direction (RD), 45°, and transverse direction (TD), ETF of DP 1180 is found to improve with the crosshead velocity and with the bending depth up to a certain level, after which it decreases. The optimal parameters of 1.35 mm/s for the crosshead velocity and 3.5 for the normalized bending depth improve ETF of the material over five times in every testing direction relative to simple tension tests. The role of CBT in preserving high integrity of the material to large plastic strains is discussed.
Using Enteric Pathogens to Probe the Gut Microbiota

Enteric pathogens have evolved to manipulate the interface between the host and commensal microbial communities, making these pathogenic organisms superb research tools to interrogate the function of the gut microbiota during inflammatory flares. Here, we provide an overview of conceptual insights gained from experimental infection with enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Metabolic pathways at the host–microbe intersection will be a particular area of focus. A better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control host–microbe interactions during episodes of inflammation may aid in the rational design of microbiota-targeting therapies.
Lidar System with Nonmechanical Electrowetting-Based Wide-Angle Beam Steering

A light detection and ranging (lidar) system with ±90° of steering based on an adaptive electrowetting-based prism for nonmechanical beam steering has been demonstrated. Electrowetting-based prisms provide a transmissive, low power, and compact alternative to conventional adaptive optics as a nonmechanical beam scanner. The electrowetting prism has a steering range of ±7.8°. We demonstrate a method to amplify the scan angle to ±90° and perform a one-dimensional scan in a lidar system.
RECOVERING THE ENERGY IN DIESEL EXHAUST: SOME THERMODYNAMIC POINTS

The concepts of availability and reversible heat transfer are reviewed; the latter is shown to be the basis for diesel engine bottoming cycles. The thermodynamics of bottoming or waste-heat conversion to work by a gas turbine in parallel with the turbocharger turbine are discussed, and compared with those of a Rankine cycle for the same function. The two alternatives are shown to be of equal merit until practical differences are introduced; the first alternative is then favored. Throughout, formulas and calculations are given in detail to provide information on techniques not commonly found in either thermodynamics texts or technical papers.
Synthesis of carbohydrate building blocks via regioselective uniform protection/deprotection strategies

Discussed herein is the synthesis of partially protected carbohydrates by manipulating only one type of a protecting group for a given substrate. The first focus of this review is the uniform protection of an unprotected starting material in a way that only one (or two) hydroxyl group remains unprotected. The second focus involves regioselective partial deprotection of uniformly protected compounds in a way that only one (or two) hydroxyl group becomes liberated.
Nanoparticle exposure driven circulating bioactive peptidome causes systemic inflammation and vascular dysfunction

The mechanisms driving systemic effects consequent pulmonary nanoparticle exposure remain unclear. Recent work has established the existence of an indirect process by which factors released from the lung into the circulation promote systemic inflammation and cellular dysfunction, particularly on the vasculature. However, the composition of circulating contributing factors and how they are produced remains unknown. Evidence suggests matrix protease involvement; thus, here we used a well-characterized multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) oropharyngeal aspiration model with known vascular effects to assess the distinct contribution of nanoparticle-induced peptide fragments in driving systemic pathobiology. Data-independent mass spectrometry enabled the unbiased quantitative characterization of 841 significant MWCNT-responses within an enriched peptide fraction, with 567 of these factors demonstrating significant correlation across animal-paired bronchoalveolar lavage and serum biofluids. A database search curated for known matrix protease substrates and predicted signaling motifs enabled identification of 73 MWCNT-responsive peptides, which were significantly associated with an abnormal cardiovascular phenotype, extracellular matrix organization, immune-inflammatory processes, cell receptor signaling, and a MWCNT-altered serum exosome population. Production of a diverse peptidomic response was supported by a wide number of upregulated matrix and lysosomal proteases in the lung after MWCNT exposure. The peptide fraction was then found bioactive, producing endothelial cell inflammation and vascular dysfunction ex vivo akin to that induced with whole serum. Results implicate receptor ligand functionality in driving systemic effects, exemplified by an identified 59-mer thrombospondin fragment, replete with CD36 modulatory motifs, that when synthesized produced an anti-angiogenic response in vitro matching that of the peptide fraction. Other identified peptides point to integrin ligand functionality and more broadly to a diversity of receptor-mediated bioactivity induced by the peptidomic response to nanoparticle exposure. The present study demonstrates that pulmonary-sequestered nanoparticles, such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes, acutely upregulate a diverse profile of matrix proteases, and induce a complex peptidomic response across lung and blood compartments. The serum peptide fraction, having cell-surface receptor ligand properties, conveys peripheral bioactivity in promoting endothelial cell inflammation, vasodilatory dysfunction and inhibiting angiogenesis. Results here establish peptide fragments as indirect, non-cytokine mediators and putative biomarkers of systemic health outcomes from nanoparticle exposure.
Ion/ion charge inversion/attachment in conjunction with dipolar DC collisional activation as a selective screen for sulfo- and phosphopeptides

Abstract We describe a gas-phase approach for the rapid screening of polypeptide anions for phosphorylation or sulfonation based on binding strengths to guanidinium-containing reagent ions. The approach relies on the generation of a complex via reaction of mixtures of deprotonated polypeptide anions with dicationic guanidinium-containing reagent ions and subsequent dipolar DC collisional activation of the complexes. The relative strengths of the electrostatic interactions of guanidinium with deprotonated acidic sites follows the order carboxylate
Changes in Psychiatric Emergency Room Visits Following the Boston Marathon Bombing.

Objective This study reviews patient encounters at a Boston-area community hospital Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) following the Boston Marathon bombings, with the goal of describing the impact of terrorist attacks on PES encounters. Methods All PES encounters for 2 months preceding and 2 months following the bombing were identified in the electronic medical record. Demographics, current and past psychiatric problems, and trauma history were assessed for all records. Encounters seen post-bombing were compared with those before the bombing. Results Demographics, current and past psychiatric problems, and trauma history were not significantly different before versus after the bombing; 36 of 440 (8.2%) post-bombing encounters directly mentioned the bombings. New-onset posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms caused by the bombing occurred in only 4 encounters (0.9%). Conclusions PES encounters after a terrorist event are likely to mirror those seen before a terrorist event, with only a minority of encounters presenting for new PTSD or acute stress disorder.
Meaningful Youth Participation as a way to achieving success: Results from operational research on meaningful youth participation in a large-scale youth SRHR program in Africa and Asia

Youth participation is a key component in many youth sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programs. We analyze the results of Operational Research on Meaningful Youth Participation in a youth SRHR program in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, and Pakistan. Meaningful youth participation was found to have positive effects on empowerment and civic engagement of young people; on adult staff and organizations’ capacity to institutionalize meaningful involvement of young people, and provide youth-sensitive SRHR interventions; and achieve program objectives. Conditions enabling meaningful and structural youth participation are needed for positive effects, including mandates and policies on structural and fair youth representation at all decision making levels; opportunities for young people to have decision-making responsibilities, and to share power with adults; building young people’s capacities and understanding; welcoming and safe social environments where both young people and adults feel valued, respected, encouraged and supported.
Degradable Polyacetals/Ketals from Alternating Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization

We report the synthesis of degradable polyacetals and polyketals with controlled molecular weights and low dispersities using alternating ring-opening metathesis polymerization (AROMP) of 1,1-disub...
Exploring the Link Between Prerequisites and Performance in Advanced Data Structures

Recent work has identified a mismatch between instructor expectations of students' mastery of prerequisite course content and their actual ability. This invites the question of why this mismatch exists. We first examined grades in prerequisite courses and found they meaningfully correlated with performance on an assessment testing their knowledge of prerequisite material. In addition, we found neither taking alternatives to the primary identified prerequisites nor the delay between taking prerequisite courses and the follow-on course meaningfully impacts performance. Second, we confirmed that prerequisite course grades are significantly correlated with the grade in the follow-on course-confirming that the grades in the previous courses convey some information about student understanding of those topics. Perhaps surprisingly, we found that grades in courses outside computing were similarly correlated as those courses inside computing, suggesting that underlying factors such as general study skills may be as important as the domain-specific knowledge itself.
Urinary MicroRNAs in Environmental Health: Biomarkers of Emergent Kidney Injury and Disease

There is a critical need for sensitive biomarkers of renal disease and progression. Micro(mi)RNAs are attractive as next-generation biomarkers in kidney disease, particularly as urine miRNAs can inform kidney function and cellular integrity. This review summarizes recent epidemiologic and toxicologic advances using urinary miRNAs and exosomal miRNAs as novel biomarkers of chemical exposure and of kidney damage and disease. Urine miRNA biomarkers offer improved stability over protein in stored samples, relative ease of collection and quantitation, and conserved sequence homology across species. Particularly in the case of emergent environmental health threats such as chronic kidney disease of unknown origin, urinary miRNAs hold promise as biomarkers of disease and/or exposure. We present evidence to address scientific knowledge gaps, comment on the relevance of urine-derived miRNAs in environmental health research, and discuss limitations and recommendations for future directions needed to advance miRNA biomarker strategies.
Role of high sensitivity CRP (HS-CRP) in evaluation of preterm and term neonatal sepsis with maternal chorioamnionitis - Retrospective-cohort study

Purpose: Chorioamnionitis is reported in 3-10% of term pregnancies and is one of the most common neonatal sepsis risk factors for neonatal sepsis evaluation. One of the common markers used to evaluate EOS is C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase inflammatory marker. Over the last decade, use of HS-CRP in place of R-CRP has significantly increased, at best due to theoretical extension from adult studies. Its use can inadvertently increase EOS diagnosis and neonatal exposure to antibiotics. We planned to evaluate predictive value of HS-CRP in neonates with maternal chorioamnionitis, …
Unpacking the Roles of Religion and Partisanship on Support for Same-Sex Marriage: Evidence from South Korea:

We ask to what extent opposition to same-sex marriage in South Korea is driven by Protestant identification and how this differs from Catholic and non-Christian views. Furthermore, is there a separ...
P 1 finite element methods for a weighted elliptic state-constrained optimal control problem

We investigate a P1 finite element method for a two-dimensional weighted optimal control problem arising from a three-dimensional (3D) axisymmetric elliptic state-constrained optimal control problem with Dirichlet boundary conditions.
Revisiting a Classic: A Qualitative Analysis of Differential Opportunity Theory and Its Utility in Explaining Residential Burglary

Cloward and Ohlin’s (1960) differential opportunity theory made several significant contributions to criminology, including the emphasis on illegitimate means and the idea that social structure influences criminal opportunity. The problem, however, is that the field largely misinterpreted Cloward and Ohlin’s intent as a simple variation of strain theory instead of a critical refinement of the existing perspective. Generally, the theory has not received much scholarly attention in terms of testing of its key propositions. Using semi-structured personal interviews with 105 active residential burglars in St. Louis, Missouri during 1989-1990, the current study uses qualitative measures to analyze differential opportunity theory as it applies to residential burglary. Results show support for the theory, including access to criminal learning environments and mentoring, the importance of criminal connections, neighborhood influence on offenders’ risk perceptions, and the overall salience of neighborhood context on what are termed “front-end” and “back-end” opportunity structures. Emerging themes, practical implications, and directions for future research are discussed.
Design of an Intelligent Agent to Measure Collaboration and Verbal-Communication Skills of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Collaborative Puzzle Games

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by core deficits in social interaction and communication. Collaborative puzzle games are interactive activities that can be played to foster the collaboration and verbal-communication skills of children with ASD. In this article, we have designed an intelligent agent that can play collaborative puzzle games with children and verbally communicate with them as if it is another human player. Furthermore, this intelligent agent is also able to automatically measure children's task-performance and verbal-communication behaviors throughout the game play. Two preliminary studies were conducted with children with ASD to evaluate the feasibility and performance of the intelligent agent. Results of Study I demonstrated the intelligent agent's ability to play games and communicate with children within the game-playing domain. Results of Study II indicated its potential to measure the communication and collaboration skills of human users.
Use of polysomnography and home sleep apnea tests for the longitudinal management of obstructive sleep apnea in adults: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical guidance statement

Introduction:Obstructive sleep apnea is an important and common disorder with associated health risks. Assuring successful longitudinal management is vital to patient health and sleep-related quali...
Procedural Justice and Demographic Diversity: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Police Recruitment:

Online recruitment materials are often the first encounter for individuals considering a police career. Procedural justice (PJ) theory argues that how police officers treat the public is an importa...
Association between weighted adverse outcome score and race/ethnicity in women and neonates.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between the Weighted Adverse Outcome Score (WAOS) and race/ethnicity among a large and diverse population-based cohort of women and neonates in the United States. STUDY DESIGN This was a retrospective cohort study of women who delivered in the United States between 2011 and 2013. We identified mother-infant pairs with adverse maternal and/or neonatal outcomes. These outcomes were assigned weighted scores to account for relative severity. The association between race/ethnicity and WAOS was examined using chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Compared to White women and their neonates, Black women and their neonates were at higher odds of an adverse outcome. CONCLUSION(S) The vast majority of women and neonates had no adverse outcome. However, Black women and their neonates were found to have a higher WAOS. This tool could be used to designate hospitals or regions with higher-than-expected adverse outcomes and target them for intervention.
Effect of Prenatal Estrogen Exposure on Male Genitalia

The discovery of adenocarcinoma of the vagina in young women exposed to exogenous estrogens in utero led to a search for similar effects in men. Such studies were difficult because of ascertainment problems and the low incidence of the disorders being investigated. Numerous examinations of cancer registries have demonstrated an increased incidence of cancer of the testis. Secular trends suggest that this increase is not attributable to prenatal estrogen exposure. No history of exposure has been obtained in any patients with genital malignancy in the group at risk. Evaluation of relative risk for congenital malformations in a prospectively ascertained cohort disclosed increased risk for diethylstilbestrol (1.56) and ethinyl estradiol (1.89). The association of estrogen with the broad category of malformations used in this study was minimal. A relative risk of 1.60 for hypospadias was found. However, the numbers were too small to be statistically significant (and no increased risk was found by another investigator). The risk of cardiovascular disease was significantly greater in those exposed to estrogens in utero. This finding was confirmed by a study of congenital heart disease following sex hormone exposure. Four case reports of children exposed to estrogens in utero described external genitalia ranging from normal female to male with hypogonadism. The four cases seemed to have abnormal testes as a common feature. This was also noted in a fetus aborted after exposure to diethylstilbestrol. Responses to a questionnaire led one group to suggest that urethral stenosis is more common following prenatal diethylstilbestrol exposure. Long-term follow-up of men exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol showed increased incidence of epididymal cysts, hypotrophic testis, and hypoplastic penis. Morphologically abnormal sperm, low ejaculate volume, and low sperm counts were also more common in those exposed to diethylstilbestrol.
Experimental Correlation Between the Flow and Magnus Characteristics of a Spinning Ogive-Nose Cylinder

Theme A experimental investigation of the Magnus force on a seven-caliber, tangent-ogive nosed cylinder is presented. Correlations between strain gage measurements of the Magnus force coefficient, smoke flow photographs and hot-wire surveys of the lee-side vortex region yield a flow model which explains a change in sign of the Magnus force coefficient with angle of attack. Of particular interest is the discovery that a Magnus effect can be due to a combined interaction between the boundary layer and lee-side vortices.
Multiple mutations of the first gene of a dimeric tRNA gene abolish in vitro tRNA gene transcription

Abstract Eukaryotic tRNA expression initiates with transcription by RNA polymerase III and requires two additional protein factors and two regions within the tRNA gene (the 5'-internal control region (ICR) or A-box and the 3'-ICR or B-box). Using a reconstituted Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA polymerase III system, the transcription of various 5'-ICR, 3'-ICR, and double mutation alleles of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe sup3-e dimeric tRNA gene were studied. The sup3-e tRNA locus consists of an upstream serine tRNA gene and a downstream initiator methionine tRNA gene which are transcribed as a dimeric precursor and processed to give two tRNAs. Only the ICRs of the tRNA(Ser) gene are active in directing dimeric gene transcription. Mutations in the 3'-ICR of the tRNA(Ser) gene reduce transcription of the dimer more than those in the 5'-ICR. Mutations in the 5'-ICR were found which greatly increased or decreased transcription of the dimer, while base changes in the 3'-ICR were only found to decrease transcription. This suggests a modulatory role for the 5'-ICR in transcription regulation. Mutation of the methionine tRNA gene ICR has little effect on sup3-e transcription, and no detectable transcripts initiate from the methionine tRNA gene when the tRNA(Ser) gene promoter is inactivated by mutation. Comparison with transcription studies of other mutant tRNA genes suggests that nucleotides sites within the ICRs, such as nucleotides 8, 10, 13, 18, and 19 in the 5'-ICR and 48, 53, 56, 57, and 58 in the 3'-ICR, appear to have evolved universal importance for RNA polymerase III transcription in eukaryotes. Thus these ICR sequences may play a critical role in regulation of tRNA expression.
Earthquake Response and Instrumentation of Buildings

An optimal instrumentation system for interpreting building respons must be designed so that motion in the horizontal plane of each instrumented floor is defined. Strong-motion recording systems utilizing single and multiaxial remote accelerometers connected via data cable to a central recorder(s) are recommended for buildings rather than self-contained triaxial accelerographs. As a minimum it is recommended that the accelerometers in such systems be placed on the lowest level and at the roof level. Additional instrumentation should also be placed at as many intermediate levels as is economically feasible. The quantity and arrangement of instrumentation are dependent upon foundation type and conditions, building size, architectural layout, structural framing system, and the location of seismic joints.
Effects of Intake Port Design and Valve Lift on In-Cylinder Flow and Burnrate

LDA measurements of the flow in a motored engine near TDC of compression have been obtained, along with burnrate data in a firing engine having a near-central spark plug location. Results are reported for two different intake ports and four intake valve lifts varying from 25% to 100% of full lift. Opposite trends of swirl vs valve lift were found for the two ports, and the rms velocity fluctuation was found to be relatively insensitive to changes in valve lift. Regression analysis of the burn duration data was conducted, with swirl ratio and rms as independent variables. The analysis indicated that burn duration decreases with an increase in swirl ratio and/or rms velocity fluctuation. In light of the experimental findings, a new conceptual model is proposed regarding the effect of valve lift on the dissipation of turbulent velocity via changes in the length scale. And combustion-induced shear in the unburned gas resulting from conservation of angular momentum is hypothesized as a possible mechanism for increased burnrate due to swirl for the case of central ignition.
Sovereigns in the Marketplace: Consumer Groups and Citizenship (without Nations?) in the European Union

The enlargement of Europe and globalization are reconfiguring European consumerism. In this new context, personal, local and national agency in the social and the political relations of consumption are in great flux. I will use some recent language and circulars regarding GMOs to suggest that what consumers may be gaining in active agency through the creation of supranational agencies and NGOs and the proliferation of Internet activism, they may be losing in the accountability of their local governments. Further, the means by which “European” consumers are being created, possibly a classe objet in Bourdieu’s terms, reflects an erosion of national sovereignty and its crisis, producing what may be a “consolation narrative” to the spectre of the failure of democracy.
Associations of employment frustration with self-rated physical and mental health among Asian American immigrants in the U.S. Labor force.

Objective: This study examined the associations between employment frustration and both self-rated physical health (SRPH) and self-rated mental health (SRMH) among Asian American immigrants. Design and Sample: A cross-sectional quantitative analysis was conducted utilizing data from 1,181 Asian immigrants participating in the National Latino and Asian American Study. Measures: Employment frustration was measured by self-report of having difficulty finding the work one wants because of being of Asian descent. SRPH and SRMH were each assessed using a global one-item measure, with responses ranging from poor to excellent. Control variables included gender, age, ethnicity, education, occupation, income, whether immigrated for employment, years in the United States, English proficiency, and a general measure for everyday discrimination. Results: Ordered logistic regression showed that employment frustration was negatively associated with SRPH. This relationship, however, was no longer significant in multivariate models including English proficiency. The negative association between employment frustration and SRMH persisted even when including all control variables. Conclusions: The findings suggest that Asian immigrants in the United States who experience employment frustration report lower levels of both physical and mental health. However, English proficiency may attenuate the relationship of employment frustration with physical health.
Liberating Ourselves: Agency, Resistance and Possibilities for Change among Latino Students, Educators, and Parents

Latino communities across the United States are experiencing today the impact of the recent economic collapse in ways that only further exacerbate many of the same social inequalities that have been historically at work for over a century. Mass deportations, increasing unemployment and incarceration, poor health care, severe cuts in school budgets, the vilification of teachers, the silencing of parents and students, and wholesale attacks on ethnic studies are highly prevalent conditions in many neighborhoods where large populations of Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Central Americans reside.
Interfacial trapping in an aged discotic liquid crystal semiconductor

This study reports on time-of-flight (TOF) hole mobility measurements in aged 2,3,6,7,10,11-Hexakis(pentyloxy)triphenylene columnar liquid crystals. In contrast to the original samples reported in 2006, homeotropically aligned samples yielded TOF transients with an extended non-exponential rise. The experimental data were fit to a simple model that accurately reproduces the TOF transients assuming delayed charge release from traps near the optically excited electrode. While interfacial trapping appears only in the aged materials, the bulk mobility is similar to the pristine material. The model addresses dispersive transport in quasi-one-dimensional materials, determines the charge carrier mobility in systems with interfacial traps, and provides a method for characterizing the traps.